#oscar and coco eventually sitting there too like (can i have that--) and he goes (if mochi doesnt want it you guys can have it)

[musubiki]

love the idea that for big gift events like limes birthday/christmas/valentines day, lime just has a MASS of gifts from all the girls at school who like him, and then while hes opening them up mochi is RIGHT THERE getting first dibs at the stuff he doesnt want

[ejm513]

EXPLORING RELATIONSHIPS-VICTORIA AND HECTOR *REVISED VERSION*

Hello my lovelies!! I wanted to go back and edit this post because I realized there were some improvements that could be made-for example Victoria’s age when she died. I messed that up… period. Also having some time to think on certain other things about it that I want to change.  I meant to go back and fix some of these things while ago but of course it never happened because life sucks and college sucks. Okay college actually doesn’t suck it’s very important if that’s the path you want and I am going to miss my school so much when I graduate in two weeks. So here is an updated version of my Victoria and Hector relationship head cannons!

Just as before this is dedicated to my grandfathers and every wonderful grandfather out there. I may not have mine with me but I know they are watching over me and I can only hope I’ve made them proud.

 -Despite her kind’ of cool no nonsense demeanor I think Victoria would be the first to accept Hector… sort of. When Hector is brought back to the Rivera home Imelda would naturally be the one to help him heal, but I think as strong as she is she runs herself ragged both physically and emotionally. When that happens Oscar and Filipe pretty much drag her away from Hector’s bed side and make her rest. He still needs to be watched though and to no ones shock Rosita volunteers. But what sends everyone for a loop is Victoria volunteering as well.

-This is surprising because outside of helping Miguel she wanted nothing to do with him-not out of spite or anger because she is not a spiteful person … she just doesn’t know what to make of him. This man who she never knew, who she only heard negative stuff about (except from her mother on occasion), who hurt her Abuela and Mama was suddenly in their home. Not only that everything she knew about what happened was a lie-he didn’t just abandon them he left. So yeah it’s a lot to take in and process.

-But adamantly Victoria doesn’t volunteer to watch him out of any love for him-for all the reasons mentioned above. She does it more of love for her Mama and Imelda, and sheer curiosity.

-Hector has pretty much been a sleep since Miguel managed to save him and when he is “awake” it’s only briefly and he’s quite disoriented. It’s Rosita and Victoria’s job is to just watch him and calm him down if he wakes up.

-It’s during this time that Victoria’s curiosity turns into general concern-he looks so fragile and weak, like he’s not completely safe yet. She’s never really seen anyone in such a state and it unnerves her to say the least. But the longer she looks at him, the more concerned and conflicted she gets. Not only does it reinforce that his life still hangs in the balance, but she can see the see the resemblance not just to her mother but to herself. They have the same cheek bones, same chin and in Victoria’s case the same height. Seriously look at them in one of the few moments they’re standing next to each other and TELL me they don’t resemble each other.

-Basically the longer she looks at him the more it settles in that they’re family.  Despite his mistakes-and despite she still has reservations about him-this is her abuelo and she prays that he’ll be okay.

-While she’s sifting through her thoughts she takes his hand without realizing it and gives it a squeeze. This actually wakes him and he’s still weak and confused. He asks where he is and once again Victoria acts on emotion (which is not normal for her). She gives his hand another squeeze and says;

“You’re home abuelito, you’re safe.”

-Hector looks very confused and repeats the word. Victoria replies,

-“It’s Victoria, your nieta.”

-Hectors smiles weakly at the sound of the word and fall back into his slumber.

-Its only when she sees Rosita staring at her in shock that she realizes what she did and is completely embarrassed and overwhelmed.  Like a lot of people (including myself) Victoria reacts rather poorly when feeling this way. She makes Rosita swear not to tell a soul about what she said.

-From that moment on she keeps her distance is rather cold to Hector when he begins to truly recover. She hopes he doesn’t remember what she said but wouldn’t you know-he does remember…. sort of. He vaguely remembers someone holding his hand and calling him “Abuelo.” Victoria tells him nothing like that happened and wants to leave it at that. Hector isn’t convinced and asks her one too many times, causing her to snap. She says something along the lines of

“Please just please drop it! You were hallucinating-do you understand? I never said anything like that and as far as I am concerned I will NEVER say anything like that! Now would you please just let it go and leave me in peace?!”

-Now we know Victoria is not a nasty person at all BBBBBUUUUUTTTT she is a lot like Imelda-which means she is prone to acting stubborn and mean, especially when she’s embarrassed or overwhelmed. This was one of the moments. She immediately knows what she said was harsh (and prays to the heaven Mama Imelda didn’t hear). She opens her mouth to apologize but Hector just walks away without really saying anything. But of course she does-most of the house does. Before she knows what happen she’s swept into Imelda’s arm and taken away for what she knows is not a pleasant conversation.

- Rosita goes to Hector. He’s very despondent and it’s clear he’s taken Victoria’s words personally. She pats his shoulder and though she knew Victoria would be mad if she told Hector the truth, it would be better for both Hector and Victoria in the end. So their conversation goes something like;

Rosita: You were hallucinating Papa Hector.  She did call you abuelito.

Hector: I know I wasn’t. I didn’t mean to push her. I was just..

Rosita: I know that Papa Hector. However, you need to understand things from Victoria’s point of view. She’s grown up only hearing… certain things about you, and that was all she ever knew. She’s also not like me or Coco or yourself. She doesn’t warm up to people easily or adjust to sudden changes very well. You need to give her some space to adjust. She’ll come around… eventually.

-Meanwhile Victoria is having a rather uncomfortable conversation with Imelda. Imelda is not being mean at all, but she’s laying down the law. She says something along the lines;

Imelda: Mija I know more than anyone else in this family how upsetting this has been. You’ve spent your whole life believing your abuelo was a bad person who didn’t care about this family… and that’s not your fault. I’m so sorry I let my own hatred and anger influence you bebita, it’s not fair to you or Hector. All he wants is to get to know you and be a part of your life… well after life. I’m not asking you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, or expect you to open up to him right away. All I ask is that you give him a chance, because he’s not going anywhere.

-Victoria takes her words heart and later that day she swallows her pride and goes to Hector.

Victoria: I’m…. I’m sorry I snapped at you, and that I kept saying you were hallucinating. It wasn’t right. I just… I need time to get used to all of this.  

Hector: Why don’t we start over again. Soy Hector, your abuelo

Victoria:  Soy Victoria your nieta.

-From that moment on they slowly begin to build a relationship… emphasis on slowly…. which is a little hard for Hector. He understands she needs time to get used to him being around and he gives her that space. But this his granddaughter-his little girl’s oldest child! It’s like having a little piece of Coco right in front of him. It’s hard for him not to dote on her, to just hug and kiss her and be the abuelo he never got to be. However just like with everyone else in the family, he gives her space until she is more comfortable with him.

-Much to Hector’s chagrin it’s just taking her a little longer than the others-at this point it’s been three months since Dia de los Muertos and even Imelda has let him sleep in the same bed and is openly affectionate with him. Victoria still hasn’t gotten beyond distant and very uncomfortable small talk.

-However Hector watches her to try and find something to break the ice between them and it only makes him love her more-and not just because she’s Coco’s child. He grows to love her for who she is.  He loves how quick witted she is, how when she’s not working on shoes she’s always reading and like her Mama Imelda finds her perpetually annoyed expression adorable. What shocks him though is that Victoria can sing. Hector only knows this because he walked in on her singing to herself while she did the dishes… unbeknownst to her of cores. She has a very soft, sweet little voice that wouldn’t make her famous but is very endearing. Luckily despite his minimal frustration Hector his a very patient man and continues to give her space.

-Then, there’s finally a break through. It’s the beginning of March and Hector notices Victoria is even quieter than usual and everyone is super sweet with her. She always seems to be staying rather close to her Julio. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s clear something is off. However, it’s not until he’s alone with Imelda that he asks why everyone was acting so strange today.

Imelda: Today is the anniversary of Victoria’s death.

Hector: Really?

Imelda: Most of us don’t think much about our deaths, we all passed away rather peacefully. You and Victoria on the other hand…

Hector: What?! What happened to her? She wasn’t… she wasn’t…

Imelda: No no mi amor nothing like what happened to you- but she died suddenly and young... not unlike you. She was only 38 when she passed.  

Hector: What happened?

Imelda: She had aneurysm. She was fine one moment and then the next she was gone.

-Hector is horrified by what he’s told. I totally think when someone dies they can still feel the same sensations that you felt when alive. He feels his heart break at the idea of Victoria dying suddenly and young… just like him. He ends up finding her sitting outside with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, just looking at the sky. Hector sits down next to her and before he has a chance to say anything she says;

Victoria: Who told you?

-They begin to have a real and meaningful conversation, bonding over the fact they both died young and suddenly. Then it turns into just talking. Victoria tells him about her life-how she had always been a sickly kid, how she had been bullied in school for her height and serious nature, how close she had been with her sister. Hearing how much she had suffered throughout her life broke Hector’s heart. Without thinking he wraps her in her arms and holds her close. She doesn’t pull away-she lets him hold and comfort her.

Hector: Mi probe mija… you had a hard life.

Victoria: I wish you had been there abuleito.

*Hector holds her tighter and kisses the top of her head*

Hector: So do I angelita, more than you’ll ever know. But I’m here now, and I will never leave again.

-This ladies and gentlemen was the start of a special relationship. After that conversation Victoria noticeably more comfortable around Hector. He still gives her some space but is more of the doting abuelo he wants to be. He starts calling her his “angelita hermosa” (I’m so sorry if that’s wrong… I’m trying but I have no grammar anymore.) He gives her hugs and kisses her forehead and will sing along with her while doing mundane chore. They also bond over books because Hector actually loves to read, much to Victoria’s shock.

Victoria: You read?

Hector: Don’t sound so surprised!

-Fun idea-after being told she loved to read Miguel left a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorscers Stone for Victoria and she becomes HOOKED. Convinced that she would love as much he and most of friends do, he leaves the next six books for her and she devours them all. This is how she learns Hector loves to read because he catches her reading one of the books and ask about them;

Hector: What’s this?

Victoria: Harry Potter. Miguel gave them to me.

Hector: Them?

Victoria: *tosses him the first book* Read it and get back to me.  

-He read it all right and the moment he’s done (which only takes maybe two days) he goes to her utterly enraptured. They start to talk *cough cough* geek out *cough cough* about the book. He finishes the series quickly, and every time he finishes a book they’ll talk about for hours-after work of cores. Though Imelda secretly lets them have a little more time to chat about books-she’s just so happy that he finally has a good relationship with Victoria.

-Victoria and Mama Imelda teach him some basic in shoe making because he expressed interest in wanting to learn and contribute to the business and it quickly becomes apparent Hector has absolutely no talent. Out of a desire to not ruin their relationship Imelda stops teaching him quickly and Victoria continues to try her best. In the end Hector is relegated to delivery and other mundane task around the shop-as well as playing music for them.

-They LIVE to tease each other. It’s all in good humor and with love of course. Sometimes it has to do with their choice in literature-

“You’re reading that?! What is wrong with you?!”

Sometimes it’s a harmless jab at certain personality traits. Hector will sometimes poke fun at how Victoria tends to take everything seriously, and she’ll make fun for being “a royal spaz”.

-By the time Coco comes to the Land of the Dead they are quiet close. Though she may not outwardly show it Victoria loves it when Hector calls her his angel and waits impatiently for when they can discuss the next book they’re reading together. Remember Victoria is still Victoria-and she doesn’t seem like the type of person to be so open with her feelings (most of the time anyway). However clear she adores him. She’s also more open to giving him a hug and maybe even a kiss on the cheek.

-When Coco sees this for this time she is overwhelmed with joy. Though she was elated to become a mother, she was always heartbroken her daughters never knew their abuelo. To finally see them together was nothing short of magical.

-And though Victoria may never say as such out loud, she feels blessed to have Hector in her life, and wouldn’t trade him for anything.

[hubskitchen]

Hub’s Kitchen Episode 6: Coco Review: Seize Your Moment, with Integrity

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN COCO, I’D ADVISE YOU NOT TO READ THIS POST!

Hey guys, my name’s Hub, and welcome to another installment of Hub’s Kitchen. Episode, installment, it’s all semantics on this blog. Today’s installment is one that a couple of you have been looking forward to for a while. It’s my Coco movie review! Sorry it took so long to get to this, but I have a few reasons as to why this took some time:

College kicking my ass and me spending a lot of time on it as a result

College kicking my ass and me spending a lot of time on it as a result

Dragon Ball FighterZ online rank matches

My chronic laziness got the better of me

Dragon Ball FighterZ online rank matches

Me forgetting about the movie until one of you reminded me

Dragon Ball FighterZ onli- oh god damn it, I tried to vanish and now I’m getting comboed to death, fuck you Android 16!

Uh… ahem. Sorry about that. That’s not relevant to this review but… alright, let’s get to the main meat of the episode. This is my review of Pixar’s Coco.

Ah… Pixar. There’s a lot I can say about this movie studio, but needless to say that they produced some of my favorite animated movies of all time. They also made Cars 2 and Brave. We don’t talk about those movies. Anyway, when I heard about Coco, I kind of ignored it for a while. The advertising for the movie didn’t really hook me, and I didn’t think much of it for the longest time. Of course, being Pixar, Coco got good reviews, and even won Best Animated Picture at the most recent Oscars, as if that means anything, but hey, that’s cool to hear. So, after finally making some time to sit down and watch this movie, and by that, I mean forcing myself to stop playing rank matches on DBFZ, what do I think of Coco? Is it as good as everyone says? Or is it another Wall-E; a movie that I like, but don’t feel the same way about it like so many people do? I’m gonna get murdered for saying that sure, but let’s get into the main story.

Coco tells the story of Miguel Rivera (pretty stereotypical Hispanic name when you think about it). Miguel is part of a family that specializes in shoe shining and shoemaking, but Miguel wants more than that in his life and wants to be a musician. Only problem: His family hates music, and I mean they really hate music. This is because Imelda Rivera’s husband, a musician, left the family, and this she banned all music in the family. So basically this family shares Shredder’s opinion on music from that really fucking weird Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Our Shells Tour concert. Don’t ask about that, trust me, you’ll save yourself some sanity. Anyway, Day of the Dead is here, and after discovering that Miguel is related to Ernesto de la Cruz, his inspiration to become a musician, Miguel desires to be in the talent show. His family takes it well. Because his guitar got fucked up, Miguel decides to “borrow” Ernesto de la Cruz’s guitar from his resting place, and upon playing a string or two, suddenly Miguel transfers himself to the world of the dead, or not really since there’s a whole other life on that side. Miguel runs into some of his deceased family members, however, it’s discovered Imelda can’t make her way through the pedal bridge to see her alive family because her photo isn’t displayed. Yeah, there’s this rule where if you don’t have your photo displayed, you can’t transfer into the human world. That’s demonstrated by one poor schmuck named Hector. Because his photo isn’t displayed, he can’t make his way through the human world. After some legal disputes, Miguel gets Imelda’s blessing to go back to the human world and never be a musician. Of course, Miguel takes this well. Eventually after running away from his family, Miguel runs into Hector, who knows Ernesto de la Cruz, and Hector promises Miguel to get Cruz’s blessing to be a musician. I’m gonna stop summarizing the plot here and get onto the themes of the movie, because I tend to do that when I talk about movies.

Music is a major theme in Coco. From the actual movie’s soundtrack to how music affected the life of Imelda and the Rivera family, the movie really wants you to understand how important music is to a culture and a person’s life. It’s clear that Ernesto de la Cruz’s music touched the lives of millions of people, leading to Miguel’s desire to be a musician. Music causes the central conflict of the movie, and is personified in Hector and Ernesto. The song “Remember Me,” is the most important song in the movie because of its purpose to both characters. Hector wrote the song for his daughter, but Ernesto uses is as a way to increase his fame, and ironically or fittingly enough, is the last song he ever performed. Hector played it to his family, whereas Ernesto played it for millions of people. This plays into another theme of the movie: legacy.

There’s a scene in the movie where Hector is playing one last song to a man who is about to be forgotten. When Hector finishes the song, the man disappears and goes to what Hector refers to “the final death.” This is because nobody remembered that man. Hector is in a similar situation, where outside his daughter, nobody remembers him, and he’s on a time limit before he fades away. Kinda fucked up when you think about it. Outside of his daughter, nobody remembers Hector and what he did. Meanwhile, because Ernesto de la Cruz became famous, everyone remembers him, so he doesn’t have to worry about people forgetting him. I know there’s a better term to use than legacy, but that’s what this theme boils down to. Again, “Remember Me.”

Family is also something that’s stressed throughout the Rivera family. All the Rivera family wants is to be together, but because Miguel is the odd man out and doesn’t want to be a musician, he’s basically an outcast. Hector is the same way. Hell, Hector is the actual father who left the family and not Ernesto. Ernesto killed Hector by having Hector drink poison in his drink. What a dick, and all that to seize his moment.

If “Remember Me,” is the most important song in the movie, “Seize your moment,” should be the most important phrase in the movie. Ernesto wanted to become a famous musician, so to do that, he did everything he could, even if it meant killing his friend and partner. Yes, he obtained his fame, but at the cost of his integrity, and nobody knew that. Miguel wants to seize his moment by being a musician, but he maintained his integrity. Integrity is very important in a person, but just because you want to be famous, that doesn’t mean you should fuck people over. You’d be surprised how often this happens in the real world. It’s honestly sad, but what can you do? It’s not like we can change that. I wish we could, but we can’t.

As for my opinion on Coco, I thought it was fantastic. If I ever get around to making a best and worst Pixar list (though, I’d have to watch The Good Dinosaur and Cars 3 in order to make that list), Coco could potentially be top 5. Man, you guys weren’t kidding when you said this movie was great. I mean, it’s Pixar, so I was inclined to believe that, but… holy shit. I’m not a crying man, but this movie almost made me cry. It was close. So.Very. Close. The only movie that I can say that has managed to make me cry was Inside Out. I wouldn’t say I liked Coco more than Inside Out, not because Coco didn’t make me cry, but I have a… special connection with that movie, for better or for worse. My personal favorite character is Hector, if only because he reminds me of myself, because I usually tend to be forgotten by people. I’m not fishing for sympathy coins for saying that, I’m just saying that I tend to be forgotten a lot. Man, my social life suuuuuuuucks.

This is where I’m gonna stop the review. I know I’ll be disappointing some of you, but I want to make my reviews shorter and not so long. People have told me that I take way too long to get to the point, so that’s what I’m trying to do. If you guys want longer reviews, let me know. Coco is a great movie. Go see it if you haven’t. My name is Hub Pie… and uh… I got some games to play. Thank you for reading!

[metawitches]

  And Maybe a Few Predictions…

Okay, after watching as many movies as I can cram into my brain in a relatively short period of time (actually, The Florida Project is still playing), I’m ready to make some choices here. I don’t want to name any names, but I was slowed down in my viewing by a certain usual movie-going companion who informed me at the last minute that he was abandoning me for the Winter Olympics, and would not only be watching every Men’s Hockey game this year, but the Women’s Hockey as well. How could I, as a feminist complain about that? Yay, for women’s sports equality! Boo for it interfering with Oscar movie viewing season, and viewing partners who don’t schedule their time wisely!

Anyway, I eventually gave up on him and mostly went on alone, and the US Women took Gold in Hockey. 🎉 They were able to do because people have made equality in  girl’s and women’s sports a big deal and fought hard for decades, and the federal government has required public schools to provide girls with equal opportunities since the seventies. Sports are viewed as important to male development in many ways, so it’s obvious to argue that access is an important aspect of female equality.

Now it’s time to find out how many women will get the gold in their chosen artistic fields in the film industry. After last year’s ceremony, I was struck by the lack of women at the podium who weren’t presenters or accepting as actors. No one was talking about it then and that post received VERY few hits. Thankfully, it only took a few months for brave women in the industry to start speaking up, and we’re in a different place today.

But the arts in general don’t get the societal support that sports do, and the federal government doesn’t require arts education, so there’s no requirement for equal opportunity. The arts community has remained stuck in a different era, with the casting couch of the early twentieth century intact, men exclusively at the top of every field and women doing the grunt work when they’re allowed in, and men needing to be reminded, over and over, that women aren’t there to be playthings.

The gender bias is obvious if you actually look with an objective eye, starting with who gets taken seriously in childhood, continuing with who gets favored in film and art school, and culminating in extreme bias in hiring and employment practices. Given the male cronyism that women have faced since the film industry began, I’m not going to feel bad about favoring female nominees where I can. Token nominations, then being told to shut up and go sit quietly in corner until next year aren’t enough. Especially when the awards are given to men who only pretend to make feminist films, or to films that would like to forget women even exist. If people of color and trans people need to be allowed to speak for themselves, so do women, thanks.

Now that my female rage has been expressed, let’s get on with what we’re here for.

Best Picture

It’s a tough choice between The Shape of Water and Lady Bird for me. Like Birdman and Whiplash a few years ago, they are both very, very well done, but at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as moviemaking goes. I picked Whiplash that year, but I’m going with The Shape of Water this time, because of its overall artistry and message.

I think the Academy is choosing between the Shape of Water, Three Billboards, and Get Out, with Lady Bird as a dark horse potential surprise winner. The Shape of Water is my prediction, because Three Billboard’s controversial flaws have been exposed as the film has played to American audiences. With so many other choices, there’s no reason to go with a potentially offensive choice this year. Guillermo del Toro is loved, and The Shape of Water hits a lot of buttons. Get Out made white people the enemy (the Academy is overwhelmingly old and white), and follows Moonlight winning last year, while Lady Bird is probably perceived as too inconsequential. Get Out and Lady Bird are the best written and constructed films of the nominees, so they could pull out the shocking win.

Call Me By Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk Get Out Lady Bird Phantom Thread The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actor The hands down, no point in discussing it, favorite to win is Gary Oldman, but I’m going to be a heretic and choose someone else! Gary Oldman was amazing, but I always knew he was Acting, and probably choosing which Shakespearean character he was emulating, throughout the entire thing. Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name is my choice. That movie lived and died based on his performance as a 17 year old boy going through a romantic and sexual awakening, first love, and the loss of first love. He played the role with a dignity and subtlety that’s rarely seen when teenage boys and sex are shown on film. Chalamet’s performance was open, brave and vulnerable, raw and passionate in a way that Gary Oldman’s wasn’t.

Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread) Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

Best Actress These performances were all amazing, and they all deserve to win in some ways. Frances McDormand has swept the preseason awards and is the favorite here, but my choice is Sally Hawkins. While McDormand’s performance is all sound and fury that in the end signifies nothing, Sally Hawkins owns her film without ever saying a word. She’s the heart and soul of the story, and we can’t take our eyes off of her. Her performance is both open and mysterious, expressive but secretive, mischievous but fierce. She turns a woman who’s been overlooked by everyone into a heroine who can outwit the US government’s finest, and we wholeheartedly believe she’s capable and cheer her on. It’s hard to imagine anyone else accomplishing what Hawkins did with the role.

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) Meryl Streep (The Post)

Best Supporting Actor

pending!

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) Christopher Plummer (All the Money In the World) Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actress

Alison Janney is the favorite to win, and has won, over and over as the other awards have been given out. I think Laurie Metcalf deserves the Oscar, for her tense, bitter, hardened, restrained, but loving performance. Allison Janney was incredible, but she was able to let loose with her vitriol and become a monster, while Metcalf had to walk a very fine line and accomplished it.

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) Allison Janney (I, Tonya) Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Best Directing

I gave Best Picture to The Shape of Water, so I’m going to split the difference and give Greta Gerwig Best Director. There’s just nothing wrong with Lady Bird, and that’s down to Gerwig’s vision, artistry, and direction of the people she worked with. She brought out the best in her cast and crew, which is an achievement that deserves to be recognized.

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) Jordan Peele (Get Out) Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread) Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Best Adapted Screenplay

I loved Mudbound. Really, really loved it, and think it was snubbed for Best Picture and Director. It’s a no brainer to give it Best Adapted Screenplay. I have no idea what the Academy will pick.

Call Me By Your Name The Disaster Artist Logan Molly’s Game Mudbound

Best Original Screenplay

I’ll give this one to Get Out, which was very original, had a great script, and deserves some Oscars. I’d be fine with any of the nominees winning, except Three Billboards. I don’t think that The Big Sick paid enough attention to the wife’s journey, but it was a good film (would have rated it 3.5, had I gotten around to writing the review). The Academy will give it to either The Shape of Water or Three Billboards.

The Big Sick Get Out Lady Bird The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Animated Film

Didn’t see any. 😦

The Boss Baby The Breadwinner Coco Ferdinand Loving Vincent

Best Cinematography

Oh my gosh, this is the toughest call of all! Can I declare a three way tie between Blade Runner, Shape of Water and Mudbound? Of course I can, it’s my website! LOL. Or give it to Altered Carbon? No? Okay, if I have to choose, it goes to Shape of Water, with Mudbound as my sentimental favorite. The Academy will choose between Shape of Water and Dunkirk, and who wins will depend on whether the old white guys or the artsy youngsters prevail. That’s basically my prediction for most of the technical awards.

Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk Mudbound The Shape of Water

Best Costume Design

The Academy will give it to Phantom Thread, because they love couture and appearing classy. I’m giving it to Shape of Water, because those costumes were so perfectly and precisely tied in with the artistic vision of the film, managed to flatter the actors’ bodies, and were still appropriate to the period.

Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Victoria & Abdul

Best Documentary Feature

Didn’t see.

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Faces Places Icarus Last Men in Aleppo Strong Island

Best Documentary Short Subject Didn’t see.

Edith+Eddie Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 Heroin(e) Knife Skills Traffic Stop

Best Film Editing

I,Tonya, with Dunkirk as a runner up. I, Tonya switched between mediums, and Dunkirk switched between air, sea, and land, and both did it with great timing. The Academy will choose Dunkirk.

Baby Driver Dunkirk I, Tonya The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Foreign-Language Film

Didn’t see.

A Fantastic Woman The Insult Loveless On Body and Soul The Square

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Shape of Water. I don’t understand these nominations and refuse to acknowledge them in my own choices. Darkest Hour will win.

Darkest Hour Victoria & Abdul Wonder

Best Original Score

The Shape of Water, absolutely no contest. The score was as essential to that film as it is to a silent movie or a musical, and as effective. No clue what the Academy will choose.

Dunkirk Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Original Song

Mystery of Love. The music was part of the sweetness of the love story in Call Me by Your Name, and Sufjan Stevens’ songs blended seamlessly with the atmosphere of the film. The Academy likes to go big, and will choose Mighty River or This Is Me.

“Mighty River” (Mudbound) “Mystery of Love” (Call Me By Your Name) “Remember Me” (Coco) “Stand Up For Something” (Marshall) “This Is Me” (The Greatest Showman)

Best Production Design

The Shape of Water. That movie was a visual feast of care and incredible detail, without hitting the viewer over the head with its stuffy Artistry, like some of the other nominees. No idea what the Academy will choose.

Beauty and the Beast Blade Runner 2049 Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Shape of Water

Best Animated Short Film Didn’t See.

Dear Basketball Garden Party Lou Negative Space Revolting Rhymes

Best Live-Action Short Film Didn’t see. The Silent Child is a sentimental favorite.

DeKalb Elementary The Eleven O’Clock My Nephew Emmett The Silent Child Watu Wote/All of Us

Best Sound Editing Blade Runner had so much subtlety in the sound, and it was so important to the film.

Baby Driver Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Sound Mixing

See above.

Baby Driver Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Visual Effects

Guardians of the Galaxy. Gotta get in one Marvel pick. 😉

Blade Runner 2049 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Kong: Skull Island Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes

Metawitches 2018 Oscar Picks And Maybe a Few Predictions... Okay, after watching as many movies as I can cram into my brain in a relatively short period of time (actually, The Florida Project is still playing), I'm ready to make some choices here.

[musubiki]

i'd love to learn more about coco and lime's dynamic... the art you've made of them give me annoying bickering siblings energy (compared to mochi and taffy's more softer sibling energy) and i love it so much LMAOO

ITS TRUE in my mind mochi/taffy give off the "siblings who have to have each others back because the world is cruel and cold" dynamic whereas lime and coco have the "asshole siblings fist fighting to sit in the front seat" dynamic LOL!!!!

but their friendship is honestly very funny (if it can be called that). coco straight up thinks theyre cool. shes like "Oh yeah hes my bro" and throws up a peace sign, meanwhile lime cringes in the distance. between her and oscar, coco is WAY more likely to meddle in limochi moments and lime HATES IT !!!!! he just wants some mochi time, and coco is the one thats usually interrupting and/or stealing mochi away for some girl time. HOWEVER coco also then has the Inside Scoop on mochi, so he has no choice but to consult her. as a result, coco is one of the only two people (the other being oscar) that lime actually talks to about mochi (his options are garbage. 50/50 chance that oscar will use the newly acquired information to fuck with you, and coco uses it as blackmail)

i think lime would get along with her more if she didnt meddle in the mochi affairs so much. shes the one thats more likely to try and play matchmaker, and lime wants to kill her every other episode. he just wants Something To Develop(tm) with mochi naturally and casually without coco over there kicking his shin every time mochi mentions shes going to buy snacks or something. "First of all," he aggressively and quietly whispers, "I was gonna buy her snacks anyway, and second you don't have to kick me every fucking time mochi does something!"

as a result, from mochis pov, she'll be talking about something and all of a sudden lime and coco start fucking fighting in the middle of the classroom. coco kicks him and he throws fruit juice on her and it starts a whole thing. mochi doesnt actually even know what triggers it. (she DOES hang out with stray cats a lot, so she figures they just fight randomly sometimes like the cats do LOL)

another thing is coco is notoriously unhelpful when it comes to mochi. she only gives very obvious and straightforward advice that lime is too much of a coward to do. its like "Easy, just tell her you like her." and lime walks away like "Oh great idea, I cant believe I never thought of that. Thanks for nothing."

also during their high school years, as class president she very much sees him as a money-generating asset. "You see, if we hold a school dance and set up a booth where you pay 10 dollars to dance with Lime, then all the girls will come and pay the entrance fee AND pay the dance fee, and since all the girls will be there all the guys will come too so summing up all of that we have--" and she just rambles off not even paying attention to lime yelling that she cant just sell off his body like that without even asking him (he eventually gets roped into doing it against his will)

and the love-hate friendship is also because shes so annoying, but she does things sometimes which lime is actually greatful, like when she convinced mochi to start wearing the short skirt to school. catch them afterwards with coco being like "Hey hey you see that? What do you think? Where's my thank you? I take cash or card for tip." and lime is head in hands, a mix of extreme gratitude and irritation

(also worth mentioning that from cocos pov, lime is excessively selfish with mochi. shes like "Dude, you walk with her to school everyday. You see her after school EVERY DAY. You SLEEP with her EVERY NIGHT. I can't have ONE AFTERNOON for us to get ice cream??" and lime goes "No. I was gonna take her to do that.")

an equally funny dynamic thrown in: oscar the opportunist ripping the rug out from both of them while theyre fighting all the time. goes and gets mochi ice cream while theyre hashing it out. this actually happens more than once, no one really figured out yet why oscar keeps doing this, but i think its because it serves the dual purpose of 1) fucking with lime and/or coco, and 2) doing something nice for mochi, since he knows shes always stressed out. the main time this little thing of his shows up is when mochi off-handedly mentions that no one asked her to prom/winter ball/some dance. immediately coco kicks lime and they start fighting again, and oscar the opportunist (after giving it a few seconds) goes "Why not go with me?"

(when lime (pissed) asks him what the fuck later on, he goes "Well you were taking too long to ask her, plus half chance you actually gather up the guts to do it. This is our last school dance, and I don't want Mochi to miss out just because you didn't get your shit together fast enough. You'll still see her at the dance, I don't see the big deal.") (oscar is good at forcing limes hand)

[musubiki]

by the by here some oscar headcanons

➞

same age as the other 3, ends up getting into the same class as them

the excited sunshine friend (tm)

also surprisngly the most normal out of all of them. the only one with both his parents

the 1st person he runs into is lime and hes excited!!!! dude!!!! long time no see remember me????? were in the same class now how cool is that????????????

he was limes best friend in early middle school. they would get into so. much trouble. 

so he is notoriously out of the loop for literally everything thats happened 

he sees mochi down the hallway and hes all “Oh my god., iis..is that...mochi palms????” “YEAH shes in our class too”

at first hes a bit playfully mean to her

BC LAST HE KNOWS HER AND LIME WERE MORTAL ENEMIES

lime has to literally stop him from bullying her and let him know that theyre on good terms already chill out

(hes not a bully by nature but him and lime used to tease her in middle school and he was just backing lime fjdksdf)

FORCEFULLY APOLOGIZES TO HER. “IM SORRY LOL,.,.,,, I THOUGHT YOU GUYS WERE STILL ENEMIES IM NOT A JERK I SWEAR”

mochi just kinda laughs it off. its ok. relax

hes a HUGE like. ghost adventures fan. hes always chasing paranormal cryptid shit. but hes not scared of it. he goes and calls the ghosts asshole wimps

hes the only one out of the group that doesnt live in the town. he has to take like a 10 minute bike ride to the nearest bus stop and then its another 10 minute bus ride to the school

he lives in a very rural country setting outside the city. theres a lot of like farms and feild out there, but his parents wanted to live in the clean quiet air kind of place (insp from my neighbor totoro kind of place)

oscar takes wood shop as an elective, and he kind of likes it. hes made a bunch of wooden little projects for fun. 

hes also pretty good at carving by hand. once he made a little wodden horse,. it had a dumb looking head and its legs were too short, ubt you win some you learn some nfdksf

sometimes the drama club needs some more specific props. mochi has to go ask him for help because coco is too stubborn. “Can’t we just make it out of like????? cardboard?????/ please???????????” “Or we can have oscar do it for free”

this is because once she asked him and he insisted $300 dollars cash payment. mochi asked him later and hes like “OH sure. np👌” we hate him

HE DOESNT HATE COCO HE JUST JOKES AROUND WITH HER SOMETIMES AND FORGETS TO ADD THE “JUST KIDDING” TO THE END OF IT. SO SHE THINKS HES SERIOUS

him and coco got off on the WRONG ASS FOOT. 

1st interaction was when coco was climbing through the window of the classroom, late to class again, with the teacher that hates her. she was trying to be discrete, oscar is sitting right by the window, she has no idea who this new kid even is, tells him “scOOT YOUR ASS BEFORE HE SEES ME”

ofc oscar is like “????? no wtf” AND SHE ENDS UP FALLNIG ON HER FACE. the teacher looks suspiciously in their direction, shes fokojng hiding behind oscar and mochis tables. “WHY ARE YOU MAKING SO MUCH NOISE OVER THERE OSCAR????” 

“Uhhh its not me its this chick hiding behind me”

que to coco running out of the room with the pissed off teacher chasing her (eventually she outsmarts him and makes it back to the room,., another teacher has to sub because all the running made the other one faint. coco: 34, teachers: 0)

“Whyd you rat me out like that you piece of fruit????!??!?!?!” “?????!?!????? I DOnt want to get in trouble fix your time managment next time” life is hard when you meet someone = to your sass level

overall hes not a sassy guy though. hes a good hearted kid and a good soul but he can totally ROAST you if you come after him. so HAHA now cocos super irritated by him,. oscar just kinda lets it go and forgets about it within an hour, coco is salty for 700 days. 

lime is overjoyed that now someone is here that can actually piss her off 

for unknown reasons oscar is supremely capable of pushing her buttons and no one knows how. he doesnt even mean to he can say literally anything and shes annoyed. [confused nick young meme]

his favorite holiday is ALSO HALOWEEN and is the self-proclaimed king of halloween. this sparks the biggest rivalry between two self proclaimed royalty claiming that they go harder on halloween

cocos main interest in the holiday is more of the ‘get free candy, harass young children, tp houses’ vibe, whereas oscars is more,,. ‘im gonna lure out all the ghosts and no one can stop me’

problematic bc coco is actually kind of afriad of ghosts

once mochi and lime had to stay at their shops for part of the night for the trick-or-treaters, so coco and oscar went trick or treating together. oscar LITERALLY had an ouija board and was READY TO CONTACT THE OTHER SIDE,. COCO WAS FREAKED THE HELL OUT “DUDE PUT THAT DEMON SHIT AWAY WTF????????!?!?!?!!!!”

coco is better with makeup but oscars outfits are better quality

he is also the only one to suspect that mochi is more than normal. he cant put his finger on what it is about her exactly but he feels like something is off. his 1st theory was vampire (quickly disproven bc she obviously. goes in the sun. and hes seen her reflection before.

 his 2ND AND MAIN THEORY IS PERHAPS 2) MERMAID.

carries around a notebook to record evidence on supernatural and mochi theories.

“okay 1. lives near the ocean, 2. no one knows of her late night activies, 3. never goes in the water, 4. always drinking water SHE MUST BE A MERMAID”

lime is just shaking his fiukcjng head (post-reveal)

once he saw her cat and literally asked her “..........are you a witch?” at first shes SHOOK but then kinda stares at him for a while, before answering “is this another one of your conspiracy theories” “or a mermaid. are you a mermaid?”

not a bad dancer. actually pretty good,

one time mochi and lime go over to his house for a project. his house is near the border of a big forest. mochi never tells him theres powerful forest spirits in there

but his home is a great safehouse later on. sometimes they make the trip out there just to relax in the mountain air. peaceful(tm)

hes the last of the squad to be introduced, but i havent decided if him or coco find out about mochi first. also havent decided on what his power is going to end up

always drops by mochis shop after school for a snack. hes a little hurt because he has to pay for it whereas lime gets stuff for free LMAOO

he can tell pretty easily that mochi is crushing on lime. he teases lime about mochi too. chaotic nuetral “Have you guys hooked up yet?” “HAHA NOOoo wTF are you TALKING about.,..,..”

the bigass weeb. watches anime and cartoons. pretends like hes the edgy cool guy(tm) but hes really not. literally wears a gravity falls shirt. loser