#its so beautifully shot some of the transitions were insane

[ourlittlesister2015]

Red Moon Tide (2020), dir. Lois Patiño

[i-watch-too-many-movies]

5 Favorite First Viewings of July 2021

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

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

CW: Abortion mention

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

Great, campy flick with exceptional music too.

Deep Cover (1992) (dir. Bill Duke)

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

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

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

Fast Five (2011) (dir. Justin Lin)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CW: Mention of suicide

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

“Who REEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY killed Kurt Cobain?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But why?

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

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

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

Other viewings I enjoyed:

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

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

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

Furious 7 (2015) (dir. James Wan)

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

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

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

Velvet Goldmine (1998) (dir. Todd Haynes)

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

[alison-anonymous]

flawsome bandits pt. 10 ♡ sonic

Flawsome Visions & Pains

Welcome back to part 10! Gahhh I’m so excited for you guys to read this!! Let me know what you darlings think, enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: some of the concepts/creations talked about in this update do not line up with the original Sonic the Hedgehog video game timeline. I have altered it in order to fit this story, so please no hate ♡ Special thanks to @naenae130 for helping me out with the plotline! 

Warnings - mentions of robotnik x stone, slight angst

♡♡♡

Ah~, ah~.

Y/n’s bloodshot eyes popped open once again as the song evaded her eardrums. The singing hadn’t stopped for a half an hour and she was beginning to lose all hopes of getting any sleep tonight. Letting out a defeated sigh, she hesitantly raised herself up into a sitting position, making sure not to disturb Sonic in the process. Her torso already felt cold from the lack of his body heat. She shivered, e/c eyes glowing in the dark as she glanced around the empty room.

This better be worth it.

Ah~, ah~... The song rang mysteriously throughout the house, sounding like it was coming from the kitchen. Y/n let out a soft groan, but made a gradual transition to stand, wincing as her ankles cracked from the new introduction of pressure. Her ears flattened against her hair-like quills as she looked towards the darkened kitchen. The only source of light came from the milky moonlight shining through the window, but it was still enough to send shivers down Y/n’s spine. The tune rang out through the air again, the song that only she could hear, prompting her to move. 

Closing her eyes, she sighed and timidly walked into the kitchen. “Hello?” She whispered into the air, already feeling stupid. Before she had a good idea where it was coming from, but now she had no idea. “I can hear you. Where are you?” 

Ah~, ah~. The tune ended on a sharper note, it was more urgent this time. Her heart began to pound against her chest as her ears flickered back and forth, searching for the source. It finally clicked in her head as she turned towards the patio that led out into their backyard. It was bathed in moonlight at this hour, so at least she would be able to see. But that wasn’t what worried her. What worried her was the fact that it was coming from outside.

Well, she was already awake, so why the hell not? 

She gulped down her fears and quietly unlocked the door, sliding it open with intense precision as to not make a sound. It made a small whooshing noise as the scent of damp grass and midnight air seeped into her nostrils. The moon loomed beautifully in the sky above, surrounded by dozens of loving stars that twinkled in the dark night. She hesitated on the threshold, wondering if the voice would be okay if she just stayed inside.

Ah~, ah~!

Apparently not.

Yes, this was insane. Following a strangely beautiful and potentially dangerous voice out of her house and into the dead of night. But, when was her life ever not insane? Swallowing her pride, she crossed over the threshold and dropped onto the deck a few inches below her. Her e/c eyes scanned the backyard carefully and the tree line before her, wondering what she was supposed to be looking for exactly. Of course, the answer came to her almost instantly as a little light caught her eye. It was small, not much larger than a quarter, with her signature ice blue color hinted to it. It reminded her of the wisps that Merida had followed into the woods from Brave, she thought as she took in the little fireball’s figure. Her eyes widened in surprise. She had never seen such a beautiful creature before. It hovered in the air before her, its flames lapping at the air around it. She couldn’t help but feel like it was watching her as she cautiously stepped closer to it.

“What are you?” She whispered curiously. Her e/c eyes were illuminated by the little ball, feeling an intense connection to the adorable being. Could this thing be a part of her subconscious, perhaps? Was that even possible? Maybe her abilities were a lot stronger than she had thought they were. 

Ah~, ah~... Y/n’s eyes widened once more, her heart stopping in her chest momentarily. The singing… it was coming from this ball of energy. She froze in her place, staring intently at the being as it began to inch closer to her, its movements slow but forceful. Like it was trying not to scare her, but whatever it needed from her was needed urgently. Y/n’s shock took control of her body as she could do nothing but stare at the creature as it came ever closer to her. But for some reason… she wasn’t afraid. The creature came closer, and closer, until it finally touched her forehead.

The world became illuminated with a paranormal bright light, and then everything went black. 

It took several moments for Y/n to recover from the light changes, but once she finally opened her eyes, she wasn’t in her backyard anymore. She wasn’t sure where she was. Everything she could see was covered in fuzz, making it all hazy in her perception. She blinked multiple times in an attempt to focus, but it refused to go away. She turned around slowly and tried her best to figure out where she was. There were… trees. Lots and lots of trees. And there was a man in a red and black suit with what looked like giant sausages growing from his upper lip. No… no, it couldn’t be.

Was that Robotnik?!

Before she had a chance to do or say anything, another bright light attacked her eyes, causing her to shield them once more. When the light faded back to normal, her surroundings had changed. Confusion riddled her mind as she looked around the room. Thank god, she thought, recognizing it as her living room. Only it wasn’t night time. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to make out what she was looking at. Four figures stood in the middle of the living room. One electric blue blob, which was obviously Sonic. One orangish yellow blob, that she didn’t know. One human standing taller than the rest of them. And one icy blue blob. Wait. Wait a second.

Holy shit. 

Was this… a vision? Was she having a vision right now? The surroundings slowly began to dissipate, signifying that something was changing. 

“W-wait!” She cried out, reaching her gloved hand out towards the blobs. But she was too slow as the light burned her eyes once more. Now she was standing in a field surrounded by trees. The stench of smoke harassed her nostrils as her eyes began to water. She quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hands and glanced around the area. There was a giant drone-like structure taking up most of the land. The trees seemed to be dark with soot and the grass looked like it had been trampled on one too many times. But right in the center of her vision was her. At least, what she assumed to be her due to the icy blue coat that stood out amongst the rest. She was holding something to her mouth. Something that looked very dark. Dark and… deadly. An unsettling feeling went through her stomach as she stared at it. Her feeling only got worse as she realized there was something else in this vision. 

Or someONE. 

A dark figure stood behind her with its hands on her shoulders. It was a little taller than her, but definitely not one that she recognized. A pang shot through her chest in fear. Who was this person? What were they doing? She tried to step closer, but the second she caught sight of little red streaks going throughout what she thought to be the figure’s hairline, the image began to dissolve. 

“No!” She yelled, racing towards the image. She had to see it! She had to know what was going on. But the second she reached herself, the vision was already gone. The world went dark again, and when she finally opened her eyes she was back in her backyard. 

Her whole body was trembling. E/c eyes wide, knees and hands shaking, and a mix of adrenaline and fear coursed through her veins as she raised her gaze to see the little wisp still floating before her.

“W-what was that? Was that a vision?” She asked, not really expecting an answer.

Ah~. Even though it was just a short little couple of notes, Y/n couldn’t help but feel like it was an affirmative. Her expression softened as her heart rate began to slow down. She was about to step closer to the little figure, but the moment she raised her foot, it disappeared into thin air. And once again, she was alone in the night. Disappointment processed through her brain as she looked down at her trembling, gloved hands. Was that a vision of the future she just had? Her future? 

Were her powers growing?

♡♡♡

Agent Stone was miserable.

It had been five months, twenty six days, forty eight minutes, and two seconds since Doctor Robotnik had been tossed away like garbage into that “Mushroom Planet.” His blood still boiled every time he thought of those two putrid, paradoxical, plot-twisting, alien-resembling hedgehogs. They took away the only man he had ever-

No. No, he shouldn’t be wasting time thinking about stuff like that… No matter how many times he had made his heart flutter, no matter how many times he wanted to tell him how he truly felt he knew he never could. Robotnik was… Robotnik! And true, he was his right hand assistant that knew him better than anyone… but that was all he was.

An assistant.

His fingers traced over some of Robotnik’s old blueprints he had created back before his technological advancements to make the eggbots. Of course there was a better scientific term for them, but eggbots was a rather suitable nickname. Things hadn’t been the same at all since Robotnik was banished from earth. They were very… quiet, to say the least. Since Stone was his right hand man, it was only natural for him to be put in charge of figuring out what to do with his stuff. And naturally, he had opted to keep it. Like he was going to let his love- I mean, his boss’s hard work all go to waste? Ha! He would laugh at such presumptions.

Stone let out a long sigh through his nose, feeling the weight of reality once again press it’s hands down on his shoulders. It made him sick how everyone just instantly forgot about his existence the second he was gone, like they were happy to be rid of him. Sure, he was a bit eccentric from time to time and was often referred to as “mad” or “insane,” but he was a damn good scientist. 

He was just misunderstood.

If only there was a way to bring him back. If there could be a way to reach out to him, to at least be able to communicate with him. Life seems meaningless without him here, in all honesty. And what was Stone supposed to do? Just move on with his life? Ha!

Then, a little memory locked into place in his mind. He slowly turned his head towards the locked cabinet where Robotnik had stored everything relating to those two hedgehogs. He approached it and placed his thumb upon the scanner, waiting until it hummed in approval and heard the familiar click of it unlocking. Robotnik had designed for everything in his lab to have some sort of scanner that only he and Stone could open. He felt very privileged to be held that highly by someone so great.

The cabinet opened to reveal a small plastic case amongst a bunch of cluttered files on the two and DNA samples and such. He carefully extracted it out of the cabinet and placed the box down on one of the counters. Using his thumb, he carefully flipped it open and was greeted with the sight of two very small vials containing about a centimeter each of the yellow and ice blue fluids. In case you are sitting here reading this in confusion, here’s a little explanation for you. 

Back after Robotnik had received the vials from the anonymous sender, he had had Stone run multiple tests of each tube and even recreate some miniscule samples of them just in case they were to go missing or for something horrible to have happened. That was something that Stone couldn’t help but admire about Robotnik - he always had a Plan B. As he stared down at the vials, the gears in his brain began to turn faster and faster until an idea popped into his mind once more. 

Sonic and Y/n both had very unique abilities. But what if he could find a way to combine both of those abilities and more? What if he could make something invincible? 

An Ultimate Life Form, perhaps.

He already knew much better than to send himself to Robotnik as he wouldn’t be of any help at all. But sending something much more powerful than himself, than even Sonic or Y/n, could maybe help bring Robotnik back home. 

Stone grabbed a pencil and some scratch paper and got down to work.

♡♡♡

Three weeks later, Agent Stone had successfully managed to drink Robotnik’s entire supply of coffee and go through every single lab report he had done surrounding the very concept of those two alien hedgehogs.

Oh, and he had also created one himself.

I know, ironic right? The Doctor’s right hand man turns out to be the one to create a life form meant to do only one thing: destroy and bring back his love-I MEAN boss. Well, actually two things. People seemed to have forgotten that when Robotnik was choosing someone to be his right hand man, he had standards. And one of those standards including him having at least one PhD. 

Agent Stone had been able to successfully create what he called the Ultimate Life Form: a hedgehog-like creature with Sonic’s super speed, super strength, Y/n’s telekinesis, and even immortality. He had lost tons of sleep and had attempted and failed too many times than he failed to admit but at last, he had finally gotten it right. His savior. The one to bring Robotnik back home where he can finally exact revenge upon the two who sent him to that dreaded planet in the first place. The creature he had created resembled Sonic more than Y/n, with his quills being a lot more spiky and his fur being a dark onyx rather than a delightful shade of blue. He had red streaks going throughout his fur as well, to match Robotnik’s signature colors of choice. And of course, it was only right to give the thing a name as he was his creation after all. 

Shadow the Hedgehog. 

After his creation, Stone had spent countless hours working with the hedgehog to teach him the ways of everything and what his mission was to do, what he was created for. Of course this meant he lost a lot of sleep, but for Robotnik? I think you know the second part of that sentence. Shadow was a very quick learner, adapting to the english language at an instant and mastering his powers and abilities three days ahead of schedule. He knew what his purpose was, and that purpose was the driving force of his existence. 

Finally, it was the day.

Stone drove Robotnik’s lab all the way out into an abandoned field near Green Hills where no one would see them, leading Shadow out to a nice hill with acceptable throwing distance. Thanks to his quick thinking, Stone had swiped some of the golden rings when he had been out investigating the case of the two hedgehogs, so he had a couple on hand. The dark hedgehog turned to his creator, his expression determined as Stone set the rings into his gloved hands.

“Alright, Shadow. Today is the day. You know what to do?”

“Find Robotnik. Bring him back to Earth. Destroy Y/n and Sonic.” Shadow repeated like a well-rehearsed play line. Stone nodded, his hope climbing to the roof without him even noticing. He took one of the rings out of his gloved hands and tossed it into the sky, watching with wide eyes as it formed a portal to the Mushroom Planet.

It still amazed him, the magic of it all. 

“If he isn’t here, your next stop should be Sonic and Y/n’s home planet. Do you understand?” He looked down at the dark hedgehog, who nodded sternly.

“Yes, sir.” And with that, he leapt up into the portal and Stone watched as the portal closed with a flash of light. The wind resistance it had created slowly died down, leaving him standing there in the middle of the field. He wrought his hands together nervously, his adrenaline levels through the roof. 

He could only hope he was doing the right thing. He needed to get Robotnik back and this was the only way he could do it. Everything was going to be just fine. Things would work out in the end! Shadow would find Robotnik, use the rings to bring him back here, and then they could give Sonic and Y/n a gentle slap on the wrist and everyone could go back to how it used to be before all of this crap happened. 

Everything was going to be just fine.

...right?

♡ a.a.

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW WRESTLE KINGDOM 12 in Tokyo Dome Review (Jan 4th 2018)

IWGP Jr. Tag Title Match: Roppongi 3K (c) vs. The Young Bucks ****

NEVER 6 Man Title Gauntlet Match **3/4

Kota Ibushi vs. Cody ****

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Title Match: K.E.S. (c) vs. EVIL & SANADA ***1/2

NEVER Openweight Title Hair vs. Hair Match: Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto ****1/2

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title 4-Way: Marty Scurll (c) vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi ****1/2

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White ***1/2

IWGP U.S. Title Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho ****3/4

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito ****3/4

Photos.

This was a great supershow that, despite its gargantuan runtime, was actually incredibly easy to sit through. I don’t think it was quite as good as the three previous WK’s (specifically the 2015 outing, which I think is one of the greatest cards ever), but it was tremendous stuff nonetheless. One (sort of) negative to the show is that there were some curious winners, but on the whole it didn't matter as the action was so good. I missed around 70% of the pre-show New Japan “Rambo”, but what I did see was suitably horrible. Despite this, it had a super happy ending in that cancer survivor Masahito Kakihara won the thing when he last eliminated Cheeseburger with an STO. He then thanked everyone for donating to the Yoshihiro Takayama foundation, which just made everything seem really feel good. I also had to laugh when Kakihara made his entrance, and the old UWFi theme played, and commentator and UWF legend, Kazuo Yamazaaki teased he was going to enter from the booth.

The main show kicked off with an excellent IWGP Jr Tag Title clash, in which The Young Bucks won the straps for a seventh time. Much like their match last year, this was a great, storyline and psychology driven match from the Jackson’s in which they worked over YOH’s injured back, and in turn RPG 3K worked over Matt’s injured back all match, both of which were sold beautifully, and played into the finish. SHO looked great getting the hot tag and hitting his impressive power spots, including the double German, and I’m sure he’s going to be a big name in the years to come. The finish came at 18:49 after the Bucks hit the Meltzer Driver on YOH, then Nick locked in the Sharpshooter for the submission win. The CHAOS team of Ishii, Yano and Baretta walked out of the Dome as NEVER 6 Man Champions after surviving the gauntlet. This was all-action, but realistically was exactly the same as every other one of these we’ve seen. Sabre Jr, Taichi and Kanemaru eliminated War Machine and Elgin, then the Suzuki-gunners were sent packing by the CHAOS trio seconds thereafter. Taguchi, Makabe and Juice were in next, but Yano rolled up the Funky Weapon to send them home, which left them against defending champions, the BC Polynesian crew of Fale, Tonga and Loa, which ended after Baretta pinned Tama with the Dudebuster at the 17 minute mark. This was all fine.

Kota Ibushi defeated Cody in an excellent match which far exceeded my expectations. This wasn’t quite as good as Cody’s match with Okada in Long Beach, but it was easily in the tope three Cody matches I've ever seen. Ibushi looked incredible here, and Cody more than held his own. The big spot was Cody hitting a hideous looking Cross Rhodes off the apron, which I was certain killed Ibushi as he landed right on top of his head. However, Kota fired back, hitting that devastating Lawn Dart spot which folded Cody up, destroyed him with Kamigoye, then turned back the clocks and won at 15:08 with the Phoenix Splash. The win here potentially sets Ibushi up for the IWGP Heavy Title, but time will tell on that front. EVIL and SANADA won their first Tag Titles over Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr in a very good doubles clash. I can't help but feel that K.E.S. are somewhat under-utilised in NJPW at present, but they looked really good here, dominating the match and destroying the Young Lions at ringside, as if they were channeling Hansen and Brody or something. I hope they get a better run in 2018, and that all these multi-man’s for these titles go away for good. SANADA predictably picked up the win for the LIJ team when he pinned DBS Jr with the Muto Moonsault in 14 minutes.

The NEVER Hair vs. Hair match between Suzuki and Goto was a dramatic, strong style war, which was the best match on the show up to that point. These guys could easily have had this match last year, if it weren't for all the shenanigan filled matches they had, and it was all the better for just being down to them without all the faction nonsense. They smacked the hell out of each other, with Goto getting the worst of it, ending up with a bloodied mouth and swollen face, and at one point Suzuki hit a sickeningly stiff headbutt. This was just great, believable stuff throughout. Suzuki almost won several times with his choke, but Goto would somehow power out with Ushigoroshi’s. Goto went for what I thought was going to be the Shouten, but he dropped Suzuki across his knee in a modified GTR, then hit the regular version at 18:04 to win the belt and keep his hair. In the post match, Suzuki teased reneging on the stipulation, but like the man’s man he is, shaved his own head. Next up was the insane 4 way for the Junior title. This pretty much lived up to expectations, and was an action packed, high flying spectacle. There was almost too much action to call, but it featured so many great spots, including Ospreay hitting a Moonsault off the lighting rig, everyone hitting dives, and a bunch of Sunset Flip Bombs out of the ring. The finish came at 21:18 after Ospreay scored a near fall on Hiromu with an imploding 450, then missed the Oscutter, but was hit with Time Bomb by Takahashi. Scurll broke it up and annihilated Hiromu and KUSHIDA with hard umbrella shots, but was hit with the Oscutter for Ospreay to win his second title. Tanahashi’s I.C. Title defence against Jay White was interesting. I’d say it was Tana’s least appealing Dome match since his IWGP Title match with Suzuki at WK6. I mean, it was a very good contest and despite his physical limitations, Tanahashi put on a great performance, but on the whole it just lacked something. I think the main problem here was that realistically, nobody bought White winning this at all, even with the Tanahashi knee injury. White worked the knee most of the match, then Tana insanely hit the HFF to the floor, hit some Sling Blades, then missed a HFF in the ring and sold the knee. White got a near fall with a Kiwi Crusher. Tana scored a near fall with a Dragon Suplex, before retaining with two more High Fly Flow’s in 19:56. Honestly, I don’t think White was hurt by the loss here. If anything a win may have harmed him more as he hardly put on a performance good enough to justify having the belt. In reality, this match was very good based on the performance of Tanahashi and not because it was a break-out star-making one by White. As it stands, I think the company are big on him, so he’ll be fine and theres no point rushing to put a top belt on him at this point. 

Then the Alpha vs. Omega co-main event. This was just a crazy brawl, as it had promised to be. Jericho was clearly having a ball here, heeling it up like nobody’s business, slapping around Red Shoes, his son Umino, and stealing photographers cameras at ringside. It was like he was channelling old boss Genichiro Tenryu, both with the grouchy old dude gimmick and the fact that, at the grand old age of 47, he may have had his best singles match ever. Kenny juiced after being rammed into a chair in the corner (not before he awkwardly dropped his gig for all you eagle eyed viewers), which really gave this the aura of something special, as virtually no mainstream promotion does juice anymore. This was an intense grudge match which was completely different to what we’re used to seeing from both guys really, even though both hit all their signature spots. After Jericho was sent off the second rope through a table outside following a V-Trigger, things really picked up. Jericho rolled through a OWA and locked in the Walls Of Jericho, which teased the stoppage, but Kenny made the ropes. Omega fired back with V-Triggers and the One Winged Angel, but Jericho grabbed the ropes for a tremendous near fall. Kenny countered a top rope Frankensteiner by dropping Y2J face first on the turnbuckles, but Jericho hit the Code Breaker for another great near fall. Jericho draped a chair over Omega, and went for the Lionsault, but Kenny threw the chair at Jericho, then hit the match winning OWA onto the chair to end a fantastic match at 34:36. Negatives out of the way first, this was maybe a little too long, but honestly this was just great pro wrestling and it makes me want to see more of Jericho in New Japan (I suspect a showdown with Naito is on the cards at some point).

Then the main event, which was under quite some pressure in the sense that they had to follow the last match, Okada’s main event from last year’s show (and really, the last three WK shows), and the fact that after a four year struggle, they're finally in the main event spot, so they had a lot to live up to. This was a fitting end to an incredible show, it was probably the match of the night, and they worked this like it was the most important match of their respective careers. Its also worth noting that Okada worked the match in these hideous, bell bottomed pants which he needs to lose ASAP. Both guys seemed to work each others necks, as they dropped one another on their heads repeatedly. Things got very interesting when Naito went up top, but missed his old Stardust Press finish (which reminds me, seeing as he’s no longer the Stardust Genius, shouldn't he really have gotten rid of the old Stardust entrance theme?). This was the turning point of the match really. Okada hit the German and transitioned into the Rainmaker for a believable near fall, then went for a Tombstone, but Naito reversed it into Destino, but was too exhausted to cover. This all built to the crazy finishing sequence that is prerequisite for Okada title defences, filled with counters and reversals, as the packed Tokyo Dome went crazy. Naito finally hit Destino again, but inexplicably elected to go for another instead of the cover. This time, the champion reversed Destino into the jumping, spinning Tombstone, then hit a final, massive Rainmaker, to retain the crown at the the 36:30 mark. Theres been a lot of anger and disappointment to this finish. I must confess that I certainly didn't see the match ending in this result, but I don’t think its necessarily a terrible mistake. I equate it to when Kobashi pinned Jun Akiyama in NOAH’s first Dome show in 2004. People’s arguments then were that Akiyama was the hottest he's ever been, and Kobashi had held the title for well over a year. However, Kobashi’s reign went on for another 8 months and he produced more classic title defences, hitting the most in Japanese history at that point (an unprecedented 13), that ultimately meant more in the long run than Akiyama winning would have. In essence, I feel like this is potentially what New Japan are going for here with Okada. Time will tell of course, but I think its much too soon to be doomsaying just yet.

On the whole, this was a truly exceptional card of action from NJPW, who never really disappoint with these big shows. Personally, I have waned on New Japan since the G1 really. This is for several reasons, most of them personal life related, but in general I feel that G1 27 was potentially the apex of modern wrestling. Shin Nihon have set the bar so high nowadays that its almost impossible to top themselves, and I feel that this is the potential problem here too. Nothing hit those sky high standards set previously (or anywhere close to Dave Meltzer’s fabled 6 star rating), so it was easy to feel disappointed by the show. Realistically, its going to take a lot to top this as card of the year. 

NDT

[demigodofhoolemere]

Liken the Scriptures

Something I'm completely in love with and I always ask other Mormons if they've ever seen them: Liken the Scriptures. Now having been more involved with the LDS community on this site and realizing that I haven't talked about it nearly enough, I thought it high time to make a post about it and shamelessly promote my favorite thing in the world.

Liken is a movie series of scripture stories (from both the Book of Mormon and the Bible) imagined as musicals. The premise is that in the modern day, there is a child who is facing a difficult challenge in their life, and they are told stories from the scriptures that relate in some way and the child can use the lesson they've learned from the story and apply it in their lives. When told these stories, the child will imagine it in their minds, everything set up like a play with songs and all, so that they can really get a feel for the story and put themselves into the shoes of the people who lived it.

I have found many times over that these little movies have helped me to remember the stories better than I ever could on my own, and give me a serious appreciation for the real thing. They’re not only educational, but incredibly fun and truly wholesome entertainment, with lots of comedy gags that are a grab-bag of scripture references and hilarious anachronisms (my personal favorite is the sundial watch that appears in all of them). It’s serious when it needs to be and funny when it can be. One minute you have an upbeat and fun number and the next minute the jokes are turned off like a switch and suddenly you're feeling the Spirit strongly, or vice versa, and the transition is so natural and organic. The songs are so well done, the acting is so powerful, there are completely brilliant musical motifs and overtures, the sets and costumes are somewhat cheesy and are clearly church budget but in the best and most fun possible way. The messages are moving and they stay with you.

This is already long, so I'm going to talk about great things from each of them under the cut.

~~~~~

Nephi & Laban (2003)

- a primary classroom that I feel like I've been in before

- the “imaginer child” somehow manages to continually break his imagination’s fourth wall and talk to Nephi

- Nephi (about Laman and Lemuel): “🎶 The older ones play games that I don't always like to play🎶” Lemuel in the background: “Let’s beat Nephi with a rod!”

- Laman is played by Ice from Hocus Pocus

- the song where the brothers are drawing lots is a literal boyband number and I honestly have no words for that experience

- Laban sings a lot about how much he loves his possessions, Zoram is just going with it and the guards are exhausted with their boss

- there’s an incredibly moving number involving Sariah praying to God for comfort, and honestly the raw emotion emanating from her as she cries to Heavenly Father is so powerful and so relatable and it makes me cry with her

- the best method ever of avoiding showing somebody get killed

- a gorgeous closing number that includes the repented Laman and Lemuel but also foreshadows their future by having them not sing the line “I’ll follow thee through all my days” with their brothers

Ammon & King Lamoni (2004)

- Abish is a significant central character and is treated as a scripture hero in her own right, and gets her own incredibly inspiring song about sharing the gospel that has always really resonated with me

- Lamoni is awesome, his servants are great, the queen is amazing (sadly there is no ‘to me he doth not stink’, but her very presence in general makes up for it)

- subtle acknowledgement of Ammon’s past with the sons of Mosiah

- Ammon has a lovely song about the blessings of missionary work and spreading God’s word. During this song he has a picnic with a bear, teaches it the gospel, and gives it a bottle of honey as a thank you for its time. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

- after Lamoni orders his servants to watch the sheep, the servants have a hilariously pessimistic song where they're bemoaning their upcoming deaths, and instead of showing Ammon chop off arms we’re treated to the servants coming back with an upbeat and lively song celebrating the fact that they're alive, and they retell to Lamoni the story of everything that happened. The sequence is incredibly clever and the choreography is the BEST.

- a deep and thoughtful number about Lamoni reconsidering his entire life

- something I really like about this one is that unlike the others, this time it's not the imaginer child who personally needed to hear the story but actually the person telling it

David & Goliath (2005)

(There are 2 versions of this because they re-shot the modern day portion to use a different imaginer child. The one that gets sold with the set is the second version but the first one is still out there if you look for it and personally that's the one that I get more emotional about.)

- Goliath is played by Thurl Bailey and David’s brother Abinadab is played by Alex Boyé which is really all you need to know. Thurl uses a club as a microphone while he sings about murdering the Israelites. This whole thing is gold.

- honestly all of David’s brothers are such characters, they're great. There’s a song where they’re all arguing like children over which one of them is going to be king, and there's another where they’re meeting Samuel and their father keeps trying to promote each of them and after each of them is rejected he continues to claim that the next one in line is his favorite, and when David is chosen he acts like he knew it all along even though they didn't bring him in the first place

- David has a couple of different numbers about the Lord seeing what's inside of you and using you for good things even if you feel so small

- Saul has a complete mental breakdown which results in the best song I've ever heard in my life

- there’s a very reverent sense of companionship between David and Saul, and they have an absolutely gorgeous duet where Saul reminisces about how he used to have the kind of faith and goodness that David does, and David assures him that it's never too late to let God touch your heart

- the Philistines are completely wild and ridiculously over-the-top and their crazy outfits range from Rastafarian to Rod Stewart and their weapons are all completely made up and it makes no sense and I love it

- David: “🎶 and he will soon be 6 feet deep, I’m giving you my oath 🎶” Saul: “But suppose he were 6 feet deep, why, he'd still be 3 and a half feet tall!”

- a servant uses finger guns

- “I Am David” makes me feel like I can do anything

- Saul’s future is foreshadowed by him looking super confused and uncomfortable about David getting the kingdom’s praise

Alma & King Noah’s Court (2005)

- Noah’s courtroom comes complete with animatronic jaguars

- Noah is insanely high-maintenance and his kingdom is some sort of wild media circus and one of the priests reminds me of my uncle as a rockstar

- within the child’s imagination Alma himself also imagines a few things and has to snap out of it so there’s some imagination-ception going on here

- throughout the whole movie Alma is so earnest and genuine and it's so sweet

- Abinadi makes me cry like a baby every single time

- I kid you not, Noah and the priests have a disco number. There is a straight-up disco number in the middle of the courtroom. I can't even begin to explain.

- Seriously though. Abinadi. He ruins me. I always cry. I'm crying right now.

- Alma ruins me, too.

- Honestly the theme of conversion and baptism in this one just gets to me (I suppose it does with Ammon as well but for whatever reason Alma is different). I've been raised in the church myself, but my mother and my paternal grandmother are converts, some good friends in my stake were converted, and I've been blessed to be able to see our closest family friends come to believe the gospel and get baptized, and sharing the light of Christ with others is such an important thing to me that I can never come out of this one with dry eyes.

The First Christmas (2006)

- all of the shepherds are super cheery and optimistic except for just one who's very bored and very tired

- Zacharias and Elisabeth tug at my heartstrings in the worst way

- the angel Gabriel is the absolute best in every way

- any scene with Mary in it is so beautifully powerful, her songs even more so

- there's a scene with the Biblical era equivalent of nosy relief society sisters and it’s great

- honestly there are so many powerful scenes in this one, you've got Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay and you've got a choir of angels giving glory to God and you've got the shepherds celebrating the birth of Christ and you've got the manger scene and... chills the whole way through

- gloomy shepherd: “Nothing ever happens out here, I mean nothing!” *brightly glowing Gabriel appears half a second later*

- if you've ever heard BYU Vocal Point sing ‘He’s Born’, this is where that song comes from

Esther & the King (2006)

- My favorite. My absolute favorite. There are no words that can convey my love for this movie. Stick my DVD copy with me in my coffin when I go.

- All of the songs are so catchy and amazing and I love each and every one of them with all my heart.

- The maidens waiting to meet the king all do the most ridiculous and flashy things to try and impress him and Esther’s just like ‘um...ok...’ and Hegai has the best reaction faces ever to grace this planet

- Teresh and Bigthan are so weird and a little crazy and I love it. They're like if Timon and Pumbaa were villains.

- what I love even more is Haman, oh my word, he's so vain and childishly absurd but also somehow manages to be truly menacing and awful and it's incredible

- Esther’s relationships with Mordecai and Ahasuerus are perfect and so sweet and all of them individually are such good people

- her songs are so breathtaking and strong and she's my hero and I love her

- Haman has the best villain songs in the history of villain songs. I will never ever tire of them.

- wonderful use is made of the chamberlain with the unfortunate name of Carcas

- there's a song for the part where Haman keeps giving hilariously specific suggestions for gifts that he thinks are for himself and then he goes to cry to his wife when he has to do all of it for Mordecai

- early on Esther has a song asking the king if he can love her for who she is and in the end it gets so beautifully flipped on its head and he's the one very humbly asking her if she can love him and it's the sweetest thing

- the word ‘news’ in the closing number “There Is News Today” is subtly but clearly pronounced like ‘noose’ because Haman’s about to be hanged and it's amusing in a weirdly morbid way

Samuel the Lamanite (2006)

- the imaginer child has been doing this for so long that her imagination process is evolving and now she sees herself physically partaking in the story and interacting with the citizens of Zarahemla and at one point the storyteller goes ‘can you imagine how it must have felt to be a believer in a time such as this?’ and her eyes are wide as she nods her head in fear like ‘yes I'm living it right now and I want out’

- the wicked people in the city sing about how great they are and while doing this they are continually casually awful to the people around them

- there’s this narcissistic archery corps who have the run of the place for some reason

- Nephi II and Nephi III are super sweet

- there are wonderful songs about never being alone because God is within and He shares His love

- Samuel looks very accurate to that figurine

- someone throws a rock at Samuel but it bounces off the wall and comes right back to hit the guy in the face

- the bad guys have a song about how it's been 5 years and nothing Samuel prophesied has happened, and for whatever amazing reason it's a mariachi number and the screen transitions into sepia and they have a piñata that looks like Samuel but they can't hit it no matter what they do

- interestingly, even though this one is filled with a lot of funnies, it's also the most dramatic because the villains become completely ruthless and the believers are literally almost murdered

Daniel & the Lions (2006)

- Darius is overstressed by his job and Daniel has basically become his therapist. Darius has a jazz number about his stress and how he needs help.

- Daniel is so calm and sweet and always has the best advice to offer. His relationship with Darius is very brotherly and loving, and he deals with the men who want him dead with such grace and patience.

- the king’s messenger (to a noisy crowd): “Put a sock in it!” villager #1: *whispers* “What’s a sock?” villager #2: *shrugs*

- Daniel only buys fruit and vegetables from the marketplace in reference to earlier in the book of Daniel where he refuses meat

- There are 3 main bad guys who go after Daniel, and the leader of the band is properly creepy. They also have a fully choreographed number about spying on Daniel while he's literally like 5 feet in front of them and he keeps looking back at them awkwardly, and later they literally have a Beach Boys number in the middle of the throne room and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me

- Darius’s heart is absolutely broken when he realizes that by law Daniel has to be sent into the den and it’s so gorgeous

- when Daniel is taken away the bad guys become very dramatic and act like they've made so many sacrifices for this victory and they're waving around red flags and it's somehow amusing but darkly disturbing at the same time

- Daniel and Darius have an incredibly powerful duet about the Spirit offering peace in times of need and it makes me cry

- the lions are played by people in costume and Daniel can talk to them

- Instead of just making them peaceful or causing them to lose their appetites, the angel turns the lions into vegetarians. They suddenly have a lively number about how excited they are to be vegetarians now. Vegetarian lions. I couldn't make this stuff up. It’s golden.

Jonah & the Great Fish (2011)

- Jonah is played by David Osmond

- I still love this one but personally I don't feel it's quite as good as the others, which has everything to do with the underwater sequences. The ‘great fish’ is given a name and a life story and he has a fish friend who follows him everywhere and for some reason they're given a large amount of screentime. I still kind of like them, but I’m sure I would like them better under different circumstances. It feels very weird and out of place here. The imaginer child and her storyteller even talk about them like they’re real characters. There are also villainous sharks for some reason. The only thing that makes sense about anything that happens underwater is the sequence when Jonah is inside the fish. I don't want to seem like I'm bashing the movie because I don't mean to, I definitely still adore it and I would still recommend it. There’s just stuff that doesn't make sense.

- The way they portray the contentions in Nineveh is to have the city be divided into the Left Siders and the Right Siders, and they all wear a glove on the respective hand and wear different color schemes. The architecture is different on both sides and even all of the names begin with L or R. Everyone is very unnecessarily dramatic about staying on their sides of the dividing line and there's an awesome musical number about how much they all hate each other and how important it is to pick a side. This clearly happens a lot because the king and queen are very tired of having to break up fights and after everyone has cleared out they have a beautiful duet about their hopes that God can help their people.

- Jonah has a great song where he's pledging himself to God and promising to go wherever he is asked, and then he's told to go to Nineveh and he goes, “EXCEPT THERE!” and suddenly the entire song backtracks and takes on a feeling of panic as he packs up all of his things and sings about running as far away as possible

- the mariners that Jonah hitches a ride with take advantage of how desperate he is to run away and they scam him out of almost all of his money, also the captain has a mullet

- when thrown overboard: “So this is how the story of Jonah ends, huh? Prematurely, in the first chapter. I think about verse 15...”

- Jonah has a beautiful repentance song when he's inside the fish, and the entire ending where Jonah is in Nineveh is really well done and the closing number is very uplifting and moving.

~~~~~

Really though, I highly recommend Liken to anybody. I can't do these movies enough justice, they’re amazing. I put them on whenever I'm feeling bad, they just have a way of healing your heart and uplifting your spirit. They’re a wonderful reminder of how present our Heavenly Father is in our lives.

[miuplays]

Miu’s Games of the Decade

Hello all! Wishing you a Happy New Year wherever you are in the world! It’s already January 1st where I am, but I’m sure people are still counting down in other parts of the world. But anywho! I wanted to end the year with a celebration of some of my favorite games released this decade. The 2010’s have been an incredible year for video games, I think. With strides made in graphics, scale, and storytelling, I think this has been easily one of the most innovative eras on all fronts. I hope you enjoy this list of a few of my favorites, and hopefully some of your favorites are here as well! If not, make a list of your own and share it with me! I’d love to see some of your opinions.

But without further ado, on to the countdown…

2010 – FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

This game, for me, set the standard for what every RPG game should be. From its worldbuilding, to character interactions and on-the-nose commentary, to the way it expands the Fallout universe both mechanically and through storytelling. Of all the Fallout games, this is the one that left the biggest impact on me, and it’s the one I still reflect on to this day.

Honorable Mentions – Bayonetta, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2

2011 – DRAGON AGE II

So I looooove Dragon Age. It’s, in my opinion, one of the best RPG franchises ever made, and this game in particular is easily my favorite in the series. The writing is at its best, and every character is so loveable that I found myself playing it multiple times just so I could romance everybody. Despite some structural issues in the overall story, I still consider it to be one of the most memorable in the franchise, and I don’t regret a single hour put into this campaign.

Honorable Mentions – Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Souls, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2012 – DISHONORED

As RPG-heavy as this list is, I do wanna give some love to immersive sims. Another favorite genre of mine, and Dishonored is by and large one of the best. I found myself entangled in a number of sticky situations that I had to sleuth and stealth my way out of one too many times. Yet they somehow managed to make that the best part of the game. Player freedom and creativity are practically the foundation of this game, and it’s something that made this game not only an enjoyable and unique experience the first time around, but its replay value is through the roof. I do think that later installments in the series, as well as other immersive sim games like Prey, definitely improved upon this one in a lot of areas. But regardless, I still really enjoyed Dishonored, and I’m holding out hope for the future of the series.

Honorable Mentions – Sleeping Dogs, Mass Effect 3, Borderlands 2, The Walking Dead

2013 – THE LAST OF US

I’m sure you’re all surprised, but yes. The Last of Us is my GOTY for 2013, and possibly my favorite game of all time. Before playing this, I’ve never had a game put me in such a state of emotional duress for an extended period of time. Not even MGS3’s ending did what this game did to me. And even as I’m typing this, I realize that the technical aspects of this game—the graphics, mechanics, level design, etc.—aren’t what makes it stand out in my opinion. My favorite part of this game has to be the journey. The connection between Ellie and Joel (two characters so brilliantly portrayed by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker). My love for these characters and my desire to see them succeed despite all of the hardships and challenging decisions they were faced with. That’s why I love this game. It is, for me, the most incredible storytelling experience I’ve ever had.

Honorable Mentions – Grand Theft Auto V, Tomb Raider, The Wolf Among Us, Injustice: Gods Among Us

2014 – BAYONETTA 2

The Queen has made it onto this list, and I have nothing but praise for the greatest hack n’ slash game ever made. Character design? Stellar. Combat system? Robust, intricate, and absolutely flaw-fucking-free. Improves upon its predecessor in every way imaginable and still remains as stylish and fun as ever? 100%.

If you haven’t played this game yet, please stop reading this and go play this game. It is… phenomenal.

Honorable Mentions – Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dark Souls II, Alien: Isolation, Tales from the Borderlands

2015 – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

What can I say about this game that hasn’t already been said, like, 9 million times…?

It’s legendary. Simply put. A flawless and unforgettable RPG experience that simply cannot be replicated. Also, I would die for Yennefer. And Ciri of Cintra is the love of my life.

Honorable Mentions – Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Life is Strange, Mortal Kombat X

2016 – HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER

The only indie game on this list, but its spot is well deserved. What has always set video games apart from other storytelling mediums is interactivity. Despite this, I feel like most games still rely on heavy dialogue and cinematic cutscenes in order to spin its narrative. Which is why I’m so appreciative of games like this, where art and exploration are key to understanding the world and the happenings around you. Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous game, with challenging combat and beautiful, stylish music and design that will have you feeling both nostalgic and mesmerized. Even in its quieter moments the game remains so rich and thoughtful, and even now it’s hard to decipher my feelings afterwards. A mixture of melancholy, delight, and solace. It’s a journey I thoroughly enjoyed taking.

Honorable Mentions – DOOM, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

2017 – HORIZON: ZERO DAWN

This year was a solid year for games, which made this decision insanely difficult… but after a lot of deliberating, I decided to go with my gut. Aloy stole my heart the moment she came on the screen. She’s an incredible leading lady who’s strong, determined, complicated, and layered in ways that both intrigued me and that I could relate to. But beyond just my crush on the game’s protagonist, the scope of this game is just… fantastic. The way they mixed post-apocalyptic tribalism with futuristic technology, the physics of every monster you encounter being so dynamic that every battle feels viscerally intense, even just the combat mechanics and how much effort was put into designing Aloy’s bow and her diversity of combat options, I’m just so!!!! In LOVE with this game!!!!!!!

Honorable Mentions –Tekken 7, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Butterfly Soup

2018 – GOD OF WAR

Yet another game that I’ve showered in so much praise that I don’t think there’s anything left for me to say about it anymore. This game is flawless for a number of reasons. Its meticulously crafted combat system, amazing graphics, beautiful character and game design, gorgeous score, and seamless transitions from action to story that make it feel like a film taken in one single camera shot are all key selling points. But what sold me on this game, and makes it my top pick for this year, was its compelling narrative. The story is one that’s very personal to me. I felt for them and their loss at the very start of the game. I resonated with Atreus and his struggles to connect with his father. And I understood Kratos’ inner battle with coming to terms with who he is and the things he’s done, and trying to be the father his son deserves. I related to these things, as they resembled all to closely the relationship I had with my own mom. God of War moved me in more ways than one, and I’m very thankful that this game exists. I felt like it was my own story being told on that screen as well.

Also… the boss fights are just so fucking fun.

Honorable Mentions – Spider-Man (PS4), Red Dead Redemption 2, Gris, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

2019 – RESIDENT EVIL 2: REMAKE

This may be a more controversial pick considering the amount of quality games that came out this year, and I know most of my viewers were probably expecting Control or The Outer Worlds to be here considering how much I hyped those games up. But in my defense, Resident Evil 2 was already one of my all-time favorite games, and this remake nothing short of a masterpiece. To me, it’s what every horror game should be. The atmosphere is dark yet engrossing. Every aspect of design, from sounds to levels to enemies, make this one of the scariest horror games I’ve ever played, all without relying on jumpscares, or grotesque imagery (although there’s plenty of that as well, it’s not what makes the experience so horrifying imo). It’s one of the most beautifully crafted survival horrors, while manages to improve upon the original while still remaining faithful to it. I consider it a masterclass in how to approach any remake. Capcom truly earned back my trust with this one.

Honorable Mentions – Control, Katana ZERO, The Outer Worlds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

And so concludes the list! I hope you enjoyed reading, despite how lengthy it got. I wanted to get out as much praise as I could because every game listed here deserves it. I’m in love with every single one, including so many more that weren’t mentioned. It was truly an amazing decade for gamers and game developers alike, and I’m nothing but optimistic for the future.

See you all next year.

– ミウ。

[kanralovesu]

Top 12 Anime Openings of 2018

There are too many pure “Top X Anime” lists and not enough love for the glorious opening credit sequences in anime! For this list I picked from any OP this year regardless of whether I watched the anime or not. There’s just too many anime to watch that I’d be screwing over so many good OPs if I only focused on shows I’ve watched. With that said here’s my top 12 anime OPs of 2018.

#12: Gegege no Kitaro [Song: Gegege no Kitarou]

https://youtu.be/vWTKaoi6UBE

A delightful little OP that oozes a mix of whimsy and horror. The characters that sing the OP (especially the frog) add that extra bit to push it over the top into being one of my favorite OPs this year.

#11: Aguu Genius Dolls [Song: prima dynamis]

https://youtu.be/PPg9yj3QILE

In 10th place is another horror OP but this one ditches the whimsy and goes all in on crazy wicked and horrific imagery, my favorite being the miniature lady tied up in strings being pulled out of another lady’s mouth. Yeah, this OP is insane and I love it, unlike the show itself which people seem to dislike. I can definitely see bits of jank in the character animations which are my least favorite part of this, but the rest of it easily makes up for it. Its also got a tune that will rival #1.

#10: Black Clover OP4 [Song: Guess who is Back]

https://youtu.be/cK9Z9Zcuso0

I’m never up to date on anime shonen besides My Hero, but I’m always up to date on the OPs and this is why. This is the kind of OP you jam to every time not only because of the music but how well the OP itself syncs to it. I absolutely love the stylistic slow motion used near the end!

#9: Pop Team Epic [Song: Pop Team Epic]

https://youtu.be/TmrosfxGifQ

What else can I say besides “It’s Pop Team Epic”. It has the same energetic, meme style of humor as the show which on its own wouldn’t put it far up this list, but its clever metaphors (like smashing the TV to break the 4th wall) bring it a step above.

#8: Uma Musume Pretty Derby [Song: Make Debut!]

https://youtu.be/nuuq0Ul_-_c

This is one where I haven’t watched the show at all, but the OP instantly got me hooked on the concept. A big part of this is the character animation and directing which clearly shows off the personalities of the girls. The backgrounds of shots are also packed with detail adding even more character to the character expressed by the foreground characters. This is the absolute peak of what “cute girls” anime should be doing in their OPs. Then after that’s done we still have a beautifully animated running sequence which perfects on what sports anime should be doing in their OPs. However, this is where my lack of knowledge of the series hinders me a bit because I can tell these shots have a deeper meaning to the rival characters presented but that’s the kind of information that becomes more clear as the series finishes. By the way having hidden info like that is a VERY good thing and you’ll only see more of that as we get further on.

#7: Happy Sugar Life [Song: One Room Sugar Life]

https://youtu.be/3QvZYI00voE

This is the best OP I’ve ever seen for the classic “cute on the surface dark underneath” type of anime. On a surface level evaluation you’ve got great sequences like the one starting at 0:35 where the song kicks into high gear, but on a deeper level its clear there is a lot of symbolism going on. Sweets and sugar are evocative of carnal pleasures that offer short terms gratification. The two girls themselves are represented by spiky gummy sweets which pays off at the end in a chilling way when one girl eats the sweet that represents the other.

#6: Wotaku: Love is Hard for an Otaku [Song: Fiction]

https://youtu.be/K3XCP-KMR68

The ending is hands down my favorite sequence from an OP this year with so much charm and style! Not only is it fun to look at but it also foreshadows the relationships by having each person start individually and then join together in a synchronized bit that symbolizes their chemistry. The rest of the OP doesn’t drag it feet either and offers some great characterization, especially in the beginning when it cuts between how each character outwardly portrays themselves and how their true hobbies. You also gotta love the references to both retro and new age gaming which I’m sure is an intentional choice.

#5: Devilman Crybaby [Song: Man Human]

Of course we’ve got to give credit to Devilman Crybaby on this list! This trippy delight has some amazing and imaginative imagery, but unlike Aguu Genius Dolls this one also focuses heavily on the transitions between things. My favorite example of this is when all the hands reaching up become an eye. There is clear thought not only into what is shown right that moment but how that thing will become the next thing in the most interesting way possible. This is also one OP that I will see myself re-analyzing upon finishing the series because I think there is clearly some hidden symbolism in there. The OP is just too deliberate to not be hiding something!

#4: Love is Like After the Rain [Song: Nostalgic Rainfall]

Starting our top 4 is an opening that I’ve actually already analyzed to great detail on my blog:

https://kanralovesu.tumblr.com/post/170873771493/after-the-rains-opening-how-hardship-brings-us

In summary, the OP’s imagery of rain, clouds, umbrellas, etc. all lead into the central idea that bad times can bring people together. This is illustrated beautifully when two rain drops combine and become a heart!

#3: Attack on Titan S3 OP1 [Song: Red Swan]

Attack on Titan has given us some of the best OPs in the history of anime which just makes it even harder for them to top themselves. When I first saw that this OP was taking a drastically different style than the older ones, I was skeptical, but in the end I fell in love with it. The best part is obviously where little Eren bumps into his older self. The whole theme of reflecting on your past and realizing how much you’ve changed is shown completely visually. You can see how the childlike wonder of the bright and colorful insert images is stripped away by the cold looks of Eren and his friends. Its one thing to show who a character is using the OP, but its a whole different level of skill showing how a character has changed using the OP.

#2: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5 [Song: Fighting Gold]

FIGHTING GOLD! Of course a new JoJo OP would impress but I’ll go ahead and say this is one of, if not my most favorite JoJo OP of all time! I love the visual motifs of chains and characters being trapped and then at the end they seemingly break free in what is of course the most amazing sequence in the OP. You just gotta sing along to this one! 

#1: Kokkoku [Song: Flashback]

Number 1 is none other than the jam itself: Flashback. This OP is absolutely incredible from its visuals to its music, but its also so much more than that. The imagery has clear purpose showing people’s hands forming hearts in front of stop signs and showing shadows twisting into the hands of a clock only to stop. There are also so many small spoilers hidden in plain sight. Near the beginning we get one shot of a clock pendulum swinging to reveal Shouko Majima and the near the end we get the same image but with Juri Yukawa and her dog connecting them as part of the same flashback. We also see Juri smash a heart as the beat drops and white lines fly out. At the beginning of the show this might seem completely stylistic but its actually a hint at her power to push you out of stopped time! A less obvious power showcase is in a single static shot of the grandfather who, if you look closely, is actually in two places at once showing that he can teleport. That shot isn’t even on screen for a second but they still put thought into it! This is masterful OP craftsmanship!

That rounds out this list of what I believe to be the top 12 anime OPs of 2018. I probably missed a good few OPs, but if its an consolation, this list is twice as long as the one I wrote down for 2017 which only had 5 I really thought were exceptional (That wasn’t posted on my blog but in case you’re curious it was Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu OP2, Twin Star Exorcists OP3, Re:Creators OP2, Konosuba OP2 and ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka). So what I’m trying to say is this was a fantastic year for anime OPs! With the OPs for next season already mostly out I can see next year is shaping up to be one of the best years for OPs yet so I’m looking forward to that!

Note: This is a reposting of my original list with 1 important addition because being the scatter brained nincompoop that I am, I forgot Fighting Gold! I know, I should have my OP license revoked for such a heinous mistake, so please forgive me Cruel Angel’s up above!

[kidsviral-blog]

Community Post: Ranking The Seasons Of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" From Worst To Best

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/community-post-ranking-the-seasons-of-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-from-worst-to-best/

Community Post: Ranking The Seasons Of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" From Worst To Best

See who lands on top. Warning: Spoilers abound.

1. Season 7

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: Spike with a soul is a joy to watch (and not only because James Marsters was arguably at his most gorgeous here). His struggle highlights the fine line between sanity and madness and also touches on the shock of change and depression. Marsters is probably the finest actor of the season. Xander hits full maturity and becomes the true hero we all knew he could be. Andrew Wells makes for some pretty quotable one-liners (“Where have you been? This funnel cake is kicking my ass!”). And finally, we got one of the greatest, most moving series finales in television history. Ladies, we know we have the power. Cons: With the exception of two or three actors, everyone felt very bored and tired. It’s understandable, especially from Sarah Michelle Gellar’s point of view, but it still hurts to watch a show that used to be filled with such joie de vie fade out like that. Plus, “The Killer in Me” and “Him” were actual episodes. Best Episode: “Chosen” (7×22)

2. Season 1

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: Lots of fans are really down on Season 1 and often call it the worst season, but it’s really not that bad. Buffy and her new friends tackle vampires and demons alike, but the stories are representative of things much greater than fantasy adventure. By episode three, we’re deep into mentally abusive parent-child relationships, and by the season finale, Buffy performs her first Christ-like sacrifice to save the world. It’s a solid foundation for the series to come and contains great bits of clever writing. Plus, Buffy’s dress in “Prophecy Girl” is legendary. Cons: The makeup for the demons is pretty bad, and the soundtrack is the musical equivalent of Velveeta macaroni. The quality of the film is worse than even season two, which premiered only a few months after this season ended. “I Robot, You Jane” was an allegory for Internet safety so obvious, it may as well have been a public service announcement. Best Episode: “Prophecy Girl” (1×12)

3. Season 4

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: Buffy’s in college! This transition was handled realistically – well, as realistically as a show about slaying vampires could be. The drift among the Scoobies was written and performed so naturally, it feels like you’re drifting right along with them. That’s how it happens in real life, too, isn’t it? This is also the first season in which Spike is added to the main cast, and his sudden inability to harm people is one of the show’s best bits. Willow and Tara got together this season in the first female-female romance of network TV, which is still a colossal deal in television history. This was also the only season where the writing was nominated for an Emmy. Cool stuff! Cons: The way Buffy acted around her new boyfriend, Riley Finn, felt a little hollow and un-Buffy. Seth Green’s Oz departed from a show in a terrible cheating scandal. The overall arc of the Initiative and Franken-esque Adam was a little weak and underdeveloped. Of course, the reason behind this was probably because no one wanted to apply that much makeup to the guy… or look at the finished product for very long. Best Episode: “Hush” (4×10, the series’ landmark silent episode), but “Restless” (4×22) is an honorable mention.

4. Season 6

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: THERE WAS A MUSICAL EPISODE. Better, there was a musical episode that actually tied in with the themes and character hardships and strengthened the sentiment that where words fail, music speaks. Also, the stages of grief and depression that Buffy went through were written poetically and portrayed beautifully by Gellar. The theme of addiction was addressed in Willow using too much magic, which is probably the best and most honest performance Alyson Hannigan gave on Buffy. The fact that Willow turned out to be the Big Bad of the season was shocking yet natural, and it’s still in the top ten most heartbreaking moments on the show to me. Spike and Buffy made for some pretty hot stuff. And the overarching theme that sometimes, the scariest demons are inside you was handled in a way that felt real, not cheesy or forced. Applause, applause! Cons: TARA DIED. Worse, she got shot by Warren Mears, a villain more horrible than Caleb the preacher (Nathan Fillion) from Season 7. She died, and nobody really reacted to her death except for Willow and Dawn, which was a rude testament to the lovely character. Spike tried to rape Buffy in the same episode that TARA DIED. Xander left Anya at the altar when that seemed like the last thing he would ever do. Honestly, Season 6, it’s just depressing. Best Episode: “Once More with Feeling” (6×07)

5. Season 3

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: Enter Faith, dark Slayer and one of the best examples of character foil I’ve ever encountered. Eliza Dushku has to be one of the best actors the show ever had because when you hate Faith, your blood boils, and when you love Faith, your heart swells. That’s performance, baby. This season featured Mayor Richard Wilkins, the coolest and perhaps funniest villain of the seven seasons. It was also the culmination of the show’s main message: High school is hell. The show was starting to explore more mature themes while also staying in touch with its light, funny reputation, and it was executed well. Cons: Does anyone remember “Bad Girls”? The episode where Buffy embraced her darker side, and she had to try and defeat McDonald’s… I mean, that really fat demon in a Jacuzzi? Yeah, that’s probably season three’s weakest point. That, and Xander and Cordelia broke up when they could have been a Lily Evans and James Potter-type romance. RIP, Xandelia. It’s 2014, and I still have strong feelings about this pairing. Best Episode: “The Wish” (3×09), but “The Zeppo” (3×13) and “Doppelgangland” (3×16) come very close.

6. Season 2

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: Although not the first season, season two of Buffy was where it all really began. The Scoobies became stronger friends and better fighters of evil. Romances heat up when Willow met taciturn musician/werewolf Oz and Xander and Cordelia finally gave into their sexual tension. Giles fell in love with technopagan Jenny Calendar (RIP). Plus, this was when we were introduced to Spike, who would eventually make the show the legend it is today. The dialogue is on point this season. It’s both witty and emotional, with just as many Buffyspeak quips as truly heartfelt moments (Let’s talk about Whistler’s speech at the end of “Becoming, Pt. 1”, for instance.). The overall plot of the season about Buffy sleeping with Angel and consequently losing his soul is both terrifying and a hyper-realistic portrayal of accuracy. Seeing Angel turn to Angelus is scary, but it’s also kind of fun – props to David Boreanaz in this character. Cons: Because it was the second season and many things were still rough, there were some filler episodes where essentially nothing happened. “Killed by Death”… Buffy gets sick and can only fight while sick. Counterproductive! “Reptile Boy”… Buffy and Cordelia get taken advantage of by a bunch of fraternity boys when they should have been able to tell they were bad news by their frosted tips. I would say “Go Fish”, but at least that was kind of about how attractive Nicholas Brendon is/how well he can pull off a Speedo. Amen. Best Episode: “Becoming, Pts. 1 & 2”

7. Season 5

View this image ›

The WB

Pros: All of it. Primarily the writing. Season five was the season Joss Whedon and Co. was meant to write. While not my personal favorite season, I can still argue that season five is the most finely crafted year of Buffy that ever was. Everything on the show led up to this season. Let’s zero in on the foreshadowing, shall we? In season three, Faith says to Buffy in a dream, “Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730.” In 730 days, Buffy would willingly give her life to save her sister, Dawn (who in 5×02 is referred to as “curds and whey”). In a season four dream, Faith and Buffy make a bed for “little sis” and in another dream, Tara carefully remarks, “Be back before dawn.” The scrutiny and the detail of this are insane. If anyone tries to tell you that Buffy was just a silly action show, point out these careful details and how well they actually played out. Additionally, season five gave us “The Body”, which according to some critics might be the finest hour in television history (and yet neither Whedon or Gellar received even nominations for their brilliant work). Bravo, Buffy season five. Your writing and acting are phenomenal, bordering on flawless. Cons: Very few, but it was a little difficult at first to accept the Dawn thing. It was that shocking. Once the show made it clear, it was all too easy to hop on board with little Summers. Also, the fact that Riley turned out to have a vampire bite fetish was, for lack of a better term, really gross. And Xander’s hair. It just seemed mean to wear it that way. Best Episode: Since “The Body” (5×16) is TV’s finest, it’s “The Gift” (5×22).

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/bprofitt/all-the-seasons-of-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-ranke-v954

[nazih-fares]

After a successful port to the PlayStation 4 of the excellent Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, recently reviewed on our site, the Yakuza franchise is back for its ultimate and final episode, supposed to put an end to the Kiryu Kazuma saga. Released back at the end of 2016 in Japan only, the game is finally available in the West thanks to SEGA, with numerous localization updates and changed for our region. Is this the final chapter the series deserve?

If you are reading this review, you are probably familiar with the Yakuza series. For the brave few who would like to start straight away with Yakuza 6, here’s a short summary of what happened so far. In the Yakuza games, you follow the adventures of probably the classiest and most badass of all yakuzas, named Kiryu Kazuma. When he does not kick ass and beat goons, Kiryu takes care of his adoptive niece, Haruka Sawamura. I will not dwell on her story, to avoid any major spoilers, but I will just say that numerous people wanted to see her dead throughout the series.

Yakuza 6 starts right where the 5th game ends. Kiryu is in a bad state and Haruka decides to leave her dream job of being a pop idol to return the orphanage she opened with our favorite Yakuza. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned, with Kiryu sentenced to 3 years in prison for his actions as a yakuza. At the same time, stalkers start attacking Haruka and the orphanage where she is living a peaceful life, mainly because her choice to no longer be an Idol is much more difficult to assume, with heavy harassment in the media and on social networks. Haruka decides to flee the region to avoid bringing her problems to the orphanage. Three years later, when Kiryu is finally released from prison, he discovered that Haruka is in a coma after a car accident, and that she gave birth a year ago to a baby boy named Haruto.

This 6th episode of the Yakuza franchise is a heavy load of emotions. You’ll be dealing as mentioned with subjects as sensitive as that of young teen moms, but also a Kiryu that cannot relax, as he needs to fight against the Chinese mafias and Korean, while improvising his skills a newfound adoptive father to Haruto. If the storyline may seem absurd, it’s because it is, but that’s the beauty of the Yakuza franchise and their insane plots! Faithful to Japanese crime movie influences, with its effective dialogues, its controlled sets and a gameplay of a rare quality in video game productions, the story of Yakuza 6 is a beautifully rendered one. The Dragon Engine, specially built for this episode, does a great job at transcribing the emotions and details on each of the protagonist’s faces. However, I’m slightly disappointed by the rigidity of characters in some scenes, especially when you start comparing them to other Japanese productions that are close to lifelike such as the recent Final Fantasy XV.

The Yakuza series is not only famous for its storyline, but also for its fighting system that is inspired by street fighter games and other beat’em all. Kiryu will not hesitate if necessary to take on three or even ten opponents at the same time, with a facelift of its fighting system and camera features which were one of the weak points of the saga. Much less capricious than in the past, it now features the typical mixtures of quick and heavy attacks, with grabs and new contextual actions such as crushing an opponent’s head against a wall. Unlike previous versions, there is no loading time when you take part of a fight, a transition takes place naturally and instantaneously. Passers-by gathers around you and your opponents to create a makeshift street fighting arena. Chain the basics with the square button and finish your opponents with powerful shots by pressing the triangle button. The fighting is enjoyable and, although there is only one fighting style, it is rare to feel that Kiryu is overpowered in front of enemies. In addition, any object within range can be used to defend you whether it is a bike, a traffic cone or even a beggar sleeping in the street. While it’s definitely not the rigid battles of the previous games, there’s still a lack of fluidity at times where other games like Sleeping Dogs managed to shine.

Each end of a fight will give you experience points divided into different categories to assign as you see fit. This small RPG component is nice but anecdotal because all of your actions in the game give you experience points. Players are never short of experience points and I can maximize Kiryu’s skills a bit too easily (especially with the grinding system). That’s the thing because fighting, completing sidequests and activities, or even taking care of baby Haruto will gain you experience.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On the front of side activities, few titles are as generous as Yakuza 6. The amount of sidequests available is simply breathtaking and the storyline behind them are sometimes hilarious but can be emotional as well. These quests involve things like managing a cat cafe (which I probably wasted too much of my time in), or just simply have fun in one of the Kamurocho arcades. The latter has a fine list of Arcade versions games such as Space Harrier, OutRun, Puyo Puyo and even Virtua Fighter 5 which are all playable as two players! For those wishing for something more “mature”, then you can always go out with hostesses saga, or even play a new minigame which is a live chat app with real women ready to get naughty.

Finally, how can I finish this review without speaking of the way Kabukicho and Hiroshima were reproduced in the game. Yakuza 6 is a beautiful love letter to Japan and all its peculiarities that make it a country as intriguing as it is charming. The sounds, conversations, billboards, bright neon and the architecture of buildings are just amazingly redone in the game. The environments are finally at its best and every little change is appreciated at its true value, offering much more freedom than previous episodes, and you will take a pleasure to get lost in the streets and alleys of these two cities, even if there’s rare invisible walls in some parts. The majority of stalls and shops are accessible without loading time, helping deeply with the immersion, and you can simply order food, or play a little bit and then resume the course of your core activities.

YAKUZA 6: The Song of Life was reviewed using a PlayStation 4 digital download code of the game provided by SEGA. The game was previously only available in Japan, released on the 8th of December 2016. We don’t discuss review scores with publishers or developers prior to the review being published (click here for more information about our review policy).

The most beautiful experience in the series, YAKUZA 6: The Song of Life is great way to close the Kiryu's story in style, with a fun and long adventure, full of content and side activities. Even if you didn't play the previous games, you shouldn't miss this goofy yet also mature and serious game. After a successful port to the PlayStation 4 of the excellent Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami…

[mynetflixwatchlist]

Full Metal Jacket

Major Spoilers Ahead

Kubrick’s take on a war movie following the success of “The Shining,” to me, felt almost incomplete. The first act is brilliant, showing the gritty and brutal nature of training in Paris Island. R Lee Ermey’s portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman is especially memorable, as is Vincent D'Onofrio’s performance as Private Leondard ‘Gomer Pyle’ Lawrence. The training on Paris Island shows the development of 'Joker,’ our main protagonist. He’s shown to be quite skillful as a Private and is eventually made Squad Leader. He’s specifically tasked with motivating Lawrence, who until this point has failed nearly every training exercise in some humiliating fashion. Despite progress being made, Lawrence’s mistake of sneaking food into the barracks brings about the punishing of the rest of the Privates in order to bestow upon them a sense of responsibility for Lawrences actions (brilliant staging and camera work in this scene btw.) This scene results in a presumed consistent informal nightly beating of Lawrence until he improves, and THIS causes the onset of Lawrences lust for revenge. D'Onofrio’s performance at this stage is brilliant, despite some inconsistencies in the beginning (it seemed he wasn’t sure if to play Lawrence as lazy or mentally challenged or a combination), as Lawrence is shown to slowly be turning insane. Act One climaxes in its conclusion where Lawrence shoots he Sergeant and himself. In short, I think the character development of Lawrence is well thought out and meaningful, and his death marks the end of what could very well be a finished short film.

Before continuing, I’d like to mention the gorgeous cinematography of the work. In Kubrick fashion, it’s obvious each shot was well planned out and each frame intentional. The wide shots of the battlefield through the close intimate shots of conversations are beautifully staged and filmed. The film has two distinct acts and I think the use of cinematography helps with distinguishing the transition. The second act features much more prominently wide shots displaying the vast landscape of the battlefield, while the first act deals much more with close-up shots of the squad and of Joker and Lawrence. In all I think, as usual, Kubrick brings something beautiful and logical to the film with the staging and filming of its scenes.

Act Two begins by making Joker the spotlight, where until this point the audience doesn’t know much about him either than he’s a good soldier and he’s kinda empathetic sometimes. I think the major pitfall of Act Two is that I find it personally very difficult to understand where Joker is coming from. He constantly makes light of the war and the killing and acts eager to get into battle, yet the penultimate scene of the movie shows him incredibly hesitant and even scared to mercy kill a murderess already sentenced to death. I obviously understand this is meant to show the turmoils of war through the eyes of a naive soldier, as we the audience are too naive, but the significance of this kill seems very little to the scope of the film. I think the buildup to it is incredibly well done, the slow killing off of empathetic characters and even Jokers friend, but the final killing of the Vietnamese girl feels so insignificant. I think that we’re led to believe Jokers right of passage will be some beautifully scarring moment when in the passions of war he vengefully rampaged through a barrage of soldiers, etc. However, were left with someone scarred and thankful for being alive, after an attack of a single sniper who only killed 3 men.

It’s here where I find myself unsure of what Kubrick is trying to say with this film. I came into it anticipating a grand climax with our protagonist being changed forever at the end of it. We get this, only the climax isn’t anywhere near as grand as one would expect in a movie of this nature. I think now, as I’m writing this very piece, that Kubrick was aiming to capture the anticlimactic nature of war. That after all of this build-up and suspense for a grand life-changing moment, both by us and by Joker, we end up with a beautiful intimate moment in which a man is confronted with the power, nay the moral responsibility AND the justification, to kill and yet he trembles for quite a long while only to then kill her lamely to the mockery of his squad. This, I think, is the true nature of war. War isn’t about the large battles in which hundreds of soldiers on both sides die at a time, it’s about when a man or woman is confronted personally with the power and responsibility to kill someone right in front of them, when despite all of the anger and hate you have towards the enemy you can’t bring yourself to pull a trigger, and when you do you’re changed forever. It’s the reality that you should be thankful to be alive on a day when you watched four people die right in front of you. I came into this article intending to bash this incomplete unsure movie. That’s not to say it’s not incomplete, the penultimate scene still feels like it’s missing the element of finality a story like this needs, but perhaps it’s meant to feel that way. Perhaps you’re meant to leave with a sense of it being unfinished, because while the movie is over, the war continues on.

Cinematography: 10/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Direction: 10/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 (dated properly but some choices seemed odd but it works) Cast: 8/10

Additive: 8.2/10 Overall: 8/10