#also Vanessa plot twist?? Potential more movies???

[staijey-the-creator]

finally watched fnaf movie.

ngl i thought there was gonna be way more gore

[unclekaz]

okay so. just got back from the theater and uh. i wanna talk about the movie.

SPOILERS!

here's my thoughts about the movie:

i genuinely really liked how slow-burn the movie was, but the third act really just felt like it was kinda rushed yet felt almost perfect??

the relationship between Mike and Abby was really sincere and i liked the first hour because it was more like a light shining onto these characters and really had you bonding with them, although like 60% of the movie is JUST THAT so i can understand why someone would lose the plot

the 'dream theory' thing was a cool callback to the WORST fnaf theory and managed to twist it into a genuinely interesting plot thread!

the relationship between Mike and Vanessa felt very bizarre? like i understand that she's being protective of Abby through Mike as she knows who Afton is, but not explaining that just made her seem kinda weird? like throwing the sleeping pills into the river, threatening to kill Mike if he brought Abby back, yeah those make sense for her to be so vitriolic! but it just felt odd for her to escalate to that to hastily despite making sense!

i also really liked the cheesy jabs with cameos, such as MatPat being a waiter at Sparky's, CoryXKenshin being a taxi cabbie, Dream Theory being a core part of the plot, Afton saying 'I always come back' before he dies, Cory getting the PISS scared out of him in the after-credits scene

i wasn't too sure how to feel about Afton's arrival in the film! Raglan was an interesting concept but it felt kinda odd to just have him SHOW UP without much fanfare, throw around Mike, sound oddly cartoonish vocally, etc! I did like the Vanessa = Elizabeth thread and the Afton Catchphrase!

i genuinely really liked the epilogue which featured Mike and Abby genuinely connecting and visiting Vanessa in the hospital, it feels like a 'potential sequel' scene but i genuinely loved it!

[pupkinpumpkin]

FNAF Movie Cast spoilers! If you care about that! I don't but some of you probably do!

Ok ok ok so I've been scrolling through Tumblr due to the wonderful news that FNAF is finally getting a movie!! So, people have obviously been talking about what that movie might entail, and it's possible someone's already explained my thoughts but I'd like to put them out there because they're driving me crazy

So I was scrolling and I saw a user mention that they really hope William Afton and Mike Schmidt are related like in the games, because of that sweet sweet Afton drama and that made me think, "Oh shit ya, I really want that too, but they don't have the same last name, weird" so if they don't have the same last name, that brings in the potential that they aren't related, which sucks because it'd be so interesting to see the Afton family interact!

I mean, they kinda look similar! I'm no face expert, but they do share a similar smile.

Of course I do believe that the movie is going with their own timeline mostly, but I do believe it'll answer some of our questions! Anyway, so I believe I have a theory (A game film theory) about what's going down, but that leads me into my next tangent.

So, who is Mary Stuart Masterson playing? It says female villain, but can we try and figure that out using meta logic beforehand? I have 4 theories

1. She is Mrs. Afton.

Now I kinda do and don't like this one, so let me explain. The title says "female villain" so the movie wants to keep it hush hush on who she is exactly, which means she is some sort of plot twist villain, she's someone we don't know at all, or someone we know little about, just like Mrs. Afton. This actually explains the Schmidt Afton difference. It's possible that Mrs. Afton's maiden name is Schmidt, she divorces William, and changes her kids' last name in the process. Now both Abby (which we all know is an anagram for Baby, come one) and Mike are named Schmidt, so unless Mike has a daughter for some reason, they are most likely siblings, being the in universe Michael and Elizabeth. If we go by this theory, we can assume that the Crying Child incident still happened, causing Afton and his wife to divorce, she takes the kids in the process because he's a psychopath, changes her name back to Schmidt along with her kids, and she gets some of the franchise in the divorce, leading her to want to get revenge on Afton for ruining their family with his animatronics by manipulating the animatronics into attacking security guards so the place never gets restored or revamped. This leads her into being a sympathetic villain, even though this theory is hurt a bit by the fact that if William Afton is a villain, which he probably is, then it makes little sense for the movie to have two villains which are actively against each other plus why would she put her son in danger? I do like this because it gives us Afton lore and drama but it also makes Mrs. Afton a villain, putting hate on her and less on William, which I'm not sure I like.

Leading me to my next point

2. This female villain is Vanny/an animatronic.

This one I like less to be honest. The cast already has a Vanessa, so why would they separate Vanessa from Vanny? What would they gain by doing that weird twist? If this female villain is an animatronic, who is it and why do they get a bigger role? It's most likely not Golden Freddy, since it's much more likely a child plays that role, and putting in a new animatronic would be weird. Even if we guess Springtrap will be in the movie, why would a woman play him instead of Matthew Lillard and that doesn't get rid of Mary Stuart Masterson being called "Female villain" unless they genderbend Springtrap for some reason.

I'm actually now thinking she might voice The Puppet which is an entirely new can of worms which I haven't thought about. It makes sense the puppet would want to attack someone in the FNAF restaurant, the puppet can manipulate the animatronics to do her bidding, this movie doesn't follow all the FNAF lore, so it's possible that they just get rid of the Charlie aspect. Ok I literally just thought of this so feel free to dispute me about this because I haven't thought of it clearly yet

3. This female villain is a person we've never seen before.

This is probably the most likely option in my opinion. What I'm thinking is if this is a stand alone movie, with it's own universe and only some true ties to the game series, then they could go with the classic 'Manager or boss who seems kinda nice but they're either a bit sus or too nice and then BOOM at the end they were behind it all along!' trope. It's possible this female villain is just a manager who works or used to work in Freddy Fazbear's, has some vendetta, and uses Mike to obtain or do something for their own benefit, planning to leave him to die while they succeed in their goal. This does introduce the problem of "Why is this random chick the villain if we've never even met her before?" But it also makes sense for the movie to do this if this movie isn't too close to FNAF's universe.

All in all, I think the "We've never met this female villain" and "Its Mrs. Afton" are the most viable of the 4 theories, but they still have their problems and I'm completely open to these theories being absolutely torn apart, which they probably will if we get more trailers explaining what's going on, I just really want to talk about FNAF and my head is buzzing with ideas! Feel completely free to talk about these with me in the comments, I'm just super excited for this movie (and Security Breach Ruins, but that's a different rant)

[xanadontit]

Ghosts of Holiday Movies Past

I will fully admit these movies lean very white and exclusively Christmas and this year I’m going to do better. But for now, here’s some old favorites as the new batch of trash makes its way to us. 

I’m also going to try to be consistent with rating the movies on a scale of 1 to 5 Winter Coats, and include any relevant cast info. 

Christmas Inheritance (Netflix): From Wikipedia: The film features Taylor as a spoiled New York City heiress sent to a small New England town with limited resources to test if she's ready to take over her father's company. When circumstances strand her, her experiences with the townspeople gives her a new perspective on life and her privilege, while also leading to romance with the local inn manager.

This is definitely the “rich big city girl goes to a small town and learns to bake and care about more than status” trope with a Billy Madisonesque twist. Will the small town “hottie” who’s still nursing a broken heart help her learn the true spirit of giving? Will she prove she’s responsible enough to take over the family business? Fuckin’ A! This is the quintessential Hallmark-style movie we’re used to, down to the asshole rich fiance who shows up and insults everyone and the town for literally no reason. 

An absolute comfort watch with some questionable plot points (your wife asked for a divorce while Silent Night was playing and now you freak out every time you hear it? Get on meds, sir), so I’m giving it 4/5 Winter Coats.

The Knight Before Christmas (Netflix): I have no idea why people shit on this movie. I mean it’s absolute fucking nonsense but picturesque and soothing. A knight is sent to the future to fulfill a quest and the quest is... kissing Vanessa Hudgens? Are you shitting me? Whatever, I’m here for Vanessa’s sweaters and Nancy Myers-like house. The end teased a potential sequel and all I can say is “fuck” and “yes.” Perfect movie to watch while high because it’s just completely off-the-rails dumb. Also a great option if you need something on while Grandma or a small child is visiting. Real utility player. 

And when did Vanessa Hudgens become the queen of Netflix Christmas Movies? This AND The Princess Switch trilogy? Sleigh all day! 5/5 Winter Coats because honestly the coats and winter clothes carry this movie.

Christmas Wedding Planner (Netflix): An up-and-coming wedding planner is tasked with planning her cousin’s high society Christmas Eve wedding. Exes and a private investigator are involved, of course. Full disclosure: I could only stomach maybe 10 minutes of this before I had to turn it off. Over usage of narration is a pet-peeve of mine (show, don’t tell!) and I’ve seen better acting in D.A.RE. skits in middle school. Even the wardrobe is embarrassing. I don’t mind cheesy but this is painful. One of my requirements for these movies is that everyone in it not look like they are participating under extreme duress. I can only assume all the actors had to do this or their families would be murdered.

Side note: a lot of these movies really make it sound like Christmas weddings are a totally normal thing and in my 44 years on this planet and zillions of weddings I’ve been invited to I’ve never been invited to one on Christmas. Readers, please weigh in!

0/5 Winter Coats and I don’t think wine or weed could change that.

Next up: Falling for Christmas and Christmas with You

[mikijamcf]

"Caught Up" (1998) is an underrated hood mystery film with many plot twists that will leave you wondering what will happen next. Written and directed by respected film producer Darin Scott, Bokeem Woodbine leads a solid cast with his very appreciated acting skills and screen presence. Mystery films are not often a part of Black Cinema, and they are even more obscure when you add the hood essence to them. However, "Caught Up" represents an underrepresented genre in Black filmmaking, which I believe has more potential than we can envision.

The soundtrack includes various hip-hop and R&B tracks, a decent mix of hot artists, and solid era representation. The movie also features appearances by LL Cool J and Snoop Dogg.

Director: Darin Scott

Writer: Darin Scott

Starring Bokeem Woodbine, Cynda Williams, Clifton Powell, Joseph Granda, Tony Todd, Jeffrey Combs, Basil Wallace, Jeris Poindexter, Marques Johnson, Courtney McLean, Jason Carmichael

Storyline

Daryl Allen (Bokeem Woodbine) was recently released from prison because his involvement in a bank robbery had gone wrong. While trying to live a straight life, Daryl meets many challenges when finding work as an ex-con. By fate, he meets a perplexing and attractive woman, Vanessa (Cynda Williams), who resembles his ex-girlfriend, who left him while in prison. Unbeknownst to Daryl, this fateful meeting triggers a series of events involving him with gangsters, corrupt cops, and a vengeful nemesis from his past.

[litrapod]

I love superheroes and I love to hear what people love, if you’re so inclined, please take the time to share your Top Three (3) Lists of a) Live Action Superhero Movies b) Live Action Superhero TV Series c) Animated Superhero Movies and d) Animated Superhero TV Series. Invite others to share by tagging or copy/pasting this into a friend’s ask and of course everyone should feel free to gush! (If you’re feeling extra kind tag your post “a superhero lover’s top three” so people know where to look.)

Okay you asked for it…

Needless to say, Here be spoilers.

Top 3 Live Action Movies:

Avengers (2012): First Group movies are hard. I’ve tried to write group stories and that’s hard enough when you don’t have to worry about fitting everything into 2 -2 ½ hours, And balancing out story arcs, and screen time. This movie may not be perfect, but it comes damn close. There was a whole lot of pressure on this movie, because everyone know they were building up to it, and while I would have loved to see more of certain characters *cough* Clint *cough*, It managed to set up basically the entire MCU world from then on. It may not have been a traditional origin story, but this is the movie that kicked everything off.

The Dark Knight (2008): Okay storytime. My first job was as a lifeguard, and we rotated around the pool in increments of about an hour and a half per circuit. In the break room there was a small Tv with an old VCR. We had exactly 2 movies,  The Matrix and the old 1989 Batman movie with Jack Nicholson as the Joker. By the end of the summer everyone hated those two movies, myself included, because they were the only things we ever watched. I, myself managed to see the scene in Batman where the Joker defeces the museum over twenty times. To this day that it the only scene I can remember from that movie (and I can remember it in crystal clarity) because with a 15 minute break that’s all I got to see.

I bring this up because that’s what I had in my head as the joker for a long time, and I hated it. I hated the movie, I hated the character, I hated everything about it. There was the occasional flashback to Batman the animated series, but overall, yeah, hate.

Then this movie came out. The first one was good, but this one was going to have the joker, and I detested the Joker (honestly he’s a very good character to hate) and I was floored. Not only was a sequel just as good if not better than the original, but it took the Joker in a different direction. This was something I hadn’t seen before and while I still hated him, this is a portrayal that didn’t make me drown in it and ruin the movie.

Unbreakable: This movie, I don’t even have words for this movie. I know people go on about M. Night Shyamalan plot twists, but forget that for a moment.

Just look at the opening scene. A guy on a train, a little girl making faces. A woman sits down next to him and they start to talk. He takes off his wedding ring. It gets awkward, and things start to fall apart, then boom train crash.

The attention to detail, and character building are amazing. So many superhero movies just don’t bother. They’re too caught up in the CGI or in finding a way to revamp an old character. Don’t get me wrong I love origin stories, but there’s only so many ways you can play them.  Instead of making everything bigger in scale in order to keep things interesting and challenging it keeps the focus on the internal and personal conflicts just as much as the external ones, so that they feed into each other.

This movie manages to give us a truly human superhero.

A common failing of superhero movies is that the character development seems forced or clunky because the focus is to get to the big ending fight scene. Not so here. The final big fight scene is important because of what it means to the characters, not because of someone’s powers or who/what they’re threatening. Which is why the ending twist actually really works.

I can’t even describe how much I love this movie.

Top 3 Live Action TV Series:

Daredevil: So I’m going to focus on season one here.

This series took risks and they paid off in spades. It focuses on the villains almost at the expense of the heroes, but because of that we know the full scope of what Matt is facing. This isn’t just “oh I stopped a mugging” it’s full on organized crime. For half the season Matt doesn’t even know who’s in charge, or that there even is one person in charge.

The cinematography is gorgeous. Pay attention to the colors. Everything is clearly chosen for a reason. By the end of the season I was getting nervous when Vanessa wore black. There have been a couple other movies that tried to play up the color thing, but most of them had crappy scripts. It this series, the stark color contrasts only amplify what is already a great show.

It eases you into the weird. This show is canonically in the same universe as the Avengers. Thor, Hulk, Aliens, they all exist, but it’s a distant presence to the average guy on the street. And this series shows that. When an honest to god Ninja showed up I was flabbergasted, because while I knew that they could be a thing in this universe, it still felt like something i’d never seen before. ( This is also a part of my disappointment about season 2 but I’m not going to get into that here. )

In a lot of ways this is actually a season long origin story. We got the time and breadth to fully explore how Matt became Daredevil. Training montages are fun and all, but this gave it depth.

I could go on. The catholic themes, the brutality that never seemed unnecessary or over the top.

This is a wonderful show that set an extremely high bar for the rest of the Netfix originals.

Heroes: I loved this show (before the writers strike ruined it) because there were so many good characters and none of them seemed to know what they were doing. The way everything slowly wove together in the first season was great. The recurring themes that were the paintings and the company.

This show had a lot of potential and it was clear the writers had a lot of ideas. Not many of those ideas actually made it to the screen in later seasons, but despite that, this was a fun show to watch every week and a fun show to binge watch when I need to lift my spirits.

Flash:  I had a hard time picking among the CW Flash/Arrow/Legends/Supergirl set.

Supergirl was the show I wished I had as a young girl. Legends has just the right amount of over the top that I love.

Flash ended up winning because Flash is my favorite superhero.

Wally was the Flash I grew up with and when the show came out I kind of wanted to hate it because DC had written him out of existence  ( in both the comics and Young Justice… Seriously DC what do you have against him? ) Barry, had featured in Arrow of course, which i Loved to Death, But that didn’t mean he’d be written well or be able to carry his own show…  The core of Barry’s character in any universe is that he’s hopeful. He will see the best in people and bring it out in those around him. Despite him being incredibly awkward in the first season he had that. It worked.

And then in episode four they gave us Len and he was so well done I just melted. After that I was sold.

Top 3 Animated Superhero movies:

Justice League New Frontier: If you watch nothing else on this list, watch this one.

The interweaving storylines, the art style, the plot, everything about this movie is gold. I’m a long time DC fan and the number of subtle hints, and worldbuilding they do is amazing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a movie new fans can enjoy. Because it’s a sort of coming together of the Justice League, you don’t need to know anything beyond who Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman are. All the lesser known characters are given their own small arcs so you know what they’re about.

Then on a deeper layer it’s a social commentary on the cold war, and the space race, and the fear of the unknown. I have watched this movie dozens of times. I own an autographed copy of the DVD. Every time I watch it I notice something new.

Batman: Under the Red Hood: The Red Hood storyline in the comics is a bit of a monster. You have to be a fan and know the history in order to understand all the implications. The movie has a bit of that, but in my opinion it does a good job filling in most of the gaps.

While the Joker is the main villain he’s more of a foil for Jason and to a lesser degree Bruce. (which is definitely a plus in my book, see above rant of hatred regarded the Joker)

It’s hard to pin down exactly what I love about this one. It’s strange to say, but if I had to pick one thing it’d be the pacing. There are individual lines that are amazing but it’s the culmination that makes this a great movie. There’s a balance to it. Lighter moments even though the plot is very dark. Action and quieter moments each given their place.

Planet Hulk: This one makes the list because I have a soft spot for the Hulk and this is the first comic storyline for the hulk that I ever read. The movie isn’t as complex as the comics of course and they have to wrap everything up in a bow rather then lead into the next comic story, but it’s a good depiction nevertheless.

Top 3 Animated Superhero TV Series:

I realize this is kind of a cop out, but they really are my favorites.

Batman the animated series: It set the standard for all other superhero shows for the next few decades. It invented Detective Montoya, Harley Quinn and several other minor characters. It gave several villains backstories that are still used today, Freeze being the one that comes to mind. It was the start of the whole DC animated universe ( Batman animated, Superman animated, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Static Shock, Batman Beyond and possibly a few more I’m forgetting )

If there’s a top ten list of superhero shows that doesn’t have the Batman animated Series, then it was probably disqualified for being too awesome.

Justice League Unlimited: Everything Batman was but with a bigger cast. Minor heroes got a place to shine. While still shown as being important to the larger plot, and oh those plots. The Legion of Doom, Doomsday, Brainiac. As much as the hero’s got to shine so did the villains.

Keep in mind a lot of these characters (on both sides) hadn’t been portrayed on screen before this, and for a lot of the lesser known ones the portrayal here is still what people who don’t read the comics think of first.

Batman Beyond: It was my first fandom, so yes, I’m biased. My first multi-chapter fic is still up on ff.net.

Batman is a huge character. He’s the bread and butter of the DCU, so much so that people don’t treat him like he’s human. This show not only admitted he was human, it started asking questions, and opened a whole new world of possibilities because of it.

The first scene still gets me every time, the gun, and shutting down the cave.

Add to that that this was not only in the same world but created by the same team that did the batman animated series and you get a wealth of history that other shows can only dream of. The costumes in the cases, the trophies, they’re all the same ones from the other show. When Terry finally meets the Justice League, Superman references thing that happened in the Justice League show. And you can’t get the end of Mr. Freeze’s character arc unless you watch Batman Beyond.

Not that it’s tied down. It has a history, but with a new Batman it’s a whole different ball game. And Terry is a different Batman. He’s not dark and brooding. He sasses back to his villains like Dick. He’s got street smarts like Jason. He’s got the drive like Bruce. He may still be figuring things out but it’s clear he’ll be just as impressive.