#kat is the protagonist of all time and they ALSO had TWO WHOLE SONGS FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS IN THE SOUNDTRACK!!

[somehowmags]

wow, i can’t believe that the ending credits of wendell and wild was just five minutes of henry selick soundly beating tim burton’s ass! what an innovative and bold directorial choice!

[dearingbooks]

The Difference one Woman can make.

Late Friday night in June, we had stopped for a burger on the way to the cinema, we used to do family movie nights at the cinema when a new film came out that the majority of us wanted to watch, this time I was the one who was reluctant to go, sadly we do this significantly less now.  So, stubborn 2015 me, rolling her eyes and dragging her feet up the cinema steps to find our seats to watch the new Jurassic World movie. Pathetic! I thought, why pay money to watch a movie about a dinosaur theme park! My parents had completely lost it! Huffing and puffing I took my seat on the aisle and sipped my blue raspberry slushie and looked up at the big screen. Ugh! I wanted it to be over, quickly. I sat down and shut my mouth, despite not wanting to watch it, I wasn’t going to spoil it for the others; but I didn’t get why they would want to watch it, I watched the trailer before going, was not impressed, it looked dumb!

However, as much as my pre-Jurassic self would not like, I found who I was during that movie, I discovered a whole new admiration for actors and movies. I found that I related to the main female protagonist, Claire Dearing. She did not need a man, or children, she was so focused on her career and let no one boss her around. She was top dog, and I completely fell for this fictional character. I evolved through that movie with her character, I felt content with being a strong female who put career over family. I wanted to embody this fictional woman; I wanted to be her.

On the journey home I typed ‘Claire Dearing actress’ into google and saw this stunning redhead- Bryce Dallas Howard. I immediately recognised her from movies I had watched prior, and I was completely astounded at her range of characters she can portray and portray them well. After scrolling through her Wiki page and reading news articles about her, I learned that she is the daughter of Ron Howard, one of my parents’ favourite people in film.

“Dad, that woman in the movie is Ron Howard's daughter”, I needed to inform my family that my now favourite woman in film is the daughter of my parents’ favourite people in film. My parents were shocked that I enjoyed the movie despite my loud vocalisation of not wanting to watch it.

Googling ‘Bryce Dallas Howard’ became my new after school routine, learning that she applied to acting school as Bryce Dallas to avoid people knowing she is the daughter of an already famous actor and director, and she had met her true love at nineteen and is still happily married to him. Yet what most stuck out to the self-conscious, body hating 2015 me, was that Bryce wasn’t a skinny twig of a woman that you see in most movies, she had classy curves and promoted body positivity despite some backlash the media gave her. I made a connection with this woman I had never met because I too received negative comments about my figure, yet Bryce took that on the shoulder and learned to love herself. I wanted to feel that self-love about myself that she acquired.

After watching Jurassic World, I explored many more fandoms, and from there I became obsessed with movie franchises and TV shows, actors and directors. I could not give you a full list of all of the fandoms I am in, there are too many to count, and they have all played a role in helping me evolve to who I am today. All because I latched onto one character from one movie I did not even want to watch, one film got me hooked on this life: it’s like a drug. I cannot stop. I also went back and forth with my hairstyle due to this woman; in the movie Bryce has a stunning ginger graduated bob with a fringe, however I never had the guts to go ginger until now; shame the hairdressers are all shut.

Now, almost six years later Bryce Dallas Howard has had great success in directing two episodes of The Mandalorian. Over the Christmas break I watched the show with my dad, sat on the sofa, fire lit, the chocolate Labrador curled up between us, peach vodka and diet lemonade in my hand, hot cup of tea in my dad’s. We binge watched both seasons in a week (it’s amazing) and he was shocked to see ‘Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard’ at the end of one, let alone two episodes. “Shit, she’s come far in the past few years” he said putting another episode on.

Bryce allowed me to find my best friend, Iz, through Instagram; Bryce has brought so many people together it is so surreal. And when I found out that Iz was going to Southampton University in 2019, a 20-minute drive from my house, I was finally able to meet her, because of one woman we both adore. I was friends with Iz for three years before I was able to meet her, I asked my school friend to come along with me so she could film the moment Iz, and I met! We got pancakes and watched the second Maleficent movie at the cinema, it was one of the best days of my life. I was so thankful that I met a truly hilarious and loving girl through this one actress! Because of Bryce Dallas Howard, I have made so many other friends from all over the globe as they too idolise Bryce and together we have created the ‘BDH online family’. A small group of us do regular zoom calls to catch up and chat about the recent photos and updates that Bryce has posted on Instagram, talk about Covid-19 and the types of restrictions and lockdown rules each of our countries has. During one of our calls, we had the craziest idea- Invite Bryce to one of our zoom calls. Bryce said yes! And after a few months of organisation, we had the date. The date was-

My.

Birthday.

The day came around and I was so nervous, it was 11pm exactly. The Wi-Fi had cut out fifteen minutes before the call. I was in tears. Mascara down my face, puffy eyes, I joined the call with a few minutes to spare before Bryce joined it. My mum hung around off camera for the first 5 minutes to double check the Wi-Fi was stable, luckily it stabilised. The other girls had never been so glad to see me, everyone was panicked for me; I could not miss it for the world (despite telling my parents, in floods of tears, that I cannot join and that it’s the end of that).

“Kat! You’re here!” “Happy birthday!” “Are you okay? The Wi-Fi sorted?”

They all chimed, happy to see my little face in the bottom right corner of their computer screens. Luckily Iz was there, otherwise it would have been extremely awkward with only one of us since we are known as a duo in the online family, we have to do everything together, we come in a pair and there can’t just be one of us.

“Shit girls, that was stressful”

I hadn’t realised I was holding my breath until I exhaled the large breath when my    Wi-Fi settled, and I was on the call, I fixed my makeup and was ready to meet Bryce.

The few minutes we had before Bryce joined were intense, two of the girls left to get a drink and we weren’t sure if they would be back in time, luckily they did return.

“No way!” One of them, Anna who was hosting the call, gasped “Bryce is in the waiting room!”

We all freak for no more than 10 seconds, we compose ourselves then our faces are reshuffled, and we see this stunning glowing face that we all admire smiling at us. Omg, it's her.

“Hi girls!”

I have never smiled for so long in my entire life, my cheeks hurt afterwards. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining at all, it just hurt as I thought I would only be smiling for half an hour, since that is how long we were told Bryce had. However, we were speaking to Bryce for nearly an hour and a half, she just kept talking and asked us questions! She was so lovely to talk to, so relaxed; it was if I was talking to a friend that I had known for years!

“Before we go I want to all sing Kat a happy birthday!”

My idol wanted to sing me a happy birthday! The other girls were really ecstatic for me, I still can’t believe to this day that The Bryce Dallas Howard wanted to sing to me!

It was both the best and the worst happy birthday song that has be sung to me. It was the best because, well my idol was singing to me! And proposed the singing! It was the worst in terms of the actual song as they were all out of sync and lagging, it was bloody hilarious!

At 10:27pm the next evening, watching a rerun of Game of Thrones on Sky, I got a notification ‘Brycedhoward just posted’, I clicked the notification then see our smiling faces on her page, she posted a screenshot of our call on her social media! The call was supposed to be a secret so other fans weren’t upset. There’s a few snotty comments on the post, but they’re just jealous and to be frank, I don’t care! My smiley face is on her page forever! All ten of us have printed the screenshot of Bryce’s post off and put it in a frame, one day all ten of us hope to congregate somewhere, most likely in America, and sign the backs of all of our photos. I’m still in utter awe and shock-  How many celebrities have you seen that would do a free zoom call with some fans? Not a lot, and that amount is even slimmer when they talk for an extra hour than scheduled. Bryce truly is one of a kind and the best idol anyone could ever hope to have.

Compared to a zoom call with Bryce herself, the few times she has liked my comments on her posts feel like nothing in comparison! I remember being so excited, running downstairs to my parents.

“Mum! Dad! Bryce liked my comment! She knows I exist!”

“Was it actually her? Remember when you got a Facebook request from Robert Downey Jr and it turned out it was a fake account?”

I rolled my eyes at her, it was Bryce, it was her verified account. The comment was a book recommendation I had for her, she posted on her hashtag BDHbookshelf and I thought I’d take a chance and comment a book recommendation I had for her, and the chance paid off.

I cannot wait to see what the future holds with Bryce, she has been such an inspiration to me for the past few years, and she promotes such wonderful causes and body positivity! I hope to one day meet her and thank her in person for changing my life for the better, and I think I’ve come up with the perfect opportunity to meet her- Iz and I have decided to travel up to London for the Jurassic World Dominion premiere in 2022 (if Covid lets us!), we’d get a hotel and actually meet Bryce in person, as well as meeting other members of the online family!

Words cannot fully contain the admiration that I possess for Bryce, her soul is utterly and truly exquisite, she has been such a visionary while I’ve been transitioning from a girl who had no idea who she was with no dreams or aspirations, to a woman who has now found so many new friends and now knows who she wants to be.  

[katara0524]

Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo

In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)

-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)

-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!

-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!

-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee

-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???

-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life

-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao

-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!

-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?

-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol

-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")

-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO

-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)

-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that

-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)

-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.

-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol

-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao

-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.

-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm

-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)

-I Love Him, Your Honor

-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it

-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)

-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)

-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)

-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ

-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO

-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)

-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)

-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-

-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)

-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)

-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you

-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj

-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy

-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)

-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO

-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)

-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it

-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible

-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.

-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that

-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily

-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:

-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd

If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!

[scorpio-karma]

I'm only on 2x16 😭😭😭 I thought I was farther. Why am I enduring this show why don't I quit while I'm ahead

So, the episode is off to a great start with the very tedious "is it Katherine or Elena?" scene that's taking more time than I felt like watching because by this point it's gotten old. I will note that Damon was better at spotting which was the real Katherine which while most would say is a point in Delena's favor, I think speaks more to the fact that Katherine fucks with Damon the most, and while he is really dumb a lot he is finally catching on and by the end of the episode he's definitely caught on.

With Elijah’s compulsion on Katherine being erased, this episode made me think about Stefan in season 8 and the whole compulsion erasing when they turned human and all of the discourse around it and a) it actually makes sense given that compulsion goes away when they die and the cure "kills" them for a bit before bringing them back, b) they should have done this with Katherine, it would have been epic, and c) I'm tired of this "Stefan is the only one to face consequences" mentality because unlike some characters (i.e Bonnie and Tyler) he's facing the consequences of HIS OWN ACTIONS. The issue isn't that Stefan should have the same consequences as Damon (i.e none), but rather Damon and everyone should have to face THEIR OWN CONSEQUENCES. This is what's always annoyed me about this fandom, Damon's free pass doesn't equate everyone's free pass, but rather Damon's free pass equates TAKING AWAY HIS FREE PASS along with everyone else's because there needs to be consequences to everyone's actions and they shouldn't be paid for by the POC's of the show.

It's only the first 2 minutes of the episode and I'm already so annoyed with everyone especially the world's most boring protagonist, Elena Gilbert. Yes sweetie, telling Katherine to leave worked the first time so it'll definitely work this *insert sarcasm*. God, she's a whiny bitch. Now I'm not really going to condemn her for wanting Katherine gone, if I were her I would want her gone too, what's pissing me off is the level of entitlement she has ordering Stefan or Damon to get rid of her and the whiny voice isn't helping.If you want her gone you should probably do more than whine about it. But of course she Elena, so what can she do about it other than whine which makes the “I can take care of myself” mentality she had this season all the more annoying because she can’t--she can do absolutely fuck all so where is this confidence coming from. I honestly thnk sometimes she suffers from delusions of grandeur. 

And another annoying thng this episode and now I’m at leats 7 minutes in. Katherine's around so we must get Bonnie's powers asap to stop Katherine, not because they're apart of her or her identity and she needs them for her 🙄. Although I was happy when she got her powers back, but didn't tell anyone. Why didn't it stay that way? She could have died 0 times had she done that, and I mean that because 2 episodes later is when she first dies for Elena.

Oh and then after that scene, secret Beremy, what a way to turn down the heat which wasn’t that high to begin with, but seriously, they have like no chemistry. And oh the cringe while Bonnie asks permission to date Jeremy. I sometimes think she hid it for so long because she felt the cringe from their relationship--giving herself an out. 

I feel so so bad for the Martin family that they're related to Greta, someone who not only left voluntarily but didn't even bat an eyelash when her whole family was killed. It's almost as bad as being related to Elena, at least Greta didn't fuck the guy who murdered her family. "You can trust us," the phrase that gets every outsider who helps them killed, brutally, and in the same episode. RIP Doctor and Luka Martin. Although I guess this episode is a bit of an exception since not trusting is what got them killed but that's equally as bad in TVD land because if you're against the MFG you obviously deserve to be killed, and Jeremy even states that in the episode.  "I know you feel bad but I don't," the main staple of The Vampire Diaries where killing someone has no meaning, and neither does their death, and if you care about their death you’re whiny and judgey (reference every phrase directed at Bonnie and even Tyler when someone gets killed because of them).

It was really weird when Elena was talking to Jenna about her relationship with Alaric. Why wasn't she more alarmed that her adult boyfriend was talking to her teenage niece about their relationship problems. No red flags there??? Not a one???

So, Kat has a career singing, and has never once sang on the show. Candice has brief period of time singing professionally, as backup, and has sang twice, two more than anyone on a teenage vampire show should have. Also added with the fact that it's always the cheesiest songs and her voice reminds me why she never made it that far past backup singer--this show amazes me with it’s logical leaps.

Finale note as I’m watching Elena’s last scene, Nina Dobrev isn't that great of an actress, the only difference in the way she plays Katherine opposed to Elena is the hair. Otherwise she saunters the same, speaks the same, does everything else the same which would mean something if Katherine was pretending to be Elena, but most of this episode she isn't. I also reminds me of season 5 when she was outraged that no one caught on to it not being Katherine. 1) Katherine has never had issue impersonating her believably, 2) Elena does a lot of the same shit Katherine does (especially that season) just under the guise of being the “nice” doppelganger so of course people let a lot of the shit she did while in her body slide--she was Elena after all, and 3) given how neglectful Elena had been since season 1 she wouldn’t have fared any better so I don’t understand that high horse she always be on--it ain’t cute.

Now off to 2x17 to figure out the logical leap from here to Bonnie sacrificing herself again for Elena after what happened with her Grams.  

[minimoll7]

Aaaayyyy so I found a post where someone shared their top 20 favorites and I decided I wanted to make my own to xD I made this template myself and I have a blank one (tho without text at all, I can input the “Top 20 Favorite Shows” if anyone wants me to). If you wanna do your own with my template, just shoot me an ask or PM!

Hit the read more if you really want to know my opinions on each. I suck at summarizing so it is a bit of a read, sorry about that heh

20) American Dragon: Jake Long - I thought this was the coolest show when I was a kid and I would always try to watch it whenever possible. Tho, while its not as cool now to me as it was back then, I still love this show and its characters

19) Milo Murphy’s Law - As soon as I saw the first ep, I just knew I was going to love this show. I’m a bit behind as of now but I cannot wait for new episodes! This show has a lot of charm and great characters, not to mention catchy songs!

18) Code Lyoko - I absolutely adored this show as a kid and it still holds up as a big fav now. The whole idea of going into a virtual world really fascinated me as a kid. I mean yeah sure Digimon had that to, but I was never really lucky in catching it on TV. Plus, the idea of the virtual world being animated in 3D while the real world was in 2D? Sign me up!

17) Xiaolin Showdown - Another show that I adored as kid and still do now. The characters and animations really made this show for me. I love how they all react with each other and some of the expressions it had to offer are top notch. And let me tell ya, this show has probably one of the funniest villains out there, Jack Spicer. He cracked me as a kid and no matter how times I rewatch the series, he still cracks me up

16) SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron - I never grew up with this show but I had just recently finished watching it for the first time. The animation for this show, especially at the time, feels amazing and it really does have this nice 90s feel to it. The show itself is really fun to watch and I am a suckers for cats and cool aircrafts. The SWAT Kats’s Turbokat is almost just as cool as an Arwing! I find the characters to be really likable and while I do question some of the designs for the female characters, I overall just really enjoyed them all

15) The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius - Jimmy himself was a huge part of my childhood and it still saddens me that his show doesn’t air on TV anymore. The characters are incredibly memorable to me, especially Sheen. The humor in this show never fails to get me to laugh and I always loved the interactions between a good chunk of the characters

14) Wander Over Yonder - I fell in love with this show after just watching a few episodes. The characters are well-written and the art is jaw-dropping, well, to me at least heh. The show itself is generally very sweet and the humor is great as well! I also adore the fact that Wander himself is always willing to help and its always kind to others. He’s a protagonist that we all need in our lives. Hopefully, we’ll get a season 3 someday

13) Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja - Love puns? Love action? Love ninjas? Well, this show is definitely for you (maybe). This show has a lot of cheesy jokes and puns, which is something I can appreciate. Puns are always an easy win for me haha The characters themselves to I find to be really likable, especially the main protagonists, Randy and Howard. The villains to are really entertaining as well. The animation for the show can be pretty awesome at times and its a shame that nobody talks about it

12) Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood) - Despite my distaste for blood and guts kind of violence, I couldn’t help myself from watching this anime. The story was amazing in every sense of the word. I’ve never watched anything before that has played with every single emotion I have (and I’m emotional to so that’s saying a lot I suppose haha). The characters and their development was well done as well. I highly recommend this show to anyone who hasn’t seen it (and can stomach the violence)

11) Avatar: The Last Airbender (and by extension, Legend of Korra) - I’m a complete sucker for elemental stuff, which is probably my favorite aspect of this show. Watching the characters fight each other with an element is pure entertainment for me. And speaking of entertainment, the humor. My goodness, this show wasn’t just action-packed, but also hilarious. The character development to is astounding and I’m sure we know just how well-written Zuko’s arc was (like damn son, it felt like a real experience almost). Another show I highly recommend to anyone, along with its sequel series

10) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - I remember just how shocked I was when I watched the first episode and found myself loving it. I was never expecting a girly show like this to be as good as it is (and don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a cartoon being girly, I just expected to be aimed for little little kids). I adore the animation, the characters, the story (when its present) and the lessons that each episode teaches. This show will never stop being entertaining to me, no matter what anyone else has to say

9) Animaniacs - I would’ve rated this show higher but I had to consider every segment the show has, not just personal favorites. Despite that, tho, I absolutely adore this cartoon. I didn’t grow up with it, but I first found it about 5 years ago and have loved it since then. While there are some segments that I strongly dislike, the ones I do love are completely worth it. Buttons & Mindy, Rita & Runt, Slappy Squirrel and the Warners made this show for me and I love them all (especially the brothers ha). The humor is some of the best I’ve seen in cartoons to

8) Over the Garden Wall - This miniseries captured my heart almost instantly. The animation, the story, the characters, I just can’t really hate anything from this show. I love how scary and unsettling the characters can be but yet there’s always a simple reason behind them (well, not always lol). And Greg, like come on, how can you hate this kid. True, he was annoying every now and then, but his innocence and his “words of wisdom” just makes him really likable, to me at least. I can rewatch this show over and over and I can never be tired of it

7) Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy - Whenever I think of cartoons, this one is usually the first to come to mind. This was one of my big favorites as a kid and its still one now. The humor in this show is great and its a gift whenever Ed speaks. And there’s just something special about how the entire show was animated and I can never truly put it into words on just how much I love it. Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy is just one of those where I can’t really explain why I enjoy it so much, but trust me, if you haven’t seen it, its well worth your time (and it also has a really catchy theme song)

6) Pokemon - And by Pokemon, I mean the entire series, not just a specific arc or two. Before I was even into the games or just the Pokemon themselves, I enjoyed watching the anime even as a little kid. The anime is really the only reason why I got into the games in the first place. I know the series can be repetitive, some arcs more than others, but I just can’t stay away. I love Ash, Brock, Misty, Dawn, Serena, Clement, Team Rocket and etc. The slapstick humor in the original season is probably the best of this show’s humor but as the years went on, the battles have become better and better and I just love that. I just love Pokemon and no matter what people say about the anime, I still enjoy it to this day!

5) Watership Down - I would have never imagined liking this show as much I do. I mean true, I’m a sucker for rabbits, but I wasn’t sure if this show was truly great or not, but hey its at number 5, its obviously great! Yeah, the animation and some of the voice acting is quite lacking and the design and voice change in season 3 was hard to adjust to, but the story and characters are well worth it. Its definitely one those gems that don’t get a lot of attention, I highly recommend this show!

4) Generator Rex - Similar to Watership Down, I went in not expecting to love it as much as I do now. I knew the show was going to be great, but boy do I love it or what. Like dudes, this show is incredibly underrated. The whole concept with the nanites and E.V.O.s are just insanely cool. It also had a crossover episode with Ben 10 which was an awesome episode to say the least (also Ben merged with Rex in his Upgrade form and it was freaking sick). Like seriously, if I were to try to explain why I love this show so much, we’d be here for a while. Just please, watch this show if it interests you

3) The Amazing World of Gumball - I fell in love with this show upon seeing the first episode and by that I mean I became obsessed. I love everything about this show. The characters, animation, humor, the references, designs, just everything! And seriously, if there’s any kind of animation I had favored the most from a cartoon, its this one. I adore this show so much and I literally cannot wait for the next episode. It sucks that more story related shows, like Steven Universe and Star vs the Forces of Evil (both of which are still great, don’t get me wrong), takes all the attention away from this one. Its sort of underrated in that sense but seriously trust me, everything about this show is completely worth it. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend this one

2) Teen Titans - Aaahh Teen Titans, was obsessed with it as a kid and I still am now (to bad its hard to find stuff to reblog bleh). This is just one of those shows were I can’t explain why I love it as much as I do. I mean, I know I’ve repeatedly said this (because I’m actually bad explaining why I like things and tend to reuse the same sentences over and over oops) but like, I simply adore the characters and the stories. While Starfire lacked some good character development, the rest of the characters really grows and it never gets boring watching their arcs over and over. Like, I don’t know why I can never bored of this show, but I can’t. I just love it to much (and it also has one of the best theme songs ever)

1) Fairly OddParents - No no no, not the newer seasons. The older seasons! This show was my jam back as a kid and surprise surprise, its still my jam now. Excluding shows meant for toddlers, this was the first cartoon I ever got into (probably, it could’ve been SpongeBob or Looney Tunes but I kind of doubt it). This show means more to me than I could ever say. This show sparked an interest for animation and helped really get me into drawing. I was always interesting in drawing, but this show was what pushed me to keep going. It was also the first show I ever drew fan art for. I remember drawing Timmy and Cosmo almost nonstop for a year there, back when I was 2nd grade and finally taught myself how to draw them. I remember making comics with these characters, sharing and reenacting jokes with friends, never shutting up about it aahhh and come on, well all remember the Jimmy Timmy Power Hours, that crossover was legit the coolest one for me. This show is incredibly important to me and despite the direction the show has gone now, it’ll forever remain as my favorite show <3

[zerohourseraphim]

7 Platformer, Light Puzzle Solver $10(15), PC, PlayStation (3 and 4), Xbox (360 and One)

          Contrast was a title that came across somewhat randomly on Steam. It shared a few earmarks with other games I had invested time in. So I checked the page out and thought it was interesting enough to put on my wish list. I recently grabbed it, and finished it before I realized it.

Story

          Didi is a young girl being raised solely by her mother, Kat. A powerhouse of a singer, she performs at a cabaret club known as Ghost Note. Making money means being out all night, and Didi often follows her mother to her exasperation and to the chagrin of child services. As Kat heads off to perform once more she draws a promise from Didi for the young girl to remain at home. However, as soon as Kat is gone, Didi turns to Dawn to get out and explore the city.

Didi and Dawn

Theming

Acrobatic Alacrity

          While Didi is the focus of the story, we the players take control of Dawn. Didi is the only person who can perceive Dawn. The enigmatic woman is lauded as an acrobat. She also has the unique ability to navigate the world via shadows. This reinforces the story as much of it is from Didi’s perspective. Can you remember living at home with your parents and overhearing a conversation that wasn’t meant for you? As Didi, and Dawn by extension, are sneaking around and eavesdropping truth comes from the shadows. Aside from the Protagonist Pair, all other people in the world are seen as illuminated shadows or figures in portraits.

As Didi Sees

          Personally, I found the game to be lovingly made. The world is rife with rich detail. You could likely clear the whole game in two hours, achievements and all. For this, each chapter feels hand made. Didi’s room is seen twice in the game. Some exteriors are accessible outside their respective chapters. But otherwise, all the settings and set pieces are unique. Those that indulge in a look will see a somewhat shattered world. I feel it is, like much of the game, a deliberate choice. Is it the disjointed viewpoint of a child’s imagination? Is the nature of reality being debated betwixt the light and shadows? Is just just more clever than having invisible walls?

          Contrast evokes the feel of the Roaring 20s. Every element builds up the setting. The overall noir feel is reinforced by the characters, how they speak, and the power of their silohettes. The music has all the right flares. I can imagine hearing it through a gramophone, vinyl scratches and all. The building designs have the feel of being built to last. Even the sepia tones of the shadow platforming reflects film quality of the time. A lot of subtle cues overlap to immerse the players into the world.

Music

          The music in each of the puzzle segments is spot on and serves reinforce the set pieces. Listening to it on its own via the soundtrack can be repetitive, but such is the way of game music.

Kat sets the House On Fire

          Counter to repetitiveness, I was introduced to Laura Ellis thanks to this game. Ellis’ vocals gave Kat her punch as a performer. Kat’s Song, heard on the intro menu, and House on Fire, which played during Kat’s performance at Ghost Note, are memorable in their own rights. Laura Ellis’ singing ties together an era of cabarets, gangsters, and shady back room deals.

Mechanics

          The puzzles in the game will have Dawn jumping in and out of shadows. In some cases, arranging how light is cast to manipulate the length, shape, and movements of the shadows. If you ever played some key titles in The Legacy of Kain game series, Defiance and the Soul Reaver games to be precise, recall Raziel’s manipulation of the Physical Realm to effect the Spectral Realm.

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          While very short, everything is put together well. The game never lagged and was a smooth experience all the way through. Checkpoints are plentiful enough that a fall won’t set you back too far. New mechanics are explained as they are acquired. Once you are into the game, it is a brain teasing jaunt to the end.

Replay Value

          This is the one area where the game could be said to be lacking. I dithered around and tinkered with different parts of the game knowing that I was going to write a review. I finished the game at around two hours. I got to around three hours achievement hunting. I jumped back in to take some screenshots. I am just at four hours of game play. And unless I feel the need for more screenshots that’s where I’ll stay. Outside of a platforming segment I hopped, skipped, and jumped around most of the solutions are fairly straightforward. I may revisit the tale in the far future when I do not remember it so clearly. While short, Contrast will stick with you. This is both good and bad in terms of replaying.

Saving Options

          The game only allows for a single play of the game at a time. However, collectibles seem to be saved independently so once found they are permanent. Also, you can choose to return to any chapter once completed. As the game is so short you don’t need multiple save files.

Closing

          Contrast has everything I love in a game. It is an original intellectual property, a clean cut story, consistent and tangible setting, wonderful music, with intuitive and responsive game controls. I like games like this, especially from lesser known companies. It shows they can deliver a finished product and, if given the materials, what they would do on a grander scale.

          Already Compulsion Games is presently developing We Happy Few with Early Access now. I’ve seen many streamers and YouTube personalities cover this game. Compulsion Games have proven they’ve got what it takes, and it is being recognized by this larger project.

          Contrast is, as near as I can tell, Compulsion Games’ first showing. They did a wonderful job and I am happy to have spent a scant few hours with this game, and I look forward to more work from this group.

Dawn and Moon View the city

Credits

Slideshow images taken from within game by author Other images from Compulsion Games, Contrast website, and related press kit

Contrast 7 Platformer, Light Puzzle Solver $10(15), PC, PlayStation (3 and 4), Xbox (360 and One) Contrast was a title that came across somewhat randomly on Steam.

[vanna-ch]

FILMLANG, Finals.

Clarianne B. Cruz

Reynalyn M. Magallanes

FILMLANG MM23

Introduction about PPP

Definition

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) is a film festival in the Philippines in celebration of the Buwan ng Wika. It is organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. The shortlisted films are shown in cinemas all around the country. For this year’s PPP, ten films were featured, which are the following: Cuddle Weather, G!, I’m Ellenya L., LSS: Last Song Syndrome, Open, The Panti Sisters, and Watch me Kill for the main entries, and Circa, Lola Igna, and Pagbalik for the showcase films. It also featured Verdict, a feature film not competing for any accolades for the festival. Aside from these full-length films, there were Sine Kabataan Shorts that were created by aspiring filmmakers.

When did it happen

This year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino kicked off last September 13, 2019, which also celebrates the centennial year of the Philippine Cinema. Hence, these films were distributed in all cinemas nationwide until September 19, 2019. However, due to popular demand of some films, many have extended their release in commercial and independent cinemas.

Purpose of PPP

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino aims to promote Filipino artistry in films and to promote the country and its talents in the global scale. It also aims to protect our film cultural heritage and to empower every Filipino through film development and education. The Film Development Council of the Philippines envisions reaching to every Filipino in creating a thriving and self-sustaining film industry that contributes to the cultural and economic development of the country.

Film 1 – LSS: Last Song Syndrome

From the creators of First Day High, My Amnesia Girl directed by Jade Castro presents a runner up film from the PPP or Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2019 celebrating the 100th cinema viewing in our country presents LSS or Last Song Syndrome, starring Gabbi Garcia as Sarah and Khalil Ramos as Zak, a film that heartbreaks and hardships intertwine that gives inspiration, chase-your-dream-teen, romance, family lesson, and the important theme of this theme revolves around music. Music that creates or gives connection to everyone you meet throughout your entire life. Music that sends you to a different dimension changing your entire being into another you. Music that affects your spirit lifting you to a higher ground relating to what you feel towards your unending journey to an unknown place.

The morning starts with Zak going to commute on his way to visit his crush while holding the precious gifts that he will deliver for her to admire and to try understanding Zak’s feeling towards her best friend. To which he tries his best to court her but ends up failing otherwise because of her having sudden surprise relationships that he was not able to relay her emotions towards her and can’t find any will to confess.

As they both end up in the same place of transportation area, Sarah was able to spot Zak unknowingly because they both ended up singing the tune played in the film. After awhile of finding seats among the crowded people, Sarah and Zak was able to sit together during the trip. They both introduced that they like the same band and idolises Ben & Ben then after, they both told each other their dreams and goals in life wherein Sarah wanted to be a composer of music and that she also joined the music camp back then but wasn’t chosen and thus decided to try harder for them to notice her and then saving their family of hardships and to finally attain her goal in life. While Zac introduced Ben & Ben too, saying his dream to become a producer and saying that his away from his father, living with his mother when he was young.

After all those confrontations and chat they heavily went onto a deep conversation wherein Zak decided to give his empty disk then after wrote Sarah’s first lyric onto the disk with a permanent marker making her more inspired and to not give up on her dreams and goals in life. While for Zak, after all those confrontations and confidence he decided to put up all of his courage and would confess to her best friend so that she’ll finally understand his feelings for her. The two promised to meet each other again at the latter date gig of Ben & Ben. With the trip ending, their conversations were like a glimpse of what it would feel like for their dreams to be achieved and prosper together with their loved ones. But taking a look on their backs as they go in their separate ways apart from the bus that they’ve enjoyed their moments felt that they were destined and was fated to meet to change their entire aspect of life and that they would go higher to achieve their goals and never stop believing into something they can do.

For Sarah’s side of the story further in the film at one point Sarah ended up fired for all the hard work she’s putting up for to let her brother to graduate already but has no choice but to find another job and since her dream is to become a composer but for now toss all dreams aside for the ones you love to support them until they are able to walk on their on steps. But along the way, when the moment that all earned cash for Sarah’s brothers graduation gift was used to buy an expensive branded shoes Sarah’s brother confessed that all of the earned money that Sarah gives to him to be used for the tuition fees as well as the miscellaneous expenses that the school gives but all went to fund his band studio and said that he stopped coming to school ever since and that made Sarah literally broke down and tried to quell her anger upon her younger brother because she knew that as someone as herself achieves to reach and feel her dreams but has to sacrifice, she understood that if it is for her brother’s goal so be it, so she finds another place to work.

Along the way of the two protagonists, Sarah and Zak had gone into a breaking moment that they were both fated to meet at a bar where Ben & Ben will have their gig, there along the crowds full of surprises and endless stream of mixed emotions Sarah and Zak met in the middle of the fans while tearing and crying, looking at each other pretending to not notice the whole crowd going wild for cheering not realizing that Sarah and Zac is behind them going closer to each other wanting to hold each other trying to understand each other’s pain and suffering, until the two Sarah and Zac could reach each other like a dream of wanting to see and know how they ended up going at the same venue, getting closer to each other together with time slowing down as if fate led them together as both of them went nearer giving them their very special moment until they had their first kiss, giving a sign of their affection to each other that the perfect moment was now.

Film 2 – The Panti Sisters

The Panti Sisters is a Filipino comedy film directed by Jun Lana, starring Paolo Ballesteros as Gabriel, Martin del Rosario as Daniel, and Christian Bables as Samuel. It premiered during the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2019, and has won several awards, thus extending its release in local cinemas. Aside from the Audience Choice Award, the picture won Best Production Design Award and del Rosario won as Best Actor.

The Panti Sisters consist of Gabriel, Daniel, and Samuel who have discovered their homosexuality at their young ages, but were not supported by their controlling father, Don Emilio y Panti (starring John Arcilla). At the start of the film, Gabriel hops off a jeepney, returning to their patriarchal house after years of being in exile. Reuniting with her parents and her sister Daniel, Gabriel asks their father what is the reason that they were both summoned. Their stepsister Samuel and her mother Vilma Panti were also in attendance, much to Nora Panti’s dismay over seeing her husband’s mistress.

It was then revealed through numerous flashbacks that all of them have received cold treatment from their father that they have never considered returning to their home. Samuel had longed to meet her father, as she never grew up close to him. For a comedic film, their journey as homosexuals were at best, sad and very timely to the Philippine society’s acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. Don Emilio then revealed that he was about to die from cancer, and he is willing to give his 300-million-peso inheritance to his children fairly, but under one condition.

With Don Emilio disagreeing with the sisters’ gender identity, he challenged them that the only way they could get their share of 100 million pesos each is to give him a grandchild before he dies. Much to the sister’s surprise, they jumped to the deal, with Vilma being completely supportive of Samuel impregnating Chiqui, a childhood friend, for the sake of getting monetary benefits from Don Emilio. Gabriel, at first, hesitated, but when her friend Kat decided to help him out, he gave in to the deal. Daniel wasn’t about to jump to the challenge, but after rescuing a pregnant neighbor named Joy from her abusive boyfriend, they made a deal to claim that Joy’s child was Daniel’s instead.

When Chiqui, Kat, and Joy all presented to Don Emilio as pregnant with his grandchild, he still doubted the authenticity of it, so he ran DNA tests to them in order to ensure the kids have Panti genes in them. Kat was indeed pregnant, but she wasn’t sure if his ex-boyfriend or Gabriel was the father. Chiqui was pregnant too, but she agreed to do it with Samuel with believing Samuel loves her the way she loves Samuel. After reuniting with some old family and friends and a friendly volleyball match, in which the sisters’ cousins mock their sexuality, Chiqui found out that Samuel’s main reason for conceiving a child with her was out of dire need for financial gain.

This resulted in a spat between the two, but Chiqui had a miscarriage, in which the sisters felt the true weight of this challenge. Samuel came to her senses about this, and amid his mother’s insistence, he backed out of the deal, especially when Don Emilio didn’t even visit the hospital to mourn for his lost grandson. Don Emilio also found out that Joy’s child wasn’t Daniel’s, also Kat’s child. Both disheartened at their father’s demands, they ran away along with their mother Nora.

After fixing up bad blood with one another, Daniel and Gabriel decided to patch up things together with their stepsister Samuel. One night after bonding together as three sisters, they were faced with trouble. Several men attacked them in the parking area, but they didn’t win over the sisters’ innate martial arts skills. Leaving Daniel alone, she was faced with another group of men, seeking revenge over their defeat. This time, however, they brought a gun with them, and shot Daniel without any hesitation. It was too late when the sisters found her; she was already dead from a bullet through her chest.

On Daniel’s funeral, which was all pink instead of the traditional neutral color scheme, Don Emilio was still hesitant to show his love to his children, in which both Samuel and Gabriel have accepted. However, days after burying Daniel’s body, Don Emilio visited her grave, much to the surprise of the sisters. He then confessed that he had been too hard on them, that the reason for his rough upbringing is that he loves his children so much, and now he is ready to accept his surviving children with all his heart. The tearful family hugged each other, signifying their reunion as one family, and Don Emilio now allows his daughters to call him “Papa”.

The film ends in Kat’s and Gabriel’s wedding, that, despite Gabriel’s gender identity, she chose to be a “second fabulous mom” to Kat’s unborn child and that they will raise the kid together. The cast takes some photos, with Gabriel and Samuel of course, stealing the spotlight one last time.

The Panti Sisters is a refreshing take on typical Filipino films that has homosexual, flamboyant characters, in which Vice Ganda (Jose Viceral) often takes the centerstage. Sure, the color schemes are often bright, vibrant, even trippy at times, but it masks the darkness that the conflicts and the issues of the film. The comedic relief makes it easier to tackle the serious issues, yet The Panti Sisters had scenes wherein the message was delivered in an obvious manner. Jun Lana could’ve done this intentionally to avoid confusion among its target audience, the masses.

The film tackled on a lot of issues that it failed to give proper nods and spotlights to some of the scenes, and without the makeup and the slapstick comedy, Gabriel, Daniel, and Samuel would stay as one-sided characters with stereotypical personalities. Putting it aside however, the film featured wonderful production designs that catches the attention of its viewers. The Panti Sisters also highlights empowerment of people from the LGBT community, breaking away from the barriers that homosexuals are physically and mentally weak. It also shows women empowerment and the effects of toxic patriarchal culture and sexism of the Philippines.

The Panti Sisters is a representation of what the LGBT community wants the rest of the Filipinos to see, not just for the sake of comedy and their entertainment. Through this film, Filipino traits were highlighted both in a good and bad way, which is a wakeup call for all of the masses. Lana emphasizes the negative effects of having an overly-dominant figure in the household, as it stunts the emotional growth of young children. It resulted in an emotionally-constipated family that they only came around when they’re missing one Panti. Hence, albeit being a homosexual-themed film, The Panti Sisters gives emphasis on the importance of acceptance and and love from the family first.

Film 3 – Lola Igna

Lola Igna is a 2019 Philippine film directed and written by Eduardo Roy, Jr., and was one of the entries for Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2019. It stars Angie Ferro as the titular character and Yves Flores as his great-great-grandson. It was released last September 12, 2019, which is close to the celebration of Grandparents Day. The film was a great success as it received generally positive reviews from critics, even snagging Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Musical Score, and Best Actress for Ferro. Due to high demand from the public, it extended its release in commercial and independent cinemas across the country until October 3rd, 2019 in UP Film Institute and Cinema ‘76.

Lola Igna follows the story of Igna, a 118-year-old woman who is leading a simple life by herself in the rice fields. The film starts with a shot of her waking up, peeing on a pot, scaring away the birds from her farm using stringed tin cans, and cooking adobong kangkong for breakfast with a mug of tuba (coconut wine), in which she takes time to talk to a framed photo of her husband, Carias. Igna already shows signs of longingness to die the moment she buried a dead bird she found in her farm; even congratulating the bird that it had died, and wished its luck as the bird travels in the other life. Albeit a sweet, sentimental scene that recurs in multiple parts of the film, it is obvious that the flying birds are computer-generated. For the untrained eye, it retains its sentimental message, yet if you spot the artificial birds flying around while the cans clang against each other, it showed some form of comedic relief.

Unlike other Filipino films that “glorifies” poverty so much, Roy has found the perfect balance of portraying poverty in a way it does not fetishize the idea of being poor in the Philippines. Instead of focusing on the economic status of the main characters, through its camera angles and mostly-silent scenes, Roy showed the audience how Igna is content in such a solitude as she waits (rather impatiently) for her death to arrive. Her relatives then arrive in her humble hut, telling her to get ready to meet the mayor. Igna was hesitant, amid Nida’s coaxing, and she refuses to wear the dress that her great-granddaughter, Ana, left inside her cabinet. The red dress, according to Igna, is the one she wants to wear for her funeral.

After dressing up in a simple white ensemble, Igna jokingly tells Nida that her makeup’s fitting for her funeral, which Nida frowned upon. After all, Igna is one of the candidates for the longest-living grandmother not only in the Philippines, but the whole world by an organization named Amazing People of the World. Upon meeting the mayor, it was made clear that when Igna gets the title, she will be awarded $50,000 for every living year she already passed, giving a total of $5.9M. Obviously, the mayor and Nida are both invested in keeping Igna alive, even if the mayor explicitly says that they are not doing this “for the money”. A press conference then follows, with Igna sharing her secret to her long life is to eat fresh vegetables, breathe fresh air, and drink coconut wine from time to time. One press asked Igna if there is anything she’s waiting to happen, given her long time alive, and Igna, with all confidence, she answered that she wants to die. Of course, everyone was in shock at the stark difference of Igna’s wishes to what everyone else wants her to achieve. The mayor dismisses it as part of Igna’s sense of humor, yet it showed some distress on his part, also with Nida’s.

Yet, it is obvious that Igna is pressured by the community with “tourist” activities and stuff, such as taking photos with them, letting people in her home, and Nida exclusively selling shirts, mugs, pins, and magnets with Igna’s face in it. These merchandise, although shows capitalism at one side, gives a connection between the poverty of the town and their desire to improve their resources with Lola Igna’s winning as the oldest living grandmother.

It comes to the point that Igna is already too furious with noisy tourists waiting for her to look out of the window and take photos with her. She takes her urine-filled pot, and pours it to the annoying tourists, with a young man named Tim (Yves Flores) taking most of the hit as he is in front. After driving the tourists away, Tim stays, introducing himself as the son of Lola Igna’s missing great-granddaughter, Ana (played by Merryl Soriano). Igna is overjoyed that she quickly hugs Tim even if he’s still soaking in her own piss. Afterwards, Tim shows his intent to make a vlog about his grandma as one of the oldest living in the world, much to Igna’s confusion (even calling “vlog” as “bla”).

Igna shows Tim a special place in her house, with photographs of her relatives who have passed away. Tim sees the photo of his mother Ana, and it made Igna relieved that after all this time, her missing great-granddaughter is still alive and doing well. Tim stays in for the night, only to be in shock seeing his own great-great-grandma peeing on the pot in front of him. She then starts to open up about her previous job as a midwife after a couple requested to birth their child (in which Igna refused as she’s too old and weak to deliver a baby).

When evening comes and Tim is fast asleep, Igna is left in the dining area drinking her coconut wine. However, she notices someone outside her hut, so she shouts at the figure, but the person doesn’t answer. With slow movements and the suspense coming the background music, Igna goes outside to face the unknown figure, only to find out that it is her husband, Carias. In Filipino superstition, “seeing” your dead loved one, or pagsundo, means that your death is nearing, which makes Igna hopeful that she will be reunited with her husband real soon. The next morning, she goes to Gusting, her gay friend who is also the first child she helped to deliver to the world, and asks if she can borrow her axe and hammer. She also shares to Gusting that Carias was already “fetching” her and she would make her own coffin. Gusting then wonders who would be there to fetch him when he dies as he never got the chance to marry and have children. She and Tim then goes to a lumberjack, asking for some scrap wood, in which Tim carries back to their hut without knowing the reason for it

Igna, overjoyed, then tells Tim her secret about meeting Carias and then requests Tim to make her coffin for her. Tim, obviously confused and hurt with his great-great-grandmother’s request, quickly refuses to do it, saying that they’ve only met for a short time and he wants to spend more time knowing his grandmother. He shares about his struggles back home, where Ana has met another guy and they’re expecting a child real soon. Tim confesses that he feels out of place at home because he doesn’t feel loved, so one of the reasons he went to Igna’s place is that his mother won’t step foot on that place. Igna contemplates on this, and when morning arrives, they learn that Gusting never woke up from his sleep.

Being the first baby that she delivered, Igna shares her grief over Gusting dying ahead of her. Igna shares that she has assisted in the delivery of all the citizens of the town. She then jokingly says that her long life could be credited to her selfishness in being a midwife; that with every child she delivers, it adds more years to her life. However, it doesn’t make her happy anymore because of the long years of her life, she’s the one who always being left behind grieving when someone passes away. Igna also says that she doesn’t know the people from the town anymore, and she’s already tired of living. Tim listens to all of this and after sharing tuba together, he starts building his great-great-grandmother’s coffin.

Over the next few days, Igna has grown kinder to the tourists since her sole wish of having her coffin built is now materializing. She offers to take photos with them, but due to exhaustion, she fainted, and eventually as the story progresses, the doctor explains that Igna had hit her head as she fainted, leading to stroke and comatose. This scene, albeit emotional and filled with suspense, felt rushed and disjointed to the whole film since it wasn’t clearly shown how Igna actually passed out. The transition left viewers wondering how would Igna have hit her head when the tourists near her were quick on their feet to catch her from falling.

Moving on, with Igna unconscious, Nida and Rene finds out that Tim is supporting Igna’s wish of building a coffin, and, thinking it is the source of the evil surrounding Igna (according to a faith healer), Rene destroys it without hesitation. Tim pleaded not to do so since Igna has been telling him over and over again that she wants to die soon, and Nida’s selfishness showed up; she told Tim that if Igna dies, her business and merchandise will suffer a lot. The mayor also forces the family to keep Igna alive, as the results of the award will be announced really soon. Tim finally calls Ana to visit Igna as soon as possible, and he wishes to bond longer with his great-great-grandmother.

Ana, few days into giving birth yet her face filled with beating scars, arrives to the town, in which made Nida angry and resentful over her sister finally returning after many years of abandoning them. Ana tries to wake Igna up over tearful eyes, and in a cliche “finger-jerking” moment, Igna wakes up, wanting to pee. She rips the IV off her wrist, and hugs Ana right away. Tim runs to the town, sharing everyone the good news that Igna is now awake and doing fine. It leads to Nida and Ana reconciling in front of Igna, and it makes her feel happy and grateful to have witnessed it.

Igna opens the windows again to more tourists and fans, even asking who wants to take a selfie with her. After a long day, everyone gathers for dinner and with the mood being set that Igna is satisfied with her simple life as it is, especially with her great-granddaughters reuniting and her family being complete, she shares that death should not be a thing to be afraid of. It obviously set some of her relatives back, especially Tim, but they accept what Igna wishes and now they support her in any way she wants. After dinner, with everyone asleep, Igna sees Carias again, this time, Igna is sure that her time is finally up.

Ana and Tim walk around the farm when morning arrives, confessing to Tim that she already left her boyfriend. Tim’s face lightens up when he finds out that no matter what happens, Ana still loves him as her son. However, she then cries out in pain; she’s about to give birth. With no one with them, Tim calls Igna, pleading her to help Ana to give birth. She carefully delivers the child in the middle of the farm, and from the distance, Carias appears again, but instead of Igna seeing him, it was Ana who sees her great-great-grandfather, and immediately dies after giving birth to a daughter (who remained unnamed until the end of the film). The red dress, that Igna wants to wear for her own funeral, is worn by Ana instead.

In the end, Igna did not get the title as she is being outlived by another woman in Geogria. Merchandise stop selling, and things are slowly becoming more peaceful and quiet around Igna’s small hut, now housing the newborn baby and Tim. One night before going to sleep, Tim records Igna singing a lullaby to the baby, until Igna notices that Tim has been recording her all this time.

For the final scene in the movie, it comes full circle with the first scene where Igna is sleeping by herself; this time, the baby is right next to her, sleeping as well. It isn’t specified how long it had been since the baby looked significantly older. The scene then cuts to Tim’s final vlog, which shows Igna from his point of view, and uploads it to YouTube. Igna carries the baby outside, looking at the fields with his face showing various emotions. At one side, it looks like she found a new meaning to live now that she has to take care of her great-great-great-granddaughter. At another side, however, she looks frustrated as she had helped deliver another human being, which means her years on earth is still far from over.

Lola Igna shows a kind of existential crisis that is not often told and shown to the audience. Usually, this type of crisis is often seen in coming-of-age films marketed to the youth, however, this is the same crisis, but in a different perspective. When we think of “existential crisis”, the common conception that the crisis only affects those who are still not sure of what to do with their life and what’s the point of being alive. Lola Igna, on the other hand, have been living for so long she has lost the will and purpose of staying alive.

Through this film, although marketed as a “comedy” film, has tugged our heartstrings with every life (and death) moment that Igna faces. It is a drama lightened up with Igna’s quick humorous comments and simply our appreciation with the wisdom of the elderly. Lola Igna is a recommended movie for Filipino families who want a feel-good film that’s still etched with various emotions that will make you laugh, cry, and contemplate the value of life that we have.

How do these films represent Filipino Cinema the way they want to?

These three films represent Filipino Cinema in at least three different perspectives. LSS: Last Song Syndrome represents Filipino’s love for music and pursuing their passion, but is often frowned upon if thought of as a source of income or a career choice. It also represents the youth’s longing for love — be it from someone we like or a parent we haven’t seen yet. The Panti Sisters represents both the good and the bad aspects of how Filipinos treat and regard the LGBT community, especially in the familial structure. Lola Igna represents how Filipinos can literally “idolize” anyone that trends on social media that we often become victims of capitalism and consumerism. It also shows Filipinos’ connection with their loved ones even if they’re far away from us. The stories — both main and side stories — show a slice of the Filipino life that, albeit being formalist in nature, builds a connection between the film and the viewers.

LSS: Last Song Syndrome has a coming-of-age feel, with the addition of Ben&Ben songs to add and emphasize certain parts of the film and to give more context to the audience what the film is all about. It is a musical in essence, but unlike most musical films with original songs written for them, Ben&Ben, being one of the executive producers of LSS, made sure that their existing songs and the plot of the film are connected with one another. Aside from the music, colors of the scenes provide the emotions intended. The Panti Sisters has an extravagantly colorful and vibrant color scheme, with filming techniques similar to the typical Filipino slapstick comedy films that the masses are used to. It could be done intentionally since the film targets this part of the audience; the message they want to send is on a serious, even darker, note that if such was delivered in a dramatic, realistic manner, it will not fulfill its purpose. Lola Igna has a lot of still, silent sequences with Igna going about with her life alongside loud, dynamic sequences with Igna being distressed in front of many people shows. The closeup shots are often used with the main character since her emotions are a vital part of the film. Using wide shots to show Igna’s home, especially with Tim alongside her, is a representation of their bonding as grandma and great-great-grandson.

Each film depicts a story in the life of an ordinary Filipino. They can be viewed as a chapter in what the Filipino society was like that can be looked back on by future generations. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of Filipino cinema, LSS: Last Song Syndrome, The Panti Sisters, and Lola Igna are prime faces of how the industry has evolved over the past 100 years. Yet, with all the innovation in filming techniques and change in socio-political and economic structure of our society, there are still traces of the traditional Filipino cinema that survived through time. They still possess a strong Filipino identity, aside from the language, but the cultures they portray in the film. Such cultures include, but not limited to: patriarchy, tolerance (but not acceptance) of the members of the LGBT community, indifference of elders over the creative/music industry, consumerism, and strong family ties.

Resolution

The future of Philippine cinema

Like all countries improving and flourishing with their way of living and how technological advancement will eventually come to appear and support the establishment like our country, the Philippines slowly changing from old its system to the new progress of the government and nation. The Philippine cinema from its old times improved beautifully from the computer-generated imagery or CGI to the plots of the story lots of variants for different improvements up to now. Actually some of the screened films from our country get to international cinemas and some even get achievements that is how amazing our film directors have improved all these years.

Inspiration for future filmmakers

For the future filmmakers, there are plenty of inspirations and motivations that enables then to get references as idea for their desired film, like drawing you have an artist to follow to be inspired more like that idea for movie making for the upcoming directors that will soon reach the top and change the people that will watch. Films can be easily accessed and made nowadays as well with the boom of the Internet and social media. You can now make a short film with your phone, and watch them with the same platform. With its accessibility to aspiring filmmakers, it can be used to explore and generate new techniques and new perspectives for audiences to watch in the films of the future.

[asundizzay]

DRAFT BOX: FOTO FAIL FRIDAY: FROMANCE.

I wanted to take the non-traditional route in approaching this belated Valentine’s Day post by ignoring the standard conglomeration of hearts & love, and photographing nouns that relate to some of my favorite rom-coms/rom-drams/rom-com-drams, because i’m a low-key sucker for sappy things (cheesy). I was out all day hoping to photo some movie thangs and nerds fighting the storm with their umbrellas, but nope, just got wind-slapped all around (stray branches included )–the rain didn’t start pouring until I got home because of course. 

* UPDATE (02/21): THIS IS NOW  A TBT OF A FOTOFAIL OF A COMMERCIAL HOLIDAY THAT HAPPENED ONE WEEK AGO LOL HOW. *

**UPDATE (02/22): LOL it’s Wednesday. But this is finally complete. #WhyNotWednesday **

500 Days of Summer ( 2009 )

Rachel Hansen: Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soul mate.

Tom and Summer were two separately flawed characters whose bittersweet union was doomed from the start. For the longest time, I saw Summer as the b-word who carelessly wrecked Tom’s heart, when in reality, Tom’s insufferable sense of entitlement and manipulative nice guy complex subtly revealed that he’s actually kind of a jerk. Except for that whole dance number to Hall & Oates You Make My Dreams and showing Summer his favorite spot and drawing painstakingly detailed buildings on her arm. That was cute. Another thing that saved this film for me was presenting the nonlinear “boy meets girl” narrative in the dude’s perspective, forewarning the audience that this is not a love story, and allowing these two imperfect humans to individually see a happy ending: Summer marries someone she truly wants, with whom she shares a genuine connection,  and Tom is refreshingly presented another “season” to start anew, with someone potentially better suited for him. Additionally, a mind-blowing color theory visually demonstrates how these two were simply not made for each other, which can be found here.

cute score: 6 ( eh cute, JGL A 10 tho )

photo: Water Court at California Plaza on the upper level of  Tom’s favorite spot in Angels Knoll, Los Angeles, 2009. 

13 Going On 30 ( 2004 )

Matt: You can’t just turn back time.

Jenna: Why not?

In this essentially female version of Big, Jenna Rink’s 13 year-old self wishes to be thirty, flirty and thriving after some dudes and mean girls (which premiered the same year!) ruined her birthday party. On cue, magic dust spins her into an It’s A Wonderful Life-type alternate reality where she is living the dream as a rich, successful editor for her favorite fashion magazine. She reconnects with her childhood BFF, Matt, and they ultimately catch feelings faster than a winter cold. But aw dip, chocolate chip, Matt is hella engaged and about to be married, and now conflicted because Jenna has finally reciprocated his feels, but you know, commitment and whatever. A string of miscommunication and conflict occurs, then Jenna shows up to Matt’s wedding where he’s like, LOL, look  I’ve always loved you but the past can’t come back yo. Upon hearing this, she cries with intense regret, wishing she could just be 13 again for a do-over. The same magic dust gradually falls (for effect), and the scene reverts to her birthday party where she enthusiastically chooses Matt ( who grows up looking like Mark Ruffalo ) over the 80s cool kids, and their story ends all sweetly with the pair eating their favorite childhood candy on the lawn of a pink house, interestingly designed like her dream house, figuratively implying that her deepest wish has come true (or not). 

cute score: 8 ( hecka cute  the Thriller moment is still awkward for me tho and omg look Mark Ruffalo didn’t even want to do it lol click here )

photo: New York Public Library, setting for magazine’s ‘Class of 2004′ photoshoot, NYC, 2012

10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 )

Patrick: Yeah, and is she worth all this trouble?

Cameron: Well, I thought she was, but you know, I…

Patrick: Well, she is or she isn’t. See first of all, Joey is not half the man you are. Secondly, don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want. Go for it.

A modern take on Shakespeare’s  The Taming of the Shrew ( the numerous Shakespeare references / allusions make sense now )  introduces us to the Stratford sisters, their strict father with the winning punchlines, awkward Cameron with the sidekick BFF,  the “obligatory cool kid slash model” Joey, and resident bad ( bad bad bad ) boy, Patrick Verona doing bad boy things with a bunsen burner. So here’s the thing: Bianca really wants to date Joey but she can’t date anyone until her shrewd AF sister dates, which prompts her to set up the whole “this bet gets outta hand” premise that heavily spawned in 1999. Obvious villain Joey pays Patrick to win Kat’s heart and sing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”  on the bleachers to win my heart, then he inevitably falls for her. In a callback to She’s All That, Kat eventually finds out about everything leading to the tearful read  of the eponymous (these are clearly over 10 things ) poem in class, as Patrick looks on like man I done fcuked up yo. But wait, he gets Kat the guitar she’s been wanting, insists that his feels for her are hella real and all is forgiven. Also, Cameron finally gets Bianca, and she punches Joey (whose nose spray ad is now ruined) thrice for herself, her sister and Yung Cameron. Oh yeah, and Cameron’s BFF ends up finding a Shakespeare lover just like him, lol, nerds. 

cute score: 9 ( super cute, everyone gets who they want and the real bad boy gets what he deserves! They had a band on the freakin’ roof dude )

photo: Fremont Troll, where Cameron and Bianca talk and stuff, Seattle, 2009

A Case of You / Comet ( 2013 / 2014 )

Birdie: Success is a myth. Love’s the only true currency. After all this is done, all that really matters is how and who you loved.

———–

Dell: Why does it feel so impossible to let you go?

Dell: It’s an addiction, you know. That’s all it is.

Dell: It’s a biochemical addiction. It’s so stupid.

Dell: If you think about it relationships are all totally narcissistic.

Dell: Basically, you’re just looking for someone who’ll love you as much as you love yourself. That’s all it is.

———–

Two Justin Long movies for the price of fun. 

I’ve probably checked off so much of this dude’s filmography that I can easily tell you that one of his many underrated roles would be a cameo as George Harrison in the equally underappreciated Walk Hard: A Dewey Cox Story. I know… comedy is understandably the toughest genre to press onto humans, so to each his own. These two films fall in that hit or miss category–on one end, you have Sam, an author who meets a barista and quickly becomes infatuated with her, even more so after creeping reading her Facebook profile and mimicking those interests in order to attract her attention, eventually using her as a muse for his story ( A Case Of You ),  and on the other, you have Dell and Kim caught in a classic case of star-crossed lovers whose rocky relationship is dreamily depicted through a non-linear narrative of parallel universes, reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind  ( Comet ). Despite his ridiculous Facebook faux pas, Birdie admits that she was adding  random items to her profile to see if Sam would change, and to no one’s surprise, she still liked him anyway because if a connection is real then it’s real, and it’s extremely important, to like, just be yourself because there’s more to a person than what they choose to display on the Interwebz. And Dell and Kim continue to sail through different universes, with Dell wishing to live in a permanent world where they end up together 💔. 

cute score: 3  ( So much fighting–whether with oneself, another person, or the world, das not dat cute. ). 

photo: Light trails, space, and time to represent chaotic nature of the parallel universes in Comet, NYC, 2015 

Begin Again  ( 2013 )

Dan: You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.

Greta: I know you can. That’s what’s worrying me.

I’ll throw in Before We Go, Friends With Benefits, or even Lost In Translation into this mix of getting to know a person as you explore a new city together–whether platonically or romantically, it’s still awesome. This particular love story focuses on the protagonists’ mutual love for music rather than feelings towards each other–though their respectable relationships with his estranged wife and her ex-boyfriend still romanticize the plot. Dan Mulligan, a formerly successful record executive drunkenly discovers Gretta James, a newly independent songwriter reluctantly singing in a low-key bar thanks to pre-late late show James Corden. He sees great potential, she doesn’t believe in herself, I mean how could she, her ex-boyfriend slash songwriting partner is none other than recent singing sensation, AdamN Levine Dave Kohl. After Dan’s business partner Yasiin Bae/Yasiin Bey/Mos Def   Saul initially rejects Gretta from their record label, the pair take matters into their own hands and decide to produce their own album together, using local talented musicians backed by the sights and sounds of New York City and the result is pure magic like fireworks in your ears, the visual “wow that’s so glorious” part not the actual “boom boom” noise part, because you would totally go deaf. This is a story about how music can bring people together (production, collaboration, Dan reconciling with his wife ) or tear them apart ( Dave cheating on Greta ), seek forgiveness ( Dave singing Lost Stars, Don Henley singing The Heart of The Matter [not in this movie, that song just popped up in my head as I wrote that lol] ), or drive passion ( Violet dreams of becoming a guitarist/ Gretta’s career kicking off ). Music is love, music is life, and Gretta’s album sells hella copies from its online release, and things are looking up for Dan and his life. Dan in real life. After encountering a series of failures/contemplating suicide, discovering Gretta, producing this album, and making amends with Saul, his wife and daughter, I guess you can say that Dan (as well as Gretta? ) was given another chance to fairly begin…again. 

cute score: 7 (  Dan drunkenly composing a song in his head, The headphone splitter scene tho, das kinda cute )

photo: Times Square, the scene stealer of the headphone splitter scene tho, NYC, 2012

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( 2004 )

Clementine: Meet me in Montauk. 

It’s 3:41 AM and my body hates me. Especially my eyes.  Okay, so two contrasting personalities, Joel and Clementine, meet on a train and immediately connect like 4, only to learn that they are former lovers and Clementine had erased her memories of Joel after some petty argument, and Joel’s like ‘wtf bro’ and decides to erase his memories of her. The familiar surrealistic non-linear narrative that I heart so hard navigates through Joel’s head space, intercut between scenes of sadness and anger,  to happier times until the final memory where everything crumbles to the ground like dust in the wind, as he tries to hold onto his last moment with Clementine, after realizing that he still loves her. Other story lines, connect, Kirsten Dunst finds out she had her memory of the doctor erased and she gets mad upset, like ‘i’m gonna show everyone (who has undergone this procedure) their memory erasure records’ upset.  Elijah Wood is just super devious. COTDAMN MARK RUFFALO IS ALSO IN THIS MOVIE LOL WTF YO. The scene restarts and Joel and Clementine, meet on a train and immediately connect like 4, only to learn that they are former lovers and they’re like “oh whaa” and think that maybe starting over would be a good idea or it might be the same but they go for it anyway and who knows what those two are up to now probably making sure that they don’t forget about each other amirite lol omg it’s already 4. 

cute score: 2 ( Comet before comet was comet, not dat cute, but like Comet, beautiful cinematography is a 10)

photo: Imagine this human’s hair is orange, you know, like Clementine, ArtWalk, San Diego, 2014

——–

honorable mentions: Garden State. Ryan Gosling & Ryan Reynolds’ things. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. High Fidelity. Say Anything. John Hughes’ things.