The Fall Film Challenge 2018

The Fall Film Challenge
September 1 to November 30, 2018
hosted by Quirky Pickings | details | facebook group
I had such a great time with this last year (here). I am down for it again!

the challenge:

six degrees of kevin bacon. choose twenty-five films that you can connect to other motion pictures in which he has starred in SIX FILMS OR LESS, counting his work and your choice.

the list:

one
A Simple Favor (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

two
Annihilation (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

three
Beautiful Boy (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

four
Bel Canto (2018)
imdb | my review -tba | my rating: tba

five
Black Mass (2015)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

six
Diary Of A Chambermaid (2015)
imdb | my review | my rating: 3

seven
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
imdb | my review -tba | my rating: tba

eight
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

nine
Fifty Shades Freed (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 2

ten
First Man (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

eleven
Interstellar (2014)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

twelve
Jurassic World (2015)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

thirteen
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

fourteen
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

fifteen
Maudie (2016)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

sixteen
The Monuments Men (2007)
imdb | my review | my rating: 3

seventeen
Ocean's Eight (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

eighteen
On Chesil Beach (2017)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

ninteen
Paddington (2014)
imdb | my review | my rating:4

twenty
Paddington 2 (2017)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

twenty-one
The Sea of Trees (2015)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

twenty-two
Sing (2016)
imdb | my review | my rating: 3

twenty-three
The Sisters Brothers (2018)
imdb | my review | my rating: 5

twenty-four
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4

twenty-five
What Women Want (2011)
imdb | my review | my rating: 3

Substitutions:

Murder In The First (1995)
Director: Marc Rocco
Writer: Dan Gordon
Stars: Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman
-Drama, Thriller | imdb | my review | my rating: 5

Tag (2018)
Director: Jeff Tomsic
Screenplay: Rob McKittrick, Mark Steilen
Based on Wall Street Journal article entitled "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It" by: Russell Adams
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson
-Comedy | imdb | my review | my rating: 4

The Way (2010)
imdb | my review | my rating: 4
Watched 11/27. Connection: Martin Sheen starred with Bacon in JFK.
Loved learning about the whole pilgrimage thing.


the results:

Done, but with substitutions.

~*~
* catching up on a few series ;-)

* swapped Bel Canto (missed it when it was theatre) with Tag

* swapped First Man (missed it, too) with Murder in the First

* swapped Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald with The Way

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
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Published: 2014
Publisher: Anchor
Genre: Chick-lit, Romance, Asian American, Singapore
Hardback: 544
Rating: 5

Crazy Asians series:
Crazy Rich Asians
China Rich Girlfriend
Rich People Problems

First sentence(s):
London, 1986
Nicholas Young slumped into the nearest seat in the hotel lobby, drained from the sixteen-hour flight from Singapore, the train from Heathrow Airport, and trudging through the rain-soaked streets.

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.

On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

Zombie sighting:
Astrid continued to recount her adventures in Paris while Michael stared zombielike at the sports channel on mute.
-chapter 9, page 76

My two-bits:

ABSOLUTELY loved getting into this world of wealth with all its complications and drama.

PeekAbook: trailer for film that released today!

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi
by Sandhya Menon

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Instagram
Pinterest
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Published: 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary, Asian American, India
Hardback: 384
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
Dimple couldn’t stop smiling.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

PeekAbook: back cover - auspicious start for this couple ;-)

Zombie sighting:
Wait, the Aberzombies?
-chapter 13, Dimple, page 86

My two-bits:

Fun summer YA romance read that takes place on the campus of San Francisco State University and includes familiar San Francisco sites.

This couple was cute with chemistry.

Plays with traditional versus contemporary Indian romantic relationships.

~*~
* part of World Reads challenge - India (here)

Happy Mail: Book Box Subscriptions pt 2

Happy Mail
Book Box Subscription Reviews
part 1 (here) | part 3 (here)
~*~

Owlcrate
(every month)
$29.99 (plus shipping)
details | my boxes

Includes:
New hardcover Young Adult novel either signed or with a signed book plate
3-5 other bookish keepsakes related to the theme
Owlcrate custom made items
Owlcrate booklet - with details on the book

My two-bits:

So far, my favorite YA box as the themes have been fun and I like bookish item selections.


~*~

Uppercase
(every month)
$29.99 (with shipping)
details | my boxes

Includes:
Signed first-editions of the best new YA books
High-quality, practical items (no trinkets or fandoms)
Exclusive behind-the-scenes content and video from the author
Interactive reading experience to connect and discuss the book

My two-bits:

While I also like this YA book box, my only concern is the packaging. The ones I received were in bubble envelope instead of a box. Because of this, a couple books received had damaged corners from travel.


~*~

Deep Readers Club
(every month)
$35.25 (plus shipping)
details | my boxes

Includes:
A critically acclaimed literary novel
3-5 bookish goods that encompass an emotion
(usually a text print, candle and tea)

My two-bits:

Loved the emotion themes and the usual items included.

~*~
* Please note that subscription prices may have increased since this was posted.

Jaws by Peter Benchley

Jaws
by Peter Benchley
narrated by Erik Steele

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website

Published: 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books (reprint)
Genre: Action, Horror, Mystery, Sharks
Paperback: 352
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail.

Here is Peter Benchley’s classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was made into the blockbuster Steven Spielberg movie. The Jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and continues to inspire a growing interest in sharks and the oceans today.

When Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior. Over the ensuing decades, Benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions around the world as they expanded their knowledge of sharks. Also during this time, there was an unprecedented upswing in the number of sharks killed to make shark-fin soup, and Benchley worked with governments and nonprofits to sound the alarm for shark conservation. He encouraged each new generation of Jaws fans to enjoy his riveting tale and to channel their excitement into support and protection of these magnificent, prehistoric apex predators.

My two-bits:

Although this sea battle of man vs. shark did not come off so much as a horror story (like the movie version), it included summer time small town doings in regards to the locals, their relationships and politics.

~*~
* Listened to audiobook version.

* part of Sharks in August (here)