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Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Girl in the Walls in Books
Jul 19, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Vernon has just moved to a quiet new little town, the type of town where different really stands out like a christmas tree in the desert! Vernon is used to standing out but not this much and its making him feel very uncomfortable especially with the skin hes in.
oh my this is one of the most gorgeous stories ive read! my heart well and truely went out to Vernon/Violet and the internal struggles their dealing with. with the self harming section i felt like somebody had stepped into my head and put my fellings on paper, when i was alot younger i used to cut because i felt like it released what i couldnt say. I felt every raw emotion going, the doubt the fear the hope the love and the warmth from finally being able to find her true being.
Its nice to be able to have a bit of an understanding of the internal struggle a transgender can go through and how much pain they can deal with and the importance of having a good support network.
i wish there were more understanding and willingness to learn in this world
An absolutly gorgeous story, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time 4/5
oh my this is one of the most gorgeous stories ive read! my heart well and truely went out to Vernon/Violet and the internal struggles their dealing with. with the self harming section i felt like somebody had stepped into my head and put my fellings on paper, when i was alot younger i used to cut because i felt like it released what i couldnt say. I felt every raw emotion going, the doubt the fear the hope the love and the warmth from finally being able to find her true being.
Its nice to be able to have a bit of an understanding of the internal struggle a transgender can go through and how much pain they can deal with and the importance of having a good support network.
i wish there were more understanding and willingness to learn in this world
An absolutly gorgeous story, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time 4/5
Erika (17789 KP) rated Yellow Rose (2019) in Movies
Oct 18, 2020 (Updated Oct 18, 2020)
Luckily, I had a free ticket for another theater chain, so I was able to see this in theaters (I was the only one there).
My initial interest in the film stemmed from it being filmed in Austin, where I live. The story is about a teenage, Filipino girl and her mother, both of whom are undocumented. When customs and immigration pick up Rose's mother, she escapes to Austin from Bastrop (EW). Rose dreams of being a country singer, and ends up making music with Dale Watson, who's a well known Texas Country artist.
That's basically the story, and yes, perfectible, it ends the exact way you imagine it to end. The music is good, and Eva Noblezada, the actress that plays Rose, has an amazing singing voice.
To answer the question as to what the title means - yes, it's racist, and a nickname Rose got when she initially sang at school. BTW, the myth of the 'Yellow Rose' is one from history, supposedly, a woman was sent in as a spy by the Texas army during the revolution, and she... distracted Santa Anna, the general of the Mexican army. There's no actual evidence, but it's incredibly believable.
Anyway, this was a great movie, with good music, and a tight running time.
My initial interest in the film stemmed from it being filmed in Austin, where I live. The story is about a teenage, Filipino girl and her mother, both of whom are undocumented. When customs and immigration pick up Rose's mother, she escapes to Austin from Bastrop (EW). Rose dreams of being a country singer, and ends up making music with Dale Watson, who's a well known Texas Country artist.
That's basically the story, and yes, perfectible, it ends the exact way you imagine it to end. The music is good, and Eva Noblezada, the actress that plays Rose, has an amazing singing voice.
To answer the question as to what the title means - yes, it's racist, and a nickname Rose got when she initially sang at school. BTW, the myth of the 'Yellow Rose' is one from history, supposedly, a woman was sent in as a spy by the Texas army during the revolution, and she... distracted Santa Anna, the general of the Mexican army. There's no actual evidence, but it's incredibly believable.
Anyway, this was a great movie, with good music, and a tight running time.
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David McK (3557 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Aug 15, 2020
In 2013, Olympus Fell ("Olympus Has Fallen").
Although I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than it was one of the 2 'Die Hard in the White House' movies that came out that year (the other being "White House Down") and that it starred Gerard Butler (wit "Olympus" being the code name of the White House).
In 2016, London Fell ("London Has Fallen")
I remember even less about it, other than it was a sequel, again starring Gerard Butler, and took place in, well, London.
Now, in 2019, "Angel Has Fallen".
The 'Angel' of that is the codename of Gerard Butler's Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, returning for a third time in the series, and here framed for an attempted assassination attempt on the US President (Morgan Freeman, taking over from the earlier Aaron Eckhart) and on the run from both his own government and from those who framed him (and want to finish the job, so to speak).
If you've seen any of the earlier entries, you'll know pretty much what to expect: gunfire, explosions, more gunfire, running, a ham-fisted "Russia bad! America good!" allegory thrown in, more gunfire ...
Not a bad way to while away a few hours, but not brilliant either,
Although I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than it was one of the 2 'Die Hard in the White House' movies that came out that year (the other being "White House Down") and that it starred Gerard Butler (wit "Olympus" being the code name of the White House).
In 2016, London Fell ("London Has Fallen")
I remember even less about it, other than it was a sequel, again starring Gerard Butler, and took place in, well, London.
Now, in 2019, "Angel Has Fallen".
The 'Angel' of that is the codename of Gerard Butler's Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, returning for a third time in the series, and here framed for an attempted assassination attempt on the US President (Morgan Freeman, taking over from the earlier Aaron Eckhart) and on the run from both his own government and from those who framed him (and want to finish the job, so to speak).
If you've seen any of the earlier entries, you'll know pretty much what to expect: gunfire, explosions, more gunfire, running, a ham-fisted "Russia bad! America good!" allegory thrown in, more gunfire ...
Not a bad way to while away a few hours, but not brilliant either,
Merissa (12827 KP) rated The Prince's Runaway Lover (Men of the Zodiac #7) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
Nicholas never planned on being king - he was more than happy being the 'spare to the heir' but fate had a different, tragic, story planned for him. One in which he would lose his brother and be forced to step up. However, once he does, he finds that things aren't exactly going his way. He has trouble with parliament, someone else wants his throne and to top it all, his mother wants him married. Life sucks about now for Nicholas. So when someone runs into his scene, not asking anything of him, but just enjoying the time they spend together, is it any wonder he becomes intrigued?
This book is delightful, a modern-day fairy tale. I love the references to Cinderella and midnight coming. If you want a book that is full of romance, enough to satisfy my sappy heart, then I can definitely recommend this one. It is well-written and has a smooth-flowing plot. You hope they will get their HEA but you're kept guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 14, 2015
This book is delightful, a modern-day fairy tale. I love the references to Cinderella and midnight coming. If you want a book that is full of romance, enough to satisfy my sappy heart, then I can definitely recommend this one. It is well-written and has a smooth-flowing plot. You hope they will get their HEA but you're kept guessing right to the end. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 14, 2015
Shift (The Caelian Cycle #3)
8.0
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Chaos is what rules Sadie’s life. Separation, lies, and an overpowering Talent have pushed her...
Young Adult Dystopian Science Fiction Romance
The Rubicon Method: Overcome Procrastination
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Procrastination is one of the greatest problems of our times, where otherwise brilliant and capable...
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Ghost Stories (2018) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
In that sleep of death, what dreams may come.
“Ghost Stories” is based on the spooky London West-End stage play by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman who both write and direct the film version. I didn’t know this until the end credits, but began to wonder in the final act where the action suddenly becomes very “stagey” in nature. The screenplay was always bound to be both bizarre and intriguing, since Dyson has been a past contributor to TV’s “League of Gentlemen” and other equally surreal programmes and Nyman has been a major collaborator with the stage-illusionist Derren Brown.
Nyman himself plays TV paranormal debunker Professor Goodman who receives a surprise message from a respected colleague, long thought dead, who on his death bed wants Goodman to investigate the three cases from his career that he was never able to debunk. The first concerns Tony Matthews (Paul Whitehouse, “The Death of Stalin“) as a night watchman at a spooky old asylum; the second concerns Simon Rifkind (Alex Lawther, young Turing in “The Imitation Game“) as a freaked-out young man with a forest breakdown; and Mike Priddle (Martin Freeman, “Black Panther“) as a rich broker with parenting issues. As Goodman investigates each case weirder and weirder things start to happen: is this his mind playing tricks as his faith is rocked, or is there something more sinister going on?
The primary issue I have with this film is its portmanteau nature, harking back to similar films like “The Twilight Zone: the Movie”. Having three segments, loosely linked together, feels like a clunky device for a feature film…. (“Why are there three cases to investigate? Well, two would have made the film too short, and four would have made it too long!”).
That being said, the overall story arc and the drawing together of the strands for the unexpected (although not terribly original) conclusion, is intriguing.
The film looks and feels like a British-made horror film, which is both a compliment and a criticism. Who doesn’t like the jump-scares and the vague tackiness of a Hammer horror? But if you care to compare the production values on show here versus “A Quiet Place“, there is no comparison. The location-shot scenes (which are most of the scenes) seem to be very poorly lit: and that’s the non-spooky ones where you are supposed to see what’s going on!
The cast seem to be well-suited to their roles, with Paul Whitehouse in particular being impressive as the ‘on the make’ Matthews, who always feels like being on the knife-edge of violent outburst. I particularly liked Alex Lawther who does “spooked” extremely well! The script also seems to be well-tuned to the characters, with a number of laugh-out-loud lines. “****ing O2” exclaims Simon as he waves his mobile in the air… something the marketing department at the telecoms giant must have loved!
The critics seem to have been overtly positive about this film, which I can’t quite match. Apart from one or two scenes towards the end, all of the jump scares were pretty well signposted in advance. But it’s still as fun as a slightly tacky ghost house ride at the fairground, if you like that sort of thing, and is certainly a much more interesting and better watch in my book than some recent and much higher budget horror films like “It“.
Nyman himself plays TV paranormal debunker Professor Goodman who receives a surprise message from a respected colleague, long thought dead, who on his death bed wants Goodman to investigate the three cases from his career that he was never able to debunk. The first concerns Tony Matthews (Paul Whitehouse, “The Death of Stalin“) as a night watchman at a spooky old asylum; the second concerns Simon Rifkind (Alex Lawther, young Turing in “The Imitation Game“) as a freaked-out young man with a forest breakdown; and Mike Priddle (Martin Freeman, “Black Panther“) as a rich broker with parenting issues. As Goodman investigates each case weirder and weirder things start to happen: is this his mind playing tricks as his faith is rocked, or is there something more sinister going on?
The primary issue I have with this film is its portmanteau nature, harking back to similar films like “The Twilight Zone: the Movie”. Having three segments, loosely linked together, feels like a clunky device for a feature film…. (“Why are there three cases to investigate? Well, two would have made the film too short, and four would have made it too long!”).
That being said, the overall story arc and the drawing together of the strands for the unexpected (although not terribly original) conclusion, is intriguing.
The film looks and feels like a British-made horror film, which is both a compliment and a criticism. Who doesn’t like the jump-scares and the vague tackiness of a Hammer horror? But if you care to compare the production values on show here versus “A Quiet Place“, there is no comparison. The location-shot scenes (which are most of the scenes) seem to be very poorly lit: and that’s the non-spooky ones where you are supposed to see what’s going on!
The cast seem to be well-suited to their roles, with Paul Whitehouse in particular being impressive as the ‘on the make’ Matthews, who always feels like being on the knife-edge of violent outburst. I particularly liked Alex Lawther who does “spooked” extremely well! The script also seems to be well-tuned to the characters, with a number of laugh-out-loud lines. “****ing O2” exclaims Simon as he waves his mobile in the air… something the marketing department at the telecoms giant must have loved!
The critics seem to have been overtly positive about this film, which I can’t quite match. Apart from one or two scenes towards the end, all of the jump scares were pretty well signposted in advance. But it’s still as fun as a slightly tacky ghost house ride at the fairground, if you like that sort of thing, and is certainly a much more interesting and better watch in my book than some recent and much higher budget horror films like “It“.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Hostle
#thehousewithaclockinitswalls is #hilarious, #mysterious & possibly one of the most #fun #family films I've seen in a while. Directed by #EliRoth (who is well know for his films #hostel, #cabinfever, #greeninferno, #knockknock & his small role in #ingloriousbastards) who wasn't really someone i expected to see directing a family movie at all, but im pleased to say i think he's found his forte here in what id say is quite possibly his best film in years. What Eli seems to just nail with this film is the mystery, suspense, discovery & #magic that so many #kids films try to pull of nowadays & fail. With clear influences from old #1930s films hwaciiw is #exciting, mysterious & creepy with a big sense of awe & wonder. Roth makes a great #cameo too in a scene that not only tells us what type of film he was going for but also showing us he really does have a knack for this too. Infact this film almost makes me look back at his other work with different eyes now realising his films are mostly throwbacks to the art of older film making when films were designed purely just to shock, dazzle, frighten & entertain the audience as if they were being watched live on a stage or in an old picturehouse. Bringing his #horror knowledge to this film too it has some quite generally #creepy scenes & some quite disturbing #creature design, make up & effects to. Acting is great & extremely over the top but its better for it with #jackblack being a constant absolute joy to watch. Themes of being yourself, standing up to people, confidence, taking responsibility & grieving are all handled well & a great subtle way of teaching kids that watch the film that life can be tough. Sets & props all look great giving the film a nice #vintage/#steampunk vibe & will cgi is alright there are some instances where it feels a tad cheap looking. Music is also magical & the film even made me feel quite #nostalgic at times too like i was watching an episode of #goosebumps or #areyouafraidofthedark. I pleasantly enjoyed this movie its #creative, #funny & filled me with the type of magical wonder i havent felt since maybe watching a #harrypotter film in the cinema. #odeon #odeonlimitless
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
To infinity and beyond
#avengersinfinitywar is an intense, fast, slick & fun ride that pulls its viewers along at such a thrilling pace that you rarely have time to breathe. Im #happy to report #infitywar is a solid, well made & a very entertaining #film (it is however by no means perfect but it does come out overall as one of the best films that marvel has produced). From the start you can instantly tell production is high here, costumes & makeup ooze detail as do sets, the score is #beautiful & extremely epic & cgi its stellar (minus a few scenes where it looked a bit soft). This is a film that clearly has had not only alot of money but a lot of love put into it. Fight scenes are weighty, fluid & pack a sometimes brutal punch to them & they come thick & fast but never out stay their welcome. Set pieces are #gorgeous too with great camera work ranging from tight claustrophobic combat to huge dizzying establishing shots giving the film great scale. Acting is great all round with #joshbrolin as #thanos being the standout here, hes constantly intimidating visually & vocally with so much unpredictability & power his presence alone instantly made me #anxious. Story wise it keeps it interesting & everyone's motives are clear but i do feel that with so many characters to juggle you loose that connection & emotional impact from time to time. Also its a darker film but peril is quite void here & at times I felt no one was really in that much danger of being fataly hurt. Themes of sacrificing the things you #love for a greater purpose & the effects/impact power can have in different hands were interesting but id need to watch it again to see what its deeper over all message was. Lastly the ending is so clever, perfect, beautifully done & shocking that it left most of my screening breathlessly glued to our seats. Comedy works well here too with most jokes hitting without being to cringe. Overall its a damn good time & watching it with a big excited audience reminded me of what going to the cinema is all about 'Escapism' & 'fun' & #avengers really does provide both. #comicon #superhero #marvel #disney #guardiansofthegalaxy #thor #hulk #captainamerica #spiderman #groot #ironman #marvelcomics #mcu