#its that class The Apocalypse Speeds Up Relationship Development thing

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

In your lights out!au when Eddie wakes up, how did Frank feel? Was he happy? Relieved? Were they a thing before everyone went to sleep, or did they realize they had feelings for each other afterwards?

I hope this hasn't been asked before! I'm just really curious

i'm thinking that before everything went dark, they were getting there. nothing was said aloud, but they were both having Mutual Feelings and Charged Moments that neither could ignore

just because i think it'd interesting if when Eddie wakes up, it's like no time at all passed. he walked Frank home just last "night". but it's been years for Frank - they have to reestablish where they had been with the added facets how time has worn on Frank. among other things

[crowdvscritic]

crowd vs. critic // 2016

Here’s the thing: When you’re trying to squeeze in as many reviews as possible before the Oscars, you tend to get a little overwhelmed watching almost 10 movies in a week sometimes and reviewing over half of the 40 new movies you watched in a year in just about 3 months. That means when the Oscars finally arrive, you actually need a break to reflect on the movies you watched and, you know, just to take a break.

So now 2 weeks later, here are my favorites of the year in alphabetical order. Though as fate would have it, my two most favorites landed at the top of each list...

CROWD //

10 Cloverfield Lane // Not be as flashy or expensive as some other box office offerings, but that doesn’t mean it can’t provide an adrenaline rush. It will keep you guessing after the credits roll, and, strangely enough, leave you even more satisfied because of that. The most basic needs of a film are storytelling and character development, and this movie knocks both out of the park. At the risk of overstating it, Winstead and Goodman are giving performances of a lifetime. Alas, I’m still the only one who has used the hashtag #JohnGoodmanForBestSupportingActor on Twitter.

Central Intelligence // I would watch Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson reenact the phone book. Not every joke is a winner, but Hart and Johnson are a comedic force to be reckoned with even when they’re given uneven material.

Ghostbusters // I recommend watching the extended cut to clarify some of the plot points that felt rushed in the theatrical version (Trust me—those extra 15 minutes make a difference), but this film did exceptionally well in what it set out to do. It was funny—not just haha funny, but legit LOL funny. (Sorry, is my Millennial showing?) Bona fide stars Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig are as reliable as ever, but Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth are the real show-stoppers here. Their comedy chops deserve infinite screen time, and the whole cast has a chemistry most movies covet. Though the conclusion Hollywood execs will draw from this movie is still TBD, the conversation about sexism in the cinema and online that this movie explored (both on screen and in the news) makes it one of the most important of the year.

Magnificent 7 // Basically a Western Ocean’s Eleven with less polish and a higher body count. The story even culminates in a Danny Ocean-level complicated scheme, though the quasi-cowboys bring a more cavalier flare. This cast is stacked with charm, too. Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke carry the star power, but there’s not a weak link in the crew. All are funny, and all are formidable when the movie needs them to be.

Moana // As consistent and reliable as Dwayne Johnson’s career right now. Newcomer Auli’i Cravalho brings spunk and spirit to our titular heroine, and she and Johnson have a chemistry that suits their characters’ playful rivalry. The slapstick and jokes know when to pause for a soaring power anthem. Moana will definitely make you laugh, but there’s a chance it will make you cry, too.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 // Even bigger, fatter, and Greeker than the original. I laughed the whole way through, and seeing almost the entire original cast back together was a delight. If you’re like me and count My Big Fat Greek Wedding as one of your most favorite comedies of all time, you’ll be pleased with the follow-up.

Passengers // A near-perfect popcorn flick. I mean, it’s Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence—what more could you want? Pratt and Lawrence glow with chemistry, both comedic and dramatic. And though some of Passengers feels familiar, I haven’t seen a movie like this in awhile. A romance at its heart, it also plays with elements of the adventure, disaster, and comedy genres, and it’s capable with all of them. And at under 2 hours, it makes superhero movies seem a little silly for needing 2½ hours each to tell stories that make you feel, laugh, and tense up.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story // Opens with a BAM! in its score, and the action doesn’t stop till the credits. Once director Gareth Edwards’s name popped up on the scene in that blue sans serif on the star-flecked black background, I released a taut breath. That had been a ride, one pushing light speed. Adventures this whiplash-ready are a rare breed, and the ending is unusually satisfying with no loose ends and no post-credits sequence.

X-Men: Apocalypse // Following up the best chapter in a franchise is an unenviable position, but X-Men 7 doesn’t drop the ball. Apocalypse might also be chapter with the most visual flair. It totally embraces the ‘80s setting, with a bright wardrobe (Hello, Ray-Bans!), special effects that echo neon lights (Hello, fuchsia!), and a clever cameo or two (Hello, Ally Sheedy!). And the soundtrack? Totally rad. As far as I’m concerned, if the movies stay this fun, Fox can keep them coming as long as they like.

Zootopia // The magic makers at Disney dreamt up a world as wide and high as Judy's dreams in Zootopia. Judy Hopps is just one part of this amazing world—and I do mean amazing. This universe is visionary and sharp. My reactions to this story were visceral and vocal. My laughs were loud, the surprises were genuine. Mix in spoofs of our world and familiar films, and you have a setting that keeps pulling the emotions out of you.

CRITIC //

Arrival // I left this movie thinking, “I wish I felt this way after every movie.” Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner are predictably excellent, but it’s the script that really wows here. With a creative story structure that pays off 10 times over, its exploration of loss, relationships, and communication is coherent and original. Films like Arrival, with a fresh story and something to say, are the best Hollywood has to offer.

Fences // Though the rich drama of Fences has made the play beloved for over three decades now, not all credit for this film can go to the writing.  Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are the living definitions of powerhouses, and here they show their ranges of joy, heartbreak, aching, and vulnerability. The two command their too-many-to-count monologues, transforming theatrics into human drama. Their characters sort through issues of race, class, gender, parenting, marriage, and responsibility that feel just as relevant today as they were in the 1950s.

Hidden Figures // Knows its purpose and knows how to achieve it. It helps that its characters are so well-developed and brought to vigorous life by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. These three ladies are knockouts, making a script with little subtlety feel natural. This film knows it’s more relevant to today than many of us would care to admit and reminds us the blatant racism of the ‘60s didn’t happen that long ago.

Jackie // Not just better than it needed it be—it represents the highest excellence in filmmaking. Drama is scorched into any story starting the assassination of a president. The strength of this film is it doesn’t coast on the momentum of its inciting incident. Jackie doesn’t just concentrate on the instant that changed a woman’s life but meditates on truth, grief, and—most of all—the woman in the middle of it. Death and publicity have tragically met, and only she is the exact point of intersection.

La La Land // Already one of the Great Musicals. I’m not sure the movie had anything new to contribute to the musings on fame and following your dreams, but this classic-meets-modern musical speaks on those subjects so creatively and with such polish, it can’t be ignored. As the opening number was wrapping, I thought, “Even if the rest of this is terrible, this scene will make the whole movie worth it.” That’s how impressive the musical and technical achievements were in just the first few minutes. Better yet, the rest of the movie kept up the momentum to make something truly special.

The Light Between Oceans // Separately, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander live up to their reputations as strong performers, but the two are even lovelier together. Both are experts in the nuanced glance—a simple flit of the eye or turn of the head can say more than their dialogue. The duo is rivaled by another romantic pairing in this film, though: the score and the cinematography. The film is as every bit emotionally affecting as it means to be.

Lion // Luke Davies earned an Oscar nomination for his adapted screenplay, but so much of this story is told in the directing. Facial expressions, body language, and smart editing help you fill in the gaps. We can go for what feels like minutes without dialogue because director Garth Davis is smart enough to know we’re smart enough to put the pieces together. I want to watch this film again so I can better discuss it are repeated motifs like trains and falling asleep, or the foreshadowing in early scenes that explains later character development.

Love & Friendship // A treat for lovers of Austen and film alike. I’m used to the flawed but noble heroines in Austen novels, but Lady Susan’s qualities more resemble the worst traits of Austen characters: She’s conniving and cruel, and as played by Kate Beckinsale, fabulous. All of the performances are top-notch, and she’s the peak. Every bit sharp, manipulative, and charming as she needs to be, we’re wrapped around her finger. I’d like to give an additional shout-out to Tom Bennett, whose rambling idiocy is a hysterical delight.

Sing Street // Cements John Carney as one of my favorite modern filmmakers. 2014’s Begin Again used music to explore the flux state of the modern music industry, and this film is an opportunity to look at how music gives life in tough circumstances, especially economic ones. We’ve seen plot elements in Sing Street elsewhere, but the final amalgamation here is entirely original.