#Dorothy Review

[typewriter-worries]

Love Song, Dorothy Parker

[ Text ID: My love runs by like a day in June, ]

[mazojo]

They are crazy for that

[readthebookfirstpodcast]

ReadtheBookFirst.buzzsprout.com

[horsesarecreatures]

Enjoyed this one. It's a historical fiction novel about a real person named Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a former slave turned major business owner in the Caribbean.

[ofliterarynature]

2023 Reading Wrap Up: Favorites from the First Half

Not to sound like a broken record, but I can't believe we're already halfway through the year! (and even further, given how late I'm posting this lol). I've read an ungodly amount of books already, and while I try my best to shout out my favorites as I go or in my monthly wrap-ups, I don't always succeed. So Here I Am, to do a little more shouting about the 10 most memorable books or series I've read so far in 2023!

The God of Endings by Jaqueline Holland

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Sword Stone Table ed by Jenn Northington & Swapna Krishna

Sea Hearts (The Brides of Rollrock Island) by Margo Lanagan

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld & Alex Puvilland

Will Darling/Lilywhite Boys by K.J. Charles

Lord Peter Wimsey by Dorothy L Sayers

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

More discussion below the cut!

The God of Endings by Jaqueline Holland had me entirely engrossed. It's slow and moving and dark, with it's own take on vampirism, with any number of the associated content warnings. All the content warnings actually (but harm to animals, harm to children, and domestic abuse are some of the big ones. Does the Nazi murder make up for it?). Best described as The Historian meets everything I wanted from The Invisible Life of Addie Larue but didn't get.

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez I have, in fact, already yelled about a bit. It was so good! Think A:TLA meets The Raven Tower and The Hundred Thousand Kindgoms, and queer! The thing that really blew my mind was the second-person narration, which is always a swing, and I think this nailed it! I loved how it worked with the story and frame narrative, and let me tell you, on audiobook parts of the story felt positively haunted. I won't say it's the perfect novel (I'm a little eh about the last third), but that in no way dampens my enthusiasm. cw for ritual cannibalism.

Sword Stone Table ed by Jenn Northington & Swapna Krishna is an anthology of Arthurian re-imaginings with about a 1-in-3 success rate (for me anyways. is that good for an anthology?) that snuck onto this list purely on the strength of Mayday by Maria Dahvana Headley. I just yelled about my love for unusual narrative structures, so when I tell you that this is a retelling of the Arthurian family drama set in late 19th century America, told only through found objects, newspaper clippings, and manuscript exerpts? I had *such* a great time trying to puzzle things out with my half-remembered memories of the lore (heavily corrupted by the show Merlin, lol). Additional shout-out to Spear by Nicola Griffith, which didn't make it into the collection due to length but was also amazing!

Sea Hearts (aka The Brides of Rollrock Island) by Margo Lanagan was an absolute surprise, for several reasons. For one, I own both a physical and digital copy under different titles and didn't realize it until I was cleaning up my goodreads account! And second, the Brides cover is an absolute travesty and is entirely the wrong vibe - this may be YA (technically?) but it doesn't read like it! Sea Hearts is the story of a small island community with a history of summoning wives from the sea, a tradition only whispered about until an outcast young woman revives the practices to sow discord and revenge among the community members we follow. Incredibly moving and sorrowful, this is for fans of literary, historical, and speculative fiction.

Spill Zone by Scott Westerfeld & Alex Puvilland. This graphic novel is about a city hit by an unknown disaster that has killed or mutated everything and everyone who wasn't able to evacuate in time. Our main character sneaks back in to take pictures to support herself and her little sister, and while I have some reservations about the larger plot, the art of the Zone is GORGEOUS. Sketchy, eerie, hauntingly beautiful, I loved it, enough that I have no regrets. I could see this making a great comic series or animated show instead.

Major, heartfelt shout-out to K.J. Charles, who absolutely saved my sanity for a few months there. My brain was in a weird spot for a few months and I burned through a good chunk of her backlist, so it's absolutely necessary to name drop a few of my favorites. The Will Darling series, a 1920's spy adventure/gay romance, did not immediately win me over, but exposure makes the heart grow fonder? I don't think they say that, actually, but I love a competent dumbass, and when I finally picked up on the crossover with Charles' England duo, I absolutely cackled. I can't wait to reread these! Any Old Diamonds of the Lilywhite Boys series did catch me immediately, even if I managed to read it out of order with one of it's prequel series. Jewel thieves, a heist, revenge, family drama, what's not to love? I loved every single book and novella in this series.

Lord Peter Wimsey (series) by Dorothy L Sayers. This has been a work in progress since 2022 and has consistently made my favorites lists, but truly, she saved the best for last! Murder Must Advertise was stellar, but everyone who said the Harriet Vane novels were the best is absolutely correct. I don't know why I love them, other than that they're wonderfully complex mysteries, but I do. I definitely need to find another long mystery series for my mental health or else I'm going to start these from the beginning again (I still need to read the short stories after all).

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. I'll be honest, I didn't write a review for this at the time, and my memory for non-fiction is terrible. But I loved this book, I love John Green, and this was fantastic on audio. Thank you John for putting hope and goodness and beauty into the world.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff was a beautiful little book for the book lover. It's a collection of letters between the American author and a used-book seller (and family and associates) in London in the 50s and 60s. Its funny, it's friendly, it's lovely, but there's also an underlying tension that builds throughout from the repeated invitations to the author to come visit, and the book copy saying that THEY NEVER MEET. It about killed me, and did make me cry. For further reading you can also check out the author's related memoirs, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and Q's Legacy.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Frankly, I'm impressed by my nonfiction choices so far this year. This one is what it says and it HURT. SO. MUCH. I am absolutely a generalist and it's made life frustrating, so reading this was both extremely comforting but also enraging, because society doesn't need another reason to suck. Alas.

[spookytuesdaypod]

spooky tuesday is a (now not so new!) podcast where we’re breaking down all of our favorite slashers, thrillers, monster movies and black comedies on the new scariest day of the week.

it’s giving disturbia. it’s giving scream. it’s giving bram stoker’s dracula and the lost boys and mom’s got a date with a vampire. and it’s most definitely giving vincent price. make no mistake, though — fright night (1985) is absolutely iconic in its own right. a creature feature where each and every vampire gets their own special set of teeth, this classic ‘80s flick is home to some great hallmarks of the era. on our latest episode of spooky tuesday, we’re breaking down chris sarandon’s famous monster movie as we talk about CLEAR references, hot couples, and incredible practical effects.

give spooky tuesday a listen on apple podcasts, spotify, iheart radio, or stitcher

[thechanelmuse]

My Book Review

In his first memoir, The Big Sea, Langston Hughes unveils his self-portrait as a depressed, vulnerable young world traveler in his 20s in the 1920s, aiming to understand his family and sense of self against the barriers of society. His gift of words and will to finally be leads to his self-discovery, awakening, and budding friendships in the midst of examining the racial construct and class structures around him in various countries. I Wonder As I Wonder is a continuation of his wanderlust spirit around the world into the 1930s. Langston paints a portrait of societal structures and cultures around the world —Cuba, Haiti, Russia, Soviet Central Asia, Japan, Spain — (even witnessing dictatorships and the Spanish Civil War) and within the US. He makes his imprint as a gifted wordsmith during the The Great Depression, meeting new and some familiar faces along the way. Just as The Big Sea, I Wonder As I Wonder is a layered sensory book. You feel like you’re right there in the past as a curious world traveler, seeing through his eyes, taking field notes, witnessing the shaping of various countries and the way it translates to the daily lives of the people, and how it all compares/contrasts to today. It's funny that upon concluding this memoir, Langston still writes about wanting to be a writer: “But that is what I want to be, a writer, recording what I see commenting upon it, and distilling from my own emotions a personal interpretation.” The thought of doing while actually doing. Journeying through the preceding pages with him, you understand it's really his longing to make his passion a successful earning career in spite of barriers. He did indeed.

SN: The photos aren’t included in book, but are pivotal to the details in the book. 

Langston Hughes with dog on beach at Carmel, California (1934)

The next 3 photos are Langston Hughes in Haiti (1931)

The next 2 photos are Langston Hughes and Dorothy West in route to Russia (1932)

The Russian film company Meschrabpom's "Black and White" film team on the SS Europe (1932). Front row from left: Mildred Jones, Louis Thompson, Constance White, Katherine Jenkins, Sylvia Garner, Dorothy West, Mollie Lewis. Middle row from left: Wayland Rudd, Frank Montero, Matt Crawford, George Sample, Laurence Alberga, Langston Hughes, Juanita Lewis, Alan McKenzie. Back row from left: Ted Poston, Henry Lee Moon, Thurston Lewis, Lloyd Patterson, Loren Miller

Langston Hughes and German journalist Arthur Koestler (far right) on a cotton kolhoy in Soviet Central Asia (1932)

Langston Hughes in Ashgabat (1932)

Thaddeus Battle, former student at Howard University and activist in the National Negro Congress, Bernard “Bunny” Rucker, and Langston Hughes on the battlefield in Spain (January 1938)

Langston Hughes, Soviet journalist Mikhail Koltsov, Ernest Hemingway, Cuban poet and journalist Nicolás Guillén in Madrid, 1937

[monsterintheballroom]

Only read a couple of pages of Sandi Toksvig's new book "Friends of Dorothy" and already love it. Dorothy needs to be protected at all costs 💖

Also want Julie Walters to play her 😊(not that there will be a movie but what do I care)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

There are many factors to consider when judging a film’s merit. An important but often overlooked factor is the film’s ambition. How many chances does it take and how far does it push the envelope? Under that criteria, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs couldn’t possibly score higher. If there was a full-length animated film released in American cinemas before this one, it's been forgotten to time and it certainly didn't leave the same mark as this one. Now approaching 100 years old, there's no other movie quite like Snow White. You watch it as a child and enjoy the familiar story. You appreciate it for wholly different reasons as an adult.

In a faraway land lives the beautiful and kind Princess Snow White (voiced by Adriana Caselotti), the envy of her wicked and vain stepmother (Lucille La Verne). When the Queen’s magic mirror reveals that Snow White has become more beautiful than she, the Queen sends the young princess to the woods to be murdered. Following her escape, Snow White stumbles upon a small cottage and is taken in by the seven little men who live there.

Traditionally animated films age incredibly gracefully. Whereas you can see the limitations Toy Story and its early descendants had to struggle with, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs looks as sharp as the day it was released. Snow White is not like the rubber-limbed Olive Oil from Popeye’s cartoons or any character from the many Disney animated shorts that preceded her. The fact that she can move alongside the decidedly anthropomorphized woodland creatures she befriends and the seven dwarves - all of which have cartoonish faces to match their outlandish personalities - is impressive.

Also helping the film remain timeless are the story and writing. There are no pop culture references, no fourth wall breaks, no ironic twists or subversions of the source material. There doesn’t need to be. Snow White simply is. Similarly, the songs are not the kind you’d hear playing on the top charts. They weren't made to sell records. They were made for the story. They’re used to develop the characters and move the plot forward. That doesn't mean they're not catchy. I think anyone who’s seen the film will be tempted to play Whistle While You Work whenever they begin cleaning and once you hear the dwarves’ Heigh Ho!, it becomes a part of your vocabulary. Nothing in Snow White feels like it was made to be more than part of the movie. There are no characters made to be turned into toys, for example. In that way, it feels more earnest than any other Disney film.

That's nice, but what really matters is how entertaining the film is. While this is a straightforward telling of a well-known, story (assuming you don't call the musical numbers "twists"), “Snow White” finds plenty of ways to make you care about its animated characters. There are many laughs throughout, courtesy of the seven dwarves. Her animal friends also provide memorable chuckles as they figure out inventive ways to help despite their limited sizes or limbs. My favorite has to be the deer who uses his antlers as a way to transport dirty laundry.

There's also drama and romance, courtesy of Snow White herself. Our heroine is so sweet and innocent your heart just can’t resist. When she talks about the handsome prince she dreams of meeting once again, it’s hard not to get as swept up in the emotions of the scene. There’s also a little bit of horror thrown in too - though only small children would be actually frightened. It makes the scenes when Snow White makes her escape in the dark woods and later, when the wicked Queen comes looking for her particularly memorable. On top of the emotions are the outstanding visuals. Even if you don't "know", I think a part of you knows or can tell everything you see was hand-painted and painstakingly put together. If there’s one criticism I can throw towards the movie, it’s that the ending feels abrupt. It still fits within the fairytale motif, but I wouldn’t mind if it was even 30 seconds longer.

There is so much to say about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The visuals, the characters, the direction, the story, the songs… every aspect of the filmmaking could be the subject of a thesis. It's a film that was destined for immortality and I think people knew it as soon as it was released. Even today, it still stands triumphant as one of the greatest films - animated or otherwise- ever made for its place in history, but also for the way it brings a particular kind of story to life. (November 12, 2022)

[oldshowbiz]

1960.

Dorothy Kilgallen criticized Don Rickles for insulting Ethel Merman.

Kilgallen wrote Rickles “attacked Ethel Merman - who was a great star before anybody heard of him and will still be a star when he's forgotten."

[whocanbelieve]

Book Review: Forever After

Reccomend: 10/10

Loved it, the morals, the art, the plot, the concept.

Plot: 10/10

Entertained each episode and the overall direction it went.

Art: 10/10

Gorgeous, love the fantasy style.

Creativity: 10/10

Very original, never read anything else quite like it.

I liked the morals about self-determination, responsibility, and support systems.

[thenefilim]

Review - Project Dorothy (2024)

A pair of fugitives break into an abandoned facility that's home to the long dormant AI known as Project Dorothy.

https://www.voicesfromthebalcony.com/2024/01/15/project-dorothy-2024-review/

[ellie88-blog-blog]

Scared Stiff

Despite some suspenseful moments, the film failed to leave a lasting impression, with practical effects adding authenticity and Carmen Miranda's performances standing out.

I have finally made it halfway in my Martin/Lewis movie marathon. I had to take a day off because they started to bleed together, and I was starting to write about plot points from other movies and having to revise (not good). I have seen each of the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis films many times over, since I own them, but looking back on the George Marshall directed musical comedy-horror “Scared…

[moviesandmania]

REVOLT OF THE ZOMBIES (1936) Reviews and free to watch online in b/w or colour

‘Sex and horror in one gigantic thrill show!’ Revolt of the Zombies is a 1936 American horror film about an expedition sent to Cambodia to destroy a formula that turns men into zombies. Directed and produced by the Halperin Brothers. The movie stars Dean Jagger and Dorothy Stone. Although it was conceived as a loose sequel to Victor Halperin’s moderately successful 1932 film White Zombie, when…

[milliondollarbaby87]

The Big Sleep (1946) Review

When private investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by a general from a wealthy family to try and find out why his daughter Carmen is being blackmailed and with the help of Vivian another of the generals daughters he is taken into a rather complex web of love triangles, murder, gambling and organised crime. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Untitled

[azazel-dreams]

Nintendo DS Game: Legends of Oz - Dorothy's Return

gameplay ❤️❤️❤️❤❤

aesthetics ❤️❤️❤️❤❤

story ❤️❤❤❤❤

Replayable ❤️❤️❤️❤❤

Overall Review: ❤️❤️❤️❤❤