[:1]Silent Hill 8/10
I bought this movie when it came out and only saw it for the first time the other day. I really thought it was a good flick. The visuals and special effects were stunning. I had to knock it down a bit since pyramid head was not in it enough for me. He was always my favorite SH character.
I have only seen Resident Evil as far as video game to movie adaptations go, but I think this one did a fairly good job.|||I'm in the minority that enjoyed Silent Hill, but I'm not really a big fan of the games so I didn't have those kinds of expectations to bog things down|||Quote:
I'm in the minority that enjoyed Silent Hill, but I'm not really a big fan of the games so I didn't have those kinds of expectations to bog things down
I knew there was somthing I liked about you.|||Yeah, i didnt think Silent Hill was THAT bad. Not good, but definately one of the better videogame movies.|||I enjoyed it. Pretty faithful to the source adaption.|||Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Rating: 9/10
Fun: 7/10
Hard to give a summary without spoiling it. During the Spanish civil war in 1944, the step-daughter of a fascist Spanish captain moves in with her step-father because her mother is pregnant. The daughter stumbles into a nearby labyrinth where a faun reveals to the girl that she is the incarnate of an old princess, and she must complete three small tasks to achieve immortality.
Basically this is an adult version of a fairy tale, i saw it expecting one of those movies that are way too freak-ish and gothic to enjoy. But honestly, this movie somehow grabbed my attention, i was really curious to see how it all turned out, and this is coming from someone who hates fantasy. There are a few parts that were a bit gorey and violent that i wasnt expecting, but other than that, the ending to the movie makes it really worth it. Its just a dark, adult-version of a fairy tale. Amazing movie, great directing.|||the prestige
3/10
you twist a rope enough and eventually it breaks|||I liked Bubba Ho-Tep well enough, but I would've liked it a lot better if the promos for the movie (or any given movie review, or even the synopsis on the back of the DVD) hadn't already told me everything that's in it. For example:
Quote:
starring the king of B movies, Bruce Campbell himself. This movie is about an Elvis impersonator who truly believes he is Elvis, living out the rest of his days in an old folks home. His best friend is a senile old black guy who thinks he is JFK and together they must stop an undead mummy who sucks the souls of senior citizens through their butts.
That's the whole movie, no real need to see it now if you haven't.
Quote:
the prestige
3/10
you twist a rope enough and eventually it breaks
Jerk, that movie was awesome.|||Heres one i saw last week for the second time.
The Departed (2006)
Rating: 9/10
Fun: 9/10
A young poor Boston boy (Damon) stumbles across the Irish mafia (Nicholson)leader one day at a super market, and the leader takes him under his wing and introduces him to the world of violence. Years later the boy becomes a police officer who always rats for the mafia leader, in order to protect him and prevent him from being cuaght. Another young man who grew up in the same area (DiCaprio) becomes an undercover police officer, who becomes the mafia leader's foot soldier in an attempt to find who the rat in the police department is.
Scorsese does it again, just another perfect mafia movie. A little hard to keep up with at first, but once things start making sense after about a third of the movie is over, you'll be hooked. The way the scenes are set up are just so well done, the music they play throughout the movie fits perfectly, Scorsese really tackled the directing part of the movie. Plus the ending has some wild twists that really caught me off guard, its still amazing after the second time i saw it (first time since the theater).|||I liked Bubba Ho-Tep as well.
Murder Set Pieces
-1,000,000/10
The absolute worst serial killer movie ever made. I did see the R-rated version where everything was cut, but awful still the same.
I have others I could review but they are way disturbing and I am not going to post about them here.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Movie Review thread. - Page 2
[:1]Pick of Destiny
by Tenacious D, starring Jack Black
10/10
one of the best movies I've seen, lots of foul language but tons of humor.|||Lady in the Water (2006)
Rating: -53/10
Fun: -3891/10
Synopsis:
A prophetic "Narf" is sent as a messenger from the "Ocean People" to the depths of the swimming pool in a Philadelphia apartment complex. Her mission: Contact a "Vessel", enlighten him with her presence, and in so doing save the future of mankind. Oh by the way, there are dogs made of grass that are bent on preventing her from accomplishing this mission, thus breaking the laws enforced by the monkeys made of sticks. Right.
Review:
If only because of Grease 2, this is the second worst movie I have ever had the misfortune of seeing. It is the cinematic equivalent of Shyamalan masturbating. At no point in the meandering, senseless plot did it even approach a moderately sane level of believability, even to drunk 9-year-old Pokemon fans. If I were ever to recommend movies to my enemies, this would certainly top the list. If it weren't for the learjet-sized eagles, and the movie critic being devoured by a grass dog, I wouldn't have even laughed. I give it a -53 out of 10, and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest nether regions of M. Night Shyamalan.|||I wrote a hateful review of Da Vinci Code but the forum monsters still lurk nearby and ate a bushel of posts from me, I may muster the effort to write it again, but then it was basically fart noises and throwing tomatoes|||Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Rating: 8/10
Fun: 5/10
I haven't read the book, so I won't comment on the movie's fidelity. Standing alone, I thought it was great, in spite of being much different than expected. BtT oscillates between a fantasy world and real life with all its problems for two socially outcast 6th graders. I was hoping to see major development of the fantasy realm (Terabithia), and so in some sense I was disappointed by the focus on reality. However, that's only because I went to the theater expecting a Narnia-like adventure. The reality actually provides much more poignance and I have to say it got to me pretty good on an emotional level. See this movie if you want to think and feel, but not if you want an action-filled adventure.|||OMYGAWD there's a feature film with the Tenacious D label?? If it's anything like their video clips that will be gold.
*Watches **** Her Gently and Tribute for the 50th time this week*
EDIT: Ooooo new edit format... handy.
The original Clerks had one of the most memorable lines from the last decade, certainly one of the best responses to a pick-up ever. Does the sequel live up to this?|||I really shouldn't get into this thread even though it looks fun; either I'd write a one-liner or I'd get too into it and write ten pages.
Well, here's my attempt:
Logan's Run
Good movie, very glad I watched it. I thought some bits could've been improved (like at exactly what point Logan changed his mind about his mission, I found that confusing), but it's a classic all the same. Gorgeous retro sci-fi cinematography, iconic imagery, all that good stuff. I liked the leads (Michael York is a weird actor, I always like to see him in a movie), Peter Ustinov's performance was brilliant. Oh, and Farrah Fawcett(-Major)'s retro-cameo was cool, nice performance too.
I also noticed with amusement that the clean-up and brightening of the film made the model sequences look way more fake than they did in the original format (as seen in the trailers on the disc, anyway). Heh.
We've got a runner!
There, I managed it.
Quote:
Hannibal Rising 4/10
Severely lacking in plot and imagination... it's not even scary. The way he kills people are just like everyday crime.. choking, knifing, etc.
Bad movie, I would stay away even if you're a fan.
I saw posters and knew right away it would be a massive turkey, then I saw trailers and it was confirmed.
Quote:
Ghost Rider
2/10
I knew going in it was going to suck, and I was not disapointed. Some of the cheesiest, corniest lines ever, horrible acting, bad cgi, crappy fight scenes, disapointing bad guys. Pure trash.
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.
Looks so astoundingly bad I'm considering watching it.|||Quote:
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.
You aren't alone it is ranked 39th on IMDb after all.
Mind you I can't stand most of the IMDb top ten either.|||Crank (2006)
Rating: 8/10
Fun: 10/10
Hitman is injected with a poison leaving him only one hour to live. So he goes out and tries to hunt down the person who injected him with the poison.
This movie obviously has a terrible plot, so its not really a movie made to be taken seriously. Its a pure all out action movie, they spend a good 3 minutes explaining the plot before he is out with his rampage. The thing is that i saw this movie 5 times now, and its still not boring to me, its just so over the top and ridiculous that you have a great time every single time you see it. The director did some very cool effects with the movie, and it was well made. Its all just tons of action and really ridiculous scenes, if you can watch a movie that isnt serious at all, and just over the top insane, this is one of the best movies of the genre (i guess you can call it that).
And im going to watch Pan's Labyrinth tonight, to see what the hype is all about.|||I also loved Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. I'd easily give that movie 7.5/10.
Bubba Ho-Tep
8/10
Pure comic genius starring the king of B movies, Bruce Campbell himself. This movie is about an Elvis impersonator who truly believes he is Elvis, living out the rest of his days in an old folks home. His best friend is a senile old black guy who thinks he is JFK and together they must stop an undead mummy who sucks the souls of senior citizens through their butts. Great cheesy lines and such a rediculous plot makes this movie totally awesome.|||I couldn't really get into Bubba Ho Tep, it just didn't do it for me
I liked Pan's Labyrinth, it was pretty
by Tenacious D, starring Jack Black
10/10
one of the best movies I've seen, lots of foul language but tons of humor.|||Lady in the Water (2006)
Rating: -53/10
Fun: -3891/10
Synopsis:
A prophetic "Narf" is sent as a messenger from the "Ocean People" to the depths of the swimming pool in a Philadelphia apartment complex. Her mission: Contact a "Vessel", enlighten him with her presence, and in so doing save the future of mankind. Oh by the way, there are dogs made of grass that are bent on preventing her from accomplishing this mission, thus breaking the laws enforced by the monkeys made of sticks. Right.
Review:
If only because of Grease 2, this is the second worst movie I have ever had the misfortune of seeing. It is the cinematic equivalent of Shyamalan masturbating. At no point in the meandering, senseless plot did it even approach a moderately sane level of believability, even to drunk 9-year-old Pokemon fans. If I were ever to recommend movies to my enemies, this would certainly top the list. If it weren't for the learjet-sized eagles, and the movie critic being devoured by a grass dog, I wouldn't have even laughed. I give it a -53 out of 10, and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest nether regions of M. Night Shyamalan.|||I wrote a hateful review of Da Vinci Code but the forum monsters still lurk nearby and ate a bushel of posts from me, I may muster the effort to write it again, but then it was basically fart noises and throwing tomatoes|||Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Rating: 8/10
Fun: 5/10
I haven't read the book, so I won't comment on the movie's fidelity. Standing alone, I thought it was great, in spite of being much different than expected. BtT oscillates between a fantasy world and real life with all its problems for two socially outcast 6th graders. I was hoping to see major development of the fantasy realm (Terabithia), and so in some sense I was disappointed by the focus on reality. However, that's only because I went to the theater expecting a Narnia-like adventure. The reality actually provides much more poignance and I have to say it got to me pretty good on an emotional level. See this movie if you want to think and feel, but not if you want an action-filled adventure.|||OMYGAWD there's a feature film with the Tenacious D label?? If it's anything like their video clips that will be gold.
*Watches **** Her Gently and Tribute for the 50th time this week*
EDIT: Ooooo new edit format... handy.
The original Clerks had one of the most memorable lines from the last decade, certainly one of the best responses to a pick-up ever. Does the sequel live up to this?|||I really shouldn't get into this thread even though it looks fun; either I'd write a one-liner or I'd get too into it and write ten pages.
Well, here's my attempt:
Logan's Run
Good movie, very glad I watched it. I thought some bits could've been improved (like at exactly what point Logan changed his mind about his mission, I found that confusing), but it's a classic all the same. Gorgeous retro sci-fi cinematography, iconic imagery, all that good stuff. I liked the leads (Michael York is a weird actor, I always like to see him in a movie), Peter Ustinov's performance was brilliant. Oh, and Farrah Fawcett(-Major)'s retro-cameo was cool, nice performance too.
I also noticed with amusement that the clean-up and brightening of the film made the model sequences look way more fake than they did in the original format (as seen in the trailers on the disc, anyway). Heh.
We've got a runner!
There, I managed it.
Quote:
Hannibal Rising 4/10
Severely lacking in plot and imagination... it's not even scary. The way he kills people are just like everyday crime.. choking, knifing, etc.
Bad movie, I would stay away even if you're a fan.
I saw posters and knew right away it would be a massive turkey, then I saw trailers and it was confirmed.
Quote:
Ghost Rider
2/10
I knew going in it was going to suck, and I was not disapointed. Some of the cheesiest, corniest lines ever, horrible acting, bad cgi, crappy fight scenes, disapointing bad guys. Pure trash.
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.
Looks so astoundingly bad I'm considering watching it.|||Quote:
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.
You aren't alone it is ranked 39th on IMDb after all.
Mind you I can't stand most of the IMDb top ten either.|||Crank (2006)
Rating: 8/10
Fun: 10/10
Hitman is injected with a poison leaving him only one hour to live. So he goes out and tries to hunt down the person who injected him with the poison.
This movie obviously has a terrible plot, so its not really a movie made to be taken seriously. Its a pure all out action movie, they spend a good 3 minutes explaining the plot before he is out with his rampage. The thing is that i saw this movie 5 times now, and its still not boring to me, its just so over the top and ridiculous that you have a great time every single time you see it. The director did some very cool effects with the movie, and it was well made. Its all just tons of action and really ridiculous scenes, if you can watch a movie that isnt serious at all, and just over the top insane, this is one of the best movies of the genre (i guess you can call it that).
And im going to watch Pan's Labyrinth tonight, to see what the hype is all about.|||I also loved Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. I'd easily give that movie 7.5/10.
Bubba Ho-Tep
8/10
Pure comic genius starring the king of B movies, Bruce Campbell himself. This movie is about an Elvis impersonator who truly believes he is Elvis, living out the rest of his days in an old folks home. His best friend is a senile old black guy who thinks he is JFK and together they must stop an undead mummy who sucks the souls of senior citizens through their butts. Great cheesy lines and such a rediculous plot makes this movie totally awesome.|||I couldn't really get into Bubba Ho Tep, it just didn't do it for me
I liked Pan's Labyrinth, it was pretty
Movie Review thread.
[:1]Everyone can contribute whatever they wish. Only things that are required: title, year, rating (how good it was), rating (how much you enjoyed watching it), a short spoiler free synopsis, and a short spoiler free review. And the two ratings are there because we all know there are those terrible movies that are just a ton of fun to watch.
So i will start with the last two movies that i watched.
Norbit (2007)
Rating: 5/10
Fun: 7/10
Norbit is a guy with a rough childhood who was forced to marry to stereotypical fat black woman. His childhood crush moves in town and gets engaged while Norbit tries to win her over, while trying to escape his abusive girlfriend.
It had its moments, but other than that it was just a generic comedy that is only worth watching one time. Its worth watching one time if you ever get bored, but i cant exactly see myself watching it more than once. Eddie Murphy does good playing any comedy role, this movie is proof.
Dirty (2005)
Rating: 6/10
Fun: 7/10
Basically a knockoff of Training Day about crooked cops, two ex-gang bangers become police officers and the movie goes over one day of their lives.
Not exactly a bad movie. Just a knockoff of Training Day, instead of an undercover narc, they are just regular police officers. Only thing that i really didnt like about the movie is just how instead of focusing on a decent plot, they focus on trying to make it as dark and brutal as they possibly can. Really twisted movie, worth watching once because of Cuba Gooding Jr's performance, but no more than one time.|||Flushed Away
9/10
Full of humor meant for adults it's still a good movie for kids|||Nice idea for a thread. DVDs I rented this week:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
Rating - 3/10
Joel (Jim Carrey) is undergoing a medical procedure to erase the memory of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). However, while he is unconscious and the procedure is underway, he takes a journey through his mind, re-living moments with Clementine for fear of losing her forever.
Review - I have no idea why this is number 39 on IMDb. It was just dreadful and completely unbelievable in the execution of the plot. It was a very amateur film in my opinion.
It would have been much better had the plot actually been focussed on what the description above actually says it's about, because it seems primarily more concerned with the people running the memory erasing business than with the relationship between the two key actors.
Cinderella Man (2005).
Rating - 7/10
It's the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a heavyweight contender from New Jersey nicknamed the Bulldog of Bergen, who lost his fame and fortune during the Great Depression only to win the hearts of the downtrodden during a spectacular comeback.
Review - Now, I can't stand boxing films, with the exception of Million Dollar Baby which was excellent. I also cannot stand Russell Crowe. Considering those two facts and the rating I have given it, this makes the film very good in the eyes of pretty much anyone else.
It was well shot, well acted and very watchable. However it wasn't perfect - it has its flaws, not least in the fact that the story is ultimately not compelling, despite its best attempts.
The Sentinel (2006).
Rating - 5/10
Special Agent Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is convinced that a Neo-Nazi aryan disciple has managed to infiltrate the White House. When a White House agent is murdered, Garrison is framed and blackmailed over an affair with the First Lady Sarah Bellentine. He is relieved of his duties, but Garrison will not stop in trying to prove his innocence, and save the life of the President.
Review - A very average film all round - a watchable action movie with no substance. There are a number of cliche elements that have been flogged to death in other films. It is saved by Michael Douglas who is, in my opinion, an excellent actor.
I enjoyed it, but I don't recommend it. I won't be watching it again.|||Quote:
Flushed Away
9/10
Full of humor meant for adults it's still a good movie for kids
OMG - I did hate this one
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
9+/10
an old school comedy - you do not see many movies like this these days...good acting, good humor, celebrities all over the place, good music, the list goes on.
Captain Steve Zissou (played by Bill Murray) decides to hunt down and kill jaguar shark that has killed his dear friend Esteban.|||Hannibal Rising 4/10
Severely lacking in plot and imagination... it's not even scary. The way he kills people are just like everyday crime.. choking, knifing, etc.
Bad movie, I would stay away even if you're a fan.|||do we want to stick with contemporary reviews or go into some older films?
also, if anyone wants a review, they could request and I would write a little something about it
as far as what I've seen recently
The Black Dahlia 2006
Synopsis - A 1940s noiresque investigation into the murder of an aspiring hollywood starlet reveals some interesting secrets in the lives of two L.A. detectives.
Rating - crappy/lame ; if I had to give that a score, I guess 5/10
Review - One reviewer put it well, he said along the lines that "if you wanted to see this movie to recapture the magic of L.A. Confidential, you should just watch L.A. Confidential again." This genre is a favorite of mine, a 40s noir detective story, but nothing happened. This was one of those movies where I just held out hope for something interesting to happen and was left out in the cold when the credits rolled. None of the characters were at all compelling, the performances were bland, and the story was inferior to many other films of the genre. The only decent performance was that of Mia Kirschner, the title victim whom she hammed up as a desperate aspiring big-screen sensation who never had a chance. The movie failed to really evoke any kind of response from me, I wouldn't have known it was a DePalma movie until the credits rolled either.
Reasons to Watch
-You think Hartnett is awesome.
-You'll watch anything with ScarJo in it.
-You are really really good at suspending your disbelief, even better than I am, and I watch Arnold movies where he jumps out of a plane on take-off and lands safely in a marsh.
Reasons to Avoid
-Badness in acting and writing
-Hartnett is not awesome
-You've seen actual good films and have a basis of comparison
Recommended Alternatives
-L.A. Confidential
-Chinatown|||Music and Lyrics (2007)
Rating 5/10 (average)
Fun 7/10 (what can I say, I like Hugh Grant)
An washed up, has-been pop star convinces the lady that waters his plants to help him write a pop song to revive his career.
Pretty much exactly what it looks like. It's your standard romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant, Drew Berrymore and some eye candy.
Idiocracy (2006)
Rating 3/10
Fun 8/10
An average Joe gets put into suspended animation and wakes up 500 years later to find out he's easily the smartest person alive.
A weird mix of social commentary and toilet humor. While it wasn't executed very well, there are some funny jokes and stupid people are funny. Even Mike Judge's worst work is worth checking out.|||Clerks 2
9/10
Personally, it just doesnt get much better than this movie. I've seen it easily 100 times and I still laugh the whole way through it. You don't need to have seen Clerks first (or any of Smith's other movies) but it does make the movie better. The humour is fairly rude and certainly not a movie to play while the kids are around.|||Ghost Rider
2/10
I knew going in it was going to suck, and I was not disapointed. Some of the cheesiest, corniest lines ever, horrible acting, bad cgi, crappy fight scenes, disapointing bad guys. Pure trash.
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.|||I'll write better reviews later. Mine seem lacking in substance.
So i will start with the last two movies that i watched.
Norbit (2007)
Rating: 5/10
Fun: 7/10
Norbit is a guy with a rough childhood who was forced to marry to stereotypical fat black woman. His childhood crush moves in town and gets engaged while Norbit tries to win her over, while trying to escape his abusive girlfriend.
It had its moments, but other than that it was just a generic comedy that is only worth watching one time. Its worth watching one time if you ever get bored, but i cant exactly see myself watching it more than once. Eddie Murphy does good playing any comedy role, this movie is proof.
Dirty (2005)
Rating: 6/10
Fun: 7/10
Basically a knockoff of Training Day about crooked cops, two ex-gang bangers become police officers and the movie goes over one day of their lives.
Not exactly a bad movie. Just a knockoff of Training Day, instead of an undercover narc, they are just regular police officers. Only thing that i really didnt like about the movie is just how instead of focusing on a decent plot, they focus on trying to make it as dark and brutal as they possibly can. Really twisted movie, worth watching once because of Cuba Gooding Jr's performance, but no more than one time.|||Flushed Away
9/10
Full of humor meant for adults it's still a good movie for kids|||Nice idea for a thread. DVDs I rented this week:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
Rating - 3/10
Joel (Jim Carrey) is undergoing a medical procedure to erase the memory of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). However, while he is unconscious and the procedure is underway, he takes a journey through his mind, re-living moments with Clementine for fear of losing her forever.
Review - I have no idea why this is number 39 on IMDb. It was just dreadful and completely unbelievable in the execution of the plot. It was a very amateur film in my opinion.
It would have been much better had the plot actually been focussed on what the description above actually says it's about, because it seems primarily more concerned with the people running the memory erasing business than with the relationship between the two key actors.
Cinderella Man (2005).
Rating - 7/10
It's the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a heavyweight contender from New Jersey nicknamed the Bulldog of Bergen, who lost his fame and fortune during the Great Depression only to win the hearts of the downtrodden during a spectacular comeback.
Review - Now, I can't stand boxing films, with the exception of Million Dollar Baby which was excellent. I also cannot stand Russell Crowe. Considering those two facts and the rating I have given it, this makes the film very good in the eyes of pretty much anyone else.
It was well shot, well acted and very watchable. However it wasn't perfect - it has its flaws, not least in the fact that the story is ultimately not compelling, despite its best attempts.
The Sentinel (2006).
Rating - 5/10
Special Agent Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is convinced that a Neo-Nazi aryan disciple has managed to infiltrate the White House. When a White House agent is murdered, Garrison is framed and blackmailed over an affair with the First Lady Sarah Bellentine. He is relieved of his duties, but Garrison will not stop in trying to prove his innocence, and save the life of the President.
Review - A very average film all round - a watchable action movie with no substance. There are a number of cliche elements that have been flogged to death in other films. It is saved by Michael Douglas who is, in my opinion, an excellent actor.
I enjoyed it, but I don't recommend it. I won't be watching it again.|||Quote:
Flushed Away
9/10
Full of humor meant for adults it's still a good movie for kids
OMG - I did hate this one
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
9+/10
an old school comedy - you do not see many movies like this these days...good acting, good humor, celebrities all over the place, good music, the list goes on.
Captain Steve Zissou (played by Bill Murray) decides to hunt down and kill jaguar shark that has killed his dear friend Esteban.|||Hannibal Rising 4/10
Severely lacking in plot and imagination... it's not even scary. The way he kills people are just like everyday crime.. choking, knifing, etc.
Bad movie, I would stay away even if you're a fan.|||do we want to stick with contemporary reviews or go into some older films?
also, if anyone wants a review, they could request and I would write a little something about it
as far as what I've seen recently
The Black Dahlia 2006
Synopsis - A 1940s noiresque investigation into the murder of an aspiring hollywood starlet reveals some interesting secrets in the lives of two L.A. detectives.
Rating - crappy/lame ; if I had to give that a score, I guess 5/10
Review - One reviewer put it well, he said along the lines that "if you wanted to see this movie to recapture the magic of L.A. Confidential, you should just watch L.A. Confidential again." This genre is a favorite of mine, a 40s noir detective story, but nothing happened. This was one of those movies where I just held out hope for something interesting to happen and was left out in the cold when the credits rolled. None of the characters were at all compelling, the performances were bland, and the story was inferior to many other films of the genre. The only decent performance was that of Mia Kirschner, the title victim whom she hammed up as a desperate aspiring big-screen sensation who never had a chance. The movie failed to really evoke any kind of response from me, I wouldn't have known it was a DePalma movie until the credits rolled either.
Reasons to Watch
-You think Hartnett is awesome.
-You'll watch anything with ScarJo in it.
-You are really really good at suspending your disbelief, even better than I am, and I watch Arnold movies where he jumps out of a plane on take-off and lands safely in a marsh.
Reasons to Avoid
-Badness in acting and writing
-Hartnett is not awesome
-You've seen actual good films and have a basis of comparison
Recommended Alternatives
-L.A. Confidential
-Chinatown|||Music and Lyrics (2007)
Rating 5/10 (average)
Fun 7/10 (what can I say, I like Hugh Grant)
An washed up, has-been pop star convinces the lady that waters his plants to help him write a pop song to revive his career.
Pretty much exactly what it looks like. It's your standard romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant, Drew Berrymore and some eye candy.
Idiocracy (2006)
Rating 3/10
Fun 8/10
An average Joe gets put into suspended animation and wakes up 500 years later to find out he's easily the smartest person alive.
A weird mix of social commentary and toilet humor. While it wasn't executed very well, there are some funny jokes and stupid people are funny. Even Mike Judge's worst work is worth checking out.|||Clerks 2
9/10
Personally, it just doesnt get much better than this movie. I've seen it easily 100 times and I still laugh the whole way through it. You don't need to have seen Clerks first (or any of Smith's other movies) but it does make the movie better. The humour is fairly rude and certainly not a movie to play while the kids are around.|||Ghost Rider
2/10
I knew going in it was going to suck, and I was not disapointed. Some of the cheesiest, corniest lines ever, horrible acting, bad cgi, crappy fight scenes, disapointing bad guys. Pure trash.
I loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Bleh, to each his own I guess.|||I'll write better reviews later. Mine seem lacking in substance.
Hey Bookworm, What Are You READING? - Page 26
[:1]7/10 to 9 of 10 depending
Burning Tower
Larry Niven (Author), Jerry Pournelle (Author)
2nd book in the series, and you have to read the first one to get it.
"You don't know about me without you've read a book called" . . . Huck Finn's opening to his autobiography is particularly appropriate here. This book can't be enjoyed, almost not read, unless you have completed "The Burning City", its predecessor. For starters, your first question will be "what time period does this take place in?" A little research reveals you'll be many thousands of years off - in the wrong direction! Appearing at first like one of the standard post-nuclear holocaust fantasies, it turns out to be many millennia in the past. Niven and Pournelle have violated a guideline of trilogy writing. If you pick up this book assuming it's a "stand-alone" novel, you will be sadly disappointed. If you start it as a fantasy adventure story, you will find much excitement, adventure and, of course, travel. What's a fantasy story for if not to go on quests in distant lands? Well, that's not quite the case here.
Location questions are dispelled by the maps provided. The story takes place in Southern California. In what's now called the Los Angeles Basin, there exists a multi-layered society. There are Lords and Ladies, Lordkin, who seem to be minor aristocrats, and the kinless - the bottom of society. As with today, bushfires are a matter of concern in this arid environment. A fire sets off this story in revealing the rivalry within the aristocrat clans and threats from other clan groups. Ameliorating this rather medieval scene are the merchants' wagon trains. To keep commerce flowing, wagon trains are pretty much left in peace, except by bandits - and "terror birds".
The terror birds, which almost elude physical description, become the core of the story. They seem to be an archaeopteryx with an attitude. Having attacked the merchants' wagons, they've also destroyed whole villages and besieged a town. Having upgraded from solitary attacker to group assault, the birds are clearly becoming a serious threat. Are they being guided using magic? Lord Sandry joins the Feathersnake caravan to find out. He encounters the gypsy beauty queen Burning Tower [you never learn the source of the name] and romance flares. Oh, yes. As a virgin, Tower is allowed a "bonehead" - a unicorn - for a mount. It's all quite genre stuff. Sandry, the Hero of this tale, doesn't have a quest. He's just riding shotgun for the commercial travellers. Still, he's allowed some heroic activity with a bit of help from his [girl]friends.
The framework of this fantasy fable is that "there's gold in them thar hills". Gold is one of the sources of "manna" [magic] that makes things happen in this rather disjointed tale. So is petrified wood. The problem with magic is that once introduced by an author[s], there are no limits to its use. Magic is available to certain types who use others as pawns in power struggles. In this bizarre Southern California environment, it is gods who wield that power most significantly. Unless they are turned into myths, which depletes their prowess. Magic, like gold in a later age, is being depleted. Dire predictions for the future permeate this story, and the result will surely be depicted in the next volume. However, i will not be learning the accuracy of the predictions. I haven't yet worked out how Atlantis found it's way to the Pacific Ocean before sinking, as this novel implies.
"
Spoiler
Just read it and then searched reviews - rating is mine the rest is Copy-pasta via - Stephen A. Haines - Ottawa, Canada
"|||At the moment, wading through GRRM's A Dance with Dragons. Been waiting years for this one.
|||Quote:
At the moment, wading through GRRM's A Dance with Dragons. Been waiting years for this one.
Most people have, I know my ex was. I had to content him with giving him the comic that was made of the series.|||Quote:
Most people have, I know my ex was. I had to content him with giving him the comic that was made of the series.
This one?
and
Just Finished Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.
Wow
Cross of a Grimm's Fairy tale version of Sleeping Beauty, and The Dairy of Anne Frank, type Tale.
Haunting.|||Rereading the Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus' as i just picked up the next one. looking forward to getting to it.|||Quote:
This one?
LOL, love it!
Well, finished it last night. Wow, just wow, and that's all I'll say on the matter.
Next up is either a Weird Tales anthology edited by Marvin Kaye or Nemesis by Issac Asimov. I've read the Kaye anthology before, but I learned the other night that he's taking over the publication of WT, and want to refresh myself on his tastes.
Decisions, decisions...
|||Almost done with Name of the Wind.|||I've been nerding out on the Mass Effect novels lately. I just love the universe of this series. I made it through "Revelation" which takes place before ME1 in about 2 days. Then I played through ME1 (for authenticity)
After I completed the play through I read "Ascension" which takes place between ME1 and ME2. Again it only took me about 3 days. I skipped playing through ME2 because I've done it so many times and so much more recently that the plot is still pretty fresh in my mind.
Now I'm working on "Retribution" which takes place between ME2 and ME3 (release date for ME3 is 3-6-12). I'm taking my time on this one though and spreading it out. Should be finished sometime this week or maybe next.
I recommend reading the series in order and if you can, play the game in between. It really adds a whole new level of depth. Also apparently some of the characters that are only in the books will be making appearances in ME3.
Burning Tower
Larry Niven (Author), Jerry Pournelle (Author)
2nd book in the series, and you have to read the first one to get it.
"You don't know about me without you've read a book called" . . . Huck Finn's opening to his autobiography is particularly appropriate here. This book can't be enjoyed, almost not read, unless you have completed "The Burning City", its predecessor. For starters, your first question will be "what time period does this take place in?" A little research reveals you'll be many thousands of years off - in the wrong direction! Appearing at first like one of the standard post-nuclear holocaust fantasies, it turns out to be many millennia in the past. Niven and Pournelle have violated a guideline of trilogy writing. If you pick up this book assuming it's a "stand-alone" novel, you will be sadly disappointed. If you start it as a fantasy adventure story, you will find much excitement, adventure and, of course, travel. What's a fantasy story for if not to go on quests in distant lands? Well, that's not quite the case here.
Location questions are dispelled by the maps provided. The story takes place in Southern California. In what's now called the Los Angeles Basin, there exists a multi-layered society. There are Lords and Ladies, Lordkin, who seem to be minor aristocrats, and the kinless - the bottom of society. As with today, bushfires are a matter of concern in this arid environment. A fire sets off this story in revealing the rivalry within the aristocrat clans and threats from other clan groups. Ameliorating this rather medieval scene are the merchants' wagon trains. To keep commerce flowing, wagon trains are pretty much left in peace, except by bandits - and "terror birds".
The terror birds, which almost elude physical description, become the core of the story. They seem to be an archaeopteryx with an attitude. Having attacked the merchants' wagons, they've also destroyed whole villages and besieged a town. Having upgraded from solitary attacker to group assault, the birds are clearly becoming a serious threat. Are they being guided using magic? Lord Sandry joins the Feathersnake caravan to find out. He encounters the gypsy beauty queen Burning Tower [you never learn the source of the name] and romance flares. Oh, yes. As a virgin, Tower is allowed a "bonehead" - a unicorn - for a mount. It's all quite genre stuff. Sandry, the Hero of this tale, doesn't have a quest. He's just riding shotgun for the commercial travellers. Still, he's allowed some heroic activity with a bit of help from his [girl]friends.
The framework of this fantasy fable is that "there's gold in them thar hills". Gold is one of the sources of "manna" [magic] that makes things happen in this rather disjointed tale. So is petrified wood. The problem with magic is that once introduced by an author[s], there are no limits to its use. Magic is available to certain types who use others as pawns in power struggles. In this bizarre Southern California environment, it is gods who wield that power most significantly. Unless they are turned into myths, which depletes their prowess. Magic, like gold in a later age, is being depleted. Dire predictions for the future permeate this story, and the result will surely be depicted in the next volume. However, i will not be learning the accuracy of the predictions. I haven't yet worked out how Atlantis found it's way to the Pacific Ocean before sinking, as this novel implies.
"
Spoiler
Just read it and then searched reviews - rating is mine the rest is Copy-pasta via - Stephen A. Haines - Ottawa, Canada
"|||At the moment, wading through GRRM's A Dance with Dragons. Been waiting years for this one.
|||Quote:At the moment, wading through GRRM's A Dance with Dragons. Been waiting years for this one.
Most people have, I know my ex was. I had to content him with giving him the comic that was made of the series.|||Quote:
Most people have, I know my ex was. I had to content him with giving him the comic that was made of the series.
This one?
and
Just Finished Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.
Wow
Cross of a Grimm's Fairy tale version of Sleeping Beauty, and The Dairy of Anne Frank, type Tale.
Haunting.|||Rereading the Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus' as i just picked up the next one. looking forward to getting to it.|||Quote:
This one?
LOL, love it!
Well, finished it last night. Wow, just wow, and that's all I'll say on the matter.
Next up is either a Weird Tales anthology edited by Marvin Kaye or Nemesis by Issac Asimov. I've read the Kaye anthology before, but I learned the other night that he's taking over the publication of WT, and want to refresh myself on his tastes.
Decisions, decisions...
|||Almost done with Name of the Wind.|||I've been nerding out on the Mass Effect novels lately. I just love the universe of this series. I made it through "Revelation" which takes place before ME1 in about 2 days. Then I played through ME1 (for authenticity)After I completed the play through I read "Ascension" which takes place between ME1 and ME2. Again it only took me about 3 days. I skipped playing through ME2 because I've done it so many times and so much more recently that the plot is still pretty fresh in my mind.
Now I'm working on "Retribution" which takes place between ME2 and ME3 (release date for ME3 is 3-6-12). I'm taking my time on this one though and spreading it out. Should be finished sometime this week or maybe next.
I recommend reading the series in order and if you can, play the game in between. It really adds a whole new level of depth. Also apparently some of the characters that are only in the books will be making appearances in ME3.
Hey Bookworm, What Are You READING? - Page 5
[:1]Quote:
The vampire/dracula books by Bram Stoker are classic, but I never could get into Dracula. I found Mina too annoying.
It's an artifact of the times. In Lair of the White Worm, there is another "Mina" kind of character, and also a poor black fellow falling under the "savage slave from the dark continent" variety, constantly referred to by the "n word".
But I still very much enjoy the writing.
The value in Dracula is that it is an epistolary (a form I study and practice myself) and an exceedingly good one, at that, in terms of craft. You don't see many of those around anymore. I'd love for a good writer to do a Diablo book in the epistolary format, like the diary on the D3 site.|||Oh don't get me wrong, whenever Mina wasn't around I really liked the book. But yeah I have them all somewhere, and they are indeed very well written.
....it's just Mina. Oh well.|||So ya, I started reading The Name of the Wind. It's amazing! It even has geometric progression and what I think is thermodynamics in it.|||Ahh, it's good to hear someone mention Burroughs. He's quite underappreciated in my opinion. I am currently reading The Summons by John Grisham.
Re The Inheritance Cycle:
Most of the criticism I have heard, is that it is basically Star Wars and LOTR mixed. Paolini could be accused of making few original contributions to the story. He seems to basically rehash the Force as the Ancient Language/Magic, and set it in a quasi-medieval fantasy world, as opposed to a Galaxy Far, Far Away. There are even examples of old, time-wearied masters (Obi-Wan/Brom) teaching young, upstart apprentices (Luke/Eragon) in the ways of The Force/Magic common to both stories. That being said, I really enjoy the books, and also mourn what could have been an excellent film adaptation, had it been properly executed.|||Anyone waiting on the new one in the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin?
I always liked a few of the old series of George's stuff from Analog magazine and I just found them on the internets.
Enjoy - http://www.ebookstack.com/content/tuf-voyaging & http://www.ebookstack.com/content/way-cross-and-dragon
only two I have read and can recommend, the first was a collection of related shorts and the second was a serialized novella.
They also have the Wild Card series of superhero type books he edited there.
and a few others I missed or don't remember.
http://www.ebookstack.com/ebooks_search ... omy%3A1284|||My wife's been trying to track down those Wildcard books, actually. I don't really approve of those types of sites for literature (as there is so little money to be made to begin with) but they are impossible to find otherwise.|||FRED SABERHAGEN's Vampire stuff is good.
.
The Dracula Tape, is the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula told from Dracula's point of view, in this version, Dracula survives the best efforts of Harker, Van Helsing and company, who are portrayed largely as bungling fools, Van Helsing in particular as a fraud and heretic, and Dracula while alive as a violent and mean-tempered but nonetheless Orthodox Christian who fought the encroach of the Ottoman Turkish Empire into Europe. ("There is not an ounce of soil here which has not been enriched by the blood of patriots.") In later novels, Dracula interacts with other literary characters including Sherlock Holmes and Merlin.
His success with this series was such that he was hired to write the novelization of the movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula.|||Quote:
FRED SABERHAGEN's Vampire stuff is good.
.
The Dracula Tape, is the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula told from Dracula's point of view, in this version, Dracula survives the best efforts of Harker, Van Helsing and company, who are portrayed largely as bungling fools, Van Helsing in particular as a fraud and heretic, and Dracula while alive as a violent and mean-tempered but nonetheless Orthodox Christian who fought the encroach of the Ottoman Turkish Empire into Europe. ("There is not an ounce of soil here which has not been enriched by the blood of patriots.") In later novels, Dracula interacts with other literary characters including Sherlock Holmes and Merlin.
His success with this series was such that he was hired to write the novelization of the movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula.
I feel he did a good job with the movie script but I found The Dracula Tape to be ridiculous and off-kilter. If you are going to twist a perspective on someone else's work, you should at least be true to the work (such as the quote you cited which was actually written by Bram Stoker, as dialogue from Dracula himself). In fact, all of that stuff about the Ottoman empire was in the original Dracula, given as a speech from Dracula to Harker. Instead of saying "I" did this, however, he made reference to his family over the generations.|||Um. OK.
Just a suggestion.|||Quote:
Um. OK.
Just a suggestion.
Didn't mean any offense, just discussing.
The vampire/dracula books by Bram Stoker are classic, but I never could get into Dracula. I found Mina too annoying.
It's an artifact of the times. In Lair of the White Worm, there is another "Mina" kind of character, and also a poor black fellow falling under the "savage slave from the dark continent" variety, constantly referred to by the "n word".
But I still very much enjoy the writing.
The value in Dracula is that it is an epistolary (a form I study and practice myself) and an exceedingly good one, at that, in terms of craft. You don't see many of those around anymore. I'd love for a good writer to do a Diablo book in the epistolary format, like the diary on the D3 site.|||Oh don't get me wrong, whenever Mina wasn't around I really liked the book. But yeah I have them all somewhere, and they are indeed very well written.
....it's just Mina. Oh well.|||So ya, I started reading The Name of the Wind. It's amazing! It even has geometric progression and what I think is thermodynamics in it.|||Ahh, it's good to hear someone mention Burroughs. He's quite underappreciated in my opinion. I am currently reading The Summons by John Grisham.
Re The Inheritance Cycle:
Most of the criticism I have heard, is that it is basically Star Wars and LOTR mixed. Paolini could be accused of making few original contributions to the story. He seems to basically rehash the Force as the Ancient Language/Magic, and set it in a quasi-medieval fantasy world, as opposed to a Galaxy Far, Far Away. There are even examples of old, time-wearied masters (Obi-Wan/Brom) teaching young, upstart apprentices (Luke/Eragon) in the ways of The Force/Magic common to both stories. That being said, I really enjoy the books, and also mourn what could have been an excellent film adaptation, had it been properly executed.|||Anyone waiting on the new one in the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin?
I always liked a few of the old series of George's stuff from Analog magazine and I just found them on the internets.
Enjoy - http://www.ebookstack.com/content/tuf-voyaging & http://www.ebookstack.com/content/way-cross-and-dragon
only two I have read and can recommend, the first was a collection of related shorts and the second was a serialized novella.
They also have the Wild Card series of superhero type books he edited there.
and a few others I missed or don't remember.
http://www.ebookstack.com/ebooks_search ... omy%3A1284|||My wife's been trying to track down those Wildcard books, actually. I don't really approve of those types of sites for literature (as there is so little money to be made to begin with) but they are impossible to find otherwise.|||FRED SABERHAGEN's Vampire stuff is good.
.
The Dracula Tape, is the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula told from Dracula's point of view, in this version, Dracula survives the best efforts of Harker, Van Helsing and company, who are portrayed largely as bungling fools, Van Helsing in particular as a fraud and heretic, and Dracula while alive as a violent and mean-tempered but nonetheless Orthodox Christian who fought the encroach of the Ottoman Turkish Empire into Europe. ("There is not an ounce of soil here which has not been enriched by the blood of patriots.") In later novels, Dracula interacts with other literary characters including Sherlock Holmes and Merlin.
His success with this series was such that he was hired to write the novelization of the movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula.|||Quote:
FRED SABERHAGEN's Vampire stuff is good.
.
The Dracula Tape, is the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula told from Dracula's point of view, in this version, Dracula survives the best efforts of Harker, Van Helsing and company, who are portrayed largely as bungling fools, Van Helsing in particular as a fraud and heretic, and Dracula while alive as a violent and mean-tempered but nonetheless Orthodox Christian who fought the encroach of the Ottoman Turkish Empire into Europe. ("There is not an ounce of soil here which has not been enriched by the blood of patriots.") In later novels, Dracula interacts with other literary characters including Sherlock Holmes and Merlin.
His success with this series was such that he was hired to write the novelization of the movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula.
I feel he did a good job with the movie script but I found The Dracula Tape to be ridiculous and off-kilter. If you are going to twist a perspective on someone else's work, you should at least be true to the work (such as the quote you cited which was actually written by Bram Stoker, as dialogue from Dracula himself). In fact, all of that stuff about the Ottoman empire was in the original Dracula, given as a speech from Dracula to Harker. Instead of saying "I" did this, however, he made reference to his family over the generations.|||Um. OK.
Just a suggestion.|||Quote:
Um. OK.
Just a suggestion.
Didn't mean any offense, just discussing.
Hey Bookworm, What Are You READING? - Page 4
[:1]Quote:
A room of one's own. FML
So anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?
YES!
The characters and story are so developed that I was pissed when the book ended and I didn't have the second. I truly cared what was happening (not just mildly interested like I am with most other books) its really good.
Second book still isn't out...|||In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
What I just got finished reading was the detective trilogy by Stieg Larsson (The Girl with (1) The Dragon Tattoo, (2) Who Played With Fire, (3) Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.) Too bad the author died so young. His heroine, Lisbeth Salander, ranks up there with the most unique leading characters of all time.|||Quote:
In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
Wow, real world characters. Not like killing the main character and bringing him back to life...
I'll definently have to find these books! Thank you!|||Killer Aim, I'm also a huge George RR Martin fan. Very well-written stuff - love the Jaime Lannister and Tyrion Lannister characters, as well as Jon Snow and others. It's too bad he's so slow to introduce new books!
Bernard Cornwell writes consistently good stuff, although without the fantasy aspect. The Sharpe series, the Archer's Tale series, the Warlord series, all good reads. Stonehenge wasn't my favorite, although it's a fine standalone book.|||Quote:
In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
True. Reading it I was shocked to see Lord Stark beheaded. At the end of the first book! Really I just didnt expect it. The more I appreciate the authors approach to the clich�-ish genre.
Quote:
Very well-written stuff - love the Jaime Lannister and Tyrion Lannister characters, as well as Jon Snow and others. It's too bad he's so slow to introduce new books!
Tyrion is my favourite villain as well
However each following is imho weaker making the storyline quite messy and bit too out-stretched by the fourth book. And the sexual content...having seen the authors photos I just dont buy it :-)|||I dunno, seeing Cersei get taken down due to her own Machiavellian intrigues getting away from her was pretty darn satisfying in the last book, I thought.|||Quote:
So anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?
Absolutely... one of the best books I have read in the past few years.
Currently, two different series:
Chainfire - Terry Goodkind (8th book of the Seeker series)
and
Sacrifice - Andrew Vachss (6th book of the Burke series - old series, but I just started it about 6 months ago)
Quote:
Not like killing the main character and bringing him back to life...
Funny you said this when I just finished reading the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks where this is one of the main themes (by design)|||I usually read the Edding's series' a couple on times a year and have for fifteen or twenty years now, but for the last year to eighteen months I've been reading non-fiction.
I just finished reading The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, part science, part politics, part environmentalism. Not a bad read.
I'm about to re-read Extreme Stars - at the edge of creation by James Kaler a heavy book about the types of stars of the cosmos, their lives and deaths. At times the science is beyond me, but a great read none-the-less.|||Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker. Based on an old English myth.
I've read all of the Martin books in A Song of Ice and Fire series. Decent writing, I like the perspective switching (like a sorely watered-down Faulkner in a weird way) but the last two books were really weak. Dunno if I'm interested in the next one if he ever decides to finish it.
Ah hell, here's my queue for the next month or so:
Under the Dome by Stephen King because I like bad, brainless reading sometimes.
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy to wash the king from my brain.
Germs, Genes & Civilization by David P. Clark
The Passage by Justin Cronin, so I can keep up with the ever-important literary trends (yes, I read all the twilight books to my dismay)
The Reincarnationist Series by M.J. Rose
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach|||The vampire/dracula books by Bram Stoker are classic, but I never could get into Dracula. I found Mina too annoying.
A room of one's own. FML
So anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?
YES!
The characters and story are so developed that I was pissed when the book ended and I didn't have the second. I truly cared what was happening (not just mildly interested like I am with most other books) its really good.
Second book still isn't out...|||In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
What I just got finished reading was the detective trilogy by Stieg Larsson (The Girl with (1) The Dragon Tattoo, (2) Who Played With Fire, (3) Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.) Too bad the author died so young. His heroine, Lisbeth Salander, ranks up there with the most unique leading characters of all time.|||Quote:
In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
Wow, real world characters. Not like killing the main character and bringing him back to life...
I'll definently have to find these books! Thank you!|||Killer Aim, I'm also a huge George RR Martin fan. Very well-written stuff - love the Jaime Lannister and Tyrion Lannister characters, as well as Jon Snow and others. It's too bad he's so slow to introduce new books!
Bernard Cornwell writes consistently good stuff, although without the fantasy aspect. The Sharpe series, the Archer's Tale series, the Warlord series, all good reads. Stonehenge wasn't my favorite, although it's a fine standalone book.|||Quote:
In my opinion, the best fantasy series of recent years is "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. (7 books planned; 4 published). He breaks a major flaw that I've had with fantasy series going back to Burroughs and Tolkien: the fact that the major characters either never die or they die at the end of the series. Hell, in his books, almost every person that I believed would be a major player has died. The "good" characters aren't that good and some of the arch-villainscould turn out to be heroes.
True. Reading it I was shocked to see Lord Stark beheaded. At the end of the first book! Really I just didnt expect it. The more I appreciate the authors approach to the clich�-ish genre.
Quote:
Very well-written stuff - love the Jaime Lannister and Tyrion Lannister characters, as well as Jon Snow and others. It's too bad he's so slow to introduce new books!
Tyrion is my favourite villain as well
However each following is imho weaker making the storyline quite messy and bit too out-stretched by the fourth book. And the sexual content...having seen the authors photos I just dont buy it :-)|||I dunno, seeing Cersei get taken down due to her own Machiavellian intrigues getting away from her was pretty darn satisfying in the last book, I thought.|||Quote:
So anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?
Absolutely... one of the best books I have read in the past few years.
Currently, two different series:
Chainfire - Terry Goodkind (8th book of the Seeker series)
and
Sacrifice - Andrew Vachss (6th book of the Burke series - old series, but I just started it about 6 months ago)
Quote:
Not like killing the main character and bringing him back to life...
Funny you said this when I just finished reading the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks where this is one of the main themes (by design)|||I usually read the Edding's series' a couple on times a year and have for fifteen or twenty years now, but for the last year to eighteen months I've been reading non-fiction.
I just finished reading The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, part science, part politics, part environmentalism. Not a bad read.
I'm about to re-read Extreme Stars - at the edge of creation by James Kaler a heavy book about the types of stars of the cosmos, their lives and deaths. At times the science is beyond me, but a great read none-the-less.|||Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker. Based on an old English myth.
I've read all of the Martin books in A Song of Ice and Fire series. Decent writing, I like the perspective switching (like a sorely watered-down Faulkner in a weird way) but the last two books were really weak. Dunno if I'm interested in the next one if he ever decides to finish it.
Ah hell, here's my queue for the next month or so:
Under the Dome by Stephen King because I like bad, brainless reading sometimes.
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy to wash the king from my brain.
Germs, Genes & Civilization by David P. Clark
The Passage by Justin Cronin, so I can keep up with the ever-important literary trends (yes, I read all the twilight books to my dismay)
The Reincarnationist Series by M.J. Rose
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach|||The vampire/dracula books by Bram Stoker are classic, but I never could get into Dracula. I found Mina too annoying.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hey Bookworm, What Are You READING? - Page 3
[:1]Quote:
The 15books-collection of David Eddings with Garion, Belgarath and the other people. Lovely books. Third time i read those again.
I have read only a few books with Belgarath and I liked it very much. It was the first fantasy book I read that actually had some humor and common language in it. And a bit of sex too iirc. It was refreshing contrast to the pathetic, big-talking, sexless a homoelvish Tolkien
I mean I really like everything about Arda and own most of the books but Tolkien is imho a bit overrated. Especially among the internet population.|||Quote:
The 15books-collection of David Eddings with Garion, Belgarath and the other people. Lovely books. Third time i read those again.
Reread those last year. They're aye lovely.
I work as a library assistent so currently I have to read quite a bit of childrens books (mostly picture books so that doesn't take forever) but off work I'm reading, simultanously:
One Piece part 10
Percy Jackson part 2
Harry Potter part 5|||if it helps, BRKO, like.. i tried to read Tolkien. i did not get past page five because i was like, "Are we still in the same scene? Wtf is going on?" i have no doubt that his books are quite lovely, but i just could not read them.|||Series of Unfortunate Events. Those books are surprsingly entertaining. They're short, easy reads too. If you're bored some rainy day pick one up!|||Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed|||Quote:
Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed
Rope and a sedative.
EDIT: Not necessarily in that order.|||Quote:
Rope and a sedative.
EDIT: Not necessarily in that order.
Or just chocolate.
mmm....chocolate...
|||Quote:
Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed
maybe by saying, "Nice shoes. Wanna
?" then you will know if she is easy or not. XD|||A room of one's own. FML
So anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?|||Faust By Goethe ( for school )
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse ( for fun )
Differential equations - do it yourself ( for school )
The 15books-collection of David Eddings with Garion, Belgarath and the other people. Lovely books. Third time i read those again.
I have read only a few books with Belgarath and I liked it very much. It was the first fantasy book I read that actually had some humor and common language in it. And a bit of sex too iirc. It was refreshing contrast to the pathetic, big-talking, sexless a homoelvish Tolkien
I mean I really like everything about Arda and own most of the books but Tolkien is imho a bit overrated. Especially among the internet population.|||Quote:
The 15books-collection of David Eddings with Garion, Belgarath and the other people. Lovely books. Third time i read those again.
Reread those last year. They're aye lovely.
I work as a library assistent so currently I have to read quite a bit of childrens books (mostly picture books so that doesn't take forever) but off work I'm reading, simultanously:
One Piece part 10
Percy Jackson part 2
Harry Potter part 5|||if it helps, BRKO, like.. i tried to read Tolkien. i did not get past page five because i was like, "Are we still in the same scene? Wtf is going on?" i have no doubt that his books are quite lovely, but i just could not read them.|||Series of Unfortunate Events. Those books are surprsingly entertaining. They're short, easy reads too. If you're bored some rainy day pick one up!
|||Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed|||Quote:Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed
Rope and a sedative.
EDIT: Not necessarily in that order.|||Quote:
Rope and a sedative.
EDIT: Not necessarily in that order.
Or just chocolate.
mmm....chocolate...
|||Quote:Mystery Method - How to get beautiful woman into bed
maybe by saying, "Nice shoes. Wanna
?" then you will know if she is easy or not. XD|||A room of one's own. FMLSo anyways, I heard The Name of the Wind was a good book. Should I go read it?|||Faust By Goethe ( for school )
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse ( for fun )
Differential equations - do it yourself ( for school )
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