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Awix (3310 KP) rated Сталкер [Stalker] (1979) in Movies
Apr 27, 2019
![Сталкер [Stalker] (1979)](/uploads/profile_image/707/bcd145ec-5561-4909-a7e6-e801874bb707.jpg?m=1528075150)
Famously cryptic Russian existential SF classic, or possibly just three men wandering about on some waste ground for two and a half hours. A 'stalker' leads a writer and a scientist into a heavily guarded zone which contains a room that supposedly gives existence to the fondest desires of anyone entering it. They discuss philosophy. A lot.
Not quite as challengingly impenetrable as some of Tarkovsky's work, but still challengingly dense and subtle. Almost all the actual SF content is left to the imagination of the viewer; the film is primarily about discussions of virtue, faith, psychology, and many other abstract things. Mesmerising to watch, but quite hard work; there's a good chance it's every bit as good as everyone else says, but I'm just too thick to figure that out.
Not quite as challengingly impenetrable as some of Tarkovsky's work, but still challengingly dense and subtle. Almost all the actual SF content is left to the imagination of the viewer; the film is primarily about discussions of virtue, faith, psychology, and many other abstract things. Mesmerising to watch, but quite hard work; there's a good chance it's every bit as good as everyone else says, but I'm just too thick to figure that out.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated The Outsider in Books
Apr 30, 2019
I often forget how much I enjoy Stephen King's writing style. It's almost a fun game trying to see how his work fits into his larger King-Iverse. This one ties in quite well, and in fact reminded me quite a bit of my absolute favorite of his, The Dark Tower Series. There were a few elements that I felt were a bit unusual and wondered why they were added like the weird affair between characters. But I understand that characters do what characters do. You, as a writer, don't necessarily control them. You are a conduit for their story and often times they will tell it the way they want to tell it. So for those I will deduct the one star. Not King's fault necessarily, more the fault of the characters.
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Backtrack (2015) in Movies
May 15, 2019 (Updated May 15, 2019)
Fails to deliver
Director: Michael Petroni
Writer: Michael Petroni
Stars: Adrien Brody, Jenni Baird, Bruce Spence and Sam Neill
What's it about?
Peter Bower is a Psychiatrist who discovers all of his clients are ghosts that died in a train accident that he was witness to as a child. Whilst revisiting his home town where the incident took place, he begins to discover the truth behind the accident with the help of the victims spirits
Is it scary?
Nah. Tension fails to really build and the jump scares are very predictable
Does it have any redeeming features?
Well acted and a mildly gripping ending
.
How does it compare to other horrors?
It makes the sins by being neither entertaining or so bad that it's funny
Writer: Michael Petroni
Stars: Adrien Brody, Jenni Baird, Bruce Spence and Sam Neill
What's it about?
Peter Bower is a Psychiatrist who discovers all of his clients are ghosts that died in a train accident that he was witness to as a child. Whilst revisiting his home town where the incident took place, he begins to discover the truth behind the accident with the help of the victims spirits
Is it scary?
Nah. Tension fails to really build and the jump scares are very predictable
Does it have any redeeming features?
Well acted and a mildly gripping ending
.
How does it compare to other horrors?
It makes the sins by being neither entertaining or so bad that it's funny
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2603 KP) rated File M for Murder (Cat in the Stacks, #3) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie Harris is delighted to have his daughter, Laura, in town for the semester teaching drama at Athena College. He’s less excited about having Connor Lawton as the writer in residence since the playwright is nasty man. However, it is still a surprise when Laura finds him murdered late one afternoon. Who hated Connor enough to kill him?
Having Laura in town was wonderful since it gave us a chance to get to see a different side of Charlie. We’re actually getting a rather large cast of characters already, but I truly love them all. Yet the characters never slow down the plot, which builds steady to a logical yet surprising climax.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-file-m-for-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Having Laura in town was wonderful since it gave us a chance to get to see a different side of Charlie. We’re actually getting a rather large cast of characters already, but I truly love them all. Yet the characters never slow down the plot, which builds steady to a logical yet surprising climax.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-file-m-for-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Randall Munroe, ex-NASA employee and current webcomic writer, has a feature on his website in which readers ask him hypothetical questions and he goes about answering them as scientifically as possible. In this book, he has compiled the best of those, along with a few new ones, and the end result is perhaps the most entertaining educational book possible. The questions vary from the sort you may have found yourself wondering to the completely absurd, but he always answers them with a mix of enthusiastic curiosity, scientific fact, and a sense of humor, which makes it hard not to keep reading, question after question. If you are at all a curious person and have at least a passing interest in science, you should really pick this one up.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers in Books
Jul 10, 2018
What to say... What to say...
I read this book for my book club. Mary Roach is an interesting writer that has always intrigued me. I was excited to read one of her books, but I will admit this is the one book that held no interest to me. The information in this book was fascinating but unfortunately it was a subject line that didn't hold my interest well.
With all of that said, I did rate this book high. It was extremely well researched and I enjoyed it for the most part. Mary Roach has a way to drag you (kick & screaming) into the book even when it is a subject line that you don't like.
All in all, this was well researched, with a lot of not so pretty details.
I read this book for my book club. Mary Roach is an interesting writer that has always intrigued me. I was excited to read one of her books, but I will admit this is the one book that held no interest to me. The information in this book was fascinating but unfortunately it was a subject line that didn't hold my interest well.
With all of that said, I did rate this book high. It was extremely well researched and I enjoyed it for the most part. Mary Roach has a way to drag you (kick & screaming) into the book even when it is a subject line that you don't like.
All in all, this was well researched, with a lot of not so pretty details.
Sue (5 KP) rated Smugglers & Scones (Moorehaven Mysteries, #1) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
I am a fan of cozy mysteries and when the opportunity to read this book fell into my lap I, of course, jumped at the chance.
The main character is Pippa and she runs Moorehaven, which is a quirky bed-and-breakfast that had been the home of a world-famous mystery writer. The B&B attracts writers who want to find their own fame of writing crime novels.
The book was filled with some mystery, a little suspense, a possibility of a love connection, funny situations, and of course a murder to solve. This was a fun new mystery and I feel other readers like myself will be jumping at the chance to read more in the series.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book.
The main character is Pippa and she runs Moorehaven, which is a quirky bed-and-breakfast that had been the home of a world-famous mystery writer. The B&B attracts writers who want to find their own fame of writing crime novels.
The book was filled with some mystery, a little suspense, a possibility of a love connection, funny situations, and of course a murder to solve. This was a fun new mystery and I feel other readers like myself will be jumping at the chance to read more in the series.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book.
Justin Taylor (59 KP) rated Christopher Robin (2018) in Movies
Nov 7, 2018
The nostalgia hits hard here so prepare to cry....a lot! (2 more)
The original voice of Tigger and Pooh comes back to play them in this movie which is a plus
Ewan mgregor is exceptional here...Obi Wan's still got it
It's super slow until you see pooh (1 more)
If you have seen the Robin Williams classic Hook, you'll probably predict the plot of this movie
Christopher Robin is a great Disney film
Contains spoilers, click to show
This movie is a tear-jerker but it's also a love letter for long time Pooh fans but it is slow movie and a predictable plot too but it doesn't hurt the movie also minor spoilers but in the true spirit of Pooh there are songs in this movie including one by Richard Sherman a Disney song writer staple
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) in Movies
Mar 25, 2020
A movie you can really sink your teeth into
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a horror/comedy about a high school cheerleader who learns that it is her destiny to hunt vampires.
juggling being a student/cheerleader & Training to hunt & kill the undead proves to be a little more stressfull as the final hour draws closer.
A fun light hearted yet dark themed Classic.
The movie was a moderate success at the box office but garnered mixed reviews by critics.
taken in a different direction than writer Joss Whedon intended, five years later, he created the darker, more successful TV series of the same name.
directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui
starring Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, and Hilary Swank.
juggling being a student/cheerleader & Training to hunt & kill the undead proves to be a little more stressfull as the final hour draws closer.
A fun light hearted yet dark themed Classic.
The movie was a moderate success at the box office but garnered mixed reviews by critics.
taken in a different direction than writer Joss Whedon intended, five years later, he created the darker, more successful TV series of the same name.
directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui
starring Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, and Hilary Swank.
The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg
Peter Hudis, Rosa Luxemburg, Annelies Lschitza and Georg Adler
Book
This is the most comprehensive collection of letters by Rosa Luxemburg ever published in English,...