RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
The humor is pretty 'eh', but that's sort of par for the course with Dreamwork's films imo.
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50 Books. 50 Movies. 1 Year (2014).
- Thread starter Tragicomedy
- Start date
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The humor is pretty 'eh', but that's sort of par for the course with Dreamwork's films imo.
Wow, awesome OP and end of the month update!
I can't believe I am #4 Bookworm, haha. I read more last month than I have in the last year combined. Having a friendly community challenge to work towards certainly helps with the motivation, and I don't really see myself slowing down much as there is still so much I want to read.
But first, I wanted to give some impressions on a series I just finished up by Hugh Howey (author of Wool) that I don't think anyone here has read.
Molly Fyde (The Bern Saga)
I think these were the first published books from Hugh Howey, but don't quote me on that. I am always on the lookout for fun space operas as I really cannot get enough of the genre, and I also always enjoy reading about strong female characters -- so it was quite exciting to come across an entire series that seemed to satisfy both fronts.
I don't want to give a plot summary or spoilers, so you can check out the book cover arts below and the links to their respective GoodReads profiles above them if you want to check them out further, but I will say that I did enjoy this series quite a bit. It is a bit YA-ish but still crafts quite a deep universe with interesting alien races (you can see a few on the covers below). The story takes the characters all around the galaxy and in some ways it is similar to Mass Effect because it starts with a couple human characters and then eventually they encounter alien "misfits" from the planets they've visited and some join their starship crew.
I think if you're looking for a fun space opera adventure with some easy reading, this is a great series to check out. Being able to start and finish a series at once is also a bonus for me. Apparently a 5th book is in the works, but no release date yet from Hugh Howey (I tweeted him).
If anyone reads these, I'd love to know what you thought. I grabbed all 4 on Hugh's website with the DRM-free link which gives both ePub and Mobi files in a ZIP container.
Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue (Bern Saga #1)
Molly Fyde and the Land of Light (Bern Saga #2)
Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions (Bern Saga #3)
Molly Fyde and the Fight for Peace (Bern Saga #4)
I can't believe I am #4 Bookworm, haha. I read more last month than I have in the last year combined. Having a friendly community challenge to work towards certainly helps with the motivation, and I don't really see myself slowing down much as there is still so much I want to read.
But first, I wanted to give some impressions on a series I just finished up by Hugh Howey (author of Wool) that I don't think anyone here has read.
Molly Fyde (The Bern Saga)
I think these were the first published books from Hugh Howey, but don't quote me on that. I am always on the lookout for fun space operas as I really cannot get enough of the genre, and I also always enjoy reading about strong female characters -- so it was quite exciting to come across an entire series that seemed to satisfy both fronts.
I don't want to give a plot summary or spoilers, so you can check out the book cover arts below and the links to their respective GoodReads profiles above them if you want to check them out further, but I will say that I did enjoy this series quite a bit. It is a bit YA-ish but still crafts quite a deep universe with interesting alien races (you can see a few on the covers below). The story takes the characters all around the galaxy and in some ways it is similar to Mass Effect because it starts with a couple human characters and then eventually they encounter alien "misfits" from the planets they've visited and some join their starship crew.
I think if you're looking for a fun space opera adventure with some easy reading, this is a great series to check out. Being able to start and finish a series at once is also a bonus for me. Apparently a 5th book is in the works, but no release date yet from Hugh Howey (I tweeted him).
If anyone reads these, I'd love to know what you thought. I grabbed all 4 on Hugh's website with the DRM-free link which gives both ePub and Mobi files in a ZIP container.
Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue (Bern Saga #1)
Molly Fyde and the Land of Light (Bern Saga #2)
Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions (Bern Saga #3)
Molly Fyde and the Fight for Peace (Bern Saga #4)
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
I've been meaning to ask: do blogs count? I've wanted to start Hyperbole and a Half for years.
Looks like I may pick up Molly Fyde at some point. I really liked the way Howey wrote characters in Wool, and that plot sounds interesting!
In the case that it doesn't, there's a Hyperbole and a Half book now at least!
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
Yeah I have it on my wish list. It's only a best of with new material.
Update!
Mumei - 18/50 Books | 5/50 Movies
Several updates, in fact.
I watched Bill Maher's Religulous on a whim on Friday and Saturday. It was just okay, I think. I might have appreciated it more if I'd been able to see it, say, ten years ago. I also finished reading The Great Hunt. I got more than a bit tired of Rand's
, though I could see why that wasn't the case. And the whole damane / sul'damane thing was really quite horrifying.
Oh, and not really relevant to the main challenge, but I finished the second season of American Horror Story. I'm just going to assume that Jessica Lange will be my favorite character in any season of this show she appears on.
Mumei - 18/50 Books | 5/50 Movies
Several updates, in fact.
I watched Bill Maher's Religulous on a whim on Friday and Saturday. It was just okay, I think. I might have appreciated it more if I'd been able to see it, say, ten years ago. I also finished reading The Great Hunt. I got more than a bit tired of Rand's
refusal to face facts and deal with the reality of who he is
Oh, and not really relevant to the main challenge, but I finished the second season of American Horror Story. I'm just going to assume that Jessica Lange will be my favorite character in any season of this show she appears on.
FUBAR McDangles
Member
[url="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=95332297&postcount=276]Master Post - 3 books, 7 movies. [/url]
I haven't posted a review post in a while so I figured I should:
The Stand started off very promising. I was more intrigued by that book than most I have ever read. But then I ran into the over-bloatedness and saturation of filler that the majority of the books I have read written by him. The book dragged on and on and on. There didn't seem to be a climax, there didn't seem to be a concrete ending. It just kept going and going and then just...ended. The first half was a four-star, maybe five-star affair. The latter half was a much less than that. Overall I gave it three stars.
Insidious 2 - A good sequel to a movie that I liked. It was not overtly scary, and I never jumped or was startled, but there was a general unease throughout the whole thing. Really good story that filled in a lot of holes. Three stars.
The Hunger Games - I already read the book and was not very interested in the movie version, but ended up watching it one day home alone. Pretty enjoyable. Three stars.
The Last Stand - A decent and enjoyable ride but it did not have a whole lot of substance to it. I am not disappointed that I watched it, but I definitely do not want to watch it again. One star.
I'm not reading Ben Tripp's Rise Again: Below Zero. It's a very interesting take on zombie stories involving different types of zombies with varying levels of intelligence. Some can even talk/organize attacks and ambushes. Very fun book so far. A lot better than the original, IMO.
I haven't posted a review post in a while so I figured I should:
The Stand started off very promising. I was more intrigued by that book than most I have ever read. But then I ran into the over-bloatedness and saturation of filler that the majority of the books I have read written by him. The book dragged on and on and on. There didn't seem to be a climax, there didn't seem to be a concrete ending. It just kept going and going and then just...ended. The first half was a four-star, maybe five-star affair. The latter half was a much less than that. Overall I gave it three stars.
Insidious 2 - A good sequel to a movie that I liked. It was not overtly scary, and I never jumped or was startled, but there was a general unease throughout the whole thing. Really good story that filled in a lot of holes. Three stars.
The Hunger Games - I already read the book and was not very interested in the movie version, but ended up watching it one day home alone. Pretty enjoyable. Three stars.
The Last Stand - A decent and enjoyable ride but it did not have a whole lot of substance to it. I am not disappointed that I watched it, but I definitely do not want to watch it again. One star.
I'm not reading Ben Tripp's Rise Again: Below Zero. It's a very interesting take on zombie stories involving different types of zombies with varying levels of intelligence. Some can even talk/organize attacks and ambushes. Very fun book so far. A lot better than the original, IMO.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Her character is terrible in season 3. (though everything about season 3 is terrible, so)
Weapxn
Mikkelsexual
Yeah...no. :\ Season 3 is all over the place, and even though I started out LOVING Lange at the beginning of the season, by the middle I couldn't stand her. By the end...ugh. I'm very glad she'll only be a supporting character in Season 4.
Today I watched:
Hope Floats because I...well...I don't even know. I've seen it before though, so it doesn't count. H. C. Jr. in a cowboy hat though. I'll take it.
And then I watched Gravity to redeem myself and Sandra B.
I also watched the first four episodes of House of Cards, another thing that does't really count. SO GOOD THOUGH.
My daughter wanted to watch Shrek the Musical (★★, and while I'm a big fan of musicals, this didn't really do much for me. The music is pretty forgettable, and otherwise...I just didn't care. Some decent stagecraft going on, given the demands of the story, but not much there after that.
While it's something I've already seen, I last saw Raise the Titanic (★★★ when it came out in 1980 and I was 8, so I had forgotten most of it and am counting it here. In lieu of what we've learned about the Titanic and how it sank once Robert Ballard and crew found it a few years after this movie, the movie essentially plays out now as Titanic fanfic. That said, it's enjoyable enough, despite the ludicrous assumptions of the ship being in virtually perfect condition and ignoring the reality of it being a big graveyard, something the movie doesn't address. It also has a great John Barry score, which is probably its strongest point.
, and while I'm a big fan of musicals, this didn't really do much for me. The music is pretty forgettable, and otherwise...I just didn't care. Some decent stagecraft going on, given the demands of the story, but not much there after that. While it's something I've already seen, I last saw Raise the Titanic (★★★
when it came out in 1980 and I was 8, so I had forgotten most of it and am counting it here. In lieu of what we've learned about the Titanic and how it sank once Robert Ballard and crew found it a few years after this movie, the movie essentially plays out now as Titanic fanfic. That said, it's enjoyable enough, despite the ludicrous assumptions of the ship being in virtually perfect condition and ignoring the reality of it being a big graveyard, something the movie doesn't address. It also has a great John Barry score, which is probably its strongest point.A Human Becoming
More than a Member
I had decided to limit myself to monthly updates, but I feel inclined to talk about Frozen.
The movie pretty much lived up to my high expectations. I went in knowing nothing besides it's critical acclaim and what I saw on the poster. It's a good thing I didn't know it was another story of princesses and princes. I thought Tangled was pretty average and I only enjoyed Princess and the Frog slightly more. Despite the hang up, Frozen manages to not make it the central focus.
I liked the story primarily being about two sisters who've drifted apart due to one having a power she couldn't control and was raised to fear it. While Elsa hid behind her status for why she needed to be kept away, her real fear was hurting other people. This became even worse due to her parents death and new expectations, the one story benefit of her being royalty. I'm surprised the trolls couldn't assist her, as the elder was able to manipulate memory, but the magic was deemed a curse by some so I can understand it being foreign to even him.
There was already a thread dedicated to this, but I want to reiterate how good the section Let It Go was. Her feeling of isolation turning from sadness to liberating really impacted me. Coming to terms with rather living alone than not being able to truly be herself, finally able to embrace her emotions and not fear of hurting others, took me by surprise and also worried me she could turn evil. Of course, it's her fear that ended up hurting others.
What I found most refreshing was the main character not being afflicted, causing someone else's affliction or responding to someone new. Anna faced an already existing problem that became exposed due to it's impact on her. All she wanted was love and her naivety showed at the beginning. The story mainly being about her sister, but from her perspective, was unique. The theme of embracing and managing a power was a nice change from past princess movies.
Where I feel the film did fail was its need to have a "villain". The transformation of Hans felt forced and unnecessary. His deception was so strong and sudden I didn't like it. I would have preferred him finding out Anna wasn't his true love by kissing her and then deciding Elsa is a monster and she has to be killed to save Anna, an "act of true love". The same events would have played out without having Hans lie to people that Anna died. That particularly bugged me since no one checked on her after. I mean come on, she's a dead princess!
The movie could have ended with Anna telling Hans that if he was her true love he would know she never would want harm to her sister. It would have fit with Hans earlier scene telling Elsa not to be the monster people paint her as and Anna's naivety of love. All that said I'm glad it didn't end with Kristoff and Anna living happily ever after. Obviously they had grown to care about each other, I just think it would have been a disservice after all that had happened for Anna to return to her fantasies of love. I'm also glad it didn't put any attention on Kristoff not being royalty; it's been done before, such as in Aladdin. More importantly, the movie earns huge props for the true love act being for a sister, instead of between a man and a woman.
Some other lingering thoughts: the three main songs, Let It Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman, and For the First Time in Forever were fantastic to no surprise being made by the songwriters of Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon. The movie is also pretty funny, with some nods to Arrested Development, especially the line "...completing each other's sandwiches!". Olaf was cute and a good contrast of her love in childhood versus that snow monster she created to keep people away. Overall, it wasn't as "epic" as I think it could have been, but still kept tension high, especially at the end with Elsa walking on the ice after being freed.
I think this will be a movie I like more over time.
The movie pretty much lived up to my high expectations. I went in knowing nothing besides it's critical acclaim and what I saw on the poster. It's a good thing I didn't know it was another story of princesses and princes. I thought Tangled was pretty average and I only enjoyed Princess and the Frog slightly more. Despite the hang up, Frozen manages to not make it the central focus.
I liked the story primarily being about two sisters who've drifted apart due to one having a power she couldn't control and was raised to fear it. While Elsa hid behind her status for why she needed to be kept away, her real fear was hurting other people. This became even worse due to her parents death and new expectations, the one story benefit of her being royalty. I'm surprised the trolls couldn't assist her, as the elder was able to manipulate memory, but the magic was deemed a curse by some so I can understand it being foreign to even him.
There was already a thread dedicated to this, but I want to reiterate how good the section Let It Go was. Her feeling of isolation turning from sadness to liberating really impacted me. Coming to terms with rather living alone than not being able to truly be herself, finally able to embrace her emotions and not fear of hurting others, took me by surprise and also worried me she could turn evil. Of course, it's her fear that ended up hurting others.
What I found most refreshing was the main character not being afflicted, causing someone else's affliction or responding to someone new. Anna faced an already existing problem that became exposed due to it's impact on her. All she wanted was love and her naivety showed at the beginning. The story mainly being about her sister, but from her perspective, was unique. The theme of embracing and managing a power was a nice change from past princess movies.
Where I feel the film did fail was its need to have a "villain". The transformation of Hans felt forced and unnecessary. His deception was so strong and sudden I didn't like it. I would have preferred him finding out Anna wasn't his true love by kissing her and then deciding Elsa is a monster and she has to be killed to save Anna, an "act of true love". The same events would have played out without having Hans lie to people that Anna died. That particularly bugged me since no one checked on her after. I mean come on, she's a dead princess!
The movie could have ended with Anna telling Hans that if he was her true love he would know she never would want harm to her sister. It would have fit with Hans earlier scene telling Elsa not to be the monster people paint her as and Anna's naivety of love. All that said I'm glad it didn't end with Kristoff and Anna living happily ever after. Obviously they had grown to care about each other, I just think it would have been a disservice after all that had happened for Anna to return to her fantasies of love. I'm also glad it didn't put any attention on Kristoff not being royalty; it's been done before, such as in Aladdin. More importantly, the movie earns huge props for the true love act being for a sister, instead of between a man and a woman.
Some other lingering thoughts: the three main songs, Let It Go, Do You Want to Build a Snowman, and For the First Time in Forever were fantastic to no surprise being made by the songwriters of Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon. The movie is also pretty funny, with some nods to Arrested Development, especially the line "...completing each other's sandwiches!". Olaf was cute and a good contrast of her love in childhood versus that snow monster she created to keep people away. Overall, it wasn't as "epic" as I think it could have been, but still kept tension high, especially at the end with Elsa walking on the ice after being freed.
I think this will be a movie I like more over time.
As I attempt to speed through my current books to participate with this month's book club, I completed Siddhartha this weekend. I wasn't a fan of the writing style, but I quite enjoyed the philosophy, theme and overall message in the book. Being a Buddhist, it is a little hard to rate this book (bias), so I decided to gauge it on how I enjoy the writing more than anything else.
If you are as cynical as shit, then read this novel. I wish I had it during high school and, gulp, my Ayn Rand days. Remember people, don't be a douche to others. Treat everyone with kindness and love. We're all human beings, we're all in this together.
★★★
If you are as cynical as shit, then read this novel. I wish I had it during high school and, gulp, my Ayn Rand days. Remember people, don't be a douche to others. Treat everyone with kindness and love. We're all human beings, we're all in this together.
★★★
I tried doing that last year, but I found I kept having trouble remembering what movies I'd watched since I wasn't writing them down or keeping track of them outside of here.
Oh, and I watched Frozen again last night. It's still wonderful, and I saw it with a better audience!
Ugh.
You're killing me.
Ashes1396 - Books 5/50 | Films 15/50 | Seasons 2/12 |
I also heard a radio play in January. Not really sure if I should count it. It's like I'm going count going to the opera or theatre so why count a play I heard on the radio? Still it was a really good adaption of One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest. And I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for similar content.
I also read the first chapter of the Naruto Manga. And that was pretty cool.
I also heard a radio play in January. Not really sure if I should count it. It's like I'm going count going to the opera or theatre so why count a play I heard on the radio? Still it was a really good adaption of One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest. And I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for similar content.
I also read the first chapter of the Naruto Manga. And that was pretty cool.
Update: 5/50 Books | 12/50 Films
In terms of Films, I haven't really watched anything that really stood out until recently. Last week though, I watched Memento, which I enjoyed, and then Gone Baby Gone which absolutely blew me away. I've been a big fan of Affleck as a director since The Town, and have been meaning to get round to GBG for ages but always put it off for some reason. For my money, it's his best work to date. It starts off as being a very competent, tight thriller, but then it evolves into a fairly complex moral consideration about what is right versus what is legal, and whether we should strive to do the 'right' thing despite the consequences. Amy Ryan absolutely stole the show, and fully deserved the Oscar nomination. I suppose the only criticism would be that the ending felt a little contrived and predictable, but the final sequence more than made up for that.
As for books, I'm working my way through the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, which are fantastic, but very long and not really suited to a challenge like this. I've taken to reading one a month, with three of four shorter books in between to help me keep pace. I know I could count them as two books, but that feels like cheating!
In terms of Films, I haven't really watched anything that really stood out until recently. Last week though, I watched Memento, which I enjoyed, and then Gone Baby Gone which absolutely blew me away. I've been a big fan of Affleck as a director since The Town, and have been meaning to get round to GBG for ages but always put it off for some reason. For my money, it's his best work to date. It starts off as being a very competent, tight thriller, but then it evolves into a fairly complex moral consideration about what is right versus what is legal, and whether we should strive to do the 'right' thing despite the consequences. Amy Ryan absolutely stole the show, and fully deserved the Oscar nomination. I suppose the only criticism would be that the ending felt a little contrived and predictable, but the final sequence more than made up for that.
As for books, I'm working my way through the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, which are fantastic, but very long and not really suited to a challenge like this. I've taken to reading one a month, with three of four shorter books in between to help me keep pace. I know I could count them as two books, but that feels like cheating!
n0b - 4/50 Books | 10/50 Movies
Beginning of February update:
Books (4):
James Hilton - Lost Horizon, ★★★½
- I really enjoyed the more adventurous parts of this, but it really lagged whenever it got obsessive about manners and social interactions. I liked that the main character got called out for his bullshit way of treating his "love," and that it was left a bit open what happened after they left.
Franz Kafka - The Trial ★★★★
- I was surprised how easy this was to read. The main character is kind of a douche so I don't exactly feel sorry for him going through his "Trial" but it was a really interesting world of bureaucratic hell while it lasted.
Movies (10):
12 Years a Slave (2013), ★★★★
- Incredible acting showcase and well written too, just didn't do too much with film as a medium. I would not be surprised by a sweep of actor wins at the oscars, but it wouldn't be my personal best picture for the past year. The Hans Zimmer score stuck out as really fucking Hans Zimmer and therefore sounded like all the other movies he's done, but I couldn't help but like it in almost a guilty pleasure way at certain points. I also got that annoying "oh its that actor" feeling you get from huge ensemble casts, but unlike when I usually get that feeling I thought everybody was really good in their role...I just was taken out of the movie briefly whenever somebody new came on screen.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), ★★★★
- Just a fun, mostly light movie. It did get serious at times but it never failed in achieving what it wanted to, and never reached too far for something that it shouldn't. Not much to say about it but I really enjoyed it.
Bonus:
Music Albums: 72/? (~474 last year)
TV Seasons: 1/? (~5 last year)
Sherlock Season 3, ★★★½
-I liked it more than most people I heard talking about it, that is all.
Games: 1/? (~5-10 maybe last year)
Alan Wake's American Nightmare, ★★★★
-I love Remedy games, and this fixed most of the gameplay problems I had with the first Alan Wake. Tonally it got a bit weird but that made it fun in its own campy way. They succeeded in making it one layer deeper in that it was designed to be out of one of the fake series within a Remedy world, which are always a little bit more ridiculous than the actual world their games are set in.
~ Oh no! I'm upset I didn't get time to update my list before the end of the month. Oh well hahaha. ~
February I
Books
Movies
I'm really enjoying the books I've been reading. I thought Falling to Earth had a bunch of good messages but the author didn't really take them anywhere. It's like the book had no consistent voice. With or Without You was really well written, but the author's life just isn't as interesting as maybe some chapters tried to make it. I guess I can't fault her for trying though. Despite this complaints, I am enjoying reading more books in English.
February I
Books
- Falling to Earth by Kate Southwood (2013)
- With or Without You by Domenica Ruta (2013)
Movies
- The Act of Killing (2012)
- American Psycho (2000)
- Gravity 3D (2013)
- Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
- Dogtooth (2009)
- Blue Jasmine (2013)
- Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
- Captain Phillips (2013)
- Instructions Not Included (2013)
- In A World (2013)
- Splitscreen: A Love Story (2011)
- Rejected (2000)
I'm really enjoying the books I've been reading. I thought Falling to Earth had a bunch of good messages but the author didn't really take them anywhere. It's like the book had no consistent voice. With or Without You was really well written, but the author's life just isn't as interesting as maybe some chapters tried to make it. I guess I can't fault her for trying though. Despite this complaints, I am enjoying reading more books in English.
I'm doing all of Malazan later this year. Well, Gardens won't count as I've already read it. I'm blasting through a ton of shorter stuff now in preperation.
They're really good, I'm having a lot of fun with them at the moment. There are times when you wish Erikson's editor was slightly more ruthless, but generally the sense he gives you of the epic-ness of the universe is pretty much unmatched.
I am already a big fan. The atmosphere he evokes is unlike anything else in the genre.
I've also read most of Deadhouse Gates too but didn't quite have time to finish it when I first attempted it. Crazy how much better it is than Gardens though. I also have Memories of Ice and Esslemont's first novel ready to go.
I've also read most of Deadhouse Gates too but didn't quite have time to finish it when I first attempted it. Crazy how much better it is than Gardens though. I also have Memories of Ice and Esslemont's first novel ready to go.
Terrible Update: Jado - 1/50 Books | 3/50 Movies
Books
Movies
I got through a total of one book in January, made sadder by the fact that I read a third of it in December.
If anyone wants a thorough, detailed history of all the known major UFO-related events that happened in the public and behind the scenes in military and intelligence circles, UFOs and the National Security State is a great place to start. I'm not even sure there's a better book, unless you're after ones that go into more detail on individual incidents or focus more on specific regions. There's a follow-up book that covers the years 1973 to 1971 which I will read sometime this year.
End of Watch was a surprising downer. For some reason I thought it was going to be similar to The Raid and Dredd 3D. Really wish I hadn't ended my night with that.
Devil was decent enough; probably made better by my fascination with The Conjuring, Paranormal Activity, etc.
Never saw Fargo before. It was there on Netflix, so why not? Bizarre and funny. Loved it. Coen brothers must really enjoy stories about mundane people's lives spinning wildly out of control.
I would've gotten through more films, but
1. I've been working my way through seasons of X-Files and Monk. Never saw either when they aired, so it's all new to me!
2. January was very cold, which put me out of the mood from stepping out and going to the local theater.
Books
- UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973 - Richard Dolan
Movies
- Fargo
- Devil
- End of Watch
I got through a total of one book in January, made sadder by the fact that I read a third of it in December.
If anyone wants a thorough, detailed history of all the known major UFO-related events that happened in the public and behind the scenes in military and intelligence circles, UFOs and the National Security State is a great place to start. I'm not even sure there's a better book, unless you're after ones that go into more detail on individual incidents or focus more on specific regions. There's a follow-up book that covers the years 1973 to 1971 which I will read sometime this year.
End of Watch was a surprising downer. For some reason I thought it was going to be similar to The Raid and Dredd 3D. Really wish I hadn't ended my night with that.
Devil was decent enough; probably made better by my fascination with The Conjuring, Paranormal Activity, etc.
Never saw Fargo before. It was there on Netflix, so why not? Bizarre and funny. Loved it. Coen brothers must really enjoy stories about mundane people's lives spinning wildly out of control.
I would've gotten through more films, but
1. I've been working my way through seasons of X-Files and Monk. Never saw either when they aired, so it's all new to me!
2. January was very cold, which put me out of the mood from stepping out and going to the local theater.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Just watched Monsters today. Decent movie, but holy hell did it ever slap you upside the face as hard as possible with the allegory. If it wasn't for the fact that it was restrained (likely more due to budget than artistic expression) in the use of the creatures, the movie would've been a ham-fisted pastiche of various other movies. One part rom-drama, one part science fiction and over-salted with one dimensional social commentary.
The principle actors swung from pretty damn good to eye-rolling, likely due to the directors insistence that close up, extra-long shots of character faces with sun glare and wind effects is the same as character development. When the director allowed them to speak the movie was generally better for it, sans again, for forcefully inserted social commentary dialogue in places where it made zero sense and was never brought up again.
2.5 stars for being a science fiction movie that had aliens and no laser pulse rifles and some decent acting
The principle actors swung from pretty damn good to eye-rolling, likely due to the directors insistence that close up, extra-long shots of character faces with sun glare and wind effects is the same as character development. When the director allowed them to speak the movie was generally better for it, sans again, for forcefully inserted social commentary dialogue in places where it made zero sense and was never brought up again.
2.5 stars for being a science fiction movie that had aliens and no laser pulse rifles and some decent acting
You watched the wrong Monster, sir. Mumei can guide you to the correct Monster.
Cyan - 6/50 books | 4/50 movies
Her is the best scifi movie I've seen in a long time. I have a lot of minor nitpicks with it (a few bits feel unnecessary and self-indulgent), but on the whole it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: it tells a love story between a human and an AI that feels real, and true, and honest. It mostly focuses on one actor doing mundane things, and if it cheats a little by using the voice of a very sexy actress, it's still an impressive accomplishment that it's so damn interesting and watchable. The ending... feels somehow right as well. I don't know if they could've done it differently and still had it feel like a complete story.
I'm staying away from spoilers here, but I'll say this: if you're thinking about watching the movie but aren't sure because you think it's a story about a loser falling in love with his iPhone... it isn't. At all. Watch it.
I also just watched The Thin Man, a detective story from the 30s, which is notable for having such great chemistry and banter between the lead detective and his wife that I was totally distracted from the underlying mystery not making that much sense. Fun watch.
Her is the best scifi movie I've seen in a long time. I have a lot of minor nitpicks with it (a few bits feel unnecessary and self-indulgent), but on the whole it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: it tells a love story between a human and an AI that feels real, and true, and honest. It mostly focuses on one actor doing mundane things, and if it cheats a little by using the voice of a very sexy actress, it's still an impressive accomplishment that it's so damn interesting and watchable. The ending... feels somehow right as well. I don't know if they could've done it differently and still had it feel like a complete story.
I'm staying away from spoilers here, but I'll say this: if you're thinking about watching the movie but aren't sure because you think it's a story about a loser falling in love with his iPhone... it isn't. At all. Watch it.
I also just watched The Thin Man, a detective story from the 30s, which is notable for having such great chemistry and banter between the lead detective and his wife that I was totally distracted from the underlying mystery not making that much sense. Fun watch.
Because the world is still in shambles. That's why.
Her is a phenomenal film. My favorite of last year, and it makes me hopeful of the future.
He should watch it again, then.
iiicon | 9/50 Books | 1/50 Movies
I finished three books this weekend. Well, two books and a novella. The first was No Turning Back, which was inspired by Mumei, and I wrote a little about it here. Highly recommended for anyone with a passing knowledge of feminist history.
The second was Kyung-sook Shin's Please Look After Mom, and I adored this book. It's told from the perspective of the mother's husband and children in a mixture of first, second and third person narration, and takes place after their mother turns up missing one day during a visit to Seoul. In between their search for their mother, they take time to reflect on how much their mother provided for them, and how much they took her for sacrifices for granted. This is a woman who couldn't read, but worked tirelessly on her farm with little help to feed her children; when it came time to send her eldest daughter to school, she sold her one piece of jewelry to help pay for the school registration fees; when her family grew to large and spread too far, she agreed to celebrate her birthday on the same day as her husband's to make it easier for her children to visit. By examining the family through so many perspectives, Shin is able to establish a complex, occasionally conflicting view of the many effects a mother has on a family, and uncovers a common social truth: we may love our mothers (or other family members), but it's rare that we really know them as a person rather than the role they portray. It was an interesting companion to No Turning Back.
Nina Allan's Spin is not entirely an modern/spec fic take on the Arachne and Athena myth, but that's at least the inspiration. I wish this were longer so it could tackle some of the themes and questions it brought up in more detail. There's some interesting stuff in here, like the role of art in an oppressed society, imitation vs. inspiration and more, but in 100ish pages Allan just ran out of room to explore all she set up. The ending is hurried and confusing, too, in her rush to wrap everything up. Oh well. It was very good for the most part, with vivid prose that perfectly captures the world through the eyes of an artist, and I'd like to read more of Allan's work in the future.
I finished three books this weekend. Well, two books and a novella. The first was No Turning Back, which was inspired by Mumei, and I wrote a little about it here. Highly recommended for anyone with a passing knowledge of feminist history.
The second was Kyung-sook Shin's Please Look After Mom, and I adored this book. It's told from the perspective of the mother's husband and children in a mixture of first, second and third person narration, and takes place after their mother turns up missing one day during a visit to Seoul. In between their search for their mother, they take time to reflect on how much their mother provided for them, and how much they took her for sacrifices for granted. This is a woman who couldn't read, but worked tirelessly on her farm with little help to feed her children; when it came time to send her eldest daughter to school, she sold her one piece of jewelry to help pay for the school registration fees; when her family grew to large and spread too far, she agreed to celebrate her birthday on the same day as her husband's to make it easier for her children to visit. By examining the family through so many perspectives, Shin is able to establish a complex, occasionally conflicting view of the many effects a mother has on a family, and uncovers a common social truth: we may love our mothers (or other family members), but it's rare that we really know them as a person rather than the role they portray. It was an interesting companion to No Turning Back.
Nina Allan's Spin is not entirely an modern/spec fic take on the Arachne and Athena myth, but that's at least the inspiration. I wish this were longer so it could tackle some of the themes and questions it brought up in more detail. There's some interesting stuff in here, like the role of art in an oppressed society, imitation vs. inspiration and more, but in 100ish pages Allan just ran out of room to explore all she set up. The ending is hurried and confusing, too, in her rush to wrap everything up. Oh well. It was very good for the most part, with vivid prose that perfectly captures the world through the eyes of an artist, and I'd like to read more of Allan's work in the future.
markhimself46
Member
Movies
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone ★½
Books
Watchmen (Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons) ★★★★★
Ashamed it took me so long to get to this. I've had it on my bookshelf for over a year now. This was insanely good. So much detail in every panel. Everything about the story and characters is so thought-provoking. I can't wait to reread this to better understand it. The hype for Watchmen is very much justified.
So I have never completed a novel within 24 hours of starting it, but today, I accomplished such a feat. Vonnegut, you're a special man, and I love you and your writing. A Man Without a Country is a phenomenal book that every person should read. I need more recommendations of books written by him!
★★★★★
★★★★★
Tragicomedy
Member
Yes! Yes! Yes!
That man was a king among men. I'm also partial to God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, Armageddon in Retrospect, and Breakfast of Champions.
Also, every other book he ever wrote.
I'll probably go through all of them. His writing is so smooth that it is extremely easy and addicting to continue constant readings. I love his opinions, and I find myself agreeing with him on most points.
Tragicomedy
Member
I set my moral compass to Vonnegut and he's never steered me wrong.
I was always led to believe he was some overrated writer due to people calling him a 'hipster author.' Man I am so happy I took you up on your recommendation and read his work. I would have loved to see him write about our current situation in America.
crimsonheadGCN
Banned
04/50 books finished
01/50 movies finished
January 2014
Books
1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Flim
1. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
February 2014
Books
1. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
2. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (currently reading)
Flims
01/50 movies finished
January 2014
Books
1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Flim
1. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
February 2014
Books
1. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
2. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (currently reading)
Flims
LuffyZoro - 12/50 Books | 5/50 Movies
Books
- Brain Wave (B+)
- The Emperor's Soul (A+)
- Steelheart (B+)
- The Mote In God's Eye (A-)
- The Universe in Zero Words (A)
- Rendezvous With Rama (A+)
- Divergent (B+)
- Frankenstein (A)
- You (A-)
- The Forever War (A+)
- Wizard's Bane (B+)
- Joy of X (A)
Movies
- Gattaca (A+)
- Sunshine (A-)
- Catching Fire (A-)
- Frozen (A+)
- Battle Royale (A+)
avengers23
Banned
Movies
7. The Master
This felt like a lot of flash with surprisingly little substance. It pokes at the need for believing and how maybe the post-World War II America was unmoored even as the country became the world's lead in a bilateral system if we take Joaquin Phoenix's Freddie Quell to stand in for the United States, damaged and seeking relief from any quarter, whether it's homebrew made from Lysol, torpedo fuel, paint thinner, film developing fluid, cough medicine, coconut water, anything he can access, reacting to anything that will threaten its belief system with explosive violence, and wielding a powerful imagination when it comes to sex even while it is fixated on the perfect young girl next door.
This isn't a movie about Scientology. It's a movie about how the damaged can find relief in unlikely places and how we may not be in a position to judge the source of this respite.
The movie's meat comes from the performances. Phoenix goes the route of physical transformation, seeking to depict how broken Quell was (whether he was broken by his experiences in the Pacific theatre or he was broken before the war is unclear). He's hunched; his arms are placed on his back as if they were broken wings; his face is twisted and gaunt, forcing him to speak out of only one corner of his mouth. He has the look of a wild man. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as Lancaster Dodd, the ersatz L. Ron Hubbard, exudes charisma, but it's not clear how much the film thinks Dodd has at his center that pulls people to him. We see what he does, but the relationship between what Dodd offers and how badly people want something to believe is left intentionally vague.
I felt like the soundtrack overwhelmed the film, as if there wasn't a moment of peace. Was this done to put me in Quell's headspace?
As you would expect from a Paul Thomas Anderson film, it was gorgeous to watch. But it felt ponderously slow at times, rather than the luxurious pace of There Will Be Blood.
Edited to add: Forgot to mention that it seemed intentional that Rami Malek, who played Snafu on The Pacific, was in The Master, which is centered around someone who was possibly broken by his experiences in the Pacific theatre.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Is there a different one that wasn't a film student's first try?
Thor: The Dark World was a long episode of a TV show. Saw it, promptly forgot it. 1.5 stars
Thor was a pretty meh film. I only liked it when Loki was on screen.
I planned on showing you the opening to (real) Monster, but the Youtube deities decided America isn't worthy for Monster's opening. So you'll have to make do with this incredible opening song of it.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
lol, oh. Got it. I am wholly unfamiliar with anime
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
How does one just watch anime movies anyway. Is there a Netflix for anime? What is Monster about?
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Is it allowed to do a late entry? The Movies are easy to reach, but the push to get to fifty books or more is interesting.
edit: cool. will make an 'official' entry tomorrow.
edit: cool. will make an 'official' entry tomorrow.
Monster is actually a television series, so it wouldn't count for this challenge. Monster was on Netflix at one point, though I'm not certain if it still is (and I can't check at work). I'm sure it's streaming somewhere legitimate!
And uh... It's about a Japanese doctor (Kenzo Tenma) living in Germany who makes a fateful decision to save a boy's (Johan Liebert) life over the life of a more 'important' patient who came after against the orders of the hospital director. Then drama happens, then time skip to nine years later, then the reappearance of said boy - now young man, then more drama, then Tenma starts investigating into Johan's background.
This is basically the first... five or six episodes, maybe.
Yes.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I checked this out of my library today based on you guy's discussion. Hope I like it
It's not on the US Netflix anymore, nor is it on Crunchyroll, Hulu, or Amazon Instant. He might be able to find it on one of the international Netflix sites though.
There isn't any legitimate stream anymore. It's no longer on Netflix, Hulu, or Viz's site. I am completely dumbfounded by this.
I just finished my 3 book this year - this time a really nice one - the newest murakami!
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I really liked it, it felt like a mix of sputnik sweetheart and wind up bird chronicles. But the wind up bird chronicles are still my favorite book.
Also Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the first murakami without a cat, a moon or a well in it haha. Well at least it got random midnight telephone scenes
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I really liked it, it felt like a mix of sputnik sweetheart and wind up bird chronicles. But the wind up bird chronicles are still my favorite book.
Also Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the first murakami without a cat, a moon or a well in it haha. Well at least it got random midnight telephone scenes
Finally, an update.
So after hearing about it in a thread inquiring about relatively unknown yet influential dystopian novels (my bread and butter), I came across We. I was intrigued because despite me being Russian, I had never heard of this book. Due to exams, I only managed to read this one book in a month(!), most of it today actually. I'm planning to read two more books by the end of this week to catch up, the books being Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Fahrenheit 451.
We - I would give We a solid 4/5, if only because it shares so much with two of my all time favourite books 1984 and Brave New World, both of which it inspired immensely. While it did have many themes, it was not as multi-faceted as say 1984, which built upon individuality vs community (not sure if community is the right word), atheism vs religion, love revealing to protagonists just how messed up their respective worlds are, but also had the addition of language (Newspeak) as a form of control. 1984's ending was also better, I thought, because the protagonist there personally relinquishes himself of his 'fantasy' (using terms found in We), albeit after torture, making it less random and bleaker than the ending in We. We did have more humour, though. I especially enjoyed how i, i.e. sqrt(-1), signified the developing imagination of the main protagonist.
As an ongoing project, I am currently reading Starting Points after a recommendation in another Neogaf thread. To make my experience better, I have decided to watch every Miyazaki movie that I have not yet watched. These are Laputa: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso and Ponyo. I shall also watch the first anime series directed by him, but obviously will not include that here. Starting chronologically then, the first of these movies that I watched was Laputa: Castle in the Sky.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky - 4/5. A nice, touching movie. It's hard to imagine that this work is only Miyazaki's third feature length film, given how much it 'feels' like Miyazaki, starting with character designs and ending with all the themes that he would later revisit in consequent films. The animation looks beautiful even today, with the sequences in the sky being breathtaking. I always seem to sniff at the end of Miyazaki's movies, so let's see if that continues in the future.
So after hearing about it in a thread inquiring about relatively unknown yet influential dystopian novels (my bread and butter), I came across We. I was intrigued because despite me being Russian, I had never heard of this book. Due to exams, I only managed to read this one book in a month(!), most of it today actually. I'm planning to read two more books by the end of this week to catch up, the books being Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Fahrenheit 451.
We - I would give We a solid 4/5, if only because it shares so much with two of my all time favourite books 1984 and Brave New World, both of which it inspired immensely. While it did have many themes, it was not as multi-faceted as say 1984, which built upon individuality vs community (not sure if community is the right word), atheism vs religion, love revealing to protagonists just how messed up their respective worlds are, but also had the addition of language (Newspeak) as a form of control. 1984's ending was also better, I thought, because the protagonist there personally relinquishes himself of his 'fantasy' (using terms found in We), albeit after torture, making it less random and bleaker than the ending in We. We did have more humour, though. I especially enjoyed how i, i.e. sqrt(-1), signified the developing imagination of the main protagonist.
As an ongoing project, I am currently reading Starting Points after a recommendation in another Neogaf thread. To make my experience better, I have decided to watch every Miyazaki movie that I have not yet watched. These are Laputa: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso and Ponyo. I shall also watch the first anime series directed by him, but obviously will not include that here. Starting chronologically then, the first of these movies that I watched was Laputa: Castle in the Sky.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky - 4/5. A nice, touching movie. It's hard to imagine that this work is only Miyazaki's third feature length film, given how much it 'feels' like Miyazaki, starting with character designs and ending with all the themes that he would later revisit in consequent films. The animation looks beautiful even today, with the sequences in the sky being breathtaking. I always seem to sniff at the end of Miyazaki's movies, so let's see if that continues in the future.
Joe Hisashi is amazing and Johan Liebert is terrifying
- Status