#Westworld review

[life-of-a-rat]

mildly funny doesthedogdie comments

[vickster51]

Favourite Television Episodes of 2022

My Favourite Television Episodes of 2022! Did I include yours? #TelevisionOf2022 #Review #TV2022

As I continue to reflect on this year’s TV, film and theatre, having picked my favourite TV shows of 2022, I thought I’d also look back on the best (in my opinion) episodes of television I watched this year. These are the episodes that stayed with me, whether due to a storyline, an acting performance, or a culmination of a season delivering a stunning finale. 1. House of the Dragon 1×08 (“The…

[vindrawins]

“The Peripheral (season 1)” - An Unimpressive Sci-fi Drama with New Concept

Hmm... This was kind of disappointing while watching "The Peripheral"🙄. Well, the concept is new but the story feels damn boring. Instead of the main characters, I liked side characters, they had a depth of emotions and an interesting backstory. I love watching (sci-fi/fantasy) dramas, but still, this series feels like 'meh what's going on', also so much confusing dialogue 😳 (either I'm too bad at understanding pure English or words were too high/elite) 🤷🏻‍♂️. The best part of the series is the first 2 episodes, the introduction of characters and the concept that's it.. or maybe you will be more curious to know about side characters like Wilf (maybe I liked him because he has a tone of personality just like one of my friends 🤭, also he looks a bit like him😜) and another character was Tommy🤐. I didn't understand what was exactly going on, still, I was expecting (a little hope) a better climax that will tell everything but that too was 'meh' 😑.

The reason behind the disappointment can be because of the way it was promoted. Literally everywhere on the internet, it was there in ad blocks of websites or YouTube ads or insta ads, which was annoying. So I watched it, but then half of the series was totally unsatisfied 😐

[courtiers]

westworld inc

QA: hey we found a bug. also i have a gun.

devs: thanks. we've rolled back to a previous version of the software. also we're investigating to make sure this isn't a wider prob—

senior management: why are you investigating. i thought you said the rollback would solve the problem. stop investigating. everything's fine.

senior management, weeks later: why is this bug still happening. time to fire a dev. any dev will do. doesn't matter if they were in any way responsible.

board: please can our park stop killing guests.

literally any reasonably-run company

QA: hey we found a bug. i will not wave a gun at you over this.

devs: thanks. we've rolled back to a previous version of the software. also we're investigating to make sure this isn't a wider problem.

devs, the next day: we found the problem and patched it :)

senior management: thanks both for doing your jobs :)

[thatgeekwiththeclipons]

Happy 85th Birthday to Golden Globe winning actor and filmmaker Richard Benjamin! ^__^

[thekimspoblog]

I'm getting a lot of hate comments saying "lol clearly didn't understand the game" and hey shut up? I understand the game better than you do? I was already familiar with UIWAMs, memetics, and tulpamancy, and that's why I wasn't impressed? The world building in this game is fine but "good lore" is not the same as a "good story"? Maybe my understanding was "surface level" because this game is all surface.

It makes no sense for characters to be this obsessed with Lila when she has very little personality and the times we do see her, she's nothing but unpleasant. I get that William was lonely, but if we're supposed to believe Lila was love-bombing him at some point, we're never shown how that worked. The one flashback we do get of Lila and Will happy together, she's just lecturing him about Dualism. And I speak from experience: teenage boys don't give a shit about Dualism. If dry philosophical debate was all it took to win a man's heart, I wouldn't be single right now.

And again, what grinds my gears is that if this entity is supposed to be based on Lilith, this is such a passé interpretation of Lilith! IRL followers of Lilith believe that she was smeared as "vain" by Christianity, simply because she was a proud woman who didn't want to play second fiddle to Adam. And since this entity is shaped by the perceptions of her followers, it's dumb that her character seems to be informed exclusively by Dante and Milton and not like... Anton LeVey or any of the feminist deconstructions of the Lilith archetype. I'm just very sick of video games using occult and pagan iconography simply to call them the tools of evil. I'm not saying your Lilith character can't be malicious, but some of the above nuance would have gone a long way in making Will getting seduced by her feel more credible.

All I'm saying is this: Your story about fictional characters growing powerful enough to take on a life of their own, works a lot better when you bother to CREATE INTERESTING CHARACTERS. "Westworld" for example, also featured a boy named William falling in love with a tulpa-type creature, and that obsession proceeding to ruin his life. But in Westworld IT WORKED because we see Will and Dolores having the kind of conversations Will and Tanya do in this game. Dolores was built to charm people and she is charming; she takes an interest in Will's hopes and dreams, she doesn't just preach a philosophy; she discusses ideas about the limitations of free will in terms of her own anxieties. She makes William feel special; she makes him feel seen. The romance arc in Westworld manages to convey the core concepts of the scifi AND make it abundantly clear what Will saw in Dolores; why she ended up occupying his every waking thought. That's what good writing does. And because of this, Dolores Abernathy is more transcendent than Lila could ever claim to be.

You want another example? You need me to prove that everything this game does, other recent artworks have already done better? Alright, let's talk about Pathologic! In my opinion, that game actually was pretty repetitive with the ideas it wanted to espouse as well, but I had a lot more patience for that because the esoteric jargon was better connected to the characters, and the characters were more interesting and likeable overall. Clara is revealed to have such an inconsistent personality because the gods who made her are in disagreement about who she should be. And even if you weren't surprised by this twist, this development feels satisfying because it's based in relatable every day concepts: half the town has put their faith in Clara as a saint, and this pressure to deliver a miracle not only allows but kind of forces her to rise above the self-interest of a common child and be compassionate to extremes of martyrdom. The other half of the town believes she is a criminal and a witch, and this forces her to become a criminal to survive. Do you see how that works? Instead of just giving the audience a note to read about how a person's sense of self is heavily reliant on who other people perceive them to be, it forges empathy for a character who is actually struggling with this. SHOW. DON'T. TELL!

Or how about Georgi channeling Simon near the end of Patho1? There's a clear parallel between that and what the Lawrence cult was trying to do with Lila. So why was Simon doing this? Why was he willing to sacrifice his mind to spend every waking moment keeping the memory of his brother alive? Well, because he's afraid. He's afraid he'll never be the patriarch his brother was, he's afraid to admit that he never really loved his twin as much as he claimed to, and he's afraid that without the strong leadership of Simon the town is falling apart. That's beautiful and a little bit sad. It's ambiguous whether the Kain family actually has magic, or if they've just gone mad with grief, but either way we know Georgi's memories of Simon are imperfect and spending every moment thinking about Simon isn't the same as raising the dead. Patho1 doesn't just hand you a thesis on how our mental images of friends and family are fictionalized and idealized versions which can never capture the full truth; it shows you the heartbreak of someone trying to embody another mind/soul and failing. Now why was the Lawrence Fraternity channeling Lila? Something something influencing global politics? Do they have any specific grievances for why they believe the world needs to be saved from itself? Is the altruism a lie and this is really about money and power? Do the higher-ranking cult members know they're worshipping Satan or is the entire chain of command made up of lonely people with imaginary friends? Who knows! Who cares! The only members we meet are William and Strupnav, and as I've already explained it makes no sense what they were getting out of tulpamancy either. Boring!

It's just incredibly insulting to dismiss my criticisms as me "not understanding" what the game was going for, when the fact is this story had ONE INTERESTING IDEA and it beat me over the head with it ad nauseum. If you think this game is a good TEXTBOOK about philosophy and occultism, you're not wrong. But a textbook is not a narrative. And these repetitive exposition dumps came at the expense of plot and character.

JJ Abrams got so much shit for his "Mystery Box" TED Talk, and yet people found "Who's Lila?" impressive?! This game is nothing but mystery box storytelling! Lila has no substance as a character, and so she baited you along with a mystery, but she knows that once she reveals that there's nothing under the mask you'll lose interest and she will expire. Much deep; very wow. Kind of feels like the writers admitting they couldn't be bothered to write anything better. Like hey Lila maybe you wouldn't "die", maybe I wouldn't lose interest after closing the game window, if I was given a single damn reason to care about you as a character. Once you've seen stories that manage to admit that the initial mystery was a red herring AND still give you ideas you're left to chew on for weeks after the story ends, you realize how cheap it is for a game to think the red herring mystery was all it takes to be clever. Well ok, the destination was always bullshit; sometimes it's about the journey along the way. Oh wait! The journey sucked too!

"Dada Dog" being an innocent sticker which was coopted into a symbol of racial violence? That's a simple and effective example of how the game's philosophy can apply to every day situations. Too bad Mike is never given a chance to talk about how the murder of his brother effected him, and then the sticker is never brought up again.

The personal struggles Tanya was dealing with did an ok job fleshing her out; she seems like sweet girl with relatable insecurities. Too bad none of that was relevant to why Lila killed her.

Despite being a demon from the noosphere, it's implied Lila actually has a mother and father, and that her relationship with them is not great. That could be the beginning of an interesting characterization, but the iceberg doesn't go any deeper! Sure I could craft elaborate fan theories about how this relates to her bond with William, but no screw that! If the game didn't bother, why should I?!

To reiterate: as a computer game this is fine. Navigating a dialogue tree by showing one of six facial expressions is a creative premise for a game. It's quite fun replaying the interrogation room over and over just to see which faces lead to which outcomes. And while I thought the ARG segments were tedious, overall the program had a pretty good diversity of minigames to keep the player on their toes. The problem is that it wanted to be more than a silly game about a killer trying to cover up his crimes. It wanted to be an expansive, mind-blowing dialectic about the ephemeral nature of the human ego. And it talked a big game but it never delivered. It's an interactive novel, so I don't mind that 80% of the gameplay is just reading stuff. But "novel" implies a level of emotional investment, and nothing went deep enough to give me that. Instead this game feels like being locked in a room with a stoner who wants to monologue for 2 hours straight about the half-baked epiphany they just had. And I get enough of that at home.

If you enjoyed the story, fine. But ideally a work of fiction will use plots and characters to build complex hypothetical conflicts, in a way that the audience can figure out what ideas the piece is trying to convey without the story just grinding to a halt to spell out what we're supposed to be learning. And "Who's Lila?" feels so amateurish on this front, that calling this game "genius" is a disservice to better media which actually tries.

Was up all night playing "Who's Lila?".

Should you buy this game? Sure. The core game mechanic is fun and gimmicky. Really my biggest complaint is that they should have spent more time ripping off "Mario Paint" and less time ripping off "Im Scared"

What did I think of the story though? In three words...

SHOW👏 DON'T👏 TELL!!!!👏

This game is NOT as clever as it thinks it is; every philosophy it tries to spew at you, I've seen already done better in other pretentious video games.

Lila sucks! She's not "manipulative"; she's just rude. She's not "highly intelligent"; she's just a blatant mouthpiece for the author. I don't care how hot the actress is, not even the most pathetic sod would fall in love with this. She speaks in nothing but cliched villain monologues, and THIS is supposed to be such a dynamic fictional character that it reached the Collective Unconscious as a physical plain and gained free will?! As someone who ACTUALLY worships Lilith, I'm offended, because the real deity and her covens are way more interesting.

I hate William LESS as a 1-dimensional fictional archetype, but when your choices for explanation of what the hell is going on are between a supernatural force that absolves him of all responsibility for his crimes, or the good ol' fashioned "mental illness turned him into a cross-dressing killer"... yeah we're not in great shape.

And I'm REALLY getting sick of choose-your-own-adventure games using multiverses to get out of having to write actual focused, coherent endings to their stories. How about we leave the 4th wall UP for once?

[oneofusnet]

Digital Noise Episode 315: Incredible But True Reviews DIGITAL NOISE EPISODE 315: INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE REVIEWS Right on the heels of our last episode, Wright and Chris probably foolishly continue onto a second show (Twas the night before Christmas and all through Wright’s house, two critics were drinking more than…oh hell, a giant mouse). This time around we look at some of the… Read More »Digital Noise Episode 315: Incredible But True Reviews read more on One of Us

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday the Scottish actor Peter Mullan born 2 November 1959 in Peterhead. I love Peter’s work and rate him as highly as Brian Cox and If ever there was a story of rags to riches it is Peter Mullan, born in Peterhead the family later moved to Mosspark in Glasgow. Mullans father was a drunken violent man but despite this Peter did well at school, at least till the age of 14 when the climate at home forced him out onto the streets and into a gang, spending less and less time at school. In his own words he was aggressively lobotomising himself but admitted he kept up his reading on the sly “You couldnae tell the gang you were reading Carl Jung.” he said. I’m not sure his heart was in the gang culture as he says he was “kicked out” after a couple of years, he returned to school and sailed through his Highers and started at Glasgow University at 17. His dad died of lung cancer on his first day. Mullan studied economic history and drama and despite suffering a nervous breakdown in his final year still managed to graduate. He went on to teach drama at Borstals, prisons and community centres while becoming involved in the left-wing theatre movement that flourished in Scotland in the 1980s. In 1987 he made his professional acting debut with the Wildcat theatre company in a political pantomime. Bit parts in Scottish films and TV series followed, The Steamie, Taggart, of course, and Rab C Nesbitt, as well as The Big Man and in Braveheart, he uttered the words, “We didn’t come here to fight for the” Danny Boyle, Shallow Grave and Trainspotting were another two films that Mullan served his apprenticeship in. The breakthrough came when Ken Loach chose him in the title role of “My Name is Joe” he gave a brilliant portrayal Jekyll-and-Hyde character , a recovering alcoholic whose humanity and warmth masked a frightening capacity for brutality. He won his first award at Cannes as Best Actor for the role. Around the same time Mullan was starting to get into directing, three surreal comic dramas set in the Glaswegian working-class world and then his first full length film, he not only directed but wrote the excellent Orphans an odyssey of four working-class siblings roving round Glasgow in the 24 hours after their mother dies. Channel Four, who funded the film chose not to distribute it as they didn’t think it would attract a large commercial audience. The film however was shown at Film festivals around Europe and won numerous awards, in interviews, Mullan has said that once Orphans started winning awards Channel Four apologised and asked if they could distribute it, an offer he refused. Since then Peter Mullan has not looked back, directing and penning The Magdalene Sisters and Neds as well as starring in amongst others, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, War Horse, Hector and Tommy’s Honour, on the small screen he was one of the main characters in ITV series The Fixer, The BBC Two drama Top of the Lake, and in the excellent drama series Gunpowder. More up to date Peter has appeared as Jacob Snell in the first two seasons of the Netflix series Ozark, all three series of the BBC Two sitcom Mum and a recurring role in the popular TV reboot of Westworld. He has also starred in the Netflix fantasy drama Cursed. We will next see Mullan alongside Colin Farrell and Tom Courtney in the BBC series The North Water. Peter was also one of the participants of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Scenes For Survival project, which featured talents from the country’s arts industry making lockdown-related short films as a response to the country’s theatres having to close during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mullan has been busy in the past few years, appearing in TV shows Liaison, Payback, After the Party and LOTR: Rings of Power, as well as the film, Baghead a Horror film which has average reviews on IMDb. Outlander fans look out for him in the spin off series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a prequel to the popular Starz show, it follows the parents of both protagonists from the original series. Tony Curran is also cast as a younger Lord Lovatt. It is follows the parents of both protagonists from the original series it is expected to premiere in 2025 on Starz. He has a few oter projects on the go, the most hard hitting will no doubt be an ITV mini series called Lockerbie which will focus on the investigation into the crash on both sides of the Atlantic and the devastating effect it had on the small town and the families who lost loved ones.

[vintagelasvegas]

Old Vegas, Henderson, 1978, a theme park based on 19th century Las Vegas Valley and early city of Las Vegas history.

Old Vegas opened Dec. 1978 on Boulder Highway in south Henderson. The park featured replica of the first Mormon outpost in the Las Vegas Valley, and a commemoration of Rafael Riviera, the scout who "discovered" the Las Vegas Valley in 1829. A western town was later added, replicating the first structures of Block 16 in Las Vegas. The park housed historic items including an 1875 locomotive built for the Eureka & Palisade Railroad in Nevada, and some of the buildings from El Rancho Vegas.

Houston-based Old Tucson Corp (aka Westworld Inc) developed the facility patterning it after a similar theme park in Arizona called Old Tucson.

Old Vegas closed in '86. The road sign for the theme park remained on Boulder Hwy through the 90s.

Photos: (1) 1978, from Cat's Pajama's Collectables; (2) Postcard, 1978. (3) Undated, from RJ; (4) Boulder Highway, 1990s, from Roadsidepictures. Old Vegas western park completes first phase. Review-Journal, 12/26/78; Old Vegas provides a slice of Old West. Review-Journal, 10/13/83; Old Vegas heads into the sunset. Review-Journal, 7/4/86.

[life-of-a-rat]

I watched westworld yesterday. Very much so enjoyed it, the environment/aesthetic was amazing, lots of very empty kinda liminal shots, and alot of those scenes had no music, which worked really well! Also, did you know that this was apparently the first feature film to use computer generated imagery? Quite a novelty in ‘73!

however, this movie has added one more piece of evidence to my theory that Michael Crichton might not have known what an ending was.

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week In Review I

So in order to try and be consistent with this, I’ve kept a running Notes page open to keep track of my week.

As I mentioned last week, I don’t expect this every week, I am me. But I am going to keep trying to make an effort to support my fellow creators.

If there’s something you’ve enjoyed this week, please feel to reblog this and tag me so I can check it out and share 💙

Also, not that I feel it needs to be said, but this is a reflection of what I have personally read and enjoyed.

B x

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

New York Part I (Marcus Pike x f!reader)

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Conversations with a Movie Star | Chapter 1 by @gnpwdrnwhiskey Even if you’re not a fan of Dieter Bravo, the dialogue in this alone is worth checking out this opening chapter for this new fic. Ava is an OFC down on her luck after being fired, from her families paper no less, and has stumbled across the Bravo Inn… I’ll let Lellen’s writing do the rest

Stripper Jack Trilogy | P. III by @psychedelic-ink The conclusion of maybe the definitive trilogy of trilogies? I don’t think anyone had Stripper Jack on their 2023 bingo cards, but he’s earned his space and I won’t have any arguments on it. 

Hungry Hearts | Chapter by @atinylittlepain Not many Joel AU’s I’ll jump into, but Bruce Springsteen and Joel Miller? Signed myself the fuck up for that as soon as it was announced. The unfolding of Joel and Cherry's relationship in the summer of '86 against them running back into one another 17 years later is such a great dynamic. 

Fall Apart Again | Chapter 1 + 2 by @wildemaven Heidi spoiled us this week, with not one, but TWO chapters of her new Joel fanfic. I don’t think I’ve gotten so emotional over an opening chapter to a fic before like I did with this one! Then the second chapter? Just bury me now… but actually don’t, I want to see the end of this fic first!

The Layover | Chapter 9 by @goodwithcheese How did Megan describe her fanfics? Hallmark movies with smut? She's not wrong. This whole series so far has been a rollercoaster of emotions and keeps delivering each week without fail. Not only are you rooting for Reader + Frankie, but Jules and Santiago anyone? Or maybe just Jules herself because she's just the boss.

Late Night Texts | Chapter 9 by @mvtthewmurdvck I think it's safe to say it's fanfics like Late Night Texts that have got me back in my rom-com/hopeless romantic era. I don't want to give too much away if you've not had the pleasure of reading this - but it has all the hallmarks of a good rom-com set on the backdrop of the early 2000s and with Javier Peña. If you're like me and still trying to make your way through Narcos or haven't watched it yet - please don't let it stop you, you won't be sorry!

A Little FaceTime by @stardustandskycrystals I’m still thinking about this fic days later and may have gone back to read it again. Trust me, just read this - you don’t need an explanation or reason, just read it. Even if Javi isn’t your jam (wasn’t on my list before, that’s all changed now) - it won’t disappoint!

Things I’m Looking Forward to Starting…

Decoherence by @prolix-yuy Westworld and Jack ‘Agent Whiskey’ Daniels crossover, yes, please! It is also reminding me that I never finished season one and should do something about it…

Pleased to Meet You by @intheorangebedroom This is a constant on my dash and on my TBR pile for a while with so many good comments - also getting into my Frankie era, so it’s perfect timing!

The Pilot & His Girl by @avastrasposts Been waiting to savour this one! So you’ve got the Last of Us and you’ve got Triple Frontier, two of my favourite things… what happens when you mush them together? You get a wild ride through the outbreak with Frankie & Reader - I cannot wait to get into this!

Visiting by @ladamedusoif This is another regular on my dash and on my TBR that I’m hoping to get stuck into this week. A college AU of Mr. Ben from the SNL sketch. Fully fleshed out and on the backdrop of New England, I’m ready to get swept away with this promise of a slow burn.

The House by @gemmahale A Jack Daniels x OFC (Best Friend) series coming soon focusing on a long-lost friendship, an inheritance, and Jack sounding like the scallion he is? Cannot wait.

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

@rhoorl’s announcement of their Triple Frontier AU, Delta Landscaping with mood board and logo! The residents of Tumblr won’t know what’s hit the neighbourhood when they roll into town! 

Thanks to @gnpwdrnwhiskey I will never look at baby hippos without thinking of Dieter Bravo

Everyone’s participation in the WIP poll tag game, it was so fun to see my dash just filled with so many creative people and so many amazing ideas! It was a neat peek into everyone’s draft folders!

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - FINALLY got to see it this week, and it did not disappoint. Have not stopped thinking about it since!

My rom-com era has returned, and I’m deep into embracing my forgotten love of a good rom-com. So far this week it’s been The Lake House, You’ve Got Mail & Always Be My Baby. Also it gave way to a Keanu Reeves appreciation post, come share your favourite Keanu!

This Week’s Song… Went waaaayyyy back for this one, an amazing album too - the Sterephonics are one of my favourite bands of all time 🩶

Hope everyone has a great Sunday & here's to a new week!

Please feel free to share your own favourites from the week or what you're looking forward to this week - not a tag game, so no pressure for you to share if you're not feeling it ❤️ xx

[kendsleyauthor]

New G/t Novel Available!

THE RESTORATION PROGRAM is available NOW in paperback and e-book! 🎉🎉🎉

Amazon |||| Goodreads

The first book of the PRINT / TRINKET UNIVERSE is finally here! It's time to meet Nicole and Ryan!

Content warning: This book contains mature themes, depictions of emotional abuse, and sexual assault. Intended for appropriate readers ages 18+.

Synopsis:

Nicole’s tragic death was only the beginning. Against all odds, Nicole Zhou wakes up from a fatal car accident to find that she is a beneficiary of a cutting-edge procedure: the Restoration Program. By transferring her consciousness into a new body, her life has been saved. The only problem? Her new body is merely ten inches tall. As she tries to continue building a life with her boyfriend, Ryan Northe, she struggles to grapple with the strange world developing around her. With each passing day, she questions whether the procedure really saved her life or plunged her into a fate worse than death. Regardless of her fears, both the Restoration Program and Ryan agree: what was lost has been restored. The first in a thrilling New Adult trilogy filled with suspense, romance, and the dawning of a new, strange world, The Restoration Program is perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Westworld, and romance books with an existential twist. It appeals widely to fans who enjoy a love story turned darkly on its head.

If you've enjoyed the stories @marydublinauthor and I have posted about the print / trinket universe, this one is definitely for you! Come and read about the origin of Prints in this universe 👀🧬

If you give our book a read, make sure to leave a review on Amazon/Goodreads!! Reviews are the best way to support indie authors, as it leads to more readers discovering our work!

Thank you so much for all the support over the years! It's time to get this trilogy going! 😍✨

[spoonck]

refuting that one reviewer on here

I strongly suspect I’ll be blocked, so I’m pasting what I said here before anything else happens. This is basically a response to that snarky review we’ve all seen

Anyway to respond to their points: the game refutes most of the reviewers assumptions, if not ALL of them.

the majority of the “points” made here are based off of personal opinion, which is not really valid for the sake of this review. The reviewer keeps alluding to different types of media with similar premises, but who’s Lila is NOT westworld. It ISNT slay the princess. If you want those games, play them. If not, don’t bitch because the game you’re playing isn’t like them.

imagine if I went into a restaurant and ordered a cheeseburger. Upon eating it I exclaim “hey! This is nothing like my favorite restaurants! That makes it bad!” But if I wanted my favorite restaurants food, I should have eaten there, shouldn’t I?

as for the “points” about the characters being uninteresting.. buddy. Go through the ao3 tag. Go through the tumblr and Twitter tags. This game clearly has a very dedicated and active fan base. Are you saying all of them are objectively wrong for enjoying it? Or is it that you simply don’t like it and they do?

and to the final point- you seem to have taken a very superficial look at this game. “That means the game is superficial.” Is it? Or were you simply unwilling to give it any more of your time than you deemed worthy? If you set into playing something with the mindset you won’t enjoy it, you probably won’t enjoy it, and that seems to be what happened here.

as for your last arguments regarding Lila and tulpamancy- this is how I can tell you didn’t play the game very thoroughly. Lila ISNT a tulpa. She ISNT Lilith. Her entire point is to deceive the player with what she might be, so as to keep your attention. Now you have said you don’t find her captivating. Good for you! Doesn’t make it bad.

Something I also want to point out, is that the reviewer states that Lila is a mouthpiece for the author. This directly indicates the authors naïveté to me. The author is assuming the game is going to turn to them during one of Lila‘s monologues and directly tell them Lila is being manipulative. Lila should not be trusted in this instance. The reviewer is indicating that they do not have the reading comprehension to understand that Lila is manipulative and not to be trusted. The game all over backwards to indicate that Lila is a liar that is not trustworthy. It’s all but spelled out for the player that Lila is manipulating William in every scene which she speaks to him. if the reviewer does not understand this, it is not the fault it reads the player has simply skimmed through the game and taken everything at face value. Because the game has told them something, it must be narratively true. when in reality, the exact opposite is true. yes, who is Lila is open to player interpretation, however, that does not mean the exact opposite of these things are true. The reviewer is being intentionally dense in their understanding of the game and not giving it the full credit deserves.

Who’s Lila deliberately lured in the player with thoughts of what might be happening. It sets you up to believe that William is a “crossdressing killer” (seriously op? Shame on you.) and that Lila is some generic supernatural entity. Then it shatters your expectations to- once again- reel you in.

Overall, you don’t have to like it. But this game has a very dedicated and loving fan base. Don’t post shit about it and get surprised pikachu face when people are irritated with your generic superficial take which is ultimately boiled down to “I don’t like it, so you’re stupid for liking it, because I’m so much smarter than you.”

mic drop.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, September 17

Angelus: And this... this is the garden. Drusilla: Wow! Look. Jasmine. Angelus: Night blooming. Drusilla: Like us. Oh, Angel, it's fairyland. Ooh! Spike: It's paradise. Big windows, lovely gardens. It'll be perfect when we want the sunlight to kill us. Angelus: If you don't like it, Spike, hit the stairs and go. Take a stand, man. Spike: Well, our old place was just fine till you went and had it burned down. Angelus: Things change, Spikey. You gotta roll with the punches. Well, actually, you pretty much got that part down, haven't you? Spike: Very funny, mate. Angelus: What can I say? I just love to see you smile, buddy. Spike: Yeah, you're a giver.

~~Buffy Episode #31: "I Only Have Eyes For You" ~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Darkness and the Light (Anya Jenkins/Willow Rosenberg, G) by SirenOfTitan

Spoons (Angel/Spike, M) by MamaBewear

Wanking Up Alone (Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers, G) by b33n

What We Need (Angel/Spike, OC, M) by fatalfae

SLUMBER PARTY (Buffy, Willow, E) by KNZ1

I Called Him Mine (Angel/Spike, E) by MadeInGold

Divine Comedy in the Withering Heart (Angel/Darla, E) by CoffeeHunt

Yes, Mistress (Darla/Drusilla, E) by TheClowniestLivInExistence

Untitled (Buffy/Spike, unrated) by forevercaroline

Enjoying The Show (Spike, Willow/Tara, M) by Serena The Drama Queen

Cloudy With a Chance of Mischief (Buffy/Spike, E) by Maxine Eden, ClowniestLivEver

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Right Swipe Ch 8 (Buffy/Giles, E) by DancingAngel0013

Hello, Darling Ch. 6/9 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Spikelover4ever

Blood of Kings Ch. 4 (Ensemble, T, Young Royals xover) by LadyInBlackandWhite

Double Date Ch. 3 (Buffy/Giles, E) by Rippertish

If We Could Freeze Time CH. 42/64 (Buffy/Spike, E) by cosplayermadness

In the Company of Witches and Slayers: Ch. 158 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)

Bring Me To Life : A Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel Crossover Event Ch. 70 (Buffy/Angel, unrated) by Jean_theGuardian

Soul Mate Magic - Chapter Four (Giles/OC, E) by emma-m-black

Welcome To Westworld CH. 75 (Ensemble, T) by Ninja Master

Do as Romans do Ch. 45 (Ensemble, T, French language) by OldGirl-NoraArlani

A Tumble in Time, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, T) by thedoppleganger

Forty-eight days in LA, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Blissymbolics

Where Clocks Don't Tick, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Willow91

Hope is the thing with feathers, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, E) by will_

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2], Chapter 51 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Ragini

Because the Night, Chapter 10-11 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 131 (Buffy/Spike, ) by the_big_bad

Stiff Pole, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, E) by scratchmeout

Oh My Goddess, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Maxine Eden

It’s a Secret Ch. 4 (Xander, T, Harry Potter xover) by MsSunshine

Aim High Ch. 8 (Buffy, T, Stargate xover) by Buffyworldbuilder

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Buffy by RookBooks

Artwork:Buffy by nineinchnals

Artwork:Spike by forsuperbang

Artwork:Oz, Buffy by onedrawsoverthecuckoosnest

Artwork:Cordelia & Angel by artsying-ifer

Artwork:Venom Faith by goaskmalices

Artwork:Buffy & Willow by wooneygoblin

Artwork:Buffy by artofnicolle

Artwork:Buffy & Spike by o-cm-draw-o

Artwork: by o-cm-draw-o

Artwork:Buffy by bertolts

Manip:Episodic art for BtVS 2x22 “Becoming, Part 2. by revello-drive-1630

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Episode 41 - Poor old Glove of Myhnegon, Begin Again (Revelations) by The Sunnydale Diaries

PODCAST: BTVS 602 - Bargaining, Pt. 2 by Another Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Tuesday Prompt: Weather by comment_fic

Is there a Buffy-verse fic idea you’ve been dying to read? Are you looking for inspiration for your next fic? Join us on AO3 or Dreamwidth! by buffyversekinkmeme

Join the Faith and Buffy Slayer Scissorfest Discord Server!

[Fandom Discussions]

today Him 7.06 was on and it got me thinking by aphony-cree

ive become such a spike apologist its terrible. by lesbianmarrow

buffy essentially conditioning spike like an animal to never believe what she says by nicollekidman

the point of Faith’s final scene in Salvage by coraniaid

ok i have some thoughts about cordelia and anya by electricabsolution

Jenny and Anya would have been such a good duo. by ohrevienssoleil

something about the scoobies all being slightly unhuman. by pinesorneedle

I am still baffled that people think Beer Bad is the worst episode of Buffy when episodes like Wild At Heart, Into the Woods, and As You Were exist. by paarthursass

i didn’t really get that whole attack dog relationship thing folks were posting about a few months ago but then by lesbianmarrow

There’s just something about Spike understanding Buffy when she’s not even able to articulate or understand (at the moment) that’s what she needs. by pinesorneedles

my post-chosen headcanon by comradesummers

Off the wall question! by Moptop

Going to meet the First Slayer by garfan

What was the episode where..... by Dufflepod

Ángel could Beat buffy? by FoxIndependent4310

Did Spike Not Watch Return of the Jedi? by matsu-oni

Cordelia by Disastrous-Zombie-25

S3 ep 13 by txn120

Best insult ever by BluePhotonOnMonday

Rewatching the show after being a caregiver by Lady_Audley

"Fool for Love" (B S5:E7) & "Darla" (A S2:E7) by Pyrefly79

Can we talk about how terrifying this guy is by StarsThatGlow

I loved Cordelia's style season early on in season 3. by pit_of_despair666

Love Letter (Buffy Version) by Ventenebris

Joyce and Spike by No-Jaguar8044

Fool for Love question on previous slayers by anthonycaruana

The Killer in Me by Competitive_Bank8725

For you, who is the best and worst antagonist in Buffy the Vampire Slayer? by murder_drone_V_N_Usy

Which opinion on the show would have you like this? by -Bi-Bi-Bi-

Slayers on Audible by Disastrous-Zombie-25

This is a point people ignore by foreseethefuture

Just wanted to quickly praise the 'vamp' makeup. by sKullsHavezzz

Best feats of Ilyria? by Glum_Local_1358

AtS Season 3 appreciation thread by jdpm1991

Best feat of spike by FoxIndependent4310

What would you think of a prequel series by CleanUpOnAisle10

Best feat of Ángel by FoxIndependent4310

So about Doyle by DevilManRay

Was Tara a good fit for Willow? by Accomplished-Emu2308

Why were the Monks stuck in the dark ages? by MonsterTournament

Some of my Buffy Opinions as a first time watcher by Business-Chair4961

Flowers at the Crawford St. Mansion? by Beneficial-End-7872

Do they ever say that Angel/Angelus is more powerful than your average vampire? by DevilManRay

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[suometar]

Scifi/odd/mystery indie film rec list

Someone asked me to create rec list of less known/indie scifi/odd/mystery films, and, well, it kind got out of hand. Oopsie. You can thank my hubs who writes a review of all films we've watched. These all have been given at least 3/5 stars from me and/or him. Enjoy!

I'm not fully sure if these films are all indie, but I'm quite convinced you at least haven't heard about most of them:

Another Earth (2011)

Archive (2020. On my Top 10 forever fave film list)

Automata (2014)

Boss level (2020)

Brainstorm (1983)

Breach (2020)

Coherence (2013, SO GOOD)

Color out of space (2019)

Coma (2019, russian, is available with english and german dubbing. Effing gorgeous film)

District 9 (2009)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Dual (2022. Fun fact: it was shot in the town in Finland where I was born)

ExistenZ (1999)

Gattaca (1997)

Girl on the Train (2016, mystery)

Hardcore Henry (2015)

High-Rise (2015, also highly recommend the J.G.Ballard book the film is based on)

Ink (2009. On my Top 10 forever fave films list)

Intrusion (2021)

Lobster (2015)

Melancholia (2011)

Memento (2000)

Minor premise (2020)

Moon (2009)

Oxygen (2021, French)

Pi (1998)

Poor Things (2024)

Predestination (2014)

Primer (2004, can’t emphasize enough: this is a MUST for every scifi film buff. Goes without saying, on my Top 10 list)

Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

Splice (2009)

Sunshine (2007)

The Blackout (2019, Russian)

The Discovery (2017)

The Endless (2017)

The Invitation (2015)

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

The Repo-men (2010)

The Trip (2021)

Upgrade (2018)

Upside down (2012, technically fantasy but what the heck. Pretty as hell)

Vivarium (2019)

Westworld (original film from 1973)

Scifi/horror:

Blood red sky (2021, German)

Cube (1997) & Cube 2 (2002) (the rest are meh)

Event Horizon (1997, I wrote a homage to this film into my book :3)

Kyrsyä - Tuftland (2017, Finnish, it’s available online somewhere and en subtitles are available. Might require some digging though)

Additional mentions, not necessary indie films but MUST SEE:

12 Monkeys (1995)

Contagion (2011)

Dune (1984 + the new ones)

Ex Machina (2014)

In time (2011)

Logan’s run (1976)

Old (2021)

Prospect (2018)

Soylent green (1973)

Tetris (2023)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

A Quiet Place (2018, 2020)

Split (2016, also the whole film series)

In general worth a watch (all basically under odd at least):

All Darren Aronofsky films

All M. Night Shyamalan films

All Yorgos Lanthimos films

TV shows (not indie, just worth the watch):

Dark Matter (SYFY, 2015-2017. First EP sucks, then it's absolute golden. A kin to Firefly)

Dark Matter (Apple, 2024. Based on a book with the same name by Blake Crouch)

The Expanse (Originally Netflix, moved to Amazon. Both TV show AND books. Oh the books are SO GOOD and better than the show imo)

Severance (Apple. I can't yell enough of this. It's just mindbogglingly good)

The X-Files (duh)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (yeah yea, I'm a trekkie)

Star Trek Picard

Resident Alien (SYFY, 2021-)

Foundation (Apple, 2021- *chef's kiss* goes for the books too)