#jade watches eurovision

[clumsycapitolunicorn]

Belgium, Austria and Australia are the stand out for me in this semi finale.

[redstonedust]

i know a lot of people on this site don't watch eurovision so boycotting it is easy, but there's something so depressing about like. going back to previous years events and seeing the feeling of international collaboration and love that comes with the contest. and being very aware that the positivity only extends as far as the organisers are comfortable with. idk. it's like going to a pride parade as an adult and realising most the companies sponsoring it don't give a shit about trans people when they're not profitable. it makes you feel very jaded about something you used to be so excited for. it sucks.

[thesinglesjukebox]

JADE - "ANGEL OF MY DREAMS"

And single of ours...

[7.45]

Julian Axelrod: You never know when you'll hear the song that changes your life. It could come from a DJ, or an algorithm, or a girl group lifer who you could have sworn was the third most famous member of Fifth Harmony but was actually the first or second most notable member of Little Mix, depending on who you ask. I had no idea what Jade Thirlwall's debut single would sound like before I first pressed play, but even if you gave me 1000 guesses, I never would have landed on "Rina Sawayama doing Uffie over a Eurovision sample that curdles into the nastiest dubstep drop since the Obama administration." This isn't the first time an X Factor alum has stuffed a solo single with a million disparate elements to keep things interesting; it's not even the first time it's happened this year. But the magic of "Angel of My Dreams" is the way it extends that first-listen feeling to listens 2-500. Even though I know the song by heart, each individual section is so strong that I never expect the drop, or the rap verse, or the intro melody reprise at the end. (I didn't even notice the camera flash sound effects at the 2:07 mark until my third listen!) This could be the start of an all-time pop run, or it could be a fleeting moment of glory. I couldn't care less: When I'm listening to "Angel of My Dreams," I just want to live in each moment until it ends, then immediately live them all again. [10]

Harlan Talib Ockey: Girls Aloud doing nightcore “Bohemian Rhapsody”, except also emotionally brutal. We will watch your solo career with great interest. [7]

Dave Moore: How do you even write a pop melody like this these days? Nothing borrowed yet nothing new -- dozens of refreshes of WhoSampled yields nothing to alleviate my nagging sense that surely I've heard it before; my brain refuses to play a rousing game of earworm hunt like with Chappell Roan. It's a bit of a shame that the whole thing devolves into a K-pop-ish party-by-numbers muddle, but in the end she wins, is not in the bin, etc. [8]

Kat Stevens: If I don't win, I'm in the bin. Specifically, the bin on Deptford High Street opposite Perfect Fried Chicken. [8]

Iain Mew: Some of the joy "Angel of My Dreams" has brought is that it's 80% of the way to being a maximalist Rina Sawayama song, and yet is also a persistent enough UK hit to have re-entered the top ten in its fourth week. The range of possibilities looks newly widened. Jade brings some specific things to make it her own triumph too. It's not just leading off with something so ambitious and inventive, but that she is able to wear it so lightly and naturally, Harry Styles-style. It's even more impressive to do so with a song that appears to dig into bitter personal experience, centred around repetitions of IT'S NOT FAIR so resonant as to move from sulk to deep truth.  [9]

Nortey Dowuona: Jade Thirlwall apparently sees the chance to etch her name into stone, rather than make a safe, easy pitch that might simply be forgotten or regarded as nice. But there are many songs about the cruel and unusual punishment of daring to use one's talent and love to make random weirdos who wear unflattering V-necks a lot of money. Thus Mike Sabath, creator of the world-conquering "Escapism" (and, in a fun little twist, another Jade and Mike Joint as well as the second best Liam Payne song) starts us off with a wilting cry of desperation that has to be walloped by the heavy swing of the chorus, glittery synths sitting atop. The song zips into raspy bass and flimsy and flimsier kick/snare patterns from then on, slowly flattening you until you are nearly crushed. The heavy-handed swing of the first chorus sweeps back in to save you and bind you to it as it disappears, Jade's firm, fluttery soprano left hanging out on the ledge. It's almost as if JADE, unlike RAYE, is not begging to be set free -- she's begging to be let in. [6]

Jonathan Bradley: Cycling through three different song concepts in the first 35 seconds suggests not so much a desire to "do something crazy" as a struggle to hit on anything melodically memorable. It turns out that the slowed-down bass-heavy breakdown works, as does the twinkling fairy dance augmenting the chorus, but a lot of this mistakes attitude for tune -- the sort of B-grade effort that made Little Mix only intermittently worthwhile. See, for instance, Jade stretching out  "feels li-yi-yi-yi-yi-ke" and "spoli-yi-yi-yi-yi-ight" for no real purpose beyond filling time before the next switch up. [4]

Taylor Alatorre: The lack of concern for the cleanliness of the transitions make this feel like a promising storyboard in search of a director, or least someone to step in and say that a desire to be seen as daring and boundary-pushing does not equate to such, and can in fact expose the whole gambit. Most listeners should walk away with a favored segment to return to -- mine is the chrome-polished, push-to-start recitation of the title phrase -- but a quarterlife retrospective like this should feel more internally cohesive than a sitcom clip show. [5]

Ian Mathers: The classic "pick your battles. pick�� pick fewer battles than that. put some battles back. that’s too many" tumblr post, now in song form! [7]

Mark Sinker: The idea was like a will o’the wisp or Capt.Fawcett’s Lost City of Z, a gleam, a flicker, a dangerous promise glimpsed across a clearing and through the trees -- and it was something like this (it was always hard to explain clearly). A manufactured alt-pop girlie gang, perfectly designed to win reality TV competitions because also able to fashion the drama of their rise -- and their internal ebbs and flows -- into quilted chart-prog rap-adjacent concept EPs and singles-length mini-musicals, like the Hamilton of the Sugababes. It’s there, always beckoning, just out of reach -- and the acts that pass through the glamour of it are always great, of course, very great, but they also always dissipate too fast, before they really land on the absolute thing itself. Perhaps that's the point; perhaps that's my doom.  [9]

Katherine St. Asaph: I am banned from time machines now because I abused my time-travel privileges to do frivolous shit, like posting this song to the Popjustice forums in 2007 and measuring the blast radius of Xenomaniac rapture. [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[eurovision-del]

Eurovision season is well under way! It’s only December but we already have our first song, and we’re going to get another one soon when Czechia select their entry. I waited to hear all the songs for the first time live at ESCZ, then went back to the studio cuts, and after a few days to get familiar with them, here’s what I think:  

Tom Sean – Dopamine Overdose

MYDY – Red Flag Parade

Lenny – Good Enough

Elly – The Angel’s Share

Tomas Robin – Out Of My Mind

Gianna Lei – Starlet

Aiko – Pedestal

My gut reaction after watching ESCZ was that unlike previous years we’re missing an obvious standout this year, since I enjoyed quite a lot of the songs equally, but actually I’ve come to think that MYDY are head and shoulders above the rest. Red Flag Parade is the most immediate of all the songs, designed to grab your attention with that dramatic opening, and it’s super catchy – it’s been in my head all week. The live performance had the clearest visual identity, The red marching band outfits are distinct and fit the song. The lead singer, Žofie, has fantastic energy and sells the attitude needed. Her vocals might not have been pitch perfect, but the sound system didn’t do anyone any favours, and it works fine for this style of music. However, while its catchiness is this song’s best quality, it’s also part of the reason why I didn’t rank it first – I’ve grown kind of tired of it just over the past week, and I’m not a huge fan of the melody in the chorus. By the third time it comes around, I want the song to be over already. It also kind of bothers me that the studio cut is censored – I understand it for the live version, but if you’re not even gonna say it in the studio cut, what’s the point of even writing a swear word at all?  

While I respect MYDY a lot, and think they have a great package, my actual favourite from this selection is Tom Sean’s Dopamine Overdose. It’s a little less in your face, but still energetic and memorable, the sort of dance music I vibe with. I’m not hugely keen on the ‘sweet like teriyaki’ line, but other than that I enjoy this song a lot. The performance was alright, Tom felt a little awkward at points, but I think the overall staging concept is solid. I really enjoyed how the dancers were used, though I think there’s a lot of potential to take it further and improve the choreography, it’s a good starting point.

Finally, I also really enjoyed Lenny’s performance of Good Enough. As a song, it’s alright. I enjoy the contrast between the stripped back opening and the second half where the instruments ramp it up and it becomes more of a power ballad, however I feel it takes too long to get there – I feel myself getting bored with the second verse. However, Lenny really impressed me, apparently she’s pretty established in the Czech music industry, and it comes across, she seems very experienced and professional. Her vocal at the start is very exposed by both the composition of the song and the ESCZ sound system, but it sounds great. Her rough voice really fits with this song and its jaded, mature tone.

I would be happy with any of these three songs representing Czechia at Eurovision this year. There really isn’t much separating them for me, I have issues with all of them but also plenty I enjoy. MYDY is probably Czechia’s best option with how catchy Red Flag Parade is, and the most realised concept in terms of performance, but I think the others also have decent performances with a lot of potential there too. With how close these songs are for me, I’ve decided not to vote, I’ll just wait and see what ends up winning!

[buglordsupreme]

Anon who sent the boycott Eurovision message here, while I understand your rationales for watching it and your efforts in other areas to try to help the Palestinian people, I think you should reconsider your decision to engage with Eurovision.

We have an opportunity to stick to our guns and not just send complaints but show them we are serious about our resisting their support for Israel by denying them ratings.

Yes, this isn't going to stop bombs falling or IDF troops marching through the streets massacring Palestinians, but it sends a message that we are united in our opposition to genocide and won't support institutions that permit it.

We can only do what we can, and I hope that missing a TV show we were looking forward to watching is worth the message we can collectively send that the people and culture of Palestine matters more to us than a yearly song contest.

Also I hope it goes without saying but I don't want anyone to send you hate over this, my goal is for all of us to be able to be united in helping Palestinians however we can; even in small ways that may seem insignificant or hopeless or useless, what's most important to me is that we show a united front in our support for Palestine and the end of Israel's genocides against the Palestinian people.

I absolutely understand this and I don’t think your asks were bullying me in any way, shape or form. Like I said, I am all for boycotting and have even participated in several of them for several causes, that includes Palestine.

I will find ways to watch the contest without giving the EBU any ratings or money. And I have been using the ESC hashtags in twitter specially to post about Palestine to the best of my ability.

But the truth is that I am also 25 years old, I work, I am trying to manage my money to get my own place to live, I have internal and external struggles to deal with that cause me great amounts of stress. Eurovision is a way for me to relieve that stress. Sometimes people need vapid, stupid shit to make it through their day to day lives. Is my life in any way comparable to what the Palestinian people are going through? Not in the slightest, they have (and will always have) a priority.

But I cannot run on an empty fuel tank of energy, jaded about the world if I want to help people out. Every new information we have on this genocide has this tinge of hopelessness to them that I think everyone who cares about Palestine is actively trying to fight against. Is really reassuring to see so many people boycotting the EBU and I am genuinely saddened at myself that I do not have the willpower to join in.

I will be continuing my ongoing support of the people in Gaza while finding ways to watch my favorite show without giving them ratings or money. I think both of these can coexist, even if its not objectively the right thing to do.

[gloveblazarrye]

^^^ THIS ^^^ Holy smokes folks

I don’t often feel the need to go out of my way to write anything but this first semi final was SO UNCOMFORTABLE to watch, and the other shows are likely to get even worse.

The UK was supposed to be a gracious helping hand to a country that is - rightfully so - too preoccupied with a literal war to host ESC. Surely the UK are eager to host, since their last time was in 1998, but they’d understand they are simply subbing, right? They’d understand this is not their spotlight to steal, wouldn’t you think?

They have installed 2 UK hosts and only 1 Ukrainian: Julia Sanina, who is placed next to Hannah Waddingham and only gets a few words in edgewise every now and then. Alesha Dixon roams the green room and chats elaborately with the artists. In the final this team will be expanded with Graham Norton, a third UK host.

While we wait for the votes to come in, we see a beautiful performance by Ukrainian artist Alyosha, BUT: she has to share the stage with a UK singer! It’s a duet, cause god forbid the focus isn’t at least partly on the UK for one song! And after that, another interval act: UK (again) artist Rita Ora with a splashing army of dancers.

Finally, though, we seem to get a moment to look at Ukraine: a video segment about Ukraine’s history in Eurovision. Julia announces: “Time for a look back through Eurovision history now. When Ukraine won the contest last year it meant a lot to so many people. But our story began 20 years ago...” And then we get the most horrendous Graham Norton-narrated whiny little video essay. I’ve written the transcript below, word for word. I’ve made actual info about Ukraine’s ESC history bold.

“...over in Latvia, one country was making its Eurovision debut (Ukraine), while another country (UK) got its first ever null points. What followed was two decades of high achievement and success... for Ukraine :( *insert shot of UK getting 0 points again* And the exact opposite for the UK. Well, it was time to give the newbies a chance, wasn’t it? *images of UK acts* Until 2003, the UK were the kings and queens of Eurovision! *more footage of UK acts* Five wins and twenty-three top three finishes! Then... for years... a Eurovision drought hit the UK, with only one act in the top ten. Go on Jade. In fact, while the UK clocked up 5 last place finishes, Ukraine had 5 top three finishes. Including 2 wins! And another fun fact, they are the only country to have a 100% qualifying rate from the semi finals they entered. Take that, Sweden. But then we come to Turin, 2022. *Sam Rider footage * The UK’s space man, Sam Rider, was gonna turn our fortunes around. And he did! It was the UK’s best result for twenty-four years. After coming top in the jury vote, they came a brilliant second place overall... *footage of Ukraine act 2022* Behind Ukraine. Again. Kalush orchestra’s victory, then Ukraine became the first country in the 21st century to win three times.”

Fucking stunning. The rest of that is misplaced self-pity for continuously losing ESC in the shadow of a country that has been at war for over a year. You can call it self-deprecating humour but if only 20% of your video is about Ukraine and the rest is about you, be it positively or negatively, you're missing the point.

OH and then we get to the final results! Surely Julia and Hannah will just take turns announcing qualifiers, right? WRONG. No, even in this the UK need their little ego-boost and get a 1-up on Ukraine. Hannah announces 6 out of 10 qualifiers, leaving only 4 for Julia.

UK. I don’t care about saying it nicely. Shut up and let the stage be taken by the proper winners. And I know, they put a lot of money and effort into the organisation, blah blah blah, sure sure, they’re doing a good job at the technical side of things. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t still tasteless.

how do i say this nicely. uk. sweetie. this year isn't about you

[yyoati-cas]

Eurovision time soon!

[what-even-is-thiss]

I’m always very confused by Eurovision but I refuse to watch it. I will even refuse if someday the US is allowed in. Because it’s extremely funny watching people talk about it.

Also the market is already saturated with so many singing competitions. I grew jaded a long time ago.

[finlands-beret]

Thanks to @midnight-marimba for tagging me in this!

Favorite colour: Red.

Currently reading: Nothing at the moment!

Last song: “Vi maler byen rød” (or rather, its English version, “I’m Chasing Butterflies”) by Birthe Kjær. ...I’ve been on a bit of an 80s Eurovision kick lately, and it has SUCH Gerbera vibes.

Last series: No TV series, but I finally got and watched Kemono Jihen. Hoping for a season two!

Last movie: I haven’t seen any movies in a long time.

Sweet/spicy/savoury: Sweet, savoury, and then a hundred miles away, spicy.

Song stuck in head: “Vi maler byen rød/I’m Chasing Butterflies“, but only because I mentioned it above. Also, “Rock Bottom” by Mike Moran and Lynsey de Paul.

Last thing I googled: “Caviar on pizza”; I wanted to see if it was an actual thing, as I was in a discussion over whether Jasper Dragon Quest would eat it or not.

Dream vacation: Thanks to a certain game involving sharks and cards Pau, in the southwest of France. It’s not too far from northern Spain either, which would/could make for a nice trip.

Currently working on: Just finished a Sylv and Jade story wherein she plays nurse for once.

Tagging: No one in particular; if anyone wants to, have at it!

[breezeinmonochromenight]

Idk if you like Eurovision or what they show of it in the U.S. but do you have any favorites? From this year or any year?

I should probably preface this by saying I’m not into song contests, at all, period. I’m assuming you’re not from the U.S. by the way this is worded, and if you’ve never seen American television, count your blessings. There is a good reason why ‘American Song Contest!’ as a concept is so utterly laughable. We already have like 30 of those, none of them are very good, and the most unique acts almost never win. You become jaded towards the concept after a while.

Anyway! That being said, I do look at some of the entries if people suggest them or I stumble upon them.

Måneskin was obviously great (anche se potrei essere un po' di parte...); they remind me of all the particular things I love about like two dozen different English language rock/alternative bands rolled into one. White Stripes, Velvet Revolver, Rolling Stones etc.

However, I gotta say: both versions Go_A’s Шум (the ‘retooled’ ver. and the longer video ver. where they’re all in like hazmat suits/masks/face shields) have had this... ear worm quality that I haven’t experienced in a while. Kateryna Pavlenko’s voice is fucking incredible, and I’m more blown away the more I read about her.

I also thought Iceland’s band was really weird at first until A.) I learned the context (SO FUCKING CUTE OMG) and B.) watched the official music video version. It’s reminds me so much of the Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic but extremely European instead of three Jewish guys from NYC. And I fucking love that.

There’s also plenty of good acts from years past I can’t think of off the top of my head, but Fairytale and Miss Kiss Kiss Bang always immediately come to mind. So. Uh. Yeah.

[brilliancetheory]

I’ve only watched Eurovision twice in my life; in 2009 when Jade Ewen represented the UK, and in 2013 when Emmelie de Forest won for Denmark with Only Teardrops which STILL slaps to this day

[clumsycapitolunicorn]

Hannah Waddingham was iconic this week as Eurovision's host. I hope she gets plenty of rest.

[tsarisfanfiction]

I have three, hope that's okay :> 9, 22, and 25

Of course that’s okay!  Ask as many as you like; I don’t bite!  I love answering these things :D

Fanfiction writer asks

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write? Ones I don’t understand, which sounds kinda obvious so I’m gonna expand, using some examples from different fandoms.

The idiots.  The ones who go off and do things while you’re screaming at them to not do that you idiot because nope, I cannot get my head around why anyone would do that, how am I supposed to write you when I think this is the daftest thing ever?  Obvious example is Luffy from One Piece.  Don’t really have anyone I’d put in that category from TAG... Fischler maybe but I might also be stalling on that wip because it’s a pov from another character I struggle writing.

The characters I don’t like.  When I say I “don’t like” a character, I less mean “you’re a bad guy and you’re mean so I’m gonna sulk at you because you hurt my fav” aka Danzou from Naruto, Blackbeard from One Piece, or even the Hood from TAG because those sorts of characters can be some of the most fun to explore, I mean “I don’t think you’re well-written/designed and there’s nothing for me to get to grips with to write”.  Biggest example for me at the moment is Kayo from TAG (I know some people love her and I’m sorry but I just can’t).

The characters that are too nice.  The ones who sit there and just love everyone and everything and let people get away with murder and this really annoys me because I love those characters!  I love the ones that sit there and go “you know what, that’s okay and I forgive you here, have a hug”.  Those are the ones I’d actually like to meet irl!  I just apparently can’t write them!  And if you haven’t guessed by now, yes, I’m talking about Virgil from TAG.  Could also include the likes of Hinata from Naruto or Orihime from Bleach in that, too.

Teenage boys.  Teenagers in general, actually, but boys specifically because not only am I not a boy and was never a teenage boy, I also spent the vast majority of my teenage years at an all girls’ school and never actually... interacted with teenage boys!  So I have no idea what goes on in their heads!  (I ask my boyfriend and he just tells me teenage boys think with a different head and nope, not going there, thanks, boyfriend).  I should also clarify this means normal teenage boys, not ones in anime who don’t act like teenagers because they’re busy being child soldiers, because yes I can write most of the Naruto boys just fine.  This is mostly a long-winded way of me saying “hi, Alan from TAG”.

There are other random characters I struggle with for no good reason, but normally if I’m struggling with a character I can shove them in one of the above boxes.

22. Do you listen to anything while you write? Yes, yes I do!  I don’t like silence, I don’t like working in silence, and sometimes music is the real kick to get my muses playing.  I have a playlist labelled “Scott” but I’ll be honest, it’s basically my whump playlist.  Songs include GET UP, special, Through the Ghost etc. by Shinedown, Do or Die, Over and Done, Danger Zone etc. by Amaranth, Sharp Edges, Heavy, One More Light etc. by Linkin Park, and Downfall of Eden, Jaded, Bleed and Scream etc. by Eclipse.

If I’m not listening to that, I’ve either hunted down Tir na Nog (Celtic Women) or something else of that genre - which I often use for Penguin and Shachi inspiration - or I’m in the depths of Eurovision because I’m trying to write something that isn’t whump or angst and that means upbeat party time!

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them! They get bizarre, but yes I do!  One current one that floats around (that I actually chatted about to @janetm74 the other day) is an AU of my TAG fic Silent, where the whole thing ends up in a time travel AU with the adult boys (normally just Gordon, I’ll be honest, but it varies) somehow ending back in time and finding out about Scott’s struggles and taking it into their own hands to sort it out and basically just give Scott the help and support he needs to get through it.

Long Way From Home has these going on constantly, but at this point I don’t know how many of them are going to actually end up in the fic (just the other day I was thinking about something and went ‘oh that’d be neat’ then realised I can put that in) so I’m gonna keep a lid on those for now, just in case!

Although I’ll admit because this is not happening: my muse does like to go “what if they managed to somehow watch through a portal what happened in the TAG world and react” kinda like those old fics where people would write the characters literally sitting down and watching their own show, only it’s the TOS guys watching TAG.  But no, that’s not happening.  Anything they learn about TAG is gonna be from TAG!Scott (whether he’s willingly/knowingly telling them or not).

Tales From The Heart likewise gets a lot of those, but they normally end up as later chapters, especially if they’re a different pov for the same event!  That’s the fun and games with writing lots of mini stories - I can expand on them later!

[aphluxembourg]

i was tagged by @lumassen!! thank u aa

rules: tag 9 ppl ud like to know better/catch up with and answer the following questions

tagging: aaa nine ppl is a Lot uhh @bluelemonadefingerprints @anxiously-scared @leaf-green-spring @randomborednessidunno @tardisimpalatohogwarts @adorablybubblyfirebug @drowning-in-dennor i cant remember what jades not-so-new url is oops but if u see this You Too and thats not nine people but nine is Many

three ships in any order: hmm hongice dennor,,, swisslux

last song: genuinely think it was rock me by riva bc i was listening to the Eurovision Winners playlist again

last movie: ah fuck uh i caught the end of maleficent 2 yesterday that counts

currently reading: jar city by arnaldur indriðason (for like. the tenth time. i need to buy new books) (pls give me book recs)

currently watching: uhhhh good question do assassins creed streams count bc thats all ive got

currently consuming: raisin

food im currently craving: polos and lasagna. not together. that would be Cursed

[totallyfrandom]

Sooo... I’ve watched the new Netflix movie “Over The Moon” a couple weeks ago or so but didn’t write about it here until now. I’ll write more what I think about the movie below but it contains heavy spoilers. For now I’ll just say it was a good movie. Just that. It was just good. Not great or something I’d say would be the best movie of the year or a new favorite. I liked it and it was well made, but it didn’t really impress me that much. I enjoyed it, but that’s it.

Now for the spoiler stuff below.

I find the story and visuals good. The story actually hit a vulnerable spot for me personally due to how I can relate to the main character, Fei Fei. More about that later.

I think the visuals nailed it the most here, but as for the music... not impressed. I liked Fei Fei’s song “Rocket to the Moon”, that one was nice and was the only memorable song. I also like the nice song that Gobi sang and the song that Fei Fei and Chang’e sang, but they’re not as memorable when I can’t even remember how the melody went. I barely remember the song early in the movie, “Mooncakes”. I like the song Chang’e sang in Mandarin until her beloved appeared and sang with her. But the two first pop songs that Chang’e sang? Nah, I didn’t like it to be honest. It felt too out of place for me and the added visuals to her pop song (which I previously complimented but here it’s about context) made it way too similar to Eurovision Song Contest. Chang’e is supposed to be this legendary Chinese moon goddess, this just didn’t fit her. The other song, “Hey Boy”, when she challenged Chin for a match of table tennis was more catchy but still it felt out of place for her to break out in a rap song. The best song for her in my opinion was when she sang in Mandarin and then rest in English with her beloved. That felt more true to her character as a moon goddess.

As for the characters, Fei Fei is okay and can relate to her. Chin is the typical annoying brother-like kid but he’s harmless (though I was annoyed at him for the predictable situation of hitching a ride to the moon without Fei Fei’s knowledge). Bungee was cute but... I think that’s all she was in the movie. Just an animal accompanying the main (girl) character being cute, but Bungee did have an important role that affects the story... once. The Jade rabbit was fine, I don’t know the mythology around him so I can’t say much. Gobi I felt was a bit extra add, maybe either to contribute some bit of comedy or just as someone to have a pep talk with Fei Fei while Chin was still in the moon palace. Idk, he felt like being added as an extra. Nothing bad, but don’t know if movie would be all that different without him. Chang’e I found interesting (other than the Eurovision-like pop songs that I wasn’t a fan of). At first you’d expect her to be all nice and helpful, but she turned out to be self-absorbed and cold. I’m glad she didn’t stay that way and wasn’t an all out “bad person” (not exactly a villain/antagonist but still not one of the good guys), she was just someone who was hurting and that affected her and in turn affected the people around her.

There are some characters I found really unnecessary and despised and those were the three biker chickens that Fei Fei joined to find “the Gift”. They were obviously very much inspired from Angry Birds. I don’t know why they were included but that really took me out of the movie whenever they were on the screen. If they’d be changed into other characters/creatures I think that’d be fine I guess (or Fei Fei find other means to get to the crash site) but those bird bikers were just too much. Also it was very predictable that they’d stab her back (not literally) and take the Gift for themselves and just leave her there, I don’t know how Fei Fei, who is generally a smart girl, could be so foolish to not see that coming.

The other human characters back on Earth were just okay. The grandfather always talking about crabs gives me a chuckle. The other characters that I didn’t mention I guess I forgot.

Now for the story. It’s basically about grief and learn how to find peace in you and move on. That hit the vulnerable part of me because this relates to me on a personal level as this is still a current situation in real life. I have a very hard time to let go of things and move on. I just can’t. So this movie I kinda felt called out but also sad (I tried not to cry though because I was watching it with a friend so I’d feel silly to cry in front of her). I wouldn’t say this movie taught me how to move on because... I kinda know how to do it, somewhat? I just am not able to. There was a reference to The Big Darkness in the movie and I’ve been there. Sometimes I felt like just curling up in loneliness like Chang’e did in The Chamber of Exquisite Sadness. So I relate to Fei Fei and somewhat to Chang’e.

However, there’s one part in the movie that I really got confused about and felt... cheap. Unless I missed something, I find this particular scene of Fei Fei finding the true Gift inside a rice cake (the one the biker chickens stole was not the Gift) very deux ex machina. Like when we first saw the ricecake that was given by Mrs. Zhong, Fei Fei was angry and threw it in her drawer and said she never wanted Mrs. Zhong (in her life) and never wanted her mooncakes (she only wants her family’s/mother’s). If that’s the same mooncake that she out of nowehere decided to bring to her journey to the moon, then how come it had the missing piece that Chang’e wanted? Why was a piece of Jade baked inside it? If it was truly Mrs. Zhong’s mooncake that was brought up again in the movie, then why did Fei Fei decide to bring it with her if she hated it and Mrs. Zhong? I thought she’d let it rot inside the drawer. If it was her family’s mooncake I get that she’d bring it on the journey, but then again why was a piece of Jade inside it? Nowhere did I notice such reference before this point of the movie, so the plot twist felt out of nowhere. It’s not insulting in any way (Disney did it way worse in a particular movie) but it’s just confusing and felt cheap. If I did miss something and anyone could explain this to me then please enlighten me.

In overall, “Over the Moon” is a good movie and it did make me laugh and chuckle at some scenes, but that’s about it. Still I recommend it - maybe any of you reading this would appreciate it more than me despite its flaws that I listed. I’m gonna give it another chance and watch it a second time, just to try take in more of it and maybe change my mind about the songs (I won’t promise anything though). I’ll see when I get the time to do that.

[haslemere]

I’m so exited about this new Netflix show for Dan! What do you consider his essential movie, tv and audio roles to be?

The Essential Dan….eh? I love how he keeps dancing from genre to genre from traditional period dramas to quirky comedies, bad ass action, tortured horror, touching dramas, and now theatrically twisted singing contests… He can do it all. 

So 

The Seeker of Beauty: [The Line of Beauty 2006 mini-series.]

 I would suggest buying the DVD over this bad streaming lol. And read the Hollinghurst novel]

my sweet Nick and his love of perfection in all things (and I mean ALL things).. the perfect ogee curve, the perfect high, the perfect ass… er… you get my point.  I’ll protect Nick with my life… 

The Romantic Lead: [Downton Abbey 2010-12]

my heart, my soul, my body belongs to Matthew Crawley now and forever… 

and now for something completely different… 

The Maintainer :[High Maintenance: Rachel, Museebat 2014,2016]

Colin is a treasure finding his bliss in toking, cross dressing, and loving his family. You won’t understand Dan until you watch High Maintenance :)

The Bad Ass : [The Guest 2014]

essential in understanding the transformation of Dan from the laundry list of period drama actors to charismatic leading man… 

…and yes I went gif shallow :)

The Omega level mutant: [Legion 2016-2019]

Please watch Legion. It’s a twisted, fuck up of a TV show…yes it’s got flaws ::season 2::, it’s got perfection ::Season 1::, and it’s got Dan… delicately creating a portrait of a very troubled man with nuance and subtlety…even when David is at his worst (see below gif)… you still root for his redemption. Why? Because Dan’s playing David…that’s why. Thanks @legioned for gif)

The Voice of an Angel :[The Invisible Ones 2013]

Audio book perfection. His voices include a jaded private detective, an inquisitive and funny 14 year old boy, a troubled young woman, another woman, life weary with a wicked style sense, and an gruff quite sadistic old man… the book by Stef Penney is brilliantly written and is met by the perfect audio book narrator. Dan’s voice work is so extensive (including so many accents)… Fall of Giants by Ken Follett is where he does the Russian accent soon to be seen in Eurovision.

and lastly….The German speaking charmer: [Hilde 2009]

just because he can…he does. A film…in German.  I’ve always called this his Bond audition… suave, debonair, utter sex on a stick is Hilde… go watch and enjoy

er…that’s a good start  :)

thanks for the ask!