#cinematography just as good if not better!! there were a few really nice shots in there

[dumplingcatho]

s2 warrior nun time!!!!!!! plssss i hope the show will wrap up in a somewhat satisfying way cryingg

[consumeronionbulletin]

See You in My 19th Life (2023)

I unabashedly love this show. The actors, the characters, the way it was shot, the convoluted dramatic plot that seems to bend back on itself, it all works for me. But you have to keep in mind that this is not a romcom: it's a weepy dramedy with big romantic feels.

What worked

This cast is so great. Beautiful people acting out big feelings while telling a good story. The cinematography was excellent, restrained when it needed to be and leaning hard into the fantasy to tell the story in other places. The plot didn't always make logic sense, but the writing was very good at getting across the feelings it wants you to feel.

What Didn't Work

Some of the musical cues bothered me, especially when it tried to play up this big mystery about Kang Min-gi. (Was he a bad guy? Yes. Did he deserve his own sinister background music when he came on screen? No.) Also, there were a few logic breaks that I feel like would have been ironed out if they'd had 16 episodes instead of 12. Finally, I'm not an expert, but people who have read the webtoon it was based on were disappointed with some of the departures from the original story. None of this bothered me, because it had so many high moments.

The Performances

Shin Hye-sun as (19th lifer) Ban Ji-eum. I would die for this character. I would love to see her play a short season of the Korean version of Doctor Who, because she would nail that role. It wasn't just the moments of a beautiful person looking sad about drama, she played the comic parts well, she played the angry parts well, she was downright weird at times in a way that was unsettling, and that totally worked for this character. I now have to go back and see everything this actor has been in before now.

Ahn Bo-hyun as (sad rich boi) Moon Seo-ha. This actor was also really good. He had to play it straight and stoic through much of the series, and that could come across as wooden in some scenes, but then they would let him loose in a scene and it was amazing to watch. His chemistry with Shin Hye-sun was so good, as well.

Ha Yoon-kyung as (spring sunshine) Yoon Cho-won. I loved her in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and this is even better. Her best role yet. The second lead couple in this was (somewhat) less emotional, and that made the slow burn more enjoyable in some ways. But I really loved the scenes with Cho-won and Ji-eum. Just as much fun to watch as the romantic scenes.

Ahn Dong-goo as (the driver) Ha Do-yoon. Somehow, this guy had to be more stoic than Ahn Bo-hyun's character, which made the moments when the emotions leaked out of him even more electric. I wish we'd had a few more episodes to get some happy romantic moments towards the end of the series, but he was still great to watch on screen and did an excellent job.

Cha Chung-hwa as (the niece) Kim Ae-kyung. She was good in Hometown Cha x 3, but I would riot if something bad happened to her character in this drama. Did I riot? Watch and find out!

Lee Si-woo as (the little brother) Ha Do-jin. A delightful character played really well by Lee Si-woo. It was always a fun scene when he showed up.

Lee Chae-min as (one weird guy) Kang Min-gi. I always felt unsettled when this guy was in a scene. In case you had doubts about the guy, he had creepy music following him around the entire series, but the actor didn't really need it.

Kang Myung-joo as (the sad mother) Jo Yoo-seon. I really loved her performances even though they were usually the saddest scenes. She had so few lines, and managed to do alot with them.

Bae Hae-sun as (evil stepmom) Jang Yeon-ok. I especially disliked her. The actor did a great job of playing a shameless, entitled backstabber. Nice to see her get a bigger role (liked her in It's okay to not be okay), even if it is as someone not very nice.

Baek Seung-cheol as (all time bad dad) Ban Hak-su. I hated this character so much, which shows the actor did a great job.

Moon Dong-hyuk as (bad brother) Ban Dong-woo. I loathed and pitied this character, overall another good performance.

Kim Si-a as (the 18th lifer) Yoon Joo-won. She did a very good job in some tough scenes. I'm always amazed at how good some of these young actors are.

Park So-yi as (the young 19th lifer) Ban Ji-eum. Very good in the episodes she showed up. Was fun seeing her onscreen opposite Ahn Bo-hyun.

Lee Han-na as (mystery girl) Han-na. They should have done more with this character or figured out how to do without her completely. They just didn't have the episode time to do her justice. Overall, an okay actor that was completely overshadowed by the other actors.

Seo-ha's Family. I'm usually indifferent to chaebol corporate nonsense, but the actors did an excellent job of making you feel like part of the family. A terrible family, that treated Seo-ha terribly. The uncle (played by Lee Hae-young) was a standout, but they were all good in their own way, including the step-brother.

The past lives. I really enjoyed the different past lives. They didn't always have alot of lines, but they still made you feel something as you got little snapshots of harrowing moments in their lives.

The bad rich boy society guys. Honorable mention. I didn't always know their names, but every scene where they mistreated Ha Do-yoon's character was still infuriating, and that was on the actors as much as the writing.

TL;DR

This show is something special. I highly recommend it if you have any kind of interest in the premise. I will definitely be rewatching it.

[miradanii]

Beast Wars S1 Ep11-13

11 Yay Rattrap episode!

12 Plot almost changes/ Doop episode

13 A Rhinox focused episode where the writers realized Megatron says "yeeeesss" a lot and in a very specific way

Ep 11

Watched part of it at work and the rest at home. A lot of clippable Rattrap moments. Also the ship's name is Sentinel??? Wow first time hearing that name on a character that's not a major prick.

I know it's for comedic effect but wow they all think Rattrap is kind of insufferable and that's really funny.

Also a bit more character dialogue from Black Arachina was nice.

Ep 12

A Doop episode is always good. At this point they're getting better with animating the models and a change in more series cinematography. They come really close to making a scene serious without making me laugh at the end.

Good example for instance, Optimus falling from the ship leaving Cheetor's grasp. The fall is silent and slow. They composed the shot very well and since the lighting is already muddy it works it it's advantage.

Until Optimus finally falls on the ground with a small thud leaving no impact on the ground. It was honestly so close.

Doop gets really strong in this. Optimus is so far the only character who is very understanding of Dino Bot and the show doesn't have him explicitly tell the others how he's feeling. I think the animators really tried with his expressions in this one and it's cool to see. The more the show goes on, I can see why he's the favorite in the show (also the only character with a much more in depth arc at the moment)

Really thought that we'd see a drastic change of the Maximals splitting up but guess not. Oh well. I just can't believe they landed on the same rock and not possibly a different area or something.

I did get a sudden scare with Dino Bot running towards the ship with Predicons behind him I thought there'd be some miscommunication there but I'm not ready for that kind of plot right now.

I also think it was really cute Cheetor also thinks of Dino Bot as a close friend. :D

Ep13

Yayyy Rhinox episode! As well as some interesting cinematography choices...it's probably not very different compared to the rest of the show, but I swear it did feel different.

So like if you think about it this show can get kinda graphic but since they're robots they can take a few hits. Even an arm can get ripped off and put back eventually.

Okay but like. When Rhinox as a Predicon squishes Scorpinox. Like he REAALLLLY squishes him. Like if this character could get a couple thousand more polygons it be freaky cause they show his head absolutely crushed under the weight of whatever Rhinox pushed on him.

Optimus Primal...was a Indiana Jones joke I can't. That's a very tempting thing to reanimate too cause it's funny. So far this is one of the shows you can see Optimus as a character doing stupid shit in combat rather than always looking like the hero 99% of the time. I'm so impressed that this was a character who's personality is experimented with pretty early (as far as I know of) in Transformers history. Before Transformers Animated.

So far...

Beast Wars keeps impressing me. I do wanna know more about this history of how this show was made and comparisons to potentially other CG shows at the time (not Pixar.. they were straight up on another level so its not fair). Cause there's things they could fix like walk cycles or those ungodly stretched textures on the landscape. There's so many things you can point out but who knows how difficult it was to fix after rendering or how it was made on a tv schedule. Rip I wonder how many times the program crashed...

[georgieluz]

i'm 3 days late but i'm finally answering @lamialamia

so my overall thoughts of the pacific are that i really enjoyed it (is enjoyed the right word? can you really enjoy the significant trauma of watching episodes 4-7 back to back and losing your three favourite characters all in one go? i don't think you can) but i did love a lot of things about it! the cinematography and production was outstanding. i knew it would be, but the way they shot the whole show was really something special! those battle scenes being shot like a very well made horror flick really did something to me. one thing i really wish we got more of was time with the men. i feel like we didn't get deep enough into their characters and personalities, outside of the main three ofc, especially after being told a lot more about certain men and what they were really like outside of how the show portrayed them (eddie jones and his guitar deserved better!!!!!)

but despite that, i still became hopelessly attached to a good few of them. stupidly, ack ack became the love of my life and now i'm probably ruined for life, so that's nice. thanks for that, life. i actually adore eddie jones and obviously, as we all know, i'm way past feral for hoosier over there. i think when i rewatch the show, i'll gain a lot more appreciation for other characters too (though i do already love most of them). i really liked the inclusion of lena's story, she became one of my favourite characters at the end. i was less into leckie's mostly fake love story but i understand they did it for narrative purposes and to sort of give his actions when he was acting up a trigger point.

my favourite thing from the series was definitely ack ack. and eddie. i don't know what it is about those two but they just awoke something in me and now i can't let go. i desperately needed more scenes of them but every ack ack scene gave me something electric so he's probably my favourite thing about the series. i also really liked how close leckie's unit was, they didn't have a thousand scenes or anything massive, but there was something incredibly comforting about the lightheartedness they gave each other that covered the traumatic experience they were all going through. i truly believe those dear vera letters and leckie reading them to his boys were a tool for them all to process what they were seeing but in a way where it could still be passive and not too heavy. i would have liked to have seen more scenes of them all, maybe in place of some of the melbourne romance stuff, but i get why it was the way it was. i appreciated that the show didn't shy away from the absolute horrors of war and even though it only covered things briefly most of the time, it definitely hit a lot of the different nuances involved and i think it did it in a subtle enough way that it actually settles into your brain permanently.

most trauma? i think we all know the answer to that since i've been crying about it since my episode 7 liveblog. honestly, i'm just pretending that episode 7 never happened and all is fine in the world. but i also think that watching eugene's arc killed a part of me inside, it kinda broke me watching him go from this innocent kid who was desperate to serve to being utterly disenchanted and disillusioned with his purpose and everything he thought he knew and believed. his story kinda cracked open my heart in a way i wasn't ready for.

sunshine and happiness.. ack ack being the most wholesome captain ever and basically just taking up residence in my heart. but also i really enjoyed gene and sidney's friendship, they didn't really have many scenes together but it made me happy that despite them never being able to see the world the same again after everything they went through, they both made it home and they had each other. also, i don't even know why, but burgie became one of my favourite characters so that part where he hugged his dad and his brother after getting off the train made me fucking sob with relief. i don't know why but it hit me real hard and i know that's not exactly sunshine and happiness but he made it home and he married his australian sweetheart and he was my favourite in the interview sections and so i just felt this overwhelming amount of relief and happiness for him.

we don't talk about the ass flash

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Strange Darling (Mollner, 2024)

This review contains spoilers.

Very glad that I decided to see this on a whim before it left theatres, because it fucking rocks. A lot of people are suggesting you go in blind, and I disagree. Because you won’t be able to see the movie. Hey-o! Sorry, that was terrible. But yeah, do not read anything about this one’s plot beforehand if you plan to see it. This depends heavily on twists and turns and well timed violence and what have you.

The one thing I did read about this was that it was shot by Giovanni Ribisi on 35mm. There’s an interview where he talks about setting up a production company to provide the infrastructure necessary to make it easier and cheaper to shoot smaller movies on film. I assumed he stopped getting too many roles because they were being taken by Jeremy Strong, who is basically the same guy, let’s be honest, but apparently he’s always had an interest in cinematography. And whatever he picked up from hanging out with the DPs of his other movies has clearly stuck, because this is really well shot, and not at all ostentatious in its style, focusing on evoking tension visually instead of eye catching flourishes. Also, given how much I complain about the awful anemic digital sheen of so many modern movies, it’s nice to have seen at least a few new movies over the past few weeks that have a good sense of visual texture.

MAJOR SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT:

There is in this what can be read as an anti-woke / reactionary streak, specifically with respect to the issues addressed by the MeToo movement and Believe Women, as the villain here is a female serial killer who repeatedly exploits these anxieties. But I’d actually argue the movie is about the tension between your gut feelings and social pressure or conditioning. Ignoring your better judgement when your partner in a one night stand calls you a pussy. Ignoring proper procedure when a crime scene has been carefully curated to look like a sexual assault. If anything, I think that tension gets closer to the heart of the issues addressed by that movement.

This also has a non chronological structure, punctuated with chapter titles. I can see this movie being tense if played in order, but I also think the fact that you initially see things out of their proper context is the point. Like the CNC sex scene misleadingly presented as a rape and attempted murder. The movie’s misdirection primes you for the killer’s misdirection. The cops see that crime scene without the preceding context and make a fatally wrong assumption.

This is very much informed by classic exploitation, so it invites comparisons to Ti West’s recent trilogy, but I enjoyed this quite a bit more than those movies. For one, the references seem less like facsimiles of better movies, and are instead deployed more purposefully in the narrative. The opening text/narration and the early sequences lead you to expect something in line with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which creates tension in how the overall chase and specifically the sequence with the survivalists in the house will play out. The movie also holds on monologues by Willa Fitzgerald, who plays the killer, similarly to how Pearl specifically holds on Mia Goth, but I found Fitzgerald to be much more naturalistic, so holding on her work felt less overwrought. This is also a character who does a fair bit of “acting” in the movie as she misleads her victims, so it makes sense to emphasize her performance in that way. Anyway, I found her unabashedly kinky psycho killer character distressingly attractive in this. The part bringing me distress was the psycho killer part, not the kinky part. But I can change her…

And on a final note, the survivalist characters, who are portrayed quite empathetically by Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr., are not only obsessed with sasquatches, but they also prepare a breakfast that gave me gout just looking at it. Given how big they are on survival, you’d think they’d want to stave off potential heart attacks, but maybe it was their cheat day.

[pyr0cue]

New Alien looks promising! The others (imo) are a bit mid and (if you're a big stickler on canon) kind of fuss with things canonically- i'd say watch 'em just for the sake of some nice cinematography and some cool shots. the NEW Alien film looks promising because the crew behind it seem really hell bent on going back to the basics on things, practical effects etc (a practical Xenomorph again!), and it's also (if i remember correctly) directed by the guy that did the 2013 Evil Dead reboot? Also they're pushing for a VHS release! A LOT of mixed reviews on In A Violent Nature. I saw what they were going for, but the acting (what little there was) was already too campy when coupled up with ...Nooottt much else. Even with the time spent on the most brutal kill of the film had me going 'wait- why did that happen? that didn't make sense-' which, sure the kill was brutal, but when the movie gives you time to think about OTHER things, especially when it's your 'big kill' of the film, it's...eehh? that being said, a lot of people also loved it, and i liked what it aimed for, i think they just got a little too ambitious with it. it could have been a WONDERFUL short film at 30 minutes but they really wanted to stretch it to feature length.

super excited that 2024 seems to be really knocking it out of the park on horror though! Still some big releases coming later this year with Nosferatu and Cuckoo, and I think 2025 we'll start getting more info on the new Evil Deads.

YOOO ok maybe i will watch the new Alien then! I’m a huge fan of the practice effects in horror it always looks better than cgi, and a VHS release??!? This is a movie I’d see just to encourage more studios to do stuff like that lol. I don’t think I’ll do a full run through of the franchise but I’ll watch a few to get the vibe and story. If nothing else it’ll give me a good excuse to watch the first one again

Noooo that’s so disappointing to hear about in a violent nature :/ I heard a few good things about it from some friends and I love me a camp slasher. I’ll probably still check it out to see if it’s enjoyable, if not good. Some slashers are just like that for me, like do I think the purge is a good franchise? Absolutely not, can I watch a purge movie and have a great time? 100% Glad I never took the time to see it in a theater though!

But yeah 2024 is going strong! Maybe this year will be the first year we see a horror film nominated for a big award (I saw the TV glow I believe in you…I don’t think you’ll get it but I believe in you). And I actually think Maika Monroe should get a best actress nomination…but we’ll see. (<- I say all this as if I’m like. Invested in film awards. I can’t even remember the name of the award ceremony. I still think it’d be cool if we got a horror movie as best film)

(Don’t be mad but I actually haven’t seen more than 1 of the evil dead movies 😭 I absolutely need to I just keep saying I will and then…not. If there’s something new coming out maybe I’ll finally motivate myself to watch the whole franchise instead of just one)

[fueledbysano]

KINKTOBER DAY 2: “DILF; Toji”

summary: The one night stand you swore to forget turned into a regular fling... Until one morning at his house, you meet someone from his life.

✧ pairing: toji x fem reader

✧ includes: NSFW, detailed smut, daddy kink, degradation kink, unprotected sex, alcohol, slightly ooc toji

✧ a/n: One of my fave writers and some really cool ones just reblogged yesterday's chapter and I'm levitating 😤 Thank you for all the positive feedbacks! Also, this gave me baby fever wtf.

You still weren't used to the luxurious interiors and service of the hotel you were staying in, despite weeks and weeks of your stay.

It seems that you have tried every facility; pools, spa, gym, theater rooms, the casino, karaoke, hell, even the coffee making lessons they had.

But one thing you also liked about this place were the men that hung out in it. We're not talking the attractive guys your age, the rich middle-aged ones particularly; and this place seemed to be a hotspot for them.

So here you were, drink in hand at a bar counter in attempts to get to talk to one. You've put on your cute champagne-colored dress with an open back, and perfectly hugging your curves. Simple, yet, very timely and elegant. You effortlessly carried the whole look, turning out very beautiful.

The exquisite bar was lit dimly, accentuating the skilled musicians on stage who were performing classic jazz tunes and you could easily tell they wore elegant designer pieces. The guests in the crowded space resembled the music being played— sophisticated and lavish.

Although it's already nine in the evening, the place remained lively and active. Night life here definitely is something you could get used to.

"Another daiquiri." You ask to the bartender passing by as you paid attention to the music video playing on the flat screen tv, at this point, not even paying attention to your surroundings anymore. The song was catchy and the video's cinematography was eye catching, in your defense.

“and... whatever she's having.” You could hear the faint talking a few feet on your right but still decided to finish the video. It had a nice story.

“Excuse me, ma'am?” The bartender spoke, sliding over a coaster in front of her before placing another glass of drink. “This is from the gentleman over there.” Your eyes followed at the direction in which he pointed at, and the lighting was much better, allowing you to get the best look of a very attractive man with long black fringes and ripped extremity.

You pause for a bit, appreciating his physique. His white shirt is stretched out by the man's broad shoulders, displaying substantial muscles beneath the thin fabric. With every basic flex, he leans back on both arms, bulging his biceps which had pooled pushed up sleeves, revealing his forearms.

You internally panicked at the realization of how long you had been looking when he got up from his seat to approach you. You immediately sip on your current shot glass, trying to act casually as if you weren't just drooling over him five seconds ago.

“So... this a good place to hang out at?” He asks. “Wouldn't know... my first time here.” You lied. “Ah, I'm new in town too.” He spoke, making himself comfortable on the seat beside you as you quietly nod, enjoying the last few ounces of your drink.

“Hm, ignoring me?” He teases. “I'm not.” You chuckle. “Good, because you shouldn't.” He says. “Why not?”

“Because I just bought you a drink, and I'm very attractive.” He spoke with ease, earning a laugh from you. “Well, I'm wasn't planning to ignore you, and you are indeed, attractive.” You admit. “Double scotch?” The bartender gets in between you for a brief moment before your eyes meet again.

“Toji.” “[Name].”

“So... what brings you here?” You asked, turning on your seat towards him. “I needed to discuss business with my colleagues then try gambling.” He gestured at the other men busy on a poker table.

“Why'd you bail?”

“It's not my thing.” He downs an ounce of scotch. “Brings you here?” He now asks. You couldn't really come up with one, and you're all alone as well. “Just a girl in the bar.” You answer.

“I like that.” Toji nods, taking out his shot glass for you to toast, now with the glass of drink he'd bought for you.

You needed a confidence boost, so you down the drink quickly, slamming the empty glass on the table afterwards. “So, seems that we have no business being here anymore, want to take this somewhere else?” He was surprised at how forward and honest your words were. “Alright... What do you think of paying a visit to my penthouse?” Penthouse? Hell, this guy is mad rich. and hot. He had some cool composure and mysterious aura to him as well which made him even more attractive.

What the hell. “Come on.”

The one night stand you swore to forget turned into a regular fling.

You were out of the hotel and back at your regular home, making sure to keep it extra nice whenever Toji comes over.

Although tonight, you end up hanging out at his penthouse after a night out for dinner. So here you were, getting fucked into the cozy comforter on the floor by the warm fireplace, the crackling sounds mixing along with your licentious moans.

“Faster...” Your legs were hooked around his hips in attempt to fuck him into your hole, but he kept ignoring your cries of plead, knowing it drove you absolutely crazy. He was grinding his hips into your painfully slow, only to oull off entirely and thrust back halfway in.

“Easy, baby... easy.” He repeats the action, taking a glass of champagne from the table during the process abd drinking from it.

He slams his lips back onto yours before you can respond. His hands glide down your waist, squeezing and feeling you from top to bottom. With each sigh and whine that escapes your lips, his movements become more and more erratic.

"You're so fucking beautiful." Toji groans softly as he grinds his growing hard on against your thigh.

"So hard for me?" You tease as he lets out a particularly loud groan. "Shut up bitch." He mumbles and dipped his head down to your chest.

A high pitched whine leaves your mouth as Toji lightly bites on your hardened nipple. His snuck up with the free one as he sucks and teases your breast with his skilled tongue. And oh, how he loved marking you up and hearing your cries of pleasure.

"So sensitive, princess." He teases as he pinches your nipples, eliciting a pained pleasure from you. "I love those sounds." He sits up on his knees with a sharp glint in his eyes and admired the growing dark bruises along your chest.

“Make me feel good, sir.” You whined, cupping your breasts with your hands which his lustful eyes were glued on. His mouth falled open and licked his bottom lip slowly. His eyes squeezed shut as he lets out a low groan.

"What did you say?" He growls, wanting to hear those words from your pretty mouth again. His voice dropped a deep, low voice you were so hooked with.

"Please, daddy, make me feel good." Bringing his finger to your mouth, you softly nibble on it and look up at his fierce eyes. You bat your eyelashes at them, bringing your arms together to show off your cleavage. His grin only grew wider as he climbs off you.

"What a fucking desperate slut." His voice was dangerously low as he snuck one hand to your breast, squeezing it roughly while the other one travelled down to your soaking pussy.

"So wet." You ca easily picture the smirk on his face as he slips two fingers inside of you. You rest your forehead against the pillow as he ravished you with his skillful hands with a loud moan.

"You're such a whore for my fingers, aren't you?" You nod, not being able to use your words as he sped up his fingers. "Naughty girl." Before you could stutter out that you were close he rips his fingers away.

"Open." He growls deeply in your ear. Opening your mouth he shoves his fingers in your mouth once again to lick them clean.

Your tongue swirls around them in a way that's so familiar to him; the same way you did to his dick. Taking his fingers out of your mouth, he took your hands once and pins them above your head. Without another word, your chest now hit the sheets, ass in the air before he shoved his hard cock inside of you making you scream at the sudden penetration.

As you moan, your walls flutter around him. He has a devilish grin on his face, yet you can't help but feel your chest inflate from having taken him all.

“Hands on your back.” He commands breathlessly. You can't help but follow his command, and his large hand immediately takes your wrists in his fist once more.

"Please! I need you so fucking badly..." You cried out, moving your hips to try to gain a faster speed. "So filthy..." He scolds, not changing his slow pace. You faced the pillow and let out a frustrated scream.

"Please, fuck me so hard." You sob, now tears pooling your eyes at the way you were being teased.

"You love getting fucked like a whore, huh?" Toji was slowly losing control, the slow pace was getting harder and harder to keep as he just wanted to destroy your insides.

"But you've been such a good girl..." With a sharp movement of his hips, his pace finally picked up in a hard and fast manner.

He was relentless with the new pace. It's hard to believe the same man who just minutes earlier was embracing you by the fire and slowly teasing you was now pounding into your pussy mercilessly. Tears of pleasure were clouding your vision as he kept his rough pace. It just felt so damn good, like always.

"You look so pretty like this darling, ruined and crying as I fuck you so hard.” He remarked, now pushing your nape further into the sheets.

"I'm gonna cum." your words slurred together. "Go do it for me darling." His words finally sent you over the edge. Waves of pleasure come crashing down as your vision goes fuzzy.

You felt Toji buried deep inside of you, hissing at the feeling of your orgasm. With a few more thrusts he cums hard inside of you. Pulling out slowly, he admired your fucked out body.

Both of you were panting heavily and catching your breath in attempt to come down. Your eyes were clouded with pleasure and chest was rising and falling on you from the intense high.

“Stay the night.” Toji blurts, and your eyes open in an instant. He's never asked you that before, but you didn't mind it. and his bed felt super comfortable too.

“Uh, alright.” You nod, and he obliged, literally sweeping you off the ground in his strong arms as he took you into his room. to call it a day.

The next morning, you found yourself having breakfast in Toji's counter, enjoying a glass of juice and a granola bar you found in his pantry.

Until you see a small figure walk past the doorframe in front of you, catching your attention. Was that the hangover or did you just see a child walk?

“Huh...” You softly mumble, peeking to the hallway until you felt small hands tug on your (Toji's) shirt.

“Who are you?” The child asks, looking up at you with a clueless expression. And oh, did he looked so similar to Toji, having long, black fringes of his own.

“Uhh–”

“I'm hungry, will you make me cereal?” He asks. “Sure...” You spoke, almost as if a question. He quietly crawled up to the seat and watched as you poured him his breakfast, chin in his hands, patiently waiting.

“Here you go.” You slide the bowl over to him and got back on your phone. Who is this kid? and what's taking Toji so long in the bedroom?

“Why are you wearing my dad's clothes?” The kid blurts, causing you to spit out the juice on the sink. Dad?!

“Hey there– woahhh.” Toji exclaims, stopping on his tracks as he sees you and his kid at the same room.

“Oh, well...” He cursed under his breath. “Good morning, dad.” The child hopped off the seat to rush over his dad and hug his legs.

“Good morning, kiddo.” He greets back, now picking up the child in his arms, giving you the opportunity to have a good look on their faces. and the kid looked so much like him.

“Who is the lady?” The kid asks and you froze on the spot. What was he going to say? “She is [Name], ‘Gumi. Daddy's friend.” He explained as the child now gave you soft eyes, his feet hitting the ground once Toji puts him down.

“Hi [Name]. Thank you for making me breakfast.” He spoke, now taking the bowl into his hands and rushed off to the TV playing cartoons, leaving you and Toji alone in the kitchens.

“He's nice.” You smile. “Okay, I know you're real freaked out right now.” He says.

“I'm more of surprised, but, I understand if you didn't wanna tell me right away.” You shrugged, finishing off your glass of juice until a certain though crossed your mind, making your eyes widen and painfully gulp the last ounce of the drink.

“You're not married, are you?” You blurt. “Oh, no.” He denied.

“Well, that's good.” You sigh. You didn't mind dating a guy with a kid, after all. “Hey, thanks for understanding.” He snuck up from behind you, stealing a kiss. “Of course.” You smile, returning the kiss to him.

“So... you're a dilf.” You joked, instantly regretting it the moment his palm comes in contact with your ass. “Naughty girl...” His breath was hot on your neck. “Shower. Now.”

tag list: @itsgoldnsage @call-me-pretty-and-nasty @sakichansworld @lovehollandy12 @mindlesschicca @shiggybby @tehehe.bri @sassyjudgehumanparty @soveutism @kishiuna @lovemusic-4-ever @atshena @xiaosshoulderspike @203steph @la-musaa @vodkabringsmetolife @kangthetic @cult-of-nanami @belphegors-cow-pillow @alectodd @yaegerr @ibby-miyoshi-nerd @wadeangela193 @madarascrustycumsock @Jaelkkcoz @kenmababee @dianados @ack3rlevi @crabbae @feitanett @zukolosthishonor @haitanihime @bekahtaylorgriggs

unhilighted names = can't tag, make sure your profile is visible.

[l-a-l-o-u]

super curious abt ur opinions on tlovm. would u be willing to talk abt it??

Two other people (@raycowboyroy and @sapphiczorua) asked me so I guess I'm doing this!! Ty for your interest in my opinion ♥

So!! The Legend of Vox Machina. The tl;dr is that I'm a lil disappointed in the quality of it, but I'm still very very happy that it exists. I have a ton to say about it after watching the first 3 episodes, so I'll organize my thoughts into a list of positives and negatives. But first, some context for my silly little essay:

• This is my personal opinion, and from what I've seen so far, most people love the show. So, please don't decide to avoid it because of me. Check it out and decide for yourself!

• I'm an animation professional so I have a trained eye for animation... and I'm really nitpicky about it! I'll complain about stuff that the average watcher wouldn't even notice

• Critical Role has been a main interest of mine for the past 3 years. I know the story of Vox Machina by heart and actually wrote a big chunk of the main characters' articles on the wiki. That means it's really easy for me to compare the two stories, and also that I already know what's going to happen most of the time

• I had really high expectations before we saw the final art, and that influences the way I feel about the show

Okay with that out of the way, let's start with the list of things I liked in the first three episodes!

• I like the story changes that were made so far. I'm glad we got to see Brimscythe - now we get to see the entire Chroma Conclave story! The way the reorganized some plot elements to shorten the storyline without taking away the main elements has been very well executed so far. And that must've been pretty challenging, what with hundreds of hours of content to distill into a few episodes.

• The voice acting is overall great! My favorites so far are Pike, Scanlan and Keyleth; their line deliveries make them very easy to get attached to. Percy is also very nice, although I wanna wait until I see how he'll be in the Briarwoods arc.

• I enjoyed the group interactions a lot! Every time two main characters talk to each other I can feel their connection and their history. The scenes in Greyskull Keep were especially nice and reminded me why I love this group! Scanlan and Grog's dynamic is especially entertaining.

• The Briarwoods....... hhhnnng

• I really like the backgrounds. There's a lot of great establishing shots where you can appreciate the environment designs, and the artstyle is really solid and pleasant to look at.

• Great use of color to set the tone in every shot. Not every animated series does that! It helps a LOT to carry the story and adds an extra layer of immersion. Plus, it adds a layer of mush needed polish on the animation.

• The storyboarding / photo direction is nice so far. Apart from a couple of awkward shots, I like how they frame everything, it flows well. As they say, good cinematography is when you don't notice it. I especially enjoyed the opening scene of episode 3 with Percy's memories.

• This is probably my favorite Scanlan design yet! I like it even better than his campaign art and comic book design. It's perfect for him. Keyleth is also really well executed overall

• I love that they made Gilmore fat and gave him eyeshadow. King shit

• I just love the fact that this series exist honestly! I love that a group of people managed to turn their silly little friend activity into an entire production. The CR cast looks over the moon about it, and I'm very happy for them.

And now for the depressing part! Here are the things I was disappointed by.

• I saw this coming a mile away with how much the cast insisted this was "adult animation" in interviews, but it really started off kinda crass. A lot of scenes, especially at the start of episode 1, feel like they exaggerated the gore, language, and gross moments just for shock value, and I just thought it was unpleasant to watch. They show vomit and peeing and gory deaths on screen and it's all front and center - I feel like there's a better way to make an audience feel the weight of the action without actually shoving it in our face, ya know? But I guess it was funny in a few places.

• Although the story is well planned out, I think they fell a bit short on the pacing. Many scenes feel very rushed, with too much happening and not enough time to really appreciate it. There are things that should have lasted longer so we can actually feel their emotional weight. For example, the scene with the fisherman's family was nice, but it didn't feel like we were supposed to care about them at all. So when Vox Machina uses their death to motivate their new goals and morals, it fell flat to me and wasn't super believable.

• I wish they would tell us more about how the group came to be. I already love Vox Machina, but I feel like a new viewer would have a hard time getting attached to them. When Keyleth asked “why are we even together?” and nobody answered her, I was like yikes. She’s right who the fuck are you!

• So far the tone of the show doesn't feel super solid. Is it supposed to be funny? It doesn't feel like a comedy, apart from a few jokes here and there. Is it a serious high fantasy adventure? I think that's what they're going for, but so far it lacks a bit in charm and lore. I'm confident this will pick up later in the season though.

• I've said this before, but I really don't like the art style they picked for the characters. It's really a personal preference, but I also think it does a disservice to the animation as a whole. The designs are a bit too realistic and complicated for a television production. They have a lot of elements and little things poking out, making them harder to move in three dimensions.

• I said earlier that I like the use of color, but most character designs are the exception. A lot of them I find weirdly desaturated, which doesn't help to integrate them in the bright environments. Some characters, especially Vax and Pike, have a weird greyish tone to their skin that constantly takes me out of scenes as I stare at them in confusion.

• There are several elements in the main characters' designs that I dislike - again a lot of it is personal preference.

• Vax is my least favorite. The furs on his shoulders make him like he's wearing a football uniform, and he looses all of his twink charm. The top of his hair looks weirdly flat in many shots, and the lines under his eyes are so pronounced that it makes his look a lot older than he is whenever he's not smiling. He doesn't really feel like Vax to me!

• I also dislike Vex's design: she has three belts for some reason, and her tunic is such a bright blue that it looks off next to every other desaturated character element. She also feels too old and not quite like herself, especially without her braid in the front.

• Some very minor things: I don't really like that Grog is blue now, and I CANNOT take Percy seriously with that hair.... And they made Keyleth short?!? at least its not extremely obvious

• Like I mentioned earlier, there were a couple of awkward zoomed-in shots here and there. You could feel like they were trying to be cinematic, but they stand out too much or they're not amazingly executed, taking you out of the moment.

• I thought Scanlan's songs were overall not great. I liked the one he sang to open a door tho!

• The 3D animation was awkwardly integrated with the 2D. The horses were especially jarring. But at least the dragon animation was well made, it just didn't fit super well.

• And lastly! I feel a bit let down by the animation quality. It's really good for the budget they had! I just wish they had more budget lol

That last bit is its own section because there's a few things to unpack.

I wanna preface this by saying that I absolutely don't think the animators did a bad job. The poses are nicely drawn, the layouts work, it's not hard to understand the action, etc. They obviously know what they're doing. Traditional animation always has a less polished look in a television production, because you have to animate more scenes in less time. That means less time for polish and touch-ups. Like I said before, the character designs are also difficult to animate. And I believe that the CR cast, ie. the producers, specifically asked for an animation style similar to anime (because they're attached to it, having done a lot of anime voice work) and also similar to 80s cartoons (for nostalgia again). And, well, anime and 80s cartoons are notoriously cheaply made, with very little budgets and a lot of cut corners. All of that helps to explain why it looks the way it looks. And I absolutely don't think it's bad animation - it's good, it does it's job, and I think most casual watchers will probably not be bothered by it. I'm a silly fool who just wishes to see my favorite thing have movie quality animation! Plus, the CR cast seems to love the final animation, which, awesome for them! It's their characters after all.

Let me explain what I mean. If you compare the animation in the show and the animation in the opening, I think even the untrained eye will notice a significant difference in animation quality. You could even compare it to The Legend of Korra, a show with a very similar art style. The opening of tLoVM was done by a different studio (Grackle), and they likely had a lot more time to polish every shot. Everything seems to move more fluidly, the actions have more punch, and everything is constantly in motion. So what's the difference? The answer is that the opening's animation follows the 12 principles of animation! You can learn more about the 12 principles here if you're interested.

In a production, the first step of animation is to draw key poses: the start of the movement, the end, and a few important poses in between them. When a production doesn't have a lot of time, they go from pose A to pose B to pose C by drawing the inbetweens at an equal distance from each other, going from pose to pose in a straight line. There's a LOT of that in anime. The movement works, you understand it, but it's kinda.... bland. It's stiff and robotic and a little boring. No action has more weight than the one before or after it, they're all equal. I barely noticed any anticipations, follow-throughs, ease-ins, ease-outs... not a lot of arcs either. They used a lot of still poses where only one body part like an arm, a mouth, or the eyes move on their own layer. Facial animations are limited, with characters often starting and ending a shot with the same facial expression. I don't think I noticed any deformation - nothing moves in an elastic way, nothing bounces or stretches or squashes. They did do smears here and there but that's pretty much it. And I want to reiterate that it looks fine and it works! They had less time to make it and less frames to work with.

All of that affects the acting. I don't mean the voice acting, I mean the body language, the expressions, you know!! Acting!! There's acting in the key poses, but so much of acting comes from HOW you move. And when you're trying to cut corners, oftentimes your animation won't do the voice acting justice. One scene that comes to mind is at the start of episode 1, after they've been thrown out of the tavern, and Scanlan turns to ask for his clothes: something covers his mouth, and even though Sam is delivering his line in a really peppy way, barely anything moves. That line deserved so much better!!!

There’s exceptions of course! Some shots, especially the action ones, are a lot more put together. I think overall, I’d give the animation quality a 7/10. Because the layouts and key poses are really good, and they cut corners in a clever way, so it works really well. I do think Titmouse deserves praise for their work! They did really well!! The animation quality is most likely due to budget limitations, and if less episodes had been made, it would've likely been higher. But they made the choice to write more of the story, and I think that in this case with how much material they’re adapting, that's not a bad decision. I wish The Legend of Vox Machina had a big production budget, but it didn't. And that's just life!

As a last thought, I just wanna say - this could've been a lot nicer if they had more cartoony designs. Do you guys remember the picture they used in the Kickstarter days? Sometimes I look at it and think about what could have been... They could’ve done cutout animation, even. That could’ve turned out nice. But oh well! The showrunners are happy, and for such a personal project that's what matters isn't it?

If you read all this hello!!! I hope you had fun reading this & don’t forget to love each other ♥

[namtanlovesfilm]

axelle judges non bl shows > Bangkok Rak Stories 2: Plead

/!\ SPOILERS AHEAD

shitty summary: Tee, the son of a fortune teller who is going blind, accidentally tells a bad omen to Elle, who resents him for that. Those two can’t seem to stay apart from each other though, even though Elle brings bad luck to Tee as well.

where to watch: netflix | dramacool

grade: 8/10

pros:

- I loved the use of thai & thai-chinese culture in this, between the colorful & busy life of yaowarat and the many beliefs that are adjacent to buddhism... this is one of the most culturally rich thai dramas in terms of thai culture, & just for that I would recommend it!

- if you like slice of life & character development, this show is made for you! nothing much happens, but you get so invested in those characters & their daily lives that it doesn’t really matter :’)

- I ADORED the setting. as I said, the life in yaowarat was not only aesthetically sublime, but incredibly culturally rich!

- similarly to that, the cinematography is gorgeous! the shots are nothing too crazy, but it’s still a really pretty show to look at & it was clearly expertly directed.

- an older couple having their own love story & even a sex life??? literally never seen before in the hundred thai shows I’ve watched, I was genuinely so positively surprised by this & appreciated it a lot.

- a female lead who is not passive & pretending to be shy but actually is the first to admit her feelings, pursue what she wants & be directive? YES. once again, something that is very rare in thai dramas & that I enjoyed very much!

- sex being seen as an important step in the relationship instead of being completely ignored & left out of the picture like in most other shows. also, the sex scene is quite explicit lol, he undid her dress!!! (which is A LOT by thai drama standards fiuhvygdyhdic, I know I know :’))

- the characters were really fucking nice. my faves are tee, pai & ong, but they were all really interesting characters that I rooted for so much. they’re all lovable but flawed in their own way, & felt like realistic characters!

- I cared about all four ships, which is a pretty rare thing! they all had compelling stories imo, and even though some were less developed than others, they were still quite lovely :)

cons:

- the ending is disappointing... I won’t spoil it but I felt like the last two episodes really did more harm to the show than good. it’s really sad because for me the ending really did ruin the overall love I have for the show tbh, and took it for a really good show to only a good one.

- this is a pretty slow show, which means it’s definitely not for everyone. I personally enjoyed the slowness for the most part because it’s paired with a slice of life aspect that I adore, but it did catch up to me in the end tbh.

- a lot of it is over dramatic, which wasn’t too unsettling for me bc I’ve watched thai lakorns before which are much worse in that department lmao, but still. some scenes just felt like too much compared to the tone of the rest of the series.

- blind man gets his view back trope... need I say less?

would I rewatch it: honestly yeah

I honestly went into this show expecting nothing much, but I really appreciated it. It’s far from a perfect show, in fact it could’ve been better if the few cons I’ve talked about had been fixed but it was still a really enjoyable watch! I loved seeing this whole cast in a new light, especially Non who is now an actor I really like, Punpun for whom this ship might be my favorite of hers?? And even the dad which I had seen in other works where he played a way colder character. Overall I would totally recommend this show if you enjoy slower slice of life series because this is one of the most culturally rich thai shows I’ve ever watched :)

[leekimdramas]

Our Beloved Summer (Review)

How can the drama be so nice but so uninteresting at the same time?

While they were at school Choi Ung and Yeon Seo were filming a documentary about the lives of the best and the worst student.

After ten years they get a suggestion to do a documentary again but this time it might be a little more difficult as they broke up a few years ago and don’t have a very good relationship.

(This review contains quite a lot of spoilers and mentioning what happened in the last episode)

The start of the drama was great, the filming bit reminded a little bit of Lovestruck in the City (Our Beloved Summer is better though in that aspect) and the phasing and characters had Hometown Cha Cha Cha vibes.

It was interesting to watch their relationship go from ‘enemies’ to lovers to strangers and how they will become lovers again after all they been through.

I also have to add that the cinematography is also amazing, loved every shot of it.

However, I was lost somewhere in the middle, as much as the main leads were interesting to watch I didn’t really care for them.

I know that the drama focuses on character depth and solving the main’s relationship but when something happens it is forgotten as soon as it made some kind of shocking impact.

For example, plagiarism, it was an interesting side story but as soon as the mains talked about it that was finished.

We never got to know what happened with the other artist, he was just brushed aside until a very last episode, AGAIN to push Ung to do things and all gone again.

Maybe it’s just me but I felt no chemistry between Ung and Yeon Soo when they were adults, and yes the writer did a good job in showing why they would still like each other but it still felt forced.

With all the bad, what made me stay for the rest of the drama? The secondary characters, Ung’s friend Ji Ung was sweet and I really liked his celebrity “friend” NJ but in the end I was left unsatisfied with their storylines.

They both became just the second leads that will always have one sided crush on the mains but other than that we don’t really see much of them.

And yes, they showed Ji Ung’s life, about his mother and I really appreciate it but the whole “she’s sick so you might forgive her now” thing was rushed and felt more like a filler.

They tried to add some depth to that but it was literally done in the very last episode which is a very bad timing. 

If they have done it a bit earlier, the moment where we learnt that he hates her, they should have explained further and when maybe add the illness. Maybe then I would have felt a teeny tiny bit sorry.

But now we get him as a second lead most of the time and adding depth to him seems like a second thought and the screenwriter herself doesn’t care about it.

The same thing happens with Yeon Soo’s friend and Ung’s manager, it was always hinted that they might be together by the end and I wanted to see them together so badly.

However, all we got was “after two years” and only one line “I’m asking you on a date”. Those two deserve the world and they were given nothing. 

Overall, the story was slow and everything is used to get the main leads together anything else is just the second or the third thought or at least that’s what it seems by watching.

The ending for the mains was great and cute but other characters were left with nothing which makes me mad because it’s supposed to be a drama about people, characters, their personalities.

So if you’re a not plot driven drama at least I would expect all the characters written nicely, sadly it’s not what I got.

6/10

[philhoffman]

This week’s Monday Philm is God’s Pocket (2014), John Slattery’s directorial debut (and Phil was one of the film’s executive producers, too).

Definitely... feels like a directorial debut. Based on Pete Dexter’s 1983 book, great cast (PSH, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Christina Hendricks), some good cinematography (despite much of the film looking too dark). God’s Pocket is a comedy/drama that struggled to find that balance. It was hilarious in a quirky way at times and yes the ending made me cry, but the overall tone lacked consistency. Like it couldn’t commit to both, so it committed to neither. Had me thinking back to The Savages last week — also a dramedy, but one that fits the two styles together in a more natural way.

I felt like something was missing from the narrative, too... It opens with the ending, so we know what ultimately happens (sort of), which lowered the stakes and sucked some of the tension out of the film. Several characters were poorly written — Hendricks’ Jeanie and Jenkin’s Richard Shellburn felt one-dimensional and they just... did whatever, without any vaguely realistic rhyme or reason.

But thankfully Mickey Scarpato was one of the better-written characters with a more coherent story. I’m glad his was the central focus of the film. This is really understated but full work from Phil here. Mickey’s voice is low, lower than Phil’s already-low voice normally is, beaten down, exhausted. Filmed in the summer of 2013 when Phil was going through some shit himself but he’s fully dedicated to this role — every movement of his face, the physical comedy (“I’m not mad, I’m just running!”), lifting the film beyond what the script probably deserves. Also funny/cute/nice etc. to see certain shots of Mickey where pure Phil jumps out for a second — quick expressions, turns in his voice, mannerisms that remind me of him, or his much different/earlier performances, etc. Like there he is!!! :)

I read that John Slattery said they did half a dozen takes of the bathroom scene and he was just in awe of Phil’s ability to break down again and again. Gahhh, that scene.

I’m not surprised that people don’t talk about this role more often because it’s a quieter performance in a less-than-amazing film, but he’s still demonstrating what it looks like to be at the top of your craft and worth a watch (if not for the first few minutes alone...). Really just lovely to see him acting, existing in all of these scenes that I had no idea existed until two hours ago. On an episode of P.S. I Love Hoffman I listened to recently, one of the guys described a random scene like this: “It’s simple, but it’s beautiful, because it’s one more shot I get to see of Philip Seymour Hoffman.”

That’s been a wonderful part of this journey, watching all of Philip’s screen work and approaching every moment as a discovery waiting to be made. And we’ll have them, him, forever, but there’s something special about the first time you see it. Three weeks, three films left.

[evakuality]

Mia, episode ten

1.  I like this little pile of girls she has going on here (and I love that it was recreated in s4).  I really do enjoy this group together and it’s nice when we get to see them all in one group like this.  ‘If he found out through someone else, that’d be worse’ - yeah it would, and I’m glad someone is finally working out that talking to each other is the best way to deal with things.  The most frustrating thing about this season so far (apart from the Noora bits) is how so much could have been avoided if people just actually spoke to each other rather than making assumptions.  I don’t feel like this was as big a problem in the other seasons.  Hanna was built around how unhealthy this behaviour is and Matteo was actually relatively good at communication, at least in ways that didn’t end up with this sort of issue.

2.  Druck: here are some shots of this school.  Me: 💜💙💜 - every damn time.  I really really love this school and its environs.  It’s such a great place to create interesting shots and scenes in!

3.  Okay, this bit seems better than the og.  I absolutely loathed that William refused to listen to Noora at all and chose instead to believe someone who is absolutely 100% proven by him to be an asshole and manipulative.  Here at least a) Mia genuinely did go and do something with Bjorn kind of on purpose and b) Alex is at least willing to talk; he hasn’t entirely shut her down.  Alex has far more genuine reason to be upset in this case (she chose to hang out with Bjorn rather than go see Alex after all unlike Noora who was at William’s house and sort of pressured into doing stuff against her will while she waited for him).  So the fact that Alex, while clearly hurt, is still willing to listen is a good change.

4.  Hmm, this is a very interesting shot of Mia.  Her costume is so dark and the background is so dark that her face stands out so starkly against it.  It’s another sort of black and white thing, except that where Mia and Amira were both black and white (signaling that both had aspects of each), here Alex is white and Mia is black (meaning they’re framing him as ‘right’ here).  I don’t necessarily love the way this season (and the og) tried to frame the William character as a misunderstood lovely guy when they both acted like absolute dicks.  But I do like the way Druck uses costuming and cinematography.  

5.  I don’t think any of this backstory really absolves Alex of any of what he did or how he’s acted.  But I will say, the acting is very nice and the things he’s talking about are quite poignant.  Clearly, Bjorn shows all the signs of a classic abuser and this must have been a hard thing for a young guy to watch.  But I guess the issue is that in order to stick to the og, Alex had to act like a similar sort of guy.  Which doesn’t make sense.  If he was as badly affected by all of this stuff as it seems he was, why start acting like the same sort of guy as the one who did this?

6.  Interesting that by the end of the clip we’re back to a share of the black and white.  Mia is absolutely in the right here, so this ‘nuance’ bothers me (there really is no reason for Alex to beat up Bjorn, and Mia’s right - she should be the one to deal with this in this instance).  But I do like that again, Druck is using colours and light (there’s a lot more light on Mia and a lot more dark around Alex by the end of the clip) to make their point.  It’s not absolutely one I agree with but I appreciate what they do with this stuff.  It was great in Hanna’s season and it’s great again here.  ‘Honestly Mia, this thing hasn’t worked between us from the start’ - hmmm, for once I agree with you, Alex. This is/was a high school romance that lasted for a couple of weeks.  They’ll both get over it and move on, particularly if they’re going to be in different places.  One thing I do like about the s4 stuff is that the show does acknowledge that and allows them to split up.  That’s just life.  That doesn’t mean they weren’t important for each other, but just that it was something that was with them for a short time, and it doesn’t have to be more than that.  I know that isn’t how this season ends, but overall I like where it goes.

7.  Oh, the often-talked-about ‘beanie boy’ scene.  Sad that I have never seen this episode and yet I recognized it from what Jonas is wearing.  Yes, I’ll admit it: I am a David fanatic and I’m so glad he had this little moment in this season.  Also, Hanna my dearest love looks so lovely here.  I’m not surprised Jonas hasn’t got himself over her yet.  I mean, look at her!!!  I do like how awkward this is.  Hanna did the moving on, she grew up and made a decision and it’s great that it worked for her, but I have been in the place where the other person wants to be friends but it hurts too much so I get Jonas as well.  This is a hard situation and I have to heap praise on the acting once again.  They’re both doing such a a great job here of selling just how tough this is.

8.  I have very few thoughts about the whole ‘sitting around smoking’ thing except that those glasses really suit Abdi!  But big sigh... here we go having Amira being the ‘reasonable’ one and telling us what to think about Alex.  Like Sana. she’s supposed to be the moral centre of the group and so we’re supposed to listen to her, and she’s telling us that we should understand him because of what he went through.  But there’s no nuance here again - yes, he went through something really awful and yes he has some qualities that aren’t entirely awful.  But he still did some manipulative and often plain horrible things and he shouldn’t get a pass for those just because he has a sad backstory.  If he actually did something to make up for what he did, if he acted like he was sorry rather than ‘right’ (again, a hangup from the og so I get it, but I still don’t like it), then I might have some sympathy for this line of reasoning but as it is ‘he has a sad backstory’ isn’t the ‘gotcha’ these shows think it is.  And ‘Jonas is actually worse than Alex’ is SUCH a terrible take.  Is Jonas perfect?  No of course not, but at least he didn’t deliberately do a lot of the awful things to girls that Alex did.  He at least genuinely liked both Leonie and Hanna when he was with them, and didn’t string them along for cheap sex.  Why do they always use the Sana character in this way?  Kiki of all people has the right take here.  It’s not up to outsiders whether they should or shouldn’t be together, but rather the two of them.  All we can do in the end is support our friends.

9.  Interesting placement with the message now being ‘follow your heart’ - again, I personally don’t think we should be making such a big romantic deal of this whole thing but if we listen to Kiki (rather than Amira’s ‘all men are assholes’ thing) then I guess we should applaud her.  This whole thing has clearly been difficult for Mia and it’s good that she wants to fight for what she wants.  Again I’ll slip in some praise for the acting - Druck (as with the og of course) really did seem to find some talented performers and then coaxed some lovely performances out of them.  

10.  Wow, Matteo even looks thoroughly uninterested in Sara even at this point.  How did she not pick up on it?  I do feel for Sam, though.  She wants a boyfriend and what she gets is an Abdi which was just a hook up thing really.  I wish we’d got to see her find someone good for her in all ways (and I’ll also never be over that we never did get resolution on some of Matteo’s and Amira’s stuff either... oh for even a short one-off like the abiball where we got some sort of closure).

11.  In really shallow news, I love this place where Mia ia talking to Alex - it’s really cool and with the lighting and graffiti it looks really interesting.  However, I know I talk a lot about pacing, but her again is an example of the issues I have with it.  I know they had to condense 11 episodes from the og (some veeeeeery long) into 10 more evenly sized ones.  But, this reunion in the last few minutes of the episode seems really rushed (though I am grateful that it’s not like the overly dramatic car reversing after William was yet again an asshole to Noora that we got in the og).  Alex is still talking about how Mia doesn’t trust him, how much they fight etc etc and Mia is calling him out for all the awful things he di at the start (which he continues to deny!!!!!!).  And it’s all true, and they don’t have time to actually talk about it before we get whatever fairytale they’re going for here.  It’s too short.  They could or should have rearranged a few clips (particularly earlier in the season) so we could get a better and stronger resolution of the problems they’re raising here. ‘Yeah we’ll still do and be all those things’ isn’t the romantic ideal they’re suggesting.  They still don’t communicate properly, which I personally would have liked to see before this big reunion.

However, overall I much preferred this ending to the one in the og.  William was a much worse character in the last episode than Alex is here.  I don’t like him, I don’t think he’s a good match for Mia but I do appreciate that he didn’t do what William did in the final episode.  And Mia was more at fault than Noora was and so there’s more balance between them.  I’ll never like this type of relationship, and I’ll certainly never like the Alex type of guy, but at least there was some acknowledgement of the issues and some suggestion that they can work on them together.  

[doux-amer]

Okay, so I no longer have the energy to discuss Marvel stuff at length, but I enjoyed Black Widow, to my surprise. I went in with low expectations, but it ended up being solid. Was it a groundbreaking movie? No. But I’d rank it as one of the best MCU films and it felt like a nice change of pace from your standard MCU fare. The film avoided prioritizing action over character arcs and didn't interrupt the story with unnecessary and often distracting humor.  It's become increasingly obvious over recent years just how much the MCU has started to suffer from what made it unique and innovative in the first place—an interconnected cinematic universe. Everything feels like it's a stepping stone to some big event (hah, in that way, it's emulating the comics well), with characters's stories hastily and sloppily pushed aside for The Main Team Event TM. 

And that's why Black Widow worked. It didn't have world-ending stakes. It wasn't about one Big Bad (the big bad in this story, much like in CA:TWS, is the system which is why the "main boss" didn't have to be impressive and intimidating on his own). The story felt quiet and contemplative in between the action scenes. It was very intimate and the story benefited tremendously from that. What happened in this movie was something that would mean very little to anyone other than the people directly involved and would go unnoticed. 

This isn't something that the whole world will know about and praise her for, and no one treats it as such, both in terms of the characters and the people behind the film. With the exception of a few lines and moments, this film isn't cringeworthy, in-your-face, and ultimately shallow GIRL POWER GIRLBOSS OMG FEMINISM which Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman (and that one stupid as hell scene in IW) both leaned into and imo, were either hindered by or even suffered from. This story is very much one about the patriarchy, misogyny, agency, etc., but it tries to see what the personal ramifications are and how sickening and even banal it all is. It’s about how the world works and treats women, no matter who they are. It’s about how Dreykov, for all his power, is a dime a dozen. The world made it possible for men like Dreykov to exist and do harm. The world goes on without him there, and in the wake of his death and the destruction of the Red Room, his victims still have to deal with all the pain and figure out what they want to do, how they want to do it, and who they want to be afterwards.

Obviously, we also got to see more of Natasha and who she is, what makes her tick, and how her past formed the person she is now. And yes, I dislike Scarjo so I was ready to not care about the movie, but god, I love Natasha and miss her so badly. I ended up unexpectedly crying when the film started and didn't stop until the opening credits ended, not even because something was sad but because that was Natasha! When kid Natasha whipped out her gun and shielded Yelena, I recognized both that skill and heart instantly and it hit me hard. You got that repeatedly throughout the film, and it knits together all the little pieces of Natasha we got throughout the decade. It gives her consistency and strengthens what we already know drives her: her desire to atone and protect and her yearning for a family.

The supporting cast was good too. You could tell they had fun and you could tell they had the acting chops. I get very leery of actors who go over the top in the MCU because almost all the time, it ends up backfiring and undermining their character, but David Harbour had a lot of fun with Alexei and it never bothered me. And I think that's because, behind all of the bombast, there was real emotion behind it that he took seriously and the others did as well. Rachel Weisz...I mean, I don't think I need to say anything more. You expect her to be good and of course she was. And Florence? Yes, this might not be 616 Yelena in many, many ways and I can see how that's upsetting to people (this applies to the Taskmaster as well), but if you see MCU Yelena as her own person, man. Florence overshadows Scarjo which, well, isn't surprising considering her brilliance, but I will say, though, that part of it is because Yelena is a much more energetic character whereas Natasha is more introverted and even a little awkward and shy at times. 

I loved the relationships and they all felt real to me. When they said they were a family? I believed them. When you saw them grapple with what they'd done in the past and what they did to each other and to other people? That felt real too. 

And the action scenes! Wow, did I miss actually good fight choreography after three horrible shows full of goofy af fight scenes that had bad choreography and were terribly shot (the less we talk about Loki, the better, though TFATWS, which probably should have had the slickest shots had by far the worst cinematography). The fights were engaging and you really sensed the urgency and danger in every fight. I felt like Natasha was in danger, that she would get hurt. The hits HURT and you could tell how painful that walloping was (with the exception of the ridiculous scene where Dreykov punched her repeatedly in the face and there was no sign of impact). Everyone felt very human and very easy to break. 

The flow was great and maybe it was slow for some people, but I liked that. I liked that the story took its time to unfold. I liked that you didn't sense any impatience or panic. Everything happened in its own time, but it never dragged for me. There was a great balance between emotional, quiet moments and bursts of action, and neither felt like they undermined the other, a frequent issue I have with MCU works (yet again, one of the best examples and most recent ones is Loki; I hated the fight sequences because they felt so unnecessary and they truly disrupted the flow of things).

Were there things that I wish we got more of or thought could have been tightened up better? Yeah. I wish we got to see more of the Widows, for one thing. I also think it would have been interesting for Natasha to mull over the brainwashing she had versus what Yelena went through; what Yelena went through was much worse and similar to what Bucky went through, but Yelena has the excuse of being a victim with little to no free will whereas Natasha? She was psychologically messed with, but she wasn't being mind controlled. It would've been interesting to see that explored more in depth. I wish we got to see more of the Taskmaster. Etc. etc.

More than anything, though, what left me sad and disappointed after my initial joy and feeling of enjoyment dissipated, was the fact that this came too late. This is a movie that should have come right after CW, and we should have gotten a Black Widow movie right after the Avengers and before TWS or at least after TWS. This is, by far, the most unanimous take and it makes me wonder how everyone at Marvel feels about that, that this is, more than anything, the opinion that's being echoed consistently amongst reviewers and moviegoers alike. And it will never ever ever ever ever fail to piss me off that Markus, McFeely, and the Russos didn't know the Black Widow movie was going to even happen and they ended up offing her. That's a massive decision and I don't know, MAYBE you should have had some more communication! Maybe if that happened, Natasha wouldn't have been fridged (she shouldn't have been in the first place, and one of the things I deeply appreciated about this movie was that it pushed back on the wrongs that male directors and writers have done to her (e.g., Whedon's awful approach to her forced sterilization in AoU, the Russos and M&M saying Clint couldn't die because he had a family as if someone who isn't a parent is less important and less deserving to live and as if Natasha's relationships didn't matter)). Maybe we would have gotten more solo movies with her. We can still get more BW movies, sure, but Natasha herself deserved more. 

And that's why, despite thinking this is one of the best movies of the MCU even if the story itself isn't particularly sensational and not being blown away by it (again, I didn't think it was impressive, but I thought it was very solid), despite being pleasantly surprised by the fact that I enjoyed a MCU movie which is rare for me and walking away with barely anything to be disappointed about let alone upset about, despite thinking that this is the story Natasha deserved and being relieved and happy that this is what she got and this is how she's going to go out, I was still left sad for what could have been and what she deserved. 

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

tick, tick... Boom!

On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship, and pressure of the life of an artist in New York City.

As stated in previous reviews I am not the biggest fan of movie musicals. I personally find that musicals just don't translate well to the big screen. However, I am willing to watch something different, so tonight I decided to delve into tick, tick... Boom!. After watching this film, I am left indifferent. At no point was I able to get into this film. I was quite bored by the music, and the overall space of this film. The only thing that was able to keep my attention was Andrew Garfield's performance.

Please take this review with a grain of salt. I am pretty sure that if you are someone who loves this genre then you are going to love this film, if not you are going to be left indifferent. Director Lin-Manuel Miranda does what he can with the musical. He tries to tell this musical in a new light, but in the end, it felt like any other musical. Despite all of the songs being well sung, hardly any of the numbers felt magical. The story is quite slow and even convoluted at points. The writing is also stereotypical at many points. In the end, this film feels like any other musical.

One of the few saving graces of this film was its performances. Andrew Garfield is fantastic in this film. His back must hurt because he carried the majority of this movie. His voice is beautiful and innocent. I am expecting him to get an Oscar nomination because his performance in this film was that good. Another performance I liked was from Robin de Jesus. He brought a nice balance to Garfield's performance and the two had great chemistry with one another. Alexandra Shipps is okay in this film. For me, she didn't really bring anything to the screen besides the fading relationship girlfriend. Her performance works where it's needed but nothing really outstanding. Everyone else in this film is pretty good.

The technical aspects in this film aren't really anything special. The cinematography was quite bland, with the exception of a few shots. As stated, the musical numbers were well sung but had no magic to them. The visual effects were really bad. I mean those birds looked really bad. The costumes and production design felt more like the 2000s than the early 90s.

It feels like this musical was one that would not adapt well to the big screen. The actual musical has three people and it's them standing on a stage for two hours singing. this is probably why this film fails for me. If they decided to tell Jonathan's story in a more traditional manner, then it could have worked a lot better. When they broke into song I had a hard time taking the film seriously.

Overall, tick, tick... Boom! is pretty mediocre with the exception of a couple of standout performances. However, if you are someone who loves movie musicals then you are going to love this film. If you are someone who is not a fan of the genre, then you are going to be left indifferent.

I am giving tick, tick... Boom!, a C.

[brave-clarice]

“Clarice” Liveblog: Episode 3

Maybe Wednesday is just destined to be my watch night? At any rate, here are some more comically late hot takes for you all.

I really do not like that Clarice’s Bureau-mandated therapist is recurring character, nor do I like the way these scenes are framed.

And the name of this episode is “Are You Alright?” which...oop.

“He was a marshal.” Good to know that the sheriff BS she gave Mr. Cult Leader was made up after all.

This is a little thing, but enough with the boring monochromatic button-ups on Clarice! Where’s my girl who hides copies of Vogue under her mattress??

I don’t love this constant-flashback thing one bit.

To be 100% clear, if I haven’t been already, it’s not that I want Clarice’s mental health to be ignored. I just don’t think this is the best or most in-character way to address it.

Also: Clarice Starling is not defined by her trauma.

“Buffalo Bill...a wound I believe will never heal unless you open up about it.” Honestly?

Thanks, I hate it!

I hate to even bring up the NBC show.....but this scene is reminding me, intensely and unpleasantly, of that.

That show made Will Graham way too unstable and mentally ill as it is...and Clarice’s character is a hell of a lot stronger than book!Will, never mind NBC!Will. So having Clarice hallucinate and lash out in similar ways feels really OOC.

“Maybe your perceptions aren’t as solid as you think.” Yay, gaslighting. As if Clarice doesn’t face enough obstacles in the books.

I’ve always interpreted Ardelia as a bit of a neat freak, so that was a nice scene with the boxes!

Were most politicians wearing American flag pins in the early 90s? That feels way too modern. (iirc it became the “norm” only after 9/11.)

“Imagine someone field-dressing one of [your daughters] like a deer.” I’m getting strong and very unwelcome NBC vibes again. Stop it, show!

More gaslighting, but this time from the suspect.

“Well, I’m Army, so I’m actually a good shot.” For some reason this feels like shade at ex-Marine John Brigham even though he doesn’t exist in this show, and I’m offended on his behalf.

Speaking of, when is Clarice’s sharpshooting talent going to come up??

Krendler’s supporting Clarice? Saying she has a good idea???? WHO IS THIS GUY?!

The implication here is that...the president will fire AG Martin over bad press...? Or what?

What I’m getting from this: this Krendler is just some guy who hapens to have the same name, not the infamous King Scumbag we know and love to hate. (And those clothes...1993, where are you?!?)

Ardelia called her “Starling”! Though it was tongue-in-cheek.

“I’m aware I have the palate of an eight-year-old.” Somewhere, Hannibal is dying inside. (Hmm...wasn’t she about eight when her father was killed?)

This line/delivery was super cute!

But being unable to cook doesn’t necessarily mean you have unsophisticated tastes...

Is Catherine going to have any kind of personality? Beyond “is traumatized”?

And where is Catherine’s cat???

“It’s from the 50s.” “I’m from the 50s! ...I still work.” Cuuute.

Her sheepish little smile when the Baltimore cop tells her they’re “big fans” of hers...I would die for this girl, folks.

Hey, remember phone books?! And a nice nod to Ardelia being the bookish one of the pair.

Another homage to Silence’s cinematography (but this time she’s the reflection).

Krendler’s back in Asshole Boss mode again. Make up your minds.

Thanks, I still hate it!

Okay, yes Clarice has a temper! And she does act “impulsively” re: Krendler in Hannibal...at the END of her by-then failed career. But a fledgling female agent who’s already viewed as a kind of “loose cannon” could NOT afford to chuck a mug full of coffee at her boss (with whom she’s already butting heads/struggling to coexist) when she’s upset! Very unprofessional and unlike Clarice.

“You think I’m the one who wants to play politics?” In Hannibal, Krendler wants to run for Congress, so...yeah, I do.

Krendler wouldn’t be wrong to send Clarice home after that, tbh.

“He thinks I’m the weak link.” “You might be.” *angry noises*

Busting through doors while armed: Just Clarice Things

Krendler telling Clarice she was right...his characterization’s giving me whiplash.

Catherine’s not an actual character so far, and it’s sad.

Glad they’re acknowledging that AG Martin’s “field-dressing” comments were incredibly bad.

“I think I have some memories I need to look at...but not with you.” Oh! Oh! I know who she’s going to look at them with! ;)

“You’re trying to gaslight me, sir.” Not sure they would’ve used that term as commonly in the early 90s, though Clarice has a therapy license, so maybe?

But also: yes! CALL! HIM! OUT!

“I wish you luck finding someone who’s better at it than I am.” *shrieks* That is a Hannibal reference, and I’ll fight anyone who says it isn’t.

I’ve liked all these episodes more than my nit-picking might suggest, I swear. I enjoyed the middle half hour or so of this one a lot! It’s got a few charming little funny moments that I particularly appreciated. 

That said... This was, as a whole, probably Rebecca Breeds’ weakest showing to date (through no fault of her own). And I’m getting a little antsy about (lack of) character development. I’m on board with exploring Ardelia and Catherine Martin in greater depth...but Ruth Martin, too--even Krendler? And seemingly at the expense of Clarice’s own character?

What do the non-book readers in the audience really know about Clarice so far beyond what’s shown in Silence? (Some early interviews emphasized that the film didn’t have time to delve into Clarice’s character intimately. What has the show done to remedy that so far...?) She likes junk food, she has a brother...I can’t think of much else off the top of my head. Not to be a broken record, but there’s more to Clarice than childhood trauma. More than her career. If this show is genuinely about her--well, by episode 3 and 4, it’s high time for them to start exploring who she is beyond those things.

Clarice is a sharpshooter who competes and wins. She’s a runner. She loves horses and muscle cars. She has a therapy license. She graduated at the top of her large undergraduate class. She’s interested in fashion (though she probably doesn’t let on about that to many people). I haven’t seen any of that so far, and it’s beginning to make me sad. 

They also need to end the “Clarice is mentally/emotionally unstable and sometimes even hallucinates” subplot right now!

I’m dropping all my expectations for this Paul Krendler. They won’t commit to making him as intolerable and awful as he was in the books. Instead, we have an OC with a canonical name. Fine. But that choice is going to be awkward if the show goes forward and they, by some miracle, get rights to Hannibal’s character...

If Catherine Martin’s sticking around, I hope to God they give her a personality. Of course she’s suffering, and no, I don’t want them to belittle that--but right now, she’s coming across as a one-dimensional caricature of a victim rather than as a sympathetic real person.

And finally...where is my 90s aesthetic?! It’s one of the elements that I was most excited about, yet it’s barely present. Some of the tech and the cars look right. A lot of the clothes and hairstyles, though, leave much to be desired. (Clarice’s wardrobe is especially boring/disappointing so far. I was looking forward to an improvement on Jodie’s movie costumes! Clarice doesn’t have to dress just like Dana Scully--but at least Scully always looked straight out of 199x.) And there are little anachronistic things that take me right out of the early 90s.

I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. It wasn’t as exciting or as full of novel/film allusions as the first two (I guess they can’t all be). It also felt unfocused when it came to the characters, ultimately developing almost none of them, including the heroine. This is the episode I think I’m least likely to rewatch of the first three. 

I’m hoping for better from #4!

[365days365movies]

April 8, 2021: Swiss Army Man (and Black Comedy) (Review)

Let’s look at the week’s other black comedies, shall we?

I’m a bit behind on the reviews (and the Recaps, but that’s a little easier to fix at the moment), but I decided to give something a shot. While I’ve still got full Reviews for each of those films, it occurred to me that the ones left to review are the black comedies. The Great Dictator is technically a part of the category as well, but I’m letting it skate by under satire. Plus, I already reviewed it. And, since Swiss Army Man is the last black comedy I’m covering this month, what better time than now to summarize the rest! Again, I’ll be giving more comprehensive reviews in due time. But until then...

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), dir. Frank Capra: 90%

Wow, I get why this movie is so very loved, by everybody and my mom! Told her I watched it the other day, and she was very happy to hear it! This is a VERY funny movie, and while it is a black comedy, it’s more of a straight-up comedy than any of these other films! The acting’s a little cheesy sometimes, yeah, but Cary Grant is goddamn AMAZING in this movie. It’s mostly his supporting cast that serves the cheese platter (Raymond Massey especially). Plot and writing by Julius and Phillip Epstein are spot-on smooth, but directing isn’t one of Frank Capra’s best in my completely uninformed opinion. Production and art design is great, especially given that we’re mostly only in one place for the whole movie. Still, that place looks good regardless. Finally, the music by Max Steiner is also pretty fantastic, although it’s not going on my playlist anytime soon, to be honest. Editing by Daniel Mandell is also great, and the pacing of this movie’s plot is...mostly perfect. Lags a little when Jonathan comes in, I think. Anyway, highly recommended, and a must-see!

Recap (Part One | Part Two)

Withnail and I (1987), dir. Bruce Robinson: 86%

OK...this one is kind of hard for me. Because I think I was supposed to get more out of this film than I actually did. Maybe that’s because I’m a filthy American and all that, but this film came off as good dramatically, with some ribald humor in it...but not really that funny. But, OK, to briefly go through the points here: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, and Richard Griffiths all turn out fantastic performances here, and they’re extremely memorable. Plot and writing by director Bruce Robinson is very good as well, and it’s also autobiographical to an extent, which is interesting. Very wittily written and performed, so no complaints there. Directing is...fine? It’s fine. Nothing to write home about, although there’s one nice scene on a mountainside which sticks out. Same with Charles Lang and his cinematography, although that fares a little more memorable for me. Production and set design is great, and the music (by Adolph Deutsch)...leaves a little to be desired. In that I don’t remember it at all, not gonna lie. Editing by Arthur P. Scmidt is fine!

Recap (Part One | Part Two)

In Bruges (2008), dir. Martin McDonagh: 90%

Take my feelings on the humor for the preceding two and combine them, then make the tone WAY darker than either, and you have In Bruges. And HOT DAMN, I love it! All of the performances are ridiculously strong here, from Colin Farell and Brendan Gleeson, to Ralph Fiennes and Clémence Poésy. Although, Jordan Prentice and Jérémie Renier are mostly just OK, to be honest with you. And that was nothing to do with the writing and directing of Martin McDonagh, because GODDAMN, those are spot-fucking-ON. Seriously, if this movie has nothing else going for it, it’s some fast-paced writing and delivery that’ll knock your socks off. Love it. And Bruges is framed like a painting, and a nice one at that! It’s also a good looking movie, even if the color palette leaves a little to be desired sometimes. Production and art design is...well, it’s the city of Bruges, for the most part, let’s be honest. It looks good. And finally, music by Carter Burwell is...fine. It’s OK, it’s definitely not very memorable for me, to be honest. But, uh, this is a grizzly, dark, rough movie...and totally worth watching again, hot damn.

Recap

Swiss Army Man (2016), dir. Daniels: Well...keep reading!

Recap is here and here!

Review

Cast and Acting: 9/10

These two, Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, are a hell of a pair...kind of. Fact of the matter is, Radcliffe is heavily restrained in his role until the very end of the film, but is also VERY GOOD with these restraints. I mean, is this one of those “disappear into the role” moments for him? I mean, it definitely is for Dano, but for Radcliffe...I was watching Harry Potter. Never didn’t see the boy who lived, ironically. But, that’s not really on Radcliffe at all, to be fair. Like I said, dude is legitimately fantastic, seriously. He does a fantastic job in the role of...well, being a dead body. And Paul Dano’s Hank is a genuinely interesting character, and one that I’d like to know more about, honestly. He does a great job with what he’s given. Oh, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead was there, too!

Plot and Writing: 8/10

Look...this is a weird-ass concept for a movie. I mean, come on, it’s a movie about a guy with intense social anxiety who makes friends with a semi-resurrected corpse that has multiple abilities and is slowly coming to terms with an new life. And yes, there’s definitely some symbolism in here, whether you see this as a story about depression, coming out, coming to terms with yourself, social anxiety, friendship, existential crises, personal development...dead bodies. Yeah, this film can be read in a LOT of different ways, it turns out. And is that a bad thing? No, of course not. But it is a little nebulous as a result, and you end up focusing less on the sybolis, and more on the whole “dead-body-Victorinox” thing. That plot and the writing, both by the Daniels (Daniel Schinert and Daniel Kwan), are well-done and very funny in a lot of instances (MOST instances, to be honest; this is a very funny film), but I can’t say that I think the plot itself is perfect. But then again, this may have just gone over my head.

Directing and Cinematography: 8/10

I mean...it’s good. Both the directing by the Daniels and the cinematography by Larkin Seiple are both quite good. Lighting is usually pretty great, framing is consistently good, I really don’t have any major complaints...or major comments. There are some good shots, to be clear, but I’m not going to say that it’s perfect or anything. To be fair, this is the Daniels’ first feature length film, so that’s interesting. But yeah, like I said, it’s good!

Production and Art Design: 9/10

This is a great looking movie! And that also comes down to the fact that there’s a pretty realistic looking Daniel Radcliffe puppet in here, and I genuinely didn’t notice until after the fact. It’s pretty great, though, and Radcliffe’s makeup is especially good. The setting of the Pacific Northwest woods is fantastic as well, and the whole thing is simply a great looking film overall. Not much comment outside of that!

Music and Editing: 9/10

MY LORD I love the music in this movie! I meant it when I said I’d be putting some of this on my playlist, because it sounds great. And it’s not just Andy Hull and Robert McDowell’s orchestration, but how the score is integrated with the plot and characters of the film! Look...I love it. Go back to my recap and check out the links embedded within to listen to my favorite tracks, if you’re curious! So, if I love the music so much, why not a 10 here? Editing. There are a few moment where the editing is a little weird. Faster cuts than needed, scene with the bear’s kinda weird, that kind of thing. Nothing huge, but it did come to mind when I was rating this section. Still, Matthew Hannam did a great job; just saw a couple spots I thought were weird.

86% for this one! I had a really good time.

This is the last straight-up black comedy I’m covering this time around, and it’s one hell of a film to end on! So, let’s go back to...well, the ‘50s, this time. Let’s start at the most imfluential comedy of the time period. And hey...might as well start with a near-certified banger, huh?

April 9, 2021: Some Like It Hot (1959), dir. Billy Wilder