#i was thinking back on our talk about how disney movies have influenced how we write and DANG did i realize that tonight

[wildsaltair]

He looks so happy and dreamy when he talks about his family, I can't 💖💖

LU DON'T DO THIS TO ME

They really are all he lives for 😭😭 they are all his joy, all his hope. they are what he fights for and longs for. the glory and fame and excitement and honor means nothing if he can't be with the wife and son he loves, and live on the land he has tilled with his own hands. there's something so personal and intimate and grounded about Maximus being a farmer — the way it's a hands-on job that results in him bringing life instead of taking it. he's sick of killing and death and gore, and he just wants to be home and to see the crops growing. he wants to see the love in his wife's eyes and the joy as his son grows into a man. he lives only to hold them again.

OH TO BE LOVED AS MAXIMUS LOVES

[aspoonofsugar]

fun fact in the original version of snow white tale she was poisoned by her actual mother not step mother (so jacques is a gender swap to her snow whites mom)in the original cinderella stor was a greek slave girl named Rhodopis Charaxus (Χάραξος) of Mytilene, brother of Sappho of lesbors the poet ( whose works were painted on terra cotta pottery shards) referenced with jaunes sister and in law. ) and in some stories he married her

Hi!

Tbh I think there is too much fuss on the idea of "original fairy tales" in the RWBY fandom... just as much as there is too much fuss on Disney fairy tales :''')

In short, I think RWBY makes use of fairy tales in their most iconic versions without letting the disney movies influence the writing too much. For example, of the 4 MCs only Weiss and Blake's story has been adapted successfully by Disney, and even in their case they make full use of other versions of their fairy tales. What I am trying to say is that RWBY is not trying to adapt a specific version of a fairy tale, but to use fairy tales as motifs and metaphors of their characters' arcs.

So, when it comes to Weiss I think they are clearly going with the Grimms' version of Snowhite. It is really no surprise as it is very famous and the one used in the Disney adaptation. Differently from the Disney fairy tale, though, they are going with the original 3 deaths of the fairy tale. Still, they are making use of some very clear Disney imagery, like the focus on the forest animals and on singing, which is a Disney invention.

When it comes to Jacques specifically, he is Weiss's biological father, but focus is put on how he married into the family:

Weiss: I have done nothing but fight to uphold the honor of my family name, a name that you married into!

Symbolically, he is not a real Schnee to the point he doesn't even share his semblance with the rest of the family. He has usurped the family name tricking Willow into marrying him and Nicholas into giving him the SDC. So, he fits the part of the "evil stepmom". All in all, though, there is not much difference between a stepmom and a mom in fairy tales. The idea of a stepmom is honestly used to mask the fact fairy tales are actually talking about mothers and fathers. In Snowhite, for example, you can see the Evil Queen as the mother and the good natured, but weak minded Hunter as the father. They are archetypical characters that call back to the parents. This is because Snowhite is ultimately a coming of age story. It is about a child growing up and realizing she can't be like her mom forever (so the mirror stops showing the Queen and starts showing Snowhite), which brings some struggle and the need to redefine her own identity (the 3 deaths and resurrections), so that she can become her own person (a Queen). This is also Weiss's story in a nutshell.

As far as our Cinderella is concerned, it is instead clear RWBY is making use of several archetypes and symbols common to many versions of the story. There is a Stepmom, two Stepsisters, a Prince, a Fairy Godmother and Slippers. These elements are present both in Perrault and the Grimms' versions of the tale.

In general, I am sorry, but I don't think Jaune and Cinder's relationship is meant to be seen as romantic. Jaune and Ruby are set up as the 2 people, who will eventually help Cinder out. However, Ruby is the one presented as the Prince (in a platonic sense):

Cinder and Ruby fight the night of the Dance, which is a call back to Cinder dancing with the Prince. This means Ruby is Cinder's Prince. She is the one who must save Cinder with her eyes and I wouldn't be susprised if this happens on the top of Beacon Tower. After all, Ruby and Cinder face each other twice in that setting. The first time, it is the night of the dance, the second the night of the Fall of Beacon. These 2 face offs represent 2 dances, so we still lack a third final one as per the Grimms' fairy tales... I would not be surprised if this happens in the finale.

Jaune is instead set up to have a role when it comes to helping Cinder become a true Maiden. Why? Because this is Pyrrha's legacy:

Pyrrha: Do you believe in destiny?

Jaune is meant to inherit Pyrrha's legacy and to succeed where she failed, which is to convey the meaning of being a true Maiden to Cinder. Very fitting for a character whose allusion is called the Maide of Orleans.

This reading also fit with RWBY playing with gender role. Ultimately, the young child is meant to be the Prince who saves Cinderella (again not in a romantic sense), while Jaune is meant to be the Maiden at Heart who inspires Cinder into becoming the true Maiden of Choice. If you want, you can headcanon Jaune may become a new version of the fairy that makes sure Cinderella can dance and become a Queen. Still, it is too soon to say.

Thank you for the ask!

[forest-of-stories]

[Here is the first segment of my “Five Things” Hypnotists fic!]

1.

Since he arrived at the cocktail party, Ashton had felt as if somebody was watching him.  He tried to dismiss that sensation as pure paranoia, until another guest, who had been surrounded by a smiling entourage all evening, followed him onto the balcony and drew him into a conversation.

At first, that conversation was civil and completely mundane: Ashton tried to avoid boasting about the cars that he sold to the extremely wealthy and occasionally famous, and learned that Elias Mako managed an academic research institute in uptown Manhattan.  “I find that the most rewarding aspect of our work lies in the chance to impact future generations,” he said.  “Do you have any children?”

“We have one.  He’s five.” Ashton paused.  “What kind of research did you say that you do?”

Mako chuckled.  “I think that you know what kind, Ashton Opus.”

“I… really don’t,” Ashton managed, but then their eyes locked, and he was twelve years old again, assaulted by the heavy smells of perfume and cigar smoke, surrounded by tittering adults who kept mussing his hair, tweaking his nose, and – of course – peering into his eyes.  He found himself wondering if he’d really wanted to come to this family reunion instead of spending the day at the park with his friends…

…and then he was back in the present, alone on the balcony, and the door was swinging shut.  Ashton gulped lungfuls of the evening air until his heart stopped thundering, though his head still ached as if something had raked across his brain.  

Still a little bit unsteady on his feet, he strode back into the penthouse, and took a moment to locate his wife, who was talking to their host.  “Are we ready to go?” Monica’s eyes widened, and Ashton realized how harshly he’d spoken.  He apologized to both of them, reaching for her hand as he reached for an excuse, because if there was an appropriate time or place to say, “I think that somebody hypnotized me,” this wasn’t it.

Monica was quiet during the drive home, and Ashton had plenty of time to think about how she might react if he told her about his family, as he’d considered telling her many times before.  He’d always kept their secret, not because he didn’t think she’d believe the truth (though she’d have plenty of reasons not to), but because he didn’t want her to spend an evening, or even a single minute, with the fear that had followed him throughout his entire childhood: that anyone in the room could influence their actions and memories with a single glance, and they couldn’t do a single thing to stop it, or even know for sure that it was happening.

How disappointing, an unfamiliar voice (or was it?) seemed to murmur in his ear, and he hoped that she didn’t see him shudder.  

When they returned to their apartment, Monica paid their baby-sitter and went into their bedroom to change out of her dress, while Ashton tiptoed down the hallway and opened the door to their son’s bedroom a few inches.  Curled around his favorite stuffed animal, a floppy-eared alien from a Disney movie, Jackson stirred slightly but did not wake.

Ashton would never be sure how often his parents had manipulated his mind, but he knew that he could never do the same to his own child, and, far from being disappointed, he was relieved and grateful.

He closed the door as quietly as he could.

[illustratorintheprocess]

WEEK 12: Submitting my Minor Project

The deadline for the Minor Project wasn't until week 13 but I managed to finish my Submission PDF early and uploaded it for grading early. As much as I would have liked to fine tune the aesthetics of the document to make it look nicer, I was under major pressure to finish my Dissertation in time for the deadline as well.

The rest of Week 12 I spent Writing the Rationale for my dissertation, planning and drawing the comic book spread that would be the "Element 2"/ the physical work to go with my written dissertation/ "Element 1" and applying for Extenuating Circumstances.

Firstly, applying for an EC basically means that you are asking the uni to consider the circumstances you were/are under in light of a project deadline. I hope that makes sense. You are not just asking for an adjusted deadline, you have to have a valid reason for your request and then they let you chose between 2 options. If I remember correctly option 1 is: You submit at the original deadline but can appeal the grade give to you by the board for that work, which means you could redo it if you are unhappy w. your grade. Option 2 is: your deadline is adjusted and you may submit your work up to a week after the original deadline. When I applied for extenuating circumstances I didn't think they's approve it because my application was only 2 weeks before the Dissertation deadline. Having talked to both my CTS tutor and Minor/Major Project tutor, both advised me continue working as if i were to submit at the original deadline until I hear back about the EC for sure. This seemed like a no-brainer to me because I half didn't expect my application to be approved anyway. However I heard back from them fairly quickly and chose option 2, which gave me a little more time to work on my dissertation overall.

Now to Element 2, which only counts as 20% of my overall CTS3 grade, meaning the written part would make of the remaining 80%. Because of how Element 2 is weight up against Element 1, we were encouraged to not spend too much time on it since the only real influence it would have on our grade would be the difference of a + or -. Luckily I have had a very clear picture of what I wanted to make for Element 2 for a while and so my research didn't take too long and I could finish it all pretty much in the same day.

The title of my Dissertation is "Walt Disney's Dark Past and Questionable Present 1940 to 2022" and it discusses how the animation studio portrayed people of colour, women and specifically women of colour in their older movies compared to how Disney portrays them now. I think this is the most simplified synopsis I can give you in one sentence. Element 2 I named "Walt Disney - Princess Needs No Frog" as a play on the movie title "Princess and the Frog". It is a comic style page spread of 7 panels reimagining the storyline of Tiana. In the movies she is depicted as a self sufficient and work motivated woman with a clear goal in mind of opening her own restaurant. She has no interest in distractions such as a relationship until a prince in frog form comes along and "opens her eyes to the meaning and necessity of love". Pretty annoying if you ask me. This is why in my comic Tiana, when presented with a prince promising to solve all he problems for her, becomes furious with the big man Walter Disney himself and breaks the 4th wall to tell him off.

I had lots of fun putting Element 2 together and positively surprised myself with the outcome. I had never done a proper comic strip before and there are definitely things to improve upon but for work done in a day, I think it's passable.

The rest of the week I spent planning chapters out with lists of talking points and finding citations to support those points.

Writing the dissertation was very dry work so there aren't any cool pictures to post with it I'm afraid but thankfully I got it done by week 15. More on that later.

[reduxulousoctopus]

Alright we got a bite.

DISCLAIMER first of all: I am pretty new to X-Men, like I said I've watched every episode of XTAS at this point, and I did have an X-Men phase when the first couple movies were coming out way back in caveman times but I haven't read any of the comics or really watched any of the other animated series (except I think the first season of Evolution?). So while I know more than the average person does about X-Men, I'm very much not an expert.

Regardless, I'm very much of the belief that an adaptation has to stand on its own. X97 is a sequel to XTAS, so XTAS should be all you need to know to understand what's going on, and XTAS should be what the story and characterization grow from. I don't want a bunch of nerds jumping in here like "well actually if you've read the comics--" just shut up and save us both the trouble.

As a more serious disclaimer, I've only watched X97 once, because I didn't enjoy it and don't rewatch things I don't like. Unfortunately, my brain is made of swiss cheese so it's entirely possible I've forgotten or misremembered things, which may have contributed to some of my negative reaction to the show. If so, that's my bad.

Okay, what to talk about first?

It's pride month! Let's talk about gay shit!

So, there was some culture war drama (when isn't there?) around X97 and, specifically, the decision to portray Morph as nonbinary. The typical right-wing chuds were horrified that X-Men had "gone woke", and everyone had a good laugh about it. Don't they know X-Men has always been woke? Don't they know that X-Men is an allegory for civil rights? Don't they know about [insert queer characters from the comics here]?

Ha ha, yeah. Good times.

Anyway, nothing in the show or in interviews I've read with the creators (with the possible exception of their voice actor, but he's so out-of-the-loop that he doesn't even know what his own character's pronouns are so I doubt he has a whole lot of influence in the writer's room) indicates that Morph is nonbinary for any reason than typical cis-brained obsession with genitals. I even saw a YouTube comment from one of those right-wing chuds I mentioned, who nailed it right on the head. [paraphrased] "Well, Morph can change into males and females, so I guess it makes sense for him to be nonbinary. But nonbinary people don't exist in real life." Like, yeah dude, that seems to be the logic here! Every time a shapeshifter is made nonbinary in media, that is always the implication. If you want to avoid that implication, you have to put the work in to develop your nonbinary shapeshifter and explore their identity and what it means to them, which they didn't so here we are. ::shrug::

So what other queer representation is there in this woke, progressive show released in the year of our lord 2024?

...Hold on, I'm sure I'll think of something.

Oh, they showed a few same-sex couples dancing during the ball in Genosha. Briefly. And didn't give them names. Or lines. Hey, what happened to most of the characters in Genosha, by the way?

Come on, there's got to be something else, right?

Well, there's Bastion, a villain who's coded as a self-hating minority and is implied to have sexually assaulted Magneto. Ew no, is that really it?

Holy shit, how could I forget, Morph confessed that they're in love with Wolverine in the season finale! A queer romance with the most popular character in the franchise! Wow, way to turn it around, y'all, I was worried there for a second but that's huge! A genuinely brave and compassionate gesture of support, at a time when trans people are being scapegoated and persecuted, to show a love story between a trans person and--haha nah I'm fucking with you, the lead writer basically sprinted to twitter as soon as the finale aired to reassure the same right-wing chuds everyone mocked for not "getting the point of X-Men" that no, no, don't worry, Wolverine isn't in love with the tranny.

Right, this show was produced by Disney, a megacorporation who contributed to the campaign finances of the very politicians responsible for that scapegoating and persecution of trans people I mentioned. Morph isn't one of the mainstay X-Men characters so it's okay to make Morph nonbinary and attracted to men for some easy diversity points and marketing buzz, but let's not get crazy, now. All the characters who actually matter are certified, corpo-mandated heterosexuals, baby.

The fact that a supposedly woke and progressive show made for adults has way less and worse queer representation than kids' media from only a few years ago is genuinely sad--as is the fact that so many queer fans are eating it up. Babes, we can do better, we don't have to settle for slop. Go play Bugsnax and maybe you'll feel better, okay?

After finally finishing X-Men TAS a little over a week ago, yesterday I wrote a review of each season and my overall opinion on the series as a whole--a review which unintentionally spiraled out into a lot of my complaints about X-Men '97, a show that only seemed to get worse the more I thought about it and the more of its predecessor I had to compare it to. However, I prefer to keep my interactions with fandom positive and most people seemed to really like X97 so I doubt anyone would want to read my bitching anyway. That review will probably just stay in my drafts, or appear in a severely edited form at some point with all the X97 references cut out.

THAT BEING SAID I'm super anxious for no reason, my sleep schedule is fucked and I'm gonna be up all night anyway, so I am declaring it The Bitching Hour (disclaimer: may last more than an hour). If anyone reading this right now IS interested in my thoughts about X97, from now until I run out of stuff to talk about (or just decide to stop) each reply to this post will get a hopefully brief rant about a different thing I hated about X97. Feel free to suggest topics.

[brighteststar707]

Philia

Affectionate love. Deep friendship and feeling part of a group.

The RFA’s second party since the arrival of the new party coordinator is in full swing. Everything is going smoothly, and RFA members are strewn across the hall, occupied with entertaining guests. All but Jumin and Jihyun, who sit together at a table in the back, almost out of sight.

Onstage, V’s photographs are being set up for auction. It’s set to begin soon, and it’s not something he likes to watch, so he and Jumin found a bottle of wine and stray tray of appetizers to distract themselves with.

They’re both swept up in the happy atmosphere and relishing in the results of their hard work.

“It looks like everyone is having fun. I’m glad, they all worked hard for this,” Jihyun says.

And it’s true. Despite all the work they put in to get to this point, everyone seems to be having fun.

Seven and Yoosung are talking to Gordon Ramsey and completely failing to conceal their excitement at the encounter. Jumin still doesn’t understand what they’re so excited for. He’s not even cooking any food. When he brings it up to Jihyun, he’s just met with laughter.

“I thought your new spouse was insistent on showing you Masterchef after getting married? He’s a celebrity, a cultural icon.”

“They’ve been too busy showing me different Disney movies to start it yet.”

“They’re a good influence on you.”

“I know.” He looks proud of himself as he says it.

They pause their ramblings to study the appetizers they swiped. Over the years, with the RFA parties and the events they attended when they were younger, they’ve developed preferences for certain snacks.

It reminds Jumin of how, when they were still teenagers, Jihyun somehow convinced the catering team at an event that they wouldn’t miss one tray of hors d’oeuvres. They spent that night hidden out in a corner of the hall, tray balanced on their knees, polishing off every last piece. He often made it his mission after that to score the best food at every event they attended.

“Penny for your thoughts, Jumin? You’re being awfully quiet. If you’re thinking of taking the last crab cake, think again. It’s mine.”

“I was just thinking about the parties our fathers used to make us attend when we were younger.”

“God, they were so boring. I don’t know what they expected us to do there,” Jihyun says, rolling his eyes. He never took to this type of society as well as Jumin did.

“You made them fun, though. The first time we tried wine was at one of those parties.”

“Was it?”

“Yes, you charmed one of the waitresses into serving us wine.”

Jihyun’s face lights up at the memory. “Right, and we spent the night outside in the gardens, getting drunk. We were so young.”

“Not much has changed since then.”

“It hasn’t. We’re still here getting drunk by ourselves at a party.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m not drunk.”

Anyone else would believe him. He’s alarmingly composed, even after so many drinks. Jihyun has always been jealous of that. There have certainly been a few gallery openings where he had a few too many glasses of champagne and acted a little…less dignified. But he knows Jumin too well. Only he can hear the way the wine has weighed down his tongue, made everything just a bit slower.

“You’re getting all nostalgic, you only do that when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not nostalgic, just remembering things. It’s not my fault I have a good memory.”

“And you’re speaking all slow.”

“I’m not.” As if in revenge, he swipes up the last crab cake and holds it aloft victoriously.

Jihyun laughs at his petulant reply. This is his favourite time of the night, where they’ve had enough wine to make everything funny. Jumin smiles at him affectionately. This is his favourite part of the night too. When Jihyun laughs, it makes him feel safe. He knows better than anyone that this kind of love is hard to come by.

He turns his eyes back to the crowd, surveying the different groups of people in attendance. Jaehee is standing at the coffee stand, eagerly chatting to the guests running it. Zen is surrounded by the modelling group, who Jumin suspects are trying to recruit him.

The person he’s looking for, however, is nowhere to be found. At least, they’re doing a good job of staying out of his line of sight.

A figure appears behind Jumin, holding a finger to their lips in a signal to Jihyun. Their arms snake over Jumin’s shoulders and swipe the appetizer from his hands before planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for that, darling, I was worried we were all out of these.”

“Perfect timing, I’m pretty sure Jumin was looking for you,” Jihyun says with a smile.

“Am I that easy to read?”

“Yes,” they both reply, almost immediately.

“Are you drunk, Jumin? You’re talking all slowly.”

Jihyun bursts into laughter at that comment. “See, I told you!”

“I’m happy to see that you’re both enjoying yourselves. I have to get back, I just wanted to tell you that the auction is about to begin. Thank you for the snack, love.”

Jihyun can’t help but smile at the expression on Jumin’s face as he watches the love of his life walk away. He has never seen him like this before, caught off guard and so content.

“Jihyun, I have a confession to make.”

“What is it?”

“I think I’m drunk.”

He chuckles. “I think I am too.”

[lokiondisneyplus]

LOKI 4 PRESIDENT! For a narcissist trickster sorcerer with the personality of a praying mantis, there are few occupations in the world that would suit Loki better than president of the United States. A few years ago, in the summer of 2016, comic book writer Christopher Hastings imagined just that in a satirical limited series for Marvel titled Vote Loki.

Five years later, Vote Loki has found its way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the fifth episode of the Disney+ series, “Journey Into Mystery,” a variant Loki (still played by Tom Hiddleston) appears in the desolate “Void” surrounded by a Mad Max-esque posse. On Loki’s tattered blazer is a red, white, and blue “Loki” button, indicating this Loki was, uh, elected to lead. Turn on the subtitles on Disney+ and you’ll find this Loki is credited as “President Loki.”

In an email to Inverse, Christopher Hastings says he had no idea this was going to happen.

“I found out [they were doing Vote Loki] when a trailer for the show featured the campaign outfit from Vote Loki,” Hastings tells Inverse.

When Inverse exchanged emails with Hastings, it was prior to the episode’s premiere, to which Hastings said he was “very curious to see exactly what from the comic gets into the show.”

“I love time travel and multiverse material,” the writer says in praise of Loki. “I am a big fan of the TVA as a setting. I'm eager to see how it goes, and what it might mean for the next phase of MCU movies, especially since multiverse wackiness seems to be a major part of those upcoming movies.”

In 2004, while a student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Hastings wrote and illustrated The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, a serial webcomic about a doctor who is also a ninja. The series was a cult hit, at one point attracting 110,000 unique visitors a day. By 2011, Hastings was doing work for Marvel, writing single issues of A+X and Howard the Duck. With Chris Bachalo, he co-created Gwenpool — a bizarre blend of Spider-Man ex-girlfriend Gwen Stacy and Deadpool — and penned the 2016-2018 solo series The Unbelievable Gwenpool, teaming up with Japanese studio Gurihiru to create the character’s deeply unique comedic tone.

But during Gwenpool, Hastings spent the summer of 2016 playing with a different Marvel trickster: Loki. In the four-issue miniseries Vote Loki, Hastings spoofed the chaos that was the 2016 race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. In Vote Loki, an ambitious Loki seeks the seat of the president with a very unique campaign strategy: being honest about lying.

With “President Loki” having a minor cameo in the MCU, Inverse caught up with Hastings to look back on his explicitly political riff that took place inside the Marvel Universe.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Take me back to the origins of Vote Loki. When did the seed for the story plant in your mind? What was going on in the world of culture/politics at that time?

Gosh, it's tough to come up with one thing specifically, because we were making the comic by the seat of our pants, and so many things got scrapped and rewritten along the way, often at the last second. But one of the core topics I wanted to cover had to do with narratives versus reality. It's kind of a given that in the world of politics, truth is this malleable thing, and now more than ever all you have to do to make people believe a lie is to repeat it enough times.

I liked the idea of Loki playing with narrative in a way that wasn't necessarily outright lying, more bending. (Except the bit about being born in Maryland. One outright lie there.) The other driving point I wanted to explore was how Americans can have a tendency to incorporate their national-level politics into part of their identity, and what that does to a person, particularly when a character like Loki is the one on the ticket.

What sort of conversations did you have with Marvel about a political satire starring Loki? What was the elevator pitch that got approval?

Like I said, things changed so many times, I'm not even entirely sure how many versions were kind of approved and then scrapped on the way to get to what was actually published. I think it was more that I assured editor Wil Moss that I could jump on the book (which Marvel was determined to make; they just hadn't decided who was writing it when I was pitching) after talking about the stuff about narrative and identity, and the basic idea that the viewpoint character shouldn't actually be Loki but a journalist covering Loki's campaign.

Vote Loki introduced the character of Nisa Contreras. What was the primary inspiration for her?

That would be my real-life friend, Nisa Contreras. She's not a journalist, but she’s someone I'm sure could take down Loki if he were a) real and b) got on her bad side. I wanted the story to be more about witnessing the tension and the comedy of Loki running for president, about not knowing what was up his sleeve. And so I came up with [a] journalist.

Vote Loki was published over the summer of 2016 when the election was ramping up in awkward ways. (“Pokémon Go to the polls!”) Did the real election influence the comic in any way, including any specific moments?

The comic was a direct response to things that were happening during the 2016 campaign, specifically that a “joke” candidate that was obviously terrible could get pretty far with enough media oxygen and a comfortable political system that ignored the disgust a lot of people had with it.

Vote Loki ran for four issues. Was there ever a possibility for more?

If it was a smash hit, I believe there would have been a President Loki to directly follow Vote Loki.

What do you think of Vote Loki's inclusion in the TV series?

Top five surreal moments of my life.

Do you think Vote Loki could be the focus of its own adapted series/movie?

Oh for sure. You wouldn't even have to take the material from our comic; there's so much more brand-new political madness that a new Vote Loki series or movie could tap into.

A lot has happened in the five years since Vote Loki was published. What are your feelings looking back now in 2021? Did your opinions on the book ever change?

There was a lot happening in American politics in 2016 I missed and wish I had been able to see to include. For example, how broken political polling has become. I had no idea, along with the rest of the country.

It was tricky to do a cohesive narrative amongst a shifting Marvel continuity we had to stay inside; a lot of feedback and demands from various sources within the company and an election that was changing every single day. It was truthfully (heh) a quite stressful book to write, but looking back on it I'm proud to see what we absolutely nailed about American culture. In particular, what we had to say about politics as entertainment and identity, and how a slippery enough politician can not only shake scandal [off] by speeding up an already fast news cycle but embrace and twist it to their advantage.

LOKI WILL AIR ITS FINAL EPISODE JULY 14 ON DISNEY+. VOTE LOKI IS AVAILABLE NOW.

[riverofempathy]

I am sending you all the love!! 💜💜💜

It sucks that we can relate to each other about some of these things. It’s also kind of nice to not be alone, you know? My husband’s red flags have mostly been… smaller? than the ones you faced (I am so sorry for you and so glad you got out). But there have still been far too many of them, and I do wish I had trusted my gut to begin with. But I didn’t know how to do that then. I was deeply entrenched in a high-demand religion/cult that taught me to trust God and my leaders and my husband more than myself. So I did.

Both my husband and I left the church around 2020, but you know what I realized yesterday? He has never been able to support me with where I’m at spiritually, either! Back when the gospel was everything to me, he wasn’t into it the same way I was, so I had to let go of a lot of my expectations and goals, like daily/weekly scripture study, which I was taught was super important to do as a couple so that you didn’t “go astray.” He was really casual about following the rules and influenced me to start being casual, too, and swear a little, skip church sometimes so we could sleep in, and instead of only pursuing God-focused activities on Sunday, to watch Disney movies or play video games or all kinds of things I was never allowed to do growing up, but he said were okay. Oh but when I lost my testimony and I learned the dark truths about our church’s history and I wanted to leave? All of a sudden he was committed to the church and he didn’t want to hear anything bad about it! So I stopped talking about it. Then a month or so later, I checked in with him, and he had flipped a 180 and was like, “Yeah, I think I’m ready to leave.” Without really doing any of his own research or deconstruction or anything. Ever since then, when we’ve had big, hard discussions, he’ll fall back on “well, I’m having an identity crisis; I don’t know who I am anymore, and I don’t know what to beleive anymore.” Like… okay? Figure it out then?? Actually put in the work like everybody else??

But yeah… like… he has just never been a good fit for me. Not when I was intensely religious, nor when I was intensely not. And I am grateful that I am out of that cult, obviously, but I’m also sad for my younger self for never having a partner who valued the things that she valued. Even if I let those things go of my own accord later. There were so many spiritual practices that were important to me that he was unwilling to engage with, because they didn’t matter to him. The only time they mattered was when I didn’t want them anymore! Kinda weird, right?

And kinda similar to how the only time he really started to listen to me and see me was when I opened up about a potential end to our relationship. Too late, buddy.

I’m right there with you in wanting to travel the world. Maybe doing it alone isn’t ideal, but imagine the freedom! Just like in your current living situation and my upcoming living situation where I’ll have my own apartment for the first time ever, which I’ve been yearning for—having the freedom to just do what you want, go where you want, eat and buy and wear what you want because no one’s there to tell you otherwise… ugh that’s the dream. Definitely harder without a second income, though, I feel you on that one.

I might get a cat, too, somewhere down the line. Gotta take care of myself first. 😊

Is there anyone else out there who just... can NOT express their true selves around others?

I feel like I've spent so many years of my life developing a personality that's more "palatable" and "acceptable" to others. I cannot, for the life of me, share the vast majority of my interests. Nor the vast majority of my thoughts and opinions with others. The only time I can actually feel comfortable being myself is when I'm hiding while using a device.

Idk if this will ever change tbh. I've had it happen too many times where people would act interested in knowing what I like... only to turn around and shame and humiliate me over it. For YEARS. And those same people now tell me that I'm boring and have no interests. I mean... this straight-up happened in so many settings with so many different people. I get that I have unconventional tastes in things but... damn!

People are allowed to know that I am very open-minded when it comes to food. I can cope with hearing that people think some of the things I eat are "too spicy" because yeah, lots of people just seem to be sensitive to certain foods. And I think it's cool that I can enjoy these foods. However... the idea of sharing my favorite music can cause me to have a mental breakdown.

And unfortunately, I'm now finding that people assume I must not like them if I'm not open with them. That's not true! But I can see where the lack of trust is hurtful.

[twh-news]

Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Kevin Feige & creative team talk Loki | The TVA, D.B. Cooper & the god of mischief

Loki is one of Marvel’s most complicated characters. He’s a hero, a villain, a frenemy, and everything in between, and starting Wednesday, June 9 on Disney+ his series kicks off with a brooding adventure that spans the timeline.

Avengers: End Game setup a chain of events that is likely going to be a big part of the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In that film, Loki, played by the one and only Tom Hiddleston, picked up the Tesseract and vanished to parts unknown. Now, in Marvel’s Loki, we finally get to see what happened to him, and why the Time Variance Authority (TVA) are after him.

Just a hint though, it’s not good, and it’s going to lead to trouble.

As far as the TVA is concerned, it’s a massive organization, and no one there seems to be a fan of the god of mischief’s work. That includes Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), Judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), to name a few.

To launch the new series, the key cast, executive producer Kevin Feige, creator and lead writer Michael Waldron, and director Kate Herron sat down to chat about the who, what, when, where, and why of Loki. Read on for the story of how the team came together, and what to expect from the Marvel series.

So what was it like for Hiddleston when he realized he was going to get to play Loki again? As he admits, it was unexpected.

“[It was ] a combination of delight and surprise. I think it’s probably the accurate way of describing it,” Hiddleston said. “I was so excited by the idea and I also had to scratch my head a bit because that scene in Avengers: Infinity War had felt so conclusive as the end of Loki’s story.”

“But I knew that Avengers: End Game was coming around the corner. And in that scene, in that film, Loki picks up the Tesseract and disappears in a puff of smoke. And where does he go? When does he go? How does he get there? Kevin [Feige] and Louis d’Esposito and Victoria Alonso all reassured me that that would be the starting point of the series. And there were so many places we could go, so many possibilities to think about.”

“And in due course, everybody that you can see [points to the other cast and creators] jumped on and had so many brilliant ideas and created thi new show, which I think is really exciting and I’m happy to be doing it.”

For Kevin Feige, he suggested that they had the plan started for Loki while they were filming the last Avengers movie.

“I think we did not know it when we shot Infinity War, but I think we did know it when we shot End Game,” Feige said. “[That’s] my recollection of it.”

“What that meant and where that specifically would go, we didn’t know, but one of my favourite things coming out of End Game was people saying that we forgot to tie up the loose end of Loki. Loki just disappears. And we forgot to mention what happens to them at the end of that movie. And at that point, we did know that there was Disney+ coming in, and it became very exciting to make people wait until, we figured out what the show would be, and now, finally, two days from it being unveiled to the world is pretty cool.”

After the idea, came head writer Michael Waldron, and his plan for the story.

“I was just thinking Loki is D.B. Cooper. That’s all I was [thinking],” Waldron said. “I was so excited about that opportunity.”

“When I heard that it was going to be a series about Loki. It was already, you know, my favourite character in the MCU and it was going to have a time travel element. Just the opportunities for chaos and fun within that. Obviously it seemed like it would be a great time as writers, so I just went after it and started eliminating my enemies one by one, so I could try to get the job.”

Coming in to direct the series, Kate Herron said that she had a plan to get the job.

“I remember that I found out they were making the show and I told my agent to just call them every day until they caved and it worked,” Herron said. “I just was like, ‘just get me in the room, just get me in the room.'”

“So, yeah, consistency, I guess, and being a pain in the butt, got me the job.”

But there’s a lot more to it than that, as Feige, Hiddleston, and Waldron said. Herron helped shape the whole series.

“We knew we wanted to do a Tom Hiddleston Loki series,” Feige said. “We knew we wanted to have time travel elements. Our producer, Stephen Broussard, Kevin Wright, and I were always fans of this Time Variants Authority organization from the comics.”

“For years and years, we’ve loved the idea of it, but just didn’t know exactly what to do with it before Kevin and Stephen had the idea of putting it up as a major part of this show, but it’s really Kate’s meetings with us and her pitch that brought in all those references and allowed us to look at this in a slightly even different genre than we were anticipating.”

“So that’s my answer. Our inspiration was Kate and her and her pitch for this job.”

And then there’s MCU newcomers Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Wunmi Mosaku. How did they feel about joining the universe of characters?

“Well, it’s exciting to be a part of it. You know, with seeing the trailers start to come out, and how excited people get,” Wilson said.

“I’ve kind of talked about how I worked on a lot of things, but the secrecy sort of surrounding this, I didn’t quite understand until I saw that it’s just so much, and the fan base is so revved up and passionate and Marvel’s just so committed to trying to surprise people. So then you kind of get into it.”

After that, he said he was definitely “walking on eggshells… because you’re not quite sure now if this happened in episode three or four, or one, or have they already seen it? And so I just tend to sort of fall back on ‘There’s some very shocking things that are going to happen.'”

For Judge Ravonna Renslaye, Mbatha-Raw has a lot of story in the comic books, but that didn’t necessary play a part in Loki.

“Well luckily or unluckily for me, Kate explained to me that this was sort of more of an origin story for Ravonna Renslayer, you know, sort of predating some of the stuff in the comics,” Mbatha-Raw said.

“So all that stuff is there, but there was also the opportunity to feel like we were starting with something fresh with the TVA that hadn’t been seen before by fans on screen. But there’s so much there that I feel like there’s plenty of potential for her in the future as well.”

On the other hand, Wunmi Mosaku plays a brand new character, made just for the series. So how did that impact her role?

“Yeah, no pressure because no one’s got any ideas of what they want her to be,” Mosaku said. “I can bring you who she is and you have to accept it, and that’s just as it is. And I kinda liked that because it does feel like a bit of pressure when you’re joining the MCU. It’s like, it’s the MCU and yeah, being able to just have like a clear slate and just do whatever I want to do with Kate and you know, it’s just, it’s great. It’s fun. It’s kind of free.”

Finally, what can you expect from Loki?

“Well, stylistically, I would say like me and my DP, Autumn [Durald], we were really inspired by a lot of film noir… and you can see that in our lighting and how we approached it. Seven is a very heavy influence. There’s a little reference to Seven in episode two, of a little needle drop, which I’m sure fans of that film will recognize instantly.”

For Waldron, he said “I think Fincher for sure… Zodiac and The Silence of the Lambs were two specific [influences] we were really looking at a lot in the writers’ room.”

There is a lot more to cover from the Loki press conference, so stay tuned for more with the cast and creative team throughout the week.

[thanatophobia-thoughts]

It’s time to talk about Bruno.

By that I mean, yes, we’re going to do another Disney movie on this blog – Encanto.

Encanto as a film is about generational trauma, immigration, seeking a better life, and much else. A portion of it touches on existentialism, which seems to be a theme of Disney movies lately, so I believe it is worth touching on.

It touches both on Predestination, and Purpose.

Predestination is done through the character of Bruno – he has visions that literally tell him the future, but not the whole story. Mirabel could never escape being the one who would create rifts and cracks in her family – not that they weren’t already there – because she is the one not given a gift. I’ll circle back to that.

He also sees the futures of the others – but not perfectly. He tells Dolores her love will be separated from her by an engagement to another. At the end of the film, that engagement is broken, and Dolores is able to begin a relationship with her love interest. So he did, technically, observe an accurate future, just not the end result.

Just as he didn’t observe the end result of Mirabel uniting her family.

Bruno also indicates the future isn’t fully set. Some things certainly happen – but will they all? Human agency is a key factor in it. Had Mirabel not hugged Isabela – or gone to hug her – the Casita’s breakdown would have been different. It likely would have still happened, but perhaps in that case it would have been permanent.

Isabela also could have married the man she didn’t want, forever shutting off Dolores from him.

But what would have happened if they didn’t know the future? Does Bruno know his role in sharing it, and how that makes people respond? Do the prophecies know his role in sharing it, and what that will cause?

Predestination is tricky that way, and I’ve gone over the question of free will here before enough to decide it doesn’t matter, since we don’t know what our future is. It is true, all of our actions are informed by experiences and the situation, so that nothing is truly “free” from influence – but they are our actions to make and decide upon.

The other thing Encanto touches on is Purpose, seen especially in Luisa’s song, “Surface Pressure”, where she has narrowed down her worth to her Gift. So have many others in the family Madrigal, to the point that Mirabel narrows down her lack of worth (and thus need to do even MORE) to her lack of a Gift.

Many who suffer from death anxiety, suffer from this existentialist crisis: what is the purpose of my life?

Would it be better to know your purpose?

For some, perhaps.

For others – debatable, which is what Disney movies like Soul and Encanto have brought more to the surface, by introducing people who think they know their purpose, only to learn that may not be it – or that they have so much more to offer than just that, and usually their purpose is stressing them the hell out.

 Soul even ends on how an ambiguous purpose can be good – to just exist, can be good.

Encanto gives the Madrigals back their gifts at the end, but now they know they are more than their gifts, and are set free from the pressure of it – free to be whoever they want.

 For these reasons, I recommend Encanto – the uncomfortable predestination/free will considerations, and for thinking more about purpose.

 I also recommend it for all the more overt reasons – immigration is a talking point and needs far more thought, as well as generational trauma.

Plus “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is a JAM.

[keepingupwithlinmanuel]

Lin-Manuel Miranda Tells Us What Sets Encanto Apart From Other Disney Musicals

Disney recently unveiled its slate of upcoming animated films, including a brand-new musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Charise Castro Smith, and Zootopia’s Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Encanto might be coming just a few years after Miranda’s previous work with Disney on Moana but it’s a whole new experience for him.

In an interview with io9, Miranda shared some of the first information about Encanto, a Disney animated musical that “takes you to Colombia, where a magical family live in a magical home.” He said what’s unique about this film is, instead of being about one or two heroes who leave the nest to seek adventure, the “intergenerational family” in Encanto is a key part of the story. They don’t disappear the moment the plot arrives to take someone on a grand quest—something we’ve often seen in Disney animated movies like Moana, Onward, and Inside Out.

Miranda said the team’s goal was to create a family-friendly story that’s actually about a family, and he said that’s been a blast to write. “One of the things that we really kind of all talked about—all the creators, Charise and Byron and Jared and I—we were like, ‘We really want to tell a family, an intergenerational family story with all the complexity that brings,’” Miranda said. “So often when you get into story mode, it turns into the hero and the quest—and you lose characters, then you lose complexity because everything becomes the quest. And I think what’s been thrilling about this is, since that’s been our mission statement, it’s been really fun to sort of write, you know, musical family dynamics in a really fun and complicated way. I’m really excited for the world to finally see it.”

The project—which is set to be Disney animation’s 60th feature release—has been loosely in the works since 2016, though it ramped up more recently and Miranda’s been part of it since the very beginning. It looks to be his most in-depth contribution to the Wonderful World of Disney so far. He even got to go on the research trips to Colombia.

Miranda told us how being involved from the start—unlike with Moana, where he was brought in to write the music after the film was well underway—has given him a chance to connect with (and influence) the plot in a new and exciting way. “The biggest difference is that I’ve been able to be sort of in since the ground floor. With Moana I was kind of the last guy hired. And they were really a couple of years into the development of the story before I started working on it,” he said.

“[Encanto’s] been really fulfilling to have worked on. It’ll be three years by the time the movie comes out,” he added, “And I’m still writing! Like, as soon as I hang up with you, I go back to work on those songs.”

Encanto is set to be released in theaters on November 24, 2021.

[b00t-s]

We're all gossip-y bitches sometimes

this is part two

Janus xey/xem

Roman she/he

Patton he/him

Virgil he/him

See the character intros for more info

TW. Swearing, arguments, alcohol, drunk characters, the word v//mit is used once, characters being characters, past trauma mentioned, tiny tiny tiny sprinkle of angst but just a passing of it at end, and nothing to intense

Again, tell me if I'm being insensitive. Shout at me if I am.

Summary: Patton goes to talk to Janus about Roman. The group opens...'some' bottles. Virgil adds on some...interesting opinions.

Events occur few hours after this.

Janus just finished xeir nightly shift when Patton came bounding up to xem. Janus raised an eyebrow at how ecstatic he looked.

"Yes?" Xey managed out, forcing back the hundreds of snarky comments xey could of said right then.

"Can you hang out at My house later?" Patton practically beamed out.

"why would I want to 'hang out'? It's just a social construct created to give people a higher sense of being." Janus remarked, flipping to closed/open side to closed.

"So you'll be there?"

"hmm. Will doom-and-gloom be there?

"doom and---ohhh, Virge. Yeah, probably," Patton realised now that this was a bad mix of people to invite "probably-probably not for long though!"

"Fine" Janus replied, taking off xeir apron. Xey ignored the obvious lie. "I'll be there in an hour." Xey knew one way or another xey would end up there due to Patton's... effective persuading.

"Great!" Patton exclaimed "oh yeah, and...um...it's raining outside so..take my umbrella, kay?"

His tone more serious all of a sudden, Patton nodded to Janus' heavily made up face, so well done an ignorant bystander wouldn't of noticed the thick layers of foundation on xeir face.

Patton handed xem a translucent umbrella, patterned with cute frogs and flowers, to Janus. Ignoring the distasteful cartoons, Janus nodded and took the umbrella.

"See you soon, Jan!" Patton cheerily waved as he bounced off.

Janus folded xeir apron, opened Patton's umbrella and braved the outdoors.

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

Janus arrived at Patton's house exactly on time, bone dry, despite the heavily flowing rain. Patton expected nothing less of his friend. He invited xem inside, amazed as always by his friend's everyday fashion.

Jan was wearing a casual yellow shirt over a long sleeved black shirt. Fishnet gloves adorned xeir hands, and xeir ruffled hair was let lose.

Xeir fashionably messy hair was topped with a neatly placed black fedora, which of xey never took off. Xey even scarred persuaded Thomas to let xem wear it to work.

Patton offered xem a smile, and walked xem upstairs. "Hi Jan!" He grinned.

"Hello" xey replied mundanely.

Xey absent-mindedly glanced at Patton's outfit, which contained a violet cashmere sweater, bell bottomed jeans, circular silver glasses and a sunflower clip in his perfect curls.

It was a good look, xey had to admit.

When they both reached Patton's room, Janus stood still, taking in xeir surroundings.

Patton's room was covered with things from the 2000's; Tamagotchi's, stickers pressed up against the pastel wall, stuffed animals, wristbands, old CD's, care bears posters and butterfly clips littering the floor in a deadly trap.

A trans flag was pinned above the single bed with blue tack, right next to some inspirational and motivational quotes.

The whole place looked like it had been puked on by unicorns.

It hurt Janus' eyes.

Xey was a little overwhelmed by all the spiraling colours and nostalgia-inducing objects, so xey sat cross-legged in the middle of the pink carpet. The world slowed down.

Janus wondered, not for the first time, how a 29 year old could be this cheerful.

.

Or appear this cheerful.

"Jan?"

Janus gave a small twitch of xeir head, realising that xey had spaced out. "Hmm?" Xey replied.

"Hey, you were up with the clouds! I was just saying, I think Virge is here" Patton chirped.

"oh"

"he...might be staying for a little longer then i said"

"How wonderful." Janus muttered, knowing this would happen but hating it anyway.

"oh, don't be like that! I'm sure you guys could become friends!" Janus snorted. "Or...at least not kill at each other whenever you're in the same general area" Patton corrected.

"Anyway! I'm going to greet him at the door!" He suddenly proclaimed, skipping downstairs.

Janus was disgusted at how naïve this man was.

But that was a lie.

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

Patton slowed his happy skip to a casual walk. His grin slipped into a content smile as he reached the end of the stairs. Being so happy takes its toll on people, he thought. Soft tapping of the door interrupted his thoughts as he opened the door to reveal Virgil.

The first thing you notice about this man was his unfair tall-ness. He nearly had to duck to get inside; being too skinny didn't help. Virgil was wearing a plain black hoodie over a mcr top, completing the look with a short, pleated skirt and docs. His face was slathered in white foundation, accompanied with dark eyeshadow under his eyes.

"Virge!! I'm glad you could make it, even if you are late!!Again!" Patton hugged his friend, genuinely glad for his presence. The taller man patted Patton's curls awkwardly.

"Heyyyy Pat-" Virgil did the awkward pats on the back everyone does when they want to get out of a hug but don't want to say it in fear of hurting ones feelings. "Traffic-"

Patton withdrew from the hug and smiled. "okay! at least you're here safe! Can't control the traffic"

"Janus is waiting for us upstairs" Patton continued. He hurriedly carried on speaking before Virgil could spit out an insult about xem "say, you know what I hate about stairs? They're always up to something!" Patton laughed at his own joke, whilst Virgil pretended to face-palm, hiding a snigger.

"Alright, Alright dAd, didn't you say snake face was waiting for us?" Virgil mocked. Patton chuckled uncomfortably at the nickname, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah, we shouldn't leave xem waiting"

They both entered his room, having walked the short journey there in a comfortable silence. Patton noted Janus had not moved from were he left xem; xey had just shifted to read a book xey most likely found lying around. Janus looked up upon their arrival, xeir face immediately twisting into a mocking grimace upon seeing Virgil. "ah, you brought the racoon"

"Janus play nice--"

"you're one to talk, you participated in 2012 Tumblr" Virgil threw back

"must you be so wounding" Janus dramatically threw xeir hand against xeir forehead.

"okAY, that's enough guys." Patton firmly said. Janus pulled a face in reply, and Virgil returned the favour. Patton sighed. He just wanted them to get along, which was probably a high expectation by itself.

Perhaps he had booze leftover somewhere.

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

Twelve near fist fights, two crying sessions and many, many, many bottles of alcohol later, it was nearing eleven pm and the group was drunker than a litter of catnip high kittens.

They all crowded into a close-knit circle on the bed, nearly falling off but not caring.

"ssso your telling me that flashy asss hhimbo sssssaid I wasss hot but then rude and that I wore too muchh makeup? What a *hic* bitchh" Janus hissed.

Patton giggled. "yeeeeee, be nice though! She was kindaaaa alllllllll over the place!" Patton continued bluntly, "But how would you feel if I set you guys up????~"

"oh pleassssse do, I would just love that" Janus may be trashed but xey still knew sarcasm. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending who you are, Patton did not.

"yayyy! This is gonna be great!!"

Virgil butted in then, waving around the bottle he was holding "hold on, just holllld on a minute there, you're planning to set up that" he vaugly gestured in Janus' direction "with Princy??? Xey've known her for what, 4 minutes? Life isn't a disney movie"

"Dare I detect a hint of jealousy there emo?" Janus purred "am I that lovable?" Xey hiccuped.

"ooooooooh" Patton leaned into the circle, loving the drunk drama.

"wouldn't you like to know weather boy" Virgil droned back, finishing off the bottle.

"Honey, I would dare ssay that was a yesss"

"nO"

"oooooo, you liiiiike meeeEe"

"you disgust me"

"kinky"

Patton shook his hands excitingly at them, nearly hitting Virgil, causing them to shut up. "I can't believe you're finally open to a relationship after what happened! With my best friend no least! Boy did I try to get you to go on more dat--" Patton suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth as if he just said something nasty.

.

.

Everyone went silent. Janus stared at Patron, xeir mouth slightly parted. Virgil laughed nervously to try and break the tension. It sounded strained.

Janus began to speak to stop Patton from starting to spout drunken apologies. "Well thatssss jusst a liee, I've dated pleeenty of people over..well...that...period..of time."

Everyone went silent again, not quite sure on what to say.

Virgil's anxiety was heightening due to the social awkwardness and the influence of the alcohol.

Patton was fidgeting in his lap.

It was Janus yet again who broke the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Sssso, *hic* you ssaid you wanted me to go out with thisss idiot?"

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

first-previous-next

updated masterpost

tag list: @arrowthenon-binaryroyalty, @spellingwillbethedeathofme,

ask if you want to be added or removed from tag list

and we meet our boi virgil

context is for losers

i could of probably cut out unnecessary things in that but y'know I'm new and I like it

these posts will be in chronological order, unless flashback, but it's not following a set-in-stone story line, so asks are, yet again, much appreciated.

I procrastinated too much during the making of this

[webcomixwastaken]

I’ve followed Lindsay Ellis's videos on YouTube for 10+ years. Even back in the dark NC days I was always struck at how she deftly combined thoughtfulness with humour and cleverness. Even with the bits that didn't age well -- not because of who she was as a person but because 2010 was SUCH a different time, genuinely, I can recall "jokes" and "facts" that my friends and I would say that none of us would even consider now -- she definitely stood out amongst her colleagues as someone with great talent and perceptiveness.

So discovering that she's no longer going to update her channel makes me say: GOOD! FOR!! HER!!! She deserves to walk away from this black hole of awfulness! She doesn't need to be screamed at all the time anymore!! Good for her!! She is free!!

I watched the Raya Twitter meltdown happen in real time and it was the most ridiculous shit I've ever witnessed. So much bad faith reading, so much blood in the water for the sharks to chase after. Even my own Twitter moots (from writing and book twt because that’s where I hang out on that site) were furious about The Tweet, but as I went down my feed I realised that a ridiculous game of telephone was going on. They were upset about a very legitimate issue but it wasn’t... at ALL what she was talking about. I know it’s unhelpful to say “if you watch her videos...” to get people to understand that she was talking from a craft/structure perspective or that her tone is always very snarky and dry since that’s not what Twitter is interested in. Twitter is where nuance goes to die.

From the moment it was announced, I thought that Raya and the Last Dragon looked mediocre at best and yes, derivative. But that's not bad, necessarily? People are always comparing things, and that's even how a lot of marketing works! In pitching or querying agents, you're often asked, nay, expected to provide comparative titles to show that you understand your audience. So when she compared a well known western-helmed Asian-influenced fantasy TV show to a new big name western-helmed Asian-influenced fantasy film why... are we... so shocked and angry? Personally, I feel like any racism involved in The Tweet is symptomatic of the system, how the west perceives and judges eastern stories, not Lindsay’s character.

And honestly? Since I’m not diaspora I do not give much of a shit for representation the same way overseas kids do. Like Lindsay pointed out, we are not monolith so I don’t like being told that something is an ~Asian~ universal theme. We are the biggest continent in the world and even my tiny ass city of Hong Kong has an ENORMOUS gulf of opinions of what defines us?? So as an Asian in Asia, my opinion of “wow, Asian rep in western culture” is mostly indifference with a side helping of annoying. Because it’s often reductive and token and I don’t see myself in them at all. And in these big budget animated films... I’m usually not very excited with how we’re depicted either. Do you really have to draw our eyes like that? I remember looking in the mirror as a kid and thinking, “What the heck are white people on about? My eyes are big and round. Most of my friends don't have tiny eyes either.”

Also, DISNEY DON’T NEED MY MONEY! It’s such a laugh that they made this movie claiming to uplift SE Asian narratives and culture and it wasn't even available in many of those countries. However, I can't say anything else because I'm not SE Asian. But that’s it exactly, I don’t have a dog in this fight. So I didn’t say anything!!

Sometimes I really think that people need to realise that you don't need to put out every single opinion you have on the internet. In fact, I remember thinking “oh no, Lindsay, please, just stop tweeting” but it was a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. If she tried to apologise, she was a whinging backpedalling phony. If she stayed silent, she is rotten to the core and doubling down on racism! If she explained herself, which she tried to do, it would just be more fuel to the bonfire of dogpiling and threats and tearing apart every shred of nuance that could possibly still exist on Twitter. And she KEPT on getting dogpiled and threatened and even under today's goddamn post announcing that there will be no more videos, she's STILL being pelted with petty, stupid attacks by the faceless keyboard warriors. Oh my god, stop and SHUT UP, you won.

So good for her that she's left, and good for her that she refuses to apologise because she doesn’t have to. It would not have been sincere, and she really didn’t do anything wrong. I really hope she continues to host Musicalsplaining with Kaveh because I dearly love the podcast, and maybe she's still got a contract with PBS Storied, but if she doesn't do either of those, it's absolutely in her rights to do so. She doesn't owe us anything. Perhaps she'll be able to devote her time to writing more books, or perhaps she'll just disappear from the internet forever and again... deserved! Whatever she wants! Good for her!!

Godspeed Lindsay Ellis, you are a genuine human being deserving of peace and I earnestly hope you get some after putting so much of yourself on the chopping block for nothing else but our entertainment. I'll always support you.

[swiftlymoniquesblog]

A Real-Life Disney Prince: Chris Evans x Reader

Summary: Reader reminds Chris that he is, in fact, a real-life Disney Prince.

A/N: Hello friends! I am so excited for this because it’s my first time writing for Chris Evans! I may not talk about him as much but I LOOOOOOOVE him! He is an absolute cutie and I love him with my whole heart! I may or may not have had to watch The First Avenger for inspiration but it’s fine! I hope everyone likes this one; please leave feedback!

Warnings: A bit of sadness and missing someone but LOTS of fluff! 

Word Count: 1,966

Marvel Masterlist| Masterlist of all Masterlists

Requests are open! Feedback welcome! Tag list requests open!

Almost every little girl longs to be a princess and since the 1920s, Disney has been the mastermind behind the world of princesses. They knew how to capture the attention of girls young and old from around the world, on what being a princess is all about. Over the decades, however, these ideals change. More and more skin tones, backgrounds, and cultural influences have changed these princesses. Not every princess desires to fall in love with prince charming, has the influence of magical singing animals or fairy godmothers to guide them on how to be a princess. Now, there are stories of real-life stories of struggles to conquering them that draw a vaster group of individuals. Anyone from any background can be represented in films and that is overall, the greatest representation of the human race. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Are there ways representation needs to change? Of course! But you need to start somewhere and now the tables are turning.

Never in a million years did you think you’d find yourself with one of these ‘princes.’ Sure, you believed in love and believed in a happily ever after of sorts, but what you didn’t know, was you’d have your own version of Prince Charming. He came in the form of an actor; tall, handsome, bright blue eyes. He was brilliant when he stood in front of a camera, immediately capturing your attention. Hailing from Boston and taking the world by storm with his one recurring role, he won the world over and took his character into the real world. With all different movies under his belt, how did you manage to date someone like him? Well, it wasn’t something you’d ever expected; isn’t that when they say you find ‘the one?’ Your story, however, is nothing close to traditional but that is what makes it interesting.

“Hey, (y/n), I know I said I was supposed to be coming home soon, but they asked me to stay on set longer. I know, we had plans and I am sorry for having to cancel them. I feel like a shitty boyfriend and you deserve to be treated so much better, but I promise, as soon as I get home, I am all yours. I love you,”

Your boyfriend left a voice message on your phone, leaving some of the worst news you can imagine; he wasn’t going to make it home. At this point, you were really surprised he was canceling because his demand as an actor was through the roof, but you never wanted to stand in the way of his job, something you knew he was passionate about. Dating Chris Evans was no easy task but you knew that when you agreed to go out with him. You’d been friends for a few years before he finally admitted he had felt more than friendship for you. His schedule though, was constantly changing and it was hard for you to keep up with, but even being in the beginning stages of your relationship, you knew he was special and worth the time.

You sigh, disappointed that he wasn’t coming back yet, so you gather up your things and load them into your car. You had plans to spend a week with him at his place in Boston, as he would take you around and show you where he grew up. But now, you figured that wasn’t the best idea so you packed up and went to stay at your best friend’s apartment. When she heard about the new of Chris, she offered you a place to stay, in hopes that would take your mind off the disappointment you felt. He spent so much time at your place, that everything there, reminds you of him. Thinking it was the best decision for you, you agreed and were now on your way to your friend’s house.

“They, thanks Angela for letting me stay here for a bit,” you say as Angela opens the doors and lets you inside, hugging you before you had a chance to put your bags down.

“Oh, of course! I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you right now. I know you were looking forward to Chris coming home and going to Boston with him. But he’ll be home soon; I have a good feeling,” she said, helping you settle into your shared room.

“I hope so,” you say, not knowing Angela was absolutely right.

A few days had passed and you did everything in your power to keep yourself busy. Anything to keep Chris off your mind, you’d do it, but it was no easy task. In a short period of time, he had become the most important person in your life and he took over every thought in your mind. You kept busy with work and when you weren’t working, you spent your free time cleaning around the apartment and volunteering in your community. Ultimately, your attempts failed; he was always on your mind. At least you kept yourself busy. A week-and-a-half had gone by, and Angela said she had a surprise for you.

“What are you planning?” You ask, questioning your friend the next morning at breakfast.

“Not me, well sort of me, I helped a friend plan something, but I can’t say what it is,” she rambled for a minute, causing you to laugh at the way her words ran together.

“Whoa, whoa, take an easy, Angela, one word at a time! Now, this surprise, what do I have to do?” You ask, tilting your head to the side like a puppy.

“All you need to do is stay in today; don’t go out,” she says.

“What? But I had plans to get my nails done and go to lunch with my Mom!” You whine, not believing what she was asking of you.

“It’s okay, I canceled your appointment twenty-four hours ago and called your Mom to reschedule lunch,” Angela said.

“Why do I need to stay at home? What’s going on?” You ask, now really questioning what was happening.

“All good things to those who wait,” Angela says, winking at you. That was odd; she knew that was something Chris always says so why was she saying it now?

She had left the room to get herself ready for her day, before leaving for the day. Oh, so she could go out but you couldn’t? As angry as you were, you had to put that all aside. You could definitely use a day off since you’d been busying yourself with not thinking about Chris. Deciding to take Angela’s advice, you stayed in your pajamas and cooked up some food for breakfast. However, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t stop thinking of Chris. He loves breakfast and loved having lazy days at home with you and Dodger.

After you finished eating, your emotions of the last week-and-a-half, got the better of you. Another message from Chris was left on your phone.

“Hi babe, I miss you. I was just thinking about you today, well every day really. It’s been too long since I’ve seen that pretty face of yours or held you in my arms and the thought of all those things, is what is keeping me going right now. I’ll be home before you know it; I promise. I love you.”

At a few months of the relationship, Chris admitted first that he loved you. Normally, you wouldn’t jump to those three little words so soon but you had known Chris for monger than you two had been dating and you knew from the very start, that you loved him. Grabbing some blankets and pillows from your room, you head into the living room, wrapping a blanket around you and a few pillows for you to lie on, and spread out on the couch. With the remote in your hand, you switch to Disney+ to find a movie. Seeing the tabs at the top of the screen of the movie collections, your heart breaks momentarily but you go along with your plan. The tab? Marvel. You scroll through all the Marvel films and land on one of your favorites with a great performance from Chris; Captain America: The First Avenger. Where we were introduced to Steve Rodgers and Captain America for the very first time. Just as the movie was reaching a vital part, a knock on the door interrupted your attention. You groan at whoever was crazy enough to interrupt you in the middle of a movie, you unwrap yourself from the cocoon you made for yourself and answer the door.

“Oh my God,” you say, unbelieving who you were seeing before you with a bouquet of roses in his arm.

“Ah, there’s my girl,” Chris said, smirking at your surprised facial expression.

Without another spoken word, you throw yourself into his waiting arms, the flowers dropping to the ground at your feet. He holds you tight and spins you around as you bury your face in his shoulder. He was right; it was too long since you two saw the other. It wasn’t until you were both inside that he set you back down, and he took the empty space of the couch next to you.

“What are you doing home so soon?” You ask, surprised to see your boyfriend sitting beside you.

“I finished my time on set. They said I could go home so I jumped on the next plane out and here I am,” he says, smiling at you. “I am so glad I am home to my girl.”

“I can’t believe you’re here, Chris. I missed you so much,” you say, scooting over on the couch and cuddling into his side. His arms find their way back to you so you nuzzle your head on his chest.

“Oh, so we’re watching me, huh?” He jokes, seeing the movie had been stopped on a shot of him in full patriotic uniform.

“Oh no, we can turn that off. I have something better we can watch.” Fishing for the remote that somehow lodged itself deep in the couch cushions, you turned off Captain America and found another Disney movie; Beauty and the Beast.

“So, I see, this is what you want to watch,” he says more as a question than a statement.

“Yeah, because I think our story is similar to Belle and Beast,” you state.

“So, you think I’m a big hairy monster?” He jokes and you laugh.

“No, I don’t think that! But you are a real-life Disney Prince you know?”

“I am?” He asks, genuinely wondering about what you meant.

“Yeah! Because you did films for Marvel for what, 10 years or so? And you were a leading character too! And since Marvel is owned by Disney, then, you are a Disney prince,”

He stopped for a minute to think about your comparison, and then smiled to himself.

“You know what, you’re right. I guess I’ve been living out a childhood dream for a long time now. Thanks for making me realize it,” he said, leaving a lingering kiss on your lips.

“So, how long are you home for?” You ask, afraid of his answer.

“Until the next project comes up. I don’t know when that’ll be but right now, I want to enjoy every minute with my girl,” he says, rubbing a thumb across his shoulder.

“Well, I hope you don’t have to go anytime soon; I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby. And we still have our trip to Boston coming up and I have quite a few surprises up my sleeve,” he says winking at you.

“I can’t wait,” you say.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Chris,” you say, cuddling back into him and enjoying the movie with your own Disney Prince.

Taglist: @tloveswriting​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @thinkinghardhardlythinking​ @to-my-beloved-fandoms-2​ @damn-stark​ @lunalovecroft​ @calaofnoldor​ @angeredcrow​ @marvelfansworld​ @440mxs-wife​ @hobby27​ @lovabletomholland​

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

October/November Picks

Long time no see! So...it’s been a little bit since I’ve posted a wrap up. I had all intentions of posting one after October, but then you know life gets ahead of you and before you know it it’s Thanksgiving. Not much has changed in my viewing habits for these past two months, so I thought I’d group them together for a mega wrap up. Hope you enjoy :)

Without further ado here come some spoilers.....

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SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS

This Disney + original movie was one of my highly anticipated watches for the fall. I am disappointed to share that it was a let down. The concept was such a cool and creative one. Having the second born in a royal family not simply be the “spare” but be the protector...with superpowers! (In a very YA way, getting their powers at a specific age.) They just should have gone about the story in a better way. I wanted more time with them learning about the powers and to make the villain stronger. Overall the acting wasn’t bad (which is good for a Disney + original), but it was just lacking. The movie was LONG and yet much did not feel like it happened. It was cool seeing Casa Loma (the castle they filmed at) as I was just there two summers ago. Sadly, I will not be watching this movie again.  

VIOLETTA SEASON 3

We all already know how pumped I was when season 3 of Violetta was released on Disney Plus in September. I couldn’t believe it after waiting so long for the second season. I really enjoyed the beginning of this season and knew we would be headed down a road where I would grow tired of the storylines. 

We have hit that point. 

Quick Violetta rant. Things I am done with:

Roxy and Fausta plot

Fran and Diego being a secret

Herman and Priscilla

Pablo not at the studio

Milton being evil

Ludmilla lying

Recently, my sister is catching up to where I am in the season, so this has pushed me to watch more. I am on episode 43 and some of the above venting has been solved, so that is super exciting. I am finding myself wanting to watch it more now, so fingers crossed it continues to get better. 

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS

Kenny Ortega has done it again! When I first heard the premise for this show and watched the trailer on Netflix I wasn’t too sure. Then both of my sisters watched it and they wouldn’t stop talking about it, so that was a sign that I needed to watch it. Since then, I have watched the show twice and can’t stop listening to the music. THIS. SHOW. :) I get the hype. It’s just so wholesome and feel good. The characters are well crafted and the episodes go way too fast. They are the kind of characters (and cast) that make you wish you were a part of the show. I can’t wait for the next season (because there better be one). Definitely add this one to your list if it’s not on their already. 

THE OUTPOST

The Summer CW shows were pushed to the fall line up due to delays in filming of the originally planned shows. I hope this means that they’re getting a little more love this year. The Outpost deserves it, as it is currently in its third season. (I think it might have gotten a little more now that the 100 is over and the commercial aired during the 100′s last season. Maybe people heard Black-blood and decided to give it a go.) This season has seen a new threat and during the first eight episodes there’s been MANY twists and turns, making it hard for me to remember how this season started. There’s been a lot of unrest in the Outpost and changes in who is in charge. While there are some unnecessary plot-lines (like that Tobin had to be married), I’m really enjoying others. Like how important Janzo is, his relationship with Ren, more Munt and that TALON AND GARRETT FINALLY GOT TOGETHER!!! It makes me so happy and is what we deserve after these three seasons. I love how strong both of their characters are and how they are both Warriors. I hope the season ends strong. 

PANDORA

Just like The Outpost, Pandora was originally a Summer CW show that is now airing its second season. I really enjoyed the first season (like more than I was expecting), so I went in with higher hopes for this new season. Unfortunately, I have been let down so far. With the first season, there were parts that left me confused and my biggest review of this show has always been how there were gaps or moments where I didn’t know how much time had gone by. Those kind of things I could overlook, but this season the overall plot just seems weaker. I think this in part because of so many new characters. I know a lot of the season 1 cast ended their characters’ plots away from the Academy, but I wasn’t expecting them not to be a part of this season’s story. That has been a difficult adjustment. I also feel like I only understand Jax’s story and not so much about the other government/rebellion points. It’s getting a little better, but I hope it gets to be more enjoyable. 

THE SPANISH PRINCESS--SEASON 2

When I originally was creating this list I had just started this season, and felt completely different than I do right now. I just finished this season last week. Much like my above review on Pandora, The Spanish Princess wasn’t sucking me in. I had a few episodes gather on the DVR. Then once we hit episode 3 or 4 and more drama was starting/Henry was starting to show glimpses of the Henry VIII we all know, I was growing more interested. In season 2 of the Spanish Princess, we do not see a loving Catherine and Henry for long. Problems Catherine have in conceiving a boy (male heir) are one of the main focal points, as is Woolsey’s growing influence on the king. With several sub-plots this season, I specifically enjoyed learning more about Meg in Scotland (as a big Mary Queen of Scots/Reign fan, I liked seeing a portrayal of her grandmother) as well as Princess Mary Tudor (who I was unfamiliar with. I loved her and Charlie Brandon’s relationship and wish we could have gotten more.) Each week I watched this show, I found myself Googling a lot. That is always one of my favorite parts of watching a historical drama based on true events. I know right now it looks like the producers aren’t continuing with the Tudor line and might have a different part of history as their next show, but I wish they would. I’m feeling the call to watch the Tudors as it’s on Netflix and I haven’t seen it before. I want to learn more about his wives. 

BLOWN AWAY

In a complete shift from a period piece, here is another Netflix show I thoroughly enjoyed watching last month. Do you find the act of glass blowing to be extremely interesting, but you would never dream of trying yourself? Or do you like competition game shows that are not like anything else you’ve watched before? Then Blown Away might be for you! It’s a very fast watch with only a handful of episodes that are about a half hour a piece. (I honestly wished they were a bit longer because it was SO GOOD!) Each contestant is a glass blower and they get to show off their skills by competing in a specific challenge. Each episode you see someone get eliminated until the final where the winner gets a residency at Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York. This show came out in 2019 and I am hoping a second season comes out.   

LIFE IN PIECES

This CBS comedy was one that I remember loving when it first came out. But I only remember watching the first season because then I couldn’t remember which day it was on. (It’s going to sound weird, but because I don’t watch a lot on this network I often forget it exists. We also only had a one room DVR at the time, so we couldn’t tape more than 2 things. Oh, the joys of multi-room DVR). After I finished my re-watch of Derry Girls in September, I was looking for another sitcom to re-watch. This was when I stumbled on the full series of Life in Pieces on Amazon video. (It’s free to watch with Prime.) I was so surprised to see there were 4 seasons! Since then I have been watching a good amount of episodes when I sit down to watch it. Now I’m about mid way in the second season. I highly recommend this show if you haven’t seen it before. It gives vibes of Modern Family. Very short episodes that include four storylines. The format is one that I haven’t seen done before in a sitcom.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

The revival of the beloved game show from the early 90s is now hosted by Leslie Johns and is the best thing you should be watching on Sunday nights. If you know your grocery shopping list like the back of your hand then you are all set for this show. Leslie Johns is hilarious as are the cast of characters that are regulars in her supermarket. I think it would be a great TV show to be on and I’m not just saying that because I want one of the sweatshirts (although that would be great). If you want (another) feel-good watch, look no further! You catch up on demand. 

RE-WATCHING

ANNE WITH AN E

It’s hard to believe that we only got the third season of Anne with an E at the beginning of this year (as this year feels like its been going on forever and when I watched the third season I was in a much less stressed place). Currently, I am teaching a class involving Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. The main focus is on how these stories get adapted in recent times and include such modern plots (and sub-plots). Naturally Anne with an E is perfect for this topic (and after watching season 3 at the start of the year) was one of my major reasons for choosing this topic. (The other being Greta Gerwig’s latest Little Women.) As I’ve been planning my schedule, I’ve re-watched this show. There is something so great about watching it from season 1 all the way through to season 3. You get to watch them grow up and it’s crazy to see how young they first were. Comparing it more to the novel has been a fun time, but also analyzing it more has been great and made me appreciate it even more. With all the stress of our current situation watching this show has made me escape and feel good. (Yes, I know I’ve used that word a lot in this wrap up, but it’s true.)

***

******

Hopefully my next wrap up isn’t as delayed. Wishing everyone a happy holiday season! 

[crowdvscritic]

round up // MARCH + APRIL 21

March and April were a whirlwind of vaccines and awards shows! A full year after we starting staying at home, the end of this weird chapter in recent history seems like it might finally be coming to a close, and this pop culture awards season—typically a time full of fun and glamour—captured our moment weirdly well. (Emphasis on the weird.) This month’s recommendations is filled with more Critic Picks than usual, so without further delay, let’s dive right in...

March + April Crowd-Pleasers

Double Feature — 2018 Action Thrillers: Bad Times at the El Royale + Den of Thieves

In Bad Times at the El Royale (Crowd: 9/10, // Critic: 8/10), Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, and Dakota Johnson are staying at a motel on the California-Nevada state line full of money, murder, and mystery. In Den of Thieves (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6.5/10), Gerard Butler takes on some of the best bank robbers in the world. Whether you like your action with a dose of mystery or the thrills of plot twists, these will fit the bill.

Double Feature — ‘80s Comedies: Caddyshack (1980) + Splash (1984)

In the mood for pure silliness? Take your pick between a mermaid and a gopher! Five years before The Little Mermaid, Tom Hanks fell for Daryl Hannah’s blonde hair and scaly tail, and John Candy was his goofy brother in Splash (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10). And four years before Ghostbusters, Bill Murray was the goof on a golf course full of funny people like Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight in Caddyshack (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10).

Double Feature — 1980s Coming-of-Age Films Starring Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, and Challenging Brother Relationships That Influenced Stranger Things: Stand by Me (1986) + The Lost Boys (1987)

Believe it or not, I had no idea these two ‘80s classics had so much in common when I chose to watch them back-to-back. In Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Stand by Me (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 9/10), four kids (Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, River Phoenix, and Wil Wheaton) are following train tracks to find a missing body. In The Lost Boys (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10), Corey Haim and Jason Patric move to a small California town and discover it’s full of ‘80s movie star cameos and…vampires? One is a thoughtful coming-of-age story and one is just bonkers, but both are a great time.

Spaceman by Nick Jonas (2021)

My love for the Jonas Brothers is well-documented, so instead of going down the rabbit hole I started digging at 15, I’ll talk about how Nick Jonas’s latest solo album will likely appeal to a wider audience than just the fans of the brothers’ bombastic pop records. It’s full of catchy tunes you’ll play on repeat and an R&B-influenced album experience about the loneliness we’ve experienced in the last year and how we try to make long-term relationships work.

Ted Lasso (2020- )

I love stories about nice people crushing cruelty and cynicism with relentless kindness, and Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is the warmest, most dedicated leader this side of Leslie Knope. Be sure to catch up on these witty and sweet 10 episodes before season 2 drops later this summer.

Double Feature — Tony Scott Action Flicks: Enemy of the State (1998) + The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

Tony Scott’s movies have got explosions and excitement in spades. I love a good man-on-the-run movie, and in Enemy of the State (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), Will Smith is running through the streets of D.C. after getting evidence of a politician’s (Jon Voight) part in a murder. I also love a tense story set in a confined space, which is what Denzel Washington is dealing with in The Taking of Pelham 123 (Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) after a hammy John Travolta takes a New York subway train hostage.

Double Feature — Baseball Movies: The Natural (1984) + Trouble With the Curve (2012)

Sue me—I love baseball movies. Robert Redford plays a fictional all-time great in the early days of the MLB in The Natural (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10), and Clint Eastwood plays a fictional all-time great scout in his late career in Trouble With the Curve (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7.5/10). If you love baseball or actors like Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, and Justin Timberlake, these movies are just right here waiting for you.

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American (2021)

Sue me—I enjoy Netflix standup comedy specials that are safe enough to watch with your whole family. That’s exactly the crowd I laughed with over Easter weekend, and while the trailer captures Bargatze’s relaxed vibe, it doesn’t capture how funny he really is.

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

I thought somewhere in my childhood I’d seen at least one of The Mighty Ducks movies, but after watching all three, I think my memories must’ve come from previews on the VHS tapes for other Disney movies I watched over and over again. The original still holds up as an grown-ups, which is why even my parents got sucked in to this family movie while just passing through the living room. Bonus for ‘80s movies lovers: Emilio Estevez is basically continuing Andrew Clark’s story from The Breakfast Club as an adult. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

Double Feature — New, Dumb Action on Streaming: Godzilla vs. Kong + Thunder Force (2021)

If you want something intelligent, go ahead and skip to the next recommendation, but if you’re looking for something stupid fun, these are ready for you on HBO Max and Netflix. Thunder Force (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6/10) follows Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as they train to become superheroes who take on superhuman sociopaths wreaking havoc on Chicago, and alongside Jason Bateman, they do it with a lot of laughs. Godzilla vs. Kong (Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 5/10) is, um, exactly what it sounds like, so I’ll skip a plot summary and just say it’s exactly what you want from this kind of movie. #TeamKong

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

All you need to know is Russell Crowe is an outlaw, and Christian Bale is the guy who’s got to get him on the train to prison. I also watched the 1957 version, which is also a solid watch if you love classic Westerns. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10

Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Marvel’s newest series isn’t nearly as inventive as WandaVision, and it may not land every beat, but it’s worth a watch for the fun new gadgets, Sebastian Stan’s dry joke delivery, and its exploration into themes of what makes a hero and what governments owe their citizens. It’s a pretty satisfying entry in the MCU canon, but I’d also recommend re-watching Captain America: Winter Soldier and Civil War—the canon is getting expansive, and it’s getting trickier every year to keep up with all the backstory.

March + April Critic Picks

Best of 2020 Picks

As per usual, the months leading up to the Oscars becomes a binge period for potential Oscar nominees. In March and April, I watched many of the films that made my Top 20 of 2020, including Boys State, The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Let Them All Talk, Minari, Nomadland, On the Rocks, One Night in Miami…, Promising Young Woman, Soul, and Sound of Metal. You can read how I ranked them on my list for ZekeFilm, plus reviews of The Father, Minari, Promising Young Woman, and Soul.

Bonus: If you loved On the Rocks, don’t miss this feature and beautiful photography starring Sofia Coppola, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, and Rashida Jones for W Magazine. 

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

What would you do if you started hearing a voice who narrated your every thought and move? If you’re Will Ferrell, you’ll seek out a literary professor (Dustin Hoffman), fall in love (with Maggie Gyllenhaal), and track down the voice (Emma Thompson) who’s making ominous predictions about your future. Stranger Than Fiction is funny thought-provoking, and an unusual but welcome role for Ferrell. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

All the Royal Family News

Speaking of stranger than fiction, it’s been a busy few months for the Royal Family. We’ve celebrated 95th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the 3rd birthday of Prince Louis, and the 10th anniversary of Will and Kate’s marriage. We also lost Prince Philip, and we watched the drama of Harry and Meaghan’s interview with Oprah. No matter what happens to their Crown, I don’t think we’ll ever get over our fascination with the Windsor family. A few pieces worth reading from the last few months:

“In Meghan and Harry’s Interview, Two TV Worlds Collided,” Vulture.com

“The Queen’s Man: Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Dies,” TIME.com

“Obituary: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” BBC.com

Goodfellas (1990)

One of my film opinions that makes me feel like a phony is that Martin Scorsese just isn’t my cup of tea. He’s brilliant, but his films tend to be long and dark, two qualities that are never my first choice…and somehow Goodfellas still worked for me? Maybe it was the TV edit graciously toning down the violence or maybe it was that Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci were firing on all cylinders, but for some reason this ‘90s classic didn’t suck the joy out of my evening like Scorsese often does. (Bonus: For a Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro I don’t really recommend, head to the last section of this Round Up.)

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021)

Her voice has only matured, so Taylor Swift revisiting her old albums is like upgrading a blast to the past. Plus, the six new tracks make me feel like 15 crushing on that boy in Spanish class again, and her Grammys performance (just before her third Album of the Year win) was magical and folklore-tastic.

Double Feature — ‘60s Action Classics: The Guns of Navarone (1961) + Planet of the Apes (1968)

The Guns of Navarone (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) follows Gregory Peck and David Niven as they destroy Nazi weapons in the Mediterranean. Planet of the Apes (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) follows Charlton Heston as he attempts to escape from, well, a planet full of apes. The pacing of ‘60s films doesn’t always hold up, but that’s not the case with this pair. Both are still full of suspense, and you can’t go wrong hanging with casts like these.

Let Him Go (2020)

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play a farming couple who unexpectedly help raise a boy who lost his biological father—sound familiar? But instead of a superhero origin story, they’re part of a thrilling Western with performances nuanced (Costner and Lane) and showy (Lesley Manville). If I’d watched this before completing my Best of 2020 piece, it likely would’ve been on my list. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

The Oscars

I’m a ride-or-die fan of the Academy Awards, but I’ll admit even I found this year’s ceremony odd. Instead of focusing on what wasn’t so hot, I’ll recommend a few moments you don’t want to miss:

Emerald Fennell giving a shout-out to Saved by the Bell

Daniel Kaluuya acknowledging his parents’ sex life during his acceptance speech (??)

Yuh-Jung Yoon flirting with Brad Pitt and acknowledging she’s just “luckier” than her fellow nominees

Glenn Close dancing to…”Da Butt”?

You can also read about the historic wins and nominations from this year’s Oscar class and why the Golden Globes were an even stranger production weeks earlier.

Trailer-palooza!

Movies are on their way back, y’all! I’m counting down the days until I can get back to a theatre, and even if some of these movies are duds, I’m planning to see all of them on a big screen if possible:

Those Who Wish Me Dead (May 14)

Cruella (May 28)

In the Heights (June 11)

Space Jam 2 (July 16)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (September 3)

West Side Story (December 10)

Also in March + April…

To add to the Oscars love, you can listen to a conversation about what we learn about family, community, and society in some of the year’s biggest nominees on the Uncommon Voices podcast. I join regular hosts Michael and Kenneth in this episode, and I recommend all of their thoughtful discussions on their “What’s Streaming” episodes.

I’ve previously recommended the Do You Like Apples weekly newsletter, so I’m proud to share I contributed twice in March! I wrote about Love and Basketball, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and one of my all-time favorite Julia Roberts rom-coms, Notting Hill. (I also tied to win their Oscars pool, but I suppose that’s less exciting for you than me.)

It was a busy couple of months on SO IT’S A SHOW! New logo, new email list, new Instagram, and a host of new episodes about a flop of a Madonna flick, a Swedish children’s TV show, an urban legend turned into a horror movie, one of the best films about journalism ever, and a Martin Scorsese movie about a real boxer.

Most of what I wrote for ZekeFilm in March and April was mentioned in Best of 2020 recommendations…except for The Nest, a film that couldn’t figure out what genre it wanted to be.

Photo credits: Nick Jonas, Royal Family. All others IMDb.com.