#or the way certain movies (like horror) usually are in different countries

[pseudosis]

begging. crying. gnawing at my damn cage bars. modern university au zuko blurbs or headcannons. sis please.. crumbs at least im literally burning

-🍃

❴ 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐔 𝐙𝐔𝐊𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 / 2000s ❵

﹒︴Zuko went to college on behalf of his father’s expectations, he and Azula went to two different schools in completely different countries based on how he treated them. His son ended up at a nice university, but not as prestigious as the one he sent his daughter off to.

﹒︴His alt phase had begun back in late high school, him slowly growing into the fashion and experimenting in the worst, more overly dramatic outfits and makeup ever. He looked ridiculous for a time until he finally found the style that he thought suited him best in his senior year.

﹒︴He shared an apartment with both Aang and Sokka in a complex right by the main part of the school. His room consists of horror movie tapestries, band posters, signed vinyls, and his guitar hanging up on the wall with his aux on the ground next to it. It’s the ultimate room for anyone in the alternative scene.

﹒︴Building from the last paragraph, Zuko loves to play his electric guitar, it’s a coping mechanism for his fluctuating mood swings. Growing up, he had a hard time regulating his emotions and would often get in serious trouble for it, so instead of acting on how he feels, he can express it through something harmless like striking certain notes on the instrument. His neighbors definitely hate him for constantly blasting the sounds from the guitar on the aux.

﹒︴He has a plethora of different piercings which are mostly on his face, a smiley, eyebrow piercings, a septum, a dermal, a vertical labret, snake bites, a tongue piercing, multiple ear piercings, and a prince albert pierc- [GUNSHOTS]

﹒︴Along with piercings, he has a lot of tattoos, both forearms fully done. And some other smaller pieces on his abdomen, back, and fingers.

﹒︴Zuko can’t keep scissors out of his damn hair, and he’s constantly dying his hair black every time he can. He keeps his hair short as hell, creating a suffocating biohazard from the amount of hairspray and flat iron smoke without much heat protectant. You know, him actively cooking his hair alive? Yeah. Think Trent Lane from daria type of hairstyle.

﹒︴Honestly Zuko loves all types of music, except country, and will try anything as long as he thinks it sounds good. But his ultimate favorite genres are nu-metal and emo/alternative. He likes bands like slipknot, korn, system of a down, evanescence, deftones, lacuna coil, kittie, limp bizkit, my chemical romance, three days grace, bullet for my valentine, mortician, panic at the disco, and the list goes on.

﹒︴A myspace whore…No but seriously, his myspace would be so detailed and intricate for no reason at all. And you know his ass changes the songs every day. He usually posted stupid clips of him, sokka and aang at the skatepark, the skits that they make, his makeup/hair routine for those curious, and other videos of all kinds.

﹒︴Had an obsession with lucky charms cereal when he had no money to go to the school restaurants.

﹒︴Also loves watching adult swim, favorite show happens to be robot chicken.

﹒︴He smokes a lot of fucking weed, like he loves getting high with the other two boys and on the occasions when he has a girl, then he would love to get high with you.

﹒︴Has this weird ass party trick where he can spit out soda/liquor from out his snake bite openings. Doesn’t do it often since it gets infected and the infection is the worst.

﹒︴The boys often throw parties in the apartment which a lot of people go to, Zuko isn’t the life of the party but he definitely needs time to grow comfortable, happens whenever he’s intoxicated in some type of way.

﹒︴Zuko meets you as a freshman at the college he’s going to, and you two happen to share a class together first thing in the morning. In the middle of the lecture he comes into the classroom pretty late in a bunch of thrown on clothes and he looked sleepy as hell. No bag, no supplies, just himself and a singular notebook. He sat next to you towards the back of the classroom, because you by chance sat in a seat that was next to his usual spot. He plopped himself in his seat and immediately let his head fall on the table

﹒︴His first ever words to you were when he needed to actually take some notes and he shifted his head towards you to ask groggily if you had a pencil he could borrow. And of course you gave him one, it’s such a minor moment but it was a generous one.

﹒︴This continues for a while whenever he would be too tired from a party the night before to properly prepare for class, you would share stuff together. And whenever he would accidentally leave without giving it back he would humbly return it back to you at your own apartment, from which you told him where it was.

﹒︴He isn’t on his phone often, he was more of a laptop kind of guy, if you happened to have myspace then yeah he would definitely text you so much more. If you wanted to.

﹒︴Zuko texts with so many acronyms and shortened words, for example, “hey wsp?” or “c u tmr” Kinda dry to be honest, unless you like talking about music and fashion, then the conversations would be so much more interesting. He also sends you party invites since he thinks you’re that cool.

﹒︴He loves taking naps in between classes with his narcoleptic ass.

﹒︴Really loves to thrift, he’s one of those guys you gotta watch out for at the thrift stores unless you wanna see him take all the good stuff.

﹒︴Constantly stacking up on tons of petty pieces of jewelry of all kinds like rings, earrings, necklaces, chains, etc.

﹒︴Likes to rip off the sleeves of crusty old band tees he found at the thrift stores to add to the crunchy look of them, he likes when they look like they’ve been through hell and back.

﹒︴He goes to illegal car meets sometimes with Sokka and Aang. Zuko’s really good at driving, and knows how to drift, do donuts, burnouts, and then he usually rides out of there before the cops arrive at the scene. Has had to get his car fixed up multiple times because of recklessly driving away from police, most of which he has had Sokka do if it wasn’t anything serious.

﹒︴If he’s dating you, he loves taking you out on late night drives to get away from the party. You two have the time of your lives blasting music and riding around with the windows down.

﹒︴He absolutely adores it when you kiss him on the lips and whatever you have on (lipstick, lipgloss, stain, liner) gets on his own lips. Zuko will definitely walk around with it on and not wipe it off until he goes to wash all of his makeup off

﹒︴He talks about would love to have kids one day, despite being all rowdy now, after college he will in fact get serious enough to raise some kids of his own. Zuko often held off on the idea because he wants to get in his right mind first and get an income coming in so that they’re comfortable.

﹒︴Zuko in this au has bipolar disorder, so don’t take offense if he switches mood or changes his mind on you. It can be very inconvenient at times but he’s trying to get better without relying on medication. It seems like one minute he’s completely comfortable talking to you, and the next moment his anxiety can render him speechless unless you speak up first.

﹒︴His grades are decent, since this is in fact college and he needs to further his knowledge on economics and business in general if he plans on taking over the family business. He’s not really good at turning shit in on time, a professional procrastinator on homework.

﹒︴Has a massive cologne collection, the best ones too so if anyone ever needs any to smell amazing, ask him.

﹒︴His room is often a mess of clothes on the ground, being the fashion freak he is, his ass is digging through the articles of clothing he has and forgets to clean up before he leaves out. Ends up not cleaning it up until he has literally nothing else to do, or if someone comes over.

﹒︴Absolutely hates doing dishes and is constantly buying paper plates, cups, plastic utensils, etc.

﹒︴Constantly taking fit pics with those digital cameras. Possibly created mirror selfies.

﹒︴Has so many fucking bb belts it’s genuine insanity how he just collects them.

﹒︴Iroh thought he always looked so silly with his style, like in a funny way. Why is he wearing multiple belts? Why does he purposely ruin his makeup? What happened to the sleeves on his shirts? You know in a curious parent kind of way.

﹒︴Is the type to create an entire song about you on his guitar since he just loves you so much. More of an instrumental rather than a complete song with lyrics because he’s not too big on singing.

﹒︴Despite listening to the obvious metal/alt music, he listens to a lot of the songs his mother constantly sang when she had the time to, like Teena Marie’s “Out on a limb” or Sade’s “The sweetest taboo.” It resurfaces the memories of his mother singing her heart out to them like she was performing for an audience, and he always remembered her having the most beautiful singing voice he’d ever heard. It brings him comfort when he really misses his mom sometimes.

@PSEUDOSIS 2024 all rights reserved so please do not tamper with / use ai prompts / repost / or translate my works without explicit permission from me .ᐟ all banners and layouts are made my by me, feel free to dm if any questions arise .ᐟ

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 킹덤/Kingdom.

Kingdom is a 2019-2020 Netflix series set in Joseon-era Korea, following the collaborative adventures of an exiled prince, a country doctor, and a scrappy mercenary who's pretty much the only one in this entire zombie outbreak who has a damn gun.

I have very complicated feelings about zombie media. See, in case you hadn't noticed, horror movies are never actually about what they're about. And a whole lot of modern zombie stories wind up being a) metaphors for fears of immigration by mindless subhuman hordes hell-bent on infecting the good, pure people, b) white male fantasies about how the downfall of civilization will put them back on top again and then all you DEI people will be sorry! and/or c) ways to let your protagonists just kill the shit out of a whole lot of humans but it's okay because they're not really human. Soooo yeah. A lot of zombie-flavored things I like, I have to like them despite all that.

But Korean zombie media tends to avoid a lot of these issues. (Maybe because Korea's experience with invasion is less Fox News Lies About Scary Brown Migrant Caravan Again and more [long list of actual historical incidents]? Who can say!) Kingdom is no exception. It's smart zombie fiction, where the zombies are mostly here to make the already-complicated mundane geopolitical situation just that much more of a fucking nightmare.

This is a bloody, violent, grimy, often downright gross drama, so if you're squeamish, you may want to pass on this. If you're into horror, though, and into zombie horror especially, go on and sink your teeth right into these five reasons I think you should watch it.

1. No one here has ever seen a zombie movie

You know how one of the frustrating things about watching a zombie property is seeing a bunch of otherwise competent, regular people act like they had all their cultural awareness of zombies surgically removed, down to making up cute words that aren't "zombie" to keep from saying the word "zombie"?

Everybody in this show has the excuse that they are living several centuries before even the possibility of zombie movies.

This story starts out pretty standard for a historical drama: a sick king, a pregnant queen, a crown prince in a precarious position, questions of succession, accusations of treason, wealth and class dynamics oppressing the poor, shady backroom politics -- you know, the usual stuff. And it never stops being about all that! It just also has zombies. Evil bastards don't stop being evil just because decomposing hordes are breaking down the door. In fact, that just makes them worse! And our heroes are at ends because they have no natural immunity to the genre they've walked into.

Sure, there are some moments of comic relief, but for the most part, Kingdom plays its premise absolutely straight-faced. How would 17th-century Koreans deal with a bunch of walking corpses? With period-appropriate tools, tactics, and mindsets!

In your standard modern zombie setup, everybody has guns, and then some special badass rolls in with a katana and everyone oohs and ahhs. In Kingdom, the wealthy have swords, the common folk maybe have farm implements, and there's one measly matchlock rifle in the party. For a few lucky headshots, you've got archers. For everyone else, things are about to get real up close and personal.

The characters also have period-appropriate worldviews that both inform their reactions to the problem and are frankly bizarre by modern standards. What if you had to deal with zombies in a place with cultural taboos against dismembering or burning dead bodies? What if people felt compelled to treat the corpses of peasants differently from corpses of nobles? What if the scholars won't act in their own defense because it's insulting to ask them to wield weapons? What if you can't ask certain important people certain questions because it's literally treason to do so?

The real moral of Kingdom is that there's not a situation so bad that devotion to Confucian principles can't make it worse.

2. That scrappy bastard

I'm not going to play favorites here-- Wait, what am I saying, of course I am. It's Yeongshin.

You know how, in any given zombie movie, your hapless protagonists survive because early on they find a party member who's about ten levels higher than they are? That's Yeongshin. He's cagey as hell about his shady past -- to the point where we don't even learn his actual name -- but he's going to come in real handy here, because he is also the aforementioned only guy with a gun, and he fucking knows how to use it.

And okay, I'm exaggerating about the gun shortage, but not by much. Firearms are rare, you need training to be able to operate them, and no matter how good you are, they still take time to reload after each shot -- if they even fire at all. (Also, ignore the part where everyone's aim is far better than shitty matchlock rifling should allow.) Guns are not the go-to weapon in this zombie situation. You can't just shove a bunch of pistols in everybody's hands and count on at least a few lucky shots. You could amass all the period-appropriate firepower you wanted, but without specialists, it'd be useless.

Yeongshin is fueled by some very reasonable guilt, since, uh, a nonzero amount of the shit that goes down is kiiiiiinda his fault. But I love that instead of giving him a death wish, it makes him even more determined to survive and do what he can to mitigate the fallout of his unintentionally terrible decisions. He knows he's far more useful alive, so to hell with taking the easy way out. Whether his opponents are living or undead, he's going to make them wish they hadn't messed with him.

This is a good place to note that the whole cast is great, from the thunder-voiced head of the evil family to the prince's wife-guy manservant to the doll-faced bitch queen. And obviously Ju Jihoon and Bae Doona are captivating every second they're on the screen, because they are absolute acting powerhouses and I love to watch them work. His Prince Lee Chang and her physician Seobi are compelling, memorable main characters who perform the important zombie-movie function of being the people you care about when they get put into dangerous situations.

But I walked away from this unable to stop thinking about Yeongshin. Bare-headed in a world of very meaningful (and often very silly) hats, he's feral and bitey and completely unfit for polite society. So of course he's going to wind up side-by-side with the second most you-need-to-be-respectful-to-him guy in the land.

More than anything, I love watching him work. He's a very physical character, but all his stats are in speed and agility, so he will just literally throw himself full-body against doors or into fights and let his momentum do the work. His actor, the handsomely exhausted-looking Kim Sungkyu, brings such a great physicality to the role. Yeongshin may be the Gun Guy, but he's not sniping from the back row. He's right there on the front lines, pulling off stunts none of the other characters would dream of trying. I cannot stress enough what a delight his action sequences are. It's such a good visual counterpart to the zombies, who also have no sense of bodily self-preservation.

And speaking of the zombies...

3. Zombie rules

I find that Korean zombie properties are the best in particular at zombie physics. Their directors seem very interested in pondering exactly what the weight of that many bodies would do. The answer is usually pretty gruesome and visually fascinating!

Kingdom's main use of zombies is by volume. While there are a few (memorable!) one-on-one scenes, the show delights in seeing just how many zombies it can fit in the frame. The danger is always from the sheer number of hostile bodies. You can use those numbers against them, if you're clever, but wait too long and you run the risk of being completely overwhelmed.

I've seen some people criticize the zombie extras by accusing them of not moving like zombies, which is the kind of nonsense you say when your only exposure to zombies is Slow Zombies. Kingdom's zombies are Fast Zombies -- they don't shamble, they swarm. They all just plow on full speed ahead until something stops them, and they definitely don't watch where they're going. Those extras do some incredible work flinging their bodies over obstacles and into solid objects. I sure hope one of the benefits of all that voluminous period-appropriate costuming is how much good padding you can probably stuff under there.

Continuing the thought exercise about what a 17th-century zombie outbreak would look like, Kingdom does some clever things with putting humans and zombies alike in situations you wouldn't find in the modern world, ones made possible only by the time period. I really like that it never forgets that part of the fun of this whole enterprise is making the best of the social and technological concepts that would have been present then. It doesn't feel like a modern zombie movie with incidental hanbok -- it actually makes the most of what a rural medieval setting both gives and takes away.

The rules Kingdom makes for its zombies are also an interesting take. You, the modern viewer, know how zombies work in general, but you don't know all the quirks of these zombies in particular, so you're learning at the same time the characters are. And sometimes you learn wrong! Sometimes you have to rewrite your whole strategy because you realize at a critical moment that both you and the characters misunderstood something very badly.

...And yeah, okay, it plays a little fast and loose with those rules sometimes, but so what? You know how this works! You know that the lead actors will dodge more and get bitten less than the random extras will. You know that named characters will last longer than their NPC counterparts. If you're going to hold that against it, maybe horror movies aren't the thing for you. Go do a Rubik's Cube or something.

4. The parts without zombies

Plenty, plenty of people have made the Game of Thrones comparison, which ... yeah, sure, I can see it. It wouldn't have been my first thought, but I get where people are coming from. And you know what, if you're a Game of Thrones enjoyer, you'll probably like this too. It hits a lot of the same beats and has a lot of the same vibes. It's kind of like if you shrunk Game of Thrones in the wash, until there were only two warring families and not a conlang in sight.

This show isn't historically accurate to the letter -- think of it more as AU Joseon-Era Korea, where specific people are fictional but the larger context is more or less the way things would have been. You never get given a specific year, but from technology and various context clues, you can kinda narrow it down to the 1600s. It never commits to a single year, though, which dodges a lot of nitpicks. Its fictional aspects are nice, too, because that means you don't have to know any real history at all. The show will give you all the information you need to understand the campaign setting, just in case your knowledge of medieval Korean dynasties is not up to snuff.

The conceit of the series is that some very specific devious political backstabbing and corruption has been happening since before the show began, making everything vulnerable to catastrophe. Unsurprisingly, the sudden appearance of zombies does not magically mend those rifts and make everyone come together! In fact, the reason the zombies are happening at all is related to these treasonous power plays, and while we never learn the full story (see my later note on the drama's ending), we get a whole lot of it. And it's a good, complicated reason! Here we return to the idea that zombie movies are always metaphors for something else. Set against the backdrop of multiple Japanese invasions during this period, Kingdom sure does have some things to say about the dangers of considering certain lives disposable in the service of the greater good.

I will be the first to say that IT TURNED OUT MAN WAS THE REAL MONSTER ALL ALONG storylines are tedious, so I'm glad Kingdom didn't decide it needed to beat that drum. The truth is, nobody's surprised when the bastards who have treated other people like shit all their lives continue being bastards in a crisis situation. It's the Joseon Dynasty. Everybody's locked into a rigid neo-Confucianist hierarchy. They don't need an apocalypse to reveal how much the people at the top would sell them all for a single corn chip. They've been clear on that one for a long time.

What this means is, if you're not traditionally someone who goes in for zombie horror, but you like a good political thriller and can roll with some supernatural elements, you might consider giving this one a shot anyway! It's not some hugely complicated and sophisticated plot, but it's still plenty to chew on. (See what I did there?)

5. Time to spend that Netflix money!

This show is gorgeous. It looks beautiful and it sounds beautiful. It's shot beautifully against beautiful sets and even more beautiful landscapes. Everyone's wearing beautiful costumes. What little CG there is is even beautiful. It's just visually a treat.

Light is such an important part of the show that I can't not comment on Kingdom's use of it, production-wise. The show is often shadowy as hell, but in a high-contrast way, as opposed to the awkward near-blackness of so much prestige TV. Even when it's dark enough that faces and details are obscured, there are still light sources that provide visual interest. Besides, I'll cut it some slack because it is a horror property. You should be watching it in a dark room anyway! And sure, there's some awkward day-for-night stuff, and transitions around sunset can be downright goofy, but if that's the worst of the jank we have to suffer through, it's fine.

As beautiful as it is, it's also very ugly. The story takes place over a period of time so short that barely anyone has time to change their clothes, much less take a bath. The grime just accumulates: sweat, dust, mud, sewage, smoke, spit, and all kinds of blood and viscera. By the time the story's done, everyone looks realistically beat to shit. (Bless those poor makeup artists, having to keep such close track of all the damage characters have suffered.)

I feel as though I should note for context that while I'm a horror movie fan, I'm still pretty squeamish when it comes to gore. I made it through Kingdom okay, but there were definitely parts I had to watch through my fingers. It hits the realism middle ground that gives me the wiggins, where it's neither absurdly chaste about bloodletting nor dumping comedic buckets of corn syrup on the actors. It suits the tone of the show perfectly! Just, you know, if you're a little tender (like I am), be ready to look away from the screen sometimes.

Korean historical dramas sure do have a real advantage on the wig front, in that most everyone is wearing some kind of historically appropriate hat or headband that covers the places their wig joins. And then you have Yeongshin, who looks so good all shaggy because that's clearly at least mostly Kim Sungkyu's real hair.

I've seen a lot of shitty low-budget horror in my day, sure -- but I've also seen a lot of shitty high-budget horror, where a production has a lot of money and spends it all on exactly the wrong things. Kingdom uses its funds wisely. It's not extravagant (except for the queen's amazing outfits). There are practical effects aplenty and some beautifully framed shots. It gets a little gimmicky with the camera work in season 2, but you know what? It's fun! The gimmicks are action-movie fun, and I will not criticize something for having fun in the midst of some otherwise grisly subject material.

It's also got great rewatch value. There are just enough secrets running throughout that going back for a second viewing makes a lot of things make more sense -- in, of course, a horrible way! But that's just the way we like it.

caveat: Beware of cliffhangers

The show is two seasons long, and it's clearly set up in expectation of a third season ... which never happened. What did happen was a separate, largely unsatisfying movie that tells the backstory of the cool character you meet in the last ten seconds of the last episode.

But that's it. There was also a prince-focused prequel planned, but that got scrapped before production even began, and that was four years ago. I'm not holding out much hope that we'll ever get anything more from the Kingdom universe.

I am not super-bothered by this, though, and here's why: The two seasons are enough to wrap up the main political plot. Most of what's left is zombie lore, and I am so bored by zombie lore. Still, would I have watched these characters roll around in that zombie lore for another six episodes? Without question! Are there loose ends I wish had gotten resolved? You better believe it! Do I want to know what the super-duper secret behind the zombies is? I sure do!

But I also don't feel like I got cheated out of an ending. Those two seasons hang on a story that's 90% the political succession crisis and 10% figuring out where on earth this whole zombie thing came from. That means what you get feels like 90% of an ending, which is pretty damn good by my standards.

Still, it's enough of a bummer that I feel I should give a little heads-up about it -- working, as I always do, on the principle that something can't disappoint you if you know it's coming. If you go in with the right mindset, you can be happy with what you get while not being sad about what you don't. And what you get in Kingdom is, in my little horror-loving opinion, worth it.

(Also, am I giving it extra credit points for how it did not sink my ship? Buddy, you better fucking believe I am.)

Ready to watch?

Netflix money means Netflix. It's got two seasons, and then you can make the decision about how much you care about the movie. I found it mostly disappointing with a few really cool moments, so it's your call if that's enough to justify your watching it.

The series itself is a pretty quick watch, too -- twelve episodes total, all 30-50 minutes long once you skip the opening and closing credits. You can blow through the whole thing easily in a single weekend, which is not something you can say about your standard Korean television season of sixteen hour-long episodes.

And then pretty please come back and do fan stuff for it! I couldn't find exactly what I wanted so I had to write my own. One Quiet Night remains one of my comfort fics that I self-soothe by rereading, which may be a weird thing to say about a smutty gay fanfic about a violent zombie drama, but hey, we all make our own fun.

Also, I know I usually end these with a cute behind-the-scenes photo, but this promo video is too adorable to leave out, so we're going with it instead. It's slightly spoilery for season 1, but not in a way that makes sense out of context. And if you didn't have a crush on Kim Sungkyu already, well, you will after this!

[polyklok]

Movies I think Dethklok members would really like

No this is not based on anything I’m just in a mood™ rn

Nathan Explosion

Mad God

So, no, I did not have any ounce of an idea of what this movie was about when I originally watched it, and I’m still not 100% sure tbh but an hour and a half of these pure vibes would totally be up Nathan’s alley. The post-apocalyptic setting, all the gore, the details of the various monsters, and I think he would just really appreciate it from an artist’s standpoint as well. This movie would just resonate with him, even if he wouldn’t have a fucking clue what was going on the whole time.

Mary and Max

I’m, personally, a bit on-the-fence about this movie, but it is undeniably sweet and I headcanon Nate to be on the spectrum so 🤷

This would be, like, his guilty pleasure film. The movie he knows is for kids and is totally not brutal but he loves it anyway. The, “I do not feel disabled, defective, or a need to be cured” really hits for him every single time. He rewatches it at least once every few months, especially when he’s in some sort of emotional slump.

Mandy

Another one that just like, like, big Nathan energy, you know? He just seems like a guy to really love loose plots with trippy visuals and strong emotions attached to them. Also, this movie is so completely badass, it is certified metal in his book. He also finds the story incredibly tragic; having the love of your life stripped away from you in such circumstances really tugs at his heartstrings, but in a way that gets him pumped up rather than sad. This is probably his go-to when people ask, “what’s your favorite movie?”

Pickles the Drummer

Son in Law

Okay this is my guilty pleasure movie. I usually don’t like stoner-comedy from the 90s, but this movie hits different. Maybe I just find Crawl hot. Anyway, I’m projecting that onto Pickles. He honestly probably finds a lot of crappy comedies to be peak film, and this is no exception. Pauly Shore pretending to be a country boy for a whole movie? Hells yeah. Pickles would watch while high off his mind, laughing his butt off and going to town on some cheez-its or something. And you know what? He deserves it.

Opal

I’m counting short films because I feel like Opal is the movie for Pickles. He’d watch it on a whim, because these are not usually the types of things he enjoys, and then he’d in tears over the emotional rollercoaster he did not agree to go on. Like, he grew up in a neglective household with authority figures that were overly-selfish and projected their own problems onto the youngest one in the house, to which he had to hide within his own brain more often than not just to properly function. And then he just…watched it happen all again in the hypnotic style of Jack Stauber. The Mom’s song had him in gasping tears for a while, the way you get when a movie somehow perfectly captures your own trauma right in front of you. And the ending??? Ugh. Go watch Opal, guys, it’s on YouTube.

Nathan and Pickles both get very emotional about certain stop-motion films, isn’t that crazy?

House

Thank you to Lucy for this Letterbox review that I think he would write

Anyway-

This movie is actually so insane. It’s not scary in a horror-movie way, like it meant to be, it’s scary as in ‘What the hell is happening and why do I understand it?’ Pickles doesn’t like most traditional horror films, as the long, quiet suspense bores him and the sudden jumpscares freak him the hell out way more than they should. But he loves the campy-wacko-type horror that they were apparently making in 70s Japan. It’s just scary enough to get his heart pumping, but the pure silliness of it all overrides that, getting him in a giddy mood and excited to see what happens next.

(No I am not done but tumblr won’t let me add more pictures)

[luna-memoria]

❤(ӦｖӦ｡)

I absolutely agree that Felix would prefer the original versions of books (while Bri is like *watches every version/adaptation available of her favourite shows*)! I also think that Bridgette did most of her language learning informally, like through speaking with other speakers as well as through music/cartoons/TV shows with subtitles etc.

The quantics with different nationalities is such a lovely idea too, I really love it ✨

Please talk to me about the Quantics

Or Felix/Bridgette

Or just anything, you know

[thelonesomequeen]

Translated:

ALBA BAPTISTA: "I DON'T KNOW IF I IDENTIFY MUCH WITH THE HOLLYWOOD SIGNATURE (...) I'M EUROPEAN AT HEART."

"The Seed of Evil" premiered in theaters and was a pretext to talk to the actress about the emotions that shootings impose in everyday life. How to find peace when scrutiny becomes noisy? Alba answers.

It gets dark in Lisbon and Alba appears on my computer screen via Zoom. Different time zone, her face still appears illuminated by the sun. It gets dark in Lisbon, but it is Alba who approaches the stars, the ones that move on the movie screens and fill the streets of Los Angeles where her life has rushed in recent times. For more than a decade we have associated her face with cinema shot in Portugal, with mandatory passages through television fiction, Alba has become an assiduous presence both in commercial productions and in small independent films. Today he talks about The Seed of Evil, a horror film directed by Gabriel Abrantes, where a palace hides memories and massacres, Alba's body ages and mutates to the interpretation of Anabela Moreira - they are the same character. Both are looking for youth, between startles we discover Alba's photogenics, the screen was made for her face with big emotional eyes. The Netflix series Warrior Nun introduced her to the rest of the world's population, and her marriage to American actor Chris Evans has not stopped inflaming the press with projections of what the couple's daily life will be like. Alba spends more time in the USA, even though her works made in our country continue to reach the screens.

It seems serene in the image of you that I see on the screen, in the voice that gives me the answers to this interview. Behind you I see an interior full of green plants, I hear your dog taking small steps. The actress fakes shyness, starts by giving short answers. His hesitations reveal sensitivity to the flower of the skin. You could eternalize the conversation, even more, to hear what you have to say about the world you see now from La La Land, a city full of possibilities and new cinema flights. Time is timed, Alba's take-off is imminent. We hope that Hollywood will value this talent ready to live emotions dictated by fiction.

The Seed of Evil is openly a horror movie. Gabriel Abrantes' films usually always have a message behind them. How did he convince you to get into this project?

He didn't have to convince me at all, working with Gabriel has always been my ambition. He is one of the young directors who really has a unique vision and challenges the Portuguese film signature a little. He is really a visionary and as soon as I found out that there was a character in which I could fit me, I immediately raised my hand (laughs).

So you were looking for it?

Yes.

In life, do you believe in the superstitions that are addressed in horror movies? And do you like genre cinema?

Yes, I'm very superstitious... Now that I think about it, I can say that I am quite superstitious. I had a phase in my adolescence when I saw horror movies and loved to explore the genre. Today it is already rarer to be interested, and I confess that I have not yet seen the Gabriel Abrantes film. I didn't have the opportunity. There are certain genres that interest me more, such as psychological terror. But any quality movie is worth watching. An Ari Aster movie (director of the film Midsommar) will always have quality no matter how much horror it is.

What do you think of the fate reserved for the young protagonists of horror movies? It often turns out to be perverse. There are many actresses who have started playing small roles in horror movies. Can this choice of yours be seen in any way a wink at a tradition that exists in genre cinema?

I don't know. In fact, I also entered this industry with a psychological horror film called Miami, a short film by Simão Cayatte. It's ironic, what you mention ended up happening to me, I started like that. But in The Seed of Evil the character I play is very small. Anabela Moreira is the one who deserves the character's credits, she makes me older.

Did they even talk to each other? What did you try to wake up in your work as actresses to do the same person?

At first we were very motivated to find a body language that would identify us both. She wanted to imitate mine and I wanted to imitate hers (laughs). So we didn't get anywhere (laughs). We worked a little on the cadence in the spoken language.

Gabriel Abrantes' films often have hidden messages, he comes from contemporary art. In this film the search for eternal youth is strong. It reminded me a lot of Oscar Wilde and The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Do you think the movie might want to say something about our society? About age...

Gabriel works a lot at the time of editing. None of the actors can predict how the film will end up in the final result. But in the script I read there seemed to be a criticism of this time that we live in dependence on social networks and the internet. In fact, subtly, it takes away our essence. Little by little we are losing our moral compass over the years and this is something that gives me tremendous anxiety. I actively try to fight it.

Do you feel that you are sucked on a daily basis by social networks? We're all, aren't we?

I have some aversion to social networks... I have moments, here and there, when ten minutes passed and I didn't even realize that I was looking at my phone. It's a feeling that we all know. I feel that I have some dependence on Instagram that is still important at this point in my career to promote jobs. But just having that notion, I feel like it hurts my head a little. (laughs)

Instagram has gained such great importance, it is almost like another work tool. Do you talk about it with the other actresses, with your friends or colleagues? Do you think it's a kind of new (public) character that you have to embody?

I have several friends who work with this very well. I confess that I don't have much talent because I have some stubbornness about it. I'd rather hide in a corner than expose what's going on in my life. And even in professional life... it's a mistake. We have to be able to know how to handle what is around us. We have to be able to dose things, always with our feet on the ground.

Is there really right or wrong? If we think of Hollywood, at certain times, there were always very mysterious actresses and this also worked. Were you also shy when you studied theater in Lisbon at ACT? Were you like being in a corner when they called you to do an improvisation? Were you the last one to go?

Yes, always. I much prefer not to talk and observe than to share my opinion or be seen. I am much more comfortable in the shade than in the sun.

Are you trying to control at these times? What are you trying to overcome?

It's simply my personality, I've always been very shy. Any family member will be able to confirm that I didn't speak much when I was a child (laughs). There is also another aspect of care... Maybe even a fear of saying the wrong thing. I, if I share my opinion, usually talk about something I have confidence in or that I have been able to confirm from various sources.

This can also be a pressure from those who have always grown up with social networks... The pressure of an entire generation?

It could be the other side of the coin, yes. There may be a lack of fear when exposing everything, as the opposite can also happen... (pause) I had never thought about it.

The short film you evoke of Simão Cayatte is a kind of reflection on fame. It's funny that it was your first job... Now can you think of the message of this short film in another way? I think about the exhibition you met with the Netflix series Warrior Nun. What do you think this means about you? Are the roles that choose the actors sometimes?

I've never thought about it. I hope I don't become like this character, because she was really obsessed with fame. That's something I don't identify with. But yes, fame is a concept that doesn't... (take a break and look to the side). I'm sorry, my dog is distracting me. It's very beautiful here walking from one side to the other. (pause) Sorry, now I've lost the reasoning of what I was saying.

We were talking about fame. This short film of yours is from 2014, it's been almost ten years, I feel that over the last decade you have known some success. Do you have any thoughts about it?

Experiencing such a phase does not bring joy or satisfaction. I simply want to navigate with my feet on the ground and understand that in fact fame is just an illusion. There is a sudden interest in you, but it is not really an interest in you... The interest is either linked to a character or is linked to my connections. Therefore, in my perception, it's more uncomfortable than anything else.

There is a dissociation. People think they know you, but deep down they don't?

At the end of the day it's just a job, and I think any artist likes to explore their creativity. But suddenly you have to take it with a wave, which is part of the job too, and you have to be able to know how to handle something that is not organic. (pause) It's an antithesis of everything that is normal... And some people know how to navigate better than others. I... My instinct is to close the door.

The movie The Seed of Evil ends up dancing with you reminded me of the movie Leviano (2018) you made with Justin Amorim. On the scene, in this possibility of moving, do you feel that you find some freedom as an actress? They're good, these days when they tell you - look, now are you going to dance in front of a camera?

Yes, curiously yes. As much as there is no training, any kind of physicality is interesting. I like to add the physical and emotional component. It's an even more specific challenge, it's more difficult. Carloto Cotta is a great dance partner, and in Gabriel's movie it was a lot of fun to make these scenes.

And how does the text appear in the middle of all this? I'm remembering a French movie you made in 2022 - L'Enfant. What changes in terms of preparation? What pleasure do you find in the text? You have a polyglot culture and speak several languages.

For me, as an actress, the most satisfying thing is to work with a director in an author's film. Each case is unique and each process is individual. And it is the director who chooses his environment.

As an actress, I like to adapt and listen. I like to cultivate what I receive and adapt. When I worked with Gonçalo Waddington, in the movie Patrick (2019), it was a unique experience. We did an artistic residency, we stayed a month simply living with each other to be completely comfortable. It doesn't always happen to be able to create stories that go beyond those that exist in the characters' script. In more commercial projects this does not always happen, and sometimes you can miss this essence.

You were younger, you studied at the German School of Lisbon. Did you go to German cinema at that time, or was your culture global? Do you feel that your interest in auteur cinema may have come from your education?

Yes, it's possible. I confess that in the German School I was not yet a movie nerd (laughs) I would say. European cinema has always been my first attraction in this world, only recently did I start to see the American classics. I recently saw Justine Triet's Anatomy of A Fall and loved it. It's wonderful. It's the kind of cinema I'd like to be a part of.

Did you have movie heroines at school? People you said, "I want to be like that."

The first actress I really admired was Natalie Portman. Just because her career was so appealing to a young woman or teenager. The fact that it started with Léon (Léon, the Professional, 1994) by Luc Besson, and then made iconic characters like Black Swan (Black Swan, 2010) or Closer (Too Close, 2004). She's a really sensitive actress, I identified with that.

Natalie Portman has always chosen her roles a lot, perhaps because she started as a child in the movie Léon, the Professional, but in general the actors do not have so much room to choose. How do you see this story of an actor or actress always being dependent on the desire of others? It's the others who choose you to make a character. What is it like to live with this need to exist through the eyes of the other?

It's complicated. It really depends on the others and even if you are making your dream character, there is no guarantee that the movie is what you imagined when you read the argument. You are dependent on so many departments, in cinema the process is almost internal. I feel that in Portugal I went through this a lot, I was doing several auditions and making the movies in which I was chosen. Now I try to be more selective and careful in my choices. Since I made the Warrior Nun series, I've been trying to advance to larger markets, and it looks like you're starting from square one again. But in fact my knowledge is already beyond square one, I worked in Portugal for almost a decade. My experience is already very vast even with my age [Alba is 26 years old]. Now the strategy with my agents is more about the jobs I'm not going to do. For at the end of my career not to look back and have regrets.

What is it that evokes in you the word Hollywood? Is it just another stage where you have to be ready for auditions, or is it wanting to belong to a broader universe?

I don't know if I identify a lot with the Hollywood signature, or with the way I work, namely in Los Angeles. I'm really very European at heart. The American structure is a little more aggressive. The approach to getting a role here has a lot to do with trying to raise your hand to be seen. It's much more direct, and you have a much larger volume of people who want to do the same thing. And they are very talented people. The important thing in the middle of all this, for me, is not to look at all these aspects, it can be very overwhelming... It is important to live through your truth and do things as you would within your silence.

Where do you find the silence when there is too much noise?

I find him in my family, in my husband, in my friends. Yes, I have amazing people in my life who are irreplaceable. I'm a lucky one.

Is filming a dramatic sequence or a more difficult scene something that can take away your sleep?

Yes. No doubt.

When did you feel that you really had to do this job and be an actress? Was it when you were studying at ACT or was it before? You had that thing you thought about like this "I really have to follow this and this moves me, it makes me happy."

It was during the shooting process of Simão Cayatte's [film] Miami. He rehearsed with me and his girlfriend [the actress Joana Santos] for 2 months. Every day, I would leave school and go to him.

It was a surreal experience, for a 15-year-old girl, to work and dig into emotions. It was really beautiful. When the shootings were over, I remember being completely lost. I didn't have the emotional maturity to understand that the project was over.

It's something that the actors have to deal with constantly and it's very easy for us to lose our sight... I suffered a lot because I didn't know how to get back to my normality. (pause) I dived. And this caused me a lot of suffering and also gave me great pleasure. I didn't know that at the time. Emotional diving has become an addiction.

You talk about balance and talk about finding silence. I wonder if being an actor isn't just about that... The ability to lose yourself more or less in a role?

I thought the actors should suffer and should experience everything. And I realized that this doesn't make us better actors. I think it's actually unnecessary and only brings hurt to our personal life and possibly to those around us.

What do they ask you about Portugal now, in this new American phase of your life?

They don't ask much. Everyone loves Portugal, or they want to visit or have already visited. Portugal is very popular at the moment.

There is a theater called Saudades Theatre and there is a community of Portuguese actors in Los Angeles. Have you ever been looking for them?

I don't know... I'm going to do a research.

This was to end and ask yourself if you miss it in these long periods of absence? Or maybe you don't miss it and it's a word you hate?

No, I always miss you. I'm a very nostalgic person, very melancholic. Every day I miss my people, obviously. I miss the streets of Lisbon, feeling the nostalgia of Architecture, the history behind the walls. I love walking through the area where I lived in Lisbon, in the Estrela neighborhood, I miss the sea...sometimes.

[persona5butitsincorrect]

thoughts on shuharu/headcanons?

Its not my personal favourite ship for either of them but it's definitely my favorite for Akira/Ren/whatever you wanna call him x any of the other female phantom thieves. I mean to me she was the only one who seemed like she already liked him during her confidant in the game and they do look pretty cute together as well as seem to have a matching temprement. I also feel like I can acc see a future for them as (at least as for what I imagine for Ren) running or working in a small cafe like Leblanc would suit him. As for what I imagine they'd be like in a relationship here's a couple headcannons of mine:

Lots of coffee dates, Haru would make a point of wanting to discover new obscure restaurants and cafes, and of course Ren will follow suit. Not that he doesn't enjoy it mind.

Mans whipped (😏) and pretty much owns it.

In all seriousness, it's more like he enjoys seeing her doing things that make her happy, since he knows she wasn't for so long.

When it's his turn to decide what that do on dates/days out, it's usually movies or the arcades. They're both surprisingly nuts for horror. And the part timer working at the theatre in shibuya knows their faces by now and always seems slightly afraid.

Same goes for anyone in the arcades, naturally, Haru calls out the most horrendous sadistic stuff like in mementos while they play first person shooters. It's like she forgets she's in public sometimes. Ren finds seeing peoples shocked faces pretty funny.

When Ren moves back home Haru winds up coming to visit for a majority of the summer. Out in the country, she stands out like a sore thumb even more than in Tokyo. She hadn't not been in a city before and seemed to imagine it being a lot more different than it actually is.

His parents though mostly absent are incredibly confused by her sudden surprise arrival in a chauffer, with four suitcases of clothes (she knew she was staying quite a while). Especially as they'd never even heard of her.

Ren hadn't brought her up mainly because they didn't need to know, just like they hadn't bothered to call once when he was in Tokyo, he hadn't bothered to say anything.

Honestly, Ren had very few friends at home, even less after everything that happened. And the people who did still hang around seemed to have an issue with Haru. In general she has this level of unintentional classism-- she just kind of forgets certain things are a luxury and not everyday. And it seemed to be the main thing that was putting people off tho her. It really annoyed him but he didn't really know what to do about it except from distance himself.

It was all making him really regret moving home. So much so he wound up making plans for how he'd move back to Tokyo after finishing his 3rd year of high-school and what he'd actually do with himself once he did. Plans Haru and Makoto helped him draw up.

He, like Haru, wants to run some kind of small private run cafe. Sojiro is mentoring them both. They're heavily considering the possibility of going in on the buisness venture together but it's still very much early days.

Both of them have a keen interest in French literature. Which is part of what got them both talking to eachother outside of the group in the first place. They exchange annotated books a lot - haru using purple post it's and Ren using red.

After her "Relationship" with Sugimura, Haru isn't all that comfortable with physical affection. She especially hates feeling vulnerable. It's a very slow process for her to feel secure again. Luckily Ren is very aware of that and incredibly patient. Partly because he feels the exact same way. After being caught in Sae's palace, battered and dosed up, losing his autonomy and feeling out of control. It all bore on his mental wellbeing a lot. That understanding between them is part of what makes them feel safe around eachother.

Ren has a pretty hard time getting to sleep. He thinks maybe a part of him is Afraid he'll wind up in the velvet room again. Most of the time Haru tries to stay awake with him or offer to stay up so he feels less alone and in danger. But 99% of the time she winds up conking out, of course only after half an hour as incoherent slurred talking whilst she denies she's even tired.

In line with all this, Haru still has moments where she gets incredibly upset or distressed and isn't sure how to communicate it. The way Ren chooses to respond is to give her physical space but stay with her. A majority of the time they don't talk and he just sits by her, letting her come to him if she wants/needs anything (usually a hug once she's calmed down).

There's a lot of hand holding between them. If there sat idly somewhere haru tends to grab Rens hand and trace it's edges with her finger out of boredom.

She's definitely a snorer. But it's a cute snore. Like a little toot noise every so often. That actually does help Ren sleep.

Whilst he already has a pretty good sense of fashion. Harus always wanting to dress him up, and a majority of the time he let's her.

One time Ann suggested she should try and get him to wear a dress, not expecting the fact he was more than happy to. Even more so he pulled it off with way more confidence than anything any of them had ever seen. (Ryuji discovered something about himself that day)

When there together they have this peaceful quiet sometimes, both of them enjoy just stopping and listening to the world around them (which cannot be said for some of their other friends). As well as this they have this way of being able to communicate without words. When they're in group settings it drives everyone else insane trying to figure out what the difference is between their different stares at one another mean and how they developed such a language.

[cottoncandy-cult]

Movie Night (ZFBFS)

It was just after sunset on one slow Saturday night, after almost a year together the two of them had formed a sort of weekend ritual. They had bonded closely, and Zack had come a long way with his lessons, he struggles with some words still but now he could read packaging, basic instructions, and had readable handwriting. Meanwhile (Y/n) had mellowed some, when it's just them she sought Zack's affection like a drug, and he was happy to indulge her. On this night the two were planning to binge a horror movie series, it was allegedly banned from their country due to questionable origins but one of (Y/n)'s recent targets had a collection of movies and TV series. She decided to help herself to them since they had stage a robbery anyways, so she loaded up her car and came home feeling like a champion. They had loaded up on junk foods, drinks, and some regular foods. They had to drag a second coffee table out of storage to put everything on, it was like a personal banquet. Both she and Zack had their own personal blankets, both fluffy and comfy with their selected images. Now that Zack could read, he liked to do some online shopping from time to time. They both had a habit of getting something for the other when shopping for themselves, though lately they had also taken to get what (Y/n) called bonding kits. Soap making kits, Candle Making kits, and more. The two had taken to creating things on their days off or when they had free time, it was a good way to decompress. Currently (Y/n) was sat on the couch, her fluffy cover draped over her lap, Zack was situated similarly right next to her. Both had a TV tray on their lap, eyes on the TV itself while devouring their individual meals.

They were sat with their thighs pressed to each other, basking in each other's warmth as the only light on in the living room had come from the TV and a hallway light that was left on for when they needed to go to the bathroom. They had just begun watching the first movie in the series, it was just starting pick up but even (Y/n) could admit she understood why they found the origins of the movie questionable. The vibe was off, it was just too raw. She felt like she was watching something from the dark web, granted the movies were illegal but this was a different kinda feeling. She had been taking lives for years, her entire life that was what she trained to do. Of course they didn't target the innocent, they went after those doing heinous things that were legally untouchable. They were the dark guard dog of the government; they bared their fangs only at threats to society and the innocent. Because of this there were certain behaviors she noticed, certain real behaviors she shared with the killer. A pit was almost forming in her stomach, she felt like this was less of a horror movie and more of an execution video. Something that would usually be considered evidence, it was often they were shown evidence linked to specific targets to remind them why such people needed to be dealt with. There were many people who filmed their crimes, but because they neither speak nor show their face it's a struggle to provide enough legal evidence to formally arrest them. That's not to say there is zero evidence, rather the government has evidence they can't show to the people because the means in which it was gathered was either less than legal or it was gathered in a way that has yet to be revealed to the public. There are just some things people aren't ready to know about, things that would cause chaos if they came to light. Her job was important, because while technically supported and guided by the government, they were also a shadow group that operated separately. It was their job to protect the innocent ignorance of the public AND protect their lives. That was why this movie was giving her goose bumps, but still she watched as she ate. She hadn't been given orders to find this guy, so there might not be any proof against him and the movie is just really violent. She continued with her meal, occasionally sipping on her drink.

Neither had spoken during the movie, both were invested in watching it. Though she knew Zack's focus was brought on by the same feeling she got, he had been working for the company about a year now. He had seen the videos, the movies, the evidence. So, both were waiting, waiting for that singular moment of confirmation. Before neither had noticed the sun was coming up, they were 6 movies in by that point, all their food had been eaten and they STILL weren't sure about this series. "What the hell are we even watching anymore?" Zack grumbled to himself, pausing the movie as he began rubbing his eyes. "Not a clue, I lost the plot around movie 3." She had pulled her cover up to her shoulder, snuggling into Zack's side. The dark-haired male had draped his arm over her, looking down at his lover curiously. "Don't tell me you wanna sleep down here on the couch, the sun's starting to come up." Zack had watched as (Y/n) shifted, pressing against his chest and making him lay flat as she snuggled on top of him not unlike a cat. "Why not? It's our house, we can sleep where we want." She had adjusted her cover over them, making sure their whole bodies were covered as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. "Fine, but if you aren't up by noon, I'm dropping you in the pool." Zack pressed a kiss to the top of her head, relaxing against the surprisingly comfortable couch and closing his own eyes. When he felt her breathing even out with sleep, Zack brought a hand up to gently run through her hair. Turning the TV down low he had backed out to the streaming sites main menu, beginning to scroll for something to watch until he fell asleep. He had managed to grab a bowl of chips from the table without moving his lover too much, setting it on the floor closer to the couch so he could reach down to grab some when he wanted them while he watched the show he put on. He'd eat with one hand, using the other to play with the young woman's hair. This was pretty much how their Saturday nights ended, in each other's arms buried beneath the covers. Isolated from the outside world, instead living in their own little bubble once that front door closed. It was a peace Zack wouldn't trade for anything; this place was his Atlantis.

[cvldbones]

one single thread of gold

CHAPTERS 5, 6, & 7 NOW POSTED!

Where she once thought she had carefully excised the parts of her that had been touched by Anthony Bridgerton, he finds a way to seep back into her bloodstream. It is so typical of them, she thinks. How could it have been any other way? Over the course of a decade, Kate and Anthony keep finding, and losing, and choosing each other.

Excerpt from Chapter 5 (twenty-three) below...

***

Howling like dogs in the light of the moon Holding our breath after 1:32 You asked me why I wasn't sayin' a word I'm namin' the stars in the sky after you

***

When people ask where he’s from, it is Kent that Anthony thinks of first.

Despite the family spending most of the year at the Mayfair residence, as dictated by Edmund’s job responsibilities, it was always Aubrey Hall that his father loved best. London was too bustling for his tastes, and he liked the freedom of the countryside; besides, he was responsible for managing so much of the land out there, and it made more sense to be hands-on. That is the type of steward his father was, after all.

So, it was at Aubrey Hall that they spent every spare weekend and holiday and summer. When Anthony was at Eton, he barely saw his childhood bedroom in Mayfair at all; he was always packed to Kent, straightaway. It is where he and his siblings learned to walk. It is where Francesca spoke her first word. It is where all his best memories are held: pall mall matches, garden parties, Christmas mornings, holding his youngest sister in his arms for the first time.

It is home.

It is where his father took his last breaths.

On the good days, Anthony is grateful for that fact. He is certain there is no place he would rather have been, in those final moments, than in the gardens of Aubrey Hall, his wife’s face above him.

On the bad days, though. It is a different story.

His father’s death was so quick as to be almost comical; walking back from an early morning hunting excursion, he had bent over to survey the flowers in the garden, pondering which ones Violet might like best, when he suddenly grabbed at his chest. And Anthony – eighteen, terrified – had stood and watched, helpless, useless, even as his mother had bounded out of the house, one hand pressed to her belly; even as his father choked out uneven syllables; even as Violet sobbed, her screams like something out of a horror movie, begging Anthony to call someone, please!

The woman on the emergency line tried to talk him through CPR, but his mother would barely let Edmund out of her arms. When the EMTs arrived, she was still gripping his shoulder, and Anthony was pumping against his chest, and he was already gone.

On the bad days, Anthony can still feel his father’s ribs cracking beneath his hands.

Anthony refuses to think about that now, though. The weather is perfect as he drives, balmy and cloudless, and his arm hangs out the window as he pulls down the gravel road that leads to his family’s property. It has been too long since he was last home – Daphne’s birthday, he thinks – and even longer since he has brought friends. The usual suspects, Dorset and the like, are invited to the annual garden party, of course, but those hardly count. This marks the first occasion he’s asked for people to see the property and stay the weekend, and his mother was so excited at the prospect that he’s already a bit nervous to see how over-the-top she has gone in the preparations.

It had been Benedict’s idea, really. Sophie and Kate are always extended invitations to the garden party, but have not been able to attend; after the timing did not work out this year, either, Ben suggested a weekend in the country to finally show them the property. That, of course, meant Daphne and Simon got wind of the plan, which then lead to Eloise and Edwina being invited. They have a new friend, Penelope, they decided to bring along, and Colin – never one to be left out – flew in last night. It is a bit more of an affair than he had originally anticipated, but Anthony hasn’t seen everyone together like this since graduation. That was such a clusterfuck in its own right that he is looking forward to rectifying it, this weekend.

Read more on AO3!

[spacevixenmusic]

What's your opinion on the subject of filler and episodic television? Is it "dying" as some have bleated on about? Are stories that keep up plot momentum better or worse?

By "episodic," I don't strictly mean that there's never any continuity so much as the Myth Arc across a given season is flexiable enough so certain episodes can be ordered a certain way with enough care. By contrast, any given Netflix series may be episodic but with a set order that cannot be flexible.

First off, we have GOT to clearly define the word "filler" so people can stop misusing it. "Filler" occurs when a show is being adapted from a different original source (typically manga, games, or visual novels), but the studio ordered more episodes than are needed to complete the adaptation, and writers must create additional episodes full of stories NOT included in the source material in order to "fill" the episode quota. You can usually spot this in extremely long-running anime series when the plot catches up to source manga (Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, etc) and the writers have to get creative while they wait for a new volume of source material to be released.

Anyway, what was the question again? Oh right, episodic shows.

Serial vs episodic: neither is better or worse, they're two different types of storytelling, and they work to different ends. I'm a fan of both honestly!

Episodic shows only seem to be "dying" because there's been a huge rise in the popularity of serial shows lately. If watching reaction channels has taught me anything, it's that modern audiences have started really undervaluing episodes that don't drive the plot forward or reveal new Lore or Character Development. And y'know, it's fine to have a preference for serial shows, I get that, but I don't understand the sheer disdain for light-hearted episodes or self-contained adventures that don't lead into something bigger. You can blame Marvel movies if you like, but I blame TVTropes and CinemaSins and Youtube comment sections personally. These places have fostered and created a generation of people who LOVE feeling they're somehow "smarter" than the show they're watching, rather than just, y'know, watching the show and coming to their own conclusions all the same.

I have a special fondness for episodic shows that take on a mini adventure every episode. A staple of my childhood was a show called Mighty Max, about a kid who fell into the possession of a magic baseball cap that could open hidden portals that took him all over the world. Every episode, he and his two semi-immortal guardians would be tasked with saving people from weird B-movie sci-fi and horror creatures, which required them to travel to foreign countries on the regular. Max would get a message that the world was in peril and have to find a portal located in some completely random location, - for example, the frozen food aisle of a local grocery store - that would drop him off in the middle of the wilderness in Sumatra or an ancient castle in Scotland or wherever. By the end of each episode, the world would be saved and Max would try to get home before curfew so he wouldn't get in trouble with his mom, and before the credits, would take a moment to talk about the geography and culture of the place he visited in that episode. No overarcing plot (just some occasional recurring villains), just a classic case of Putting A Guy In A Situation, and it played a huge part in my love of travel and culture and geography, which then led to my love other multi-cultural media, like Cowboy Bebop, The Fifth Element, and Adventure Time.

^ That's the sort of thing modern audiences seem to dislike though. Episodic shows aren't "dying" so much as people are just less fond of them than Serial ones these days.

[imjustabeanie]

Omg!! You have so many fandoms?!1!1!!

Well HI HUN!!! 🩷🩷 if it’s okay, i would love to ask for a match up with Mystic messenger and Obey Me! I got back into em recently!

I currently don’t have any deal breakers. If i get paired with Rika or Jaehee ill be okay!

About me: My name is Mera!

I go by She/her, (AFAB) and im Pansexual, although i usually lean towards men, though all my partners have been women!!

Im a Cancer zodiac, and im an INFJ!

Personality:

I have an rbf 🥹 people have told me so many times they are scared to approach me because they think i’ll be a bitch. Later they’ll tell me they love me though!! Pretty much an Ambivert. I’m super awkward and shy at first, and it ends up causing me to be short and blunt without meaning to!! but once I start talking? I never shut up!! I also tend to listen to things, and i try to help in anyway i can, although im not the best comforter. I also think my personality also can change depending on who i hang out with. If i hang out with more introverted people I’ll definitely be more outgoing, and talk to others! But if im with extroverted friends, i’ll tend to stay in my shell. I’m a pretty kind person, but also sensitive. I’d jump in front of a bullet for someone else though. Im a people-pleaser so what other people think of me, i really take into account. Once people get close to me though, i tend to be sassy and have “snarky” remarks, but in a joking way. If my friends have ever spoken out about if it makes them uncomfortable i will immediately stop. Honestly though, i can’t handle seeing someone else in pain- or crying. My heart will literally tear and i’ll start crying with them. I tend to be the “funny” friend- everyone usually laughs at my jokes, but i’ve been called the “mom” friend too, because i start to take into account what other people may need! Hair ties? I have A MILLION!! Advil? Dont worry!! I got some :)

I tend to surround myself with a lot of people also. I love to be in the spotlight (theatre kid alert..)

Hobbies:

Writing match ups !!, Drawing, Dance, Singing and musical theatre. I do Dance a lot and its also caused me to start caring more about myself! I sing all the time too- i take voice lessons :) I’m also a cosmetology student, so i LOVE to do hair, makeup, nails and fashion!! I love to talk about it too!! Theres so many interesting things people don’t know! I’m always listening to music though. The only genres i don’t really listen to is country and rap.

Likes: Honestly I like so many things, but i like sweets, people who give me attention, and i also like- love every color on the rainbow… i LOVE horror movies, and slashers. I love biology, and cos stuff! I might actually be able to go to dubai because of cosmetology :)

Dislikes: Rude people, people who are genuinely just bitchy for no reason. Not really much.

Love Languages: PHYSICAL TOUCH, is the biggest. Im super touch starved and i need someone to hold me!! Quality time too. They go hand in hand for me. Receiving gifts are the worst for me. Ill feel so guilty, but i love to give!

Ideal type: I dont really have an IDEAL type. Pair me with whoever!

Looks: if looks play into anything- i have pretty dark features. Although my skin is very light. Im a ghost in the winter. But whenever i get tanned, i usually have been told i look “Arab” which is a compliment. My hair is pretty much at a level 6, so its a dirty brownish color. I stopped wearing my glasses, but i have brown doe eyes! (If i was a certain “pretty” i’d be deer pretty.)

Im pretty short honestly. 5’1. I also love to wear heels though. I walk in them like its my second nature. My hair reaches around my shoulders, i usually Dont have it long, and i have curtain bangs!

Fun facts:

Im poly lingual!! I speak 3 different languages.

My parents are actually immigrants, and english wasn’t my first language lol!!

I major in pre law! So i plan to be a lawyer. - specifically medical malpractice because according to multiple nurses, “i have an eye for medicine.”

i hope this wasn’t too much-!!! 🥺💕 i hope you enjoy writing and matching!! Whenever you get the chance to do it, i’ll happy!!

Matchup trade for this wonderful person

Your OM match is...Diavolo!

Not gonna lie I did hesitate between Diavolo and Asmo but finally I decided on Diavolo. You can definitely keep up with him and your love languages match! He may be a little pushy but in the end he means well.

Let’s stay with the OM original plot shall we? (date. My bad lol). At first Diavolo only wanted to learn and bond with the new exchange student. He saw that you were rather awkward at first and stayed in your shell that’s why he poked more about your interests (read here that he just checked your case in the human world). He tried very hard to be your friend and was super happy when you started to reciprocate! He loved your jokes and often tried to get in on your train. Diavolo is someone who lives on the present but also calculating (not in a negative way. He just prefers that major plans aren’t altered that much cuz he’s the prince and all). Your sarcasm honestly makes him laugh, you’re not being mean about it so he doesn’t feel bad either. Diavolo fell for the way you two had fun together. You are someone he can get loose with but also get serious. He doesn’t have to worry much you’ll always match his style. Also, you’re the mum friend and it makes Barbatos so happy because he doesn’t have to worry about another hyperactive adult lmao. It took Diavolo more time than he wished to confess cuz he had to check out everything and what changes it would bring to your life. He knows that he can’t afford to get into reckless relations that can endanger his kingdom and how much pressure it would be on you the more serious the relation got. You noticed that he spent more time in his office and just went in, worrying for your friend. That’s when Diavolo, in his sleep deprived state blurted out that he doesn’t know if he can ask you out considering his position and all. He didn’t realize it was you….You two had a very heart to heart conversation and in the end agreed to go out together. What a mess.

Diavolo is kinda like a golden retriever boyfriend. He includes you in all sorts of fun activities and always have dates planned out for you two! He shows you hell and you show him the human world. Sometimes Barbatos threatens him with less time with you to get him to work. But one thing for sure is that you two are always seen touching each other. He loves holding your hand and waist, when he sees you he runs up to you and engulfs you in a hug which is rather funny considering his corpulence. In private you two cuddle a lot, when he’s working he’ll hold you in his laps to recharge as he calls it. Diavolo often takes you on dates to operas and plays. He passes them to Barbatos as ‘Seeing how the arts are developing’, yeah of course. We all believe you Diavolo. During these dates he gives you historical facts and explains references you might not get. After or before those dates, Diavolo takes you two to try new foods. He knows you like sweets so he makes sure to always get you some or ask Barbatos to make some. Speaking of gifts….yeah you’re getting spoiled but he’ll calm down after knowing you feel guilty about it. Getting spoiled in the sense he always gets you your favorite things and supports your hobbies by getting you the best material. Then with time he’d start getting you jewelry and all. If you two get married your birthday might as well become a national holiday just like his….

Diavolo likes to have lazy days because he can just spend them doing whatever with you. Perhaps you’d explore the human world or he’d try his hand at the kitchen! You two always have a laugh after that. He likes taking your hand and engaging to a songless dance (he puts in music eventually), I believe he knows many dances and will even teach you some. He’ll also let you do his nail and makeup (you can’t tell me he doesn’t put at least some make up). Diavolo has to follow certain fashions but enjoys going shopping to get things he’d only wear at the castle. He’ll always take you with him and you also have some kind of say in the official clothes his tailor makes him! At the end of a busy day, Diavolo just wants to relax with you in bed. You’re his safe space.

I wanted to elaborate on this but didn’t find how to make the transition so I’ll just say it here. One of the topics diavolo used to get to know you is your law major. He asked you about it and you two had pleasant evenings comparing the devildom laws with the human laws. It’s canon that healthchecks in the devildom are rather….rough so you’ll have fun comparing them. I initially planned to match you with asmo considering your interest in cosmethology but Diavolo is a much better fit in my opinion. He’d always hype up your interests and even proposes to let you in some factories so you can compare products in both worlds. He’d be really interested in seeing you make some cosmetics because he is very curious in all fields. The only issue with Diavolo is that he can’t always take no for an answer. He is used to getting his way so set up some clear boundaries at the start. You also have to accept that he is a prince first, he has his own secrets. I think I lost track of words….

Your Mystic Messenger match is...Zen!

Yup it wasn’t 707. He was my second pick actually but Zen won first position. 707 is too self sacrificial and has a lot of secrets, he might not even give you all the attention you deserve because of his job. But Zen is sensible, funny and devoted to those he care about. Since MysMes is an otome game we’ll go the OG route for how you and how he asked you out. I’ll skip to relationship with him.

You and Zen are quite similar in my opinion. He can easily relate to your sarcasm and snarky remarks which makes the two of you a formidable duo. None talks shit about you when you’re nearby because they’re getting torn apart. He likes it when you get passionate and start talking about your interests. When you do that he’ll shut up and stare at you lovingly before muttering some corny pick up line and kissing you. Zen compliments you a lot because you’re perfect for him. He calls you his Muse but won’t reveal your identity to the public until he knows you won’t get much backlash. Even his fans don’t comment about you because he gets so defensive when you’re brought up in a bad way. Even if you enjoy the spotlight and is proud of your relationship he still feels guilty for dragging you inside all this drama. He’ll need reassurance over this. Zen’s love language is mostly words, affection and quality time when he can. As an uprising star, he’s very busy but does his best to give you all his attention. That’s why he always leaves you voicemails saying how he loves you and even letters/flowers when his schedule gets hectic. Tight budget but huge heart. His favorite type of date is taking you for a picnic and just spending the night talking about everything, no matter how silly or deep it is. But he gets so nervous each time you ride the bike with him….

You are Zen n1 critic. He always wants you to review his performances and you two spend a lot of nights watching movies together (not his own, just movies and plays). He knows you like horror movies, that’s why you two are up to date with the latest horror movies in the market. When he makes it big, you can be sure he’ll invite you at every premiere/event. Your common house often gets noise complaints from Zen practicing or you two dancing to music! Yeah you might be the neighborhood favorite couple but they still want to sleep unfortunately. Zen is a workaholic, you being the mum friend helps in the sense that you’re the only one he listens to when you ask him to stop and get some rest. If it weren’t for you he’d forget himself, you’re the only reason why he didn’t have a burnout yet. He enjoys your singing and as an actor (he played in musical) he’d help you train out more. If you ever want to get into the business he’d be happy to help you out. Zen only lets you interfere with his skin care routine. He’d test out any product you recommend and lets you do his makeup or chose his outfits. He’d purposefully let paparazzi take pictures if you two are matching cuz he’s just happy and proud lol. Your future opportunity in cosmetology and upcoming law major actually make Zen so happy. He always encourages you to continue your studies as it’s what you love. He is a man of passion who dropped out, it’s the only topic he may get insecure about considering your own academic background.

In conclusion, you and Zen are definitely a popular celebrity couple that people look up to. The way he loves and cherishes you make so many fans jealous it’s not even funny lol. You two may be dramatic but your love is obvious.

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2024 MOVIE LIST

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

I watched Men (2022)

A rather divisive horror film that I was excited to see, but which I never got around to until now.

After the suicide of her overbearing husband, Harper goes to the country to heal, but finds only danger and derision in the form of the local male population.

Director Alex Garland often gives us well made and wildly plotted films that make his audience think while being entertained. His films "Annihilation" and "Ex Machina" should go down as science fiction classics. With "Men" Garland enters the world of horror through the eyes of a woman.

First off, "Men" has phenomenal acting through and through. Both Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinear give great performances, Kinear getting the chance to play many characters, and he does so extraordinarily.

And, honestly, I adore Jessie Buckley. Her acting is always top notch and she has a deeply charismatic smile and personality which she brings along with her talent. She's also been in a few 'love em or hate em' films. I usually end up loving them.

This film does Remind me ever so slightly of the British teleplay "Robin Redbreast", in which a newly divorced woman moves to the English countryside, finds something off with the locals, and also finds herself somewhat maligned for being an independent woman. Other than the obvious setting similarities, I suppose "Robin Redbreast" reminds me of "Men" because both films are part of a subgenre of horror, in which women's place in society is where the fear comes from. Films like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Stepford Wives" are other good examples.

The main character in "Men", Harper, is lost in the horrific madness of being a woman in a man's world. She is seen as weak. She is blamed for her husband's suicide and told she drove him to it. Her fears over being stalked aren't taken seriously. She is sexualized or ignored with little more than surface level pleasantries to keep her gaslit and feeling unstable. The scariest thing about "Men" is that it's real to a degree. These are things that many, if not all, women deal with.

We are shown all of these horrible things being done to a woman through one actor, as he takes the place of all the men Harper encounters at her house in the country. Using one actor is a way to represent the toxic male culture and attitude toward women. There is no reason to separate these men in any way, because no matter their differences or how they treat Harper on the surface, they all feel the same way toward her and see her as less-than in some way.

The English countryside setting takes us to the old world, what some men consider the more "natural" world where women supposedly knew their place. It's here that Harper not only encounters these men, but also the evil that drives them and forms who they are.

"Men" works as a drama and as a horror film. I'm not sure what certain people's problem with this film is. Perhaps it has too artsy of a third act for some. But, personally, I really don't understand those who don't get it or who don't care to understand it. I enjoyed this movie thoroughly and found it to be extremely well made all around.

And the ending is great. When did people stop liking wildly freaky horror endings?

[replicasoul]

papyrus ⇢ if you put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle, what’s the first song that comes up? what do you like about it / associate it with? cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)? mahonia ⇢ what place, thing, activity inspires you most and how do you express yourself when it does? aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

oh god i completely forgot i was doing this Hi sorry marxz [papyrus] Actress - Hana Vu really catchy song shown to me by a friend (hi luna :) ), and i need to look into more of this artist's stuff. associate it a lot as an anthem for Blink [cactus] uhhhhh ive been trying to practice drawing??? a bit more. idk if that counts. mostly little doodles and things still bc Arms, and its hard trying to learn to draw with a mouse (pens/styluses hurt my wrist worse somehow), but its rly nice when i Can do a bit of art. idk, Trying. [mahonia] inspires me Most??? oh thats way too hard. also not sure if its like... One Of These Things or One Of All Three. uh. as far as Places go? im guessing its like "you like to go to this place and be inspired by being there :)" but im poor and disabled and i barely go outside. So, i guess uh. i really like surreal spaces in art/media? doesnt need to be Liminal stuff (tho those are fun too), but just anything thats Weird or interesting to look at, especially if theres interesting geometric patterns to them. for a Thing, ? ? ? ? maybe certain game series and the mechanics for them. i really like to draw from survival horror stuff; the way tight mechanics keep you Planning is something i like to mess with in my own projects a lot; its really engaging trying to impart certain feelings on ppl participating just in how the rules/etc. work for Activity, idk. i watch/look at/play a lot of different media and will pull ideas just when something Hits Me and i go "oh i bet i could do my own take on that". favs are usually like, the occasional older horror/scifi movie/game that has a REALLY interesting concept but bungles the execution. so i just kind of go "oh cool im gonna do smth similar but Weirder, and i think i know how to make it work better". really fun experimenting with stuff like that [aloe vera] i mean a lot of the usual stuff that requires money. like yknow. would be cool to Travel some, ive never even been out of the country. same with having a house and all that. if we're talking stuff thats not quite that focused on quality of life/having a decent amount of money, thennnn i really wanna pick up some kind of physical hobby. i really enjoy swimming and tennis but physical issues + body dysphoria mean i rarely ever do them. itd be nice to be able to just like, go to a court with a friend every other week and play some tennis for fun. idk i miss just Playing Outside basically.

[vampr1x-bl00dx]

Omg!! You have so many fandoms?!1!1!!

Well HI HUN!!! 🩷🩷 if it’s okay, i would love to ask for a match up with Bungo Stray Dogs and Honkai stair rail!

About me: My name is Mera!

I go by She/her, (AFAB) and im Pansexual, although i usually lean towards men, though all my partners have been women!!

Im a Cancer zodiac, and im an INFJ!

Personality:

I have an rbf 🥹 people have told me so many times they are scared to approach me because they think i’ll be a bitch. Later they’ll tell me they love me though!! Pretty much an Ambivert. I’m super awkward and shy at first, and it ends up causing me to be short and blunt without meaning to!! but once I start talking? I never shut up!! I also tend to listen to things, and i try to help in anyway i can, although im not the best comforter. I also think my personality also can change depending on who i hang out with. If i hang out with more introverted people I’ll definitely be more outgoing, and talk to others! But if im with extroverted friends, i’ll tend to stay in my shell. I’m a pretty kind person, but also sensitive. I’d jump in front of a bullet for someone else though. Im a people-pleaser so what other people think of me, i really take into account. Once people get close to me though, i tend to be sassy and have “snarky” remarks, but in a joking way. If my friends have ever spoken out about if it makes them uncomfortable i will immediately stop. Honestly though, i can’t handle seeing someone else in pain- or crying. My heart will literally tear and i’ll start crying with them. I tend to be the “funny” friend- everyone usually laughs at my jokes, but i’ve been called the “mom” friend too, because i start to take into account what other people may need! Hair ties? I have A MILLION!! Advil? Dont worry!! I got some :)

I tend to surround myself with a lot of people also. I love to be in the spotlight (theatre kid alert..)

Hobbies:

Writing match ups !!, Drawing, Dance, Singing and musical theatre. I do Dance a lot and its also caused me to start caring more about myself! I sing all the time too- i take voice lessons :) I’m also a cosmetology student, so i LOVE to do hair, makeup, nails and fashion!! I love to talk about it too!! Theres so many interesting things people don’t know! I’m always listening to music though. The only genres i don’t really listen to is country and rap.

Likes: Honestly I like so many things, but i like sweets, people who give me attention, and i also like- love every color on the rainbow… i LOVE horror movies, and slashers. I love biology, and cos stuff! I might actually be able to go to dubai because of cosmetology :)

Dislikes: Rude people, people who are genuinely just bitchy for no reason. Not really much.

Love Languages: PHYSICAL TOUCH, is the biggest. Im super touch starved and i need someone to hold me!! Quality time too. They go hand in hand for me. Receiving gifts are the worst for me. Ill feel so guilty, but i love to give!

Ideal type: I dont really have an IDEAL type. Pair me with whoever!

Looks: if looks play into anything- i have pretty dark features. Although my skin is very light. Im a ghost in the winter. But whenever i get tanned, i usually have been told i look “Arab” which is a compliment. My hair is pretty much at a level 6, so its a dirty brownish color. I stopped wearing my glasses, but i have brown doe eyes! (If i was a certain “pretty” i’d be deer pretty.)

Im pretty short honestly. 5’1. I also love to wear heels though. I walk in them like its my second nature. My hair reaches around my shoulders, i usually Dont have it long, and i have curtain bangs!

Fun facts:

!! I speak different languages.

My parents are actually immigrants, and english wasn’t my first language lol!!

I major in pre law! So i plan to be a lawyer. - specifically medical malpractice because according to multiple nurses, “i have an eye for medicine.”

i hope this wasn’t too much-!!! 🥺💕 i hope you enjoy writing and matching!! Whenever you get the chance to do it, i’ll happy!!

Hii!!! Thank you so much for requesting!

Okay for the Bungo Stray Dogs request I do happen to see you with

Chuuya Nakahara!

I just feel you two would definitely have a sass off and it’ll 100% be a heated one

You two would also go on like shopping trips and give one another fashion tips (esp with chuuya and his odd obsession with hats/lh)

Though I do see it’ll take a while to allow Chuuya to let you touch him but once he does he’ll let you touch him. Like hugging him or even giving a lil kiss on the cheek.

Now for HSR

I do see you with

Argenti!

I do personally see you two dancing together in a ballroom and having genuine fun with one another

He would also 100% allow you do his makeup seeing that you enjoy it

He’ll also listen to your singing since he’ll think it’s beautiful and would listen to your fashion advice🩷

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

The Gang's All Here but is the American Public All Here?

Julia Merolle

     After watching “The Gang’s All Here” (1943) directed by Busby Berkeley, the film manages to represent the social conflict during this time period by actually hiding the problems. This film is unique in that it is a musical and doesn’t show the true devastation of the war on the country. This film came out after the attacks on Pearl Harbor which happened in 1941, yet didn’t really allude to any war besides the soldiers in the film. The film is a musical, with many different large sets and amazing production design. The story is about a soldier named Andy who returns home from WWII and falls in love with a singer named Eadie. However, Andy also is engaged to Vivian, another dancer. The story mostly focuses on the musical sets that the dancers perform on as well as the love triangle between Andy, Vivian, and Eadie. While “The Gang’s All Here” includes wartime through the soldiers going off to war and coming back, it doesn’t show the true emotions that existed during this time. Andy was in the worst possible war ever in the world and came back like he never left, and never endured anything traumatizing.

     A quote from “What to Show the World: The Office of War Information and Hollywood, 1942-1945” by Clayton R. Koppes and Gregory D. Black discusses that films during this time were for entertainment and not for any purposeful or meaningful messages. The quote states, “The artistic, more liberal side of the industry–the directors and particularly the writers–felt squelched. The industry avoided "message films" in favor of romances, musicals, murder mysteries, and westerns- "pure entertainment" in Hollywood parlance. Stereotypes flourished; accuracy was incidental.” (Koppes and Black 90). This quote is important because it shows that the industry during the times of the war tried to avoid films that had deeper messages and instead made any type of war film, not accurate and not as important as these entertainment films such as musicals and romances. A representation of one of the most elaborate scenes is shown below. This image alone just shows that “The Gang’s All Here” really didn’t focus on the war because an image such as this one wouldn’t be in a serious war film with a deeper meaning.

     Another quote from “What to Show the World: The Office of War Information and Hollywood, 1942-1945” by Clayton R. Koppes and Gregory D. Black discusses the Hays Code, also known as the Production Code, which censored certain topics such as sex, profanity, and prohibited a lot of horror films due to murders. The quote states, “Since 1934 the Hays Office had censored sex and profanity and taught that sin was always punished; the movies' ideal world was an adolescent perception of middle-class America. Although international themes increased between 1939 and 1941, social awareness remained dim.” (Koppes and Black 90). This quote is important because it shows that “The Gang’s All Here” would have been a completely different film if it wasn’t a wartime film. In the code, adultery is not allowed and although Andy does cheat on both Eadie and Vivian, it seems to be excused at the end of the story because Vivian didn’t like him that way anyway and because he was a soldier turned war hero at the end of the film. Another quote I found that is also connected to the film is during the time of war stated, “When Poynter arrived in the movie capital he found the industry doing little to promote the larger issues of the war. In the summer of 1942 Hollywood had under consideration or in production 213 films that dealt with the war in some manner. Forty percent of those focused on the armed forces, usually in combat. Less than 20 percent dealt with the enemy, and most of those portrayed spies and saboteurs. Other categories–the war issues, the United Nations, and the home front–received minimal attention. Even more disturbing to OWI, Hollywood had simply grafted the war to conventional mystery and action plots or appropriated it as a backdrop for frothy musicals and flippant comedies. Interpretation of the war remained at a rudimentary level: the United States was fighting because it had been attacked, and it would win.” (Koppes and Black 90-91). This quote is important because it shows that the industry didn’t want a lot to do with war, which resulted in films like “The Gang’s All Here”. During the period of WWII when the United States entered the war, the plots that had some aspect of war in them didn’t include the actual battlefields or the traumatizing things that the victims of the war or the soldiers of the war experienced. Instead, the war was seen as something in the background while the main plot was either a musical or romance, again seen in this film.

     “The Gang’s All Here” is a great film to escape the feelings of war as it doesn’t really have anything to do with it. The film mostly provides an escape for the people during the time that it came out and also encouragement that the United States would win the war as shown through Andy coming back as a war hero before the actual war even ended. Busby Berkeley created “The Gang’s All Here” for people to leave their worries behind for at least over an hour and instead focus on the musical and romantic aspects of life represented in the film.

Sources:

What to Show the World: The Office of War Information and ... - JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1888275. Accessed 18 Oct. 2023. 

[xoteajays]

Exactly! Regardless of the character's personality, lots of characters I love can fight or kill if they need to. Because who doesn't love fighters like those characters? Everyone always has their reasons for fighting.

Intelligent characters too.. Because I always love when they're able to outsmart the other characters through strategic planning in ways any one else is too stupid to understand. Chishiya, Tommy and Vincenzo.

~

I forgot that you mentioned that. That's my fault. Anyway.. I'm usually so opened minded to horror movies, but only if the movie (or show) is interesting enough for me to watch. I won't watch my time if anything I've seen didn't catch my attention in any way. So that really depends.

That's what I thought.. Because I only saw Joong-ki listed as a cameo for one episode, and I know Wi-Ha Joon only in some episodes. So if I do watch the show, then it might be a while. But I may eventually end up watching it. Maybe after Halloween? I don't know. So it's a maybe.

How the fuck is Joong-ki nearly forty years old? This man.. He always looks half his age! He's like the type of attractive person who has tried to be sexy (based on Vincenzo), but always ends up being cute about his appearance. He's so adorable. Don't know why that came to mind.

And, of course, some of Joong-ki's work is on Netflix. So I'll be able to watch more of his work. But there are some shows and movies that is only available in certain countries, so hopefully those are listed on the sites we use. Same with Do-hwan and Sang-yi's work too. I hate that.

Yes! Masters Of Horror should be on Tubi because that's where I have watched the series. I wish they still kept the show on tv. And I actually don't remember why the show was cancelled either.. Because when it was aired on tv, that was usually around Halloween time - around that time in the season. And there will be some actors you'll recognize too.

My only complaint about the Tubi app is that it's not in high quality so hopefully you'll still enjoy shows and movies on there, especially for in the Halloween season. I just prefer high definition over low definition.. It has better quality in my opinion. Maybe because I'm used to it now.

~

That's kinda what I thought about Shion's situation. Smoky's dead by this point in time, they lost a lot of people during the explosions - way before Smoky was killed. So I can (possibly) see them forgiving Shion after some time. And who knows if he may actually make any attempt to kill Nikaido, if Nikaido isn't already in prison with the most of Kuryu by then. But that's how I could possibly see this situation happening.

~

Everyone has different reactions to writing the Strawberry Girls, from what I have noticed anyway. Some people want to try fleshing out the characters to make them interesting in their stories, and other people do not seem to care enough about their characters to even try writing them well enough in the stories. I still haven't decided for myself yet.

Weird.. Their initials are the same. Kinda. Orange Girl, Ojou Girl, so it's OG now. But that's until names (my names) are figured out though.

I love how we've already figured out characters like Rocky Murayama, also Hyuga too, because they are the easiest to figure out. But Cobra! This fucker is pissing me off. I still can't figure him out half the time.

If you used Ayaka as a face claim, which visuals would you use for her character? Like Ann in Alice In Borderland? Or from different roles?

True. I know Asian schools are strict about uniforms so that really just doesn't surprise me. So their clothing would be like in Oya's? Because the full timers (like Todoroki) wear their whole uniform but part timers (like Murayama) incorporate casual any clothing with school uniform. Like flannel shirts and headbands, jewelry, clothes and accessories in these schools that shouldn't be permitted. At least in Asian schools.

Stop it! The more we talk about creating characters, then more I'm so tempting to create even more characters. I already have a lot of them for High&Low. So stop tempting me with something like this now.

If you used pink for your Ojou school, just use different shading of the pink then. Purple is rarely used in H&L. Indigo? Bluish purple shades... Blue and indigo are the shades of blue I use for my blue character in a traditional sense. I don't know how similar Oya and Ojou are though.

That's the different between Orange and Yui then. Even if Orange and Cobra do end up together romantically, she's rarely - if ever - shy with Cobra. But that's because they have been childhood friends though.

But that's something Orange and Yui have in common. Orange.. She's not a hateful person (unless you truly did horrible things in her eyes in a way that warranted her hatred like Kuryu). But I can't see her hating any of the Strawberry Girls, she might be friendly towards them since they have the same group of friends. Though at the same time, I have imagined Junko being jealous of Orange. Because Orange is this very confident woman who is always true to herself, she doesn't act much differently than normal, she's just herself. And Cobra (along with a lot of everyone else in Sannoh) pays attention to her. So Junko's always a girl comparing herself to Orange, also trying to make herself cooler in Cobra's eyes. Except his attention is towards Orange if they'll actually end up romantically involved. Junko is jealous. Still thinking that over. But yeah. That's another thing that have thought of, mostly because I don't care that much about these girls to care what happens to them.

Murayama and Yui sounds like bickering siblings trying to get Cobra's attention. That's what came to mind when I read it. Don't know why.

i love a character who can fight. but there’s also a handful of characters i like that are just plain bad at fighting and are just kind of. totally hopeless.

i also love a total himbo. like obviously i loved chishiya and a bunch of other smart characters, but i love an idiot.

duality of my character loves.

~

wi ha joon is the main male lead, and i think he’s supposed to be the main love interest but the leas pair don’t actually get together which is so frustrating because they have excellent chemistry. i’ve noticed he doesn’t seem to have a lot of romantic roles, which is a shame because he’s. So Pretty.

yea ive seen that descendants of the sun on netflix and heard its pretty good. and space sweepers. i’ve just not watched either because they kind of fall into genres im not really into. like military/war stuff and space-y/sci-fi aren’t really my thing.

also - idk if it’s just new in australia - but once upon a crime with takanori iwata is on netflix now. and ive also been thinking of watching informa with reo sano.

the other bad thing about tubi is the ads. like i dont wanna watch like 12 ads across a movie. it’s nice that it’s free, but i hate. ads.

~

nikaido should be watching his back if he’s not in prison. because if the remaining rude boys find out he was behind smokey’s death, they’ll likely be coming for him and nikaido doesn’t have the defence of kuryu’s fighters anymore.

~

that’s kind of the original writers’ faults i think. they didn’t really develop them and they didn’t exactly make any of them compelling in the scenes they were in. like naomi was only in a few scenes, but she was fleshed out and way more interesting than any of the strawberries.

also i just realised ive stolen two of the strawberries’ crushes for my ocs. murayama from oshiage for ryuko, and cobra from junko for yui.

luckily we can kind of dodge any mix up with that, i think. since i’ve named her now. so your’s can stay og until you figure out names and mine’ll switch over to yui.

i’ve decided on both the new girls’ names now actually: yui sakuragi and shizuka ibaraki. (the surnames are similar on purpose).

i’m still trying to figure out cobra too! i need to watch a bunch of his scenes again so i can try and get a feel. maybe read some fics or other people’s headcanons about him and see what i agree with. cobra! stop being complicated!

i don’t know exactly what role, but i have one pic of her that is extremely in-character for shizuka. i’ll have to send it to you! it’s very tomboy-ish, casual chic.

more characters! i’m an enabler!

if i use purple, i was thinking maybe a more red-lean purples as opposed to blue-purples. oya and ojou are pretty similar, though ojou puts up more of a ‘good school’ front and is a bit tidier; but there are still rumours about ojou’s fights and the brawler students.

yui is not usually shy, but she also hasn’t had a lot of crushes in her life. then she meets cobra and it’s very. different. she’s still got a bit of bite about her, bits of her usual confident attitude coming through, but she’s also quieter, kinda fumbling. she cannot flirt. she comes back from meeting cobra, all blushy about him it, and shizuka teases her.

yui is kind of indifferent towards the strawberries. she kind of views them as a gang in aesthetic only because they wear the outfits but don’t? really do anything? she’s just not really giving them any thoughts. junko thinks they’re rivals though. yui’s like ‘do you want to fight then?’ and then junko never does, so yui just … ignores her.

i can see junko being jealous and making excuses that they - orange and yui - only get attention for their looks and completely ignores the fact that they’re being true to themselves and not trying to act like someone they think other people (read: cobra) would like.

murayama and yui just on either side of cobra, pulling on his arms like two kids fighting over a teddy. cobra likes both of them (in different ways) but he’s also like ‘someone help’.

since i haven’t mentioned her much. lemme talk about shizuka a bit.

she’s a year or two older than yui and the two have something of a sisterly relationship. shizuka never wanted to be leader of ojou, but she respected yui for never giving up (since yui didn’t make leader her first try and had to work through a few losses) and ended up befriending her. she’s a big romance fan. where yui is very ‘women don’t need protection from men, girls can fight too!’ (she’s a lil snippy with the rascals getting in her way in a fight), shizuka thinks it’s romantic when men step in to protect the girl they like. she’s more relaxed than yui but also more confident around the men she likes. her and hiroto probably get together before yui and cobra because she has little issue whenever it comes to confessing her feelings.

[illegally-blind-and-deaf]

oooooo I love that we both have such similar but different ideas— this is such a valid point I forgot about but yes that makes so much sense!

For me, Müller is so interesting because he's different to Rastapopulous. Rastapopulous is very much a flamboyant villain who usually has him minions do his dirty work and is almost stereotypical of the classic "Bad Guy". Müller however can be a bit cliche in the Black Island but Land of Black Gold he's quite different in that yes he has minions, but he will do it himself. He also hasn't labelled Tintin as his ultimate arch-nemesis in the way Rastapopulous has in that (by LoBG) he doesn't waste time with dramatic monologues or being mean, he's just ready to squish this pesky bug that follows him around. Rastapopulous is heartless and ready to kill, yes, but he wastes so much time in theatrics and toying with people in order to promote a certain image. Müller just goes for it.

I think it's also very interesting that the shift in Muller's personality changes from pre-WWII to post. He goes from that classic villain with his monologue and sleazy tactics to very cutthroat and almost more militant. I think that reflects the world's opinion of Nazis and how it changed from them being the focus of movies as the Evil Bad Guy to countries being invaded and watching in horror that the sheer apathy and puppet-like actions of the Nazis. There was no hesitation, no evil laughs, no dramatic spiels, just doing. And honestly I find that more terrifying than the drama, because there's almost no connection to you and the villain, you're just a thing in their way that they will get rid of.

And, naturally as I do, I then go down the WWII path and think "well, hey, how much more terrifying would it be if Müller had some connection to Tintin's past if WWII happened in Tintin's childhood" which leads to many angsty encounter ideas

no thoughts, just Tintin and the land of Black Gold

And müller