#chance-based filmmaking

[brandonjohnbarnard]

Production history around: Under Ice

This article will go over the creation of my film ‘Under Ice’, which was released on the 3rd of January, 2025.

It all started when I saw a gallery open call from ADL Productions. This curator was requesting art pieces under the theme ‘Under Ice’, using Kate Bush’s song as inspiration. All selected pieces would be displayed at 54 The Gallery, Mayfair, London. W1J 7QX.

Since my academic study is in ‘chance’, I try to engage within the theme whenever possible. I would never have made a film about this topic at this time if it were not for the prompt, so I decided to throw myself into it.

I also found the deadline very appealing. I find that chance works best with a restriction, so the fact that this all needed to be done within a month was a great motivator

My initial ideas can be seen below:

While the sheet of ice idea was not used, I stuck with the idea of someone reading Bush’s lyrics over the footage I created. In terms of who read it, I decided not to ask Abi as I am keen to have her in a different piece in the future, but only time will tell if that will happen.

Also, regarding me referring to ‘Under Ice’ as a poem, I actually had no idea who Kate Bush was prior to this, thinking she was a poet. So, when I analysed the lyrics, I had thought of them as a poem instead. Though, to be honest, the distinction does feel kind of arbitrary.

When I first read the lyrics, my initial thoughts were that this was about someone suffering from addiction, who has cut themselves away from the world. That they were heavily addicted to cocaine, but wanted to kick the habit. As they snort a line, they think about how they no longer want to be this way. They have a heart attack, or stroke, and wish they could reverse time.

Since Christmas had just passed, I had recently received a ‘Walking Way 8 Points Star’ lens filter from my wife Isobel.

Isobel’s parents were down in Plymouth, staying at a BnB. During their stay they put scattered a few decorations about (we never got to putting any up this year). Since the filter works by taking a light source, and turning it into a star (size and quality dependent on intensity), I decided to test it out on the Christmas tree lights.

A photo I took on the 27th of December 2024 while testing out the filter.

I thought this looked so good and interesting that the idea of ‘Under Ice’ and the star-shaped Christmas lights merged. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of something kind of cheery with something depressing. The phrase ‘the lights are on but no one is home’ came to mind.

Below are some of the ideas I came up with on Christmas, many of which did not make it into the final project:

On the bottom left of the page, the ‘old piece’ I am referring to is something called ‘C u r r e n t M o o d’, which I made back in 2016 as a shitpost. It is interesting though that I was creating art-like videos all the way back then.

For the coke in the film, I really wanted to have a shot of me snorting the stuff for that authenticity, even though it made some pretty incriminating footage! I did a bit of looking online, and apparently what they often use on movie sets is Vitamin B Powder.

I was a little concerned, as I found many articles during my research that mentioned Jonah Hill being hospitalized after snorting too much of it on the set of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.

Another worry I had was that this production would have peak ‘student film’ energy, given the subject matter. In the end, I thought, ‘fuck it’. I don’t want the worry of something I do coming across as cringe, stopping me from following my own creativity. If I am going to make 100s of films, I cannot be too worried about some of them being stinkers.

Isobel helping me set up.

After we shot the scenes of me dying in the corner, Isobel said “I wonder what this would look like with long exposure”, which caused us to play around with the lights.

This same type of scenario created the film ‘After Images’, where at the nightclub Images, Isobel played with my camera in order to make the shots long exposure.

I think it is very cool that a lot of the long exposure shots we took for this piece (of me tangled up in Christmas tree lights and dancing to the Dandadan opening song ‘Otonoke’ by Creepy Nuts) could exist as their own pieces. Maybe I will start submitting them to photography events? Not sure.

Here are some of my favourite shots:

The voice over was done by Sammy Newton-Campbell, and I think she did a wonderful job with it.

Much like Louis from my previous production diaDOGue, Sammy also appeared in my film After Images (2), but this is the first time I had asked her for help directly with a piece.

Sammy sent me her audio via Discord’s audio message feature. I had no idea how to save the file... So, I opened audacity and recorded my PC sounds in order to capture the audio. When listening back, there were these interesting sounds of the ocean which I did not understand. Then it hit me, I accidentally had the game ‘The Bazaar’ open in the background, and ambient noise from that got picked up too.

(The game has been my current addiction… December and January have been a lot less productive as a result. I’m trying to unlock the legendary Vanessa skin which is mech themed and has cute space buns… The odds are like 1/500 for a legendary, so it is unlikely, but the game is fun at least!)

On top of Sammy’s voice and the Mediterranean sounds of an ocean breeze and bird calls, I added the sound of snow being crunched as someone walks along. There were a few reasons for this: it was atmospheric, and matched the lyrics of the piece as well as my interpretation, but also the contrast of hot beach sounds with cold winter sounds I thought was interesting, and added an alien out of place quality.

For the song, I used ‘Nostalgic Winter Soundscape’ by Universfield. I think the name is very apt, as I do think it feels very nostalgic, but also melancholic. There is a nice sadness to the piece that feels detached, like the feeling of disassociation.

In terms of shots, I think it is interesting that at 0:25, during the line “leaving little line in the ice”, an interference happens with the camera that causes lines to run up the screen. This was unintentional, but looks quite cool.

I don’t like the below shot! I think I don’t look dead enough, or that I shift too much from the previous shot. I don’t know, there is something about it that feels very amateur in a way that irks me (even though I definitely am an amateur!).

I made the shot in the beginning and end of the film play forward in the first instance, and backwards in the second. That way when this film is played on repeat at a gallery, it would be more or less be seamless. The shot was made in my kitchen on the 26th of June, 2024. I noticed that the curtain on the window was casting a pretty, ethereal shadow, so I wanted to capture it. It sat on my desktop in the ‘Shots to use, but I’m not sure what for’ file for months. In the uncropped version, my dog Toffee comes to investigate.

In the end, it turned out in the end that the gallery was not able to present film works! I was not too bothered though, as I was able to make something fun as a result anyway.

The feedback I received on the work was interesting. It was great that some people embraced my interpretation and understood what I was going for.

I laughed at the mixed reaction on the Kate Bush subreddit though.

Thanks for reading! Don’t snort too much vitamin B powder!!

[elizadraws]

Bulgarian Music in Studio Ghibli films

”Myth has it that Orpheus was born in what is now Bulgaria. It seemed to be fact, not myth, that his daughters are still singing there”

These words were written by the New York Times in the remote 1963 — the year in which the largest Bulgarian folk ensemble crossed the Iron Curtain to conquer an entire continent with its cosmic art.

The 1975 release of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs, further popularized Bulgarian music, and in 1977, a vinyl record featuring the folk song “Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin” (Eng: Come out rebel Delyo) began its journey aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts.

From this point on popularity from the West spread to the East, and Bulgarian folk music made it to the entertainment industry, including legendary Japanese anime films, like the cult cyberpunk “Ghost in the Shell” or the heartwarming Studio Ghibli features.

In this short article I write about two occasions of Bulgarian music playing in Studio Ghibli’s films.

The record that inspired the creation of “Only Yesterday”

“Only Yesterday” is a 1991 Japanese animated drama film written and directed by Isao Takahata, based on the 1982 manga of the same title by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. Set in rural Japan, the film draws parallels with the peasant lifestyle present in Eastern Europe.

The original work is a compilation of short stories about 11-year-old Taeko’s daily life in 1966. Director Takahata had a hard time making it into a movie since the manga, told in the form of a memoir, has no plot to hold a feature. Together with producer Toshio Suzuki, they came up with the solution of bringing the narrator of the story, adult Taeko, into the movie. But there is a curious anecdote about how this idea came to mind.

Taeko picks safflower as the Bulgarian song “Malka moma dvori mete” plays in the background. © Studio Ghibli

In a 2021 interview with students from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, producer Suzuki recounts how a record of Bulgarian songs performed by the children choir “Bodra Smyana”, introduced to him by director Takahata, inspired the creation of the movie. Moved by the cosmic voices of the children, they decided to make “Only Yesterday” a musical. He also recalls what a tiring process it was to acquire the rights to the music, but if you’ve seen the movie, I am sure you will agree that it was worth it; the haunting, beautiful songs with the pastoral images of farmers picking flowers contribute to one of the greatest scenes created in cinema.

Producer Suzuki showing the record that inspired the creation of ”Only Yesterday”. Source: Studio Ghibli’s Twitter

In “Only Yesterday”, we can hear two songs from the album Bulgarian Polyphony I by Philip Koutev Ensemble. The upbeat “Dilmano Dilbero” [Eng. beautiful Dilmana] sets a happy mood as the protagonist gets changed and ready to go on the field. As the scene shifts and Taeko starts narrating a sad story about the girls in the past picking safflower with their bare hands, the song and mood shift as well.

While the first song has a fast rhythm, with lyrics about pepper planting that can also be interpreted figuratively, the second one, “Malka Moma Dvori Mete” [Eng., a little girl sweeps the yard], is a ballad about a young girl who is forced into marriage but has never known true love.

Both compositions sing about life-cycle events like marriage and the regular coming of the harvests, with lyrics perfectly fitting the setting and plot of the movie, which makes me wonder if the filmmakers chose them by chance or if they had someone translate the words.

Bulgarian Cosmic Voices Enchanting Howl

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, loosely based on the 1986 novel of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. Set in a fictional kingdom the movie draws inspiration from various places in Europe. One of them being Bulgaria.

The story focuses on a young girl, named Sophie, magically transformed into an old woman, and a self-confident but emotionally unstable young wizard, Howl, living in a magical moving castle.

A sketch of a Star Child. Source: The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle

If you’ve seen the movie, you surely remember the scene when Madame Suliman ambushes Howl and tries to strip him of his magic powers. Star Children encircle him and his companions; their shadows grow big, dark and intimidating. They start dancing and chanting unintelligible magic words and are almost successful in their devilish act.

This scene, together with the music played in the background, have been a favourite of many fans of the film. Some even recount it giving them nightmares when they were children.

Star Children encircle Howl in an attempt to strip him of his magic powers. © Studio Ghibli

It turns out, however, that these aren’t any incantations, but the lyrics of a folk song. In Bulgarian. And a love song! Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics have nothing to do with magic and are actually about a boy taking his sweetheart, Dona, to the market to buy her new clothes. The excerpt used in the movie is very short and a bit altered from the original, but the words used go like this: Trendafilcheto, kalafercheto, Done mamino, translated as “the rose, the costmary, my darling Dona”.

I am planing a follow up article where I will post the translated lyrics together with a brief explanation on how they are related to the movies.

If you want to comment on or add something, I would love to hear!

Source

[andi-kook]

HOPELESSLY CAPTIVATED (01) ✦ Jungkook

SUMMARY: A series of drabbles featuring you, a twenty-five year-old high school Literature teacher living on the same floor as Jeon Jungkook, a thirty-one year-old single dad and filmmaker living with his eleven-year-old daughter Yuki, and your encounters that leads the both of you to be hopelessly captivated with each other. Based on Niki’s Take A Chance With Me.

DRABBLE 01: A panicked Jeon Jungkook knocks on your door for help.

PAIRING: Jungkook x Fem!Reader

GENRE: Angst, Fluff, Slice of Life, Single Dad AU, Age Gap AU

WARNINGS: Suitable for all ages. No specific warnings for this drabble. Dad!Jungkook, maybe? Oh, and talks of menstrual period and allusion to complicated family relationships. Not proofread!

WORD COUNT: 1.7K

Your peaceful Sunday afternoon consisting of catching up on the episodes of your comfort series while eating your comfort food with a bottle of cola on the side is interrupted by a set of knocks on your door. Your eyebrows meet in confusion, not expecting anyone to come over nor did you have any deliveries. And even if you are expecting someone, they would have to use the intercom before the security lets them in. So, while you’re walking down to answer the door, you can only deduce that whoever is knocking on your door must be a neighbor. Your theory is proven correct when you open the door, and you see Jeon Jungkook – or should you say Mr. Jeon Jungkook – standing on the other side with an apologetic smile plastered on his lips and his eyes wide and panicked.

“Y/N, hi, I’m so sorry for bothering you. I just really need your help,” Jungkook states immediately, rubbing his palms against his loose black pants.

“It’s okay, Mr. Jeon. What is it?” You ask politely, placing your hand on the door.

“It’s Yuki. She’s-She’s calling for you. I think she’s gotten her period and is terrified,” Jungkook explains, biting his lower lip as his chest rises and falls heavily. He’s clearly concerned and worried.

You perk up, recognizing the seriousness of the situation. “Okay. Yeah, that can be terrifying. I have some pads she can use – they serve the same purpose regardless of age, don’t worry. I’ll just grab them and meet you at your apartment?”

A look of relief washes over his face. “Thank you, Y/N, seriously. This means a lot.”

“It’s no problem, Mr. Jeon,” You reply.

You make your way to your room and grab the unopened napkin from your shelf before making your way to the Jeons’ apartment three units across from yours. You knock, as a sign of respect, and Jungkook immediately answers the door and leads you to the bathroom. Your apartment’s floorplan is slightly different, you notice. His is clearly more spacious than your studio-type.

“She doesn’t want me anywhere near her, but if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I’ll be right down the hall,” Jungkook tells you softly to which you nod.

You wait until Jungkook is at the end of the hall before you softly knock on the door. “Yuki? Hi, it’s Y/N from Apartment 609. Your dad says you called for me. Is everything okay?”

You hear sniffing on the other side and your heart breaks just a little. Children crying are always a weakness of yours. “Y-Y/N? Is that really you?”

“Yes, Yuki, it’s really me. Can you tell me if you’re okay?”

“No, I’m not,” Yuki replies honestly. “I-I don’t know what to do!” She begins to cry again.

From your peripheral vision, you see Jungkook about to walk but you put up your hand to stop him, shaking your head. “It’s okay, Yuki. I was like that too when I first got my period. I was clueless on what to do.”

“I-I’m scared.”

You nod even though she doesn’t see you. “It’s alright to be scared of something you haven’t experienced or seen before, Yuki. If you let me, I can help you be a little less scared of it.”

It’s quiet for a moment then you hear the soft click of the door unlocking. The door opens slightly, and you take this as a sign to slip inside, seeing the dark-haired eleven-year-old sitting on the toilet with her face buried in her hands. When she hears you close the door, she looks up at you, eyes red and swollen, cheeks stained with tears. Her shiny black hair is all over her face and she’s still wearing her matching blue pajamas with little various kinds of shark printed on them.

You smile as you lower yourself in front of her to meet her eye-level, placing the napkin on the sink. “Hi, Yuki.”

She sniffs but politely returns the greeting. “Hello Y/N.”

“It’s scary, isn’t it? Waking up and seeing all this blood?” You ask and she nods. You hum. “Has your teacher or parents talked to you about getting your menstruation during puberty?”

“Yeah, my Science teacher, Ms. Cho, gave a lecture about it last semester,” Yuki answers, eyes similar to that of her father’s lowering as she fiddles with her fingers. “Mom and dad never really did.”

You nod in understanding. “I see. I learned about it through my teacher too.”

Her eyes shoot up to meet yours again, wide and filled with validation. Your heart breaks again. “Really?”

“Yeah. My mom passed away when I was young, so she never got the chance to teach me about periods and napkins and all that stuff. My dad – he was working so he wasn’t able to teach me about it too.”

It’s a watered-down version of your childhood, but you’re not about to trauma dump to an eleven-year-old.

“Can we clean you up? I’ll teach you everything I know about dealing with this every month,” You say, sucking your teeth. Yuki nods. “Okay. Do you wanna take a shower so you can get cleaned up? I’ll be outside with your clothes and towel once you’re finished.”

“Okay. Thank you, Y/N.”

“No problem, Yuki. I’m glad to be of help.”

You leave the bathroom to give Yuki privacy and spot her father leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. When he hears the door close, his head shoots up at your direction.

“Everything is fine, Mr. Jeon. She just got shaken up, but she’s already taking a shower. Can you prepare her clothes and her towel?” You ask, placing your hands on your hips.

“Yeah, her room is the one on your right,” Jungkook says as he points at it. “You can come inside if you want.”

So you do, looking at the ocean-themed room from the blue walls, the shark-printed bed sheets, whale-printed curtains, the sphere lamp covered in different marine animal stickers.

“She’s currently in her marine phase though it’s gotten a bit longer than I anticipated so maybe it’s not a phase after all,” Jungkook shares as he grabs clothes from his daughter’s cabinet then takes the towel hanging on it.

You nod, completely getting it. “I’ve had my phases too. Some I never really grew out of.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Jungkook asks, sending you a smile.

You can’t help but return it, albeit a teasing one. “It’s a secret, Mr. Jeon.”

He laughs a little, nodding as he grabs a pair of clean underwear from Yuki’s drawer. “Alright. I respect that.”

Once Yuki finished showering, you hand her the towel to dry and cover herself before you enter and tell her some tips on how to handle her menstruation, demonstrating how napkins work and telling her when to change it so she won’t get any sort of rashes. You also tell her about cravings and mood swings. Once she’s all done, you and Yuki step out of the bathroom, her hiding behind you and only peeking through your arm to look at her father who has lowered himself on the door, an encouraging smile on his face.

“Go on, Yuki. There is nothing to be ashamed of towards your dad,” You tell her gently. “But if you’re not ready, it’s okay too. I’m sure your dad will understand.”

Yuki contemplates before ultimately deciding on running towards her father who greets her with his arm wide open. You watch as Jungkook embraces Yuki warmly, eyes closing and pressing kisses on her cheek. Yuki buries her face on the crook of his neck.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m not mad. I understand. I’m just happy you’re okay now,” Jungkook soothes, rubbing Yuki’s back in circles.

At that moment, you feel a tug in your heart. You’ve never really looked at Jeon Jungkook before – your paths didn’t really cross despite living on the same floor. You would only get a chance to talk to Yuki when the two of you would be walking up the hill to your apartment building after school ended. Maybe it was because you were a homebody who spent your free time in the comfort of your home. But now that you had gotten the chance to really see him – you couldn’t deny that he was one of the most handsome men you had ever seen.

You quickly shut down this thought. He’s a married man for crying out loud – it’s not right for you to be thinking about him in any way.

“Did you say thank you to Y/N?” Jungkook asks Yuki.

“She already did, and really, it’s not a problem. Glad I could be of help,” You say with a smile. “Anyway, I guess I’ll be on my way. I still have some papers to grade.”

“I’ll walk you back,” Jungkook offers.

You shake your head. “No, it’s okay, Mr. Jeon.”

“No, please, let me. It’s the least I can do for your help, for now, at least,” He insists. “I prepared your favorite snack in the kitchen, Yuki. I’ll just walk Y/N back to her apartment then I’ll join you, okay?” He tells his daughter, kissing the top of her head.

“Yes dad,” Yuki answers with a nod.

She gives you a hug on your way out.

“There’s really no need for you to walk me back, Mr. Jeon,” You say as you scratch the top of your head awkwardly.

“We are walking now so too late,” He quips, a lopsided smile forming on his lips. You only now see his piercing. Damn. “I’m serious though. This won’t just be the last thank you you’ll receive from me. You helped us out so much. You deserve better than a walk.”

“It’s really okay. I’m just happy that Yuki is fine,” You say as you reach your apartment. “Here I am. Thank you for walking me back, Mr. Jeon.”

“Thank you for everything, Y/N. If there is anything you need – anything – I’m just at 613, okay? Please don’t hesitate to knock on our door.”

You smile, nodding. “See you around, Mr. Jeon.”

“See you, Y/N, and if you’re comfortable with it, please just call me Jungkook.”

“Okay,” You say. “See you around, Jungkook.”

His smile widens – or at least in your mind it does. “Great. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Y/N.”

When you walk back inside your apartment, you press your back against the door, heart beating faster than normal. Why do you get the feeling that you’ll be seeing more of the Jeons? And why does it make your heart race?

ANDI: I need this while working on something as dark as Dead Kids so I won’t be too burnt out when writing it. I hope you guys liked it and let me know what you think! 🦉

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © ANDI-KOOK 2024. NO PART OF THIS STORY MAY BE REPRODUCED, TRANSLATED, MODIFIED, EDITED, REPOSTED AND THE LIKES WITHOUT THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION.

[uniiiquehecrt]

I'm thinking in terms of actual real life experiences I've had when I say this, but I'd imagine part of what makes being a Thor enjoyer so frustrating in 2024/MCU's phase 4+ era is that... you're effectively not allowed to enjoy your favorite superhero.

I once had a conversation with a close friend of mine during a casual outing, and without going into very many details, this particular person is an enjoyer of Ragnarok, and enjoys Tailka's work overall. Now, I should say right off the bat: there is nothing wrong with these opinions. Everyone is entitled to like what they like and enjoy the work of creators just the same as other people are allowed to dislike them. For this particular post, I'm not here to get into fandom wars or "reasons why taika waititi is a terrible director" beef. I have other posts in line for that. But what I will say is that I already knew this about my friend, so it never surprised me when the topic of Thor came up that it would be a point of disagreement.

The issue I've found that continues to circle in the general space of "being a Thor fan" came when I expressed that I don't like Ragnarok, I do think Thor was funnier (and just better overall) before Ragnarok and therefore Taika's involvement, and quite frankly Taika had very little business taking on the mantle of director of a superhero franchise he has never liked or understood in his life just because he had mouths to feed. (There are other opportunities to fulfill that. And filmmakers know going into this industry that it's all gig-based and - if they're smart anyways - work around that.) I hadn't even gotten a chance to go through all of the reasons WHY I feel that way, of which I have had before compiled an organized list of about 16 talking points off the top of my head, so as far as that particular discussion goes... it didn't go anywhere. We were busy at the time.

But namely what I want to talk about is this:

The response I was given, in summary, was something along the lines of "well I think Thor was boring, and he wasn't my cup of tea, so I'm glad he changed."

But, you see, there's just ONE small issue with that: Thor isn't meant for everyone.

In fact, no character is meant for everyone. So why is it that Thor needs to change to be "for everyone" and be the MCU normies' "cup of tea" when no other character has to? Why does he need to lose his core identity (both as a character, as a franchise, you name it, it's been done) just because people like my friend don't understand him as well as Tony Stark or Spider-Man? And why should Thor fans have tow watch their favorite superhero get stripped down and turned into something completely divorced from the character, world and cast we were first involved with from the beginning?

Nobody at any point has been able to answer me that besides "well just because I didn't like Thor personally."

Iron Man won't appeal to everyone. Neither does Captain America, neither does Spider-Man, beloved as even Spidey is. They have their own quirks, their own villains, their own storylines... Every superhero has a core to them that their stories revolve around. He's from DC, but Superman, for instance, has the core of: love, justice and the American Way. Therefore, his stories revolve around challenging that core, and making Superman prove it. Steve Rogers/Captain America has a similar core. Justice, freedom and the American Way, is what I'd mostly boil his core down to. Thor's is "love" all around. I've written about that '(here)' in my post about his 2011 themes. Maybe it's different for other fans, but for me personally? I adore that about Thor. It's one of the many reasons I'm drawn to him over any other marvel Super besides Spider-Man. (not you tom holland ... yes you andrew garfield...)

So when I go to Thor for entertainment, I'm going to him above the other superheros because I want a story that revolves around HIS core and how Thor goes about reckoning with his challenges. I also go to MCU Thor specifically for his quiet, kind, regal nature. I come to him for his gravitas, his passion, his relationships with his cast of companions.

I go to him for high-sci-fi action/adventure, or for the "what if we took norse mythology and made it an alien superhero" route they took him in for the MCU. I go to Thor because he IS different from the rest of the Avengers... and that's the point.

So when someone says to me: "Well Thor wasn't for me so I'm glad he changed", or "Well I really liked Ragnarok because Thor kind of become more in line with the other Avengers"... they're fundamentally missing the point of why Thor has a fanbase at all.

[adorablediscoveries]

Artist Creates Portraits by Shattering Glass

Drawing essential lines from shattered glass fragments to create a portrait. Niall Shukla is an artist who employs a highly unique technique to express his art.

"Glass is unpredictable," Shukla explains on his official website. "Each strike is meticulously planned in terms of placement and pressure. Not every attempt is successful: one wrong strike, and I have to start over with a new piece of glass." This means the artist may go through numerous attempts before achieving the final image. Lines and shades are created by striking the glass with hammers and chisels of various sizes, which, depending on their shape, allow for different effects. The artist often tests on other glass panels to see the results before applying them to the portrait.

Each design created on glass is unique and unrepeatable due to the execution technique and the characteristics of the medium. The same piece can appear different from every angle because of the light and the positioning of the fragments, making the artwork truly one-of-a-kind for the viewer.

Shukla is a self-taught artist and filmmaker based in London. He is one of the pioneers of the cracked glass art movement. His creations have received numerous awards and have been exhibited in galleries worldwide. He stumbled upon this unique form of art almost by chance, as a way to take a break from his work, never imagining it would lead to a successful career.

One day, he posted one of his works on social media, and within four days, it garnered 4 million views. Gradually, users began to follow him, quickly growing to hundreds of thousands.

[wolfstarhaven]

Happy birthday remu!

My favourite little man of all. To celebrate, here are some lovely fics with some very special remus characterisations!

Berlin Angel,

by de_sire (90k)

Berlin is absolutely miserable in February. Or it’s just Sirius.

Alternatively: A story of how Remus Lupin stepped into Sirius’ life, flashed his trademark grin, and reminded him that life is a beautiful thing meant to be enjoyed. No risk, no fun!

A muggle!au, slow burn strangers to lovers (Sirius is so stupidly oblivious!! I love it!!). Remus is literally sunshine in a person. A very different take on Remus, and I love him so very much!

take a shot of holy water,

by pinkpalaceapartments (73k)

a year after cutting ties with his family and taking steps to improve his life after coming to terms with his role in the tragic death of his best friend, sirius black reconnects with his past at an engagement dinner for a friend he thought he’d lost and the family he’d left behind. there he meets a priest named remus lupin, who is about to change the course of his life forever.

A fleabag au. Remus is the hot priest. *gulp*

Rourke,

by sreka (27k)

When wildlife filmmaker Sirius Black arrives on a remote Antarctic island for a year-long assignment, he isn't phased by the freezing wind, the perpetual darkness, or the hostility he meets from some of the biologists at the research base. He is used to living an itinerant existence. He is comfortable with unforgiving conditions. He expects the world to treat him harshly. But he does not expect to fall in love.

A wonderful muggle au that gives us scientist!remus. Let’s say he’s not the biggest fan of people. (I feel you darling)

A Brief History of Dragons,

by eyra (23k)

Sirius moves to Cornwall for the summer and meets a rude, beautiful boy who is writing a book that may or may not be about dragons.

A very special remus that holds a permanent spot in my heart. He is everything.

from white-hot anticipation to cold-blooded fear and back again,

by drowsyanddazed (20k)

Remus is a storm blowing through Sirius’ small town and Sirius is laid out on the waterlogged cobblestone streets waiting to be washed away.

A Hogwarts era fic in which Remus is a confident Ravenclaw. He’s got rizz, as the TikTok people say. Sirius, naturally, doesn’t stand a chance.

Tidal Pull,

by Deya (10k)

Sirius sees a handsome stranger picking along the mud of the Thames foreshore and he needs to know more. He encounters Remus Lupin a man obsessed with the history buried in the London mud. Together they share moments and small treasures and grow together.

A beautiful fic in which Remus is mudlarking nerd. We love him.

Fine Motor Skills,

by femme_de_lettres (6k)

Sirius Black's car needs work—again. Meanwhile, Remus Lupin is amused to see his favorite customer back at his mechanic's shop.

A meet-cute in which Sirius owns a book shop and Remus is the mechanic—how the tables have turned! Adorable.

Happy holiday to all those who celebrate today<3

xx elliot

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Percy James Patrick, AKA Scottish actor, Sylvester McCoy who was born 20th August 1943, in Dunoon.

His father was killed in the Second World War a couple of months before he was born, and he was brought up by his mother, his grandmother and aunts.

He attended St. Mun’s, primary School in the town and as Percy Smith he trained as a priest, joining Blair's College, a seminary in Aberdeen, for boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen he then gave it up and applied to become a Monk! This was rejected, as he was too young, so Percy returned to Dunoon and finished his education at Dunoon Grammar School.

On leaving school he took a holiday to the bright lights of London and ended up staying, taking a number of jobs, he sold insurance, acted as a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones, then gained a job selling tickets and keeping the books in a theatre box office. Eventually, he joined the Ken Campbell Roadshow. Along with Bob Hoskins, Jane Wood, and Dave Hill, McCoy started performing a range of sketches with the umbrella theme of “modern myths.”

McCoy found himself for a while in a double-act with Hoskins before Hoskins left to pursue his film career. When working with Ken Campbell in an improvised a circus-based act about a fictitious stuntman called Sylvester McCoy he thought it would be amusing if the program stated that this character was played by "Sylvester McCoy". While at the Royal Court Theatre, one of the critics missed the joke and assumed that Sylvester McCoy was a real person. McCoy liked the irony of this and adopted the name of his stage identity.

His big break came when McCoy was starring at the National Theatre in “The Pied Piper”, a musical play written especially for him, when he learned that the BBC was looking for a new lead actor to replace Colin Baker in “Doctor Who”. He later won the role as the seventh Doctor and the first Scottish one!

Following “Doctor Who,” McCoy continues to work extensively in theatre, films, radio, opera, and on television.He sees himself as an all round entertainer, his talents include,playing the xylophone and the spoons. He can also juggle and once gained a reputation for stuffing live ferrets down his trousers.

McCoy was considered for the role of Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and must have made a lasting impression on the filmmakers as they were later to cast him as Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit films.

Like many other former Time Lords, Sylvester has televised the role, in 2022 we aw him return in The Power of the Doctor, I assume there is a chance he will crop up in the 60th anniversary specials, although I can't see him being mentioned as yet.

Sylvester is still keeping busy, he is lined up to appear in the BBC drama Father Brown, it will air next year. This year he appeared in the horror film, Necronomicon, it only has two reviews on IMDB, both slating it. The website also notes that he has four more projects in various stages of production.

[brokehorrorfan]

A Simple Plan will be released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on November 19 via Arrow Video. Matt Griffin designed the new cover art for the 1998 Academy Award nominee; the original poster is on the reverse side.

Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead) directs the neo-noir crime thriller from a script by Scott B. Smith (The Ruins), based on his own 1993 novel of the same name. Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda star.

The film has been newly remastered in 4K from the original negative, approved by Raimi, with Dolby Vision and original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio and lossless stereo audio. Special features are listed below, where you can also see more of the packaging.

Special features:

Audio commentary by critics Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (new)

Audio commentary by production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein with filmmaker Justin Beahm (new)

Interview with cinematographer Alar Kivilo (new)

Interview with actor Becky Ann Baker (new)

Interview with actor Chelcie Ross (new)

On-set interviews with Sam Raimi, Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Jane Fonda, and producer Jim Jacks

Behind-the-scenes footage

Theatrical trailer

Booklet with new writing on the film by Bilge Ebiri and an excerpt from John Kenneth Muir's book The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi

Hank Mitchell (Bill Paxton) and his wife Sarah (Bridget Fonda) have big dreams and a baby on the way, but are stuck in the small Minnesota town where Hank grew up alongside his sweet but naive brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton). One day while walking in the woods, Hank, Jacob, and Jacob’s friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) discover a small plane buried in the snow, with a dead pilot inside… and a duffel bag containing over $4 million in cash. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to grasp the American dream in one fell swoop, if they can just keep it a secret – but Hank soon learns that keeping that secret will come at a terrible cost.

Pre-order A Simple Plan.

[gowns]

Favorites? Least favorites?

thus far --

good movies from wim wenders: perfect days, wings of desire, paris texas, alice in the cities, pina, buena vista social club (in that order). i still have to see the american friend, the salt of the earth, until the end of the world, tokyo-ga, the goalie's anxiety at the penalty kick; and he has made like 60 more movies and shorts, but those are the ones on my watchlist.

i just watched kings of the road last night... review here

i've also heard that when he misses, he misses hard... like, from 2001 onward, he was just making flop after flop.*

*(my own personal pet peeve is that male filmmakers are allowed to make flop after flop, and they still get funding... whereas female filmmakers have to be on their best behavior, and if they fail once, they're usually not allowed a second chance.)

--

PTA: the master was great, phantom thread, there will be blood (all adaptations of existing material / biographies!); punch drunk love, i remember liking a lot when i was younger (i would have to revisit this though). (this was also based on a real story.) licorice pizza sucked 😭 magnolia was another one that seemed "smart" but actually quite stupid. boogie nights only works because of the actors. same with coffee and cigarettes. you're spending time with people giving it their all, so that can be enjoyable in its own way. but if you actually look at the content of the story... it's not great.

and then when you look at these guys behind the scenes... 1) wim wenders was one of the filmmakers who supported roman polanski, and featured 12-year-old natassja kinski in a sexualized / nude role in the wrong move ... and 2) paul thomas anderson was abusive towards fiona apple when they dated:

...

so i harbor a healthy distrust of these guys, as people. like i wouldn't be jumping to collaborate with them, personally.

however, like i said, they each have the capability to be a lightning rod for inspiration. and when lightning strikes, it can be very good! but on the other hand, there are a lot of other filmmakers to support. many of them women and people of color! so many movies to watch!

--

anyway, out of all of these i listed, i like perfect days the most. so if you want to go out of your way to watch any of these, watch that one.

[lesfruitsdores]

Israeli films with female protagonists.

Zero Motivation (2014) dir. Talya Lavie

A unit of female Israeli soldiers at a remote desert base bide their time as they count down the minutes until they can return to civilian life.

Cinema Sabaya (2021) dir. Orit Fouks Rotem

Eight women, Arab and Jewish, take part in a video workshop hosted by Rona, young filmmaker. With each camera take, the group dynamic forces the women to challenge their beliefs as they get to know one other.

Jellyfish (2007) dir. Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret

Jellyfish tells the story of three very different Israeli women living in Tel Aviv whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. Batya, a catering waitress, takes in a young child apparently abandoned at a local beach. Batya is one of the servers at the wedding reception of Keren, a young bride who breaks her leg in trying to escape from a locked toilet stall, which ruins her chance at a romantic honeymoon in the Caribbean. One of the guests is Joy, a Philippine chore woman attending the event with her employer, and who doesn't speak any Hebrew (she communicates mainly in English), and who is guilt-ridden after having left her young son behind in the Philippines.

Blush (2015) dir. Michal Vinik

Trying to escape her tumultuous home life, Naama, 17, indulges in alcohol and drugs, but everything changes when she meets a sexy, free-spirited new girl at school and the two become more than fast friends.

Atomic Falafel (2015) dir. Dror Shaul

Two girls from nuclear towns in Israel and Iran spill their countries most valuable secrets on Facebook while trying to prevent a nuclear crisis.

Kiss Me Before It Blows Up/Kiss Me Kosher (2020) dir. Shirel Peleg

When two generations of Israeli women fall for a German woman and a Palestinian man, chaos follows. What happens with lovers who don't fit--but do belong together?

Red Cow (2018) dir. Tsivia Barkai

Red Cow is a coming-of-age film that takes place in the days leading up to the assassination of Rabin and depicts the life of Benny, 16, orphaned from mother at birth and the only child of Joshua - a religious, right-wing extremist, in those critical junctures when she is forming her sexual, religious and political awareness.

Sand Storm (2016) dir. Elite Zexer

A Bedouin village in Northern Israel. When Jalila’s husband marries a second woman, Jalila and her daughter’s world is shattered, and the women are torn between their commitment to the patriarchal rules and being true to themselves.

[mrthology]

what's your opinion on blonde percy? i feel really torn about it bc i love black annabeth and totally respect rick riordan's decision to base the casting off of their vibe/personality, and walker really does embody percy so well. i support not subjecting the kids to hair dye especially if the series continues for like 10 years, but then... i guess i think of it as this chance to see it brought to life and it doesn't matter what they look like as long as they capture the characters well, BUT THEN.... i realize that it may mean that later on, percy will be more associated to having blonde hair and blue eyes than black hair and sea green eyes, it's already kind of happening where he's being portrayed like that in the fandom, and it just bothers me so much 😭 i don't know why i'm so stuck on this because even though the blonde hair, gray eyes look was as associated with annabeth, i think her being predominantly portrayed as black in the fandom will be amazing and fit her struggles and personality/growth well, but i can't stand the idea of black hair/sea green eyes percy being overtaken by a blonde hair, blue eyes version? especially given that that's jason's look. and it just... horribly clashes with the image of percy jackson in my head and how he's currently portrayed in the fandom as having that classic greek hero look and looking like a younger poseidon? i guess canon percy kind of also gives more leeway for poc!percy headcanons which i absolutely love, since people are just so quick to blame him and assume the worst which, imo, in the landscape the US is in, would not happen as much if he had the typical blonde hair blue eyes white boy look (then people would just find a way to constantly make excuses for him)

i know i'm overthinking it but i'm genuinely worried for canon percy's appearance to be a relic of the past that only us oldies will remember and in the future percy will only be known as blonde 😭

I honestly see the books and show as different entities, and know many others who do the same! They're in the same universe but separate things. Some people will enter the fandom through the show and only watch it, some will watch it and immediately read the books for more content, some will stick to the books only, mix it up, go headfirst into fanfiction, etc.

Fanfiction is transformative, and people will continue to create how they want, regardless of canonical depictions. Having an actor attached to Percy (and all the characters) will colour some people's vision of him. Still, even in visual-only media, people in fandoms will always take artistic licence to explore what they want, how they want it. It's one of my favourite things about fandom!

As for his portrayal in fandom, I've been in a few book fandoms that have had movie or show adaptations, and even in ones where the visual media adaptation is massively successful and influential to filmmaking as a whole, the book influence is still there! If I still read fics where Legolas has dark hair after how insanely influential the Jackson movies were, dark-haired Percy will endure.

Basically, I'm not worried. If people participate in the PJO fandom after being introduced through the show, they'll encounter dark-haired Percy fairly quickly. There's SO much fanfiction, fanart, and more for this fandom, going back to the mid-2000s. There may be more blond Percy depictions now, but that doesn't mean the book canon is gone or will disappear!

I also can't touch on the political landscape in the USA comfortably, as I'm not American. I'm as educated as possible, but I still can't speak from lived experience. I 100% see your point, and have seen more discussion on the subject, but aren't comfortable speaking on it myself

[demifiendrsa]

A fifth “Matrix” movie is in development. It’ll be the first installment without Lana or Lily Wachowski as directors. Instead, “The Martian” screenwriter Drew Goddard will handle filmmaking duties. He will also write the script and produce with his partner at Goddard Textiles, Sarah Esberg. Lana Wachowski, who helmed the most recent “Matrix” installment, 2021’s “Resurrections,” is attached as an executive producer.

Plot details haven’t been revealed, but Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman teases that the story will advance the fantasy world without straying too far from what made the series a success.

“Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” Ehrman said in a statement. “The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new ‘Matrix’ film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.” “It is not hyperbole to say ‘The Matrix’ films changed both cinema and my life,” Goddard said. “Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world.”

[ultraericthered]

Relating to these recent posts on Magnifico.

I decided to give the Deluxe Junior Novel of Wish a purchase to see how the story of the film fared in written form in a book based on what seems to have been the final script for the film, meaning the text of the book would even include stuff that got left on the cutting room floor for the theatrical cut of the film we got. While some stuff didn't really change (Sabino is still an epic waste of a character), some stuff was for the better (a lot of Valentino's dumber lines aren't present, and in general there are less forced callbacks to Disney movies that weren't the old princess fairy tale movies), and some stuff is just lost due to the change in medium (we can't hear any songs, yet the climax of the story still describes everyone in Rosas united in singing a song!), it overall gives validity to my idea that even the Wish that Disney and the filmmakers ultimately settled on, even if mostly shallow and not Fully Fulfilled, was meant to be more than the hacked up form it ended up being delivered to us in. Like, there had to be under 20-something minutes of film that didn't make it in, which threw the pacing of the story and sequences out of whack.

And in particular, King Magnifico reads like a more solid and well realized character on the page when compared to in the movie.

- Because we have no animation and voice acting to go by, his early interactions with Asha don't really paint him as a super nice guy save for when he tries to relate to her regarding her father's passing, bringing up how he lost his entire family and home when he was young, and that it's why he founded Rosas to not simply give safety and comfort to the people who come to live there, but to keep their wishes safe from any outside forces, disasters or tragedies that might harm or break them, something we later learn he's readily willing to compromise on. Otherwise, it's easier to read into the douchier, more condescending and dismissive things he says to Asha, and to catch on that he keeps a whole bunch of wishes locked away for his own happiness even before the other shoe drops.

- While I thought it was pretty clear in the movie what he was doing wrong, the novel stresses that him choosing to not grant certain potentially high risk wishes with his magic is itself not wrong so much as is the petty excuse-making his comes up with to rationalize classifying as high risk and not granting perfectly decent and likely harmless wishes, but the focus is laid on the fact that he doesn't return the wishes he won't grant back to their owners, will not ever let them so much as see their own wishes for themselves so that they can remember them again, keeping them living and dying with the false hope that their turn may yet one day come all while the memory of their wish, that lost part of their very selves, remains forgotten. Asha's full line to him that sets him off, already cut short by the king himself, was cut short in the film. It's "They deserve more than just false hope. And no matter how hard the journey might be, they deserve a chance---". Makes it clear what Magnifico was ruling out.

- The part where he first goes for the tome of forbidden magic plays out a little different. He doesn't say "Everything I do is to make sure that THAT never happens again!", he's cast as a hypocrite because Amaya has her line about how he himself has said in the past "forbidden magic is not the way" yet when he feels that his place of power and the management of his system that dictates Rosas' way of life has fallen under threat, he's willing to go back on this. To give him comfort and talk him down, Amaya says "You are not that powerless boy you were. You are a mighty sorcerer who commands great magic", suggesting that Magnifico's perceived weakness and lack of control is the big sticking point for him regarding his past trauma, following that with "but this book...with it, you know you risk magic controlling you", a more clarifying version of the line she said in the film. The book itself would not brainwash or curse or possess him - the magic from it that he'd intake into himself would intoxicate his mind, in essence commanding him to cast it for whatever uses he'd have for it. Which works to accelerate the corruption of the sorcerer's heart, but doesn't instigate it. The sorcerer has to choose that for himself.

- While I love "This Is The Thanks I Get", its absence means there's no drastic shift to Magnifico being comedically vain and cartoonish, thus his psychotic break is described in words and the sequence with Asha having to hide from him and flee the castle without his notice is given actual suspense. In text form, Magnifico's manic episode that leads him to unsealing the forbidden spellbook is actually kind of chilling: he does everything that'd normally soothe his mood - filling up the model of Rosas with magical mini people, making suits of armor grovel before him, looking at his reflection in the mirror and even having the reflections sing his praises, and of course, playing around with the wishes in the observatory - and this time, none of it is enough to make his fury subside. So the forbidden magic is left as the only thing that could make him feel any better, more powerful and in control, and in this version he doesn't choose to unseal it only after it's caught his eye in that very moment: his mind turns back to it on its own because it's what he believes to be his best recourse for getting himself, and things in his kingdom and with his people, back under control after all else is seeming to fail him. Not exactly the total of motivation I'd have preferred, but I'll take what I can get here.

Incidentally, one sentence during this part is "He let them live in the kingdom for free - he didn't even charge them rent!". Erin Falligant had to have just known how meme-worthy that particular lyric was!

- When Magnifico is at Asha's house, the threat he poses is less undercut than in the film, as instead of Asha knocking the bookshelf on top of him, she simply knocks it down in front of him to block his way as he's moving towards Star, which gives Star the opportunity to flee along with Asha, Sakina, and Sabino. And the number of soldiers posted outside isn't given, leading us to assume he brought more.

- The escelation of Magnifico's self-corruption and the evil he commits with his green magic is well detailed, including the way he essentially kills sentient soul pieces by crushing the magic bubbles they're encased in and absorbing their energy into himself to feed the power within him and keep himself invigorated. Still not a fan of the useless "look for a way to break the magic's hold on Magnifico" quest that Amaya and Dahlia do later, but I like the way what the spellbook says about the magic is phrased - "Embrace that which is forbidden but once, and you surrender to it for eternity." It's like becoming the Dark One and being tethered to the dagger for the power it grants, and to emphasize that this was Magnifico's own choice and fault, the novel tells us that "it was too late to rescue the king from himself."

- But the best part is at the climax, and it's the version of it that was also included in the Graphic Novel and in Recipe For Adventure yet got editted out of the film. There's a nice dark joke about Magnifico amplifying his voice with magic so that he can be heard by the masses of Rosas, then after he blasts Amaya there's the part where Star successfully frees a wish from the evil magic forcefield only for Magnifico to grab it back and crush it in front of everyone and expose to them all that he's the one who'd been threatening, breaking and eating the wishes. Then as he's pulling Asha towards the tower, he has the "Where were you when I needed you back when I was young? Why did it take HER for us to meet?" bit with Star, and after sucking Star into the finial of his staff and making his reflection dominate every mirrored surface in the kingdom, mocks Asha's pain with "It hurts, doesn't it? It really, really hurts! But I feel great, and that's all that matters!", which leads to him creating the vines that run down the castle and abusing the defunct wishes for his pleasure. From that we get the thing that actually bridges Magnifico's current villainy with his debut, with Asha pleading with him to stop because he promised to protect those wishes at all costs. "I did say that, didn't I?" Magnifico responds as he gazes down at the wishes and sighs, almost seeming about to show regret, only to then say "I should thank you, Asha. If you hadn't challenged me, I would still think I needed everyone's trust, and the closest I could get to happiness was being near their wishes. I never would've realized I could just TAKE what I wanted for myself!", and announce to everyone in Rosas "You hear that? I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOU ANYMORE!" Immediately following this is Magnifico blocking out the stars and having thorns grow out from the vines to put his people in bondage, as well as doing some nasty victim blaming of Asha while she's sobbing. "It's because of HER that you've all lost everything!" In general this part is more dramatic and gives an even stronger showing of Magnifico's cruelty while also tying it all back to the start and laying bare what the king's true nature was all along - he'd never wanted to hoard all those wishes to protect them and to ensure the happiness, security, and well-being of the people he ruled over. He'd been doing that to protect himself, always placing his own happiness and security above everyone else's. "What's best for Rosas" was always "What's best for ME", and he always conflated the two. So even before unsealing the forbidden magic and going fully evil, he was a selfish narcissist to the core, and used these circumstances he was faced with as an excuse to indulge in the worst of his nature that he'd been keeping checked and repressed for so long. This makes his comeuppance and imprisonment feel that much more earned.

So overall, Literary King Magnifico is the best King Magnifico, though animated Chris Pine voiced Magnifico is still the most fun.

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Everlasting" (Disney movie)

(Art by wishnutan on deviantart)

Welp, I hadn't planned on doing this before my hiatus started, but I may as well do as many as I can for now. Make sure to check out my summarized post on Part II of the Resurgence Era.

Background--A few years after the success of "Midnight Masquerade," Disney offers several projects to Ron Clements and John Musker. They jump at the chance when offered a story inspired by Pandora's box, having enjoyed exploring Greek culture in "Hercules." Originally, Yorgos Lathinmos was slated to be a director, but instead ended up being the screenwriter, with Disney wanting him due to his recent critical success in Hollywood and his Greek heritage "adding a sense of authenticity." To get in on the remaining hype of "Epic: The Musical," Jorge Rivera-Herrans is brought on to craft the songs. The story was tweaked many times (including contributions from Rick Riordan and Tina Fey, if the rumors are true), with the main concern being cultural accuracy and the proper tone of the film, with some feeling as though the film should be a mature, profound film on good and evil, while others felt like it should be more irreverent and parodying Greek mythology in a way similar to how "Shrek" parodied fairy tales. Eventually Disney was concerned that it was straying "too far" from what would be considered a classic Disney film, and several changes were made, including the protagonist having a love interest (controversial for the reason he was made). With the setting, Disney opts for Ancient Greek-adjacent; the land isn't explicitly called "Greece," but is very Greek-coded with names, architecture, and fashion, albeit not entirely accurate to the Ancient times--basically a step-up from "Hercules" (enough to please the culture it's based on, but still enough wiggle room). The story was originally much lengthier than could fit in a movie, so certain situations had to be cut, conflated with others, or sped through via montage. This included the concept of having seven evils in reference to the seven deadly sins, as seven antagonists was deemed too much for one movie. Also an abandoned concept was a theme of misguided colonialism, with the protagonist seeking to better the world in the way she saw fit and helping to expand her kingdom's empire while trying to eradicate evil. The theme proved too controversial, and the story couldn't find a way to portray it in a way that satisfied a cautious Disney, so it was dropped. And despite the urging from Disney to make the film 3D, the filmmakers push for it to be 2D, so they compromise, opting for a thicker, paint-like 2D art style (check out Lisa Keene's concept art for "Tangled"), and taking influence from Greek sculptures and pottery.

Plot

Once, there was a land that knew nothing of hardship, but one day a plague entered the country that could only be cured by unleashing evil into the world, a concept unheard of at the time. In the years that followed, the once glorious land fell into disarray, and it was not until more centuries had passed that a young woman vowed to rid the world of it's evil by finding the sources and shoving them back into the jar. But on her journey, she begins to question her journey as she contemplates the reason for evil within the world.

Characters

(As usual, this is not a comprehensive list of characters by any stretch of the imagination, but the main players you need to know. The images below would serve as inspiration for the characters' designs and/or personalities)

Pelagia--Almost like she came out of a book of legend, she is a driven hero with a strong sense of justice. The daughter of a magistrate, she was raised to uphold the law above all else, though when she soon ventures to search for the Jar of Despair, she finds that good and evil are subjective, and what is agreeable to her may not be agreeable to everyone else. And thus she must ask herself: is heroism inflexible, Is compassion conditional, and if everyone is capable of great evil, has she made poor decisions in order to bring about the greater good?

Chrysostomos--A flash of hope, the justification of all the wickedness in the world, he is the embodiment of the good that exists in spite of evil. A playful and casual divine creature, he is somewhat oblivious of the plight of mortals, as they exist "beneath a plane of existence" that he has accustomed himself to. However, as he begins to develop schoolboy-like feelings for Pelagia that he can't understand himself, he starts to become involved in her quest to rid the world of evil, even if that means that he himself may cease to exist as a result.

Damiani--The girl (now woman) who started it all. Upon opening the Jar of Despair, she was filled with evil that she never would've encountered otherwise. Her nature went from helping others to harming them, craving the power the jar had to assert dominion over the world, which was all too vulnerable now that it was filled with selfish and destructive desires. The events following her opening the jar left her weak and powerless, but the original evils could help her become more powerful than she ever was. She observes carefully as Pelagia and Chrysostomos collect the original evils, knowing that this will lead them to her, when she can take the power from them and absorb them into her being and bring about her reign of terror.

Songs

The Corroded Age--Long ago, when the world was young, there lived a civilization that knew nothing but kindness and prosperity. For many centuries, they lived in in peace, ignorant of trouble and unhappiness, but one day, an unspeakable plague touched the kingdom. The land was unfamiliar with strife and pain, and a sorcerer was sought out to cleanse the land. Unfortunately, he too soon fell ill to the plague. His daughter, who had joined him on his venture, knew of a jar that was said to hold the cures to all plagues, and sought it out. But she was mistaken, for when she opened the jar, she healed those from the plague, but released countless unspeakable evils into the world, from envy to greed to lust.

Take it to Heart--Palagia's father instructs her on the concepts of right and wrong in the world, though he omits sharing his own personal belief that everything in the world happens for a reason, as he grows concerned that she would simply wait around for things to happen or allow poor situations to befall her without fighting back. As such, Palagia takes her father's rules to heart, seeing the golden age that their country is in and believing that this is something that every land should experience, catapulting her venture into finding the original evils.

Renaissance--Palagia meets Chrysostomos, a divine being an embodiment of the hope within the Jar of Despair. She righteously requests his aid on the quest, which he casually agrees to, though her cause perplexes him, since he fails to understand how she can eradicate all evil in the world, since, as he puts it, "it's seeped into the blood of humans."

You Don't Understand--Damiani and Chrysostomos reflect on how good and evil chase each other in an endless cycle, and how those it affected fail to understand that one cannot exist without the other, at least not anymore; in the Age of Innocence (that soon became derogatorily called the Corroded Age), every thought and action was natural, and now there was no sense of certainty, no sense of simply doing something. Once something good or bad came into the world, it could never be removed.

Everlasting--Chrysostomos, having developed feelings for Palagia, confesses his love to her, which she accepts, to his surprise. That said, they ponder their compatibility due to their views on good and evil and her mortality. Chrysostomos professes that as long as kindness exists, his love for her will persist, and she says she'll love him until the stars fall into the seas at the end of time.

All Good Things--With the Jar of Despair destroyed, there is no longer a way to contain the evils of the world, but Palagia reflects on how her country experienced a period of happiness and success in spite of this, reminding her that evil will never truly engulf the world, and that just like with evil, all good things must come to an end. When Chrysostomos was imprisoned in the jar and it broke, he was nowhere to be found, and she promises to find him, faster than she had found the evils of the world.

Hope you enjoyed this new entry as the Resurgence Era continues! Lemme know if you have any questions

[lyledebeast]

Since rewatching Gladiator the other day for the first time in many years, I've been thinking how oddly similar the fight between Maximus and Commodus is to the fight between Benjamin Martin and William Tavington in The Patriot, with one jarring difference. In Gladiator, it is the villain who wounds the hero prior to their fight to give himself an advantage and yet loses the fight anyway. In The Patriot, the hero does exactly the same thing. I am by no means an expert on fight choreography, but I believe a good fight scene, like a good sex scene, is one that provides the audience with greater understanding of the characters involved. Gladiator's fight scene does that. I'm not sure The Patriot's does, or at least not in the way the filmmakers intended.

Maximus and Commodus's fight is a piece of theatre orchestrated by Commodus to help him win the affections of Rome's citizens away from Maximus. He doubts that he can defeat Maximus purely based on skill, so he stabs him in the shoulder blade while Maximus is bound just prior to their appearance before the crowd in the Colosseum. Even gravely injured, Maximus is able to get the upper hand through his superior skill as a fighter and force Commodus to drop his sword. Commodus immediately demands another sword from the soldiers surrounding them, expecting another chance at victory to be literally handed to him. While this demand is made and refused, Maximus watches. He does not take the opportunity to kill Commodus while he is unarmed; he even drops his own sword. When Commodus pulls a surprise dagger out of his armor sleeve, Maximus again outfights him, getting control of the blade and stabbing Commodus in the throat.

Commodus's plan drives home what we've already seen of him in his relationships with his father and sister. He expects love purely on the basis of who he is, just as he expects the Roman people to transfer their affection to him for no other reason than that he has killed their hero. He fails to realize that the people do not love Maximus only because he wins. They love him because he wins against overwhelming odds, he's a good leader, he's resourceful, he's fair and even merciful. And he is a hell of a fighter. Most of these qualities are also on display in his fight with Commodus even as he is seeking vengeance for the wife and son Commodus murdered. Even though Maximus is as dead as Commodus at the end of the scene, finally having bled to death from his shoulder wound, it is his body that is carried from the arena with honor.

Martin and Tavington are more fairly matched than Maximus and Commodus; scenes prior to the film's climax show that they are both skilled fighters. But it is quite clear from the beginning that Martin has no interest in a fair fight. When they meet on the battlefield, they charge, Tavington on his horse and Martin on foot, holding the American flag repaired by the son Tavington killed like a spear. Just before they come into contact, Martin drops to his knee and stabs Tavington's horse in the chest. Horse falls, Tavington flies through the air and into the oncoming line of British soldiers. Once the fight is in progress, Tavington's bleeding from the mouth is better accounted for by this fall than any of the other injuries he recives. When he gets up Martin is waiting to shoot him with a ball made from a boiled down toy soldier belonging to his other son that Tavington killed while Tavington is disoriented from his fall and his hands are empty. Fortunately for Tavington, a cannonball hits just behind Martin and causes him to hit Tavington in the bicep, not the chest. And then it's on.

In addition to being absolutely awash in kitsch and sentimentality, there is something going on with Martin's development here. Throughout the film, he has been torn between two roles: the father and the fighter. For most of the run time, it is the role of fighter that he chooses. His choice to stay out of the war and protect his children is met with revulsion by his peers and oldest son, and later Martin himself regrets it. "I have done nothing, and for that I am ashamed," he says. But when he gets his ass whooped by a wounded British officer he had hoped to shoot while unarmed, his being a father becomes very important again. Tavington, having knocked Martin's weapons out of his hands and beaten him to his knees, takes a moment to gloat: a long one. Then two things happen almost simultaneously. An American flag drifts into Martin's field of vision, reminding him of the son he is meant to be avenging--the flag son, not the toy soldier one--and Tavington, theatre queen that he is, announces his next move: "Kill me before the war is over will you? It seems you are not the better man." He swings his sword, Martin ducks, swings around, and stabs him through the torso with a bayonet. "You're right," Martin growls. "My sons were better men." The he stabs Tavington through the throat because that was all the rage in 2000.

Up until that sudden turn of events, the clearest understanding the fight gives us of Martin's character is that when he made his promise to kill Tavington his mouth wrote a check his hands couldn't cash. Tavinton may be a child-killer and a woman-burner and executor of surrendering/wounded soldiers, but the only thing this fight tells us about him is that he is a Bad Bitch on the battlefield. His gloating is consistent with earlier behavior--the man does love to make a speech--but Martin's response is consistent only in the narrative handing him triumphs he has done nothing to earn.

In Gladiator, the fight itself is important. The way the men fight tells us important things about them. In The Patriot, it does not really matter who fights well, or fairly, or even who wins the fight. The only thing that matters is that the hero lives and the villain dies, which makes the fight between them feel a bit gratuitous. I find it satisfying to watch, though, if only for the look of shock and anguish on Mel Gibson's face when he realizes he is losing. Joaquin Phoenix's expression at the same point in his fight with Russell Crowe is quite familar: This can't be happening. Doesn't he know? I am Too Special To Lose This Fight!! The difference is that in Benjamin Martin's case, the story agrees. He is too special to lose this fight.

[tomatoluvr69]

yayyyyy @sonic-fizz tagged me to answer these 15 questions this is so old web core slayyyyyyyyyyyyyy love it thx <3

1. are you named after anyone

eh i was named after a grandparent in a slapdash way. like they just chopped off half the name and called it a day...

2. when was the last time you cried?

literally probably like 24-48 hours ago in the car thinking about how doomed i am (this is not true.). or maybe it was reading a sad article...i don't know. I tear up a lot but full on sobbing bawling was in mid-Dec and a more sustained sniffle crying was when i was hungover and miserable about my tortured loneliness and doom for the future on new year's day lol

3. do you have kids?

omg...no...the microplastics in my womb and doom in my genome and also i'm broke and single and american

4. what sports do you play/have played?

i swim but it's like in the way that other ppl take walks around the neighborhood a few times a week. sports were so fucking abysmal for me growing up that i feel i am unlikely to ever return

5. do you use sarcasm?

occasionally...i've grown out of it for the most part though. there are better ways to be funny in a lot of situations...i am silly goofy mostly, or use observational humor and wacky metaphors etc

6. what is the first thing you notice about people?

i'd love to be like 'a warm smile :-)' but if i'm being totally honest i'm scanning their clothing/hairstyle/grooming etc to scan for anyone likely to judge me based on my failure to conform to gender and modern consumerism...which isn't fair to others, i know......but sometimes you just see someone in like salon highlights barrel curls full makeup suburban drip and you're like hmmm eeeeeek scary! I think this is a vestigial defense mechanism from my relentless failure to dress right and be liked growing up. need 2 keep an eye out for the freaks and geeks and allies you know (but i'm so lucky to be in circles where everyone is dressing androgynously, having full on body hair everywhere, no makeup is the norm rather than the exception, funky used clothes and practical work/outdoors gear is the norm, etc. ok i'm getting off track...). i also notice people's height relative to my own bc i'm a bit insecure about towering over some people even though i'm not that tall.... :-( this stuff says way more about me than about anyone else... :-( i will say though that i'm pretty good about ignoring these first readings and giving people a chance once i get to know them. this is just the knee jerk first impression stuff

7. what’s your eye colour?

pale blue/grey. sorry :-/

8. scary movies or happy endings?

i like SAD ENDINGS of LOVERS' DEATHS and UNREQUITED PASSIONS and FAILED DREAMS and SCARRED MEMORIES....

9. any talents?

nothing like above and beyond. but there's a number of things i'm pretty sufficient at without trying too hard which is nice i guess. gardening, cooking from scratch w/o recipes, stringing together a sentence or a laugh...

10. where were you born?

my beautiful steel city...kisses 2 her majesty.......

11. what are your hobbies?

swimming gardening fermenting cooking writing reading going to indie films with friends of discerning tastes attending potlucks oh and LAYING FACE DOWN IN MY BED.....

12. do you have any pets?

i wish :-( renter problems......

13. how tall are you?

5’11" or so i have not been to the doctor in so many years LOL....

14. favourite subject in school?

hated school but hated the humanities the least...i loved my filmmaking class in college the most probably

15. dream job?

MOVIE DIRECTOR...FAMOUS AUTEUR NOVELIST...HOMEMAKER...

I tag @fieryphrazes, @iwrotemrtambourineman, @chriselliottfanblog, and @chekovsphaser from my notes recently...and literally anyone who wants to and is bored you can say i tagged you. in fact i would love to read it i think tag games are so fun and i love to read them ok yay byeeee