#anyway it was also great to watch it again after listening to the soundtrack about a dozen times since I first watched it so

[earl-grey-crow]

ahhhhhhhh

[kanasbinwriting]

Hello!! Do you think you could do "a date with death" headcannons?? Like just general romantic headcannons!

GENERAL DATING HEADCANONS

Thank you so much for your request!! Apologies for the long wait :( I was quite busy recently.

I love him so much I might even do a part two if I can come up with more after I finish all of my requests...

I listened to the adwd soundtracks as I wrote this lol. Idk and idc if someone cares or not, but my Casper plush arrives soon and I'm sooo excited ^^!! Anyway, enjoy!!

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

- He looks like someone who adores kisses but wouldn't initiate them at first, so you'd have to make the first move

- But don't worry, if you stop giving him kisses and tease him enough he'll be the one to initiate them

- He gets especially weak in the knees when you kiss him on the neck

- Do you guys know that meme "Ah, yes. My girlfriend and her 500 dollar four foot tall mareep."? That's Casper with his Azrael plush and I will die on that hill

- He will laugh at you if you get jealous of his plush

- How can you be jealous of a plushy...? Mortals sure are weird...

- In the beginning stages of your relationship, he would be very shy and uncertain when it comes to initiating physical touch, but when you initiate it? He would never say no

- He loves to tease you but will explode when you tease him back

- No matter how often he denies it, it's obvious that he loves your teasing and adores the little back and forth you guys have

- You don't know how makeup works? Don't worry, because your personal makeup assistant is here!

- He would LOVE to do your makeup whenever you please, may it be every day or just on special occasions it doesn't matter to him. He also loves to have you this close to him and cups your cheek when he does your eyeliner

- Don't get me wrong, I bet he's a great cook, but I don't think he knows a lot of recipes and will make the same things over and over again

- If you want to eat something different, feel free to join him. I think cooking would be one of his favourite activities with you

- If you're a picky eater, he will make sure to only add the things you like

- His baking is shit though, no matter how precisely he follows the recipe, he somehow always fucks it up

- Even though he gets easily flustered, I think you two moved on quite fast in the relationship

- He would love to include you in his nightly routine

- Your skin's going to look glamorous!

- Even if you don't want to use his products for whatever reason, he'd still enjoy having you next to him doing your stuff as he gets ready for bed

- Even with Azrael in his arms, he still wouldn't be able to fall asleep without you. So when you get home late expect a grumpy reaper waiting for you on your bed

- He'll immediately forgive you when you give him cuddles

- I think one of his love languages is physical touch

- He isn't too keen on PDA, but he'll still hold your hand and give you small kisses in public

- In private he's a big cuddle bug though

- I think he would enjoy being the little spoon and big spoon, you can take your pick. He would also enjoy every cuddle position where he can hold your hand and look at your face

- One of his other love languages is definitely words of affirmation

- He enjoys receiving it as much as giving it

- I don't think that gift-giving is his love language, but he'll still give you gifts from time to time to surprise you

- Okay, I think I should stop talking about his love languages, but let me drop one more.

- I definitely think that one of his love languages is quality time

- Be it going outside for a walk or just staying at home cuddling while watching one of your silly series, he will always want to spend his time with you

-  He seems like a morning person to me, but he also enjoys staying in bed with you cuddling

- He's a GREAT listener

- No matter the subject, he will always engage in it and ask questions about it

- He loves listening to you info dump

- He'll even check the things you like out so he can engage in the conversation more

- I like to think that he enjoys playing coop games with you... especially Cult of the Lamb :)

- He's quite tidy and keeps his things organised, but he still wouldn't want to clean after you

- So if you leave your dirty laundry on the floor, be prepared for a big lecture

- When it comes to arguments, I think his reaction depends on what kind of argument it is

- Are you arguing about something silly? He will act stubborn and be a little know-it-all, even if he knows he's in the wrong

- If it's a more serious argument he will raise his voice, but won't scream

- It'll take him a day to cool off, and it will be a bit hard for him to apologise first but he still manages

- He will feel a bit awkward at first when everything's sorted out

- Just tell him that everything's fine now and give him a little smooch and he will be back on track

- Tbh I don't think that he's a jealous type, he trusts you a lot

- He does get jealous though when you somehow manage to spend more time with someone other than him

- I think he would immediately seek you out and talk to you, embarrassingly admitting that he's jealous

- If you have any hobbies and/or a fan of certain things, be prepared to suddenly have tons of merch and/or stuff of it on your bed waiting for you

- He'd look at you with a smug smile waiting to be praised and praises he will receive

- If you have any trauma and are mentally ill, he will do his best to support your every need

- If you have sudden outbursts and want to be left alone, he wouldn't mind going to a different room and wait for you to calm down. He'll still feel bad for leaving you

- He needs a lot of reassurance when it comes to your mental health and what exactly you need him to do

- The same goes for when you're chronically ill

- He won't bother to look the information up, he knows that not every method applies to the same person and will just straight up ask you what you need

- When he's sad, all he wants is for you to hold him and tell him that everything's going to be alright

- If you're stressed due to work or an entirely different reason, be prepared to get spoiled by him. Of course, he would lecture first that you need to take better care of yourself, but he will immediately massage your head after

- He will tear up if you give him a gift and bake/buy him a cake on his birthday

- If you have a hobby that he can somehow participate in be ready to have a player two, because he will join you

- He likes it when you call him baby girl. Even when it confused him at first

- He loves it when you give him serious and silly pet names, he isn't picky

- He knows that marriage is a big thing for most mortals, so he would love to marry you. It doesn't matter if it's official or not

[kirislovelygf]

dancing (kiri x fem! metkayina reader)

featured song:

a/n: i was listening to the rio soundtrack like a bad b!tch and was like omg what if y/n and kiri are dancing to this.

i’m such a genius guys, thank me later 💪🏽‼️

also, it’s kinda short (wrd count 893)

ʚĭɞ

y/n loves to dance. and she can, very well.

like, so well more than half of the teens in the clan have crushes on her. boys and girls.

and every feast, every party, y/n and others dance along to music with everyone clapping and singing along.

after the sully’s arrived, y/n’s taken a liking to the omaticaya girl, kiri.

she thought she was strange but that’s what she admired most about her. she loved the girl’s curiosity and kind nature.

the two quickly became close friends and kiri was yet to realize she had a crush on the dancer.

she thought because of all the sudden “stomach aches” and the heart racing, she was getting sick.

yeah, i know, she’s an idiot.

anyways, today was a special day. the tulkun had returned.

the entire clan ran into the ocean to greet their spirit brothers and sisters after their migration.

y/n and her friends, tsireya, ao’nung, rotxo, and the omaticaya kids, swam together in the ocean while watching the great tulkun sing and swim around them.

y/n and kiri were swimming together on their ilu. y/n was leading her to meet her spirit sister.

“she’s over here. come!” she exclaimed.

they dove into the water and found a tulkun with beautiful tattoos along her skin.

“my sister, i see you.” y/n signed with her hands.

the tulkun let out a slow groan, signifying she was saying the same as y/n.

y/n swam off her ilu and kiri followed. they held hands as they swam to the tulkun’s side.

“i met a girl. this is kiri, she’s from the forest.” y/n signed.

the tulkun’s golden eyes laid on the girl. “it’s nice to meet you, kiri.”

kiri looks to y/n and smiled before signing.

“you too. you’re so beautiful!”

“ahh, thank you!” the tulkun squealed happily.

“of course! y/n has been very kind to me and my family. she’s a great person.” kiri signed.

“she is. you are very lucky to have a friend like y/n.” the tulkun said.

kiri looks at y/n. she nodded in agreement.

they continued to get to know each other before kiri had to go back up for air.

later that night, the village held a dinner and party to celebrate the return of the tulkun.

y/n and some of the other girls or the clan were dancing along to the music while singing.

the sound of drums banging thunder, the cheers of the villagers made y/n’s heart burst with excitement.

her and her friends continued dancing to the music when y/n saw kiri’s eyes. they hadn’t left her since the party started.

the next song played, y/n’s personal favorite.

she gasped and looked over at kiri again. she ran to her and took her hands, making her stand.

“no!” she looked go her brothers for help but they just cheered her on, encouraging her to go.

“come on!”

“no, y/n, i can’t dance!” she lied. she can, she just doesn’t want to in front of new people.

“if i can teach you to ride ilu, i can teach you to dance.” she smiled.

kiri watched y/n as she dragged her along with her friends.

they stomped their feet with the rhythm and clapped their hands too.

kiri was hesitant for a moment but got the hang of it quick, and she ended up dancing along with y/n.

the song continued to grow louder, kiri never leaving y/n’s side.

she missed nights like these back in her village. everyone was dancing around a fire and having fun.

here, it was all the same. the instruments, the clapping, the cheers, she loved every moment of it.

kiri and y/n held hands while dancing to the music. she loved seeing her have as much fun as her.

“see? you’re doing it!” y/n said to her. kiri laughs along with her

the song reached it’s ending notes and the girl stomped their feet to the beat.

one the ending note, y/n was so mesmerized but the sounds that when she stomped her foot one last time, she looked up and saw kiri an inch from her face.

the song ended and the crowd burst into cheers.

y/n smiled at kiri while she was taking in her beauty. that was the night kiri realized that what she was feeling wasn’t a sickness.

she loved her. she adored y/n’s spirit.

y/n laughs and hugs her excitedly. kiri hugged her back and another song began to play.

she took the girl back for her to sit down.

the night ends well into the evening, maybe one or two a.m and kiri walked with y/n back to her marui.

“i had so much tonight.” kiri says. their arms were linked together as they walked slowly together.

“i’m glad. i knew you could dance.” y/n said, shoving her slightly.

kiri laughs and looks down.

they arrived to the entrance of kiri’s marui that’s simply sit by a fire in the corner.

“see you tomorrow?” she asks.

y/n smiled. she stands up the tip of her toes and kiss kiri’s cheek softly. she nods, “tomorrow.”

she walks away back to her home, both girls’ smile never fading away.

[cau-lee-flower215]

leedle i finished gatsby and i would love to hear your thoughts on mr tom buchanan 👀

mkay so. i will preface this with saying i do not condone abuse or adultery or racism or sexist beliefs or any of the other terrible things tom mentions within the story.

that being said.

tom is my favorite character without any sort of question in my mind.

to me, he’s the most interesting character, he has the most pizazz to me and i just really loved watching his character progress and regress throughout the course of the novel.

he’s got some of my favorite quotes, he’s very witty in a very stupid way and as someone who has the type in men who look like they eat cement, i can confirm tom has absolutely no thoughts in his head.

being raised with money, he likes to appear smart and so he’ll just rant about random things, but he truly has no idea what he’s saying. he just wants to seem impressive because he’s supposed to be all impressive, you know, and that’s really the epitome of his old money stance, he’s very stuck in the what was, not really caring for the what is. he’s very out of place in the crowd of the novel because everyone else is much more interested in new money- literally it’s always tom against everyone else-

the way he treats daisy, while absolutely retched, is also another thing i enjoy analyzing. not only do i appreciate the way he represents the idea of masculinity of the time (themes of masculinity are a really big deal to me @a-person-who-didnt-wanna-be-here can confirm that) but i will die on the hill that he did truly care for her. i will set up my tent and camp out until the sun sinks below the horizon, never to return again to the sky.

but anyway.

he loves daisy. it’s a bad love, but it’s love. she doesn’t have a good love him for either, so ya know, that’s another thing to yap about. but he wants daisy. he wants her to be happy and yeah, it’d be great if he was the one making her happy, but he doesn’t care how she becomes happy as long as she keeps being the kind of wife he wants her to be.

again, he’s very icky, but he’s also everything an old money husband of the time would have been, so you cannot fault him without faulting all the others alongside him.

anyway.

tom loves daisy, it’s a terribly toxic love, but he does truly care for her in some way shape or form so ya know, my boy is capable of emotions okay? he’s got harsh feelings, he just doesn’t know how to act properly, properly by the standards we have set in today’s world-

and then lemme get to myrtle.

good lord. he spoils her when he’s not…ya know…breaking her nose. he may love daisy, but he loves myrtle too and again, it’s one of those, he doesn’t know how to act and he gets these really big bouts of emotions that he really doesn’t know how to handle.

can we say a lack of education in dealing with emotions across the history of the ideal of masculinity in america?

tom has anger issues. obviously. but ya know…that’s probably not the worst thing about him.

and at the end? when myrtle dies? he weeps. you know who else wept? jesus. but anyway. he weeps over her dying when he goes to the apartment and sees that little box of dog treats.

there’s a quote i really like, it’s nick’s quote, but it’s about tom being all secure and then losing both his wife and his mistress within the span of an hour. i just.

god.

i feel that. i really do.

and him and gatsby, oh gosh, tom’s threatened by gatsby because he knows daisy loves gatsby in a much better way than she loves tom and he hates it. he’s supposed to have an obedient little wife that loves him and only him despite all of the terrible things he does and to watch daisy blatantly go after gatsby, that does things to my boy.

old money vs new money with a dash of the effects of toxic masculinity.

tom’s just.

he’s just.

from the moment they introduced him, i was in love and intrigued, and i truly enjoyed watching him throughout the novel and listening to him in the broadway soundtrack-

okay that’s all i have to say right now cause i know i sound stupid.

[calebs-hangout-corner]

(Long happy/?? rant incoming. Sorry, I just saw your account and had to talk to someone about this)

Ough. I've been thinking about when I read the original The Ghost Next Door book and it honest-to-God changed my mind or something because no book I've read so far is as of high reputation in my mind as that. Maybe it was because I was younger and hadn't read as much, but I have had it in my head for like a month now to Get That Book for myself. My school library has like twenty or so of the books but not that one!! When I saw the Goosebumps collection I was like "NO WAYYYY" but then I got really disappointed when it wasn't there. I need to ask the librarian if they can get it LOL.

Anyway, I remembered it again after going through a nostalgia blog and I searched the tag. Lo and behold, there was your blog! I don't remember any of the other plots very well (from the ones I read; the bookshelf where I originally read it was TINY and barely ever had GB books), nor any of the characters aside from Hannah and Danny, but nevertheless I'm enjoying your Goosebumps art and content a lot. Btw your art style is awesome. :D

I'm now desperate to find somewhere to watch the original 90's show. I've seen it's on Google Play or whatever and Microsoft, but I need to look into that. Help is appreciated, if you know where.

But I guess my question is: what books do you recommend? I like both the standard and the choose your own adventure ones (idk if there are any others). I read/started reading The Haunted Mask, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, Welcome to Camp Nightmare, The Ghost Next Door (duh), Let's Get Invisible, Monster Blood, The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, The Girl Who Cried Monster (I think. That's the one where the guy eats the bugs or whatever, right?), Escape From Camp Run-for-Your-Life, You Can't Scare Me, Scream of the Evil Genie and/or Be Careful What You Wish For (one of them, lol, maybe both. I think it involved a cola can?).

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks for reading this long-as-hell ask and also thank you if you respond! Obviously, no pressure. Hope you have a great week and good things come your way!

P.S., you got me to start listening to the Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium soundtrack and it's so good.

-👻🪐 (I hope emoji anons are okay, just in case there's a follow-up ask or something)

Hello!!! This message is very sweet and I had fun reading it, thank you! I'm sorry it took me a day to respond, I was a little busy!

I hope you're successful in finding the book. My library has the opposite problem: It has no books except Ghost Next Door (germany doesn't really sell them anymore, so they're hard to come by, even in libraries). Also, all the Goosebumps episodes you can find on YouTube somewhere! There's many reuploads of them.

As for books I'd recommend, you've already read a few of the ones I really like! But if you need more my favorites you haven't read from the series' you mentioned liking include:

- Phantom of the Auditorium (but like the book version! Very good, very fun, really emphasises the "the gang shares one braincell" part)

- Werewolf Skin

- Calling All Creeps

- Night of the Living Dummy 1 and 2, I've heard the third is good too but that one actually didn't manage to hold my attention, but maybe it will for you!

- Welcome To Dead House (This one's fun)

- Piano Lessons Can Be Murder (I just think it's neat)

- A Night In Terror Tower (Again, I just think it's neat!!), This one also has a "Give Yourself Goosebumps" sequel book "Return To Terror Tower) I recommend aswell!

- Beware, The Snowman!

As for the Give Yourself Goosebumps books I'm like "Please Don't Feed The Vampire"

Those are the books I'm fond of. It's a bit of a list, I hope you don't mind!

[bi-fiend]

Hey! I’ve never watched an anime series apart from Avatar stuff, if that counts. Do you have an anime series to recommend? I strongly prefer dubs over subs, and I like fantasy. Thanks !

Might I suggest delicious in dungeon? It's about a dnd party cooking and eating monsters in a dungeon, as they save their leader's sister from a red dragon's stomach before it digests her. it is on Netflix!

Below are some more anime recs with short summaries and where to watch them, keep in mind I'm shit at summaries ↓↓↓

Mob Psycho 100: middle school student, shigeo kageyama just wants to live a normal life, Despite his psychic powers. He is taken advantage of for said powers by a con man pretending to be a psychic, reigen arataka. He runs a business called Spirits and Such, where he (mostly mob) (that's shigeo's nickname) exorcises spirits bothering his clientele. Mob's powers are also a good metaphor for autism, I think it's canon that mob's autistic? Anyway, it's fuckin' fantastic. I love this. And I love mob?? Forever and platonically?? It's on Netflix, Hulu and Crunchyroll (season 1 is free but 2 & 3 need a premium subscription)

Sk8 The Infinity: high school student Reki introduces his new friend Langa to skateboarding, and. I can't recommend you watch this enoughm despite the simple premise I gave, it's fucking fantastic! I can't put these feelings into words!Please! It is free on Crunchyroll with ads, but the dubs after episode 3 require Crunchyroll premium.

Bocchi the Rock!: and here I thought mob was literally me! Hitori wants to be in a band, because in the words of the band that inspired her, a band is where an introvert can shine! She spent her days practicing and pouring her soul into the guitar, practicing to be ready to perform at her middle school's culture festival! But, well, in her own words,

"I practiced six hours every day, so I could learn how to play in front of people... The result? Middle school ended and I never played a single note for them! I never performed once... at the culture festival! I never put together... the members for a band! And I never made a single friend... In three whole years! Now, in high school... I gotta form a band or die trying! But, despite my vow, it's been a whole month since high school started, and yet my heart remains grounded in the guitar, little better than a shut in..."

Sasaki To Miyano:

Anyway, she joins a band and that's all I'm gonna say because thisssss is getting too long. She has social anxiety! Jus like me! And she has my exact fear for the future. it made me cry tears of deep unfocused fear and misery. It's free on Crunchyroll with ads, but there's no dub. But! But! I promise you it's worth a watch! The animation is great, the voice acting is great, the humor is great, the characters are great, the story inspires me to get my shit together (thus great), and the SONGS? OUGGGHHH DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE SONGS. THSI ANIME SINGLEHANDEDLY MADE ME REALIZE HOW MUCH I LOVED MUSIC. IVE CRIED AT SOME OF THE SONGS FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. EVEn if you don't watch the anime, at least listen to the soundtrack! try Rock'n roll, Morning Light Falls On You! It's crack cocaine in song form! Thank you for coming to my ted talk!

oohhhhhhgodherewego

Alright first things first, this shits adorable. Understatement! High school student Miyano befriends this guy Sasaki, and he gets interested in the bl manga that miya reads, and he borrows one. Much to Miyano's surprise, he loved it! ohhhhhgod i can feel the hyperfixation taking hold once again over time, they start to fall in love. Yeah, it's BL!!!! Fuxk! I love yaoi! I love life! The world hath gained colour! Funny part is, uh.miya's straight. He contemplates things on front of his bookshelf of BL manga. Taking a line from a summary I saw on YouTube, reading bl manga everyday and having an entire bookshelf of bl manga, while saying "yeah I'm straight!" Is a special kind of in the closet. Anyway fuckkkkkkkkkkkki love thsi series soooooososososososoo much. I have RAMMED MY HEAD INTO A WALL BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAVE PACED THE LIVING ROOM LISTENING TO THE SOUNDTRACK LIKE RETIRED MIDDLE AGED DETECTIVE GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE HAUNTED BY A COLD CASE HE JUST CANT CRACK BECAUSE OF THIS. granted that was me going delirious with hungerSASAMIYA IS MY REASON TO LIVE. anyway it is unfortunately exclusively on Crunchyroll for a premium subscription, but you can READ it! Yeah its 10 volumes are online to read! for free! call your dentist, you will gain cavities! but I do hear the dub is phenomenal!

Sorry for yappin', and happy viewing if you decide to watch any of these! Can you tell sasamiya and bocchi are my faves?

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 6/13/2023

very games-centric week

listening

this opening bit samples bowie's life on mars and sounds like a piano cover of a half-remembered but still beloved childhood anime. like the kind you had a set of two VHS clamshells for but only episodes 4-6 and 10-12. it goes on the "lofi beats to data and entry to" playlist. spotify

-

reading

fallow week

-

watching

the folks at waypoint games, formerly vice's leftist games vertical, BOUGHT THE BRAND FROM VICE and are rebranding as remap. i wish them all the fuckin best and i hope they succeed but i feel like we have maybe six months of this before one of them goes literally bankrupt from a doctor's visit bc healthcare is such a fuckin nightmare in this country. im simply not excited for starfield. i am not interested in corporate nasa

anyway i enjoyed their commentary, excited for compulsion games' southern gothic action/adventure spellcaster South of Midnight

neutrally optimistic about obsidian's Avowed, bc i do love obsidian but i do not love sword and sorcery rpgs

there's airships in microsoft flight simulator so i may genuinely buy one month of gamepass to try that out

capcom's path of the goddess looks fucking gorgeous but i have never played more than half an hour of a capcom game and i expect i never will. is this topdown? is this isometric? what the fuck is the gameplay mode??? who could FUCKING say

also there's a new jersey fallout 76 expansion coming at some point. in real life i hate atlantic city and i don't really how know this will look or play differently from point lookout. i don't know if i want to play a much-reviled cash cow mmorpg just to get postapoc jersey lore. if this leads up to 5 being set in nyc im going to be real pissed off. go somewhere DIFFERENT. there are DIFFERENT PLACES on the east coast!!! blease

-

playing

viddy game can consistently turn my brain off enough that i forget im moving cross country in two weeks and can forcibly relax my body for twenty mintues at a time between packing boxes. so there's been a lot of pomodoro-ing, or my version which is: pack until i get so anxious i physically cannot pack anymore, go have a snack, go play twenty minutes of a video game, and then go pack until i am on the verge of a panic attack again. this is not healthy but all my books are packed. all of these were free on epic at some point btw which is why i own them

the first time i played Airborne Kingdom, i lost track of time and beat it in one sitting in eight hours. the second time i played Airship Kingdom, i replicated that exact experience. i have allied with all the kingdoms and have like two hundred souls on board but am not QUITE selfsufficient enough to take on the northern/artic sea DLC. stay tuned. soundtrack in this thing is great.

bounced VERY hard off Close to the Sun, a bioshock-lite i put about four hours/three levels into. a huge gilded age cruise ship where the science has Gone Wrong would normally be catnip to me, but the game did brutally kill the player character's sister in front of me in an unskippable cutscene so we're done with that game now THANK YOU. it is very slow, which i do like in a game that gives you this much stuff to look at, but there is no gamma control. this game is so fucking dark. i played it in a dark room with no lights and it was still too dark.

pinged off the typing exploration game Epistory despite its charming art, bc fast and accurate typing is something covid has taken from me.

rediscovered Carcassone (online) which is great bc i love Carcassone and own a physical copy of the board game but no one else in my life loves it. tile-building countryside-building game, seconds to learn, etc. thank you board game review even though there are no meeple in their natural habitat (the board) in this picture

-

making

it's gonna be putting things into boxes for the forseeable future (the next week) and then living out of them for a while (the next two weeks after that)

[findusinaweek]

Top 10 movies

Tagged by @aeide​ like....29 days ago. Cool. A lot of stuff happened lately and also I had to think about this and remake the list at least 7 (now 9) times. So. This is probably not true but it has old favorites and current bias and I’ve put far too much thought into this. Under cut because of gifs causing loading/flashing. Uhhhhh. I feel weird about tagging this, since it’s been so long. I can’t remember who has done it and who hasn’t. Gonna tag folks who I don’t remember seeing. If you’ve done it, or you don’t want to, that’s cool! Sorry I took forever with it. @blue-mono​, @cataliinaa​, @whereforartthoumisthios​, @fikali​, anyone else who wants?

1) The Hours

It has music by Philip Glass! Meryl Streep plays a queer woman and that was important to me as a teenager. It’s very sad but it is always there for me when I feel bleak. It’s just a part of my psyche and I can’t really explain it at this point.

2)  Lord of the Rings 2: The Two Towers (Extended Version)

Every Thursday for about 8 years the closest group of cousins and I would watch a movie while we had our piano lessons and most of those years we just watched LOTR 2 and 3 extended versions. Every Thursday. For about 8 years. 2/4 people (including me) are most likely autistic, yes. 2/4 (not including me) can play the piano. We are very annoying about LOTR. Anyways, look! It’s Haldir! The first man I loved to die of a weapon through the head. Yeah. I love that guy. Also, this film has great french horn!

3) Pride and Prejudice (2005)

I cannot express how much I love this movie. I cannot explain all the things about it I love. I cannot. Music is by Dario Marianelli (I can play to the second page of the score to “Living Sculptures of Pemberly” on piano. It only took 5 years), Directed by Joe Wright, Kiera Knightley stars as Elizabeth Bennett. I adore the dresses, the hair, the casting, the music, the fact that Simon Wood’s hair continued growing red after filming, the statues in Pemberly, the tiling on the floors in Pemberly, the way Mary plays the piano, Georgiana, Darcy’s sideburns, the HAND FLEX, the weird pig scene, The flower Tom Hollander holds, the nod to Henry Purcell, ect. 4) Anna Karenina (2012)

Dario, Joe, Kiera, and a train walk into a movie. Do not get me started.

5) The Parent Trap (1998)

I saw this as a kid and made my mom watch it with me over and over and over again. She didn’t mind. She thinks she’s like Chessy, but she’s not. She doesn’t cook, for one. And she doesn’t wear a denim shirt. I do though. We still quote this to each other. Formative.

6) A Place Promised in Our Early Days

An earlier Makoto Shinkai movie. The plot is confusing and boring if I’m honest. The background animations are breathtaking. If you like anime but also like  realism in art, I’d highly recommend any Makoto Shinkai movie for visuals.

7) The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Do you ever just want to eat a sandwich and listen to old italian music and watch your enemy best friend and lover drown? No? huh. Amazing soundtrack! Spy drama! COSTUMING. It makes me laugh! Henry Cavill! Solo/Kuryakin/Teller should be canon. I was pretty upset about the whole Armie Hammer thing, tbh, because I really wanted a sequel to this. But I’m ok with that not happening.

8) Fly Away Home

The first media I wallowed in. Would rewind to the scene with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “10,000′s miles” and sit way too close to the screen. When we got it on dvd my life changed. I could just press the button!? I didn’t care about the geese, really. I cared about the deep grief this kid was having. Someone probably should have questioned why I was watching it on repeat and gotten me into therapy a lot earlier. All in all, it’s a pretty movie.

9) A Single Man

I love this movie but I gotta admit I skip around watching it. It’s so depressing, I can’t watch it all at the same time. I like the music a lot, good cello. I love watching Colin Firth be miserable. I like crying with George. I don’t give a shit about Charley (except for her house and dress. Sorry Julianne Moore.) I hate Kenny. I want to live in George’s house. I want to live there. It is the J.W. Schaffer House. It’s a modernist house built in 1949 by John Lautner. I want to lick touch that woodwork. UGH. The glass. UGH. I love it. UGH. It’s such an impractical house. UGH. It’s so dumb. UGh. I want to go lay down on the floor, surrounded by books, in that house. uGH.

10) Underworld

What a dumb movie. Somewhere in my mom’s house is a Windows XP with a folder of photos of Selene that I thought were really cool, for some reason that I couldn’t figure out. That computer also has viruses from badly pirating the movie in 2008. I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen and probably the first R rated movie I snuck. On this list because of the family computer destruction. And the ‘armor’, if you can call it that.

[fantumbatcave]

A Ramble: Phantomime by Ghost

This is about my opinion on the EP "Phantomime" by the band Ghost. May not align with your opinions, but whatever. We're adults here. If you continue to read, you have accepted the incoherent ramblings of a Ghost fan (a Ghostie, a Sibling of Sin, Ghost parishioner, etc).

To understand the album’s name: 

From Dictionary.com. Phantom (noun): 1. An apparition or specter 2. An appearance or illusion without material substance, as a dream image, mirage, or optical illusion. 

Pantomime (noun): 1. The art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.  2. A play or entertainment in which performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music. 

And with that, you get Phantomime!

The cover art is absolutely breath-taking. It was sculpted by Hedi Xandt, whose artwork you can check out on instagram! (LINK) Very cyberpunk and cool! They're also in videos on Ghost's YouTube channel. (LINK)

In an interview, it’s said Tobias worked on cover songs while also working on IMPERA. Whenever he felt like his writing wasn’t doing too good, he’d do a song or two. Having a folder called "Covers", these five ended up being the final selection. If you have a moment, you can read it on this blog by slavghoul as well as many others! (LINK)

So, I’m gonna rank each song from first to last! All on what my vibes were feeling. Though, I feel I should say I’m not familiar with the originals. Keep that in mind. Anyway, here we go:

See No Evil by Television 

Great way to start the EP! Tobias’ vocals are amazing in this. Got me pumped up, makes me wanna dance! Can’t shake the idea of this being part of a Kingsman film soundtrack. I’d like to watch an action scene while this plays.

Rating: 4 Papas out of 5

Jesus He Knows Me by Genesis

This was being teased with Papa IV’s face that said “Jesus is Coming.” And sure enough, he froqueing did. Wink, wink. Love the instrumentals, again Tobias’ voice is amazing! This one obviously is my number one favorite for lots of reasons, one of them being that blasphemous music video (do not watch it with family).

Rating: 5 Papas and 1 disgusting Father Jim (call me 🤙🏽) out of 5

Hanging Around by The Stranglers

Damn. Tobias, you can get it– I mean… Awesome song! I imagine going for a drive and blasting this, chilling and singing along. *coughs* Tobias, you free tonight? Wanna hang around? For an hour or two… 

Rating: 4.5 Papas out of 5

Phantom Of The Opera by Iron Maiden

Took me a few more listens. Long songs tend to be a hit or miss for me. I had problems hearing the vocals when I first heard it on their YouTube channel. The instruments were louder than Tobias. Now that the EP is officially out, the vocals sound better. Overall, I don’t mind it. A song I would repeat only if I’m playing the EP on repeat. So, putting it in the middle.

Rating: 3 Papas out of 5

We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner

TINA TURNER! Excellent song to end the EP! I can definitely picture this being played on tour. It has that oomph, ya know? A song I’d imagine myself belting out in the shower, channeling my inner rock star. Not sure what else to say, besides that it fuckin slaps! 

Rating: 4.5 Papas out of 5

Out of all of Ghost’s EPs, this is my favorite. I was kinda worried I wasn’t going to like it after hearing POTO, but damn… Tobias pulled through as always. This was something he did for fun and you can definitely hear it. 

Take it with a grain of salt, but I read somewhere that the EPs kinda reflect the current Papa frontman. And this is definitely fitting for Papa IV’s character. 

Can’t wait to see what the next full album will be! 

If you made it this far, thank you for reading!

[fandommemequeen]

my 2023.

yearly retrospective time LETZ GO!!!

last year i said 2022 sucked but uh,, 2023 was definitely worse :'o)

with the rise in queerphobic legistlation, school getting progressively harder to stay on track with, my dad dying, and just everything else that ive had to endure this year, its been difficult. but.. i somehow made it.

and you might be wondering how i got through everything. did i touch grass and magically everything was sunshine and rainbows? buy some overpriced self help book or online course that changed my life? No <3

i just,, did what i normally do. i played video games, talked with my friends, watched youtube, brainrotted over fandoms, listened to music, came up with cool outfits, somehow made it through skool, drew, wrote, cosplayed, roleplayed, made kandi and crafts, and just overall found ways to find joy in the small things, which goes a long way when youre trans in a world where your joy is an act of rebellion.

i also had some cool fandom moments this year! season 7 of siivagunner has been AWESOME, return to dream land deluxe was great even if it fricked with the lore a little, THE TOH FINALE WAS SO FRICKIN GOOD, marios madness may be my new fave fnf mod, NPMD THREW ME BACK INTO MY HATCHETFIELD FIXATION, i FINALLY got the kirby planet robobot soundtrack cd and the limited edition quiznos training game physical edition, i found ways to actually enjoy WDY again and leave behind itz toxic fandom, i got into pokepasta, tintn, gogos crazy bones, playtime with percy, inside job, tadc, i started listening to mal blum and against me and chonny jash, im currently being dragged into eggotama as we speak and im getting back into mpdsap,,

but the fandom that had the most impact for me this year was the june archive and restoration project. getting into TJA led me to discover bowlbys other works and get into one of the best fandoms ive ever been in, thanks in part to the june archive and restoration project fanserver. ive met so many cool people through that server, and getting to chat and VC with them has always been a blast. [yknow what? shoutout to all my friends that ive loved talking with all throughout 2023 yall are awesome]

back to life stuff for a moment here, i got to do a lotta cool stuff this year! i FINALLY homebrewed my 3ds [with a bit of help from jaco xd], GOT TO SEE THE HAUNTING OF NIGHT VALE LIVE, put together some awesome cosplays for gencon and halloween, im getting better at rhythm games, i got SECOND PLACE in my skoolz national cybersecurity codebreakers competition, i had an awesome bday, i went to go see barbie [my first movie in theaters since lockdown] and fnaf and both were AWESOME!! all of this despite everything thats happened in 2023!

and as for my creative projectz,, DIGIVERSE REBOOT EPISODE 3 FINALLY RELEASED BACK IN MAY!!!!!! holy frick i was SO PROUD of that,, in addition, ive been doing character reveals for gamerz epic megamix take, i created the doomed timelines awoken au, and ive strengthened my artstyle into what it is today while learning how to use my drawing tablet :3

in addition, getting into TJA and watching bowlbys animation legacy made me think about my past as a creator, and i started work on giving my old book ocs from my days in the TWOW fandom the care and attention they deserve, even if it means some slight redesigns or rewrites. speaking of TWOW, EWOW IS OUT AND IM GETTING BACK INTO TWOW AFTER YEARS!! feelz good to be back, and im hoping i can maybe properly host a minitwow at some point in 2024!

overall 2023 wasnt great, but i stayed silly and had fun despite it and i think thatz very swag of me!

now, every time i do one of these things, if i do an overconfident "bring it on" type message at the end i almost always end up regretting it, AND i am absolutely terrified about 2024 so i am not taking my chances!

so i leave u with this sentiment towards 2024 instead:

i gotta survive The Horrors anyway, might as well stay silly and do what i like while im doing it :3

[shaniacsboogara]

What are some of your favorite movies and why? I'm in the mood for some ranting about cool stuff :)

OKAY ALRIGHT LET'S DO THIS (in no particular order)

JK ROWLING IS STINKY 🤬🤬🤬

But I love Remus Lupin. And I love the aesthetic of this movie. And I LOVE werewolves. Professor Lupin is one of THE BEST characters in the entire Harry Potter franchise and I just think he deserves more hype and he's really cool and idk I get nostalgic about this movie and it's definitely a comfort movie for me.

Just this entire franchise. And the Hobbit movies. My Dad has always been a BIG Tolkien fan so I was raised on LOTR and went to see the Hobbit movies in theatres when they first came out (I saw the first one 3 or 4 times, I was OBSESSED). BEFORE ANYONE COMES AT ME I'VE ALSO READ THE BOOKS I READ THEM IN GRADE 3 I KNOW THE LORE DW 🙏. I'm a sucker for fantasy (hence my current dnd obsession lol) and the world of these films is just so immersive and breathtakingly beautiful that I can't help but consider them my favourites, even if it's been years since I've watched them cohesively. ALSO THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD. I'LL LISTEN TO THE LOTR SOUNDTRACK ANY DAY.

Again. THE MUSIC.

Andrew Garfield was SO GREAT in this, and I personally connected to it a lot as a songwriter myself. That being said, this movie makes me SOB EVERY SINGLE TIME. Jonathan Larson was truly a talent and it's such a shame his life ended as early as it did. So glad he lives on through his art, and so glad that he was able to make such a huge impact on people with what he created. (Also fun fact I'm going to see Rent in a few weeks)

IT STARTED AS A BIT IT WAS A JOKE

Word of advice: if you ever think to yourself, "Hey. It'd be silly if I kept suggesting to watch that one Adam Sandler Halloween movie whenever my family asks for movie suggestions despite the fact that it isn't Halloween anymore and it's not that good of a movie- DON'T. DO IT.

Hubie Halloween is my comfort movie now. I don't rewatch movies and tv shows a lot, but I've seen this one probably 5 times in the last few months. It's just a silly little Halloween movie, but I sort of started to appreciate it more after realizing "HEY THAT GUY IN THE TIN MAN COSTUME IS WILL BYERS!!!" Although most of the media I find myself drawn to is more complex and explores the intricacies of how humanity functions, this movie somehow grew on me. My family references it constantly, and every time we play Jackbox games, half of the quiplash answers are just "Hubie". Overall I just think this movie is funny, quirky, subverts expectations in silly ways, and is a nice lighthearted watch compared to my other favourites.

My final movie on this list isn't ACTUALLY a movie but I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

MIDNIGHT MASS IS MY FAVOURITE SHOW. EVER. OF ALL TIME.

The music??? Immaculate. THE ACTING??? Immaculate. THE WRITING??? Immaculate (although there are a lot of monologues which can be a lot for some people, but as a theatre kid I REALLY appreciated them).

I've rewatched this show 2 1/2 times now and I'm just so in love with it. It's horror, but it doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares and many of the cheaper tactics some horror movies use nowadays. It's way more focused on its ensemble cast and developing good characters and storytelling. Sure, it starts off a bit slow, but the emotional payoff in the final two episodes is SO. WORTH IT.

Hamish Linklater as Father Paul is just... Awesome. RAHUL KOHLI AS HASSAN??? SO GOOD??? THIS ENTIRE CAST IS SO TALENTED and the way they play their characters is so raw and compelling and human.

Ryan Bergara was so right when he listed Father Paul as a poor little meow meow on Tumblr Top 5 HE SO IS AND I LOVE HIM FOR THAT. Anyway if you wanna see a new take on some classic horror tropes, commentary on the meaning of life and what happens after it, and some really good acting just... Please watch this. It definitely destroys your soul and makes you think but it's so good and the aesthetic is just... Mmmm.

Anyway Boog rant over, THANK YOU FOR THE ASK I LOVE RANTING SORRY THIS IS LONG!!!

[crazy-fruit]

Current favourite Music It has been a while since I was tagged by @melyzard but better late then never. I’m still listening to less music than I used to, but ey slowly getting more again. Specially having really good headphones helps. So here is a list of music I have listend to in the last couple of weeks/months: 1. Florence and the Machine - Dance Fever: The entire album is great and probably my overall favourite FTM album. Cassandra is still my favourite song from the album, but more or less recently I also got fully hit by Morning Elvis. 2. Portishead: I am still working myself through their albums, but for some reason I always thought Beth Gibbons was the singer of Massive Attack and not Portishead. Anyway great music and I had forgotten how much I like trip hop as genre. 3. Speaking of Trip Hop, there is also Faithless. I have mainly listend to Evergreen, because the lyrics: “the quite of winter, birds are calling to me” just is very fitting at the moment. 4. I have to add Leonhard Cohens Avalanche and The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, because I have listend to these songs a lot this year after watching Our Flag Means Death.

5. I was finally able to extend my OC Playlists a bit with ABBA - I am a Marionette, Rüfüs du Sol - On My Knees, the Wombats - Wildfire

6. A while ago I listend to the soundtrack of Need for Speed Underground 2 again. While Riders of the Storm ft. Snoop Dog is the song I will always associate with hours spent tuning my cars and driving around in the rain I want to mention Terror Squad - Lean Back. 

7. Still need to listen to more from Mine. To me she is one of the best german musicians.

8. It is difficult for me to resist good songs about about birds, so Sufjan Stevens - The Lord God Bird about the extinct (?) Ivory Billed Woodpecker makes it onto the list.

9. A music list by me can not be complete without adding some classical music. So lets go with the incredibly depressing, loving and hopeful Requiem for a Friend by Zbigniew Preisner.

10. And because we listend to a lot of “viking” music above the polar circle and there was some playing in the record store I visited yesterday, lets go with with SKÁLD - Rún as an example song. Bonus: some finish humppa, I mean who doesn’t want to listen to a humppa cover of Smells like Teen Spirit? Tagging: @thelightinthesky , @shilothewhite, and @kathastrophen

[itsdelicate]

sorry this is late but hiiii!!

YES exactly omg like when i wanted to get into f+tm it took me forever to choose smth to listen to first so i just asked a friend what to listen to. yea ur absolutely right. she did she did and then acted like it isnt one of the most addictive songs on her discography??? when i first heard the bridge i thought she said he looks so pretty like a devil and that did me in but the actual lyric is everything too lmao YES hey taylor just make the longest album all a bunch of 10 mins song thanks babe lol

omg thatd be so fun!! they came to my country and we totally missed it and my mom was so sad ab it like she was all "why didnt you tell me they were coming" lmaodsjk and i wouldve loved to go as well. aww its ur "i thought they were boo-ing me" sorta moment (thats the first thing that came to me lmao). YES which is why im trying to get into other artists cause soon im going to have listened the hell out of all the discographies of my fav artists djskmdlm

HAHAH yea good thing taylor is a master of putting depressing lyrics together w dancey beats akmddsnm i love slow sad songs cause of my mom i think cause she played those slow whitney houston and celine dion songs on repeat when i was younger lol

yea dont fall for the peer pressure to watch them its a lot and not so amazing anyways lol. i mean yea but some of the plot is bit iffy for me like the cultural roots of the whole avatar people and that dash of white saviour stuff in the first movie so its like eh.

OHH okok glad u had fun!! well i went to my grandmas in the weekend and went out w my cousins yesterday which was loads of fun!! def wanna do that again soon. wbu? did anything kinda fun or even pretty lame or really just anything lol

omg im actually a bit in the middle for me! lol like i do like it but its not smth i listen to as much as most of her other songs. it is!! im def never doing a whole ranking lmaokdwk OOH yesyes i love lwymmd since the mv like i thought it was the most iconic thing ever when i watched it and i wasnt even a fan at the time. ooh def closure!! i could not listen to it at first then after a long while i went back to it and tried to listen to it like the first time and LOVED IT!!! now shes everything to me and i will defend her w my life <3

how's ur day been? any little things in it that made u happy?

xxx ur secret santa

ahhh my reply’s late too that’s alright!! i’ve been working on assignments, very upsetting that it’s back to reality now 🥲

oooh that’s a great way to get into music! honestly only one of my friend’s is a big music lover so i never get recs from anyone except her ahsjd omg same i thought that was the lyric as well! no literally like give me a 10 min version of the great war,,,,

oh nooo it would’ve been so fun!! are you a big concert person? shdkf it was Exactly like that i thought they were laughing cause i was bad at singing or something 💀 i always end up switching from whichever album i’ve been playing non-stop! i just saw & juliet the musical last week so for now it’s the soundtrack instead of midnights hehe

sad bops are so good 😌 oooh very fair! what was your very first album you got on your own?

noted 😭 oh oof tbh idk what the avatar movies are about at all except that they’re blue msjfkf

aw that’s lovely!! i saw the life of pi play and & juliet last week and then also went to the zoo which was for my assignment (i study animal welfare) but also a nice day out 🥰

i want to like it more it’s such a fun song but idk why i just shdjf lover is my lowest ranked album although some of its individual songs are my fav! it’ll take the whole of 2023 to do an entire ranking tbh 😭 i think taylor can make a whole album faster than i’d be able to rank all her songs lmao omg yess and the mv whew, ooh yeah!! a lot of people didn’t like the “clanging pots and pans” LOL but it’s great!!

my day’s been good! i tried out a new recipe today and it was really successful so i’m pleased 😌 wbu!!

[saucy-mesothelioma]

It's the film rant that nobody asked for but that you're going to get anyways!

Get ready for a long-ass rant under the cut. If you haven't watched this movie, I HIGHLY suggest you do because I'll be giving some spoilers. However, if you want my propaganda for this movie and don't want to watch a trailer (which you should; I can't stress enough that you go into this movie as blind as you can for the pure comedy of it), here you go:

Holy mother of god, I got hooked in this movie so damn quick. A lot of this stuff is on my Letterboxd review of it, but I know nobody looks at those so I'm doing it here because I can't shut up about it.

For a movie doing a satirical comedy on the political intrigue that took place after Stalin's death and the horrific things he did to his people, this movie is one of the fucking funniest things I've ever seen. Balancing absolutely horrible things with comedy is incredibly hard to well, but this movie nails it. I broke down sobbing with laughter and was genuinely disturbed at specific parts: they played to each other beautifully and never overshadowed the other aspects. I don't even like political intrigue films, but this movie genuinely kept my interest in all of the backstabbing, coups, and manipulation. The twists in tone can be jarring, but that's kinda the whole point. It's so incredibly well done that I can't believe more people talk about it like they do with Jojo Rabbit (which I still need to watch, but I'm waiting on my brother for that). And on that note, this movie makes sure that you are aware that none of these men were heroes, which is something incredibly difficult to do while also attempting to make sure you don't hate every character with every fiber of your being. Like they manage to make Nikita Khrushchev of all fucking people likeable. It's genuinely shocking that they managed to do that, but then again he's played by Steve Buscemi so that definitely helps (his reaction to seeing Stalin dead is genuinely so hilarious that I rewatch that bit far more than I'd like to admit). All of the actors manage to bounce off of each other beautifully as well, which not only adds to the comedy but also the political intrigue aspect of the story.

And don't even get me started on the soundtrack because it was so much better than I expected. It does a wonderful job of portraying the militaristic and imperial tones of the film as well as capturing that perfect Russian flair. "Moscow, 1953" and "A Comedy of Terrors (End Titles)" are two of my favorites. "Moscow, 1943" has a beautiful brass motif that I could listen to for hours and "A Comedy of Terrors" is perhaps the song with the most "uplifting" tone to it despite the dark ending of the movie itself with the brutal execution of Lavrenti Beria. I mean talk about a fuckin tonal shift. And apparently the composer Christopher Willis composed music for the 2013 Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Lion Guard, Black Mirror, and Barbie & Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure which is honestly one of the funniest portfolios I've ever seen for a composer since some of those things are definitely not like the others. I've actually listened to this soundtrack a lot while doing my classwork, it's that good.

The Death of Stalin is so much better than I ever expected it to be. It was hilariously dark and a fantastic watch. I could never recommend this movie enough because it really is an experience. If you have even the smallest amount of interest, please try it out because it is more than worth it.

[the-cat-chat]

February 24, 2024

Love, Simon (2018)

Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends and all of his classmates: he's gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

JayBell: Okay, let's start with the positives. Yes, it's nice to have mainstream movies that are more inclusive. Representation is important, and it's cool to see people happy that their experiences are shown on a big screen.

Because I know this movie is meaningful to so many, I don't wanna be too harsh on it. But overall, I just thought it was fine. Like the acting was fine, the dialogue wasn't too bad, and I really like the mystery component. I was very invested in the mystery, and it was fun to predict the identity of Simon's pen pal.

Simon's friends do irritate me. When they find out the truth, I feel like they're lacking empathy in a weird way. Sure, it's kind of gross that he tries to keep his friends apart from their teenage romance, but they have no sympathy for him being blackmailed at all? Even after he was forcibly outed? They're not understanding at all. With that said, I think their reunion scene is missing something more.

Most of all, I thought the ending scene on the ferris wheel with the whole school watching is a bizarre decision for Simon. Like he's pressuring this guy to come out like this? In front of all these people? I feel like it would have made sense for it to be more private. But then again, that wouldn't be dramatic enough for a movie.

Rating: 5.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: I have to say I realllly have wanted to see this movie for years. I loved Nick Robinson in Being Charlie and Jack Antonoff was in charge of the music- I am shamefully still listening to all the songs from this soundtrack on the daily - maybe pushing it by at leaaaast monthly. And pls don’t remind me of the year that was bc I don’t wanna think about these being “old songs.” I’ve been listening to Jack Antonoffs stuff religiously since I was like 13 sooo we’re off to a great start. And I am really ashamed to say this movie made me feel very mehhhh. And the music was the best part for me. And okkkk maybe I’m just tooooo removed from the youths these day- but I had some qualms.

First and foremost most - it is a very good story, and an important one. It’s just done so poorly and in a very icky and cringe inducing way and I really wonder how it differs from its book. It’s okay and fun at first - ohhhh who’s blue- it’s him, no it’s him, no it’s got be him- So it was fun to keep guessing which characters it could be. But uhhh. The fact is I knoooooow from growing up using a PUBLIC computer for emails you would nevvvver leave your email up. Like you sign out and recheck that you’re signed out a thooousand times. And also like this is a big secret - why are you checking at school when it’s a secret??? Like I get it it’s looove and obseessssion. But I’d be paranoid. And obviously with good reason.

- I felllllt the cringe of the evil guy and his tshirts that all said something witty and punny. I am ashamed to say I had one or two too many of thoseeee.

- I also swear I’ve been in that exact high school theater room.

- I alsoooo swear that that Panic at the Disco reference was like a dagger to my soul. And it was the Vices and Virtues Era Brendon Urie- can I die now???

But uhhh yeah I hate his friends and he should have never forgave him??? Like there’s a lot of drama happening- buttt to turn on him?!?!? Wowza.

And the Ferris Wheel scene. I couldn’t. And these kids have no shame. To just stand and watch?!?!? How awkwarddddd let them have a moment. Anyway. It’s def a okay watch but Idk. The friends are just sooo annoying and self centered.It really ruins it bc it is an important message and story.

* Plus I endured too many war flashbacks I have actively pushed from my psyche since high school while watching this- so the cringe and awkward acting was felt tenfold.

Rating: 4/10 Cats 🐈

[projecthipster]

The XX

And we, we live half in the daytime / And we, we live half at night / And watch things on VCRs

Our next list is much more broad than the lists of albums, as it’s a list of the artists themselves. It’s harder to review the entire discography or existence of a band, but I won’t shirk from it. Do I have to have heard an entire discography to review properly? It feels wrong to base an opinion on just a few songs, but, good lord, if I have to review Every Single Mountain Goats Song or something, that would need a whole book. 

Fortunately my first band on this list isn’t too daunting. First up is the XX. Or is that the Xx? What’s the capitalization here? And what does that mean? Is this band supposed to feel like medium-quality liquor? Or softcore porn? Or are they somehow a placeholder, twice? Never mind. The idea, I guess, is that the name isn’t important. So then why did the least likable-seeming member make it his last name? Now, when I get into music I like lots of context - funky album covers, album titles that drop unexpectedly at lyrical climaxes, loooong song titles. Music is a package that’s more than just sound. Like charcoal ice cream, though, The Xx go fully the other way into minimalism. Each of their album covers is just an X in different colours, which reminds me, in a bad way, of those Ed Sheeran albums that were just named for mathematical operators. Is he still doing those? I know he got through the basic operators, is he doing albums called √ and ∑ now?

Anyway, the XX. I’m sticking with two capitals. Somehow I missed these guys completely at the turn of the ‘10s when I was getting into indie pop as a wee tween proto-hipster. Maybe it’s because they seem to have hit it big in England, and I was tucked in the little otherworld of Canada listening to Hollerado and Tokyo Police Club? And yet even now, over a decade from the album that featured their biggest hits, this band still has 6 million Spotify followers –half as many again as Arcade Fire! So where’s the Arcade Fire-sized cultural impact?– and apparently they were on the soundtrack for Baz Luhrman’s Great Gatsby? I LIKE that movie! I like that soundtrack! So, in diligence to the blog, while making an overwrought breakfast on this rainy day off (homemade chai masala, waffles, and bacon, if you’re wondering,)  I opened up my TV’s Spotify app and began to listen through the discography of the XX.

Like so many bands that technically still exist but without much indication of that fact, what staying power the XX hold seems mostly confined to a self-titled debut, in this case released in 2009. This is a pretty good pop album! But it’s immediately accessible, and not particularly memorable. It’s entirely possible that I have heard these songs before, echoing through half-empty malls, and I just wasn’t impacted enough to remember. Maybe I heard Romy Croft’s pleasantly breathy vocals and thought I was hearing a Taylor Swift b-side from one of those more downkey of her albums. One of the tracks on this album is called “Basic Space,” and that’s too cheap of a joke to even properly formulate. There are good hooks here, but not much of the structure needed for barbs to hold. Songs repeat catchy choruses without much build, so that it’s hard to say where you are in the structure of the track. There’s not much of an album structure either. Sure, there’s the quite nice instrumental “Intro,” which for some reason is the most listened-to track by a solid 200,000 streams. Spotify is weird like that. But then there’s no real climax or ending, it just sort of stops after a while. Lyrics are about… honestly, hard to say. I do like the nostalgia-baiting groove and vintage implications of “VCR.” I think it’s funny that “VCR” also features the furthest possible sound from Radiohead’s “Videotape” despite being sort of the same title. It’s not just that XX lyrics end up buried in layers of synthesizers (nothing wrong with that! We like shoegaze, right?) but that they’re generic enough love and breakup songs that there’s little distinct imagery in the words once we get past “VCR”. That’s fine. What this album excels at is a neon-drenched ambient soundscape of melancholy urban adolescence. You can just close your eyes and see rain rippling black puddles on halogen-lit London streets, violet lines of bar signs dancing in the tiny waves, stumbling home to dingy studio apartments. Sorry, dingy flats. It’s a British band, so they’re flats. “Fantasy” is a standout track for this, undercut as it is with a spacey hum of wind, as if through an abandoned industrial district, that transitions after a few soft verses into an atmospheric lo-fi beat leading into “Shelter.” Ah! Structure! Transitions! This is the good stuff. Am I becoming a poptimist?

This album sounds like what Euphoria probably is. I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. This isn’t a record to listen to over and over again and dig deep into, though it’s worth a listen or two to catch the hooks. It’s a record for laying down the chill auditory background of your low-lit craft brewery or modern cocktail bar, and that’s just as important for The Hipster Life as the all-time individual classic albums.

Based on that first album, I’d happily leave the XX with a solid four stars. Unfortunately, I was listening to everything on their page in order, and that meant that next up was a truly godawful EDM remix of Florence + the Machine’s “You’ve Got the Love,” courtesy of douchiest-seeming and clearly least musically talented band member Jamie Smith, or, sorry, Jamie XX. Come on, man. Lennon didn’t go around calling himself “John Beatles” for the extra name recognition. So, that desecration of a great song was enough to drop a star right away. Things got better with sophomore album Coexist, but I still thought it was a half-step down from the self-titled. Coexist ramps up the neon ambience and slows down further into melancholy space-pop. I bet this one was big on Tumblr moodboards at the time. Or maybe not, since there aren’t many pithy standout lyrics. I haven’t listened beyond that yet, and I don’t know if I need to. But just like I said about Radiohead, this seems like music for a train ride through the city on a rainy night. If only I didn’t live in a prairie city. I have access to the trains, but rarely the rain.

Oh, and I do recognize the Gatsby song. It's called "Together" and I think it plays over the climax, since it's giving images of Gatsby bleeding into his pool and Myrtle lying dead in the Valley of Ashes. I did always like that riff, and felt it fit the movie well. But it's from a silly little EP of mostly remixes, not a proper XX album, which doesn't seem fair to me. I think I'm going to rewatch that movie now.

I give this hipster band three and a half tiny rays of convenience store lights, refracted in a cloud of cigarette smoke, out of five.

Project Hipster is a futile and disorganized attempt to dive into the world of things that the internet has at some point claimed "are hipster," mostly through ListChallenges search results.

This review comes from the eighth list, Is Your Taste in Music 'Hipster' Enough?

Next up, another book!

Stay deck.