#best movies 2020 so far imdb

[batsplat]

the anon who sent the biopic ask here. afsfdfhhjkk I did in fact sent it to get you to talk about the movie version of sete/vale rivalry! I am also the sete anon after all.

anyways.

the vale selling his would to curse sete stuff had me screaming bc you see…….a while ago there was this gif set going around where 2020 or 2021 valentino’s leathers are unzipped and you could see how concave his chest is. and my first thought upon seeing it was “haha it’s actually concave bc valentino made a deal w the demon and gave him his heart in order to become the god of motogp, and also to curse sete:)))”

love the casey stuff, I think if we get the minds that worked on revolutionary girl utena in on this they could make it work. mainly bc rgu had really great visuals, lots of surrealist stuff and all that while having a pretty low budget. (yes rgu is also very complex and deals with stuff like csa, escaping the cycles of abuse etc but we’re not getting into that.) so, in some far far away alternative universe that studio makes a casey stoner inspired animated film (with huge budged) and it a cult classic. alternatively, satoshi kon could have also worked some magic w that set up I know. lots of great imagery there.

dovi biopic could actually work, if we use his story to make into a movie about the man vs corporate machine, how futile that struggle is, disillusionment and ultimately choosing to walk away. so, actually it won’t be a dovi biopic in the sense most ppl think of what biopics are? it would end up more grim than general audiences realize bc the movie will show that in the end ducati succeeded and have won world titles etc and dovi was a cog in that machine, and had his imput being downplayed etc. but also like dovi has his family, his inner circle, his self of self to fall back onto and the audience is obviously ends up on his side so it’s not downright depressing. (I wrote this w a specific director in mind even afdgghjk)

w dani&jorge………ok I’m gonna sound insane for this but. we need to maybe fully fictionalize this. have original characters, who are totally not heavily inspired by jorge&dani *wink wink*. get pedro almodovar to direct or something. this movie is now about jorge-inspired-character dealing with his closeted homosexuality, his fraught relationship w his father….like I am in no way trying to suggest that real life jorge lorenzo might be gay here! but his story does land itself to these themes if you think about it. the rivalry is underlined by homoerotic tension the two characters cannot acknowledge (even to themselves) within the setting of competitive motorcycle racing. buttt after their retirement? they discover that there’s a life outside of it all and maybe mayyybe the movie implies they could get together or something.

also love the sepang 2015 movie framing but yeah it would be considered the worst racing movie of all time, like 5.4 out of 10 on imdb, tge director wouldn’t be able to make another feature film for another 10 years after that. but good news it gets some reappraisal and a small but dedicated cult following like 15 to 20 years later.

wow, did not mean to type all of this out actually! but I do want to say that your answers never disappoint and it’s always a good read. have a nice day!

(follow up to this post) omg pls I love long asks, I'm gonna not take this in order because I NEED to skip to the casey/valentino rgu vision because?? yes? casey is like... such a magical girl... (magical girl transformation into leathers, is this anything) the rose imagery!! I want to rose imagery casey!! obviously again yes the thematic overlap between these two things is only,, loose at best, we are very much ignoring many of the things utena is actually About,, but. disparity between idealised roles and how those roles actually function, having those images interrogated/torn down... growing up!! casey realising his parents' dream was imposed on him rather than chosen... even just kind of. the aesthetic make up of utena, the core components of how it actually tells its story. the focus on duels and being challenged... formalised process of DEMANDING to fight the current 'champion'... the shadow plays...

this to me is casey and valentino

anyway if u squint it is like. kind of the same energy as paddock gossip. the skits are also.... yeah hm. hm

moving away a bit from utena and its very specific themes, I think what you really can also do with this vision is like... play up the culture clash vibes for casey? I've been meaning to make the post on this forever, but there's a specific theme that comes through in a lot of the stuff casey's said and written over the years that's really concerned with... well, the trip from australia to europe, the hardship associated at various stages with that, never quite feeling at home in this new environment, zero paddock friends, never learning italian and being sick with the concept of italy by the end of his ducati tenure, saying that europeans weren't as straight talking and honest as the anglos (valentino did also help turn him off the concept of the british, mind you), saying the europeans were more partisan, bad sports fans, really kinda... wrestling with a lot of his loneliness and feelings of isolation by attributing a lot of this stuff to this different european mindset. where some of his competitors were nasty in part because that's what they're all like in big bad europe. and idk, that's something that you can really dig into with these abstractions, when you're isolating casey and then making him accept this Challenge of facing the god - through motorcycle racing but also through ritualistic sacrifice - and eventually he takes on this task that he's supposed to, that's supposed to be his duty, but for some reason everyone still hates him for it... and you play up how it's not necessarily his individual agency that even brought him there. he's there to win, and yet they hate him for winning. everyone wants competition, nobody likes the competition when it's actually there

also like. sleeping beauty him. pricked by the thorn of a rose and he's taken out of competition and has to recover and everyone criticises him for 'just' having his finger pricked with the tiniest drop of blood. idk a lot of his quite specific baggage and struggles are really made for abstraction. he's also got this... look. just a very specific vibe that I think you can magical girl-ify. vibrant red, a little bit delicate, as the shadows creep in on him

where it's kinda... he's unique, he's special, he's got All That Talent that allows him to take on a task nobody else has managed... but that's also part of what isolates him, that x factor of his raw natural ability that allows him to make it at the top of the sport In Spite Of All The Odds but also means he CAN'T get a quiet peaceful existence

and the rivalry with valentino, which, first of all they both make for great animated characters because they're incredibly distinctive (I would make utena!valentino so very very tall), but also that slight... element of menace. valentino constantly in the spotlight, and the brighter casey shines the more he's in danger - even if he rather wouldn't be the centre of attention. he still is.... even if he shies away from it, the world is still watching. valentino is still watching. and the gaze itself has consequences

literal glare of the camera lens, exposing casey in a way that makes him uncomfortable. unnerving and too bright and trapping him

casey looking at valentino and the changes in what he sees over time. the gradual adjustment of perception when he comes to learn of a different version of valentino (who is in turn still separate from Valentino The Person)

and that kind of animation style for the motorcycles and everything... thinking about specifically casey's phillip island 2009 which is his very first race win after his illness-induced absence and I've never personally been THAT big on white liveries (he still loves it though) but like. symbolism-inspired colour change for key step back into the fray, to a new moment of hope

his leathers also have like. a very specific vibe here. as do his interactions with valentino. the specific way they grasp hands idk I've got a vision

(they do also hug pretty warmly in parc fermé and there's a bit more to this race given it was a massive W for valentino as far as his title bid was concerned but he'd also been informed of a personal tragedy the day before - but we're gonna ignore all that here)

also OBVIOUSLY

the assen 2007 fight was SUPPOSED to be animated

it also lets you dig into kinda likeeee the weird elements of that rivalry where it switches from being a primarily on-track one to being a completely off-track one. like idk it feels you can play with that switch of them being real duels to just being. casey stabbing him while valentino taunts him. this disconnect where casey is now on top of the world in all the Actual Motorcycle Racing but the whole picture isn't quite as simple as that.... the ways in which casey can't entirely win....

other random fun bits of imagery/vibes:

again, you can have random animals running around in animation... tortoise turtle and the hare laguna '08 I will keep saying it

speaking of laguna '08, the most memorable move happens at the corkscrew... I think you can do something with concept of a corkscrew

laguna '08 overall is just a top ten anime battle isn't it, the fact that the whole thing depends on this. reversal. where rather than valentino always stalking his victims (inherently evocative) but is committing to obstructing casey from ahead (btw today's their anniversary!!! <3)

you have GOT to do something funky with pressers, like casey's relationship to the media is so fundamental to his entire story... essentially treat it as another form of combat imo. like give it the exact same visual lead in as the actual on-track battles, so that you have this collapse between the on-track and off-track

collapse between the identity of the rider and the bike. common thing anyway in the weird way these blokes talk about their bikes, obviously valentino is like. a number one offender for this. and obviously you can easily exploit this in animation!! and also if we're sticking with the yellow = infection stuff, then casey is constantly being at risk of overwhelmed by the yellow.... and once he's stepped away from that bike to go to honda instead, he has to see this thing that's separate from him but still somehow a part of him be infected

playing with how casey was inspired by valentino... you know the utena kinda. prologue of utena being inspired to become a prince... basically that vibe. stepping up to become a deity and being presented the blade to challenge a god. But Was That Really Such A Good Idea

you can do something with chequered flags I reckon. idk what but you do something with them

casey's obsessed with fishing. a symbol of childhood innocence and one of the things he would have loved to do when he was essentially being forced into making motorcycle racing his dream, something that caused controversy back in 2009 because he got backlash for going fishing during his injury absence (yeah I don't know what they were on back then too) and something he references when he retires on his pitboard 'going fishing'. it's innocence, it's his individual dream, it's peace away from the track... you can work with that

obviously valentino himself makes all this symbolism shit very easy given he did canonically give himself an eyeball helmet during one of his ducati races. like we get it buddy. that would SLAP in animation

okay I just need to say it. you know how in catalunya 2009 casey is just like. two seconds away from fainting on the podium and valentino/jorge are having their whole intense thing going on and are just. ignoring it. gets me every time, it's just such a bizarre discrepancy of vibes. like two different narratives are going on during that podium and they're just pretending like the other one isn't happening, except in casey's case that's extremely understandable and in the others' case?? idk I'd check on him?? power of animation I'm having casey literally faint and everyone ignoring it. maybe several times. sorry casey this is social critique on your behalf

if you have an equivalent utena walking up the stairs pre-race build up, it is so important to me to remember that casey crashed during the valencia 2009 warm up lap

something something valentino catalunya 2008 special italian football team leathers something casey's issues towards italy something them actually having a duel in that race while casey is just about trying to wrestle his italian manufacturer into making themselves useful for once... this is the first... second? turning point of the season. okay look there's several turning points. but crucially that's one of the big ones, when casey is starting to get the ducati situation sorted and they have a post-race test at catalunya and then casey goes on his little win streak that leads you to laguna. I think you can do something with the concept of italy here

something something taking on the number one plate symbolism

thinking of the utena stopwatch thing and how casey's mum was always making the notes for casey's races as a kid and they're included in his autobiography... like you've got this little kid with essentially performance reviews... idk something about constantly recording what he's doing. I can SEE that scene of animated kid!casey going around the dirt track while his mother is recording his progress with a stopwatch and notebook in my mind...

two-faced valentino... make it literal. Valentino The Racer and Valentino The Character and Valentino The Person as entities that casey meets separately

something about valentino's fucked up little fingers as his one vulnerability

valentino reeling in casey like a fish, is this anything

anyways. I love the dovi description... I still get like. nebulously sad about his 2020 where it's both kinda I get how this fell apart but it's so unsatisfying? which is the fun of it! narratively speaking. and the fact that he was such a big influence on the development of that bike, how possessive he got over that project and really saw it as his, how he ended up being unceremoniously dumped and he's seen them win again and again... again he does have the whole 'being well adjusted' thing working against him BUT idk there's a satisfying suitably cinematic story in there somewhere

and yeah I do see the jorge/dani vision!! I think that one's the one where I'm like. the least attached to the literal details and am quite happy to fictionalise it!! especially because lbr his path to his first title just Does Not Work narratively. like 2010 only works as a good conclusion of that arc if valentino is actually THERE to be defeated, or if jorge and dani actually have more of a title fight. and he does have an extremely queer-coded narrative!! you kinda have the actual family right, then the way he kinda... cycles through a few versions of what are essentially all found families, like he's got the whole manager situation which obviously in itself ends up a nightmare, then the coach turned manager he also split from then ?? it's kinda... that dimension of athletes where they're CHOOSING the people close to them (not that he's fully in a position to make a lot of these choices!!) and then has to cut ties when he becomes more aware of how those people are attempting to exploit him.... the whole number switching thing is explicitly framed as a form of liberation. his tendency to get Obsessed and a little Weird about all his major rivals (dani, valentino and dovi get the worst of this) like it's just a fun vibe to play with... the way the rivalry with dani is also a little Imposed from Above and also jorge doesn't get why dani keeps him at such a distance and is constantly trying to like. bug him into paying attention to jorge. he just makes for such a good coming of age story protagonist, like he's so vibrant and awkward and cocky and kind of ridiculous,,, prone to way too intense introspection and just overthinking EVERYTHING and he's trying to play a character while also wanting to find his authentic self or whatever... he's just such a Young Guy and his story with dani is full of that energy... yes

anyway. on to sete. you and me anon

valentino!!!! cuts!!!! his heart out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT omg.... I love the idea that he'd just. be motivated to destroy sete enough that he's willing to take the final step.... the one that ensures his rule over the sport will never be challenged in any meaningful way but he also cannot return from, a line that he can't un-cross.... AND y'know I've banged on enough about this idea that valentino really DID change his approach to his rivals after that, acquired a bit of distance which would be!! fantastic, it's also that element of not just him Losing something but also him not wanting to go through those kinds of complicated emotions at the hands of someone who had been a friend again... removes his heart!! exorcises his softness!!

I kinda love the idea of making it... the natural conclusion of where that particular journey was taking him. like the idea that that's kinda always where he was headed... it's why I think the sachsenring/brno 2003 thing is so neat, like the fact brno is the site of both the big comeback win against sete but ALSO where he agreed to ride for yamaha in the middle of the night. that you're drawing the line between 'he wanted to be his own man' (seemingly a harmless motive, even admirable) with what 'being his own man' involves, aka psychologically torturing his rivals (possibly a little questionable). another thing I adore here is his phillip island 2004 celebrations when he seals the title..... what a spectacle!!!! in retrospect it's just kinda,, oh look what a fun celebration! he's having fun!! it's all a show!! because sete has been erased from that celebration. and that race is the culmination of BOTH those arcs set in motion at brno 2003, it's his great yamaha victory while also being deeply cruel... and before that the sepang celebrations... I just like the idea that what people tend to see as Good valentino traits (joyous, fun celebrations) and Bad valentino traits (working to destroy his rivals) are fundamentally impossible to detach from each other, and the only way you get rid of them both is by suppressing who he is as a person... now I'm not saying that the devil tempted him to join yamaha but I'm not not saying that? works with the ibiza trip between sachsenring and brno too, like you can parallel that to sete contemplating honda the previous year (this did Not canonically happen but narrative efficiency). it's all their choice!! but they were also Twisted By Circumstances.... valentino's corruption arc why does nobody see this is valentino's corruption arc....

[dracula-enthusiast]

for the horror movie asks: 1, 5, 10, 19, 23, 26, 30 (sorry if i asked too much, i just love horror movie recs!)

OOO ur totally fine i LOVE talking abt horror so u have come to the right place!!!

gonna put this under a read more bc its gonna be a long one 👇 but links to the imdb page for all the movies mentioned will be embedded in the post for synopsis sake :3

1. Top 5 favorite horror movies?

in no particular order:

Black Christmas (1974) Dir. Bob Clark i think this movie is an absolute classic, and while the acting can be silly at times, i think its solid when it needs to be and i think the scares and suspense definitely hold up!

Saw (2004) Dir. James Wan anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows i love the saw movies LOL but the original saw holds such a special place in my heart. i do think its a genuinely good film with a solid story and good acting (yes even Leigh Whannell's acting) and i think that if you let yourself get immersed in the suspense of it all u can have a really good time (and its NOT anywhere near as gory as the film's reputation will have u believe)

Creep (2014) Dir. Patrick Brice i loveeee this movie so much. found footage is my favorite style of horror movie, and this is such an interesting premise for a found footage movie that i think was executed very well!! Mark Duplass' performance is incredible in this film, he freaks me out every time i watch it. (there is also a sequel, Creep 2 (2017) which is just as good in my opinion)

Rec (2007) Dir. Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza i do love a good zombie movie and rec is by far my favorite. its another example of a creative way to use the found footage style and i think that the acting and story are both really engaging, and it has a good mix of suspense and outright scary shit. (same as with creep, i love rec 2 just as much as i love the first one <3 however 3 and 4 are like. totally different movies which. i will not speak on here)

Alien (1979) Dir. Ridley Scott i know some people wouldn't consider this to be a horror movie BUT i would consider them to be wrong. i love this movie so much, its an absolute classic, what else is there to say

5. Underrated film(s)?

one movie that i absolutely loved that i dont think people talk abt a lot is Vivarium (2019) Dir. Lorcan Finnegan. its a weird one and i love it. the premise is fun and creative and its just uncanny and unsettling and i liked this movie a lot.

also!! 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Dir. Dan Trachtenberg is really good and pretty slept on. i love the suspense in this movie and i always love a good big scary alien

10. Horror movie(s) that made you love the genre?

not technically a movie but Marble Hornets the youtube series by Troy Wagner and Joseph DeLage was a huge landmark in my own experience with horror. this one is special to me for like. sentimental personal reasons. but also because when i watched it for the first time, i had never seen anything like it. it was just so cool and original and it did scare me which was so fun! if u have a couple hours to spare and have never seen it before i highly recommend checking it out bc the whole thing is still up and free on youtube.

also Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Dir. Guillermo del Toro is another one that is very near and dear to me. it's also special to me for sentimental personal reasons lol but it's also the first Guillermo del Toro movie i ever saw and i just adore his work

19. Favorite 2020s film (so far)?

OGH this is hard because there have been so many good horror movies lately but i love love love Talk to Me (2022) Dir. Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou. the best way i've heard this movie described was by youtuber Mista GG who said abt this movie "they're not reinventing the wheel here, but that wheel? fucking wheels." and i couldn't agree more. it felt like such an instant classic to me in that it hit all of the typical horror movie beats in a very fun and fresh way

23. Favorite Body Horror?

i will admit im not very well versed in body horror yet!! its a genre im only recently getting into, so i dont want to say i have a favorite yet but!! The Bay (2012) Dir. Barry Levinson has some pretty cool body horror elements that i really enjoyed! i think this is a fun and kinda gnarly movie in general.

26. Favorite Psychological Horror?

hands down my fave psychological horror is Black Swan (2010) Dir. Darren Aronofsky i love how ambiguous and unsettling this movie is. and ofc if ur talking abt black swan u have to mention her predecessor Perfect Blue (1997) Dir. Satoshi Kon which is an absolute classic and is so beautifully animated and delivers that same sense of ambiguity and dread. (these movies are the epitome of why pit two bad bitches against each other to me. lets enjoy both of them together <3)

30. A fun movie fact that you like sharing with people?

OK THIS ONE IS EASY i love practical effects forever and ever amen and i especially love the practical effects in the saw movies!! almost all of the traps in the movies are fully functional in some capacity, but my favorite movie trivia is that in Saw 3 during the pig vat scene, the maggots that you see in all of the pigs and in all of the goop and all over Barry Flatman are real live maggots that had been sterilized so that they were totally safe to accidentally (or purposefully i suppose) ingest! here is a super fun video from the saw 3 dvd bonus features talking abt the making of the pig vat trap that talks abt the maggots

thank u for this ask!!!!!! i love talking abt horror movies and my dms are always open to do so!!!!!!!

[gamerdog1]

Monster Hunter Film Review

We are truly lucky to be living in a time where video games are taken seriously. After years of filmmakers taking on the task of adapting games that they clearly don't care about, we're finally starting to see an era where games as a source material are respected. Just look at the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie, and compare it to the recent Illumination animated film, and you can see just how far we've come.

Though, I wish I could say for sure that EVERY video game adaptation is paying proper respect to its source material. I wish I could say that directors and actors excitedly flock to social media to brag about being part of a new video game movie, and take photos of themselves reading up on the source material (like Marvel does). I wish that every director, screenwriter, and producer that takes up the task of adapting a video game to film has done their research, and sets out to celebrate, instead of make a profit. Not everyone does, and in the case of the live action Monster Hunter movie, its clear that not everyone thinks so highly of what they're adapting.

Monster Hunter (2020) is another team up between director Paul W.S Anderson and lead actress Milla Jovovitch, which leads me to believe that they are either best of friends or have some contract to pump out weird video game movies till the end of time.

The film follows a squad of UN soldiers, who are transported to the world of Monster Hunter by a magical storm, and must fight to survive and get home. Along the way, their captain befriends a bowhunter, and the two work together to get back to our world.

Reading the IMDB synopsis for this film raised quite a few red flags, and unfortunately, the film did nothing to avert my expectations. Making the plot of this film an 'isekai' was a BOLD choice, and what's frustrating is that not much is done with that beyond a half-assed macguffin plot that only comes in at the last 20 minutes of the film. Having the main character come to the game world from our world only complicates the plot, because it steals the focus away from how cool this fantasy world is, and instead forces us to watch the main character figure out every detail of how life is different.

Going into a movie about the Monster Hunter games, you'd normally expect everything the games are about, but with a solid plotline. Long, epic fights against beautiful and dangerous dragons. Magical plants and animals, with lots of exploration. A rich culture full of colorful characters. Instead, we get long, drawn out sequences of Jovovitch wandering around the desert, or being in pain, with hardly anything interesting on screen. By the second 'I-don't-know-who-you-are-but-I-think-you're-evil-so-I'll-kill-you' fight in 20 minutes, I was begging for something different.

It also doesn't help that 80% of the film is set in the most non-descript desert you can imagine. Beyond one big rocky mountain, and small black spider pods, all we see throughout most of the film is an ocean of sand. I'm baffled that anyone on the filmmaking team thought that this was a good idea, in the adaptation of a game featuring dozens of lively and colorful destinations. Hell, even the games' deserts are more interesting, because there's more than just sand! A desert setting is fine, but there's clearly no effort being put in to make it look anything like the games, or anywhere a film should be set (unless your film is a documentary about sand dunes, that is.)

To make matters worse, the monsters (you know, the main focus of the games and film?) are rarely seen, and when they are, they're so unrecognizable that even I had trouble identifying them. Nerscylla, for example, are typically a slate grey with bright orange legs and amethyst colored spikes on their backs. The film, however, thinks they should be black-on-black-on-black horrors that lay eggs in people and are afraid of sunlight. Diablos, the big bad dragon that menaces the main character and her friends in the film, is supposed to be a tan colored herbivore, but I guess the filmmakers wanted it to be jet black and eat humans instead. The monsters show up sparsely, and when they do, they act like generic movie monsters instead of animals (like they should be): attacking and killing for meat, trapping prey in a nightmarish web nest deep underground, and chasing more to scare the audience than to pose a real threat.

If the monsters didn't piss me off first, the film's poor pacing, frustrating editing, and unfocused plot got me for sure. Much of the film is spent either wandering the desert, or standing around and talking, only occasionally interspersed with action sequences, which even if I wanted to care about, are cut up into shots so blindingly fast I couldn't tell what was going on. Quick editing in an action scene is one thing, but snapping from shot to shot so fast that your audience doesn't even have time to register what just happened is something a film should only do if they want a Razzie.

Even when things are still, the color correction in this film is shockingly bad. A nighttime scene slightly tinted blue? Sure. A nighttime scene that looks like they clearly films it during the day, then dipped the frames in navy dye? Yeah, no thanks. Most of the film is drenched in this dry filter that sucks all color from every frame, and just made it a pain to look at. I get that they were trying to convey the dryness and grittiness of the desert, but this is a video game. You can have color, and you really, really should. By the time the characters arrived at an oasis (NEARLY AN HOUR AND 20 MINUTES IN!) I was so shocked to see colors I nearly fell off the couch.

I have no idea what decisions went on behind the scenes while making this movie, but I can safely say that none of them did this movie any good. From the dry plot, to the inaccurate creatures, to the horrible editing, this film was a struggle from beginning to end. Sure, there were moments where I almost had fun (the Rathalos looked decent, and I liked Jovovitch and the bowhunter's dynamic), but beyond that, this is a generic film that masquerades as a big-name video game. If Capcom themselves were more involved with this movie (like how Nintendo was with the recent Mario movie), this could've been a wonderful film, but alas, we can't have everything.

4/10

[hoghtastic]

i used to be a huge fan of Alex. nowadays, when his face crosses my feed, i get annoyed. i remember so clearly when he said he 'doesnt feel anything for his fans' and that he is more annoyed by them than anything else. of course, i get it with the super duper stans who develop a parasocial relationship with him, or the one example he said where someone was suicide baiting in his dms.

BUT!

the normal ones, the ones who watch his shows, talk about him, make and post content online...does he realize they are his meal ticket?

you can be the best actor in the world, but if you aren't in the talks, well, good luck. there are enough actors out there trying to make it, who have to work a 2nd job just to put some food on the table.

he is in a very privileged situation and doesn't appreciate it how lucky he got with the cards destiny gave him. if it weren't for vikings, he'd be a nobody actor in a small country. on imdb, his list of movies/shows he worked on is less than impressive. and yet we still talk about him and keep the attention on him - even if the attention is mostly negative lately.

the photography in Lebanon is another good example. without his fans, this wouldn't have worked. if the fans hadn't supported his photography in the first place and got the word out, i doubt anyone would have noticed it. his pics are good, yes, but they aren't out of this world.

in addition with Lebanon, once again he is privileged as fuck. like fuck it up white boy, take those pics and then fly back to Denmark where the worst crime that can happen to him is someone getting his pizza order wrong.

without his fans boosting his stuff, even when it wasn't translated (huge shoutout to the one fan who translates the podcasts and interviews) and/or meant for an international fanbase, i doubt many would care about him. have you noticed that the big fanaccounts on IG are mainly from Latin and South America?

and i am not even going to talk about the shitstorm that is Jo and him.

a pretty face can only get you so far when the mask is starting to crack.

okay rant over, have a nice day admin.

You're more than welcome to rant as much as you want, anon! 😆 Actually, I believe you've summarized pretty well Alex's career and his relationship with the fandom, I couldn't agree more. Back in 2020-2021, I also used to have a fanpage on IG about him, but after that interview you mentioned, where he completely dismissed his fans, it dawned on me that he didn't realize how important such things are for his popularity as an actor, and that it wasn't worth the time and energy we spent on finding and editing content, translating interviews, etc... on someone who didn't appreciate these efforts and even felt annoyed by them. Let alone traveling and investing quite an amount of money on attending conventions.

Although, it seems that for the past year more people started to realize this, or just moved on to support other artists, since a lot of the remaining fanpages seem to be a lot less active than before and the mood in general feels different, as if they're posting something here and there just for the sake of it, but the engagement seems to be less and less. So I'm actually super curious to see how the Paris convention next week will go. 🤷‍♀️

And thank you, anon! I wish you a wonderful day as well! 💖

[apple-pecan]

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (2024)

this is gonna be the weirdest dumbest review i'll write yet so buckle up. im gonna preface this by saying i know nothing about demon slayer; i only watched this because a friend of mine wanted to watch it in the theaters with me and i thought it could be fun. i HAVE been curious about it though; i dont watch anime much at all anymore but it seems like demon slayer is one of those absolutely huge names in manga and anime right now, sorta like how naruto was in the 2000's and before that, dragon ball in the 80s/90s. one of these friggin films, demon slayer mugen train, became the highest grossing japanese film of all time, the highest grossing R rated animated film of all time (dethroning sausage party lol) AND the highest grossing movie of 2020, and this was all in the midst of fucking COVID. something's gotta be up. this has to be the greatest anime ever conceived then. if it is, i couldn't really tell from this movie.

i know the general gist of the plot from watching the first episode years ago; some kid is going about his merry day when suddenly almost his entire family is slaughtered by a demon, and to make matters worse, the only survivor is his sister, who has now been turned into a demon. and now he goes on a journey of revenge to kill that demon and make his sister into a human again. pretty cool premise, but i never watched more of it until tonight. oops.

according to reviews i dug up on imdb this is basically just a giant filler movie; the first half is the last episode of season 3 and the second half is the first episode of season 4, which hasn't aired on tv yet; this movie is mainly just for hardcore fans to see that episode before anyone else. i have not seen any of this show past the first episode, so the season 3 stuff was new to me, and i actually liked it quite a bit. the action was fun and very beautifully animated and there is a really cool emotional scene that i'm sure would've really struck a nerve with me had i been watching this show from it's inception. apparently none of this is new footage but from a non-fan i had a lot of fun with it.

the problem comes from its second half, which is supposed to be the main draw; besides one action scene (which was also very cool) at the beginning, it's nothing but exposition and really awkward and uncomfortable comic relief. the first half was so serious with it's grizzly and intense action and now we're just doing wacky cartoon faces and doing funny screams a lot. just seems really bizarre; in america the movie was rated R but i couldn't tell if this was supposed to be for children or adults. i mean a couple kids DID walk in the theater with what i assume to be their dad and them, me and my friend were the literal only people in the theater. that doesnt have much to do with the review but i just thought it was funny lol.

im sure the second half would've made more sense if i were to have, you know, watched the entire rest of the anime so far beforehand, but they just kept talking about a training session by these mystical demon slayers or whatever and i was so unengaged i took my phone out in the middle of the theater and started looking at twitter. as a non fan it was boring, but if you're not a fan of this anime, there is literally no reason for you to watch this in the first place. it fails as a traditional movie and is more so to just hype people up for the next season of demon slayer to be released. anyone remember evangelion: death & rebirth? no? okay never mind. if you're a fan of demon slayer, watch it if you're just that impatient for season 4 to air (even though what they show in this movie is pretty much all setup and filler with no actual plot progression), and for anyone else who just wants to watch one of those newfangled anime cartoons in theaters, dont even bother.

5/10

NOTE: blond hair guy has the best voice actor ever. i was watching the english dub and i didnt even know human beings could make those kinds of noises. give him the nobel peace prize or something.

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Hi again! here the anon that was sending you the link of some reviews from the people attending the screening. When the reviews from the critics started to pop up I was kind of confused (and very angry at those reviews with a clearly bias against H). Looking a this article, it seems that recently the critics have been very out of touch though, and a positive word of mouth might be more important here. (No need to publish, just wanted to share :) )

Earlier this year, I noticed that critics seemed especially critical of the new crop of big movies. My former colleague Amina Niasse felt the same way. So I spent a couple weeks looking at the data on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and IMDb to suss out whether this year was abnormal. The answer is yes, as you will see below. But first...

Critics and Fans Have Never Disagreed More About Movies

When Sony released its film adaptation of the video game “Uncharted” in February, critics were quick to tear it apart. The Wall Street Journal called it “bloodless, heartless, joyless, sexless and, with one exception, charmless.” New York Magazine deemed it “curiously empty.” MovieFreak.com dismissed it as “a bona fide disaster.”

And yet, audiences ate it up. The movie, which stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, opened to $44.2 million at the domestic box office and went on to gross $401.8 million worldwide. It is one of the 10 highest-grossing movies of the year.

“Uncharted” also initiated one of the biggest disputes between critics and fans in modern movie history. Audiences have given higher scores than critics to all 10 of the year’s biggest movies.

The average audience rating for “Jurassic World Dominion” on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb is a 67. The average critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic is 34. That is a difference of 33 points. “Jurassic World Dominion” is one of three movies (along with “Uncharted” and “The Gray Man”) where audiences and critics disagree by more than 30 points.

It may seem as though critics typically pan the year’s biggest hits. But that is not the case. While audiences do tend to give blockbusters a higher score than critics, the average gap in their ratings is usually around 5 points. There has been at least one year where critics gave the biggest movies higher ratings than audiences. And there have been many years where the difference is negligible. 

In 2022? It is not so much a gap as a chasm. Audiences have given the top 10 movies an average score more than 19 points higher than critics, by far the biggest difference this century. The only two of the year’s 10 biggest movies where audiences and critics are even close are “Top Gun: Maverick” and  “The Batman.”

You can see how much this year differs from the norm on this chart:

Consider the 10 biggest movies of the year. I’ve included their blended audience and critics scores. We included Netflix’s “The Gray Man” because one of the year’s 10 biggest movies is Chinese and our data on audiences and critics isn’t as reliable there. (Also, Netflix is now one of the biggest movie studios, even if we don’t have box office data to prove it.)

To put this year into perspective, we looked at the audience and critic scores for the 10 biggest movies from every year this century to better understand 2022. (We omitted 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.)

A few things stand out:

a) There was only one year in which critics liked the year’s biggest blockbusters more than audiences.

It was 2005, and these were the 10 biggest movies:

[...]

b) The best year for blockbusters was 2015. 

The gap was more than 10 for only one movie (“Inside Out”), and critics actually liked it more than fans. It has one of the highest critics scores of any movie released this century.

This was the rare year when critics thought all of the blockbusters were good. [...]

In general, audience scores have ticked up a bit the last few years. The average fan score has surpassed 72 for nine years in a row. It was below 70 for most of the first 10 years of the century. Critics’ scores have inched up a bit too, although not as much.

[...]

“The Last Jedi” is also a leading example of a bizarre cultural phenomenon. Fans bombarded Rotten Tomatoes with negative reviews. The movie received a solid score on IMDB (6.9), but just 42% on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Black Panther” and “Captain Marvel,” two of the most successful Marvel movies of the last five years, also got killed by fans online.  There were reports of organized campaigns to bring down the audience scores for both titles. “Black Panther” was the first Marvel movie led by a black superhero. “Captain Marvel” was the first with a sole female protagonist. “The Last Jedi” was the rare “Star Wars” movie with a female protagonist. Read into that what you will.

So what happened in 2022? 

There are three leading theories.

1- Marvel fatigue (among critics).

Critics have historically given Marvel movies high marks. Several titles, including “Iron Man,” “Black Panther” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” ranked among the best-reviewed movies of their years. The average Marvel movie from our selection has a critics’ score of about 77.5. Only three movies have scores below 70. Two of them came out this year.

2- Bad animated movies.

Let’s revisit that top 10 chart for critics. Critics love Pixar movies even more than viewers. But the one Pixar movie this year, “Lightyear,” was a critical and commercial dud. The two animated movies that did make the list, “Minions: Rise of Gru” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” are from franchises that critics don’t like as much.​​​​​​

3- It’s early.

There is usually a critically acclaimed awards contender that also is a huge hit. Think “Gladiator,” “The Martian” or “The Lord of the Rings” franchise.

There’s no guarantee that will happen this year, but odds are that some movies will knock “Uncharted,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the latest “Fantastic Beasts” out of the top 10. Those movies all dragged down the average this year, so I think the numbers will improve. But that may not solve the Marvel and Pixar problem. — Lucas Shaw 

link to full article

[sourirenoire]

Live Long And Prosper, Bitches:An Analysis of the Assertion of Ambassador Spock’s Superiority in The Next Generation

First a bit of context: I have been re-watching The Next Generation and my friend asked who the best character in TNG is. As a joke I said “Ambassador Spock, obviously”. They told me to prove it. So I did - or at least I tried! Enjoy the essay and try to not take it too seriously ;)

_____________________________________________________________

Live Long And Prosper, Bitches: An Analysis of the Assertion of Ambassador Spock’s Superiority in The Next Generation

Few fictional characters have ingrained themselves as deeply into the American psyche as the logical Mr. Spock. One does not need to be a so-called “Trekkie” to instantly recognize the cool countenance and pointed ears of the world’s most famous Vulcan. However, it would be too facile a task to write about the impact the character of Mr. Spock has had on modern science fiction using his roles in Star Trek: The Original Series and the first six Star Trek movies; instead, I will demonstrate in this paper how despite a severely limited role in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ambassador Spock is still the best character of that entire series.

Over the course of its seven seasons, there were 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) that aired between 1987 to 1994 (IMDb, TNG). Of those 178 episodes, 4 of them mentioned the character of Ambassador Spock. The character himself was only present in 2 of them, with a total air time of only 46 minutes (Memory Alpha Wiki, Spock). And yet, with even such a limited amount of time in the series, Ambassador Spock provided one of the most compelling, long-standing story arcs of the series and beyond. If you include the character’s appearances in the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery (DIS), you have a character that has had an in-universe presence spanning from the 23rd to the 32nd century - an impressive 934 year timeline of impact (Memory Alpha Wiki, Spock). The ramifications of Ambassador Spock’s TNG episodes are still affecting the franchise today, with an episode called Unification III airing in Season 4 of DIS in 2020 (IMDb, Discovery) and the entirety of the events in the 2009 movie Star Trek (Abrams) directly resulting from the episodes Unification I and Unification II that were aired in Season Five of TNG (IMDb, TNG). In these episodes, Ambassador Spock is suspected of defection to the Romulan Empire and Captain Picard must find him before he can betray the Federation. However, the plot runs much deeper than that and in fact Ambassador Spock has far grander plans: the reunification of Vulcan and Romulus. Through a tangled web of intrigue, espionage, and good old fashioned neck pinching, Ambassador Spock brings forth an exciting, interesting, and highly entertaining set of episodes to the forefront of TNG. In a series rife with boring milquetoast characters and decidedly middling writing, the episodes featuring Ambassador Spock bring an action packed storyline with universe-altering ramifications, dialing up the stakes to the level of an intergalactic struggle for war and peace. One cannot help but be drawn into the complicated machinations of the Ambassador’s plans. From a writing standpoint the unexpected plot twists and dramatic tension are among the best in the series. We also see a character that has undergone significant personal development compared to the last time the audience had encountered him. Prior to his physical appearance in Unification I, the last time Mr. Spock had been on screen was in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. In this movie, Captain Spock was integral to the peace treaty signed between the Federation and the Klingon Empire - though he put his closest friends in peril in the process. He had the mindset of “peace at all costs” at that point in time. In Unification II, Ambassador Spock explains to Captain Picard why he ventured to Romulus alone - “It was I who committed Captain Kirk to that peace mission [ref. ST VI], and I who had to bear the responsibility for the consequences to him and to his crew.” (Nimoy, Unification II). With this sentence the audience has an insight into how the character has changed since we last saw him - he learned from his previous experiences in The Undiscovered Country and did not want to make the same mistakes twice. This degree of character development is uncommon in TNG, even for major characters such as Dr. Beverly Crusher or Counselor Deanna Troi (two characters notably lacking character development despite copious amounts of screen time). To be able to demonstrate such personal growth in the time frame of a single episode is impressive. I posit that it is a significant feat to provide entertaining stories, fast paced action, political intrigue, as well as noteworthy character development in a fraction of the screen time allotted to other characters; as such, this elevates Ambassador Spock to the upper echelons of compelling characters in TNG.

By the time the TNG series is released, the character of Ambassador Spock can stand on his own merit and does not require additional support from the cast around him - despite the severely limited screen time. In fact, he goes above and beyond his already notable role in the Star Trek franchise and supports another prevalent character in the series - Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Through the two character’s interactions we can see a dynamic play out that builds up and improves the character of Picard, by having Ambassador Spock act as a foil to the captain of the Enterprise-D. This effect of a foil is well used with the character of Mr. Spock - in Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) the contrast between the effervescent and emotive Captain Kirk and the cooly logical Mr. Spock was a core feature of the characters that cemented their likenesses into the collective pop culture consciousness of America. The actor Leonard Nimoy, who arguably knew the character of Mr. Spock the best of any person involved with Star Trek, explains this effect in his autobiography: “Bill’s Captain Kirk was a swashbuckling Errol Flynn type of hero; he played the role with a great deal of energy and élan, and wasn’t afraid to take chances [...] that energy was vital for the show, and made it possible for me to find a niche for my role. I don’t think the Spock character would have worked as well with Jeff Hunter, because Jeff’s Captain Pike was introverted and soft-spoken, so that there was no contrast between the two.” (Nimoy 34, 35). This problem plagues the bridge crew of the Enterprise-D for at least the first two seasons of TNG, with the characters trying to find their respective niches but each a bit too bland to distinguish them from each other readily. Picard by this point had been called a diplomat in various situations yet it wasn’t very clear what sort of diplomat he was - indeed we had stronger characterizations of other minor character’s diplomatic abilities long before we had a handle on Picard’s (Horvat)(Zambrano). He was also purported to be level headed and driven by a strong moral code; while that characterization plays out later in the series (such as in episodes like I, Borg (Echevarria) and The Perfect Mate (Echevarria and Perconte) it is not as apparent prior to the airing of Ambassador Spock’s episodes. With the interactions between Picard and Spock the audience gets to see these supposed character traits in a stronger light, thanks to the contrast provided by Ambassador Spock. It is a type of satisfactory turnabout that Spock plays the role of character foil to not just one captain of the Enterprise, but two. Through Ambassador Spock’s bold actions in Unification I & II and Face of the Enemy we can appreciate Picard’s more measured, moderate approach to diplomacy. This temperate style was difficult to perceive when compared to other people taking similarly reserved actions (Willis and Thorne) (Lewin), but when brought up against the “cowboy diplomacy” (Stewart, Unification II) of Ambassador Spock we can now clearly see how Picard is a more cautious type of diplomat. Picard admonishes Ambassador Spock for his decisions to relocate to Romulus and pursue peace with a stubbornly warlike race on his own, stating that Spock should have consulted with the Federation (Stewart, Unification II). This gives a sense of individuality to Picard, showing how he values the Federation and demurs to its authority in comparison to Ambassador Spock with his track record of contempt of authority (Roddenberry)(Star Trek: The Motion Picture). We also see the characters brought into direct comparison when we consider their relationships to the character Ambassador Sarek - Spock’s father. Picard first interacts with Ambassador Sarek in the episode Sarek (Cushman and Jacobs) where it begins with a distant respect of a notable Federation figure and evolves into a deeply intimate bonding between Picard and Sarek. This is in contrast to the relationship between Spock and Sarek, which was always fraught with conflict and estrangement (Fontana,

Journey to Babel) (Fontana, Yesteryear). Through this comparison the audience can draw some conclusions about Picard; namely that he is more in tune with Ambassador Sarek than Ambassador Spock. Since Ambassador Sarek is a well established, clearly defined character in the franchise, this makes it easy to ascribe defined traits to Picard - level headedness, fairness, a strict adherence to justice. It could also hint at both character’s difficulty to connect with those closest to them (Tormé)(Sagan)(Cushman and Jacobs). This compares to Ambassador Spock, who is arguably more strong willed once he sets his mind to something, and follows his own personal morality rather than seeking it externally or relying on established authoritative structures to dictate his actions (Roddenberry)(Peeples) (Burns and Richards). The actions of Ambassador Spock in the episode Face of the Enemy (Echevarria) demonstrate these characteristics the best, as he orchestrates the abduction of a Starfleet officer, has her surgically altered to appear Romulan without her consent, then sacrifices the lives of 18 people to save 3 and open the way for an underground Romulan railroad (Echevarria). This is a clear demonstration of his belief that the ends justify the means, something that Picard directly opposes in his own diplomatic dealings (Echevarria). By providing a contrasting personality Ambassador Spock strengthens the characterization of Jean-Luc Picard, which is a boon to the series - as Captain Picard is a central character in TNG, this comparison built up the character and certainly improved the quality of the series as a whole. This is an impressive feat for a character with such a limited time in the series.

A well-known trait of Trekkies is favoritism - a favorite character, a favorite series, a favorite class of star ship, etc. While this at-times fanatical devotion to the Star Trek universe is beneficial, it also has the unfortunate side effect of creating rifts between different segments of the fan base. A divided fan base is detrimental to a series, as it is difficult to prove the popularity of a series if half the fans won’t even watch it (because it’s not their favorite, don’t you know!). The writers and producers of the various Star Trek franchises over time have realized this and have needed to address it head on numerous times. One such instance of this is the inclusion of Ambassador Spock in TNG - a beloved character with the fortitude to unite a divided fan base. At the time (in the late 80’s and early 90’s), there was animosity and division between fans of TOS and the fans of TNG - while to an outside observer the two shows appear similar, to Star Trek fans they are completely different. The characters, the ship, the settings, and the stories were all different enough to set up two camps of fans. As such, the fan base was divided, which caused problems when it came to promoting the different films and series. The writing and production team of TNG was well aware of this division, as described by Ira Steven Behr in reference to the episode Sarek (the first TNG episode that mentions Spock): “No way could you mention the original Star Trek characters. It took days and days of arguing to slip in a single reference to Spock. So I like to think in my own sort of incoherent way I helped start to push open the door to what was a very, very closed and narrow franchise" (Erano 16-21).Tension was noted at conventions, as described by Nimoy in his autobiography: “Apparently there were two camps in Star Trek fandom: the die-hard loyalists, and those who embraced the new show, and who may or may not have felt a bit of unease about their “defection””. (Nimoy 328). It was in 1991, which was the 25th anniversary of the airing of TOS, that the plan was to release a movie (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) as well as continue with TNG as part of the celebration. The rift between the fanbases set the creative minds behind Star Trek into motion - why not use this opportunity to try and bring the two groups of fans together? Nimoy commented, "I thought that if we could do a TNG episode in which we hinted at the beginnings of a crossover between The Original Series and The Next Generation through the Spock character and through the backstory of Spock's character, it would be helpful to both. I thought it would be interesting to the fans to see the connection between the two stories. It just seemed that it made sense for me to make an appearance at that point."(Block and Erdmann 230). Leonard Nimoy wasn’t the only one who was of the opinion that there was a division that needed mending; Mark Piller,the writer of the episode Unification I, made comments to similar effect. He felt that there was a gap between the fans of TOS and TNG, and with a pair of episodes literally named “Unification” he hoped to resolve that divide: "We're really telling the story of the unification of The Original Series and Next Generation, symbolically closing the gap that had always been in the fans' minds, if no one else's, between the two shows."(Altman and Gross, 233). TNG’s executive producer Rick Berman voiced similar sentiments on the topic: "It's a validation of our series from The Original Series. There has been so much talk about the two series, in a competitive way. This is a union, a joining of the two. And that's very positive for the fans."(Block and Erdmann, 230). It speaks to the importance of this character, the sheer magnitude of his presence in the series, that with only a short time on screen Ambassador Spock was able to effectively bring together a fragmented fan base and unite all Trekkies to support the new direction the franchise was heading. This isn’t the author’s own favoritism making an assertion at this point -

Unification I and II were the highest rated TNG episodes since Encounter at Farpoint (Altman and Gross 231)(Nimoy 328). The reception at conventions was also overwhelmingly positive, as described by Nimoy when he announced his upcoming appearance in TNG: “I’ve gotten quite a bit of applause at these conventions - but I had never before heard anything so explosive from an audience. They cheered, they stomped, they whistled…and they kept on cheering, stomping and whistling until I was emotionally overwhelmed.”(Nimoy 328). To think that a single character with greatly limited screen time had the power to inspire so many people! This is how important the character of Ambassador Spock is, and the context of his appearance within TNG is crucial. “There were no longer two Star Treks, or two groups of fans - only one. The episode had accomplished what its title proclaimed; Spock had bridged the gap.” (Nimoy 328). For his importance to the fans of Star Trek, Ambassador Spock is surely the character who had the most profound impact from The Next Generation.

Throughout the seven seasons of TNG, we are introduced to a plethora of different characters. While some of the characters are obviously integral to the series, such as Captain Picard and Data, there are other characters that contributed far more than their fair share to the success of the series. Ambassador Spock, despite receiving a minor role in TNG, nevertheless manages to have a profound impact on the franchise. His contributions overshadow the roles played by much more prevalent characters. This is accomplished through the quality of the episodes he is part of with regard to the interesting plots and overarching continuity with the Star Trek universe as a whole; with his capacity as a character foil to Captain Picard; and finally with his irreplaceable and integral role with uniting a fragmented fan base. No other character could have accomplished what Ambassador Spock did - and he managed it with a mere 46 minutes of screen time. A character of his calibre is encountered so infrequently in popular culture, and he will surely be remembered for decades to come. Dif-tor heh smusma, Spock.

Works Cited

Altman, Mark A., and Edward A. Gross. Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages. Little, Brown, 1995.

Block, Paula M., and Terry J. Erdmann. Star Trek: The Next Generation 365. Abrams, 2012.

Burns, Judy, and Chet Richards, writers. “The Tholian Web.” Star Trek: The Original Series, season 3, episode 9, Paramount Pictures, 15 November 1968.

Cushman, Marc, and Jake Jacobs, writers. “Sarek.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 3, episode 23, Paramount Pictures, 14 May 1990.

Echevarria, René, writer. “Face of the Enemy.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 6, episode 14, Paramount Pictures, 8 February 1993.

Echevarria, René, director. “I, Borg.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5, episode 23, Paramount Pictures, 11 May 1992.

Echevarria, René, and Gary Perconte, writers. “The Perfect Mate.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5, episode 21, Paramount Pictures, 27 April 1992.

Erano, Steven. Behr Necessities. TV Zone Special #34. no. 34, Visual Imagination, 1999, pp. 16-21.

Fontana, D. C., writer. “Journey to Babel.” Star Trek: The Original Series, season 2, episode 10, Paramount Pictures, 17 November 1967.

Fontana, D.C., writer. “Yesteryear.” Star Trek: The Animated Series, season 1, episode 2, Paramount Pictures, 15 September 1973.

Horvat, Michel, writer. “The Host.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 4, episode 23, Paramount Pictures, 13 May 1991.

IMDb. “Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series 2017– ) - Episodes.” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5171438/episodes. Accessed 2 February 2022.

IMDb. “Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series 1987–1994).” Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series 1987–1994) - Episodes - IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092455/episodes?season=5. Accessed 2 February 2022.

Lewin, Robert, writer. “Symbiosis.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 1, episode 22, Paramount Pictures, 18 April 1988.

Memory Alpha Wiki. “Spock | Memory Alpha | Fandom.” Memory Alpha, https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Spock. Accessed 2 February 2022.

Nimoy, Leonard. I am Spock. Hyperion, 1995.

Nimoy, Leonard, performer. “The Menagerie Part 1 & 2.” Star Trek: The Original Series, season 1, episode 11 & 12, Paramount Pictures, 17 November 1966.

Nimoy, Leonard, performer. “Unification II.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5, episode 8, Paramount Pictures, 11 November 1991.

Peeples, Samuel A., writer. “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Star Trek: The Original Series, season 1, episode 1, Paramount Pictures, 22 September 1966.

Roddenberry, Gene, writer. “The Menagerie Part I.” Star Trek: The Original Series, season 1, episode 15, Paramount Pictures, 17 November 1966.

Sagan, Nicholas, writer. “Attached.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 7, episode 8, Paramount Pictures, 8 November 1993.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Performance by Leonard Nimoy, Paramount Pictures, 1979.

Stewart, Patrick, performer. “Unification II.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 5, episode 8, Paramount Pictures, 11 November 1991.

Tormé, Tracy, writer. “The Big Goodbye.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 1, episode 12, Paramount Pictures, 11 January 1988.

Willis, Ralph, and Worley Thorne, writers. “Justice.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 1, episode 8, Paramount Pictures, 9 November 1987.

Zambrano, Jacqueline, writer. “Loud As A Whisper.” Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 2, episode 5, Paramount Pictures, 9 January 1989.

[lizardthelizard]

Ranking Pinocchio Adaptations Part 1

So, I read ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’ maybe five years ago now. I loved it and did not shut up about it for a month or so, but it wasn’t until early/mid 2020 that I re-read it for the first time in a while, before proceeding to go absolutely feral and consume every single piece of Pinocchio-related content I could get my grubby little hands on.

Anyway, with four new movies coming out this year, I figured that now would be a good time to rank every single adaptation I’ve seen, in order to better judge the new films set to release soon.

This is just my personal list. I can think of four different adaptations off the top of my head that some of you might have seen and that won’t be on here because I simply haven’t gotten around to them/can’t find anywhere. So, I’m sorry about that in advance.

Without further ado, here’s part one of me ranking 22 different Pinocchio adaptations from worst to best. Obviously spoilers for every mentioned piece of media:

Numbers 22 to 16. The very worst:

22. ‘Pinocchio’ (2013) Dir. Anna Justice

(Disclaimer, this movie is also listed as being a two episode miniseries, but I can’t find any links to it in two parts and have only seen the hour and a half movie. Apologies if that taints my view slightly).

Is it unfair of me to put this movie right at the very bottom of the list? Probably. Does it deserve to be labelled as the worst of the worst? Probably not.

But, for me, there simply isn’t enough good in it to justify all the bad.

The cgi is far from the worst I’ve ever seen, and this is 2013 so I will give it some leeway, but it’s still not nice to look at. At all. I know he’s made of wood but the way this boy runs...Pinocchio, sweetie, you do not look comfortable.

I’m not sure how well acted the original German is since I’ve only managed to watch the dubbed, but the dubbing is pretty hard to listen to for the most part. Everything feels flat -I have zero emotions towards any of these characters- and the story doesn’t help whatsoever.

What is the story, I hear you ask? It’s a watered down version of the book with lots missing. There are some nice details here and there (there’s a little pear reference which is always appreciated) and it certainly is more based off the book, rather than the Disney movie, so that’s cool, but oh my god this movie is so boring.

And one of the weirdest choices this movie made was to add in two new characters named Sofia and Luca. Why is this a weird choice? Because these are two siblings that literally just play the role of Lampwick, right down to both turning into donkeys alongside Pinocchio. Which...would be fine...if Lampwick literally wasn’t in the movie as well? Lampwick (named Lionel in the dub, but listed as Lucignolo on IMDB) is still here but, instead of being friends with Pinocchio, actively bullies him, and STILL goes to 'Wonderland’ (aka. The Land of Toys) with Pinocchio, Sofia and Luca.

I don’t get it. I don’t like it. This movie makes weird choices. Some guy beats his kids part way through but I guess it’s okay because he says sorry at the end? Why did they demonize Lampwick? They ripped off part of the 1996!Pinocchio ending but did it worse. I hate this movie, let’s move on.

21. ‘Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night’ (1987) Dir. Hal Sutherland

I mean...Some of you knew this was coming.

So, I haven’t seen this movie for two years now so I apologise if I’m forgetting a lot about it but also...I don’t want to sit through it again anytime too soon.

EotN is such a strange movie, and I don’t just mean that because of what the title might suggest (although the ‘Emperor of the Night’ element certainly is strange, for sure). It’s strange because...It’s pointless. The very basic plot of this movie is literally just Disney’s Pinocchio but this time he’s...not a puppet anymore.

The movie starts off one year after his transformation into a real boy. He’s with his father in the workshop and is told to deliver a jewellery box to the mayor. With a little wooden glowbug called ‘Wilikers’ at his side, Pinocchio sets out to deliver the box, only to be sidetracked by a puppet show run by ‘Puppetino’ (aka, Stromboli’s puppet show) where he falls in love with an inanimate puppet called Twinkle, and then is equally distracted by a (very racist) monkey and raccoon (aka, the Cat and the Fox), before finally heading to ‘the Carnival’ (aka, Pleasure Island) for the final showdown.

Oh, and also there’s some big plot with Wilikers and this bee where they run around in insect land but I fell asleep during that bit and can’t remember much.

Anyway, the final showdown -a battle with the ‘Emperor of the Night’- is pretty wild. Geppetto is shrunk and put inside the jewellery box for some reason. The fight is pretty epic tbh, and there are some interesting concepts but the rest of the movie is too much of a chore to sit through to be bothered with any of it in my opinion. I know some people have nostalgia for this movie but I don’t and I’m grateful that I can just check it off my list and move on...

20. ‘Pinocchio’ (1978) Dir. Barry Letts

This sure is...a movie. Or, well, more rightly, a two episode miniseries.

Anyway, simply put, this is...not very good. The story is mostly generic Pinocchio shenanigans. He’s born. He goes to a puppet show. He goes to school and doesn’t really fit in because he’s a teachers pet and the other kids hate him. He tries to help the Fox and the Cat out of jail at some point?

The Fox and the Cat look like this, btw:

Absolutely disgusting.

Geppetto is able to talk to the cricket?? Which is odd. Idk it’s meant to be sort of a comedy but it’s not really that funny?? The sets aren’t great and mostly it’s just...just very, very odd. Also, Pinocchio is very tiny and screams a lot.

However, I do feel more emotion towards him than I do for the previous two on this list and that’s why it ranks above them.

19. ‘Pinocchio’ (1976)  Dir. Ron Field & Sid Smith

God this movie is so boring.

The songs are pretty forgettable. The STORY is forgettable tbh, it’s mostly just your typical ‘Pinocchio is made, goes to the puppet show, meets the Cat and the Fox, goes to some Land of Toys equivalent, eaten by a shark/whale, goes home, the end’. The Cat and the Fox look almost as unsettling as they did in the 1978 movie.

The costuming in general is fun, I guess, but nothing overtly special. Sandy Duncan does a pretty good job as Pinocchio but, again, it’s nothing particularly special. The only thing that I actively enjoyed about this movie was Lampwick’s entrance, because that was kind of unique. Lots of stunts and posing with his two friends alongside jazzy music, so yeah, that was pretty neat. Some of the later stunts and tricks at ‘the island of yum yum’ (side note, I HATE that name) are...okay, but not anywhere near as impressive as the movie wants them to be.

This is just a really, really dull movie and the only thing worth watching is Lampwick’s 30 second introduction. Would not like to sit through this again anytime soon.

18. ‘Geppetto’ (2000) Dir. Tom Moore

I...may have been watching this movie in one tab whilst doing other things in another and not really paying as much attention as I should have.

Anyway, did we need a Pinocchio movie from Geppetto’s POV? No. No, we did not.

Honestly, I should probably give this a proper rewatch sometime. Maybe I would judge it less harshly. But all I really remember is that Geppetto is very whiny about the fact that he has a son because his son isn’t everything he’d hoped for or whatever. Oh, and they’re making these perfect children in a literal machine? That was weird, right? 

Some of the songs were...not great. Some of them were okay, I guess. It’s just such a pointless adaptation in my opinion? Maybe I’ll enjoy it more on the inevitable rewatch...

17. ‘Pinocchio 3000′ (2004) Dir. Daniel Robichaud

Hey, I’ll be totally candid here and say that I don’t even hate this movie.

For me, aside from the bizarre but fascinating character designs and a few fun ideas, it’s just...not very interesting. Then again, I’m much older than the intended audience here, so that’s hardly a surprise...

This movie is like the director saw A.I. (released only 3 years prior) and was like ‘ooh yes, I like that! I want robot!Pinocchio too.’ But also...the characters look like this:

Anyway, the movie is fun at times and I appreciate just how odd the character designs are. The cat and the fox are a wind up porcupine and some guy that looks like a New York taxi cab??? I mean, how do you even come up with the concept for those designs?? Some level of kudos is deserved there...surely?

The moral of the story has to do with environmentalism and about Pinocchio learning to be a human, I guess? The antagonist ‘Scamboli’ (*cough cough* Stromboli *cough*) is trying to turn everything into machinery + robots, including the trees & people. Marlene, his daughter, basically plays the role of Lampwick as well as Pinocchio’s friend/love interest, and she’s kind of fun, I guess.

But there’s just something about the movie that falls flat. I like the visuals. I like some of the ideas and characters. But it’s just...not enough.

16. ‘The New Adventures of Pinocchio’ (1999) Dir. Michael Anderson

‘Hey Libby’, I hear you ask, ‘why didn’t this movie rank lower on the list?’.

Because I have certain biases when it comes to Pinocchio, as well as a soft spot for this particular movie series, that’s why.

This is a sequel to the much better known, 1996 ‘Adventures of Pinocchio’. Much like EotN, it’s set after Pinocchio’s transformation and he isn’t a puppet anymore. Pinocchio is a businessman now 😎 He’s a cool kid that doesn’t have time for trivial things like carving puppets. So, what does he do? He buys into a scam, selling his school books for some ‘elixir of life’, in order to...fix his non-existent problems?

Anyway, he gets home and his dad is exhausted and overworked so Pinocchio gives Geppetto some of this elixir to make him better but, instead of making him better, it turns Geppetto into this monstrosity:

Everything up to this point in the movie is...fine. I’m not saying that the first ten minutes of this movie are actually good but I am saying that I didn’t despise them. There’s some fun banter between him and Lampwick (and isn’t the exchange “something’s funny” “yeah, your face!” absolutely perfect best friend shenanigans) and it has a lot of unintentionally funny little moments. But then...puppet stuff happen and oh my god WHY does the plot unfold the way that it does??

Lampwick disappears for half the movie, only to return as a disgusting looking ‘sea-donkey’ (I will spare you an image, if only for the sake of Lampwick’s pride). The Fox and the Cat are fully anthro furries now. The main antagonist from the first movie is back, expect this time he’s pretending to be his own widowed wife??? For some reason?? Geppetto is taken by the villain and forced to perform in his puppet show. Pinocchio is eventually also forced to drink the elixir as well and also turns back into a puppet. Geppetto loves the fame and is a horrible father to his son. This, exists:

Idk what the budget for this movie was but it only uses like three different locations, I swear. Everything looks bad. The acting is mostly bad. The ending is bizarre. Everything about this movie is bizarre. And...why is it not last on the list?

Well, despite the fact that I never watched this when I was younger, it still feels kind of nostalgic to me. Plus, any movie where they let Lampwick live is a good one in my eyes (no matter how bad it actually is).

This is a dumb, silly, terrible movie, but it is fascinating, even if not for the right reasons. 10/10 would not recommend.

[dornish-queen]

GQ MEXICO - PEDRO PASCAL 2021

It seems that Pedro Pascal is in all possible universes. Here and there. In the past, in the present, and in galaxies far, far away. Today, the actor is considered the great entertainment reference and one of those in charge of saving a franchise that seemed lost. Enough reasons to talk exclusively about discipline, gastronomy, creeds and how he traumatized his father in 30 seconds.

The RAE defines 'creed' as the set of ideas, principles or convictions of a person or a group. For example, by creed, one can leave his country and be in exile. It happens that one can leave the loved one behind. Or simply live in another reality. And also one can put on a helmet to pretend never to take it off again. If that is the path to follow, the creed says that it must be done with the profession of faith and without stopping to look. Turning the pages of the script for The Mandalorian , the Disney + series that revived passion and nostalgia for the Star Wars franchise , Pedro Pascal came across this definition in every dialogue and moment, and reflection carved his way.

More than two decades have passed since the Chilean-American, Pedro Pascal, began his acting career and today, named as the great reference of 2020 , he misses the theater and it still hurts him not to have the discipline to exercise and maintain a diet sana while acknowledging the irony of having the best year of her career in the midst of one of the worst in recent history. But even in physical solitude, the man who carried the best-selling Christmas baby rescues many positive things and shares his vision of the universes he has traveled through, his passion for distant galaxies and how to traumatize your family with a simple scene of TV. In an interview, the Mandalorian of Latinamerica.

IMDB named you the 2020 benchmark in entertainment, a year in which the world took refuge in fiction. How was living your best time locked up and what do you rescue on a human level from it?

The strength of family relationships and friendship. For them, we endure this physical loneliness. I do find it ironic that in 2020 I received projects so well received by the public, although they were carried out before the pandemic and their impact was during it, and that year I was isolated and alone. But I must emphasize that this loneliness is a privilege when many people had to continue working, surviving and maintaining the functioning of the world. We only had to be alone, but they more than that and you must value it too.

Among the activities you have missed, how much do you miss the theater?

Much indeed. It's something that I miss the most and being with people without being afraid. See a play and return to those experiences of being with people doing and living things in common. That is what I need most, in addition to my loved ones.

Disney fully entered streaming and its strong letter has your face, what do you think of the discussion of platforms against movie theaters?

There are incredible things in streaming and many people develop great projects that they did not have access to before. The diversity of voices is gaining ground and it is important to recognize that opportunities grow exponentially and boundaries change. It is incredible the availability that we have to very well made content and how creative people can share their work in different ways. But I also want to be honest: limiting the experience of watching content only on our gadgets or at home is a mistake that affects the stories we can tell. You have to achieve a mix of opportunities and challenges.

You jump between the fictional universes that mark the last decades until you reach the universe of universes. What is your first Star Wars memory and how do you summarize the essence of this legendary story?

For me, Star Wars is nostalgia itself. It is one of the primary things in my memory, of my childhood. I came to the United States with my Chilean family when I was less than two years old and one of my first memories is going to the movies with my dad to see the saga ; it becomes one of those romantic childhood things that opens your mind, so imagine how special it is to participate in this project. I think the creators of The Mandalorian perfectly understand this nostalgia and that power, and they managed to count on that element as a great ally for the world of Star Wars and I couldn't be happier to be part of it. (From which we expect the third season The Mandalorian)

The Mandalorian exploits the power and nuances of your voice, did you have that letter on your resume?

I didn't know I could do it, but I resorted to my theater preparation, which was very physical on all levels and feelings. There are elements that have to do with and that are essential to create a role, and they teach you that the voice is something primary, something you have to start with and you cannot hide. Now I have learned much more about the importance of that, and how to use it economically. The body also has to do with that, because something very subtle communicates something. In The Mandalorian , I had a great time figuring out how to do it, they gave me the opportunity to develop it in different ways. The opportunity to be very intense at it.

What happens to the ego when someone works under a suit and a mask?

In the conversations about the project, before doing it, we were communicated the idea and the concept of the entire season , so I clearly understood what it was. I wanted it to be the most powerful version of what they were trying to accomplish, so there was no point in involving my ego, you know? It was already very clear what the project meant, so I knew about the character , the piece that it represented for him and the opportunity that it was for me, so I was only focused on executing in a better way the part that touched me in everything this. In the theater, I worked several times under a mask and it helped me develop the experience.

It seems that The Mandalorian has a very theatrical base ...

Exactly, and thanks to the physical experience of working in theater, doing a play a few times a week, discovering how your body and your voice communicate , being part of a whole image, and how you will tell that story visually, I achieved this character. I never imagined that it would be something I would have to use on such an important Star Wars project .

On the list of entertainment greats, there are names like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, do you think John Favreau should be added to the list?

I think your name is already included. Without a doubt, it is in that category and it is incredible. His vision fascinates me. I remember an episode in the second season , and I had some boots and I walked so much in the snow, it stuck to them. He figured it out, so he talked to the art department about the kind of boots you need when you're out in the snow. They approached me and gave me new ones that fulfilled the idea I was looking for. He noticed it in an instant. It is such a wonderful detail and it is repeated to scale in every session with him. He thinks of absolutely everything and his vision of the use of technology is admirable. He is someone who makes you feel motivated and always sees how to achieve the goal.

One of the reflections in the series is on how and under what circumstances a man can break his creed and way of life. What makes you break with your beliefs?

I think that you must follow your heart so as not to regret anything; Although sometimes it brings pain or conflict, deep down when you look back, everything is worth it because it was what you heard in your heart. I am very afraid to deny that feeling or not to attend to it. I am 45 years old now and I cannot believe I have a finer philosophy. Make it more disciplined. It's ridiculous, but I'm trying to accept that I am and it's all I can say, "follow your heart." Although, you know, I'm not on a good diet yet, I still have trouble sleeping or exercising.

Still good at Chilean empanadas?

Yes, I couldn't stop. And also how good that I do not live in Mexico City because I would only spend it eating. I could move my whole life to defe just to eat.

I want to deviate and ask you, with whom did you see the chapter of your death in Game of Thrones and what traumas did you cause in your family?

For me, no trauma. I separate myself well from the characters , although I fully understand that if I were a Game of Thrones audience and loved that character, it would make an incredible impression on me. Thank you that it was not. I had to interpret it and there was a model of my head to be crushed that way with the tubes and the fake blood, you know? Me lying there, with pieces of my meat, it was funny in the end. But not for my family. For them there is nothing funny but traumatic. My dad's voice changed completely when we saw the episode, he turned around and said: “I didn't like it, Pedro . No, Pedro , not this ”.

The media found similarities between your villain in Wonder Woman: 1984 and Donald Trump. When playing a character with characteristics like this, do you humanize him or do you understand him?

The project had nothing to do with the former president. They always told me that my character in Wonder Woman: 1984 was emotionally messy, and I took that and took that as far as possible. Instead of creating it with images or certain inspirations from life, it was more to work with what was on the page. Personally, what made sense to me is the size of the story that is being told and there is always more, and we all want more. Creatively, if this makes sense, that meant "blowing her out of the park." Connect a hit with the character and be committed to telling his story faithfully, in a way that was true to me. So all the exterior elements found their way.

What a way to start 2021 with the theme of the Capitol ... How do you perceive that moment?

I am not a politician and it is not that I do not have an opinion about this type of event; however, it is not necessary to state the obvious. My opinion would be very simple compared to that of a person who studied this, who knows how to act in these kinds of scenarios; I believe that I am next to the majority who experienced this, which is the logical result of what we have experienced during these years and we are all horrified . It was distressing to see this violence.

If you had the monolith in your hands, what would your wish be?

My wish would be… it's impossible, really (laughs). I think it is to be together again, with less fear and that people have the opportunity to connect.

What is your position on the reality that Chile has experienced in recent years and how has the relationship with your country been since exile?

It is something that I am developing and I continue to do in my life, trying to understand that it is my home. To be in Chile is to be at home, but my life has been very nomadic, living different things and having many influences; so it is strange, I do not feel with the title of a complete Chilean identity nor with an American one.

Neither here nor there?

In a sense, but I'm also completely both. My parents are Chilean , my brothers were born there before my parents traveled, and I came back sometimes because my family is very large; in fact, my parents came back. It has always been there, it continues to develop, and it will be a part of me. I don't know if it answers your question, but it has a lot to do with who I am.

What is your relationship with Latin American cinema? Are you interested?

Much, it has invaded me in life like American cinema. The movies that I carry in my heart, seeing something like Y tu mama was also something that changed me; I also love the work that comes out of Chile , and the only thing I can say is that it is a cinema that needs more access and projects.

Today you have a comedy with Nicolas Cage on the door, can you tell us something?

It's my first shot at comedy , as a complete story within the genre. Speaking of American influences , in the 80s I saw all the films where Nicolas Cage appeared , he came into my life and it's great to be his partner after seeing all his performances.

How is the relationship you have with the comedy genre?

I love it, I have done a lot of comedy in the theater, what happens is that in film and television issues , I was always part of drama castings . And in the cinema, you go where the doors open; Although I identify with one or the other, I think that being an actor , one goes and does what one has to do. Comedy is something unique, it is very challenging because it must be very real to be funny, you cannot hide or use normal tricks. I was very excited to have this challenge in front of a camera.

Finally, Pedro, after going through so many fictional worlds, literally, what do you dream about when you sleep?

I dream that my bathroom is dirty, that I haven't done my math homework, that the oven is on and all that stuff. Sure, there are times when I close my eyes and see myself in all these projects , although my conscience is with the anxieties of the day that you can imagine.

Without a doubt, Pedro Pascal is a particular type .

English Tranlation: Google Translate

SOURCE:  GQ MEXICO

[nitrateglow]

Favorite films discovered in 2020

Well, this year sucked. I did see some good movies though. Some even made after I was born!

Perfect Blue (dir. Satoshi Kon, 1997)

I watch a lot of thrillers and horror movies, but precious few actually unsettle me in any lasting way. This cannot be said of Perfect Blue, which gave me one of the most visceral cinematic experiences of my life. Beyond the brief flashes of bloodletting (you will never look at a screwdriver the same way again), the scariest thing about Perfect Blue might be how the protagonist has both her life and her sense of self threatened by the villains. The movie’s prescience regarding public persona is also incredibly eerie, especially in our age of social media. While anime is seen as a very niche interest (albeit one that has become more mainstream in recent years), I would highly recommend this movie to thriller fans, whether they typically watch anime or not. It’s right up there with the best of Hitchcock or De Palma.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (dir. Sergio Leone, 1966)

Nothing is better than when an iconic movie lives up to the hype. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef play off of one another perfectly. I was impressed by Wallach as Tuco in particular: his character initially seems like a one-dimensional greedy criminal, but the performance is packed with wonderful moments of humanity. Do I really need to say anything about the direction? Or about the wonderful storyline, which takes on an almost mythic feel in its grandeur? Or that soundtrack?

Die Niebelungen (both movies) (dir. Fritz Lang, 1924)

I did NOT expect to love these movies as much as I did. That they would be dazzlingly gorgeous I never doubted: the medieval world of the story is brought to vivid life through the geometrical mise en scene and detailed costuming. However, the plot itself is so, so riveting, never losing steam over the course of the four hours it takes to watch both movies. The first half is heroic fantasy; the second half involves a revenge plot of almost Shakespearean proportions. This might actually be my favorite silent Fritz Lang movie now.

Muppet Treasure Island (dir. Brian Henson, 1996)

I understand that people have different tastes and all, but how does this movie have such a mixed reception? It’s absolutely hilarious. How could anybody get through the scene with “THA BLACK SPOT AGGHHHHHHH” and not declare this a masterpiece of comedy? And I risk being excommunicated from the Muppet fandom for saying it, but I like this one more than The Great Muppet Caper. It’s probably now my second favorite Muppet movie.

Belle de Jour (dir. Luis Bunuel, 1967)

I confess I’m not terribly fond of “but was it real???” movies. They tend to feel gimmicky more often than not. Belle de Jour is an exception. This is about more than a repressed housewife getting her kicks working as a daytime prostitute. The film delves into victim blaming, trauma, class, and identity-- sure, this sounds academic and dry when I put it that way, but what I’m trying to say is that these are very complicated characters and the blurring of fantasy and reality becomes thought-provoking rather than trite due to that complexity.

Secondhand Lions (dir. Tim McCanlies, 2003)

The term “family movie” is often used as a synonym for “children’s movie.” However, there is an important distinction: children’s movies only appeal to kids, while family movies retain their appeal as one grows up. Secondhand Lions is perhaps a perfect family movie, with a great deal more nuance than one might expect regarding the need for storytelling and its purpose in creating meaning for one’s life. It’s also amazingly cast: Haley Joel Osment is excellent as the juvenile lead, and Michael Caine and Robert Duvall steal the show as Osment’s eccentric uncles.

The Pawnbroker (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1964)

Controversial in its day for depicting frontal nudity, The Pawnbroker shocks today for different reasons. As the top review of the film on IMDB says, we’re used to victims of great atrocities being presented as sympathetic, good people in fiction. Here, Rod Steiger’s Sol Nazerman subverts such a trope: his suffering at the hands of the Nazis has made him a hard, closed-off person, dismissive of his second wife (herself also a survivor of the Holocaust), cold to his friendly assistant, and bitter towards himself. The movie follows Nazerman’s postwar life, vividly presenting his inner pain in a way that is almost too much to bear. Gotta say, Steiger gives one of the best performances I have ever seen in a movie here: he’s so three-dimensional and complex. The emotions on his face are registered with Falconetti-level brilliance.

The Apartment (dir. Billy Wilder, 1960)

While not the most depressing Christmas movie ever, The Apartment certainly puts a good injection of cynicism into the season. I have rarely seen a movie so adept at blending comedy, romance, and satire without feeling tone-deaf. There are a lot of things to praise about The Apartment, but I want to give a special shoutout to the dialogue. “Witty” dialogue that sounds natural is hard to come by-- so often, it just feels smart-assy and strained. Not here.

Anatomy of a Murder (dir. Otto Preminger, 1959)

I’m not big into courtroom dramas, but Anatomy of a Murder is a big exception. Its morally ambiguous characters elevate it from being a mere “whodunit” (or I guess in the case of this movie, “whydunit”), because if there’s something you’re not going to get with this movie, it’s a clear answer as to what happened on the night of the crime. Jimmy Stewart gives one of his least characteristic performances as the cynical lawyer, and is absolutely brilliant. 

Oldboy (dir. Park Chan-Wook, 2003)

Oldboy reminded me a great deal of John Webster’s 17th century tragedy The Duchess of Malfi. Both are gruesome, frightening, and heartbreaking works of art, straddling the line between sensationalism and intelligence, proving the two are not mutually exclusive. It’s both entertaining and difficult to watch. The thought of revisiting it terrifies me but I feel there is so much more to appreciate about the sheer craft on display.

Family Plot (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1976)

Family Plot is an enjoyable comedy; you guys are just mean. I know in an ideal world, Hitchcock’s swan song would be a great thriller masterpiece in the vein of Vertigo or Psycho. Family Plot is instead a silly send-up of Hitchcock’s favorite tropes, lampooning everything from the dangerous blonde archetype (with not one but two characters) to complicated MacGuffin plots. You’ll probably demand my film buff card be revoked for my opinion, but to hell with it-- this is my favorite of Hitchcock’s post-Psycho movies.

My Best Girl (dir. Sam Taylor, 1927)

Mary Pickford’s farewell to silent film also happens to be among her best movies. It’s a simple, charming romantic comedy starring her future husband, Charles “Buddy” Rogers. Pickford also gets to play an adult character here, rather than the little girl parts her public demanded she essay even well into her thirties. She and Rogers are sweet together without being diabetes-inducing, and the comedy is often laugh out loud funny. It even mocks a few tropes that anyone who watches enough old movies will recognize and probably dislike-- such as “break his heart to save him!!” (my personal most loathed 1920s/1930s trope).

Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

This feels like such a zeitgeist movie. It’s about the gap between the rich and the poor, it’s ironic,  it’s depressing, it’s unpredictable as hell. I don’t like terms like “modern classic,” because by its very definition, a classic can only be deemed as such after a long passage of time, but I have a good feeling Parasite will be considered one of the definitive films of the 2010s in the years to come.

Indiscreet (dir. Stanley Donen, 1958)

Indiscreet often gets criticized for not being Notorious more or less, which is a shame. It’s not SUPPOSED to be-- it’s cinematic souffle and both Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant elevate that light material with their perfect chemistry and comedic timing. It’s also refreshing to see a rom-com with characters over 40 as the leads-- and the movie does not try to make them seem younger or less mature, making the zany moments all the more hilarious. It’s worth seeing for Cary Grant’s jig (picture above) alone.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (dir. Joseph Sargent, 1974)

This movie embodies so much of what I love about 70s cinema: it’s gritty, irreverent, and hard-hitting. It’s both hilarious and suspenseful-- I was tense all throughout the run time. I heard there was a remake and it just seems... so, so pointless when you already have this gem perfect as it is.

They All Laughed (dir. Peter Bogdonavich, 1981)

Bogdonavich’s lesser known homage to 1930s screwball comedy is also a weirdly autumnal movie. Among the last gasps of the New Hollywood movement, it is also marks the final time Audrey Hepburn would star in a theatrical release. The gentle comedy, excellent ensemble cast (John Ritter is the standout), and the mature but short-lived romance between Hepburn and Ben Gazarra’s characters make this a memorably bittersweet gem.

The Palm Beach Story (dir. Preston Sturges, 1942)

Absolutely hilarious. I was watching this with my parents in the room. My mom tends to like old movies while my dad doesn’t, but both of them were laughing aloud at this one. Not much else to say about it, other than I love Joel McCrea the more movies I see him in-- though it’s weird seeing him in comedies since I’m so used to him as a back-breaking man on the edge in The Most Dangerous Game!

Nothing Sacred (dir. William Wellman, 1937)

I tend to associate William Wellman with the pre-code era, so I’ve tried delving more into his post-code work. Nothing Sacred is easily my favorite of those films thus far, mainly for Carole Lombard but also because the story still feels pretty fresh due to the jabs it takes at celebrity worship and moral hypocrisy. For a satire, it’s still very warm towards its characters, even when they’re misbehaving or deluding themselves, so it’s oddly a feel-good film too.

Applause (dir. Rouben Mamoulian, 1929)

I love watching early sound movies, but my inner history nerd tends to enjoy them more than the part of me that, well, craves good, well-made movies. Most early sound films are pure awkward, but there’s always an exception and Applause is one of them. While the plot’s backstage melodrama is nothing special, the way the story is told is super sophisticated and expressive for this period of cinema history, and Helen Morgan makes the figure of the discarded burlesque queen seem truly human and tragic rather than merely sentimental.

Topaz (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1969)

Another late Hitchcock everyone but me seems to hate. After suffering through Torn Curtain, I expected Hitchcock’s other cold war thriller was going to be dull as dishwater, but instead I found an understated espionage movie standing in stark contrast to the more popular spy movies of the period. It’ll never be top Hitchcock, of course-- still it was stylish and enjoyable, with some truly haunting moments. I think it deserves more appreciation than it’s been given.

What were your favorite cinematic discoveries in 2020?

[reallivegeekgirl]

StanQuest

Something clicked on in my brain a couple months ago and suddenly Sebastian Stan became the hottest man alive. So I decided to watch everything he’s ever been in. A friend and I called it StanQuest.

Here are my spoiler-free reviews for anyone considering something similar (in inverse chronological order starting with latest works and going back in time. The stars are an overall rating of the work, not of Sebastian’s performance.

This only lists things I could find streaming for free or a price I was willing to pay. It does not count after credits scenes, music videos, or works in which he was uncredited.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) - TV show - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This started it all. I very much enjoyed it. Good balance of humor and action, heart and heroics. I’ve watched it four times already, and will watch it again. Bucky Barnes is my favorite character of his and this is my favorite story of Bucky's so far. I can’t wait to see what he does next. (And I have a lot to say about how they treat his trauma in this show. I’ve definitely written about it before and may again.)

Monday (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one where he gets naked. If that’s all you’re looking for, enjoy. It was a very realistic portrayal of a relationship between two deeply flawed people. It can get depressing. But hey, penis.

The Devil All the Time (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you think Monday is depressing, this movie says “hold my beer”. But something about it is just captivating. It’s really disturbing, and if you’ve ever been screwed over by American Evangelical Christianity it might be more disturbing. Still, I’ve watched it twice. And as much of a bastard as Lee Bodecker is, he also looks really cuddly. He’s just barely in it.

The Last Full Measure (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - You will cry. A lot. It’s based on a true story. Sebastian plays a man who cares more about his career than this weird quest dumped on his desk by his boss, but changes his mind and his heart as he investigates why a war hero was denied a medal of honor 34 years before. Definitely recommend.

Endings, Beginnings (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - One of two love interests in the complicated life of Shailene Woodley’s Daphne, Sebastian is an adorable mess. The editing is interesting and fresh feeling. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean. Fair amount of sex in this movie, and you see his butt. It’s a very nice butt. I’ve watched this one a few times so far.

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐ - There is no reason to watch this movie if you’re not familiar with at least most of the rest of the MCU. It plays merry hob with the rules of time travel, and only makes sense if you don’t really think about it. In my opinion, the ending is really freaking stupid comsidering his character’s history, but at least it sets up TFatWS, which was amazing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018) - Movie - ⭐ - If you’re into movies that are creepy but also almost nothing happens for most of the movie, this is the one for you. Sebastian is handsome as hell, but also a complete asshole. As fine as he is, I’m not gonna watch this again. I fucking hated it.

Destroyer (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- I had a hard time paying attention to the plot because it seemed like they made this movie just to get Nicole Kidman an Oscar nomination for wearing ugly makeup and playing a complete mess of a person. It’s a fine movie, and all of the performances are good. Sebastian looks surprisingly good with the short hair and goatee. Ultimately, the plot is depressing and the whole movie seems kind of pointless.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Again, no reason to watch this if you aren’t already familiar with all the movies leading up to it. It’s long and the villain looks like Grimace and a California Raisin had an evil baby. The ending made me scream with frustration that I had to wait until the next one came out. Now I just watch them back-to-back if I watch them at all. It’s not a good movie, but it is part of a long-form story that I enjoy in general.

I’m Not Here (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Another depressing one. Told over the course of one man’s terrible life, it’s a sad account of how much your parents can fuck you up. Sebastian portrays the middle part of the man’s life. J.K. Simmons plays the current day part and unreliable narrator.. Do not watch unless you are fully prepared to be sad for a really long time after.

I, Tonya (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- This movie is hilarious. I mean, the true story is insane and really stupid. The spousal abuse is hard to watch, and Sebastian’s mustache in this is a war crime. But the acting is great and it’s a very engaging movie. The parts that aren’t horrifying are pretty funny.

Logan Lucky (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Watch. This. Movie. Sebastian Stan is only in it a little, but it’s a really fun, clever caper/heist movie and everyone in it is fantastic. I don’t want to say anything else about it if you’re going in fresh. I’ll be rewatching this one a lot

Captain America: Civil War (2016) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you ignore how kind of silly the conflict over the Sokovia Accords is, this is a good Marvel movie. Sebastian gets a lot of screen time because Bucky is the more pressing concern/urgent point of contention than the Accords. Bucky is my favorite character of his partly because of this movie.

The Martian (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I’m watching it(again) as I’m typing this. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. Sebastian Stan isn’t in it very much, but he’s very cute and so is his little story arc. Mostly I watch it because Ridley Scott made a fantastic movie. If you can get your hands on the Blu-Ray, it comes with a ton of extras. They made a very complete story that isn’t all seen in the movie. A lot of it is stuff about Mars, but there are also extra “crew” interviews, so there’s another chance to see more of Sebastian’s character.

Ricki and the Flash (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - He’s not in this very much, but he’s very cute when he does appear. It’s all about the relationship between Ricki and her daughter. Definitely rewatchable. Meryl Streep is fantastic, because she’s Meryl Streep.

The Bronze (2015) - Movie - ⭐ - This is not a good movie. It’s about Olympic gymnastics, so it might be slightly more interesting right now while the Olympics are happening. Sebastian isn’t in it a lot, but his performance is certainly… memorable. Weirdest sex scene I’ve ever seen. Worth watching just for that.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one I can watch over and over. I bought a Winter Soldier face mask for when I need to feel like a badass. Bucky’s story is really sad, but he’s also extremely sexy with the metal arm and determined walk.

Once Upon a Time (2012-2013) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐ - This show is so stupid, but it’s also fun. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is that fairy tale characters are real and live in another land. Snow White’s Evil Queen casts a spell to transport a bunch of them to a town she creates in Maine called Storybrooke, and gives them all fake memories so she can be mayor and watch them all not remember who they are. Sebastian plays Jefferson, a.k.a. The Mad Hatter. He’s in a few episodes in season 1 and 2, and doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but he’s really cute and tragic as Jefferson. It probably helps to watch the whole first season just to understand his episodes, but that’s up to your tolerance for weird shit. Note: IMDB says he’s in an episode uncredited, but I’ve watched it and didn’t see him anywhere in that one.

Labyrinth (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐ - Two episodes that tell a complete story. Sebastian isn’t in this one a whole lot, but he is adorable. It’s a strange story about religious stuff and a sort of Holy Grail that’s three books. It’s hard to describe. It’s on Amazon Prime right now, but they’re taking it down August 8, 2021, so watch it while you can.

The Apparition (2012) - Movie - ⭐ - If you like horror movies, you might like this. I did not. From what I understand, it’s not a very good horror movie. Watch with caution and expect it to suck.

Political Animals (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I had to buy this through Apple and watch it on a Mac, but it was worth it. Sebastian plays TJ Hammond, the out gay son of a former American president who is clearly based on Bill Clinton. Sigorney Weaver plays the former first lady and current secretary of state. TJ struggles with addiction and relationship problems. His performance is heart-wrenching. The whole show is pretty great. I wish there was more of it.

Gone (2012) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - More of a psychological thriller than a horror movie. Sebastian has a small amount of screen time as the worried boyfriend. Amanda Seyfried is good. She carries the film well on her own.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you haven’t seen this yet, I’d like to know what it’s like under your rock. This is a movie I can rewatch a lot, and have. I 100% cried in the theater. Sebastian looks fantastic in uniform as Bucky Barnes. This is his introduction and the start of his ultimately tragic story (before he’s saved by his best friend, again).

Black Swan (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Sebastian is barely in this. He’s basically just in one scene in a dance club. But I watched it to try to complete StanQuest, and I had seen it before. It’s a good movie, but might induce some nightmares, depending on what scares you. If Natalie Portman didn’t at least get a nomination for an award she was robbed.

Gossip Girl (2007-2010) - TV Show - ⭐⭐ - Carter Baizen is a little shit. The episodes with Sebastian in them might have made more sense if I watched the show from the beginning, but I didn’t want to. His character is an asshole, but a very cute one.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- The people who made this movie are bad at math, and their rules of time travel are sketchy at best, but it is funny and entertaining. Sebastian plays a ski patrol bro who’s paranoid about the Russians, which is hilarious irony to me. Worth watching if you want to laugh at something dumb.

Kings (2009) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐- Sebastian plays Jack Benjamin, the closeted gay son of the king of a fictional place. It’s loosely based on the David and Goliath story from the Bible. Sebastian is so sad and so gay. His family makes his life a living hell. Ian McShane is a force of nature in this. It’s only one season. I’ve watched it twice. I will watch it again.

Spread (2009) - Movie - no stars - This movie was practically unwatchable. It stars Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche as a romantic couple, I guess? I ended up just skipping to Sebastian’s scenes and only watching those. Still painful.

The Covenant (2006) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This movie is so fuckig stupid, and I will watch it a ridiculous number of times. It’s about magic and teenagers, like The Craft for boys. Nothing about it makes sense. It’s terrible, almost irredeemable, but an evil Sebastian with magic powers is a siren song that will make me steer my boat right into the rocks.

And there you have it. There are a bunch of earlier things on IMDB that I just can’t find or don’t want to pay to rent. Maybe some day I’ll watch them and add them to this list.

[nutty1005]

Xiao Zhan: Learning to Live with Different Opinions

Original Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kFwWw70e6UvJ75egnRe7BA This article is published by Blogger World 博客天下 Weixin. This is also part of the article published in Blogger World 《博客天下》2020 8th Issue.

Giving others the space and freedom to voice different opinions is also a form of respect. Accepting criticisms during growth, displaying kindness in adversity.

Eye of the Storm

Acting is a profession, once you become famous, you will be labelled as “a celebrity” and you become a public figure, but in essence, you are still an average person. Just like everyone else during the pandemic period, they still need to stay quarantined at home and consider their daily meals.

“Celebrity” Xiao Zhan, who has a huge fan following, was also at home catching up on the movies on his to-watch list, watching dramas, reading, practicing his culinary skills – his work was no longer as tightly scheduled as before. This was supposed to be a rare relaxation period, but because of the sudden internet controversy, he found himself landed in the midst of public outcry, and this shattered his initial peace.

At first, he was quite confused, although he understood that any public figure would come with some sense of controversy, but when some of the controversy affected his friends and family, he felt that these were unfair to them. This point was something he could not quite understand.

After the passage of time, he slowly calmed down, and he attempted to learn to live with these different opinions. He feels that giving others the space and freedom to voice different opinions is also a form of respect, and he will accept criticisms during growth, and display kindness in adversity.

After a problem appears, the best method is to resolve the problem, and not to create another problem. This problem will obviously inspire fans (of any idol) to reflect on their actions, and consider how to reasonably handle themselves as a fan. At the same time, artists will also consider how to handle their relationships with their fans, and their teams will need to be more precise in their work. Whereas to the general public, when viewing the whole incident rationally, this can be also considered to be a part of creating a healthy internet environment.

Chance

When some people consider Xiao Zhan as one of the core members of the controversial “traffic” celebrities (TN: Traffic is a term that is used in China to describe idols with a lot of fan following), and lambast him for it, it is necessary to view his journey rationally – understand his chance entry into the entertainment business, and his unique qualities that set him apart from the rest.

Born in 1991, Xiao Zhan is almost 30, but he actually had not been famous for more than a year. Before this, like many other youngsters, he went through high school, university and work life, and never thought that he would become an artist. His university was Chongqing Technology and Business University; he majored in graphic design; while schooling he had received titles such was “Advanced Literary Individual” and “Excellent Team Member”, and also participated in the charity poster design competition organized by his university, winning awards “First Standard Award” and “Most Popular Award”; he even started his own studio with his friends. As such, it can be said that he went through a complete university education, and hence he has a certain amount of knowledge literacy.

After graduating in 2014, he worked for almost a year in a design firm. In June of the second year, because he loved singing, he joined a variety show “X-Fire”《燃烧吧少年》, in hopes of being seen by more people. This was not an easy part of his life – he had to learn dancing with zero foundation, stretching, memorizing movements, with great difficulty. Finally, he debuted as a member of the X-NINE X玖少年团 boyband.

That year, he was 25, and this fulfilled the lyrics of a song by Stefanie Sun – “The 25 year old me, there are differences now.” Then, he thought 25 years old was far away, but in the end it was really different.

However, at that point in time, China talent search variety shows did not have the popularity it would have later on, hence he was not popular upon debut – there was a period of dormancy. In the years following that, he switched paths to become an actor, and participated in web dramas, television dramas, as well as a minor role in the movie “Monster Hunt” 《捉妖记》, totaling a number of 7 to 8 shows. Because he did not come from an acting background, he felt inferior to his partners, who graduated from acting schools, during the shoots. During this period of time, he also doubted his decisions, and wondered if he had a future.

Later on, in the interview with Ren Min Wang 人民网 “Friendly Chat” 《友聊》 he said, “If initially I knew that I would later on go through so much things, I might retreat.” This is actually very similar with the encounters of many other actors, from low to high, from silent to outstanding, experience, works and reputation all have to go through an accumulation process.

At that time, he already had fans, although not too many. In his Weibo, he once had a post that was meant to communicate with his fans, named “Secret Garden”, to tell one another stories, encourage and comfort one another – it was a type of positive interaction.

Fame

The true fame came on the June of 2019. The web drama “The Untamed”, where he starred as the leading actor, aired. This drama came with a fan following from the novel it was based on, and with exquisite production quality, good acting portrayal and performance, this drama became the hottest drama of that year. It scored 7.7 in Douban (TN: Somewhat like China IMDB), which was considered above average in China, and it is worthy as a piece of “work” – although Xiao Zhan said in this interview, “Currently, I don’t think I have any piece of noteworthy work, hence I cherish every opportunity to participate in creative work.”

From this, he obtained a huge reputation, his fan size grew multi-fold, and this objectively created more difficulties for his team working behind him. From a commoner to an artist, and then to a celebrity, based on Xiao Zhan’s behavior, he is careful and cautious. When interviewed by China Youth Papers 《中国青年报》, he said “When I encounter difficulties, I will not give up easily, I will think of ways to resolve it”; “Respect everyone around me, I have to uphold the heart to honor and respect everyone around me.” When interviewed by Guang Ming Times《光明日报》, he hoped “the works that he participated in could transmit some positive values.”

At the end of last year, in CCTV Movie Channel, he also reviewed his legendary experience of 2019, “There are no adjectives to describe my 2019, hence I will say thank you, thank you to all the experiences, to all that I have.” He never talks about what role he is most satisfied with, but only that he could do better, “maybe it could be the next one”. At the same time, he expressed that he will put the focus of his career in 2020 on acting, “to an actor, works are my foundation.” This clearly shows that he is clear about his own acting career.

But evidently, the start of this year was not smooth sailing for him. This internet controversy, as a related party, he received numerous criticisms, whether with good or bad intentions, and how he viewed this whole incident, what psychological process he went through, how a public figure should bear the social responsibility, and what his next steps are…

For this, the aim of this Blogger World interview with Xiao Zhan is to “understand the problem, obtain a common understanding”.

Understood Some Things

(TN: R = Reporter, XZ = Xiao Zhan)

R: Earlier when the pandemic was at its peak, what were you busy with?

XZ: Quarantine, just like everyone else during the pandemic period. I remember it was during Chinese New Year period, following the news, seeing the medical personnel fighting at the forefront. It was especially touching when you see that they were relentlessly fighting even though they were facing a lack of medical supplies. At that time, I spoke with my staff, thought about wanting to do something, and do what I can. After the discussion to decide what to donate, we started contacting the relevant suitable organizations, communicate on what was needed, etc.

Besides this, I also received invitations to record ID videos to cheer on Wuhan and songs to beat back the pandemic. Because the songs required more professional equipment, hence I remember around the end of January, we went to the recording studio. At that time, the pandemic was at its critical period, to ensure safety, there were very limited staff on site, everyone were wearing masks, everything was strictly disinfected, every staff had to perform multiple roles, but we finished the recording with high efficiency. To me, this was a very special experience. Other then that, I was quarantined at home.

R: When you were at home, how was your daily life? How did you spend the time?

XZ: Actually just like everyone else, watch the news, watch dramas, watch movies, read books and rest. It is also quite inconvenient to order takeouts during quarantine period, hence I also trained my culinary skills. Just right at the time there were charity events to aid the farmers, hence I bought some fruits and farm products.

R: Were you concerned with the daily changes of the pandemic, what did you feel and think about?

XZ: Of course I did, I was following up on the pandemic news everyday, there were many moments that touched me. Previously there was this piece of news, a pair of husband and wife, there were both medical staff at the forefront, recognized each other despite wearing isolation robes and hugged together, that scene of reunion touched me very much. But at the same time, I saw that there were a lot more people who needed assistance, and I also felt personally that what one person can do is very limited, and I did too little.

R: When the internet controversy happened, what were you doing, what was your initial reaction, and what happened after?

XZ: I was quarantined at home at that time, when I first saw it I was extremely surprised, why there were suddenly so much topics, felt a bit confused, and understood it later like everyone else. Actually with regards to controversy, as a public figure, I was willing to bear these controversy, but some of them affected my friends and family, I felt that these were unfair to them. I could not quite understand (why they did this). And that point in time was the most critical period of the pandemic, I did not want my issues to take away too much attention, and bother everyone, hence I did not make much responses. Later on, my friends also gave me advice, and this period gave me more time to ponder over it, I also went out to do voice overs, in preparation for my future jobs, slowly I understood some things, so after a while, I started to slowly calm down.

R: You once said that in order to survive in society, one needs to learn to be complex, do you realize the complexity even more so now? Where there any changes to your life views?

XZ: There is definitely complexity, I do not think this is anything bad. Facing complex situations, we do not have the ability to force any changes, but I feel, as long as we maintain the most initial kindness and purity, work hard to do the best for the things we have decided. I have always upheld these principles, and these are also what I want to do.

R: Do you feel misunderstood? How do you adjust yourself?

XZ: It is still the same phrase from the previous interview, “When serious – work, when confused – read, when alone – think, when upset – sleep.” Actually I think this phrase can be used to aptly describe my condition for the past few months.

R: After a period of time, how do you feel about the controversy now?

XZ: We need to learn to live with different opinions, and also respect everyone’s rights to voice theirs. But this world is like this, there is a balance of energy, there are those who love you, who like you, at the the same time there will be people who hates you, who dislikes you. Giving others the space and freedom to voice different opinions is also a form of respect. Accepting criticisms during growth, displaying kindness in adversity.

No one likes you for no reason

R: We will talk about your experiences as an artist, when did you realize that you are famous? How did you feel?

XZ: Last summer, after seeing that there were more people who supported and liked me, very thankful and grateful. My father told me since young “no one likes you for no reason”, hence I hope I can live up to everyone’s like.

R: When you first entered the entertainment business, what goal did you hope to attain?

XZ: Actually my thoughts were very simple then, that is work hard to do the best in the competition, and hope to receive more recognition.

R: In being an artist, what did you feel is the most toilsome?

XZ: Every profession has its own toils, I treat my work very seriously, hardship is actually something you cannot avoid. If I really have to say something as toilsome, then it will be how I face the complex environment.

R: Many felt that you became famous overnight, but actually you already participated in several different dramas, how was your condition like then? What desires did you have for the future?

XZ: Actually there were not much difference, previously I just hoped that I always have jobs, have the opportunity to contact better roles, now is just work seriously, act properly, live everyday to the fullest. Continue on the path of an actor.

R: How did you learn performance? Where there any experience that was especially memorable?

XZ: At the start, I had no concept with regards to performance, later on I also took performance classes, with directions from performance teachers. The experience that was especially memorable was during the shooting of “The Wolf”, there was a crying scene on the highlands, a night scene, and it needed to rain, but that time, no matter what I did, I could not cry.

R: What do you think the relationship of front stage and back stage is?

XZ: I feel that front stage and back stage is not a type of relationship, but is the same job. Without the serious work and support of the backstage, the front stage will not be able to become better.

R: The character Wei Wuxian gave you a lot of glory as well as some controversy, how did you view the role?

XZ: I treat every role I have acted in seriously and with deep respect, because their story are all alternate lives that I would never experience. And portraying these characters, I really hoped that we can achieve success mutually, and win the recognition and love from the audience. I am lucky and thankful to have participated in a part of Wei Wuxian’s life, and this role also became an important part of my acting career. Also I am very grateful to the hard work from all the staff as part of this creative work, and gifted this character vitality. All these creative artists gave me the chance, and allowed me as an actor, using my own thoughts and performances, to bring forth the character Wei Wuxian, even more vividly in front of the general audiences.

R: With regards to “work”, how do you define it?

XZ: I feel that a piece of work is not just the result of a person’s hard work, behind it are also everyone’s sacrifices and creation. Currently, I don’t think I have any piece of noteworthy work, hence I cherish every opportunity to participate in creative work, and also treat every job seriously, in the future I will do my best in singing and acting.

R: The journey of fame, how did you establish your confidence, from inexperience to mature?

XZ: It is definitely a slow process. Actually it is just like that lyric in my new song “All traces passed by turned into light spots.” That is when you encounter difficulties, from it you learn and grow, the accumulation of every step, you are always on the path of growing.

R: In facing the exhaustion from work, the disturbances from the outside world, do you feel that fame is a double edged sword? How do you hope to be viewed by the outside world?

XZ: I feel that anything has its pros and cons, I have already learnt to handle it with common sense, I hope that I am still the same initial me, to be able to maintain humility and politeness.

R: Are you afraid of the uncertainty of life? Do you have insecurities?

XZ: Of course I am. Life is made up of a lot of uncertainties, many times I would also feel insecure, but isn’t the unknown life’s greatest challenge? The feeling of “singing as you walk” is great.

Be yourself, actions speak louder than words

R: You once said in an interview that you do not want to be a perfect person, can you explain what you meant?

XZ: I feel that no one can be perfect, neither can I.

R: Actor, artist and traffic celebrity, what do you think the difference are in these terms?

XZ: Actor is my career, artist and traffic celebrity, to me, are just a label, that is on every public figure. I will do the best for my job, in the future I will be even more serious in my singing, acting, and continue to bear whatever social responsibility I should bear.

R: You once said that communication is very important, now that you are too famous, will this bring about difficulties in communication?

XZ: The changes in my identity definitely brought along some inconveniences, but to my friends, my family and me, the communication has always remained the same. In facing those who like me and support me, I feel that I am communicating with them via my works, hence I will humbly accept all good intent criticisms and corrections on my profession.

R: You did not change your Weibo account after your debut, and also said that that you are very real, and you want to show everyone the real you. To the public who do not understand you, what do you have to say?

XZ: I always said, I am not a perfect person, but that does not prevent me from working hard towards becoming a better person. I am a more direct person, I also wanted to present the real me to everyone, hence I never considered changing my Weibo account, those were all my experiences and memories, the testament to my growth. I will not use youth or commoner as an excuse.

I started using Weibo when I was 19 or 20 years old, when I was still young and a commoner, and I said some very inappropriate words or opinions that are unacceptable now, and it probably did cause trouble or hurt to others. Hence I also wanted to say, after reflecting, to those who were hurt by these opinions, I express my most sincere apologies. If I could use my current experience and sensibleness back then, I would definitely respect everyone’s effort in their work, and will not comment rashly.

R: Your Weibo used to be very lively, full of witty words, you also liked to snatch the top comment on your own posts, and interacted with your fans, but later on, these posts were generally non existent, almost as if your image became flat, how do you feel?

XZ: Just representing myself only, I feel that the image on social media cannot encompass an entire person, that is only an outlet. I am always willing to communicate with everyone, but I am also afraid to bother others, if the effect of bother becomes greater than sharing, that would be something that I very much would not want to see.

[dweemeister]

The Five Pennies (1959)

Anyone with a passing interest in American music knows about Louis Armstrong, even superficially. The New Orleans-born cornetist/trumpeter/singer was a central figure of jazz music. His influence on the genre gifted him a popularity not afforded any other black artist in a segregated American popular culture. Armstrong’s renown saw him land numerous film roles – typically playing himself or a jazz band leader – such as Cabin in the Sky (1943); New Orleans (1947); and Hello, Dolly! (1969). He appears as himself, too, in The Five Pennies (1959), a film based on the life of a real-life cornet player. But The Five Pennies concerns not Armstrong, but a white contemporary in Red Nichols. Nichols, played by the effervescent Danny Kaye in this film, might not have been as virtuosic as Armstrong or Bix Beiderbecke, but he was a fine cornetist. For a time in the late 1920s and early ‘30s, he was hailed in Europe as the greatest living jazz cornetist – but only because the records of his African-American counterparts were not yet widely distributed across the Atlantic. Once European jazz fans were more exposed to the numerous black jazz greats, they turned on their regard for Nichols as quickly as they had built it up.

We first find Nichols (Kaye) moving to New York City in the 1920s, hoping to break through in the Big Apple’s thriving jazz scene. In what is probably a dramatization by director Melville Shavelson, Nichols receives that break during a Louis Armstrong show he attends. There, he meets and will later marry Willa Stutsman (Barbara Bel Geddes; in this film, Willa is a singer but was in actuality a dancer). The two are deeply supportive of the other, and will have a daughter named Dorothy (Susan Gordon as a child; Tuesday Weld as a teenager). In New York, Nichols will put together a band that may contain some familiar names to jazz aficionados: himself, pianist Arthur Schutt (Bobby Troup), clarinetist/saxophonist Jimmy Dorsey (Ray Anthony), drummer Dave Tough (Shelly Manne), and trombonist Glenn Miller (Ray Daley). They call themselves the Five Pennies in a sly nod to Nichols’ surname (five pennies equals a nickel), and the quintet tours the United States. At the height of the band’s popularity, Dorothy contracts polio. Nichols, unable to balance the demands of touring with the Five Pennies with the attention his daughter requires, has a crucial decision to make.

Danny Kaye’s comedic and musical abilities are the stuff of legend, in addition to his holding the distinction of being the first Ambassador-at-Large for UNICEF. In The Five Pennies, the audience saw glimpses, for the first time, of Kaye in a more dramatic role. This is not to say there aren’t any signature comedic moments by Kaye – far from it. In the film’s second half as a musical life wears down on Red Nichols, Kaye transforms from a dainty, energetic, and outgoing fellow to someone inhabiting weariness and harboring deep conflicts within his soul, disallowing anyone outside his family to look within. Any such transformation necessitates an actor who can believably and naturally transition between the two halves – and Kaye does just that. His expressive face helps to exaggerate emotion when needed; the studied change in his gait from the film’s first to second halves is something I never expected from him. Those only familiar with Kay’s comedic roles are in for a surprise – a pleasant one – in The Five Pennies.

She never really received top billing in her work nor was she primarily an actress in film, but Barbara Bel Geddes provides ample support for Kaye in this movie. The sincere, not showy, relationship between Willa and Red Nichols always feels authentic. Nichols spends most of the film reveling in his musical life; thus, Willa, as played by Bel Geddes, is responsible for much of the work here. Bel Geddes’ understated performance is wonderful complement to Kaye’s, and it only deepens my wish – when also considering her performance in one of my favorite films, I Remember Mama (1948) – that she starred in more movies alongside her accomplished stage career.

So while The Five Pennies might possess great performances, those performances are also what makes the film tolerable. It runs into trouble with an inert screenplay by Jack Rose and director Melville Shavelson (Rose and Shavelson also wrote 1955’s The Seven Little Foys and 1958’s Houseboat) from a story by Robert Smith (1952’s Invasion, U.S.A., 1953’s 99 River Street). Thus, The Five Pennies is a standard biopic about dreams deferred because of familial love, and it fails to distinguish itself when there is no musical performance on-screen. Too often I found myself wanting the film to hurry up its exposition so that Danny Kaye or Louis Armstrong could perform (Kaye’s cornet and trumpet playing was dubbed over by Red Nichols himself, but Kaye spent months learning the cornet so that he could accurately mimic the correct fingering) the next number. But Rose and Shavelson dedicate sufficient time to pore over Willa’s diagnosis of polio and how it irrevocably changes her life and those of her parents. This could easily have been maudlin, yet Rose and Shavelson provide enough space for this development without too much self-pity or undeserved inspiration.

Whether with or without lyrics, original or adapted material, there is music aplenty in The Five Pennies. Familiar songs such as “When the Saints Go Marching In”, “My Blue Heaven”, and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” are all given jazzy renditions – and though it might not be as popular as those aforementioned songs, Louis Armstrong’s rendition of “(Won’t You Come Home) Bill Bailey” at the speakeasy in the film’s concluding minutes is a musical highlight. Armstrong, as always, is a joy to watch while in his element. Despite given relatively little to do in The Five Pennies, Armstrong brings the best with the provided material. The moody lighting often employed during the speakeasy and nightclub scenes adds to the unique ambience of the performances. There are a handful of original songs in the film, all composed by the eminent Sylvia Fine (Kaye’s wife, who always tailored her compositions to suit her husband’s singing abilities and musical style). Kaye’s novelty songs are not to everyone’s tastes (certainly not mine), but they are not prominent in The Five Pennies.

“Lullaby in Ragtime” is not even remotely related to ragtime, but it provides Kaye a tender lullaby, the likes of which he excelled in. It is an easygoing, heartwarming tune that boasts beautiful two-voice counterpoint. The film’s title song appears on a sleepless night for young Dorothy – yet another lullaby! Backed by orchestra, it is short, sweet, lovely. However, it is not the last performance of “The Five Pennies”. Do you recall the two-voice counterpoint mentioned earlier this paragraph? Sylvia Fine composes a third lullaby and combines all three lullabies into an incredible rendition of three-voice counterpoint – “Lullaby in Ragtime” (the best of the three), “The Five Pennies”, and Louis Armstrong with “Goodnight – Sleep Tight”. With amateur musicians, this is a difficult musical feat to pull off. And though they were professional actors, it is a great accomplishment to sing this successfully alongside Louis Armstrong: Kaye could not read music (yet Kaye, through observation and close listening, was masterful at internalizing rhythm and expressing his own musicality) and Susan Gordon was no older than ten when this scene was filmed.

The Five Pennies is one of several jazz musician biopics released during the Hollywood Studio System (see: 1945’s Rhapsody in Blue, 1954’s The Glenn Miller Story, 1956’s The Benny Goodman Story, etc.), but probably one of the least-known. That is almost certainly due to Red Nichols’ obscurity to even casual jazz fans today. Nichols did resume his touring career and revive the Five Pennies – its original members had long departed for their own storied careers – following his service as an industrial worker during World War II. But he never again reached the popular heights that he achieved prior to the mass distribution of jazz records featuring African-Americans performers in Europe. For Louis Armstrong, he remains a highly recognizable, central figure in the genre decades after his passing.

This decent film adaptation of Red Nichols’ life up to that point is perhaps not the best introductory film to Danny Kaye (I would recommend one of his comedies like 1955’s The Court Jester), but it is ideal for his fervent fans and those seeking any depiction of jazz figures in American cinema.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[nazghoulz]

The Definitive Ranking of Richard Armitage’s Acting Roles, Rated Exclusively by How Hot I Find Him In Screengrabs

Richard Armitage. As a diehard Thorin Oakenshield fan I certainly have a complicated relationship with him, mainly because I can never decide if I find him inherently hot or not. On the one hand, I’m a hardcore Thorinfucker. On the other hand my gay ass sees a headshot of Mr. Armitage and I’m just like, “Oh, no thank you.” So in order to set myself to rights, I have gone through Mr. Armitage’s IMDB and done a definitive ranking of all his 44 screen roles on there, based completely and arbitrarily on how hot I find him in screenshots. (Thank you to all the hardcore Armitage Fuckers who keep wordpress blogs with screengrabs of his various cameos and bit parts; my respect for you cannot be put into words.) I haven’t seen like 90% of these properties, and I didn’t bother to research them, so these are mainly just gut first impressions. I hope this helps anyone else out there who as confused by him as I am. Enjoy ?

44. Father Quart in The Seville Communion/The Man From Rome (2020)   — ??/10

I don’t think this movie is out yet? Idk I haven’t been able to find any stills of him, let alone much information about the movie itself. It’s listed on his IMDB though! And apparently he’s playing a priest...which could be extremely  👁️👁️ if done correctly.

43. Unnamed Naboo Fighter Pilot in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) — 1/10

OH SWEETIE NO!!!!! This physically pains me to say this, because I unironically love this terrible movie with my whole heart, but unlike a yung Kiera Knightley’s role (pictured front and center) as Padmé’s loyal body double Sabé, this is probably a cameo that we would all like to forget about. The only thing Richard has to offer is this unfortunate turtle-faced realness. This helmet does him no favors.

42. Man in Pub in Boon (1992) — 2/10

As far as I know this is Richard’s first acting credit on IMDB, and he for sure is working the background extra energy. Go on girl give us nothing! He does have a decent backside though, and it’s better than looking at unfortunate turtle face, so I give this one a 2.

41. Paul Andrews in Between the Sheets (2003)  — 2/10

I can’t really articulate why, but I absolutely despise every screenshot I see of Richard Armitage in this role. He is completely unhot, and not even in a way I can laugh at. He takes no advantage of his assets, he has no charisma, no magnetism, no nothing. This is Richard Armitage at his most white bread rando, in a way that makes me actively dislike him. Pbbbbttth. Bad. Throw this whole thing away.

40. Craig Parker in Casualty (2001)  — 2/10

I don’t know, it’s like the perfect storm of the gelled 2001 hair, the terrible quarter? eighth? zip sweater, and overall, er, skeezy vibes that he gives off that makes him particularly unhot in this role. Perhaps not as reprehensible as Unhot Paul, but still. I think the sheer boringness of this has to count for something. Blech.

39. Dr. Tom Steele in Doctors (2001) — 2.5/10

He honestly looks like a villain in an early season of Alias, which... well. Quentin Tarantino was cast as a bit-part villain in Alias season one, so take that as you will. But at least he’s compelling here, which is why he gets half a point over Unhot Paul.

38. Steven in Frozen (2005) — 3/10

Get some rest, tall child! You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends! Also short haircuts do nothing for you, Richard. Styled like this, they just serve to make you look sort of like a sleaze.

37. Peter Macduff in ShakespeaRe-Told (2005) — 3/10

He honestly looks like he could be a guest star in Friends in this one, where he’s a guy named Jason who Ross meets in Central Perk where they find they have a lot in common. Ross introduces Jason to Monica and they really hit it off, but it all comes crashing down because while Jason is sensitive and writes poetry, he also thinks that the Earth is flat. The rest of the episode is trying to get rid of Jason while he becomes increasingly obsessed with Monica, and Ross cannot quite let go trying to prove to Jason that the world is round. Anyway. Macduff Flat Earth Jason isn’t quite as unhot as Unhot Paul, but he’s pretty much on the same level as Tired Steven.

36. Phillip Durrant in Marple (2007) — 3/10

Something about him in this image really makes me want to punch him in the face. It’s huge Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3 energy.

35. Young Claude Monet in The Impressionists (2006) — 3.5/10

I’M LOSING MY FUCKING MIND THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS !!! CARNIVAL BARKER !!!!! STEP RIGHT UP TO SEE THE WORST GOATEE IN HISTORY !!! I was actually going to give Yung Claude a 2 but the more I look at this terrible beard the more impressed I am with the boldness of this look, so I had to bump it up to 3.5. Idk. Just look at this. It’s incredible, especially knowing what kind of beard Armitage can grow himself !!!!!!!!

34. Heinz Kruger in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — 3.5/10

This is definitely the best looking he’s been so far in this list, but he’s a Nazi in this one, which makes him unsexy on principle. But do I feel a little something when he gets pinned to the ground by jacked Chris Evans with the above look on his face right before he swallows his cyanide pill? Can neither confirm nor deny. They are also truly playing into his inherently sinister bone structure, so I can respect that.

33. Percy Courtney in Miss Marie Lloyd (2007) — 4/10

Even including Yung Claude and Nazi Heinz, I think Nothing Percy is probably the weakest of Richard’s period looks, mostly because he looks like, well, nothing. He certainly doesn’t pull off that top hat like he does in North and South, and the secret to that might be the lack of sideburns. In this one he just sort of reminds me of the asshole fiance in Titanic.

32. Philip Turner in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2005) — 4/10

He’s really giving off bargain bin Hugh Jackman as Wolverine vibes here, if Logan’s energy was more “murderer in a Hallmark channel mystery” than “superhero.” Though, given what sort of show this is, that may be the point! Idk, this isn’t the worst. At least he has a decent haircut in this one. Still, I feel absolutely nothing when I look at him. He’s simply royalty-free stock music given human form.

31. Dr. Alec Track in The Golden Hour (2005) — 4.5/10

I could see how this conceivably be sexy in this role, but to be honest, he’s still nothing to me, sorry. He gets some extra points because he obviously worked out for this role and the hard nips through a white undershirt is a commendable look. I whole-heartedly respect Doctor Alec’s thottitude.

30. Daryl in Staged (1999) — 4.5/10

Speaking of thottitude!!!!! This is one cream-faced business boy that I can certainly get into! He looks like the love interest in a pre-Hayes code homoerotic thriller from the early 1930s. I’m sure that’s just because of the lighting and general staging of this production, but hm... demure. Love it.

29. Capt. Ian Macalwain in Ultimate Force (2003) — 4.5/10

Well, he looks like a character from M*A*S*H but with no charisma, or like an extra in The Great Escape who snitches on Steve McQueen to the Nazis. Also in half the pictures I find of him from this he’s wearing this terrible beret, which I know he can pull off because of a role that ranks much higher on this list. Whoever styles this man really needs to pay attention to what sort of headgear they put on him.  

28. Epiphanes in Cleopatra (1999) — 5/10

Speaking of headgear, you know what?? He doesn’t look awful here. A solid 5, perfectly acceptable. I think the helmet does a lot to accentuate the sharpness of his face in this extremely bit part, though the eyeliner definitely also helps as well.

27. John Mulligan in Moving On (2009) — 5/10

Mr. Armitage’s characters can really have potential when a production’s stylist allows him to wear scruff (IN A WAY THAT LOOKS NATURAL, LOOKING AT YOU YUNG CLAUDE). However, as it is with John Mulligan in Moving On here, he just sort of looks like a rando? They’re not playing into the inherent angularity of his face, which for me makes it sort of confusing regarding what sort of emotion I’m supposed to feel while looking at him. As it is, I’m just like, “Yup, that sure is a regular human man, right there.”

26. Smug Man at Party in This Year’s Love (1999) — 5/10

This is the face of a man who less smug and is more DRUNK OUT OF HIS MIND !!!! Idk. He’s cute here, I’ll admit. That’s all I have to say about it.

25. John Standring in Sparkhouse (2002) — 5.5/10

I enjoy the bold choice of giving him wavy hair in this one, but I’m not sure he quite pulls it off. It doesn’t look bad, per se, just... he looks completely nonthreatening. Which I guess could be someone’s thing, but not mine. He honestly looks like a knock-off Will Graham, sans dogs and trauma.

24. Gary in Into the Storm (2014) — 5.5/10

I think the thing that really gets me is that this character’s name is Gary. Who on God’s green Earth looks at Richard Armitage and goes, “Ah yes, you do look like a Gary” ??? I don’t think I know of a single non-American Gary, especially since the name Gary only got popularized after Gary Cooper renamed himself after his hometown of Gary, Indiana!!!! It wasn’t really a name for human men before that!!!! I want to live in the alternate universe where Frank Cooper was originally from Albuquerque and named himself Albuquerque Cooper and this character is named as such. Gary. Really.

23. King Oleron in Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) — 5.5/10

I truly hate how much his facial expressions in these stills remind me of Thorin, considering how bad he looks otherwise. Like his face his fine, I guess, especially since this is the first instance of his full beard. I’m charmed despite myself! Take me to wonderland, O King.

22. Adam Price in The Stranger (2020) — 5.5/10

For as compelling as people call this series, Richard here isn’t very much so imo. But despite my utter lack of interest, he doesn’t look bad per se. He just sort of has that stubbly white man blandness that colors a lot of his more recent roles. Like, at least his bad mid-2000′s styling had character. This is just the visual representation of a vague handwave.

21. Harry Kennedy in The Vicar of Dibley (2006)  — 6/10

Gosh... floppy hair, cute sweaters... he also seems to be smiling a lot in this one, which is nice! The only thing I have to complain about is that he looks very much like if Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman circa Kate and Leopold had a baby, which may not necessarily be too much of a bad thing, but I can’t unsee it.

20. Sgt. John Porter in Strike Back (2010)  — 6/10

Ah, back to poorly suited haircuts. At least he’s a little bit gritter and grimier than we’ve seen so far, and I will say Richard Armitage does look good covered in dirt, as we will see later on. Also he’s got biceps in this one, which, hell yeah.

19.  Ricky Deeming in Inspector George Gently (2007)  — 6/10

I’M HAVING THE HARDEST TIME RIGHT NOW RANKING THIS ONE BC OF THIS INCREDIBLE LITTLE WHITE SCARF-RIDING LEATHERS COMBO!!! WHICH ABSOLUTE GENIUS DECIDED THIS!!!! EVERY SCREENSHOT OF HIM IN HIS EPISODE HAS THIS!!! Part of me just wants to give Stylish Ricky a big fat 10 because I’m gay and adore the sheer audacity of this look, but I still have to be fair and rank his overall aura accordingly. I think he’s a handsome extremely gay-coded motorcycle lad in this one, but he doesn’t exactly rev my engine, so to speak.

18. Lucas North in Spooks (2008) — 6/10

The tattoos really spice this one up. Luke could have been plagued by the problems inherent in Regular Mulligan’s Moving On styling, but this guy has an edge to him. He has a good haircut and 5′ o’clock shadow, which is something I’ve figured out is integral to Armitage Hotness. I feel like if I got to know this character I could possibly find him sexy.

17. Raymond de Merville in Pilgrimage (2017) — 6.5/10

Speaking of bad haircuts, this one is his undoing. This is almost the perfect balance between full beard and short haircut, which is the only way a short haircut works on this man, but they ruined it with this one! They gave him a bad bowl fade, which completely undoes any inherent sexiness that comes with being a knight. Not even the fact that he’s covered in dirt can turn me on at this point, ugh. Guy of Gisbourne he is not!!!

16. Tom Calahan in Brain on Fire (2016) — 6.5/10

Oh hell yes, WELCUM 2 DA DILF ZONE!!! I’m not super duper thrilled with the looks I’ve seen from this movie, but he seems scruffy and comfy in a way that is slightly refreshing for ol’ Richard. This is certainly the best of his normie looks so far. I’m just sad it took them 24 years to figure out how to style him properly for sympathetic roles in a contemporary setting.

15. James in My Zoe (2019) — 6.5/10

It’s another DILF look, slightly edgier than Comfy Tom but none of that sexy tired energy that we’ll see from Ocean’s 8. I don’t know !! Jimmy here doesn’t exactly thrill me, I think I prefer Tom’s flannels to this sharp bomber jacket/white t shirt combo seen here. Oh well! I am extremely  👀 👀 👀 👀 👀 that he can just casually palm that soccer ball like that.

14. John Thornton in North & South (2004)  — 7/10

Alright. I’m sorry. I just don’t find him that hot in this role. Like yeah, he’s got the scruff and the sideburns that work to his advantage, and the setting does make this character inherently sexy, but in some screenshots he screams too much of an aforementioned Kate and Leopold (the best Meg Ryan movie, imo) era Hugh Jackman to me. And if I was particularly into that, I would just watch Kate and Leopold again. I will admit, however, that this rating could be subject to change if I actually took the time to watch this show.

13. Chop in Urban and the Shed Crew (2015) — 7/10

...I’M??? INTO IT??? He’s dirty and scruffy but also has kind eyes.... I feel like this is knock off Will Graham who has blossomed into his own. His run down, grime-covered own. He’s back edging into Bradley Cooper territory, but somehow it works for him in this one. Like, I’m 89% sure it’s the DILF vibes I’ve been getting from the other screengrabs I’ve seen of this role, and this particular flavor of DILF is way sexier than Jimmy or Comfy Tom.

12. Francis Dolarhyde in Hannibal (2015) — 7/10

His Caesar cut doesn’t bother me quite so much in this, probably because he is pretty explicitly playing a villain in a series that doesn’t have any basis in reality. A villain who is ripped, and who can effortlessly throw real Will Graham around. Armitage uses his inherent sinisterness to great effect as the Red Dragon, which is good actually! I think a lot of how hot he is in any particular role really depends on whether the styling allows him to play to his strengths...idk! I’m not usually a huge fan of clean shaven Armitage, but it works for Frank here.

11. Daniel Miller in Berlin Station (2016) — 7/10

As much as I adore this particular look (beard + fade + green army jacket), I have to compromise and give Danny a 7/10 because it seems like the first season they styled him in usual stubbly white man blandness. I’d say screengrabs from s1 are a solid 6, while this might be an 8, so the average is a 7. That’s all I have to say about this!

10. Claude Becker in Ocean’s 8 (2018) — 7.5/10

!!!!! I love him in this role, I about had a conniption in the theater because I absolutely was not expecting him!! He looks perfectly ruffled and scruffy, edgier than either Comfy Tom or Jimmy, which I’m very into. That plus his two borzois (objectively the best looking dogs on the planet) really put Old Claude over the top for me. Thank you, thank you Hollywood stylists for finally figuring out what to do with him for roles as a Normal Man.

9. Richard Hall in The Lodge (2019) — 7.5/10

I don’t know anything about this movie, but it seems pretty spooky, which I’m into. I think Richard is well suited for this sort of horror/thriller role, where his angular features can play into the overall vibe rather than some hapless stylist trying to work around them. He looks like another cozy DILF here but with a bite to him, like someone who would do anything to protect his brood. I mean, he’s teaching this child to shoot! But idk, he also has the potential for Jack Nicholson in The Shining energy, which I also could be....hm... into. Idk. Is this on Netflix??

8. Lee in Cold Feet (2003) — 7.5/10

FUN!!! FLIRTY!!!! OTTER VIBES!!!!! I LOVE THIS, he seems so goofy here, and Armitage doesn’t usually pull off goofy that well! I’ve giggled at literally every screenshot I could find from the four episodes he was in this show, he seems like a real himbo. I’m a huge fan, even if it comes at the cost of dehydration abs.

7. William Chatford in Malice Aforethought (2005) — 7.5/10

Hoo hoo HOO DO NOT JUDGE ME!!!!!!! Maybe it’s just because I’ve been watching the new season of The Alienist and the new dark and gritty HBO reboot of Perry Mason back to back, but sue me, I love the bold choice they made with giving him a pencil moustache here. He looks like a hot Howard Hughes; if cream-faced business boy Daryl from Staged is the young ingenue in the pre-Hayes Code thriller I cast him in, Bill here is the sexy antagonist. I desperately want to hear a perfect Transatlantic accent coming out out of that  mouth. This look fucks and I’m sticking to that no matter what.

6. Trevor Belmont in Castlevania (2017) — 8/10

Ah, yes, speaking of king himbos... do me a favor and look me right in the eye and tell me that you wouldn’t fuck Trevor Belmont. You can’t, can you?????? At least 80% of Richard Armitage’s inherent hotness stems from his voice, and you can’t tell me there isn’t anything sexier than thinking about letting that guy loose in a recording studio and letting him say fuck. Look, Trevor may be drawn that way, but it’s the absolute stupidity coming out of his mouth in that sweet baritone that makes me want to be raw-dogged by 100% pure Romanian beef.

5. Dr. Scott White in Sleepwalker (2017) — 8/10 

Much like I had intimated when talking about Hot Danny in Berlin Station, this is Peak contemporary normie Richard Armitage styling. I honestly think The Hobbit either awakened something in him, or casting directors finally figured out he looks way good with a full beard. His crew cut even works with his whole look, which is a miracle!!!! I think he should be contractually obligated to have a full beard in all of his future roles, but that’s just me.

4. Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood (2006) — 8.5/10

I honestly can’t believe I’m ranking Guy so far up here, but honestly, THIS RULES!!!!!! THIS FUCKS!!!!!!!!! Which is incredible due to Guy’s lack of beard, but I’m weirdly okay with it? Like sure, he looks like he’d probably call me a slur in front of his shitty friends, but he also looks like he could tenderly pound me into the mattress in a way that would have me questioning my commitment to the “no emotions” clause of our clandestine no-strings-attached sex agreement. Anyway. Guy of Gisbourne if you see this im free thursday night. please message me back if you’re free thursday night when i am fr

3. Angus in Macbeth (1999) — 8.5/10

HHHNGHGNHNGHGN HE’S SO HOT.....!!! HE’S SO HOT!!!!! Leather jacket!!! Scruff!! Dirt!!!! Flattering beret!!!!! He’s so hot, and the worst part about this is that this was filmed in NINETEEN NINETY NINE!!!!!!!!!!!! Which means we could have always had this, had stylists and makeup artists PLAYED TO HIS STRENGTHS!!!!! He’s so hot I’m getting legitimately angry. Without scruff and dirt this man is nothing. N o t h i n g.

2. John Proctor in The Crucible (2014) — 9/10

Look, I know I have a type. But... this guy is just so hot, Daniel Day Lewis please step aside!!!! Contemporary theater historians describe John Proctor as a “strong beast of a man,” and... hhhHHOOOGH HELL YEAH!!! HELL !!!! YEAH !!!!! Like, his dick got almost his entire Puritan village, including himself, accused of witchcraft and like, looking at this guy, I kind of get it. I would probably go to war over the raw animal beauty of this horrible dirty, greasy man. Sue me, I confess. I saw Goody Osburn with the devil.

1. Thorin II Oakenshield in The Hobbit Trilogy  — 9.5/10

Come on. You knew it was going to be this guy. Look at my icon for christ’s sake. I am completely biased, I cannot look at his pictures objectively. Anyway. Thank you so much for reading, this was a very stupid list.

[littlebetesofeverything]

Women Rocking Hollywood 2020: Supporting Female-Helmed Film and TV

Hit me with the new stuff coming, baby!

They open with a clip of The High Note. It has two ambitious women who are unapologetic about their careers. It shows how they are held back by things like sexism, ageism and are NOT set against each other (Thank God)

It breaks down the myth that only 1 woman can be at the table at a time. It does ask what women give up to succeed

There were a lot of collabs behind the scene to point those subjects out. 

They took everyone with experience and helped them get where they should be to lift up women in the industry

Being a young mother and a producing director in a pandemic is a lesson in juggling and shifting responsibilities

Ava DuVernay hires first time female directors to help them be able direct TV shows, since it is hard to break into TV as a female director

There is a lot of women uplifting other women, and I love this song.

The Old Guard trailer again!!! God I love this movie

I like how so much of it is just Charlize Theron kicking ass 😍😍😍

please give me all the deleted scenes bc Joe in sunglasses is a gift

“found family is at the center of the story” Hell Yes it is

The female characters just feel different in this world and they are badass warriors

One of the leads is a young black woman and that is still rare since Black Panther (Kiki Layne/Nile is awesome)

The fight sequences are the best and there all kinds of weapons they use

She didn’t want to use stunt doubles because the stories are character driven and wants to show their faces (and it pays off imo)

The guys gave respect as a stunt team, which is awesome

Despite the premise, there is a grounded, real feel to the world and characters. It affected all aspects of development

Relationship between 6000 year old and rooky immortal is a trope with a new twist and also parallels the actors themselves too

She has a knack for picking women who will become famous: Kiki Layne is the new actress in this movie

Gina (the director) saw innate toughness, and saw her in Beale Street (thought she was too soft). She nailed Nile in 5 seconds into her audition and had a desire to do great

GO SEE THE MOVIE!!!

Zetna being the director for Cursed (Netflix TV show) was really cool because she met the writer of the book

 There is a lot of worldbuilding because it is a fantasy show and they want it to have heart. They made it as a coming-of-age story for the young woman

Putting people of color in the spotlight (Arthur is black and Australian) is important but also for it to be about the best actor too

To focus on the Lady of the Lake and tell her story is an amazing opportunity and turns the myths on its head

Women only make 31% of the behind the camera people

ReFramed is an initiative to put women in the seat of control. Many of the women on the panel have gotten the ReFramed stamp 

it has the possibility of being an example for golden standard of equitable creation. Hulu has partnered with it so far

The badge is on the imdb page and on the ReFramed website. Hulu is actually in a 3 year partnership for a project with ReFramed to sponsor women in the industry

I love all the work being put in to give women the opportunity to thrive and grow. Can’t wait to see what they show us next!

[itsdlevy]

Some thoughts on movie musicals, since I’ve been watching a ton of them this year...

According to IMDB there were 200 MGM musicals. So far (in my life, not just this year) I have seen 63 of them. The oldest one I’ve seen is The Merry Widow (1934). The one I’ve watched most recently is Rosalie (1937). The best of them are obvious: Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The Wizard of Oz (1939), etc. The worst that I’ve seen so far are probably Hit the Deck (1955) and I Love Melvin (1953), although each definitely has elements to recommend it. My favorite new encounters of 2020 include The New Moon (1930), Rose Marie (1936), Give A Girl A Break (1953) and The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) – the former two actually great movies, the latter two delightful fluff.

This year I’ve also watched at least a dozen musicals from RKO (including all the Rogers/Astaire films, every one a winner), another dozen from 20th Century Fox (with a focus on Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda, although Stormy Weather (1943) is probably better than all the Faye & Miranda films put together), and a handful each from Warner Bros and Disney, and one or two each from Columbia, Paramount and Universal. Love Me Tonight (1932, d. Mamoulian, Paramount) is my favorite of all the films I’ve watched for the first time this year. Some other delightful surprises were Strike Me Pink (1936), A Damsel in Distress (1937), and Cover Girl (1944), the first two because they were genuinely, hysterically funny. (Pink was an Eddie Cantor vehicle with Ethel Merman; Damsel a Fred Astaire picture with Burns & Allen. Cover Girl is the first film Gene Kelly choroegraphed and is considered by many the movie where we first saw him at his full power.)

Watching so many of these films so close together, with a heightened awareness of directors, choreographers, stars, and studio, has really given me a new perspective on the era (or really, the two eras, as there was a decisive break in musical filmmaking between the 30s and the mid-40s). You start to recognize locations (like that one mansion on the Fox lot that shows up in a half-dozen of their musicals) and costumes (eg. the “Broadway Melody” costumes from Singin’ in the Rain show up in the “It” number in Deep in My Heart) and songs (for example, “You Are My Lucky Star” shows up in a ton of MGM movies) and even plots (uppity college girl deigns to be wooed by the quarterback; French princess goes undercover as a mail order bride; and of course, students must put on a show to save their school). 

And the repetition isn’t a bad thing -- what makes the films sparkle is the how, not the what. Every operetta might have its marching song, but listen to “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp” and “Stouthearted Men” and “The Riff Song” and “Song of the Vagabonds” back to back – rather than being bored by variations on a theme, you will be thrilled with the ways different talents attacked the same puzzle. 

There’s also the bizarre situation where so many of these films were adapted from stage musicals but either the book or the score was entirely replaced -- so you get the story of Something For the Boys but only one Cole Porter song (and the replacement score is in no way comparable to what was discarded), or you get (more or less) the score of Girl Crazy with an entirely new story. With Rosalie, they took a show with a score by The Gershwins, Romburg and Wodehouse, threw out all the songs and hired Cole Porter to write a new one! 

I said this earlier on Twitter, but it’s also fascinating to me, as someone who grew up on post-Rodgers & Hammerstein stage musicals (and their film adaptations) how little concern the filmmakers showed for form and structure. There were certain things that happened in most of the films, like an introductory number that establishes the film as a musical and often a wedding or other kind of coming together at the end, but beyond that? It’s the wild west, with no strict rules about song placement or function, who gets to sing or doesn’t, etc. And that in its own way is thrilling (if at times frustrating), because you never know what’s going to happen. (Although it also means some of the films can be meandering because there’s less of a clear direction of where the story is heading, if there’s even a story.) 

Anyway, as long as we are staying home seven days a week I’ll probably continue this exploration. I doubt I’ll ever see all 200 of the MGM musicals (and I’m not sure that some of the early ones haven’t been lost), but deepening my engagement with and knowledge of this specific corner of my interests has been a fun side effect of all this time at home.