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[killertofu]

killertofu - 1 book / 13 movies

Rice for Sale ★★★​

This is actually a documentary from two of my friends about the radical differences between the 'real' Bali and the 'tourist' Bali. More an observational piece than a traditional documentary. Very short as well.

The Family ★​

Unbelievably weird. Not in a good way, either. I guess having the location set in France was cool

Amelie ★★★½​

If I had a dollar for every time a girl has wanted me to watch this with them, I'd have a few dollars

Pulp Fiction ★★★½​

Confession: My first introduction to QT was Kill Bill. So I'm trying to go through his filmography. I dont understand why it's so chopped up and Bruce Willis' parts were a few notches below everyone elses.

Room 234 ★½​

So dumb.

Wolf on Wallstreet ★★★★​

This is definitely better than American Hustle


I'm gonna try to ease up on the movie watching this week and get more focused on finishing the books I'm reading. I can't belive Mumei has READ more books than I've seen movies.

 

[Pau]

No, but it's still $16.87 on Amazon. Perhaps your library has it!

Yeah, I'll probably have to get it from the library then. I'm slowly building up my own collection though so I try to buy the books whenever I can.

 

[WanderingWind]

Just watched Europa Report. Gravity took this movie and did it about 10000x better. Not a bad movie, but utterly predictable and suffers from Sunshine syndrome.

 

[Saphirax]

Update:

Saphirax - 8/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

Michelle Paver - Dark Matter: A Ghost Story ★★★ - Novel had potential but, in the end, it was simply too short for anything cohesive. There was no time for much character development and most of the plot felt rushed.

Orson Scott Card - Ender's game ★ - Had to read this for class. I knew my expectations would be too high but I had no idea the novel would be so bad. Character development happened suddenly at the end of the book and only to Ender, rest of the characters were just fodder. Ender was too much of a Gary Stu for my liking, and I found it hard to believe how most of the kids (yes, kids) were too brilliant for their age. What bothered me most was that we do not see what happens throughout the novel, we're being told. Info dumps I wouldn't mind, but just being told "Ender did this today and won, moving on to 3 months later" really irked me.

Alison Goodman - Eon ★★★½ - Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Novel was not without its flaws but I simply could not put it down.

Alison Goodman - Eona ★★★½ -Sequel to Eon. While this novel was better in terms of characterisation, I can't rate it higher because of the ending. It felt too rushed and the whole build-up to one character ended up being wasted because of how the author chose to portray him in the end. Shame, I really liked that character.

 

[Empty]

update

Empty - 6/50 books | 10/50 movies

books:

6) what we talk about when we talk about love by raymond carver - incredible collection of short stories. carver's minimalist writing style is so striking and lends the stories he tells about people in unhappy relationships with others, themselves and alcohol real sharpness and power as well as an ambiguity that makes each cold, gloomy story stick with you after reading.

films:

9) robin hood (1973 - very silly and fairly entertaining saturday morning cartoony disney film. terribly tragic and dark ending when the twat robin and his smug shit girlfriend maruin defeat the fabulous prince john and his hilarious boyfriend hiss, the two characters that make the film watchable.

10) inside llewyn davis - absolutely loved this. a story about an unsuccessful egoistic folk singer struggling through life in 60s new york, sort of the other side of the coin to bob dylan. it's heavy on character, mood and symbolism but low in plot, a good thing it's so expertly made then as it manages to be incredibly sad in its own understated often amusing way. oscar isaacs performance is subtle and brilliantly nuanced as he brings to life this character unable to truly connect to anyone as they don't meet his exacting standards for what things should be. a lot of what defines the film is davis' partner committing suicide right before the story of film takes place, and how the film deals with it is a good example of its great strength. there's no dramatic opening, he doesn't break down in tears constantly, yet it's constantly there in the background and is fundamental to how he reacts to the world.

 

[Mumei]

Update:

Mumei - 15/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

I read The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems today. It was quite beautiful, though I was disappointed that it didn't include my favorite (and, incidentally, only Neruda poem I knew before reading this!), If You Forget Me. I love the final stanza in particular.

But
if each day
each hour
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

I also picked up All The Odes, which is much more substantial (225 odes) than this little introductory sampling. I'm also interested in reading Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair.

I've also started Dispossession: Discrimination Against African American Farmers in the Age of Civil Rights, by Pete Daniel.

 

[kinoki]

kinoki - 5/50 Books | 14/50 Movies | 7/50 Games​

Books​

• At the Mountain of Madness (1936), H. P. Lovecraft - ★★★ - Lovecraftian fiction has a certain air to it. It's so rich in lore. But, it's also some of the least exciting writing to be found. This is the second time that I've tried to read this novel and the first time I've gotten past the first couple of pages. Its horror is so elaborate that the fiction is almost entirely dedicted to describe it. Nothing really happens but there are giant blind penguins in it. Despite the negativity on displayed here the Cthulhu-mythos has my intrest.

Movies​

• 21 Jump Street (2012, dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller) - ★★★½ - My first instrinct about this movie was way off. I thought it'd be a decent flick with a few good jokes. What I got was one of the funniest comedies I've seen in a long time. It drags a bit towards the end but the jokes keep on coming.
• Whip It (2009, dir. Drew Barrymore) - ★★★½ - 21 Jump Street was very much a guy-movie. This was the proper thing to watch afterwards since it's pretty much a female empowerment movie without writing anyone on the nose. All strong females leads with some great bit parts. Genuine.
• Pacific Rim (2013, dir. Guillermo del Toro) - ★★★★ - I like the overly stupid when it has heart and is self-aware. This is. Del Toro really nails the mecha and the horribly flawed logic behind building them. Everyone in the movie is doing their best to sell this cheese and they succeed.
• Man of Steel (2013, dir. Zack Snyder) - ★★★ - The best comic book movie ever made is Watchmen. Snyder doesn't manage to get this to those levels. While it's good it strikes so many false notes in the Superman-mythos that it feels like they never intended to make a movie about Superman.

 

[Kunan]

Update! 2/50 books - 4/50 movies

Just finished the Wool omnibus. Oh man I couldn't possibly ever see a score other than ★★★★★. Howey has crafted a rich world full of constant tension, but what really got me was how great the characters are written. A little bit felt contrived at the beginning of the 4th volume, but what a fantastic endgame. He has a great knack for stretching out a long feeling of dread, and then pulling the rug the instant you finally start feeling comfortable. Juliette is my favorite character in a long time.

Looks like I'll be piling through Shift and Dust post haste.

 

[jarofbees]

jarofbees - 3/50 books | 21/50 movies

Been doing a lot of travelling the past few weeks so taken in a lot of films / books. Got a lot of half read books / half watched films to add over the next week or so.

Books -

Spooner - Pete Dexter ★★★★
Wrapping up the last few Pete Dexter novels, hadn't realised this was his autobiography before I purchased it. Extremely funny and moving throughout, he's lived an extremely unfortunate / unlucky life but his humour (not always deliberate) gives the book a really unusual feel. Very highly recommended.

The Bounty Hunters - Elmore Leonard ★★★1/2
I don't tend to enjoy his westerns as much as his detective novels but this was the best i've read so far. Simple plot - soldier and guide go to capture an Apache but lots of interesting subplots introduced throughout.

Films -

Confessions - ★★★1/3
Japanese movie about a woman whose daughter is killed and she takes revenge on the kids responsible by injecting their school milk with HIV infected blood. Crazy plot.

American Mary - ★
Terrible trashy horror film, just nonsensical.

Seconds (1966) - ★★★★★
John Frankenheimer film about a guy who gets involved in a program which fakes his death and sets him up a new life. Incredibly tense throughout with a very powerful twist at the end

Love Exposure - ★★★★
3 and a half hours of religion, perversion culminating in a ridiculous fight scene. Very powerful stuff.

The Wolf of Wall Street - ★★★★1/2
Thoroughly engrossing throughout, completely over the top and brilliant.

Insomnia - ★★★1/2
Standard thriller - Robin Williams as a bad guy was probably the highlight. Nothing out of the ordinary

L'Affaire Farewell - ★★★
Russians / French exchanging military secrets. Confusing plot

A Time to Kill - ★★★
Fairly standard hollywood thriller - Samuel L Jackson steals the show as a guy who murders two rednecks who rape his daughter and then pleads insanity in court.

Time (Shi Gan) - ★★★1/3
Working my way through the last Kim Ki-Duck films i've yet to see. This one involves a woman going through extensive plastic surgery to stay interesting to her previous boyfriend and then lots of game playing to get them back together. Really great last scene

The Seven-ups - ★★★
Standard 80's cop movie. Roy Schneider as the lead is excellent

The Woman - Zero stars
Terrible trashy torture porn horror film. Worst film I recall seeing in some time

5 Broken Cameras - ★★★★
Documentary about a small town in palestine and the trouble that Israel causes (very very high level review there) - digs into the politics slightly and with a great human aspect.

Detropia - ★★★
Documentary about the mess Detroit is in after the closing of much of the automobile industry. Works well as there are some great characters.

Wickerman - ★★★★1/2
This was a 'scratch and sniff' showing which worked surprisingly well - the latest cut of the movie which actually makes a lot better sense plot / order wise than the previous two. One of the best horror films of all time.

Shut Up and Play The Hits - ★★★★
Documentary of the final LCD Soundsystem show. The mix of footage / interviews building up to the gig being cut with footage from the show itself worked really well. I actually forgot just how many great songs they / he has.

 

[Saya]

Saya - 5/50 books | 28/50 movies

Movies:

Dragon Wasps - Joe Knee - ★½
Stalker - Andrei Tarkovsky - ★★★★
After Earth - M. Night Shyalaman - ★½
Paris, Texas - Wim Wenders - ★★★★
The Bayton Outlaws - Barry Battles - ★½
American Hustle - David O. Russell - ★★★
Inside Llewyn Davis - The Coen brothers - ★★★★

 

[mfiuza]

Update

Movies:

9. The Bling Ring ★★½ (01/24)

I really wanted to give this movie a higher score, but then I realized how boring was the movie overall. I mean, I didn't had any problem with the fact that I hated all the characters (I think the movie wanted that), but they were poorly developed. The script feels like it was made ​​just to show the facts happened without any depth or study on the behavior of characters. After the credits roll, something was bothering me, and I didn't realized until I hear other people talk about it, so thats why gave the movie 2½. Something on it kinda worked for me.
This is a strange movie to give scores.

10. The Shawshank Redemption ★★★★★ (01/24)

I have a huge list of "classic" and "can't miss" movies some friend who study cinema gave me, and she told me to start with some new ones before going to the older ones (since I really like movies, but never really went deep on some stuff). I knew this movie was really well received, and I went with high expectations. I was far from be disappointed. It was simply amazing. I can't describe the feeling this movie has, even with the horrible things happening sometimes. The small "redemption" moments were really well done and subtle. The acting were excellent, specially with Tim Robins, who could portray brilliantly his character.

11. The Wolf of Wall Street ★★★★★ (01/26)

Brilliant. It is very interesting that Scorcese left the viewers to judge Jordan, and concentrate only on portray his lifestyle. And although Jordan is really a genious seller, every other aspect of his life is simply despicable. I think the excessive use of nudity are there to show us that, constantly reminding that this is what he sees as prize

Spoiler

(the scene where he stops just to uncover some boobs shows that very well)

along with his money. Great acting (Leo and Jonah were awesome) and great direction.

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

crimsonheadGCN - 02/50 Books | 01/50 Movies | 01/50 Games

Books

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Rating: 4 out of 5;
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth - Rating: 4 out of 5. I thought the book was good overall. I just couldn't stand the early description of the Dauntless. They seemed more idiotic than brave.
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Rating 5 out of 5. I just finished this. I have not read it in 13 years and it's just as good as I remembered it being.

Movies

1. Jack Ryan: Shadown Recuit - Rating: 3 out 5; I thought the movie was decent. Good acting, but the story was weak.

Games

1. Tomb Raider (2013)

 

[Bonethug]

Bonethug - 7/50 Books | 10/50 Movies

Recent Books
The Big Nowhere - James Ellroy - 3/5 - I didn't really care for the Communism storyline.
The Wrong Quarry - Max Allan Collins - 4/5 - Back to a good Quarry story after being disappointed in The Last Quarry and Quarry's Ex.
L.A. Confidential - James Ellroy - 5/5 - Awesome cases. Just borrowed White Jazz from FLP to wrap up the Quartet.

Recent Movies
Fargo - 4/5 - could have done without some of the Marge elements that seemed weird.
The Town - 5/5 - awesome heist movie
Escape from NY - 2/5 - why is this a cult classic?
Crash - 2.5/5 - can't believe this won Best Picture.
Winter's Bone - 4.5/5 - really interesting as someone who lives in the middle of nowhere
A Beautiful Mind - 4/5 - that mid way revelation.

 

[kinoki]

kinoki - 8/50 Books | 14/50 Movies | 7/50 Games​

Books​

• The Canterville Ghost (1887), Oscar Wilde - ★★★★ - A haunted mansion where the ghost ends up being bullied and insulted by its new american owners. I enjoyed it a lot and while reading up on it I found out it's being adapted by Fry and Laurie. Heavens, I'd love to see that movie.
• Matmolekyler (2011), Lisa Förare Winbladh, Malin Sandström - ★★★★ - My other passion in life is cooking and I love to read cook books. Food molecules ["Matmolekyler" in english] is a book about the chemistry of food. How heat and spices affect eachother. When to heat, what temperature, etc. Great for anyone who wants a greater understanding of gastronomy.
• Flippin' Burgers (2013), Jon Widegren - ★★★★ - Speaking of cookbooks this is the second one I've finished today. It's about a third cookbook, a third art book depicting the glory of burger and a third a tale about a man and his love for burgers. He has a restaurant in Stockholm that I frequent and the burgers are awesome. Now to make some of my own.

 

[RedShift]

Update

RedShift - 5/50 Books | 5/50 Movies​

Frank Herbert - Dune - ★★★★
Really loved it once I got into it. I thought it suffered from fantasy made up word syndrome a bit at the beginning, but once you get into the second half and things are happening it's awesome. I'm a bit nervous about reading the rest of the series, I've heard discouraging things about them.

Local Hero - 1983 - ★★
It was kind of a nice little film, but preeetty boring. My Dad loves it because Dire Straights did the soundtrack, but I didn't really feel the charm made up for how uneventful the plot was

12 Years a Slave - 2013 - ★★½
I was a bit disappointed. The ending just sort of happened out of nowhere, I wish they'd incorporated some of the stuff that happens after into the movie rather than just explain it via text on screen. Fassebender's performance was amazing though, and Chiwetel Ejiofer was pretty good too. It was beautifully made as well. I just didn't really dig the script.

Seeing as I'm doing TV shows as well-

House of Cards (US) - Season 1 ★★★★½
Loved this. One or two episodes felt a bit fillerish, but apart from that it was perfect. Kevin Spacey is amazing in it. I didn't realise it was an adaptation of a book/TV series set in Westminster until afterwards, so I might have to catch one of them as well. I'd love to see Frank Underwood go against Malcolm Tucker...

 

[Beeblebrox]

Update:
Beeblebrox - 3/50 Books / 3/50 Movies

Read Kundera's Laughable Loves, and enjoyed it. Collection of some 6-7 melancholic love stories that shifted so easily between funny and sad, all while feeling so genuine and down to earth. Kundera really knows how to turn (mostly) ordinary people and situations into such interesting and warm human stories.

I also saw couple of movies, and enjoyed them both: Death at a Funeral (Frank Oz's one from 2007, not the American one from 2010), and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Noticed Death at a Funeral couple of days ago on TV and if it wasn't for Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly, which I started watching couple of weeks ago), I probably wouldn't even care enough to watch couple of minutes of it. But, luckily I did, and when I saw that Peter Dinklage is in it, as well as that guy who plays Lestrade in new Sherlock, I just had to watch it from the beginning to the end, while laughing louder than I should. And then a friend recommended Tucker and Dale because I mentioned Tudyk and Death at a Funeral to her. Different, interesting and funny take on classic slasher flicks with "creepy" looking hillbillies being the good guys.

 

[kswiston]

Sticking to a strict < 250 page count limit and ONLY including good books:

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 107 pages
Animal Farm by George Orwell - 112 pages
A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut - 146 pages
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - 144 pages
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson - 175 pages
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - 181 pages
A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick - 219 pages
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - 226 pages
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - 238 pages
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - 241 pages
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - 244 pages

There's tons more, but I would unequivocally recommend any of those.

Great list! I'll add some books I've read in the last few years that fit:

The Quiet American, by Graham Greene
Dubliners, by James Joyce
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente
But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz, by Geoff Dyer
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
A Personal Matter, by Kenzaburo Oe
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids, by Kenzaburo Oe
Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino
The Baron in the Trees, by Italo Calvino
Cosmicomics, by Italo Calvino
The Complete Short Stories of Marcel Proust, by ... Marcel Proust!
Mary, by Vladimir Nabokov
The Eye, by Vladimir Nabokov
Invitation to a Beheading, by Vladimir Nabokov
A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K LeGuin
Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse

Thanks for the recommendations. I will have to read some synopses for the books that aren't classics. The only books on those two lists I have read previously were Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and The Road. Lots left to choose from!

--

I just finished Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie. It was a good follow up to the first law trilogy, but I think I am going to wait awhile before I read the other two books set in that universe.

 

[zoozilla]

ZooZilla - 2/50 Books | 16/50 Movies

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold - Morgan Spurlock's documentary about product placement and advertising, the funds for which were obtained through product placement and received a full-out advertising blitz. The idea was that any movie could become a smash hit, provided enough sponsors were in on it and the advertising was pervasive enough. Given that the film has made less than a million dollars since its release, I guess that theory's been proven wrong. Apparently, people aren't mindless slaves to advertisements and have personal preferences! Who knew? Unfortunately, those preferences do not favor small-scale documentaries, which this film certainly is. It's a cute idea for a film, and there are some interesting facts about advertising, but Spurlock has way too much faith in his public image, and he never fully commits to the conceit. Halfway through the film, he complains that he's finding it hard to maintain artistic integrity while he sells out to as many sponsors as he can manage. Well yes, Morgan. Isn't that the whole point of the documentary you're making!? It's too bad - what could have been something really subversive and daring turns out to be mildly entertaining. &#9733;&#9733;

Argo - This was a pretty slick thriller, and I'm still impressed by Affleck's skill as a director. Alan Arkin and John Goodman provide a healthy dose of humor in the first half, which nicely offsets the more serious, tension-filled escape sequences of the second half. It could easily have gotten muddled between the movie business, the political turmoil of the time, and the specifics of the rescue, but the film manages to keep everything aloft without ever seeming overwhelming. I really enjoyed it. Yeah, the last moments are disconcertingly Hollywood-ish, but I can understand why they wanted to keep building the tension. &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Oblivion - What a beautiful film. It definitely had some of the most seamless integration of special effects into real locations I've ever seen (watching some of the special features revealed that much of the movie relied on practical effects, which probably accounts for the "real" look). Unfortunately, the story does not live up to the grandeur of the visuals. Most glaring for me was the characterization, which was poor all-around. Tom Cruise is always charismatic, but even he seemed weakened by the completely uninteresting dialog he was asked to deliver. It's too bad, since the plot, while not super original, is kind of neat. Glad I watched it, though, just for those visuals. Damn. &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Margin Call - A film about the last hours before the 2008 financial meltdown, Margin Call is packed with so many stars it's kind of a shame none of them really get a chance to flesh out their characters. To be fair, the film is much more interested in communicating the decisions that led to the crisis than delving into the psyches of those involved, but the dialog veered into "all right, now I'm going to explain an economic concept to you, but I'll disguise it as a character moment" a little too often. Still, I found it really interesting, and I did learn a bit about the hows and whys of what happened. &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

World War Z - Brad Pitt being all heroic in a world where literally billions of people have died and come back as fast, twitchy, flesh-eating zombies. I actually liked this movie more than I thought I would - its greatest asset is its unrelenting pace, which goes from one tension-filled moment to the next so quickly you're actually glad when the film slows down to take a breath. Brad Pitt basically plays Brad Pitt, and he has no chemistry with his wife, but the movie held me for pretty much its duration. A PG-13 zombie flick - who knew? &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

The Remains of the Day - What a heart-breaking film. I had read the novel, so I was eager to see how it had been adapted. Very well, it turns out. Some of the changes from the novel are a little strange, and of course the novel's characterization of the butler Mr. Stevens is much more layered than any two-hour film could manage, but I found myself moved regardless. The performances really carry the film - Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins are incredible. Hopkins in particular gives a performance so pained, so desperate, so paradoxically cold and soulful that you can't help but get caught up in Mr. Stevens' life. I'm surprised to say I loved this movie. &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

 

[Cyan]

Cyan - 5/50 books | 2/50 movies

Just read Scholar by L.E. Modesitt, on Aidan's recommendation of the series a while back. Some interesting ideas, but a few clunky fantasy tropes weigh it down a bit. I mean, the denominations of money are coppers, silvers, and golds. Yeesh. Also,

Spoiler

the dude gets to marry the princess as a quest reward item, come oooooooon

. But I enjoyed the main character's voice and his way of doing things enough that I'll probably read the next one when I get a chance.

 

[DieUnbekannte]

Time for an update!

DieUnbekannte - 4/50 books | 7/50 movies

new books
2. Tad Williams - Shadowrise (700 pages)
3. Maggie Stiefvater - The Raven Boys
4. J. J. Abrams/Doug Dorst - S

Shadowrise started a little bit slow, but after about 50% I just couldn't stop reading. Now I'm really sad, that there's only one book left in the Shadowmarch series. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater was okay - nothing special and an easy read. But S was something completely different, a reading adventure. I didn't want to read too fast so I can savour it, but on the other hand, I had to continue reading because I wanted to know how the stories develope. Definitely a five star book for me.

new films
4. Sherlock - The Empty Hearse (2014)
5. Sherlock - The Sign of Three (2014)
6. Sherlock - His Last Vow (2014)
7. Upside Down (2012)

 

[sestrugen]

Weekly Update

sestrugen - 0/50 Books | 9/50 Movies

Books

None

Currently reading: A short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson

Movies

Don Jon (2013)&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Shame (2011) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Frozen (2013) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2013) &#9733;&#9733;
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
The Family AKA Malavita (2013) &#9733;
The girl with the dragon tattoo (2009) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
The girl who played with fire (2009) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Philomena (2013) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

 

[avengers23]

avengers23 - 5/50 books | 6/50 movies
​

Movies
This Is 40

It's nice that they chose a title that makes ripping the movie so easy for hack newspaper editors. For example, "This Is 40? More Like 'This Is Awful!'" or "This Is 40+94 Minutes You Won't Get Back in Your Life!"

If this is what filmmakers and critics like Roger Ebert think real life looks like, God help us all.

Leslie Mann's squeaky voice is unbearable, and she plays her character by hammering the "shrill" tone so much I thought I would have tinnitus by the end of the film. That might have been due to the writing and directing, but she's also implicated. And hey, you guys want to have sex even when you're parents? Try having sex when the kids are out of the house or basically anytime other than when they're getting ready for school.

Paul Rudd isn't blameless either. He can be charming, and sometimes he relies too much on his charm to make movies work. When he's asked to dial the charm down and play on the other end by being a little more douchey, he's unbelievably punchable. I want to get away from my kids too; I don't do it pretending to take 30 minute dumps 4 times a day.

The heartwarming sequence at the end felt false; the film sets up these characters for me to hate over the course of the film, and then it asks me to have sympathy for them by throwing another baby into this toxic family. No thanks.

Argo

Affleck managed to capture the magical powers of cinema in one short scene at the end of Argo that Scorsese couldn't in 125 minutes of Hugo. When those Republican Guard troops were marveling at the storyboards for a fake movie while their prey escaped, it was a comment on the power of cinema to spark imaginations no matter what other cultural obstacles are in the way.

Given that it won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture against flashier films like Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty, I expected a film that had more than just competent cinematography. But the word taht comes back to me when I think about Argo is "solid." It was enjoyable, but it was just solid. Nothing really surprised me like the bombast of Les Miserables, the structural play of Django Unchained, the intensity of Zero Dark Thirty, or the deft cinematography of Life of Pi.

 

[Tragicomedy]

For those interested, we're reading Jose Saramago's "Blindness" for the February book club.

 

[Grand Optimist]

[post=95653714]Updated List Here[/post]

Wow, thanks for getting me hooked on Sherlock guys. This show is absolutely brilliant, and right up my alley.

 

[Beeblebrox]

Update:
Beeblebrox - 3/50 Books / 4/50 Movies

Just saw Nymphomaniac: Volume 1 by Lars von Trier. And oh my, was it a weird experience. Good movie, for sure, but not something I'd recommend to a friend unless they really (and I mean really) like watching something heavy and weird like this. Stories that main character tells throughout the movie are... dunno if I would say disturbing, but not fun to watch, to say the least. Also, that moment when Uma Thurman appears is great, in a bizzare way. And when a scene like that (don't want to spoil anything) is the closest that the movie gets to a "comedy relief", I think it says a lot.

P.S. I saw the censored version of the movie, and I'm not sure if I'd like to see uncensored one. I'll probably watch the second one, since the story isn't over, but man, I can already see it's not gonna be a good time :|

 

[Mumei]

Update:

Mumei - 16/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

I finished reading Dispossession: Discrimination Against African American Farmers in the Age of Civil Rights, by Pete Daniel today.

 

[lastflowers]

Update:

Mumei - 16/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

I finished reading Dispossession: Discrimination Against African American Farmers in the Age of Civil Rights, by Pete Daniel today.

hey, stop making us peasants look bad!

 

[lunch]

Update:

Mumei - 16/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

I finished reading Dispossession: Discrimination Against African American Farmers in the Age of Civil Rights, by Pete Daniel today.

How do you read so quickly? Are you a fast reader or do you have a good amount of reading time?

 

[LuffyZoro]

Update:

LuffyZoro - 6/50 Books | 2/50 Movies

I haven't read/watched anything bad so far, but the standout book this month was Rendezvous With Rama, and best movie (of the two) was Gattaca.

 

[Mumei]

How do you read so quickly? Are you a fast reader or do you have a good amount of reading time?

I get up to an hour and a half during the workday (breaks, lunch), plus (usually) two or three hours in the evening almost every evening, and on weekends I obviously have more time. I've been more focused on the reading at the expense of other things recently. I don't read that much every day, but I probably average around two, maybe two and a half hours most weekdays.

So, it's a little of column A and a little of column B.

 

[roosters93]

Update deux
roosters93 - 5/50 books | 13/50 movies


Books

Roger Ebert - Life Itself &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Gillian Flynn - Gone Girl &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Movies

I Give It A Year &#9733;&#9733;
The Wolf of Wall Street &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
5 Centimeters Per Second &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
Her &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Wolfy was a bit disappointing. Her was everything I thought it would be and then some. 5 Centimeters per Second is a gorgeous anime about teenage lust and distance.

campfireweekend - 8/50 Books | 9/50 Movies

I just read W;t by Margaret Edson, and while it was only 85 pages the subject matter and the story told was incredibly textured.

The oddest thing happened though; it made me laugh. More times than I can count. Why is that weird? Because its basically about someone's final hours of life, waiting to die from cancer. But its full of witty insights, word play and enough 4th wall breaking and meta humor to make me incredibly happy.

Very short read, but very recommended.

They made us read W;t in high school (and watch the TV film with Emma Thompson). After having to analyse it I don't hold much love for it but maybe one day I'll go back and read it for pleasure.

 

[thequickandthedead]

Is it too late to join?

 

[Mumei]

Is it too late to join?

It is never too late to join!

Spoiler

In theory

 

[markhimself46]

Markhimself46 - 7/50 Books | 14/50 Movies​

Books

The Colorado Kid (Stephen King) &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Movies

The Bling Ring &#9733;&#9733;½
American Hustle &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Really enjoyed this. Thought it was cast perfectly. Christian Bale is fantastic and hilarious. Jennifer Lawrence was also very funny.

 

[Cyan]

Hell, Ashes did a half year version in the latter half of 2013. End of January is definitely not too late!

 

[Necrovex]

Master List

Anyone who digs the fantasy genre must read The Way of Kings. Since Brandon Sanderson finally completed Wheel of Time, he can finally focus his fullest effort on writing his wondrous ten-book series.

The characters were likable, and quite charming. Some parts of the book drag at points, but Sanderson does a fantastic job in establishing his world, which includes various cultures and religions. The final 200 pages made me feel super excited, and I almost teared up during the final act (anyone who has read this novel knows of what I write).

It's a pity that Sanderson will complete his series before Martin completes his. Mark my words, Gaf. Time for me to wait on the hype train for the second novel in the series to come out in March.

&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

 

[Tragicomedy]

It's a good thing that Sanderson will complete A Song of Fire and Ice for Martin after he dies.

Fixed.

 

[Forsaken82]

It's a pity that Sanderson will complete his series before Martin completes his. Mark my words, Gaf. Time for me to wait on the hype train for the second novel in the series to come out in March.

&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

At best Sanderson is looking to finish Stormlight by 2022. Do you seriously think it will take Martin 9+ years to release 2 more books? One of which is likely going to release by summer of 2015? In which case, 7+ years for the final book? I don't know about that... The longest its taken him to release a new book was what 5 and a half years?

Perhaps if he truly expands the series to 8 parts... i could see it... and yeah its pretty sad that GRRM is a slow writer, but I have faith that I will still be paying off my student loans by the time Martin finishes

 

[Tragicomedy]

If you don't count his short story collections (eight) and his novellas (five), GRRM has written a total of 12 novels in 38 years. Martin is 65 and rumored to be in so-so health. I would be shocked if he finishes the last two books of his series.

If you don't count his short stories (four) and his novellas (four), Sanderson has written 16 novels in 9 years.

Prepare to read GRRM/Sanderson's "A Dream of Spring" in 2020.

 

[Atrophis]

Sanderson finishing for Martin. Excuse me, think I'm going to be sick.

I'm currently reading this Lets Read of The Way of Kings. I suspect its far more entertaining than the book itself.

 

[Necrovex]

Fixed.

I'm fine with this.

At best Sanderson is looking to finish Stormlight by 2022. Do you seriously think it will take Martin 9+ years to release 2 more books? One of which is likely going to release by summer of 2015? In which case, 7+ years for the final book? I don't know about that... The longest its taken him to release a new book was what 5 and a half years?

Perhaps if he truly expands the series to 8 parts... i could see it... and yeah its pretty sad that GRRM is a slow writer, but I have faith that I will still be paying off my student loans by the time Martin finishes

A Storm of Swords (his third book in the series) was published in 2000; A Dance with Dragons (his fifth book in the series) was published in 2011. I have solid reasons to believe it'll take more than nine years for him to release his final two books.

 

[kswiston]

I will finish the Ocean at the end of the Lane tomorrow, giving me an OK 4 books for January. Thanks goes to Tragicomedy for the suggestion. I'm a Gaiman fan, but forgot that this book came out.

 

[studyguy]

I will finish the Ocean at the end of the Lane tomorrow, giving me an OK 4 books for January. Thanks goes to Tragicomedy for the suggestion. I'm a Gaiman fan, but forgot that this book came out.

Yo, how is that book?
I haven't read anything Gaiman, but I've heard great things about American Gods and this book in particular. I just finished Prince of Thorns and am sitting here left with a sour taste in my mouth from that. Need something different. This sounds up my alley.

Also I've been seeing this thread every so often and I'm at a solid 5 books for Jan.

Prince of Thorns most recently which was sub par at best for me. And I'm being generous. If Jorg was alive today, his name would be xXJorG_DarK_EdgeXx.
&#9733;&#9733;

The Black Company gritty in a way that's nowhere near as shallow as Prince of Thorns. It's a solid book but I'm neither in love with the series or hate it. I'd love to give the next on a shot.
&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

Oddly enough the series so far feels like a buddy cop movie. Fun is the way I'd describe it and I've enjoyed the hell out of the ride so far.
Theft of Swords &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
The Rose and Thorn &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;
The Crown Tower &#9733;&#9733;&#9733;&#9733;

 

[Reyne]

Prepare to read GRRM/Sanderson's "A Dream of Spring" in 2020.

No offense to Sanderson, but I sincerely doubt that. It may be as you say and GRRM passes away untimely. Better hope it doesn't come to that though, for it will be tough fucking luck for the rest of us as the books will likely die with him. From what I understand his wife respect his wishes ( which GRRM have repeatedly made clear ) and will thus not allow the release of books not made by GRRM. We would have to look for the TV series for the conclusion.

 

[Cyan]

Of course it won't happen. Martin wouldn't want someone else writing his books, and Sanderson certainly wouldn't want to write them.

It's just humorosity!

 

[Tragicomedy]

Sanderson writes all the books. He's probably writing a book right now while GRRM is sipping hot chocolate on his back porch counting his fortunes.

Spoiler

No, Sanderson won't finish A Song of Fire and Ice. HBO will.

 

[studyguy]

Spoiler

No, Sanderson won't finish A Song of Fire and Ice. HBO will.

I survived Wheel of Time.
I can outlive another author. Whatever.

 

[Mumei]

Update:

Mumei - 17/50 Books | 4/50 Movies

I finished reading 3500: An Autistic Boy's Ten-Year Romance with Snow White today. It's a very light read - but I still enjoyed it.

 

[zoozilla]

Man, I'm reading The Pale King by David Foster Wallace now, and I'm really enjoying it, but at the same time I feel like it's taking me forever to finish it.

And I don't want to switch to another book, since I feel like I'd forget so many of the small details that give the book its continuity.

I guess I just need to read more instead of reading GAF.

 

[Strobli]

It's been a while since I've posted and update so here's what I've been up to.

Updated post.

I finished A Dance with Dragons on the 24th, making it my second book behind A Feast for Crows and finally finishing off a long trek through A Song of Ice and Fire. In the end, it was better than the fourth entry by far, the last few chapters putting it on par with the first two books in the series.

Spoiler

Theon, Bran and Davos

were the highlights of the book, even if they only had a handful of chapters each. The endings of

Spoiler

Dany and Jon

were also fantastic. And that last

Spoiler

Cersei

chapter ranks as one of the best in the series. I don't know what I would do if GRRM couldn't finish... let's just pray that doesn't happen.

On the movie side I watched Hunger, Before Sunrise, and Captain Phillips. Hunger was interesting, even while struggling to understand what the hell they were saying. The scene between Fassbender and the priest was great while the rest seemed pretty weak in comparison. Glad I watched it but it didn't strike me all that much. Before Sunrise, on the other hand, was a real treat. Almost 2 hours of 2 people talking and it never stopped being engaging. The acting was fantastic and the content was thought-provoking. As for Captain Phillips, it was well filmed and very suspenseful, but it just felt a little bit too drawn out. I felt like it couldn't sustain the level of tension it was trying to portray for the entire length. The first half was perfect but as soon as he got in the lifeboat, it started to drag. Still, it was entertaining.

I've started reading Wool by Hugh Howey. I've just started into the final "book" and it's been excellent so far. Apparently it holds up all the way through the series which is reassuring. It's been a while since I've read anything but fantasy, so this has been refreshing.