#netflix and amazon both have ads now

[narumi-gens]

[puts on my business hat]: I can't believe watcher is leaving youtube to create their own streaming service in a market where some of the biggest companies are trying to get out of the streaming business bc they've discovered how unprofitable of a business model it is.

[dduane]

Hello.

I've seen you posting detailed information about the WGA strike and wondered if you had any suggestions as to how those of us not directly involved can show our support for the Union?

Okay, bearing in mind that all this is entirely subjective at the moment (and so far lacking any more useful input from other sources): a few thoughts.

This will be my third WGA strike. (My first one was in 1988, just after I'd made my first live action sale—s1e6 of ST:TNG). And the thought keeps occurring to me at the moment that this time out, there's a potentially gamechanging player on the field that wasn't there before: truly pervasive social media.

(Adding a cut here, because this goes on a bit...)

In 2007, social media as we now understand it was still in its cradle. Now, though, those of us who're striking can make our voices much more widely heard. And so can those of us who're not, but just want to show solidarity. Last time, the AMPTP was able to do pretty much what it wanted without the public noticing or having even a medium-profile way to make their feelings known. But this time? Not so much.

So as an otherwise uninvolved person who wants to show solidarity, I'd start with something seemingly low-value. If I was on Twitter, I'd start routinely tweeting about the strike and my support for it—not obsessively, just persistently, a couple/few times a week—using the Twitter hashtags that are gaining ground even now, such as #DoTheWriteThing (and of course #WGAStrike). I would make sure I was following @WGAEast and @WGAWest, to keep an eye on what's going on.

Additionally: I would start politely, but repeatedly—again, maybe once or twice a week at least, and not stopping—tweeting the various major players in the AMPTP, especially the streamers: Amazon, Netflix, Hulu et al. I would start suggesting that their current attitude toward the WGA's contract negotiations is not only unrealistic but potentially (for the AMPTP) bad for business. (And self-destructive, too, as if this goes on much longer in this vein, they'll be seemingly eagerly casting themselves as The Baddies.) I would suggest that their bad behavior, if not amended by them coming to the table to bargain in good faith, might start affecting both my interest in their shows and my willingness to keep paying unreasonable people for access to them.

I should emphasize here that so far there've been no formal calls from anyone for boycotts or subscription cancellations. For the moment, this strikes me as wise. The point for WGA-friendly observers, right now, would be to keep what's happening to the writers visible: to keep bringing it up: to refuse to allow it to be swept under the rug. The "They only want two cents on the dollar!" angle seems potentially useful the more it's repeated. The point is to keep the repetition going: to make it plain, day after day, that the other side's being not just unreasonable, but greedy. Day after day, and week after week, and (if necessary: please Thoth may it not be...) month after month.

And tweeting is hardly all that can be done. Email is cheap and easy. But actual letters, written on actual paper and mailed, can still create a surprising amount of attention in a corporate office. (The saying in TV used to be that for every person who actually writes in about an issue, there are ten, or a hundred, who feel the same way but never got around to it.) Write letters to all the AMPTP members' CEOs, and make your feelings on the WGA's core demands politely plain. ...Especially when those CEOs collectively made almost three-quarters of a billion-with-a-B dollars in salaries last year, when many of the writers working on their shows can't afford rent.

After that: here's another thought, a little more physical. If by chance you're in an area where one or the other of the Guilds are picketing: turn out and support them! Honk when you pass: and if you're interested, show up and offer to walk the picket lines with them. These things get noticed. (In 2007 a bunch of us, both Guild members and non-, caused significant astonishment by turning out to picket AMPTP members' offices in Dublin.)

...Obviously not all that many people are going to be positioned, in terms of location or their own work and time commitments, to show up physically. But online? Find ways to keep this issue visible. The AMPTP wants this to go quiet, wants people to get bored with it, wants people to find reasons to blame the writers. They've tried spinning the story that way before. Don't let them pull that shit. Find ways to back those who're calling them on that, publicly. They do respond to this kind of thing (though they may strenuously deny it). If enough attention continues to be paid by the general public, they will blink—if sometimes excruciatingly slowly, as Disney began to blink over the dispute tagged #DisneyMustPay.

As viewers, and as viewers who pay for subscriptions to things, we far outnumber them. Help be a part of making the AMPTP understand that this quest for a truly fair deal is not going to go away. And the longer they try to act like the Guild's negotiation positions are beneath their notice, the more it's going to hurt them, and the stupider and greedier it's going to make them look.

...That's all I've got for the moment, as I need some lunch. :) ...But I hope this has helped. And thanks for your concern, and your desire to stand in solidarity with us! It's so welcome. :)

ETA: here's a link to the Guild's social media toolkit, for those who'd like to change PFPs or icons, etc., to show their support.

[queerly-autistic]

I've been thinking about potential pick-up of Our Flag Means Death by another streamer, and how it all might be tying in with the current BBC release, and I have some thoughts about what might be happening and what we can do to give the show the best chance of being picked up.

I think it's important to start by saying that all the whisperings that I heard over the past few months (including from some people who work at/with the BBC) pointed firmly towards a scheduled March release for Our Flag Means Death on the BBC. Needless to say, this means I was extremely surprised when they suddenly announced it was dropping at the beginning of February. I think it's also clear from everything I've seen that the BBC's marketing/social media plan for the release was not ready for February (there was no trailer, which was odd), which, again, really supports the idea that the show was initially schedule for a March release, not a February release.

I firmly believe the release was brought forward. The question is: why? Is it because they saw how much noise and press the show (and our campaign) was getting, and decided to try and capitalise on it? Or is there something else going on?

On top of that, we now have specific questions about Our Flag Means Death appearing on YouGov UK, including asking whether respondents would watch another series. This doesn't just happen. The charity I work for has commissioned YouGov polling (including some very recently) which I have been tangentially involved with, and so I know that this sort of polling is not easy work, and it's not cheap. Someone has put time AND money into commissioning this polling. This is significant. Someone is not only watching, but they are specifically watching the UK response to the show, and putting questions to the UK audience about it.

I have strong suspicions that a streamer (or several streamers) are interested in picking up the show, and are using the UK release as a live case study (Apple, Amazon and Netflix also have a presence in the UK, so we are a big target audience for them in a way we never were for Max). This could account for both the potential bringing forward of the BBC release (they didn't want to wait until March), and the YouGov polling that's going on (bear in mind, the YouGov questions were specifically as part of a wider survey about streaming services).

And this isn't just a passing interest: working with the BBC to bring forward the release, and investing time and money into YouGov polling? That's a strong interest. That's so interested they've already invested something into it.

Of course, I don't know anything for certain, so take everything with a pinch of salt (it's just a theory...a gay pirates theory...), but I think it's something to consider as a strong possibility.

So what does this mean for us?

It means we need to keep streaming on iPlayer. Watch it as many times as you can. Share it with your friends and family. If you're outside the UK, get yourself a VPN and join the party. Watch the live broadcasts on Monday nights (if you have iPlayer, you can stream the live broadcast - this is what I do because I don't have a TV). Keep tweeting about it (add the #OurFlagBBC hashtag to the existing hashtags we're using). Tag and email the UK media (including TV guides and radio shows) and ask them to talk about the show/our campaign. If you're tagging/emailing Apple, Amazon or Netflix, make sure you mention you're from the UK (and tag their UK specific social media accounts).

According to Parrot Analytics, the demand in the UK for the show is rising - let's keep adding to that!

You can also sign up to YouGov and rate the show (more instructions in the quote retweets of the tweet I linked to earlier), and keep answering questions about TV shows and streaming (and marking Our Flag Means Death as one of your interests) as a way to try and get them to give you the specific questions about the show (these start as a question about streaming and streaming services, which then turn into questions about OFMD, so if you get a survey like that, take it!).

It's also worth considering that if there's any validity to this, then there's a possibility that they might be waiting until after the show has finished airing in the UK (the finale is airing on 25th March) to crunch all the numbers together. This means that if we don't hear anything in the next few weeks, do not despair! We need to buckle in for a long fight, and to keep pushing the show and making noise over the next few weeks and months, especially around the BBC release.

This show is worth the fight. Let's get our damned men back!

[allywthsr]

WRAPPING HIS PRESENTS | (l.norris)

summary: you wrap Lando’s presents

wordcount: 1.1k words

pairing: landonorris x fem!reader

warnings: like two sexual things, but nothing graphic

notes: what are we thinking?

advent calendar

You sat on the floor in the living room, Lando was currently in the gym, training for the next two hours. It was time to wrap his presents, the rest of the presents, for the other people of your family, were already wrapped and stored away in a closet in the guest room. Now the only things that were missing, were his presents, in front of you laid multiple things you bought for Lando, grabbing the red wrapping paper with little Santa’s and reindeer on it. You took the scissors and cut off a piece of the paper, grabbing the first present, a new hoodie from his favorite brand. You saw him check it out online and you could not not buy it for him, he almost bought it himself, but you could convince him, that you shouldn’t buy yourself things right before Christmas, so he didn’t.

Closing the wrapping paper with a few strips of tape, you took a sticker where you could write his name on it, and wrote ‘Lan’ in your best handwriting, even adding a small bow you bought in a little corner shop.

The next present was a bit more cheesy, it was a keyring for his keychain, made out of glass with his favorite picture of you two put in there, you knew he loved small things like that. It was small, but it meant something to him, and that’s most important.

You grabbed a different wrapping paper, now you had a dark blue one in your hand, and it was covered with golden stars. You didn’t want to go too overboard with his presents, but you knew he would, so you tried to give him something back, even tho you knew you didn’t have to. He was happy if you would give him a kiss on Christmas morning, but you weren’t satisfied with that, you tried to go bigger every year.

The next present was a small silly thing you found on Amazon while checking out, it was a scratch-off movie poster. The two of you could never decide what movie to watch, sometimes the planned movie night ended after one hour because you couldn’t find something to watch, either one of you has seen a film and the other hasn’t, or the genre wasn’t the right one, sometimes you just didn’t find one that fits in the mood and sometimes you couldn’t decide on one, because there are so many movies, you’ve watched together and all the good films have been watched by you two a hundred times. With that scratch-off poster, that problem would be solved and evenings that would be filled with looking through the whole Netflix catalog, while the other was also searching through different movie platforms, would be at least be over for a hundred days. He could just scratch off the material and each movie night, you wouldn’t have this discussion that annoyed both of you.

You, again, cut out a piece of paper and wrapped it around the rolled-up poster, sticking the sticker on it, and writing his name on it.

The next present was a silly present you found in a store, it was a small retro arcade machine, and he loved arcade games. It was a miniature arcade machine that he could take with him wherever he went if he was bored before a race. He would definitely play with it. It had games like Super Mario or Flappy Bird on it, perfect for Lando’s interest, he loved these old games he used to play as a kid. You put the batteries in the slot and wrapped the dark blue wrapping paper around it, closing it off with a few stripes of tape, writing his name on the sticker, and placing a bow on top of it as well, you bought a few bows in a dollar store, that would stick to the present without having to make the bow.

You went all out for presents this year, but you bought most of them on Black Friday, so the hundred and fifty pounds hoodie only cost ninety pounds, what a steal.

The next gift was more a fun gift than an actual useful gift, it was an indoor putting green, the long stripe of fake grass had a slight bend towards the end, so it wasn’t just a straight line that he had to play. He always told you that he hated it, when it rained and he wasn’t able to go golfing, he wanted to buy himself a putting green for the inside for a while now, yet, he never did. Lando could practice his putting skills and his swings, he would love it, it would annoy you for a few weeks, he sure would only do that for some days, but that’s fine. You took another roll of wrapping paper and cut off a piece, wrapping the edges around the box, sealing it with some tape, and sticking the sticker with his name on it.

The main present was a self-made one, a jar filled with three-hundred sixty-five little notes. He can pick one note every day for the next year, on the notes were little compliments, funny sayings, dirty talking, and declarations of love.

You worked on this for multiple days, cutting out three-hundred sixty-five colorful papers, was a task, that took you three days alone. Writing all the notes on the paper took you like a week and a half, it might sound like a lot, but you had to think about three-hundred sixty-five notes and write them on a small piece of paper while Lando does not notice you doing it. And since the winter break started, he was mostly home, so you had to do it when he was training or playing Fortnite or something.

Some examples of the notes are

⁃ thank you for you

⁃ I love you

⁃ I‘m glad my boyfriend has a big cock

⁃ I hope you have a good day

⁃ Thank you for every orgasm

It might be cheesy, but Lando and you are that couple that leaves little sticky notes around the house to make the other happy, the present was basically like the sticky notes but without sticking it somewhere.

You closed the lid from the jar and cut off a big piece of wrapping paper, wrapping it around the glass and closing the paper with tape, and sticking his name on top with it, just like a big bow.

You looked at the presents in front of you, you couldn’t wait for him to open all of them, you were sure he would be happy about every single one.

[fallloverfic]

"Nimona" fandom informational rundown

New to the fandom and a bit confused about things? Hopefully this will help!

Nimona was a webcomic by Nate Diana Stevenson/ND Stevenson that was first shown on tumblr on December 14, 2011, and Nate later launched it as an official webcomic on its own website on June 19, 2012. It was contracted for publication post-completion as a graphic novel sometime before November 1, 2012. The webcomic finished online publication on September 30, 2014. Shortly afterward, most of the webcomic was taken down as part of the contractual agreement for publication as a physical graphic novel, leaving only a short bit of the opening as a preview. The website for the webcomic later went down entirely, and is no longer accessible.

The comic was published in entirety as a single graphic novel on May 12, 2015. The movie adaptation rights were sold to Fox in 2015, as well, and the project was given to Blue Sky Studios. The comic was later adapted into a full cast audiobook on October 4, 2016. The graphic novel is available for purchase in paperback, hardcover, and as an ebook, and the audiobook is also available for purchase. (The link has international seller links). The graphic novel has been translated into 16 languages. It is also available in a special edition English hardcover via Illumicrate. They only ship from the UK, but ship internationally, and you don't need a subscription to buy the book. As the standard graphic novel and audiobook are ~7+ years old now, if you have a local library, you can see if either of them are available that way.

Disney bought 20th Century Fox Animation (later 20th Century Animation, the purchase completed in 2019), but later shut down Blue Sky Studios in 2021, cancelling the still-in-production movie. Crew worked on shopping the movie around for a new home after talks with Disney. The movie was later picked up and completed by Annapurna, DNEG, and Netflix, premiered June 14, 2023 in France, showed in select theaters starting principally on June 23, 2023, and released to general audiences on Netflix for streaming on June 30, 2023. I have more info on this here.

In English, Nimona is voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, Ballister Boldheart is voiced by Riz Ahmed, and Ambrosius Goldenloin is voiced by Eugene Lee Yang.

If you're looking for official merch, the movie soundtrack is up on multiple platforms, including YouTube, iOS, Spotify, and Amazon, and a vinyl version of the soundtrack was sold by iam8bit. There is an official humanoid Nimona plushie, a whale Nimona plushie, and a shark Nimona plushie, available via Gee and Hot Topic, as well as a variety of official shirts available via Hot Topic and Amazon (just search Brand: Nimona). Nate also still sells "Nimona" comic art on his INPRNT store.

Netflix released a free-to-read digital-only multimedia 358-page artbook for the movie (but took it down in March 2024). (It's also been released at least for crew/friends of crew(?) in physical release, so maybe it'll get mass release as a hardcover). Outside of this, a lot of the crew for the movie from both Blue Sky and DNEG have been releasing a ton of concept art and development stuff, and the cast and crew have been doing a lot of promotional interviews and videos going back through like April 2023, so there's a lot of material to look through on YouTube, tiktok, tumblr, twitter, Instagram, Facebook/Meta, and Vimeo, as well as various news and media sites. Nate is active on tumblr, his personal blog, twitter, and Instagram. Annapurna, DNEG, and Netflix also have multiple accounts on many platforms, including their own websites, YouTube, Facebook/Meta, and Twitter, and have been sharing clips and behind the scenes stuff.

Nimona actually has been added to a video game: Nimona was included as an event companion in SharkBite 2, a Roblox game.

If you're looking for fanworks, the fandom is active on most platforms, and has been ever since Nate started posting early art of the characters. Nate's talked at length in multiple places about how big the fandom was during the webcomic's publication. Mostly back then folks were very active in the Disqus comments on pages, which are a bit harder to find these days. There's a lot of the older comic fanart still circulating in different places (particularly tumblr, where the fandom was most active), some of which Nate reblogged. There is crossover between the comic and movie fandoms, as many fans of the comic love the movie and vice versa, and both fandoms are quite active. There is at least one active subreddit and fanwiki (and many others on assorted fantasy, comic, movie, and non-English language sites), as well as TV Tropes pages for both the comic and movie adaptation and a number of Discord servers.

For fanfiction, there are a ton of fics on Archive of Our Own in the comic tag and in the movie adaptation tag. There are also a number of fics on tumblr, some fics on fanfiction.net, and some on Wattpad. There are fanvids on tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube. There is fanart on tumblr, twitter, deviantart, instagram, and pixiv. There are cosplayers, meta analysts, roleplayers, music makers, and many other fanworkers

Some tags to use/browse for posts on tumblr and other sites:

Nimona

Nimona fanart

Nimona comic

Nimona movie

Ballister Blackheart

Ballister Boldheart

Ambrosius Goldenloin

Gloreth

Meredith Blitzmeyer

Ballister x Ambrosius / Goldenheart / Boldloin / Boldenloin / Blackenloin / Blackloin / Goldheart

Will update this post as I come across new things.

[bopernstien]

NETFLIX HAS ADS?? WHAT- HOW ABD WHY?? I PAY FOR YOU! I PAY TO WATCH AN UNINTERRUPTED SHOW BUT ALL I GET IS ADS?!

AND AMAZON PRIME TOO-?! AGAIN, I DONT PAY FOR THESE NO MORE. I COMPLETELY FORGOT I WAS SUBBED TO BOTH! I Shouldn't HAVE TO SEE ADS WHILST INDULGING IN MEDIA!

We could watch whole shows - but now these fuck off places are leeching every penny off of us! Not everything has to be monetized- advertised! This is so ... Aggravating and infuriating!

[teenytinycoffeebean]

I Am On A Journey to Watch AS MANY Films with Crispin Hellion Glover in Them As Possible

I will do my best to watch the films/shows and give a high-level view of my thoughts on each. 

I will continue to do this until I watch all of the films I have on my list (the list will be added to this post as well as updated throughout). 

I am playing catch-up compared to my other social media accounts but, to be honest, Tumblr is perfect for this kind of thing. 

So... Buckle up because this is going to be a LONG ride. (: 

First, I’d like to personally thank Crispin Glover for all the fantastic performances and artworks he’s created over the years. His approach to acting is beautifully unique, and every single one of his performances are memorable. Though I haven’t had the pleasure of viewing his own films, I’ve at least seen some of his artwork through the books he publishes. Now that I’ve found myself down a rabbit hole of sorts, not just watching these movies but also listening to all kinds of interviews and such, I am a huge admirer of the way he approaches what he does and creates. 

TL;DR: I’ve found boundless inspiration and joy from observing both his craft and his art. So, for that and for a lot more I’m struggling to put into words because they are genuinely such big emotions, thank you! 

Ok, let’s get into it. 

Although this is not the original list from when I started the journey (this project began in early December 2022--today is January 1, 2023), here is the list I am using to track, plus where to watch the films. Note that some of these are me rewatching them--like Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Alice in Wonderland--but I will note those as I go.

Crispin Glover's Filmography Watchlist

Note: this is not his full filmography (and does not include his personal films--though I aspire to see those as soon as I can) however it is a list of the films I aim to watch and potentially own.

Watched (in order of coverage):

Friday the 13th The Final Chapter (DVD - owned)

Back to the Future (Peacock)

Bartleby (DVD - owned)

Wizard of Gore (Tubi)

Willard (DVD - owned)

Twister [1989] (Amazon Prime)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (DVD - owned)

Lucky Day (Amazon Prime)

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)

Drop Dead Sexy (Tubi)

The Donner Party (Tubi)

Like Mike (Tubi)

Aimy in a Cage (Tubi)

River’s Edge (DVD - owned)

Crime and Punishment (Tubi)

Charlie's Angels (DVD - owned)

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (DVD - owned)

Rubin & Ed (DVD - owned)

Simon Says (DVD - owned)

Hot Tub Time Machine (HBO Max)

Freaky Deaky (Tubi)

The People vs. Larry Flynt (Hulu)

Mr. Nice (Tubi)

At Close Range (HBO Max)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (HBO Max)

Epic Movie (Hulu)

Wild at Heart (DVD - owned)

Alice in Wonderland (Disney+)

Watching:

American Gods (DVD - owned)

To watch:

Little Noises (DVD - owned)

Teachers (DVD)

The Doors (DVD)

Fast Sofa (YouTube/DVD)

Beowulf (Pluto)

The Incident at Loch Ness (Amazon Prime)

Smiley Face Killers (Amazon Prime)

The Bag Man (Amazon Prime)

Hotel Room - Episode: "Blackout" (YouTube)

The Orkly Kid (?)

Where the Heart Is (?)

Why am I doing this? Because I want to!

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To kick things off, and in the order in which I cover this journey on other social media platforms, a rewatch of one of my favorite slasher flicks was in order. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)! 

If you remember this movie at all, which you should because it is the 2nd best film in the franchise, you may recall the awkward kid who kept talking about being horny, obsessed over his friend calling him a "dead fuck," and danced real wacky in that one scene. Ya know, Jimmy “Jimbo” Mortimer. Yes! That one! That was Crispin Glover alright. 

Though the role is small, his performance in this is just exactly what I’ve come to expect from most, if not all, of Crispin’s performances: oh so memorable. 

I love this performance a lot. Even before I was aware of Crispin Glover, I was enamored with just how strange the character was and how that differed from a lot of the other performances in the Friday the 13th franchise. 

A bit of a fun fact: Crispin has talked about that dance he does and mentions that the song that was played on set during filming was not what ended up being used in the final product of that scene. Apparently, the song used for filming was AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” Cool folks on the internet have attempt to show that off so check this shit out: 

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As part of a double feature with Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, I watched Back to the Future (1985) for the first time. Yes, the first time. I know how shameful for a 28-year-old such as myself. 

I genuinely felt that the best descriptor for the film was "cute". It was cute! It’s one of those movies that I felt like I had really already seen due to how references to it have permeated our culture. 

I can understand why the film is a classic. The way Crispin plays George McFly makes him an incredibly endearing character. I loved the “George-isms” that Crispin created, that carry over from old George to young George. It’s excellent work.

I think Back to the Future is talked about too much, in all honesty, and especially with the whole lawsuit and incredibly harmful shit that happened to Crispin with Back to the Future II, a movie which I straight up refuse to see. 

But yeah, all that aside, Back to the Future was cute and a fun time. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shout out to the free streaming service Tubi, which has been incredible kind to me and provided SO many of the films on my list. 

One of those films is Bartleby (2001). Bartleby is a surrealist, sit-com-style office comedy film adaptation of Herman Melville's short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener". Crispin plays Bartleby, and genuinely ends up having few lines except for, of course, “I would prefer not to” or some iteration of that. 

This film ended up being Supremely My Shit in terms of what I look for in a comedy. 

I LOVED this movie, so much so that I now own it on DVD and plan to show it to everyone. I cannot recommend it enough. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next up, Wizard of Gore (2007). A splatter/noir horror film. This is a remake of the 1970 film of the same name. 

I will say that this film, overall, wasn’t that great. It has some highlights though! For instance, Crispin hams it up as a wacko magician who has an outrageously huge codpiece. And, oh hey! Brad Dourif and Jeffrey Combs are in it! 

As I’ve sat with this one, it’s one where I can say the performance that Crispin gives is the real draw here. He’s absolutely perfect for something so strange and unusual as this. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, I should back up and take some time to talk about Willard (2003). I have a lot of thoughts, as well as some fun facts. 

This remake of a 1971 film of the same name, which in turn was based off of the Stephen Gilbert novel Ratman’s Notebooks, is a standout so far for the films I've seen Crispin Glover in. I knew going into viewing it that it was well regarded in his filmography. I can understand why! It's incredible. 

It is a horror movie but not in the way that is typical. To me, the horror lies in the treatment of Willard, particularly in the workplace. And then, of course, later the horror continues but more in the form of self-inflicted acclimation of choices made by Willard (if only he were nicer to Ben! Oh, things would’ve been different). I do believe reading the rats as a force of nature as an element of horror is pretty accurate.

Though the part that make this film an instant comfort movie for me/a film that immediately went on my "get to know me movies list" is Crispin's performance and the framing of Willard's abuse in the workplace. I have some pretty bad workplace-related trauma from sustained abuse by past and previous employers. I have to admit to feeling some level of catharsis in relating to the Willard character, as well as viewing him as a kind of hero despite serious pitfalls and gruesome mistakes throughout, including a variety of self-inflicted repression of emotion and being (also I'd say the character is neurodivergent-coded, and thats highly relatable to me). I also think that [spoilers] when he kills his boss with a horde of rats--not for himself, entirely, but for Socrates--I felt that in my core like, yes, it's so much harder to stand up for yourself, even if you can't take more abuse, but it's easier when you have something rally behind or protect or avenge, in this situation. Am I thinking too hard about the contents of a 2003 horror movie? Probably. 

Anyway. The rats are awesome in this film too, as is the performance of R. Lee Ermey. I wish New Line Cinemas let the film be rated R. I feel like more gore and Ermey riffing off strings of cursing would've been nice. Apparently, there was an R-rated version but it is lost now. I've been able to view some of the deleted scenes and I can see where an R-rated version could have been. 

A great aspect of promotional materials for Willard was that Crispin Glover recorded a cover of Michael Jackson's "Ben" (yes, it's about the rat). It's my understanding the original song was recorded for the 1973 sequel to Willard, also titled Ben. Anyway, the music video for Glover's take on "Ben" was also directed by him. It's an absolute treat. Check it out: 

While I have you here, I'd like to let you know that the opening credits of Willard feature imagery from Glover's own published book -- Rat Catching. Rat Catching, published in 1988, is a heavily illustrated piece of visual and textural art built from the 1896 book Studies in the Art of Rat Catching.

Crispin has published other works similar to Rat Catching: Oak Mot (1989), Concrete Inspection (1990), What it is, and How it is Done (1992), and Round My House (2016). In each he rearranges text, blacks out certain standing passages (a la blackout poetry), and adds his own prose and occasionally images into the margins and elsewhere, thus creating an entirely new story. Plus, as is my understanding, a visual feast for the eyes. 

GUESS WHAT THE COOLEST PART ABOUT THESE BOOKS ARE?! You can get em directly from the guy himself! Literally. You can chuck $30-ish + shipping at him directly (metaphorically, of course) and you'll get a book. 

I fully intend to get my hands on at least a few of them... or all of them, ya know, casually. If you also think these books sound rad as fuck, here's the website: crispinglover.com. Do it. Go get an awesome book created by an awesome artist. It's cool to do. 

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On my TV back a few weeks ago was Twister (1989). 

From what I had previously read about the film, it billed as a comedy but in actuality it is more drama. It is an adaptation of the the novel Oh by Mary Robison. 

The film features music by Hans Zimmer, a cameo by William S. Burroughs, and, of course, a late 80s Crispin Glover doing his weird lil thing that I love oh so much. It was... bizarre!! 

I can’t really say if it is good or bad--it just is. I can’t even say if the ending is good or bad, it simply is what it is. Having sat with it for a while, I can appreciate Twister for eliciting emotion. I was pretty fed up with some of the character and confused at their motivations but at least it got me thinking about what was happening and asking the question “what are they doing and why?” That’s important in its own right. 

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Let me just say, I was VERY excited to watch We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018). I am a huge fan of the original novel, which I read when I was much younger. I remember starting to watch this film when it came to Netflix in 2019 but failing to finish it due to life events (I think we were moving), but I can say now that I have finished watching it! 

I am happy to report that We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel, give or take, and was really enjoyable to see. I feel like it is a hard novel to adapt since Merricat is an unreliable narrator and it is all told from her perspective, but I think this film does a solid job illustrating that. 

I'm generally very pleased with the framing of the characters in the adaptation and the performances are great. I don't think anyone else could do Charles except for Sebastian Stan. He's so good at playing a total dick.

On that note, I don't think anyone else could've played Julian Blackwood like Crispin Glover. Comparing to the novel, I had no idea how to really imagine Julian in a lot of instances but seeing this character performed in this way makes SO much more sense to me. Incredible work.

I could probably go on, but I highly recommend checking it out for yourself, especially if you're a fan of the novel! 

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Ohhh Lucky Day (2019)! It was AWESOME. Though, I didn’t keep enough detailed thoughts about it so I apologize for a short and sweet overview of some highlights. 

I swear to god this film must've flown under the radar when it came out because I hadn't heard of it until recently (but I distinctly remember seeing showtimes for it back when it came out). 

It was a damn good time. Crispin plays a contract killer of sorts who has the most over-the-top French accent (despite not being French at all) and every scene he's in is golden. His serious demeanor for some of the more ridiculous scenes just works and brought a big stupid grin to my face.  

I’ve seen this film twice now it’s just a masterfully done action/comedy/drama--and yes, it really does blend the genres so well. 

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Before I take a break from letting this live in my drafts, I want to talk about a big one for me: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Episode 5: “Pickman's Model”. The one that started this journey. And I know, I'm so utterly late to the party! I live in my own lil horror-themed film bubble most of the time until I find some performances I enjoy and really gnaw on, for lack of a better word. So this kicked it off entirely.

The whole show is a standout for me. I enjoyed every single episode and every story. I think the most technically scary was “Lot 36″ and the most relatable to me in the way it is framed is “The Outside”. Upon my first watch of the show, I just knew I'd be head over heels for the “Pickman’s Model” retelling. It's my favorite Lovecraft story, and I just love that integration of tangible art and eldritch horror. It's just the best. 

I feel that the adaptation is very strong, and a great depiction of a more modern Lovecraft despite the setting and time period. I loved all the lil reference drops to other works in the Cthulhu Mythos throughout as well -- such a nice touch. 

I felt the relationship that Thurber and Pickman have is so utterly bizarre and my own explanation for why there is a draw there is that "the darkness" itself as described and felt by both character acts as an allegory for queerness. I might be um biased, being a queer person and all, but that's just me. I think it's also valid to interpret the whole relationship as like human curiosity--like hell yeah I'd also be fascinated by this guy's art, if not also a bit frightened! So the draw is simply explained that way... if you so choose. Lots of ways to go on that end of things, and that's rad. 

There is such a a genuine level of depth and understanding of character in the way Crispin plays Pickman. I swear there's not even that much depth in the original Lovecraft story! It's just all on this adaptation, the director, and his performance. It's outstanding, and he really steals the show (and my heart) in this one particularly.  

A lot of folks, and I mean A LOT, didn't seem to appreciate the the truly old-timey Bostonian accent. I see ya’ll out there. C'mon, he worked with THE Erik Singer for that accent to sounds as true-to-time-period as possible -- at least respect it but I find it fascinating how that, being as normal for that setting as it is, given an extra level of strangeness to Pickman as a character (namely because nobody else is doing that, give or take. There are some Massachusetts accents here and there from other characters but there's not really the same level of commitment). 

Also, I thought the way they did Pickman's sketchbook up as a multi-media and textural kinda piece in and of itself was a nice touch -- felt like that was purposely laid out specifically with Crispin in mind to play off the works he creates. Not quite, of course, but I think that's neat and how I’m choosing to read into it. 

[gaargoyle]

Honestly, I have no clue what's going to happen with the inevitable newbie boom that will come from the Fa//out show on Amazon or whatever. Like, the depths of the Fa//out fandom as it is now.... the discourse, the arguments, the lore, the retcons, it is massive, it is all-consuming, people that debate and talk about Fa//out are unbelievably obscure and pedantic and on a whole other league from any franchise that I know of. (I've been apart of it so I'm aware)

With the W//itcher show on Netflix, this was different, because the source material is the book, it exists outside the realm of both the show and the game. You could comfortably enjoy any of them on their own and be satisfied.

But if anyone wants to learn about Fa//out, you have to know about the games because that's all there is. I don't think it will really be possible to just enjoy the show and ignore everything else if they truly wanted to get into it all.

The new guys are gonna come in wanting to talk about the show and they will find arguments over gun designs, power armor models, failed loot table generation that causes lore issues, technology retcon discourse, faction retcon discourse, attempts to make sense of fucked up timelines, an Eastern European modding community that has existed as long as the franchise, etc ad infinitum because this has been going on for over 20 years now. I am not at all kidding when I say these people probably won't know what's going on at all. Not newbie friendly, especially not coming from the medium of TV.

Someone's going to ask which game they should start with so they can get more into the franchise. And then they will die.

[crof-fwf]

The future of RWBY... ?

With only 20 years in production, the company "Rooster Teeth" closes its doors on March 6, 2024, being closed by Warner due to the low profitability that Rooster Teeth has generated during these last few months. Failed projects, problems with the culture and work environment of some workers and possibly marketing decisions that did not give the expected results ended up being the cultivation of what would be the imminent fall of the company. Being until the date of March 6 in which made known through various articles.

And given the numerous articles that have been circulating about the news, it is estimated that Warner Bros. Discovery will be in charge of selling the IPs, with RWBY being the most prominent series and even the one with the most concern about its direction within all the IPs of RT. This would not only be a very hard blow not only for the team behind the series (CRWBY) and workers in general but it would also result in a shock to the fandom that has been following the series for the span of 10 years. However, the rwby fandom has been speculating about the possible candidates among which have been mentioned:

A24

Netflix

Amazon

CrunchyRoll

Meanwhile, in addition to questions about the management of the series, this can also give rise to "under conditions" support where different "sectors" of the fandom support some of the candidates as long as they stick to their ideas; either for ideas that the CRWBY did not reach or could not yet fulfill, those interests being from both sides of the coin (Radical Shippers and Haters)

However, on that same day at night a new candidate spoke out: DillonGoo Which has expressed his interest in acquiring the IP of the series, in addition to remembering his professional work where he has come to animate the series since its inception. However, he ended up provoking a fiery debate: Whether to keep the original plot or reboot it. And also that the fandom discovered the association of Shane Newville and "DillonGoo Studios". Remembering, Shane came to prominence for being the creator of the letter: "An Open Letter to All Who Treasured Monty Oum." So now it could be said that the fandom has Dillon as one of the most esteemed candidates, but also in its sights since many fear the changes he could make or the elimination of already established elements, added to the degree in that Shane would be involved. As it would also fall within this category of "Conditioned Support" only that Dillon will have it more complicated given that the minimal changes that he makes would be reason enough for the fandom to go against him. So the fate of RWBY will not only remain ambiguous but also waiting to hear more news about more candidates or the possible confirmation of a new owner of the IP.

[programmatic-marketing-hub]

OTT Advertising vs. CTV Advertising: Which One Is Best for Your Brand?

Image Source: FreeImages

Let's dive into every section to gain a complete know-how of OTT marketing vs. CTV marketing.

1. Understanding OTT Advertising

OTT, which stands for Over-the-Top, refers back to the shipping of video content over the net, bypassing conventional distribution channels including cable or satellite TV for PC carriers. OTT services allow viewers to circulate their favorite TV shows, films, and other video content material on diverse gadgets, including smartphones, capsules, computers, and clever TVs. Examples of popular OTT systems encompass Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

2. Exploring CTV Advertising

Connected TV, or CTV, refers back to the gadgets on which visitors get admission to and eat OTT content. These gadgets consist of smart TVs, streaming sticks (which include Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV), gaming consoles (like Xbox or PlayStation), and set-top containers with net connectivity. CTV devices enable viewers to circulate OTT content without delay on their TV monitors, providing a more immersive and traditional TV-like reveal.

3. The Evolution of OTT and CTV

The upward thrust of OTT and CTV can be attributed to several factors. With the growing availability of excessive-pace net and the proliferation of net-linked gadgets, viewers have more options and versatility in how they devour video content material. The comfort of on-call for streaming and the potential to customize viewing stories have driven the recognition of OTT and CTV.

4. The Growing Popularity of OTT and CTV

The growth of OTT and CTV has been extremely good in recent years. According to Nielsen, streaming accounted for 34.8% of general TV consumption, surpassing cable and broadcast TV for the first time. This shift in viewership behavior has caught the eye of advertisers, who are now trying to leverage OTT and CTV systems to reach their target audiences.

5. Advantages of OTT Advertising

OTT advertising offers several blessings for entrepreneurs. Firstly, it affords the right of entry to a huge and numerous target market, as OTT systems have a worldwide reach and cater to various demographics. Secondly, OTT lets in for superior targeting abilities, allowing advertisers to supply customized and relevant advertisements to unique audiences. Additionally, OTT advertising and marketing provides a brand-safe environment for ad placements, making sure that commercials are displayed in a top-rate and trustworthy context.

6. Advantages of CTV Advertising

CTV advertising and marketing, however, give unique blessings to entrepreneurs. One of the important blessings of CTV is the capability to reach viewers at the large display, offering an extra immersive and attractive viewing experience. CTV advertisements are normally non-skippable, ensuring excessive completion fees and expanded logo exposure. CTV additionally lets in for more innovative advert formats, inclusive of interactive and dynamic commercials, that may decorate logo messaging and pressure higher engagement.

7. Challenges in OTT and CTV Advertising

While OTT and CTV advertising presents several possibilities, there are also demanding situations that entrepreneurs need to navigate. One of the principal challenges is the fragmented nature of the OTT and CTV ecosystem, with more than one structure, devices, and content material vendors. This fragmentation makes it crucial for advertisers to have a strategic approach to reach their audience successfully. Additionally, measuring the impact and return on funding (ROI) of OTT and CTV advertising and marketing may be hard because of the shortage of standardized measurement metrics.

8. Targeting Capabilities in OTT and CTV

Both OTT and CTV marketing offer superior targeting talents, allowing advertisers to supply greater customized and applicable ads to their audiences. OTT marketing permits concentrate primarily on different factors, which include demographics, pastimes, and viewing conduct. CTV advertising, in particular, offers the opportunity to target audiences on a massive screen, handing over ads directly to viewers' living rooms. This unique concentration guarantees that advertisements are proven to the proper humans at the right time.

9. Effective Ad Formats in OTT and CTV

When it comes to ad formats, both OTT and CTV marketing offer flexibility and creativity. OTT platforms typically aid various ad formats, along with pre-roll, mid-roll, and submit-roll commercials, similar to conventional TV classified ads. CTV, however, provides additional possibilities for interactive and dynamic ad formats, allowing for more engaging and interactive studies. These ad codecs can encompass overlays, interactive factors, and clickable calls to action, improving the viewer's engagement with the content.

10. Measuring Success in OTT and CTV Advertising

Measuring the fulfillment of OTT and CTV advertising campaigns requires a combination of conventional and digital dimension approaches. Advertisers can track metrics along with reach, frequency, completion quotes, click-thru rates, and conversions to evaluate the effectiveness of their campaigns. Additionally, leveraging superior size technologies, together with attribution fashions and pass-tool tracking, can provide deeper insights into the impact of OTT and CTV advertising on client conduct and conversions.

11. Choosing Between OTT and CTV Advertising

When deciding between OTT and CTV advertising and marketing, it's essential to recollect your marketing campaign goals, target audience, and available sources. OTT advertising gives a broader reach and the capability to target visitors across more than one device, making it appropriate for achieving a diverse audience. CTV advertising and marketing, alternatively, presents a greater immersive and engaging enjoyment on the large screen, making it perfect for logo cognizance and effect-driven campaigns. Ultimately, the selection between OTT and CTV will depend upon your unique dreams and target market.

12. Integrating OTT and CTV Advertising into Your Strategy

To efficaciously integrate OTT and CTV advertising into your marketing approach, it is crucial to not forget the subsequent steps:

Identify your target market: Understand your audience's demographics, hobbies, and viewing conduct to create powerful strategies.

Craft compelling advert creatives: Develop enticing and relevant ad creatives that resonate with your audience and align with the precise context of OTT and CTV structures.

Leverage advanced targeting competencies: Use the superior focus on capabilities supplied by OTT and CTV systems to deliver personalized and applicable commercials to your target audience.

Measure and optimize: Continuously display the performance of your OTT and CTV campaigns, examine the facts, and make data-driven optimizations to enhance your campaign effectiveness.

Consider go-channel integration: Integrate OTT and CTV advertising with different digital marketing channels, along with social media and search advertising, to create a cohesive and complete advertising method.

In the end, both OTT and CTV advertising present precise opportunities for entrepreneurs to attain their goal audiences in a greater personalized and engaging way. By knowing the differences between the 2 and leveraging their respective advantages, advertisers can create impactful campaigns that drive brand attention, engagement, and conversions. With the evolving digital landscape, incorporating OTT and CTV marketing into your advertising method is vital to stay ahead of the opposition and connect to your audience in a significant way.

[Additional Information: 9Media Online is one of the best Programmatic Advertising where you will get the best OTT and CTV advertising services]

[shitpostingkats]

Hey Op, question where have you been catching up on Yugioh, what services I mean. I'm just curious, i'd like to rewatch all of the seasons. Also, I'm currently fact-checking to see if one free website I've found has all of the episodes.

God I wish I had a shorter answer to give.

I think so far I've used...... *counts on fingers* five (or more) different sites to watch yugioh?

I started the first series back in February, during a 3am doomscroll of netflix. I watched as much as netflix had (The first season of DM), and transitioned to watching it on the official yugioh site. Now, a couple years back, they put every (dubbed) show up on their site for free. Here's the other thing. The embedded video player is not very good. It randomly mutes itself, if you open another tab the whole thing times out and you have to reload, and most episodes are stuck at a quality of 360p.

But, I watched all of DM that way. After that, I started watching GX on youtube, again, through the official channel. And also again, that only took me up to the start of the second season. I found the rest of the GX dub on Amazon Prime, though even with a subscription, it came with ads.

5Ds is also on prime, this time without ads. Because they're both uncompleted dubs, I had to finish watching both those shows through crunchyroll, which has the official subs.

Unfortunately, just as I was finishing up 5Ds, Crunchyroll pulled all their yugioh library and made it available only on premium. For the last ten or so episodes, I had to search through some,,,, let's say "non-commercial" streaming sites. And I remember it was a pain to even find the unaired episodes, so thank god I even managed to finish that show.

I was watching Zexal through prime until yesterday, when they randomly made it part of a library of kids tv that requires a second subscription fee. Needless to say, that ain't happening. For now! I've pivoted to watching Zexal on youtube.

[melosfantasos]

Below are the controversial changes in recent chapters, but the most problematic one is discussed at length in last place.

Camus is the one sent to assassinate Old Master.

The Cepheus Saint is Albiore rather than Daidalos, one of the uncommon occasions where I picked anime filler. Reda appears, but Spica doesn't exist. Reda gets the Cassiopeia Cloth, as I have plans for Piscis Austrinus. Cassiopeia is Bronze.

Deathmask is different. He has a name that isn't the “Mephisto” from the English dub (but is still called Deathmask), and has a master. There is no more confusion on whether he is evil or not — he is good, just Machiavellian and judgmental. This should make his clash with Shiryu's idealism more nuanced.

Milo is an amazon. I understand this will disappoint people, so I will go into my reasoning below.

People disliked Shun being turned into a girl in the Netflix show for obvious reasons. I have seen fans say they should've turned Aphrodite into a girl instead, but the fact is that, sure, we should have more female characters, but when it came to the main cast, we already had good candidates that went underused by Kurumada (Saori, Marin, Shaina). This was the major complaint people had with the writers calling the main cast a sausage party and turning Shun into a woman. I tried to rectify that by giving them the attention they deserve.

I also added a female main character from the get-go in the form of June, because she is the only canonical Bronze Saint. This was just to slight the Netflix writers by proving canon already had good material for female mains — I admit it was childish, but I love my June now.

I am also in the process of adding new female Bronze Saints by taking clues from noncanon (Delphinus/Dolphin Mii/Alicia), and by creating my own. Besides that, as some know, my Seika will be a very different character from the original too.

Clearly there is more than enough space for female characters, and we don't need to turn Aphrodite into a girl, let alone Shun. Then why do it to Milo?

Answer is simple: I want a female Gold Saint. Let's look at available solutions.

Solution 1 — Take a clue from Next Dimension and make an Ophiuchus Gold Saint. I can't do that because 1) I have set rules to how the world works that make this impossible. My Sanctuary's Ecliptic Houses are based on the Ancient Greek house system: the ecliptic is subdivided into spaces called “houses” that are immutable since the time of the Babylonians, i.e. even if Ophiuchus enters the ecliptic, it's never going to get a temple of its own, because although the houses refer to the constellations, they are not the constellations themselves. Think of how the Tropic of Cancer has little to do with Cancer nowadays, yet we still call it that; it's similar to what I'm doing. 2) Shaina. Enough said. This is a Seiya x Shaina fanfic too, and she is forever sacred.

Solution 2 — Make Aphrodite into a woman. I mean, he's called Aphrodite after all! My answer is obviously a no.

Solution 3 — Make a female Sagittarius join the roster later on. There will be changes in the Gold Saint roster over time, but no female Sagittarius (someone asked me if I was making Seika into the new Sagittarius, and although that sounds fascinating, it's not happening). My June is already peak fanfic, I have to balance things out somehow.

Solution 4 — Genderbend someone else and endure people exiling the fanfic. That was my choice because I'm a masochist.

Why Milo? There is precedence for Milo being a woman in the Toei 2014 film, and there is Scorpio Sonia; both are noncanon, but still highlight the possibility of a female Scorpio.

Other reason is that Milo is a distinctively masculine name, while Aphrodite is a distinctively feminine name. I enjoy that contrast, a femboy with a woman's name and a tomboy with a man's name.

All of the major scenes will still be there. The fight in Sanctuary will be even more intense, I'd say. The encounter with Kanon should be on par with the original in weight.

I hope this is at least tolerable to readers. Feel free to rip me apart in the comments anyway, I know Milo is in many people's ships.

[isupposethisisagoodusername]

So I was thinking about LOA

And to me it doesn't make much sense that they're assassin's and up with the trees kinda shit because decomposing human bodies sort of puff puff methane and methane sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the atmosphere which then sort of drip drip the ice stuff and also sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the hot places and both sort of (shrinking and rubber noise) (shrinking and rubber noise) animal habitats and may be very beneficial to those who are adding into the murder and making it an endless cycle of needless puff puff methane and (shrinking and rubber noise) (shrinking and rubber noise) animal habitats which leads to more corrupt companies taking those animal habitats and building more industries and shit which sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the atmosphere even more

Also they should be far more technological than I've seen in the few reposted comic strips (lol I don't read cannon but I watched Arrow on Netflix lol, until the flashbacks started being of the future)

Like how you gonna filter the decaying bodies and their fumes, fucking acid? Yeah sure just burn the fucking Amazon already

They gotta have an elaborate disposal system and a way to get bodies to it and it has to be ecological and very hidden.

Also to me it makes a lot of sense that they have very advanced high tech and it all just looks like normal stuff but blink and it's a radiation neutralizer or its absorbing and restructuring all the bad gas in the ambient into good gas

That or they have magic to pof pof bad gas is gone but how would the chemistry of that work?

Or both?

I am more of a chemistry nerd but I'm willing to explore both possibilities

Also assassins.

Their weapons, how do they make them? Are there air filters if it's a more industrial kinda thing?

Also do they produce their tech industrially??

Do they use older weapons? Did they repay forward the ambiental damage of the past? If so, are there enough weapons for everyone?

How do they kill, who do they kill, how do they choose who to, which weapons do they use, how disposal, many questions. Many.

Also would they really be this mean bunch of people that would just hate heroes? Couldn't they figure out a way to make heroes work in their favour or use the hero work in their favour?

Bruce Wayne, I think they'd adore him because Bruce probably dumped a bunch of money on ecological shit and really, probably donates a ton of money to charities of all kinds.

Talia would try to put a normal person cover up to him even tho he Batman and try to raise Damian normally and not do whatever it is she did in cannon that makes me confused every rume

She could find so many excuses to raise Damian in the league wherever that's located. But no. Instead of a normal-ish relationship she's a fucking sycho

Also idk anything about Mr. Radioactive waste but I think he would be radioactive but not waste

And they would not use Lazarus pit just for reviving people and eystecer

They could do so much research on it and use it to revitalize the plsnet

Plants man

I can see them cleaning up Chernobyl and making a base there to do research

Also if they have magic they can sort of just puff puff resources to fix ecological damage

So if they weren't written as just villains and instead a thing that likes animals and the planet and wants to rebuild a decent society that likes the planet (which I think is sort of their villain reason???? Idk. Not sure) they'd be really fucking cool. Actually very cool. Research facilities? Done. Filtering the air? Done. Repairing the O3 layer? Done. Killing and ecologically disposing of those that cause big pollution? Done. Trash islands? Gone. Oceans? Clean. Underwater research bases? Done. Trash processing? Done.

I will get more into this but right now I do not have the time, resources, privacy, freedom or availability to hyper fixate on this.

But I plan on doing this in about a year or two.

Idk exactly what I'll do but I'm taking suggestions and ideas.

As well as names and numbers of official media containing anything League of Assassins I can use to source, explore and parallel this on. Be it comics, series, movies, anything. Am accepting. Also am accepting corrections made on the things I've said about cannon on this post since my cannon sources are almost negative

But there is my hate on DC's depiction of a marginalized group turned villain

Like they give so much gold to other villains why not the LOA

Oh and Talia would sure be besties with Ivy and maybe Catwoman (who am I kidding, they'd be for sure besties)

[frontproofmedia]

Dolo Flicks: Strange Darling Review and Initial Thoughts: JT Mollner Delivers an Immersive Horror Thriller Experience

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By Hector Franco

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Published: August 26, 2024

I wish I could say more about STRANGE DARLING, but it's one of those films that's too clever to spoil, so best to say nothing.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 31, 2024

Only a handful of films can captivate and immediately engage an audience. It's a delicate balance of narrative and style. Strange Darling, with its unique nonlinear structure presented in six chapters and an epilogue, emerges as the standout horror thriller of 2024.

In his second directorial film, JT Mollner tells the story of a serial killer in the final encounter of their life. Exposition into the characters' backgrounds is minimal, keeping the plot focused on just one event. Strange Darling stars Willa Fitzgerald as the Lady, Kyle Garner as the Demon, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley, Madison Beaty, and Steven Michael Quezada. 

The film's storytelling is as unique as its structure, with out-of-order chapters that immediately plunge the viewer into a gripping cat-and-mouse game. As each chapter unfolds, the story gradually reveals more about the plot. Strange Darling skillfully manipulates societal norms and assumed gender roles to lead the audience into believing one character is the victim and the other the perpetrator.

The two leads, Fitzgerald and Garner, shoulder the film's weight with their stellar performances. Their scenes are among the film's most memorable, both in terms of the writing and cinematography. Giovanni Ribisi, known for his roles in Sneaky Pete and Ted, served as the film's cinematographer, shooting the entire project on 35mm film. 

Over the last few years, Garner has shed the gothic introvert typecasting that enveloped the first half of his career. He now takes on the role of menacing characters who take deliberate actions, choosing scripts that give him nuance and not falling into another action-star or villain stereotype. Fitzgerald is best known for television shows such as Amazon Prime's Reacher and Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher. Strange Darling is her breakout performance as she steals the show. Once the film's twist or subversion is revealed, it provides more context to the previous chapters, adding a new layer to what the viewer has witnessed. 

Mollner's script has an intensity from the start, but knowing when to slow down and pick things back up is where it shines. While the Lady and the Demon are the prominent figures in Strange Darling, some characters featured are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, adding to the sheer insanity of the film's events. Genevieve (Barbara Hershey) and Frederick (Ed Begley Jr.), a couple enjoying an intriguing and odd Sunday breakfast, live in a home near where the Lady is attempting to escape. Through no fault of their own, they become victims of the main characters' actions. The addition of these characters may have been influenced by Mollner's background as an avid reader of Stephen King's stories, which featured antagonists and those along the unfortunate ride of their story. 

"Even though I was way too young, the first novel I read was Carrie, and it took me months and months to get through it," Mollner told Forbes. "In second grade, I got sent to the principal's office for reading it, and when they called my mom, she said, 'Hey, I'm not going to discourage my kid from reading!

"Because I couldn't watch horror movies, I'd still see the covers for them at the video store, and my brain started creating things that were far worse and far more theatrical than you would ever see in the movies. That must have something that had a little bit to do with the imagination I ended up with. Since then, when stories come to me, I have to write them and have to make them."

2024 has been a mixed year for horror. There have been prequels that over-achieved, such as The First Omen, trilogies concluding with MaXXXine, genius marketing and word of mouth with Longlegs, and your standard studio low-tier horror with Imaginary and Night Swim. Strange Darling sets itself apart even from the best of the year with its story and characters keeping you engaged from start to finish. As word of mouth travels, Strange Darling will earn recognition for being one of the truly unique experiences of 2024 that delivers in terms of story, character, and execution.

(Featured Photo: Courtesy Miramax/Credit: Allyson Riggs)

[music-industry-updates]

The Impact of Streaming Platforms on Indian Cinema

The advent of streaming platforms has not only transformed music consumption but also brought about a paradigm shift in the Indian film industry. With the rise of services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and others, the way Indian audiences consume movies and TV shows has changed dramatically. This article delves into the impact of streaming platforms on Indian cinema, exploring areas such as content accessibility, original content creation, market reach, revenue streams, and the challenges and opportunities that have arisen.

Content Accessibility

One of the most significant impacts of streaming platforms is the increased accessibility of content. Key aspects include:

Global Reach: Streaming services have made Indian films accessible to audiences worldwide. Indian movies and TV shows are now available to a global audience, fostering cultural exchange and broadening the reach of Indian cinema.

Convenience: Audiences can watch their favorite movies and shows anytime, anywhere, without the constraints of cinema schedules or TV broadcast times.

Diverse Content: Platforms offer a vast library of movies and TV shows across genres and languages, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. This includes mainstream Bollywood films, regional cinema, indie films, and documentaries.

Case Study: Regional Cinema Regional films from states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and West Bengal have found new audiences through streaming platforms, highlighting the rich diversity of Indian cinema.

Original Content

Streaming platforms have invested heavily in creating original content, contributing to the growth of Indian cinema in several ways:

Web Series and Films: Original series and films produced exclusively for streaming platforms have gained immense popularity. These projects often explore unconventional themes and storytelling techniques.

Creative Freedom: Filmmakers and creators enjoy greater creative freedom on streaming platforms compared to traditional cinema, leading to more innovative and diverse content.

Talent Discovery: New and emerging talent, both in front of and behind the camera, have found opportunities to showcase their skills through original productions.

Case Study: Breakthrough Series Netflix's "Sacred Games" and Amazon Prime Video's "Mirzapur" are examples of Indian web series that gained critical acclaim and a massive following, setting new standards for storytelling and production quality in the industry.

Market Reach

Streaming platforms have expanded the reach of Indian cinema in various ways:

Urban and Rural Penetration: Affordable data plans and the proliferation of smartphones have enabled both urban and rural audiences to access streaming services.

International Audience: Indian films and series are being discovered by international audiences, leading to increased interest in Indian culture and cinema.

Cultural Exchange: The global availability of Indian content on streaming platforms has fostered cultural exchange, with Indian films influencing and being influenced by global cinematic trends.

Case Study: Global Success Films like "The Lunchbox" and series like "Delhi Crime" have found international acclaim and viewership through streaming platforms, enhancing the global profile of Indian cinema.

Revenue Streams

The shift to digital consumption has introduced new revenue streams for the Indian film industry:

Subscription Revenue: Platforms generate revenue through subscription fees, which are shared with content creators and rights holders.

Pay-Per-View: Some platforms offer a pay-per-view model for new releases, providing an additional revenue source for filmmakers.

Advertising: Ad-supported models, where users can watch content for free with advertisements, generate revenue through ad sales.

Challenges

While streaming platforms have brought numerous benefits, they also present challenges:

Piracy: Despite technological advancements, digital piracy remains a significant issue, affecting revenue and intellectual property rights.

Revenue Sharing: The revenue-sharing models of streaming platforms are often a point of contention between platforms and content creators.

Content Censorship: Regulatory challenges and censorship concerns can impact creative freedom and the availability of content.

Opportunities

The opportunities presented by streaming platforms include:

New Markets: There is potential for further market expansion, particularly in untapped rural areas and international territories.

Content Diversification: Platforms can continue to diversify their content offerings, exploring new genres, formats, and storytelling techniques.

Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborations between streaming platforms, filmmakers, and other stakeholders can drive innovation and growth in the industry.

Case Study: Collaborative Success Collaborative projects, such as co-productions between Indian filmmakers and international studios, have resulted in high-quality content that appeals to both domestic and global audiences.

Conclusion

Streaming platforms have profoundly impacted Indian cinema, offering increased accessibility, fostering original content creation, expanding market reach, and introducing new revenue streams. While challenges such as piracy and revenue-sharing disputes remain, the opportunities for growth and innovation are vast. As the industry continues to evolve, streaming services will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of Indian cinema.

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What Happened to Our Ad-Free TV?

Ads are here, there — almost everywhere — on streaming services now.

Not long ago, streaming TV came with a promise: Sign up, and commercials will be a thing of the past.

Netflix rose to streaming dominance in part by luring customers to an ad-free experience. Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max followed that lead.

Well, that did not last long.

Ads are getting increasingly hard to avoid on streaming services. One by one, Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+ and Max have added 30- and 60-second commercials in exchange for a slightly lower subscription price. Amazon has turned ads on by default. And the live sports on those services include built-in commercial breaks no matter what price you pay.

The importance of advertising was driven home this month when Amazon and Netflix both staged their first in-person presentations during the so-called upfronts, a decades-old television event in New York where media companies try to woo advertisers.

Netflix dispatched Shonda Rhimes, the successful executive producer of “Bridgerton” and creator of ��Grey’s Anatomy,” to talk up the service to marketers. Amazon packed its event with celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, and a live performance from Alicia Keys.

THIS DIRTY BITCH? I'M SO GLAD I DROPPED NETFLIX!