#for a variety of reasons including 1) she's an incredible performer and would have killed the role 2) resemblance to janine grey 3) HOT

[leonardcohenofficial]

we have moved past the need for any further the man from uncle reboot content but also i think that we should have gotten hannah waddingham as angelique

[airgetlamhh]

Thoughts on Lostbelt 2

Longpost ahead.

So.

Lostbelt 2. Finally played it after so long, and this will contain spoilers.

To make sure everyone knows what they’re getting into, I’ll give the thesis statement right here: Lostbelt 2 is bad. 

The entire time I played through the story, I kept waiting for it to pick up. I kept waiting for it to shrug off the poor pacing, the deus ex machinas, the random things just happening for the convenience of the plot. I kept waiting for it to shrug off the poor characterization, the constant telling instead of showing, the moral myopia. It never did. 

From nearly the very start to finish, Lostbelt 2 is bad. 

We start off fairly fine! A desperate ploy to sneak through the Lostbelt to meet up with the allies we’ve learned about, the Wandering Sea, interrupted by a Lostbelt Servant attacking us with the intent of stealing the Paper Moon that allows us to perform Zero Sails. All of that is a decent setup!

And then we’re told how strong this Saber is. How incredible they are. How their swordplay surpasses anything else they’ve ever seen, how they desperately wish that Musashi was there, how no no, he didn’t use his sword, he only parried! Things that Sherlock Holmes observes, not Mashu, not the one who’s actually been fighting for two years now, so Mashu seems borderline useless. Holmes figures out it’s Sigurd because...he uses a sword in a Scandinavian Lostbelt, and he figured out that Holmes used magic because Holmes fire magic lasers at him. From this, Holmes is able to pinpoint Sigurd’s identity, and that’s just the setup for the rest of the chapter, really. 

To be specific, what I mean is that we will constantly be told how incredible someone is with very little evidence, and the plot will bend and warp to make certain things happen. 

The scene does exactly one good thing, which is the foreshadowing of Surtr. Coming into it knowing that aspect allowed me to appreciate little bits like Surtr talking about Heroic Spirits like he wasn’t one, and Surtr not being able to kill Mashu because Sigurd resisted it. But that’s about all that was good in the scene, and all it really does is set up a consistent thing of Surtr being one of the only good parts - until he isn’t, of course.

I’m going to shift here from specifics to characters, because otherwise I’d be rehashing the entire story and I don’t have the time or effort required for that. That being said, it is difficult to decide where to start, so I’ll go right to the very building blocks of the story, the themes. 

Lostbelt 2 is, very obviously, attempting to have a theme of different kinds of love throughout the story. Part of this is because it’s very much set up like an otome game that the author Hikaru Sakurai would write, with Ophelia in the center, but it’s a more general theme too, with Skadi and the others all building up towards it. Now, love is an absolutely wonderful thing to build your themes around, exploring and examining it can be great for stories. Beasts themselves do that, examining different varieties of genuine, but toxic love that allow them to be well-meaning monsters.

The problem is that Lostbelt 2 does not engage with these themes on anything but a surface level. Skadi represents maternal love, so she constantly talks about how everyone is her children and how she’s their mother. No examination of the desire to see her children grow, the pain she feels when they fight, the struggle of forcing herself to cling so tightly knowing that it’s suffocating them and going to kill them before they reach 26. 

Napoleon represents passionate love, so he flirts with every woman he sees. No examination of why he’s so passionate or what drives him to burn so brightly, beyond a token mention that for some reason when he’s summoned he’s driven to seek out a lover, another aspect of things happening to serve the plot. 

Sigurd and Brynhildr represent true, romantic love, so they act mushy the entire chapter from the moment the real Sigurd appears. Now, don’t get me wrong, I liked their scenes a lot and I’m happy that they chose that portrayal instead of the one I was afraid of where it was yandere jokes day in day out. But there’s no engagement with the fundamentals of their love, nothing that tests it, even the existing complications with Brynhildr’s tragic summoning are swept away with a single line of “I can resist them better now maybe because my saint graph is broken”, so ultimately there’s no conflict whatsoever. And sure, that’s nice, but it’s not very good if you’re trying to build your story around a theme of love. 

Next, Surtr, who represents obsessive, dangerous love. I honestly actually think Surtr’s done well, even if the love he happens to represent is the least positive one. Surtr is capable of only one thing, destruction, and when he fell for Ophelia in that moment where she saw him and he saw her, he decided that if he ever had the chance, he would repay her the only way he knew how: allowing her to watch as he destroyed everything. When he’s summoned, he acts basically like the possessive one in an otome game, constantly talking about how Ophelia is his woman, getting angry when Napoleon flirts with her, spending most of his time pushing things between them as far as they can go etc. etc. I’m not particularly a fan of how his desire to repay Ophelia battling against his singular purpose transformed him into a typical possessive bastard boyfriend, but it’s at least engaged with on a deeper level.

Finally, Ophelia. She’s the otome game protagonist here, born into an controlling family and finally freed, hiding a secret special power, beloved by almost all the men involved in the chapter while she’s harboring feelings for someone else, even has the typical friendship route with Mashu going on. Her love is a love that she doesn’t acknowledge, but that’s all it is. It’s never engaged with beyond the fact that she clearly loves Kirschtaria but insists she doesn’t, and her final scene as she dies is Mashu telling her that yes, she did love Kirschtaria. That’s all. 

For a theme of love that’s supposedly woven into the Lostbelt, it’s barely examined at all. It’s not well written, and in comparison to Lostbelt 1′s theme of what it means to live in a world where the strong devour the weak and how deeply it examined and engaged with that, it’s a genuine disappointment.

Now, to move onto the plot, it’s...in the abstract, it’s fine. Chaldea is intercepted and forced to fight in the Lostbelt and ends up dragged into the overarching ploy by Surtr to release himself and burn everything. That’s a perfectly fine story, but the problem is that when you get to the moment-to-moment stuff, it falls apart completely. 

Skadi is constantly talked up as this incredibly powerful true goddess, not merely a Divine Spirit, and we know she can see and hear our every move because of her snow. How does the story work around this borderline omniscience within her Lostbelt? Skadi just decides not to do anything about Chaldea with zero rhyme or reason. We need to sneak into the palace and avoid alerting the guards, except Skadi already knows exactly where we are, except that doesn’t matter because we need to sneak in for some reason. We get captured with no plan to escape, and it just so happens that not only was Skadi keeping a Divine Spirit amalgamation locked in the dungeons too, but that she can piggyback on you making a contract with Napoleon (pure dumb luck you hadn’t done it before) and force a connection with you too, and then cast spells to hide you while you escape. Skadi knows we’re trying to free Brynhildr, who is the sole threat to Sigurd and Skadi’s own Valkyries in the entire Lostbelt? She just decides to do nothing at all. 

So much of the plot happens because either Skadi makes terrible decisions to do nothing, even though she knows Chaldea is there to destroy her entire world, or it happens because random shit goes on that couldn’t have been planned for like Sitonai. Shit like Surtr suddenly becoming Fafnir and being able to use the Evil Dragon Phenomenon to brainwash Ophelia somehow, like Ophelia’s Mystic Eye being able to do anything the plot demands, even when it explicitly goes against its existing capabilities like rewinding time on Sigurd’s wounds, like Bryn and Surtr somehow being able to resist the effects of her eye with no buildup or explanation. It’s poorly written in terms of the exact events that happen, and that all culminates in Skadi’s one cool moment, where she declares she’s going to kill the seven billion we fight for for the sake of her ten thousand...and then right after, it reveals that Skadi was going easy on us and refused to use her runes of instant death for no reason even though she was fighting for the survival of her entire world. The moment to moment plot is not good, and neither is what comes next, the worldbuilding.

In Skadi’s Lostbelt, half the world is covered in Surtr’s flames, while the other half is blanketed in Skadi’s snow. Where the two areas meet are the only places where life can grow, and so Skadi set up villages there. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough food for everyone, so she enforces strict population control: if you are not the mother or father of a child by 15, you are sent away to be killed by the giants. If you are the mother or father of a child, you are sent away to be killed at 25 instead. Through this tragic method, Skadi enforces a limit of 100 villages with 100 people, a total population of 10000. This is all fine. 

But take a closer look at what we actually see, and this falls apart. First, the giants. The giants are immortal and never need to eat. They do nothing but sleep all day and attack any human that comes close to them. Later, it’s revealed that they’ll attack any heat source including Valkyries, except we know that’s not true. Giants never attack each other, they never attack and destroy any of the plant life around them, they never attack the Lostbelt tree seeds, they even fight alongside mass-produced Valkyries before it’s revealed that Skadi and the three originals can mind-control them! They exist only to destroy, but Skadi can control them with her masks and indeed uses them as labour, keeping them chained up in her castle to be brought out and controlled as needed, or using them to guard Brynhildr’s castle. 

Worst of all, the first time we meet anyone in the chapter, it’s Gerda, who is sneaking out of her village to go to the massive liveable area close to Village 23. This area happens to be the only place she can go to get medicinal herbs that she needs or one of the people in her village will die in childbirth. This area is also full of giants, who have not destroyed it despite being fertile and full of life and heat, and who are allowed to take this place that could be used to grow more food for humans who need it, and simply stay there doing nothing. 

Now, this is where I thought the game would engage with things. How Skadi, in professing her love for all her children, is actually being cruel and unfair. They certainly set it up in the conversations she has, where she casually mentions how humans must die for her coexistence to continue. Skadi chooses to keep the giants alive despite the fact that they are all braindead and can do nothing but kill and destroy the moment their masks are removed. She chooses to keep them alive even though it comes at the expense of the humans who must die when the giants never make that same sacrifice. She chooses to allow them fertile land even though they cannot farm nor do they need food, and in doing so deprive the humans of potentially living longer, having more supplies to do so. She makes these strange choices and then later reveals she can control the giants to do her bidding, and it all seems to fall into place. 

What we see from how she’s characterized early on is that the system is unfair and Skadi is unwilling to change, because it benefits her tremendously. Gerda’s village didn’t have enough herbs to save the children forced to breed by 15, and despite Skadi’s omniscience letting her know that Gerda had snuck out and was trying to save a life, she did nothing. There was no system in place to beg a Valkyrie to get these herbs, and no indication whatsoever that Skadi would use her powers to control the giants to save Gerda’s life. The picture painted is someone who cares about humanity not out of true care, but simply out of obligation. Those who disobey her rules, even for good reasons, are left to die by the engines of destruction she keeps alive.

That’s not the story it tells later on, though. Skadi, portrayed from the start as this all-powerful goddess with complete control over everything, is revealed to be far weaker than we thought, and far less monstrous. Ignore all the times she did control the giants, she actually can’t do it all that well. Ignore all the times she declared she would not allow anyone she loved to be killed, but chose not to act to tell her Valkyries or her giants or anything else to save either Chaldea or Gerda. Ignore the evidence we see on screen that there’s more land that’s simply taken over by the giants, Skadi can only make those initial 100 villages and can’t make any more. Skadi is not bad. Skadi did the best she could. Skadi is morally right. 

Please love Skadi, there’s no complicated moral quandary here, she’s just Good.

Comparisons to Lostbelt 1 are impossible to avoid. Both have the same basic cause, a calamity that was impossible to predict and impossible to avert. The stagnation that dooms a Lostbelt created by the kings in question in their desperation to survive. Ivan turned humanity into the Yaga and created a world of strength, where progress is impossible because everyone in his new world was too busy devouring each other to work together. Skadi created a world of weakness, where progress is impossible because she limited the population to avoid everyone dying out. There is, however, one crucial difference between the two. Not in terms of story, not in terms of characters, not in terms of themes. 

“Your existence itself has already become a grave sin.”

That one line, spoken to Ivan, is the biggest difference between how the story engages things. In both Lostbelts, Ivan and Skadi did horrible things and made horrible choices because they had to, for the sake of survival. Ivan twisted humanity into monsters that lost capacity for mercy or empathy, while Skadi forced brutal population control and careless death on humanity because of her refusal to allow the giants to be destroyed. Both of them did horrible things, but only one is held to account by the story.

What Ivan did was evil, and the story recognises it. It doesn’t accept the excuse that it was all necessary for survival, because that’s irrelevant. It’s evil regardless. This same sentiment should have been expressed with Skadi, but it’s not. Ivan is condemned, but Skadi is absolved. She had no choice. She did the best she could. After building her up as all-powerful, the end of the story instead destroys her agency and power in its haste to prevent any kind of responsibility falling on Skadi’s head. Even to the very end, where she declares that she’ll kill all seven billion lives we fight for for the sake of her ten thousand, she holds back and allows us to win, despite how it butchers her character.

The biggest irony in all this is that Ivan’s world was worse than hers in ways. There was no way for the blizzards to stop, no meat besides for the demonic beasts. Crops couldn’t grow, and instead of living in peace, the Yaga were constantly tormented and killed by the Oprichniki. There were no liveable areas like there are in Lostbelt 2, no merciful ruler that sees all, and controls the greatest threats, no peaceful villages where food can be grown. There’s far more justification for Ivan to claim he had no choice and that he did all he did for survival, because it’s hard to see what his choices were. But Skadi? Skadi intentionally does not act and intentionally allows suffering and pain to come to her children, both actively by not saving Gerda, and passively by allowing the giants to take land they don’t need. Despite this, Skadi is absolved, because the story desperately wants her to be a tragic waifu that you love.

There’s lots more I could talk about. How Sitonai was pointless and existed only for a pathetic FSN reference. How Gerda was a cowardly and manipulative piece of writing compared to Patxi. How Ophelia’s story of always being told what to do is resolved not by her taking the step to freedom herself, but being told to free herself by someone else. The constant repetition that plagues the chapter, the weirdly prevalent sexism that everyone gets in on when it comes to Ophelia’s love life, the nonsense of the final battle itself, the absolute nonsense of Skadi being Scáthach-Skadi. I could even talk about how I’d fix the chapter, because boy howdy there’s a lot there. 

There’s lots more I could talk about, but this is already very long, and I think it speaks for itself. Obviously asks are available if anyone wants me to examine them in more detail, but for now, I’ll finish off with one last reminder.

Lostbelt 2 is bad.  

[devintrinidad]

Pfft. That’s a hilarious image. Non Cancer just perching up high somewhere commenting on events while everyone else 8s hiding or screaming. 

Non Cancer would be either serene about his observations ‘bacteria’s probably about to unleash her big bad trump card now that her diabolical laughing has been deployed. Why didn’t she start out with that? There goes 1146 again charging off and breaking the sound barrier with his screaming. Do you guys really need to yell that much?’. To being such a sarcastic little troll to everyone. 'Wow. I normally root for the underdogs so I guess I better start rooting for the immune cells now. I hope you guys are as dissapointed in your performance as I’m sure everyone else is. I rank ugly germ no 1’s cackling a 5… minus. It’s like you’re not even trying. Well they say laughter makes you live longer. Is this your pathetic attempt to make up for your lackluster attempts at being a threat? Well laugh harder. Maybe it will help you survive that flying harpoon made out of glue and stop signs torpedoing your way (courtesy of 4989). 

Sometimes even the bacteria will get pissed off enough to get distracted. It’s enough you’ll have white blood cells wanting him to shut up or keep talking depending on who he’s annoying more. But sometimes non Cancer will just clamp up and raised his hands like he can’t hear if they ask him to keep pissing off the germ. Just to be annoying and unhelpful. XP He’ll relent if 1146 asks him and, sometimes rarely, members from 1146’s squad too. I could see non Cancer having some sort of respect, or at least no true heavy disrespect, for 4989, 2001, 2626 and 2048. They are 1146’s closest friends who both protect 1146 and haven’t ever killed Cancer in the past. As long as they aren’t annoying to him. They won’t be the target of his more savage moments. He’s more soft indifference to amused depending on the time.

NK and Killer T cells on the other hand… Yeah. They all are totally fair game. All them are like who is this savage fearless Normal cell who keeps mocking us!? But Memory T and NK cell, who do know who exactly this Normal cell is, can only say to him 'I liked you better when you were dead’. Non Cancer would reply 'I wish I could like you dead too’. =)

Now 3803’s friends. Much to 3803’s shock and mix of relief and annoyance. Non Cancer has them all charmed. They have no idea he was Cancer. They just think he’s this very unusually brave yet witty and charismatic cell who befriended 3803. They’re like 'we’re glad you have such a nice friend that looks after you so much! He always knows how to keep you out of trouble. That White Blood Cell better watch out or he’s getting competition for ultimate babysitter.’ They pretty much only see Normal cell grabbing 3803 to pull her away from oncoming threats and her sticking near him to find safe places. 5100 is the only one he can’t completely charm. Not because she’s suspicious of his past identity. But because she sees him trying to be clingy with 3803. After 3803 opened up about how intimate Cancer cell got with her, 5100 has been very mama bear over her and stern with any cells who don’t give 3803 her space. 

Now with Normal cells… They think non Cancer us the coolest cell out there. He’s fearless. He talks back to immune cells and flusters them. He gets himself out of danger. They’re constantly trying to get him to have fun with them. Non Cancer however is just… 'No. Never happening’. Even non Cancer’s fake pleasent attitude cracks when these other normal cells keep trying to drag him into their fun and befriend him. He can only silently regret he hadn’t killed more normal cells back when he was Cancer. These guys are even more annoying then immune cells. At least with immune cells there would be an end to the madness when they killed him. These normal cells want to drag him into a never-ending he’ll of obnoxious parties and boredom. Even their rants against the immune system get on his nerves because their issues are nothing compared to what he had to go through as Cancer. Somedays when he makes a fatal mistake, gets accidently trapped in a room full of these morons with parties hats and streamers. Non Cancer wonders if this is the world making him suffer for his past deeds against it. 

He can’t even decide what to feel when they start supporting his relationship with 3803. They either automatically think she’s already his girlfriend or that she’s 1146 girlfriend and cheer him on about stealing her away from a WBC. The ones who aren’t begging him to give up on her in fear he’ll lose his life to a jealous white blood cell. Non Cancer eventually finds amusement in letting their gossip grow, exaggerating details and making up stuff about this extreme imaginary love triangle they think is real because terrifying the Normal cells about this is too funny.  

Yeah non Cancer totally has this amazing sixth sense for trouble. He’ll be walking alone and suddenly realize he’s being stalked. He won’t act any different. Just start weaving his way through different paths until the bacteria lose sight if him or he leads them to a pack of patrolling immune cells for their bloody demise. Non Cancer cell ironically comes to enjoy watching that part. He might even get cornered, but he’ll start smack talking the bacteria so much they’ll be so confused by his indifferent and insulting demeanor it buys non Cancer time for either help to arrive or to take his chance to jump out a window or run. He’s just REALLY good at hiding. 

~~~

1146 pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as he clenched the handle of his trusted blade. “Someone, for the love of the body, please shut him up.”

“I don’t know,” 2001 mused, “I think I want to see how this plays out. His intervention could easily be one of the turning points of this battle.”

1146 turned to his fellow neutrophil, his eyes filled with despair and betrayal. “You can’t be serious.”

2001 took a sip of tea while he regarded the situation with something akin to bored fascination. “I am.” Another sip. “Also, you might want to duck.”

“Du--?”

Just then, a tray filled with fresh steamed buns sailed overhead, the metal tray barely scraping the backside of one of the bacterial threats. As 1146 looked behind him with curiosity, he could see that the youngest of their squad had somehow come across a giant slingshot in which he was loading with a variety of items. Some of these flying projectiles included, but not limited to, teacups (that looked suspiciously like one of the macrophages’ collections), cones of glucose, the hard hats that belonged to the platelets, and other miscellaneous items that 4989 had found. 

“Let him keep talking, 1146!” 4989 called out. “I’m gonna knock the bacteria’s head off with--” 4989, for some odd reason, pulled out what appeared to be a basket from a red blood cell that happened to be speared with dozens of knives. It was incredible. “--this bad boy!”

1146 hid his face in his hands. “That’s... that’s against regulation.”

It was no use.

Right when NC was about to remark on the bacteria’s exorbitant flare for the dramatic, 4989 loaded, aimed, and released his basket of knives. 

1146 didn’t dare watch.

2001 patted him on the back. 

"You know... it could have been worse.”

1146 slouched forward, his head knocking into 2001′s sturdy chest. 

“How could it be worse, 2001? How?”

2001 made a humming noise before answering, “He could be flirting with your favorite red blood cell.”

1146 jerked away from 2001, his skin turning paler than usual. “What are you--”

2001 nodded to the area where NC was. 

Lo and behold, NC was doing just that.

1146′s hands tightened around his knife. 

“That’s it. I’m killing him.”

[mothermaidenclone-blog]

Ad Astra or This Movie Was the Brad Pitts

Ad Astra was the worst movie I have paid to see since 2015’s Kill Your Friends, which is my least favourite cinema experience of all time. It was a dry and dreary story about emotionally stunted white men in a bleak and boring capitalist version of space, with jarring and superfluous Christian undertones. The plot and everyone’s motives were so non-existent that Brad Pitt had to narrate the whole thing in a monotone so flat and dead I literally screamed all the way from the cinema to the bus stop when it was over, partly out of a frustration so deep it was non-verbal, but also just to finally hear some pitch variation.

*Ad Astra spoilers follow*

There technically were women in this movie. Lots of women, particularly women of colour, occupied high ranking positions and were addressed by their titles, a touch I think is important and that usually tips the scales in favour of a good review for me. We were graced with Adjutant General Vogel (LisaGay Hamilton), Captain Lu (Freda Foh Shen), Sergeant Romano (Kimmy Shields), Tanya Pincus (Natasha Lyonne) and Lorraine Deavers (Kimberly Elise), as well as several unnamed female personnel (Kayla Adams, Elisa Perry, Sasha Compère and Mallory Low). I would like to particularly highlight Natasha Lyonne’s performance as apparently she was the only actor employed to play a human being and not a replicant. She was on screen for maybe twenty seconds, as is sadly the case with most of these women, but was a glorious breath of fresh air as the only character to simultaneously emote expressively and speak with inflection and enthusiasm. The only one! In a two hour movie!

All of these women appear to be respected and capable members of various illustrious teams, but are always outnumbered by men. There are two male generals alongside Vogel and Deavers is initially outnumbered 4:1 on her space craft by men. Tragically, whenever a team is being picked off, it is always the people of colour who die first. Not only is this obviously racist, it is just a disgusting cliché that we just don’t need to see anymore in movies. Deavers dies first when Roy (Brad Pitt) forcibly invades their vehicle, followed by Franklin Yoshida (Bobby Nish), an Asian man, and Donald Stanford (Loren Dean), a white guy, is the last to go. Roy cradles him in his arms and attempts to save his life. I hope it’s not just me that sees something wrong with the order of events there.

A similar scenario takes place in the lunar chase, which absurdly seems to occur in the same crapy looking buggies as the original moon landing, a confusing visual choice considering we’ve just seen a vast and impressive modern concrete moon base. The film takes the time to introduce us to Willie Levant (Sean Blakemore), a black officer who will be escorting Ray across the moon. As soon as we see he has a photo of his wife and child taped to his tablet screen I knew he was going to die - in the year 2019 I should not be able to predict that a black character is going to die because we saw a family photo. Can we just not anymore? Again, aside from the racism, that’s just shitty writing. I like to think that as a species, if we can conceptualise something as vast and seemingly impossible as solar travel, we can also move beyond basic and derogatory cinematic tropes.

I was most excited by the appearance of Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga), a woman of colour who occupies a position of power on Mars and introduces herself assertively using her full name. Also, her whole look was excellent. However, this brief release of serotonin was very short lived as she literally walks Roy down a corridor then is immediately cut off and superseded by a white guy with a man bun. Lantos does return later, but alas, as an exposition machine to give Roy some plot news about his dad. Even as she explains that her parents were murdered by his, Lantos falls victim to the dire, emotionless monotone that I can only assume was forced on the entire cast of this film. Then, she is an actual chauffeur and drives Ray to a manhole so he can continue his dad quest. A character brimming with original potential is presented as nothing more than a device.

The final woman to mention is the first one we see, Roy’s ex-wife Eve (Liv Tyler). We see the blurry, out of focus back of her head in the background of a shot before we see her face, and this is incredibly telling, because that’s all Eve is, the simulacrum of a woman. She could be anybody - so why she is Liv Tyler defies belief, I can only assume they held her loved ones hostage - her story is untold and entirely irrelevant. Again, she is only a device, although this time not for Roy’s forward momentum, but this time seemingly to emphasise that Roy is a total sociopath with no emotions whatsoever. We don’t learn Eve’s name for another twenty minutes, and it is an hour and twenty minutes before we hear her speak. Even then, it’s not a live conversation, because god forbid this film have too many of those, but a voice recording explaining that their relationship is over. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was, but everything she said was so generic I have no memory of it whatsoever. She is presented as a ghost, a blurry image on a screen, a memory fixed in time, not a real person with agency and personality. At the end of the movie we finally see her in real time, and that is when she has made the unfathomable decision to meet Roy for coffee. Even her face in that moment gives no emotion away, perhaps because Tyler had no idea how to act this entirely nonsensical decision. To our knowledge, she would not have seen any change in Roy, only received news that he survived a dangerous space mission, which is apparently enough of a reason to get back with this emotionless egg of a man?

I almost didn’t want to devote words to them, but I think it’s important to address just how dire Roy and his dad H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) are. This is their film, they are the reason that all of these women’s stories are passed over. It is made clear over and over again that both Roy and Clifford believe they are the only people capable of completing their various missions. Roy hijacks a ship and inadvertently kills everyone on board because he thinks that it’s his destiny or whatever to get his dad back, never mind that they were all highly trained space personnel who were arguably better suited to the mission precisely because it wasn’t their dad. Clifford straight up murders his whole crew because they are too “small minded” to fly off further and further into space forever on a mission that has yet yielded absolutely no evidence of their goals. A variety of talented human beings are destroyed because of the entitlement of white men, their delusional and unshakable conviction that they are at the centre of the universe and that no one else could possibly accomplish the lofty goals that kismet apparently calls them to.

The way they speak about themselves and to each other is absolutely psychotic. Roy’s solo musings include, “The flight recorder will tell the story, but history will have to decide,” and “In the end, the son suffers the sins of the father.” Clifford imparts his son with the delightful greeting of, “There was never anything there for me, I never cared for you or your mother or your small ideas.” In addition, they both physically flinch from human contact at various points in the move. Now, I totally understand that we live in a neurodiverse world and that many people experience emotions and social interactions in any number of ways, and that is a beautiful thing that makes our world so interesting to live in. However, that these men both abjectly state that they have no empathy is presented within the context of their megalomaniacal ideals that they must accomplish their god-given quests irregardless of how many people they have to kill along the way. It is a facet of their strangely two-dimensional, arrogant and narcissistic personalities, not one part of many complex features that make a complete and relatable human being.

Roy has to literally say out loud that he is a human being at the end of the movie; “I will rely on those closest to me…I will live and love,” which makes him sound more like a learning AI trying to pass a Turing test than anything else. The music swells as Clifford throws himself towards the surface of Neptune in an orchestral deluge that is unsubtly significant in this very quiet film, as though I’m supposed to start crying and think anything other than, “well thank fuck, it’s about time this murderer dies in the cold vacuum of space, I hope Roy stays spinning and screaming here forever too.” We are supposed to feel sympathy for them as the heroes of this movie, despite the fact that they show no care for anyone else throughout the whole thing and act entirely in their own self interests.

Overall, the women in this film are given about five seconds of potential as they introduce themselves variously as decorated soldiers and otherwise capable personnel, before being shoved to the side, or murdered, for Roy. This is obviously objectionable, but is made so much worse by the fact that Roy is an emotionless, entitled, empathy-less white man who doesn’t care if other people have to die for him to get what he wants. That is what these women are being passed up in favour of. I felt like I was watching a two hour long Voight-Kampff test. Space movies like this should be about what we can achieve if we work together as a species, not about how white men will still be the kings of dreary capitalism, even on the moon. We can do better than this.

And now for some asides:

What the actual fuck was the font at the beginning? I guess a red serif all caps should have alerted me to the fact that I was about to watch a horror movie.

As a lover of space horror, I was absolutely gutted that it was a bad CG angry baboon and not a cool gross alien. Also, what was that scene? “Hmm, we need to get rid of this loser because Brad Pitt is the best at space ships and he needs to be the captain. Uhh…what about…space monkeys? Yeah! Space monkeys on a deserted Norwegian ship. That makes sense.”

Can I just have a film bout those moon pirates fighting space capitalism please? I was more invested in them that anyone else in this garbage movie.

Credit for the Bradd Pitts joke goes to the talented and lovely Ed Cheverton

[southafricantv]

Rugby and soccer only likely to return at level 1, says department

Department of sports activities, arts and tradition minister Nathi Mthethwa | Image: Twitter / @GCISMedia

The sport, arts and tradition department has stated that R200m has been put aside thus far to help athletes and artists affected thus far by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a briefing on Saturday morning, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa started by honouring the legacy of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who celebrated their 60th birthday on 28 May.

He confirmed that in the course of the lockdown, there had been no exercise in his sector to date, however his department would cope with the return {of professional} non-contact sport that had been gazetted as a part of the relief of laws.

“The announcement of amended laws beneath level 3 [starting on 1 June] is certainly going to see the gradual introduction of assorted sectoral actions, however beneath strict adherence to security measures, as outlined beneath the catastrophe administration laws.”

Professional athletes can be allowed to return to coaching whether or not they have been involved or non-contact sport, however return to play for contact sports activities like soccer and rugby would have to wait to resume aggressive play. The department’s director-general, Vusumusi Mkhize, stated it was envisaged that this is able to most likely only be attainable once more at level 1.

The department stated it was essential for all coaching to resume for all codes in order that athletes may keep in form.

Some of the non-contact codes included tennis, cricket, chess, athletics, golf and different delineated codes, however at a smaller scale than usually allowed and topic to additional Covid-limiting diversifications.

The director-general stated there had been plenty of debate about permitting browsing and swimming for the general public at newbie level, significantly round whether or not sea water and chlorine killed the virus, however browsing and swimming at skilled level was already coated by the present laws. It would only be allowed for elite athletes and skilled athletes incomes a dwelling from their sport.

The department stated the rules have been clear that “mass participation for newbie functions” would nonetheless not allowed. Recreational sport wouldn’t be attainable, however folks may stay match by participating in health coaching so long as they weren’t in teams.

Only faith-based establishments can be allowed to collect teams of individuals of 50 folks or fewer, whereas sports activities grounds, fields and swimming swimming pools may resume use, however with out spectators.

In accordance with nationwide normal laws, athletes in hotspot-designated areas wouldn’t give you the option to journey to a non-hotspot space, added Mkhize.

Within 14 days of the instructions being revealed, sport our bodies and skilled golf equipment would wish to apply for permission to resume actions. Athletes and help employees trying to resume operations in non-contact sport would wish to be keen to be subjected to 14 days of quarantine to then be declared Covid free earlier than being allowed to resume.

Strict instructions would even have to be adhered to for athletes and help employees, together with on transport, hygiene and screening protocols, stated the minister.

All amenities would wish to be strictly sanitised – from door knobs to bathroom handles and laptop tools – and there would wish to be a restrict on the variety of personnel allowed in a facility at any time.

All these concerned would wish to put on masks in accordance to the general level Three instructions, although skilled athletes can be allowed to go masks free whereas coaching or taking part of their matches.

“Physical distancing throughout coaching should be inspired and noticed,” stated Mthethwa.

Ice baths, saunas, massages and physiotherapy wouldn’t be allowed, aside from injured gamers.

Sporting teams would wish to write to the sports activities department to declare that they have been freed from Covid-19, “to the perfect of their data” and that they hadn’t been uncovered to anybody with the virus inside a 14-day interval.

Compliance officers would wish to be appointed by each sporting group making use of for a resumption of actions.

Earlier, he had applauded the sports activities and arts sector for the “self-discipline demonstrated for the reason that graduation of the lockdown interval”.

“The 100% adherence to the lockdown laws by guaranteeing that no sectoral exercise takes place throughout this time has certainly performed an incredible position in helping with the discount of the unfold of Covid-19.”

Relief

Mthethwa additionally mentioned what had occurred after the announcement of a R150 million reduction fund to help “artists, athletes, technical personnel and the core ecosystem of the sector nationally”.

“The different a part of this fund was open to proposals for livestreaming the work of creatives and athletes, significantly intergenerational cooperation between youthful artists and the legends. This work has began.”

MECs in all provinces had since introduced their provincial reduction funds to help athletes and artists at that level.

“These funds quantity to greater than R50 million mixed. We thank them for his or her dedication in serving the sector. If you add this quantity to the the one introduced nationally it’s greater than R200 million at the disposal of the sector. We have agreed with the MECs in our consultative conferences we’ve held that if an individual receives funds from one level, she or he will not be assisted once more at one other level, eg, you get monetary help from the nationwide reduction fund, the province will then be exempted from offering you with monetary help and vice versa.”

Teams of unbiased adjudicators had been working tirelessly to be sure that as many individuals as attainable obtained reduction throughout this time.

Sport adjudication course of

The sport adjudication panel was the primary to be appointed on 9 of April, and the primary to start adjudicating, in addition to the primary to full the method, stated the minister.

“As it stands in the present day, the whole variety of sport purposes obtained is 470.”

The variety of authorized and paid sport candidates was 296 and 174 have been declined.

“A complete of 26 appeals have been obtained and the appeals committee has sat this week to evaluation these 26 appeals. Ten have been profitable and three have been rejected. There have been two profitable candidates who appealed however have been rejected as they’d already obtained funding. The remaining 11 appealants nonetheless have data excellent.”

Arts and tradition

The arts and tradition adjudication course of was not with out its glitches, stated the minister, who added that the department had rectified these and had made vital progress.

“The unique variety of profitable candidates was 1,250, however the excessive variety of these rejected compelled us to arrange an appeals course of to give a platform to those that weren’t advisable, for his or her case to be heard by an unbiased appeals committee.

“As a outcome, the variety of profitable candidates has elevated to 1,520, due to this fact lowering the variety of these not advisable from 1,930 to 1,660 and counting. The quantity will proceed to change due to the 1,284 appeals emails which have been obtained to date.”

The panel had attended to 698 and 270 of these had been profitable.

“1,050 had been despatched for fee by 26 May. However, that quantity has since elevated by 270 as of 29 May, which got here from profitable appeals, thus bringing the quantity prepared for fee to 1,320, of which 592 have already been paid. The steadiness is being attended to every single day.”

He stated that on 6 of May, the department had a profitable assembly with the sector, “particularly the important thing nationwide organisations within the sector to look at how, throughout the authorized parameters, we are able to be sure that those that really want the help, particularly from the deprived communities, obtain funding”.

They met with the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of SA, the SA Music Industry Council, the SA Screen Federation, the SA Arts and Culture Youth Forum, the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective, the SA Roadies Association, the SA Musicians Support Association, Children and Broadcasting Service SA and the National Clap and Tap Arts Council.

He thanked them for the cooperation and help.

“We have subsequently beefed up our mechanisms so as to fast-track the method. Adjudication has been closed and the department, with the assistance of an unbiased committee, is finalising the appeals course of.”

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

For extra information your method, Orignaly Published on https://citizen.co.za  and 

live at 2020-05-30 10:33:41

The post Rugby and soccer only likely to return at level 1, says department appeared first on Channels24.

source https://channels24.co.za/rugby-and-soccer-only-likely-to-return-at-level-1-says-department

[oumakokichi]

A lot of people seem to miss the point on otaku culture in V3 to a pretty severe degree. There's a reason why Shirogane is the ringleader people.

I feel as though alot of people in the western part of the fandom might be sort of unfamiliarwith how much the idea of being an “otaku” is intrinsically tied with verynegative connotations in Japan. It’s easy in the west to treat it as a kind offunny term which basically just means really liking anime or Japanese media ingeneral, but it goes much deeper than that.

There is quite a lot of societal pressure to succeed in theJapanese education system. The same applies anywhere, of course, moresonowadays when millennials get looked down on no matter what they do or don’t doand the opportunities for successful jobs are slimmer than ever. But in Japanspecifically, there is a high rate of depression and suicide attempts amonghigh school students who cannot “keep up” or “fit in” with the pressure tosucceed academically.

These pressures include not only the usual things such asgetting good grades and getting accepted into a good school, but alsoexpectations such as attending club and cram school in one’s “free time.” Notparticipating in club activities or going to cram school (preferably a very good, well-accepted cram school) meansnot trying one’s hardest. And all of this, of course, is on top of otherexpectations such as responding to familial obligations, hanging out withfriends, possibly even having a part-time job. And school is five days a weekwith an extra half day on Saturday, usually.

Understandably, this pressure is just way too much torespond to sometimes. There are many high schoolers who respond to the pressureby simply holing themselves up in their rooms, refusing to participate in anyof it, passively rebelling against the norm by engaging instead in activitiesor interests which aren’t usually considered important or interesting to “normalpeople.” Otaku and NEET culture definitely emerged as a result of this forcedpressure to succeed—and the stigma associated with being considered either ofthese things is very negative.

I feel as though DR as a franchise has always tried toreflect and provide commentary on these super unrealistic expectations of highschoolers in its plot. The very concept of “SHSL talents” and Hope’s Peak as aschool for only the best and brightest in dr1 was very much a metaphor for theways in which only the smartest,strongest, most talented students will be provided the environment and materialsthey need to succeed, while the rest will be thrown by the wayside. Sdr2’s anddr3’s addition of the reserve course and Hinata’s character arc only fleshedthis metaphor out further.

Just as in real life, in DR, students who don’t exhibit any “noteworthy”talents or abilities are discarded and thought of as useless to society. There’sso much pressure and so many expectations on these kids that not being able torise up to those expectations causes them to want to do basically one of twothings: 1.) Give up and die, quite literally. Or 2.) Escape somewhere else withsome other option where they don’t have to respond to these expectations andcan be around people with similar interests and mindsets instead.

It’s not a coincidence that we’ve had a variety of otaku orNEET characters in DR throughout the years.

While Yamada was little more than a joke character, it couldbe argued that he’s the one who first started the whole “2D > 3D” languagethat is featured very prominently in ndrv3 with Tsumugi later on (my mind keepsgoing back to the “Yamada timeline” fake ndrv3 spoiler and I keep laughing).Meanwhile, more recently added characters to the franchise like Mitarai,Saihara, Tsumugi have touched heavily on what it means to truly become arecluse from society and reject the world around you.

Because of the way in which societal pressure quiteliterally can drive students to want to kill themselves, there’s definitely anunderlying degree of sympathy in the DR franchise with most characters who holethemselves up in order to engage in some kind of fiction or escape fromsociety. The pressure to succeed, to socialize, to behave “normally” whilestill striving to be “the best” and compete with everyone around you, isimmense and ruthless, and I’ve always respected that DR as a franchise handledthe topic rather well in addressing that it’s perfectly normal andunderstandable to be unable to respond to that pressure.

But the series has also not shied away from touching on the muchmore negative aspects of otaku/NEET culture too, and I also appreciate that. Asmuch as DR includes gross jokes and character tropes that it shouldn’t, it canbe serious when it tries to be. The ways in which otaku culture can and hasbeen used to defend very gross/insensitive topics by claiming “it’s just fiction,” “it’s not hurtinganybody,” etc. is something that got brought up specifically in ndrv3, and I’mvery, very glad for it.

Tsumugi’s desire to escape into the realm of fiction and “theworld of Danganronpa” because of the escape it presents from reality is easy tosee from an otaku context. Unlike the real world, where more questionable orsensitive subjects would never get to be thrown about carelessly, anything goesin fiction as far as Tsumugi is concerned. DR is a world based upon tropes,parodies, and super-caricaturized fictional characters. Blood, gore, death,sexual innuendo, you name it: it all goes, and it’s considered “exciting” andan “escape” from unchanging, bland, everyday reality—“because it’s justfiction.”

Ndrv3 highlights very clearly the dangers of throwingoneself into this mindset too thoroughly and too wholeheartedly. By castingaway one’s willingness to actually interact with or open up to people and to acceptthat reality is something which can be impacted by our choices and ourinterests, we run a very dangerous risk of not caring about anything thathappens as long as we can turn a blind eye to it.

There’s a very clear reason why Saihara and Tsumugi andprobably many of the other ndrv3 characters were so convinced that the killinggame show was “the best” and the onlypossible escape from the pressure in their lives: because they were taught tothink so. Because they lived in a society which made them feel worthless aslong as they weren’t performing according to ridiculous and extremeexpectations, and if they couldn’t perform to those then it’d be better off tobe part of something else that could actually help them forget about the realworld entirely.

Tsumugi as the ringleader in ndrv3 is undeniably aninteresting choice, and she’s absolutely incredible as an antagonist. The factthat she switches from seemingly harmless otaku who makes occasional referencesto visual novels and anime for most of the game to an incredibly effectiveblank-slate chameleon who has no empathy and no sense of self is chilling—moresoknowing that she’s actually a producer forthe show, in the same way that Mitarai who had a similar problem of escapingreality (though without being evil) made anime, rather than just consuming it.Again, I maintain my stance that Kodaka’s not trying to make fans of DR out tobe the villain in ndrv3: quite the contrary, it’s Team Danganronpa and thepeople who staff it who are seen as the biggest problem.

This was really fun to write about, thank you so much anon! There’sa lot with DR that comes back to these themes and social commentary, and I wasvery glad to see ndrv3 continue that trend. The franchise is hardly perfect,but its willingness to criticize the horrible societal pressure that’s soprevalent in Japan has been a constant, and it’s something I think Kodakareally does feel strongly about.

[viralhottopics]

29 People Describe What Sex With A Trans Person Feels Like

Found on AskReddit.

1. It’s basically like being with a cis dude with a very small dick.

My ex is a pre-bottom surgery trans man.

As the top commenter said, it’s basically like being with a cis dude with a very small dick. He has been on hormones for 8 years so his growth down there was pretty developed. We were able to have penetrative sex (I’m a woman, btw). Also he was pretty skilled in the whole sexual department, and I put that down to him being a woman before so he knew how to work female genitalia in a way that a cis man couldn’t.

Apart from the physical side, the emotional side can be pretty intense. A lot of pre-surgery trans people have issues around dysphoria during sex, and this stopped sex dead in its tracks a few times for us. He did not like being penetrated at all, which I didn’t realize at first because he was too shy to tell me. That was a bit awkward, and it made me feel like shit afterward.

Overall, even though he had female genitals, it was pretty much just like being with a cis guy physically. 10/10, would sleep with a trans dude again.

2. It is different because of different hardware, but still quite enjoyable.

I am in a relationship with a pre-op MtF girl. It is different because of different hardware, but still quite enjoyable. She cums from anal quite a bit, and I enjoy it as well. Mechanically, it would be very much like regular anal, but the emotional component and feelings behind it all is like any other relationship.

3. She was incredibly tight and we needed a lot of lube. But it was pretty great.

I was FWB with a woman who I actually started hooking up with pre-trans I guess? She had a penis when we met and we did everything anally for a few months. She finally got herself fixed and she was the happiest I’ve ever seen someone be in my whole life, it was a pretty nice experience. She took a few months (maybe close to a year) to recover. When we went to hook up again, she just had a vagina. It looked pretty normal, pretty cute. She was incredibly tight and we needed a lot of lube. But it was pretty great.

Honestly, it felt nice to look HR in the eyes while we fucked, not being able to do that totally removed a lot of the connection for me.

4. I have never been with a woman with such vaginal strength.

I’ve been seeing a guy (FTM) for over a year now. I am a bi guy(CIS).

He very much looks and smells like a guy. Very muscular as well.

So sex-wise for me, everything has been better. I have never been with a woman with such vaginal strength. Would be scary if it wasn’t such an awesome feeling. His natural lube does seem to be different. The same, but with a little more stickiness, then the few women I’ve had un-condomed sex with. Not that I’ve had enough to know how they all are.

I like to think the sex has been great because we are clicking well, not because of our genders. Kissing has been the biggest deal. I just love holding him and kissing him.

5. The lack of penis didn’t bother me, but the presence of a vagina was a bit startling.

It threw me off a bit, the lack of penis didn’t bother me, but the presence of a vagina was a bit startling. It was hard to get the sheer presence of it out of my mind for some reason. Super-hot and nice guy though. I definitely enjoyed myself, it was just a bit disarming, but not much was actually different (we mostly did anal, but I herp derped up in his snatch for a bit and it felt pretty good, but I was unaccustomed to the angles of view that vaginal sex leads to, it was novel and a bit strange).

6. The only issue was, she had pubic hair growing inside of her vagina.

Yes, I am a bi guy. I hooked up with a MtF, I just liked her style. She had had a lot of surgery, including a neo vagina. I wanted to try it. I’ll call her Molly, cuz that’s what she liked to do. I met her at a fetish club. She was hot, and she didn’t pass. There’s something that turns me on about non-passing MtF’s, it’s hard to explain. But the point is: I didnt expect her to pass, and she wasn’t trying to fool me. The neo-vagina didn’t pass either, but it sure did feel good. I would be down to do it again, if Molly hadn’t been so into drug culture, I would have. The only issue was, she had pubic hair growing inside of her vagina. Thick, coarse ones. I asked her about it, and it has something to do with the neo-vagina being constructed from testicle skin. There are pictures of this online. Anyway, I could feel the hair through the condom even, and I was worried about these vaginal pubic hairs causing condom breakage. And diseases, Molly was a lolly but she got around.

7. It was tight, it was soft, it was warm, it was very wet (because we used lube!), and it was sex with someone I was already mentally in love with.

I had a year+ relationship with a MtF post-op. We went from chatting at a bar, to playing (at a BDSM club), to fucking, in about a month and a half. Not entirely out of the norm I’d guess.

She said she’d started on hormones pretty late but also had a very delayed puberty so that sort of evened out, and then went to Thailand at 29. We met about 4 years after she had surgery. All that to say that she had slim hips, a slim bone structure, pretty much nothing pointed to born male appears female. Her vagina looked like a vagina. There’s enough variety in the world that I didn’t inspect it vigorously to determine how it came about. She had some small breasts that weren’t implants. Basically, I didn’t know.

Sex was great. We needed lube, but the only uncommon thing about that for me in many cases is that we needed it right at the start instead of first sometime in the middle. It was tight, it was soft, it was warm, it was very wet (because we used lube!), and it was sex with someone I was already mentally in love with. Also breasts. And my hand around her throat. A good time.

She told me she was trans, in a public place, a little while later. She was worried about what sort of reaction I might have to learning that. The whole you tricked me into fucking a dude now I’m going to kill you thing. But I just didn’t care. This is actually something I’ve thought about a lot since, and I wish she had told me ahead of time. I understand why she didn’t but it’s still something she kept me from having informed consent about. Since I didn’t care to begin with I haven’t stayed too worried about it.

Our relationship went really strongly for a bit over a year and we ended up breaking up over personality meshing issues. A regular old breakup. But even by the end the sex was still great.

8. The surgical scar from the vulva up was a distraction, as was the unusual hip-to-waist ratio.

The first minute was good, after that it was uncomfortable.

I’m a guy. This was at a sex club. I walked in on her (male-to-female) sitting on a bed with a younger guy who clearly couldn’t perform for whatever reason. So she was horny, I was horny, and we got it on immediately.

The room was dark, and she had kind of a strong chin, but I didn’t really think about it. She was on top, and held my arms down. I thought, Man, she’s strong. And not merely strong for a woman (of her size.)

But the vagina felt great. Naturally lubricated, better than those of some natural women I’ve been inside. However, the surgical scar from the vulva up was a distraction, as was the unusual hip-to-waist ratio.

My experience is probably unusual in that I had sex with her while getting acquainted. I don’t know whether the onus was on her to tell me she used to be a dude, or on me to notice it before plunging in. Either way, it wasn’t awful. I might repeat if I knew what to expect going in.

9. His fluids taste like cum and his parts all have a man’s smell and they’re all covered in hair.

My partner and I are both trans. I’m MtF and he’s FtM.

Most of it is about as different as sex is with any other partner. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and you kind of fumble your way around to figuring out what works, and then do some more of that. He’s obsessed with my breasts and mauls them at every opportunity, when he nuzzles my neck or kisses me his beard scratches me up. He smells like a man, I smell like a woman. My skin is soft and his is hairy.

There’s lots of kissing and groping and laughing and talking and dreaming, and then our pants come off.

His dick is about the size of a pinky finger from the second knuckle. I can give him head just like any other guy, and he love it. His fluids taste like cum and his parts all have a man’s smell and they’re all covered in hair.

I still have a functioning strapless that gets joyfully ignored. It no longer produces emissions and I have multiple orgasms. I particularly enjoy having things put in my inguinal canal. It’s called muffing, and it feels really nice. It hits all of the important nerves and has enough space to fit a thumb. If you have testicles and aren’t on HRT, your testicles might get in the way.

Remember my guy’s size? Yup. It fits. Perfectly.

So yeah, it’s pretty normal, just a little different, and the pillow talk is way more interesting.

10. We both went from being horny and wanting something inside of us to wanting to grind on things instead.

My partner and I are both trans, and both Female to Male. Neither of us have bottom surgery-but that is more due to the lack of good surgeons/surgeries in my area than a lack of desire for it.

Hormones still do a lot to the clitoris. I think the thing that surprised us both was how quickly our clits grew. My partner’s does not stay tucked up in the skin anymore, and it freely hangs down a bit. I can actually give them head-like giving a blowjob to a very tiny penis.

Other than that, body smells are now a thing. Even after having a shower just that day, the body smells a lot different now than it did before. And everything is very hairy.

We’re both about 8 months into hormones right now, so I’m sure we still have a long way to go as far as changes go.

In comparison to a cis dudethe dick is just much smaller. Also, we both went from being horny and wanting something inside of us to wanting to grind on things instead. Humping makes so much more sense now, and it’s become so much more fun to just grind. Sometimes we prefer that to trying to even bother with penetration.

11. Having sex with a mtf transsexual was like having the best of both worlds: the looks and touch of a female but with a little surprise down below.

I (male) have had sex with a mtf escort. I was in Australia and had always been interested so I decided why not. Besides the fact that she was an escort it was actually a pretty enjoyable experience. Besides having a deeper voice and being a little taller than most females, she did not look any different than any other cis female. As for the sex, besides having a penis, it was surprisingly similar to sex with a cis female. It was actually a great experience because I was allowed to experiment with a few fantasies while still being turned on by her appearances. I don’t consider myself gay and would probably never have sex with a male but having sex with a mtf transsexual was like having the best of both worlds: the looks and touch of a female but with a little surprise down below

12. She has small A-cups and smells like a girl.

Im currently dating a trans woman. Its great. She hasn’t had bottom surgery because from what the doctors have told her there is only a 60% chance she will be able to achieve orgasm if she does. Her testes have withdrawn back up into her body and her penis has gotten smaller. She doesnt ejaculate. So basically she has a large clit and no vagina. There are the usual issues with anal penetration but being bisexual myself I know how to navigate these issues.

She has small A-cups and smells like a girl. She acts like the woman that she is. I really enjoy spending time with her, even out of the bedroom.

13. Her vagina was very much like any other woman’s though the labia were a bit smaller, in her case, and she had a less depth.

My (ex) girlfriend had transitioned six years before I met her, and completed her sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) two years prior. Before surgery the effects of estrogen combined with androgen (male hormone) blockers had transformed her breasts, hips, skin and hair and greatly affected her sex life, as well. Most MtF women eventually lose the function of their penis due to hormone treatments, and for many this is not a problem. Receiving penetrative anal sex became much more pleasurable after hormones for my gf, and she could orgasm that way alone. I am told this is a common side effect, though not every woman experiences hormone treatments the same way.

After SRS, my gf had an extended period of recovery where she slowly regained sexual feeling and the ability to enjoy vaginal sex. She told me it was like a training period where her body reconnected with her new vagina both physically and mentally. From my perspective having sex with her two year after the surgery, her vagina was very much like any other woman’s though the labia were a bit smaller, in her case, and she had a less depth. Genetic women can accommodate babies, after all, and their vaginas are remarkably stretchy.

Her vagina did not lubricate naturally and required plenty of lube for sex, but I am told that new SRS procedures can now use the body’s own secretion-producing tissue to simulate vaginal lubricant during arousal. All in all, she was very pleased and fulfilled that her body was now fully female in form and function and that translated into hot sex. When we were dating, she was coming very close (pun intended) to achieving orgasm from vaginal sex and I was of course eager to help her on that journey.

14. Honestly it was pretty hot.

A friend of mine is FTM and we sort of hooked up at a party. Honestly it was pretty hot. I’m male myself but I’ve never really cared about my partners gender or at least it doesn’t play much into whether or not I’m sexually interested in them. He preferred that I didn’t penetrate him so we just sort of grinded, made out, and rubbed each other off. I’d do it again.

15. Sex seems to work best as a tender, sensual affair with lots of nipple stimulation.

MTF here, plus I have a MTF partner. Neither of us have had surgery, though both of us experience significant dysphoria about our genitals. Money is the most significant hurdle to getting an orchiectomy or vaginoplasty.

Sex is difficult. We both are extra sensitive to each other’s needs; we have sex drives and enjoy the pleasure of the penis being stimulated while simultaneously getting sort of grossed out with our own body. Recently she was stimulating me, and I started crying, so sex stopped and she comforted me in my dysphoria. We talk a LOT about the dysphoria and any frustration we have. Sex seems to work best as a tender, sensual affair with lots of nipple stimulation. My own issues are exacerbated by a lot of guilt over sexuality that comes from growing up as a fundamental Christian.

16. I’m a whore, so the penis didn’t stop me from initiating sex after the first date.

Some background info: I am a cis woman, married to a mtf woman. I had never dated a trans person prior to her. I was a gold star lesbian. When we started dating, I knew she was trans because she stated so in her dating profile. We actually met in the real world but I had seen her profile and remembered her from it. The night we met, after it was obvious we hit it off, she disclosed her pre-op status. As I already knew, I was able to avoid any look of surprise, no matter how momentary. This, I found out, really put her at ease. Much respect to anyone that has something like this to disclose during early dating. It must be terrifying. Anyway, I’m a whore, so the penis didn’t stop me from initiating sex after the first date. I did have to admit I had no idea how to work with a penis, but we are both very open sexually, so we were able to talk through it (and our kinks) in a fluid manner. The sex was great. Standard p in v stuff, oral (both ways), some choking. You know, normal. Though she needed a lot of stimulation to orgasm, and it didn’t always happen. I remember being extremely impressed that first time that she was so accepting of her current situation (no bottom or top surgery, and small breasts from hormones). She ended up getting her SRS (Satterwhite) about two years into our relationship, after we got engaged. The results look good, and she is fully orgasmic. She’s had issues with healing, though, which are mostly from her not doing what she is supposed to do for upkeep. It’s killed our sex life, and has led to a lot of resentment on her end. Some is mental issues I’m battling with, some is my not wanting to deal (during sex) with the occasional blood and malodorous discharge that comes from her not healing a surgical site properly. It’s just not arousing at all. She’s working right now with her OB to properly heal the neo-vagina, so I’m hopeful.

17. Couldn’t tell a difference.

I did in July or so from a OKCupid date/hookup. Four times in about a 24-hour period. I actually didn’t know til after though but I did think it was strange when she asked for lube like right away. I’ve had girls ask for lube before but usually its ones that are older or farther into relationship.

Anyways couldn’t tell a difference. A friend of mine went to high school with her when she still had a dick. She only went part of Freshman year then was home schooled. I thought my friend was bullshitting me but scanned the year book pic and told me to search her name on Topix and people talk about her having the surgery done. She also had very small boobs. Usually the voice is a red flag in videos but hers sounded feminine. She was only 20 so must have had it done early or started hormones early.

I didn’t see her again; she was a bit of a nutcase and clingy. Sex was good though. I already had decided not to meet up with her anymore before I found out about the sex change. I probably would have still hooked up with her if she told me but feel not telling me was uncool so just reaffirmed not talking to her anymore.

18. We have mostly vaginal sex, but it feels more like sleeping with a guy, like with a good bro.

Background: Im a Bi cis-gender male, my partner is a trans man (ftm). I met him over summer this year and he disclosed from the beginning that he was trans. The majority of my sexual experiences have been with female partners. I came out as bi to my family because of him.

We talked through text and phone calls before we met in person and he had told me about himself including sexuality and gender (gay trans man for reference.) The way he described himself I would have guessed his feminine features might be more apparent, and that he may have trouble with being misgendered. To my surprise upon first meeting him, besides the lack of beard, that made him look a little younger than his age, he seemed like any other gay guy. We hit it off after meeting and started dating.

As for sex, since the options for bottom surgery arent that great, he isnt planning on it and has come to terms with that. Before we started dating, I thought I had a high sex drive, but since we started living together I just cant keep up. Weve talked about it a lot and I understand his needs (for the most part) and he understands my libido isnt quite is high as his.

So, with that said, I feel like our sex is far closer to gay sex and is fundamentally different in practice than the sex with all of my previous female partners. Oral sex is easier due to his clit being closer to a small penis, sensations like sucking, nibbling, more and harder pressure tend to be much more pleasurable. Even during vaginal intercourse, it feels much more like topping a guy, hair/stubble rub against me, his low moans are in a stark contrast to the female tone. We have mostly vaginal sex, but it feels more like sleeping with a guy, like with a good bro. There are only subtleties of his previous identity. I dont plan on sharing those because I would rather be the only one who knows. Otherwise he is rather masculine, slightly timid face, normal proportions for his shorter stature, most of the time he wears briefs and binds. So, looking at him on a typical day at school/work most people easily see a male. He has a normal male odor and uses masculine deodorant and wash. He began shaving his genitals at my request, but hes hairy in the rest of the normal places for a guy.

As our relationship is young, we havent ventured into too many unknowns, but plans for the future include pegging because, well, I cant have all the fun. Thats one of the perks of a relationship with a trans person, because conversations about sexuality tend to come up early and more often. Kinks and sexual play feel more comfortable to discuss. This level of communication in my experience has been difficult to work towards in my prior relationships where sexuality wasnt brought up due to the status quo.

19. The clits engorge considerably, and are a ton of fun to play with, closer to a blowjob than cunnilingus.

Bisexual man here, I’ve dated/had sex with two pre-op transmen on T, one who started hormones while we were dating.

The clits engorge considerably, and are a ton of fun to play with, closer to a blowjob than cunnilingus.

Testosterone seems to interfere with vaginal wetness, so lube is important if he’s interested in that, and seemed to make him interested in sex more frequently but for a shorter session.

20. Such a great and unexpected experience, a whole different kind of sexy!

I had an awesome experience with a MtF girl, who had been on hormones for a while but still pre-op. Already had bigger boobs than me but still rather well-endowed downstairs. I am bisexual so am very much into both guys and girls anyway, but it was such a great and unexpected experience, a whole different kind of sexy!

21. If I’m horny she just plays with my dick and if she’s horny I just play with her breasts and her rather bubbly butt.

I have dated a (mtf) girl for about 3 years now. She told me early so I knew ahead of time it would probably end up being different but I went for it. It actually was a lot better than I thought! With the help of lube she was particularly wet and I was able to go in and get my business done. We don’t really even have sex that often. If I’m horny she just plays with my dick and if she’s horny I just play with her breasts and her rather bubbly butt. And yes, she looks like a perfectly normal female.

22. Super tight and small.

Super tight and small. Her size makes deep penetration hard and feels like a vise on my dick. She got it done by one of the best, paid all cash and went with the largest size available. I have had sex with women who are smaller, but over time their body seems to accommodate. Also the limits on the vagina seem to be a hard stop in my partner.

Overall the sex is amazing, even the intercourse, intercourse is a small part of great sex.

I love her and am so glad she is part of my life.

23. The parts down below felt totally normal.

Felt fine. The scar around his chest was interesting, where he had had his breasts reformed, but the parts down below felt totally normal.

24. It was mainly like masturbating but with two people involved.

Trans myself and bisexual, so far had sex with: a cis guy, a trans guy who had not transitioned at all yet, and a post-transition trans guy.

Sex with a pre-everything trans guy meant I was bottoming almost all the time and he didn’t like to be touched much. Not much to say aside from that, in general I quite liked it as we had similar sexual interests and that seems to be the main factor in whether I enjoy sex with someone, aside from emotional connection.

Sex with a post-transition trans guy is quite different, as firstly I can actually touch him and even occasionally top, and secondly his body is quite different. Even if the genitals are the same at the start, hormones significantly change how they work and look.

I could not have sex with a cis woman in the same way even simply for logistic reasons, a woman’s vagina does not exactly look and work like a post-transition trans man’s genitals. Without going into details, there are things that would just be downright impossible.

Sex with a cis guy is something I was very curious about and had expectations for, but ended up being very disappointing. I would guess mainly because there wasn’t much of an emotional build-up so it was mainly like masturbating but with two people involved and more awkward, and we weren’t very compatible sexually. Curiosity towards cis dick is a poor substitute for sexual chemistry.

25. It was about the same experience as being the top in your average gay sex.

Context: I am a cisgendered bisexual mid-20s male. I have been in sexual relationships with both cis men and cis women and feel perfectly comfortable with either. I have several transgender friends and have all the respect in the world for transgender people.

I was in a short-term casual relationship with a trans man (that is female-to-male) about two years ago that lasted only a month or so. We met on a dating site with the intention of drinking beer together and possibly having sex. I don’t remember who instigated the exchange but he ended up coming to my place. He had been on hormone replacement therapy for several years and had had top surgery. He was completely passing, i.e., you would not be able to tell he was transgender unless you were told, or saw him without clothes on.

Physically, the sex was pretty unremarkable. Being that I am bisexual and have had experience with both men and women I was not exposed to anything I was uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. I would say that oral sex was the same as going down on a woman (albeit quite a bit hairier than most cis women like to keep it) and otherwise it was about the same experience as being the top in your average gay sex. The strangest part about the whole thing for me was how I was maybe… overly sensitive about him being trans at first. Not wanting to ask any questions or offend, letting him take the lead, etc. He was quite comfortable with being trans, though, and after the first time we had sex, each time after that was the same as any other gay casual relationship. We would have continued seeing each other but he had plans to move across the country and we started seeing each other with the knowledge that it would be a short-lived fling.

I’ll answer any questions.

tl;dr-same as regular old gay sex once I stopped being overly sensitive about his trans status.

26. I’ve had anal and oral with both cis and trans women and it feels identical.

She didn’t dilate a lot so it was too tight to function in. I know it hurts girls, but it’s for your health, not just for sex.

Otherwise I’ve had anal and oral with both cis and trans women and it feels identical in that regard, and it wasn’t a problem.

My standards for women are nearly as high as my standards for myself, but what she was born with (hair color, metabolism, ethnicity, genitals, social class, etc.) don’t really factor into it. In that regard I’m extremely not picky. So I’ve had at this point almost equal share of sex with trans and cis women, and about 20% of my relationships were with trans women.

Men don’t do it for me though. Just not attracted.

27. He’d had top surgery and looked just like a guy, had body hair and a dripping wet pussy.

I hooked up with a FtM trans guy once, he wanted to wank me while I played with his clit. He’d had top surgery and looked just like a guy, had body hair and a dripping wet pussy. It was pretty cool, I’d definitely do it again.

28. My cock wouldn’t fit inside.

I tried sleeping with a trans lady once, my cock wouldn’t fit inside, apparently it was too soon after her op, so it compared pretty poorly.

29. It felt pretty okay.

I had a Male to Female. I’m a male. It felt pretty okay, the only problem I encountered was that it was noticeably wider and felt worse than the average vagina I encountered. And another problem was that we had to use lube, otherwise it was just almost impossible.

Read more: http://tcat.tc/2jffaiO

from 29 People Describe What Sex With A Trans Person Feels Like

[bernardmiles94]

Bacterial Vaginosis Or Utilization Eye-Opening Useful Ideas

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Bacterial Vaginosis Symptomps

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Bacterial Vaginosis Gpnotebook Treatment For Diabetes

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[mikeduffy123-blog]

Persuasive Letter

Michael Duffy

1 College Hill Road

Newton, NJ 07860

November 24th 2018

President Donald Trump

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump,

My name is Michael Duffy, I am an English Composition 1 student at Sussex County Community College. In my English class we have been discussing a variety of different issues in our country right now, and now have to write a letter to anybody we feel should hear what we have to say. For my letter I have chosen to write to you as the President of my country, and I will be writing about the issues I have with abortions.

On January 22, 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the legality of abortions under the fact that women have the right to have them performed under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. More recently, the Supreme Court denied an appeal to ban abortion procedures in 2007. Since then, hundreds of thousands of abortions are still being performed every year, and the CDC, or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has provided the public with some reports on the amount of these abortions being performed every year. The most recent number the CDC has provided is that in 2015 there were 638,169 legal abortions procedures reported from 49 reporting areas. This large number of abortions seems to be undeniably concerning, and not something the country should take pride in, but something that should be upsetting, and stopped. As the President of this country you have the responsibility of protecting all citizens rights, so by making abortion illegal in this country you will be protecting the rights of the hundreds of thousands of unborn babies that are murdered in abortions, and by doing so you will not be infringing upon the rights of them women who want abortions. Abortion in the United States should be made illegal except in certain situations where the woman’s life is in danger, or the rare occurrence where there is rape or incest involved.  

The first, and most obvious reason why abortion should be illegal is that it is the murder of an unborn baby. Science proves that the life of a baby starts at conception, which means that there is an actual life in the woman that starts rapidly developing directly after conception. “The American College of Pediatricians concurs with the body of scientific evidence that corroborates that a unique human life starts when the sperm and egg bind to each other in a process of fusion of their respective membranes and a single hybrid cell called a zygote, or one-cell embryo, is created” This research done by the American College of Pediatricians proves that within hours of fertilization, or conception, there is a living cell inside the woman’s body. And in addition to that Biologist and textbook author Ricki Lewis, PhD states that by the 18th day after conception the cell, or baby’s heart beats. Both of these scientifically proven facts about the cycle of gestation prove that very early on after conception, typically way before more abortions are performed, there is what we consider a biological being inside the women. What that means is that almost every abortion is killing a living being, that just can’t talk or show emotions. Although an unborn baby can’t speak, show emotions, or even do certain things a born baby can do, it still has the rights a born baby has, which includes the right to life. The killing of an unborn in essence is equal to killing a person in a coma or person who is extremely mentally ill, which we know is illegal, so why would we even consider making this legal to do to someone who can’t even defend themselves.

Women who are often for abortions will argue that they have the right to their reproductive system and their own body, but the constitution proves that you have these rights to a certain extent. Once you try to take the rights away from another human being, in this case one that hasn’t been born yet, you are no longer entitled to your personal rights. No one wants to take away any rights from woman, and it’s safe to say everybody believes women have full rights to reproduce, but any logical or moral person would say women don’t have the right to end the life of a baby. That brings up the next argument against abortion, which is instead of women arguing that they have the right to kill a baby, why don’t they just use the various resources provided to them that prevents pregnancy, and if that fails, they have options where they can keep the baby instead of killing it. Contraceptive, or birth control, is the act of preventing pregnancy using various options of methods including medication, devices, and behaviors. They make medications that prevent the egg from being fertilized, devices that stop sperm from getting to the egg, and you can practice behaviors where you either don’t participate in sexual activities or take measures to ensure that the egg doesn’t become fertilized. Not all of these options are 100 percent effective, but they drastically decrease the chance of pregnancy, and can be fairly cheap to obtain, or often free.

In the chance that one of these birth control methods is ineffective and a woman becomes pregnant, there is no need to kill the baby. Most of the abortions that are performed are performed because the women aren’t ready for a baby or aren’t financially stable enough to have a baby. So just because a woman doesn’t want to have the baby or think she seriously can’t have the baby, she is still responsible for producing that baby and doesn’t have the right to kill that baby. Instead, the woman has an obligation to either find a family member that will help support her baby, or find a family that would adopt her baby. Lifenews.com states “In the USA, there are approximately two million infertile couples waiting to adopt, many times regardless of the child’s medical problems such as Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, HIV infection or terminally ill” (Brown). What that fact means is that there are over two million couples looking to adopt a baby because they are unable to produce one themselves, but there are still hundreds of thousands of women just ending the life of these babies that a couple million couples would be more than willing to take in.

In America every year incredible amounts of pregnant woman make the decision to abort their baby because they believe they aren’t ready to be mothers or don’t think they physically can. Abortions are morally and factually wrong, and should be illegal in the United States. The first reason abortions should be illegal is because during even the very early on stages of pregnancy, there is a live human being inside the woman, and when an abortion is performed on that woman the baby is murdered, which is illegal in the U.S. Another reason abortion should be illegal is because there are several easy ways to prevent pregnancy in the first place. And if one of these prevention methods happen to not work, there are several options for keeping the baby alive and on this earth instead of killing it. If our country continues to allow abortion to be performed legally, the country will continue to see hundreds of thousands of babies being murdered every year, and that number will just continue to increase because woman think it is a normal and morally okay thing to do.

Respectfully,

Michael Duffy

[sonderfulrose]

15 Ways To Learn SEO 2019 Effectively

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29 People Describe What Sex With A Trans Person Feels Like

Found on AskReddit.

1. It’s basically like being with a cis dude with a very small dick.

My ex is a pre-bottom surgery trans man.

As the top commenter said, it’s basically like being with a cis dude with a very small dick. He has been on hormones for 8 years so his growth down there was pretty developed. We were able to have penetrative sex (I’m a woman, btw). Also he was pretty skilled in the whole sexual department, and I put that down to him being a woman before so he knew how to work female genitalia in a way that a cis man couldn’t.

Apart from the physical side, the emotional side can be pretty intense. A lot of pre-surgery trans people have issues around dysphoria during sex, and this stopped sex dead in its tracks a few times for us. He did not like being penetrated at all, which I didn’t realize at first because he was too shy to tell me. That was a bit awkward, and it made me feel like shit afterward.

Overall, even though he had female genitals, it was pretty much just like being with a cis guy physically. 10/10, would sleep with a trans dude again.

2. It is different because of different hardware, but still quite enjoyable.

I am in a relationship with a pre-op MtF girl. It is different because of different hardware, but still quite enjoyable. She cums from anal quite a bit, and I enjoy it as well. Mechanically, it would be very much like regular anal, but the emotional component and feelings behind it all is like any other relationship.

3. She was incredibly tight and we needed a lot of lube. But it was pretty great.

I was FWB with a woman who I actually started hooking up with pre-trans I guess? She had a penis when we met and we did everything anally for a few months. She finally got herself fixed and she was the happiest I’ve ever seen someone be in my whole life, it was a pretty nice experience. She took a few months (maybe close to a year) to recover. When we went to hook up again, she just had a vagina. It looked pretty normal, pretty cute. She was incredibly tight and we needed a lot of lube. But it was pretty great.

Honestly, it felt nice to look HR in the eyes while we fucked, not being able to do that totally removed a lot of the connection for me.

4. I have never been with a woman with such vaginal strength.

I’ve been seeing a guy (FTM) for over a year now. I am a bi guy(CIS).

He very much looks and smells like a guy. Very muscular as well.

So sex-wise for me, everything has been better. I have never been with a woman with such vaginal strength. Would be scary if it wasn’t such an awesome feeling. His natural lube does seem to be different. The same, but with a little more stickiness, then the few women I’ve had un-condomed sex with. Not that I’ve had enough to know how they all are.

I like to think the sex has been great because we are clicking well, not because of our genders. Kissing has been the biggest deal. I just love holding him and kissing him.

5. The lack of penis didn’t bother me, but the presence of a vagina was a bit startling.

It threw me off a bit, the lack of penis didn’t bother me, but the presence of a vagina was a bit startling. It was hard to get the sheer presence of it out of my mind for some reason. Super-hot and nice guy though. I definitely enjoyed myself, it was just a bit disarming, but not much was actually different (we mostly did anal, but I herp derped up in his snatch for a bit and it felt pretty good, but I was unaccustomed to the angles of view that vaginal sex leads to, it was novel and a bit strange).

6. The only issue was, she had pubic hair growing inside of her vagina.

Yes, I am a bi guy. I hooked up with a MtF, I just liked her style. She had had a lot of surgery, including a neo vagina. I wanted to try it. I’ll call her Molly, cuz that’s what she liked to do. I met her at a fetish club. She was hot, and she didn’t pass. There’s something that turns me on about non-passing MtF’s, it’s hard to explain. But the point is: I didnt expect her to pass, and she wasn’t trying to fool me. The neo-vagina didn’t pass either, but it sure did feel good. I would be down to do it again, if Molly hadn’t been so into drug culture, I would have. The only issue was, she had pubic hair growing inside of her vagina. Thick, coarse ones. I asked her about it, and it has something to do with the neo-vagina being constructed from testicle skin. There are pictures of this online. Anyway, I could feel the hair through the condom even, and I was worried about these vaginal pubic hairs causing condom breakage. And diseases, Molly was a lolly but she got around.

7. It was tight, it was soft, it was warm, it was very wet (because we used lube!), and it was sex with someone I was already mentally in love with.

I had a year+ relationship with a MtF post-op. We went from chatting at a bar, to playing (at a BDSM club), to fucking, in about a month and a half. Not entirely out of the norm I’d guess.

She said she’d started on hormones pretty late but also had a very delayed puberty so that sort of evened out, and then went to Thailand at 29. We met about 4 years after she had surgery. All that to say that she had slim hips, a slim bone structure, pretty much nothing pointed to born male appears female. Her vagina looked like a vagina. There’s enough variety in the world that I didn’t inspect it vigorously to determine how it came about. She had some small breasts that weren’t implants. Basically, I didn’t know.

Sex was great. We needed lube, but the only uncommon thing about that for me in many cases is that we needed it right at the start instead of first sometime in the middle. It was tight, it was soft, it was warm, it was very wet (because we used lube!), and it was sex with someone I was already mentally in love with. Also breasts. And my hand around her throat. A good time.

She told me she was trans, in a public place, a little while later. She was worried about what sort of reaction I might have to learning that. The whole you tricked me into fucking a dude now I’m going to kill you thing. But I just didn’t care. This is actually something I’ve thought about a lot since, and I wish she had told me ahead of time. I understand why she didn’t but it’s still something she kept me from having informed consent about. Since I didn’t care to begin with I haven’t stayed too worried about it.

Our relationship went really strongly for a bit over a year and we ended up breaking up over personality meshing issues. A regular old breakup. But even by the end the sex was still great.

8. The surgical scar from the vulva up was a distraction, as was the unusual hip-to-waist ratio.

The first minute was good, after that it was uncomfortable.

I’m a guy. This was at a sex club. I walked in on her (male-to-female) sitting on a bed with a younger guy who clearly couldn’t perform for whatever reason. So she was horny, I was horny, and we got it on immediately.

The room was dark, and she had kind of a strong chin, but I didn’t really think about it. She was on top, and held my arms down. I thought, Man, she’s strong. And not merely strong for a woman (of her size.)

But the vagina felt great. Naturally lubricated, better than those of some natural women I’ve been inside. However, the surgical scar from the vulva up was a distraction, as was the unusual hip-to-waist ratio.

My experience is probably unusual in that I had sex with her while getting acquainted. I don’t know whether the onus was on her to tell me she used to be a dude, or on me to notice it before plunging in. Either way, it wasn’t awful. I might repeat if I knew what to expect going in.

9. His fluids taste like cum and his parts all have a man’s smell and they’re all covered in hair.

My partner and I are both trans. I’m MtF and he’s FtM.

Most of it is about as different as sex is with any other partner. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and you kind of fumble your way around to figuring out what works, and then do some more of that. He’s obsessed with my breasts and mauls them at every opportunity, when he nuzzles my neck or kisses me his beard scratches me up. He smells like a man, I smell like a woman. My skin is soft and his is hairy.

There’s lots of kissing and groping and laughing and talking and dreaming, and then our pants come off.

His dick is about the size of a pinky finger from the second knuckle. I can give him head just like any other guy, and he love it. His fluids taste like cum and his parts all have a man’s smell and they’re all covered in hair.

I still have a functioning strapless that gets joyfully ignored. It no longer produces emissions and I have multiple orgasms. I particularly enjoy having things put in my inguinal canal. It’s called muffing, and it feels really nice. It hits all of the important nerves and has enough space to fit a thumb. If you have testicles and aren’t on HRT, your testicles might get in the way.

Remember my guy’s size? Yup. It fits. Perfectly.

So yeah, it’s pretty normal, just a little different, and the pillow talk is way more interesting.

10. We both went from being horny and wanting something inside of us to wanting to grind on things instead.

My partner and I are both trans, and both Female to Male. Neither of us have bottom surgery-but that is more due to the lack of good surgeons/surgeries in my area than a lack of desire for it.

Hormones still do a lot to the clitoris. I think the thing that surprised us both was how quickly our clits grew. My partner’s does not stay tucked up in the skin anymore, and it freely hangs down a bit. I can actually give them head-like giving a blowjob to a very tiny penis.

Other than that, body smells are now a thing. Even after having a shower just that day, the body smells a lot different now than it did before. And everything is very hairy.

We’re both about 8 months into hormones right now, so I’m sure we still have a long way to go as far as changes go.

In comparison to a cis dudethe dick is just much smaller. Also, we both went from being horny and wanting something inside of us to wanting to grind on things instead. Humping makes so much more sense now, and it’s become so much more fun to just grind. Sometimes we prefer that to trying to even bother with penetration.

11. Having sex with a mtf transsexual was like having the best of both worlds: the looks and touch of a female but with a little surprise down below.

I (male) have had sex with a mtf escort. I was in Australia and had always been interested so I decided why not. Besides the fact that she was an escort it was actually a pretty enjoyable experience. Besides having a deeper voice and being a little taller than most females, she did not look any different than any other cis female. As for the sex, besides having a penis, it was surprisingly similar to sex with a cis female. It was actually a great experience because I was allowed to experiment with a few fantasies while still being turned on by her appearances. I don’t consider myself gay and would probably never have sex with a male but having sex with a mtf transsexual was like having the best of both worlds: the looks and touch of a female but with a little surprise down below

12. She has small A-cups and smells like a girl.

Im currently dating a trans woman. Its great. She hasn’t had bottom surgery because from what the doctors have told her there is only a 60% chance she will be able to achieve orgasm if she does. Her testes have withdrawn back up into her body and her penis has gotten smaller. She doesnt ejaculate. So basically she has a large clit and no vagina. There are the usual issues with anal penetration but being bisexual myself I know how to navigate these issues.

She has small A-cups and smells like a girl. She acts like the woman that she is. I really enjoy spending time with her, even out of the bedroom.

13. Her vagina was very much like any other woman’s though the labia were a bit smaller, in her case, and she had a less depth.

My (ex) girlfriend had transitioned six years before I met her, and completed her sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) two years prior. Before surgery the effects of estrogen combined with androgen (male hormone) blockers had transformed her breasts, hips, skin and hair and greatly affected her sex life, as well. Most MtF women eventually lose the function of their penis due to hormone treatments, and for many this is not a problem. Receiving penetrative anal sex became much more pleasurable after hormones for my gf, and she could orgasm that way alone. I am told this is a common side effect, though not every woman experiences hormone treatments the same way.

After SRS, my gf had an extended period of recovery where she slowly regained sexual feeling and the ability to enjoy vaginal sex. She told me it was like a training period where her body reconnected with her new vagina both physically and mentally. From my perspective having sex with her two year after the surgery, her vagina was very much like any other woman’s though the labia were a bit smaller, in her case, and she had a less depth. Genetic women can accommodate babies, after all, and their vaginas are remarkably stretchy.

Her vagina did not lubricate naturally and required plenty of lube for sex, but I am told that new SRS procedures can now use the body’s own secretion-producing tissue to simulate vaginal lubricant during arousal. All in all, she was very pleased and fulfilled that her body was now fully female in form and function and that translated into hot sex. When we were dating, she was coming very close (pun intended) to achieving orgasm from vaginal sex and I was of course eager to help her on that journey.

14. Honestly it was pretty hot.

A friend of mine is FTM and we sort of hooked up at a party. Honestly it was pretty hot. I’m male myself but I’ve never really cared about my partners gender or at least it doesn’t play much into whether or not I’m sexually interested in them. He preferred that I didn’t penetrate him so we just sort of grinded, made out, and rubbed each other off. I’d do it again.

15. Sex seems to work best as a tender, sensual affair with lots of nipple stimulation.

MTF here, plus I have a MTF partner. Neither of us have had surgery, though both of us experience significant dysphoria about our genitals. Money is the most significant hurdle to getting an orchiectomy or vaginoplasty.

Sex is difficult. We both are extra sensitive to each other’s needs; we have sex drives and enjoy the pleasure of the penis being stimulated while simultaneously getting sort of grossed out with our own body. Recently she was stimulating me, and I started crying, so sex stopped and she comforted me in my dysphoria. We talk a LOT about the dysphoria and any frustration we have. Sex seems to work best as a tender, sensual affair with lots of nipple stimulation. My own issues are exacerbated by a lot of guilt over sexuality that comes from growing up as a fundamental Christian.

16. I’m a whore, so the penis didn’t stop me from initiating sex after the first date.

Some background info: I am a cis woman, married to a mtf woman. I had never dated a trans person prior to her. I was a gold star lesbian. When we started dating, I knew she was trans because she stated so in her dating profile. We actually met in the real world but I had seen her profile and remembered her from it. The night we met, after it was obvious we hit it off, she disclosed her pre-op status. As I already knew, I was able to avoid any look of surprise, no matter how momentary. This, I found out, really put her at ease. Much respect to anyone that has something like this to disclose during early dating. It must be terrifying. Anyway, I’m a whore, so the penis didn’t stop me from initiating sex after the first date. I did have to admit I had no idea how to work with a penis, but we are both very open sexually, so we were able to talk through it (and our kinks) in a fluid manner. The sex was great. Standard p in v stuff, oral (both ways), some choking. You know, normal. Though she needed a lot of stimulation to orgasm, and it didn’t always happen. I remember being extremely impressed that first time that she was so accepting of her current situation (no bottom or top surgery, and small breasts from hormones). She ended up getting her SRS (Satterwhite) about two years into our relationship, after we got engaged. The results look good, and she is fully orgasmic. She’s had issues with healing, though, which are mostly from her not doing what she is supposed to do for upkeep. It’s killed our sex life, and has led to a lot of resentment on her end. Some is mental issues I’m battling with, some is my not wanting to deal (during sex) with the occasional blood and malodorous discharge that comes from her not healing a surgical site properly. It’s just not arousing at all. She’s working right now with her OB to properly heal the neo-vagina, so I’m hopeful.

17. Couldn’t tell a difference.

I did in July or so from a OKCupid date/hookup. Four times in about a 24-hour period. I actually didn’t know til after though but I did think it was strange when she asked for lube like right away. I’ve had girls ask for lube before but usually its ones that are older or farther into relationship.

Anyways couldn’t tell a difference. A friend of mine went to high school with her when she still had a dick. She only went part of Freshman year then was home schooled. I thought my friend was bullshitting me but scanned the year book pic and told me to search her name on Topix and people talk about her having the surgery done. She also had very small boobs. Usually the voice is a red flag in videos but hers sounded feminine. She was only 20 so must have had it done early or started hormones early.

I didn’t see her again; she was a bit of a nutcase and clingy. Sex was good though. I already had decided not to meet up with her anymore before I found out about the sex change. I probably would have still hooked up with her if she told me but feel not telling me was uncool so just reaffirmed not talking to her anymore.

18. We have mostly vaginal sex, but it feels more like sleeping with a guy, like with a good bro.

Background: Im a Bi cis-gender male, my partner is a trans man (ftm). I met him over summer this year and he disclosed from the beginning that he was trans. The majority of my sexual experiences have been with female partners. I came out as bi to my family because of him.

We talked through text and phone calls before we met in person and he had told me about himself including sexuality and gender (gay trans man for reference.) The way he described himself I would have guessed his feminine features might be more apparent, and that he may have trouble with being misgendered. To my surprise upon first meeting him, besides the lack of beard, that made him look a little younger than his age, he seemed like any other gay guy. We hit it off after meeting and started dating.

As for sex, since the options for bottom surgery arent that great, he isnt planning on it and has come to terms with that. Before we started dating, I thought I had a high sex drive, but since we started living together I just cant keep up. Weve talked about it a lot and I understand his needs (for the most part) and he understands my libido isnt quite is high as his.

So, with that said, I feel like our sex is far closer to gay sex and is fundamentally different in practice than the sex with all of my previous female partners. Oral sex is easier due to his clit being closer to a small penis, sensations like sucking, nibbling, more and harder pressure tend to be much more pleasurable. Even during vaginal intercourse, it feels much more like topping a guy, hair/stubble rub against me, his low moans are in a stark contrast to the female tone. We have mostly vaginal sex, but it feels more like sleeping with a guy, like with a good bro. There are only subtleties of his previous identity. I dont plan on sharing those because I would rather be the only one who knows. Otherwise he is rather masculine, slightly timid face, normal proportions for his shorter stature, most of the time he wears briefs and binds. So, looking at him on a typical day at school/work most people easily see a male. He has a normal male odor and uses masculine deodorant and wash. He began shaving his genitals at my request, but hes hairy in the rest of the normal places for a guy.

As our relationship is young, we havent ventured into too many unknowns, but plans for the future include pegging because, well, I cant have all the fun. Thats one of the perks of a relationship with a trans person, because conversations about sexuality tend to come up early and more often. Kinks and sexual play feel more comfortable to discuss. This level of communication in my experience has been difficult to work towards in my prior relationships where sexuality wasnt brought up due to the status quo.

19. The clits engorge considerably, and are a ton of fun to play with, closer to a blowjob than cunnilingus.

Bisexual man here, I’ve dated/had sex with two pre-op transmen on T, one who started hormones while we were dating.

The clits engorge considerably, and are a ton of fun to play with, closer to a blowjob than cunnilingus.

Testosterone seems to interfere with vaginal wetness, so lube is important if he’s interested in that, and seemed to make him interested in sex more frequently but for a shorter session.

20. Such a great and unexpected experience, a whole different kind of sexy!

I had an awesome experience with a MtF girl, who had been on hormones for a while but still pre-op. Already had bigger boobs than me but still rather well-endowed downstairs. I am bisexual so am very much into both guys and girls anyway, but it was such a great and unexpected experience, a whole different kind of sexy!

21. If I’m horny she just plays with my dick and if she’s horny I just play with her breasts and her rather bubbly butt.

I have dated a (mtf) girl for about 3 years now. She told me early so I knew ahead of time it would probably end up being different but I went for it. It actually was a lot better than I thought! With the help of lube she was particularly wet and I was able to go in and get my business done. We don’t really even have sex that often. If I’m horny she just plays with my dick and if she’s horny I just play with her breasts and her rather bubbly butt. And yes, she looks like a perfectly normal female.

22. Super tight and small.

Super tight and small. Her size makes deep penetration hard and feels like a vise on my dick. She got it done by one of the best, paid all cash and went with the largest size available. I have had sex with women who are smaller, but over time their body seems to accommodate. Also the limits on the vagina seem to be a hard stop in my partner.

Overall the sex is amazing, even the intercourse, intercourse is a small part of great sex.

I love her and am so glad she is part of my life.

23. The parts down below felt totally normal.

Felt fine. The scar around his chest was interesting, where he had had his breasts reformed, but the parts down below felt totally normal.

24. It was mainly like masturbating but with two people involved.

Trans myself and bisexual, so far had sex with: a cis guy, a trans guy who had not transitioned at all yet, and a post-transition trans guy.

Sex with a pre-everything trans guy meant I was bottoming almost all the time and he didn’t like to be touched much. Not much to say aside from that, in general I quite liked it as we had similar sexual interests and that seems to be the main factor in whether I enjoy sex with someone, aside from emotional connection.

Sex with a post-transition trans guy is quite different, as firstly I can actually touch him and even occasionally top, and secondly his body is quite different. Even if the genitals are the same at the start, hormones significantly change how they work and look.

I could not have sex with a cis woman in the same way even simply for logistic reasons, a woman’s vagina does not exactly look and work like a post-transition trans man’s genitals. Without going into details, there are things that would just be downright impossible.

Sex with a cis guy is something I was very curious about and had expectations for, but ended up being very disappointing. I would guess mainly because there wasn’t much of an emotional build-up so it was mainly like masturbating but with two people involved and more awkward, and we weren’t very compatible sexually. Curiosity towards cis dick is a poor substitute for sexual chemistry.

25. It was about the same experience as being the top in your average gay sex.

Context: I am a cisgendered bisexual mid-20s male. I have been in sexual relationships with both cis men and cis women and feel perfectly comfortable with either. I have several transgender friends and have all the respect in the world for transgender people.

I was in a short-term casual relationship with a trans man (that is female-to-male) about two years ago that lasted only a month or so. We met on a dating site with the intention of drinking beer together and possibly having sex. I don’t remember who instigated the exchange but he ended up coming to my place. He had been on hormone replacement therapy for several years and had had top surgery. He was completely passing, i.e., you would not be able to tell he was transgender unless you were told, or saw him without clothes on.

Physically, the sex was pretty unremarkable. Being that I am bisexual and have had experience with both men and women I was not exposed to anything I was uncomfortable or unfamiliar with. I would say that oral sex was the same as going down on a woman (albeit quite a bit hairier than most cis women like to keep it) and otherwise it was about the same experience as being the top in your average gay sex. The strangest part about the whole thing for me was how I was maybe… overly sensitive about him being trans at first. Not wanting to ask any questions or offend, letting him take the lead, etc. He was quite comfortable with being trans, though, and after the first time we had sex, each time after that was the same as any other gay casual relationship. We would have continued seeing each other but he had plans to move across the country and we started seeing each other with the knowledge that it would be a short-lived fling.

I’ll answer any questions.

tl;dr-same as regular old gay sex once I stopped being overly sensitive about his trans status.

26. I’ve had anal and oral with both cis and trans women and it feels identical.

She didn’t dilate a lot so it was too tight to function in. I know it hurts girls, but it’s for your health, not just for sex.

Otherwise I’ve had anal and oral with both cis and trans women and it feels identical in that regard, and it wasn’t a problem.

My standards for women are nearly as high as my standards for myself, but what she was born with (hair color, metabolism, ethnicity, genitals, social class, etc.) don’t really factor into it. In that regard I’m extremely not picky. So I’ve had at this point almost equal share of sex with trans and cis women, and about 20% of my relationships were with trans women.

Men don’t do it for me though. Just not attracted.

27. He’d had top surgery and looked just like a guy, had body hair and a dripping wet pussy.

I hooked up with a FtM trans guy once, he wanted to wank me while I played with his clit. He’d had top surgery and looked just like a guy, had body hair and a dripping wet pussy. It was pretty cool, I’d definitely do it again.

28. My cock wouldn’t fit inside.

I tried sleeping with a trans lady once, my cock wouldn’t fit inside, apparently it was too soon after her op, so it compared pretty poorly.

29. It felt pretty okay.

I had a Male to Female. I’m a male. It felt pretty okay, the only problem I encountered was that it was noticeably wider and felt worse than the average vagina I encountered. And another problem was that we had to use lube, otherwise it was just almost impossible.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/29-people-describe-what-sex-with-a-trans-person-feels-like/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/177223503667

[chrisoncinema]

The Year in Review: 2017 Honorable Mentions

Originally this post was just going to list my top ten films of the year and provide a brief commentary on the honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut but I got carried away with the latter and wrote way too much. So here’s a holiday surprise: a full summation of my year at the movies for you to enjoy as I work on my top ten list.

2016 Addenda

Silence and Paterson were two 2016 films that I was only able to see in early 2017. Had I been able to view them when they were first released, both would have made my 2016 top ten list (which never got a proper post but is accessible via my twitter) and both would have vied for spots in my top three. I highly recommend that everyone watch both films. They are both challenging films in their own ways. Silence is emotionally exhausting; moments of shocking brutality and quiet delicacy abound. It’s an examination of faith worth mulling over regardless of your worldview or philosophy because, in the end, faith is an emanation of our basic humanity. Paterson is similar to Silence in its singular voice and vision. It is meandering, seemingly plotless, and deceptively simple, but sometimes one has to walk slowly in order to see clearly.

Films I Missed

As seen above, every year there are a number of films I am unable to see because I didn’t have time or it wasn’t playing in Michigan or I didn’t have the press credentials to get into a screening. This year, the most disappointing miss was Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Threadwhich, apparently, didn’t make it to my local art theater. I’ve loved Anderson’s last three films (and enjoy his entire filmography, in varying degrees) and believe Phantom Thread would have made it onto my top ten list this year, had I been able to see it. Other films I missed this year, in no particular order, include: A Quiet Passion, The Post, Menashe, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, I Tonya, Menashe, Graduation, Manifesto, Dawson City: Frozen Time, Call My By Your Name, and The Square.

Honorable and Dishonorable Mentions

Despite missing a lot, I saw more films this year than I have in a long time. This meant that my top ten list was an enjoyable challenge and that a number of films, for a variety of reasons, didn’t make the cut. These are their stories…

Lemon was the worst movie that I saw this year – or, at the very least, it was the movie I disliked the most that I watched all the way through nonetheless. The anti-comedy antihero that Tim Heidecker played to cringey perfection in the weird and wonderful The Comedy should be hereby retired with Brett Gelman’s new film. I think Brett Gelman is a very funny comedian and his wife, Janicza Bravo, who directed Lemon has a unique enough directorial voice but, in a year of terrible men, we didn’t need this one. In a year of interesting commentary on race, we didn’t need this half-hearted, cynical, frustrating attempt.

Lemon

I swore off comic book movies years ago and have only watched DC movies out of morbid, masochistic curiosity (I did not see Wonder Woman or Justice League, for the record, and don’t plan on ever watching them). That said, the first superhero movie to pique my interest in years was Logan. I hadn’t seen an X-Men movie since First Class, which I found rather pointless, but, as a childhood fan of the X-Men comics, something about Logan seemed different. And indeed it was.

Logan works incredibly well as a neo-Western road movie that happens to feature mutated humans with superpowers. Hugh Jackman is probably the best actor to ever lead a comic book movie and here he finally has a movie that is worth his time. The three leads that form a quasi-familial unit in the form of Patrick Stewart, Jackman, and young breakout Dafne Keen, all perform incredibly well together and individually. The movie falters when it tries to introduce its villains and an action-y plotline. The dude with the Anakin Skywalker hand was sufficient, the evil doctor guy played by Richard E. Grant was introduced too late to matter, and the robo-Wolverine or whatever he was called was just kind of awkward and weird and dumb. Still, I was genuinely moved by the end of this movie – brought closer to tears by this movie than any comic book movie I’ve watched. It’s not a great film, but it’s a very good comic book movie. Count it among the few classics.

Another movie that I was surprisingly moved by was Okja. I felt like I had this film’s number from the start. Not that predictability is inherently negative, I just didn’t think I’d get that much out of it. But this movie is incredibly well-crafted. The performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton are so over the top that they actually work as caricatures of evil people. This movie feels like a live-action anime. It has the energy, the flow, and the colorful cast of characters. The message is simple and perhaps a bit obvious but it works. And while I will continue blaming it on the severe cold I had while watching the film, I did get choked up at the end. Also, Paul Dano continues to be a tragically underrated performer who needs to be cast in way more projects.

Okja

Okja was very good at world-building and, unsurprisingly, Blade Runner 2049 was great at it. I was wary of this film going in and didn’t even know if I’d ever watch it – tired as I am of reboots and unnecessary sequels. Much to my surprise, though, I was captivated by this movie when it was simply following Ryan Gosling’s K through his detective work and personal life. His relationship with his holographic girlfriend is as weird and sweet and inventive as Her. Denis Villeneuve is a director I’ve written about beforewhose work I enjoy – Arrival remains his best film. Roger Deakins, as widely reported, does great work as he always does in this film. Unfortunately, 2049decided to be a legacy act. The second half of the movie is bogged down in a plot that ties the film in with the original completely unnecessarily.

2049 falls apart when it dredges up old Harry Ford in his all-too-ordinary gray t-shirt. Is he playing Rick Deckard or is he someone’s aging stepdad? Credit where it’s due: Harrison Ford performs dutifully and effectively in this movie but 1: I can’t watch Harrison Ford in a movie anymore without it completely taking me out of the narrative (Oh look, it’s ancient curmudgeon Harrison Ford. Remember Indiana Jones?) and, more importantly, 2: there was no reason why this film needed to bring him back. As I said, there were so many interesting directions this film could have gone but, like The Force Awakens, it grinds to a halt so we can see Harrison Ford react to stuff related to a movie he was in a hundred years ago. Also, Jared Leto is a scenery-chewing nuisance who should not be cast in anything ever. My suggestion: if you didn’t see this movie in IMAX, just wait and watch the 90 minute version I’ll inevitably make in 2018.

And while Blade Runner and Star Wars provided science fiction fodder for franchise devotees, horror fans were treated to a vast array of unique offerings. A horror/drama that got a little over-hyped for me was Raw. As with most gross-out horror films, there were early reports of people passing out and throwing up in screenings. With that in mind, I prepared myself for something truly shocking and was, honestly, somewhat disappointed. The story centers on a college freshman who discovers she has a hunger for human flesh. It’s a fun film if you’re a fan of body horror but even so the scenes get rather formulaic. There’s some great, atmospheric stuff in this movie, including some solid cinematography, but the moments when something gross is about to happen are never a surprise. Raw's great failure is its ending which ties such a deliciously messy story together too neatly.

Raw

Another horror film that could be accused of receiving too much early hype was, of course, mother! This movie is incredibly effective as a comedy of manners. Darren Aronofsky does an amazing job of capturing the panic and confusion of actual nightmares where you know the people populating your dream should be able to hear and understand you but their blank, unresponsive stares simply add to the horror. I had no idea what mother!was actually about or where it was going while I watched it and I found myself disappointed in myself once I realized. The thing is, though, even when the film’s narrative fully commits to its pedestrian eschatology, it’s still churning out moments that are absolutely bonkers. The ways mother! doesn’t work might be more interesting than the ways it does (Javier Bardem and Michelle Pfeiffer are particularly effective; Jennifer Lawrence remains an amateurish performer) but…I kind of loved this film in all of its sadistic, messy glory.  

I really wanted mother! to make it into my top ten list simply because it felt so different. That is, until I saw another film about the dismantling of domesticity: The Killing of a Sacred Deer. I should state for the record that I was not a huge fan of Yorgos Lanthimos’s last film The Lobster. That film always felt a bit obvious and stunted to me – though I’m a big fan of both Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. Sacred Deer is a similar beast. The deadpan, monotone dialogue takes a lot of getting used to and I’m sure it’ll be a sticking point for a lot of viewers. It remains an interesting and puzzling choice by Lanthimos who seems to want to strip his films of melodramatic artifice while writing screenplays that contain the drama of Greek tragedies. 

Sacred Deer is a film that knows it’s weird, knows you think it’s weird, but also knows it’s weirdness is making you feel weird. If you can let yourself get into it, this is a pretty rewarding film reminiscent of The Shining (I know this is blasphemy but I actually like it more). Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman both give incredibly performances with what is surely challenging material to work with. The film’s real star, though, is Dunkirk breakout Barry Keoghan. As his character grows more strange and sinister, he somehow becomes even more magnetic. Regardless of what you think of the movie, Keoghan is one of the best performers of the year.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Of course, one cannot discuss the year’s horror films without mentioning Get Out. I have to admit I had trouble with this film for a number of months. I really struggled to see what everyone else was seeing in it. That is, until I watched Detroit. Both films are ostensibly horror flicks where the great evil is white power. Kathryn Bigelow’s film posits itself as a visceral work of journalism but beneath that facade, it’s clear she has nothing to say. Her camera is in a constant Paul Greengrass-esque tremor whether it’s a tense moment or not. Detroitis false immediacy. Detroit is torture porn. Get Out, on the other hand, has a voice and it came to make a statement. Get Out, like They Liveor Night of the Living Dead before it, is not high art. It is, for better or worse, a reaction to the sociopolitical milieu that surrounds it. Hopefully it will soon be considered the first of innumerable, blockbuster works by filmmakers of color that invades the cultural consciousness. For now, Get Out is a film that manages to be both scary and funny thanks to Jordan Peele’s vision and direction.

Logan Lucky and Baby Driver were two films by directors whose work I enjoy and admire immensely that just didn’t quite bring enough to the table to make it into a top ten list. Both films are self-assured, fun, and full of magnetic characters (save for the titular Baby) but they also seem to be exercises in style over substance. Still, I’d recommend both films in a heartbeat.

Another film that comes highly recommended by yours truly that seems to have been completely forgotten is The Red Turtle: an animated, nearly-wordless folk tale about nature, love, and letting go. The Red Turtle is refreshingly simple and unassuming – I’ve heard it described as a children’s film and, while a patient child may be able to sit through it, there’s a depth and maturity to the story that will speak to anyone who would stop to listen. Come for the animation, stay for the beautiful score and sound design.

The Red Turtle

Speaking of design, a couple films that look incredibly good are A Ghost Story and The Beguiled. Both films held spots in my top ten list but were knocked out. I really wanted to love A Ghost Story – I felt like I was really giving it my all – but about two thirds of the way through the film, it starts to preach about what it is and some of the mystery and nuance is lost. Visually, it remains one of the most interesting films of the year, but the story remains half-baked. The same could be said for Sofia Coppola’s new film. It features some of the best cinematography of the year and incredible performances from everyone involved. The aforementioned Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman give it their all; Kirsten Dunst is strong as ever; and Elle Fanning continues to prove she is one of the great young actors working today. The film’s only real fault is its table manners. Reserved and cautious, when the film finally boils over, the room has already chilled.

I also saw The Florida Project this year. I have very little to say about it, apparently. As I’ve been putting it off through this whole post. I thought it was…fine. It’s good, not great. Willem Dafoe is very good in it. If you want to know how I feel about the ending, I’m in the camp that thought it completely undercut the emotional depth and complexity that the film was just about to reach.

So there you have it – my year at the movies, save for my upcoming top ten films of the year. As I said above, many of these films could have, or perhaps should have, been in my top ten list. And if you were to ask me in a few months, some of them might return. As these things go, art is subjective and fluid, but I’m very excited to share the films that I found the most engrossing and moving this year. Some will be obvious, but hopefully some will be new discoveries for you. Come back New Year’s Eve to find out!