#have you actually WATCHED any of the film or stage adaptations

[drdemonprince]

Do you have any favourite scary movies?

I love the ambiguity and grief of The Orphanage, and the main character's emotional journey is absolutely gutting.

The Strangers has some of the most subtle, dread-inducing scares of any horror film of its era; if you liked the hidden ghosts in Mike Flanagan's Haunting of Hill House, it owes some inspiration to this film, I think. It truly gave me nightmares.

The newer Suspiria has really stayed with me, and I loved Flawed Peacock's analysis of the film on Youtube as well. I watched both this and the original back-to-back a few months ago, and they're both great in different ways, but nothing tops the haunting, sickening beauty of the end of this one.

28 Days Later is the only zombie movie for me, and yes part of that is because Cillian Murphy was so fuckable in it. I'll never forget the quiet, contemplative air of this movie, which is rivaled only by The Last of Us games. The zombie genre is bloated with derivative crap, but this movie rang in a whole new generation, and did it so well you don't need most of the rest.

The original Saw is a hell of a stage-play-slash-bottle-episode, and it's far more sophisticated in its writing than any of the rest in the series. It really holds up in my opinion.

The Cell isn't really that scary, to me, but it's fucking cunty as hell with incredible costumes and set pieces, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Bonus points for having a minor corruption/hypnosis aspect really tickled my imagination. I just wish that element had lasted for longer.

Speaking of movies that are actually plays -- there's no better Stephen King adaptation than Misery. Kathy Bates absolutely crushes in a nauseating, confining performance here, and the hobbling scene is one you just never forget. To me it's a perfectly paced film, and it holds up shockingly well in the era of stans and superfandoms.

Ghost Ship is my favorite bad stupid horror movie. The opening scene is enough creative nonsense carnage to justify its existence, but stick around through the end for a very weird trip-hop montage.

Dead Silence is another goofy one that gets really inventive with its gore. I love horror movies that do just downright disrespectful, creepy shit with corpses, and that's what this one is all about.

The Boy is a fucking laugh riot to me. The entire premise is so transparent from the very beginning and the thrills are so awkward and tame that it's a great Halloween party movie. If you're anything like me, you and your friends will walk around the house talking about the Boy for days afterward. Brahms is an age regressor king

Some people find Aronofsky's movies to be too over-the-top to connect with, but I think he nailed the internal horror of perfectionism, codependency, sexual repression, and eating disorders with Black Swan. Barbara Hershey's character is so perfectly unsettling that it sets all my people-pleasing, abandonment-fearing issues alight every time. Everything about this movie is confining and distorting, which is exactly how it feels inside when you narrow your entire life to a singular pursuit and are governed by impossible rules.

The Others has exactly what I need for a horror movie to have good replay value: just like The Orphanage, it's final reveal is more depressing and unsettling than it is pure scary, which makes it cut deeper, and it recontexualizes the whole rest of the film. The interiors and aesthetics are great.

Possession is easily the most disturbing movie on this list. This one cuts deep in a confusing, unmooring way -- it makes you feel sick in your soul, hopeless, and put off from relationships. Filming it reportedly ruined Sam Neil & Isabelle Adjani's lives for a good while, and you can see why. This film is the psychological reality of divorce in its unabashed form. To really leave behind a life you once committed yourself to, you have to become almost unrecognizable to yourself, and do great violence to both your former self, and the ones you love. This film gets that, and it's painful. It makes you feel disgusting for wanting things or for staying in a place where you're unhappy.

Happy watching!

[secretsofthewilde]

No matter what I am always going to be down to watch Phantom of the Opera. Doesn't matter what I am doing or what version you are suggesting, I will be game.

25th anniversary musical stage show? I am always down to get emo over Ramin's phantom.

1925 Lon Chaney's Phantom? If you're actually down to watch a silent era film with me, then heck yeah I wanna see the most accurate live action film adaptation of the book so far with you

You wanna watch the 2004 musical movie version? Sure, let me grab a glass of wine and we will have a laugh - but you will have to listen to me scream at the screen any time mini piangi is on screen and at the filming choices in general bc wtf is that long take doing there Joel?!

The 1998 Italian rat version? I love a good hate watch, and if you haven't seen it before I love to witness someone experiencing it for the first time

1990 TV movie staring Charles Dance? If you have three hours to spare, I'm always down to see Erik punching a mannequin deer in the face and just generally love to watch Cherik <3

1943 universal pictures version? You are probably going to be bored, but yes, I want to compare adaptations!

1962 Hammer Horror version? Basically the same as the 1943 one but I'm always down for Hammer Horror films.

1989 horror film staring Robert Englund? Oh, of course I'm down to watch Freddy Kruger as the phantom!

Phantom of the Megaplex? I'm gonna be totally honest here and say I actually haven't seen this one yet, but I absolutely would agree to watch it in heart beat.

Phantom of the Paradise? Say less. Yes.

[ranticore]

if you had to choose between one or the other, which stbh characters would prefer cats (original stage production) and which would prefer cats (cgi movie adaptation)

Having seen both productions multiple times I'm uniquely suited to answering this question

Ok straight up, the easy ones:

Félix prefers the stage play because he loves the theatre full stop and also as a big fan of musicals, the stronger vocals in the stage play would appeal to him. Favourite song: Moonlight (he finds it relatable). Favourite cat: Mister Mistoffelees (projects onto him hard as an aspirational figure, a hot cat man is clearly into him and gassing him up etc)

Bowman: it all depends on which Rum Tum Tugger he thinks is hottest and I think Jason Derulo might win that one, and I don't Bowman has much appreciation for art in the first place so the flaws will go over his head. Prefers the movie. Favourite song: Rum Tum Tugger obviously.

Islin: it's all equally horrible to him but I think the stronger vocals of Stage Old Deuteronomy would win him over to it. The theme of blood sacrifice is relatable and he thinks he would probably want to go to the heavyside lair. Favourite song: Cats (the first song), because everything after that is just another torment to suffer through. Favourite cat: Mister Mistoffelees (thinks he's kinda cute and magic is a sin so that makes him a sort of psychosexual forbidden fruit)

Jean: prefers the movie. He thinks it's hideous but he's the type of person who's fascinated with the cutting edge cat mocap cgi. He'd watch a behind the scenes documentary about the film's technological aspects. Favourite song: Skimbleshanks, ditto for favourite cat. He likes trains.

Erica: obsessed with the movie but like ironically you guys seriously it's just so bad it's good you gotta watch this and laugh with him it's hideous!! The type of person truly pushing the boundaries of irony because if they truly thought it sucked they wouldn't be singing along. Also a Skimbleshanks fan

Léa: sorry it's the movie again, she can't stand the goofy make-up and costumes from the stage play and she believes that the cgi cats are a step up actually. Favourite song: Beautiful Ghosts. Favourite cat: Taylor Swift

Senca: the play. She appreciates the way it explains absolutely nothing and finds that the movie telegraphs its plot just a bit too much to hold her interest, and adds too much unnecessary context. She likes telling people after they all wall out of the theatre that she understood it all and nobody else picked up on the deeper themes. Favourite cat: Jemima (her staunch defence of Grizabella is heartwarming). Favourite song: didn't like any

Cain: kills himself. Favourite cat: Munkustrap

[princessbrunette]

im not a big john b girlie but you write him so well! your most recent one w toxicex!reader n all was so well written!

you seriously nail dialogue so well, they feel so human and their dialogue conveys such nuance and glimpses into their personality and motivations. i'm genuinely such an impressed by writing and incredible skill, you have such a seamless way with words, painting a really charged, and clear image of these characters and scenarios.

p.s some questions if youre willing to answer !

what got you into writing fan fiction?

do you write your own original stories, or are you more happy and comfortable exploring these fictional worlds as is?

would you say writing is an outlet for you, from life, or drama, or work?

when it comes to dialogue, what do you think is more important - what is said or what isn't and

do you have any particular literary inspirations for dialogue (i.e a film with good dialogue like 'before sunrise' or a novel like 'normal people' or something) or are you more thinking of just real, conversations or straight from shows (like outerbanks, and etc) and watching how they talk rather than trying to emulate any other style?

sorry if this sounds like an interview or if this is a bit much or overwhelming. i've been reading your stuff for like a good year now, and i'm just curious!

adore your work, hope all is well sending hugs n love :)) x

this is literally so sweet <3 made me so happy tysm!! of course i’ll answer ur questions ♡

what got you into writing fan fiction?

well tbh i’ve been writing ‘fanfiction’ since before i knew what it was. i’ve mentioned a few times on this blog but i had this little notebook (that i still have!) where i’d write loads of self insert stories when i was roughly 9-10 years old. i would insert myself into my favourite disney shows with the characters i had a crush on etc. it was my favourite thing to do, id bring my notebook with my everywhere and it could keep me entertained for hours! that’s probably where i got my start.

do you write your own original stories, or are you more happy and comfortable exploring these fictional worlds as is?

on tumblr particularly i’m more comfortable adapting universes that already exist because i enjoy the community i can / have built off relating characterisations with other people on the internet. i can have some sort of semblance of whether or not im doing an okay job based on the feedback. however, i grew up writing for a stage / screen too, which i’ve recently gotten back into and i do deeply enjoy creating a universe from scratch.

would you say writing is an outlet for you? from life, drama or work?

not particularly! moments in my real life have absolutely inspired by writing but i’m not sure i use it as an escape. as someone with autism, routine is really important to me. i write as part of my routine mostly every single day whether i post something or not — and if i don’t write i actually feel pretty thrown off. i also write in other forms, for example i love journalling. i think if anything were to be an outlet it would be that.

when it comes to dialogue, what do you think is more important? what is said or what isn’t?

that’s a really interesting question and honestly i’m not sure! i think it varies from fic to fic. i do think what isn’t said can be very powerful, however i believe in order to grasp what is being conveyed without words the reader would really need to understand the character — and to my understanding not every reader does. not only do i know that based off requests i receive occasionally trying to force characters into boxes i personally think they do not belong — but not everyone is here to understand, period. some readers are casual readers, just here to thirst because they saw a couple of edits they liked (which is great, no problem with that!) in which case i like to make my writing accessible to everyone and i try to make their intention as verbatim as possible.

do you have any particular literary inspirations for dialogue (i.e a film with good dialogue like 'before sunrise' or a novel like 'normal people' or something) or are you more thinking of just real, conversations or straight from shows (like outerbanks, and etc) and watching how they talk rather than trying to emulate any other style?

not any that i can remember! i focus more on trying to make my characters seem like they stepped directly off the show even if it’s based in an au. i want readers to be able to hear the intonation in their voice, understand why they’d stutter when they did, see their facial expression as they say it in their head the same way they would if they were watching outerbanks. however, when i read over my drabbles — i often reimagine them as if they were adapted to a film instead. i would give anything to watch all of my drabbles on a private screen, each of them produced in a sofia coppola style of cinema. that would be really fun and girly and aesthetically pleasing i think.

i hope that answered your questions adequately !! 🩷

[don-daygamerz]

Ben Barnes x reader who's in her 20s and Ben likes her one day he couldn't control himself and says it like "I know I'm older but I still love you" idk something like this?!?

Hi sorry for the delay, I'm on break from taking requests but I'm not going to abandon your request. So here's a taste of the dynamic between Ben and (Name) as I figure out what to put together. Just some headcanons whilst I work on your story.

- (Name) being a Young millennial/Millennial Z.

- I can imagine reader being an Actress and a singer herself rising through the ranks due to her unique talent.

- Ben and (Name) first met through mutual friends.

- In fact, they met at the Troubadour where Ben was actually performing that night.

- (Name) was also invited to perform as well.

- My girl did Rock music. And did she have some serious pipes.

- Ben could not look away from her performance. He thought she looked so ethereal but at the same time so enticing under the blue and dim lighting of the stage.

- The way she strummed her guitar to impossible notes made her look like a Metal Goddess.

- When the show was over Ben had the chance to introduce himself through a friend of his who conveniently knew her as well.

- He felt shy to approach such an intimidating but captivating young woman.

- He found her to be very attractive and quite adorable actually. With her highlighted hair, smokey eyeshadow with glitter, dressed in a black sheer lace top with a dark bra underneath and a pair of dark jeans and laced doc marten boots.

- Immediately fast friends when they started exchanging dirty jokes (Ben can be a hound dog for sure).

- Ben enjoys to cook and share with his friends and after getting to know (Name), he's insistent that she joins him for dinner (with some friends, of course...it wasn't a date...not yet).

- When she first came to dinner she brought over some special dessert from her culture (Whatever ethnic background she is; I'd imagine it being Flan/Basbousa/Avocado ice cream/Ube cake...etc. could be any)

- Ben loved her dessert. Made it official that she introduces more ethnic desserts to his colonizer palate.

- Ben saw something unique in (Name): she was so funny, eccentric, talented, free spirited, and crazy but in a good way.

- It wasn't long before they'd coincidentally worked together staring in the Marvel series 'The Punisher'.

- I'd imagine (Name)'s character being the sister to Frank Castle and there is some sort of chemistry between her and Billy Russo.

- (Name) doesn't know this but Ben has actually watched her films and series.

- After meeting her for the first time, he grew curious about her work and explored her films and music, and immediately became enamored by her method of acting and her lyrics.

- Her first time to explore London, Ben is there as well and offers to show her around.

- When he took her to the Harry Potter store (Name) couldn't help but mention how he would've been perfect for a Harry Potter film:

"Ha ha not you too."

"Yes, me too. I've seen your old pictures and you would've been the perfect Sirius Black. Ugh what a wasted opportunity but too late, you're...oooold." She'd exaggeratingly say the last bit in a grim voice.

"I am not old you just happened to be born really late."

"That's what an old person would say."

- His contact name on her phone would be 'Shadow Daddy' (She just had to since his character, General Kirigan, was trending like crazy)

- It was a slow start between the two. Starting off as friends but then things between the two became serious.

-Serious how?

Having dinner together with just each other.

Visiting each other's designated trailers.

Going to London's famous bookstores and exploring great literature.

Ben and (Name) would even do a music sesh or duet some songs together.

She even got to meet his family.

He met her family as well.

- I can imagine (Name) being well versed in technology.

- Young Millennial Zs are just good to adapting to new technologies and constructing their own system units. So it's only natural that she's good at it as well.

- She's also a pro at video games. Like really good that she makes misogynistic, fascist pigs cry like little bitches.

- Like the chick has her own customized mug/tumbler that reads 'FASCIST TEARS'.

- A total badass in Call of Duty (Warzone), Overwatch, Dead by Daylight, Dying Light, Friday the 13th, League of Legends, etc. Don't mess with her.

- Ben one time heard her lay down some serious trash talk and come backs at a bunch of sexist, misogynistic 'men'. (He had spare keys to her place and found her preoccupied in her gaming room)

"Woah! Are you a gamer girl?! Send me some titty pics, bitch"

"You can't handle my melons, bitch. If you're looking for some titty action go back to sucking your mama's. Annoying ass brat."

"This game ain't for girrrllls! Go back to the kitchen and make me a fucking sandwich!"

*Soon after he said that (Name) would constantly headshot his lame ass character barely even touching her or landing a shot at her*

"What the fuck?!Nah Nah, fucking bitch is cheating!"

"Ha ha ha! You fucking suck man. I don't think this game is for you so how 'bout you go to the kitchen and make my fucking sandwich."

- Oh yeah, (Name) is a major savage when ripping into those assholes.

- She was surprised Ben found her like that and felt embarrassed. She was worried he would find it appalling with spoke... Ben was such a composed fella and her... she was basically the devil incarnate ready to erupt and drink the blood of her enemies.

- But her worries went away when Ben chuckled at the scene he had witnessed and asked if she was okay (in a nice way) She'd later explained about how she was being insulted online and it made Ben worried.

- She told him not to worry and that she handled well by kicking their ass.

- Ben's not a gamer (I think) but he was really impressed with how she put down those sexist assholes.

- He found it kind of hot.

"Well that was an...interesting reaction, ha ha ha!"

"Stop laughing! I feel so embarassed that you had to see me that way!"

"I have to admit I found it quite cute how you swore at the screen. Ha ha, you looked like an angry chihuahua. Ha ha ha!"

"Ha Ha very funny"

"Alright, I'm just teasing you. I just hope you won't get into trouble"

"Nonsense. Besides...they only try and get my account reported for 'cheating'. It's not my fault they deliberately suck at playing."

"You are really good... It almost feels unfair."

"You say that because you've never beaten me at Mario Kart to this day."

"I've been practicing whilst I was away filming. So I'd like to think now I'm close to beating you."

"Ooh ho ho. Big talk eh. I'd like to see you try. Prepare to lose...again!"

- The two also enjoyed teasing one another that it gave everyone the impression that they were couple. Heck even their parents thought there was something more between the two.

- Ben laughed it off when his parents told him and he denied saying that he was too old for her. But they thought differently.

- (Name)'s mom was rooting for them (aww bless her) and her dad well...He didn't mind Ben but that was his sweet baby girl. To him, Ben was corrupting his sweet, innocent, little 'angel' baby (Ahahaha he can't see it clearly that his daughter is basically the devil who thrives on Cyberbullying fascist gamers... Yeaahh, an 'angel' for sure but there's nothing wrong with putting down toxic gamers. The girl is basically considered a saint in the gamer girl community)

- Sure there was a bit of a large age gap between the two but his parents had no qualms against whom he dated as long they treated him well. And they believed (Name) was the right fit for him.

- Ben would also invite her to one of his recording sessions and let her listen to him sing and play his piano.

- She would also invite to him to her recording studio to witness her play and come up with new songs.

- She'd be in awe of his talent and it would not go unnoticed by Ben which just bolstered his ego and made him flustered at the same time.

"Enjoy the show?"

"You were amazing! I mean... You all were amazing." She included the rest of the musicians who played by his side.

"Thanks, I'm happy to hear that."

"I heard that you're putting a lot of focus into your music since you didn't have the time to do so?"

"Yeah. I've put it off for a while since I wasn't so sure at the time but..."

"You're doing great and I'm not just saying that as a friend. It may seem late but you've put in a lot of work and creativity into it. I'd say all these years you just had some pent up creativity storming through that head of yours."

"Thanks that means a lot. I appreciate it."

"Happy to help. Ooh now that you're a rising musician does that mean I can be one of your groupies?!"

"Ha ha ha you can be so ridiculous!"

"That's what you love about me."

"You have no idea."

- Ben doesn't understand it yet but he always looked forward to (Name)'s words of encouragement and unwavering support as he trekked through the world of music.

- Despite the age difference the two shared their worlds and experience with one another and it brought them closer and closer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[secretmellowblog]

wth is red scare les mis

Have you ever wondered why all the nonmusical English-language Les Mis adaptations suck? Why they're so weirdly conservative? Why they all share the same dumb changes to the book like "Cops are fine but Javert is the One Bad Apple who's evil because he's obsessed with Valjean?" A lot of that can be traced back to one early influential American film adaptation of Les Mis-- Les Mis 1935, made during the height of the Red Scare, which my discord buddies and I have nicknamed "Red Scare Les Mis" or "Hays Code Les Mis."

Red Scare Les Mis was the first big-budget film adaptation of Les Mis in the English-speaking world. It was made during the height of the Red Scare in America, and also in the middle of the massive labor movements around the Great Depression. It is a very deliberate piece of conservative anti-rebellion propaganda. The film actively despises the message of the original novel and deliberately intentionally censors or destroys it whenever possible. It basically became a blueprint for the English-speaking film adaptations that came afterwards. Later adaptations are often influenced directly by Red Scare Les Mis OR by an adaptation that was influenced by it. There's a reason the only Good english-language adaptation is the stage musical, and the reason is because it was a translation of the French musical/concept album (which was more influenced by French adaptations like the French language Les Mis 1934, which are actually pretty good.) So what is so bad about Red Scare Les Mis? (that isn't obvious from the descriptions above alksdjflskdjf) The film is dedicated to painting any kind of rebellion or anti-authoritarianism as a dangerous evil conspiracy. Again, this is an America in the midst of massive labor movements and paranoia about communism-- so Red Scare Les Mis is all about how rebellion is dangerous, deranged, and evil. It doesn't help that this was also made during the time of the Hays Code, which essentially forbade portraying crime in a positive light or laws in a negative light. Enjolras in 1935 is a deranged extremist who Goes Too Far-- played by an actor who usually plays villains-- and all the students who agitate for revolution are framed as flat-out Satanic. I might be misremembering bc I don't have the strength to watch the movie all the way through in one sitting but I believe there's literally even a scene where Enjolras smiles evilly as his face is lit from below to convey that he is a horror movie villain. This in contrast to Marius, who is the leader of Les Amis in this version and a heroic peaceful protestor who doesn't want to overthrow the system and simply wants some minor prison reforms. "We are not revolutionaries," Marius assures the audience. He passes out pamphlets and that's basically the extent of his activism (because a Good Activist never breaks the law or makes people uncomfortable.) If you want a clear encapsulation of the way the film deliberately censors and destroys the point of the original work, you don't have to look any farther than the opening shot. The film opens on the famous quote from the preface to Les Mis..................but it radically changes it. See if you can spot the MAJOR ideological difference: Original preface: So long as there shall exist, by virtue of law and custom, decrees of damnation pronounced by society, artificially creating hells amid the civilization of earth, and adding the element of human fate to divine destiny; so long as the three great problems of the century—the degradation of man through pauperism, the corruption of woman through hunger, the crippling of children through lack of light—are unsolved; so long as social asphyxia is possible in any part of the world;—in other words, and with a still wider significance, so long as ignorance and poverty exist on earth, books of the nature of Les Misérables cannot fail to be of use. 1935:

The original preface says that as long as the law damns people to be imprisoned in artificial hells on earth, the story is worth being told-- the message being that no one deserves to have their humanity ripped away from them by prison. People deserve empathy regardless of whether they're guilty under "law and custom," because "law and custom" are often nakedly unjust. But 1934 opens with an altered version of the line saying that the book will be relevant as long as people are persecuted "after they have paid the penalty of the law and expiated their offenses in full." Hugo argued people deserved empathy unconditionally, regardless of whether they broke the law-- 1935 believes people only deserve empathy IF they haven't broken any laws and have served full prison sentences for any laws they have broken. In 1935's view, the 'law and custom' Hugo condemns in the preface to Les Mis are innately good and just. The "decrees of damnation pronounced by society artificially creating hells amid the civilization of earth" are fine actually. The only people who deserve empathy, in 1935's view, is people who have "already paid the full penalty." So in 1935's view book Valjean isn't worthy of empathy bc he never paid the legal penalty for stealing from Petit Gervais alkdsjfsdf, and he should've gone back to prison to serve his life sentence. AND THEN they had the gall to attribute their fake conservative quote to Victor Hugo.... Also: if you're wondering where "Javert is the one Bad Apple cop who is uniquely obsessed with Valjean and obsessively persecutes him in a way he doesn't do with any other criminal" comes from-- this film also had a huge impact on that! This film was a big influence on spreading that obnoxious dumb shallow take. IN SUMMARY: Les Mis 1935 was a deliberate piece of propaganda aiming to take a novel that championed left-wing socialist views..... and turn it into a deeply conservative right-wing story about the futility of rebellion and the importance of respecting law and order. The whole film is really encapsulated by the altered "preface" where they flat-out lie and attribute a conservative law-and-order view of the world to Victor Hugo, using a fake quote Hugo never said. It's a deliberate attempt to make an insidious worldview seem normal/justified by pretending it was supported by a famous author. It's saying a bad stupid thing then pretending some famous author said it.

But the adaptational choices it originated/popularized were imitated in later English-language adaptations. While 1935's influence is not the only reason why English Les Mis adaptations like 1998/BBC 2019/etc are often so disconnected from the novel in the same ways and weirdly conservative in the same ways, it definitely is one the reasons. (And that's why you gotta look to France or Japan if you want an actually decent nonmusical adaptation alskdfsdf.) And yeah it just sucks? It sucks that this piece of conservative propaganda that actively intentionally rejects the progressive messages of the original novel became so influential just because it was the First big English-language adaptation. But aint that just the way

[themattress]

The Brilliance of Sailor Moon Cosmos

Because I watched it on Netflix last night and I'm sorry - I ain't done talking about it!

First off, some background: the Stars arc is the fifth and final story arc of the Sailor Moon manga. According to Naoko Takeuchi's editor, things in the worldbuilding such as the Galaxy Cauldron were a thing in Takeuchi's head since starting the series, and that he was the one who convinced her to make the Stars arc to wrap things up after she initially intended on ending the series at the fourth arc (which was after initially intending to end it at the third...and before that, the first. The second arc was the only one not designed to potentially be the end, despite half of it ironically transpiring at a later chronological point than the other arcs).

Naoko Takeuchi served as the supervisor of the Sailor Moon Crystal web series, which became the Crystal: Infinity TV series, then the Eternal film duology, and finally the Comsos film duology. One particularly cool thing is that Sailor Moon Crystal begins including this shot:

It's the Milky Way galaxy....and Sagittarius A is very noticeable, setting up the end stage from the very beginning, which shows Takeuchi was dead set on adapting the entire manga.

What the preceding Dream arc, adapted in the Eternal films, did perfectly was set things up for this final arc. Things appeared to come full circle as the Sailor Senshi faced an evil queen nemesis to the Silver Millennium that predated Beryl and Metalia, the source of Mamoru's power and connection to Usagi's power was revealed as the Golden Crystal (Golden Crystal and Silver Crystal, Golden Kingdom and Silver Millennium...perfect symmetry!), the Inner and Outer Senshi were fully united, Chibiusa came into her own, and the goal Usagi's had for a while of reaching Neo-Queen Serenity's level finally transpired with her becoming Eternal Sailor Moon, with a heavy emphasis on how it's her loved ones who give her that power.

The end message seemed to be that nothing was more invincible than a Sailor Senshi.

So how does the final arc begin?

An evil Sailor Senshi rips out Mamoru's Golden Crystal, and he fucking DIES!

Oh, wait, sorry; that wasn't how it begins. It actually begins with a meteor shower.

Sound familiar? Well, no, not if you've watched Crystal sadly. But in the manga:

It's a way of saying "Oh, you thought the Dream arc brought things full circle? Just wait."

Now, I didn't care for the Sailor Starlights in the manga. I didn't hate them like in the anime, but I didn't really see the point of them. They were primarily build-up to Princess Kakyuu's character, and there's nothing they did that couldn't have just been given to Kakyuu if she was out and about from the beginning. However, I actually liked them in Cosmos! I think getting to hear their voices in things like their songs plus getting fully animated facial expressions did a lot for them, as did the big change in how they ultimately get taken out. In the manga, they were knocked unconscious by Sailor Lethe and stay that way even as Sailors Phi and Chi eliminate them to take their Sailor Crystals. In Cosmos, they are awake and take an active last stand in protecting Kakyuu, reaffirming that this is their life's mission and that they are proud to fulfill it. It's a stronger send-off and a far better emotional moment for Kakyuu, who now has to watch them die for her rather than simply watch them die.

Chibi Chibi is a fantastic subversion of expectations. She enters as a little pink-haired child from the future with an umbrella, which gives even the characters the impression that she's a Chibiusa retread of sorts. In reality, she couldn't be further from that, as we will later see.

So, Rei and Minako are absolutely a couple. I just can't take this scene any other way.

Another interesting thing to note about the Dream arc in relation to this one is that Usagi, quite deliberately, did not have much of a character arc. Chibiusa took center stage instead, with Usagi's role being more about proving how much she's matured and cementing that, in the words of Kingdom Hearts, her friends are her power. It perfectly sets her up for now, where she has a character arc that shakes her to her core and puts everything that she is to the ultimate test. Those friends are gradually and methodically taken out, starting with her true love. She actually represses that memory and lives in a haze of denial for a good while before finally being forced to confront reality. All of the strength and maturity she's developed seem to be failing her, her hope and faith are threatening to be crushed, and she is tempted to give in to feelings of rage and hate toward Sailor Galaxia. It's all as Galaxia herself plans, as she knows that to claim the Silver Crystal from Sailor Moon, first she has to break her.

Sailor Tin Nyanko of Shadow Galactica is utilized to show how the Sailor Animamtes aren't evil at heart. When Sailor Galaxia attacks their planets, she gives them the sadistic choice of perish with the rest or assist her in destroying everything, with those who accept having mind-controlling bracelets that grant them power put on and their Star Seed holding their soul extracted, meaning that if the bracelets go, so do they. Nyanko is the only of the Animamates that still feels a connection to her soul and still has good intentions behind following Galaxia: to ultimately get her Star Seed back and the bracelets removed, and become the new Sailor Mau on a new planet to honor the memory of the old one and her old planet. After seeing Sailor Moon protect Luna, Artemis and Diana, she lets her live...at the cost of her own life.

My favorite of Takeuchi's story arcs, the Black Moon arc, gains even more relevance in this final arc. First of all, we have Usagi still haunted by Safir's words that she and her Silver Crystal are the cause of everything wrong, which is a sentiment that goes hand in hand with Nehelenia's words in the preceding Dream arc about how light will always beget darkness.

We then get a huge fix to an issue from the previous two arcs: the Black Moon arc set up a definitive future where everyone makes it out OK, so the stakes of the Infinity and Dream arcs feel neutered when you remember this. But here, Sailor Galaxia point-blank challenges the notion that the future is set in stone...and indeed, what we see transpiring in the future shows that she might just be on to something, a theme that is revisited with Chibi Chibi's character.

And finally: Wiseman / Death Phantom! The series' best Big Bad returns with a major role in Sailor Galaxia's backstory. Projecting himself from the future with the Malefic Black Crystal's power, he is the one who guides Galaxia to the Galaxy Cauldron...and, of course, to Chaos.

While both Eternal and Cosmos do the same thing of dividing the manga arc in half, with the first movie being the first 5 and 1/2 chapters and the second movie being the next 5 and 1/2 chapters, Cosmos does it better. Eternal had to close out its first film with the second half of its 6th chapter and open the second film with the first half, which made it feel a little disjointed and caused the first movie to end rather abruptly. Cosmos, meanwhile, has its first film just end on the first half of its 6th chapter, which is a way more appropriate place to finish given that it follows a battle with Sailor Galaxia herself and has Usagi firmly rediscovering her heroic resolve, cutting off just before she and her new friends leave Earth to go into space.

I love Sailor Lethe and Sailor Mnemosyne. They have a sad and understandable backstory regarding how they joined Shadow Galactica and what they seek to gain from it, the compellingly tragic factor of Lethe hardening her heart and bloodying her hands all for Mnemosyne's sake with the latter having to anguish over this, and a great redemption with Mnemosyne finally stepping up to stop Lethe and undo the damage she's caused which is shortly afterward followed by the previously stubborn Lethe finally standing down after Usagi is willing to allow herself to be killed in order to secure a better future for them. I also love that after they are killed, they are included in Usagi's flashback to all of the friends she has lost.

Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon is the definition of a One Scene Wonder. She's only on screen for two minutes, but my God: the butterflies in a funeral procession, the graveyard of all Sailor Senshi that Shadow Galactica has killed, the gravediggers she has digging fresh graves for Usagi, Kakyuu and Chibi Chibi, the way she fucking crucifies them and then tries to burn them alive all as she relishes it....it's simply unforgettable. But OK...she goes out like a bitch. One-tapped by the Sailor Quartet doing a circus routine kind of puts a damper on her overall.

The Inner and Outer Senshi as mind-controlled zombies is a twisted but perfect penultimate hurdle for Usagi to overcome: can she kill her precious friends, the source of her strength? But I will admit to groaning when Mamoru showed up as well. "Whaaaat? Tuxedo Mask is brainwashed and evil!?" Haven't seen that before! No, wait, we've seen it twice before! It's no longer effective. He really could have just stayed vacantly at Galaxia's side and not said a word before getting shoved to his second demise and that would have been perfectly fine.

The animators spared no expense on this battle. Hot DAMN.

Bad touch, Galaxia! BAD TOUCH!

Speaking of Galaxia, her plan is brilliant. She not only deliberately broke Usagi down, but she also fully counted on Usagi building herself back up, which would make it all the more devastating when Galaxia melted all the loved ones she sought to revive into the Galaxy Cauldron, followed by Chaos revealing the truth about itself to her. Usagi would then be so unstable that her power would go out of control. When Chaos then tries to possess her and the Silver Crystal, Usagi would wipe Chaos out along with herself, leaving the Silver Crystal and control of the universe for Galaxia. Another full circle type moment calling Beryl and Metalia to mind. And it would've worked, too....were Chaos not fully aware of it, of course.

Speaking of Chaos and the truth about itself: it's a being that failed to make it out of the Galaxy Cauldron and become a star, which warped it and turned it into pure evil, negative energy. While still unable to escape the Cauldron, parts of Chaos have been able to leak out of it, and they became all the major enemies Sailor Moon has faced. The point is that so long as Chaos exists, so too will conflict. The battle between good and evil will rage on forever.

After Usagi defies all of Galaxia's expectations by saving her life from Chaos, we get one of the story's biggest, most subversive twists. Chibi Chibi, in reality Sailor Cosmos, the Big Good, has all this time been waiting for the moment at hand where she can urge Usagi to destroy the Galaxy Cauldron in order to destroy Chaos...even though this ultimately means the death of the galaxy since no new stars will be born. She is the advocate for the wrong solution. And then Galaxia, the Big Bad, becomes the advocate for the right solution through a resigned acceptance that no matter how much power you have, you cannot control the nature of existence. Even if this galaxy dies, another one would be reborn, and the conflict between good and evil would continue. Destroying the Galaxy Cauldron is not the answer.

This also leads to Galaxia's death scene, and despite how horrifically evil she has been, it still got me a little misty-eyed. Galaxia was not born evil, she was shaped that way through a truly hellish life on a barbaric medieval planet, and she always sought to heal the wounds it left on her soul with more and more power, attempting to make herself into a god in order to finally feel a sense of belonging. But only now at the end does she see that Sailor Moon, the person she had tried so hard to break, is actually the true sort of person she wished to become, and that true security and belonging lay in her values of compassion and acceptance. She is the star Galaxia has sought for so long, but as she puts it, she can't reach it. It's far too late for her to be that sort of person. But at least she can hope that Sailor Moon will last forever, since as long as she does then wretched souls like her can still find salvation in her light.

I mentioned before that this arc and its thesis statement is sort of like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, but there's actually another comparison to be made: to Neon Genesis Evangelion. The messages of "so long as life goes on, as existence exists, then there will always be hope no matter how dark things get" and "every human at their core yearns to be with others and achieve a sense of belonging" are in both. And Usagi's epic final act displays this beautifully: combining Galaxia's Sailor Crystal with her own so that even she too can be reborn, she dives into the Galaxy Cauldron and pushes the ascendant Chaos back downward, her heart resonating with the Cauldron's power in the process. She succeeds in causing the Cauldron's energy to erupt like a geyser and send all the Star Seeds within back into the galaxy, and even attempts to embrace and purify Chaos, who pushes her off and accepts falling back into the primordial sea rather than be redeemed. It's a stunning and truly inspirational conclusion.

Can I just say how hilarious it is that all of the Sailor Senshi, including Sailor Moon herself, die in this arc....except for the Sailor Quartet, who somehow manage to outlive all of them and never once get killed and reborn. Never underestimate those four circus trolls, it seems!

When I originally read the manga, the whole Sailor Cosmos stuff was the most confusing to me, but the movie clarified it a lot better. Sailor Cosmos is the future version of Neo-Queen Serenity, who has achieved the highest possible level of power due to tapping into her bond with the Cosmo Crystal (the Galaxy Cauldron's own Star Seed) and Guardian Cosmos (basically God) that she achieved through this big sacrificial act. The Japanese version was far more blatant about this connection, as Sailor Cosmos had Guardian Cosmos' voice.

If Cosmos is God, then Chaos is the Devil. And in the far future, Chaos finally escapes the Galaxy Cauldron and incarnates as Sailor Chaos. Rather than just be grateful that she's now a star, Chaos continues to lash out in resentment of all those who became stars before her and wreaks destruction as she tries to conquer the universe. The brutal war between Sailor Cosmos and Sailor Chaos lasted so long that for all her great power, Sailor Cosmos lost all hope of prevailing, which is why she transformed into Chibi Chibi and went back in time in order to persuade her past self to destroy Chaos and the Galaxy Cauldron. But witnessing her past self's hope and faith utterly shamed her, making her realize that she can never truly be the ultimate incarnation of Sailor Moon unless she recovers that same hope and faith. Honestly, this is an ingenious Izuru Kamakura-style deconstruction of a Power Fantasy - Usagi can become immortal, insanely beautiful, and powerful to the point of being a living god, yet still end up as a failure and a coward who is outshone by her greener teenage self.

The movie adds this scene of Usagi going home and reuniting with her family and Luna to address two long-standing fan complaints about the manga. The first was that we never saw any of the cats after their death, which I always found to be oversensitive: we confirm that the Crystal Tokyo future is coming to pass, meaning Diana will be born, so of fucking course Luna and Artemis are alive again; everyone who died in this arc was revived when the Galaxy Cauldron erupted and the Star Seeds released. But the other, which is far more valid, is that we don't see Usagi's Earth family again following the scene where she leaves to go to space and Ikuko starts crying because she feels like it will be the last time they ever see her. This feels like a more valid complaint, since it feels cruel to have that scene be indeed the last time Usagi's Earth family ever sees her on-screen, plus it reinforces their importance to her.

Finally, I appreciate how the scene where Usagi wakes up in bed with Mamoru frames her as having forgotten much of what transpired in the arc as a result of her going in and out of the Galaxy Cauldron...not everything, of course, but a lot of it is now hazy. This means that she most likely doesn't remember Chibi Chibi, which in turns means that will allow her to become Chibi Chibi when she's Sailor Cosmos in the far future. It seems to reinforce that in the setting of Sailor Moon, time travel is in fact incapable of changing history, only fulfilling it. Crystal Tokyo and Neo-Queen Serenity wouldn't have happened without the Black Moon Clan trying to destroy them in the past, Neo-Queen Serenity also couldn't have come into being without the Holy Grail which was partly made by a time-traveling Chibiusa, Sailor Pluto couldn't have been on hand when she was needed had she not died in the future and gotten reincarnated in the past, Galaxia couldn't have met Chaos and set everything in motion if Wiseman hadn't projected himself from the future to tell her about the Galaxy Cauldron, and Sailor Moon couldn't have made her big decision concerning the Galaxy Cauldron if not for Sailor Cosmos as Chibi Chibi being there trying to push her into making the opposite choice.

Bravo, Naoko Takeuchi. I know it was a pain to have to keep working on Sailor Moon for longer than you ever anticipated, but you could not have ended it on a more perfect note.

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

My Favorite New-To-Me Movies of 2023

Women Talking

This movie won the Oscar of Best Adapted Screenplay and deservedly so...it's scenes are so tightly written and delivered so beautifully by the incredible cast of actresses, that it held my attention for the entire runtime. Every performance was fantastic, and I wish at least one of them had received recognition from the Academy...personally my vote would have been for Claire Foy, but any one of them could have walked away with a nomination.

Pearl

This was such an interesting horror flick...the saturated color palette, the extreme bursts of violence and of course, the magnificent performance by Mia Goth. She was absolutely fascinating to watch...the character of Pearl is so desperate to leave her home and to become a star that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

While I consider this to be one of the best movies I've seen this year...it's not necessarily one I'd ever want to watch again. At least not in the near future...because this movie is bleak. During the Great Depression, a group of people sign up for a dance marathon with the hope of winning the prize money. All the characters are so compelling and interesting to watch. Absolutely recommend watching it, especially for Jane Fonda's outstanding performance...but you might finish the movie a bit depressed.

Deathtrap

Man, this movie is fun. It's the kind of movie that I can't say too much about, because the plot is so full of twists...but the basic idea is: A famous playwright, coming off a string of flops, learns that his former student has written a surefire hit play, and he conspires to murder his student and take the play as his own. And you have Christopher Reeve wearing some fantastic sweaters.

Sweet Smell of Success

This movie is so good, I don't even know where to start. The performances, the writing, the cinematography...it's such a perfect example of a noir film (especially one that doesn't focus on a murder or a detective). I wasn't sure what to expect when I started, but from the moment I pressed play, I was completely engrossed.

The Last of Sheila

I really caught up on my murder mysteries this year...and The Last of Sheila is a really great one. Another movie that I can't say too much about because of it's twisty plot...but I will say you can definitely see how it influenced Rian Johnson for his Knives Out films. Also, this was co-written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim!

Catch-22

I blind bought this one after Alan Arkin's death...I had never seen it, but thought it seemed like a fun enough film to take the gamble on. And boy, was I right! While I can see why some critics didn't love it back then, this movie is so wonderfully bonkers, I can't help but love it! The witty dialogue, clever shot composition and excellent performances by a massive cast make this movie a real treat!

Home Before Dark

This was a very random find for me...I actually just came across it on TV when it was starting and decided to stick with it (just like the olden days, get off my lawn). And while the movie itself isn't perfect, I was completely drawn in by Jean Simmons' performance. Her character has just returned home from a stay at an asylum, and while she tries to reacclimate to life at home, we start to see her lose it again...but we aren't sure if she is actually being pushed towards that breakdown intentionally. It has a few shades of the movie Gaslight, for sure.

The Collector

This may have been my favorite new-to-me movie of the year! It is such an intense and uncomfortable film, with amazing performances by the two lead actors and an ending that I did not see coming. Given the story and the setting, I could almost see this easily being turned into a stage play...I'd love to see a theater try and capture the claustrophobic feeling you get when Miranda is trapped in that cellar.

A few honorable mentions are: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Thin Man, Sound of Metal, Persona and Somewhere in Time (this one mostly for the melodrama, lol)

Here's to more movies in 2024!

[ketchup-monthly]

Superfam as Musicals

with help from @space-specs because both of us like musicals and have issues (also sorry but most of these musicals are ones we recognize, so your less well known favorite musicals may not be featured ): )

Clark- Fiddler on the Roof (clark is jewish and also fiddler is a classic. i watched it with my family last december and uhhhh yeah the music is so good, i think clark would really like it)(he prefers the movie version tho)

Kara- Wicked (its the homoerotic friends to enemies for her. also everything about the musical is fantastic)(specs' favorite musical)

Kon- Beetlejuice (its so kon-core. there is not one bad song in the entire soundtrack, alex brightman kills in the titular role, and im not sure if kon kins beetlejuice or lydia, but i think the answer is yes)

Jon- The Lightning Thief (i refuse to believe that Jon didn't read the percy jackson books because one of his friends had an older sibling who read them and recommended them to him. the musical does a wonderful job of adapting the story and again, there is not a single song in it that is not jam-worthy)(plus its just a really fun adventure story for a kid to put themself into)

Lois- Newsies (obvious, but accurate. also the idea of lois in an outfit like the costumes in this musical is fantastic and i think she'd look really good in it)

Ma Kent- Cats (this is one that i feel a lot of people may take issue with because people suck and refuse to admit that the stage production of cats is actually pretty good. martha, however, especially the one portrayed by k callan in lois and clark: the new adventures of superman, is an artist who loves the abstract and weird, so i think cats is right up her alley.)(the 2019 movie does not exist, but the 1998 recording of the stage production absolutely does)(i love this musical and people can fight me -ketchup)

Pa Kent- Little Shop Of Horrors (this is just a fun musical that we think he'd enjoy. this is also a musical that we think kilowog would enjoy and we think that if kilowog and pa got to interact than it would be all over for clark and hal)(also the music in this one is great and its.....about an alien plant that ends up attempting or succeeding to take over the world and i think that's a bit ironic considering the kent's alien baby that many think is going to take over the world)(plus, like our pick for ma, i think eddie jones' pa from lois and clark would really like this one)

Otho-Ra- Matilda (this is one that kinda hurts a bit. its about a group of children rising up against and fighting an oppressive evil that forced them to act militant when all they wanted was to be children and get to have fun. undoubtedly otho dreamed of something like this for years, and finally when clark rescues her, she's unsure what to do with her life. the music is fun, the staging is fun, and its cathartic for her)

Osul-Ra- The Lion King (look its the 1994 disney classic but on stage and its fantastic. its a spectacle. the music is something any child would recognize, the costumes are incredible, and all around its just a fantastic translation from film to stage. he would absolutely adore it, and then if he wanted to watch the movie again to hear the soundtrack, he could!)(you cannot tell me that clark and lois did not show their new kids the disney renaissance movies. they did. they told me so themselves)

John Henry- Hadestown (listen. this may not be an expected one here, but this musical goes hard and the thought of him singing some of the lower songs??? sign me up. i think nat probably introduced him to it, or someone else he knows, and i don't think he liked it too much at first, but upon his second and third listen, he was into it)(plus a lot of the songs have a steady beat and rhythm that i think would be soothing to tinker to)

Nat- Six (this is first off, such a pick for someone who definitely remembers having to learn about King Henry VIII in high school. also the cast is gorgeous and the music is upbeat and catchy, and i think she would get down to "Haus of Holbein")(haha get down. get it?)(also i think she'd really like cosplaying as one of them. she'd look great)

Karen (Paige)- The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (bet you didn't think we'd include Starkid musicals on here, didja. well. we did. anyway tgwdlm is a great example of cosmic horror, and personally i think it somehow gives more to the genre than its successor, Black Friday did, even if i like it better. the story of tgwdlm can be told from a few different perspectives, whether the current in the story is what is happening to paul as the musical progresses, or, my favorite method, as if everything has already happened and inevitable (the ending song) is what happens right before the story begins with the opening song)(anyway, mini-rant aside, i also just think that she'd absolutely delight in a musical that makes fun of musicals and the musical genre while embodying it perfectly)(plus. y'know. cosmic horror)

Kenan- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (tbh im not sure he really knows exactly what's going on in this musical but neither do i, and he definitely has fun with it. the story is silly as hell, the music is good, and there's a lot of slapstick comedy as well as the clever little jokes and wordplay)(this is one that i like a lot but don't watch too often because its just a lot to take in and process -ketchup)

Jimmy- Kinky Boots (i am pushing my he/him lesbian Jimmy agenda and i will until i cease breathing. anyway this one is gay and the music is by Cyndi Lauper???? the icon herself??? absolutely he would enjoy it)(tbh we're not too familiar with this musical but every song we've heard from it has been really good and the visuals are pretty good too)

Cat- Moulin Rouge (the Cat we think of specifically is the one from season one of lois and clark: the new adventures of superman, and i absolutely think she would dress up as a character from this show as often as she could. the opulence and aesthetics fit her pretty well, and the jukebox-ish nature of the musical suits her much better than a musical where the story and music are written by someone specifically for the show)

Perry- Rocky Horror Picture Show (i think perry and my grandmother would get along and one of my grandmothers favorite musicals is rocky horror picture show. she watches it every year on halloween)(also i think that while its no elvis, i think he would enjoy the rock influence on the music and the threatening aura looming behind the goofiness of the antics in it)(yes he can dance the time warp. no he will not admit to it)

Bibbo- Waitress (is it a little on the nose? yeah. however i think he gets genuinely emotional over this musical because he knows/knew people, people close to him, who were in similar situations that didn't end well. plus its just a really good musical. emotional as hell, but super good)

Lex- The Phantom of the Opera (do i really need to explain? i will anyway, but it feels pretty self explanatory)(its a classic, the music is operatic, and rich people like operas, right? plus i think the story would pull him in, even if he doesn't exactly enjoy the entire show. its a good show, there's a reason it was one of the longest running shows on broadway, and i think he'd vibe with the tragic toxic love between Erik and Christine, as one sided as it may be)(sorry lex. youre a very tragic toxic gay)(this is one of ketchups favorite musicals, and has been since they were young and went with their family to see a live production of it for their mom's birthday)

Mercy- Dracula das Musical (yes, the german version of Dracula the Musical, which goes much harder than the english version, which flopped spectacularly when it came out. however i think she also really enjoys the korean production, where dracula has bright red hair, and the japanese production, which was done by an all female cast, and had a lovely tragic toxic lesbian story of dracula and mina)(i think she would enjoy the vampires and just how good the music is)(god, "nosferatu", "zu ende", and "roseanne" just go so hard)(this is another of ketchups favorite musicals)(please check out the versions of the musical i mentioned, they're absolutely worth a watch, i promise -ketchup)

Hope- Sweeney Todd (did i give the hot lesbians dark musicals? yes i did. anyway. sweeney todd is really good and i think hope would enjoy it very much)(also its a sondheim so you know it slaps so hard)

The Eradicator- Stomp (its just a fun performance to listen to, but especially to just watch. i think he stumbled upon it, literally, at one point, and just stuck around to watch the rest of the show because he was confused and interested in what was going on)(its technically not a musical but technically era isn't a real boy so its okay)(it is a musical experience and a stage production though)

[palmviolet]

top 5 movies to watch before going to sleep

ooh see i'm not really a relaxing comfort film type person... i tend to watch movies before i go to sleep just because that's the only time i feel 'justified' in doing so (too tired to do any actual writing/work) so it tends to be whatever's on my watchlist. so this top 5 is just going to be top 5 movies i have in the past watched before going to sleep

28 days later (2002). thankfully horror doesn't really affect me because i would Not recommend this as a bedtime lullaby. an absolute classic of the zombie genre, cillian murphy gets his star moment and society crumbles.

aftersun (2022). crying yourself to sleep after this one is a 10/10 experience, would recommend. i'm really not setting anyone up for pleasant dreams here

white noise (2022). also a very disturbing premise but i guess it's got a lighter tone? based on the delillo novel of the same name, a flawed adaptation but a very fun one.

phantom of the paradise (1974). everyone needs to watch this movie right now. it's rocky horror's lesser known sibling, the campest, wackiest rock musical of all time with such fun performances and costuming and staging.

a single man (2009). and we're back to sadness. apparently when i'm too tired to write i'm not too tired to experience every painful human emotion at once and dissect some pretty esoteric narrative choices.

this was probably not what you were expecting with this list... apologies for that. but thank you for the ask!

[o-uncle-newt]

Sorry, another break from the usual scheduled programming around here to tell everyone to watch Wes Anderson's adaptation of The Swan. Right now. It's less than twenty minutes.

(Though I did immediately turn around and watch it a second time...)

No actual spoilers below, but if you want to go in knowing literally nothing about how the story is adapted (as I DO recommend reading the short story first), skip it. But if you want to be talked into it, read on.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is one of my favorite books. Despite not being much of a Wes Anderson fan, I had a feeling that he'd really have a knack for adapting these stories, and I thought that Benedict Cumberbatch was a perfect choice for Henry Sugar. But when I heard that The Swan was adapted... I just couldn't picture it.

Turns out that Henry Sugar is super fun, and Cumberbatch is indeed great, but it doesn't quite scratch the itch that the story does. Ah well. The Swan though... The Swan was nearly perfect.

The thing is, I genuinely don't think that The Swan is adaptable as is. I think any attempt to actually film it with three teenage actors at a real lake would have flopped miserably.* Anderson realized this, and the solution he came up with (which I don't spoil) ends up working perfectly. At first, the approach seems baffling- but there is a moment at which it makes total sense, and is devastating in its impact. The staging is sparse and theatrical, the story is mostly told through narration**- and it just works.

It actually ends up transforming the story- it really is not quite the same entity as the original. All the same things happen, but in some ways (particularly through a lot of the very spare and figurative visualization, the sound choices, the narration choices) the impact is quite different. At first I wasn't quite sure what I thought about this, but now I think that I'm happy to have both. It's like having two different lenses on the same story.

Anyway, it is totally worth twenty minutes of your time, if not more.

*Could it have worked as animation?! Honestly, probably yes. I would LOVE to see some really creative animators take on The Swan.

**Rupert Friend is fucking phenomenal as the narrator. You'll see. Incredible performance. And Ralph Fiennes as Roald Dahl is incredible as well. (They both serve as very different kinds of narrators.)

[margridarnauds]

Idk if you still want asks, but do you have any thoughts on Stephen Sondheim's work? 👀

Oh, God, Sondheim and I have a long and complicated history, and some of my views have changed, some of them haven't.

For the most part: His work really isn't my favorite. I'll be the first to admit that I thrive on spectacle, I thrive on catchy tunes and big ballads and epic set pieces and belting. To some people back in the day, that'd have marked me out as a fake musical theatre fan. As someone who has now been in this for the last...well. 14 years, with a working knowledge of musicals across almost every single country that has staged them, I can say I don't care. I know what I like and what I don't like and I own it. I often think that Sondheim's work de-emphasizes the music in favor of the lyrics, which is fine if you like that (he's brilliant), but it isn't where MY focus is. It's the same way I feel about Great Comet.

That being said, I do like INDIVIDUAL Sondheim works -- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is dated in many ways, it shows its age in often-uncomfortable ways, but it DOES have an absolutely iconic opening number and is probably one of the single most pitch-perfect adaptations of a Roman comedy.

West Side Story (though, since he was only responsible for the lyrics, YMMV as far as how much it belongs on here) -- Iconic, beautiful, truly deserves its place as one of the greats. Again, aspects of it age uncomfortably, but when you consider the time it was made in, it really does make sense. "Tonight", my absolute beloved, perfect depiction of young love that's hurtling at the speed of a shooting star. "I feel Pretty", yes, it's been parodied to death, but it's FUN. "A Boy Like That" chilling, touching, painful given what happens afterward. "Maria"...is there.

Sweeney Todd -- I've never been able to watch it because of the whistle sound, it's a little too sharp for me (and I refuse to watch the film). Imo, not musically as good as West Side Story, but it STILL has some great numbers, "Johanna" (esp. the quartet), "Green Finch and Linnet Bird", "Poor Thing" (which is nightmare inducing), "Epiphany" (THEY ALLLLLL DESERVEEEE TO DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE), "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (SWING YOUR RAZZZOOORR HIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHH SWEENEY HOLLDDD IT TO THE SKYYYYYYYYY), which, very much to its credit, ABSOLUTELY inspired the various reprises of Facade in Jekyll and Hyde.

Into the Woods -- A little too mean spirited and cynical for my taste, even as it doesn't end on a totally miserable note and tries to reconstruct the world of fairy tales. I like individual strands of it, I like "Last Midnight", but it's hard to get over the cynical attitude towards fairy tales at the heart of it.

A Little Night Music - Probably my first Sondheim and honestly one of my favorites to this day, I love "Every day a little death" in particular and, of course, the iconic "Send in the Clowns." Désirée, the woman that you are.

Passion - One I've never actually listened to, but I appreciate the book, and I appreciate Sondheim's defense of Fosca, which I'll get to.

Company - ...well. "Being Alive" is nice.

Something I'll give Sondheim is that he was really comfortable shining a light on the human soul, the dark and the light parts, in a way that I think a lot of composers since have TRIED to imitate and that I don't think any have really succeeded in in the same way. And something I really give him, looking back as I was writing this, is that I don't think there's anything particularly SEXIST about the way that he writes female characters; I don't think that he has the Frank Wildhorn Madonna - Whore Complex or the ALW Every Woman Is My Ex Or My Wife Complex or the LMM Every Woman Is In Love With M-I Mean, My Protagonist Complex or the Michael Kunze Women Ruin Everything Complex. Like, "he writes women as people" should be a low bar for a male composer to clear, especially since I've never seen a female composer praised for writing male characters as people (we would consider it a cardinal writing sin if she didn't), but it's something of note. He has messy women, he has obsessive women, and they are distinctly WOMEN whose identities and roles in the story are intricately tied to them being women...but I don't think they're sexist because they're right there next to his men who are equally as messy and obsessive. And I do love the way that he defended Fosca in "Passion:" "[Audiences] refused to believe that anyone, much less the handsome Giorgio, could come to love someone so manipulative and relentless, not to mention physically repellent, as Fosca. As the perennial banality would have it, they couldn't 'identify' with the main characters. The violence of their reaction, however, strikes me as an example of 'The lady doth protest too much.' I think they may have identified with Giorgio and Fosca all too readily and uncomfortably. The idea of a love that's pure, that burns with D.H. Lawrence's gemlike flame, emanating from a source so gnarled and selfish, is hard to accept. Perhaps they were reacting to the realization that we are all Fosca, we are all Giorgio, we are all Clara."

Whatever I think about his work, whatever I think about his musicals, I can appreciate a man who is willing to appreciate a manipulative, relentless, and physically repellent woman and, not only appreciate her, but to accept that she's a part of him.

Overall, is he my favorite? No. A lot of his music and his overall style just is not to my personal taste. But he's a valuable, vital part of the canon, and with good reason. The man truly was a genius. I think that he did what he set out to do with musicals, even if he and I have different emphases, and I think that he did a lot better with women than MANY composers who like to pat themselves on the back for how progressive they are for including paper-thin female characters.

[philhoffman]

do you know any movies or directors that philip seymour hoffman liked watching? i’ve watched like his entire filmography now and obviously he’s an incredible actor but i also think he just seems to have incredible taste in projects so i want to watch what he liked if that makes sense… sorry if this sounds silly! hope you’re having a good day and appreciate the blog

Hi and thank you!! Not a silly request at all! I actually have an entire list of movies that Phil loved or are somehow connected to him in some way, including projects he auditioned for or directors he liked :)

[discocactusblogs]

bertuccio later becomes the counts butler or steward.

Have you heard of any of these adaptations?

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCountofMonteCristo/comments/w7iu1v/every_tcomc_adaptation_i_could_find.

I had no idea there were so many adatptations!

I've heard of and watched the 1975 film with Richard Chamberlain, and it's one of my favorite adaptions!

I have the 2002 DVD and I've watched it maybe twice, but I honestly love and hate it at the same time.

Gankutsuou is another DVD set I have as well since I'm a lover of anime as well. I absolutely adore the artwork and the futuristic setting while they keep it rather close to the book. I'm actually not quite done with it, but when I finish it, I'll write something about it.

Fun fact, I actually started watching the K-drama, Miss Monte Cristo and it's intriguing, so I just might pick it up again sometime soon.

The Russian musical Monte Cristo is also one that's caught my eye, but since I don't speak Russian fluently yet, It's difficult to find. I've seen some clips of it though, and I honestly like the costume and staging.

Frank Wildhorn's Count Of Monte Cristo is actually a favorite of mine, and was essentially what drew me to learn about the book after I had my musical playlist on shuffle and it auto played I Know Those Eyes.

Okay, I've heard of I Am Edmond Dantes via Russian musical theaters that I follow and was able to translate the title, but I do not know much of it.

Ah! Radio dramas my beloved, I've listened to both Mercury Radio and Lux radios productions and loved them!

I've seen Garfield and Friends' episode as well lol.

I actually remember Edmond being in Once Upon A Time, but I really should rewatch it because that was years ago before I read the book.

I actually didn't realize I consumed so much media from it 😂

There's also another musical that I stumbled across but I've got no idea where it's from or who wrote it.

But it's this one:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKAsb-hKy97P90V5ovKpfDwMt_Ly0UDm9

[themuse-if]

20 (or so) Questions with Eve Thompson

Let's get to know this incoming freshman class' jack of all trades! Hopefully we'll find out if those rumors are really true or if they're actually the master of none.

Interviewer: Hey Everly/Everette, thanks for coming in for a more in depth conversation. Let's start simple. What's your birthday?

Eve: June 5th. Summer vibes, you know?

Interviewer: Absolutely. Any nicknames you go by?

Eve: Just Everly/Everette. Keeps it straightforward, and I think it suits me. I definitely don't think I need a stage name.

Interviewer: Good to know. What are some of your good traits?

Eve: Versatility is a key trait – singing, dancing, and acting I want to be seen as an overall performer who can do it all. I'm adaptable, always ready to tackle different roles, and I relentlessly pursue excellence in everything I do.

Interviewer: Impressive qualities. How about challenging traits?

Eve: I can get quite competitive, especially in the performing arts world. It's tough out there, and standing out becomes a necessity.

Interviewer: Understandable. Hobbies outside of the performing arts?

Eve: I know this is completely coming out of left field, but I actually really enjoy knitting. I learned from my Grandma. I would go visit her a lot on the weekends, and we would watch whatever was on the turner classics channel, and she would teach me to knit. It sounds really corny, but I really cherish those memories.

Interviewer: That is just about the sweetest thing I've heard all day. What’s your greatest strength?

Eve: Adaptability. Whether it's seamlessly switching between roles on stage or navigating a new environment like New York, I thrive in ever-changing landscapes.

Interviewer: Admirable. And your biggest weakness?

Eve: Maybe the pressure to stand out. In a city filled with extraordinary talent, it's a constant challenge to distinguish oneself and leave a lasting impact.

Interviewer: It's a competitive world indeed. Describe yourself in one word.

Eve: Ambitious.

Interviewer: And how do you think others see you in one word?

Eve: Talented.

Interviewer: Let's explore fears a bit. What’s your greatest fear?

Eve: Fading into the background, becoming just another face in the crowd. I aim for impact and recognition.

Interviewer: Understandable. Top priorities at this point in your life?

Eve: Navigating the competitive world of performing arts in New York, honing my skills, and making friends as well as connections throughout my time in university.

Interviewer: Big dreams indeed. Tell me about your family.

Eve: Pretty ordinary – supportive parents, two younger siblings, the twins Aiden and Amber. They've always encouraged my passion for the arts, and their support means the world to me.

Interviewer: Admirable. Future goals – what's on your agenda?

Eve: The EGOT I mean an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony that really is the pinnacle. Beyond that, I want to continue evolving as a performer. Leaving a lasting impact on the world of entertainment is the ultimate goal.

Interviewer: Ambitious and inspiring. How would you spend a rainy day?

Eve: Exploring cozy cafes, maybe catching up on theater shows or films.

Interviewer: Favorite book?

Eve: "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. I'm honestly not sure if it's my favorite book but I did really enjoy it. It has a really unique concept that I've never encountered before, and I find that really refreshing.

Interviewer: Great choice. And your favorite movie?

Eve: Hmm just one movie, I can't play favorites when it comes to movies. I'll just pick a random one that I like, so "Chicago." It's one of the best from Broadway to film adaptions! You have a super talented all-star cast and an already amazing score to work with and it's just perfection.

Interviewer: Lovely. Any dark secrets?

Eve: No dark secrets here. I mean not really...I have been feeling kind of off lately maybe a bit insecure. Who wouldn't though?! I was a big fish in a small pond, but the pond has turned into an ocean, so I don't feel that big anymore. *nervous laugh*

Interviewer: I completely understand, and I'm sure you'll adapt. Ok, lets switch gears, What's your best physical feature?

Eve: Mmm, I thing I have really good bone structure. My face is just pretty symmetrical.

Interviewer: Indeed it is. What about your least favorite?

Eve: My ears I feel like they stick out to much. Which is why my hair is always at least long enough to cover them.

Interviewer: I see. Lastly, how would you describe being in love?

Eve: I don't know. I think that, well I hope that it's like just finding a new best friend. Someone who I can let see all my little quirks. Someone who gets my silly sense of humor. I think that I really struggle with being 100% my authentic self. When I find someone who lets me be completely me, then I'll know that it's love.

Interviewer: *gets starry eyed* Beautifully expressed, Everly/Everette. Thanks for sharing with me. Excited to witness your journey at NYU and beyond!

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I haven't done lists in a while and there's a lot pilling up just this week so it's time to bring it back.

1. I'm revisting Old Hollywood again now that I've watched most of the films nominated for Oscar this year. The Be Kind Rewind youtube channel has been sort of the trigger for going back to the past and for that I have to thank @shimako for the recommendation 🩷 I've watched the 2 hour and a half video essays on the Valley of The Dolls and the behind the scenes story is far more interesting that the film itself.

Not to say that the themes addressed in the film wouldn't be, like disillusionment in Hollywood, personal grievances, what it means to be an actress and especially not a really succesful one. It reminded me of Didion's Play It As It Lays (which I think it's a better piece of literature although the film adaption seems to have turned into a failure?)

2. Anyway, that made me go down the rabbit hole and watch other essays on Ruth Gordon (amazing woman) and Katharine Hepburn.

3 . Speaking of Hepburn, I realized yesterday that I've only seen her paired on screen with Cary Grant and not with Spencer Tracy (I know!). So I rectified that mistake and I watched Adam's Rib (George Cukor, 1949) and I finally understood what all the fuss was about and I have some sort of theory. Grant and Hepburn together are like this very performative version of a couple in which the constant bickering takes center stage, but even when they do get together, it lacks something. A bit of authenticity. But with the Hepburn-Tracy duo, you can almost feel it. It's right there in the small, natural gestures. Instant chemistry and love. They work so well together. I guess the off screen affair of 26 years helped that as well.

3. I love Mommy Dearest and Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford. The screaming, the crying, the makeup, "No wire hangers!". Poor baby Christina. It's a shame though that Faye Dunaway distanced herself from it because of how "bad" it turned out, but I understand why she felt she had to do it.

But I also couldn't help but think of DeNiro in Cape Fear and his own campy performance in a very 90s ridiculous film that allowed Scorsese to try his hand at that type of thriller. DeNiro's career didn't suffer because of it, as opposed to Dunaway's version of camp, which I prefer actually. It may have been hated at that time, but Mommie Dearest is a cult classic.

*Bonus: Currently listening to another You Must Remember This podcast series. It's Gossip Girls: Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, aka the famous old Hollywood gossip columnists.

Now, for some ridiculous internet & showbiz drama:

4. People going conspiracy mode over Kate Middleton? Some of us lived months without any sign from Jimin. They could learn from that. But love the memes.

5. I feel sorry for those kids in Glasgow. They really experienced the effects of AI used by assholes who wanted to make some money. The lady in green hair has been all over twitter and whilst funny for us, it is shitty to be in her shoes. The Unknown! 🤦‍♀️

6. Who was an ass to Rebecca Ferguson on set? The consensus is that Jake Gyllenhaal was the culprit and I wouldn't be surprised. But it needs more investigating.

7. Over in K-Pop Land Karina gets a boyfriend, her fans are devasted and Koreaboo is pumping "articles" by the minute. What else is new?

8. Stans of all types are stanning and fighting. One day 🐥 girlies, the next day 🐰 girlies and all the other crazies all week long, no break. I do read the stuff in my inbox, but I'm really not in a mood to comment on every shitty thing that happens so often. I know that once I do it, then I just invite more and it's just pointless. There's no actual JM and JK which is frustrating enough and no travel show on the horizon and it's just too bleak at this point.

We're waiting, clock is ticking. At least release a travel show as a summer content, ok?

9. I did see that Billboard kpop 100 top. Yeah, I don't understand the logic of including individual artists if they haven't charted on their own. Don't these people have editors to point out the flaws in the listicles? It's just dumb.