#maybe he/other members will make smaller appearances first which would take less filming time

[strangenewfriends]

.

[taetaesource]

Getting a divorce with Jooheon

This was an idea for a full fic but i guess it can be part of the Getting a divorce series. Other members’ lineup here: 

Wonho Changkyun 

You have been in a relationship with Jooheon since way back. You two were from the same church and were together since 16 years old. 

Jooheon loved music since then and had always wanted to be a performer. You did not really have something you were good at or something that you loved greatly, so you did not have a clear career goal or indication. 

After college, Jooheon decided to pursue his music career and started looking for agencies and companies that were taking in trainees. You went to university and did a major in general business studies since you did not know what to do in future and business school was the most generic field. 

Life was tough at that time, because the both of you were young and at the crossroads of making decisions that could somewhat determine your future. It was not easy emotionally as well as the both of you often talked about whether the direction was right and if you should do something else instead. Especially Jooheon because getting into a good and reputable company was not easy at all. And the smaller agencies did not have the right or sufficient resources to help him. The road to debut seemed bleak and Jooheon was often dejected and felt hopeless at that time. 

University life was easier, in the sense that you did not have to worry too much about making a career or a living yet. The biggest challenge was to pass your exams and meet deadlines for the endless projects and assignments. 

But the both of you found strength in each other, encouraging each other and reminding each other that bad times will have to end someday and things will eventually work out. 

Jooheon eventually found himself in Starship and he was favoured by the management there. So you knew that his road to debut was set. It was just a matter of when. 

You were very happy for him from the time he landed in Starship because it was one of the bigger entertainment companies and you knew that somehow the groups that debut under Starship will somehow be recognised. But at the same time, you were afraid that things might change between you and Jooheon once he became famous. 

While he was running towards his debut in No Mercy, you were completing your final year thesis. It was stressful as everyone in university were smart and overachievers while you were always the average student. 

Phone calls and meetups with Jooheon were always about him. He was very excited to share about his trainings and what goes behind the scene in Kpop. He would ask you about uni but you felt that there was nothing interesting to say so you would always tell him that you were busy with the final term papers and things were stressful because you have alot to catch up on. Jooheon would usually nod and tell you to don’t worry too much and to have enough rest, he could not dig much into it as he did not understand uni life and culture as well. 

On the day of your graduation, Jooheon could not turn up as he had officially signed a contract with Starship and usually trainees were super careful about public appearances right before debut - just in case shit happens. He sent a bouquet of flowers to your house that morning to congratulate you, which made you feel less disappointed that he could not be there. 

The road to finding a job was tough for you. You sent in a million applications but only one or two companies would call you up for an interview. And those were not companies that you were interested in. But you still went down for all  the interviews that you were called for, in the hope to increase your chances of landing a job. 

Jooheon offered to help you ask if there’s a position in Starship for marketing or something, but you told him not to do that - in case people find out that he’s in a relationship. “I can just say that it’s for a friend who is looking for a job,” Jooheon said naively. 

“And then i have to go around my new office living as “your friend”? I rather not,” you enlightened your boyfriend. 

“Oh yeah... it will be awkward if we have to keep lying....” 

“Exactly, and worse still, if we get exposed, both of us will lose our jobs.”

You eventually found a job in an engineering company and started your 9 to 5 job. It was not easy because it was not the best industry and your job scope required a lot of data analysis and coordination with the different departments which was honestly boring. 

Jooheon eventually debuted with Monsta X and he was packed to the brim with practices, filming, recording and schedules. The both of you met less because Jooheon could only meet at odd hours after midnight and you would be asleep by then because you had to wake up early to go to work the next day. 

Phone calls and texts with Jooheon was intermittent as he could not answer or reply often. He would still make an effort to at least give you a text everyday. 

The day before his debut, Jooheon called you, “I am so nervous, it is finally here.” 

“You will make it, baby. You will be the best rapper ever, people will love you.” 

“It just feels like a dream. It’s so surreal.” 

“Just know that I am so so proud of you. For making it this far.” 

“I wouldn’t have made it without you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been spending much time with you. Things have been crazy, but after the debut promotion, it should be better. Let’s go somewhere after that, I promise i will make it up to you.” 

You knew that Jooheon will only get busier and busier after the official debut but you were happy that he bothered to make a promise to you. 

Indeed, things only got even busier for Jooheon to the point that phone calls was always him complaining that he was tired and he would fall asleep while talking to you or end the call in 10mins because he was too tired to continue. 

You had a bad day at work but you could not tell him. You didn’t know how his day went too as he only replied, “so busy”, “waiting for filming to start...” 

Watching Jooheon appear on TV for music programmes, variety shows and advertisements made you realise that he was no longer the same Jooheon. He is a star now. You didn’t want to burden him by talking about your boring and meaningless daily life as well. 

Eventually Jooheon never contacted you first. He would only reply to texts that you sent and he would reply way later. The news of Monsta X appearing for overseas Kcons and events were getting more as well. So you knew that Jooheon really had no time. 

Life was also taking a toll on you. You were struggling with your job and you felt tired all the time. You left your job and went back to the struggle of submitting thousands of applications and going for interviews again. You did not tell Jooheon any of this because you felt like he wouldn’t be interested and your life is like a loser. 

You stopped contacting Jooheon and as expected, he did not contact you either. You were not exactly disappointed or hurt because you expected this and you convinced yourself that it’s for the better since the both of you live so different lives now. You did not deserve Jooheon. 

Time passed and you somehow moved on with your life, found another job and started hanging out with your old friends more. Although you did not officially break up with Jooheon, you have kind of accepted and moved on. 

You went on a vacation with your church friends and the guys were sharing the photos on the church group chat which Jooheon was inside. 

He replied with a thumbs up emoji which was a surprise to you and your church friends. Your heart still jumped when you saw his name appear on your notifications. 

Jooheon texted you personally that night, to ask how’s life. You gave a general reply that life has been good and asked him back, which he replied “as usual, busy hahaha”

You wanted to continue talking to him but somehow your mind just kept telling you that he is on a different league right now and that he deserves better. So you did not bother to continue. 

Jooheon went home during the Chuseok holiday and his mum brought up about you. “I know you are busy now but please don’t forget to be good to _____” 

Jooheon paused for a minute, wondering if he should let his mother know that the both of you haven’t talked or met for a long long time. 

“Why are you looking at me like that? Please don’t tell me you broke up with her? I was just asking her last Sunday and she said everything is fine.” 

“Don’t you think that you are an idol now you can treat her carelessly. I know you get to see many pretty and young girls in the industry, but even if you want to break up, do it properly and don’t hurt her. That girl has been having it so hard this whole time. To think that she even broke down and cried in church... sigh.” 

Jooheon’s eyes widened, “she cried?? In church??” 

“Why are you so shocked? Didn’t she tell you that she got fired from her job? I’m glad that she has found something else now, and I hope it’s a better job for her. She was so sad and down all the time when she was in that job. Maybe getting fired was not a bad thing after all...” 

Jooheon felt guilty at this point. He had honestly thought that he should give up on the relationship because he should not be in a relationship at this point of his life. Monsta X is taking off and he want to fully focus on that. Now that he heard about you from his mother, he realised that he was really a trash boyfriend. 

Jooheon asked you out shortly after. He felt guilty and wanted to catch up with you to find out how you’ve been doing. To be honest, he thought of various scenarios and most of the time, he thought about how breaking up with you would look like. 

But when Jooheon met you face to face. He could not bring himself to mention about a break up. In fact, somehow he felt comfortable about going with the flow with you, and everything felt familiar. 

He did not know why but he promised to spend more time with you and put in more effort in making the relationship work. 

At this point, you were quite resigned. You did not hold any expectations anymore for the fear that you would be disappointed. When Jooheon made such a promise, you did not feel extra happy either, some part of you felt that it could be empty promise, and he would leave eventually for someone better. 

One day, Jooheon brought up the topic of marriage, possibly out of guilt from knowing how much you struggled everyday with your boring job. You don’t have to work anymore after the both of you get married, Jooheon assured that his income was able to provide for you comfortably. 

You did not know whether to say yes or no. You questioned Jooheon many times if he was serious about this. You couldn’t believe that he would even want to marry you. You told him that you needed time to think about it. Because deep down, you knew that he was the right one but you didn’t know if you were the right one for him. 

You agreed to Jooheon’s proposal but told him that you did not want a wedding. You just wanted to sign the papers and inform both families about it. Jooheon was rather shocked. He thought that girls would want a wedding so that they can remember. 

You had always imagined how your wedding with Jooheon would look like. But it terrified you even more that the wedding will be getting media attention and Jooheon’s colleagues and friends would be there. What would they think if they saw that the bride was an average plain Jane. 

You also told Jooheon that you would like to live outside of Seoul if possible, so that the paparazzi will not snap pictures and expose you. Jooheon was hesitant at first because it would be a hassle for him to travel to and from work and his schedules. But he agreed. 

Living together with Jooheon was perfect, you get to spend more time with him and it was always your dream to build a home with him, and it’s finally true. But part of you were also paranoid that the both of you would get caught. 

Jooheon didn’t mind, “we are legally married? So what’s there to hide?” But you didn’t feel comfortable about it especially if people find out that you were just a regular office worker in a small company that nobody has heard of, and you were not even pretty or gorgeous. 

Jooheon spent less time at home especially before a comeback and he has to stay in his studio to complete writing and producing songs for the next album. 

The more devoted and successful he was at work, the more stressed out you would be. You knew that your inferiority complex was stupid and Jooheon didn’t even think of you as someone who was not good enough for him. 

But somehow, you just felt that Jooheon deserved much better. And that he married you because he was tied down by you and the 10 years old relationship.

Eventually the stress made you depressed and even mild OCD where you repeatedly clean the house and do the same things over and over again as the thoughts in your head run. 

You often lose control and cry at yourself. You knew that none of your thoughts were justified and real but they felt so real at the same time.   

With Jooheon around the house, it was easier for you to pretend to be fine. But you spent so much time alone in the house that it was drowning you. 

Eventually, you felt that Jooheon didn’t need to deal with a crazy wife and all of your bullshit. You’ve also reached the brim where you no longer could live a life like this anymore. 

So you packed your bags one morning and left the house without saying anything. 

Jooheon tried contacting you the next few days but it was like you’ve disappeared. It was awhile later when he received the divorce papers that you’ve got a mutual friend to send to him. 

You felt that Jooheon deserved an explanation but you were not in the right state to do so yourself. So you got the friend to pass the message. 

Jooheon felt horrible learning about the truth. He couldn’t believe that he knew nothing about how much you have suffered after marrying him. 

He was sad and miserable and he blamed himself for not being honest with you much earlier on. He should have been a man and ended the relationship instead of going with the flow and dragging it out, thinking that the problems would end themselves after a marriage. 

He signed the papers and because the both of you did not say your farewells to each other personally, he said what he wanted to say by writing a song which he released in his mixtape. 

“I’m sorry for not being truthful to my feelings.  I’m sorry that I could not protect you.  I hope that you are happy You are free now...” 

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

“After the disappointment of the Andrew Garfield-led Amazing Spider-Man movies, everyone’s favorite wallcrawler has been having a renaissance. Entering the Marvel cinematic universe in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, the webslinger fully redeemed himself with well-crafted live-action film in Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

 Yes...okay...that was definitely what Homecoming was....

 “and a wildly successful spin-off film Venom, ”

 I mean financially successful sure...

 “In the midst of all his success, Spider-Man has quietly become one of the most inclusive and socially conscious superheroes of today.”

*raises eyebrow*

 Okay...go on...

 “Last week, it was announced that Spider-Man: Far From Home would feature two out transgender actors playing trans characters, the first big-budget superhero film to do so. Spider-Man: Homecoming also featured a queer character, as well as numerous people of color.”

  Wait who was the queer character in Homecoming?

 “It’s also worth mentioning that Spiderverse included a Jewish version of Peter Parker, who is typically portrayed as either secular or Christian.”

 ....ehhhhhhhhh....yes and no.

 In media adaptations barring maybe one (the 1994 show cos I do not remember where he got married) Spider-Man is portrayed as...I guess secular but really it’s more that they just don’t say anything.

 It’s not that the character is not a believer in a faith per se, especially if you go by older adaptations during times when hardly anyone was secular. It’s just that they, understandably, aren’t saying anything.

 In the comics Peter is some kind of Christian but probably a Protestant (unless you go by Amazing Grace where he is an atheist but that’s hot trash we don’t talk about) but we don’t really talk about it that specifically.

 We just know that he and his family celebrate Christmas and very, very occasionally Aunt May references going to church and that she, Peter and MJ believe in a monothetistic deity they refer to as ‘God’.

 And really apart from the Church thing there is no clue to Peter’s religion and Marvel probably (wisely) would rather keep it that way. He even got married in a civil ceremony!

 However in the SUBTEXT...he’s Jewish. And it’s basically an open secret that he is and always has been Jewish.

 “The Spider-Man video game also featured a wonderful easter egg for queer fans by having a giant rainbow flag, as well as several smaller ones, scattered around the game’s fictionalized New York City map. ”

 I mean that’s wonderful but I wouldn’t call that an Easter Egg so much as...it’s just what you’d find in modern NYC.

 “Even the Venom film got in on the fun, with fans shipping Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock and the titular male alien-symbiote after the two kissed in the film. Sony even encouraged the pairing, releasing a romantic comedy-esque trailer for the film to promote the home release. While some complained of queer-baiting, most felt that it was all in good fun and included queer people in on the joke, instead of making us the target.”

 Again, good for them but I don’t think that was the movie actively trying to be positive towards queer people.

 Brock and Venom kissed when Venom was bonded to Brock’s ex-fiance and had a pronounced female form, being an adaptation of a character literally called She-Venom.

 And it was based upon a script written in the 1990s so really it was more the movie did it and then people took it as a thing that was shipping Venom and Brock (even though Venom is sexless). Brock and the symbiote have been shipped numerous times in the comics but the subtext has always been that the symbiote, if any sex, is female. In the Spec cartoon it is referred to as Symbi (a pun on Cyndi) and in the Spider-Girl comics it is marked out as female (granted this happens after it’s bonded to a woman).

 And again, headcanon away but like...that probably wasn’t intentional at all Sony were just being goofy or unintionally made something people took a certain way.

 “Indeed, even in the comics, Spider-Man has always been a fairly inclusive hero. Miles Morales was introduced in the early-2000s, taking over the mantel from Peter Parker for several years. ”

 Okay, this is so weird for me to be correcting such a praising point but lets really look at this.

 First of all Miles didn’t take over Peter’s role for several years he did it permanently.

 Second of all Miles is from 2011 so that’s not the early 2000s, that’s the early 2010s, but okay maybe that was a typo.

 Third of all, is it really all that logical to say this franchise that began in 1962 has always been fairly inclusive and then cite a character from 2011 as proof of this? Wouldn’t examples from during the FIRST quarter century have been more apt?

 Fourth of all...eh. Has Spider-Man been fairly inclusive from the start? Yes, no, its complicated.

 Look there were exactly 0 LGBTQ+ characters in Spider-Man until maybe the 1990s and even then I couldn’t off my head tell you who they were. Felicia Hardy is bisexual but we didn’t find out until the 2000s and it was most prominent in an AU. Really the most significant LGBTQ+ character who’s had the fact that they are queer be more than a one off reference was Max Modell and he debuted 2011 and IIRC wasn’t established as queer until 2012. In defence of Spider-Man the Comics Code literally FORBID any character be anything other than straight until the 1990s and even then it was relatively rare, even in X-Men which you’d think it wouldn’t be.

 If we’re talking POC again this one is a bit complicated Glori Grant, Joe Robertson, Randy Robertson are frequently appearing POC characters but not in every run and they aren’t usually as prominent as like Jameson, Aunt May, Harry Osborn, MJ, etc. Characters of other ethnicities are even less frequent and I don’t even know what we should make of Puma/Thomas Fireheart. I mean A for effort, they wanted a Native American character who wasn’t really a villain and wasn’t exactly a sterotype so there is that I guess.

 Again though...most other Marvel franchises decade by decade weren’t much better with this and we should give credit where credit is due to the same guy who created Black Panther writing a nuanced scene where 2 black people in the 60s separated by age discuss different approaches to civil rights with neither being proven right or wrong.

 When it comes to disabled people, outside of evil insane villains, forget it, there is nothing before Flash Thompson in 2008 unless you count Aunt May’s chronically poor health.

 “Spider-Gwen quickly became one of the highest-selling female superhero comics. Spider-Woman was a prominently featured bisexual character, and the female Asian-American hero Silk also had LGBT supporting characters, Rafferty and Lola, who were in a healthy relationship. Additionally, many view vampire villain Morbius, who is getting a spin-off film starring Jared Leto next year, as a metaphor for those suffering during the HIV crisis of the '80s. ”

 Again...Spider-Gwen and Silk are 2010s characters so that’s not ‘always fairly inclusive’.

 I don’t even know if Jessica Drew is bisexual, I’ve never heard that but I don’t think she is.

 Morbius as a metaphor for HIV...MIGHT be true if we are specifically talking about his 1990s solo-book which I’ve never read. But the character as originally created 100% was never about that because he was created in the 1970s before HIV was known about.

 “Unlike his Marvel counterparts Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, Spider-Man’s world has accurately reflected real world diversity for years.”

 ....Not really.

 I’m not even saying Spidey maybe haven’t been comparatively better at it than those guys but he’s deffo not been accurate.

 Plus to be fair to the other guys, Captain America and Iron Man have had at least one major black supporting cast member and in Cap’s case he was fairly candid about social strife and issues.

 And with Thor it’s not that fair to throw shade at him for not reflecting the real world given that 90% of this characters and stories are literally pulled from fantasy and myth. I don’t even know if there are any queer figures in Norse myth let alone poc.

 “While it’s a seemingly simple idea that any of us can be a superhero, it’s sadly still a radical concept in a endlessly growing film genre that has predominetly centers straight cisgender white men. ”

 Well that’s mostly because the comics the movies adapt are about those types of people.

 “That is because relatability and inclusion has always been core to Spider-Man’s appeal and message. It’s why the late Stan Lee decided that, unlike other superheroes who expose parts of their faces, Spider-Man had to wear a full-face mask.”

  Stan Lee only speculated that that was part of Spider-Man’s appeal, he never had any input on that design choice it was all Steve Ditko...who frankly was unlikely to have been thinking about that...

 “Even further, Spider-Man isn’t the king of a country, a billionaire, a woman out of a Greek myth, or a brilliant scientist. He’s just an average high-school kid from Brooklyn who always strives to do the right thing even while struggling to balance his everyday life and hiding a secret identity.”

 WHOA there buddy...Spider-Man isn’t routinely ‘a kid’ nor is he from Brooklyn.

 MILES is from Brooklyn but Peter, as evidenced by that great big caption in Captain America: Civil War, is from QUEENS.

 “And it’s the idea of balancing a secret identity with everyday life that has always allowed Spider-Man to connect with queer audiences long before comic writers were allowed to explicitly include LGBT characters.”

 ...I’m not denying this necesarrilly but whilst i’ve heard stories from poc who connected with Spider-Man I’ve never heard this about LGBTQ+ fans of Spider-Man.

“Indeed, perhaps the strongest part of Spider-Man’s inclusivity is the subtlety to which it has been done. While Black Panther, Black Lightning, and Wonder Woman rightly put issues of identity front and center, Spider-Man’s quiet diversity allows audiences who typically cry “SJWs are ruining my favorite characters” to actually see diversity showcased without it being overt.”

 Errrrrrr...sure....*represses memories of when Miles Morales was first announced*

 Lets um...wait and see what happens when those trans characters show up in the movie this year okay.

[richardarmitagefanpage]

Richard Armitage sharpens his skills starring in Wolverine podcast

Richard Armitage shines as Wolverine in Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail podcast. Here, he explains how he portrayed one of comics’ most iconic heroes.

Richard Armitage plays incredibly tough characters, which made him the perfect fit to portray perhaps the toughest hero in comics: Wolverine. The Berlin Station star lends his voice to Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine podcast, which is now in its second season on Stitcher Premium.

In Wolverine: The Lost Trail, Logan returns to New Orleans only to discover that several people are missing, including someone close to him. Working with a boy whose mother has also disappeared, he sets out on a quest to find them—and find out the truth about what happened to them.

It’s the first Marvel scripted podcast, and it’s an excellent role for Richard Armitage, who always commands attention whenever he steps into a role. Even though audiences can’t see him, he has so much presence that he’s just as intense and visceral and badass as Logan is supposed to be.

How did he pull it off? Armitage spoke to FanSided about returning for The Lost Trail, taking on such a well-known character, and his previous Marvel role that audiences might have forgotten about.

FanSided: How did you originally get involved with the Wolverine podcast? Was there something in the character that appealed to you?

Richard Armitage: I was approached by Marvel to voice Wolverine. I was really intrigued about the new technology being employed—the multi-directional microphones and the physical nature of the recording— but the most appealing aspect were the absolutely brilliant scripts. It’s always about story and character for me, and these episodes reveal more and more as they move forward.

FanSided: Logan is a character who’s already had many different portrayals, and years of comic history on top of that. How did you figure out your approach to playing him?

Richard Armitage: I embrace the previous iterations, but I think it helped that I wasn’t that familiar with the history and origins of this character, so it was with a clean slate that I began. From a personal perspective I looked into lycanthropy; it’s something I touched on years ago, as I’ve always had a fascination with characters who are shedding their skin, or fighting to keep something at bay within them.

In Logan’s case, the animal is clearly close to the surface. I think the connection between the human and the animal is something we can all experience particularly in moments of extremis. Because this is an audio recording this has to be found in all aspects of his voice—the struggle, the pain, the release. The inner howl.

FanSided: That’s one wonderful thing you bring to the podcast—you have a lot of prior experience in audio dramas. Were there any similarities between your past audio work and this project?

Richard Armitage: This is like no other audio role. Usually in book recording or even a radio play, the movement has to be restricted to prevent and unwanted ambient sounds. With Wolverine, it’s essential. It’s actually everything—the scenes are acted out as if we were creating a film. It’s a three-dimensional audio picture. For The Lost Trail this is incredible. I knew that the required soundscape for the bayou—the heat, the water, the insects and the wildlife—would be extraordinary.

FanSided: Did the format of the project impact your work? Did you have to prepare for the Wolverine podcast differently than you would a live-action role like Berlin Station or Strike Back?

Richard Armitage: To be honest, it’s exactly the same, apart from the lack of attention to what I wear to record. Although having said that, the footwear was really important to find some physical weight for Logan. And I was always in a leather jacket; I think we can hear it creaking.

I did have to slightly break my voice to get some rough depth for Logan’s; that tends to come through the extensive workload, but for day one I did work with a bit of a hangover. Then Logan was off his face out in Japan, calling Maureen after some heavy self-flagellation, manifesting itself in sinking his sorrows at the bottom of a whisky bottle so—method I guess!

FanSided: Like any good second season, The Lost Trail expands Logan’s universe further, including the introduction of new characters like Gambit. What’s been the most fun for you to play with this season?

Richard Armitage: I really loved all the work with Marcus, played by Rodney Henry. We had a lot of fun and it was brilliant to see Logan challenged by a kid, who he goes from wanting to swat like an annoying fly to really caring about. There is a heartfelt journey for these two.

I loved the work with Bill Irwin also, and the concept of an augmented reality in the illusory world Wyngarde creates. We had long conversations in the studio about the state of our politics and the warping and bending of the truth. Wyngarde’s world took on a weary relevance.

I also got a kick out of working with Bill Heck, who plays Gambit, possibly my favorite character. I think there is a whole road movie with Logan and Gambit.

FanSided: That’s another special thing about this podcast, is how well cast both seasons have been with people like Bill Irwin, Ato Essandoh and Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger. Do you get to record with your fellow cast members and collaborate as you would on a live-action project?

Richard Armitage: Yes, every day gave a new gift in the form of a new group of great actors. It’s the best part of this process. Everyone had a great time and there were some extraordinary performances. The voodoo seance with Karna Eyestone, played by Lizan Mitchell, was spooky, electric and ancient. I slightly hyperventilated during that scene and fell truly under her spell.

Also the death of Bonnie Roach, played by Blair Brown, eaten alive by a crocodile, was something to behold in studio. Lots of incredibly committed actors doing what they love.

FanSided: You’re already familiar with being part of a big property and playing a big character, with your role in the Hobbit films. So was the experience of playing Logan somewhat easier for you?

Richard Armitage: No matter how big something gets, it’s always about the details. The bigger the movie, the smaller the details that matter. With Wolverine: The Lost Trail, it’s about the heartbeat of this character. From the first series of phone calls, where we try to create an edited journey of decline to open the story, to the hallucinations of a captured animal in chains, a reality created only in the mind of the prisoner.

It threw up a lot of internal questions about the restrains and restrictions we put upon ourselves. I love the breath of this character—the tiny flutter of a growl in the back of his throat. So even when resting this man is a wolf, and if you lean in, you can hear him always ready for the kill.

FanSided: You were already a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, when you appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger as an assassin. How has it been to now segue into playing not only a Marvel hero, but perhaps one of the most popular heroes in Marvel history?

Richard Armitage: It’s an honor. I was very lucky to play Heinz Kruger in Captain America, but there was always a sense of regret that he had to die so soon, when there was an interesting character to explore further. Wolverine is a gift of a role, if only to be heard for now. Maybe I’ll get the chance to expand a role for Marvel which combines all of the things I’ve gathered on my own personal journey into the field.

But I still feel one of the best moments we recorded, was in the first season when Logan is running with the wolves. I saw it and felt it as clearly as if we were making a movie. I’m very proud that we can be part of the Marvel Universe, but in a different, rather less explored sphere. I hope we get to explore some more.

Wolverine: The Lost Trail is available now on Stitcher Premium. For more information on the Wolverine podcast, visit the official website.

Via FanSided

[noccalula-writes]

Can you give us your detailed thoughts on Avengers: Endgame?

SPOILERY THOUGHTS ARE COMING.

The basis of most of my gripes are: if Age of Ultron hadn’t been so shittily written, a lot of this could have been avoided. Not all of it, but a lot of it. But I’ll go line item by line item outside of that thought.

First off, Steve. Y'all already know I’m a Stucky shipper, but even outside of the context of the ship - and I fully support people who feel their relationship is platonic but very intimate as long as they have been supportive of how emotional their story is, let’s do that more with male friendships please - you have to admit that there has been no greater, longer standing or fucking emotional relationship arc through the entire goddamn MCU than Steve and Bucky. Platonic, nonplatonic, whatever. We literally watch Steve tear down a branch of the goddamn government to get Bucky back, and since the first movie, Bucky has been his emotional touchstone. Steve’s singular dedication to rescuing and protecting Bucky has driven him to the heights of recklessness and has made him nearly sacrifice himself a dozen times.

But he ditches out on him, after he’s been dead for five years no less, to go back to the fucking fifties and derail Peggy’s entire well-lived life.

I don’t buy it. I think this was purposeful diversion to avoid appearing “too gay”, and it fucking infuriates me. There is an article on The Daily Dot that explores this better than I even thought to and you should definitely read it.

The idea of Steve getting to live a full life and be happy? Wonderful. But the way this was executed felt cold, clinical. We’ve spent more time developing emotional bonds with Steve than any other character in the MCU except maybe Tony, and yet we the audience were completely shut out of his feelings for the entire last half of the very last film. It felt like a door had been closed on us. There was none of the warmth of Steve, only the resolve of Captain America, and a very rash decision that felt so poorly planned after he said barely two things to the man who has been the axis of most of his decisions in this entire series.

Sam is absolutely the right choice for Captain America, though. That was what I was hoping for, and he deserves the mantel.

Tony Stark, love of my life, was set up to make the martyr play from the very first Avengers film. This is where it was always meant to go, and I have spent every movie since AoU waiting for it to happen. Honestly, I feel like Tony’s arc was the one arena where everything was done right (except, I’ll be honest, I don’t know how I feel about him having had a kid - I’m not mad at it, though). If you follow me you know I don’t think he and Pepper had real staying power no matter how much they love each other, but I also never anticipated that he’d be with anyone else, so this wasn’t a disappointment (I love Pepper, to be clear). I was proud of him. I was sorry he wouldn’t get to see Morgan grow up, but I was proud of my man saving the world.

I love him with all my heart. He’s made dumb decisions but when the metaphorical knife was against his throat, he came correct with absolute resolution.

Wanda might as well have been a cardboard cutout, which on one hand was fine because she had way more screen time in Infinity War than she’s had anywhere else since AoU (shudder), but she’s been reduced to this background character who got shipped off with Vision just so she’d have something to do (and yes, I know it’s comic canon, but it was so out of left field in the MCU that there was no way this wasn’t a factor in). Wanda is a wealth of possibility for a storyteller - think about the grief this character has endured (consider my consider, Wanda Maximoff diatribe from yesterday) and how she’s learned to use her power. Think about the evolution of going from a volunteer for a program to literally become a mutant to fight the Avengers and then becoming one and losing your fucking twin brother, the only constant in your life. Think about having to kill the only person you could try to put a life together with. Think about all of that and tell me she hasn’t been wasted in the background.

(Also - how in the fuck is Steve gonna tell his black best friend Sam that he preferred the fifties? Really? )

This brings me to what I think is easily the most egregious of all the fuck-ups in this movie - Clint and Natasha. This is where we can draw a direct line back to the problem in AoU, when Joss “Feminist Icon” Whedon decided that dropping a house, wife and 2.5 cardboard-ass kids we got zero development time on was a better answer than, oh, actually developing Clint as a character. Partially this was to promote Brucetasha, which as we all know went so fucking well through the rest of the movies, but subverting what he felt was the “obvious” ship for Nat (the irony of this being he said something along the lines of “well, Bruce and Nat made so much more sense to me” and pulled some lame ass Beauty and The Beast allegory out during an Entertainment Weekly interview about AoU and it’s ended up becoming one of the most hated creative decisions in the MCU as of yet.

Listen, if you want Clint and Natasha’s deep and intimate and formative relationship to be platonic-only, I’m cool with that. I ship ‘em but I also love male-female friendships that mean the entire world to the involved characters and are not romantic. But we were given a decision in AoU that was eliminated so many future possibilities and put us on the path we’re on now.

If you know Clint as a character, you know that he’s a loveable fuckup. THat’s kind of his schtick. I have no idea how they plan to make that work in the supposedly-happening Hawkeye series based on Matt Fraction’s run given that now we’ve got Clint married with kids and Natasha dead, but okay. Endgame takes Clint’s grief and weaponizes it, but naturally, we only ever see him killing people of color (they mention he killed a Mexican cartel, we see him going after Yakuza) ((if you couple this with the shaved haircut and the shitty Japanese-inspired sleeve, you start venturing dangerously close to white supremacist territory)).

Clint is dark and broken, and Natasha saves him - just like how Natasha was dark and broken, and Clint saved her. By not dying. So. I mean.

As I’ve said in another ask, here’s the thing: I would have been okay with Natasha making the sacrifice play if there had been no Bartons to bring back. I still would have been furious if they hadn’t loophole’d her ass back - What happens when Steve returns the soul stone? Do you get back what you paid for it? - but the idea that we had to trade the original female member of the team - the closest thing to diversity they had being a white woman is terrible but here we are - for one of the shittiest, most sloppily written things that Joss Whedon plunked down on a page? My blood boils.

It’s been like 4 days and I am still just beside myself angry about Natasha Romanoff. Furious. I love her and Clint and I don’t undersell the strength of their relationship but at the end of the day, she died so a man could go back to his family, because nuclear families are more important and Natasha has no one. I guess. I don’t know. I’m so fucking mad.

That pandering-ass “we’re doin’ us a feminism” scene of all the women fighting together, even though it made zero logistical battlefield sense and most of them didn’t even know each other, felt even more gross and cheesy and self-congratulatory considering what had just been done to one of the most important women in the series. But hey. We got a shot of a lot of women fighting. Hashtag feminism.

Thor’s ending was okay. Thor’s arc was pretty good. The fat jokes were shit but I loved the idea of Thor still being worthy even when he’s not who he used to be. I nearly came when Cap caught Mjolnir. Conceding New Asgard to Valkyrie was super smart, and I like that he’s going to go figure himself out with the Guardians.

Speaking of, Gamora’s whole story has made me feel gross. As the daughter of an abusive stepfather who also loved me a lot when he wasn’t being a monster, it def made me squirm. But the reality is I don’t give enough of a shit about any of the Guardians to care about what happens to them other than Thor, so. Chris Pratt can eat my entire ass.

The things it got right - pacing an insane amount of action in a way that never stalled, executing a beautifully woven and inlaid sacrifice arc for Tony, Paul Rudd in general - are so much smaller than the things that were just… gapingly terrible.

Did Bruce even get an ending? Did anyone remember what the hell he said he was gonna do? He got lost somewhere in the shuffle and I legit have no idea what his ending was.

Ugh. I need some ibuprofen and a nap. I’m gonna go back to writing my Natasha sex-shop au in which SHE WILL NEVER EVER EVER DIE FOR CLINT’S STORY DEVELOPMENT and wish I still drank.

[elyssebeeart]

Requiem’s End

Fandom: Transformers (Universe: Movie/Bay!verse) Rating: G Word count: ~3.3k Warnings: Death mentions Summary: Not long after the events of The Last Knight the Autobots travel to Cuba, a designated sanctuary for their kind. There they hope to reunite with old comrades and surviving members before returning to Cybertron. However, the reunion isn’t entirely sparkwarming. Disclaimer: This is to bridge the last movie and the hinted events of the [cancelled?] next film and make sense of some plotholes/unexplained things throughout the past 3 films (Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, The Last Knight) while keeping comic happenings/backstory in mind. Also it includes a couple of OCs who have full backstories the cinematic verse: Fyreant (c) me and Ravebreaker (c) @pumpkinachai​ (On Deviantart, Pending Ao3)

“Shouldn’t we be gettin’ a welcome party or somethin’? We’re war heroes, y��know.” Crosshairs complained loudly in his Cockney accent, looking unimpressed at their apparent new home as he transformed from his alt-mode. The green Autobot paratrooper bit at his dentapick in annoyance, “Sanctuary nothin’, this is punishment. Why we here again? Thought we’d be headin’ for Cybertron lickety-split but it’s been four days!”    

“Qui vivra verra. Be patient, mon amie.” Hot Rod encouraged, transforming next to him. The sleek black robot with orange accents tried his best to interpret his unshakable French accent, “You might like what’s inside, no? Might like it here.”      

“Anyone home?” Drift inquired as he shifted to bipedal mode, the red samurai-esque robot tilting his head. “Perhaps we got the place wrong?” 

“Shh, quiet you lot. I’ve been dying to do this.” Their burly comrade, Hound, hushed as he rolled up and transformed as well. He grabbed a grenade off his belt and chucked it into the open building, calling out, “Fire in the hole!”

There was no sound for a few moments before banging and clattering was heard followed by a string of curses as a blue robot with a blue visor scrambled outside, shouting in a southern accent, “Slag it! Who in the Pit thought it was a funny idea!? Which one of you hooligans did it? I swear-”

“Topspin, there ya are. Almost didn’t recognize ya with that new look of yours, nearly took ya for Leadfoot.” Hound identified the fellow Autobot, leaning back in satisfaction as he crossed his arms. “Getting a bit rusty are we?”

“Hound, you ole dog! You tryin’ to frag me?” Topspin’s demeanor instantly changed to one of fondness as he saw the culprit. “And I got a mod in Lead’s memory, got a problem?”

“No problem. And there ain’t be no trying if I did. Didn’t ya notice the pin wasn’t pulled?”  

“‘Course! I’m not blind, you piece of slag. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t about to frag someone.”

The two mechs proceeded to clasp arms affectionately before giving each other a friendly punch. Topspin let out a laugh, slapping Hound on the back, “Looks like you made it to Cuba in one piece! I’m never sure who’s going to end up on my doorstep; I heard Prime’s broadcast, guess radio silence is over.”

“It’s not like ya to miss out on a fight let alone multiple battles. Didn’t take ya much for a ‘Bot looking for retirement.”

“Yeah neither did I but losin’ my Wrecker crew and gettin’ wounded got me thinkin’. Then my buddy Simmons hooked me up and here I am! Still tryin’ to get him to tan those pasty legs of his; they could blind somebody.”

“Greetings, Topspin.” Drift bowed politely to the uncouth robot. “It is good to see you again. Are you alone?”     

“Hah, hell naw. Wish I was sometimes, hold on. Yo!” Topspin shouted as he turned toward another building nearby, letting out a sharp whistle. “We’ve got company, get on out here. Vámonos!”

“You know, I don’t recall you ever being made the boss.” A young husky voice called in a mocking tone, “Maybe you should get your head examined.”

“He forgets that I’m nearly as old as him and still tries to bully; his CPU must be slipping.” Another voice replied, sounding a bit older and more relaxed. “Ah, well. We just gotta roll with the music.”

“If he has any part of his CPU left. I think he does most of his cognation through his-.”

“Whoa momma! Thank you Cybertron!” Crosshairs exclaimed, looking up where the planet could be seen in the atmosphere as two figures emerged, revealing themselves to be an orange and red femme. He turned to look at Hot Rod with pure relief and excitement, “You’re right. I like it here.”

“Other Autobots?” The red femme looked interested, a smile on her faceplates as she looked over the small group, eyeing them through her dark visor. “Mmm, some fine looking mechs too. Primus is smiling on me today.”

The smaller orange femme was silent as her red gaze swept over the others, looking hardly cheerful, “Oh goodie.”

“Ravebreaker, Fyreant, meet my old comrades. ‘cept for that guy, I have no idea who he is.” Topspin gestured at Hot Rod who shrugged and bobbed his head, confirming it was true.

“Some we already know, rustbrain.” Fyreant drily informed to which Drift politely bowed.

“‘ey, I’ve got you in my sights and… I must say it’s a nice view. Name’s Crosshairs, numero uno.” The green mech introduced himself, grinning at the femmes as he gave a wink. “How’s about I let you two ladies have the ‘onor in being by my side. Best bot in the biz after all.”

Ravebreaker instantly let out a laugh and put a servo over her mouth. Her companion however looked far less amused.

“Excuse me, I need to go perform self mutilation to spare myself from repeating this experience.” Fyreant quipped flatly, equally unimpressed and disgusted. “Meeting you all was a real pleasure, like purging my tanks.”

“Mademoiselle! Wait, s’il vous plaît! Crosshairs, he is imbécile! Gros lourdeau!” Hot Rod protested, attempting to appease while shooting the offender a look. “I’m Hot Rod; I apologize on his behalf.”

“Ooo, I like your accent.” Ravebreaker purred, drawing closer, “Keep talking.”

“Figured Prime would be with you, being you fought together; heard all about it from Simmons.” Topspin scratched his head as he got a better look at the newcomers, ignoring his companions.

“Optimus will be here soon, he had something to take care of first. Didn’t fancy he needed a convoy. Besides, me and the boys were curious about this here place you got set up.” Hound informed, looking not concerned in the slightest.

“Blimey, speak of the devil.” Crosshairs grumbled as he looked back, “Can’t let a star like me shine for long on my own, can he?”

A distinctive looking red and blue semi-truck was heading toward the group. Next to the large vehicle a sporty yellow with black racing stripes car followed, keeping an even pace with the apparent Autobot leader.

“Wait… is that, Bumblebee?” Ravebreaker’s voice was full of disbelief seeing the oncoming Camero. “That has to be him! He made it! Fyre, he made it!”

Fyreant halted her retreat, her optics wide. Her snide tone softened slightly as she turned to see her old comrade, “It’s Bee?”

“Yeah, that’s him. Doesn’t like to leave Optimus’ side much when he can help it. That’s loyalty for ya.” Hound acknowledged, grinning at the approaching duo. “Kid’s got guts, but ya probably know that.”

As the two Autobots drew closer the yellow car sped ahead only to suddenly transform to bipedal mode. The robot did a somersault before landing on his feet, breaking out into a jog toward the others, giving a casual two finger salute as he joined the group.

“Bumblebee reporting for duty. Nice to see familiar faces; not so much the ugly mugs.” He shifted his gaze from his mech comrades to the two femmes, brightening, “Rave, Fyre, you’re here! Been what, five Earth years?”

“Y-you can talk?” Ravebreaker stared at the yellow mech who appeared proud and bashful as he nodded. “Like, talk talk!? That’s all you!?”

“Really? How’d you manage that?” Fyreant exclaimed, gawking as she came closer. In hearing his true voice for the first time her memory cells echoed back various audio clips he’d played previously to converse, leaving her dazed.

“It’s… hard to explain.” Bumblebee let out a small laugh, shrugging. “But yeah, this is me. This is my voice.”

“Oh, sweet-thing I’m so happy! I’m so proud you got it back!” Ravebreaker rushed over and hugged him, giving him an affectionate pat. “What a fine voice it is too to go with a fine bot!”

“Congrats.” Fyreant seemed to relax, but still managed to look semi annoyed, “A bit sorry I couldn’t repay you by fixing it but I’m glad for you; though, it’s going to take some getting used to.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going soft.” He teased, edging closer and giving her a playful nudge. “We still need our little spitfire.”

“In your dreams.” Fyreant elbowed him back, grinning deviously. She lowered her voice, “After dealing with Topspin all this time, him treating me like his personal medic, I’m rearing to get back at him. Wanna help?”

“A chance to troll? Of course!”

“Autobots, it is good to see you here.” An all too familiar deep rolling voice called out, commanding attention. Everyone turned to see their mighty leader Optimus Prime transform, revealing his towering robot self in knight-esque armor with some retrofits. “I expect more will be arriving in time in response to my call.”

“Well, it looks like everyone else is takin’ their sweet time. Whoopdeedoo.” Crosshairs sniffed, folding his arms as he looked around for some source of entertainment. “Waste of time waitin’ around, I could be doin’ somethin’ useful.”

“Patience.” Drift urged his restless companion. “Those who have yet to arrive are late, but perhaps they have much farther to come than us.”

“Including Ratchet! Can’t wait to rub that in his face when he gets here.” Fyreant admitted to Bumblebee, sounding delighted at the prospect. “So much for nagging about being first on scene!”

Instantly the demeanor of Optimus’ group changed, Crosshairs suddenly becoming still, Drift looking away, Hound hanging his head while Hot Rod looked lost. Bumblebee appeared conflicted as Fyreant gazed up at him expectantly, the mischievous twinkle still in her optics.

“He-” Bumblebee began but Optimus placed a servo on his shoulder, causing him to go silent as he glanced up at his leader.

Optimus took a moment before speaking, “It is with a heavy spark that I must inform you that Ratchet is one with the Well of All Sparks.”

The statement hung in the air like a noxious cloud as it became uncomfortably silent. The quiet appeared to invite further unease by allowing the words to echo in audio receivers as the rest of the world seemed muted.

“… No.”

The response was barely audible but it cut through the thick silence like a knife.

“Fyreant-”

“No! Pit! No!” She shouted, her voice clipping as outrage consumed her sorrow, rejecting Bumblebee’s attempt to comfort. She stepped back, her red optics flaring, looking as if she’d been betrayed; her gaze flicked in accusation to the newcomers, “He can’t! He said I was still in training! He needs to finish teaching me! How can I… NO!”

“I’m sorry.” Bumblebee hung his head, his optics closing, “I’m so sorry. We weren’t there. We couldn’t save him.”

“No, no, no! Why!?”

“War hasn’t been kind to any of us, kid.” Hound solemnly acknowledged, turning his gaze to the ground as the memory of Ratchet’s fate haunted him. “Thank Primus you didn’t see… he wouldn’t have wanted it.”

“Who did it? Who killed him?” Fyreant’s optics smoldered with hatred, her voice dripping with venom. She looked at each of the newcomers, probing for an answer as she shook, “Tell me, Primus so help me.”

“Kid-”

“Tell me, slag it!” She screamed, fluid escaping her optics as she cut off Hound. Furiously she wiped them away, trying to will the function to cease but failed. Instantly Ravebreaker was beside her, gently holding her arm out of support not restraint. “What filth took down a medic!?”

“It was Lockdown. He was workin’ together with some humans.” Crosshairs admitted, spitting at the memory. “Chasin’ us down like animals. Gutless, the lot.”

At this information Ravebreaker’s demeanor shifted, her already sad posture tensing. Though she kept a servo on Fyreant, attempting to sooth her friend who shook with fury, a tremor ran through her as well.

“I’ll burn his optics out. I’ll cauterize his nerve circuits and then scorch them repeatedly with acid!” Fyreant swore, her optics pulsing a deeper red, her original Decepticon alignment surfacing. “Then I’ll put his head in a vise and rip it off!”

“Fyre… it was five years ago.” Bumblebee softly informed, the pity plain in his optics and voice.

“I know this is hard news and I’m familiar with your rage as I also felt it deeply. But know Ratchet, my old friend, has been avenged.” Optimus knelt down on one knee to get a better look at the grieving young femme. “I personally slew Lockdown and took care of the human responsible for ordering the attacks and defilement of our kind. While I cannot say how many of our comrades fell to his cruelty he has been stopped, permanently.”

“Slag it, slag it all…” Was all Fyreant could get out as she turned away, relieved yet angry that justice and revenge by her hand had escaped her.

“What about anyone else? Surely there are more survivors.” Topspin inquired, looking upset but knew the sting of casualties too well to be surprised. “Though, y’all are the biggest group to come; usually they’re alone and it’s been gettin’ far between arrivals.”

“I am uncertain of most of our comrades’ fates.” Optimus admitted, solemn, “My hope is that they’re still in disguise here on Earth, safe until they can come to this sanctuary or return to Cybertron.”

“Sideswipe’s gone.” Ravebreaker suddenly spoke up, her casual tone cold and distant, a slight quiver in her voice. “Just over five years ago… Must have been right before Ratchet.”

This time the shock hit Optimus’ group, Bumblebee instantly shaking his head with disbelief while Optimus closed his optics in pain and let out a tired sigh.

“That bot knew how to raise hell… him and Ironhide.” Hound lamented, taking off his helmet in respect. “Primus, they were fine mechs. My condolences, little lady.”

“Rave, I’m so sorry.” Bumblebee looked back and forth between her and Fyreant, helpless as the latter closed herself off and the former, despite the steeled look, screamed raw.

“Humans attacked, I heard it over our commlink. I couldn’t do anything to help, I was too far away.” A tremor ran through her body as she took a shaky breath, “I felt it when his spark was extinguished.”

“You felt-?” Crosshairs began, confused.

“They were sparkbonded.” Bumblebee explained in a quiet voice, “Before we all split up and scattered.”

“Mon Dieu!” Hot Rod could not control his surprise, his large optics wide.

Crosshairs let out a whistle, earning an elbowing from Drift who looked just as surprised. Meanwhile Topspin was quiet, looking awkward as it was old news to him while Fyreant was still trying to control herself, her back turned.

“It grieves me to learn of Sideswipe’s demise, he was a fine comrade and a valued warrior. He chose a fine sparkmate in you, Ravebreaker.” Optimus’ tone was bittersweet though sincerity could be heard. “He will forever remain in our sparks, as well as Ratchet and all our fallen comrades. They will live on in our memories.”

“Yes, he is forever in my spark.” Ravebreaker softly spoke, placing her servo gently on her chest. “And he lives on… through our sparkling.”

At this news the others perked up, glancing at one another to affirm they heard correctly. Bumblebee’s look of sadness turned to shock and then joy, “Really?” to which Ravebreaker nodded, her servo over her spark where the apparent new life was.

“Oi now! She’s taken and goin’ to be havin’ a baby? Just my luck.” Crosshairs complained in a not so low voice to Drift, earning himself a smack across the back of the head from Hound. “Ow! Me head!”

“Zip yer lip before I bust it.”

“Despite these sad times I find joy that life continues. There is hope with this sparkling, promise that life is returning to our race.” Optimus rose to his feet, looking proud as confidence tinged his voice. “This is the mark of a new beginning.”

“Ah, good ‘cause all this melancholy is crampin’ my mojo.” Topspin declared, “This is paradise, y’all. Lighten up, sad times are behind us! We’re moving forward, amigos!” “Yeah, what he said! Ding dong, the witch is dead!” Crosshairs agreed as he sulked, rubbing the back of his head, referring to the manipulative yet deceased Quintessa.

“Not everyone is good at brushing things off.” Drift sagely commented, “Some wish to return to their roots or continue their chosen path.”

“Yeah, well this is my chosen path: I’m keepin’ my aft planted right here. Dunno about the rest of y’all, but I got over Cybertron when I thought for a while it was destroyed by the spacebridge’s implosion eight years ago. I’ve made my peace; I’m retired!”

“Could have fooled me.” Bumblebee muttered, rolling his optics at the Wrecker’s mouthiness as he mocked talked with his servo.

“I respect the decision to remain on Earth but I’ll be going to Cybertron as the Knights of Iacon have already departed for it. There is much to be done and time is short.”

“What are you here for, Prime? Obviously not the beaches.” Topspin pressed, crossing his arms. “Speaking of which, I’m losin’ good beach sun standin’ here.”

“To assemble a new team and assess this sanctuary.” Optimus informed, “I will wait here for one Earth week, giving fellow Autobots time to respond to my broadcast and choose whether to convene here for sanctuary or join me in returning to our home world. Those who choose to return to Cybertron will aid in its restoration. However they are free to come and go as they please.”

“You know, communications is just one of my many talents.” Ravebreaker placed a servo on her hip, coy smile across her faceplates. “I can help boost the signal and encrypt it so it’s harder for enemies to pick up. That should speed things up a bit too in getting the word out.”

“I’ll go.” Fyreant spoke up her voice back to its hard edge. She looked up at the Autobot leader, her red optics no longer flaring dangerously. “There is nothing left for me here on Earth despite it being my creation place. Plus I need resources to complete the frame for Rave’s sparkling… even if Ratchet isn’t here, I need to continue in his stead.”

“I understand. I look forward to having you in my company once more, Fyreant. Your expertise is extremely valuable. Ratchet would be proud of his pupil; you make a fine medic with that fiery passion.” Optimus nodded, acknowledging her resolve.

“And of course I’ll be going with her. Us gals need to stick together.” Ravebreaker announced, leaning down to the shorter femme and giving her a hug, grinning. “Can’t be without my medic, can I? Besides, Cybertron will be dying to hear my tunes once more; they don’t know how much they’ve missed this femme.”

“What about my medic?” Topspin whined, clearly not thrilled at this development, “My volleyball elbow! And my leg that locks up!”

“Go soak it in oil and stop playing slagging volleyball and do something else!” Fyreant snapped, tossing her servos up as she glared at him. “And for the last time: it’s tennis elbow, you wingnut!”

“That’s such a wussy name, and I don’t play no tennis! Simmons is wrong, I tell you.”

“Ugh, a week can’t come soon enough if I don’t die first from any more of this torture! You’re the worst patient!”

Hound let out a laugh he tried to disguise as a cough, turning away to pretend it was coughing fit that he blamed on his cy-gar under his breath. Crosshairs looked amused, grinning as he chewed his dentapick.

“Oh yeah, I’m goin’ to enjoy this.”

“I see why the young one wants to leave.” Drift observed to which Hot Rod nodded in agreement.

“Oui.”

“Autobots, today marks the start of our new mission. We shall gather our comrades and soon return to our home world in preparation for the new threat that lies beneath our feet. We will protect not only Cybertron but Earth as well, despite each’s faults. Together we will rebuild.”

“We’re with you, Optimus.” Bumblebee affirmed, nodding with conviction. “Always.”

“Thank you, my friend. Let us set forward to this dawn of a new age. An age of Cybertron’s rebirth and our people.” The imposing Transformer turned his attention toward the sky where the battered planet orbited, his blue optics serious. “It is time for this requiem’s end.”

[riotatthemovies]

Coldmoon (2016) 

I have been curious about this movie for a while. I discovered today it is made by the director of Ghost Shark but instead of being funny the director chose to go straight , serious and shockingly dark. 

Basically its a twin peaks rip off meets a modern day American ghost story.

Imagine if in Twins Peaks the cops did not get as involved as you expected and Laura Palmer's ghost basically told you who the killer was right away.

With recognisable actor Frank Whaley as the Sheriff and tiny cameos by Christopher Lloyd and even Tommy freakin Wiseau, it will make you expect something different than what you will get. 

A small town in American is shocked by the murder of a young innocent girl. The Sheriff seems tired and worn out and not up to the task of figuring it out.  Weird southern characters in the town all seem odd and prominently unlikeable. A key to low budget movies is how small towns have way too many different kinds of southern accents.     Spoiler... The movie seems like a Twin Peaks weird you out rip off but what if the hallucination scenes were actually a cliche wet long haired ghost.  UNTIL the rest of the girls family is killed. Then the oddly slow and dull movie kicks you in the teeth in an act that is equally smart and yet insulting. The young girls other family members are killed in a scene that reveals the killer. 

You are led to believe early on that there will be twists and misleaders since you are in a familiar type of movie. But once you know the killer is exactly who they say it is you just have to witness the killer reveal just how awful and scummy he is. The actor playing the killer is pretty good so far as he makes you totally hate him and want the worst to happen to him. The killers performance is shockingly good, the actor looks like a taller David Patrick Kelly (who note appeared in Twin Peaks). He is soulless and remorseless Now remember there is a cliche dead girl ghost after him... or is there? Is his shallow sick mind just getting to him and driving him crazy or it really a snake spitting ghost stalking him. Some surprisingly shocking moments in a rather safe and slow burn of a movie.

Warning there is no way you will take serious a ghost of an old lady that looks exactly like Beetlejuice when he turns into a snake. The ghost looks really cool but you cant help but laugh and say “We’ve come for your daughter Chuck”  This obviously was on purpose those because this movie is based off a book written by Michael McDowell who yes also wrote Beetlejuice. Go figure.... shit imagine with Beetlejuice ended up a serious horror film? How would life be different?

This premise and set of characters would have been much better in a smarter directors hands. You know I love GhostShark but in a sharply polished B movie lark kind of way. Better quality and more creative shots would add to the unsettling atmosphere.  The actors playing the villain and the sheriff and doing a great job but there is just this obviously missing solid style missing.  Smaller rolls of the killers little brother and the dead little girls grandmother are great as well and deserving of a better finished product. You feel the fear and frustration of the people but the sad fact of bad low budget pacing and over explanatory scenes.

Spoiler again.. just as you start to think the killer is maybe left losing his mind  and hallucinations the ghost they straight out tell you the ghost are real too. Its only one scene where the Sheriff finds evidence left behind by the ghosts and it could have been left out so we could come to terms with it on our own. 

The ghost gags are needed but when they pop in cliche ghost gags (especially at the end) it makes the serious elements go straight down the toilet. The fact that only the killer reacts to ghost elements and it feels tact on later you often lose interest and sadly even laugh at scenes because of the ghosts when it totally could have been done right in better hands.

This reveal dumbs down the movie making you less interested in the twists and oddities of the characters but just makes you wait to see who will get the bad guy first, the naive cop or the ghosts.  On top of asking why half these characters even exist. That and why was Tommy Wiseau in the background? But  thats not important.

I can very much compare it too Jack Ketchum's The Lost which is another emotionally dark thriller that suffers due to its low budget and amateur finishings.

I recommend this with having you be aware this is a movie that suffers from totally not living up to his potential.  Think about it.. a movie that ME.. ME of all people would say needed less wacky ghosts and more artistic character development. Maybe if it was all ghosts all the time I wouldn't say that.. but that would be a totally different movie. Thus this will be another of those movies that frustrates me cause it was so close to being good but due to failing that seems really bad.

[brokemultidotexe]

Unexpected 14.5

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Summary: You never expected your trip to Seoul to end up like it does. You didn’t expect to step off the plane and have coffee pour down your shirt. You also didn’t expect the guy to offer to show you around the city. You notice things about him that don’t quite make sense, like how he shows interest but will only see you when he has the time which is at random hours during the day and night. Who knew your only friend in Seoul would turn out to be an international star and just how difficult things could get.

Word Count: 4k

Warning: None

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 |

Jungkook was sitting in his room leaning back in his computer chair to stare at the ceiling. He had been sitting like this for the past two hours trying to process the information that was given today. Had this happened months ago he would probably be more excited than he was right now. He felt bad because he knew he should be more excited but other thoughts plagued his mind. He heard a knock at the door but the person on the other side didn’t wait to be invited in.

“You’re going to have to stop sulking Jungkookie. It’s not the end of the world.” Jimin leaned against the door frame.

“I know it’s not, but going on tour for months doesn’t sound as appealing as it used to. Plus that leaves her here wi-”

“With Jackson?” Jimin interrupted and got a glare in response.

“That’s not what I was going to say.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true.” he shrugged.

“Did you come here to make me feel better or piss me off? I’m just curious.” Jungkook was now sitting up in the chair fully facing his best friend.

“Technically neither. Look all I was going to say is that maybe you should just talk to her.” Jimin hated seeing Jungkook struggle as much as he was, especially since he’d never seen him be this way about any girl before.

Jungkook groaned, “I just got her back. I don’t want to risk her cutting me out again.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Wow for knowing her so well you don’t give her much credit. Even I know she wouldn’t do that, so what’s this really about?”

He chewed on his lip debating on whether to truly open up about everything because he still hadn’t figured it out himself. “Like I said, I just got her back but my worry isn’t her cutting me out. It’s my life cutting her out that I'm worried about. I never really gave any of it much thought before because I didn’t have to worry about anyone else. Now everything I do I'm thinking about how it would affect her or what she would want to do. The thought of being away for months and not seeing her just gives me this awful feeling in my chest.” his hand subconsciously started rubbing against his sternum.

Jimin felt for him because everyone’s first love was always the hardest and Jungkook was having to go through it during the rise of his career. “I’m sure Bang would let her come visit us on tour or something.”

He shook his head, “No he’s already said he’s taking a risk.”

“But did you ask this specific question? I mean he’s letting her go with you when we’re filming for the Run episodes. He’s allowed her to go to smaller appearances, but if you want even a chance of you getting to see her on tour then ask. The worse he can say is no.” he watched Jungkook nod with his eyes cast down. Jimin knew this probably wasn’t the time to ask but he needed to know where the youngest members head was at. “What are you going to do when she has to go back home?”

Jungkook’s eyes quickly met his and Jimin could see the worry in his eyes, “I try not to think about it. I want to talk about it with her but every time it’s come up I quickly change the subject because I'm scared to hear what she’s gonna say. I know she can’t stay here forever but I don’t want an ocean between us. I don’t even like when there’s a room between us, and yes I know how pathetic that sounds.”

Jimin walked into his room and closed the door behind him and moved some things around so he could sit down because he was sure this conversation may last a while. “I know you think long distance relationships are doomed to fail, but not every relationship is the same.”

“I’m pretty sure this is different than most long-distance relationships.”

He nodded, “You’re right, it is. But I know you don’t like to lose so I'm sure you’d do anything you could to make it last. If not, there will be others later on that live in the same country as you do.”

“I don’t want anyone here, I want her.”

“Then tell her that. ” Jimin huffed, “The both of you are skirting around each other it’s driving us all insane. We know you like each other, even a blind person would be able to tell. You’re practically dating, the only thing your lacking is a title. At this point, we’re all waiting to walk in on you two, which if you do decide to do anything of the sort please shoot us a message to let us know not to come home.”

“It’s not that simple, we’ve had this conversation.”

“The last time we had it she didn’t know who you were and now she does.”

“We’re about to go on tour, I’d be a dick if I asked her to be my girlfriend and then flew around the globe for months without seeing her.” Jungkook felt like he was going in the same circle with Jimin and he just wasn’t understanding that it wasn’t as black and white as Jimin was trying to portray.

“Look, just try and talk to Bang. It can’t hurt to ask Jungkookie, because what if you never asked but he would have said it was fine. You’ll be kicking yourself later if you don’t at least ask.” Jungkook nodded, “Look we all like her, she’s great and I've never seen someone mesh so well with you like she does. She brings out a side of you we never got to see and you look happy, so don’t let this pass by just because you won’t ask a simple question.”

“Okay I'll ask.” he finally relented because Jimin had a point even though he wouldn’t admit it. “But I still don’t know how to tell her about the tour.”

“Don’t worry about that now. Just spend the time you can with her because it doesn’t matter how it turns out as long as you’ve spent today with her. We’ve been in meetings all day and had practice for part of it. So go see her because honestly, you’re depressing me with your mopey demeanor.” Jimin grabbed a jacket hanging off to the side and tossed it into his lap, “Now go, just remember we have an early practice so if you don’t come home at least set an alarm.”

“Really hyung?” Jungkook couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, you’ve done it before. Seriously, go see your girl.” he stood up and opened the door and left.

Jungkook sat in his chair debating if he should follow Jimin’s advice or not. He really did want to see Y/N because he hadn’t talked to her much since he had been in meetings for most of the day. After they were told they would be getting ready to go on tour he hadn’t looked at his phone because he was still trying to process the fact that he may not see her for months. He didn’t know how he was ever going survive if she moved back to America. He was in too deep with her and the thought of not getting to see her every day upset him more than he thought it would.

It wasn’t news to him that he was in love with her, but sometimes it still surprised him by just how much he did. It made him nervous because he’d never felt this vulnerable with anyone before but he couldn’t help but feel the way he did towards her. He tried so long to fight it and at some point, he couldn’t anymore, not when he kept getting insanely jealous every time he would call her and she was with Jackson. He didn’t have issues with Jackson, not really, but he envied that Jackson could be with her without any restrictions.

Jungkook grabbed his jacket and slipped it on. He grabbed his keys and turned off the light before heading towards the front door. When he came out into the living room he saw Jimin and Tae sitting there with a movie going. Jimin had a huge smile on his face and held his hand out in front of Tae.

“I don’t have cash on me now so you’ll have to wait.”

“You guys are betting on me again? Seriously?” it seemed to be a common occurrence now that he hung out with Y/N so much and they enjoyed teasing him way too much.

“I’m saving us all from Tae buying anymore Gucci.” Jungkook laughed and walked away when the two started arguing. He closed the door and walked towards the elevator. Despite not knowing how to tell Y/N about the tour he was going to take his hyung’s advice and just enjoy today with her because it was the one thing he was promised.

AN: Okay i won’t beat around the bush this chapter is shit, but i haven’t finished 15 and i didn’t want to leave you hanging even more so i figured giving an insight to JK again would work out pretty well. For the ones that have still stayed with me after this long pause I thank you. I really am sorry if you find this chapter as shitty as i do but it’s been crazy so far and i’ve been having to work through my lunch and that has made it hard to write as much as i have been because that was my main time to write.

[dnmeinster]

Why The Last Jedi Fails

I've debated whether it would be worth spending time writing this, as I know there are many critical takes out there about The Last Jedi.  But I figure it's time to gather up all my critiques and criticisms of Star Wars Episode 8 and put them into one (hopefully) coherent post.  Warning: I will be praising some parts of this film.

After I saw The Last Jedi opening night, my immediate reaction was that I loved it.  It is a beautifully shot film with some great scenes.  My initial trepidations were ones I've come to accept: Rey's parents are nobodies and Snoke was killed off without a backstory.  However, in the hours after watching, my critical brain turned back on and started to dissect every other bit of the film.  After seeing it a second time, the problems became more apparent.

Let's start with the film's greatest problem and a huge missed opportunity: Canto Bight.  Everything surrounding this whole plot point and locale is misguided from the minute it's mentioned.  It starts by wasting Maz Kanata, a potentially interesting character who is given little more than a cameo to send Finn and Rose off to the casino world.  Even worse, Maz's short amount of screen time includes a dig at the prequels, when she dismisses any notion that they'd be interested in her union dispute.  Here, we get some insight into how this film will approach politics in the Star Wars galaxy.  But director Rian Johnson misdiagnoses what was wrong with the prequels.  Space politics can be interesting!  See:  Star Wars Bloodline.  Johnson's decision to shy away from it compounds the problems when they actually get to Canto Bight.

It all goes wrong from the moment they land.  Literally.  Finn and Rose "park" their ship in a spot they're not supposed to.  Then they enter the casino, in what is apparently an homage to the cantina but on a grander scale.  This diverse set of gamblers are apparently war profiteers, as is briefly mentioned.  But their only interaction with any of them is when they are approached and arrested for parking illegally.  Seriously.

In prison, they encounter DJ, who will eventually join them on their mission to disable the First Order's tracker.  But first, they have to go back to the casino area and release enslaved creatures so they can trample and maim these profiteers we are told are bad.  This is a very long sequence that ends with Finn saying how glad he was to hurt them.  Huh?  Hurt these people you don't know and haven't spoken to?

The entire Canto Bight subplot lacks any depth.  It's completely superficial, and maybe that would've worked if they didn't spend so much of the movie there.  But it ends up being a whole lot of time wasted on what amounts to finding a way to get DJ with Finn and Rose.  This could've been so much better.

HOW TO IMPROVE CANTO BIGHT

Honestly, this should've been caught when someone was reading Johnson's drafts, because we're basically stuck with a chunk a TLJ that degrades it while simultaneously expanding its running time.  But it could've been fixed, starting with Maz.

 Instead of having Maz phone in her appearance, they should have met her on Canto Bight.  Right there, we lose one prequel crack and give Lupita a slightly larger role.  While there, they interact with these profiteers, engaging in a moral debate about the First Order vs. the Resistance, while finding out how the conflict is viewed through the galaxy.  Were there a lot of systems missing the Empire?  How do they feel about the New Republic's destruction?  Eventually, that moral debate is what leads to fisticuffs and their subsequent imprisonment, as opposed to a parking ticket.

Johnson doesn't touch on any of this in TLJ.  His take on the morality of the conflict is restricted to two lines involving DJ.  First: 

DJ: Good guys, bad guys, made-up words. Let's see who formerly owned this gorgeous hunk-uh. Ah, this guy was an arms dealer. Made his bank selling weapons to the bad guys. (Hologram shows a tie fighter.) Oh... And the good. (Hologram shows an x-wing.) Finn, let me learn you something big. It's all a machine, partner. Live free, don't join.

And second, when DJ betrays them:   

DJ: They blow you up today, you can blow them up tomorrow. It's just business. 

Finn: You're wrong. 

DJ: Maybe.

This is the extent Johnson is willing to go when it comes to morality in the Star Wars universe, and it's just not enough.  Either dig in or don't mention it.  Short changing it is a disservice, but that's exactly what happens.

If the entire Canto Bight sequence was redone, it would not only be a better Star Wars movie, but a better movie in general.  It doesn't have to be exactly as I think it should be, but it needs vast improvements.  If Disney were to ever special edition the sequels, then Canto Bight should be singled out.  And yes, I do think they should special edition them, along with the prequels.  But that's for another time.

MOVING ON

The second greatest issue of The Last Jedi is how immensely it fails at being a sequel to The Force Awakens.  I am undoubtedly biased when it comes to discussing TFA because JJ Abrams is one of my favorite directors and I absolutely loved his take on Star Wars.  Now, one of JJ's favorite things to do is to approach plots as mystery boxes, whose contents are slowly revealed over the course of a TV series or movie.  And don't say he didn't have any clue as to where TFA was going, as he had an outline prepared for the sequel, and an idea for who Rey's parents were.  Along comes Rian Johnson, who, instead of opening that mystery box, takes a hammer to it.

So much of what is hinted at, left unsolved, or teased in TFA is either ignored, brushed aside, or poorly answered in TLJ.  This is a problem.  TLJ is supposed to be a direct sequel, not a spin-off or an unplanned continuation.  When Yoda suggests there's another hope in Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi provides an answer to who that is.  Imagine if it didn't.  Well, I suppose you don't have to cause this basically happens with TLJ.

There was a lot of set up in TFA, but Johnson used TLJ to tear all of that up instead of building on it.  Rey's lineage, strongly hinted to be significant through multiple scenes in TFA, is made to be meaningless in TLJ.  Maz Kanata teased having a story about how she came to possess Anakin's lightsaber, but that's ignored in TLJ.  Snoke is treated like a disposable villain, even though he somehow managed to stitch the Empire back together and tempt Ben Solo to the dark side.  The Knights of Ren are mentioned in an offhand comment in TFA and are completely missing in TLJ.  I could go on.

Okay, I will.  Why would Luke leave a map for his friends to find him in TFA if he went to Ahch-To to die?  And why did Luke leave it with Lor San Tekka?  (Johnson's answer:  stfu, Luke is emo now.)

The Last Jedi also feels like a smaller movie.  There are two new locations introduced: Canto Bight and Crait.  It revisits Ahch-To from TFA, and the rest takes place on ships.  This is not necessarily a problem, except it fails to show both the dominance of the First Order and the scope of their battle with the Republic/Resistance.  Star Wars is a big universe.  Shouldn't it feel that way?

And then there's issues with some of the returning characters.  Finn is tied down in the wasteful Canto Bight plot that doesn't do much for him.  Leia spends most of the movie in a coma.  Ackbar is murdered for no reason and with even less fanfare.  Poe gets an expanded role, though somehow it doesn't lead to much character growth.

And I can't forget Phasma.  A character with so much potential yet given such short shrift in both TFA and TLJ.  She feels tacked on in this film, when she could've been given a meatier role given how underwhelming all of Johnson's original characters are.  Which brings me to...

THE NEWBIES

The Empire Strikes Back introduced us to Yoda, Lando, and Boba Fett.  The only memorable addition to The Last Jedi are the porgs.

Johnson gives us three new characters in TLJ:  Admiral Holdo, DJ, and Rose.  There isn't that much to say about them, because, well, they're not very memorable and they're certainly not iconic.  Holdo is a one note character meant to serve as the adversary to Poe.  Her entire role consists of antagonizing him and withholding information.  She's much more interesting in Claudia Grey's novel, Leia: Princess of Alderaan.

I've already mentioned the role DJ plays during Benicio del Toro's criminally tiny amount of screen time, so that leaves Rose.  She's...okay?  Sticking her on Canto Bight certainly doesn't help her.  The most memorable thing she does is interrupt Finn's suicide run and plant a kiss on him, both of which come from almost nowhere.

It really feels like these characters are underdeveloped and the actors are wasted in the roles, and that's a shame.  But then, that's the story of the prequels as well.  It's just that it was less surprising when George Lucas was doing it.

THE WORST MOMENT IN THE LAST JEDI

Luke Skywalker is far from the Luke we remember in RotJ.  At least until the end of the film, when he leaves Ahch-To, joins Leia and the Resistance, and takes on Kylo Ren and the First Order on his own.

Except he didn't really leave Ahch-To, it's a Force projection, and the stress of creating it kills him.  What?

Han Solo's death makes sense given his son's role in TFA.  Luke Skywalker dies because Rian Johnson chose to kill him.  There is not a single reason plot-wise for Luke to die in this movie.  The Sequel Trilogy should not be about killing off a member of the original trio in each film.  And it didn't have to be.  What were they thinking?

When Carrie Fisher passed away, and it became clear Leia was not going to be in Episode 9, that should have convinced the powers that be to change the last three minutes of the film and allow Luke to live.  Yes, he can return as a Force ghost, but that's not the same.  They would've only had to cut Luke's disappearance and a line from Rey and BAM, Luke's still alive for Episode 9.

His meaningless and arbitrary death ruins this film.  (And after they spent a whole film trying to find him, no less.)

THE GOOD

Now that I've rattled off some of the major flaws I perceived in TLJ, let me list some of the good.

The Yoda Scene:  Easily the best moment of the film.

Luke tossing the lightsaber:  A hilarious and unexpected moment before there were too many "hilarious" and unexpected moments.

Hux:  The one minor TFA character Johnson does an excellent job with.  He may be my favorite character in the film.

Rey and Ren:  The development of their relationship is the strongest element of TLJ.

The Caretakers:  See Damon Lindelof's Instagram.

The Porgs: Adorable pests/wookie-fodder.

Luke flashbacks:  We needed more of these.

Artoo: BB-8 is stealing his thunder, but he can still get in a cheap shot.

Threepio: He's also in this film.

Praetorian Guards: That's some good lightsaberin'.

The Cinematography:  Seriously, this movie is gorgeous.

It feels like a Star Wars movie (minus one ridiculous ironing scene).

FAILURE

Yoda tells Luke how failure is the greatest teacher, laying out one of the themes of this film.  The other, a quote played over numerous TLJ trailers, is "Let the past die.  Kill it, if you have to."  Let's explore.

Weeks before Max Landis disappeared from Twitter following sexual harassment allegations, he described how every character in this movie fails:

REY - Turn Kylo - Fails KYLO - Turn Rey - Fails FINN - Turn off tracker - Fails POE - Save Revel Fleet - Fails SNOKE - Kill Rey - Fails LUKE - Train Rey - Fails HUX - Usurp power - Fails LEIA - Escape - Mostly Fails ROSE TICO - Turn of tracker - Fails HOLDO - Evacuate to Planet Secretly - Fails

That's a lot of failure.  Ironically, you can add one more:

RIAN JOHNSON - Make a great Star Wars film - Fails

But this theme is not why TLJ doesn't work.  It's the other one that drags it down.  The whole idea to let the past die.  If this was Episode 9, and Disney was about to start fresh with a new series of Star Wars films, perhaps it would work.  But this is the middle chapter.  The past, especially TFA, should not be killed.  It should define the entire Sequel Trilogy.

After all, this is a culmination of everything in the OT and PT.  The First Order is born from the Empire.  The Resistance is born from the Rebellion (and then turned back into the Rebellion?  Guess you can't let the entire past die, huh?)  Most of the characters come from other movies.  This is their last time to shine.

Johnson subverts expectations too many times in TLJ.  It works at first, with Luke tossing the lightsaber, but by the end, it has become trite.  Rey's parents are nobodies.  Snoke's dead.  Luke's dead.  The entire Resistance can fit on the Millennium Falcon.  (And Kylo Ren’s awesome mask is wrecked.) He's killed the past without building anything for the future.  That's left to JJ in the single remaining film in the trilogy.  Come on!

The Last Jedi is so polarizing because there’s so much to nitpick, whereas The Force Awakens mainly had only one general complaint leveled against it (it was too much like A New Hope).  One fan may be okay with Leia's Mary Poppins scene, while also despising how Luke became a cranky hermit.  Each potential negative has to be overlooked to come out of it with a positive view, but it’s a lot easier to focus and harp on the negatives.  And that's what's happened online, and, yes, in this post.  Also, killing off Luke for no reason was dumb.

Before I go, I want to mention how overrated Looper was.  Interesting concept, but it falls apart at the farm.  And they gave that director a Star Wars film, while taking one away from the guys who did the Jump Street movies and The Lego Movie.  Sigh.

If JJ sticks the landing with Episode 9 and churns out a terrific film, perhaps TLJ can be viewed in a new light.  And opinions do change over the years.  But even though Revenge of the Sith was pretty good, no one looks back fondly at the prequel trilogy.

[theinquisitivej]

Review Variety Pack: Singers, Vampires, and Autopsies

When you write reviews, there are some weeks where there’s simply nothing on the schedule that grabs your interest or sparks any ideas that you feel compelled to write down. Then there are the times where you have the opposite problem, and you end up watching more than enough content to fill two or three articles, and you just don’t know what to pick. When this happens, I’m often torn between my desire to cover everything I see to produce more content and talk about as many different things with my readers as physically possible, and the practical limitation of only having so much time each week to properly go into extensive detail of what I’ve seen. Well, on this occasion, I thought I would try something a little different and take a quick look at a couple films and a TV series rather than dedicate an entire article to just one of them. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to the more in-depth format for my reviews soon enough. For now, this approach just allows me to catch up on some of the content I’ve been meaning to talk about, as well as point you all in the direction of a couple of items. There may even be one or two which have flown under the radar for you.

 ‘A Star is Born’

         Okay, so maybe not ALL of these are smaller projects that haven’t received a lot of media attention. But whatever – the deal with this movie is that Bradley Cooper decided to direct the latest in what has apparently been a long line of remakes and adaptations of the 1937 movie A Star is Born. Cooper plays a popular male singer who discovers a young woman with a talent for singing, played by Lady Gaga, who he wants to introduce to the world and drama ensues as they start a relationship and her fame keeps growing. I have no familiarity with the original or any of the other three remakes listed on Wikipedia, so take that for whatever it’s worth when I say I’m glad I saw this film.

         The 2018 A Star is Born seems to be made with the knowledge that the audience has likely heard this song before. Even if you’re like me and you haven’t seen any of the four previous versions of this film, the rise-to-stardom story is so well-established that it’s a safe bet that you’ll recognise many of the typical story beats of this kind of film. You see the future star’s humble origins, their soaring debut, their optimism for their bright future, them getting signed on for a record label and a soulless manager character entering the picture, their image having to be changed as they get pushed further into the public eye, someone close to them criticising them because they believe the star has lost their way, one of the characters taking a bad turn as it starts to feel like the star has lost all control of their life, and so on. It’s a story we know, but A Star is Born appears to be conscious of this fact. Towards the end of the film, there’s a conversation where a character reflects on how the same notes are repeated over and over between different songs. The character remarks that it’s in the different ways that people see those notes and interpret them through their music that new experiences are created.

         And I think that’s what this film does. The story may be similar to half a dozen other examples, but the execution is what engages. There’s a naturalistic direction to the film that you can see through the way characters talk over each other as they conduct their conversations, or the slight documentary-style to the cinematography, or the minimal use of non-diegetic music which makes the soundtrack seem as if it’s coming from the characters themselves as they sing and play throughout the story. This increases the sense of impact to some of the events within the story because the film is selling you on the impression that what you’re seeing is really happening. On top of that, Lady Gaga’s experience as a professional singer not only enables her to sing well throughout the film, but it also helps her to convey the emotions and thought processes being experienced by her character as she sings. She’s able to deliver a dramatic performance alongside her musical performance, and that’s compelling to watch.

         The 2018 version of A Star is Born is not telling a new story, but it manages to tell a familiar narrative in a way that manages to be distinctive and emotionally affecting. If any of the people involved make the film of interest to you, or if the mood takes you and you want to experience a decent version of this sort of rising-star story, then this version of A Star is Born is a decent pick. Now I just have to watch Bohemian Rhapsody and see if the other film about musical celebrities currently out in cinemas does as good a job at hitting its marks.

Final Score: Bronze / Silver

 ‘Castlevania’ Season 2

         Castlevania is one of those franchises that, on first inspection, appears to have a complicated history with dozens of instalments all coming together to form this grand tapestry telling the story of the war between Dracula, destined to reincarnate every 100 years, and the Belmonts, a family of vampire hunters that have dedicated their entire lineage to keeping Dracula and his forces of darkness at bay. And for fans who want to read into it, that expansive timeline is absolutely there, but on a very simple level, every Castlevania game more or less tells the same story. Dracula shows up along with his huge labyrinthine castle, and someone with a whip and a bunch of vampire-hunting equipment rocks up to kick him back into his coffin. Sometimes there are other characters along for the ride to make it slightly more complicated, but that’s the general gist. Also, there’s always some excellent music accompanying the proceedings.

         The first season of the Netflix animated series Castlevania adapted the story of the third game in the series. As it was only four 20-minute episodes, the first season is barely longer than a feature-length movie, and just as it finds its purpose and you feel like you’re getting into it, it ends. It wasn’t anything more than a semi-decent series, but I felt like there was potential when I watched it last year. The animation during the scenes where characters are simply talking to one another was stiff and you’d only see characters shift in place after a sentence or two, rather than exhibit more natural, flowing movement from moment-to-moment. But the action scenes were clearly where the animation budget went, as fights were creative and choreographed with a satisfying flair which showcased the animator’s passion for the source material. Performances were suitably brooding and at the right level between genuine human levels of emotion and melodramatic excessiveness, which is fitting for something Gothic and cheesy like this. At times the excessive gore and general revelling in shock-factor violence grated on me, and none of the characters really captured my interest or felt like I could get behind them until the second half of the last episode.

         Now Season 2 of Castlevania doesn’t fix all of my issues with the previous season, but I am very happy with some of the progress I’ve seen so far. I haven’t finished the season yet, as I’m six episodes in and have two left before I’m done, but I’ve seen enough to say that the extra time has benefitted the writers, allowing them to take the time to further explore characters and focus on conversations and interactions between the different members of the cast. The result is a more satisfying and complete-feeling season.

         Apart from that, my thoughts are more or less the same as the first season. I like their presentation of the series’ established Gothic aesthetic through the impressive backgrounds and character design. I enjoy seeing characters and references from the games and think the showrunners are doing a great job at translating the tone of the games to an ongoing TV series. The excessive gore is a little much at times, and not because I can’t handle it, but because it feels inelegant and unnecessary when they’re already doing such a good job at establishing a Gothic atmosphere. I am enjoying the characters more, even though the attempts at humour feel a little awkward (though I think that’s part of the intentional style of the series, so take that for what it’s worth). All in all, a solid series that has gotten better since last year, but still has several areas in which it could improve. If you enjoy the original games or are a fan of cheesy Gothic fantasy, then give it a watch.

Final Score: Copper / Bronze

 ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’

         Watching this 2016 horror movie from André Øvredal, the director of Trollhunter, was how I spent Halloween this year, and it was a night well spent. A father-son pair of coroners are given an unidentified body of a woman that was found on a crime scene and are tasked with finding a cause-of-death by morning so that the local sheriff can give a full statement on the matter. As they proceed with the autopsy, they find more and more things which don’t add up. There are signs of things happening to the body which don’t make scientific sense when you consider the body’s appearance, and to top it off, there’s an uneasy atmosphere around the office as things just don’t feel right. And from there, I’ll keep you in the dark, as one of the most enjoyable elements to watching this film for the first time is trying to work out what’s going on alongside the two main characters as they dig further into this mystery.

         The Autopsy of Jane Doe got under my skin because it taps into the uneasiness you often feel when you’re stuck in an office or medical building late at night and you’re one of the only people remaining. It makes effective use of space to create a suffocating feeling to the autopsy room and the one or two other spaces our characters find themselves in as the film goes on. The use of the right-angled corridor to create suspense as you fear what might come around the corner is commendable. Both of the two main actors, Brian Cox as the father and Emile Hirsch as the son, work well in their roles, selling you on their close, familial relationship as well as the fact that they are professional coroners, so they know what to do and how to handle their nerves around a dead body, but they’re also human enough to get a little uneasy when things start looking weird.

         As I touched on earlier, I was really drawn in by the set-up to The Autopsy of Jane Doe, fascinated to learn more as conflicting pieces of information are revealed to both the characters and the audience. It’s an exciting sensation that I think is unique to horror; it’s the human urge to find out more even when all signs are telling you that you should stop delving into this unsettling area. You have to know the truth and understand what’s going on, even when it takes you to deadly territory. It’s such a recurring feeling that I experience when watching horror, as well as see in the motivations of the characters within horror narratives, that I consider the horror and mystery genres to be close relatives. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is dripping with that sense of horrific mystery as it centres on an autopsy, a procedure that is done when you want to find out the truth behind something but is also inherently unsettling as you are staring face-to-face at death, in all its detail.

         This horror movie has a great premise which is executed with impressive technical ability by its actors, cinematographer, and director (even if it leans on the jump-scare tactic a little too much). For those who like their horror with an air of mystery, then this is a hard recommend.

Final Score: Silver

[aggresivelyfriendly]

~Meet Me In The Hallway~

Chapter 30-Walkabout

Eternal gratitude to @nocontrolforlouis for making it readable and to everybody for being patient. I mommed hardcore this weekend, we did Disney, the beach, and rollerskating, plus LA traffic. I’m wiped, be gentle!

As Harry sobbed, I pulled him across my lap. I had heard his sadness and regret on his 10 -song memory trip. I knew we were all over it. I felt like I had a lot of answers to his questions. Not a one of them was good enough though.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I'm sorry, baby!" We were both saying it and he sat up and held my face.

"Im sorry. I'm sorry. If you ever thought I didn't love you, didn't think of you everyday.," he said."Didn't want you every bit as much as you wanted me. That you were less important than me."

I clutched his back, knowing touching him was a bad idea. "I'm sorry I ran. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you. You were my best friend, I should have just talked to you!"

He kissed me then. I think he was just caught up in the feeling of the moment, like I had been earlier. I let him, because we needed a real goodbye, a seal upon our lives and lips. Because I wanted to memorize him one last time, commit him to the mixtape in my head labeled 'Harry and Melly."

I pulled away after a few sips and stood, he needed to leave, before that wasn't possible. He tasted like sunshine and beaches and sausage rolls, and my mom before she got sick, like the home you can't go back to.

Harry let me pull him up and lead him to the door. I was surprised he didn't fight me about making him leave, that he didn't think we had more to say. Maybe he was sure this wasn't the last time. But he was leaving my island, a smaller one this time, and I knew better that it had to be.

I crossed my arms tightly at the door and said goodbye in the same tone. Collapsing back into myself, bringing her back home, the girl he set free.

"Can I at least call you sometime? I promise I'm much better about it now. Heartbreak is a good teacher," he said. The slice in his cheek appeared, his eyes shone through his drying tears and I thought that saltwater cured everything, except for love.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Harry."

His smile fell. "Alright, Alright Melly." He swallowed. "I...I love you, and for what's worth, I'm not mad at you anymore, ok? We're ok?"

I bit my lip and back my tears. "Mmhmm," was all I could get out with a nod. I couldn't cough up the three words he now seemed to say so effortlessly. Or the easy forgiveness, for him or me. I guided him to the threshold of my apartment and opened it onto the hallway. I couldn't even smile when he walked out into that place, our place. Though he was the one outside now, it felt backwards, like a mirror image.

I closed the door between us and sat down right there and listened to him walk away.

His footsteps echoed and I thought about how we don't ever really see our own faces, just reflections and pictures, but our lovers do. How they see us for who we really are. What face did Harry see tonight, when he had been looking at me? Did he see me as the 18-year old girl who he spent nights learning, of the 20-year old girl he knew in everyway, or the 23-year old woman who was a stranger?

I wasn't sure which one I saw either, what reflection would look back at me. I wasn't sure I'd recognize any of those people.

I was still there, on the floor, with a salty face when I heard Milo's footfalls and got myself up and to the bathroom. The girl in the mirror looked younger. So maybe today I was her, my 18-year old self. I'd cried off my makeup and I was in comfy clothes and my hair was up in the messy bun I had always worn at night three or four years ago. I'm surprised she wasn't screaming at me, for letting Harry walk into that corridor and away, onto another country.

It was time to put away childish things.

Milo loved my hair unbound, the waves down my back drew him out like he was a surfer at dawn. Most nights I wore it like that, now.

When we were young, Harry never made special mention of how he liked my hair, but he often gripped my bun. I wore a bun a lot then.

I didn't put make up on, but I washed my face and put my hair down and threw on a nightie before going to Milo.

"Corazon!" He greeted when I came into the kitchen and he was heating up yesterday's takeout. "Have you eaten?" He pulled down another plate and I felt a wave of guilt crest and crash.

"Yeah." I lied. Food sounded like sawdust. I sat at the table to chat like he liked me to do when he had been out late.

"Were you sleeping, Melody? Your eyes are puffy." His finger smoothed my eye and it reminded me of another swipe at the tear stained place too recently. My first instinct was to yank away from the confusing touch. I just adjusted myself slightly farther away.

"I nodded off, Buen Provecho." I nodded at his plate and watched him tuck in. He was always starved after these business affairs.

"I'm starving, How they all live off whiskey I do not know." He happily ate the Thai food I had called in, while we giggled on the living room rug and watched a film yesterday. It felt a lifetime ago. He was talking about his night between mouthfuls and I must have been feigning attention well enough because before long, while I was thinking about the sound of footsteps in corridors, he was pulling me up.

He hugged me and my body felt like I'd been in a car accident, black and blue all over. I was hoping my tiredness would convince him we should just retire. The idea of his hands on me tonight made me tender beneath my skin too. I wanted to word vomit over my shame and was trying to figure out how to tell him. How do you tell a good man he deserves more? When he wasn't touching me I could stay mum and numb.

I hoped he kept his hands to himself while I put on my courage like a poor knight's armor.

He was such a lovely man, I thought as I watched him round the bed. How could I do this? Milo got into the bed beside me and leaned over giving me a kiss on the head and taking my hand.

"Did you pack today?"

My confusion was plain on my face.

He chuckled, "Are you still jet lagged? Mi amor you are out of it." He made an up in space gesture.

I shook my head. Bigger things than sleep were wrong with me.

"No, Corazon, we leave in two days!" He's celebrating and I've forgotten somehow about the three week trip we are about to take. It has been an extremely stressful season at his work place. He's had to deal with some asset inquiries and he was up for review. When he'd been promoted to senior trader he had proposed that we make a trip to meet each other's families.

He picks up my hands then, and kisses the backs of them and then presses his mouth to the empty ring finger on my left hand. "After we tell our families, then you will have no excuse not to wear it anymore!"

He had also proposed.

And me in my delusions that I was over loving Harry Styles and all of the grief that had come with it, had leapt into his arms and accepted.

I'd be lucky to have him.

But we hadn't met anybody back home. I'd never been to Argentina and he had certainly never been to Australia. My parents and my brother were aware of our situation and happy that I'd found somebody after my unspoken, but apparent heartbreak. We had used the tools available to us and my mum had made a few calls where she had cause to make cheeky little comments about Milo because he was shirtless and I was disheveled.

They were happy because I was happy, or at least I thought I was.

No that is unfair. I was happy, and we were supposed to be getting married in six months. Smack dab in the middle of Harry's next tour. A shame I wouldn't be able to invite him.

I had agreed to marry my gorgeous grown-up man, but found a convenient excuse about why I could not wear his ring.

Milo had agreed, that our ex-patriot status made certain things complicated. What if our parents did not approve?

I could not imagine that my parent's would disapprove of Milo. And he assured me that his mother, the lone immediate family member he had, would love me at first sight, like him.

But I was well aware, having loved and lost a mumma's boy before, that her approval, Maria Luisa's approval, would be important. If she disapproved, however, that would be a deal breaker.  I'm sure that Milo would not break up with me immediately, but it would be an eventuality.

Milo had been really nervous about this trip when we had discussed it originally. It was the youngest I had ever seen him appear, while he told me all about his home and all of the things he wanted me to see and eat. The friends that he couldn't wait to introduce to me.

It was more nerve wracking than meeting Harry's parents somehow. Maybe because of language barriers and cultural difference. Milo was totally sure that it would be a resounding success. I was his doll, everybody would love me as much as him, I would see.

Also, it wouldn't have been a deal breaker for Harry. No matter how much he loved his mother, if she didn't like me, he would just given her time and trust his own opinion.

Luckily we never had that problem.

For all of these reasons though, I had been hesitant to wear my ring until we actually met and it went smoothly.  I could just imagine my mum catching the glint off the two carat skating rink Milo had presented me with and knowing her she would scream and cry and be happy. But she would also ask why they didn't know first and why Milo hadn't tried to talk to my dad before. I assumed that was because Milo had no father to speak of, and my parents were surprisingly old fashioned about some things.

Worse would be if his mother saw it and made assumptions about me before she met me. The guera from another world who kept her boy away.

These were the reason I gave Milo when he asked. And they were legitimate.

I felt the need to stall for time, but I had covered my hours of gut wrench by preparing for bed and pretending to be tired so I went to the bed and watched him round the room and close the bathroom door while I put my face into my hands and thought about the way Harry's face had looked while he'd begged me to tell him I didn't love Milo like I loved him. That I was meant for him.

His cheeks were drawn and he looked gaunt and like a cat caught out in the rain. Then he looked aghast that he had revealed himself so nakedly to me.

It reminded me of one of our first major conversations, when he had first stripped himself emotionally and admitted that the constant attention was exhausting  and he longed for anonymity sometimes.

I pulled myself together when I heard the sink turn off after the buzz of Milo's electric toothbrush. When he walks out my feelings of guilt transfer to him.

He smiled at me so warmly and I remembered that he was my sun in a dark place. But I had betrayed him tonight, and would have betrayed him fully if Harry hadn't stopped me. Once again my thief's brain ran away with me, and my thoughts made a getaway from the righteous guilt I should be feeling to wondering about Harry's girl. She must be special if he turned me down.

Jesus I was a horrible bitch. I had no business with either of these honorable men.

Milo smiled at me, and came to his side of the bed, slipping in and flipping to his side so that he could run his fingers up and down my arm.

He wanted me. So I slouched down into the bed and tried to turn my brain off and my body on. Milo made me ravenous and desperate, it was his favorite thing.

It was a hard thing to fake, but I must have done well enough, as he nodded off after. "Mi Alma, mi sol!" he said into my long blonde hair.

Did all men fall asleep like this? Harry didn't even need to be horizontal or comfortable to fall asleep. Milo nodded off as soon as he met the pillow. They were the totality of my experience, so I guess men are better sleepers.

I was not tired. I surfed on my phone.

"Harry Styles girlfriend" went into the search bars without permission and I wondered how to punish my own fingertips, or mind.

There was nothing new, all of the girl's were from two or more years ago. So, she, whoever was standing where I stood and doing it better, was new or important.

Important? That was a weird assumption. And then I reminded myself, that voice who whispered important, that our names were never linked in ink. Only people who we loved knew. We were hidden far away from predatory eyes. I was hidden away.

Or it was new.

I sent up an errant prayer for the latter.

This was ridiculous! I was jealous of a woman I didn't know who got a man I didn't deserve and who I'd thrown away years ago. What I had now was real. And open. And I loved the one I was with.

I stared at Milo for a while and decided that I had to put Harry away. And that I would never tell. If nothing came of it and nobody came, the only reason to tell was to alleviate my own guilt. It was time to put away childish things.

I got up and located my engagement ring, stowed in the medicine cabinet for some weird reason. I closed the mirrored door and looked at the beautiful piece. I took off the ring that had adorned my right hand for years, with it's worn wish and held it.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a long moment and tried to decide who she was, the girl there reflected back at me.

And I put on my ring. But instead of the rock with all of its intentions, I slipped my past onto my wedding finger.

[mothereffingtae]

The Universe Knew | p.j

→pairing: Park Jimin x Reader

→ genre: soulmate au, re-carnation au 

→ word count: 2, 270

→ summary: You and Jimin have always been lovers in previous lives. Bearing different appearances and ethniciy, but always the same persona and chemistry. In this life, Jimin is part of the group we all know, BTS; you’re with your friend patiently waiting amongst all the others to meet the members during the fansign.

→ a/n: This is based off of DNA’s lyrics. I found it really cute how they talked about meeting “the one” is a destiny and they’ll always be together in other lives. Also, I read something similar to what I wrote but I just put my own flare to it. ALSO further in this imagine I talk about Seventeen being your favourite group because I stan them aswell, but you can always change it in your head.

“Thank you and have an amazing day.” Jimin flashes his signature smile as the fan walks over to Taehyung. His smile falters once her attention is focused on V. His energy has been on an all time low. No matter how much coffee he drank that morning, fatigue always finds it’s way to consume him. His eyelids begin to grow heavy, and to his luck, the crew calls for a short intermission. All the members file out of the venue and into the back area. Jimin uses this as an opportunity to catch up on some sleep as he lies on one of the couches.

When his eyelids are shut, he begins to dream. A vision of a girl blooms before him. She starts to morph into different appearances but still maintains the same aura. This subconsciously brings a small smile to Jimin’s lips for this is the girl he’s loved for centuries. Each unique lifetime presented a different way of how you two met but always ended up loving each other until death. The thought of meeting you again caused his eyes to flutter open and stare at the plain ceiling. Hope starts to consume his thoughts. Hope that he will have the opportunity to finally see you, talk to you, and touch you. He imagines multiple scenarios on how he could meet you. Maybe in the streets, at a cafe or maybe even here? Jimin’s been thinking hard for a long moment and is quickly brought back to reality when his hyungs drag him off the couch he was sleeping on.

“We’ve called your name five times!” Jin exclaims dropping Jimin’s body on the ground. 

“Sorry, sorry” He chuckles, “at least I’m awake now!”

“You should be.” Yoongi states as he leaves the room.

Jimin couldn’t help but fidget throughout the fansign. He knows that this is going to be another one of those occasions where he gets disappointed, but in the back of his mind sits the thought of maybe today. With each fan passing by, he tries to focus his attention on them, but fails. The only thing in his mind is you.

“Can you believe we’re about to be 1 meter away from them?” Your best friend energetically jumps up and down. You laugh at her for being so hyper but can you blame her? She’s been a die hard fan since their debut! On the contrary, you only know their hit songs but respect them as a group with how much effort they put in their work. How you ended up here was through a whole notion of begging and bribing since she had no one else to go with. You told her to go by herself but she said that’s too embarrassing. Now that you’re actually in the event, you don’t mind being here. As long as she payed for the tickets you were good.

You push in your earbuds, and start blaring “CLAP” by your favourite group Seventeen. Your head begins to move to the beat and you can’t help but slightly move your arms and hands as you copy the choreography.

“You better be listening to a BTS song other than Mic Drop.” She says and you return a slight nod, not really wanting to listen to their music at the moment. A moment later you start humming to the tune of CLAP to annoy your friend. Her attention isn’t focused on you and you were quite bored waiting in line so you started to sing the lyrics. She still doesn’t notice your voice as she films and snaps photos of the BTS members on her phone. At this point you could really care less about what people think of you as your voice begins to become louder. You just wanted to pass the time and leave with your autographed cd which your friend supplied you with. Since not having anything to sign or say-because you’re not a big fan-is going to be awkward.

The amount of people in front of you two begins to grow smaller as you continue to sing and dance. This catches confused glances and laughs from the fans around you as well as your friend. She buries her heads in her hands in disbelief. You are now situated in the first row where all seven of them can potentially see and hear you jamming out to a song that isn’t there’s.

“Look at that girl over there, dancing and singing,” Jungkook nudges at Jimin’s side, “she’s killing it right now.” He laughs and turns back to the fan in front of him. Jimin’s eyes can’t seem to focus on anything but you. Not just because your dancing is a laughable site, but how beautiful you look. 

“Hi Jimin!” The fan’s voice snaps his attention back to the event. Your image is engraved in the back of his mind making him think that maybe you’re his one and only. This causes time to pass with anticipation and anxiety. His leg starts bouncing up and down and his hands desperately find anything to fidget with. Jungkook and Taehyung continuously ask if he’s alright, but always answers with the same “I’m fine.”

Your friend is now first in line and she finally steps up to talk to Namjoon. Her smile is radiating and infectious. You’ve never seen her this happy before and you’re glad you said yes to her invitation to come here. Once she moves over to Jin-her bias-you move up to Namjoon and ask him to sign the CD. As he’s signing it, you glance over to your right to see your friend all flustered and giggly over Jin. You can’t help but whip out your phone and film the scene.

“You know her?” Namjoon asks seeing your phone pointed in her direction.

“Yeah, she’s my best friend.” You glance up at your phone, seeing him lean over to see your screen.

“Awe, she’s so giggly around him. Well you know, he is worldwide handsome so I don’t blame her.” He sends you off with a wink causing you to blush as well.

Jimin’s at the edge; Going through every fan, thinking it would be you next. His eyes land upon your friend who seems very energetic which causes him to smile. He loves seeing fans like this. It makes him realize how much their music is a part of some people’s lives and that their hard work pays off. He beings a conversation but then he hears an angelic laugh come from Jungkook’s direction. Looking to the right, he sees Jungkook’s bunny smile flashing in front of a girl-that girl being you. His eyes grow wide and he is pulled in by your radiative energy. 

“She’s pretty isn’t she?” Your friend giggles. A blush appears on his cheeks as he’s been caught staring. “She’s my best friend.” 

“Oh, well what’s her name?” Jimin can’t help fight the urge to find out information about you.

“How about you ask her yourself?” She displays a smirk on his face and waves goodbye. The attitude she gave Jimin caused Taehyung to laugh and slightly shove Jimin, who is now hiding his face in embarrassment. He quickly uncovers his face when your voice rings through his ears.

“Please repeat that? I’m sorry.” He begins to become more flustered as he can now clearly see how beautiful you look in front of him.

“No worries, I just said hi… Can you sign this please?” A blush is evident on your cheeks as you slide the CD towards him. Oh my goodness, why are you acting like this? You think to yourself.

“May I get your name?” Jimin asks you and you answer by giving him what he asked. “Ah, y/n. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” Holy shit, what was that? Just-I don’t know-don’t say anything like that again. He mentally face-palms himself for his cringey and cheesy pick up line. However, when he hears your laugh, he could care less about how embarrassing he was. As long as he made you laugh, nothing else matters.

You two begin an easy flowing conversation, despite the fact that you don’t have any basic background knowledge of him. Wide smiles and sparks shoot from both sides of the table. Both of you compliment each other’s personalities so well that it’s hard for both Taehyung and Jungkook to not notice the “friendly” banter between the two. Jimin desperately thinks of a way to be able to talk to or see you again. Asking for a date right now would be too risky since there’s multiple fans surrounding him. A moment later, his eyes land on your phone case.

“That case is cute, can you pass me your phone for a second?” He asks while motioning to it. You reluctantly lend him your phone, not knowing why on earth he would need it. Your eyes observe him looking your phone up and down. That is until he opens the camera and starts taking selfies of you two. Both of you lean shoulder-to-shoulder for the photos. All of a sudden he feels bold and places a kiss on your cheek. You shy away, not knowing why he’s showing you so much affection. He’s probably like this with every fan, you repeat in your head.

“These photos are so cute, wait a second I just need to do something.” Okay, cool, you do whatever you want on my phone Jimin, cool. This situation is too much to comprehend because one, you’re not that big of a fan, yet he has this big effect on you; two, what would be on your phone that’s so interesting.

“Sorry about that. Here you go and have a wonderful day, Y/N.” He flashes you a bright smile and you return one as well. You move away from Jimin towards Taehyung. As you talk to him, you can still feel Jimin’s eyes on you. You sneek a glance in his direction, only to meet his eyes for a second before he quickly averts them. He looks down, his cheeks turning red. He’s so adorable, you sigh to yourself while looking at the shy boy.

“You and Jimin seemed to hit it off,” Taehyung smirked, “it’s as if you guys were made for each other.” You rolled your eyes at his statement, but it caused a tightening in your chest. What if he is the one? The one person you’ve loved in each life. The one who can’t escape your thoughts and dreams. The chemistry between you was clearly visible and ever since you talked to him, you’ve never felt the same. You don’t want leave him, but you trust that the universe will find a way to put you two back together. 

Once Taehyung signed your cd, you say your goodbye’s and thank you’s. You urge yourself not to look back at Jimin. However the eagerness to find any reason or sign that he could be your one and only took up majority of your mind. As you look back, Jimin looks at you simultaneously. You lock eyes with each other and share a longing smile. With a wave of goodbye, you turn your back to him and catch up to your friend and he turns to talk to other fans. Your name engraved in his mind, and his in yours.

You’re sitting on the couch with your friend. Gushing about both of you interactions with the BTS members. Well, to be honest, the conversation mostly revolved around you and Jimin. Both of you were deep in conversation, until your phone suddenly rings with a message from an unknown number.

[unknown number]: Thank you for the photo’s, Y/N

Confusion urges your finger to press the notification. Only to leave you in shock as you see all the photos that Jimin took of you two at the fansign.

[Y/N]: You sneaky…

[Y/N]:That’s one hell of a risk you’re taking. What if I leak your number?

[Jimin]: Well, with the way you phrased that, I don’t think you have any intention of actually doing that.

[Y/N]: Observant I see

You laugh at how ironic this is. What if this is the sign? Maybe this is how the universe wanted you two to meet. Maybe this is your eternal lover that the universe has created and designed for you.

[Jimin]: Hey, I don’t want to scare you or anything, but I felt something between us. There’s a connection there that I can’t describe, yet it feels familiar.

[Y/N]: You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Y/N]: Name a place and time. I’ll probably be able to meet you there.

[Jimin]: Perfect

3 years later

White lace hugs the curves of your body and glides above the scattered rose petals lying on the ground.You glance over to your father who has tears welling in his eyes. You give a reassuring squeeze on his arm to comfort him, even though you know those are tears of joy.

You move your gaze from your father to the man at the end of the aisle. Falling in love with Jimin was a blessing within itself. He obtained the same personality as his previous lives, but always made your life interesting and worth living for.

As you near Jimin, you can see him quickly wiping away his own tears. This causes tears to begin forming in your eyes as well. Curse him for making me cry, you swore to yourself you wouldn’t, but here you are. Now you’re standing in front of him, moments away from vowing to be with each other until death takes both of you apart. 

All that has happened over the past couple years to this moment, has fallen and meshed together perfectly. It’s as if the universe knew what to do.

[dorksideproductions]

It’s been a minute since our last edition of Canon Casting, our ongoing feature where we fan-cast various Star Wars projects. In the past we’ve covered novels like Thrawn, Bloodline, and the entire Aftermath trilogy, as well as Star Wars Rebels (through season three). I’ve got a few Canon Casting projects in the works but figured I’d throw you a bone and tackle the excellent tie-in novel to the game Battlefront II, Inferno Squad, by Christie Golden. And of course ***SPOILERS*** will be prevalent, but I’m sure you figured that.

For those new to the feature and/or those in need of a rules recap, here you go: We tackle a non-film project and fan cast it – with a few rules. Actors have to be alive, and age appropriate. So, in other words, you can’t cast an actor who’s passed away, even if it means a recast. Same deal with not being able to ‘time travel’ to find the perfect actor – no, Marlon Brando isn’t available… Lastly, if one of my current or previous Canon Casting choices actually gets cast in an official Star Wars film, I have to recast them. Yes, it happens, ask Thandie Newton…. Make sense, good? I also approach each Canon Casting project with what I feel is an appropriate budget, etc., as not every story will be made into a billion dollar movie. For Inferno Squad I’ve chosen the route of a premium, direct-to-consumer movie (i.e. Netflix, HBO, Showtime, etc.) OK, let’s get to it:

Iden Versio, Del Meeko, Gideon Hask, and Garrick Versio:

Janina Gavankar as Iden Versio

TJ Ramini as Del Meeko

Paul Blackthorne as Gideon Hask

Anthony Skordi as Garrick Versio

Yeah, these were the no-brainers as each of these roles were cast for motion capture for the game Battlefront II and I love each and every one of them – especially Janina (duh!) and T.J. Ramini as Del Meeko. Let’s meet the actor I chose for the fourth member of Inferno Squad, the one who doesn’t appear in the game:

Seyn Marana:

Kimiko Glenn as Seyn Marana

I went back-and-forth on the casting choices for Seyn Marana for quite a while, and she was one of two characters that held up this post for a week or so. In the end, I kept coming back to Kimiko Glenn, a memorable supporting actress on Netflix’s highly acclaimed Orange in the New Black. Some of this decision was based on Janina Gavankar’s narration and portrayal of Seyn in the audiobook, as I really heard Kimiko in Janina’s voice: fast-talking, slightly high-pitched, and a quick-thinker with perfect recollection. Aesthetically she fits the role perfectly, and in addition to that, based on the perfomances I’ve seen of the young actress I think she is more than up to the task of portraying the youngest member of Inferno Squad with the photographic memory. Here’s to you, Kimiko! Moving on, let’s cast a couple smaller roles…

Zeehay Versio and Lassa Rhayme:

Eva LaRue as Zeehay Versio

Paige VanZant at Lassa Rhayme

These were both small roles (as was much of the supporting cast in Inferno Squad), with one being a must-cast and one being a fun-cast, if you take my meaning. For the role of Iden’s mother, Zeehay Versio, I went with Eva LaRue. The role of Zeehay is small in the book and I went with an attractive actress best known for her work on CSI Miami and the soap opera All My Children (so maybe I’m an old-school soap aficionado, don’t tell anyone..). Iden’s mother is a galaxy-renowned artist responsible for painting Imperial propaganda posters and flyers. She’s described as a very beautiful woman, and much of Iden’s physical features are attributed to her. Eva is a gorgeous woman, and at 51 years old she is old enough to portray the mother of our protagonist and wife of the hard-ass that’s Garrick Versio. For the tiny role of pirate queen Lassa Rhayme I went outside the box and tapped UFC fighter Paige VanZant for the role. Lassa is a beautiful blue-skinned Pantoran with a helluva mean streak, and I have a feeling we will be seeing more of her after having appearances in both of Christie Golden’s Star Wars books – Dark Disciple and Inferno Squad. Time to meet The Dreamers:

Piikow, Dahna, and Sadori Vushon:

Warwick Davis as Piikow

Alicia Witt as Dahna

Will Poulter as Sadori Vushon

Before we get into the fan-casting of The Dreamers, let’s talk for a minute about who they are for those that haven’t read the book. The Dreamers are an offshoot of Saw Gerrera’s Partisan Rebels, formed after the destruction of Jedha in the amazing standalone film Rogue One. They hold steadfast to Saw’s vision of the war, including his tactics which Mon Mothma and the Rebel Alliance leadership deemed ‘extreme’. Above are three members of The Dreamers’ supporting cast that I felt were vital to the story. Let’s start with the diminutive and good-hearted Chadra-Fan, Piikow. I absolutely loved the character of Piikow, and he served a vital role in the book as we see his relationship with Del Meeko blossom to the point of friendship and you as the reader really don’t want anything bad to happen to Piikow, even though it was Inferno Squad’s main objective to eliminate all of The Dreamers… As far as the fan-casting for Piikow goes it was super easy – of course I went with Warwick Davis, as he has to be in every Star Wars project, right? The role of Piikow would give him a much-deserved chance to shine as well, as most of his parts in Star Wars films are small. Moving on to Dahna… I love the character of Dahna, the sultry second-in-command Twi-lek. Dahna is beautiful and was formerly a slave, so she takes to Seyn Marana very quickly, as Seyn’s cover was to pose as a slave to gain entrance into The Dreamers. I also must note that once again Janina Gavankar’s narration of the character of Dahna very much played into my casting choice, and I loved it. For this role I went with Alicia Witt, a versatile actor known for playing diverse characters in TV (Cybill and The Walking Dead) as well as film (88 Minutes and Urban Legend). Alicia is a beautiful actress who also has the range to be sultry and vicious in the same breath. She’ll do nicely… Finally, for the role of Sadori Vushon, the young Kage who falls for Seyn (and vice-versa, with heartbreaking results) I tapped one of my favorite up-and-coming young actors, Will Poulter. Sadori is a large, physically imposing figure, while still having an air of youthful vulnerability. Will Poulter at 6’2″ can certainly portray the physicality of Sadori, and I have no doubt he can play the softer side as well, as we’ve seen this side of him in film before. Also, his height will play well against Kimiko Glenn, who’s only 5’2″, so the differential will look great on the screen. Now for The Dreamers’ leadership:

Staven:

Mark O’Brien as Staven

So Staven…. this was a hard one and is probably most responsible for holding this post up for a few days as I deliberated it. The charismatic-yet-dark leader of The Dreamers first appeared in the amazing novel Rebel Rising by Beth Revis, and popped back up in Inferno Squad as the perceived leader of The Dreamers. I don’t like Staven. I didn’t like him in Rebel Rising and liked him even less in Inferno Squad. Which means the authors did their jobs, because you aren’t supposed to like him. He chided a younger Jyn Erso in Rebel Rising and was a complete asshole in his role as the paranoid and sadistic leader of the remnants of Saw’s band of rebels in Inferno Squad. I went back-and-forth on the actor to portray this pivotal role and almost scrapped the entire post before I had a revelation. I absolutely love the show Halt and Catch Fire, and think it’s one of the most underappreciated shows in recent television history – if you didn’t catch it you should go back and binge it on Netflix. Mark O’Brien plays the role of Tom Rendon in the series and much like Staven, he’s a character you’re supposed to hate. Mark is the man for the job, and he’s a casting choice I’m proud of for being completely out of left field. I have no doubt he would crush it in Inferno Squad as The Dreamers’ leader. Which brings us to the last role I cast for the book…

‘The Mentor’:

Hugh Dancy as “The Mentor” a.k.a. Lux Bonteri

Casting the amazing Hugh Dancy in the pivotal and mysterious role of The Mentor was almost too easy. I loved him in Hannibal. I loved him in The Path. I’ve loved everything I’ve seen him in. Throughout Inferno Squad we get hints of just who The Mentor is, and it becomes obvious he has a long history in the galactic conflicts of both The Clone Wars and the struggle of the Rebel Alliance versus the Empire. When it’s revealed he’s none other than Lux Bonteri, a character that’s appeared onscreen many times in The Clone Wars animated series, it all makes perfect sense. Although not in control of The Dreamers per se, he is responsible for their intel and in turn the man that’s most wanted by the members of Inferno Squad. Lux has lost more than his fair share throughout the course of the wars, including Saw’s sister, Steela Gerrera, who he was in love with. And don’t forget that Togrutan Jedi he had a thing for as well… The way the story plays out, with Iden beginning to sympathize and possibly fall for him as well is a nice touch, as she lets him live in the end after the Squad kills the rest of The Dreamers. That’s one of the great things about this book that author Christie Golden does so well – showing the gray area of the conflict by having three of the four members of Inferno Squad bonding with members of The Dreamers, with only Gideon Hask abstaining (which also plays well with the campaign mode of the game Battlefront II, for those who’ve played it). But back to the casting. I have little doubt that Hugh Dancy will find his way onto a Star Wars project at some point, but for now, he’s my Lux Bonteri.

So there we have it, my Canon Casting for Battlefront II: Inferno Squad. I highly recommend reading this book or grabbing the audiobook (which as mentioned above is narrated by none other than Janina Gavankar herself), you won’t be disappointed.

Got any feedback for me or want to discuss further? Hit me here and we’ll make it happen. As always, thanks for the support and May the Force Be With You!

~Todd

Janina Gavankar as Iden Versio

Hugh Dance as “TheMentor” a.k.a. Lux Bonteri

TJ Ramini as Del Meeko

Paul Blackthorne as Gideon Hask

Kimiko Glenn as Seyn Marana

Mark O’Brien as Staven

Anthony Skordi as Garrick Versio

Will Poulter as Sadori Vushon

Alicia Witt as Dahna

Warwick Davis as Piikow

Eva LaRue as Zeehay Versio

Paige VanZant at Lassa Rhayme

Canon Casting – Battlefront II: Inferno Squad It's been a minute since our last edition of Canon Casting, our ongoing feature where we fan-cast various Star Wars projects.

[firehawk12]

Hot Docs 2017

I didn’t expect to watch as many films as I did during the festival, but the student pass certainly helped encourage watching films that I may have otherwise simply passed on otherwise. This is a couple of weeks late, but here are the films I watched in chronological order of screening date.

Raise Your Arms and Twist — Documentary of NMB48

As someone who follows Japanese culture mostly through the lens of it’s otaku fair — anime, manga, jdrama, and variety shows — it’s almost impossible to avoid the AKB phenomenon. Artificially constructed or not, the influence of this idol franchise simply branches out to other forms of entertainment, making them synonymous with Japanese popular culture.

The NMB documentary is in an interesting look at the idol industry because of both its subject matter and the behind the scenes production issues. There have been several varnished AKB documentaries that have been released previously (at least two have been fan-subbed and are available in places where you would watch fan-subbed content), but there is something interesting about following what amounts to the “farm team” in NMB. Whether this depiction of NMB is true or not, the film wants us to believe that of the four main AKB groups, NMB is the least popular — and that even the popularity of the star of NMB pales in comparison to the regular AKB members. The fact that the film is directed by Toda Yoshihisa, who is a legitimate filmmaker, and not by an insider (for example, the HKT48 documentary was directed by a former member and present manager Rino Sashihara) allows for a unique perspective to the film that makes it more than just a marketing tool.

Yes, the film is promotional — there are countless clips of concert performances, perhaps in an attempt to try to push album sales — but there the film shows some of the less glamorous aspects of being an idol, even for one of the biggest idol franchises/factories in Japan. A couple of stories emerge to help paint an interesting picture of being a member of NMB. Ayaka Okita’s struggle to be given the opportunity to appear in one of “senbatsu” songs (what I take to be the Japanese idol equivalent of summer song), only to be told that she has “behavioral problems” that prevent her from being selected. Ririka Suto, whose Nietzsche-filled monologues frame the film for the audience, reveals to the audience that the idols themselves see their role is constructed, that they have no opportunity to self-actualization because they must perform and conform to the roles assigned to them. We also get to see Sayaka Yamamoto, the captain of NMB and the group’s most popular member, toil in the relative obscurity of sister group AKB’s shadow. We also get to see one of the least popular members, Saki Kono, eventually give up her career as an idol when she realizes that she will never have any fans. The documentary provides a very broad spectrum of the idol experience, exposing it to the audience warts and all. That’s not to say that the girls don’t know what they’re getting into — when the film follows Fuuko Yagura, we see that she wants to be an idol because she sees it as a way to earn an income to help support her family.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this documentary, but it gave me a glimpse into a world that I’ve been curious about but haven’t had the chance to access on my own.

Also, I still can’t get this song out of my head. Durian as a metaphor for love that goes beyond physical appearance, who would have thought?

Tokyo Idols

I was a bit surprised that there were two idol documentaries at Hot Docs this year, but this film ended up being a nice companion piece to the NMB documentary. Tokyo Idols follows the smaller, lesser known, underground idol groups that dot Japan. There are several idols that are documented for the film, but the film’s primary subject is Rio Hiiragi, an Akihabara idol who struggles to get mainstream attention.

Unlike the girls at NMB, Rio has to do everything on her own. In that respect, watching her basically hustle to get fans, I’m reminded of the Western phenomenon of “Twitch stars” (or even Instagram stars), where people have to continually grind out content to keep viewers happy and subscribed to their feeds. One of Rio’s stunts to try to drum up more fans was to tour Japan on a bike, while constantly livestreaming in order to keep her “home” fans updated. It’s not just about looking pretty, because based on the work that Rio puts into her career, it’s very much about her personality and drive as well.

Indeed, the film also follows several fans — including Rio’s fan club — and you see how these people have essentially placed all their hopes and dreams on the success of the girl that they are choosing to follow. It’s both innocent and also somewhat sad, since for these (mostly) male fans, they’re treating these idols as surrogate daughters or sisters to dote on. Rio’s main fan admits becoming an idol fan because he sees her as a second chance — he might not be able to live out his dreams, but maybe he can help Rio achieve her dreams. There’s an implicit understanding that the relationship they have with her will always be platonic — in a Q&A with the director after the screening, she spoke about an incident when a fan tried to pursue a romantic relationship with Rio and how her fan club had to essentially restrain him from coming to any of her shows.

The documentary also provides some more social context to explain the idol phenomenon, it’s suggested that it grew out of the economic recession and people’s desire to try to find something positive in their lives. The film also critiques it examining the model of femininity the idol industry projects to society. It actually reminded me a lot of the controversy surrounding the notion of the beauty pageant in the West, and how commentators have suggested that perhaps a contest where women are judged on their appearance may help project negative expectations of femininity into society as a whole.

One thing that isn’t really discussed in this film is the actual “profession” itself. Since Rio and the girls featured in this documentary are essentially independent, it’s not clear if they write their own songs or choreograph their own dances. In the climax of the film, Rio gets a measure of success when she is discovered by music producer Hyadain who writes a song for her:

But there’s no real indication of where her previous songs come from. I can’t imagine that all of these girls write their own songs, so it would have been interesting to see what it takes to actually perform as an idol.

Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent

Although not part of the festival, I watched it in the same week and it IS a documentary, so… I’m going to count it!

I’ve been moderately interested in modern cuisine ever since I started watching various cooking competition shows. I’m not really qualified to make any judgments about food — I think deconstructed dishes are asinine and I was glad that in a Q&A after the film, Tower himself was fed up with the smears and dabs that you see in fine dining restaurants now — but it was interesting to see where the biggest part phenomenon of modern cuisine came from.

Although the origins are contentious, the film suggests that Tower is the first chef to really celebrate local ingredients. So while he is classically trained, he took his skill and applied it to fresh Californian ingredients rather than simply dole out the same old French and English dishes cooked with frozen ingredients that were expected of chefs at the time. The legacy of that simple revelation can be felt today, as even Chinese cuisine is being reinvented by Chinese chefs with Western training who want to feature Chinese ingredients.

The film also tries to be a biography of the man himself, but it is mostly a surface examination of his life. We get an understanding of his troubled childhood and how he found refuge in food, but for a man who famously dropped off the face of the Earth after restaurant failed, the film almost chooses not to explore this troubled time in his life. Instead, the film simply jumps forward to the time when he randomly came back onto the scene by taking over Tavern on the Green, the famous Central Park restaurant that has struggled to be relevant in the face of the contemporary restaurant scene.

I appreciated the film for enlightening me on a subject I have an interest in, but I’m also not sure if this wouldn’t have just been better off as a TV special or an episode of Bourdain’s show instead.

Living The Game

Admittedly, my initial interest in the film was based on the still above, making the assumption that the film would be about Daigo Umehara. I wanted to get a glimpse of the Japanese competitive gaming scene, but also get a glimpse into the life of a man who is fairly reserved in the public appearances that I’ve seen him participate in.

So at first I was disappointed when I saw that other players were profiled in the film — this includes Luffy, Justin Wong, and Gamerbee — but my doubts were quashed when I saw his footage of Momochi and his girlfriend/partner ChocoBlanka. That’s not to say the other stories weren’t interesting — we get to see Luffy try to juggle his life as an officer worker after winning Evo 2014, Gamerbee giving us a glimpse into his life and the troubled relationship he had with his absent father, and of course Justin Wong’s story (which has already been covered in greater detail in another documentary The King of Chinatown) and his infamous loss to Daigo.

But Takao Gotsu crafted an arc with Momochi. Perhaps it was easier to follow a Japanese player over the course of a year that led to Momochi being the focus of the film, but whatever the reason, it’s clear that he saw some interesting human drama in the brief glimpses of Momochi’s private life that are on display. We see Momochi evolve from a short-tempered, extremely serious player whose dedication is rewarded by the infamous win at Evo 2015, to a humbled man who loses the Capcom Cup title by the end of the year. In his loss, he learns that trying to chase down Daigo shouldn’t be his focus, and begins to focus on the relationship he has with ChocoBlanka — we see a scene where he yells at her and makes her cry because she isn’t properly executing her moves in a practice game of Street Fighter, before getting a scene where he publicly proposes to her and becomes a supportive husband.

Daigo serves mostly to provide context for Momochi’s arc. Daigo is the wall that Momochi must climb, but he can never quite make it over. So while we get some glimpses into Daigo’s life, we don’t really learn anything about him. He practices a lot at home, he practices in an arcade, he practices in a game room with other Japanese players… and that’s about it. But that’s fine, because Daigo serves to make Momochi’s story more interesting. Yes, it’s a film about the Fighting Game Community, but in this documentary you can see a bit of Moby Dick, as Momochi continually tries to catch the white whale that is Daigo. Thankfully, we see that he has a happier ending after he learns to let go of his ambitions and become a better person instead.

(The relationship between the two, even though it’s not hostile, reminds me very much of the big conflict in The King of Kong between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell)

Ramen Heads

I was sold on this film based on a mild interest in the process of making ramen. The film itself admits that it’s a simple dish — born out of post-war poverty — that is made complex due to the particularities of each chef. The comparisons to Jiro Dreams of Sushi are perhaps unavoidable, since part of the film features Osamu Tomita, one of the best ramen chefs in Japan. We get to see his entire process, starting with his work in his prep kitchen in creating the broth and noodles, and ending with how he “plates” each bowl of ramen for the customer. We also get brief snippets of his life outside of the restaurant, with an explanation of his first apprenticeship and a look at his family life. But while Jiro was focused on trying to explore the man behind the food, Ramen Heads only makes perfunctory gestures toward trying to discover Tomita’s philosophy.

Admittedly, perhaps one reason for that difference in portrayal is due to Tomita’s age. He doesn’t have a complicated relationship with a son who is constantly living in his shadow, for one, and neither does he have a (comparatively) hard past to reminisce on. To make up for that though, the film compensates by giving audiences much more context about ramen as a uniquely Japanese cuisine.

The director and crew travel across Japan, finding chefs who are famous for other types of ramen. For most of these chefs, there’s a dedication to the craft that one might expect, but for me the surprise was the oldest chef who didn’t look at ramen as some kind of art. He treated his work as a business and just wanted to sell as many bowls as he can in order to make a living, which is something that can be a bit lost when it comes to cuisine-based documentaries.

The film ends with Tomita teaming up with two other ramen chefs to make the “ultimate” bowl of ramen, and we’re given the impression that it’s a special sight to see the three of them work together. This part was a bit lost on me, but seeing the reactions of some patrons to seeing them together in one place was enough to sell the importance of the moment for me.

It was interesting watching this after the Jeremiah Tower biopic, because I think this is probably more what I was looking for — yes, some insight on the man cooking the food is important, but some emphasis on the food itself is important too.

Hobbyhorse Revolution

The programmers mentioned that theme of this year’s selections was obsession, and of the films that I’ve seen, I think this film fits the bill the best. It reminds me of a contemporary version of Trekkies, a documentary that followed the lives of various people obsessed with Star Trek and the influence that their fanaticism had on their lives (I still remember the woman who chose to wore her Star Trek uniform to jury duty).

The subjects of the documentary treat their hobbyhorses much in the same way that the Trekkies treated Star Trek — it’s something that allows them to escape, however momentarily, the painful aspects of their lives and be consumed in a subject that has strictly defined rules and a seemingly open and welcoming community. For example, one of the girls in the film was bullied and sought solace in horse riding, but when her horse died, she discovered the hobbyhorse and used that to help cope with her depression instead.

The interesting thing is that, at least at the time of this writing, the media seemed to have picked up stories of the popularity of the hobbyhorse in Finland. I’m not sure if this documentary is responsible, or if it just became an interesting news story for people to talk about, but with more than ten thousand practitioners in Finland, it’s certainly more than just a passing fad. That’s probably the one criticism I have of the film — that there isn’t any examination as to why girls in Finland have embraced the hobbyhorse, and in particular, hobbyhorse competitions. It is apparently a uniquely Finnish phenomenon, but it’s something that isn’t addressed in a meaningful manner.

The Silent Teacher

The film is an exploration of the process of donating a body to medical research in Taiwan. We see how these cadavers, referred to as “teachers” (laoshi) by the medical students, are treated — starting with the embalming processes all the way through to cremation after the students are finished studying the body.

It’s an interesting cultural document, since donating bodies to science is an issue surrounding death that is rarely addressed (even in North America, there are many drives to try to get people to become organ donors, but not that many to get people to donate their bodies to universities to be dissected and studied). We also get to see how the family of the donated body copes with delaying putting their loved one to rest, as they must wait a year before the body can even be used in a classroom and then another year before the body is returned to them after cremation. That the family is Catholic also adds a unique dimension to the process of grief, as we see a combination of Catholic and Chinese rituals to help the family process the nature of death.

Sunday Beauty Queen

One of the issues I remember reading about during my time teaching in Women’s Studies is the problematic nature of modern feminism in the current economic client. While women in First World countries are given more rights and are encouraged to enter the workforce, a gap is left in the homes of families with dependents. This is true in Canada, where many of my students had Filipino nannies who took care of them while their parents were out of the home, and it’s certainly true in Asia as well, as more affluent nations import Filipino women to run their households.

This film follows the life of Filipino women in Hong Kong, and the difficult life that they lead as they slave away for their employers. While some of these workers are treated with some form of respect and dignity, it’s clear that many are not — they are expected to live in the home of their employer, and in many cases, forced to sleep in whatever spare space is available. One worker relates a story about how her employer forcibly cut off her hair because she refused to pay for a trip to the salon, while another is fired simply for missing their curfew. We see one of these women eat her dinner, but tucked away in a different room than the family, because the “help” doesn’t share the table with her employers.Their jobs are precarious, because they can get fired for any reason, and if they lose their jobs they must find another employer within 14 days or face deportation.

While they slave away for the entire week, Sundays are their day off. It’s on these days that these women choose to become beauty queens, entering pageants organized by Leo, a domestic worker who has been in Hong Kong for over two decades. We see these pageants are more than just a contest between women, but as the one day a week that these women who are isolated by the difficult nature of their jobs are able to become a part of a shared community. Yes, the pageants they are competing in may be trivial, but it’s a day in their dreary week where they are allowed to focus on themselves and be with friends.

Admittedly, the Chinese employers that do appear on film are thoughtful about the nature of the relationship they have with their Filipino employees. Reminiscent of the reality of illegal immigrant workers in the United States, one Chinese employer acknowledges that Filipino workers are a big factor in keeping Hong Kong a functioning society.

The film also doesn’t shy away from the economic realities of the situation. Many of the women documented in the film are college graduates who might otherwise be white collar professionals in the Philippines. But when they can make twice as much money living in Hong Kong as a nanny than they would as a teacher, nurse, programmer, etc. back home, the choice isn’t that hard to make. We also get to see these women bond with their charges, taking the children under their care to school and making them meals, while their own children are left at home with relatives. While mothers anywhere else might have a tearful moment sending their child off for the first day of school, these women can only send their own children off to school through a shaky Skype connection.

The film is very much about trying to find dignity in a series of indignities, and the strength that these women have to have in order to find a way to live their lives in Hong Kong and raise their families back home.

32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide

This film follows Hope Litoff as she struggles to make sense of her sister’s suicide by going through her possessions many years later. What begins as a project that is presumably meant to allow Hope to finally come to term with why her sister Ruth committed suicide slowly spirals out of control as Hope becomes consumed with reliving Ruth’s life.

It’s at this point that the documentary turns its lens on the documentarian, and Hope becomes the subject of the film. We see her obsession with her sister made manifest through the ways she handles her sister’s possessions, culminating with a scene where she papers the walls of a room with the pages of her sister’s day planner. More frighteningly, we see the psychological toll the project takes on her as she dives deeper into her sister’s life, resulting in a scene in which she films herself breaking her many years of sobriety with a shot of vodka.

While this project may have started as a documentary about Ruth Litoff and her troubled life, it quickly evolves into a film about processing grief and how one must learn how to let go of a loved one let it destroy your life. Thankfully, Hope learns this lesson, as she checks into rehab and ends the film by honoring her sister’s memory with an exhibition of her photography at Bellevue Hospital.

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World

The festival ended with a free screening of the Canadian audience award winner, which turned out to be a crowd pleasing film about the influence of Native musicians on the American Rock music. The film starts with Link Wray, going through the many sounds that Native musicians introduced to Rock, and how many early musicians had to hide or deny their Native heritage due to the institutionalized racism of the time. We get to see many other musicians, including Jimi Hendrix and the influence that his grandmother had on his music and the way he presented himself on stage, and Randy Castillo, suggesting that his heavy metal drumming was inspired by his childhood experiences.

There’s not much to say about the film itself. It’s a documentary that serves to educate audiences about an aspect of music history that is ignored, doing so in quite an entertaining manner. The directors suggested that they had hours of footage that they cut for time that they could use, and I could certainly see this film expanded with a sequel or through a television series.

There were many films that I wish I could have seen, but Netflix picked up a couple of them which saved me a trip to the cinema — Chasing Coral and Joshua — and I’m looking forward to watching them when they’re available.

[cosbysworld-blog2]

The Best Jokes From Dave Chappelle's Netflix Specials - Which Ties Back To A Joke About Having Sex With Feet From Earlier In The Special

Thanks to this app, even the most skeptical person going to be fooled on April Simply download the Text For Free App and you going to be given an entirely different number.

All these funny pranks of April fool will make everyone to laugh.

You can put the Colgatein between the cream biscuits. You can also make someone prank by many ways like putting an airhorn below someone's seat or put that behind the door. Write a notification on a 'upsidedown' paper cup that alludes to something horrible being trapped under it. Basically, Leave it on a coworker's desk or in a conference room. Audiences are so comfortable with Chappelle onstage that they afford him a great deal of leeway regarding the making them laugh.

From start to finish, now this joke is all about five minutes long.

Especially since his departure, people have elevated Chappelle as a sort of a grand social critic, in the vein of Chris Rock, despite that not being a large facet of his work. For the majority of it save a note about the irony of the name Planned Parenthood is free every day feels like in modern society, you feel the audience expecting him to make a big point and starts a fairly earnest tribute to Care Bears.

Joke's on you, audience he was just setting up a dumb, 'comingonawoman''schest joke the entire time.

Chappelle is amid the most playful standups ever, and that's on full display here.

In turn, Chappelle uses that to build tension. Nonetheless, Artfully constructed as it's, Chappelle still makes sure to end it with a big, silly punch line asking the mom of the assailant to his suck his dick a tad and his trademark laugh and slapping the mic on his thigh. Chappelle's story about being hit by a snowball in his hometown is good stand up. Historically, we lacked the vocabulary to describe what good standup comedy meant. Whenever unleashing what preparing to have some dry pussy when you get home. He sits down afterward and asks for a cigarette. Few comedians can take an audience on a flight of fancy like Chappelle. Whenever playing the part of post fight boxing analyst and the 'beat up' pussy, Maybe the silliest part of both specials is when he breaks down the saying beat that pussy up. You should take this seriously. Whenever prompting him to give the drunk woman's date some advice, Midway through Deep in the Heart of Texas, Chappelle is lightly heckled. There is some more information about this stuff here. This five minute section, that might have been unplanned, showcases Chappelle at his loosest and dumbest. It's a refreshingly unusual thing to see in a film special, It's a familiar sight to those who have seen Chappelle late night at a local comedy club, just chilling and riffing for a couple of minutes or two.

The interaction causes a shift in Chappelle.

You definitely see less referencing of previous jokes in identical way, It's difficult to say it's completely obsolete.

Chappelle plays with the tension between looseness and structure like no other. The callback is bit of a lost art in standup. It's difficult to say exactly why maybe it's that it rubs against this era's stress on conversationality and perceived spontaneity.s/he is definitely not in the moment, if a comedian is referencing something from earlier in the set. His penchant for inner linking is classic, while Chappelle paved the way for this era of looseness. Fact, which ties into someone attempting to extort him by threatening to release a sex tape of him having sex with someone; which ties into other parents not liking him at school; which ties into one of his sons getting into a fight at school; which ties back to the sex tape; which ties back to a joke about having sex with feet from earlier in the special; which ties back to his relationship with his dog, Chappelle's relationship with his dog ties into his habit of eating his kids' lunches.

It's all in the linking. With any piece its own discrete inner joke that builds to the big finish, The nearly 20 minute closer to Deep in the Heart of Texas is like a puzzle. Case in point, he skipped out on an appearance at a 'African American organized' Justice for Flint benefit to attend the Oscars, that was held on quite similar night. This bit is a confession, a mea culpa, an apology, and a kissoff rolled into one. Though Chappelle applauds the diverse crowd at his taping of The Age of Spin, he laments that grey people don't fuck with me like they used to, in part as long as my own actions drew a wedge between me and the community I hold so dear. Being that he's real, the joke works not as long as Chappelle is right. Eventually, while exposing the petty, selfish part of any of us that would as soon put on a tux and hobnob with Ryan Gosling at the open bar as save the world, He happily bursts the bubble of our own lofty, humanitarian impulses.

In the longest and knottiest section of The Age of Spin, Chappelle examines the state of Bill Cosby's legacy.

Despite this, Chappelle does an admirable job of threading the needle or making his best attempt, with that said.

Know what, I know, as Chappelle himself says over and over again. Rewards of fording these murky waters are worth the effort, Sure, not everything is in great taste. He is all it's to reconcile Cosby the entertainer and philanthropist with Cosby the rapist. From there, the comic talks about a contentious encounter with a female audience member, the idea of comparative suffering, how it feels to lose an idol, and whether it's possible to salvage something of that idol's accomplishments.

The opening joke, a sudden swerve from a winding monologue about half a century of tumultuous American history, is worth it alone.

The final callback to another morally ambiguous superhero of Chappelle's invention is a great reveal that says everything about his get Cosby.

Surely, now this bit was a problem to write. Of course Got it? You see, we decided to shine a light on definitely the best jokes. I would like to ask you something. Get it? Great! Besides, a whole chunk of smaller jokes around one theme, to be clear. Meaning not only a strict setup/punch line combo. The highs of Dave Chappelle's two new Netflix specials The Age of Spin and Deep in the Heart of Texas are just so high that they're more than one review can cover.

This can include even something like the series of four Simpson stories Chappelle tells in The Age of Spin, as they fit gether as part of a whole. Here are the ten best. The stories, like Chappelle's smartest pieces, work in the subtext. Together, they show the alltime greats at the height of his abilities. Consequently, I was curious, when I first heard that The Age of Spin was built around the four times Dave Chappelle met Simpson. Then, whenever maintaining momentum within half an hour of comedy is a distinct challenge for stand ups, the stories offer a nice anticipation of comfort while not feeling overly structured. With that said, Is Dave Chappelle about to drop a 'one man' show? Instead, the runner works partly as a framing device, and partly as a method for organization. Ok, and now one of the most important parts. As Chappelle starts any by noting where he was in his own career, he is able to use them as a subversive way of looking at grey celebrity, a theme that also carries through the entire special, from Bill Cosby to Kevin Hart to himself, On the surface, they are four increasingly ridiculous stories about an increasingly ridiculous person. Tendency ward hypertension and diabetes, the ready availability of cheap burgers, and a sense that the 'health care' industry will bend over backward for the fairer skinned.