#Plus being induced by Heck drawing him

[meowuff]

Absolutely couldn't stop thinking about how lost ma boi looks in this post from @heckitall

Fucking loving it! o(≧∀≦)o

Very sorry if it looks lil wonky :T

[phoenixyfriend]

Palpatine committing medical malpractice on mpreg Vader, please.

I have, no joke, been thinking about this concept non stop since I read your post yesterday.

I feel like there are two people that should normally be tagged any time Palpatine's horrific medical crimes wrt one Darth Anakin Vader Skywalker come up, but I'm not inflicting this on them.

I'm a little bummed you're staying on anon. Come join me in the pit.

So the thing is that it's not mpreg, then medical malpractice. It's medical malpractice to induce mpreg, because Palpatine wants to see what happens.

Finally seeing RotS gave me the weird vibe that like... Vader is the closest Palpatine has ever come to actually caring about someone. He doesn't actually hold any affection, but he's been manipulating and putting effort into this kid for over a decade, which isn't as long as Maul, but after two apprentices fell to Obi-Wan's blade, maybe it's just, like, a Kenobi thing, being able to fuck over Sith Apprentices, so maybe he shouldn't have ditched Maul on planet trash? Meh. Doesn't matter now.

So like. Palpatine doesn't actually care. But he's vaguely? Fond? Of this asshole? In a way that involves torture. He kind of likes Vader but he likes torturing Vader more, both physically and psychologically. It's a hobby, and it's one that Palpatine is very good at.

Mpreg hits a weird, fun little button that I've decided Palpatine has, which is "this will hurt Vader emotionally and make him suffer physically and cause endless torture psychologically, but part of him will still want this for Padme reasons and his general obsession with the nature of life and death, so he still feels thankful to me, the guy fucking him over at every turn, and I like having his gratitude and whatever's left of his love."

So. You know. Palpatine doesn't ask, he just does the thing and tells Vader after, when the uterus and fetus are already implanted, and Vader's just like "Well, okay then" for a variety of reasons, like "thy bidding be done" and "babies..."

Vader's body is in terrible shape. I've been told his prosthetic limbs are designed to hurt him so the pain draws him closer to the dark side, and the suit releases Sith Chemicals. I don't think Palpatine actually thought about what a pregnancy entails, because Vader may be terrifyingly competent in the field, but like. "Swollen feet" and "back pain" are already default, known side effects of pregnancies. How the heck do you expect your perfect killing machine to go out killing things when Pregnancy Bullshit plus Existing Bullshit equals Can't Actually Walk.

It's bad for the baby, Sheev. The anxiety (and Sith Chemicals) and pain hormones are bad for the baby. Vader's taking paternity leave.

Vader doesn't have an employment contract, nor would that contract include paternity leave (or salary, or vacation, or sick leave), but he's doing this anyway. His Glorious Master has graciously gifted him a life to nurture, and so he shall.

Palpatine miscalculated, and realizes this, but he... kind of thinks it's funny? Vader is going to be waddling soon, with like. Baby belly. People will be staring. All Palpatine has to do is tell Vader he can't kill people for being rude about the pregnancy and it turns into a different kind of psychological torture, where people ask invasive questions and make asshole comments, and Vader can't choke them out for it.

Vader is having an endless spiral of Feelings about this baby. Bail Organa is pointedly not commenting on this, when he sees it, especially since Vader is radiating Hate every time someone says anything about it, but it's such a goddamn twist that he calls up Fulcrum and tells her that she needs to go to Tatooine, here's some instructions on whom to find, explain the Vader pregnancy.

Bail is very unfortunate. Vader takes his polite refusal to address the elephant in the room as a good sign and spends time around him as a result. Has Vader decided Bail is his new best friend? Unclear. Bail is scared to ask that, too.

[ask-matchmaker-creativitwins]

Remus: "Take six! Action!"

Patton?: "Deceit! It is so nice to see you today! I brought some brownies for us to share! Come sit down! I remember you said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Deceit: "Oh... Okay, sure. Yes, I would like to talk to you about something..."

Patton?: ".........."

Deceit: "..........."

Patton?: "Um... well don't leave me hangin'! No need to be shy, just say what you're thinking."

Deceit: "Okay... I uh... I think that... we need to stop talking indefinitely!"

Roman: "Ugh, Deceit, come on-"

Deceit: "N-no, wait, i'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that. I meant to say that... I think that you're..."

Roman: "Just spit it out!"

Deceit: "-yyyyyes!"

Roman: "You think that I'm yes?"

Deceit: "No! Er, yes? I don't know."

Remus: "Cuuuut! This is getting kind of hard to watch, even for me..."

Roman: "Well, okay! That's a start! Granted, a really terrible one but it's a start."

Remus: "I don't know if that was better or worse than the last three, honestly."

Roman: "I mean jeez, I know that you're shy but this is getting a bit ridicul-"

Deceit: "Okay! It was bad! I get it! God, this is just... a waste of time! I already knew this wouldn't work, why am I so stupid?"

Remus: "Nonono, Deceit! Come on, don't go! We can try again!"

Deceit: "No! Scenario over! This was the final nail in the coffin!"

Roman: "Final nail? We just started! All you have to do is tell him the truth!"

Deceit: "I- I CA-... CAN-... argh! Just leave it alone!"

Remus: "-gasp- Ohhhh my god, I get it now! This is because that weird thing you do isn't it! Is that why you've been acting so defensive?"

Roman: "Wait, what? What weird thing?"

Remus: "Uhhh..."

Deceit: "...-sigh- Might as well tell him. I can't seem to hide it for the life of me."

Remus: "Okay! It's his lying impulse thing. Sometimes when he's threatened, he can't force himself to tell the truth about stuff, even when he wants to! I mean shit, dude nearly threw up every time he tried to imply that he cared about us!"

Deceit: "Remus!"

Remus: "What?! You did!"

Deceit: "Look, it's... hard to make my mouth say the words I want it to. For stuff like this, I mean. Heck, it's the reason I keep a journal in the first place, just to write down what I know I can't say."

Remus: "Well that and you're a dork."

Deceit: "Even speaking NORMALLY takes an effort sometimes but... being vulnerable like this? I've never had to do that before. I haven't- ugh, I HAVE been trying harder ever since Patton and I started talking but... I just can't do it, okay?... If I can't even tell him the truth about this then... what's the point?"

Roman: "Deceit, don't be so hard on yourself! Maybe speaking your mind is more difficult for you than most but so what?! That doesn't mean that you're not worthy of love!"

Deceit: "Hmph. You didn't seem to think that when you were chewing me out for it earlier."

Roman: "Huh?"

Deceit: "All of this giving him the cold shoulder and insisting i'm happy as friends!... I've been... I've been trying to confess for weeks, okay?! That's what happens when I try! I just start lying!"

Remus: "What?! You told us you weren't ever planning on confessing! You even wrote it in your journal!"

Deceit: "I changed my mind! I wasn't- Argh, I WAS lying to you, obviously!"

Roman: "We can't help you if you aren't honest with us, Deceit. If you knew this was a problem why didn't you say anything?"

Deceit: "I don't know... I just... I wanted to do this normally. Speaking confidently without relying on lying to protect myself... Why do you think i've been letting you two push me around all day? I thought... I thought that maybe it'd finally work out this time... -sigh- instead, all i've done is gone and humiliate myself."

Roman: "Deceit, i'm so sorry. We... never meant to make you feel humiliated over something you couldn't help. I just thought you got flustered easily is all! Apologies aside however, I'm glad you told us, because now we know what angle to work from here."

Deceit: "You're... You're still going to help me? After I haven't- hhhaven't-.... After I HAVE been lying to you all day?"

Roman: "Of course! While lying isn't my favorite thing in the world, helping true love to blossom is! Plus... you're my friend too."

Deceit: "....."

Remus: "M'kay, this is some cavity inducing shit but maybe we should get back to the drawing board on this one."

Roman: "Agreed! Let's ditch the stage for now! We'll just focus on finding a way for Deceit to speak his mind properly!"

[hannah-writes]

The Semiotics of Roswell (aka why Malex is Endgame because the camera says so)

And we’re back with instalment #2 of The Semiotics of Roswell. I’m supposed to be working but eh, who needs to actually have numbers and facts behind what they’re presenting? Losers, that’s who.

Today’s focus is on episode 2 and though I’ve tried to keep my screencaps in order, something wonky happens when I upload it, so I’ll be focusing primarily on individual scenes and the pairings - as before - so plz forgive me if some of the stuff isn’t in chronological order. The Malex stuff definitely will be. 

Also, at some point, I lost the ability to differentiate between the left and the right. #datdyslexiclife

Image heavy, once again! Consider this your friendly neighbourhood warning!

All my semiotic meta can be followed/tracked using the #Semiotics of Roswell tag, and is here on my tumblr. This includes random other semiotic meta that comes at me when I see gif sets.

Part 1 / Reunion Kiss Video Meta / I Never Look Away Video Meta / 

First of all, fuck this show and its lighting. It’s so dark half the time you gotta squint at the screen to see what’s going on. I know CW shows are all about their moody lighting and how it’s meant to help portray dark, gritty realism but the very nature of this show allows them to cover gritty realism without having to swamp our characters in darkness. 

What I do find interesting is in the below screenshot Max is half lit. This seems to come up quite a lot and now we’ve all seen the finale it can be construed as a hint to the duality of their “nature” as aliens, the darkness of the legacy of their race vs the lightness of their nature and love for humanity. (Michael’s general dislike for everything notwithstanding, obviously)

Liz & Max - handprint connecting them - fall into the my-side-your-side framing in this episode. Interestingly, you can see in the shot above that Liz is shot flat, the camera’s at the same level as her and there’s no upward angle. She’s got an even distance mid-shot whereas in direct contrast Max is closer cropped and the angle is slightly up. This is likely an accident, but there’s an insinuation with the camera being tilted up that Max currently is more powerful over Liz. We’d argue that Max would never feel that way; Liz is the hurricane that messes up his mind and his life and he can’t fight her. But his handprint is on her, which means she’s feeling what he’s feeling. This does somewhat blur the lines for her own perception of what she’s feeling and gives Max a modicum of control. This is more obvious as a shooting decision on the basis that they’re both standing and though there’s a height difference between them it can be compensated for by distance. But we always focus on Max’s face when Liz is around, and she dominates far more of his shot (below) than he does of hers (above). 

Conversely, the below two images are our first proper introduction to the Max/Cam dynamic which, ngl, though Echo is my ship, I enjoyed this for the playful dynamic that it was and it helps settle and establish in Max’s character that he is a sucker for strong women who can dominate the heck outta his soft, squishy person. 

Max and Cam show an up-down shot dynamic in this instance purely because he’s sitting and she’s standing, which sets it apart from the one above with Max and Liz since they’re (ostensibly, height difference notwithstanding) on the same level and being shot differently. Cameron and Max here are physically on different levels.

Max is more centrally-right shot, whereas Cameron’s on the right side of the screen; so though she’s framed to be ready to share the screen, Max isn’t which scrubs out the possibility of a true romantic relationship. Max’s position on the left-hand side of the screen - when he is on it - is reserved for Liz (two shots down!).

(Worth pointing out here that Malex is the only ship that is consistently shot with the my-side-your-side, even when they are broken up not together. Liz and Max have their fair share of shots that are on the same side or in the middle, allowing them to bleed into one - I’m thinking of the finale where they’re both lying to each other over the phone, Liz saying she’s fine when she’s been stabbed & Max saying he’s okay when they’re off doing alien things). 

Seriously though fuck the moody lighting of this show. The only mood it’s inducing is frustration and headaches. Stupid show. 

Again here, Echo is displaying the your-side-my-side framing. It’s the reverse of the above scene; they don’t have a set dynamic where there’s one that owns one side of the screen, not like Malex, but that’s actually okay. At this point in time, their relationship is unstable and tumultuous. Here, you can see they’re shot from the same, flat angle and there’s roughly the same zoom ratio used to help keep them in the frame. It’s not close on his face and zoomed out on Liz or vice-versa.

(Seriously, though, we don’t need mood lighting. I’d like to be able to watch the show without squinting)

First Malex scene! 

Which, thankfully, is outside in the day time which has better lighting. My eyes are thankful, episode. Plus, now I get to look at Michael and Alex for a while and spend some time sitting in my happy place.

The first thing that’s apparent here is that Alex and Michael - even though they’re not even in the same place right now - they’re still adhering to the my-side-your-side. Michael comes into the shot from the left and then the camera actually pans with him, tracking to keep him in the left of the shot. He doesn’t drive in and drive out, what we actually see is him driving in, looking to the right side of the frame and then we cut (below). It’s a hark back to the first episode, which is almost a frame-by-frame comparison except at the end Michael knows who’s standing there and the smile on his face feels almost part pleasure and anticipation at seeing Alex and part getting his armour on (sharp smile, sharper wit) because he doesn’t know what’s coming next. After they kissed at the reunion the sort of almost hope on Michael’s face is painful. 

We cut to Alex (on the right-hand side of the screen), sticking up a ‘you have been evicted’ notice. He’s still in his ACUs, which in many senses as a costume choice could be seen as him keeping a distance from Michael. He’s on Official Air Force Business here, so he needs to keep that respectable, responsible distance. The mid-shot here is also a testament to that; he’s being physically distant because of the nature of his job, the nature of how he has changed as a person. The uniform is a barrier as much as it is anything else, similar to the motif of the colour red referencing Liz and Rosa’s armour (Alex wears a red shirt in the pilot, too, and red is a colour that’s quite often seen in Liz’s wardrobe but styling choices are something entirely different and deserves a meta all of its own). We see it quite clearly in episode one, and again here. 

Under the my-side-your-side rules, the (below) shot where is once again telling; Michael’s home is on the right-hand side of this screen (generally where Alex tends to be in their dynamic, on the right, though it was the left hand of Michael’s that was ruined by Jesse Manes the destruction of their relationships started then and has spiralled out of control ever since, the right-hand side of the screen where home is, where Alex is even if neither of them is willing to admit it just yet, moving across to the right is a step forward, away from the pain of the left, in this framing, Alex represents being closer to home than anything else) and Alex has moved into the left-hand side of the frame. They’re not even remotely in the middle, Alex has gone into Michael’s side of the frame.

There’s a physical barrier - a pole - between them and the house in the shot which carves it in two; Malex and home, visually separated by a stark line down the middle. The lights that are in the frame are dim, and intrusive on the shot. It’s also shot at a further distance than we’re used to, items cluttering the right but a huge open space on the left for Malex. The huge open space, however, makes them look small and tight in their togetherness vs the vast open New Mexico landscape. Them against the emptiness of the world, tight and crammed together.

Visual meta aside, there’s no need for Alex to be so physically close to Michael when he moves away from the door of the airstream, he could have taken any direction - any path - to his vehicle but the one he chose was through Michael. Even now he can’t stay away, can’t fight the tug and push and pull that draws him in.

The vast emptiness of the previous shot is directly contrasted then to the sudden and quick cut the two of them, Michael grabbing Alex and pulling him closer, tugging him in and taunting him. It’s almost a reverse of their dance in the pilot; Michael moves in close, uses Alex’s ACUs to tug him in (tugging on his armour). The camera’s close over Alex’s shoulder and though it’s Michael’s face in the shot, Alex still dominates the frame. We aren’t supposed to be looking at anything else, our eyes aren’t meant to be focused on anything other than this moment right here. 

When we move to look at Alex’s point of view (and I don’t know if anyone’s commented on how Alex reaches out for Michael almost instinctively when Michael tugs him in like a reflex but then grips his hand to pull him away because he’s an airman now and he’s not the man he used to be, literally and metaphorically) the frame is further away, but Alex is still dominating the frame, both his side and Michael’s. It gives us a clue as to Michael’s headspace; Alex is still a huge driving force in his life, in his mind. So even though he’s sassing, he wants to be closer. Alex is the one putting distance between them, here. It’s immediately followed by Michael sassing him which is pretty much Michael’s MO as a defence mechanism; Alex said ‘nope, we can’t do that again’ and Michael’s immediate response is to lash out, go on the defensive, play on the town drunk. (More here in the video breakdown)

OKAY. So, I’m aware that wikipedia isn’t the best resource for information due to it being able to be edited by literally anyone, but here is a link to the USAF insignia and those definitely look like Captain bars, to me, which would mean that teenager Alex “screw authority” Manes grew up to become Captain Manes, and outranks his dad. I’m not an expert on the military at all, and so if you want to know more I would 100% suggest you go read this by the awesome @ober-affen-geil who breaks down the military stuff that we see on the show. Also everything else they’ve written. It’s good. I got lost in her meta tag trying to write this.

Having told Michael to move his rig and there’s separate space between them again, Alex and Michael return to opposite sides of the screen. The contrast here is immense; Alex’s bright “yeah, we’re not supposed to build on Santa’s workshop, either” comment is flippant and bright, there are no shadows on his face or covering him at all as he makes a joke that Michael knows is anything but. The darkness on the shadows over Michael’s face (below) are a clever lighting choice which shows conflict and unrest. Not just because Alex is leaving, but because the Air Force are buying up The Crash Site. 

Okay, then some stuff happens and I’ll dip into that during the video meta, but then really, the bit that everyone’s interested in. I’ve only included two shots of Cameron and Max’s sex scene because eh, we all know that it’s a you-scratch-my-back kind of situation but it’s cool to look at the positioning vs Malex in theirs. 

So there’s something deeply impersonal about how this is shot, it’s distant and wide-angled, the two of them are pressed together but there’s nothing there that tells us this is anything more than a quick shag in the kitchen. There’s no use of any of the motifs we come to associate with our key pairings (Echo it’s the sun, Malex it’s colour and hands). We’re watching this from a distance, an observer of the most casual kind. There’s a lot going on (what the hell are all those post-its, is that her fridge? Her counter is kinda cluttered, it’s handy her stove’s in the middle of the room on a bank of its own. That green container’s full of shit, are they all her spoons and spatulas and stuff?) which means that our eye isn’t immediately drawn to the hot shirtless Max and really hot off the shoulder shit action Cameron has going on there. It’s distant and impersonal and we’re not meant to get invested.

It’s deliberately interspersed between Malex because of the contrast; casual fuck vs two people coming together after a long time and a decade (minus a couple of days) of longing all culminating in a passionate and desperate kiss. There’s desperation between Max and Cameron too but it’s different. 

So. The second Malex scene.

One of the things I really like about this first shot is how little everything looks. We never see the exterior of Isobel’s house, but from the way it’s shot when we do see it, it’s busy and cluttered and home. Both Max and Michael’s places are set further out; Max’s house is surrounded by empty, isolated space, representative of how lonely he feels - though he’s got Isobel, she’s married and happy and he lost Michael the night Rosa died. 

Michael, too, this shot of his air-stream with the truck in front of it is so small. Alex’s car (SUV? I’m not good with car makes) is right in the centre of the screen and you can see Alex moving into Michael’s space. There’s so much amazing meta out there about their relationship that I could only distantly dream of creating, however there’s a point here about Alex being the one to consistently reach out, and @chasingshhadows did a piece on how Alex speaks with his body - Michael throws words out but Alex talks with touch, with action - and this is the first we see of it: Alex going to Michael, going into his space physically. It makes Alex and Michael look so small in comparison to the expanse around them (and, because I’m a hopeless shipper, small in comparison to the magnitude of their cosmic fucking love, fight me). 

(I’m definitely gonna find a video and do a video meta like I did with the kiss, because ~reasons. REASONS, I TELL YOU)

We see Alex on the left here, starting out, his vulnerability has already been highlighted by how small and tiny he looks walking towards the trailer in a phenomenally wide shot (above). This whole seventeen again talk just breaks me. Not gonna lie. This might get a bit incoherent.

Michael’s in the middle-left of the frame, his position already defensive. His truck’s at his back and the open landscape is in focus behind him (where it was blurred behind Alex above). There’s a vastness that’s indicative of something greater; the use of space to make the two of them seem closer is such a clever choice. The backdrop of distance gives a sense of closeness and isolation to Michael’s trailer, but also to this conversation and them as two people alone in the wilderness (it definitely gives off that kind of vibe). 

Ugh, just. My heart. This scene. Alex approaching Michael (this is, of course, after Isobel’s pointed “is there really no one you would risk everyone to save?” comment at the Pony - which correct me if I’m wrong but we haven’t even seen M&M interacting yet, so all of these heavy lines, the dialogue cues, everything supports our cosmic love story, right from the getgo.)

They full on invade each other’s framing here; Michael in the middle-left, Alex in the middle-right, the vulnerability of the situation and the backdrop forcing them to share a space that’s intimiate. The camera’s close, but it’s not too close, so we’re more intimate than the (to be spliced but analysed above) scenes of Cameron and Max and these guys have their clothes on. (And Alex isn’t in his ACUs because he’s not on official business but his father seems to wear them all the time which means the dude needs to take a break every now and then but it’s also significant because that is one of Alex’s barriers down; he’s in his own clothes, clothes that are comfortable and not a uniform that he’s hidden behind and squished himself into a box to wear. It’s another step, another concession to being something for Michael)

The invasion of the frame is important; it sets up an inability to stay out of each other’s space, something that’s all part of a cosmic love story - you know, I’m not sure if you heard this but the two of them just connected like something cosmic - how they drift in and out of each other’s space, right from the first time they see each other.

I promised a video breakdown of the scene and here it is: I never look away, not really, A Cinematographic Breakdown - Part of The Semiotics of Roswell Meta. 

I’ll wait. Come back when you’ve watched them make out some. I’ll stick the link at the bottom again, just in case.

So even though they’ve been invading each other’s spaces this entire scene so far, this is the second time Michael watches Alex walk away and the way he surges to grab hold of him, how he takes up the entire frame just by stretching his arm out and rocking his body and the expanse of wilderness behind him is so telling about where his state is. He’s alone in the world and the person who’s making him feel less alone - who is also alone in the world - is moving away. 

When Alex looks back at him, they’ve got their my-side-your-side framing on and Michael’s still a presence felt here, even though Alex is meant to be the focus. Our eyes follow Alex’s gaze, which tracks us over to Michael. In the seconds that follow, as we all know, they go into the trailer to start it rockin’. But the camera never leaves the close, focused attention it bathes Malex in here. We’re meant to look at them both, unlike Cam & Max, there’s nothing else to focus on here but them. No interesting cupboard or fridge displays, no beer bottle and random green thing filled with utensils. Just Michael and Alex.

Before diving into the framing of the kiss, I just want to touch on the circular nature of this scene. We see it starting with this same wide shot, Alex and Michael looking tiny and alone, we end it with the same shot but neither of them are there. This serves as a reminder of how alone they are right now, how separate and distant and isolated which then gives us a real sense of claustrophobia and intimacy and allows us to feel the difference in vibe between outside and inside (as if we don’t already, but you know what I mean).

Here in the two shots above we see Alex looking ready to instigate, moving into Michael’s side of the frame and though we know it’s Michael that crashes into Alex, the implication here is that Alex is the initiator; he turned up at the ranch, he walked into the air stream (I will never get over Michael’s shaking hand), he’s the one that leans forward here to tell Michael yes, this, i want this now please. We follow from a fixed camera position, frozen in anticipation as to what’ll happen next.

The whole rest of the scene is dizzying; they surge together to the middle of the screen and we’re looking up at this kiss, the camera’s tilted upwards so we’re in a lower position, signifying the importance and overbearing nature of this relationship, how it makes the camera move and swing and then we get the close up on their kisses (below) and they dominate the frame so close and tight that there’s literally no room for anything else.

We shift angles a little here; though it’s all pretty quick for something so steamy and epic. We go from a off-centre shot (above) to a centre shot (below) which gives us the full glory of Alex’s fingers sinking and twisting in Michael’s hair as they kiss like it’s the only oxygen in the tiny space. We’re still crowded close and tight, there’s no room to breathe which allows the audience to get truly caught up in the moment. We’re back viewing them from a level angle, too, allowing us to get sucked in.

The snap away from the close up to the mid-shot is purposeful and the centre focus of Michael (below) gives us a moment to breathe without actually allowing us any space from what’s happening. This taps back into the voyeuristic tone of the Malex kisses, though, as the camera bobs as a person would, Alex and Michael’s world rocking the same way ours does at the realisation that they are about to do the sex thing.

Excuse me, Michael Vlamis, how dare you have such a fucking filthy expression on your face (below) and not expect this pairing to have sailed more ship than Helen of Troy? 

The camera swings again, cutting to Michael pushing Alex onto the bed. Over the progression of the scene, it’s been slowly swamped in a sort of 1980s dusky yellow, adding a sense of nostalgia, almost sinking the scene into sepia. It feels like a dance they’ve done before, the force with which Michael pushes Alex back (below) makes Alex look almost like he’s not sure that they’re gonna go through with this - maybe it’s too much, it’s too long (close up angle, can’t breathe, sepia-yellow like tea-stained photographs - too old, is it the past?) but then Michael strips and we all scream into oblivion. 

Up next week, episode 1x03! Until next time, folks!

(tagging by request: @space-malex​, @istilfeelicantrustyou​, @ineverthoughtiwouldneedasideblog​, @lire-casander​, @i-never-look-away​, @stydiaeverafter​, @signoraviolettavalery​, @saadiestuff​, @callieramics​, @ubiestcaelum​, @tasyfa. if you wanna be tagged in future posts, let me know!)

[armorbirdpress]

Armor Bird Reviews: Black Panther

Heyo, it's been so freaking long since I've done a movie review! But in the wake of all the positive reactions, hype, and feels surrounding the Black Panther movie, I knew for a fact that I HAD to give it a review after seeing it this past weekend. I’ve already posted this review on the PPC Board, so if you want to check it out, the alternative link is here!

Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, and is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, and written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, it stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther, alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. As with any MCU movie, a lot of fanfare and attention has been drawn to this film, and I was dying to see it to determine if it lived up to all the hype; I am so very glad that we got tickets in advance to watch this movie, because otherwise all the seats would’ve been taken by the time we got to the theater - there were just that many people who wanted to see it. And just as well, because good golly, it is an absolute masterpiece. Spoilers under the cut!

Starting things off with the writing and characterization, I have to say that almost all the characters in the film were enjoyable and engaging to watch, and there were plenty of great moments from everyone concerned. T'Challa, despite being the obvious star of the show, actually feels kinda stoic compared to the liveliness of quite a few of the secondary characters which I'll get to a bit later, but he still has a compelling storyline, and while I was worried that he'd remain somewhat static throughout the movie, there were quite a few gut punches that ensured that he'd grow as a person and also as a ruler. The movie did a good job of demonstrating that he had big shoes to fill in a metaphorical sense, and also that even if T'Chaka had tried to be the best example that he could be for his son, his past mistakes would still come to light eventually and force T'Challa to reevaluate his worldview. This is especially apparent when it becomes known that T'Chaka, when he had donned the Black Panther suit, had been forced to kill the Wakandan traitor whose son would grow up to become Killmonger. It was a split-second decision driven by the impulse to save the life of the other Wakandan spy present, but the urge to keep up appearances for the sake of the nation ended up having far-reaching consequences that would've resulted in far more unnecessary casualties if T'Challa and later M'Baku and his tribe hadn't intervened. That kind of split-second decision is mirrored in the story in general, when T'Challa's lack of information regarding Killmonger's origin story almost costs him the throne and even his life, only being saved by the intervention of M'Baku and his remaining allies' delivery of the last Heart-Shaped Herb. Eventually, after fighting his way back to his own kingdom, he's forced to deal with Killmonger using the only remaining option left after the failure of diplomacy and civility, through violence and possible death. This history essentially repeating itself is one of the biggest contributions to T'Challa's character growth, and also his decision to make Wakanda a more publicly open nation willing to use its resources to aid the world at large in the end. It shows that he's realized how much impact even very short-term decisions can have in a sort of ripple effect, as well as the major setback of trying to lock Wakanda as a whole behind figurative closed doors: that sort of isolationism prevents you from interacting with the world around you and, like it or not, making the kinds of mistakes needed to move forward.

Naturally, since T'Challa sets a pretty high bar, the secondary characters and antagonists kinda have to settle for being second fiddle, but they all have traits of their own that help move the plot forward. The main antagonist, the aforementioned Killmonger, is interesting among the other Marvel villains in that instead of the typical "KILL EVERYTHING" or "take over the world" MO (or sometimes both) without many reasons other than "MWAHAHA I'M EVIL", he actually has a rather valid and understandable reason for his actions. The recent instances of black people being persecuted simply for their color, even in the modern day and age, are a strong force of motivation grounded in a sad reality, although the means by which Killmonger was planning to achieve that goal - by waging war on every other race - were undoubtedly going to cause as many problems as they'd solve if not more. Another interesting factor is how Killmonger's rule essentially divides up the entire nation; while Shuri (whom I'll get to later) is loyal to T'Challa through and through, and goes out of her way to help him and his cause, other characters like Okoye (initially) and W'Kabi simply serve the man in the throne whether or not he's truly fighting for the force of good. This actually threatens to tear the nation apart during Killmonger's campaign, and again, it's only because T'Challa and M'Baku's tribe join forces to stop him that things don't escalate into all-out carnage. As a wise man once said, hate begets hate - whether you think it's justified or not, the total extermination of people who are different than you, even if a few gave you grief in the past, is the wrong way to act, and only makes you like those very people who attacked you first. I have to give props to T'Challa for not falling into the same trap that his father did and offing Killmonger directly; instead, he attempted to show mercy, as well as a Wakandan sunset like in the tales Killmonger had heard as a child, but rather than spend life in prison with his reputation in shambles, Killmonger chose to essentially commit suicide and end the cycle. Even if he nearly caused an all-out civil war within the Wakandan borders, Killmonger is still a tragic figure, and that makes a big impact on all of us.

My favorite character by far, however, has to be Shuri. It's established very early on that she's not only a child prodigy, but also a youthful, spunky teenager with a wholesome sense of humor (and in at least three instances, a penchant for memery, trolling, and cringe-inducing puns on almost the same level as Chibi Yang). While she seems to be a light-hearted comic relief, though, she also plays one of the most critical roles in the story - rescuing the Heart-Shaped Herb that would later be given to T'Challa for his second wind - and her humor is offset by a dedication to her responsibilities as well as her intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of the Black Panther role as well as his loyalty to T'Challa regardless of the situation. It's probably this that leads to her being so important in helping T'Challa recover, and I'm proud of her for being both the heart of the movie (T'Challa, of course, being the soul) and a nuanced and lovable character in her own right.

The writing of the movie is also quite well done due to the points noted above and much more. Racism, prejudice, loyalty, and the impact of even the smallest things are themes that are prominent throughout the entire movie. I was very concerned that the sole major white character, Everett Ross, would turn out to be a villain (though thankfully that wasn't the case, and he gets an awesome support role in the climax that Han Solo would be proud of), and Ulysses Klaue IS a secondary antagonist, but it's interesting that ultimately, the conflict is waged by blacks, among blacks. This ties into the concept that there is no such thing as reverse racism - even if it's blacks persecuting whites, it's still way over the line if it isn't in self-defense. The conflicting solutions proposed by T'Challa and Killmonger - coming to terms with the outside world and reaching out to lend aid to it vs. only looking out for your own and forsaking all others to keep them from harm - are an uncomfortable mirror to a lot of real-world politics in recent years, but in true MCU tradition, it's the idealistic approach that wins the day in the end, although as expected for a conflict as intense as this, there are still quite a few casualties at the end of it all, and unlike many other instances in the MCU and beyond, most of these are impactful and placed tactfully enough to move the story forward.

I dont' even need to say that the graphics and visuals of this movie are absolutely gorgeous. Wakanda as a city is stunning, the various African landscapes breathtaking, and the vehicle design and choreography as masterful as a Star Wars movie. The costume and character design as well are splendid, and it is at this point that I'd like to call attention to the costume designer for this movie: Ruth E. Carter, who's also done work for such films as "Malcom X" and "School Daze" - plus she's African, and has done extensive research for this movie's designs, drawing from a wide variety of African cultures. Really, this entire movie is a feast for the eyes and absolutely worth seeing for that fact alone. My one gripe is that the war rhinos seen early in the movie and then in the climax are notably CGI, and could've been improved with some animatronic work like in the first Jurassic Park movie (or heck, they could even have used real rhinos, but IDK how much hassle that would've resulted in), but that's a minor quibble that doesn't detract from an otherwise spectacular feature.

I'm well aware that complaints about this movie have had to be filtered extensively on RottenTomatoes to prevent Internet Racism(TM) from marring the reviews unnecessarily, but that's a can of worms I'm not going into for the sake of my dignity. On my own terms, however, I do have one suggestion for improving the movie: instead of murdering Klaue just halfway through the movie, Killmonger could've just as easily pounded him into submission and forced him to work for him as a sort of Dragon (in TV Tropes lingo). T'Challa and Ross vs. Killmonger and Klaue would've been interesting to see, especially considering how threatening Klaue was with his cyborg arm and what it could do to both T'Challa and those poor innocent vehicles involved in the car chase in Korea. He'd have made an interesting secondary antagonist that could've opportunistically interfered with the warring parties and stirred up tensions just to tear down Wakanda out of spite. I'm not about to suggest an "Everett vs. Klaue" scenario - which was actually what Everett was planning in the first place when he entered this movie - but giving Klaue a bigger role before he gets offed would've made said murder more impactful and karmatic after all he's done. That's largely splitting hairs, though - I'm sure there are people who instead feel that Killmonger getting rid of Klaue early prevents competition. Who knows?

On a final note, here are two things I really want to see in future MCU films: 1) a movie with a predominantly Asian cast and setting, and 2) a movie starring Devil Freaking Dinosaur. I'll admit that both of these are kinda self-centered, but the first one in particular is probably more desirable at large because there aren't that many Asian characters at all in the MCU (Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and Colleen Wing from the Iron Fist TV show are probably the only ones I can think of off the top of my head, though I may have missed a few more), but one of the big things I'm noticing from the Black Panther release is that African-American and black children have come to look up to him as a hero in the same way that a lot of girls look up to Wonder Woman with the number growing since her own film release - so if the same thing could happen with an Asian superhero, that would be amazing. A quick look at the Marvel Comics online archives presents me with Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, who has actually joined the Avengers in the comics and would make a very interesting and cool addition to their MCU incarnation. As for Devil Dinosaur, I don't even need to explain why he'd become beloved if he ever shows up in a MCU movie, even as a minor character... just keep him away from the palaeo-discourse and he should be fine.

All in all,

Black Panther

isn't a perfect movie, but it's very close to being one and I'm so happy for its success. While there are a few minor things I feel would've been worth fixing here and there, I don't see any obvious faults and certainly none that detract from how amazing it is. Do yourself a favor and give it a spin - I can promise that you'll be in for a visual and auditory treat from start to finish.

Grading Scheme:

96 - 100: A+

93 - 96: A

90 - 92.9: A-

87 - 89.9: B+

83 - 86.9: B

80 - 82.9: B-

77 - 79.9: C+

73 - 76.9: C

70 - 72.9: C-

67 - 69.9: D+

60 - 66.9: D

Below 60: E

Grades:

Writing: 9

Characterization: 9

Pacing: 8

Creativity: 9

Consistency: 9

Cinematography: 10

World Building: 9

Music and Sound: 10

Effects: 9

Engagement: 9

Final Grade: 91 (A-)

[olliefilm]

The Best Picture 2020 Round-Up

It has been a short awards season. The Golden Globes were closer to Christmas than the Super Bowl, and the BAFTAs fell on the latter. In a way, this has made this year more exciting than most. The quick succession of award ceremonies has made predictions more manic. Today I’m flipping between whether this year’s Best Picture and Director combination is going to be AB or AA, Parasite or 1917, Klaus or Toy Story 4, For Sama or American Factory? The Academy logic sometimes catches me out.

The list of nine films up for Best Picture (why not ten?) are made up of seven satisfying films, and two I would’ve been happy to lose. In its place? What about the panic-inducing rush of Uncut Gems? Heck, how about another potent foreign-language entry in the form of Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady On Fire? Dolemite Is My Name was one of the most funny feel-good films of last year. Let us not mention how Hustlers was shunned in by the stuffed shirts at the Academy. Jennifer Lopez have you met Adam Sandler? Congrats, you both got unfairly stiffed in the acting categories.

So, in dealing with what we have, here are the Best Picture nominees ranked:

1.       Parasite

The crowning achievement in this year’s Best Picture line-up; an genre-twisting social commentary with thrills to satisfy a universal audience. There’s not much use blowing into the flames when the bonfire is already alight, but Parasite is brilliant. In craft and in tone, it is a multi-layered Swiss Watch of a film and, like the house, reveals hidden areas you don’t expect. So I will stop blowing my own horn and making this sound like hyperbole. Parasite needs to be seen.

2.       Little Women

Greta Gerwig’s version of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is amazingly fresh. I say amazingly because it could’ve been a handsome adaptation with the Gerwig stamp, and a fresh-faced stellar cast. Fortunately, Little Women packs all the emotional intelligence and understanding beyond my expectations. There is nothing that feels sloppy about the back-and-forth timeline; it serves to highlight the kindship through ambitions, disappointments, and decisions. Nevertheless, the lack of nominations seems to draw a baffling consensus this is somehow easy to do.

3.       Marriage Story

As adult divorce dramas go, Marriage Story is the most readily accessible in a while. The film is a relief in that it doesn’t dwell on the devastation, nor is it a cold and stiff depiction - which I have to admit, didn’t warm me to Noah Baumbach’s previous work The Squid and the Whale. No doubt, a good heft of Marriage Story’s comic-tragic achievements are through the performances. Plus, there is deft calculation to the film’s emotional heights. Be it through scenes that you wouldn’t imagine would turn into a fierce battle, or two contrasting sequences involving Sondheim.

4.       The Irishman

The Martin Scorsese stamp is apparent throughout most of The Irishman. The moments which ring the loudest are sometimes too on the nose and, arguably, could be dispensed. Nevertheless, the film is a masterful self-reflection of the fading glamour of the criminal underworld. What I about The Irishman is how it captures the natural final destination any human being; simply becoming old. The last third of the film makes up for any slouches in the narrative.

5.       Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino plows on as the filmmaker who just can’t help himself. That is the downfall of most his films post-Jackie Brown. The good news is that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is Tarantino’s best film in this aforementioned era. It is a riot most of the time, and infuriatingly ill-disciplined the some of the time (the Bruce Lee section feels like a self-inflicted intermission). Tarantino is a master of set-pieces and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood thrillingly reminds us there is still no one quite like him.

6.       1917

At the time of writing, the annual backlash of the over-achiever has already begun. This year, it is 1917. I think it is already burdened with an archetypal get from A-to-B wartime narrative. No question that’s what it mostly is, but the flourishes are remarkable none-the-less. The camerawork is undeniably gripping and impressive, and it contributes to the inescapable task the two soldiers face (I also extend my plaudits to George McKay). If 1917 looses out on Best Picture, we might raise our estimations again.

7.       Ford Vs. Ferrari

Like Rush, I remember watching Ford Vs. Ferrari like a race car speeding by: you get a gust of wind which captures your breath, then it disappears into distance. My point is that James Mangold has made a dependable, Saturday afternoon blast of a film. With an ideal sound system, it is gloriously deafening to hear ever gear-change and engine rev. However, judging it as an awards contender, Ford Vs. Ferrari seems like a curious choice. That’s no con really. The film’s lack of pretension makes it stand alone in the Best Picture pack.

8.       Joker

As divisive as Joker has become, it think it sits more uncomfortably in thematic areas. It is a comic book film with the coveted “Winner of the Golden Lion 2019” stamp on it. So with that in mind, it’s no biggie to say Joker is dunderheaded. Mental health, societal inequality, poverty – it has all the tact of an annoying toddler bashing you around the head with an inflatable hammer. Yet I don’t hate Joker. It’s a clumsy imitation of Seventies revenge flicks (and yes, The King of Comedy), and I guess you can’t fault the film’s commitment to that grimy tone.

9.       Jojo Rabbit

Speaking of imitations, JoJo Rabbit desperately wants to chum up with Mel Brooks and Wes Anderson. It seems to be working with popular audiences, and not working with critics. I have to admit, I fall into the latter. Why? It’s not a bad film, but it’s a safe film. Most of the jokes are too broad and Taika Waititi as Hitler comes across as self-satisfying. Apart from one or two moments of effectual moments, the drama feels shop-bought. Jojo’s message is right, but it lacks the transgressive heights for which I wish it attained.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

A Deeper Dive: Analyzing the Raiders Loss Versus Dallas

The Oakland Raiders are 0-3 in the pre-season as they fell 24-20 to the Dallas Cowboys in AT & T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The score doesn’t bother me a bit, as I wanted to see what the first stringers did offensively and defensively.

AROUND COVER32

The Latest: Browns’ rookie QB, DeShone Kizer, officially named week 1 starter

Around the NFL: Jets claim recently released Patriots’ DE, Kony Ealy

What’s Trending: What’s next for Patriots after WR, Julian Edelman’s season ending injury

NFL Transactions: Eagles trade S, Terrence Brooks, to Jets in exchange for CB, Dexter McDougle

Injury Report: Rams’ WR, Tavon Austin, looking ready for regular season opener

cover32 Podcasts: Check out our latest podcasts and view our entire library available on Apple iTunes

  I have to believe that offensively Oakland can compete with just about any team. The Dallas defense rarely got close to Derek Carr. While he was being so well protected, he went 13 of 17 for 144 yards, which leaves him with a passer rating of 140.3.  I think one of the things that made me smile most was seeing a throw to the sticks on a 3rd down.  In the Bill Musgrave years, we didn’t see that. We’d see an ill blocked screen, or a swing pass 3 plus yards shy of the first down.

  Connor Cook did well enough with some third team players. Again, he outplayed Manuel. Cook looked pretty sharp in his two minute drill (though it fell short) at the end of the game. Is it a possibility the Raiders will carry only 2 quarterbacks, with a 3rd (from waivers), on the practice squad? I don’t find even the 800 thousand we are paying Manuel for this season a worthwhile investment.

  The running attack is going to be stronger with Marshawn Lynch and the two mini-rockets, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington.  The only critique is that the smaller guys need to quit dancing and just run forward.  Some of their foot work does serve to juke a defensive player, but other times it allows another defender to come up to fill the gap and make the tackle.

  The defense didn’t look as abysmal against a fairly potent offense.  There was no opening drive for a touchdown.  The Cowboys 1st drive took 7:21 off the clock, but they didn’t even make the red zone and had to settle for a field goal.  That is a bit surprising considering they made good use of Jason Witten, who ended his time in the game with 6 receptions for 74 yards.  Catching all six targets, this doesn’t bode well for the real match up in December.

  Between Witten and running back Alfred Morris, I am still concerned about the defense, though we did manage to put pressure on Prescott a couple of time. While time of possession was split evenly this game. The Raiders surrendered 344 yards, including a 28 yard pass completion (Witten), a 44 yard reception (Lance Lenoir). Also, an 18 yard rush to Darren McFadden, who was lucky to average 3 yards a carry in Oakland.  Heck, he used to go down if a defender got a fingernail on him.

  In the battle of first strings, the Raiders definitely came out ahead. I just wish Dallas had a better defense so we could judge a little better how we are actually look.

Players only have one more game to impress the coaches. The roster must be cut to 53 players on September 2nd.

James Cowser doesn’t have to worry about the Turk visiting him.  Named to the 53-man roster last year, Cowser induced a lineman to use illegal hands to the face to try and stop him. Similarly, on a play where he lost his helmet, he still pursued the quarterback. I like his fire, and he will provide depth.

  However, a couple that didn’t help themselves in this game. One of those players is Dexter McDonald. He whiffed, committed a penalty, missed an interception, and basically didn’t fare well when he went in the game to replace a possibly concussed David Amerson. He also drew a holding penalty while playing special teams.  The only time I heard Xavier Woodson-Luster’s name was when he managed to draw 2 flags on the same play.

  With that said, Oakland could wait to see what comes off the waiver wire. The secondary is a mess. With the possibility of Sean Smith getting suspended, the unknown extent of Amerson’s injury at this writing, problems continue to mount.  Keith McGill III’s foot injury and the shaky play of Carrie and McDonald, the back four depth needs help. An empty slot in the QB rotation could help with that!

  We have shortened week to prepare for our final pre-season game.  I hope the Raiders play it smart and play the backups. We don’t need to lose any starters in a meaningless game.

  The post A Deeper Dive: Analyzing the Raiders Loss Versus Dallas appeared first on Cover32.