#microreview

[signal-failure]

Stranger Things: Choose Your Own Adventure

  This Stranger Things: Heroes and Monsters Choose Your Own Adventure is such a fun tribute to those old CYOA paperbacks, with loads of Stranger Things side quests to explore, until you inevitably get killed off in some of the bad endings. I liked this one a lot for the nostalgia factor, it’s a good fit for the retro nerdiness of the TV show. (there’s also a Stranger Things/D&D graphic novel, the…

[lascapigliata]

am now well over halfway through my oscars challenge based on my own secret formula (aka guesstimating) so here is my ongoing microreviews post, for those curious

for some reason when i started writing i did this in order of # of nominees. don’t ask ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

oppenheimer: way too long. even cillian murphy, who was great, cannot sustain 3 hours of biopic. i felt his character development was unearned and rushed. the acting was good all around (though it was so man heavy that i sort of forgot emily blunt was there, surprising that she got that nomination when may december is RIGHT there) and it was gorgeously shot but it just needed a solid edit both in writing and runtime. one of those movies that made me feel stupid bc everyone else liked it. to the tune of 13 noms :/ (i have been told by many that you need to see it in a theater. well then don't release it for home viewing i guess, sorry!) (edit - having watched maestro rustin and napoleon 👎 three mid to bad biopics - this has warmed in my memory)

poor things: mixed feelings. overhyped doesn’t cover it. beautiful to look at. great acting from everyone including emma stone and mark ruffalo who is having simply the time of his life. it’s very funny which i wasn’t expecting! but it felt all a little too affected, a little too Intentionally Weird. idk i really wanted to love it but it was just sort of like okay! watched that! ✅

killers of the flower moon: enjoyed it a lot. i thought lily gladstone was amaaaaazing - their role had potential to just be like melodrama and one-note but they brought so much depth to it. leonardo was fine but of the white people deniro was the standout. too long of course. i alternately remember it as better or worse than it felt in the moment, but even though i wasn't in a theater it was still a good time

barbie: my brother loved this and i thought it was okay. the first half in barbieland and her first fish out of water scenes in the real world were a ton of fun, and it sort of got boring-er from there. visually very clever and fun. but the politics were hollow. relationship between america ferrera’s character and her daughter was unconvincing. the last scene pissed me off so much bc it was just totally unnecessary- should have (spoiler) ended with her putting her heels down and the audience can infer the rest be saved 5 minutes of runtime. (you’ll be shocked to hear i thought this was too long)

maestro: awful. manages to flatten felicia bernstein and somehow doesn’t replace that missing character with anything of substance. neglects to focus on what made bernstein actually interesting by putting basic stock biopic oscar bait scenes together and forgetting about his actual life and accomplishments. i went in knowing i wouldn’t like it but hoping there’d be redeeming qualities and found nearly none. even the best scene - his conducting the mahler resurrection symphony - pales in comparison to just finding the real video of bernstein conducting which is available for free on youtube.

american fiction: great. in theaters so no concept of length but it didn’t drag too much. jeffrey wright did an AMAZING job - so funny and also so grounded. made me cry early on too which i was Not expecting lol. definitely some 😬 moments for me as a white woman but i think that’s healthy for us once in a while. as a side note it was oddly preceded by 15 min of horror movie trailers which was bizarre

anatomy of a fall: LOOVED IT. broadchurch vibes. watched it with a friend who’s a lawyer so we kept pausing to theorize bc it is a great movie for that and she also provided commentary on the courtroom techniques of the lawyers lol. was also thinking about it hours and hours later. such a good film. even understood some of the french lol. big warning for pet illness though - the dog survives but it was not fun

the holdovers: nothing revolutionary but such a sweet little movie. not a huge amount to say about it - watched it on a plane and that was kind of the perfect vibe. i did think that da’vine joy randolph did a fantastic job. a good time. idk that it’s Best Picture worthy but who even knows what that award means

the zone of interest: technically impressive on every level (yes, including sound, which it should win) but i didn’t love it. i guess it’s just that i feel like “look! the mundanity of evil!” was not enough to carry this - it is SO mundane and SO jarring that halfway through i kept just being like “yeah yeah i get it” which itself is ironically kind of normalization but not the way the film intended. but i do think this is more a personal preference issue than actual issues with the movie.

napoleon: quite bad. boring, unfocused. couldn’t decide if it was about the marriage or his ambition and yet didn’t give josephine a character nor made thrilling battle sequences. unfortunately all i will remember is how they randomly used pride and prejudice’s soundtrack out of the blue (indicative of its equally unfocused score), and how joaquin phoenix had an american accent while everyone around him didn’t. also… too long!

the creator: pretty good! not a particularly innovative story but honestly it’s nice to see a good movie done right. hans zimmer rare W these days. john david washington still isn’t the greatest actor but it’s no big when ken watanabe is right there. the vfx are indeed very good. it even tackled western imperialism ok i thought though i obviously welcome discussion here!

past lives: beautiful touching etc. not an easy watch but i loved it. sort of found a great melancholy middle ground that didn’t feel maudlin but certainly wasn’t very happy. unbelievably that greta lee received no nomination for her phenomenal work (or teo yoo or john magaro for that matter). great length too - a perfect 1h45. just well done all around

society of the snow: great little disaster movie if slightly uneven. gorgeously shot for one thing. the tension is well done though i think it ended too… tidily. the fundamental problem i have tho is that if i was in their situation i’d have no qualms about eating people but that’s not the movie’s fault. the music reminded me of giacchino so i couldn’t help but make lost comparisons but that's also not the movie's fault lol. (edit: the music is literally BY giacchino and i thought i'd looked it up. it's a good score! he knows what he's doing!)

may december: LOVED IT!!! fantastic length, fantastic acting. as the great harry styles said it’s nice to see a movie that’s a real movie. i can’t wait to watch this again, i thought the writing was fantastic and it’ll gain a lot on rewatch too. would have loved more focus on the relationship with the kids, but that’s just because i personally found it fascinating. annoying it was only nommed for best screenplay when the acting was so good - yes especially charles melton!!

rustin: not as good as i wanted it to be. all the acting is fantastic especially (unsurprising) colman domingo, but i agree with reviews that said it avoided some of his more radical politics and that the love triangle was not super well executed, and i personally thought the end felt super rushed. it was just too biopic-y. but there was a lot to recommend it anyway just on acting alone though honestly

the color purple: enjoyed it a lot! never saw the original movie but it def smoothed away some stuff from the book in a way that doesn’t surprise me at all but was still too bad. there were clearly songs cut from the show bc there was a huge chunk in the middle with no singing lol. the acting was universally good but i cannot lie danielle brooks stole the show every second she was on screen. the music itself was great too and i think the director really dug into the musicalness of it which is so necessary in something like this. (end credits were particularly good!)

across the spiderverse: what is there to say about this that hasn’t been said. the first movie was much tighter in terms of plot / writing. the politics of this one were sort of a mess. but the animation was so spectacular that it sort of sanded over the flaws i saw in it in my memory and i'd be happy if it won

the boy and the heron: a lovely movie. miyazaki hasn’t lost it. i’d love for this to win best animated as i suspect it will. beautiful visually, very like pan’s labyrinth vibe plot wise. hard to say a lot here bc it was just very good, very solid. + miyazaki simply loves an old wrinkly lady and you know what i think that’s great. deserved a nom for score over fuckin indiana jones for sure

robot dreams: i wanted to adore this but instead i just liked it. it was beautiful and sweet and a nice love letter to new york and everything but i hated the ending lol. it’s a huge swing though with no dialogue and only one real song and you gotta give them points for that! plus it is genuinely sweet and everything. i just was pissed at the literal last scene lol

elemental: better than i expected it to be but still basically eh. some of the technical work is SO impressive - like the non-anthropomorphic water - that it actually highlights how Animated the characters are. but i don’t regret watching. highly recommend doing so stoned if that’s your jam because the animation really is the cool part - pixar’s stories have rly become very templated and boring

nimona: iirc a fun movie, but nothing like jaw dropping. can't evaluate it objectively though bc it wasn't the book and the book was better, unsurprisingly. i watched it a long time ago, it didn't leave a huge impression; i remember it was a cute adaptation. mainly i don't think nimona surpassed suzume (and pixar was always going to get that nomination no matter what), so mostly i'm bitter that suzume wasn't nominated sorry

dial of destiny: fell asleep the first time i watched it, got distracted the second time. it was... fine? the deaging was AWFUL, i'm glad it did not get a makeup or vfx nom, it literally just looked like a videogame and it still SOUNDED like 70yo harrison ford. the score was fine but the same thing john williams has been doing for this franchise since 1981. just like… an unnecessary movie idk

[ohmerricat]

ginger snaps is obviously a ‘girl enraged’ film that focuses on the theme of literal demonisation (i.e. transformation into a folkloric monster) of female adolescence, puberty, emotional outbursts and complex sexual desires, but what goes ignored in my opinion is just how transmasc coded brigitte ‘exclusively goes by B’ ‘autistic weirdgirl fighting to construct themselves a solid identity while overshadowed by a more traditionally feminine, even if subversive in her own right, familial/best friend figure’ fitzgerald is. obviously unintentional, since the film was written in 2000 and, again, the focal point is patently not B, but she undergoes a subtle transformation of her own: to detract from this faux-academic writing style completely, the uncracked egg energy levels are off the charts. if this story was told through a literary format she’d be that amorphous narrator, the unmemorable constantly-present lens through which the reader views the protagonist (anti-villain, in this case), which is, again, for inexplicable reasons transmasculine energy. and when i say inexplicable i genuinely mean ‘based on arbitrary personal associations’. shit that you wouldn’t see me proving arguments with in an essay but works perfectly well for a 5 minute tungle microreview

something about the antidote to lycanthropy literally being named ‘monk’s hood’ i.e. a symbol of chastity and conformity, the antithesis of ginger’s wild and transgressive self-expression through fashion and sexuality after getting infected. will you remain repressed and constricted, locked up in the metaphorical bathroom (closet), do you dare to go feral, or is there a secret third way? a neutral option? a quiet refusal of the inevitable brutality of womanhood: stepping away from the female identity entirely?

the horror staple of the ‘madwoman in the attic’, which ginger embodies while being locked in the bathroom, is traditionally kept contained there by a patriarchal male figure. in this case, her jailor is brigitte. which may seem insignificant, but what is when you’re attempting a trans reading of an already feminist film

[ghalaghoul]

My microreview of Tales From Candleforth a point-and-click puzzle horror adventure! I’m love it very much, I need the full release right the fuck now

[reddishthesecond]

i should be sleeping (i have to wake up very early) but i've been reading though the twitter threads i wrote logging and microreviewing the things i watched/read and they were a lot of fun to make + it's very convenient to have what i've watched and read writen down somewhere......

like, i tried doing that here and it didn't work out (i fukimg forgor) but i might try again........

[the-head-in-the-clouds]

Last reread: "Goodness Gracious" by Arto Paasilinna

What I wanted: to reread something short and contemporary

What I got: one nice and relaxed summer day in the garden with an old friend. I might not have enjoyed this book as much as the first times I've read them, but I could still see why I liked it back then. The idea of afterlife portrayed in this book is interesting and, even if it lacks some sort of plot, let's you think about that topic in a relaxed way.

[godzilla-reads]

Microreview- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Title & Author: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Total Pages: 491

Page You’re On: 317

What You Wanted: A coming-of-age story about a girl living in the turn of the century. 

What You Got: Exactly that and more! Reminds of The House on Mango Street. 

Thoughts So Far: This book is so good. Each chapter is like a small story that all shows how Francie Nolan grows up and what’s influencing her. You get really in depth characters, single and recurring. Her family is so interesting and each chapter just grabs you and pulls you in. There are several chapters that really tug at your heart strings. A lot of the book is still relavent, even though it was written in 1943.

Guess How It’ll End: I kinda want it to end with Francie becoming a playwright, like she wants. Or leading into where she is as an adult. I almost don’t want it to end because I’ve been reading it for 2 months now. 

Tell Us How You Feel- With a Gif!

[lizziethereader]

Micro Review Tag

This round’s prompt: currently reading!

Join in even if you haven’t been tagged

Answer as elaborately as you want

Tag friends to make their own micro reviews

Use the #microreview hashtag (optional)

I was tagged by @thelivebookproject​, @the-forest-library​, and @northernreads​ to do this a looooong time ago (in some cases) and I’m only now getting to it. SORRY! 

Title and author: Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

Total pages: 444 (but that’s including the index)

Page you’re on: 218

Thoughts so far: We performed the musical version of this book when I was in High school and I’m only mow reading it for the first time. I love all the nostalgia it hits me with! As a philosophy teacher, I also really appreciate some of the approaches this book takes to complex concepts. So far, it’s a great read!

Try your best to guess how it will end: I already know... (though the book might be different?) 

Tell us how you really feel—with a gif!

I tag: everyone who feels like they want to do one of these again because it’s been a while

[auraseeingcoffeebean]

Micro Review Tag

Tagged by @kandidlyrandom​

This round’s prompt: currently reading!

Join in even if you haven’t been tagged

Answer as elaborately as you want

Tag friends to make their own micro reviews

Use the #microreview hashtag (optional)

Title and author: “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character   by Richard P. Feynman

Total pages: 400

Page you’re on: 77

Thoughts so far:  Richard Feynman is hilarious. So far I am in the very beginning of his story so he is sharing stories from his childhood and college life. Its cool to read about how curious he was about the world around him as a young child. The book reads like a conversation... I feel as though he is sitting in my living room sharing stories about his life over a cup of tea. 

Try your best to guess how it will end:

He wins a Nobel Prize in physics lol.

Tell us how you really feel—with a gif!

I Tag: @literatureandtrees​ @thepixiereader​ @booksareperfection​ @waywardwunder​ @camibooklr​ @ziawriteseveything​ @godzilla-reads​ @wickednightowl845​ @flamingmirrorbookish​ @steveh4rrington​ @bookmac95​

Also I tag anyone who sees this and wants to do it because its fun and I would end up tagging everyone I follow lol :)

[playeronestartshow]

Starting a new series on the channel. Micro reviews. Game and hardware reviews done in around 5-10 minutes. I was told by a friend that Excitebike would be a good place to start. YouTube Channel: Player One Start ‪#gaming #gamer #games #gamers #gamerguy #vintage #videogames #retro #retrogaming #thrifting #retrogames #instagamer #retrocollector‬ #playeronestart #nes #microreview https://www.instagram.com/p/CBMIplkHLrI/?igshid=1brln53bydepv

[dangerclosedigital]

The @tdi_arms ERG grip is one of those rare items that snuck up on me while my attention was elsewhere and took me completely by surprise. I had been working with @tdi_arms to include their excellent Z92 handguard in the Zastava rebuild project, and when I opened the package, tucked inconspicuously inside was this little gem. The ERG grip is an amalgamation of all of the things that make modernized AK grips great while still maintaining a visual design that pays homage to its classic Russian roots. The top of the grip is large enough to fill the hand while still keeping the trigger comfortably within reach, and the grips body flares out gently as it extends towards the bottom allowing for full control of the guns tilt as you bring the gun up to attain a sight picture. One of my favorite features of the ERG though is its unique texture, which extends around its entire circumference and in doing so provides side to side manipulation control without slippage or having to readjust your grip on the weapon. The texture is highly effective but non-aggressive, allowing a tight grip on the weapon for extended periods of time both comfortably and reliably. The texture is hard to put into words, but its really something you should experience yourself. The @tdi_arms ERG grip is available directly from TDI Arms and from other partner resellers and comes in at around a modest $19. With the holidays quickly approaching, this would make for a great stocking stuffer for the AK lovers in your life. #dangerclosedigital #ak47 #kalashnikov #kalashlife #guns #weapons #firearms #tactical #accessories #firearmphotography #productphotography #microreview (at Phoenix, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4uqTqolioi/?igshid=1qi2pohnxrv9s

[bibliophilecats]

Micro Review Tag

I consider myself tagged by @flamingmirrorbookish​ :-)

This round’s prompt: currently reading!

Join in even if you haven’t been tagged

Answer as elaborately as you want

Tag friends to make their own micro reviews

Use the #microreview hashtag (optional)

Title and author: Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

Total pages: 409

Page you’re on: 115

Thoughts so far: I was a little hesitant to start reading this (another YA fantasy) but it turns out, I enjoy it quite a lot. We have two first person narrators (and I can distinguish between them even though there are no indicators above the chapter) and one third person perspective which is quite refreshing. The story is good and the characters are pretty clever yet still believable in their social roles.

Try your best to guess how it will end: It is the first book in a series, so I fear it will be disatisfying. 

Tell us how you really feel—with a gif!

I tag @the-head-in-the-clouds​ and @thelivebookproject​, if you want to do this.

[brightbeautifulthings]

Micro Review Tag

This round’s prompt: currently reading!

Join in even if you haven’t been tagged

Answer as elaborately as you want

Tag friends to make their own micro reviews

Use the #microreview hashtag (optional)

@coffeebooksorme & @the-forest-library, thank you so much for tagging me, lovelies! <3

Title and author: Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire

Total pages: 376

Page you’re on: 72%

Thoughts so far: I love Seanan McGuire, so there was never a chance I wasn't going to like this. A lot of the stories remind me of her other work (portal fantasy, murder mermaids, epidemics, ghostly hitchhikers), and some of them are definitely grim enough to be published under Mira Grant.

I never knew I needed a story about lesbian ghost hitchhikers in my life ("Driving Jenny Home"), but I totally did. Lots of weeping in that one and "Homecoming" (because I pretend I am tough, but I’m a big ‘ol softie.) I really liked the Little Shop of Horrors/Day of the Triffids mashup as well ("Lady Antheia's Guide to Horticultural Warfare"). Drag ‘em, Theia. Or, you know, eat them. Lady’s choice.

Try your best to guess how it will end: It’s overall a solid collection, and I’m expecting to find at least one more favorite in it. "Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What Is About to Happen (But You Started It)" is a promising title. 😂

Tell us how you really feel—with a gif!

Tagging (just fun, no pressure! <3) @anassarhenisch, @bibliotheque-la-nature, @aveganreader, @badnovels, @beggin4books, @bibliojunkie, @awkwordreviews, @beguiledbookworm, @biblioshark, @bestestbooknerd, @bethanywritesbooks, @lornaslibrary​

[storytime-reviews]

Micro Review Tag

Thanks to @thereadingchallengechallenge, @flamingmirrorbookish and @thelivebookproject for all tagging me :)

This round’s prompt: Currently Reading!

Rules:

Join in even if you haven’t been tagged.

Answer as elaborately as you want.

Tag friends to make their own micro reviews.

Use the #microreview hashtag (optional).

Title and author: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Total pages: 392

Page you’re on: 25

Thoughts so far: I haven’t read much but it’s definitely intriguing, which is a good sign!

Try your best to guess how it will end: It seems like there are a lot of family secrets in this. I’m assuming that the main character, Mariko will learn the truth and why the Black Clan is hunting her and perhaps also maybe side with them? I’m getting the idea her and the person who wants her dead are going to end up being close and on the same side of whatever goes down?

Tell us how you really feel –with a gif!

Tagging: @beautifulpaxielreads, @literaery-me, @amberthebooklion, @cinnasbooks, @youthbookreview, @lornaslibrary, @myownlittlebookcorner, @backlogbooks, @omgreading, @gracesguidetogoodbooks and anyone else that might be interested – I’m tagging YOU!

[abaghabit]

Red Oxx Air Boss Thoughts.. I enjoyed this one very much. Solidly built with what is possibly the capacity limit for shoulder carry. I love the organization too. However, I don't think my aging shoulders and back can deal with the weight. Prolly one for those with a lil less grey in their hair..The cool shoulder strap helps. Maybe for them road trips too! . I'd recommend it highly IF you are not walking around much with it fully loaded. . #redoxx #airboss #beatenandbruised #microreview https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Qeud9ntsQ/?igshid=oo2ydkspznb6

[the-head-in-the-clouds]

Last read: 'Im Sturm der Echos (The mirror visitor series #4)' by Christelle Dabos

What I wanted: finally some answers and a worthy last part to this amazing series!

What I got: yes we've got some answers, but before that things got really confusing first. The pace of this book is faster than in the books before, informations and assumptions are pouring down on you- that's fine, the world is breaking apart, it fit's the general mood. I might would have wished for a little more information on some topics, yet it doesn't bothered me to much. Same with the ending: Series like this can be breathtaking, detailed and amazingly written, yet all can be ruined through an underwhelming or rushed ending. This I was okay with. Who would have thought while peacefully reading the first book, that it would all come down to this??