#one of the hottest movie scenes imo

[carnivorousgoth]

watching the sparring scene in pacific rim guys what the fuck

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Betty Garrett (On The Town, Take Me Out to the Ballgame)— She’s so unhinged in On the Town and Take Me Out to the Ball Game, chasing little twink Frank Sinatra around and just casually throwing him over her shoulder. Just an icon.

Teresa Wright (The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, Shadow of a Doubt)— She wrote this into her contract herself: "Miss Wright shall not be required to pose for photographs in a bathing suit unless she is in water. Neither may she be photographed running on the beach with her hair flying in the wind. Nor may she pose in any of the following situations: in shorts; playing with a cocker spaniel; digging in a garden; whipping up a meal; attired in firecrackers and holding skyrockets for the fourth of July; looking insinuatingly at the turkey for Thanksgiving; wearing a bunny cap with long ears for Easter; twinkling on prop snow in a skiing outfit while a fan blows her scarf.”

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Teresa Wright:

One of the best Hitchcock leading lady performances!!

Warm, lovely, vivacious, intelligent!! imo Teresa Wright is way too underrated and deserves much more credit! I truly can’t think of another actress with the same vibe as her and she deserves more appreciation!!

Betty Garrett:

Betty Garrett "picks-up" Sinatra in Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)

Garrett's comments on that scene (TCM - Word of Mouth):

[editor's note: the above commentary is so delightful OP is making a rare exception to the no-post-1970-propaganda rule to enjoy discussion of Frank Sinatra being flung around like a bag of beans)

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/755222100171784192/this-got-longer-than-intended-sorry-on-the

I think it came from the movies. Specifically, Star Trek III: the Search for Spock, where Spock came back after dying in Wrath of Khan and speedran puberty bc the Genesis planet made him go from baby to adult in like 12 hours or something. Saavik, the only other Vulcan present, has to basically G-rated fuck him through his first Vulcan heat, and I vividly remember the hand-caressing (and I shipped it just from that one scene, teen!Spock was hot as fuck to kid me). She like, strokes his fingers so he won't horny himself to death while his body and mind are catching up to his rapid aging.

Idk if it showed up elsewhere after that but it's one of the hottest scenes in classic Trek imo.

--

[gffa]

Character Ask Game: Obi-Wan Kenobi, 4 8 &12

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in? Obi-Wan is one of those characters that probably has been in all those other media and, of course, I always want more of him, but I think if you offered me the chance to have one new Obi-Wan project, it would be: A Star Wars Holiday Special: Obi-Wan & Anakin, where they get Ewan and Hayden to do a 45 minute special about their time as Force Ghosts, as they look on over Luke working to find Jedi artifacts, talking with him when they have the spiritual energy to pull together for it, while they look on over Ahsoka trying to process her feelings about Anakin even after all these years, while they watch over Grogu as best they can while he tries to find his path in this world without the Jedi. It would be half-serious, talking about Anakin's choices and how he had to learn to let go, that that's what it means to be a Force Ghost, you have to let go of all the hate and the rage and the fear and the guilt, that it's not about blame, but about delving into Anakin's mindset, about delving into Obi-Wan's mindset, how they both had to learn to let go of everything they were carrying around before they could move on. Obi-Wan had to do that during the series of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin had to do that during Return of the Jedi, and I'd love to see them have a conversation about how they want to help Ahsoka do the same thing. Bonus points for filming a scene of Obi-Wan watching as Vader threw Sidious down the reactor shaft and the light dawning on his face that, oh, his Padawan is coming back, that he can reach out his hand as Anakin dies, with a genuine smile and say, "Hello again, old friend. Let me help you over." But then it would be half-silly antics where they're basically Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo just roasting the hell out of all the dumbass shit they have to put up with in this galaxy. Bonus points for Anakin giving Obi-Wan the once over after they see Luke at the party on Endor's moon: "Wait, why do you look like that? Why aren't--" "I appear as the person remembers me, as they most need me to appear." "....so are you saying that everyone NEEDS me to look like the hottest holonet star on--" "[dryly] Apparently so." 8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise? Taking away his love for and belief in the Jedi ways. Obi-Wan's entire ultimate purpose is to be the contrast to Anakin's character, to be the wise Jedi mentor who doesn't have to be perfect, but is generally correct, that his purpose is to show the path that Anakin should have been on. But also, just straight up as a character, Obi-Wan loves the Jedi, that's his culture, his family, his people, he believes in the methods of the Jedi, he believes in the philosophy of the Jedi, he lives and breathes as a Jedi. And it's made him the person he is, he cherishes that, that he can regret that there isn't room for other paths in life, but that he doesn't regret the path he's on as a Jedi, that even when he considered other paths, it was with the full respect for what being a Jedi means. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi, and even if he might choose another path for himself, he always, always believes in what it means to be a Jedi, he believes that path is valuable and sacred. Taking that away from his character just fundamentally is not who he is imo.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character? Obi-Wan Kenobi is an absolute monster when it comes to playing cards. He has perfected his bland, unreadable face and sleight of hand, so you can suspect he's a dirty rotten cheater at cards, but you can never prove it. He will absolutely murder anyone and everyone at sabacc and never give away the game, he'll just blandly look at you and pretend to be losing, all until he's lulled you into a false sense of security and then he'll rob you blind and probably leave the winnings in the pocket of someone asking for change on the street. He's an absolute bastard to play cards with and Quinlan and Anakin both straight up refuse to do it anymore because it's so infuriating.

[obiwanwhat]

This is perhaps my hottest star wars take but on some level, I do have mixed feelings about Ahsoka's ending in Rebels. I'm not the first one who's ever said this, but narratively speaking, it's a bad ending. Filoni wanted to eat his cake and have it too (have an iconic showdown between Vader and Ahsoka, but also not kill off the character for future use). And imo, he did so in the laziest way possible: introducing an overpowered Deus ex machina that came out of essentially nowhere (like kinda from the mortis arc? but also not really this was not the logical conclusion from the mortis arc) and using it to handwave her survival. It's bad writing! It shows an inability to either commit to the end of the story you've started (Ahsoka refuses to leave Vader in an iconic battle and dies for it), or to write a more interesting story where her survival makes more sense.

But at the same time. I adore the Vader showdown, it's such a cinematically satisfying scene. And externally from the narrative of Star Wars - seeing Ahsoka live means something to me, and to a lot of other people. In a universe that still has relatively few mainstream female characters, and even fewer female Jedi characters, seeing Ahsoka live, and grow (grow to be middle aged, even!! we met her as a teenager and now she's in her 40s!! DO YOU KNOW HOW RARE THAT IS FOR FEMALE CHARACTERS-) means something to me. On some level, dumb as it sounds to write it out, the existence of the Ahsoka show is deeply healing to the little girl in me who didn't understand why Luke got to be a Jedi and Leia didn't. Who only saw female Jedi as main characters in books and wookiepedia articles growing up, never onscreen in live action movies (the sequels didn't come out until I was in high school, and the clone wars show wasn't on my radar growing up). And granted, I have no idea if Dave Filoni was actually thinking about people like me, or if he just wanted to write what he wanted to write. But on some level....I guess a little bit of lazy writing is kinda worth it, to me at least, to experience that healing.

[gaffney]

Dying to hear all your thoughts on Adam Banks!

my thoughts on adam banks are A Lot, prob too much to be condensed into a single tumblr post 😭 but i guess my ~hottest take on him is simply the fact that i don’t think he’s the “sad, anxious (or even abused)” kid some people think he is. (what i do think is that he feels a ton of pressure because he's a kid who is aware of his own talent, but also that he loves the sport). like there seems to be a general consensus that adam never gets to make his own decisions and is always “forced” into them?? a lot of his behavior is also excused by making him a perpetual victim, which, imo, is a false narrative but also rids adam of having his own agenda. and it also erases his personal growth and the choices he’s made to better himself.

like, adam’s entire journey is parallel to bombay: to become a better person. becoming a team player who doesn't just look out for himself. like adam himself says in spirit of the ducks: “i kinda sucked as a human”. i love that he owns it because it’s true!!! he did suck!!! not because he’s the best player, but because of his winning mentality that was 100% shaped by the hawks’ “it’s not worth winning if you can’t win big”. i get that in the movies they don’t really give adam much of a voice and a lot of his scenes are left to interpretation, so yeah. the version of adam that i headcanon is heavily influenced by the source material (novelizations, old manuscripts) where he’s definitely a bit more ambitious, self-sufficient, and knows how to bite back/take care of himself. ex., in the novelization, he’s proud of himself that he’d made varsity. in the movie, it sort of looks like he's just disappointed/vaguely annoyed. also in the novelization, he yells at charlie during their fight that (charlie) is just “upset that your precious coach (bombay) bailed on you” which is 100% true and i still wish they’d kept that line in because no one dared to call charlie out on his BS when he needed them to. but i’m aware not everyone has read them, or doesn’t care to, tho.

[mermaidsirennikita]

i feel a strong need to ask you AGAIN........ what are your top 10 favorite movies of 2023?

LOL OFF TO UR LETTERBOXD

(We really do need to watch Killers of the Flower Moon soon because I kind of wonder if that would be on there or if I'd just want to jump into a black hole of despair too much to appreciate the craft.)

In no particular order:

Bottoms--hilarious, romantic, everyone had chemistry (PJ and Brittany are gonna hook up in college for real) Josie and Isabel had my heeeeart, I just. Loved it.

They Cloned Tyrone--So funny, so devastating (when he went into the room oh my god???), we got a lovely little trio (maybe a throuple someday) out of it. I was so into it.

Sanctuary--Such a surprise! Arguably the hottest movie of the year! Dude, the scene where she looks him dead in the eye and goes "I'm ovulating" lmao I WAS. DEAD. Yet it's incredibly romantic too?

Fair Play--Dude. This was SHOCKINGLY good. I really didn't expect anything (a lot of the movies have surprised me, I think). It was weirdly funny at points, we began with such a high of accidental period cunnilingus being laughed at and followed by a proposal, and then we hit such incredible lows, yet it was so powerful in the end? Also, I didn't feel anything about either lead beforehand but they were so good??? I'm still thinking about the final shot of the movie, man.

Joy Ride--Fucking hysterical, I haven't laughed this hard with a movie in FOREVER. Yet also, it had a lot of heart? And a lot of hot guys? And that threesome scene lives rent free in my brain? And Stephanie Hsu is a fucking STAAAR? And the moment when Dead Eye says they don't have any friends I always tear up?

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse--I am really starting to loathe superhero movies, as you know lol, but these movies stay golden and this one was arguably better than the first. Also, Miguel. I am free. Any day. Any week. I am here. I am ready. My heart is open. Other things are open. We are GOOD, little cartoon man.

Red, White, and Royal Blue--Such a fun romcom, man. I miss fun romcoms. Remember whe fun romcoms were fun and we had fun with fun romcoms? Such a quintessential one, and it gives me such light and free joy.

Nimona--OMG I LOVED THIS. I saw it with my little sibling, who identifies with Nimona in a lot of ways, so it holds a special place in my heart. The animation is beautiful. It makes my heart warm.

Past Lives--I think this could definitely be a contender for some Oscars, and well deserved imo. The scene where they just start hashing out all their memories and her husband just sits there, getting emotionally cucked before our eyes? Lmao. Dude.

M3gan--Yeah dude I don't give a fuck this movie gave me everything I wanted and when she started singing Titanium I laughed until I cried and my throat hurt.

[theydjarin]

It’s done…!

Okay thoughts:

ANH

- okay this movie is just so classic. Always a good time and I know exactly when I can dip during the battle of yavin for a pee break

- the way Han immediately goes ride or die for Luke. Perfection

- C-3PO having a dent in his head the same spot as boba fett?? What in the soulmate au????

- I don’t think Anakin would have hated Luke (or Leia) getting together with Han but you KNOW Obi-wan went “him???”

- every single moment where they implied Luke was jealous of Han bc he was into Leia reads as Luke being into Han with hindsight of LL being twins. It’s incredible. Are straight people seeing this.

- I need to do a queer analysis on the mos eisley cantina. Because it’s actually probably the closest live action SW has gotten to subverting gender roles

- what else is there so say. Feel good movie, but what on earth was that award ceremony it makes me laugh every time

ESB:

- frankly the best of the trilogy even though I like watching ANH more

- Luke’s actually got a great talent for tactical thinking and leadership (with the ATATs)… not utilized enough imo!

- that moment between Luke and Han before they leave…. boys what happened in that ice shelter

- how am I supposed to take Leia’s “very friendly” comment when Han and Lando are reconnecting? She clocked them immediately

- Han / Lando / Leia had a threesome in cloud city I am not taking any criticisms at this time

- everyone is so hot??? They did it for the bisexuals

- I mean it’s just a great movie. Well crafted, all of the emotional beats hit. So good.

- the lighting in the carbonite scene!!!! Unparalleled!

ROTJ

- Oh boy… this movie. Bahah

- it nails the emotional beats but the rest of it feels very overly silly compared to the rest of the trilogy

- Leia’s bounty hunter fit was the hottest outfit of the move (Boba gave her the Nod bc he agrees)

- the Ewoks are SO fucking cute I can’t help but love them. The babies…

- they said everyone was too hot in ESB we need to give them helmets and ponchos

- I feel like Harrison Ford flat out said he wouldn’t wear a helmet. Carrie and Mark took theirs off when possible, but I wonder if they had to use them because they couldn’t set a bad example of going helmetless on a motorbike. Much to consider

- the effects feel like a step down from both prior movies 😭 at least the green screen. It’s kind of painful

- I’ve seen people say they thought Han was reduced to comic relief in this movie and I’m not sure I agree. He shows a lot of growth and leadership in this, Lando too. I’m most disappointed in Leia’s character arc augh. She has some good emotional scenes with Luke and Han, but why don’t we see her as a leader in the rebellion like we did in the previous two? It’s sad.

- also this movie was *really* missing an emotional scene with Luke and Han. They should have kept the goodbye scene on Tatooine in.

- that being said, this movie actually made me like Leia and Han as a couple, there’s a real foundation of mutual respect we love to see. (And this movie is why it pisses me off when I see horrible mean jealous boyfriend Han. Who is that man. Han felt one moment of jealousy and literally apologized in the next second and supported Leia unconditionally. Get it together)

- Luke’s arc is pretty much perfection, Mark Hamill nailed it absolutely. Luke = best boy. He was right.

bout to sit in a theater for 6 hrs watching the original trilogy because I love being so normal abt star wars

[winterhalters]

What are your thoughts of the French characters in Carlos, Rey Emperador, in terms of personality, clothing, acting? I personally found them more interesting than the English (more stereotyped) and i really liked the Louise-Margaret scenes at Ladies' Peace. It was a pity that APiseleu was a mute cameo (same that ABoleyn) and that Catherine de Medici wasn't there (Henry II was, why not his wife?) but alas, It was not a Valois show... Oh, and Bassave as Francis was the hottest casting choice ever.

overall it was sort of fine. Always a bit one dimensional, sure, but overall the costumes looked really really good and the storylines were fine albeit underwhelming. Tbh spanish movies and shows have given french history a fairer shot than the Brits ever did lol british shows care about one thing and it's turn french history into a cringe fest. But yeah i don't understand some of the choices either, like no catherine (who was notoriously trying to secure ties with spain through not one but two daughters) or no anne de pisseleu (knowing how much anne's interests aligned with the habsburgs' for a short time)

Bassave was great but too old. Not that mid-thirties is necessary old but he did look his age and not a year younger, which sucks because Francis was only 23 in 1517. Not having age appropriate casting ruins entire franchises imo and people fail to realize how important it can be for period dramas, especially when at the outset of the 1510s-1520s, four of the world's biggest superpowers (france, england, holy roman empire, ottoman empire) had rulers in their early twenties. It's like if 2022 was a very ospicious election year all across the world and suddenly, say, the US, China, idk maybe Germany and France all suddenly elected GenZ heads of state. It would massively and durably impact the political landscape and see them struggle with matters of credibility and affect intra-government power balances as well, and period dramas should reflect that kind of political twists, with casting choices that fit

[amesstm]

ALERT: JJK movie 0 review!

NO SPOILERS (hopefully)

- loved the animation! There were some parts where I gasped from the literal BEAUTY

- Gojo’s eyes never disappoint - ever. This is a minute detail but I think that they’ve gotten better at animating his hair. And y’all, his lips… and his jaw… okay moving on

- there were some additions for Geto and Gojo’s backstory and their relationship. If they showed more of this, we would understand the story through the villains’ side of the story. I love feel conflicted; the morally grey areas are a beautiful twist in the story. I just wanna know why two of the hottest characters ain’t besties anymore 😔 The ending between Geto and Gojo should’ve been expanded upon since we already know what happens in the first season. Gimme the DEETS.

- great look into Yuuta and his character - love him, he’s a cute, hardworking boi. I can’t wait to see him more often and what role he plays in the rest of the series. Another thing: it’s great to see the similarities between him and Yuji - reaffirms the idea that Yuji is on his way to being a very powerful character.

- Maki has more of a spotlight and I LOVE IT. She is a queen who slays. Periodt. Ngl, the fight scene she was in got me questioning my sexuality. I love the exposure of her and her relationship with her family. The small pieces we’re given fleshes her out and makes her all the more lovable.

- Panda is so cute, definitely Lock Screen-worthy moments to be found.

- Inumaki’s hair looks so fluffy omggg but he is so deadly - love his curse usage in this film! And if you listen to the sub, you absolutely must appreciate the voice actor Koki Uchiyama for his brilliant work. There are less sound effects in the movie from what I remember in the anime, so you really hear that guttural, subtle growl in his curse speech. It gave me legitimate chills from his performance.

- I think this was great for some characters’ development, but not the rest

- There were definitely fan service moments that weren’t necessary. I’m sorry. I love Nanami as much as anyone else but he didn’t need to be in the movie 💀 My babies from Kyoto were given a bit of screen time. But again, they didn’t serve a larger purpose. Definitely thought that the screen time could’ve been used for the other central characters in the story

- I wish there were more domain expansions :((( we only got one and it was a bit small imo. It seemed like they completely forgot domain expansions were an option

- there was a foreign curse user! I thought it was really cool but if they were going to introduce him, I wish that it was in the tv show rather than the movie so we could fully understand his backstory. I definitely think that he deserves one since he was a pretty cool character - ESPECIALLY since we rarely if ever see the anime world take place beyond Japan

- Overall: 8/10

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: Dalton and Brosnan Bond Era

So finally I am at the era of Bond films that I know a bit more of. I had not seen The Living Daylights or License to Kill in their entirety before, but I had seen all 4 Brosnan movies. He was the Bond I knew first before I saw Casino Royale. But I was looking forward to seeing Dalton's Bond movies because I had heard they were more serious and grounded.

For me, the both the Dalton films are really solid Bond movies. They are a refreshing break from what the Roger Moore had become towards the end. Not to mention, Dalton actually looks like he's in the type of shape and age to be a secret agent, running from country to country. The Living Daylights is good. There is immediately a more grounded story of espionage. But the better Dalton movie imo is License to Kill. Which is the revenge movie that we never got after Tracy Bond's death. License to Kill is really good. There is less romantic entanglement because Bond is more focused on what he wants to accomplish. And there is a slightly unhinged edge to him. Plus, you can tell that the movie is going into some darker stuff compared to previous Bond movies.

When it comes to the Brosnan era, I have a bit of a bias since he was the first Bond I ever saw. I genuinely like 3 out of the 4 Brosnan movies. GoldenEye is arguably one of my favorite Bond movies. It is fast paced, it has a good villain, it moves away from the stereotypical cold war era Bond plot, the Bond girls are good, and the action is splendid. Its the best of the Brosnan era. Given its made by Martin Cambell who also made Casino Royale, it doesn't surprise me. I know people aren't necessarily big fans of Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough, but I like both. Tomorrow Never Dies is really fast paced. There are some really solid action sequences, including a big bike chase which is quite fun. I actually liked the news mogul as villain idea. Its maybe more relevant now with the idea of 'fake news'. The World is Not Enough is more classical Bond. Its a more personal plot because M and Bond are more intricately involved with some of the players. Bond also has more of edge and is harsher in this movie which is actually pretty cool to watch. There is also a really disturbing element with the relationship between Renard and Elektra King which is also interesting. Die Another Day is unbelievably dumb for sure. To be fair, its fun in a dumb way but it goes into full blown science fiction with the whole idea of DNA being changed and a Korean man becoming a white british guy. Then there is the whole beam of sun villain plot. It is incredibly cartoonish. Its also the most effects heavy of the Bond movies and the effects have not aged well at all. The Brosnan era is one full of really cringey double entendres from Bond. In every movie, there are at least 4-5 and everyone of them is just so cringeworthy now but it seems that the writers were so proud of themselves when they wrote those lines.

The Bond girls across all these eras were a mixed bag to be sure. Kara Milovy, the Cellist from The Living Daylights is a bit on the dimmer side for sure. But there is some humor there because you see Dalton's Bond get really frustrated with her at times. Pam Bouvier is a pretty good Bond Girl because she is actually quite important to the story and plays an active role in rescuing Bond. Lupe is also not bad. In the Brosnan era, Natalya was pretty good. The romance between her and Bond wasn't really necessary and could have been taken out, but she is at least a competent person who is not dependent on Bond doing everything. We also get maybe the hottest side villain of all time in Famke Janssen's Xenia Onnatopp. I loved how sexually charged and batshit crazy she was. I had a crush on Teri Hatcher in the 90's when she was Lois so I always love seeing her even though she's there just to be killed off in TND. Michelle Yeoh was a badass even then. So she was cool. TWINE has the first Bond girl who is the main villain. I loved Sophie Marceu in that role of Elektra King because you are not sure how much to feel sorry for her in how her mind was warped by her trauma and how much to be a bit disgusted by her. Denise Richards on the other hand is perhaps the most hilarious piece of miscastings in a movie that I have seen. She is so completely wrong for the role that its almost entertaining to watch how bad she is. I would love to hear the casting director try and justify her casting for the role in any way other than to say that she is hot. Rosamund Pike and Halley Berry are probably the biggest names out of all the Bond girls. They have done much bigger and better things since but in Die Another Day, they are basically just there to fight each other and be bedded by Bond.

The villains are similarly a mixed bag. In The Living Daylights, the villains are nothing much to speak of. License to Kill has some good villains because Sanchez has some menace to him as does a young Benicio Del Toro as Dario. I think Sean Bean is one of the best Bond villains. Jonathan Pryce seemed to be having a ball in Tomorrow Never Dies. And I already mentioned that Marceu was damn good as Elektra. Renard is more the physical villain in TWINE but he feels more like a henchman for Elektra by the end. Gustav Graves is just completely ridiculous an a villain that just can't be taken seriously. He also wears a power rangers looking suit by the end of the movie which doesn't help.

One of the big plusses of the Brosnan era is the inspired casting of Judi Dench as M. She was so good that they kept her in the rebooted Craig era, despite a possibility of confusing the audience. M in the past was just a figure who gave Bond the mission and occasionally told him off. Judi Dench brings a personality and a weight to the character. She has a combative relationship with Bond but you still see that they share mutual respect, especially when you see where she admits that he's the best agent she has in TWINE. After the Roger Moore era, there was a refreshing in some cast such as Moneypenny which changed to Caroline Bliss under Dalton, and then to Samantha Bond under Brosnan. We also got the introduction to John Cleese as the new Q in the last two Brosnan films, taking over from Desmond Llewelyn. Robbie Coltraine has an entertaining supporting role in GoldenEye and TWINE. The Dalton era also saw the last use of Felix Leiter until the Craig era.

When it comes to the Bonds themselves, I think Dalton is extremely underrated. I think he is a precursor in spirit to Craig's Bond. I love the darker edge to his Bond. He gets angry and frustrated. It humanizes his Bond so we see he's not a superhero. He doesn't have the suaveness and charisma of a Moore or Connery but he has the physicality for it. He sells the action scenes far more than Moore did. He is really good in License to Kill which played to Dalton's strengths as an actor. Brosnan's portrayal split the difference between Moore and Dalton. He feels very much like a mixture of the two. He has the suaveness and charm to feel like the womanizing Bond, but he also brings out moments of anger and harshness. Even in the goofiness of Die Another Day, you always feel that Brosnan is giving it his all. I really like him particularly in GoldenEye and TWINE. I do feel both Dalton and Brosnan are underrated as Bond because they were both very good.

Anyways, now only the 4 Craig films, coupled wit No Time to Die. Not sure if I should do a restrospective on the 4 Craig Bond films and then do a separate one for No Time to Die or just include them all together to do a Craig era review since those films are so interlinked.

[moogiwarah]

🐓

Hi! I want to have comprehensive list of the BL manga/manhwa etc. that I’ve read because I want to spread the love for this genre 💜.  This post is a list of works that I’ve read which is not in this page yet + my comments on each work. I hope some people will find something that they like here ^__^

🐣 All BL recs from me 

manhwa  🐓

💜 Never Understand

Yuri, one of the school's most handsome guys,and Jaerim, one of the school's ugliest, collide!...or don't they? Can't understand what's going on between these two! It's Out of Control! 

shounen-ai, completed, 87 chapters

THE STORY IS SOOOO GOOD. The art also improved by a lot upon reaching the later chapters. Jae-rim is dubbed as “ugly” (he’s a whole cutie tho) and I’m glad to see a non conventional character design for an MC! I highly recommend reading this!!  👌💯

Incorrigible 

A sequel to “Never Understand” which is focused on Cho Ayeon’s story after being free from Soyeon’s control.

yaoi, completed, 8 chapters

This has few chapters so maybe that explains the fast pacing. Nonetheless, it was a nice read, I have a really soft spot for Jae-rim so seeing his r-18 experiences with Yuri really got me ahkdjashdkajshd ;W;

💜 Dirty Vibrations

Best friends Yeong and Nohae thought it was a joke when they downloaded the infamous “cursed” app. It’s said to command the user to perform…sexual acts and punishes those who disobey or delete it. It started with making them kiss. When they disobeyed its order…the punishment was anything but a joke. 

yaoi, ongoing

This one is from Fujoking (author of Youjin)! In all honesty, I love this for its sex scenes. They are so well made, the art, the dialogue, the expressions, and just *chef’s kiss* 👌. When it comes to expressing sexual scenes in BL, my top authors would have to be Fujoking for manhwa and Zaria for manga.

💜 Paid

Executive director Heejae is nicknamed "Chaebol Prince" by the public. But his life is turned upside down when documents linking him to an embezzlement scheme are unexpectedly found by an accounting collegian Taekyung! So he pretends to have a crush on him, but.. Taekyung wants more than just flirting! 

yaoi, ongoing

This is another one from Fujoking! This has a heavier plot as compared to Dirty Vibrations, so you get amazing smut AND an engaging story! 

💜 On or Off

Yiyoung is building a startup with his college friends. They get a chance to present their proposal to SJ Corporation, one of the leading companies in the country. But in the meeting room he sees Kang Daehyung, the extremely handsome company big shot that's so very much his type, and Yiyoung's heart starts to race...! Can pretty-faced Yiyoung win both in love and his career? 

yaoi, ongoing

Okay this! It’s really funny and the pacing is nice and the characters are nice and the art is nice and the perfect mix of romance comedy and slice of life i just HUHDADKAJDHJK it’s rly a feel good read and both MCs are SO ATTRACTIVE.

Penthouse XXX

Siyeon, a contract killer, has declared a boycott on men after being screwed over by his ex. That is, until he moves into a penthouse owned by Taekyung, a rich heir with killer looks.

yaoi, completed, 49 chapters

It has meme worthy illustrations xD. The graphics are nice but I found Taekyung (one of the MCs) to be a little toxic. Also, some parts of the story were not wrapped up/discussed enough imo. But overall, it was a pleasant read.

Home Sweet Home

The last thing Jungyeon expected was for his mom to ask if she could remarry. The new man was kind, considerate, a perfect match for his mother but there’s a catch: he has a younger son. Sunwoo is an introvert. He’s shy and has trouble opening up to others, until he meets Jungyeon and finds himself opening up for the first time. As their parents get closer to marrying, they become close, too close, and that’s when Sunwoo learns Jungyeon is already seeing another man.

yaoi, completed, 57 chapters

I honestly don’t know why this has quite a low rating on mangago because I found it to be a good read! It’s like sitting through a romance-drama movie. I liked the ending and the relationship between the main couple.

K’s Secret

Employee Kim Doyoon has been working for 5 years. He has one secret that he can't tell anyone else - the fact that he's a half-vampire born between a human and a vampire.

yaoi, ongoing

The art is so good in the recent chapters ugh. Also the sex scenes are well made. The plot is a little unclear though, and I feel like the relationship of the two MCs are kinda forced and unnatural hahaskdhakjdh. Still reading it tho since it’s ongoing.

💜 I have a Boyfriend

Kang Hyeon Ho, who belongs in the university soccer team goes into a breadth class and encounters the person he went to middle school together with and was his first love, Han Gyeol. 

yaoi, completed, 44 chapters

THIS IS BASICALLY COLLEGE AU ROM COM ADDITIONAL TAG: FIRST LOVE AND IT’S AMAZING. Just a really well rounded story with the right amount of drama to bring out its slice of life  😭💘 Also, this is tagged as yaoi but the sex scenes were few and not that explicit.

💜 Voice of Love

After experiencing a traumatic incident involving a previous lover, Jiho is too afraid to tell his classmate Soohan that he likes him. Thankfully, Soohan can hear otherpeople's thoughts and asks him out first. But, as we all know, love isn't always that easy. Will Jiho and Soohan really get their happily ever after?

shounen-ai, completed, 37 chapters

Just a really cute story about mind reading and high school boys being in love. Ah, youth. This will make you feel good like ,,, awww young love :( <3

Base to Base

The elite Sung Moon High is fields one the country's top 5 high school baseball teams. Kim Soohyun was the ace pitcher of his middle school now started his first year at Moon high baseball team...since his beloved sunbae Choi Woojin(captain/catcher) is there....Kim Soohyun is an cutie puppy with stalker tendency exclusive for his beloved sunbae. 

shounen-ai, completed, 28 chapters

Sports manga/anime always had a little (or lots) of gay, well this one made it officially gay! A cute rom-com bUT I feel like the ending was rushed. I would have loved it if there was more, but nonetheless, a good read! :)

manga  🐓

💜 I Seriously Can’t Believe You  

"I don't think you've realized your true nature yet." That's what Kon tells Iida, the hottest guy at school, wondering how anyone could be so proper. As popular as he is, Iida doesn't seem interested in any of the girls who come after him. Kon and his buddies try to look into the matter by flipping a coin and having Kon approach him with his confession of love, just to see if he's really interested in guys. "I've... never looked at guys like that..." says Iida, falling for Kon's ruse. Kon takes him home, hoping to straighten out the misunderstanding, when Iida suddenly grabs him by the shoulder, and... A story about a mysterious hottie at school and a prince of a certain kind. 

yaoi, completed, 5 chapters

THIS IS FUNNY AND CUTE AND HOT AND SHORT BUT REALLY GOOD JUST READ IT YOU WONT REGRET IT!

💜 Yoru to Asa no Uta 

(Chapter 0) ; (Sequel)

Asaichi can't play any instruments, his voice is average, and he's only in the band for the girls and the sex. Plus, he's homophobic. For some reason, the new bassist is infatuated with him despite the treatment Asaichi gives him.

yaoi, completed, 1 + 8 + 8  = 16 chapters

It’s by Harada (author of ‘Yatamomo’ and ‘Color Recipe’) so expect dark themes. Trigger warning for rape. I suggest you skip the rape if you can’t handle it because this manga is so good. Its art and story (much like Harada’s other works) will really suck you in. This left a deep impression on me because the characters felt so alive. I respect Harada so much for that ability.

💜 Eigyou Nika!

Sakisaka, stationed in the second Sales Division, has an unrequited love for Toujou, his directing senpai. He had no intention of confessing his feelings. However, Toujou has been awfully touchy-feely lately… Is there a glimmer of hope? Please don’t let it be a misunderstanding! Which path will these vexing feelings flow down to?

yaoi, completed, 10 chapters

I had fun reading this because it’s so fluffy!! aaaAAAA I love friends to lovers and cuddling and the sweetness that comes from a relationship that is a more than friendship but less than lovers. A lighthearted read <3

💜 Mou Ichido, Nando Demo

On his way home from picking up a rings for himself and his lover, Fuji Takahiro is hit by a car. His resulting amnesia degrades his live-in lover Kotou Tarou to a mere flatmate, and a series of misunderstandings threatens to tear the couple apart. Tossed around by desperation and confusion, can Tarou and Takahiro rebuild their once blissful relationship? 

yaoi, completed, 11 chapters

This is like watching a really good mature drama. The characters feel real and the situations presented in the manga were also something one can easily imagine themselves being put into. A short and good read.

💜Ookami-kun wa Kowakunai

The world is filled with animals that can evolve into beastmen. There is a young and earnest wolf who was always mistaken for a showy person because of his flashy looks. The easily mistaken wolf has fallen for an attractive looking rabbit named Usami, who is cautious of carnivores.

yaoi, completed, 6 chapters

I mEAN,,, LOOK AT THEM!!! This is wholesome and very fluffy huhuhuhu no more words needed. A short and cute read! <3

💜Ookami He No Yomeiri

Kaede is a rabbit person chosen to be the 'bride' of a distinguished wolf family. Although he does not wish to marry a wolf, his family pleads for him to go so that they can have enough supplies to last for the next two years. However, how will his new husband act towards a little bunny rabbit stuck in the wolf's den?

yaoi, completed, 8 chapters

The art is good and the story is cute :((( They’re so cute aaaa I’m a sucker for grumpy looking x ray of sunshine it’s just uGH the contrast never gets old.

💜 Encirclement Love

Ryou had a sleepover and saw his friends - Issei and Tadahiro - kissing while they thought he was asleep. He asks them about it and feels betrayed as a childhood friend when they pretend nothing happened. Determined to catch them red-handed, Ryou ends up inside a closet with Issei's little brother - Yuusei -, who has a unexpected reaction to the situation.

yaoi, completed, 6 chapters

It’s basically four high school boys being horny. All four of them are friends and I find their dynamics really funny. Also, they’re all hOT 🥵 I had lots of fun reading this!

Mother’s Spirit

University employee Ryouichirou is ordered by the Chairman to take in an exchange student. That exchange student, Qaltaqa, is a native from a developing country who can't understand Japanese!! Though he is a warrior of his tribe and a man of great beauty, seeing him afraid of the phone and the TV, and even the toilet, Ryouichirou gets fed up… But while being called "Ryouichirou" in such a clumsy manner, he has a change of heart!?

yaoi, completed, 13 chapters

This is funny and interesting! A short read to boost your mood and get your yaoi fix ;D

Dakaretai Otoko Ichii Ni Odosarete Imasu 

Saijou Takato's 5 year reign as the "Most Huggable No. 1" has been snatched. Stealing his thunder is the newbie actor with a 3-year debut, Azumaya! Towards the stuffy hostile Takato, Azumaya's sincere sparkling smile starts to become effective. Even as Takato sets his alert level on MAX, Azumaya catches Takato in his shameful drunken state and uses it to blackmail him! In exchange for Azumaya's silence, Azumaya states, "Please let me hold you"'?! "Embrace me, who was the Most Huggable No.1? What the heck is he saying!" 

yaoi, ongoing

I remember dropping this because MC was obviously raped, but upon watching the first episode of the anime adaptation, they made the sex consensual (thank God) and the story is not so bad after all. I suggest skipping the first chapter altogether and just start off at episode 1 in the anime, then you can pick it up in the manga to see the explicit scenes xD

That’s it for now! Will continue updating in this tumblr acc. as I continue on reading more BL ehe. Hmu on my twt if u wanna talk about BL and/or anime and manga in general hehe. Love lots~ 💜🐓

[percy-son-of-sally-jackson]

Fave “Mommy’s Boy” Orm Things:

-honestly didn’t think I’d like this Mommy’s boi, but wow surprise surprise! I do even if he is a bit whiny

-my #1 Orm scene is actually that one shot when he shoots out of the water to land on the ship in the final fight, and like his cloak is billowing slowmo and the turbines are turning slowmo, THATS SEXY CINEMATOGRAPHY!!!!! James Wan did so fucking good!!!!!!! (Imo anyways, I’m not a professional I just really loved that scene lmfao)

-“Rise Atlantis” and “Call me...Ocean Master” are both in my top 5 hottest quotes of the movie (joining the Black Manta one ofc)

-that fuckin smirk when he says “but I suspect they are the words of a coward” or whatever when he’s having an audience with the Fishermen King

-His!!!!! Goddamn!!!!!!! Outfits!!!!!!!!!!!

-I’m a big slut for that gold one especially when he met Arthur for the first time

-I swear neither Patrick Wilson nor Orm are my type, I just think that his acting and like the costume department, and the music, and the cinematography are v sexy!!!

-His face softening just a fraction when Arthur says he used to want to meet him

-that sad look on his face when he looks at Mera and Arthur escaping, a look that returns when he thinks for a moment that they perished in the lava

-His reunion with his mother!!!! God!!!!!!! Wow!!!!! Soft babby boi!!!!!!!!!! Like I wanted to fight his ass the entire movie but wow I just wanted to mother him so bad at the end :/// (not sexually, like literally just adopt him or smth idk)

[thefudge]

hi, i always come to your blog when i'm bored and need new ships to ship since you have similar taste to mine. can you recommend me any pairings that are kinda angsty and with a love-hate dynamic?? it doesnt matter if it's books or tv shows or movies. smth like bonkai, or klebekah or damon&kath. i love even unrequited love type of tropes etc

i’m glad to be your blog of choice in such matters lol

this always happens but when ppl ask me for ships my mind is a sudden blank. so this might not be the best selection since i’m sure others will come to me after i already post this ask but:  i would recommend amy and dan from veep (hbo) for amoral competitive assholes who love/hate each other. i’d also go with number five/handler from the umbrella academy. then there’s dinah and billy on the punisher if you want angst-hate. i also love the trashy and not really good but also great incesty bart and cindy from the dollganger series, namely the 2015 “seeds of yesterday” movie. it is. so. much. trash. (and trashy angst) (like, it’s hilarious how much bart tries to “hate” cindy)

oh! there’s also this modern adaptation of the taming of the shrew i watched with rufus sewell as petruchio and it is *chef kiss* in terms of “i hate u but i love u” 

remembered another one! lee and wilson from utopia. oh my gosh. the hitman (lee) who teases one of his victims. wilson hates his guts. i love. there’s also ethan and hecate from penny dreadful! the sneaky witch and the suspicious werewolf. sparks fly (they also arguably have one of the hottest sex scenes on tv)

(speaking of romance, there are some villain/heroine YA books out there catering to this specific trope but honestly a lot of them leave me cold. stuff like the grisha trilogy (alina/darkling) or the shatter me series are fun, but they’re not visceral enough imo. i recommend looking at this post where, among other things, i talk about some hate/love bookish couples)

jfc this answer is a mess. i have so many! like this is my brand! but because they’re so many my mind is a blank lol 

[these-are-the-first-steps]

An objective, uninfluenced review and discussion of TLJ after just leaving the theatre- mileage may vary

THIS SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW IS UNDER A CUT. IF YOU SEE A TON OF TEXT AND NO CUT, SCROLL LIKE HELL. 

OK, so, some initial take-aways:

-This was a really busy movie

-I feel like they crammed three films into one and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

-This did not have the standard feel of a star wars film and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

-Too much comedy. Sorry. It was a bit much and ruined the mood in a lot of places imo.

-Holy shit, that was the hottest, most sexualized hands-touching I have ever seen in my life

-My life literally flashed before my eyes when Finn went to kamikaze. They had him get so close to the end, and that tear— jesus fuck I genuinely thought that was going to be the end and I was a mess. God bless you, Rose.

-My life literally flashed before my eyes when Leia was ejected from the ship- they had me going thinking this was how she was gonna go. The force flying was hokey as shit, but you know what? Fuck it. Carrie Fisher can cheat death and fly- it's fucking canon now. Deal with it.

-The music did not blow me away on TLJ as it did in TFA. Most likely because the movie was so damn busy.

-Too many climaxes. Yes, there is such a thing. I was worn out by the end of this film and there was no real catharsis at all because of it.

-I don't know how the fuck they're going to do 9 without Carrie after that ending. Well…I do have one idea, but I kinda hate it.

The Meat:

The scroll this film was interesting, in that its last sentence broke the mold of previous star wars crawls- that was my clue right off the bat that this would not be following the standard 'feel', for lack of a better word, of star wars films. Honestly, I don't expect the off-shoot movies like 'Rogue One' to follow whatever standard 1-7 do, but like I expect it from the main series, and like I said at the beginning, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet. At the moment I'm a little disappointed that it deviated so much, but we got so many juicy tidbits and moments to have and to hold that that's kind of outweighing the minor point of format. So, I'll be seeing the film a few more times in various formats before coming to a hard conclusion on this.

Anyway…

HAHA POE GOT SLAPPED! THE SLAP HAPPENED! And it was pretty underwhelming honestly. And then out of nowhere Leia's all charm and kindness again? That really made the whole moment meaningless to me. Like she was never mad enough to slap him to begin with, so why? The moment was ruined by Leia's sharp U-turn and that sucked. They had a real opportunity to bring home just how severe and serious Leia's despair over so much loss has been, but the really watered it down every time, usually with comedy.

There was too much comedy in this film. I get maybe they were trying to lighten it up for the kiddos, but they did it in alllll the wrong places. It really botched the mood of the film repeatedly. The timing was just terrible. I mean right off the bat- sure, Poe's exchange with Hux was hilarious, but man it did not need to be in there. At least not first thing in the film when you're trying to set the tone. What a waste on all ends. That part really frustrated me.

I'm surprised at how soon Kylo bashed his helmet to pieces. That was really soon. Sadly the shock of it just wasn't there for me since I'd seen the trailers, but whatever. It was still a great moment done by Adam exceptionally well.

Mark Hamill was A+++ in this film. Everything about him was great. Absolutely stellar. While TLJ was mass confusion, Luke Skywalker stayed consistent and made linear sense throughout- the only exception being the very end. Why….why did he die again? I'm seriously confused? He looked pained, and I kept waiting for the camera to pan down to explain what was going on- did he actually have a giant saber hole in him from Ben or something? But no- he just flounders on a rock for a bit and then kicks it. I still just do not understand. I don't understand it at all. Also, Rian promised us some big compelling monologue from Luke that would be oscar-worthy and it wasn't there. Where was the monologue? Three sentences strung together do not a monologue make. Sorry, kids. I think Mark did a stellar job, as I said, and they've put him up for an oscar nom, but honestly….I don't think it was oscar-worthy simply because there wasn't enough there due to the over-taxed storyline, and if he does get one, it's gonna be earned out of sentiment more than anything, which….I mean, an oscar is an oscar, but still. You know? Also, we had stills and BTS footage of Luke down in that dark side hole with Rey and we never saw that. I hope Rian releases his director's cut so we get those scenes back- otherwise there's a good chance we'll get them in the novel or something.

Canto Bight was super unnecessary. What an unnecessary, overly-busy, budget-draining side romp. Maz was unnecessary. The whole 'let's get the codes' thing was unnecessary, although Benicio del Toro stole the fucking show with his character- that dude was great, and we'll definitely be seeing him again in 9. He's clearly going to be the side-character replacement for Phasma (RIP gurl). Canto Bight achieved only two things: 1. The FinnRose romance. 2. The stable kids, or at least one of them, has the force. Yep! That kid at the end- when he reaches for the broom, the broom jumps into his fucking hand, y'all. That kid has the force. The force is clearly back with a vengeance in the young babies of the galaxy. And that was it. I feel like they could have achieved both those things in better, more meaningful ways. But no, they wanted to do a casino(?) bit that will likely never be heard of again except in extended merchandising because fuck disney's money-grubbing ways. Oh, I DID like DJ's 'Rogue One' call-back reminder about how literally both sides of this war suck and everyone's trash, especially the warlords growing fat off the profits in the middle. I appreciated that bit. It was also a nice social commentary for a young audience that will hopefully stick with them. It was a cool moment that del Toro played beautifully.

Two words: PORG BABIES. Also, is Chewie vegetarian now? xD I don't think a whole colony of porgs should have come along in the falcon- that was a bit much. Again, comedy in places it didn't need to be. Whatever. Moving on.

Laura Dern's character dying was a waste, but you know what? That move she did was fucking brutal. It was amazing. It reminded me of 'Farscape' 's wormhole-popping maneuver immediately, plus extreme bonus damage. Just a beautiful sight.

Rose was great- Kelly Marie Tran knocked that shit out of the park. Laughs, tears, she ran the fucking gamut. I know we were all expecting more from her character's sister, but I guess it was the necessary setup to give her the impetus to go take risks. No complaints at all about Rose- I thought she was lovely.

Wow did Poe get a lot of screen time. He got a lot of screen time. I feel like Poe maybe learned some shit, but I honestly don't feel like Finn learned a whole lot which was disappointing. Even on Canto Bight he was like 'No, we're not doing this! Stop enjoying it!' Growth for him would be to start letting loose a bit, and he just doesn't. I also feel like we were deprived of a closing moment with him at the end of the film- we just get the tender moment with him and Rose, which was sweet, but it felt unfinished. I felt like Finn was more along for the ride in this film than actively moving it, and again I think that's the fault of this film being too damn busy and there not being enough time for things to go smoothly, linearly, and in ways that flowed naturally. There just wasn't time for it, clearly, and so character development suffered- unless you're Poe. Because damn Poe got a lot of screen time.

I felt like we should have spent more time on the salt planet. That felt like another over-done thing that, while the location was necessary, was it necessary to make it so busy? As I write this, I think I'm starting to realize that the backdrops are what have really distracted from the story. The backdrops haven't aided the story at all- they've just severely diverted attention from what's important- i.e. the struggles both literal and emotional happening to our characters. The casino was a riotous mess, visually stunning but constantly pulling my attention away from what was going on. The salt planet had tons of unique features but it didn't serve any purpose to the film. None of these backdrops serviced the story, and I think that's a HUGE problem. With an already busy, intricate web of storylines to keep up with, having all these non-contributing, busy-in-their-own-right backdrops just made it even harder to keep up and stay focused on what was going on. You don't leave the theatre feeling like all the threads came together in the end. You leave the theatre going "Well that was cool…but I feel like I've missed something", because you probably have. Here: YOUR BACKDROP SHOULD NOT BE COMPETING WITH YOUR STORY. Ok, I said it.

Snoke made some comments about Hux that were interesting and then promptly never talked about again. Why's that? Because there was no time. Pity. Anyway, the bit about him being easily manipulated because of his personal issues was great, and I was hoping we'd get to see more of that struggle with Hux, more of that fatal flaw at play- his daddy issues, insecurities about acceptance, etc., but it never came. Instead Hux was wasted on comedic moments. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Once again, unnecessary comedy fucking ruins the mood of this film.

Snoke's demise was shocking but also anti-climactic. They pulled all the power from him in one fell swoop and took this amazingly built-up character, this character that had SUCH cool potential, and Rian just threw it in the trash. I'm pretty disappointed. Actually, I'm really disappointed. No wonder Pablo was so disinterested in Snoke questions- Snoke was made ultimately irrelevant as a character. While the psychological effects of Snoke will continue to be a MAJOR issue, killing him was wasted potential, and now Ben’s lifelong struggle with this creature has been belittled and minimized because of it. That is terrible.

So now we get to the juicy bits- Rey and Ben.

We didn't get to see Rey hardly at all in this film. That….fucking sucked. Poe got more screen time than Rey. Fuck you, Poe. I'm pissed off about this. The only moving, worthwhile moments Rey had were opposite Ben. And boy did Daisy and Adam make the most of very limited screen time. Force Bond ahoy, y'all! We called it and it exists! However, it was really crazy abrupt. There was no lead-up of voices, of the connection establishing itself. One tiny teaser of it would have been enough, but no- suddenly it's just THERE, and the music and sound cuts, and if you weren't us and expecting this kind of force bond communication we've all been writing about prolifically for two years, I'm sure you were like "What the fuck- this is out of left field", because it was. Story-wise, it was. And that's disappointing. You want to see something you love executed well, and while you love and I love the connection, it wasn't executed well. It could have been done better. Again, any kind of hinted lead-up- since it was a surprise for both of them, maybe like a whisper of his voice calling to her in surprise? Or something. Instead we get them both right away, which was a bit blunt. I think it could have used with a bit of finessing. Oh well.

From a story analysis standpoint, I think Snoke's claim that he personally established the connection between them is bullshit. I think he was talking out of his ass, frankly. I think him claiming he forged the bond was back-peddling to try and continue to related all roads back to himself because while he certainly played the all-powerful omnipotence card, he clearly knew he wasn't and worked actively to maintain his illusion to keep Ben in check. But it was all a farce, as we could see, and even Ben knew where all the cracks in Snoke's observational skills were. He didn't really have 24/7 Ben TV. When Ben played him like a goddamn fiddle with that sneak attack, Ben showed that he could cloak and twist his intent in front of Snoke's face all day if he's focused enough, and felt he had enough purpose. He certainly did feel Ben becoming resolved alright. He felt him begin to prepare his saber. But how limited he was in what he could see! How limited, whereas Rey on the other hand….oh, he and Rey have something so much more than Snoke's clearly tenuous hold. Ben was only under the yoke as much as he wanted to be, and that realization is very much a doubled-edged sword. On the one hand, it meant he could find the strength to break free when he found a new purpose in Rey. But on the other, it also means he could have peaced out whenever he wanted and taken the FO with him but clearly he chose not to, which is awful and frustrating. But you know? When you wake up to your uncle looking like he's about to kill you in your goddamned sleep after you've spent years arguing against that sort of thing with the voices insisting your uncle will actually kill you, and suddenly the voices are right and your world is fucking shattered? When the voices become the only viable option in your life? I can get that. I may not agree with it, but I get it. And that's plenty.

Also, can we talk about the story of the school's destruction? So Kylo DID leave with some of the students. Let's make an educated guess and say they are the other Knights of Ren. Nice predicting, y'all. I'm sure they'll become major players in 9 as Kylo attempts to step into his role as supreme leader- while Snoke had the red guard, Kylo will have his knights. Cool. Very cool.

To back-track a little, I enjoyed the force chats between Rey and Ben a lot. I feel like more of them happened that we weren't shown. Even as Rey was recounting her brush with the dark side cave, you can tell she'd already been telling the story for a long while and he'd spent a long while listening. But again, with little finessing with all this, for those not expecting reylo the care they begin to have for each other seems really abrupt. Sorry, general audience- I wish it could have been better, too. But let's take what we can get, shall we? Kylo debases himself in front of Rey- admits he's a monster and then cries about it. I love it. Then he gives her the answer she wants in the form of advice, which was a fantastic bit of writing. After that, she inexplicably mellows out to him quite a bit and there's storytime in the stone house, the exceptionally warm lighting, as their hands achingly, hesitatingly touch- an insane amount of effortlessness in making yourself physical in a force-induced manifestation that, for Ben and Rey, resulted in the sexiest finger-touching I've ever seen, and for Luke became such a strain that it killed him. Powerful in the force are these two, indeed. I can't get over how warm that lighting was- literal love by firelight. And then….and then Rey cried it felt so good. And so did Ben. And when Rey recounts what she saw of his future in the elevator when their hands touched, she does this sweet look down at his chest before looking back with care into his face…I was feeling it so hard, man. That is a loving gesture. *I* have acted that way with someone I love. That's a tic that only belongs to lovers, not friends. What kind of 'solid' future did she see for him? With that kind of tic, it makes me wonder if she hadn't seen herself in it, too. Goddammit, ben! Get your shit together, boy!

Rey's lack of social skills, however, really fucking botched things between them, too. Surely there had to be a better way to reason with him than pulling out a goddamned saber. Bad move, sweetheart. And in one fell swoop you broke that man's heart. Everything after Rey's rejection was just bleeding-heart Kylo vomiting his emotions all over the place. I mean he was seriously torn up about it. And what about Rey running off? How come we didn't get that scene? Did she just straight-up split? Or did she stop for a moment to look at Kylo's unconscious, likely peaceful, face? I'm mad we didn't get to see it because it would have said a lot- instead once Rey rejoins the resistance, we get a TON more relationship-dodging. A TON of dodging. Because you know what? The relationship is there, man. Finn's got his gal, and Rey looks on acceptingly at this turn of events. Kylo and Rey have experienced a lot of emotional stuff together at this point- he's the only one that shares her secret about her parents. But you'd never know anything at all had happened to her at the end of the film. It's just business as usual. And that's really weird to me. That's not character growth. A bit of longing there, for what Rey almost, almost, let herself have with Kylo reflected in Finn and Rose's moment, but no- just plain old start-of-tfa Rey apparently. I mean….Rey didn't even ask him about his scar. He never brought up his scar. Was that a scene that got cut? Because how do you avoid that conversation? How do you avoid that? OH! The fight scene- and where she rolls her back onto his back to fight the red guard I WAS LIVING! It was so good, and they kept checking on each other during the fight. I loved it.

I've just been reminded of the shirtless scene- it didn't come off naturally, but I get that they're trying to establish that the bond is manifesting at 'inconvenient' moments, ok whatever. And then Rey goes and spoils the moment with more unnecessary comedy schtick which rolled off Adam beautifully- thank you, Adam. She totally checked him out, though. Maybe she was reliving that moment a little in the elevator when she looked down at his chest. Makes me wonder again just what exactly she saw in his future. I'm here for it.

Why did Rey fucking sail to the FO in a coffin? That made no sense. Although it was cute that Ben came to pick her up like "Hi." but then "Here are some shackles. Sorrynotsorry." I love how she was clearly expecting something else but NOPE.

Also, Rey really does come from nothing, although I don't fucking know how her parents can be in a potter's field in Jakku when Rey last saw them sail off into space. Sounds like hasty writing after being fed up with fans to me. Although Adam rattled it all off beautifully. And I love how Ben loves her regardless of it all. I loved the whole "You knew this the whole time so who cares because I don't? PS: come be my empress, it'll be great." Adam did so well in this film, but I can't help but think, like every fucking thing else, that his screen time was radically choked and that there's TONS more on the cutting room floor that give his acting more of the credit it's due and that flesh out so many more things to help them make more sense. Ugh.

In conclusion. I liked it. I cried when Leia's old holo projection played. I cried like a bitch. But I didn't leave the film feeling like my mind was blown like it'd been with TFA. I don't know if it's because I just felt overwhelmed in more of a bad way than good due to how busy everything was or if it's because I've been analyzing stuff for two years. It's probably a bit of both. Because I avoided the spoilers like the plague, you know? So everything was still new and a surprise, and while I think the film was a total trip that I'd recommend, TFA just felt cleaner, more impactful, and left enough space for all its characters to fully realize themselves instead of the cram-fest that this movie is. And most importantly, TLJ didn't leave enough space for John Williams to create any stand-out moments like in TFA- "The Starkiller" is a piece that gave me fucking goosebumps and that, to this day, will be one of my favorite moments in movie history. To choose a quiet dirge piece for a moment of bloody chaos was absolutely brilliant and shook me to the core, but there was no time for a moment like that in this film and that really bums me out. I was hoping for another moving experience like that.

Reylo's a thing now, but the kids have a lot of work to do on their relationship, because Kylo's in full spurned-lover mode and he's not handling it well. He's now a kid who's been handed all the power in the universe, and if Rey thinks that's not going to backfire, especially with their direct phone line to each other, she's got another thing coming. She's going to have her hands full trying to talk that boy down, and any next encounter between them is going to be incredibly tense and fraught with emotion. He finally outrightly pleaded with her to be with him. And that fucking means something. And Rey's not dimwitted enough not to see that. She knows the implications. She saw his good-ending future, remember- one that, as she recalled it, her eyes drifted to his chest in a very, very affectionate move that was well played by Daisy. In fact, I was so focused on Daisy's performance in that moment that I missed Kylo's reaction so when I see the film again, I'll have to remember to focus on him next time.

And Leia….Carrie was right that 9 was supposed to be Leia's film. I mean…that ending makes it indisputable. How do you work through that? Especially with Luke copping out? Essentially my prediction for what's going to happen is this: Lots, and lots, of Ghost Uncle Luke times. It's the only option they have. Luke's gonna come back, haunt the shit out of Ben and give him terrible girl advice, and then visit Rey and try to teach her some more. It's the only option they have, really. Mark thought he was finally done, but then Carrie just had to go and die- isn't that just typical. I also love how Billie plays such a bigger role in this film. Her performance was great, too, and there were moments where she really sounded like a young Leia that had me tearing up. I love them all so much.

So that's all I got for this initial objective general review of The Last Jedi. I plan to see this film at least once more in standard 2D (my preferred mode), and also in 4DX because why would you not want to be on Star Wars: The Ride for 2.5 hours? It's worth the ticket price. Plus seeing these films in 3D adds a whole new perspective to things, I discovered after seeing 3D TFA. So I'm open to that, too. I had a lot of technical complaints with this film, but otherwise I like the direction it went in, it was a direction I anticipated (minus snoke being wasted as a character- that still sucks), and I'd say as a shipper we got a good 75% of what we wanted. As a shipper, I'd say full steam ahead for the good boat Reylo and I look forward to a hopefully grittier, more distraught atmosphere to really bring shit home in 9. JJ Abrams gave us a very, very solid, coherent story for 7, and I look forward to having that back again for the grand finale. These characters deserve coherency. I love Rian, but he tried to cram too much in too small a space and lot really suffered for it- this was a problem Rogue One had that I hoped wouldn't repeat itself, but here we are. But even Rogue One navigated its complicated story better than TLJ did, I think. I don't know. Again, I need to see this film a few more times before I can really throw the gavel down. But now that this objective review is out, I'm happy to go back to putting my shipper glasses on and appreciating what we do have: Hot hand touches, shirtless Ben Solo, Rey saying 'Ben', Ben saying 'Rey', both of them crying over each other, both of them ogling each other, and the category of Emperor Ren fiction absolutely fucking exploding (and laughing maniacally that my own 'Exigence in force majeure' is now fucking canon-compliant can you believe this shit what is life).

Ok- enjoy the film, friends! TATFS out. PS: Oh yeah, haha, the jedi books were saved- ok. Also, I would love to get my hands on a director’s cut and all the deleted scenes so that I could try my hand at cutting my own version of this film- eliminate or better time 90% of the comedic bits and create a film that’s really darkly compelling and profound. Ok, I’m really gone this time bye.

[higgs-the-god]

Mm. Thinking about that alien/zombie movie where this guy cut another guys stomach open and. There were just. Fucking parasites Crawling About in there. One of the hottest gotdam scenes imo