#I’m really looking forward to watching Andrews movies

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 11

PREVIOUS

FF could admit that he may not be working with a full tank at the moment.

He had not slept very well the night before.

He had watched a lot of horror movies (a genre that he generally does not consume because his mind is already a scary enough place).

He was not able to go see his Grandma and he was going to miss the traditional(tm) Black Friday extravaganza that he and his Grandma did every Black Friday since he was little and encountered the horrible truth about Santa and she’d let him in on when / where most of his Christmas gifts were obtained. (The answer was not the North Pole under the watchful eye of elves. He had cried himself to sleep at the revelation but Gran always had a way of making the worst moments of his life tolerable.)

He may have eaten just…a bit too much pie?

He definitely ate too much turkey.

His stomach is killing him because he had forgotten to take his pepto when he had slammed that five hour energy.

His heart may actually break out of his rib cage with how hard it’s beating in his chest.

He’s been listening to Andrew and Captain Neil go back and forth for the last hour and a half between discussing Aaron’s recent mess ups, to what they’ll do to one another with a locked door between them and the world, to Andrew complaining that Neil’s hand is sweaty, to Neil saying Yes and Andrew’s hand is no longer in Neil’s and-

He clenches his eyes close.

And Andrew has swerved back into the lane for the third time in the last five minutes while saying something unrepeatable about his plans for Captain Neil and the whipped cream.

FF does not handle swerving cars very well.

He hears Andrew say something that sounds like it could lead to a very uncomfortable yeast infection for Captain Neil didn’t properly rinse off afterwards.

The car swerves over the rumble strip.

A fear far stronger than his fear of what Andrew could do to him overtakes him.

“I don’t like swerving cars. So, I’m going to ask that you focus on the road and keep your hands on the steering wheel.” FF says so panicked that he sounds calm and he watches as both Neil and Andrew stiffen at the sound of his voice. “If you can’t, then I’m going to ask that you pull over and let me out.” He offers a second option and a part of him is just amazed that his voice doesn’t crack even once. “I’m fine with either option.” He says.

He says both are fine but…

Honestly he hopes Andrew chooses the first option as he looks at the dark and lonely highway.

He looks back up at the front seat and both Neil and Andrew are looking straight forward. Andrew’s hands are on the steering wheel.

“Thanks.” He says and returns his attention to back over Aaron’s head.

The rest of the ride to Columbia is blessedly quiet. Aaron and Nicky wake up when they get off of the interstate and Nicky has the good grace to try and wipe the drool out of FF’s hair while Aaron seems unbothered by the wet spot he left of FF’s shoulder.

They get out of the car and they each grab their own bag in exhausted silence. Nicky is barely managing to put one foot in front of the other and before FF can do or say anything Nicky is in his room and has locked his door.

The room that FF had been planning on sleeping on the floor of because Nicky had told him he could so that FF would not drink 20 5-hour energies over the course of the weekend.

But Nicky had looked really tired.

So he is given a general tour by a very quiet Captain Neil and FF forces himself not to think about the cooler that Andrew had brought to, what he assumes is, Andrew’s bedroom before it was brought to the kitchen. He gets shown where the blankets and pillows that Kevin uses are and FF nods in quiet acceptance even knowing that he is going to spend the night going over Katakana flashcards and maybe up his literacy on Kanji to a second grader’s level.

Captain Neil wishes him a good night while Andrew gives him a nod and it is the last time he sees Captain Neil that night.

It is not the last time he sees Andrew.

***

Andrew comes out of his room to go get two glasses of water nearly 2 and a half hours later. The house is silent and dark. He is pretty sure him and Neil are the only two up.

He is wrong.

He comes out into the living room on his way to the kitchen and finds FF going through flashcards at a rapid pace. He walks a little closer to see what it is but the flashcards aren’t even right side up half of the time.

He thinks about the car ride.

‘I don’t like swerving cars.’

FF had said it so matter of factly. He was uncomfortable with the swerving.

Andrew had told FF recently about the words he didn’t like.

It felt like FF was offering at least something of himself back to Andrew for the first time.

Andrew thinks about how once his hands had gone back to the steering wheel FF had leaned back into his seat and stared out the window.

Andrew has at various points tried to look up what FF’s circumstances were but searching news sites for someone named ‘Smith’ with no first name to work off of was an exercise in futility.

Neil has lamented many times to Andrew about his bizarre jealousy over how unknowable Smith is. “He’s learning new languages, keeping a low profile, and playing Exy. It’s everything that I wanted in my freshman year and couldn’t manage because Riko pissed me off so much! It’s just kind of hard to see someone living my dream.” He says.

Andrew had punched him in the arm for that one.

“My old dream!” Neil had said and Andrew almost punched him again for the smile he flashed but had ended up kissing his stupid pretty face instead.

Where was he?

Right.

FF didn’t like swerving cars.

It didn’t necessarily have to be the trauma that lead to that aversion. Andrew certainly hadn’t had anything scare him on a plane but he still hated flying.

Still.

“The flash card is upside down.” He says and watches as FF pauses in his shuffling before righting that card and flipping to the next one which was turned to the side as far as Andrew could tell.

FF should be asleep.

FF is not asleep.

It might be Andrew’s fault that his friend can’t sleep.

“It won’t happen again.” He says and FF turns and stares at him blankly for a few seconds before he nods his acceptance.

It’s nice having a friend who understands what he means without needing to explain every little thing.

***

FF thinks he might have double-dosed on the 5-hour energy.

He also thinks he might currently be able to see through time.

His flashcards are making so much sense right now.

Then Andrew had come up and it truly was a miracle that he did not shit himself considering the sheer amount of apple pie still making its way through his system. That’s a lot of fiber for one body and he’s sure the 2-3 Five Hour energies he has taken are not helping his plight in that regard.

“It won’t happen again.” Is what Andrew says and in an instant FF feels his stomach drop to his feet. He nods blankly and watches as Andrew nods back before the man went to the kitchen and left with two tall glasses of water.

‘It won’t happen again’

FF has asked Andrew for TWO favors today.

TWO WHOLE FAVORS.

WHAT WAS HE THINKING?

The answer was that he WASN’T.

Even if FF had paid back one of those favors with the sheer power of his granny’s pie there was the case of the secondary favor he’d asked for in the car.

‘It won’t happen again’

There won’t be anymore favors for FF. He’d used up any mercy his grandma’s pie had bought him.

He considers the time pulls out his phone and goes through some saved text files on his phone.

It’s time for guns even bigger than his grandma’s apple pie.

He takes another five hour energy and knows that he won’t be sleeping a wink. He looks up groceries stores that are open this early on Black Friday, he grabs his wallet and with immense fear in his heart grabs the keys Aaron had dropped into a bowl by the front entrance.

He needs the ingredients for his great-grandma’s brownies.

Do your civic duty and: CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY ABOUT MEMES

NEXT

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[tiredofsatansbullshit]

Fuck, Marry ,Kill. A game that the Justice League, Outlaws and some of the original Titans will never play again - Part 2

Masterlist of fics

Part 1

Summary: Almost the entire hero community know each other's identities. The only group that remains a mystery are the bats. Most know that they're based out of Gotham and they're a team. That's about it - After a successful accidental team up, Kyle suggest the group play FMK while eating.

The group had just finished with a team up. It had been a big case, Dick and Wally were working on it together, Donna and Kyle were working on it, and Jason, Roy and Kori were too. They had all bumped into each other and decided to work on it together. When the goons had seen the group together, some of them had just given up on the spot. It was great.

They returned to the warehouse they had worked out of, Nightwing and Arsenal had stopped to get food for everyone. When Red Hood removed his helmet to reveal a domino underneath, Donna threw a cup at him, “Who wears a mask underneath a mask? What is wrong with you?” Shrugging, Red Hood placed the cup down “It’s so I can take off the hood to eat.” “He’s just dramatic like that,” Roy leaned forward, removing his mask. As they ate, Red Hood and Nightwing were the only ones with their masks on. The bats are one of the few in the hero community that still kept their identity a secret.

Kyle broke the comfortable silence they were eating in, “Wanna play fuck, marry, kill?” “Absolutely,” Roy looked weirdly excited at the idea. “Yeah, why not.” Red Hood also seemed somewhat into the idea. “Famous people edition,” Kyle added, “Ok, fuck, marry kill. Doja Cat, Ryan Gosling and Andrew Garfield.” ”Marry Andrew Garfield, without a doubt.” Red Hood didn’t even consider it, “What I would do to be with that man. Um, fuck Doja Cat and kill Ryan Gosling. There’s something about him thats off to me.” ”You’re kidding right? I’d fuck Ryan Gosling, marry Doja and kill Andrew Garfield,” Donna stole some fries from Nightwing once she finished speaking.

“WHAT. You’d really kill Andrew Garfield?” Nightwing shoved her away from his food, “I’d fuck Andrew, marry Ryan and kill Doja.” Wally smiled at his friend, nodding in agreement, “Yeah I’m with Wing, we can be sister wives.” Nightwing leaned forward, and the two fist bumped. “I would marry Doja Cat. Hood plays her music a lot and I quite like it. I’d fuck Andrew Garfield, he seemed quite nice in the Spider-man movies we watched and kill Ryan Gosling.” Kori added. Kyle nodded at Kori. “I get that, I think I’m with you. Fuck Andrew, marry Doja and kill Ryan.” “I’m with Red, marry Andrew, kill Ryan, fuck Doja. Andrew Garfield is so fine,” was Roy’s choices.

“Ok, I’m doing the next ones. Jennifer Anniston, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. For me, it’s marry Tom Hiddleston, fuck Chris Hemsworth and kill Jennifer Anniston.” Roy finished off his burger, tossing the wrapping into the trashcan without turning to look at it. Kyle hummed, thinking about his choices, “I’d marry Hemsworth, fuck Anniston and kill Tom Hiddleston.” Nightwing stopped sipping on his soda to contemplate it, “I’d marry Hemsworth, fuck Hiddleston and kill Anniston.“

“Roy and I in agreement again, I’d marry Hiddleston, fuck Hemsworth and kill Anniston. Without a doubt,” Red Hood was done with his food too, he lounged back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head. “I would marry Tom Hiddleston, fuck Jennifer Anniston and kill Chris Hemsworth. I do not find him very attractive,” Kori shrugged, also just finishing off her food. “Yeah I’m with Kori, marry Hiddleston, fuck Anniston, kill Hemsworth.” Donna got up from her chair, gathering her trash and throwing it away. “Uh, sorry Wing. I’d marry Hiddleston without a doubt, kill Anniston and fuck Hemsworth,” Wally reached across the table, grabbing another wrapped burger and unwrapping it.

“Alright, let’s spice it up,” Kyle finished his soda, throwing the cup at Roy who in turn threw it at Nightwing. Nightwing threw it at Hood and Kori caught it, throwing it in the trash to stop them before they did anything stupid. “The Waynes.” Nightwing and Red Hood tensed at those words. Before Kyle could continue, Nightwing’s phone dinged at the same time that Hood’s vibrated. They both picked up their phones and then locked eyes, seemingly coming to an agreement.

“Sorry Kyle, what were you saying about the Waynes?” Nightwing placed his phone down, giving Kyle his undivided attention. Looking at him warily, Kyle continued, “Yeah. Fuck, marry, kill. Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson-Wayne and Jason Wayne.” “Oh, I’d definitely marry Jason Wayne. Have you seen how he’s built? I’d love to climb him,” Roy looked completely serious as he spoke. “Fuck Dick Grayson-Wayne, he’s quite attractive and kill Bruce Wayne because him and Ollie are such good friends and thinking of him in that way is weird to me.” “What do the Wayne’s look like?” Kori asked Roy. He pulled out his phone and showed her some photos of them. “They are an attractive family. I would marry Bruce, fuck Dick and kill Jason.” Dick snorted and tried to cover it up with a cough. Ignoring that, Donna said, “Yeah, I’d definitely marry Bruce Wayne. He is so fine. Fuck Jason and kill Dick.” Jason could not even be able to explain the emotions he was feeling, he wanted to burst out laughing but couldn’t ruin it yet.

Wally finally finished eating just before he spoke, “I’ve thought about this alright. Marry Dick Grayson-Wayne, fuck Jason Wayne and kill Bruce Wayne.” “Wanna elaborate on the fact that you’ve thought about it?” Roy grinned. “Yeah, Bruce Wayne’s a bit old for me, and his sons would also have a good amount of money so I don’t have any reason to not kill him. Fuck Jason Wayne because he’s pretty attractive but I couldn’t see myself marrying him and there’s just something about Dick Grayson-Wayne that scream marriage material.” Jason almost lost it at that, but stopped himself from laughing. One glance at his brothers face, that was now turning a bright red, caused a crack in his composure, an amused grin spread across his face. “I’d marry Jason Wayne, there’s something about him for me that just lets you know he’d treat you good in a relationship. Fuck Dick Grayson-Wayne because have you seen that ass? And kill Bruce Wayne because his sons are just better.” Kyle spoke, looking at Hood and Nightwing he said, “Surprised you guys haven’t spoken yet, as Gothamites you’ve got to have opinions on this.”

Sharing one final look, Nightwing and Red Hood nodded at each other before Nightwing said, “Before we do this, I’d like to say that B just revealed his identity to the Justice League and that’s why we can do this.” Nightwing and Red Hood pulled off their dominos, Hood pushing his hair off his face. Kyle stared in horror, Wally looked ready to run to another continent, Kori quirked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, Roy looked absolutely delighted and Donna burst out laughing “Oh my fuck,” Roy whispered softly. “WAIT, DOES THAT MEAN BRUCE WAYNE IS BATMAN?”

Fuck, Marry ,Kill. A game that the Justice League, Outlaws and some of the original Titans will never play again.

This is an old-ish fic so ignore the errors and bad grammar. I promise I've improved. Not that this i bad (I still enjoy rereading it) but I can do better now.

Likes and Reblogs are greatly appreciated :)

[invisibleicewands]

Hello! I really love your film/series reviews! Could you provide your insightful look into "A Very Royal Scandal"?

Hi, Anonymous!

Well, thank you in advance for your trust, I'm not sure I can provide an interesting opinion to be honest, but since I've managed to watch it I'll try to tell you my random thoughts.

Honestly, when last year I first read the news of a movie with MS about Prince Andrew I was very skeptical. Not only for the topic, of course, but for the fear it could be a product like Vardy v Rooney.

Now, although I’ve found the movie not so essential (especially after another similar one at the beginning of this year), I think it's one of his best movies of the last decade. Maybe worthy of an award (finally!) with a bit of luck.

I had already seen the Netflix version “Scoop” months ago and I had found it good, well made, catchy. But compared to A Very Royal Scandal, I can say that Emily Maitlis was right saying that the Amazon version is 'another beast'. Not just because Scoop was more focused on Sam McAlister's research of infos about Prince Andrew's scandal than on the interview itself, but because in the Amazon version there is a deeper analysis of the main people involved in this interview, of their thoughts, of their worries, of their mindsets. Let's say that Scoop was more a kind of glossy "Working Girl", while AVRS is a mix of Frost/Nixon in The Crown environment, a real drama.

I really liked the suspence, the storytelling, the photography, the attention to the details. The story is never boring and goes forward flawless, with rythm, wisely built, even if the subject is delicate to handle, and this is not something that is so obvious nowadays. Then, the actors. All impeccable, not just Michael and Ruth but the supporting ones too. If I have to find a fault, I would say that Netflix probably chose actors more aesthetically resembling to the original characters (Keeley Hawes was a better choice for Amanda Thirsk for example), but fortunately this time the talent of the cast managed to compensate that part. Ruth really captured the essence of Emily, her grit, her spirit, her dedication to the work, more than what Gillian had done I think. She was really great, she gave a powerful performance not just as Emily but as a woman in general, brilliantly managing the responsibility of sending a strong message to the audience in the end.

And Michael. A professional as usual, never doubted. He played the role at 360 degrees, unsparingly, using all his art, his tricks and his experience, you can see it. He handled the part masterfully, with confidence, without wavering or shame. He portrayed the character brushing him with all those shades that only him can give. And here lays the problem, for me. The shades. Because even if it was necessary to give a certain meaning to the story, I think his character, Prince Andrew, didn’t deserve or own a so profound introspection (I know, he said he didn’t want to show his judgement about him, but I’m not so merciful, sorry). From this point of view, I found Rufus’ impersonation more suitable to describe the character attitude. Cold, superficial, creepy, rude, arrogant, egomaniac, frustrated, vapid, childish, stubborn and opportunist all at the same time. Maybe it’s because of his cute nose (a prosthetic would have been useful here, more than the weight he gained, true or false it can be…) but honestly Michael gave him a sense of compassion and a frailty that Prince Andrew doesn’t seem to have. The result is that I saw more Michael Sheen than Prince Andrew in this movie. I saw parts of his previous Bill Masters/Brian Clough/Roland Blum/David Frost/Aziraphale there (also a bit of Nye, though I didn’t really watch it) mixed together. Even parts of himself in real life, like during Staged. I could imagine him saying some of those lines in his real life, living some of those reactions for real. He felt so ‘transparent’ in some moments, and this is not a good feeling when you watch an actor in a story like this (funny, because, on the contrary, he said “the more different you look, it really does help psychologically”, so this means that he felt he looked different from himself here, which is not the case to me). I suppose it’s because I’ve seen too much of him now that I’m not able to separate him from the character anymore. Don’t know.

I don’t deny it, his performance was great, brave, perfect and everything, especially considering the effort to make a movie like this while he was preparing for a 4 months long stage tour on theatre. But I can’t say it was a part that left me mouth open, like the one in Dirty Filthy Love, Fantabulosa, Frost/Nixon or MoS, for example.

Anyway, I still hope he gets some recognition (and that Amazon decides to show the series also in Europe), because it’s a crime that international audience can’t see what an amazing quality actor Michael is.

P.S.: There are some lines that looked like easter eggs, specifically chosen by MS. "Wait and see", "Nixon"... Coincidences?

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

Fun facts about me

Thanks for tagging me @at-thezenith !!

A Scent You Love:

I recently got ahold of Billie Eilish’s third perfume & omgggg……… I love the first one so much (it smells like a toasted marshmallow lol), & my sister and I split this second one as a blind buy & it’s so good I’m sad it’s limited edition! It smells the way I imagine Lonan would smell LOL, so kind of peppery & warm. It’s my favourite scent rn.

What's Something You're Looking Forward To This Week?

I don’t really know tbh this is kind of an uneventful week!!! I took some self portraits yesterday so I’m looking forward to seeing how they turned out bc I didn’t look at them last night!

What's A Book You're Currently Reading?

Not really in the middle of anything right now but I’ve had a hold on 100 Queer Poems a collection edited by Andrew McMillan and Mary Jean Chan that I read a teeny bit of before I lost it the last time! So I need to finish it bc it’s very popular at the library lol.

What's A Game You're Currently Playing?

Always playing Mario Party these days with my brother and sister pretty much every day of the week LOL. Trying to manage Mario Party and writing every day in November has been so chaotic HAHAHA. But I’m getting quite good at it.

What's The Most Recent Movie You Watched?

I watched Nowhere (1997 dir. Gregg Araki) last night!!!! It was actually soooo good!!! Plot wise my fave from the teen apocalypse trilogy and also just visually stunning. James Duval my beloved…….

Are You Watching Anything On TV Or Listening To Any Shows?

Not at the moment!

Favourite season?

Summer. I hate the extreme heat and the bugs and the sweating but I love the long daylight hours. It used to be fall but I just don’t like the cold lol. Late August-mid September is probably my favourite time of year (or May-June in Toronto if it’s not freezing cold like it can be).

What's Something You've Learned Recently?

I’ve learned a couple songs on the loop pedal lately which has been fun. That thing takes a lot of dexterity to master so I think I’m finally getting it!!!

Have You Had Any Water Lately?

I will now lol!!

Open tag if you see this & want to do it!! :))))

[streep-mulgrew-anderson]

🌟2023 Wrapped (Gillian's Verison)🌟

Okay! Positive vibes only! This year is going to be big. Here’s to hoping we actually get something out of that Netflix deal… and come the second half of the year I might be able to say that I’ve finally met Gillian Anderson. (I obviously wrote that at the start of the year FYI)

January

So in December, Gillian said she had two things she was working on this month… 🤞hopeful🤞 so I’m thinking that this month is going to be slow in terms of new content but big in terms of future stuff being announced 

Pale blue eye was released. So nice to finally have new content. It was good. I’m not really into those types of movies and only really watched it for Gillian so I don’t have anything more to say. With this being realised, it now drops her to be released projects to 2.

She also mentioned in an article though that she does have tv and film stuff slated for her Netflix deal and would describe her upcoming stuff as entrepreneural-like… so you know maybe that g-spot drink really is real. (December 2023 me is reading this feeling like an absolute clown). 

Gillian’s hairdresser posted her a pic from her latest hair appointment… and it’s all looking awfully similar to a one Stella Gibson Miss Anderson.

White Bird a Wonder Story got a new release date of august (lol)

As January comes to a close, there is still no announcement of those 2 things she said she was doing this month… I see the unemployment era is still strong but then she announced that she would be a new ambassador for war child UK

And then the month ended with someone steeling my bank card from mail box and taking all my money so yay for me. 

All we have to look forward to at this point is white bird and sex education which should be both out by the end of September… it’s about to get painfully slow. Like, when most people do a clean sweep at in an awards season, don’t the get offered a heap of really good roles???? Gillian…… what are you saying no to this time????

February

And so with Gillian’s second announcement of the year, I died! It’s a fucking dear Gillian project where she wants you to write her letters about sex and it will be published. Like whattttt. It definitely took me out for a bit. I’m so excited to have it on my coffee table. Though… everything she’s announced over the last year has been very much entrepreneurial; the podcast, Netflix deal, dear Gillian… and of course the un launched g spot drink. 

And so for anyone interested in me, and remembers how my life fell apart last year, all of that has done a complete 180. ( last year my acting boss pretty much told me I was shit I should not be in leadership positions for something i catagoricly denying doing, to my main boss now telling me to forget any of that ever happened and that he wants me stepping up)

And so remember that thing last year that I refused to talk about. Well holding is hands is pretty hard evidence and a first so what ever makes her happy makes me happy and we will leave it at that. Doesn’t mean I like him but I think that they actually do work.  Also… just an fyi… most things on the dailyfail have been proven to be staged and if you look back to all the previous incidents in relation to this topic it’s pretty darn obvious that this is their way of saying it without saying. 

AND THEN FINALLY! A new role! Gillian was cast in the lead in Scoop. I had seen something before it was announced and thought yeah right as if that’s true but it’s true. And what I mean by that is that it’s mainly about that Prince Andrew interview which I thought why do we need a film about that. But hey! New content and it’s a lead! A little disappointed that this doesn’t fall under her Netflix deal. 

The final episode from her podcast was released. Love that she finished it off talking about orgasms. That’s just very her. To be honest, it’s been great having something to look forward to every 2 weeks but I’m glad to cancel that subscription 

I turned 25 and didn’t cry which is a first! I now find it weird watching season one of the x files and knowing I’m the same age as Gillian 

Gillian changed her bios and I’m not about it. 

March

How is it March already! You know… the last time Gillian was on a red carpet was December … just saying. The last 12 months with so little Gillian content has been painful, to say the least, and that’s exactly how March went to a tea… the content is so dry that Connie has resulted in posting videos from over 10 years ago. But Gillian came in last minute with photos of her and Gigi the cat which Piper first posted pictures of in January. Not sure who she actually belongs to but as a cat mum I’d be so down for cat content

April

Honestly, at this point, I’m waking every morning and grabbing my phone desperate to see new Gillian content that’s just not coming. It was then leaked that the Crown asked Gillian to reprise MT for the next season but she can’t because of a scheduling conflict. Seems a bit suss if you ask me. Flash forward a couple of days later and she retweeted one of the articles saying it was a “refusal” stating it was “absolute bullocks”. So….. either she saying the whole story is not true or just the refusal, which I have some things to say. Is she not supposed to be back with PM? So wouldn’t he know in advance if she could do it? And could this possibly be his team leaking it? Because let’s be real, there is history of that. Either way…. She posted it on his 60th birthday. So I guess you could read it both ways. So now Netflix is saying that she was never intended to return which differs from the original story of the crown producers saying she either refused or had a scheduling conflict. This makes me more want to lean to some rouge person who works on the crown having this idea which is shut down so they decided to make it into a thing.

Any way, she posted like 3 times over the easter weekend so one can only hope that this is an online come back

2 years pasted since the latest photographic proof of gillovny…. I’m living off bread crumbs at the moment okay! And I thought last year was slow. 

So… G-spot is real. I had been following the company updates closely just prior to the offical launch was announced and to be honest it scared me the more paperwork that was being submitted about it. Interestingly, some 22 year old called Robin Morgan is running it with her? And Piper is also a stake holder. And one of peters company’s is involved to. So it’s a family business?? How this all came to be baffles me. Peter and Gillian did break up at the end of 2020; we have confirmation of that. I do believe that they may have gotten back together in early 2021 but were definitely not together at the Emmy’s (the both looked uncomfortable) but I *think* that was the turning point. G spot was started in early 2022 so things would have definitely had to turned around by then. 

Look, it’s a little weird and I worry about the long term effects of it, but hey at least we are not living off bread crumbs. But the problem was that they tried to soft launch it on Instagram which last a whole 48 hours before it was taken down. They got it back up 48 hours later but was took down again less than an hour. The account was back up a mer two days before launched but then back down the day before and then back again. 

So when G spot finally came out, it wasn’t as bold as I was expecting. But when I’m in the UK later in the year I’ll definitely be trying some. 

But before that, Gillian and Peter went to the crown wrap party. And have I not mentioned before that she gets paped and then published by the daily mail every time she’s got something coming out??

G spot probably also gives an indication about Constellation Content and the Netflix deal which ends in a year. I say we will probably get something from it late in the year and unless they extend the contract, I can’t see much coming out of it which is kind of like what’s the point. But what I’m thinking is that the Netflix deal was supposed to be through her Fiddlehead products company but maybe there was a hick up or something went wrong with that so she created constellations?? Maybe?? The deal could have been extended and we haven’t been told either. Just a thought. 

May

G spot continued its launch. I wish she did more in-person stuff for it though like interviews and Instagram lives. It feels like it’s been ages since she actually did anything that wasn’t pre-organised if that makes sense but maybe that’s to come. 

Anddddd I had my clown mask on thinking G would go to the coronation because everyone else was… turns out she was in Amsterdam. 

Gillian was cast in a new project called The Salt Path… nothing to do with her Netflix deal though but is giving off award-season vibes. I don’t even think she has the time for the Netflix deal anymore. 

And May ended with Gillian… well G spot joining TikTok 

June

So, if history is repeating itself and sex education is coming out in September, we *should* start seeing content this month. I’m hoping for a late September or early October release because I will actually be in London then.

So a recap (not that anything has actually been happening), G has 4 projects to be released (sex ed, white bird, scoop and the salt path), that book thing and the ongoing launch of G spot (international shipping when?????). 

G started filming the salt path

And so it was on the 11th of June, Gillian posted a shout-out to Mr DD on the release of his new project. Gillovny lives on, and David, take note. 

On a side note, they are obviously still close considering she felt the need to do this. Which means… he has probably tried G Spot 😂 don’t be shy David, promote it!! 

G spot finally became available internationally, but between the $7 a can, $30 shipping and the dress she wore I really want… I think I'm just going to sit on the idea for a bit. I am going to be in London in September so I could just try it then. Part of me does not think I could wait that long though. The current prices are a bit too expensive for my liking and that could change over time. If it wasn’t a drink I might be considering it more serious, like I did by her tote bag which lots of people like to remind me was way too expensive for what it is. 

The end of June saw the office end of Gillian’s unemployment era with other project announced, The Abandons. This one is a Netflix project too

This actually makes her really booked. G Spot, white bird out in August, Sex Ed the 2nd half of the year, scoop, the Salt Path, dear Gillian and this season. And if anything comes out of the Netflix deal

And I missed out on getting eras tickets and spent the weekend crying whilst watching sad Kate Winslet movies. Moving on

July

The Sex Ed season 4 trailer and date finally came out. And it will be the last one. Two cute little clips of Gillian. I couldn’t really process it all due to my personal life just being a mess and erasing the work I’d put in over the last 2 years thanks to one text but anyway, it was all over as quickly as it started, and you would think after 5 years of putting up with this same man I would have learned my lesson by now but nope

I’m loving all the shots coming in from Gill filming the salt path. I’ve ordered the book which should hopefully be delivered before my trip to read. 

G reposted a pic of David with a fan at the writer's strike, and girl, I get it (he left her on read again). David, step up your game. 

The salt path finished filming and G posted a cute little video. 

White bird got pushed back thanks to the writer's strike. Feel like we are never going to get that movie. 

August

Have I told you how much I love August? One, it’s one of my favourite TS songs, two it's Gillovny month and three it’s the end of winter. Really looking forward to seeing Gillian get publicly left on read. 

And so there was radio silence on David’s birthday. Look, I was really hoping for a little something but anyway. But to be fair, she only posted a picture of Stella for her own birthday so it was all a flop. But then a video a couple of days later. 

Anyway, things from here might be a bit all over the place because I had a really significant death in my family a week before a 2-month trip around the world and I was a hot mess

Fingers crossed I cross paths with Gillian when she’s filming in Canada but thanks to the writer's strike, might not happen. 

And so august ends, with no Gillovny moments and me constantly thinking about them as I walk around Vancouver 

September 

Sex Ed comes out this month. Thank god! Though due to travelling I’m not sure when I’ll get to watch it all. I started September off in Los Angeles. I had the biggest smile on my face seeing Gillian’s star!! And just being in Hollywood. I’m such an award season person so being there was really special. 

Then I got stuck in New York and had to sleep in the airport thanks to bad weather. 

G spot put out new promotion stuff. The 30th anniversary of the x files passed with radio silence. Not really surprised but disappointed I guess. I think the actors strike probably had a bit to do with it as well

Gillian went holidaying in Italy. The new Netflix show she has signed up for is supposed to be filming in Calgary where I am but has been pushed back because of the sag strike. 

G Spot came out with a new flavour. 

The new season of Sex Ed came out. I was still in Canada at the time so I didn’t get to watch it like I normally would. To be honest I skipped through a little bit of it so I could try and watch Gillian’s parts without getting too many spoilers. Annoyed that because of the strike, Gillian didn’t post anything about it but I’m sure she will at some point. I can imagine that she has a heap of content and some good bloopers. I did like this season a little bit more than last year and Gillian had a good amount of time. I think it ended fine too. Gillian’s last scene had me in tears, one because it was so freaking cute and two because it was the last one.

So now at this point, we are stillllll waiting for white bird, a trailer for scoop and the salt path and for the abandons to start filming

At with that I ended September in London trying to find Gillian and G soot 

October 

For me, October kicked off in London. I really really really loved London and didn’t want to leave. I couldn’t find G spot in London which is ironic. And Gillian remained in hiding the whole time I was there too. 

I missed London so so much when I got back to Sydney. If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s so far away and expensive, I would be planning my next trip. 

Anyway, so it’s at this point I’m thinking we should be getting an announcement on constellation content or even a small little bit of progress seeing it’s coming up to a year since it was registered. But who knows. Especially with the sag strike. Really looks like that Netflix deal is going to be pushed under the rug too. 

Gillian attended the launch of Planet Earth 3. Annoyed that she went to something only after I had left London. Like if this was a week earlier, I would have run from my hotel in Soho to where she was. Anyway, she took all three of her kids with her too which was pretty cute. 

G did a cover story for net a porter. First one in a while. So annoyed because I legitimately walked past her doing the interview. She did very briefly mention her production company. 

Gillian pulled out of that ridiculously expensive tech talk thing she was supposed to do in November. She pulled out for decent reasons but I felt like it was one of those things she said yes to without knowing anything about. Like yes, it was more for G spot… but G spot isn’t as big as it’s currently being made out to be. I spent two weeks in London and couldn’t find it because you still can only get it online and at very very selective places. But anyway, I’ve seen a lot of heat about it and to be honest, so was right for pulling out and anyone who thinks otherwise kind of needs to view things from a more neutral and broad standpoint. She even released a statement about it that still went over so many people's heads

On a side note, I’m so heart broken about Meryl and Don. Back in the day I was a streeper first so I found this news really really hard. Especially knowing it happened 6 years ago I had thought that we hadn’t seen him for ages and I thought maybe it had something to do with old age. 

On a very unexpected notes, Squadron 42 is finally almost ready to be released after absolutely years in post production. 

And on another side note, for someone who doesn’t relax, she has certainly been on a few holidays this year. 

November 

Ah November. How did we get here?? The crown has its final premiere this month… 

Considering they have been back together for over a year and it’s the last one, my money is on that they will do the red carpet together…. But I’m not totally convinced either. And it all obviously depends on if the strike is ongoing. 

Something I didn’t see coming, Gillian’s production company is being striked off. I am not completely surprised seeing nothing has come out of it and the Netflix deal but I thought they would wait a little longer

Really hoping for an in-person Gillovny moment with David on tour in Europe. I’m almost certain that they will see each other, just hoping they will share it with us. But then maybe not with the crown about to drop. 

The strike finally ended. Excited to see what unhinged stuff Gillian posts that she couldn’t. Also excited to see her head off to Canada for filming.

Gillian joined tick Tok 

No Gillovny moment… publicly at least 

So there was an LA premiere which it doesn’t look like she was at. Strange there was no London one but I guess with the strike just ending there might not have been enough time to organise it. Maybe they might do one in December before the whole thing drops. I haven’t really been following the lead-up to this season but it all seems a bit quiet? Especially considering it’s the last one. 

Gillian attended letters live. This was held at the Royal Albert Hall which I fan-girled over because I did I private tour of the hall when I was in London. 

December 

We’ve made it! Gillian went to the London Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall and omg. Loving her hair being more honey-coloured and the way it was styled.  And the dress!!!! Don’t ask how many times I zoomed in on it. 

And of course, she went to the London premiere of The Crown, the next night too! She looked stunning. Surprised but not surprised. She did an interview as well where she spoke about Peter being her partner so there you go. 

And look, if she’s happy then I’m happy. I’m not really sure how someone like her could put up with his behaviours but who knows what they are actually like behind closed doors. He is pretty much now her longest relationship and I think that the fact that they are both successful determined people has a lot to do with it. I do find it interesting that her and David were interacting more when they were separated. I can’t see David getting along very well with Peter and vice versa with Gillian and Monique. 

White bird now has a release date of oct 4 2024 which is just ridiculous and makes no sense. 

I’m not really sure what happened from here till the end of the month as I found myself getting caught up in an unexpected romance that has me smiling like an idiot and forgetting how to function and is going to end in me being a mess because it’s such a difficult situation….. anyway!

And do y’all realise that you have practically bullied Gillian off Twitter???? For something that most of you actually don’t understand?

And that’s a wrap! 2023, you were what I needed! Whilst Gillian didn’t really do much, which was mostly out of her control, 2023 served! For me personally, it was a big one. I lost my great-grandmother a week before I left on a trip of a lifetime. Travelling solo through North America and the UK was huge and totally eye-opening. It was hard but I loved and appreciated every minute of it. Everyone said to me that I was silly for doing it on my own, but life’s too short to wait for the right person to do stuff like that with. But in saying that, I unexpectedly reconnected with an old flame, which has been pleasantly nice but is now definitely over. Gillian, I’m blaming you for getting back with Peter for that one. But then I'm ending the year trying not to fall for someone who has been right in front of me for such a long time.

I really haven’t been super active on social media either this year which is something I think I’ll continue 

So keen for 2024….. fingers and toes crossed for something big happening to me in Feb but even if it doesn’t, I’m ending this year genuinely happy and in a good place for the first time in a long time. 

[jgroffdaily]

Excerpts from an interview with Ben Aldridge at the Hollywood Reporter, including reference for the first time to Jonathan taking Ben and Abby Quinn to his father's farm in Lancaster for a weekend during filming.

Decades from now, when you’re reminiscing next to a crackling fireplace, what day from your Knock experience will you likely recall first? 

You’re making me emotional.

Your co-star Abby Quinn said the same thing. 

(Laughs.) There were so many beautiful days and difficult days. 

Abby’s answer involved a trip with you and Jonathan to his Pennsylvania hometown.

Yeah, mine would be the same highlight. We went and stayed on Jonathan’s dad’s farm. It was midway through the intense shoot, and we had this beautiful weekend away, riding horses and just escaping the cabin for a little bit.

(Photos posted by Abby: @abbyquinnya)

On rehearsals

"But yes, those two weeks [of rehearsals] were totally key. Jonathan and I had an instant rapport, and Kristen is just this magical little human..."

Night’s notes can be pretty unconventional at times. For instance, he famously told Anya Taylor-Joy to cry her character’s tears instead of her own, and it changed her whole perspective on acting. Did a particular note of his stick with you as well?

He gave that note to me once, actually. I heard him give it to Jonathan and perhaps Nikki [Amuka-Bird] as well. It’s a really interesting note, and it’s very impactful. What he kept on repeating to me and Jonathan — and probably even more to me — was “play the love.” ... It just really hammered home an emotional call for both me and Jonathan, and before a take, I’d look at him and Kristen and think, “I love you.” And that really infused into the scenes.

Night would say to Kristen a lot, “Just think the thoughts,” and he meant the thoughts of the character. He was coaching her so much, and for Jonathan and I, it was kind of like learning to act again. We were like, “We should heed some of this advice.” As an actor, you can take shortcuts sometimes, but Night doesn’t really allow for that. He sees everything, and he really wants you to be connected to the moment and the character. I’m someone who uses music to prepare quite often, and I really had it in my head that I would be using music on the side of this set to get to that level of stuff all the time. So I made this playlist called “Anxiety Inducing Music.” It was weird stuff, but it also had some intense classical music. 

So I was listening to some music on the side of the set, just after the fight with Rupert [Grint], and Night quietly came up to me and said, “I understand why you’d want to use music right now, but I really just want you to use the script. Use Andrew to get you there.” He was like, “Relying on other people’s art to inform your own art isn’t always the way forward,” and that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.

Night's approach

“Of anything I’ve ever watched with me, it’s the most I’ve been like, ‘Oh my God, the director has made me look like a movie star,’” Aldridge tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So that was a very exciting thing. Everything he does is with purpose and thought behind it.”

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: January 2023

Holy cow a new year! Off to a good start and here’s all the art/media I experienced this first month of 2023.

……….FILM……….

M3GAN (2023) Was every plotpoint and death telegraphed from moment one? Yes. Was it full of wildly bad decision making so that the movie could happen? Yes. Was it everything I wanted? Yes.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Eagerly awaited this and overall, worth it. The CGI-heavy ending felt more Netflix than Knives Out. The rest of the film, as well as the mid-film twist that feels on par with the first movie, felt right at home. I’d love to watch more of these and hope A. They can drop the “Knives Out Mystery” subtitle and B. They keep it focused on character and plot instead of spectacle.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Beautiful. The design and changes to the familiar were fantastic. Found the pacing to be a little slow in spots but I’m sure it’s impossible to cut any of the puppetry on display.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Okay technically I watched this on New Year’s Eve but my December post was already out. On this rewatch I noticed each Marley kinda holds out their hands while the other is singing their verse, and what really struck me is just how full each environment feels. Muppet movies always have so many extras and details that may not be noticed but are felt. Really such a treasure.

……….TELEVISION……….

The Last Dance (Episode 1.01 to 1.10) Okay technically I’ve been watching this since before the start of the year but I forgot about it. Not knowing much of anything about basketball meant I was both surprised by every turn AND completely confused from all the time jumps. It makes each game seem like this is the most important game ever and because I had no idea what game we were talking about, I kept thinking it was THE game. Anyway the last 2 eps saved it for me as I really was thrilled by them winning THE game.

……….YOUTUBE……….

TikTok: Life on the Algorithm by Errant Signal For the uninitiated, a solid introduction to TikTok as a platform. And even for those who are familiar, it touches on nuances and trends in a way that explains what felt unexplainable. VIDEO

The Horrifying Panopticon of West Elm Caleb by Sarah Z A good companion piece to the Errant Signal video. This breaks down one viral event in TikTok and the great implications of it. And it’s not really just applicable to TikTok. VIDEO

……….READING……….

Circe by Madeline Miller (Complete) Despite it taking me all month to read, I loved this. It’s kinda like Forrest Gump but for Greek Mythology in that you get to see a lot of these big myths, heroes, and monsters from a different perspective. But that’s not to diminish Miller’s writing of Circe who has such natural and incredible character growth. Highly recommend.

Old School Essentials by Necrotic Gnome (Complete) Okay so more of a rules book for running old-school role-playing games, I did read through it this month so it still counts. I’ve been keen to explore other rulesets and while this is still D&D, it’s interesting to see how this interpretation of the original rules differs from 5th Edition.

Witch Hat Atelier Volume 1 by Kamome Shirahama (Complete) Not a bad start! The characters feel a little trope-y but it’s the first volume and the art is so good that I can’t help but keep going. The magic and world is creative and there’s enough layers to the early plot that I’m looking forward to spending more time in this world.

……….AUDIO……….

Love Me More by Mitski (2022) Just a really tight quartet of tracks. Big fan of Mitski’s sweeping synths but it’s fun that these are a little more energetic! Gosh I wish jazzercise was still a thing cause I’d absolutely run in place to all of these songs.

……….GAMING……….

Hades (Supergiant Games) I’m a simple man; I read a Greek mythology book I go back and play a Greek mythology game. That plus the sequel reveal has me very excited. Still such a good game.

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) My tuesday crew is digging deeper into the politics and history of the land of Fairies but they aren’t quite done with the island of Neverland just yet! You can read more about our weekly exploits here. And the Mof1 group is amassing a variety of magic weapons and possibly planning on buying real estate in the Gnome hamlet. Always an adventure.

And that’s it. See you in February!

[stokan]

Every 2022 Film Nominated for an Oscar Ranked

40. Tell It Like a Woman - It’s true, this “movie” actual exists. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and they haven’t stopped bleeding since. That this collection of sub-student-film level shorts is an absolute embarrassment for everyone involved is besides the point. What I really want you to know about this “movie” is that the Diane Warren song that is the entire reason for this project to exist plays in one of the shorts, then it plays again over the closing credits, then it plays a SECOND time over the closing credits, but then it ends and the credits are still going. And no new songs starts! So you’re just sitting there in the most uncomfortable interminable silence ever because I guess they couldn’t afford a second song (?) and at Academy screenings it’s considered incredibly rude to leave before the credits are done. But thank god you didn’t because then after the credits there is a MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG! And that music video is longer and looks like it cost more than basically all of the shorts you just watched. And part of the music video is Diane Warren directing the music video you're currently watching?? And as a legitimate smile formed on my face while all of this was unfolding, it’s only then that I truly understood Stockholm Syndrome.

39. Blonde - Feels truly wild that this wasn’t the worst movie I saw this year. It’s hard to say if I hated this more than Andrew Dominick hates Marilyn Monroe, but regardless, I can’t imagine ever having a more unpleasant time at the movies than I did watching this three-hour-long Ana de Armas hostage video. Please don’t watch Blonde.

38. Bardo - More like BardNO. If you’re going to make a movie about you feel like you suck as an artist and are unworthy as a person, what you don't want is the end result to make the audience definitely agree with you. But other than the truly gorgeous cinematography, making Inarritu’s self-loathing an ACTUAL loathing is the only other thing this film successfully achieves. Well, that and single-handedly killing the idea of Netflix giving unlimited money to directors to make their passion projects unimpeded. Never thought I would say this, but after watching Bardo - please studios, give directors more notes.

37. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - “Yeah, but your scientists were so occupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should” - Dr. Ian Malcom, a character who would later appear in Jurassic Park: Dominion.

While watching this movie I kept trying to figure out what on earth the character of RiRi had to do with anything, only to get home and learn that her sole purpose in the movie was to set up a future TV series. At this point buying a ticket for an MCU movie is exactly like Ralphie in A Christmas Story sending off for Annie’s Secret Circle Decoder Ring, only you already know in advance the answer will always just ultimately be “don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine”.

36. EO - I’m sure when they were making this movie they thought “well, if nothing else, at least we’re definitely making the best artsy existential European donkey movie this year.” Nope! 

No human in this movie behaves like an actual human being, every major choice is contrived simply to keep the plot moving forward, and the donkey is the best actor in the cast. Nice try though.

35. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - When adults don't take animation seriously as an art form and write it off as essentially kids entertainment, this is the exact movie they’re thinking of - brightly colored, turbo-charged drivel, with broad characters, broader jokes, and nothing interesting to say. Not to yuck anyone’s yum, as I’m sure if I was 8 years old I would want all things Puss and Boots mainlined directly into my veins, but as a non-8-year-old, this was very much Not For Me. 

(Also, as a 40 year old man, if you’d like to almost certainly get put on some kind of list then I would really recommend going by yourself, in a heavy coat and sweatpants, to a 9:30pm Friday night screening of a Puss in Boots film.)

34. Navalny - Important story, one truly great scene, and a film that I know a lot of people seem to like, but as a piece of movie making, for me, well...are the kids still saying “mid”? If so, I’m gonna say the thing that I’m sure ALL the kids are saying - a sentence that you can hear as you walk down the halls of any school in America - "Navalny is mid”.

33. The Sea Beast - Less than a month after having seen it, here’s the grand total of what I remember about this movie: there was a sea beast.

32. The Whale - If you want to know why there are many different art forms used to tell stories a great example is that this script works beautifully as a play, and terribly as a movie. Theater and film are different mediums, and what works on stage often seems overwrought and overwritten on film. And as we learn more and more with each passing year, most movies don’t make good plays either. So just let plays be plays and movies be movies. And let whatever exactly Sadie Sink and Samatha Morton are doing in The Whale never be either ever again.

31. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris - A beautiful looking trifle that tastes lovely and sweet but has absolutely no nutritional value because it’s mostly just air. A movie that feels like it should have premiered on British Airways’ in-flight entertainment network, if that can somehow be read as a semi-compliment.

30. Empire of Light - There’s a truly moving and interesting movie in here about the power of film and communal experience. The problem is that there are three other movies in here as well. Still, if you got Colman and you got Deakins, you got something. Just not any more than that though.

28. A House Made of Splinters - This year’s Oscar Doc Mad Libs entry. There’s always at least one nominee where the log line is: verite footage of a woman/group of women operating (an uplifting and important social service) in (country that’s currently in the news for being at war). in this case it’s (orphanage) and (Ukraine). Important story, truly heroic work, and further proof that if you point a camera at kids for long enough you’re always gonna wind up with some profound truths. But I watch a version of this exact movie every single year.

27. Argentina 1985 - Would seem difficult to take something as emotionally compelling as the true-life story of people being disappeared by a South American military dictatorship and make a movie about it that feels as conventional as an extra long Law and Oder episode, but here we are. That’s not to say it isn’t well made, important, and watchable - people love Law and Order! - just that it’s so by the numbers it feels more like a math equation than a film. If you’ve ever seen a movie before, you know where this one is going.

26. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Everything listed before this movie I would not really recommend, and everything after it, at least on some level, I would. And this is the exact mid-point. A perfectly decent movie that I feel absolutely nothing about. See it, or don’t - I can’t imagine a world where I would possibly care one way or the other. it’s simply the blindfolded lady who holds up the scale.

25. The Quiet Girl - It’s hard to totally put my finger on why this movie feels like one that in a few years I’ll almost certainly forget ever having seen, when at the same time there are very stylistically and tonally similar movies much higher on my list, but if I had to try and sum it up, I’d say it’s this: the girl is too quiet.

24. To Leslie - Honestly, is Andrea Riseborough getting nominated for this movie that much different than Laura Dern getting nominated for Rambling Rose or Jessica Lange WINNING for Blue Sky? I have no idea, I’ve never seen those movies. But an actress getting nominated for a micro-budget film no one saw from a tiny distributor isn’t some sort of new scandal, it used to be an annual tradition. Hell, To Leslie is exactly the sort of pleasant feel-good elevated-middle-brow indie that the Oscars were practically built on in the 90s. Although Mark Maron is the least believable Texan in movie history, and the budget definitely shows, and the style is non-existent, as half of Hollywood has at this point tweeted - it’s a small movie with a big heart. And I didn’t even get paid to say that!

23. Living - Why did we need essentially a shot-for-shot remake of Ikiru only set in England instead of Japan? Seriously, who is this for? It feels almost radically, defiantly, inessential. But the performances, especially Bill Nighy, are pretty great. And hey, Ikiru is a classic for a reason. So, whatever. Ultimately it was worth seeing, but this is last time I will ever write about Living again for the rest of my life.

22. Causeway - “Brian Tyree Henry, Oscar Nominee” has nice ring to it. And Jennifer Lawrence - also good at acting. Out of the little run I’m on here of nice but slight character study dramas, this feels like the best of the bunch. That may not be saying a ton, but it’s something, which also feels like a solid summary of this film.

21. All The Beauty And The Bloodshed - Scalding hot take: Nan Golden seems like a bit of a tough hang. Take that’s not hot at all: the Sackler family are evil pieces of shit. And sure, getting you emotionally riled up about their awfulness is sort of a layup, but by combining it with Nan Golden’s incredible life story, tough hang though she may be, this movie 360 windmill dunks it.

20. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio - Not a del Toro person, never going to be a del Toro person, just not my vibe, and truly baffled as to why he spent his time making the millionth adaptation of a story no one was asking to see remade, but damn if the result isn’t impressive. It may not be my thing, and it’s honestly  unclear who it’s audience exactly is supposed to be, but the level of care and craft on display is undeniably worthy of praise. Indifferent towards the player, but respect the hell out of the game.

19. Fire of Love - It’s almost impossible to watch this movie and not think the whole time about how you’re watching two Wes Anderson characters. Which is fitting because the style of this movie is more notable than the substance. But what stye it is. And although I said it’s somewhat lacking in substance, it does get at one very important and universal truth: don’t go chasing volcanoes.

18. Turning Red - As a massive Pixar fanboy it’s been a while since they’ve had a script that rose to the standards of their glory days, but I think this finally does the trick. The movie is visually a little too frantic and busy for my taste, but I’m also not its target audience, so that’s fine. It has something real and original to say to a demographic that I have aged out of and that’s more than valid. Teen and tween audiences need real art too, and not just pandering dreck. So while maybe this movie wasn’t one of my personal favorites of the year, it feels good to be able to roll up my sleeves and show my #TeamPixar tattoo with pride once again.

17. RRR - There’s a warning before this film that no actual animals were harmed because all the animals are CGI, which is hilarious because there’s no way anyone could possibly think anything in this movie was real, including the human beings. It’s definitely the first massive budget blockbuster action spectacular that also feels like they used non-union actors. Which is fitting because it’s as much video game as it is a movie. I absolutely admire the hell out of the craft, the ambition, originality, and fight choreography on display, but bottom line is that a movie where a guy punches a tiger in the face with a fist that’s on fire is just fundamentally never going to be My Thing. The musical numbers, especially Naatu Naatu, are truly electric though, and if you’re a 16-year-old boy bump this ranking up infinity places.

16. The Batman - This is why we can’t have nice things. You make a superhero movie that feels like it was done by an actual human rather than a committee, with great interesting acting choices, a real visual style, and a distinct dark aesthetic that feels like it enhances the specific story being told rather than the demands of some larger universe, and it makes money, but it leaves no cultural footprint. This coming and going without seeming to leave a mark shows that it’s not the Batman movie we deserved, but it was for sure the one I needed, and it deserved better.

15. Elvis - It’s important to preface this by saying that as a theater kid I’m a Baz Lurhman fan. R&J? Seminal movie of my adolescence and a huge reason I still love Shakespeare today. Moulin Rouge? Own it on a worn-out special edition DVD. The Great Gatsby? Underrated! Australia? Sure! So your milage may understandably vary, and I get that. I totally see all the flaws. But damn if Baz making a movie ABOUT music doesn’t just bypass all my critical facilities and go straight to my pleasure center. Is this movie what cocaine is like? Anyway, it’s not GOOD, but also, for me, it’s great. And if Austin Butler winds up winning the Oscar I’m gonna feel pretty proud of walking out of the theater after seeing Elvis back in the summer and calling my shot

14. All Quiet on the Western Front - I do firmly believe the famous Truffaut quote that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie. But this is the exception to that rule. Like West Side Story last year, it pulls off the miraculous task of remaking a movie that didn’t need remaking while yet also justifying its own existence. And while it now feels like we’ve officially reached the end point of war movie verisimilitude, what an exclamation point to cap off the journey. It’s truly insane WWI ever happened, and if only we could go back in time and show them this film, it never would have. It’s that powerful.

13. Avatar: The Way of Water - There’s nothing I’m more out on in movies than when one CGI thing is fighting another CGI thing. Yet when the whole movie is CGI things fighting CGI things? Apparently I’m all the way in.

Look the story is dumb, and the dialogue is stilted, and the mythology this world is trying to build feels pretty cringe, but by god is this movie gorgeous to look at and an absolute technical marvel. And the final third of this movie is some of the best action filmmaking I’ve seen in a very long time. James Cameron, incredible stager of action sequences, who knew? Strap on some 3D glasses, see this on an IMAX screen on a Friday night in a crowded theater, and try not to be entertained, I dare you.

12. All That Breathes - I do this insane project of watching every single Oscar nominee every year because without fail it exposes me to one or two or three movies I fall in love with that I wouldn’t have ever seen otherwise. Well that, and also because there’s something wrong with my brain. But most often these wonderful finds are documentaries, for example: Attica, Time, Minding the Gap, and my beloved Honeyland. Much like Honeyland, my find this year, All That Breathes, is about something simple - in this case its two brothers running a Mumbai bird hospital instead of Honeyland’s Macedonian beekeeper - but like with that film, as it slowly reveals itself, it turns out to really be about Everything All At Once. Family, geopolitics, the climate crisis, religion, interconnectedness - truly all that breathes. Great film, and can’t wait to see what subtly beautiful Senegalese goat herder documentary I fall in love with in 2023.

11. Top Gun: Maverick - The platonic ideal of a summer blockbuster. This is not my kind of movie at all, and yet I even I was won over. Resistance is impossible. Picking nits is pointless. Because sure it’s as by the numbers as they come yet, wow is that counting fun. It almost single handedly justifies the concept of just turning your brain off and having a good escapist time at the movies. But most importantly for me, it just makes me feel good about never wavering in one of my deepest held beliefs: Jennifer Connelly is the most attractive human being who has ever lived. 

10. Women Talking - Here’s to truth in advertising. No one who can read titles can say they didn’t know EXACTLY what they walking into with this film. But what great talking it is. And what great women! Although ::poking his head the slightest bit humanly possible out from behind the world’s largest bush:: the one truly transcendent performance in the film for me was Ben Wishaw. But everyone was great really. And fitting that the only great play adaptation of the year wasn’t a play adaptation at all. It was just a true ensemble working together to tell an important story in urgent and poetic language in a purposely claustrophobic setting. It’s a real shame then that this film seems to be evaporating from the collective consciousness before it ever even made its way in, because it’s actually the one thing we should all be doing more of: watching women talking.

9. TAR - As a card carrying elitist film snob it pains me as much to rank TAR this low as it does for you to see it here. And there was a point, maybe about two hours into the movie, where it seemed like it was ending, and I thought to myself “what a masterpiece!”. But the problem is it didn’t end there. It kept going. And the last part of this film, the part that some people online think is supposed to be a dream or whatever, just absolutely does not work for me. And wow oh wow does it feel like the absolute last scene isn’t just beamed in from a totally different movie but from a totally different planet. It’s the exact opposite of sticking the landing. That being said, Todd Field is an actual genius, the dialogue is in a league of its own, and it’s fitting Cate Blanchett is probably not going to win the Oscar because an Oscar feel almost beneath her performance. But still…that last 20 minutes. So please don’t tar me, but #9 it is.

8. Triangle of Sadness - I think all the time about Connor Oberst performing his anti-Bush song “When the President Talks to God” years ago on The Tonight Show. This dense, well-written song with no chorus and no hooks that got what can best be described as polite applause. And I remember thinking, good song, but what is the point of it? It will reach absolutely no one who doesn’t already hate Bush. You know what will? Green Day writing a song literally called “American Idiot” about how the president is, well, an American idiot, but it has a sing-along chorus that kicks ass. And I think about that when people criticize Triangle of Sadness for being too obvious, because you know what - it absolutely kicks ass. 

On paper, sure, people quoting Lenin and Reagan back at each other while rich people throw up on each other on a luxury cruise is embarrassingly on the nose, but in practice, watching it play out on screen in a movie theater full of people, I was laughing so hard I could barely feel my face, let alone my nose. And all the chatter about how this movie makes obvious points about how rich people are bad feels like it comes from people who wrote the movie off half-way thru, because it totally misses the third act, which is the complicated, thorny, and dark heart of the film. (Justice for Dolly de Leon!)

Look, maybe this wasn’t your cup of tea, but anecdotally, talking to people from all areas of my life, especially people younger than me, this is BY FAR the movie from this year that people bring up to me the most. And they always say how its themes were thought-provoking and important and worth watching. And to me that’s proof of my belief that what may on paper come off as obvious, is in fact the year’s catchiest chorus.

7. Babylon - Is it the best movie of the year? No. Would I personally give it my hypothetical Oscar vote? Definitely not. Should it win best picture? Don’t be absurd. But would I give up all my worldly possessions to a join a new religion where we move out to the woods and chant the name Babylon up to the heavens 12 hours a day? Absolutely! 

Babylon is like if one of Stephon’s clubs was a movie - this film has everything: an alligator attack, a guy eating a live mouse, a Jean Smart monologue about existentialism, Margot Robbie projectile vomiting on someone’s face, footage from the 1982 film Tron. It’s as though someone told Damien Chazelle this was going to be the final movie ever made and he somehow, miraculously, aced the assignment. It’s definitely one of the most movie movies ever to movie. It feels weird to not be typing about this movie strictly in all caps. And if you think this movie is majorly flawed, well, sure, probably, but you’re missing the point. MOVIES!!!!

My head knows I cant rank this any higher than #7, but in my heart? Well, what’s a ranking higher than #1? #-100? In my heart this was the -100th best movie of the year.

6. Close - A stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking movie from what feels like a major new voice in Lukas Dhont. A movie that pulls off the magic trick of somehow making you feel deeply sympathetic towards those trapped in the prison of masculinity, rather than angry about the toxicity of it. And speaking of magical - in the year of great child actor performances the two in this movie are the best of them all. Just an absolute gem of a movie. Go see Close.

5. Aftersun - If TAR botched its ending, then Aftersun is the gymnastics judges crossing out their 10s and writing in 11s of sticking your landing. Because, spoiler alert, but the final scene of this movie is maybe the best use of a pre-existing popular song in film history. That sounds like hyperbole, but I was literally shaking with emotion during “Under Pressure”. It’s my new go-to need-a-good-cry YouTube clip. And a quiet film about a childhood experience where nothing much happens and it’s all subtext until finally one incredible scene of intense emotion is so totally my shit that it feels like I excreted it from my own colon. Was it maybe a little TOO quiet in parts? Perhaps. And the framing device didn’t TOTALLY work. But still, Charlotte Wells being able to compete with this film in the best the First Feature category at awards shows feels unfair. It’s so confident and expertly crafted that I feel like she’s a future My Favorite Director just waiting to happen.

4. Everything Everywhere All At Once - Sure you can make the argument it’s a hat on an infinite number of hats, but HOLY SHIT LOOK AT ALL THOSE FUCKING HATS!!!! The inventiveness, originality, and utter chaos on display in a movie that’s about to win Best Picture is truly mind-blowing. It’s like a Jackson Pollock of ideas. When they say they don’t make em like that anymore, this is the exact opposite of what they’re talking about.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin - Barry Keoghan might be my favorite actor working today, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are the new dysfunctional Hepburn and Tracy, and Kerry Condon should win all the Oscars. But for me this movie is all about the script. That fecking script. Laugh out loud funny, endlessly quotable, and utterly heartbreaking. I mean, Martin McDonagh - good at writing things, who knew? Plays shouldn’t be movies, but maybe more movies should be by writers of plays.

2. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - I want to have a genetic mutation causing me to have more thumbs just so I can give this more than two thumbs up. This movie is a miracle. How did a super twee one-joke YouTube short become the most moving and heartfelt mediation on family and connection and existentialism I’ve seen in a long time? It still doesn’t seem possible and yet I’ve seen it with my own tear-stained eyes. I can’t compare it to any movie I’ve ever seen before and I can’t imagine anything quite like it will ever come along again. And most miraculous of all, if it moves even a slight inch in any other direction it becomes cloying, or sappy, or obvious, or any multitude of other sins, yet it’s in such total control of its tone it’s like watching Lydia Tar conduct a tone orchestra. And finally, if the scene where Marcel finally finds his family didn’t totally turn you into a sobbing mess than you yourself might be a shell, or at least have one for a heart. I cried, I laughed uproariously, and I fell in love with an animated shell with shoes on - what more could you possibly want out of a film?

1. The Fabelmans - Is this the movie that I feel most passionate about from 2022? No. Read what I had to say about most of the past 10 entries for proof. I’m honestly surprised to see this here, and I’m the one making the list. But here’s the thing: my favorite film of 2017 was Lady Bird. Of 2018 was Eighth Grade. Of 2019 was Little Women. I’m nothing if not consistent in my total love of and weakness for a coming of age story. We all have our things. And one this well shot, and scored, and written, and acted, and DIRECTED - I dunno what to tell you. This was the movie that best combined quality of filmmaking with emotional connection for me personally. It had the most scenes I loved, the most performances I enjoyed, the most shots I marveled at. It seems like it wasn’t for everyone, and as the years pass I have a feeling this ranking might change, but for right now, thinking back on the year in film, I have a hot take to end things on: Steven Spielberg knows how to fucking make a great movie.

SHORTS

My Year of Dicks (animated)

Ice Merchants (animated)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse (animated)

Haulout (doc)

An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It (animated)

The Elephant Whisperers (doc)

How Do You Measure A Year? (doc)

The Red Suitcase (live action)

The Flying Sailor (animated)

Le Pupille (live action)

An Irish Goodbye (live action)

The Martha Mitchell Effect (doc)

Ivalu (live action)

Stranger at the Gate (doc)

Night Ride (live action)

[blackandwhlteaesthetlc]

https://at.tumblr.com/blackandwhlteaesthetlc/well-aftersun-hit-a-little-too-close-to-home/1yzgaij3t4m9

Yasss!! I’m so glad you liked it. The director Charlotte Wells and producer of the film Barry Jenkins did a q&a after the movie in LA that was really great. Hearing her story about the movie and her dad was so sweet! I agree, no win but I’m so happy he was nominated. Can’t wait to see him with Saoirse Ronan (Foe), Josh O’Connor (History of Sound) and Andrew Scott (Strangers). I think he’s really choosing some great roles. I hope the Gladiators rumor was true cause that would be awesome! It’ll be a box off hit for sure and really put him as a household name. He won’t be the indie darling/hidden gem after that. Also, Brian tyree hill💜 I’m diving into causeway this weekend. ☮️

CHARLOTTE WELLS SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST DIRECTOR. 😩😩😩

And I haven’t seen Women Talking yet but the buzz and outrage alone tells me Sarah Polley also deserved a nomination. I’ll stay bitter about it forever. But that’s a whole other discussion.

God bless Barry Jenkins and A24, I’ve loved what this studio has done for Horror but as a whole it just DELIVERS. Aftersun is so good, it really resonated with me on a personal level. Such a strong performance from Paul, so much more subtle than the other nominees. Also agree on his involvement with Gladiator! How exciting for him. Oh! And I remember you sent me a link for the sequel announcement but I didn’t get the chance to answer. I noticed Gladiator was added to Netflix at the same time that news came out. I’ll need to give it a rewatch, I’m sure it still holds up. With Paul involved, my expectations have definitely been raised!

Looking forward to seeing Causeway for BTH too. Aftersun put me in the mood for another good drama so I’ll try to watch tomorrow or Saturday.

I have to say I gave Triangle of Sadness a try and didn’t gel with it. It seemed, on the surface, like it had all the aesthetics of a Wes Andersen film without the charm. Idk, I’m going to really have to sit down with it again to see if maybe I’ll appreciate it more on a second viewing.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts as always, ☮️ anon. I’ll keep sharing as I chip away at the Oscar nominees too. 🤓🍿

[spikemd]

The Blu-Ray Project: The Amazing Spider-Man

We’re watching all the movies we own in alphabetical order, progress is tracked here.

Skipping the terrible movie we were supposed to watch and going straight to this one made my evening so much better. I have a very soft spot for Spider-Man movies in general, and I really enjoy the Andrew Garfield take on the character. Yes he’s hot headed and impulsive, but he’s also so consistently sweet, and trying to be kind, and awkwardly polite (like he can constantly hear his aunt and uncle reminding him of his upbringing). And he plays off Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy delightfully. I’m also always a sucker for scenes when regular New Yorkers choose to help Spider-Man, and while it doesn’t have the same oomph as the Toby McGuire train scene, the crane operators all banding together to help Spider-Man get across the city got to me. What can I say, I’m easily impressed emotional these days.

Bonus points for having President Bartley as Uncle Ben (since I’ve been considering starting a West Wing rewatch amongst all the current political chaos).

I’m looking forward to watching the second movie, and will be forever bummed Andrew Garfield was robbed of his third movie.

[denimbex1986]

'All of Us Strangers feels like the film Andrew Haigh has been waiting to make. Whether it’s his breakout feature, Weekend, or the HBO series Looking, this director is clearly interested in the idiosyncratic, lonely lives of certain gay men. There is a bittersweetness that comes with so much progress won in such little time. While many men are still reeling from the AIDS crisis and institutional discrimination, a new generation of voters has sprung up that takes gay prom kings and same-sex marriage for granted. All of Us Strangers is at its smartest when bringing these truths to light. It’s a little too polished for such raw subject matter, but this tender film deserves acknowledgement for spotlighting an overlooked – but very real – struggle.

All of Us Strangers may borrow its premise from the 1987 Japanese novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, but it’s a loose adaptation. For maximum delight you should go in knowing as little as possible, but here are the basics: Andrew Scott is Adam, a screenwriter in his 40s just muddling through. His friends have all left London with their partners and children, and he spends his nights watching old TV and downing biscuits. Change presents itself in the form of Harry (Paul Mescal), Adam’s hot neighbor, and a new writing project. But as Adam mines his own youth for material, specters of the past step forward. Literally. Adam begins to spend much of his time with the ghosts of his dead parents, played by Jamie Bell and Claire Foy, who have manifested in his childhood home.

As he grows close to people — or spirits — again, Adam reflects on the culture that taught him to isolate himself. Too old to call himself “queer” instead of “gay” and too young to have spent much of his adulthood worrying about the AIDS epidemic or Section 28, Adam recounts a life colored by mundane discrimination. A classic “sensitive boy” with no athletic talent, he was alienated by peers and even his own father for not being manly enough.

There were seeds of this in Weekend, where the leads debated the drawbacks of flamboyance and blending in, but it’s satisfying to see things spelled out so clearly. With no cultural roadmap for growing up gay, Adam is stuck in arrested development, standing still in a hollow London high-rise while his friends happily embark on “real life.” His rendezvous with the past only emphasizes that inertia.

I’m not saying All of Us Strangers is a film about how sad it is to be gay – just a realistic one. There’s joy to be found in Adam and Harry’s budding relationship and the funny bumbling of Bell and Foy. Haigh’s signature visuals are almost unbearably pretty, with no golden hour left un-filmed. This film celebrates the good and bad of life rather than lamenting it. That’s mostly a lovely thing.

I say mostly because, well, it should be easy to make a raggedy, sad, bitter gay movie in 2023. And yet All of Us Strangers, Haigh’s first feature with a mainstream awards push – also his first with major distribution, via Disney’s Searchlight Pictures – plays nice. We already know Scott can volley from cynical to romantic on a dime (hello, Hot Priest), but while Adam has plenty of reason to be hard-hearted, he hardly acts it. In fact, the one time he does, the universe delivers him a brass-knuckled dick punch that, sure, makes sense for the plot – but still feels downright mean. Maybe Haigh wanted to make a more pleasant gay movie this go-round, but All of Us Strangers is a film that Glen, the sardonic, in-your-face protagonist of Weekend, would probably sneer at.

The film’s pat niceness is most glaring in its final scenes, as Adam’s story resolves in a way that is both too neat and also not really about Adam anymore. There’s nothing wrong with a gay movie with a broad, existential message, but damn. All of Us Strangers spends most of its runtime generating empathy for a guy who has shut himself off from the world, only to visit horrors upon him when he loosens up. Let a gay indulge.

Verdict

All of Us Strangers is all the things that will be trumpeted in its marketing: gorgeous, necessary, poignant. The cast is stacked, the visuals are breathtaking, and the subject matter is important. You’ve likely never seen a movie that tackles the specific loneliness many gay men still face today, and this one is laudable for that alone. However, All of Us Strangers airs on the side of saccharine, especially towards the end, and it would benefit overall from some more human ugliness.'

[foraging-my-bliss]

This week, I’v been trying o find small pockets of joy through consuming a little bit of media and hopping back into an old hobby. I usually don’t like to watch much tv. When i do watch something, it’s usually some type of slow icing vlog on YouTube. Which, though i o really enjoy, I wanted to shake things up a bit. So i binged the first season of “school spirits.” I honestly really liked it! I’ve been needing something spooky to hold m over til’ Halloween. Something new that wasn’t one of my usual comfort spooky shows (chilling adventures of Sabrina. & Penny dreadful.) I really enjoyed getting to know each character’s back story. I especially loved Wally’s character. An as an 80’s high school jock, I expected one thing , from old hon Hugh’s movies, and got something maybe adjacent but much more wholesome. He’s a bit of a himbo for sure but he’s incredibly sweet and does his best to lift up our protagonist whenever he can. I enjoyed seeing his moments of insecurity as well as his moments of incredible confidence. He definitely had golden retriever energy.

The other thing i have been consuming is books. Well, one book so far. I am a slow reader after all. But I recently picked up “My Sweet Audrina” by VC Andrews. My mom had been a big VC Andrews fan in the 80’s and early 90’s when i was very young. I remember those books being scattered in various parts of the house or in the car with their fascinating covers. I couldn’t quite read yet but I was very interested in what those books might hold. I started with (and so far have only finished) flowers in the attic. I loved it and immediately but the full set on kindle to read on my phone. Though I’m still flipping my way through book two in that series , It’s Audrina’s story that currently has me in a choke hold. In the Whitefern mansion, live a somewhat unwillingly melded family. Damian Adare, the narcissistic head of the house hold, his beautiful wife, Luccietta Adare and thier daughter, Audrina…. The second f her name , preceded by her older sister “The first and best Audrina” who died prior to our protagonist’s birth. Our current Audrina is Damian’s attempt at recreating , so to speak, his first perfect daughter. With this family,lives Ellsbeth Whitefern, Luccietta’s older sister, and her own daughter, Vera, Audrina’s older cousin but about 3 years. Vera is the character I grew most fascinated and most sympathetic towards during this book. She’s a hateful , spiteful girl without really being spoiled. She’s hated by pretty much everyone in the house. Luccietta tolerates her, her mother , Ellsbeth, does her best to raise her but grows more and more Frustrated as Vera grows into a wild raging teenager. And Damian straight up treats her like garbage. Audrina is the only one who tries to be civil with Vera in spite of Vera constantly antagonizing her. In the start of the book, Vera attempts to win Damian’s fatherly affections by doing little things for him that might please him, dressing nicely, acting proper, but once sh realizes she will never get the fatherly type love she hopes for from the man of the house, she acts more spitefully towards him and Audrina. There’s a bit of a secret behind vera’s birth which, might be obvious after reading this, but I’ll still hold on to the spoiler for anyone new to the book. Watching Vera spiral into her self , becoming more wicked towards Audrina for what seems like no reason, becomes almost heart breaking (to me) when you realize why she act this way. The girl has always felt unwanted by her whole family. I wold probably be pretty toxic too if i felt that much animosity towards me in my own home. I’m not done with the book yet. I stil have half of the book left and look forward to reading more..

My last bit to write about it my old picked up hobby. Crocheting. I’ve been working on this one huge blanket on and off for the past 12 years. It’s incredibly long and made up of a mixture of different yarns. I think it’s coming out beautifully. I often get bored with it eventually or run out of yarn and us take forever to go by new yarn. But in this moment, I enjoy watching things on my iPad while adding onto the blanket. I hope I eventually do finish the full blanket. I have made it long enough to wrap around myself completely during depressive episodes. i love how soft each skein i have picked is and the colors make me happy.

Here’s to more foraging for bliss.

[swimmingtvshowghostwoman]

I’m rewatching all the Spiderman movies and I just finished Tobys movies and I don’t understand how they made three movies with this man like he is sweet I have nothing against him as a person but I don’t think he is a good actor I would even say he is a bad actor …every time he showed any sort of a emotion it seems the same I can’t read this man to save my life also the plot of the third movie was such a mess there were too many things going on at onceand none of it made since

I like the first two movies plots especially the first but honestly Toby was just not good

I really like the goblin in the first movie and generally the first movie I thought it was really good other than the acting obviously but the movie itself felt very well written and also very well directed I did think the entire portraying of MJ in those movies wasn’t the best but I guess it’s from the early 2000 so I didn’t have that high expectations from it in that part anyways and there was a lot of screaming I had to turn it down so many times in the screamings parts since it was WAY too much but overall I think it was a good movie and the one I liked the most from this 3

I thought the second one was pretty good but I do think they should’ve giving the doc ock more backstory or like more reasons to become evil and not just the machine controlled him or whatever that was because it feels like kind of a weak villain but also a really good one at the same time I don’t think that makes sense but whatever I thought he could’ve been a better villain the rest of the plots of the movie felt weird like they needed to focus more on Harry and less on Mary Jane in my opinion.but still a good movie

The third one was a mess. There were too many things going on ..with venom both Eddie and Peter and there was sandman and Harry and it all felt way too much for one movie and it just felt really long and I didn’t really enjoy watching it i literally just finished watching it and I cannot think of one good thing that happened in it that I enjoyed.like maybe I’m overreacting but still. It felt weird to bring back uncle Bens death and the way they ended the sandman story was also weird so yea…I didn’t like it

Like I watched his movies so long ago and all I could remember from them is that I preferred Andrews movies over his and I couldn’t remember why now I after re-watching them I understand why…

I will be happy to see him in the new Spiderman movie because it’s like nostalgic and all that and cool and awesome and with the villains and all that it just makes sense and it will be good but I just hope he’s better in it because I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything other than Spiderman at least not that I can remember so hopefully he became a better actor

Again this is nothing against him as a person I barely know anything about him but I just really didn’t enjoy his performance in these three movies

[rosieshipper]

Saw spider man no way home and now I’m gonna scream into the next dimension thank you very much

Spoilers in the tags so be warned

[damnedparker]

someone

pairing: tasm (andrew garfield) peter parker x reader (gender neutral; no y/n)

warnings: a lil angsty, vague references to gwen stacy’s death 

summary: peter learns to let himself have a someone in his life.

in my tasm peter parker brainrot era! takes place after tasm 2

Peter Parker was standing in your doorway, a sheepish smile on his face. A sight that was all-too common to you by now. You were never mad at him, not even at the beginning of your friendship in high school after he started showing up late. It was too hard with his big brown doe eyes and a smile that was always warm, even if it was laced with apologies for being late for the millionth time, I’m really sorry. Despite the high number of times you heard him rattle that off, it always felt genuine.

“You know, pizza doesn’t magically turn back time and make you get here when you originally promised to,” you stepped aside to let him in your apartment, taking the pizza box from him. This was almost routine by now: Peter, pizza, and movie nights. He flaked on almost everything, but always managed to make it to hang with you on these nights. He was even late for your high school graduation. It was strange, but nevertheless you were grateful.

In the first months after Gwen passed, you almost never saw him outside of a FaceTime call or two and college classes. It worried you to death, until he finally came to you and opened up. The two of you had already been close, but you became almost joined at the hip. You got the feeling Peter didn’t like to be alone too much anymore.

“Okay, okay, but it does soften the blow, right?” He raised an eyebrow, collapsing dramatically on your sofa in front of the TV. “I’ll let you pick the movie tonight. To make it up to you.”

“Pete,” you sigh, grabbing plates and drinks from your kitchen before joining him in your living room where he was slowly becoming one with the couch cushions. “You always let me pick in the first place.”

“And I will continue to do so as long as I continue to be late. As a gift to you,” He grinned, reaching over to squeeze your hand, touch feeling like fire to you. It always did.

“Gee, thanks, pal.” You remarked, staring at your movie collection and taking a thoughtful bite of your pizza slice. Eventually, without much thought, you popped in Empire Strikes Back.

Barely half an hour later, pizza box discarded and lights turned down, you and Peter were sprawled across the sofa together, your head on his shoulder with your favorite blanket around your shoulders. You had stopped paying attention to the movie for a while now, instead studying the blossoming bruises that were all over Peter’s right arm that you were currently resting against. You sat up, causing him to wince in pain.

“What happened, Pete? You get jumped or something?” You furrowed your brows in concern. It wasn’t abnormal for him to be bruised, in fact it was extremely common now, usually with the excuse being he fell while skateboarding. But by now, you knew damn well it wasn’t that. The amount of times you had seen him injured had grown exponentially since Gwen had passed.

“I’m okay, just fell—"

“Off your skateboard,” you finished for him, shaking your head. “I know this isn’t just a bad fall. None of these the past few months have been. Please talk to me, P. You know you can tell me anything. I won’t judge you.”

“I know,” he looked down at his lap, playing with the zipper on his hoodie. “I just- I can’t.”

“Why not?” You leaned forward in attempt to make eye contact, but he just looked completely away from you. “Peter, I care about you. Maybe more than I should. I promise you, whatever it is, it’s safe with me. Maybe I can help whatever is going on. I don’t like seeing you hurt.” He stared forward, eyes on the TV but clearly not watching what was on it. You sighed, running a hand through your hair and throwing your blanket behind you as you stood from the sofa. You paced around the coffee table, beginning to ramble in an attempt for him to say anything at all. “I mean, I know you don’t get those level of bruises from your skateboard. You’ve been skating since you were eleven years old, I’ve seen you. You don’t fall that much, even when you’re at the skatepark. Just tell me what it is,” you stopped pacing in front of the TV in an attempt to get him to look at you. He just covered his face with his hands. “What am I supposed to believe? You might as well be fucking Spider-man or something, getting beaten up every night with how many times I’ve cleaned you up.” His hands came away from his face, eyes widened, and he looked up at you in shock. You were taken aback at his genuine reaction, and then something clicked. “Oh my god, I was kidding, but you—”

“I’m not—”

“You’re always late. Always beaten up. You acted weird for months in high school the same time Spider-man started popping up,” you turned away from him, running your hands through your hair frantically now. Then your voice got quiet. “And Gwen...” A hand landed on your shoulder, turning you around. The two of you looked at each other for a while, until you noticed something under the collar of his hoodie. You slowly reached up, with slightly shaking hands. You were already convinced, but as the zipper came down just enough to see the black spider embedded into the red suit covering his chest, the confirmation shook you probably more than it should. And then, the first thing that came out of your mouth without any thought. “All this time, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I never knew how,” he shrugged, placing his hand over yours that was still lingering in disbelief on his chest. “And I just… it’s too dangerous. I don’t— I wouldn’t be able to handle it if something were to happen to you. I...” Tears creeped into his eyes. You looked up at him, suddenly very aware at how close your faces were. Your heart was racing faster than it ever had, even around Peter, and if you leaned just a little closer, your lips would be on his. You could barely breathe as he started leaning in, and just as his mouth began to brush yours, he paused and leaned away. It felt like a sucker punch to the gut when he moved even further away, shaking his head to himself.

“Peter—”

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head, then began walking towards the door. You reached for his arm, but he pulled away too quickly.

“Peter, wait—” You were cut off by a slam, leaving you alone in your apartment.

--

It had been a week since Peter almost kissed you. You had tried to call him multiple times, for the first three days. Every time your face popped up on his phone screen, he threw it across the room. He was lucky his phone hadn’t shattered yet.

Ever since he lost Gwen, he just couldn’t handle anything. Every emotion was multiplied by ten. Every little thing that went wrong ignited the hurt all over again. It only started to get better when he eventually broke down and began to confide in you. It was like releasing his soul from a prison. He still hurt, God did he hurt, but you made it better. You listened, offered comfort, and distractions when he needed them. Eventually, you began to hang out nearly every other day, and he had miraculously started attending his college courses again just to see you. It was like a cure to everything shitty that he was going through. You were his own personal ray of sunshine, keeping him safe from all the violent thunderstorms that plagued his mind when he was alone. The only other thing that kept him occupied was Spider-man. He had thrown himself into that work full-stop, not caring about how exhausted or how many injuries he endured. The only thing that mattered was saving people. He would never let anyone down again. He didn’t think he could take it.

And then something happened.

He realized he had fallen in love with you. It was wonderful. And made him feel so guilty.

Gwen had left a hole in his heart that he never thought would heal. But you came along and not only healed it, helped keep that part with Gwen intact, the happy memories of her safe. Standing alongside it in solidarity, protecting his heart from dealing with that pain again. Nobody could replace her, nobody ever would. But that didn’t mean he couldn't love someone again. And god, did he love you.

It was hard not to constantly hold your hand, not have his arm around you, or play with your hair. Sometimes, in those late-night, sleepy study breaks, he could hold you, be close to you, and it wouldn’t be weird because the two of you were so sleep-deprived. He cherished those moments, when your eyelids drooped and you giggled loudly at his stupid jokes, feeling almost drunk from the exhaustion. You were the cutest thing he had ever seen, snuggling into your favorite throw blanket, sometimes pulling him in with you and reading the weekly textbook chapters aloud to him before the words became slurred, drifting off until you had fallen asleep.

Peter was absolutely fucked.

He knew this for sure when he almost kissed you. And he knew it yet again, as he perched on the roof of the building across from your window, in the pouring rain, watching you try and fail to focus on some homework assignment that wasn’t even due until the next week. He could tell you were hurt, troubled, and unable to focus. But you were forcing yourself to try so you didn’t have to think about what was bothering you. It seemed to work for a few minutes as he watched you.

And then you started crying. And, oh, seeing that broke him.

You were crying because of him. Stupid Peter Parker, the idiot who couldn’t handle kissing someone new; specifically, a someone who didn’t mind when he held your hand just to feel your touch, or fell asleep on you after a night on patrol. Someone who always had a place for him to crash, bandages to fix him after a bad fight that he could never even explain to you. You opened your heart and your home to him with little questions, even when those questions didn’t get an answer. He didn’t deserve you. And he was scared because he still wanted you. Needed you. But there he was. Swinging across to your window, ripping off his mask, tapping on your window until you finally noticed above the thunderstorm.

You looked up through tears at your window, a soaked Peter Parker in his Spider-man suit standing there, with the same sheepish smile on his face as when he showed up at your apartment late just a week ago before everything had become grey and dreary.

You could just shut your curtains, ignore him, leave him out in the rain. He left right after he almost kissed you and revealed a secret he’d been hiding for years. Ignored you for the better part of a week to avoid any kind of discussion about it. But who would you be if you let yourself be mad at your best friend? Your Peter?

You opened your window.

“You know, it’s creepy to wait outside someone’s window. Especially when they’re on the seventh floor,” You sniffled, trying your best to pretend like you weren’t just crying. “And when you’re wearing spandex.”

“You don’t think it suits me?” He tilted his head, that sheepish smile still spread across his lips, wet hair hanging over his forehead. You sighed, squeezing your eyes shut for a moment to remind yourself that he had ignored you for a week.

“Peter, I was worried sick about you. Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“I’m sorry, I just—” He sucked in a sharp breath, looking at you apologetically. “I don’t have any excuses. I’m just sorry. I’m so sorry.” His voice was shaking now as he tried not to cry. You didn’t say anything, rushing forward to hug him tightly. Peter buried his face in your neck, breathing deeply and trying to calm himself down. Seconds soon became minutes before you had the strength to let go of him, your shirt now soaked because of the rain outside.

“You’re making a puddle on my floor, come on.” You told him softly, leading him to your bathroom. He stood in the doorway, watching as you brought him a change of clothes, ones he probably had left here so long ago that they just became a part of your closet. You left him to change, and he quickly did so, hanging his now wet Spidey suit on your bathtub.

“Where did you find this shirt? I thought I had lost it months ago,” Peter approached you where you were sitting on the edge of your desk in your bedroom. You pushed yourself to stand again, shrugging.

“You left it here forever ago… It kind of became a part of my pajamas.” Even in the dim light of just your desk lamp, he could see your cheeks flush. Why on earth were you so goddamn cute?

“Thank you for keeping it safe,” he came even closer until he was as close as he was just that single week ago in your living room. “You were always better at taking care of things than me.”

“Says the guy that saves people’s lives every night,” you raised an eyebrow at him, with a small, but proud smile.

“I can’t save everyone,” Peter murmured, grabbing your hand. You sucked in a nervous breath. “That’s what scares me.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he squeezed your hand. You squeezed back, placing your other hand on his chest.

“I know, Pete,” you told him softly. “But this—Spider-man—isn’t required of you. You’re only one person. And somehow, you do more than even half this city tries to. You care more about them. You keep me safe every day, and I know that won’t change. Even if something happens to me, I know it won’t be because of you. Because I know you would break every part of you to keep other people from harm. Even if it tears you apart,” You moved a hand up to caress his cheek, running a thumb over a healing bruise on his face. “And I would do the same for you in a heartbeat, you know that, right?” Peter looked at you for a long moment, letting go of your hand to hug you again.

“I don’t deserve you,” his voice shook from where his chin rested on top of your head. His arms squeezed you tight. Somehow, even after just being out in a downpour, he was warmer than ever. “And I don’t even have you.”

“You’ve always had me.” You whispered. Peter pulled back from the hug to look at you again. His forehead rested against yours. “If you want.”

“Yeah,” he let out a small laugh, kissing your cheek softly. “I need you, you know.”

“Of course you do, bug boy, you wouldn’t survive without me.”

“After this week, I know that for certain,” he rubbed his nose against yours affectionately before meeting your eyes with his again. “Can I kiss you?”

“You don’t have to ask.”

[vileviale]

Thx for the tag!

Do you have freckles? I have various freckles and moles on my body, but not a ton

 Do you drink tea or coffee? How do you take it? Both, with a little sugar and a lot of lactose free milk

What was the last song you listened to? Soul meets body by Death Cab For Cutie

Do you sleep on your back, stomach or side? Stomach

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Five

Do you prefer drawing or writing? Drawings easier for me so I’m more likely to do it

What’s your ideal number of blankets to sleep with? One quilt

What’s your favorite band/artist? Andrew Bird

When is your birthday? March 23rd

How tall are you? 5ft8

What color are your eyes? Dark brown

Who are five (or more) people you want to hug right now? My dad, my mom, my dog, my siblings, and my friends

Fears? Starting things and anything to do with hell/demons/satan (with good omens being the one and only exception. But the show can still give me the heebie jeebies sometimes)

What’s your favorite color? Green but I think I like purple more now

What’s your favorite season? fall and spring

Want any tattoos? What of? Florida butterfly orchid (not sure where) and maybe something in elvish around my ankle or arm

Want any piercings? Where? Lots more ear piercings and a bridge piercing

Who is the last person you texted? my ex step dad

Do you have a best friend? How long have you been friends? My cousin is my best friend now and we started becoming friends around four or five years ago

What/who do you miss? I miss my friends, my high school, and the lack of responsibility in my childhood

How was your day today? Good

How much sleep did you get last night? 6 hours

Do you believe in aliens? It’s nearly impossible for life to not be out there

When was the last time you cried? Why? thirty minutes ago bc I watched a sad movie

What’s your favorite decade? Ooh. That’s hard. I love each and every one from the 1800s up to today.

What are some seemingly childish things you like? Kids shoes and toys and juice

What’s your favorite book? Or just one you’ve read a few times? The Secret Garden

How are you, really? Recovering from the worst time in my life but ready for the road ahead

Does it take you a long time to make decisions? No. It’s easy when you break things down

What are you looking forward to in the near future? going back to school

What are you looking forward to in the distant future? Possibly getting an internship at Stanford (that’s in less than six months but it seems distant to me)

If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go? New Zealand

Do you sleep with your door open or closed? FUCKING CLOSED I HATE OPEN DOORS TOO MUCH ENERGY NOT SAFE

What’s your favorite flower? snapdragons and zinnias and any wildflower

Do you currently have a squish? Idk what a squish is. Like a squishmallow? I have a frog on one my friend crocheted for me

Do you like your middle name? Yeah its alright

Do you prefer dogs or cats? I love both but dogs are easier to snuggle with

Do you have any phobias? Nope

Do you stay up late? Yep

Do you like the beach? Do you prefer it sunny or cloudy? I’m a Florida girl, saltwater runs through my veins. The beach is sooo beautiful, especially siesta. I like cloudy days full of rain or wind or fog, but not always at the beach

What’s your favorite cartoon? I guess tumbleleaf

Tag 5 of your favorite blogs @gloriousvermin @onewholecabbage @temporary-temporal-temper @bigmeatpete69420 @muckmage

Do you have siblings? How many? One full sibling, three half siblings on my mom’s side, Teo half sibling on my dad’s. All younger than me

Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? My siblings

Is there anyone you would die for? my family

What do you need when you’re sad? alone time and a distraction

Have you memorized your phone number? yeah

Who’s someone you can trust with your life? No one

What does your last text say? We just got out of the circus imma be at your house in about an hour

🔫 I know 2 is tea. But 1-49

Do you have freckles? only a couple

 Do you drink tea or coffee? How do you take it? tea, one milk, one sugar

What was the last song you listened to? alaska by little hurt

Do you sleep on your back, stomach or side? depends on the night, and i also move a lot in my sleep so i cant really answer this

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? yea :]

Do you prefer drawing or writing? writing

What’s your ideal number of blankets to sleep with? two. a duvet and a weighted blanket

What’s your favorite band/artist? i dont have one

When is your birthday? june 10th

How tall are you? 5ft3 :/

What color are your eyes? greyish blue

Who are five (or more) people you want to hug right now? Blue, my sister, my best friend, my other friend, and my dog

Fears? heights, planes, throwing up (all related to my motion sickness)

What’s your favorite color? dark green :)

What’s your favorite season? fall and winter

Want any tattoos? What of? maybe something small when im older, like a flower or smth

Want any piercings? Where? id like to get another ear piercing

Who is the last person you texted? my best friend

Do you have a best friend? How long have you been friends? yeah :) we've been friends since spring of last year, when she joined our pathfinder unit

What/who do you miss? Blue, my sister, my nana, my friends from pathfinders

How was your day today? it was okay

How much sleep did you get last night? 10ish hours

Do you believe in aliens? i believe that we arent the only life in the universe

When was the last time you cried? Why? this afternoon, bc my sister was going back to uni

What’s your favorite decade? uh. the 2010s bc that was when i was growing up and didnt have to deal with all this shit

What are some seemingly childish things you like? uhh i like a couple kids shows

What’s your favorite book? Or just one you’ve read a few times? sweep by jonathan auxier 

How are you, really? i kinda feel like shit rn but ive dealt with worse

Does it take you a long time to make decisions? yea, im really indecisive

What are you looking forward to in the near future? getting to see my friends from pathfinders on wednesday

What are you looking forward to in the distant future? going on my pathfinder trip in 2025

If you could go anywhere right now, where would you go? germany

Do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed

What’s your favorite flower? bleeding hearts

Do you currently have a squish? nope

Do you like your middle name? yep

Do you prefer dogs or cats? cats, but i still love dogs

Do you have any phobias? acrophobia

Do you stay up late? yeah

Do you like the beach? Do you prefer it sunny or cloudy? the beach is meh. i like when its sunny but not too hot

What’s your favorite cartoon? i dont have one

Tag 5 of your favorite blogs @idontliketomatoesleavemealone @recovering-redditor @keenkryptonitenut @rainbowangel110 @vileviale + lots more

Do you have siblings? How many? two siblings, an older sister and a younger brother

Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? my dog

Is there anyone you would die for? my siblings

What do you need when you’re sad? a hug

Have you memorized your phone number? yep

Who’s someone you can trust with your life? my mum

What does your last text say? 'slightly'