#hollywood toys and costume

[whatsyourghoststory]

Top 10…or 12 Haunted Sites visited in 2023

The most amazing, unique, creepy (and simply coolest) haunted places we visited around the world in 2023.

[meekosthemeparkphotos]

Rockette Toy Solider Costume

[forthegothicheroine]

I hate it when I like things attached to an IP, because no matter how creative an artist gets, it can never be totally their vision. Even if it's not attached to a broader cinematic universe that it isn't allowed to disrupt, they can never make a Batman movie that might threaten toy sales, even if that movie is a hit in its own right.

I would really love to hire my favorite directors, writers, actors, illustrators, costume designers, etc* and have them give me their spin on a theme or subgenre. Don't give me a Batman movie, give me your version of a pulp vigilante story. Don't give me a Star Wars movie, show me what a mythic space opera should look like. Don't do a live action Disney remake, do a family-friendly musical fairy tale film. I know that's not how Hollywood works, at least not anymore, but that's my dream.

(*Ideally all these people would be interested in doing this, rather than it being a David Lynch's Dune scenario)

[floralcyanide]

𝐃𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

Ghostface x Reader

Headcanons of how each of the guys would be as a dad. (No Ghostface)

warnings: mentions of infertility, mentions of illness of a parent, not much else other than that, this is mostly fluff

word count: 1127

author’s note: hiii I know it's been a while since I've written and posted. but I wanted to write a little something for father's day for our fave slahsers. I hope you enjoy!!

masterlist | add yourself to the taglist here

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

Billy:

❈ Billy is such a girl dad, and you can’t change my mind

❈ you end up having twin girls, both of which look just like Billy

❈ they are attached to him in ways you can’t explain

❈ your girls love you, and you love them very much, but their dad is definitely the apple of their eye

❈ Billy spoils the hell out of the girls growing up

❈ they’re still very humble despite them getting everything they want

❈ you and Billy made sure to teach them values

❈ when they’re teenagers, they’re drop-dead gorgeous, which makes Billy nervous

❈ he’s definitely the dad who threatens the boys who date your daughters, even though you tell him to be smart

❈ but, knowing Billy and his past, you know for sure he would definitely kill for his girls

Stu:

❈ Stu is also a girl dad

❈ when your daughter is born, he’s a mess

❈ Stu has this huge smile he can’t wipe off his face every time he looks at your daughter

❈ he takes her everywhere with him when she’s a toddler and buys her any toy or candy she points out

❈ when school starts, you don’t who cries harder, Stu or your daughter

❈ prom and graduation are also very emotional times for Stu as his daughter is now grown up

❈ Stu is protective of his daughter, but not so much that he’d go into a murderous rage

❈ but he still scared the boys in her life enough to where they never hurt her too badly

❈ Stu is ecstatic when your daughter gets married and has children of her own

❈ just as he was a cool dad, he’s now a cool grandpa

Mickey:

❈ Mickey has always wanted a son to teach everything to

❈ so when you find out your baby is a boy, Mickey is beside himself with excitement

❈ he has a whole list of names picked out already

❈ when your son is born, Mickey stares in awe at him and how much he looks like the both of you

❈ he has your eyes and Mickey’s nose and smile

❈ Mickey is the perfect father, getting up to take care of him at night when it’s his turn

❈ sometimes he’ll do it when it’s your turn, too, so that you’ll get more rest

❈ and he’s just enthralled with his son and loves spending time with him

❈ skin-to-skin contact is Mickey’s favorite part of your son being a baby

❈ when your son is old enough to do things, Mickey is over the top with getting him into sports, art, music, and so on

❈ he wants his son to be happy no matter what he chooses to do with his childhood and his life

Roman:

❈ you have both a boy and a girl a few years apart

❈ the girl is older and very sassy, just like her father

❈ the boy is very shy and to himself, also just like his father at times

❈ Roman loves teaching the kids about art and film

❈ your daughter picks up photography, much to Roman’s delight, while your son is into costumes and designing them, which also makes Roman excited

❈ you both decide to send the kids to an art school, and Roman is upset that he won’t see the kids as often as he’d like during their teen years

❈ but he knows they love what they do and need the necessary education for those subjects

❈ once your kids are no longer kids and have graduated university, Roman makes sure that they get good jobs in the industry in Hollywood

❈ watching your little family be so close and working together makes you incredibly happy

Charlie:

❈ Charlie was very terrified when he found out you were pregnant

❈ but god, does he love his son more than anything

❈ your son looks like Charlie spit him out, with his large, round eyes and rosy lips

❈ your son is just like Charlie personality wise

❈ but your son can be very outspoken sometimes, which can make Charlie a little mad

❈ however, Charlie is very patient and learns how to handle your son and his attitude

❈ when your son struggles in school due to attention problems, Charlie researches and does everything possible in order to help his educational needs

❈ when your son graduates high school, he decides to go on to college for something Charlie isn’t a big fan of

❈ but upon seeing how skilled your son is in the career field, Charlie grows happy for him

❈ once your son has a family of his own, Charlie helps him a lot with raising his own son

Richie:

❈ at first, Richie wasn’t too keen on the idea of having children

❈ but when you both find out you’re infertile, his attitude changes

❈ suddenly, he wants to do anything to make you happy, including having children, even if they aren’t your biological ones

❈ you both decide to foster kids for a little while

❈ Richie is surprisingly wonderful with every kid who comes through your household

❈ one kid specifically holds a dear spot in your and Richie’s hearts, so you decide to adopt them permanently

❈ soon, you adopt a few more kids, making your family grow larger

❈ once all your kids have completed school and the house was empty, you realize just how much your unluckiness with fertility changed everything in your and Richie’s lives

Ethan:

❈ when your last living parent falls ill and is no longer able to take care of your little sibling, you have to step up and have temporary guardianship

❈ you and Ethan have been together for a while, but kids haven’t really been brought up quite yet

❈ so it’s weird suddenly having the responsibility shared between both of you for a child

❈ but the weird dynamic quickly becomes habit and routine

❈ Ethan takes your sibling to school, makes breakfast and packs their lunch, helps with their homework, and just about anything you can think of

❈ you and Ethan discuss having children of your own once your parent gets better and has your sibling back in their household

❈ but when your parent doesn’t get better, and it seems your sibling living with you is permanent, life throws another curveball, and you become pregnant

❈ so you and Ethan raise your sibling and child together very happily

❈ Ethan is great with kids because of his personality, and it definitely has reflected onto the kid he helped raise as well as his own child

taglist:

@bridgergf @criminalmindsfan13 @axen-gers @belovedtylerr @bonbekahsfav @jokersgrf @snazzynacho @cobra-kaii @im-a-slut-for-this-man2 @nicepeony @her-violent-delights @justacosplayerlol @chiimiki @radiant-whore @ppanemorfii @teleiophiliac @18lkpeters @vampyrgoff @roryculkinsbf @leilani788

[b4mpyre-k1zz3s]

okay so this is kinda detailed but i have a fic request. so reader is a rockstar (not famous yet) and mtvs like “yeah we’ll do the show but add a chick” then steve-os like “i know someone” and long story short she becomes part of the cast and everyone thinks she’s gonna get with knoxville or bam bc she’s like a hot reckless rockstar then they meet up with the west chester guys and makes it no secret that she thinks dunn is HAWT; and everyone’s like “dunn?! out of everyone?” basically everyone thinks she’s way out of his league and idk after that but just something where ryan’s ego is BOOSTED by this hot girl everyone wants, wanting him. (also i fucking love you’re writing and you’re an icon. kisses 😘)

With The Band

Ryan Dunn X Fem!Reader

(Fluff, Angst)

2k Words

Warnings: Highly suggestive content, flirting, alcohol, awkward boners, flirting, jealousy, implied sex

An: Thank you so much for the request! I really appreciate more detailed requests, so no need to apologize! I always adore writing for Ryan, so I had a great time with this fic :) I did pen this during midterms, so please excuse any typos lol Thank you for requesting, and keep the requests coming!

The metal fold up chair was ice against your ass as you buckled up your egregious, patent leather heels. Instead of rehearsing for your show that night, you were slumming it with good ole Steve-O, who much like you, naturally gravitated toward the cooler. “Really? My first TV spot, an’ I couldn’t do anything besides…this?” When you heard his excited rambling over the phone about this huge ass opportunity he had for you, you’d assumed it would be something tangentially related to your music career and not just your awesome boobs. Steve slung a tattooed arm around your shoulders, “Welcome’t MTV, dude!” He laughed that wheezy, broken dog toy laugh, “Listen- just walk in an’ hold the number up. Piece’a cake!” It was odd, having the king of sleaze himself being the only one in that room not staring at you because, due in part to the fact you went way back in the partying scene, he’d seen you wearing much less than your little Federette outfit covered up.

On the other side of the room, the rest of the guys pretended to discuss whatever they were planning for this shoot. “So that’s the lady he was talkin’ about…” Knoxville’s sidelong glances were concealed behind his shades, but the same could not be said about Bam, who struggled to conceal his telescope goldfish staring. Woah, sexy metal chick in a bikini…

Johnny approached with his typical, Hollywood coolness. “Hey there, Sweetheart! Pleasure’t meet you, I’m-“ Sitting up from where you scrounged in the cooler, you took the hand he offered in your icy palm. Unfolding to your feet, you sized up Mr. B-Moviestar like he’d been not so secretly doing to you, “Knoxville?” Smiling in that coy, charming way, he bashfully nodded, “Yes, ma’am!” Your gaze then fell on Bam who, due to your platforms, was nearly eye level with your awesome boobs. Tilting your head to one side, you cocked an eyebrow and innocently asked, “Who’s the little one?” Briefly shaken out of his lusty trance, he straightened himself and proudly sniped back, “I am Bam-fucking-Margera.” Cute. The way he cursed like a twelve year old who just learned how to swear made you stifle a snicker. After a moment of you studying his features, you realized that he was the one that ran into walls. “Well, Bam Fucking Margera, I’m Y/N!”

Knoxville let out a bark of a laugh at your quick wit. It was clear to everybody in the room that you were a chick who could keep up with them. This point was most abundantly made to Ryan. See, from the way he was hiding in the corner and not swooping down to peck at you the way seagulls might to a beached whale corpse, one might assume he was disinterested. That would be far from the case. See, the costume department ran out of swishy satin shorts for the boxing stunt they were going to film, so he was stuck with these tight little spandex things. Long story short, if Dunn popped a boner, it wouldn’t just be noticeable- you’d be able to count the goddamn veins on that thing. And yeah, you were really fucking hot.

Sensing an opportunity, Ry decided to suck it up and say something because, if he didn’t, you’d be at the mercy of his dipshit friends. In the midst of everybody dogging on Bam, he got up and put on his best impression of a totally smooth, confident, flirty guy. Standing behind Bam,he wiped the corner of his friend's mouth with the pad of his thumb like a concerned parent.

It was charming. Unlike the rest of those freaks, you got the impression that he was a person you could spend a lot of time with. This contrasted with Steve, whose company definitely had an expiration date. The way Ryan’s golden curls fell on his face, the confident way he carried himself, and those broad shoulders…I mean, you could get past the spandex. Making no effort to hide your gaze raking over Dunn’s muscular build, your lips curled into a smirk as you purred, “Hey, hey…Who’s this butterscotch stallion?”

This suitable clunk echoed from jaws hitting the floor. Surprised that his flirting actually worked and he didn’t fumble this dream girl, Dunn gestured to himself, “Me?” He was just as shocked as everybody else that you were interested in him, but there weren’t any other butterscotch stallions in that room. “Ryan?!” the room collectively gasped. So that’s his name…Eyes twinkling, you nodded in recognition, “Ryan!”

“Greetings, and welcome to TRL! This is Y/N, comin’ to you live from time square, and we have got a real nice show lined up for you tonight-“ Gesturing to the soundstage behind you, packed with cheering fans, you pulled out your very best showman skills as you prattled on, “We’ve got…I think Hilary Duff up next- and afterwards, a performance of N*SYNC’s new- ah, i’m just messin with ya!” As you introduced the actual scheduled programming, which was far more your style, you thought back to how, not even two weeks ago, you were nobody. Thanks to strutting your cute ass on that dumb MTV show, this miraculous opportunity fell right into your lap. And Ryan.

Squinting at your image on the monitor in the back room, Bam wondered aloud, “How the hell’d you bag that?” His words were obviously pointed at the butterscotch stallion himself, a nickname many of the others had taken to. Even Johnny was a little bewildered, looking at you animatedly interviewing some rap-metal band, not to mention those tight little jeans… You didn’t seem like Dunn’s type at all. “Yeah- you got pheromones or somethin?” Taking off the sunglasses that concealed his hangover, Dunn shrugged as he nudged his way between the two to get a peep at the screen, “I dunno- I showered, I guess.” For once in a millennia, yeah…Sniffing him, Bam crinkled up his nose at the lack of booze and nicotine stink, “What’s that- Irish Spring?”

That’s partially what made Bam coming up to you out of seemingly nowhere. As you slipped away between commercials to hit the can and maybe get a smoke in, he dogged on your heels, fueled by his frustration at you domesticating his buddy. “Hey- Hey! Y/N- “ Your ears perked up at the brash, phillytrash accent that followed you down the hall to the stairwell, and you turned around to lean against the wall. Bam dropped his voice and leaned in close, but malevolent eagerness shone through his words, “Ryan Dunn’s gotta wrinkle and a head. Thing looks like a bellybutton- I’ve seen it!” His ranting echoed against the concrete as you lit up a cigarette, “Oh, have you?” Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he mimicked your nonchalance, “Yeah!”

“Y’know, I’ve been reading these tabloids,” you gestured with a smoky twirl, figuring to hit him where it hurts, “an’ I’ve been hearin’ yours is pretty sma-“ Eyes widening, he dropped his cool guy facade like it were red hot, “Atatata! Bullshit- that’s fake news.” Swatting your words from the air, he didn’t even notice when the door swung open, letting an intern in on a pretty absurd scene. “Listen lady, I’ll have you know I’ve pleased a lotta women with this-“ he exasperatedly whipped his head around to the person in the headset, “What!?” “You’re, uh…you’re on in five, Ms. Y/N. Oh, uh- you too, Mr. Margera….”

Ever since you met him, Ryan started glowing. Yes, he still had those sweet, sad eyes that just saw right through you, but there was this earthly lightness about him. Like he was in on some big, cosmic joke only you and him knew. He was showering on a regular basis as well, so that might have helped. Your meteoric rise in popularity turned into your first U.S. tour, and you’d managed to haggle with your manager to give you a day off around your Philadelphia show. Even in the darkness of the smoky, local bar he’d taken you out to, like a sailor on his last night of shore leave, he lit up that room. You were drinking there, unbeknownst to the fact that his buddies, heralded by the former, decided to stop by there as well.

Johnny was in Westchester to film an episode of Viva la Bam when you happened to drift back onto his radar. Yeah, he knew you were dating Ry, and he was a pretty good boyfriend, but he knew you could do better. As Ryan excused himself to hit the can, Knoxville’s low, sweet accent cut through the chatter of the crowd as he stepped up behind you. “If y’don’t mind, you are lookin’ mighty fine this evening, miss Y/N…” Not to much turn, you tilted your head back to meet his gaze with how much taller than you he was. Mister plausible deniability here, hitting on his buddy’s girl, but saying those words like he was talking about the weather. Good old fashioned southern manners…

“Hi- Johnny, right?” The cosmetic dent to his ego was hidden behind his shades, but you could see him falter before nodding with that signature grin. Sniffing the air, you smirked, “Did Jeff piss on your leg again? I heard the two of you do that…thing.” The time you’d spent in their company gave you some insight to their typical antics. Chuckling at the disgust in your voice, Knoxville glanced down at the dark blue on the thigh of his Dickies, “Ah! Well, it appears he has…” In a moment of great coincidence, that’s when Ryan made his grand reappearance behind you and Johnny because Houdini, pulling off his great disappearing act…

The end of the night was rolling around: when the beer goes flat and the company loses savor. Steve-O had gone from doing bar tricks for free drinks to threatening some poor sap with a splintered pool cue. Bam, who’d previously tried to be cordial with Ryan (and only Ryan, refusing to acknowledge you), was now quietly sulking in the corner while some girl tried in vain to talk him up. Noticing your unamused expression, Dunn spoke up first, “Y’wanna go back t’my place?” A tired smile crossed your face as you leaned the weight of your head against your palms. You groaned, amplifiers still ringing in your head from the day before, “Yeah, I’d love to. Anywhere quieter than here...”

Drinking in that crowded bar morphed into drinking on Ryan’s sofa. Maybe there was something about the way his face looked cascaded in soft, blue light from the fish tank in the corner that made him look so goddamn dreamy. Well, it was his roommate’s sofa, but he wasn’t about to screw you on the floor-mattress he slept on in the basement. From where you sat snuggled up into the crook of his arm while he flicked through channels and tried his hardest to look nonchalant, you couldn’t help but chuckle at the very apparent tension in Dunn’s face. He’s not the kinda guy who’d jump your bones right off the bat, but you found the way he looked tryin’a play it all cool in front of you kind of cute. You nuzzled against his cheek, placing little kisses against the warm skin of his neck and inhaling this delicate melange of booze and Irish Spring that was a prerequisite to close proximity to him. Ry let out a shaky exhale and a grin spread across your face- your fate was sealed.

Warm light flooding in through the living room’s far window, Ryan blinked awake with the worst headache of his life. But the throbbing at his temples all but disappeared when he looked down at the beautiful woman peacefully slumbering against his chest. Makeup smudged hopelessly around your eyes, your breath rose and fell steadily in this perfect, kinda screwed up picture of serenity. Tentatively running his fingers through a few locks of your hair, he muttered to himself through a smile, “I’m the luckiest guy on earth…”

[morkitten]

KAMEN RIDER MEGAPOST

I've been deep in the Kamen Rider hole after taking a blind chance on it about a year ago and it's been one of the most rewarding discoveries I've had, so I'm doing a megapost where I try to convey what's so interesting and unique about this series that you can literally just start anywhere. There's a Kamen Rider series for everyone, and I hope to convince you of it and point to where you can give it a try for yourself. Click on the read more to see more!

WHAT IS KAMEN RIDER?

Kamen Rider is a superhero that rides a motorcycle who's often bug-themed, but not always. The Kamen Rider franchise started in 1971 and, with the exception of a few periods of dry spells, keeps making new yearly series to this day. It's part of Japan's many, many decades old craft of special effects-focused TV shows and movies, called "Tokusatsu" (literally, "special filming"). It was conceived and spearheaded by Shotaro Ishinomori, an incredibly famous mangaka in Japan, responsible for not only Kamen Rider, but also Super Sentai, Cyborg 009, Zubat, Kikaider, and many other TV series and mangas. The amount of works he has produced in manga and TV is incredibly huge, and his works have been incredibly influential to Japanese culture as a whole. Kamen Rider can be argued that is his biggest, most important contribution.

A consistent theme in early Kamen Rider series is that he's a lonesome, grieving hero, in which his sadness fuels his righteous anger at the evils that he's fighting against. He's been transformed into a monster against his will, and now must fight against the very forces that created him. In every Kamen Rider series, the power that the protagonist wields is the same power that fuels the evil forces he fights against. In a way, you can see it as a metaphor for Kamen Rider's production itself: It must use the evil power of mass media to carry its anti-authoritarian messages that go against the very forces that even allow it to exist. It's the tale of every artist trying to create something earnest and culturally and artistically enriching in the cynical mass media space.

WHY WATCH KAMEN RIDER?

I was never really sold on Kamen Rider at first. I remember watching a bit of Kamen Rider Black when I was very young, so I was always nostalgically curious about it. But whenever I saw the newer Kamen Rider stuff pop up on Twitter or whatever, I had always dismissed it as "eh, whatever bug bit you I guess made you interested in that". Something about the super toyetic costume designs and super fake CG just never really inspired my attention, and it was easy to dismiss it as something for kids, something in that same place in my mind as "what shonenheads are into". I guess what I mean is that I saw newer Kamen Rider as "low art". It's easy to categorize it as such, people in silly suits selling toys, doing really silly comedy, with silly CG. I've seen Power Rangers before, it's just that. It has to be cynical!

I had never done such a big 180 before. Yes, Kamen Rider is "for the kids" (with some exceptions), yes it has a ton of silliness to it, but there's also a lot of good cinematography, fantastic stunts, and really great, serious drama. Kamen Rider is seen as a cultural institution in Japan for all those reasons. It's a way to keep a lot of theater traditions alive in a modern space, a way to have many young, extremely talented actors have a big break, a way to keep tokusatsu traditions and craft (analog special effects, stuntmen, martial arts actors) alive, employed, and continuously evolving, to create something that bridges the gap across all generations in Japan.

It's difficult to explain, but Kamen Rider has the important positive qualities of extremely good older television like Star Trek and Columbo. A TV show that doesn't want to aspire to be a hollywood movie like Netflix series cheaply try to do, but that sees the value of theater and theater skills in television.

Another thing to note is that because Kamen Rider is such a huge cultural institution, if you enjoy anime and japanese video games, there's so so much about what you love on your favorite anime and games that are directly inspired by Kamen Rider. Every japanese action game you've enjoyed? Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Hagane, Bayonetta, they -all- have an incredibly huge amount of Kamen Rider in them. Nearly everything Gainax, Hideaki Anno and Studio Trigger made. Pokémon, Digimon, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh (especially on the superb monster designs), Taiyo Matsumoto, every japanese character that has ever stricken a dab. It's not just references, there are fundamental things about pretty much all of these games, mangas and animes I've listed that are directly attributed to Kamen Rider. So if you enjoy anything I've listed, you ought to give it a try.

OKAY, WHERE TO START?

One of the greatest things about Kamen Rider is that since every series is its own closed continuity (there are crossover movies but they largely don't matter), you can pretty much start anywhere you'd like. Of course, with this many ice cream flavors, one can't help but become paralyzed by the abundance of choice, even though, and I can't emphasize this enough, every Kamen Rider series I've watched so far have all been pretty good to fantastic. I'm sure there's a couple of stinkers I've avoided, but a hitrate like this feels miraculous, I don't understand how does Kamen Rider from so many different eras can keep such a consistent quality even when they can feel so different from one another and be spearheaded by such different creators. You can maybe look them all up and decide what theme you're most attracted by, or, I can maybe help you and tell you about the ones I've watched!

So, here's a list of the Kamen Riders I've watched, with short descriptions of each of them and what makes them appealing, and a mini-list of recommended episodes to sample, in case you're still not sure whether to jump in:

SHOWA ERA (1971 - 1994)

KAMEN RIDER (1971)

The original, and also the least I've watched so far, haven't even gotten to 10 episodes yet. It famously started with an incredibly small budget and it's magical to see what tricks the production employed in order to make it work and be exciting and fun while spending as little money as possible. The stunts are very dangerous but very cool to see. A long, very episode-by-episode affair, but if you get excited on cheap sets and cheap cinema tricks and special effects used very cleverly, this is going to light you up like a christmas tree. It also employs some thriller-inspired cinematography that is very exciting. The writing doesn't offer much substance, but it has this quality where it really believes in itself and in the ideals that Kamen Rider is supposed to represent that is very easy to feel wrapped up in. Might bore you if you're not already sold on the appeal of old tokusatsu.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 6: The Grim Reaper Chameleon! Episode 7: The Grim Reaper Chameleon Showdown: Old World's Fair

KAMEN RIDER AMAZON (1974)

It's basically just the 1971 Kamen Rider but the main character is Tarzan. It runs only half as long as other Kamen Rider series so if you wanna do a whole Showa-era KR series quickly, it's a very solid recommendation. It's very violent for a children's show, with Amazon often slicing and mauling his monster opponents in bloody messes, and it looks really sick. The suits and special effects are better than how the original Kamen Rider starts off, but it still has that appeal of being old and budgeted for a TV show, which in this case is a huge positive, imo. Also again, the writing isn't much to write about, so don't expect big narrative payoffs or anything like that, you really have to enjoy it on an episode-by-episode basis, which is fine, because the monsters and special effects are extremely cool, the characters are charismatic, and the little episodic plots are fun.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 4: Run! The Raging Jungler! Episode 11: The Golden Snail is the Grim Reaper's Envoy!? Episode 16: Garanda's Tokyo Sea of Flames Operation Episode 17: Mt.Fuji Big Explosion?! The Tokyo Fry Pan Operation

KAMEN RIDER BLACK (1987)

This was supposed to be a revival of Kamen Rider into public interest after being dormant for a while, so it also feels like a retelling of the first Kamen Rider in a sense, has a lot of common elements, but with slick 80s production and sensibilities all over. If you love how 80s action, sci-fi and thriller movies look like, you'll love the cinematography and production of Kamen Rider Black. It's edgier, sleeker, and even scarier, borrowing a lot of horror/thriller elements that were in vogue at the time, while still being a hopeful, heroic and uplifting presence for children. Has an overarching plot that develops over time but it's, again, really about enjoying it on an episode-by-episode basis, as the overarching plot develops veeeery slowly and in very small portions. I supremely love how this series looks, I love the special effects, I love the suits, and it has my favorite transformation sequence.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 1: Black!! Transformation Episode 2: Monster Party Episode 18: Sword Saint Bilgenia Episode 20: Rider's Grave Episode 23: Marumo's Magic Power Episode 24: College Girl's Nightmare

SHIN KAMEN RIDER PROLOGUE (1992) (MOVIE)

This doesn't have anything to do with the Anno movie, the Shin here is written differently. A movie that celebrates the series' 20th anniversary that tells its own story with its own Kamen Rider, so it feels like a "reboot" or "re-interpretation" of Kamen Rider. It's darker and scarier, with a Kamen Rider that looks much more like a monster than an armored hero, and leans more into the horror side of Kamen Rider, being more adult-focused. Very violent and very cool.

KAMEN RIDER ZO (1993) (MOVIE)

This was supposed to be a full-fledged Kamen Rider series but the 80s bubble popped and they decided to shift production into a short movie instead. Might be a good introduction point, since it's a short 1-hour watch, and has a ton of really great special effects. Everything that is great about Black's cinematography, propwork and special effects apply here, except since it's just one movie, they're really throwing everything they've got into it

HEISEI AND REIWA ERAS (2000-Present)

Kamen Rider went dormant in the 90s until it was revived back into its TV format by Kamen Rider Kuuga, which was a major success. Since then, there's been yearly new Kamen Rider series on Japanese television, non-stop.

The difference between the Kamen Rider of old (Showa era) and the Kamen Rider series past this revival (Heisei, Reiwa) is that newer Kamen Rider series, despite also being monster-of-the-week romps, tend to have a more complex overarching plot which they tend to lean more into, and less of dangerous stunts and practical effects. Episodes also tend to be two-parters, so maybe calling them monster-of-the-week is innacurate, it's more like monster-of-every-two-weeks. This shift is fine because their reliance on denser plots with a much larger supporting cast of characters, more than makes up for it. It feels less that they're stretching episodes into two-parters and more like they're filling these episodes with so much other stuff that making them 2-parters makes sense.

Also, to note, as modern Kamen Rider goes on, there's more reliance on CGI, but all the monsters (and Kamen Riders) are practical suits and there's still plenty of practical effects, so don't let the super artificial candy-colored videogamey CGI effects trick you into thinking that that's all there is to modern KR.

KAMEN RIDER KIVA (2008)

Kiva is the only "Heisei phase 1" series I've watched so far (early to late 2000s), and I absolutely love it, one of my favorite Kamen Riders. It's considered to be a bit of a black sheep of Heisei phase 1 Kamen Riders but I think fans severely overlook and misjudge Kiva. Kamen Rider Kiva is vampire-themed and is about this shut-in, extremely shy boy who, mysteriously, is also the heroic Kiva, that springs into action whenever Fangires (vampire monsters) are about to kill humans. However, it also takes place 20 years before, in the 1980s, where Fangires are also attacking, but there's no Kiva around to stop them. Instead, humans have created a secret vampire-hunting association and are developing their own technology to stop them. What's the connection between the characters from each time era? Mysteries...!! It has a large cast of characters and incredible soap opera drama and romance that'll keep you heavily invested in all of its twists and turns. It's a very narrative affair which makes it difficult to recommend episodes out of order since it can be confusing to catch things out of context. The fact that it takes place both in the 2000s and in the 80s means every episode has both an A-plot and a B-plot, which avoids the pitfall of some modern Kamen Riders of two-parters that don't have enough going on, because Kiva is absolutely overstuffed with great characters and narratives. The drama is great, the romance is great, the comedy is superb, and the fights are awesome too. I really can't recommend it enough.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 1: Fate: Wake Up! and Episode 2: Suite: Father and Son Violin (2-parter) Episode 17: Lesson: My Way and Episode 18: Quartet: Listen to Your Heart's Voice (2-parter) (I have trouble recommending more episodes out of order because this series is very narratively-involved!)

KAMEN RIDER W (2009)

W is a very well-received and loved series, and it's easy to see why. It's one of those things that if you watch it you immediately go "oh, if I watched this as a kid I would be so so into it". It has fun, charismatic characters that you want to see every week, simple to understand and easy to like. It's detective-themed and the Kamen Rider is actually comprised of a fusion of two people - Shotaro, who wants to be a tough, hard-boiled detective but is unintentionally kind of stupid and goofy and isn't seen very seriously by people around him, but has a heart of gold, and Phillip, who is an androgynous autistic introvert that basically has the entirety of Google inside his mind, and uses this to help find information to solve cases. Together they transform into Kamen Rider W (W as in "double", get it?), with each controlling a literal half of the suit (right and left), that they can switch properties of and create different combinations. They're great characters but who really steals the show is the comedy relief sidekick, Akiko. She's an immensely funny actress and character.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episodes 1 and 2: W Search Episodes 9 and 10: S Terror Episodes 23 and 24: L on the Lips Episodes 25 and 26: P's Game

KAMEN RIDER OOO (2010)

OOO is another extremely beloved Kamen Rider series, and the one I actually started with. Its themes are "desire" and "currency", and the evils and necessities of living in a world that depends on them. The main character is a lovable homeless hippie (Eiji) who's egged on by his extremely androgynous edgy greedy demon boyfriend (Ankh) to collect "medals", because said demons are greedy for them and require them for power. These medals also allow Eiji to transform into Kamen Rider OOO (pronounced "Os" or "Osu"), and different medals can be slot into his transformation belt to create different combinations. Other demons, that are not Eiji's demon babygirl, want to use humans' desires as piggy banks to generate more medals for their own greed, at the cost of these humans' lives. Eiji needs to stop them and collect all the medals before they do. Again, easy to enjoy, easy to see why it's beloved. Filled with a light-hearted fun energy that you can feel as soon as you watch the ska-inspired opening. There's a small stretch of it that feels a bit by-the-numbers, but the drama ramps up and pays off immensely well as it goes on. An extremely fujoshi Kamen Rider series.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 1: Medals, Underwear and a Mysterious Arm Episode 2: Desire, Popsicles and Presents (2-parter with Episode 1) Episode 13: A Siamese Cat, Stress and the Genius Surgeon Episode 14: Pride, Surgery, and a Secret (2-parter with Episode 13)

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE (2011)

Fourze is written by Kazuki Nakashima, the Studio Trigger writer responsible for stuff like Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill and Brand New Animal, so that may be something that's either going to extremely excite you, or make you very wary of it. I personally feel he's not a very good writer, but that's okay, because the rest of the production is fantastic, and I still enjoyed Fourze a good amount! The main character is an extremely likeable and charismatic school delinquent that wants to befriend the entire school and creates his own Kamen Rider school club after being bestowed with the Kamen Rider Fourze technology thanks to, uh, a portal that sends him to a space base on the moon? So it's a half-and-half school theme and space theme Kamen Rider. The school club has a large cast of characters but the show doesn't really know what to do with them unless the episodes focus on a specific club member. Fourze really, really drags in the middle (this is when the problem of two-parters feeling stretched out when the writing isn't very strong hits hardest), but as it crescendos to its finale it gets -very- good again. This might be the weakest Kamen Rider out of the ones I've watched, imo, but still, I think there's quite a lot to enjoy here.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episodes 1 and 2 (Youthful Transformation and Space Superiority) (2-parter) Episodes 5 and 6 (Friendship, Inside and Outside and Electric Shock, Steadily) (2-parter) Episodes 13 and 14 (School Refusal and Stinger Onslaught) (2-parter)

KAMEN RIDER AMAZONS (2016) (WEB SERIES)

Wait, didn't I review this one before?! No, no, this is AMAZONS, plural! It doesn't actually have that much in common with the original Amazon, being very much its own thing, and what it borrows from Amazon is mostly just to help frame this series as a more adult, violent affair, since Amazon, despite it being very much for kids, was back then known as "the violent Kamen Rider". It's also an Amazon Prime-exclusive series, so they did it for Branding, too. A very dramatic, violent, adult Kamen Rider show that's spearheaded by my favorite Kamen Rider director, Hidenori Ishida. He's a supremely good director that brings his A-game to this series. It follows an extermination team that hunts terrifying man-eating monsters called Amazons. There's two Kamen Riders, Alpha and Omega, that are also Amazons but they largely fight against other Amazons. Alpha is set on killing every Amazon, while Omega has just awakened into an Amazon and a Kamen Rider himself, and has to decide what he wants to do and who and what to fight for. At least this is the premise of Season 1, Season 2 I will not spoil but it is the production going "oh, Amazon season 1 did well enough for us to do whatever we want, and we'll do exactly that". It's the most well-equipped artists in tokusatsu breaking off their shackles and doing a dramatic magnum opus. It's dark, edgy, but also earnest and sentimental. It's my absolute favorite Kamen Rider show. Also, the fact that the monsters are called "Amazons" is used for extremely pointed stabs at Amazon (company), which is hilarious.

This series is completely narratively-driven, so I can't recommend episodes out of order! Watch the whole thing!

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE (2019)

Robot-themed! Zero-One takes place in a future where robots and humans live together, like Megaman or Astro Boy. It's about the struggle of humans and robots to live in harmony with one another, and it develops those themes and its world extremely well. The main character (Aruto) is very goofy and wants to be a manzai comedian but his lame puns always bomb. He is, however, also the heir of a massive company that builds all the robot people! Aruto is suddenly, unexpectedly, thrown into the company as its President after his grandfather dies. This responsibility is too much for him, but he decides to take on the mantle as he wants to bring a smile to people's faces, and that he legitimately cares about robots, as he was raised and saved by one as a kid. With this in mind, he takes on his grandfather's KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE technology and uses it to attempt to stop a terrorist robot faction (METSUBOUJINRAI.NET) that's bent on killing all humans, and corrupting other robots for that goal. All while also trying to advocate for a harmonious relationship between humans and robots. This is honestly fantastic, and may seem super goofy at first but gets very complex as it goes on. Very great balance of lighthearted comedy and serious drama, and another one of my absolute favorite Kamen Rider series, right up there with Kiva and Amazons.

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 1: I'm the President and a Kamen Rider Episode 2: Is AI an Enemy? Ally? Episode 5: His Passionate Manga Path Episode 6: I Want to Hear Your Voice (2-parter with episode 5)

KAMEN RIDER GEATS (2022)

Battle-royale themed Kamen Rider, with a lot of inspiration on korean dramas and reality shows. It definitely feels inspired by, say, Squid Game. Gods select people to compete in a Kamen Rider battle royale, and the winner of the final round gets to remake the world in whatever way they see fit. The production is a bit cheap after the last two KRs before Geats underperformed, and they had to scale the production down. The fact that the series tries to convey the excitement of extremely high stakes so often only for those stakes to completely deflate thanks to how the premise works, creates a situation where you don't know what to care because anything can get undone and completely changed so often anyway. Near the end the series gets particularly bad with this. Still, it has some good characters, some nice drama and some fun comedy, so it's not bad, but definitely on my lower tier of KRs alonside Fourze. Again: No KR I've watched was bad! So, even the ones that might sound that I'm down on them I still very much enjoyed.

(Too narratively-driven to recommend episodes out of order! Try the first couple of episodes!)

SHIN KAMEN RIDER (2023) (MOVIE)

Hideaki Anno's film! Hideaki Anno is a huge Kamen Rider fan and it really shows throughout the movie, with a lot of pulls from the Kamen Rider manga specifically, while also being nostalgic for a lot of the original Kamen Rider TV show from 71. Still, it ends up feeling less like "a Kamen Rider movie" and more like "an Anno movie" with a Kamen Rider-theming to it. It doesn't put its focus on the stunts and the fight choreography that you'd see in other Kamen Rider productions, but more on Anno's style of cinematography, his sense of timing, special effects and animation. It also retreads several of the themes and elements that he's drawn from before, a lot of Evangelion is in this. It's good, I like it!

KAMEN RIDER GOTCHARD (2023)

Currently ongoing! Very Y2K nostalgic, with a Kamen Rider suit that has that Y2K aqua color to it, and is themed around... Pokemon cards? There are these creatures called Chemys, that are contained inside alchemical cards that have been let loose and need to be captured again, or at least kept away from the villains. The main character is this super earnest, almost helplessly naively optimistic schoolboy called Ichinose that has been unexpectedly thrown into the secret world of alchemy and given the power to become Kamen Rider Gotchard, as a powerful benevolent alchemist dies in his arms. As a promise to him, he vows to find the Chemys. Ichinose also believes that they're extremely good-natured beings that are only corrupted by human malice, and really believes in the friendship of Chemys and humans, while other alchemists feel Ichinose's ideas of Chemys are too naive and soft-hearted. It's, uh, I don't know what to think of it, honestly! The first couple of episodes really did not sold me on it, but it gets better and better as it goes on, though, it's also, like, a lot of Big Important things keep happening in rapid-fire in a way that I can't tell whether the show has a higher plan for all of it or if it's just throwing things for easy hype. Nearly every episode there's a new Kamen Rider transformation, it's kind of insane. Still, this is preferrable than the stretches of not much happening that plague some other KR seasons. I've been enjoying it a good amount, honestly!

RECOMMENDED EPISODES TO SAMPLE: Episode 5: Burn! Fight! Wrestler G! Episode 7: Goodbye, Saboneedle

And those are all the Kamen Riders I've watched! Something else that can help you decide on which series to try out, is that the NHK made a public popularity poll of Kamen Rider series, with the results being found here! From here, you can tell which KRs are most beloved and well-remembered in Japan, and use that as a guidance for yourself, if you'd like. But again, I must emphasize, you can really start most anywhere, so feel free to do exactly that!

[vanillawurld]

༊*·˚Around You

✧.* Request - @micheleamidalajedi "Can I pretty pls have Rhea Ripley x Fem reader with this dialogue "You're so beautiful. They should make like a sculpture of you." Plss?"

✧.* Pair - Rhea Ripley x Fem! Reader

✧.* Tags & Warnings - Swearing, kissing, and just a whole lot of tooth-rotting fluff

✧.* Summary - After winning the Women’s Championship in Wrestlemania, Rhea wants to go out with her lover to dinner and the Hollywood walk of fame…

✧.* Word Count - 752

April 1st, 2023

A day that Rhea Ripley and her beautiful lover, Y/N, will never forget. It was the day Rhea finally won the Women's Championship from Charlotte Flair. Y/N saw how happy her girlfriend was when she heard the referee count to 3 when pinning Charlotte in the ring. As soon as Rhea got out of the ring with her shiny new Championship, her first motive was to find Y/N

Luckily for Rhea, she didn't have to go around the Hollywood building to find her lover since she was in the gorilla waiting for her. As soon as Rhea landed her eyes on Y/N, she immediately sprinted toward her and gave her one of the biggest bear hugs she has ever given her. Y/N loved to see Rhea happy, she loved seeing her perfect teeth and her charismatic aura shine.

After a little while of hugging, Rhea pulled away and gave the love of her life a big kiss on her lips. "I'm so fucking happy for you, baby!" Y/N said, making Rhea kiss her on the lips again.

"Come on, I'm gonna go change and treat you to a beautiful dinner in order to celebrate my awesome victory," Rhea said as she basically dragged Y/N by the wrist in excitement. Y/N giggles at her girlfriend's action. Whenever Rhea got like this, it reminded Y/N of a toddler getting their favorite toy.

"Wait, do I have to change?" Y/N asked.

Rhea stopped and looked at her up and down, "Mmmm... Nah, you already look beautiful, my love."

Rhea and Y/N exited the building and got into Rhea's car after Rhea changed into a more formal attire. "So... I actually don't know any restaurants here in La, so could you help me please," Rhea confessed, making Y/N laugh.

After a minute of both Y/N and Rhea giggling and laughing, Y/N pulled out her phone and started searching for some fancy restaurants. Truth be told, Y/N also didn't know any fancy restaurants in LA. "There's a really good one nearby, it's called 'Beauty & Essex'" Y/N said, making Rhea giggle at the name.

"You are so childish, Rhea."

After a few minutes of driving and the god-awful small traffic in LA, they made it to the restaurant. Rhea opened Y/N side of the door and helped her get out by taking her hand. "Rhea, after this we should go see the hollywood stars!" Y/N suggested.

"That would be wonderful, babe"

After an hour of talking, eating, and gazing at each other with heart eyes, Rhea and Y/N exited the restaurant ready to go walk on the infamous Hollywood walk of fame. It was around nighttime, so all the people with costumes, the building lights, and vendors were all out ready to satisfy everyone. When they started walking on the sidewalks, they started reading out the celebrity names on the stars and smiling whenever they found their favorite ones.

"One day, they're gonna make a Hollywood star of you, Rhea." Y/N softly said. Rhea looked at Y/N and smiled. She leaned in closer to Y/N and gave her a small kiss on the lips.

Rhea looked down and realize they were approaching Marilyn Monroe's star. "Look baby, Marilyn Monroe." Rhea knew Y/N loved Marilyn Monroe. Who wouldn't? Y/N looked down and smiled at the beautiful star.

"You know, you remind me, Marilyn. her elegance, kindness, and determination are all you baby." Rhea said, making Y/N look at her with her lovely doe eyes that Rhea loved so much. "You're so beautiful, my love. They should make a sculpture of you. That would be an interesting and pretty attraction that everyone would love to visit."

Rhea really knew her ways with words. She cherished talking to Y/N like that since it made Y/N feel happy within. Y/N took hold of Rhea's face and kissed it. They didn't give a damn about PDA. It merely felt like Y/N and Rhea were standing there.

When they pulled away from the sweet kiss, they continued walking and reading out the celebrity names off the stars. Y/N was pulled in by Rhea's arm that was wrapped around her waist, and she was grasping Rhea's free hand.

Their love was something pure and something no one could break. Everyone knew that. Their love had the power to melt everyone's heart.

˖◛. *. ⋆ Vanilla Speaks

This was more on the short side, but this was so cute omg

[al1enpr1nce]

The Hargreeves at Walt Disney World

by me, a longtime brellie/cast member

Luther:

Probably fits the bill of a Disney adult the most.

Wears those cheesy “family trip!” shirts, Mickey ears, the whole nine yards.

Tries to get the rest of the family to wear matching shirts- it does not go well.

Freaks out on Tower of Terror but ends up loving it.

Dad jokes at any given opportunity

He gets mistaken for Beast at some point during the trip. He’s not mad about it.

Full on sobs at Happily Ever After

Favorite ride is Mission Space or Cosmic Rewind and he loves the Mickey Pretzels.

Diego:

Trash talks the others before heading into Space Ranger Spin and Toy Story Mania- he loses to Allison and Claire both times. He’s very bitter about it.

However, he is very good at gunner on Smuggler’s Run. Actually, he just loves Galaxy’s Edge as a whole, mainly for the costumes.

Loves the fast paced coasters- Tron, Cosmic, Everest, Rockin Roller (has a special love for Slinky Dog but he’ll never admit it.)

Uses his powers to win a toy for Lila at the Dinorama carnival.

He and Ben team up to secretly book Five an appointment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique.

Favorite ride is Tron and favorite snack is the spiced corn from Harambe.

Allison:

TIANA AND NAVEEN DISNEYBOUND WITH RAY!!!

Claire dresses up as either Lottie or Moana

They just geek out at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as a whole tbh. They never want to leave

Free lightning lanes all day with this girl!

The photo op QUEEN. Makes everyone stop for a photo in front of the castle and it actually turns out really cute

Loves the Festival of Fantasy parade (and secretly dreams of young Allison who wanted to be a princess too)

Aside from Tiana’s, loves going on the teacups with Claire and Klaus and just Hollywood studios in general

Fave ride is Tiana’s and fave snack is cotton candy :)

Klaus:

A little overwhelmed at first, but manages to settle in and have fun

Shares his journey of sobriety with a CM who makes him a celebratory badge for it, he wears it and is congratulated by dozens of people which makes him quite emotional

Gets really into pin trading with Claire (blind boxes are his specialty. He has a knack for guessing what pin he’s going to get)

Not a fan of most of the rides but he does like the Peoplemover and Kilimanjaro safaris, and the Pandora rides

Does love meeting characters though, especially the ones that will talk with him :)

Content to spend most of his time pin trading and relaxing in the quieter parts of the park (he loves Animal Kingdom)

Constantly talks about how much of an entertainment masterpiece Fantasmic is (because it is!!!!)

Fave ride is Flight of Passage and fave snack is the churros from Nomad Lounge. iykyk

Five:

The poor victim of a prince makeover via Diego and Ben

Surprisingly, besides the ton of pixie dust, he doesn’t hate it. He chooses Prince Philip

Is understandably upset when they won’t let him drink around the world (Allison and Ben help with this, and he does complete his goal)

Loves the classic rides/shows like Pirates, Tiki Room, Carousel of Progress and the Jungle Cruise (the skipper told a really old joke that only he understood)

Loves learning history and facts about the parks from CMs. Is the master of the Cast Compliment

Judges Luther for crying at Happily Ever After (but loves the show on the inside)

Fave ride is Carousel of Progress and fave snack is anything from Les Halles in France.

Ben:

Wears his jacket to the parks and complains about the heat literally all the time

Total coaster junkie like Diego- they end up on a lot of the rides together.

Is the first one awake in the morning and the one to yell at them all to get moving

Handles the dining reservations because he “doesn’t trust them to pick somewhere good”

he accidentally books a restaurant in the wrong park

loves to make universal jokes

also has definitely asked a CM where Cinderella’s castle is (while standing in magic kingdom)

Fave ride is Everest and fave snack is the pizza spring rolls outside Adventureland.

Viktor:

The mediator, of course

Brings cute handmade presents for the CMs

Prefers the chill boat rides over the intense ones (Tiana’s, Pirates, Navi, Jungle, Frozen, Gran Fiesta)

wears a family trip shirt to match Luther <3

Has a special love for the Philharmagic and Muppetvision shows

Loves the entertainment. Will sit and watch the castle stage show all day if he could.

Loves taking photos of the parks and silly selfies with his family

fave ride is Gran Fiesta and fave snack is a classic dole whip

Lila:

Also fits the bill of a classic Disney adult, but in a different way- cute workout fit, Minnie ears, sunnies, a loungefly or Vera Bradley, Joffrey’s in hand

This girl loves her Joffrey’s

Will not stop staring at the castle. Seriously. Diego has to drag her away to get her focused.

He does surprise her with dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table though. She’s ecstatic. (Forget the others- they can eat at Tony’s.)

Also loves the coasters- she purchases the photo of her and Diego on Tron and frames it.

Loves meeting the princesses and taking photos with them!

Definitely a big Haunted Mansion enjoyer (Klaus is not, for the record.)

Most likely to be a Disney content creator

Also the one pestering the others that they need to go to Universal too

Fave ride is Tron and fave snack is dark chocolate strawberries from the Confectionary.

please let me know if you have any other ideas for this this has just been clawing at my brain all day today 🫶

[spelllingandthemysteryschool]

hi! :D i love your blog, so i wanted to ask, why do you think the barbie movie was bleak? i love hearing people's opinions on the film, and i thought that was an interesting adjective to describe it. you don't have to answer if you don't want to, ofc! hope you have a nice day!!! <3

oh you’re so sweet, thanks so much! ❣️ honestly i don’t know how intelligible this will be considering i spent a few days after watching the movie hashing out my thoughts with various friends and have mostly said my piece privately, but i thought it was bleak because it just… was…

like i did have fun because it is spectacularly produced & i guess in some ways it’s like oh, well it’s literally the BARBIE movie, what did you expect, but in other ways i was just like. oh my God, the faux criticism of barbie as a product, mattel as a company, and capitalism as a concept this film presents… i couldn’t stomach it! like how much of this are we supposed to believe is greta gerwig’s genuine artistic vision & how much of it is mattel indulgently financing a tongue-in-cheek critique of its own contributions to consumerism knowing it will only generate MORE of the same? i found myself reminded of a particular excerpt from chapter two of mark fisher’s capitalist realism: is there no alternative?, where he writes:

“…anti-capitalism is widely disseminated in capitalism. Time after time, the villain in Hollywood films will turn out to be the ‘evil corporation’. Far from undermining capitalist realism, this gestural anti-capitalism actually reinforces it… We’re left in no doubt that consumer capitalism and corporations… is responsible for this depredation… The film performs our anti-capitalism for us, allowing us to continue to consume with impunity. The role of capitalist ideology is not to make an explicit case for something in the way that propaganda does, but to conceal the fact that the operations of capital do not depend on any sort of subjectively assumed belief… So long as we believe (in our hearts) that capitalism is bad, we are free to continue to participate in capitalist exchange.”

i was so reminded of this passage while watching the film that the first thing i did upon leaving the theater was go through my copy to locate it.

there were also a number of scenes i found, ironically, to convey rather insidious anti-feminist messaging despite the movie’s reputation as (and attempts to live up to the title of) a feminist flick, but i won’t go into those in detail because i’m sure there are people reading this who want to see this film & haven’t yet. in the same vein, i found it to be massively spineless/inauthentic/confused? in the stances it takes because, in an effort to appeal to an audience so broad as to include Basically everyone on the planet, it… doesn’t really commit to any of the stances it presents at all. a lot of the points it tried to make about womanhood, feminism, capitalism, motherhood, and the patriarchy either fell flat or were completely undone by the movie’s end, which is why i found it very funny that some people thought this movie was TOO feminist when i thought it was, frankly, toothlessly feminist.

the sets and costumes were beautiful, the acting was genuinely solid, i liked a lot of the referential pastiche-y moments that cropped up throughout it and i laughed lots at its cleverness because it WAS very witty, but when the credits began to roll i did think, um. maybe we’re in hell. i’m sure some people loved this movie, but sadly i really could not! also mattel now has a Toy cinematic universe planned which is um… great! and doesn’t make me feel a horrible sense of despair or anything

[justifiedgodcomplex]

(Tw for torture and trafficking based detailed discussions, tread lightly)

Interacting with the general public with regards to interfamilial torture and Trafficking is a bit like trying to explain to a die hard cartoon fan that SpongeBob is written by a bunch of dudes in a studio and not a real life place you can go to.

People are so Illusioned by media representation and none realize it. So many are Not immune to the propaganda that’s spread around, whether that be thinking they’re going to be trafficked just walking into a Walmart, or thinking that every survivor is kidnapped off the street.

I was a fairly normal kid outwardly. I went to school, went to a lot of doctors (I was medically fragile for much of my childhood, still am chronically ill), had sparce play dates and went to family events. I was a “joy to have in the classroom”.

And given I developed DID quite quickly from the conditions I was subject to, I had ANPs, or apparently normal parts. Alters which functioned to insure *i* could function. These alters were cut off from the memories and understanding of that life, even while it was still occurring, only living with the after effects of it all on a daily basis. This looked like ADHD, incontinence, troubling bathroom behaviors, aggression with toys (albeit behind closed doors, but this was due to my parents parenting choices, I masked many of my symptoms, otherwise they were bled from me with hours long screaming and spanking), and many others.

A lot of these things were chalked up to laziness, and I was often shamed for any symptoms I presented with, and since I didn’t often make waves in settings away from my parents, no other adults raised any flags either.

I think most people believe they’d be able to spot a trafficking victim. And you could probably spot a child being handled by amateurs, but not one being handled by people who know what they’re doing.

People also tend to disbelieve the things that go on in some rings, such as games (which are bet on by handlers) like hide and seek, capture the flag, etc, or the conditioning they use to keep kids controlled (to keep them from speaking about it, or showing signs of harm outside of the ring setting). People don’t tend to beleive it’s as common or as brutal as it is, and I find myself frustrated by people who don’t beleive or can’t fathom that level of hurt happens daily around the world, especially in the developed world. Or they do, and chalk it up to some grand satanic conspiracy, rather than a bunch of people making money off the harm of children. Which is something you see from YouTube to Hollywood all the way back to organized crime. I ask, if you can believe ruby franke perpetrated the same type of torturous conditions on her own children to illicit some kind of behavioral result, why is it then unbelievable when it involves children being sold for profit?

You may wonder why it’s normal children and not kidnappings, and that simply boils down to practicality. It’s much easier to conceal harm when the child’s guardians are in on it, than if they’ve been taken off the street. That’s a trail that could lead back to an entire org, and blow up the whole thing.

It’s the same way with deaths in these cults. Rarely is it a child with papers (birth cert, ssn). Often the children that die aren’t from the country they’re brought to, or were born into the ring, and don’t legally Exist. In my cult they often took great pains to prevent obvious injuries and deaths, because that could easily raise questions and lead to an org being dismantled. The more kids, the more profit. But they did do a lot to convince us death was close and possible. Mainly to do with manipulating the perceptions of a child. Using things like animal blood, dummies, and other things to scare kids into compliance.

This is also used to make kids recounts of things that happened seem unbelievable. (Such as adults wearing costumes and masks during drugged assaults so when the child reports it, they report “a demon assaulted me” or “the Easter bunny” instead of the adult perpetrator, whom is often related to the child)

this is the picture of commercialized child trafficking of today. It’s calculated and organized, and a far cry from the operations that get reported on in the news. I hope more learn about things like this.

[alex-the-nonsensologist]

Disney Dreamland - Part 5: Create-It-Land

Quite possibly the most visually eclectic of all the lands. This land embodies creativity and the arts, and quite frankly there is no one way to be creative or artistic, so I think the motley visuals are perfectly on theme. That said, I decided to tie the land together by having giant objects themed to each area. For this reason, I specifically wanted Wonderland and 100 Acre Wood next to the border of Fantasyland/Create-It-Land, so that the giant plants and cards of Wonderland and the giant book facade of Pooh would help transition to the giant toys of Toy Box Land and/or the giant art supplies of Toontown. The parade route exits down here.

Showtime Boulevard

The entrance street of the land from the hub. Dedicated to the performing arts. Would resemble a city street, like a small town version of Broadway, but then transition to include giant objects. Giant instruments of the music playground. Giant sheet music. The ballet house could look like a giant music box. Even the normal buildings could have giant props on them, like giant comedy and tragedy masks, or giant film reels and clapperboards. There would also be a decent amount of performers to bring energy to the area, so that it doesn’t feel like a regular city street. Living statues and street musicians. 

Journey Into Imagination: If EPCOT isn’t going to put back Dreamfinder, I’ll gladly take him. Heck, I’ll even settle for a pseudo-sequel with an older Figment now taking on the role of Dreamfinder in honor of his friend. Sets and scenery from the original incarnation are mandatory. There could be a path leading off the boulevard to an area between Create-It-Land and Discoveryland where this ride could be placed, since it does reflect the spirit of both lands. 

Fantasia Music Hall: In the spirit of Walt’s original idea for Fantasia, certain classic segments would be permanent fixtures of the show (such as Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and performed by Animatronics on instruments and as dancers in the same vein as the former Mickey Mouse Revue show, while other segments could be animations shown on screen and switched out throughout the year (such as the segments originally planned for Fantasia 2006 that were later released individually). I would love it if the Animation Studio could create new unique animated segments exclusive to the attraction. Permanent animatronic segments would include characters from Pastoral Symphony, Rhapsody in Blue, Dance of the Hours, Night on Bald Mountain (though I could also work with it being a seasonal segment during Halloween), and The Firebird. Playing the full versions of every song would take too long, so the show would feature abridged versions in a medley. 

“Music Playground”: Interactive playground of giant musical instruments. Think of the piano scene from Big, but on a grader scale. Piano slides, trampoline drums, xylophone bridges, brass instruments the size of trees. I’ll admit, I don’t know if the audio results of this attraction would be wacky fun or pure tortuous chaos. I was originally imaging this as an outdoor attraction, but it might be better if this were indoors with each type of instrument given its own room with soundproofing.

“Russian Animal Ballet House”: I just wanted an excuse to see animals in fancy costumes performing ballet. Could be costumed actors or animatronics. Nutcracker performances during Christmas are mandatory. Building would resemble a giant music box. Alternatively, the stage could also be used for any original cultural performances from countries not already featured elsewhere in the park (Greek dramas, Bollywood dances, etc.). 

Muppet Comedy Theatre: Would have the same mixed media techniques as Muppet*Vision 3D (a screen movie, actual puppeteering, and costume characters), but features a new original story. Could also feature a small meet-and-greet area with Kermit and friends.

Hollywood restaurant: American cuisine. Themed to the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Toontown

I want this area to have the same energy as Seuss Landing from Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which I personally feel makes for a better Toontown than Disney’s actual Toontown. The buildings would be slightly more distorted and more stylized. I’m wondering if it would also be possible to put some buildings on a moving platform so that they could tilt back and forth for a squash and stretch illusion. Maybe even have a few with giant faces that can emote. This area prominently features giant art supplies that are implied to have brought the land into existence, including giant paintbrushes that are poised in the middle of putting “finishing touches” to the buildings. The entire area would have lots of kinetic sculptures (think of the new Super Nintendo World at Universal) to make the land feel alive. Interactive gags like the Post Office and the Fireworks Factory would of course be included. I would remove the residential area and have the area only themed around Maroon Cartoons Studio, and the downtown area. Characters that don’t fit in any other area of the park could walk around here. 

“Mickey Mouse presents…”: Guests would take on the role of camera crew with Mickey as director. The star of the movie is late and we follow Mickey as he accidentally crashes various movie sets looking for the missing actor, who turns out to be none other than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The various movie sets would portray different genres of cinema. Based on the Mickey short cartoon Roll ‘Em (which, by the way, would have been a more appropriate replacement for the Great Movie Ride than Runaway Railway). While I intended for this to be part of Toontown, I am also okay with this being the last building on Showtime Boulevard to help transition into Toontown.  

Backstage Meet-and-Greet: Again, I personally do not care much for meet and greets (With the exception of Goofy. Goofy is the best.), but for the people that do, here you can meet Mickey and Friends including Oswald, Roger and Jessica. 

Maroon Cartoons Studio Tour: Based on Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin but using the art style of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (but with actual sets, not screen projections), as well as an interactive element (partially inspired by Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek in Tokyo). Guests would interact with the sets by “spraying” paint or thinner from the paintbrushes attached to their vehicles. Based on the video game mechanic from Epic Mickey, where paint brings objects into existence, and thinner erases them. For example, a guest could “paint” an anvil that would drop onto Roger’s head. Even spraying the animatronic characters would elicit funny dialogue, “Hey! Watch where you’re spraying! I just got a new paint job yesterday!” While the sets would be physical, the paint and thinner effects could be projections. The trickiest part is projecting a physical object to look like it’s been erased, and since it would set off chain reactions, the projections would have to hide certain objects’ movements. It would be very difficult, but I insist that this ride does not follow the Toy Story Mania route (I’m looking at you, Web Slingers). Please consult actual engineers.

Art of Animation Academy: History of animation exhibit, with animation from all over the world. Japanese anime, Soviet animation, stop-motion, etc. With acknowledgements that Quirino Cristiani and Lotte Reiniger’s films actually pre-date Snow White as the world’s first animated features. Drawing workshops included.

Happy-Go-Lucky Merry-Go-Round: In the same wacky spirit as the Caro-Seuss-el in Seuss Landing. Like the Caro-Seuss-el, the music could speed up and slow down when it operates. Rather than just having wacky versions of real animals, this carousel would have hybrid animals, like the Wuzzles! Also, what if the carousel could run backwards? 

Jolly Trolley: The vehicles would run on an elevated track to solve the problem of crowds blocking the way. The track could wind around Toontown, the same way as The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! does in Seuss Landing. Originally I was only going to have it stay in Toontown, but then I realized the wind-up key on the roof could make it pass for a toy, so why not have it travel through Toy Box Land too, for an even more scenic route. 

Goofy’s Bakery Studio: Decorate your own cupcakes and cookies with edible paint. 

The Art of Disney: Disney prints, paintings, figurines, and other art. Get your caricature drawn here.

Minnie Mouse Fashions: Disney apparel and headgear. Design and customize your own ears.

Handwich cart: I dunno about you, but I think the Handwich is pretty neat.

Toy Box Land

Yes, Toy Story Land has been both overused as a land and under-utilized as a proper theme, but I simply love the giant toy aesthetic. It feels like being inside an I Spy book (does anyone remember those books?). I probably could have just made this land fully original with no ties to IP (like I did with choosing not to theme Winter VIllage to Frozen), which I am still open to, but also found it too irresistible to include everyone’s favorite lovable rascals. The movies’ existential themes of jealousy and self-worth, moving on and letting go would be difficult to adapt into attractions, so Toy Story’s inclusion here is to embody reconnecting with your inner child and creativity through play. The name change is just my attempt to make the IP sound less in-your-face. The giant art supplies from Toontown could transition into giant crayons in this area. Also, like Toontown, the entire area would have kinetic sculptures to bring energy to the area, like giant windup keys and pinwheels. To keep with the playful and friendly energy of the land there should be plenty of characters walking around interacting with guests. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Bo Peep should preferably be characters that can talk, not just silent costumes, and there would not be any giant static statues of them in the land. Bullseye and the Green Army Men are okay to keep as silent costume characters. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and Wheezy are talking animatronics, preferably mobile animatronics that can roam the land alongside costume characters. I think the Little Green Aliens and Bo Peep’s sheep are the only characters that are okay to portray as static statues. Sid’s toys could be available characters during the Halloween season.

“Rube Goldberg Machine roller coaster”: Dual track wild mouse roller-coaster, based on a classic, over-convoluted Rube Goldberg design. One track has guests ride in giant toy karts, the other has guests inside giant marbles for a giant marble run track. Vehicles would set off chain reactions, possibly help other vehicles move forward, or create “obstacles” for others. Pulleys and wheels and dominoes galore.  This is another one of those ideas where I only know how I want it to function without knowing how to accomplish it. Please consult actual engineers. 

“Andy’s Playtime Theater”: Basically Mad Libs / Choose Your Own Adventure. This could either be a show or a ride, but I personally prefer the ride idea. If it were a show it would be part improv, involve guest participation, and have lots of giant props and gags. The Toy Story gang would mingle with the audience and be on stage at the same time. If it were a ride, guests can choose the path their vehicle takes. Andy narrates and has his toys act out a story. At several points, Andy offers two options on how the story can proceed. Stories would have wacky scenarios, like that of the opening scene in Toy Story 3. Multiple endings. Would have plenty of animatronics, and NOT just be screen-based. 

“Giant Toy Playground”: Build with LEGO bricks the size of your head, climb actual towers made of alphabet blocks, play on a chessboard with human-sized chess pieces. 

“I Spy Scavenger Hunt”: I absolutely loved looking at Walter Wick’s I Spy and Can You See What I See? illustrations for hours, and this activity is basically that come to life. I really want this land to be super detailed (and I mean absolutely LOADED) with lots of toy props hidden everywhere. The search criteria can change everyday for different routes. Winners can earn exclusive pins.

Pizza Planet restaurant: Customize your own pizza. Mix your own slushie. Gluten-free and vegan options. Also serves the Alien Mochi from Tokyo. Would follow the retro space building design of the movie .

“Build-A-Toy” shop: Inspired by the former Toys R Us Times Square location. Would include things like a Build-A-Bear Workshop, “Build Your Own Potato Head”, a LEGO play area, a nuiMOs plush modeling studio, and a mini indoor Ferris wheel.

Disney Dreamland Railroad Create-It-Land station: “Built” out of blocks and tinkertoys.

World Galleria

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Discoveryland

[whatsyourghoststory]

Haunted Hollywood Tour... in 1947

Come along as we roll down Hollywood Blvd on a beautiful day in 1947, telling ghost stories as we go. We return to go back in time for another Los Angeles ghost tour... this time on Hollywood Blvd.

[captainimfangirling]

Finally Saw The Borderlands Movie

I went into the theater with an opened mind. I understand nobody can make a movie exactly like the games because there are too many characters, too many guns, the story line is very complex, and everything about it is just so chaotic.

I feel like the only ones who like it are Cate Blanchett fans. I'm not a fan of Cate Blanchett because haven't seen many movies she was in but I do know she's a good actress however this movie didn't suit her at all. I think she only got the role because Eli Roth liked working with her or they're friends. So far I haven't seen him say anything about how she fit the role as Lilith, only that he enjoyed working with her on The House with a Clock in Its Walls. I feel like Hollywood is all about who you know rather than what's best for the movie/tv show. That's why we see the same damn actors in movies.

Kevin heart didn't feel like a soldier to me. He felt more like an annoyed security guard. Tiny Tina being attached to Roland was cute because she did love him in the game. I'm not trying to hate on Ariana Greenblatt but I feel like she wasn't crazy or bubbly enough to be Tiny Tina. She's good at playing teenagers with an attitude like in Barbie. I think she would've been better suited as Ava from Borderlands 3 (it's not an insult like I didn't hate Ava as much as you guys). I did love her costume and her room with all the toys/bombs.

I think Jamie Lee Curtis' did her best with Tannis because it seems very awkward when talking to Lilith and very into science but I don't think she was eccentric enough. Personally I think it makes sense for Tannis to leave a child instead of raising her because she lacks empathy and is more obsessed with science than raising a child. But to be honest making her older than Lilith was a terrible idea because I want to know more about Tannis and Lilith's mother relationship instead of Tannis and Lilith's relationship.

Krieg looked cool but like Tiny Tina I feel like he wasn't crazy enough. He should be twitching and doing crazy stuff. Not just being a little girls body guard. I wish they had one small scene where we hear the sane Krieg talking to show why this Psycho was special and give him more of a personality. Maybe have sane Krieg explain how Tiny Tina reminded him of his daughter. I don't know give us something about sane Krieg.

I don't remember General Knoxx in Borderlands because I haven't played any DLCs games so I got nothing to say. Deukalian Atlas was kind of weird. I feel like he was mix of Handsome Jack and Rhys Strongfork. Also him creating Tiny Tina was stupid. I feel like Tina in the game had a more tragic background because she did have parents who loved her but they were murdered so that explains why she's crazy. In the movie she had no attachments to anyone until Roland. Maybe if they explained in the movie how she was experimented on it might give us a reason why she's crazy but there was no explanation on how she was treated other than she was locked up. I mean being locked up can drive people crazy but being experimented on is much worse.

Anyway that's my review. I'm glad I went with a friend who offered to pay for my ticket so I didn't waste any of my money. Just because someone doesn't like the movie doesn't mean they're a hater, it just means they have an opinion. I really did want to love it and was hoping it would at least make me laugh like the games do I would've thought was movie was fun but I did not laugh at all. It wasn't enjoyably.

One last thing: the movie should've been rated R!!!!

[majorbaby]

1, 3, 5, 19

What is your current favorite film?

i realize i said 'ghost in the shell' without specifying i meant ghost in the shell 1995! please let the record reflect i very much meant the animated 'ghost in the shell' (1995) dir. mamoru oshii

3. What is a film you absolutely despise and why?

i've tried and failed to explain why i hate roland emmerich's 'godzilla' (1998) so many times here. i'm going to try bullet points and see how it goes:

ishiro honda's 'godzilla' (1954) is explicitly about the nuclear fallout from the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. the filmmakers described godzilla the monster as 'a child of the H-bomb', he was designed with keloid-scarring on his back that was inspired by real-life symptoms of radiation sickness. it was an expression of and/or a means to process the trauma of hundreds of thousands of people

godzilla 1998 is divorced from this completely. it's visual gibberish, and i do mean gibberish because it's an unintelligible translation

majorbaby, doesn't that describe all hollywood remakes of non-english films?

probably. but imo godzilla '98 is uniquely sinister. it's not comparable to the 'white-washing' of an individual asian character to make them palatable to a white audience

it's also not 'just' a portrayal of the monstrous 'godzilla' with whom the original japanese audience felt a kinship to as instead, a villanous monster attacking white people in new york city, though that is important

it's not even 'appropriation' of godzilla '54 because the original movie considers america and americans. it has a place for white audiences to see themselves in, and that's in the creation of the monster and the labelling of it as monstrous, destructive, and crucially, 'inhuman'

it's on some other level, SuperRacism - highly technical and academic term, ik. an atrocity was committed against japanese people. there was no way to undo it, it could only be 'processed' and the processing machine was down-cycled into at best a machine that makes money off of toy sales and at worst, into part of the machine that helped make the original atrocity seem acceptable in the first place

this makes me worry about the overall impact of otherized creators 'writing their own roles' when there's an appetite for those roles to be co-opted, especially because they tend to offer something 'new' and 'fresh'. they're still making godzilla movies in hollywood. i don't think those necessarily tarnish the legacy of godzilla '54, because the intended audience is still endeared to it and to godzilla the monster, but that audience was strongly united in its grief and loss, which isn't a desirable prerequisite for the success of a film

5. What is your favorite genre of film?

answered

19. What part of filmmaking do you find most interesting (ie. sound design, costuming, set design, etc)?

writing. after that, title sequence design.

[celebritypawblog]

Happy Sunday Paw Lovers,

“Let’s talk Kohl’s”✨

Hey guys, I found a cool Kohls in Hollywood Florida. It was my first time there, & I didn’t think they would’ve had a variety of pet stuff. But they did!

I wrote a blog post on pet seat covers, & Kohls has a few good ones. I’ll link my blog post on “Let’s talk pet seat covers” down below.

There are variety of cool dog games. They even have their Halloween dog toys already out!

* fingers cross that they will have dog costumes*

✨🐩Omg btw that pet talking starter was $23.99!!! Not $40! An absolute steal!

Well here’s a quick video of some cool finds.

Enjoy!💕🐾

[irish-urn]

Do you think the writing was intentional (the sexual and romantic nature of it all ) or was it by accident? #Dasey

Hmmmm. That's. Hm.

Okay. I know from interviews that both Mike and Ashley felt that Dasey was inevitable and played it up. With my (incredibly slow and broken up) rewatch of LWD, the costume department was definitely doing SOMETHING.

The thing is... Were they doing it seriously or for views? Were they doing it because they believed in Dasey or because they thought it was funny? Sometimes the script itself isn't that bad, it's just the way Derek or Casey says or does a thing. But sometimes the script is... A lot.

I believe they were playing with what exactly a blended family is in the 21st Century, compared to The Brady Bunch for instance. I don't think they really anticipated Mike and Ashley's chemistry. I'm also no expert, but I can see the BigWigs seeing that there was a significant and powerful portion of their audience shipping Dasey and them leaning into it just enough to keep fans salivating so that they could make money.

(does this make me cynical? Maybe. But I am more willing to believe in the greed of Hollywood/media than in their creative abilities.)

I don't know if that answers your question, but it's really all I got. To make something like Dasey canon would be a big risk for the BigWigs, so the most I can see is them toying with it just enough to keep as many as their fans happy as they can. Whether that was by accident or on purpose... 🤷‍♀️