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snowboyclarkov · 1 year ago

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My Personal Burst Rankings

Each season, the ranking of best to worst blader seen shifts as the standards increase with time and new bladers join. This is my opinion on the ranking of the top 10 bladers for each season.

This is on overall, and not just raw power. If it were just power, Kurt would likely be in first or second for Evolution, as Raul stated that there was no bey in the world at that point that could beat Khalzar in raw strength. These lists can include the same blader with different beys. Master Dragon isn't counted as it is the combination of two separate beys.

Hyde was better than Phi, but due to Phoenix absorbing Hades' power, Hyde lost. Phi then became better by fusing Revive Phoenix and Dread Hades into one bey.

As for Rise, Dante's first win against Arthur was by sheer luck, but then Dragon fully awakened and I'd say Dante/Dragon surpassed Arthur/Apocalypse then. Arman's win was awesome but it was little more than a fluke to me. It's the same situation as with Kurt, Arthur has more raw power than Dante or Delta, but raw power alone doesn't mean one is overall better. Interestingly Arthur was never beaten properly in a one on one with the Eclipse Armour by Delta. Delta got the upper hand once but each time Arthur lost was either to Dante or to a Dante/Delta tag-team.

Also, Hikaru and Hyuga are better solo than they get credit for. Oh, and Valt somehow easily breaking Lain's barrier was an ass pull with both Valt and Lain pulling out major plot armour. The Valt/Shu battle was a load of balls too. How Valt managed to beat the one guy who handed Vex Lucius's back end to it I'll never know. Aiger, the world champion and therefore better at the time, had to work much harder to beat Lain, and he wasn't even at his best due to Achilles' different modes. Weirdly, Dragon overpowered Achilles in one battle but the strain was too much and it ended up causing itself to burst, that's why my Surge list has Dante above Aiger and Aiger above Valt.)

QuadDrive is difficult because Rashad is never really seen battling with Regnar at full tilt due to bonding/resonance as it was damaged in a battle with Belfyre. That's why Ultimate Valtryek won so well against Regnar, because it was damaged. A full circle thing from when Salvage Valtryek broke because it was damaged. So Rashad/Regnar at their best without any damage to Regnar is what is used for the appropriate list.

If you ask me, it goes like this: Dragon (Awakened) > Apocalypse (Eclipse Armour) > Apocalypse >= Dragon (Partially Awakened) > Dragon.

I should point out that Destined Belfyre is basically just the Ultimate Gear version of Divine Belfyre. All lists can contain bladers from a previous season.

Burst:

Valt Aoi (Victory Valtryek)

Shu Kurenai (Storm Spryzen)

Lui Shirosagi (Lost Lúinor)

Alexander Shakadera (Xeno Xcalius)

Zachary Kaneguro (Zillion Zeutron)

Gabe Brunai (Giga Gaianon)

Wakiya Murasaki (Wild Wyvron)

Orochi Ginba (Omni Odax)

Naoki Minamo (Nova Nepstrius)

Akira Yamatoga (Atlas Anubion)

Evolution:

Free de la Hoya (Drain Fafnir)

Valt Aoi (Strike/Genesis Valtryek)

Spryzen (Spryzen Requiem)

Lui Shirosagi (Nightmare Lúinor)

Kurt Baratier (Boom Khalzar)

Shu Kurenai (Legend Spryzen)

Norman Tarver (Twin Noctemis)

Silas Karlisle (Kinetic Satomb)

Alexander Shakadera (Surge Xcalius)

Boa Alcazaba (Arc Balkesh)

Turbo:

Aiger Akabane (Turbo Achilles)

Valt Aoi (Turbo Valtryek)

Phi (Dread Phoenix)

Free de la Hoya (Geist Fafnir)

Shu Kurenai (Turbo Spryzen)

Kit Lopez (Air Knight)

Hyde (Dread Hades)

Phi (Revive Phoenix)

Aiger Akabane (Z Achilles)

Evel Oxford (Orb Engaard)

Rise:

Gwyn Reynolds (Eclipse Genesis)

Dante Koryu (Command Dragon)

Arthur Peregrine (Prime Apocalypse)

Delta Zakuro (Master Devolos)

Gwyn Reynolds (Royal Genesis)

Arman Kusaba (Bushin Ashindra)

Blindt DeVoy (Dusk Balkesh)

Aiger Akabane (Union Achilles)

Delta Zakuro (Venom/Erase Devolos)

Dante Koryu (Ace/Glyph/Rock Dragon)

Surge:

Lain Valhalla (Lucius Endbringer)

Hyuga Hizashi (Hyperion Flamebringer)

Hikaru Hizashi (Helios Blazebringer)

Shu Kurenai (World Spryzen)

Lain Valhalla (Vex Lucius)

Gwyn Reynolds (Eclipse Genesis) -> Rise

Free de la Hoya (Mirage Fafnir)

Dante Koryu (Triumph Dragon)

Aiger Akabane (Infinite Achilles)

Valt Aoi (Brave Valtryek)

QuadDrive:

Valt Aoi (Ultimate Valtryek)

Rashad Goodman (Glory Regnar)

Bel Daizora (Devastate Belfyre [Perfect Gear])

Phelix Payne (Prominence Phoenix)

Bel Daizora (Devastate Belfyre)

Lain Valhalla (Lucius Endbringer) -> Surge

Valt Aoi (Salvage Valtryek)

Rashad Goodman (Salvage Valtryek)

Bel Daizora (Destruction Belfyre [Perfect Gear])

Lui Shirosagi (Guilty Lúinor)

QuadStrike:

Bel Daizora (Destined Belfyre)

Valt Aoi (Ultimate Valtryek 2.0)

Pax Forsythe (Ruin Pandemonium)

Pri Forsythe (Flame Pandora)

Aiger Akabane (Zeal Achilles)

Dante Koryu (Gambit Dragon)

Shu Kurenai (Bolt Spryzen)

Valt Aoi (Ultimate Valtryek)

Rashad Goodman (Glory Regnar) -> QuadDrive

Hyuga Hizashi (Stellar Hyperion)/Hikaru Hizashi (Komet Helios)

Rise (all versions of beys):

Dante Koryu/Delta Zakuro (Master Dragon)

Gwyn Reynolds (Eclipse Genesis)

Dante Koryu (Command Dragon [Fully Awakened])

Arthur Peregrine (Prime Apocalypse [Eclipse Armour])

Delta Zakuro (Master Devolos)

Gwyn Reynolds (Royal Genesis)

Arthur Peregrine (Prime Apocalypse)

Dante Koryu (Command Dragon [Partially Awakened])

Arman Kusaba (Bushin Ashindra)

Dante Koryu (Command Dragon [Not Awakened])

#beyblade #beyblade burst #valt aoi #free de la hoya #aiger akabane #gwyn reynolds #lain valhalla #rashad goodman #bel daizora #pax forsythe #aiga akaba #dante koryu #drum koryu #delta akane #delta zakuro

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lovecanbesostrange · 2 years ago

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Finally saw Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania last night and now clicking through the general reviews... well... I do get the overall “why is everything CG in blockbusters, especially Marvel”. Oh, I want more shots on set and more practical effects. But this film is set in the quantum realm. Yes, it did not have to look so Star Wars-y (somebody better put the Mos Eisley Cantina music over that bar scene), but of all the things to bemoan that isn’t such a big deal in this film particularly?!

One reason the second Ant-Man is one of my absolute fav MCU films is the fact it’s not about saving the entire planet. Kinda low stakes and all, very character focused. And in lots of ways Quantumania (sadly) is the opposite of that. But also Kang is among my least cared about villains, I loathe so many times I would read Avengers and boom who shows up... ugh. Do. Not. Care. I already feared Kang would come after Thanos before Phase 2 was over. And here we are. But I think this version, for this movieverse, could overall be very entertaining. So hooray for that. It absolutely IS weird to set him up within an Ant-Man movie though. Then again breaking formula in a way?? Everybody else on these soulcrushing rides, adventures about personal grief and changes, but Scott Lang and family end up with this big threat looming. Hmm, okay.

I am upset that we didn’t get to see any of the non-suit-wearing characters we love. I especially don’t get why Maggie wasn’t at the fake birthday party in the end. I get why Luis isn’t in the big story, but a quick shot in the beginning - just like with Jimmy - would have been nice. I don’t think this film tells us that Scott doesn’t care about them and is only here for the Pym-van-Dyne family, but it’s a bit sad to get NOTHING.

What I wanted most of all was seeing Michelle Pfeiffer kick some ass. Expectation met. Thank you. I think Hope was a bit pushed too far back, but the way she comes back for Scott (always), is nice. I can get behind their relationship, their love, their commitment to each other 100%. Also Hank and Janet? Amazing. She kept so much for herself, but is he mad? Do they have to have long drawn out fights for D~rama?? Nope. Some irritation and frustration, sure, that’s more than allowed. But in the end there is only trust and love and unquestionable support. Also please, Hank is there to show some love for ants and that’s wonderful. Really glad his ant farm got sucked in. XD

Also watching this, my one wish is now stronger than ever. Seeing the absolute ridiculous M.O.D.O.K. (and I am not sorry they evolved this from Yellowjacket), I neeeeeeeeeeeeeee~d an X-Men film set in MojoWorld. So much. Ridiculous, over the top, non-sensical absurdity, that has zero consequences when the end credits roll. PLEASE! I need that.

Is this a cinematic masterpiece? lol no, why would I expect that from an MCU movie (so far down the line)? This is about characters I already love and adore (Scott Lang is the best), who end up in unfortunate circumstances and pew-pew their way out of it. For deeper feelings I watch other stuff. (While I’d still change things, I feel like the writers understand Ant-Man & Co better than whatever is happening with Thor. I think the tonal inconsistency of Love & Thunder drags that film down for me and Quantumania felt pretty solid in that regard.)

#ramblings

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ulkaralakbarova · 4 months ago

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Ip Man’s peaceful life in Foshan changes after Gong Yutian seeks an heir for his family in Southern China. Ip Man then meets Gong Er who challenges him for the sake of regaining her family’s honor. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ip Man moves to Hong Kong and struggles to provide for his family. In the mean time, Gong Er chooses the path of vengeance after her father was killed by Ma San. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Ip Man: Tony Leung Chiu-wai Gong Er: Zhang Ziyi Razor: Chang Chen Ding Lianshan: Zhao Benshan San Jiang Shui: Xiao Shenyang Zhang Yongcheng: Song Hye-kyo Master Gong Yutian: Wang Qingxiang Ma San: Jin Zhang Jiang: Shang Tielong Gong Er Di Zi: Song Tao Uncle Deng: Lo Hoi-pang Iron Shoes: Cung Le Gong Clan Elder: King Shih-Chieh Chan Wah-shun: Yuen Woo-ping Master Yong: Lau Ga-Yung Master Rui: Shun Lau Primo: Julian Cheung Sister San: Zhou Xiaofei Brother Sau: Berg Ng Dark Spirit: Lo Meng Gong Er Stand-in: Fang Chengcheng Women of the Gold Pavilion: Jeana Ho Young Gong Er: Wu Yixuan Gong Clan Elder: George Wang Mr. Hung: Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong Master Ba: Wang Man-Cheng Cho Man: Cho Man-Keung Brother Ping: Siu Ping-lam Foshan Martial Artist: Tony Ling Chi-Wah Peking Opera Singer: Li Jing Brother Shui: Water Hung Funeral Procession Leader: Tong Han Ma San’s Disciple: Ni Haifeng Gold Pavilion Client: Yuen Cheung-Yan Razor’s Disciple: Yin Chunxiong Zhang Yongcheng (voice): Charlie Yeung …: Benz Kong To-Hoi Film Crew: Screenplay: Wong Kar-wai Director of Photography: Philippe Le Sourd Original Music Composer: Shigeru Umebayashi Producer: Jacky Pang Music: Nathaniel Méchaly Compositors: Erik Classen Screenplay: Xu Haofeng Executive Producer: Dai Song Executive Producer: Chan Ye-cheng Martial Arts Choreographer: Yuen Woo-ping Executive Producer: Megan Ellison Co-Producer: Cheung Hong-Tat Co-Producer: Ng See-Yuen Story Consultant: Ip Chun Co-Producer: Ren Yue Music Consultant: Steve Macklam Co-Producer: Michael J. Werner Screenplay: Zou Jingzhi Makeup Artist: Kwan Lee-na Associate Producer: Johnnie Kong Art Direction: William Chang Suk-Ping Art Direction: Alfred Yau Wai-Ming Costume Design: Shandy Lui Fung-Shan Movie Reviews: CinemaSerf: I’m a fan of Wong Kar-Wai’s films but I reckon that I still prefer Wilson Yip’s 2008 version of the Ip Man story. Set amidst the turbulent times in China that saw the end of the rule of Manchu dynasty, the embryonic republic established and then the Japanese invasion, we meet a man (Tony Leung) who lives peacefully in the small town of Foshan until he meets Wing Chun grand master Gong Yutian (Qingxiang Wang) who is looking for a successor. That is the beginning of a journey that will see him become a grand master of the martial art himself, whilst meeting, marrying and surviving! It’s a superb looking film but for me just a little too over-stylised. The combat scenes are creatively choreographed but the use of the slowed-down visual effects didn’t always work. Leung and the director are clearly on the same wavelength, and the story itself is a fascinating look at the rise of one culture through the wreckage of an ancient one. It’s also clear that women too had their place in this society – and it wasn’t always where stereotype might assume. A strong contribution from the adept and nimble Ziyi Zhang (Gong Er) demonstrates that well as battle lines between the old and new, the powerful and the aspirational are drawn and a good old dose of ancient tribal warfare sets up a proud story of heritage, loyalty and skill. Though a little soporifically scored at times, this is an enjoyable mix of history with touch of romance and plenty of action, and is well worth a couple of hours.

#biography #kung fu #kung fu master #martial arts #Top Rated Movies

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8dpromo · 1 year ago

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Thomas Blondet feat Ammoye - Soulmate Remixed (Rhythm & Culture Music)

8DPromo · Thomas Blondet feat Ammoye - Soulmate Remixed (Rhythm & Culture Music)

Rhythm & Culture Music is proud to announce its latest release, featuring remixes of "Soulmate," the captivating collaboration between Thomas Blondet and Ammoye. These remixed tracks showcase the fusion of these talents and offer a fresh take on the original composition. The centerpiece of this release is the Deeper Mix by Thomas Blondet, a remarkable deep soulful vocal version that immerses listeners in a rich and emotive musical experience. With intricate layers of sound and an expertly crafted arrangement, this mix effortlessly transports the listener into the depths of the underground scene. Thomas Blondet's meticulous production skills shine through, ensuring that every note and rhythm aligns perfectly, delivering an irresistible groove. Further enhancing the release are remixes by Lee Graves. The producer injects his unique touch to create a proper classic house music remix. Drawing from his extensive knowledge and appreciation of the genre, Lee Graves reinvents "Soulmate" with a timeless feel, paying homage to the roots of house music while infusing it with contemporary energy. The result is a version that seamlessly combines nostalgic elements with a fresh and vibrant sound, destined to enthrall dancefloors. In addition to the Deeper Mix and Lee Graves' remix, this release also includes the Dub versions of both. These dub mixes strip away the vocals, focusing on the infectious beats, melodies, and hypnotic textures that form the backbone of the tracks. These dubs provide an alternative perspective on the remixes, offering an instrumental-leaning experience that allows listeners to fully appreciate the intricacies of the production. With these remixes of "Soulmate," Rhythm & Culture Music continues to push boundaries and showcase the best of underground music. This release is a testament to the talent and vision of both Thomas Blondet and Ammoye, as well as the remixing prowess of Lee Graves. Whether you're a fan of deep soulful house or classic house music or simply looking for tracks that will make you move, this pack promises to deliver an immersive and unforgettable musical journey.

Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Both mixes are proper!” Booker T (Kings of Soul) – “Nice vibes. Will support.” Luis Machuca (Friskybeat Records) – “Nice release. I’ll be playing this at the club.” Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) – “A well produced, soulful song.” Nibu (generasianradio) – “Amazing stuff, keep it coming.” Geoffry C (Presure Radio) – “Ok. Gotta give credit where it’s due. Very nice production. All mixes are hot. I can definitely get behind this.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

#Soulful House #Vocal House #Thomas Blondet #Ammoye #Lee Graves #Rhythm & Culture #Washington DC

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adenvs3000w23 · 2 years ago

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Where can Music be Found in Nature?

When I read this week’s prompt, which asked “Where is music in nature.” I instantly thought of the songs of birds and whales, and I think that’s the conclusion that many people had come to as well.

For centuries, certain patterns of sound created by whales and birds have been described as “songs,” already having received credit by the English language and by early biologists, as a musical phenomenon. But this week’s readings just made me aware of just how complex, and similar they are to human-made music. Researchers have even identified the same musical laws used in whale song to those used by human composers (Gray et al. 2001). For example, some whale songs employ the ABA form, where a theme is stated, than elaborated, and then a modified version of the theme is repeated (Gray et al. 2001). In addition, an analysis of birdsong by Luis Baptista revealed that birdsong use all the rhythmic effects found in human music (Gray et al. 2001).

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The part at 0:44 drew my attention. Like in human song, whales like to reiterate the themes they created out of phrases. The song continues in such a way that reminds me a lot of human songs (Gray et al. 2001; Oceania Project 2008).

Music is a natural part of the behavior of many animals, including humans. All human cultures across the globe produced music (Gray et al. 2001). Thus it can be argued that music is a natural phenomenon. Many artists say they look to nature for inspiration for their songs. Beethoven has said that nature walks inspired his music, an example being the "Pastoral Symphony” (Wise 2005). The Hutu and Tutsi music incorporate elements inspired by the low-frequency sounds of elephants—natural sounds which, remarkably, urban residents struggle to hear! (Gray et al. 2001).

Music can also connect the listener to a landscape, whether it be through human music or other natural creator.

There are many examples I can think of how a song can take me back to a natural landscape… I have listened to recordings of Newfoundland folk songs when vacationing in Newfoundland with my family. The song of an American robin’s evening song takes me back to a childhood of summer vacation, playing in a splash pad with friends. The calls and songs of a the Common Loon ignites memories of a night spent camping in Massassauga or Killarney.

But there was one experienced someone close to me had shared that I feel inspired to talk about.

During her youth as a girl scout, way back in Poland before I was even a concept, my mom would sing this song with fellow scouts, as she played a guitar and sat by the campfire.

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The song's title: “Płonie Ognisko i Szumią Knieje” roughly translates to “The fire is burning and a wind roars through the wilderness” (Zasacki 2019).

It is a scout song about a victory in battle, reflective of the militant values held by the scout culture, and Poland’s centuries-old history of recurrent war. Throughout the song, there is a lyrical motif of the wind roaring through the oak forest, as if the land itself was crying out victoriously–an example of how a natural sound can inspire song. To my mom, however, the song is more about being in the wilderness with her friends, after a long day of adventure, and the trials and tribulations of being a scout. I think it’s powerful that a sound can bring back these memories of a time and place experienced over 40 years ago; reminding oneself of their roots, history, and culture.

References:

Gray, P. M., Krause, B., Atema, J., Payne, R., Krumhansl, C., Baptista, L. (Janurary 5, 2001). The science of nature and the nature of music. Science. 291 (52-54). American Association for the Advancement of Science. https://go-galecom.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=guel77241&id=GALE|A69270354&v=2.1&it=r&sid=AONE&asid=fb9366a8

Jarek Zasacki. (Dec 27, 2019). Płonie ognisko – Piosenki harcerskie [Video]. YouTube.

Oceania Project. (June 8, 2008). Whale Song [Video]. YouTube.

Wise, B. (April 21, 2015). Earth Day: How Mother Nature Inspired Four Major Composers. WQXR. https://www.wqxr.org/story/earth-day-how-nature-inspired-major-composers/

#nature interpretation #music #course assignment #Youtube

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queen-of-the-avengers · 2 years ago

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ant man: quantumania spoiler review

okay here is my full spoiler review of the third ant man movie after i saw it twice. i will be tagging it so you can block those tags if you don’t want to read about it.

please keep on scrolling if you do not want to be spoiled about the movie.

without further ado, here is my thoughts about the movie!

‼️⚠️SERIOUSLY KEEP SCROLLING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED⚠️‼️

Okay, so i really loved the movie. i don’t know why this movie is getting so much hate. let me break down what i loved about the movie and what i didn’t:

i loved kang’s character. i hate that other people are saying he’s supposed to be bigger than thanos and how ant man defeated him, but that is one version of kang. there are other kangs who can be bigger than thanos, and this one isn’t up there

it also has to do with the fact that kang doesn’t know what to do with the quantum realm since he’s never been there (as far as i know. i haven’t read the comics). he isn’t powerful down there, but scott, janet, hank, and hope are. they have the advantage, which is why they beat him so easily

he was exiled there, he didn’t go there by choice

and it’s the fact that kang isn’t dead. scott even says so himself that he doesn’t think kang is dead. he got sucked into the core at the very end, and while i don’t know this character, some people are saying he becomes the beyonder which can be of use to the avengers in the kang dynasty

it’s a good way to start off phase 5, and i can’t wait to see kang come back in all kinds of ways

i loved the quantum people. i thought they added a good balance as they fought for their realm since kang was never supposed to be there

i loved the humor in this movie, especially when ant man was looking at all those possibilities when he was about to shrink the core down. the ant man movies has always been about humor and good banter, so i’m not surprised they used it in this movie

those two end credit scenes have me high on life. i loved seeing all those kangs coming together and plotting against the avengers. i’m not sure what their plan is for the multiverse, but i know it’s going to be good

also, that teaser for loki season 2 had the whole tehater gasping when they saw tom hiddleston on screen. truly so excited for that season!

what i didn’t like:

while i like the idea of modok’s character, i absolutely hated that it was darren cross from the first movie

so, i thought scott had killed him and made him implode on himself, not send him to the quantum realm. darren was a terrible villain, he didn’t have depth to his character, and he was truly the worst thing about the first ant man movie

the fact that they brought him back made my skin crawl. he was about as useful as he was in the first movie. the cgi didn’t do him justice at all. i went to go see it with my sister, and she was not impressed with it as well. we both found it really weird

i’m a fan of kathryn newton (mostly from supernatural), but i don’t know how i felt about her being casted as cassie.

i don’t know why they decided to go with a different actress for cassie when they had one for endgame. the one from endgame (i don’t know her name) looks more like scott, she had a lot of emotions in that film and i felt like she could have been a better cassie if given the chance

with that in mind, i don’t know if i liked the way kathryn took cassie’s character. i get she wants to help and she has a suit now and has been dabbling in the shrinking tech hank had for the five years scott was gone, but i feel like she didn’t bring enough for the character

i know she is being set up as the next ant man for the young avengers film and for future projects, but her acting seemed a bit one dimensional, in my opinion

WHY WASN’T LUIS IN THIS MOVIE?! i saw a post about someone wanting luis to come in at the end credit scene and explain what happened or explained the kangs by talking really fast. they truly missed an opportunity

i hope they make another ant man movie because i loved this trilogy. scott didn’t die, so there is potential for another movie!

#ant man 3 spoilers #ant man quantumania #ant man quantumania spoilers #quantumania spoilers #ant man spoilers

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recentanimenews · 3 years ago

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FEATURE: A Mom's Guide To Anime — The Many Hats You Wear

The role of a parent is often stereotyped. You have a baby, raise that baby to adulthood, and enjoy your life until they have grandchildren. As Leave It To Beaver as that sounds, parenthood is just as complex as String Theory or the rules of Dungeon Dice Monsters. So, no one gets 200 HP when they pass go? There is no pass go? As a parent, you’ll find that just being Mom, Dad, or whatever your little one refers to you as is not all that you are. You wear many hats for the variety of roles you will play in your child’s life. Those roles don’t end when they are 18. They just change in frequency. With this in mind, we will talk about some of the most common hats we wear as parents. These anime series have characters who are proficient in these roles. Think of them as your “avatars.”

Taxi Driver - ODDTAXI

In fairness to our children, they can’t drive until they are 16 — or older, depending on where you live. Your role as a taxi driver is a necessity for your kids. Odokawa is an apomorphic Walrus who is a taxi driver in a fictional version of Tokyo, Japan. Odokawa doesn��t just drive his clients to their destination, he offers them counsel and kindness.

Yes, that does eventually get him in trouble. As a parent, can you honestly say you haven’t gotten in trouble while shuttling your children around? No judgment here. While driving our kids around doesn’t seem like the most rewarding job, just like in ODDTAXI, it does create a safe space to talk, sing, or just enjoy each other's silent company. One day, they will be driving themselves around and you may miss that quality time.

RELATED:FEATURE: Which Secrets Remain For The ODDTAXI Movie To Expose?

Tutor - The Royal Tutor

Here is a role many parents dread: the role of the tutor. When you have school-aged children, you hope to retain everything they need to succeed in class. Especially when it comes to homework. For various reasons, children don’t always sponge up the information. That’s when it’s your job to provide some supplemental teaching. This can be a fun and easy task under certain conditions, like if you didn’t have a rough day at work, got stuck in traffic, bought the wrong kind of coffee creamer, or found out your package says it was delivered but it wasn’t. This can create an atmosphere that isn’t very conducive to learning.

Heine Wittgenstein from The Royal Tutor is a brilliant scholar tasked with tutoring four princesses. Wittgenstein was confident in his ability to turn them into capable ladies of culture. He didn’t realize the students in his charge were experts at making tutors quit. Parents will have to take note from Heine Wittgenstein, which is to be patient and persistent. We know it’s easier said than done. We’ve all had that “If Jimmy ate FOUR APPLES” moment. It’s also important to know that you may not be the best candidate for this role. Do what the king did and find the best tutor for your child.

Chef - True Cooking Master Boy

This is another time I have to give the kids some credit. Some dangers are associated with cooking and small children are not equipped to handle them. For safety reasons, parents, you are the head chef at home. This is a critical role to have. Children need food to receive nourishment so they can grow and be healthy. However, there are things about this job that will make you toss your chef hat in the fire.

What parent hasn’t dealt with a picky or indecisive child? I recall my son at three wanting chicken nuggets but not regular nuggets, dinosaur nuggets, but not all the dinosaurs, just T-Rex. The container only had four of those and the tantrum that followed was INTENSE. Liu Maoxing doesn’t have to deal with dinosaur nuggets, but he knows what it’s like when you want people to enjoy your food. Maoxing was the youngest chef in history to be titled “Super Chef!” That’s like winning Master Chef Junior!

As Lui Maoxing went out into the world to learn different kinds of cuisines, he learned he’s not always going to please everyone. He had to humble himself to appreciate his cooking and the cuisine his foodies wanted. As parents, we have to allow our children to try all kinds of foods and develop their palettes. Yes, it’s going to get stressful at times, but the more they experiment with food when they are younger, the better eaters they will be in the future.

RELATED: INTERVIEW: How Top Chef Shota Nakajima Brings Japan’s Izakaya Culture To Seattle

Butler - Pretear

Image via Funimation

Mr.Tanaka in Pretear is one adorable Butler. He has the dubious task of taking care of Himeno and her family, living in their huge mansion. Tanaka does the gardening, the dry cleaning, the dusting, and helps with Himeno's pretear duties. How are they rich again? Back to being a butler, as a parent, you will spend a lot of time cleaning up after your little ones. There are plenty of spills to clean up, laundry to fold, teddy bears that need to be repaired, and pieces of gum to take out of hair. Yes, our work is never done when we wear the hat or apron of the maid. As taxing as this job can be, there are ways to integrate your child into this one. Have them help with simple tasks like picking up their toys, matching socks, or sorting the recycling. As they get older, you can give them other age-appropriate chores.

Hype Man - My Dress-Up Darling

Many of the hats you wear involve a lot of manual labor, but some of the hats are much more fun. Take the anime My Dress-Up Darling, Marin and Gojo play essential roles in each others’ lives. Marin acts as Gojo’s hype woman. She boosts his self-esteem and allows him to see the very best in himself and his work. Gojo is Marin’s hype man as he supports Marin’s dream without judgment and does champion her when it comes true. The world isn’t always going to be kind to our kids, but we as parents can do our part to make THEIR world great. Like Gojo and Marin, we get to be their hype man and remind them how funny, talented, intelligent, good-looking, athletic, creative, and generous they are. Celebrate their achievements, praise their efforts when they fall, and encourage them to never give up. No matter how many hats you wear, they are all essential. And as your roles transition, as they grow, you’ll find that it all equals a lifetime full of memories and love.

You’re doing a great job as a parent, and when in doubt, there is an anime for that, and there is me.

By: Yali Perez

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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brokehorrorfan · 4 years ago

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Blu-ray Review: Forgotten Gialli: Volume 3

Vinegar Syndrome launched its first Forgotten Gialli Blu-ray box set less than a year ago, but the powerhouse distributor is already on the third volume of obscure giallo (European murder-mystery) films. The latest installment features 1972's Murder Mansion (also known as The Mansion in the Fog), 1975's Autopsy (also known as The Victim), and 1977's Crazy Desires of a Murderer (also known as The Morbid Vices of a Housekeeper).

Murder Mansion is a Spanish-Italian co-production that only classifies as a giallo by a rather liberal definition. It starts out slow; the first line of dialogue isn't spoken until six minutes in, after the opening title sequence and a lengthy driving scene. When the night is consumed by fog, a group of strangers from different backgrounds seek refuge in an old mansion next to an abandoned village where local legends say vampires once resided. It's not long before they suspect that ghosts have risen from the nearby graveyard.

Written by Luis G. de Blain and Antonio Troiso (Beyond the Door), the murder-mystery aspects are more Agatha Christie - or even Scooby-Doo, given the cartoonish reveal - than giallo, lacking many of the subgenre's hallmarks; but even more so director Francisco Lara Polop seems to be drawing influence from gothic horror in both approach and execution. The chilling atmosphere is palpable as soon as the fog rolls in, but the first body doesn't pop up until nearly an hour into the 86-minute film. The last act makes admirable attempts to compensate with scares and shocks.

Murder Mansion has been newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative. It includes the original Spanish language audio with newly translated English subtitles as well as the English and Italian dubs. The disc includes a 20-minute interview with actress Evelyn Stewart (The Psychic). While she admittedly doesn't remember the specifics about much of the production, she recalls working with the special effects and explains her use of a stage name. She’s noticeably pleased by the film, particularly Polop's direction.

The most well-known title among the three Forgotten Gialli sets, Autopsy opens with a montage of grisly suicides plaguing Rome, purported to be caused by sun spots. A young, female pathologist (Mimsy Farmer, Four Flies on Grey Velvet), serendipitously writing a thesis on the differences between simulated and authentic suicides, teams up with an epileptic race car driver-turned-priest (Barry Primus, Boxcar Bertha) following the alleged suicide of his sister to investigate.

Directed by Armando Crispino (The Dead Are Alive), who co-wrote the script with Lucio Battistrada, the Italian giallo is convoluted even by the subgenre's standards. It's also shockingly sleazy, from a misogynistic coroner to maddening visions of being molested by cadavers. The film is uneven in both tone and pacing and bloated at 100 minutes, but it ends on a high note with a memorable finale. On the whole, it's more unnerving than most gialli, due to the taboo buttons it pushes as well as the hints of surrealism in which Crispino indulges. A score by Ennio Morricone (The Thing, The Good the Bad and the Ugly) certainly doesn't hurt.

Autopsy has been newly restored in 2K from its 35mm original camera negative. It includes both the English and Italian (with newly translated English subtitles) mono soundtracks. It offers a variety of special features: a featurette on Crispino consisting of 38 minutes of insight from the late director's son, Francesco Crispino; a 10-minute interview with Francesco Crispino, who dissects various versions of the film and discusses his father's influences; an 11-minute interview with editor Daniele Alabiso conducted by Francesco Crispino, in which they examine the film's peculiar rhythm; an introduction by the director from a screening; alternate Italian titles and credits; and the theatrical trailer.

If only Crazy Desires of a Murderer's plot was as stimulating as its traditionally verbose giallo title. It centers around an affluent, globe-trotting countess, Ileana (Isabelle Marchall, Black Emanuelle). She returns to her familial castle with new friends she met while traveling in China, who unwittingly used her as a drug courier. Meanwhile, her traumatized half-brother is kept locked away in the basement. But those are the least of her problems once someone starts murdering the inhabitants of the castle.

Aesthetically, this one most closely resembles a traditional giallo. What the drab castle lacks in color palette, director Filippo Walter Ratti and cinematographer Gino Santini (Django the Bastard) make up for with interesting camerawork. There's also ample gore, as the killer's modus operandi involves removing the victims' eyes, and heavy doses of sleaze, although it pales in comparison to Autopsy. But writer Ambrogio Molteni (Black Emanuelle) employs an Agatha Christie-esque sleuth (Corrado Gaipa, The Godfather) to solve the mystery, and the abundance of clunky procedural scenes weigh down the film.

Crazy Desires of a Murderer has been newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative with Italian mono audio and newly translated English subtitles. The disc includes a 15-minute interview (in Italian with subtitles) with actor Giuseppe Colombo (who more notably went on to produce The Stendhal Syndrome and other Dario Argento productions). He candidly recalls frequent disagreements with Ratti and other drama that befell the production.

While the films are hit or miss, the experience of unearthing them is always a thrill. Even the packaging is great, with each film in its own individual Blu-ray case with reversible artwork, all of which are housed inside a sturdy box (limited to 6,000). Between Forgotten Gialli and the forthcoming Home Grown Horrors, I hope Vinegar Syndrome never stops spoiling us with box sets of hidden gems.

Forgotten Gialli: Volume 3 is available now on Blu-ray via Vinegar Syndrome.

#vinegar syndrome #giallo #autopsy #murder mansion #crazy desires of a murderer #forgotten gialli #italian horror #italian film #dvd #gift #review #article #horror #ennio morricone #mimsy farmer #evelyn stewart

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themonkeycabal · 4 years ago

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Wandavision Ep 6 Spoilers

No really, spoilers.

Previously on Wandavision — Wanda told SWORD to shove their drones right straight up their asses, Vision woke up to the reality that his utopian sitcom life was in fact a dystopian hellscape, their children were extremely creepy, and Agnes was being bizarre as hell and super sus. In the real world, Acting Director Dick was a dick, and Darcy and Jimmy welcomed Monica into their sciencey weird-crime-fighting team. Monica also mentioned an aerospace engineer she knows, which some suggest may be the first mention of Reed Richards in the MCU. I have conflicted feelings about the Fantastic Four. Mostly I never liked them. But, I'm open to revising my opinion.

Oh, and also X-Men 'Verse Pietro showed up suddenly and that was fun.

Anyway. the roommate and I tried to sort out a timeline — so Monica unBlips and goes back to work at SWORD three weeks later. AD Dick tells us Wanda stole Vision's body nine days previously. That means, just three weeks ago Wanda was in the middle of a battle, lost her boyfriend, was Snapped, was then unsnapped to fall right into the middle of another battle. Lost THREE additional teammates. And then sometime in the following week found out a shady government agency had Vision's body and she probably went "OH HELL NO". Because that's what I would say. So she goes to SWORD, dents a few doors, takes Vision's body and swans off to New Jersey. Look, she's been through a hell of a lot in the last couple weeks, is what I'm saying. I don't blame her a tiny bit. But, also, I don't think she's entirely behind this.

10-year old boy plus video camera = the 90s. Obnoxious opening credits. But, you know, I kind of liked them (as a one off). WAYYY better than last week's.

It's Halloween, and *sigh* Billy is breaking the fourth wall and narrating to the camera. There's childish twin bickering as you expect, Tommy's the wild and crazy twin, and Billy's the buttoned up twin. And Pietro is passed out on the couch at 4 in the afternoon. Living his best life. He teasingly scares the boys, chases them around, and there's awkward child acting.

Wanda comes down the stairs in the classic Scarlet Witch costume, and says she's a Sokovian Fortune Teller. Sokovia was more wild than I realized.

Genuinely funny flashback to Wanda and Pietro trick-or-treating in Sokovia as kids, 'the year we got typhus'. lol. Was it the fish that gave them typhus? Or was that just a special treat? Wanda doubts this version of events, and Pietro suggests she suppressed the memory due to the trauma. This gives Billy the chance to tell the camera that mom's been weird since uncle Pietro turned up to crash on their couch.

Next it's Vision's turn to appear in the classic Vision costume. Yikes. Wanda thanks him for humoring her, and he says there were no other clothes in his closet and they have a very weird second where he's not playing along and she's not sure what to do, and then he breaks into sitcom character says something about "just kidding, i know how much you love mexican wrestling" like it's a luchador costume, and then there's some super weird flirting. TMI you two.

Meanwhile, Pietro is a large child and the kids love him, of course. So there's that.

Back to Wanda and Vision, she's ready to take the kids out trick-or-treating, but Vision says he can't go, he's on the neighborhood watch and must patrol the streets ever-vigilant for wild gangs of child hooligans who might TP trees. He's gone off-script and it takes Wanda a second to figure out how to play this. She says it's the boys' first Halloween so he has to be there. Pietro breaks up the almost argument and says he can be a father figure-type and he'll help with the boys. Vision's still pretty off-script but Wanda doesn't fight it but looks uncertain, and he goes off to protect the night — or early afternoon.

Pietro is a child hooligan and wants to go do hooligany things with the kids. Wanda says he doesn't have a costume and he grabs Billy and they speed off only to return dressed in classic Quicksilver duds. Well, cheap-looking, thrown together Quicksilver duds. I laughed. The hair. lol. Good one.

Outside in the real world. The Hex field is still kind of glowing red and making bad force field noises. It only started doing that when Wanda got pissed in the last ep. Oh, goody, it's Acting Director Dick. I've learned his name is Hayward. I don't care.

Blah blah Stompy Mc-I'm-In-Charge blah. Monica is not pleased about the whole trying to kill Wanda with a missile while she was talking to her plan. AD Dick just says "now we know who we're dealing with". Um … what? You tried to kill her and her response was to tell you to go away. Yeah, boy, she's a monster.

Darcy is there to helpfully remind AD Dick that Wanda made him look like the fool he is. ILU girl. "Hey, there he is; the guy who almost got murdered by his own murder squad." Jimmy just makes a 'i'm so disappointed in you and your choices' face at him in the background.

I despise characters like Hayward. They are so tedious. Narratively they are there to incite conflict, but given the situation conflict naturally exists, surely there are other ways to bring up/drive that tension without the trope of the government heavy ready to solve the problem with the most extreme amount of force available to him. OH no! Our plucky heroes will have to find a way to save the day and fight the Man! Can they do it? Boring. It's too bad General Talbot went insane and then died; he could probably give tips on How Not To Be That Guy.

Anyway

Hayward wants to know if Darcy works for him and she's like "dunno my dude", Monica claims her, AD Dick says "which one of you is the sassy best friend" and Jimmy's like, that is quite enough Acting Director Not Very Nice Man. "There's no time to diminish your colleagues when you're about to start a war you can't win." AD Dick just wants to take out Wanda so the whole nightmare ends. Monica's like um, we literally do not know what's going on. Like, for real we have no clue. So that might not, in fact, end the nightmare, Director Murder Britches.

They argue a lot and Director Dick goes off the rails. Dude's like more unhinged than seems warranted. Unless he's just so embarrassed that he pissed himself when Wanda returned his murder drone to him, he's decided SHE MUST BE DESTROYED FOR THE GOOD OF … NEW JERSEY AND MY SOILED UNDERWEAR OR SOMETHING.

"Captain Rambeau, you are an impediment to this mission!" Oh no! He's gonna tell her all about how hard it was to survive in a post-blip world, all those lucky blipped don't know what it was like! You just can't understand! Monica tells him not to use that as an excuse to be a coward. I'm so bored with this scene. Let me guess, the trio will have to go behind his back to save the day.

"Maybe it's a good thing you weren't here with your mother died. Because, clearly you don't have the stomach for this job." … non-sequitur much? Or is he saying she would have inherited the Director-ship (which should probably not be how that sort of agency works, let's be real). Is this scene five hours long, or does it just feel that way?

The Dick banishes the trio from his base.

"Hayward is way over-stepping his provisional authority". Jimmy Woo, you're so great. Monica says he's up to something. Yeah a tactical nuke and murder. Clearly he doesn't want to actually solve the problem, he just wants the problem to go away with a big show of macho explosions and whatnot. I suspect he might be in over his head, like he was not meant to be Acting Director, let alone Director. Also, he's a boring cliche stereotype and I loathe it.

JIMMY! I legit did not see that coming. He just pure hauls off and clocks one of the soldiers escorting them off the base, to a transport truck or something. Monica seems just as surprised for a second but then she's like "hell yeah!" and jumps in. Darcy sort of stands back and watches. lol. "Why didn't anyone tell me the plan?"

Oh look, it's my shipping container! They put the soldiers in there. Guys, it was for Hayward. Come on.

The trio disguise themselves with ponchos, which is a big step up from the usual MCU disguise of "baseball hat". That was a good bit in Ant-man and the Wasp "it's not a disguise, it just looks like us at a baseball game" (I watched that like last week. I missed Luis). Anyway …

Back in the sitcom world. The kids are ready for their early afternoon trick-or-treating. They're still talking to the camera. It's so awkward. I'm not a fan. I get it's meant to reproduce the very 90s Nick-era sitcoms and so, you know, it's spot on. Still, though.

Pietro is encouraging and supportive. "Unleash hell, demon spawn!"

Dang there are a lot of kids in that neighborhood. Wasn't Vision wondering last episode why there weren't any kids? Is the program correcting itself?

Wanda tries to test Pietro, asking him about some kid at an orphanage when they were kids. Pietro calls her on it, and says he knows he looks different. Wanda wants to know why that is. He says, "You tell me. I mean, if I found shangra-la, I wouldn't want to be reminded of the past, either." Hmm.

The kids speed off with uncle Pietro. Wanda wanders over to talk to neighbor Herb, who has a g-man earbud in and is clearly part of the neighborhood watch. In the background Pietro is stealing all the candy and smashing pumpkins and spraying the place with silly string. The hijinks are so wacky. Wanda tells Herb maybe Vision can help out with the chaos, and Herb says Vision isn't on duty. Oh no, he lied to her!

Herb goes weird "is there something I can do for you, Wanda? Do you want something changed?" Hmmm.

Elsewhere Vision is wandering the wild streets of Westview. He finds people caught in some type of weird decorating loop, the woman seems trapped but aware.

Commercial time! What the fuck was that. "Yo-magic! The snack for survivors." No, really, what the fuck.

Night has fallen, the twins and the twins walk the streets. Wanda's making the boys give back all the candy they stole. She says Pietro is a bad influence. He says "I'm just trying to do my part, kay? Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the rugrats, and ultimately give you grief. I mean, that's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"What happened to your accent?"

"What happened to yours? Details are fuzzy, man. I got shot like a chump in the street for no reason." AHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! no really AHAHAHAHAAH! Thank you, Pietro! Holy shit, perfect. That's some delicious shade. I expect to see this gif'd fifteen different ways when I load tumblr today.

"Next thing I know, I heard you calling me. I knew you needed me."

The kids interrupt. And now all of a sudden Tommy can zoom. Character development!

Everyone is so careful to give Wanda what she wants. Why? She's not cruel. Who wants to keep her pacified? And whoever it is cannot possibly be pleased with AD Dick messing things up. Assuming it's an outside or outside-ish force/entity, of course. I mean, I don't think she's doing this entirely, she might be the battery powering it, but despite her thing last episode to get SWORD to leave her alone, she does seem a little confused about the where, why, and how things are going.

"Don't go past Ellis Avenue." Just a kid thing or a boundary of the sitcom control world?

In the real world, our heroes are sneaking through a tent city and into the server room. The scene with Pietro and Wanda discussing his accent is playing in the background. Darcy seems put-out that Pietro was recast. lol. "He brought the wrong face."

Darcy hacks into Hayward's devices. "Hayward figured out a way to look through the boundary." "And he didn't share it with the group." I don't like Hayward.

Something is blipping on the map on the computer. Jimmy asks if it's Wanda, but Darcy says "it's tracking the decay signature of vibranium". So Vision. Monica wants to know why Hayward is tracking Vision. Well, I'd super like to know what SWORD was doing with Vision in the first place, because they weren't just storing him, they were doing something. So …

Jimmy notices that there are other dots, the ones closest to Vision, who are other residents. Jimmy says the ones near the edge of town are barely moving.

Back to Vision. He's found a cul-de-sac to patrol. Everybody's frozen in place, the street lights flicker. Eerie. They're all dressed for Halloween. Does this mean the field is shrinking, or the effects spreading and so it's closing in, slowing and then freezing people who were earlier moving about just fine? Vision is unaffected by this whatever it is. He turns himself into himself and flies off, up above the town. part of the town is dark, and part alive with voices and laughter.

He spots a car at the edge of town. It's Agnes. She seems frozen-ish, but when he asks what she's doing there, she says "Town Square Scare. Where is it?" all robotic like. Vision helpfully tries to give directions. lol. "Took a wrong turn, got lost" she says.

Vision touches her head and she wakes up. "You! You're one of the Avengers. You're Vision. Are you here to help us?" "I am Vision. I do want to help. But, what's an Avenger?"

Hmm. Well, I guess he did say last week that he couldn't remember anything before Westview.

"Am I dead?" she asks. "No, why would you think that?" "Because you are."

What was news coverage after the Snap like, do you suppose? I mean, ridiculous, of course. But, like, I think they had bigger problems then wondering about snapped/dead Avengers, didn't they? Well, maybe not. "WHERE ARE AVENGERS TO HELP US?" or "HOW DARE THE AVENGERS NOT HELP US!" "TOTALLY THIS IS ON THE AVENGERS!" "WE'D ALL BE DEAD WITHOUT THE AVENGERS!" "NUHUH! BOO AVENGERS!" "EXCEPT VISION WHO DIED HEROICALLY, WE ALL LIKE THAT AVENGER!" "TONY STARK AND PEPPER POTTS SHARE THE DECORATING TIPS THAT TRANSFORMED THEIR RUSTIC RESTORATION PROJECT INTO A CHARMING FAMILY HOME".

Agnes starts screaming "Dead" at Vision. She's not coping well. Vision says he's going to try and reach outside town and try to figure this all out. "How? No one leaves. Wanda won't even let us think about it." I SUSPECT YOU, AGNES! Why would Wanda keep everybody trapped and miserable? I could see if she did it on accident, but this implies she's purposefully hurting people. I don't buy it. Agnes, again, seems to be in the right place at the right time to make Vision doubt Wanda. You're a very suspicious character, Agnes.

She starts to laugh. "All is lost." Vision touches her had and she resets to sitcom Agnes. Somehow she can move again, she turns the car around on Ellis Ave and heads back into town. So, that answers that.

Vision walks across the Eillis Ave to the field beyond.

Meanwhile, Darcy continues to hack. Monica gets a text and says "that's it! My way back into the Hex will be here in an hour." Jimmy's all ready to boost a ride to take her to meet her aerospace buddy. But, Darcy says, nope. Can't do it. Monica's been through the Hex twice, and it's rewritten her cells. "It's changing you." Monica is undaunted. "I know what Wanda's feeling and I won't stop until I help her." Alrighty then.

Jimmy's finally going to get to hotwire a car! But wait, Darcy's not going with them. AD Dick has something hidden behind one last firewall. Darcy thinks it's big and can help them. She's going to find it.

I don't think Jimmy had to hotwire that humvee. It just started right up. Motorpool, pfft - they always leave the keys.

Back in Westview. Halloween continues at Town Square. Pietro asks Wanda where she was hiding all those kids. Whu? Says Wanda. "I assume they were all just sleeping peacefully in their beds. No need to traumatize beyond the occasional holiday cameo, amiright?" What is Pietro. "Hey don't get me wrong, you've handled the ethical considerations of this scenario as best you could. Families and couples stay together. Most personalities aren't far from what's underneath. People got better jobs. Better haircuts for sure."

"You don't think it's wrong?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm impressed. It's a pretty big leap from giving people nightmares and shooting red wigglywoos out your hands." No, really, what is Pietro? "How'd you even do all this?" Hmmm.

"I don't know how I did it. I only remember feeling completely alone. Empty. Just endless nothingness." She looks back at Pietro and for a second he's dead Pietro. Poor Wanda.

Darcy continues to hack Hayward's systems. Cataract classified weapons something something. They're still tracking Vision. Who continues his walk across the field and comes to the hex. He tries to push through it. Looks painful. SWORD rolls out to go overreact at him. He makes it through the barrier, kind of. It's a struggle.

Hayward standing there looking like a jackass "he really does want out, doesn't he?" Like he’s just amused by this turn of events, or watching a lab rat try to get out of the lab.

Darcy's standing behind watching all of this. Bits of Vision sort of fly off and back into the Hex. Darcy says "oh no!" and runs towards him, screaming for them to help him. Way to give away your sneaky hiding, girlfriend.

In Westview. Billy looks up, he can hear what's going on outside. "I hear daddy in my head. He's in trouble."

Vision calls for help, while SWORD prioritizes arresting Darcy. Phil Coulson would never have behaved like this. Boo to SWORD. Vision is dissolving. It's kind of gross and sad.

Wanda asks where Vision is, and Pietro interrupts "Don't sweat it, sis. It's not like your dead husband can die twice." Wanda wallops him with some red wigglywoos.

Billy sees soldiers and thinks Vision is dying. Wanda stops everything and makes a big red boom. The Hex appears to be expanding. Whoops, now you've done it AD Dick. He runs away like the brave brave guy he is. They leave Darcy handcuffed to a jeep. "Are you serious right now?"

The Hex overtakes Vision and then Darcy. Trapped soldiers become clowns, and we're in the circus. Well, SWORD seems like a circus, so Wanda's not wrong. I'm pretty sure Jimmy and Monica made it, but sadly the bravest Director who ever braved also escaped. He deserved to be a circus clown. Better luck next week, Wanda.

Credits.

Well, I just don't know anymore.

Hayward doesn't care about Wanda, except where I think because of this someone will figure out what he was doing to Vision's body. And Vision is ultimately the thing he cares about in all this. I hope Wanda drops a house on him.

Hmmm.

Quit suggesting I watch Age of Ultron next, Disney. It’s not happening.

#wandavision #wandavision spoilers #wandavision liveblog

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stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland · 4 years ago

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👋🏼Hello Anon, how are you? I hope you’re good and that you’re having a nice day 😄

I copied and pasted a piece of my ‘How the music world works’ post (which I recommend you read to understand a little more about the music business in general) which I hope will help you understand why it’s not possible to know which songs are ghostwritten by singers in general.

[Ghostwriters: Ghostwriters are authors who write on commission. The musical ones, can write an entire song or even a single sentence for an artist, without of course receiving credit for doing so. That’s exactly why the name ghostwriter/s. Ghostwriters sell their songs to record labels for their artists or can be contacted specifically to write a song. When ghostwriters sell their songs, they sign a contract with a confidentiality clause and receive a payment in advance. A big payment, by the way. Some ghostwriters remain copyright owners of their song, so they not only earn on the advance received for the sale of the song, but also receive some royalties when the song is used. Other ghostwriters, on the other hand, most of them actually, also sell copyrights, and for this reason, they earn absolutely no percentage in royalties because the song they sold is no longer theirs.]

As you can see, it’s impossible to see who ghostwritten which song precisely because they don’t get credit for it. The only two ways to know this are n°1, when an author/songwriter/ghostwriter themselves says it, and n° 2, as long as you already know that they wrote it in the first place, when they give their song to an artist who doesn’t change or change their lyrics little.

Since your ask was on Camila, now I’m gonna tell you what I know. And I’m sorry, but I’m not going to include the ones that are rumored she has done because they are indeed, just rumors. People like to talk and make things up, especially about Mila. And we know HOW MUCH imagination they have. A lot of people like to talk just to run their mouth when they’re not even capable to do basic research and get properly informed first, and, honestly? These are things I ignore because I’d just get annoyed otherwise, and I don’t have time for that shit 😶 But let’s get back to us. So, the 100% certain ones, for now, are only three:

1) ‘Love Life’: initially called ‘Love Life/Low Life/No Lie’, written and recorded by C but released without her by Major Lazer ft. Azaryah on November 16, 2017.

2) ‘Ain’t Easy’: C worked on it with Ryan Tedder and Zach Skelton. Ryan produced the music with Camila’s co-production who also recorded the demo. The song was later given and adapted to the duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine who recorded it for the first season of the Canadian reality music competition ‘The Launch’ and which was released on January 17, 2018.

3) ‘Be Right Here’: C, Charli XCX, Noonie Bao, and Sasha Sloan wrote the song for her debut album ‘Camila’. C also recorded the demo, but then discarded it and gave it to DJ Kungs who along with Stargate and Goldn, released it on June 22, 2018.

We can’t consider songs like ‘Party Animal’ (Luis Fonsi & Charly Black) and ‘God Is a Woman’ (Ariana Grande). In ‘God Is a Woman’ because Ari rewrote the lyrics, and the remix with C on it of ‘Party Animal’ instead, was no longer released, and therefore because that version remained unreleased.

We can’t even consider songs like ‘Carry My Heart’, ‘Hard Beat’, ‘Not The Same’, and ‘Hit It From The Back’ ft. the rapper XXXTENTACION (all songs C did with Diplo) because they too remained unreleased.

And same thing for ‘La Cubana’. In 2013, Camila met rapper singer-songwriter LunchMoney Lewis who co-wrote ‘BO$$’ for 5H. In 2014 she co-wrote ‘La Cubana’ with him, which was supposed to be included on his album in 2015, but that was never released. [You have NO IDEA how curious I am about this song. Which Cubana are you talking about, Camila? 😏😏 Yourself? Maybe that’s also why this song has never seen the light of day… *sigh*]

These are examples of songs that we know she wrote as projects outside her albums, and that if she were to sell composition copyrights to someone in the future, then we will already know in advance that they’ll become songs she ghostwrote on.

I hope I’ve been helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. You know where to find me/us 😊 And be careful not to be fooled by what you read about these rumors or rumors in general. Always look for proofs first, especially if your intentions are then to spread it. A virtual hug 🤗, with love F ❤️

____

The answer for the 👻songwriter anon! It’s very amazing as always. Thanks F

#submission #f anon #ghost songwriter #anon #ask #answer

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davidcampiti · 4 years ago

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THE CLASSIC ARTIST TEST

One way to test an incoming new artist's storytelling skills is to offer a test plot or script -- a few pages that a top professional artist has already done, so there's a baseline of storytelling standards with which to compare results. This is not about style but, rather, storytelling strength -- clarity, powerful action and movement, and body language/gesture/overall character performance. Often I'll use a plot or script I've written and one of my artists has drawn, for the baseline.

This time, I decided to go back to classic John Buscema storytelling for the comparison. Why flash back to the '60s? Strong storytelling never goes out of style, and such classic superstars as Jack Kirby, John Romita, Gil Kane, Neal Adams, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, and Will Eisner are among those whose every book can teach something useful. Yet, as the years wear on, fewer and fewer incoming artists are even familiar with their work.

Here's a panel-by-panel plot I provided for a five-page test --

PAGE 1 Panel one -- Full-page splash. Reed Richards is in pajama bottoms and slippers, in a bathroom, shaving. A futuristic alarm (a Kirby Machine in foreground) goes off, catching his attention. The Thing (Ben Grimm) peeks out of the shower, all sudsed up, also reacting to the alarm. Title, credits, indicia go on this page.

PAGE 2 Panel one -- Reed and Ben run through the living room. Ben wraps a towel around his waist; he still has suds on him. Reed, now wearing a robe, wipes the shaving cream from his face with his towel. Johnny Storm also hurries in.

Panel two -- Reed throws open a door to a control room, as a cyclone of wind whips papers,indicating someone or something just exited a window.

Panel three -- Reed reaches for a control panel, seeing a piece of machinery has been stolen, ripped away. A tense Johnny looks around, realizing someone went out the window with it.

Panel four -- Outside the window now: Johnny flames on, beginning the search, as Reed shouts orders after him.

PAGE 3 Panel one -- Full-page splash, in foreground, a concerned Silver Surfer enters a hospital room from the window, seeking to heal a patient. Misunderstanding his intentions, a frantic doctor opens the door, as two cops enter with big special energy rifles. A nurse hunches over, protecting the young woman in the hospital bed.

PAGE 4 Panel one -- Surfer gestures, reaching out toward the patient; nurse and cop warn him away.

Panel two -- Surfer pleads with them to reason.

Panel three -- Surfer casts a cosmic bolt toward the patient as the nurse reacts, fearing the worst.

Panel four -- One of the cops blasts Surfer with his rifle.

PAGE 5 Panel one -- Surfer drops to his knees, smoke rising from him as the cops stand over him.

Panel two -- Now pissed, Surfer gestures, energy flowing from his eyes.

Panel three -- Surfer casts cosmic power from his hands -- which pulls the rifles from the cops' grasp, melting them.

Panel four -- Surfer returns to the window, angered, ready to leave. He points accusations at a cop and the nurse for assuming the worst. He was only trying to help.

Here's an example of what an artist turned in for PAGE 1 --

Compare with Buscema's original --

Side-by-side without the title space --

Compare: John Buscema gives us a slight down shot. A more tense, ready-for-action pose from Reed Richards; he's whipping his head around, his face is covered in shaving cream, hot water is running in the sink, the alarm thingie is going off, Ben Grimm is crumpling the shower curtain, all the soap suds are coming up off him. Even Reed's towel feels like it's moving, as if he's just thrown it over his shoulder.

For PAGE 2 --

The original --

Side-by-side --

I commented to the artist: In panel 1, you left out any indication this was the living room. Ben's towel is already around him, Reed Richards is looking scrawny and old, no sense of power here. Johnny is almost lost in the back of the hallway. In John Buscema's version, Ben is in the middle of pulling the towel around himself. The soap suds are still coming off him, indicating how fast he jumped out of the shower. Reed has put on a robe; the material is moving, the robe's belt is flying up behind him, the towel is whipping in the air as he wipes the shaving cream off his face, Johnny is leaping over furniture to race toward us. In that quickly-drawn first panel, there's still AT LEAST seven levels of depth to the shot! Reed (level 1); the coffee table (level 2); Ben and Johnny (level 3); the sofa (level 4); base of the fireplace (level 5) the fireplace itself (level 6) opening to the bathroom they just came from (level 7). So lots of depth to a simple shot.

Panel 2, you drew the action BETWEEN the panels. Try never to do that unless the script calls for it. Draw the MIDDLE of the action. You've draw Reed already having opened the door, just standing there doing nothing.Buscema drew a dramatic down shot, Reed shoving open the door, hands up and open tensely, and the papers are whipping in one specific direction, indicating where the thief just exited.

Panel three, you have two skinny, emaciated heroes just standing there. Johnny's looking at the floor or something. Reed is just looking. Buscema drew a concerned-faced Reed reaching toward the wires. Johnny, hand balled into a fist as he's ready to bust into action, is looking around, but he's leaning forward -- he's moving into action.

Panel four, although you drew a nice shot of Johnny flying out toward us, this is the FIRST time in the story we see Johnny flying. Buscema understands that, so he makes sure we see Johnny in full figure, flaming on, speed trail indicating his movement. He also TILTS the building to make the angle more dramatic, clearly showing the city backdrop.

For PAGE 3 --

The original --

Flipping the artist's image for easier comparison side-by-side --

My comments to the artist: You drew just the Surfer's head peeking in. You have the cops already in the room, pointing their weapons. How did they know Surfer was going to be there at that very moment? In your version, we cannot clearly see the doctor opening the door to let the cops race in. Her body blocks the door and movement of opening the door. You turned the nurse AWAY from the action, rather than seeing and reacting to the action. And you drew another straight-on angle, with no sense of movement/urgency.

Analyze what Buscema drew: He didn't just draw the Surfer's head. There's enough of the Surfer in foreground, an expressive hand raised. He's facing the woman and the cops, which yours was NOT. Clearly the doctor is yanking open the door, the cops are racing in with their weapons. The nurse sees what's happening and shields the patient with her own body. The angle of the room is tilted TOWARD the Surfer, adding to the sense of drama/movement.

Now PAGE FOUR --

Compared to --

Side-by-side --

My notes: Panel one, You decided to focus on the Surfer, even though his gesturing is the only important element about him in this panel. Most of the panel is about the cop and the nurse, warning the Surfer away. But the way you staged it, much of the cop and nurse and patient are CUT OUT of the scene. In Buscema's layout, the gesture is the focus, BUT we see the cop with his weapon and stern expression. We see the nurse, leaning in forward to warn him away. We see one arm holding her patient, protectively, and her other hand out, expressive.

Panel two, you chose a closeup, nothing else. Buscema chose a 3/4 full body shot, using expressive hands to emphasize that he is pleading with them to be reasonable.

Panel three, I'm not 100% clear what's going on in yours. In Buscema's, it's totally clear that Surfer unleashes his cosmic power to help the patient, as the nurse reacts, her expressive hand visible.

Panel four, I don't understand why you drew the figures posed so incredibly bored. We can't even see how the Surfer's reacting to being shot by the blast. In Buscema's, we see the reaction of the nurse, and the second cop, while the first cop dramatically whips around his weapon, firing at the Surfer, who is hit with the blast. Look at his wide stance and flailing arms. This kind of panel is great for assembling multiple actions is one shot. The wider the panel, the more time has passed. The narrower the panel, the shorter the amount of time. This schematic type of panel allows us to see Nurse reaction/cop reaction/other cop wide-stances, whipping weapon int position/firing/impact blast from the firing/surfer's reaction at being hit -- ALL in one panel. Strong, clear, powerful storytelling.

Then PAGE 5 --

With --

Side-by-side --

My analysis: I notice that you love centering things in the middle of your panel. Buscema does only occasionally; he'd rather try for a more dramatic composition. Panel 1, you draw a down shot on a skinny Surfer who is looking down, away from them, not engaged. Buscema drew a more powerful Surfer, head turned up to look at and speak to them, an expressive fist balled up even as he pushes himself up with his other arm.

Panel two, your Surfer seems to be firing beams from his eyes, which is not exactly what was described. In Buscema’s version, Surfer is summoning up power. We can see his expression of anger. His hands are majorly expressive, as well, as if summoning a spell.

Panel three, you give us a back shot on Surfer and a really NOT dramatic panel. Buscema gave us the clear power blasts from Surfer's hands, the melting-in-mid-air weapons, the two cops' shocked reactions even as they jerk back in fear.

Panel four, you draw the Surfer just looking back over his shoulder to say something. Compare with: Buscema draws a cop and nurse reacting to the Surfer's threat, the Surfer has leapt to the window sill, pointing angrily, the window open and the drapes whipping in the wind.

Understand that Buscema is drawing each page here in about 2 and a half hours. So he's not spending a lot of time analyzing the script, he's just laying it down as clearly and dramatically as he can.

Remember, this analysis for you is NOT about your finished style. It's only about the thinking behind your layouts. I figure you've never taken the time to study classic storytelling, so you're re-inventing the wheel in your own mind. As such, you're not learning what can/should be done.

I hope this helps.

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natromanxoff · 4 years ago

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M (Myth): "There are few photos and videos of Queen in Puebla because people were unable to operate their photography or cinema devices because the batteries of their cameras or devices were confiscated." R (Reality): Most of the home photo cameras of the time were mechanical, they did not require batteries to take photos or operate the flash. Home cinema cameras for filming film (in Super 8 format) were expensive and rare. With the passage of time this material has been lost.

M: "By confiscating the batteries at the entrance to the Ignacio Zaragoza Stadium, there were few recorders available to record the concert on October 17 in Puebla." R: Hundreds of recorders were introduced that recorded the full audio of the concert.

M: "People were upset and threw batteries on stage thinking that Queen had given the order to resell those that had previously been confiscated, that was the strange explanation that the Argentine promoter José Rota gave to Jim Beach and Gerry Stickells, according to Peter. Freestone; that erroneous version is the one that has spread everywhere over the years ”. R: The Mexican knows of the corruption that exists in his officials and authorities, so it was not strange for them to resell the batteries previously confiscated inside the stadium, in this regard Peter Freestone (friend and personal assistant of Freddie) commented that the Argentinian promoter José Rota, was the one who told them that the anger of the people in Puebla was due to the resale of batteries.

M: “The concert was broadcast live on Radio Éxitos AM". R: The concert on Saturday in Puebla was not broadcast live on Radio Éxitos 790 AM, instead it took 78 min. Deferred from the Monterrey concert, due to that the concert in Puebla started late; of the concert on Sunday they spent an edition of about 60 minutes.

Photo Notes: Freddie at the Hotel Mesón del Ángel in Puebla, few people were able to approach to request the coveted autograph. 4 football helmets were ordered for Queen's protection for the Sunday concert. Roberto R. one of the interpreters from Puebla asked him to sign one of the helmets that were not used in the end. Faced with the request and feigning anger, Freddie commented: "The things you have to do for a helmet", a phrase similar to the one he said at the LP Live Killers concert, after playing Dreamer's Ball: "The things you have to do for money." (Photography: Ricardo Quintana)

Photo Notes: John Deacon posing smiling in front of American football helmets, on the terrace of the Hotel Mesón del Ángel on Sunday, October 18. They were purchased at the only sporting goods store open on Sunday in Puebla: Deportes Marti, by the 2 Puebla interpreters at the request of Jim Beach for Queen's protection, in the face of the projectile rain the day before. Fortunately it was not necessary wear them for the concert that day. (Photography: Ricardo Quintana / José L. Molina)

M: “A video of Queen in Mexico has been widely circulated on the internet." R: A vivales edited the video of Queen in Brazil, to which the audio of the concert in Puebla synchronized; it is easy to discover the deception, since in those images it is observed a giant screen that was not in the Ignacio Zaragoza Stadium, also Freddie wears blue knee pads that he did not wear in Puebla.

M: "There was a filming of Queen in Mexico made by Televisa but it was lost in the 1985 earthquake." R: In a telephone interview, Luis de Llano Macedo, a senior executive of Televisa, was asked what was true of the existence of a video of Queen in Mexico recorded by them; categorical stated that there is no such recording, nor was there any plan to broadcast something related to Queen in Mexico on TV.

M: "People were offended that Freddie wore a Zapatista hat." R: People were not offended that Freddie wore a Zapatista hat, and before that, famous personalities who visited Mexico wore typical hats as a way to empathize with Mexicans, such as the Apollo XI astronauts, Pelé or Pope John Paul II, and the people did not bother, on the contrary.

M: "Freddie made fun of people by wearing a Zapatista hat." R: Freddie was not racist for wearing a big hat, before, in an effort to empathize with different audiences, he used local elements, such as in Argentina, where he put on the shirt of his national team and even Maradona was invited on stage to present a song.

M: "There was a slam at the concert." R: The practice of slam was not known in those times, and there was no room for it.

‘Queen in Pueblo, Mexico 1981’ by Francisco Arellano Baltazar: 1/?

Thanks so much to him for letting me share the text parts! And credits to Jack Salazar for translation. I added both languages for those who speak Spanish too.

Please do not repost!!

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen in puebla magazine #queen scans

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naughtygirl286 · 3 years ago

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Last Tuesday (Sept 14) we went to finally see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and of course there wasn't anything for it no cups or buckets or anything which I wasn't surprised about.

Now as for the movie I thought it was excellent! I really enjoyed it and the people I was with enjoyed it also

I'm going to try to not spoil to much but there might be some Spoilers ahead~ I loved the story it was a great "origin" story for the character and I did like how it was done where it did focus alot on the present day but told all I think relevant backstory though perfectly placed flashbacks that didn't didn't disrupt the natural flow of the movie. also I didn't feel like there was any slow parts in this this movie always seemed like it just went straight ahead and had great pacing.

I liked Simu Liu as Shaun/Shang-Chi I think he was perfect for this movie and I felt that he was a very likable guy and you do care for him thought this movie and he has this amazing chemistry with Awkwafina who plays Katy his best friend

I also loved Awkwafina's Katy she was amazing and a great partner for Shaun/Shang-Chi and their chemistry produces alot of the comedy as they bounce off of each other. I kind of feel that she is the female version of Michael Peña's Luis and I would love to see them have a scene together I also like how she has this bit of personal growth where she does go form being kinda goofy to having this mature hero moment of her own.

I'm also happy that they finally introduced the One True Mandarin Tony Leung Chiu-wai and I thought he did a good job over all but I didn't think he was as Evil and villainous as I thought he was going to be. I guess I expected a bit more from the character but I'm not going to fault Tony Leung Chiu-wai because he did a great job.

I was also happy and surprised to see that they brought back Ben Kingsley to play Trevor Slattery once again and finish out that characters story as you see what happened to him after the events of Iron Man 3 as well as the short follow up One-Shot: All Hail the King This character is just so fun and crazy to watch and he plays him so perfectly. and of course he has alot of weird craziness going on like you would expect from this character. and speaking of Trevor Slattery they do reference and talk about the events of Iron Man 3 in this movie.

Now the movie itself was great it was a good Origin story, the action was amazing the bus fight and the one on the bamboo scaffolding were awesome the fights and stunts and all that were excellent. The visual were amazing too I loved the scene with Wong and Abomination but that leads me to thinking why is Abomination hanging out with Wong? but yeah the movie has plenty of action and some great humor and at its core it is a story about family and finding your place in it as well as the world.

One tiny thing that kinda bothered me tho was the Rings. I did like the fact that they were bigger and worn on the forearm instead of one per finger like in the comics. The bigger rings give it a better visual impact but the tiny thing that I was kinda disappointed with is in the comics each ring does its own thing/has its own power but they didn't didn't do that in this I thought maybe it was too much to have it like that? and it was better to have the power(s) more streamlined? I don't know? but that was really the only problem I had with this movie

but yeah the movie is great I totally enjoyed it so I would recommend Also don't leave too quickly! there is two credit scenes on Mid which was quite surprising and one after.

#shang-chi #shang-chi movie #shang-chi mcu #marvels shang-chi #shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings #legend of the ten rings #marvel #marvel studios #disney #shang-chi marvel #mcu #marvel mcu #shannonj286 #naughtygirl286

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filmadaydiary · 4 years ago

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1/22/21 to 1/23/21

Marvel Part 3

This is the biggest chunk of the films by a bit, and a lot happens in here. I think there are four origin stories, and there’s even a sequel to one of those origins within the same group. A LOT happens, and in general things have been settled into a comfortable formula. And yet here we have some new directors, a lot of new characters, and some new takes on old favorites. Now that the MCU is so established, it seems people were more comfortable taking risks with these stories, and I think it pays off in audience satisfaction. Also, yes, we did watch seven movies in two days. What can I say? We’re good kids staying locked down.

1/22/21

Ant-Man – Peyton Reed, 2015

I’m very disappointed that this could have been an Edgar Wright movie. It comes so close, with the way Luis tells his stories and the structure of the final battle between the two tiny men. And yet it is definitely not Edgar Wright. It’s a pretty basic superhero origin story. That being said, Paul Rudd is a national treasure and absolutely carries this film. He is a delight to watch as the funny, clever lead, as he always is. He was made to be a quippy genius in a cool suit. Okay, that makes him sound like Iron Man. In a way, Ant-Man is Iron Man Lite. He’s not rich, he’s just an everyday guy. He is an engineer, but maybe not a genius. Most importantly, he’s genuinely funny, not rude, and he cares about his family. I do think the characterizations are what make this movie compelling, not the plot. It ties in very nicely to Civil War, and I enjoyed watching it directly before the epic crossover event. Having light-hearted characters with less worldly stakes keeps the MCU grounded and keeps superheroes from being too out of touch.

Captain America: Civil War – Joe and Anthony Russo, 2016

I hesitate to say this, but I think this might be my favorite movie in the MCU. I can’t quite put my finger on why, because there are certainly more epic team-ups, and I hate when friends fight. And yet, I still love this film. One, you get Hawkeye in a non-Avengers event, which is always terribly exciting. Two, you get the character intros of some of the best characters ever (Spider-Man and Black Panther). And three, you get an intense debate about morals that actually gives you something to talk about after you leave the theater. It feels rare to have a superhero movie that doesn’t have morals hitting you over the head with righteousness and love. This movie really makes you think about control and consequences. And I love a movie that makes you think. I’m also slightly biased because I had a great premiere experience, I got to see an early screening and the exclusivity made it more exciting too. It pulls on a lot of existing threads within the MCU and brings the conflict to a head in a spectacular way.

1/23/21

Spider-Man: Homecoming – Jon Watts, 2017

The stand-out role in Civil War, seeing Spider-Man on the big screen under Disney’s purview was certainly a treat. I appreciate that they didn’t go for yet another Peter Parker origin story, instead jumping in after he’s already become Spider-Man. We all know the story of the radioactive spider bite by now, so getting to see Spider-Man grow as a friendly neighborhood guy is delightful. It’s a high school coming-of-age movie that happens to feature superheroes. The stakes are brought down to a relatable level. Asking out the girl he likes is just as important as catching the bad guy, perhaps even more so. Tom Holland is the absolutely perfect casting choice, capturing both being an awkward teenager and being a web-slinging badass. And Tony Stark gets the opportunity to right his wrongs and step up to be a father figure for someone who desperately needs one. I do wish we got to focus on Peter’s story a little more, instead of using him as a pawn to fulfill Tony’s character arc. But that’s a small criticism for an otherwise lovely movie.

Black Panther – Ryan Coogler, 2018

Black Panther rocked the world when it came out, and rightfully so. Here we have a Black superhero who brings a respectful version of African traditions to the big screen. The worldbuilding of Wakanda is spectacular, showing that this hidden nation knows more about technology than anyone else in the world. It flies in the face of negative stereotypes about African peoples and blends aspects of tribalism in without making them feel like tokens. I think I like the Dora Milaje the best, the squad of women warriors who protect the king. They are so strong and beautiful with their shaved heads and spears and I love them. After Black Panther’s introduction in Civil War, it was nice to go into this movie and see what he dealt with in the weeks after his father’s death. Once again, seeing things in chronological order helped clarify any confusion I had about the timeline of things when they came out months apart in theaters. T’Challa had a really rough couple of weeks in there. Oh, and Michael B. Jordan is also excellent in his role as Killmonger. It’s a great movie for so many reasons.

Doctor Strange – Scott Derrickson, 2016

I feel like a lot of people don’t like this movie. It is true that Doctor Strange is a little bit like a discount Tony Stark, a man who thinks the rest of the world is below him because of his superior intellect. At least this movie has the decency to break him down to nothing before giving him ridiculous superpowers that serve to reaffirm that belief. I think this movie is fine. It’s definitely one of the more visually arresting films, which I always appreciate. On visuals alone, I’d pick this over something like Ant-Man or Thor 2. The concept is also relatively cool, making it seem like wizardry can be learned by anybody. However, it does feel out of place in the timeline. We’re getting close to the end of the line here, and all this movie does for the overarching plot is introduce the Time Stone. But while I think it’s a perfectly passable origin story, it doesn’t make sense here at this point in Phase 3 of the MCU. Plus Marvel didn’t really need another overpowered quippy white man. Again, this is a fun movie to watch, but for the first time in awhile, this is better on its own than in sequence.

Thor: Ragnarok – Taika Waititi, 2017

Taika Waititi is a creative genius and should be allowed to take over the entire film industry. What We Do in the Shadows is one of my favorite movies of all time and I’m so glad that he is now on the map and taking over the Thor franchise going forward. He took the goofy Thor we all know and love and turned up the humor without compromising character, adding in nods to the previous movies and the fans without offending anybody. To say nothing of Korg, arguably one of the best side characters we’ve seen in the MCU thus far. After seeing it for the first time on my birthday, my brother announced upon leaving the theater that this was his new favorite MCU movie. I do think that this ranks pretty highly for me. It makes Thor fun again. Plus it’s just a really good movie. Like it features characters we already know, and then uses characteristics we haven’t seen before to make them well-rounded and more interesting to watch. And it’s stylistically very well done too! The scene with Thor using his lightning and the flashback with the Valkyries and the fight on the rainbow bridge... It’s all so good. And I haven’t even mentioned Jeff Goldblum. There’s a very good reason my brother likes this movie so much. It’s because it’s excellent.

Ant-Man and the Wasp – Peyton Reed, 2018

Now, Thor: Ragnarok leads directly into Infinity War, so I do sort of wish we’d gone into that next. But it was more important for us to watch Infinity War and Endgame back to back, so we decided to throw the Ant-Man sequel in here. This movie is about what Ant-Man and his friends were up to immediately before the events of Infinity War, maybe even during, because he wasn’t in that movie. And it sets up some VERY important plot points for Endgame. It makes a lot of sense to release these in the order they did. This is still an okay movie, but it ultimately feels like filler. Which is a shame, because these are good characters. Paul Rudd is still a delight, and so is the supporting cast of thieves. At the end of the day, it does feel necessary to watch this movie at some point so that the other ones make sense, but it also doesn’t feel like it has much impact on its own. The villain is interesting enough, the dialogue is still snappy, but the most impactful part of the film is the end credits scene when you see the Pym family get dusted. It’s a preview of what’s to come, even more haunting if you know it’s coming. But the part of the movie that makes you sit up and pay attention should not be hidden away in the credits.

#filmblr #filmcommunity #filmmaking #Film Review #film

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