entertainment

All posts tagged entertainment

Of Mice and Men - (1937 book), by John Steinbeck

2017-10-09
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Of Mice and Men - (1937 book), by John Steinbeck cover

Entertainment > Reading >

(on Wikipedia)

A too-forgiving man and his stupid brute of a friend travel as farm hands to scrape together money for the dream of owning their own land.

A thriller, a gripping tale ... that you will not set down until it is finished. Steinbeck has touched the quick.

-- The New York Times, who are about as smart as Lenny.

An unforgivably-terrible book. Awful almost beyond reason. Plodding and boring, it's only a "page turner" because it's tauntingly short enough to tear through like ripping off a bandage. But on the plus side, although it's littered with written-accents, it's not difficult to read.. plus the ending is great!

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Father Ted - (1995-1998 show)

2017-09-18
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Father Ted - (1995-1998 show) image

Entertainment > Television >

(on Wikipedia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111958/
http://www.channel4.com/fatherted

Two priests, exiled to an island in the middle of nowhere in Ireland, try to make due.

A mid-1990s British comedy with a laugh track. If you aren't positive you can handle that, then pass. It has only a few moments, but is otherwise crap.

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - (1876 book), by Mark Twain

2017-08-18
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - (1876 book), by Mark Twain cover

Entertainment > Reading >

(on Wikipedia)

Something something painting a fence something racism something story of a boy.

After reading The Secret Garden - (1911 book), by Frances Hodgson Burnett I was not about to suffer through another book with an accent conveyed in text.

  • "This Reader's Digest edition contains the complete text of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, first published in 1976."
  • Copyright © 1985 Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
  • Fifth Printing, October 1990

  • ISBN-10 0-89577-217-5

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The Secret Garden - (1911 book), by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2017-08-06
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My cover is different
My cover is different

Entertainment > Reading >

(on Wikipedia)

A spoiled little girl loses her rich parents and is sent away to live with her reclusive heartbroken (rich) relative.

The story is fairly awful to me, though I can see how this was popular at the time. It has definitely aged, not just in its period but in its language and writing style.

I'll class this as "liked", but I only see this as being good for historical reasons and wouldn't recommend it. I'll also class this as child-friendly, except it's child-friendly in its context: A parent reading to their child in the early 1900s.

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Defiance - (2013 show)

2017-06-17
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Defiance - (2013 TV show) image

Entertainment > Television >

(on Wikipedia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189221/
http://www.defiance.com/en/series/

In a world ruined by an alien invasion and terraforming, an ex-military turned scavenger and his alien adopted daughter take refuge in one of the few reasonable settlements: Defiance.

Although it has elements I like, it doesn't have anything that actually grabs me. In a world where there is so much else of better quality, this is not recommended. There are a couple of characters who are really well acted, but again.. it's not worth the trouble.

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Almost Human - (2013 show)

2017-06-14
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Almost Human - (2013 TV show) image

Entertainment > Television >

(on Wikipedia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2654580/
http://www.fox.com/almost-human/

A buddy cop show with an android, set in the near future.

It's great all around, especially the acting from the lead characters. Once the initial interest wears off, it lacks the good writing to give it either an episodic groove or an overall story arc. It's especially poor with an arc which could last it into another season, trivially-justifying its cancellation.

Recommended only for fans of "loose" science fiction who would be interested in the robot buddy cop angle. Watch one episode, then decide. Others can give it a pass, unless they like Karl Urban, who plays a cop played by Karl Urban.


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Band of Brothers - (2001 television show)

2017-01-29
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Band of Brothers - (2001 television show) image

Entertainment > Television >

(on Wikipedia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/
http://www.hbo.com/band-of-brothers

Follows a unit in the 101st Airborne Division during World War 2.

Quite a good story. It's full of faces I know. Great acting and spectacular realism.

  • Note: This video style is shaky.

  1. Band of Brothers - (2001 television show)

  2. The Pacific - (2010 television show)



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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - (2013 series)

2016-11-17
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agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-2013-cartoon-poster

Entertainment > Television >

(on Wikipedia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2364582/
http://abc.go.com/shows/marvels-agents-of-shield
http://marvel.com/tv/show/190/marvels_agents_of_shield

Agents with a formerly-secret worldwide law-enforcement organization work to safeguard the world from the lesser challenges now too-frequent for superheroes alone.

Good enough, although so far it's one of these episodic shows which has a new problem every episode.

I watched three episodes and liked it, but I took a long break and watched a fourth and couldn't figure anything out or get interested again. I can't recommend this except for those who are heavily hooked on those first few episodes and who intend to properly binge-watch it all.

  • S.H.I.E.L.D. - Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division



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The Fountainhead - (1943 book), by Ayn Rand

2016-09-29
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the-fountainhead-1943-book-by-ayn-rand-cover

Entertainment > Reading >

(on Wikipedia)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0452273331

A famous work of philosophy, especially because it's told using a story.

A terrible work of storytelling that entirely shrouds any philosophy it may have. From the first sentence I rolled my eyes and couldn't make it through the first half-page before setting it down in disgust. I still haven't been more than a handful of pages in.. it's just so god damned bad.

This'll sit on my shelf, among its betters, probably for years before I get around to trying to read more of it. Just as books in ancient Greek need translating, I think this needs a real writer to re-tell the story.



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