#if the wwi story was a drama

[cursed-herbalist]

HP WWI - War Of Hearts (film!au)

Staring Kit Enflield • Ares Gaunt • Odessa Avery • Melv Enfield

—

At the onset of war, Squib, Kit Enfield, enlists in the muggle army and is sent to the frontlines. Little does he know his world will be shaken by a series of unfortunate events and poor decision-making. Who will live and find ever-lasting love?

tagging @potionboy3 @gaygryffindorgal @magicallymalted

[writervblavender]

The French Frontlines, early 1918: It's WWI and 21 year old Reese St. John is an Ambulance driver for the English Army. She is also one of Cedric St. John's eight bastard children. Found and favored by her responsible Uncle Stephen, Reese carries on her uncle's wish that she track down and reunite with all of her missing siblings.

Part historic drama, part family epic with twists of mystery and romance; The 8 Bastards of Cedric St. John is an experimental writing project inspired in part the Modernist movement. The story will jump around in time and shift in perspective between the various characters to slowly unfold the whole story of Cedric's many children in 20th century England and beyond.

All names used in this project are not based on any real people living or dead. This is all my imagination- no one in this story was ever a real living person.

Genres: Historic Fiction, Drama, Family Epic, includes some LGBT romances

[artemismatchalatte]

The French Frontlines, early 1918: It's WWI and 21 year old Reese St. John is an Ambulance driver for the English Army.

She is also one of Cedric St. John's eight bastard children. Found and favored by her responsible Uncle Stephen, Reese carries out her uncle's wish that she track down and reunite with all of her missing siblings.

Part historic drama, part family epic with twists of mystery and romance; The 8 Bastards of Cedric St. John is an experimental writing project inspired in part the Modernist movement. The story will jump around in time and shift in perspective between the various characters to slowly unfold the whole story of Cedric's many children in 20th century England and beyond.

All names used in this project are not based on any real people living or dead. This is all my imagination. No one in this story was ever a real living person.

Genres: Historic Fiction, Drama, Family Epic, includes some LGBT romances

(for example, Reese is a butch lesbian- which is not a spoiler- but there are other LGBT characters- mainly bisexual women or lesbians and one trans dude)

[thefabelmans2022]

i think there should be more movies about living through the great depression i think they would be really interesting and resonant.

[cod-dump]

If they were in a university setting, what do you think the characters would be studying?

Soap definitely being a chemistry major, maybe also having a particular interest in astronomy. Physically a meathead but in mind and soul he's a nerd. Has glow in the dark plastic stars and planets on his walls and ceilings along with pictures of galaxies. Cried when the first picture of a black hole was taken. "SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL."

Price is a history major, specializes in wars and military. Was the kid that knew all the "fun facts" about WWI and WWII. He enjoys the unknown details of them. "Did you know in-" is the sign you should leave the room. Has too many history books in his room, and yes he's read them all and then some.

Gaz being a psychology major. Obsessed with thrillers and suspense films, analyzes people in real life (but only in private with his friends). He's interested in having a career in law enforcement and criminal psychology. Is very good at reading people when he isn't trying. Unofficial therapist in his friend group.

Ghost is a literature major. Good with his words (when he wants to be) and is considered a brilliant mind when he tries. Spends his spare time working out and in the library. Claims to not have a favorite author but does have a favorite genre: Romantic Dramas. He isn't shameful about it, he's openly proud of being a romantic at heart. Never mind his favorite story elements being murder and kidnapping.

[lgbtpopcult]

What cool WLW projects do we know are coming in 2024?

Drive-Away Dolls

Arguably the most important representation of the year comes from a movie directed by one of the Coen brothers. Ethan Coen directs this wacky comedy that is very much in style for him.

Synopsis:

This comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

A game had to be added to this list and here it is, the best one. From the creators who gave us Life is strange. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage tells the story of four friends who experience a transformative summer in 1995. After 27 years of no contact, Nora, Swann, Autumn, and Kat are reunited by fate and forced to confront the long-buried secret that made them agree to never speak again all those years ago. From the teaser alone it is obvious at least two of them dated.

Pluto

A Thai gl from GMMTV, known for its successful Thai dramas. The story is the telenovela cliche we've always wanted. Two girls in love. One gets in an accident and her twin takes her place to find out who was behind her accident, the other girl is blind. The twin has to fake being the real one so has to be in a relationship with the blind girl and of course falls in love with her. Match made in fanfic heaven.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

It was announced so long ago people are getting frustrated. However, with both a writer and a director now attached to the project, and the strikes over, we have every reason to believe we will finally get to see the hit novel, that centers the love story between two closeted Hollywood actresses, come to life. Whether you loved the novel or were indifferent and didn't see what the fuss was about, it is a very successful wlw romance and we want to see it on screen!

The Paying Guests

The director that brought us Carol adapting a book by the author of Fingersmith? Yes please!

Speaking to Indiewire, Haynes revealed he’s developing an adaptation of Sarah Waters’ 2014 novel The Paying Guests. “It’s a three-part limited series that would need to be a British production, but it’s a really great novel.” Set in post-WWI London, the drama is part lesbian love story and part murder mystery following a down-and-out widow and her daughter, the latter taking up a relationship with one of their lodgers. Waters also wrote Fingersmith, which was adapted into The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook.

NCIS Hawaii season 3

One of our favorite pairings of last year, Kate and Lucy are the main couple of their show and they carry it well. They look good together, have progress and evolution in their relationship and have fun working together.

The Secret of Us

Thai channel CH3 is expected to hit us strong with this Thai gl. CH3 is big in Thailand so this one is a big deal. The story is the typical exes meet again trope and it's magnificent. It centers Doctor Fahlada, nicknamed Doctor Angel. She is trying to hide the pain after being abandoned by the woman she loved. But then...by chance that woman comes back into her life.

Whisper Me a Love Song

Our resident anime entry has to be Whisper me a love song. Based on a manga it is the story of Himari Kino. On the first day of entering high school, Himari Kino "falls" for her senior, Yori Asanagi, whom she watched singing with a band at the welcome party for new students. When Himari confesses her admiration to Yori, Yori misinterprets Himari's feelings as romantic love. However, before Yori realizes, she comes to fall for Himari anyway, and promises to win her affections for real.

Bad Sisters season 2

Bad Sisters is one of the best reviewed and hilarious shows on this list. Coming back for a season 2 was inevitable. Bibi, the lesbian sister, will keep entertaining us in 2024.

Station 19 season 7

One of the most enduring shows and wlw couples on TV are coming back for a season 7! That is a lot of seasons but Maya and Carina do still have that spark.

About Galaxy The Series

Part of the gl renaissance that is expected to go full force next year, this series is already hugely popular among Asian romance fans.

Synopsis:

‘About Galaxy’ is based on author Zezeho’s yuri of the same name, with a Thai title of “มูลค่าดาวล้านดวง”. The story revolves around Hong Yok, a designer who has a big scar on her face which led her to hide away from the public due to her inferiority complex. But something changed in her life when she met Note, a woman she was measuring clothes, and realized she is the same person who gave her that huge scar! However, despite the incident, she doesn’t outright despise her, and instead… feels safe. What will happen to the two women?

My Ex-Friend's Wedding

Kay Cannon ("Blockers") will direct from a script co-written by Taylor Jenkins Reid? Staring a group of friends trying to stop their friend from getting married? And one of them is queer? We're all in!

Arcane (Season 2)

It seems like forever since we first watched Arcane but we're definitely looking forward to season 2. Needs no introduction.

Dream the Series

We already have enough Asian dramas in this list but we couldn't leave out one of the most anticipated gl, Dream. The story is that of a woman that sees a girl in her dreams every night only to meet her in real life. While in real life they are friends in her dreams they do much more. She thinks her friend doesn't know about that what she doesn't know is that she also remembers everything they do in their dreams.

Harley Quinn the Animated Series season 5

Another season of our favorite criminal duo Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy? Yes please and thank you. These two, and this particular iteration of them, might be the best representation American television has ever given us.

Chaser Game W

Chaser Game W is the first gl produced by TV Tokyo so it has a historic significance for the advancement of representation for queer women in Japan. First episode airs January 8. Based on manga series "Chaser Game" written by Hiroshi Matsuyama & illustrated by Yukitaro Matsuyama

The story:

synopsis: Itsuki has been working in the "Dynamic Dream" game company for five years and is now appointed as the lead for a big Japanese-Chinese collaboration project, which she is fully motivated to work on. However, it turns out the Chinese company team is led by her ex, Fuyu, whom she one-sidedly broke up with back in university! After breaking up with Fuyu, Itsuki never dated anyone else and chose to focus on her work, all while not coming out to her family and coworkers... But when her ex-girlfriend suddenly appeared in front of her, her feelings immediately started to sway. Meanwhile, Fuyu always resented Itsuki for breaking up with her without saying why. She takes charge of the project and pushes impossible tasks onto Itsuki. While Fuyu plots her revenge, Itsuki is rekindling her unrequited love. What will the outcome be for these two opposites?

Vigil season 2

The first couple of episodes of Vigil season 2 will technically be shown in December 2023 (in the UK only) but we'll basically be able to watch it beginning 2024 and we're looking forward to it!

Several upcoming TV shows and movies have cast actors that make it obvious they'll have lesbian and bi characters but until we know whether the representation will be enough to be worth watching we're holding off on making that other, more elaborate, list.

[anoninlondon]

THOUGHTS ABOUT ACGAS SERIES 5 (that nobody asked for…)

First, I love the show. I love its feel, its atmosphere, its decency and respect towards people and animals alike. I love the actors and all those who contribute to give us such lovely 7 hours of joy every year. And I’m really happy that so many people enjoyed S5.

**I hope not to be a downer to those people**

I really want to be one of them. I started so positively, absolutely loving the warm feeling of the first 3 episodes. We had really great moments - James’s struggle and return, the emotional telegram moment, Audrey *wrenning* herself into a warden uniform (and Siegfried’s reaction to it), Mrs P being her wingwoman, Jenny looking outside the farm and Helen coming to terms with it, Jimmy(s) just being cute, Carmody in all shapes and forms, Tristan hugging people, the dogs (of course the dogs)… it’s really good to remember the nice bits 😊.

Sadly, once we got into episode 4, for me things started to go a bit downhill. The locked door antics were funny, but I found them funny in a clumsy way. It’s nice that Tris and Richard came to an accord, but it felt weak, not supported by an actual understanding of one another. The last 10 minutes of the ep were delicious, but a bit too little to sustain the whole thing. Still, I was hopeful. But going forward, I really struggled to find much substance, and I’m annoyed by that. Tris drinking and going out every night - apparently because he had a *good* war? From the show that gave us the intensity of Siegfried’s and Audrey’s traumas related to the WWI, it really felt weak and inconsistent. No mention of Edward (though I still hope it’s in a PBS cut). Audrey’s warden experience - not to mention the wonderful Jeremy Swift - was used just for some comic relief - this is the same character that gave us such a window into her emotional struggle last season. I could go on, but you get the idea. James and Helen’s story was first and last episode. They kind of disappeared in the middle, and while the last episode was brilliant for them, there was very little build up throughout that again, it felt inconsistent.

Also, I wasn’t hyped by the press highlighting the ship or annoyed by the insertion of Miss Grantley. If used well, it could have been brilliant, but it felt flat. We had Siegfried wearing his heart on his sleeve for ages (Sam and Anna’s performance at the end of the last series was a masterclass in things deeply felt and not said) and suddenly we have the last episode of the series in which they barely speak to one another, Siegfried’s pride hurt by Miss Grantley’s rebuff, Audrey holding the fort by being super housekeeper, each in their own “box”. The Farnon brothers’ walk was funny and superbly acted by Sam and Callum, but it didn’t give us anything new - I thought they were far beyond their squabbles, and their time together could have been put to better use.

I just think that it was a bit of a waste. A fun, light, frothy series ( and no, I didn’t want drama for drama’s sake) where the only resolved arc, for me, was Carmody’s. The other characters are still beautifully dangling without a resolution. They gave us great performances, tender moments, lighthearted laughs, but it kind of feels disconnected and childish. It wouldn’t have taken much (after all, they have given us so much for 4 and half years!) and yet.

I don’t know if the show and the writers are changing direction (I hope not) or there is something I missed (probably) or it’s simply a way to drag things along (mostly the ship, but not exclusively). I hope (eternal optimist) for a CS that will pick up all the threads left hanging and will put them beautifully together as in the past - just under the Christmas tree for us to unwrap.

[marta-bee]

More Aldarion & Erendis time. I want to take a step back from all the fun character-drama between our titular leads and talk a bit about the political situation. It's definitely turning how I think of the Numenor story on its head, but in a good way.

I've always thought of Numenoreans as prideful men who saw themselves as better than other men, their natural rulers, etc. Very imperial stuff. Very prideful generally, and pride goeth before, etc. Their thinking they could bring Sauron as a captive into their own land. The very questioning of mannish mortality. It's what did them in in the end.

A&E is set in a much earlier time though. Aldarion is only five generations removed from Elros, and was only born about 250 years after Elros died. And for the most part they're unconcenred with the wider world. You see this in Meneldur's pushing Aldarion to remain in Numenor and not go adventuring abroad, long before he married Erendis or even began courting her. His first duty was to love and know his own land, and for the people of Numenor to know him. It feels isolationist, but I don't take it in the modern Trumpian sense or even the America staying out of WWI while Europe bled and died sense. There's this idea that the Numenoreans have been given a gift of peace and having enough, and it's their job to live in that and let it heal their national soul.

Gil-Galad sends Tar-Meneldur a letter that changes that.

Ereinion Gil-galad son of Fingon to Tar-Meneldur of the line of Eärendil, greeting: the Valar keep you and may no shadow fall upon the Isle of Kings. Long I have owed you thanks, for you have so many times sent to me your son Anardil Aldarion: the greatest Elf-friend that now is among Men, as I deem. At this time I ask your pardon, if I have detained him overlong in my service; for I had great need of the knowledge of Men and their tongues which he alone possesses. He has dared many perils to bring me counsel. Of my need he will speak to you; yet he does not guess how great it is, being young and full of hope. Therefore I write this for the eyes of the King of Númenórë only. A new shadow arises in the East. It is no tyranny of evil Men, as your son believes; but a servant of Morgoth is stirring, and evil things wake again. Each year it gains in strength, for most Men are ripe to its purpose. Not far off is the day, I judge, when it will become too great for the Eldar unaided to withstand. Therefore whenever I behold a tall ship of the Kings of Men, my heart is eased. And now I make bold to seek your help. If you have any strength of Men to spare, lend it to me, I beg.

Should they keep living in peace, content in their little island's safety, or should they start preparing for war? And Meneldur knows he can't decide, abdicates the throne, and lets Aldarion step in.

It's a good impulse, to help, but it's borne out of a morally rotten premise. This is Sauron, of course everyone should help. But to think that the Numenorean uniquely are able to help, and that the men of Middle-earth are incapable of resisting Sauron sticks in my craw. It sets up the Numenoreans as having a natural nobility somehow missing from other men. Where what Glorfindel should be doing is recognize the potential for good in the humans not yet caught under Sauron.

Perhaps he's doing that too, or at least trying to. But the point is, I don't think the Numenoreans get to see that. They think they're specially responsible for resisting Sauron, which makes them special and other men almost chattel.

As an American, I'm feeling more than a bit seen, and not in a good way.

As a Tolkien fan, I'm a bit uncomfortable with how much I suspect Tolkien accepted this. It's not a stretch to imagine him viewing the English as the protectors and saviors of all those grubby men who could not be trusted to govern themselves. (Talking about Africans, Asians, and all sort of then-British colonies here.) I need to think about whether the rest of the Numenor story is a critique of that idea; whether this belief in their own superiority and their being central to fighting against Sauron was a subtle kind of pride that led to their fall or whether he thought of that later pride as something else entirely.

I like thinking they're connected because it makes for a better story. But I'm not sure if it's what Tolkien meant here. I know if he meant Gil-Galad's assessment to be genuine, I don't like that.

[emmettkane]

🦃 November Update 🍂

Salutations everyone! (Except for you, Biff. you know what you did)

Spooky season is over (sort-of) and that means it’s time for Autumn without the skeleton wars! I’ve been busy outlining Ghost Bricks 2, laying the ground work for Greed, and developing essay ideas! Speaking of which…

Nameless Raiders!

The first one is out and ready to read! If you’ve ever been bothered by the under-designed target dummies that pass for hostile bandits in most sandbox CRPGs, well boy do I have the article for you! Give it a read, and if you like it, Bunker Goblins get to vote monthly for what I write about next!

For Your Eyes Only!

While you aren’t reading Ghost Bricks volume 2 (because it isn’t out yet) here’s what I’ve been reading…

Petrograd, a pulpy soviet-era spy story set during WWI in the eponymous Russian city! It’s got everything you’d expect of a spy story plus great art and a pace that transitions from methodical to heart stopping right on cue.

Shadow Puppets, an in-progress (but very good) supernatural action webcomic for fans of mafia-type drama, the occult, and a hint of coming-of-age angst, which is just my speed. It’s being written and drawn by the incomparable @star-dragon-art, give her a follow~

Greed!

I’m making headway on Greed, a cowboy-western comic in my own grim narrative style! Macy-belle and Jessie Miller, a failed mailwoman and the barkeep that keeps her housed respectively, have designs! There’s still plenty to do before I actually start drawing panels (including designs for more characters and a few key environments) but who knows? Maybe I’ll get a burst of creative energy this month~

Lost and Found

Aaaaaaand that’s that! My college schedule isn’t getting any easier and I’m just coming off of The Sickness (thanks to Widget for keeping the place clean and the air filters working), but even with that bit of good fortune, we can only wait and see what time brings!

If you like what I write (books, essays, webcomics apparently) and want to see it as soon as it becomes available, give me a follow on Ko-fi.

See you next time, cowboy ^^

[dcbutinamrev]

Chapter 23 of my Newsies book My Dear Kelly will be released soon! I promise! It’s still in the process of finalizing edits. I haven’t forgotten about the book haha. If you haven’t read my book and are interested, it’s linked in my bio on ao3 if you click on my username! Or below here!

My Dear Kelly is an epic tale of the story of Newsies, boys who fought for their rights against the richest men of New York City, a battle for what they believed in. It’s based on the 1992 Newises and the Broadway Newsies. It’s filled with rich historical actual events such as this the Philippine War, the Newsies strike of 1899, Stock Market Crash in the 1930s, WWI, WWII, The Scope’s Monkey Trial in 1925, of course along with romance, drama and politics. It’s the story of David Jacobs, Jack Kelly’s co-leader and (come on let’s face it Javid fans) love of his life. It’s told through David’s eyes and his own growth as a person before, during, and after the strike and his relationship with Jack as he navigates love, friendship, family, and loss and wins, and becoming a legendary figure and the inspiration of true leadership.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

I have said good things about Verena in the Midst, by E.V. Lucas. His Advisory Ben is EVEN BETTER. I read it today in about two sittings (had doctor's waiting room time to burn) and I finished it with a smile and that sweet glow that finishing a satisfying book gives.

Ben is short for Benita, an efficient, level headed young woman of 22, whose father, a very fussy man, has just remarried. Ben sees this as the moment to leave home and get a job. During a visit to a country family desperate to find a shaker in the middle of nowhere, Ben conceives the idea of setting up an agency to run errands for country people, and generally orient and advice. She leases a place on top of a used books shop, just recently set up by two WWI veterans (the novel is set in the 1920s), gets herself an assistant and an errand boy, and sets up to work.

Like Verena in the Midst, this is another solid light short novel, but this one has much more of a plot. It's also funnier. It has a love triangle that didn't make me cringe. Ben's work is so interesting, and the people that come to her for help and her relatives are also fun and quirky in their own ways. It has a proposal scene that lands.

Verena in the Midst made me want a radio drama. This one made me want a movie.

Maybe producing companies should just hire someone to peruse public domain works instead of so many remakes and sequels.

Anyways, neither will change your life, but I do think the public here would enjoy either or both.

[writervblavender]

1907, USA (The South)- 17 year old Carrie-Ann Bishop dreams of escaping from an unwanted marriage with a man more than twice her age to instead live with her beloved friend, Miss Lillian. All along he realizes that he is not the daughter his family insists he is. Becoming Carson Bleu frees him from what he thought he could not escape. However, as most young men in his generation, Carson soon finds himself heading off to Europe to join the allies in WWI as a solider.

Part historic drama, part family epic with twists of mystery and romance; The 8 Bastards of Cedric St. John is an experimental writing project inspired in part the Modernist movement. The story will jump around in time and shift in perspective between the various characters to slowly unfold the whole story of Cedric's many children in 20th century England and beyond.

All names used in this project are not based on any real people living or dead. This is all my imagination- no one in this story was ever a real living person.

Genres: Historic Fiction, Drama, Family Epic, includes some LGBT romances

[artemismatchalatte]

For the ask game -- 6, 10, 14, and 17!

Oh! Thanks for the ask! It's going to be about my newer project which I'm currently working on edits for. It's not my NaNo Project from last year, though I still want to get back to that project too.

6. Describe a Trope present in your WIP.

Irredeemably bad Gothic dad (but not in a cool way). The story takes place in the early 20th century. He's the father of several of the other focal characters and he is one of the main villains of the story. Half the problems in the novel are tied to him. He's the titular character too. I hope my readers/listeners hate him as much as I do!

10. What scene from WIP will be good fan art fodder?

From what I've written so far, there would be a lot of fan fodder for Heather and Reese who are the main couple (they are a femme bisexual woman and a butch lesbian so they're WLW). Reese is one of the daughters of the family that the story is centered around. She's the only one officially recognized by her uncle, so she will inherit all the money, if they can't find any of her other siblings. Heather and Reese meet during the war as they are a nurse and ambulance driver, respectively. I imagine there could be a lot of fan art of them in their uniforms??? They first fall in love during WWI but this story covers a large space of time (and a lot of character's lives).

14. Who becomes the fan favorite from this WIP?

Hard to say. Some characters I have barely written anything for yet and others I have had with me for the last few weeks. For all I know it will be their long suffering uncle who tries to undo all the bad shit his brother does? Maybe Reese who tries to reunite her fucked up family while building a safe place for Heather and her children? Maybe Carson with his ghosts and soldiers? I have no idea.

17. You should’ve expected it, but you’re still surprised when you find out people aggressively ship (which non-canon pairing of OCs?)

Easy. Lt. Carson Bleu and one (or more) of his men in the army. Carson is a happily married man in the story, but I KNOW if there was ever a fandom for this story, they would ship it. And I wouldn't be mad about it. He and his company are all in an extreme bromance. One of the other captains is canonically jealous of how loyal Carson's men are to him and each other.

[that-ari-blogger]

A World Of Their Own

The Owl House thrives on archetypal storytelling. Essentially, it makes a beeline for the closest trope and twists it into a new direction. It's a story about how expectations and reality clash.

Up until now, the series has given a take on the concepts of prom, quests, magic schools, amongst others, and has been steadily working its way through the enemies to lovers trope.

And so, along comes Wing It Like Witches to tackle the Sport Story genre, and throw some serious shade on certain other stories while it is at it.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (The Owl House, Harry Potter 1-6)

When writing a satire, it is broadly useful to have an understanding of the thing you wish to satirise. In the case of a piece of media, this includes understanding the writer, text, and audience. Specifically what parts of the text matter, what the text is trying to say, and exactly where it succeeds and falls short.

The episode after this serves as a turning point in the series, the moment when the stakes escalate from school drama to world threatening, and so Wing It Like Witches serves as a last hurrah for the small things, and the moral of the episode is "focus on the elements of life that matter."

What better way to emphasise that is with sport?

Now, I don't think it will come as a shock to many people that sport isn't real life. As in, it's artificial by nature, it's fair. The winner of WWI wasn't the team that scored the most home runs.

The significance of this is that sport usually has a point system, allowing certain areas to have a specific, value that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. You can win a story based on flags, for example.

In a fictional world, you can make up the sport, and so you can place your points on anything that you want. You can artificially inflate the significance of specific items.

The Owl House calls attention to this in a moment that I think comes as close to breaking the fourth wall as it ever gets.

"While you were celebrating your victory, I caught [the Rusty Smidge]. It means we automatically win. All magic sports are like this." "That just invalidates all our efforts! If catching that thing is so important, why do anything else? There's no reason to watch any of the other players! That's such a stupid rule!"

I think this is a reference to something, my reference senses are tingling. But I just can't work it out. It must be too subtle or something.

In all seriousness, this is actually a really interesting discussion about how stories as a whole work.

There is a pervading idea in a substantial amount of storytelling of protagonist significance. The idea that the protagonist enters a wide spanning conflict and single handedly ends it, rendering the rest of the cast onlookers and cannon fodder.

The Rusty Smidge is a neat microcosm of this idea. What is the point of the rest of the game when one person can win it? But there is a small change to the rules that I think is important.

You see, in Quidditch, for those who haven't heard of it, there is the role of the "seeker", a player who's job it is to find the golden snitch. The game ends when the orb is caught, and the team that catches it is awarded 150 points.

The two main differences are this: The snitch doesn't automatically win the game, and the only player who can catch it is the seeker.

So, what does this mean? Firstly, it means that the player who can catch the snitch is automatically the most important player on the field, so it means that the audience knows who to follow. It is an artificial significance put on a specific, chosen, one character. It specifically tells all the other characters that they don't matter.

However, the seeker doesn't win the game, they just score a collection of points. So that must be fair, right?

I would argue that this distinction is kind of irrelevant. There is exactly one instance in the series when a team who doesn't catch the snitch wins the game, and they are professionals. In a school game, there is no way that a team would be 16 goals ahead of the other.

The points attributed to the snitch gives the veneer of significance to the other players on the field, but when it is brought into question, it is extremely unlikely that they will have an effect on the story.

So, The Owl House satirises this in two ways. It directly calls out the superficiality of the game by taking away the point system, but it also takes away the chosen one aspect. Anyone in this game can win it, the rest of the story is secondary.

I would argue that there are two ideas presented in this story. The first through the game and the second through everything else. The rules of the game suggest that you should stop focusing on the things that don't matter (points) and look at the big picture, while the story suggests that you should stop focusing on the things that don't matter (Bosha) and look at what makes you happy.

The exchange above gets a ton of attention because it is funny, but for my money, the line immediately after it has more significance:

"Well, we beat them and proved our social dominance. All is right in the hierarchy."

The sport didn't matter at all. It was all for another game, with artificial stakes and no real point or prize. Bosha is an incredibly shallow person who has no better use for her time than following around those she doesn't like.

But the story does matter, because of what the Hex Squad earns at the end. They earn the respect of Skara, Amelia, and Cat, Bosha's teammates. They play well and they have fun and, end result be damned, they did their best. That's kinda what sport is about.

Now, a quick bit of credit needs to be given to the side stories of this episode, because they are great. First up is the blossoming romance between Luz and Amity that nobody bats an eyelid at. Amity waltzes up to Willow and gives the single most chaotic monologue in the entire series, and Willow's reaction is essentially "this is normal", which is hilarios.

I particularly like this shot, and the exchange that accompanies it:

"You just destroyed your social life." "Nah, I think I made it better"

Look how small Bosha is here. She's insignificant in the big scheme of things. Amity has finally realised that status doesn't matter, and so the emblem of that status, Bosha, is framed with less power in the scene than the kid in the "I have the power of G-d and anime on my side" vine (Google it).

But the thing with Eda is Lilith's last resort. She has been trying to bring Eda into the Emperor's Coven peacefully up until now. You could say she is playing by the rules. But she still loses, because the rules are against her. She is forced to resort to violence.

Final Thoughts

I'm going to level with you, I do not get the sport story genre at all. I don't understand it's appeal, I don't find it compelling, it just isn't for me.

Now, that isn't to say this genre isn't important, and doesn't have its place in media as a whole. Rocky, A League of Their Own, and Bend It Like Beckham make that point for me exactly. I am simply not the target audience of this genre.

All this is to say that I struggled to analyse this episode from the framework it was presenting me. I couldn't comment on how well the training montage worked, or what the speeches were reminiscent of, so I wrote what I knew.

Next week, I am covering Agony Of A Witch, the point at which the tone of the series shifts dramatically and permanently. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[lol-jackles]

What do you think of Rachel Zegler and her badmouthing Snow White every chance she gets? It seems like she doesn't even like the character but it doesn't seem smart to bash such an iconic and beloved character, who's a Disney princess no less! She's been going viral on tiktok for this reason. The beginning of this clip has made it's way into so many tiktoks all saying they hate this girl and that she doesn't deserve Snow White (I kinda agree tbh). Conversely, it did make the actress from The Little Mermaid trend positive because if nothing else, she at least loved playing Ariel.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8N8YXQP/

Hold on while I work through the mental equation where Gal Gadot would be jealous of Rachel Zegler's ~superior beauty. *The Evil Queen is beautiful in her own right. It is the opinion of the mirror that causes all the drama.* There it is.

Okay, first, having seen West Side Story and Shazam, fury of the gods, Rachel does a good job convincingly playing sweet and kind characters on screen, which makes her ideal for Snow White. Now with that said, Disney either dropped the ball on providing Rachel media training, or she's saying exactly what Disney want her to say, thinking it will appeal to feminists Zoomers.

Whether or not these are Disney's talking points, let's review (link):

"She's not going to be saved by the prince"

Um, well, okay, let's give them that in the original Grimm she was not saved by the prince.

"She's dreaming about becoming a leader"

As the commentator said, she can have both true love and a career since male superheroes do it all the time. But I would argue that in the original film, Snow White was already a leader: she survived childhood abuse and assassination attempt, ran into the forest to save herself, then ran her own household as a teenager, and never gave up believing that she deserved love and care regardless of how people treated her in the past. Above all, Snow White was a tale about resilience and never giving up on the life you desire regardless of your current circumstances.

Then the commentator point out that it makes sense for Snow White to dream about true love because she doesn't remember what it was like to be loved after her biological parents died and she was mistreated by her stepmom and forced to work as a scullery maid for years. The prince was the first person to show her affection and kindness.

I've seen Rachel disparage the OG Snow White as outdated since it's from 1937. I wished I could explain to Rachel (or her Disney handler) that in 1937, many Americans had been through WWI and the Great Depression and Americans needed a message of hope and a reminder to stay positive and carry on despite hardships. Snow White embodied this resilience, her strength is underappreciated. I mean, come on, despite the shocker of a day Snow White had with the assassination attempt and all, when she found the house, she was deeply moved by the thought that seven little children with no mother lived there, so she cleans their house to surprise them. She’s always thinking of others. And despite the horrible situation she’s in she remains kind and optimistic, and quietly holds tight to her dream.

Disney did such a great job with the first live action remake of Cinderella in 2015 that I don't understand why it was down hill from there. They kept the same character traits as the 1950s version, being kind, never giving up hope, and then improving on that. It's message about "having courage and be kind" is a very good one because it's easy to become hardened and bitter when people treat you badly, but it takes a very strong person to be kind even after all that.

[denimbex1986]

'2023 was awash with leading queer men (finally), from Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in the psychological ghost story All of Us Strangers and Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer in toe-sucking drama Fellow Travelers...

One of the most anticipated new films, however, is The History of Sound. The queer romance drama, adapted from Ben Shattuck’s titular novel, had pulses racing when Mescal and God’s Own Country star Josh O’Connor were cast as the leads back in 2021. (We can understand why. We suffered the same fate.)

From cast members to the plot, here’s a recap of everything that we know so far about The History of Sound.

What’s the plot?

The History of Sound is based on the Pushcart Prize-winning novel by Ben Shattuck, a collection of 12 short stories that are set across three centuries and explores the generational patterns of love and loss. Each following story provides a revelation of the previous entrant.

The title story follows two young men in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor) begin to log the events, whilst falling in love in the process.

The adaptation is being directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Tim Haslam, Andrew Kortschac, Lisa Ciuffetti and Andrea Roa. Hermanus is best known for his Queer Palm Award-winning romance Beauty (2011). He also serves as the director and executive producer of Sky Atlantic’s upcoming historical queer series Mary & George, which stars Oscar winner Julianne Moore and Red, White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine...

Who is in the cast?

The only two cast members confirmed for The History of Sound are Mescal and O’Connor.

O’Connor memorably starred in the critically-acclaimed same-sex romantic drama God’s Own Country. The heartfelt love story develops when a Yorkshire farmer’s (O’Connor) life changes with the arrival of a Romanian migrant farm hand named Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu). Despite initial tension, the two soon become engaged in a passionate meet in nature.

Mescal, who rose to fame in BBC’s Normal People, recently starred in Andrew Haigh’s psychological adaptation of Japanese ghost story All of Us Strangers opposite Andrew Scott. The film follows Adam (Scott), a screenwriter who is pulled back into his childhood home “where he discovers that his long-dead parents are both living and look the same age as the day they died over 30 years ago”. At the same time, Adam falls in love with his “mysterious” neighbour Harry.

In an interview with Variety at the time of the cast announcement, Hermanus opened up about the powerful love story and working with Mescal and O’Connor.

“I instantly fell in love with Ben Shattuck’s flawlessly beautiful short story and knew I had to be involved in its journey to the screen. Paul and Josh are two of the most promising actors of their generation who will share with us deeply soulful performances,” he said.

“This is an unexpected love story that needs to be told — it is a journey through the life of America, across the 20th century and the traditions of American folk music, all seen through the bond between two men immersed in the history of sound.”

Has filming started?

The film had been slated to begin filming in summer 2022, across the US, UK and Italy. However, Mescal revealed in a May 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the film was on pause due to conflicting schedules.

“But the learning for me is that I’m just dying to make films with people I like, and Josh is one of those people that I would work with in a heartbeat,” he shared.

On 11 January 2024, FilmUpdates posted that the film was due to begin filming in March, this year...'