#Forest Ledoyen

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[talesoftheraysen]

[tales-of-asteria-rips]

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Forest Ledoyen

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Movies I watched this Week # 149 (Year 3/Week 45):

Between 'Mean Streets' and 'Alice doesn't live here anymore', Martin Scorsese made the documentary ItalianAmerican, which is basically a home movie. It features his parents bicker and talk at their apartment, remembering the old days of their families.

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2 with teenager Scarlett Johansson:

🍿 Re-watch: Sofia Coppola's Lost in translation, while waiting for her latest 'Priscilla'. "Sleepless in Shinjuko". Sad and vulnerable 17-year-old Scarlett Johansson, a 'stranger in a strange land' is having a 'Brief Encounter' moment, with less-asshole-than-usual Bill Murray. (Photos Above).

Another melancholic exploration of a lonely young woman, who finds herself captured in a privileged gilded cage. An exceptional, subtle masterpiece. 10/10.

🍿 The horse whisperer starred 14-year-old Johansson as a horse-lover who becomes emotionally stunted after a riding accident that caused her to lose part of her leg (all in the first 10 minutes of the film). It's a sloooow, traditional 3-hour-long story about healing, told mostly in beautifully-cinematic Montana. But it worked for me, in spite of the well-shot sentimentality. 7/10.

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My first 2 by German auteur Christian Petzold, both with Paula Beer:

🍿 Afire - a tremendous, complex drama about a vain, immature writer on a working vacation. The little summer cottage close to the Baltic sea, is soon encroached by a forest fire, as does his self-centered world view of himself and his art. It starts at one emotional point, and skillfully moves to a completely different, tense level. 9/10.

🍿 Petzold wanted to make a series of films about the 4 elements. Undine refers to the myth of 'water nymphs', so rivers, industrial diving, large aquariums, and drowning in a pool are all part of the story. It's a lovely, simple romance, which eventually turns into a dark fantasy. My 5th film with Franz Rogowski. 4/10.

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3 More of Claude Chabrol’s Hitchcockian thrillers:

🍿 “… You like meat?…”

Le Boucher, a low-key, atmospheric thriller about a single woman who befriends a village butcher, who's also a serial killer. Fantastic snapshot of the people at 'the country' (Dordogne) at this time. 9/10.

🍿 The ceremony (La Cérémonie) is a similar dark story, set in a solid bourgeoisie family. Isabelle Huppert & Sandrine Bonnaire becomes friends and eventually decide kill them all. Like 'Stanley & Iris' from last week, the protagonist is illiterate. 6/10.

🍿 The Unfaithful Wife, another terrific, low-key, civilized study of a French bourgeois household. A loving husband discovers that his loving wife is having an affair, and ends up killing her lover. I liked it so much, and thought it would be a very good candidate for a modern remake. Then I remembered Adrian Lyne's 'Unfaithful' with the luminous Diane Lane in the Stéphane Audran role. Maybe I should watch it again! 8/10.

I discovered Chabrol late, and have only seen about 10% of his 74 movies. Now I have to see them all!

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Milf, another film with Virginie Ledoyen, a soft-core sex comedy. Three older women looking to hook up with boys 20 years younger. A similar concept to the Naomi Watts film 'Adoration'. I only watched it because it is directed by a woman and had 13 on the Tomato score. Better than Zalman King.

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Wow! After 4 months of anticipation, the venerable bio-pic Oppenheimer finally hit my free streamers. I watched all 3 hours of it but left completely underwhelmed. This is the seventh of Christopher Nolen's praised big-budget epic films that I saw, and so far none of them had floated my boat. Okay, so I'm not a big blockbusters fan.

It's not very hip to rail against McCarthyism in 2023. Twenty-twenty revisionist vision, mambo-jumbo pseudoscience, overwrought endless, loud soundtrack, and basically the usual biography of a "Great man", which is always a boring subject for a movie. 4/10.

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3 by regular Fincher screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker:

🍿 On the other hand, David Fincher’s new thriller The killer was a thrill ride that was a joy to watch. A cold blooded professional assassin, laconic and super-human, flies around the world ruthlessly killing people. Mesmerizing (but predictable) suspense with an effective Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score. I could do without the inner monologue that replaced conversations in the story. Also, a great comic book knock-out fight after an hour and a half of deliberate, slow go. 7/10.

🍿 In 2001, BMW produced 8 short films by famous directors as "Branded Content", i.e. advertisements. Called 'The hire' they all featured Clive Owen driving Beamers around the world. AKW wrote two of them:

The Follow was directed by Wong Kar-wai, and was about an aborted diamond heist.

Ambush was directed by John Frankenheimer, and was about a woman being followed by her husband.

The other shorts were by John Woo, Tony Scott, Ang Lee, etc.

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5 more Danish films, 3 with Henning Moritzen (The patriarch from ‘Celebration’) and 2 with Mads Mikkelsen:

🍿 Tænk på et tal (Think of a number), a 1969 old-fashion, enjoyable Danish 'Krimi' with an enduring theme song. A meek bank teller finds a discarded note from a bank robber, and gets involved in a lethal game.

This story was later remade into the Elliott Gould caper 'The silent partner'. I love such slow and delightful dramas, and I love Bibi Andersson.

it’s funny how movies that used to be throwaway entertainment products 60 years ago, gain completely different meaning today. I should start exploring the many Danish Noir from the 40's and 50's. 7/10.

🍿 50 years later, In the Oscar-nominated short The pig, Moritzen is old and fat, and is being hospitalised for some tests. There he lays and finds comfort in a simple picture of a pig jumping over a fence. Delightful!

🍿 On the other hand, Now is another Danish short (from 2003) starring Mads Mikkelsen. But it's an artsy-fartsy, humor-less, word-less "Art film", shot in black & white, with a constant baby crying. Like 'An Andalusian Dog' but without the charm and the magic… 1/10.

🍿 I was surprised to realize just now that my favorite Danish screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen directed only 5 features and 3 shorts. (but he wrote 59 scripts!). Wolfgang is an early short of his, and not his best. Now I've seen all the movies that he directed.

I can't wait for his upcoming 'Monster of Florence' with Antonio Banderas and 'Back to reality'. Yeah!

🍿 So I took in one more viewing of his sentimental After the wedding, maybe for the 10th time. So full of emotional twists, old-fashioned melodrama, Sigur Rós score and peak Sidse Babett Knudsen.

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Budapest Noir, a Hungarian murder mystery, set up in anti-semitic 1936. A hard boiled crime reporter investigates a murder of a beautiful prostitute, like a Jake Gittes named Zsigmond. Very strong 'Chinatown' vibes, including a smokey jazz score that tries to recreate its haunting atmosphere, and even the final line of dialogue "This is Budapest". 5/10.

[This is the 115th woman-directed film I've seen so far this year!].

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Dumb money, the first enjoyable Reddit movie, about the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. Compelling Class War rhetoric with Seth Rogen as the billionaire 'heavy'. Up-to-the-minute updated drama of the 1% Vs. the unwashed masses. I think it will endure as another worthy addition to the sub-genre of 'highly entertaining explanation to boring real-life financial story', just like 'The big short' and 'Margin call'.

However, it used an Artificial Intelligent editing model that color-corrected the whole movie into a weird, fake, washed up look. 8/10.

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First watch: Kurosawa's bleak Drunken Angel, an early post-war Yakuza film, and the first of the 16 collaborations between him and Toshiro Mifume. An alcoholic doctor befriends a young hoodlum suffering from tuberculosis. Located around an open sewer in a seedy neighborhood, still suffering under the American occupation.

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Ikarie XB 1 (Or 'Voyage to the End of the Universe' as it was called in American), an influential and ambitious 1963 Czechoslovakian science-fiction saga, based on a Stanisław Lem novel. "Futuristic" space decor and story, very much in the Star Trek style. Cultish 1960's popcorn philosophy, but nonsensical and not a serious world building. Not for me - 1/10.

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Thank Dog that the third season of Tim Robinson’s 'I think you should leave' was so short. The first season was outrageously different. The second season was a 'repeat on a theme'. This one was just cringey irrelevant. Absurd, awkward, confusing situations, exploding rage at small mistakes. No!

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My first (and last) stand-up by comedian Nate Bergatze, The greatest average American. Average stories of 'relatable' everyday nitty gritty were hardly worth a chuckle.

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(My complete movie list is here)

[ojisanmansion]

[abyssalchronicles]

All Party Members Across The Series Are Finally Playable in Tales of The Rays!

[talesofshitpost]

[timefactor]

NOTE: Anything for Arc 2 and beyond is Japanese only.

Last Update: 08/18/2020

Names in parentheses indicate which playable character(s) join the party upon completion. As of this writing, this playlist contains: 

Arc 1

Prologue (Ix Nieves & Mileena Weiss)

Chapter 1 (Yuri Lowell & Repede)

Chapter 2 (Sophie)

Chapter 3 (Luke fon Fabre)

Chapter 4 (Sorey)

Chapter 5 (Jude Mathis)

Chapter 6 (Rutee Katrea)

Chapter 7 (Meredy & Keele Zeibel)

Chapter 8 (Stahn Aileron & Leon Magnus)

Chapter 9 (Lloyd Irving)

Chapter 10 (Velvet Crowe)

Chapter 11 (Cress Albane & Chester Burklight)

Chapter 12 (None)

Chapter 13 (Kanonno Earhart & Raine Sage)

Chapter 14 (Senel Coolidge & Veigue Lungberg) 

Event 1 (Tear Grants & Jade Curtiss)

Event 2 (Mikleo & Edna)

Event 3 (Milla Maxwell & Elize Lutus) 

Event 4 (Reid Hershel & Farah Oersted)

Event 5 (Rita Mordio & Raven)

Event 6 (Kyle Dunamis & Reala)

Event 7 (Colette Brunel & Guy Cecil)

Event 8 (Alisha Diphda)

Event 9 (Asbel Lhant & Cheria Barnes)

Event 10 (Emil Castagnier & Marta Lualdi)

Event 11 (Laphicet & Eizen)

Event 12 (Mint Adenade & Arche Klein)

Event 13 (Judas & Kongwai Tao)

Event 14 (Sara)

Event 15 (Ludger Will Kresnik & Julius Will Kresnik)

Event 16 (Leia Rolando & Haruka Amami)

[JP Only] Event 17 (Estellise “Estelle” Sidos Heurassein & Karol Capel)

[JP Only] Event 18 (Eleanor Hume)

Arc 2 - Mirrage Prison

Chapter 1 (Kocis)

Chapter 2 (Ruca Milda & Illia Animi)

Chapter 3 (Ludger Will Kresnik) 

Chapter 4 (Sync the Tempest)

Chapter 5 (None)

Chapter 6 (Kratos Aurion & Zelos Wilder)

Chapter 7 (Mithos Yggdrasill)

Chapter 8 (Kor Meteor & Caius Qualls)

Chapter 9 (None)

Chapter 10 (Spada Belforma)

Chapter 11 (Asbel Lhant)

Chapter 12 (Flynn Scifo)

Event 1 (Rose & Dezel)

Event 2 (Anise Tatlin)

Event 3 (Mithos Yggdrasill)

Event 4 (Alvin)

Event 5 (Pasca Kanonno & Kana)

Event 6 (Celcius)

Event 7 (Hubert Oswell & Pascal)

Event 8 (Lenneth Valkyrie & Rondoline E. Effenberg)

Event 9 (Magilou)

Event 10 (Asch the Bloody & Natalia Luzu-Kimlasca Lanvaldear)

Event 11 (Barbatos Goetia)

Event 12 (Shirley Fennes & Chloe Valens)

Event 13 (Gaius & Muzet)

Event 14 (Kirito & Asuna)

Event 15 (Lailah)

Event 16 (Kohaku Hearts & Hisui Hearts)

Event 17 (Kanonno Grassvalley)

Event 18 (Genis Sage & Presea Combatir)

Event 19 (Hilda Rhambling)

Event 20 (Claus F Lester)

Event 21 (Judith)

Event 22 (Uzuki Shimamura & Ranko Kanzaki)

Event 23 (Rokurou Rangetsu)

Event 24 (Suzu Fujibayashi & Sheena Fujibayashi)

Arc 3 - Fairy’s Requiem

Chapter 1 (Victor)

Chapter 2 (Emil Castagnier)

Chapter 3 (None)

Chapter 4 (Milla Maxwell)

Chapter 5 (Kocis)

Chapter 6 (Loni Dunamis & Nanaly Fletcher)

Chapter 7 (Asch)

Chapter 8 (Malik Caesar & Richard)

Chapter 9 (Kunzite & Lithia Spodumene)

Chapter 10 (Fractured Milla)

Chapter 11 ( Karia Nevan & Atwight Eks)

Chapter 12 (Harold Berselius)

Chapter 13 (Ion)

Chapter 14 (Richter Abend)

Chapter 15 (Karyl Sheedan)

Chapter 16, Part 1 (Nazar)

Chapter 16, Part 2 (Mecuria)

Event 1 (Rubia Natwick)

Event 2 (Alisa Illinichina Amiella, Claire Victorious, & Philine Strigidae Volare)

Event 3 (Dhaos)

Event 4 (Allen & Zephyr)

Event 5 (Rowen J Ilbert)

Event 6 (Elrane)

Event 7 (Zaveid)

Event 8 (Marcus Grimm)

Event 9 (Dymlos Timber & Pierre de Chaltier)

Event 10 (Claude C. Kenny & Rena Lanford)

Event 11 (Annie Barrs)

Event 12 (Duke Pantarei)

Event 13 (None)

Event 14 (Patty & Chat)

Event 15 (Philia Felice & Garr Kelvin)

Event 16 (Grune)

Event 17 (Ange Serena & Beryl Benito)

Event 18 (None)

Event 19 (Lazaris)

Event 20 (Mao & Eugene Gallardo)

Event 21 (Norma Beatty)

Event 22 (None)

Event 23 (None)

Event 24 (None)

Event 25 (Shizel)

Event 26 (Tilkis Barone & Arria Ekberg)

Event 27 (Creed Graphite)

Event 28 (Gintoka Sakata, Kagura, Toushirou Hijikata, & Sougo Okita)

Event 29 (None)

Event 30 (Lilith Aileron & Rimul Aileron)

Event 31 (Alice & Decus)

Event 32 (Little Queen)

Event 33 (None)

Event 34 (Yuan Ka-Fai & Martel Yggdrasill)

Event 35 (Mary Argent & Bruiser Khang)

Event 36 (Shigure Rangetsu)

Event 37 (Ricardo Soldato & QQ Selezneva))

Event 38 (None)

Event 39 (Anzu Futaba & Kirari Morobishi)

Event 40 (Dist the Reaper)

Event 41 (Dio & Mel)

Event 42 (Agria the Shadowless & Symonne)

Event 43 (Ines Lorenzen)

Event 44 (Will Reynard)

Event 45 (None)

Arc 4 (Last Cradle)

Chapter 1 (???)

Turtlez Shop Exclusive - Spend 100,000 prisms each

Dark Turtlez

Phoenix

Lippy

NPCs

Ami Burklight

Marian Fustel

Quickie

Noishe

Claire Bennett

Quppo

Pippo

Poppo

Mieu

Coda

Tenebrae

Aster Laker

Ba’ul

Teepo

Rollo

Bienfu

Morgrim

Rays-Original Ion Replica - Libera

Future / Unknown

Morrison (Which one not specified)

Lundgrom

Ilene Rembrandt

Chelsea Torn

Max

Ras

Fortuna

Regal Bryant

Tytree Crowe

Saleh

Agarte Lindblum

Milhaust Selkirk

Moses

Jay

Walter Delques

Maurits Welnes

Schwartz

Peony Upala Malkuth IX

Van Grants

Arietta the Wild

Original Ion

Gelda Nebilim Replica

Forest Ledoyen

Lukius Bridges

Hermana Larmo

Hasta Ekstermi

Mathias

Thitose Cxarma

Alexei Dinoia

Kurt Bessel

Victoria

Chalcedony Akerman

Gall Gruner

Heldalf

Sergei Strelka

Artorius Colbrande

Unnamed Characters (Present in the story but identities not revealed yet. May be characters in previous list)

2 Eternia characters

1 Symphonia character

2 Tempest characters

1 Vesperia character

2 Hearts characters

2 Xillia characters (Representing both games)

1 Zestiria character

2 Berseria characters

Speculated (Namco has teased the possibility of including characters from these obscure Tales games)

Julio & Caro from Narikiri Dungeon 2 & 3

Ruru & Mika from Tales of Breaker

By extension, this could also include characters from Tales of Commons & Tales of Wahrheit?

[offbrandkarol]

Putting quarantine to good use by drawing fan art for a game that literally nobody likes

They’re good kids, though

[samriegel]

[h34vybottom]

Forest Ledoyen

[talesofanswers]

You know, now that you mention it, they do look a lot alike...

Loni, maybe your dad is alive, and he really just got stuck in another world?

Well, that'd be cool if it were true, but I doubt it.

And I've never been married, nor had any children.

Well, there's no reason why you can't pretend, right?

Unless you don't want to, I guess...

I guess I'd be up for that.

Well, I can't say it's how I thought I'd get a son...

But if it makes you kids happy, I'll go with it.

[timbeon]

So, with Absolute Zero's surprise release of a Tales of the Tempest translation patch, and with me beating the game a little less than a week ago, I figured we'd have to bring the Tempest cast to the Ask Tales penthouse sooner or later.

But, Caius and Rubia are the only Tempest characters who have official skit faces. I don't think the Tempest cast'll get too many letters when we introduce them, since, well, Tempest, but... I dunno, it'd feel weird only being able to properly use 2 characters from a 5-character party.

So, me being a human of questionable sanity, I dug up the official character artwork and made these.

Tilkis Barone:

Forest Ledoyen:

Arria Ekberg:

They're not great (especially Forest's, because I made his last and was all AAARGH AM I DONE YET), but they'll get the job done until the heavily-speculated Tempest R (which at this point seems like more of a not-if-but-when) comes around.

If anybody else wants to use 'em, feel 100% free to~

[abyssalchronicles]

Tales of The Rays - January 2020 PV + Words from the producer!