#one thing really well: it sets up one twist so cleverly and with such capable misdirection that i was fully suckered when it DOESN'T happen

[enmitymuses]

enmityenergy​:

It wasn’t surprising that she hadn’t seen the message from him, Elsie tended to either be ridiculously observant or the biggest airhead that would forget her own head if it wasn’t attached. And whichever one you got was a coin toss at best.

Which could make things extremely frustrating when it came to being a companion and or client of hers.

It was already suspicious when he talked about having to wait outside for her, Normally she would throw the door open and have no qualms about anyone coming in. Then again he supposed it may have been different due to the unexpected visit.

He wrinkles his nose a bit in thought before his gaze snapped back toward his companion.

There’s an uneasy twist in his soul at the only bit that was fine to talk about at the current moment. There was something….no someone, that she was keeping down there..

She hadn’t done any experiments like that…in a long time.

Since the arena days…..

Just thinking back to that time briefly, makes his hand twitch again.

Ash falls and he’s redirected by the tug of his sleeve, his gaze briefly looking in direction of the golden champions abode. 

So this is what he meant by it being a bit of a ‘walk’, avoiding everyone in existence that might find their current activity a touch a suspicious.

He refocuses himself on their current path, exhaling some of the slowly building anxiousness. “If there are any cameras, I can wipe ‘em. Probably wouldn’t notice it. I doubt she’s tracking them regularly at this point. But it would be a good idea to wipe regardless before we leave.”

Unlike Talon who could mask his signature pretty well with feeding, Grimm on the other hand was an unfortunate blazing beacon. and while he could probably come up with some bullshit reason as to why he was there, it would be a lot easier if there wasn’t evidence of both of them there, together.

“That works.”

Honestly, he hadn’t thought hard about if Elsie would see the both of them in the cameras. He wasn’t even sure if it would matter. One way or another, she might just hear about his investigating.

Grimm really shouldn’t be the first person he went to on this... but he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell anyone else yet.

When Arius had first taken him to see Elsie in the Underground, he’d felt the horrors crawling about in the shadows. It had been a feeling in the depths of his soul, a horrible sense of wrongness that immediately made him want to turn around and book it, potential prosthetics be damned.

As basically being the royal families slave, Grimm had been made to do many things in the past. Being an announcer for the arena had just been the flashiest of his roles. One lesser known one had been protecting Elsie and her lab at all costs- something he’d barely even pretended to do once Arius and Myna had started actively doing it of their own accord.

But, before that, it had just been him and the labs defenses against angry, suicidal monsters wanting a taste of revenge before ultimately dusting. Suffice it to say, Grimm had more than likely seen some shit back then. Would know what Elsie was capable of doing.

Talon breathes, makes himself let go of Grimm’s sleeve, and walks.

.

The lab was a fairly inconspicuous building in the midst of town. Like most of the towns first buildings, it had been built off of an existing building at the ski resort they’d overrun when monsterkind evacuated to the surface, so it had that log cabin feel to it on the outside. 

It had one main entrance, where monsters could come to request or pick up medical supplies or set up appointments with Elsie. This side was what the town loosely called ‘the clinic’.

The real entrance to the lab was at the bottom of a staircase cleverly hidden by perspective and greenery. The door wasn’t grand or imposing. It looked just like any average magic-imprinted door, the handle sunken in until the door either recognized who was trying to enter or a magically-infused key was used to unlock it. Certainly not worth trying to break in.

Talon, who had previously broken in, leaned against the wall as he waited for Grimm to unlock the door.

These sorts of doors were very secure, and had been all over the old Capital. He was very familiar with eating right through them in his ‘smoked’ form, and simply walking back out when his business was done. They didn’t lock the same way from the inside. Not that he’d walked out this one, paranoid as he was that Elsie had set up sensors for whenever the door opened.

Arius had a key, but he kept it on his person at all times and would certainly want to know why Talon needed to get into the lab while Elsie wasn’t there... and Talon hadn’t wanted to make things messy with lies.

When the door silently swings open, Talon follows Grimm inside, taking the lead once more.

“Elsie is with Myna and Liz tonight, so there shouldn’t be a time limit on this.” Talon says quietly. “Come on: it’s towards the back.”

He doesn’t pretend to know what most of the strange contraptions were in this place, only really knowing that the computer setup was probably where the security footage was. Some things he recognized from her old lab, things important enough to her that she bothered to take them to the surface.

One such thing is a large, round matt-like thing on the ground in the far corner of the lab. It looked more like a strange, metal rug to him, or perhaps a metal platform of some kind. He wouldn’t have given it a second glance, if not for the energy still swirling delicately through the air around it- the same energy that had been sticking to Elsie several days prior.

Only because of that had he walked onto it, had it activate in response to the bit of Elsie’s energy he had, and found out what it was.

A teleportation pad.

Stopping before it, he turns to Grimm, gesturing to it. He was hoping Grimm would recognize it for what it was.

“It still works. Queen Hera used it. It was her aura I saw on Elsie, and it’s still here in the air.”

[fermented-writers-block]

PART 1 of 6 of the Owl Deity Hooty Theory

[NEXT PART]

[OWL DEITY HOOTY THEORY MASTERPOST] (in development)

(TLDR at bottom of post)

Over several long months of research and analysis since March of 2020, I have been following an utterly fascinating thread of potential misdirection and subtle details throughout The Owl House, and today, I would like to start weaving together of what I believe could become one of the biggest and most cleverly disguised twists in the entire show.

To begin, let’s take a look at the B plot of Understanding Willow:

On first glance, it’s an ultimately inconsequential sidestory with the sole purpose of justifying an excuse to keep Luz and Amity in Willow’s mind, as well as providing some well-needed room to breathe and release tension after the veryemotionally charged confrontation with Inner Willow. After half an episode of Eda and King outdoing the other in ridiculous ways to win Gus’ vote and Gus running off in frustration at the end of the episode from Hooty’s inane rambling, it’s easy to laugh off Gus’ pick and assume that nothing/of value was said when he closed the door for the interview.

However, if one pays close attention to that very scene, Hooty actually canstill be heard (if faintly) underneath Eda and King’s grumbling, interestingly talking about how “It all started with a hunt. Blood red skies. That’s right, I was created-.”

Now, while it may seem silly to focus on dialogue from Hooty of all characters, this A) tells us that there was an event in the past involving blood red skies and a hunt of some kind, B) that Hooty had been created close to said event, and C) implies that what he knows but can’t tell as a story worth a damn is EXTREMELY important to be included and be hidden in such a manner.

For comparison, the only other instance of dialogue being tucked away in the background in the entire show is in Wing It Like Witches:

During the lecture at the beginning of the episode, the history teacher openswith lore on Belos appointing a head witch to each coven over 50 years ago, immediately cluing in the audience to try and decipher the rest of the lecture as it moves to the background. Adding to this is how the musical sting when Luz shows off her movie obscures what he says even further, making it even more of a intriguing puzzle that the creators clearly intended for viewers to pick up on and attempt to solve.

In contrast, the hidden dialogue of Hooty’s interview is much shorter and not as hard to decipher as the teacher’s history lesson, but at the same time, there are few to no indicators whatsoever in that scene to clue in the audience to even check for something like that. It comes at the end of an episode where most viewers would have been paradoxically tired out and driven abuzz by the revelations of Amity and Willow’s relationship, doesn’t attempt to draw much attention to itself, and frames itself as a comedic subversion of audience expectations with neither the “greatest witch who ever lived” or the self-proclaimed king of demons being picked by Gus.

Instead, he picks someone that the show portrays constantly as an oblivious and gullible idiot after being described as a “state of the art defense system” at the very beginning of the series. Someone who, despite it being played for laughs, is scarily capable of casually subduing Lilith offscreen one episode and then beating her and an entire squad of Emperor’s Coven members without even the slightest change in personality or temperament.

Someone who, due to being the Owl House itself, could be considered the titular character of the entire show, yet is taken for granted by those who inhabit him and barely gets any respect from even the cutely patronized King - including when Hooty could be interpreted as having potentially been full on DEAD for a time given the use of extremely cartoony X eyes and a lack of vital signs in The Intruder.

And someone who Eda at best tolerates and at worst abandons in personal interactions and only occasionally acknowledges him when he’s actually doing his job. Yet at the same time is so implicitly trusted beyondprotecting her home to the point where - when up against the closest person Eda has to an equal outside of likely Belos - the only actually recognizable spells Eda used in combat were 1) stereotypical energy blasts, 2) a single shield spell in Covention, and 3) a noticeably large reliance on imitations of Hooty above any other spells she could have decided to use instead.

In short, the show repeatedly tells us he is just an idiotic gag character through and through, but at the same time demonstrates he has immense power through both onscreen and offscreen demonstrations, implicitly tells us his importance ahead of time through Eda’s imitations in actually serious situations, and treats his interview and origin story as - if not even more- important to keep secret than a long lore dump about how Belos’ reign works.

After all, there being only two instances of hidden background dialogue in the entire season is already intriguing on its own, but for one to get plenty of clues to draw in people’s attention and for the other to be treated as just another gag about a “mere comic relief character” - aka a good way to draw away attention and lower one’s guard - heavily suggests a far deeper significance buried under layers of misdirection, comedy, and conditioned audience expectations.

I mean, when Eda bragged about being “a bad girl living in a secret fortress,” Hooty followed with a remark about how “I’m the secret.” While that line may sound like Hooty simply being confused as part of a one-off on the surface, it’s an odd dialogue choice for the writers to pick when you think about all the other reminders of his nature as the house itself throughout the season. With the precedent these moments set, it would have been much more appropriate for him to latch onto the “fortress” side of “secret fortress” AND it would have been just as equally funny of a joke about his awareness skills, but instead, Hooty broke away from the established trend to say something that would make people suspicious were it to come from anyone else.

In a way, this reminds me much of the many subtle bits of foreshadowing strewn across the show, like Luz unknowingly describing Amity in Witches Before Wizards and Eda burning a hole through Luz’s coven type quiz that coincidentally selected the same track she had taken at Hexside as “a punky potionist.” At the time of airing, these initially seemed like one-off jokes, but eventually came back in full force several episodes later with Amity’s hidden sensitive feelings and love for the Azura books becoming clear in Lost in Language, and the reveal of Eda’s school track in Something Ventured, Someone Framed with her school misdemeanor pictures.

That said, compared to these individual bits of minor foreshadowing, the jokes about Hooty in Understanding Willow appear to simply be the most obvious pieces in a giant puzzle, implicitly and outright telling attentive viewers that there’s a major mystery to be uncovered here.

In fact, I feel bold enough to say that we could be looking at a twist on a similar scale to that of the Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz and Stanford Pines twists in Steven Universe and Gravity Falls respectively, what with this particular puzzle piece coming from how Gus wanted to make THE greatest interview of all time, and how he was looking for someone who was “interesting, accomplished, AND noteworthy:”

Note the emphasis on the ‘and’ here, as Gus had made a big deal that “people aren’t meantto be all those things” at the beginning of the episode, so as a result, stripping away all the comedic framing of his subplot leaves the intriguing implication that whoever - and, perhaps, what- Hooty is, they really are the most interesting, accomplished, AND noteworthy person out of everyone.

I could go further and talk about why I suspect the mystery surrounding King’s origins, whether true or not, is partially meant to misdirect us from paying attention to Hooty, or how the TOH crew’s could be disguising legitimate clues to his nature among made up and highly meme-able joke answers in order to proliferate said concepts throughout the fandom - thus letting us do all the dirty work of getting ourselves used to the ideas and used to dismissing them at the same time - but to bring things to a close for now, I’d like to leave you all with a question that I’ll start answering next time:

What does it mean when both the most powerful and notorious witch on the Boiling Isles and the possible actual king of demons/the Titan itself/something don’t match up to a house? And what do you think it is that makes him so special to warrant such misdirection?

TLDR: Between Eda’s golem spells, the show stressing his nature as the titular house, his implicit strength, and the odd dialogue and structure of Understanding Willow‘s subplot in relation to him, I believe I have good reason to suspect the show has been giving us many hints towards Hooty being much, much more important than it would like us to currently believe or even joke about. Particularly, through clever uses of comedy to establish and enforce a strong audience bias against looking closely at him or unironically taking him seriously, and to potentially plant the seeds for something I will start exploring in Part 2.

[ladyherenya]

Books read in September

I had a moment of intense self-centredness and, internally, wailed: Why isn’t the world filled with more books that appeal exactly to me??? 

I’ve concluded that it’s like I have an inner story-troll sitting inside me shouting: Tell me a story! I try to appease it by presenting it with books, one at a time, and seeing how it reacts. 

Favourite cover: Flyaway.

Reread: The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley. (I also reread From All False Doctrine at least twice.)

Also read: The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain by Stephanie Burgis and Snow Day by Andrea K Höst.

Still reading: The Time-Traveling Popcorn Ball by Aster Glenn Gray and The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett,

Next up: I have borrowed The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, Taking Down Evelyn Tait by Poppy Nwosu, and Between Silk and Cyanide: A Code Maker’s War, 1941-45 by Leo Marks. And maybe I’ll finally get around to The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams?

*

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakroborty (narrated by Soneela Nankani): I think this Middle East-inspired fantasy was just not the story I was in the headspace for -- it was longer, with more complicated worldbuilding and fewer answers. Possibly I’d have followed the political intrigue of Daevabad better had I read this in one gulp (I got halfway through the 20-hour-long audiobook before it was due back and I read other books before picking up the ebook). I liked the two protagonists, enough that I’m curious about what happens to them next, but the second book is 23 hours long and undoubtedly won’t resolve everything either. Maybe another day.

Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier: Ryo is left as a “tuyo” -- a sacrifice to be killed by an enemy -- as a sign that his tribe will withdraw from the Ugaro’s war with the Lau. But his captor doesn’t want to kill him, he wants Ryo to help him stop the war. Neumeier effectively creates tension between people who are polite, honest and honourable, and shows an intriguing relationship, defined by mutual respect, fealty and something more familial. There’s also some unusual magically-defying-physics-as-we-know-it worldbuilding but apparently I was far more interested in the character dynamics. I enjoyed this. Sequel, please?

From All False Doctrine by Alice Degan: My favourite book this year! Toronto, August 1925. Elsa Nordqvist, who hopes to write her MA thesis on a recently-discovered Greek manuscript, is at the beach with a friend when they meet two foster-brothers. This meeting deftly sets up everything which follows. The cover says “A Love Story” but this is also like a cross between a Golden-Age mystery novel and a fairytale retelling, with bonus academia and Anglicanism. I really like how much these characters value their friendships, their lively, intelligent and often honest conversations, and the way the romance unfolds. It also feels like a story written just for me and a hard one to review because my reaction has been very personal.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark (narrated by Julian Thomas): Set in the same city as A Dead Djinn in Cairo, this novella follows two agents from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities as they investigate a possessed tram car. The world-building is vivid and cleverly, thoughtfully, imaginative. But, perhaps because of the mood I’m in and because this story isn’t interested in exploring the personal lives of its detectives, I have no feelings about this.

The Angel of Crows by Katherine Addison: Sherlock Holmes wingfic involving Jack the Ripper murders. Not what I’m looking for in a Holmes retelling. But I was sufficiently intrigued by something the author wrote. I really like Crow and Dr Doyle (arguably more than their original counterparts). My interest wavered a bit during the second half. It closely mimics the style and structure of the original mysteries in many ways and that’s not my favourite style. I wanted fewer cases to solve, and more of Crow and Doyle interactions. I liked the ending, enough to be glad that I hadn’t given up halfway through.

Making Friends with Alice Dyson by Poppy Nsowu: Australian YA. Alice plans to spend her final year of high school staying invisible and studying hard, but is thrown into the spotlight after someone posts a video of her dancing with Teddy Taualai. I loved how intensely this captures Alice’s emotions and perspective, and how the story explores that people have different emotions, perspectives and needs. Alice seems to me like someone who might be on the autism spectrum -- and whether or not that’s what the author intended, it’s great to see characters like her represented. I wish it had unpacked her relationship with her parents more, but that didn’t negate how much I enjoyed this. 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han (narrated by Laura Knight Keating): I can’t remember why, after I read To all the boys I’ve loved before and P.S. I still love you in 2017, I decided against reading the third book. It turned out to be my favourite. I loved it! I had a different experience of finishing high school and applying for university, but I find Lara Jean’s perspective intensely relatable: she has strong opinions about aesthetics; she’s nostalgic, introspective, stressed by uncertainty; she enjoys spending time at home with her family. I liked how this book captures her wonder at the intimacy of knowing another person well, and how, although she sometimes worries about their future, she has very few doubts about Peter himself. I haven’t come across very many YA novels in which a teenage girl is so secure being in a relationship. 

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley:  After her sister dies, Eva stays with family friends in Cornwall, where she and Katrina spent summers years ago. I wasn’t expecting time-travel. I like time-travel stories, and I like how Kearsley handles it here. Eva’s choices make sense, given her situation, and the story emphasises that, even though she cannot control when she travels in time, there are still many choices she can actively make. So Eva becomes fascinated with 1715, because of the people she meets there and the relationships they develop... but I wanted to spend more time in the present-day Trelowarth, with its rose gardens and new tea room.

Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings: After she receives a mysterious note, nineteen year old Bettina flouts her mother’s rules for ladylike behaviour and embarks on a roadtrip with a couple of forgotten friends in search of her brothers, who disappeared three years ago. I loved some of the descriptions, especially seeing a rural Australian setting for this sort of fantasy. Jennings creates a wonderfully eerie atmosphere and the mystery kept me reading. However, the folktale parts of the story are dark, uncomfortably so. Very successfully Gothic, just ultimately not really my brand of Gothic.

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan: There’s something so incredibly soft about this romance -- yet at the same time, it’s about two people who work fiercely towards their goals, worry about things, and are acutely aware of the discrimination they and other they love face as Chinese people in late 19th century England. Chloe and Jeremy’s relationship is characterised by banter and gentle teasing that reveals just well they know and accept and care about each other. Moreover, they have friends and relatives -- and a community -- who are supportive. I really enjoyed reading this and appreciated how low-angst it is.

The Threefold Tie by Aster Glenn Gray: Very tender. The characters convinced me that they were capable of communicating honesty with each other and making an unconventional relationship work. I liked the prose, which is no great surprise. 

Hamster Princess: Whiskerella by Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher): This time, adventure finds Harriet at home: her parents are throwing a masked ball so she can “meet some nice young princes without terrifying them”. But the princes are all preoccupied with a beautiful stranger, and Harriet is distracted by the mystery: who is this hamster, how did she get in without an invitation and what sort of magic is behind her glass slippers?  I think this is my favourite of Harriet’s adventures (so far). I loved the humour in this one.

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer: When Echo finds her missing father unconscious and half-frozen in the woods, she is given a choice by the white wolf. A retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” with elements from “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tam Lin” thrown in, this has so many things which appeal to me, including an unexpected and wonderful library. Yet I found it frustrating and slow; the prose and the characters are rather straightforward, and I predicted nearly all the twists (bar the finale). But I believe that this tale could delight a younger, or a less critical reader.

The Disastrous Début of Agatha Tremain by Stephanie Burgis: In the two years since she turned sixteen and dismissed her governess, Agatha has been free to disregard ladylike behaviour, studying the books in her father’s library and teach herself magic. But then her aunt arrives and insists upon Agatha making a social début. This novelette is another story that I suspect I’d like more if it had been longer, if some of its ideas had been expanded upon and some of the relationships been given more space to develop. Agatha’s aunt and her motivations were unexpected, and I wasn’t entirely comfortable or satisfied with how that was resolved.

Snow Day by Andrea K. Höst: This novelette takes place after the Touchstone trilogy, more specifically after In Arcadia. Two outsiders get to see Cass and her family on Snow Day, and reveal a bit about their upbringing on Kolar.  This feels very much like fanfiction which just happens to be written by the author. It is fun to see familiar characters through others’ eyes and the expanded worldbuilding is interesting, but as a narrative, it seemed somewhat incomplete. (Maybe she’s planning something more with these characters?)

[dcarevu]

Batman TAS: Perchance to Dream

“It’s a big hole in the ground, with a big car in it that’s all black. Remember?”

Episode: 30 Robin: No Writers: Joe R Lansdale (teleplay), Laren Bright (story), and Michael Reaves (story). Director: Boyd Kirkland Animator: Dong Yang Airdate: October 19, 1992 Grade: A

This should go without saying, but because of the nature of the episode (and because it was spoiled for me before I ever saw it), I am issuing a MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING. Take this as me telling you that going into this episode blind is highly recommended, and part of the fun of it is the mystery.

Are you ever disappointed to wake up from a dream? For me, it is usually a matter of not having finished the story that was playing out, or forgetting details. I don’t like waking up and causing cliffhangers which go forever unsolved, especially when I can’t even tell people about them. Then there are the dreams that you are so glad you woke up from. Usually these dreams consist of the scariest things we have ever experienced. Isn’t it crazy to think about? For many of us, the scariest moments of our lives never even truly happened in the real world. Batman lives these moments practically every episode. Things like our friend getting half of their body demolished and then turning into a contradicting gangster, or a clown who turns all the fish in the area into smiling, trepidatious frights. These events have very dreamlike qualities. They likely would never happen in real life, and don’t make all that much sense. Ironically, when Batman has what starts out as the best dream of his life, providing an escape from all that we try to avoid at night, he wants nothing to do with it. Because even though our REM thoughts are his conscious ones, and he probably could have lived the rest of his life in bliss, it means nothing to him if it’s not real. Looking the other way is not something that Batman is capable of. This is why he has made the enormous impact he has. Not only did the night at Crime Alley send his life into a gothic cave of despair, it also seemed to cause him to purposely repel any hope of happiness. Happiness to Batman is irresponsibility. Yet he stops at nothing to allow the innocent to live the happy life he is incapable of.

This is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, even though I never got to experience the unknown. Batman falls into a mysterious trap, but wakes up immediately afterward. Suddenly, his life is completely different. His parents are alive. Selena Kyle is set to become his wife. He is no longer Batman. The weight of responsibility has been removed. He is set to live life as a rich playboy, while someone else swings around the city in a bat-mask. But there is a nagging feeling that none of it is right. There are inconsistencies and problems that prevent him from enjoying. Through a series of events, he ends up at the top of a tower in a cemetery, in a fight against himself, eventually jumping to what seems like his death. He wakes up from a dream that the Mad Hatter set up for him, and apprehends the criminal. What makes this episode so sad is that Bruce so desperately wants the dream to be real. At one point, after talking to Leslie Thompkins, he actually does begin to accept things. He tells us, “The nightmare is over!” Bruce considers his life a nightmare. He hates being Batman, but he is an addict. Right as he is truly about to throw his old life away, he opens up a newspaper and can���t read a word. The text is all jumbled. This is proof that this new life is not real, as he knows that in dreams, it is impossible to read. Cleverly, at the beginning of the episode, there is a sign on a building that is jumbled up, and no one mentions it. A very subtle detail that one can appreciate on a second watch. Another Easter egg is the music that plays immediately as soon as the title card pops up. It’s the Mad Hatter’s theme music, and we have only seen Hatter one time, so one is not likely to recognize it. But if you know it, you know it. Figuring this detail out yourself can give one a sense of accomplishment, and discovering a twist ending on your own rather than a spoiler is incredibly satisfying.

I also noticed that certain characters are nowhere to be seen, most notably being Robin. At first I wasn’t sure how to take this. Does Batman regret inviting Robin into his life? Why is Robin not there? This is supposed to be his desired life. But after talking to Char, I realized that in Batman’s ideal world, Robin’s parents never would have been killed in the first place, and so Robin would have no reason to be living with Bruce. Alfred is here, but his usual warmth seems to have vanished. I think this is less a reflection of Bruce, and more that Alfred never had to become such a fatherly figure. He lived with Bruce’s parents, serving as the butler, and not much more. He is still fairly friendly, but there is not as much between he and Bruce as there typically is at all. Also, I’m not sure if this was an inside-joke, but there is one point where Alfred helps pick out something for Bruce to wear. He selects a brown coat and says, “This should be just the thing for your meeting.” In the DVD commentary, the crew has joked about Bruce’s sense of style, making fun of his typical mustard-yellow and brown combo. The way Alfred says it makes me wonder, but I could be looking way too much into it.

Perchance to Dream is mostly action free until the ending, but Dong Yang still manage to knock it out of the park. Their best work yet, and they especially shine during the climax. There were some incredibly beautiful shots, and other points in the story are great too. There were a couple instances where the animation was massively smooth, reminding me of the pilot The Dark Knight’s First Night. I’m wondering if they blew their budget on this one, and that is why their work on Robin’s Reckoning is so poor (coming soonish). Credit should also go to Boyd Kirkland who’s angles and ideas give us a sense of wonder at every step, even when fairly mundane. The voice cast does the same. I swear the police officer is voiced by the dude that did a bunch of trailers in the 90’s or early 2000’s. Because I am so used to hearing it in that environment, yes, it sounds very out of place in Batman, but in a good way. His delivery is startling, and it acts as icing on top of the dreamlike cake. While we’re on voices, though, it should be noted that Bruce doesn’t talk in his Batman voice for the majority of the story. if this is his natural speaking voice, I think he should have been. I’m sure there’s a way to make it sound happy. They did it in Batman Beyond. At the same time, lines like “I’ve never felt better in my life, sir” have such perfect delivery they make me tear up, and said any differently would not have been as stellar. Oh gosh, and Mad Hatter’s delivery. The anguish made you feel for him, and he is not a character I held any sympathy for previously. I found him to be the ultimate incel. Many people see him as a tragic character, he’s a creepy asshole who carries the dreaded “nice guy syndrome”. Does he mean well? Don’t know, don’t care. But hearing him scream at Batman, explaining that he was willing to give Batman the life he always wanted just to prevent him from being a bother anymore, it’s heart-breaking. He simply wants Batman out of the way, and he decided to do it humanely this time. I find this very interesting, and this Mad Hatter episode dwarfs Mad as a Hatter.

Batman’s wipers come on after his car is coated in gunk. It’s the little details.

Nothing good ever happens on catwalks in this show.

Pictured here is a 13-year-old in the presence of Justin Bieber. Or whoever the kids listen to these days.

Little known fact, the Batcave is very much there. But this is. obviously an episode where it’s located behind the bookshelf, not behind the clock. Silly Bruce! Must have forgotten to read that part of the script.

Well no wonder he always wears that jacket with those options. 

I’m wondering what types of things Bruce does with his parents still alive and all. Then again, nothing in this world exists beyond the boundaries of when the dream starts and ends.

Bruce has been wanting Selena practically since her first appearance. But that face says it all. Is this relationship any more genuine than Mat Hatter and Alice’s?

This is the point of the episode where I could really sense the gears in Char’s head working. It’s the point where things go from being wrong to impossible. 

Notice the sign. 

Love the movement of Batman’s cape.

Some of the unusually smooth animation I mentioned before.

Great takedown. Batman holds the guy and spins down a pole, making him so dizzy that he faints. 

These two have the most conflicting colors on...

“Then... The nightmare is over.”

Kinda wish we saw Bruce shed a couple of tears.

Not only is the text all jumbled up, but there also seems to be way more text than what would fit on the paper. Even more strange, we see a smiling Batman. 

A look of madness on Bruce that we hardly ever see. it’s a great facial expression. 

The text here is also unreadable. Also, we’re getting to the point of the episode where virtually every angle is perfect. So here is a series of shots:

Boyd Kirkland and his team clearly cared a lot.

Batman comes in mysteriously like a kite. It reminds me of when Dorothy was trapped in the tornado. 

Bruce gets a taste of what criminals get almost every night.

Seriously, how can a figure with cute little bat-ears be so threatening-looking?

The Mad Hatter’s model isn’t quite as finicky this time around, and while I still feel that it was probably hard to translate to animation, it works a lot better. He looks like he belongs on the show.

Look at that smug face. He is sure that Bruce will never escape. I also like the thought of Bruce reaching a waking point, so even though he’s still asleep, he still picks up conversation going on around him. His subconscious recognizes Jarvis’ voice, and that’s how dream-Bruce was able to reveal the truth. But that’s just my interpretation. 

Bruce took a gamble, and you can tell by his expression that he may regret jumping. He truthfully has no idea if this will do the trick or not.

This is weird, but I love the shape of Batman’s eye here. 

Char’s grade: A Next time: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

Full episode list here!

[ivanoconnorhorrorbooks-blog]

Despite many able to argue that attempting to rank the talents of Stephen King in a 'Best Stephen King Books' type-article is a foolish battle, I am going to give it a go as it's a great excuse to get my King collection out. First time King-readers will also hopefully benefit from this, as let us remember that the great Stephen King has published over 60 books by the age of 64, and with the inconsistency that inevitably brings - reading the wrong novel first might put you off King forever. And oh what a crime that would be! Here goes - My personal 13 best Stephen King books.

The following best Stephen King books list is based on a broad number of criteria, including the number of sleepless nights caused from the nightmares that swiftly followed reading the books...

13- Misery

Misery was one of the first King stories that I got my hands on, and I remember reading it from start to finish over the span of no more than three nights. It makes for a fantastic introduction to Stephen King's writing and I thoroughly recommend it as a potential first King novel to read. Misery is the chilling story of an author named 'Paul Sheldon' who has spawned a series of popular stories about a woman known as only 'Misery'. Paul Sheldon decides he wants to write about something new, so he kills off the character known as Misery. On his way back home he has a car accident which overturns his car, leaving him knocked out. He then awakes to find he has was saved and being looked after by a strange woman named 'Annie Wilkes', who also happens to be his number one fan. Annie is not impressed with Paul's decision to kill off Misery, and so Paul, who once wrote to make a living, is now writing for his life. A truly fantastic story, which admittedly should be avoided if you are weak at heart, as there are some tremendously vivid and terrifying gory scenes.

12- The Green Mile

The Green Mile is a highly acclaimed novel that was originally published over six short separate instalments, each being released a month after the other and ending in a nail-biting cliffhanger. Those were the days...

Many have you have probably seen the movie-adaptation in which Tom Hanks stars, need I really say more? Unlike many other movies based on books, the movie is a loyal and strong interpretation of the book accompanied by remarkable acting. However, despite being a great movie, the book is still king (pun unintended) thanks to the many twists and sub-plots that did not make it into the movie. The story is set in the 30′s and tells the emotional tale of the experiences of prisoners on death row and the guards. The green mile is wonderfully well-written - you feel part of the fictitious world that is full of oppression and segregation that leads to multiple memorable thought-provoking and moving moments. Who said Stephen King can only write horror gems?

11- Bag Of Bones

Bag of Bones is possibly King's most ambitious attempt at having a love story. Similar to The Green Mile this is another of Stephen King's novels that doesn't strictly follow his early horror style of writing, and as such is not as popular as some of his other work. Which is a shame, because if given the chance, this is another truly wonderful ghost story full of twists and vivid characters. The main character is, as you've come to expect with King, a writer called Mike Noonan. Mike's wife suddenly dies and causes him to have a severe case of 'writer's block'. In order to get over his writer's block he returns to his summer house, where he discovers that his wife was on the trail of something highly sinister. With countless twists and turns concluding to a haunting ending, you will undoubtedly be left as breathless and mentally exhausted as I was. Great read...

10- Firestarter

Firestarter is perhaps one of Stephen King's lesser known novels and doesn't often feature in lists of the Best Stephen King Books. It might have something to do with the underwhelming reaction people had after seeing the movie-adaptation - many people see films and then read the book if the movie was any good. Whatever the reason is, a lot of King fans are missing out on a very good story which they would surely love. Firestarter is the tale of a father and his young daughter with pyrokinetic powers, who have to constantly be on the run from a government agency trying to capture the young girl to use her powers for their own gain. The plots are cleverly connected and the likeable characters make you genuinely care for their well-being. Recommended.

9- The Dark Tower Series

The Gunslinger is the first entry of King's The Dark Tower series and follows the protagonist, Roland, on his quest to the Dark Tower, but before he can get there he must locate his enigmatic antagonist that he kindly calls 'The Man in Black'. King took twelve years to write this book, but came up with the epic first line while still at University: 'The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed', gripping start for sure and there's a great deal more of it as you discover how Roland is capable of extreme violence, yet somehow still manages to come across as kind. A great start to a great series and a must-read for any Fantasy/Western book-lover.

8- Pet Semetary

Pet Sematary (purposely misspelt) is one of King's most enthralling and chilling novels. I read it for the first time when I was 14 and the disturbing nature of the story hindered the quality of my sleep for weeks (months?), I wasn't able to pick it up for several years, and for that reason I would wholeheartedly recommend this novel to every horror-lover. The story starts out when the Creed family, a happy family of four and a cat, decide to move house. In their new home, unspeakable evil things start to happen and are certain to keep you on the edge of your seat. Thoroughly frightening and definitely not one for the faint-hearted.

7- It

It is the story of a sleepy town in Maine, called Derry. Every three decades, mysterious and unspeakable evils occur, first come the rare sightings that are quickly followed by a series of murders of young children. The local residents refer to the being that causer of these acts as It, and not much is known about It, apart from the fact that it can shape-shift and appears to each person as a combination of their worst fears. A group of outcast teenagers decide to take a stand against the ultimate evil, and as adults return to Derry three decades later to fight It. The beauty of this book is in how King sets the mood of the story, by making It live in places within our very own homes that we take for granted, such as drains and sewers and the strong chemistry between the main characters as they are naturally gravitated towards each other due to their outcast status.

6- Different Seasons

Different Seasons is a collection of four different stories that saw one of Stephen King's first attempts at writing something not strictly-horror, however do not despair, there are still plenty of gory moments to keep the hardcore fans satisfied - Starting with Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (Hope Springs Eternal) which tells the story of an innocent man in prison convicted of murder, plotting his escape. With fantastic characters and a gripping story, it is a great start to the book. Many people will be aware of Frank Darabont's adaptation of the book into a movie which revels in the brilliance of the story - Shawshank Redemption, however this should not be the only reason to pick up this book, the rest is just as good. The second story in Different Seasons is called The Apt Pupil (Summer of corruption) and is about a seemingly normal teenager who discovers that a local resident is a war criminal, and causes him to develop a morbid curiosity about Nazi death camps. The third story is called The Body (Fall from Innocence), which is the touching story of four teenagers who are dared to go into the woods to confirm the existence of a dead body, and ends up becoming a coming-of-age story. Finally we have the macabre The Breathing Method (A Winter's Tale) which tells of an unmarried and pregnant woman determined to give birth, no matter what... All four stories are severe page-turners and will have you go through a range of strong emotions. Highly recommended for a rainy day.

5- Carrie

Carrie, as you are probably aware already, was Stephen King's first novel and kick-started his incredible career. It is hard to believe that this masterpiece was a writer's first published work, and the popularity and cult-status that it created still remains intact to this very day. Carrie takes you into the world of a lonely and tormented teenage girl who has problems both at home and at high school. Unable to connect with anyone, Carrie finally snaps and unleashes her rage using violence mixed with her telekinetic powers, causing havoc in the usually quiet small town.

4- Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot was Stephen King's second novel, following the hit that was Carrie. It was released in 1975 and immediately became another massive hit by terrifying even the most hardcore of horror readers. The protagonist is author Ben Mears, plagued by personal demons, decides to move to an old mansion in Jerusalem's Lot in a bid to rid himself of them and write a new book. However, Ben quickly discovers that things are not as they seem, and that his home town are under siege by the dark forces of evil. This is a vampire novel, but unlike the recent wave of romantic vampire stories around, these vampires are not friendly or charming at all, they are pure evil. The characters are, as expected, well-developed with believable back-stories that will keep you engaged and highly interested.

3- The Dead Zone

The Dead Zone comes in at number seven on this Best Stephen King Books list and is a book that I personally was mysteriously put-off reading for a very long time, I still do not know why that was, but I was very mistaken to not pick it up sooner. It was King's fifth published novel and is one that Stephen King himself later admitted to being one of the few novels that he plotted and actually liked. The Dead Zone is a fast-paced story about a man called Johnny Smith who after a terrible accident is left in a coma for several years. When Johnny finally awakens, he quickly discovers he has obtained the unique ability to limitedly see into the future of people he touches. With this new power and strong desire to use them for good, he unwittingly foresees terrible events. What makes The Dead Zone so special is that the writing is controlled and well-paced, but above all the character development is fantastic.

2- The Shining

The Shining is a chilling story that follows the dysfunctional Torrance family with a sickening past plagued by alcoholism and abuse. The father of the family, Jack, was a teacher until the day he spotted some of his students damaging his car and ended up punching them. After losing his job, the family are forced to move to a far away and isolated hotel, as that was the only place that would offer Jack a job. During a terrible winter the Torrance family are snowed in and forced to look after the hotel on their own, initially things seem under-control, but as the iconic 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' statement, all is not well... There are not many characters outside of the family of three, allowing the novel to provide vast amounts of information and back-stories to all them, leading to stand-out character-development, which must rate among Stephen King's very best.. One of my favourite novels ever written and an absolute must-read for any book-lover - even if you have seen the critically-acclaimed movie starring Jack Nicholson.

To conclude our Best Stephen King Books list, I leave you with the book that marked me the most and despite giving me countless cold-sweated and sleepless nights, I read at least four times. A true premier horror classic that will remain in every horror and King aficionado's library forever:

1- The Stand

The Stand is a book that most readers are familiar with. Initially I thought that having to state a number one for a best Stephen King books list would be a tough task, but after remembering The Stand, it was the easiest one of the list. The story starts in the early 90′s in the California Desert, where a deadly mutated flu virus created by the U.S government manages to escape from a biology testing laboratory through a contaminated guard by the name of Campion. Unwittingly, this panicky character sets off a domino effect where 99% of the world's population is rapidly killed off by the deadly virus. The only survivors are those lucky (or unlucky) ones that happen to be naturally immune to the virus, but they are terrified and forced to survive in the depressing and desolate landscape. What follows is an incredible story of desperate struggles filled with humanity and real depth. This is possibly the best horror book I have ever read and if you have not read it yet, what are you waiting for?

That concludes this Best Stephen King Books list, and I wish I could have included many more, a few notable absentees that I'd like to mention are: Skeleton Crew - A collection of stories, The Long Walk - 100 boys meet for a race, if you break the rules you get a warning, exceed three warnings and what happens is truly terrifying and lastly Christine - The story of a teenage boy who falls in love with Christine, a rather 'special' woman.

Stephen King's vast imagination is one to be jealous of. King's delicious talent for story-telling makes his novels tremendously engrossing, and his ability to weave and connect his worlds with the vague perceptions we have of our own is remarkable and causes us to have strong feelings and even desires that these tantalizing worlds could actually exist in an alternate universe somewhere. If you have never picked up a Stephen King book, I couldn't recommend strongly enough to research the one that might initially suit you best and let yourself become absorbed by the incredible worlds of the King.

[nimrodinked]

The Chill of Home, Imperfect as it Is

With the season finally bringing snow to my area, I've been thinking, more prevalently than usual, about an old title I used to play back when you had to buy it. A game about brothers in the old times, fighting in the canadian wilderness to protect their sister. It's called Sangfroid: Tales of Werewolves, a game about setup and execution where you lay traps and defenses for the night of unholy terrors ahead, and beat the ever-loving hell out of all manner of folklore creatures, from werewolves to wendigos.

I don't think I'll be talking much on the story, it's very straightforward with a twist at the end that, to my knowledge, never led to a sequel. Instead I think it'd be quite a bit more enjoyable to talk about actual gameplay, one of the many aspects I think this game shines in. It is, all in all, a fairly simple affair, having a basic attack string and a special 'rage' attack to unleash once you've caused enough damage. In addition, the player, whoever they pick as their protagonist, has a rifle with a simple aided aiming system that both makes shots forgiving, and rewards accuracy with higher damage on properly aimed headshots. That's the extent of the fighting proper, but the game is about more than brawling with wolfmen in the woods. You get a preparation time before nightfall, getting exact information on waves and pathing so you can lay traps in the way of enemies. Your tools expand as you play, starting with simple bear traps and hanging rockfalls, building up to auto-attacking sacred trees and sniper crows nests allowing you to zipline quickly across the map. It all gets quite hectic, and the game shines quite nicely, especially on hard mode, which in itself is a welcome little change.

Rather than having a static character and scaling difficulty, players choose either easy or hard mode at the beginning of the game. A rather entertaining lore twist, 'easy' mode sees you playing as Jos, the younger brother blessed with a freakishly large build and Paul Bunyon-esque endurance. He's built like a truck and hits just as hard, capable of easily tangling toe-to-toe with werewolves and tougher enemies solo, freeing up more time in preparation mode to make money with log-cutting and spend on bought traps like black powder barrels. The harder mode sees you playing Jacques, the older of the two brothers and all around adventurous mountain man, now retired to a quiet life in the countryside at his log cabin. Jacques isn't blessed with his brothers strength, meaning while he can, if cleverly executed, kill a werewolf one to one, the encounter will eave most damaged and out of stamina for the next fight. So naturally, Jacques requires players to plan more carefully and set up a plan that will ideally be executed without an axe swung at an enemy, baiting groups of rabid wolves into spike pits and bear trapping Maikan shapeshifters under hanging rocks to crush them. Jacques makes you engage the game on a smarter level, forcing you to make elaborate plans and backups, rather than just wading thigh-deep into furry growling monsters.

With the constant evolving of traps usable, the expanding list of foes and their unique abilities, upgrading your gear and balancing out having holy armaments for unholy killing and silver for Maikan slaying, not to mention the skill upgrade system that augments your traps and combat abilities, not to mention that, to add additional difficulty, the area you have to protect gets larger and more difficult to traverse, it's a canadian sledload of tools and challenges to test your mettle. Not to mention the final boss, which, without spoilers, is magically hidden from sight and requires you to use every trick up your sleeve to triumph.

Gameplay isn't the only thing that makes me love this game, in fact there's not much I really dislike about my experience going back. The voice acting is, while at times a little on the corny side, in major part believable and enjoyable. The character models are a bit odd at times, though it's mostly the underused shopkeepers that look the most like unfinished models. Jos, Jacques, and their little sister all look very nice, and even the rather hellish model of the Devil (yes he shows up, rather immediately in the story in fact) looks good enough to pass. It's a shame then that there's a few 'off' bits in the game, mainly the axe models. The axes themselves lok very nice, but they're quite upscaled, to the point that the head is larger than the character models own noggin. That, and the character portrait for Jacques. I don't know who drew it, but I'd very much like to hunt them down and ask them why they think single-fire muskets possessed ACOG sniper scopes back in the day. Silly things, nitpicks really, and I only point them out because they're generally the exception to an otherwise fantastic direction.

Topping all of this off, the music. My word, the music. Exactly the kind of high-pulse, frenetic canadian pieces you'd expect of the locale, with musical stings to alert you when enemies have caught your scent or a new wave is spawning. Coupled with softer, more somber pieces during daytime shopping and planning, it's all a great accompaniment to your brawling and scheming. So, the game's great, what's the catch, where does it get awful or fall flat? Well, nowhere so grevious, though I do have a single major issue with how things are paced. Mainly the tutorials. They're very helpful if you haven't played the game before, but for me, who only really needed a touch-up on knowledge, the agonizing slowness of every new mechanic does grate, if only a bit. That's only for repeat players mind you, it was as I recall a lovely little learning experience seeing the videos drop down and a friendly, Gabe Newell-esque man teach me the intricacies of the wall of flames.

So, Sangfroid, a game I love, and started playing again. It's got a lot of love poured into it, has a satisfying gameplay loop that'll always keep you wanting to move one day further, and, best of all, as far as I've seen, it's free on steam. It went free to play a long while ago, and seeing how they didn't add any micro-pay oddities into the formula, I think this is a case of the dev team wanting to get their labor of love out to all the people they could, a notion which, if true, would be a nice sentiment. As far as I know they've made one other game, but seeing how Sangfroid is literally a free to play gem of fun gameplay and simple but effective narrative, they're a highly ranked studio. In my eyes anyhow. So, check it out, you've nothing to lose but time, a resource I'm sure many of us find we have much more of nowadays. Thanks for reading, and wrap up warmly; the forests are a cold place.

[quincette]

Kojuro and Wisteria

A spoiler post of Kojuro's Sequel story

So I finished Kojuro's second act story in 3 days and have since rereading the screenshots hahhahahahahah. I chose the fate/noble ending because I want to read his point of view ...

Boy it was so good! I mean I could be biased (SCRATCH THAT I AM INCREDIBLY BIASED WHEN IT COMES TO THIS MAN) and I do have minor quips about it but I enjoyed it sooooo much!

I’ve squeed about Hideyoshi and how much this story improve his rank in my fave list (lol, lol, lol), you can see them here. 

Okay, so.

One of the important character is Kojuro story is a plant, lol.

More specifically, Wisteria, which intertwines (ha) closely with the plot.

And I’m gonna tell my journey reading his story by following up this plant, lol.

More squealing after the break and it is full of spoilers, you've been warned!

Also, anon hater(s). I do not post summaries or spoilers because I want to spoil the experience for everybody - it’s because I want to share MY journey (yes, the key word is my ME, this blog is mainly about me, surprise surprise) in this game, the same reason I started posting SLBP stuff on this blog ever since I started playing early last year (you know, BEFORE you knew of this game because you didn’t start sending me this kind of hate till recently). Get off your high horse or ride away to the sunset, look for your own happiness!

Okay, so what I love about Kojuro’s Second Act is it has got a continuity with his first act. What I don’t love so much is in some aspect, it kind feels repetitive - like, haven’t Kojuro and MC go down this road before - why hasn’t they learn anything - I mean romance tropes work for a reason but we got bored with the same formula, Voltage, try twist things up more cleverly!

But that being said I LOVE IT that the drama doesn’t feel contrived and it stemmed from an actual historical event and everything MAKES SENSE *casually side-eyeing Nobu’s Second Act Divine Ending*.

At the start of the story when they were about to move to Shiroishi they were enjoying the wisteria at Yonezawa. Kojuro remarked that when the wisteria blooms again next year, Oshu will be a better and more peaceful place.

At this point, MC has two choices to respond (lol).

A. she would enjoy wisteria viewing with Kojuro anywhere.

B. She would like to plant wisteria in Shiroishi castle too.

(choose A if you want the points)

When they moved to Shiroishi, Kojuro took a pot of wisteria with them - this wisteria is cut from the wisteria tree in Yonezawa, with the intent to plant it in Shiroishi. So the two castle will be related, geddit??? AWWWWWWW.

In the aftermath of Soma-Hideyoshi’s multiple attacks on Kozakura and Shiroishi, Kojuro holed himself in his study for days. One night MC was awakened from her sleep by the sound of him entering their chambers (they were married at this point). 

Kojuro apologises for waking her up. Upon this, MC has two choices to respond:

A) You should get some rest, Milord.

B) Shall we sleep together?

(Choose A if you want the points because Voltage just loves to punish ‘selfish’ (and thirsty) MCs. I CHOSE B OF COURSE EVEN WHEN I KNEW IT TO BE WRONG FROM VOLTAGE STANDARD (and Kojuro responded with “As tempting as that may sound, my Precious Girl, we need to talk). Also, it could very well have been an innocent offer, like we can just share some sleep, can’t we??? Whose head’s in the gutter now, Voltage?)

After a brief fluffy moment Kojuro asked her to go to Kyoto, because it was not safe for her to be there and he had his plate full of defending the Date clan and that he was needed in Yonezawa, he couldn’t leave her alone undefended in Shiroishi. 

(Okay but I yelled this at this point, like MC, you knew something is going on with your hubby!!! KOJURO WHY JUST STASH HER IN YONEZAWA OR SOMETHING! ALSO SCREW YOU SHE IS CAPABLE OF BEING THE LADY OF THE CASTLE)

He tousled her hair and remarked that it has grown (this is following Kojuro’s first act so here MC’s hair was shorter because her hair’d been cut off by Satake Yoshishige when he held her hostage - LOVE THIS CONTINUITY)

MC could see something was not quite right and told him that she’d be happy anywhere as long as it’s with him. Kojuro said he knew that but he had vowed to keep her safe, also he thought she’d be happy to spend some time with her mum, because they hadn’t seen each other since the wedding. 

(Milord, don’t you dare twist this as such.)

MC smiled and conceded (DUN DUN DUUUUN)

Cut to a scene in Yonezawa, where Kojuro presented the full report on the battle in Kozakura and Shiroishi.

“Anywhere we look, people are submitting to Toyotomi. If we insist on opposing him, Oshu will be once again a land of war.”

Kojuro got a flack from the retainers for looking like he was implying that submitting to Hideyoshi was an option. Even Shigezane was skeptical.

Masamune kept quiet.

Later MC’s tranquil days in Kyoto were ended by Shigezane’s visit. He looks relieved when he saw her. 

“Thank god, you’re here. Where’s Kojuro?”

(DUN DUN DUUUN)

“Eh, Milord is... supposed to be at Yonezawa...?”

(DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN)

Shigezane realised something was very very wrong.

“Kojuro is missing. You should come with me to Yonezawa.”

So off they go to Masamune. Shigezane was mighty worried that Kojuro has disappeared. MC too. But Masamune has just received a letter. From Hideyoshi.

The letter said that Hideyoshi has accepted the service of Kojuro, who declared himself his retainer, unattached and unmarried with no family.

(DUN DUUUN DUUUUNNN NOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEE!)

MC felt like her world turned dark. So many questions. Where was Kojuro, was he being held against his will, and why did the letter declare him as having no family, no wife?

Shigezane was so upset he went away to investigate the situation.

MC stayed at Yonezawa on Masamune’s behest. But rumours of Kojuro’s apparent treachery had the retainers restless, and it got to her.

One day at the hall, the retainers demanded she being arrested and interrogated.

Upon which Masamune released his signature brand of cold anger.

“And what of it? What she got to do with this?”

The retainers fell silent.”

“She is nothing to Kojuro. She came here as my poison taster. She became Kojuro’s retainer. Kojuro is my retainer. She is my retainer first.”

That saves MC but also broke her heart.

For her safety she lives in a safe house somewhere in the vicinity of the castle. 

Shigezane came to visit, bringing with him a basket of maru-maru (”round-round”) kakki - big, round persimmons, to cheer her up. Upon receiving this MC two options when Shigezane finished making small talks (was she bored? No, Masamune lent her a lot of books, etc - so cute! but also, still sad...):

A) Is that so....

B) I am happy.

(Because Voltage likes their MC putting a brave face so as not to “inconvenient” people with their true feelings, choose B if you want the points).

Shigezane saw through her pain and didn’t press. 

Next came Masamune, who apologized.

“I am sorry I had to say those things in front of them. That must hurt you.”

It did hurt MC. She kept replaying the words over and over again inside her head. Her marriage with Kojuro was a small affair known only to few, Masamune and Shigezane included. If they were to deny that, if Kojuro were to deny that, then was it all in her imagination, like it never happened?

MC knew that Masamune didn’t mean that though and upon seeing how forlorn Masamune looked, she realised that she was not the only one who was missing Kojuro. There was Masamune, and Shigezane too.

Again upon hearing Masamune’s confession, MC had two options to respond:

A) Please don’t apologise.

B) I am saddened, but I understand.

(yes, choose A for the points because Voltage only gives brownie points for not inconveniencing the hero with your true feelings, I just roll my eyes at this point, these “options” are Voltage’s chronic problem, or maybe it showed how the Japanese people unhealthy expectation/idealisation of women.)

Masamune came to ask MC to come with him to Shiroishi to tidy things up. Ad the castle is now masterless. It will be given to Masamune’s uncle, Rusu Masakage (who, along with his son Daitoshimaru, has shown up in SLBP more than once, hahahahh he deserves a hot sprite, Voltage!).

MC dreaded coming back to a place which held so much happiness and promises between her and Kojuro as a couple, but she steeled herself and said yes.

It was painful for her. Seeing her former home without his husband. She entered her bedchamber and reliving the moment Kojuro came to her that night, and all the memories. She sat on the floor and cried because everything hurts, and their stuffs, the wedding present from Yahiko (a couple’s promise books are still there).

She took the book with her and nothing else. She left the room thinking that maybe it was the last time. Has Kojuro truly abandoned her?

She went to the garden for some air and he realised something is missing...

The pot of wisteria sapling they brought over from Yonezawa. It wasn’t there.

Kojuro must have taken it with him.

Hope sprang in her chest. And still full of questions and burning with hope she dried her eyes and went over to Masamune and prostrated herself before him as his retainer and begged him to allow her to go to Kojuro to Osaka.

Okay, but my burning question in all this delicious angsty drama is, where is Bontenmaru the turtle? Why did everyone forget about the hapless turtle? I hope he’s happy somewhere!

Masamune was hesitant. Has she thought it over? She was his retainer too, does she really want to go there to find Kojuro, not knowing what will happen?

Then Kagechika dropped in, still injured but on his way to recovery and he questioned her.

“Are you prepared to never set foot in Oshu again, whatever happened, if you leave to pursue my nephew?”

“Yes.” MC is adamant.

“Why?”

Now MC got two choices.

A) Because I want to see Kojuro-sama.

B) Because I am Kojuro-sama’s wife.

and I fist pumped for once in a long time when Voltage gave me brownie points for picking B. I think Kojuro’s story is always themed around Devotion, his to Masamune more specifically. And now that spilled over to MC’s devotion as his wedded wife, to him. I can appreciate this.

Kagechika laughed and then with some effort, he prostrated himself before Masamune too, begging him on MC’s behalf.

“Masamune-sama, please let her go to Osaka to chase my selfish nephew.”

“.... Very well. You are leaving tonight.”

Before leaving, Masamune gave MC a message only for Kojuro’s ear.

“Tell him,< if that’s what you intend to do then I will protect you on the event of your return>.”

(LET ME UGLY SOB OVER THE BEAUTIFUL BOND THESE OSHU BOYS SHARE)

Okay, I didn’t expect MC to just showed up at Osaka Castle’s gate and demand to see Kojuro because she is his wife. But of course that is exactly what she did. 

The soldiers laughed at her. But then MITSUNARI appeared, yay! And after staring MC down (though she met his eyes dead on) he went back to fetch... HIDEYOSHI himself.

MC had seen Hide’s face behind the screen, first in Yonezawa and again in Shiroishi so she was so surprised.

And HIde was so nice! And full of smiles! and he guided her inside the castle while making small talks! 

(I WAS LIKE NO NO NO NO YOU SMILEY BASTARD, NOOOOO)

Then of course he led her into an empty room and then told her to stay there.

“Where is Kojuro-sama?”

“Hm? He’s away on business. You will stay here.”

“!”

“If you are indeed Kojuro-san’s wife, I cannot afford to be careless with you. Stay here and ask Mitsunari if you require anything.”

Yis, MC is under arrest. She was treated nicely, maids came to feed and clean her room, but Mitsunari never granted her wish to talk to Hideyoshi again (Hideyoshi has no time for you!), and she’s getting so frustrated she resolved to escape when the maid was distracted one day.

Osaka castle was huge and she got lost and then she bumped into Kyouichiro aka Goemon aka that Robin Hood-type nukenin (runaway ninja) introduced to tenka player in Tenka Tsuki. 

MC thought he was one of Hide’s retainers.

“I’ve never seen your face before.”

“I’m new,” MC decided to fake nonchalance. “Hideyoshi-sama summoned me but I got lost. can you show the way?”

But before he could she heard a commotion from her pursuers and when she looked over, Gemon had vanished (lol, because he is a dorobo-san, MC!).

She ran and get caught but then she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

it was Kojuro.

(I SCREAMED AND I SCREAMED)

... and there was Hideyoshi there with him.

Kojuro’s momentary shock was immediately replaced by a stern look.

“Oh, you found her.” (no, she found him, you monkey bastard). “Now, Kojuro, this ojousan claimed to be your wife and I was surprised because you said you had none.”

“She is,” Kojuro said without hesitation, “my page.”

MC felt as if she’d been stabbed.

“Oh?”

“Would you care to hear the explanation from my own mouth?”

“Please,” Hideyoshi smiled (I wanna murder him).

So they went to this really beautiful hall in the Osaka castle. MC wa supset and shocked and in a trance. Kojuro told their story, the real history of how she became his page, and that’s it. No stories of how they became lovers and such. She was holding on to the hope that he did this to protect them (of course!) but she tried to catch Kojuro’s eyes but he refused to look at her.

“Ah so that’s the story. Your retainer loves you so much and decided to follow you here. That does sound like you.”

MC was internally screaming.

“They why don’t you stay in Kojuro’s residence?”

Kojuro was shocked.

“I gave you servants true. But since you’re page is here, it makes sense, no?”

Kojuro conceded and MC was taken to his residence in Osaka. She was still in shock and tried to make sense of everything. Replaying the scene of Kojuro saying that she was his page (and nothing more) over and over again.

She refused to think the worse but she did think about what’s going to happen is Kojuro denied her. What’s going to happen now that she’s left Oshu?

Later that night, she heard the door opened and she sled from her room, clutching the promised book like it was her life. She saw Kojuro across the hall. 

(This scene was devastating because SO MUCH, SO MUCH baggage was conveyed but nothing was explained and she didn’t know where to start)

Then Kojuro passed her by and went to his room. MC grabbed his sleeve and begged to talk but he coldly dismissed her saying that he wanted to rest.

MC stood in front of his door, feeling utterly devasvated.

(can I mentioned that this chapter titled Lies and it killed meeee)

“So Kojuro-sama does not want anything to do with me anymore?”

There was no sound coming from inside, but then.

“Yes...”

Another stab to MC’s heart.

“That promise we made, was it a lie?”

“....”

“The promise to make me happy the promise to wipe my tears away that you made to my mother, was it a lie?”

“Yes.”

This happened for a few rounds, MC asking him all the sweet promises they made as lovers and IT WAS PAINFUL. STAB STAB STAB STAB, SOB SOB SOB, until, when MC thought she had no strength left anymore, Kojuro slid the door open and pulled her in and crush her in his embrace.

“Why did you come?”

“Why did you have to come?”

“Stop it.”

“Don’t say anything anymore.”

She tried to break free to look him into his eyes because in her hearts of hearts she couldn’t believe all this and she needed to catch if he’s lying but he refused to let her go. So she cried and cried.

Nothing was resolved that night. After MC was done crying he told her to get some rest. MC was screaming internally because she didn’t want to part with him, yet. She wanted to know the truth but, she was exhausted so she went.

In the morning she made him breakfast and they ate together. They didn’t talk about what happened but MC, seeing how Kojuro enjoyed her food, resolve to let things be and just... be with him.

(Okay, I was immensely frustrated but understand her at the same time. It’s like in real life marriage post fight you’re both drained and just want to share a quiet moment of truce, if not peace, together because fight is ugly but you love each other and mutually decide to deal with the elephant in the room later)

Her duty as his page in Osaka began in the morning. She tailed Kojuro the training hall and ferried messages between Kojuro and MItsunari (and met Kiyomasa in Mitsunari’s study hahahahah)

She saw how there was still an awkwardness between the Toyotomi retainers and Kojuro and but Kojuro took it in strides and there was an obvious admiration and budding camaraderie... that makes her sad because it seemed like Kojuro had forgotten all about Oshu and made Osaka his home.

She went home earlier while Kojuro was staying at Yonezawa. Alone with her thoughts, she’s going crazy so she started cleaning and sweeping the garden.

And there she found.

That potted wisteria sapling. That same one missing from Shiroishi.

(I SCREAMED AND I SCREAMED AND I SCREAMED)

It was wilting and MC immediately took it to care for the plant.

Their life regressed back to that of lord and page. But MC was holding out hope, and waiting for the right moment to tell Masamune’s message to Kojuro. And the wisteria sapling’s growing strong.

One day Kojuro caught her caring for it and his face said it all. 

“I apologize for taking the matter into my own hands.”

“Don’t... I suspect as much... with the soil being damp all the time.”

Then conversations fows. Kojuro didn’t say much but MC said her guesses based on her observation and deduction Until Kojuro revealed to her that yes, he did it because he saw no other way and to buy time for the Date clan.

Mc was glad and then she conveyed Masamune’s message. Kojuro’s face lit up with a smile.

With Hideyoshi getting Kojuro, his army retreated back to the west to take care of the flooding problem and rebellion in the area. But with Kojuro working on it they’re almost done and soon they’d set sight on Oshu again and Masamune will need to make a decision.

Upon hearing this decision MC has two choices.

A) I’m sorry for tampering with your strategy.

B) I am glad to hear the explanation.

I WAS READY TO RANT IF VOLTAGE FAVOURS A BUT THANK GOD I CHOSE B THAT WAS THE POINT ANSWER, HUFF. 

Kojuro apologised and told her that he should have told her, at least. but it needs to be convincing. (YA THINK??? YA NINNY! HUFFFF!)

Next MC witnessed a grand meeting where Hideyoshi is prepared to conquer teh East now that West is free from flooding.

Kojuro begged Hideyoshi to send Masamune another letter.

Kanbei (helloooooo) was skeptical of Kojuro’s request. But Hide defended him and decided to give Masamune another chance.

“But it will be the last.”

And while they’re sending the letter, they’re to march East. Kojuro would have to come too.

He decided to send MC to Kyoto again. (AGAIN???? I threw my phone) But this time is different. He looked at her in the eyes. He’d go to this campaign intending to convince Masamune not to go to war. He could be killed by, theoretically, both camps

and told her to take the potted wisteria (LOL, HAHHAHAHAHHA, THAT WISTERIA NEEDS A NAME BONTENMARUUUUUUU).

MC conceded and they parted ways. Kojuro to Oshu with the Toyotomi army and MC to Kyoto.

On the road though, MC encounters Goemon (again!) in his fancy heist outfit. She thought Hideyoshi sent him and ran away from him. He gave a chase but before anything happened or explained, a ninja came to her aid.

GENYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhh

(I SQUEED, THANK OTOME GODS KOJURO’S SEQUEL CAME OUT AFTER TSUKI IS RELEASED SO WE CAN HAVE THESE CHARAS THERE)

Genya fought Goemon for a bit before latter just decided it’s not worth it and bailed. Lol, I think the whole thing was just a misunderstanding and he just wanted to go to Osaka to rob some stuff anyway.

“Who are you?”

“Kojuro-san hired me to see you safe in Kyoto.”

But MC had another thought. She thought Goemon was sent by Hideyoshi and if Hideyoshi sent someone to get her then it must be because he didn’t trust Kojuro. She feared for him and asked Genya to take her to Kojuro in the frontline.

Genya refused ( Mendokusaaaa~~~i) but MC promised him a greater reward if he did it and anyway he wouldn’t get paid if either of them dead. So Genya took her to Kojuro.

(this part is the Noble end part from Kojuro’s POV)

He was sneaking out Toyotomi’s camp because they ave not heard from Masamune and Kojuro has exhausted all excuses to buy time so he planned to convince Masamune directly.

But he got caught.

Hideyoshi said he was disappointed with him because afterall, they were different.

“It is too unbearable for you to sever your ties with your former lord afterall.”

Kojuro kneeled and beg his leave to go to Masamune’s camp to convince him to come to Toyotomi’s fold because neither of them wanted this bloodshed, which will cost both sides dearly.

“And what makes you think they would listen to a word from a traitor’s mouth?”

When it looked like they were going to harm Kojuro. MC came galloping to the scene and thew herself in front of Kojuro.

She made an impassioned speech about Kojuro’s loyalty. And something shifted in HIdeyoshi’s face, but still...

“What guarantee is there that you would not just go there to defect back? There is no guarantee for your word nor your action.”

Upon which Kojuro looked at MC and they came to an unspoken understanding.

Then Kojuro revealed that MC had been his wife all along. And that she should serve as a willing hostage.

“If we deceived you before then let this be our apology.”

Hideyoshi was stunned... but then he decided to gamble ahead. The Date would likely have Kojuro killed for treason and that would be a shame but since he insisted then very well. MC would stay as a hostage and he would endeavor to bring Oshu to his cause.

(Okay but thought this mess MC was carrying a potted wisteria plant, lol, it’s their baby!)

Okay, I’ll leave the Oshuboys reunion part out because you need to experience that from Kojuro’s point of view (AAAHHHHHHHH THESE BOYS AND THEIR BOND)

long story short, blooshed averted.

But Kojuro didn’t come back to Oshu,

He decided to stay in Osaka and serves Oshu’s interest there, with MC.

The scene ended in their home in Osaka. Kojuro came home drenched because it was raining and MC toweled him dry and berating him and he just smiled happily and MC asked, what’s wrong because he has this look.

He said nothing.

While thinking, I truly love you, my precious girl.

And the potted wisteria grows happily in the garden~~~~

tagging my sisterwives @viridian99  @foreverendevor  @shokundayo

[businessprofile123]

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The best and worst films of 2018

If after watching 112 films teaches you anything, it's that Hollywood will continue to pump out the franchise blockbusters - and audiences will still hand over their cash to see them, no matter how below average or unoriginal they may be.

Cinematically, 2018 was a year that marked the final screen appearances for both Robert Redford (’The Old Man and the Gun’) and Daniel Day-Lewis (’Phantom Thread’), heralded Bradley Cooper’s impressive directorial debut (’A Star Is Born), served up an innovative high-tech thriller (’Searching’) and bestowed the most gob-smacking showdown involving MCU’s greatest heroes and villains (’Avengers: Infinity War’).

It was also a very good year for Netflix loyalists who saw the company release a succession of well received films including ’Annihilation,’ ‘Roma,’ and ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’

Despite Dirty Harry’s memorable comment that “opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one,” the films that have made this year’s ‘best list’ have been selected on the basis of the lasting impression they have left on this viewer after the lights have come up and the curtain’s been drawn.

So, what succeeded and what failed?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration…

50. THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN

49. INCREDIBLES 2

48. FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL

47. THE POST

46. CHAPPAQUIDDICK

45. RED SPARROW

44. GAME NIGHT

43. DEADPOOL 2

42. BOY ERASED

41. WIDOWS

40. STRONGER     

39. MOLLY’S GAME

38. FAHRENHEIT 11/9  

37. THE DARKEST HOUR

36. FIRST REFORMED

35. A STAR IS BORN

34. ISLE OF DOGS

33. BREATH

32. THE WIFE

31. READY PLAYER ONE

30. BLACK PANTHER

29. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOUR

28. BRIGSBY BEAR

27. LADY BIRD

26. SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

25. BEAUTIFUL BOY

24. PHANTOM THREAD

23. GHOST STORIES

22. FIRST MAN

21. TULLY

20. I, TONYA

19. SUSPIRIA

18. RBG 

17. THE FAVOURITE

16. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY 

15. MANDY

14. BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 

13. SEARCHING 

12. A QUIET PLACE

11. BLACKKKLANSMAN

10. SWEET COUNTRY

The Australian ‘western’ is a genre all its own, and ‘Sweet Country’ was the finest example of its type. Both Warwick Thornton's direction and Dylan Rivers’ cinematography was outstanding, as were all of the lead acting performances. Shot in both Central and South Australia, ‘Sweet Country’ transcended the genre’s tropes to tell us a quintessentially Australian story, albeit a bloody, brutal and tragic one. 

9. VICE

As with his previous film ‘The Big Short,’ writer/director Adam McKay set aside the clean, colourful look of his comedies (’Anchorman,’ ‘Step Brothers’) in favour of a washed-out, edgy look, with the frequent use of hand-held cameras. The entire ensemble - including Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell and Amy Adams - were all impressive but it was Christian Bale’s skilful and highly effective portrayal of former VP Dick Cheney that deservedly received the kudos from critics everywhere. 

8. THE ENDLESS

Indie filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, wrote, directed and starred in this terrific slow burner about two brothers who decide to revisit their childhood UFO death cult for some closure. Initially, the film’s daunting atmosphere gave the impression that this horror/sci-fi would follow the usual story ‘beats’ that accompany the genre. But after some mind-bending twists, ‘The Endless’ soon switched from being about a crazed cult into something else!

7. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

It’s no secret that Sony’s last few attempts with the character of Spider-Man have been underwhelming to say the least. However, this rousingly entertaining superhero adventure was easily 2018′s most unexpected surprise. The film’s impressive animation was beautiful, fluid and unique, whilst the storyline was both compelling and genuinely funny. What can we say - we finally got the ‘Spider-Man’ movie everybody wanted. It’s OK Sony, we now forgive you for ‘The Emoji Movie.’

6. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Sadly robbed of the Best Picture gong at last year’s Academy Awards, this third movie from award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh (‘In Bruges,’ ‘Seven Psychopaths’) was a dramedy that started with cleverness and wit before opening up into something truthfully human. McDonagh’s screenplay was so good that every single cast member, no matter how little their screen time, gave a great performance.

5. AMERICAN ANIMALS

In this true-crime movie, four bright and well-off college students in Kentucky plot to steal some rare books from their university's Special Collections Library in a misguided quest for personal glory. Written and directed by Bart Layton, ‘American Animals’ cleverly woven script was narrated by the heist's actual participants, bringing a fascinating layer to the proceedings as well as a connection between the characters and audience.

4. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

It may have been the most intense, complex and stirring MCU film yet, but it was as lean as epics get, with none of its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time feeling wasted. While the many characters and intersecting plots may have confused casual viewers (it’s assumed audiences are now familiar with all that's come before), for fans, it was one mind-blowing moment after another.

3. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT

Who would have thought that a 20+ year franchise would have been able to deliver one of the most exciting and visceral action films in recent memory? ‘Fallout’ saw the stepping up of both the action and the stakes, with the personal screws tightened on Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the horrible consequences for failure. Love him or hate him, Cruise's performance was lean and focused, whilst Christopher MacQuarrie’s direction was effective and thrilling, always hitting every action beat - dead centre.

2. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

Director Lynne Ramsay’s bleak yet effective thriller about a broken and tormented ex-military vigilante (Joaquin Phoenix), who makes a living rescuing kidnapped girls and making the perpetrators violently pay with a hammer, was a dark and twisting journey into one man’s soul. Ramsay's filmmaking powers and script, combined with Phoenix's committed, unadorned performance and Johnny Greenwood's absolutely superb soundtrack, easily delivered one of this year’s most standout movies.

1. HEREDITARY

Although it polarised audiences everywhere, ‘Hereditary’ was a refreshing example of a studio (A24) subverting expectations and the perfect showcase of what horror is capable of when taken seriously.

Even as the film ventured into territory familiar to its genre, writer/director Ari Aster skillfully orchestrated the tension into something that felt like a nightmare straight from hell. What begins as a drama about a family tearing apart with grief, slowly descends into madness and the supernatural. 

Rather than rely on a ‘conveyor belt’ of jump scares strung together with a derivative story which exists purely as a vehicle to deliver those jump scares, ‘Hereditary’ put family drama at the forefront and milked every ounce of dread from the hideous realities of familial cohabitation for what they’re worth. 

Whilst the film’s cinematography, production design and score were all some of the best the horror genre has seen, it was the performances that finally sold ‘Hereditary,’ notably Toni Collette’s tormented turn as a manic mother who is mourning the loss of a parent. 

‘Hereditary’ didn’t just redefine horror - it successfully put its own wicked stamp on the tropes of the genre, and provided audiences everywhere with a truly unsettling experience.

Hail Paimon!

…AND NOW, THE WORST!

20. VENOM

19. THE MEG

18. MILE 22

17. WINCHESTER

16. LIFE OF THE PARTY

15. BLOCKERS

14. SKYSCRAPER

13. THE WEDDING GUEST

12. DEATH WISH

11. BOAR

10. THE NUN

Sadly, this fifth chapter in the ‘Conjuring’ universe was nowhere near as scary, inspired or coherent as its predecessors. The quick onslaught of jump scares, punctuated by sudden noises on the soundtrack, quickly dashed the hopes of viewers who saw the entire exercise as a colossal waste of time (not to mention that the titular character was almost ‘missing’ in her own movie). 

9. THE PREDATOR

This was a prime example as to how you kill a franchise. ‘The Predator’ was so bad, it made both ‘AVP’ movies look like modern day masterpieces. Whilst the acting and storyline were awful, the film suffered from plot holes, the lack of any kind of script, the constant desperate dramatic music featured relentlessly throughout and the forced jokes. Why director Shane Black thought injecting a comedy script into this franchise was a good idea is anyone's guess. 

8. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson and the director of ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ and ‘Muppet Treasure Island,’ somehow thought this juvenile attempt at humour was a good idea. Instead, it did the most offensive thing that a comedy could ever do - it failed to make you laugh. 

7. THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME

This forgettable and redundant comedy, from its tired title to its forced acting and humour, tried desperately to be everything at once and ended up being nothing at all. Given the talent involved, one would have expected some semblance of subtly and finesse to let these strong performers elevate the material as they've been known to in the past. However, when the material was as blunt as a sledgehammer, there wasn’t much anyone could have done. 

6. GRINGO

Despite its polished production values and stellar cast, ‘Gringo’ amounted to an absolute bust. Director Nash Egerton’s unsavoury and amoral comedy of errors qualified as something contrived, convoluted and ultimately incoherent. Crammed with a myriad of ‘madcap’ situations that weren’t even remotely funny or original, this crappy caper failed to keep up with its talented cast who struggled in their portrayal of such unpleasant stereotypes.

5. PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING

CGI vomit. 

4. THE 15:17 TO PARIS

Anybody desperately wanting to watch this train wreck should fast forward the first hour and six minutes. Clint Eastwood’s effort to pay tribute to the three brave men who foiled the 2015 Thalys train attack was a cinematic misfire of epic proportions. The bold step of having the real-life heroes play themselves was a bad call (awkward delivery, mumbled lines), whilst the film also had an underlying Christian/pro-gun/pro-military vibe about it.  

3. ROBIN HOOD

From the over-the-top bow and arrow fights to the bizarre mix of costumes, ‘Robin Hood’ was comparable to Guy Ritchie’s disastrous reimagining of ‘King Arthur,’ only worse. Far worse. This umpteenth version of the legendary heroic outlaw was severely lacking in the entertainment and thrills department, and continued the Hollywood tradition of blockbuster remakes absolutely falling on their arses.

2. ACTION POINT

The ‘Jackass’ films were great, but this dismal wannabe ‘Caddyshack’ or ‘Porky’s’ left audiences longing for the relative artistry and sophistication of the crazy lads’ glory days. ‘Action Point’ was a predictable, exceptionally cheap and humourless affair, a watershed moment in terms of anyone ever bank rolling a feature film for these guys again. RIP gentlemen, it was a fun ride.

1. HOLMES AND WATSON

It’s all elementary as to which film was by far the very worst of 2018.

Everything about ‘Holmes and Watson’ was lazy, incompetent and decidedly unfunny. This shockingly misguided assault of repetitive bad slapstick and terrible writing squandered the remarkable talents of John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Kelly Macdonald, Ralph Fiennes and Hugh Lawrie, and saw Will Ferrell give what was easily the worst performance of his entire career.

This was no ‘Step Brothers’ - this was pure, unadulterated garbage. 

[tvserieshub]

Well… this episode certainly had a MAJOR plot twist. Viewers knew that Malcolm was strong. Really strong. But, it appears that the viewers might have underestimated just how strong Malcolm really is. Dreyfuss’ objective is to raise the four horsemen of the apocalypse to fundamentally alter the future into one that he controls entirely.  His power really alters the story line. One lovely side aspect of this episode is Thomas Mison’s flair for the theater. He is a professionally trained actor and it shows (not that the other cast members are not, but Tom’s clear love for treading the boards is evident).

The reviewcap begins here:

Crane (Thomas Mison) and Diana (Janina Gavankar) are watching Molly’s (Oona Yaffe) school play about the Revolution and Crane is having none of this stolid “sit quietly and watch kids perform” style. He remembers the theater experience quite differently. And, shows off his skills. Cleverly, Diana asks him if he’s sure he wasn’t an actor. A young woman walks by and Diana says she feels as if someone walked over her grave. Crane notes that might have actually happened to him. Twice.

Jobe (Kamar de los Reyes) is happy to see that Dreyfuss (Jeremy Davies) is dressed better. Dreyfuss is happy with the progress made by Jobe, so they decide to go out for a steak. Back in the Vault, the team is checking on the status of locating Dreyfuss and monitoring his activities. They are able to see him through the camera on his laptop. They note that he’s not acting like someone who wants to destroy the world. They decide that maybe Dreyfuss’ intention is to reforge the world. Jake (Jerry MacKinnon) remembers that he’s seen the symbol Dreyfuss is painting and he shows the team, explaining its significance. We see the young lady from the play trot down the stairs unobserved (hmm, where is their security?). Crane remembers a fanatical group called the Arma Mutata, who sought to raise them by bonding to human hosts. They put together that Dreyfuss has found and charged various totem. The woman grabs a book. The proximity alarm sets off as the young woman leaves. They see her and the book. Jenny (Lyndie Greenwood) finds her and they fight. They are a pretty even match. Jenny sees a tattoo on the girl’s arm. The tattoo matches the Arma Mutata logo. Jake identifies the missing book which had to do with troop movements. Although Jake doesn’t have an eidetic memory, he has put a LOT of effort into memorization using mnemonic techniques. Crane remembers something not recorded in the book, and Diana asks if there was a part of the war he wasn’t involved in. Taking it seriously, he says the treaty of Paris and most naval encounters, because his sea legs were a trifle shaky

He notes there was a box which was Benjamin Banneker’s (Edwin Hodge), and this fell between encounters with Banneker. Bannaker had warned that the object should be safeguarded, because it is very, very dangerous. Even Bannaker noticed Crane’s acting chops. Bannaker’s place is burned to the ground. But Bannaker notes that his dreams and achievements are carried within him.

Crane and Diana go to Bannaker’s old place and are shocked to see it rebuilt. They go in and find out that it is a restaurant rebuilt by a woman and her business partner, who also live in the building, and while Diana attempts to impress with her agent credentials, the owner says Michelle Obama was just there the prior week. Diana wilts. Crane and Diana slip into the barn.

Jenny has a conversation with Donnie Lu (Lawrence Kao) about setting up her team. She wants to know how much time she has and he says some, but it’s not unlimited. Back in the vault, the rest of the team is excited because Alex (Rachel Melvin) has managed to collect enough information to isolate Dreyfuss’ location. In the barn, they come across the mysterious young woman who is clutching a box. And, to add to the party, Jobe arrives. He tells the girl she won’t be successful running away from him. She pulls out a crystal, and activating it drives Jobe away and knocks her out. Crane and Dreyfuss look in the box and it’s a gun. Crane recognizes it, calling it the Turricula Ignis.  Crane and Thomas take the girl into custody and comment that she’s formidable if she can beat Jenny. They feel the evidence shows she’s not really on Dreyfuss’ team. Diana thinks she looks familiar, but can’t place her.

At Dreyfuss’ place, Jenny is tutoring the team, because she says she won’t always be there. She asks them what they would do and they come up with a plan. They do recon.

Diana questions the girl, asking why she was looking for the Turricula Ignis. The girl says that firing the gun will raise the Horseman of War and that she’s doing this to help Diana and Crane. The girl says her name is Lara, she also says there’s not a lot of time. Although they are in a safe house, she says Jobe and Dreyfuss can find them. Alex and Jake discuss Jenny and how she’s acting. Alex says that Jake wouldn’t even notice if Jenny was gone because he’s so into Missy. (Jake still is not twigging AT ALL to the fact that Alex seems jealous.) They find four coffins and realize they are the home of the horsemen. Jobe finds them and wants to know where the gun is. Jobe takes them to Malcolm, who tells them that he’s aware that he was being monitored. He wants the gun.

Lara, Crane and Diana take the book. Malcolm and Jobe threaten to torture Jake and Alex, and Jake, shown Alex’s death, is willing to tell everything. Crane, Thomas and Lara discuss with Lara how she knows Dreyfuss. Lara snatches the gun, explaining that she knows Dreyfuss and what he wants to do and feels she is the best one to accomplish this. She says that she grew up without her mom, and that Dreyfuss took care of her and mentored her. Lara runs out and locks them in. They go through her stuff and find objects that indicate she has a strong knowledge of the mystical. Diana says she put a tracer on her.

Crane and Thomas work to get out of the space and Diana says that she placed a tracer on Lara. At Dreyfuss’, Alex asks what they did to Jake. He explains that he was touched by Jobe and how he had an extremely real vision of her being killed. Alex said that Jake was really brave, and that she has something to talk to him about. Right then, Jenny breaks in and frees them. Crane and Thomas follow Lara to a quarry, where she is invoking the Promethean Flame to destroy the gun. Just then, Malcolm and Jobe arrive to stop her. Malcolm says that Lara is a bit ahead of schedule. Crane pulls out a crystal, which makes Malcolm laugh. Diana draws a weapon, challenging Malcolm. Everyone springs into action. Dreyfuss gets shot, but heals, showing he’s immortal. Lara invokes a solar crystal, and Lara, Diana and Crane try to leave, but Jobe and Malcolm quickly find them. Lara asks Dreyfuss to stop. But, he says he needs her. Crane figures out that Lara is from the future and that she has time manipulation abilities. Diana and Lara discuss that Lara is actually adult Molly (Seychelle Gabriel). She explains that she’s here to save her mother, who was reported as gone after the sleepover after the play.

Molly says that she knows Dreyfuss and what he truly wants to be (a good person) but, shocking Molly, he shoots at Diana anyway. To everyone’s surprise, CRANE steps in front of Diana and is shot. He converts to War in front of them all.

Grade: A

This episode was a complete game-changer. We got to meet adult Molly. Although there were visions indicating Molly’s future in prior episodes, no one was fully aware of this because young Molly couldn’t readily elaborate on them. There was a lot of wittiness in this episode. It’s one of the things I particularly value about Season 4 – it’s clear, but subtle, breaking of the fourth wall. It’s nice to see what Tom Mison is likely very capable of, and that’s stage acting. He has a commanding presence. The conflict that Jenny feels about parting, but not wanting to leave the team is fascinating. I liked the nod to Jake’s abilities without making fun of him for nerdiness. That gets old very quickly. I would like to see him a little less dense about how people around him feel, but he’s confusing what he’s seeing, and that’s not unheard of. The twist of Crane becoming the Horseman of War was completely unexpected, and it wasn’t even spoiled in the Twitter timeline! (That’s honestly amazing). In fact, even the girl being Molly was not an obvious thing.

It’s probably time to discuss the continuing audience angst over killing Abbie last year, and some people’s outright desires to see the show fail. I’m fully aware of the anger people felt at the death of a lead POC. But, the story line needed refreshing and there was really likely no other way to achieve this without resetting one of the Witnesses. And, basically, it wasn’t going to be Crane. I felt that they were respectful, and continue to be respectful, to Abbie’s character (I’m not going to address anything OFFSCREEN, because I really do not have any reliable information on that). This season, the casting is great, we still get very talented POC and everyone seems to really enjoy being with everyone else. The stories have been interesting and quirky, and at least a little thrilling. All of that is what attracted me to the show in the first place. And, the special effects, location and scenery have been superb. I see throwbacks to Len Wiseman’s pilot techniques and lighting. So, I for one hope to see at least another season, and I’m very appreciative of what they’ve accomplished this year. It’s too bad people read into what happened and have deprived themselves of an entertaining show.

Next episode: “Tomorrow” airs on Friday, March 24 at 9 pm on Fox.

Sleepy Hollow (S04E11) “The Way of the Gun” Well... this episode certainly had a MAJOR plot twist. Viewers knew that Malcolm was strong. Really strong.

[waynekelton]

The best games like Slay the Spire on mobile

Slay the Spire is a masterpiece of game design whose only sin is that it is not currently available on a platform I can play on the bus. Instead, I have to wait until my lunch break to load it up on the company desktop and drag cards around with a mouse, of all things! How barbaric! However, all hope is not lost because despite a delay the developers have confirmed the game will be coming to mobile in the early months of 2020.

If you are like me though; impatient, desperately craving one more run up the spire, or one more shot at building the perfect poison-multiplying deck and you need something to take the edge off when you can't simply spend all day in front of a PC, then you've come to the right place.

What are the best games like Slay the Spire on Mobile?

Card Quest

Silent Abyss: Fate of Heroes

Pirates Outlaws

Card Crusade

Night of the Full Moon

Meteorfall: Journey

Dream Quest

Dimensions of Dreams

Dimensions of Dreams

Platforms: iOS

We weren't expecting to like this one so much when we (finally) got around to reviewing it a few weeks ago - Dimensions parallels with Slay the Spire are obvious, from it's combination of card mechanics and roguelike design, to the class mechanics, even the premise. Michael was especially impressed with the game's bespoke card pool, which managed to keep the tried-and-true formula fresh. Read our review for more.

At the time of writing, the game was still a little bit rough around the edges, but nothing a good patch or two won't fix. If there hasn't already been an improvement by the time you read this, then hopefully the necessary tweaks and content improvements won't be too far away.

Dream Quest

Platform: iOS

First, let's go back in time. Even before Slay the Spire was the innovative Dream Quest, a game known equally well for it's incredibly ugly graphics as its incredibly deep gameplay. Compared to Slay the Spire, Dream Quest is more focused on deck building. You get fewer cards in your hand, and can often simply play all of them rather than having to make tactical choices. Unlike Slay the Spire, enemies play with their own deck of cards and don't broadcast their intentions each round.

Dream Quest is less about playing each battle cleverly and more about making sure your chosen abilities work together against the given opponents. As you advance in the game, you'll learn what each enemy is capable of and which cards you can add to your deck to counter them. If you master it, you'll feel like you broke the game when you finally down the Lord of Dream.

Meteorfall: Journey

Platforms: iOS & Android

Its creator described Meteorfall as "Dream Quest meets Reigns," and that's about as accurate as anything I can say. Meteorfall makes a smart decision in adapting card-battle gameplay to mobile: rather than having a hand of cards, you draw one at a time and decide to play it or pass, with each choice having a different effect on your resources.

It's like if Grindr was a way to decide which way you want to spank some Adventure Time characters. It's perfect to play one-handed, and complex and addictive. If you can't handle Dream Quest's janky interface and retina-throttling art, this is your best bet for a roguish deckbuilder on mobile. Small wonder it won our 2018 GOTY Award.

Night of the Full Moon 

Platforms: iOS & Android

Night of the Full Moon takes another path to streamlining Dream Quest. Like Dream Quest, you have a small hand of cards and gradually build up your deck from basic attacks to much more complex card engines. Rather than having a map, you choose from three different encounters, including enemies as well as stores and other places to pick up new cards.

You've got several classes that offer completely different approaches. It's almost as challenging as Dream Quest and also quite a lot nicer to look at, with a fun cartoon style. The translation can be a bit of a struggle, however.

Card Crusade

Platforms: iOS & Android

Where Slay the Spire has entirely different sets of cards for each character, even as you acquire new ones in your journey up the spire, Card Crusade gives each character a different starting deck and lets you add cards from a generic pool. It makes the characters less distinct, but improves the flexibility of your approaches.

This is probably the best choice after you've already exhausted Dream Quest and are looking for more of almost-the-same, like buying a bag of Hydrox when the store is out of Oreos.

Pirates Outlaws 

Platforms: iOS & Android

If what you're looking for is really a clone of Slay the Spire and not just something in the same vein, your options are somewhat more limited. Pirates Outlaws is the clearest doppelganger. However, this copy also seems to sport a goatee, signalling it comes from the evil Mirror Universe of obnoxious in-app purchases and paywalls. It might be worth a try if Dream Quest and Meteorfall aren't doing it for you.

Silent Abyss: Fate of Heroes 

Platforms: iOS 

This one is basically a reduced version of Slay the Spire, with an almost identical gameplay loop and the twist of playing two heroes at a time. It's quite a bit easier, however, and the cards aren't quite as interesting. Worth a try after you've exhausted the rest. Read our review for more.

Card Quest

Platforms: iOS & Android

If you love the card-battling dungeon-crawling of Slay the Spire but could take or leave the deckbuilding, Card Quest is the game you are looking for. It requires extremely careful, tactical use of your character's deck, but doesn't let you modify that deck card-by-card on the fly. Instead, sets of cards are tied to equipment you can acquire, and your deck shuffles these pre-set groups together.

If developing card synergies and managing your deck is your least favorite part of Slay the Spire, give this one a try. It keeps the roguelike challenge and even makes the battles deadlier to keep the focus on moment-to-moment tactical use of your cards.

Other Games like Slay the Spire on Mobile

There are other card-based dungeon-crawlers or card battlers that are great fun, but not really substitutes for Slay the Spire.

Community suggestions include:

Spellsword Cards: Origins

Guild of Dungeoneering

Royal Booty Quest

Void Tyrant is another deck-building/rogue-like game that we've been expecting for a while. It's come right at the end of this current 'fad', and we suspect it's come a bit late to the party.

Solitairica and Card Crawl are really solitaire games where you are playing against a deck, not trying to build one.

One Deck Dungeon deals out the dungeon from, you got it, one deck, and involves a lot more luck than Slay the Spire fans would like.

Knights of the Card Table has a similar approach.

Card City Nights plays closer to an actual collectible card game rather than a deckbuilding game. 

There's probably too many card-based dungeon-crawlers on mobile to count so: what did I miss? And what are your favourites?

The best games like Slay the Spire on mobile published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[typologycentral]

[Jungian Cognitive Functions] Cognitive Function Descriptions / Definitions

Clarifying "Preferences" in MBTI: "Preference" is not defined as desire in MBTI, it is defined as nature or "default setting". Not what you do, but what is most natural and comfortable for you to do. Jung believed a "default" mode, basically, would rise up to the surface like a beach ball submerged under water if suppressed by situational or environmental factors. Some mistakenly believe that MBTI type is based on what you want to be, since it is not about strengths / weaknesses, but this is not what has actually been taught by the original theories. So focus not on what you are able to do (you do both), but what you default into naturally. "Feeling" is not the same as "Emotions / Emotional" "It is important to recognize that feeling should not be equated with irrationality. Indeed, Jung went out of his way to ensure that thinking and feeling were approached on equal grounds, classifying both as 'rational' functions. Jung also took care to distinguish the feeling function from emotions, essentially saying that the feeling function is charged with evaluating emotions." -Dr. A.J. Drenth You shouldn't be typing yourself as a Feeler simply due to the fact that you see yourself as an emotional human being. Ts aren't robots. --- Extroverted Feeling Extroverted Feeling’s value judgements are largely dependant on the outer world. This might seem seem strange, since feelings are usually seen as inherently subjective things. With this type, insofar as her Feeling is extroverted (and there is a spectrum!), it’s in harmony with the traditional or generally accepted values of the time. It’s also influenced moment-to-moment by its peers. The criteria for its judgements come from all kinds of external conditions. For example, a painting, regardless of how good it really is, might be called beautiful because it’s the work of a famous and well-loved artist, or because calling it anything worse might ruin the atmosphere or offend the owner. These aren’t lies, but merely an act of adjustment.This type follows her feelings as a guide throughout life. Since her feelings are oriented by the outer world, they harmonise with her current situation and its general values. She seems thoroughly adapted to her social environment. In a healthy type, her feelings still have a personal, genuine element at their core, however much it’s masked and modified to accommodate external conditions. For example, her love interest tends towards the suitable person with a good and conventional nature, rather than someone who satisfies hidden desires. This also isn’t a lie – it’s her real feeling of love, regardless of how impersonal her choice might appear. Introverted Feeling Introverted Feeling’s value judgements are oriented by the inner world and the collective unconscious. It has a passionate tie to these inner images or ideals, as if it were chasing a dream or vision it had once upon a time. The goal isn’t to relate itself to the external environment, but to bring these inner ideals to life through Feeling. It glides over anything in the outer world that doesn’t match its subjective values; as a result, its valuations rarely appear on the surface, and the ones that do are usually negative, as if it were trying to ward off or discourage the object. For an observer, a positive feeling has to be guessed at indirectly.Her relatively neutral, reserved demeanour might make it look as if she has no feelings at all – in reality, she finds expressing herself difficult, and so her passion and sympathy grow all the more intense. Inside, the sorrows of others become a whole world of misery – “still waters run deep”. She might eventually burst with feeling, perhaps in a way that seems extravagant or inappropriate, partly since her feelings are adapted to the archetypal forms of the collective unconscious and represent more than just the current situation. Normally her passion trickles out, secret and well-hidden, in religiousness, art, poetry, or intimate relationships. Extroverted Thinking Extroverted Thinking is a type of mechanistic reasoning that is primarily oriented by external conditions and objective facts. As a result, it’s generally conscientious and quick to meet the demands and challenges presented by the outside world. Its external nature doesn’t mean that it only deals with concrete things – it can also be totally abstract, but the abstract concepts it plays with tend to be learnt from education, or borrowed from the intellectual culture of the time. It tends to concretise ideas and lead them into the outer world. Its conclusions should have some some objective effect or relevance, they should be externally applicable in some way. There is no difference between the logic employed by Te and Ti. The differences lie in the preferred type of data and the preferred way of shaping ideas, as mentioned above. Te operates most cleverly and effectively when it has a lifeline to facts and generally accepted ideas, which it shapes in productive ways. This might give a pessimistic observer the impression that Te is restricted and “inside the box”, when in reality it has an an impressive creativity and capability in its preferred realm. However, when objective facts and borrowed ideas become so important to Te that they overwhelm the subjective thought process completely, it loses its creative spark. It’s hardly Thinking anymore, as it only serves to reflect what is already obvious in a set of data and never goes beyond it. It will not even try to compare the ideas with the user’s own past experiences, which remain dissociated and useless in his psyche for lack of an intellectual link. Introverted Thinking Introverted Thinking is mechanistic reasoning guided by subjective tendencies that have their roots in the collective unconscious. This subconscious influence might manifest as a vague sense of structure that guides logic, or a more or less complete idea that only needs to be intellectually formulated. In either case, the theories that Ti creates aren’t derived from external facts, however much the Ti type would like that to be true in the name of being “objective”. The idea has its roots in the psyche, and facts are only used to confirm it or provide evidence of its validity. However, Ti has the dangerous tendency to give the subject too much credit, at which point it might twist and mangle the facts to fit a subjective theory, or ignore them completely and engage in a kind of intellectual fantasy. This Thinking starts to show a mythological streak, the result of its basis in the collective unconscious. The strong convictions of the Ti type come from the evolved validity of these “eternal truths”. However, their value is lost as long as the Ti type neglects to link them up with objective facts and ideas. Over-introverted Ti risks creating ideas that say nothing real or relevant. By contrast, over-extroverted Te risks becoming nothing more than stating the facts. Ti says, “I think, therefore I think,” while Te says “It is, therefore it is”. If this intensification continues, the Ti type’s outer life goes to another function in the unconscious, usually Feeling. His relationships with people and things will be infected by childish complexes, fears, anxieties, and the negativity characteristic of the unconscious. Extroverted Intuition Extroverted Intuition is directed towards things in the outer world. Intuitions are the result of subconscious processes, which appear in conscious awareness as a sense of expectancy, a vision, or an idea about the outer world that isn’t obvious from the visible facts. When Ne is dominant, it (like Se) doesn’t only perceive the world, but participates in it and creatively shapes it. Since Ne does this in part unconsciously, it also affects its peers through their unconscious. Ne shows its user perceptions about things, and relationships between things, in a way that the other functions might only do in a roundabout way at best. They represent insights and future possibilities, and these hunches – while uncertain in their origin – have a decisive influence on the user’s behaviour. As an auxiliary function, Ne is what looks for a way out of a hopeless situation when every other function is stumped. When it is the dominant function, everything in life is like a locked room that must be opened. Objects and facts have an exaggerated value if they seem to offer a solution, a way out, but as soon as they fulfil their promise of novelty, they are dropped and forgotten. The Ne type chases possibilities for their own sake, since (unlike Se) possibilities (and not sensations) represent the fullness of life. Some sensuous experiences might still be extremely compelling, but only if they hold the potential for new avenues of possibility. In general, the Ne type represses the other functions, especially Sensation, since it represents the “surface” of things that Ne is trying to peer behind. Introverted Intuition Introverted Intuition is directed at the contents of the unconscious. However, just as our senses only give us an approximate image of the objective world, so does Ni give an approximate image or impression of the inner world and its contents. Although it may be triggered by an external stimulus, it doesn’t focus on the external possibilities, but on what images are released in the psyche. Unlike Si, these images don’t concern the course of sensations, but their underlying causes or hidden meanings. However, since the Ni type represses Sensation, he rarely manages to connect the resulting hunches to himself or his bodily existence, instead seeing them as if they had an objective existence of their own. Just as Ne chases every possibility in the outer world, Ni chases every image that arises from the inner world, “the teeming womb of the unconscious”. Again, the Ni type doesn’t connect them to himself, and since he’s only concerned with perceiving them, he isn’t impelled to shape them into rational judgements like Ti or Fi. The latter are also only affected by the images subconsciously – by contrast, Ni seeks to explore every detail of them, with the same clarity that Se has with respect to the outer world. Ni is the function which is most intimately connected with the collective unconscious. The archetypal patterns, which have evolved over millions of years to represent eternal patterns of life, are the main source of the insight which Ni often provides. Its tendency to project into the future is thanks to an almost direct consultation with these archetypes. If paired with Feeling, it has the potential to paint a more or less complete picture of another person’s psychology. Extroverted Sensation Extroverted Sensation is a perception of the physical world that is more concerned with the objective qualities of a thing than what it means to the user. Se is a conscious function when sensations are not just being processed subliminally, but are actually being noticed and made aware of. If it’s an inferior function, sensations will only be consciously noted sporadically, but if Se is dominant, no part of the environment is overlooked or excluded. The personal, subjective attitudes and associations the user has about sights, smells, sounds, etc. are minimised. For Se, the factor that makes a sensation really compelling is inherent in the object itself. It’s interested in what kind of exciting sensations the physical world can offer it, the “highest pitch of actuality”. As a result, it has a strong and instinctual tie to material reality, which becomes the deciding factor in the Se type’s activities and choices, superseding the rational judgements of Thinking or Feeling. Se is interested in things that roughly everyone, everywhere, would sense as real and concrete, and takes great enjoyment in experiencing them to their fullest. The judging functions are relatively suppressed in favour the facts that Sensation plainly sees, but Intuition is suppressed most of all. It takes on the negative and childish characteristics of the unconscious. Introverted Sensation Introverted Sensation is a perception of the physical world that is more concerned with the psychological reaction to objects than their objective qualities. This subjective part of Sensation is most easily demonstrated in art; even a still-life scene will be painted differently from artist to artist, in terms of their treatment of colour, form, and mood. The Si type pours his personal, subjective attitude into his perception of the concrete world, and subsequently behaves as if he were seeing something quite unique and different from what’s actually there. Si’s perceptions are too organic and genuine to be a product of consciousness. Instead, the subjective factor of sensation is a spontaneous product of the unconscious. It is representative not only of the user’s past experiences, but also the underlying elements of the collective unconscious. The Si type’s perception of the concrete world is adapted to the “eternal truths” – archetypal or even mythological patterns of life. Si, in a sense, sees the background of the physical world. The important thing isn’t the object, but its mirror-image in the psyche. Objects don’t only appear in their present instance (as Se sees them) but also with a vague sense of their past and future, “somewhat as a million-year-old-consciousness might see them”. Si covers the concrete world with a shroud of meaning, subjective experience and archetypal forms. Source with Additional Information --- Thinking refers to how people make decisions. Thinking people are objective and base their decision onhard logic and facts. They tend to analyze the pros and cons of a situation and notice inconsistencies. They prefer to be task-oriented and fair. Feeling people are more subjective. They base their decisions on principles and personal values. When making decisions, they consider other people’s feelings and take it in account. It is in their best mind to maintain harmony among a group. They are more governed by their heart (Myers 65). Sensing refers to processing data through the five senses. Sensing people focus on the present and prefer to “learn by doing” rather than thinking it through. They are concrete thinkers recognize details. They are more energized by the practical use of an object / idea rather than the theory behind it. Intuition refers to how people process data. Intuitive people are keener to the meaning and patterns behind information. Intuitive people aremore focused on how the present would affect the future. They are readily able to grasp different possibilities and abstract concepts. They easily seethe big picture rather than the details (Myers 57). Source with Additional Information --- Ne: Surveys and creatively recombines a breadth of ideas, associations, patterns, and possibilities. Innovative, divergent, open-ended, non-discriminating. Outwardly, Ne users may present as scattered, random, quirky, witty, and ideationally curious. *Associated with ADD Ni: Collects conscious and subconscious information, then synthesizes it to produce convergent impressions, insights, answers, and theories. It sees deep causes, patterns, and laws underlying sense data. It is characteristically penetrating and insightful. Si: Retains, consolidates, recollects historical and autobiographical information. It attends to and draws on a concentrated body of past experiences, routines, and traditions (i.e., the "tried and true"). It forgoes the constant pursuit of new or broad experiences, finding safety and security in stability and consistency. It also surveys inner bodily sensations. Se: Seeks extensive outer stimulation in the "here and now"--new sights, sounds, tastes, experiences, etc. It is open-ended and non-discriminating with respect to new experiences. It can also be associated with image-consciousness and observation skills, displaying a keen eye for detail. Outwardly, it may manifest as a recurrent desire for activities beyond talking ("Let's do something!"). *Associated with ADHD Ti: Utilizes deep and nuanced logic to examine techniques, problems, concepts, or theories. It seeks self-regulation and self-optimization through the development of personal skills, methods, and strategies. It takes a skeptical and reductive approach toward knowledge. Te: Uses excplicit logic, including standardized methods, measurements, policies, and procedures, to make systems and operations more rational, efficient, or effective. This often involves working as part of an institution, be it corporate, scientific, academic, etc. Outwardly, Te delivers opinions and directives in a firm, direct, measured, and unemotional fashion. It may at times be perceived as harsh, tactless, or unsympathetic. Fi: Explores and refines personal tastes and feelings, contributing to a strong sense of personal uniqueness. It is self-regulating and self-controlling, working to maintain inner emotional and moral order. It may also emotionally invest in a limited number of love objects, be they persons, animals, hobbies, or causes. Fe: Surveys a breadth of human emotions, values, and morals. Strives toward interpersonal rapport, consensus, and continuity. It can also be associated with effective communication and social intelligence, facilitating growth and transformation in others. Outwardly, it delivers opinions and directives in a direct yet tactful way, often with a sense of emotional urgency and conviction. *Fe is associated with Social Intelligence. It involves the capacity to effectively navigate emotional situations and social relationships. AJ Drenth --- MBTI™ Step II Facets Descriptions of the MBTI Step II Facets Introversion: * Inner / self focus * More independent-minded * More cautious, conservative, and discriminatingl "look before they leap"; rely heavily on forethought (especially IJs) * Prefer a slower, quieter, reflective life * More easily overwhelmed by external stimuli * Feel somewhat alien, uncomfortable, or inadequate in the world * Often less talkative (especially ISPs) * More self-reflective and self-aware * Require more time to themselves Extroversion: * Outer / world focus * More collective-minded * "Act now, think later" (especially EPs); more assertive and risk-tolerant * Enjoy a busier, "on the go" lifestyle * Less concerned with being harmed or overwhelmed by world * Feel rather at home in the world * Often more talkative (especially ENJs) * More world-reflective and world-aware * Require less time to themselves https://www.typologycentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97684&goto=newpost&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[thesffcorner]

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone is the first book in a West African-inspired high fantasy series by Tomi Adeyemi. It follows three perspectives: that of Zelle one of the last maji left in Orisha; Amari, a runaway princess; and Inan, the crown prince who is sworn to eradicate magic forever.

This review might be a bit all over the place, and that’s only because there were things in this book I really enjoyed and things I absolutely hated. It started out with an excellent tense opening that set the tone and the pace of the book perfectly, but then it quickly devolved in a meandering middle, only to be redeemed by an absolutely explosive ending.

On that note, let’s immediately get my biggest gripe out of the way. This book has so many similarities to Avatar the Last Airbender that once I noticed it, it was impossible to tune them out. It was incredibly distracting. The world of Orisha is unique, well developed and detailed, but the actual plot, the characters and even the relationships between said characters were near identical. The way I described this book to my friends was: Imagine AtLA was set in Africa, Katara was the main character, Aang was a girl, Sokka wasn’t funny, and Zutara was canon.

I’m not exaggerating; there were many scenes where Zelle reminded me of an even angrier version of Katara from season 3, and Inan’s character arc is a direct translation to that of Zuko. Moreover, the beats of the story eerily follow those of season one; the village gets attacked, there is a sacred hidden temple, there is a prison break, battleships, pirates and the climax is set during a solstice. Throw in elements from season 2 like the hidden maji village run by children and basically the ending of season 2, and I feel like I just reread AtLA again, but to suit the Zutara needs.

It was just so distracting and it made the story kind of predictable because I could immediately see where Adeyemi was going with certain characters (Inan being the most obvious example). There were surprises and the world is interesting and creative enough to give a new spin to familiar elements, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen all of this before, and it was better the first time around. The problem with trying to recapture the development of AtLA is that that show had 3 seasons to develop its characters and themes; trying to recapture all of that in a single book is a recipe for failure.

Thankfully, this book isn’t a failure. Adeyemi has plenty of things to say, ideas that are all her own and themes that she explores that are directly tied to the setting and the characters as they exist in this setting. Luckily, the repetition of the plot points decreases as well, and the ending part of the book was for me, the strongest.

So let’s talk about the best quality of this book, which is the world-building. Orisha is inspired by West Africa and it’s a unique setting that Adeyemi takes full advantage of. She has a deft hand at describing this world and making it vivid and picturesque, from the clothing, the food, the buildings and cities, to the ocean and jungles. The backstory of the Gods and Sky Mother was great; the scene in the temple at Chandomble was probably my favorite as Adeyemi cleverly uses both Zelle and Inan to tell two different sides of the same legend and show us the different kinds of powers the Gods give.

Just like there is stunning beauty, this world has a cruel darkness to it too; it’s brutal, full of violence, abuse, slavery and injustice. Adeyemi doesn’t hold back on any of it; there are multiple gory and intense scenes of torture, murder and abuse, the most notable being the ship battle in Sokoto (which incidentally reminded me of another, similar scene in Godsgrave). I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I went through an array of emotions I haven’t experienced since Godsgrave. Whenever there was a happy or quiet scene, I was just waiting for something horrible to happen to the characters, because Adeyemi proves very early on that she is willing to have truly horrible things happen them, and she won’t be holding back for anyone, especially not our leads. There is an overwhelming sense of oppression throughout the book and I truly did feel desperate and angry as Zelle for the most of it, and I commend and admire how successful Adeyemi is in representing the constant fear and injustice these characters live under, while still making them compelling.

That isn’t to say this book is just gloom; there are many funny scenes, and moments of levity; there is a character introduced late in the book that I can already tell will fill this quota for the next book.

Something I really didn’t enjoy were the romances. There are 2 and they take up a significant portion of the book. They are both insta-love, though one is slightly better and less egregious than the other. The second one was like reading a Zutara fic with the names changed, and it dominates the latter half of the book almost to the very end. I found it at times cute, but mostly excruciating, because while I understood how the characters got to the point of accepting each other, I cannot fathom how they got to the point of loving each other enough to risk death or worse. I think I would have minded it less, if one of the characters had a more consistent characterization but I’ll talk more about that when I get to the characters.

I can’t really talk about the characters without spoilers, because a lot of what I liked and disliked had to do with some revelations and developments. So if for whatever reason you haven’t read this book and care about SPOILERS skip to the last paragraph.

First let’s talk about three of the side characters which I consider relevant. We have Saran, the King, Kaea his general and lover and Roen who I’m only mentioning because I am making a bet right now that he will be relevant in book 2. He is a sarcastic, flirtatious, mercenary, (think Sturmhund from Siege and Storm) and I swear if book 2 contains a love triangle between him, Zelle and Inan, I already hate it.

Saran is essentially Fire Lord Ozai but with much more of a personality, backstory and gravitas. He was an excellent villain, someone you love to hate and fear and every scene he was in made my stomach twist. The way he has so thoroughly manipulated and abused his children into a cult like devotion, his unshaken belief that what he’s doing is right and justified and his sadistic streak on par with Joffrey from A Song of Ice and Fire made him a truly great villain.

Kaea, unfortunately was less compelling, and in my opinion was wasted potential. She dies early on and I think she would have been better used as a secondary antagonist. With a little more development she could have been a great character, a foil to Inan’s growing realization that what he’s doing is wrong, but as it stands she dies too quickly for that to be possible.

For the leads, let’s start with Amari. She is the one I liked the most, and the one who undergoes the most consistent, dramatic character arc. She starts out as a timid, shy, and scared princess who after she watches her father murder her best friend in front of her, steals an artefact and runs away. Her relationship with Binta and Zelle were the best parts because they served as excellent foils. Amari is strength from within; she can fight, but prefers not to, and her real power comes from her humanity, compassion and being able to inspire and lead. I loved how Binta gave her the ability to be brave and Zelle gave her strength and I honest to God wish she wasn’t saddled with a romance with Tenzin.

Not to say I don’t like Tenzin, he’s fine. He’s the only lead who doesn’t get a POV, and while he does get to shine towards the end of the book, for the most part he’s just a nice, overly protective, overly paternal big brother to Zelle and has a crush on Amari. He doesn’t really get a character arc like the others so I don’t have any strong feelings on him.

Zelle is the real protagonist and I really liked her. She is a great, flawed protagonist and one that I rarely see in YA fiction; arrogant and angry. She is capable at fighting, decent at leading, but what makes her stand out is just how angry she is. I love that, I love that she makes stupid and dangerous decisions because she is full of righteous rage at the injustice around her, which is why her relationship to Inan would have been interesting had it been done better. Amari and Inan challenge her world-view; they show her that not every Orisha is the same, that they can change and grow, and that though they all benefit from the system built around them, not all of them want to perpetuate it. Where Zelle wants to destroy it from the ground and rebuild, Inan wants to mold the existing structure to be more just. It’s easy to see how both have a point, but I implicitly agree with Zelle; changing a corrupt system to be less corrupt is impossible; it needs to be destroyed and rebuilt into something else.

Inan was the most frustrating character to read from. He is at once deadly scared from magic, hates magic, and is also a maji himself, while also falling in love with Zelle faster than the speed of sound. I understand that when faced with the reality of what he’s done, especially when faced with the living proof of Zelle, a survivor of the Raid and the very massacre his father unleashed, he would change his mind. But he doesn’t do it gradually, he doesn’t slowly start to change, no; he immediately decides to help the others and then as soon as his father arrives he returns back to magic is dangerous. What? It was infuriating to read, because it was so inconsistent. Zuko, didn’t overnight decide to help Aang and then betray him; he spent a whole season of the show coming to terms with the possibility of being wrong, to then chose his father over Aang because he had something to gain. Inan doesn’t have anything to gain and in fact that’s very clear when his father stabs him at the end of the book.

This inconsistency is what made me hate his romance with Zelle because I know this is a series and there is no way they would just actually end up together in Book 1. So Inan needs to backpedal on the development he got so he can get into a position to go back to his father. If there is still a romance between the two in Book 2 I don’t know how that would be possible after what he does to Zelle at the end of 1; I just hope the romance wasn’t so integral to their characters.

Like I said, this is a somewhat frustrating book to review because when it was good it was great. When it was bad though it was distractingly so, and though with that ending I have to read the sequel, I hope that the characterization is less all over the place and that Adeyemi takes it in a direction not already covered by the material that clearly inspired her.

goodreads

[apexart-journal]

Radha Gomaty in NYC Day 25

yeah ! of all things -a blonde! ive hardly seen a blonde head in NY actually...

Well, my ma used to joke ,actually only half joke, when she was much younger that she is going to dye her hair blonde or wear a blonde wig!

She had this penchant for reading all kinds of perfectly horrid political espionage novels and really goshawful state-of-the-art horror pulp too in English that my smart aleck, super brilliant older brother , my only sibling and her favorite offspring,shared with equal fervor.

(BTW She can read Malayalam ,Tamil,Hindi and speak Kannada as well with her natural flair to pick up languages and dialects with the admirable ease of a sponge).

I would stand gaping looking from one mouth to another like a viewer of a tennis match does as mother and son went into animated discussions of events , characters and motives in such books that I had no truck with . I came from altogether a different stock -a wild arboreal creature who skinned her heart &her knees endlessly against all well meant advice engaging with real life projects&relationships each time with the same indefatigable sense of optimism and enquiry .

In the long spells of solitude in between, I was drawing.

She created another sub story about going blonde_ with her typical dark self deprecatory merciless sarcasm ,combined with a high degree of histrionic skills "...You know i am going train to be a detective.A famous one working with the Globe detective agency .And then to look unobtrusive , I shall wear my blonde wig ,lean on a pillar or sit on the street side bench and pretend to read the morning paper while actually I am on assignment observing my target through a hole that i have cleverly punched in it ...!"

That narrative detail about my mother peering through a hole cut out of the morning newspaper with her large eyes ,wearing her blonde wig would have my brother and me rolling helplessly on the floor in splits

It was perhaps her way of expressing the much repressed travel bug in her.An insatiable curiosity about the world,its cultures ,landscapes,languages...

It didn't matter that warring alongside was her Vertigo ,bad enough for her to shut her eyes tight if she saw Spiderman by chance on the TV yelling- "Change that channel !Im giddy!"

Or her terror of water (kindly remember here that she ended up marrying my father who is a seaman!)

Or her strict adherence to vegetarianism but with great tolerance of outlook limited only by her very real physical suffering due to her acute sensitivity to smells. Her olfactory capabilities sharp as a dog's that while making her a superlatively gifted chef also affected her to the point of making her sick.

When she she was younger ,her tendencies for violent bouts of migraine also wore her out.

But that is my Amma.

From the time i was little i have borne witness to the live wire trembling with which she lived this split ,this mercilessly twisting Torque of equally intense&opposing contradictions every moment -Between her desires and her conditioning,her drives and her internalized strict self restraints.

It was always like she had more than two people in her who were constantly at war with one another . As a child , i could sense this wild impatient suffering moodiness in her around which she wore a cloak of inapproachability as she stormed her way through her chores in the kitchen with absolutely formidable multi tasking skills.

It always scared me quite a bit. Still does without fail to bear witness to suffering I am not allowed to approach or address.

I sensed it simply wasn't easy for her to be who she really was and learnt to empathise deeply and respect her for it .

When she was that young woman ,while she satisfied that hunger to travel and see the world by reading insatiably magazines like the TIME and national Geographic , the only favors her proud self deigned to accept from two of her brothers in the US, she ended up opening huge windows for my brother and me .

When she also tuned into foreign stations with an inborn instinct , even foreign language ones , they greatly contributed to my brother's and my own enrichment through the subconscious means of listening in into international languages and soundscapes while doing perfectly ordinary chores.

Today through some strange cosmic plan ,without any prior preparation or goal setting i find myself in NYC where my identity is mirrored back to me in a different light than the one I am used to being seen in back from I come.

That 'Outsider ' residing in me that also comes from and is perfectly hand in glove with a Universal Insider by which I am inhabited...One that recognizes increasingly the oneness of all life Forms with every passing moment ; A form of being that is becoming a form of seeing itself that with every passing moment is a lived affirmation of an insight that is more ancient than this little i that I am and present myself as.

There is no greater and more avid reader of the spiritual than my precious Amma has been for me . I learnt so much just watching her. I have been witness to that flowering of what is already in her , a legacy from her namesake and her pious courageous resilient paternal grandmother who took it on herself to raise her children single handedly with the early demise of her husband,teach the unlettered women of her immediate neighbourhood and initiate them into spiritual readings while she could.

My Amma retains her intellectual and researcher oriented approach while I ,as usual, remain that earnest and extremely foolish child who cannot learn it seems without repeatedly having her heart broken and knees skinned .But we appreciate one another now much better than ever before.

In a couple of hours it will be 7 pm back home. i can see my ma settle in with her plate of rice gruel in front of the TV Even today her idea of winding down after a day's home management at 77 ,is to watch a french film on the TVE channel.

This small town girl brought up cocooned in a conservative Tam Brahm household,my Mother Alamelu Ramakrishnan ,is my idea of a certain kind of unsung genius.

My Salutes to YOU ,with Blonde wig and the works!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

[erriikkka]

As I develop my capabilities, I’ve been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact. Since then, it has always been a part of me to pay attention to these movie pictures that accompanied and innovated me throughout the years. Furthermore, i have abide to tackle the route in reaching my dreams and I have these bundle of films that represents my childhood in which i can relate to. These movies are the reason that at some point in my life, it also happens to me, and there, I see myself in my that particular scene so what are you waiting for? come on and see what’s inside my movie blog!

I. Beauty and the Beast

the 18th-century fairy tale was brought into life.

Beauty and the Beast

Disney has already given us live-action versions of animated films like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty in recent years but in a way, Beauty and the Beast feels like the riskiest of them all so far, as far as potential backlash is concerned. Beauty and the Beast is still much more recent than those other animated classics, and many can clearly remember growing up during the film’s initial release and explosion in popularity. Starting from editing, the musical, the casting, setting and the whole production staff made everything possible for this film has to be brought into life and its just very alluring, it will never disappoint you. There are numerous scenes from the film that leave me breathless and had me in tears. One of these scenes is when Belle and the Beast had their first date and dance in the tune “Beauty and the Beast” which depicts their love story. Speaking of their lovestory, the story’s fantastical elements made it feel truly “realistic,” these touches the hearts of its viewers especially, the die-hard Disney fans who waited for this time to happen. It was like a time travel from time to time through the use of the music box which plays the life of Belle since she was born. Lastly, it was when Gaston fatally shoots the Beast from a bridge, but it collapses when the castle crumbles, and he falls to his death. The Beast dies as the last petal falls, and the servants become inanimate. As Belle tearfully professes her love to the Beast, the enchantress reveals herself and undoes the curse, repairing the crumbling castle, and restoring the Beast’s and servants’ human forms and the villagers’ memories. The Prince and Belle host a ball for the kingdom, where they dance and lived happily ever after. With that, I could definitely say that i am mesmerized by this film and it has a huge impact in my life. This movie get to be my favorite movie. 10/10

II. Frozen

Frozen.

My happy pill.

  Frozen desalinates the new generation, our generation. Wherein, the youths are being portrayed by Elsa who would always keep a particular secret from everyone for the reason that she’s afraid that the society wont accept her. Within her, i saw myself, i saw how excruciating it is for her to lose her loved ones, i’m not saying that the same thing occurred to me but, even my family’s complete, there’s always that something that’ll be missing.  Since then, this film has been my happy pill and Elsa served as my spirit animal and just like her, I should be continuing what I’ve started and what I want because basically, it’s me, that is me. No one could ever deny the hard fact that these challenges will always come and test us, but we should all believe in ourselves that we can like what Elsa did. She stood up for herself and she even managed to grow into a beautiful rose even if she’s all alone. The reason why i really can’t resist this film is about it’s life lessons that we should always think first before we should do any decisions for it might affect our future.

III. Inside Out

The universe is full of dark matter and black holes, of planets made of diamond and space clouds that smell like raspberries. It is beautiful, terrifying and very, very odd. but none of that wonder holds a Christmas candle to what goes on in the mind of an 11-year-old girl. Take Riley—a fun, goofy, hockey-loving kid from Minnesota. Sure, she might not look all that unusual from the outside. But dive into her gray matter and you’ll see towering shelves full of memories and terrifying forests of broccoli in her subconscious, cloud cities forming in her imagination and elaborate dreams taking shape on the sound stage of her psyche. Above it all, in the control tower, work Riley’s core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. They push buttons and twist knobs and help power Riley through each and every day, making scads of marble-like memories all the while. Most of those marbles are eventually whisked away to long-term memory storage. But a handful stay in the control room. They’re her core memories, moments so critical in Riley’s development that they’ve spawned whole islands of identity. When Joy is sucked out of the control tower, though, it becomes impossible for Riley to do much but sulk and cower and occasionally blow up. And while that’s not good in and of itself, it’s a fantastic depiction of what kids feel when they’re under a lot of stress. When you’re 11 and your whole world has changed, your inner world is shaken, too. And we learn here that our emotions, even ones that might seem, on the surface, “bad,” can help stabilize things. Riley’s parents don’t understand what’s going on with their suddenly sullen daughter, but they want to help. And so they do—through love and patience and understanding. It’s pretty obvious that Mom and Dad are great (though not always perfect) parents, and Riley, eventually, sees them as such. That means Inside Out isn’t content to depict how awful things can get when our lives take a sudden downward turn. No, it also wants to show us how important family can be in the process of picking yourself up and moving on.

IV. Moana

  Princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though Disney’s latest addition to its ever-growing gallery of empowered female heroines, Moana – The sail of the century. It is a tale of the young daughter of a Polynesian chief who seeks to explore the world beyond her island in the Pacific and save her people in the process. Moana’s father continually asserts that because her role is to be the island’s next leader, she must remain on the island. However, her decision to defy her father’s orders leads to a fulfilling experience. She skillfully incorporates Polynesian culture into its plot, demonstrating its beauty and intricacy while respecting its origins. The film includes the traditional Polynesian legend of Maui, a demigod known for his mischievous personality and contributions to mankind, most notably his creation of the Pacific Islands by pulling up rocks from beneath the ocean. Maui’s character is cleverly utilized to highlight the significance of Moana’s agency as a young woman. Demonstrating his rude personality, Maui constantly doubts Moana’s ability to navigate the ocean and help her people because of her status as the young daughter of a chief. Moana’s continual capacity to prove Maui wrong emphasizes her independence and inherent talents regardless of her social standing or gender. Though Maui and his godly powers contribute to the storyline, Moana’s strength and determination are central to the film’s plot and communicate a stirring message of female empowerment. Patience is the key to happiness, they say, and nearly the entire film embodies that belief. For example, Moana must find enough patience to learn how to sail, patience in Maui who doesn’t trust her at first, and patience throughout her entire journey. During the film we see Moana fail a few times before she finally succeeds, and that added humanity to her character, which a lot of protagonists tend to lack. When a lot of people see this, especially our youth, I think it will help them realize that mistakes are a part of our journey through life, and some things require patience before success. The film will be cheered as many things — an entertaining holiday film, a princess story without the slightest hint of romance, a multicultural addition to the Disney family — but best of all, it’s a sharp attack on helicopter parenting. Unlike most of the young women we meet in fairy tales, Moana has a happy childhood and never wants for anything. Like many middle-class American kids today, she has two wonderful, caring parents who only want what’s best for her. Otherwise, the movie offers positive messages of self-discovery and empowerment. And Moana herself is a great role model, demonstrating perseverance, curiosity, and courage.

V. Coco

They say, Coco is the best movie of Pixar in years, and I totally agrees with it. Most of the scenes in the movie takes place in the Land of the Dead, but the movie never stops overflowing with life. Colors riot and effervesce, Mexican folk-art patterns tease the eye, music and song ride beneath each scene and goose it forward. The movie’s so exuberantly visual that it feels as if you’re sticking your head inside the collective unconscious of an entire culture. Not to mention it’s soundtrack “remember me” which says the whole story and within that, we can all see that many people can relate in this kind of music especially the emotional ones. Although out the movie, it made me cry for the reason that at some how I can relate and I know how it feels when your parents are contradicting the things you wanted to do. This movie is a 10/10 for me. It’s really nice and knowing me, being emotional this movie suits my sentimental heart. While all is well in the end, the movie can be dark and sad , especially for those who’ve lost beloved relatives. But it also has powerful themes of perseverance, teamwork, and gratitude and encourages audiences to love and appreciate their family and always follow their dreams.

5 worthy movies that you shouldn’t miss! As I develop my capabilities, I've been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact.

[rob-blog1234]

WEEKEND TV HOT FILM PICKS!

Check out my guide to the top films on TV this weekend and the best of the rest. Enjoy!

LATE FRIDAY 26th JANUARY

HOT PICKS!

Horror @ 2100    Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2010) ****

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a stand out comedy from 2010. Although less effective after a few re-watches it still pulls enough laughs to stay up in 4 star territory. For those who have not seen this film please do! It was one of my favourite comedies of 2010 with its great storytelling and the way it tips all expectations on their head. This film had a remarkably fresh feel. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine work well together and are a great comedy duo. This is comedy horror done well. Just what the genre needed. Get this on record.

BBC2 @ 2305      Drive (2011) *****

My top film of 2011 by a long mark. Nicolas Winding Refn goes from strength to strength. Subtle, stunning, a stellar soundtrack and great performances from everyone involved. The glances and looks between Mulligan and Gosling are brilliant. So much is said with so few words. Refn is my currently one of my favourite Directors. Each and every shot is perfect in this film. After ump-teen re-watches, it simply gets better and better. This will no doubt become cult cool. In my book it already is.

Best of the rest:

5* @ 2100          Sleepy Hollow (1999) ****

Film4 @ 2100    The Abyss (1989) ****

ITV4 @ 2300      The Blues Brothers (1980) ****

TCM @ 2305      Full Metal Jacket (1987) *****

Horror @ 0035  The People Under the Stairs (1991) ***

ITV3 @ 0250      The Sting (1973) *****

SATURDAY 27th JANUARY

HOT PICKS!

TCM @ 2100      Full Metal Jacket (1987) *****

I’ve had many discussions regarding people’s favourite War movie? …and this is mine. Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is superb. It’s full of classic Kubrick shots and some stellar performances making this a true bona fide classic. The film has 2 clear parts; the first part of the film goes through the marine training from day one of their induction, with a powerful opening scene of each character getting their heads shaved, removing their identity. This training part of the film is bar far the highlight of the movie. The second part, although different is extremely complimentary and deals with their introduction to real army life out in their new various roles, specifically focusing on “Joker” in his role as war correspondent for the Stars and Stripes publication. The film shows the Vietnam War from their perspective and how their lives are consumed by it.  It is full of interesting characters, particularly Private Pyle played by the brilliant Vincent D'Onofrio. Lee Ermey’s wild eyed and aggressive drill instructor is almost cartoon in his extremes and pushes the new recruits to the very limit of their capabilities… and in some cases beyond.  Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is a triumph of cinema and a much watch film. Like War films? Love this.

BBC2 @ 2230    Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) *****

Birdman holds up strong on re-watch - It's totally immersive and with some of the best performances I've seen for a while. On second watch I was particularly impressed with Emma Stone who owns the screen with her presence and delivers her lines with commanding assurance. I rate this up there in her performances of mention.

Keaton is an aging actor on the downward spiral out-of-fame after a career as a superhero Birdman. Similarities with his role as Batman are noted and make this all the more interesting. In an attempt to stay relevant he is directing and starring in a stage performance and we follow him on this ill-fated journey to bring his creation to the stage. Keaton is outstanding here and this reinforces my already strong appreciation of his talent. Where to next? Well ALL the cast are phenomenal and I could go on about them all, Galifianakis is perfect- just restrained enough to keep the right tone of the film, Ed Norton is superb and Emma Stone pulls a storming performance out of the bag. Everyone does a sterling job.

Alejandro González Iñárritu's direction and Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography are on full show here. Birdman masquerades as one continuous take but is made up of many long takes sewn together. An editing nightmare for sure, but handled fantastically. As the camera follows and leads us around the story, to the unusual and amazing drum work which is almost always playing, I was left open mouthed in astonishment at this wonderful spectacle. Cleverly filmed with many shots into mirrors with no camera to be seen, this film quite simply pops. All my buttons were being pressed - all the time.

This film isn't just a clever visual spectacle - it's packed full of food for thought. It's dark comedy off set with some serious issues, evidently Keaton is playing a man with many inner demons and this film treads the fine line of decency, treating its subject matter with care and attention.

I really want to go and watch this all over again. It's packed with ideas and the more I sit back and think about it - the more I find. Birdman is a triumph. Don't miss this.

Sony @ 2345    The American (2010) *****

An absorbing and beautifully shot slow paced thriller with Clooney pulling another sterling and affecting performance out of the bag. He really is very good at these type of characters. After I recently watched him in the fantastic Michael Clayton, I immediately wanted to see The American again. Although his character is a closed book we see enough of Jack’s inner anguish and emotion to really buy into his character, his situation and his decisions.

The stylish cinematography and the amazing backdrop of the village of Abruzzo really turn this into a feast for the eyes. Every shot with precision and focus. It is a visually stunning film. The poster and marketing really did not help this films cause. If you come in expecting gun toting gangsters and lots of chases, then you will be disappointed, this is an understated and calm affair with a subtle power over its audience. With Clooney at his expected best this is a superb slow burn thriller from a Director with a great eye for style and suspense

Best of the rest:

ITV2 @ 1330      The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) *****

ITV4 @ 1600      Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) *****

Film4 @ 1750    Avatar (2009) ***

TCM @ 1900     Gremlins (1984) *****

More4 @ 2100  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) ****

5* @ 2100         V for Vendetta (2005) ***

Syfy @ 2330     In Time (2011) ***

SUNDAY 28th JANUARY

HOT PICKS!

Sony @ 1905     Another Earth (2011) ****

Through all the improbabilities and implausible ideas in this elaborate work of fiction, Mike Cahill brings us a subtle, affecting and intimate story that takes place as we discover another planet, another Earth, getting closer and closer to our planet. An exact replica. This huge and admittedly outrageous Sci-Fi concept is merely a sub plot to the main event - It is a story of how two people meet and how their relationship, forged through tragedy, grows.

Brit Marling, who not only co-wrote this film but it is also her fantastic debut in the lead role as Rhoda, turns this light weight, low budget story of a tragic relationship into a serious heavy weight contender. This is no doubt the start of a great career for her. I still haven’t managed to catch her in the 2012 release Sound of My Voice which I’m very much looking forward to.

The film does raise a ton of unanswerable questions but sensibly chooses to stick to its guns and focus purely on Rhoda, her decisions and the reasons for the path she takes. This emotionally charged Indie Sci-Fi fascinates and mesmerises with its subtle, slow pace, mysterious soundtrack and affecting performances.

Film4 @ 2100   The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) *****

Check out Scorsese’s balls-out look at some horrible people doing repugnant things with so much swearing if it was edited it would end before it started. This is a film of excess in every way.

DiCaprio is Jordan Belfort and the film follows his rise and fall in Wall Street. It’s hilarious and repulsive in equal merit, but where this film worked for me is it didn’t seem to be telling me something clever, having an opinion or educating us on what is right or wrong - it simply shows us the American dream encapsulated in one man’s story to power and money. It’s crass, crude and unabashed about what it is. But no matter how much I dissect it I was addicted to this story and could help but follow along wide eyed and mouthed. It’s worth it just for the Lamborghini scene alone. Don’t miss this.

C4 @ 2300   Side Effects (2013) ****

Soderbergh’s Side Effects is one of those films that is incredibly difficult to talk about without ruining it or giving away some of the lovely points and twists of this film. I have always liked Soderbergh’s films in the most part. He has always handled complex characters extremely well and his films have a heavy focus on people and relationships. Here we seen Rooney Mara in a fantastic role. She plays a woman who turns to prescription medication for her anxiety as her husband is released from prison. The film is as much about her story as it is about the pharmaceutical companies that create new drugs on unsuspecting patients. It really touches on some serious issues. Side Effects is simply fantastic. I was blown away on my first viewing and became one of my firm favourites from 2013. If you like thrilling Crime Dramas then this is going to tick all your boxes. Don’t miss this.

Best of the rest:

Film4 @ 1100      The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) ****

C5 @ 1315           Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) *****

5* @ 1545             Footloose (1984) ***

C4 @ 1655           How to Train Your Dragon (2010) ****

ITV2 @ 1745        The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) ***

Comedy @ 1745  Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) ****

5Spike @ 1750    Where Eagles Dare (1968) ****

Syfy @ 2100        Pitch Black (2000) ****

ITV4 @ 2230        Harry Brown (2009) ***

TCM @ 0000        Escape from New York (1981) ****

Film4 @ 0030      Red State (2011) ***