JCLMattC
Library StaffJohnson County Library
JCLMattC's Completed Shelf
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Nov 04, 2019
Phantom ThreadPhantom Thread, DVD
DVD, 2018DVD, 2018
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Oct 29, 2019
Comment:
A hypnotically stylish examination of a master dress-designer in London. He welcomes a new muse into his home who quickly disrupts his life of order and obsession.
The ExorcistThe Exorcist, DVD
DVD, 2000DVD, 2000
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Oct 24, 2019
Comment:
I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about this masterpiece. It's the ultimate horror film. No wonder every scary movie claims to be "scarier than the exorcist." This is the benchmark!
MidsommarMidsommar, DVD
DVD, 2019DVD, 2019
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Oct 24, 2019
Comment:
Ari Aster follows up 2018's Hereditary with this. Uses bright colors and sunlight in a way that most scary movies use darkness. Creative and a lot of scary fun.
The seventh seal(Criterion Collection)The seventh seal(Criterion Collection), DVD
DVD, 2009 — SwedishDVD, 2009. Language: Swedish
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for The seventh seal(Criterion Collection), DVD, All copies in use
Holds: 1 on 2 copies
Added Oct 24, 2019
Comment:
Swedish with English subtitles. Even in black and white, the imagery is vibrant and timeless. It doesn't transport you to the era of the crusades and the black death so much as it uses these events to explore important human themes.
The King in YellowThe King in Yellow, Book
by Chambers, Robert W.Book, 2017Book, 2017
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for The King in Yellow, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 2 copies
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Oct 20, 2019
Comment:
Highly influential to the likes of Lovecraft, Chambers' strange tales are perfect for Halloween reading.
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Oct 17, 2019
Comment:
A frenzied fever dream of prose poetry. This was maddening and maddeningly beautiful, even when it baffled me. I couldn't help reading it at full speed because one word tumbled so triumphantly into the next.
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Sep 25, 2019
Kitchen ConfidentialKitchen Confidential, BookAdventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Bourdain, AnthonyBook, 2007Book, 2007
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2019
Comment:
Yes this is crass and a little on the vulgar side - I personally didn't find it that offensive - but it's also passionate! I was swept away by the dedication that these rough-and-tumble characters have to their craft, the language of their world and the beauty that comes from it.Yes this is crass and a little on the vulgar side - I personally didn't find it that offensive - but it's also passionate! I was swept away by the dedication that these rough-and-tumble characters have to their craft, the language of their world…
The Passion According to G.HThe Passion According to G.H, Book
by Lispector, ClariceBook, 2012Book, 2012
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Aug 07, 2019
Comment:
An intimate account of one woman's existential crisis while pondering a dead cockroach in her apartment. There's a plot here, it's just that it's mostly inner experience. I do wish it was a tad easier to unravel, but it made me think about my own experience and existence.An intimate account of one woman's existential crisis while pondering a dead cockroach in her apartment. There's a plot here, it's just that it's mostly inner experience. I do wish it was a tad easier to unravel, but it made me think about my own…
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Jul 15, 2019
Comment:
This is a memoir of a different sort. The narrator and subject are never the focus of the story, always in the background somewhere like in a family photograph, off-center. Still, you get the undeniable sense of a person as you read the stark and beautiful imagery.This is a memoir of a different sort. The narrator and subject are never the focus of the story, always in the background somewhere like in a family photograph, off-center. Still, you get the undeniable sense of a person as you read the stark and…
Night Sky With Exit WoundsNight Sky With Exit Wounds, Book
by Vuong, OceanBook, 2016Book, 2016
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for Night Sky With Exit Wounds, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 3 copies
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Jun 19, 2019
Comment:
I devoured this award-winning collection of poems much faster than I meant to. Call it literary gluttony.
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 17, 2019
Comment:
This was a a dark read about a man who seeks to triumph over his inner demons by setting them free. He is determined to commit a murder, but his chosen victim may be more than he bargained for. Told from dueling viewpoints which, in this case, worked well.This was a a dark read about a man who seeks to triumph over his inner demons by setting them free. He is determined to commit a murder, but his chosen victim may be more than he bargained for. Told from dueling viewpoints which, in this case,…
The Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. JamesThe Complete Ghost Stories of M.R. James, BookVolume 1, Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories
by James, M. R.Book, 2005Book, 2005
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 07, 2019
Comment:
M. R. James did more for the development of the English ghost story than any other author. He wrote these supernatural tales to read to his friends at Christmas time. They can be a little stuffy at first, but each one builds and builds to a state of dread which will still chill readers today.M. R. James did more for the development of the English ghost story than any other author. He wrote these supernatural tales to read to his friends at Christmas time. They can be a little stuffy at first, but each one builds and builds to a state…
The Neon DemonThe Neon Demon, DVD
DVD, 2016DVD, 2016
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 07, 2019
Comment:
It's hard to know what to do with this well-photographed but slightly half-baked art piece about jealousy and vengeance in the modeling world. The secret to enjoying it is to let go of some of your expectations and just enjoy the colors and the stark splendor of the ride.It's hard to know what to do with this well-photographed but slightly half-baked art piece about jealousy and vengeance in the modeling world. The secret to enjoying it is to let go of some of your expectations and just enjoy the colors and the…
SevenSeven, DVD
DVD, 1997DVD, 1997
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 07, 2019
Comment:
I saw this in college and adored it. It was worse on my second viewing, worse still upon my third viewing and so on. I don't know where this film's appeal went but it has slowly deteriorated into a dirty, spiteful mess which I look upon with mounting concern for the future.I saw this in college and adored it. It was worse on my second viewing, worse still upon my third viewing and so on. I don't know where this film's appeal went but it has slowly deteriorated into a dirty, spiteful mess which I look upon with…
Red DragonRed Dragon, DVD
DVD, 2003DVD, 2003
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 07, 2019
Comment:
Now that I'm thinking about it...this police procedural prequel is most decidedly NOT my favorite followup to the excellent and groundbreaking Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal, the official sequel to silence of the lambs, is much more surprising and fun. This one was just bleak police stuff.Now that I'm thinking about it...this police procedural prequel is most decidedly NOT my favorite followup to the excellent and groundbreaking Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal, the official sequel to silence of the lambs, is much more surprising and…
HannibalHannibal, DVD
DVD, 2001DVD, 2001
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 07, 2019
Comment:
A mediocre sequal to Silence of the Lambs sans Jodie Foster. Still, it's nice to see Hannibal Lecter in his natural habitat, not just in a glass cage. The Hans Zimmer score, especially "Vide cor Meum," is beautiful to the point of almost being too good for the movie it's in.A mediocre sequal to Silence of the Lambs sans Jodie Foster. Still, it's nice to see Hannibal Lecter in his natural habitat, not just in a glass cage. The Hans Zimmer score, especially "Vide cor Meum," is beautiful to the point of almost being too…
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 06, 2019
Comment:
This is the story of a waiter at a worn-out, high-end restaurant in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. It consists of his gossipy and sometimes frantic reflections of the regulars who dine there. Recommend if you like banter and quirky musing on culture and modern society.This is the story of a waiter at a worn-out, high-end restaurant in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. It consists of his gossipy and sometimes frantic reflections of the regulars who dine there. Recommend if you like banter and quirky musing on…
How to Cook EverythingHow to Cook Everything, BookThe Basics : All You Need to Make Great Food
by Bittman, MarkBook, 2012Book, 2012
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 02, 2019
Comment:
Maybe the most helpful cookbook I've ever run across. First he explains all the techniques of cooking and then puts them together into recipes. Pictures are amazing, directions are clear and easy to understand and the blueberry muffins I made were terrific.Maybe the most helpful cookbook I've ever run across. First he explains all the techniques of cooking and then puts them together into recipes. Pictures are amazing, directions are clear and easy to understand and the blueberry muffins I made were…
The Wicker Man (1973 Version)The Wicker Man (1973 Version), DVD
DVD, 2001DVD, 2001
JCLMattC's rating:
Added May 02, 2019
Comment:
Not to be confused with the remake with Nicholas Cage, this cult classic starring Christopher Lee is actually a musical, so to speak, and highly creepy with a suspenseful crescendo. We watch this at my house every May day.
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Apr 02, 2019
Comment:
Wow. I thought this would be a sumptuous feast but it was very exhausting and quick. In just 100 pages, Kerangal makes quite an impact. The steam and the smells and the overall frenetic energy of the kitchen are very much alive here.
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Jan 31, 2019
Comment:
Karl Ove Knausgaard’s childhood makes up book three of his epic, six-volume novel. I honestly didn’t think I’d care for this one, but, as in the other two I’ve read, Karl Ove does a good job of reliving his life, breaking down what he saw, what he felt and how he reacted, for better or for worse.Karl Ove Knausgaard’s childhood makes up book three of his epic, six-volume novel. I honestly didn’t think I’d care for this one, but, as in the other two I’ve read, Karl Ove does a good job of reliving his life, breaking down what he saw, what he…
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Jan 31, 2019
Comment:
This was so well-written it begs to be read aloud. There are soulful parts, lots of painful parts but the fast-paced, no-nonsense plot kept me going back again and again to read more. The world Adele inhabits is fraught with compulsion and sickness, but Slimani makes it so readable it feels real.This was so well-written it begs to be read aloud. There are soulful parts, lots of painful parts but the fast-paced, no-nonsense plot kept me going back again and again to read more. The world Adele inhabits is fraught with compulsion and…
26662666, Book
by Bolaño, RobertoBook, 2008Book, 2008
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for 2666, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 5 on 1 copy
JCLMattC's rating:
Added Dec 10, 2018
Comment:
A vast, sprawling and interwoven five-part novel. It looks at a series of ghastly murders committed in an imaginary border city in Mexico - sometimes from a faraway, academic perspective, sometimes up close with gruesome intimacy. It's a mystery, but it isn't. It's a whodunnit, but not at all what that word usually implies. This is one of the most daunting books I've read and yet I'm immensely glad I read it. It isn't hard to read, but it's easy to become overwhelmed by the scope and the fact that this book plays entirely by its own rules.A vast, sprawling and interwoven five-part novel. It looks at a series of ghastly murders committed in an imaginary border city in Mexico - sometimes from a faraway, academic perspective, sometimes up close with gruesome intimacy. It's a mystery,…
Comment: