#French adventure short film

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[dailylooneys]

Happy 80th Birthday to Pepe Le Pew

The world famous French skunk Pepe Le Pew now hits the big eight zero!

Created by director Chuck Jones and writer Mike Maltese, Pepe was inspired and based on famous womanizers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Clark Gable and Charles Boyer (with Pepe's name directly taken from Boyer's Pepe Le Monko (1937)), Pepe became an exaggeration of this characteristic.

Like many LT characters, Pepe started in as a prototype character named "Stinky" in Odor-able Kitty (1945), faking his French accent and revealed by the end that he is married and has kids.

Afterwards a couple more experimental shorts, such as Scent-imental Over (1947) and Odor of the Day (1948) (the only Pepe short directed by Arthur Davis), he would develop into the character that we know today. His most iconic for being oblivious to the fact that his odor is turns the "skunks" off. His relentless optimism, overtly romantic advances and overconfidence is part of what makes his character humorous and charming.

An interesting story to note is that while Jones adored the character and would continue his series well-after Mike Maltese left in 1953 during Warner Bros. Cartoons studio's brief shut down during the rise of the then-new and revolutionary 3-D in film, Maltese stated that wasn't too crazy about Pepe, according to Mark Evanier (animation historian and head writer of Garfield & Friends).

With the change in attitudes as times went on, the character has slowly garnered controversy in later years for being perceived as "problematic" and perpetuating assault. Interestingly, even as early as the 1990s, in Tiny Toon Adventures, this became one of the main reasons why Pepe's was a female counterpart, Fifi La Fume, is indeed a female, and why Pepe doesn't chase after Penelope that much in later Looney Tune productions or why Pepe is rarely seen in much merchandise. Though, despite this, Pepe still has his legion of fans to support him to this day, which resulted in his comeback after WB's brief decision to discontinue the character.

[ricciardosheart]

Starry Serenade on the Riviera - cl16

pairings: Charles Leclerc X female (gf! reader)

Charles, with a sparkle in his eyes, entered their home holding a bouquet of (Y/N)'s favorite flowers. The room seemed to brighten as he approached her, a playful grin dancing on his lips. "Hey there, beautiful," he whispered, presenting the flowers.

The Mediterranean sunbathed Monaco in a warm embrace as (Y/N) nestled into the comforts of their shared home. The gentle hum of the waves drifted through the open windows, providing a harmonious soundtrack to her peaceful afternoon. Little did she know, Charles Leclerc, the Formula 1 sensation and her adoring boyfriend, was orchestrating a surprise that would transform this ordinary day into an enchanting tale.

A gasp of delight escaped (Y/N)'s lips as she accepted the bouquet. "Charles! What's all this?"

"I thought we could use a little break," he revealed, his voice laced with excitement. "How about a special date on a yacht?"

Her eyes widened with anticipation. "A yacht? Seriously?"

Charles nodded, the mischievous glint in his eyes intensifying. "I thought we could spend the day cruising along the French Riviera, just you and me."

A radiant smile adorned (Y/N)'s face. "That sounds amazing!"

The next scene unfolded on the deck of a sleek yacht, elegantly cutting through the azure waters of the Mediterranean. The sun played hide-and-seek with the clouds, casting a golden glow that danced on the waves. The couple stepped aboard, greeted warmly by the captain, who saluted Charles with a knowing smile.

The yacht set sail, leaving the coastline of Monaco behind. Charles and (Y/N) found themselves alone, surrounded by the vast expanse of the sea. The air was imbued with a sense of adventure and romance as the yacht gracefully sailed along the French Riviera.

On the deck, a table awaited them, adorned with fine linens, silverware, and crystal glasses. A private chef, part of Charles's meticulous plan, stood ready to craft a culinary masterpiece. The couple indulged in a feast of fresh seafood, delicate flavors dancing on their palates, while the sea breeze carried the scent of the ocean.

As the day unfolded, the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold. Charles and (Y/N) settled into plush lounge chairs on the yacht's deck, wrapped in blankets against the cooling breeze. The sky transformed into a breathtaking canvas of colors, a testament to nature's artistry.

Charles, ever the thoughtful planner, produced a tablet for a private movie screening. The yacht became their own floating cinema, surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the sea. Laughter and the soft murmur of waves intertwined as they enjoyed their favorite film, the screen competing with the mesmerizing spectacle of the sunset.

The atmosphere was nothing short of magical as the yacht sailed through the twilight waters. The couple, lost in the beauty of the moment, reveled in the serenity of the French Riviera at dusk.

With the movie credits rolling, Charles suggested a change of scenery. "How about lying down to enjoy the stars?" he proposed, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. They found a cozy spot on the yacht's deck, blankets pulled tight around them, and looked up at the night sky.

The stars above sparkled like diamonds, casting a celestial glow over the couple. Charles pointed out constellations, weaving stories in the night sky. (Y/N)'s heart swelled with gratitude for the extraordinary day and the extraordinary man beside her.

"I've never experienced anything like this," she confessed, her eyes reflecting the luminous beauty around them.

Charles, his gaze fixed on the twinkling stars, replied, "There's nothing more special than sharing moments like these with you."

Under the cosmic embrace of the French Riviera's night, Charles and (Y/N) lay hand in hand, creating memories that transcended time. The yacht sailed on, leaving a trail of stardust on the Mediterranean, etching their love story into the fabric of the universe.

[alicerovai]

I don’t know how many of you here are familiar with Disney ducks - maybe some of you know I’ve been drawing them as human beings for a while - but I *have* to share this absolute GEM with you all ‘cause this is a trailer for a fucking MOVIE based on my own character designs CAN YOU BELIEVE IT BECAUSE I STILL CANT. My french friends are doing an AMAZING job and we’re SO near to see it ready to be lunched!!! They’re now launching a crowdfunding to find the money to FINISH it and OMG please just watch this trailer IM IN LOVE WITH IT!!! 😭😭💕💕

Link to the crowdfunding here if you want to support it: https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/retour-a-la-case-memoire-le-live-action-sur-picsou-donald-cie 👇👇👇

[voltaspistol]

Hey everyone, it's your friendly neighborhood gold star mental patient here with secondhand therapist advice.

For those of us with a lot of anxiety who tend to get "stuck" trying to take in ALL of the information because your brain is desperately looking for the "AHA!" moment that will make the brain gremlins go away?

That information ain't out there as of the evening of November 6th.

At least not yet.

And if your brain is operating in crisis mode, you will be tempted to say and do things that might hamper rather than help.

Now might be a good time to look through your game and movie backlog to find a title that will help you "come up for air", so to speak. Something that will allow your brain to stop making cortisol & adrenaline, because right now? Your ego is basically doing that I Love Lucy bit where she works in a chocolate factory. That shit is not good for your brain, not good for your body, not good for whatever we have left that passes for a soul.

It doesn't free you from the obligation of getting involved in your community.

It just gives your brain some time to process some things in the back of your mind while your conscious mind takes a break. Here's some suggestions to start: ✅ Lord of the Rings (Not the recent show, the ones from the early 2000s) - The obvious choice which I think a lot of people will be gravitating towards on their own. ✅ Tank Girl (Movie, 1995)- If you need your story of overthrowing tyranny to be filled with swear words, sexual innuendo, and high levels of camp along with a decent 90s soundtrack, this might get you pumped enough to organize. ✅ Amelie (Movie, 2001) - A comfort watch if you feel alone and isolated. If you are too scared or too shy to run headlong into a formal political action group, this french film documents how small, creative acts of kindness and justice can make the world just a little bit better. It will renew your faith in humanity a bit. ✅ Disco Elysium (video game 2019) - A sprawling choose-your-own adventure set in a post-war capitalist dystopia alternate reality. Soothing for those of us who have made apology tours after losing our shit, illuminating for those of us who struggle with intrusive thoughts, and compelling for everyone who likes those stories where reality and unreality are a bit wobbly and elements of the fantastical seep through in unexpected ways. It doesn't have much to do with current events, but maybe that's what you need right now. ✅ Hades (game, 2020) - A game all about being stuck in hell, and fighting to get out, and although you get help from allies along the way, you're the one who has to do the dirty work. If you need some lessons on resilience and a compelling story besides with lots of interesting characters (including non-cis romance options!) and you want to get revenge on an oppressive father figure, try it on for size. ✅ Superliminal (2020) - If you need a high-end creative physics-based puzzle game that is light on story and operates on dream logic that relies heavily on linear perception just to distract you? This one is short but will have you distracted long enough to let your brain breathe a bit. ✅ The Room (2014) - For low-end systems and mobile devices, this is basically an elaborate digital puzzlebox, like one of those fancy desks with lots of hidden drawers. Atmospheric but not scary.

Also, don't discount the obvious ones: Cat videos, re-watching beloved old shows, guilty pleasure music etc.

You are not helping anyone, not even yourself, by doomscrolling until something goes --SNAP!-- in your brain.

Come up for air, give your brain metabolize the nasties, and THEN you will be able to strategize. Though for obvious reasons, now is not a good time to go back to old addictions like World of Warcraft. The idea is to take a break, NOT to drown in old waters. This list is not comprehensive, obviously, please add your own in reblogs

[kustas]

Do you have reccs for "ugly" art (manga, comics, movie, etc.)? Thanks for the Tekkon recs btw I really liked it

That really depends on your own personal media landscape and what your definition of "ugly" is! As a random example, I've seen many people call ONE's art ugly because of the wobbly linework when I think it's lovely. Ugly could also mean something a bit shocking/crass in its themes. Etc, etc... I'm going to go with the definition of "something that's a bit jarring to look at or go through" here :)

Disclaimer: a lot of these tackle sensitive topics, sometimes for fun and not always tastefully. If there's themes you really can't handle in media, do your research before looking into them.

Manga

I keep recommending yes because it rules but Dorohedoro and its scratchy messy art and gore galore. talking about the manga exclusively here the anime is too polished for my taste

God's Child (Kami no Kodomo): tbh this one is for the art only I hated the writing. very gruesome & unique looking short story

I hesitate to recommend this one because it's edgy as hell but I shan't lie I had a lot of fun with Hellsing. it's "bad" in the same areas as something like berserk but unlike that one it does not take itself seriously

if you liked Tekkon i strongly suggest trying out more stuff by its author (saying this with immense biais). the most ugly/messy thing i've read of his, which isn't a lot because i find his work very delicate, is No. 5 which i would less describe as "good" than "very compelling to me". i also recommend this wonderful essay tearing it down

Comics (non JP)

FLEEP: a short story about a man who wakes up in a phone cabin seemingly encased in concrete. one of the comics i always recommend for its length and storytelling. (link leads to the artist's website where you can read it for free!)

The Astonishing Exploits Of Lucien Brindavoine: a young artist gets drafted in the first world war and goes through a series of almost supernatural adventures. beyond the adventure book aspect, a harsh criticism of nationalism/patriotism that's still awfully relevant

Animation

Ruben Brandt: Collector: a psychiatrist suffers from strange art related nightmares ruining his life. his clients, a bunch of high profile criminals, decide to help him fight off his demons by organizing one long vacation where they steal every painting involved. extremely unique visually, a fun heist movie with thriller elements.

Junk Head: goofy post apocalyptic movie about a man on a quest to save, who keeps losing sight his goal because cartoony violence episodes have his head tumble into new lows, literally. this is, perhaps, one of my favorite animated films ever, it's earnest and fun and lovingly crafted. very unique of a watch

The Apostle: freshly escaped from prison, a thief is on a mission to find treasure hidden by his old cellmate, and finds himself stuck in an ancient village who's strange looking elderly inhabitants are way too insistent on his stay. classic spooky folktale with its millennial curses and foreboding warnings, it's also a nice peek into the culture of Galicia and old world medieval weirdass catholicism. you can buy a DVD on their website

MKFZ: dumb as hell high adrenaline animated B movie with excellent animation. there's a plot about alien living undercover in fantasy california but you don't watch this kind of film for the plot. fair warning this is adapted from a french comic so of course, it's crass and racist

Blow to the Head - Lightning bolt: awesome music video (YT link)(warning for flashing/strobing lights if you're sensitive to that!)

Canon Fodder: from the Memories omnibus film. little slice of the life of a fantasy war obsessed industrial nation

with its new movie on the horizon, it's a great time to get into Mononoke, despite traditionally pretty visuals its got a unique style and gets pretty offputting

Live action cinema

7:35 in the morning: short film about the fear in improvised musical numbers where you don't expect any. it's on youtube in bad quality

The Draughtsman's Contract: an artist is hired by a Lady to draw several vistas of her house, in exchange for money, good drawing condition, and the Lady. follows a good hour of cunts in powdery wigs being awful to each other for their own gain. if you're into dark humor it's a good test, otherwise it has a really satisfying murder mystery to follow too.

Three Kings: during the gulf war, a group of US soldiers decide to steal Hussein's gold for themselves under the mighty standard of kuwait's loot repatriation. extremely caustic take on good ol murican international politics. i was shocked at how far it goes and it's express, low budget treatment which i did not expect from a hollywood film. the movie tires itself fast and becomes less good in its second half but the it's opening acts are interesting

Delicatessen: a sliver of humanity survives in an old timey stone building in the middle of nothingness on top of a functional butcher's shop. gossip follows the arrival of a new roommate. how does one even maintain a butchery in a no man's land? weird film with a unique(ly goofy) take on the post apocalyptic genre

Other

For traditional artists, I like the works of Beksinski (<3), Schiele, Giger. For modern artists Oleg Vdovenko (heavy gore warning for that one), Jeff Simpson

I'm less a fan of the MV and live performances they got infamous for than their music proper but I really like the band Cardiacs, who's judged by many of my friends to be extremely hard to get into lol.

[christian-oc-tournament]

Please vote based on the picture AND the description!

Andre Caron [Swashbucklers of the Magic Kingdom @apieters] - Disney OC

Andre Caron is a swashbuckling young man from the French District of the Magic Kingdom (The Magic Kingdom is basically the world of "The House of Mouse"--all the Disney movies are just that--movies--and the characters have lives outside their movies, although those movies tend to be "fantastic retellings of real-life events" and there is something magical about those Storybooks from the older films...). He is the best friend of the swashbuckling tyrannosaur Chris Carnovo, and together the two of them are the fight choreographers of most of the Disney movies we all know and love ("Peter Pan" was their big break). As a kid, Andre always wanted to be a Knight of the Magic Kingdom, one of the highest honors for valor that could only be won by risking one's life in service of the Royalty of the Magic Kingdom or in the service of a sufficiently large number of people. As an adult, Andre is prone to brooding and melancholy, haunted by his memories of the great civil war known as the Reign of Terror and its leader, Tristan L'Hermite the Black Knight. He is often emotionally cold or short-tempered, prone to biting sarcasm and even fits of rage, yet when the chips are down he will always follow his best friend, Chris Carnovo, off on his galivanting adventures. The two of them complement each others' weaknesses with their strengths. If Chris is impetuous and rash in his zeal to go on an adventure and help his friends, Andre is more strategic and usually has a contingency plan to get his friend and himself out of trouble. Chris, in turn, is Andre's emotional rock, tempering the young man's irritability and sometimes even calling forth the battered remains of Andre's instincts to be a Knight. Andre is ultimately driven by a deep sense of chivalric loyalty to certain people. Chris is one. His childhood friend, Princess Cinderella, is another. The cathedral of Notre Dame and those who dwell within (the Archdeacon and Quasimodo) hold a special place in his heart as a devout Catholic. But perhaps his greatest sense of loyalty is reserved for Queen Sarabi and her family. At the very end of the Reign of Terror, Sarabi--then pregnant with Simba--was about to be killed by Tristan L'Hermite on the steps of the altar of Notre Dame cathedral, when Andre saved her life. The two of them were the only witnesses to the death of Tristan L'Hermite and the end of the Reign of Terror, and on that night Andre swore an oath of loyalty to Queen Sarabi, to her unborn cub Simba, and his lineage. That oath will drive much of his actions in the events of the present day...

Anwedd [Songs of the Fallen @ethanjhake]

A lonely ghost trapped between life and death, she’s been haunting Ryphl, the only person able to see her, since he was discharged from the Children's War.

[termiteterraceclub]

Happy 80th birthday to the most famous romantic French skunk in all of cartoons, Pepé Le Pew. As part of the major marquee #LooneyTunes characters, Pepé is considered unique. Constantly chasing for love, Pepé is defined by his affectionate yet oblivious personality.

Chuck Jones originally created Pepé back in 1944. He based him off of European actor Charles Boyer from his performance in “Algiers” (1938) (that's part of his joke), his own colleague Tedd Pierce, and loosely off of himself except Pepé has the romantic confidence Chuck lacked as a young boy.

He evolved from his early appearances... “Odor-able Kitty" (named Henry and his accent is fake), “Scent-imental Over You” (named Stinky), “Odor of the Day” (Arthur Davis' only use in a slapstick role), into a fully fledged Oscar winning cartoon set to the sights and sounds of Paris and Europe.

“For Scent-imental Reasons”, Pepé Le Pew’s Oscar winning cartoon, fully establishes the formula of his classic shorts. With the help of Michael Maltese, Pepé mistakes a female tuxedo cat, canonically named Penelope, for a skunk due because of a white stripe. to make Pepé Le Pew come to life.

Mel Blanc's mimicked Charles Boyer’s love-making voice. And there are also some bits of Maurice Chevalier. Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese crafted his exaggerated routine and charm as satire on Hollywood romance movies and the romantic Frenchman for comedic effect. It's his odor that is the problem.

His pursuits often fail but he shows persistence. Pepé’s amusing dialogue spoofing of Boyer, the phony French-English sight gags, and Pepé’s hopping on all fours. There are a few times the formula is flipped when Pepé's smell is neutralized and Penelope romantically pursues him back.

Abe Levitow’s short "Really Scent" subverts the formula. Penelope, Fabrette, is born with a skunk stripe, both of them fall in love except Pepé’s stench drives her away. He finds out what pew means and it breaks his heart. Both make the effort to change and the opposite happens.

Pepé has made 17 classic appearances (including a cameo in a Sylvester & Tweety cartoon) and “Louvre Come Back to Me!” was his last released in 1962.

Since the 1970s, Pepé Le Pew has usually been referenced in cameos, commercials and merchandise (including material that reimagines Pepé and Penelope's relationship to a mutual romance). It's also rare when he gets a starring role once in a while.

To fit with modern times, writers at Warner Bros. aimed to make his French charm more of a focal point with appearances in Baby Looney Tunes (who loves gardening), The Looney Tunes Show (as a wedding planner), Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (perfume mogul), and New Looney Tunes (as a suave spy).

Tom Ruegger and the writing team of Tiny Toon Adventures created Fifi La Fume as a way to minor changes while being a variation of Pepé Le Pew. If it weren't for Pepé, we wouldn't have Fifi.

The character had been snubbed from recent projects out of caution including Space Jam: A New Legacy and Tiny Toons Looniversity due to changing sensibilities and trends. There was even a feature-length film putting Pepé Le Pew in a rom-com heist that was also scrapped.

This does not mean WB is retiring Pepé altogether. He is misunderstood as he is considered a time capsule of Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. There is hope that he'll be used again with the right people and new concepts in the future. As long as fans love him, Pepé lives on. Vive l’amour!

(After the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, they appear to be loosening things up. Pepé's recent appearances in Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem as Gendarme Pepé and in Joker: Folie á Deux for example show that WB hasn't washed their hands off from him. Give or take a few years until they settle on a new concept.)

In conclusion, happy 80th birthday to Pepé Le Pew. And to the voice actors that got to voice him, thank you for making Mel Blanc proud. And to those who watch reruns of his shorts, buy his merch, read his comics, and sharing your love of him through fanart... Merci. Pepé will be honored and evolve!

[frozen10fanzine]

Frozen Through the Years

Yearly Spotlight: 2022

Written by @secretsofthestorymakers

In 2022, some further expansion of the Frozen franchise came through other Disney properties.

Frozen characters were included in the story of Disney Mirrorverse, an alternate universe/crossover role playing game featuring many Disney and Pixar characters. In July, the Disney Wish cruise ship sailed for the first time, featuring Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. This immersive character dining experience brings guests into the world of Frozen with a royal dinner to celebrate Anna and Kristoff’s engagement.

In books, 2022 brought new editions of both La Bibliothéque Rose series and the Histoires d’Arendelle books, two series of fairly short stories written in French. In July, Polar Nights - a chapter book set after Frozen II - was released. It explores the story of one particular myth in Arendelle and what happens when the past comes back to haunt Elsa and Anna.

As it had been several years since the release of Frozen II, and as the 10th anniversary of the original film was approaching, fans wondered what could be next for the franchise.

Stay Tuned for More

👆🏻 Click above if you want to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Frozen. The due date is April 12, 2024.

We look forward to seeing your memories ❄️

[boghermit]

Pointing Out the Historical Inaccuracies (and Some Accuracies) of Ridley Scott's Napoleon 🤓

The only interesting parts of this film are the costumes, and maybe one or two music tracks. The rest of the movie is just awful. The story can hardly be called a story. It's just miscellaneous boring scenes duct taped together. None of the characters are developed beyond a single trait, if that. A period this broad shouldn't have been crammed into a movie this short. I honestly wouldn't have disliked the historical inaccuracy so much if it had been sacrificed for the sake of a good narrative, but this is bad. Even if you don't know about the era enough to nitpick it, I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone.

TL;DR go watch Waterloo or The Duelists instead.

Accurate Historical Details

There were some minor details that made me perk up like, "Ah, yes! It did happen like that!" The rest of the movie is so inaccurate that these details stuck out.

Napoleon tugged on peoples' ears as a sign of affection. You see this in the movie with Tallyrand and Josephine. He also did this a lot with his soldiers, which we don't see in the film. In fact, he doesn't interact with his soldiers much at all in the film.

The French fired a 101-cannon salute after Napoleon's first son was born.

Napoleon famously bumbled at the Coup of 18 Brumoire, and his brother Lucien had to step in to direct the French grenadiers.

It's contested whether or not Robespierre actually shot himself in the jaw, but I think at this point it's mostly accepted as truth? In any case, someone screwed up his jaw before he was arrested.

The British loved publishing political cartoons about Napoleon, including cartoons of him being cucked.

Joséphine did actually meet Tsar Alexander shortly before her death. I didn't know about this one and was happy to learn something new.

The depictions of line and square formations were okay.

Historical Inaccuracies

This is, in spite of its budget, one of most historically inaccurate pieces of media I've seen on the era, and on top of that it isn't even good.

There is so much historical context omitted from this film that I feel like anyone who doesn't have an interest in the time period will have NO idea what's going on. You are never really given the how and why of history other than "the Europeans are fighting and also Napoleon is there."

The overall characterization of Napoleon is just bizarre. Napoleon was smart, egotistical, ambitious, hot-tempered, and had a magnetic charisma and human charm that inspired a kind of blind loyalty in his soldiers. This is why he was so successful - and so dangerous. Napoleon never feels threatening or sinister in this film. He's just kind of there, slouching and sweating and mumbling under his breath as history unfolds. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure does a better job of depicting Napoleon than whatever the hell is going on here.

Napoleon was not present at the beheading of Marie-Antoinette.

He didn't have his horse shot out from under him at Toulon, and he didn't send gore-spattered cannonballs to his mother, as far as I know.

The movie casts a younger actress to play Joséphine de Beauharnais, but Joséphine was actually older than Napoleon.

I'm pretty sure that Napoleon didn't find and return the sword of Joséphine's ex-husband, although there is a legend stating that he attempted to confiscate it and was persuaded by Joséphine's son to return it.

The French army never shot their cannons at the Pyramids in Egypt. They also didn't loot the Pyramids, although they participated in a lot of heinous looting elsewhere.

Napoleon didn't leave Egypt because he found out he was being cucked by his wife - he'd already known about that for some time. He left Egypt because the campaign was failing and because the political situation in France was becoming untenable.

Jacques-Louis David attended the coronation of Napoleon, but didn't start his studies for the painting during the coronation itself. (At least as far as I know.)

The lake scene during the Battle of Austerlitz is a bit of a legend, but probably not true. The gigantic lake was more likely a series of shallow ponds, if it existed at all.

Napoleon did not lead cavalry charges, and he sure as shit didn't lead cavalry charges at the Battles of Borodino or Waterloo. In fact, Napoleon infamously sat a safe distance away while watching the bloody Battle of Borodino unfold.

Napoleon was not exiled following the Russian campaign. He was exiled after the War of the Sixth Coalition, in 1814.

Joséphine died in 1814, when Napoleon was still at Elba, not in 1815.

Trench warfare and scoped muskets were not used at the Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleon never met the Duke of Wellington.

That's uh. The cut version of my complaints.

[rosequart]

animation is cinema: a primer

there's been recent discussion about animation and how it should be treated as "real" cinema and "real" art for all ages—which is true! but these social media conversations typically only touch on already popular animated films in the U.S.

i've briefly listed what i consider the best international animated films of the past 10 years as a "primer" for people who want to get into more animated movies around the world, beyond well-known directors like miyazki and moore.

there's enough variety in art direction and plot that there's something for everyone: family friendly, war dramas, romantic comedies, horror. anyone is free to add their own recommendations in the reblogs. movies are good! watch them!

boy and the world (o menino e o mundo, 2013)

adventure/family. a boy leaves his small brazilian village and discovers the industrialized city. uses collage alongside traditional animation to tell a story about globalization and capitalism that children can understand. PG.

flee (flugt, 2021)

documentary. follows a boy's escape from afghanistan to denmark, incorporating archival film footage of the time. balances the realities of war and immigration with pockets of levity and warmth. PG-13: warnings for war, human trafficking, implied sexual violence.

josep (2020)

history/drama. a dying military policeman remembers his encounter with catalan artist josep bartolí in a french concentration camp after the spanish civil war. changes art styles depending on the time period. not rated: warnings for war, sexual violence.

loving vincent (2017)

history/drama/mystery. a man retraces vincent van gogh's steps before his death. some truly beautiful art direction, each frame an oil painting. PG-13.

marona's fantastic tale (l'extraordinaire voyage de marona, 2019)

drama/family. follows the life of a little dog and the various people she meets. an eclectic and mesmerizing animation style, paired with a great original score. not rated: warning for animal death.

night is short, walk on girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女, 2017)

comedy/romance. a college sophomore goes on a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife, all the while unaware of the romantic longings of her classmate. a unique, simple art style that gets increasingly surreal as the story progresses. PG-13.

the tale of the princess kaguya (かぐや姫の物語, 2013)

drama/historical fantasy. based on the 9th century folktale where an old bamboo cutter discovers a little girl in a stalk of bamboo. beautiful use of watercolor, limited backgrounds, and simple ink strokes to complement a devastating story. PG.

the wolf house (la casa lobo, 2018)

horror/fantasy. a young woman takes refuge in a house in southern chile after escaping from colonia dignidad. surreal use of stop-motion animation that utilizes an entire house: painted walls, moving furniture, paper mâché, and more. not rated: warnings for body horror, general horror elements.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, September 13th

XANDER: No, it's just... this Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged. BUFFY: Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like. XANDER: Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I can say I'm a high school student. BUFFY: You are. XANDER: Okay, but I can also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?

~~I, Robot... You, Jane~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

cherry lipgloss by sapphistically (Buffy/reader, not rated)

Oblation by The_Crazy_Knight (Buffy/Giles, E)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 341 by madimpossibledreamer (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure crossover, T)

Don't Swerve, Chapter 9 by thisyearsgrrl (Buffy/Faith, E)

My (love) Kill, Chapter 3 by witchywriter3 (Buffy/Spike, G)

Book Stew! Chapter 5 by MGAllan (Michael (from Gingerbread)/Lance (from The Pack), G)

After Life, Chapter 5 by Alwaysandforevermylove (Buffy/Faith, E)

A-Z of Sex, Chapter 1 by KatyAmberAuthor (Buffy/Giles, E)

Soul Mate Magic, Chapter Three by emma-m-black (Giles/OC, 18+)

Out of this World, love..., Chapters 7-8 by Miss Kitty (PG-13, in French)

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 130 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Little Light, Chapter 7 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Way Beyond Chaos, Chapter 1 by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

Wallflower, Chapter 24 (complete!) by Girlytek (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Manip: MerMade For You by Claire (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Lego: my custom Lego Buffy the Vampire Slayer by buzzlymuzz

Artwork: Collage #160 by thedecadentraven (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Collage: Spike by thedecadentraven (worksafe)

Gifset: Buffy/Cordelia by lovebvffys (worksafe)

Fanvid: Andrew Wells | Puppet Boy [slight flash warning] by homoeroticvillain

Fanvid: Spike/Buffy - The Albatross by DarkEleni

Fanvid: Andrew Wells | Puppet Boy [slight flash warning] by homoeroticvillain

Fanvid: Don't Stop Me Now [BTVS Season 6 BLOOPER REEL] by Aurora Edits

Fanvid: Buffyverse by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: willow and tara | i know the end by editsbysarahx

Fanvid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Opening Credits (Charmed Style) by Rotten Lemonade

Fanvid: Buffy and Spike - Are You That Somebody By Aaliyah by Naki-a Littlejohn

Fanvid: Buffy and Spike - Bang Bang By Ariana Grande by Naki-a Littlejohn

Vidlet: hello kitty | buffy summers | mep part by DreamingWithDragons

Vidlet: Buffy summers || legends never die || by CaptainSwann

Vidlet (untitled) by cupcakexmeow (Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Angel)

Music: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER THEME SONG / ‪by JETT Fighter Drumming‬ (age 12 )

Acting: Anya's Monologue by Skyler Brown

Song: Something to Sing About - Singing - by Sparkly Rainbow Kaz

Song: Rest In Peace - Spike - Once More, With Feeling - Buffy - Singing by Sparkly Rainbow Kaz

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Top Grumps - Buffy The Vampire Slayer by Nerdy Up North

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4: Episode 7 - The Initiative by The Cheshire Kiwi

Video: Our Love of Buffy The Vampire Slayer PART 1 by It Crept From The 80s

Video: Buffy 2.15 Phases by Jen Katz and Ryan Something

Video: Buffy Vs Charmed | An Observation of Unnecessary Comparison by They Call Me MR. G

Video: Buffy S02E22 "Becoming (Part 2)" Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Video: Sleeper-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Podcast: Showtime S7 E11 Buffy and the Art of Story by Lisa M. Lilly

Podcast: BwB 609 - Point Insertion [Smashed] by Beer With Buffy

Podcast: Tales of Music and Film Season 8 Episode 8 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Take Two by Tales of Music and Film Hosted By Christian Taylor

Podcast: Tales of Music and Film Season 8 Episode 9 Angel by Tales of Music and Film Hosted By Christian Taylor

Podcast: The Quintessential Buffy The Vampire Slayer by Sure Look Sure Listen Podcast

[Search & Recs]

Fic search: Actor spike fic lost by YummyCookies333

Vid rec: Anya Jenkins | Why? [Character Study.] by HostilePoet17 recced by IceStorm22

Fic rec: The Devil's Elegy (Buffy/Angel, M) by coalitiongirl recced by I Will Remember You Marathon

Fic recs: favourite Spuffy recs by userttpd

Vid rec: Charles Gunn - The Loss and Recuperation of the Self by Honeycutt Videos recced by umbralsong

[Community Announcements]

Buffybot and Gilesbot, sitting in a tree… by Buffyverse Kinkmeme

[Fandom Discussions]

Buffy saying “I just wish my mom was here” really falls flat by canary-prince

Rewatch thoughts and questions [Shells, Underneath] continued by multiple posters

Two comics artists who've worked with Joss have died this week by Skippcomet

What happened to the parents in Buffy? continued by multiple posters

Podcast : "Alyson Hannigan Reveals Her #1 Hidden Theory About Me" by Klaus Kartoffel

Spikes justification for not reuniting with Buffy from the episode Harms Way by wtffu006

If I were her relatives, I’d request a refund from the funeral home by Jade_Pratt953

Anyone else believe that the police/coroner/hospitals knew about the undead Americans? by CountChocoula

What is your favourite single scene in the Buffyverse… by tommywest_123

Which ep would you choose [to watch for 24 hours straight]? by No-Jaguar8044

On S2 - watching for the first time and loving it! Will it continue with this quality? by RedRxbin

So I watched a theatre show called Buffy Revamped by CaptainZir0

Your Own Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode Concept? by Big-Restaurant-2766

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Full Q&A | For The Love Of Fantasy (London) 2024 by Monopoly Events

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Video: Episode 364: Interview With Julie Benz by Don't Go Out There Podcast

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[pastamansta]

A List of Stop-Motion Feature-Length Films You Probably Haven't Tried.

If you’re anything like me, stop-motion animation is something that you’re sick of hearing about, because it’s always the same fucking recommendations. I took the time to browse over Wikipedia’s “List of stop-motion films” and do what I could to create a list of stop-motion feature-length films that might be worth a watch and that you haven’t constantly heard animation brats cream themselves over. Obviously, this list is not perfect, it’s mostly based off of the films I was able to find generally high reviews for on Letterboxd, but this list will contain nothing from Aardman, nothing from Laika, nothing from Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, or Henry Selick, but will contain at least a handful of things you haven't heard constant chatter about. These films are also fully stop-motion, so nothing from Ray Harryhausen or Jan Švankmajer either. Oh, and no shorts or television, obviously.

I will go ahead and put the following eight as films that aren't as frequently referenced in "best stop-motion films of all time" articles, but will find their ways into conversations about stop-motion without much difficulty;

René Laloux's "Fantastic Planet" (1973)

Will Vinton's "The Adventures of Mark Twain" (1985)

Adam Elliot's "Mary and Max" (2009)

Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson "Anomalisa" (2015)

Claude Barras's "My Life as a Zucchini" (2016) [French]

Phil Tippett's "Mad God" (2021)

Dean Fleischer Camp's "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" (2021)

Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" (2022)

If you haven't seen those eight, I'd take care of that first. Now, we hit other stuff.

Lotte Reiniger's "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926) [German]

Wladyslaw Starewicz & Irene Starewicz "The Tale of the Fox" (1937) [French]

Ivo Caprino's "The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix" (1975) [Norwegian]

Piotr Kamler's "Chronopolis" (1982) [French]

Chris Taylor & Mark Hall's "The Wind in the Willows" (1983)

Dave Borthwick's "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb" (1993)

Stanislav M. Sokolov & Derek W. Hayes's "The Miracle Maker" (2000)

Christiane Cegavske's "Blood Tea and Red String" (2006)

Jan Balej's "One Night in One City" (2007) [Czech]

Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar's "A Town Called Panic" (2009) [French]

Fernando Cortizo's "The Apostle" (2012) [Spanish]

Chris Sullivan's "Consuming Spirits" (2012)

Paul Cowan & Amer Shomali "The Wanted 18" (2014)

Jan Balej's "Little from the Fish Shop" (2015) [Czech]

Takahide Hori's "Junk Head" (2017) [Japanese]

Michael Mort's "Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires" (2018)

Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña's "The Wolf House" (2018) [Spanish]

Paloma Baeza Niki, Lindroth von Bahr, Emma De Swaef, & Marc James Roels's "The House" (2022)

That's what I've got for the time being. If you can recommend a feature-length, majority stop-motion film that's not Aardman, Laika, Wes, Burton, or Selick, I'd be more than happy to look it over and see about adding it to the list. Enjoy.

[suchamiracle-does-exist]

Dear @faisonsunreve thanks for the tag. This was definitely a time taking task but so much fun to do. A true time travel to your watching history. To my surprise there are three French films and three Tom Hanks films included. 😄

A few comments about certain choices.

Favorite film of all time: The Thief of Bagdad (1940): The jewel of the film is Conrad Veidt’s insane Jaffar dressed up with the turban.

Best script: Some Like It Hot (1959): The story about two antihero musicians trying to make a living and avoiding gangsters by dressing as women and joining a female band and traveling to Miami is still unique to watch.

Favorite poster: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Memories from the childhood. Darth Vader’s perhaps a little too epic posture promises you an emotional adventure and that promise will be fulfilled.

"I’ll watch it some day": Napoléon (1927): @missholson and I were introduced to this 6-hour biopic of Napoleon and we were stunned by the shots of the twenty-minute triptych sequence, where widescreen panorama is made by projecting multiple-image montages simultaneously on three screens. Blu-ray is waiting on the shelf.

Big personal impact: Elvis (2022): I wasn’t prepared for the narrative where female gaze and male vulnerability are allowed and validated.

You like, but everyone hates: Angels & Demons (2009): Don’t know today’s reception but when it was released the film was heavily criticized by the critics and the audience. I like both this and The Da Vinci Code (2006), but having more convincing characters, plot and hold for the entirety makes it better than the first one.

Underrated: The Ninth Gate (1999): Polanski is a very contradictory director for his sexual abuse charges, therefore it feels shameful to admit liking his films or considering his films to be valued. Many find Gate as a dull thriller. The film doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore but the mystery around the occult books and the things you can’t see. 

"Why do I like this?": Bachelor Party (1984): This is my favourite question of them all. I discussed with @faisonsunreve about on what basis you should answer this and does it reveal your true movie taste. The 80’s crazy comedy is a silly and out-dated genre and that is why the films of this era fascinate me. Bachelor Party is full of lame humor and over-the-top characters. Yet the storyline is versatile and entertaining. Young Tom Hanks embodies the past. 

Great soundtrack: La Cage aux Folles (1978): Ennio Morricone has said first he has to understand the film, the images, the story and the director’s intentions before starting to compose. I would like to know his study for Folles, because the soundtrack has such a humorous, characteristic and warm sound. 

That cinematography: Furiant (2015): I was balancing between Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and La double vie de Véronique (1991), but this short film stands out with the way the rural landscapes, the dimly lit rooms and the unspoken moments are visualized (and edited) by the producer, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Ondřej Hudeček.

Criminally overlooked: Angélique film series (1964-68): Yes, you could put almost any Conrad Veidt film here, however I chose this. I have been fond of Angélique films since I was a child. These spectacles tell the story of Angélique in the time of King Louis XIV of France. Romance, adventure, scheming with breathtaking soundtrack and costume design, beautiful Michèle Mercier in the leading role and the flashy way of speaking French offer us an exquisite interpretation from the 60’s. 

Favorite active director: Peter Strickland: I have seen only The Duke of Burgundy (2014) and Flux Gourmet (2022), nevertheless his style of using the aesthetics of Italian genre films and the intimacy he creates is just heartwarming.

Anyone who wants to make their own version, please do and let me know. 📼📀📦🔦

[silveragelovechild]

I’ve just rewatched “The Mysterious Island” (1961), based on a novel by French author Jules Verne. It’s set in the 1860s and tells the story of several Union soldiers who escape a Confederate prison via a hot air balloon. A fierce storm transports them to a remote and “mysterious” island in the South Pacific. There they help rescue two women, passengers of a boat that sunk in the same storm.

Things get interesting when they encounter several giant animals on the island - crabs, chickens, and even bees. All of them were achieved via the amazing effects created by Ray Harryhausen and his team. They holdup surprising well for a movie released over 60 years ago. Today, in a similar movie, the effects would be done via CGI. But Harryhausen’s stop motion effect feel so much more fresh and visceral.

The music for the film was done by Bernard Herrmann, Harryhausen’s frequent collaborator. The music is appropriately adventurous and dramatic.

The only effect that doesn’t stand the rest of time is the volcanic eruption at the climax of the film. It’s clearly a model and the lava doesn’t have the “weight” of liquid rocks.

Outdoor scenes were filmed on the Catalan coast in Spain, with indoor filming occurring in England. The overall design is pretty good, especially Captain Nemo’s ship the Nautilus.

The cast is mostly English, with three exceptions. Nemo was played by Czech actor Herbert Lom (best know for playing Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther films); Gary Merrill (who divorced Bette Davis only a year earlier); and Michael Callen, a young actor popular on Broadway and films in the 1960s.

Callen is a prime example of how the perception of men has changed over the years. Callen plays the heart throb and is shirtless in most of the movie. But by today’s standard he looks incredible skinny with no muscle tone.

I particularly like Michael Craig who played the castaways leader. I thought I’d seen him in some old TV westerns but nearly all of his credits are British.

The two women are played by Joan Greenwood as Lady Fairchild and Beth Rogan as her niece Elena. Greenwood has a very artificial sounding voice and I thought her dialogue may have been dubbed over by another actress (it wasn’t). About half way into the movie, Rogan switches from a long dress with petticoats into a very small and revealing leather tunic. It’s so short that her underpants are frequently revealed as she runs across the beach.

I saw “The Mysterious Island” via TUBI, a free streaming service. There were occasional commercial but not as intrusive as broadcast TV.

[fibula-rasa]

Favorite New-to-me Films—April ‘24

(listed in order pictured above, L to R)

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

They Came to a City (1944)

[letterboxd | imdb | tubi (US)]

In a thought experiment about post-war Britain brought to life, nine strangers from different backgrounds are spirited away to get a glimpse at a socialist utopian civilization. Their reactions are, as expected, varied.

A film adaptation of the J.B. Priestley play of the same name, They Came to a City isn’t thoroughly translated into something cinematic. The sets are visually interesting, but the film never escapes stagey-ness. Regardless, it’s an interesting film worth watching for its candor on social/political attitudes in Britain in the 1940s and the great character writing and acting. (BTW, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Googie Withers give a performance that’s any less than stellar.)

——— ——— ———

Love in the City / L’amore in città (1954)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy (US)]

This Italian documentary anthology dives into love, in many forms, in the city of Rome. Six directors each give an angle on life in the city. Carlo Lizzani provides a portrait of the lives of sex workers. Michelangelo Antonioni profiles women who attempted suicide over love gone wrong. Dino Risi captures a fleeting glimpse of dance hall life. Federico Fellini goes farcical, recounting a story of a “werewolf” applying to a marriage agency. Francesco Maselli and Cesare Zavattini share a sympathetic narrative of a mother who abandoned her baby. Alberto Lattuada provides a satirical look at men ogling (and harassing) women on the street. 

As with all anthologies, the quality varies. Fellini’s segment was unsurprisingly my favorite (the same happened with Spirits of the Dead (1968)). I also deeply appreciated Antonioni’s tackling of such a sensitive topic and Maselli and Zavattini’s attempt to give a more humane spin on Caterina Rigoglioso’s story.

(If you live in the US, the film might be free to watch on kanopy with your library card!)

——— ——— ———

Two Monks / Dos monjes (1934)

[letterboxd | imdb]

When a new monk arrives at a monastery, he is unexpectedly attacked by another monk with a large crucifix. The other monks try to get to the bottom of this insane and seemingly random act of violence and uncover a tragic story of romantic rivals.

Stylistically, Dos monjes doesn’t completely live up to the outstanding gothic-expressionist monastery scenes—the bulk of the film recounting the monks’ past is shot and constructed less adventurously. However, I do think that the execution of a single story told from two different perspectives was strong.

——— ——— ———

Scenes of the Occupation from Gaza (1973)

[letterboxd | imdb | youtube]

Edited together from footage shot by a French news crew, Scenes is a short documentary on the conditions in Gaza following the devastating events of 1967. While an important film historically, it is short and very specific in its subject, so I can only properly recommend it in its historical and political context. That is to say, this film might be lost on you if you aren’t already well-versed or currently educating yourself in the history of Gaza and Palestine. More information about the film can be found on the Tokyo Reels website (info in English is on pages 19-20, the rest is in Japanese and Arabic).

——— ——— ———

Poplar Tree / Тополя (1996)

[letterboxd]

Gorgeously stop-motion animated under the direction of Valentyna Kostylieva, Poplar Tree interprets the Taras Schevchenko poem of the same name. It’s a short story about a woman coping with lost love when those around her wish her to move on.

There is a lovely digitized copy on the Ukrainian animation channel, with no subtitles. However, an English translation of the poem is available here. If you read the poem first, you’ll be good to go!

——— ——— ———

Night of the Seagulls / La noche de las gaviotas (1975)

[letterboxd | imdb | tubi (US)]

A doctor is assigned to a small, seaside village, but when he and his wife arrive, the welcome they receive is ice cold. The doctor and his wife, with the help of their assistant and an abused disabled local, uncover a tradition of sacrificing young women to an undead, demon-worshiping cult of Templar knights.

Night of the Seagulls is technically part of a series, but the films don’t have an overarching narrative, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen any of the other films. I have a penchant for supernatural stories that have to do with the sea, so years ago, with no context, I watched Ghost Galleon (1974). My feelings on that film were mixed, but I saw others online recommend Seagulls as the best of the series. I did like this film more, but my feelings are still mixed. A lot of the scenes with the disabled villager are rough to watch and his character on the whole could have been handled much better. The special effects makeup for the skeleton knights was fantastic. I appreciated that the doctor does not dismiss his wife’s concerns off-hand, which is atypical in this kind of story. I also liked how imminent the threat was—the demon knights are already here, so what are the outsiders supposed to do?!

Unique use of crabs.

As an aside, I was struck by how many similarities Seagulls had with the Thriller episode “A Place to Die” especially as they came out within a few months of each other!

——— ——— ———

Hercules in the Haunted World / Ercole al centro della terra (1961)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy (US)]

Hercules’ betrothed, Dianara, has been overtaken by dark forces. Her only hope is for Hercules, his best buddy Theseus, and their new friend Telemachus to travel to the underworld and capture the stone of forgetfulness. However, it’s Dianara’s own guardian, Lico, who is behind the plot.

Maybe my favorite new-to-me film I watched this month, Bava’s Hercules is a colorful nightmare and Christopher Lee is pitch perfect as the villain.

——— ——— ———

The Sisters / Le Sorelle (1969)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Diana, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, decides to visit her sister, Martha, at her home in the country. They haven’t seen each other in years, and we learn quickly that their relationship is extremely sordid and neither has dealt with the psychological or emotional consequences of that. It does not end well for either of them.

This was a genuinely strange movie. All things considered, I do think The Sisters would have perhaps worked a bit better/been more meaningful if they were not biological sisters but rather just grew up together (which at points I thought might actually be the case). Great execution of the awkwardness and tension around the men in the film, Martha’s husband and Diana’s suitor, and their slow realization of how profoundly messed up Diana and Martha’s past was. The film touches on so many heavy topics, I don’t freely recommend this. I didn’t even enjoy it, but it was such a unique film, I’m glad I checked it out. It’s definitely going to stick with me!

That said, The Others / Le Altre (1969), which Alessandro Fallay also worked on, I do recommend freely. That one is a sweet dramedy about a lesbian couple in Rome trying to have/raise a baby—essentially the polar opposite queer film to The Sisters.

——— ——— ———

Slayers: The Book of Spells / スレイヤーズすぺしゃる (1996)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Also: Slayers Excellent (1998) & Slayers: The Motion Picture (1995)

The Book of Spells is an anthology/OVA set of three adventures of Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent, her companion and/or rival, depending on the day. In “The Scary Chimera Plan,” Lina tries to avoid getting chimerized by a crazed wizard, but gets ten extra Nagas for the trouble. In “Jeffry’s Knighthood,” Lina and Naga accept a job as bodyguards for an anemic prince with notions of becoming a knight. In “Mirror, Mirror,” Lina and Naga uncover a rogue magician’s plot to find a long-hidden magic mirror that creates mirror-image dopples of whoever gazes into it.

We watched a whole mess of Lina and Naga movies/OVAs this month. I’ve only seen some of the Slayers TV show and so only really knew about Naga via osmosis. Now, the sound of eleven Nagas laughing in unison will live forever in my nightmares.

——— ——— ———

As always, if any of these films catch your eye, but you need specific trigger/content warnings, don’t hesitate to ask for them!

——— ——— ———

This past month the blog quickly took on a Natacha Rambova theme.

The research I did for my closet cosplay of Rambova, raised so many questions for me about the production and release of her independently produced film, What Price Beauty? (1925), that it became the subject of my next installment of Lost, but not Forgotten.

Cosplay the Classics: Natacha Rambova

Lost, but not Forgotten: What Price Beauty? (1925)

This unplanned theming also informed what gif and still sets I made:

Salomé (1922) 

[This one I actually gif-ed for reference for my upcoming cosplay of Nazimova, which my generous supporters on ko-fi and amazon have made possible! Nazimova cosplay is coming up as the next installment of Cosplay the Classics!]

Camille (1921)

Why Change Your Wife? (1920)  

Forbidden Fruit (1921)

Twilight Q: Time Knot: Reflection (1987) 

[This one had nothing to do with Rambova BTW]

——— ——— ———

As for this month, I hope to highlight some silent stunt spectaculars as I finish putting together the pieces for my Salomé cosplay.

Happy viewing!

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