#my favorite Ralph film

[allimocha]

AlliMocha’s 2024 Fancuries Spotlight Post!

Hi Everyone! It’s Me, Alli! Back at the fancuries and this time with 5… 5 NOMINATIONS???

Ya’ll are amazing, thank you guys so much for nominating me!

Speaking of which, let’s get to those nomminations shall we?

​​・・・​​⟢Best Fanseries Concept: Arcades, Racing Games, & Sweets - Sugar Rush! Pretty Cure ⟢​​・・・

S. U. G. A. R. Jump into your racing car! Sugar Rush, Sugar Rush!

It was one late night when I was bored that the idea to combine one of my favorite disney movies and precure occured in my brain, and I’m glad it did! I knew going in that arcades, and of course, racing had to be the main themes in this fanseries since it’s based on Wreck it Ralph’s Sugar Rush racers. AND Because it is SUGAR Rush, and the game and character’s in this afromentioned game are sweets related, I knew the outfits and names for the cures had to follow suit.

It’s a really fun idea and a great homage to one of my favorite films, and I’m glad you all enjoy it too!

​​・・・​​⟢ Favorite Fancure: Vanelope Von Schmitt/Cure Sweets ⟢​​・・・

Speaking of Sugar Rush! Precure, the main lead is of course, our wisecracking candy princess, Vanelope! Coming up with Vanelope’s design was pretty easy, as, you know, her character already exists. But for Cure Sweets, it was a different story. I struggled with her colors a fair bit, and her outfit too! However, in th end, I think I nailed down a design I’m pretty happy with!

​​・・・​​⟢ Best Team Design: Sugar Rush Pretty Cure ⟢​​・・・

Despite Sugar Rush! Precure just being created, and there only being two cures, I was still nominated for best team design for what I already had! I’m really exicited that people seem to like the designs I’ve already come up with! Despite the plan of there being 5 cures in total, Cure Sweets and Cure Taffy are the only two cures for a while, and so I wanted to make sure that they worked as a duo as well as apart of a bigger team.

​​・・・​​⟢ Coolest Cure: Lei Sandiego/Cure Spice ⟢​​・・・

Ah, Bittersweet X Daydream! Precure. The series in which the first chapter is still being written for about 4 years now. (I’m not even joking, it’s been that long.) And don’t get me started on Cure Sugar’s design timeline.

But for Cure Spice, her design has been the one that’s stayed mostly the same over the years, and I’m proud that this design was nominated for Coolest Cure!

​​・・・​​⟢ Excellence in Digital Art ⟢​​・・・

This one caught me by surprise. I was so estatic to get nominated for this catagory, and so happy people enjoy my art. Bringing my ideas to life and sharing it with the world has always been a dream of mine, so I want to thank everyone who’s at least seen it for being apart of that dream.

Thank you all! And good luck to everyone who was nominated!

Byyieeee~!

[sparklermun]

Hey there everyone! Welcome to night fourteen of the Wreck-it Ralph Pin Post Month!

Tonight we've got another recent release. The WDI, D23 Expo 2024, Disney Villains Collection, King Candy, Wreck-it Ralph pin. LE 400.

With every D23 Expo there comes a new Disney Villains Collection, with this one not disappointing. As forty Disney Villains from forty different animated movies stared on their own jumbo pin. Complete with glitter and a stained glass effect. This particular pin stars King Candy, our not so sweet villain from the first Wreck-it Ralph film. Here we have him posed in the castle doorway with a hand on his hip and a cane in the other. We see the old king staring straight at us with a brow raised, almost tauntingly as though challenging us to try and see through his sugary façade.

This is my second favorite pin to be released this year by Disney Imagineering, (the number one favorite being one you'll all have to wait till next week to see). I love love love the attention they give pins like these! From the individual chains in the candy chandelier, to the design of the stained glass door that looks exactly like the doors Felix knocked upon in the film. Then there's King Candy himself, where a great amount of detail was brought to his face and hair to emphasize the elderly look of this persona. All without taking away the power and energy emanating off of him as he challenges the observer. Then there are the less obvious details, such as the folds and curves of his clothing. The crinkled, reflective look of his candy wrapper bowtie; as well as the faintly painted design on his wavy collar. Every D23 Expo comes with an excuse to celebrate the greatest Disney Villains of the past, and this particular pin certainly feels like a trophy to the villainous racer.

[king-crawler]

What do you see in turbo

- unhinged angry little weirdo (desirable) (?????)

- stupid outfit & stupid catchphrase (disgustingly endearing)

- something is genuinely wrong with him

- creepy/distinctive glow in the dark face. Yellow eyed freak ! I also like teeth

- I LOVE VILLAINS. His reveal scene is so dramatic and cool.

- virus/corruption adjacent entity. Parasitizes others… He’s pulling the strings … Glitching is awesome btw it’s like one of my favorite audiovisual effects ever

- 2012 video game creepypasta energy. He’s like Polybius but stupid. TurboTime is haunted. He is Cabinet Man

- Retro arcade cabinets are just such Awesome Machines. It’s such a unique aesthetic, buzzy CRTs and flashing colorful lights, the little chiptune sound effects… the only thing that comes close to the ‘character’ embodied by arcade cabinets is maybe themed roller coasters, or real life animatronics. He definitely has that kind of appeal. The Machine

- HAVE YOU SEEN HIS CYBUG FORM ITS COOL AS FUCK HE LITERALLY TRANSFORMS INTO A GIANT ROBOTIC INSECTOID MALWARE ABOMINATION INFUSED WITH CANDY WHAT THE FUCK??????

- wreck it ralph is an amazing film and king candy is a really clever villain and I love the twist and how he relates to king candy (most normal answer)

- THE HORROR APPEAL. His Symbolism…. He’s the Creepy Ghostly Skull man . The bringer of death even. Also the fact he “haunts the narrative” because he’s so rarely seen but everyone is terrified of him, and he underlies so much of the conflict. (Like: DONT BECOME LIKE HIM.) It’s like he’s become a paranormal entity, only seen in glimpses, or dismissed as nothing but a terrible memory. His presence has become intangible, but it’s dark and all encompassing. Maybe they tried to forget. For 25 years they thought he was dead. But he was lurking in the depths of game central station hearing everything. (Don’t even get me started on the horror implications of his cybug form because Oh My God)

- but most importantly I have a personal vendetta against him because he gave me nightmares at age 14 and I also kin him slightly

- he is rotten trans man

[lauralot89]

So I watched Nosferatu

poor Nicholas Hoult keeps getting tortured by vampires

also

that certainly was a penis

it has been years since I watched the original Nosferatu and I no longer remember what it did with any of its characters or plot so I will not be comparing this to that

so if you're going to do a Dracula/Mina romance (or in this case, Orlok/Ellen) and you're not going to base it around their shared hobby of reading train schedules, this is probably the best way to do it, because this isn't actually a romance. This movie gives Mina/Ellen the psychic sensitivity that Lucy/Anna has in the book, and establishes that Ellen has had mental connection with Orlok since her childhood, and he essentially groomed her. She even calls him out on it in the film. Yeah, there is one moment toward the end of the movie where she comforts him, but she isn't trying to save him or anything and also even in the original novel, Mina was the one who said Dracula deserved the most pity.

Yes, there was the scene where Ellen was saying Orlok loved her more than Thomas/Jonathan but she was clearly possessed

There is no romanticism of Orlok/Dracula here. He's the worst and he doesn't even have the illusion of civility that most adaptations provide.

also I was told by early reviewers that this movie was very horny and I think they must have watched a different cut than I did. I mean, sure, you see (flaccid) vampire dick once and some nudity throughout but the movie has two sex scenes and both are deeply unsexy in that in the first, you don't see anything and also both characters have gone out of their minds, and in the second, it's not even really sex. You can't just show me a dick that's not even in use and tell me that's horny. Come on, people. Raise your standards.

I don't say this to be mean but: I think the original Orlok makeup from the silent film was scarier. I get what they were doing here, I do, and the makeup was immaculate (as were the costumes, the set designs, etc. It's an Eggers film) but I personally find Original Orlok scarier, and this Orlok was most intimidating when he was kept in the shadows.

This movie felt very much like a fairy tale. It even sets up a "three nights" limit at one point sort of like the earlier versions of Cinderella. I find that Dracula adaptations, particularly in film, often put vibes above, say, characterization, and this movie felt pretty vibe-y.

If I were to make a complaint, it wouldn't even really be about the movie itself. But like, Nosferatu was originally made to be Dracula without paying for the rights to Dracula, wasn't it? You're not bound by the novel (not that most straight-up Dracula adaptations follow the novel all that closely either). You literally have a built-in excuse to do whatever you want, but it seems like what people want to do time and again in vampire movies is a highlights reel of the most famous moments in the book without ever really delving into the characters that made the novel so good.

Again, this is not a criticism of this movie. It's just that what I realized while watching this movie is that I really really want a Dracula adaptation that's a character study. Not even necessarily a character study of Dracula. If someone out there made an adaptation that focused the story on Jonathan or Lucy or Jack or whoever, I would love for that.

God bless Ralph Ineson's voice

Everyone in this film did well, but Nicholas Hoult's performance was probably my favorite. He emotes terror so damn well. And of course Dafoe is always a delight.

Did Original Orlok also favor biting people on the chest or was he a neck guy

[themousefromfantasyland]

I propose the existence of a genre of film: the Storybook Movie.

What's the Storybook Movie?

The Storybook Movie is a light-hearted musical fantasy adapted from or just inspired by fairy tales and children's stories in general.

So, basically the first thing you automatically think about when you hear the words "Disney film"

So, why not just use the term Disney film?

Because just being made by Disney doesn't make the film fit in with these story structures.

For example, Wreck-it-Ralph, Meet the Robinsons, and Zootopia are Disney films, but they aren't exactly what you expect from a Disney movie.

And Anastasia, Over the Moon, and several of the direct-to-video Barbie movies technically fit in with the rules I laid out about the genre.

Technically, the Wizard of Oz was the biggest example of a Storybook Movie made outside of Disney. It was made specifically because of the success of Disney's Snow White, and it's a light hearted musical adaptation of the L. Frank Baum's story.

So, why not just use the term "Fairy Tale Movie"?

Because although many Storybook movies technically are Fairy Tales movies, not all fairy tale movies are Storybook movies.

The Wizard of Oz is not a fairy tale film, but it's in the genre. And so it is Willy Wonka.

I consider Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as a Storybook Movie. It shares tone, themes, story structure, and tropes with the Wizard of Oz and several Disney movies.

Now compare Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete with Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Both are movies adapted from fairy tales. Both are inspired by the same exact fairy tale. But noticed how they diverge in how they tell the story. How one is much more light-hearted, whimsical, and uses music to tell its story.

This is the Storybook Movie, and honestly, I wish we had more good films made outside of Disney since it's one of my favorite genres of films.

[i-eat-large-amounts-of-pasta]

I don't understand why I never hear people talking about Wreck-it Ralph. Maybe it's because it's not something that adults nowadays are nostalgic about or something, but I loved that movie. I still do. It's one of those movies that nobody talked about because it wasn't awful and wasn't perfect. It was just really good.

But it's SUCH A GOOD MOVIE. It's a movie about being a fish out of water, about coming to terms with the consequences of your actions, and making friends who love you for all your flaws. But most of all, it's about coming to love yourself for all of your flaws. Self-acceptance is a core theme especially in the climax of the film. Ralph is only able to beat King Candy by accepting himself and using his unique skills to help in spite of his label as a "bad guy". He is not defined by the label he was given. He doesn't need other people to tell him who he is anymore.

The one quote that I'll never forget, one which helps me to know myself, is said once at the beginning of the film and once at the end, with both having completely different context

"I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There is no one I'd rather be Than me."

This is significant to me in ways I don't have the words to describe sometimes. I am broken. The way I see the world is fundamentally different to most other people. There are others who are also warped in similar ways, who see the same bent shapes as me. Ralph is not alone, and neither am I. Neither are you. Don't let other people tell you who you are. Life isn't binary. Make friends with people who understand and love you for exactly who you are, and remember to extend them the same courtesy to them. Don't treat people differently based on what labels society has given them.

All these lessons from an animated comedy movie for kids that's rated 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you haven't watched this movie, I highly encourage it. It's still my favorite Disney film (followed closely by Treasure Planet) and still watch it from time to time. It's just called Wreck-It Ralph and it's on Disney Plus. Or pirate it. I don't really care. I hold an immense amount of disdain for Disney, sooooooo...

[geeky92]

Walt Disney Animation Films I Rank By Era

Golden Age:

Fantasia

Pinocchio

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Bambi

Dumbo

Wartime Era:

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Melody Time

Make Mine Music

Saludos Amigos

Fun and Fancy Free

The Three Caballeros

Silver Age:

Lady and the Tramp

Sleeping Beauty

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

The Jungle Book

Peter Pan

Alice in Wonderland

Cinderella

The Sword in the Stone

Bronze Age/Dark Age:

The Great Mouse Detective

The Fox and the Hound

Robin Hood

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Rescuers

Oliver & Company

The Black Cauldron

The Aristocats

Disney Renaissance:

The Lion King (My Favorite)

Beauty and the Beast

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Aladdin

Mulan

Hercules

The Little Mermaid

Tarzan

The Rescuers Down Under

Pocahontas

Post-Renaissance/Experimental Era:

Lilo & Stitch

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

The Emperor’s New Groove

Meet the Robinsons

Treasure Planet

Fantasia 2000

Brother Bear

Dinosaur

Home on the Range

Chicken Little

Revival Era:

The Princess and the Frog

Zootopia

Wreck-It Ralph

Moana

Frozen

Tangled

Big Hero 6

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Bolt

Post-Revival Era:

Encanto

Frozen II

Raya and the Last Dragon

Wish

Ralph Breaks the Internet

I haven’t seen Moana 2 or Strange World, but I imagine them ranking pretty low on my list.

[ducktoonsfanart]

The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings - The Lord of the Ducks?! -Duckverse in June - Mystical Creatures - Cosplay and literature - Duck comics, Ducktales, Quack Pack, Darkwing Duck and Mighty Ducks - Duckverse - My version - Fantasy

Well, more specials related to Donald Duck's 90th birthday that I drew and related to one of my favorite topics, certainly related to fantasy, literary works and movies, and one of the best works in the world that is definitely worth reading, and it is Tolkien's works, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and philologist (study of the origin of language) and one of the greatest fantasy writers of all time who will certainly influence other authors and future generations. Born in 1892, died in 1973. He translated Beowulf, one of the oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon epics, and also wrote The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other works. However, he was best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He inserted a lot into his works from Norse, Celtic, Slavic, ancient Greek and ancient Roman mythology, as well as elements from antiquity and the Middle Ages that happened in Europe, as well as religious elements, and of course he invented the Elvish language in his own way, and it is considered that that and high fantasy. The Hobbit was published in 1937, while The Lord of the Rings was written between 1937 and 1954, and published in 1954 and 1955 in three volumes, which are called "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King". Of course, it received a lot of film and animated adaptations, the most famous and popular of which are Ralph Bakshi from 1978, the version by Rankin-Bass from 1977 and 1980 The Hobbit and The Return of the King, and certainly the most famous that received the most Oscars are Peter Jackson's films with the same titles awarded with many Oscars and shown from 2001 to 2003. And three parts of The Hobbit from 2012 to 2014. So I drew combining from literary works and certainly from the film version of Peter Jackson, since that is my favorite.

Not to go further, since I would like to talk about the plot of the story for a long time, it is certainly about Middle Earth and the conflict over the power over the whole earth and about the conflict of one ring. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the famous hobbit joined the wizard Gandalf and the thirteen dwarves of Thorin's Company in a quest to reclaim their home and take their treasure back from the dragon Smaug. The Lord of the Rings deals with the fact that Sauron, the dark lord, made the rings and gave them to dwarves, lords and humans in order to rule the world. But he is defeated by Isildur and King Elrond, but his spirit remains and can only be destroyed if the ring is destroyed. So the main task was given to four hobbits led by Frodo Baggins. And there is the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, the human and prince Aragorn and the wizard Gandalf.

So I drew and combined two brilliant fantasy novels, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings into one where I gave my favorite characters specific roles that would suit them in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in my own way. Yes, I combined almost everything from Donald Duck media, comics, cartoons, video games, but mostly from Donald Duck comics, including Paperinik New Adventures, as well as from Ducktales, Darkwing Duck, Quack Pack and Mighty Ducks. Yes, not all the characters stopped, because this is only the first part of my version of The Lord of the Ducks. Donald Duck would certainly be Bilbo Baggins, the hero from The Hobbit, and his nephews Huey, Dewey, Louie and Phooey Duck would be hobbits like Frodo Baggins, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, Samwise Gamgee and Pereg "Took", and added Newton Gearloose (Gyro's nephew) as an additional hobbit. Yes, the Quack Pack version would be more appropriate, since older boys and teenagers are into this kind of fantasy. Scrooge McDuck is certainly Gandalf the Great (doesn't matter if gray or white), Drake Mallard is the prince and future king of Aragon, ruler of Arnor and Gondor, Moby Duck (Donald's older cousin who is a seafarer) as the dwarf Gimli, Abner Whitewater Duck as Thorin Oakenshield (the leader of a group of 12 dwarves), Gyro Gearloose as the elf Legolas, Wildwing Flashblade and Nosedive Flashblade (brothers from Mighty Ducks) as Boromir and Faramir, Odin Eidolon as King Elrond, El Capitan as Gollum (since he is very fascinated by gold, and surely with a ring, otherwise he appeared in the first episodes of Ducktales 1987), Flintheart Glomgold as the wizard Saruman the Great, John D. Rockerduck as Gríma Wormtongue and finally Negaduck himself as Sauron, since he loves chaos and that he rules the whole world and loves jewels. There is no replacement Smaug dragon so I drew him as his interpretation.

Briefly Duckverse in Middle Earth and our heroes who need to save the world from evil and Sauron and Smaug. How about this? I hope you like this idea and these characters and love fantasy as much as I do. :D I know Tolkien didn't like Disney because of certain views, and I apologize for that, but since many authors like Tolkien's works, including Don Rosa, why shouldn't I? And sorry for these long sentences and finally the music for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SBQvd6vY9s

Feel free to like and reblog this if you like it, just don't use these same ideas of mine without mentioning me, thanks! Also this is intended as a dedication to the Duckverse in June, the fourth week under the theme "Mystical Creatures", however elves, dwarves, wizards and dragons can be counted under that, so I am dedicating to @duckversejune2024, @secret-tester, @tokuvivor, @queer-in-a-cornfield. And I dedicate it to my friend @cityoftheangelllls who likes ducks and fantasy like me. I hope you like this. Once again, happy belated birthday Donald Duck and his 90th birthday!

[madam-o]

Inside Out 2 (minor spoilers)

This one was a lot more successful as a sequel than other recent Pixar attempts (I'm looking at you, Ralph Breaks the Internet). Emotionally it felt accurate to the original. My favorite thing is, again, watching Riley herself dealing with simple everyday life problems. She's a very likable everyperson who can represent pretty much anyone with any kind of sexuality or gender identity. Her experiences are never limited specifically to cishet girls of whatever age. I was expecting there to be a whole Mean Girls vibe going on in the plot, but these movies are much better at representing real kids than that. It's a franchise that shows a lot of kindness and empathy to all of its characters.

The new emotions all make sense in the context of the story. I love Envy and Embarrassment a lot. They're just freaking adorable. Ennui is fun. Nostalgia's kinda whatever. I just wish those emotions had some more stuff to do.

Anxiety is the one in the spotlight here, and she's the best thing this film does. She's the Toy Story 2's Jessie of Inside Out 2. The whole film could only be about her and it would still be great. The way she looks and behaves is perfect. She's like Fear on steroids. I don't think I'll ever get over her very 70's sweater and bell bottom corduroys ensemble.

The only place the movie falls down is in some of its writing. A lot of the new characters we meet in the brain just don't work as comedic relief. The elements of the brain introduced in the first film were a lot more funny and creative. I like some of the new concepts and the animation on them is quite impressive, but the secret vault characters just don't really do much for me. The jokes were not nearly as sharp as in the original, and, in fact, the writing was overall less insightful and moving. The emotion characters from the first film, who I haven't even mentioned yet, do a serviceable job but don't develop or change in any huge way.

But I mean, generally it's a decent sequel. Definitely worth watching. It's just not as good as the first one. Maybe when they inevitably make the third one, the whole thing will get elevated there.

[talkedy]

After all of this time, Wreck it Ralph is my favorite Disney movie and one of my favorite films of all time, it still holds up each and every time I watch it. It's such a thorough love letter to video game culture while also being a great story on its own, the universe is so well made and the characters are great and the villain is fantastic... I'm so happy it never got a shitty cashgrabby sequel that butchered the characterizations of the original cast and made an originally timeless film be remembered as instantly dated and cringeworthy and stupid. I'm so happy the Wreck it Ralph series ended after the first movie.

[64-jungle-planks]

Night at the Museum: Redesigning Characters 2/4(?)

Character profile: Al "Scarface" "Snorky" Capone

This character is based off of and takes inspiration from the historical Al Capone.

Real Name: Alphonse "Al" Gabriel Capone

Nickname and Meaning: Scarface - He earned this nickname because of the three scars on the left side of his face, two on his cheek and one on his neck. Embarrassed by them, Al hates the nickname and never shared the real story of how he got them, siting that he actually got them fighting in WWI.

Snorky - Snorky was slang for sharp dresser. Al loved expensive, flashy clothes. Only close friends used it for him

Age: 26 (January 17, 1899)

Time Period: America's Prohibition in the 1920s, around mid-1925 Johnny Torrio, Al's boss, stepped down and let Al take over the Outfit.

Family: James "Jimmy" Vincenzo Capone, Raffaele "Ralph" James Capone, and Salvador "Frank" Capone + Three younger brothers and one sister that wasn't brought back.

(Headcanons under the cut)

Based on/taken from History:

Can play Banjo and Mandolin, prefers Mandolin

involved in the Five Points Gang with mobster John Torrio as a kid. John Torrio mentored him and gave him the role as the Chicago Mob leader

Only got into the mob for the money to care for his family

Can go from 1 to 10 very quickly

Played in a semi-pro team in Brooklyn as a kid/teen with Ralph. They were known as the Al Capone Stars

+ Intelligent + Generous + Confident - Overdramatic - Attention seeker - Petty

My own silly headcanons:

A little twerp, Al doesn’t respect authority

Feels that he’s better than Ivan and Napoleon because he’s from a newer generation and knows more.

“Okay boomer” vibes

Acts like he hates Napoleon and Ivan (mostly Napoleon), but likes them secretly. They are two men in history that did grand things- in fact he liked learning about Napoleon in school! Al just thinks he had a too big of a head.

Only has one tone of voice- really loud

Swears every other word

He’s a basically still a kid, one with too much power. Al knows his way around the mob, he’s been in it since he was around 15, but now he’s been given power over the Outfit and hasn’t come down off that high yet of being in charge.

Hes happy to have Frank back, they were four years apart in age and were extremely close. He’s missed Frank the year he’s been dead

Was extremely tempted to play baseball using the Einstein’s as balls. He doesn’t like them.

On that note, Al is slightly unnerved around the miniatures. He doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself around them.

He likes sitting at the bench in middle of the hall of miniatures just watching them. Al liked Cowboys and liked playing cowboys and robbers with his brothers as a kid. Some part of him wishes he could be part of their group.

After finding the Sinatra songs made after Al died, he’s constantly found humming them and making up his own lyrics to go along with them. He likes That’s Life the best.

Al somehow acquires a camcorder and films the whole night that they’re trying to take over the world, making himself a big star and part of the plan. He wants that stardom, he loved it when he was alive – he was just getting a part of it when he was alive

Really loves making up nicknames and short stories for people around him. One of his favorite things to do with Ralph is people-watch.

Al: I don’t like Napoleon! He’s a fuckin’.. fuckin’ bitch! A short ass goblin! Ralph: Yeah.. goblin’ that dick. Frank: MMHHEHEHAHAHAHAHAAH!!! Al: What.

Makes jokes about Napoleon and his boys being gay because he's frightened about questioning his own sexuality. He knows he likes women, but he's got that good ol' "1910's Christian beat the gay away" ideal still stuck in his head. It takes a bit for Al to realize he's bi

Loves giving gifts

He likes having at least one of his brothers by his side. Historically it's been Ralph, but during the events that take place during NATM 2, Al kept Frank close because he was frightened of loosing him again.

Frank, Ralph, Napoleon

[paranormeow7]

bro it took me 10 whole ass days after Halloween to fully watch through martin walls’s new short bc my boyfriend wanted to be there to watch it with me. and yall it is so peak. I really really love how martins art style has evolved, and he still has one of my favorite styles ever tbh. the way the story plays out is really cool too, bc the original mysterious house felt like a PSA, and the horror came from the inevitability of these children’s deaths, but this one felt more like a traditional horror film. it gave a lot more suspense, to feel like there was a chance that at least one of these kids would get out alive!! and it is definitely super scary in a new way, as well. it’s scary like a horror movie, but it also feels scary like a nightmare. Martin is really fantastic at conveying brutality without showing you outright what’s going on. He’s great at twisting and breaking people in ways where you can’t even figure out what happened to them because it’s all a blur, even when it’s happening right in front of you. It gave it a feeling of seeing your first gore video as a kid online, where you know something is very very wrong, but you can’t really process it. Ralph’s kill felt like that. At first I didn’t really take it seriously, because of Lorenzos stupid goofy walk (sorry man). And then he started ripping up this kids face and I was like WHAT THE FUCK. I also love how the kids have these beady little sylvanian family eyes that become weird gross human eyes when they become ghosts. and the sound design and backgrounds were so good!! The house and the Watermans felt HUGE compared to the kids. It really gave them a lot of power that added to the fear. The house itself also felt winding and supernatural, the kind of place that just where you think you can leave, you’re right back where you started. And i can see it was on purpose, so it did the job well. The fuzzy, seemingly diagetic music playing off the TV added a lot to the dreamlike feeling, it made the situation feel even more hectic and close to home. Silence was also utilized very well to emphasise important scenes or scares. I also REALLY enjoy all the little details martin hides in his scenes!! They’re so fun to find!!! Enjoyed how the ending felt very triumphant, but still melancholic. Really really really good short. Go watch it!!

[sparklermun]

Hey there everyone, and welcome to night twenty-one of the tenth annual Wreck-it Ralph Pin Post Month!

Tonight we've got an exciting one! The WDI, Wedding Series, Sargent Calhoun & Fix-it Felix, Wreck-it Ralph pin. LE 300.

Here we have the ninth pin released in July 2024 for the Wedding Series! A small collection of pins featuring characters from Animated Disney or Pixar films that were married during their movie. With this pin featuring Sargent Calhoun and Fix-it Felix in their wedding attire. Likely in the middle of their "I dos" while gazing longingly at each other within the boundaries of a stained glass archway. Their names printed in flowing cursive along a waving banner, weaving around the archway on either side of them.

I've been excited to show off this pin all month as it's by far my favorite pin released this year. It's a beautiful pin; the gold of the archways, the elegance of the banner, the shimmer of the stained glass when held in the light. Then the details; the painted lines in Calhoun's hair, the golden hammers in the archway. Of course there's also the humor of Felix standing on that stool to comfortably hold Calhoun's hands. Every inch of this pin has something to bring a smile to my face, and I'm so glad that these two were added to this series. A little fun fact, this is actually the second Wedding series, where the first only included eight pins released in 2019. Now this entire series was remade with an entirely new design, with Felix and Calhoun joining as the new ninth pin. It makes me wonder if there'll be another rerelease in the future as this isn't the first time Disney's redone an old release. Which makes me excited for another wedding pin featuring these two again someday in the future.

[ljblueteak]

Review of Give My Regards to Broad Street, Nov. 6, 1984

All idealism aside, it's obvious that today's youth view the Beatles as a nostalgic phenomenon from a past era which somehow seems even more intangible since the death of John Lennon in 1980.

Bearing this in mind, one wonders what criteria should be used in reviewing Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broad Street. Should it be viewed as a production intended or the general movie going audience, or as one which caters primarily to the McCartney/Beatles fan movement? In all honesty, the film falls flat in the former category, while it soars in the latter and for that reason alone one should go the obvious route: the film is designed for a theoretic pre-sold audience (much like Star Trek or James Bond films) and as such should be judged in that manner.

It's been fourteen years since McCartney's last celluloid appearance (1970's Let it Be) and twenty since the Beatles classic, A Hard Day's Night, yet he has managed to effortlessly step in front of the camera again and exude the same charm and vibrancy which made him and the other Fabs (as in Fab Four, for those of you who missed out on it during the '60s) such a sensation at press conferences and on television appearances.

He has the ability to take his role very seriously, yet at the same time making the audience feel as though he's saying, 'why don't we have a bit of fun and music with me guitar?' It's that quality of Broad Street which allows it to succeed at the level it does.

There is a plot (albeit an extremely contrived one, which focuses on missing tapes for McCartney's new album, and the fact that if they're not recovered by midnight the star's empire will be handed over to an unscrupulous businessman with big ears and sun glasses. Egad!), what's an ex-Beatle to do? Why break into song, of course, and that's precisely the direction the film takes.

While the clock ticks away, the unflappable McCartney takes every opportunity to grab wife Linda, old buddy Ringo Starr, such rock star favorite as Dave Edmunds and Eric Steward, and perform (whether in the recording studio, on the set of a motion picture or in fantasy sequences) new versions of Beatles classics ("For No One," "Yesterday," "Eleanor Rigby,") McCartney solo hits ("Silly Love Songs," "Ballroom Dancing," So Bad,") and new numbers ("No More Lonely Nights," "No Values," "Not Such a Bad Boy").

The musical direction is quite effective, especially considering that it goes against the fast cutting trends of of such films as Flashdance or Footloose. The proceedings are handled smoothly, from the simplicity of McCartney strumming his guitar and cooing a Beatles medley to the elaborate futuristic backdrop of "Silly Love Songs." In fact the only musical sequence that falls flat is an instrumental called "Eleanor's Dream," which is a tedious exercise taking place in the 18th Century that is totally incongruous with the rest of the film.

While the supporting cast, ranging from Ringo to Sir Ralph Richardson (in his lead role) does its job, it's McCartney who's really on center stage at all times, and director Peter Webb manages to make his star shine throughout.

Give My Regards to Broad Street is a pleasant enough diversion to the movies, and, depending on how you regard McCartney and the Beatles, it will either give you cause to sing along, or wish they'd just "Let it Be."

--Ed Gross Jr.

Emphasis mine!

[ultraericthered]

Favorite Takes - DC

Where I cite my personal favorite non-source material (so film, TV, and video games only) adaptations of some comic book characters.

Clark Kent/Superman

Superman The Movie & Sequels (Christopher Reeve)

All Star Superman (James Denton)

DC Animated Universe (Tim Daly, George Newbern)

My Adventures With Superman (Jack Quaid)

CW DC Universe (Tyler Hoechlin, Brandon Routh)

NOTE: I was never the biggest fan of Dean Cain from Lois & Clark so he couldn't get on here, Tom Welling from Smallville might've been a contender had his character and story not got so bastardized, and the less said of poor Henry Cavill from the DCEU, the better.

Lois Lane

DC Animated Universe (Dana Delany)

All Star Superman (Christina Hendricks)

Superman The Movie & Sequels (Margot Kidder)

TV Versions (Terri Hatcher, Erica Durance, and Elizabeth Tulloch)

My Adventures With Superman (Alice Lee)

Lex Luthor

DC Animated Universe (Clancy Brown)

All Star Superman (Anthony LePaglia)

Smallville (Michael Rosenbaum)

CW DC Universe (Jon Cryer, Michael Cudlitz)

DC DTV Universe(s) (James Marsters, Jason Isaacs)

JLA (James Woods) & Young Justice (Mark Rolston)

NOTE: The last two get a split spot since one of them's got the voice of an evil political fascist while the other got his character mangled in later seasons to be a bad parallel to an evil political fascist. I also like the Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Stan Jones, Travis Willingham, Fred Tatasciore, Steve Blum, Ranin Wilson, Giancarlo Esposito, Zachary Quinto, Darin De Paul, Lance Reddick, Marc Maron, and Max Mittelman versions of Lex, and await to see Nicholas Hoult's.

Jimmy Olsen

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Alexander Polinsky)

DC Animated Universe (David Kaufman)

My Adventures With Superman (Ishmael Sahid)

Superman Returns (Sam Huntington)

All Star Superman (Matthew Gray Gubler)

Supergirl

DC Animated Universe (Nicolle Tom)

DC Superhero Girls (Anais Fairweather)

My Adventures With Superman (Kiana Madeira)

CW DC Universe (Melissa Benoist)

Supergirl '84 Film (Helen Slater)

Brainiac

DC Animated Universe (Corey Burton)

My Adventures With Superman (Michael Emerson)

Injustice Series (Jeffrey Combs)

Superman Unbound (John Noble)

TV Versions (James Marsters and Blake Ritson)

Bruce Wayne/Batman

DC Animated Universe (Kevin Conroy)

Under The Red Hood & Young Justice (Bruce Greenwood)

The Batman Trilogy (Robert Pattinson)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Christian Bale)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Diedrich Bader)

Batman '66 (Adam West)

NOTE: I really wanted David Mazouz from Gotham on here, but he had to compete with these other Bruces who were actually full time Batmen, so consider him an honorable mention. I also like Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and Ben Affleck as Batman, but there were some problems with their particular iterations. Other runner ups include the other Kevin Conroy Batmen (particularly Arkham and Injustice), Rino Romano, Jeremy Sisto, Daran Norris, Anthony Ruivivar, Ben McKenzie, Jason O'Mara, Troy Baker, Peter Weller, Jensen Anckles, Keanu Reeves, Ethan Hawke, and of course the LEGO Batman(s).

Alfred Pennyworth

Burton-Shumacher Films (Michael Gough)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Michael Caine)

DC Animated Universe (Clive Revill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.)

The Batman (Alastair Duncan)

Arkham Series (Martin Jarvis)

Gotham (Sean Pertwee) and The Batman Trilogy (Andy Serkis)

NOTE: Other great Alfreds include James Garrett, Brian George, JB Blanc, David McCallum, Enn Reitel, Anthony Head, Ralph Fiennes, Nolan North, Tom Hollander, Jason Watkins, and Jeremy Irons.

James Gordon

DC Animated Universe (Bob Hastings)

Batman Year One (Bryan Cranston)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Gary Oldman)

The Batman Trilogy (Jeffrey Wright)

Beware The Batman (Kurtwood Smith)

Batman '66 (Neil Hamilton, Jim Ward)

Barbara Gordon

DC Animated Universe (Melissa Gilbert, Mary Kay Bergman, Tara Strong)

Arkham Series & Injustice Series (Kimberly Brooks)

The Batman (Danielle Judovits)

Young Justice (Alyson Stoner)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Mae Whitman)

Batman: Caped Crusader (Krystal Joy Brown)

Dick Grayson/Robin

Teen Titans (Scott Menville)

Young Justice (Jesse McCartney)

Batman '66 (Burt Ward)

The Batman (Evan Sabara)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Crawford Wilson, Jeremy Shada)

Arkham Series (Josh Keaton)

Dick Grayson/Nightwing

Teen Titans (Scott Menville)

Young Justice (Jesse McCartney)

DC Animated Universe (Loren Lester)

Under The Red Hood (Neil Patrick Harris)

Arkham Series and Injustice Series (Troy Baker)

DC DTV Universe (Sean Maher)

The Joker

DC Animated Universe (Mark Hamill)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Heath Ledger)

Burton-Shumacher Films (Jack Nicholson)

Joker 2019 (Joaquin Phoenix)

Under The Red Hood (John DiMaggio)

Gotham (Cameron Monaghan)

NOTE: Other great Jokers include Mark Hamill and Troy Baker as Arkham series Joker, Mark Hamill in JLA, Troy Baker in Batman Unlimited and some of the newer DTVs, Caesar Romero in Batman '66, Michael Emerson in The Dark Knight Returns, Kevin Michael Richardson in The Batman, Jeff Bennett in Batman: The Brave & The Bold, Richard Epcar in Mortal Kombat and Injustice, John Kassir in Superfriends 2010, Alan Tudyk in Harley Quinn, Tony Hale in Batman Ninja, Barry Keogan in The Batman Trilogy, and the LEGO Joker(s).

The Penguin

Batman '66 (Burgess Meredith, William Salyers)

Gotham (Robin Lord Taylor)

The Batman Trilogy (Colin Farrell)

Arkham Series (Nolan North, Ian Redford)

DC Animated Universe (Paul Williams, David Odgen Stiers)

The Batman (Tom Kenny)

NOTE: I like the Stephen Root, David Jennison, Dana Snyder, and Wayne Knight Penguins as well, but they're not quite good enough to crack this. Mad respect to Danny DeVito too, but his Penguin sucks.

The Riddler

Batman '66 (Frank Gorshin*, Wally Wingert)

Gotham (Cory Michael Smith)

The Batman Trilogy (Paul Dano)

The Batman (Robert Englund)

DC Animated Universe (John Glover)

Arkham Series (Wally Wingert, Matthew Gray Gubler)

NOTE: Sorry Jim Carrey, you couldn't quite make the cut! Also in the running: Shannon McCormick, John Michael Higgins, Rob Paulsen, Weird Al Yankovic, Jim Rash, Brent Spiner, and Geoffrey Arrend.

*I refuse to credit John Astin's one appearance. That didn't happen!

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

Arkham Series (Grey Griffin, Chantelle Barry)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Anne Hathaway)

Burton-Shumacher Films (Michele Pteifer)

Gotham (Camren Bicondova)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Nika Futterman)

The Batman (Gina Gershon)

NOTE: Wish DCAU Selina could've made it since Adrienne Barbeau has easily the best voice for the character, but the writing and artwork let her down too often. Other good Catwomen include Julie Newmar, Ertha Kitt, Patty Matson, Jaynse Jaud, Eliza Dushku, Stephanie Sheh, Laura Bailey, Cree Summer, Jennifer Morrison, Naya Rivera, Liz Gilles, Gina Rodriguez, Christina Ricci, and Zoe Kravitz.

Two-Face

DC Animated Universe (Richard Moll)

Arkham Series (Troy Baker)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Aaron Eckhard)

Batman '66 (William Shatner)

Batman: Caped Crusader (Diedrich Bader)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (James Remar)

NOTE: Apologies to Billy Dee Williams, who would've done great, and Tommy Lee Jones, who could've done great (but definitely didn't). Also in the running but their coins landed on tails: Travis Willingham, Matthew Mercer, Robert Picardo, Petter Jessop, Dave Boat, Keith Ferguson, Gary Cole, Andrew Daly, and Josh Duhamel.

Mr. Freeze

DC Animated Universe (Michael Ansara)

Arkham Series (Maurice LeMarche)

Young Justice (Keith Szarabajka)

Batman '66 (George Sanders, Otto Preminger, Eli Wallach)

Gotham (Nathan Darrow)

Burton-Shumacher Films (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

NOTE: Other noteworthy Freezes who got frozen out of making it include Clancy Brown, Eric Bauza, Robert Kraft, Oded Fehr, Peter Stromare, Jim Pirri, and Matthew Mercer.

Poison Ivy

Arkham Series (Taisa Valenza, Amy J. Carle, Darcy Rose Byrnes)

DC Animated Universe (Dianne Pershing)

The Batman (Pierra Coppola)

Harley Quinn (Lake Bell)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Vanessa Marshall)

Gotham (Peyton List, Clare Foley, Maggie Geha)

NOTE: Uma Thurman, Laure Bailey, Fryda Wolff, Natasha Leggero, Paget Brewster, Peyton List II, Cristina Milizia, and Katee Sackhoff are all fun Poison Ivys as well.

Harley Quinn

DC Animated Universe (Arleen Sorkin)

Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco)

The Batman (Hynden Walch)

DCEU (Margot Robbie) and Suicide Squad ISEKAI (Karlii Hoch)

Arkham Series (Arleen Sorkin, Tara Strong)

Batman: Caped Crusader (Jamie Chung)

NOTE: Meghan Strange in Batman: The Brave & The Bold, Jenny Slate in The LEGO Batman Movie, Laura Post in the Telltale games, and Melissa Rauch in Batman and Harley Quinn are also great, and I've no doubt Lady Gaga could've really rocked it too but....yeah.

Ra's Al Ghul

DC Animated Universe (David Warner)

Gotham (Alexander Sidigg)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Liam Neeson)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Peter Woodward)

Young Justice (Oded Fehr)

Arkham Series (Dee Bradley Baker)

NOTE: Also among the great Ra's Al Ghuls are Jason Isaacs, Lance Reddick, Giancarlo Esposito & TC Carson, JB Blanc, and Cas Anvar.

Bane

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Tom Hardy)

Arkham Series (JB Blanc, Fred Tatasciore)

Young Justice (Danny Trejo, Eric Lopez)

DC Animated Universe (Henry Silva, Hector Elizondo)

The Batman (Joaquim de Almelda, Ron Perlman)

Harley Quinn (James Adomian)

Scarecrow

Arkham Series (Dino Andrade, John Noble)

DC Animated Universe (Henry Polic II, Jeffrey Combs)

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Cillian Murphy)

Injustice Series (Robert Englund)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Dee Bradley Baker)

Batman Unlimited (Brian T. Delaney)

Killer Croc

Arkham Series (Steve Blum, Khary Payton)

The Batman (Ron Perlman)

Beware The Batman (Wade Williams)

DC Animated Universe (Aaron Kincaid, Brooks Gardner)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Stephin Root)

Batman Unlimited (John DiMaggio)

Clayface

The Batman (Steve Harris, Wallace Langham)

Arkham Series (Rick D. Wasserman)

Batman: Caped Crusader (Dan Donohue)

DC Animated Universe (Ron Perlman)

Harley Quinn (Alan Tudyck)

Batman Unlimited (Dave B. Mitchell)

Professor Hugo Strange

Arkham Series (Corey Burton)

Gotham (BD Wong)

The Batman (Frank Gorshin, Richard Green)

Strange Days Short (Brian George)

Batman '66 (Jim Ward)

DC Animated Universe (Ray Buktenica)

NOTE: William Salyers in Gotham By Gaslight is fine as well but his part is too secondary. Young Justice Strange is the only one I dislike.

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman DTV (Keri Russell)

Wonder Woman '76 (Lynda Carter)

DCEU (Gal Gadot)

Young Justice (Maggie Q)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Vicki Lewis)

DTV Universe (Grey Griffin, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson)

JLA (Rachel Kimsey)

NOTE: Really wish a Susan Eisenberg Wonder Woman could've landed here, but both of her most major iterations had some issues.

Slade Wilson/Deathstroke

Teen Titans (Ron Perlman)

CW DC Universe (Manu Bennett, Michael Chiklis, Esai Morales)

DTV Universe (Thomas Gibson, Miguel Ferrer)

Injustice Series (JG Hertzler)

Arkham Series (Mark Rolston)

Tara "Terra" Markov

Teen Titans (Ashley Johnson)

Teen Titans GO! (Ashley Johnson)

DTV Universe (Cristina Ricci)

LEGO DC (Laura Bailey)

Young Justice (Tara Strong)

Darkseid

DC Animated Universe (Michael Ironside, Kevin Michael Richardson)

Justice League Heroes (David Sobolov)

Batman: The Brave & The Bold (Michael Leon Wooley)

Injustice Series (Michael Leon Wooley)

DTV Universe(s) (Andre Baugher, Bruce Thomas, Tony Todd)

JLA (Johnathan Adams)

NOTE: I discount Steve Blum from the DTV Universe(s) 'cause what the fuck was that, and Ray Porter in the DCEU was tragically ill-fated.

[fibula-rasa]

Watch More Movies Notebook: September ‘24

(and a few things from August because I didn’t have the time to update last month!)

This month's blog journal features two contenders for best new-to-me films of the year (from Argentina and Brazil respectively), a handful of Depression-era shorts that range from absurdist comedy to Jungian fable to psychological actuality, plus one for the Sad Clown Hall of Fame (I've decided that's a real thing). Also included: a round up of recent posts and a preview of what's coming up this month.

Favorite New-to-me Films of the Month

(listed in order pictured above, L to R)

As always, if any other films catch your eye, but you need specific content/trigger warnings, feel free to ask and I’ll try to oblige!

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

I, the Worst of All / Yo, la peor de todas (1990)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy (US)]

María Luisa Bemberg’s film adaptation of Octavio Paz’s study of the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Sor Juana was a 17th century polymath from (what is now) Mexico and the film recounts her struggles to continue her work and her relationship with the vicereine of New Spain.

This is easily one of my favorite new-to-me movies of the year so far. Biopics often feel formally stodgy to me, but Bemberg’s film is highly visual and plays with time, space, and symbolism, revealing emotional truths in ways that avoid going artificially melodramatic. The relationship between Sor Juana and the vicereine unfolds beautifully and both actresses, Assumpta Serna and Dominique Sanda, are fantastic. I would recommend checking this one out even if you haven’t read any of Sor Juana’s work—in fact, watching this movie will likely motivate you to get reading! 

——— ——— ———

La cartomancienne (1932)

[letterboxd | imdb]

An experimental short about a lovelorn young woman seeking advice from a fortune teller. Jerome Hill’s first directorial outing is a Jungian fable peppered with references to supernatural folk beliefs. It’s evocatively constructed and has a great rhythm to it (paired with Hill’s original score). It’s a real gem!

——— ——— ———

Little Geezer (1932)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Theodore Huff took a mess of New Jersey ragamuffins, dressed them up as grown ups, had them act out half-remembered scenes from pre-code crime movies, and gave us the gift of Little Geezer. I found it genuinely funny, but, even if you don’t vibe with Huff’s sense of humour, you might get a kick out of how clearly the kids enjoyed playing gangsters or the shocking novelty of the kids smoking, drinking, carrying tommy guns, etc. Greta Garbage’s impression of Garbo was surprisingly great though??? Might not recommend this one as freely as the two above as Huff so densely packed Geezer with references you may need to have seen all of the movies referenced to pick up what Huff is putting down.

——— ——— ———

The City (1939)

[letterboxd | imdb]

A short, five-part documentary about American city planning produced for the New York World’s Fair of 1939 might be a hard sell for some, but with its truly outstanding creative team, The City is more compelling viewing than you might assume! The City was conceived by housing advocate Catherine Bauer, written by documentarian Pare Lorentz (The Plow that Broke the Plains) and Lewis Mumford, directed by Ralph Steiner (H2O, Mechanical Principles, Surf and Seaweed) and future MoMA director Willard Van Dyke (Hands), assisted by Henwar Rodakiewicz (Portrait of a Young Man in Three Movements), and scored by Aaron Copland. I might have some personal bias here as I grew up in NJ and have lived in New York and Pittsburgh, but as a modern viewer, I found The City to be an interesting window into the past.

——— ——— ———

White Paradise / Bílý ráj (1924)

[letterboxd | imdb | Watch at Národní filmový archiv]

Looks like Christmas X Criminals also has a tradition outside of the English-speaking world! Anny Ondra plays Nina, a whimsical young orphan under the guardianship of a nasty tavern keeper. On Christmas Eve, Ivan, a man framed for a crime against Nina’s parents, escapes prison to spend one last holiday with his ailing mother. Together, Ivan and Nina with the aid of a travelling puppeteer uncover the true bandit, exonerating Ivan and freeing Nina.

Bílý ráj is a charming film shot on location in the Šumava forest in Bohemia. Don’t be put off by the overly literal English translation of the title, the connotations are off by modern standards! This will be a solid recommendation for the coming winter months and I’m thinking about putting together a little list of some of the best Christmas X Criminals movies out there. If you have any underappreciated/underseen instances of the trope please suggest them to me! Bonus: it has a wonderful poster!

——— ——— ———

Seeing the World, Part One: A Visit to New York, N.Y. (1937)

[letterboxd | imdb]

This cheeky short by Rudy Burckhardt is a mock travelogue about visiting New York City. Referencing both Traveltalks shorts and the city symphony films, Burckhardt playfully jumbles genres and the film’s acerbity doesn’t overstay its welcome with a ~10 minute runtime. Also, Seeing the World features Joseph Cotten’s first screen role!

——— ——— ———

The Golden Clown / Klovnen (1926)

[letterboxd | imdb]

The great Gösta Ekman turns in one of the best silent film performances I’ve ever seen in this. Ekman plays Joe Higgins, a talented young clown in a travelling circus. Joe is in love with Daisy, the stunt rider and daughter of the circus’ owners. A twist of fate results in Joe becoming a top performer, headlining his own theatrical production in Paris. Unfortunately, Joe becomes a workaholic and Daisy gets romanced on the side by a caddish fashion designer. Both of their lives fall apart after they decide to divorce. A.W. Sandberg does a phenomenal job of heightening personal tragedy to an epic scale. I was astounded at how smoothly Ekman performed twenty years worth of aging in two hours. As much as I enjoyed this film (and cried over the finale), it did leave me wondering if they make movies about happy clowns? CW/TW for suicide.

——— ——— ———

April Fool (1924)

[letterboxd | imdb]

An occasional habit of mine is to watch silent comedy shorts during my lunch break. One afternoon this month, I watched three Charley Chase/Jimmy Jump shorts. They were all winners, but April Fool was my favorite. On the first of April,  Jimmy Jump gets blindsided by pranks when he arrives at work. Jimmy swears he won’t get pranked again and makes a bet with his coworker (Noah Young). Chaos ensues. The other shorts I watched, Publicity Pays (1924) and A Ten-Minute Egg (1924), were also good, though not as tightly constructed. Publicity Pays features an especially sweet and well-behaved monkey BTW.

——— ——— ———

Footnote to Fact (1933)

[letterboxd | imdb]

A harrowing short by Lewis Jacobs documenting The Great Depression in New York City. Originally intended to be part of a series that wasn’t completed, Footnote to Fact survived on its own (thanks to Anthology Film Archives) as a stream-of-consciousness rhythmic portrait of the quotidian horror of the Depression. Honestly, I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this earlier, but I’m glad to have finally remedied that.  Worth checking out, if you’re in a place to handle it. TW/CW for suicide and depictions of real dead animals (in a butcher window).

——— ——— ———

The Hole in the Wall (1929)

[letterboxd | imdb]

After a major train accident, The Fox (Edward G. Robinson) and his crew are forced to rework their phony psychic scheme. When Jean (Claudette Colbert) knocks on their door, fresh off a prison sentence for a crime she didn’t commit, she takes on the role of their faux medium. Jean has her own revenge plot in mind: kidnapping the granddaughter of the rich woman who framed her. 

I came across this movie when reading about Robert Florey’s feature films and I’m glad I did—as a big fan of both Robinson and Colbert. Robinson doesn’t have all that much to do in the movie, but he’s very charming in it. Colbert gets the most to do with the conflicted Jean—a woman who chooses a life of crime only after a life of crime was chosen for her. But, the real reason this overlooked pre-code made this list is that the climax of the film was such a shock to me! I won’t give it away in case you decide to check it out yourself, but I never anticipated that!

——— ——— ———

Quilombo (1984)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy (US)]

I’ve had really great luck working through my watchlist lately. Yo, la peor de todas is certainly on my best new-to-me list for the whole year and so is Quilombo! Quilombo is a fantasticized telling of the true story of Palmares, a free community of escaped slaves in colonial-era Brazil. The film primarily focuses on the events surrounding the fight to remain free of Portuguese authorities while Ganga Zumba and later Zumbi led the settlement. As I’m not Brazilian, this history was largely new to me and it’s been enriching to learn more about it. To me, this film seems like a great entry point. It’s stylish in a meaningful way, has a fantastic soundtrack (which I’ve already listened to twice since watching the film), and the production design, editing, and performances are all super. Also, Quilombo is a film worth studying if you want to see how a filmmaker can artistically condense a large span of time to fit feature length without awkwardly hopping along a timeline of events like a slideshow brought to life.

——— ——— ———

Monthly Round-up

In case you missed it, I spent the better part of the last few months constructing and heavily researching “Cosplay the Classics: Nazimova in Salomé.” There were so many compelling avenues to go down that I split the cosplay into two and a half parts!

Part One: “The Importance of Being Peter” covers Nazimova’s creative decisions in adapting Oscar Wilde’s play for the silent screen—illustrating both her filmmaking techniques and her keen awareness of her core fanbase: young/independent women.

Part Two: “Artists United?” details the struggles Nazimova had in getting Salomé released and finding its audience. This part describes how the American film industry was growing and changing in the early 1920s and how Nazimova’s independent productions fit into (or didn’t fit into) that landscape. I also aimed to complicate the oversimplified narrative of Salomé as a flop by collecting and analysing data surrounding its release in comparison to her Metro films.

Part Two Point Five (a.k.a. Cosplay the Classics: Post-script) will be up soon. It’s a slightly shorter piece covering Salomé’s place in cinematic Orientalism. Stay tuned!

——— ——— ———

Since the last notebook installment, I made themed gif/still sets for:

The Golden Clown (1926)

Salvation Hunters (1925)

(which I talked about in the last installment of WMM Notebook)

Danse Macabre (1922)

Yo, la peor de todas (1990)

A Day in Santa Fe (1931)

(which I talked about in the last installment of WMM Notebook)

I also made some gifs of my Salomé cosplay, because I was so pleased with how the wig turned out I needed to show it in motion!

——— ——— ———

In addition to the follow-up to “CtC: Salomé,” I’m working on a quick how-to rundown of the cosplay, in case you need some Halloween inspiration! 

I’ve also got a slate of spooky-season appropriate gifs/stills to post here on tumblr for October. 

Until next time, Happy Halloween and Happy viewing!

——— ——— ———

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕