#oh brother I never felt so embarrassed to be rewatching a movie in theaters

[writebackatya]

Rewatching the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy: Ha-ha yes! This is fun! And almost everything has aged incredibly well!!

Rewatching the Amazing Spider-Man: I’m embarrassed for this movie…

[letterboxd]

Life in Film: Daniel Scheinert.

The Death of Dick Long director Daniel Scheinert (of “the Daniels”) talks stressful comedy, the South and Richard Linklater as he answers our life-in-film questionnaire.

Daniel Scheinert made a splash on the indie-movie scene in 2016 with the surreal and crude Swiss Army Man, alongside directing partner Dan Kwan. For his second feature with A24—and first away from the Daniels—Scheinert returns to his Southern roots with The Death of Dick Long.

Set in small-town Alabama, the story follows bandmates Zeke and Earl doing everything they can to avoid having to explain how their friend Dick Long died the night before. Billy Chew wrote the script, and Scheinert broke out in a nervous sweat when he read it. “I love comedies that are stressful. I get bored in movie theaters a lot and this was not boring.”

Chew, one of Scheinert’s BFFs, also has professional history with the Daniels: he’s acted in their shorts, and co-directed the interactive documentary The Gleam with Scheinert. “He lived in Alabama for a long time and that’s where I’m from, so I got excited about making his movie while Dan Kwan wrote the first draft of our new movie.”

Sunita Mani and Andre Hyland in ‘The Death of Dick Long’.

That’s right: the Daniels are far from over. It’s just that other-Dan is “not from Alabama so it’s a fun chance to explore the few things that are not in [the Daniels’] Venn diagram of interests. But Dan and I have been busy, we’re still trucking, we’ve got more movies to make.”

Premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival—just as his “arty farty” debut did—The Death of Dick Long is, according to Letterboxd reviews, “pretty bonkers, surprisingly touching, melancholic, and—in certain aspects—relatable,” with “early Coen brothers” vibes in its portrayal of loveable idiots on the run. The best compliment of all for Scheinert? It is “the most Alabama film of all time.”

“With this one I just wanted people who were colorful and interesting, who had Southern roots, because one of my least favorite things is Hollywood actors faking Southern accents. The cast is like a mix of folks who travelled in and there’s a lot of folks around Birmingham, Alabama where I grew up. Sarah Baker, who plays Officer Dudley, is a super-talented pedigree actress who travelled in and did all her scenes with Janelle Cochrane, a local actress who did theater in Birmingham. She plays Sheriff Spenser and that’s just how she acts [in real life].”

Now that The Death of Dick Long is out in the world, one of Scheinert’s favorite things is to pull out his phone and record audience reactions. “I have ten recordings on my phone of different theaters in different parts of America reacting to this movie because it’s fun.” He argues that laughter isn’t the only fun reaction to get out of an audience: “It’s just as fun to get absolute silence if they’re leaning forward and hanging on every word. It’s really fun to get people whispering or gasping or uncomfortably moving around in their seats, and this movie gets all of it combined. It’s rewarding.”

Sarah Baker in ‘The Death of Dick Long’.

Daniel, it’s time for your life-in-film interrogation. What was the film that made you want to become a filmmaker? Daniel Scheinert: Oh man. It was the show Jackass. I think there’s a whole generation of filmmakers who saw Jackass and were like “you just filmed your friends doing stuff and that’s content?!” My favorite movies look like they were fun to make, which I feel is true of all of Spike Jonze’s stuff too.

What’s a bizarre movie that you recommend to everyone? Not to everybody, but this year I’ve been telling people to see Greener Grass, which is a bat-shit crazy movie that a bunch of comedians shot over in Georgia that just is a crazy satire of nuclear families.

Since Hallowe’en is coming up, what’s your favorite scary movie? White Chicks. So scary. I think their white faces are the scariest monsters in movie history. I don’t watch it every Hallowe’en but that’s one of my favorite scary movies.

Which dark comedies and crime movies did you watch in preparation for The Death of Dick Long? I rewatched episodes of Breaking Bad because I love how information is revealed in that show. It’s fun and colorful and vivid. Billy and I rewatched American Movie, which is one of our all-time favorites about buddies. That egotistical guy who just wants to make his goddamn movie, wilfully ignorant of the trainwreck of his life, is so relatable. A while ago I made Billy watch The Celebration with me, which is… some people would call it a drama, but I think it’s one of the funniest movies ever. It’s a European film about a 60th birthday party going horribly, horribly wrong.

‘The Death of Dick Long’ director Daniel Scheinert.

Which film do you think best represents people from the Southern states? I love that question and I was having a hard time coming up with one. Last year I watched Hale County This Morning, This Evening. It’s an arthouse documentary about rural, black, Southern life. I grew up near there and I had never seen the images from that movie [on screen]. Some of them were very familiar but some of them were not.

What’s your go-to comfort movie? The one you re-watch every year, you’re down to watch any time (and how many times do you think you’ve seen it)? It’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I’ve probably seen it start-to-finish like twelve times. I watch pieces of it and listen to the soundtrack all the time. Or Wet Hot American Summer. Similar number—maybe twelve.

What film do you have fond memories of watching with your parents? That was a fun question. Probably, Airplane!. I watched Jackass 2 with my dad and he laughed so much, it was really fun. He’s a very serious man, until he’s not.

What’s a classic that you just couldn’t get into? Would you call High Fidelity a classic? The “guy moping about his ex-girlfriend” genre is just rough for me. Maybe I’ll try it again someday but High Fidelity, man, is tough.

[Daniel later sent us Billy Chew’s answer: Gone With the Wind. “He hates it. I've never seen it. But you look back and it’s a super-problematic celebration of the good ol’ days before the Civil War. Fuck that.”]

Do you have a classic that you’re embarrassed to say you haven’t watched? So many. I missed some Martin Scorsese movies. I’ve never seen Raging Bull. I know. I was talking about this the other day, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Back to the Future Part II from start-to-finish. I think I’ve seen pieces of it on TV. Dan Kwan is a super-fan. I don’t know if I’ve seen [the first Back to the Future] either. That’s embarrassing. I always wail on time-travel movies and I haven’t even watched these.

Which film was your entry point to foreign-language cinema? I don’t know if Miyazaki counts because they dubbed Princess Mononoke so it’s probably Amélie. Actually, as a kid I was obsessed with the black-and-white Godzilla movies, and I would watch all of them, subtitled. I’d invite my friends over and they would get bored while I would get so excited about that monster smashing those cities.

Virginia Newcomb in ‘The Death of Dick Long’.

What movie scene makes you cry the hardest? It’s Freedom Writers. Anything with inner-city kids expressing themselves just strikes me out, and while that movie is not perfect, once the kids start reading their poems and their stories to the class, I just lost it. Later I found out that Richard LaGravenese, who made that movie, cast real kids and had them tell their real stories, so that’s probably why it hit me so hard. It wasn’t just a screenwriter.

What director do you envy the most? I always talk about this because my answer is Richard Linklater. As a kid, I wanted to find a filmmaker who I could look up to. I needed to find one who made multiple good movies because I want a whole career, so that shortened the list. But then also I needed filmmakers who are not assholes and that cut the list way down because you find out all your heroes are assholes. And then I needed to find people who were also good parents, you know? Because so many filmmakers are divorced or don’t see their families, and basically it just [came] down to Richard Linklater.

What’s a film that you wish you had made? Let me think. What’s that movie, I always forget the name, where he’s getting out of the limousine? It’s an arthouse film with, uh. [Daniel starts googling]. It’s French… Holy Motors! You ever seen Holy Motors? It’s a batshit crazy movie starring Denis Lavant. He’s just the best. It’s just him getting in and out of a limousine and wandering through a bunch of absurdist short films with each one zany in a different way.

What’s the best film of the decade, in your opinion? That’s a tough one. It’s probably Moonlight. I love Moonlight so much. For me, it opened up empathy I didn’t know I had. After the third act of that film, I felt I grew as a person. My other answer, I googled it, is not this decade but it came out in the last ten years, is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It’s just a perfect film. So I’m a super-fan of Moonlight and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

A24 is held in incredibly high regard—both in the industry and by the Letterboxd community—for the sheer quality of its output. As a filmmaker, what is the day-to-day experience of being in their camp like? I feel spoiled. Half of my favorite movies I go to see and I go “Oh man, that’s the logo in front of my movie!” I got to meet a handful of the other filmmakers, which I feel so fortunate to have done. They’re such a hands-off company in a really cool way. I just feel like I got to make my movie and they just trusted me. They’re not helicopter parents.

‘The Death of Dick Long’ is distributed by A24 and in US cinemas now.

[i-write-shakespeare-not-disney]

Fragile Hearts Ch. 2: Don’t Let Go

A huge thanks to @hidge-resource for this fucking beautiful edit they shared which I accepted as a commission for a new chapter!

Remember you can commission me for continuations with just 5 dollars!!! <3 

Click the OP if the READ MORE link does not show!

Click here for chapter 1

It was all Matt’s fault. That’s what Pidge had decided on, and that’s what she would continue to believe. If Matt hadn’t made all his stupid little comments, then Pidge wouldn’t be reading into everything like she was now. It had been so comfortable at first, and now she felt like she was constantly on her toes, constantly nervous or giddy.

Hunk had come over that first weekend and caught up with Matt, while she got ready for their outing for the day. They wanted to watch a movie at the mall then go bowling at an arcade. Pidge noticed she was putting more effort into how she looked, and she stared at herself in the mirror in disappointment.

This was Hunk. He’d seen her bed head, seen her sick, seen her in PJ’s, and hungover, and beaten and bruised from battle. Then again, most of those had been when she was just a teenager. When she was still growing into herself.

But this was excessive. She hated eyeshadow and lipstick. She could never figure out how to properly shape and shade the eyeshadow, and she always had one lip bow too high or too low, and having glossy, colorful lips just looked weird on her. With a frustrated sigh, she washed her face and too the gunk off her face. Just a bit of eyeliner and mascara with a quick swipe of lip balm. That would be enough.

She brushed through her waves on one side of her head and ruffled it so it was frizzy, but it wasn’t flat against her skull. There. That was more like her.

She left the bathroom, and Matt bumped into her in the hallway. “There you are! Geez, with the time you spent in there, I expected more makeup,” he teased.

But Pidge was not in the mood to be teased. With a blush, she narrowed her eyes and shoved her brother aside. “Oh, fuck off, Matt.” She went to the room he’d leant her and changed into a dark green, long-sleeved shirt and ripped skinny jeans before yanking on her combat boots.

There had been a time when she had been obsessed with dresses. She wore one whenever she could, and she had an array of choices. Colors, and bows, and flower prints, and knee length, and calf length, and meant for summer, or spring, or fall, or winter. But having to give that up to pass for a boy in the Garrison changed that.

Her calves were no longer smooth and soft in dresses, but bulky and scarred. Her arm muscles were large and it made her look bulky in dresses instead of graceful. She still wore them from time to time, but now she just felt more comfortable in jeans and a shirt.

There was a slight knock, then the door opened. Hunk’s was peeking into the room and his eyes fell on Pidge where she sat on the bed. She was suddenly aware of the bra she’d left on the floor and the PJ’s she’d discarded in one corner and her open suitcase.

“Hey, nerd.” Pidge rolled her eyes. “You okay? I heard you snap at Matt.”

She blushed again and shook her head. “Yeah. It’s dumb. I was just kidding.”

The door opened wider and Hunk sat beside her, making the bed dip and making her slide closer to him because of it. She kept her eyes down, pretending to look through her phone. “Pidge, I know you. And there’s a difference in you snapping at someone as a joke, and actually being upset. You’re upset.”

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I’ve changed over the last handful of years.”

Hunk’s brown eyes were steady on her, and Pidge noticed an increase in her heartrate and she hated it. She felt warm and nervous and that was so stupid because this was just Hunk, her best friend, and she’d battled aliens before, so a boy should not be having this effect on her.

He gave her a warm smile and shook his head slightly. “Nah. You can change your hair and your clothes style, but you can’t change what makes you you. And Pidge? You’ve had that difference since I met you.” She furrowed her eyebrows and huffed, pursing her lips. “What is it?”

“It’s stupid,” she muttered, kicking at the floor. “I get that I’m not the girliest girl in the universe, but… I wish it wouldn’t be my thing. If I want to try makeup I don’t want to get teased for it. And I know he was joking, but sometimes, just sometimes, I want to look pretty! Is that such a crime! Or what, since I was a paladin am I not allowed to want to be a normal girl on Earth? It’s like-”

Hunk cupped her face in his hands, and she gasped so loud she nearly choked. Her face warmed up embarrassingly fast, but Hunk didn’t seem to notice. “Pidge, breathe.” She couldn’t. She really, couldn’t. “I don’t think Matt meant to upset you. He probably thought it was a harmless joke that wouldn’t bug you. Yes, you can be as girly or non-girly as you want. Having been a paladin doesn’t define you, it just makes you badass.” She chuckled and managed to get a handle on her breaths. His hands were large, and if she hadn’t known Hunk, she’d have thought his hands were destructive and rough.

But they weren’t. They were soft, gentle, warm, holding her face like she was a prize he didn’t want to mar.

When he pulled away, she blinked away the shock and looked down.

“I’ll talk to him,” he offered. “Now, finish getting ready so we can have a great day and I can get you to try the best cheese and queso appetizer ever.” He held out his fist and Pidge smiled, connecting hers with his lightly. He got up and went to the door. Before he left he turned and smirked. “By the way, as your friend, and someone who has seen you going off of two hours of sleep and five cups of coffee, I can assure you that you’re beautiful no matter what. Makeup or no makeup.” He shut the door and Pidge’s mouth fell open.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and she couldn’t help the smile that began to spread on her face. She fell back on the bed and buried her face into her pillow, letting out a hysterical giggle. She turned back onto her back and bit her lip as she stared at the ceiling.

Okay. So she had a crush on Hunk.

***

The theater Hunk took them to was one of the nicest Pidge had been to. There were red cushioned seats that had buttons to push the backrest back like a recliner and even had the footrest come up. She could be laying down and watching the movie! Plus, they were able to reserve seats so they could sit together. She sat between the two men and sipped on her Icee as the trailers passed. Matt was munching on popcorn and Hunk was eating a severely overpriced hotdog.

Pidge had decided that she would not let herself get nervous anymore. She used to spend nearly all day, every day with Hunk. This was no different. Right?

Still, somewhere along the first thirty minutes of the movie, Pidge found herself leaning closer to Hunk. Hunk seemed to notice and move the armrest up. And though Pidge felt embarrassed, she figured he didn’t find it different from when they used to sit in the lounge and have so-called sleepovers with the other paladins and the Alteans. She always leaned on him. Always ended up falling asleep on him. It was a habit that went unbroken even after about 5 years.

So instead of freaking out, blushing, or reading into it, she simply settled herself against him with her legs curled under her as she watched the movie and munched on Whoppers.

Hunk was so warm and familiar, that it wasn’t long before she felt her eyelids droop despite the action happening on the screen. She liked the movie, and she wanted to know what happened, but she hadn’t slept well that night, and Hunk was so… so warm.

The next thing she knew, Hunk was nudging her awake gently, and she gasped as she sat up, blinking rapidly to erase the sleepiness from her face. “Easy, tiger,” he said with a smile.

“Oh, I feel very confused,” she groaned. “I didn’t expect to fall asleep. What happened? Did the clown die?”

Hunk chuckled and stood up, which was when Pidge realized Matt was gone. “Matt went to the bathroom. I let you sleep until the credits were over.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “If you want, we can come watch it again. And maybe you won’t fall asleep.”

She laughed and followed him down the stairs. “I really doubt Matt would want to watch it again just because I slept through most of it.”

Hunk opened the door for her and shrugged. “Well, maybe he doesn’t have to tag along that time. It can just be us.”

“Oh.” She walked out and chewed on the inside of her cheek. “That sounds fun. If you don’t mind rewatching.”

“As long as- well, as long as you don’t fall asleep next time.” Pidge chuckled and nodded, staring at the floor.

Did he ask her on a date? Or was that just him being nice? Hunk was very nice. But… it could be like a date? How would she know? What if it’s not and she thinks it is? Or it is, and she thinks it’s not? Oh, man she hated how complicated this was.

Matt ended up regrouping with them near the entrance and smirked at Pidge. She gave him a warning glare before they piled into Hunk’s car to get to the arcade. As she sat in the back, she felt her phone buzz. She opened an image text from Matt and frowned as she clicked it.

An image of Hunk on his phone while Pidge laid against him, head dipped and arm hooked with his glared her in the face and she squeaked as she put her phone down.

“You okay?” Hunk asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

“Uh-huh. Just a hiccup.” She sighed and leaned against the window, ignoring Matt who she knew had a smug look on his face.

Once they arrived at the arcade and changed into the proper bowling shoes, Pidge went to check the bowling balls. One of the workers steered her toward the lighter ones, which Pidge tried not to feel offended by. Most people didn’t know she was stronger than she looked.

Hunk set up the game and ordered some chips and queso, mozzarella sticks, and a round of sodas. Pidge was up first for their game and she took a breath as she went up. It was simple. Just roll the ball. The right angle, the right force, and she could get them all.

She pulled her arm back and rolled, frustrated when the ball rolled too quickly and off to one side, knocking over only one pin. She grunted and went to pick up Matt’s ball which was a little heavier than hers.

“Need some help?” Hunk asked as she focused in on the pins.

She shook her head stubbornly and felt the weight of the ball to have an idea of how much force she’d have to use for it to get a better speed and maybe not roll away. “I can figure this out. It’s just physics, right?” She pulled her hand back and rolled again, this time hitting a few more pins, but not quite the one she wanted. She growled, but returned to her seat.

“What’s with the face?” Matt asked.

“Classic Pidge-Face.” She raised an eyebrow and looked over at Hunk who was holding his own bowling ball. “She used to make that face any time she was trying to figure something out. If she was trying to reboot a druid, or enlarge the barrier, or just figure out an equation.”

“I have a classic face?” she asked, crossing her arms. Hunk laughed and turned away so she looked at Matt in confusion. But was just sipping on his soda, smirking. “Shut up,” she hissed, kicking his foot. “Stop it.”

“Okay, okay. It’s just…. Heh. Really adorable.”

“I’m going to strangle you in your sleep.”

Matt snorted, but before he could answer, they were interrupted by the celebratory beeping and congratulatory, robotic message on the scoreboard screen. Hunk had managed to score a spare. Pidge scoffed and stared at him as he walked back.

“What?” he chuckled. “I offered to teach you!”

Pidge stuffed a mozzarella stick in her mouth and grumbled. She would figure this out. It was juvenile, she knew, but she had to. For the sake of her pride.

Matt was next, and he managed to knock down all but one.

The three of them took turns for another three rounds, each time with Pidge cursing the bowling pins much to both Hunk and Matt’s amusement. In between turns, they stuffed their faces and poked fun at each other when they failed to knock the pins down. Pidge stayed off to the side when it was Hunk’s turn. He’d managed the best throws each time, and she knew she had to figure out how the hell he did it if she was going to finally knock every pin down. He raised an eyebrow at her and she waved her hand, encouraging him to continue.

She watched as he rolled and tried to figure out what she was missing. She had the foot placement. She knew she had the strength. Hunk prepared for his next roll and that’s when she saw it. The wrist! Hunk made a point to keep his wrist straight, whereas Pidge knew she tended to flick hers off to one side.

Now she was anxious for her turn and she couldn’t help her giddiness as she waited on Matt. Hunk kept glancing at her, and Pidge knew she was making a fool of herself getting so worked up over bowling, but she couldn’t help it.

When her turn was up, she took a breath and narrowed her focus. She pinpointed the pins she needed to hit, decided on the angle, and drew her arm back. She let the ball go, making sure to keep her arm straight. It felt like time had slowed just to tease her.

And then all the pins were crumbling down and there was beeping and robotic voices, but Pidge was already jumping up and down victoriously. She turned, and jumped up high enough to hug Hunk tightly, still laughing joyously. He made a small noise of surprise before hugging her and lifting her off the ground.

She realized what she’d done and managed to let go before turning to Matt to hug him and give herself a moment to let her blush recede. She put a hand her hip and smiled. “Told you I could figure it out.”

“Oh, I had no doubt,” Hunk said with a smile. “Nerd.”

“Um, as far as I was aware, all three of us were the nerds,” Matt said, munching on a chip.

“Yeah, but Pidge is the biggest nerd of us all.”

She stuck her tongue out at Hunk and crossed her arms. “You’re just mad that I got a strike before you.”

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a smirk that honestly made her stomach flip. “Don’t get too cocky. Look at the scores.”

She frowned and turned to see the different scores. Matt was losing. But Hunk was still winning. “God damn it!”

***

Later that night they returned to Matt’s apartment. Matt fell asleep on the couch in the middle of a movie and Pidge made some coffee to compliment the cookies Hunk decided to make for them while they sat at the small, square dining table. Pidge was in her PJs, plaid pants and a large shirt, and she’d washed her face so she felt a little more awake than she should’ve felt at nearly one in the morning.

“What are you doing on Christmas?” Hunk asked. Pidge had completely forgotten about Christmas. She shrugged and sipped her coffee, breaking one of the buttery cookies in half. “What about New Year’s?”

“I actually forgot those existed,” she admitted. “I sort of stopped celebrating them…. After spending the holidays in our way on the castle ship, being back and away from everyone… Having it be just me and Matt….”

Hunk furrowed his eyebrows. “What about your parents?”

Pidge swallowed and sighed. “Dad was really weak after the working camp we found him in. He’d been in a coma for a year and then he passed away. My mom got really depressed, stopped eating, wouldn’t take her meds, and… she sort of withered away to nothing too. All I have is Matt. So the holidays aren’t really my favorite time. Matt and I usually just watch movies and eat take-out all day. And for New Year’s, we open some wine and toast to surviving. And that’s that.” She shrugged and poked at some crumbs on the table with her finger. “It’s not the same as it was on the ship. With Lance waking everyone up because we had to have our Christmas. Or the time we made the lions shoot fireworks.”

Hunk laughed softly. “I remember that. Then we got attacked and had to fend off the Galra ship with fireworks.” Pidge smiled and nodded. “Remember when Keith and Lance had their first New Year’s as a couple? They did the whole kiss and then no one could find them till the next morning.” She nodded. “I know where they were.”

“Where?”

Hunk leaned forward and whispered. “They were doing it in the red lion.”

“No!” Hunk laughed and nodded. “Oh my God, those things were sentient!” She shook her head and smiled. “Remember when Keith got his first Christmas presents?”

“I had never seen him cry before and it freaked me out a little bit,” Hunk said with a nod. “I remember the first Christmas we had with Matt there. He hooked us up with a holograph TV and weird alien movies.”

Pidge smiled and chewed on more cookies as she thought back. “Those were good times. You always made a huge feast, and… it felt like home for a bit. Especially with Lance singing Christmas songs and teaching them to Coran. It felt like we were a family when we couldn’t be with ours.”

She didn’t say much else, but she figured she’d said enough. If she was honest, she hated the holidays. It made her feel lonely. It reminded her of both the blood and team-based families she’d lost. It made her nostalgic for a time that had left her traumatized if only for those moments where they came together.

Hunk scooted his chair toward her and tilted her chin up to him. “Hey. Don’t cry.”

She blinked in surprise and realized a few tears had spilled over as she reminisced. “Shit. Sorry.”

He smiled and brushed away her tear with his thumb. “You don’t have to apologize.”

She nodded and murmured, “I miss them.” And just like that, she was crying more profusely, with Hunk hugging her tightly if even slightly uncomfortably in their positions. She leaned into him, hiding her face in his chest as she cried. She knew Hunk knew the statement was ambiguous. She missed her mom and dad who wouldn’t get to see her graduate next spring. She missed Keith and Lance and Shiro and Allura and Coran who had given her the family she’d never expected. She missed those days when she was still a kid and had more possibilities set out for her. She missed a time when she wasn’t traumatized, didn’t suffer through nights filled with nightmares, days filled with loneliness and being ostracized for who she was.

“Me too,” he whispered.

  Hunk spent the night. He slept on the couch and Matt managed to shuffle to his bed. Pidge tossed and turned for a while before falling into a fitful sleep full of dreams of lost friends and family. But no nightmares. At this point, she wasn’t sure there was much of a difference.

 A few days later it was Christmas Eve and Pidge had spent her day at a park. Matt was putting in some extra hours, and Hunk was busier than ever at his bakery because everyone wanted cakes for Christmas. It was chilly and Pidge spent her time starting on some readings for her spring classes. She stayed there until Matt passed by to pick her up.

“Are you in sweats? In public?”

She looked down at her sweatpants and shrugged. “It’s not like anyone here is going to see me again in another three weeks.”

He sighed and took a detour turn. “Oh, sister dearest.”

“Where are we going?”

“To a clothing store! Hopefully we’ll find one that open right now.”

“What? No! Matt, I don’t have the money for shopping right now, come on-”

“It’s on me. Merry Christmas.” She tried to protest again, but Matt turned up the radio and shouted, “I love this song!” She rolled her eyes and sat back.

She texted Hunk to ignore her brother’s obnoxious singing. How’s the shop?

Really busy. I’m in for a long night.

Yikes! At least it’s something you love doing. I’ll stop distracting you. 😊

She put her phone away and gave Matt a tired look as he stopped at a department store. They got out of the car, and he threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked into Macy’s. “So, red or green dress? What am I saying you’re the green paladin!”

“No, no, no. No dresses. I look bulky in dresses.” Matt tried to protest, but she shook her head. “I am willing to give you free reign, but dresses and heels are out of the question.”

He grumbled and pulled her along into the women’s section, pulling a knitted red sweater that stretched and a green sweater that was looser and had gold trimming. “You gotta look nice for Christmas, Katie.”

“We always sit on the couch watching movies and eating Thai, what are you talking about?”

He shrugged. “What if Hunk comes over? What if we go out to some fancy restaurant tonight? Or tomorrow?” She glared at him for two seconds before snatching the sweaters from him and going to the fitting room. She was happy that he didn’t laugh at her at least.

In the end she opted for the loose green sweater, a pair of black skinny jeans, and she refused to stop wearing her combat boots. Matt added a light gold scarf and smiled. She scoffed and nudged him. “I still don’t know why you and Lance never got along. You’d have had fun going on shopping sprees and hitting on people.”

He chuckled and put the clothes along with a jacket he’d gotten for himself and put it on the conveyor belt. “Well, first it was the whole Allura thing. Then he just didn’t like that I was close to Keith.” He shrugged. “I’m surprised he never kept up with you or Hunk though. I thought you were a group in the Garrison.”

“Yeah, we were. But once we got to Earth, we just kind of… all had to go our own ways without always remembering the fighting and the war. Hunk and Lance once got captured and tortured, so I guess it was even hard for them to stay in touch.” She shuddered as she recalled the event. As Matt paid and walked her back to the car, she began reliving it. Matt and the rebels had been out on a mission. Keith had been with the Blade. Lance and Hunk were supposed to scout an enemy warship and they were found out.

Without Voltron, it was harder to find them quickly. When they had, they were both battered and beaten. It had broken Pidge’s heart to see them both like that. So see the two boys who had always made her laugh look so afraid and empty.

She still remembered how ruthless she’d been in attacking the druids that came after them when the Galra realized their prisoners were freed. So ruthless, she’d broken her wrist and still kept fighting because no one touched her friends, no one had the right to make Lance stop smiling or to make Hunk stop laughing, and no one had the right to hurt them so much they could barely talk.

She felt a hand on her arm and gasped as she was pulled from her memory. Matt looked at her worriedly, glancing back at the road enough to not crash. “You okay, Pidge?”

She nodded and swallowed the renewed anger she felt. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.” He nodded and squeezed her arm.

“I’m gonna get some gas. You should go see how the outfit looks altogether.”

“I can do that at home,” she whined.

Matt sighed and leaned over to ruffle her hair. “Pidge, do you ever just do as you’re told?” She raised an eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes. “Humor me, sis. Stop being difficult.” She huffed and took her clothes.

She was certain that Matt was planning something. A sense of dread came over her as she imagined Matt dumping her at a restaurant to coerce her into a date with Hunk. God, she hoped he wasn’t playing matchmaker.

She left the bathroom once she’d changed and marched right up to Matt. “You’d better not be plotting anything.”

“What?”

She crossed her arms in her new warm sweater and huffed. “I just…. Don’t….” She grumbled and leaned against the car. “You’re not trying to set me up with Hunk, are you?”

Matt smiled, but it wasn’t teasing. “You do like him.” It wasn’t even a question. And maybe it was supposed to be weird to talk to your brother about these things while leaning against an old Volkswagen and being surround by the bitter scent of petroleum.

But Matt was all she had. And he never underestimated her. And he was a good brother. She managed a nod and sighed. “I didn’t. At least, I don’t think I did. Then you started making these comments and then I was getting nervous and…. It sucks. Because he’s my best friend and I don’t want something like this to get in the way of that.”

“I don’t think it would. Hunk isn’t that kind of guy. Besides, what makes you think he doesn’t like you back?”

She shrugged and tugged on a strand of her hair. “I dunno. He doesn’t act different. And we’re so used to each other it’s like… you can’t even tell what’s habit and what’s, like, a sign.” She kicked at the ground. “I just got him back. I don’t want to lose him because I got a stupid crush.”

Matt threw an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. “Well, don’t worry. I’m not trying to set you guys up. But I do approve of him. If that matters.” Pidge laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get home before we reek of car gas.”

They got back in the car and Pidge actually felt better in the sweater because it was warmer and the sleeves were long enough to reach her palms. The jeans also fit like leggings so they were smooth and comfortable. Matt had pretty good taste.

As they got back to the apartment, Pidge could smell an array of foods in the hallway from the neighbors that were preparing Christmas Eve dinner. She wondered if the delivery guy from the takeout place would remember them. They always ordered from the same place, and Pidge swore it was the same delivery guy each time. Matt opened the door as Pidge let her mouth water at the scents in the hallway. It’d been so long since she had ham and turkey and casserole and homemade gravy and pumpkin pie….

“Pidge.” She snapped back to reality, and as she walked in, the scents hit her even harder, giving her a whiplash of nostalgia. She froze as her brain processed Hunk in the kitchen, so familiar with an apron and an oven mitt. Then she processed the several dishes laid out along the counter, the Christmas tree that hadn’t been there earlier that day, and the gifts under it.

She couldn’t find words. She couldn’t even breathe. Part of her wanted to collapse right there and start crying like a child. She stood like a statue, one hand at her mouth, her eyes flitting around taking in the holiday feel of the apartment.

Finally Hunk walked toward her and gave her a timid smile. “Merry Christmas.”

“You said you were busy at the bakery,” she whispered.

He shrugged and tilted his head. “Tiny white lie. I wanted to surprise you.”

She flickered her eyes to her brother and saw him smiling knowingly at her. She looked back at Hunk and broke into a smile as she wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. So much,” she managed to say past the knot in her throat. Her parents weren’t here. Neither were the Alteans or the other three paladins. But Hunk was. Matt was. And after so long of nothing, this little bit of something was everything.

“Okay, I’m starving, can we eat?” Matt called from the kitchen as he looked around at the different dishes. Hunk laughed and nodded, keeping an arm around Pidge. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t make her blush. “Also, I spent time picking out her outfit, so compliment it.”

Hunk raised his eyebrows and looked at Pidge. “It’s true. He dragged me around the store throwing different clothes at me.”

He laughed heartily, one of Pidge’s favorite sounds. “Well, you look amazing, Pidge.”

“Thank you!” Matt called back. Pidge bit back a smile and noted a slight blush in Hunk’s cheeks too. Was he embarrassed? Nervous? Was Matt onto something when he said he might like her? How the hell was she supposed to figure it out?

Despite her crush on him, sitting to eat dinner felt natural and comfortable. It was filled with laughs, a bit of math as Pidge recounted her classes in MIT, and lots of catch up. After dinner, they sat in the living room and watched Friends, while Pidge and Hunk snickered each time one of those “take a shot” moments came up. Before long, they were struggling to keep their eyes open, and Matt and Pidge went to their rooms. Matt had given Hunk some blankets so he could set up on the couch however he pleased.

It had been a wonderful Christmas Eve.

When Pidge fell asleep, she was used to fitful sleep. She feared deep slumber because that always meant nightmares she struggled to wake from. That night was one of those.

There was a part of her brain that knew this was a nightmare. That knew she wasn’t really in danger. But that part was smothered by the overwhelming fear that came from the sounds of druid steps, ion blasters, and screams. She could hear the sickening squelch and thud of those who’d been blasted and left for dead. She could hear the other paladins screaming to form a defense.

Before Pidge could even think to reach for the green lion’s controls, the setting changed and she was facing Haggar. She knew what was coming, but she couldn’t move. Her body writhed as the witch’s purple magic shocked her and lifted her to throw her against a wall hard enough to make her nauseous. She felt her body contort in impossible ways. She couldn’t breathe. She felt like the walls were closing in. She could feel Haggar’s claws digging into her. She could see her friends being beaten down by the guards. She saw the rebels’ dead bodies strewn on the floor.

It wasn’t until she felt herself fall that she managed to wake up, jerking back in bed. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her hands were shaking. Her breaths shuddered and as she gasped and tried to do what her psychologist told her to do. She took in the feeling of the blankets over her leg, the thin stream of light seeping through the blinds, the sound of the AC blasting through the vents. Slowly, she managed to take steadier breaths and shakily got out of bed. She let the sound of her feet padding over the carpet to keep her grounded as she made her way to the kitchen.

She grabbed a small plastic cup and filled it with sink water.

“Pidge?”

She gasped and the cup fell into the sink, splashing her. “Sh-shit!” She put a hand to her head and took a breath.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at Hunk. She’d forgotten he spent the night. He looked in her eyes with furrowed eyebrows and used his thumbs to wipe her cheeks. She didn’t have the energy to blush. She just shut her eyes and fought back more tears. “They’re not real anymore. We’re safe,” he said, hugging her tightly. “God, you’re shaking. Come on.” He refilled her water and walked with her to the couch, helping her keep her hands steady.

He didn’t ask her what she dreamt. He didn’t ask if she wanted to talk about it. He knew that the last thing she needed was to relive it.

When she finished her water, she set the cup down and curled up beside like she used to after a long battle. Coran would have a batch of space hot chocolate, Keith and Lance would inspect each other’s injuries then remain with their arms wrapped around one another until they went to bed. Shiro and Allura would stay and make sure they were okay. Pidge always curled up beside Hunk, tinkering with something to keep her mind and hands busy.

“It’s funny how we’ve had so much time apart and we’re still so used to each other.” Hunk chuckled and laid back, scooting to give Pidge her own space. She almost denied, not wanting to take up any room on the already small couch. But Hunk was already laying her down and an arm over her stomach.

Pidge felt safe.

She had come to hate what was known as cuddling thanks to college. Boys always laid their hands so they rested on her butt, or so they rested just over the edge of her jeans, fingers teasing to slip under until Pidge moved away. Or they’d lay their arm over her waist, so when bent at the elbow, their hands touched her breast. And Pidge hated it. Because she was more than her body parts. And she didn’t need any of that. She didn’t need them. None of those boys had been worth her time, and none of them saw her for who she was. Smart. Strong. Brave. A fighter. Someone to be respected.

Hunk wasn’t like them. Hunk’s arm draped over her waist and his hand hung over the couch cushion. His other hand served as a pillow for her, bent at the elbow to reach her longer hair and play with the ends.

“Hunk,” she whispered. He hummed. “What do you want for Christmas?”

“What?” he chuckled. She turned and looked up at him. His remained pressed to the middle of her back to keep her from falling.

“I mean, what do you want for Christmas? I didn’t get a chance to get you anything. And you did all of this….”

Hunk smiled and shut his eyes. “You don’t have to get me anything. Just don’t disappear again.”

Pidge looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. Her hand rested over his tattooed arm, and she gripped his forearm. “I promise I won’t.” His beard tickled her nose and she sighed as his warmth calmed her. Again, she wondered if something more was possible with him. She’d have to catch more moments. Analyze his behavior and their interactions.

She wanted to figure out what this was, what was happening before he left. With that in mind, she fell asleep.

 A loud slam woke her up, and it took her a moment to realize why there were arms tightening around her.

“Well, well, well. What’s this?” Matt said looking down at the couch. Pidge’s face turned bright red and she sat up, covering her eyes by pretending to rub them tiredly. “Hunk, I thought you’d have known you have to ask for my sister’s hand before-”

“Oh my God, Matt, stop,” Pidge nearly shrieked. “I-I’m going to change.” She stood up, rubbing her temples and hurrying to her room.

“Merry Christmas!” Matt called after her.

Click for Chapter 3

[manoharis]

A Year in Review: Telugu Movies!

You can’t pay me to watch these (aka watch me roast them in 10 words or less)

Dictator - a Bala Krishna movie without animals in the title!

Krishnashtami - wyd Sunil.

Terror - the title aptly describes my feelings about this movie.

Guntur Talkies - lets just not. more like gun-to-ur head after watching this.

Attack - this wins for having a director and actor that Idc about!

Edo Raakam Ado Raakam - edho raakamaina torture.

Thikka - ee cinema choosaka vacchedi adhe

Jaguar -  just when you’ve thought twood’s exhausted the possible feline comparisions

I really really dont care:  Savitri, Raja Cheyyi Vesthe, Abbayitho Ammayi, Killing Veerappan, Express Raja, Naruda Donoruda, Hyper, Speedunodu, Garam, Nayaki

Nenu Sailaja -I had a lot of expectations for this movie because it was said to be “fresh” but there was really nothing new here. I loved Ram’s look, some of the comedy and most of the songs. Worth a watch but nothing ground-breaking. 

Nannaku Prematho -  A for effort? I just couldn’t connect to the film because I felt like the emotion was kind of artificial and didn’t really pull me in. I couldn’t get behind a lot of the “logic” in this film. Also there disruptive bgm in every scene which made it really hard to focus on the film. 

Soggade Chinni Nayana - I feel like this movie was targeted towards middle aged aunties lol. I love Nagarjuna and Ramya Krishna but there were one too many scenes where I was hiding my face from embarrassment. On the plus side, all the sarees in the movie were gorgeous !

Lacchimdeviki O Lekkundi - messy because of all the back and forth plot twists. Horror comedy is literally my least favorite genre so I didn’t like this.

Seethamma Andalu Ramaya Sutralu - below average; I don’t have much to say about this. If I hadn’t watched it, this would belong in the ‘I really don’t care’ list.

Krishnagadi Veera Prema Gaadha - I think I was drowsy when watching this (not because of the movie) so I honestly don’t remember anything but the beginning portion which was really funny. I need to rewatch this.

Malupu - I always love a good thriller but it could’ve been better. Aadhi Pinnisetty’s voice tho !!

Kshanam - FAVE !!! This was so good! again always down for a good thriller. Super gripping and just the right pace. I loved how in this the love story was relevant to the script. It was very well written, acted, and taken as well in terms of technicalities. I can definitely see it getting awards next year.

Kalyana Vaibhogame - The first half was loud and messy which made me almost stop watching it. With a premise like this, the story is extremely predictable, as in you knew the lead pair would fall in love eventually, it was just a matter of when. I thought the second half was pretty cute though.

Shourya – I know this is biased of me but I can’t remember the last movie of the Manchu brothers that I’ve seen because the kind of movies they make are just so not my type. However, when this movie came out I did hear some positive talk for it on twitter. But then it wasn’t talked about at all after like a week? So I’m not exactly sure how successful it was. I may watch it eventually but I’m not dying to see it lol

Run- This was the remake of Neram by Sundeep Kishan (side note: I really like Sundeep, so I was annoyed that he was doing a remake). I didn’t hear much about this either after the first week so I don’t think it did that well. However, I do want to watch it because I’ve been trying to watch Neram since forever but I could never find it with subtitles so I guess this is my chance to watch it, but a lesser version ofc. Although one of the main reasons I wanted to watch was for Nivin and Nazriya so this doesn’t really do much more me lmao

Oopiri – I haven’t seen the original so I really liked this! S/o to Nagarjuna for realizing fairly quickly that its time for him to more age appropriate roles (take notes @ chiranjeevi). This is why the Akkineni’s are my fave! (my bias is showing so much in this post but do I really care). anyways, I loved the chemistry between Karthi and Nagarjuna cause lbr their bromance was the real love story in this. Shriya’s appearance made the childhood shipper in me super happy. Overall, an enjoyable film with some great performances. 

Sardaar Gabbar Singh – The amount of hype this movie had, jfc. Tbh I don’t have anything major against Pawan Kalyan. He’s just not one of my favorites, and ngl I liked him in the early 2000s phase (i.e. before Gabbar Singh which is when his fans went to piccha peaks). His fan base is literally one of the worst. I just think they’re super extra and very disrespectful, esp at audio launches. So yes, I was happy that it flopped because one it put the pk fans in their place who were hyping this to no end. Also he wrote the story and screenplay for this and reading some reviews about that gave me life lmao. If you want to hear something good about this movie, Kajal looks stunning in all her princess-y clothes and a few of the songs are pretty good. 

Sarrainodu – I actually haven’t seen this yet but I do want to. Here I go being biased again lol. If this starred anyone I didn’t care for, I would have no interest in this movie but because it’s the fave, Allu Arjun, I have to watch it. I like a lot of the video songs and the music actually grew on me when I was forced to listen to it A LOT in India over the summer. Also he looks hella good, I’m sold, bye. 

Supreme – Ok this movie was huge in India over the summer. Everyone loved it and ngl I used the phrase “its amazing zing zing” about a thousand times among my cousins without even having seen it. I tried watching it once I got back and it was just too much loud comedy for me to handle and I never finished it. 

Brahmotsavam – oh lord. TOO SOON. Jk, I’m over it. Easily the biggest disappointment of 2016 in terms of what was promised and what was delivered. I literally followed this movie since it was even rumored to be happening because Mahesh and Sreekanth Addala. Then Mickey J Meyer was brought on and then Samantha and I was just so hyped. I think the fact that I was dying to watch this in theaters and then I didn’t even want to watch it once it was online, says a lot. I was just really shocked that everyone, fans and non-fans alike panned it especially when it involved sooo many people. The second hand embarrassment is too real. But I did eventually watch it and what the actual hell. There was literally no story, no coherence, and way too many irrelevant characters. Mahesh has a pattern of delivering blockbusters after massive flops so here’s hoping the best for his next!

A…Aa: I have so many feelings about this movie. Trivikram is one of my most favorite directors/writers and has been for a long time. With Attarintiki Daredi, I was pretty disappointed that he went full on commercial and I thought he lost some of his touch. That changed a bit with Son of Satyamurthy (but I feel like a majority of the reason that I liked that movie is bc of Allu Arjun lol). But yeah anyway, A…Aa is still a very commercial movie, its not in any way niche. However, I think Trivikram finally struck the balance of substance and commerciality which made it an entertaining movie while also leaving you with something to think about. The story was actually very simple and something that’s definitely been done before, but the screenplay had Trivikram’s name all over it. It was apparent in every single dialogue. He also pulled out some spectacular performances that were subdued but well done. I remember Samantha saying in an interview that because this is Trivikram’s third movie with her, he knows when she’s reusing an expression which forced her to improve her performance. When the movie was announced, I was kind of disappointed that Nithiin was in it because he’s never been a favorite of mine but I fell in love with him after this. I think in a lot of his movies he tries to do the typical commercial hero act and its obvious that he borrows heavily from Pawan Kalyan’s style. But in this his characterization was very subdued and painted him as  a common guy which made him a lot more likable. It was also easier to ship the lead pair because the star aura tends to overshadow the chemistry but here I was really able to see the characters instead of the actors behind them. I just wished the story was more unique but otherwise a really good movie!

Okka Ammayi Thappa - Sundeep really needs to promote his movies more because they always seem to go under the radar. I was actually really excited for this because Sundeep & Nithya as the lead pair. I’m pretty sure its one of those movies that takes place in the span of a single day which I love bc if you can stretch a day into a full film, its gotta be one hell of a day. Not sure if this was a hit or not but I definitely want to check it out once its online.

Gentleman – (Spoiler Free). This was pretty good! A nice balance of romance and suspense. The story was intriguing and the performances were well done. I didn’t like the comedy though. The situational humor was fine but I hated the comedy track and I felt like it made the movie so much slower than it needed to be.

Oka Manasu - I was so hyped for this cause I love Naga Shourya and Niharika but apparently this was very slow and boring. I hope this doesn’t discourage Niharika from doing more movies because tollywood really needs some actual telugu actresses. (Side Note: Allu Arjun’s speech at this movie’s audio launch !! He basically called out the PK fans in a long 10 mins lecture and it gave me lifeee)

Pelli Choopulu - FAVE!!! Truly a new age rom com. I watched this in a theater in India and I loved it! The story was fresh, engaging, and hilarious. I loved how the characters were very realistic and reflective of actual youth and not hero-like at all. Also s/o for the strong female characterization !! You go Chitra! I think it did an amazing job of combining comedy, romance, social issues, and emotion into a very believable and enjoyable film. And not to forget the music which is so so good. Also, I’m gonna quote this movie in my grave. 

Manamantha - I looove movies that have multiple inter-related stories. The four characters and their respective stories were written well with each character tackling a unique situation. Overall, I liked it, but it definitely could have been better.

Srirasthu Subhamastu - I watched this in India and it was nice to see it on the big screen because the best part of this movie was the grandeur of production. Starring in a movie produced by your father clearly has its perks. I don’t really care about Allu Sirish but he’s still pretty new so to be fair he was pretty good in this. The story is very very routine and predictable but I remember liking the dialogues

Babu Bangaram - I don’t think this was a hit? But fiiinally, Venky in a movie that’s not a remake, which ofc didn’t last long cause his next is a remake smh. 

Janatha Garage - This movie was apparently the biggest hit of 2016 in terms of box office and imo its not deserving. The trailer for this movie made it seem really good but it was a disappointment in the end. The thing with Koratala Siva’s movies is that he always has a good social message but then commercializes it way too much. I understand what he’s trying to do but I wish he’d cut down on the violence and focus on the actual issue. This couldve been a really amazing movie about environmentalism but it turned into something really routine. Im also annoyed that a stellar cast of NTR, Mohanlal, Samantha, and Nithya was wasted on such a mediocre movie.

Jo Achyutananda - This was pretty good. As per the director’s style, it was very simple with life-like characters. The story was very interesting but I thought it was pretty anti-climactic and definitely could have been taken to another level. S/o for Nani’s cameo towards the end which sadly was the only male eye candy (sorrynotsorry).

Majnu -  Even though this is Nani’s movie and I usually have high expectations for his movies, I didn’t expect much from this. The movie didn’t offer anything spectacular. The plot started off pretty interesting but then went the routine rom- com path. It gets a fair share of laughs and the music is fabulous but otherwise underwhelming.

Abhinetri - I haven’t seen this yet and I don’t really care tbh but I’ll probably watch it eventually.

Mana Oori Ramayanam - This seems really interesting from the trailer. Definitely a niche film and I don’t think it did well commercially but I want to see it.

Premam - What do I say about this that won’t get me hate lmao. I haven’t seen this yet but it received pretty good reviews as well as commercial success. I don’t support remakes ofc but I know I’ll end up watching this eventually. I’m glad that Naga Chaitanya is back on track again ?

Saahasam Swasaga Saagipo - I really want to watch this because romance + thriller is my faaave. I don’t think this was that big of a hit but Im still excited to see it. The album is amazing and I assume the bgm will be as well. Also s/o for Naga Chaitanya’s look in this movie which is his best yet imo. Is it just me or has he become so much more attractive now that he’s unavaible lol.

Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada - I haven’t seen this yet, but heard that it was really good! Seems like another Karthikeya-type movie? Who would’ve guessed that Nikhil would be most successful actor from the Happy Days gang (besides tamanna ofc).

Jayammbu Nishchayambu Raa - same as above ^, haven’t seen, heard it was good.Other than that, I’m glad a small film got acclaim.

Dhruva - How much credit can you give to a remake ? I haven’t seen this or the original but I know I’ll probably like it. 

Overall I think 2016 was a pretty good year for movies with many of the successes coming from small budget films which seems to be an increasing trend in Tollywood. The fact that Sardaar Gabbar Singh and Brahmotsavam were total box office disasters even though they starred arguably the two biggest stars in TFI shows that the majority of audiences crave content over star power which I’m all here for!