#but the care and love put into it by the writers developers actors musicians etc.

[velvetjune]

one of the best parts in playing through remedy’s games is directly seeing how each game built upon concepts touched upon in prior ones. you can trace almost every experimental decision throughout its run of games that it makes for an interesting playthrough whether or not you enjoy playing the game

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet CA-based Screenwriter Rebecca Christian

REBECCA CHRISTIAN is a screenwriter and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA.  To contact her, email rebeccaechristian [at] gmail [dot] com, or visit her forthcoming website at www.rebeccachristian.com.

Check out her pilot for NO NERDS HERE, a mockumentary web series following the exploits of three former "Mighty Rangers" as they attend a weekend fan convention.

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

REBECCA: I was born and raised in San Diego. I went to film school at Loyola Marymount University and bounce back and forth between here and LA as needed. I was actually planning to move back to LA this year, and then the pandemic hit and I decided to remain in my hometown with my family for the foreseeable future. 

How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?

I don't think of myself as a "Catholic writer" in the sense that I desire to be in held in some sort of esteem within the respectable Catholic canon (i.e. Tolkien, Chesterton, O'Connor, etc). However, I do acknowledge how my faith is the foundation of how I understand the world in my sense of right and wrong, the need for redemption and the possibility of it. I always want my work to have a sense of hope in the immutable Christian sense, even if what I'm writing is darker in nature. I do think "Catholic art" should be life-giving, whatever that means to the particular artist.

Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

I used to be active on the core team of Catholic Underground LA, which was an apostolate of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal dedicated to showcasing art of all kinds. I joined when I was still in college, and it was really formational for me at the time when I was still nascent in my reversion to be around actors, writers, musicians, etc. who were all trying to express themselves and grow in their faith.

Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

I have a love/hate relationship with social media, but I've met and built friendships with several Catholic artists through it. 

How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

Expanding what is considered "Catholic art" in the first place. I'm thinking of the lack of acknowledgement of a titan like Toni Morrison, who was a convert and whose exploration of humanity and suffering was certainly Catholic, and hang my head in shame about how her legacy has not been celebrated within Catholic circles.

How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

This is always an interesting question to me because I've never really faced ridicule as a person of faith in artistic circles. I think it's because I'm Black and a woman, so people express more of a curiosity about how someone like me could possibly believe in anything "traditional." I've had some wonderful conversations with people, and generally speaking I think artists are far more open to having these sorts of conversations than Catholics are, to be honest.  

Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I have a regular practice of going to adoration in a little 24-hr chapel near my house, which I've been unable to go to since the pandemic. It's been really hard for me in a certain sense, but my Lenten sacrifice this year was praying the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day and maintaining that has been really helpful. I'm a member at St. Anne's, which is an FSSP parish saying the Extraordinary Form of the mass in San Diego. I'm not super involved in parish life anymore due large in part to my work schedule, but I used to host a women's group and occasionally get that group together again for brunch. 

Where do you go to get inspired?

I'm in a number of writing classes/groups online.

How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?

I haven't really done this specifically in SD but I probably should.

What is your daily spiritual practice?

At the moment, it's Liturgy of the Hours + a regular habit of yoga and meditation.

What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

I try to write every day, even if it's just free writing. It's been difficult to keep up with during the pandemic, but I've finally found my groove again in the last couple of months. I'm not the type of writer that can wait for inspiration, or else I would never get anything completed, so if that sounds like you I'd recommend putting aside time daily to work on your craft. 

Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.

I developed a short film script with a production company earlier this year that featured a religious sister as a one of the main characters. The script's themes weren't religious at all, she was just one of the characters. It was interesting getting notes and feedback in the vein of, "Would a nun do that? Would a nun be friends with this other character?" It was clear that the producers had never really interacted with religious sisters before, and I had to gently explain that well, religious people are actually people too. They have friends, hobbies, needs, wants, and desires. It was comical for me to watch them assimilate that information throughout the development process, and I'm glad I was able to evangelize if even just a tiny bit.

How do you afford housing as an artist?

I rent a house with my mom in SD and when I come to LA for meetings I usually stay with friends. There are Catholic groups on FB to find roommates, couches, etc. I highly recommend using social media to find non-crazy roommates if and when you move.

How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

Some background on this -- I just started writing again in 2019 after taking about 3 years away from the industry entirely. I have a "day job" in the form of my doula practice. I really love it, and it allows me to build my schedule out to accommodate projects. I took an entire month off this year to finish a script that is currently in the final round of contention at the Sundance Development Track. There's a growing number of fellowships and paid development programs for screenwriters. Twitter is a great place for screenwriters (and other writers) to network. I don't have a manager currently (that's next on my list), but I've booked meetings and had my work read purely from networking there. There's no magic bullet, but putting yourself out there has been fruitful for me, and despite the changes in the industry being inflicted by the pandemic, I'm really excited about 2021.

What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city?

I really believe strongly in cultivating practices of self-care and spirituality. You can't pour out into your work if nothing is filling you up.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

Realize that "success" is going to take some time. Find your worth in who God says you are, not in what you do. Be genuinely kind to people and remember to network laterally! (Not just with people "higher up" that you admire.)

[purgatoryapotheca]

List of Types of Graveyard Dirt

GRAVEYARD, GRAVES  DIRT

THIS LIST DEALS WITH THE TYPES OF GRAVES THAT ONE WILL COLLECT DIRT FROM---

A lot of  people really have no idea that there are different types of graveyard dirt and that in reality, the intention of your spell work should dictate where your dirt comes from. There is also energy from things that happen to grow or its location in a Graveyard or Cemetery that is based on energy, when it is not from a specific grave an offering to the guardians at the gates is sufficient unless it is from a grave that is dictated by its location then a further offering to the spirit within that grave is important as well.

1, 4, 7, 9 and 21 locations are considered important in the strength of the dirt for certain spell workings or rituals

In Santeria or Afro-Brazilian and other workings, the multiple gatherings of different types of dirt are used in creating protection and calling in the orisha’s.

The following is a generalized list of the different types of dirt and what it’s good for.

TYPES OF GRAVES-----

Abortionist (very old grave):  This is usually a discounted medical person or a woman that had no medical training and performed abortions, this is a negative use type of dirt, to cause distress to an ill person.

Abused: Dirt from the grave of a person who was physically or emotionally abused can be useful in giving strength and will to remove either yourself or someone from an abusive situation

Abuser’s Grave:   This type of dirt would be used in workings dealing with driving a couple apart or causing confusion. Making them stop loving each other, but be careful this can cause a fight so bad that they could seriously harm each other.  (See also Gambler’s Grave)

Adolescent (from ages 11 to 19): This dirt is known to cause and promote inattentiveness and irresponsible behavior.

In particular, dirt from the graves of those who are ages 17 to 19, make a good additives in spells where you want to promote interest in another person, romantic involvement, romantic gestures, promote sexual attraction, increase lust, and increase sexual appetites.

There is nothing like budding sexuality to bring about all things sexual and romantic.

ACTOR, ARTIST, DANCER, MUSICIAN, Singer, Composer, Writer and others in the Creative Arts: Dirt from the graves of these creative persons, could be used to inspire a creative spark, and possible success be sure that their type of work is the same type that you want to do.  Be sure they were successful and happy in their life, check their back ground history to avoid any of the pit falls that they may have encountered.

An Atheists/ Infidel’s Grave or someone who doesn’t believe in God:  There is a magical working using this to cause disruption in a person’s home, to break up a couple or disrupts a person’s place of business

A Catholic’s Grave: If you get dirt from this type of grave (man or woman) from the breast or heart area this is used to help who ever has left you return to you, this can be a family member of any age or someone you seriously care about

(I need to tell you something about this, I was asked to help find a family member who had left unexpectedly after an argument and was gone for more than a year, the family wanted to find this person, so I did a ritual using this type of dirt, but the vision I received told me that it was not going to be good news, so I told the family of what I had seen, well two weeks later the body of this family member was found in a shallow grave.  they had been murdered but made to look like they had just left, even a suitcase with some clothes were buried with the body,  the person who did this crime was arrested and brought to trial.  So sometimes it can have a sad conclusion, be prepared for that.)

Cheaters: Dirt from the grave of a cheater works well for bringing about love triangles and promoting urges to cheat.

Child (from ages 2 - 10): This type of dirt is a wonderful aid when the appearance of child-like innocence is necessary. It also works well for aid in developing new friendships.

Gathering dirt from a poor child’s grave for use in spell work will also aid in acquiring basic necessities (a home, food, etc).

Dirt from a Child’s grave or a 12 year old Child:    There are two types of uses for this type of dirt to get people to leave either out of your home (like an eviction or a person who is a “sponge”) or a person you dislike in the neighborhood, I think a 13 year old or young teen would be better because they almost always are rebelling or threatening to run away from home because they don’t like parental authority.

Doctor or Nurse: This dirt can be used either to promote healing or cause illness, depending upon the intent of your casting.

Elderly: This dirt is particularly useful in situations where wisdom, knowledge, and know-how is necessary.

A Family member who truly loved you:  For love and protection, best to take from the heart area and give a goodly payment.

Fireman:    Protection but mostly for the home especially from all things fiery, especially good if a family member is a fireman, make into an amulet.

Gambler :  If you know, for a fact, that the gambler was good, then this dirt can be used to increase luck, better odds, and heighten intuition.

If you are unsure of whether or not the gambler was lucky or not, the dirt can be used to promote someone into taking unnecessary risks.

There is also a negative aspect to using this type of dirt.

The old timers usually referred to a Gambler’s grave because they’d be drinking and taking their woman’s money for gambling but in the 21st century terms I’d say a person who is an abuser, this type of dirt would be used in workings dealing with driving a couple apart or causing confusion. Making them stop loving each other, but be careful this can cause a fight so bad that they could seriously harm each other.

Gangster ---If one wishes to do harm, or to force or coerce someone to act in a certain way, one might use the dirt of someone who "died badly" -- before their time, through execution (not by the law), because their spirit, once invoked, would be inclined to perform evil deeds or to seek very strong justice with little compunction.

A Good Person’s Grave:   Excellent for peace in your home and in your work place

Infant : Let’s start with dirt from a Baby’s or Infant’s Grave ---There are a number of magickal workings that use this type of dirt---for example~~~

A Baby’s grave is good for peace in your home, or to have people get along in your home that live with you.

It can also be good for keeping the law away and there is an old time spell that can be use. I will post these spells later in another post

If there is a person you like and you want them to notice you be it man or woman you can use it.

Or to bring back a person into your life.

It can be used to get a job, and there is a formula and spell for that as well.

Also if you have a baby of your own and it has terrifying dreams or cries in a terrifying manner you can use this dirt to help the baby to rest, by putting it in a non-metal jar in the room.  It is believed that a negative spirit is surrounding the frightened baby and the bright spirit light caused by this dirt will chase away such negative energies.

Also it can be used to make someone move out of the area. To do this, put together a dirt dauber nest (type of wasp) and dirt from a baby’s grave, put it in the sleeping area (if the person is living with you) of the person you want to have move out, or near the front porch of a person’s house, they will hear the frightened, terrified cry from that spirit and it will make them move or leave. Only they can hear it not anyone else.

Dirt from an infant’s grave can be useful in spells of fertility, or to ensure that someone becomes totally dependent upon you, or when you need to appear indispensable. Also because a baby's vision is somewhat blurry, this dirt can be useful when you need someone to cast a "blind-eye" to something that you're doing

Infant/child who died on Friday the 13th :  because the spirit of a young child is fairly obedient this dirt can be used to cause trouble or bad luck to someone.

Infant/ who died on  Halloween:  Much the same as one that died on Friday the 13th only worse, might be used to haunt a wrong doer, especially a rapist.

INFANT WHO LIVED TWO DAYS OR LESS: Dirt from the grave of a baby who lived less than one day is particularly effective for certain workings where "worldly" influences need to be kept to a minimum.

INFANT OR BABY THAT NEVER CRIED:  Usually this means a still born baby, for some reason using this dirt is supposed to make your hens lay eggs if they don’t, good for Urban farmers I guess, I think the formula that is done with it is to help keep the chickens calm to lay their eggs.  I have been told also that the dirt from this type of grave is also used in magikal workings concerning being able to enter a place without being seen or making noise. In some other cases to cause lameness or the inability to walk in a person. There is more on this but I have to research it further.

But what I'm concerned about is that it means if the baby was still born, it also means that the spirit never at any point truly entered the body before birth. That is one of the things about souls, they usually don't enter the body completely until the last few hours before birth when they enter the body of the baby is when the contractions begin,  now that is not to say that they don't go in and out of the body from time to time while the body is in Utreo but usually the spirit/soul of the child is hanging around the mother/parents in general to see if this family is going to be a good fit and also if it will fulfill the Karmic life path of the new soul. Because the fetus growing inside a woman's body is in essence "a parasite" until it can live independently outside the body,  some spiritualist and theologists have also said that the soul doesn't truly enter the body until the baby takes its first independent breath, that is why for ages it has been important to hear the baby cry upon birth. 

Lawyer / Judge : This dirt should be used to assist in winning court cases, settlements, etc. It is also helpful when injustice is an issue or when you're rights are being violated.

Madame (female owner of a brothel):  For spells dealing with sexuality

MASS DEATH:  Either by a major accident in which the unnamed are buried or those who died in a mass suicide (think Jones Town), this type of dirt could be used in major physical harm or death.  (Be very, very careful)

But there are different kinds of mass graves. The mass grave of a group of people who were ambushed and slaughtered would be far different than the mass grave of a group of brave soldiers who volunteered for a battle and died there just as the ossuaries where Christian monks donated their remains to the building of highly ornamental bone-chapels, constructed entirely of the skeletal remains of religious devotees.  Or from a mass grave of Holocausts victims of WWII

There is no "one size fits all" way to work. You are working with the spirits of the dead. Your contact with them is essential to the work because you have to remember Graveyard work is SPIRITUAL work.

Mentally Disturbed / Insane: To cause insanity, mental instability, etc.

WARNING: When collecting this dirt, do remember that you're dealing with the spirit of someone who was obviously mentally disturbed.

Millionaire:   from the grave of a wealthy person might be incorporated into a working for prosperity.

Murderer / Murderess/Killer: The older the dirt, the better in this case. Dirt from the grave of someone who has taken human life and has been executed can be extremely powerful in matters of revenge and causing harm.   Use this to drive someone far, far away from you or for hexing, cursing

WARNING: Do be aware that incorporating this type of dirt into your magickal practices can even cause DEATH!  This is very unstable energies involved in this type of dirt, know well who is buried and see if they were without moral compass or killed in the heat of passion or self-defense but was found guilty.  Sometimes the graves of old cowboys who were hung just for cattle rustling or for doing what he felt was being loyal to the brand maybe better.

There is a sub-category to this

Dirt from the grave of the Unjustly Executed:  For example the men and women who were executed during the Salem witch trials, their energies understand revenge for what was done to them, and can be a bit more stable.  But even then use extreme caution.

This is the type of grave that you have to be sure this person was executed only to discover that they did not commit the crime, use this persons grave to bring about justice if you feel you have been victimized.

Murder victim/Murdered: This dirt is very useful in matters of injustice or wrong-doing.

A NATIVE AMERICAN CEMETERY:  Be careful it has to be from a Cemetery not a sacred burial area or ground from the old timers.

Dirt collected from the graves of Native Americans is the perfect additive for spells and charms of protection. It can also promote a connection between you and your Native American Spirit Guide or to help summon your guide.

When collecting from a Native American Cemetery or grave, it helps to know what would be best to give as an offering or payment, do not use any kind of alcohol, but see what they would prefer, either pollen or corn something that ties into their native American beliefs, it’s possible that payment in using either buffalo nickels or Indian head pennies might be good, but meditate with the spirits of this cemetery to be clear what would be correct.

Nearest Relation:   This one is used for protection or to keep the law away, or to protect you from someone who seeks to do you harm, take it from the head and pay this relation a goodly amount of money 50 cents a dollar and bury it right where you take the dirt. Then you can use it in your magical working.

Pet: Dirt from the grave of a personal pet can be useful in matters of the heart, loyalty issues, and protection.

Policeman:  Excellent for protection spells, especially for the home or business This is used for protection and they are supposed to “Protect and Serve”, usually from the grave of an officer who died in the line of duty is best---this is a very powerful type of dirt and you do have to give serious payment

Practitioner of Magick: Literally, dirt from the grave of a practitioner can be used for anything.

Priest Nun / Priest / Pastor: Used in situations where spiritual guidance and spiritual protection are needed. Also used on occasion to convey the appearance of goodness and innocence to the outside world.

A Religious Person’s Grave:   This is different from a Good Person’s Grave, this dirt is more for Hex breaking, because a religious person always prays to God for assistance. If you feel a negative working is being done to you, making you feel unwell, causing you to lose work, or disruption in the home this dirt will help in a magical working to break that Hex. Lots of times it is someone of your family that always seem to have a direct connection to God, so this is good for Hex breaking and protection especially if taken from the heart area.

Roadside death:   There are two uses for dirt from a Roadside Death, the positive is for safe travel, and the negative is the same as Mass Death only it would appear as an accident, in the negative aspect it’s used for revenge. Negative workings I do not recommend.

A Sinner’s Grave:   Much like an abusers grave except you can use it to have unwanted people leave your home to never return, or if you are fed up with your marriage or your boy/girl friend and you want to breakup but you want to win the divorce or breakup, that is to come out good in your favor, then you use a magical working with this dirt. A Sinner is not necessarily an abuser but someone who sins and never repents.

A Sinner’s Grave After 9 Days:  If you want to get rid of someone or leave your home and never come back  get this dirt after the person has been dead for 9 days,  get the dirt from the area of the sinner’s left foot, leave payment there and make sure its carefully covered, sprinkle it around the house or put into the 4 corners of the room where the person sleeps, whatever dirt you have left over (because you don’t want the dirt to be obvious to the person) tie it up in a handkerchief and throw it into running water and the person will never stop walking.

Soldier: Used for bravery, strength, quick thinking, and getting someone to obey or follow orders, rules, etc. -Spells of protection and domination. (Also of courage)   A soldier is obedient and strong and loyal and this dirt can be used in protection and hex breaking as well as domination or to gain courage (as in an amulet or mojo bag)

It’s important to use common sense here. Try to choose a soldier that you think (or know) believed in the kind of cause that you're trying to obtain.

Also, dirt from the graves German soldiers from Hitler’s era make great additives for anything occult related as Hitler was into all things occult.

DIRT FROM 21 soldiers GRAVES:  You are asking for nearly a platoon of men and women for very serious protection and courage.

Suicide:  For negative workings to drive someone who has done you or your family a serious wrong

A Sunken Grave:    If a man leaves his wife or girlfriend and she wants him back she is to get dirt from a grave that has sunken (very old, the coffin may have collapsed) at the head, but she better be sure she wants him back.

A Woman’s Grave:  There is a magical working where dirt from the head of a woman’s grave will help a man bring back a woman who has left him.

Woman who died in childbirth:  To avoid mis-carrages

Each one of these types of Graves has a specific purpose, with a little thought I’m sure you can think of a few more purposes for the uses of dirt from a specific person’s grave.

But one thing you have to do is to know and learn about the various individuals, what they did, what they were like, usually in obituaries especially if the person was liked or had done positive things, with that information you can make plans to visit that person’s grave to see if they’d be willing to work with you. Going through old micro film records of newspapers and reading the Obits can help.

It does mean you have to know your community pretty well, and I do recommend that you never go alone, especially if the cemetery is not in a good part of town.

Now it is not unusual to go to very old cemeteries such as a boot hill if you live in the west to find a grave of an old time law man or outlaw, even old historical graves can be helpful.

But go respectfully, only take a small amount and remember you have to pay for it and do not desecrate a grave.

ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL!!  AND ALWAYS MAKE PAYMENT

Reference:

http://spiritinfo.blogspot.com/p/types-of-graveyard-dirts-for-reference.html?m=1

[th3okamid3mon]

JoJo Rabbit, a well thought and heart-wrenching satire [SPOILERS]

Even in a comedy you can´t help to cry, there´s no way you can talk about any war without crying or feeling such a deep horrible feeling of fear and distraught.

(I´m gonna be disclosing a lot of SPOILERS, which include the ending and several key points of the story.)

Sinopsis:

Johannes Breztel is a 10 year old german fanatic who wishes to become a good nazi soldier. He goes to a military camp where he has to learn everything you need to know about being a good soldier and make Hitler proud. JoJo, with his imaginary friend Adolf, began their adventure to becoming a better German for their homeland and fighting against the evil plaguing it: jews. 

Writing and Characters:

I heard a lot about Taika Waititi, haven´t watch Ragnarok since I´m not exactly a huge fan on superhero movies (Watched most of the MCU movies mostly out of duty, in a ¨God, please just end it¨ kind of way. Loved Iron Man, hated the 3, Thor was boring, and etc, etc.), I heard how awesome he is, how good is he at also acting and such. This is a huge and great example for his brilliance to shine. 

Every story about WW2 is really predictable, you know people are gonna die and people are gonna be miserable or happy at the end of the war. Waititi does a flip by using dark comedy and the perspective of a child, which a lot of people seem to not want due to how disturbing it can be (once you get all the comedy out of the way). 

You follow Johannes ¨JoJo¨ Betzler, a 10 year old who is, as the character of Elsa says is:, ¨just a little boy playing to be a soldier with a funny costume trying to get in a club¨. We see he has blind devotion towards the evil Adolf Hitler and is really excited to participate in a training with the hopes of becoming a soldier or better yet, Hitler´s personal body guard. It is disturbing to think a young child, or any child by any means, want to become part on the worst human activity there is: war, and not only that, idolizes the worst and evilest bastard who could have ever been alive. Of course, JoJo is not good for war at all. No kid has the killing instinct in their blood, it´s not something you inherit its something they learn or, in this case, brainwash into believing. He gets into a hilariously portrayed accident that involved a hand bomb that exploded his left side. 

His character is the most developed in the entire movie, we follow his steps, we see what he sees and we feel what he feels. His mother tried very hard to taught him how awful war was, he saw Elsa hidden in a tight spot where she had to keep quiet or she and the rest could get in serious trouble, he saw the military before and after going to war. He began to understand how awful can war be, but it wasn´t fully absorb until several traumatic events happened that no child ever had to see in their young life. It´s a very likable child, you are never angry at his devotion he was literally taught from infancy how he had to serve a dictator. The fault falls in the regimen, his actions, the things he does and acts are his only responsibility and thanks to his child innocence and wonder and compassion we know he is a good person in the inside just a bit confused. 

Rosie Betzler. If you didn´t like Scarlett Johannson for his previews acting on the fucking MCU movies (like me, GOD I hated her), well I bet you are gonna like her in this one. I mean... SHE SMILES? WOW, DIDN´T KNEW SHE COULD DO THAT. Seriously, the directing in the heroes movies fucked her seriously. She is a brilliant actress and is so wonderfully funny in this one. A kind mother with brutal honesty trying to raise her now beloved child alone (since her husband is at war and her older child died from influenza, I didn´t exactly got that from the movie) while keeping certain secrets to keep him safe is hard enough, but during NAZI GERMANY while being part of the jewish resistance is IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF HARD, ITS LIKE NIGHTMARE MODE IN FUCKING OUTLAST. Badass character, keeping a balance between trying to make her child feel like a child and also keeping the orphan Elsa a secret. She didn´t had a huge development and she didn´t need one, we only needed to see what secrets she was hiding and damn... They cost a lot once you knew them all. 

Elsa, brave and aggressive Elsa. Of course anyone would act the way she did if she had to be quiet to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. The girl has a lot of knowledge in popular culture, telling JoJo about different artists who, not only were writers or musicians, but also Jewish (to the dismay for poor, silly JoJo). She didn´t have a huge development, she begin to understand JoJo deeply as well as Rosie, since both where there for her (even if they had different and opposite motivations). Elsa is like an obstacle for JoJo except she doesn´t do much and wouldn´t do so if it meant putting herself at risk. We can see she is really brave once the Gestapo stop at their home, brave and smart that is. Without her quick thinking the movie would have ended then and there. I can´t imagine how deeply horrifying it would have been to do that and how awful and sad her life was after not only loosing her fiance to tuberculosis but also watching her family getting in a train and leaving to a place where no one returns. She acts aggressive and is harsh because she needs to survive and when she begins to trust JoJo, their bond become strong and deep and become like siblings. 

Capitan Deertz is a very apathetic and silly capitan, the guy is really tired of the war and doesnt really want anything to do with the children at the camp, not because of a moral compass he just doesnt give a fuck. You get this character and you laugh at his commentary and at how Rosie can easily threaten him. And then you see more of his character, he seems to care at certain some points. He cares about Finkel, who is a second in command. Every time they appear in screen they are literally whispering stuff at each other or have certain looks, clearly a gay couple. At that time period it was EXTREMELY dangerous to show any type of love towards another man and this two werent that subtle about it but since they were high in command guess no one actually care or said anything (considering most of the people in their command were children, no one would probably even care). Finkel was just this goofy guy who follow Deertz and show a deep appreciation. Not the main thing to focus, it´s just there and it´s funny and its normal. They dont have to look or act in ¨gay way¨, they are just there and they do their work and such. Which is fine until you get the war scenes and then you want to bawl even more (Because when you get at the war scenes you already should have bawled your eyes out due to a lot of sad circumstances). He also cared about Rosie and JoJo, even when he seem not to. When he saw Gestapo in Rosie´s house he helped JoJo save Elsa and when he was trapped by the Allies he helped JoJo again by ripping a nazi jacket off of him and shoving him to the ground while screaming at him. General jerk is actually a caring character, cliche move but man, does it always fucking works. 

The dialogues were impressively well thought, no one felt out of place and they made sense. The way they make fun of the whole blind fanatism and how the military views boys and girls it´s all in your face and its hilarious, it is presented as that so please no one start saying how sexist or how wrong it is for saying the things they say. It´s a SATIRE. It´s a MOVIE. ITS COMEDY.

I cannot thought of any kind of plothole, I´m sure it has or it probably has but the story is so well thought and so well acted you are absorb into it. Your whole attention is in what will happen next, the story of WW2 can be predictable, but this story is always at 2 steps of ripping your heart and then replacing it and hoping it pumps blood normally and when it does pump blood normally it rips it off again. It´s a rollercoaster, and it´s capturing. Your attention is in the story 100% of the time, and you gotta pay attention to the details because they foreshadow so much good and so much PAIN. 

Directing and Acting: 

I almost go off in the other section about Scarlett´s acting, now here it comes: MY GOD. I hated her so much in Avengers. The mot disliked character for me was her, and I always forget it was the directors fault. Here´s a note: When an actor acts bad, it´s not always, if not NEVER, their fault. Most of the time is the directors fault, you have to give straight and good orders and to maintain a communication with them if not the story falls. When Black Widow was shown in Iron Man, I was like ¨Wow, I like her! She is really good and badass!!¨ and then Avengers happened and it fucking fall all over the fucking lava floor. And IT WAS A FUCKING SHAME. Scarlett Johansson is a really good actress! She portrayed an excellent character, even if it was a minor character, she did it perfectly and shown so much emotion with the looks and the words she said and the actions she did. She was a mom in this movie, and it showed! THIS! THIS CHARACTER MADE ME LOVE JOHANSSON! Please dont go to shit directors ever again, my god. Avengers was a fucking toxic relationship and SHE GOT OUT AND SHE IS BRILLIANT. 

Taika Waititi is such a great director, he really put his love and passion into this project and it shows. It bleeds passion, it fucking tastes passion. I dont understand, he needs more money to make more works. GIVE THIS MAN MORE MONEY. 

The kids? Holy- How old are th- 12!?!?!?!? ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS WAS 12?!?!?! How old was- HIS SIBLINGS ALSO WORK IN THIS?! Ok how old is the othe- 11!?!?!??! ARCHIE YATES IS 11!??!?!  Ok, as you can see, I am very impressed by this child actors. It can be a challenge to direct them because sometimes there are a lot of different needs they have and they also can´t work as much as the adults and such, this means there´s less time to work with them and maybe they have school and other child responsibilities. Waititi must have had a lot of patience and a really big understanding of their work hours, not over pressuring them and knowing how to explain the whole script. That doesn´t mean they dont have talent, though. This kids are EXTREMELY talented, they are funny and they show a lot of emotion, even when one is comic relief you can sense and see how exhausted he is while saying ¨I´m going to see my mom, I need a cuddle¨ LIKE... THIS ARE KIDS, THEY SHOULDNT BE AT WAR, WTF!? 

The actors protrayed their respective characters in such a way, deeply understanding what emotions go in each scene and making the scene so heart wrenching. 

[BIG SPOILER, SKIP IF YOU DON´T WANNA KNOW] There´s a scene I enjoyed a lot by how it is presented, it´s a good sequence and the punch hits you really hard. During the movie you can see a couple scenes where they only show Rosie´s feet, dancing or just moving while JoJo sees amused or not. Anyway, the scene I´m talking about is when he is following a really pretty blue butterfly that is flying at floors level. He walks towards it and smiles, he squats to take a better look at it before it flies away. And when he stands up again, he is next to a pair of legs, and not any legs, they have a specific kind of shoe, and they have a specific blue coat. Oh no. You dont have to see the face, there´s no need to see the face. You dont have to see the expression you only need to see JoJo. And this is where I have no idea how this kid did it, but his expression goes from wonder to horrifying sadness and desperation. I dont know what direction, what mental image did Waititi told him but he manage to portrayed a really raw and deep sadness and heartbreak you can only see in people who lost someone. And the kid is just holding his mother´s lifeless legs and crying and desperate trying to tie her shoelaces and then giving up and hugging her again. And then he is just broken, looking at her hanging with other people who might have been with her or not. The realization of how harsh the punishment is and how awful life is that day at that time. And he can´t believe it, he doesnt want to believe and maybe if he had acted differently she would have still been there but no. It wasn´t his fault, he had nothing to do with it. He later was explain what possibly happened. She was with the resistance, her husband was with the resistance in Italy. She was against nazi´s but she never told him to protect him and to protect herself. She sacrifice for other people, she put herself in danger for other people and for a better future for her son. JoJo wouldnt have known, he couldn´t know and now that he knew he just loved her so very much and it hurted him. It wasn´t the jews´ fault, it wasn´t his fault, it was the people of the regimen he was following, the regimen who promised a bright future for him and the other children. 

Sound design: 

It was delightful. Dialogues kept at their respective volumes, background noises were there and not overbearing, the sound of steps, something being dragged, the sound of bombs and artillery. Not a single time was any sound out of place, it was as if you were there, it immersive. The sound played a huge rolled into being capture in the story, with such detail at every sound that could be played at the scene. The silences where used perfectly, only backgrounds and atmospheric sounds plagued the scene, and when the moment hit you there was still no music until the realization was made. Perfect timing.

The soundtrack was beautiful, endearing and melancholic at their respective scenes. When there was music to dance on, the music played, when there was a hilarious montage the music exaggerates the ridiculous situation they are presented in. It was wonderful. 

Art design: 

They went all off!!! The clothes, the cars, the food, the plates, everything! I wonder how much investigation did they had to do to fully dress up an entire cast and also to do the little details. One thing is getting the clothes that, to be entirely fair, thanks to photos from those times and more investigation from books, you can figure out the type of clothes and materials they used, but the details from the streets, the kind of bikes and the inside of a house its an entire story:

Investigation is not entirely what you need to do, you have to consider what colors go well, what makes the character pop but also make sense, how the decor should be done and what kind of table and chairs are in a normal house. How do the hidden rooms worked and how where they hidden at plain sight, how do you make it work and how will it look. All has to be thought out, everything has to have a purpose, even the smallest change can be a whole new set. Make it look pretty but make sure it makes sense to the era. 

Photography: 

Let´s talk photography, shall we?

Look at how the colors vary, look at the highlights and shadows. Look at the saturated colors. I LOVE saturated colors, not many photographers used them out of fear, the colors can be very bright and distracting, but Mihai Mălaimare Jr. made it work! His shots are spectacular, they work perfectly to capture whats going on and how the characters feel. 

JUST LOOK AT THE CONTRAST. In the first picture there´s a big open shot, both Rosie and JoJo are in the very left corner while you can see the bright green grass. They are free from everything when they are out of town, they can be happy or enjoy their time while being there, even if JoJo likes to pretend to be mature and to still want to be a soldier while his mother is trying to make him understand how life has to be enjoyed while it last and how war has ruin that for everyone, including the nazi germans. The second shot is at the town, look at how grayish it looks. Everyone is miserable. There´s no such thing as a good war, and whether you believe it or not, even the nazi germans were suffering, the ones who werent fighting were frighten to be attacked, hungry because the food was not enough or was given to the soldiers, no one was happy at that point in life. The color palettes help tell a story, and influence how you look at the lives of the characters. It´s visual storytelling and you can feel the fresh air, the relief from the first shot and then the limited, claustrophobic and fearful atmosphere from the second. 

What a better representation of what war is. Kids going to get killed for an evil regimen disguised as the savior for their homeland. JoJo who finally sees that horrors of war, a kid who has lost so much now, who knows heartbreak but never fathom the idea of horrifying, raw, disturbing and sickening war is. How you loose more than you gain from fighting, how you see your friends being send like pigs to a slaughter, how the military blindly follows orders for a falling regimen. The look of utter disbelief and horror contrasting the he blind joy of dying for your country. This shot is everything and in motion is even more epic yet disturbing. 

Conclusion:

I might be too blinded by how well it was made that I don´t see any problems in it. I would have to watch it again to see if there´s some inconsistencies but going by the first watch I have to say it was really good. The plot was understandable, it had high points and slow points, but those were well made. It was smooth how the story evolve, the turns were expected but maybe not in the way they were presented. What i mean is, it can be predictable but you dont expect HOW it is presented. With War stories death is at every corner, it´s the manner that you don´t expect or hope to happen to anyone. The acting was phenomenal, the star was totally Roman Griffin, all the actors were amazing but you gotta give the kid credit, THIS WAS HIS DEBUT and he NAILED IT! 

By the looks of the trailer you expect so much and it gives you that and more. To the eyes is a delight, to the heart is a pain and comfort and to the ears is a melody. To the soul is a story that has to remind you history, war is not a good thing and so many people get more damage by it than saved. No kid should ever be put in that situation, and yet there are kids suffering in this world. This movie could potentially be an Anti-War movie, because it literally shows how awful it is. Wars are awful in general! It´s kind of ridiculous we need to be reminded of that but here we are. 

We are shown a cruel environment with a humorous tone to get the message straight into our heads and it works perfectly. Give it 3 watches and then watch another 3 times, every time you feel like everything is going down, remember there´s still hope even in the darkest more horrifying places and times. We have the choice to make good, humans can be evil but can be extremely brave and compassionate. Never give up being a good person, it can be hard but it is more rewarding. People need kindness and compassion. We need to be those compassionate people for others. It always starts with one brave person. 

The last thing you leave the theater is with a verse from Rainer Maria Rilke: 

                                      Let everything happen to you.                                                Beauty and Terror.                                                Just keep going.                                               No feeling is final.

Sincerely moved, T.O.D

PS: Fuck Hitler. 

[typologycentral]

[Fi] Bloody Fi purge! Your inferior cousin needs some dominant and auxiliary guidance.

To preface: I love you XNFPs and unbeknownst to me, always have. For one, it's been edifying and validating to see some of my all-time favorite humans (writers, musicians, actors, thinkers, etc...) being typed as XNFP. Even before learning about typology and gaining a deeper understanding of Jungian cognitive functions, I was actively working on (what I now know to be) Fi development because a lack of it had reaped much unnecessary hardship onto my life. Therefore, I think that conscientious journey led me to people that embodied their Fi with vigor and authenticity and helped me get in touch with my own, for which I am eternally grateful. And now on to the issue at hand (this is a long read but I'm trying to give relatively detailed information that might help you to help me): For a little under a decade, since high school, I've had an on and off, pseudo-platonic, quasi-romantic, eternal soulmate, occasional f-buddy relationship with this ebullient, effervescent, deeply insightful, dreamy eyed, pixie warrior priestess (INFP) that, in my relatively short life, has always stood a mile apart from the "Gone Girl/Cersei Lannister/Elle Driver/Cookie Lyon/Harley Quinn/Akasha, Queen of the Damned" fare I've usually attracted [strike]...and been equally attracted to[/strike]. Our first interaction was a classroom debate turned bloodstained duel to the death over the ethics of eating animals (I swear on the atom, this is not a utilization of an NFP stereotype lol). Something clicked (energy + angst + lust + social isolation + troubled pasts), and from there, this happened > I'd never before intimately known someone who had the chasm of incongruously layered emotionality she possessed--ostensibly she experienced feelings in a plethora of shades from eggshell, hunter green, and cobalt blue to neon yellow and not only that, could verbalize them as such. Meanwhile, I only had ready access to basic black, white, red (all degrees of rage), grey, and at my best, a metallic gold. Though wholly confounding, maddening and taxing to me, I had never felt more woke and unchained and set free. It was intoxicating to experience a wider array, a more diverse palette of feelings. I obviously never reached her depths, patterns and colors, but even experiencing a trifle more than I was previously accustomed to felt like a massive, tectonic plate moving, internal shift. She saw me shed an actual, solitary tear once under extreme duress but in better times, just by staring into my eyes and smiling on a whim she could easily make me mist up with soul purifying relief, which was a gargantuan, almost incomprehensible feat for lesser mortals and I truly honestly never before felt so connected to someone on a level that was nigh impossible to articulate in a rational way. And particularly when she was sad and grieving (probably because of me), which often left me feeling inadequate because I was too emotionally dumb and powerless to effectively help--which, in and of itself, beset me with very real, very potent, personal "trigger" landmines. Especially back then, I neither spoke of nor experienced emotions with great affect. I understood them cognitively and intellectually, but to actually engage them with my "heart" felt like a blind man wading neck-deep in cement. My take on our biggest, most immediate problem aside from all the other reasons this union was likely to fail? We just spoke completely different cognitive "languages (Ni vs Si? Dom Fi vs Inferior Fi? Dom Te vs. Inferior Te?)" that always created endless communication gaffs, roadblocks and nuclear disasters. For example: Pixie: "Did I see you at Starbucks earlier today with Cersei f%#king Lannister when you were supposed to be at a study group?" Me: "That was the study group." Pixie: *heart imploding with the force of a billion suns* "Why didn't you tell me that?" Me: *blistering dispassion with a hint of exasperated bemusement* "Look, our past relationship is just that, in the past. You have nothing to feel insecure about. It was harmless, only work. You know I love you." Pixie: "That's not what I asked you! Stop lying and trying to hide and sugarcoat things! You know I hate that brother f%#king bitch! Why didn't you tell me you were going to see her? Me: *voice box shredding like the Hulk's Capri pants* "Because that was fucking irrelevant. She was put in a group with me! Her strategy to double-cross Dany and Jon will fall to shit, for Christ sakes. Are you happy now? You always focus on the wrong thing!" She always wanted to know the exact details behind what actually happened in a very direct, matter of fact way (perhaps to refine the many possibilities she generated for why I would withhold supposedly important information from her), whereas I always instinctively and immediately went to why I did something or the "why" concerning the underlying problem, because the "why," the deeper meaning (should and theoretically, in my mind) supersedes anything else, and especially when problem solving and coming up with a viable solution imo. Ultimately, it just didn't work. Idiotically yet idealistically, we wouldn't let that stop us. We broke up and got back together a few times before deciding that we were better off as this nebulous, ill defined glob of corrupted love and unresolved daddy/mommy abandonment issues that maybe one day might actually not fall apart at the seams just as it's getting good again. The whole idea and its subsequent execution was dysfunctional, unhealthy, ridiculous and plain ol stupid, but I gather this was us trying to be intense, brooding and deep. Dunno exactly. We'd go on to see other people and sometimes, in between relationships, link up again. Usually we couldn't reach a year and a half before we wound up back in the other's arms/bed. Moving on. She experienced a tragedy (by her standards) about 3 years ago while I was literally on the opposite side of the planet and whereas I would've normally come flying to her aid with an S on my chest, I made the conscious choice not to. Already enduring my ascent to power (lol) being stifled because of my brokedown Fi usage as it pertains to my burgeoning career, I resented yet another unwieldy force (Pixie) possessing that type of influence over me as well; I defiantly chose self-interest above anyone or anything else (like I'm instinctively wont to do, right or wrong, good or bad). She kept trying to reach me to the point of flooding all of our communication channels with emotional spam (from childish antics to vile, unforgivable diatribes). After a while, I felt bad, decided to reach out to her but was ignored for 2.5 years straight. That had never happened before--it broke our unspoken rule, which devastated me more than I realized. I grieved (rather poorly by over-utilizing Se), but eventually tucked it away, moved on and focused on work. I figured we were never meant to be anyway but that I would still love her (from afar) and wish her the best regardless. Lo and behold, she called me last night out of nowhere, drunkenly seeping concentrated pain, spewing regret, betrayal, rejection, abandonment, hatred and then love for me. She says, through tears, that she's still in love with me and wants to know if there's any chance for an "us." I felt terrible and thoroughly confused. I tried to listen and be supportive (my Te is completely inept at properly addressing/handling others' intense feelings)--I just don't naturally "speak" emotions in an unforced, compassionate, empathetic, organic manner. I'm better than I used to be but I was blindsided, taken aback and don't think I did much good. Honestly, I don't need or want this in my life right now; I'm so engrossed in my work and achieving my goals and going by what she was saying over the phone, she's still stuck in past patterns of dysfunction. I don't want that anymore. But I truly do care for her and want her to be well and happy--just not with me and not right now, at least. I hate that she is suffering but I don't know what, if anything, I should/could do to remedy this. And now, finally, here are my questions to you smart, capable, helpful people*/**: 1. When you are expressing your feelings (whether "good" or "bad"), what is the best way to respond to this that will make you feel heard, understood and validated? 2. When overcome with negative feelings that seem too powerful and unrelenting, how do you self-soothe (using safe + legal methods)? 3. Is there anyway I can speak my truth and tell her honestly where I'm at and what I want at this point in my life without further hurting her? Should I do it regardless or is it better to wait for when she's more stable? 4. Tangent, now that I have you > How do you know what you value? (Is that a stupid question? lol) I think I know what I value ("money-power-respect," knowledge, meaning/substance, fairness, justice, individuality) but it can be hard to finesse on the spot (when asked) and not come off as crude and unrefined. Do you spend a lot of time going over in your mind what is meaningful and significant to you, or do you just know somehow? (like how I seemingly "know" and intuit stuff via introverted intuition) To those who made it all the way to the end, thank you. I would really really really really appreciate some help. I have very few people in my life I trust to give me strong emotions related advice and none of them are XNFPs. Their emotions are just as trash and poorly developed as mine are. lol *Obviously, there are a multitude of ways that people respond to these things that exclude type but I'm looking for any and all variations, particularly from XNFPs and anyone else who can provide insight. **And I will shamelessly bump this thread until I obtain the breadth of insight I seek. :shrug: https://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93755&goto=newpost&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr