The Lady Killer

The Lady Killer turned out to be a decent enough mystery, however it is the type of novel that engages you when you are reading but you don't feel the urge to stop everything and keep reading. 

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

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Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is a new type of viewing where you can pick from the alternatives given and direct the story. Despite being a bit wary, I was also eager for it is always good to experiment. However I ended up not liking that fact that I was able to pick what our hero will do next. Maybe because the choices were all horrible. I actually managed to end it without killing anyone (I think, once the viewer has to choose one of the two who will be jumping from the balcony of a high building and die) and the other time I got him murder his father without really knowing how it came to it. But in the end I managed to get him to a film studio and they call the medical personnel on him since he seemed to be in character even when he doesn't need to be. It was nice to hear the songs of my youth. 

Love In The Moonlight

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Love In The Moonlight interested me only in that I wanted to see whether I'll like Park Bo Gum as much as the rest of the world. Well sadly he was not handsome to my eyes and I didn't feel any attraction (nothing to do with age I felt it with LSG and SJK) and I don't think he is a good actor but he has a nice on screen presence and an earnestness (whether true or not, it is impossible to say) that I responded to.

The drama is one of those uneven ones where it starts with adorable meet cute moments and lots of hilarity but towards the end it is angst filled not a single comedic element in site. I didn't really care for it and I think that I'd have found a story line where the King had a great love but gets married to someone else and in time finds happiness in marriage.

Anyway it was not a total loss but I was not eagerly lapping it up either. 

Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere exceeded my expectations and I liked it much better than the author's first novel. 

Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver turned out to be even better than Uprooted. I liked the reader very much and this ended up being a novel that made me to prefer it than everything else. Highly recommended.
At the end of the story I felt that I truly loved Ms. Novak. Thank you for writing a good story. 

Bird Box

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Bird Box  I kind of liked the novel but in a rare occasion, I liked the film better. Sandra Bullock may have mediocre acting talent but she has such an earnest on screen present that it is not possible to dislike her. I love her and the cast was very good, and I was in loud tears by the end of it. It is not scary but when watching it you know scaring you is not the point. 

The Outsider

The Outsider turned out to be a decent mystery/procedural/horror novel. Well even a bad Stephen King novel is better than a lot of novels out there so in comparison to his other novels I didn't like it as much (but I liked it better than the last of the Hodges novels) and the recommendations (I doubt that Uncle Steve took money for these so I use recommendations instead of commercials) were kind of annoying but other than those I liked it very much. Will Patton is a good Stephen King reader. 

Narcos: Mexico

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Narcos: Mexico did not really interest me initially. I started it because there was not nothing else interesting at the moment and I wanted to watch something in Spanish to improve my languae skills. I left the first episode in the middle and did not return back for quite some time. I realised it was very similar to The Power of the Dog (novel) and I liked that one very much and I did not want to see characters that looked very different from the ones I imagined in the novel. And then I watched Diego Luna in The Daily Show; he sounded intelligent and passionate and the things he said made sense to me. So I started to watch it again and slowly I was sucked into it and then binge watched yesterday. The story is very similar to The Power of The Dog because I now see that Mr. Winslow is inspired by the real events (but turned them into great fiction). And I'm probably the only one who liked Diego Luna over Gael Garcia Bernal in Y Tu Mama Tambien. And Mr. Luna is very very good here (sometimes chanelling Al Pacino in The Godfather). I liked the secondary characters too. The only weak link as far as I'm concerned it Michael Peña. I like him, I do. He is a decent actor and he actually resembles the guy he is portraying. But for some reason he didn't fit. Narcos: Mexico has another major problem with the script not being that good, but all in all I really liked it in the end. And can safely recommend if you are not averse to watching sex, violence and drugs on screen (but if so you wouldn't be interested in a show called Narcos no?)

As far as Spanish improvement is concerned this one was not a success on my behalf. The Mexican accent was different and they were talking so fast. I understood some of it but very little. I would be lost without the subtitles.

The Aftermath

The Aftermath is a novel I was only interested in when I came across a trailer starring Alexander Skarsgard. Of course I wanted to read the novel and thank  God I was able to purhase a secondhand copy right away. It turned out to be a balmy antidote after Blood Meridian (but still have not erased the latter's affect) and it was interesting to know that the author has planned a screenplay at the same time as he was writing the novel. I liked the message of it and it was a very easy read. 

The Intern

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The Intern is just as good in this second viewing. I like Nancy Meyers films, the lady knows her melodrama.

Doctor Stranger

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Doctor Stranger turned out to be more of a spy drama rather than a medical drama, and it was not very good but I didn't want to leave it unfinished so completed all the 20 episodes. 

Roma

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Roma is a film I was very eager to watch and it ended up being so full of emotion that I have unexpectedly cried a lot during. It is beautifully filmed, expertly directed and written and wonderfully acted. Yes I'm all out of adjectives, I have read some pretty awful reviews on twitter but there is no way a viewer wouldn't like it if they pay attention to it for more than 2 minutes. Highly recommended. 

Hakan:Muhafız

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Hakan: Muhafız beni epey eğlendirdi. Ama ben Çağatay Ulusoy'u (burun deliklerini gerekli gereksiz şişirip durmasına rağmen) beğeniyorum, Okan Yalabık'ın ise hastasıyım diyebilirim. Fantastik Kurgu türü bana hitap ediyor. Prodüksiyon gayet iyi, bölümler gereksiz uzun değil. 10 bölüm şıp diye bitiverdi. Çok derin iz bırakmasa da, iyi vakit geçirdim.

Blood Meridian

Blood Meridian is a book I both wanted to read and not read because despite loving The Road (and the film,The Counselor, not many people did) it was too depressing. I have decided to give this one a go and I loved it, even though it is a hard novel to read, it left a deep impression on me and its effect is not waning in the least. This is a very violent and depressing novel but it is high end literature. So if you like reading but you are not that into literature then this is not really for you. But if you like literature I urge you to give this a try even if you are squeamish, just the art of the prose will be worth it. 

Where The Crawdads Sing

Where The Crawdads Sing is a nice novel and beautifully read but it just didn't work for me (despite the fact I have shed a few tears during). 

Hold The Dark

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Hold The Dark is yet another Netflix film with AS in it so I decided why not? (Despite the fact that I actually wanted to read the novel beforehand but haven't yet) and another happy surprise this film turned out to be almost tailor made for me. First off, I loved the cinematography, then the story and then the cast (AS gave yet another amazing performance, a very different character than the one in Mute). I didn't see any of it coming and loved it all.  

Cingöz Recai

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Cingöz Recai sevilen bir eski film karakterini yenileme çabası maalesef bir çok sebepten başarısız olmuş. İlk sebep hatalı oyuncu seçimi, Kenan İmirzalıoğlu bence çok iyi bir oyuncu ama bu rolün adamı değil. Bir iki kere kılık değiştirdiği kısımlar var ama ben açıkçası kılık değiştirmiş olduğunu diyalogtan anladım görüntüsünden değil. Meryem Uzerli çok güzel bir kadın ve Hürrem rolünde çok iyiydi ama nedense ondan sonra bir tek Annemin Yarası'nda beğendim kendisini. Burada da çok güzel ama onun dışında bir şey yok. Neyse senaryo iyi değildi, hiç bir şey iyi değildi. Şehir adları yazmışlar şirin şirin ama sadece iki şehirde çekilen bir film için her şehir değiştiğinde (toplam iki kez) yine isim yazıp durmak itici olmuş. Hayır üzüldüğüm nokta bir de bu filme devam çekeceklerini düşünmüşler galiba. 

Mute

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Mute is a Netflix sci fi film and despite it being on my to watch list I didn't really care for it and kept pushing it back. But I'm currently at an Alexander Skarsgard (AS) phase and since he is in it I decided to give it a go. And this ended up being a film I liked very very much irregardless of AS presence. Firstly I liked the AU (near future?) and AS was so good looking and acting very well but also everyone else. Paul Rudd was amazing at a different type of role than he is usually cast in and I couldn't even recognise Justin Theroux (truly I didn't recognise him and just realised it when I read the caption on one of the photos). It was a happy surprise this one. 

The Haunting of Hill House

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The Haunting of Hill House sounded just like my thing when it first appeared on Netflix but I was alone at the house at the time (my mother and sister having gone to hot springs for a 10 day visit) so I decided to skip it just in case it scares me. I needn't have worried since I didn't find the show scary at all but I actually enjoyed the emotional side of it, the drama was done so well. The casting is perfect here from the little ones to their older selves. And every performance was very good. The make up and special effects were also very well done. This one turned out to be as good as everyone says it is and I loved it (some parts of it reminded me of Stephen King novels and it is high praise coming from me). 

49 Days

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49 Days  this drama was kind of on my radar and since I didn't want to purchase it at the time (I was not and am not really interested in any of the leads) so I have read recaps and knew the drama inside out. And since I saw it on Netflix I decided to see whether the recap was good or not. And then I was hooked and by Episode 12 I cried like a baby and bowled at the last episode. This is a good drama. 

The Girl In The Ice

The Girl In The Ice actually entertained me and I was not able to guess who the killer is until the the very end.  It is not a literary mystery but it is a good one and I liked the message of equality and tolerance. 

The Selection

The Selection maybe a good novel for a 13 year old who doesn't read a lot would read and like. It is not bad storytelling but definitely not fit for someone who is older than 13 and/or a voracious reader.

The reason I read it was because I like to read this type of novel in order to slowly come down from a literary high.

The Last of The Mohicans

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The Last of The Mohicans is a film for some reason I was reluctant to watch over the years. At last I have watched it on weekend and I have to say it didn't move me at all except of course fantastic Daniel Day Lewis and a great score. 

Newcomer

Newcomer turned out to be even better than I expected. It actually had a positive tone and more than a few emotional moments. Mr. Higashino never lets me down. Highly recommended even if you are not into the genre.  

The Little Stranger

The Little Stranger is just as good as I hoped it would be, I actually didn't want it to end. She writes so well and tells a story so good. 

Steelheart

Steelheart is a YA novel in full Brandon Sanderson style. It didn't work me despite the man being a good storyteller and the reader did a good job (especially with the Indian accent) however this did not work for me at all but I didn't hate it so I finished it but will not continue the series. 

Miss Hammurabi

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Miss Hammurabi was not very interesting to me based on the plot and I kind of got turned off by the name but it turned out to be a drama tailor made for me. Cried during every episode, loved the leads and the secondary leads (the male lead has the most adorable dimples too)and it was full of positive messages and melodrama. Some parts of it felt cut but it didn't bother me that much. I loved it and highly recommend.

1922

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1922 is one of the better Stephen King adaptations. I liked it very much (got truly creeped out by the mice) and kudos to Thomas Jane, that was a great performance. The character is not very nuanced although is interesting to watch his descent to various degrees of guilt and madness. Mr. King is gifted not only with a great writing talent, he is also a wonderful storyteller and watching this film was very close to the reading experience I had. 

Gelin

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Gelin Lütfi Akad üçlemesinin birinci filmi. Ben sanırım sadece ikincisi izledim ama ancak bazı sahnelerini hatırlıyorum. Film çok güzeldi. Çok güzel bir öykü anlatımı var, zarif ve güçlü olmasına rağmen kafaya kakıcı bir tarzda değil. Oyuncular harikaydı. Hülya Koçyiğit benim favori oyuncum değil (ben Türkan Şoraycıyım, sonra da Filiz Akın) ama performansı çok iyiydi. Tüm kadro çok iyiydi hatta. Tavsiye ederim. 

The Night Comes For Us

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The Night Comes For Us is not a horror film by genre definition I suppose but I kind of think it as horror since I was horrified watching it (in a good way). First off let me get it out of the way; this does not have the cinematic action high of Raid (and Raid 2 in a way) but it is nicely done and director Timo Tjahjanto has inserted sincerity in it. Despite the lack of any clear character definition in the script (and what ever there is are revealed layer by layer as the film progresses) I immediately feel for the characters. I liked it very much and the special effects and stunts were really good. 

Cam

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Cam is yet another cam girl fiction (I have read two novels already with this profession providing the setting) and it is a decent one despite one plot point that I could not understand. I liked the acting and the rythm of the film. 







(SPOILERS!!!)

In the end after cancelling her stolen account she opened a new one with a fake ID. Why couldn't she open it when she first tried with her real ID and was not able to?  

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs turned out to be very entertaining. And if you like Coen Brothers' films then you are in for a good time. I don't know if it is a good one to start to watch these directors ouvre. Maybe start with Fargo and if it appeals to you then go on to No Country for Old Men and The Big Lebowski (my fave film of theirs) and then watch this one. Great cast and art direction. My favorite is probably the first story. 

Kader

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Kader filmini daha önce izlemiş ve beğenmiştim ancak Masumiyet'i izleyince tekrar izlemek istedim ve birini bitirip diğerine başladım. Bu film görsel olarak Masumiyet'ten daha güzel ancak yönetmenin kurgu tercihleri - bir tık daha iyi olmasına rağmen- yine benim sevdiğim gibi değildi. Oyunculuk olarak Ufuk Bayraktar çok çok çok iyiydi. Masumiyet'te Haluk Bilginer'in canlandırdığı Bekir karakterinin gençliğini oynuyor ve çok iyi (tabii Haluk Abiyle daha aşık atamaz ama yetenek var ve bariz). Vildan Atasever ise kendisini çok sevdiğim ve çok çok güzel bulduğum ama maalesef çok iyi rol yapamayan bir oyuncu. Sesi çok fazla tiz ve kontrol edemiyor bazen. Ama elinden gelenin en iyisini ortaya koymuş ve güzel oturmuş rolüne. Ama maalesef Ufuk Bayraktar'ın yanında zayıf kalıyor. Neyse filmi yine beğendim. Daha fazla Zeki Demirkubuz filmi izlemeliyim galiba. 

Masumiyet

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Masumiyet herkesin beğenip benim bir türlü izlemek istemediğim filmlerden biri. En sonunda izledim dün ve beğendim. Yönetmen Zeki Demirkubuz güzel fikirleri olan, senaryo konusunda çok başarılı biri ancak editing ve görüntü konusundaki tercihleri benim zevkime pek uymuyor. Bu filmde ismi başta yazılan (ama rolü diğer oyuncu kadar çok olmayan) Haluk Bilginer ise kesinlikle ve açık ara filmin en iyi performansını gösteriyor. Başta yazılmayı fazlasıyla hak ediyor. Bunca sene kendisini farklı kereler defalarca izlemiş olmama rağmen yine de karakterde kayboldum izlerken. 

Shining Inheritance

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Shining Inheritance is one of my all time favorite Korean Dramas. This is the third time I watched it and I enjoy it every single viewing. Highly recommended especially if you like the Candy type girl with secretly kind hearted but acting like jerk chaebol type storyline. The second lead here is the shinging example of how a good man who has everything can lose a love interest. Jun Se oppa literally has everyting, kind heart, compassion, intelligence, successfull career (owns a high end restaurant), good family connections, great looks and fashion sense, admiration and love of all who come to contact with him yet he loses the girl to Hwan who is less handsome, same level of intelligence, has loads of emotional baggage and only really liked by another girl (who has deep emotional issues). Anyway once again I had a ball with this one. 

Vicious

Vicious turned out to be one of those sad occasions a reader sometimes had to experience. It is a well written, well told story which is very interesting from more than one point of view. However I just couldn't connect with it for some reason. It is not you, book, it is me. 

Pinocchio

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Pinocchio was not really a drama I was interested in since I don't particularlarly care for the lead actors. But I decided to give it a go and liked it a lot. The main couple is not the one in the photo btw but I liked it. Lee Jong Seuk was not really a leading man I liked since I think his face is too artifical (that nose screams plastic) but he actually is a good actor and since his character is a nice guy with tons of goodness I liked him very much. Park Shin Hye is also not an actress I like (the only exception probably is You Are Beautiful) but she was ok and likable. All in all I liked this drama and was properly entertained. But it was not like "I need to watch this NOW" or "I don't need sleep" levels of liking.

Fractured

Fractured turned out to be as good as I hoped it would be. I love Karin Slaughter novels and truly enjoyed this one (Very happy that I already purchased the third one in the series at an audible two for one deal, yay) 

Enchanted

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Enchanted I can't believe that stupid Bein Channel has censored True Love's Kiss. I'm not kidding it was kind of horrible for them to do that.  

A Prisoner of Birth

A Prisoner of Birth ended up being a decent read. And that is all there is to it. 

IQ

 IQ turned out to be a nod to Sherlock Holmes but with a nice makeover making it in 21st century L.A with a Dudson instead of a Watson. I really liked it. Most probably because Sullivan Jones did a great job of reading it and this is probably one of the novels you'd better read in audio format.

Monster Hunter International

Monster Hunter International turned out to be a not so well written but entertaining but far too long a novel. It is only recommended if you like human vs. monster action and b-movies. If you do not enjoy these two things then safely skip, you'll not be missing anything. 

Nevernight

Nevernight turned out to be amazing. I actually stopped everything and listened to it until 4:30 a:m. Yeah this doesn't happen often anymore and I loved it. I also loved the reader Holter Graham's performance. There were some sexually explicit scenes and those usually make me embarrassed when listening to (not when reading) but this one had the opposite effect. I'm hoping to get the other books right away. 

Con Air

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Con Air is actually just about as entertaining as I remember it to be. The bit about the serial killer is a bit sour tasting though.

Pitch Perfect III

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Pitch Perfect III is a bad film. On all levels. 

Consenting Adults

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Consenting Adults turned out to be a decent enough film. The only actor in the cast that worked for me is Kevin Spacey and it is probably because he is a despicable villain in real life so this role suited to him. 

The Royal Gambler (a.k.a Jackpot)

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The Royal Gambler (a.k.a Jackpot, Deabak in Korean) turned out to be one of those black hole sageuks, the ones that are not very good but for some reason gets me hooked in the first 4-5 episodes and I emotionally invest and then they turn sour towards the end but I feel compelled to finish just the same.

This one had a good cast, Jang Geun Suk is one of my favorites. He has a great speaking voice and gives 100 percent no matter what (I actually admired his professionalism in the final episodes of this one). He is not that good an actor but I like him. He and his co star (who is a better actor but not as charismatic as JGS) are masters of the single teardrop and it was a joy to watch them go at it. The best of the bunch is Choi Min Soo, who looked very handsome still. The baddie is a guy I don't really like as an actor (for no apparent reason) and it was good that he is a baddie since it was easy to dislike him. There was a female lead who probably got bad reviews and sort of dissappeared and then killed during the show. And one small female part got bigger and bigger since I think she got good reviews. Anyway it was melodramatic made me literally yell at the villain, and ended in a snooze.

SPOILER!!

Well at least the hero didn't die 

Dogtooth (Kynodontas)

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Dogtooth is worth of the praises it has gotten and been getting. Mr. Lanthimos is an interesting film maker to me since I don't particularly like his films (so far I have seen three) but I like watching them. His sense of humour works for me and this film is abundant with it. It is one of the most horrific and funny horror films I have seen in a while. And one of the many bounties of the film is that it is not gory at all. But it makes your skin crawl just the same. A powerful film maker and a powerful little film. 

The Witch Elm

The Witch Elm is certainly worth the wait. Tana French is a gifted writer and one I connected with instantly. This novel is not one of her Dublin Murder Squad series and reminded me of a Ruth Rendell novel mixed with a little bit of Donna Tart and I say this as a high praise since she is independent from both but to me equally talented. The performance by Paul Nugent was also very good but this novel works whichever way you choose to read it. Highly recommended. 

Bodyguard

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Bodyguard turned out to be very good and showed that a Netflix original can actually work with a decent script. The whole thing is very British (which I love) but it has a certain shine to the production that you don't see in modern British TV dramas. I loved the close up shots, the sets and that they actually filmed some action scenes on the street (that must have been some hassle). All in all I may not be as enamoured with it as the majority but it is a solid good watch.