#made this as a fun little analysis

[typhoonquixol]

Absolute Batman - Too much to lose.

With Absolute Superman on the horizon, I want to take a closer look at Absolute Batman issue one. Vague spoilers ahead

The absolute universe has been sold on the premise that in Darkside’s new world nothing went right. Heroism will be harder, the world will be darker, and hope will need to shine brighter than ever. I’d argue this isn’t what Scott Snyder has given us, to a degree. It’s true that Batman will get beater back, it’s true Gotham is more visceral violent than ever before, but there is hope everywhere. There just isn’t enough.

Take Waylon Jones for instance. Compared to every iteration of Waylon that has come before this is by far the happiest version. Whether he’s been a mindless killer, an outcast circus freak, or just a man mistreated by the world, Waylon is traditionally miserable. Not in this universe though. Here Waylon is human, here Waylon runs his own gym, here Waylon has friends. Here Waylon has everything to lose.

When his prime counterpart has so very little it’s redoubtable that this Waylon will claw and bite and writhe to keep what he has. Many of the characters are the same. In the brief glimpse we got of the GCPD it’s clear what has changed. Mayor Gordon, the dedicated and infallible chief of police, has been elevated to a responsibility he must cling to as the world tries to tear it away. Commissioner Bullock, the headstrong and hotblooded cynic, has been leashed by loyalty to Gordon and the restraints his new position brings. Finally, there’s Barbara, following closely in her father’s footsteps, desperate to protect him from the new wave of crime. These characters all have new roles, new lives, ones that they’d do anything to keep.

Therein lies the heart of Absolute Batman. Every character has just enough to resist change. Everyone has just enough to keep them from seeking something better, and risk losing it all. Except Bruce.

Bruce has lost a lot of things compared to his prime counterpart. This time he doesn’t have his cave. This time he doesn’t have his connections. This time he doesn’t have Alfred’s heart. This Bruce is starting with so, so much more. This time he has the city. This time he has friends. This time he has his mother.

If you know how Bruce prime started out, you’ll understand how little he put at stake to be Batman. We can’t know how much Bruce will lose but at a guess, everything. His city will fear him. His friends will grow distant. His mother… we’ll have to wait and see.

Bruce is taking the leap, and he’s not the only one. Waylon is chasing his dreams, opening an exotic-pet store, “Waylon’s Scales of Gotham”. Waylon is stretching his money, risking his cosy life for the one he wants, his friends at his side.

Absolute Batman will play with the idea of hope. How hope can chain us down when we set our sights too low. How to reach something better we must risk what we have. It will show us the price of dreaming big in a city determined to eat itself alive.

I wonder, how much will Waylon have to lose before Bruce needs to put him away?

[anethiawoods]

playing slay the princess as intended (watching your friend stream it and then roleplaying as improvised ocs for each of ur runs)

[iamrizaka]

I was thinking today about how possessive Apollo cabin members can get, Lee, Michael and Will in particular.

Lee doesn't seem very possessive. He's the cabin's mom — the whole camp's, even — and you'd think it's all. This trait shows more in how he talks: he always calls them "my cabin", "my siblings", "my sunbabies". They are his responsibility.

He knows that he can't restrict them: he was looking after his cousins for years, after all. He isn't willing to do so, too. He knows it isn't healthy.

So he suffocates in his feelings alone, always reminded of his older sister's — the previous head counselor's — body, with blood leaking from the spear wound. He doesn't want it to happen again, so he does the most dangerous things himself, always there to get his siblings away from the danger. And that's how he gets killed.

Michael isn't as verbal as Lee was, but he, just like Lee, prefers to get everything done by himself. Sometimes he lets his siblings stay behind, while diving headfirst into battle, be it a battle of swords or words.

His possessiveness blurs with pride at times. He gets possessive over every little thing that belongs to Apollo cabin: their building, infirmary and, of course, the flying chariot. He fights for it and never once regrets his decision. His siblings almost died for it, why should he give it to someone else?

And then, at the bridge, he does the same thing Lee did and dies, never once looking behind.

Will inherited both traits in hopes of keeping his siblings safe. He gives nicknames to his siblings, and his voice carries the same tone as Lee's when he talks about his siblings. Whenever their cabin is given tasks, he gives it to another cabin, explaining it as "it's not that important, they can do it, too" or "you're still in training, it will be better for you to stay here".

He needs to know about all the whereabouts of his siblings and panics when they don't immediately turn up to their practice or before curfew.

Not only that, but he seems possessive of the memory of his dead siblings, too. Younger members have no idea that Apollo cabin is supposed to be big and they are not allowed in the attic.

Later, other campers and his siblings tell him that it's not okay and what he's doing is absolutely unhealthy and toxic. He would try and reason that he's just worried, but he ends up in Mr.D's office for a therapy session. It gets better over time, but it seems that he might throw up from anxiety if he doesn't see his siblings for too long.

I got the idea of Michael and Will's traits from this awesome fic written by nojaemnomin! Go check it out!

[starry-bi-sky]

Ugh im writing this on mobile but i’ve been thinking about it nonstop for an hour and I’m just- mmmmm thinking about Clone Danny and his wardrobe choice as Phantom. Cuz like, he doesn’t have any powers, right? He has no built-in secret identity and suit that he can change into in a flash of blinding circular light. If a ghost shows up he’s just got what he’s got on, and whatever he has in his bag.

And I’m just. I have a lot of thoughts about him and his canon self, thoughts that i dont think i can all fit on my phone and im. Thinking about the dichotomy between him and his canon counterpart. From an in-universe perspective, the halfa Danny Phantom looks remarkably human-like. Especially compared to the ghosts he fights, all of whom are unnatural colors, shapes, and sizes. From flaming hair to glowing eyes and pointed claws, there’s nothing about them that doesn’t scream “ghost!” “Inhuman!” “Unnatural!”

And then you look at Danny Phantom, the ghost boy fighting them. And he just… looks like a glowing human boy. The only unnatural thing about him is his white hair and green eyes - and green eyes is a natural human color. Maybe not the shade it’s in, but it occurs in human genetics. He’s about as close to human as he can get.

Think about that from an in-universe perspective, and then think about it with the idea that ghosts take pride in their ‘ghostly’ look. They pride themselves on looking scary; unnatural; inhuman. It’s a showcase of being unique, of their own individuality, of their interests and wants. Looking ‘scary’ is part of ghost culture, and if not scary, then unique and ‘inhuman’. They don’t want to fit in, they want to stand out.

And you look at Danny Phantom, as his canon self without any of the fanon customizations, and he’s none of that. He’s about as human-looking as a ghost can get. He’s got human-like skin, hell he’s even tanner than he is as a human! His hair is normal, his eyes are green but normal, his hands? Soft and round, not a claw in sight, and his teeth are blunt and ears are round.

His suit is all black, it doesn’t even tell you anything about him other than he probably died in a lab accident, and he looks like he’s straight out of a b-rate comic book. There’s no story to tell about him, he’s a book with the pages all blacked out in ink.

His name, if you take it as him only calling himself “Phantom” isn’t even all that unique. It’s a generic ghost term that you can find by googling ‘ghost’ and looking at its synonyms.

And then look at his behavior: yeah he fights ghosts, and fighting is all about ghost behavior. Its one of their social activities- but its clear from Phantom that he’s not being social. He’s being aggressive, he’s doing it for the sake of the living (which while fair, doesn’t make him look good in the context of everything else). Then he comes into the ghost zone, he doesn’t do much to integrate himself into the culture, and yeah he makes allies but it still doesn’t feel enough. He’s not participating in anything, he’s alienating himself.

All in all, Phantom looks like a ghost trying to pretend he’s human, that he’s still alive. And for a ghost culture that prides itself on not being alive? It’s insulting.

And then let’s circle back around to that human thing, but from a different angle. Probably one that’s more mindset than outside looking in. But Danny’s alienated by the rest of the town for ages despite helping them. And while him looking human likely has to do with his own mindset of viewing himself as “living, but with ghost powers” and thus reflects back as a ghost, it also makes it look like he’s trying to fit in with the humans.

“I am not a ghost” he says, with his human skin and blunt teeth. “I am human like you, see? See? I look like you.”

He’s making himself look approachable, friendly. ‘You can trust me, I’m not a ghost. I’m not like them. I’m not scary. I look just like you. I’m different.’ He looks about as harmless as a human child could be. He’s trying to be relatable. And in turn he’s giving his fellow ghosts a cold shoulder - i’m not like you, i’m better. I’m different. I’m not ghost. I may be dead, but I’m no ghost.

Danny is trying to tie his ghost self in with the living as much as possible - he wants them to think he’s almost human. The same way he wants to think that himself. He’s distancing himself from his ghost half and the ghostly qualities the others have. Whether intentional or not, he’s doing it.

He shows his face and goes ‘see? See? I’m just like you.’

And then lets look at clone Danny, mister not-a-halfa. Who doesn’t have his canon offensive capabilities, who only has his ghost sense and the ability to hit ghosts without gear, his scary eyes and pointed ears, and the ability to see weaker ghosts not visible to the mortal eye.

He has no ghost form, no powers. And yet the first time he goes out as Phantom, he wears a mask that looks like a skull. Instead of distancing himself from ghosts, he’s distancing himself from humans. And at first it stems from the need to be unrecognizable, the last thing he wants is for his parents to find out that he’s ghost hunting. To do that, he needs to hide his face. That’s the first step.

The next step is to act in such a way that people couldn’t possibly tie him back to Danny Fenton. He’s not distancing himself from ghosts, he’s distancing himself from humans. To do that, he acts inhuman. He wears his mask and wears baggy, shapeless clothes - his hoodie and his pants - and he learns how to act unsettling. His eyes glow green, unnatural and shining through his sunken-in, skull-like mask. But it’s not enough on its own. He must do more.

He wants to be the thing someone sees at night and turns the other way. See me and run, he says, crouched on all fours and crawling across a beam like a monster you see in a movie. Twisting his body in unnatural, fluid ways, like he’s not quite sure how having only four limbs work.

Run. He says, dead green eyes glowing through his mask, piercing through black night from the rooftop. I am wild thing. Come no closer, look no closer. I am not like you. I am not your friend. I bite. Run.

You cannot see my face. This is my face, I am not alive. I am not like you. I am an animal about to pounce.

He doesn’t want people to think he’s human, he doesn’t want them to think he’s anywhere close to it. Anything to prevent his parents from figuring out its him.

And the thing is, he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to appear ghost-like or inhuman to keep his identity safe, wearing a mask and wearing unidentifiable clothes is enough. But he’s choosing to act ghost-like; unsettling; scary.

And in doing so, he unintentionally participates in ghost culture. And while his clothes are not anything unique, or outstanding, his mask is. His clothes don’t tell anything about him, but that’s okay.

Imagine meeting this boy from a ghost perspective. This annoying, fleshy human boy who jumps into fights to stop you and catch you. You’ve heard stories of human ghost hunters, you know there are hunters on the other side. You have heard the horror stories, you have seen the scars.

And then this boy catches you. This human, fleshy boy who yells quips at you, who puns and insults you, who wears an unsettling mask and acts ghosty. He catches you, and you think you will be the next one on the chopping board.

And then you end up in the ghost zone, untouched. Unharmed. And you tell someone about it. You were caught and released by a human child who feels touched by death. And then you hear that the ones who’d been caught were freed by a fleshy human boy who was touched by death, and a boy who they call “Phantom”.

And, isn’t that the name of the child you fought?

And he talks to you, but then he’s in the daytime. There are living around. He doesn’t speak to them - he ignores them outright. He keeps his distance, he stays away. If he talks, it’s with his hands. They will not hear his voice.

I may be alive but I am no human.

And its just — ????? So good to think about. I’ll reblog later with more thoughts when I have my laptop, but god i just needed to get that out there.

[starscreamingg]

Honestly transformers one deserves a medal for being the first transformers. Thing. In like five years to make me actually like and want to see bumblebee

[squuote]

took me forever to kinda realize this but I do love how the narrator often changes the dialogue every other reset because it follows along in suit with this piece of dialogue in the countdown ending

which basically implies that more often than not, he completely switches around the story to his whim whenever he gets a bit too bored with the previous concept he wrote up. Even if it’s not connected to this dialogue, I love that it fits so perfectly. I know it’s like a big portion of the countdown dialogue and I’m sure everyone has already realized it but I don’t think I ever saw anyone bring it up. just how many iterations of this story has the dude made up.

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

(end of bad’s Acceptance vod, about 1:48:30)

no but im never going to be normal again. LOOK at this. look. IMMEDIATELY before this he gave a whole miserable speech at the graveyard about how much he misses the kids and how he wants them to come home. He was grieving so hard it started to rain. He cried while he sang to them. It was the perfect end to 5 days of grieving- and then he does this.

and the rain isnt about grief anymore- the thunder isnt a peaceful background to a heartbreaking scene. It is rage. the whole context changes. The storm raged on while he grieved like he raged during the Everything Else that happened (“there are a lot of federation workers on today. I need to interrogate them about some things” he said while he was following forever ALONE to distract him. he knew forever was fucked up and about to put more marriage pressure on him and for anyone else that would have been Terrifying. how could you focus on anything but that? but. bad was thinking about tormenting more federation workers)

i just!!!! its so good. its SO good its so scary its so good. bad hasnt accepted the loss of his children but he has accepted how far he will go to get them back. (he will do anything)

[puppyeared]

who up seeing their disorder in a fictional character but feel like its not their place to put a name on it

[laismoura-art]

Me writing the MK Boys, a summary:

Hanzo: Oh that sounds like a personal issue I should probably address... *shoves issues under a pretty rug* ANYWAYS--

Kuai: It was no big deal! *proceeds to share a personal issue that is worth at least 5 years of therapy*

Bi-Han: I might be evil... but I might just need a nap.

Saibot: *no thoughts just elevator music*

Tomas: Do I wanna know? "No" The answer is "no". I don't wanna know.

Sareena: Why is everyone yelling? Isn't that normal?

Narrator's voice: It was not normal

Cyrax: You know, I'm receiving way too much shit for a side character!

Sektor: *woke up and chose violence*

[crescentfool]

happy birthday to my favorite horseboy 🥳

[ohitslen]

Watching Stampede with my family made me realize how genuinely insane I have turned thanks to it

Like wow the actual physical EFFORT it took me to not randomly start explaining the composition of a scene, the color choice, the framing, the voice directing and the choreographies of certain scenes, as well as some of the lore behind it I should not explain because spoilers.

No, sorry. I lied on my résumé . I can’t like anything a normal amount. I’ve liked this for less than 4 months and I’m very deep into the trenches. And it will unfortunately become everyone else’s problem as well, because this one will stick around for a long time.

[descendant-of-truth]

I recently decided to watch the Last Airbender movie in full for the first time for analytical purposes (and as a fresh comparison for the upcoming Netflix series), and like. yeah, it's still decidedly Not Good, but everyone's already talked about that so instead I wanna write about the stuff I actually thought was interesting.

Some small things, first: despite it not really having any cultural significance, I was weirdly fond of Aang's red cloak?? Like it could've looked a little less like it belonged on a jedi, but it functions well for hiding his tattoos when necessary and makes for a cool silhouette.

Plus, it works as a good representation of the part of him that just wants to run away and hide from his responsibilities - something that the original design never really needed to account for, per se, but it still makes for a neat edition.

The movie cuts out the quirky conversation with Aang after freeing him from the iceberg in favor of him being too delirious from a 100 year coma to say anything, and on principle, this isn't. great. but the more I think about it, I think it comes down to the fact that his actual introduction to Katara and Sokka is so dry, not because they waited to have him wake up.

In fact, I think this could've worked out really well! The longer Aang takes to wake up properly, the longer everyone else has to develop an image in their head of what he's going to be like, and the bigger their surprise when this kid who was barely conscious and on the verge of hypothermia a few minutes ago starts bouncing off the walls with this big smile on his face.

The time spent at the Southern Air Temple also introduces a few things that I liked, for example: Aang actually namedropping some of his friends from there

Petition to bring back Chinto and Monae for the Netflix version

But for real, that scene just made me realize how kinda. odd, it is, that Aang never mentions any of the Air Nomads by name other than Monk Gyatso originally. We know he was friends with Bumi and Kuzon, but did he not consider any of his peers to be good friends of his?

More importantly though - just like in the original, Aang recognizes Gyatso's skeleton by his necklace. Unlike the original, however, this necklace is one that Aang made for him.

And I love this idea, but ohh boy do I not like how under-explored it is in the movie. You're telling me that they decided to have Aang make a necklace for his now-deceased parental figure, and didn't use that as an opportunity for him to connect with Katara?? The one who wears her mother's necklace as a memento???

Regardless of whether or not Aang decided to keep Gyatso's necklace, it's a conversation that absolutely deserved to happen, and despite the chances of it being extremely low, it's something I'd like to see the new version take a crack at.

Also this was just a genuinely cool action setpiece, the idea of using spinning boards as both a defensive and offensive structure for crowd control is super creative and I love it

The fight between Aang and Zuko at the north pole was also great; even though there was uncharacteristic lack of bending involved, they were able to capture a real sense of frantic energy and got some really cool moves in there that are difficult to show properly through screenshots.

Definitely one of the biggest changes to a plot beat (in my opinion) comes in the form of Aang struggling with waterbending rather than being a natural at it, and you know what? Probably my hottest take of this post is that I think this is a worthwhile angle to explore.

Water is the element of change, and in the movie, it's said to teach its benders "acceptance." On a purely tangible level, the movements for water and airbending are pretty similar, and they're both kind of "floaty" in a way. But ideologically? What part of Aang at this point in time has a grasp on how to handle change, much less reach acceptance?

He ran away from home because he was scared of all the sudden changes happening in his life. He didn't want to be the Avatar, and couldn't accept what that meant for him.

So, from that perspective, doesn't it make sense that water could be difficult for him to learn? I mean, no matter what you do with air, it's still just air, and it's everywhere. You don't really have to worry about not having enough of it in most situations.

But with water, you gotta think about what forms you can make with what you have, you need to be able to change its form from liquid to solid and back again, and it's just a lot more dynamic and weighty than what he's used to dealing with.

Combine that with just not being in the right headspace for learning after The Horrors and yeah, I'd totally believe that there's a world out there where Aang struggles to waterbend! A shame that it had to be this world, where the writers have little interest in exploring it beyond letting him make a Really Big Wave at the end in lieu of a character arc, but an idea with potential nonetheless

(Speaking of which, while not nearly as satisfying as the original finale, this shot does look extremely cool)

Overall, this was actually a pretty entertaining viewing experience! I already knew what to expect when it came to its flaws, which in turn made it easier to focus in on the parts that were interesting for me.

I went into it for a thought experiment, and it gave me a lot more thoughts to experiment with than I was expecting, so y'know what? I call that a net positive in this case.

(Also if anyone can link me to the comic adaptation of this movie, please do, I would love to know exactly what the differences are and how the art looks but I can't find it anywhere)

[thedrotter]

hello dearest gamers ... today I have spent 3 hours translating the little character descriptions in the Re:Kinder page of Parun's website for the sake of me doing some wiki pages for em' characters and now i will share it with you!!! (ᵔ◡ᵔ) Here it is!! It's very likely a bit flimsy but it gets the point across (i hope).

(Oh yeah by the way the text in brackets "[ ]" is me butting in to clarify things not actual translated text)

Shunsuke

The protagonist of this story.

He holds the key to the story. [to unclasp it, or to solve it! The word used implies that, but I wasn't sure how to write it in in a way that sounded natural.]

A third grader in elementary school.

Ryou

He is Shunsuke's childhood friend!

Has a gentle and kind personality.

A third grader in elementary school.

Sayaka

A friend of Shunsuke and Ryou.

She is usually kind, but can be scary sometimes.

A third grader in elementary school.

Aya

Has a shy and quiet personality. [this sentence was a bit tricky to translate, there's a nuance to it i could not understand but this is basically what it's trying to say]

She has just recently moved into town.

A fourth grader in elementary school.

Rei

Has a strong personality that puts even that of the boys to shame. [in other words, it outshines theirs!]

She also cares about being fashionable.

A fifth grader in elementary school.

Hiroto

Oldest member of the group. [in between the kids, ignore Mami for a second Dx]

Seems older than he actually is, with a composed personality.

A sixth grader in elementary school.

Takumi

Has a weak and frightened personality. [which can also be read as timid and nervous (though it implies fear so frightened it is).]

For all the things that happen [to him] in the story, I give my condolences.

A third grader in elementary school.

Mami

Shunsuke's older sister [a sister figure, not literally his sister but wasn't sure how to write that in] next door.

She and Shunsuke are close friends!

A second year student in high school.

Yuuichi

Appears in the middle of the story.

A young boy that is a bit strange.

A second grader in elementary school.

Was it anything completely new and mindblowing no but is it fun to know what it says yes !!! 😊

[chasingshadowsblog]

"A man of contradictions. A man of many moods." - An analysis of three characters brought to you by Kurt Russell and John Carpenter.

Throughout their long careers and friendship, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell have collaborated no more than five times together. Those five times, however, produced an array of memorable films and performances, turning Kurt Russell into an iconic cult hero and solidifying John Carpenter as one of the most unique and influential directors of his time. Such was their stamp on the movie world that the characters they created together remain among the most beloved of film-goers both old and new, and their films the subjects of frequent re-watches and special screenings. This essay focuses on the strongest of those collaborations and analyses three of their most iconic characters - Snake Plissken, Jack Burton, and RJ Macready. The analysis will be based on a trilogy of factors: their competence in their environments, their likability to other characters and the audience, and their arc throughout their films. After which they will be scored by an arbitrary scale based on their success in each factor and, let's be honest, vibes. What will the results conclude? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But I had a good time doing it.

(Disclaimer: I opted not to include Elvis or Escape From LA because the first is about a real person and the second is a sequel and I didn't want Snake Plissken to have an edge.)

Snake Plissken

"SD Plissken, American Lieutenant. Special Forces Unit, Black Flight. Two Purple Hearts, Leningrad and Siberia. Youngest man to be decorated by the President." After establishing that Manhattan island has been turned into the most tightly secured prison in the country, Snake Plissken is introduced to us as one of its prisoners and with crime rates up 400% in this version of 1997 New York, you'd have to be a special kind of person to end up here.

Competence: "They sent in their best man…" In his first conversation with commissioner Bob Haulk, Snake's military background is revealed showing just how highly skilled he already was before turning into a criminal. This conversation also reveals to Snake what we witnessed at the beginning of the movie: after an emergency landing the President has been kidnapped and is being kept somewhere in the city while in possession of a tape that holds the key to international peace negotiations and the government needs Snake Plissken to get him back. This decision isn't so much using a criminal to catch a criminal as it is based on Snake's history as a highly skilled and decorated military man. For this world, and this task, Snake Plissken is the best option and he has ample opportunity throughout the movie to display his skills. The first stage of his mission is to fly into New York and land on top of the World Trade Centre without being detected - a feat made all the more impessive by the fact that he only has one good eye. He lands successfully and, using a tracker, follows the President's trail to an old theatre. It turns out the tracker was attached to someone else, but here Snake meets Cabbie, a denizen of the city who is excited to see him and wants to help out. Snake leaves the theatre on his own but ends up meeting Cabbie again while being pursued by a gang of the "crazies" that roam the streets and sewers. He jumps into Cabbie's cab and watches the old man toss a Molotov cocktail out the window at the coming horde (without missing a beat of their conversation - a great scene). Cabbie tells Snake that the President is being held hostage by the "Duke of New York". Cabbie takes him to the Duke's headquarters where they meet Maggie and Brain, who eventually agree to bring Snake to the President after he threatens to kill them both. Snake easily infiltrates the base and finds the President, killing one of the guards with a knife throw to the head (it's all in the reflexes), but gets shot in the leg in the process. As the two men try to sneak away they are captured again by the Duke. After being knocked out, Snake wakes up at the Duke's base and is forced into a gladiator-like wrestling match while Brain and Maggie rescue the President. As they do so, Snake, on his injured leg, wins the fight and the admiration of the crowd and leaves to find Maggie, Brain and the President. Following Brain's map, they attempt to leave the city, pursued closely by the Duke. After losing Maggie, Brain and Cabbie in the chase, Snake and the President make it to the perimeter of the city; from the top of the wall, the President shoots the Duke, allowing Snake to climb up after him, mission accomplished. For the nature of the world and the task involved, Snake Plissken is undoubtedly competent. Although there are times when he couldn't have moved forward without the help of Brain, Maggie or Cabbie, these moments by no means belittle his own capabilities. With their help, Snake completes the mission assigned to him, while frequently proving himself capable of surviving in both worlds. 10/10 for competence.

Likability: "God, I hate that guy." Snake may be skilled and capable but when he jumps into to Cabbie's cab to escape the crazies, he ignores the fact that the man wants to help him and that he might need that help, "Why didn't you ask me? I know everybody." Cabbie tells him something he didn't know - that the President was being held hostage by the Duke - and shows that he isn't all that well-informed about the politics of this world; in this territory, he may sometimes need the locals to guide him. Snake is begrudging in his times of need and responds to these situations by threatening those he asks for help, like holding a gun to Cabbie's head even though he was willing to help without being asked, "You don't have to put a gun to my head, I'll tell ya", and threatening to kill Brain and Maggie if they don't bring him where he wants to go. Snake is a loner by nature and it is difficult for him to accept help, so when he does, it needs to seem as if he's ordering it rather than accepting it. Of course, being a loner doesn't make a person unlikable, it is Snake's rejection of people that makes me wonder why so many were excited to see him. Snake Plissken is something of a legend in New York, though it is never specified how. Everyone he runs into is happy to see him so we can assume they think of him as a hero especially since they ask him for help each time. Cutting to the bone, Snake's appeal to these people is his usefulness. The only person Snake knows in New York is Brain and after meeting him for the first time in four years, he immediately throws the man's past betrayal in his face. We know Brain doesn't like Snake either and only helps him to ensure his and Maggie's escape, later calling Snake an asshole after he drives over the mine that causes Cabbie's death, "I said jog left, you asshole". The only time Snake really engages with another person is when Brain himself steps on a mine and Maggie can only stare at his mangled body. Snake tries to get her to move but Maggie only silently stares back at him, then lifts her hand. Sensing her resolve, he hands her his gun and leaves. Snake doesn't exactly offer her compassion in her silent grief, but he does offer her understanding and when he realises that she isn't going to move he doesn't push her to go on; he hands her a gun so she can shoot at the Duke's car in a futile attempt to avenge her husband. In this world, among these people, that's about all they can give each other. So, Snake Plissken is likable by convention. Watching a character be good at the things they're supposed to be good at is very attractive to a viewer. As well as that, he dislikes the right people; the President proves at the end that he is as uncaring of the lives lost as the criminals that roam the streets of New York, "A lot of people died in the process, I just wondered how you felt about it." Right after this, Haulk offers him a job which Snake refuses. By referencing the deaths of Maggie, Brain and Cabbie, then rejecting the advances of the cold, manipulative authority figures, Snake shows that, while he is still for himself, he is for himself on the right side, the side of the characters we do like. It doesn't hurt that he's the lead character of the movie, the first person we are programmed to root for, and that he's played by someone as charismatic as Kurt Russell, who can channel the fun bravado of characters like Snake rather than their arrogance and apathy. Snake gets 4/10 for likability.

Progress: "It's about the survival of the human race, Plissken. Something you don't give a shit about." Snake's character changes very little from beginning to end. The most notable difference is how he refers to himself in the presence of Haulk. In their first scene, Haulk refers to him as ''Plissken'' and Snake insists on "Snake"; at the end, Haulk calls him by his first name and Snake says "Plissken" instead. At the start, he doesn't want to be talked down to by the likes of Haulk, someone he doesn't like or respect, and insists on his first name being used; by the end, possibly even more disillusioned, Snake doesn't want to be spoken to familiarly by these people. If anything this shows a small change in Snake's feelings towards others. He may not have shown it when they were working together, but Snake was, ultimately, loyal to those who helped him. The fact that he sabotaged the President's speech by giving him the wrong tape shows a sense of solidarity to Brain, Maggie and Cabbie and their memories. Had the President responded some other way to Snake's question, it's possible he might have handed over the correct tape. As it was, after the things he experienced in New York and the callous treatment by the President of the people who died helping him, Snake chooses instead to give the world the middle finger in their honour. 2/10 for character progression (he basically just focuses his dislike for other people from 'everybody' to 'particularly these ones').

RJ MacReady

"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn't want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation. It'll fight if it has to, but it's vulnerable out in the open." I would argue that nobody could be prepared for what happened to Outpost 31 in The Thing, so, unlike Snake, who is built for his world, and Jack, whose modus operandi is that he's the bumbling sidekick, MacReady really shines in the group as a normal guy surviving an absurd situation.

Competence: "Mac's really taking it up, huh?" "He knows what he's doing." MacReady is also different in that among a team of scientists researching in Antartica, he is the helicopter pilot. Which is still no mean feat in the face of Antartic weather, and Mac is always willing and able to take his helicopter out even when warned otherwise. Mac, as a pilot, must be cool under pressure, have the ability to think himself out of a situation, be adaptable, and confident in a position of control. Early scenes try to set Mac up as the callous dumbass of the group; our introduction to him shows him losing to a computer at chess then pouring whiskey into the drive to kill it, "cheatin' bitch,", and not long after this he frequently refers to the Norwegians as Swedes despite being corrected twice. In great contrast to this image, Mac ends up being the figure that the others look to. When the shit hits the fan, MacReady keeps his cool while the rest of the group grow angry and paranoid. Although Blair figures out what the Thing is trying to do it is Mac who takes action; he calls for the flamethrower when the Thing erupts from the dog; he organises the group to take out Blair and locks him in the cabin afterwards; he comes up with the blood test when their first method is destroyed; he burns Bennings' assimilated body with no hesitation. None of these things are pleasant and he certainly doesn't want to do them but they are necessary tasks and, as proven by that first trip to the Norwegian base, when there's a job no one else wants to do, Mac can be relied upon to do it. As soon as the Thing makes itself known he only wants to come up with ideas to stop it, even if it means they won't get out alive, "We're not gettin' outta here alive. But neither is that thing." Blair, faced with his discovery, lost his mind; Garry, after the loss of his friend and the trust of the team, cedes his position willingly; Childs reacts in anger, and the rest of the group in fear. Only MacReady is able to deal with the situation by applying to it every skill he already has from his normal life and adding a flamethrower. He only grows reactive when other characters accuse him of being an imitation. He is so confident in himself that this is the only thing that can get a rise out of him and he is beyond unwilling to put up with such nonsense. MacReady rules the roost with a steady hand and comes out on the end as one of two survivors. The other is Childs, his opposite in many ways yet the only other character that could have matched his competency. Mac recognises Childs' power when he asks him to take the lead in taking down Blair, showing another smart quality in Mac's leadership abilities. Still, despite recognising Childs as an equal, only he could be the stand-in leader. When Garry offers his gun, Childs jumps at the chance before anyone else can and must be stopped by MacReady who points out the need for a less reactive candidate. Whatever the nature of this research trip was before, it must be believable that Mac is the only man who can get them out of this mess and the story does a good job of letting him prove himself even without the other characters already deferring to him. 6/10 for competence, he did his absolute best with the skills and resources he had.

Likability: "Yeah, fuck you, too." This is another aspect of Mac I find fascinating because at no point do we ever see him wanting to be liked, trying to be liked or being likable, but almost everyone in this movie really likes Mac. We don't get to see the relationships build between these men only what is already established followed swiftly by the fallout as the alien invades their base and the group turns on each other. In the midst of this we see Mac approached by members of the team with their concerns, we see them trust him and follow his orders even when there are higher ranking members around. Mac cuts an impressive figure - he's cool and confident and this group of nerds flock to him like moths to a flame. He appears to have some rapport with Blair, "How you doin', old boy?", is trusted enough by Fuchs that he confides in Mac, and is commanding enough that they all agree to be tied up as he carries out the blood test. Mac strikes a good balance between the silent assuredness of Snake Plissken and the over-eager chattiness of Jack Burton. Mac is never quiet but never wastes his words. He doesn't speak to fill silences or to narrate whatever comes to mind, when he speaks it is to communicate information. The more Mac tries to get them out of the nightmare they're all stuck in the more we believe him to be the reliable guy the scientists already know. Up to a a certain point (Bennings' immolation) the film has only exuded fear and confusion, Mac's emotionless handling of events anchors us and provides us a character we know we can look to as leader. Once the Thing gets loose, Mac cuts off his emotional ties with the group, locking Blair in a cabin, not having time for Garry's emotion after Bennings dies, nor having any inhibitions about tying people up and possibly needing to burn them alive. His lack of emotions is what keeps him alive in the end, of course, but wins him no points on the likability meter. 2/10 for being played by Kurt Russell.

Progress: "Anyone messes with me… and the whole camp goes." The events of this movie offer limited space for character progression and unfortunately MacReady is going to suffer for that. Based on his introduction, I wouldn't think of him as the stupid hot-head of the group but nor would I have expected him to take the lead; MacReady exudes an air of I don't care, which acts in contrast to his active desire to rid the base of the Thing. He frequently seperates himself from the group - when he's playing chess at the beginning, getting a beer in the kitchen while the rest are in the rec room and his cabin is separate from the main building, while the others appear to share rooms - and when Fuchs wants to have a private talk with him Mac initially turns him down, "I'm tired of talking, Fuchs, I just wanna get up to my shack and get drunk." So, it's somewhat of a surprise that Mac takes the lead so swiftly and confidently; it seems to go against our initial impression of him that he would be so willing to take control and keep the group together (this is the same guy who didn't drop his bottle of whiskey when they were being shot at by the Norwegian). It is only when they decide to take a trip to the Norwegian base that Mac begins to show what he's capable of. Despite being well-liked by most of the group, Mac prefers his own company; the fact that he had the skills in him the whole time to fight the Thing as best as anyone could does not necessarily indicate character progression, it's just another part of him. The minimal amount of progression we get from Mac comes from the fact that he goes against his solitary nature to take up the lead in this situation. 1/10 for character progression.

Jack Burton

"You leave Jack Burton alone. We are in his debt. He showed great courage." Jack Burton is a great one to analyse for this piece as he was never the intended lead of the movie - that role belongs to Denis Dun's Wang Chi - so his strengths fall into different categories than the other two. The first scene, in which Egg Shen is interrogated by the FBI, was added at the end of filming at the insistence of the studio to make Jack Burton appear more heroic. There's no doubting Jack's bravery, but I do wonder how much the people of Chinatown really owe him. Don't get me wrong, I love Jack Burton; he has a lot of heart and he tries to help his friend, but Carpenter always intended for him to be the side-kick in his partnership with Wang Chi and, comparing the actions and motivations of the two men, that isn't difficult to see. Wang is more proactive, his motivation is love; Jack wants his truck back. His truck is the thing that keeps him focused and, despite some amount of care for his friends, he really sticks to these guns until the very end. Jack as the hero doesn't make sense; Jack as a reactive side-kick who regularly freaks out and needs everything explained to him is perfect.

Competence: "You know what Jack Burton always says at a time like this?" "Who?" "Jack Burton. Me!" In terms of competence, Jack falls short. Brave? Certainly. Successful in his efforts? Not so much. Jack talks a big game and he does fancy himself a heroic figure as seen when he tries takes the lead in infiltrating the White Tiger and David Lo Pan's headquarters even though Wang, Egg and the rest of the group are clearly more capable and usually the ones who get things done. During these moments he ends up falling back, standing ready with his knife, as in the funeral duel in Chinatown, or trying to get his gun to work while Wang fights Lo Pan's henchmen. He knocks himself out in the final battle and, after waking up and stabbing a guy with his knife, gets himself stuck under that same guy. Jack can take out one guy while Wang is taking out six or seven. Jack's actual skills are more down to earth compared to the likes of Wang and Egg Shen - you can't deny he's a good truck driver as you watch him navigate the narrow streets of Chinatown in the humongous Pork-Chop Express. Unfortunately, in a quest to get his truck back from the people who stole it from him, Jack doesn't get to show off this skill for more than a few minutes. He's also good at poker, being the last one standing in the game he plays with Wang and his other friends at the start of the movie, winning at least a thousand dollars from Wang. Not to mention his reflexes, which he gets to showcase at the very end when he takes down David Lo Pan. Jack might be a competent human being under normal circumstances but in this situation he is entirely unequipped. 2/10 because his heart was in it.

Likability: "What does that mean, huh? China is here. I don't even know what the hell that means." While he isn't often successful in his attempts at heroics, there is a bravery and selflessness in Jack's actions throughout the movie that win him the admiration of the other characters and the audience. Egg was telling the truth when he said that Jack showed great courage. It's pretty much all he does in these situations and one of the best things about Jack is that he keeps trying. The fact that he sticks by Wang even though he doesn't understand all of the Chinatown magic and politics is enough. In this world of kung fu, elemental villains, and underground headquarters, Jack is the everyman - he is us. As such, it's very easy to like Jack. As an outsider he needs things explained to him at every turn and like any audience member who dreams of being an action hero, he dives headfirst into the fray despite his lack of knowledge and capabilities. And then he fails. Often. Another credit in his favour: Jack is a good friend. "As two. I said I was coming." While Jack initially joins Wang first to make sure he gets his money, then later to get his truck back, there are many points throughout the action where Jack puts his friend, and other characters he's just met, first. The poker game at the beginning shows us that Jack and Wang have been friends for some time now and that Jack has a history with all of these people, "Is this going to get ugly, huh? 'Cause what I thought we were here, racial differences notwithstanding, was just a couple of old friends, you know, both of us just Californians." When Wang attempts to win back his money, "nothing or double" Jack thinks he's crazy but appears to be enjoying the challenge, "You're out of your mind, Wang. God bless you." Even though he only insists on driving Wang to the airport to make sure he gets his money, Jack listens to him talking fondly about Miao Yin though he clearly isn't interested. After the altercation with Lo Pan's henchmen at the airport Jack volunteers to bring Wang to their headquarters before he's even had a chance to ask, "I can't ask you to-" "Where is it?" "Thank you, Jack" - at this point Jack has no other investment in the situation other than helping his friend. Although Jack's resolve tends to waver when he gets spooked and it's never exactly clear when he is being motivated by his truck or a need to help his friends, there are many moments in which he shows great courage and selflessness. He tries to intervene when Lo Pan's henchmen grab the woman in the airport; when the Storms arrive at the brothel he tries to fight them; while Wang and Eddie are fighting the guards, Jack sneaks past them to free Margot and the captured women "Are you gonna spring us?" "I have no idea!"; as the group tries to escape, he offers to stay behind to distract the guards while the rest of them leave, "Hide! They only saw me." When they get caught he takes the beating from Thunder and actively turns their attention from Wang; facing David Lo Pan for the first time, Jack isn't afraid to talk smack to him. For all of these reasons, Jack is a likable guy and it doesn't hurt that he is played so well by Kurt Russell, who knew exactly what Carpenter was attempting with the dynamic of Wang and Jack. Jack deserves a full 10/10 here for being a good friend and an excellent sidekick.

Progress: "This is Jack Burton of the Pork-Chop Express and I'm talking to anyone who's listening. It's like I said to my first wife, I said, 'Honey, I never drive faster than I can see and besides, it's all in the reflexes'." Jack is introduced to us driving his truck, The Pork-Chop Express, and doling out advice on his radio, and this is also what he's doing the last time we see him. Although his friends take priority for him from time to time, Jack's motivation throughout the movie remains firmly in his desire to retrieve his stolen truck. After those moments when it seems like he's changed his tune he will mention his truck again in case someone gets the wrong idea. When Margot suggests that he's helping them because of his feelings for Gracie, he insists he only wants his truck back. When he and Wang are captured by the Lords of Death and facing David Lo Pan for the first time, he asks about his truck. At the very end, with everything resolved, Jack leaves his friends and heads off by himself, even denying the attention of Gracie, who he had been trying to impress since he first saw her in the airport. As well as this, those times when Jack voluntarily follows Wang (even though he's scared and doesn't understand what's going on) still feel in character for him, as we have seen him be the good friend from the beginning. It isn't here that his progression lies. The little of Jack's character progression that we see has less to do with his actions and motivations than his scepticism about the goings-on in the world of "Little China". The other white characters in the film, Margot and Gracie, both have an idea of who David Lo Pan is and what might be going on, but Jack needs everything explained to him and after it is, he is still disbelieving. Really, he doesn't want to believe, as all of the magic and old curses are too much for him. He just wants to get his truck and get out of there, "I'm a reasonable guy, but I've just experienced some very unreasonable things." When Lo Pan explains his curse and his reason for wanting Miao Yin, Jack makes fun of him and vocalises his scepticism, "You can go off and rule the universe from beyond the grave…Or check into a psycho ward, whichever comes first." It's only when Wang Chi explains the history and the curse to him that Jack starts to believe, "No horst shit, Wang?" After everything he's seen so far, Jack can't but begin to believe. Once he's flipped this switch in his brain, he is able to face all of the odd things he meets with the same unfounded bravado he's displayed thus far, like attempting to shoot the freaky flying eyeball thing, "Hey, you never know until you try." In his final moment with Wang, he is proud of what they've accomplished and salutes him with the gesture only Wang and his friends had been using throughout the film, "We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we, Wang?" "No horse shit, Jack." "No horse shit." Jack's worldview is shaken in the few days he spends with Wang, but he still only changes incrementally. His final scene in the Pork-Chop Express mirrors his first one, except now, having gone through what he's gone through, he has more of a right to be giving advice. As he talks the camera pans to the back of the truck where the hairy arm of one of the creatures from Lo Pan's dungeons reaches out menacingly letting us know that even if Jack Burton is finished with adventures, adventures aren't finished with Jack Burton. And now, with his final line, "Jack Burton just looks that big old storm right square in the eye and he says, 'Gimme your best shot pal, I can take it," we know he's ready for it. In terms of character progression Jack stays true to his nature and motivations but still manages to change enough along the way that he's not exactly the same person we met at the beginning. 4/10 for having your world-view completely altered and turning out okay in the end.

Lightning Round!

Because how could we do a deep dive into these characters and not look at their iconic looks.

Snake Plissken

Brown leather jacket. Black tank top. White and grey camoflage trousers. Knee-high black boots. Unexplained eye-patch. Magnificent mane of hair. Suggestive snake tattoo. Exceptional. 10/10 for practicality and commitment to the bit.

RJ MacReady

A hat so lame he's the coolest person in the room. RJ MacReady does not care about how he looks or what people think of him. 10/10 effortlessly cool.

Jack Burton

Double denim combo with a tank top plus shin-high mocassin boots and mullet. Iconic. 10/10.

Conclusion

In Escape From New York, Carpenter launched Russell from Disney star to cult action hero; a year later he pulled him into the horror genre and made him deal with The Thing. In Big Trouble in Little China, they took Russell's leading-man good-looks and charm and applied them to a bumbling sidekick. Together, the two men took the opportunity to stretch their creative legs and trusted each other to try new things. Such is the strength of their work together that they have remained firmly embedded in movie culture despite not having made a film together in almost 30 years. It may be a testament to their friendship that they haven't needed to.

[erstwhilesparrow]

thought about writing some drabbles and got so excited i could not fall asleep. hey have i mentioned before that i like writing.

[bugsbenefit]

okay okay i'm still thinking about s2

i love that season but but when i say i love the vibe i don't just mean the autumn, cold, gloomy, hospital, possession, UD leaking into Hawkins parts, even tho i do love them all, it's the deeper reaching theme of that season

Mike's and Will's crazy together scene is obviously important for their characters (it was literally so big it was Noah's audition dialogue for s1 lmao) but it's also a good summary of the overall mood for s2 too. because that season is the fallout of s1. they survived all of the horrors and yet they're Still haunted by them. s2 is really the season where everyone is going crazy while thinking they're alone with it

Will is getting haunted (and later possessed) by the UD while his doctors thinks he is suffering from PTSD and the anniversary effect and there is nothing to worry about

Mike is not over seeing El die, tries to contact her relentlessly and somehow picks up on her presence when she says his name in the void which he then thinks was in his head. he subsequently stops contacting her and never tells anyone he ?heard? her speak, because that wasn't real

Dustin hides keeping Dart because he thinks his friends don't understand him or his reason for caring which leads him to hide around his friends

Nancy sees Barb everywhere, and despite knowing Barb is dead she still approaches strangers who look like her, leading to her even break down in a bathroom in Barb's house, which she also never talks about (sibling moment fr)

Joyce is unable to move, on still too haunted and paranoid after losing Will, and is frustrated when she can't let go or verbalize her problem, even with a positive force like Bob actively reaching out to her and offering to walk her through it which should make it easy right?

El is sitting locked away in Hoppers cabin, being forbidden to leave and slowly going stir crazy with the addition of Hopper not keeping promises and "lying" to her. which leads her to her running off and finding out she's Actually been lied to about her birth family her whole life. then she also meets Kali who also doesn't get her which doesn't help

Hopper being confronted with the UD spreading over the town while being the only adult around who knows about it's existence. which means no one is realizing the actual danger of the spread and causes him to work alone and secretively until he eventually falls into the tunnels stretching out under the town where he becomes trapped

the motive of feeling crazy is everywhere. i could go on with the list. every character feels alone and crazy this season. Mike and Will are just the only one's actually verbalizing it to each other and finding comfort in the knowledge of not being alone

and i love the horror on the show. the Demogorgon from s1 is terrifying, the MF looks so good and eerie, etc. but i think the seasons that hit the best for me are the one's that incorporate the psychological into them. s2 felt so good because every character felt alone with their grief and experiences, everyone tries to move on as normal when in reality no one is feeling normal. but because everyone is pretending to have returned back to business as usual they're all left feeling like they are the only one left behind who can't keep up

and yeah i love the sweaters and the giant eldritch horror monster, and the fall vibes. but when i say i love s2 this is such a big part of what i'm talking about. the psychological isolation of the characters was just so 🤌✨ (the sweater weather and cold eerie fall vibes just make the isolation hit harder yk, they're like the spices on top)