#idk man robbie is doing excellent shit

[janitorjuliann]

dorian saying that caleb has a lot of what he wants. dorian seeing an older man open and confident about his same-sex partner, loving and loved in return, surrounded by friends who love and support him. dorian growing up sheltered and inexperienced with expectations placed upon him, dorian "re-closeting himself" and returning to his birth name out of duty, "oh, i want". are you hearing me!! do you understand!!!

[fang-revives]

Syb Books Forbidden Door

Hi welcome to my completely unrealistic (as in, some of these wrestlers already have confirmed matches) fantasy booking for Forbidden Door. I simply felt like doing this :) Looking forward to the real card, hope you enjoy my silly little musings!

PRE-SHOW:

Utami Hayashita & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jamie Hayter & Eddie Kingston

Actual intergender none of that mixed tag shit. I'm gonna be real here this is just four wrestlers I think are neat. I also think Eddie deserves a Tana match to add to his accolades. Utami and Tanahashi to win, just a good sportsmanlike time. 

CHAOS (Chuck Taylor,Trent?, Rocky Romero, Lio Rush, YOH) vs. The Elite (Golden Lovers/Young Bucks/Hangman)

Listen man. I know people are hyped for Omega vs Ospreay big singles 2 but idk I don't really want a rematch and I'd love to let the Elite get a chance to rest and do zany shit. Booking a GL kiss spot in ring. Lio Rush and YOH are there because boyfriends vs. husbands match. Elite win, lots of goofy hijinks. Okada can show up at the end for tension and then shake hands with Kenny :)

*

MAIN SHOW:

MJF vs. Toro Yano (anything goes rules)

This would never in a million years happen because joyless hacks don't think a biggest boy belt can also be a comedy match. However. MJF is excellent at Wile E. Coyote comedy and I'd love to see him go up against the resident trickster. He can even coward heel it up about not wanting to do a strong style match, it'd work for him! I'd book him to win but barely, this way he can gloat to Mox later that he did what Mox could not. 

TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Lee Moriarty) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castiglioni, Shota Umino) 

We all wanna see DBry vs ZSJ in the ring and this could lead to a big singles afterwards. Yeah I fantasy booked Moriarty in TMDK he's good and deserves more shine. Because this is an AEW show and they're cheating bastards (affectionate) BCC should take this one. But lots of grapple fucking before that please :) 

Kris Statlander vs. AZM 

I think we should do HER BIG against HER FAST I think that would be a really fun matchup. Would be great to see how Kris works with a speed wrestler :") Kris win but barely. This would probably be an all timer on the card. 

Katsuyori Shibata & Ren Narita vs. KENTA & Clark Connors 

Playing to the NJPW fans in the audience but this would have eons of juicy drama behind it. Kenta came back from a grueller of a bad American tour in 2019 to Japan and debuted in NJPW with a then-just-recovered from injury Shibata as his manager. Kenta then betrayed Shibata for Bullet Club. Narita and Connors would have trained together in the LA Dojo– most of the gaijin LA Dojo trainees have gone to Bullet Club by now. The story of Kenta and Shibata grudge match against the backdrop of the golden protegé and the fallen protegé squaring off writes itself. Booking Shibata and Ren to win after a tough fight – lbr, Bullet Club deserves to be put down a little for stealing ALL those good boys. 

David Finlay vs Jay White "who is the REAL bullet club" match 

Ex-Bullet club leader and all around pathetic wet rat Jay White was ousted by his longtime rival Finlay when he left NJPW. Did you know these guys are 12 (Jay) - 2 (Finlay) in singles? Holy shit the drama there. I'd book Finlay to win because Jay is sooooo fun when he's pathetic. 

The Outcasts (Toni Storm and Ruby Soho) vs. God's Eye (Syuri and Konami) vs. Donna Del Mondo (Giulia & Maika) 

I feel like AEW audiences need to see how fuckin sick women's wrestling can be, and we do need at least two Joshi teams to make that happen. I don't follow Stardom in detail but Syuri being an ex-member of Donna Del Mondo might lead to some fun drama. Either of the Stardom teams gotta take this one, I am kinda crushing on Giulia so it can be her (just to stick it to the Outcasts twice, I suppose ;) )

Orange Cassidy vs. El Desperado

Despy is good. So good he deserves to be the one who takes the belt on a Japanese tour. American audiences can enjoy his extremely good splits and he and Orange would be excellent opponents. Despy to win, I really hope they do have a cool Japanese wrestler take the belt on a little tour :)

FTR vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi)

I'm gonna be real with you, this is an obligatory tag match because NJPW doesn't pay nearly enough attention to their tag matches. At least Shingo and Naito will be fun. FTR win obviously, why would they lose against two singles guys?

Jon Moxley vs. Kazuchika Okada 

No shade to Bryan who is a good booking too but I wanna see Okada bleed because I'm a funky little pervert 😌 doesn't matter who wins as long as crimson mask Okada 🥰

[davidmann95]

Is that Solaris I see on the cover of Superman/WW Future State? He returns! I am suddenly interested in Future State.

Anonymous said: So, Future State? Not gonna lie, at the very least I'm liking the artist line up. Also, Idk about you, but the designs for Diana and Yara Flor (the Wonder Woman from the Amazon) are the only ones that I'm really liking so far.

Anonymous said: FUUUUUUTUUUUUUURRRRE. state

Anonymous said: Thoughts on DC Future State?

Anonymous said: Thoughts on Future State?

Anonymous said: You’ve probably been asked already but thoughts on Future State?

Anonymous said: So... Future State just kind of showed up and is very mixed.

Anonymous said: Future State Superman has a heroic cop battling a villainous anarchist. Topical.

Anonymous said: On Dc future state announcements???

Anonymous said:So. Future State's been officially revealed. Your thoughts?

‘Future State’ this, ‘Future State’ that! Look, what’re you gonna believe, Jim Lee or your lying eyes?

So this looks...pretty good? Infinitely better than their previous filler stuff like Zero Month/Villains Month/Future’s End/Convergence. And given Jo Mullein is part of this, Bendis isn’t doing these Superman issues, Steve Orlando mentioned on Twitter that he was told to set aspects of this up in Wonder Woman rather than it being allowed to appear apropos of nothing like most of these, and this isn’t built around a *single* all-encompassing tone or hook - along with getting Dan damn Mora to do your main promo images and a bunch of the character designs - I do believe the plan is that this is still going to lead into new ongoing series, just all the last couple of those crossovers I mentioned did. That’s probably where we’ll see Bendis doing Jon, the Zdarsky/Fraction thing, I expect more of Ridley Batman, and maybe one or two others. In any case, nice to see a bunch of fresh talent in the mix and a more diverse lineup both on and off the page, and a lot of these concepts are neat, even if there are as always some turds in the punch bowl. The anthology model being carried forward from the Walmart titles definitely heralds more of the same, whether in the main line or for a continuation of this. And as for the books themselves, I’m gonna take my reactions one by one.

The Next Batman: Obviously I’m down for this.

Dark Detective: Bruce having a specifically defined new role (as do most of the rest of the old guard) is a smart move for making this sustainable. Tamaki’s let me down recently, but Mora, and also if this follows up on Detective #1027 we might see the Black Casebook. Backups definitely look tepid though. I’m probably gonna hold off on making a call until there’s a preview.

Harley Quinn: Pass.

Robin Eternal: ehhhhhhhh

Catwoman: Oh hell yes, V/Schmidt doing a heist.

Nightwing: Nicola Scott doing Nightwing! Andrew Scott wrote a decent little Wonder Woman/Metal Men teamup story in one of the recent anthologies, so I’m up for this.

Batman/Superman: YES. This seems to be a bit of a prequel thing, but who cares, it’s Yang/Oliver doing World’s Finest.

Superman of Metropolis: I’ve only heard of Sean Lewis doing a few indie horror books, but of course I’m curious about the Jon-as-Superman book and the groundwork I expect it lays. His costume works for me, fitting that ‘sleek and futurey’ mandate without actually rocking the boat too much (and its differentiation is a lot more tolerable with Clark still rocking the cape and trunks), and the premise is really interesting - not surprising, as editor Jamie Rich says many of the ideas for the Superman books came from conversations with Grant Morrison. Which is probably why we’re seeing so much Seven Soldiers and DC One Million stuff in here, although bringing back Manhattan Guardian, given his background, and this premise, for this moment, is questionable at best.

Superman vs. Imperious Lex: This is probably going to be the best thing to come out of this whole shebang.

Superman: Worlds of War: Privately I called that Clark would be rocking the Kingdom Come getup in here (with the belt buckle from Man of Tomorrow for some reason?). I did NOT call that he would literally have the God of War sword. I’d be skeptical at best, but PKJ and Rich have both assured they’re not doing a Dark Superman thing with this, and hot damn, Midnighter backup by Becky Cloonan!

Superman/Wonder Woman: I think this is going to turn out to be one of the biggest gems of this entire enterprise. Dan Watters did an absolutely phenomenal short story for the last Batman: Secret Files, and it’s a big teamup against Solaris!

Kara Zor-El, Superwoman: The Bombshells team reunited! Here for it.

Justice League: God, this might be really good or it might be the biggest disappointment of the bunch. Just at the sight of that I want that to be the Justice League from now on, that is an all-timer iconic cover and set of designs to introduce a group of characters, the concept’s really good, and Flash being from another universe is so cool...and the actual book is Williamson/Rocha. Rocha’s a steady hand I trust well enough, but clearly this is where Mora should have been, and you’re really leaving this to Williamson? He has done good comics, but not many. I can only hope he’s basically a placeholder setting up the status quo for a Future State Justice League imprint book same as I think PKJ and Lewis are setting up whatever Bendis is going to do later. Still, I’m not writing this off entirely, Williamson has still done some good comics and this might well be as enjoyable a two-parter as it should be. And in any case, Ram V doing future stuff with the magic characters is a win.

Aquaman: I was going to say no thanks, but the premise is a little interesting, Daniel Sampere is a good hand, and I haven’t seen Brandon Thomas’s work before but at a glance he seems to have tried some ambitious sci-fi work at Image. I’ll call this a maybe.

The Flash: Hahaha, now we’re in the shit of it. Literally there is nothing about this that would indicate it was set in the future if not for the title, a flat regurgitation of the most tired old bullshit, and it’s by a Young Justice writer to boot. Glad to know even in the future the regular Flash book is going to suck.

Teen Titans: Speaking of books we can be assured will always suck

Shazam!: Who could possibly care

Green Lantern: This one I kinda don’t blame for being nothing, Far Sector is the big Green Lantern thing in this period and they’re not gonna fuck with that so they gotta work around the fringes. Hardly sympathetic enough to get me to buy it though.

Suicide Squad: Okay, alt-Earth Flash rules, but you come up with a disabled Flash with a heavily redesigned but still recognizable and extremely rad new look - looking every inch the “Far Sector but for Flash” premise I’ve been calling for - and you put her in this nonsense? And you waste Javier Fernandez here too? I guess Robbie Thompson is passable from what I’ve seen and maybe the whole Earth 3 thing will result in this turning out alright after all, but this feels like a waste, and that’s before you get to the one story here set in the 853rd century being about Black Adam.

Immortal Wonder Woman: Oh shit this one’s gonna rule though.

Legion of Superheroes: So’s this one!

Swamp Thing: This will be excellent too but I don’t care about Swamp Thing.

Wonder Woman: I’m seeing some immediate division on Wonder Woman - some like her new costume and some hate it (I think it’s really busy but like it a lot with the blues highlighted when Mora draws it), and I understand some have problems with a Brazilian Wonder Woman rooted entirely in Greek mythology rather than any sort of indigenous religion (which I am not remotely qualified to weigh in on). I’ll hope for the best, and obviously it’ll be very pretty, but I wasn’t blown away by Jones’ writing when I tried her Catwoman book, and I hope she won’t fall flat on her face regarding representation.

I’d divide this up into

* Basically no chance in hell: Harley Quinn, The Flash, Teen Titans, Shazam!, Green Lantern

* I’d need to hear good word of mouth: Dark Detective, Robins Eternal, Aquaman, Suicide Squad

* Fingers crossed, getting it but it could go either way: Superman of Metropolis, Justice League, Wonder Woman

* Yeah, I’ll grab this one, looks fun: Nightwing, Superman: Worlds of War, Kara Zor-El: Superwoman

* This is going to be really good: The Next Batman, Catwoman, Batman/Superman, Superman vs. Imperious Lex, Superman/Wonder Woman, Immortal Wonder Woman, Legion of Superheroes, and though I’m skipping it, Swamp Thing

A pretty incredible preliminary hit-miss ratio, and along with all I said before, big shoutout to Darran Robinson for across-the-board incredible logo design work. Like the Superman books mixing Morrison and Bendis, Batman is hyper-topical with a black Batman fighting super-cops who hate resistors in masks (whole Bruce can still be part of the fight but has to reckon with not being the guy in front throwing money around and setting terms anymore), Wonder Woman goes for the obvious pun, and JL feels appropriately iconic, while the rest is hit-or-miss as not central to further plans with this setting. I had zero expectations of this as anything other than Future’s End 2.0 with a couple leading into the not-5G imprint, but while I think that’s still the same basic endgame, for the most part it feels like they’re really trying with this one and I’ve got a good feeling about it.

[lunchador]

Don't mind me but I'm rambling. I'm gonna yell about this here cuz it is my fandom blog and that's what it's for.

Man, The Boys is the perfect example of seeing a comic, seeing the potential, and gutting it for something better. I used to be a fan of Garth Ennis, I used to say he was the kind of writer that could balance edgy in a fun way that wasn't too much, but after revisiting his work I'm like....very unimpressed. And I feel as he keeps releasing series they keep getting worse 😬 I can't say this on FB because some of my male friends hold it in high regards(lots of them read it as angry edgy teens) but Preacher? Kinda a super shit comic. I genuinely think the show was attempting something better by polishing up the core concept (also the casting? Chefs kiss). I liked The Boys. I own The Boys. But the show is a fantastic example of how a comic adaptation does not need to be faithful. I think they made the characters a lot more engaging, they kept the graphic violence but I'm not rolling my eyes at it, and made the overall plot more of an arc versus the previous baddie hero of the week style that made it feel disjointed. And it's nice not to be able to expect what is going to happen next, not like how some shows throw it in a new direction solely to fuck with you versus genuinely interesting. They still sprinkle tons of comic stuff nicely in the show (my friend and I screamed at love sausage). I think the timing of the show is excellent in both that there is a corporate superhero burnout with so many movies and shows being churned out (often playing it too safe where money > interesting) and also reflecting irl events in an eerie but clever way. The whole comic and show is assholes, and I'm thrilled to love to hate them. I couldn't even do much of a reread because it's just not that good to me anymore. Absolutely crazy that Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg read those two comics by Ennis and were like yeah, let's do this.

I feel the same way about Mark Millar though. I cannot stand his comics, I feel like he's pretty good with coming up with a concept but someone always executes it better on his behalf. Kingsman? Kick ass? Wanted? All superior to the comics. I think red son and jupiter's legacy are ones I did like, but I am very interested to see how netflix (?) Does jupiter's legacy in the wake of the boys. Not quite the same, but an edgy superhero series I highly expect people to make a comparison. It's about children of superheros that are struggling to live in their shadows. Drugs, sex, violence, drama.

On the other hand, I am screaming about the Invincible adaptation. IM SO FUCKING EXCITED. Invincible is in my top favorite comics, it got me INTO comics, and I always thought it was vastly superior to Kirkmans famous work Walking Dead. This I do hope sticks close to the comics (though maybe slightly better writing for women characters haha). I already know exactly what they're doing for the first arc and I really really hope we can get further than that because the series gets so fucking WILD. Insane all of the merch and now a show we are getting after the series ends. It's also super long for a western comic series at like 26 trades I think. I hope the show is a success for multiple reasons.

With the old guards success, I hope amazon finally does something with the rights they bought to Lazarus a few years ago. Greg Rucka is truly one of the best comic writers out there and that series is perfect for tv. Which reminds me I need to watch stumptown cuz I just bought the comic to reread and it's so good!!!!

And y the last man finally has its feet on the ground after being in development hell for like 10 years. Brian k vaughn writes the most human characters out there. And also paper girls is gonna be a series!!!! Fucking hell yeah!!! Hopefully it catches people attention as stranger things did. It's gonna be fun. And I hope saga never gets adapted. I truly think nothing will be able to capture it. Leave it as is.

And I'm still sad Chew ended up falling into development hell. Originally showtime wanted to use to to replace Dexter as that ended as their new bloody crime show, then it fell to an animated series which is better imo to pair with how weird it is and showcase the art style but I think the last I heard of it it was pretty much not happening. Especially since iZombie got surprising amount of traction and I guess they expected it to be too similar.

I'm also still bitter about Deadly Class's cancellation. I had a lot of potential. Great cast, good cinematography. It's such a fun tragic comic.

Locke&key was alright, it's such a good horror comic but I wouldn't be able to tell you what would have made the show better. Something didn't quite click for me.

I'm kinda really burnt out on marvel/dc. I don't think either is impressing me lately besides scattered things. I don't think I'm excited for any of the disney+ shows besides falcon+winter soldier and even then expectations are tentatively low. Maybe wandavision? I didn't give a shit about them in the movies but it's heavily based on a run of comics I did enjoy so I'm wary. I know only care about Hawkeye for Kate and she-hulk for the actress. Though I've been having a surprising amount of fun watching Doom Patrol and I enjoyed swamp thing. It's weird. It embraces that weird. There's something I feel like Umbrella Academy is missing it could learn from doom Patrol. Like ua still feels like it played it a bit safe. Idk. Haven't finished it because I'm not as motivated to.

And Faith?? Is gonna get a movie??? A plus size hero??? AHHHH. I have my first issue signed by the author I met at comic con a few years ago.

And watchmen of course.

And outcast, and happy, and powers! And I kill giants was turned into such a good movie!!! So many image comics!!

I just read nailbiter is gonna be a series so that's gonna be bloody and violent and full of serial killers lmao. The ending of that comic got a little ??? For me but I own the whole series so i guess that says something.

What a time to be a comics fan!!! We are so fucking spoiled lmao and there's still sooo many untapped series. I think Criminal would make a fantastic live action drama show. Who does like Intricate crimes and heists and overlapping stories And wic+div would make a stellar show especially if they really had fun with the music. And so many comics I like would make amazing animated series like pretty deadly, or chew, rocket girl. Haunt is another Kirkmans series that has potential to be a fun gritty superhero violent adaptation. Except the ectoplasma attacks haunt has looks like violent jizz sometimes. Idk. Like, URGHHHHHHH. Gimme gimme gimme more comic stuff.

And there's so many good things I'm not even aware it was a comic initially.

And there's so many things I hear good things I have yet to touch like black lightning, runaways ( I love the comics!!, Cloak and dagger (also great comics )

Old comic shit is good too. I've been rewatching the Spawn series. Adult animated superhero stuff is seriously underrated. The tank girl movie is FUN. ROCKETEEEEER!!!!! Disney was supposed to do a remake with a black girl. What happened to that?

I dislike all the cw shows though lmao too cheesy. Also why I can't get into agents of shield though I tried for Robbie.

So many THINGS

[sophygurl]

Dirty Dancing

I had a hankering to watch one of my old favorites today - one I’ve seen hundreds of times and that’s not an exaggeration. I probably watched it one hundred times alone the first summer it was on HBO and I recorded it - I’m guessing 1988 since it came out in 87?

Anyway - the short version of this post is simply that I’m pretty sure Dirty Dancing is a big part of my bisexuality and polyamorousness like. I’m sorry but Baby falls for Penny as much as Johnny and you can’t convince me otherwise and they would make an excellent throuple. And my little hetnormative-trained 13 year old brain didn’t KNOW that was a big draw of the movie for me but it was because the scenes between the three of them were my favorites - especially the dance training montage scenes where they’re all dancing together oh my HEART. But also just like you see so clearly how Baby is crushing on them both so much in those beginning stages and SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SPOKE TO MY LIL TEENAGE HEART OKAY?

So but the longer version is that I still love every single bit of this damned movie (2 minor exceptions - when Baby says “I’m not proud of myself” in her emotional monologue to her dad? I’d take that out. And also I wish the mom had just a smidge more agency but I also get that the lack of agency for the women was a big part of the story- hence these only being slight exceptions).

But okay yes. The movie? Is hella fun with a kicking soundtrack and amazing dancing and acting and Grey and Swayze have chemistry coming out of their whazoodles and I’d throw Rhodes in there too and all of that is fun and sexy and romantic and nostalgic (now for TWO decades since it kinda melds 60′s and 80′s stuff together in some ways).

You know what else though? It’s also just an amazing movie with incredible peeks into the sexism and classism of the era, and especially the intersection of the two. It explores both upper and lower class women’s roles and how both lower class men and women were treated. Swayze’s Johnny Castle is treated like a sexual object and expected to have sex with the upper class women who are being neglected by their husbands (interesting to note that the entertainment staff was forbidden to socialize with the daughters but expected to sex up the older ladies and the more educated upper class staff were expected to romance but not have sex with the daughters of the guests). 

Then there’s Penny and the whole pregnancy/abortion storyline and how Robbie treats both her and Baby’s sister Lisa - spoiler alert he treats them both horribly but in different ways. The mom has almost no agency. Baby thinks she has it, but you can clearly see the difference between when she’s with her family or with fellow upper class Neil and when she’s with Johnny and Penny and Billy - she blossoms into this whole new wonderful person with new insights and opinions about the world because she’s finally seeing outside of the bubble of her family and class. 

The movie does entirely ignore race issues, which is unfortunate. But I’m also guessing that is partly due to the setting - the vacationers would all have been upper class white folk and it seems most of the staff would have been as well. The band leader is a black man, but I think that’s it? IDK if that would have been indicative of the times or not, but it seems like the movie could have figured race into things if it had wanted to. The only other way it’s mentioned is when Neil says when the summer ends, he’s going to join the freedom riders. He seems to say this in order to impress Baby, who has shown she is concerned about social justice issues. And it comes off as a sort of privileged ally-cookie-quest. If Neil’s character did care about civil rights, it was not reflected in the way he treated the lower class staff at his uncle’s resort. 

Despite this lack, however, the movie does a pretty decent job looking at this intersection of gender and class. The way Baby was raised to believe she could change the world, and that this meant she should care about everyone regardless of things like race and class - but then quickly learned that her family (particularly her father) meant she should do these things in a more dignified and distanced way. They sort of humor her ideas of joining the peace corp and studying the economics of undeveloped countries - but the idea of befriending the entertainment staff at the resort is *gasp* Scandal!! 

But because Baby believed in those ideals she was raised with, and hadn’t yet learned the reality of what her parents expected of her - she plows right in and befriends these people whose dancing skill she so admires. She falls in love with dance, and with the people themselves (*ahem* Johnny AND Penny here) and with their easy way of being with one another. 

She rushes in to help wherever and whenever she can, but is still ashamed of her association and hides it from her family. This new world she’s discovered is a sort of guilty secret, and especially so once her relationship with Johnny becomes sexual in nature (AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH AGENCY SHE HAD IN THAT FIRST SEX SCENE LIKE SHE IS JUST GOING ON ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT HE IS TO HER, STARTS TO DANCE WITH HIM, GRABS HIS ASS, AND IS JUST LIKE - YEA BABY LET’S GO!).

So okay, she’s having teh sex and doing teh dance and making teh friends - but it’s still a secret because her family would find it shameful. Does this stop her when she finds out that Johnny is about to be blamed and fired for the theft? SHIT NO it does not! She jumps in to tell the whole world (well okay her family and the Kellerman’s and some other folks in the dining room at the time) that she slept with him that night so he couldn’t have stolen the wallet so THERE! 

And of course he gets fired anyway (I guess for defiling a rich girl? Blech.) but like. When he comes to find her and is all “nobody has ever stood up for me like that! ever!” - I die a little inside because this poor guy has been so beaten down that he doesn’t think he’s good for anything when what WE know about him is that he 1) totally stands by and protects his female bff (possible triad member???? shhh sophy we’re doing a thing here) no matter what and 2) he loves Baby so much because he sees all this good in her and he doesn’t think he deserves her but he is so proud of her and UGH 3) he stops taking the rich guy’s money to sex up his wife because Baby had finally convinced him he was better than that and 4) he works super hard all the time just to make ends meet but would Still have given Penny all his money to help her out and 5) GDI NEIL HE DOESN’T WANNA DO THE PACACHANGA!

All of this culminates when he comes back in and is all “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” - which is such an epic and cool line but is also super cheesy and a bit nonsensical??? But what he means, really, is that in that moment he sees this woman that he loves sitting quietly in the corner with her parents who are suppressing this passionate and compassionate side of her (well mostly her dad her poor mom doesn’t wtf is going on) and he knows - okay - Johnny Castle KNOWS that Fances Baby Houseman is a fucking STAR okay and he is going to show the whole world (well all of the Kellerman guests and staff anyway) what she can do! PHEW.

So like. Yea, the movie is fun as shit for a lot of reasons. But it’s also so real and vital and important for more reasons than just this one gal’s bisexual/poly pre-awakening (it took another 5-10 years to fully get it - this was the 80′s/90′s in Wisconsin alright we didn’t have the internet back then to explain our sexualities to us!)

I don’t have a nice concluding thesis for this rambly meta except to say that I hope you enjoyed it and also I once again scared the crap out of my cats by singing and dancing a lot - they think singing means I’m sad and lonely so they come to comfort me because they call out and howl when they’re sad and lonely. They are so lovely to come and comfort me but the dancing and singing combo really freaks them out like what are you Doing lady - lady we’re scared - what’s happening? Are you ill??? Should we ... how do .. do cats call 911??? 

[hanoverthepizza]

My 100 Favorite Movies from the Last 10 Years

1. 10 Cloverfield Lane

Excellent thriller with an incredible storyline that keeps you guessing the whole time

2. 21 Jump Street

Great combo of comedy and action

3. 50/50

This movie made me CRYYYY

4. 500 Days of Summer

Sick as frick non-linear editing style and a sad but great story

5. About Time

This movie fucked with my head but it has a super cool concept

6. Across the Universe

Amazing soundtrack, amazing acting, just all around amazing

7. Addicted to Fresno

This movie is an absolute shit show but it’s super hilarious and it has a pretty unique plot

8. Alien: Covenant

There are aliens in this. Need I say more?

9. Almanya- Willkommen in Deutschland

Such an important story with some pretty great humor. It does get pretty sad but it’s so so good

10. Arrival

More aliens!! My fave. I also loved how they approached the “peaceful alien invasion” storyline cause that seems to be pretty rare

11. Baby Mama

Poehler and Fey are the most epic comedy duo of our time and this film is proof of that

12. Bad Moms

I’m not a mom but this is funny as hell. The entire cast is a bunch of beautiful, funny women and it’s amazing

13. Big Eyes

Tim Burton is a genius. This movie is so insanely sad but it has such a great plot and it will not disappoint

14. Black Swan

A mind fuck featuring some beautiful acting/dancing

15. Blackfish

I’m scared of whales cause I’m weak but this movie made me love them and hate all the stupid, money hungry corporations

16. Bridesmaids

The height of comedy. This never gets old, even now that I can almost quote the entire thing. Kristen Wiig’s speech in Spanish deserves an Oscar and the plane scene is the greatest moment of any movie ever

17. Changeling

Tragic story but so cool! Definitely a unique concept. I just wanna give Angelena Jolie’s character a hug

18. CHiPs

Pretty dumb (yet great) comedy with some epic stunts. 

19. Contagion

This movie freaked me the fuck out cause the chances of this actually happening are probably so high it’s unreal

20. Coraline

Who knew claymation could be so extremely unsettling?

21. Crazy Stupid Love

Packed full of some pretty awesome people and a sweet twist ending

22. Don’t Breathe

Super freaky and slightly fucked up but damn is it an intensely good storyline

23. Easy A

Emma Stone is a boss ass bitch!!!

24. Er ist wieder da

Terrifyingly relevant in today’s society but it’s also super funny

25. Event 15

Jennifer Morrison’s arms. That is all

26. Ex Machina

Oscar Isaac’s character is a total nut job and it is a joy to watch. Really hope this movie isn’t, like, foreshadowing the future of technology or anything

27. Exit Through the Gift Shop

I love this because I feel like it’s the most insight we’ll ever get into who Banksy really is

28. Fack Ju Goethe

Insanely raunchy German movie with some of the most insane one-liners I have ever heard

29. Fanboys

A bunch of Star Wars nerds go on a road trip and Kristen Bell is there. Pretty perfect movie if you ask me

30. Finding Dory

Baby Dory is the cutest thing I have ever seen

31. Focus

Margot Robbie is in this

32. Friend Request

I am trash for Alycia Debnam-Carey and this is a wonderfully creepy thriller

33. Gayby Baby

This movie is proof that all humans are equal and we should fucking act like it

34. Get Out

Whoa Allison Williams is mind blowing. Also the story is exactly what we need right now. Can someone please make Trump watch this and then fear for his life?

35. Ghostbusters

Kate McKinnon licking a gun is the greatest scene in cinematic history

36. Girls Trip

Tiffany Haddish is a queen and this movie slays. A level of raunchy humor I have not seen in a long time

37. Guardians of the Galaxy

Coolio soundtrack and a coolio cast. Also Zoe Saldana is green so that’s neat

38. Hidden Figures

WOMEN ARE AMAZING

39. Hit and Run

Can Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell just make movies together forever? They are god damn adorable

40. Hurricane Bianca

The savagery in this film is unparalleled. Drag queens are the greatest people among us

41. Hush

Super unique storyline and very awesome to see a film with so little dialogue. You really get caught up in the characters and the plot

42. Identity Thief

I freaking love Melissa McCarthy and the fact that she is completely unafraid to do some crazy shit

43. Imagine Me and You

Why can’t there be 100 movies of Piper Perabo and Lena Headey being adorable together? That’s the content the world wants to see

44. In Time

Olivia Wilde plays Justin Timberlake’s mom and that is some weird shit. Super cool plot though

45. Inception

Trippyyyy. Am I dreaming right now? Probably not. But this movie made me believe that I am

46. Inside Out

Dammit this movie is adorable

47. Interstellar

WHAT IN THE WORLD EVEN IS THIS MOVIE. It’s pure art but also it made me cry three times so be ready

48. Jurassic World

Dinosaurs, bro. Katie McGrath gets eaten by one but I still think they’re cool

49. Keinohrhasen

Ugh romance sucks but for some reason this movie does not. Germans are great storytellers

50. Lady Bloodfight

Please watch this to see a bunch of beautiful, badass ladies kick each other’s asses

51. Life After Beth

Aubrey Plaza is very strange but in an amazing way. This is a zombie movie like you’ve never seen

52. Life As We Know It

Idk why but I think this movie is cute af

53. Lila and Eve

SUCH a twist at the end, my goodness. Viola Davis can do anything

54. Looper

Honestly I haven’t seen this in a while and I kinda forgot a lot of it but I remember thinking it was super epic

55. Lovelace

Yikes this movie is sad but boy is it amazing

56. Masterminds

Not gonna lie, this movie has some pretty dumb humor but I would watch the fight scene between Wiig and McKinnon a million times

57. Moonlight

This story is so incredibly important and it felt magical to witness a film that touches on so many important topics at once

58. Numb

I get cold just thinking about this movie

59. Oculus

This movie fucked me up, man. It has some pretty epic effects and a super crazy storyline

60. Office Christmas Party

What would normally be a mediocre party movie is saved by Kate McKinnon’s portrayal of a crazy bird lady

61. Okja

Do not watch this movie unless you are ready to be a vegetarian

62. Phoebe in Wonderland

This movie is too cute and has a super important message on mental health and also just like being a decent person

63. Phoenix

Man is this story deep. The ending is incredible and the characters are just so insanely well written

64. Pitch Perfect

Holy crap I love Anna Kendrick

65. Red Mist

Goth Katie McGrath. Enough said

66. Room

Ahhhhh this story is killer but it’s so so good. I cried so many times

67. Safety Not Guaranteed

Awesomely weird indie film with Aubrey Plaza. Really love the soundtrack

68. Salt

An hour and a half of Angelena Jolie kicking ass and taking names

69. Scott Pilgrim vs The World

One of the weirdest movies I have ever seen but it’s so charming and wonderful

70. Sinister

This movie is suuuper creepy 

71. Sisters

Excellent party movie. Maya Rudolph’s character is incredible and it also has Lilly from The Princess Diaries so it’s automatically good.

72. Spy

The number of incredibly savage insults McCarthy throws out during this movie is amazing. Also Miranda Hart is my spirit animal

73. Staten Island Summer

“Ms. Greeley, maybe you’ve had a little too much to drink...like forever”. 

Cecily Strong is a comedy goddess.

74. Surf’s Up

I just love penguins okay. Also Chicken Joe

75. Sweeney Todd

Helena Bonham Carter is a gift sent straight from heaven. Tim Burton’s crazy style fits this film so well and the cast absolutely blows it out of the water

76. Tallulah

Super sweet story even though it’s a tad bit fucked up

77. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Don’t watch this unless you’re ready to cry every day for the rest of your life

78. The Conjuring

Scary stuff bro. One of the only horror movies that doesn’t have super shitty writing. It also has Vera Farmiga so that’s a win

79. The Conjuring 2

I’m scared of nuns now

80. The Driftless Area

Such a random, beautiful story that falls into place so perfectly at the end. I’m in awe of the writing

81. La Luciernaga

I’m still blown away by how much I love this movie. Beautiful story about love blossoming from pain

82. The Girl on the Train

Emily Blunt is an insanely good actress and this proves it. Be ready for lots of close ups of her amazing face

83. The Heat

“What am I, the Queen of England?”

“I don’t know, does the Queen of England only wear sweatpants?”

84. The Help

Can Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer just star in everything please

85. The Martian

I want to eat space potatoes. Also kudos to this guy cause if I was stuck on Mars I would absolutely not survive

86. The Place Beyond the Pines

This movie is hella sad but it is a beautiful reflection of the things that drive us and how our families affect our lives 

87. The Ring

The super creepy images make this an epic watch and everything comes together so well in the end

88. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

This is one of the most visually beautiful movies I have ever seen

89. The Throwaways

Katie McGrath beats a lot of people up and looks insanely good while doing it

90. The Time Traveler’s Wife

Rachel McAdams is a blessing and this movie is so damn good

91. The Voices

Watch this for the rude cat with a Scottish accent

92. The World’s End

This movie took a strange turn and ended up being entirely different than I expected but damn is it funny

93. They Came Together

This makes fun of everything I hate about romantic comedies so it’s pretty much the perfect movie

94. Toy Story

No, I absolutely did not cry at this

95. Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars is the greatest character ever invented thank you and goodbye

96. We’re the Millers

There’s a baby made of weed and Jennifer Anniston is a stripper. No ragrets

97. With Every Heartbeat

This is such a gorgeous movie and the storyline is a little weird but it’s gay so I’m a fan

98. Woman in Gold

I want to force every white supremacist out there to watch this movie because it is so touching. Also apparently Tatiana Maslany looks exactly like a younger version of Helen Mirren?? I am shooketh

99. Wonder Woman

Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot are pure perfection. This movie is such an inspiration to women everywhere and it’s visually stunning. This is my favorite movie if you couldn’t tell

100. Zero Dark Thirty

America sucks but Kathryn Bigelow does not

[heylabodega]

Books Read, Age 26

Previously: 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18 (holy shit)

Enigma Variations–Aciman I talked to Robbie about this one a bunch bc he’s always looking for good novels about gay people by gay people and I thought this might be that but this is…not that. It had promise and the first section is really kind of lovely but it veers off and just…I don’t know, mileage will vary, but it didn’t feel True to me. idk idk either like he misunderstands love and sexuality or I do and it honestly could more than likely be me.

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy–Adams One of those books I had just always kinda pretended I read. I mean not that people like frequently check to make sure I’ve read AHGttG but just like in my mind whenever it was mentioned I checked it off. You know the dealio you don’t need my thoughts on it (as opposed to most things, on which you definitely do).

All Grown Up–Attenberg My favorite of the Attenberg novels I’ve read. Of particular use and relevance to me, an aging single woman and unlikeable protagonist. I enjoyed this very much, it was sharp and warm and mean and tender.

Queen of the Night–Chee Hmm. Ok. I felt for most of this book that it like…thought it was a different, more important book than it actually was? It is overwritten–both in prose style and in that it could have been at least 100 pages shorter–and you know how sometimes you read a book with a female protagonist and you’re like ‘I can’t believe a man wrote this!’? Yeah this isn’t that. But the ending line is really good? idk. Someone else read it and tell me your thoughts.

Too Much and Not the Mood–Chew-Bose First of all, excellent title. These essays reminded me, and I mean in this in the lease self-important way possible, of my own writing. Just in that way where writing doesn’t have to be traditionally literarily linear. These essays are good and filled with the kind of sentences that make you know the writer loves words, you can feel her placing them carefully with the satisfying click of scrabble tiles, sliding them into the right order.

Who Killed Roger Ackroyd–Christie Typical Agatha novel and very good. I can’t tell you any more without spoiling it.

Murder in Retrospect–Christie This is one of my fave Christie’s. It was dark and smart and pithy.

Rule Britannia–Du Maurier I found this in a used bookstore in Portland, Maine, just after the Brexit vote. She wrote it in like the 70s and it’s speculative fiction based on if the UK left the EU and formed a union with the United States. It’s kind of really good but it also ends kind of abruptly, like maybe it could have been the first of a trilogy or something.

Plum Bun–Fauset This was my favorite book from my Harlem Renaissance class. I wrote my term paper on it. I love this book. I want to write it as a screenplay and someone to make it into a movie and I want Troian Bellesario to play the lead.

A Coney Island of the Mind–Ferlinghetti A book of (I think?) beat poetry that I found in a used bookstore in Saugherties at Thanksgiving. I love these poems, especially one called “The World is a Beautiful Place” which I read out loud to Robbie one night while we were walking between bars in the snow at like midnight.

Wishful Drinking–Fisher Carrie Fisher is one of those people whose very existence makes me feel braver and weirder and funnier. She’s a truly good soul and I don’t have anything else to say except that you should read this and also that you should Postcards From the Edge first it’s better.

Difficult Women–Gay I prefer Roxane Gay’s fiction to her nonfiction and these are very good, very interesting stories full of sadness and love.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley) I have never had so many people approach me while reading a book in public as this one. It is, unsurprisingly, an extremely compelling and upsetting book. But I was very surprised by it. I’m not sure quite what I expected from it, but it wasn’t what it was. I think about this book at least twice a week. I think everyone should read it and I think they’ll all enjoy it.

How To Be  A Person In the World–Havrilesky I think maybe Ask Polly columns are better in smaller doses than a whole book, but nevertheless, for better or for worse, she shaped a great deal of my early-twenties self esteem and the essays translate to the page much better than a lot of internet writing I’ve read. 

Girl on the Train–Hawkins This felt…cheap somehow. Like I got really into it and then felt like I’d been cheated or fooled because it’s truly not very good.

Bright Lines–Islam This is a fascinating book. It’s the most Brooklyn summery, felt the most like my Brooklyn summers despite describing a Bengali Muslim family and smoking weed and other experiences that are not specifically mine. I’d recommend it. Highly.

Intimations–Kleeman Man, I’ve recommended this book of short stories to so many people. It’s weird and interesting and it does something I think is hard, which is write surreal stories where the stakes still feel real, if that makes sense. She came and spoke to our class and she told an interesting question to ask of short stories which was, “what are the satisfactions of this story?” and all of these are satisfying and visceral. There’s one long one in the middle that I skipped and you can too, I give you permission.

A Swiftly Tilting Planet–L'Engle Hey, um, you know what’s p upsetting to read? A plot where a crazy dictator is gonna drop a nuclear bomb and start the end of the world (this isn’t a spoiler it’s introduced like five pages in). 

A Wind in the Door–L'Engle This was not as good as A Wrinkle in Time–what is–but it was a bright easy read, her books are so–loving, I guess. Good if you need a little palate cleanser.

Passing–Larsen We read a LOT of books in my Harlem Renaissance course. This a very good, short novel about, well, guess. It’s like a painting somehow, like a 20th century painting.

Sister Outsider–Lorde  I have taken none women’s studies courses so this was a pretty important text I had never read. It is very Good and everyone should read it if they have not already.

Cruel Shoes–Martin I LOVE Steve Martin and still on a few of these I was like “I don’t know, Steve.” But many others (they’re very short stories) are funny or clever or great.

Bright Lights, Big City–McInerney ughhhhhhh a book that is entirely written in second person and is about how womens’ existences and deaths have like ~made a man feel~ but it’s a short quick read and–I am E X T R E M E L Y reluctant to admit–the end is a really good image that did lowkey make me cry but also fuck this book

The Hopeful–O'Neill This I didn’t like much, in a way that I thought it needed a stronger editor and I want Eleanor or Robbie or someone I trust to read it to tell me if I’m wrong.

The Bed Moved–Schiff Weird and good little stories. I don’t think about them often, but they were elegant and sharp as I read them.

Eligible–Sittenfield It’s nice that they’re publishing Modern AU Pride and Prejudice fanfic now in a bound book. This was enjoyable tho tbh not the best Modern AU Pride and Prejudice fanfic I, a cool and chill person, have read in my life.

Swing Time–Smith I think this is my fave of the Zadie Smith books I’ve read. I wasn’t sure by the end quite what the point of it was, but I guess also what’s the point of anything? idk this is a useless description of a book. It was immersive and interesting but I’ve also not told anyone “you *have* to read this you’ll love it.” We did go see her read from it and in person she is enchanting.

The New Woman–Sochen Nonfiction about what I think we’d call first-wave feminism? It was really fascinating about an era I knew nothing about but also had some, um, glaring omissions ahem any mention of race whatsoever.

Action. A Book About Sex–Spiegel Ok look yes fine I am an adult sexually active woman who still reads books about sex whatEVER. I missed sex-ed and I also like to hear, in a non-prurient (or sometimes prurient w/e) way what other people are up to, sex-wise. I mean there’s no real like advice about sex in the world, I think, except that everything consensual and fun is fine, but I think it’s important to occasionally remind yourself of that. This was a good book.

Missing, Presumed–Steiner A crime book that I neither loved nor hated and generally enjoyed reading. Big enh.

The Girls From Corona Del Mar–Thorpe Robbie gave this to me for my birthday last year. A beach read with an edge, page-turner-y but sharp. Seems like it’s going to be a light read, but there’s a bite to it, a reminder of the cruel randomness of fate and of our inability to really know other people or ourselves. I loved this.

Cane–Toomer So this is an important text from the Harlem Renaissance and it’s kinda…never classified? It’s a series of related but not continuous short stories, as well as poetry, and little like plays? idk it’s very evocative and beautiful and dense and bears up to intense overreading. One of my favorite books I read for my Harlem Ren class.

The Blacker the Berry–Thurman Ok so Wallace Thurman apparently worried his whole life that his writing style was too journalistic and he maybe wasn’t…wrong. This is NOT a bad book and it’s well written and novelistic exCEPT when sometimes it feels pedagogical or expository. It’s a short, well constructed novel about colorism and worth checking out.

Killer–Walters Lovely and weird poems. I went to go follow the author on Twitter and discovered I already was. I love these.

The Underground Railroad–Whitehead An extremely. upsetting. book. Here’s the thing and I understand the presumption of my criticism of a book that won the national book award, but: if you’re going to make your conceit that the Underground Railroad is a real railroad, I think that you should do more with it. THAT SAID the rest of this is truly wonderful, somehow at once a page turner and viscerally upsetting.

Kiss Me Like a Stranger–Wilder I love Gene Wilder. I’d read Gilda Radnor’s memoir a couple years ago so part of this was sort of an interesting other side of the story. Anyways he seems like a genuinely strange, slightly neurotic, flawed but mostly warm and kind person.