#i used to have king of new york memorized

[rad-rat-with-a-tophat]

look at me i'm the king of new york

SUDDENLY I'M RESPECTABLE STARING RIGHT AT YA LOUSY WITH STATURE

[devrreader]

even though i think cardigan is the most taylor swift sizzy coded song, i also find maroon veeery fitting. it’s also my favorite taylor song in general so i might be biased lmao but yeah! thought i’d do this :p

sizzy and maroon by taylor swift song analysis <3 lyrics here

the first verse reminds me of when they were dating in city of lost souls. i always thought that the vinyl shelf could be easily associated with simon's apartment because he would have lots of vinyls. and with how much time he and izzy were spending together, they fit into the "like you were my closest friend" box. and simon lived with his roommate, jordan, at this point. “your roommate’s cheap ass screw top rosé”: that scene in cols where jordan offers izzy his (cheap) tequila and she starts going on a rant on how she drunkenly realizes how much she likes simon. also, with the whole sebastian deal going on, they were together every day, "i see you every day now."

i think the second verse would be more fitting with the tales from the shadowhunters academy timeline. with taylor hinting at a conflict/fight, this would be simon and izzy during the first half of the book, where, quoting, "Every time she showed up on campus, they fought; every time, he was sorry to see her go." during their very first fight isabelle was almost crying, "sobbing with your head in your hands". i also have found two other interesting (?) associations. "carnations you had thought were roses, that's us." in city of heavenly fire, when the whole tmi gang had visions while entering the demon realm, simon felt odd throughout all of his. his mother sends him flowers, he initially sees hydrangeas, and finds it weird. then his, i'm assuming, conscience, makes him see roses (which, fun note, are also izzy’s favorite flowers). and it happens again, when he tells clary (physically present in the vision) that he loves her, he doesn't tell it to clary. he tells it to isabelle. "It snapped me out of the vision, when I said your name. Because I knew the vision was wrong. It wasn't what I really wanted." and then, "the rubies that i gave up" would be him "giving up" on his relationship with isabelle (ruby necklace) at the start of tftsa because he felt that he wasn't good enough for her.

now, the bridge is definitely isabelle. it's isabelle after simon sacrificed his memories and she realizes she doesn't even know how to move on. "It's even worse than if he were dead. If he were dead, I could grieve […] I should be happy. But I'm not happy." she continuously wakes up alone knowing what they had and that it doesn’t exist anymore, (at least, that’s what she thought.)

the chorus. it’s important to note how taylor writes “chose” in the first chorus and “lost” in the second. after they started dating, izzy kept choosing simon every time. chose to forgive him after the maia thing. chose to spend time with him. chose to stick with him in whatever plan the mission required. chose him over and over again even after she effectively lost him in cohf. and i think she realized she lost him in the first few chapters of tftsa, after they danced in new york at the wedding in the epilogue.

then red/maroon is a recurring color in their whole relationship. blood, roses, lipstick, rubies, bar lights, hearts. “the blood rushed into my cheeks” izzy’s cheeks were always betraying her, even when she wanted to look tough. rereading some scenes she was really blushing all the time when around simon it was almost hilarious. “the mark they saw on my collarbone” she still has the vampire bite scar on her neck, and the moment she got it was probably one of the most important ones in her (and their) development. “the rust that grew between telephones” im assuming izzy still had his number memorized on her phone during the gap between tftsa-cohf and it was useless. simon remained unreachable. “the lips i used to call home so scarlet” when they reconcile during pale kings and princes, simon realized the home he’d been looking for for months was really just izzy. izzy with the scarlet lips <3. “Losing himself to Izzy—could it be that this was the only way to really find himself? Could it be that this, here, was home?”

maroon (the color) is used as a metaphor for the rush of memories, memories both simon and izzy had, even in different ways. the sky being maroon is seeing those memories clearly even with eyes closed. and it’s definitely something both of them went through, during the end of cohf-first tftsa chapters.

i really wanted this to be longer but tumblr wouldn’t let me lol. enjoy me going insane in real time ! <3

[invisibleicewands]

[...]

A new dramatisation of Andrew’s fall from grace is due to air on Amazon Prime later this month. And if he thought the Netflix show Scoop, which covered the same ground, was unflattering then I have some bad news for the Duke of York. In A Very Royal Scandal, Andrew is portrayed by Michael Sheen as pompous, deluded and deeply unpleasant. Simultaneously arrogant and weak, he is seen striding around Buckingham Palace shouting expletives at the staff. Indeed, the first words we hear him utter are “f*** off” (to a footman who dares to approach), and throughout the three-part series he continues to bark the phrase at any courtier who comes within ten feet.

It is unnerving the way it trips off the tongue in a way that others might say “good day”. To Andrew the dogs are “little buggers”, the Queen’s esteemed press secretary is “a little shit” and his loyal aide Amanda Thirsk, played by Joanna Scanlan, is “a fatty”. Many viewers will remember her from The Thick of It, and here the duke is just as sweary as that political satire’s Malcolm Tucker — but far less bright.

[...]

The new dramatisation, for which the Newsnight interviewer Emily Maitlis acted as executive producer, suggests that Andrew asked to add in his bizarre “alibis” after his infamous interview with Maitlis had concluded. These, memorably, included that he couldn’t possibly have danced at Tramp nightclub with Jeffrey Epstein’s victim Virginia Giuffre on the night that she claimed because he was at Pizza Express in Woking — and that he couldn’t have sweated profusely on the dancefloor because of “a peculiar medical condition” that meant “it was almost impossible for me to sweat”.

There’s one particularly excruciating scene in A Very Royal Scandal, during which Andrew travels to New York for a meeting with Epstein and essentially begs him for cash to clear his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s debts. Granting the money as “a gift”, the convicted sex offender tells the duke, “It’s gone.” Fast-forward several years and the drama shows Andrew being told that Epstein has been found dead in a prison cell. He responds: “Is this good for me or bad?”

Of course, this is a drama and any dialogue from Andrew behind closed doors is imagined. A disclaimer at the beginning of each episode reminds viewers that while the drama is based on real people and events, “some scenes have been adapted or fictionalised and adapted for dramatic purposes”. Yet many people will find it easy to believe that these conversations — or ones like them — took place behind palace walls.

In another scene the duke is seen going “the full tonto” after a call from his older brother, then Prince of Wales, who had found out about the Newsnight interview and was furious. Storming through the palace after coming off the phone to Charles, Andrew shouts: “Calls me a f***ing mummy’s boy! He is the f***ing mummy’s boy!”

In the face of good advice, Andrew ploughs on, suggesting that as “the second f***ing son of the f***ing sovereign, if I want to go on telly and defend myself I f***ing well will”.

[...]

Andrew may not see this but the show’s producers certainly did. Indeed it is succinctly summed up in the drama in a scene where Edward Young, who was then the Queen’s private secretary, is seen to say: “The bottom line for all of us is to ensure that this scandal never touches the monarch. The duke is one thing, the crown quite another.”

According to friends of his, the King knows that it is not a good look to be seen paying so much to keep Andrew in the lifestyle to which he has so clearly become accustomed. While there isn’t public money at stake — the bill is paid from Charles’s pocket — it’s still a public sign of support for a man who was friends with a convicted paedophile and has never acknowledged his lack of judgment over that friendship.

In the drama Andrew is seen hosting lavish dinner parties after days spent shooting and having a table (complete with pristine white tablecloth) set up on the golf course so he can lunch on Welsh lamb served by a waiter.

By the end of the programme he is isolated and alone. His aide Thirsk has been summarily fired and little hope remains. The same is true in real life. His final shred of dignity may be taken away by the King but he can’t say he wasn’t given fair warning. He will have to find a sizeable income (from a reputable source) if he wants to maintain the lease on the property, which is owned by the Crown Estate.

[...] By the end of the film Andrew, sad and alone, is left to stare forlornly out of the window. Those close to Charles believe it may now be a case of life imitating art imitating life if he doesn’t take the help he is offered.

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "Velcro Fly" by ZZ Top

If you ask a bunch of people right now to name a long running series that incorporates many references to classic rock songs into its story, the most common answer you’ll get is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hirohiko Araki’s long-running manga and anime series about the Joestar family’s quest to win the day and defeat all kinds of––you guessed it––bizarre evil. Araki’s series thrives on references to classic songs and bands, both through character names as well as through the spirit creatures (known as Stands) that characters command from Part 3 and onwards. It is not uncommon to find a classic rock song on Youtube and find countless comments from fans making references and jokes (“JoJokes”) about its inclusion in the series.

I can name a second long running series that incorporates many references to classic rock songs into its story: It’s called The Dark Tower by Stephen King.

King’s Dark Tower series, famously inspired by the 1855 Robert Browning poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, are seven novels written and published between 1978 and 2004 (I disregard The Wind in the Keyhole). The novels tell the epic tale of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger of Gilead, and his quest through Mid-World to reach the titular Dark Tower in the center of the world. As he goes through his quest, he eventually finds and brings three companions from our world into his: former heroin addict Eddie Dean from the New York of 1987,  Odetta/Detta Walker, a woman from the New York of the 1960s with Dissociative Identity Disorder (who later fuses the two personalities together and becomes Eddie’s wife, taking on a fused persona and the name Susannah Dean... It’s a long story), a twelve year old boy named Jake Chambers from the New York of 1977, and a “billy-bumbler”/dog(?) found in Mid-World named Oy. Together, they traverse many strange and distant lands and meet even stranger characters along the way.

If you’ve read enough Stephen King, whether it be The Dark Tower or not, you’ll get a good idea of the kind of music he likes simply due to his references. He references music in some form in just about everything I’ve ever read from him. Every chapter of Christine begins with a quote from an old rock n’ roll song and Christine communicates to Arnie Cunningham by playing songs on the radio at him. “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” has Red lamenting how music has changed for the worse (“Now every song sounds like it's about fucking”) since he first went to prison versus when he left. The Stand’s epigraph begins with a quote from “Don’t Fear the Reaper” (a quote he got wrong, I might add. I bitched about it a little when I did the Ranting and Raving on that song). Most people remember the reference to the Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man” in It. “Blitzkrieg Bop” by the Ramones is a memorable one in Pet Sematary. The point I’m trying to make is that he’s basically done this for his entire literary career, so song references in The Dark Tower wasn’t a new thing for me, but reading the series itself was.

I took the plunge and started reading The Dark Tower series earlier this year after picking up The Gunslinger on a whim from my (admittedly large) “To Be Read” pile (every English major has one the size of the Tower itself). I got hooked immediately and I’ve been enjoying my time with it. As of this writing, I’ve just finished reading Book 3 of the series, The Waste Lands. 

I also can’t get ZZ Top’s “Velcro Fly” out of my damn head, a song I was unfamiliar with before reading. That means this is King’s fault. The way he uses it in the book is wonderfully insane and the way he completely changes the context of this song is worth talking about.

Unlike most of the music references in King’s Dark Tower books, “Velcro Fly” is a song that has significance to the plot of The Waste Lands. Technically, only the drums have plot significance, but that’s besides the point. Let me try to explain it.

Most of the second half of The Waste Lands involves Roland and his crew (known as a “ka-tet” in Mid-World) traversing through the ruined city of Lud, looking for the last running train that will safely carry them across the titular waste lands. As the ka-tet make their way towards the city, they hear incredibly loud drums echoing from inside the city. Most of the ka-tet––Roland, Susannah, and Jake––don’t know anything about what the people of the town of River Crossing (a small village within the distance of Lud) refer to as “god-drums”... but Eddie does. Being from New York in 1987, he’s the only one of the ka-tet that can recognize that the drums people are hearing are the just the beat to ZZ Top’s 1985 song “Velcro Fly.” It’s a very distinct beat, so once you’ve heard it and you know it, you’d recognize it immediately.

So, whenever the inhabitants of Lud hear the drums, they think they are the sounds of angry ghosts. What do they do after that? Why, they sacrifice people to appease them, of course!

"What these people had apparently wanted to hear in the recorded drum-track was an invitation to commit ritual murder. And now, when the drums began to throb through these hundreds or thousands of speakers––a hammering back-beat which was only the percussion to a Z.Z. Top song called 'Velcro Fly,' if Eddie was right––it became their signal to unlimber the hangropes and run a few folks up the nearest speaker-posts."

Blaine the Mono, the train the ka-tet are searching for and the source of how the song is playing over thousands of speakers, is a sentient (and insane) monorail train that Lud's few remaining residents are terrified of and worship as a malevolent god. As the plot unravels, it turns out that he is an ancient supercomputer run by an intelligent A.I. that has slowly gone mad after centuries of no longer being able to fulfill his original purpose. He takes absolutely zero issue with playing the role of a god if that’s what humans choose to see him as and implies that he has sent “angry ghosts” to the city if the citizens stop playing along with him. Susannah argues to the Luddites against the idea that the city has these ghosts. She and Eddie eventually discover and try to convince them that what they call “the god-drums” is nothing more than a tape stuck in a machine that is playing on a loop.

And just so we’re clear, everything I have described to you is centered around post-apocalyptic people hearing and reacting to an utterly stupid and meatheaded mid-eighties rock song about women dancing and ditching easily removable clothing. That’s what “Velcro Fly” is.

It’s one of the best parts of The Waste Lands to me and it’s proof that King at his most imaginative is something so weirdly and wonderfully special.

For starters, I seriously can’t tell if King included the song as a plot point because he genuinely loved the song and thought it would make for an interesting fusion of post-apocalyptic fantasy and pop culture, or if he included it because he found this song utterly infuriating and thought having to hear the song (and that drumbeat) several times a day on the radio would make you to want to kill somebody. Regardless of the reason, its inclusion makes a hell of a lot of sense to me.

There is something so weirdly industrial about the beat and the entire song itself. It’s ZZ Top at their loudest and most overproduced. Afterburner, the 1985 album the song is featured on, is a perfect time capsule for the era because it tells you everything you need to know about what music sounded like in 1985. The whole song is just an onslaught of sound and it’s overwrought with keyboard blasts, loud guitars, and a monstrous beat that almost drowns the whole thing out. It hits you in the face harder than when Dustin Poirier knocked out Benois St. Denis. It’s a fun song and I like it well enough, but it’s a hard song to like because it almost sounds too mechanical for ZZ Top. You could tell me that only machines made this and I would believe you. In fact, the song only achieves its best form as a studio creation where everything is controlled and the gears can turn the way they have to. The band hasn’t played this song since 1987 and the reason for that might be that it sounds like a bitch to play in a live environment. Take a listen:

Granted, this is a bootleg, but you can hear drummer Frank Beard is having a tough time and struggling with that beat. The rest of the song just sounds like a mess and you can hear why they stopped trying this song pretty quickly.

Afterburner suffers from a lot of the trappings of mid-eighties production, but none of the other songs have it the way “Velcro Fly” does. The only warmth and humanity the song really has is Billy Gibbons’ vocals, which almost sound completely out of place on a song like this. By 1985, ZZ Top had embraced the eighties full-throttle and enjoyed an entire career renaissance from it, but this feels like the song where they might have gone too far, even on an album like Afterburner, which is so mid-eighties it hurts. The video for this song (linked above) is dangerously eighties. Even your parents and grandparents would tell you this is rough. Even people who don’t like Rush in the eighties would’ve told you that at least they never made “Velcro Fly” or the video to it.

I’m choosing to put focus on the drumbeat to this song both because that’s the only part that The Waste Lands is concerned with and because, in all honesty, the song is rather generic without it. The lyrics are minimal and absolutely brain-dead (even for ZZ Top standards), the keyboard riffs are fun but not at all unique to the era, the guitars are fine but you’ve heard better. Understand that if you like this song a lot, it’s mostly likely because of that beat. It’s doing everything for this song. It’s utterly infectious and it sticks with you more than anything else in the song. I’ve caught myself tapping it out on things over the last few days, so it’s definitely gripped me. 

I’ll give the rest of the song this, without any of the other instruments accompanying it, those drums just become downright terrifying to listen to. They just pound monotonously and so aggressively loud that I definitely get why Lud’s citizens would think they’re angry ghosts asking for sacrifice. It definitely doesn’t help that it’s that one beat for the entire song. It never changes. You keep listening to it and it just sounds like something that would be blasted in a Mad Max movie. You can picture in your head roaming biker gangs just riding through an abandoned city slicing each other’s heads off or beating and killing each other in gruesome ways. I think King realized how terrifying it would sound without anything else accompanying it and that’s where his strength as a horror novelist kicked in and took over, because imagining a bunch of scared citizens sacrificing people while a ZZ Top song plays louder than an Anthrax concert sounds exactly like the kind of weird and twisted thing King would come up with and include in one of his novels. 

About fifteen years ago, an artist who goes by the name of “Fingers T.” created an audio version of what the “god-drums” might sound like in the story. It’s perfect and it really captures King’s description of seeing an abandoned city in the distance and hearing drums that will only get louder and louder the closer you approach the city. It’s so damn ominous when stripped of its original context and presented with the book’s context instead. If you had a hard time trying to imagine what Roland and his ka-tet were hearing while they were in Lud, this is the best thing to listen to. It really sells King’s idea:

It’s such a good idea and if Mike Flanagan ever gets that proposed Dark Tower television adaptation off the ground, I’m having a hard time trying to find what he would replace it with if they couldn't get the rights to the song. If not “Velcro Fly,” the only other song choice I could think of that would have the same effect is if the Luddites had to hear the drumbeat to “Some Like It Hot” by The Power Station again and again and again. Both of those songs have a distinct beat and both have that same cocaine-fueled, balls-to-the-wall, in-your-face sound to them. In the end, I can’t think of a better choice than “Velcro Fly.” It’s just perfect.

Remember when I bitched about King getting the lyrics to “Don’t Fear (The Reaper)” wrong in the epigraph to The Stand? Well, I’m gonna play Music Nerd(tm) and shake my fist again for a second. Eddie Dean is correct when he identifies that the song playing is “Velcro Fly.” He then proceeds to tell the Luddites, “Jesus Pumpkin-Pie Christ, don't you get it? You're killing each other over a piece of music that was never even released as a single!” The only issue with this statement is that he’s incorrect about “Velcro Fly” having not been a single. It was a single! It was the fourth and final single from Afterburner and it would end up being their last Top 40 hit (barely, it peaked at #35). I’m aware it’s pedantic, but I get a kick out of telling people more successful than me that they’re wrong.

I don’t know how loved this song is with ZZ Top fans, but I can tell you that Dark Tower fans love it. If you visit the comments section for the music video on Youtube, pretty much every comment is either quoting The Waste Lands or making some sort of reference to the series. It’s the Gen X version of JoJokes before they became popular in online classic rock spaces. Some of my favorite comments include:

If you’re a ZZ Top fan but have no idea what The Dark Tower is, I imagine these comments are very confusing to you. In a way, the comments being flooded with Dark Tower references only serves to tell me who really loves this song (and they also serve the fuckin’ beam. Do NOT forget that!)

I think the reason “Velcro Fly” has stuck with me after reading The Waste Lands is because I’m always fascinated by how a song can be created and exist in one context, only for somebody to come along years later and completely flip it on its head and change the context completely. I don’t think the Texas trio of ZZ Top could’ve ever imagined this silly little song they made on a hit album would one day go on to be featured as a gruesome and horrific plot point in some wacky guy from Maine’s epic fantasy series. It not only speaks volumes about King’s imagination that he could hear a song like “Velcro Fly” and find a way to spin horror out of it, but it also speaks to the unique ways that we can consume media and find new things and imagine things that nobody had ever thought of before. It’s like that legendary post here on Tumblr where somebody completely re-imagined Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” as a song describing an eldritch horror. Dolly Parton and ZZ Top just wrote and played songs for people to enjoy. They wrote them with their own intentions and their own interpretations and they allow people to draw their own conclusions and feelings, but I highly doubt either of them would’ve imagined that anybody could spin “Jolene” or “Velcro Fly” into genuine pieces of horror.

That’s one of the many beautiful things about art and because of King’s strange and twisted ideas regarding “Velcro Fly”, I now have a new song to enjoy and appreciate. I also now have jokes and references I can make with a fanbase of people who all liked the same book as me and all liked how this one song was used in that book. In a way, fans of this series are all connected and help create one big ka-tet, and that’s always a wonderful thing to see, regardless of the thing we’re all fans of.

To any other Dark Tower readers out there, may you all remember the faces of your fathers while listening to the pounding of the god-drums.

[contemplatingoutlander]

The Tiny Dancers Who Make ‘The Nutcracker’ Sparkle

The tree, George Balanchine knew, was not going to be cheap. But when he created his version of “The Nutcracker” for New York City Ballet in 1954, he fought for it, saying the ballet “is the tree.”

Watching the tree grow, even with its creaks and trembles — will it make it this time? — is an emotional experience. The tree produces feelings! But “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” is also about something else: the children of the School of American Ballet.

If last year’s production proved anything, it was that size and spirit matter. The littler the children are, the more enormous the stage seems, lending the tale enchantment. Yes, there are memorable adult characters: the Sugarplum Fairy and Dewdrop, Mother Ginger and the Mouse King. But the kids are the ballet’s heart, the glue — what guides us down that path to feel the feelings.

This year, rejoice! The tiny bodies are back — though, because of the pandemic, they have little experience. Of the 126 in the production (there are two casts) 108 are first-timers in the show.

Dena Abergel, City Ballet’s children’s repertory director, sees “The Nutcracker,” which opens Friday at Lincoln Center, as Balanchine’s training ground: It teaches children of the City Ballet-affiliated school how to become performers.

This is a festive NYT holiday article by Gia Kourlas. It is filled with colorful videos and still photos of the children, taken by Erik Tanner. I highly recommend reading the entire article, which you can do even if you do not subscribe to the Times, because the link above in the title is a “gift link” that allows readers access to the article. Enjoy!

[edited]

______________

The gifs above are edited versions of Erik Tanner’s videos/photo; the captions (with formatting edits) are from the article.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Big (1988)

No conversation about the "body switch" genre would be complete without mentioning the king of the hill: Big. Even without Tom Hanks’ excellent performance and endless charms, this would be a great film. It has the big laughs and the right amount of sweetness to make it an everlasting classic.

At a carnival, Twelve-year-old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) inserts a coin into a fortune-teller machine and wishes to be “big”. The next morning, he’s grown into an adult (played by Tom Hanks). Unable to convince his mother of who he is, Josh moves to New York City to search for the machine, getting a job at the MacMillan Toy Company to make ends meet.

As a pre-teen in a grown-up’s body, Tom Hanks is perfect. He captures the giddy excitement and awkwardness of a child so well he makes it look like the easiest role an actor could play. The film makes it clear, however, that childlike innocence and wide-eyed wonder easily disappear - even among the people who work at a toy company. The story naturally lends itself to many funny moments. Josh and his best friend Billy (Jared Rushton) piecing together a resume for a job application, the two of them “living it up” now that they have access to the things only adults can normally get their hands on, several misunderstandings that happen as Josh navigates the grown-up world, etc. Just thinking about any of those moments is sure to bring a smile to your face even years after you’ve finished the movie. What you might not remember and don't expect to see are the more sensitive moments, the ones that prove this movie is more than a big piece of cotton candy.

For every scene of pure joy and wonder - the best of which features Josh meeting with his boss (Mr. MacMillan, played by Robert Loggia) in a toy store - there is another that… I don’t want to say cuts deep, but reminds the adults watching of everything they’ve lost between now and the time they were twelve. It’s uncanny how so many of Josh’s co-workers can be so childish and so unlike children at the same time. Anyone who remembers what it’s like to play with toys should be able to tell Paul (John Heard) that the plaything he’s proposing is lame but it took a literal child to put the company on the right track. Once his idea has been shot down (for all the right reasons), what does Paul do? he acts like a child and a bully. The fact that everyone sees right through him shows how juvenile he is. He's not the only character who passes through the thin barrier separating children and adults, reminding us quite elegantly that while the years can bring a lot of changes… some things always stay the same.

A lesser film would’ve latched onto Paul and made him a villain but Big doesn’t need a villain. The obstacles are everyday things, like emotions. We often look back fondly at their childhood, but would anyone REALLY want to go back to that time? Kids dream of growing up. Do grown-ups dream of becoming kids again? That question gets a lot more complicated once Josh experiences the emotional growth that comes with his exposure to the "real world". As a twelve-year-old, Josh was interested in girls but it’s not like anything was actually going to happen. As a man, his friendship with Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) could turn into a relationship, and then what? a marriage? a family? He’s still a boy; too young for that kind of thing… or is he? This movie isn’t playing by real-world rules. That makes you unsure of where it’s ultimately headed.

Big checks all the boxes. The performances are terrific. If I had to single out a top three, I’d have to hand it out to Hanks first, then a tie between David Moscow and Jared Rushton. Elizabeth Perkins, John Heard and Robert Loggia are all excellent as well. The screenplay is fantastic, with so many wonderful little details that make these characters feel real. The emotions are powerful and cover the complete spectrum - from heartbreaks to big, memorable laughs. Penny Marshall (who teamed up with Hanks again in 1992 for A League of Their Own, another great film”) has made an instant favorite that will stand the test of time. It’s hard to imagine anyone watching Big and not falling in love with it. (Theatrical version, February 18, 2022)

[endlessbittersweetdreams]

"Broken & Beautiful" Chapter 12

     SONG CREDIT: "Heal the Pain," by George Michael.

     Today is December 9th, and it’s my 29th birthday. While I stayed true to my promise to avoid drinking too much, I admit that I did have one or two of Ari’s “treats.” So last night’s events are kind of a blur to me. All I know is: I woke up between Sasha and Ari in Ari’s king-sized bed, and I had a tiara on my head. If the soreness in my feet are any indication, there was dancing. Lots of dancing. And when I saw the silver tinsel garland that was draped over Sasha, I wondered if we attended a Christmas party.

     During the ride back to my apartment, I check the time on my phone: 11:00 AM. This means that I have plenty of time to relax before I get ready for my date with Jake. It took some time, but I finally convinced him to reveal where we’re having dinner: his apartment. It’ll be a nice, quiet evening. Just the two of us. No interruptions.

     I pay the driver and then grab my mail, chatting briefly with one of my neighbors on the way up to my apartment. After hanging up my coat and purse, I go through my mail. Bill. Bill. Bill. Credit card offer. Magazine. Not one letter or birthday card from my adoptive parents. I don’t know why I put myself through this. We haven’t spoken since I moved back to New York. But every year, I hope that I will receive a birthday card or a letter. Something that acknowledges that I still exist. Is that too much to ask?

     I leave the mail and my keys on the little table by the door, and then opt to have breakfast before I take a shower. I’m not too hungry, and so I just fix myself a bowl of cereal. My hunger appeased, I make tracks for the bathroom and take my time in the shower. After rinsing my hair, I just stand still with my eyes closed and let the hot water sooth away the tension in my body.

     Once my shower is over, I wander into my bedroom and try to figure out what I’m going to wear tonight. Since we’re having dinner at Jake’s place, I’ve opted to go with something casual but nice. Winter has settled over NYC, and so I lay out my favorite beige sweater along with a pair of black jeans and some leggings to wear underneath.

     Now for the real problem: my underwear. I still haven’t decided if tonight is the night. There’s no doubt in my mind that I want Jake. But that little voice - the one that reminds me of the others - just won’t shut up. If I choose not to take that step with Jake, what I wear underneath won’t matter. But if I do ... Well, even though they’ll just end up on the floor, I at least want to wear underwear that makes an impression. It takes me some time and a little nail-biting, but I finally settle on a pair of black underwear and an ebony-colored, lacy bra with a front clasp. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do tonight, but I can’t waste time contemplating my underwear drawer. That’s just plain ridiculous!

     Dressed in my favorite sweatshirt and pajama pants, I look over at my guitar. My finger is finally healed, which means that I can pick up the neglected instrument and use it again. Before the guitar is tuned, I already have a song picked out. It’s a song that I fell in love with the first time I heard it, and it’s been my favorite ever since. I have it memorized, chord for chord and word for word. I make myself comfortable at the foot of my bed and begin to play, singing as my fingers move along the strings.

     Let me tell you a secret!      Put it in your heart and keep it!      Something that I want you to know!      Do something for me: listen to my simple story!      And maybe we’ll have something to show!

     You tell me you’re cold on the inside!      How can the outside world be a place that your heart can embrace?      Be good to yourself!      ‘Cause nobody else has the power to make you happy!

     How can I help you? Please let me try to!      I can heal the pain that you’re feeling inside!      Whenever you want me, you know that I will be      Waiting for the day that you say you’ll be mine!

     I’m about to go into the second verse when I hear my phone ringing. I set the guitar down on my bed and move toward my nightstand, smiling when I see Jake’s name and picture on the screen. I put him on speaker phone and make myself comfortable, startled when the first thing I hear is the sound of pans hitting the floor. At least, I hope that’s what I’m hearing.

     “Ah! Shit!”

     I furrow my brows, not knowing if I should laugh or feel concerned. “Jake? You okay?”

     I hear some more racket, and I‘m glad I don‘t have to hold the phone up to my ear. “Yeah! I’m fine!” It quiets down, and Jake says “Just wanted to call and tell you ‘Happy birthday’.”

     I smile to myself. “Aww! Thank you!”

     “Did you have a good time last night?” he asks.

     “I did.” I hear more racket in the background, followed by more swearing. “Jake, what are you doing?”

     “Uh ... nothing. Just cooking breakfast. We’re still on for tonight. Right?”

     “Of course we are,” I assure him. Why would he think that I’d back out on him? “Look. If you’re worried about me being hung-over, I’m fine. I had a few drinks, but I know my limit.”

     “Good to know. You have the address. Right?”

     “Yup. I still have that text you sent me. I’ll be at your place by 7:00, as promised.”

     “Good. I can’t wait. I’d better go, babe. I’ll see you tonight.”

     Just before we hang up, I hear what I think could be a smoke alarm going off. More swearing. More racket. Then silence. I wait a little while and then text him, and he assures me that he’s okay. I decide to take his word for it.

     The cab pulls up to the curb and I look up at what I assume is Jake’s building. He never mentioned that he lived above a Chinese restaurant, though. I’m about ready to call him to verify the address when he comes into view. I pay the cabbie and step onto the sidewalk, grateful that I decided to wear layers. It snowed a few hours ago, and I have a feeling that we may get more by the tomorrow morning.

     Jake and I greet each other with a brief kiss. After wishing me a happy birthday, he holds up a blindfold and tells me to wear it once we reach his apartment door. I’m a bit skeptical about this, but I agree to play along. He clearly wants this to be a surprise, and I’m not going to argue with him. I follow him up the sixteen steps to his door, waiting patiently as he steps behind me and secures the blindfold. I hear the sound of the doorknob turning and then I feel Jake’s hands on mine as he carefully leads me into his apartment. I have to remind myself that I can trust Jake; that he won’t steer me into a wall or a coffee table.

     We finally come to a stop, and I let him take my purse off of my shoulder. He slides my coat off next, and I can feel my heart pound in my chest while I remain blindfolded. I hear him shuffle around a bit, followed by the sound of what could be a lighter being flicked. I jump a little when I feel him working on the knot he tied, and then he slides off the blindfold.

     What I see before me makes it all worth while. The room is dim, the only light coming from one table lamp by his bed and several tea light candles set out on the coffee table. Spread out on the floor is a blanket with a picnic basket, plates, utensils and napkins set to the side. I also take note of an ice bucket with a large bottle inside.

     “Do you like it?” Jake asks as he wraps his arms around me from behind.

     I’m at a loss for words. “Jake, I ... It’s ... I ...”

     “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes’,” he jokes, planting a kiss on the top of my head, and I rest my hands on top of his. He steps out from behind me and holds out a hand, and I take it in a daze. I’m truly touched by what he’s done for me, and it shows. “Shall we?”

     I nod, and he leads me to the makeshift picnic area in front of his sofa. I sit down, leaning back on his sofa, and watch as he opens the basket and begins to take out its contents: take-out containers from the Chinese restaurant downstairs.

     “I, umm ... I wanted to cook for you. But as it turns out ...” He shrugs, continuing with a laugh. “I’m not much of a cook.” 

     I reach out and take his hand in mine. “No. It’s perfect. I mean, no one has ever done something like this. What you did, it’s just ... You went above and beyond, Jake. Thank you.”

     “Yeah. Well ...”

     He scratches the back of his head and shrugs. If it were brighter in here, I bet I could see a blush coloring his cheeks. Then he holds up a finger, instructs me to stay where I am, and wanders over to his leather chair. He moves my coat so that it’s draped over one of the chair’s arms and then comes back with a rectangular-shaped box with a bow on top. He hands it to me and then sits down, waiting for me to open it.

     “Jake, you didn’t have to get me a gift.”

     “I wanted to. Open it.”

     I smile at his almost childlike eagerness and then take off the box’s lid. I move aside the gift tissue, and what I see takes me by surprise. My gift is a framed black and white photograph, and I’m its subject matter. I’m sitting on the stage at Mack’s Bar & Grill, my left foot tucked under my leg as I play my guitar. There’s no one else around. It’s just me, in my element, doing what I love.

     “Jake, I ... When did you ... How did you ...”

     He laughs. “I’m a photographer. I have my ways.”

     “I love it. Thank you.”

     Now he really is embarrassed, because he jokes “Are you sure you’re not just in love with the subject matter?”

     “No.”

     And now, I’ve made a decision. Heart pounding in my chest, I leave the photo in the box and carefully set it aside. Then I scoot closer to Jake and lean forward, gently placing a hand on his cheek and stroking his skin with my thumb. He looks back at me, blue eyes curious. He seems to picked up on the energy I’m putting forth, because it seems like he doesn’t quite know what to do. I hesitate for a moment, still stroking his cheek, wanting to choose my words carefully. This could go one of two ways, and I have to work hard to suppress that fearful voice that is nagging at me again. And so I close my eyes, take in a deep breath, and say the only words that come to mind.

     “I’m in love with the photographer.”

     It feels like time has come to a screeching halt and the world has fallen silent. I keep my eyes closed, and I have to remind myself to keep breathing. This is it: the moment I’ve been dreading. His silence can mean only one thing: he doesn’t love me. What he said that night, when he was drunk in my bed ... They were just empty words, spoken in a drunken haze.

     Just when I think I’ve scared him back into his shell, I feel Jake rest one hand on my side while he presses his forehead against mine. I hear him take in a breath, as though he’s steadying himself. All I can think is Please don’t shut me out. Don’t run away. And then, finally, he speaks.

     “I love you, too.”

     I don’t have the chance to say anything before he draws me in for a kiss. This one seems to be filled with a multitude of emotions: love; need; passion; hunger. Things we’ve built up over time, possibly without even realizing it. Jake pulls me onto his lap, his legs straight and his arms keeping me safe and secure. Slowly he leans back until he’s lying down on the blanket with me straddling him. I can feel one of his hands slide down my back and slip under my sweater, the pads of his fingers caressing my skin. My sweater is pushed further and further up my torso, and I’m breathing rapidly.

     “Jake,” I breathe, trying to get his attention. He’s distracted, though, and so I have to speak a little louder. “Jake, wait. Just ... wait a sec.”

     It takes some doing, since he’s caught up in the moment, but I finally get through to him. He looks up at me, and I can see that he’s confused and maybe even a little annoyed. My hands are cupping his face, and I stroke his skin with the pads of my thumbs.

     “Jake, it’s okay. I’m ready.”

     He’s still staring up at me, and I smile down at him. It doesn’t take long for his confusion and frustration to give way to relief and excitement. I can feel his fingers stroking the skin of my back, and it feels wonderful. “You sure?” he asks.

     I laugh at him and say “Yes. I’m sure. Just ... not on the floor. Okay?”

     Jake laughs softly and smiles up at me. “Yeah. Okay.”

     Our picnic forgotten, Jake leads me to his bed. And ... well, you can guess what happens next.

To be continued ...

@anastacia-lynn

@mypsychoticlove

[stillpreoccupiedwith1985]

BTTF Year-End Tag Game!

I was tagged by @cheriboms! Thanks for the tag!

How many times would you guess you watched the first back to the future movie?

Ummm let’s see, I may say about 4 or 5, I forgot. However, I did go and watch it in theaters this year!

Did you get any sweet bttf merch? If so, what!

Okay so I hyperfixated this year and when that happens I start collecting. I got my Loungefly bag from 707 Street (still available!), the Lego DeLorean, a Marty Pop to go with my Doc that I had forever, and a Back to the Future cookbook.

How many cans of Pepsi Free did you chug this year?

None, the only Pepsi I like is Wild Cherry (and better than Cherry Coke). I am more of a Dr. Pepper girl.

What was a favorite bttf fanfic you read this year?

Again hyperfixated, so I devour fan works! One that I go back to is I Jump Off And Into Your Arms (But I Don’t Trust the Fall) by Goddess of Confusion

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49698481/chapters/125443009#workskin

Also It's a beautiful thing (two out of three ain't bad) by @penny-anna https://archiveofourown.org/works/50192956

I am a sucker for wing fics, but I also really love all of Penny’s works!

A favorite bttf fanart you saw this year? (please give us a link, not a screencap/repost!)

All of @future-boi’s work! Also the Animations that @cheriboms makes (especially the one with the audio from Bluey, Cheri you need to do one with the audio of Bandit saying ‘It was the 80’s!’ 😉)

Did you create any bttf fanart or fanfic? If you did, what one(s) are you proudest of?

I am currently working on a multi chapter fic that is a crossover with the podcast called The Bright Sessions, where Marty is getting therapy.

But I have made a one shot called Maybe We Should Get Married in the Chapel O’Love https://archiveofourown.org/works/51528580

It isn’t the greatest fic, mostly I wanted to get my thoughts down and I wanted tooth rotting fluff of Marty and Jennifer.

How many times were you late for school this year?

Okay so I am a teacher! Now we are contracted to be at the school at a certain time and pick/meet the students at a certain time. Have I been late for the contracted time this year? Yes, many times. Was I ever late getting the students? Never.

Did you watch any other movies/tv shows with BTTF actors in them?

SO MUCH CHRISTOPHER LLOYD! He is like everywhere! I was rewatching King of the Hill and at one point I was like ‘that grounds keeper sounds familiar.’ And it is Christopher Lloyd!

Michael J Fox is in my top favorite Disney movie! Atlantis The Lost Empire, I watch that movie at least once a year. I also played a bit of Homeward Bound this year for my students of Chance (the dog Michael J Fox voices) yelling ‘It’s Birdzilla!’

Also Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting. Funny is one point I was thinking of a Jennifer adventure where she is watching Jules and Verne and it turns into Adventures in Babysitting and then I realized, ‘Wait that is the same actress!’

Pat Buttram who was Jeb also voices Napoleon in the Aristocats.

Was there a memorable moment you heard a Huey Lewis song this year?

I heard Back in Time in the car when I was on a weekend trip with other teachers this year and I had so much fun that weekend with them.

How many times did you fall down this year?

At least three, and that was playing kickball with my students at recess.

Did you get to see BTTF: The Musical? What was your experience like!

No.

Though I am working on a trip to New York to watch and go fabric shopping. Legit doing a two day trip. Fly in, see the musical, spend the night, day out, spend the night, and go home.

How many times did your mom retell the story of how she and your father met?

Because I live two hours away, most of the time when we call or see each other. We are catching up with each other. If she tells stories about the past, it is more of my late grandfather. More accurate is how many times my mom tells me about the pineapple story.

If you could describe your year in a BTTF quote, which one would it be?

I think it is a tie with “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” And “I finally invented something that works!” Mostly I was trying new thinks with my teaching and with cosplay.

⚡️LIGHTNING ROUND⚡️ Did you get to: go on any trains, skate on a skateboard, ride a horse, drive a Delorean, run in the rain, go to a dance, hang up a clock, play the guitar, pull an all-nighter, read science fiction, or drive thru Burger King this year?

No, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes, kind of, no, yes, and yes.

Your future is whatever you make it! So what are you going to make of this coming year?

Just pull myself out of my funk this year and go out more!

Cause I was late with this if you wish to do this you can!

[ingravinoveritas]

My initial thoughts when I saw that David would be playing Macbeth at the end of the year: Please put him in something slutty (although lets be real, David will make it look slutty anyway) and let him have a boyfriend, a Welsh king perhaps? Everyone loves a plot twist.

I feel you, Anon. I've actually just put up a poll asking how David will make Macbeth slutty and/or bisexual, because that was something that also crossed my mind when the casting was announced. I love that David somehow always finds a way to make every Shakespearean character he plays slutty (or bisexual, or both), and that it's become his sort of "signature." Most of the time I don't think it's even intentional on David's part--as you said, they could give him a potato sack for a costume and he'd still make it look slutty--but it always makes his performances that much more delicious to watch.

I noticed in some of the articles and on the Donmar Twitter that this production is being described as "bracingly fresh," so that says to me that we're not necessarily talking about a traditional staging, and there could be updated sets/costumes (as was the case with the productions of Hamlet and Much Ado that David was in). I've actually seen Macbeth previously in New York, with Alan Cumming in the title role (and almost all of the other roles, as the setting was moved to a mental hospital with Alan as a patient reliving the entire play), and there truly is something singular about seeing a Scotsman in the Scottish Play.

I've talked about wanting to see David live on stage for some time now and not having the opportunity to do so, but this...this is the one I'd really want to see him in if I could. The pull quote we've seen from him in the press for this is that it's a play that has haunted him "for as long as I can remember," and haunting is exactly the right word. I can't ever forget seeing Alan as Macbeth and I know that David's performance will be just as powerful and memorable.

As for him having a boyfriend (a Welsh king, even)...oh, how I wish. The day David's casting was announced, folks on Twitter were already mentioning Michael, and it's just astonishing how people can't seem to get enough of he and David together. I don't know if there would be a place for Michael in this production (though I absolutely believe he could play Lady Macbeth, especially after seeing him as Mrs. Robinson), but hopefully another production awaits that he and David can star in together. Live theater is such a different medium to TV, too, so to see Michael and David play off each other in real time would truly be extraordinary.

But yes, hopefully it won't be long until we see Michael and David together again (if/when the GO 2 promotional tour happens). In the meantime, we have plenty of dreams of David being slutty as Macbeth (or Miss Thane, as I have now decided is Macbeth's drag queen name) to keep us occupied. Only seven months til December...

[rookie-critic]

Rookie-Critic's Film Review Weekend Wrap-Up - Week of 3/20-3/26/2023

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023, dir. David F. Sandberg) I think that this Shazam! sequel is really just a dialed up version of everything that worked in the original. More Zachary Levi, more Jack Dylan Grazer, more funny jokes about the fact that he's a kid in a super-powered adult's body. It makes the film a very fun watch, but at the same time, a lot of the jokes don't land because it really feels like they're trying too hard. Also, because they went so heavy with Zachary Levi's screen time, Asher Angel (who actually plays Billy Batson in his normal teen-form) is barely in the film. It kind of creates a disconnect with the kid-adult dynamic that's at the core of the film's humor. That being said, a lot of it is till very funny, the acting is good, especially from Levi, Grazer, Grace Caroline Currey, and of course Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu (who are honestly so good they feel like they're from a different movie), and I had a fun time, even with the myriad of problems the movie had. A nice, turn-your-brain-off distraction.

Score: 6/10 Only in theaters. You can read my full review of Shazam! Fury of the Gods here.

John Wick (2014, dir. Chad Stahelski) [REWATCH] I'm not ashamed to admit that I adore Keanu Reeves. I think he's a fine actor given the right material, and he clearly found his niche the day he decided to star in John Wick. I'm of the, for some reason, unpopular opinion that the first John Wick film is the best in the franchise. The story is engaging, and while the action might not be as balls-to-the-wall crazy as the later installments' would be, it's still some of the most tightly constructed, well shot action choreography modern action filmmaking has given us. There's also an allure to the mystery of the assassin underworld the we barely dip our toes into in the first film that, of course, doesn't exist in the later films. It's just a fantastic action film that covers all its bases.

Score: 10/10 Currently streaming on Peacock.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017, dir. Chad Stahelski) [REWATCH] This is probably my least favorite installment. The story is less interesting. Santino D'Antonio is a wholly uninteresting villain, and the fights largely feel very generic (although they're still insanely well-designed fights). This film has two saving graces. One, it gave us Laurence Fishburne's The Bowery King, who is my personal favorite character in the franchise (possibly second, we'll get into that in a minute). Fishburne plays Bowery King with the perfect amount of gravitas and bravado to make it the character wonderful. The second saving grace is a particularly brilliant fight scene between John Wick and Cassian, a character played by Common. This fight, which takes place in part in a crowded subway station, is easily one of the more memorable of the franchise and keeps this from being a middling ho-hum sequel to an amazing first outing.

Score: 7/10 Currently streaming on Peacock.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019, dir. Chad Stahelski [REWATCH] I remember not being a big fan of Chapter 3 when it first came out. I remember thinking that the second film had written its successor into a corner that said successor doesn't really do a great job of digging itself out of. I can definitely see why the me of 2019 thought that about Parabellum, but really the me that rewatched this on Thursday night thinks it's a really fun entry into the John Wick franchise that contains a few fantastic set pieces and houses another handful of greatly-choreographed fight scenes. Mark Dacascos' Zero also makes for a vastly more engaging and interesting nemesis for Wick than Santino D'Antonio was in Chapter 2. Their final fight and the ensuing madness that descends upon the New York Continental at the film's end were awesome and, needless to say, I have a higher opinion of this one now than I did when I first watched it back in 2019.

Score: 8/10 Currently streaming on Peacock.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023, dir. Chad Stahelski) This one comes so close to achieving the greatness that the original had. The John Wick franchise's biggest issue has always been that, with each new installment, as the action gets bigger, the story is sacrificed. Thankfully, Chapter 4 subverts that pattern and almost is able to find that perfect balance. I won't say too much, because a full review of this will be dropping at some point this week, but what I will say is that the fight choreography in Chapter 4 is, hands down, the best in the franchise, and Donnie Yen's Cain is quite possibly the greatest character of the franchise, as well, even more John Wick himself. It could have been maybe 20-30 minutes shorter, though.

Score: 9/10 Only in theaters. FULL REVIEW COMING WEDNESDAY.

Waterworld (1995, dir. Kevin Reynolds) You know, I've always heard that this is one of the worst films of all time, and that it was one of the most famous flops of all time, and I gotta say the latter is just factually incorrect, and the former is, in my opinion, not even close to the truth. It's not a good movie, by any means, but really it was kind of, just, ok. There's a lot here that makes absolutely no sense, and the story just kind of chugs along, uncaring as to whether or not the audience has the tools necessary to chug along with it. My friends and I watched the theatrical cut of the film, and I understand that there is a 3-hour cut called the Ulysses Cut that would probably explain a lot of the more confusing holes in the film's story line, but, honestly, I don't think I could sit through 3 hours of Waterworld. I just didn't find it that interesting and I can guarantee it didn't even need to be as along as the version I did watch to make everything make sense. I'm glad I finally watched it, it was a huge film history blindspot for me, but I'm good not having seen the "ideal" version, I'll be able to live with the fact that I'll never get more info on why Captain Joe Hazelwood is idolized by the Smokers, but no one even knows that there are cities beneath their feet at the bottom of the ocean.

Score: 4/10 Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios (I believe this disc does include The Ulysses Cut, for those interested. If it doesn't, I know it exists on the Arrow Video Blu-ray from 2015).

I also watched Scream VI again with my older brother Sunday morning, but y'all have heard me rant about how much I love those movies enough for now. Just know that, yes, even upon a second viewing, it still rocks.

[fenwaybelle]

A Great Standard Broke by Fenway Belle

“Upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned towards the Harlond.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

​Mildew fills my nose as soon as the basement door swings open. Dust motes illuminated by stray stripes of sunlight swim through the dark. The old flashlight in my hand wheezes to life, spewing weak yellow light from it’s tired eye. I whack the palm of my hand against it once, twice attempting to summon more from the 10 year old bulb. Back in the house of my childhood, resigned to the near-darkness I embark.

​Using both hands I wield the light as a mighty blade swatting at spider webs that may or may not exist. The dim beam shapes into a short sword engraved with elven words. The sword that went missing anywhere between ten and fifteen years ago. Out loud I say, “Sting is my name, I am the Spider’s Bane,” when I suddenly walk into a wall. So much for lighting the way.

​Suddenly, something vile, cold, slinky caresses the nape of my neck and with a blood curdling scream I whip around to attack the beast. The tendril swats at me wildly, I parry with my flashlight but the creature’s arm wraps around my wrist. Keep your head, young halfling, my father’s voice, like warm honey and milk, chimes in my head. A reverie takes hold: dry pages hissing against his finger as he traces the words, just for show since we’ve nearly memorized the whole book. My nose tucked in the center crease as if I could absorb it by smell. My father’s glasses nearly falling off the end of his aquiline nose.

​I snap back into reality and yank my arm away to escape. With a crunch and a click a bulb from the ceiling flickers to life. The arm around my wrist: just a long metal beaded pull string connected to the base of the light. So much bravery for so little fight, I think. I wonder if my father would have liked that line, I think again. I remember him wearing my mother’s scarf around his chin as a long beard and jumping around the living room on an imaginary horse yelling “For Gondor!” as he swings around the plastic blade he bought at the Toys R Us in New York before it shut down. Yeah. He would have definitely liked my line.

​Around the basement I am finally able to see the dusty metal shelves. The dragon’s lair I’ve been avoiding for the past five years. Dingy and unceremonious it imprisons dozens of boxes; old family mementos and toys nearly unrecognizable with damage and mold. I wonder if this is why my mother decided not to get a sump pump already. She gets to turn the past into trash without the guilt of actually throwing anything out. My eyes scan the shelves. Then, I finally see it. A lumpy box with “Kitchen Utensils” crossed out and “Garry Things” written underneath it.

​My fingers sink into the bloated cardboard as I draw it out of the shelf. This brown pile of mess can’t possibly be his belongings. I pull out an item, a warped and barely legible copy of The Return of the King. I flip through the pages, once vivid with illustrations, alive with language, and adorned with elven laurels along the corners, is just a rotten corpse.

​“How’s it going down there?” My mother calls from the top of the basement stairs.

​“Well,” I drop the book on the ground with a loud slam, “It’s all ruined.”

​“Oh shoot I forgot the basement flooded again this year.” She exclaims. “I’m sorry, hon, I knew you wanted his stuff.”

​I parse through his things, unrecognizable copies of The Lord of The Rings, t-shirts with holes, and a pair of purple sneakers he wore to my college graduation because he thought they were “smart”. I tip the box over with the toe of my shoe, it slumps and splats out onto the floor in a heap. Something hard clatters against the floor.

​Like a plastic excalibur in a musty stone, a sword juts out. The one and only Toys R Us Sting sword. The silver paint is rubbed off along the tip of the sword, a consequence of many years of play stabbing and battling across couch cushions and islands of ottomans. Revealed beneath the silver is a brilliant cerulean; in it’s hey day the sword glowed blue and made a very fierce and not-at-all-lame slashing sound with the push of a button so it’s user could feel like they were in Middle Earth ready to fight goblins. It feels like destiny. The blade that became a sapphire. The elvish lettering along the side is long gone but I still know what it says by heart. Despite the gunk, I hold it tight against my chest.

​

​I’m 8 years old, tucked into the crook of my father’s arm while he reads aloud. His voice booms with theatricality and his long nose hairs whistle and wave with his large breaths. The pages until the end of the very last book wane. My stomach tightens with preemptive grief. “A great standard broke,” he says.

​I look up at him “What does that mean?”

​“Ahhhh!” He gives me a knowing look, “You are discovering the malleability of language!” He adjusts his glasses. “Back in the day they would call a flag a standard, especially in war, which our friends in Middle Earth have just gone through. Yes? And another word for unfurl could be…?”

​I shrug.

​“Why ‘broke’ of course! So what does ‘a great standard broke’ mean?”

​“Um…” I ponder, “The great flag unfurled?”

​“Exactly! See, all it takes is a moment’s consideration and a bit of linguistic imagination and we’ve unlocked a new way to use language.”

​I blink at him blankly. “I need you to read every book to me because I don’t get it.”

​“Don’t worry, you’ll learn.”

​My mother comes clomping down the stairs in her “house crocs” with her phone held high as a flashlight. I’m 24 again. “Ya know, he wasn’t much of a ‘stuff’ guy,” She flicks a piece of hair out of her face frantically, panting, “His head was always in the clouds so, ya know.” She watches me holding the toy sword. “Is anything salvageable?”

​I nod.

[biboocat]

The Cider House Rules (1985) by John Irving. It speaks to the misery, terror, and potential lethality that women face when the choice of abortion isn’t available to them. Pregnancy due to rape and incest is highlighted as a particularly desperate situation, and the victimized girls and women who cannot bear to carry to term are forced to seek back street abortionists who may be dangerously incompetent or even attempt their own abortions. Sadly and tragically this has again become all too relevant today nearly 40 years since it was published with the overturn of Roe. In my view, those who oppose choice for women lack the vision of empathy for those desperate women who are already alive and conscious as opposed to an embryo or fetus whose status as a human being is a matter of opinion. They are willing to subject the women and their unwanted children to a lifetime of misery for their sanctimonious motives without understanding the situations these women are in or offering any succor themselves. The story speaks of rules as well as the necessity to sometimes break them and make new ones when it can provide compassionate care to those in distress. I also enjoyed the close knit sense of community, both at St. Cloud’s and Ocean View Orchards. I thought the narrative pace a bit slow and repetitive at times, but I grew to enjoy the principal characters and their interwoven stories. I think the following excerpt from Middlemarch is appropriate here in describing Dr. Wilbur Larch: “Many of us looking back through life would say that the kindest man we have ever known has been a medical man, or perhaps that surgeon whose fine tact, directed by deeply informed perception, has come to us in our need with a more sublime beneficence than that of miracle-workers.” We salute you Dr. Larch and Homer Wells, you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.

Quotes and memorable sections:

If pride was a sin, thought Dr. Larch, the greatest sin was moral pride.

P61: Dr. Larch’s visit to the nightmarish back street abortionist is harrowing.

From A Female Physician to the Ladies of the United States’ by Mrs. WH Maxwell (until late in 187- Mrs. Maxwell had operated a woman’s clinic in New York):  “In the view of the uncharitableness of general society towards the erring, it is fit that the unfortunate should have some sanctuary to which to flee in who’s shade they may have undisturbed opportunity to reflect, and hiding forever their present unhappiness, nerve themselves to be wiser in the future. The true physician’s soul cannot be too broad and gentle.”

Here in St. Cloud’s, I will never allow myself to be replaced by some reactionary religious moron who cares more for the misgivings suffered in his own frail soul than for the actual suffering of countless unwanted and mistreated children. p260 (I would add that the religious opponents of women’s choice also have no personal stake in the welfare of the woman and the children that they demand that she have and ought to mind their own business. Furthermore, their arrogance in believing that they have a right to impose their religious beliefs on others who may not share their beliefs is outrageous.)

He had heard her say, so many times, that a society that approved of making abortion illegal was a society that approved of violence against women; that making abortion illegal was simply a sanctimonious, self-righteous form of violence against women – it was just a way of legalizing violence against women, nurse Caroline would say. He had heard her say, so many times, that abortions were not only a personal freedom of choice but also responsibility of the state - to provide them. p447

[pop-pop-pop-popculture]

Hey did you know there's a sequel to 2007 movie Enchanted (Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, etc.)? It came out in 2022 on Disney+. I didn't know about it at all! Have you seen it??

I don't remember how I found out about it, but yes. I discovered the film in January! It sucks it went to Disney+ instead of theaters, but, to be honest, as much as I loved seeing the main cast (minus the actress who played Morgan because she didn't reprise her role) reunite, I was a bit disappointed in it. Here comes an essay... 🙂 In bullet point format.

It was not as charming, funny, magical, endearing, and cute like the first film.

*Did the director and any of the screenplay writers even (re)watch Enchanted? So many details (some of which were important) were left out!*

Edward was still Edward, but he was way more (comically) conceited and naïve in the first film.

Where was Nathaniel? I was actually curious to know what he was up to. Not even a single mention about him.

"Congratulations on the increasing size of your progeny." // "Hogwashery." -King Edward

The storyline wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.

There was not enough Queen Nancy and Edward.

Why did Nancy decide to leave New York for Andalasia, a fictional place, anyways? What about Nancy Tremaine Studios? I have so many questions.

Nancy lost everything I loved about her in the first film. She wasn't hot. She felt like the female version of Edward, and I mean that in a bad way.

The writers could have done so many things with Morgan in terms of making her an interesting character, but they did nothing. No character growth whatsoever. Give the girl something to be passionate about or a hobby! Art, sports, F A S H I O N..., writing poems, etc. No goals or dreams either. I know Robert said she was shy and not good at making friends, but there was a lot of potential to change that for Morgan. People (can) change overtime - personality, taste in fashion, hobbies, etc.!

*no offense to the actress, but she did not look like a sophomore in high school. I know casting 20-something year-olds for teenagers is nothing new, but she did not pass off as a 16-year-old.*

The songs were not memorable. To be honest, I muted most of them. 😳

*In Enchanted, it was "True Love's Kiss", “That’s How You Know”, and "Ever Ever After" (Idina was originally supposed to sing this and I will forever be mad about that)*

I feel that if this was released in theaters then there would've been more hype around the film and the songs would have got more attention.

Going back to Morgan, I know moving to a new school and town can be daunting, but the writers really did her personality dirty. They just ran with the teenager-hates-her-life-and-has-no-friends storyline and called it a day. Ha.. as if we haven’t seen that one before. You would especially think she'd be a little more lively after being around Giselle for more than five years.

What even made Morgan and Giselle grow apart?

This sequel was really giving low budget.

Good on Giselle and Robert for having a newborn, but I just wasn’t sold. I’m not sure how else to explain that.

The writers tried to sell us with a stepmother/stepdaughter storyline of some sort, but it did not work out for me. The storyline was weak and unclear. There was no emotion either.

Regarding the previous bullet point, there was so much potential to break the all-stepmothers-are-evil stereotype in Disney films, but it wasn’t seized. (Refer to this scene)

*Seriously... did ANYone (re)watch Enchanted????*

I wish we actually got to see Giselle act like a (step)mother towards Morgan. I'm not sure how that would've been handled.

Another character who didn't have good development was Giselle. I love that she always tries to be optimistic and has a bubbly personality, and I'm happy that she is still like that 10 years later; however, I wish we got to see New York's impact on her. In other words, it affected her personality and maybe even the way she talks. She's been living in "the real world" since 2007, so I imagine most all of the fairytale quirks would've been gone by 2022. Also, side note: 10 years later and she still doesn't know what sarcasm is?

*If the first movie canonically took place in 2007, then the sequel takes place in 2017. I feel this is important to note.*

With the countless technological advances between 2007-2017, I am stunned social media (Instagram if anything) was not mentioned! Not that it needed to be, but I'm just surprised.

Morgan tells Giselle out of anger that she is not her mother but instead just her stepmother, and so, as you can guess, this upsets Giselle and that's when things go downhill. The day before, Nancy and Edward give the one-year-old a magic wand. After the argument, Giselle breaks out into song and then wishes for a fairytale life, thus turning the suburbs of New York into a medieval fairytale.

*this is when New York could have become 2007!2D animated! Can you imagine how neat that would have been?? Everyone in that town would have been freaking out! 🤣*

Gifting a one-year-old a magic wand for her birthday present, really? That’s just so irresponsible and not smart. Come on now, Nancy, you're smarter than that.

I genuinely think that Edward’s cluelessness rubbed off on Nancy, and I find that concerning.

We really could have seen Giselle step up as a parental figure by expressing her anger to Morgan for going to New York by herself. (Remember that scene from Enchanted where Giselle expresses her anger for the first time?) #charactergrowth But did we see that? Nope. Robert carried that scene. The anger could have been acted out better by both Patrick and whatever the actress’s name is that played Morgan, though. They were way too chill. Well.. the actress that played Morgan was at least. It only got intense when Robert slightly raised his voice at Morgan.

What happened to Andalasia Fashions (1:29-1:50)?

I just like the idea of Giselle and Nancy bonding over their love for fashion and making clothes. It would have been a great ice breaker that leads into a friendship. BUT... seeing how the sequel played out, it sounds like Andalasia Fashions and Nancy Tremaine Studios are nonexistent. ☹️

Pip was adorable in the 2007 film! He couldn't talk in the "real world" because, realistically, animals don't talk, but in the sequel he can all of a sudden talk in the "real world".

The animation. What the hell was that? Why was it different from the 2007 animation? The 2007 animation was pretty.

@ the animators, Nancy has dark green eyes, not light blue. Ugh, the disrespect.

Spoiler Alert: Due to the wish, Andalasia will disappear (all of the magic get sucked out of Andalasia in order to turn the real world into a fairytale), which starts happening towards the end of the film. Edward stays back while Nancy goes to New York to help Giselle, and everyone sees through a waterfall Andalasia disappearing. The point is that we really could have seen Nancy screaming, crying, and panicking over the fact that her husband was going to “die”, thus giving Idina a chance to show off her ability to convey emotion through acting. Did we see that? Hahaha, NOOOO. Whoever told her to react the way Nancy reacted deserves to be slapped. Because.. what the hell was that kind of reaction? 😐

I like Maya Rudolph, but I wasn't here for her character's villain ...role... post-wish.

Memories are apparently the most powerful thing, not true love's first kiss. That being said, the whole subplot about Morgan revisiting her memories at some tree while Nancy was singing "Love Power" made no sense at all and did nothing to help carry the storyline (whatever that was).

Morgan and Tyson's storyline (or whatever you want to call it) was not cute. It was painfully forced and severely lacked emotion, and so predictable. I actually rolled my eyes once I immediately caught onto what was going on.

This sequel was a mess. I liked the new cast members, but I felt indifferent towards their characters. I was happy to see the main four reunite, but that's about it. I honestly can't point out anything good. Enchanted holds a special place in my heart. I love how ambitious and unique it was! A soon-to-be (Disney) princess was going to get married in the 2D fairytale word but got pushed down a well the day of her wedding before the ceremony by her soon-to-be-husband's stepmother disguised as an old hag that sent her to New York, which then became live action. That was so clever! My mind was blown when I saw it in theaters. Robert was witty and realistic, which is nothing new for a Disney character, but that type of character is a hit or miss. Thankfully, though, he was a hit. Also, it was 2007, and that character trope was not yet frowned upon. Patrick really sold the character and the lines! Not my 13-year-old self crushing on a 40-year-old. Luckily, he had Grey’s Anatomy airing at the time, so he was the perfect choice.

Now, everyone, let's not forget who portrayed his badass, intelligent, strong-willed, hot, don't-fuck-with-me fashion designer girlfriend that owned her own business...

This was a LOOK™. 😍🫠

I like love 2007!Nancy better, and I would die for her.

[bravenewolympus--hq]

whooooo doesn't love a gool ol' fashioned re-vamp?!?! that's right, bay-bay! brave new olympus is back after a brief hiatus! we've moved to a new server for a fresh start and we are officially open for applications! i am in the process of queueing up all of our skeletons, but in the mean time - why not come check us out on discord?!

ʙʀᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴏʟʏᴍᴘᴜꜱ : ᴀ 21+ ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀɴ ɢʀᴇᴇᴋ ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏʀᴅ ʀᴏʟᴇᴘʟᴀʏ.

𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒚, 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝝂𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 – 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝝂𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔.

they called it an offering, and zeus had always been a glutton for those, especially when it was all wrapped up with a bow and delivered by someone devastatingly beautiful. an offering, an apology from prometheus for his misdeeds, overdue penance to the one true god of all gods. she’d memorized the script, smiled and breezed her way through the offering, and all that was left was for zeus to take the bait and open the box.nothing quite like honey, or a pretty smile, to catch the proverbial fly, after all. and in the deepest corner of hades, the shackles of cronus, the once and future king, came loose. second chances, after all, are not given to make things right, but to make things even. and what was just a little more waiting, when he had already sat chained in the pit in breathless anticipation for millenia? utterly meaningless, not unlike his promises of his progeny and their better selves. he would sit, and wait, and watch as his beloved children, for all their base selfishness, tore themselves apart in the name of ambition, pride, and greed. athens, new york: an island city, all trees and marble, glass and steel and highrises set against an ocean skyline. bustling and loud, crowded, but not without a bizarre sense that it must have sprung up overnight, somehow, when surely it must have always been here, no? on a clear night, you might even be able to see the lights of its more famous cousin, new york city, across the water…if you squint hard enough. it may not get as much attention as the shiny apple across the hudson, but those not so blinded by the lights must certainly have been coming here for years. is there something in the water here, too? no one leaves, not in any meaningful way anyway. feels like it has a special way of pulling you back in, if you try. they, that is anyone who was anyone or paid even an iota of attention to the evening news, called him the minotaur. the media does love a catchy nom de guerre, doesn’t it? sells newspapers like hotcakes in the morning. ambrosia, whether it’s the latest designer drug trend or the latest pestilence sweeping the streets of athens, just depends on how tightly you clutch your pearls on sundays. must infuriate the police, don’t it? that without fail, by the time they arrive to any crime scene at all, all that’s left is the heap of little cream-coloured business cards, the red lines of a labyrinthine logo more taunting than they are helpful. between an epidemic of pearlescent powder, neatly parceled out in small plastic baggies, a tide of crimson bull graffiti, casinos and bordellos and the nightlife (oh my!), it’s no small wonder they call this an atlantic sin city. it’s a vice eat dog world, ain’t it? and anyone who calls athens home is just living in it. powerless, with no memory of their past lives, what's a god gotta do to survive? what is brave new olympus? a crime-focused take on the greek gods, demigods and heroes we know and love, loosely inspired by once upon a time, set in the human world and modern age. we call athens, new york, home: a fictional island city across the bight from the boroughs of its more famous cousin, the big apple. look for the same active nightlife, energy, culture, and art deco-style architecture here.

[fedor-bortnik-digital-media-blog]

Reading Part

1 - Smith, P. and Riley, A. (2011) Cultural Theory: An Introduction. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley.

 This book introduces its readers to the basic and general understanding of what culture means, and why it is important for us. The authors begin with classical social theory, and then move on to historical or modern theories. The reader can find explanations for various theories, about their importance at that time, and study more on the influential people who have a major contribution to social history. 

 With this study, I will reinforce my principal knowledge of culture. It will improve my learning speed, help me clarify vital and sensitive topics of this subject, and assist in understanding modern cultural theories. With this knowledge, I would be able to create characters with a deeper personality, stronger motives, and more unique and interesting lifestyles.

2 - Manovich, L. (2013) Software Takes Command. 1st edn. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. DOI: 10.5040/9781472544988

Since the beginning of the 21st century, major technological advancements in a short time have drastically affected many industries, mediums, and arts of our society by digitizing them and introducing new tools that change the way things used to work. ‘’Software Takes Command’’ is all about understanding the language of the medium by analyzing how the new tools of a digital artist affect the new mediums.

 This book will help me see the way how intertextuality and transmedia work in a digital world. I will be able to understand more about how the concept of media shifted during the digital era. How a newly generated logic from various software has affected the other software, and how it all interacts with the mediums.

3 - Sloan, R.J.S. (2015) Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media. 1st edn. Natick: CRC Press. DOI: 10.1201/b18445

In the modern video game industry, character design has a major role in designing unique virtual worlds and their stories. A masterful character design determines if players will immerse themself in the story and if the game will be memorable even when they have finished the story. With this book, I will be able to dig into the character creation on a fundamental level. Not only to understand the industry standard but to fundamentally understand the creative process of character creation.

As an enthusiast of character design - it is one of my vital subjects to study. With this, my virtual stories will get better - I will be able to create much deeper characters and understand what makes them interesting. 

4 - King, S. (2023) Digital Character Creation for Video Games and Collectibles. 1;1st; edn. Milton: CRC Press. DOI: 10.1201/9781003178057

A book about creating characters on an industry-standard level by Samuel King - an influential artist, who has worked with multiple influential game studios. The author will guide the reader through both recent technical aspects needed for this job and recent fresh trends in this field, no matter if the reader is an established professional in this field, or a beginner - who just starting to understand what to expect.

With this, I can understand what skills I need to learn or improve before classifying myself as an adept in this field. Here, I will be able to apply all my theoretical knowledge on making interesting designs, debate with the author, and improve my general skills in making great characters.

5 -  Tu, C., Tunggal, J. and Brown, S. (2023) ‘Character Immersion in Video Games as a Form of Acting’, Psychology of popular media, 12(4), pp. 405–413. DOI: 10.1037/ppm0000435

In this academic blog, the authors examine the hypothesis that playing video games is a form of proto-acting, which allows the players to have a stronger character and emotional immersion. In this blog, you can find theories about what kind of relations the player and a characterized avatar have.

I find this blog extremely useful since it highlights the connection between the player and the avatar in the video game: By having a characterized avatar player can still get immersed in the game, just on a different level. With this idea, players will feel much more immersed in the story by opening the new tools of character immersion. In addition, with several examples of video games and an analysis of their genres and characters in categories, the analysis showcases how the artists have a wide range of character immersion that can be created.

6 - Croissant, M., Schofield, G. and McCall, C. (2023) ‘Emotion Design for Video Games: A Framework for Affective Interactivity’, ACM Games: Research and Practice, 1(3), pp. 1–24. DOI: 10.1145/3625309

The article revisits and combines popular research in psychology, design, and human interaction to study and develop a better emotional interaction for modern affective video games. By revisiting the concepts of affection, developing an efficient module, and reinforcing the theory, the authors desire to assist the game developers and researchers in making the content that can adapt and interact with human emotions.

Affection is an important factor in game design since it’s what makes the games more memorable and colorful. I agree with this article that we should use common design practices, accurately test and check on how the targeted emotions work, and program the game in a way that it can individually adapt to the individuals and their progression.

7 - Garver, S., Adamo-Villani, N. and Dib, H. (2018) ‘The Impact of Visual Style on User Experience in Games’, EAI endorsed transactions on serious games, 4(15), pp. 153535–32. DOI: 10.4108/eai.5-1-2018.153535

In this blog, the authors analyze the visual style of video games and how it affects the experience of users. Throughout the study, authors analyze the reasons for choosing specific art styles, such as due to the budget, studio decision, or because of the targeted audience. And how do users react to such styles, for example: whether realism improves the immersion of the user, and if the stylized art affects the emotionality of the player. As an artist who studies character creation and the video game industry, I find this academic blog very useful in finding a preferred art style - the one that could satisfy me and the popular audience. With this knowledge, I would be able to find my desired art style, and make better visuals that would help me maintain the desired engagement with the users with my digital work.

8 - Koster, R. (2013). ‘What Games Are’. Theory of Fun for Game Design. 2;2nd; edn. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Incorporated.

In this book Raph Koster, the author of the book analyses what makes games fun: Is it the fact that we have learned something new and exciting? or achieved at a task? or is it just a mixture of hormones in our brains that make us feel good? What makes some games truly exciting and when the popular game theories are too far?

With this edition, I can revisit the theory of what makes games fun. In addition, with this book I can improve my conceptual thinking to achieve a truly fun game: With this knowledge, I will be able to have better game stories and interesting theories.

9 - Schell, J. (2019;2020;) The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Third Edition. 3rd;3;3rd; edn. Milton: CRC Press LLC.

 Game design is an enormous field, where practically everything and anything can happen. To freely transverse through here, you need to know the fundamentals of how the game design works. With this book, you will find a large summary of many theories, thoughts, and concepts in every stage of the game design. 

 I do plan to create video games in the future, by being either a leader of the team or simply a member of it. This book is large, and with that many theories and thoughts, I would be able to reflect on my game thoughts and ideas. With this book, I will be able to learn many theories and use this text as a form of encyclopedia.

10 - Fraile-Jurado, P. (2023) ‘Geographical Aspects of Open-World Video Games’, Games and culture, p. 155541202311788. DOI: 10.1177/15554120231178871

This paper examines virtual locations from popular video games and then analyses the aesthetics of these worlds, the way they are constructed in games, and their interactivity with the players. In this blog, authors analyze several interesting techniques of world-building, such as ‘selective horizontal scaling reduction’, where you intentionally reduce the size of various locations to save resources on making the locations small and memorable, rather than long and tedious, and so on.

The world building is one of the essential parts of video game design. With this academic blog, I would be able to see better how players react to and feel in various worlds, and also how modern video game developers maintain the balance of realism and fun aspects in their projects.