#arty loves stories and it knows their tropes pretty well.

[cloudbattrolls]

Arty is aware enough to know that having any sort of elaborate master plan is just asking for someone to come along and defeat you, so it just Does Shit on a whim or if it feels it's necessary.

[peppersonironi]

12, 21, 19

(Is this late? Oops. Sorry!)

12: Favourite character to write about this year

Stephanie Brown, easy. She's my spirit animal, so I might be doing a touch of projecting, but I honestly don't care. She's just pure chaos in the best way. Some of my favourite lines that I've written are for her. Such as:

"What's up bitches? I brought donuts!"

"My waffles await!"

"FEAR ME!"

"Welcome to Steph’s Glitter Bomb Palace, Where Snitches get Stitches™! So don’t tell Bruce or I’ll sic Jason on you."

She's also the character I've gotten the most comments on. People really seen to enjoy how I write her!

A close second would be Duke Thomas. Bliss, a fic I wrote for the 2020 Duke Week, was one of my favourites! Or maybe Damian? His dialogue just comes easy to me.

21: Most memorable comment/review

the batfamily exist:

everyone: is,,is that allowed?

On Code Orange (Batfam/Young Justice Crossover)

*Or*

I have wanted to read a DCU/MCU crossover for a VERY long time. This story is such a delight. Your characterisation (and for me an introduction to The Signal) was fascinating in the extreme. I loved the game playing and the fact that I could watch (open-mouthed) as Bruce Wayne enjoyed childlike fun with his children and Alfred(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) was the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake. I look forward to your updates in a way that you wouldn't believe.

On Batfam/Avengers Crossover

19: Any new fics to start next year

Oh boy. So many. You know what? Here's a list. It'll be good to get these ideas out. Plus, you guys can tell me what you'd rather see first!

Gen/just Batfam

Crack fic based off this piece of dialogue (came from a convo between my sister and I): Tim reached forward and poked Duke's face. "You're right!" He exclaimed. "You really *do* squish like a block of wood!" Duke Centric.

Based on THIS Incorrect Quotes. Talia moves into the Manor because she's sick of Ra's. Featuring a bunch of good mom!Talia.

Based off THIS Incorrect Quotes. Jason runs for President as Red Hood. I have so many ideas! This'll be really fun.

Loosely based on THIS post. It explores Jason and Cassandra's relationship, and how it evolves.

Duke Thomas Big Bang Fic (can't say much, but it'll be great!)

Platonic (need to be certain you understand that. There were some misconceptions w/ my Discord server) Slow Burn between Tim and Damian. At the beginning the absolutely despise each other. But over time they realise their own insecurities, and how they don't actually hate the other. And by the end they fully admit and embrace their being brothers.

Reverse Robins with Damian as the oldest (I made THIS post talking about it a while back. But I've highly revised it.)

Reverse Robins with Duke as the oldest (I wrote THIS fic, but I think I want to change this into a series!)

Cassandra as Batman. Stephanie as Catwoman. Carrie Kelley as Robin.

5 Times Bette Kane was the mastermind behind the batkids' pranks without Bruce's knowledge, and 1 Time her brilliance was brought to light.

5 Times Duke thought that he couldn't possibly get any more siblings and 1 Time he met the cousins (AKA: Duke meets the extended family)

Birdflash

Birdflash in the JL/JLU universe (based off that one hexagon by @novaviis ! Super fun!). The league is inviting potential members to the Watchtower one day. Except Wally wasn't there during the choosing of said members. So he's completely shocked when his husband Nightwing shows up. They have to act like they don't know each other, which basically involves Dick flirting his butt off with Wally, Wally trying desperately to remain professional, Bruce digging in the corner, the rest of the League in varying degrees of disapproval and confusion (at least a couple have seen Wally's wedding ring. So that adds a while 'nother layer).

Young Justice soulmate au. Dick, and eventually everyone else, knows that Wally is his soulmate. Wally is oblivious. Lots of pining and angst in this one. Slow burn to an extent (depends on how long I make it). But definitely a happy fluffy ending in sight!

Batfam Meets Young Justice

THIS fic.

Duke gets yeeted into the YJ universe, and promptly passes out. He wakes up in the Watchtower, and breaks out of the confinement the Team has set up for him. Pulls shenanigans (some unwittingly) and used his powers. The Team and JL are confused, and panicking. Because this guy keeps muttering things about the Batfam. And he has a bat on his chest.

The Team break into some ancient temple after getting info on a new Supervillian plot. They find purple clothed woman draped across a throne. She talks, and they panic, as she knows all their secret identities. The only one who isn't, is Tim. He looks bored. Alternatively: Steph needs Tim's credit card to take his sister out on a date, and absolutely refuses to text.

While the Team is on a mission to stop Lady Shiva, a dimensional portal opens up and spits out a strange Robin (Damian) and what seemed to be a female Batman (Cass as Black Bat). This new dynamic due promptly defeats Lady Shiva and all the goons. The Team is freaked out, and 'apprehends' the dimensional anomalies, bringing them back to the Watchtower. Where the due promptly break and and start chaos. Featuring "Toxic" by Britney Spears. I will not explain why.

The Watchtower gets a sudden emergency message from the Batcave. They accept, to find a stranger calling himself Signal panicking about Robin being missing. They all look at Tim, who ignores them, and says that he doesn't know where Robin is. Some naming shenanigans occur.

(Not sure if this fits here, oh well) Set in Season One, Bruce is tired of Clark's attitude towards Superboy, and adopts the clone himself. Not sure how far this'll go, but at least goes through Dick's time as Robin. (Based on THIS Tumblr post)

(Also iffy on placement) a continuation of one (not sure which? Probably Damian as older) Reverse Robins fics. It's a retelling of Season One of YJ, with Dick as Robin. Nightwing (Damian) feels protective of his brother, and so takes on the role Black Canary had in the show, training the Team. But as time goes on, he ends up being more of a big brother to the group. Cameos from the rest of the Batfam as well! And an Identity Reveal (including finding out Dick and Dami are brothers) at the end!

Batfam Meets the Justice League

Cass takes over being Batman for a bit, because Bruce was an idiot and broke his leg. This happens to line up with when the Justice League reach out to the Dark Knight, in order to extend an invitation to the league. They eventually meet Bruce as Batman, and are confused as to why he is so tall. And male.

Joyfire

Lian accidentally reveals her three parents' relationship by calling Bruce 'grandpa' over dinner.

Museum Heist

THIS fic

Operation: Seduce Nightwing. Based on a post for an ATLA ot3, Wally and Artemis realise silumaneously “Hey, we kinda have the hots for Dick” and decide together to see if he likes them back. Which involves a heck ton of over the top flirting, and shenanigans. The Team is sighing on the sidelines at their idiocy. Dick is internally combusting and thinking “Do they like me back? I’’m not sure.” 

5 times Dick and Wally fought over being the middle spoon, and one time Artemis had had enough.

Set in Season 3 (but ignores some canon), Bart is kidnapped by some mad scientist obsessed with the Speed Force. The Team mobilizes, and gets Bart back from the evil base. But when they get there, they find Wally West freed from the Speed Force. He and Artemis reunite, and everyone is happy. They prepare to leave. Then the Pick-up Squad arrive in the bioship, and Dick gets out. Everyone is expecting Dick to give Wally a hug, because hey, he's his best friend! What they weren't expecting was him to run forward and pull the speedster into a passionate kiss. They go back to the Watchtower, and some more stuff happens.

Soulmate AU where the first thing your soulmate says to you after they fall in love with you is tattooed on your body.

Post Season Two Get Together. Starts with Artemis living with Dick as opposed to Will. Might be Slow Burn? (They come pretty close to kissing) Eventually Wally comes back. Arty and Wally are back together. They both live in the same house as Dick, for convenience. Then some more Slow Burn happens. Maybe some Birdflash moments. Arty tells Wally she kinda had a thing for Dick. Wally admits the same. Maybe a touch more Slow Burn. They Eventually get together.

Batlantern

AU where Bruce met Hal back when he first came back to Gotham. Fic goes through how their relationship evolves over the years (up until current time, when Damian is 13). I'm considering a relationship reveal with the Justice League.

Hal's interactions with Bruce's kids.

Green Lantern Corp acting protective of Hal when Bruce comes to Oa. This was an ask that I got, and I'm holding off on writing it till I get as much into on the GL's as possible, as all I know if their characterization comes from that animated series, and Guy Gardener's (Hilarious!) parts on Young Justice.

Marvel

Like 3 different versions of the Peter Parker Field Trip to Stark Tower Trope.

2-part Crossover with the Batfam (they exist in the same universe), where the Avengers go to a Wayne Gala, and interact with the family. The second chapter involves them heading out the next night to try and contact Batman.

THIS fic.

[hecticcheer]

Ooh I’m excited you’re doing these! How bout ✖️ 🎷 👀 🎁?

✖️- Least favorite symptom to read

Hmmm. I can think of two answers to this, depending on how I interpret the question. There’s one symptom/bodily phenomenon I often find distressing to read about rather than cute or hot, and that’s breathing difficulties/(near-)suffocation/especially (near-)drowning, though I guess that last is more like a whump scenario than a symptom in itself. But a. I’m very hard to scare, so I kinda like when something I read succeeds at that, and b. my fear of suffocation and drowning also means that when a fic handles these topics well enough (and with enough C to console me for the H) I find that extra rewarding? So idk if “least favorite” is accurate.

Practically speaking, the featured symptom most likely to stop me from clicking on a fic in the first place is nightmares. Again though I feel almost guilty calling them my least favorite, because in both sickfic and plain ol’ literature I love a good dream sequence. Mostly it’s nightmares as a plot device that I don’t like, where the point of A’s dream is for them to wake up scared so B can comfort them, or where it gives them some kind of epiphany or leads them to change their behavior. Nightmare as weird arty interlude? Sure! Nightmare as a quick way to show us the character’s hangups and distorted thinking? Yes please. But as a vehicle for h/c? Doesn’t do it for me.

🎷- Spelled out sneezes or will plain ‘ol descriptions do the trick?

Honestly? I almost never find that transcribed sick-person noises help me picture the noise in question; they just distract me from the story. I mind it less w/ snz than with emeto though

👀 - Would you rather the limited third person be from the sickie or the caregiver? Would you rather it focus more on the sickie’s thoughts and feelings or the caregiver’s?

Oof, I don’t know; I like both. A few weeks ago when tumblr user sickhaze made a post asking a similar question I replied, “Hmmm, my reasons for picking one or the other tend to be more mechanical than aesthetic tbh–I’ll pick whichever character says less of what they think, or does more things in the other one’s absence, or has more complicated feelings on the situation. So… I guess I pick based on whether it’s more a story about illness or a story about caretaking?” That’ssss kind of a copout answer, but still true: whichever perspective is more complicated in this situation, I want that one.

But I’ve noticed that when other people answer this question they typically focus on differentiating between descriptions of how illness looks from within vs. how it looks from without. And that they tend to prefer fic from the caregiver’s perspective, because the idea that either a. the sick person is so unwell onlookers can’t not see and hear it or b. the caregiver knows them well enough to pick up on their indisposition from subtle hints the sick person themselves either doesn’t notice or tries to hide—and that we, the reader, get to learn what those hints are from someone who loves them—is a lot of fun. I’m sympathetic to this, but it’s kinda fraught for me? I don’t love how it equates an illness’s felt severity with its outward signs. This idea, that it’s particularly exciting or validating for onlookers to be able to tell how ill someone is without asking them? It centers acute illness in a way that reminds me of my own alienation from that experience, since like. That being sick means you look flushed or thin or glassy-eyed, sound hoarse or congested, feel hot to the touch, produce different-colored sputum than usual or a different temperature reading—that’s all shit I’ve had to unlearn in order to understand, respect myself. So that sometimes narratives like this leave me feeling jealous or resentful.

Which doesn’t mean I don’t love sickfic written from the caregiver’s perspective. Just that like… well, for one thing, you know in the Barty & Leverton thing how Leverton’s pretty much exactly that kind of caregiver?—the kind who can tell their friend is ill from subtle behavioral changes, even when said friend doesn’t notice these or tries to hide them? Well, I had fun writing about that trope from a chronically ill person’s (viz., Barty’s) point of view, though I have to thank box-of-kink-fic’s prompt for giving me the idea. Enjoyed showing from within the kind of bodily self-doubt and -disrespect that makes him slower than Leverton to figure out the math on what his ailments mean.

In a similar vein, I also love caregivers who try very hard to interpret a reticent sick character’s behavior but don’t always get it right? Or who have baggage they keep having to shift from hand to hand in order to leave one free to take care of their friend. So I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t much like to read stories that take place from the point of view of a perfect caregiver.

🎁 - Tender, loving caretaking or tough, “we’re enemies but I’ll make an exception just this once” caretaking?

Aaah, I like both!—By which I mean I can like either one, but also that my favorite is a combination of the two, viz., “I love you, but the circumstances surrounding your illness have brought up unresolved issues between us” caretaking.

[bakudomaster]

Hot In Cleveland

Greetings to literally no one! Hopefully that will change....

I’ve had this account for a while now and I’ve finally thought about what I want to use it for.

Starting today, this will be a literary analysis of some of the entertainment media I have consumed over the years. Why you ask? Hmmmm, that’ll be for a later post. I hope that you enjoy reading this!

WARNING: THESE POSTS WILL UNASHAMEDLY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Today, we’ll begin with a sitcom that’s very close to my heart - Hot In Cleveland

[cue title music - ba ba ba baaaa... ba ba baaa... dwing dwing HEY!]

PREMISE

Hot in Cleveland first premiered in 2010 on TV Land as their first ever original production. Up until that point, the network was well known for airing reruns of previously ended shows, such as The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls. One of the producers of the show was Sean Hayes of Will & Grace fame.

The show revolves around three middle-aged women bound for Paris to forget their troubles of broken hearts and struggling careers when their plane makes a emergency landing in Cleveland, Ohio. Deciding to explore the city, they find it a more compassionate and welcoming than the glamorous, youth obsessed Los Angeles and decide to relocate there. When they rent a house, they find it comes with a decidedly snarky housekeeper.

CAST & CHARACTERS

Valerie Bertinelli as Melanie Moretti - a recently divorced one-time author, she has known very little beyond her roles as mother and wife. She tends to be very optimistic and romantic, often to the annoyance of her friends. Out of the younger trio, she takes the most to Cleveland and tries new things to broaden her horizons. She is the most compassionate out of the three, often being the glue that binds them together. Though she’s a very nice character to watch, she lacks true grit and comes off as a pushover at times. I don’t know much about Valerie’s work before the show, but she does do quite well, with her natural warmth and friendliness coming through.

Wendie Malick as Victoria Chase - an ambitious but ditzy soap opera actress, she has just had her show cancelled and falls into despair at not being in the public eye anymore. Self-centered and willing to do almost anything, Victoria is the least enthusiastic about moving to Cleveland due to the lack of botox and paparazzi among other things. Over time, she takes on various projects to try and revive her career, resulting in an Emmy & Oscar win. Wendie Malick is best known for her role on Just Shoot Me as well as her voice acting in various shows and movies, such as The Emperor’s New Groove and BoJack Horseman. She’s an absolute delight to watch here, completely immersing herself in the role and surrendering to Victoria’s insanity.

Jane Leeves as Rejoyla ‘Joy’ Scroggs - a beautician with a business that’s starting to fail, Joy’s real problem is being unlucky in love. From being abandoned by her teenage sweetheart when she fell pregnant by him, to being left at the altar on her wedding day, Joy’s endless parade of bad luck has left her cynical and just a tad yandere for any man who dares cross her (watch out boys...). She’s neutral to Cleveland, but secretly longs for romance and eventually settling down to start a family. Jane is best known for her work on Fraiser. She’s initially a bit frigid over the first two seasons but warms up to the role as she gains more prominence in the show over the later seasons.

Betty White as Elka Ostrovsky - an escapee from WWII Poland, she is a widow who lives in the house as a caretaker. Though she finds the LA trio’s obsession with glitz and glamour very strange, she quickly makes friends with them to varying degrees, often dispensing advice and acting as a voice of reason when the others get a bit too crazy or feel despondent. She is very proud of Cleveland, eventually becoming its mayor and is not averse to doing things outside of the law. Betty White has a career in television spanning over 80 years. She was initially only supposed to appear in the pilot episode but the audience response was quite positive so the producers upgraded her to series regular.

STRUCTURE, WRITING & DEVELOPMENT

The series plays out as a typical slice-of-life sitcom. The idea of older women living together and going through life isn’t new - think Golden Girls in the modern era and you pretty much have the gist of the show. However, is that such a bad thing? I think every TV era needs a show that focuses on the challenges one faces as the march of time proceeds; something that feels comfortable without pushing the boundaries too much and HiC was that for a generation who missed out on Betty White’s previous hit show. It wasn’t cerebral watching and it didn’t need to be.

In line with this, many of the plots are taken out from well known tropes that have developed over the years. Love triangles, a vapid rivalry in Hollywood, false pregnancies and lost loves returning all play part in the show’s six season run, edited and polished for character context. This is a big part of why the show felt so familiar to many viewers. Script structures followed one of three methods:

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1 whilst C & D take part in subplot 2 - this proves most effective for humor, balancing out the plot and giving each character something to work with

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1, C in subplot 2 and D in subplot 3 - this proves most effective for character development but can feel too scattered at times

Characters A, B, C & D take part in the main plot - this is most effective for plot lines, usually occurring at season premieres or finales

In terms of character development, the main trio of ladies find fulfillment in each other’s status. I’ll explain:

Melanie was an author but didn’t really have much experience in the working world, choosing instead to derive her satisfaction from being a mother and a wife. Now that her marriage is over and her kids are in college, she feels lost and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Over the course of the show, she has a series of meaningful relationships but develops the most in her career;becoming a column writer, a public relations assistant, a radio show host and a restaurant manager. This is what Victoria was trying to achieve at the beginning of the show.

Victoria is an out of work actress who has to resort to all sorts of tricks to get back into the public eye. Her approach is hit and miss, but she eventually goes on to win an Emmy and an Oscar, along with some work in critically acclaimed stage plays and a brief period as a news reporter. Despite this, she finds more satisfaction in her love life (despite being married EIGHT times!), eventually marrying her one true love at the end of the series. This is what Joy was trying to achieve at the start.

Joy is struggling as a beautician who looks for love in handsome men and one night stands, but never seems to catch a break. Her love life goes from bad to worse and her relationships fail due to a combination of her own issues with trust and the fact that the men she loves aren’t that great to begin with. She eventually puts her cynicism and stalking tendencies (I told you to watch out for her!) to good use, studying criminology and becoming a private detective. She also reconnects with her son that she gave up for adoption and gleefully accepts when she finds out that she’s a grandmother. Long story short, she’s looking for stability and finds it in the most unlikely man, becoming a wife and a mother at the end of the show. This is what Melanie was looking for at the start of the show.

Over the first three seasons, a heavy emphasis is placed on Elka due to the show trying to capitalize on Betty White’s resurgence in popularity at the time. This is in spite of the fact that Elka kind of feels like a lost puzzle piece. She doesn’t really fit in to the whole cohesiveness of the other three characters. This is changed in season 4, when the character of Mamie Sue (played by Georgia Engel, Betty’s costar from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) is promoted to a recurring character. It not only gives a nice chemistry to a previously ill fitting character, it creates a parallel with the LA trio: Mamie Sue is a combination of Victoria’s airheadedness and Melanie’s kindness to Joy’s cynicism found in Elka.

The show starts off quite shakily, despite its hype, but takes a turn for the better around the fourth season. The frivolous story lines from earlier episodes are eschewed for more long term plots with more emotional impact. Themes of loneliness, love at middle age and returning to correct past regrets are explored quite deeply. The show also loses some of the LA stereotypes as it goes on.

Some really big names are booked as guest stars, some notable ones being:

Susan Lucci as a parody of herself, being Victoria’s arch-nemesis

Joe Jonas as Will, Melanie’s son

Craig Ferguson as Simon, Joy’s first love and babydaddy

Jon Lovitz as Artie Firestone, an eccentric billionaire who takes an interest in Joy

Heather Locklear as Chloe, one of Melanie’s bosses at her PR job

The entire cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as G.L.O.B. (Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling)

Alan Dale as Sir Emmet Lawson, a renowned actor and Victoria’s sixth husband

Rick Springfield as a parody of himself

BULLSEYES & IMPROVEMENTS

What the show gets right:

Exploring the crossroads many women face at middle age, in terms of the main aspects of life: family, love & career

Great acting, especially in the later seasons

Wendie Malick - she deserved an Emmy nomination for her acting here

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Emmy, Victoria’s eldest daughter. Seriously, watch her episodes and tell me they aren’t funny

The general lack of pressure - you don’t need much attention to cycle in and out of the show, it’s easy watching

The consistency and plot development post season 3

What I think should be improved upon:

Melanie can be TOO nice, something that’s actually picked upon by other characters. Her cancer subplot was a nice opportunity to get some grit, but most of it was just by the way and not fully delved into

Victoria’s job as a news reporter was forgotten as soon as she landed a part in a Woody Allen movie. It would have been nice for her to be in that occupation a bit more or go back to it after her Oscar win and give her a chance to be on the other side of fame

Elka’s love life - every boyfriend seems to be a copy of the other and there are way too many of them

CULTURAL & PERSONAL IMPACT

This article from the A.V. Club goes into detail about the show and I have to say, I agree with it wholeheartedly agree. HiC was a reminder of what was before the more intellectual comedies came along. It shamelessly pandered to an older generation who wanted something familiar in an ever changing landscape. The fact that it didn’t take many risks in its approach was a risk in itself. It was clearly one that paid off, given the six season run. It wasn’t a darling of the critics, but it didn’t need to be. This was a show that could be watched to generate a few laughs without the need for in depth discussion with a coworker in the break room the next day.

A few years after the show’s cancellation, Valerie Bertinelli expressed her anger at TV Land for the decision, calling it sexist. I can’t really comment on that, given that I’m not too familiar with TV Land’s other work, but I will say that HiC did what it had to do. Six seasons in an age where you’re lucky to get more than three is amazing. The plot lines tied up quite nicely at the end and in the end, that’s all that everyone wanted.

Personally, I watched this show at two very difficult times in my life. The first was at college during my final year, when deadlines loomed and twisted my stomach in anxiety. The second was a few months ago when I had quit my job and needed something to distract me from the depression. On both occasions, this show has really made me laugh and fall in love with its simplicity. It’s undemanding and solid, just what I need to get through a trying period.

WHERE TO WATCH IT

Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Amazon Prime Video

Seasons 1 to 4 are available on Hunnyhaha’s channel on Youtube

If you’re in Southern Africa, the entire series are available on Showmax

[scatter-kinnin-patter]

Mobile About

💜 Under the cut💜

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

About Me

Hello hello! You can call me Scatter when not referring to any of my kins- I’m 22, trans(he/him pronouns), and gay and ace. I’m kinda new to the kin community but consider this a safe space for fictionkin(or all types of otherkin!), fictives, coping link, or whomever may identify with/as fictional characters!

Thinspo, transmeds/truscums, and exclusionists/aphobes please do not interact!

I would love to interact with people from my sources and talk about canons, make friends, and all the like! However, I’m not looking for canonmates(I’ve had a few bad run-ins with people telling me my canons were “wrong” if they didn’t match with theirs, and would rather not go through that again), but I greatly enjoy discussing different canons! Doubles are free to interact!

Disclaimer: I use fictionkin to cope with mental illness, so please try to understand why I do this and don’t interact if you have anti-kin sentiment. I ain’t hurting anyone, and I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have fiction to fall back on, so please respect this harmless fun <3

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

Kin List

💜Michael Afton💜

Nickname(s): Eggs, Mike/Mikey

Source: Five Nights at Freddy’s

About me: I’m 24, demiboy(he/him), gay, and polyamorous

About my canon: I’m the FNaF 4 brother, Sister Location’s Eggs Benedict, and FFPS’s Night Guard. I’m son of William Afton and Crying Child and Elizabeth’s older brother. I’m very gay for my Phone Guy. I’m also the Michael from The Joy of Creation: Story Mode!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from FNaF, but I’d adore meeting some Williams and/or Springtraps! I’d love to meet fellow Aftons or nightguards too! Oh and Ennards too, I love all of the animatronics!

💛Roxas💛

Nickname(s): Rucksack

Source: Kingdom Hearts

About me: I’m 22, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I don’t remember Xion too much, but Axel and I were inseparable. I wasn’t quite as edgy as everyone portrays me… actually I was a huge nerd! Oh, but was I so in love with my Sora. I know it’s cliche, but being in someone’s heart does that to you. I was also, ironically, great friends with Riku!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Kingdom Hearts, but meeting Soras, Axels, and Rikus would make my day and then some.

🖤Darkiplier🖤

Nickname(s): Damien, Dark/Darky

Source: Markiplier’s Egos

About me: I’m 38, agender(he/him or they/them), and bisexual

About my canon: I was once Damien before the events of Who Killed Markiplier, and since then have been living with Mark’s other egos. I have long since forgiven Mark and Wilford, and we live peacefully now. I was very much in love with my Wilford and my Antisepticeye. Celine was resting during my time, so I really only had Damien taking over personality-wise.

Who I’m looking for: Any of Markiplier’s or Jacksepticeye’s egos, but I would adore meeting a Googleplier, Wilford, or Anti.

💙Geno💙

Nickname(s): Starboy, ♡♪!?

Source: Super Mario RPG

About me: I’m a star, so age is complicated, but am an adult, genderless(he/him), and bisexual

About my canon: It’s me, that star from SMRPG! Mallow was a little brother to me, and I was very bi for the rest of my team. I frequently visited Earth again after the events of the Star Road, and fell in love with Dreambert from Mario and Luigi: Dream Team. Cappy from Odyssey and I were also very close friends.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from the Mario franchise, but I’d really really love meeting some Marios, Bowsers, Cappys, or Dreamberts!

💖Scott Cawthon/Afton💖

Nickname(s): PG/Phone Guy, Scottie

Source: Five Nights at Freddy’s

About me: I’m 25, transmale(he/him), gay and asexual

About my canon: Hello hello~! I was the phone guy! Fun fact: I had two purple guys in my canon- one was my twin brother, the other was William Afton himself. William adopted me, actually, so he’s really quite the father figure, despite… everything. I worked in numerous Fazbear Locations, nearly died in FNaF 1, and came to my final end in FFPS.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from FNaF, but it’d make my day to meet Purple Guys/William Aftons, Jeremy Fitzgeralds, or Mike Schmidts!

🖤Bendy🖤

Nickname(s): Benjamin, Bendaroo

Source: Bendy and the Ink Machine

About me: Age is complicated cuz I’m a toon, but consider me 21, genderless(he/him), and pansexual

About my canon: Ayyyy it’s the little devil darlin himself! I was very close with my Henry, and he actually broke the loop that freed us all! Oh I was gay for my Henry and my Sammy. Also I’ve been willin to reconcile things with Joey, why not! I was also friends with Cuphead!

Who I’m looking for: Listen, not to be all biased or anythin, I love all BatIM or Cuphead kins, bUT HENRIES AND SAMMIES PLS INTERACT

🧡Lawless🧡

Nickname(s): Hyde, Lawli, Servamp of Greed

Source: Servamp(both the anime and the manga)

About me: I’m an immortal vampire, though forever 18, male(he/him), and bisexual

About my canon: It’s ya favorite tragic backstory thespian! Oh I was hopelessly in love with my Ophelia and Licht, and thankfully have moved past my more, eheh, destructive tendencies. Now I’m just a vamp with an angel trying to recover from it all!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Servamp, but I’d give anything to meet a fellow Licht or any of my Vamp-Sibs!

💚Link/Masky💚

Nickname(s): Grasshopper, Hero of Time

Source: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time + Majora’s Mask

About me: I’m 18, male(he/him), and aromantic/asexual.

About my canon: I go by the name “Masky” to avoid confusion with other Links, as Majora’s Mask was my more prominent canon in both memory and my behaviors. I was short, and a bit more on the apathetic side, but I was always taking notes in my notebook and studying each scene. Guess I was more of the “think things through” type. I later on taught the Hero from Twilight Princess.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from any Zelda game(I’ve played nearly them all), though I’d love to meet fellow Links from other timelines.

💜Virgil Sanders💜

Nickname(s): Virge, Anxiety

Source: Sanders Sides

About me: I’m 29, male(he/him), gay and asexual.

About my canon: My canon was Found Family Trope. Patton was like a father to me, and I was in a polyamorous relationship with Roman, Logan, and Deceit. Remus was cool, though we were never involved romantically or platonically. Fun fact: I had a cat hoodie in my canon that matched Pat’s but it was black and purple, lol.

Who I’m looking for: Any of the Sides, but Romans, Logans, and Deceits would be cool to meet(please no “evil” Deceits, though)

💙Taako Taako💙

Nickname(s): Koko, Bastard

Source: The Adventure Zone: Balance

About me: I’m an elf, so I’m well over 100, transmale(he/him), and gay

About my canon: Fun fact, even though I love Kravitz to no end, I was involved romantically with my Magnus! Saved the world, cooked some food, it’s what we do!

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from TaZ, but PLEASE the 7 birds- especially Magnus or Merle, interact!!!

🧡Lampy🧡

Nickname(s): Tim/Timothy, Lamps

Source: The Brave Little Toaster

About me: I’m an appliance, I have no “age”!, genderless(he/him), and gay

About my canon: Only lived through the first 2 movies, never really considered “Goes to Mars” as canon… maybe more of a fever dream. I was pretty darn smart, though social cues weren’t my strong suit. I was so in love with my Radio, though~!

Who I’m looking for: Literally anyone from either TBLT movie- but especially Radio!

💚Edd💚

Nickname(s): None(?)

Source: Eddsworld

About me: I’m 26, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I’m just a chaotic cat lover, what can I say! I miss having Tord as a friend and I was in love with my Tom and Eduardo! Uhhhh… Cola.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone from Eddsworld, but Toms Tords and Eduardos please interact!

💛Ethan💛

Nickname(s): Gold

Source: Pokemon Silver/Gold

About me: I’m 20, transmale(he/him), and gay

About my canon: I traveled across both Johto and Kanto with my Cyndaquil, and had a pair of roller blades! I was always on some kind of wheels, a speed demon for sure, and a bit egotistical/loud XD. I had… a relationship with Red, don’t remember if it was platonic or romantic. BFFs with Blue and Kris, and Silver was my boyf <3

Who I’m looking for: Literally ANYONE from Pokemon, but… Reds Blues and Silvers… hit me up 👀

🧡Arthur🧡

Nickname(s): Arty

Source: Mystery Skulls Animated

About me: I’m 25, male(he/him), and gay

About my canon: GUESS WHO DIDN’T DIE AFTER HELLBENT!!! Listen fam Arthur is my kin that goes into hibernation but revives every 2 years to scream before going back to vibing in the background. Had a poly relationship where both Vivi and I dated Lewis, but Vivi and I didn’t date each other, if that makes sense.

Who I’m looking for: Anyone MSA… Lewis and Vivi tho… hai-

💙Cloud Strife💙

Nickname(s): Soldier boy, Spikey

Source: Kingdom Hearts(mainly), Final Fantasy 7

About me: I’m 23, male(he/him), gay and ace

About my canon: I’m KH Cloud more than FF7, though I still connect with my FF7 self. I was one of Xehanort’s first experiments with heartless, which is how he was able to separate Sephiroth and I. Sora was like a baby brother to me. Leon and I were classic rivals-to-lovers. Fight me.

Who I’m looking for: Hit me up if you’re anyone KH(say hi to Roxas too while you’re at it) and/or FF7. Not really picky, down to chat with whomever.

💖Charles Calvin💖

Nickname(s): Charlie

Source: The Henry Stickmin Collection

About me: I’m 27, transmale(he/him), queer and ace

About my canon: Listen I just started kinnie this boi the day I typed this all I know is I had a cool pilot jacket and I’m a disaster queer and love flying choppers and Henry cute aaaaaa

Who I’m looking for: Please… I will take ANY thsc kinnies…

💖🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

[warehouse13pod]

Show Notes 107 "Implosion"

Evil is afoot, Agents.

As always, you can click on this link or by clicking play on the embedded player below to listen to this week’s episode while reading the show notes.

Also, don’t forget that you can support us on Patreon!

This week's Writer Appreciation Corner focuses on Bob Goodman, a true asset to the Warehouse 13 writing staff. We love Bob Goodman and even featured a quote from his io9 article in our "Bonus 01 - Podcast 13 Season 1 Trailer,” linked here and embedded below.

You can follow him on Twitter as @b0bg00dman.

The episode starts with Pete imitating a dubbed Japanese samurai movie. This week's episode dealt a lot with a lot of ~heavy themes~ related to Japan and WWII, and interestingly those themes tie directly into the media history of samurai cinema. Pete was almost certainly imitating the action-packed samurai cinema films that were popular after WWII. And, in fact, most samurai cinema was set during the Tokugawa/Edo Period--exactly when the Honjō Masamune was crafted. You can find a list of some seminal works of Samurai Cinema from The Criterion Collection.

It's interesting that the episode focused on a Masamune being given as a gift to a US president after WWII, because a Masamune was actually given to President Harry S. Truman after WWII and currently resides in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. That's a pretty direct allegory to a sword being given to Woodrow Wilson and residing in the Woodrow Wilson Museum of Peace.

Incidentally, there is no actual Woodrow Wilson Museum of Peace, but there is a Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, and it is (at least partially) a house!

And since the episode got to the Honjō Masamune pretty quickly and led to an early introduction of our expert in the podcast, let's give her the same treatment here in the show notes! We are so grateful and honored to have had the highly illuminating Dr. Nyri Bakkalian as our Artifact Expert this week. She shed so much light onto a subject that I have just…no other knowledge of whatsoever. It was fascinating to hear all she had to say about the Honjō Masamune and about Japanese swords post WWII more broadly. You can find her on Twitter as @riversidewings, check out her blog, or support her on her Patreon for more information.

Dr. Nyri Bakkalian shared a cringe-worthy story of someone who stripped a samurai sword to the tang. If you know nothing about swords (like me) then you probably didn't know what a tang was--or that there are so many more parts of a blade than the hilt, tsuba, and that long stabby bit. For my fellow sword novices, here's some info on the anatomy of a sword. Here's some information specifically on Japanese swords. And here's some information specifically on tsubas and other Japanese sword mountings.

But guess what?!

Dr. Bakkalian was kind enough to give us even more information after Miranda's interview. She sent us a link to a Japanese resource that discusses the real Honjō Masamune--and that even includes a diagram of the sword itself. Dr. Bakkalian added that "the sword was appraised many times, but it was designated a National Treasure of Japan in 1939, so we're fortunate that we at least have a paper trail if not the blade itself."

While I don't know much about swords, I do know a bit about kitchen knives. And what I know about kitchen knives ties in--very slightly--with the history of swords. Specifically, the layering technique of forging Japanese steel blades. Here's a bit more information on how Japanese kitchen knives are made and how that ties into the history of sword-making in Japan. Not that anyone asked, but I'm a big fan of my hybrid knife set that has a Japanese steel blade but a piece of thick metal that extends all the way down through the hilt like a German blade. The knives have a nice thin, sharp edge like a Japanese blade but a comfortingly weighty, solid handle that makes me feel more in control as I cook. I've included pictures of them, because I love them and this is the closest I can come to being useful about anything related to blades.

This episode dealt a lot with the frustration that can come from poor communication between friends and coworkers. This is something that Artie struggles with a lot. Here is an interesting blog post for any managers or team leaders out there looking to foster better communication in their workplace.

In the stakeout scene in the parking lot of the Japanese Embassy, Pete makes a joke about how the goggles make him look like Kermit the Frog. I couldn't find a pic or gif of him in the goggles, but here's a pic of Kermit.

As we get further into the series of Warehouse 13, we're starting to encounter more and more artifacts per episode, which means that we may not have experts on to discuss every single artifact that an episode references or features. That said, we love this fan wiki as a resource to look into the artifacts that don't get as much airtime on Warehouse 13 or on our podcast.

In this episode, we don't spend a lot of time on it, but Artie uses a 14th Century Firework called an "Ice Flower" that mesmerizes onlookers by triggering a feedback loop in their optic nerve. You can find out more about mesmerism in our show notes for 103 "Magnetism." The fan wiki points out that the firework resembles  a type of firework known as a Catherine wheel firework. Here's some more information about the history of fireworks.

In the hotel room with Artie, Pete, and Myka, Myka demands that Artie tell them exactly what the sword does. We learn that the sword turns the bearer invisible but splitting light in half. The bending and manipulation of light to essentially mimic invisibility is actually a thing that scientists are researching. There are lots of techniques they try, and you can learn more about them here.

In this same scene, we got another great detail from the brilliant art department on this show. As Artie is explaining the history of the Honjō Masamune, he pulls out a Japanese handscroll. Japanese illustrated handscrolls are a beautiful and intricate form of visual storytelling media and you can read more about them here. Personally, I learned about them from the video lecture series from Sunday at the Met entitled "Storytelling in Japanese Art." You can click the previous link or click play on the embedded video below to watch that lecture series.

You can find more lectures about art and history from The Metropolitan Museum of art on the museum's website or more directly, from its YouTube channel. I've found some truly amazing information there.

We made a reference to Kluger getting "dusted" (RIP Kluger). That was, you guessed it, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference.

Miranda referenced using the Oxford English Dictionary to look up the origin of the word "kabosh." The OED, as it is affectionately called is an amazing resource at whom's alter Miranda and I both worship. It's so much more than a dictionary. It gives the history and first use of every word you can imagine.

You can gain access to it with your library card number, so please: support your local library. Go and sign up for a card, so you can access this awesome resource.

Now that you have a library card (I'm assuming you dropped whatever you were doing to go support your local library and get a library card), you can now check out the books where the phrase "to put a kabosh on" were first used. The first was Sketches by Boz by Charles Dickens and the second was The Wheels of Chance by H.G. Wells.

It is taking literally everything in my power not to post a spoilery gif of H.G. wells right now, but I'm committed to keeping major plot developments out of the show notes until we discuss them on the podcast, so instead here's a picture of me right now trying not to spoil things.

We also discuss how Artie's file said he was suspected of espionage but was actually arrested for treason. Small fact check, but espionage and treason are different crimes.

Outside the Wilson Museum, Pete and Myka have one of their patented heart-to-heart and Myka unintentionally reveals--much to Pete's delight--that she is a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series. Specifically, she and Pete discuss the trope of "red shirts."

We talked about how the orange vs. purple Tesla reminded us of lightsabers in Star Wars and Priori Incantatem in Harry Potter.

Miranda gave a Mini-Actor Spotlight on the actor who portrays Mrs. Frederic's bodyguard, Jung-Yul Kim.

Meanwhile, our main Actor Spotlight of the week focused on James MacPherson himself, Roger Rees. His IMDB is incredibly impressive, but his credits extend far beyond his work on the big and small screen.

Miranda recognized him from his turn as Lord John Marbury in The West Wing.

We also gave a shout out to Rees' husband, Rick Elice, an accomplished writer and actor in his own right. Sadly, Roger Rees passed from brain cancer in 2015. He was a powerful and talented actor who left an enduring mark on Warehouse 13. Rest in Pease, sir.

We referenced this hilarious scene with Pete and Myka's gesture-based discussion about needing to shoot unsuspecting Secret Service Agents with the Tesla...

…and how it reminded us of Spike knocking over the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign every time he entered and left town in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Another reference #TakeAShot)

We also take a moment to appreciate the importance of Leena to the Warehouse. She's great, and we want everyone to remember that she's great.

We also talk about how Artie's unwillingness to address the source of his closed-off nature ends up putting Pete and Myka in danger and making Myka very upset. She says that Artie needs to address his emotions instead of allowing his emotional scars to hurt those around him. Miranda and I support mental wellness and therapy. Please see our show notes for 103 Magnetism for a list of crisis resources.

The episode ended with a couple of quotes from the Talmud. You can learn more about Jewish Sacred Texts here. I haven't personally used this resource so I can't very translations or commentary or anything, but we always link to books we reference in the podcast--so, if you want, you can read the Talmud online here.

That's all for this week.

See you next time, Agents.

[roseisread]

My Year in Movies: Favorite Non-2018 Feature Films (Part 2)

Continuing the countdown of my favorite movies I saw for the first time in 2018 that were released in previous years... for part 1 of this list, click here.

39. Tokyo Drifter (1966, directed by Seijun Suzuki, country of origin: Japan)

Seijun Suzuki pulls together his favorite tropes from the Western, film noir, and Yakuza genres and throws a post modern, new wave sensibility on top complete with lots of neon and surrealism. The end result is one of the most stylistically bold movies I’ve ever encountered, and its influence extends to modern auteurs like Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch, and Nicolas Winding Refn. Tokyo Drifter (which has nothing to do with the Fast & Furious franchise as far as I know) follows a gangster on the run, but the plot really is secondary to the overall feel of the movie. Really fun and one I can imagine revisiting a lot just for its aesthetic choices and action set pieces. Rent it on Amazon Prime; in the meantime, here’s a pretty decent fan-made trailer.

38. Born to Kill (1947, directed by Robert Wise, country of origin: US)

Hollywood’s original bad boy Lawrence Tierney stars in this nasty little noir that fully lives up to its violent title. Sam Wilde (Tierney) is a gorgeous, amoral social climber who doesn’t let a little trifle like murder stand in the way of getting what he wants. Helen Brent (Claire Trevor) finds herself strangely drawn to him, even as she learns of his criminal leanings. There’s a particularly lustful scene between Sam and Helen that could be a direct influence on Natural Born Killers, actually. The fact that this picture was directed by Robert Wise, best known for his work on The Sound of Music and West Side Story, makes it all the more interesting--this pulpy film doesn’t have any musical numbers but it certainly is well-crafted and choreographed. If you love a good antihero, you owe it to yourself to watch this. Available for rent on Amazon, YouTube, and Vudu. 

37. Throw Momma From the Train (1987, directed by Danny DeVito, country of origin: US)

This comic riff on Strangers on a Train starts off with murder on its mind, but there’s a surprising sweetness lying just below the surface. I’m sure most people have already seen this film but in case you haven’t, you’re in for a hilarious and endearing story that showcases peak Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito. Anne Ramsey plays the titular “Momma,” and she was nominated for both the Oscars and the Golden Globes in this supporting role. There are lots of ways to watch this movie for free, including Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, GooglePlay, and Showtime. 

36. Johnny Guitar (1954, directed by Nicholas Ray, country of origin: US)

The title refers to Sterling Hayden’s outlaw cowboy, but the real star of the show is Joan Crawford as Vienna: a saloon owning, jeans wearing, piano playing woman who takes on the whole town in a showdown. Portrayals of women in Westerns vary, but few emanate such power and self-assuredness as Vienna. 

Another woman, tellingly named Emma Small (played by Mercedes McCambridge), has set her sights on getting rid of Vienna and her establishment once and for all, and she will stop at no amount of violence or trickery to make it happen. So basically this is Mean Girls but in the Wild West. Offscreen, Joan Crawford was hooking up with director Nicholas Ray; and she’d previously been romantically involved with McCambridge’s now-husband. Both ladies also consumed a fair amount of booze while filming. This led to their rivalry bleeding into real life, and perhaps added to the tension we see on screen between the two. 

This movie didn’t have the warmest reception when it premiered stateside (Bosley Crowther on Crawford’s Vienna: “...as sexless as the lions on the public library steps and as sharp and romantically forbidding as a package of unwrapped razor blades.”) But European audiences devoured it, and it became beloved of people like Francois Truffaut who saw it as a major influence. You can watch it now on Hulu or rent from a number of streaming platforms. 

35. Sonatine (1993, directed by Takeshi “Beat” Kitano, country of origin: Japan)

Takeshi Kitano wrote, directed, and starred in this cult take on Yakuza films. In it, he plays Murakawa, a gangster who dispatches (often in creatively cruel ways) anyone his bosses happen to dislike. But he’s starting to grow weary of this way of life when he gets sent on a new assignment that has him mediating a dispute with a rival gang in Okinawa. He suspects that he may be the real target, but goes along with the order. While hiding out between confrontations, Murakawa and a batch of young recruits find ways to pass the time--shooting cans off each other’s heads, playing a roulette version of rock paper scissors, pretending to be sumo wrestlers, and more. 

There’s not a lot of dialogue here, and Kitano plays his character with a stoicism that Buster Keaton and Alain Delon no doubt influenced. But the poetry and emotion are all in the action (and inaction) on screen. Here is a man whose main accomplishments are surviving bloody shootouts and racking up the body count for his employer--no wonder he hallucinates about self-destruction and walks the beach in a daze. There’s actually a good bit of comedy here too, as the movie isn’t afraid to veer into cartoonish moments and satirize the very genre it portrays. I also have to specifically call out the action scenes, especially one near the end--completely memorable, unique, and gorgeously shot. Watch this via rental on Amazon, YouTube, and GooglePlay--especially if you’re a fan of movies like Drive, Kill Bill, or Le Samourai. 

34. Metropolitan (1990, directed by Whit Stillman, country of origin: US)

My first encounter with Whit Stillman came via 2016′s Love and Friendship, his adaptation of a Jane Austen story. When his debut film appeared on Filmstruck, I realized what a perfect fit Austen and Stillman really are. This movie follows a group of (mostly) wealthy teenagers in Manhattan, who attend debutante balls and gather at each other’s homes for long pretentious conversations and romantic sparring. If Austen were alive today, no doubt she would have written a novel in the same setting, filled with the same biting wit (no pun intended) that Stillman displays. If you like your movies with a lot of action and plot twists, this may not be your cup of tea; but if you enjoy the works of, say, Woody Allen/Noah Baumbach/Wes Anderson then you will definitely find this a subtle delight. No big names amongst the cast; and many of them only did one or two other projects after this, but I think that adds to the feeling of naïveté and naturalism. Random observation, but when I watched this movie I found connections between a number of its characters and the cast of The Breakfast Club--see if you agree. Right now you can rent this via iTunes, and since it takes place around Christmas and New Year’s, this would be a great time to watch. 

33. Radio Days (1987, directed by Woody Allen, country of origin: US)

This might be the sweetest, least cynical movie in Woody Allen’s filmography. It’s a love letter to the 1930s and 40s, when families would gather around the radio (rather than the TV) for music, serials, and news of the outside world. Seth Green plays the Woody stand-in as a child, Mia Farrow plays an aspiring radio actress, Larry David pops up as the Communist next door neighbor--it’s a real hoot. The music (from the likes of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and Glenn Miller) is gorgeous and it’s fun to see old New York recreated for this film. Suitable for all ages and utterly delightful, you can watch it on Hulu with a subscription or rent it on Vudu for $2.99. 

32. Pickup (1951, directed by Hugo Haas, country of origin: US)

I caught up with this low-budget B-movie noir during Noir City Chicago, and fell head over heels for it. The director plays the lead character, a lovable but lonely railroad worker named Hunky (he does not live up to this name in appearance). When he encounters the gorgeous and sassy Betty (Beverly Michaels) at a carnival, he can’t believe a guy like him could hold the romantic interest of such a hottie. As luck would have it, though, she’s more attracted to his life savings than to him. What a golddigger. What sets this movie apart is the addition of a little plot twist: Hunky loses his hearing in an accident, which is just fine by the conniving Betty who can now scheme and talk trash around her husband. But when Hunky’s hearing unexpectedly returns, he doesn’t tell anyone and discovers that his beloved wifey is plotting his demise. Bonus: There’s a pretty adorable puppy in the mix. This isn’t available on DVD, sadly, but someone has uploaded it to YouTube and if you have 77 minutes to kill, I recommend checking it out.

31. Ghost (1990, directed by Jerry Zucker, country of origin: US)

Look, I love Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Swayze just as much as the next person, but for some reason I had always assumed that Ghost was this really cheesy paranormal romance. Wrong! It’s a charming murder mystery with some legit scary moments a lot of comedy, and, yes, some romance too. So if you have somehow missed this gem, you can catch up with it for 99 cents right now on Amazon or rent it for a Few Dollars More on other streaming sites.

30. One False Move (1992, directed by Carl Franklin, country of origin: US)

In part one of this list, I mentioned watching multiple Bill Paxton movies in 2018. This one features Paxton as a small town sheriff with illusions of grandeur--instead of settling small time domestic disputes, he’d love to one day solve murders and thwart serial killers and arrest drug kingpins in the big city. He gets his chance to do something bigger when a car full of murderous fugitives rolls into town. The LA detectives on the case don’t quite know what to make of Paxton; but he views them as heroes. When he gets his chance to show them what he’s made of, he doesn’t flinch. 

Billy Bob Thornton co-wrote the screenplay and co-stars in the film, another connection between this and the other Paxton entry on my list (A Simple Plan). Here, he’s a vile and brutal sociopath (a role he’d go on to play in the TV adaptation of Fargo), with a girlfriend named Fantasia (Cynda Williams) that might be having second thoughts about their relationship. Director Carl Franklin is perhaps better known for the Denzel Washington neo noir Devil in a Blue Dress; and Franklin himself introduced a double feature of these two films at Noir City Chicago. He’s a brilliant, economical director with a deep well of classical film knowledge and a knack for capturing defining character traits in the space of a few frames. Rent this movie on Amazon, Vudu, or YouTube and prepare for a gritty, moving ride. 

29. Peeping Tom (1960, directed by Michael Powell, country of origin: England)

I caught up with this out of print masterpiece (purchased at my local library sale for 50 cents on Criterion DVD!) during my October horror viewing, and immediately wanted it to find a wider audience. Reviled upon its initial release, it follows a talented but troubled young filmmaker whose obsession involves recording the final moments of his murder victims’ lives, as they realize their fate. Pretty twisted, I know. The exploration of voyeurism and the relationship between the camera, its subjects, and an audience really make this a fascinating watch, both from a technical perspective and as a critique of moviemaking and consumption. One can’t help but see the influence this movie has had on horror filmmakers from Wes Craven to John Carpenter, particularly in the way it forces us to identify with the psychologically damaged killer instead of centering the narrative on his victims. Massively underrated, and deserving of your attention if you consider yourself a fan of horror movies. Watch it via rental on a number of streaming platforms. 

That concludes part 2 of the list! Stay tuned for the next segment, coming soon! 

[mukhtaleef]

Nazar

After desperately looking for a good desi TV show I finally decided to give Nazar a chance! This was my first ever experience with desi supernatural genre and I kinda liked it. Let me be clear, I had been following this show through insta clips for past month and totally loved the Chudail character 🙈 and I am not disappointed! She is a fucking trip 😁 I love her! So what did I like about the show? Multiple things!

The main antagonist, Dayan. Mohana is one bitch that I love. One of the best antagonists on ITV. Smart, calculative, cold hearted and a total badass. The show revolves around her and rightly so. Though I intially found her to be a little shouty (I made that up) but the most of the ITV characters are loud like that. Her demeanour has toned down quite a bit since then so its all good!!

The crisp story telling. Maybe because its a finite show, the story is well developed. The basic plot was laid out in first few episodes and that hasn’t much changed over the months. even the changes which probably weren’t a part of the show initially have been integrated quite well. A 4 lions show without plot holes or loose ends? Mashallah!!

The ML isn’t really an asshole. Again a 4 lions/ current ITV ML who isn’t a pain in the ass! What a rarity!! Though Ansh has his moments of being an asshole but there is a solid reason behind it! Its a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When he is in his Mr. Hyde avatar, he is bad with everyone. Though generally Ansh is essentially a really good person.

The FL is not a manic pixie dream girl. Another trope that I am so fucking sick of. She is a regular girl who is kind hearted but is focused on her goal and will not hesitate to do anything to achieve what she wants. Though Piya comes from a broken family and traumatic past. But eh, I’ll let it pass.

Ruby aka chhoti dayan. This one was a revelation 😄 I love Ruby and her antics!!!

The styling: I can’t tell you how happy I was to see that not every character is fucking colour coordinated like some band party on day to day basis. And apart from that too, the styling is pretty good! Not sure if its Shirali who is styling this show. But whoever is, keep up the good work!

Brotps: No where close to the Obro bond, but the relationship between siblings and cousins is pretty sweet. I just wish the show focused some more on these relationships.

Of course there are somethings that I don’t like! Will I ever be fully satisfied by something? Only god knows! What I don’t really like:

The heavy religious symbolism. Considering its a supernatural show I was expecting some. But the amount of pooja/prarthana is a bit off putting at times! I just FF through the artis.

Pati/Patni ke pyar ki shakti. Initailly the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist was pretty technical. One was a Dayan and other was a Daivik (basically her antithesis) and that was good enough!! But ever since Piya and Ansh got married the emphasis on typical patnivrata dialogues are increasing. Which is more annoying than the religious connotations.

Hopefully the show stays like this till the end!!

[katiekpoetry]

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson – Review: *****

Nelson’s second YA effort reads like poetry. It concerns family, art, romance, grief, and secrets, and its structure is cleverly crafted so that every chapter reveals something important. It’s the best of YA, the best of romance, and just an all-round excellent book.

The book has two narrators: half of the story is told by Noah at age thirteen, and the other by his twin Jude at age sixteen. In the first half the twins are inseparable – Noah is reserved, desperate on getting into the local fine art high school, and falling in love with the boy next door, and Jude is dramatic, confident, and more interested in parties than school applications. They are both best friends and intense rivals. At sixteen, their personalities have almost swapped: Noah is ‘normal’, going to parties and hanging out with the popular crowd at his school, while Jude is studying sculpture and talking to no one apart from the ghost of her grandma. These two time-frames intertwine as the story complicates and subsequently unravels, and all the details come together to reveal the secrets at the heart of Noah and Jude’s past and present.

As someone with a pretty short attention span, what kept me reading I’ll Give You the Sun initially was the writing style. Nelson’s writing is so distinctive and so beautiful – it often reads more like poetry than prose, with heavy helpings of imagery. This was the kind of writing you want to submerge yourself in. The details too are endlessly clever: Noah’s sections include the titles of paintings he creates in his head, and Jude’s feature quotations from her superstitious grandma’s ‘bible’ of sayings. In addition to this, both narrators are distinctly different: you would be able to tell which character’s perspective you were reading within a paragraph, and that’s very hard to do. As with many other elements of the novel, Nelson’s characterisation of her narrators would surpass its YA label. My only slight quibble would be that both narrators, particularly Noah, sound slightly older than they are: perhaps the story would make more sense if they were fifteen and nineteen instead.

The characterisation overall is exquisite. Noah and Jude are multifaceted people, they both do awful things and remain completely lovable characters. The same can be said of the side characters: even the love interests, Brian and Oscar, make very questionable choices at times, and yet we remain enchanted. Nelson captures humanity so expertly: her characters are inarguably both deeply flawed and magical at the same time.

The love stories were perhaps my favourite part of the novel. Thirteen-year-old Noah falling for his new neighbour is a queer love story full of electricity and honesty: the writing crackles with the new emotions he grapples with and manages to be both an encapsulation of his youthful exuberance and the anxiety and confusion his youth brings with it. Jude at sixteen falls in love with an artistic bad-boy type who is revealed to have a rocky past, and normally this kind of stereotype would bore me quickly, but Oscar is fleshed out enough for this not to be the case. The way their romance is written about is distinctly different to that of Noah and Brian: while the former crackles with uncertainty and wanting, the second revels in detail and ambiguity, while still maintaining the steamy chemistry. Nelson really knows how to write romance. I would only say that it bothered me very slightly that both love interests are older than the twins, Oscar quite notably so. This doesn’t make anything creepy or uncomfortable, it just seems a shame that Nelson accidentally insinuated that the twins couldn’t find love with their peers. In addition to this, it felt like there was a little more Jude/Oscar content than Noah and Brian: I was left wanting more of the latter.

While this book is undeniably five stars for me, my other slight worry would be that the characters suffer a little from the manic pixie dream girl trope. Yes, they are all fleshed out and human, but they are also all perhaps slightly too arty and alternative. They feel real, just not like the kind of people you’d meet on the street. That might be me living in suburban/rural England though.

I was amazed by the ways the narratives in this book wove together. I’m in awe of Nelson’s mind. Everything came together in a manner both heart-breaking and satisfying. There isn’t much more I can say without spoiling all the twists and turn but it really is so clever. Somehow this YA romance has the intricacy of a well-written murder mystery.

And the ending. I won’t spoil anything, but I spent most of this novel mildly worried about how it would devastate me. All the review quotes on the cover were talking about how sad it is and comparing it to the infamously upsetting The Fault in Our Stars. But it has a happy ending. A real one. I did cry at this book, but not out of sadness, out of happiness. Out of how much I cared about the characters and how happy I was for them to finally get the things (or people) they wanted and needed. It was exquisite.

That’s the word, I think. I could talk about this book for hours, but that sums it up. The writing, the characterisation, the romance, the twists, the ending – exquisite. I can’t recommend this book strongly enough not only to YA fanatics but to adult readers who want to be reminded how beautiful words – and people - can be.