#I just love the attention to detail and the random tributes to the fan base multi-player server games

[chibimyumi]

Lizzie’s Campania Dinner Dress REDESIGNED

After having redesigned the Notorious Robin Dress of O!Ciel (click here), I thought I’d try my hands on another well-known dress; Lizzie’s dress on the Campania!

As explained in the post linked above, Yana seemed to not have an inkling of historical fashion knowledge at the beginning of the series. As the series became bigger however, she employed a Victorian Era expert and the results are clear.

In this post I will examine to what extent Lizzie’s dinner dress is accurate and break this costume down from the top, and propose how to “correct” these while trying to keep as much of the original design as untouched as possible.

I. Dinner Dress

Hair

Just like I said in the Robin Dress™ REDESIGN post, needless to say, 19th century people would not have worn twin tails. Wearing the hair down was considered ungroomed for women in the 19th century, but young, unmarried girls were allowed to spare a few hairpins.

Unlike O!Ciel who would always try to strive for a more mature look, Lizzie would aim for the opposite.

In the late Victorian era it was normal to have bangs, but it was proper to have it cut well above the eyebrows. So Lizzie’s bangs only need to be trimmed a bit to be period accurate.

The long dangling fringe of Lizzie’s is a tribute to her mother, but alas, that one does need to go... I do not dare fully risk the WRATH of Frances the Formidable however, so in honour to her, I have kept that bang as much as possible. The sides of the bangs were allowed to be longer in order to frame the face better, but the point remains that the face should not be covered.

(I know, I know, two symmetrical half-arsed fringes would have been better, but I promised to try change as little as possible...)

Victorians hardly ever cut their hair, because the longer the hair, the more feminine and desirable a girl/woman was deemed to be. The aesthetic of hair in 1880s was more in the vertical direction instead of horizontal. Hence Lizzie would probably have worn her curls a bit smaller, therewith using up less hair into the width.

The period wherein people strongly favoured a horizontal aesthetic was approximately 200 to 70 years outdated. If we had to justify what type of hair Lizzie’s hairdo was supposed to be historically, I could only say it is probably the 1670s early baroque hairdo. (I mean... that portrait IS fairly similar to Lizzie’s hair, is it not?)

The hair ornament Lizzie wears is not entirely impossible, just very unlikely for the 1880s. I have kept the weird rosette that she wears, and used them to pin up both sides of her hair. I could not find any visual sources of people wearing rosettes in their hair instead of their chest after earning some type of prize, but since there were no regulations regarding how a ribbon must be tied into a bow, the rosettes can stay.

Neckline and Bodice

The design of the original bodice also requires a bit of work. Just like with the Robin Dress, the main problem lies with the silhouette.

In the height of the Victorian Era, the main endeavour was waist reducing, hence the chest area would be accentuated and “streamlined” towards the shoulder, while the seams would detract from the waist optically.

Instead of the straight design of the chest panel, I replaced it with a fan-shaped front piece, of which the lines would achieve this ‘streamline’ effect.

The halterneck-like neckline as in the original design would have been quite unlikely as it would have made the neck stand out, and make the much thinner neck compete with the desired small waist. The rule of thumb for what aesthetic bodices should have was generally open wide top, closed small bottom (V shaped, not O). Usually when there is a halterneck-line, something else that would redirect the eyes towards the larger shoulder-chest area would adorn the bodice too for compensation.

Thus, instead of the rounded halterneck-line, I replaced it with a straight square neckline. Though square-necks were not very popular in Lizzie’s time, they were not unheard of. Miraculously I happened to stumble upon this illustration from 1889 (exactly Kuro’s present day setting), and herein we can see both the short lantern sleeves and the square neckline.

Decoration wise there is nothing inconsistent with 1889 fashion, but as Lizzie is the daughter to an influential Marquis and the dress is supposed to be a dinner dress, it should be a tad gaudier. The elaborateness of Lizzie’s original dress was more alike that of a daytime walking dress. I did not deviate too much from the original manga’s design, I simply added some gold details that were not there yet.

(The anime’s dress had been simplified for animation’s sake, so my redesign is based on the manga’s slightly more elaborate triple panel decoration.)

This choker ribbon necklace is the same as for the Robin Dress. Like I said before, these were worn by people in the 1880s, but they were not standard for fancy night time events. However, as it is technically not historically ‘inaccurate’, it can stay.

Waistline

Just like the Robin Dress, Lizzie’s waistline is the most historically inaccurate part that renders the entire design a period amalgamation.

First of all, I gave the waistline a pointed end and swagged the inner skirt up towards the hips for a dramatic V-shape. The bow-sash worn around the waist was something that was in fashion during the 1780s and 1790s, and was part of the ‘Chemise de la Reine’ look that was named for and popularized by Marie Antoinette.

Fashion trends do always come back every now and then, so a ribbon bow is not necessarily taboo. But the height at which the bow sits on the original dress would guide the waistline towards the hips, which would have gone against the small-waist aesthetics of 1880s, which would have been taboo.

Hence, I removed the sash entirely, and shoved the bow itself to the back (more on this below.)

Skirt

Again, the same problem Yana had with the Robin Dress; the bell-shaped silhouette that would be at least 30 years outdated by 1889, so I simply reduced its volume.

The split panel front however, was common in the 1880s, as such it remains untouched.

The dress code for formal events would require a floor-length hem for dresses, but a dinner party such as the one on the Campania would be semi-formal, and Lizzie who strives for a very youthful look would have been able to get away with a shorter hem. Hence, the skirt length also remains unchanged.

Bustle

“Does this dress make my butt look small?” would have been the question women asked. Late Victorian fashion just LOVED a huge behind, and the bustle was the absolute star of any feminine outfit.

The design of the ornaments on the original dress is actually spot on, except that it would simply lie flat over the skirt, rather than help the skirt get a large bulge.

So for the redesign, I have decided to use the golden bow that sat at the front to draw the attention towards the maximised behind. Underneath I used the original triple row tails, and flanked this decoration with large pleats to produce a dramatic back. For completion’s sake, I have added golden embroideries to the pleats so that the large golden bow will not just sit there as a random piece of ornament.

Shoes

I could find relatively few sources on late 1880s shoe fashion, so my caveat here.

Lizzie’s d’Orsay type of shoes were not standard in the 19th century England, but they were definitely not impossible. 1880s d’Orsay pumps were a bit more closed around the lateral arch, but the technique to make completely open d’Orsays was already available in the 1600s, and wildly popular after the 1830s. As I could not find any sources on when they stopped being popular, I think Lizzie’s shoes would probably have been acceptable.

What I do propose to change is the point of the toe. Only very, very young girls (up to age 4 ish) would wear a rounded nose. Slightly older children and adults would wear pointed toes instead.

The only other thing I propose to change is only a “problem” if I were to be perfectly pedantic and nitpicky; namely the arch of the shoe. Arches of the shoe until the 1910s were mostly straight, and did not have the same arch as our natural feet have. So in order to create the perfect 1889 shoe silhouette, I straightened Lizzie’s shoes too.

Y’all still with me? Good. Now comes the trickiest part, THE UNDERWEAR, a.k.a. Lizzie’s Battle Suit.

II. Battle Suit

Lizzie’s dinner dress was actually fairly historically accurate, earning a personal Chibimyumi rating of 6.6/10 in total (as opposed to Robin Dress’ miserable total rating of 4.1/10). Her Battle Suit however, scores less well, reaching only a 5.4/10.

Chemise

Victorian undergarments were nothing like our contemporary ones. If you have no breasts then it is easy, but if you do... well, a bra is bad enough, right?

Well.... In the Victorian times women wore layers on top of layers, of which the first was the chemise. Contrary to popular belief, people did not wear corsets directly on their skin. Corsets were very hard to wash, thus the chemise served to both protect the corset from getting dirty, as well as absorb the sweat.

Yana did do pretty good research as attested by her not having fallen for this popular misconception. Lizzie does indeed wear a type of chemise underneath her corset, though I would say that the sleeves are too elaborate for the dress she has chosen to wear on top.

Such elaborate sleeves were worn to be combined with smaller sleeves so that the lace can protrude from underneath, giving the entire outfit a little icing on top (like the lace at the chest). Lizzie’s dinner dress has lantern sleeves that would not reveal any of the chemise’s sleeves.

Chemises were washed quite regularly, but lace is a very expensive and delicate material. Hence, in order to minimise wear-and-tear, people would probably have avoided wearing ultra fancy chemises if it cannot be seen anyway. But who knows. Lizzie is a rich kid, she probably has enough lacy chemises at her disposal. Still, just to be perfectly historically accurate, I gave her chemise simpler sleeves.

Corset

Unlike the chemise, corsets were not regularly washed, and thus elaborate lace was very desired.

The large ruffles on the chest of Yana’s design however, are probably a tad too elaborate, and judging from the thickness, they could easily disrupt the smoothness of the outerwear.

1880s corsets were generally not very decorated as their function was valued over anything else. This corset I found dating from 1887 is the most elaborate authentic one I could find, and it indeed strongly resembles the one Lizzie wears. However, as even this one does not have lace protruding as much as Lizzie’s, I have toned the corset down too for the redesign.

In the 1880s, both corsets with and without front closure were worn. However, the pieces as elaborately decorated in the front would not have front closures. Hence I removed the hook and eye closure in the redesign.

The thing that is the least accurate about Lizzie’s corset is the boning structure. What produced a well-shaped waist was not how tight you lace the corset, but the structure of the boning. An unlaced corset of that time would have looked much ‘curvier’ than any tight-laced straight-boned corset.

By the late 1880s, boning techniques were so advanced that they were very soft and flexible, and yet also provided the firmness necessary for the desired look. The straight paneled type of boning drawn by Yana was outdated and strongly advised against.

Finally, the mini-skirt at the bottom of the corset is cute, but I have yet to find one like that in the 1880s. I don’t think that tiny piece of fabric would disrupt the desirable silhouette, but there will be PLENTY layers on top, so I removed it just to be sure.

Skirt

The skirt - or rather, everything that happened UNDER the skirt is a stack of complexities.

The most bottom layer would have been the underwear with trouser-legs, layer 1. Layer 2 is the protruding hem of the chemise, that may either have been long or short. But the chemise and the underwear are the only things that were worn UNDER the corset, hence the frilly-frilly skirt we see Lizzie fight in should have been the chemise, and not the underskirt.

The chemise was never something as wide as the one drawn by Yana, and could therefore not achieve that flare effect. I know it is absolutely gorgeous, and from an artistic point of view I myself would not have done otherwise. But as I am doing historical fashion research and redesign, I shall compromise myself and settle with a narrow skirt. The skirt would probably have been so narrow Lizzie would have trouble fighting. So it would not have surprised me if she decided to make a large split in it, or rolled it up and tucked it under her corset.

The frilly underskirt we see Lizzie wear should be layer 4 rather than 2. If we study Lizzie’s dress, we can see that the frilly part is a separate piece of clothing, unlike what the anime-art suggests.

Underneath this layer, there would have been a bustle (layer 3) that was strapped around the waist, over the corset. Like I explained before, bustles were essential to any Victorian dress. They came in many shapes and sizes, but I have settled with the simplest one.

Should we wish to keep the frilly skirt, then we need to keep in mind that Lizzie would have worn FOUR layers, which would hardly have made it any easier for her to navigate through the water than before. So why bother remove the dress and expose herself at all then? Hence, all layers from layer 2 on will sink with the Campania.

From our 21st century point of view, the Battle Suit looks quite cute, and we would probably just wear it like that. But if we consider down to what layer a real 1889 girl would have to have stripped, and how many somewhat embarrassing contraptions had to be removed first before reaching some level of mobility, we can probably understand how embarrassing it truly must have been.

Well, I had tons of fun doing this research, and I learned a great lot about what corsets really were (and not the inhumane torture devices they are claimed to be). I hope you all also had fun reading this too.  (*´▽｀*)ノ

【Related post: Ciel’s notorious Robin Dress™ REDESIGNED】

【Related post: Redesign: O!Ciel and Sebastian in different eras】

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MASTERPOST Gender in Kuroshitsuji

MASTERPOST Analyses & Info

[aph-poland]

It may make you angry, but I'm from Poland and I can't stand the fluffy-pinky-gay image of my country in Hetalia fandom. We're one of the most traditionalist country in the EU, a man would be probably beaten if he went outside in a fucking skirt. It sounds still ridiculous for me that two people of the same gender can marry, because it's illegal here.

Wow um, that doesn’t really make me angry i guess just?? a little taken off guard by this weirdly hostile ask out of nowhere lol. But here’s what I have to say:

I’m not sure how long you’ve been familiar with my blog or if u just decided to yell at a hetalian today and chose me at random, but I wouldn’t really classify myself as a fan of the “fluffy-pinky-gay image” of APH Poland either tbh. It actually makes me really upset when people just want to stereotype him as such based on the image that the fandom has dubbed for him, and instead overlook all of his history, struggles, triumphs, culture, and basically everything “Polish” about him. If you knew me you’d know I’m actually one of the most angry and disappointed people in the fandom at this because it constantly infuriates me with the way he gets categorized simply by the way hima drew him.

Idk there is so much to address in this ask I’m struggling to try and write this as eloquently as possible but forgive me i’m doing this at work so i may sound a lil jumbled. The deal is, it’s actually pretty problematic when people want to erase all that Feliks is and represents and just paint him up as “the gay character” or “transv****te cross-dresser” simply because he wore a skirt in a strip that made him fit that stereotype. There is so much potential to his character as far as depth and exploration goes that is often horribly skewed or ignored by other hetalians in favor of just reducing him down to “fabulous valley girl.” And to be quite honest its pretty ooc, but thats more of a different topic for another time.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a few qualms with hima myself and some of the problematic content that he’s decided to include in hetalia, but if you pay attention to Canon Feliks vs Fanon Feliks, you’ll notice alot of the “fluffy-pinky-gay image” has been forced onto him by young (lowkey homophobic) fans. The way Feliks acts in canon (if you take away the over-use of the “valley girl accent” that the translator chose to assign to him to match w/e Japanese dialect hima was trying to give him) you could actually interpret many things differently. By doing so, it’s much easier to see how strong, tough, charismatic, loyal, trusting, and deep he actually is. You see his strengths, his faults, his mistakes, his victories, his growth as a character, nation, and person over the years. You can see moments of happiness, sorrow, silliness, seriousness, moments of weakness, moments of power, moments of worry, moments of confidence, love, hate, regret, revenge, but above all...perseverance. So trust me, it makes me just as confused and angry when people want to ignore what a diverse -if not somewhat ironic/conflicting- character he is and instead change him around to fit what they want to see him as. I wish he was treated with more respect.

However

I understand how traditional the “real’ Poland is, believe me. I’ve been in this fandom for many years and you’re not the first “””real polish person”” I’ve seen get angry over aph poland. You’re not alone.

The thing about hetalia though, is that it is just an anime. All told through the views and thoughts of a japanese man. The story is intended to be a light comedy making fun of nationality stereotypes while simultaneously celebrating the history, culture, and people of each said nation. The intention, as I’ve also taken it (or choose to take it anyway), is to take the setup for these lovable, flawed characters, and kind of???? have fun with them per say...

People are free to interpret things, events, practices, and the characters themselves how they choose (generally speaking anyways). I think there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s respectful and not gross in anyway (again, another topic). So therefore, there’s nothing wrong with headcanoning Feliks as being gay. I understand how “the real poland” is set up and what their laws are (though I don’t claim to be an expert or openly discuss them as I am not polish nor do i live there, so i feel that is not my place) but there are so many other things to take into consideration before you come off as homophobic yourself.

One thing to consider, is how the same thing could be said for well over half the nations. To claim that a hetalia character “can’t be gay” because of politicians and a government party’s standpoint is pointless and irrelavent tbh. I’ve always felt it?? weird to try and tie a nation down to a specific time period or law when they’ve been around for literally centuries, and have witnessed and believed in all different type of social norms and morals and laws that evolve and change as time progresses. Its actually pretty closed-minded to expect thousand year old nations to buy into every single detail of present-day customs and viewpoints. Many of the more conservative viewpoints of many nations around the world are relatively new ideas as far as strict practice goes in comparison to the personified character themselves. Something that’s been an enforced idea for the last 50 years or so could just feel like a month or two to an immortal being lmao. But again, I believe most of it is up to interpretation.

I don’t want to speak for the lgbt in poland, or any polish lgbt throughout history as i don’t feel i have the right or enough adequate knowledge to do so, but a hetalia nation is supposed to be sympathetic to and feel the struggles and pain and happiness and glory of all their citizens. Regardless of what the political standpoint of the country is on (I personally believe nations choose not to align themselves with political parties in general as a conflict of interest would ensue) hima has stated time and again that the nations also have the ability to be their own person, and have their own views and standpoints on things that might not match the “majority” of the current political climate (ex. Germany himself was shown to be annoyed with and hated dealing with Adolf Hitler). So it’s not really fair to pretend like a nation has never-looked-at-the-same-gender allllll throughout history just like it’s silly to presume that all people are StraightTM until proven otherwise. 

Canon APH Poland, Feliks Łukasiewicz, the man who likes pink, the man who doesn’t care about gender norms or what kind of fabric he puts on his body because he’s old and has obtained a certain level of nation wisdom enough to know that not only is gender a construct and there’s nothing shameful about “””feminine clothing”””” (even though clothes are just pieces of fabric meant to cover your body and dont have genders lol), but has also seen all kinds or fashion and different types of clothing all throughout history and has worn frilly neck ties, jewelry, heels, makeup, and capes back when those were once considered to be “”masculine”” at that time period as well and remembers how fucking good he used to look in that shit and after all he’s been through knows that he has the right to rock w/e the fuck he wants, the man who historically, legally, culturally, and personally married to another man, the man who still remembers his childhood before he even heard of Christianity, the man who had one of the most tolerant and flourishing commonwealths in history, the man who has such strong ties to the romantic period and who, as a nation, is much more complicated than mortal humans could ever hope to understand........is absolutely wonderful.

Now I’m sorry that lgbt representation and rights is lacking in Poland at the moment, as it is all over the world. Truly I am, and it makes me upset. I don’t know if you share those same homophobic and hateful views (your tone implies that you do), but the fight and struggle of the lgbt people is far to complicated and powerful to use as a playing chip on a silly Japanese cartoon, and i think basing a headcanon off of prejudice and hate like that is disrespectful to the nation, and to bringing that into a cartoon is disrespectful to the lgbt struggle as well and belittles it all tbh. But as i said before, that topic is best left for another day.

I’m sorry you felt so insulted by a cartoon character to come to my inbox about it, as if i have any control of what this fandom does to him, but I try to just look past all the forced, fanon garbage to see feliks for what he really is. A strong, tough, talented, complicated, fearless, resilient, yet still endlessly sarcastic, funny, mischievous person.

Do you not think that is a good tribute to the Polish people?

[dillonsasse682-blog]

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[vioncentral-blog]

Traina Thoughts: World Series Ratings Not Off To A Good Start

https://www.vionafrica.cf/traina-thoughts-world-series-ratings-not-off-to-a-good-start/

Traina Thoughts: World Series Ratings Not Off To A Good Start

1. Here's how you can tell if a rating is not great: The network tries to highlight local numbers. Game 1 of the World Series between the Astros and Dodgers on Tuesday night generated a 10.2 rating. Game 1 last year between the Indians and Cubs did a 12.6. Game 1 in 2015 between the Royals and Mets did a 10.5. So when FOX Sports tweeted out the rating today, they made sure to push the numbers for the L.A. and Houston markets.

pic.twitter.com/32iH8V9qAo

— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) October 25, 2017

Just to offer a little perspective for the misguided, "The NFL is dying" crowd, Sunday night's Falcons-Patriots game drew a 12.6 rating. Game 1 of the World Series did a 10.2.

2. Life comes at you fast, even if you're a postseason hero and playing in the World Series.

For those wondering how I celebrated winning Game 1 of the #WorldSeries. I had to get in the tub with my pup who was covered in his own 💩! 🦇

— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) October 25, 2017

3. I don't like doing this and it actually pains me, but I must call out one my heroes, Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry, who is supposed to be a die-hard Mets fan, made his Seinfeld character a Yankees fan. He's explained over the years, that the Mets were terrible at the time and the Yankees, thanks to George Steinbrenner, provided more opportunities for comedy. OK, fine. But last night, there was Jerry in Dodgers Stadium, rooting like crazy for L.A. Come on, Jerry. You can't do that. You can only have one favorite team. You can't cheer for multiple teams. It's a rule that's actually in the sports fans handbook.

Getty Images

4. Speaking of Seinfeld, several New Jersey Devils players paid tribute to the great Puddy yesterday with thee outstanding T-shirts.

“Don't mess with the Devils, buddy. We're number one, we beat anybody! We're the Devils! The Devils!! Haaaa!!!” @seinfeldtv @violentgentlemen

A post shared by Adam Henrique (@adamhenrique) on Oct 24, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT

5. Dwyane Wade and Kevin Love don't have a special high-five routine yet. They just have a very basic, simple handshake. Based on this video from last night, I think they should forget coming up with a routine and stick to the handshake. It works.

Successful Tuesday in #TheLand 👊🏽#AllForOne pic.twitter.com/U2nNnqbFVV

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 25, 2017

Sadly, it seems the duo will try to come up with something more intricate than a regular handshake.

Let’s work on it over team breakfast tomorrow https://t.co/D58UkfcnaY

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) October 25, 2017

6. Ladies and gentlemen, the New York Knicks.

Courtney Lee said some players don't know the plays and they need to pay attention more in practice.

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) October 25, 2017

7. Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall dressed up as teammate Von Miller for a Halloween party and paid extra attention to detail with his costume, even making sure he paid homage to Miller's alleged sex tape.

@BMarshh54 with one of the most savage Von Miller Halloween costumes 😂 He did Von dirty but man is this funny #Broncos pic.twitter.com/zEGgInF8ZF

— DailyDenverBroncos (@dailydenbroncos) October 24, 2017

8. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: I'm in the middle of Something to Wrestle With's Doink the Clown episode and they spent a good amount of time on this angle between Doink and Crush. This was vintage early '90s WWF.

The best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts. And check Jimmy Traina's weekly podcast, "Off The Board," on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

BONUS ITEM: The Dodgers are going to win again tonight.

[maczazind]

FILM DIARY 2017: April AKA"The Month with Dwayne Johnson & True Stories"

The summer blockbuster season has officially arrived as April showers make way for May flowers. But in that showery month came a handful of interesting films as well. April surprisingly found myself not only accidentally focusing on stories that were based on real life events but also features starring Dwayne Johnson. I hadn’t planned on the two stacking up but was surprised as the month came to a close how many the two categories had rang true. So before we make it into the tentpole films of the Summer, let’s focus on the last hurrah of the Spring as the following were my movie reactions for April.

As always, the following reflects MY OWN OPINION. If you’d like to see these entries in full as the year progresses, each installment is given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along!

Each entry includes how every feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. Numbering reflects the year’s overall total, not the monthly total.

April 1st: 43) Valkyrie* - DVD (Rental - Library); Originally released in the winter of 2008, I may have just missed an eventual screening of this in one of my high school history classes (where I saw a wave of films that went from the relevant to the random including Catch Me If You Can and Slumdog Millionaire). And while it doesn’t quite buck your expectations as much as the final act of Inglourious Basterds did with its climax, Tom Cruise still leads a fascinating story regardless about a major attempt within Germany itself to turn a military tactic on its head in an attempt to end WWII. Director Bryan Singer covers the material with a visually impressive turn here, in addition to supplying plenty of tense moments throughout. Regardless of how likely you know the ending, it’s the plan and events unfolding that capture your attention while granting a different perspective inside the country in a time of a chaos. It may not have stood out as Cruise’s biggest film in the last decade, but it’s certainly a pleasant surprise if the subject interests you.

April 2nd: 44) Soul Men* - TV (DVR - BET); One of Bernie Mac’s final films, this musically driven comedy was a fun time that I didn’t take too seriously. It was a fine cable watch in the middle of a weekend as the movie focuses on two washed up soul artists who take a cross country road trip to attend a tribute for their group leader who had spun off into a successful solo career. Massive amount of cliches aside, what helps add to the fun is the chemistry between Mac and Samuel L. Jackson. It seems like they’re enjoying themselves throughout and it gets infectious alongside a great soundtrack. Not a contender for a new favorite; yet I’ve seen plenty worse on television.

April 4th: 45) 5 to 7* - Streaming (Netflix); I tend to be a sucker for a few quieter, independent romantic dramedies since my younger days of renting random films from the video store down my street. And 5 to 7 fits that exact mold, blending an offbeat perspective it wears proudly on its sleeve with a cast that really elevates the material in play. It’s a very eccentric mix exploring the world of an open marriage, and yet Anton Yelchin’s charming Brian manages to serve his role well as the viewer’s perspective. It’s not perfect but still mesmerizing and emotional as the character driven romance is tackled in various interesting ways with differing ideals. And God, how I wish there was more of Olivia Thirlby’s Jane in this film. She manages to steal the spotlight in every scene she’s in; finding fantastic chemistry with Yelchin and truly making me crave more of a focus on their star-crossed, budding friendship. It��s certainly not a film for everyone; it’s one you’ll either accept as it lays out its central theme early on or you won’t. Though if you do, you may manage to embrace a handful of the alluring and enamoring traits it has to offer.

April 5th: 46) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* - Blu-Ray; Despite being a sizeable Star Wars fan, I never saw Rogue One during its release due to family problems arising around that time. So while many kept their blinders on until the release, I attempted to maintain that bubble for an additional three months. Some things clearly got through thanks to social media response, such as the widely beloved Vader scene. Others seemed obvious given existing canon and dialogue. The bottom line is I didn’t love Rogue One as much as The Force Awakens. At the same time, this is new territory; I really wasn’t sure how I would react to the first non-Skywalker Saga film despite being versed in books that do just that. I’ve accepted that this was also somewhat of a testing of the waters to see if audiences would respond to one-off cinematic adventures in this galaxy for potentially larger tales. Regardless, Rogue One is still an interesting focus on the Rebel Alliance beyond the Skywalker clan while it presents a grittier atmosphere that is certainly impressive. The story leads to very expected ending, but not before delivering quite a few memorable characters and dynamics. It fleshes out what we know with little additions that not only intrigues (Vader’s presence and location in between the prequel & original trilogies for instance) but solves some details from A New Hope as well. The biggest praise I can give is that director Gareth Edwards delivers perhaps the most visually stunning Star Wars film, between big beautiful shots, scenes that at times evoke the exactlook of the original classics, and a CGI Tarkin that to be quite honest I did not mind as much as others did. It’s a good, strong film that while it may not reach certain heights personally, may grow on me even more among repeat viewings.

April 8th: 47) Kubo and The Two Strings* - Streaming (Netflix); Laika has managed to rise impressively over the past nine years as its four feature films have presented intriguing stories that certainly gain popular word of mouth. Coraline impressed in a creepy supernatural tale with heart, while similarly Paranorman took a genre adventure tale and flipped it on its head with a very heartbreaking climax. Likewise, Kubo takes elements Laika has presented before and utilizes it in a new way. An adventure with fantastical elements here, but blending in dealings of grief, some great comedy, a feudal Japan backdrop and the legends that come with it. And such as Laika’s peaks, that emotional thread works wonders throughout the film. Perhaps not as far reaching to all demographics as the aforementioned movies, Kubo still showcases exceptional visual imagery and isn’t afraid to tackle some more complex pieces while fully embracing the more magical sides of the story it’s trying to deliver. If you can also accept those more farfetched archetypes as honorable to the landscape it’s tackling, then this may be up your alley.

48) Schindler’s List* - Streaming (Netflix); An award winner with an important legacy, I’d never seen this movie before for a small number of reasons. Among them, the 3 hour & 15 minute runtime always seemed overwhelming and the subject material in this format is something you have to be personally prepared for. Man what a powerful film. Unflinchingly brutal yet accurate to life, heartbreaking, and an extremely notable story to discover in the midst of absolute horror. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes give exceptional performances; to see Neeson’s Schindler break down in the “I could’ve saved more” scene evoked my own tears. And despite the length of the film, it never feels too long; between the shocking imagery and the tension that develops, your attention is demanded through it all. The genre of WWII films have presented no shortage of stories to tell, and it’s clear to see why this one has stood strong for the last 25 years.

April 14th: 49) The Fate of The Furious* - Theater; A fan of the franchise since my preteen years, it’s no secret The Fast and The Furious has gone through a number of transitions in its run. The series first changed four films in, shifting from a focus on racing to include more over the top action while also centering on the characters & the “family” that are now a signature part of the continuing story. In the wake of the loss of Paul Walker and the departure of his character Brian, the franchise finds itself at another crossroads. For myself, the core dynamic that gave the series an interesting focus was the yin & yang that were Brian & Dom; both intelligent in cars but differing with backgrounds in law enforcement and living on the edge. It’s why the second and third films didn’t quite work as well as the original, but excited an audience upon reuniting for a fourth; serving as a solid foundation for more fun adventures to build off of. Now with Brian gone, my main concern was wondering if his absence ultimately affected that core. In Fate, it’s clear there’s no replacing him. But thanks to Mr. Nobody and his new protege, played by Scott Eastwood, there is a feeling of balance once more as our family gains some structure while venturing out into an entry that not only entertains but captivates on multiple levels. Yes, there is still some very farfetched action; yet the one-liners & characters make it enjoyable despite plausibility. The story behind Dom’s betrayal to those closest to him counterbalances that, presenting some surprising connections and shocking twists that rewards fans who have stuck with the series so far. Jason Statham is a scene stealer, especially in the third act; Charlize Theron delivers an intimidating villain through her actions despite the fact she’s less hands on than previous antagonists. Without giving any spoilers away, I’ll say that what transpires blends together impressively to not only honor at least the three films prior but combats hesitance of shifting gears with a thrilling blockbuster that easily put it in the top tier of Fast and Furious installments.

April 15th: 50) Quiz Show* - Streaming (Netflix); My third based-on-a-true story film this month took me out of WWII and into the 1950s with another Best Picture nominee from the mid-90s. Here director Robert Redford tackles the cheating scandal from the early days of television, a controversy I had no clue even existed. What is presented is a solid film that takes many aspects and decides to run with them for an intriguing package, tackling a moral center, event entertainment vs. transparency, and the growing notion as to whether or not the same thing could be happening today in an era where game shows have only expanded. Ralph Fiennes dazzles as the lead torn between right and wrong, while John Turturro does an exceptional job playing an obsessed former champion that serves as a foil you can’t quite root for despite being in a justified camp. Though it doesn’t make it into the top tier of biopics for me, it’s an intriguing focus if you’re an entertainment lover.

April 22nd: 51) The Finest Hours* - Streaming (Netflix); As the title of this feature suggests, I found it to be just fine but not great. This drama from last year recounts a risky Coast Guard rescue in the early 50s out of Chatham, Massachusetts in the middle of a terrible winter storm. And while the story is interesting to learn and the actual rescue itself is harrowing, the film has a handful of problems. The first act, about 40 minutes long, throws so many characters at you and they are primarily pessimistic towards our protagonists that it actually gets a bit annoying. And a good handful of the pessimism on one side comes from an elephant in the room that is vaguely described through expositional dialogue that just feels out of place. An opening five minute scene depicting the event or even the fallout could’ve helped solve at least some of these scenes that simply come off sluggish. Additionally, characters and performances come up short because we jump around to SO many of them. Chris Pine and Casey Affleck lead their respective storylines well; Holliday Grainger is an absolute scene stealer and makes the central relationship believable. Ben Foster finds his groove later on, but disappointed me in the first half because of how good of a role I know he can deliver (if you haven’t seen it, he’s EXCEPTIONAL in The Program). The more interesting aspects of the film are Affleck’s story as we see how a ragtag crew manages to stay afloat in half of a sinking tanker as they await for rescue to hopefully come. Once rescue ventures out, the movie gains some real gravity; it’s just the very hesitant start and the crowded screen time that fails to get the motor going off the bat, rippling through the movie.

April 25th: 52) Moana* - TV (Rental - On Demand); I was worried how I would like this one given the hype built up from social media and award nominations. But as it turns out, it lives up that hype. Moana does an impressive thing by focusing on three key relationships that drive the emotional undercurrent: the title character & herself (torn between family and passion); the title character & her grandmother (doubting your passion, having someone support you and losing a loved one); and the title character and Maui (a comedic chemistry that also showcases independent strength, resilience and determination). All of these blend to deliver a powerful heart against a solid adventure tale that takes advantage of legend and fantasy, much in the way that Kubo had with its atmosphere. The villains are a bit weak, serving mostly as simple hurdles instead of the memorable antagonists from the Renaissance era. But there’s just something Moana does so well among establishing lore and relatable bonds in the first act that elevates the rest of the film. It’s even clear to see why “How Far I’ll Go” is the breakout song, as it perfectly captures and reflects everything being presented in the first half hour. Moana is a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve and is all the better for it, while the comedy and odyssey that follow cement it among the recent string of animated Disney films crafting their own legacies.

April 26th: 53) Central Intelligence* - DVD (Rental - Library); My second movie starring Dwayne Johnson in as many days, let’s say I didn’t love this one as much. It’s enjoyable, sure, but a little too goofy with a handful of problems. Kevin Hart and Johnson play off each other fantastically and are a lot of fun as a duo, but the character dynamics threw me a bit too much. Here, Hart is more or less the witty, taken aback foundation while Johnson is the wackier one as a repressed former high school loser who can’t quite let go of his past. And it’s there that the absurdity kind of grows more and more even if it tries to stay grounded in some respects. It requires plenty of disbelief and my expectations ultimately just were not there. Furthermore, the central story presents evidence to potentially distrust Johnson’s character well until the third act, and he’s such a wild card throughout that I actually bought the notion. The surprise cameos add an additional treat, but I’m also kinda happy I simply rented this one instead of outright buying it.

April 29th: 54) The Lincoln Lawyer* - Blu-Ray; My final film of the month is a legal thriller adaptation that squeaked in just before the “McConaissance” took shape. Matthew McConaughey leads a surprisingly star studded feature that spends the first hour setting up a premise, only to take an incredibly sharp turn halfway through and send the film in an entirely different direction. Though this twist allows for a complex spinning of plates that impressively all ties together in the end, it was a bit too jarring for me to roll with and I still felt a bit off center as the story continued to deliver turn after turn. Regardless, McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe give great performances; Marisa Tomei is just fine but has great chemistry with McConaughey; Michael Pena shines in the very small screen time he’s given; Bryan Cranston is under used with just a few scenes in a rather minor role. Ultimately it doesn’t hit as hard as past entries in its genre despite the impressive talent roster it builds and a break from cliche that should be refreshing. Then again, perhaps it was just my unprepared mindset to the narrative shift that left me with a sour note.

And that concludes part three of my year in movies! What blockbusters will I have seen after Memorial Day? See you in a month to find out!

What movies did you see in April 2017? Are there any movies you’d highly recommend that I should add to my watchlist? Feel free to drop me an ask or a reply!