#2 star reviews

[bowokshop]

⭐⭐

[talesfromthecrypts]

I love reading 1/2 star reviews for horror movies on letterbox where half of them are like "ummm this movie is disturbing? and scary? wtf?" like yes ma'am says right there on the tin HORROR movie

[batvilletv]

If Todd Phillips really is done with DC Universe after Joker 2... what a disappointment of a film. Where will this Joker character go from here? A cliffhanger like The Sopranos. That's it, you just sopranos joker. But shitier.

[batfambrainrotbeloved]

highlights of reading All-Star Batman and Robin, the boy wonder. This batman is so bad he’s been nicknamed Crazy Steve out of the belief that this is a random crazy guy who stole the batsuit. He also has his own villains wiki. Im saying this to you cause youre the only other person i know who actually reads the comics

What did they do to the flying graysons uniform.

DID BRUCE JUST KIDNAP DICK

”the goddamn Batman” shut the fuck up brucie

BRUCE WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE 12 YEAR OLD YOU KIDNAPPED IN THE BATCAVE

BRUCE COME BACK HE’S BEEN THERE FOR DAYS

Alfred thank you for bringing him clothes and food since he still HAD HIS PARENTS BLOOD ON HIM WHAT THE FUCK BRUCE

BRUCE STOP GETTING MAD THAT ALFRED FED DICK AND GAVE HIM CLOTBES

BRUCE OMFG STOP TELLING THE KID TO JUST “EAT THE RATS”

why is black canary irish

okay so diana hates men, bruce is abusive, clark and bruce hate each other, and the Justice league doesnt exist

HOLY SHIT DICK IS STILL IN THE BATCAVE

BRUCE LET THE KID GO UPSTAIRS BEFORE HE ATTACKS YOU WITH HIS BATTLE-AXE HE’S ALREADY LOSING HIS SANITY

babs is batgirl before dick is robin, that totally makes sense

actually bruce making dick paint his whole body, bruce’s whole body, and a whole safehouse yellow in preparation for a green lantern coming is hilarious

BRUCE WHAT THE FUCK YOU THREATENED TO KILL HIM AND BEAT DICK UP BECAUSE HE ALMOST BROKE A RULE YOU DIDNT TELL HIM EXISTED

its been at least a week and dick *finally* knows bruce’s identity, maybe now he’ll be let upstairs

i get why this only has 10 comics

TLDR: the art is lovely, the writing is terrible

Oh bless your heart- theres a reason its the series that comes up literally every single time people complain about shit writing/horrific mischaracterization.

I will say the Green Lantern "Paint the entire city yellow." is just about the only saving grace because that level of commitment AND audacity rings very true of more golden/silver age comics (which I adore)

[absolutebl]

This Week In BL - These Are the Days of Our BLs

Aug 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 5 of 8 - They cute making heart eyes at each other, but could we get back to punching & slutty silk shirts? OMG the poor rich kid & the bodyguard who wants to hug him SO BAD are KILLING me. I did giggle & yell “punchy punchies” during the fight scene before the fire. But Charn is a diamond-encrusted evil-gorgeous gremlin beastie, isn’t he? 

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 1 of 10 - NO SINGING, but also.. wristbands! Sand is great = smart, snappy & over this shit. (Tired Gay 2.0) Neo & Mark are a revelation, where’d that chemistry come from? Force playing a douchenozzle is damn delight. Plus a counter lift in the first ep? Boys, you’re spoiling me. Mew is the least interesting, but Book is still adorable. Ray is the least likable character, but since it’s Khao, he’s the most likable screen presence. In fact, I’m enjoying all the messy messy gays & I know all their types IRL. I wish we had some femme & swish rep tho. Is this Thailand’s Queer as Folk? Seems like. Is it good? Not sure. But it is FUN as hell. Still, I gotta say it… they all dance like straight boys. 

Hidden Agenda that isn’t hidden (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 5 of 10 - Zo just wants to turtle & avoid but Joke is not gonna allow that. GMMTV keeps having sub issues (usually fixed within a few days). 

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 6 of 8 - I do like the psychic gay detective trope. It makes this show more interesting and enjoyable. But they solved the mystery awful fast. I guess different drama spins the final 2 eps? 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 12fin - It was fine. I was fine with it. A kind of Vice Versa situation. The usual with Jittirain, as it turns out, is pretty simple: one of her main characters is going to be a manipulative liar or extremely unlikeable or both. It got an 8/10 from me, but probably should get a 7/10 just because I’m so exhausted by this. But I have to be fair and judge each BL on its own & not in light of repeat author mistakes. Not much of a trash watch here. Final full review here. 

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 7 of 10 eps - Boyfriend trip together. Terrible overalls. What the fuck? No. Meanwhile, perfect choice for college star. (Could Ton please lead out a new BL? I know I’m 0 for 2 with him but I’m willing to try again if he is.) I actually enjoyed this installment for a change. Perhaps “enjoy” is too strong a word. Not much happened, dog days of BL, perhaps that’s a good thing with Dino? 

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 6 of 12 - Mostly I was excited to watch this week because of Ben but there wasn’t much of him. Sadness. OK, I know it has STIFF competition but does this show have the worst music in BL, or is it just me? I still like Big Daddy & Hot Doc as characters but I am despairing over their arc (would we call it an arc?). All in all this week... Whatever.

Wedding Plan (Weds YT & iQIYI) ep 4 of 7 - I am officially being driven to drink. Trash watch is happening!

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thurs Viki) 4 of 8 - This show makes me laugh so much. It is so damn cute. And there’s so much language play going on. THEN . . . JUST ADD SIMON. I love a good Simon. Who doesn’t love a good Simon? I know SO MANY Simons. Now 3 boys are circling the ingénue (who I suspect is less innocent than he appears). So much delightful competition, postering & flirting. “My Jun,” is he, Simon? You are a precious angular stalk man, aren’t you? Pacing is great with this show. Every week I can’t wait for the next installment, that’s a hallmark of the best KBLs. If the language stuff confused you as much as it did me here is an EXCELLENT post on the subject that will help. 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 7 of 10 eps - Sweetest seme. He’s hurt & mad at his boy but still can’t help taking care of him. I do like the courting with snacks & sweet little notes. (It’d work on me.) YAY!  Reunion kisses & nuzzles!!! Snuggling!!!! Gah! Taiwan, I love you. These 2 aren’t your best kissers but their cuddling is off the charts. I guess we are just gonna be plotless messy gay bfs for the final 3 eps? That’s cool with me. 

Sing My Crush (Korea Weds iQIYI) 3-4 of 8 eps - it’s adorable, they’re adorable, I’m enjoying it a whole lot. It’s like a very soft, low-stakes Addicted. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) 10 eps - I liked Love Class 1 (more than most on Tumblr) & I normally don’t want 2nd seasons. But this has an entirely new cast (in the “Replay” model). I’m fine with a 2nd season that has little or nothing to do with the first. J-min is an interesting choice of idols but he’s doing an unexpectedly good job. (He is a truly great rapper, by the way.) Trigger warnings out the gate... also this is complicated. Ready? We got 3 queer besties: artist gay Hyun (J-min), shy cafe gay Minwoo (in love with), sunshine gym bunny bi slut Maru (represent, my brother). Then we got Mr Put-upon-TA (+ boy who saw him nekid). And the twist = all black otaku Kim An (used to tutor artist gay in high school = exes ghosting DRAMA). This last reads as a hyung romance. Which you know I love. But it also feels v dark. All of which is to say, I am intrigued but a little nervous over the tone. 

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 8 - Classic JBL is back! This one is My Beautiful Man + Tokyo in April/Oh My Assistant. It’s odd and warped af but I like it. Very much has a the feel of old live action yaoi + VERY D/s. BRING IT JAPAN.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 6 of 12 eps - Shin is my sweet bean sprout and Minato should just boink him. Why all this waffling? I love the doctor. But mostly I’m as frustrated with this show as Shin must be in general. Minato 2- the season of blue balls.

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) 2 of 5 eps - I re-watched the first 2 eps & now find it a bit more comprehensible (yes 2: there is an ep 0). I don’t think we can expect this to end happy for either couple. It’s kinda sticky & grungy (in a way I’ve come to expect from the Philippines, although this is not as cluttered visually nor as brightly colored as the Pinoy stuff). I do kind of like that lived-in feeling, it reminds me of Taiwanese shorts. There is something very honestly queer about the primary leads (tattoo & babyface) in particular the way they dance queer? around each other: verbally, emotionally & physically - laying down breadcrumbs of gay for the other to follow. The secondary couple (reunion, cheating) is very sad. Although I do love a counter lift make-out sesh. (Occasionally Cantonese sounds like Vietnamese to me. Apparently I am not alone in this.)

Gossip - AKA P’ABL is Disappointed

I was gonna put a statement here but I just did it separately, earlier this week, since my ask box was overflowing regarding actor gossip and other stuff. 

Meanwhile, Stay With Me ended exactly as expected. Can’t say I didn’t warn ya. You watched this anyway? You got what was coming to you. I am entirely unsympathetic. 

 Next Week Looks Like This:

Look at that PACKED week. NIIICEEEE. 

Starting:

8/18 Dangerous Romance (Thai Fri GMMTC YT) 12 eps - Perth returns to lead out a BL, odds on that ever happening were slim. (Let alone Chimon.) Still here we are. Interesting times. Chimon plays a poor studious kid who hates the school bully but is forced to become his private tutor. Lurv results. 

8/19 Love in Translation (Thai Sat One31) 10 eps - Two strangers start working in a cafe together. Looks very pulp. No idea on international distribution. 

8/19 I Feel You Linger in the Air (Thai Sat Gaga) 12 eps - The time travel historical romance many of us have been waiting for. Adaption of y-novel by Violet Rain. Heartbroken architect is transported to the 1930s. From the producers of Lovely Writer.

8/20 My Universe series (Thai Sun iQIYI) 24 eps - This is sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 eps, not sure on the order they’ll drop. Known couples include EarthBank from Destiny Seeker and KaownahTurbo from Love Stage!!!, fresh faces otherwise. Jane to direct.

Still Coming in August 2023

8/22 Kisseki: Dear to Me formerly known as Miracle (Taiwan Tues ????) 13 eps - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer, Viki or Gaga will get this one.  

8/23 Why R U? (Korean remake iQIYI) is supposed to be out this month, filming started in sept 22. I find everything about this hilarious. I mean if Korea remakes it, we lose all the sexy and then... would we have a story at all? No we would not. Not even for six short eps. It’d be like one of those mesh shopping bags.

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie, domestic cinema release) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Talking grandkids. Made me snicker. (Low Frequency.)

The waist grab that launched a thousand gifs (Laws of Attraction). Okay it was last week but I gotta chronicle it here in the weeklies. For science. 

Sing My Crush. They are so damn cute. 

Thank you for the counter action GMMTV, please Sirs, may I have another?

Captain snark in the house. Of course they handed the best and most complex pairing to these two. Well done GMMTV. (Only Friends) 

I really did not expect J-Min to be this good. (Love Class 2) 

(Last week) 

[vonlipvig]

i love letterboxd so much, you guys will log anything in there. my friend just gave 5 stars to the zapruder film of kennedy assassination.

[ezras-left-thumb]

PART 2 - FLASH STRIKE (TBB SEASON 3) (SPOILERS)

Emerie walked in. Of course she did. The way my jaw D R O P P E D when the two made the dreaded Eye Contact. Oh, Echo. The 501st were never good at lying.

And Emerie's lil eyebrow raise has me worried.

"Echo." WHAT THE FUUUUUCK. "I-I was doing my job."

STOP. REDEMPTION ARC? EMERIE YOU'RE MAKING IT VERY VERY HARD TO HATE YOU.

wait stop his ears were such a jumpscare why didn't i think of that

Oh my god Emerie yesyesyes come to the liiiight.

Oh my stars. Unless we're getting a surprise part 2 I don't know how or what the hell the production team is gonna put us through. We have half an hour (potentially 1.25 hours from what I've heard) to wrap up this ENTIRE show.

So many things have been left unanswered. Is Wrecker alright? Did the Batch make it inside OK? Do Emerie and Echo find Omega and the others? Where is CX-2? What happened to him? Who will die in the finale, because it's Star Wars and we never get a happy ending?

and is tech really dead, or is he coming back?

[regicidal-defenestration]

Most annoying advertising trend is "the new [existing media]!!!" because maybe 7 times out of 10 it's doing a disservice to both the new and old thing

[browneyess]

Let’s talk about Din’s side-story/show takeover in The Book of Boba Fett. Personally, I really liked the show! It definitely wasn’t great, but it had potential. However, what they did with Din and Grogu was horrid. Yes, it was cool, but they didn’t need to put that in an entirely different show. The only reason I can think of as to why the directors did that is to bring back Grogu faster, their biggest money grab. Disney is all about that marketability! I hated that so much. Another reason they might have brought Grogu back so quickly is that some people watch The Mandalorian for Grogu or just really love the character. Without Grogu, The Mandalorian was sure to have viewership rates drop. However, the show is called The Mandalorian, not The Mandalorian and Grogu (although the same title is being used for the movie to be released in 2026). It's bout the Mandalorian, not Grogu. While its plot is heavily supported by him, he’s not a keystone in it. The show can function just fine without Grogu. However, Din cannot!

Disney completely breezed over the two years Din and Grogu were apart. Two years. And you know what Disney does? They don’t acknowledge it! They don’t even hint towards the fact that Din was definitely mentally struggling without Grogu; he helped him in more ways than one. I’m going to be honest before I rewatched it, I didn’t remember how season 3 started. However, I do know how it should’ve started:

Season 2 ends with Grogu being taken away by Luke. The elevator door shuts and boom, that’s it. End of the season. The writers of the show could’ve taken advantage of that and started season 3 in the same place they left off. The poor writing left out so much important information, like what did Din do after he took off his helmet? Did he put it back on and act like nothing happened? How did the others react? How did they move on from that whole ordeal? Season 3 could’ve started with that. It could’ve explained everything that happened post-season 2: Din’s handling of being alone/an apostate, how he moved on/coped, what he did afterward (did he return to bounty hunting (TBOBF confirms that he did), or did he go on hiatus and/or hide somewhere?), etc. It’s so infuriating to me that Disney breezed over the fact that Din was definitely mentally struggling. The way they wrote Din’s part of The Book of Boba Fett and season 3 made it seem like those two years of grieving never happened. Don’t you think Din would be, oh I don’t know, maybe a little overprotective/clingy over Grogu? Perhaps even salty toward the Jedi! I know for a fact he’d hold a grudge against Luke/Ahsoka/other Jedi for taking his boy away from him. This isn’t DIN DJARIN, this is BIN JARRIN. UGH.

While season 3 could’ve delved into Din’s recovery from losing Grogu, it also could’ve taken advantage of the obvious doorway to introduce more flashbacks. In the entire show, we only get a single flashback, and it only explains what happened to Din’s family, how he became a Mandalorian, and why he dislikes droids so much. It is great that they did that! Although, they are severely lacking in a lot of other important backstory parts: how Din adapted to being a Mandalorian, his relationship with the other Mandalorians (Paz Vizsla and the Armorer especially—maybe some non-introduced characters?), what inspired him to be a bounty hunter, etc. etc. Oh my God, the possibilities for season 3 are genuinely endless, and it pisses me off to no end that they didn’t seize such a good opportunity.

Din’s part in The Book of Boba Fett and season 3 would be better off as season 4, of course, with better writing.

Genuinely there should be more focus on Din's obvious anxiety and trauma. They could have gone in so many directions with it and instead just brought Grogu back. I really wish they’d shown us Din fresh after losing Grogu because I feel like his separation anxiety would be insane (as loss can make that more prone to happen! And Din is no stranger to losing things at a young, impressionable age!). He literally watched his parents die. I feel so bad for him because he finally found an anchor in his life, and then this random blond-ass twink pulls up and is like, “Come with me.” Or something, I don’t know. And then Din takes off his helmet??? For Grogu??? And then that’s it—they literally don’t acknowledge it whatsoever. Like, what do you mean he’s a human with emotions and struggles! 😂 Never heard of her!

He didn’t trust droids for over half his life because of trauma, and I feel like there’d be other things he’d have bad anxiety over too (like Grogu and his attachments). Can we get more of that, please? Even still, he doesn’t trust droids. In season 3, he asked for IG-11 specifically, despite him being literally offline. He still tried to get him back, and it wasn’t until IG-11 REALLY went out of commission that he had to settle for R5-D4. Then in episode 6, Bo said, “Do any of them look suspicious?” and he replied, “All of them look suspicious” because the droids they were looking at specifically were battle droids—the kind that killed his parents. So obviously, he holds a grudge against that model. But I know for a fact he was uncomfortable on Plazir-15 because of the extensive droid staff.

The way they skipped over those two years gives Din Djarin’s character the impression that it meant nothing to him. Or—it went by so fast, he didn’t even realize. Whatever it was, it was a poor writing decision. Din’s character is beautifully complex, but the writers aren’t putting in the effort to even consider that.

Without Grogu, I feel like Din would be a lot different. More cold and quiet than he was before; how he was at the beginning of season 1 and The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian." He’s distinctly more dry in replies and more focused on his job than anything. The Book of Boba Fett at least gave us a little bit of Din without Grogu, but that didn’t even last long because the following episode Din goes to see Grogu. As much as I love Din and Grogu’s relationship, I feel like Din trying to move on—emphasis on trying—would make a good episode. Like trying to do a job, fresh from becoming an apostate and losing Grogu, and he just can’t focus with everything that had just happened.

A detail I love in The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian," are two things that remind Din of Grogu: the beskar chainmail wrapped in a way that it kind of looks like Grogu’s head, and the green Rodian child. As much as Din would like to move on, he simply can’t because everything reminds him of Grogu. Also, he literally had the Armorer break down the spear to make into a gift for a “special foundling,” and he wanted to see Grogu. They even talked about how Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments, but the Mandalorian Creed is built on attachments. While Din wants to keep Grogu, he knows he can’t because that’s not what Grogu can have. He’s destined to be a Jedi; there’s no dodging that.

Adding to that, without Grogu, I feel like Din would be a lot different. More cold and quiet than he was before; how he was at the beginning of season 1 and The Book of Boba Fett chapter 5, "Return of the Mandalorian." He’s distinctly more dry in replies and more focused on his job than anything. The Book of Boba Fett at least gave us a little bit of Din without Grogu, but that didn’t even last long because the following episode Din goes to see Grogu. As much as I love Din and Grogu’s relationship, I feel like Din trying to move on—emphasis on trying—would make a good episode. Like trying to do a job, fresh from becoming an apostate and losing Grogu, and he just can’t focus with everything that had just happened.

Considering how deeply Din's life has been affected by Grogu, his attempts to move on would undoubtedly be fraught with difficulty and reminders of their bond. 

Din’s journey without Grogu could have been an opportunity to delve deeper into his role as Mandalore and how he navigates that responsibility amidst his personal loss. This aspect of his character and the dynamics within the Mandalorian community could have added rich layers to the story. Instead, the show has overlooked these potential storylines, focusing more on quick resolutions rather than exploring the depth and complexity of Din’s situation.

In general, I want to see more of Din’s attachments—past and present. That’s what their culture is built on, right? It might be the lack of scenes he has with other Mandalorians, but he seems kind of distant from a lot of them (though the general plot of the show hasn’t really allowed us to see those connections in the past). The Mandalorian culture is built on attachment and trust, which contrasts with the Jedi. 

Seeing more of Din’s anxiety and how he handles his attachments would add so much depth to his character. His journey is filled with loss and trauma, and exploring these aspects would make for compelling storytelling. Season 3 could have delved into his struggles with trust and connection, especially in the wake of losing Grogu and becoming an apostate.

If you read this far, thanks! You're a real one.

[wiltking]

i fear booksirens may take me out back one of these days for consistently posting critical reviews

[steelycunt]

those are my emotional support bad reviews of books i hated by strangers online

[startrekmemequeen]

I'm watching season 2 of Star Trek Prodigy and let me tell you... it's SO GOOD

I have so many thoughts and feelings i don't think i know enough words to express all of it. It's such a cinematic masterpiece. Sometimes i even forget it's an animated show because it feels like a movie. It's epic, it's wonderful, it's heartwarming, it's heartbreaking... And it does justice to the characters from previous star trek shows! I just love this show so much, it's my favourite NuTrek. I think everyone should watch it.

The thought of this show nearly getting cancelled makes me shiver. We almost lost SO MUCH amazing Star Trek content... I'm so glad we managed to save it, i'm so greatful for everyone in the fandom speaking up, making content and screaming about this show! Thank you, Star Trek fandom ❤ Together we are unstoppable!

[clonerightsagenda]

Last night I dreamed that they made a Space Between Worlds/Those Beyond the Wall movie and I found out because people on tumblr started posting gifsets of the brothers interacting with not a trace of Cara or Dell in sight (typical) and also they cast Nik Nik and Adam as white (also typical). Nightmare scenario

[scattered-winter]

every day i kick a rock and bash my head into the wall because i'll never get to go on a big space adventure and become tightly close-knit with my new found family up there <//3

[startrekucast]

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Review

Here it is, maman. Don't let the beginning fool ya. We loved us some Prodigy season 2. There were some bumps, but this is some of the best Trek of the last seven years! If you haven't seen it, don't be spoiled! If you have, we get into it, maman!  

Episode Reviewed: Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2

Hosts: David C. Roberson Matthew Carroll

Note: This episode of Star Trek Universe continues Dave and Matt's ongoing journey discussing Star Trek as they have since they were 6 years old during the early '90s.

Join Us: Site: http://startrekucast.com Apple: http://bit.ly/StuCast Spotify: http://bit.ly/StarTrekUCast Spreaker: http://bit.ly/StuCastSpreaker

[vegan-nom-noms]

Movie Night Ideas

Star Wars Wookie Cookies and Baby Yoda Mini Donuts

Inside Out "Joy" Lemonade and "Sadness" Blue Raspberry Cheesecake

The Good Dinosaur Dinosaur Birthday Cake and Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies