#I went on to see some reviews for a beast within and like 90% of the people there didn't understand the metaphor or were pissed because

[babisawyer]

idk why everyone likes letterbox so much everyone on there is kinda stupid.

[kazumahashimoto]

my alien series review upon first watch within a few days

alien: the blueprint. not really my type of film but the impact it had is undeniable. i do think the themes of sexual perversion are the strongest in this one, and it's better for it! the practical effects still hold up for the most part too. i'd go so far as to say they're timeless honestly. a good watch!

aliens: oh my god it's just american military propaganda. like holt shit dude. it is JUST propaganda. the addition of the xenomorph queen was interesting for sure but oh my god. how do so many people view this as being the holy grail of alien films. i'm not gonna get in on the genre shift cos quite frankly i don't know or care enough to analyze that aspect but by the gods. it is just military propaganda. EYEROLL.

alien³: does not deserve the hate it gets! absolutely liked this more than aliens. i don't mind that the girl and the dude die. "we just got so emotionally invested in them :(" girl the very first movie established ripley as the lone survivor. it kinda makes sense it went like this honestly. my one complaint here regarding that though IS definitely the inexplicable egg that Just So Happens to be in the escape ship. like i already roll my eyes at the fact that the queen even Made It to the ship in aliens but now i'm supposed to suspend my disbelief enough to imagine she also snuck an egg somewhere in there. ehhhh..... and also like the facehuggers are established to only open up when there's a host immediately in front of them. so how'd it open up before the cryotubes were popped and someone got out. the explanation is lame, but the movie as a whole is pretty solid i'd say. killing off ripley makes fucking sense lol like ripley's thing from the beginning has been trying to protect people from the xenomorph. and she's got the queen in her. time to fucking bounce!!!! good film. the cgi is kinda ass but it was the 90s. what would it be without kinda shitty cgi.

alien resurrection: HONESTLY? HONESTLY. MY FAVORITE. listen i rolled my eyes when i read the synopsis saying they cloned ripley but i actually don't mind how they ended up doing it! though some (one in particular) of the ripley clones leaned far far too heavily into just being ableism, i do think ripley 8 seeing everything was a really powerful scene. gets kinda undermined by the immediate misogyny but that's kinda par for the course here. you're gonna see this again moving forward but i do love when the xenomorphs are given a level of sympathy. i'm just too endeared to the creature. and we get multiple levels of that in this one! first and foremost of course with ripley 8 being spliced with the alien, we see her relationship to her humanity come into question in super interesting ways. the way it goes hand in hand with call's relationship was great too. THIS MOVIE WAS SO UNEXPECTEDLY GAY 😭 I WAS SO THRILLED. the two men at the end fucking kissed on the mouth!!!!!! now i'm not saying there was a lick of those two being gay with each other before that moment but i love watching men kiss so. a good time for me.

NOW MY FAVORITE SCENES. obv the one scientist kissing the glass i mean. i hadn't felt truly spoken to by these films until that moment. it was cuuuuteeessss the way they were following each other's movements. awa. sosweets. *ignores what happens next* AND THEN. DEAR GOD. the newborn's birth from the xenomorph queen. i fucking love the newborn. like it's a different type of cute from the xenomorphs proper but it is socutes all the same. like i feel so gotten by my human brain chemicals registering this beast as having big ol eyes and therefore being cute and endearing but well. it fucking is. it IS a beautiful butterfly. i looooooove i fucking loooooooooooove it immediately turning on the xenomorph queen and instead viewing ripley 8 as its mother. i adore that mix of humanity vs The Killar instinct of the xenomorph. both scenes of it cudding and nuzzling ripley 8 fuck me uuuuuuup like oouuyyyuhhyygh :( baby 😭😭😭 genuinely the most heartbreaking kill of the franchise is the newborn. what a slow and painful death!!!! and i love that ripley 8 felt bad like that was her baby!!!! brief as it was you could feel the love there!!!! but ultimately she still had to kill it, for the sake of humanity. absolutely loved it. so so so fucking good.

alien vs predator: i got like 20 minutes into the first one and dipped cos i did not fucking care so bad. not for me.

prometheus: i hated this one to be honest. like ultimately this might just be a skill issue of "i don't get it" but. i also just do not care 😭 i don't think it really succeeds at trying to answer any questions, i think the use of holograms was fucking boring and lazy, the plotholes were kind of hard to ignore, and, and i know this was kind of the point, but no alien! poisonally i am here for that freak so for me i was bored senseless. i'm also just sooooo fucking confused about charlie coming back after getting burnt alive 😭 and for that matter, the neomorph making it out of the burning ship? like one of the first things they establish about the xenomorph in the first movie was "most animals don't like fire" and consistently they have been killing xenomorphs with fire. so. what fucking gives. but whaaaatever. overall i just don't get it and i don't even caaaaaaaare about the fucking space jockey and his band of freaks. AND ANYWAY. WE DON'T LEARN SHIT. WHICH I GUESS IS THE POINT BUT 😭😭😭😭 whatever. best moment was david saying "don't all people want their parents dead?" like so fucking true bitch.

alien covenant: now i quite liked this one actually!! if resurrection is my no.1 this has gotta be my no.2. i think the theme of creation is handled much better here, and to be fucking honest i don't even care that it creates a plothole in prometheus, i fucking LOVE that david created the xenomorphs. that fucking bangs. once again people complained that shaw gets killed off screen after we got invested in her, but gang! this is the fucking alien franchise! the bitches are gonna die! do not get so attached babe now is not the time! the critique i will actually take there though is the killing of the female lead in order to focus more on the male lead, but character wise it does make sense. now, as far as the new humans go, errmmm most of them are dumb as dirt and i truly feel no sympathy for like any of them 😭 not for being dumb necessarily, that's just how these things go, but for the themes of colonialism. it is kinda ironic (and maybe intentional?) that the humans are always like guhh we can't let the aliens spread to more planets! and then they just keep colonizing planet after planet after planet until they run out of habitable zones like mm. curious! but anyway. as kinda dumb as the new form of impregnation is, i still love what the movie did with the xenomorphs themselves!

the scene of david trying to get the one neomorph to trust him was sooooo fucking goooooood and the pain on his face and in his scream when the captain shoots it fuuuuuuuuuck it was honestly a bit reminiscent of ripley 8 with the newborn. absolutely loved. AND FUCK. OH MY GOD. when the captain threatens him to tell him what's going on and he's just like 👍 you got it follow me ^_^ and leads him to a room full of eggs. THE CUNT. I WAS LOSING IT. DIABOLICAL. ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED. and then he kept throwing fucking rocks at his head until he woke back up 😭😭 the cunt. jesus christ. godlike. "what do you believe in?" "creation." SHIT RULES. i loved it. AND THE BABY XENOMORPH COMING OUT AND COPYING DAVID'S MOVEMENTSSSSSSSS I LOVE IT. SOCUTES. the way the music swelled and was so sweet like ugh. good fucking scene. also the shit with walter and david was fucking crazyyyyyy. the flute scene. AND THEY KISSED?!?!??! it's too dubious i feel for me to go completely nuts over but it was certainly a moment. i think the walter david switcharoo came from a mile away but i'm still into it. the absolute cunt. god i love it. THIS takes the violent act of creation and succeeds.

alien romulus: as expected of a disney product. YOOOO REFERENCE?! HEY REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THAT? GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BITCH! HAHA! REMEMBER? DO YOU REMEMBER? PLEASE TELL ME YOU REMEMBER :( what a fucking waste if a movie 😭 i cannot think of a less interesting place in the timeline to try and shove yourself into. who fucking asked 😭😭😭😭 like the movie looked nice as per usual but oh my god. talk about a low budget flight. what was the point. what did this add. like. man and people wanna say the NEWBORN was an ugly monster design LOOK AT THE FUCKING OFFSPRING 😭😭😭 absolute flop. did not care for this beast. NOT CUTE. the best moment was the fucking ribcage pussioure pissing acid all over that annoying brit. and the scene was not even that good he just annoyed me. overall that shit sucked and i have absolutely no idea why they decided they just HAD to flesh out the time in between 2 and 3 more. ANY ASKERS?

moral of the story: play stupid games win stupid prizes. and don't be british

[betweentheracks]

Heyo! Not to be too nosy here but you mentioned you're in bad health and recovering, and I just wondered what happened? Also how would it impact your career since, from how you've made it all seem thus far, it's a highly active and demanding job?

Hope you take care and get well! You appear quite strong and not like you'd take whatever has happened just lying down, so here's to you!! 🙏💓

No sweat and no worries here, I dont find this particularly invasive. If anything, I'm flattered you care to ask after me lol. 😁

A few weeks back I met a friend I hadn't seen in some time for lunch. This was against my better sense of caution that I've held firmly to throughout the pandemic, but I would feel regretful and dismissive if I didnt agree to see her while I had the chance. I should've listened my gut and stayed safely at work because this "friend" failed to mention she had tested positive (she knew already by the time of our lunch date, she has since admitted) and had figured since she had no symptoms there was no harm in being in public.

FF only a few days later and I was feeling a little unwell but had put it off as an effect of the winter blast that had just hit where I live. I'd spent half a day out in the cold and snow for a photoshoot only the day before and thought it was probably due to that since I'm susceptible to weather influenced head colds and bronchitis. Fortunately, my job mandates a rigid COVID-19 screening twice a week due to our high profile clientele and as an assurance of health and safety for us all. Mine read back with a positive and with the way I had been feeling I was immediately sent home and the company closed its doors while the building was sterilized and our clients notified.

Thankfully I managed not to infect anyone I work with nor my son. Regrettably, I did infect my best friend since we're horrifically incapable of maintaining personal space and have weak shit immune systems. We both agree it is a wonder we made it this far into plague times without it catching us.

So I went and got looked over and sent on my way with my prescription of potent anti-virals and steroids. I was well prepared to abide the quarantine guidelines and had sent my son to my mother's home for the duration so that he was out of the danger zone. It was fine, I was kinda cool and keen on getting a few days to myself to rest up and all that jazz. But it wasn't meant to last and I found trouble in the form of being unable to remain conscious much at all and would pass out constantly. After a few times of this I gave my brother (he's a doctor and vaccinated) a ring and told him that my fatigue was no joke dude and needed him to come give me a better once over than the one I'd gotten before bc I was sure I was not meant to feel this badly. He found me unconscious in the shower that night, my head battered from crashing to the basin.

After ensuring I wasn't concussed and jokes on what a hard head I have to take such a beating and show no signs of registering it beyond bruising (a joke between us due to him having once accidentally put a golf club into my forehead and fracturing my skull but that's a different story) he told me to call him regularly so that he can review how I feel and the progression of my symptoms and left. By the morning I had already had two more instances of sudden fatigue and collapsing in on myself. I had been posting on my main blog here about how I was doing and due to this I caught the concern of @peekbackstage and upon their suggestion to have my O2 levels tested it was revealed that I was having issues with my blood not circulating oxygen as it should and nearing hypoxia.

Here's the rub. I have a heart condition that is already very dangerous and bleak which limits my heart's capability of delivering blood through my body as it should. Cardiomyopathy or, as it seems better known, congestive heart failure. I've had surgery for it and it has been a while since it caused me any real issues as long as I stick to my routine of care and manage my health, but when COVID-19 infiltrated my body it immediately snagged upon this weak heart of mine and sank its fangs in.

Within a day of being admitted to the hospital I had a grand mal seizure due to the constant fluctuations of oxygen in my blood and the way my body was working double time to supplement for it. And only 2 days after that and when my nervous system had finally quieted down, I went into full cardiac arrest with a heart attack at my young age.

My next weeks were spent connected to machines doing more for me than my own body could. I developed pneumonia in my lungs, acute though it was it was still another complication that my wrecked body had to overcome as it made my already ragged breathing even worse. I was steadily shedding muscle tone and definition due to a lack of mobility and the fact that my body felt like a deadweight I could hardly take command of, and generally very weakened. My heart, the horrible thing, was inflamed and trying too hard by beating too fast, too hard.

FF some more and I was doing fairly well and treatments were showing some improvement. My heart was still being an ugly and gnarled beast in my chest and throwing weird spikes on the monitor that raised alarms. The pneumonia was retreating and I had no further seizures. It was the dawning light of my first signs that I was recovering!

It took a while more and so fucking many tests day in and day out for me get cleared for release. I tested negative for COVID-19 and was ashamed that I actually forgot that that was why I was even in the hospital to begin with, given all that happened. I have to undergo physical therapy and counseling; PT for heart happy exercises as well as to manage to my depleted muscles, counseling bc I was rocked mentally from all the almost dying and the depressive haze of being holed up in the hospital and surrounded by people who, like me, came in with COVID-19 but unlike me did not come out of it.

I'm home now. I had to have a pacemaker implanted and must stay vigilant for any showing that my heart is not performing as it should. I still have some severe inflammation and chest restriction in my airways as well as my blood vessels but nothing too daunting. I also have a full battalion of prescriptions, most for my heart, and a nebulizer to ease any breathing issues. The worst is honestly that I still am very weak and have severely limited reserves of energy.

My job is required to make me take 12 weeks of leave for rest and recuperation. This is very upsetting since I had been requested by name to be an assistant stylist at the Grammys this year which is truly a dream (especially with BTS in the mix 😩😩) and also bc I'm just a workaholic by nature and love my job. When I return I am expected to learn how to properly delegate tasks that do not directly require me to handle and slow down the pacing of my projects. My boss terminated a contract with a client that was nearing the scheduled end of our agreement and was also incredibly problematic to help lighten my workload. It's imperative that I reign in my stress levels or my heart will not last until the next surgery I'll need, so I'm gritting my teeth and letting my job be picked apart to reduce my responsibilities.

My post awaits my return but I will not be returning to full activity for a while after, which means no rifling through the racks for hours alongside the archivists in search of the perfect piece. I'll be welcome to meet with my clients and oversee the glam teams, will still be the command tower for final verdicts on which styles to use. But I will not be running around showrooms nor personally handling matters any competent trainee could be tasked with like I've always done. I will no longer be able to fly out anywhere for destination shoots or fashion shows.

If, after my next surgery, things are better and my heart stable to the point that they are hopeful of things will be reevaluated. While it is difficult beyond measure for me to relinquish the reigns of my career and be restricted in what I can do now, I am very thankful to be alive and upright when that wasn't a certainty just a little while ago. This is such a humbling experience to have survived when my stats kept dropping every day. I've been told to expect that I will never make a full 100% recovery and to expect to stall out around the 70%-90% range, with 70% being the most realistic.

My best friend (the one I gave the plague to) will be moving in with me so that I am never on my own if things go tits up and to assist in wrangling a toddler since I am currently without the energy to do so as my child is, sincerely, a crazy gremlin spawn with limitless battery life. Slowly, my life will regain some normalcy 💖

[popculturebuffet]

New X-Men Xtrospective Part 1: E is For Extinction “They Will Need Us”

I am SO fucking excited for this one. As might not be obvious to ALL of my readers but should be obvious to some, I fucking love the X-Men. They are one of my favorite superhero teams period as are several of their spinoffs such as X-Factor (All versions), New Mutants, and Marauders. I love the wide cast, the hugely vast universe within the already vast and wonderful marvel universe, and the sheer amount of GREAT stories. I own all 11 movies, have several action figures, and two posters from Jonathan Hickman’s current and utterly dynamite run right above me right now as I work, as well as a marvel 80′s themed poster behind me that’s at least half x-men for good reason. I love this gang of mutants and I have not talked about them enough. 

I”ve done some X-Men stuff sure: I’ve talked about hickman’s time as head writer of the books a year in earlier this year, I did a few scattered reviews back when I did single issues of comics, and then we get to the one I beefed big time: covering ALL of X-Men evolution. While it’s a noble endeavor I freely admit to overexerting myself: I recapped the episodes way too closely, gave myself no real schedule and did so while I was already covering two shows a week at the time. My point is it was a good idea, but the timing was REALLY fucking bad and if I do it again, I intend to do it right and iwth a proper place in my now properly paced schedule. I also planned to do the movies which, unlike evolution, I have solid plans to do once I clear out some of my projects. Point is I burned bright and then exploded and took a whole projecet with me phoenix style. 

I had until this moment yet to do a really big x-men project, something digging into the comics, something that could help fans both of the comics and not get familiar with something really good, and help me dig into both the good and bad of something. I jsut needed the right start. 

Then Christmas gave me that spark, that project that gave me the idea for a butload more x-men content on here and was the perfect starting point for some. See my friend Marco lives in Honduras, and so since i couldn’t afford to send him anything for christmas in the mail, as i’m not exactly rich, I instead offered him three reviews of anything.l He still hasn’t taken up two of them, nor one I gave him for graduating college, but the first one was a doozy, something he hadn’t read due to not liking the art, which is fine as I have some art in comics I don’t like everyone has diffrent tastes, at least for the first arc, and something VITALLY important to x-men as a whole and that’s the backbone of hickman’s current run: the first arc of new x-men, e is for extinction. And given New X-Men is one of my faviorite comics of all time I not only lept on it.. but decided fuck it I’m covering the whole thing. So every so often on here from now until I finish, i’m going to be covering Grant Morrisons ground breaking, mind shattering, status quo destroying run on the children of the atom. This.. is going to be fucking awesome. Buckle up. 

New X-Men came about in 2001. Stop me if you heard this one: The X-Men, once marvel’s best selling title and one of i’ts most beloved, had been set adrift in a seal of editorial bullshit, bad writing, bad storylines and a stale continuity where not much could change or grow and things always reset to about the same place it was last week. If this sounds familiar it’s because it somehow happened AGAIN thanks to Ike Perlmutter’s bullshit, hence the current hickman run, but we’ll get into all of tha tsome other time. Point is as it was in 2018, so it was in 2001: The x-men were in bad straits and marvel reached out to a host of various creators to swing for the fences and find a new direction, something to bring sales and life back to the book. To my shock they actually took a LOT of diffrent pitches in before Morrisons won and from huge names: Geoff Johns, who had not yet returned to DC never to leave, Alex Ross, Keith Giffen.. all huge creative types. but in the end the best man won.

For those unfamiliar with him, Grant Morrison is a gloriously batshit scotsman with a long, storied and delightfully insane history in comics, mostly at DC before and after this comic. This is for good reason: DC scouted Morrison specifically because of his early work at 2000ad. See at the time Alan Moore had hit it really big with Swamp Thing, taking a d list, so so book and making it into an utter masterpiece and giving it thoroughly interesting mythology. Given it was a blockbuster hit that’s still widely loved and discussed, as it should be today, DC decided to repeat the strategy of asking British indie comics creators to come do the same to another property. This same experiment is why Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman exists, so.. yeah it was actually a great strategy and naturally Grant had their first big hit with Animal Man, a metafictional take on a b-list hero that made him a loveable family man, while also putting him through hell and playing with the medium and dc’s vast history, the last two being Morrison’s trademark from then on out.

 They’d next go on to reinvent one of my other faviorite teams: THE DOOM PATROL!  The patrol are a bunch of victims of strange accidents who got powers out of them that are basically curses... and Morrison solidified that concept, taking over after a weak run that ironically enough was trying to imitate the x-men’s success at the time. Instead Morrison just went all out with his weird shit for the first time and made them a team of broken but likeable people with weird powers fighting just the weirdest most incomprehensible shit, a run i’ll likely be digging into eventually along with the team as a whole. It’s also, along with Gerard Way’s recent run, the bedroock for the current and utterly masterful doom patrol series I need to catch up on. They also apparently once wrote a satrical comic starring and lik mocking hitler... a fact I somehow JUST learned but naturally doesn’t surprise me at all. 

Morrison’s career at dc, after doing some creator owned stuff there when Vertigo opened up, hit it’s peak in the late 90′s as they were given the go ahead to reinvent the Justice League, with the wildly successful and awesome JLA, another book I probably need to take a look at that put the big 7 back into the team.  And by now your probably getting the point of me covering his career pattern.. besides giving morrison the praise they deserve, and they’d have some really great runs after this.. and some terrible ones but no one’s perfect. My point is that at this point in their career Morrison’s greatest skill was taking something that had grown stagnant or been forgotten, blowing it up and reworking it into something glorious and new. Taking what worked, scraping away what didn’t and on the whole making something fucking glorious out of it. So here we are. The X-Men needed a new coat of paint and uncle grant had their lcd laced psycadelic paint bucket and brush shaped like a pidgeon at the ready. And for better, way better and admitely sometimes here and there worse,they changed the x-men for good. Some changes were rolled back out of spite, others finally got their chance after said rollback recently, and some were just outright thrown on the grown and smashed with a hammer. But for the most part Grant left a huge impact on the x-men and i’m here to show you why, warts and all. To me my x-men, this is new x-men.  Now naturally there’s even more exposition but i’ts more in what COULD’VE been. Originally while Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey and Professor X were all part of the team the other two members of the slim roster for this run, Beast and Emma Frost.. weren’t. Originally Morrison was going to have Colossus and Moira Mactaggert, long time team ally, token human until very recently, and now thanks to hickman one of the most important x characters peirod and long before that a fan favorite of mine, on the team, with Moira taking over for beast. 

This.. didn’t pan out since Marvel apparently either didn’t give a shit about their plans or already had things in motion as the climax of the longtime legacy virus storyline killed both off. Colossus until Joss Whedon, bastard he may be, brought him back for his terrific Astonishing X-Men, and Moira SOMEHOW stayed dead until House/Powers of X. See this speaks to one of the big roadblocks morrison faced: Jonathan HIckman currently has absolute power and all his writers working in concert, a new way of doing things comic companies shold honestly copy en masse as it’s really working wonders. Grant.. was just one of many writers and one of three main x books the others being Chris Claremont’s XTREME X-MEN, basically “let the legend do what he wants since he can’t get freedom on the main book” and another writer on uncanny... before eventually chuck austen took over and I will tackle that horrible mess some other time. Point is while Morrison was setting the tone, costume style and making the big waves, they still didn’t have full power and thus had to play nice with eveyrone else.  So their next idea was Rogue, making mer more like her x-men evolution version.. except Chris wanted her, so that was out, though being a decent enough guy he willingly gave up Beast since the moira thing meant Morrison needed a science person. As for Colossus replacement, as it turned out a fan had suggested Grant do something with Emma Frost since Gen X was canceled and while Morrison had zero intention for it clearly Emma clicked with hthem and she was soon both a main part of the cast and one of their biggest contributions to X-Men as a whole.

As for what I think of the needed changes.. they ended up being for the best. I do like Moira... but Hank ended up being a much better fit for the team dynamic wise and power set wise, while Emma was the same. While Colossus, Rogue and Moira are all fantastic characters, I think what we ended up with was just a better mix overall. I DO think the team is incredibly white, but that’s a general x-men problem, even with having an assload of diverse and intresting characters, so it’s not entirely his fault. All in all it’s a fantastic roster: four of the x-men’s best, their leader in the field for the first time in forever, and a new and intresting wild card. IT’s a nice ballance of characters and we’ll get more into it as we go. Now all the expositions done, we can finally dive head first into new x-men. I hope you survivie the experince under the cut. 

After an utterly gorgeous and striking cover, the one used up top, we get one solid page to introduce us to Morrison’s mission statment, how  they feel and how good Frank Quitely’s art looks

I cropped it best i could for tumblr but this one image immidetly says a lot. Our heroes are just.. easily taking down this sentinel, an old model... the same one we’ve seen a dozen times. What were once the grim, possible destroyers of an entire race of beings in days of future past and devistating killing machines in the present.. had become stale easily defeated murder bots There had been noble attempts to really make the sentiinels work again like the horrifying omega sentinels, humans forcibly converted into sleeper agent killing machines, during operation: zero tolerance, but otherwise they were mostly just a prop for the x-men to knock down. And that.. really is morrison’s whole point. Lampshading and mocking the fact the x-men had grown stale, things hadn’t really progressed.. and that it was time to move on. But to Uncle Grant’s credit, they not only uses this as a mission statment but it’s plot relevant: this mission will both be explained soon and explains why Logan and Scott are out and about enough to end up where the plot will soon need them. It also helps, via the sight of the syndey opera house establish something Morrison made a staple of their run: the X-Men going global. While the x-men were never really NOT global post claremont, Morrisons run has them handling rescue missions and what not worldwide far more often than most runs before it sans Claremont, and really made it feel like they weren’t just another super team but a global force of good with a specific goal and mission. More on the global aspect next time, as that’s where it really comes in but I felt it was important to show it was there for minute one. 

So yeah before we move onto the first full scene of the run, let’s talk about the costumes. 

We’ll talk about Emma’s later since she’s not introduced to the story for a while but yeah. There’s a sharp, obvious and immediate change just in the outfits, which take after the movie’s more military look, having the x-men not only look more like a unit but more like a professional orginization. Someone to come and help when needed. While this would take on more siginifigance in a bit, we’ll get to it, it also fits Morrisions own views that the x-men were less of a traditional superhero team and more something different on the edges that fought things out there, sorta what like he did with doom patrol. And it’s honestly a valid interpretation as the x-men are often seen as outlaws and misfits by society for beingn well.. mutants. Not as trusted as the avengers. So having them adopt this look played into that: Having them look more professional and focused as The X-Men have a less blanket mission statement than the avenger.. but also mildly threatning. Something to alarm the humans. It’s an utterly brilliant look thrown best together by the big yellow x’s, still giving it a nice flash of color to show off and show this is still a comic and this is still damn colorful.. this just isn’t your AVERAGE supherhero comic or the x-men your used to. IT’s a real shame the only fox x-men movie to use it was fucking dark phoenix.. a film where it didn’t even fit as xavier was getting flashier and more reckless so why wouldn’t he have more garish and colorful and more traditional superhero outfits. They did look good in their variants in first class though. Props there. Point is this is a classic, utterly stunning look, and tha’ts coming from someone whose fine with goofy superhero outfits and perpetually bitter hawkeye is almost never allowed to wear his actual comic outift and is instead stuck with shades instead of you know.. a mask. Or anything resembling an actual good looking costume. This though this is how you do a less superheroy costume: practical and realistic, but still cool looking and comic book friendly. 

We cut to a mysterious lady, we’ll come to know her as Cassandra Nova and while I know her origin... i’m saving it for later as the comics themselves explain it eventually, and a simpering dolt she brought with her, Donald Trask, a distant relative of the creators of the sentinels who, via holograms she’s showing cro magnons slaughtring the neanderthal. Her point is that Mutants are going to do this and she’s clearly fearmongering him and trying to talk him into genocide: to wipe them out before they wipe out humanity. And it’s here we get one of hte most important plot points of Morrisons run and one of the most intresting: according to cassandra’s research Humanity will be no more in 4 generations. Mutankind is on it’s way to overtaking them at last.. i’ts still a few decades off.. but it’s coming. It’s sometihing that the whole decimation nonsense sadly snuffed.. and John Hickman has thankfully brought back. I’ll get to his run once i’ts complete in a few years, but point is it’s an utterly marvelous plot hook: Humanity, whose already attempted genocide a few times, is now in real danger of what their petty, racist, fearful attacks have been about: being replaced. It’s one of the central themes of the work the other two being “Just what IS mutantkind and what will it be”. WHat are they as a people? We’ll dig into these as we go but the threat of exctincion is the backbone of this arc... and will lead to something truly ghastly. 

It’s then we get our title page.. which nothing really to add it just looks really good and helps show off who are cast is and what they can do with striking simple art. 

And since we’re already talking the art of the book, let’s take a moment to discuss an intresting detail of this run: despite it’s short length there’s quite a few diffrent artist, who we’ll talk about of course as we get to each one. The most common and notable though is Frank Quitely. Frank Quitely is one of Morrison’s closest and best creative partners, having a unique, squishy art style.. i.e. the one my friend didn’t like which is why i’m covering this. And while I like the art style quite a bit, I do get why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea: His art is squashed, weird, and admitely some faces can be good god no incaranate. But it’s also why I like it: his characters feel unique, each body and figure feels like it was custom made and thus feels.. real. Like this is a person before you. And given comics can often surrender to having everybody look the damn same, this is nice. His faces may sometimes look similar but his bodies are where the action is. But while having a realistic feel his work also has a weird alien quality that perfectly fits Morrison, and thus his run on x-men. I will say while I love All-Star Superman, his art fits less there in the more hopeful silver agey story, so he’s not an artist for EVERY STORY OF EVERY TYPE.. but when it comes to sci fi weridness, he fits it like a glove so i’ts unsuprising he and morrison are practicaley soul mates, nor that his art sets the tone perfectly for the run: this is something new, diffrent and strange.. and what says x-men at it’s best more than that?

So after our opening titles we cut to the mansion where Hank is showing off his latest and greatest invention: Cerebra. Cerbebra is a massively upgraded version of Cerebro, aka Professor Xavier’s iconic helmet that allows him to track mutants to help them out.. and covertly backup their conconousness for his long game plan, but shhhh, don’t tell anyone yet that’s not going to be retconned in for a few decades. Though i’m damn certain if Morrison has heard about the current era of x-men and how it both builds on what he built, shatters the status quo and is incredibly weird, he’d be damn proud. As for how it’s diffrent Cerebra not only has a large dome around it but said dome allows the machine to amply Charles powers to a global reach. He can now see mutants all over the world anywhere in the world, something I didn’t realize wasn’t ALWAYS a thing because it seems so simple. It’s also likely to bring it more in line with the movies. And while marvel has done TERRIBLE with bringing things in from the movies or in line with them in recent years, i.e. making star lord more like his movie self while forgetting that’s how he already used to be in canon before later writers thankfully did hte better step of merging the two, Hawkeye’s outfit, Cap’s outfit or Nick Fury Jr.  But for every mistep there’s also been tons of times it’s worked out really well such as here, as well as bringing hulk into the avengers for the first time since the founding, making tony stark more like the mcu version and less like a nightmarish self righetous dicktator who rightfully gets beat up and called out a lot, making Scott Lang prominent since he became prominent in the MCU, Wakanda being a major force in the marvel universe as it always should have been and various titles that have popped up to tie into movies, often bringing back a team or property that hadn’t had a book in some time like Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Shang Chi just to name a few. It’s not always hawkeye looking all jeremy renner is what i’m saying.. though thankfully comics clint isn’t that uninteresting. Hopefully the series will change that. 

So yeah along with a bigger shinier cerebro we’re also introduced to a big change in Hank whose taken on his lion form rather than his classic gorilla with a weird haircut or his return to that except bald. Here he’s more like aslan in a human body and I.. love it. It looks great, helps sell hanks delima of being brilliant while looking like a beast and makes sense: he kickstarted what was likely his own secondary evolution by drinking the potion that made him bestial, so it only makes sense his body wouldn’t be all that stable even if it took years to change again. And even that makes sense as hank was breifly turned back to his original hairless ape mutation during x-factor, easily one of the books.. worse decisions honestly and one that louise simonson thankfully later undid. That probably bought him some time hence why it’s only mutating further now.  It also adds an intresting wrinkle which the run will explore further: how far does this go? Will he regress? and how much hank will be left? And how will society treat his new form? 

For now he’s actually extatic. While he’s going through hormonal changes, and giving out some excellent banter with Jean

Which also includes one of the greatest lines in comic book history, one that’s been in my head for decades and made me absolutely love henry mccoy. 

He’s just great is what i’m saying. As you can tell it’s stuff like this why i’m glad Moira fell through. While I love her.. Morrison’s hank is just a delight and one really questionable subplot aside, we’ll get to that, he’s one of the highlights of this run with an intresting internal struggle, and great chemistry with EVERYONE. And that is the main reason i’m glad Moira fell through as his history with everyone but Emma, who he still has a great raport with, means each interaction has weight. He’s close friends with both scott and jean and thus serves as their needed confidant, while still being able to buddy and banter iwth good old weapon x, and speak with his mentor charles as an equal. While I love moira... Beast just fits into the cast too perfectly and I 100% suspect Morrison was only using her because, while she’s awesome, Claremont wanted her and thus gladly snapped her up when he no longer had a science person. I’ll get into his Jean soon enough but she’s likewise fantastic and easily my faviorite version of the character.. not that until very recently there was much honest competition. 

So Cerebra fires up showing a massive cloud of mutants, showing just how much of a huge spike theirs been with Xavier wondering what it all means.. and Hank seeing a weird flare on the mointor for just a second with his special eyes. But since Xavier isn’t stupid and isn’t the kind of idiot who just dismisses it as a fulke, and since Scott and Logan are in the field, he decides to confrence call them in to see if they can go take a look. 

And naturally we get to see what their up to and get context for what the hell happened in the first page. Our heroes were on a rescue mission to save Ugly John, tha’ts what people called him, a three faced mutant who ends up passing out as they head out of the atmosphere for a second. Wolverine is regenerating and smoking out of his neck becaue he could still smoke back then before marvel decided “he’s setting a bad example”.. in a comic meant for teens and adults. 

I mean I get it on some level as the x-men cartoon was a huge thing in the 90′s and Ben Grimm is basically a giant children’s toy with the mind of a surly 40 year old jewish man from yancy street, but stilll it’s just.. why. I may not like smoking but it’s not like it was SPIDER-MAN saying

It’s a grown man.. whose not a sterling roll model and who Claremont went out of his way to have Logan point out his healing factor means it really dosen’t hurt him in the long run and when Kitty, an actual teenager, tried one of his cigars she choked. I know it’s a weird thing to get hung up on but while i’m all for keeping kids from smoking, this was a really clumsy way to try and hehlp that that made no sense and will never make any sense. 

One tangent later we find out that Cassandra was showing Trask a simulation on a flight to, unsuprisingly, south america, to a sentinel blacksite. Between covertly funding civil wars as they do, the US Goverment naturally founded an experimental sentinal project, and a second master mold during the production of the first line... when larry trask asks where it could possibly be well...

Subtly was not the trasks strong point.. or common sense... or.. not realizing their creations would dominate humanity too or not dying. 

Anyways we then cut back to the x-men, as their having a psychic zoom meeting with Charlie giving one of his patnted big speeches.. and like a lot of this comic it’s too damn good not to use 

The reason I couldn’t should be obvious: This one speech sums up the x-men, why their great and why their necessary in a nutshell: in a world full of prejucided morons.. there’s plenty of scared kids who NEED the x-men to protect and guide them, and with a surge in the mutant population, their needed now more than ever. We also get a good explanation in universe for the uniform change: Charles had them in the superhero outfits hoping humanity would accept them if they were packaged as something they know. Since that clearly hasn’t worked he’s trying new ways to reach out and thus going with a diffrent more rescue team approach to the uniforms. He assigns Wolvie and Cyke to go check out the flair as you’d expect and the meetings over. On the blackbird we get our first hint at a subplot as Logan noticed Cyclops couldn’t wait to get out of there, and is being a tad distant to his wife. He actually has reasons for being kind of cold for once instead of just bad writing as he just came back from being possed by apocalypse. Yeah that happened. So the experience has rattled our boy some what. More on that as we go. But Jean ducks the subject with hank but does breach the fact that Charles has been going kind of crazy with the spending, new uniforms and ambition lately. Hank explains it perfectly: After all the death, suffering and misery the x-men have endured lately, the aforementioned deaths I talked about that took Colossus and Moira off the roster, have lionzed Charles to make sure it was all worth something and look towards the future. 

But enough hope time for horror as Cassandra makes her first direct move, trying to take over Charles brain , make his body her own and use cerebra to kill lots and lots of mutants. We then get one of the best moments of Morrisons run with Charles response to a horrifying monster trying to take his brain

While it is shocking to find out Charles has a gun..it’s a grim but kind of understandable precaution. The guy once got fully taken over by a brood, assembling the New Mutants in part because the brood wanted to create more of i’ts kind with more super powers. You’d be paranoid too if some of your beloved students were brought together partly due to your good intentions and partly because a space monster wanted to make more space montsters out of helpless teens, and even horribly gaslighted one of them. We’ll get to that some day. Point is Charles brain is one of the greatest weapons on earth and if the wrong person got a hold of it, it’d be the end of said earth. Thankfully Charles does not need plan gun, as Jean yanks Cerebra off him but the sheer HATE Charles felt from Cassandra, the sheer power has rattled him.. and also told him she’s in Ecuador and his X-Men need to be warned NOW. It’s a great way to set up just HOW powerful Cassandra is.  Speaking of which as our first issue of the arc ends, we find out two things: Cass faked being int he government but really just used dead soldiers as prop.. and just what kind of sentinels are out there.. wild sentinels. Easily my faviorite variant of the old killing machines and one that’s barely used despite being really damn awesome. Their adaptive killing machines, designed to mutated just like their pray and take tech from around them, as a result they look like a jumble of guns and parts.. but not only does it give them a unique, cool look.. but it makes them ten times deadlier as instead of being big bricks of robots that while intimidating, the x-men know how to kill... their unpredictable variable killing machines. You can figure out how to kill one sure.. btu the next might be entirely diffrent. They are one of morrisons best creations and I hope someone uses the idea again.. aka hickman. Please use it jonathan I know your focused on nimrod but come on. 

And we end on one of the best lines of the entiire run as we close out the issue

Yeah it goes without saying but i’ll say it anyway; Morrison is really damn good with dialouge and being damn quotable. 

So we open with another great quote “When I got up today I didn’t expect to kill 20 million people”... and Cassandra being aware Wolverine and Cyclops are on their way and sending the Wild Sentinels to dispatch them. Also our heroes brought Ugly John along while while a dumb move, Wolvie does point out how dumb it was to divert to Ecuador with a civlian in tow.. after the plane crash of course. As for “wait what plane crash’, the sentinels attack and start picking it apart... and since letting them have such good tech is a terrible idea, Scotty blows up the damn plane. So to recap our heroes are stuck in ecuador, surrounded by murder machines, and oh look their there and knock off cyclops viser. Fantastic. So yeah our heroes are fucked. And naturally captured by the enemy.

The rest of the x-men are doing SLIGHTLY better. While beast makes a note for his girlfriend, more on that later on, Charles is in bed, half alive, explaning the rationale I gave for why he has the gun with Jean refusing to let him get back out of bed and you know.. put on the device that just nearly killed him. But when beast announces they lost contact with our boys.. yeah that ceased being an option. 

Back in the Ecuadorian Genocide Factory, Cassandra does the obvious and kills donald trask as his real purpose..was to stick around and be stupid for a bit while she copied his dna so she could have full control of her new murder toys.She soon uses them, having a horrifying death chamber slaughter john.. or at least flash fry him. Wolverine takes it how you’d expect and since the sentinels need to “perserve trask dna”.. they can’t fire on him without killing her. Scott escapes.. and in a heart wrenching scene mercy kills john.. before getting badass. 

To anyone who says Scott Summers is boring, unintersting, or a stupid asshole idiot head I present exhbit shut the fuck up. Morrison gets scott just right, deconstructing his emotional suppression, while showing him off as a dedicated, companionate man who gets the job done and who seconds after tearfully having to mercy kill an innocent mutant whose death was partially his fault, wastes no time making it painfully clear to the person responsible she WILL die if she tries that again. Logan however realizes she’s already won in some fashion as she’s grinning.. and yeah never a good sign when a genocidal madwoman is grinning like a loon.. and when we find out why.. it’s even less good>  We cut to Genosha. A lot of you probably know what happned to Genosha but in case you don’t know what it is it was once a horribly racist country that genetically enslaved mutants and used them for slave labor. It was freed, but still struggled to truly move on.. till Magneto showed up, took the country for himself and made it a home for all mutants. When we last saw him he once again tried to take over the world leading to Logan seemingly killing him. Right now though Emma Frost finally enters the scene teaching some mutants.. when a young one named Negasonic Teenage Warhead.. yes that one and yes she was entirely chosen for deadpool for her name, reveals, via precognition, that their all going to die.. right as the sentinels attack. 

Genosha.. is gone. In an eyeblink 16 million mutants are dead, a possible future gone, and one of their greatest leaders is no more. Yeah Magneto WAS alive.. but paralyzed so he could do nothing when his island was utterly slaughtered. Only a handful of mutants will be revealed to survive. Humanity had done a lot to mutants before .. but for once.. they’d succeeded in wiping a massive chunk out. What was an x-men location for DECADES at this point.. was now a smoldering crater. A what could of been that would hant the x-men ever after, even now into utopia it remains the darkest day in mutant history outside of hte decimation. It is a truly horrific moment.. and if the changes already hadn’t made it clear this is morrison saying “NO character is safe, nothing is safe, and nothing will be the same and I damn well mean that”. In one act of hate the world has changed. And it hasn’t finished changing yet. 

Issue Three opens hammering in things, as Jean and Beast are in the ruins of genosha, with Xavier having found ONE surivor among the rubble, and our heroes sturggling to find even them, though Jean eventually picks them up and uses her TK to sift through the rubble. 

They find Emma who emerges from a bunker in shock, clutching NTW... and not realizing she’s dead until later and revealing she now has diamond skin, her own secondary mutation. Secondary Mutation was a birlliant idea, new powers sprouting up within established mutants.. it’s just morrison barely used this great idea as did hardly anyone else. Only X-Men Blue ever really dug into it and those were artifical at that. IT’s a great idea..it’s just barely used and at most heavily implied to explain changes in powers like Jamie Madrox Multiple Personalities later on or Doug Ramsey’s vast increase in power. Disapointing. 

While Charles takes in the tragedy and the fact his old frienmie is dead, the x-men wonder what the fuck Cassandra is and what to do with her.. why did she kill 16 million people, and what the fuck is she. I mean I know, but as I said i’ll explain that when the story does.  IN the other room Beast tends to Emma who wants none of not fucking killing Cassandra.. and is utterly right. Bitchy, because i’ts Emma, but right: she killed 16 million people. Say what you want but while it may not be up to the x-men to kill her.. she shoudln’t be living much longer. She commited genocide. Emma decides fuck that and prepares to leave summoning a cab and making peace with being a glorious living fabrige egg. Emma did apparelty change in generation x.. but Morrison is responsible for returning her not only to being a bitch, but a gloriously delightful one And really I don’t think they reset her character entirely: she’s not the heartless monster she started out as: she has empathy, grace, and caring.. she just buries it under a lair of absolute bitch and after you know, surviving a fucking genocide who can blame her? And honestly.. I love their verison of her. She provides a nice contrast to the more idealistic, even logan, x-men and a nice contrarian voice in the room without being obnoxious and her style and sacrastic swagger makes her endlessly entertaning. Thanks to morrison she’s stuck around to this day and went from a pretty good character.. to a great one. And what makes her this way, or as jean puts it “such a bitch?”

With that settled, Hank explains what Cassandra is: a competing species. As he puts it sometimes evolution takes a quantum leap forward.. and Cassandra is the result. Thus she wants to wipe out the compettition and is so far above humanity, she dosen’t need them... especially since she knows what Hank now knows: humanity is at an end. As hank puts it we have an E Gene, one that basically shuts off a race.. and thus the x-men now know what we learned earlier and that cassandra wasn’t lying: in 4 generations there are no more humans and something has to repalce htem. And Cassandra wants it to be her. 

Before Logan can do what he does best, and asks why she looks like charles, Cassandra escapes, and Scott briliantly urges them to fight only on instict as she’s a telepath. A damn awesome fight insues including Cassandra donning Charles Psoonic battle armor, Scott being put in his black bug room and the general good looking chaos you’d expect from a superhero fight. While this goes on Emma has an ephinany and realizes she likes to teach, the x-men have a school.. and she shoudln’t give up on helping kids just because of what happened and turns around. 

Cassandra is near victory, slipping her way to Cerebra.. and planning to kill only one mind before getting to the millions she wnats, a horrifying slug manifesting around her.. only...

So the x-men accept this and cassandra rises.. seemingly saying “I am charles” Huh... and then charles uncaracteristiacally shoots her saying things must change

We’ll get to what all of that means next time as we close on Jean and Scott in bed. Scott explains why he’s been so distant as what I said earlier: fighting off apocalypse stripped away a lot of illusions about himself and he’s having a hard time walking back from that but Jean is willing to help.. but before they can resolve their  issues.. charles has an annoucnment to make and grant has one last whopper of a suprise to end his opening arc on, and just like genosha...it’s a game changer of titanic proportions

No longer is Xavier’s School hidden. Their walking into the light now and so is charles. Hope they surivive the experince. Obviously this move is brilliant: while it removes the veil of saftey the x-men had it also brings on tons of new possiblities and unlike secondary mutation, this one not only stuck but would impact the x-men for good: no longer would they hide and cower.. their mutant and proud.. and their here to stay.  E For Extinction is one of the best x-men stories period. Blisteringly paced, full of great character, great concepts and utterly terrifying and terrific moments that would impact the x-men all the way to present day. It’s beautifully drawn, well paced, and a masterwork. I highly recommend it and it’s a great kickoff to a great run. Shame the run couldn’t of ended on this kind of high but.. we’ll get to that. For now this is a masterclass in how to start a run and if you haven’t read it do so NEXT TIME ON NEW X-MEN: A bunch of weirdos try to harvest mutant organs, the x-men get a brain in a jar and a new teamate, and Scott maybe cheats on his wife. Until then, goodbye goodbye goodbye. 

[liskantope]

Some briefer(?) reactions to major Disney films 1989-1998

I consider the Disney Renaissance (around the period I refer to in the above title) to have been the last official leg of my chronological journey through major Disney features through Disney+ (for this one I need to mention that I’m excluding CGI animated ones on this journey, except when I feel like watching them on the side). I logged some thoughts on the films I watched in the two earlier legs of the journey here and here, where honestly I intended my notes to be short and not turn into full-blown mini-essays for each movie. Those posts turned out to be major timesucks and I can’t afford that now, but I thought I’d jot down a hodgepodge of reactions and just be briefer and sloppier about it. I feel like I have overall less to say about this set of films anyway, since they’re pretty much all very high-quality and are talked about extensively in the cultural discourse much more than films from Disney’s earlier eras.

As I was still trying to stick to taking one day for each year in the Disney Studios timeline and major film production by Disney picked up pace a lot at the start of this era, I wound up doing a rather intense marathon of one full Disney movie each evening: over ten evenings (corresponding to the years 1989 through 1998), I watched the ten movies The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Mulan. I would have watched Tarzan the following evening, but I had very recently sort of re-seen it when it came on Netflix -- I didn’t see it for the first time until an outdoor event near the end of grad school not that many years ago; I didn’t bother paying full attention on seeing it the second time a couple of months ago and couldn’t much get into it on the second viewing.

The thing about the ten major animated Disney movies on this list is that, while I can’t say I love all of them, the uptick in quality is dramatic right from the start and never wavers. Every single one of these films just seems objectively better than Pete’s Dragon, The Fox and the Hound, or Oliver and Company. This will help me be a little shorter-written when talking about them, as it’s easier to expand on specific criticisms than to wax on about how great something is.

[EDIT: Okay, these still turned out pretty long and more on the polished side. Guess I’m just not that capable of being brief and sloppy.]

The Little Mermaid, 1989

Although we didn’t have the video at my house growing up, I somehow knew The Little Mermaid quite well; I guess I watched it quite a few times. I went a gap of many years before seeing it again in college (I’m fairly certain that my college girlfriend and I watched it together, in fact). My reaction at the time was that although it was well enough done with good music, the story was terrible. This was right around the time I watched a performance of Once on This Island, a musical based on Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid” on which, of course, the Disney movie was based. I thought the tragic tale told in Once on This Island was beautiful and scorned The Little Mermaid for cheapening it. In fact, my opinion was quite scathing in the way that my opinions more often were when I was younger. So I was a little wary on watching it again.

I’ve mellowed out since my college days and don’t hate the story quite as much now -- in particular, I can’t really blame Disney for Disnifying a mature tragedy into a more lighthearted tale with a happy ending -- but I still think it’s kind of bad. We’re back to Disney princesses (I think for the first time since my first round of Disney films?), this time with a Disney princess who had goals that didn’t involve meeting her prince, until she actually meets him and every other interest, including staying in the world she grew up with where to which all the people who ever loved her or knew her are confined, giving up her voice, and drastically changing her physical form. And this is all for a prince character of flatly generic personality who is superficial and dim-witted enough that he only knows his true love by her voice. (I don’t understand why this isn’t the Disney Renaissance-era film that routinely gets criticized for being anti-feminist rather than... a certain other one also on this list.) Also, while King Triton isn’t by any means a flat character, his sudden turnaround at the end and almost lightheartedness at saying goodbye to his daughter presumably forever doesn’t quite feel right.

I was very surprised at how much I’d completely forgotten among plot events and certain scenes in the movie. For instance, as the action neared the climax, I really had no memory of how Ursula would be defeated and watching it didn’t jog my memory.

This is the first of several films on this list where I noticed a sample of what I’m starting to think of a set of 90′s sitcom/romcom tropes, in this case the situation of the romantic leads courting very publicly with all the other characters watching and cheering it on and working behind the scenes to help it happen. This shows up again in Beauty and the Beast and (to a slight degree) Aladdin below.

Great music of course, even slightly better than what I remembered. Fun fact: you know that “Part of Your World” song, almost certainly the most widely popular in the film, the one that musical theater kids at my (and maybe your) middle school always used for auditions? Apparently it was almost cut from the film, mainly because it was shown to a test audience of little kids who all fidgeted and got visibly distracted.

The Rescuers Down Under, 1990

I don’t have too much to say about this one, the first Disney sequel ever. I had only ever seen the first Rescuers before and, as my previous set of reviews indicates, didn’t particularly like it, but came in to this one a little more optimistic since some consider it better than its predecessor. They aren’t wrong -- this movie was similar to The Rescuers but better, I think. Although the villain was just as forgettable, the setting was far more enticing (at least to someone like me who has never been to Australia and thinks of it as exotic), and the dynamic between the main mouse characters was more engaging. Here we have another subplot that somehow reminds me of a 90′s-ish sitcom/romcom, with the aborted marriage proposals and a love triangle -- not that love triangles hadn’t featured in movies for decades, but something about how this one was done felt distinctly more modern.

Beauty and the Beast, 1991

Ah, this is not only one of the Disney movies I saw the most as a kid but one which has only grown on me as I’ve gotten older -- I consider it one of the most groundbreakingly beautiful of the animated classics ever made, one of my very favorite Disney productions of all time. We got the video when I was only five or so; I remember distinctly that it came out on home video (right after coming out in theaters) right around the same time that 101 Dalmatians came out on home video and that my mom explained to me that she was choosing to buy Beauty and the Beast instead because of its superior music. She was right about this -- not that 101 Dalmatians has bad music, but it’s hard to measure up to Alan Mencken’s masterful compositions for Beauty and the Beast. For me it solidly ranks in the top three Disney movie soundtracks ever, one of the others being that of Mary Poppins and the third being from an easily-predictable film later on this list.

I’m pretty sure I remember watching portions of this movie every morning for weeks before leaving for kindergarten (this is what makes me think we got it when I was five), and I continued to enjoy it throughout childhood. I next watched it when I was much older, but I can’t remember exactly when. During college I got hold of the soundtrack of the musical, which since has been one of my favorite musical soundtracks to listen to. I never actually got to see the musical until last December when it was showing in my hometown, and I thought it was excellent. Interestingly, there were a number of scenes that I assumed had been added for the musical but I had actually forgotten were in the movie -- unlike with certain Disney musical films *ahemMaryPoppinsahem*, they didn’t take many liberties with the musical except to add a number of new (very good) songs.

Leaving aside the top-notch music and exquisite animation, the story in my opinion is one of the most beautiful and distinctively memorable stories Disney has ever told, not to mention entertaining without every being silly or over-the-top. It speaks of compassion, drawing out core goodness from an ugly exterior, and the fact that, to quote the enchantress from the start of the tale, “beauty comes from within”. Belle is also, to my mind, the most feminist Disney protagonist ever to be seen up to that time, which is why I get super super annoyed that so many people point to this movie loftily shouting “Stockholm Syndrome!” I feel it’s kind of inevitable that I quickly address that here, even though I’ve brought it up on this blog several times before. (Also, for an excellent takedown of the “Beauty and the Beast is a sexist story because Belle has Stockholm’s Syndrome” take, see this video essay of Lindsay Ellis.)

When watching the musical last winter I kept an eye out for justification for the Stockholm’s Syndrome take that I might not have remembered and couldn’t find any, but it pains me to admit that I did find a smidgen of justification, for someone determined to be a bit uncharitable, in a particular bit of dialog from the movie. I don’t recall it appearing with quite that wording in the musical, although it’s entirely possible that the musical has those exact same lines and I just wasn’t being observant. Here it is:

BELLE: What did you say?

BEAST: I release you. You’re no longer my prisoner.

BELLE: You mean... I’m free?

BEAST: Yes.

BELLE: Oh, thank you. Hold on, Papa. I’m on my way. [tries to hand mirror to BEAST]

BEAST: Take it with you. So you’ll always have a way to look back... and remember me.

BELLE: [in sweet, deeply moved tone] Thank you for understanding how much he needs me.

So okay, maybe Belle comes off as showing just a bit too much unqualified gratitude here, an oversight that the writers circa 1990 clearly should have avoided in case diagnosing female characters with Stockholm’s should ever become trendy twenty-something years later. But this could be remedied by a quick rewrite of the dialog in that one scene; it’s not as though the whole plot has to be changed away from its inherently misogynistic nature.

And that’s all I want to say on that one aspect of this absolute gem of a Disney production. Despite a few minor issues I noticed, such as Maurice being a little too innocent and helpless, and it lacking my very favorite line from the musical (“Belle don’t you recognize the beast within the man who’s now before you?” at the end), Beauty and the Beast comes about as close to perfection as it gets.

Aladdin, 1992

Although I didn’t see this major blockbuster hit when it first came out -- it was probably considered a bit too intense for me at kindergarten age -- this is the first time that I was aware on some level that a particular Disney movie was a new release. (One of my few sharp memories of kindergarten recess was a boy standing on a stump or low piece of playground equipment making proclamations to passersby for minutes at a time that alternated between, “You are a street rat!”, “You were born a street rat!”, and “You will die a street rat!”, and how this made me consciously contemplate the concept of present/past/future tenses for the first time.) When I saw it, I loved it -- it was clearly the most exciting animated movie out there. At some point in childhood I thought it was bested by its sequel, but a few years later as a teenager I decided that the tightly resonant plot of the original Aladdin made it the best Disney movie ever. I’ve definitely mellowed out my opinion on this, as Aladdin certainly has flaws and some other features are more deeply meaningful to me as an adult, but I still hold up Aladdin as one of the greats. I saw at least parts of it as an adult on TV and saw it very recently prior to getting Disney+ when it appeared briefly on Netflix, but I was perfectly happy to rewatch it yet again on Disney+ the evening after watching its predecessor as Aladdin is fun and entertaining every time.

In this animated production we have finally topped The Great Mouse Detective in terms of animated action. We have topped most movies that ever came out prior in terms of a manically funny yet also soulful character in Robin Williams’ role as the genie. The story is excellent, apart from having only one female character, and my being bothered just a little by the slough of magic tricks dominating the action towards the end -- I tend to prefer universes where magic requires scholarly study and careful training (e.g. The Black Cauldron) rather than “genie points his finger at you and now you have the ability to point your own finger and make anything happen that pops into your head”. The sultan continues the trend of old man characters who are portrayed as helpless and infantile -- in this case, even more intensely, since the sultan has none of Maurice’s brilliant smarts. But I’m mostly nitpicking here -- Aladdin is well deserving of its high status in the history of Disney.

The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993

I was very glad to finally get a chance to see this movie, because I clearly remember knowing about it from the time it was being advertised back in 1993, and I heard about it during my entire childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Although it seemed that most of my friends had seen it growing up, it didn’t look much like my conception at the time of a “normal movie” or even normal content, and so I don’t recall ever asking to watch it. But my recent-day self recognized that it’s quite a classic and was curious to see it.

I don’t regard The Nightmare Before Christmas as one of the really great Disney productions, but I strongly admire how original it was (particularly for its time) in every single aspect, including use of claymation, overall aesthetic, intriguing characters, and story. It was also fun to see what seems to be the only Disney musical that is done in the style of opera, that is, where the entire story is told in songs without any extended non-musical dialogs. And the songs are quite good in their own way, too. I don’t particularly want to see the film again, but I might not mind getting a soundtrack of it.

The Lion King, 1994

This is the first Disney movie -- and I believe the first movie of any kind, in fact -- that I went to see in the theater. I remember it as a powerful and sometimes overwhelming experience, but as a movie I overall liked even as young as I was. This is remarkable especially considering that much of the story feels more adult in nature than almost any other Disney animated feature.

What can I even say about this one? I think the general reaction to watching it is almost unanimously shared. My impression is that what its creators were going for, more than anything else, was epicness, and they succeeded in a way that had never been done through animation before. Apparently the entire (incredibly epic) opening number was shown as the trailer -- a questionable move, but understandably it got people very excited about The Lion King’s release.

One of many particular things that makes The Lion King stand out is the profound darkness of its main villain, perhaps the most chilling that has ever appeared in Disney. An argument can be made that not only murdering a major protagonist halfway through the movie but convincing the child that he’s to blame is the most evil act we’ve ever seen from a Disney villain. I’ve seen it pointed out that it’s vaguely ableist to give the villain an ugly scar and even make it his name. Some have suggested that they should have made the villain the handsome and strong one and given the scar to one of the heroes -- Simba or Mufasa -- instead. I’m definitely sympathetic to this point of view, and I totally agree that Scar shouldn’t actually have been someone’s name. However, without getting bogged down into something that could be a lengthy post all on its own, I strongly feel that in a way it adds to the depth of our villain’s depravity through the backstory that it implies. And by the way, his ending is probably my favorite out of the fates of all Disney villains.

The music also follows the film’s ethos of being as epic as possible (well, with the exception of a couple of the songs, but they were still fine songs). “The Circle of Life” and the instrumental music propel The Lion King’s soundtrack to possibly the very best in all of Disney.

To be sure, this movie does have more flaws than I remembered. As I said, Scar is a terrible name to give any of the characters, especially in a story where everyone else’s name comes from Swahili. Pumbaa is basically just one big fart joke. (Although, I give the writers major credit for managing to switch the tone to accommodate fart jokes within like five minutes of Scar confronting Simba over Mufasa’s death.) The video essayist Big Joel has pointed out interesting things about the story and made some rather troubling points about it, although to me that almost just makes the film deeper and more thought-provoking rather than actually worse (I see the Chronicles of Narnia this way). But overall, The Lion King has well earned its high rank on the list of highest grossing films of all time.

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At this point in Disney’s history and my childhood, apparently I decided that I didn’t care to see new Disney films coming out because I was content with watching my old favorites over and over, and anyway I was getting older and discovering that non-Disney movies could be quite entertaining as well. Therefore, I didn’t see any of these last four until adulthood, even though they all came out when I was still a kid.

Pocahontas, 1995

I was glad for the chance to finally see Pocahontas for the first time, unfortunately not before hearing countless references to it as being Problematic while I would have preferred to go into it completely uninfluenced by popular opinion. I had actually seen songs from it and Disney books of it as a child and it didn’t interest me at all. On finally watching the film, I found that I got what I expected on both counts: it wasn’t  terribly interesting or gripping, and it doesn’t really pass the muster of today’s higher standards of responsible storytelling about colonialism.

All that really sticks out at me looking back (after some delay in writing this post, so that it was over a month ago that I watched this) is that the plot felt a bit atypical in two ways. One, a character, who is neither a protagonist really nor a villain, is killed off around halfway through -- a daring move that The Fox and the Hound chickened out of doing, but I shouldn’t have been all that surprised given that Pocahontas’ very predecessor did this with a protagonist in a much bigger way. And two, the story ends sort of anticlimactically: I can’t help feeling a bit disappointed when a big Disney animated feature doesn’t end with a lot of action, despite realizing that this more peaceful kind of ending being a reasonable alternative is basically the entire point the story wants to make.

The songs are sort of meh, at least by the high standards of Disney movies of this period. Nothing more really to say on this one.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996

Here is another movie that I had never gotten around to seeing before, despite having been somewhat more interested in it than I ever was in Pocahontas. And this turned out to be the main breakout attraction on this list, as I found it nothing short of spectacular (save, perhaps, the music, which was “only” quite solid, maybe not spectacular).

I would nominate this for the award of most mature movie among all the animated features included in this journey. I would almost say its ideal audience is adults, not children. It showcases an abusive relationship with enough intricate care to be worthy of analysis through abuse discourse on Tumblr. It displays lust and sexuality in a way that I don’t think I’ve never seen anywhere else in Disney animation. Its violence and political undertones are quite dark. It examines religion deeply (which is as far as I know unique in Disney), and the capacity of religion to bring out both the best and the worst impulses in humanity is exposed. Its main villain is one of the more multi-layered ones. It treats physical handicaps and deformities in quite an honest way and subverts expectations with its love plot.

Perhaps the only thing one might reasonably criticize this movie for is the characters of the gargoyles, which are clearly present to lighten the tone a bit so that the film isn’t entirely heavy and austere. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised -- I think the gargoyle stuff could have been executed in such a way that may have made the whole film sag, but instead they were done just right: the gargoyles are depicted as being animated only in the mind of Quasimodo. This means in fact that in a way, they actually implicitly add some gravity to his situation. (Consider that in a more typical Disney film there would have been some sort of cheesy sentient animal friend instead whose existence would not have been confined to the protagonist’s imagination.) Here I’m going to choose to ignore the fact that the gargoyles do seem to interfere in the final battle with some explosives, a possible inconsistency which is minor enough to be glossed over.

Anyway, I think before I unsubscribe from Disney+, I might just give this one a second watching.

Hercules, 1997

Although I never saw this one growing up, I did get talked into watching it by my college girlfriend who had been fond of it growing up. I distinctly remember not caring much for it when I saw it with her. My reaction at this later stage of my life is basically the same. There’s something about the animation style that I find subtly grating and distracting. And there’s something about the story itself that feels like way too light and cartoony a take on ancient Greek mythology (although it’s not like the ancient Greeks had a particularly heavy or dark mythology, and what else could I expect from Disney, really?). I guess that stories that are so explicitly centered around a young man’s quest for hero-hood and being godlike just don’t speak to me that well, and I didn’t find any of the characters that appeared to be especially memorable or engaging.

I did like the muses and enjoyed their singing but can’t say I love any of the musical numbers. So, I respect the effort and earnestness and general respect for ancient Greek culture that went into Hercules, but my overall reaction is still meh.

Mulan, 1998

I had only seen this movie once before, during a trip with some grad school friends back some years ago. One of my best friends at the time, who was with us on the trip, highly recommended it as pretty much her favorite Disney movie as she especially liked father-daughter stories. At the time, the film didn’t make a particularly strong impression on me, although I could recognize its quality. Watching it again on Disney+ has given me a deeper respect for it as having quite a good story and characterization, fine animation, and pretty decent music. I like both Mulan and Mushu as characters, and I enjoyed their dynamic.

I guess it’s telling, though, that I don’t really have all that much more to say about it. Maybe I don’t relate closely enough, maybe the movie didn’t imprint itself on me at an early enough time in my life, maybe I don’t engage that well with any plot that involves organized warfare, I don’t know. But I think I can only really like this film on a more dispassionate, intellectual level, rather than feeling touched in any kind of resonant way by it.

I think it’s interesting to note that Mulan is actually pretty rare among Disney protagonists in having two parents who survive through the entire story. And that moreover, despite it being billed as a father-daughter story to me (and I’m not denying that it is somewhere at its core), Mulan never directly interacts with her father except at the beginning and the very end.

Anyway... since watching all of these, I’ve been watching the more recent major films sort of sporadically: The Return of Jafar (a favorite of mine at some point in childhood, but with maturity I can now see why it was direct-to-video), The Emperor’s New Groove (quite good, better than expected), the first half of Home on the Range (about as bad as I expected, hence my quitting halfway through), WALL-E (as good as I remembered from when it came out when I was in college), Enchanted (one of my favorites, not on Disney+ so I got it through... other means), The Princess and the Frog (a real treat, slathered with Louisiana flavor), Tangled (sweet but nothing outstanding), Frozen (one of my favorites from seeing it in the theater; however I had never seen the first ten minutes which makes a major difference!), and Frozen II (which I had been sorry to miss in theaters last winter, a bit of a weird story but not bad and absolutely the most stunning animation I’ve ever seen). And, of course, Belle’s Magical World, the infamous mid-quel to Beauty and the Beast; this was not a major film but I just had to see if it was as legendarily bad as people say and, yes, it was.

I’m very glad to have been able to get a break from Netflix by taking a tour through the main history of Disney -- including many childhood memories, would-be childhood experiences, and more modern things from my adulthood -- thanks to Disney+.

[moviesyndrome]

Movie Syndrome’s Film of The Hour” London Fields “DIRECTOR’S CUT.” 2019

The only time to watch and review The Director's Cut of London fields is now: within a human species post-crisis, so novel to that species that there is no occurrence leave alone a record. Its the only time that London Fields makes more than just sense, total sense. It is now our new potential mirror and or X-ray machine for our so called"New Normal."  It can be London but it can be any city, town, enclave of human dissonance.

As a child I went to the school of life though films presented by the great Alex Cox, on his Moviedrome show, I was introduced to precursors to the coming influx of Neo-90's Noir. Narratives that coiled around its characters with the love of hungry anacondas; stories from the shrades of the social human fringe; men and women alike gleefully hapless or broken, souls just seeking to steal their inevitabilities from fate and make it their own - as if that some how made thier doom bearable.   Films where pale shadows crowded the celluloid frame even they were alone they were just paler than the crowd.

London fields so reminds me of this vein of filmmaking. In Neo-90's noir people were incapable of making anyone happy, not even themselves, or anyone else, they either new it and would violently seek irony, or just detraction, or simply some air of self-appointed cleverness about their failures: their philosophy the wisdom of one's own doom is better than the ignorance of it (as if that helps).

It was a joy to feel like a kid watching films I shouldn't be watching, with the sound turned down low, so parents in bed don't wake, listening to an intro by the great Alex Cox, and the prototypes of the coming 90's noir. This is what it felt like watching London Fields.

The first shot had dance in its guts, the first sign of a good director, making sure the audience know s/he cares. I was reassured and sat back in comfort knowing I don't have to be anxious. Few films know how to utilize stock footage, or some films over use it, some just don't respect it, we may see more of it since the big plague of 2020 hit planet earth. The now infamous "C" word hit just 4 months after I saw it in 2019 on the eve of the UK election that would decide the fate of thousands literally and of the new London that I am now living through. This is why London Fields Directors cut must be watched post-global pandemic, post London post human incubation, post human global coma, wake up and watch it!

The true value of London Fields is in its ability to be relevant externally, not just internally, it will be talked about for decades as the greatest film-restructuring/ turnaround since George Miller saved Mad Max 4 from september 11th. As long as London is here with a new normal that a film and book called London Fields possibly predictive like Nostradamus "pre" and mid plague predictions. Like Daniel's predictions of the fourth beast,  that is a president of the free world advising people to drink bleach as it cures plague like some victorian charlatan-witch-doctor.  

Talking of victorian London look out for a wonderful Fagan meets Sid-Vicious like surprise, it will remain a surprise as I will not spoil it , you will have to watch it.  Remember the advent of dvd extras where the story behind the story became King and queen, well here is your story behind the story of London Fields the coiling fluid labyrinth that this director's cut had to circumvent and master at the same time, is in itself a book, a film maybe a trilogy. It then becomes a matrix for the films ability to gracefully scream with silent pain, palpable in its starving human waifs, the population of jagged grizzled shadows of an old world, just like a pre-covid London.

My story:

- I waited 5 years to watch the director's cut, as I knew this would be the film to watch, I know from day zero, that this would be the definite splice, I am glad I waited, but i had no other option. More importantly I am glad I waited to be one of the fortunate survivors of the real London apocalypse to be able to write a review worthy of note.

Filming locations:

During the pandemic I walked around the many locations that London Fields filmed in, like Brixton where I grew up, and I went to bulk buy food, part of my post apocalyptic preppers protocol. I'm a prepper by nature so  I had bought my ffp3 mask months before. I actually gave a health and safety threat and risk consultation to a filmmaker heading to Ebola hit Lagos, I said "Make sure you have 3 meters on everyone and every surface so only the soles of your shoes need chlorine (the only chem that degrades DNA) I didn't call it social distancing I called it don't get Ebola. Here we are fortunate it was not Ebola that hit world and London Fields. I bought food in bulk buying is very different from panic buying, but I can't judge london is pretty but pretty tough to live in.  

London Fields Anatomy: + Matrix: When I say The Matrix of London fields I speak about the meta-mould, London is the ideal place to film an apocalypse, London was once the capital of the world since Britannia once owned most of the world. Location location location is everything.   +Concept: You can have a concept of any thing a concept of concept itself , a concept of the idea of a principal. Why not start with the concept of human nature, give our nature enough rope and we will hang ourselves and each everyone else in the room , but why is the nicely investigated by Bill Bob Thornton's character. This rope reaches the macro space to the micro of all the individual characters. + Basis: I have a feeling much like the basis for the characters in "Withnail and I"  the writer Ames, the author of the book, he has based these characters on the transients that peppered his life in London. + Grounds: There are sub-cultures of ravaged souls who make the characters even in the book look pale in comparison - art always mimics life not the other way round.

+Criteria:  The criteria is to capture a credible cinematic vignette of a very wild book + Responsibility: There is an integrity of context well policed diegetically and in the non diegetic space. The director is now renowned for policing this context which was under threat when islamic content (there's that other "C" word) was misaligned with pornography to create a pornography, the legal battle that ensued was only fueled by this particular mismanagement of content with no context.

+ |Sense of place "This is London" London is hit by hyperinflation, social controls, shortages, poverty, mass unemployment, Social Unrest,divisions, divergency of schisms, social branching in to pockets of gang pods.

+Pattern of capacity: is potent disconcerting X-ray machine to the lower digestive system, beyond the ice-tipped persona of innocence, the bystander, observer, storyteller. It peels back the plasters wrapped around the slick wounds, and it does it finger by finger of London's inner ducts, where its appendix once was.  

The shadows of a cosmopolitan gas chamber known as London slither and preen the boiling social swampy waves seeking their nothings in what they see as somethings', goals that are obvious traps or not so obvious. They leave patterns of psycho-splatter across the corridors of doom-drowned doors with no one able to reach their goals and no one capable of making each other happy but, even though deep down they know it, they still pursue against instinct better judgment. They have to, as if they don't we would not have any drama.

This is Kitch satire the likes of which spilled out of neo-grungy scenes of the 90's neo noir, but its interesting to see this in a London steamy punky setting, rather than Hollywoodland. Highlights of the film is an interesting crossing of the 180 degree line, which is always a tricky area.

In London Fields the human ice-berg is built almost entirely out of constellations of man and woman's failure points, we are left with the question simply what will drive us, what will keep us going after the discovery of these failure points.

I: Inspiration by the challenge to put a x-ray, a mirror in front of the face of London as a gateway to the face of the wider world W: WHy do this film? Well every couple of years in intervals where London is begging for this mirror so lets provide it. V: The vision was to engineer an exposing investigation of the ghosts of London all the way to their souls and their soul-engines. M: Mission was to find the cast and support structure to manifest this vision S-T: The strategy to tactical synergy was to turn the motion of this story in to an serendipitous dance off the page of the book on to the cinema screen. Vision: To make a respectable cool potently socially vital potency vignette that a 2 hour film cna do for the many pages of a book Strategy: To go in with fervent dedication leveraging years of mastering skill of marrying music and image, and an industry that forces the discipline of story. B: Diegetic: Why do these characters do what they do, human beings have drives from baseline to top line drives, these drives are constantly hungry, convergent and divergent simultaneously. where do we put drives, what do we do with them, where will they go The characters with doomed naive seek happy endings for their drives, in doing so misd judge everyone. The souls here are using chess strategies to leverage their needs and clear the road of others in their path creating an emotionally psychologically all-in-ring wrestling match everyone eliminating each other. - Agility: The agility is not just in the films dynamic rehabilitative turnaround but agility in characterisation of the most hyper-wild surreal characters in a book nicely done by Jim Sturgess fagan meets sid vicious sex-pistols. And Johnny Depps Cockney-Rockabilly predator. 5.- kudoi: The Synecdoche: Here is with the director has managed to perform if not one of but maybe the most important Innovation Turnaround in the history of cinema. This could be the making of a new career. It is a career I went into recently I have performed it on other films myself but never had to do it on my own. 6.- Innovation: The director holds the mantle on the most strategic siege-craft innovation since those valiant thanes of the 5th century, took the gabled hall to siege in King Fin's realm of friesland; that young King of Denmark Heanerf with with 60 retainers went to visit his sister, recently married in peace weaving in Frankish lands, and for reasons yet to be disclosed to us, is put to seige in a gabled hall. It is an example in history where siegecraft worked. Matthew Cullen would have had to must some ancient type of lock-jaw dedication to pursue a siege craft of 5 years. with an army of producers, investors and compounding resistance. 7.- leadership side: The leadership it requires to execute a turnaround on a business is Herculean. There are 5 stages to a turnaround 0. People 1. Runaway - Leverage Cash runnaw 2. Technical engineering 3. Value chain strategy: add value - take away value - modify underlying value 4. Finalizing product market fit and fitness to execute a cut 5. New Campaign 6. Re-delivery. Just like in the film the characters all see themselves as leaders but they are ultimately proxy-puppets of a greater chess game. 8.- assertiveness: The director asserts with a five year kung-fu grip to show that the little voice in the milestone of a crocodile culture of producers, investors and meta-investors that the little voice can shout the loudest when it counts. It can do this  when it is important, when our voice must protect the unicorns gallop and leave our creativity factory, we must do this so they don;t fall down the cracks. In the film we see actors forging their stamps on their portrayals, of characters seertingthier desperations on each other's visions of happiness. 9.- Resonance of Messaging:brand Matthews Brand is potent authenticity of creativity this resonates in his film-turnaround and in the realignment of creative assets in,most in the alignments 10. Positive magnet respect attract positive Providence: The Universe has shined on Matthew and his valiant journey as the results have shown that it was on his side

LONDON FIELDS GLOSSARY:

- Conceptuals: What if you apply business turnaround to your own film not just someone's film but your own. Inside the film the concept - Concept of principle: The core principle was constant unbridled constant pulse of exposure of warts and all innards of post-social apocalyptic jagged humanity character by character. - Context: The Meta Post-Apocalypse: the after-party to the aftermath of London. - Grounds: Matthew had good grounds to purser this Colonel kurtz-like mission his unicorns had been dropped down the - Reach - if it is made more clear where to find the directors cut this will be king, . - Inimitability: Anyone trying to imitate this will stick out like a pik zeblinp - replayability: There is plenty here to study and restudy and this is the best master class in Film Turnaround making Matthew Cullen the most history making CFO of London Fields successfully restructured like LEGO brick By Brick (Which is also an interesting book on how lego turned themselves around in 5 years). - Accessibility: There is plenty here to make accessible to wider audiences with lots of help from Johnny Depp providing magnetic rockabilly-cockney psycho-menace - Principle: Waste nothing and produce more with as little as possible. Vision mission : Apex-Crux: A poetic battle manual in overcoming the cataclysm-apocalyptic crushing of your family as a consequences of the poisonous chains of criminology. - Idea: Human nature builds cunning paths of self-sabotage for itself knowingly and unknowingly and its infectious. - Theme(s): self-infliction, sabotatge, self-sabotage - Terms of understanding: the terms of understanding here are though the pattern of traffic between peoples' enemy within how they clash and - Dance: The film is nicely dancing   - sculpture : There is a sense of engineering finess to the this cut that reaches between the small life of characters and the wider outside world that is out there somewhere but hasn't been seen in a long time and and clearly is not missed. 4 - Signature: The signature here the brand the unique finger print is garishly distinct defined unmistakable, flamboyant graish clever use nourish pop-kitch- - Innovation: There is an interesting way that Matthew Cullen breaks the 180 line look out for it, Jim Sturges Innovative contribution to a now infamous Sid -Vicious meets Fagan mashup is no legend. ---------------------> - Communication: The colours seem to be the some of the most dominant communicator in London - Message: Warnings of not just the soul's emotional vulnerability of people, the hazard of peoples problems, but the hazard of a now victorian like London - Language - Conveyance - Shape Nuance: Nuance swells in the misery that Billy Bob Thornton carries around, it hangs like the unsucked cigarette smoke constantly trailing his character's - Ethos: The Directors ethos is the first rule of any endeavor is never give up! Once the mission was demanded to turn the film around this rule become law so taking names off a film are not part of this ethos.  The Films' ethos everything is available. - idiosyncrasy: The positions of satirical use of nourish pop--kitch is so uni - ethics: The direct fought to remedy inflammatory scenes IN the original cut there were scenes where religion is explicitly juxat - Responsibility: There is obvious responsibility to do just ice to the book, but also to the characters and how the actors navigate this, then there is London, one of the most if not the most unique city in the world. - Code: Its code of conduct is to never let you rest to corrugate the constant exposure of the shades of core characters and new characters both minor and major. - Policy: IS to be calmly unrelenting in the face of adversity on and off set.

[dazstormretro]

The Mega Drive Arrives- Autumn 1990

The Mega Drive was due to be released in the UK for Christmas of this year, this was my only chance of getting one but at a price tag of £190 (£430 in todays money) there was no way my parents would be able to afford or even agree to it. The original reaction from my parents was a definite NO. I remember trying to convince them that this was the must have present for me but my mum wasn’t having it. There was no way I was getting a second video games console no matter how hard I tried to convince them. It didn’t seem to matter how many onscreen sprites the Mega Drive could handle, how many colours it could display from a palette of five hundred and twelve or how powerful the Yamaha YM2612 FM chip was, for some reason my mum didn’t seem to care?

“You don’t need a new Sega machine” my mum would always reply, “what’s wrong with the one you’ve already got?”

But throughout October I didn’t give up hope and somehow after what felt like forever of wearing my parents down they finally gave in, I could get a Sega Mega Drive for Christmas, but under two conditions. Firstly I would have to combine all my Christmas money together from every relative and secondly sell my Master System and games and use this money to put towards the new console. Anything left I would have to save up myself. Luckily at this point I shared a paper round with my brother delivering the Advertiser which was a big chunky free newspaper. Over the coming weeks I saved every penny I could and with Christmas approaching we were due for our Christmas tips which would help immensely.

The day finally came to put my Master System up for sale. We decided to use the Advertiser newspaper to sell it locally.

‘Boxed Sega Master System with 5 games for sale, under one year old, perfect condition £90.’

I must admit I did feel a little nervous doing this and also a bit guilty knowing that my parents had shelled out for this console only one year previous but it was the only way I was going to be a proud owner of a brand new Mega Drive. The console sold within a couple of days and the new owner soon picked it up and whisked it away. It was now the beginning of November so I would be without a games console for the next month so it was back to the old Amstrad 464.

Throughout November I would read Mean Machines, CVG or any other mags which featured the Mega Drive, research its technical stats and read every game review available to me hoping to figure out the best value console bundle. Originally I was going to go for standard PAL release which came with a copy of Altered Beast but after much deliberation I decided to go with an imported Asian PAL model. My reasons were twofold. Firstly it looked a lot cooler with its burgundy colour power band and large 16BIT logo plastered across the top. Secondly the Asian version would allow me to play imported titles from the US and Japan thus giving me access to many more awesome games.

The next step was to find a suitable supplier who would exchange this power house of a console for my hard earned cash. My parents were dead set on me NOT buying a Mega Drive from some dodgy back of a magazine shop where you had to send away a cheque and hopefully receive your goods within six months (which was probably for the best). Knowing full well our local computer games shop in Hyde would barely have heard of the Mega Drive never mind sell the thing we had to travel a little further out. Venturing to Stockport we had come across an amazing video games store on Mealhouse Brow, hidden away in the backstreets next to the market. This was a classic import game shop from the 90’s, the kind of place you would see posters of Japanese anime up on the walls, games on the shelves you had never heard of, imported toys and strange sweets from around the world. This shop didn’t cater for your Spectrum and Amstrad crowd, this shop catered only for console lovers and would be my go-to gaming store for the next few years (once again I apologise but the name of this amazing shop escapes me).

After speaking to the owner we were ushered across to the Sega section of the store and there in front of us were several brand new Sega Mega Drives in their distinctive white Japanese boxes, they looked so cool. I can’t remember the price but the deal was a console, one control pad and a choice of two imported games from a selection of about ten. After careful consideration I went with Rastan 2 and Thunder Force 3.

Now I had to play the waiting game. With Vanilla Ice blaring out of the stereo I would kill time by flicking through my back issues of Mean Machines, rereading the game reviews especially for Thunder Force 3 and imagine that first encounter with the Gargoyle boss on the Hydra level. If I think back over the past Christmas’s I’ve experienced this was probably the one I was most looking forward to. Christmas of 1990 was probably the best Christmas EVER. The shear excitement building up inside of me was crazy, how I wish I could bottle that feeling and take a sniff every now and then. The magic of being a kid at Christmas was amazing and the magic of receiving a Sega Mega Drive, long before any of my friends was something else.

Finally the big day came and it didn’t disappoint (well maybe Ratsan 2 did). Once again as it was Christmas Day I got to connect my new console up to the big tv downstairs for the morning. Seeing that shiny black shell for the first time sent shivers down my spine. Inserting Thunder Force 3 into the console slot and turning it on for the first time, it must have felt like a magnificent dream but was real, the long wait was finally over. The Sega logo appeared on screen then that familiar synth guitar rift rang out as the FIRE LEO ship zoomed into view. I couldn’t believe the quality of the music as it blasted from the television speakers. Of course I’d heard some decent music on the Master System and seen some pretty visuals but this was another level. This was proper music with a toe tapping beat. The digitised speech whenever you collected a new weapon, the detail in the backdrops and the parallax scrolling were simply jaw dropping, a new standard in gaming had officially arrived and it was all mine.

The Mega Drive was even better than I could have possibly imagined. With no internet back then and no way of knowing how a game would play or sound just made this initial experience even more special. I played both games all morning none stop whilst eating my selection box, that’s what Christmases are all about right? My mum actually took a photograph of me playing Thunder Force 3 that morning, a picture I still keep to this day.

Of course Rob called me first thing that morning wanting to know all the details and itching to have a go. “Robert, it’s Christmas Day, your not coming round” my mum told him on the phone which made me laugh.

[lavila27]

Beauty & the Beast- a movie review by Lauren Avila

I’ve just returned from seeing the live action remake of Beauty & the Beast for the 2nd time within a week. I have so many thoughts about this movie but in a nutshell: I LOVED IT!!

Let me begin by saying that I’m extremely biased because I’ve been a lifelong fan of this movie. I was born in ‘89 and this movie came out in ‘91. We haven’t long existed without each other. As a child, this was the first obsession I ever had. Obviously, I’ve since become obsessed w/ many movies, tv shows, books, places, people, and yes, ships. It all started with B&TB though. I could go into greater detail about all the merchandise, the endless hours of rewatching, the pic of little Lauren w/ the characters, etc. but I think you get it. I love this movie. So I’ll move on. Regardless of my favoritism, I tried to watch this movie with a clear head. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have high expectations. I’m really not kidding when I say that I’ve had the countdown on my phone for the release of this movie for 900 days or so. In all that time, I’ve had my fair share of ideas and fantasies of how this could turn out. I had high hopes right from the beginning.

While driving to the theater on the night of March 16th, my sister asked me: Are you nervous? And I said “No, I’m excited. Unless they stray 100% from the animation, I know I won’t be disappointed.” I was right. It was basically impossible for me to be disappointed. In fact, even though it turned out quite different than I imagined, I was very pleased with it. Having said that, I would like to discuss the movie in my honest opinion. I could fangirl all over it and say that it was the best thing I’ve ever seen. However, I do have some slightly critical things to say. So let’s start.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

The moment the movie started with that iconic opening music, I swear I stopped breathing for about a minute and a half. I appreciated that it began with the castle, the rose, and the first few lines that we know from the animated classic. The changes started right away. I didn’t mind this Prologue at all though. It thoroughly explained the Beast’s curse and even gave us the first step into greater detail than the cartoon did by mentioning the memory curse. I love that this version gave so many direct nods to the animation. Just to name a few: scratching out the Prince’s face, the opening of Belle, Belle about to leave after the Wolf scene, the Transformation, etc.

For some reason, there’s something about the village scene that bothers me. I’m not sure if it’s the ensemble that just seems like an under-rehearsed community theater group. Or if it’s that the library has like twelve books inside. Or if it’s because Emma Watson’s voice is dripping w/ autotune. It’s really too bad because I can tell that Emma’s voice is just fine the way it is. But I’ll discuss this more later. Anyway, I really adore all the costumes in the film. Belle’s blue dress looked great to me. It really suited the provincial look and Belle’s simple style.

Now would be a good time to talk about Luke Evans. When I heard the casting as each member came onboard, Luke was one of the few I had never heard of. Oh my goodness though, he really makes Gaston his own in an impressive performance. Plus, his singing is fantastic! He is arguably the best singer in the whole cast. But that is seriously up for debate. Of course I should also mention the perfect casting of Josh Gad as Lefou. I mean, perfect casting. That’s all I can really say. While on the subject of casting though, should we discuss the equal opportunity employing going on with the horse. 90’s kids know that Philippe is famously played by a brown horse and is now played by a white horse. I’m just going to leave it at that.

Back on subject, I want to note some more changes in the movie. They planted the seeds of a deeper back story for Maurice and Belle by bringing up her mother right away. Maurice sings a tender, new song while creating a music box as a tribute to his late wife. I got emotional quickly as this scene began because I didn’t realize how much I wanted to hear about Belle’s mother until this scene was unfolding in front of me. When Belle asks, “Please, just tell me one more thing about her.” It cuts like a knife. You’re reminded that Belle knows as little about her as we, the audience, does. “She was fearless” seems to have a great weight to it in a foreshadowing kind of way.

This version had all the beloved songs from the animation, but sadly no songs from the stage musical. That’s alright though because they added a few really lovely, new songs. I did notice that they hinted at songs from the musical here and there. The first scene between Belle and her father had the exact setup of “No Matter What” but no song. Later, in “Days in the Sun,” Belle sings a line “a change in me.” She also refers to the castle as home when they leave Paris. This, I think, is a shout out to “Home.” I believe there was one other reference in the movie but I can’t recall it right now. I also noticed that a few songs had been altered and musically rearranged as well. “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest,” and “The Mob Song” had lyric changes and additions. I really love the new songs but my favorite is probably “Evermore.” I’ll talk more about it soon.

Kevin Kline as Maurice was excellent. He was funny and endearing. The bond that Kevin and Emma had was very believable. I like the way they changed Belle’s sacrifice. It seemed that the Beast was kind of impressed with her decision to take her father’s place. Quite the opposite however, I did not like that they had Lumiere and Cogsworth give Belle a bedroom. That’s the first bit of kindness the Beast shows Belle in the ‘91 movie. It plants a seed in their relationship. Not only this but they took away another opportunity too. When the Beast gifts Belle his library in the animation, he knows how much it will mean to her. In this version though, it’s so blase. He’s so passive about giving it to her. I don’t know. It takes a little getting use to.

Sidenote: I’m sorry but I couldn’t help but get a few Harry Potter feelings during the movie. Yes, I know Emma is not eternally Hermione but Belle is very similar: smart, strong, and compassionate. The villager who couldn’t remember what he forgot. Gaston’s dark magic reference. And something about that crazy wardrobe makeover in Belle’s room reminded me of a Potter movie. Belle’s parents’ apartment reminded me of the Shrieking Shack. And also of apparating. Emma Thompson working with Emma Watson. I don’t know. An HP fan’s mind can never roam too far away from the movies.

Be Our Guest was quite the number. At first I wasn’t a fan of it. I suppose I was expecting something really big and stunning. I still feel like something is lacking a little but I did enjoy it much more the second time. I expect it will appear better and better every subsequent time. My first impression was that the singing was flat, the set was underwhelming and the mix between real and computer animated objects was distracting. I know it’s hard to live up to a cartoon that has spoons swimming, candlesticks bending in line, and forks doing a kick line but what can I say? I’m a huge fan of this scene. Upon seeing this scene again though, I warmed to it pretty quickly actually. With a new perspective, I decided I really like the new arrangement of the song and some elements of the “show.” I’ll definitely say it’s exciting and doesn’t disappoint in the end. In fact, I’m the one who led the applause on opening night right after the number. The whole theater joined in too! I just wish I could put my finger on what’s missing though. Oh well. C’est la vie.

Let’s talk about another dance number. “Gaston” turned out great. Yes, they changed a bunch of lyrics but overall I was happy with it. You ain’t seen nothing like the stage version but I digress. I thought that the added elements were funny such as the “I just realized I’m illiterate and never had to spell it before” line from Lefou at the end of the song. Luke Evans’ Gaston had a certain charm to him. Even though he was doing horrible things, he was so set in his own convictions, it didn’t seem to bother him. The whole audience I was with at the opening gasped when he punched Maurice and left him for wolf bait in the woods.

The wolves were great by the way. The whole battle with the wolves seemed so real. I also really liked that when Belle went to help the Beast she said, “I need your help. You have to stand.” (Or something like that.) It indicated that they can help each other through teamwork and must literally lean on each other. It was the first time they connected. He saved her life. She tended to him and showed him compassion. It broke down their barriers. I’m so happy they kept their little spat intact. You know the whole, “You should learn to control your temper” talk. This scene also lended itself more toward backstory. We learn that the Beast lost his mother as a child and his father twisted him into a selfish prince. I thoroughly enjoy little details. At the very beginning of “Days in the Sun” we see that the Beast has a tear or two in his eyes after dreaming of his mother. I really like the whole song. Furthermore, I love the side of the Beast we begin to see when he heals. The Shakespeare conversation they have and then the “Some of them are in Greek” joke in the library… so adorable. It’s also really sweet that he wants to sit by her during “Something There.”

The addition of the magic book from the Sorceress was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. It was a heartbreaking scene but I think it was a great investment in Belle’s emotional journey. However, I feel it opened an unnecessary window into a whole chapter we will never know more about. Granted it answered a question that the character of Belle had, it created an added element that felt like a bit of a tease. We only got a few minutes with this magical book and know so little about it. I almost feel like there could be a whole other movie about it. I love the symbolism behind it but I can’t help but feel so curious about it. Can they still use this book now that the curse has been broken? Where would the Beast like to go to? So can it transport in time? If so, did the Beast use it to see his mother? Did Belle ever use it without the Beast? Could she have potentially used it to visit her father? Can the Enchanted Objects use it too?

Moving on. Let’s talk about Belle’s iconic yellow dress. I’ve heard many people say that they’re not a fan of it and I can understand why. Surprisingly, I really love it. Even when I saw the trailers for the movie, I didn’t hate it. I was cautiously optimistic. Then I saw the movie and fell in love with the soft and romantic look of it. It floats gracefully when Belle moves and dances. I love the layers, the glimmers of gold, the simple but beautiful style especially keeping in mind that this is probably the prettiest thing that this poor village girl has ever seen. I adored her hair, her jewelry, and I’m sure her shoes were great too but we didn’t see them. I loved the whole look and would definitely wear it myself. I could practically feel the fabric through the screen. I may be the only person to defend her dress, but I give it my stamp of approval.

The dancing scene was perfect! Both times I’ve seen it, I’ve cried. I’m so thankful for all the moments they kept from the movie especially the camera pan up to the ceiling (loved the instruments playing!) and down to the Beast spinning Belle to the side. I also really enjoyed the bit where he picks her up and spins her amidst twinkling lights. Have I mentioned yet that adding the organ sound of Cadenza to lots of pieces of the score was an awesome decision?! I really loved this ballroom scene and felt the love for the project, the love between the characters, and the love toward the original creation all oozing out of this scene.

Coming out of the movie, I think the part that I can’t stop thinking about is “Evermore.” I am obsessed with the new song and I’m so in love with this scene. It completely gutted me both times. The lyrics and melancholy yet so beautiful. Dan Stevens, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I am fascinated with his Beast talking voice but his singing voice has captivated my B&TB-loving heart. He sings with such passion, I was surprised to find out that he “learned” to sing for this movie. I would’ve guessed he had a prior career in the West End. But I’ll stop gushing now. Bravo to all involved in the making of that scene including the brilliance of Alan Menken and Tim Rice!

I dare say I loved “The Mob Song” more in this film than I did in the animation. I’ve already mentioned how impressed I was by Luke Evans but it’s worth noting again. There was something about this scene that really felt right. The singing was on point and they added a fantastic new line for Lefou too! He says that there is definitely a beast but the wrong monster has been released. Awesome addition! It’s probably just the Menken Maniac in me but it had an epic parallel to “Savages” from Pocahontas. By the way, did you all catch the Darth Vader theme in the battle scene in the castle? Am I mistaken?

Boy was the finale dramatic! Gaston shot the Beast three times. Three! Belle’s wrestling w/ Gaston’s gun. Everyone’s making risky jumps on the rooftops of the castle. You’re on the edge of your seat the whole time. My favorite part of all this was the line, “I am NOT a beast.” Too bad Gaston couldn’t leave well enough alone. It’s doom and gloom for him. Speaking of gloom, the transformation of all the Enchanted Objects into ordinary objects was the saddest scene in the whole movie. I cried both times. It had such hopeless finality to it. You would have to have a heart of stone to not feel something.

No matter what form I see the end in: animation, stage, live action, I just love Belle and the Beast’s tearful goodbye and new beginning. Emma did a phenomenal performance as she said “No! Please don’t leave me. I love you.” Tears falling out of her eyes and her pleading voice… oh my goodness. I couldn’t handle it. Then the beautiful and goosebump-inducing transformation. It was exactly like the animation and I loved that!! Although I was hoping to hear Belle say “It is you,” this wordless scene still left me completely satisfied. Dan and Emma have wonderful chemistry. Not many couples could pull off a vital scene without dialogue. Fortunately, Dan and Emma conveyed so much with their eyes and expressions… and lips.

I was very happy with the end including the choreography of the dancing, the lovely Audra McDonald singing, the beastly beard joke, and especially with Belle’s white dress. Gorgeous!! The Prince looked quite handsome as well. I even liked the credits. Both times I’ve seen the movie, I’ve stayed for the entire thing. It’s wonderful to hear Celine Dion sing in B&TB credits again. I’m really happy with the way John Legend and Ariana Grande sang the title song too. I’m a longtime fan of Josh Groban so to hear his version of “Evermore” just adds a cherry on the sundae. Though I must say, I think I prefer Dan Stevens’ emotional rendition of the song. Visually the cast credits are well done too.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for your patience. Obviously, I have a lot of thoughts on the movie. I hope to go see it again before it leaves theaters. So I think that goes to show that overall I really loved it. There were a few things I’d tweak a bit but again, I’m generally happy with the whole film. I was pleased to see it at my Cinemark theater that has comfortable reclining loungers. They also had souvenir popcorn tubs and cups. I just had to get those too. And so readers, I would most definitely recommend Disney’s 2017 live action Beauty and the Beast! Now playing in theaters nationwide. And once you get your B&TB movie fix, maybe venture to some chain stores that are currently selling fun movie merchandise. Plus, Disney Parks are promoting the movie pretty heavily these days as well. I might just check it out. Stay tuned for more!

[alexteltevskiy]

Vintage camera review - Vivitar 220/SL with 50mm f/1.8

Intro

Always on the lookout for vintage cameras to try out, me and Kris (from 43 Stories) stumbled upon by chance on another long-lost closet treasure - her Grandfather's Vivitar 220/SL, complete with original strap and the Vivitar 50mm f/1.8. I was told the camera was originally bought for family candids of the grandkids but later also entered active duty in her Grandfather's business as a Private Investigator, chronicling the daily stream of evidence, clues and suspects. Quite honestly, the no-nonesense jet black finish of the camera lent it an aura of cool composure much more suited to covert snaps than trying to get the kids to smile. Seriously, the thing looks like something Darth Vader would carry around. Camera looked and felt like a tactical tool, with a weight of authority to it, oversized controls and chiseled, no-snag tapered lines.

First impressions aside, second impressions told me that this derelict detective's sidekick will need quite a lot of CLA to bring it up to spec. Viewfinder was dimmer than a dark forest path on a moonless night and the shutter was in no hurry to count the time at speeds of 1/30th and slower. Lens seemed almost opaque. Foam seals were stickier than gorilla glue and there were as many layers of dust on it as layers of family history, with the camera being handed down a couple of generations until it was ultimately phased out by its distant digital cousins. Oh, and the entire lens helicoid assembly, focus ring, front elements and all, rattled back and forth about half an inch. This one was going to be a piece of work.

History

Until this camera I honestly had nearly zero knowledge about Vivitar as a brand, always writing them off as not only a second-rate, but closer to third-rate third-party lens maker from the distant past. A regular in the discount dust bins of used camera stores, I wasn't expecting much from a body/lens package going for $10. Delving deeper into their history proved there was more than met the eye. An American company from California, in the late 30's two partners began importing first German and then later Japanese cameras into the US market. When it came time to expand in the 60's, they created the brand name Vivitar and started to make first their own lens, then bodies as well.

Turns out they were of pretty decent quality too. The design and construction of the lens was contracted to different factories at different times across the US, Europe and Japan. The bodies were made mostly by Cosina of Japan (as far as I could tell). All of these items were know for their great quality at a modest price, sold by the truckloads in department stores from one coast to another. An every man's camera.

Specs

Due to Vivitar not having exactly the same level of cachet as, say Leica, BMW or Apple, there are very few dedicated resources available online that would shed light on the more delicate historical intricacies of this particular product line. Best I could tell, the 220/SL was introduced in the mid 70's and was in production sometime into the early 80's. Was made by Cosina in Japan, ditto for the lens. M42 mount, accepts myriads of other lens spanning multiple decades and budgets.

Marketed as a mid-grade SLR, the package was decidedly minimalistic, save maybe for the light meter. After having handled a few significantly older cameras lately, shutter speeds of 1sec-1/1000sec seemed like a luxury. Bulb and cable release are always welcomed. Knurled knobs and medium stroke winder lever are decently ergonomic, nothing to rant about though. Viewfinder has a split center and circular prism focusing aids. Not sure about coverage, but I'm guessing around the 90% mark. Has a "film is loaded" indicator, might be useful for some, especially with multiple old cameras in circulation (wink wink).

Self timer, rewind knob, light meter activation switch. That's pretty much about it. CLA took longer than expected, all the lens elements were out of whack and the lens needed an entire reconstruction (with subsequent ground-glass-taped-to-film-plane focus calibration). Pentaprism had de-silvered and I could see a Milky Way through the viewfinder, but that requried too much work to fix so that had to be left alone for the time being. Shutter speeds and all related gearing was cleaned of lube-tuned-hard-wax and freshly oiled up and run through click-clack boot camp to bring it in sync. The meter was adjusted to work off the slightly higher voltage due to original spec batteries being discontinued for eons. Nowadays it takes 675 hearing aid batteries.

Design & build quality

This little black SLR’s design is a rather slippery little beast to nail down - split between being a 747 seat buckle on a 70’s Pan Am flight and an 80’s experimental stealthy lunch box for Lockheed F-117 pilots on covert combat sorties. Some might call it a little bland, lacking any embellishments that spearheaded Japanese SLR design of the time (think of the Pininfarina-envy dials and pentaprism housing of Olympus OM-1 and the pre-digital transformer-esque lines, panels and angles of the Canon AE-1), instead aspiring to the stoic looks of a 1981 Buick Century. But, if one does the math, it doesn’t look out of place at all. I quite like it - it’s a product of a less complicated time and a place where heavier meant better quality, and black meant professional. It may be a bit disproportionate here and there, but I enjoy its company. Besides, Mies van der Rohe would probably totally dig it, so it’s cool in my camp.

Where I do have a bone to pick is with the QA department. A little note on Cosina, where both the body and the lens was made in… As much as I respect and admire (nearly to the point of worship) quality products made in the Land of the Rising Sun, Cosina products get very little love from me. They are a company with an interesting history and a knack for innovation and at finding an ever-evolving niche for themselves. But most often that niche is inextricably tied to providing an increased value compared to the competition. I personally feel like they cheap out on the quality. I own a number of modern Voigtlander products (all made by Cosina) and in the short time I’ve had my Bessa R3M I’ve had a meter LED burn out (!) and, wait for it, the rubber grips are starting to unglue all around. Also had a really hard time adjusting the rangefinder (the mechanism was supposedly loctite’d by the factory, but a screw came loose that shouldn’t have anyway). Also have a brand-new Voigtlander VM 40mm f/1.4 Nokton Classic MC and the helicoid jams at times. Why? Also why does the little plastic red mount guide dot on my Voigtlander VM 21mm f/4 come off so easily? Why, oh why?? Now I’m starting to see why people shell out for Leicas (even though they have problems too). I guess Cosina has to cut corners somewhere.

All of this applies to a camera they made 30-40 years ago as well. Chop shops do a better 5-minute paint job on hot cars than this camera has ever been treated to. The shutter speed dial was coming loose. The hot shoe is crooked and the bakelite underneath it is starting to crack. The detent on the meter switch has gotten snuffed out. The pentaprism has started to de-silver. Badly. Heck, even the enamel they used to fill in the embossed lettering on the body has aged worse than the hieroglyphs on King Tut’s tomb. And don’t even get me started on the lens. That thing had more loose parts than a bucket full of loose… bolts. And that says a lot. It certainly cemented my opinion on the quality of used vintage Cosina and Vivitar products.

In use

Angry rants aside, as soon as the CLA was done it was time to put the hefty little slab of black steel to the test. Taken on a couple of street sorties several days apart, I’ve run a couple of rolls through it chronicling a wide gamut of topics, from moody bouts of existential angst in gentrified neighborhoods to an impromptu photo documentary of my niece and nephews’s trip to the zoo.

Mechanically, the camera operations were sound, predictable and relatively smooth. Biggest gripe on the first trip was the supremely dim viewfinder which made focusing possible only via f/8 + scale on lens. This was promptly remedied before the second trip (had to tear the entire top down and give it a hot bath). Focusing accuracy was dramatically improved after that and a reliable f/1.8 became almost within reach.

The meter pulled a total Pinocchio on me every single time I flipped the switch, almost making me regret the $7 I spent on the batteries, but luckily I was able to readjust the meter the second time I went in to clean the viewfinder/prism assembly. Like I said, the voltage of the only modern-day battery that would fit was a bit higher, so the pots inside had to be toned down. Metering is now in-sync with both of my Sekonics, and has a center-weighted pattern. For those curious, the prism houses two CdS cells. But I still relied on my Sekonics every time I pulled the shutter, as early pre-matrix meter tech was very temperamental.

With such a simple camera, there’s not really that much else to write about. It has nothing nostalgic about it for me, as do some of the older cameras I test, and it has no exotic features or form factors which might still pique my interest if all else fails. It is a photographic tool, one that just works. Somewhat clumsy at times, but works. I mean, the camera is just as fun to use for photos as a horse saddle is to sit on. They’re practically invisible. If the camera didn’t have the looks which I still admire, I would almost call the camera character-less. On a side note, I really enjoyed popping the back open with the little lever on the bottom. Haven’t seen that one before.

Image quality

Image quality is something that comes mainly from the lens and film being used. The Fuji Superia 200 that I used both times enjoys the reputation of rather mediocre film stock, with somewhat muted, true-to-life colors but still a somewhat solid, finely-grained structure. I know I can get sharp results from this film. But they were nowhere to be found on either of the two rolls I ran through. And it’s not just the sharpness, which is abysmal at f/1.8 and only becomes decent at f/5.6 (optimal at f/8 then a sudden rollercoaster drop into endless mush) - the contrast is nonexistent. I was really surprised that the lenses on the Made-in-USSR Zenit-B from ’70 and the Argus C3 from good-ol’ 1955 offered more contrast than this Japanese-made lens which might have even had computer input on the optical formula.

No visible distortions, flares irregularly, although appears to have some coating on it. Chromatic aberrations are there, but don’t bother much as long as you embrace the 70’s faded-textbook-color-photo look.  Honestly, by the time of the second outing I didn’t care much about the lens anymore or the image character it brings with it (was none), so I just skimmed past the rest of the planned tests. Bokeh is probably the nicest thing about the lens and, at f/1.8, there is generally plenty of it. Not too busy, not too bland - just the right level of blurry pop to bring the center subject truly into focus, just don’t forget to add a generous serving of unsharp mask to start seeing the hair details again.

Conclusions

So, it’s that time again, huh? What do I think of the camera? I look back at the review and notice how I started on a high note and then cycled lower and lower through the octaves, tapping out a brooding baseline in a D minor by the end. That’s how I feel about this camera. It gets you hooked with its looks (all black, must be pro) and heft (very heavy, must be reliable), but then starts to fail at impressing you with every stroke of the winder. Don’t get me wrong - it is a decent camera. If we just look at just the body and discard the almost-legally-blind lens it ships with (no, just no), it actually performs reasonable well and has competitive specs compared to its peers. But the biggest turn-off and the last nail in the coffin for me was the camera’s complete lack of character. This camera seems like it was made for citizens of Lucas’s dystopian THX 1138 or Equilibrium’s Libria, or some other dystopian work of fiction where people aren’t bothered by quaint silly little things like emotions and feelings. It works, just not on an emotional level.

PS: for the (ever so slightly more) money, just get a Canon AE-1 or a beat-up Pentax K-1000.

Sample images

[thisaintascenereviews]

Album Review by Bradley Christensen Babyface – The Day / For The Cool In You Record Label: Epic Release Date: October 29 1996 / August 24 1993

Babyface is one of the most prolific artists of our time, especially within the last 25 years, because not only has he written and produced a lot of big hits for many artists that you know and love (such as Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Ariana Grande, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Usher, En Vogue, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, among many more), but he’s written and recorded plenty of award-winning music, too. He’s got an arsenal of albums under his belt that many people love. He’s won a total of 11 Grammy awards over the course of his career, and he’s got multiple number one hits, but I didn’t come across Babyface through any of the R&B stuff he’s worked on. I came across him through a couple of songs I didn’t mention, and I bet you’re wondering what songs I’m talking about, but I’m going to tell you something a lot of people don’t know – Babyface worked with Fall Out Boy on their third album, 2007’s Infinity On High. Babyface co-wrote and produced the songs “Thks Fr Th Mmrs,” which is both a highlight of Fall Out Boy’s career (and when they were at their most popular during the mid-00s) and a scene classic, too, as well as “I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You). I remember seeing Babyface’s name in the writing and producing credits for these songs, and I always wondered who he was, because as someone that was into pop-punk, rock, metalcore, and stuff like that, I didn’t listen to R&B, soul, or pop, so those were styles that were totally foreign to me. As I’d come to find out, however, Babyface is one of the most important and influential artists in all of R&B and soul music, especially within the late 80s and throughout the 90s. There’s something to be said about Fall Out Boy branching out with artists that aren’t in their “scene,” and I’ve always admired them for that. Those songs are great, too, as they have an R&B and soul sound that frontman Patrick Stump would explore on his debut solo album, 2011’s Soul Punk.

It’s always frowned upon that artists aren’t allowed to work with ones outside of their scene, but Fall Out Boy has always challenged peoples’ expectations of them. They worked with Jay-Z on that same album (he opens up the album on “Thriller,” and that’s the first time I ever heard Jay-Z, too, even though it’s not a verse or feature, per se), and only Fall Out Boy could get away with that in the mid-00s. Anyway, my point is, Babyface is a prolific artist in terms of R&B and soul music, but I’ve never listened to any of his music. A few months ago, I picked up the 1996 LP, The Day, because it was an album from the 90s. I found it at FYE for a few bucks, and even though I didn’t really review it when I got it, because I was into other stuff, I really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic album, but I wanted to come back to it soon. Along with revisiting it, I spent some with the album beforehand, 1993’s For The Cool In You. These two albums feature a lot of his biggest hits, as well as won him numerous awards and accolades, so these are the ones that I felt like I had to check out. I’m glad I did, too, because these are some stellar R&B / soul records. R&B was a very different beast in the 90s, too, and you have to understand where it was during that time. It wasn’t totally different by the early 00s, as hip-hop soul was becoming more of a thing, and groups / artists were being more influenced by hip-hop (Jagged Edge is a great example of an R&B group with a hip-hop-influenced sound, and even Jodeci jumped on that with their second album, 1993’s Diary Of A Mad Band, for another good example), but during the early 90s, R&B was still very traditional, so you didn’t have Frank Ocean, Bryson Tiller, Miguel, Post Malone, Trey Songz, and plenty more artists like that. The issue that I have with R&B today is that, well, it can be very disrespectful, I guess you could say. R&B was known for being very sensual, loving, and sexy, but nowadays it’s more about stealing your girlfriend, versus actually serenading and romancing his own.

My gripe with R&B aside, Babyface’s sound was very relaxed, easygoing, and more traditional. A lot of artists back then were apart of the “new jack swing” movement, as well as “quiet storm,” which was a name that was given to R&B and soul that had a very slow, relaxed, easygoing, and “quiet” sound. R&B during that time wasn’t as hip-hop-influenced as it is now, like I said, and it wasn’t quite as catchy, energetic, or pop-friendly, either. I mean, it was, as a lot of these artists were huge, but they were in a lane of their own. That’s how these couple of Babyface albums are. They’re very smooth, sensual, and easygoing, so you can listen to them and relax. That’s not to say they aren’t catchy, as songs on both albums are memorable and catchy, but they’re not outwardly catchy. The hooks are more subtle this time around, but I love these albums a lot, despite how they’re not the most experimental, unique, or off the wall albums. You had artists like Maxwell and D’Angelo during the 90s and early 00s that definitely made some very unique and interesting music that challenged the genre, and that went on to influence many other artists, even today, but Babyface wasn’t like that. He’s more in the vein of artists that knew how to write a great song that would resonate with many people, both in terms of production and overall songwriting. He’s a fantastic songwriter, whether it comes to his own music or the music he writes for other people. These albums didn’t quite change music as we know it, but Babyface is an important artist for music, especially R&B music of the 90s, because he managed to propel a lot of artists to mainstream success, including himself. It’s cool to see him work with Fall Out Boy, too, bringing it back to what I was talking about earlier with his contributions to Infinity On High. Part of why I wanted to finally listen to some of his music is because Infinity On High is the album that got me into music, so I’ve felt like I need to listen to Babyface, because without that album, as well as his contributions, I would have never gotten into music as we know it.

[theloudpedal]

Meet the Gawkers

This is our official coming out.  

We've been at this thing for a few years now, and we need to clear some things up.  On more than one occasion, we've discussed The Loud Pedal with personal friends and acquaintances and figured out that (for better or worse) people don't associate our work/content with us.  Part of this is our fault.  Since TLP began we have made a concerted effort to keep our faces concealed (trust us folks, it has been for your well being).  On the rare occasion that one or both of us has been featured in a blog post or on a FB/Instagram/Twitter post, we have intentionally "helmeted" our ugly mugs.  We like to let our followers know that we're doing something awesome, but that the focus is always the cars or the events.

Well, suffice it to say that humility is about to take a back seat in favor of an elevation of our personal status and visibility.  Perhaps this is isn't the best idea we've ever had, but we're gonna give it a whirl anyway.  Though we will have to show you our hideous visages, we promise to keep the luminaries we meet and cars and events we attend on your behalf, the center of attention.  Though you will now have to look at our admittedly self-pufferizing selfies with drivers and personalities, we promise to keep our standards high and the images awesome and relevant.

In addition to forcing you to know what we look like, we decided to give you a little biographical information about each of us.  No, this information probably won't enhance your life or help with your understanding of the universe in any way, but it will give you a little background on us and help you understand our passion for all things automotive.  

The truth will end up being extremely boring.  If we had more talent, we could weave a fictional masterpiece centered around our elevation as heroes of the automotive press.  In a story you didn’t ask for, written without the clearest of hindsight, never giving ourselves more credit than we deserve, comes the story The Loud Pedal.  We are not aloof journalist that take the high ground toward objective and dispassionate reporting.  We are fans and we don't it.  When we arrive to report on an event we are just as giddy and excited as all the other fanboys and fangirls.

Andrew Langley:

I turn 41 this year, and when it comes to things automotive, I think that age really belies my reality (in car years?).  If I'm honest, when I get to a show or the track, I'm about 13 (some may argue closer to 11 or 12).  In my element, I have to look around sometimes and remind myself to act a little more my age.  I still like autographs, selfies, hero cards, drivers/celebrities and lots of other bright and shiny objects.  For these things, my heartbeat accelerates.  When I see a good autograph opportunity, I imagine that I look like George Costanza running from a cake fire at a kids birthday party.  Ridiculous, yes, but controllable, no.  And speaking of 13 year old boy, here I am:

As far as I'm aware, this was about the time I fell in love with cars and out of love with skateboards.  This was probably about the time the obligatory Porsche 911 (red, with whale tail of course) and Lamborghini Countach posters went up on my bedroom wall.  That said, it probably wasn't that serious.  I mean, sure I was crazy about Kit, Detective "Sonny" Crockett's 365 and 512TR and the A-Team van...but who wasn't???

My serious interest started in the early 90s, when I inherited my mom's 69 Mercury Cougar. This wasn't the boon is sounds like.  It was our "family car" for years.   It had been sitting on the side of our house for ever and hadn't been started or run for a long long time (today, it would be called a "survivor").  My folks said I could have it if I could get it running and pay for insurance and running costs.  My dad and I did end up getting the thing running and moving, if only up and down the driveway #rainman. Unfortunately, because of one big boo boo on my part, and because I soon came to know why FORD was a proper name as well as an acronym, it became apparent that my high school car wasn't going to be a muscle car #sadface.  The loss of my Cougar didn't diminish my growing love for muscle cars, which turned into an appreciation of custom cars and trucks.  My room became littered with the latest copies of Car Craft, Super Chevy, Hot Rod, Rod & Custom and Super Ford, and probably a few others that don't exist anymore.

The first day of the rest of my life came some time in 1994.  I lucked into a job at a local VW Porsche garage in Sacramento, working for Frank and Nick Lettini at Frank's Automotive.  It was there that I drove my first VWs, Porsches, Benzes, Beemers and the occasional Ferrari.  There was something about those Euro jobs that I really began to like and appreciate.  The sound of a mechanically injected 911 got under my skin (probably because it always sounded like all the mechanicals were going to fly apart!).  I also started my love for all things VW...yes, both air and water cooled.  My magazine collection took a tack toward Top Gear, Autosport, Road and Track, Car and Driver, Evo and 911 and Porsche World.  Over the next few years Frank and Nick introduced me to the Monterey Historics, F1 Racing, Le Mans, and historic racing.  All of these things are fixtures in my life all these years later and I elevated Nick to best friend and mentor.

I met Mark while in college,  and found a willing accomplice with a good sense of humor, a mind thirsty for all things automotive and lots of free time.  Our girlfriends at the time (now our wives) had work schedules opposite ours so we had plenty of time to hit the track and car shows whenever we wanted.  

The die was cast.

All of these things still excite me and compel me to be part of The Loud Pedal and drive me to want me to share my passion and experiences with you (yes, both of you!)  

Mark Farouk:

I was always into cars at some level, but my infatuation developed later in life.  It was in college (I know, that’s where everyone “experiments”) that I met Andrew.  By this time, he was fully engulfed in fanboy-ism for almost everything with an engine.  I was skeptical that the amount time he spent on this hobby was worth it.  This friendship introduced me to the automotive world.  It wasn’t that I didn’t care before, it was that now I was friends with someone who read every car related publican known to man.  Andrew talked about it frequently enough to the point where I finally relented and watched an F1 race. Ok, you have my attention!  Enough attention that I would wake up at 4am to watch European F1 races before the days of DVRs and internet streaming.   There was no turning back from that point, and I wanted more.  California is home to several great race tracks, with one being a little over an hour away from our homes.  My first race was an American Le Mans Series race at Sonoma Raceway (aka Sears Point).  Within moments of arriving, though not really knowing what was going on, I was hooked.  It was from that moment that I wanted to attend and smell (Yes, smell) every race possible. 

These were the waning days of film photography (ask your parents), and taking photos was not the cheapest hobby or proposition.  I had been into photography from an early age, but the racetrack was my new canvass.  Not just a canvass but an organic, always changing backdrop with multiple opportunities to blow through roles of film....and that’s just what I/we did.  A race weekend was likely to produce conservatively 15-20 roles of film.  Today, you review your work instantaneously, but back then you had to wait until you found the time and money to have the photos developed and printed.  Digital photography has made things much easier and cheaper, but I still sometimes miss the excitement of going to the photolab to pick-up prints and see images for the first time.

As the years went by, we both went digital.  Rolls of film turned to thousands (and thousands and thousands) of photos and the need for lots of storage.  The advent of cheap web space and social media gave us potential outlets to share our work with our fellow enthusiasts.  In the early days, even those sharing opportunities that were available had limitations.  Web space was expensive and blogging had yet to even arrive on the scene.  We were (OK, maybe we still are) an audience two, keeping ourselves entertained with photos and commentary.   Over the years though, we have arguably gotten better, made a few connections and improved our craft.  Not for any monetary purpose, but just just for the sake of doing it.

Over the years I developed, experimented and sometimes failed at the art of automotive photography.  I was lucky enough to have some opportunities to have media access to shoot for a legitimate media organization at several events through a personal contact.  All the talent in the world will not get you closer to the action unless you extend your network, meaning making new contacts which later become people, that will take a risk on your talent.  Shooting racecars next to the wall as they fly past is addictive and the best rush I’ve ever had.  Even today, I cherish every moment in the chaos, and it's really where I feel my zen.  Just me, a camera and a snarling beast spitting fire and shaking the ground.

It was during that time of shooting as a “pro”, of attending mandatory photographer briefings, and chatting with other established photographers that I picked up some knowledge of how the digital media world works in relation to being considered for official access.  I’ve always been fortunate to be skilled in watching and learning.  I didn’t just use my media access to develop the craft of photography, I used it as a learning opportunity so that one day I could shoot for myself rather than for someone else, and get credit for it.   You must start out with some talent before anything else to serve as a foundation.  I can say with 100% confidence that a social media presence and some great photos aren’t going to get past a good public relations professional, who is likely making the decision on whether you will receive media access.  This also means that one must calculate when they are ready to be considered.  As I was learning the back side of motorsports journalism, Andrew and I continued to build up a massive catalog of photographs from our years at automotive events. 

It was at dinner after a long day the at track that we sat down to eat and I pitched my idea for taking our hobby (sickness) and share it with others.  We discussed this over the next hour or so and came away with a shared goal of not just documenting our experiences but upping our game in every way.  It was the best combination to build on.  While I enjoy shooting the on-track action, Andrew likes documenting the paddock.  He also has an uncanny ability to locate obscure things, and find famous personalities and drivers (because his emotional growth is somewhat "paused" at the 12-year-old level).  Together, we handle all the angles.

From that day forward, after The Loud Pedal was born, our approach was different.  We needed more planning, we entered racing weekends with goals on the material we needed to source to draft a successful review/blog post.  To be honest, it is enjoyable in every way, but its not without self-imposed stress to ensure we capture the essence of the event we are documenting.  That means we can’t just post some good photos, we need a story to tell. 

Finally, this effort is self-funded and self-run.  We don’t have wealthy benefactors (we are however open to it) and must use our substantial charms and marginal looks and talent to make this thing work.  Most of all, we respect the craft and with our efforts do everything we can to avoid smearing it in any way.  We are honored and humbled that you, and maybe one or two more people, follow our exploits, enjoy our photos and wade through our musings.  We make no money from this venture, and we do it all for you.

Thank you for for reading. 

-Mark and Andrew

The Loud Pedal

[johnchiarello]

Friday

FRIDAY 6-99-17 CONSTANCE LUEDICKE- Criminal lawyer- in more ways than one [see video’s and post below]

Isaiah 47:3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

Who gave you this authority?- https://youtu.be/8J3CfFNSnJU

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-Bu

Constance Luedicke- https://youtu.be/FOGjkvpeMTQ

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-Bv

Nero fiddled while Rome burned- by Constance Luedicke https://youtu.be/R4xxPExgDZM

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-Bw

Don’t call me [on my phone] Constance Luedicke https://youtu.be/TcEWO3RpUuQ

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-Bx

Review for Constance Luedicke https://youtu.be/v8xhtzA90tI

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-By

Just a memo for Constance Luedicke https://youtu.be/f5nF7zMYEv8

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-Bz

Breaking news- Police chief [Nueces county] being investigated for suicide of daughter and sexual contact- https://youtu.be/qYbb1LytJfI

http://wp.me/a4V5qQ-BA

I added this last video late- right before posting- I would write some notes- but don’t have time. But it speaks to many of the things I talked about the last 2 days-

Here’s the link to the news article I just read- http://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2017/06/08/nueces-co-da-investigating-san-diego-police-chief/380940001/

ON VIDEOS-

.Undercover sex ring among judges, Lawyers and cops? [See links below]

.Vagina monologues

.Forced oral sex- by cops?

.Do women judges/lawyers have inherent authority over men because they have vagina's and men have penises? [I am not trying to be vulgar- if you watch the video and read the verses- it actually deals with it]

.Does this gender difference effect the way women judges rule over men [especially Hispanic men]?

.Do they have a hidden bias when ruling over a 45 year old Hispanic man- even if all the evidence shows the woman lied? Do the local female lawyers also have the same sexual bias?

.Do these actual physical descriptions I’m using- Vagina- Penis- just hearing these words- do they effect you?

.Do you not think women judges and lawyers also are effected when they hear them?

.Which might cause them to be incapable of actually ruling on evidence?

.Is that possibly why the bible teaches women should not have authority over men? Or hold the office of lawyer?

.Sacred- secular

.Pops n Charlie

.Huey- Danny

.Tom Greenwell

.Oral sex

.Code enforcement

.CCPD

.Chief Simpson

.Nero

.Padre Island

.Burning Man

.Who were those naked old folk?

.Don Edwards

.Flour Bluff

.Guitar Jason

.Crow

.Did Constance Luedicke break the law?

.Is it safe to hire Constance Luedicke as a lawyer in Corpus Christi?

.Does she have any illegal connections with corruption within Nueces county?

.Is she unstable? [she wrote a rambling comment months ago in the Caller Times- she actually referenced the Roman Emperor Nero! It sounded unhinged- to be honest. For the sweet old ladies benefit- I added some of my past teaching below on history and Nero. As you watch the videos today- I also believe she violated criminal law by telling me to never mention any criminal activity by CCPD to her again. I believe what she told me is a violation of Texas law. I tried to research it- but heck- I’m helping the nice old lady with the actual history of Nero- I don’t have time to teach her the law as well].

.Did Constance Luedicke make an inappropriate request of a sexual nature when I met with her- in her office on Staples street?

.Will she lie about the criminal act- statement- made to me? [Mentioned on videos]

.Should she still be practicing law at her advanced age?

 Acts 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

 I add this link [below] because I could no longer find it on Patriot Dad. He was the first to blog on this issue- he is a local blogger. Many accused him of being ‘fake news’. After the arrest was made- Patriot Blogger seems to have been silenced- I see no recent posts- I’m not sure if the local corrupt authorities had him killed? I also went to the blog links attached to the article those bloggers are no where to be found.

http://stxc.blogspot.com/2007/10/former-victoria-county-sheriff-arrested.html

Mark 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

More links here-

https://thepatriotdad.wordpress.com/judge-tom-greenwell-just-what-would-cause-suicide/

https://thepatriotdad.wordpress.com/category/texas-judiciary/corrupt-courts/

https://thepatriotdad.wordpress.com/category/texas-judiciary/texas-corruption/

 Isaiah 47:1 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

CONSTANCE LUEDICKE-

I talked about my case on this one- which I never hid- or tied to hide.

There are still posts on my sites about it.

Few things-

Constance Luedicke was my lawyer- and on the video I do show you in 2 cases how she herself violated the law.

One- she lied to me about a video.

Two- many of you are aware of my writing about CCPD- I told Constance Luedicke that a CCPD officer was involved in lots of illegal activity in the Bluff.

Over many years.

I also emailed the same to Chief Simpson at the time.

When I made her aware of this- she told me ‘I never want to hear you speak about that again’.

If a lawyer- representing a client- is made aware of illegal activity by a cop- she is required- BY LAW- to report it to the proper authorities.

What she told me was criminal.

 http://www.legaldirectories.com/Luedicke-Constance-A-32210-Atty.aspx

  Zechariah 12:8

In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Mark 11:28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Zechariah 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

PAST POSTS- [More verses below]

 https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/08/wednesday-6-7-17/

https://ccoutreach87.com/house-of-prayer-or-den-of-thieves/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/06/09/thursday-6-8-17/

 I’ll try and add some history on Nero- Constance Luedicke used him in a comment mentioned on Today’s videos- She seems to think he has something to do with the water park on Padre Island. Hopefully this will help educate the sweet old lady some.

  ALEXANDRIA- EGYPT. Last night I was watching the news coverage of the demonstrators in the streets of Egypt- they were protesting the government’s response [or lack] to the bombing of the church in Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt [around 4 million people live in the city]. As I watched the sad story- in my mind I recalled all the times I have run across Alexandria in my studies of history. The city was founded by Alexander the great in the 4th century b.c.e. It had the largest library of the ancient world and was Egypt's capitol for around 900 years. When the Muslims took over in the 7th century Cairo became the new capitol [under another name at the time]. Alexandria was one of the great centers of Christian learning during the first few centuries of the 1st millennium of Christianity. I remember reading about the great church father Origen- he lived in the 3rd century and eventually would head up the school out of Alexandria- one of the first Christian schools of the day. The famous philosopher Plotinus also had a lot of influence in the city. It was sad to see the destruction on the news- so many years later. This morning I read Revelation chapter 13. The apostle John writes about the persecution of ‘the beast’ against the Christians- the apostle says he makes war against Gods people and overcomes them. We often neglect to see this aspect of scripture- I mean how many songs have you heard that say ‘the beast overcame us and killed us’. We like to sing stuff like ‘we overcome by the Blood of the Lamb’ [another verse from Revelation]. Yet the apostle foresees a time of persecution of the church that will include the deaths of many believers. Those who think the book of Revelation was written early [before a.d. 70] see Nero as the one who bares the mark of the beast- yes the popular 666 is in this chapter. Others who date the book later [around a.d. 90] see the emperor Domitian as the beast- either way John was speaking about a future ruler who would severely persecute the saints [and of course the most popular view today among evangelicals is the anti Christ is yet to come]. In verse 10 of the chapter John says those who kill with the sword, must die the same way- this is the patience of the saints. John is communicating to the 7 churches that he is writing to that they should not retaliate against their oppressors- they should patiently endure- knowing that the persecutors will eventually ‘hang themselves’ with their own rope. Of course the great empire of Rome would finally fall- and for those who see Nero as the 666 guy [my view] he eventually dies a shameful death as well [he killed himself].

[parts]

 ACTS 12

Mark 3:17

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

https://youtu.be/KlChffgvRUk Acts 12

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/5-11-17-acts-12.zip

https://ccoutreach87.com/5-11-17-acts-12/

 ON VIDEO-

 .Rebuild it

.Radio days

.Martyrdom of James

.Peter next?

.inner circle

.Nero

.Herod Agrippa the 1st

.Who was ‘that fox’?

.Herod Antipas

.Vision or real?

.Dreams- Visions- Prophecy

.John Mark [Wrote the Gospel of Mark]

.Guardian angels

.Thinks he’s God!

.Now he’s dead

.Josephus- Antiquities

.Times up

.Holy family

.Dead birds

 PAST POSTS [ Below are my past teachings that relate to today’s post- Acts 12-verses below]

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/12/thursday-5-11-17/

https://ccoutreach87.com/james-2015/

ACTS-

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/18/acts-1/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/01/26/acts-2/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/02/acts-3/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/02/09/acts-4/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/23/acts-5/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/03/31/acts-6/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/06/acts-7/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/14/acts-8/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/04/18/acts-9/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/07/acts-10/

https://ccoutreach87.com/2017/05/16/acts-11/

 ACTS 12- Herod kills James [not the brother of Jesus who is one of the lead Apostles at Jerusalem] and puts Peter in jail. The church has a prayer meeting for Peter and an angel goes into the cell and wakes Peter up. He leads him outside the city and frees him. Peter thinks it’s a vision and realizes it really is happening! Note how real their visions and dreams must have

[parts]

(360) I was up praying early. I was actually saying to myself ‘you can go so low in the pit to retrieve treasures, that it becomes dangerous’. I had a sense of a Hollywood schema that would have the ‘hero’ saying ‘I will go and risk my life to save the damsel [or some other corny thing]’ and the others standing by and pleading with him not to take the risk. Sort of like Peter telling Jesus ‘don’t go to the Cross’. As I was actually ‘muttering’ the words about ‘a very low pit’ I heard on the radio the days verse ‘he reached down and took me out of the most horrible pit’ it was a contemporary version from Psalms. Lets share some treasures that were just mined from a low place. On this blog I discuss a lot of controversial things. One is the end times. I don’t hold to a lot of the popular end time scenarios. For instance I recently showed you why Christ’s return will not vindicate natural Israel. The answer was Jesus could not ‘vindicate’ any system outside of the true gospel. So the ‘key’ to seeing this is actually the Cross! You will find this to be the key to everything. All truths must ‘filter’ thru the Cross. You will not rightly divide scripture until you master this. One of the controversial ideas I have espoused is Nero being the ‘beast’ of Revelation. Many evangelicals disagree. Lets open a door using the ‘key’. One of the New Testament books that Paul wrote speaks of Jesus ‘destroying the antichrist’ at his coming. With a total destruction. Some who believe Nero was the beast say this ‘coming of Jesus to destroy’ was a ‘coming’ in judgment in AD 70. They ‘spiritualize’ the 2nd coming to make it fit. The modern evangelical who holds to the Tim Lahaye stuff sees this as an excuse to prove a point. They say ‘see, if Jesus totally destroys antichrist at the 2nd coming, then obviously Nero wasn’t him!’ I do want to note that early historians will tell you that one of the ‘nick names’ for Nero was ‘the beast’. Here’s a ‘key’. In Revelation you see many things happening at different times. You also see many spiritual truths that are concurrent [remember what I showed you the other day]. There are images that show the beast and the antichrist being bound for a period of time. I also showed you on this blog that Hebrews says ‘Jesus destroyed him that had the power of death thru dieing himself’. This ‘key’ of Christ’s death teaches us that the devil is already destroyed by the Cross. It’s not ‘really’ a future event. The 2nd coming is a ‘culmination’ and ‘crowning’ of the Cross’s work. So the image in Revelation of the antichrist being ‘bound’ might very well be speaking of what happened at the Cross. In all the generations of man, since the Cross there has been more light and freedom than at any other time. The enemy, as well as the antichrist, can very well be described as ‘bound’. Now you also have images in Revelation that show this ‘binding’ as being a ‘waiting stage’ for ultimate destruction. The ‘contents’ of death and hell are finally ‘poured’ into the lake of fire. Peter in the New Testament gives images of rebellious angels being ‘held in chains’ until the final ‘destruction’. So with all this in mind, here’s a key. Nero is being ‘held’ right now, with Hitler and every other wicked despot that has ever lived. They are waiting for the 2nd coming. At the real 2nd coming [not AD 70!] he will really be ‘destroyed with total destruction by the presence of the Lord’. This my friends is the key, Jesus and his Cross.

  )1ST CORINTHIANS 7: 25-40 let’s be a little unconventional today. This passage deals with Paul’s counsel on celibacy and marriage. The historic church has had a bad rap on this issue. It is common today to say the church devalued marriage [and sex] and therefore we should exalt it. Sometimes this attempt at trying to correct the perceived imbalance puts a stumbling block in the way of those who are truly called to live the single life. Though marriage is an honorable thing, a true gift from God, yet living the celibate life can also be considered a very noble thing. It is rare in contemporary evangelicalism to leave this option open. Paul does say this option is not only available, but a noteworthy calling! He also makes it clear that only those who are called to this single lifestyle should attempt it. The church should not force celibacy on people. Now, do our catholic brothers force it upon the Priests? In a way, yes. But don’t forget that no one is ‘forced’ into the priesthood. Some feel like the scandals of catholic priests who abused children can be blamed on forced celibacy. The problem with this idea is many protestant ministers have also fallen sexually, and they were not celibate! The point being we need to be careful when we brand any Christian denomination with an accusation. Now, Paul also makes an interesting statement that we need to look at. He says ‘for the present distress I give these guidelines’. Is it possible that Paul's seeming harshness on marriage was due to the fact of some type of distress that he saw coming? Possibly the Neronic persecutions? If so, Paul could be saying ‘because of the upcoming severe persecution I recommend everyone just laying low for the time, if married, seek not to be single and vice a versa’. This is possible, we need to keep this in mind when reading this section of scripture. But most of all I think the modern evangelical church needs to retool her message in this area. Marriage and sex are good, God ordained these things in their proper place. But living single and celibate is also considered a very noble calling, we do not normally reflect this balance in the present atmosphere. Also as an aside, a few years back it was common to teach ‘the world/public schools have taken sex and taught it to our kids. They have usurped the job of the family/church’ while there is some truth to this, the problem was some well known TV evangelists began to discuss sex in the Sunday morning setting that was improper in a way [If you local Pastors who read this have done this, be assured I am not talking about you!]. I remember watching a national minister speak openly, with grandma’s and children in the service, and say ‘now speaking about sexual climax’ Yikes!! Just because the family/church dropped the ball on these issues, this doesn’t mean there are no barriers at all while dealing with these issues. Those who do this type of stuff seem to be saying ‘sex is not a dirty thing, therefore we need to bring it out into the open’ while this is true to a degree, there are also age appropriate subjects that should be taught in a private setting. If the church feels the need to delve into these subjects, we need to be careful that we are not crossing boundaries when doing it.

 MORE PROOF FOR GOD- Okay, what’s up with ‘dark matter’? In the 20th century the amazing breakthroughs in science showed us that what we thought was a limited universe, was actually a growing universe that was expanding at a faster rate every day. The further out you got, the faster it was expanding. This discovery [Hubble] worked in harmony with Einstein’s theories. This discovery also created a problem. If the universe is so much more vast than previously thought to be, then the amount of

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   VERSES-

Isaiah 47:1 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

Isaiah 47:2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

Isaiah 47:3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

Isaiah 47:4 As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

Isaiah 47:6 I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

Isaiah 47:7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

Isaiah 47:8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

Isaiah 47:9 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Isaiah 47:10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

Isaiah 47:11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

Isaiah 47:12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

Isaiah 47:13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

Isaiah 47:15 Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Mark 11:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

Mark 11:2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

Mark 11:3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

Mark 11:4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

Mark 11:5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

Mark 11:6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

Mark 11:7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

Mark 11:8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

Mark 11:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Mark 11:10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Mark 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

Mark 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

Mark 11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

Mark 11:16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

Mark 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Mark 11:18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Mark 11:19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.

Mark 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

Mark 11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

Mark 11:28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Mark 11:29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Mark 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

Mark 11:31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

Mark 11:32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

Mark 11:33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Zechariah 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Zechariah 12:4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

Zechariah 12:5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

Zechariah 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

Zechariah 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Zechariah 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

Zechariah 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

Zechariah 12:13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

Zechariah 12:14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

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[travelfoody]

Flight: AA193

Route: LAX-HKG

Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER

Cabin: Business Class

Seat: 15J

[Please see video above, if you prefer to watch a video review.]

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time for another trip report. This time we flew one of American’s new routes from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in Business Class.

We were really looking forward to this flight as this was our first time flying this route with American. There was a bit of bad weather in San Francisco, so our flight to LAX was delayed for about an hour. Initially, we were worried that we would miss our connection, but thankfully we made it with about an hour and a half to spare.

Our flight from SFO arrived at the American Eagle “Eagle’s Nest” terminal at LAX and had to take the bus to Terminal 4.

Upon arrival at Terminal 4, we went straight to the Admirals Club. This lounge is currently under renovation. A section of the lounge is actually complete and the decor is definitely a few notches above the 90’s look of the existing Admirals Club. The food and drink selection at the lounge is kind of blah, but it’s still better than nothing. Personally, the best thing about the Admirals Club at LAX is the sweeping views of the tarmac.

Renovated Section of the Admirals Club at LAX

Sadly, the First Class Flagship Lounge, which First Class passengers, AA Executive Platinums and Oneworld Emeralds have access to is still under construction and the temporary space they are using is quite sad. I can’t wait for the construction to be finish, so we can finally see the new First Class Lounge.

Old section of the Admirals Club at LAX

About 45 minutes before departure, the lounge attendant announced that our flight was ready to board. We soon made our way to gate 43, which is just right next to the lounge.

The view of our ride to Hong Kong from the lounge

We went the Priority Lane and were promptly helped by a gate agent. Passports checked, and boarding passes scanned, we walked through the long jetway were greeted at the plane door by the purser.

View of the plane from the gate area

We boarded through door 2L and were instructed to cross the galley and turn right into the main business class cabin. I’ve already reviewed this seat in the past here, here, and here, so I won’t go over them again.

The Main Business Class cabin

I was sitting in 15J, which is the last window business class seat on the starboard side of the plane. I was sad to see that the seat only had one window, but I’ll take that over a middle seat any day.

Seat 15J

Waiting at my seat were the bedding, amenity kit, slippers, Bose Noise Canceling headphones, and a bottled water.

  After getting settled, Scott, the flight attendant working our aisle came by to offer us a pre-departure drink. I opted for a mimosa, while the menu and wine list was also distributed by another flight attendant. Right after boarding, he came back again to offer news papers (which I politely declined), and PAJAMAS. Score!

A few moments later, boarding was complete and the captain came on the PA to announce our departure and our flight time of 14 hours and 40 minutes to Hong Kong.

We soon pushed back from the gate and the safety video started playing. Scott again came by to take my drink order and confirm that I had pre-ordered my meal.

Safety Video

It was a rather long taxi to the end of the runway, and we had to wait a few more minutes for the weather to clear up since it was raining. Eventually, we were cleared for takeoff and we had a power roll down the runway. It was a little choppy as we climbed up, but things got smoother after we flew above the clouds.

Rainy morning at LAX

20 minutes after takeoff, the Captain switched off the seatbelt sign. The crew then commenced their supper service for our late night (or early morning depending on how you look at it) flight. I also took advantage of the in-flight WIFI offered by American, which costs $19.00 for the entire flight – not bad for a 15 hour flight!

The service started with a hot towel.

Hot Towel

Followed by some champagne and warm nuts.

Beverage Service

Since this was a supper service, the entire meal, except for dessert was served in one tray. The tray consisted of a chili-seared shrimp amuse bouche, bread service, caesar salad, and the main entrée, in which I pre-ordered the seared beef filet. The shrimp appetizer was served cold, and it was flavorful. The caesar salad looked a little unappetizing, but it was OK. The main entrée on the other hand was delicious! It was cooked to a perfect medium, and was very tender.

After my tray was cleared, I ordered some ice cream and Baileys on the rocks.

The entire meal service took about 1 hour and 45 minutes, which is was OK since this was a long flight.

After the meal, I visited the lavatory to change into my pajamas and freshen up. The starboard side lavatory in front of the main business cabin near the galley is the biggest one on the plane, so use that one if you plan to change in and out of the supplied pajamas. The lavatory was pretty basic, but there was plenty of room to move around, and it’s supplied with a 3LAB hand lotion.

Business Class Lavatory

Upon returning to me seat, the cabins lights were already dimmed and the mood lighting was in full effect. I made my bed with the supplied mattress pad, duvet and pillow. The mattress pad really made things more comfortable, and I was glad that the crew kept the cabin cool which was more conducive to sleep.

I slept for about 5 hours and woke up feeling peckish. Within a few minutes, Scott I saw Scott walking down the aisle, and I asked if I could order a mid-flight snack.  I have to say that the service on this flight was very attentive and professional. It seemed like every 10 minutes, a flight attendant was walking the aisle to see if anyone needed anything. Anyway, I ordered the wagyu sliders and a diet coke, and Scott brought them to me with a smile.

Mid-flight Snack

The sliders came with condiments and some chips. The sliders were delicious and very filling.

After the meal, my tray was promptly cleared. Scott asked if I wanted anything else, but I told him that I would pay a visit to the walk-up snackbar instead. The bar had some fruits, chips,and some sweets on display. I picked up a bag of popcorn and some nuts to bring back to my seat.

Walk-up Snackbar

I decided to flip through the IFE content. There were plenty of movies, TV programs, music, and games to keep you busy during the long flight. I decided to watch some live TV and catch up on CNN.

Live TV onboard

I must have snoozed in and out the next few hours, and before I knew it, the cabin lights were turned on and it was time to eat – again!

Mood lighting

The pre-landing meal service started with a glass of mango smoothie, which was refreshing. We encountered a bit of turbulence, hence the messy smoothie glass.

Breakfast Smoothie

Next up was the breakfast service. There was a choice of a continental breakfast, which consisted of a bowl of fruits, yogurt, and granola or the hot breakfast, which was scrambled eggs. I ordered the scrambled eggs with some coffee. Scott said since I was in the last row, I get to have both options! Sweet!

This was obviously too much for me to finish in just one sitting, so I just ate a little bit of everything on my tray. The fruits were fresh, and the scrambled eggs was still moist and fluffy considering we’ve been in the air for the last 12 hours.

After the meal service, my tray was promptly cleared and the Captain soon announced our initial descent into Hong Kong and asked the cabin crew to prepare for our arrival in Hong Kong. The crew passed through the aisles with landing cards for Hong Kong.

View from the Wing

I went to the one of the smaller lavatories to change back into my street clothes and to freshen up. I went back to my seat, just as the captain switched on the seatbelt sign.

Scott came through the cabin to take away any last-minute service items and thanked everyone for flying American.

It was a cloudy day in Hong Kong, but we still got good visibility during landing. We hit a few minor chops during our descent, and had a very firm landing in Hong Kong.

Cloudy Day in Hong Kong

We taxied for a few minutes, and eventually parked right next to a Cathay Pacific A330. We soon bid farewell to the crew and deplaned. It was a long walk and a train ride to immigration and customs, but thanks to eChannel, we were through in no time.

The beast that flew us over the Pacific

  I was very much impressed with the service on this flight. The crew was attentive and professional, yet casual. Our flight attendant Scott really loved what he was doing and it showed with the level of service he provided to passengers. Service was done with a smile, and we were addressed by name throughout the flight. In between meal services, the flight attendants were actively going down the aisles to check if passengers needed anything. Add that to the already excellent reverse herringbone seats, amenities, and pajamas, and you got a winning flight! The catering on this flight was also very good. The meals were well presented, and the food quality was very good. I just wished that the meal service wasn’t abbreviated, but I guess that’s understandable considering the flight departed at around 2:00AM, and they want people to maximize on sleep. An overall excellent flight 9 out of 10.

Victoria Harbour, HK

American Airlines Business Class Boeing 777-300ER Los Angeles to Hong Kong Review Flight: AA193 Route: LAX-HKG Equipment: Boeing 777-300ER Cabin: Business Class Seat: 15J Happy Friday, everyone! It's time for another trip report.