#it’s genuinely so much cinema I love this series so much

[furiousantz]

First post in forever

I like uncle Samsonite

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Ava Gardner (The Killers, The Barefoot Contessa)— She's so goddamn hot. Her and Frank Sinatra could've sandwiched me and I would've thanked them for the privilege

Anna May Wong (The Thief of Bagdad, Shanghai Express)—Wong was the first Chinese American movie star, arguably the first Asian woman to make it big in American films. Though the racism of the time often forced her into stereotypical roles, awarded Asian leading roles to white actors in yellowface, and prohibited on-screen romance between actors of different races, she delivered powerful and memorable performances. When Hollywood bigotry got to be too much, she made movies in Europe. Wong was intellectually curious, a fashion icon, and a strong advocate for authentic Asian representation in cinema. And, notably for the purposes of this tournament, absolutely gorgeous.

This is round 5 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Ava Gardner:

Ava Gardner is one of my favorite actresses of all time. Although a lot of her roles in movies are about her being beautiful and nothing else, there are some films where her acting truly shines.

Gifset: https://www.tumblr.com/pelopides/721438308726603776/ava-gardner-as-pandora-reynolds-pandora-and-the

Gifset 2: https://www.tumblr.com/portraitoflestatonfire/731899355804598272/if-the-loustat-reunion-doesnt-look-like-this-then

HER FACE. LOOK AT IT. Also was a life long supporter of civil rights and a member of the NAACP, had lots of fun love affairs with other stars, bullfighters, married several times but was also happy in between to just have lovers and was unapologetically herself.

I literally gasp every time I see her.

Between 1942 and 1964, Ava Gardner was credited in no less 50 films, and is still considered by some to be the most beautiful actresses that ever graced the silver screen. Despite life-long insecurities regarding her talent as an actress, she weathered public scandal, industry hostility, and outright condemnation by the Catholic Church with fearless grace. She would later in life talk candidly about the reality and pain of living through two (studio approved!!) abortions during her short marriage to Frank Sinatra, and while the two of them could not make their relationship work, they remained in each other’s lives for nearly 30 years. She would forever describe herself as a small-town girl who just got lucky, but always felt like a beautiful outsider.

Really genuinely one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever seen. An autodidact. Had amazing chemistry with Gregory Peck to the point where I do think about watching On The Beach again sometimes because they're so good together even though that movie did destroy me. Was a great femme fatale in many movies.

Anna May Wong propaganda:

"She so so gorgeous!! Due to Hollywood racism she was pretty limited in the roles she got to play but even despite that she’s so captivating and deserves to be known as a leading lady in her own right!! When she’s on screen in Shanghai Express I can’t look away, which is saying something because Marlene Dietrich is also in that film."

"SHE IS ON THE BACK OF QUARTERS also she was very smart and able to speak multiple languages and is a fashion icon on top of the acting/singing"

"Paved the way for Asian American actresses AND TOTAL HOTTIE!!! She broke boundaries and made it her mission to smash stereotypes of Asian women in western film (at the time, they were either protrayed them as delicate and demure or scheming and evil). In 1951, she made history with her television show The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong, the first-ever U.S. television show starring an Asian-American series lead (paraphrased from Wikipedia). Also, never married and rumor has it that she had an affair with Marlene Dietrich. We love a Controversial Queen!"

"She's got that Silent Era smoulder™ that I think transcends the very stereotypical roles in which she was typically cast. Also looks very hot smouldering opposite Marlene Dietrich in "Shanghai Express"; there's kiss energy there."

"Hot as hell and chronically overlooked in her time, she's truly phenomenal and absolutely stunning"

"A story of stardom unavoidably marred by Hollywood racism; Wong's early-career hype was significantly derailed by the higher-up's reluctance to have an Asian lead, and things only got worse when the Hayes code came down and she suddenly *couldn't* be shown kissing a white man--even if that white man was in yellowface. After being shoved into the Dragon Lady role one too many times, she took her career to other continents for many years. Still, she came back to America eventually, being more selective in her roles, speaking out against Asian stereotypes, and in the midst of all of this finding the time to be awarded both the title of "World's Best Dressed Woman" by Mayfair Mannequin Society of New York and an honorary doctorate by Peking University."

"Incredible beauty, incredible actress, incredible story."

"-flapper fashion ICON. look up her fits please <3 -rumors of lesbianism due to her Close Friendships with marlene dietrich & cecil cunningham, among others -leveraged her star power to criticize the racist depictions of Chinese and Asian characters in Hollywood, as well as raise money and popular support for China & Chinese refugees in the 1930s and 40s. -face card REFUSED to decline"

[wa1kerbait4592]

planet of the apes 🦧

dude… i have now seen the new kingdom of the planet of the apes in cinema twice and the first time around i wasn’t all that impressed and i left the theatre kinda disappointed but the second time around i left a little more impressed and a little less disappointed.

the movie was still weak compared to the first three films, (the rise, dawn and war) but im glad it was made.

as a whole i believe this franchise is criminally underrated on multiple different levels. The poetic nature of the films is something i don’t think i would ever articulate or write on paper to perfectly capture how beautifully made these films are, they are just chefs kiss

proximus caesar was a funny villain that i think deserved more screen time and back story, it makes me kinda sad to think that we wont really see his character again.

the symbolism that links all four films together is incredibly well done and throughout the entire series there are crumbs of the films that came before them, which is a part of the reason why i love these films so much. i like how they made noa so similar to caesar, not only in his appearance but in his characteristics. i like to believe it was intentional that noa and caesar (particularly in dawn of the planet of the apes with malcolm) cautiously but willingly trusted a human. noa is so incredibly similar to caesar it would be criminal to suggest otherwise.

dude these films are so visually well done you almost forget you are watching cgi. the visual effects alone blow my mind but the accuracy and attention to detail when it comes to the mannerisms of the apes is out of this world and deserves more recognition. in terms of cinematography planet of the apes have always been amazing at beautifully capturing emotions from all the apes and even better at showing the wonders of a post-human run world. the forests and surroundings that the apes find themselves in continue to amaze me, especially in this newest film were we see a variety of different landscapes.

as much as i am growing to love kingdom of the planet of the apes, i feel as though we could have waited for noa and his story. i think cornelius and the others that were left behind after caesars death deserved a closing chapter. i would have loved to know how the community handled the loss of their leader and saviour and how they all moved on. also i feel as though we needed back story on how the apes separated and became different clans spread all across the continent. as an example i would have also loved to see how the misinterpretation of caesar and what he stood for became so strong and wide spread, as well as why noas clan and their elders knew nothing of caesar or chose to leave him out of their history. there were a lot of open ends and unfinished stories that deserved more screen time, but in saying that, that could mean an eternity of story telling that everyone may not want to see.

at the end of kingdom of the planet of the apes they left it open for another film which i am looking forward to seeing where they take story line. are they going to fully circle around to the original films were they capture more humans and start to use them as slaves or will the story begin to get repetitive? i hope repetition won’t sneak its way into these films like is has with so many other franchises, but we can only hope right?

anyways-

long live monkeys… i love monkeys and we need more monkey movies

also- i know i don’t really do this sort of this thing on this account but i was beginning to genuinely tweak if i didn’t word vomit my thoughts on these movies <3

[angelic-ambedo]

The Weirdest Fucking Movies I've Ever seen Pt. 1

Okay so I sort of champion myself as a lover of weird movies. And it's funny because regardless of how many I've seen, every time I watch a weird movie I genuinely feel as if it is the weirdest movie I've ever seen in my life.

So, I decided to make a list which compiles all of said weird movies and then a description of why I find each so uniquely weird. If you find any of these descriptions or titles intriguing, I recommend you seek these movies out, because a weird movie = a good life ya know so yeah

If you have more weird movies please please recommend them im hungry for new crazy cinema bebesssss

Eraserhead (1977) - genuinely makes no sense.

Coherence (2013) - trippy scientifically interesting thriller

Some Velvet Morning (2013) - abusive cat n mouse relationship

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - emotional violence

Greener Grass (2019) - let's shame suburbia!

Trash Humpers (2009) - people fucking the trash...?

Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) - mental illness be so sad and trippy

Gummo (1997) - literal photo album of a dysfunctional town

Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2006) - bulimia PSA in disguise

Black Bear (2020) - art seeps into the "real" world

Begotten (1990) - god kills himself

Trouble Every Day (2001) - eating people presented as...a turn on?

Baise-Moi (2000) - punk feminist murderous women are sick and society sux

Palindromes (2004) - one character is played by a ton of different actors of different ages, races, and sexes

964 Pinocchio (1991) - so much vomit, even more cyberpunk lobotomy sex machine madness

Meet the Feebles (1989) - the muppets give each other STDs and commit mass murder

In the Realm of the Senses (1976) - a torrid, pornographic affair used to escape the horrors of a war-torn world

Enter the Void (2009) - going to the past, present, and future, POV shots that include blinking, going inside the body, taboo themes with a psychedelic style

Love (2015) - horny pseudo-porno about a misogynistic asshole who somehow pulls hot, sexually adventurous women

Climax (2018) - LSD fueled nightmare

Pink Flamingos (1972) - a competition to be the "filthiest person alive" (spoiler alert: the cool drag queen wins)

Vivarium (2019) - Suburbia is still creepy, guys

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015) - can we please stop having erotomania like celebrities aren't into u babe :(

No No Nooky TV (1987) - Computers being cool and saying "boobs" and "clit"

The Piano Teacher (2001) - unsafe nonconsensual bdsm and sexual repression is...no. please no.

The Night Porter (1974) - stockholm syndrome and wild bdsm stuff with postwar themes

Belle de Jour (1967) - more bdsm themes

Titane (2021) - woman fucks a car and gets pregnant

Daisies (1966) - two girls cut up pickles and destroy the patriarchy

Creep 1 and 2 (2014, 2017) - murder has never been this funny

Garbanzo Gas (2007) - a human cow gets an all-expenses paid trip to a motel before it hits the slaughterhouse

Melancholie der Engel (2009) - ew.

In Our Garden (2002) - old men dicks + weirdest dialogue I've ever heard in my life

The Rehearsal (TV series) (2022) - this is the ultimate weirdest thing ever and I don't know how else to categorize it.

Trigger Warnings (all of these movies are weird/fucked up but some of them contain actual fucked up stuff that like. happened in real life. so below are the triggers for that kind of stuff. All of these films are genuine films, not the gore stuff the internet produces, but some of them because of the country/time period/transgressiveness include content that is inappropriate and/or ethically unacceptable, so I've included those movies below)

Baise-Moi - unsimulated sex scenes which includes SA scenes that actors consented to but characters did not. this proves a feminist point but is still incredibly upsetting and stayed with me for a while as there are close ups and its awful.

In the Realm of the Senses - Please look into this one more before you watch it, I'm not going to describe things in detail because it makes me so uncomfortable but there are some scenes that involve young actors that should not ethically have been in the situations they were put in. The movie is exceptionally well made and from what I know globally respected so I don't know why they had to ruin it for me but whatever.

Pink Flamingos - One infamous scene involves an actual chicken death. It was the early 70s (long time ago and no PETA) and they apparently ate the chicken afterward, so I felt less immoral about this one but still gross.

Melancholie der Engel - okay please genuinely never watch this movie unless you're super into traumatizing yourself and are very desensitized I guess. There's a ton of actual animal abuse in very very graphic/unnecessarily disturbing shock type situations. There's other bad unsimulated stuff but this is the worst of it from what I know.

Love and Meet the Feebles contain scenes that are transphobic and/or racist, which is gross. Slaughtered Vomit Dolls was made by a very bad person. A bunch of the movies also have unsimulated sex stuff, I don't know if that makes anyone uncomfortable but if it does I'm just putting it out there.

[clairedaring]

why is ming such an interesting character - a thoughtful essay originally posted in the my stand-in mdl comments section

By MDL user Liltsu (reposting with permission from OP, just added some gifs to illustrate OP's points) - original comment link

Probably an incoming unpopular opinion ahead (read with caution lol, disclaimer that I am not attempting to justifying Ming's wrongdoings to Joe, more so trying to understand for myself and anyone else why I find his character so interesting):

Am I the only one who doesn’t hate Ming, and wouldn’t consider it to be a sad ending if Ming and Joe ended up together? At least as of now, especially from what I’ve seen currently and how I can imagine the direction the rest of the series might take. Let me expand.

For context, I went into this drama not expecting very much, and felt extremely sceptical of the trope of the ‘stand-in’ it uses, because one of my pet peeves in romance dramas is the ‘transfer’ phenomenon. If you haven’t heard that term before, it’s basically a psychological term about how a person (let’s call them A) will ‘imprint’ on someone else (person B). So to have a ‘transfer’ regarding someone else, for example, would mean that person A might have liked a person in the past (person C), and then meet someone new (person B) who resembles that person (C) in some way, and purely because of that, person A starts to also like or believe that they genuinely like person B. The problem with transfers is that they typically are rooted in a person’s (A) unwillingness to let go of the past person, and don’t truly love/hate (whatever emotion it is) the new person (B). This drama, reverses that trope.

This will link to why I find Ming’s bond with Joe to be more genuine than I’ve seen be believed on here (just based on a few comments tbf). My theory is that, ironically, it was Tong all along that was Joe’s metaphorical stand-in from the start. Why? We see a short flashback of Ming going to the cinemas and seeing the ad/clip of ‘Tong’s’ back, doing a martial arts scene, but we only see his back. That very shot/scene is what made Ming feel entranced by Tong and motivated him to seek Tong out with his sister for an autograph. He even mentions it himself to Tong. However, I believe that the ‘back’ that Ming saw, was Joe’s and not Tong’s. Ming « fell in love » with Joe’s acting/aura/presence on the screen first, but mistook him for Tong who is the ‘known’ actor of the film he saw. So all along, his feelings for Tong are somewhat illusory, and obsessive. Tong, who in my opinion gets off of happily at the notion of someone being infatuated with him, simply strings Ming along (and uses him), as we’ve seen.

In my opinion, Tong represents the side of Ming that was raised in a classist, materialistic family that rather obsesses about ‘spectacle’, in a way that harms Ming in the long-term. That kind of lifestyle or way of life makes him petty, distrustful, overtly and unreasonably jealous, and aggressive. Behaviours that manifest very evidently when Ming sees Joe with Sol, but particularly in correlation to scenes in which his affinity for Tong has been strengthened (Tong only sharpens the conditioning Ming has been raised through, that of being sceptical and always needing things to go his way, and fuels this, either by being in his direct company or feeding him seeds of doubt indirectly). Tong represents attachment and obsession but not love. Particularly the scene in which Ming renders Joe unconscious and keeps him captive is the most blatant example of Tong’s influence, which brings out all of the qualities of Ming that reflect the wealthy and entitled background he is born from and still lives off from.

Ming’s interest in Joe is different in my opinion, and the series carefully points to this in a nuanced way. If my theory is correct about Ming having been drawn to Joe first, rather than Tong, and the feelings that were initially meant for Joe came to be directed toward Tong (and became twisted due to that fact), we can assume that Ming’s feelings for Joe are more…instinctual. They awaken something in Ming. And to me this is perfectly shown in their first interactions: Ming hugs Joe from behind, believing he is Tong, but if my guess turns out to be true, he subconsciously went toward Joe and embraced him with the original feelings that he felt at the cinema (when he truly ‘first’ saw him), rather than the other way around, which the series makes us believe at first glance. Then, in their interactions after, Ming is consciously reluctant to open up to Joe (showcasing the walls he has up, even toward Tong), but is still intuitively interested in Joe, wants to be around him, and cares about what he is up to. In my opinion, he sets unfair and unequal conditions in their relationship at first because of the self-défense mechanism he has kept up (someone with his background would find it difficult to trust and be vulnerable with someone else easily). This is why the most crucial interactions between Joe and Ming, in my view, are the scenes at Joe’s home. We see that Joe had said that Ming had fulfilled HIS dream to come back to a lit home and with someone welcoming you back warmly. I believe this is something Ming has long craved as well for himself, and Joe expressing this, and being the way he is, makes Ming feel safe and allows him to become more open, more intimate, more honest, more ‘himself’.

I feel that Ming struggles to fully understand these sides of him, and has even more difficulty communicating it to others (especially Joe), but that his gentler moments show indeed the equal, and dare i say, even ‘healthy’ potential of this couple. We see this from the last scene of this episode. Instead of Ming indulging in luxuries for someone of his status, or succumbing to some kind of greed, he has pertained to what he has truly desired all along in his heart: a warm home, where he can lead an honest and loving life with the person who sees him past his social persona of the rich, pampered, entitled and obsessive kid. This is symbolised by the fact that he has continued to live in Joe’s home, waiting for him for the last two years, which reflects his commitment and earnestness which he had gradually developed for Joe, even before.

I think what people get (understandably) confused or feel betrayed by, is the scene in which Joe realises he has been a ‘stand-in’ for Tong by Ming, especially during sex (because this is somewhat what Ming consciously believes for himself too). For me, I saw it more so as, on one level, the revelation of what I just mentioned about Ming’s prior conscious intention (which evidently is form of betrayal to Joe), and on another level, it is a defining moment of transition, where Ming is still somewhat clinging on to Tong (because of the feelings he first felt for him at the cinema, which could really be Joe again), but also clinging still to what he knows and about his way of going about things (through manipulation and violence).

So a transition from that, into the growing feelings, appreciation, and warmth Ming did start to exhibit at Joe’s house (the symbol of vulnerable space). We see this through Ming buying the couple mugs with THEIR names (Ming and Joe), or the meaningful moments of genuine happiness that Ming feels in the simple, non judgemental moments between the two of them. This is something his sister comments about, that seeing Ming with Joe is surprisingly pleasant because it is the fist time in a very long time since she has seen Ming happy and so smiley (this is one of the biggest external piece of evidence to the idea that Ming’s « feelings » for Tong have a very different nature to his feelings for Joe). And we see this very clearly in the scene in which Joe bought a watch to Ming (and which I believe we see him promote now two years later on the poster he is). That scene is extremely significant because it shows the shift and differences of Ming alone with Joe compared to with Tong or how he is used to being. The watch is a gift from Joe, who believes it to be the « top » watch in terms of ‘quality’ and price, something we see Ming ALREADY HAS (and doesn’t have particular personal feelings toward). The top watch he has reflects his status, his wealthy background and the expectations on him by others and himself (to be considered societally the ‘best’, but in a rather vain way). However, Joe’s watch isn’t the top watch in a societal, classist sense, but it holds more value to Ming because it represents Joe’s sincerity and that matters more to him. The watch, which is typically a common symbol of time, also reflects, in my opinion, the difference in how Ming spends his time. By taking Joe’s watch and wearing it, his way of using time is also more personal and sincere, wanting to lead a life of authentic connection with someone on the same wavelength as you. In his act of taking of his old watch, which was the ‘top watch’, Ming leaves behind his old lifestyle, or at least takes on more step toward exiting it (the life of vanity and falsehoods). So all these signs of Ming’s genuine interest, endearment and feelings of care for Joe are sprinkled there from the beginning, and the series deliberately is setting a constraint between his potential for warmth and healthy sincerely with the baggage he still has from his past through Tong and his family (something he both feels and is to some extent very much controlled by).

The series has really made me invested, and that has really been invigorating for me (as I binged the episodes today) because I haven’t really felt that as much with a lot of BL series lately - not that there aren’t don’t get me wrong, just that it feels like fewer have my engagement than usual. And to me, the series’ strength at this point (excluding the very good acting etc) is the writing, so I am very hopeful that for the parts of Ming that would require a form of redemption, or improvement, that the series would allow him to have that arc by the time that Joe and him supposedly get back together (if they do). In the case where my interpretation is close to the series’ intention, then i believe that although it doesn’t make the previous scenes justified, that it would be very much possible for Joe and Ming’s relationship to take on a healthier, more mature turn, where their relationship would become more patient, communicative and understanding, just like the interactions they shared in their own shared home.

I’ll probably end my train of thought here, but would really like to hear if anyone disagrees or agrees with my opinions, would be happy to hear from anyone hihi. Thank you to those who read this whole e s s a y, i’m appreciative of that :).

[cera-writes]

First of all, you are an angel ♡

And second, me wee little heart has been nourished by my childhood crush of Nightcrawler thanks to his lovely interpretation in the X-Men 97' series.

If I may request a cute prompt of a selective mute fem! mutant reader attempting to make a sweet, first impression towards him ♡

A/N Thank you so much Anon! I try to be a great writer as far as Kurt is concerned! <3 Pairing: Kurt Wagner x F!mute reader (X-Men 97)

No Subtitles Needed

You were part of the X-Men, but you also had a small part time job at the local video store. The comforting hum of the fluorescent lights and the faint scent of popcorn filled the air, a familiar backdrop to your Friday night shift at "Rewind Reels." You weren't here to stock shelves or replace worn-out VHS tapes, not entirely. Your target was browsing the cult classic section, a figure almost swallowed whole by the towering shelves – Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler.

He wasn't dressed in his usual garb, just jeans and a black tee shirt. He was a regular customer, his midnight-blue fur surprisingly soft-looking under the harsh store lights. Despite his imposing stature, there was a childlike wonder in his eyes as he scanned the titles. Today, you were determined to spark a conversation beyond the usual "horror" or "comedy" aisle inquiries.

Behind the counter, a stack of old movie posters rested against the wall. You grabbed one, its faded paint depicting a whimsical scene from a classic silent film - a lovestruck couple with exaggerated expressions, their hands reaching out to one another. With a trembling hand, you scribbled a single sentence on the bottom: "Have you seen this gem?"

Taking a deep breath, you approached him, the poster held out like a nervous offering. Kurt's gaze followed your hand, then met yours. A smile, warm and genuine, spread across his face like the opening scene of a feel-good film.

"Wow, I haven't," he rumbled, his voice surprisingly soft. "This looks interesting! Thanks for the recommendation. And hey, haven't I seen you around the X-Mansion?"

You flushed, nodding, the heat rising to your cheeks. Words weren't your forte, but the silent film poster spoke volumes. He gestured to the counter, breaking the comfortable silence. "Mind if I tell you some obscure horror classics you might not know about? Maybe we could even watch them together sometime."

Hesitantly, you nodded, a silent invitation. As he launched into a detailed explanation of a forgotten B-movie monster, a comfortable rhythm settled between you. He spoke with such passion, his enthusiasm as infectious as a classic monster chasing a damsel in distress.

When he finally finished, his yellow eyes twinkled with amusement. "You know," he said gently, "sometimes the best connections are made through the magic of cinema, even if you can't quite find the words."

You met his gaze, a flicker of hope igniting in your chest. Maybe, just maybe, this video store wasn't just a place for mindless entertainment, but the beginning of a connection that unfolded as captivatingly as any silver screen romance.

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Okay so my genuine thoughts on the final scenes of Totk

So having Link go through the final ‘dungeon’ and wind up exactly where we started the game, with those rocks we ACHED to break bc it was instinct, only to get that satisfaction after EVERYTHING and to see that Zelda’s fate was foretold millennia ago. Turning into a dragon WAS her only choice. And for good reason.

Ganondorf’s fight. WOW. That was genuinely so beautifully done. He ALSO dodges how Link does. To have Ganondorf dodge something, the entire action moving in slow motion, only to then have LINK do the same the next move?? Poetic cinema people. And the champions arriving 🥹 only to then have them all fucking thrown to the side when he takes in his doubles to regain his own strength? Absolutely insane and hands down my favorite boss fight in the entirety of the Zelda series. Yeah. That’s how much I enjoyed it as a player.

Can we also just talk about how concerned everyone got and how they yelled his name when he was taken from the underground??

And THEN the final fight with Ganondorf swallowing a secret stone and becoming a dragon. It brings Zelda’s sacrifice to light. She did it out of selflessness and love. He did it out of selfishness and hatred. GOD do I love characters that juxtapose each other. Zelda is a girl who was given the responsibility of a power she never wanted while Ganondorf is a megalomaniac who sought the destruction of peace because of his own selfish desires. Seeing the difference between them in that final fight as two dragons… it was EVERYTHING.

Zelda’s dragon form was tiny compared to Ganondorf’s dragon form. She protects. He attacks.

It’s so beautiful to see how Zelda, who isn’t mentally awake, first instinct are to save Link. She quickly maneuvers so she can not only juke out Ganondorf, but also then save Link who was flung into the air in the process. Link clutching onto her dragon fur? Or whatever?? And understanding that while the sages are all still underground, he is not alone in the sky. She’s going to be by his side this entire time.

For someone who was alone the majority of the last game… this was so fucking emotional and beautiful to see.

Them lowkey explaining calamity Ganon by also using dragons this game was a really nice consistency touch btw I was digging how focal dragons were to the entire game this time around.

And then the final bit. That SCENE. Rauru and Sonia channeling their power through Link, who was incredibly confused before he realized what they must be doing, and got SO determined. Turning Zelda back and even getting his own hand back in the process??? Insane to see. Zelda was so so loved by Rauru and Sonia despite only spending a short amount of time with them. And that just makes my heart hurt when we consider what actually happened.

And when Link falls unconscious, which is completely logical when you think about the fight he just went through, the altitude he was at, and channeling enough magic that it reversed the effects of an all powerful secret stone???? Yo he went through a LOT!

And he wakes up, already on the alert bc man is freefallin only to then realize that Zelda is back and she’s also falling. And she’ll hit the ground a lot sooner than he would at the rate they’re going.

Link couldn’t reach Zelda in the beginning of this entire thing. But this time? This time he not only reaches her hand, but he pulls her in close, shields her head as best as he can, and prepares them to hit the water. Once they do, he carries her out of the water. Gentle, oh so gently, laying her down and kneels over her as she begins to wake up.

And one of the first thing Zelda does as she wakes up is to take him in and looks him over to see if HE’S hurt. Just like she did in the beginning of the game. And everything click. They won. He defeated Ganondorf and she was granted the impossible by Rauru and Sonia to turn back into a human.

And Zelda IMMEDIATELY rambles on about everything. About how much has happened. How much she has to tell him.

And finally. Finally. She looks at him and smiles so fucking gently that it drives me INSANE with how much she obviously adores him, and says, “I’m home, Link. I’m home.”

Because home is right there. Right by his side. In this Hyrule that they’ve been rebuilding together. The one they lived the past half decade ish together in a house Link bought and traveled across Hyrule no matter what the issue was. In the Hyrule where she is so beloved by everyone.

Zelda is home.

[absolutebl]

helloo...

i know i'm late, but i just binge watching Triage last night. i kinda love it that the mystery about the story revealed gradually. and the leads had nice chemistry, despite the low heat. and i enjoyed bingeing on it and pulling an all nighter.

so, i'd like to ask you, do you have any recommendations on bl series like Triage that are completed or ongoing, that the show would be enjoyable on binge watching?

it's super fine if you don't answer this.

thank youu and have a nice day.

10 BL Series to Binge Watch with Complex story elements

Okay, I'm not really a binger so these are my best guesses at keeping the tension alive. Also it seems like you want something on the meaty end in terms of length so only Thai and Taiwanese stuff qualified.

Case study: Triage (so obviously that would be on this list)

1 Until We Meet Again

YouTube

Without question, a work of narrative genius with a powerful and cohesive romantic backbone and stellar performances. It is (to date) the only Thai BL (of c.250 watched) that I’ve rated a 10/10 predominantly on the basis of story structure. That said it is also very well cast (and it’s a BIG cast), with solid production values, and enduring pair branding as well as being the best Thai BL from a storytelling perspective. I think the story is good enough to carry the tensions. I also binges this on my first watch (it was already out when I discovered it) so I can attest to it being bingable. More discussion on why I love it so much here.

2 He's Coming to Me

YouTube

Boy and ghost boy fall in love, must solve ghost’s murder. Peak pining but also pretty tame, features my favorite sweet but important coming out sequence. The third in my precious triumvirate of unbeatable Thai BLs, that are only nominally BL because the story, acting, and production values are so good. (Together with UWMA & 1k*).

3 Not Me

YouTube

GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring the biggest guns of BL, OffGun and THIS WAS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience at the time - nerve racking but remarkable. But was it ACTUALLY BL? It certainly has a lot of BL elements, but in the end romance was not what this show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a performance piece. Still a remarkable moment in Thai cinema, certainly worth your time. Don’t worry, it all ends happily. Full review.

4 I Feel You Linger in the Air

grey (YouTube for some)

I truly loved this time travel romance BUT for the ending it would have gotten a 10/10 from me. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL… from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. If HEA's are NOT important to you, you'll be fine, but I struggled. More here.

5 Kiseki: Dear to Me

Gaga & Viki Y

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan. (Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma.)

6 Make a Wish

grey (Trailer)

(from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel to try and cure himself - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af and has a fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are often too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency.

7 HIStory 3: Trapped

Viki

Basically the definition of enemies to lovers from Lin Pei Yu. This is a cop + the mafia man he is chasing but WAIT, they fall in love. Added bonus side couple: assassin and nerd cop ALSO falling in love. It’s great. All the leads are stellar. Its high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but pretty about all of it. My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but… amorphous ending.

8 Never Let Me Go

YouTube

Bodyguard romance where poor boy must watch over rich boy for family obligation reasons. Simple premise well executed with a few bumps that made it feel like it was trying to tackle too much (when it wasn’t). Still, an enjoyable show that benefited from being handed to PondPhuwin who did a stellar job with their roles and chemistry. Of GMMTV handing out new series to established pairs in 2023 this is one of the most successful IMHO. It's typically Thai in that it's a bit bloated and has a confusing plot, but at least it HAD a plot and the central relationship is solid and loyal. The Our Skyy 2 follow up is great too. And very much adds to the cannon in a fun way rather than feeling superfluous - making this show ultimately 14 eps rather than 12.

9 The Eclipse

YouTube

GMMTV does gay Blacklist with a good boy/bad boy pairing. This is a good show but the cast is excellent and the leads are absolutely flawless, which elevates it beyond just "a good show." We got a nuanced and multifaceted burgeoning relationship: philosophical (and socio-political) conflict contrasted to moments of empathy; flirtation contrasted to moments of genuine affection, plus plenty of angst. This narrative is less about love than it is about courage and tenderness. However, near the end the pacing was off and the plot frustrating. Still, this is an enjoyable watch, with a finale that features verbal consent and a fun blooper reel.

10 Ghost Host Ghost House

YouTube

This is light horror combined with family drama built around a well executed BL trough-line that felt honestly queer with fantastic chemistry from the lead pair. (I hope that we see more of them.) Pluem delivers the softest most seductive krap ever, Tod Techit (Kewin) is one of the prettiest humans on the planet, and watching these boys flirt over noodles is an unalloyed pleasure. Use of I/you pronouns is super interesting and cute as well. For me, personally, the surrounding cast, premise, and story didn’t resonate but if you like a touch of gothic in your BL this might appeal.

BONUS!

3 Will Be Free

YouTube

Queer AF crime thriller about three 20 somethings on the run after accidentally killing an assassin: a grifter, a nerdy mafia kid, and a stripper. They're chased by more assassins out for revenge.

It’s actually a remarkable piece of storytelling, using a pressure cooker of tension and suspense to bring about investigations into what love, romance, friendship, and identity actually mean. This show probably doesn’t qualify as BL but it does qualify as very very queer.

What it does well is examine many different aspects of queer identity, morality, and life choices based on repression and or acceptance of that identity using the framework of a crime triller.

It’s an adventure narrative, our three main characters are on the run together, being chased by assassins who are themselves dealing with the grief that results from love, all kinds of love. Meanwhile the 3 protagonists fall in love with each other and explore the boundaries and meaning of friendship/love.

Manner of Death

WeTV

Gay romantic suspense series with added cactus baby. Doctor & Mafia boy can't keep hands off each other, so also end up with chili plant baby.

Am I making sense? No? Well neither does it, but ho boy is it fun to watch MaxTul do... whatever it is they're doing.

I like MoD a lot but I’m conflicted over it being actual BL. It’s a great gay romantic suspense, although the mystery element is its primary weakness.

MaxTul, the Kings of Chemistry, are, of course, perfect and perfectly cast (and chemically unfair), but their romance thread is more a distraction than an addition. Still, I could watch them make-out the phonebook. Watch along here.

(source)

[haaafan]

The amount of enjoyment spy x family brings is so grand. I recently watched the film in the cinema and my god.

The movie was PACKED with the elements that truly makes the series so fun. Loid’s spy character, Anya being the most hilarious character ever I totally forgot how lovely she is. And Yor having both her drunk, her assassin and her plot arc is just perfect.

Genuinely if i can get into the way the animation went above and beyond, from the poop god segment, to the fight between Yor and F. And Loid versus the general. Like sure there was lots and lots of plot armor, but really i am not looking for realistic fights in this series’s world.

And sure the plotline of the story was pretty much an episode of the show, nothing very unusual to change any characters. But for a film its the introduction to their world so people unbeknownst to the show can connect to the world of spy x family instantly.

And to me they took the good elements of the show. Yor’s arc with the idea that loid might be cheating on her had me on the edge of my seat when the idea first came up, eventually it was smoothend out and not too deep but i will not get over the beauty of the scene in the ferris wheel, and how she kicked him out like my ass was in dents.

I enjoyed, and im sooo gonna reread/rewatch it soon

[ahc-au]

Which planet and race does Ro (one of the bishop's bodyguards) come from ?

GRINS! OH I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED!!

Ro is a Jeskyr, from the planet Jeskyň (ň is kinda like ñ just fyi). It’s a rather small planet with a rather small population, and it was one of the first planets to join the PGA pretty early on, so Jeskyrs can occasionally be spotted in other corners of the PGA territory. We actually see another Jeskyr briefly in Taking Pawns, Aza Glowborn, who wrote the interview with Stockman for the New Scientist!

(That’s them! :D)

I actually snuck some Jeskyr world-building into my last year’s tmntober series, so if you wanna catch a glance of more of them, here ;) the short version is:

Jeskyrs tend to go by first names more than last names

their last names are traditionally based on the circumstances of their birth, hence why many are named “Glowborn” for example, they were born glowing. It’s not a family name thing, it’s out of respect for the creation of life.

the general aesthetic is glow-in-the-dark because I love all things that glow in the dark.

They live mostly in the dark as their planet doesn’t get much sunlight

Their glowing “ears” are called lekku, a term stolen from Star Wars (thank you to our friend Cel who introduced me to the term!) and together with the lights on their tails they help them navigate in the dark and were originally for luring in prey.

There is jewelry specifically invented to clasp onto these lights, sort of like earrings, to cover the light. It’s common to take those to cinemas and theaters and other similar places. Commonly sold in sets of four so they can match! ^v^

Their mouths aren’t shaped like ours, where they sort of split in half, they more so open into a square with a nightmarish circle of sharp teeth. It makes them rather off-putting to look at when they laugh. It also means they don’t exactly smile like us.

Their feet are soft and fleshy like ours, and Ro specifically uses this for stealth missions.

Genuinely thank you for this ask, I’ll come back to Ro again in due time as they tag along for missions they’re needed on, but the Jeskyrs as a race probably won’t get many chances to shine so this brought me joy >:)

— Trauma

Bonus secret:

Ro was originally an Among Us roleplay OC. They were an imposter kill-for-hire with a friend who was a parasite and ate people. Looked like this!

I’ve since made them a bit weirder and a LOT nicer. They’re chill now <3

[kikuism]

top five animated movies

ANIMATION SUPREMACY!!! but also i think growing up with strict parents meant we were always just watching animated movies, and that's why i have a deep love for the medium. there's no way i could actually rank these bc hello but i will try to list the ones that forever changed my brain chemistry....

1) mulan. this is objectively not the best one nor is it even the one i enjoy the most out of my picks but the nostalgia and the memories??? wow. this movie was such an obsession for me back as a child. 'hope this doesn't awaken something in me' and it totally did. the scene when she makes her choice and cut her hair.....cinema for baby me. mulan will always be so special to me and i'll always lament how disney used to show war and violence and other mature themes now they've just become a caricature of themselves. it's just a bittersweet reminder of what the studio used to produce

2) ratatouille. this movie is a masterpiece and pixar’s magnum opus. genuinely don't know how they created the perfect movie but they did and they've yet to top it. the drama the humor the tenderness the message??? made me forgive it's set in france. it's been YEARS and i can still rewatch this with the exact same emotions every single time. it's timeless. and as someone who likes to cook, yes, anyone can cook <3

3) kung fu panda. listen the kfp series is dreamworks's magnum opus to ME, move over httyd. so baffling to me that they aren't talked about more...the humor the ACTION the drama. name one piece of media that did as much for body positivity as kung fu panda did. and he's literally a panda. the fight scene on the bridge is literally studied by students of film and the soundtrack??? hans zimmer wasn't playing around in the studio. i watched this movie so much i would have the entire script memorized that i would recite front to back in my head on long road trips. the first one is my favorite, and the second one is a gem too. we don't talk about 3 and 4 <3

4) the tale of the princess kaguya. as an adult, it's really hard to find a movie that affects me the way the ones in my childhood did. i'll watch one and forget about it sooner or later. then i watched this.... i just couldn't stop thinking about it. what a beautiful, bittersweet and melancholic coming of age story and what it means to take control of your life as a young woman. i was just expecting just pretty scenery and animation but i was Not prepared for what i actually got. to me, it's ghibli’s best movie.

5) the prince of egypt. do i even have to say anything like.....i'd kill to watch this in the theater. i can't believeeee dreamworks used to make movies like this.

[thestalwartheart]

Hi! Not sure if you're taking prompts, but I'd love to see a 00Q story that addresses the defibrillator screw-up in Casino Royale. Whenever I watch that scene, I think "That never would have happened with (Wishaw's) Q there."

Hi!

I love, love, love this idea. In fact, I love it so much I want to make a series about it, but for now we'll have to deal with a short.

I was lucky enough to watch Casino Royale in a cinema the other night, and whoa boy did I have feelings about it all. This little scene came straight into my brain. A lot goes unsaid here, and it's pre-relationship, but I hope you like it anyway!

Read it on AO3 or below 😊 Feedback is always dearly appreciated!

competence.

The personalised gun is a stroke of genius, but it’s only one stroke of genius. It’s not until a couple of months later that Bond is assured Q Branch is in good hands.

He’s in the garage, escorted by Tanner, who is immediately distracted by the prospect of inspecting a Triumph motorcycle. Bond wonders vaguely if he’s on the verge of a midlife crisis.

Around the room, mechanics and engineers move about with ant-like industriousness. They scurry under cars, motorcycles, and, most memorably, a jet-black speedboat that looks no less lethal for its compact size. The busyness of it all, however, is highly organised. There’s not a speck of dust in the air or on the floor. There are no superfluous conversations, either. Every word spoken in the room is about horsepower or weaponry or which wires need to be joined or cut. Otherwise, there is only silence — the peaceful kind that exists between people who feel a great sense of camaraderie with each other.

When Q walks in, the room loses a little bit of its air.

Not that Q notices. He smiles benignly, and a little distractedly, at the workers who greet him with a “Sir” and a nod of their heads. Not aware of his own status, then, surmises Bond. And it is his own, not the title’s. Bond’s seen enough people play at Quartermaster to know the difference between genuine respect from the Q Branch staff and a pale imitation of it.

He’s dressed in a navy corduroy suit today, paired with a similarly dark checked shirt and a maroon tie. Bond can tell by his collar that the outfit started out ironed, though it now has the creases of a day at work folded into it. Q would still get away with it if it weren’t for the hair, which looks as if it’s been tugged in a hundred different directions throughout the day. It's likely the result of paperwork or a meeting with accounting. In the few missions Bond's gone on with Q in his ear, he's learned Q never gets this riled by matters within his own department. Nor is he very intimidated by the dangers of the field.

Bond has the mad urge to tuck away one of Q's wayward curls behind his ear.

Q, entirely unaware of those thoughts, saves his most genuine smile for Bond. It’s not wide. It’s a short, sharp little thing, but like the jet-black speedboat, it’s no less impactful for its neatness.

“007. Lovely to see you.”

Q leads him over to a beautiful Aston Martin. It’s the car Bond’s eyes had first been drawn to, though it seemed understated at first glance, placed as it was in a room full of snazzy red coupes and deadly-looking Jeeps. Q’s face assumes a bit of smugness, as if he’d known from before he walked into the room where Bond’s attention would lie.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” remarks Q in that smooth, crisp voice of his. “I don’t just mean the car, though she is extraordinary. No, it never ceases to amaze me how much taxpayer money we pour down the drain for fifteen minutes of technological glory, only for it all to end up at the bottom of a river.”

Q looks over, briefly, at a car’s waterlogged skeleton. Formerly a sleek black Jaguar, and, if Bond remembers correctly — which he does — it was assigned to 009 a week ago.

Bond smiles. “Have some faith. I like to show them an hour, at the very least.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s what you tell all of them.”

Q doesn’t give Bond the pleasure of answering back to that. Immediately, he launches into a monologue about technical specifications. Bond listens with interest — though he doesn’t show it — impressed at the safety improvements and the many tricks up the car’s sleeve, though he’s most impressed by the newness of the miniguns. Custom-ordered, apparently. Before this Q, there hadn’t been custom-built guns in Q Branch for over a decade.

There hadn’t been very much worth noting from Q Branch at all in that time.

It’s only when Q opens the car’s glovebox compartment to display a defibrillator that Bond feels anything other than a benign sort of satisfaction. An old spike of adrenaline moves up through his chest, the residual wisp of memory that has never really left him. Q must catch the look in his eye because he clears his throat and lets out a short, understanding little sigh.

“Ah, yes, we’ve made a few changes to the existing design.”

“I should hope so.”

Bond gets another smile for that, a somewhat regretful one, though Q was likely still in bloody high school during Bond’s last dance with an MI6-made defibrillator. While he’s taking the blasted thing out of its casing, Q explains the design changes.

“Permanently attached leads. See? No pulling them off.” Q tugs at one firmly more than once. It stays firmly in place. “The wires are reinforced to prevent any damage from…well, whatever you agents get up to. And there have been some software changes, too. I can see the charge and override the button from here. No need to press it yourself should you be…incapacitated.”

Bond nods, silent. Q continues.

“Along with the one in your car, there’s a smaller, more discrete model in your briefcase. The same design modifications have been made to it. Both have passed extensive user testing.”

His tone is verging dangerously close to pity, and Bond suddenly yearns for the snappish, arrogant man he’d met at the National Gallery.

“Don’t tell me you went into cardiac arrest just for me, Q.”

“You say that as if you don’t bring us all closer to a heart attack with every moment you’re out in the field.”

Banter aside, he goes on to assure Bond that along with testing in the lab, 003 had made use of the device last week and returned unscathed. With that, Bond thinks he’s clear of any coddling, but he’d forgotten one essential detail from his and Q’s first meeting and all their encounters since: as precocious and cocky as the new Quartermaster is, he’s also exceedingly kind. And rather astute, too, if not with people, then at least with the history of the job and the responsibilities it entails.

Q closes the car door with a snap and straightens up. “My job is to outfit you with the tools you need, Bond. I happen to think we’re rather good at it these days, but if there’s anything we haven’t thought of, any equipment you require—”

“An exploding pen?”

Q’s only response is a distinctly British kind of withering look.

“—that you deem necessary to ensure a safe return,” he pauses, his voice softening and his face twisting a little with the awkwardness of the conversation. “You need only ask.”

“Thank you, Q.”

“Well, good luck in the field. Do try to return the equipment in one piece.”

Bond steps forward, making sure to get just close enough to Q to fluster him. It works for a moment, though the boy recovers quickly. Perhaps he’s been here just long enough to have become immune to an agent’s charm.

“And what about us agents?” murmurs Bond. “Say it’s between me and the gun or the car. Should I not return in one piece?”

Q averts his eyes. He looks around the garage and squints briefly at the ceiling as if he’s looking straight through the concrete to the bureaucratic behemoth above. Then, over the top of his glasses, eyes sparkling with mischief, Q looks back at Bond and quips, “Are you not part of this agency’s equipment? I trust you can make the right call about which...assets…we consider more important.”

A month ago, Bond would have guessed at the gun and the car being more important to Q. Now, he’s not so sure.

“Stay safe, 007. I’ll look forward to seeing you upon your return.”

With that, he slips the car keys into Bond’s hand and walks away. Bond fiddles with them as he takes a second look at the car.

In it, there’s a palm-print encoded gun (version two, apparently), several miniguns, an oil slick, heat-seeking missiles, a poison-detection kit, and a defibrillator meant to properly stand up to the kinds of emergencies agents face in the field. All of that is cased a frame designed to withstand bullets, fire and water. The Noah’s ark of cars. Well, it would be if it weren’t also a harbinger of destruction.

It's fine work, certainly, but it isn't until Bond climbs into the vehicle and opens its accompanying mission envelope that he lets an unguarded smile free. Lying inconspicuously atop the paperwork is an Omega Seamaster with a note wrapped around its band.

For opening doors. If you find yourself really putting your back into it, try the alarm.

Q.

Yes, Bond thinks, as he makes use of the car’s small ashtray compartment to burn the note. Staying safe in the field might be a bit easier this time.

[naffeclipse]

*Breaks down the door with my foot. Cue me throwing on a pair of shades and sliding right into your blog.*

*Pointing, while screaming at the top of my lungs*

WHAT ‼️

IS ‼️

UP ‼️

NAFFECLIPSE ECLIPSED GANG ‼️‼️‼️

The chronically online Instagram user…/hj

The one who makes those meme comps…

FANDOM has finally arrived to TUMBLR 😎😎😎

Party rocking in the house tonight frfr. Someone start the celebratory music STAT ‼️

Now after waiting since 2021 I shall lurk and invade, making my way, my presence known in the DCA Tumblr community. I have been perceiving Naff for the longest time since bUT I shall not stop there.

I shall go around and appreciate more of my favorite creators from this community and you shall NOT ‼️

I repeat. Shall NOT ‼️ Stop me in my silly quest. Or with my silly commentary.

>:)

Now Naff.

:)

<3333

Lovely lovely Naff you.

I can make my silly comments known to you properly about your lovely fics and AU ideas 🙌

I have been perceiving your blog since my dear friend who helped me create those posts told me that you had one. I’ve been around since your MerMay oneshots. I have been here, when the Sleuth Jesters series was new and I’ve been loving. LOVING. Your work since then

You’re an excellent writer! I love your writing style so much, you put so much life and care into the characters you write. I can close my eyes and daydream about what they look like, what they’re doing, like I’m watching a movie about them.

Sleuth Jesters series? Smh. That is mentally a Netflix TV series in my head with bonus features behind the scenes 🫣

Cryptid Sightings series? Meep’s design of the boys pops up in my brain, and it’s in full 3D playing on the big movie cinema screen in my brain. Popcorn and everything 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

All of your other fics too work the same way, I can genuinely imagine them getting an adaptation of sorts/srs

Naff the Eclipsed Squared you are truly goated.

Every time you write something, I go unhinged. I devour on all of the words like multiple Mukbangs back to back. I blend them like a nice milkshake to drink. Idc how many words there are Naff. I feast well on reading whatever is provided anyways >:0

Now farewell…Eclipsed gang. Farewell MB!Clip simps and everyone alike. I shall continue now in my goofy ahhh appreciation for my fav content creators in this community.

Naff I am throwing flowers, coins, chocolates, hearts at your doorstep and whatever else you will enjoy. Take it all.

💞💞💞💞💞💞💗💗💗💗💗💗‼️‼️‼️

*Now cue me running out of your broken down door.*

*I shall perceive Bean next mwahahaha*

AHHHH HI HELLO I'M MELTING!!! YOU'RE SO SWEET EEEEEEEEEE!!!! You're here, Fandom! You're so sweet and I'm melting at every word, ahhh! Welcome to Tumblr!!!

[operationfortune]

Okay I know this post will gain absolutely zero traction but the more I think about it the more I want to cry about it??

slight spoilers for one of the character arcs in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre ahead,,,

So I saw Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre in the cinema today. I was alone, it was reasonably full, the film technically only opened two days ago, and it's wider release isn't for another week, but I had time to kill and it was the only thing that piqued my interest. It sits in an interesting spot tonally, comparative, I'd say, to Netflix Exclusive Michael Bay movie 6 Underground, though to use a more recent marker I'd drop it somewhere near Bullet Train (though it's definitely much closer to 6 Underground). All this context to say that I went into this Jason Statham-lead espionage action movie with zero expectations and almost completely blind.

So please believe me when I say I was truly blindsided with joy to have canonical, casual queer representation in this Jason Statham-lead espionage action movie.

Maybe it's that I don't watch a lot of media now, but it's something I noticed while watching Glass Onion too, both with Benoit and Hugh Grant (ha, put a pin in that) and especially with the character of Peg, and it makes me a bit teary and excited when I think about it. There's something to be said for how far we've come, to the point that Casual Queer Rep is even possible. There's something about watching Peg get all flustered talking to Helen and knowing that it's because she has a crush, without it having to be flagged, spelled out, or otherwise othered by the film or its writing.

It's normalised.

Which I know shouldn't be a big deal, but right now, to me, it is. I didn't realise I could feel this way; to see a full character who just so happens to be gay, where the plot doesn't revolve around her being gay, but that part of her identity is still made clear?? I love Peg so much holy shit.

But Glass Onion is the second in a series that has established itself as a forerunner for casual diversity. Let me tell you about how Operation Fortune made me want to YELL in theatres.

It's the 8th of January, and it might be a bit early to call it, but Danny Francesco might be my favourite character of the year.

Is he perfect? God no, he's objectively not a great person; he's sleeping with his sister-in-law, he's a Hollywood diva, he's demanding, and he (spoilers, seriously) ends up engaged to a war criminal. Who happens to be the main antagonist. Who happens to be Hugh Grant. Danny is the light of my life, however, and I love him with my whole heart.

So in the beginning we're told that Danny turned down $10m because he didn't want to jump out of Greg (Hugh Grant)'s cake and sing Happy Birthday; whatever, I thought, Greg is a rich, eccentric with an obsession with celebrities, and Danny is the biggest star right now, I shouldn't read anything into it because Sometimes Rich People Just Do Things For Status Reasons. We're also told, and subsequently shown, Greg tries to take celebrity's partners/girlfriends. Cue Sarah (Aubrey Plaza) in a bright red dress that I will dream about for the next month.

Also, in the scene where Danny, Sarah, and Orson (Jason Statham) are joining the fancy party, there's some distinctly fruity vibes between the three of them, but I'm not here to push my Orson/Sarah/Danny polycule agenda, just know that I have one.

So obviously Greg is excited to see Danny, but later makes a Very Distinct Pass at Sarah, inviting both her and Danny to stay with him for the weekend, with an implied Wink Wink Nudge Nudge.

While they end up taking him up on that offer, Danny, who started the film having refused Greg's Rich Weirdo Request, and now having to spend time with him for the job, finds that he actually genuinely likes Greg, who appears to genuinely like him back, doting on him, even giving him gifts.

When Danny says to Sarah "(I'm paraphrasing, about Greg) he's really into you! If you don't take him up on his offer then I might!" my eyeballs were Out Of My Head. Like sure it sounds like a joke that would be written in to simply highlight Danny's materialism, a whole 'gay for pay' joke, something about his vanity, or even just an offhand joke that I might hear one of my straight friends who were super comfortable and confident in their sexuality say about their best friends, I was So primed for this to be something that the audience could laugh off or dismiss in hindsight. Like in my mind that solidified my headcanon of Danny as bi, but I was so used to queerbaiting and years of being told I was reading into things.

So as the plot continues, Danny's fondness for Greg goes on, turns into something incredibly genuine, and looking back, he clearly has a hero-worship crush on Greg by the end of the film.

The last shot we see of Danny and Greg is the pair of them getting into an elevator after Greg pulls a stone cold power move on the films secondary antagonists, which he had Danny assist with for flare after Danny asked specifically to stay with him for that event. In the elevator, Danny tells Greg that that was "the coolest thing he's ever seen someone do" and that's the last we physically see of them.

HOWEVER!! THE ICING!! THE CHERRY!!

At the very end of the film, one of the protagonists mentions how he's gone into the film industry, and the response he gets is;

"You better not be talking about Danny Francesco and his fiancee Greg Simmonds!"

an accurate depiction of me as the credits began to roll;

WE WIN THESE!!

BOTH DANNY AND GREG ARE CANONICALLY BI/PAN IN THIS JASON STATHAM-LEAD ESPIONAGE ACTION MOVIE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023!! THEY BOTH LIVE UNTIL THE END!! THEY'RE ENGAGED!! THEY'RE BOTH ABSOLUTE DISASTERS!! THEY'RE BOTH FULL, ROUNDED CHARACTERS WHO HAPPEN TO BE QUEER!!

I get choked up thinking about it now, considering how quietly overwhelmed I felt in the theatre realising that Danny and Greg's comments and moments throughout the film weren't some elaborate joke, the dialogue that reminds me of my friends, the moments that felt true to my life as a queer person, they werent the setup for any kind of homophobic mixup, miscommunication, or microaggression; no, I finally, actually felt like I saw a part of myself, of my community represented in media.

Everyone in that movie is terrible in their own way, but Danny and Greg just happened to be terrible people who are also queer. Are they perfect representation? No! Thank fuck! I think we deserve more dumbass, disaster, unethical queers in media.

Even if I don't necessarily recommend this movie (it's pretty okay if you're a fan of the genre I suppose), I subjectively love it and especially it's characters, with my whole entire heart.

Danny Francesco is canonically a dumbass, bi disaster who fell for his sugar daddy, war criminal Hugh Grant. Good for him. It's what he deserves. 🥰🥰🥰

[ghostpantomime]

4 7 9 16 33 :)

there's a lot here so i've put a read more:)

4) What is your favourite book?

I don't think the answer to this question is meant to be like. The Global Cold War by Odd Arne Westad or my current read which is The War of Nerves by Martin Sixsmith. However i am a history and politics student with interest in the cold war so. hahaha.

in terms of fiction i do Not read enough fiction (basically none, my friend on storygraph despairs). i think i like different books for what they meant to me at different times so for example i feel strongly about felix ever after because that book when i read it in year 11? 12? it meant a lot at the time even if i don't necessarily feel the same at all now. or for example the land of stories series by chris colfer was my childhood series and i still Love those books so much.

7) 5 female celebrity crushes.

only 5. okay. uhm.

hayley williams (especially her new haircut oml).

stella rose.

a newer one that was started by watching love lies bleeding in cinema but katy o'brian.

And again short hair kristen stewart omg.

and then most recent i think is simone ashley.

9) What do you consider your biggest accomplishments?

despite it literally Not being my biggest accomplishment the first one that always comes to mind is when i was 11 so a whole 8 years ago despite never having had music theory training or lessons and being seen as bad at music the subject i got the top mark in the class for a music theory test, only getting 3 answers wrong.

genuinely though i think its getting through sixth form. it was such. a time. a lot happened and yeah. i was also so close to dropping out Numerous times. there was just a Lot. i'm happy i stuck with it though and eventhough i am Not doing what i thought i would be or wanted to im really happy that it worked out the way it did because the friends i have and people i know now. bit sappy i know.

16) What do you think makes you attractive?

i did read for a second read this as almost like a make a business pitch and that made me laugh. this is a tough one. i guess you have kind of physically attractive and then the kind of personality and that side of it?

i literally do not know what i look like and struggle with looks but i've always liked my eyes. i think if we were to go for both sides thats what i would put for that? i also love my hair at the moment thank you to my old housemate who cut it.

idk for personality. i would like to say i'm a good person with amazing music taste😭😭. feels like i'm being a bit egotistical there. idk. i guess one trait i've been told is good about me (which i've had some people—my mum— say is bad) is that i care so deeply and am passionate about things. i very rarely feel completely neutral or only slightly one way.

33) What is a pet peeve that you have?

people not being polite to workers. i think that's quite standard though. maybe i should say the harmonica as my biggest pet peeve instead to shake it up a little. thank you guy who lived in the room next door to me. how the 24/7 harmonica wasn't the worst thing you did truly outstands me.

[mattydemise]

Whats your favorite friday the 13th movie!!

This is difficult question to answer because I could take it in a few different directions so I'm going to present my case for the movies I think could be my favourite Friday The 13th.

Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter.

I think Part 4 is pretty unanimously considered to be the best of the F13th movies and for good reason. Tom Savini and his team handled the makeup and special effects of the movie and it really shows because it's fucking brutal. Even by today's standards. Corey Feldman is great as Tommy Jarvis and there's some genuinely unsettling moments in the movie because the protagonist is a child and we're watching the chaos from his perspective. I always think about that scene after Jason kills the guy in front of the old film projector and how there's this old-school [see: vintage] porn playing in the background and there's blood spattered on the wall and you can hear the tape reels turning in the background. It's genuinely creepy and that's something the Friday the 13th series never truly accomplished again (with one exception but I'll get to that). Honestly, if you wanted to show someone only a single Friday The 13th movie to try and convey what the series is, this would be the one.

Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

The most underrated Friday The 13th movie. After the bullshit of Part 5 not having Jason (I mean, he shows up in a dream sequence at the start but that doesn't fucking count) the producers knew they had to bring back the man himself. Although not as a man as this is the movie that cemented Jason as an undead killing machine. The opening of this movie is my by far my favourite in the entire series with the creepy cemetery and the thunderstorm. Basically, some dumbasses accidentally bring Jason back from the dead (and into undeath?) when lightning strikes his body. Thom Mathews is a great adult Tommy Jarvis and if you loved his work in the Return Of The Living Dead 1 and 2, you'll love him in this too, although he doesn't get as memorable of a partner to work with as he did in James Karen. The gore is back in a big way in Jason Lives too after the fifth film got cut to shreds and had virtually all of it removed. It's got genuine atmosphere, the performances are decent, it's got a lot of 1980s charm, and it's vintage slasher action. People don't talk about this one as much and I personally think it works better than most of the other entries in the series.

Freddy Vs. Jason

It's almost more of an action movie than a horror movie when you get down to it because you're literally paying to see the two titans of 1980s Horror brutalise one another but that doesn't take away from how good it is. Despite the setup not making a whole lot of sense it all works out pretty well and Freddy and Jason fight on multiple occasions. I was so hyped to see this movie as a kid I had to sneak into the cinema with my best friend because they wouldn't let us watch it even with a parent and thus started my lifelong rebellious streak, anyway, I digress. The movie fucking rules. It's well-made, funny, brutal, and my only regret is that they never made the sequel Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, which would've blown my mind as a kid, because Ash is my favourite character of all-time. They did turn that into a great limited run comic series though.