I never would have watched this comedy horror movie unless I was trapped on a long distance international flight.
Cocaine Bear is loosely inspired by the true story of the “Cocaine Bear“, an American black bear that ingested nearly 75 lb (34 kg) of lost cocaine. …
The film opened to generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $89 million against a production budget of $30–35 million.
I have to admit, I enjoyed this absurdism. 😀
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The Great Dictator is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin …
Chaplin’s film advanced a stirring condemnation of the German and Italian dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, as well as fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis.
At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II.
Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber.
It’s best remembered for this speech.
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One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is one of the better Hercule Poirot books.
Shorter. Fewer potential suspects.
Soon after he visits his dentist, Poirot is investigating the death of the dentist.
More people are dead, and the investigation widens, as Poirot slowly finds his way to the true stories behind the murders. …
A Canadian reviewer felt that “the pace is swift and talk – curse of the English detective story – is kept to a minimum”.
The title based on the olde English language nursery rhyme.
Of course there was at least one TV adaptation.
This is the final novel appearance of Chief Inspector Japp.
Like nearly everyone, I was a big fan of the Indiana Jones films:
Did we really need Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) ??
Or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) ??
In fact, I loved the 5th and probably final instalment.
It was great to see Karen Allen again.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is fantastic, as usual.
The technology making actors look younger was amazing.
I feel it’s a worthy addition to the franchise.
… On the other hand, it grossed $383 million worldwide; a box office bomb with an expensive overall budget resulting in a $100 million loss for Disney.
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Read this book for:
The story is not easy to follow, IMHO.
Four strangers are sitting in the reading room of the Boston Public Library quietly working when a woman’s scream pierces the silence.
Later, a body is found, and the four characters quickly become friends as they work to piece together what happened.
That’s the premise of Sulari Gentill’s mystery, titled “The Woman In The Library.”
The 4 seeming strangers are:
The author uses those nicknames when she doesn’t yet know who they are.
The whodunit is which is the murderer.
So far, so good.
The confusion for me is that this tale is being written by another Aussie author, Hannah Tigone — who’s getting emails from beta reader Leo Johnson, an American who knows Boston well. And American idioms.
Finally, the real author is Sulari Gentill, yet another Aussie author.
If my math is correct, there are 3 murder mystery authors. YOU sort them out. 😀
FUNNY. 😀
Irish humour is the BEST humour.
Good music.
Rotten Tomatoes 100% approval.
Bad Sisters … is an Irish black comedy television series …
The five Garvey sisters—Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka—live in present-day Dublin.
After Grace’s abusive, controlling husband John Paul dies unexpectedly, the sisters find themselves at the centre of a life insurance investigation.
The series flips between timelines—one before John Paul’s death, in which Grace’s sisters plot to murder their brother-in-law, and another after his death, in which a determined insurance agent tries to prove the sisters’ malicious involvement …
A second season is in the works.
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I’m not a huge fan of these books. I prefer the TV series, actually.
But if YOU like them — this is one of the best.
A World of Curiosities is the 18th novel in a series featuring the fictional character Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.
The 2022 crime mystery follows the investigation of a series of murders in Quebec.
We learn that Gamache decided to go into Homicide after being one of the responding officers in the1989 École Polytechnique massacre. Fourteen women were murdered; another 10 women and 4 men injured. The killer was a 25-year-old white male who legally purchased a lightweight semi-automatic rifle, systematically planning to murder women at his former school.
Canadians mark the day of the killings with a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Curiosities is a sequel to Penny’s 2021 book The Madness of Crowds.
… features siblings Sam and Fiona Arsenault, whose mother Clotilde was killed after subjecting them both to sexual abuse in their younger years. …
Wikipedia
I first led a Gymnastics Coaching course in the capital, Abuja, Nigeria in 2013. They were quite disorganized at the time.
Returning in 2023 — this time to Benin City — I was astonished to see how much progress had been made.
In fact, Nigeria was the best organized of these camps I’ve had over dozens around the world.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Coaches from across the country traveled to Benin City, which built a world class facility 3 years ago. It’s in Edo State, by far the one most supportive of sport.
(NOT the country of Benin, formerly Dahomey, a small nation nearby.)
Busy, busy … I only got the chance to do a driving tour of Nigeria’s 4th largest metropolitan area. There is not much western tourism. Benin City has not got a great reputation.
I did not see any other pale human like myself, for a week. 😀
I stayed at a very good 3 star hotel, the Marriott Protea Hotel Benin City.
Mostly ate spicy Nigerian food. They love their food in Nigeria. Spicy.
This video gives a good feel of how this city feels on street level.
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Adler-Olsen is a Danish crime fiction writer best known for his Department Q series.
Purity of Vengeance is the 4th book in the series. (2018)
Jussi Adler-Olsen is Denmark’s #1 crime writer. The films based on his books are popular.
The lead detective, Carl Mørck, is just a jerk. BUT less a jerk in this book. Perhaps he’s getting better.
I do like his sidekick, Assad.
In 1987, Nete Hermansen plans revenge on those who abused her in her youth, including Curt Wad, a charismatic surgeon who was part of a movement to sterilize wayward girls in 1950s Denmark.
More than twenty years later, Detective Carl Mørck already has plenty on his mind when he is presented with the (cold) case of a brothel owner, a woman named Rita, who went missing in the eighties …
But when Carl’s assistants, Assad and Rose, learn that numerous other people disappeared around the same weekend as Rita, Carl takes notice.
As they sift through the disappearances, they get closer and closer to Curt Wad …
jussiadlerolsen.com
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Randy and Val have been hosting an online music event since the pandemic.
I sat in LIVE for the 18th episode.
My brother’s Suspicious Minds in full Elvis costume was the highlight. 😀
One of the guests played a version of Dancing in the Moonlight (1970) written by Sherman Kelly, originally recorded Kelly’s band Boffalongo.
It became a worldwide hit single by King Harvest in 1972.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
In 2000, a cover by English band Toploader became a worldwide hit.
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Rick McCharles 