MOVIE AND BOOK REVIEWS

MOVIE REVIEWS

"Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe"

I thought this was an actual movie as opposed to something on TV [turned out to be a 'made for TV movie...] so I gave it a movie review. If you like seeing Bruce Campbell, you'll probably like it. To me, it felt flat. I think one of the best things about Burn Notice is the voice over the main character does to explain what he is doing from time to time. In this show, the plot was pretty predictable. 5/10, just because I like 'Burn Notice'.


True Grit

By the time this got halfway done, I was bored out of my mind and decided I'd rather just sit quietly instead of continuing to watch it. 3/10 - my standard rating for movies I turn off part way through. Note, they can get lower ratings if I am either forced to watch them or have wasted more of my time on them for some reason.


Hangover 2

Quote: Mr Chow: "That little monkey snorting coke with me all night. Jerk me off while I watch Drew make fuck with lady-boy." (Note, the quote they have on IMDB is wrong.)

That's the best quote of the movie.

Over all, much longer to do the 'set up' and yeah - it's basically the same story - again. But they did make back what they spent on the movie on opening weekend and a whole lot more after that. So, they win.

As with the last movie, the credits are good for a laugh - be sure to watch them.

Will they make a third movie? The amount of money they made off this one says 'hell yes' though it will be hard to come up with a good reason for everyone to again lose their memories. I give this movie a 5/10.


Yes Man

It's a comedy movie with an interesting premise. A man must say 'yes' to everything for a year or bad shit happens to him. It has a few chuckles along the way and I did enjoy seeing Zooey in another movie - though the poor girl doesn't seem to land any big box office smash movies. I much preferred her in Hitchhiker's but remember her from the New Guy. There was a couple good chuckles in 'Yes Man' though the establishing stuff (loser with avoidance issues and a dull life) seemed to wear on a bit long for me. I'll give it a 6/10.



SLICE OF LIFE - ONE TOO FAR

So I was sitting around talking with some British expats and one of them detailed out his latest 'sexual challenge' of getting several prostitutes to wear paper bags on their head while he had sex with them. We had a good laugh and then I suggested one step further that instead of a paper bag he use a gorilla mask. There was general laughter all around then more as a different expat suggested inappropriate use of not one but two more bananas. There was more laughter until I pushed it just a bit too far and suggested instead of the gorilla mask a Margaret Thatcher mask. The laughter died immediately. One said "There isn't enough Viagra in the world, mate." Another said "That's pretty sick, Logan." Oh, what makes me push it just one further? Sigh.



MORAL CODE

So, I'm sitting around the sex capital of Thailand and I mention to someone that I haven't been in many bars here. He asked if they were against my moral code. I responded "If any of my friends heard you ask that question, they'd laugh themselves silly. They know I don't have any morals."

It is interesting as I sit in what is regarded as the sex capital of Thailand (a country known well for 'sex tourism') that brief relationships here are not my weakness. Getting awesome food and drink cheaply is. I guess it is not a huge surprise to those that know me well.



DEADLY FISH

Thanks to Tonto for this story.



BOOK REVIEW

Hounded by Kevin Hearne, Hexed, Hammered

At last I have found a book that I really enjoyed. I was listening to the audio version of the book and enjoyed the narrator. As to the story itself, I liked it. To my mind, it has several things which are reminiscent of the Dresden Files books: a main character you'd be happy to buy a pint of beer for, a cast of interesting minor characters and various mythologies that come to life. I also like that it is modern day 'urban fantasy' with plenty of the 'nerdish' references that make me happy.

The downside is that the villains seem a bit undeveloped to me. Also, it is irritating that the author has only thus far written three books with a fourth on the way.

This series has three books out with a fourth on the way that I am aware of. All of the first three have also been done in audio format.

I give the first book a 9/10 rating. I listened to it almost straight through.

The second book is much as the first - it was another 'page turner', also a 9/10.

Third, ditto. Thus far it is pretty much one long book. Screw it, the whole thing gets a 9/10. I'd like to find more books like this.