My Boss, My Hero (TV Show)

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My Boss, My Hero is a Japanese TV show adapted from a S.Korean film if I'm not mistaken. I have watched and liked the Korean film but TV show took the whole thing a step forward with that certain amount of quirk that is particular to Japanese shows. I have watched it on youtube and I highly recommend but only if you like that certain crazy :) I rarely don't and usually totally love it. And thank God it was like that here. 

The Magicians

The Magicians turned out to be a strange experience. I liked the dark tones and the homages the author shamelessly pays (to Narnia novels, Harry Potter novels) I have also thought about Catcher in The Rye and David Foster Wallace sometimes while listening to it. Unfortunately the reader was not to my taste. He made his voice thinner when reading for female characters in an odd and annoying way.

I'm not sure I'll continue with this trilogy.  

The Gangs of New York

The Gangs of New York despite being in love with the director and the two leads, this film didn't work for me at all. It just didn't. But Mr. Di Caprio is a great on screen kisser in this one. 

Crimson Peak

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Crimson Peak was a film that got me interested when I first watched the trailers. I like Mr. Del Toro's films (and I think he peaked at Pan's Labirynth, hoping that it isn't so) and the aesthetics of this one were spot on as far as I'm concerned. Great art direction, great sets and costumes, a fine trio of actors and wonderful cinematography. But none of these work if the story is not told well and it was not told well here. 

The Best of Me

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The Best of Me was not interesting to me for a variety of reasons. Firstly it is adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel and despite the fact that it guarantees tears, it doesn't provide any surprises. Then came the leads: Michelle Monaghan is an actor I don't like for no reason at all. She is a decent actor, looks good (not plastic) but she doesn't work as far as I'm concerned. But once upon a time I didn't like Scarlett Johanson and now I do and I believe in giving actors another chance :) The second lead James Mardsen is in the same basket. He just doesn't work for me and for no apparent reason. The other reason is the plot, the high school sweatharts reuniting at a funeral didn't work me.

Anyway despite all that, I have watched this film yesterday since there were some internet obstacles that prevented us from using twitter and youtube but somehow allow Netflix. And this one was just there without me having to search a film.

Predictably, I was in tears even before the teary bits started. Knowing the formula (SPOILERS only if you have not read a Nicholas Sparks novel or a film adapted from those) I knew one of them would die and likely the guy. But it worked. I liked the cinematography and the art direction. The starts who acted as teens were not disapointing and it was a nice surprise to see the evil dad in The Woman being an evil dad again here. And I have cried buckets, buckets despite knowing what comes next, despite the whole prepackeged melodrama, despite everything against reason. I think my period approaches. 

Into The Forest

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Into The Forest turned out to be a bit dry despite good intentions. Women are susceptible to so many dangers. And the end of the world does not seem to far away.

I have actually watched it last weekend but I forgot about posting it. 

Shameless Season 7

Shameless Season 7 was very good as usual. I actually shed a few tears at the last episode. 

Türk Kızının Elli Tonu

Türk Kızının Elli Tonu başarısız bir editörün bir romana ne kadar zarar verebileceğinin güzel bir örneği. Yazık olmuş yazarın emeğine.

Okurken epey güldüm ve eğlendim ama yukarıda belirttiğim üzere editörün özensizliğinden kaynaklanan, önlenebilecek hatalar bir şekilde sinir etti. 

Small Great Things

Small Great Things I like Jodi Picoult novels. Somehow not enough that I had to buy the new one but whenever one drops on me I choose it rather than anything else. And this one is turned out to be a winner. Firstly the three readers were all great. They really worked the story in the best possible way and enhanced the whole experience. And the subject matter, race, was handled well. It is a touchy subject, one that is extra touchy for me since I loath anything fascist. I know people say that but I really feel it. And the novel also helped me realising some of the things that actually make me behave in a racist manner without being aware of it. But it is not a preachy novel, it is an interesting story, well told and it just flowed beautifully. I especially loved the ending. The neo Nazi who realises the truth and turn into a human being, getting rid of the hate (American History X and that Scandinavian film about a Neo Nazi who fells in love with a woman who has a kid from an Arab man and slowly he understands how stupid he had been all his life and reforms, sadly I can't remember the name of the film) so I was very much into the ending and I recommend for everyone.

The Republic of Thieves

The Republic of Thieves Yes! This is a good moment for a reader when a series that started as not really working for you suddenly clicks and you start loving it. Mr. Lynch won me over completely and now I too am a fan of Locke Lamora. I love it when that happens (sadly not very often). This one is even better than the first two novels. And here is the story of how I got into these (a lesson for future hopefully).

I happily purchased The Lies of Locke Lamora thinking that I'll love it like everyone else did but for some reason it didn't work for me. Having said that I appreciated the story telling and the world building of course but I just couldn't warm up to the protagonist who is a liar (duh) a thief and a con artist by profession and his merry band called The Gentleman Bastards. Despite appreciating it, I just didn't love it.

Then I saw a very cheap copy of The Republic of Thieves at an on line secondhand bookstore and decided to buy it since I thought I may read it in the future if/when I was in the mood. This is the third novel of the series so I had to get the second one of course (God writing this makes me realise just how crazy us book lovers are) and I have found a cheap new copy at bookdepository. So I got it and read it when nothing seemed good and thought I'd at least get good story telling and despite the fact that pirates just don't work me that much, the combo of thieves turning pirates didn't make me stop. And I liked it very very much.

So I actually started The Republic of Thieves eager to dive in to a good story with familiar characters with the addition of elusive Sabetha. And I was not dissapointed. Yea the cheap copy I had was cheap for a reason (something spilled on the first section and it was almost dirty) but the story - both the flashback and the here and now ones- was great as expected.

SPOILER!

Yeah it turned a bit sour for me in the end since that twist didn't feel organic as far as I'm concerned. But Locke is really lovable so I suppose I'll keep on liking him even if he turned out to be a dark magus of Karthain who somehow inserted himself into the body of a small kid in Camorr while trying to resurrect his dead wife. At least Mr. Lynch gave himself an out if that didn't work out.

Shameless Season 6

Shameless Season 6 was very good. I like Fiona and Ian best and I guess I dislike Lip and Debbie the worst. Frank is all in an "unbelieveable" category all by himself.

Room (The Movie)

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Room is a novel I liked despite my misgivings and the film is as good an adaptation can be (probably because it was written by the author of the novel) and I started it expecting not to get into it so much. But yeah, I was bawling in the end just as I had when I read the novel and I'll recommend to everyone. 

The Boy

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The Boy interested me when I saw its adds when in USA. Not that much that I rushed to the theater but just enough that when I saw it on Netflix I decided to give it a go. Some of it was kind of scary since I have a habit of giving inanimate objects character sometimes and this one has a few strong jump scares that worked on me. However the twist made the whole thing generic and I ended up yawning a bit, especially in the end. Anyway I'll recommend cautiously. 

The Handmaiden

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The Handmaiden is a milestone for me. Why? Because it is the first time I watched a film illegally knowing that I'm doing so. I felt really bad afterwards but nowadays there just is not any other format to watch films you want to watch. The dilemma is that they are right there, available at your fingertips and it makes no sense to wait for the dvd etc. to enjoy the viewing. I feel bad and worry that Mr. Wook and the production company will be waiting for me in the other world and even if they will not (for instance forgiving me for the tresspass in their intellectual property) will God forgive me? Is it really that important to watch a film right there and then (it has always been my film viewing weakness to want to watch/read stuff right there and then, curbed by lack of means, regional zone laws, living far from theaters that actually show them in the event that they are even released in my country. It was really hard to stand up against the dvd piracy but I somehow did it thank God and now I need to stand against this ease of availability. I'm actually more comfortable with TV series since they get their money and don't care that much about pirated stuff going around - and there simply is no other option if one wants to watch them. But films are different and Netflix just doesn't have the type of things that I want.

I guess I'll stop doing this since I feel awful. Curiously though I didn't feel these while viewing. Remorse hit me afterwards.

As for the film, it was not Mr. Wook's best effort. I read the novel which was very good (but then again I like Sarah Waters) with a lot more twists (that would probably need a TV series in order to put them all in) and this is yet another case of the book being better than the film.

At least he kept the feminist message and the actors were very good. 

Runaway Bride

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Runaway Bride ended up being as lackluster as I remembered it to be. 

You

You turned out to be entertaining but not memorable. This is a novel about a pyscho who obsesses about a woman. The novel  is told from the point of view of the psycho and the reader Mr. Santino Fontana was excellent actually. This is one of those novels I'm happy to get in audiobook format. Maybe I wouldn't be much into it if I was reading it. 

Even Dogs In The Wild

Even Dogs In The Wild turned out to be a novel to my own heart. I actually stopped doing/watching everything else and just read it at night. A single tear was falling down in the end. Rebus still got it. I just want to say thank you to Mr. Rankin. 

The Revenant

The Revenant was something I have been looking forward to watch, not only that I'm in love with Leonardo Di Caprio, but also I love the films of Mr. Innaritu. However for some reason this didn't work for me at all. I actually fell asleep somewhere in the middle of it and had to rewind. The only character I actually liked and felt something for was the Indian men  SPOILER  who was hanged. Despite the scenery being impressive and the all the performances being top notch, I just couldn't connect. 

Firefly Lane

Firefly Lane I actually purchased this (at a second hand book store in Boston) because I was kind of undecided to give Nightingale (by the same author) a try or not. Then I saw it there lying cheap on the shelves I said why not without knowing much about the book. It is a friendship story and it is compared to Beaches (I have not read the book but the film was a cry fest) and rightly so.

Spoilers:

Yes they are life long friends and yes one of them dies of cancer leaving three children behind. I was almost howling by the end of it and it was not a boring ride to get there. However this may not be a memorable book.

And now that I know more about this writer I'll give Nightingale a try if I see it cheap. 

Deadpool

Deadpool turned out to be as good as everyone said it was. A bit hard on the comedy front but that is only nitpicking. 

Megamind

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Megamind was entertaining. 

A Bigger Splash

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A Bigger Splash sounded very interesting unrelated to the original film it was adapted from. I liked the cast. But in the end it was all watching Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton being fabulous and only that. Other than that glorious fact it was just not interesting (to me that is) 

Source Code

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Source Code is film I never bothered with because it has Michelle Monaghan in it. Whenever this lady is in a film, it turns out it doesn't work for me (the sole exception would be The Heartbreak Kid I guess but still it would have been better if that character was played by someone else) I don't know why since she is pretty, a decent actress and all. Anyway I do love Jake Gyllenhall. So I gave this one a try when it fall on my lap and I'm very glad I did because it turned to be a well acted, well directed film that sort of turned the water works on towards the end.  

Mon Roi

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Mon Roi turned out to be one of those talky French films that I think I'd eventually be bored with but never do. I just love talky cinema (!). Anyway this was nicely acted and the female lead had an accident that incapacitated her for a while (which reminded me of my little accident although very very minor in scale brought back the terrible experience of trying to do stuff while on crutches).
I will not recommend this unless you are into talky French films 

Prince of Thorns

Prince of Thorns was not so bad, however it didn't work for me at all. I don't I'll continue these series. Still continue the bad streak as far as this genre goes.

Mother's Day

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Mother's Day is the latest of the "day" films directed by Gary Marshall. After the success of the Valentine's Day he followed it by New Year's Day (which was BAD BAD BAD) and this one I think has the worst box office among the three. I felt like watching it yesterday since I didn't want to involve myself much and I love Julia Roberts. Surprisingly I liked the film. The aging stars had wrinkles and I think I liked that the best. It is not a good film though and I won't recommend. 

Live By Night

Live By Night was very good. I had a great time and once again Mr. Lehane didn't dissapoint. I did like the first Coughlin novel better though, probably due to its period and place being more interesting to me. 

The Concubine

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The Concubine turned to be entertaining enough not to put me to sleep. Mainly due to its great actors who didn't mind some very explicit intimate scenes. However apart from that this film turned out to be a bad type of Korean drama without TV restrictions. The story didn't have any depth and one didn't feel anything for anyone in it. Also the English title is sort of misleading since the only concubine worth about 10 minutes screen time in total was not even a proper secondary character. I'm glad I saw it on Netflix without any censor and also very happy that I didn't pay for the dvd or similar. 

Duma Key

Duma Key is another good one from Mr. King. I was somehow reluctant to read it (I got at a special Kindle discount) but once I have started it quickly grew on me and at one time I actually stopped reading since I was on my own at a hotel room and got scared. That doesn't happen anymore so thank you Mr. King. 

One Indian Girl

One Indian Girl well hello again Mr. Bhagat. I love all the novels of his that I read so far. Despite not being a very good writer, he is a great storyteller and this is one good airport novel (which I purchased at Dubai airport actually) I need to see whether he has written more that I had not read. 

The Axe and The Throne

The Axe and The Throne ended up being a pretend A Game of Thrones with none of its good parts remaining. Just adding violence and sex does not make a good novel. I'll not follow any of the other books from this writer.

The reader was very good though. 

Like for Likes

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Like for Likes ended up being what I expected and I had a great time with it on the flight. It is like Love Actually or Valentine's Day etc. And the couples were cute, the conflicts progressive and the actors all fine. Recommended for light entertainment. 

The Truth Beneath

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The Truth Beneath felt like "been there, done that". It didn't help that the performances were weak. 

The Famous Heroine

The Famous Heroine breezed by and ended up being a great choice for an airport read. Ms. Balough is a formulaic writer and if you are into that formula then you are in for a good ride. Recommended. 

The Story Of The Lost Child

The Story of The Lost Child ends the quartet and I loved it nearly as much as the other three novels. I loved the way Ms. Ferrante separates what to tell and what to omit. There are great time lapses but they all work. There were also something vague about the ending and it works too. I recommend these novels to anyone and Ms. Hillary Huber is a great reader. There was a confusion about the nick name of one of the main characters. Sometimes pronounces as Lila and sometimes Lina but since I don't have the text I have no way of knowing whether this was written that way or a mistake on the reader's part. 

Those Who Leave And Those Who Stay

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay This third novel of Ms. Ferrante's Naepolitan Quartet is just as good as the first two and I had a hard time leaving it. Recommended. 

Queen

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Queen got good reviews and I don't mind the lead actress Ms. Kangana Ranaut. It turned out to be a film I really liked. Rising from her ashes after she is dumped right before her wedding day, Rani (means Queen in Hindi) decides to go to her honeymoon alone and she truly finds herself there and it is very entertaining and emotional to watch her do all that. Highly recommended and it made me miss watching Indian films (I actually ended up watching Madhuri dance in Devdas twice after that, no relation to anything) 

Bad Moms

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Bad Moms was recommended to me by a friend who is also a mother. And I love Mila Kunis and Kirsten Bell. The film was not really that good but was lifted up by its cast and I enjoyed it on the flight. 

Ghostbusters (2016 Remake)

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Ghostbusters (2016 Remake) was not very good I'm afraid. I only watched it because I happened on the same flight from Dubai with a close friend and her daughter and we were busy with catching up on stuff and didn't want to involve myself with heavy duty stuff. 

Naomi's Room

Naomi's Room turned out to be scary and ended with a twist I had not seen coming. I recommend.

Strange Fits of Passion

Strange Fits of Passion I liked this very much (one of the Boston second hand book store haul) and will seek more novels from this author. 

From Doon With Death

From Doon With Death now here is a strange thing. I love Ruth Rendell's novels. She is one of those authors whose works I'm sure I'll like (sadly there are not a lot of authors like that for me) with the exception of Chief Inspector Wexford novels. I thought I'd give this one a try since it is the first one and maybe the chronological approach will be of help. Alas no. Once again I'm thankful that the first Rendell novel I'd read was either Crocodile Tears or A Sight For Sore Eyes neigther of which is Inspector Wexford. If this is the first book I have read of Rendell, I wouldn't read a second one. 

The Story Of A New Name

The Story Of A New Name is the second book in Naepolitan Quartet written by Elena Ferrante and it was even better than the first one. I really like the way Hillary Huber reads it (despite the frequent "Lila" "Lina" confusion). I'm really eager for the third book now. 

Thesis On A Homicide (Tesis Sobre Un Homicido)

Thesis On A Homicide kind of bored me but I struggled to finish it since I was able to understand a few words of Spanish. 

the Given Day

The Given Day despite loving Dennis Lehane, I was not really interested in this particular trilogy since that period and gangsters etc. were not interesting to me. However, while in Boston is seemed mandatory to pick up a Lehane novel and this one was available at a second hand book store.

As usual, I fell for it hook line and sinker. Immediately ordered the other two novels and can't wait to read them. Highly recommended regardless of the period detail etc. Simply it is good story telling. 

The Book Thief

The Book Thief is yet another novel that was loved by everyone and that I felt some sort of antiphaty to (most probably due to its title). Nevertheless I have got the movie tie in edition at a secondhand bookstore (they are always cheaper) and sort of strolled through the pages first and immediately glad that I didn't get the audiobook for this. It has illustrations in it so if you are reading this get the print version. Anyway this one made me cry long silent tears at the employee shuttle regardless of what people may think. And I have read the end in my room seriously bawling. Crying with loud noises and shedding tears like a river. It is the type of novel that stays with you and make you glad that you read it. And it can make all these with a well worn subject matter (second world war). Highly recommended. 

My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend as usual I had caught up with these quartet novels late. They were a two for one credit in audible and despite my not loving everything Italian (mostly I love the food and not much else) I thought I'd give them a try. Predictably I'm hooked.

Sugar Daddies

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Sugar Daddies is the sort of cautionary tale TV film and I kind of liked it. 

Descent

Descent was a surprise. It is a well written mood piece that is more of a drama than thriller. I really liked it. 

George of the Jungle

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George of the Jungle it is an immature film but I love it still. 

Black Mirror Season 3

Black Mirror Season 3 was very good indeed. The scariest episode for me was the 5th, Men Against Fire where soldiers voluntarily are inserted a device in their brains that makes them see the enemy as zombie like creatures (roaches in this case) thus making them easy to kill. However the enemy was able to make a device to erase some of the effects of the one inserted in soldiers' brain and one realises, to his horror, that he had been killing human beings all this time. He actually had killed only two but it was enough that he agreed that the government remove the faulty device and insert a correct one (of course the whole process from the approval by the soldier stage is erased from the soldier's memory. All of the episodes have something to be scared but that one actually caused me to have a nightmare.

Incidencias

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Incidencias was not to my liking. 

Vikings

Vikings the first three seasons were really good but somehow it went sour in the fourth season. I'll still check it out to see whether it has imporved in the upcoming season but I don't have high hopes for it.

Ragnar as a TV character was really good. Played by a handsome actor who can pull off being grimy and sexy both at the same time, he is an interesting character without being very complicated. His first wife is a great woman (but they also kind of soured that up in the last season) very entrtaining to watch.  

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was not as good as the first Sin City. Despite the fact that I LOVE Eva Green, the story just didn't involve as good as the first one. I didn't fall asleep however and that's got to be a good thing no?