Not good or bad...just different.
340026
It's difficult to say whether or not this novel is good or bad when it's simply different.  It's like comparing different actors that have portrayed Poirot in movies and television.  I noticed a difference in the character's speech and its pace and delivery differs from the actual novels.  It seemed to match more closely with the Poirot portrayed by David Suchet in the television series.  The story and plot are overly complicated and the ending, wow.  It's loaded with twists and turns, most of which are simply guesses.  All in all it was an okay read.
136528
While about werewolves like so many other YA books, this one is just... different.  The only way I know how to explain it is that it is not your typical paranormal romance.  Rather, it is dark, simple, and at times strange and creepy.  The writing is sparse, simplistic, and often a bit clunky, as Block's style is.  However, the writing lacked that magical sparkle that is found in many of Block's other novels, like Weetzie Bat.  That sparkle was what usually pulled me in to her books, and since that was lacking here, I wasn't all that interested in it.  The plot, while thin, was interesting, and certainly different from other werewolf tales.  I also liked how real the characters were, even though some of them felt under developed.  I feel like several story lines, especially Pace's, were not explored enough and kind of left me feeling confused.  Overall, a so-so book.  If you can get it from a library, it is worth a read, especially if you are a Block fan.  But it is not a keeper and not worth purchasing.
496333
I used to think this album was Crap.  After all it wasn't really the Clash, the music... not the Clash.  Recently I listened to it again and if you take is as a different group, its not so crappy.  In fact there are a few  tracks that are good..This is England, and a couple others .  But clearly it is a different direction musically. Lyrics are good though.
2497477
This is a really good album and seems to be a bit different then the rest. In no way is that bad. Like all great bands, these guys don't seem to be interested in repeating themselves. That being said they do have a very unique sound and are able to keep listeners aware that they do have something that defiantly makes them them.
2524964
It is different...I'll give it that. To me, though, it was just missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it didn't leave me wanting more and at the same time it didn't go far enough. I wanted to really like it. I just didn't.
1499570
It's not a bad movie, it's just a very niche genre. If you like Evil Dead you'll probably like it. Not because it's a similar story, it's not. It's more that it has similar story telling. It's bizarre in that it flip flops from serious to campy, thought provoking to cheap thrill and back again. It is a unique story, and for that I'm glad I watched it. It was refreshing.
2029280
O.K., boys, nice try, but for making your fans wait so long only to put  out this??  It's not metal, it's alternative!!  It may be very good,  especially compared to the rest of todays music, but it is just not what  everyone was expecting.
2259640
The Neutral: the item is a little larger and bulkier than expected, this is not necessarily a bad thing, just different.
Also: the bottom "bean-bag" part is not as flexible or moldable as expected, meaning it does not so much conform to the dash shape as just sits on top of it.
The bottom has some "bean-bag" action but it is rather stiff, perhaps because it is brand new.
Maybe if I work on it a bit pushing and shaping it will get better.
The Good: it currently does stay put on the dash and does not go sliding away on turns.
It also holds the phone very tightly which is good.
My phone has a 6.5 inch screen plus a case which makes it rather large and heavy
This holds it well and would even hold a larger phone.
All in all I am satisfied with this, and may buy a second one for another car.
191773
Not a bad movie... but completely different from the book. From start to finish the only thing that lines up is the general story line, characters are changed, scenes are either in incorrect order or completely changed... This movie would have gotten more stars if it was stand alone, because again it was not bad. It was, however, supposed to represent the book so I cannot give it more than three.
3226100
Original. Nice to see something that is different. And not the same thing over and over.
2904527
What can I say, except it kept me reading. It was different.
3685080
It is different, fun, a bit funky--not Foo fighters, nor Nirvana.  Does show the depth of David Grohl since he is on the bulk of the tracks!
4054784
This movie has generated reviews from both sides of the spectrum.  Those who really love it because it's so different and those who disliked it because it was so different.  In other words what it comes down to is a movie that is so different that depending on what you are expecting, it may or may not please you.
Before I go into my personal feelings of the movie, I will have to agree that Nicholson's performance of the retiring police officer was good.  Many people wonder if the man can continue to do a stellar performance and it's evident that no matter how old Nicholson is, he will always be a talented actor.  What I disagree with is this film being one of his prized performances and movies.
Second, I agree that Sean Penn did very well as a director in this movie, the cinematography was indeed beautiful but unfortunately a stellar performance, good directing, good music and good cinematography cannot make a great movie with a storyline that leaves you feeling empty and making you say "Is that it?"
This movie will go in my list of reviews of movies with strong potential but with a purpose to be different that will attract some moviegoers but more than likely will alienate people.  In this list are movies such as "Arlington Road" and "Juliet in Love".
As with my review of "Arlington Road", I give the the movie credit for being different and for having an ending so unlike what many people would expect but does being different mean good?  Perhaps to some people.  Some people found "Arlington Road" brilliant.  Some people found "The Pledge" brilliant because both movies are different.  Not me.
As for the DVD, video and audio is good.  The music sounds good but this is more of a dialogue film, so it's not one of those that you will expect to be testing out your receiver.  As for special features, this movie only features a trailer and cast info (not for the whole cast...was this DVD rushed?).
So, if you are in the mood for something different and have a craving for a really good recent performance of Nicholson, check this DVD out.
302943
Not bad, but not what I expected.  Surprisingly intense violence, not as fun as it seemed it should be.  An awkward balance of humor and killing, but not in the "good" way.  So heavy, the moments of humor seemed out of place...
187306
Fun, Different.

Not a traditional horror, nor sci-fi. I liken it to Alien, but with crappier special effects. There isn't the wholesale slaughter you see in many "monster movies" and the town and it's people were creepy enough before the whole creature in the woods thing. People are led to believe it is due to stupid human's deforesting our planet, and unleashing ancient things, but the ending makes me think that the director was clever and sent his message while not leaving you with weak absolutes.

For those of you who enjoy hollywood endings, found footage films, or the traditional good versus evil, I probably wouldn't recommend if those are your only tastes. If you're one who enjoys clever understatement and dark movies that hold just as much psychological involvement as they do danger, then you might enjoy this film immensely.

If you're looking just for a popcorn movie, then maybe skip this one - it's fairly cerebral in a certain sense. While everyone in the film is some kind of backwoods (and maybe a little backwards) hick, the best parts of the film to me were the ones that said volumes silently with tension and subtlety.

Also, I loved the whole "grim dark" at the end. Some might not like that bit, but to me the movie would've suffered at least 2 stars if they hadn't included it.
1069309
The first things I have noticed while reading these reviews:
 - Most people long for the same 90's feel
 - Some people want them to change (I just read some guy who essentially said that he liked them in the beginning, then started not following their changes, and now like them returning to form, but somehow still want them to change.)
 - There's been a lot of bashing on The Else and other recent albums

First, I liked The Else.  It was different, kind of moody, but it had some really great tracks, Bee of the Bird of the Moth (which I concluded was a metaphor for the Theory of Evolution), The Shadow Government (great music video), The Mesopotamians (another great music video), and my personal favorite, With the Dark (kind of like a rock opera in itself).  And to complement the main release, there was the bonus disk, Cast Your Pod to the Wind, which had more of the classic track structures from TMBG, which might be just as good as the first disc.  Usually, the people criticizing The Else haven't heard the bonus disc.

That said, Join Us is a lot more like their earlier releases.  After listening through it twice, the songs that mainly come to mind are Cloisone, Canajoharie and The Lady and the Tiger.  Let Your Hair Hang Down, When Will You Die and Can't Keep Johnny are fun, but the lyrics aren't nearly as interesting as the ones before.  That said, there are also some pretty bad tracks, like You Don't Like Me, Old Pine Box, Never Knew Love and Celebration (kind of sounded like a badly conceived pop song.)  That said, the only one that I'd consider skipping over is the latter.

Putting this in contrast to other albums is pretty hard.  On one hand, you're don't have any songs that fill exactly the niche as Birdhouse in Your Soul or The Guitar (the best song off of Apollo 18).  But on the other hand, because really no good They Might Be Giants song sounds like another, you really can never get a song that is as good in a certain way as another.  And besides, the more I listen to this, the better it tends to get.
3753914
This album is a little different from all of his work up until this point. It is not bad, just different. I would recommend listening to a few tracks before getting the entire album.