#medium tim verse

[luxaofhesperides]

i love haunted houses :)

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Also don't think anyone has said this (thats a joke) but like, art styles aside:

The animation, expressions, movement, everything of ATSV is IMPECCABLE.

Like insanely, ridiculously, almost mind bogglingly good.

[This is a MEDIUM length post]

The main strength is the Emotion -

In terms of animation, the range of emotions Miguel is capable of expressing is like... crazy good. Gwen's emotions ARE UNSPEAKABLY IMPRESSIVE.

LIKE...ANIMATING HER FUCKING BREATHING???? AND BLINKS!! AS AN EMOTIONAL CUE. HELLO???!!

And the movie hinges on this - almost every scene has an emotional cue that HAS to hit. Whether is Jess's looks of hesitation or Peter B.'s looks of horror.

And this may seem like the most ridiculous comparison ever made but like...

The Bee Movie and Across the Spider-Verse came out FIFTEEN YEARS APART.

THE BEE MOVIE...THIS MONSTRASITY that has plagued humankind - was made less than two decades from THIS:

The fact that we progressed that far as a society (pun intended) in that short of a time will never not baffle me.

I genuinely cannot name any other animated movie that:

Has multiple styles throughout the duration

Can seamlessly change styles without the viewer immediately noticing (like Gwen returning to her universe)

Show two or more animation styles on screen at the same time (and no, Roger Rabbit and Space Jam don't count - that's half live action lol)

Just off the top of my head - ATSV shows up to three styles in one scene: I'm mainly thinking of the scene that shows Hobie (customized - style 1), Peter B. (standard - style 2), and Miguel (a light stylized - style 3).

It can be brought to four if you want to count Miles/Gwen, though their style isn't visible.

I can think of a couple scenes that genuinely blew me away in terms of animation -

One being Rio's 'What-EVER?!' because of the little stance correction and head bob she does, because it's such a natural thing to do. And it adds so much to an already perfect line.

It's something someone would genuinely do IRL without even noticing.

Another I LOVE is Pavitr and Hobie roughhousing.

Like, I can't yell about these five seconds of animation more.

It's SO fluid it looks like Motion-Capture and I left the theatre googling is any Mo-Cap was used in the movie (and from what I can tell - no, it's all original animation).

The way Pavitr falls to the side and bumps them - This not only being a natural reaction to Hobie and his weight, but it also LOOKS natural. So much so you can see it affect Hobie's model too. The movement has kinetic energy on both models -

Which is AMAZING CONSIDERING THEY'RE ANIMATED ON LIKE FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES.

In this shot alone, there's the guitar, vest, AND Hobie, all of which have their own animation rules. Plus the outline on his guitar AND him. And then there PAVI too, who's running at a higher frame rate, touching and interacting with Hobie.

So much so that Hobie's model nearly wraps himself around Pavi. Pavi's hair is moving, Hobie's guitar is moving, there's movement in the background - and it looks GREAT.

PLUS THE CAMERA IS MOVING AND GOSTLING. IT'S NOT A STATIC SHOT. The models and camera are moving AS IF THEY'RE REAL when they're not.

That's - My..I CAN EVEN COMPUTE THAT.

But by far, I think the range of expression used on Miguel is like... Chef's kiss.

(of course I was gonna trick you into reading another post about Miguel. Uh-huh that's what's about to happen)

Like... are you kidding me?

NAH DEADASS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

The whole later half of the movie hinges on Miguel looking buckwild crazy insane and they NAIL that. And like-

Oh my god what the actual fuck

?????????????????????????? I........ I have nothing to add. After that picture......Nah... LMAOOO

(left: actual photo of Moche watching this happen)

But Anyway chile, This movie is like.. genuinely a modern marvel.

If Marvel gave Tim Gunn 4 billion dollars and five years, whatever live-action rendition he would have made would not even compare to ATSV on any conceivable level - that's how good it is so jot that down.

And like...don't even get me started on Hobie..his design..his representation...girl I will start crying in this Arby's do not play with me

I just felt that needed to be said.

you get what I'm saying yall know what I mean iight coo

Here's a picture of Hobie to cleanse your palette.

Bye.

[thesinglesjukebox]

DRAKE FT. SEXYY RED & SZA - "RICH BABY DADDY"

Okay, we'll admit it. The main reason we came back is that, if we didn't, we would've gone a year where we didn't cover a Drake single, and that just felt so wrong...

[4.81]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: This should be the slammiest of all the dunks. Drake -- you know him, he's well past his peak but can still afford a banger when he puts his account to it! Sexyy Red -- the summer was hers! SZA, the biggest star out! Miami bass music! The title! All the names are on the poster, promising a good ass time, but we never get there. It's a summer blockbuster pushed to October for a reason, and is way too frigid to get this writer's ass moving. First kid on YouTube to upload a [BASS BOOSTED] edit moves this joint up a point, although the bass was the whole fuckin' point in the first place. [3]

Tim de Reuse: You can call it "a consequence of being overplayed" or "so many people copied him that now he sounds boring" or whatever. All I know is that trying to think of words to describe Drake in December of 2023 is like pulling teeth. It's standard atmospheric pressure -- it's a medium-sized red delicious apple -- it's a glass of tap water. I am listening as hard as I can, and I cannot hear anything. [3]

Andrew Karpan: The first thing I think about when I think about "Rich Baby Daddy" is the uncredited voice of Jessica Domingo, because it's literally the first thing on there. Processed to sound almost as if being sung behind a waterfall, Domingo's voice registers at the very volume and pitch of distance, a recurring gesture for voices like these in the Drake oeuvre. The best part about these songs is that they are always the sum total of their parts, so they can really be appreciated like this; something Drizzy himself realized a while back too, when he started sorting and rearranging them for curatorial effect. In a sea of wobbly fashionable Miami bass, the bars he picks up here from Sexyy Red don't feel out of place next to his own unrelated internal monologue, nor next to the patched-in haunted refrain from SZA, a miracle get that impresses because it is impressive. His otherwise unexplained deliberate misreading of a decade-old Florence + the Machine record that acts as a kind of perplexing coda eventually begins to make sense too, if you listen to it a few hundred times like I did. [9]

Katherine St Asaph: In three years we're going to learn that this was originally a SZA solo track that Drake hijacked for himself, like Rihanna's recording of "Consideration", right? I need to believe this so I can justify this score to myself. [5]

Michelle Myers: It's a dark truth that many of Drake's best songs involved vampirically swagger-jacking some up-and-coming rapper with local buzz or a viral track. Here, he attempts to harness Sexyy Red's gloriously blunt charisma and ends up utterly upstaged. Red lets herself soften against a skittery, femme club beat, her voice crackling warmly as she interpolates her own damn song. SZA sounds like a 1996 album-cut hidden gem sped up and resurrected by a Zoomer with 15 million TikTok followers. And then there's fucking Drake, increasingly bitter and out-of-touch, having long lost whatever soft-hearted charm I saw in him a decade ago. His verses are the musical equivalent of thirtysomething white ladies who write songs about skinny jeans and side-parts, embarrassing for all of us. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: A soundtrack to the approaching millennial midlife crisis that's so candid in its thirsty stabbing at relevance that I can't help but cheer for it, or feel sorry for it, or both. On a formal level, "Rich Baby Daddy" is nowhere near as elegant as its obvious predecessors, "In My Feelings" and "Nice for What," but after repeat listening, that messiness, that feeling of being pulled in several different directions at once, starts to feel like a deliberate choice. The guest stars, who were recruited with that in mind, go even further by alternately supporting and undermining Drake's intended displays of mastery over female sexuality. Sexyy Red pays her requisite homage unflinchingly, with a leisurely cadence more suited for a block party than a marquee album, while SZA disrupts the prebuilt Madonna-whore duality by crashing out of the gate with "I need a dick and conversation," all while sounding like she's being launched on a lily pad toward the heavens. The strip-club-in-a-water-level sonics add some emotional texture to what would otherwise be an explosion of untrimmed id, somewhat easing the transition into the stupid-on-paper "post-nut clarity" outro. As laughable as that concept may be, it evokes the yearning post-adolescence of "old Drake" as much as the Florence interpolation does, and just like Mr. Last Name Ever himself, I can't call myself immune to the periodic desire to go back, back to 2009. [8]

Ian Mathers: I know we're not predisposed to like Fucking Drake around here, but the processing on his chorus vocals is the most off-putting I've heard in a while. And not because they've cranked the Auto-Tune or whatever up too far -- I've heard and loved more pronounced examples of that -- but because they've somehow managed to produce the world's deepest whine. At least he's barely here, ceding most of the track to a high-effort-for-low-reward Sexyy Red performance. SZA is much better but barely shows up, which is probably the right move. And then Fucking Drake comes back to just "sing" Florence + the Machine for a bit! Every bit of shit we've ever talked was justified. [2]

Tara Hillegeist: Not even Drake sounding the most alive and enjoying-himself and hands down the funniest guest bars anyone's ever contributed to a Drake chorus can fully save this song from the depths of antipathy carved into my psyche by several years of Fucking Drake too many, but credit where it's due: I haven't left a track from Degrassi's own Jimmy Brooks feeling this genuinely entertained by what I just heard since "Started from the Bottom". And that's impressive, considering this is a track where I had to hear him mumble-singing soulfully about the emotional impact of post-nut clarity. [6]

Will Adams: So many elements working against this -- abrupt instrumental breaks; SZA's verse sounding like it was pasted on with Elmer's; left-field Florence interpolation; Drake in general -- but Sexyy Red's hook is indelible. Sometimes that's all you need. [6]

Crystal Leww: "Shake that ass for Drake, now shake that ass for me" are some of the funniest instructions ever doled out on a Drake song, which is an accomplishment if you consider how long Drake has been around. Drake is essential to this song if only for those lines. [6]

Aaron Bergstrom: I am willing to consider shaking my ass for Sexyy Red. Under no circumstances will I shake my ass for Drake. [3]

Nortey Dowuona: Drake is a bad rapper. No matter what his stans, Lil Yachty, DJ Wackademics, or me in 2013 will tell you, dude is an inescapably clumsy, artless witless hack whose only talent is in co-opting more complex and dedicated art to make it more comfy and accessible to people who would never sincerely engage with what he does. Kanye has been sadder and more earnest. Phonte has been more honest and clever. Lauryn Hill did his whole schtick so well both he and Kanye keep riding off her songs. The only thing he had is that he made music that women liked, that spoke to women in a way it could never do so for dorks like us. And now he's making flat, wan Earl Sweatshirt songs for people who hate Earl and people who hate women period. Sexyy Red's verse is clumsy too, but it's charming and earnest, and the SZA verse is entrancing, vivid and stunning. The line "I got a feeling this is more than what we both say" contains more genuine worry, fear and hope than this hack has done in his whole career. Please, pretty please, buy SOS on vinyl, buy a record player, learn a trade, call your mom and tell her you love her, tell her you are so grateful for staying with you and loving you. Hell, click off this website. Just do not play a song where the most heterosexual man on the face of the earth tries to convince you that he can teach you to -- [3]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: I've spent the past few months thinking about lovers' rock and pagode romântico through the lens of bell hooks' idea of "loving Blackness as political resistance." It was "Rich Baby Daddy" that made me start doing the same for Atlanta bass. Drake seems as good enough a launchpad for all this ruminating -- how often have I seen men refer to his "softer" songs as being "for the girls"? How much of romance is coded across gender lines? Of course, Drake is a manipulative shithead, and it's Sexyy Red who provides the most loving lyric we've heard in any of his songs: an ostensible call to embrace something approaching bisexuality. Too bad Drake opts for another beat-switch gimmick as an excuse to exert his fragile masculinity. Like, how are you gonna follow up, "Shake that ass for Drake, now shake that ass for me" with "You ain't even know how to suck it right." [5]

Brad Shoup: I know how this sounds, but this needed... more Drake? More of the first-verse Drake, anyway: skipping and bobbing, fully devoted on a threeway Miami bass ballad that has exhaling synths straight out of Cupid & Psyche 85. Hell yes, give me all you got. Instead, he dips until the beat switch gives him something properly sluggish. How do you fuck up a verse that interpolates Florence and uses the phrase "post-nut clarity"? He was positively panting earlier; now he's talking about sex like he's issuing a Q3 performance review. [5]

Alfred Soto: Drake drawls shit like "You ain't even know how to suck it right" like a PE coach in a locker room and disappears to let Sexyy Red shout undeserving orders. Nice life! [2]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Here, Drake turns his complete inertness into an advantage: he does his best Sexyy Red impression here and sings some truly brain-dead riffs on Florence + the Machine, but otherwise abandons his own song in favor of his more interesting guests. It's an interesting move from a guy once known for using features to take over songs completely -- interesting more in the meta-pop context than in the song itself, of course, but a decade and a half in to our coverage of Fucking Drake, we ought to be finding new angles when we can. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[agentnico]

Dream Scenario (2023) Review

This film features possibly the best fart joke in the history of the cinema. They should advertise that on the poster!

Plot: Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

This past decade Nicolas Cage has managed to enjoy a real comeback. Ever since he's paid back all those millions he owed to the IRS, he no longer needs to accept every acting role that's offered to him. He instead actually chooses some exciting and weird projects. Though they don't always pay off, they exhibit his care for the craft and consistent strive to deliver something different to his audience. Simply observing his last few years in the business, he's given us movies like Pig, Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Color Out of Space, Mandy, Into the Spider-Verse, Willy's Wonderland, and Mom & Dad. Heck, even Croods 2 was way better than expected - me and my fiancée laughed our heads off. Again, not all those films are masterpieces, but they certainly are different and provide a visceral viewing experience. So when I heard that Nicolas Cage was teaming up with A24, a studio that too recently stands out as a production company striving to give new filmmakers an exciting voice in the indie medium, it simply felt like a match made in heaven. Thus we have Dream Scenario.

Look, folks who know me know that I adore Nicolas Cage, so I do not want to come off as biased when I say this, but Nicolas Cage is great in this movie. Nope, it's not due to him having yet another weird haircut (what's with that recently by the way??). It's the fact that he manages to act as this very regular Joe, yet still makes him stand out. From his awkward demeanor, an honest naive outlook, and his voice - he was pitch-perfect, managing to be hilarious in his inept old-school perspective on things. It's Nicolas Cage at his best. Also, I have read that originally Adam Sandler was pitched for this role, and though I can see his farcical nature fitting in, it would have been a very different character to that delivered by Cage. Additionally, supporting turns from Julianne Nicholson, Tim Meadows, Dylan Gelula and Michael Cera were all welcome additions to the movie.

As for the film itself, it's also great. I love this idea of a random dude suddenly appearing in people's dreams for absolutely no reason. It's so rare to have a new original conception in a film in our day and age. Though this film could have so easily fallen into the trap of being an elongated one-joke, the creative team behind this seems to know what they are doing. Talk about getting everything out of a concept. The movie starts and you think, okay this is a lot of fun, but where are they going to go from here? Have no fear, they have plenty of tricks up their sleeves and the wild ride continues throughout. The film is hilarious. It contained some of the biggest theatre laughs I've heard in a long time. But it's more than that too. It actually gets quite touching and sad and has some really thought-provoking stuff going on. I do think it gets a tad lost in the cancel culture message, but only slightly.

The fact that this film started out as a project of Ari Aster is no surprise, as it has much in common with Beau is Afraid - notably the hapless and powerless central character and some surreal and blackly comic moments. In fact, what I really enjoyed was when the film leaned into that element of horror and the grotesque. Some of the nightmarish dream sequences really had that unsettling shock factor. I wish the movie was willing to go further into that, as even though I really like that the film went the more melodramatic route, in my mind I also wanted something even darker. That's not a gripe, but more so an observation of how a different vision for this film could have played out.

As for the aforementioned fart scene. Not spoiling anything, but this gag had the audience members in the screening howling with silent breathy cackling. It is one of the most well-calibrated comedic moments I've ever witnessed. The build-up to the timing and the actual punch line was simply sublime. Also, for a fart gag, it never felt crude, which is impressive in itself.

Overall Dream Scenario is a real treat. It has a very limited theatrical release here in the UK so had to travel to a different city to see it, but I'm so glad I did as one can never get enough of the man, the myth, the legend that is Nicolas Cage.

Overall score: 8/10

[kaithonks]

So I’ve had some thoughts about Comic Fanon and Canon

I feel the need to admit I’m not particularly active online. Do read fanfics, like art, but I don’t really comment on other people’s or get in to discussion. Specially regarding fandom topics. I tend to fall in to the category of just letting people do whatever they like. But recently, a lot of what’s been on my freed is talk about people making fan content without having read the source material. Partially in the comic book sphere, and for me specially in DC Comics. And my initial thought to this was, let the people do whatever the hell they want. But as I thought more about it, I realized that fan content is not for fans of DC Comics but fans of the DC comic fan work. That is getting all lumped together, when in reality it’s not for the same fandom. 

It’s an interesting spiral to think about, honestly. 

And I feel it’s important to make clear what I want when I go consume fan content. I personally don’t look for canon compliance. I am of a mind set that nothing outside the comic book is canon. Canon is not perfect. It can be awkward and frustrating, and contradictory of itself at times.  So I want fan work that maybe more used Canon as a guideline for a different interpretation. I don’t really bow down to canon, and I don’t expect a fan work to as well because to me that fan work is never going to be close to canon. In some ways I see the line runs parallel to reality verse fiction, it’s just a microcosm. And I’m sure I’m not alone in this way of thinking about fan works, but it does again twist where fan works base on fan works falls. 

Brining this back to comics. There are trends that have developed with in Comic fan work. And for our purpose today, I’m gonna stick to Bat family fanfiction. I personally only really read Jason Todd, and I haven’t been keeping up with anything mainline for a while now. (I just need a break and I started reading Green Lantern, but that’s beside my point) But when I for “Jason Todd is Robin” I get (at time of writing) 2,783 works on Archive of our own. And let’s be real. I’m at work on my hour lunch break. I don’t really have time to read that much. So use the flitters to narrow it down. To “Jason Todd is Robin” “Time Travel Fix it” (if you know the story you probably have an idea of what I’m looking for) Now again at time of writing I’m down to 20 fics with the first one being a FNaF cross over. Not what I’m looking for. I go down, and the next describes Jason going insane and killing everyone.

In no way am I bashing people for making crossovers or writing stories they want with characters they love, but this is where the problem of fan content of fan content lives. It makes things harder. And it becomes the situation of making a copy from a copy. Again, I’m not passing judgement on anyone who post on AO3 because I see it as work done out of love and passion and that’s good. If I don’t think canon is perfect, I don’t expect fans works to be. But these works dilute the characters because you’re not working on your own interpretation of the character, but other people’s popular ideas of that. At that point, you probably should just work on an original character with troupes you like.

I don’t think people should stop posting if they’ve never read a comic. I think they should read a comic because they are a great medium with a lot of good reads, specially outside the superhero genre. But I have trouble justifying to myself having fanon of fanon takes in these spaces.

Here is one guilty pleasure that’s definitely fanon more than canon. I like Tim being a fan of Jason’s Robin. Particularly because It makes Tim still being 17 make more sense. There is just gonna be a point where Tim discovering Dick’s Identity is just bonkers timeline wise. And DC’s Timeline is already….. Something. But that’s bound to happen when you have something running for so long and honestly a different discussion. 

The point I’m making is, I like it. I think it’s ultimately a good little twist to their relationship. Adding to Jason and Tim’s characters. With A) Tim’s betray at a Robin hurting him and B) Jason’s guilt at having hurt someone who believed in his Robin. I don’t read enough Tim to feel comfortable making full judgement on his character, but again this is more of a different interruption, which is what I look for in fan content. So fanon takes aren’t naturally bad characterizations. But If someone who only knows Tim and Jason by the popular fanon takes. It’s gonna really dilute their characters, and at that point just write original characters based on those them. 

All of this really boils down to personal preference, but we do need to talk about things like this. And to me, fan content of fan content shouldn’t be in spaces where people who are fans of the original source material go. Because it’s not for those people but in still in their space.

[socially-anxious-wizard]

What's your favourite artstyle, in media, that you've seen?

Great question! (Btw Idk if you are the same Anon but I get Art related Anons from time to time and it's really cool. :])

I suppose I have a soft spot for anything Gothic. But sadly most of the things that might come to mind aren't really what I'm looking for (Tim Burton might come to mind. Who sucks lmao.)

As easy as it is to say, but Spider-Verse truly is jaw dropping, and not only does it makes me want to be a better artist, it just breaks the game every time, it's used of colours, space, shape, expressions, is everything I look for in Media- I favour Art that is expressive and emotional for a lack of a better word.

But I'm also biased in the fact, I ADORE Comics in all forms and will always love the medium.

Just look at the glory.

[filmbaker]

The Rise of Ad Agencies: Exploring the Growth of Filmbaker

Delhi - a city that never sleeps, and a place where creativity knows no rest. It's the heart of India, a space where the advertising industry found its home. The narratives of advertisement keep changing here, but Ad agencies in Delhi, like Filmbaker, have always found their ways, let's delve into it. 

About Filmbaker

Filmbaker isn't just one of the top advertising agencies in Delhi, we are a creative powerhouse. We are on a mission to transform ideas into captivating narratives. Since every story needs to be heard, we make stories hearing-worthy. For years now, our creative minds at Filmbaker have been redefining the advertising landscape. 

Our approach is innovative, we don't just study the brand, we study the audience too. Our aim is simple, breathe life into concepts, ensuring they resonate with audiences on a profound level. However, as simple as the process sounds, it really ain't that easy - BUT WE BELIEVE ALL ORDINARY DESERVES TO BE EXTRAORDINARY. 

A Sneak Peek Into Our Journey

Our journey commenced with a vision to disrupt the advertising industry, and our way was straightforward - make the most out of our creativity and innovation. Each member here ace the power of visual storytelling. And by this only we were able to achieve significant milestones, not just in Delhi, and Mumbai, but across countries. 

The range of services we offer is as diverse as the stories we tell. From concept development to post-production, we help you with the entire creative spectrum, here's how:

Concept development: Our creative minds specialize in crafting compelling narratives that capture the vision and mission of the grand. In the development process, we ensure that each project is as unique as the brand is, and is also highly resonating to the target audience. 

Pre-production: Our pre-production team meticulously plan every aspect of the project - from the scripting part, and location scouting, to ensuring seamless execution, we got you covered with all. 

Production: Here is where the crew brings concepts to life. By infusing the latest technology with our creative expertise, we make sure that during production we leave no stones unturned. 

Post-production: Finishing touches matter. During post-production, using cutting-edge editing techniques, visual effects, and sound design, the final product comes out to be highly captivating! 

Evolution of Advertising in Delhi

Delhi, a city full of life, is not an easy deal to crack. Its advertising journey is a tale of evolution. In the initial days, newspaper ads were all over here. Billboards and radio broadcasts were the essential and the only mediums for promotional campaigns. These channels laid the foundation for the advertising ecosystem in Delhi. 

But now, the digital age ushered in here. Digital advertising brought precision in Delhi, more interactivity and a broader reach. However, it also introduced a new set of challenges, like:

Regulatory Dynamics: Ads run in Delhi are governed by regulation and compliance setters.  Advertisers must remain vigilant and well-versed in these legal aspects to ensure their campaigns are above board.

Audience Diversity: Delhi's audience mirrors the city's rich diversity, necessitating a multifaceted and culturally sensitive approach to reach and engage with the various segments effectively. Advertisers must embrace this diversity and celebrate the city's uniqueness while avoiding cultural missteps.

Digital Competition: In a city, where at every nook, there's an ad displayed, the key to success lies in innovation and creativity. Advertisers must break through the digital noise to capture their audience's attention effectively.

Challenges will be there, but at Filmbaker, with our creative minds, we have surpassed each other. We now see these challenges as an opportunity to grow. Being a popular media agency, we know the ways. We have been scripting success in Delhi's advertising world for a long time. No matter where you are a startup or an established brand seeking fresh perspectives - contact Filmbaker today, and let's together bring your brand to life!

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

the straw drawer

by deargalileo

sometimes, love is stored in the straws. a story about family, traditions, and gifts, through the medium of crazy straws.

(a companion piece to the butler's neighbor, so i would suggest reading that first)

(birdwatchers one word prompt challenge day 133 - collect)

Words: 7442, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of straw-verse

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Jason Todd, Tim Drake

Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne

Additional Tags: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gift Giving, Tim Drake Joins the Batfamily Early, Adoption, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Time Skips, Fluff, Podfic Welcome, Found Family, Family Fluff, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne Bonding, no beta we die like jason todd except hes alive in this, Sibling Bonding, Batfamily (DCU)

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/47155144

[dementedspeedster]

ღ (for any verse!)

Accepting || Inbox me a ‘ღ’ and My muse will rate your muse with the following:

Canon!Thad

Romantic attraction: none | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme Sexual attraction: none (Thad: I'd rather beat you with a baseball bat) | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme Aesthetic attraction: none | very low | low | medium (Thad: Shut. Up.) | high | very high | extreme Sensual attraction: Where does the desire to physically beat him up rank on this scale? | none | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme

TimThad!Verse

Romantic attraction: none | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme Sexual attraction: none | very low | low | medium (this is Thad's version of high) | high | very high | extreme Aesthetic attraction: none | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme Sensual attraction: none | very low | low | medium | high | very high | extreme (For someone like Thad who under normal circumstances isn't a physically affectionate person it's extreme for him with how much he'll physically express his affection for Tim in general and just casual ways.)

[dairy-farmer]

After reading the new Tim Drake comic, all I can think of is Tim having a gay panic attack about having sex with a boy so he corners one of his brothers to 'teach' him sex so it'll be good for Bernard.

Just.

Tim: Hurry up and remove your pants. I don’t have all day!

Jason: What. Wait a minute-

Tim: Time’s up. [tackles Jason]

I LOVE this!!!! because tim would be so stressed, tracking every detail of his and bernard's relationship- he doesn't want to wreck this good thing going. it's not that he wants to just be a good boyfriend he wants to be good at being a boyfriend!

he needs to be able to hold someone's hand, and write them poems and love letters, and listen to them, communicate with them.

most of all, tim needs to be good at sex. gay sex. he's been reading lots of books and magazines and he knows bad sex can put a damper on an otherwise perfect relationship.

the problem?

tim doesn't have sex. ever.

bernard's the first person he's ever felt a genuine romantic connection with and he's tim's first sexual partner. he knows bernard is interested, with the way his hands stroke down tim's side when they're kissing, cupping tim's waist and squeezing his buttt.

but tim... he chickens out because he needs to train first. he needs to make sure it'll be good first.

but tim is lucky, he has resources on hand to use.

dick, jason, and bruce are all well-versed and experienced. bruce has the most years under his belt and would likely be a good teacher but he's also in the middle of an undercover case. dick's experience is coupled with vocal and praising reviews from women but talent should transcend medium. still, he's also incredibly emotional and tim can't trust that dick won't get attatched unlike bruce who would see this purely as a favor.

jason however....jason is both free, capable, and not as emotional as dick.

tim sends jason a text asking for his help in this deficiency within his abilities.

he replies with a simple

'u srs?'

tim rolls his eyes and asks when they can meet. he doesn't hesitate to grab his keys when jason replies with a-

'i'm free rn if u want'

tim makes a quick stop at a pharmacy for lube and condoms, estimating jason's size based on his height and relative weight.

the ones tim purchased for bernard will likely be too small.

jason greets him at the door, shirtless and in sweatpants with a brow quirked at tim.

tim pushes in past him and dumps the supplied on jason's kitchen counter. he grabs the lube and one of the condoms, turning to face jason.

"i'll take the lead and then you adjust me when you have to alright?"

jason is frozen, he's staring at the table and then darting a glance at tim.

"wait a second... you were serious?"

jason's face is doing flips and twisting through several emotions as tim tugs off his jacket and kicks off his boots. tim nods and starts explaining his reasoning- that when he has sex with bernard for the first time that he wants it to be good, he wants to know what he's doing.

but tim's never had sex before, bernard has. with girls.

so if anything that at least makes it easier on tim to decide what position he'd like to be in and also tim has always been curious about penetration and being on the bottom.

jason is staring at him and tim puts his hands on his hips, crinkling the condom.

"so are you ready or not? i have a date with bernard in nine hours and i want to at least be able to suck his dick."

"alright, wait one moment," jason holds up his hands shaking his head, "your texts from earlier, you weren't pulling my leg? you want to have sex with me?"

tim rolled his eyes.

"between you, bruce, and dick- you were the best option now are you going to take out your dick or not?"

jason looked like he'd been slapped with a fish and tim shifted impatiently. he'd fingered his hole earlier following a tutorial on a porn website and the lube running down his ass and onto his underwear is more uncomfortable than he thought it'd be.

jason is still staring at him and tim can feel his patience slipping because he came here for some practice, not to be gaped at.

"can your just hurry up and remove your pants! i don’t have all day!"

he really didn't. he had to shower, be dressed, and ready to be picked up. bernard had made a reservation for them at some nice restaurant months ago.

and tim was not going to let that go to waste.

jason was tugged out of his stupor when tim started approaching him.

"wait, hold on a second-"

"i gave you plenty of seconds, time’s up."

tim pushes jason back onto his couch and straddles him. he lets his ass press to jason's cock and starts grinding a little.

small motions to raise interest as he creeps over jason and dumps the condom and lube beside jason's head. jason's eyes follow the bright yellow foil of the condom.

"holy shit, you are serious."

tim snorted and kept inching his hips back, slotting jason's cock between the seam of his ass and pressing back.

jason's hands flew to his hips as tim carefully balanced himself, placing his palms on jason's broad chest.

jason let out a small curse, curling his fingers around tim's hips as tim pushed himself up and down, adding enough force and friction to get a groan out of jason.

tim knew he could get someone hard. knew it was as simple as touching, rubbing, and sucking.

what he needed to be good at was the bringing to orgasm part.

tim deftly slid down jason's sweatpants, roughly grabbing his cock then softening his hold when jason hissed.

tim unzipped and unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down until they were at his knees.

"pass the stuff."

jason didn't say a word, immediatly handing over the condom and lube.

tim had watched and practiced application enough on a cucumber to be able to slide it down the thick..girth of jason's cock.

jason was big. bigger than tim had been expecting from him.

tim had spent quite a bit of time stretching his asshole and...he wouldn't rip but it would be quite a squeeze to fit.

tim drizzled a bit of lube on his fingers anyway, awkwardly coruching over and shoving his fingers into himself.

jason thumbed his hip bones. tim could feel the eyes on him as he carefully spread his fingers in a 'V' and tugged at the tight muscle of his rim.

tim let out a soft grunt, closing his eyes as he sunk in down to the knuckle.

"fuck" jason breathed.

fuck was right.

tim took a deep, steadying breath as he gripped jason's erect cock. he pushed himself to his knees, looking down at himself as he lowered himself down and pressed the spongy head of jason's cock to his pink rim.

the initial push in was tight even with tim's fingers.

jason groaned as tim sunk down until the tip was fully in.

tim breathed shakily. the hand pressed to jason's abdomen dug its nails into soft flesh as tim pushed down further, letting his hole swallow more of jason's cock. feeling as his insides split apart to make room for him.

tim shook like a leaf in the wind, his hole throbbing as he felt himself finally reach bottom.

jason's fine throat was exposed as he tilted his head back to let out a drawn out-

"fuuuuuuuucckkk."

tim's hole was filled and stretched to the brim, he could barely move, his limbs were so tensed. tim stayed there on jason's lap, breathing slowly, shoulders rising up and down with each breath as he tried to figure out how he was going to tackle this.

was it up and down? he pushed up on his thighs and then let his wieght slam him back down? that seemed like it'd get tiring very quickly.

tim was pulled out of his thoughts as jason tightened his grip and slowly began moving tim on his cock.

pushing his back and then bringing them forward, making tim's hips go in a sort of 'u' shaped scoop motion.

"like this timberly-" jason breathed, eyes locked on where they were joined. "it's alllll in the motions baby- just like this"

tim repressed a moan as jason's cockhead stabbed deeper and hit something that had him jolting.

'the prostate?' tim wondered. it had to be. nothing else could be what caused that brief spark of pleasure that had his balls tightening the slightest bit.

tim whined as jason kept moving his hips, occasionally puncatuating the movements with thrust of his own that drove him in deep enough that tim was certain jason was literally fucking his intestines.

tim breathed deeply. pressing his fingers to his lower abdomen and letting out a gasped gag as he felt a moving bulge under his fingers.

shit. tim knew jason was big- but not THIS fucking big.

jason's hips thrust up and tim bent over like the wind had been knocked out of him.

"gnn gnn nnghh move your hips- fuck- move your hips-"

tim followed jason's demand immediately. his mouth fell open and tim let out soft gasps and gutted sounds as felt jason's cock fuck in and out of him. tim bit down on his lip, furrowing his brows and focusing on the feeling and the slick slide.

he could hear the wet sounds of lub sloshing around inside him as he tried to follow jason's movements when they'd been on his hips, moving his hips and not his thighs to bounce on jason's cock.

tim could feel the coiling heat building up, the white flashes behind his eyeslids that grew brighter as jason wrapped a hand around him-

"yeah yeah yeah- just like that timmy, nngh f-faster, yes, a little harder a little harder nnngh mmnn yes, y-yess oh oh fuuuckkk"

tim tilted back, resting both hands on jason's knees and letting his head fall as he let out a crying whine. his abdominals tightened, his entire body going tight as he clenched around the throbbing cock that he knew was cumming. jason's calloused hands milked every drop out of tim's cock until he was so sensitive it was like live wire had touched him.

tim rode out the feeling, jolting on jason's softening cock and slapping away the hands that tugged on him.

"j-just a moment," he panted, "i-i'm almost done j-just give me a second hahhhn-"

tim slowed, stopping his hips and hearing his heart beat in his ears as he took deep breaths. jason was still under him. hands on tim's hips and gripping him.

okay, okay, okay. good. okay.

yeah. tim could do this. he could. jason had given some good pointers and he'd cum. that had to mean tim wasn't all that bad for a noive.

slowly, tim got up. he felt as jason's cock slipped out of him. the tip of the condom was white, and nearly half filled with cum. tim watched as jason wrapped his fingers around the base and tugged it off, tying up the end and flicking it into a nearby trashcan in a smooth move.

tim made a half impressed sound.

from there it's a pretty simple run down. tim asking for pointers, wanting to see what advice jason could offer and it takes a while for jason's brain to come online but he answers.

it takes him awhile, he ummm and uuhhs a lot but tim manages to get it out of him. about tim riding a little faster, a little harder.

"you're not going to break anyone tim," he offered jokingly. "just....take what you need."

tim hummed, nodding. it was a minute before he looked back up at jason.

"so...are you ready again?"

jason stared at him.

"what?"

tim wrinkled his nose. jesus, jason was slow today.

"are you ready again? i need to suck your dick."

jason stared at him.

"so are you?" tim repeated, voice insistent.

jason's mouth opened and closed, hanging for a moment before his mouth clicked shut and he let out a strained chuckle while shaking his head.

"jesus your boy toy has his work cut out with you."

tim huffed a breath, a little offended.

"i told you not to call him that-"

jason cut him off by grabbing the back of his neck and shoving his face down onto his softened cock, still wet with cum at the tip.

"yeah, yeah, c'mon tim just start sucking."

tim muttered a few choice words under his breath.

but he listened.

[luxaofhesperides]

hauntings!!! i love hauntings and worldbuilding and this silly little supernatural au im taking way too seriously

[richbastardbat]

A VERY DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF YOUR MUSE. repost with the information of your muse, including headcanons, etc. if you fail to achieve some of the facts, add some other of your own!

NAME. Bruce Thomas Anthony Wayne

NICKNAME(S). Brucie, B-Man, Bats, The Dark Knight, The World's Greatest Detective

TITLE(S). Batman

AGE. Verse dependent, born between 1970-1975

SPECIES. Human

SEX. Male.

NATIONALITY. American

ALIGNMENT. Neutral good.

INTERESTS. Baseball, languages, beating the crap out of bad guys/ 

PROFESSION.  Businessman and owner of Wayne Enterprises/Vigilante

BODY TYPE. Tall, athletic, muscled.

EYES. Blue

HAIR. Black with some grey 

SKIN. Ivory 

FACE. Attractive white man. Light stubble, thick dark hair, nice smile

HEIGHT. 6′2 1/2″

VOICE: Medium/deep pitch, general New Jersey/Gotham accent

SIGNIFICANT OTHER?  Verse dependent

COMPANIONS. Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Clark Kent/Superman, Diana/Wonder Woman, many more

ANTAGONISTS. The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, The Penguin, Catwoman, Bane, Hush, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, The Black Mask, and many more.

COLORS. blue, black, grey, red, green

FRUITS. Apples, strawberries 

DRINKS. Coffee, tea.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. Wine, Beer, and Whiskey

SMOKES? No.

DRUGS? No.

DRIVERS LICENSE? Yes.

TAGGED BY: @oftomorrow​​

TAGGING: anyone really 

[witchofinterest]

hewooo can i have some obscure oc facts for the oc of ur choice pls?

hello! of course!!! thank you!!! i am doing kay (shock) and i’m gonna give for a bunch of mediums!

- in Smallville (the show) kay is reimagined as oliver queens sidekick! she still hates green arrow, but like, in a i’m-gonna-out-do-him way! anyway, they go on to be mentor-mentee! (aka she refuses to be his sidekick) (also, she loves clark!!)

- in arrow kay actually is gonna make an appearance in my fic! not a full one, but she’s cameoed! also, it’s in the merlyn’s daughter storyline!

- in the batman:arkham knight continuity, kay never moves onto the Kestrel identity, she stays at Bluejay. (also, it’s one of my 2 jaykay definitely end up together confirmed universes) (the other is smallville! titans is still up in the air)

- she’s not in the lego batman franchise bc i hate that one❤️

- so, in main comics continuity, when babs gave up batgirl, she was actually planning on asking Kay to carry on her mantle! between the killing joke and death in the family, and kay running away, she never got to. kay is, incredibly touched when she finds out! (also, her batgirl suit idea i have is adorable!)

- in the comic continuity of batman: white knight (it sucks, don’t read it), kay was batgirl first and passed it onto babs!

- speaking of, in batman beyond, kay’s successor is chloe “cece” cameron, who starts out her career by blending the robin and hood mantles, as robinhood! later, she takes the route kay didn’t, and becomes Batgirl!

-back to kay! in the comics, pre-new 52, kay and jason are married! this is wiped away by the reboot and never addressed again asdfghjkl.

- speaking of jason, in the dceu movie-verse (bc f*ck you zach snyder, the fallen robin is jason! idc if he wrote it, i know better) it’s the only continuity in which kay is there for the jason resurrection/under the red hood arc! (pls ignore titans. it doesn’t count)

- and we’re ending on titans! kay is friends with arrowette (cissie king-jones), they do archery competitions together, and kay looks out for her! we might even get to see her in liminal spaces!

- i lied, one more fact! in liminal spaces kay, quentin and will are the same age! in the comics, kay is jason’s age and Quentin and will are tim drakes age (i’m sorry, i will not do the dc timeline math right now). kay is Quentins mentor though (as of he takes over her original Hood mantle) (yes we will see this in liminal spaces!)! (and stephanie browns mentor!)

[crazycrackersworld]

So today was hard but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. My Uncle Jerry gave my mom some good news in regards to Tim looks like they're getting his oxygen levels close to where they should be in they're going to try a few different things which is good. Uncle Jerry is going to let Mom and I take him to the dollar store tomorrow that's good get him out of the house and stuff. Apparently my mom told him my adventure with the rat for my job today and it made him laugh so that's a good thing.

I am still worried about Tim I send him text messages and sometimes audio clips you know just reminding him to fight and get better and get the hell out of that hospital so I've kind of fallen off the wagon and bought a few packs of cigarettes last couple weeks and I've been doing the thing that I used to do back in the day where you pack your cigarettes when you open them you take one cigarette out you flip it upside down you put it back in the pack and it's here lucky cigarette you smoke that one last and then she lied it you make a wish. There are times in the last year where that wishes I'm sure as you all know focused on the redhead. Sometimes it's focused on my kids, but the last few weeks when I would have a pack of cigarettes and I wouldn't have the lucky cigarette that wish obviously was for my hand and I guess I'm going to switch it to Tim and I hope it works.

I did not get a whole lot of sleep last night Jackie checked in on me before I went to bed which was very nice and Tiffany talked to me for a while which was also nice but I only slept for like an hour or 45 minutes at a time and then I get up and I'd go outside and I'd smoke and I'd watch the rain and the lightning and it just wasn't a full night's sleep.

I did wake up to a message from one of those important people and I was happy to get it and it did touch me. Didn't even know I told myself that if I didn't hear from that person by midnight last night I was just going to act like they were dead, that didn't happen and I know why I didn't hear from that person last night and I'm going to take care of that problem personally. But it was still nice to hear from her today and it was nice to text back and forth and audio message back and forth because regardless of anything that has her will happen her voice is still one of the ones that calms me down and soothes me and I mean it really doesn't matter what she says she could read the phone book and I would smile. So yeah that made the day suck a little less after I went and did the rat removal which was nice that my boss called me and had me do that it got me out of the house and got my mind on something else the customers that I went to are regulars and they're nice people and I like them. So it was nice to you know see him on a day that I don't normally see them on interact with them they're very nice old couple just good people. the ones I got home from that and I got my work clothes back off and went into my room and actually at that point did finally get to take a nap I fell asleep for a few hours so I got some sleep. Which is good.

And now I'm in my room in the dark with my fans on and a very stiff moonshine drink to help me sleep and I'm downloading my day and my thoughts into this blog cuz it helps.

And yes I had my mom read what I wrote about my aunt the night that I wrote it and what I posted on Facebook about her this morning and of course you know the first thing my mom said if she didn't say it she just looked at me and I know the look and it's that look of how I should write a book or something.

And I think maybe when I get back from Wisconsin maybe I'll get a laptop maybe try start writing in different medium than here on good old tumblr. But I still also so badly want a camera I wish I knew someone had one or just didn't want one or give me one or sell me one for cheap I really want a camera camera I mean my phone takes good pictures but I want a camera because I'm really just looking at the world differently I'm really enjoying taking the pictures.

Because I kind of think I want to take pictures and then write stories or poems or verses that have to do with the pictures since a lot of times that's what inspires me anyways I don't know just throwing things out there.

So anyways yeah today was a hard day but it was easier than I thought it would be and I cried here and there I did and and I miss her I do I miss her already. And I do once again have to say thank you so the brown-eyed angel that reached out to me today didn't have to but did. And talking with that brown-eyed angel wasn't the only thing that made the day easier but it was definitely one of the things that did so thank you.

And so now I'm going to lay by these fans and try to cool off a little bit and hopefully tonight I get better sleep than I did last night and I'm looking forward to seeing my Uncle Jerry tomorrow and we'll just keep moving forward cuz it's all we can do.

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

A Question of Auters: A Director’s Influence

John Ford.  Alfred Hitchcock.  Stanley Kubrick.  Martin Scorsese.  Orson Welles.  Charlie Chaplin.  Tim Burton.  David Lynch.  Francis Ford Coppola.  Steven Spielberg.

If you have only the barest knowledge of film, you recognize at least one of these names, and well you should.  These are the names upon which an entire school of thought is built, the greatest directors in film history.  These are the directors that matter, the creators that shaped an industry.  These are the men who made important films.

Or at least, so popular auteur theory would have us believe.

Auteur is a word heard often within the film community, thrown around as a casual term, part of the jargon used by those interested and well-versed in cinema.  Even those who aren’t interested or well-versed might recognize the word from use alone, and either way, depending on your viewpoint, it may inspire either a wise, respectful nod, or a disgusted snort.

Before we jump into the reasons for those reactions, however, perhaps we should discuss what, exactly, an auteur is.

The word auteur is a French noun, defined by dictionary.com like this:

A filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal and unique stamp.

Or, for a simpler definition, just translate the word literally: auteur is French for author.

It’s a reasonable translation, one that makes a lot of sense.  In many ways, despite not literally writing the story or script, a director is the person the most responsible for a film’s end result.  They get the final call.  They work with the actors.  It is they who have the ‘vision’ of the film, the end product in mind throughout the entire project.

It’s no surprise that in a world fascinated by the relatively new (and relatively fast growing) medium of film, it didn’t take long for the public to become equally fascinated by the people most obviously behind the movie-making process: the directors.

The term auteur theory is not a new one.  It was discussed first by future author François Truffaut, in Cahiers du Cinéma titled Une certaine tendance du cinéma français, which, translated, is: “A Certain Tendency of French Cinema”, in which Truffaut criticized French cinema, championing instead American directors, notably Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks.  It was also Truffaut who said:

“There are no good or bad films. Only good or bad directors.”

Later, the term auteur theory was first coined by American critic Andrew Sarris in a 1962 essay entitled Notes on the Auteur Theory, followed by a book called The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968, which would go on to influence movie critics, raising further awareness of the idea of auteur theory in the first place.

But what is an auteur?  We’ve named a few, sure, and we’ve even discussed the basic definition, but how can you tell if a film is created by an auteur, rather than ‘just’ a director?  Where does the difference come in?

The answer lies in the examples used by Truffaut in his essay: Howard Hawks, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Both of those directors help set the gold standard for what would be considered the criteria for the auteur style, very simply by having a style of their own.

See, put very simply, Hitchcock and Hawks, while creating very different films, had one thing in common in terms of directing: they both had very distinct individual styles.

In Sarris’s 1962 essay, he laid down the groundwork, three major rules, that all directors must follow to be considered an auteur, all three of which Hawks and Hitchcock embodied to a T:

“A great director has to at least be a good director.”

 In other words, to be an auteur, the director in question has to be at least a competent story-teller and film-maker.  They must have some level of ability in terms of technicals.

2. “Over a group of films a director must exhibit certain recurrent characteristics of style which serve as his signature.”

An auteur must have a signature style.  This is probably the rule that people are the most familiar with, the distinguishable personality that makes Tim Burton’s films dark and full of stripes, or why Hitchcock has an ‘icy blonde’ in nearly every one of his best films.  This is the element that dictates that, for it to be the work of a true auteur, you can tell who the director was, just by looking at the film itself.

3. “Interior meaning is extrapolated from the tension between a directors personality and his material.”

In simpler terms, auteur films have to reveal the director’s innermost thoughts and ideas about life, the human condition, films, anything, really.  It’s these elements that give us Steven Spielberg’s use of fathers (and lack thereof) in his films, or his themes of ‘Growing Up Sucks’ and Tear Jerker stories of idealism, or Howard Hawks’ themes of manhood, or Martin Scorsese’s stories of Anti-Heroes, cynicism, and the idea of Family vs. Career.

To quote Andre Brazin:

“The politique des auteurs consists, in short, of choosing the personal factor in artistic creation as a standard of reference, and then assuming that it continues and even progresses from one film to the next. It is recognized that there do exist certain important films of quality that escape this test, but these will systematically be considered inferior to those in which the personal stamp of the auteur, however run-of-the-mill the scenario, can be perceived even minutely.”

In other words?  Being a bad film produced with a recognizable style is better than being a good film with a bland style.

The question is…is that true?

Is it better to be a worse film with the distinct fingerprints of a well-known name, or a good film with no individualism as a style?

And an even bigger question: does it all truly lie in the hands of the director?

Here’s the thing:

While auteur theory existed in the 1950s and 1960s, it wasn’t really considered a big deal, especially by the auteur’s themselves.  Hawks and Hitchcock thought of themselves as just working in a trade, not making art.  It was in the following decade that the idea truly took off.

The ‘auteurs’ emerged, en masse, in the 1970s, and with good reason: the entire idea of auteur is impossible without the existence of film school, and the ability and reason to watch a director’s entire filmography.  The distinct styles of Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, and Alfred Hitchcock directly influenced the ‘movie brat’ director generation, such as Scorsese, Spielberg,  Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen, directors who had not only grown up with films, but with film studies.  This led to the birth of ‘New Hollywood’, the age of the director, a period that returned the state of productions to the way it had been in lulls of studio involvement in the past.  It’s no coincidence that many films on ‘best of’ lists are created by auteurs from the 1970s (although I should point out that there are no shortage of films created by stylistic directors beforehand).  Although the idea of ‘auteur’ had been around for decades, an argument could be made that director worship truly took off in the 1970s with films like The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Jaws, and Annie Hall.

The success of these films encouraged studios to put more projects in the hands of these up-and-coming directors, fresh and eager to tell new stories and make more films.  As big as the idea became in the 1950s and 1960s, it can be very easily argued that the idea experienced a rebirth in the 1970s, shaping very much the idea and examples we have available to us now.  But just as it sparked a resurgence, it also sparked a backlash, a backlash that some would argue was very much needed.

Some, like critic Pauline Kael, have been very outspoken against auteur theory, with plenty of arguments being made against it, such as it’s tendency to elevate lesser films, claiming that a bad movie by a great director is important simply because it has his style.  Other criticisms point out that just because a director forces his style on a film doesn’t necessarily mean it fits the individual film, making each movie more about style than substance (a common criticism of Stanley Kubrick’s work).  Other complaints explain that the idea of ‘auteur’ excuses Prima Donna Director behavior, or encourages overblown expressions of ‘vision’ that end in disasters.

These are valid criticisms.  

But there is one that is held above the rest, one final critique that remains, in my opinion, the nail in the coffin against auteur theory being considered so incredibly great, is that: film is, by nature, a collaborative effort.

I asked earlier if this all lies in the hands of the direction, and the fact is, no, it doesn’t.

There’s no Tim Burton or Steven Spielberg style without their signature Production Posses.  Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic work doesn’t rest on his shoulders alone.  Every director, no matter how involved or talented, relies on a network of people, all bearing a substantial portion of the weight of an individual film.  The best directors know this.  

The fact is, no matter how talented the director is, there must be a limit to the director’s power, or a film’s production can turn into an egotistical disaster.  By nature, movie productions are group efforts.  Between actors, producers, editors, cameramen, costume designers, transportation, catering, and countless other individuals with vital jobs, films are massive efforts from massive amounts of people.  Every movie, no matter how many ‘hats’ the director wore, is the result of the coordination of several people executing a vision that, in the end, may have been the director’s, but by no means was exclusively his.

“Boiling it down to one person and placing their influence above everyone else makes for bad movies.”  (“The Ultimate Guide to the Best Auteur Directors.” StudioBinder, 12 Feb. 2020, www.studiobinder.com/blog/auteur-theory/.)

In a nutshell?

Are directors important?

Of course they are.  They are still the head of a production, and they still do (often) have identifiable fingerprints on each film they’re a part of.

But with that said, it’s vital to remember that directors are not the end-all and be-all of an individual film.  Auteur theory is a valid element of film study, and by no means should it be omitted, but it should be contextualized in film history, a reminder that no director stands alone.

And the best directors, the auteurs themselves, would agree.

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next article.

[nerdybirdboy]

Niko’s RP Blogs

I thought I’d share my list of rp blogs. I know I do this now and then, which is mainly so you know where you might find me. All muses are crossover and oc friendly, as well as having several AU verses.

Tim Drake

Type: Canon

Fandom: DC

Facts: Cares and observes more than he lets on. Inhales coffee and don’t sleep. Could ruin your life if he wanted to.

(medium activity)

Yoyo (sideblog to Tim)

Type: OC, Cadmus clone of Superman and “Robin” (aka Nightwing aka Dick Grayson)

Fandom: DC

Facts: Naive and trusting rainbow child with a dark side.

(varied activity)

Barry Allen (sideblog to Tim)

Type: Canon

Fandom: DCEU

Facts: Hyperactive speedster that cares too much and fears rejection.

(varied activity)

MultiMuse Blog (sideblog to Tim)

Type: Canon

Fandom: Mostly Marvel

Muses: Johnny Do, young Bruce Wayne & young Tony Stark.

(varied activity)

Nahanael Hunt

Type: OC (been my muse for nearly 17 years)

Fandom: Main verse is DC and Marvel, but several other verses are available.

Facts: Healer. Walking ray of sunshine. Will defend you til his last breath. Will do chores for food.

(low to medium activity)

Bruce Banner (sideblog to Nat)

Type: Canon

Fandom: Marvel

Facts: Genius scientist with a boatload of issues and turns into a green giant when angered or scared.

(very low activity)

Francis Barton (sideblog to Nat)

Type: Canon

Fandom: Marvel

Facts: Sassy teenage boy who loves arrows and tacos.

(low activity)