#and then there's the sequel which doesn't even have a solid enough plot to be in chapters yet it's just Vibes

[ilovedthestars]

👻Is there a scene that you find intimidating that you have yet to write?

WIP Ask Game

Very unfortunately, the first thing that came to mind for this is a scene/sequence of scenes that comes pretty much right after where I've currently left off in Old Unit, Young Unit. Yeahhh. I'm hoping I'm not stuck on that for too long. Basically, I thought I had chapter 3 all lined up and finished, and then I added a whole plot point in between chapters three and four, and now there might be a whole other chapter's worth of events in the middle there, but it's mostly transition between things actually happening, and I don't want it to get boring, but I'm also trying to keep the chapters at even-ish lengths and the sensible chapter breaks just don't work out nicely, and...and as you can see I find this intimidating, lol.

If you'd asked me a few weeks ago my answer would have been the SecUnit Fight Club scene in chapter 2 of OU,YU because I'd been stuck on that for a while. I'm still ambivalent about it, but it gets the job done I think. I really need to do with the chapter three/four transition what I did with the fight club scene, which was stop stressing about how hard it would be to write and just sit down and do writing sprints until I figured out what I was doing. I'll probably try that soon, because I don't want to stall out on this wip--I'm really excited about getting to the events of (what is currently) chapter four!! (And after that I will have some more plot things to sort out, because there ends the part of this fic that I have actually solid-ish drafts of, lol.)

[thecoffeelorian]

Firstly, my thanks to everyone who showed interest in this spooky tale. Back when it was nothing but a plot idea, I wasn't really sure if I would ever get farther than that...but however! I got the burst of inspiration I needed, and so, here is the first of two installments. Have a happy (and early) Halloween!

Title: Come Little Children Chapter: 1 of 3 Characters: Omega (The Bad Batch), Mother Talzin (The Clone Wars) Premise: If every Force-sensitive has an equal chance of becoming Jedi or Sith...then, perhaps, could every dead Force-sensitive have an equal chance of influencing the living...? Special Notes: I am taking faint hints from the first two seasons and rolling with them faster than an eighteen-wheeler during rush hour traffic. In other words, there's a rather important reason that Omega chose to use a pink energy bow and ride a Rancor...;)

P.S.: This is, indeed, the sequel to Overwatch. Tags: @ur-pal-ari @swarovski-yoda @skellymom @talesfrommedinastation @ilovemedia @flyiingsly @random-chaotic-bitch @groguandthebadbatch @wastingstarsss @themightychipmunk42 @c-ch-v-r @lee-lee-la

That night, when you've settled down enough to get some sleep and your dreams no longer cry out for Tech's return...you're no longer in Mount Tantiss. The hard, cold walls and your even harder bed have vanished, and for the first time in about a week, you can move in any direction without feeling several sets of Imperial eyes upon you.

The trouble is, you're not back home on the Marauder, either, for nothing manages to enclose you just enough to give you any sense of security or safety.

In fact, you might almost think that you're not anywhere in the Galaxy now, because this strange red haze and even stranger landscape is nothing like any of the other planets you've already visited.

Except...this has to be some kind of planet, because the ground beneath your feet, however desolate, remains solid as you begin walking forward. The air may barely be breathable to you, yet you feel its natural heat just the same. And in spite of there being no water in sight, you can still feel the humidity seeping slowly through your clothes.

And finally, you're not alone down here.

It's a faint sort of light waiting for you in the distance, a somewhat eerie green glow that just barely lights your path--and yet, though this is the very first time you've seen it, seen this entire planet, even--you find yourself moving toward it just the same. You can't exactly explain why, let alone try to put into words what it is you're feeling, but there's just--something about that flame, something just the slightest bit familiar, that very nearly feels like home to you. A home that you've never seen until this moment, of course, but still a home nevertheless.

This feeling grows a little bit more as you stare through the haze and see someone waiting by that flame, someone which at this distance looks to have some kind of tattoo upon their face.

No.

No, wait!

It's not just any old tattoo, or face paint, or makeup. It's the one that you love, love, LOVE the best because it belongs to your Buir!

And wouldn't you know it, he's come ALL this way to this whatever planet to bring you home!

Oh, but of course you're running to him now. Any other girl would, especially if she had been in trouble before, but realized that help had finally come. Hera could have done it before, and maybe also Lyana, though hopefully they were on solid ground just like you, because here is your chance. Your chance to let him know you're back, that you're okay--no, not just okay, but totally unhurt--and that he doesn't have to worry about you any more.

Not like he must have done before on Pantora, or Bracca, or even on Ord Mantell after some mean old lady just had to run her mouth, because that's all over now. He won't have to worry about Cid, or that nasty Hemlock, or even Crosshair this time, because you've somehow convinced him to run away from this place with you and he's already promised to deliver.

This means, obviously, that all Hunter will really have to do is help the two of you slip out. Maybe you'll just have to sneak back in through whatever door brought you here, push Crosshair out of it, and then the three of you can finally--

You stop.

You stop because there's something different about Hunter--no, because there's something wrong about him, or something wrong not about him after all, because now you realize that your Buir was never here to begin with.

Not at all.

That's not him sitting there, waiting for you.

That's someone who's way too thin and yeah, way too tall and--and he's, no, she's, the feeling of her presence hits you long before you can think to turn around and run because now she sees you, she knows you're here, she's uncoiling herself like those hooded snakes you've seen around that ipsium mine and her cold green eyes are upon you.

CHILD…

They're staring right into you and through you, two glowing orbs of bright green, the very antithesis of Tech's warmer yellow goggles that shielded the brown eyes beneath. She's slowly rising to her full height and she is monstrous, curious, unspeakable, both human and beast simultaneously.

A thousand words you learned from Tech flash through your mind at the sight of her, at the very thought of her, because she's all spikes and silk, she's alive and dead, she's solid and liquid at the exact same time, and she must have you frozen in place where you stand.

Frozen, trapped before a great house of dark wood, or temple, or altar, or even a mix of all three and none of these at all, because your mind is blank.

You can no longer speak, no longer think, and strangely want to do both at once, because--because even though the words just won't come out and you're shivering in place, sweating in place, no idea what to do--you're also sure that you've had enough, that all you want to do is just scream yourself awake and leave her and everything else about this planet behind--but she's not done with you.

...NOT. YET.

Instead, she must only be getting started, because...because that's when she brings a gray, skeletal finger to her lips, her eyes narrowing with some wordless sense of knowledge, recognition, or some other faint sense of memory...and you feel the very air you breathe get knocked out of you.

HUSH.

[crehador]

quickfire thoughts on fall 2023 now that everything i'm watching has had at least three eps out

EXCELLENT

sousou no frieren: still very easily anime of the season, beautiful in visuals and in story. a quiet, subtle look at loss and grief, and life continuing beyond that. the structure is working perfectly imo, it never feels like there are too many or not enough flashbacks, i feel connected at all times to both the present day party and the himmel-era party

migi to dali: still doing an exceptional job of balancing creepy and funny, i said before that the only thing i can think of with a remotely similar vibe is the movie hot fuzz and while i think there's a different flavor of comedy here, i still stand by that (and that's a compliment bc hot fuzz is an excellent movie)

kamonohashi ron no kindan suiri: although i wouldn't say this is mind-blowingly outstanding in any single way, it's very well-done in just about every conceivable way and comes together as an extremely solid series

BORDERLINE EXCELLENT

overtake: after four episodes i'm so tempted to put it with the 'excellent' shows but have to admit it's just not objectively on that level, it is subjectively one of my current favorites of the season though. silly at times, fairly simple story, but really effectively done so far

ADORABLE

s rank musume: feel like this one is largely going to slip through the cracks because it looks like your typical fantasy-action/adventure series, but doesn't stand out in that genre. the cute/soothing family moments are what stand out to me, but understandably that's not what most viewers of the genre are looking for. remains to be seen if a more action-y plot will build up, have doubts about how effective that will be

yuzuki-san chi no yon kyoudai: VERY CUTE with some very real moments and struggles, the cr subs debacle in the first ep however did it no favors

atarashii joushi wa dotennen: VERY CUTE i almost wish they'd cast literally anyone except umechan for shirosaki bc with him the similarities to cool doji danshi are just too much lmao however umechan is in fact perfect for this character so why not let him play it twice i guess

hoshikuzu telepath: moe yuri that isn't afraid to say rocket science is for autistic lesbians, what could be better?

wataoshi: YURI OF THE SEASON SORRY HOSHIKUZU TELEPATH HERE'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BETTER i actually would put these two on a similar tier but wataoshi gets the edge for me because rae is so unapologetically, exuberantly gay and that is just so nice to see

SEQUELS

houkago shounen hanako-kun: tragically only four half-length episodes but it's nice to see these kids again, ogata megumi's hanako voice just hits in a way the jjk yuuta voice doesn't, for me, so very glad to hear it again

arknights s2: i'm liking the art even more than i did in s1? not sure if it's actually changed/improved, and imo s1 was already good, but anyway just really enjoying seeing all the faves moving and speaking!

spy x family s2: still cute of course what more can i say

b-project s3: MAN I'M TORN i don't dislike this season (we are getting so many kitakore shots) but i am so stressed out for tsubasa and i just want to see her catch a break! i'm sure the season will end in an uplifting way, but all the stress she's under right now makes me want to punch things

dead mount death play s2: it was good and is somehow still getting better, s2e3 which just came out is one of the best yet imo

GOOD FOR THE ACTION BUT NOT TERRIBLY MUCH ELSE

undead unluck: i kind of... don't like anyone here lmao but the over-the-top, high-octane action is not badly animated, it's just not gripping me on any level beyond that. it does however have the op of the season

ragna crimson: again it's failing to get me really invested in the story/characters but the action is not bad i guess, cast for this one is absurdly stacked so i'm not going anywhere

shangri-la frontier: this one's doing a GREAT job with its pacing and action imo, it's introducing the game mechanics in a way that doesn't feel too fast or too slow. only issue is there really... doesn't seem to be any stakes? like at all? which is not a problem for me personally, it just feels a bit like we're waiting for another shoe to drop

WATCHABLE BUT...

bullbuster: i'm kind of vibing with this after three episodes but i really can't imagine it finding an audience, it's not mech enough to really appeal to mech fans and it's not... typical office drama enough to appeal to typical office fans. it's a strange little combo that just happens to work for me, personally

NOT GOOD BUT I LOVE IT

kawagoe boys sing: this is a ridiculous series, i would say not as wild as number24 but kind of getting there. like number24 but more vanilla, less homoerotic. i loved number24 and I'M LOVING THIS TOO there are some genuinely interesting characters already and though i still currently want to punt kick that teacher into the sun i remain cautiously optimistic that he'll see some character development. at some point. maybe

NOT GOOD. JUST NOT GOOD. SORRY.

bokura no ameiro protocol: really feels like some late-2000s/early-2010s male wish fulfillment dramedy. lots of weird and unnecessary het nonsense going on. honestly would consider dropping if it were 24 episodes but since it's only 12 i guess i'll stick it out. for kimuryo. who is unfortunately playing such a rancid character

[shakibone]

Ok, it's time. You may now infodump about The Rise of Skywalker

So I've thought a lot about Star Wars Episode 9

...not just as the actual film that got made, Rise of Skywalker, but everything that led to that film's flaws, and everything I would have done with the ninth episode of Star Wars and culmination of the Sequel Trilogy (but would not have been able to do due to the laundry list of executive meddling).

I am far from the first person to have tried to run a fix-fic on this trainwreck, and I'm far from the last. I'm pretty sure the last person will be Dave Filoni, engaged as he currently is in trying to build support beams beneath that film so that the whole franchise doesn't collapse when it decides to explore that era again. Good luck to him on that endeavor!

Before going in on my bulletpoint plotpoint list (because writing it up as a full fic is not worth anyone's time) for Shakibone's Episode 9, I'll clarify one thing: I enjoyed Episode 8 a lot and hold it up among my top three favourite Stwarses. That being said, it had some huge flaws that could be amended... I liked Canto Bight and Finn's character arc being about getting him from merely supporting the Resistance to protect his loved ones to fully wishing to fight the First Order, but I didn't like how that plot was executed by denying him any Jedi and Force business. With that in mind:

Finn is a jedi now (or at least training) and Rey has got a double ended lightsaber. Maybe she used the broken Khyber crystal from Luke's to make her double ender, or maybe who-gives-a-dang. It's cool and matches her previous staff-based fighting style.

Kylo Ren is our primary antagonist, and he hasn't rebuilt his stupid helmet. Assuming Disney mandates a redemption and a new helmet for merchendising, I have a redemption plan explained below).

Leia is either dead from the start, or offscreen throughout. No making a CGI Corpse Actress for Carrie Fisher, and no reusing previous footage to pretend she's there throughout. The film either opens with her dead (and the opening crawl starts with "THE GALAXY MOURNS" which I think is a solid opening line), or she's away on another mission and we see her through holograms and once at the end (via limited use of prior footage and a voice double).

With the New Republic HQ blown up and the First Order's flagship blown up, the Galaxy has descended into factionalism. The First Order is still strong enough to get these new factions to bend the knee, however.

Kylo is the Supreme Leader of the First Order, but he doesn't actually do his job. Hux is left with the actual day-to-day running his "Empire", which suits Hux just fine.

In case it needed to be said: Hux, the true believer frothing-at-the-mouth fascist is not a mole for the Resistance. That's dumb.

What's got Kylo distracted from ruling the First Order? He's busy hunting down ancient Jedi and Sith artifacts, and destroying them! Burn the past, remember?

Either that or he's hunting the Resistance.

Following Luke's big sacrifice, the Resistance actually has a decently equipped military as their allies have risen to join them.

By the end of the film there is no New New Republic, or New New Jedi Order. We gotta build something different for the franchise going forward, not just return to the Status Quo. The Galaxy is divided, albeit not destructively so. Focus on the idea that maybe the Jedi Order and the Republic, which gave rise to and were destroyed by Fascism twice, are not necessarily great ideas.

Palpatine cameo via pre-recorded message or Sith Holocron because Ian McDiarmid is a delight to see and I am no more resistant to clapping at the things I remember than anyone else.

On that note, Hayden Christensen shows up as a Force Ghost to give Kylo his (potential) redemption talking too. Speaking of:

So, assuming that Disney will mandate that Kylo be redeemed (because even in my fanfic I assume Star Wars will have executive meddling), here's my plan for Kylo's redemption:

Kylo does a big redemption moment of saving Rey and the Resistance or whatever. Maybe he had a heart-to-heart with Grandpa Anakin and saw the error of his ways.

Kylo, as his Empire burns: "Grandfather, I called to you for aid! Why did you never answer!?" Anakin: "I did answer. I was there every time you heard a voice telling you stop and go home." Kylo: "It's too late for that now. There is no saving me." Anakin: "Maybe… But it's not too late to stop, even if it won't earn you redemption."

What is important is that Kyle gets massively fucked-up-mangled in the process and is presumed dead. Then at the big Resistance party before the credits Rey turns around like she's gonna look at some ghosts smiling at her, but it cuts to a planet where some First Order Remnant trying to enslave some kids to be stormtroopers. Ben shows up in a suit like those Redeemed-Vader concept art that the scrapped Star Wars Battlefront 3 was gonna use and saves the kids. When they ask who he is he says: "Ben… from Nowhere". Ben turns around, sees Rey in the scene watching him, she smiles, he leaves. Ben gets to survive and redemption, but he's gotta spend the rest of his life dismantling the evil regime he built, and he'll get no fame or acknowledgement for it except from Rey.

Anyway, that's the sickness in my brain.

As a reward for having sat through my rambling, here's the cool Redeemed vader concept art:

[eldritchamy]

read your tags and. (probably) not a girl but anything else you'd recommend rn?

....How do you feel about telekinesis-based witches in very violent Korean supernatural action horror? If this sounds interesting to you, you might enjoy The Witch Part 1: Subversion and The Witch Part 2: The Other One

How about a claustrophobic, tense, atmospheric suspense horror in the vein of Alien but at the bottom of the ocean instead of deep space? Does Kristen Stewart with a butch haircut work for you? If so, watch Underwater.

While we're on the subject, Alien and Aliens. If you've never seen them, change that immediately. Alien is correctly regarded as one of the best horror films ever made, and the (imo superior) sequel Aliens is in my extremely correct opinion the best sequel ever made and one of the best movies of all time. Ellen Ripley in Aliens is my GOLD STANDARD for character arcs. Just masterful writing. Fuck Alien 3. Alien Resurrection is hot trash and VERY OBVIOUSLY a prototype for what became Firefly if you squint, but apart from a few VERY WHEDON lines it's better than Alien 3 honestly. This is not saying enough to count as a compliment. FUCK ALIEN 3. The new films (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant) are OKAY, but a completely different vibe and generally most people either only like the old movies or only like the new ones. Covenant is better than Prometheus imo. And I will say that Covenant has some of the most interesting/inventive xenomorph kills in the series. They do NOT have the same feel as the old movies, though. The design fails HARD to capture the essence of that 80s junk retro-future vibe that makes the old movies so timeless. They're supposed to be PREQUELS but the tech is way more advanced for no reason, which imo was a bad choice.

Supernatural action drama with an interesting plot that will make you wanna read the graphic novel it was based on? The Old Guard.

Wanna see the best and most underrated animated film of the last decade? I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how much Kubo and the Two Strings was ROBBED during awards season.

Like robots smashing each other with an unexpectedly solid plot? The Bumblebee movie from a couple years ago was shockingly good, in stark contrast to every other Transformers movie.

Want some really well done scifi with a PHENOMENAL concept behind it, framed in a different way than any other first contact style movie, that will make you think about the nature of consciousness? Arrival is a masterpiece.

What We Do In The Shadows remains the best thing in the vampire genre. If you haven't seen it yet, fix that. The movie is great but the show absolutely blows it away.

Star Trek is a good evergreen choice. I don't have as much experience with it as I'd like, but I very much enjoyed TNG up until it hit writers' strike territory and things went really off the rails (mid season 5). Started DS9 but my progress got interrupted pretty hard when my dad was in the hospital for the last time. The different series have different feels to them. Not liking one show doesn't mean you won't like another one. There's plenty of Star Trek to choose from.

I am tearing through The Vampire Diaries at an impressive rate. Is it revolutionary? Not remotely. You can tell a LOT of the character archetypes were pulled from Buffy. But to be fair, it does a lot of those character archetypes better. I got into it partly for a specific character (Katherine Pierce) who is like Evil Girlboss incarnate, and partly as backstory for the world so I can eventually progress to Legacies for ANOTHER supernatural superpowered character (Hope Mikaelson). So far I'm very pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. It's actually a good show. VERY straight, but at least the straight vampire drama is better than Buffy's (even if it's very obvious that Stefan and Damon are basically rehashed Angel and Spike).

Have you seen Shin Godzilla? It is, bar none, the best monster movie ever made. An absolute MASTERPIECE of atmospheric, slow terror as the world fails to comprehend and respond to the physical and emotional impact of a nuclear catastrophe on Japanese soil. Absolutely PHENOMENAL movie. The version with all the deleted scenes in it is even better. Incredible film.

Do you like speculative fiction about artificial intelligence, and also think Alicia Vikander is pretty (who doesn't?). Ex Machina is really interesting and good.

Like the classic stuff? John Carpenter's The Thing and the 70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers definitely live up to their reputations.

Want to turn your brain off with a comedy about morons who are in over their head? The Three Amigos is pretty good and has one of my favorite jokes in any comedy movie. (It involves a veranda).

Wanna turn your brain off with goofy kaiju bullshit? The old Toho Godzilla movies are very fun. Be mindful of the older ones, though. If it was made before 1970 and features an island setting, there's usually some outlandish degrees of racism. King Kong vs Godzilla is the worst offender, but a BUNCH from that era had very severe colorism and "primative island culture" vibes. Also probably avoid Godzilla vs Megalon, which even manages to beat King Kong as hands down the worst film in the entire series. It was filmed in under two weeks and Godzilla is only in it for the last forty seconds because it wasn't even supposed to be a Godzilla movie at all. I'm a big fan of the Heisei era movies (1985-1995) personally, with the Millennium series (1999-2004) being a close second. But if you want maximum goofy kaiju cheese, you want Showa (1954-1974). It's all rubber suit bullshit and it's a good time.

The Maleficent movies are fantastic, if you haven't seen them.

The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are cinematic masterpieces. Do not watch The Mummy 3: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. I mean it doesn't even have Rachel Weisz, what's the point.

The Resident Evil movies are very bad. But they're a guilty pleasure if you're into really bad 2000s cheesy action. If you're into it, they're fun.

The Underworld movies are kinda like that but with vampires (and werewolves) instead of zombies. They're awful movies, but they DO have Kate Beckinsdale in a corset so you win some you lose some.

Want action cheese but more 80s? Demolition Man is fun. The original Judge Dredd is also better than it has any right to be. The NEW Dredd is genuinely a good and cool movie.

Want to watch a shitpost? Romancing the Stone and the sequel, Jewel of the Nile. Very fun to watch with friends because of how batshit insane they are.

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE. I can't believe the post got this long before I thought of it. It's a great story about a female assassin and a polycule of librarians with guns. Sometimes a family is a little girl, the woman who shot her dad, and 4 gay aunts that love books guns and each other. Great music, too.

For turn your brain off but cute, charming, and low stakes/drama, Kiki's Delivery Service is one of my favorite Ghibli movies. It's about equal to Totoro with how gentle the world and story are. Also has some anti-capitalist vibes and a lesbian artist who lives in the woods. Plus it's about a witch, and who's not a sucker for decent witch movies?

Person of Interest is a really interesting show if you haven't seen it. It's about a national security algorithm that gains sentience and a small team of independent ex-spec ops agents use it to save people because its creator refused to let the government have access to it.

Do you want to absolutely lose your goddamn mind wondering how something ever got made? Try watching Zardoz. Holy fucking shit I've never been more confused.

Do you want that feeling but good instead of bad? Kung Fury.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the best film in the series THERE I SAID IT. It does every single thing the series NEEDED it to do to be good and relevant and fresh for a modern audience. The series has been stagnating for a long time and Dark Fate is EXACTLY the direction the Terminator franchise needed to go.

[laf-outloud]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsH6JYItyWJ/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Some of Jensen’s Instagram Post replies:

“Wish them the best but honestly the whole cast felt forced and yes even the level of “inclusivity" in the characters y supernatural magic was the seamless chemistry between the characters and not just the main ones! Plus the plot was a lot more solid... Maybe it's saved and it gets better idk”

“We love u Jensen and the idea behind this new series but the acting FOR ME was just not there....Favorite episode was the last one where u made a cameo with our fellow Idit bobby ©  missed seeing you guys. . Perhaps if u get renewed there will be more of u and maybe #savethewinchesters”

“I loved Supernatural. Actually I love still. But the show The Winchesters needs to end. It is so very woke. That's my issue with it. Maybe next time don't go full woke to don't go broke again”

“@jensenackles love to love this show, but it's lacking something..good lucky always tho”

“The Winchesters were Sam and Dean period. That's why people was not interested in that other series.”

“I loved supernatural, I loved the chemistry between you, jarad and all the others but this show for me was a bomb. No chemistry and poor story”

“Seems like there were a lot of directions to go but this one didn't land with the fans I think. Sorry man”

“Honestly I rather have a real sequel or prequel done and not save this one this one wasnt even OUR John and marry”

“Yeah I have to agree with the general consensus of evervone's comments, I loved the idea but it didn't really hit the mark for me, I know it was to reveal other twists and turns throughout the seasons connected to SPN and the whole going back in time ect ect but it wasn't for me and like everyone said the Winchesters are Sam and Dean • no matter what spin off they do this is what it all boils down to #samanddeanforever) I would like to see a Bobby and Rufus spin off that would be awesome...if produced and directed properly a and directed properly”

“Jensen, the homie. I love you, but it didn't look good” (translated)

“Hey Jensen take the loss buddy, you had a whole season, time to move on to bigger things”

“Nah the show is absolutely trash”

“It just didn't feel

"tough "enough to be the lead up to Sam & Dean”

“Nah the show wasn't any good”

“Jensen blink 3 times if you need help”

“Jensen honey let it go please”

Mist of the comments that are negative about TW are very level headed. Most of these people aren’t just “antis”. Of course there was pleanty of fawning or supportive comments. But the majority I saw just want the show to end.

I think Jensen doesn’t really care himself about TW anymore, but he let/made the cast go ahead and make this video to look like an effort was made. I honestly think he’d rather it just go away at this point.

If they're really hoping executives review the SM posts, they'll find that and so much more on Twitter. For a fan campaign to be successful, it usually involves universal support, which TW just doesn't have. (Not that I think the fan campaign for a show that failed in all aspects would even work).

I really think this is just Jensen pretending to care, and quite possibly acting out of jealousy that Jared's show is still going and his isn't. (Why else would he try and hijack SM during Walker?) It's too little, too late and he knows it. Guess he's going to have to actually feel what it's like to fail. I hope he learns from it instead of being bitter about it.

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I re-watched Desperado (1995)

After watching a shitty action movie that bored me to tears I decided to watch an action movie that entertained me a lot as a kid, to see if it still entertained me.

The Mariachi, carrying a guitar case full of weapons, goes after a brutal drug lord named Bucho.

I don't love Robert Rodriguez as a director. I think he has a 50/50 record. El Mariachi, his first film, is definitely an amazing use of a meager budget. Both From Dusk Till Dawn and Planet Terror are fun and ridiculous horror films. But, movies like Machete and Once Upon A Time In Mexico are dissapointing to say the least. Rodriguez's strength has never been story. He does his best work by making things fun and exciting and throwing in cool over the top ideas to make up for lackluster writing. Sometimes that mixture doesn't turn out well.

Desperado is probably his best moment. The sequel to El Mariachi, which was good but not enough, and the prequel to Once Upon A Time In Mexico, which was bad and way too much.

The best and most solid writing comes in the beginning. Steve Buscemi walks into a Mexican bar and regaling and scaring the patrons with a tall tale about the Mariachi. It's a damn good scene and an interesting way to enter the world of this film. From there it's just cool ideas and action sequences. Not exactly a bad thing, but not exactly a plot driven film. At one point Rodriguez tries to throw in the idea that the Bad Guy is The Mariachi's brother, but it's an afterthought and pretty pointless. He also throws out the idea that there is more than one Mariachi and a few of them actually show up, to be quickly killed off and that's a pretty pointless bit too.

Desperado is a western. A Mexican western and action film to be precise. A loner hero strolls into town to take out the big bad who has a stranglehold on the people. There isn't much more to it than that and we don't need more. There are nice touches that replace plot throughout. Little flashes of stuff going on that do manage to do some world building and some minor character development.

Antonio Banderas as the Mariachi is just plain cool. He plays it cool and fills the character with little hints of suffering and personality. The supporting cast is also a joy. Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Question Tarantino, Salma Hayek and a little bit of Danny Trejo looking menacing. All of them making this a better experience.

The action is ridiculous, violent and fun. There's a lot of the 1990's in this film, as well as a lot seriously over the top stuff that turns this into a comic book of a movie. There is no care if something looks impossible or dumb, if it seemed cool to Robert Rodriquez at the time, it made it into the film.

The overall sense of fun makes up for the many missteps. It's an undeniably good time. Although, the lack of a well thought out story does cause some lag. There isn't enough here to give the movie very high stakes, which I suppose is why Rodriguez tacked on the "Brother" story out of nowhere. And, toward the end everything starts falling apart. The movie even leaves you with a few questions. Like, after Mariachi kills his brother, how did he escape the compound? The movie doesn't tell you, it just fades to white and then we are somewhere else entirely. Like wtf is that? The movie has problems, for sure and for something so simple it gets pretty messy.

Movies don't need to be perfect. Directors don't need to be perfect. Writing doesn't need to be perfect. The basic point of movies is to entertain and Desperado is entertaining, even though it could have been much better if more thought out.

[formulaorange]

2022 Summer Anime Reviews

Man this season has felt like an eternity. Even though there were a couple solid series nothing has really stuck. Maybe since 90% of them are sequels (which have become the bane of my existence).

Made in Abyss - Season 2 - 12 Episodes This has been a long awaited sequel. I only recently watched the first season a few weeks before this aired so I don't have the long term hype of some fans but I found I was still kind of disappointed. The story was cool and the art of course was amazing but I just found that the adventure aspect from the first season was missing this time round. Likely since the whole story was around the village and didn't progress deeper into the abyss. It made it feel like this was more of a detour than part of the original story and I wasn't really a fan. I also felt that they really tried to hard with the gore in the second half and a lot of it felt unnecessary. This season just wasn't it for me, but then again, I never felt like I would drop it either. 7.5/10 - Good+

Call of the Night - 13 Episodes This series had a lot of hype from the manga readers. And I just don't get it. The animations were pretty and there were some solid vibes but in the end I felt that the plot wasn't enough for me and I wasn't really attached to any of the characters. Maybe the manga has a different appeal but the anime wasn't for me. 6.5/10 - Fine+

Lycoris Recoil - 13 Episodes It feels like a special treat when we actually get a new concept for a show. I really loved Chisato's personality and the action was always interesting. While I don't feel that this show stood out a whole lot, I still genuinely enjoyed watching it especially as the stakes started rising in the latter half. Also - If you're curious about the animation studio that'll be in charge of Solo Leveling, this is a good show to reference the quality of their recent works. (A-1 Pictures) 8/10 - Great

Links for the top series of the season: Summer Time Render Aoashi

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting - 12 Episodes This show was honestly so wholesome. I love the character designs with all my heart and I wish we had more content for this series. 8/10 - Great

Isekai Pharmacy - 12 Episodes I actually didn't start this series until all the episodes were out but I was honestly surprised. It's actually a really decent isekai. The focus is much more about medicine and patient care than the isekai factor. I enjoyed the scenarios that happened in each episode and the series ended up being a super easy going watch. 7.5/10 - Good+ Vermeil In Gold - 12 Episodes This series wasn't half bad. I liked the general idea and the characters. I just really don't understand why they couldn't make Alto, idk, not a child??? It really wouldn't be that hard... Just very uncomfy with his age.. 6/10 - Fine Shadows House - Season 2 - 12 Epsiodes It's been a while since we had a decent "horror" or dark series and I think its a really nice change of pace from other series airing this season. Not sure what it is about second seasons though, it doesn't have the same appeal and it doesn't feel like there's a significant amount of progression this season. Still a decent show and concept but nothing that stood out too much. Also ended on a really weird note. 6/10 - Fine

Orient - Cour 2 - Final 12 of 24 Episodes The first half of this series wasn't great. Really didn't stand out at all, but I did feel that this half has been more interesting. That being said, I still put off watching it and wasn't really invested. (That being said, I really enjoyed the last episode.) 6.5/10 - Fine+ Danmachi S4 (Is it Wrong to Try To Pick up Girls in a Dungeon) - 11 Episodes This is somewhat of a guilty pleasure show for me. I know it's really not all that great but I can't help but feel invested in the characters, even now that's it's completely moved away from the whole greek god familes concept. In the end though, this was yet another sequel season that felt that it didn't really progress the story very much. They're still on the same floor and it ended with a massive cliffhanger but I felt that I'd be ok leaving the show where it is and not watching another season if it continues. 6/10 - Fine

Couple of Cuckoos - 24 Episodes I can't believe I even watched as much as I did for this show. I had such high hopes for the first episodes, literally until the last 3 minutes where it became a sis-con harem and my faith in romance series was shattered again. That kinda stuff just isn't my vibe and I'm getting real sick of it. That's 2 for this season alone. I watched 17/24 episodes. It's just not that great. Unfortunately everything else this season was also mid so I kept watching this but with the new Winter anime season coming, I'm giving up on this so I don't burn out. 5/10 - Average Uncle from Another World I had a hard time with this show. I liked the initial idea of using isekai powers in the real world but it started turning to just looking at how the Uncle constantly fucked up and struggled in the isekai world. It ended up being pretty cringe and the story didn't really evolve past the initial appeal - I made it 7 episodes in and it doesn't look like it's ending until the winter season so I'm dropping it. 4/10 - Bad Black Summoner - 12 Episodes I dropped this after episode 2 when the cgi came into play. I'm just not a fan. Continued it after all the other shows ended. Story was mid, animations were standard isekai. Never got attached to any of the characters but for some reason the battle music went hard. 4/10 - Bad

This season had a lot of brutal shows on it too that I didn't end up completing. Here's the list and a quick reason: My Isekai Life - Nothing special, just another standard isekai My Stepmom's Daughter is my Ex - Just not into that kinda thing When Will Ayumu Make his move - Watched 4 episodes and got bored. The Maid I hired Recently is Mysterious - Real yikes... that's it Classroom of the Elite S2 - I wasn't a huge fan of the first season and didn't make it past 1 episode of the second. Devil as a Part-Timer S2 - I enjoyed the first season but found the animation quality and the overall story really deteriorated in the second. Made it 4 episodes in. Link to the Fall 2022 Watch List

[maryellencarter]

Memed from @thisbluespirit , whom I just tried to tag as lost_spook and got really confused for a minute...

Favorite color: Blue, mostly

Currently reading: Uh. Am I reading anything? I'm slowly working my way through the "Jigen Daisuke" tag on AO3 from oldest to newest, I guess that's the closest. Sometimes I go through a phase where I read piles of books in a day, sometimes I don't touch anything but fanfic for months (and not always too much of that).

Last TV series: Lupin III. I'm currently working my way through Part 4 sort of "back to back", watching each episode with the subs and then the dubs. The dubs didn't have the correct Yuji Ohno music and I haven't seen the subs before, so it's a hell of an experience not just hearing the Japanese cast for the first time on these episodes but hearing Tornado or Zenigata March and just seeing what a damn *difference* it makes, having the right music, especially now that I know the music enough to recognize it.

I'm kind of glad I saw the dub before I knew what was missing, because the dub cast is good, but the music... god, "With a Gun In My Hand" is practically a different episode entirely without Tornado, without the history of having the same theme tie together every damn time Jigen does something badass since 1977. "To Hear You Sing Again" is a *completely* different episode without the moment where Yuji Ohno reaches thirty-six years into his back catalogue and pulls out fucking "Fire Treasure" and smacks you right in the heart with it.

Last movie: Uh. I'm not sure if it was Mystery of Mamo or Legend of the Gold of Babylon. I know the last one I saw *part* of was Mystery of Mamo, because I was doing a breakdown of Kobayashi's performance versus Epcar's in a particular scene for a couple of friends. (Kobayashi-sama brings the anguished screaming Lupin's name like nobody else -- I haven't heard Akio-san make an attempt yet, but until and unless he pulls that off, Kobayashi-sama is the one and only. Epcar knows he doesn't have the same vocal range, but he uses the magic powers of being the dub writer and knowing his own strengths to kick me in the gut possibly even harder than Kobayashi, which is a fucking *achievement*. Usually Epcar's a solid 9.5 but Kobayashi is an 11, when it comes to the Jigen angst.)

Currently working on: God, what aren't I working on. We've got the "Disreputable Company" sequel, JiZeni porn-with-feels and a ton of plot, on track to hit at least 50k by the end. We've got the "A Little Vacation" sequel in two parts, FuJigen PWP with snark and cuddles. We've got the "Silence of Ishikawa Goemon XIII" sequel, which is a lot more lighthearted than you'd expect from the title being "The Funeral of Jigen Daisuke" but it's still got a royal fuckton of feels, some of which we have yet to write. We've got that one PWP involving Lupin decorating his people with stolen treasures and taking very sexy photos.

We've got the G-rated GoeYata piece for @tabbiewolfreblogs slice-of-life zine "Between Heists", which needs a final polish once I can get a minute -- I'm pretty focused on the Disreputable Company sequel right now, because we have the rest of the outline all complete, we just gotta actually write it. I've got a brief Jigen praise kink thing somewhere that also just needs a final polish and a title if I can *find* it. There's a werewolf thing I was working on but I got too distracted by the human parts of the porn and ran out of steam, which I might see if I can pick up again. And there's a really complicated thing that may or may not ever see the light of day, which involves closeted repressed transfemme Jigen and also involves me writing a shitton of really personal trauma-coping stuff...

I'm not tagging anybody. Consider yourself tagged if you want.

[reviewsclown]

Monster Hunter (2020)

Coming off of viewing half of Crank High Voltage, I wanted to watch a better movie, something less awful, and only sort of succeeded in my quest. Monster Hunter (2020) doesn't really succeed at being a good Monster Hunter movie, it was made by the guy who did the, 6 or so? Resident Evil movies, J.S. Sawyer I believe, and you can really tell that by how they tried to make this like, a horror movie. Which doesn't at all fit Monster Hunters tone. there's an extended section with Narscyllas (spider monsters) that's meant to be scary, they lay eggs in one of the military guys. that's another thing, besides like, 3 characters (Mila Jovovich, the main hunter, the other hunter) everyone is chaff to get killed quickly by monsters from a tail swipe or a bite or whatever it's odd.

Also the movie is very eh, US military centric, and probably kinda racist in some kinda way. minor issue though. coolest part of the movie easily when Rathalos destroys the US military I thought that was good, seeing it rip apart a tank.

Also also, the movie ends on a cliffhanger, it's sequel bait, nothing even happens enough in this movie for it feel solid by itself, like an hour in the plot has barely progressed because the entire spider section did nothing for the movie and could easily have been cut to free up 30 minutes

The graphical effects were pretty good though, like the Rathalos and Diablos looked really cool, that's a bonus.

You shouldn't watch this movie I think, maybe the second one will be better, I doubt it.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

This is the second book in a series, so if you haven't read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, beware of spoilers! I really enjoyed the first Emily Wilde book's unique gentle pace, charming character dynamic and small town vibes. I have heard this series being described as cosy fantasy but I'd argue that it definitely doesn't tick the low-stakes box that I'm pretty sure cosy fantasy has to do. However, it is whimsical and a fun ride through the fae lands.

Emily Wilde is a dryadologist -a scholar of fae folklore. Following the publication of her groundbreaking encyclopaedia, she is now on a mission to map out faerie realms. Joined by her academic rival and handsome fae king Wendell Bambleby, Emily is off to the Austrian Alps in search of the door that leads to Wendell's kingdom. But assassins are following them every step of the way and there are even more mysteries to solve.

I would imagine that scenes like this is what has earned these books their cosy fantasy label. There are some beautiful descriptions of scenery because Emily finds herself in some gorgeous places but it never takes her long to find the danger!

Emily has a tendency to hyper-focus on her work to the detriment of her own self-care. She has several neurodiverse traits that I know many readers will identify with. These books are set in the early 20th century, so Emily isn't diagnosed as neurodiverse but she is heavily coded that way.

I really enjoyed meeting Emily's niece Ariadne in this instalment. She seemed to be the perfect protégée for Emily and I loved the dynamic she had with Wendell. Much of the humour in these books comes from Wendell and his unconventional approach to academia. He's incredibly charismatic, which is what carries him through life. I can't help wondering if Emily would enjoy the same successes as him if she had his personality or if she'd have been laughed out of academia as an undergraduate for not trying hard enough.

Emily loves Wendell and although she never really spells it out, it's obvious every time she speaks about him. Even before it's confirmed that he's fae, he has an undeniable otherworldly quality to him. He has none of the ominous aura that so many of the other fae folk have though.

The hunt for faerie doors is a difficult one. I have no idea what logic or methods Emily applied to searching for them but she examined many beautiful landscapes, which allowed for some gorgeous imagery to fill my imagination. It's this that gives the books their warm glow and signature whimsy.

Wendell's cat becomes an important plot point later on in the book but when I first read about her, I couldn't help but smile. Wendell is exactly the kind of man who would admire cats and I'm delighted that we got to meet her here.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a fun sequel, full of mystery and magic. I think I may have slightly preferred the first book because of the novelty of the vibes but I still thoroughly enjoyed this one. The romance is very slow burn and there is a much stronger focus on building a solid connection between Emily and Wendell, so if that's your thing, I'd certainly recommend these books. Although there is plenty of darkness and danger, cosy fantasy fans will definitely appreciate the softness that it manages to retain.

[crehador]

brother crab’s 2023 seasonals in review: summer

surprisingly easy to rank season for me, so i'll get right to it

anime of the season + runner-up for summer goes to...

undead girl murder farce and zom 100: zombie ni naru made ni shitai 100 no koto! nothing else even came close

i'm giving ugmf anime of the season because i personally vibed with it a lot (murder mysteries with a rakugo flair + arsene lupin trying to fuck the phantom of the opera in the background you really cannot go wrong) and also because zom100 has yet to release its last few episodes

zom100 is such a consistently solid show, though, that even without seeing the full cour i'm prepared to give it runner-up of the season. and it's honestly a strong contender for anime of the year. the first episode especially... i would rank it even higher than the first ep of oshi no ko tbh

lots of sequels this season as well!

horimiya, bleach, jjk, and bsd. some new snv came out this season as well but since i binged all that at once it doesn't really feel like a sequel to me

anyway easily sequel of the season goes to bleach, largely because of nostalgia won't deny that but also because it's just that fucking good

horimiya however was also an immense delight! gonna miss these wacky kids :')

quickfire thoughts on everything else:

watashi no shiawase na kekkon is the shoujo of the year, there's been a lot of cute stuff lately but nothing comes close to watakon

vending machine isekai was fine and occasionally funny, but kinda shocked it got a sequel announced already. worldbuilding was definitely the most interesting part and i hope we see more of it in s2

dekiru n eko way kyou mo yuuutsu was absolutely perfect, very fun and cute and soothing

okashi na tensei had a promising premise which it failed to lean into, there was little to no BAKING in this BAKING anime jfc

lv1 maou to one room yuusha seemed like your run of the mill shitty ecchi but actually it's NONBINARY OLD MAN YAOI?! and was kinda good. dumb, but fun

ai no idenshi was... well it was episodic which i like, generally, but it really. was not consistent. some good pieces, some not so good. some interesting, some not so interesting. main failing is it really did not imo balance its 'main' plot with its mini-stories well at all

ayaka was fun! it doesn't really hold a candle to k project like at all but at least it was not as bad as praeter lmao

synduality noir (first cour) was alright. nothing to write home about but a decent enough mecha. as far as anime that are game ads go... i'd say it's okay. a little more interesting than takt op to me, though not as visually stunning. and not as compelling as god eater

hyakushou kizoku was a tv short adapting arakawa hiromu's autobiographical farming manga and it was such a delight lol, especially fun if you're a fan of fma or silver spoon. explains so much about ed tbh

hi no tori: eden no sora was a 4-ep ona that i quite liked overall... ending was just so-so to me i guess

dark gathering isn't quite over still but it's fine as a horror that's heavy on the gore (gorror? is that a thing) actually. probably better than fine, it's just not my genre. some of the stories are definitely more gripping than others, but yeah solid horror overall and really good cast (yandere hanakana what could be better)

helck is also still going but has been really solid, way more enjoyable than i'd imagined. it has an 80s feel to it that i love

and last but certainly not least shuumatsu no valkyrie ii part 2 gives us GYARU FUCKBOI BUDDHA once again. what could be better lmao

MOVING ON

op of the season goes to zom100's song of the dead by kana-boon! the song itself is a banger and the way the op changes from episode to episode makes it even better

HOWEVER this was not an easy choice lol bleach and even jjk both came in with strong contenders as well

ed of the season goes to heclk's statice by saji! it just. ough. right in the feels

this was not a very blorbo or ship heavy season for me but i have to just repeat ARSENE LUPIN. AND THE PHANTOM. OF THE OPERA. one day i will circle back to this lol

[fussyspace]

Word count: ~65,600

Cover: This seems to have gone through a few different covers, so I'll comment on the one we were sent, which appears to be the latest. It definitely gets across everything it needs to: the noir detective vibe, the fact there are humanoid aliens, and the fact at least one bloke gets abducted. It gives the impression the detective and the alien are working together, too, which tracks. And it looks good. A solid cover.

Blurb: 'Brent Bolster doesn't give a damn.

'Overlords, invaders, the Earth Upgrade Committee: they can all go to hell.

'But abduct him? He'd like to see them try.

'Like any good PI, Brent has a snub-nosed pulse pistol hidden under his pillow. But he's just met his worst nightmare, an alien with an attitude that just won’t quit, and things are about to get...complicated.

'Join Brent as he tackles Earth’s new overlords and uncovers a deadly plan.

'With the help of a mysterious dame, an assistant with serious muscle, a neurotic scientist, and a fish called Algernon, he might make it through.It's a tough job, but Brent can handle it. Just as soon as he's had his third cup of coffee……and found that damned pulse pistol.

'You’ll get a kick out of this comedy because all scifi fans love a tongue-in-cheek reference.

'Dial G for Gravity takes the world of an old-fashioned gumshoe and propels it into the future. But like all good scifi, it has something to say about where we’re headed and the way we live now.

'So grab a pot of joe, fill your favorite Star Fleet mug, and start reading.'

Whew. Bit of a long blurb. Much like the cover, it gets that detective vibe across pretty well, and it imparts a dash of the humour that will follow it the book. I might have left it a bit long between reading and writing my notes up into a review, but I can't remember it having much to say about where we're headed and the way we live now, so I feel like that bit may have been a bit redundant. In any case, it's a fun one. Let's dive in.

Vote to continue at 30%: Yes

This book was hard to review without spoilers, so please be aware that there are probably many below – mostly to do with characters rather than the plot.

Content: This was an enjoyable and easy read from the outset, with a decent dash of humour and an interesting if slightly cheesy setting including an obvious but entertaining Spock stand-in. We had a detective getting abducted even though he should have been exempt, an alien getting pranked by his co-workers, and not-android-Spock falling mortally foul of their captain's temper. A lot of these colourful characters got thrown together for much of the book, with plenty of opportunity to bounce off each other. It was a promising setup.

However, with several different plot lines moving along at once, it didn't go as far as I expected by what I thought was the 30% mark (it had a pesky sample of the sequel at the end, which skewed my perception of how long the actual book was), beyond presenting the mystery of why the detective was mistakenly abducted and revealing a ship of aliens heading for Earth. By halfway, the main characters had teamed up and started working through the problem, but I felt a general lack of 'spark' that I struggled to put my finger on. Perhaps it was just the pacing, but I think it may have been the number of PoV characters, each knowing their bit of the story and thus removing some of the suspense. The prose was entertaining enough, but the plot failed to deliver and I found the eventual resolution so sudden that it was disappointing.

While I did have a few chuckles as I read, the humour did often fall back on something that always falls flat for me: characters constantly being rude or just plain mean to each other. (Also references to some TV shows I assumed were either before my time or American, or both.) I'm never quite sure if it's meant to be funny or not, but I just find it makes me retreat from the characters. In this case I don't think Brent is meant to be particularly likeable, but his behaviour got more grating for me as the book went on. I held out some hope of him changing and becoming nicer, but he didn't, and was particularly keen on trying to get with Maisie even after she made it perfectly clear she wasn't interested.

In fact, all the men seemed to make jokes at the expense of the women. This would have been less of a problem if the women were actually strong characters. I expected Maisie to constantly cut through Brent's nonsense, but by the end she was practically simpering at the thought of a man protecting her. I thought Tsumper would be an intelligent investigator, but she didn't reappear and was written off as stupid. I thought Breamell would be sharper than Rawlgeeb gave her credit but, but she was just all over him and did nothing but get captured. Individually, perhaps nothing of note. Together, they paint a frustrating picture. Maybe I'm just being stupid here and it's deliberately embracing a trope of noir stories, but it didn't come across as a result of unreliable or rose-tinted narration, and it didn't sit right.

In the end, while I enjoyed the book's writing style and its quirky setting, the plot and characters left me feeling a bit more ambivalent. It was a quick and reasonably entertaining read, but I wasn't itching to dive into the sequel.

[crunchworldsupreme]

Blade (1998)

Here's the last of the top three spots (as of answering that ask ages ago) for my favorite horror movies.

Blade is more of an action movie than anything but... Vampires. So. Whatever, get off my dick about it.

This movie is just fucking solid all around. From the rad as hell premise (vampire/human hybrid vampire hunter) to the equal parts nostalgic and hilarious setting. Aesthetically and sonically it is such a trip and I don't think it gets enough credit for cementing the sort of dark urban fantasy setting we'd see later in other media. (It wasn't the first but I'd argue that it definitely had a hand in it.)(If you like VTMB you'll like this.)

I really can't say enough good things about this movie. It simultaneously has pretty decent practical effects and some of the most god awful, dated cgi you've ever seen. My beloved. It's just... cool as shit too. In the most absolutely indulgent ways. Like, from the weapons and fight choreography to the one liners. In a worse movie all of these things would be cheesy and lame. But everyone is so GOOD in this movie that it WORKS! Wesley Snipes especially, I genuinely could not imagine anyone else playing this role. He is Blade to me. Likewise, Chris Christopherson is Whistler. N'Bushe Wright is great. Just fucking stellar all around. It's so well presented too, like the world feels so grounded and immersive in a way that so few ever actually nail. It hints to complex history, culture and character backgrounds without bogging down the pacing and plot. It doesn't feel like you're watching Blade Number One™, it feels like you're being dropped into a world that existed before the movie started with just enough exposition to get you started. It asks for basic suspension of disbelief and then performs beautifully in that space. mwah mwah mwah. OH AND THE WAY IT MERGES SCIENCE AND MYSTICISM TO CREATE THIS REALLY INTERESTING CONFLICTING IDEOLOGY OF VAMPIRE CULTURE AND ORIGINS I- UGH. SO GOOD. WATCH THIS MOVIE. And the social hierarchy we get to see the consequences of. weeping. such thought and care from a movie that should be a cheap, blood soaked action flick. This is a movie you can watch a hundred times and sink a little deeper into every time. AND YOU'D NEVER EXPECT IT. I LOVE IT.

okokok but before I go on for literal pages, what I really appreciate about Blade, beyond it being fun and well executed, is the way it treats its characters. Now, being white as driven snow, I'm not the one to give you a very nuanced take on this and I may be completely wrong, but I think it's one of the standout things about this movie. Even in the year 2021, Blade and Karen's portrayals are refreshing. They are allowed to be not only complex and capable, but also... THE characters. They are who the story is about. The movie feels aware of race in way that Blade(the character and franchise) was always meant to be(to varying success...) and which unfortunately the sequels seem to completely forget. There's an effort made to tell a story around these people in a way that isn't exploitative or tokenizing. That is about them as people in this world. There's also just some small bits of commentary, which I can't tell you off the top of my head but I do remember being there. It was aware of the opportunity it had, is what I'm saying, and I don't think it wasted it. I think those themes could have (and should have...) been explored to a greater degree in later installments. But... well if you really want to know my thoughts on the sequels just search #blade on my blog. I have bitched about this before 😂

anywhoo if you've made it this far like.... go watch the movie. It's fantastic.

[fyeahbatcat]

Your previous mentions of Nolan's Batman films reminded me of how me and a friend of mine kept going back to Batman Begins and how solid of a first Batman movie it was in just showing the development of Bruce into Batman and also into who he is as himself. Not to say that they're perfect but I do think that maybe part of the reason why Reeves took a detour with this first Batman movie from his origin story is because technically it's already been done before, and everyone "knows" who Batman is as potential audience members. But this goes back to what you mentioned about it feeling like merely a setup for another movie, which is sort of the problem with this as a first film. On its own, Batman Begins can stand easily as an origin story and as part of a trilogy, but The Batman, while having a solid detective plot, kind of feels hollow as an introduction to who Batman/Bruce is bc it expects everyone to just know who everyone else is in the story. So it feels more like a comic book arc adaptation like Hush rather than something akin to Batman Begins.

Bruce not really having a personality outside of Batman and not doing any charity was definitely intentional though. He's completely dedicated himself to Batman and enacting vengeance for his parents murder, to the point that he fully neglects his mental and physical health (he even winces at sunlight because he spends all his time in the cave) as well as all his social and economical responsibilities as Bruce Wayne (he didn't shut down the charity projects, that's not what Bella meant. He simply neglects them and doesn't open any new ones/ doesn't host charity events like his parents did) He just doesn't care, the only thing he cares about is being Batman, and the worst version of Batman he could be none the less.

Learning that that's something that has to change, that he has to be more than "vengeance" and that he has privilege/doesn't know how the poor people in Gotham live, as well as his lack of care for charity having extremely negative consequences (via the orphanage fund being up for grabs because he doesn't care enough to oversee it) is his entire character arc in the movie, and likely will result in a visible character and personality change in the sequel. It's basically like the scene you mentioned from Batman Begins, as well as the other Batman Begins scene where he wants to shoot his parents killer and learns vengeance isn't the right path - except this time instead of two 5 minute scenes that arc spans over an entire 3 hour movie. And imo that whole "he dedicated himself fully to Batman and neglected everything else" is also why he is so awkward in his romantic scenes with catwoman - he barely had any human contact except for Alfred for who knows how many years, he doesn't know how to interact with people, much less someone as forward and emotionally open as Selina, so he's just standing there like "help :|" (2/2)

I think this is pretty much what I've already said about the movie, but again I think you're giving Matt Reeves way too much credit.

I know that what Matt Reeves did was intentional, but intent doesn't make it immune to criticism. Anytime a writer assumes that their audience is just going to *understand* what they're going for without conveying the reason you're going to run into trouble. Yes, everyone knows Batman's backstory. Everyone knows that he became Batman because of his parents' murder. What I don't get is why that made this particular Batman so detached, uncaring, and quite frankly selfish because we've never seen that from him before and Reeves didn't explain it to us. A Bruce Wayne that is so disconnected from everything around him that he doesn’t even care about the local orphans and isn’t involved in his parents’ charities, requires some kind of exposition. That's where he messed up, and he neglected opportunities to give us more insight. 

Learning that that's something that has to change, that he has to be more than "vengeance" and that he has privilege/doesn't know how the poor people in Gotham live, as well as his lack of care for charity having extremely negative consequences (via the orphanage fund being up for grabs because he doesn't care enough to oversee it) is his entire character arc in the movie, and likely will result in a visible character and personality change in the sequel.

This is exactly the main point of my original review; this hasn't happened. It was implied that Batman was going to change. In the last five minutes of a three hour movie no less. If and how that change will occur has yet to be seen. There’s no such thing as implied character development; it either happened or it didn’t and it didn’t happen in this movie. You're giving Reeves preemptive points for something that might happen in a movie that doesn't yet exist. I'm just not going to give Reeves credit for character development that hasn't happened yet or development that might happen in the future.

There may very well be for a reason for why he chose to characterize Bruce and Batman the way he did here and it might make more sense in the context of a series versus a solo movie. I’m open to amending my opinion as my mind might change as the series develops and new information is presented. But right now this is the movie I’m talking about because this is the only movie that we’ve seen; and this is the characterization we were given; and this is how my opinion has been formed so it's fair game for criticism. Especially since it impacted other aspects of the film (i.e Batman and Catwoman’s relationship). For now he's just going to have to take the L.

Two or three years down the road we could end up with a Batman that's more well rounded, who has seen the wrong in how he operated before and changes to really help the people of Gotham. Or we could get a Batman that's just as thinly characterized as he was in this movie, who does the absolute bare minimum needed to be considered a hero because characterization is taking a backseat to story. I hope it's the former example. I think that's where this is going, but we won't know until we see the next film.

[accidentalrabbit]

TO MY STAR

(series)

Korea 2021

RANK: A

A-pairing: Seojoon x Jiwoo

Other character(s) i enjoyed: N/A

Overall review:

It's not terribly often that a show leaves me feeling more than thinking, because that's just who i am as a person, but there's something about To My Star, with its brief episodes, slick production, and uncomplicated storyline, that is hard to put into words. Let's try anyway.

The plot is basically just a strangers to roommates to lovers speedrun, with some light bribery and a dash of angst added to spice things up. Seojoon, a famous actor (and golden retriever of a human being), is now hiding from the paparazzi in a home owned by his agency's CEO, which is currently inhabited by renter and cynical chef Jiwoo.

Seojoon has an air of incautiousness, with bad habits and an incorrigible carefree attitude, immediately grating on Jiwoo's nerves. Jiwoo, for his part, does not make himself easy to get along with, seemingly always highly focused on his work and having no time for frivolous things. But (shocker, i know) the two of them slowly learn things about each other as they become more vulnerable: Seojoon has severe anxiety, and possibly PTSD from former experiences with the paparazzi, and Jiwoo recognizes when something is wrong almost immediately. Seojoon is also interested in learning more about cooking from Jiwoo, to reconnect with his childhood memories, and eventually the supposedly guarded Jiwoo is in love.

Our leads have excellent chemistry, and the actors do a great job with a story that is altogether fairly basic in terms of structure and predictability. Their relationship develops reciprocity, which i always love, and the image of Seojoon waiting for Jiwoo at the door is almost saccharine in its sweetness. Even when the relationship starts to collapse under the strain of their circumstances (Jiwoo's coworker accepts a bribe to reveal information about Seojoon, Jiwoo doesn't want to be in the spotlight, Seojoon doesn't want to hurt Jiwoo, etc.) their anguished care for one another is clear. And when they inevitably get back together, it feels like the audience has come back home, too.

Does To My Star have any deeper meaning? I don't think so, and i also don't know that it's necessary. I appreciate that all of its themes are right on the surface (the healing power of food, the trauma of fame, the relationship between past memory and present action, happiness over wealth, 'love conquers all,' etc.); it's as if the series itself has its heart on its sleeve. There is no pretense of the series being anything more than what it is. It's a comfort show.

I had a good time, but:

I wish the side characters had a bit more to them. The main couple is excellent, but when neither of them are onscreen it's hard to care about any of the people around them as more than plot elements or middling comic relief.

Character(s) entitled to financial compensation: N/A in a figurative sense, but i do think someone quite literally owes Jiwoo financial compensation? I’d need someone to run me a check before i started sharing my rented lodgings with a random celebrity. I wish a landlord would give me zero notice.

Conclusion: To My Star is very pretty television with a serviceable plot, solid lead characters, and great acting. You don't always need to reinvent the wheel; sometimes, simply doing everything well is sufficient to make a story stand out. This series is full of excellent domestic moments and just enough drama to help our boys along their path to romance. I love it. Let's see what the sequel does.

For another tale of restaurants and gay people, we'll be visiting Beef, Cupcakes and Him (2021) to ask the timeless question: If your food were more savory and affordable than your competitors', would bragging about it in an interview lead your former boss to break up your relationship?