#and if the movies boring or lacking anything like fun and creative then I'm like not gonna waste my time watching it lol

[roboj0e]

Wade would bully Peter bc someone said he would and wrote it happening and bc y'all are so boring and annoying. Fanfiction isn't about what's canon or strictly in character thats why they're called transformative works. I think y'alls weird obsession with what's cannon while also trying to heavily police what and how ppl make fiction is honestly been the death of fandom and creativity.

There hasn't been a large scale cross over in fandom in years that either wasn't completely ironic or torn down by bullies that it fizzled out bc y'all don't know how to have fun. Even that recent debate over how sans would react to his brother death is further proof of y'all's lack of understanding of interpretation and fan works. Fanwork are supposed to exist in the reality of the fiction of the person who wrote it. NOT what IS the right interpretation bc there are NO right interpretation except for what is made canon which can be anything bc WE aren't the creators.

Who cares what happens in the comics. The comic themselves don't care what happens in other comic runs unless it's specifically meant to be a spin off/continuation.

Wade is SUPPOSED to be a morally ambiguous character. I know y'all have washed him of all the ambiguity bc ppl have told you that how ur supposed to approach fiction and y'all can not perceive a protag who might not be the best person who ur also NOT supposed to hate (god forbid a protag not have Jesus adjacent morality) but thats what he is. He'll do whatever anyone wrote him doing bc he's not real and also anything thats morally ambiguous or toxic bc that's one of his character traits and what was supposed to set him apparent from other heros he's not even a hero he's an antihero. I can not believe y'all are moralizing something as tame as bullying. Bullies making up with their victims happens in DISNEY movies now y'all tryna make that into some problematic take. OMG. And this is from someone who WAS bullied briefly until I learned how to fight and stand up for myself.

Thinking that someone who romanticizes something morally wrong couldn't have possibly been through that experience is the direct antithesis of fiction. It also makes no sense. Plenty of ppl write from experience but also sometimes turning it into a story in which they control how they interact with a bully does A LOT FOR REGAIN CONTROL OF THOSE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES. STOP TRYING TO SUS OUT WHO HAS TRAUMA OR NOT. also STOP thinking that you are an authority of certain traumatic experiences you aren't every experiences are very VERY personal and the portrayal of those experiences should have NOTHING to do with yours bc there is NO way to encapsulate all lived experiences. And even if someone hasn't been bullied who cares again decenter yourself from a fictional scenario that should in now way be a representation of you bc u are not the center of the universe.

(THIS SECTION UNDERNEATH IS MY HEAD CANON U DONT HAVE TO TELL ME U DONT LIKE AGE GAPS IDC)

Secondly wade only wouldnt bully Peter TO ME bc I'm not a teenager in highschool like some of y'all and highschool fics don't interest me and wade to me shouldne even be in highschool and always be the much older one in the dynamic. They shouldnt even be near the same age for me. But whatever floats ur boat. You can do whatever you wan't but when y'all make these long posts telling OTHER ppl what they can and can't do OR how you think YOUR interpretation of the character is the most right your crossing a line frl.

Edit: I read both Deadpool and spiderman comics btw plus the very wonderful spiderman/Deadpool run. GASP I know someone who likes the source material but doesn't adhere strictly to it bc I actually have an imagination and like to have fun instead of kissing marvels feet and remaining in a narrow interpretation of a character. A rare breed I guess.

Edit edit: I also think alot of y'all have a very romcom take on spideypool. And thats definitely fine love my fair share of fluff. But I have a much more complicated take on them. Again I think an age gap compliments these complications. It adds to an imbalanced perspective of both of them towards each other. I'm also very uninterested in a spideypool that grow healthy together or peter "fixing" wade. I want them to overcomplicate their relationship but for it to also be a healthy balance of comedic and fun and hot monkey sex that keeps them interested in a less than perfect relationship. A sorta push and pull from both sides.

[runawaymun]

Have you ever just stared at an idea and couldn't write it? You want to buy it's so you tailored that no one will read it, in fact your scared that people who ship the rare pair might be disappointed with it.

If so how do you deal with it because I am struggling. I lost a lot of my creative drive because I feel like no one wants to hear my stories. Has that ever happened to you?

Sorry to come in and like have a big sad in you inbox but I love your work and I always wonder if other people with such amazing work feel this way too.

Ah, nonnie, you sent this in a little while ago and I was laid flat, so I'm so sorry that it has taken me this long to reply!

But yes, this has happened to me! I think it's very natural. The only way you can get past it is by saying fuck it tbh. Write what you want to write; write what makes you happy!

I thought Stars was going to be way too hyperspecific to me. I hadn't really seen anything like it, and platonic OC & Canon Character fics as a whole rarely see any popularity, but I wrote it with my whole chest and surprisingly it resonated with a lot of people. That happened with Brimbrond (there were like, I think three people who shipped it at the time I started writing Partake), and now with my Zhongli x Baizhu fics, Genshin is such a large fandom and it is such a rarepair. Zhongli is attached to one of the most popular fics in the fandom and Baizhu is simply rarely ever written about. But I love them. And I feel that way about Dehya and Baizhu, too, and plan on writing stuff for them and making art.

Truly the only way to get past this is to write what you love. You don't even have to post it. Write what you want to read. It helps if you can find even one other person who ships the ship and likes your work, and the two of you can scream about it together. I know it really sucks when it feels like no one's reading your work. I've had flop fics myself, and it happens especially with art since people just don't reblog as much as they used to. It can be really discouraging. But you have to do it for you.

If it's really bothering you, then maybe take a step back and just don't post anything. You don't have to post it at all. Write it without posting. Let it be Bad, even. Put your whole chest into it, write whatever tropes you want, skip around. If you're bored then don't write it. If you aren't having fun, don't write it. Skip all the uninteresting parts and just write the shippy nonsense you want to read.

I guess what I keep wanting to say and keep repeating ad nauseam is that you really, really cannot be writing for others. Again, believe me, I know it's disheartening when something flops and you feel like no one wants to read your work, but that's where you have to decide that you're going to write for you.

And if you're burnt out and absolutely nothing is fun, then take a step back and just read. Like, fanfic sure, but I mean a physical book. It'll exfoliate your brain. Read for fun. If you aren't enjoying the book then don't be afraid to DNF it. Play a good story-based video game if that's your thing. Watch a show or a movie and really pay attention to it. When I'm lacking inspiration and everything Feels Bad sometimes I just need to get some input. As it was described to me years ago: your writing brain is like a well. You have to pour good stuff into it. Nothing is written in a vacuum, and if you're struggling to make anything come out it may be because your well is empty, and you just need to top it up a bit.

Anyway, yeah. Enjoy some good fiction. Kill the critic inside your head. Write for you. I am pretty much terrified 100% of the time when I am writing and posting that it won't be good, it'll flop, no one will like it, etc. etc. But you absolutely cannot let that paralyze you into not creating. Don't let the critic in your head win. Tell yourself it doesn't have to be good. Repeat that over and over. It's okay if it's bad. It's okay if it's bad. No one even has to see it.

Plus, when it comes to rough drafts --- accept that it is going to be bad. You are just shoveling sand into a box to build castles with later.

If you want to post, please try to remember that it is a gift to the community. It is a privilege that we get to read other people's work. For FREE. For FUN. And make friends doing it! You do not owe anyone anything. At risk of sounding like a broken record: please, please, please write for you and no one else. If you choose to share it that is up to you, and the rest of us say fucking thank you. The inner critic never goes away. That fear never goes away. I'm so serious. But it's fake. It's so fake. It doesn't matter. Imagine it in a silly, stupid little voice (mine sounds like a whiny kylo ren or sometimes like Donald Trump, and then it's easy to dispel). Tell it to shut up. If it's like 'this is awful' then say 'that's okay. I'm having fun', and if it's like 'no one will read it,' then say 'that's okay, i'm writing it for me,' and then write what you want to write, because you like it and want to read it. Fuck it you ball.

[death-in-a-handbasket]

Your blog has been lacking some headcanon drops. I gotchu homie, I'll change that

I'll talk about our boy cus we love him and his weirdness

I think a very big way to bond with Ayatsuji is by having a hobby. Like any sort of hobby. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything particular, just something that you are passionate about. I think if you have something you're happy and passionate about, and lets say will put plenty of time and money into it, he appreciates it. Because he himself has a hobby of collecting dolls and I think if your hobby coordinates with his, it'd make it even better. A good bonding experience is just sharing the things you both are passionate about.

I think what can correlate with this too is if you have something you like a lot, for instance a TV show or movie or a book, and just talk about that, it's another good way to bond. He's got that thing for hating most people and thinking most people are boring. I think you having wacky hobbies or "weird" obsessiveness over things gets his attention more. Having hobbies and extreme interests in things will amuse him more than not having any at all.

Just a simple hyperfixation exchange would be a great way to spend your time with this dude lmao

(Me telling him my obsession with dinosaurs)

HI HOMIE <33333

thank you for the ask pookie I love you bbg 🫶

AND I TOTALLY AGREE

I feel like most people really aren't that interesting to him and for that reason alone he tends to stay away from most people. He doesn't really live the kind of life suitable for small talk to begin with but even if he did I don't think it comes naturally, a lot of surface level stuff is short lived so the weirder questions you ask, the better. And of course if you ask about his personal hobbies he'll definitely love that my god

He probably loves body doubling while working on hobbies and the idea of a lover doing any kind of passion beside him feels so perfect to him, he just needs someone with the right kind of weird. Love is stored in the infodumping fr fr, the idea that you have something meaningful to talk about is so delightful to him and speaks volumes about your own commitments and passions, which seems like something he'd deeply value. If he's looking for something more than a fling he can't do casual, he needs someone locked in and the fact that you could dedicate yourself to a passion shows that you could equally dedicate yourself to him as well

I also think he prefers weirdos and creative types in general, the more opinionated the better, he loves discussion even if you and him have opposing opinions. If you and him read the same book or watch the same stuff 100% be prepared for active discussion with full arguments and opinions laid out for analysis. Hell, he'd probably find it fun if you and him could mutually shit on something for sport and explain why it's bad and totally sucks. Intellectual stimulation is totally a must, whether it's infodumping or deranged debate, he'd absolutely love it. Plus is you and him had a hobbies that overlapped he'd probably have a field day trading methods and techniques, and even if they didn't overlap, I'm sure he'd find the hobby process interesting in it's own right

basically, fuck yes talk to him about dinosaurs (imagine he takes note of which dino is your fav and makes you a dino figurine as gift)(ahh that would be so cute wahhh)

thank you for the ask broski, sending love as always <333

[gaykarstaagforever]

I've never liked James Bond movies, other than like two of the Pierce Brosnan ones, and only now because of nostalgia. They're boring when chases aren't happening and too long and his gadgets are unjustifiably impossible and the villains are idiots with stupid schemes, and no one ever just shoots the bastard, leaving him to constantly get out of situations by deus ex machina or blind luck. I don't know what people want from these movies, what makes the "good" ones good or the "bad" ones bad, or why anyone is invested in any of this.

That said, I just watched what is, to me now, the one genuinely good Bond movie: 1973's Live and Let Die.

Bond fights a technologically-advanced drug-dealing voodoo pimp / Caribbean island dictaror, whose evil plan involves giving away a billion dollars of heroin for free. And this plan also involves him somehow successfully killing like 4 secret agents, plus, oh yeah, voodoo and tarot magicks are probably actually real?

This feels like white people mistakenly deciding they know enough about Black people in 1973 to make a movie about their world, and it is exactly as problematic and insane as you'd expect. And I loved every minute of it.

Such gleeful stupidity, done with such a straight face, is a beauty to behold. There is also a 10 minute sequence that is just Smokey and the Bandit, complete with a fat racist idiot Southern sheriff and incompetant Louisiana state police, who get their cars completely destroyed in slapstick comedy wrecks where people crash off ramps into bogs but no one ever gets hurt.

...Except this came out 5 years before Smokey and the Bandit, and maybe the same weekend as the similar White Lightning, so I have no idea who was stealing what from whom. I guess 1973 was just the year to start making fun of Southern law enforcement with funny car accidents.

I'm not complaining. I love this crap. It's just such a specific thing for multiple creatives to seize on at exactly the same moment. I suppose art, like voodoo, is endlessly mysterious.

I got the impression this movie is a critical pariah and was a flop, but neither is true. It made tons of money, and while people in general didn't and don't like Roger Moore as Bond, it seems most people enjoyed the frenetic weirdness going on here.

This was Moore replacing Connery, who set the iconic 1960s Bond bar. Like, hostility to anything new and different was inevitable. I don't feel strongly about Connery's Bond either way, because a lot of those movies are impossibly slow and his charm doesn't redeem them. So I like Moore here. He seems like he's still figuring out how to do the character his way, but that is also inevitable. But he's drool and wry and unflappable, and any lack of charm is fine, considering the movie is far more about jumping from one ridiculous situation to another at a break-neck pace. Bond is really just along for the kooky ride, and Moore manages that.

I love the cars and the costumes. This is peak early 70s, so everything is big and bright primary colors, from the cars to the collars and neckties, to the platform shoes and afro wigs. All the suits have vests. VESTS! The villain dresses his henchmen in bright bluejeans with scarlet polo shirts tucked in. They look like Target associates went rogue. It's beautiful.

Any more analysis of the plot than I've already offered is pointless, because this is a Bond movie. So even at peak wannabe-Blaxploitation goofiness, he's still boldly walking into obvious traps, inappropriately trying to trick certainly-evil women into sleeping with him, and solving every problem with a gimmick watch and desperate flailing that somehow knocks people out.

I don't know why anyone bothers setting elaborate traps for him. Just send a guy to pick him up. He'll know exactly that you've done that and get in the car anyway. That happens twice in this movie! And the same guy is driving!

The watch in this one has an industrial-strength magnet in it, and also the face spins and acts like a tiny buzzsaw. And, fine. That's the right kind of stupid. But how the hell does all that work on tiny watch batteries? I can't forget about that, which is why Bond movies aren't for me. And it makes Bond look bad, because anyone with that watch could probably do exactly what he does. ...Except probably the thing where he uses the magnet to undo the zipper on a woman's dress. That's very specifically a Bond thing, the cheeky predator.

But he's not the only incompetent gadabout, here. Most of the story takes place in the US, and he's working with the CIA. And they are AT LEAST as bad at everything as he is. But they don't have magic watches, so I guess that's why they keep getting stabbed, and poisoned by voodoo snakes, and have to call him in, to do whatever the hell this is:

Jane Seymour is also here. She is a possibly biracial? tarot witch who has virgin powers, and is owned by the Black villain. She gets manhandled and molested all the time, especially by Bond, and his deflowering of her is a major plot point.

As I said before, there are some problematic things going on here.

But the whole affair is so earnestly cheesy and high-energy that it's hard to find fault. They were going for schlock, and they schlocked it. James gets cornered by a hundred people doing a deadly swamp voodoo ritual that involves human sacrifice and a magic robot, and after some of them charge him with machetes, he responds by blindly firing into the crowd and murdering a bunch of them. This culminates with him getting captured by the villain for like the third time, and the guy acts like all this was just part of his plan.

Then Bond wrestles with him a little near a shark tank, but kills him with a Looney Tunes device. 1960s Batman showed more restraint than this. The Austin Powers movies barely referenced this one, because it is already a parody of spy movies. It is a thing of messy, stupid brilliance.

If you don't like Bond movies, this is the Bond movie for you. Everyone can get a laugh out of this, even if they're only laughing at it.

(Also the theme is the best Bond theme ever, but everyone already knows that. It opens the movie with naked women dancing around flaming skulls. That alone probably makes it the best Bond movie.)

[novelmonger]

Thoughts on FMA: The Final Alchemy

tl;dr - All the live-action FMA movies suck like an industrial-grade vacuum cleaner, and watching them will only not be a waste of your time if you do so with friends who are already familiar with FMA so you can have fun bashing them with each other. Still, this one managed to suck ever so slightly less than the previous one...maybe???

Elaborating slightly on the notes I took while watching, here are my thoughts:

I can't get over how unbelievably stupid and nonsensical the title is! "ThE fInAl AlChEmY" What does that even mean? Not "The Final Transmutation," oh no; we can't make the title be an actual reference to a line Ed actually says in the original ("the last transmutation of the Full Metal Alchemist" or however it's worded). "The Final Alchemy." I ask you -_-

There were so many scenes where they didn't play any music at all, and it was super awkward! What kind of creative choice is that? Instead of it being used to make a statement or ramp up tension or whatever usual reasons people have for not putting music in, it just came across like they forgot to add any music in some scenes.

What on earth is up with Raven's actor? He was overacting so much, it was distracting - especially when contrasted with Mustang's complete lack of expression, lol. It's like Raven's actor just saw that one panel of Raven guffawing and decided that was his entire character. Like...there's overacting like some of the villains in the Rurouni Kenshin movies...and then there's this. Super weird and out of place.

Not that I'm surprised at all, but the CG looked really bad for the most part in this movie. By far the worst was Sloth, though. I can't remember when the last time was I've seen something that bad x.x Not only did it look super fake, it just looked...really low-quality even compared to some of the other stuff in this movie, like a child's scribble next to an art student's painting. All of the effects around Sloth (like broken pillars and crumbling walls) looked terrible and fake too, like he was infecting the entire VFX team with his mediocrity or something.

But on the flipside, I actually thought the effect of Ed, Ling, and Envy flaking away as they went through the Portal of Truth was really good! Guess that's where all their VFX budget went.

Al's actor was nowhere near emaciated enough. Sure, they didn't go into the whole thing about Ed eating and sleeping his share, and I get that they wouldn't want to make the actor starve himself or anything...but still. Just sayin'. Also...he had zero emotion, even after soul and body were reunited. What's up with that?

And speaking of which, just like in the other two movies, they hardly had Al do anything at all, nor did most of the other characters act like they cared about him much at all - not even Ed most of the time. If I didn't have such a wealth of other versions of this wonderful character, I'd probably think he was super boring. Which is a crime, I tell you! He's one of my favorite characters ever!

So many of the sets were so empty. You could really tell when they were using greenscreens.

When they showed Greed inside Ling's head, they made him blue??? When it's supposed to be depicting the torrent of souls that is a Philosopher's Stone, and the Stones are red??? Just...why?

Oh, also...when the Stones were in a liquid form, it totally looked like sweet-and-sour sauce you get from a Chinese restaurant ^^' It was like...almost pink! Weird. I always assumed the Stones were supposed to look red like blood.

Yet again, the way they messed around with the timeline is paying dividends of confusion in this movie. Because they shoved all of Scar's character arc into the second movie, and everybody's okay with him now, they have him just come out and show Ed and Al his brother's research notes, which is how they find out about the country-wide transmutation circle, and only after that discovery does Ed decide to go to Briggs. Or how about Greed just immediately deciding to leave Father practically the minute Ling accepts him? And Father doesn't do anything about it? And later on, Greed joins up with them for literally no reason other than "lol I'm a rebel," because there was nothing about Devil's Nest or the previous Greed, so he didn't have the realization that Wrath killed his friends.

Wait. They didn't do Devil's Nest, did they? They didn't do Devil's Nest. THEY DIDN'T DO DEVIL'S NEST HOW DO YOU MESS UP THIS BADLY ALDKGFJSLKDGJSLDKGJSDKLGF

Also, because they never bothered to put Yoki into these movies, Mei's brainwave for the secrets within the notes make waaaaaay less sense. Sure, you could say her figuring it out because Yoki sneezed is too convenient, but she had even less reason to think along those lines in this movie. Oh, and they never even tried to explain why she's the only one reading the notes, and Ed and Al can't.

Buccaneer's head looks just as lumpy and bulbous as Armstrong's. Why didn't they just shave these actors' heads instead of slapping a bald cap on top of their hairy heads, or whatever they did? It would have looked a million times better.

Okay, Olivier is practically perfect in every way. A+ casting job for once. She looks about as natural as a blonde Japanese woman can, and she gets across the disdain, poise, and hyper-competence of the character really well.

They never explained why Ed can't speak freely with Olivier about the Homunculi, etc. The revelation that Winry's being used as a hostage isn't revealed yet when Ed first shows up, and Raven's not there yet, so why did they have to go to the trouble of going into the underground tunnel to talk? Yet another example of the film creators trying to condense and simplify while still keeping in iconic moments from the anime, but showing a glaring lack of understanding of why those moments happened the way they did. Because now you've got a bunch of disjointed scenes that are supposed to be iconic, but will make no sense unless you already know the story.

Speaking of which...why did Ed go to Briggs in the first place? Because he already knows about the country-wide transmutation circle at this point, his stated purpose is to stop them from carving the last crest of blood they need at Briggs and completing the circle. And yet...the crest gets carved anyway, and Ed just sort of...leaves? Without much, if any, protest? At first I thought they were going to do the whole Briggs arc because they wanted to show what I would definitely classify as an iconic moment: Ed getting impaled. But they never did that scene at all! Kimbley is absent from this movie, so there's no scheme to get Winry away from him, Raven disappears as soon as he shows up (yeah, they don't even do the memorable scene of Olivier stabbing him and shoving him into setting concrete), so they don't even need to get Winry away from him, there are no chimeras (probably because it would be quite taxing on the budget, which I kind of understand), and they've already covered the whole Winry-forgives-Scar scene in the previous movie, so I guess they decided there was no way to work in Ed falling down a mine shaft, getting impaled, and then closing his own wound by using his own soul as a Philosopher's Stone. Nope, instead they just abruptly shift to a goodbye scene between Ed and Winry whose dark hair still bugs the heck out of me whyyyyyyy is she special like that.

Wait, let me reiterate: Kimbley is absent from this movie. I actually don't remember if he was in the second movie or not (it was that forgettable if he was). Yeah, they just decided that one of the most interesting and memorable characters from FMA didn't need to be in their movie. Besides the part I mentioned above, Kimbley's absence also throws a wrench into a very important part farther down the road: Ed defeating Pride. In the original, Pride eats Kimbley to take advantage of the extra souls he has in his Philosopher's Stones, but because he absorbed such a strong, rebellious soul, Kimbley is actually able to help Ed overpower Pride in the end. This is a very important factor in Pride's defeat, because he looks down on humans, while Kimbley points out that the way he's acting is actually dishonorable. "You are nothing to be proud of," I think is how he puts it. If you consider the thematic implications of the Homunculi and how each one dies, you'll realize that this is the only way Pride could be defeated, because Homunculi are defeated by their opposites. But then, I don't think the people who wrote these movies would recognize a theme if it smacked them in the face. Many of the events are the same in these movies as they are in the original, but they're stripped of any subtlety or significance.

Oh, also Pride's death is much stupider in this movie because it looks like he just stands there and lets Ed do it, rather than it being an actual fight with the shadow-spikes and everything, and Ed getting the drop on him because he knows what it's like to be shorter than his opponent....

Okay, but one thing I will say in favor of this movie is that Ryosuke Yamada was by far the best actor in the whole cast. He captured the various sides of Ed's character, and there were far fewer moments where it felt like he was an actor on a stage than anybody else. I believed him. I've thought that in both of the previous movies, but I don't think I realized just how good of an actor he was until this installment. Because he doesn't just have to play Ed. He also has to play teenage Hohenheim in the flashback, and Father's final form on the Promised Day. And in both instances, Ryosuke Yamada utterly killed it. He didn't just do a good job of delivering the lines with appropriate emotion and expression. He also made the characters feel like completely different people. Everything, down to his stance and the way he talked, was different! And I could tell that he'd studied the way Seiyo Uchino had done his performances as both Hohenheim and Father, and was trying to match them in his own performance. That was so cool to see. I've never seen Ryosuke Yamada in anything else, but now I kinda want to.

Oh, and while we're praising the cast, Kokoro Terada did such a good job as Pride! It's a tall order to ask such a young kid to act like such a creepy monster, but he did an excellent job. That kid's got a future in acting for sure.

They cut out soooooo many of the best scenes about Mustang and his team, and what they didn't cut out was so rushed and just gutted of all emotion T_T They didn't even bother taking the team away from him, which leaves the Homunculi looking a bit stupid and lax. Because the whole fight with Lust went down differently (in the first movie a;ldkjfa;dlskf;sdlkfj DX), Havoc isn't even paralyzed! I never thought I would be upset that he didn't get paralyzed! But because we don't go into any of that, a huge chunk of character development is just gone completely. And though they did do the whole showdown with Envy, which is one of my absolute favorite parts of the story, it was taken out at the knees by the actors being terrible and emotionless. Oh, and the coup is introduced very abruptly and just as abruptly forgotten about, and there's nothing about Mrs. Bradley. And the moment with Hawkeye's neck getting sliced open? Blink and you miss it. Mustang barely reacts, and they don't even use Hawkeye's life being threatened as a way to try to coerce him to do human transmutation! Hawkeye doesn't give him the signal with her eyes, Mei doesn't close up the wound...I honestly have no idea why they bothered wounding her at all.

They already did the zombie things in the first movie (ad;lkjfgda;slkjg;sdklfj;dskfl), so they show up in one scene in this movie, have little to no impact because we've already seen them, and then are never heard from again. What even.

Why in the name of Flamel did they wait the entire movie to reveal that Miles is part Ishbalan? Why did they bother revealing that at all? They literally could have just said they were going to help Scar rebuild Ishbal, and left it at that, instead of having Miles dramatically take off his sunglasses and make the audience try to figure out why because it's not immediately obvious that his eyes are red because they made the color much duller than it is in animation and a;lkdjfg;ladkjhg;dlksgjlsdgj;ldksfjdslg

Oh, and you wanna know what the biggest kick in the teeth is? THEY DIDN'T EVEN HEAL MUSTANG'S EYES. Marcoh isn't in this movie - I can't remember if he died or what in the first movie, and can't be bothered to check - so there's no one to use the Stone on him. So Mustang's storyline in the movie ends with Hawkeye saying, "Maybe we'll find a way to heal your eyes somehow." Maybe. MAYBE?! -_-

So yeah. To sum up, this is a terrible movie and an even worse adaptation. I didn't think it was possible to take such a phenomenally good story and butcher it this badly. FMA is one of my very favorite stories of all time, and even though I've read and watched it more times than I can count, the fight scenes and tense moments still grab me to this day. But I kept on finding myself bored while watching this movie, and checking to see how much time was left. I never thought I would be bored watching the Briggs soldiers or the Armstrong siblings fight Sloth, or Wrath and Scar duking it out, or the last stand against Father.

But here we are.

[smoralcoral]

This is basically my smorgasbord of whatever I want to post, so here's my Letterboxd review of Moana 2 under the cut.

(This will have minor spoilers and is primarily negative. If these things turn you off, then don't read!!)

The biggest indicator that this was supposed to be a TV show was all of the useless ensemble characters that sucked shit and had little to no meaningful development. I think Moana's crew was the worst, because they were annoying and featured more prominently. In a television show, an ensemble cast can be developed to a better degree, but they don't have time to do that in a two hour movie. And don't get me started on the sister, the coconut warrior, and the animals who were shoehorned in to sell more merchandise.

Boring songs, shitty villain (HE DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP), TERRIBLE darkest hour...

Was Moana supposed to have an arc? Because she was basically great and perfect and dearly loved, and yet had her third - act breakdown where she was like "I'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!!"

NO, YOU HAVEN'T!! You have singlehandedly kept this mission afloat! You're the only one capable of doing half this shit while your crew does fuck all for 2/3rds of the movie!!

I get that people have imposter syndrome, but I don't feel like that was set up. If anything, I feel like the themes of "working together and learning to deal with people who have different strengths," and "sometimes you have to be the one to step up and do hard things, even if it is uncomfortable," were much more established.

Furthermore, what is interesting and works in storytelling is different from real life. If the audience sees a character who is hyper competent, friendly, and a good leader, then there's going to be dissonance when the character cries self - loathing. Especially because it's an arc that's been done one bazillion times, and ESPECIALLY because the only one who actually had a relationship built up with Moana (beyond "writers said that these characters like her, so they like her") was Maui.

Positives: I liked Moana herself! I do get sick of the "quirky Disney princess," and I feel like they leaned into that a lot. But overall, I thought she was entertaining to watch. Maui is great, and it's nice to see a buff macho guy unashamedly adore a girl in a respectful, platonic way. I don't like the Disney style of animation (more on that in a bit), but I do respect the talent and hard work that goes into making an animated movie, and I'm sure these animators would be able to thrive in an environment that encouraged creativity and diversity. Some of the humor made me laugh.

I'm neutral about the bat lady. All I thought about was Disney seeing the whinging surrounding twist villains and going, "Well, how about a twist HERO??? Checkmate, liberal!"

Overall, I've been negative because being negative is fun, but this is a fine movie. It's perfectly acceptable. Your kids will watch it, say "woah I wish I had water powers," and forget about it soon after.

But. BUT. Personally? I'm so sick of Disney and their products. Everything is sanitized, squeaky - clean, pushed through 20 different corporate focus groups in order to maximize profitability and enjoyment. Trying to make safe media that appeals to everyone lacks the specificity that allows for things to resonate. Even the designs have gotten slowly more rounded and "cute." Where's the character, the personalized flair to the animation that would come with each movie?? And everyone is silly and quirky with a sassy remark, and it just... Sucks! It sucks.

I know it's crappy to compare everything to Spiderverse, but you have truly incredible people who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling, animation, while staying PG - 13 and appealing to a wide variety of audiences. That is what happens when you allow for some creativity, and don't stick with the same marketable formula that includes everyone but touches no one.

If you like modern Disney, it's a decent watch. For anyone else, stay home and save your money.

[dangmelearner]

20 day language learning challenge

Day 9: What is the biggest struggle of learning a language according to you?

Hmm should I say time or resources... Probably resources. Because good resources make studying effective even if you are on a tight schedule. Dangme really lacks resources. I have had to hunt them down. When a language lacks easily available graded reader books, children's media in general, text books, dubbed videos, translated literature, captioned videos... you have to settle to learning with materials that are not intended for language studies, are above your level and, let's face it, outright BORING. That can really affect your motivation.

But... but... I am going to take this as a challenge. And it's kinda fun to try and use your creativity to turn almost anything into a resource. So far I have learned from random health awareness animations, Bible, Jesus movie, JW animations and songs. I also do a lot of drawing to create my own materials. This makes learning fun for me.

Yesterday I had to go back to work after a long time. (We were on strike). Today I felt like I had been working for weeks instead of days. So exhausted. So I did not do a lot of studying. Just listened to some songs and wrote down lyrics and scrolled through my old langblr posts. Or Dangblr? Haha I might start using that actually. So yeah, lazy study day today.

Ooh and I got over my fear of talking and actually told my boss "I kpa mo pee, I ya we mi." (Excuse me, I'm going home). Sadly he responded in English. Oh well, I tried. Any tips on forcing natives to switch off the English? Haha.

[whatyourusherthinks]

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Review

I didn't want to watch this movie. I already don't really like slashers, but goddamn did this premise look fucking stupid. "They don't need a reason" just sounds like the writers are bragging about not finishing the script. I almost skipped it using my 'No Sequels, No Prequels' rule, but not only do I think I'm going to eject that rule from this challenge entirely, but it doesn't apply to reboots. Which this is. I haven't seen The Strangers movie from 2008, by the way. And if it's anything like this movie I won't watch it ever, but I spoil my conclusion. Let's get to the review.

What's The Movie About?

Two lovers get stranded in the woods, and they tormented by three masked killers.

What I Like.

There's a scene where the two leads have a heart-to-heart and a couple little moments where they have actual concern for each other and it was very sweet. This movie is also the first time I've heard the song Nights In White Satin by The Moody Blues, and I enjoy that song. I did get a kick at listing every innocuous thing the couple did being the reason that they were going to be killed, and I thought the proposal scene at the end was funny. Both of those things were not intentional on the part of the filmmakers, true, but I'll give the movie credit for it anyway because it's not getting a lot otherwise.

What I Didn't Like.

This movie is not only a checklist of things I don't like about slasher movies, but it also has a cadre of interesting new problems that make it a real slog to watch. I'm gonna split this section into two parts, so let's. Get! CRACKIN'!

First, what I don't like about slashers. I don't think they are scary. At all. I get the idea of a man in a mask with a knife is much more realistic than a ghost or monster, but not only do I think a threat that you can't quite comprehend because it wasn't even believed to EXIST until a few seconds ago is more scary than said man in mask, but it's also more interesting. Plus half the time these movies want us to sympathize with the killer, or at least be happy when the butcher up the ANNOYING AS HELL CHARACTERS. Yes, of course I'm happy to see an annoying character get killed. But I so much would prefer to have enjoyable to watch personalities try to solve a situation, and get sad then they fail and inevitably die. It also doesn't help that all the character are stupid in slashers movies. It's hard to feel sympathy when some dies if it's entirely their own fault. (Also, a lot of slasher have bizarrely puritan ethics. The joke that if you have sex in a horror movie you'll be the first to die is well known, but it also extends to smoking marijuana and the most grievous sin of not being white. Either way, you commit one "sin" and you're next to be on Chuck the Choppin' Man's chopping block. It's really fucked if you think about actually.) And if I don't feel sympathy for the victim of a murder, I don't get scared in the slightest. This, in my opinion, is the biggest way a horror movie can fail. It's not a death knell, I have recommended horror movies that I thought weren't scary. But I always recommend it on the creativity of the film, and/or the fun/spectacle of the violence. And well...

The Strangers fails itself beyond my issue with slashers, mostly because it lack some very important aspects. The first thing it lacks is fun or interesting violence. There are two main, non-killer (kind of) characters. So they are not going to get picked off one by one. Even when they eventually do get killed, it's by a stab to the gut. You know, the most boring way to get murdered. The film is rated R too, so I don't know why they are so coy with the gore. The masked killers of the film spend most of the time just messing around, which leads me to the next thing this movie lacks, any semblance of character intelligence. It's not just the victims in the Strangers, everyone is really fucking dumb. There are several moments where the killers have a perfect opportunity to kill one or both of the victims, but instead just decide to stare at them. Or the camera will pan past something and they're gone. Just like Batman oOoOoOoOh~. "Roan, clearly the killers are trying to mess with their victims. It's probably part of their motivation." Well Buggnutz, not only does half of the 'messing with their victims' go completely unnoticed by said victims, but you just hit the final and biggest aspect that this film is lacking. The Strangers: Chapter 1 lacks context, specifically about the killers. They purposefully did not give the killers any motivation. What they were trying to go for was invoking the horror of random crimes, the (please read the following two words with the thickest sarcasm imaginable) incredibly classy intro makes that clear. But here's the thing. Random violent crimes still have a motive behind them. Sometimes it's an accident, sometimes it's an addition to a robbery, and sometimes it's just because the perpetrator has a mental illness, but it's still a motive. Additionally, fiction has different rules than reality. When you are telling a story, there are certain rules you must follow otherwise it just, objectively, is a bad story. One of those rules is that characters must have a motivation. (Honestly, I think I don't even need to make a distinction between fiction and reality in this instance, but this isn't the place to discuss Nihilism versus Existentialism.) So the movie lacks spectacle, sense, and context. Leaving nothing but boring, nonsensical scenes.

I have one last complaint, which is not only pretty petty, but I also didn't know what section to put it under. So... I hate the dialogue in this movie. It's very quippy. Which I normally have no problem with at all, but it just generally sucks and I was begging for the couple to stop talking to each other entirely. Which is a bit of a shame, because when it felt like they weren't just being smug at each other they had some pretty good chemistry.

Final Summation.

Apparently this is gonna be a trilogy. Great. Next one's supposed to come out in October, so if I'm still doing this watch-everything-that-comes-out thing then I'll of course watch it. But I'm not looking forward to it. Please give the killers a motivation next time.

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I watched M3GAN (2022)

It's like the new Chucky reboot, but with a girl instead of a boy and more personality.

After losing both her parents, a young girl moves in with her toy making aunt and is gifted a dangerous robot friend.

I'll start by saying, almost every movie critic liked this movie, and I'm pretty sure that's because they walked into it expecting to absolutely hate it, but ended up pleasantly surprised. This movie isn't the amazing piece of perfection it's 93% Rotten Tomatoes score would have you believe it is. There are plot holes and logic problems and it's extremely predictable top to bottom.

That all being said, this is a fun little surprise of a Horror/Comedy.

Director Gerard Johnstone is pretty good at making a fun creepy little ride. He directed Housebound which is also pretty damn good and pretty fun.

Here, Johnstone has made something very accessible and watchable. It's a simple straightforward script, which pulls us in with a lighthearted tone rather than with real horror. I watched the Theatrical version by the way. There is an Unrated version with more violence, but I figured I should watch the version people paid for in the theaters. I'm assuming you'll wanna watch the unrated cut instead, because the theatrical release is lacking in fun gore. This movie should have been released as an R horror/comedy.

Despite it's lighthearted and comedic approach, the titular doll is a tad bit creepy. Especially when she moves all weird and jerky. M3GAN is a fun villain and since the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, M3GAN doesn't wear the audience out. She's interesting and has a personality, which I'm glad will return for the sequel.

The cast here is good, the movie looks fine and it's paced perfectly. I can't tell you how happy I am that this didn't try and overstay it's welcome or leave me bored and waiting to hop to the next scene or act.

Johnstone is fine at directing the action scenes, but they aren't really anything great. Choppy editing and quick shots do most of the work. It's all flash, which once again, is fine if not extremely engaging.

Like I said, there are plot holes concerning how the prototype of M3GAN is handled. The relationship between the Aunt and the Niece is played for emotion, but the characters never really connect, it's a very shoehorned plot device. They're problems are all solved by one small conversation, which does little for the audience. The kills, even without the gore, are fun and creative enough to keep us happy.

This is an extremely predictable movie. Every jump scare, every beat, every moment is one you'll see coming. The first act is just obvious setups that'll be paid off later in the film. There's nothing new or amazing here. But, the movie does it's job of being fun and entertaining. Honestly that comes down to M3GAN being a good villain and the world in which she inhabits being comically tinted.

The 93% is definitely way too high. This movie isn't a masterpiece by any means. But, it's not garbage like Annabelle or The Nun.

I liked it.

[james-stark-the-writer]

you know, i was so bored by Spider-Man Homecoming that i fell asleep in the theaters and this entire shtick he has going on with his suit right now is so reminiscent of Homecoming i'm like falling asleep by association. it's just not interesting. like, guys we are 50 minutes into this 2 hour movie, can we like figure out what we're doing.

also, i just find the humor so boring like it's standard comic book fair i guess but it's just so lacking in any creativity. like, i obviously don't get any of the cultural references, but i'm sure they are deep cuts for a lot of people, bc they feel like they are deep cuts. like you can tell the writer clearly cared about those and had fun with them, but the whole comedy bits are just so lifeless because all of the jokes are jokes you've heard a million times before without anything new or specific, and the scenes you're seeing are scenes you've seen a hundred times before, and when the movie does something interesting with it by infusing it with culture, it's fun (like Jaime praying in Spanish when he's falling in that earlier sequence) but it's not doing that nearly often enough. it's a fine standard comic book movie, but it's not doing much more for me than that. like all of the cultural stuff is appreciated, i wish this was just the cultural stuff without the rest of the effect of the comedy shit that is required of comic book movies these days to be forced upon it. because that shit sucks.

alright, let's keep it moving with the DCEU watch, we've only got 2 more movies before we're finished with it, so. now seated for Ángel Manuel Soto's Blue Beetle (2023). what i know going in: literally nothing, besides that it has Latine people in it. i've heard it was good from people whose opinions i respect, and even people who generally hate DC movies, i've heard it being compared to Spider-Man stories so i'm expecting like some coming of age element maybe? that's about it. i just hope it's fun.

[misteria247]

Okay so I had checked out another song called We Don't Talk about Bruno and????? Everyone is like kinda mean towards this Bruno guy?????? Because of the prophecies he told like????

I'm betting they probably asked his ass and they didn't like the responses that they got??????? Cuz like Bruno looks like a dude who's constantly anxious?????

I don't know what's going on I have never watched this movie like I've heard of it but I haven't seen a Disney movie in years so????? I'm completely lost but the songs are so fucking catchy??????

Shsgsgsgsgdgdgfh what am I doing with my life??????

[thelostnymphaeum]

I'm with you 'til the end of the line.

Entry: 004

// Cinema //

Marvel Cinematic Universe

MARVEL MANIA

Superhero movies were not my thing. The only superhero movie I have watched as a kid was Spiderman. I am not into sci-fi or superhero movies albeit being a huge fan of cinema. But during this quarantine, I decided to experiment with my taste and try to indulge in a new set of genre – the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These movies were a far cry from films that are to my liking, such as “Brooklyn” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”. I used to find superhero movies corny or cheesy, because they were not based on real people and I fancy movies that tackle the inner spectrum of humanity. Additionally, I used to think that actors who choose to be in these movies are not “real actors” because portraying a superhero does not really seem to me as a role where you have to internalize the character. I was probably the only person in my class who did not cry when someone said “I love you, 3000” after the Endgame came out, and the only one who did not get the “Wakanda forever” reference. That changed because yester night, I finally finished the entire MCU. I came in with a viewing guide from my friends and I came out feeling like I just had a whole cultural experience.

THE AVENGERS

I like all of them. Except maybe the Captains. I don’t like Captain America. I understand that he’s supposed to be the poster boy of “superheroes” where he’s all righteous, courageous, virtuous and kind to everyone – but that does not seem realistic at all. His character just seemed predictable and bland for me. Maybe that’s why I prefer Tony Stark, he is more dimensional. He is someone who is unapologetic, makes mistakes, smart, arrogant; but his heart will always come from a good place. During battles, it’s always Tony Stark who is thinking of ways to end them (like how to diffuse Ultron at Sokovia) so I feel as if it’s him that should be leading them. Captain America only lead them because he was born in 1918 (just kidding, don’t eat me Steve Rogers stans).  He also looks way too good. It’s unreal. What a knucklehead (Loki will agree with me on this). Jk. Anyways, he earned plus points from me when he returned the infinity stones successfully. As for Captain Marvel, I don’t think I need to explain why I find her insufferable. 

A little piece about Spiderman. I like this reboot of Spiderman, and Tom Holland deserves all the hype he got because he worked so hard for his movies. No one can beat Tobey Maguire of course, but we are all just glad that Tom did not ruin Spiderman for us. The only thing I did not like about his reboot was that he relied too much on Mr. Stark. Tobey’s Spiderman never relied on anyone, he was just his own superhero. But for the sake of integrating him into the MCU, I guess that they have make this fun and fresh Peter Parker juvenile in order to be able to develop his character more. So I think I’ll give it a pass.

I personally like the Thor films the best. Because it was based on Norse mythology. Because of Loki. Because Anthony Hopkins is in it. I dislike the Captain Marvel movie the most.

ENDGAME THOUGHTS. We did not need Captain Marvel. Thor did not deserve to become a drunkard and a greasehead – he’s a freaking Norse God! Why was Pepper Potts at the final battle against Thanos? Thank you, Doctor Strange. Tony was genuinely and undeniably- the heart of the Avengers.

SCORSESE, COPPOLA & PEWDIEPIE

Along with its colossal popularity, the MCU movies have also acquired prominent detractors. Prior to watching the entire MCU, I would have probably agreed with Scorsese, Coppola and Felix (here is his “controversial” video on “I don’t like Marvel movies”).

“Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” – Martin Scorsese

"Martin was kind when he said it's not cinema. He didn't say it's despicable, which I just say it is." – Francis Ford Coppola

Parts of it are true, on the basis where the entire plot lines are predictable and it’s not the kind of cinema I learned to love as well. Marvel movies usually follow the same backbone. This is a huge reason why some cinephiles don’t like them, because the mystery is gone and it’s all obvious. After watching all of them in a 3-week streak, I could pretty much sum up the Marvel movie plot line into this:

The protagonist is in a helpless or vulnerable position.

The protagonist meets someone who can help them.

The protagonist works hard to get to his pre-final form and along with it, learns to fight in the name of eradicating the bad guys. 

The protagonist finds out that her/his master is not all-good.

Chaos but then they forgive and understand the master.

2-3 battle fights, the last one is usually the peak battle where we see the protagonist in final form.

I like movies that tackle more about realism. I like seeing actors play roles that depict humanity as humans. I’m not a huge fan of special effects or super powers either. When Scorsese said that they are “not cinema”,  I understood it because there are no intricacies or space for a different form of expression when you’re doing mega franchise films that are meant to sell to the general public. Which brings me to another point, that MCU is largely a business profit. These movies are made by mega corporations in the film industry, and it might also hinder other smaller filmmakers from showing their films if a titanic franchise is showing on the same week as theirs. Comic book fans are enormous in numbers which is why there is such a huge following for these movies even if they use the same plot lines all throughout. Humans are slaves for nostalgia, and people like to see the characters they have read and admired during their childhood come to life. Because of that, these corporations will try to capitalize on that and make more movies for as long as they can, and in a sense, you can see that they might be doing it only for the sake of money and not of art any longer. This is what the disparagers would say; that there is very little artistic values to these films because they are made to be sold, not appreciated for its artistry. 

“Many of our grandfathers thought all gangster movies were the same, often calling them “despicable”. Some of our great grandfathers thought the same of westerns, and believed the films of John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, and Sergio Leone were all exactly the same. I remember a great uncle to whom I was raving about Star Wars. He responded by saying, “I saw that when it was called 2001, and, boy, was it boring!” Superheroes are simply today’s gangsters/cowboys/outer space adventurers. Some superhero films are awful, some are beautiful. Like westerns and gangster movies (and before that, just MOVIES), not everyone will be able to appreciate them, even some geniuses. And that’s okay.” – James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Director

Here’s my two cents on this whole hullabaloo. Art is expressed in different ways. Just because something is popular does not mean that you should hate it or feel as if it lacks creative value. For one, I think that if the Norsemen would see the Thor films, their jaws would drop. Art in these movies is seen through the elaborate special effects and costumes. A lot of people work behind the scenes to make this kind of art form. They are not any less of an artist. The effects are wonderful, amazing and beautiful. Sure, they don’t have meandering plot lines or mysteries that are meant to make you think. But they are able to show art in a way that is along with the times, showing the capabilities of what computer generated imagery could be. It gives us the fantasy that otherwise would not be achievable in real life (for all I care, my favorite scenes are seeing Spiderman glide across the buildings of New York).

These movies are intended for children and teenagers (adults are there for the sake of nostalgia or lighthearted entertainment, I guess?). For kids, it inspires them that they can be anything they want to be. For teenagers, it might be a good footing for their moral compasses. For me, it just inspired me to get fit (hehe). My point is, these movies are made to cater to a particular type of audience, and the others are there just for the spectacle. If all the movies were Scorsese or Coppola, what would the kids watch in the theaters? Kids would not understand “Taxi Driver” nor would be a good foundation for their morals. It was a classic and it deserves the reputation it has, but after only a certain age will you be able to appreciate it, and only if you had a particular knack for appreciating films. MCU movies are made for people who just want to have a good time; you don’t have to like high-brow or art-house movies to understand it, and that’s all there is to it. It’s made for entertainment, what’s so wrong with that?

And the actors – a lot of them played the characters so well which made me realize that taking on a superhero role does not lessen your credibility as an actor. My particular favorites are Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. (bonus points for Anthony Hopkins, his range, man, his range). They were able to bring their roles to life in such a distinct way that it would be hard to never associate them as superheroes, which of course, is a double-edged sword. As a starting actor, that could be a bubble that is hard to get out of. For example, Tom Holland as Spiderman; people will always associate him as that, and how many of you has actually seen the movies he has done aside from MCU? It might be hard for him to bridge his career from being a huge franchise film protagonist into doing films to his own preference. MCU movies make the popularity and the money; indie films – not as much. 

I don’t think that the existence of MCU is throwing away the spotlight from smaller filmmakers. Because back then, I simply chose not to see MCU movies because I was not interested. People will find ways to support art that they like, and just because MCU existed, it did not hinder me from looking for movies that I like. The cinema is made by individuals who like to create movies. There are different ways to express them. There are different subscribers to different genres. To each their own. But then again, I am not working in the film industry, so I can’t speak for them, I can only say what it’s like for a movie buff like me.

These are the movies that make up people’s childhood. These are characters that gives reason for people to bond together. When Tony died, the entire world felt like they lost a father. If it’s able to touch lives as much as any other film, why should we discriminate against it? Love is love, after all.

[inthereellife]

So, for me, just having the term "body-focused repetitive behaviors" (or "bfrb") while Googling helped me get some more helpful search results. Just using that might help you find some more stuff.

For me, what has been most effective is finding replacement behaviors, and accepting that some things won't work for you without shaming yourself for it. There aren't really One-Size fits all solutions, and a big thing for me was finally accepting that it wasn't a failure on my part, or a lack of discipline, if something that worked for other people didn't work for me. Instead, I just needed to identify WHY it didn't work, and adapt the plan. It sounds obvious, but that change in mindset was such a game changer.

But okay, about that first thing I mentioned- replacement behaviors. This was by far the most effective type of solutions for me personally. For me? I am going to fidget and pull and poke and tear at SOMETHING. That is inevitable. So the key has been to make sure I've got SOMETHING for my hands to mess with , or they're going to turn on ME. And that's when all the super fun injures, infections, ect etc happen. You know how it is.

Those looser ribbon-style elastic hairbands can be good. No one pays much attention if you where one on your wrist and you can always slide it off and twist around your fingers in different ways. Messing with rings has helped some people, I know. There's a lot of options out there you can tailor to you. Just think of it as an experiment and don't put too much hope in "This will be the thing that cures me!" There's a lot of things out there to try and a lot of ways to alter those ideas! So try not to get to discouraged if something doesn't work.

And don't expect anything you come up with to work 100% across the board. It's progress, not perfection. Harm reduction, and all that jazz. I still bite my cheeks sometimes. But I haven't bitten my cheeks to the point of developing ulcers for almost a year now. And I mess with my fingers and my fingernails sometimes, but I haven't picked badly enough to have to get on antibiotics for an infection in one of them for almost two years!

So yeah, the first two parts for me have been 1. Replacement behaviors and 2. Don't shame yourself. And the last thing has been, the psychological aspect. Learn why you do it, so you can help figure out what replacement behaviors might benefit you most (is it the unevenness of the skin that bothers you? Or do you just need to keep the fingers busy and you'll focus on whatever spot stands out first? What is the part of the behavior that appeals to some part of you and drives you to continue?) And then recognizing WHEN I do the behavior the most, and putting things in place to help myself succeed in those moments.

Like, yes, I pick at my finger/fingernails when stressed. But I also do it when bored and sitting still. Now, I never go into a movie-viewing situation without something that'll keep my hands occupied. If I'm expected to sit through anything, I bring something with me to keep my hands busy. I'm 32 years old and I will bring my fidgets/needlefelting/colorful pens/whatever to work meetings. And I was worried about it at first, but honestly nobody cared beyond thinking the things I had were cool (I do work in a creative field tho? But still. Some people do hard drugs to get through a work day, I have some colorful twist ties I found in a toy box. We make it work). I also will try to have at least one bandaid in my bag so if I'm not able to file down an even nail or safely snip away a torn cuticle right away, the bandaid can help keep me from doing more damage absentmindedly. I still sometimes give into the impulse, but preventing absentminded damage is still preventing a lot of damage! So I'm taking the win.

Sorry this is so rambly. Basically (and not in order of importance, they all work together).

1. Replacement behaviors

2. Don't shame yourself. Give yourself time and grace.

3. Learning WHY you do it (this helps figure out how to manage it and find more helpful replacement behaviors) and learning WHEN you do it (so you can be ready with replacement options/preventive measures).

Anybody know anything that would help someone like me with dermatillomania (excessive skin picking)

[fly-pow-bye]

Powerpuff Girls 2016 - “Bedtime” & “Mojo Jojo Builds a Shelf”

Bad time.

Bedtime

Bedtime. Sounds like it’s going to be a really exciting title. Not a pun, just what this short is focused on. The lack of creativity certainly fits this short, let me tell you.

If I were to say one positive about this episode, it's that they managed to get all of their new personalities in the opening scene. Blossom wants to read her book, Buttercup is stealing Octi, and Bubbles is crying about it. It's not too far off from the original, which is always a plus. The Professor comes into the room, and tells the girls to go to sleep so they can take a good family photo.

There’s a running joke about an incident with a werewolf ray ruining the last time he tried this. This leads to the a running joke where the Professor, along with getting annoyed with the Puffs lack of sleeping, is worried that they're going to go werewolf again.

Professor: I'm starting to hear a lot of howling...figuratively...I think...

See, it's funny because...the full moon comes out at night? You really got to stretch for these jokes to make sense. At least this short is giving me something else for the Halloween season. Werewolves, oooh!

Buttercup has a song in her head that just goes "who’s up in the club, youse up in the club." I guess it's supposed to be a joke on how Buttercup is "staying up". Blossom calls it the worst song ever. Eh, it’s pretty close, but I can think of a few others that are worse.

This is certainly coming to mind. Emmy nominated episode. Yeesh.

As for the other two, Blossom bothers the other two with her headlight, as she has to read the latest financial reports. I get it, she's supposed to be a boring nerd who likes boring things, but isn't the target audience supposed to relate to this girl? Bubbles just randomly has a tea party in the middle of the night, and Buttercup just says "seriously". The "fist bump" for random scenes.

This episode takes a lot from I’ll Be Bake, except it is the Professor that is the comic foil, and with sleeping instead of baking. I didn't particularly like that one, but I think I have a newfound slight appreciation of it compared to this. At least I'll Be Bake stuck to the "cooking badly" theme, but they pretty much give up halfway through this three minute short.

They repeatedly just have the Professor catch one of the Powerpuff Girls in the act of doing something that involves them being awake. They repeat the Blossom reading gag, because they couldn't think of something else for her to do. As for the other jokes, I can relate to the Powerpuff Girls trying to sneak some video games at night, but I don't get the construction work joke. Is it funny because working is the opposite of sleeping?

Oh, and they randomly turn into werewolves for a split second, only for the Powerpuff Girls to deny it happened. That is the only payoff for the werewolf "joke".

It all ends with a cut to all three girls partying to the "whose up in the club" song. The one song Blossom was annoyed with a minute ago. Consistency, what's that?

Oh yeah, and Allegro makes a cameo for no reason whatsoever. He is not the villain of the short, he is never mentioned again, he is just floating across the screen as if his appearance adds anything to anything. They must know the critics exist, and they put him in just so they can get a reaction from them. That is the only explanation I can think of...and I guess they succeeded?

After all of that, the Powerpuff Girls get a bad family picture, as the Professor is tired, and the Puffs are sleeping. It's the expected outcome. The only real joke here is that the person behind the camera is that incompetent camerawoman from Bubbles of the Opera. Was the photo doomed anyway? Who knows, and who cares.

Mojo Jojo Builds A Shelf

I made fun of this title before, but this is actually a plot with a lot of potential. This is especially true if we’re thinking about the actual Mojo Jojo. I can imagine him trying to put together this shelf, failing miserably in wacky ways, and saying "curses". Two out of three isn't bad. Seriously, he never says "curses"!

The "great and evil Mojo Jojo", who has to tell people that he's great and/or evil, is about to enact his most diabolical plan...making an evil shelf for his evil snowglobes. Considering the real Mojo Jojo, it's actually not too far off from him making a ship in a bottle.

Specifically, it's a Forgen Klippylla shelf, Forgen being an obvious parody of ready-to-assemble furniture company Ikea. Their logo is even a blue rectangle inside of a yellow circle, the exact opposite of Ikea's. Most of the jokes that involve them involve them talking like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. Get it, because Ikea is from Sweden!

Much like I’ll Be Bake and Bedtime, it’s a one joke premise centered around failure. He tries to put up some books to keep the boards from falling over, and they fall over sideways. He uses the helpline, which he accidently dials the number that ends the call. The most random joke is where he tries his hardest to make the shelf, thinks he succeeded, but accidently made a pair of wooden pants. He phones the Forgen help line again, and apparently the helpline actually has an option for that!

There's actually a few times I cracked a smile at this, mostly because it's pretty relatable. Sure, there's moments like this in Bedtime, the relatable part, not the smile part, but it's far better here.

There's one scene where he accidentally hammers himself in the eye, a joke straight out of The Simpsons Movie. In the rest of the short, he has an eyepatch on, only taking it off in this one scene where he lasers everything in a failure-inspired rage. An attention to detail that is rarely seen in this show.

I actually have no problem with that laser scene for two reasons. It reminds me of the Donald Duck rage scenes, which I can totally see either Mojo or Reboot Jojo doing. The other reason is that, along with the first scene, it shows that the writers are aware they're writing jokes about supervillains failing at making shelves rather than just a person making shelves. A low bar, but a bar they clear nonetheless.

Despite all of that, he eventually makes the shelf. It's literally the next scene after that laser scene. No explanation, which is actually the joke. The very last joke actually got a smile out of me. Sure, it’s expected, but it actually has surprisingly good timing. All in all, it's the best of the four.

All in all, these shorts...exist. At least when you reached the absolute bottom, the only way to go is up. Even Bedtime isn’t as bad as Bubbs and You-Know-Who Get The Mail. Next, we go from slightly related to Halloween to the actual Halloween special.

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