#i think ultimately 2003 is just a genre i enjoy more

[arysthaeniru]

Things I find are handled so interestingly well in the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist compared to Brotherhood: 

Ishval! The true horror and terror of Ishval is handled so much better: it is the centre of the show’s thesis about the violence done against other people in the name of scientific progress and the empire’s violence

Speaking of: racism is handled better in this show too! The way that Ed and Al are so callous and dismissive about Ishval through most of the show, despite Marcoh’s warnings, and it really doesn’t hit them until they go there in person and realize that Rick and Rio have suffered just like them: in fact, Rick and Rio have suffered even more than them. Ed and Al can always go back to Resembool. Rick and Rio can’t. The casual racism of our main characters is really good! It’s very realistic that Ed and Al believe the racist lies about Ishval for SO LONG, despite rationally understanding the military is bad

Liore! Because Liore gets to have this back-and-forth with Ishval, you get this really strong empathy and solidarity between Rose and Scar, as this representation of Ishval and Liore: religious brown people versus the Empire coming to genocide them out of existence...the solidarity and love between Scar and Rose and the peoples of Ishval and Liore is really good!

Ed and Al really get to be kids and get to be wrong a lot? They get to be such unreliable narrators in a way that is so interesting! When they say something about alchemy or make comments on other characters, they’re often wrong and misguided! Ed’s petulance and anger and stubborn defiance and Al’s naivete and inability to question other people’s lies gets them in trouble way more often than it does in Brotherhood and it really emphasizes just how much he and Al are children out of their depth in a horrible system, in a way that Brotherhood often doesn’t. 

The metaphor of alchemy: Alchemy IS science. For all its goods, it is all the evils and fallouts of unethical science: science that is done at the expense of people, science that is done in the name of greed, science that is done only in the name of violence, and with this strong metaphor, the Philosopher’s Stone as this pinnacle of progress that is built on the blood of common people is just a less complicated metaphor. Because Alchemy is science and FMA 2003 is a commentary on imperialistic, colonial science that is so directly commenting on the Gulf War, it gets to say things much more angrily than I think Brotherhood ever gets to?? You feel the anger about the lies of the Gulf War in FMA 2003 and how it parallels to WW2 better. The animators seem more angry and I enjoy that more!

(More about pacing, characterization and the overall tone of the show under the cut!) 

Although the show ultimately whiffs it, the homunculi being the leftover remnants of human transmutation allows for so many climatic, interesting conflicts between both the homunculi and humans, but also between different humans! Ed and Izumi and their relationship in this show is defined by their fundamental disagreements regarding the role of alchemy and what to do with the homunculi: and it is SO good!

I love that the homunculi are resentful of humans for living and want the philosopher’s stone to be human again! I could do without them all being controlled by a mysterious entity who is so much more boring than all of the other homunculi, but hey. That happened in Brotherhood too, Father’s very boring. 

Speaking of the homunculi: they are so much scarier and intimidating!! When they show up to a fight, pretty much everybody loses! It’s great! It’s not until the last 10-15 episodes of the show that Ed is able to actually put up a fight against them, so you really feel the stakes everytime they show up on screen. They kill Hughes masterfully, they beat the shit out of Scar, they beat the shit out of Ed and Al, they beat the shit out of Izumi--they’re genuinely scary and I love it! In Brotherhood, they are able to evenly fight them SO MUCH MORE QUICKLY and I think it makes them less of a threat than in 2003. 

The main women in Ed and Al’s lives get so much more to do! Maria, Sheska, Izumi and Winry all have a HUGE amount of screentime compared to Brotherhood, where Winry is mostly just running around and has very little initiative to investigate the main plot! Here, she and Sheska investigate homunculi, participate in fights and really are emotionally impacted by events. Izumi barely shows up in Brotherhood ever, and she is a fundamental player in the game in 2003! And Lieutenant Maria Ross gets to really actually play the role of ‘first adult to be like CHILDREN SHOULDN’T BE IN THE ARMY’ which gives her genuine depth and emotionality. 

Oh, Martel’s a real character too! She and Al are fun, I enjoy their banter and I enjoy that she gets to really emphasize to Ed and Al that Ishval was entirely a false-flag operation 

Rose too! I love that Rose comes back as a real character and not cameo! I love that Rose’s rape too, is not just this moment where Ed truly and really realizes that the military does interpersonal violence, but also is something that motviates Rose herself! I love that moment where she screams at Ed to keep walking, just as he shouted at her at the beginning of the show. I love that her continuing on as a character means that Ed’s shitty speech at the beginning of the show gets to be recontextualized as a thing of strength again. I love her resilience, and I love her.

On the villain-side, at the expense of Greed being a character, Lust gets to be a very sympathetic character! I love her contemplations on why she wants to be human, I love her slow realization that she’s tired of the fight, I love her immediate betrayal of Dante once she realizes that Dante is just using her, I adore her and Envy’s petty bickering. She gets so much depth by being formerly human and being linked to Ishval. 

Speaking of Winry: Roy killing Winry’s parents is just. So much better. I love how it immediately breaks Winry’s faith in the government entirely, I love how much it really and truly shows how the Amestrian military is evil. I love how it really creates this moment of weakness and vulnerability in Roy, which he doesn’t get nearly as much in the other show! Roy’s too cool in Brotherhood! I love how young, sad and pathetic he is when he kills the Rockbells, it really sells the horrors of war much better. 

I really like getting to see Ed and El’s counterparts across all of the side characters: the characters that only show up for one or two episodes: everybody is brothers. Everybody is consumed by this burning posessive love. But nobody goes as far as Ed and Al are willing to. I love how they are confronted with their mistakes and failures everywhere they go! It really sets the tone of horror. It really sells Ed and Al as the protagonists of a dramatic tragedy. They made the mistake, and they will make it again, in the name of love! 

A small thing: but I love that Izumi and Ed disagree with what the Gate is? I love that Ed thinks of the Gate as Truth. And Izumi doesn’t! Izumi simply thinks it is a horror. Izumi thinks that what insight the gate gave her was not truth but something else, and I agree with her. I love the idea that Ed’s conception of reality is based on him being Mr. Edgy Angsty Atheist! I love that the gate is silent in 2003, I like that there are very little answers. And I agree with Izumi! The answer to the question: what lies behind the ultimate taboo of science is NOT truth!! It doesn’t quite make sense! 

Relatedly, I love that Ed learns all of his horrible communication skills and bottling everything up coping mechanisms from Izumi. They make all the same mistakes all the time! Izumi always takes everything on her shoulders even though she has help, as does Ed. Izumi never communicates her love and appreciation for the people around her, letting her actions do the speaking, as does Ed. They are terrible mirrors of each other, and I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

I like that Armstrong is not comic relief? He puts on ‘Mr Muscle Man’ as a facade about three times in 2003, and every single time, it’s a distraction, it’s supposed to make people look elsewhere. Most of the time in 2003, he’s incredibly solemn and serious, as he tries to endure doing the wrong thing in the name of duty. I love that he’s still suffering the consequences of being too kind in Ishval. 

I like that Mustang, Hawkeye and all our favourite main characters put Ishvalans in trains and take them off to concentration camps. It’s not very subtle with its metaphor, but it shouldn’t be. If anything, Brotherhood deeply de-emphasizes the horrendous nature of the genocidal play of the army and the constant violence they partake in. Roy and his people are so heroic in Brotherhood, and I really like how much they are complicit. How much they are ultimately soldiers who are ‘just following orders’ in a genocidal regime. 

I like that they don’t turn to act for the side of good until the very end of the show. I think it highlights the stakes a bit more. I like that the show makes us doubt Roy for a lot longer before finally giving Ed hope! It’s far more cathartic!

I like that Paninya ISN’T ACTUALLY A THIEF???? I like that Paninya is just a gal who wants to make her adoptive dad proud and she steals Ed’s pocketwatch not for Winry to teach her a lesson about how ‘stealing is bad’ but that Ed gets the lesson that he’s not the only one that makes automail work for him! I love that Ed loses actually in 2003!

I really enjoy Fletcher and Russell. Fletcher especially is my good boy. He and Al should hang out more :) 

I really like that Kimblee starts out as a fugitive in 2003! There is something so slimey in Brotherhood where the army just immediately takes him out of jail to track the Elric brothers: it definitely shows just how evil the Amestrian army is, but I think I prefer him being a traitor to Greed’s gang! I love how much more personal Martel makes her fury with him! I like how it takes a while for the military to take him back in here, mostly because it allows for Archer to be a character instead. 

I think Archer being a character makes Kimblee more effective: Kimblee is not Ed’s enemy. He’s Scar’s enemy. And I LOVE that in 2003. 

Archer’s initial attempt to do the right thing instantly being overtaken by craven greed is also a really fun arc! I just enjoy more military characters getting to be pieces of shit. 

Scar gets to interact with more Ishvalan characters because he’s not tied down by far too large an entourage cast, and as a result, he is just. SO much better. I love that he and his mentor fight and talk and he ties himself to the refugees of Ishval in a way he doesn’t quite get to in Brotherhood. I LOVE his determination to make a Philosopher’s Stone out of the military’s lives. I love that he has no hesitation about it either. This is praxis!

I love that Ishvalan people’s legacy is alchemy too! I like that alchemy is the lost art, the old art, and not something that missed Ishvalans by entirely! Although I do like that Scar’s brother in Brotherhood is trying to combine alchemy and alkahestry, I LOVE that 2003 is simply him going back to Ishval’s ancient history. It makes the science metaphor more interesting, especially when you see that apparently the ancient Ishavalsn found out how to make a Philosopher’s Stone and then rejected it and alchemy entirely as a result. I think it’s really interesting worldbuilding! 

I love that whole sequence where Ed kind of makes Wrath’s hatred of him worse? I love how mean and obsessive Ed can be in the show sometimes, I love how flawed and interesting he is. He really feels like a teenager lashing out against the cruel world, and it emphasizes the tragedy of it all.

I love that Hohenheim’s immortality is NOT an accident. I like that he actively did evil things to gain immortality and I like that now his is a story of regret! I think it makes Hohenheim so much more compelling when he is a man seeking repetence for an actual sin instead of being tricked? I think it’s more compelling that he has the same sins as his sons. I like that he was the first to do human transmutation and the first to make a Philosopher’s stone, and that these are Ed and Al’s legacy?? It’s so interesting and fun!

The slow pacing really allows for the tragedy to actually build! I love how slow yet purposeful all the episodes are! The only truly filler episodes are the weird episode about the sexy female thief that keeps tricking Al because Al is too horny/naive, and the Mustang Team’s side adventures. Every other filler episode is doing important work for building the themes of the show! And even the two filler episodes are doing importent things re: characterization! 

Shou Tucker is such a CREEPY minor villain that is used to perfection in 2003. I love how he keeps showing up, I love how awful he is, and I love how much more significant he and Nina are to 2003, because Ed and Al spend four episodes with them instead of their story being wham-blam-ka-blam like it is in Brotherhood, where everything with them happens in 1 episode. 

Laboratory Five is SO MUCH MORE DEVASTATING as a dramatic tension point for Ed! I love how much more evil it is! I love how much more hopeless the situation is. I LOVE the dramatic irony of Ed almost killing hundreds of people because he believed Shou Tucker, despite everything. It’s so good. It makes Brotherhood’s Lab Five Arc pale in comparison. 

Hot Take: I kind of love that Ed goes to Nazi Germany by going through the Gate xD They don’t spend nearly enough time on it, but I kind of adore it anyway. FMA 2003 said subtlety is for cowards, and they were CORRECT!

Things I think weren’t as good but still interesting

Brotherhood really went off with making the homunculus the root of the nation-state of Amestris. I love that in Brotherhood, the state was founded for the explicit purpose of genocidal violence, and the homunuculus as simply the underside of the genocidal turn, the secret police that make the state violence seem legitimate. The hazy relationship between the military/state and the homunuculus muddies the otherwise clear message that 2003 is going for re: state violence and the role of science in perpetrating/continuing violence. 

Dante’s bad. Not that Father is GOOD, not in any way, but Dante’s plan is very stupid and is very underexplained. Why do Trisha and Bradley still follow Dante when she clearly reveals she’s just using them  to prolong her own life and has no intention of making them human? Why do they not immediately just turn traitor like Lust does--the show never builds any real loyalty between Dante and the other homunculi, which makes for a rushed climax, alas. (I do LOVE her and Hohenheim’s bodies physically rotting, that’s some really fun body horror! And I can’t help it, I love exes who were evil scientists and one continued to be evil, and one repented. It’s a fun trope and it was DEEPLY underutilized, alas)

I’m sad Scar died! 2003 obviously has an incredibly high body count and I  defend all of them, but Scar dying is just kinda sad! I like that he has to live with himself in Brotherhood and make Ishval again. 

Greed doesn’t get to do much at all, and his weird acceptance of his own death is VERY strange compared to his own acceptance of being a man so greedy that he wants everything. Although I ended up liking his role as Ed’s first murder, I think Greedling is SUCH a highlight of Brotherhood, that its absence felt jarring. 

May Chang and Ling are such good characters, and I miss Xing! I think I really end up liking 2003′s laser focus on Ishval more, in the end, I think it does a better job of focusing on genocide and racial violence as the catalyst for the state’s and science’s expansion. But May and Ling are such lovely characters and I missed them. 

Al’s angst about maybe not being a real person goes on for SO LONG. I forgot it’s like a full four episodes! It’s the one emotional stake that doesn’t quite feel as impactful as the rest of the show. 

Sloth-Trisha had so much potential that was squandered, I loved when she finally became a fighting antagonist, but I wish they’d spent more time on Ed and Al arguing about her and what to do with her/what she means. I mean, it tracks with them both: that Al instantly goes ‘oh, homunculi are remnants of human transormati--OMIGOD MOM’S OUT THERE’ and Ed’s like ‘i refuse to think about this until the last possible minute’ it’s very in character, but it means they never get to really fight about killing Sloth-Trisha, which is a shame! 

[shed0kryptz]

hi guyz !! im makin a bit of a different post today. i wanted to share some album/ep covers that ive been thinking about recently cuz album art is so cool + i love all of these artists dearly. enjoy my rambles :D

Sign - Nobukazu Takemura (2000)

my pfp !!!! i discovered the title track sign from the album hoshi no koe, but this is the record it originally debuted in! takemura is a japanese electronic musician who makes a lot of experimental music, and this album is no different. however, it has sort of a.. nintendo vibe to it? it’s difficult to describe, but it’s super fun !! i love the album art as well and the rhythmic motion of the building. the little music note guy has my whole heart too, theyre jus a little goober <3

Paraiso - Haruomi Hosono and The Yellow Magic Band (1978)

i wouldve put this in yellow but there is no option. anywayz this is a interesting album. ive recently started listening to hosono’s music and i enjoy it a lot !!! hosono house is fire, but this one is also good ! the cover art is what initially led me to listening to this, i love the beach atmosphere and the sky as space. and the little bubbles that have random monuments in them. and the palm trees n plants and agh. it’s delightfully surreal and im here for it !!!

S-F-X - Haruomi Hosono (1984)

look hosono you’re awesome and i love your early stuff so far. but i could not get into this ep at all. might try again tho !! but it’s really a shame because the cover is awesome. i love the distortion on the face and the pops of pink and yellow against the teal background. it’s very pleasing to look at and it’s been floating in my mind for awhile. very futuristic lookin !

Sail - Masakatsu Takagi (2003)

I AM THE ULTIMATE TAKAGI FAN #1 anyway. this album is so so lovely and silly. it has a special place in my heart now fr. the best way to describe it is animal crossing/picopop(??) type music. some of it reminds me of kero kero bonito’s music too. idk genres are weird !! point is it’s very upbeat and nostalgic. a few tracks are more somber sounding, especially rama. but i love the album art of this one, it’s like something you’d see in a dream or a childhood memory. i love the watercolor texture and the blend of pastel colors too!! and how it looks as if it was combined from multiple layers, as in each piece of the figure was made separately. overall takagi is a genius and this album SLAPS

Keep It Unreal (10th Anniversary) - Mr. Scruff (2009)

mr. scruff makes very cheeky and silly electronic music, but occasionally he drops an absolute banger. nah fr all of his stuff is good, some of it is just more “serious” than others. but i appreciate his sense of humor and the beats he makes ! this album of his is a great listen, but i especially love the cover. the og album cover is mounted up in the corner while these little bean guys are celebrating. truly a work of art. his other album ninja tuna also shares a similar art style !! very goofy <3

A Wizard, a True Star - Todd Rundgren (1973)

do i gotta say anything even. this is just a masterpiece of a cover. there is so much going on in the best way possible. i love the incorporation of the geometric shapes. the trippy visuals. it screams 70s. not to mention this album is fire. international feel is so good !!!

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You - Caroline Polachek (2023)

PHOTOGRAPHY JUMPSCARE ! i recently go into caroline polachek and OML where have you been all my life. this album is pure pop bliss and her vocals are so so good. sunset and fly to you are especially good oug. the album cover in particular is very simple in concept but it’s executed so well. the lighting, the sand, the bus chairs, her outfit?? absolutely stunning. this woman oozes creativity fr.

Dreams - Gabor Szabo (1968)

i could not find a better quality image of this one but holy molay this is a great jazz fusion record. is it fusion? idk anymore. but this is a great album and the art is just. mwah. i love all of the intricate details and the flowers. it’s just gorgeous !!! what else can i say !

Dead but Dreaming - vivivivivi (2023)

final one !!! vivivivivi is honestly super underrated, though her song credits song for my death has 8 million views on yt. anyway, this was a pretty recent album from her and it’s very cool !!! def gives the vibes of an rpg. i love the album cover tho!! the artist did a tremendous job with it, i love the overgrowth of the flowers and the shading. it also suits the tracks well !!

[nevermindthewanderer]

top five movies?

Thanks for the ask! I got this message right before I fell asleep last night so sorry for just now answering. In working through this list, it became pretty clear what I enjoy most about movies.

Knives Out (2019) Beautiful sets, fun script with biting social commentary, solid twisty mystery, excellent cast that's clearly having an absolute blast, and a great soundtrack? Yeah this is a winner. Really the only thing I would change is Marta's tell. I hated the vomit gag.

Pride and Prejudice (2005) Is the BBC 1995 miniseries more book accurate? Yes. But Joe Wright nails the aesthetic of the era even if he's not quite as "accurate." Gorgeous cinematography, another excellent ensemble cast, a script that distills the story to its best elements, and captivating music? You had me at hello.

The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) I'm counting them as one and I'm referring to the extended editions. The ultimate medieval fantasy genre epic that needs no introduction. The books are great too, but idk for my enjoyment value you can't beat the movies. I really can't think of how to make them better. Yes, there's always additional lore to add and characters that get cut for time and clarity (sorry Tolkien, you know you ramble) but the choices that were made are excellent.

The Princess Bride (1987) I can't tell you how many times I watched this movie growing up because my mom loves it. This film didn't do great in theaters but exploded on VHS. I can practically quote the entire thing. Again, the snarky dialogue is 2/3 the fun. Another great cast. I love turning genre tropes on their head and having fun. More good music and a fun blend of good production choices mixed with intentionally campy elements. The comedy with a heart of gold that sneaks up on you.

Shrek 2 (2004) An oddball choice. Honestly I prefer this one to the original. Great animation for the era (honestly watch it again, it's almost 20 years old and it still looks good. RIP me noticing that it's that old), great original story, the jokes are sharp, the voice acting is fun, and every song is a banger. Seriously, the Holding Out For A Hero cover is unironically fantastic.

You come from my side blog, so you might be surprised by no Top Gun or Top Gun: Maverick. Honestly, TG:M is up there on the list and would make my top 10 because it's a fun watch. OG Top Gun is so very 80s and was my dad's favorite movie in the 90s so I saw it a lot. It gets points for soundtrack, cast, and cinematography but lacked in story and gets a heavy cringe ding imo. Honestly he might have watched Hot Shots just as much so sometimes I forget what was in TG and what was actually HS lol.

[astorinx-writes]

I Think Astro Likes Synth-Pop: And Other Music Headcanons I Have

Music is everywhere. Some of us enjoy it as background noise to listen to while working on what we need to get done, others may have a dedicated interest in it. No matter where you fall, you would still say there’s at least one (or two) songs, artists, or genres that you prefer, right? Well, today, I thought I would talk a bit about my opinions (or “headcanons” as they’re called) regarding what I think (some) of the 2003 series cast would enjoy!

I should note as a disclaimer, that for the purposes of this post, I will be (for the most part) pulling from my pre-existing Rolodex of songs I know. I did try my best to do some research into new songs, but ultimately most of what’s mentioned here are songs I’ve already known and enjoyed for quite some time. And as an obvious aside, these choices are just my opinion, and you’re free to disagree with my picks or general direction. However, I do ask that you exercise some level of respect– if you’re thinking of replying with something rude or unnecessary, consider putting that energy into making your own blog post! But if you do have some kind suggestions or thoughts, feel free to reply to this post or shoot me an ask.

2003 Series

For starters, let’s talk about the show as a whole. Obviously, I can’t in this context talk about listening habits, but I will talk about songs and artists I generally gravitate towards.

I find for the most part, what constitutes an AB related song is 90% lyrical content and 10% instrumental/musical content. Some songs may not totally fit in the lyrical department, but the instrumental is good enough that I still consider it a decent fit. Other times, I find that only 1-2 lines in a song fit AB, in those cases, I tend to save those songs for use in my design posters over at @astorinx. When a song is a perfect fit, though, you best believe I’m thinking of ways I could turn it into an AMV, even if I never get around to actually making it.

Artists I tend to associate with AB are (typically) Washed Out and Tame Impala, but there are some other single songs that I do think fit. I did already make a video listing songs I think fit AB (which you can watch here) but here are some other picks:

Lorde – Bravado

Possibly, one of the oldest picks that’s stood the test of time. I knew the minute I heard this for the first time, it was a perfect fit for AB. Perhaps some may argue this isn’t a 100% snug fit, and I do see where you’re coming from, but I couldn’t possibly pass up a song that literally has the lyrics “I was raised up / To be admired, to be noticed” and  “I want the applause, the approval / The things that make me go…”

A song with somewhat similar theme would definitely have to be “Patience” by Tame Impala.

Daft Punk – Robot Rock

This is one of those songs I’m shocked I didn’t include originally. I mean, it has “robot” in the name, it’d be sacrilegious for me not to mention it! There isn’t much substance to this song from a lyrical standpoint, but I think that makes for a great fit because there’s less to get caught up in and more opportunity to daydream about whatever AB related thing you want. 10/10 would recommend for anyone just wanting a general vibe, or perhaps some good background music to accompany their fanfic writing.

Another song that isn’t plot-specific and relates to AB on a more general scale, I think, is “Dusk to Dawn On Lygon Street” by King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard.

Crumb – Part III

For this pick, I decided to have it be a reference to my secret project (that I hope I’ll be starting on sometime next year, time, and psych knowledge be willing). Of course, I’m not going to spoil the entire plot, but all you need to know for this pick to make sense is that the fic basically surrounds/documents Astro’s time as a twenty-something in therapy.

What I like about this song so much is the lyrical content, especially with the lyrics “It’s just a feeling” repeated towards the latter half of the song. And of course, the painfully obvious “I could spend the day and think of all the ways…”. I guess you could argue that this song fits in with canon, but it’s those little details that really sold me on this being a great song for my project. It’s also a neo-psych song, so of course I couldn’t pass it up.

“Amor Fati” by Washed Out is also another song I think represents the project quite well!

Astro

Funny enough, I think Astro’s taste in my eyes has definitely changed over the years. Starting with Vivid Insomnia, my partner and I had written them off to be the most stereotypical pop punk emo fan there was. Then we had The Love Trilogy, where Astro infamously enjoyed quite a bit of artists like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. But the most ironic thing about it now, is that I don’t actually think Astro listens to music all that much! At least not compared to say other characters in the series, or even myself. This isn’t to say I don’t think they like it or anything, but for them, I think it comes down to what’s the best to have on while cleaning or getting work done. Essentially, I think they’re the perfect candidate for being the president of the “music as background noise” club.

Another thing to consider, is a phenomenon that while I can’t say without foolproof evidence exists/happens to everyone, I’m certainly employing it here. And that is the concept of inheriting your parent(s) taste. In my opinion, I think the things our parents listened to while we grew up can be instrumental in what shapes our music taste and opinion. Of course, as I mentioned, this isn’t a given, and I’m sure plenty of people out there would argue their taste is nothing like their parents. But, for the purposes of this blog post, I think a lot of what Astro enjoys does at times hinge a little on what I think Tenma and O’shay enjoy.

So, what examples do I have? Well, let’s see!

Duran Duran – The Reflex

It’s hard to condense an entire decade into 1 genre, or even 1 genre into a single song or artist, but there’s something about “The Reflex” that fits so well that when I first heard it, it made me think, “oh yeah, Astro would surely fuck with this.” To me, this just screams music to clean your apartment to, and is surely one that they’re bopping along to while doing the dishes.

Two other songs I think are well worth consideration are “1999” by Prince and The Human League’s “(Keep Feeling) Fascination,” both of which were actually my top 2 picks about a year ago before I discovered “The Reflex”!

Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love

One of the things I set out to not do while making this list, is to fall into clichés. So, for this pick, I decided instead of going with the obvious Daft Punk or Justice track, I’d pick something else, like “100% Pure Love.” What makes me think this would be a great pick for them is the fact that it’s (again) so gosh darn catchy, and falls well within the bounds of EDM that this second slot is meant to represent. Even though it is a bit… expected… lacking a better term, for Astro– a robot, to like EDM, I still can’t find a reason to suspect it wouldn’t be part of their Rolodex of genres they like.

“Do You Miss Me” by Jocelyn Enriquez and “Music Sounds Better With You” by Stardust are my 2 honorable mentions in this category.

Coldplay – The Scientist

Finally, for Astro, we go a little left field into the world of pop rock. Though there are many haters of this genre, I still find myself thinking this is the perfect fit for Astro. Sure, maybe artists like Nickelback and Imagine Dragons aren’t all that well regarded, but for this example I specifically chose Coldplay because for many they’re at least tolerable. As it pertains to Astro, however, any pop rock artist is fair game. I’d imagine if they couldn’t/didn’t fly and had to travel by car like the rest of us, this would be the soundtrack to the many a traffic jams they’d have to annoyingly sit through, thanking the stars that their morality prevents them from starting shit, fueled exclusively by road rage.

Of course, this isn’t the only pop rock song they enjoy, OneRepublic’s “Stop and Stare” and The Fray’s “Look After You” are part of the deal too.

Reno

I gotta be honest, y’all. I have no idea how this happened. But I think Reno and I have the exact same music taste. Though, I would go out on a limb and say that unlike me, Reno can certainly expand upon what he listens to, whereas I tend to just stick to what I already like, too picky to introduce anything new to the mix. Regardless, Reno’s quite the music lover. And he loves talking about his love for music even more. He may not be the guy to go to for a rather straightforward and concise song recommendation, but he’ll at least clue you in on what’s popping left of the radio dial. When he gets his own lab, he’s sure to have it filled to the brim with music posters of all kinds. It’d be hard to walk in and catch him doing anything else than at least hearing something good on vinyl.

Speaking of vinyl, here’s (some) songs off (some) albums you may find him spinning:

Tame Impala – Apocalypse Dreams

Similar to how I can’t make a list about 03 related songs and can’t leave out music with “robot” in the title, I can’t make a list about songs I think Reno likes and leave out the biggest artist of them all: Tame Impala. Just like yours truly, Reno is for sure Tame’s #1 fan, even though I think he’d probably be very opinionated about which Tame songs are best. Originally, I had intended to make “Endors Toi” my pick, but after considering my honorable mentions, I thought “Apocalypse Dreams” was the better choice because of how anthemic it is. I should also state the obvious that though Tame is Reno’s favorite, he is not the only neo-psych artist he listens to. Some other examples would be Animal Collective, GUM and, King Gizzard (though it should be noted that KGATLW has made music in many genres, but they are most known for their neo-psych songs).

The honorable mentions that inspired me to pick “Apocalypse Dreams” are “Desert Horse” by Melody’s Echo Chamber and “Billabong Valley” by King Gizzard.

Sleater-Kinney – What’s Mine Is Yours

For the longest time, I had reserved this spot for pop punk, and while I can’t say I don’t entirely disagree with it still being a genre Reno likes, I’m more inclined to think that just straight-up punk rock is the vibe. In this case, I’m dipping into the archives of what’s known as “Riot Grrl” a genre many see as “female punk” or even “feminist punk.” It should be noted that this genre had its heyday back in the 90s and while it still exists today, it certainly is not at the same popularity level that it once was. Especially when you consider most of the acts that pioneered the genre have either moved on to other adjacent genres, or have quit their acts altogether. As it pertains to Reno, however, what drives me to think this fits him is just based off the general idea that Reno just likes rock. Music with killer vocals and driving drums like “What’s Mine Is Yours” I think appeal to him to such a degree that it was hard to not want to make it the second pick, even if it meant overthrowing perhaps an MCR or Fall Out Boy song.

Some other songs within this genre that I think he’d like are “Bruise Violet” by Babes In Toyland, and “TKO” by Le Tigre.

Franz Ferdinand – The Dark Of The Matinée

Finishing off with our “Reno listens to rock” theming, we end with our final pick, indie rock. Something something indie rock is really catchy blah blah blah. At this point, I think it’s not hard to decipher why he likes it. I should stipulate, however, that when I talk about indie rock, I’m mostly thinking about it through the lens of the 2000s through acts like The Killers, Arctic Monkey’s, and The Strokes. Not to say that modern indie rock is trash, but I think for this blog post, it's safe to assume he’s more likely to be playing El Camino as opposed to Half Drunk Under A Full Moon.

Even though I just mentioned The Fratellis’ latest record, their debut, Costello Music, is far superior and has my first honorable mention “Doginabag.” My second one would be “Whoo! Alright, Yeah…Uh Huh” By The Rapture.

Retro

Of course, I couldn’t make a list of AB music headcanons and not talk about the only ship I have: Retro.

I would say over the years, the songs I’ve found that relate to Retro transcend genre and popularity, there’s just as many obscure hits as there are top 40 hits that describe their relationship best. For the 3 songs I've chosen for this post, they each satisfy a different viewpoint/angle to their dynamic, hopefully encapsulating them as best I can.

Jane Inc – Human Being

You can’t possibly have the beginning lyrics to your song be “Move it across my cheek / So I can pretend to be / A human being / Like I used to be” and have me not immediately think this is the perfect song to represent Retro. I mean, there isn’t a lyric or infliction that doesn’t represent them both to an almost alarming degree. Detractors I’m sure though would point out the line “Lips red and glittered / I make my hair bigger / Feel the fabric tight against my skin” and say it doesn’t apply, but no no no, that’s not a bug, that’s a feature. If you know me in any capacity, you know I headcanon Astro as nonbinary, and with that, I’ve opened myself up to seeing them in a lot more possibilities, two of which are them wearing makeup, and them (at least trying to be) a fashionista. If anything, that just makes this even more niche and feel like Ms Carlyn Bezic (AKA Jane Inc) read one of my fanfics and made a song about it (I’m being sarcastic, of course.)

One song I would’ve loved to have picked would’ve been “Dancing With You” also by Jane Inc, but at 7 minutes long, I knew I had to pick something shorter, and I’d say “Human Being” fits even more than “Dancing With You” anyway. So instead, it is my honorable mention along with the song I probably would’ve picked had I never listened to Jane Inc before, “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5, and the timeless track that will always make me emo, “Paralyzed” by Washed Out.

Sleater-Kinney – Rollercoaster

youtube.com/watch?v=f2sJiDc1gzM (tumblr has a 10 video limit so you’ll have to click the link to listen to it instead, sorry!)

Another Sleater-Kinney pick, yes, but this one is dedicated (again) to my secret project. Again, I can’t say too much without spoiling the plot, but I will leave you with the lines “I’ll go at full boil / ‘Till you st-st-stop me later” and let you think about what it all could mean.

“Let’s Call It Love” similarly to “Dancing With You” was cut for being too long, but let it be known that the entire “Wasted all my fucking time” part of the song, “I’ve got a long time for love” and, “Show me your darkest side / And you better be my bloody match” are why this is an honorable mention. And guess what? “I Follow You” by Melody’s Echo Chamber is an honorable mention, too!

Tame Impala – Breathe Deeper

youtube.com/watch?v=gs-MtItyOFc

A theme that’s as old as I’ve been shipping Retro has got to be Astro’s insecurity. Now, this isn’t a post about psycho-analyzing Astro, so I’ll keep my thoughts short and brief, sadly without context or evidence. But Astro needs comfort. Ultimately, when push comes to shove, there are times when they certainly feel inadequate or just need a refresher on how great they are. But what they wish to receive, they simultaneously are willing to give back to others. Why I picked “Breathe Deeper” is specifically for its chorus:

(And she said) Seems you're coming on

Breathe a little deeper

Should you need to come undone

And let those colors run

Now you're having fun

So do this and get through this

And come find me when you're done

So we can be as one

Furthermore, during the beat switch up, the lines “We're both adults while we behave like children / Long as we got enough to keep on living” remind me of my project, even though I think this song works both within the project’s context, and out.

A song with a similar theme that I’ve picked is “Yam Yam” by No Vacation

Uran

Even though I don’t know nearly enough about Uran compared to Astro and Reno, I still, however, felt it only made sense to include her on this list. In my opinion, I see her listening habits as being somewhat in the middle between Astro’s extremity of it being wallpaper, and Reno’s extremity of it being inseparable from his being and one of his (many) hyper-fixations. She does like what she likes, but it’s more than just “get ready with me” songs, it’s the soundtrack to her drive around the city, what consoles her after having a rough time, and presumably what she takes with her on vacation.

You already know how this goes, here are my song picks!

Mako Ishino – 光の中で振り向くわたし

youtube.com/watch?v=a1vjcq-mZe8

I knew somewhat about city pop before making this post, but after getting recommended by the Discord server I’m in to make it a pick for Uran, I came to learn a bit more about it. Who knew it was so catchy! In my opinion, this reminds me a lot of the synth-pop that Astro enjoys, which I suppose makes this pick funny. Now, since I didn’t technically come up with this all on my own, I can’t say exactly why I think this fits, but if I had to guess, I’d say its popularity in Japan and just how good many of the songs are, is to blame. Overall, though, Uran… you have great taste.

2 other city pop songs I thought sounded great are “私達を信じていて” by Cindy and, Miki Matsubara’s “真夜中のドア/Stay With Me”

Rina Sawayama – STFU!

youtube.com/watch?v=XncZmUQqo1U

Listen… who is doing it like Ms. Sawayama? I think everything off her debut Sawayama is precisely what Uran is looking for. Pop, but make it edgy, a little experimental, and hella, hella catchy. In fact, she’s doing it so well, I struggled to find songs that were similar that I thought Uran would like (actually that’s low-key a lie, but I’m not putting inappropriate songs on this blog post). Regardless, Uran and I both know Rina slaps, and this song is the perfect FU to people who commit microaggressions against marginalized people.

Even though it was hard, I did manage to find some honorable mentions, which are “Hole Heart” by Pyra and “PUNCHLINE” by Jaguar Jonze

Fiona Apple – I Want You To Love Me

youtube.com/watch?v=N541HLPeG6Y

Hard to say what category this falls under. Some argue this is peak “tumblrina” (someone who’s a chronic Tumblr user) and others may say this is singer-songwriter at its best. Regardless, Fetch The Bolt Cutters, like Sawayama, is surely an album for [Uran’s] books. I think the driving pianos and lyrical content would strike a chord with her. But this genre as a whole can at times be a bit chill. I’m reminded of artists like Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles and can’t help but feel like they’re the perfect artists to play at work because the songs are generally inoffensive, and also relaxing enough to induce productivity. I say this to sort of explain, why I think this fits her because while I’ve talked a bit about more intense, rock-oriented songs, I’m not saying that’s all she enjoys, she can get into more “easy on the ears” stuff!

For a somewhat similar vibe and for the tumblrinas, I picked “Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart” by Mitski and Sky Ferreira’s “Everything Is Embarrassing”

To Conclude

Like I mentioned earlier, these are all just my opinions, and they aren’t stagnant either. The more I listen and expose myself to, the more my thoughts may change. Perhaps I might come back to this in a year from now and think, “damn, what was I thinking?” But that’s the beauty of having headcanons! The fact that you can modify or improve upon them at any time means they’re ever-changing and always leaving with something new and exciting to chew over. So with that being said, I hope these picks got you thinking about your music HCs, or even listening habits. Perhaps, maybe you even left with a new song to bop to, or just something to pass along. Regardless, this was really fun (though just as nerve-wracking) to make, and maybe I’ll follow up with a part 2 if I think of music HCs for more characters!

If you want any of these songs on Spotify or YouTube, you’re in luck! I’ll be leaving links down below to playlists for each character/ship/topic we discussed today, including even more songs and genres than what we covered today. Click below and give it a spin!

03 Series

Spotify | YouTube

Astro

Spotify | YouTube

Reno

Spotify | YouTube

Retro

Spotify | YouTube

Uran

Spotify | YouTube

[i-watch-too-many-movies]

5 Favorite First Viewings of July 2021

Quick note: Hi everyone, I'm back, things have honestly been getting better for me, and I'm glad to be on this site full of cinephiles, people that are too horny, and cinephiles that are too horny. I'll be more active on here. But anyway, let's talk about some movies.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) (dir. Russ Meyer)

CW: Abortion mention

What a picture. What a gorgeous, sexy, horrifying slice of what Hollywood and star life can do to a bunch of bright-eyed young people looking for success. Also is a critique of how macho nature can ruin friendships and romantic relationships with total ease. I was obsessed with the scene transitions, like Pet pouring pancake mix onto a plate after the abortion scene, or Kelly singing after someone screams before their murder in the opening scene.

Great, campy flick with exceptional music too.

Deep Cover (1992) (dir. Bill Duke)

Laurence Fishburne plays Russell Stevens, a Cincinnati police officer who hopes to do well by the community, to make a difference. He’s traumatized by the death of his substance-abusing father, and wants to make sure that he can help the people of his own town. He goes undercover on assignment as a drug dealer, where his boss orders him to take down the kingpin. Stevens realizes the police’s own failings while on assignment. The racist abuse he takes from Agent Carver, and the realization that the police department is protecting drug kingpins like Gallegos and Barbossa. Giving drugs to Black kids and Latinx kids so there will be less of them. The cops are no different than the drug kingpins looking to make filthy amounts of money.

Fishburne’s performance is excellent, as Stevens feels he has to maintain a stone face so he doesn’t get caught by Jason or Barbossa or any of his cronies, but also he maintains a stone face to try and hide his emotion, his trauma. But when he gets pissed, Fishburne acts it beautifully, as is when he has to deliver a funny quip to counter Jason’s douchebaggery. And the production design, holy fuck, the sets and the lighting.

A perfect neo-noir for the HW Bush years, arguably one of the most timeless commentaries on the era, as well as the police as a whole.

Fast Five (2011) (dir. Justin Lin)

I was torn between including this or Furious 7, but I ultimately went with Fast Five because it felt like an important turning point in the series, it's a great heist film, and it reached the same chaotic highs and genuinely excellent filmmaking that I had been waiting for since 2 Fast and Tokyo Drift.

Fast Five opens where Fast & 4ious left off. Dom is hauled away to prison on a bus. Mia and Brian drive in their high-tech cars and knock the bus over, helping Dom escape. The title drops. Fast Five. It’s such an intense yet short action scene, and dropping the title immediately after it lets the viewer know that this movie is not fucking around. It’s arguably gonna be more intense and insane than the previous one.

And it is. The filmmakers made the decision to use a lot more practical stunt work for the film, and as a result, it leads to, so far, the best action in the entire series, since 2 Fast and Tokyo Drift. It’s not just how it’s shot or edited, it’s the geography of the locations, the rooftop chase echoes the rooftop chase of Jackie Chan’s masterwork Police Story, particularly the way each character bounces from top to top.

And of course, there’s the silliest moment in the movie, the one that matches the intensity and kineticism of a film like 2 Fast, which is driving the Reyes’ bank vault throughout the street, getting chased by corrupt cops.

I know we make fun of Vin Diesel for saying “family” all the time in these films, but there’s a reason we remember him saying all of these impassioned monologues. Because he’s unbelievably sincere, and has so much love in his heart for every single person in the room. Anytime he delivers a speech to any of them, it’s genuinely heartwarming.

This is the film that finally shows La Familia in their best environment, which is working together, in a movie genre that allows them to work together, which is a heist film. And a great one at that.

Last Days (2005) (dir. Gus Van Sant)

CW: Mention of suicide

Several films have been made about legendary rock artist Kurt Cobain, and for good reason. He is one of the most tragic figures in rock and roll. A tortured genius who has written and performed classic song after classic song with his band Nirvana. He was called the voice of a generation, and helped change the face of mainstream alternative rock music as we know it. But with that fame, and all of those expectations came a worsening depression and further drug abuse, and his eventual death. But most of the films about Kurt Cobain ask one question which gets under my skin way too much:

“Who REEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY killed Kurt Cobain?”

It was him. He did. And it’s okay, I’m sad too. Thinking that Kurt Cobain was murdered is completely ignoring the depression that he faced. And despite Last Days being more inspired by the death of Cobain rather than actually about it, it feels much more honest than the conspiracy documentaries on his death, wanting to leech off of his dead body.

This is the last installment of Gus Van Sant’s “Death Trilogy”, the previous two installments being Gerry (2001), and Elephant (2003). While I have not seen Gerry, I have seen Elephant though, and love that film for its minimalist, raw nature, and its boldness for not romanticizing the school shooter or the lives they had taken. Last Days falls into that trap once, as I don’t agree with the shot of Blake’s soul climbing up a ladder, that always struck me as cheesy in a film that is anything but.

Last Days is similar to Elephant in terms of the way it is filmed. Its usage of long takes, and still shots of characters doing various things, such as Blake playing his guitar behind a drum set. The way these moments are shot is similar to a Chantal Akerman film, particularly Jeanne Dielman. Where the acts of the mundane are the stars of the film. Blake wanders around an empty house, and the viewer can feel the pain, not just through Michael Pitt’s acting, but from the house itself. Its decay, its paint peeling from the walls, from the soft glow of the lamp that lights his face.

I say this is the most honest film about Kurt Cobain, because, despite the characters technically being fictional (the main character who looks, walks, and acts like Cobain is named Blake), this film focuses on the mental state of a person before they eventually take their own life. They’re still working, still making music, still trying to talk to friends and bandmates, but the depression lingers on. Not once does this film try to make you believe that someone else killed him, because you can see the signs of his own suicide taking place just through the film’s excellent cinematography by Harris Savides, showing his mental state only growing worse through the production design.

And it’s empathetic with him. There’s no judgement for leaving rehab, there’s no finger-wagging at him or the people he was with, there’s just a silent prayer at the end of the film, hoping that he is in a better place than he was.

Sometimes you don’t need to show every event that led you to where you are, all you can show is the moment, which also makes this better than most biopics as well, as it never feels messy or muddled, just showing one moment of Blake/Kurt’s life.

I really loved this film, and I’ll be writing about it in full soon.

The Village (2004) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)

The Cracked.com/Channel Awesome audience stuck in 2012 will tell you that this was the beginning of the end for Shyamalan. That this was when people stopped taking him seriously, that this was when he became more of a punchline because of his twist endings.

But why?

The Village was released in 2004, deep in the Bush administration, during the early stages of the Iraq War. The leaders of the time were talking about imaginary boogeymen, terrorists that would attack the civilians if they could. Because of 9/11, politicians could get away with these false ideas with the majority of Americans fully believing them. The boogeymen in The Village are “The People We Don’t Speak Of”, monsters attracted by the color red. Yet we find out that they are all costumes made by the Elders of the land, designed to prevent people from going outside the land. They rule by fear disguised as love. They’ve gone through their own traumas through the deaths of their family members, but they’ve decided to completely abandon the lives that they’ve had and have their children living lies.

9/11 impacted American life by teaching citizens to live primarily by fear, to not trust anyone but their own people. And yet, post-9/11, all that increased was not “coming together”, but hate crimes against South Asian people. The rage white Americans had felt led to conservative politicians pushing fear-mongering agendas, and said white Americans blindly accepted. The outside world was progressing, but too many people were fine with living with further conservative politics only regressing American life further and further back, all for the illusion of safety. Meanwhile, the only threats to them were not the brown citizens outside of America they were so afraid of, but the white elders, the white politicians.

The Village explores these fears so eloquently, all while having a terrifying atmosphere, an enchanting score, and brilliant sound design. I enjoyed this movie very much.

Other viewings I enjoyed:

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) (dir. Mike Judge) (re-watch)

Blow Out (1981) (dir. Brian de Palma) (re-watch)

Clueless (1995) (dir. Amy Heckerling) (re-watch)

Furious 7 (2015) (dir. James Wan)

The Long Goodbye (1973) (dir. Robert Altman)

Lupin III: The First (2019) (dir. Takashi Yamazaki)

Unbreakable (2000) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan) (re-watch)

Velvet Goldmine (1998) (dir. Todd Haynes)

The Visit (2015) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)

[tolkienmetallist]

Battlelore

Music Style: Epic Symphonic Metal

Country of Origin: Finland

Years Active: 1999-2011, 2016- Present

Current Members: Jyri "Moredhel" Vahvanen - Guitars; Henri Vahvanen - Drums; Maria Honkanen - Keyboards, Flute; Kaisa Jouhki - Vocals; Jussi Rautio - Guitars (lead); Timo Honkanen - Bass; Tomi Mykkänen - Vocals

Discography: ...Where the Shadows Lie (2002) Sword’s Song (2003) Third Age of the Sun (2005) Evernight (2007) The Last Alliance (2008) Doombound (2011)

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BattleloreOfficial/videos (official) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ8fbG8Pxzjs_ecVaetGneg (topic)

Website: http://www.battlelore.net/

Spotify Monthly Listeners: ~14,000

My Thoughts: Before going any further, I would like to state that I do not think Battlelore is a bad band, and I do not think they make bad music. I just don’t think they meshed well with my personal tastes and my expectations for the band. I fully acknowledge this is a me issue, and me not being 100% on board with a band does not mean that other people won’t enjoy them. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the band.

On paper, I should love this band. Finland is known for producing great metal bands. Additionally, even though Metal Archives claims their genre is Epic Symphonic Metal, Battlelore pulls inspiration from a variety of genres, such as folk metal, power metal, and gothic music. They are also thoroughly steeped in Tolkien’s lore, and cover some topics that aren’t common in Tolkien Metal (ex. “The Mark of The Bear” about Beorn). I know that in previous posts I have expressed my love of both female metal vocalists and playing with contrasting sounds, and this band has both. This band sounds right up my alley. So why did I struggle to listen to them?

Ultimately, for me, the issue is song pacing. And unfortunately, the root of the pacing issue is the female vocalist, Kaisa Jouhki. Whenever she has a solo, the music slows down to a crawl and any momentum the song had is gone. She kills a song’s energy and pacing to the point where a few times when I was listening, I thought I had changed songs halfway through. Additionally (and this may be a language issue) she doesn’t sound emotionally invested in anything she is singing about. Her vocals are very pretty and she’s talented, but I don’t believe she cares. I did enjoy the music around her parts, and when she was singing with a male vocalist, most of my issues with her weren’t as present.

All that being said, Battlelore is one of the more popular bands I’ve covered, so clearly people do enjoy their music. Perhaps it will eventually click for me, but for right now, I’m going to pass.

[fuckyeahwarriorwomen]

Copy of article below thge cut, should the original ever go away

Leading up to the 20th anniversary of the March 10, 1997 premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Yahoo TV is celebrating “Why Genre Shows Matter” and the history of how these shows have tackled universal themes (e.g. how much high school sucks) and broader social issues.

Perhaps because they seek to imagine the world that’s possible rather than the world that is, genre shows have a long tradition of striving to expand the horizons of what’s possible for women on television. Within the realm of space operas alone, there’s a direct line that connects Lieutenant Uhura’s prominent perch amongst the Enterprise‘s largely male bridge crew on the original Star Trek to The Expanse‘s fiercely independent engineer, Naomi Nagata. And each point along this continuum helps inform the next: commanding officers like Babylon 5‘s Susan Ivanova and Voyager‘s Kathryn Janeway are linked by a devotion to duty, if not necessarily temperament, while Killjoys‘ scrappy bounty hunter, Yala, could have been a student of Firefly‘s highly-skilled soldier, Zoë Washburne. On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the accomplishments of one such influential intergalactic heroine.

Her name is Aeryn. Officer Aeryn Sun if we’re being formal, one of the interstellar outlaws at the center of Farscape, the wildly ambitious Australian/American space serial that ran from 1999 to 2003 on the Sci-Fi Channel. Bred from birth to be a loyal Sebacean soldier in the Peacekeeper army that patrols her section of the galaxy, Officer Sun switches careers after inadvertently ending up aboard a living spaceship named Moya that’s occupied by a motley crew of jailbreakers. These convicts-turned-comrades include towering warrior Ka D’Argo, blue-hued priestess Zhaan, flatulent deposed despot Rygel XVI, and John Crichton, an Earth-born astronaut who is very, very far from home. Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company, Farscape enjoyed a bumpy four-season stateside run that ended prematurely when the network declined to fund a fifth and final year. (Sci-Fi later aired, but didn’t finance, a wrap-up miniseries, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, in 2004.)

The original cast of ‘Farscape’ (Credit: Everett Collection)

One of the joys of Farscape is that its defining house style is the lack of a defining house style. Episodes can range from standalone homages to body-switching comedies and vintage Loony Tunes cartoons to densely plotted multi-part stories that don’t conclude with conventionally happy endings. The primary constant amidst this narrative and tonal juggling is the turbulent love story between Aeryn Sun and John Crichton. Revisited today, Farscape stands as something of a bridge between eras of space opera, linking the last wave of episodic space adventures like Star Trek: Voyager and Stargate: SG-1 to the intensely emotional serialized narratives that later drove Battlestar Galactica and its ilk. Aeryn is both a traditional and transformational figure as well; raised to be an impersonal enforcer in the Imperial Stormtrooper mold, she comes to live out a promise that John makes to her in the very first episode: “You can be more.”

“Oh, I’ve got chills down my arm,” says Aeryn’s alter ego, Claudia Black, as she reflects on the character and those prophetic words nearly two decades later. “Her evolution as an individual takes off in an extraordinary way [after that].” Over the course of Yahoo TV’s hour-long conversation with the Australian actress, it’s clear that she does regard Aeryn as an individual unto herself, one who took on a life that sometimes superseded the actress’s own. “I was always happy to hand the character off,” Black says. “I would say [to the producers], ‘If I’m going in the wrong direction then please find someone to serve Aeryn, please. Because she deserves to have the full love of a person who can give you what you need.’ She was honestly such a privilege to play, and I never abused that privilege.”

And Black very nearly didn’t get that privilege. The role had already been cast when she first auditioned for Farscape, but the creative team encouraged her to read for Aeryn anyway. That reading later led to a screen test opposite Tennessee-born Ben Browder, who would be playing John Crichton. (Interestingly, Browder’s casting is, in part, what opened the door to Black inheriting the role from the English actress who had originally been chosen as Aeryn. “Because of the Australian co-production agreement, if they brought in a lead actor from America, the second lead had to be Australian,” Black explains. “So thank god for our union!”) Immediately recognizing the crackling onscreen chemistry between them, Browder pushed hard for her to land the role over network skepticism. “I was a controversial choice for sure,” Black says now. “I was just lucky in the end.”

Whatever the circumstances of how she got the role, Black climbed aboard Moya with strong ideas about how to play Aeryn. Superficially, the character is part of the wave of warrior women that swept through genre shows in the ’90s and early ’00s, whose ranks included Xena, Buffy, and even Cleo of Cleopatra 2525 fame. But as conceived by O’Bannon and carried forward by executive producer David Kemper, who became a driving creative force behind the show, Aeryn cuts against that archetype as well. Unlike Xena, she doesn’t necessarily relish battle; it’s something that’s been programmed into her. (Although, as Aeryn memorably remarks in The Peacekeeper Wars: “Shooting makes me feel better!“) She also reverses the arc traversed by Buffy and Cleo, which begins with them in places of perceived weakness — as a cheerleader and exotic dancer, respectively — and leads towards empowerment.

Because of her militaristic upbringing, Aeryn starts from a place of fierce strength. Her journey over the lifespan of the show, then, becomes about softening what Black describes as Aeryn’s “jagged edges” without surrendering her agency. “I’ve always loved science fiction because of the way it affords us an opportunity to look at humanity from an outsider’s perspective,” Black says. “And Aeryn really gets to experience it firsthand the best way that humans can, which is through love, in all of its forms. When I look at humanity, and my own life, we have to break before we can grow. That’s really what happened with Aeryn; she became stronger with softer edges.” (For the record, Aeryn may start out as a superior fighter to Buffy, but Black says that Sarah Michelle Gellar would easily mop the floor with her in real life. “Sarah has a black belt in karate, and I have two left feet! I always felt like a bit of an imposter [as Aeryn] just on the physical front. If I could push the reset button, I’d go back and get good at some form of martial art.”)

But that stronger-to-softer arc is also more treacherous to navigate than a traditional empowerment story, flirting, as it does, with the fanboy-friendly stereotype of the buttoned-up ice queen whose resolve (and inhibitions) melt when love, generally in the form of a strapping male hero, comes her way. The risk of falling headlong into that tired trope is something Farscape had to deal with throughout its run, especially as the core of the show was always the romance between John and Aeryn.

And while that romance takes a number of unexpected twists and turns — most boldly in a Season 3 storyline that saw Aeryn committing herself fully to a cloned version of Crichton, only to see him die and then have to re-learn how to love the original John — it ultimately culminates with two staples of a standard love story: a marriage proposal and a pregnancy. “It seemed pretty clear to me that Rockne’s intention in the pilot was that this was going to be a love story for the ages,” Black says. Not only that, but it was a love story penned by a largely male writing staff who had their own opinions about how to depict Aeryn’s gradual acceptance of Crichton’s love that sometimes ran counter to Black’s feelings. “I recall moments where they wanted me to be more vulnerable with Aeryn, and I didn’t want to be because I didn’t think it was time and I didn’t think she was ready,” she says. “But it wasn’t my place to say.”

Nevertheless, she persistently found ways to make her voice heard, whether it was by talking one-on-one with specific writers or her co-star, who was equally eager to avoid certain genre show clichés. Black recalls one instance early on in the show’s run when Browder actively pushed back against Sci-Fi’s directive that John Crichton demonstrate the same sex drive as James T. Kirk. “They wanted Crichton to have an alien girl of the week. Ben put his foot down and said, ‘No, he’s not that kind of guy. This isn’t the story I want to tell.’ And on my side I was saying, ‘Yeah, what does that say about Aeryn if she’s going to fall in love with a guy [like that]?’ We wanted to investigate and have them experience the more positive aspects of attraction, as well as what’s worth fighting for and what’s worth dying for,” she says. “Maybe the show would have continued longer if we’d been able to please the network! They know what they’re going to need in order to keep [viewers] interested and tuning in. But we’re very proud of what we managed to make regardless, because of those choices.”

The ongoing battle that Black personally waged throughout Farscape‘s run was ensuring that Aeryn maintained control over her own body. In the genre shows of her era, the female leads were stronger and savvier than ever, and that translated into fashion choices that expressed their own body confidence and sexuality. Xena rode into battle in a heaving breastplate, while Buffy fought vampires in halter tops and Relic Hunter‘s Sydney Fox always donned a tight tank top before exploring some ancient tomb. But flashing cleavage, leg, and midriff also made those characters desirable pin-ups for the male audience courted by networks and advertisers. (Farscape added its own version of a pin-up type midway through the first season in the form of Chiana, a grey-skinned con artist with a plunging neckline and a voracious sexual appetite.)

But those fashions didn’t make sense for a soldier fighting in an army where men and women’s bodies were interchangeable. In fact, Black remembers reading a very specific direction to the makeup department in the production notes for the pilot. “When I take my Peacekeeper helmet off [for the first time], the note read in big print, ‘She looks masculine.’ They thickened my eyebrows — which are already thick! — and shaded my face in very minimal makeup. All of the on-set gallery images of me in the first season are with that very masculine makeup.”

Aeryn in her ‘masculine’ Season 1 appearance (Credit: Everett Collection)

By Season 2, though, Aeryn’s appearance underwent a noticeable change; her hair got longer and straighter, and her Peacekeeper uniform gave way to outfits that walked a line between practical and revealing. Black, who describes herself as a feminist, agreed to these cosmetic changes as she felt they were part of a “natural progression” for Aeryn. “I was honoring where she had come from at the same time having to find a way to let her grow into whatever it is she was going to become,” she says. (This clip from Farscape‘s aforementioned Looney Tunes-inspired episode, “Revenging Angel,” neatly summarizes — and satirizes — the female body types commonly featured on genre shows that Aeryn deliberately defies.)

Already objectively beautiful, Aeryn’s sexuality continued to emerge as she grew into her new self. Even so, Black could sense it wasn’t emerging quickly enough to satisfy certain expectations. “I felt that I was being pushed to show more flesh than was necessary,” she admits, pointing to one incident in the show’s fourth season where it was written into the script that Aeryn would sit poolside in a bikini. “I just said, ‘I will get in a bikini for you if it makes sense, but this woman’s world is falling apart.’ It was the last thing I thought Aeryn would do [in that moment]. It felt really frivolous and superficial to me.” (Black had already donned a bikini to play pregnant Aeryn in a hallucinatory scene in the Season 4 premiere. “They not only had me in a bikini, but they gave me a pregnant belly as well, which is really hard to pull off and make it look naturalistic,” she says.)

Black remembers shooting down an even more egregious bit of flesh-flashing in an earlier episode. As an international production, Farscape frequently shot extra scenes for certain ad-free European markets that would fill the time normally allotted for commercials. The cast referred to these filler sequences as “Euro scenes,” and they rarely involved big story or character beats. According to Black, this particular episode dispatched D’Argo and Aeryn on a planetside mission, and the writers cobbled together a Euro scene that she describes as “absurd.” “They said, ‘Let’s have a scene where we cut to them by a lake, and Aeryn turns and sees a bunch of soldiers across the lake. Aeryn takes off her clothes, swims across the lake, and fights these soldiers completely naked, then comes back to D’Argo and off they go.'”

In later seasons, Aeryn naturally progressed towards more revealing fashion choices (Credit: Everett Collection)

“There were so many things about it that were so bizarre,” she continues. “I said, ‘You know what, please explain this to me, how this honestly can fit in.’ In the end, they just said, ‘All right, fine — we won’t do it.’ That’s what I felt I was having to haggle for a lot of the time: my right to keep my clothes on until it was appropriate. I’ve always felt as an actor — and I’m sure other females have felt like this as well — that when you sign on the dotted line and enter the business that somehow you’ve given your body away as a piece of property, and you spend the rest of your career haggling for pieces of it back.” And the actress credits Browder with backing her up in her fight for Aeryn to be in full control of her own femininity and, by extension, her destiny. “Aeryn is really as feminist as I am, but she’s nothing without Crichton, which is an interesting statement to make,” she says. “So as much as we praise Aeryn, we must give full credit to Crichton and to Ben for shaping him the way that he did. It’s the space that he gives her. He’s such an exquisite champion of her growth and development, that it becomes possible for her to grow to her full size.”

In the 13 years since the concluding Peacekeeper Wars miniseries, rumors have occasionally flown about Farscape‘s return. At one point, there was talk of a webisode series following John and Aeryn’s child, D’Ago Sun-Crichton, but funding never came to fruition. (The show did continue in comic book form for a time, but publication ceased circa 2011.) Black, whose recent credits include stints on The CW genre shows Containment and The Originals, has no updates on any future revivals, and jokes that if Aeryn and Crichton ever do return, they’ll be “tired, ornery, and not really wanting another battle.”

Claudia Black as Dahlia on ‘The Originals’ (Credit: Annette Brown/The CW)

In a way, though, Aeryn’s larger battle has already been won. One of the breakout characters on Battlestar Galactica — which premiered in December 2003, nine months after Farscape‘s series finale — was Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, who displays some of the same steely spine, and jagged edges, of Officer Sun. And today’s genre TV landscape is populated with women who, consciously or not, reflect Aeryn’s assertiveness, independence, and refusal to conform to societal (or genre) norms of appearance or attitude, whether it’s Orphan Black‘s Helena, Sense8‘s Nomi, or Jessica Jones.

For this Scaper, she lives on off-screen as well. When my wife and I learned that we’d be having a daughter, we thought about all the things we wanted for her life. To know that she, and she alone, is in control of her body. To be strong in the face of injustice. To be confident in her own power. And to know that when she chooses to give her heart to another person, that person will be her champion, and give her the space to grow to her full size. And so we picked a name that, for us, would embody all of our hopes and dreams for the individual she’s becoming with each passing year.

Her name is Aeryn.

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #9: Julie Collette.

Christmas movie lover Julie Collette tells Jack Moulton all about her seasonal movie habits, the best big screen Santa Claus of all time, disability visibility in festive films, and some of the weirder holiday picks.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: when Letterboxd members turn to the Neverending Christmas List to help plan their Christmas movie viewing. Arrange it by highest rated, arrange it by newest release, or by popularity—any which way, there’s something for everyone, from corny TCM romances to obscure seasonal horrors.

Created six years ago by Canadian member Julie Collette, the list runs to more than 4,300 titles, and contains the word ‘Christmas’ 1,837 times at last count. Julie and her husband are die-hard Letterboxd fans, having allegedly used the platform every day for the past nine years. She’s logged every film she’s seen in theaters since 1996.

A message from John McClane in ‘Die Hard’ (1988).

What inspired your Neverending Christmas List? Can you please explain the minimum requirement for eligibility? My husband had told me about a list on Letterboxd of Every Horror Film Made from 1895–Present and that gave me the idea to start the neverending Christmas list. My eligibility rules are not strict at all. It can be a film that centers on or around Christmas time. Even New Year’s counts in my book—as long as there’s a moment in the film that has a Christmas song, a Christmas scene, or Christmas decorations. Die Hard is definitely a Christmas film. First of all, it takes place on Christmas Eve at an office Christmas party. There’s that great note that John McClane sends to Hans Gruber on a dead guy’s shirt: “Now I have a machine gun, ho-ho-ho.” Now that’s Christmas! There are a couple of titles that test my relaxed requirements. Examples would be Psycho—there are a few Christmas decorations at the beginning [and Bryan Fuller agrees]—and the documentary Beauty Day by Canadian director Jay Cheel, which has Christmas lights at the end.

And what percentage of the films have you seen? As of right now, I've watched 20 percent—that’s 882 of the 4,322 films on the list. I’ve got a lot of homework to do. Here’s a few hidden gems I recommend: Mon oncle Antoine, Holiday Affair, Remember the Night, Olivia, On the Twelfth Day…, Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas and One Christmas, which is Katherine Hepburn’s last role.

David Bowie and Bing Crosby sing ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in ‘Bing Crosby’s Merrie Old Christmas’ (1977).

When does your Christmas movie viewing season start? I usually start mid-November to try to keep up with the TV rom-coms because they start to air even before Hallowe’en. This year on Hallowe’en night we rewatched The Night of the Hunter and I had forgotten that there was a sequence that was set at Christmas time. It was a perfect segue between Hallowe’en and Christmas, so I started November 1st. As far as how I pick what to watch, I go through my list and randomly pick some. I try to watch as many first-time watches and mix up the genres. But the closer I get to Christmas, the more I want to watch my favorites—for the most part I go with the flow. Christmas Day is usually a day of family time, but I try to sneak in one favorite if I can.

What was the first Christmas film that got you into all of this? I’ve always loved Christmas and growing up I watched the yearly airings of vintage Christmas cartoons and A Muppet Family Christmas. When Home Alone came out it was an instant obsession, then Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was just as good. Even now it’s our yearly tradition for my husband and I to watch the Home Alones while we decorate the Christmas tree.

If not Home Alone, what is your all-time favorite Christmas film? It’s a Wonderful Life is up there for me. Partly because growing up I watched it every Christmas Eve and kind of forced my dad to watch it with me. I think he secretly didn’t mind. As a kid, I didn’t dwell on the sad parts of the story, I just wanted to go to that candy shop and run in Bedford Falls like George in that beautiful thick fake snow. Now as an adult, I appreciate the story about a small town coming together to support a man at his lowest of lows more. Jimmy Stewart is amazing as George Bailey and we can all see ourselves at some point in his journey in the film. The chemistry and comedic timing between Stewart and Donna Reed is one of the best. Every time they sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, I always get a bit misty-eyed.

メリークリスマス Japanese style, in ‘Tokyo Godfathers’ (2003).

What have you noticed about the ways in which Christmas films have changed over the years? In classic Christmas storytelling, there are a lot more religion-centered ones like The Bishop’s Wife and It’s a Wonderful Life. The ’80s and ’90s were about the blockbusters that the whole family could enjoy; Batman Returns, Home Alone, and The Santa Clause. The last twenty years have brought us a lot of different movies, but I do find that the start of the 2000s had a better crop of Christmas movies; Love Actually, Elf, Tokyo Godfathers, Far from Heaven, Bridget Jones’s Diary, About a Boy and so many more. The last decade has been saturated by the rom-coms of Hallmark, Lifetime and their imitators, but from the last five years, a few stand out that could be destined to become Christmas classics: Carol, Little Women and The Night Before.

The best, most rewatched Christmas stories tend to be remade. Do you have a classic Christmas story that you always love, no matter who’s telling it? Hands down Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. From my favorite—Scrooge—to The Muppet Christmas Carol, to Scrooged. Growing up, I had the book of Mickey’s Christmas Carol and I loved the cartoon adaptation. I love to see the different actors’ excitement and elation at the end when Scrooge wakes up on Christmas Day. My ultimate favorite is Alistair Sim in 1951’s Scrooge. He’s so jubilant asking the maid what day it is and wishing himself Merry Christmas in the mirror. It’s a bit darker than others. When I was a kid, the intro with Jacob Marley and the build-up of the chains scared me, but I couldn’t stop watching. Patrick Stewart’s Ebenezer [in the 1999 TV movie] is also great for his relief that he survived the journey through time. What an actor! An honorable mention to The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime and You’ve Got Mail, which are all based on [the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László].

A Christmas Treat in ‘Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square’ (2020).

Treat Williams stars in not one but two of this season’s films (who knew he could sing?!). Which actors bring that special spark to festive films for you? Yes, and boy can he sing! Another actor who can sing and puts me straight in the Christmas mood is Bing Crosby. Those classic songs in White Christmas and Holiday Inn are favorites of mine. Jimmy Stewart is an obvious one. He has that charm that’s perfect for Christmas movies, especially in The Shop Around the Corner.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure on the list? Why do we love cheesy movies so much?! Every year I watch TCM’s Classic Christmas marathon [but I also watch] the Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas rom-coms. For me, I love them partly because there’s always a happy ending. I love to see all the decorations and all the cute small towns—some I wish existed so I could visit them because they’re so darn cute! Another reason I love them is the nostalgia, as some of the better ones star TV actors from the ’90s and ’00s like Candice Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Jonathan Bennett, Adrian Grenier, Mario Lopez, Alicia Witt, Alison Sweeney and so many others.

One of the other great Christmas-themed lists on Letterboxd is the one about Christmas movie posters with white heterosexual couples wearing red and green—though many members pride themselves on having seen none of them. I like those movies because I can zone out and enjoy the predictable Christmas ride. However, like other Letterboxd members, I know that these aren’t Oscar-caliber films—though some are better than others! I’m glad that the powers that make these movies are starting to be more inclusive with more POC and LGTBQ+ characters. As a wheelchair user with a physical disability, I was happy to see that Lifetime has an upcoming one called Christmas Ever After, starring Ali Stroker.

Ali Stroker finds love in ‘Christmas Ever After’ (2020).

Indeed, our Make the Yuletide Gay list is an attempt to highlight queer festive films, but the pickings have been slim. Yes, very slim. There’s been queer characters in Christmas films but it’s your stereotypical gay friend or something like that. This year I feel there’s a shift in the air to be more inclusive. My favorites this year so far have been the star-filled lesbi-rom-com Happiest Season, The Christmas House—featuring a landmark first gay couple in a Hallmark festive film, Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey—with Ricky Martin! I’m looking forward to checking out A New York Christmas Wedding, The Christmas Setup and Dashing in December.

What is the scariest Christmas film that your horror-loving husband has made you watch? The best one is Black Christmas. I love that it’s female-centered and ahead of its time in their portrayals. The killer’s POV really gets me into it and still to this day puts me on edge, so much so that an ornament fell off our tree while watching it this year and it freaked me out!

Also, should we be watching The Nightmare Before Christmas on Hallowe’en or on Christmas? I watch The Nightmare Before Christmas on both holidays so you get the best of both worlds—the ghoulishness of Hallowe’en and the merriment of Christmas!

What other films on your list show Christmas in an unusual light? The first weird one that popped to mind is The Star Wars Holiday Special. That was weird! Also, from what I’ve watched I would say Eyes Wide Shut, The Ref and 3 Godfathers are not your usual Christmas films. I do have quite a few on the list I have to watch that seem weird and unusual like Elves, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

[Editor’s note: Previous How I Letterboxd interviewee Dave Vis urges you not to watch Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny under any circumstances.]

Which actor is the quintessential Santa Claus? For me, it’s the Santa in Miracle on 34th Street, played by Edmund Gwenn. He truly embodied the part in the way he plays Kris Kringle. The gentleness and innocence he shows throughout the film is magical. It’s no wonder he won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance.

Gunn Wållgren in ‘Fanny and Alexander’ (1982).

Of course, so many films in the Christmas canon are American films. What are some of the best Christmas films from around the world? This question makes me realize I haven’t watched enough Christmas movies from around the world. With that being said here’s a few; A Christmas Tale from France, A Child’s Christmas in Wales from the UK, Tokyo Godfathers from Japan and Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander from Sweden. Mon oncle Antoine is a great Canadian film set in a small mining village during Christmas. It reminded me of the stories my mom and grandma talked about their Christmas traditions in their small village.

Are there any overrated classics you want to protest? I didn’t watch A Christmas Story growing up, so when I finally did watch it as an adult, I didn’t connect with it. The iconic scenes are funny and all, but it’s just okay. Now I’ll be on my hubby’s naughty list!

Does the film marathon continue through that purgatory week between Christmas and New Year? Do you have any film-related traditions to ring in the New Year? It does continue during that week to a certain extent. Some years after Christmas I’m done and what I haven’t watched goes to the following year but other years I can watch a few more and not feel overwhelmed. On New Year’s we have no traditions per se, but this year we might do a Tarantino marathon.

Christmas season is also synonymous with awards season. You keep track of a lot of Academy Awards history. How are you feeling about the awards season this year? First off, like many others, I haven’t even set foot in a theater this year and that is sad. I hope that the theater-going experience is not irreparably damaged. One good thing that came from the pandemic is film festivals streamed online and we were fortunate to watch some great titles from TIFF from the comfort of our home in September. I saw Nomadland, and it’s going to be a frontrunner for many of the main categories. I hope Regina King’s One Night in Miami gets some love. Miranda July’s Kajillionaire script is so unique—Evan Rachel Wood and Richard Jenkins should be contenders. I haven’t watched a lot of docs yet but Boys State stands out. I’m also eager to see First Cow, Minari, Ammonite, The Truffle Hunters, Soul, Mank, The Father and Promising Young Woman.

This Christmas is going to be weird for a lot of people. What’s one film you’d recommend for a guaranteed happiness injection? Weird indeed. If I have to pick just one it would be John Favreau’s Elf. Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf instantly brings a smile to my face. You can feel his joy for Christmas from start to finish. From the classic claymation, to New York City at Christmas, to eating all that sugar, to that hilarious scene with Peter Dinklage—it’s Christmas gold!

And finally, are there some other Letterboxd members you recommend we follow? Emily, Flurryheaven, Guyzo997, Peter Spencer, Michael Dean, Brent Vanhomwegen, Ara Hiddleston and also some more Christmas lists.

[omniversalobservations]

How the MUGEN community built the ultimate fighting game crossover

The question, "Who would win in a fight?" is the root of many fierce debates throughout the history of pop culture. The notion of pitting characters from different properties and different media against one another is exciting to discuss. And when it comes to letting fans live out these arguments, there are few better outlets than fighting games.

Even within a genre known for character-merging crossovers, there's one two-decade-old game that reigns supreme when it comes to pitting a wide variety of characters against one another. That program is MUGEN, derived from the Japanese word for "infinite," which is an appropriate name for a program that provides near limitless potential for players to create new fighting games and characters.

MUGEN began life just before the turn of the century as a PC-based side-scrolling shoot-'em-up title, created by a small company called Elecbyte. The team was originally experimenting with creating an engine to handle the rigors of so-called shmup games but found that it just wasn't living up to what they had hoped to create. Taking inspiration from a PC Korean Street Fighter 2 hack known as SFIBM, Elecbyte decided to change course from a shooter to a 2D fighting game engine.

The first public MS-DOS beta release of MUGEN came on July 27, 1999. This early release differed from most fighting games, though, by offering only one "official" character, Kung Fu Man, and a single stage. Everything else, from additional characters to even title-screen art, would have to be supplied by the users themselves, most often through files shared via Internet communities. For the first time, fans of fighting games weren't just allowed but expected to create their own fighters and matchups.

Though you don't need programming knowledge to create a MUGEN character, the process can still be time-intensive, especially if you're creating your custom art. Over the years, fighter-creation software like 2005's Fighter Factory has popped up to help facilitate this process. These third-party programs allow creators to import either their own hand-drawn sprites or images ripped from existing sprite-based games (making good use of the various sprite sheets that littered the Internet even since the late '90s). With art in hand, Fighter Factory let users tweak values, line up the sprites for animations, and make everything feel just right before exporting the generated files to create fully animated MUGEN characters.

Players have also tasked themselves with MUGEN's core logic and gameplay. In the early years, the AI for MUGEN's computer-controlled opponents was rather simple, akin to a new player just button-mashing different commands at random without any coherent strategy. In the decades since the game's launch, the community has dived deeper into the program's potential, programming more robust and intricate behaviors for the AI and leading to far more exciting and difficult matches with the computer.

[...]

While the fan community has kept MUGEN thriving over the years, the game's original creators have had a much spottier history with their creation.

MUGEN saw regular updates from 1999 until April 2002, when Elecbyte released a new version of the game's Linux build to fans. At the time, though, no one suspected that this release would be the last that Elecbyte would put out for seven years. Elecbyte's website shut down for good in 2003, disappearing without a word and leaving the game's nascent community in the dark.

The abrupt halting of MUGEN updates was especially upsetting to fans who had been waiting for a Windows version of the game to go along with the 2001 Linux port. Elecbyte's existing work on just such a Windows port would eventually reach the community, though, when a suspected private beta of the WinMUGEN project was leaked in 2004.

This beta version, rumored to have been originally offered only to a select number of private donors, was quite restrictive compared to previous MUGEN editions. The character selection was locked to only two slots, and some of the usual game modes were unavailable. But it didn't take long for the community to develop hacks that fixed the bugs and missing features in the WinMUGEN beta. An enhanced hacked version, going by WinMUGEN Plus, arrived in July 2007. Crucially, this version updated the circa-1999 original with the ability to use higher-resolution stages and assets.

Then, as suddenly as it disappeared, Elecbyte made its surprise return in 2009 with a fresh new website and a new build of its MUGEN engine, known merely as MUGEN 1.0 RC1 (standing for Release Client 1).

On a new developer blog on the revamped site, the team members said that their lives had simply split off into different directions before the 2003 shutdown. The original developers added that they held no ill will toward those who had developed new hacks and versions of WinMUGEN in the intervening time. In fact, according to the team, they took it as a clear sign that the users wanted new features in the engine.

In the years that followed, Elecbyte would provide eight different RC revisions of the MUGEN engine, as well as new and consistent updates to its developer blog. On January 18, 2011, after eight different RC revisions, Elecbyte officially released Version 1.0 of MUGEN.

The MUGEN community now had an engine with backward compatibility, new resolution options (HD included), an auto-scaling camera, support for new file formats, and improved AI. A public beta for version 1.1 would be released two years later, which saw a complete overhaul for the engine, adding compatibility with more complex art assets to be used and a frequently requested sprite zooming feature.

The last official post made by Elecbyte, posted on February 26, 2014, alluded to another MUGEN beta release slated for the next few months.

But this release would never come to be. As in 2003, Elecbyte disappeared again, leaving the community confused and curious. Elecbyte's website was shut down completely sometime between August 2015 and April 2016, and it currently only shows an "Access forbidden" screen.

While some MUGEN fans unite to build their dream fighting games, others build on that work to stage computer-controlled matches for the benefit of streaming audiences.

Scrolling Twitch these days, you're bound to see an image of Tom Hanks with Goku in the background, MUGEN's signature thumbnail. The majority of MUGEN viewers will all be found in a single channel, SaltyBet, which has turned the spectacle of MUGEN into an online virtual gambling powerhouse. Taking advantage of MUGEN's CPU vs. CPU feature, SaltyBet viewers can wager fake currency on which fighter they think will win the round.

Fighters can include anyone or anything, from characters in popular fighting games like Guilty Gear or Street Fighter to anime heroes and hand-drawn stick figures. The stream is live around the clock with hundreds of viewers tuning in regardless of the time of day.

Like any sports-betting setup, each round has odds that will affect your overall payout should you win. But while initial odds for traditional sports are based on previous performance, both fighters in a SaltyBet match start with even odds. As participants put their fake money behind one character or the other, the odds will shift in response.

When two of these utterly unbalanced, incredibly overpowered characters are paired off against one another, who will come out on top is anybody's guess. Longtime viewers may have a slight advantage if they may have a better idea of the competitors' movesets, but who will win mostly comes down to luck.

For many members of the SaltyBet community, the main appeal doesn't come from the simulated gambling anyway. Instead, many come just for the ridiculous matchups and the sense of community. "I enjoy the crossover of characters from many different franchises, especially those I grew up with." Twitch user Lestaroth told Ars. "Even unexpected characters. And then, it's all in good spirit—you never hear people insulting each other and so on."

Longtime SaltyBet Twitch viewer ARobotFromTheFuture1 expanded on the same sentiment. "I have to say [one] appeal to it is the insane matches that can happen as well as the matches that get you to the edge of your seat," he said. "I really enjoy the dedication the MUGEN community has even to this day making great and goofy characters."

Despite years of neglect from its original creators, a wealth of talent and creativity has carried the dream that MUGEN represented in its first beta 21 years ago. Authors have taken up the reins to work out solutions to circumvent restrictions and released patches of their own to address bugs and issues left over.

Whether you are an artist, coder, player, or watcher, this near-unlimited potential that MUGEN began will keep evolving and growing for years to come. Even if Elecbyte never returns, what it created back in 1999 lives up to the "infinite" name the company gave it.

Source: Ars Technica

(image via YouTube)

[kuiperblog]

Soundcloud might be the last cool place on the internet

I recently found myself thinking, “You know, out of all of the platforms that are built on user-generated content, Soundcloud is the last one that feels cool.”

This is kind of a gripe about an issue typified by Youtube, which is the ultimate example of a platform where people slavishly produce content fitting the mold of what (they think) the algorithm demands.  Like, I understand that the quality and consistency of  content on Youtube in 2019 is undeniably higher than it was back in 2007 in the era of Youtube poops and jump-cut vlogs, but over time it feels like there’s a certain kind of creativity that just isn’t allowed to surface on Youtube anymore.  Youtube used to feel cool and indie, like it was on the frontier, and as the experience became more and more “optimized,” that got squeezed out of it.

I’ve seen the same thing happen to different platforms to varying degrees. But Soundcloud still feels cool and weird in all of the best ways. I’m not even sure how to describe my “browsing habits” on Soundcloud, it just feels like the only place where, without any real deliberate digging, I can find a deluge of content that is both exactly to my liking and also completely novel. And not “novel” as in “new to me,” but as in “this track has less than 1000 plays, but due to my weirdly eclectic taste, hearing it is maybe the best thing to happen to me all day.”

I’ve been trying to puzzle through why that is.

Is it something about the content that gets posted to Soundcloud and the people who make it? It could be. Youtube seems to attract people with dreams of becoming a professional Youtuber, and also people who are clout-hungry, wanting to turn their “personality” into a product.  From what I can tell, it’s basically impossible to make money on Soundcloud, and in the corner of the platform that I’ve dug myself into, it doesn’t feel like it’s the kind of thing that would appeal to someone lusting for clout. Like, obviously everyone wants attention, but people don’t aspire to be a “famous Soundcloud rapper,” they want to be a famous rapper. (Whereas there are actually kids who aspire to be “Youtubers.”)  Soundcloud is not the end game, unless your only end game is sharing the weird tunes you cooked up in your bedroom with the world.  It feels a lot like Youtube circa 2007, or Newgrounds circa 2003: a place where you can become “internet famous” in the way that Egoraptor the flash cartoonist was internet famous (as opposed to the way that Arin Hanson the Game Grump is currently internet famous). The attitude seems to be one of, “Look what I made!” rather than “Look at me!”

Is it something in particular about music? It could just be that it’s easier for me to complain about a crappy Youtube video than a mediocre track because the Youtube video demands your full attention, whereas the track could pass in one ear and out the other while I’m immersed in some engrossing task, and there are certain moods where basically all I want is a rhythmic beat in my ears, whereas Youtube videos should delight or entertain or inform (or all of the above simultaneously).  Also, a lot of the music I listen to is basically made by one person.

Related to both of the above, there’s something about the Matthew Principle which comes into play with something like Youtube, where the site is constantly trying to get me to watch celebrities on Jimmy Fallon and trailers for blockbuster movies and music videos for the most popular songs in the world, because this is what other people are into, and I often find myself clicking on this because as generic and middling as it is, it’s also clearly a class above a lot of the content on Youtube in terms of production value.  You can tell the difference between a Youtube that was made by a team of 10 people versus made by one person in their bedroom, and even if the solo act is more creative or authentic or “pure,” it’s easier for the team to assemble something that feels like a “superior product.”  I’m not so sure the same thing is true of music: does the song that was engineered in a lab really sound “higher fidelity” than a mashup made by a disciple of Isosine working with nothing but a Macbook?

Another thing that Soundcloud has going for it is that you can “repost” tracks, in the same way that you would “retweet” on twitter or “reblog” on tumbr.  When you follow a creator on Soundcloud, you’re not only seeing their content, you’re seeing all content that they see fit to repost, which tends to be similar to their content most of the time, so there’s a lot of user-curation going on.  I occasionally see the community tab on Youtube used the same way (people making a post to say, “Hey, check out this cool video that my friend posted” or “I just appeared in a video on this other channel, go check it out”) but it’s not part of the platform’s DNA like it seems to be on Soundcloud.

It could be any of these things.  But I also find myself wondering if Soundcloud, despite feeling like the most indie, least algorithmic site that still has a soul, might actually be better on the back of its recommendation engine.

See, there’s a problem with Youtube’s algorithm, which is that for all of the data they gather and analytics they perform, it has a tough time identifying good content.  It can easily identify engaging content, but content can be engaging for a lot of reasons: maybe the content is engaging because it makes you mad (and so if you watch a single clip of Ben Shapiro or Steven Crowder you will see nothing but their faces on your Youtube recommendations page for days, and it feels like there is an entire genre of Youtube channel that can be best described as “outrage merchant”).  Maybe the content is “engaging” because the video creator gave you a clickbait headline that made you ask a question, and managed to construct the video in such a way that every sentence makes you feel like you’re almost on the verge of getting what you clicked the video for, and 8 minutes later you’ve realized you’ve been watching a barely-competent video in hopes of it delivering on a promise that never fulfilled. (This video will be objectively more engaging than a video that just gives you want it promised up front, meaning that optimizing for engagement makes the content of the platform objectively worse!)  The like/dislike bar should help in theory, but “like” can mean either “this is the best video I have ever seen” or “this video is uninteresting but I agree with this person’s opinion and want to reward them for having the right opinion.”  Also, the fact that “calls to action” (smash that like button, remember to subscribe) are objectively shown to lead to higher engagement (despite subjectively making the content worse) sort of expose the problem inherent in Youtube metrics.

Fundamentally, the problem that Youtube seems to struggle with is that it’s really hard to reward exceptionally good content, because once you’ve watched the entire video, liked it, and left an encouraging comment, what else is there to do? How is a robot supposed to distinguish my response to a 7/10 video from my response to a 10/10 video?  Or even a crappy video that I watched to completion despite the fact that it was crappy?

Soundcloud doesn’t have this problem.  When people listen to a song and like it, they don’t just listen to it once.  They listen to it multiple times.  Dozens of times.  When I really like a song, it’s possible for me to reward that song in a way that makes a robot recognize, “Hey, this person really likes this song.”  And I’m not even consciously rewarding it; though I will sometimes hit the “like” button, when I re-listen to a song (either by manually pulling it up, or by putting it on a playlist which ensures that I’ll hear it at least once a week), I’m doing that selfishly, for me.  I don’t need to hear a person’s voice saying “Remember to add this song to your work playlist,” I do that by myself.  And the “repost” function also allows people with followings on Soundcloud to reward good content by making it appear on their followers’ timelines.  (These power users also tend to be the people who have some modicum of taste, or at the very least people who are plugged into the interests of the platform with an understanding of what people enjoy.)

Regardless of how it’s happened, it’s still kind of wild that Soundcloud manages to score higher than almost any platform across all of my personal metrics: how unique and novel the content is, the median quality level of the content that’s automatically served to me, the infrequency with which I encounter low-quality content, how often it makes feel “this piece of content is my new favorite thing,” and just about anything I’d correlate with overall goodness and enjoyment.  I’m increasingly of the opinion that Soundcloud might be my favorite part of the Internet.

[televinita]

Books Read in 2019: The Why

In a tradition I accidentally started for myself and now quite enjoy, at the end of the year I look back at my reading list and answer the question, why did you read this particular book? 

Below, the books are split into groups by target readership age, plus nonfiction at the end. This year I have added the category “how I heard of it” as well, because I just think that info is neat.

FICTION

The Visitor - K.L. Slater. 2018. Read because: Ten episodes of The Good Cop weren't enough, so I tried to find something w/ similar characters, and this looked kinda like "TJ as a slightly more withdrawn weirdo." By the time I realized it wouldn't work due to being British, I was too excited by the prospect of a thriller to stop.

How I heard of it: Googling keywords

Like the Red Panda - Andrea Seigel. 2004. The back cover and first few pages reminded me of a friend I had once.

How I heard of it: Library

The Lost Vintage - Ann Mah. 2018. What's that? You've got some secret family history/a mystery from the past to be solved using old personal papers, including a diary? My jams.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls (4th ed.) - Emilie Autumn. 2017. I googled for books that promised unique formatting/art design, and Emilie Autumn has always been an intriguing enigma to me.

I Heard the Owl Call My Name - Margaret Craven. 1967. I know this title, but not why -- when I tripped over it in the teen* section and saw how tiny it was, I decided to find out what it was about. (*it's there because it's often taught in schools. It's here because its intended audience is adult.)

Escape - Barbara Delinsky. 2011. Went looking for an audiobook -- the cover with a woman standing on a small bridge amidst the woods drew me in (I can't find that cover on the internet though), and the idea of abandoning responsibility and driving off to a small town sounded like my dream.

How I heard of it: Library

Saul and Patsy - Charles Baxter. 2003. Another search result from my attempt to cast Josh Groban in a novel -- Midwestern-set and a man very much in love with his wife, no worries about the relationship being wrecked? Sweet! (though ultimately, I had to mentally recast)

How I heard of it: Googling

California - Edan Lepucki. 2014. Needed an audiobook. The title and green forest cover caught my eye, and the off-the-grid life + promise of a mysterious and possibly suspicious settler community described in the plot appealed to me.

How I heard of it: Library

The Lost Queen of Crocker County - Elizabeth Leiknes. 2018. Woman moves back home to rural Iowa in a book described as a "love letter to the Midwest"? Look at all these good choices.

How I heard of it: Library

All The Things You Are - Declan Hughs. 2014. Was looking for a different book w/ this title, but saw Spooky Dark House cover + wild summary and wanted to know how that could possibly happen / what the explanation was.

How I heard of it: Library catalog

Tumbledown Manor - Helen Brown. 2016. Cover love. A book about restoring a historic family manor?? BRING ME THERE.

How I heard of it: Library

The War Bride's Scrapbook - Caroline Preston. 2017. IT'S LITERALLY A SCRAPBOOK. I loved her other one like this.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day - Winifred Watson. 1938. Rewatched the movie and needed to relive an alternate take immediately (especially for more Michael).

How I heard of it: special features on the DVD

April & Oliver - Tess Callahan. 2009. This just screamed "(slightly less storybook) Ned/Chuck AU!!" [Pushing Daisies] at me. There was semi-platonic comfort-spooning in the second chapter, COME ON.

How I heard of it: Half Price Books

A Short Walk to the Bookshop - Aleksandra Drake. 2019. This looked like an even more solid Ned/Chuck AU, missing only the childhood connection/age similarity, with bonus fave keywords anxiety, widower, bookshop and dog.

How I heard of it: Googling

Girl Last Seen - Nina Laurin. 2017. Recently watched "Captive" and wanted a story of the aftermath from the captive's perspective.

How I heard of it: Goodreads (specifically, I looked up an older book by this title intending to check out related recs, but this came up first)

The Road to Enchantment - Kaya McLaren. 2017. Gorgeous cover/title + "single [pregnant] woman inherits late mother's ranch" = an alternate life I want to try on.

How I heard of it: Library

From Sand and Ash - Amy Harmon. 2016. Love between childhood best friends who can’t (well, aren’t supposed to) touch? Sounds like a Ned/Chuck AU to me!

How I heard of it: a book blog post

My Oxford Year - Julia Whelan. 2018. Always here for age-appropriate student/teacher romances -- I had this one saved for a while -- but read now specifically to cast David Tennant.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond - Jaime Jo Wright. 2018. There's a mystery from the past being solved in the present. Also, "inherited hoarder's trailer" made me v. curious about what was inside.

How I heard of it: a book blog post

My Husband the Stranger - Rebecca Done. 2017. It's Find Books That Remind Me Of David Tennant's Roles Month, and this was my crack at "Recovery."

How I heard of it: Googling

The House on Foster Hill - Jaime Jo Wright. 2017. Fixing up a spooky abandoned historic house + solving a mystery from the past in the present!

How I heard of it: a book blog post

Broadchurch - Erin Kelly. 2014. Fell in love with the show, had to immediately relive it in text form.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Vanishing - Wendy Webb. 2014. Spooky historic mansion from a reliable author for the spookening season.

How I heard of it: looking up the author’s back catalog

The Scholar - Dervla McTiernan. 2019. The Ruin - Dervla McTiernan. 2018. "Hmmm looks kind of like (Irish) Broadchurch but where the detective character has a girlfriend to fuss over and worry about. Nice." Read out of order because the second one had more girlfriend content, and enjoyed it enough to go back for book 1.

How I heard of it: Googling

The Day She Died - Catriona McPherson. 2014. The cover looked perfect for the Spook Season/gloomy weather. Sign me up for insta-families and murder mysteries w/ MCs in possible danger any day.

How I heard of it: library (literally because it was right next to McTiernan)

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens. 2010. Collecting base material for when I play this scenario (abduction/prolonged captivity and its aftermath) out w/ TV characters I like.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. 2019. It sounded EXACTLY like a (genderbent) Doctor/Master or Crowley/Aziraphale relationship.

How I heard of it: a book blog post

The Tale of Halcyon Crane - Wendy Webb. 2010. Wanted an audiobook and I like this author (esp. for spook season).

How I heard of it: author’s back catalog

The Child Garden - Catriona McPherson. 2015. I liked her previous book and this setting looked even spookier and more atmospheric.

How I heard of it: author’s back catalog

Quiet Neighbors - Catriona McPherson. 2016. One last dip into this author...because what part of "woman gets a job organizing the books in 'the oldest bookshop in a town full of bookshops' + an old cottage to stay in" does not sound like my dream life?

How I heard of it: author’s back catalog

Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island - Mike Tucker. 2006. After 2.5 months in a Ten/Rose spiral, the time was nigh to pluck one of their novels I didn’t get around to reading back in my original fandom heyday.

How I heard of it: can't remember

Misery - Stephen King. 1987. I just woke up one day and decided I was in the mood to try this infamous mother of all literary whumps.

How I heard of it: can’t remember

The Whisper Man - Alex North. 2019. Went looking for books that would remind me of the father/son dynamic in "The Escape Artist."

How I heard of it: Googling

Open Your Eyes - Paula Daly. 2018. Second crack at a "Recovery"-shaped novel (it failed instantly because I didn’t take the possibility of diversity into account, but suspense is still a good genre regardless).

How I heard of it: Googling

The Last - Hanna Jameson. 2019. "Dystopian psychological thriller" + the gorgeous hotel on the cover.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

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

YOUNG ADULT

Blood Wounds - Susan Beth Pfeffer. 2011. Established quality author + (what I thought was a) thriller premise.

How I heard of it: author’s back catalog

Beware That Girl - Teresa Totten. 2016. I wanted an audiobook, and contemporary YA options are limited at the library. The mystery/thriller aspect sounded good enough to spend 8+ hours with.

How I heard of it: library

Trafficked - Kim Purcell. 2012. I am mystified/intrigued by domestic/non-sexual slavery, and have not seen the topic covered in YA.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Wild Bird - Wendelin Van Draanen. 2017. I have long been fascinated by teen reform camps for girls in the wilderness.

How I heard of it: library

The Year of Luminous Love - Lurlene McDaniel. 2013. The Year of Chasing Dreams - Lurlene McDaniel. 2014.

The library didn't have Girl With the Broken Heart, but it did have a fat duology featuring similar elements of horses + tragic illness, and a trio of friends that called to mind Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

The Pull of Gravity - Gae Polisner. 2011. I was looking for quality male friendships, but the male/female friendship + road trip in this search result sounded like I could cast them as teen versions of Survivor contestants. I forget which ones.

How I heard of it: Googling

The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) - Amy Spalding. 2018. Established quality author + bright cover, cool title, burger quest, MC's love of fashion and job in a clothing store, and summer in L.A. setting

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Tiger Eyes - Judy Blume. 1981. Found out Amy Jo Johnson was the mom in the movie version, decided to read the book as prep since once again, I knew the title, but not why I knew it.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay - Adib Khorram. 2018. I turned the internet upside down in search of books with quality male friendships, and was pointed here.

How I heard of it: Googling

Big Doc's Girl - Mary Medearis. 1941. Went looking for vintage stories of simple country girls who reminded me of Katharine McPhee's character in The House Bunny. (spoiler alert: this was not it even a little bit, why did I think it was)

How I heard of it: Googling

With Malice - Eileen Cook. 2016. Always here for random teen thrillers, including a fictionalized version of Amanda Knox.

How I heard of it: library

The Girls of No Return - Erin Saldin. 2012. Like I said, I'm big on girls reform camps in the wilderness.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Hope Was Here - Joan Bauer. 2000. Needed an audiobook. This one was short and by a proven quality author.

How I heard of it: library

Rules of the Road - Joan Bauer. 1998. Best Foot Forward - Joan Bauer. 2006. Bought the first super-cheap a while ago because of the cover/road trip aspect/fascinating first few pages; read NOW to keep the Bauer train rolling, followed immediately by its sequel.

How I heard of it: Goodwill/Goodreads

Now Is Everything - Amy Giles. 2017. Interesting format, sympathetic-sounding main character (edit: What Makes You Beautiful - Ha Ha Ha version.mp3), potential for a sweet and protective romance.

How I heard of it: library

Radical - E.M. Kokie. 2016. Survivalist/prepper teen?  Intriguing and underrepresented concept in YA.

How I heard of it: library

Hit the Road - Caroline B. Cooney. 2006. “It's spring, which means it's time to think about road trips.” Plus I just read a fun teen + old lady on the road book (Rules of the Road). It's thematic.

How I heard of it: library

I Am Still Alive - Kate Alice Marshall. 2018. I dig survival stories, especially in the wilderness, and this one was well recced.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Caged Graves - Dianne K. Salerni. 2013. Spook cover!! I MUST KNOW WHY THERE ARE CAGES OVER THESE GRAVES.

How I heard of it: library

Fancy Free - Betty Cavanna. 1961. Found cheap and will read this author always.

How I heard of it: antique store

Once And For All - Sarah Dessen. 2017. Stubborn determination to complete this author's canon and literally no other reasons.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Wired Man and Other Freaks of Nature - Sashi Kaufman. 2016. People in the Goodreads reviews were mad that the guys were so close yet not gay for each other. That's the very specific male friendship wheelhouse I've been looking for! Plus I know this author can write teen boys in a way I can tolerate.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Field Notes on Love - Jennifer E. Smith. 2019. Needed an audiobook and this was on display at the library; it looked cute and fluffy and I was ready for an antidote to the Dessen book.

How I heard of it: library

Midnight Sun - Trish Cook. 2017. Needed an audiobook and sick!lit seemed the most reliable of my options, given that previews for the movie had looked okay and it was real short.

How I heard of it: library

9 Days and 9 Nights - Katie Cotugno. 2018. Sequel to a book that drove me insane, but where I loved the writing style and was frustratingly fond of the characters so I Had 2 Know what happened next.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Your Destination Is On The Left - Lauren Spieller. 2018. Attractive cover + keywords like "nomadic RV lifestyle," Santa Fe, post-high-school YA, and internship

How I heard of it: library

Weird Girl and What's His Name - Meagan Brothers. 2015. X-Philes?? In MY modern-day YA fiction?? (with a side of inappropriate age-mismatched relationship?)  My interest is more likely than you'd think!

How I heard of it: library

All Out of Pretty - Ingrid Palmer. 2018. Attractive design + arresting first page piqued my curiosity

How I heard of it: library

Hitchhike - Isabelle Holland. 1977. Vintage book w/ a puppy on the cover, by an author I like.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Send No Blessings - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 1990. Reread from high school after it came up on the What's The Name of That Book? discussion group; felt a strong pull of positive feelings but couldn't remember much.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Year of the Gopher - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 1987 Wanted better understanding of the source material before reading an essay about this book and the above in Lost Masterworks of Young Adult Literature.

How I heard of it: another book

Up In Seth's Room - Norma Fox Mazer. 1979 There was an essay about this in Lost Masterworks too. I had read it a long time ago and remembered NOT liking it, but figured I might as well revisit it to review on Goodreads.

How I heard of it: library

Blizzard's Wake - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 2002. Happened to be on the shelf when I checked to see what non-Alice books of hers the library had in stock, and figured as long I'm on a Naylor kick, this might as well happen. Mainly ‘cause I saw "deadly blizzard" on the back and was like "WOW this seems useful for my hurt/comfort scenario stockpile."

How I heard of it: library

A Whole New World - Liz Braswell. 2015. Seeing the new Aladdin trailer blew up my heart with FEELINGS for the original, so I went looking for a YA retelling. Can't believe I found an actual Disney-based retelling.

How I heard of it: Library catalog

After the Dancing Days - Margaret I. Rostkowski. 1986. The connection between Roy and the little girl in The Fall reminded me of this book, so I reread it specifically to visualize Andrew as Lee Pace.

How I heard of it: Library

There's Someone Inside Your House - Stephanie Perkins. 2017. I'll read most any teen thriller you throw at me. The more murders the better.

How I heard of it: Library

All the Forever Things - Jolene Perry. 2017. Loved the author's writing style on a previous book, but couldn't stomach the love triangle. Wanted to give her another chance.

How I heard of it: Library

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz. 2012. Been on my TBR for a while because quality male friendship; read it now to see if I should keep or get rid of the dollar store copy I bought. (answer: get rid of. it's good but not amazing to me personally)

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Hollow Girl - Hillary Monahan. 2017. Violent revenge fantasy against rapists? Especially to save the life of a guy you like who was brutally beaten during your assault? Heck yeah.

How I heard of it: Library

The Opposite of Love - Sarah Lynn Scheerger. 2014. The hurt/comfort potential was off the charts and it vaguely reminded me of Ryan/Marissa (the O.C.).

How I heard of it: Library

Sophomore Year is Greek to Me - Meredith Zeitlin. 2015. It just looked light and cute, like summer.

How I heard of it: Library

Girl Online On Tour - Zoe Sugg. 2015. Girl Online Going Solo - Zoe Sugg. 2016. Two sequels to a book I enjoyed.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Plague Land - Alex Scarrow. 2017. Plague Land Reborn - Alex Scarrow. 2018. Always here for illness-based apocalypse/dystopia. Would have finished the trilogy but library doesn’t have book 3 yet.

How I heard of it: Library

Pretty Fierce - Kieran Scott. 2017. Spy daughter of spies running for her life along w/ doting boyfriend (named Oliver, a name that has never let me down in fiction)? The ship radar is sounding OFF.

How I heard of it: Library

The Leaving - Lynn Hall. 1980. Will read any LH book, but this one was small and easy to take on an overnight trip plus everything about the summary and first couple of pages drew me in.

How I heard of it: author’s back catalog

Speed of Life - J.M. Kelly. 2016. Beautiful cover, blue collar family, unusual premise (twin sisters co-parenting the baby one of them had, no dad in sight), and I love stories where teens are (essentially) head of household.

How I heard of it: Thrift Books

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters - Meredith Zeitlin. 2012. Looked light and cute, because it's back-to-school time and lately I've been enjoying study blogs from people just starting high school.

How I heard of it: Library

The Land of 10,000 Madonnas - Kate Hattemer. 2016. Unsupervised teens a-wanderin' through Europe? Sign me up for that vicarious wanderlust.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

A Thousand Boy Kisses - Tillie Cole. 2016. A romance w/ astronomical hurt/comfort potential. (spoiler alert it’s too sickly saccharine even for me)

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Hooked - Catherine Greenman. 2011. Random reread of a book I had come to believe should have been 4 stars rather than 3, but couldn’t remember well enough to feel confident in changing the rating without checking first.

How I heard of it: Library

Appaloosa Summer - Tudor Robins. 2014. Horsey YA + after years of it being on my TBR, the author saw me post about this fact and offered to send me a free paperback copy for review.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

I Stop Somewhere - T.E. Carter. 2018. I too identified as a girl my classmates would never notice was missing (moreso in college, but still). Plus it's getting close to Halloween, so time for spooky/true-crime-esque reads.

How I heard of it: library

What Waits in the Woods - Kieran Scott. 2015. An ideal spook setting for the spook season!

How I heard of it: Library

Illuminae - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. 2015. The formatting/art design just sounded cool and unique.

How I heard of it: a book blog post

Boot Camp - Todd Strasser. 2006. I went to the library to check out a different book of his, but this caught my eye because WHUMPITY WHUMP (with a side of pining for the teacher he had previously been in a relationship with).

The Last Trip of the Magi - Michael Lorinser. 2012. Picked up cheap at a book sale for the struggling-to-survive-a-winter-night-outside aspect.

A List of Cages - Robin Roe. 2017. Male friendship loaded with hurt/comfort.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

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MIDDLE GRADE

Sparrow Road - Sheila O'Connor. 2011. The setting -- an artist's retreat at an old mansion on sprawling estate grounds formerly used as an orphanage -- captivated me.

How I heard of it: a Little Free Library (outside of a mansion repurposed as an art council's center, actually)

Annie's Life in Lists - Kristin Mahoney. 2018. I LOVE LISTS.

How I heard of it: library

Hope is a Ferris Wheel - Robin Herrera. 2014. Still grinding my teeth over Dessen's Once and For All, I was desperate for a sweet middle grade story to refresh my palate. Gimme that bright cover. Ooh, and a trailer park kid?

How I heard of it: Library

The Education of Ivy Blake - Ellen Airgood. 2015. Prairie Evers - Ellen Airgood. 2012. Also intended as a Dessen antidote, I picked up the sequel first due to the incredibly charming excerpt on the back, and then fell so in love with the character and writing style I needed more of her world.

How I heard of it: Library

When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead. 2009. Rave reviews from friends; mystery aspect sounded intriguing.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Counting By 7s - Holly Goldberg Sloan. 2013. Picked up cheap at a fundraiser garage sale I wanted to support; seemed easily readable.

Summerlost - Ally Condie. 2016. Young!Ned/Chuck AU?? (spoiler alert: maybe if it wasn't so boring)

How I heard of it: Googling

Where The Heart Is - Jo Knowles. 2019. "Country girl taking care of the animals at a hobby farm across the road" = the childhood dream and also I wanted to ignore the summary and hope I could still get a Young!Ned/Chuck AU. How I heard of it: Library

The Wizards of Once - Cressida Cowell. 2017. Twice Magic - Cressida Cowell. 2018. First one: David Tennant reads the audiobook, and literally no other reasons.

Second one: Ah heck turns out I kind of loved how David Tennant read that audiobook and want more.

How I heard of it: Library catalog

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - Annabel Pitcher. 2011. David Tennant reads the audiobook, and literally no other reasons.

How I heard of it: Library catalog

----------

NONFICTION

Seinology: The Sociology of Seinfeld - Tim Delaney. 2006. It's sociology, it's Seinfeld, what's not to love?

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Survivor: The Ultimate Game - Mark Burnett. 2000. At the beginning of the year I was obsessed w/ this show like never before, so a detailed recap of one of its seasons seemed like the ticket to complement that.

How I heard of it: Googling

Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival - Yossi Ghinsberg. 1985. Loved the movie, wanted to relive it in text form.

How I heard of it: special features on the DVD

Lost Masterworks of Young Adult Literature - ed. Connie Zitlow. 2002. There was an essay about Send No Blessings in here. If that's the kind of book this book is about, I wanna hear all about it.

How I heard of it: Library catalog

Animals in Young Adult Fiction - Walter Hogan. 2009. From the same publishing line as the above, which I loved, I figured this was even MORE my specialized reading niche.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Phantoms of the Hudson Valley - Monica Randall. 1996. When I have I ever NOT wanted to read about grand mansions of yesteryear -- especially if some are abandoned ruins?

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Seven Cats and the Art of Living - Jo Coudert. 1996. Picked up cheap at a library sale because cats (and the cute author-illustrated cover painting).

Psychic Pets and Spirit Animals: True Stories From The Files of Fate Magazine. 1996. Random reread of a childhood favorite.

How I heard of it: B. Dalton's (THAT’S how long I’ve had this book, y’all).

Extreme Couponing - Joni Meyer-Crothers with Beth Adelman. 2013. Who doesn't love saving money? But I am not very coupon-savvy and wanted to learn.

How I heard of it: Library

Cabin Lessons: A Tale of 2x4s, Blisters and Love - Spike Carlsen. 2015. Having the money/skill to build my own cabin on MN's north shore is a fun daydream.

How I heard of it: Library

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book  - Wendy Welch. 2012. Opening a used bookstore is my impractical dream too.

How I heard of it: Library

Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home - Nora Krug.  2018. Illustrated memoirs are always awesome.

How I heard of it: Library

The Astor Orphan: A Memoir - Alexandra Aldrich. 2013.

Rokeby was one of the estates that fascinated me in Phantoms of the Hudson Valley, and the content of this one took place around the same era that book was written.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

I'll Be There For You: The One About Friends - Kelsey Miller. 2018. Am I going to turn down "a retrospective" about one of my favorite shows?? I am not.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and Fall of the WB & UPN. 2007. Recommended after the above because I love hearing how network TV stations are built in terms of programming decisions.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80s and 90s Teen Fiction - Gabrielle Moss. 2018. Take how I reacted to Lost Masterworks of Young Adult Literature, and multiply it by "fully illustrated with brightly colored pages." These are the kind of books I’m familiar with and always down to talk/hear about, but hardly anyone else is.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

[imma-lil-teapot]

Each TMNT Incarnation and Where They Stand With Me :)

(Nervous chuckle) ... Yeah no, I suck at titles. Moving on! 

Y’all can go ahead and skip this part if you’re not interested in senseless rambling and just wanna get to the TMNT fun~ ;) 

Soooooo, I’ve recently updated my Tumblr page to a blog dedicated to all my fandoms (musing, headcanons, writing, gifs, pics, the works, basically anything and everything in relation to them) since I wasn’t really ever doing anything with it other than using it to share pics mostly. But ever since I stumbled back into the TMNT fandom, I’ve been searching Tumblr for fan content and OMGOSH, did I hit the jackpot! Headcanons, fanfics, Turtle x reader stories, so much juicy stuff! Am hooked! Dunno why I never tried searching for similar stuff in the past for my other fandoms! I guess I just... didn’t realize there was so much content here. :O But anyway, I always wanted a place to share ideas and thoughts regarding my fandoms outside of sites like Deviantart and Fanfiction.net, and heck, it’s been here under my nose all this time... Y’all gonna have to forgive me; I’m an old fart. ;P (Insert image of Slowpoke for reference) So without further ado... 

LET’S GET THIS PIZZA PARTY STARTED! 

Imma start this blog off really simple and, as the title states, just give you all a small-ish idea of where each TMNT universe stands (or ranks?) with me, personally... Note the ‘personally’ part so please don’t feel offended if I don’t share the same opinion as you on a particular verse. ^^; I have my own tastes and will respect the next person’s when it comes to them. ;) Also, please beware the typos (which there most definitely will be)...

IN RELEASE DATE ORDER: (Hopefully they’re right)

MIRAGE COMICS~

Imma just say it: I haven’t read any of them yet. :/ There probably are sites out there that would allow you to view them online for free, but in truth, I’ve been a little slack about trying to find any... That may however change someday as I always tell myself I should really seek out the source material so it’s only a matter of time. What I do know, however, is that they’re of course a lot darker than most incarnations (which I don’t have a problem with personally) and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to exactly how much darker. X’D The closest I’ve come to ‘knowing’ these Turts comes from watching the Turtles Forever movie and they weren’t in it for a long time so it’s very difficult to say what they actually mean to me, so we’ll just put these guys down in the ‘not sure’ column for now. ;)

1987 CARTOON~

HAHA~ I think any fan of the franchise as a whole knows this little gem! The series that really hit it off and spawned over a 190 eps! Quite an impressive feat for a Saturday morning cartoon! It made its way to TVs the year before I was born, but it would take another few before it would reach our tubes (we’re always a few years behind the rest of the world :/ ) so I was around four when I was first introduced to it and needless to say, I loved it back then! Michelangelo was initially my fav due to him being my older brothers’ fav and the one they mainly spoke of, but it didn’t take long before my favering gravitated towards Leonardo (even at such a young age) and has been that way ever since. ;) But where exactly does the series stand with me as an adult nowadays with so many other verses we’ve been exposed to? I do hold a lot of nostalgia (as many older do) for it, and I mean, come on, that theme song is ageless, and I even started watching a lot of vids involving the original VAs and the shenanigans they get up to and seriously, it’s so heartwarming and fun to see them! But I have to be honest...

It’s not my fav verse, honestly. I will always adore them, of course, because of the nostalgia and the goofiness... But it’s the latter that’s mostly the reason for it being placed a bit lower on the favoritism ladder. While its a fun watch if you want something lighthearted, I still prefer the idea of the darker undertones that comes with being associated with ninjas. It’s just a preference. Plus, the Turtles designs are big one for me, and I’m sorry to say, but I keep seeing these fellas as more frog-like than turtle, despite the shells. X’D So yeah, no big reasoning for it, and even if someone were to ask me if I like these guys, I’ll still say yes, just that they’re not my ultimate fav is all. ;)

Also, we won’t talk about the Japanese Anime Ninja Turtles: Superman Legend or something to that extent... We’ll just let that one be gently swept under the carpet. ;) Only ever saw the trailer for it and that’s all I’ll ever need to see in my lifetime.

1990 MOVIES TRILOGY~

Now funny enough, I really don’t remember ever seeing these movies as a kid, though it’s possible I did and just maybe blocked the memory, but I highly doubt it... So yeah, I saw these movies as an adult already. The first is praised by most fans, and honestly, I can see why: it’s pretty good! :D The acting is very decent and the humour’s brilliant! The two sequels... not so much but still okay. ;) Where they sit with me... Not too far on the ladder again I’m afraid. :/ While I do really enjoy and appreciate the acting and that humour (”I made a funny.” X’D) it mostly comes down to the Turtles designs again... I really can’t see past them being actors in costumes rather than characters. :’( Granted, good actors. ;) And heck, Jim Henson did a phenomenal job! They’re just not really the movies for me is all, even if I do go back and watch ‘em every now and then. X’D I do however melt every time at the scene in the first movie where Raph wakes up in the bath and Leo’s there and apologizing and all... Makes me all gooey inside! X’D The feels are real! Speaking of Leo, though, he sounds even younger than Mikey. Small nitpick, that, but... why? X’D

But yeah, let’s just say, they’re good movies, just, not my favs.

Also, Coming Out Of Their Shells tour... Yeah, I’m gonna just... pretend that doesn’t exist for a minute. 

THE NEXT MUTATION~

Nope.

Saw one ep as a kid and am not interested in seeing anymore.

Although, VA Matt Hill voices Raph. That’s one good thing.

2003/2k3~

Well it wasn’t already apparent by my avatar... Ladies and gents, I present to you... My fav TMNT verse to date! Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with this delicious series?! :D Firstly, animation: so appealing, comic book-y style! Their designs: without sounding pervy, veeeeeeeery appealing (hehehehehe), no seriously, they sometimes have a bitta bulk to them but it honestly works, and dem muscles, and the cool eyes! The VAs: spot on! Perfect! Wouldn’t have ‘em any other way! Make me melt, Mr. Michael Sinterniklaas~ (cough) Their personalities: Omgosh, just yes! So perfect! They’re easily differentiated and yet still work together so well. Leo’s mature and level-headed (well, most of the time ;P ) yet still gets tested a lot and even has a fun side that’s shown on occasion. Raph’s grouchy and violent but is shown on more than one occasion that’s he’s total softie and really does care. Don’s just a sweetheart and freakishly smart and even has slips ups from time to time. Mikey... omgosh, best Mikey ever! So much fun! So hilarious! And just a bundle of energy, but not at all an idiot like he’s sometimes portrayed in other verses. He’s witty, mischievous and just so adorable! Heck, even Master Splinter, April, Casey, the lot of them are just awesome in this series! And wow, they really do lean more towards the source material (or so I’m told) when it comes to the plots! It’s darker than the other previous verses yet still remaining kid-friendly (although I question it at times XD) and omgosh, it’s just everything I want in a TMNT universe! Granted, it’s not perfect perfect, but it nailed it for me. ;) It really showed so lovely character developments, alsortsa different genres, the humour will leave you in stitches, the Turts are all just so lovable, I can’t get enough of them! This series was really my high point and I’ve yet to find one that tops it~

Btw, this even includes Fast Forward and Back to the Sewer (BTTS). The former being my least fav of the series simply due to the setting and again, it’s just preference. I even liked BTTS, even though I’m not overly fond of a cyberspace setting, but I found myself really liking the art style and the general plot. :D 

2007/2k7~

As with the last, if you’ve picked up on the page’s header/banner, you’d have probably guessed that the 2007 movie is also a good candidate for one my favs... And you’d be correct. ;) I’m actually very fond of this movie, and it’s largely due to the Turtles designs. I love how they were done! They just look so cool! <3 Subtle differences tell the viewer who’s who even if they didn’t have a mask or weapons. The VAs were also pretty good~ Now, the story isn’t the greatest, I’ll admit. Personally I thought it was okay, but know many fans think otherwise. But I did like the confrontation between Leo and Raph! It got real there, peeps! :O Now here’s also where it falls a little on its face for me: I didn’t really like how they handled Leo’s personality (if you haven’t already picked up on it, yes, I’m a Leo fangirl and I’m picky when it comes to how they handle his personality) but it’s a nitpick again, yet, I still feel compelled to state my opinion: the whole “I’m better than you.” comment really took me back and made me think they pushed it. I honestly like to believe he’d never actually say something like that... at least, 2003!Leo wouldn’t. X’D But that’s just my problem: I’m comparing a different verse’s Leo to this one and whether I like it or not, he said it. :/ Oh well, it still made for some fun action scenes and I’ll still always like the movie.

Bit of a goof on my side: I honestly thought that this movie was made to tie in with the 2003!verse due to the timeline in which it was produced, but turns out, it’s actually closer to the 1990′s timeline although still considered it’s own verse.

2012/2k12~

Oooh boy, lemme prepare for the backlash real quick... I’m uhhhh... not a fan of these boys. :/ I don’t mind them, but I’m honestly never gonna watch the series again. It’s hard to top your fav when you’ve kinda already hit your high point, ya know. Now before you light your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, hear me out: I will never bash the series, or make fun of anyone who likes it! Or anything to that extent! It’s just wasn’t for me, plain and simple, and it’s got nothing to do with it being ‘new’ or I’m just an old fart stuck in my ways. Heck, If you’re still reading, you would’ve found out that even nostalgia couldn’t beat the series that grasped me in my teens! So no, it has nothing to do with age. But if you do need a reason: I wasn’t overly fond of how they handle the characters. For one, they look and act a bit too young, Mikey is just... wow, something else. Donnie’s... sheesh, pretty snappy and antagonising. Raph’s well... okay, he’s meant to be angry half the time, and they did give him some more layers with Spike and Mona Lisa and whatnot, but he still kinda never learns his lesson if I can say that? He’ll learn that he shouldn’t cause issues with others, yet next episode he’s back at it again. :/ Leo’s... wow, just not like other Leos. X’D Best way I can describe him is... young? Very childlike. And even when he was progressing to becoming this better leader, I honestly couldn’t even see the change. My mind was just stuck on this “He’s a babeh.” notion. Also, I’m not even gonna start on this April and Casey. Just. No. Most of the characters were annoying and I just kept seeing recycled plot after plot. What I did like was the romance that blossomed between Raph and Mona (albeit far too rushed) and even Donnie liking April was adorable (but seriously Donnie, you can do so much better), and there were some really heartfelt moments, like Splinter telling Leo to leo his brothers with his heart and not his head, and the scenes when they were Tots will always make me squeal... But yeah... without leaving any spoilers.... about Splinter... just... thanks, Nickelodeon. Y’all know what I mean. Not once... But twice.... Really? So yeah, look, I realized some of those reasons might even be petty, but again, it’s just not the series for me, but anyone who’s a fan... You keep being a fan! ;) I’m glad you can enjoy something I can’t. ;)

2014/2k14/2016/2k16 AKA BAYVERSE~

HAHA~ Every fan’s favorite... If only. X’D Jokes aside, despite many fans claiming the Bay movies ruined the franchise, these two films gathered a small following... And I’m apart of it. :) Funny enough, I honestly didn’t know what to think of them when the movie first came out. I think I was just taken aback by the sheer amount of detail and all that went into their designs. I didn’t not like them, but again, their designs were a lot to take in. :O Even now after seeing the movies quite a few times over, I find myself constantly discovering something I didn’t notice on them before, be it a strap or a scar etc. And it honestly took some getting use to their sizes, I mean, sheesh! :O Not to mention the different background story, and Megan Fox’s wooden, expressionless acting, but despite all that... I found myself actually growing attached to these hulks of Turtles. They still have a lot of that heart in them and plus they’re just so much fun, I mean, can we say ‘Elevator scene’? X’D Now again, not perfect by anys mean, but still fun and pretty decent incarnations to add to the franchise. Again, Leo’s been given this ‘Better than you’ a bit which irked me to be frank. Not always but it’s there sometimes, but otherwise alright. Raph’s a decent Raph. Even had some tender moments. Donnie’s adorable! X’D This slightly potty mouthed geek that you just gotta love. And Mikey... although given that bitta ‘idiot’ feel, is also just as lovable and you want to hug him every time he’s onscreen! 

In short, I like ‘em. :) They’re actually closer to the top of the ladder than some others.

RISE OF THE TMNT/ROTTMNT/2018/2K18~

Yeeeeeeeeuuuuuuh... no. Sorry. Not for me. :/ Again, gonna remind y’all, nothing to do with age. Nothing to do with change. I will say that the fluid animation is nice, and the fact that they chose 2D animation. :) Buuuuuut, wow, they were certainly a lot to take in. Almost as much as Bay’s Turtles. After watching a few eps, I will conclude that they really just aren’t what I’m looking for. I found that the constant joking, while sometimes funny, got a little bit much, plus such short eps. Raph being leader was a switch and one that took awhile to get use to and honestly, I’m just not for it, I don’t even know where to begin with Donnie, Mikey’s okay, Leo... (deep breath) I don’t know what they were thinking... Let’s not even go to Master Splinter. But anyways, I get that change was what they were going for and that it was more so based on the 1987 toon with the silliness so that’s fine. I’m glad it’s got so many fans. :) And honestly, I wanna end off just by saying...

That no matter what your thoughts on what I’ve said, I hope you can respect my opinions and choices cause at the end of the day, they’re just my own, and I will always respect yours! :D If you adore the verses I’m not too crazy about, that’s great! :D I want you all to love the heck out of them! And honestly, this is what’s so great about this franchise: there are so many verses to choose from! So many options and tastes to suit any and all! You don’t have to follow the masses! You go enjoy whichever incarnation(s) you want to! ;) 

And there we have it, my first fandom bloggy thingy~ Hope there’ll be many more where that came from! :D

This is Drag0n-Mistr3ss signing off~

[scum-belina]

Aight, since you're on such a movie binge lately, and since I usually love your recommendations, what are your top 10 movies?

Upon being asked this nearly 48 hours ago, my brain, despite having watched probably 1000 movies of all different genres and from multiple countries was like "the only movies you can remember is shrek 1 2 and 3" but after digging through my memory I THINK I have managed to find some of my top favorites movies. My favorites are defined solely on how much they managed to impact me and inspire me so here we go in no particular order!

1. “The Best Offer” (2013) by Giuseppe Tornatore. This is the most recent film I’ve seen and is by far one of my all-time favorites. It is at least 96% of everything I’ve ever wanted in a movie and I’m still reeling from the borderline perfection of the whole thing. Unsurprisingly I got interested in it bc of the older man/ younger woman thing, but nothing about their relationship development was cliche or shallow, so much so that it pleasantly surprised me, and then threw me through 25000 emotional roller coasters that were also on fire. It’s a drama, romance, comedy, mystery, thriller, and tragedy without being an absolute mess and idk if I will ever get over it I love it so much.

2. “Melancholia” (2011) by Lars Von Trier. A film that portrays severe depression through an apocalyptic metaphor and actually manages to skillfully get away with it. I love this movie as much as I hate it for being so raw and painful yet beautiful at the same time. Everyone in this is great but Kirsten Dunst truly is a formidable actress. This is the only LVT film I’ve fully enjoyed also bc all of his others have too much of a pretentious assholeishness to them and he just tries too damn hard to be edgy and it wastes the entire storyline. 

3. “The Phantom Of the Opera” (2004) by Joel Schumacher. A classic in every respect of the word. It’s got the twisted love tale that I’m an eternal sucker for PLUS they burst out into song abt such matters all the time??? LOVES IT. Everyone with even the slightest taste for the dramatic should watch it at least once.

4. “The Red Violin” (1998) By  François Girard. I Don’t even know how to describe this film. I just remember it from my childhood bc my dad was fascinated by it and I was too. It has an entirely foreign, mostly Italian cast which makes it somehow feel like even more of an authentic story. It really helped shaped me to realize just how important music and musical instruments are to humanity and how they are another way to express our innermost thoughts and feelings.

5. Moulin Rouge! (2001) by Baz Lurhmann. I will NEVER forget the first time I saw this. I was around 7 or 8 and my parents had rented it from blockbuster, and all 3 of us watched it in awe. Baz Lurhmann is nothing but a genius the way he integrated multiple modern songs into this musical and they FIT. The moulin rouge version of “Roxanne” knocks the original by The Police out of the park, out of the world, and out into another dimension. And then the original songs like “come what may” are all 10/10. It’s theatrical, it’s romantic, it’s funny, it’s tragic. Those are the 4 things that almost always cause me to love a movie. Also Ewan McGregor is absurdly hot in it and HIS SINGING  VOICE??? HHHHHOOOOOOO BBBBOOOOOYYYYYYYYY

6. “Phantom Thread” (2017) by Paul Thomas Anderson. I’m not gonna lie, I hopped onto this movie solely bc of the older man/younger woman romance theme that I am always a slut for, but much like The Best Offer it was SO MUCH more like??? This isn’t even about their age it’s about who THEY ARE and their differences yet their love for each other  and how can they balance their lives, who THEY ARE without hating one another as much as they love one another??? BOY I LOVE THAT TORTURED LOVE. This movie was almost NOTHING of what I expected from it and I loved every surprise it gave me. 

7. “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (2006)  by Tom Tykwer. Idek WHAT to say about this film other than it’s so good!!! It’s so fucked up!!! I’M so fucked up!!! I love it so much!!! You know how me be!!! Love that nasty artsy badness!!! Go watch it and then message me asking me what the fuck is wrong with me!!!

8. “V for Vendetta” (2005) by James McTeigue. I know this movie has been overhyped at times, but it truly is incredible. Both the left and right seem to claim this movie as their own, but my libertarian ass just loves it for its anti-tyranny theme and ofc for the development of Evey and V’s relationship. It’s definitely worth at least one watch. 

9. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2007 so only the original trilogy bc those are the only ones that really exist and matter ok) by Gore Verbinski. I was around 9-10 when I saw the first potc, and it changed me and inspired me for life. Immediately I found Elizabeth Swann so relatable not just bc we have the same first name, but because she had the same intense desire for freedom and adventure as I had/ still do tbh. She liked the “bad guys” and wanted to be one of them and ultimately became “King” of them without sacrificing her own femininity and OHHH I LOVE THAT. The original potc trilogy has the perfect blend of adventure, fantasy, horror, and romance for me (although I will always wish Elizabeth had ended up with Jack in the end I will DIE for this ship).Mind you, The Mummy (1999) Came EXTREMELY close to taking potc’s place, but the mummy never managed to make a good or even rewatchable trilogy like potc did so potc wins this.

10. This is Spinal Tap (1984) by Rob Reiner. The only complete comedy on this list, I cannot even begin to describe how genius this film is. I have watched it so many times since childhood and I STILL find new jokes in it that I had never noticed before. Anyone who has had even the slightest bit of an interest in music should find this hilarious. The Stonehenge mishap scene alone makes this one of the greatest comedies of all time.

These are some of the few that I’ve been able to come back to mind from memory rn but I’m sure I’ll think of other faves later. but all of these are some definite top  faves of mine that impho (in my personal humble/horny opinion) everyone should watch at least once

[blackbeerandcoffeemovies]

The Losers

(Note: This was published in a local daily awhile back) HAVING heard of this latest action flick, I was -- how shall I describe it -- piqued? That's putting it rather mildly though. I hunkered down to my seat in the cinema without trying to scream bloody murder about how it apparently was a blatant rip-off of one of the 80's and my childhood's favorite series: The A-Team (which a re-make has been made and will be shown later this year). Can you blame me? A motley crew of ex-special forces soldiers who defy their orders from up-above? Check.As a consequence of said defiance, they are now running from the government with the law now chasing them. Check. They find themselves in an adventure that necessitates in excessive firefights, humongous explosions while showcasing their individual skill sets that dovetail with their ultimate request for redemption? Check again. See a pattern developing?

After some digging though, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that The Losers was actually from a DC Comics series which ran from 2003-2006. Admittedly, I did not know the title but I did grow-up with American comics and know the genre. Not being familiar with the source material was probably a good thing on my part since more often than not, I find the attempt to translate from colored-pages to feature film a poor attempt to earn money. It's the utter lack of respect for the media and the story's integrity interspersed with the "creative" injections of writers, producers or directors that, well-meaning they maybe, often spoil the pristine beauty of the original comic's storyline.

There are of course some notable exceptions: Rodriguez/Miller-helmed Sin City or Chris Nolan's Batman or for example stand out in my mind.The story begins with the team of five led by the seasoned "Clay" (Jeffrey Dean Morgan also from a recent comics translation, Watchmen) in the middle of an operation to assassinate a nefarious South-American crime boss in his lair in the Bolivian jungle. The group is then shown as a tight bunch of elite soldiers with the know-how ranging from technical computer hacking, to sniping, to butchering someone with large blades and to make things blow-up as loud as possible. Sanctioned by a mysterious "voice" of a CIA operative "Max" (ably played by Jason Patric whose brilliance is somewhat undervalued considering his performances in Narc, The Alamo, and The Beast), here is where the soldier-can't-accomplish-an-unconscionable-order-from-his-superior plot formula happens (like in Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis) and while I can't actually reveal anything and spoil it, it is indeed something cruel and also winds up making them look very bad.

So it is like The A-Team right? Up until this point, yes. This film though has some variations on the theme with just enough spice to keep you interested.First, it has the babe factor: Zoe Saldana (recently of Avatar and Star Trek) as "Aisha." "Hannibal" et al in The A-Team back in the day didn't have a muse did they? Her character manages to impose herself into the group by providing salvation from their fugitive status and a chance to get back at their nefarious ex-CIA handler (of course there's the obligatory romantic angle but also an interesting twist which will be revealed later on). Without disputing her being pretty and with a bright future in movies, I honestly think her body could use a bit of protein though.Secondly, in an apparent attempt to add to the gravity to the conflict, a certain James Bond-esque element is added: Max the villain has megalomaniacal tendencies and wants to acquire an interesting next generation WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction). Again not wanting to reveal much, Aisha says that as an effect of Max's ambitions, "world maps get redrawn." Intrigued yet? It seems that employing this plot device was an attempt to re-introduce the "awesome" factor from its comics heritage.

Frankly, you need to do that nowadays in Hollywood with all the fancy CGI and big-budget special effects going on. To me though, the execution was rather weak.The last counter-point this film manages to establish for itself is its own group dynamic. The Losers provided more yang to The A-Team's yin. Sure The A-Team had the colorful B.A. Baracus and Murdock, but on the whole, you get the feel of the laid-back, "officer's club" with a knack for MacGyver-like ingenuity for escaping hairy situations for the older set. Not so these newer guys. The Losers have this "shoot/slice/blow them up and have a beer afterwards" grit. These guys are the like those angry grunts who have been shouted at all day long and have a ticking, deep-seated, frustration deep down inside which painfully express with delight in the battlefield. Meanwhile you could just imagine Hannibal enjoying a cigar and Faceman with a bubbly, fizzy drink somewhere.

So what do I really think of The Losers? Does it have enough "caliber" to earn a place as lofty enough as my childhood admiration for the The A-Team? Hardly, but I'll be charitable; it was an hour and a half plus of light afternoon fun for me. As is typical of most action fares, don't strain yourself thinking too much. It wasn't made for that. Just a couple of hours of manly "bang" "bang" and "boom" "boom".

[therewillbesparkles]

mangas

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Under One Banner, by Graydon Saunders

Eugenia has a problem; they're an ex-sorceror. Following a training accident, they've ended up with brain damage, and as such have lost their ability to harness the Power. Unfortunately, they're required to present themselves to the Shape of Peace to complete the process for formal recognition as an Independent. As this is the only legally-sanctioned role for full sorcerors in the Commonweal, failure to perform isn't an option. In the interests of protecting the Commonweal's non-sorcerous population from enslavement, the Shape kills failed Independents.

Eugenia concludes that their goose is as good as cooked, but wants to spend their remaining days doing something useful.

Also, even failed as it was, their previous research project has attracted some interest. Eugenia receives an unexpected appointment to work with the shot shop - they're a team of research-sorcerors who are developing new artillery (the titular "shots") for the Line. While Eugenia can't do any sorcerous workings, they can understand the work the shot shop are doing - and, perhaps more importantly, are uniquely-placed to understand how to communicate that work to non-sorcerors.

Eugenia is hired to write a training manual for the Line-gesith's troops.

Then, while consulting with a Line formation on a routine training exercise, Eugenia and co stumble across an attempted invasion of the Commonweal. Quite abruptly, theory has to be exchanged for practise, and Eugenia is literally the only person on hand who has some idea what to do...

COMMENTARY AND DISCUSSION

"Under One Banner" is the latest Commonweal novel, and it picks up on the aftermath of the events of the first novel. The Archonate of Reems apparently wasn't as completely-destroyed as the first book suggested - Reems's remnants are apparently still capable of mounting a major military operation against their neighbour.

While the novel's plot directly-concerns a foreign invasion, it is also quite an introspective volume. Eugenia is in an unenviable situation - basically, they've managed to fall through the cracks within the Commonweal's social system. It's an experience anyone living in our modern world will empathise with - after all, we've all been in a similar mess, when there's a critical ticky-box on Official Form 44B/Q (Revision 2003) that we just can't tick and of course it's all a terrible tragedy but there really can't be any flexibility, don'chta know...

The book also considers the awkward situation that sorcerors "enjoy" in the Commonweal. It is a bit harsh on them; after all, no-one asks to be born with too much of the Power! On the other hand, though, the system exists because of the unending torrent of abuses that sorcerors have inflicted on everyone else outside the Commonweal's borders. (As a case in point, the Commonweal's world has multiple human-derived species, because a lot of sorcerous overlords go in for selective breeding of their minions. Needless to say, this sort of behaviour implies neither a liberal nor a socially-just society!) Eugenia's personal situation does attract sympathy, though unfortunately the principle of the law is also important. For their part, Eugenia seems to be largely-resigned to the situation - their bargaining phase on inevitable impending death consists largely of "well I want to spend my remaining time doing something useful..." rather than scheming-to-get-off-the-hook.

(The eventual resolution to this dilemma is interesting. Eugenia does indeed ultimately present themselves to the Shape of the Peace, as per the law ... and it then proceeds to rules-lawyer itself out of the problem. Thinking about it, the Peace's eventual answer actually technically <i>doesn't</i> break the letter of the law, though it certainly bends it. Apparently the Shape has some latitude in how it interprets the statutory requires.)

As Eugenia is working on artillery, they also spend a lot of the book pondering the ethicality of war. Eugenia isn't any kind of bloodthirsty maniac, and they certainly have an appreciation of the horrors that the various species of shot can inflict. However, they also have an implicit appreciation of the other horrors that would ensue, were either remnant!Reems or the Sea People able to overrun a pacifistic Commonweal. Eugenia eventually reaches roughly the "median view" on these things - they conclude that the new shots can be justifiably used in defence of the Commonweal itself, though they should not be used for any expansionistic or imperialistic purposes.

Another question that the book raises is the cost of the preparedness efforts. After all, every soldier serving in the Line means a field somewhere without a farmer, or a shop without a steward. Every death in service is one more grieving family, and one fewer consumer/producer for an already-stretched economy. Following their abrupt, enforced isolation from the first Commonweal, the new republic on the creeks is apparently struggling. The book doesn't dwell heavily on it, but it's clear that there are shortages of many basic goods. (The food supply is apparently reasonably-stable, weeds allowing, but you do get the distinct sense that no-one is living in any real luxury.)

Regarding the invasion plotline, one thing that I did think throughout the novel was that maybe - just maybe - the Commonweal had brought some of this on itself. Grue's death is solely due to faulty intelligence. No way should that Reems force have been missed! Meanwhile, two entire foreign invasions really shouldn't have come as a surprise. The Commonweal appears to have no foreign policy of any kind. In fact, they appear to have only the vaguest awareness of even who their immediate neighbours are! Perhaps if they appointed some ambassadors, or were a bit less isolationist, they would have some warning about trouble brewing outside their borders. Also, perhaps if they traded with their neighbours, maybe the Second Commonweal's economy would be in a better state. Autarky never really works well, after all.

In terms of recommendations, I would say that this book will appeal if you enjoyed the general trajectory of this series, and if you're tired of generic hack-n-slash fantasy. It provides a more introspective and thought-provoking take on the genre. However, it also has a stronger plot than some of the previous installments - though, that plot is as much related to Eugenia's personal transformation as it is to external events.