#please heed the bold text above and be nice

[the-metaphorical-jellicle-cat]

Macavity the Mystery Cat (2019)

This analysis was a long time coming. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve written one and I brought that up on Tumblr. After posing the question, a few mutuals said they were still interested in what I had to say. And here we are.

When I first heard Taylor Swift was cast as Bomablurina in the Cats 2019 film, I was very skeptical. I was going through a phase where I did not like Taylor Swift for some reason or another. I don’t know. Anyway, Like with Jason Derulo, I had to put my opinion aside to try my best to write an unbiased analysis. I didn’t even know Taylor Swift could sing Broadway or in that style. I’ll save my final comments about her performance and version of the song to the end like I usually do. So here we go.

Also, this ended up being 7 pages. The longest I have ever written for any of my analyses of this film.

Warning! The following is what I think and found in this particular scene. If you reblog and comment, please be respectful. Thank you.

Right at the start of the track, I was pleasantly surprised at what I heard the classic instrumentals for close to 10 seconds. This is then given a simple boost by an electric guitar, high hat, and piano which tells me and the audience this is going to be both familiar and new. This section also has what I like to call “Macavity’s theme” which is heard throughout the show on stage as well as in the film. But this is also 30 seconds of instrumentals to open this song. And we learn a lot about this version and the character singing it. It is suave, seductive with a bit of jazz to bring our attention to the who is singing. Speaking of seductive, Swift uses a breathy style of singing (if that makes any sense) to enforce this style of music.

Great touch there.

This is where I pretty much zone out. But for a good reason. I couldn’t stop listening because of how this is sung as well as the musical arrangement.

Then we get to about 1:32ish into the song and I think this is normally where the second character would start(?) but you can tell that there is at least a change in scenery due to how the brass do a “BAM!” type sound. This is a great idea since there is only one character singing.

The following is great instrumentation and another great example where the music is a character in itself. It’s very reminiscent of the stage version but it’s given an extra oomph much like the other songs in the film.

But then we get to what I think is another transition in the movie that doesn’t correlate to the track. This is around the 2:00 mark. She goes really quiet giving us a nice decrescendo but then we get sudden noise. It’s like she’s yelling at the camera or microphone which sounds off. However I can see the purpose in this in the next phrase and part of the song but as a listener, it made me uncomfortable.

We then hear a sharp noise when she sings the word “like”. This could mean many things such as telling us to listen to her. But it is an odd choice to have in this type of recording.

I still need to give kudos to the instrumentation because it sounds like a character in itself that improves upon what the artist is singing about.

Back to the song. We hear more about this cat called Macavity by this unknown female cat. She keeps repeating the same thing. He is a bad cat and has done some terrible things. However, this is constantly curbed by the fact it sounds like she is talking to herself rather than an audience. This is especially evident in a question/answer part of the song where she has a back and forth with herself. The speaker is constantly out of breath (though only in this section) and one can hear where there is supposed to be another person in the question/answer section. For those who want a reference, this is from 2:33-3:23. This is a huge chunk of the song.

But right after, we get to a section where other characters join in for a huge finale. The band goes all out with the horns, percussion, and strings creating an atmosphere of immersing the audience in the setting.

However, as I kept listening, I noticed that the character became out of sync with the chorus which took me out of the experience. But the character’s voice brought me back in when they sang by themselves.

The last fourth of the song is where it gets interesting.

The character is once again singing by herself, but she lists other cats who are agents of Macavity. Two of which we have met earlier in the story. But we still don’t know what her name is.

At 4:13 we get a new voice of a male character with whom we can only assume is Macavity himself. This is interesting since we have heard so much about him and he suddenly appears.

He then joins in to sing with the other cats and the one who’s been singing all along. This is an interesting choice and adds to the story of this specific song as given to us.

I do like how the music goes all out once again, highlighting the musical themes while also creating something new.

A great example of this is right after Macavity introduces himself. We hear an electric guitar. This creates and reminds us that this is something new.

However, the ending is a giant compilation of the song itself. It’s over the top. It’s bombastic. It’s telling us that even though Macavity is a dangerous creature, he also is an over-the-top showman who wants attention and wants something but we don’t know what.

Now onto the scene itself. In the film, this takes place immediately after Skimbleshanks is catnapped.

This scene takes full advantage of the old theater aesthetic. From the painted clouds to the crescent moon. The first shot is beautiful with (again) the painted clouds and a spotlight highlighting the interruption. The spotlight especially showcases the shadow of the crescent moon and because of the ceiling being the way it is, the audience can’t tell who is on it. All of which brings the mystery even further.

If you look closely, the clouds move downward as the moon piece does. We also get a quick look at the Misto, Victoria, and the rest of the Jellicles who have a constant look of curiosity. Victoria is more so than the others which tells us that they might know who this is.

The first glimpse of the crescent moon tells us three things. First, the moon prop is glittery, has stripes, and lights meaning it is over the top. Second, the cat on the said prop is a queen wearing heeled shoes. And third, they are holding something.

The camera gives us another quick shot of the Jellicles, but this time it’s of Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap.

When the camera is brought back to the cat on the moon, we can see more of the shoes and the object they are holding. The shoes are very reminiscent of the showgirl shows of the 1930s which is period-accurate since the film takes place in the 1930s. The object looks to be a miniature shaker of some sort that has red, silver, and gold rhinestones as well as the word CATNIP on it in silver rhinestones.

This tells us that this is going to be a show whether we like it or not.

Then we get a shoe of everyone looking up and the camera shows Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer holding the same bottles as the guest. Rumpleteazer is looking down as if she is looking at the rest of the Jelllicles while Mungojerrie is looking up at the sudden guest.

Right away when the guest sings, her tail keeps in time with the song which could mean various things but in this case, it means the animation is perfect for what we know about the character so far.

As the camera pans over the guest, we notice that she is settled into the moon and we get a great view of the set as well as the stage itself.

Now the guest taps some of the catnip powder onto the Jellicles which causes them to start acting odd. However, I don’t like what the camera does here or it might be because of the editing. It would have been better to stay on the Jellicles a bit longer to see the choreography the catnip makes them do rather than have a jump cut to the guest pouring more catnip. It would just make more sense from an audience point of view. They start doing choreography, but it stops because of that cut.

Back to the scene, we notice right away that this is not normal catnip. It is gold in color and has more severe effects than normal catnip.

In the next scene, we see Munkustrap encouraging Mistoffelees to take Victoria out of the theater. But the question is if he will succeed.

The guest then signals for Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to pour their catnip over the Jellicles. But on their cans, we get a quick shot of the 1930s style art of the catnip bottles. You can also see that these two are having fun with it all and not thinking of much else.

Then we get to the big moment where the guest pulls the lever with her hand and tail all while the moon prop is moving across the theater. We also get to see some of the mind-controlling effects of the catnip where the Jellicles are moving in sync with the music

Then there is a sudden jump cut to the guest, Mungo, and Teazer on the bar and the rest of the cats taking in the mind-controlling/magic catnip. There is a moment where Victoria (still not affected for some reason) is curious and it seems like the guest is trying to entrance the young cat with the words of the song rather than the catnip itself.

I do like the cut when the guest sings the line “his eyes are sunken in” because it shows more tail animation between the three on the bar from behind rather than the front.

We get more catnip effects.

Then comes a bit I find interesting. Usually, an actor tries to stay in the center of the frame since that's where most of the audience’s attention is going to be. Especially since the frame is normally in thirds. However, the guest goes from the center to the right third of the screen with Rumpleteazer AND wraps her tail around said queen’s neck and gets close. She does nothing to Mungoherrie who is now farther away.

Anyway, there is more sync dancing and Victoria is curious about what is happening.

Next, we get a jump cut that I hate. I understand that there needed to be something to show that the character needed to get from point a to point b. I get that. But the way it’s done makes it not only hard for my ears, but also what is she holding onto? If you track the shot, It should be bar to either moon prop or stool to ground. But instead, it’s bar to curved structure to the ground. The only clues we have are the light coming from the moon and Victoria’s gaze being upward. I am confused and the audience is probably confused too. Unless this is on purpose to make the viewer see this as an optical illusion but no I don't see that.

Back to the scene. After this, Munkustrap tries to dissuade Victoria from listening or even watching the guest.

I don’t have much to say for the next couple of seconds except that the dancing is really good.

Munkustrap finally gets hit with catnip from a third cat while victoria hides under the table.

The guest does her thing in trying to intimidate the last two cats trying to protect Old Deuteronomy (Maitre D and Cassandra)

I also just noticed that the guest’s entourage has bows on the backs of their collars and is pretty much in this scene to make sure the guest is the center of attention.

However, this is furthered from a ceiling shot where we see the spotlight on the guest which creates an interesting shadow on the floor of the theater.

She keeps singing and because of the way it is shot, we don’t see all the choreography that's being done. You cant see it. But we do have a quick scene showing how Munkustrap is out for the count while holding a glass. He has fallen under the catnip's effects. If you look closely you can still see Mistoffelees on the floor getting used to the same effects.

When we get back to the guest, she is still singing toward Old Deuteronomy while Victoria is still wondering what is going on. We also get a sense that the guest is trying to seduce either the audience or is creating a distraction. Either way, she is moving along with the music rather than just reacting to it. She uses it to her advantage.

With Victoria, we get a hit-or-miss moment. Even though she is in clear focus, we get a fuzzy movement from that other cat I mentioned before. It took me several times to notice it but it keeps the song moving forward story-wise because Victoria is still one of the few characters not under the catnip’s effects.

Then we come to another problem. After this, we come to a section that’s all choreography but we can't see it. We only get glimpses of it. Because of this, we don't get to see what the pairings are doing. We only get the spotlight on her. Which, while working for the scene, takes away from that part of the choreography. It would have been cooler if the camera was further out so you can get the effect of a circle or something like that.

Then there is Cassandra who jumps over Munkustrap to try to move Victoria from this danger once again which does not work. Cassandra falls for the distraction from the guest after being teased about failing to protect Old Deuteronomy.

When the guest is approaching Cassandra you can see in the background the other cat, Mungo, and Teazer being successful in dousing Victoria in catnip. Also if you look in the background at 3:33 you can see Mistoffelees still on the ground and not with the rest of the group. He has trouble moving and (right before the cut) looks like he is trying to reach out to stop the other cat. Then at 3:42 Munksutrap has some consciousness and it looks like he is trying to see if Victoria is okay.

But when the guest is on a new stage Victoria is front and center gazing at her. You can also see Tugger and Mistoffelees very clearly in this part. But right afterward Mistoffelees, Plato, and Socrates are given another dose of the catnip as if to reaffirm the effects once more.

And now we know the name of the third cat. Griddlebone seems to be an agent of Macavity.

And Mungojerrie finally gives Maitre D a dose of the catnip to take him out. Though it does look like he was about to say something, Mungojerrie had a mischievous grin so it was all a bit of fun.

Then we get the next line. But if you look behind her you can see a spotlight turn on right before Macavity shows his face. He announces himself and then transports himself to the floor.

The sequence is pretty good since it shows the relationship between him and the guest. I wouldn't say there’s tension but they know each other pretty well and know how to distract the Jellicles. The choreography adds to that relationship.

When the frame jumps from close to wide, we see a lot. Munkustrap is on the guest’s side with a wide stance yet is still under the control of the catnip. It’s as if even though he can’t control his body, he is ready to protect everyone. You can also clearly see Tugger in the back.

Then we get a reference to movie musicals and styles from the 1920s and 30s. The huge over-the-top staircase to the Heaviside layer. This styling was popular during this period due to the invention of sound in the film industry. It could also just be a reference to the way theater was during that period too.

Then, as they are walking up the stairs, we see a few things. Munkustrap looks like he is enjoying himself. Cassandra finally gets a dose. And the other cats look like they are having fun.

But this also gives us a better look at the set. You can see how run-down it is. The Egyptian cats on the walls. They scratched on the floor. And even how the outside lighting affects the reds, yellows, and blues of the inside.

Time for the overall thoughts!

Alright. When I first watched this scene, I didn’t know what to think since I was unsure if a duet could be successfully turned into a solo. The numbers before this didn't give much promise either since those were silly and not entertaining.

With that in mind, I believe it was successful. It was entertaining, gave us some story, and wasn’t that bad.

However, this song could still have been done the same way in a duet style. Let me explain. You can still have the character in the song still singing but add in other characters like Cassandra or even Demeter to fill in that other side of the duet. Because it is a solo, it makes the question/answer section very confusing to a new listener.

Now to Taylor Swift. I have nothing against Taylor Swift. I thought she did well, similar to Jason Derulo’s performance as Tugger. Her acting in this scene was better than I thought and her singing was like listening to one of her concerts. You can tell she was having a lot of fun bringing this character to the screen.

My only problem with this scene has nothing to do with the music, staging, acting, or choreography. It has to do with this simple fact that her character’s name is never mentioned once by another character. When I first began this analysis I posted a simple question on Tumblr. Is her name ever mentioned or stated? The answer was no.

Taylor Swift plays the character Bombalurina who (in the stage version and most non-replicas) never interacted with Macavity personally and is always by Demeter’s side during this song. But in this case, the only time her name is mentioned is in the very beginning during the “Naming of Cats”. This could have easily been solved if there was a simple line of dialogue in between the last number and this one.

I also believe the set added to the performance. It was huge, detailed, and the lighting created a sense that this was a performance that is necessary to watch and should not be skipped. The only problem with having a big space like this is that (like the Jellicle Ball) you can’t see a lot of the choreography because the camera is so focused on Swift’s character. There were some cool shots that I mentioned above but it was hard to see a lot of the dancing.

There were also a lot of background moments. From the constant need to protect Victoria to Mistoffelees and Munkustrap showing the audience the effects of the catnip.

Is this song terrible? I would have to say no. I would definitely listen to this one more than a couple of notable ones.

@uppastthejelliclemoon @storyweaverofgondor @roxycake

@thenightjillcamehome @imdumbandaproblem @bombaswife @jellicle-chants @falasta @queen-with-the-quill @indianasolo221 @gortys-and-loaderbot @falasta @cxsmicbrownies @hysperia

@skimblyshanks @scorpiofangirl1109

[muzzmurray]

year in fic review (2017)

You can find all of the fic mentioned below on my ao3 account, savedby. If you’re looking for my football fic edition, you can find it here.

Year at a glance: Total number of completed stories: 32 Total word count: 77707

Overall Thoughts:

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted? I wrote way more than I realized for this fandom, um, wow. There were a couple of months where I was writing like four or five fics and I have no idea how that happened.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? Oh, the Vegas Golden Knights! Because when they signed two, I was joking around on twitter about how I could ship them now, and my friend was like ‘well, why don’t you’ and then that evolved into Sabaton and by extension into the Bold in Gold series, which was one of the most rewarding parts of my year for sure.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? these tornadoes are for you, which was Nick/Bob and written for the Cannon Fodder exchange. The combination of magic realism, humor and their general softness was really nice to write, and @frecklebombfic did a beautiful podfic of it.

Did you take any writing risks this year? Purely in terms of style, I wrote descent, in second person, which I know tends to polarize opinions. I love it, for whenever I want to write something that feels more immediate and intimate. I actually tried to rewrite it in third person, because the friend I was writing it for told me she wasn’t a big fan of second person, but it just wouldn’t work. It had to be written exactly as it is.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? I’d like to finish this chaptered Mcdrai magic AU fic that I’m working on and I’d like to continue writing the Vegas Golden Knights as their narrative unfolds, so the Bold in Gold series can become a sort of written history of the team and its fandom. Ambitious, but. We’ll see. I’m already working on the next part.

From my past year of writing, what was…

My best story of this year: armet. I think this was in the works the moment I realized that there was a possibility that Flower might go to Vegas and it ended up becoming exactly what I had hoped it would be.

My most popular story of this year: i still get jealous of your old boyfriends, judging by kudos, which is actually funny to me, because for the longest time I really hated what I wrote for that fic and I ended up posting it after having it written for a period of time.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: foundations, my Marleau/Thornton fic. I mean, it’s a niche pairing and a character study, so it’s probably as good as it’s going to get, but it’s basically peak me and my love for old men and their narratives.

Most fun story to write: world i can call mine , which was my Pod_together project with @frecklebombfic . Having her input on it was so essential (as it was in many of my fics this year) and I had such a fun time discussing Auston, Zach and Mitch, and poly with her. And her podfic ended up being perfect. It was just a great project.

Story with the single sexiest moment: Man, I don’t know, I’m an ace essentially floundering in the world of smut. But I did manage to post, like 4 explicit stories this year, which just goes to show you that you can be anything you set your mind to, kids. As it is, I’m nominating this line from wake me up come tomorrow

Oscar does, adds another finger only when he feels Adam completely relax into the first. He fingers him slow and easy, watching his face as it relaxes from discomfort to pleasure. Adam makes these noises too, cut off moans, helpless and involuntary. Oscar adds a third finger and he whines, high in his throat.

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story: circumstance, which I hadn’t realized was still posted on anon until right now. So I’m owning up to it, I suppose. I’m not ashamed of it, because it still makes me laugh a lot on re-read, but please heed the warnings.

Story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters: your morning cup, my Tim Horton character study. I didn’t even really know anything about him when I decided I was going to be writing this fic. But as I researched and wrote, the story ended up being one of the most important things I wrote this year.

Hardest story to write: something like hope was an exercise in frustration, until I figured out how to frame it with quotes from Pekka’s Players’ Tribune article.

Biggest disappointment: I don’t really post things I’m actually unhappy with.

Biggest surprise: I was most surprised by how well fandom received Sabaton, because I figured it was something so niche that only a few people would actually click on, but it became one of my most popular stories. I’m really grateful for that.

Highlights + Wrap-up:

Favorite Opening Lines (4):

From tomorrow is going to be pretty pawsome

Ryan is halfway through his breakfast when he hears his front door opening. It’s 9am and he’s not wearing pants, so if he’s going to be robbed, he’s pretty much defenceless, unless he pelts the robber with some granola.

What still gets me is how real this ship became as the season progressed.

From Sabaton

There’re a few things Vadim expects to see when he lands in Las Vegas. His new teammate holding up a big sign with his name on it, decorated with footballs and pucks and glitter, isn’t one of them.

Am I still prissy about how badly they treated Shippy? Yes. Absolutely.

From LXXXVII

Sidney Crosby isn’t high on the list of people that Vadim expects to see in the hotel bar in Pittsburgh before the Knights game against the Penguins, and yet, there he is. Crosby is wearing a pair of thick rimmed glasses and a hat, presumably as some sort of disguise. It only makes him stand out more.

He also seems to be getting closer, swapping stools whenever Vadim glances away, until they’re sitting elbow to elbow.

Ridiculous Sid is my favorite plot device and he was in full effect in this fic.

From your morning cup

Strictly speaking, there’s never been a hockey player called Tim Horton.

I just liked the way this commands attention when you read it. I think it when you have something so niche, you need the first paragraph to grab your attention, and I think I did well here.

Favorite Closing Lines (5):

From dust in your veins

Then, Geno pulls him into another kiss, desperate, his chest shaking under Sid’s hands and Sid thinks that maybe he won't have to separate them after all.

That he can have this – his heart beating rapid fire in his chest, and Geno’s steadying palms on the muscles of his back, and the ghost of ice above them both.

I love the removable heart AU (not to be confused with the escaping heart AU) because it just works so incredibly well for those sports narratives.

From knight

“You know, it’s actually a pun, because I used to play for the London Knights and-”

“Oh my god, please stop.”

From we were a house on fire

“I want.”

“It’s been years.”

“Want still.”

“...yeah, okay.”

“Like that?”

“Yeah. Just like that.”

I love how deceptively simple this is, with no dialogue tags, but it feels like it packs a lot of punch, cutting through the complexity of their situation.

From descent

The streets of Edmonton turn slick, coated with fallen snow. Daylight is scarce, and cold besides, and you wear a jersey that doesn’t mean much to you and you watch out for the boy that means everything.

At night your curl around Connor in your bed. He always runs hot, burning in your bones and warming you from the inside out.

He presses his mouth to the nape of your neck, and you blink, mind muddled with sleep, and you realize you don’t know which one of you is the one doing the protecting.

Ask me sometime about my thoughts about enforcers and their relationships with star players, and why end up romanticizing them so much.

From armet

“Fleuuuurrrryyyy,” the fans scream, without a hint of mocking, echoing off the concrete of the building,  “Fleuuuurrrryyyyyyyy!” and it’s all he can do to smile through his tears, waving at these people who have crucified and martyred him over the years, but have loved him through it all.

His crease hasn’t changed. He pats the pipes, feels them steady beneath his palm, familiar. His teammates are all on the ice now, circling his goal, and he catches sight of Nealer coming forward with the puck. His face is grim and determined, and Flower remembers he’s got something to prove too.

He gives Nealer a sharp nod and crouches. Smiles.

He’s ready.

Flower’s game against the Pens in Vegas was emotionally devastating and I can only imagine how it’ll be when they play in Pittsburgh.

Favorite Lines From Anywhere (6):

From be your spine

The Bruins seem just fine without him, which is just a metaphor for his life, really. He notices the absence of Boston, but Boston is too big to notice he’s gone.

He limits his texts to Tuukka, and eventually they taper off, growing sparser and more impersonal as months go by. It’s understandable. Anton feels the absence of Tuukka like a phantom limb, but Tuukka is too brilliant, too beautiful, to be affected by Anton’s absence.

My first fic of the year was a homage to the journeyman player, the one who isn’t a star anywhere, the one that’s expendable. And this was one of the lines that summarized it pretty well.

From teddy bear

“I just want to be a cool dad, like Bozie! You’re the lame dad, Zach is the big brother figure and Leo is the grumpy grandpa. We all have roles to play!”

Matt bites back his first comment, and the second one. They’re both swearwords.

This whole sequence between Mo and Matt still makes me laugh really really hard.

From foundations

The Sharks are Joe’s team by virtue of wanting him more than anyone else did, but they aren’t his team like they’re Patty’s, who’s left pieces of himself in every crack in the Shark Tank concrete and who wears the jersey with more pride than anyone Joe’s ever known.

This fic hurts more now that Patty got traded.

From heart like a home

Roman is still sprawled across PK’s bed, entirely naked, reading one of PK’s magazines. His tanned skin glows in the soft yellow light of the bedside lamps. The sight never fails to make PK’s mouth go dry. As if sensing his gaze, Roman looks up, arching an elegant eyebrow, a stray curl falling across his forehead.

I want to eventually try to capture the various details of Roman/PK in a longer fic but for now this image of naked Roman will have to do.

From these tornadoes are for you

Bob is standing at the stove, muttering something to himself. He still looks like he did last night, little bolts of lightning racing across his skin, and when he turns around his eyes are still glowing pale in his face. It’s a little disconcerting, but Nick goes with it.

“What are you doing?” Nick asks, walking next to him to look at the pan and wincing. He’s careful not to touch Bob, doesn’t know what it’ll do to him. “Was this supposed to be scrambled eggs?”

I really enjoyed writing the whole scene of Bob releasing his magic in the woods, but what made me happiest to write was the morning after and how all that magic becomes somewhat of a hindrance.

From i still get jealous of your old boyfriends

“Are you telling me that Connor McDavid’s favorite show is My Super Sweet 16?” he asks incredulously. Mitch grins at him.

“Oh, no,” he says and Auston lets out a sigh of relief, “it used to be his favorite show. I think his favorite right now is Extreme Couponing.”

Connor and Extreme Couponing is the greatest love story I’ve written this year.

Fic Goals for 2017: I want to finish off the four WIPs that I didn’t manage to this year. Beyond that, I don’t have any particular expectations. I hope I can continue to enjoy writing in this fandom and that people will continue to enjoy my work.

year in fic review (2016)