Final Destination 4

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Final Destination 4 was not as fun as the other films. But I didn't fall asleep during so I must not have been a total bore. 

Tale of Tales

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Tale of Tales was not really on my radar since I watched Salma Hayek talk about it and despite the fact that I respect the lady, I'm not very fond of her acting. However this was on TV and I thought to check it out and leave it if it turned out to be bad. Well it was just to my viewing taste. First of great cinematography. Clean uncluttered and focusing on the face of the actors along with wide open spaces and not a lot of crowds. There are three stories with some morality involved but it is mostly gothic horror and I loved it. Recommended if you are not squeamish and/or offended by nudity. 

You Only Live Twice

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You Only Live Twice was one of the films of the "Bond Month" on TV. I'm not really that into Bond to be honest. The only novel I really like is Casino Royale and the only film I really enjoy watching is Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig (a man I didn't think would be a good Bond but he proved me wrong thank God). It probably has to do with the male self appreciation and the way the women are depicted in it. In Casino Royale Vesper was as much as a character as Bond but not other women in other novels (I think I have read three before giving up on the series, I love the way they eat lobsters with melted butter and drink champagne in the beginning of Goldfinger though). Anyway this one caught my eye and I recorded it and it turned out that Mr. Roald Dahl has written the script and the whole thing was very entertaining and unintentionally hillarious. In the above photo Bond is disguised as a Japanese person, seriously. The women are treated badly and all in all many of the scenes were funny, rather than exciting or entertaining. There was not much of a villain, apparently this one is iconic and inspired Spectre (a Bond film I didn't like at all). All in all I was entertained but probably not for the reasons the film makers had intended. 

How To Be Single

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How To Be Single, I thought was interesting based on the trailers. However it turned out to be a different version of He Is Just Not That Into You. Anyway it at least had some positive message of sorts. 

The Water Knife

The Water Knife really worked for me. I actually had nightmares related to it last night. I loved his other novel The Windup Girl (which I actually purchased at LAX liking the cover of that paperback edition) and I loved this one just as much. However it was a mistake to get the audible version since the reader couldn't make the Spanish English accent very well (and two main and many of the side characters speaks that way). I highly recommend this one if you are into dystopian science fiction with very good world building. 

Southpaw

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Southpaw is not really that good a film. But it worked for me on all grounds. First off I love Jake Gyllenhaal ever since Love and Other Drugs. And I love Rachel McAdams ever since Morning Glory. And the rest of the cast were just as good with a rather lovable kid actor. It is a melodrama and I have shed tears and tears during. Not really recommended but I liked it. 

Hors De Prix

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Hors De Prix (which I understand is translated as "Priceless")  is yet another one of those French rom coms in which some not so good things seem normal. Anyway our heroine is a paid sexual companion to a rich old man. She sleeps with the bartender in the hotel she is staying with the old guy, thinking that he is one of the rich men and that a little one night stand is alright if it is one's birthday (see what I mean?) Next year she comes back to the hotel with the same old guy and the bartender/waiter/porter etc. pulls the same trick. However this time the old guy realises it and dumps our heroine so she turns to our hero thinking him a rich guy. When she figures out -rather rudely I have to say - that he is poor, she dumps him there and then and goes to Nice to find another rich man to latch on to. But our hero is besotted with her and will not let her go. He takes it so far as to being a paid sexual companion to a rich old woman. Yada yada yada and they end up together, penniless and in love. Which was as it should be I suppose. I'm not going to recommend this but if it comes your way then give it a chance. 

Aşk-ı Memnu

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Aşk-ı Memnu evet yıllar önce herkesin bayılarak izlediği ve benim o zaman izlemediğim dizileri izlemeye devam. Muhteşem Yüzyıl çok çok hoşuma gitmişti. Ezel'de fena değildi ama ikinci sezonu izlemek isteyecek kadar değil. Aşk-Memnu ise 79 bölüm (her biri 1.30 saat) süründürdü beni. Bir şekilde bu karakterleri ve kendilerini batırışlarını izlemek istedim nedense bende herkes gibi. Tabii resimde gördüğünüz iki güzel görünümlü ve iyi rol yapan aktörün bu duruma etkisi büyük. Neyse sonunda bitti ama bende bittim. Muhteşem Yüzyıl'ın muhteşemliğine ulaşmasa dahi keyifle izlediğim bir dizi oldu.

Spotlight

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Spotlight did a good job of displaying the trials and tribulations of being an investigative journalist. The cast was amazing. All the people I like and they did a great job. 

Indigenous

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Indigenous takes on the legend of chupacabra, one I'm not familiar with. It was entertaining enough. I didn't fall asleep.  

Final Destination 3

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Final Destination 3 turned out to be very effective as far as I'm concerned since from the start it tapped into my fear of roller coasters. I was entertained after that and didn't fall into sleep. 

The Visit

Photo credit: theexportedfilm.com

The Visit turned out to be an entertaining experience. And I have to say, that's how you make a found footage horror film. I don't think it has rewatch value but it sure was fun while it lasted. Recommended. 

The Good House

The Good House I chose this based on recommendations on audible and goodreads and I liked it very very much. It reminded me of Stephen King although more gentle and not as powerful. The reader was perfect. Definitely recommended. 

Fauda

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Fauda I have found on Netflix and it sounded exactly like my thing. And it was. It was a very good production with realistic sets and special effects. It also helped that I had not known any of the actors in the cast so apart from the great performances, they didn't look like playing a role.

This is the story of an Israeli anti terrorist unit and a Hamas terrorist who was believed dead however the unit received intel that his death was faked and he is very much alive. The man who was supposed to have killed him actually retired from the unit, dedicating himself to wine making. However he is asked to identify the terrorist who is expected to visit his brother's wedding. The unit goes to the wedding undercover (with a sniper, a logistic officer and two members outside - their chief in the headquarters) however they are exposed and tragedy occurs when the groom is killed by a a team member. The terrorist was actually a couple of streets away disguised as a an old man. The tension is right there at the start with the acquisition of the intel and never lets go during the twelve episodes. We get to watch the side of the anti terror unit and the terrorist unit. Both have issues and faults equally depicted. I was actually surprised how balanced the whole thing was. They didn't delve into the right or wrong of the each party's beliefs. They just show their dedication to the cause and sacrifices and wrongs they commit to serve it.

I highly recommend it but be aware that it has very realistic scenes of violence and some nudity and sex.  

The Mummy

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The Mummy didn't impress me when I first watched it (in theater) but this second viewing was more entertaining (it was a two parter viewing, one part the weekend before last) and actually the second part of it was accompanied by a very old relative of hours who was kind of scared from the mummy and the soldiers and priests mummy controled in the film. I was more entertained by her reaction but the film caused that reaction so it is a nice sort of time pass (not scary at all though). 

Back To The Future

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Back To The Future is a film I have not rewatched for ages and you know what? Maybe it is teen nostalgia but I think it aged well. Highly recommended. 

Burnt Paper Sky

Burnt Paper Sky this was a bargain book of sorts and I enjoyed it but not enough to seek other novels from this author. Still I wouldn't say not if one drops on my lap one day (I think it is called "What She Knew".

The Goblin Emperor

The Goblin Emperor is a novel that I fell in love with. It is I think for YA readers but the protagonist is so lovable and so good that I can't help but fall in love with him and the way he deals with issues. I love the reader too and I highly recommend. 

Jurassic World

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Jurassic World actually put me to sleep. Literally. The I woke up and completed it after half a day. The two leads (in the photo) had zero chemistry. The story was paper thin and there was nothing good except CGI. Not recommended. 

Evil Dead (2013 Remake)

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Evil Dead (2013 Remake) turned out to be not so bad but not as good as the director's second film Don't Breathe. It is not as good as the original, which is a classic now, but entertaining. However I was not really scared.

Peygamber Cinayetleri

Peygamber Cinayetleri beni çok eğlendirdi. Bu seriyi seviyorum. Ama epey karanlık ve vahşi oldu sonlara doğru, endişelendim bile biraz sıradışı kahramanımız için. Tavsiye ederim. 

The Treacherous

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The Treacherous was getting recommended by Netflix and I have decided to check it out. It is a historical erotic melodrama of epic proportions. There are lots and lots of adult scenes and violence and an interesting story and only Koreans could wrung out not only a love story but also a happy ending after all the sex and gore.  I actually finished it in three viewings. It is a long film but not emotionally that compelling.

A Midsummer's Equation

A Midsummer's Equation is yet another winner from Mr. Higashino. I loved it and highly recommend. The reader was very good too. 

Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh Ich Seh)

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Goodnight Mommy (Ich Seh, Ich Seh) turned out to be scary on more than one level. I liked it very much but it is really disturbing and not just because of the gory scenes. 

The Holiday

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The Holiday has made me cry a lot when I first watched it. This second viewing had the same effect. A cast I like every actor in, melodrama but with a sweet dose and an ending as happy as they come. Highly recommended. 

The Sacrament

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The Sacrament is one of those "found footage" horror films that I don't usually like. This turned out to be an exception. Obviously inspired by a real life event, the acting and cinematography were really good. It looked very good and not like those shaky, grainy etc. films of the same ilk.

Three on like journalists (one writer, one camera guy and one fashion photographer) follow a story in meeting and possibly takin with them the sister of one of them from a community that sounded weird on paper. The sister (the fashion photographer's sister seen in the pic) was happy and balanced on the phone but the directions to the place (a secret location accesible only via helicopter, then vehicles supplied by the community) are shady and they thought they could get a good news story out of this. At first the community -despite difficulties in entering through men with machine guns guarding the place- seemed peaceful and idyllic but as the evening approaches different things come to light.

I liked this one a lot and it made found footage proud. 

The Danish Girl

Photo credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Danish Girl was not a film I was eager to watch despite liking both of the lead actors. But it was there and I decided to go for it and ended up liking it very very much. First off it had that clean cinematography I love and in addition to that lost and lots of close up of the actors' faces. And not only it is a visual feast as far as I'm concerned, I liked the script as well. All in all, a definite winner and caused a lot of silent tears. 

Alias Grace

Alias Grace was purchased at a second hand book store (in Salem Massachusets I think but I'm not sure, it may also be Cambridge or Boston Massachusets).

As for the novel, it is written by Margaret Atwood so it is a given that I'll like it. Even when the story is not to my own heart (as was the case here) I can't help but be awed at how well her prose is.