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Heroin, Organized Crime, and the Making of Modern Turkey
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Heroin, Organized Crime, and the Making of Modern Turkey explores the history of organized crime in...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2440 KP) rated Bone Canyon in Books
Feb 6, 2021
Burning Need to Solve a Cold Case
A recent wildfire in the Santa Monica mountains has had a surprising side effect. The bodies of several people dead for many years have started to be found since the brush that’s been hiding them is no longer around. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Detective Eve Ronin and her partner, Duncan Pavone, have landed the most recent one of these cold cases. Their case proves to be complicated when they identify the body as that of a twenty-something who vanished several years before. As they begin to investigate, they make several startling discoveries. What exactly lead to her murder?
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I wasn’t disappointed with this one in the slightest. Part of the fun is learning the twists of the case as they unfold, and then watching Eve try to make sense of it all. There is plenty of action on the way to a wonderful climax. Eve is a strong main character, and I enjoyed getting to know her better here. I did feel like a few of the supporting players could be stronger, but maybe that was my reaction to their poor attitudes which aren’t fully explained. While the overall tone of the book is serious, as it should be given the case, there are some very fun moments, most of them coming at the expense of Hollywood. This isn’t one of my typical cozies, so there is language, sex, and violence; be prepared before you pick up the book. I’m glad I picked up this fast paced, twisty mystery.
I enjoyed the first book in this series, and I wasn’t disappointed with this one in the slightest. Part of the fun is learning the twists of the case as they unfold, and then watching Eve try to make sense of it all. There is plenty of action on the way to a wonderful climax. Eve is a strong main character, and I enjoyed getting to know her better here. I did feel like a few of the supporting players could be stronger, but maybe that was my reaction to their poor attitudes which aren’t fully explained. While the overall tone of the book is serious, as it should be given the case, there are some very fun moments, most of them coming at the expense of Hollywood. This isn’t one of my typical cozies, so there is language, sex, and violence; be prepared before you pick up the book. I’m glad I picked up this fast paced, twisty mystery.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Saw VI (2009) in Movies
Apr 26, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
With Saw VI we get more of the same, more traps, more gore and more story which is exactly what you'd expect. Saw VI seems to fit into the overall story better than the previous film, the game fits into the over all story better, with the victims actually being connected to what is happening and the back story doesn't interfere with what has happened before, instead it adds to the overall mythos.
Where the last three films focused on the back story of three of the main characters; Amanda the Pig, John Kramer aka Jigsaw and Detective Hoffman, Saw VI focus on their relationship and the power struggle between Hoffman and Amanda and explains a bit more of Amanda's actions at the end of Saw III.
We get to find out what was in the box Johns wife received as part of her inheritance and we get the feeling that the franchise is beginning to come to it's conclusion .
There's not much more that can be said that hasn't already been said about the previous films, there's gore and violence which interweave the main story which follows on from the the previous film.
I do think Saw VI is one of the better films, the games are imaginative and linked to the main story, there is gore but not enough as to overwhelm the viewer and the story/timeline makes sense.
So, if you're a fan of the franchise then watch it. However if you're new to the whole thing then best start with an earlier film as we are quite far into the story.
Where the last three films focused on the back story of three of the main characters; Amanda the Pig, John Kramer aka Jigsaw and Detective Hoffman, Saw VI focus on their relationship and the power struggle between Hoffman and Amanda and explains a bit more of Amanda's actions at the end of Saw III.
We get to find out what was in the box Johns wife received as part of her inheritance and we get the feeling that the franchise is beginning to come to it's conclusion .
There's not much more that can be said that hasn't already been said about the previous films, there's gore and violence which interweave the main story which follows on from the the previous film.
I do think Saw VI is one of the better films, the games are imaginative and linked to the main story, there is gore but not enough as to overwhelm the viewer and the story/timeline makes sense.
So, if you're a fan of the franchise then watch it. However if you're new to the whole thing then best start with an earlier film as we are quite far into the story.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jun 10, 2021
Lorene Scafaria recommended GoodFellas (1990) in Movies (curated)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2440 KP) rated Mercy River in Books
Jul 4, 2021
Helping a Friend Gets Van into Trouble
A middle of the night phone call sends Van Shaw to the small town of Mercy River, Oregon. The call had come from fellow former Army Ranger Leo Pak, and Leo has been arrested for a murder in the community. Van thinks Leo is innocent, but Leo won’t answer Van’s questions about what happened. Meanwhile, the town is the site of an event for current and former Ranger, so the population is swelling this weekend. Will that help or hurt Van’s efforts to clear his friend?
While this may sound like the set up for many of the books I normally read, it isn’t long before the plot branches off in some thrilling new directions. Those looking for a thriller will not be disappointed with the action scenes, yet the mystery is tied up perfectly. Since Van is out of town for much of this book, the series regulars are reduced to cameos, yet we still get some updates on them. The new characters are fully developed, and Van continues to be a complex main character. I appreciated how this book works in issues that vets face without slowing down the book by preaching. Like the earlier books in the series, this one does have flashbacks, but they don’t focus on any particular time in Van’s life while still helping us appreciate the events unfolding in Van’s life currently. This book has more language and violence than I typically read, but it fits for a thriller and never gets excessive. This was another compelling entry in the series. Anyone looking for a great thriller will be pleased this picked up this book.
While this may sound like the set up for many of the books I normally read, it isn’t long before the plot branches off in some thrilling new directions. Those looking for a thriller will not be disappointed with the action scenes, yet the mystery is tied up perfectly. Since Van is out of town for much of this book, the series regulars are reduced to cameos, yet we still get some updates on them. The new characters are fully developed, and Van continues to be a complex main character. I appreciated how this book works in issues that vets face without slowing down the book by preaching. Like the earlier books in the series, this one does have flashbacks, but they don’t focus on any particular time in Van’s life while still helping us appreciate the events unfolding in Van’s life currently. This book has more language and violence than I typically read, but it fits for a thriller and never gets excessive. This was another compelling entry in the series. Anyone looking for a great thriller will be pleased this picked up this book.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Fonzo (Capone) (2020) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021
What's the scariest thing to reckon with: mortality, humanity, or yourself? Tom Hardy plays a constipated bulldog with a pinch of Beetlejuice in this utterly beguiling Frankenstein's monster of a film which can only be described as 𝘎𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪 (2018) hopped up on a bunch of prescription medication. I think the major takeaway from this is that Trank makes a tedious gangster movie - but a pretty fuckin' sweet horror/fantasy curio. Right off the bat I admire it for being so scene-to-scene fascinating based solely on how wholeheartedly unique it is; I expected no less from Trank than an auteurist stamp as big, original, and defined as this. Yes this is wonderfully experimental, yes this is very uncomfortable - seasoned with bodily fluids, a good amount of violence, and the sort of medical anguish which starts out grim and only gets more merciless as it continues... however, it also doesn't amount to too much. Hardy's grotesque turn here is memorable but 80% of the time it's reduced to staring off into the distance making various faces. It also has a similar issue to Barry Levinson's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴 in that the show-stealing macabre nightmare segments are just *crying* to break out more than the seemingly stock, incompetently structured narrative. However this was still super cool just on principle alone, and as someone who is sick of rote biopics it's nice to see one of them not be afraid to try something unquestionably different for a change (especially by dragging such a historic, opulent figure through the mud the whole time). Plus one of these are finally under an hour-45, go figure!
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Super Sales on Super Heros in Books
Sep 12, 2020
The Super villains have taken over the city Felix lives in and are, in their own way doing a good job of running it.
Felix has his own super power, the ability to modify/repair/upgrade anything he owns, the only problem is it takes points for him to do anything and, even though they reset every midnight he never has enough points to anything major. This changes when Felix accidentally buys an almost dead super hero. As slavery is now legal the super hero is now his and Felix is surprised at how many points she gives him. Now Felix sets out to improve his life, but, can he do it with out being noticed. Or making enemy's.
Super Sales on Super Hero's was my first taste of litrpg and soon became one of my favourite books. Felix starts off as quite an understandable underdog and, even as he rises to become an overpowered hero, he find himself in situations where he can't do anything.
Being a 'LitRpg' book there are tables of stats, Felix can change anything or anyone he owns and these changes are represented by the characters stat sheets but these fit well into the narrative so don't pull you out of the story.
There is violence in this book and, although a lot of it is fantasy/superhero style fighting there is also gun battles and fist fights. It also touches on subjects such as slavery and harems.
Super Sales on Super Hero's is the first book of a trilogy and after that the story does continue (kind of) in two more books
Felix has his own super power, the ability to modify/repair/upgrade anything he owns, the only problem is it takes points for him to do anything and, even though they reset every midnight he never has enough points to anything major. This changes when Felix accidentally buys an almost dead super hero. As slavery is now legal the super hero is now his and Felix is surprised at how many points she gives him. Now Felix sets out to improve his life, but, can he do it with out being noticed. Or making enemy's.
Super Sales on Super Hero's was my first taste of litrpg and soon became one of my favourite books. Felix starts off as quite an understandable underdog and, even as he rises to become an overpowered hero, he find himself in situations where he can't do anything.
Being a 'LitRpg' book there are tables of stats, Felix can change anything or anyone he owns and these changes are represented by the characters stat sheets but these fit well into the narrative so don't pull you out of the story.
There is violence in this book and, although a lot of it is fantasy/superhero style fighting there is also gun battles and fist fights. It also touches on subjects such as slavery and harems.
Super Sales on Super Hero's is the first book of a trilogy and after that the story does continue (kind of) in two more books
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius (30 for 30) in TV
Nov 25, 2020
I love ESPN's 30 for 30 series (the Tonya Harding documentary is one of my favorite sports docs). When I saw that they had done a series about Oscar Pistorius, I was all in.
This series consists of 4 episodes, that are nearly 2 hours each. To clarify, these TV shows with really long eps are not the norm in the USA, like they are elsewhere.
I had watched the Dateline ep on the Pistorious murder a few weeks before I watched this series. Of course, the narrative is of that one was skewed towards the story of domestic violence, and justice for Reeva. This is the story that's peddled all over the world. Not that it's wrong, I'm a supporter of women in domestic situations, but it's always struck me as extremely biased.
This doc did focus on Oscar, his upbringing, and his quest to complete in the able-bodied (sheesh - that's awful) Olympics. His side of the story is highly plausible, and his actions were a product of his upbringing. The documentary films really shed like on the social situation in South Africa at the time. Honestly, I only took one history class that dealt with continent in general, so there wasn't really a focus on the country itself. Seriously, the only things that stood out in my mind regarding South Africa were their incredibly odd accents, Mandela, and District 9. So, I found the additional information extremely interesting.
Overall, I found it to be far more balanced than anything I had seen in the past regarding the case, which was refreshing.
This series consists of 4 episodes, that are nearly 2 hours each. To clarify, these TV shows with really long eps are not the norm in the USA, like they are elsewhere.
I had watched the Dateline ep on the Pistorious murder a few weeks before I watched this series. Of course, the narrative is of that one was skewed towards the story of domestic violence, and justice for Reeva. This is the story that's peddled all over the world. Not that it's wrong, I'm a supporter of women in domestic situations, but it's always struck me as extremely biased.
This doc did focus on Oscar, his upbringing, and his quest to complete in the able-bodied (sheesh - that's awful) Olympics. His side of the story is highly plausible, and his actions were a product of his upbringing. The documentary films really shed like on the social situation in South Africa at the time. Honestly, I only took one history class that dealt with continent in general, so there wasn't really a focus on the country itself. Seriously, the only things that stood out in my mind regarding South Africa were their incredibly odd accents, Mandela, and District 9. So, I found the additional information extremely interesting.
Overall, I found it to be far more balanced than anything I had seen in the past regarding the case, which was refreshing.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Possessor (2020) in Movies
Dec 4, 2020
From the mind of Brandon Cronenberg comes his second feature length, Possessor, and the best way I could sum it up is that it's a subtle assault on the senses. Although it occasionally throws unsettling imagery at the screen now and again, these moments are seldom and fleeting. The main assault comes from the constant sense of dread that is present from it's visually striking and bloody opening, straight through to it's pretty insane climax. I just felt on edge consistently, thanks to the minimal but forboding score, top notch editing on display, and some quite brilliant performances.
Andrea Riseborough is great, as she was in Mandy, and her presence in modern horror is a welcome one. Her character is the overarching glue that holds all the emotional strains of the plot together with a cold core.
Christopher Abbott is wonderful, as he essentially plays two seperate characters, and sells his descent into madness perfectly.
The supporting cast include the likes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, and Sean Bean, and it's honestly just a pretty solid cast all around.
The plot is intriguing in a dystopian sci-fi kind of way, and has enough horror elements to really get under the skin. The scene that the already recognisable poster image is taken from is one of the most recoil inducing and uncomfortable scenes I've seen in a while. This premise played out with a decent screenplay, accompanied by sudden bursts of extreme violence, give Possessor an identity of it's own, and make it a modern horror entry that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys.
One of the films of the year for me!
Andrea Riseborough is great, as she was in Mandy, and her presence in modern horror is a welcome one. Her character is the overarching glue that holds all the emotional strains of the plot together with a cold core.
Christopher Abbott is wonderful, as he essentially plays two seperate characters, and sells his descent into madness perfectly.
The supporting cast include the likes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tuppence Middleton, and Sean Bean, and it's honestly just a pretty solid cast all around.
The plot is intriguing in a dystopian sci-fi kind of way, and has enough horror elements to really get under the skin. The scene that the already recognisable poster image is taken from is one of the most recoil inducing and uncomfortable scenes I've seen in a while. This premise played out with a decent screenplay, accompanied by sudden bursts of extreme violence, give Possessor an identity of it's own, and make it a modern horror entry that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the big boys.
One of the films of the year for me!