#i don't think - for the record - i don't think owen actually WOULD leave just because tk asked but i do think

[parameddic]

i have built a mini au in my head where after 9/11 owen keeps drinking, gets invited by a poker buddy to some interstate event, accidentally joins a cult (but like, a good cult full of good people. they've got some radical opinions but owen's sure he can talk them down from it, and the base beliefs are good, he'll Fix Them), and he is radicalised and never comes back. and TK grows up without his dad, and there's all the ups and downs and drug addiction and fighting to feel loved and he scares and scares his mother (he loves her so much) and he Gets Through after a couple of overdoses and multiple tries at rehab and maybe even finds paramedicine (I think he could), living in NYC with his mum, and he - one day - goes to find his dad because That's His Dad and he's at least gotta ask if he wants to come home. he at least needs to see him and tell him that he's still wanted.

idk. i have almost a drabble about this actually. is this as fun and interesting an idea to y'all as it is to me

[erstwhilesparrow]

god there are so many little bits of outsiders that make me want to chew glass. in an effort to exorcise some thoughts:

there's something really fantastically horrifying about how much visual and mental space the maze takes up for almost all of the server's run, contrasted with the fact that we learn in the owenge q&a that the maze is one of multiple scenarios, built by STARR for a handful of seasons and ultimately meaning nothing. all this about learning the maze, this structure that was the outsiders' whole world for what they believed to be years, and it was a set piece that might not ever be used again. i can't stop thinking about the fact that on the literal actual minecraft server, the maze was built floating in the sky, and like, yeah. it was for this one server and nothing else. i get why you'd build it like that, in terms of practical concerns, but god. to know that thing never even touched the 'actual' ground.

hey. cc!owen PLAYS A GOOD FUCKING HEEL. oh my god he's good at playing the bad guy. this is not like thoughtful analysis at all but being able to hear so clearly the shift in tone when he goes into hunting mode, the willingness to just let things sit in silence, the way he completely sells a character's absolute conviction. the way when he has a knife in his mostly-empty hotbar during Spill Your Guts the distance between the currently selected slot and the knife right next to it feels like a tangible weight somehow!

speaking of which. please tell me the berries in his hotbar during his demon killing spree aren't raspberries. i can't actually identify them because i'm not familiar with the mod but i think if they're raspberries i would simply explode into a million bits of confetti.

hey remember how there was a giant underground reservoir beneath the clearing containing the skeleton of some enormous creature? was that fucked up or what.

hey also remember how one of the last written records left by the people who died in the frozen clearing was about how at least their friends got to die peacefully, in their sleep? remember how the maze was full of notes scribbled on pieces of paper and scrawled in blood on the walls trying to warn them, begging them to get out, hoping against hope that their last words might mean something? remember how mohwee's last words to the outsiders were take care of each other? they tried so hard to look out for each other, and whether they ever did it especially well is an open question but MAN. you can't say they didn't try.

even after deciding apo can rot down in the prison, owen still says, "the next time i see him is when i go shackle his hands together, and drag him through that maze to get him out." in the wake of the [don't dirty my name again] conversation, owen promises rasbi, "we came up together, we're gonna get out of here together." even with his faith in -- and i think i will argue that this is accurate phrasing -- the world shattered, owen has no concept of actually leaving either of them behind. he can't even imagine it. ;-; .

i don't know what the event is called in canon so i'm going to refer to it as [the clearing event with the scuffed mcc energy], the one where acho drowns, and it delights me that the nature of the medium is such that sometimes when owen says something, it becomes true because he said it. (i mean, this is true for all of them, but i say owen because he's the one i watched and he has an interesting degree of narrative control by virtue of having such a comprehensive pov.) acho didn't die in a way that minecraft the game would necessarily call a death, i'm not convinced what happened to him was distinguishable from what the characters call being 'downed' in the maze, but because owen said it, on some level, yeah, acho did die in there. isn't it so fun how you can kill someone by saying they died? reach back through linear time and make true what wasn't before? and i think about this and i think about how often owen declared apo dead, and how it makes apo not just a ghost but a sort of schrodinger's cat. apo is alive except no he isn't except yes he is. reality is so frighteningly malleable in mcrp.

[starpirateee]

For the drabbles, can I request Owen looking after Curt while he has a fever? (Pre-banana obv, and their in a safehouse)

I love you guys clarifying when something is pre-banana because, can you imagine Owen post fall feeling that instinct to look after Curt? He hates him, but he's got a fever, so what can you do?

And, on the record, I don't write actual fluff or domestic bliss that often, but I gave it an honest go? Honestly, though, I don't know how this reads

"Curt, I know you're incapable of understanding the concept of staying in one place, but for god's sake, you need to rest this off… That temperature isn't just going to blow over itself…"

For all it was worth, Owen was trying to keep his patience intact, but Curt had woken up shaking, claiming he felt needlessly hot when it was less than 10° outside. He had known Curt long enough to immediately know that something wasn't right, because Curt was one of those people who preferred to be warm, especially on a colder day… Normally, under circumstances like this, he would try and stay as long as possible in bed, and then he'd eventually resign and settle for a warm shower to keep him going for a little longer.

But, as it happened, Owen found that he was burning up, and when he spiked a temperature of almost 38.5, he put his foot down. He'd insisted in turn that Curt was to stay put and rest as much as he could, but he'd neglected to think about how the one thing everyone knew about Curt Mega was that he never stayed in one place for very long.

"How bad is it?"

"Almost thirty eight and a half."

"You make it sound like I should be dead from hypothermia," Curt complained. "And I can't be bothered to work it out… Just tell me plain, would ya?"

"That's what you get for using Fahrenheit..." Owen sighed, muttering something about stupid Yanks and their stupid measurement system, and then falling silent while he tried to work it out. Curt mustered a little focus from absolutely nowhere, and tried to watch him as he made an attempt to sound less like Curt was dying a violent death from being frozen. Eventually, his thoughtful expression passed, and his eyes met Curt's once again, as he registered just how expectant he looked. "A little over a hundred and one?"

Curt grimaced. "Where'd this come from?" Both he and Owen tried to work it out, but both of them came up blank. "God! I can't believe I got sick! This sucks!"

"It does mean you get a day off whatever it is Cynthia wants from you... What was it again?" He knew for a fact what it was. The two piles of reports on the dining room table was conclusive enough, even if Curt had never admitted outright what he had to do. Owen knew the system. Curt had to physically separate the work he had to do from that which he had already done, hence why one of the piles was significantly smaller than the other. So far, he'd been looking for any excuse not to do it, but this one was legitimate.

Curt shot him a look. "You know I'm a good month behind on the reports and shit I need to do from... uh, from France, I think. And then there was that one in Toronto, and... god, uh-"

"Copenhagen," Owen offered, helpfully.

"Yeah. Copenhagen. How the hell do you know that?"

"I saw the topmost file, that's all. You wrote the location on a slip of paper."

"... Huh. Wait wait wait, are you gonna be here today?"

"I have nothing better to be doing..." In truth, Owen wasn't going to let Curt try and handle himself, no matter how fine he tried to insist he was. It had been a little while since the last time he and Curt had been completely available like this, and thus he was grateful for every moment, no matter the context for it. This little life they'd built for themselves wasn't worth an awful lot if they were barely there to enjoy it, despite the fact that neither of them were really the domestic type.

"Besides," he added, as a little bit of an afterthought. "I don't want to be the one to just leave when you're like this."

Curt managed a small smile. "Never took you for a househusband..." He tried. The very idea of it was absurd. Owen wasn't the type for settling down and staying still as much as he wasn't, so to think of him like this was almost laughable, in it's own way. Thankfully, Owen found it amusing too, and chuckled softly.

"I dunno, Curt, I think I'd have the knack for it."

"Oh really?"

"You know fine well I know how to cook, and who knows," he leaned back on his hands and gave a wistful smile, "maybe I'd be willing to retire from our debonair old life and give in to the throws of... domestic bliss."

A wave of silence washed over them. Curt stared at Owen, but only because he'd reached a point where the response was that dramatically delivered that it was almost convincing. Owen— the most suave, capable man to ever have walked into his life— actually seemed for a moment to almost suit that idea of domesticity that he had brewed up.

The silence lasted only a moment before Owen started laughing, and Curt only had a second to cherish the sound of it before he was laughing too.

"No, you're quite right," he hummed, clearing his throat. "I don't suit it, but at least I'd suit the idea of it better than you would."

"I dunno, you've kinda convinced me... Maybe not in a traditional way, but god... Something about you being all blissful and-" he broke off with another chuckle when he tried to picture it again. "It's funny, but I dunno, you could probably make it work."

"But, to answer your question, yes. I'll be here all day."

And he stuck by that, too. For what it was worth, he was a little better at keeping himself busy than his companion could ever hope to be. He had about an hour's worth of documentation to catch up on, then there was the book he'd been meaning to finish for a while… And of course, there was always Curt. The first time he checked after as much productivity as he could muster on a busy mind, he was flat out. He seemed to have the whole temperature regulation sorted; or at least, he had it figured out for now.

Owen prepared a washcloth and a bowl of water that had started out as lukewarm, but was significantly less than that by the time Curt came around. He knelt by the bedside with the exact air of the drastic change in situationship they'd both imagined him in, and wrung out the towel before gently laying it across Curt's forehead. The latter took a sharp breath when the sudden cool hit his skin, and then managed a laugh. 

"What happened to not suiting it, huh?"

"I'm not saying I do, don't get used to it," Owen's tone was light, but he'd certainly thought about it enough in the last half hour. This was not up his alley by any means, and the idea of doing something like this constantly was somehow both something he could almost find himself doing, and the single most boring ending to his career that he could think of.

"I think it suits you..."

"Of course you do." Owen brushed the droplets from his fingertips onto the sleeve of his shirt, though smiling all the same. "You're the one of us being looked after. Speaking of, welcome back to the land of the living."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were asleep for over three hours."

Curt's eyes went wide. "Huh? Really?"

"I did tell you that you sleep like the best of them, and I wasn't joking! I suppose it only matters depending on how it made you feel, though."

"I dunno... Better, I guess?"

"Well, you're still-" he could feel the heat of the cloth from the other side, and it hadn't been in place for longer than a minute. He made quick work of turning it over, and then really getting the chance to feel just how warm it had become. One reason why he was glad that water was no longer slightly warm. At least that was something to keep Curt cool while he battles this inner heat. "Way too warm to be normal. I assume nothing has really changed?"

"... Not really, no. But, uh, this feels kinda good."

[garden-ghoul]

Okay here finally is the music meme @blotthis tagged me in. I don't know what Spotify likes are so I tried to approximate them by listening to a bunch of Bandcamp albums someone on cohost recced a while ago. I chose my favorite song from each album, in order I have them bookmarked. It's been a fun exercise in reshaping my mind to a diverse set of aesthetic paradigms so I can try to understand what each musician sees in their own music. That said. Some of these I'd be reccing anyway.

Points At Head from This Year I Lose My Mind by 2 Mello. Music that makes me wish I had more genre vocabulary. Energetic, funky, hiphoppy I guess?? Jazzy. Has kind of a C2C/Destroid vibe. We're grooving. I like this album.

Oh My God from Shabrang by Sevdaliza. Dark, breathy, synthy. Sevdaliza does fun stuff with autotune and other vocal mods as well as having a lot of great beats. Honestly I'd love to hear more of her unmodified voice in this track because she's a great vocalist. This is a good album if you want to get kind of chill and introspective and weird.

Owens from Little Robert Hutton by Curly Castro. One of the slower starts on a very maximalist album. Curly Castro is doing some fantastic collage here; I like how he plays with samples, clearly pulling from classic DJing on vinyl. I don't know enough about modern rap to compare the vocals to anything but Doomtree, RIP.

Withering Fire from Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind by Vital Spirit. Okay, I will confess I'm not enough of a metalhead to be able to distinguish any of these songs from each other. But as far as I can tell it's a good example of the genre, and if you need some big dramatic texturey noises this album is here for you.

Rock from Ez Minzoku by Foodman. I was having a hard time picking a song from this album, because a lot of it kind of sounds like someone mashing a midifighter loaded with the Earthbound soundfont. The album is hit or miss for me but as soon as I heard Rock I had to put it on this list. An exuberant electric guitar chiptune that's just weird enough for me.

The Mystery (Dilla's Still Here) from Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6 by Madlib. This album only has two songs you can listen to without buying it but on hearing this one I immediately started digging for his first album so I could listen to more of his music. More fun with samples; this is what I might call chillhop if I weren't so aware how boring most chillhop is. From Wikipedia's page on him, no-one's really sure how to categorize him because he's fusing so many genres.

The Great Mist Within from The Great Mist Within by Auriferous Flame. See I said I wasn't enough of a metalhead for Vital Spirit but actually I am a metalhead now. I really like Auriferous Flame's chords and I am gaining appreciation for the textural nature of black metal. I didn't make it all the way through any of these songs but I would if I were just leaving the album playing while I draw.

Son of Man from Rice Field Silently Riping in the Night by Reiko Kudo. I feel like this is one of the best tracks to show off how Kudo thinks about sound, with the different instruments kind of detuned from each other. This whole album is sort of like a distorted reflection of "normal music." Despite occasional loud honking noises it's pretty chill. I enjoyed the description of the recording process at the bottom of the page.

Dance Now from The Forever Story by JID. If you listen to one hiphop album this year, it should be this one. Every single track is a flawless gem with no missing pieces and nothing unnecessary, so the specific song I picked is just the first one I really started jamming out to. Very slick but not overproduced, fantastic beats, fantastic rhymes, wonderful vocals, great instrumentation. I can't coherently talk about the vibe of this album, just listen to it.

Cruise Control from 2000 by Joey Badass. As you may have noticed, I tend to be into chill wavey hiphop, which is why I chose this song off 2000. I really like the outro, it has a classic jazz piano thing going on. This is a hard album to review because I think I'd be more into it if I hadn't just listened to THE PERFECT ALBUM. Ah well. It's good.

[karlajoyner]

Stole My heart (Owen Patrick Joyner x Reader)

A/n: Hey guys so there’s this imagine let me know if I should make a part 2? Possibly a smut? I don’t know let me know! Also let me know if I should post these on wattpad too!!!

Warnings: None

————

"Owen seriously if someone catches us I'm gonna kill you"

"No ones gonna catch us. They're filming a scene" He mumbled leaving a trail of kisses down my neck.

"That's what you said last time"

"They didn't catch us" He said pushing my shirt down my shoulder.

"Yeah but they almost did- wait. Are you? Owen" I scolded pushing him away.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"What do you mean what? The makeup department will literally kill me if I show up with another hickey. Then their gonna interrogate me like they did last time since there are limited people I see daily" I groaned.

"They're not gonna kill you y/n. Relax"

"I can't relax. Now that we landed a season 2 the chances of us getting caught are much higher now. Plus my character has such a bigger part now" I spoke pacing back and forth in the dimly lit room. Julie's room set to be exact.

"I know. But you can't let that get to you now. You did amazing the first season and your gonna kill it this season. And if we get caught then oh well"

"Oh well? Oh well. Owen I already told you I don't want anyone to know about us until-"

"Until we're sure it's not gonna effect our worth ethic. I know" He muttered sitting down on the bed. I sighed realizing he was upset. It was never my intention to date my co-star. Let alone fall in love with him. But after spending countless of hours on set and off set with him there was no denying the chemistry. And what to everyone seemed like an amazing friendship was actually something more.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I wish things could be different but-"

"But this is your first big part. I get it" he said moving to sit me on his lap.

"I'll back off. We'll just have to keep sneaking around"

"Owen-"

"No harm. No foul. If this is what I have to do to be with you I'll do it" He said kissing the spot he had previously been sucking on.

"And I'd do it again" He whispered kissing my skin once more.

"And again" Another kiss.

"And again" He spoke finally meeting my lips. The kiss last longer than the ones shared previously. It was much more passionate on both ends. The risk of getting caught high.

"Owen" I giggled as he flipped us over on the bed.

"Yes?" He questioned as his fingers made their way up my shirt.

"Baby" I moaned as his hands cupped my left boob.

"Mmm" He muttered against my lips.

"We've got to get back on set soon. I have a scene with Jer" I panted pulling away.

"Don't do it"

"Owen" I warned.

"Fine" He groaned getting off me.

"But for the record if they did know we were dating I would not give my approval for the stupid kissing scene" He said kicking the ground like a little kid. Referring to the fact that my character became Reggies love interest this season.

"Be careful there babe the jealousy is peeking through. Just be lucky he's married and they cut it down from a whole make out scene" I teased checking myself in the full length mirror.

"Yeah yeah. God the unholy things I would've done to you in that bed" He whispered in my ear as his hands explored my body.

"Don't temp me Joyner" I said a smirk making it's way onto his face.

"I'm here!" I called running onto set.

"Finally! Where were you?" Charlie asked exasperatedly standing beside Kenny who was looking at script at hand.

"We don't have time to interrogate her Charlie we've got to get this scene filmed if we wanna stick to schedule. Y/n next time be on set 5 minutes before"

"Yes Kenny. Sorry I was um was distracted. Lost track of time" I said noticing Owen had walking onto set casually going to talk to Mads and Savannah.

"Okay so this scene your gonna walk in on cue to your mark. Find Luke sitting on the couch playing his guitar. Sentimental talk. Confess your undying love for Reggie. Then Jers gonna come in tell y/c/n he loves her too. But he can't be with her because he had this girlfriend back in 95 who he never officially broke up with. Then he says screw it. You kiss. End scene"

"Oh the kiss. That's this scene?" I asked finding Owen who was deeply in conversation.

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

"No, no I'm ready" I said not expecting to have to do this in front of my secret boyfriend right now.

I sighed going to stand on my beginning mark. I watched as Charlie did the same.

The lights dimming in the studio to replicate nightfall.

"And action!" Kenny yelled.

I opened the barn like doors walking in slowly.

"Oh Luke. I didn't know you were here sorry I'll go-"

"No. No it's okay. I was just messing around. What's up?"

"I was looking for Reggie"

"Looking for Reggie? Oh he's with Alex and Willie. He should be back soon"

"Then I'll just go. Thanks I guess"

"Wait. Can I play you something?" Charlie questioned taking a hold of my wrist.

"Um sure. Why not?" I asked sitting down next to him. I listened as he began strumming his guitar to a familiar tune. A small smile forming on my lips.

"That was great Luke. Did you write that? Maybe about someone whose name rhymes with Judy" I spoke in a teasing matter.

"No. Actually Reggie wrote it. About someone who name rhymes with yours" He said a blush forming on my face.

"Okay. I get what your saying" I said playfully rolling my eyes.

"Good. I thought I'd have to follow up with home is where my horse is" He said making me giggle.

"How could I possibly tell a ghost who died 25 years ago that I'm completely head over heels for him?"

"Maybe the same way your telling a ghost who died 25 years ago right now" Charlie said jokingly bumping my shoulder.

"Right... I just- I don't want to get rejected by a ghost. It's one thing when they're alive but if the dead doesn't want me I think that's saying something"

"Y/n, Reggies in love with you. He'd be thrilled if you showed any romantic interest in him. At least more than you already do" He teased me once again.

"Thanks Luke. I just hope he doesn't freak out on me like last time"

"Last time?"

"Yeah last time I brought up relationships in a topic he got all weird and left. So I just never did it again"

"Oh. Look y/c/n back in 95 we had a decent following and a ton of girls following after us" A strange look forming on Charlie's face.

"Okayyy" I stretched out the word.

"And Reggie. You know him he uh well he's a fl-" Charlie words were cut off.

On cue Jeremy strolled into the studio set as Charlie and I sat facing each other stiffly.

I stifled a giggle knowing this would later be edited so it'd look like Jer flashed in out of nowhere.

"Y/c/n? Luke?"

"Oh Reggie. Hi" I stood up continuing the scene.

"Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be home"

"I was. Julie invited me over for a bit and I thought I'd say hi before I uh left. I though maybe we could talk for a bit"

"Oh. Okay yeah" He slightly smiled before turning to the brunette beside me.

"And what are you still doing here?" Jeremy asked looking at Charlie.

"Hey, I was just leaving man. She's all yours" Charlie smirked at us before walking off set.

Jer and I paused until his footsteps could no longer be heard before continuing.

"So um what did you want to talk about?"

"Just um stuff" I said standing still in my spot.

"What stuff?" He asked coming to stand in front of me.

"Luke. He played me your song" I said picking up the piece of paper with chicken scratch from the coffe table.

"Lifer Girl?" I finally read the title before looking up into his brown eyes.

"Uh yeah. I'm still working on the name. Did you like it?"

"I loved it. This lifer girl. She's one lucky girl. Do I know her?"

"Of course you do. Your practically the same person" he said a piece of my hair falling to the front of my face. I nervously played with my fingers as he pushed the strand behind my ears.

"Oh. Can you tell me about her?"

"Well she's funny and makes me feel happy when I'm around her. She's really smart and her grades skyrocket compared to what mine use to be. And she's beautiful, drop dead gorgeous" He whispered tilting my head up with his fingers.

For a moment I looked up into his brown eyes wishing. Longing for them to be someone else's. I felt his finger leave my chin before he turned away dramatically.

"I shouldn't"

"Shouldn't?" I asked curiously.

"I can't"

"Can't? Why not?" I questioned once more.

"Y/c/n there's something I need to tell you"

"What is it Reg?"

"Back in 1995 you know before we died. I uh-"

"You what?" I asked urging him to continue.

"I had a girlfriend and well then we died. So we never officially broke up" Jer said.

"Oh" I mumbled backing away from him.

"I get it"

"No wait y/c/-"

"No Reggie it's okay. Your still in love with her. Of course you are. God how could I be so stupid to think that you'd actually love me. Let alone like m-" My eyes widened as I felt him crash his lips into mine completely going off script. Which wasn't uncommon. But it was supposed to be a short kiss. There were lines that were missing.

Slowly I pretended to sink into the kiss. Pulling away after a couple of seconds amongst hearing the word.

"Cut!" Kenny yelled Jeremy finally letting me go.

"That was amazing! Spectacular! Great improve Jer! We're done with this scene!" He called out to us. But all I could focus on was the look plastered on Owens face. He was hurt. But not because of the kiss. But because of the fact that he couldn't do that. Not out in public anyways.

"Yeah great going Jer" I commented to the boy in front of me.

"Thanks y/n. You did great too" He said getting near me.

"But if I were you I'd go talk to your boyfriend before he bursts" He whispered in my ear leaving me wide eyed.

"H-how'd you?"

"Know? Please everyone knows. I mean you guys aren't great at hiding things. There's actually a poll between Kenny and Charlie. Whichever one of you slips up firsts. My bets on Owen" He chuckled.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously"

“Who was the first one to know"

"Sonya in makeup. The first hickey you showed up with only matched with the timeframe that you and Owen had been together. Clearly not getting lunch like you had said you were"

"That long?" I asked.

"Yup" He spoke popping his p.

"Just don't tell anyone I told you. Carolynn insisted I put you out of your misery"

"Thanks. I think" He smiled at me before walking away.

A grin began to form on my face as I made my way toward the blonde who was leaning against a wall twirling one of his drumsticks in his left hand.

"Hey. Great scene back there" He commented as I now stood in front of him.

"Thanks. You know Jers a good kisser and all but I think your better" I spoke aloud noticing Savannah's and Madison's head whipping towards us.

"What?" He asked making sure he heard right.

"You heard me Joyner" I spoke giggling at his shocked reaction.

"Now shut up and kiss me would you?" He tilted his head to be extra sure. Something I adored about him.

He always wanted to make sure I was certain about these things. I simply nodded feeling his arms wrap around me bringing his lips to meet mine.

I smiled into the kiss as he turned us around pushing me up against the wall. I giggled upon hearing clapping around us from the cast and crew.

"Finally!" I heard Savannah shout.

"Keep it PG kids!" Kenny shouted laughter following.

"You owe me 20 Gillespie!" He yelled again followed by a groan by presumably Charlie. I finally pulled away first leaving Owen in shock.

"I'm gonna need you to come back to reality lover boy" I said rubbing my thumb against his cheek.

"What made you change your mind?" He asked keeping a tight hold on my waist.

"Let's just say you have Carolynn to thank for that. Apparently everyone knew"

"What? How?"

"I guess we weren't as good at keeping a secret as we thought"

"How long?"

"First hickey"

“That long?"

"That's what I said" I laughed as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"You two are so cute"

"Thanks Mads" I smiled at the girl.

Finally able to wrap my arms around the boy who had stolen my heart without any warning.

[introvertguide]

Star Wars (1977); AFI #13

In honor of May 4th and the original movie that started it all, the group reviewed Star Wars (1977). Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and winning 6 with one extra special achievement award for Sound, this is perhaps the most highly decorated science fiction movie of all time. The special effects and the music were especially moving making the Star Wars experience something amazing to behold. I was lucky enough to see one of the re-releases in the theatre back in the mid 80s. In fact, I might well have seen the film 100 times over my life. The music might be the most well known soundtrack globally. With inflation, this is the 4th highest grossing film of all time. It is truly a fantastic work and I would like to now spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Let me start with the usual:

SPOILER WARNING!!! I DON'T THINK THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM, BUT FOR THOSE FEW THAT DON'T KNOW, I AM GOING TO RUIN THE PLOT!!! STOP NOW AND GO WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!!!

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Amid a galactic civil war, Rebel Alliance spies have stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a massive space station capable of destroying an entire planet. Imperial Senator Princess Leia of Alderaan (Carrie Fisher), secretly one of the Rebellion's leaders, has obtained its schematics (this entire effort was originally a throwaway concept but was completely fleshed out in Rogue One almost 40 years later) , but her starship is intercepted by an Imperial Star Destroyer under the command of the ruthless Darth Vader (acted by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones). The movie is just starting and the odds against the rebels are shown by the scale of the two ships. Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an astromech droid called R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), who flees in an escape pod to the desert planet Tatooine accompanied by protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).

The droids are captured by Jawa traders (little shiny eyed beings who are now meme legends), who sell them to moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars and their nephew Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, part of a holographic recording of Leia starts playing a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi where she requests his help ("Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!"). Later, after Luke finds R2-D2 missing, he is attacked by scavenging Sand People while searching for him, but is rescued by elderly hermit "Old Ben" Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness), an acquaintance of Luke's, who reveals that "Obi-Wan" is his true name. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as one of the Jedi Knights, the former peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic who drew mystical abilities from a metaphysical energy field known as "the Force", but were ultimately hunted to near-extinction by the Empire. Luke learns that his father fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars (another throwaway concept that was eventually fleshed out) until Vader, Obi-Wan's former pupil, turned to the dark side of the Force and murdered him. Obi-Wan presents Luke with his father's old lightsaber, the signature weapon of Jedi Knights. The connection between Darth Vader and Luke's father is explored in depth during the next eight films.

R2-D2 plays Leia's full message, in which she begs Obi-Wan to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of Alderaan and give them to her father, a fellow veteran, for analysis. Although Luke initially declines Obi-Wan's offer to accompany him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force, he is left with no choice after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers have killed his aunt and uncle and destroyed their farm in their search for the droids (cue the Academy and Grammy Award winning theme music composed by John Williams). Traveling to a cantina in Mos Eisley to search for transport, Luke and Obi-Wan hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford), a smuggler with a price on his head due to his debt to local mobster Jabba the Hutt. Pursued by stormtroopers, Obi-Wan, Luke, R2-D2 and C-3PO flee Tatooine with Han and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) on their ship the Millennium Falcon. As they reach the planet's orbit, two Star Destroyers try to intercept them, but Han is able to jump to hyperspace by reaching lightspeed.

Before the Falcon can reach Alderaan, Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) interrogates Leia about the location of the Rebels's secret base, with the threat of destroying her home planet, and, when she answers that the base is on Dantooine, he orders Alderaan destroyed simply as a show of force. As the group arrives in the asteroid field that now stands in place of Alderaan, Han spots an Imperial TIE fighter and is taunted into chasing it and shooting it down, allowing the Falcon to be captured by the space station's tractor beam. Inside the Death Star, Obi-Wan attempts to disable the tractor beam, and Luke persuades Han and Chewbacca to help him rescue Leia after discovering that she is scheduled to be executed. After disabling the tractor beam, Obi-Wan sacrifices his life in an epic lightsaber duel with Vader, allowing the rest of the group to escape the Death Star with Leia. Using a tracking device, the Empire tracks the Falcon to the hidden Rebel base.

Leia's schematics reveal a hidden weakness in the Death Star's thermal exhaust port, which could allow the Rebels to trigger a chain reaction in its main reactor with a precise torpedo strike. While Han abandons the Rebels after collecting his reward for rescuing Leia, Luke joins their starfighter squadron in a desperate attack against the approaching Death Star. In the ensuing battle, the Rebels suffer heavy losses as Vader leads a squadron of TIE fighters against them, but Han unexpectedly returns to aid them in the Falcon, narrowly managing to save Luke before Vader can shoot him down. Guided by the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan's spirit, Luke turns off his targeting computer and uses the Force to aim his torpedoes into the exhaust port, destroying the Death Star moments before it fires on the Rebel base. In a triumphant ceremony at the base, Leia awards Luke and Han medals for their heroism.

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I want to explain the connection between this movie and the Joseph Campbell version of the hero's journey that so many people have pointed out. This journey starts out with a call to adventure that is refused and then forced (Luke is given an opportunity to leave, he declines, the death of his family pushes him forward, he leaves with his team). Campbell then predicts an initiation that involves meeting a woman and gaining weapons, a meeting with an incredible power, and an achievement of the hero's power (goes to star destroyer, meets Vader and loses Obi-Wan, gains power over force). The story ends with a refusal, a magic flight, a rescue from without, and a hero's return (Luke goes to attack the Death Star, Han refuses and then eventually saves him, and the day is saved so the heroes are rewarded). It is a story that is called the Monomyth and has been recognized in Greek myths that are thousands of years old. It is a good story that has been proven to work and it makes for one of the most enjoyable movies of all time.

There was some negative opinions of the film because it is such a simple old story that became extremely popular and film goers would no longer be interested in intelligent thinking movies. It is kind of the truth because blockbuster summer films are full of explosions. The highest grossing films since then have tended to be highly explosive action films. Films like Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones are a lot of fun, but they are not super deep. They are easy to understand at surface level, but they can also be interpreted to mean much more significant things. The choice of the viewer about whether the story has deep inner meaning or is just the Odyssey in space is personal and likely colors opinions about how good it is. Some people think it is stupid fun while others have actually formed religions around the idea of the force.

One thing is for certain, the formula worked amazingly well for a large group of people and this made movie producers want to copy it. This is what is generally called a watershed moment because the look of movies changed significantly. There were so many more space operas and they all had that worn post-apocalyptic look to them. Star Wars and Mad Max combined to give a different look of what futuristic was. There was advanced tech in some cases, but there was a scorched Earth that had run out of resources and people suffered. Think about how many movies and television shows there are that have come out since the 80s and combine industrial tech for space and distressed almost Western appearances for the planets. The movie changed the way many people see the future.

One thing that is inarguably great was the score. I am not going to try and describe it with words, I am just going to put links to the different themes here so you can hear for yourself:

Star Wars Main Theme (Full) - YouTube

Star Wars- The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) - YouTube

Princess Leia's Theme - YouTube

Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (1977) Soundtrack 11 Cantina Band - YouTube

This is somewhat strange for the AFI so I went back and checked, but I believe that this is the only film with a ranked villain (Darth Vader), hero (Han Solo), and theme song (Main Theme). Even if it is somewhat simplistic from some perspectives, the story and the songs and the sounds and the characters speak to those who watch it. Seeing the movie is an incredible experience and I envy those who get to see it for the first time.

I am a big fan of the original Star Wars trilogy and I could completely nerd out going over all of the little things throughout the movie, but this is not a deep dive but instead an overall review. So does it belong on the AFI top 100? Maybe more than any other movie. It is an epic tale that changed the way movies were made across multiple genres. We could probably look at all science fiction films and put them as before or after this one. It is an important piece of American film and (no matter what anyone thinks of the other Star Wars films or George Lucas) it is a masterpiece. Would I recommend it? I cannot say yes enough. It is part of my culture as a California movie nerd and understanding this film is understanding some of the basic knowledge I grew up with. All sticks are swung around like light sabers. If I say "Princess Leia hair," everyone around here knows exactly what I mean. If something is impossible but still needs to be done, we tell people to use the force. I have lived in the Bay Area for 20 years and I can still reference a location by how close it is to Skywalker Ranch were George Lucas worked on movies. Please check out this film and you will know why I am such a fan of movies.

[softpine]

Can you recap your legacy? I don't have time to read it start to finish 😭

of course i can!! i linked the relevant posts so make sure to check those out 💖 sorry this is long, i tried soo hard to keep it brief!!

rosie met isa in selvadorada ► rosie’s parents died, so rosie & isa became owen & isaac’s parents ► eva shows up with beth ► caroline is born (and we find out that at a certain point in the future, caroline’s location is unknown to her parents) ► caroline and beth are bffs  ► they meet danny and become close friends ► danny and beth both have a crush on caroline ► caroline and danny start dating (with beth’s permission) ► beth gets threatened by angelica► tension builds between caroline and her parents► caroline sees angelica bullying beth, so she fights her► caroline finds a porn mag and questions her sexuality► beth starts dating jody  ► caroline starts selling drugs for arrow► danny and beth find out about it and are worried ► caroline suspects that beth is in love with her ► danny finds caroline’s drawings of naked girls and worries she’ll break up with him for beth► danny & caroline make official plans to move to del sol valley after hs► caroline invites beth to come too but she declines► caroline realizes arrow is bad news but it’s too late to back out► caroline realizes she’s bi ► and comes out to danny ►caroline has a dream that arrow sets her up to be arrested ► caroline goes to the police about arrow► she goes undercover and takes them down► beth and jody break up► then get back together ► then break up for good► beth hooks up with caroline’s cousin and caroline feels….. strange about it► caroline daydreams about kissing beth► the relationship between caroline & her parents becomes strained► angelica has a breakdown and confesses her love for beth (and beth rejects her)► owen is going to be a dad (+ this) ► caroline realizes she has feelings for beth► beth and angelica make up (but they’re not friends or dating)► caroline gets herself expelled► has a massive fight with her parents► danny’s mom tells caroline to break up with him► he actually breaks up with her when she tells him she’s been lying about smoking► she goes to beth and they end up kissing► caroline interprets it as a rejection so she leaves while beth is asleep► she plans on moving to del sol valley alone► danny realizes he can’t be without her so they get back together► and leave for dsv together► this is what happens during the 3 month time skip► beth now has 4 (four!!) casual relationships and parties frequently► caroline misses beth a lot and is just very sad in general ► owen & jo have a baby boy named samuel “jett” donovan ► caroline calls to congratulate him► caroline sees a vision of a little boy who she believes to be her future son► she thinks she’s pregnant► she takes a test but it’s negative► she and danny break up► danny basically tells her to be with beth► caroline goes home!!► and meets jett► and works on bettering herself► danny and mikaela are goofballs► beth finds out danny and caroline broke up► kristy pushes beth to talk to caroline again ► beth & caroline reunite ► and then kiss!!!!! ► casper calls danny “daddy” and mikaela is embarassed► but danny says he would have been honored to be cas’ dad ► he & mikaela kiss ► cara has another vision of the little boy, and talks to him  ► danny gets a record deal ► caroline has a terrifying ghost encounter (?) ► caroline starts working as a tattoo apprentice in newcrest ► and moves into an apartment with beth  ►danny gets his “caroline forever” tattoo covered up.. by caroline  ► caroline passes out ► the little boy says he won’t visit her anymore, and everyone finds out caroline is pregnant ► she doesn’t know if she should keep the baby ► danny is freaked out but mikaela is chill  ► cara decides to keep it ► still hasn’t told her family yet  ► danny is getting more famous & releases his first single► cara & beth go to a mommy & me group ► where the ghost lady is alive and well (and pregnant)► mikaela’s sister comes to visit ► and turns out to be really mean :( ► rosie & isa visit caroline and find out she’s pregnant ► beth thinks about quitting ballet► beth tells her mom what she’s nervous about► danny is really stressed  ► the four of them go on a babymoon to granite falls►  danny & caroline have a real talk about them being parents► beth sees the child (that previously, only cara saw) and she thinks she’s dreaming. ► beth is thinking about quitting (professional) ballet ► ASA IS BORN!! :’) ► cara has anxiety about leaving asa with anyone else  ► danny has to go back to DSV for work, but he’s worried about having to go on tour ► beth plans on proposing to cara ► but cara already bought a ring for beth► they go to selvadorada ► and cara almost proposes, but gets interrupted ► BETH PROPOSES AND THEY GET ENGAGED!! ► danny decides not to go on tour, even if it means being less successful in his career► while asa is staying at danny’s, he breaks out and wanders off to a cemetery, where he sees his future self with someone named finn. ► the news reports that brindleton bay is reopening a cold case involving “griffin atwood”’s death. and TMZ discovers danny’s secret “baby mamas”. ► casper is devastated to learn that danny isn’t his real dad, but danny reassures him that he loves him just the same ► mikaela believes that she was the leak, because she told her sister everything.► and we get some flashbacks to her teen years! (her relationship with olivia, how her mother raised them, her meeting casper’s bio father, and how she promised olivia she would never leave without her)► and mikaela realizes she can still make up with olivia  ► it’s halloween, and while the kids are trick or treating, asa sees a “friend” standing on the porch of an abandoned home (aka, finn) ► beth and cara get MARRIED!! ► and go on their honeymoon  ► asa gets older► and part two (aka, “frozen pines”) officially begins!► asa is morbidly curious about death ► asa has a bad dream (showing his fear of being forgotten)► mikaela, danny, casper, and honey take a trip to mikaela’s home town of willow creek ► danny tells casper he’s planning on proposing to mikaela & asks if casper wants to be legally adopted by him► mikaela goes to talk to olivia, where she shares her life story  ► and they reunite► DANNY PROPOSES ;-; ► we meet asa & jett’s friends, jada and elaine, for the first time  ► finn sees them for the first time  ► jett tells asa that his parents are fighting constantly  ► casper meets a cute girl named iris  ► jett is curious about gender….   ► finn speaks to asa even though asa can’t hear him► danny has a midlife crisis ► finn starts following asa around and speaking to him constantly, getting more and more angry ► aileen, wearing the infamous black dress, drops jada off at cara’s (and we hear the “i don’t feel good, will you take me to the hospital?” line)► aileen nearly runs into the kids, while finn is watching, and he freaks out and smashes her car, killing her instantly  ► ghost aileen watches cara talk to her ► mikaela and danny get married!!!► casper throws a small party while mik & dan honeymoon. talon kisses him during a game of spin the bottle ► asa has been seeing aileen’s ghost every night since she died, and he’s getting sick of it

NOW YOU’RE CAUGHT UP! (as of 3.07.2020)