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Twice Tempted (Holland Springs, #2)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Since I was undecided on what to read next, I've adopted a fellow BookLikes users method of using a random number generator. It picked #73, which was this one.

Let's hope I can remember enough about book #0.5

DNF @ 56%

Well... Admittedly it's been a year or two since I read the 0.5 book, and I remember liking it. I thought this would run along the same sort of lines but she hadn't mentioned that night they spent together and I was over half way.

I don't remember Zoe being so clumsy either. If something could be bumped into/spilt/dropped then Zoe did. It got a little annoying after a while, though the phone out of sun-roof, squashed by semi-truck did make me laugh.

The style of this didn't really work for me, I found it rather hard to get into and gel with. I also didn't understand Zoe's determination to avoid the film star. Was it that she didn't want him to remember that night together or was she not wanting to tempt fate and risk heart-break?

I just think my tastes have changed a bit and some of my older books on my list will end up the same way as this since they're from late 2012.
  
Haunt (2019)
Haunt (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
Over the past few years, found footage films about Extreme Halloween Haunts have kind of damaged the product a little. The Houses October Built being the best of the worst in my opinion.
Last year we had HellFest and another one that I forgot...
So I went in to Haunt with no idea what was going to happen... Nor did I really care.
Until the mayhem begun. The absolute carnage that follows these folks around is both refreshing and disturbing all the same.
These people, hidden beneath the masks of the holiday.... Yeah, fuck off. Halloween in my Christmas.... Are equally disturbing masks of self expression and self loathing.
Overall this movie shocked me into a 9 rating. It was nice to see a horror film full of "teens" who's first thought was "How do we get out?". Instead of "Hey that big scary man is pointing towards a dark room with a machete... Lets go fuck in that room,"
Smart characters are so refreshing.
Thanks modern day horror for ending the drought of dumbasses... For now.
While it wasn't a new idea.Haunt is in fact quite Haunting... Oh boy...
And it does leave the viewer... This viewer... Satisfied with 90 minutes well spent.
  
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natmac (13 KP) rated Joker (2019) in Movies

Oct 14, 2019 (Updated Oct 14, 2019)  
Joker (2019)
Joker (2019)
2019 | Crime, Drama
Phoenix's performance is what holds the movie up, it feels realistic, desperate and sad. (2 more)
The cinematography is amazing and Gotham has never been seedier.
The third act of the film is really enjoyable and tense because of how low the stakes are and how well defined the characters are.
It straight up rips off both Taxi Driver and King of Comedy. (2 more)
It spells out the story even though I thought it was pretty obvious what was happening anyway.
Subtlety is absent from the film.
Joker is very original if you're a fan of superhero movies, but a rehash if you've seen the essential scorcesse flicks.
Contains spoilers, click to show
It would have been interesting if they took the story in a different direction and steered away from the King of Comedy Route. They should never have told you that some of the stuff that happens are hallucinations. The flashbacks were not needed at all to spell it out, I found them kinda annoying. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about the Joker's first kills being out of self defense. I like that this joker is quite different to previous interpretations, but what I love about the character is how he defies any sort of morals or logic.
  
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    Modern Essentials

    Health & Fitness and Reference

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    Learn how aromatherapy can benefit health and well-being - naturally! Get current, scientific...

    VirtualRoom AU

    VirtualRoom AU

    Music and Entertainment

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    This application simulates the acoustics of a room and reproduces the sound signals for the two ears...

Burden (2018)
Burden (2018)
2018 | Drama
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I'm not sure why this movie is listed as being released it 2018. It was released VOD early this summer due to theaters closing down. IMDb has it listed as 2018, as well. Perhaps that was the intended release?

Anyway, Burden is a true story about Mike Burden, an active KKK member in the deep south. Having lived a life of hate and anger, he falls in love with a woman who shows him that there are other ways. He denounces his position in the Klan and removes himself from it entirely with the help of a local reverend who happens to be black.

The film makers did a wonderful job of showing the mental and emotional anguish that Burden went through by walking away from the only "family" he ever knew, even though they were heinous, it was still not an easy task.

Garrett Hedlund and Forest Whitaker are both absolutely phenomenal in their respective roles. From what I understand, the film stays pretty true to the actual story that played out in real life.

Though the film is based on events that took place in the 90's from what I can tell, the story told is a relevant today (perhaps moreso) than ever.
  
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Erika (17789 KP) Aug 5, 2020

It premiered at Sundance in 2018.

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Bostonian916 (449 KP) Aug 5, 2020

That makes sense! Thank you

The Magician (The Necronomicon Guardian #1)
The Magician (The Necronomicon Guardian #1)
Maya Daniels | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Magician is the first book in The Necronomicon Guardian series and we meet klutzy Charlie who doesn't appear have to much going for her as far as magic is concerned. And yet, somehow, she gets picked for a job that will get her killed. Instead, she finds herself falling down the rabbit hole and being blackmailed into doing another job that may get her killed!

This is a quick read and the pacing is fast too. It mostly takes place within 24-hours so hold onto your hats. Although you don't meet any of them in depth, there are numerous characters to tantalise and tease. Personally, I want to see more from Glenda. As for Blade, well, we'll just have to see what his story is in future books.

As with all of Maya Daniels' books, it is full of snarky humour and action. I get the feeling this is just the start of a brilliant adventure for Charlie and I can't wait to see what happens next. A wonderful start to a new series and definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
2020 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
I've been waiting an entire year for this film. This is my favorite book I've ever read, so I had a bit of skepticism coming into it, but if anyone could do it, Kaufman could. Now, I've seen it, and I'm incredibly conflicted. I'm kind of disappointed that Kaufman used his normal "I'm so quirky and this is off-putting" doalogue instead of leaning into the psychological horror aspects that the book heavily relies on. He also takes a lot of creative liberty with some stupid jokes, like the whole Zemeckis joke which is nowhere to be found in the book. It just kinda peeves me how Kaufman seemed very unwilling to step outside of his comfort zone, but that's a conversation for another day.

That being said, it's impossible for me to deny that it's a great film. It's technically brilliant, and aside from some occasionally grating dialogue, or monologue, the pacing and script is very well done. Although I'm very disappointed in the film that I was given, I'd be very wrong to identify it as anything other than brilliant.

Edit: After reading his Indiewire interview, I fucking hate Kaufman and the way that he butchered the original material with reckless abandon. Fuck his pretentious ass.