#plot for this film isnt entirely known

[slimepope]

One of the grand mysteries of the world.

[inkmaze]

finally finished spiral last night w a friend, and was as expected, bad. cleansed our pallete with Bound (1996) which. as expected, ruled!

[skuntank]

I like the idea of Diantha branching out into more villainous roles to take a break from her usual Pure Angelic Knight typecast. Especially makes sense considering the other two canon actors in Pokémon are best known for their villain roles, and could potentially play heroic roles alongside her. I’m curious, though, what sort of film villain do you see her being cast as? Noir, science fiction, fantasy, etc, there a lot of compelling options.

Oohh my god id love to see a role reversal sort of situation with Diantha being the villain and Brycen and Sabrina playing the heros ..... That's absolutely something I'm gonna chew on ....

Tbh I see her having an interest in all sorts of genres but she most often finds herself in dramas and romcoms, most often as the protagonist. I feel like those are the roles she's most expected to play, and like. I'm sure she loves dramas, and romcoms are like. Ok. In the junk food kind of way. But I think if she were to stick with one or two genres a lot she'd find herself itching to do something different.

I'd love to see her in a scifi flick. I think her audience would be very divided on her performance, some adoring it and loving her going so far outside of what she's usually in, and some thinking it's one of her worst roles ever (mostly just bc it's so different for her). Regardless of reception, I think she would have a blast with it or anything else entirely different from what she normally does.

This isnt really answering the villain part lmao sorry dbdjdb

The type of villain I see her really getting into in my head is like ..... The kind where their unhinged energy is just bubbling under the surface. I know I said it before but I really wanna see her go absolutely apeshit. I wanna see her lose her mind and like tear a scene apart and throw chairs and claw at her costar's character's face. I think it would be maybe a little startling when working with her to see her embrace such energy so easily and passionately and those who have worked with her on stuff where she's done stuff like that for a role come away from it with a bit of fear of her I think lmao

I think genres that might suit this best would be horror/thriller/suspence, tragedy, again drama, black comedies, and whatever a more introspective study on a specific character/person might be considered. Noir would be interesting for sure. Also just historical pieces, especially those focusing on the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the 20's, and probably the 50's? Idk btw I'm not a movie buff by any means lmao

I think these sorts of roles could probably be like your typical "woman scorned" archetype, I have a harder time seeing her in roles where the antagonist is evil just for the sake of being evil, unless it's like a children's movie or something. Tbh I think she would REALLY enjoy the roles where she can argue and debate that the character she plays isn't a villain at all despite them being listed as such. Or at the very least, even if they are outright a villain, they are either still an empathetic character to some degree, OR swing wildly into extremely over the top unhinged territory. I also see roles like fucked up matriarchs that are far too set in their ways and are an unfortunate part of the cycle in passing on trauma, black widow-types, vengeful spirits of those trapped in tragedy, ruthless criminals with a deceptively pretty face, characters driven by desperation, and the like being things she'd be stellar with....

The movie that keeps coming to mind for me is Pearl. Maybe not so much in terms of straightforward plot/character comparison, but absolutely in terms of raw energy. Or maybe you could make a one-to-one comparison and say "yeah I'd love to see Diantha in that specific role." She'd fucking kill it I think. Also fucking cast her in a movie about Lizzie Borden. God what a dream that would be. Also SUNSET BOULEVARD WITH HER AS NORMA DESMOND .... SIGN ME THE FUCK UPPP

[meatriarchived2]

hi! i just had a question to ask. when you’re writing dialogue for a character that isn’t your own but like from a media like tcm, how do you make sure that it doesn’t sound like a completely different person?

oooohh hmm. hopefully what i toss down here makes any amount of sense, nonnie! im running on some rough sleep so hopefully words can work for me while typing this out ♡

( also realize now zooming out and staring blankly at this that i yap-fested at you im so sor- )

so for me, personally, like i do recommend when it comes to canon characters esp is to kick back and rewatch scenes of them and everything. start taking note of things like. letters they drop from words ( ie. dropping the 'g' at the ends ), things like that. common words & phrases they repeat and toying around with those. theres always little things you can pick up from canons esp if they have a fair chunk of literal dialogue, quotes, etc you could sit there and listen to repeatedly. if there's roles from movies or shows etc that you might feel also fit for the character you intend to write but isnt actually of that character themselves? using those as reference points can also be super helpful!!

for example, with luda bc her actress is unfortunately no longer with us, i'll sometimes rewatch some of k.athy bates' work to help with mannerisms and dialogue and emotions! particularly her role in say, t.itanic, where she's sometimes a lil' snarky, sometimes a lil' harsh-tongued, but she has a warmth to her character towards jack that comes out very motherly, very nurturing. sometimes studying outside works & actors can really help with building a completely different character up! ^_^

but also? find that it helps to really just enjoy the character as they are and fixate on them. bc while yes many writers are ridiculously Good at almost perfectly copy-pasting how a character sounds from the source into their writing? im also someone who alters their voices to personal interpretation! ie. with our mom luda, again, i try to focus her characterization and alongside that her voice moreso to the '06 film from the remakes bc i find that to be far more aligned with how i view her. luda's a very strong, maternal woman who is fiercely protective of her boys & family. we see more of that nurture, that gentler side of her in '06 - while '03 ( which can argue the switch-up in personality for the most part is understandable within plot context ) characterizes her far more harsh, far more stern and cold - particularly towards her own grandson which, to me, feels wildly out of character for her despite technically being canon and so, i disregard most of that canon personality & voice for her.

generally speaking, i've written a whole mess of different types of characters over the years, you start to in a sense create little "profiles" of character types and for me at least? i pick and choose from those that i feel works best to expand a canon character further than what their source has then down as. characters arent just hard-set as what canon throws them down as - sometimes the fun of it all is straying away to a degree from where they started as!

maria, for me, is probably the bigger stray-off than what gun may have intended for her. to be fair even with her being in the game now, im not entirely sure where their direction originally is for her personality etc., i just know that my intention for her portrayal had always been pinpointed at her being someone fairly soft, fairly gentle! bc anybody can sit there and like photography, or flowers, want to go off on little roadtrips, all of that. but i wanted there to be good reason as to why this group of friends could have been so compelled to have gone out looking for a friend who they arguably have only known for maybe a year or two or just a couple months even - and part of that reason is aiming to make maria come across as a character, as a friend, who seems so centerpoint in their shared dynamics with one other - someone whose presence being absent throws so much off. and not bc her role within the group is "so vital" that without her things entirely fall apart, but bc she made such an impact on them all that theres a jarring emptiness when shes not there.

her voice to me & the way i portray her, when working on her dialogue for replies etc., ideally shows different aspects of her character that i like to focus on. she's kind- & soft-hearted. shes a romantic at heart, so she likes to see the beauty and kindness in things and people and the world around her - that leads to a sense of naivety, where she's too trusting of people who may not actually deserve to be blindly trusted from the get-go ( me staring at lamb's johnny ). her dialogue and inner thoughts have those traits bleed into them ( or, at least i hope i show so in them! FNBJK ).

but her voice tends to switch to a degree depending who she's talking to! johnny, for example, she's often a little unsure of herself and her place beside him - she doesnt really know him, still navigating how he reacts to things, what sets him off. so her voice and mannerisms tend to be a little more cautious, slower. uncertain. with leland, for example, shes far more bubbly and energetic and they feed off of one anothers energy! theyre sunshine-to-sunshine coded, same stardust, etc. and so, shes more teasing and laughter and warm with him, she trusts him wholeheartedly. and in bad situations, she's terrified with whats going on around them and shes terrified for him - bc of the fact that he brave-faces so much and puts himself between her and a threat. and that fear bleeds into her voice & mannerisms & dialogue.

i strayed and rambled a little BUT - i think alot of the fun when you start writing, even for a canon character who has a certain way of speaking that the creator intended on, is getting to expand on them with your own personal twists and style! every iteration, portrayal, interpretation of a character is unique to the next, and oftentimes its that writers' personal take that really lets them glow and shine more than what even their creators' have done for them! i would say - which probably sounds easier said than putting it into action - just connecting to and loving the character and wanting to do them justice or wanting to build them up further really helps. i think what writers often do when they take on canons especially is that they simply grow very much in love, in a sense, with said character and want to do good by them. and i feel thats the case for me with maria for example, or lamb with johnny, kels with leland, rae with connie, scout with danny.

while theres plenty of like, technical / logistical things you could do to help with sticking as close as possible to say gun's voice actors for the characters - like pulling up a video of their voicelines and listening to them several times over, studying their tone or the way they adjust pitch lower and higher depending on how theyre saying their lines, the emotions behind what theyre saying, etc., or using other media sources as inspo too - i do truly believe that sticking strictly to their canon voices isnt something to worry or stress yourself over too much! ^_^ sometimes interpretations simply feel more organic and lifelike when you let yourself take your own spin to the character!

and if its your first time really writing, or writing as said character? i dont think you should put too much pressure on yourself to make their voice exactly like how they sound in canon! let yourself have the wiggle room to explore and expand them in a way that feels right and makes sense to you! alot of how maria's turned out now, a full year after picking her up, is because of how much she's been built up not just bc of my own building of her character but bc of the building of her bonds and dynamics with others! she would not be as fleshed out as she is right now without the specific love and care and dynamics that were build in that time with lambs' johnny, kels' leland, raes' connie and now, slowly but surely, scouts' danny too ♡

this all probably sounds all over the place i apologize but bottom line i think - i wouldn't stress over trying to make sure that they dont sound like an entirely different character to canon. ^_^ yes you can work on their dialogue to make sure that they still align generally with their canon characterizations, but over time i think with writing them? you'll end up pouring alot of yourself into the character, your own spin of them, and be influenced by those you write them against. i'd say let yourself find and stick with what feels right to you on how they should speak, how they feel and interpret and showcase their emotions and mannerisms! its entirely alright to stick more to their respective canons! and its also entirely alright to stray from it as well! ♡

thank you for saying i could ask more questions whenever i get confused. i’d love to start writing but i don’t know where to start so i just thought asking people that i look up to or like their writing style would be a good place to start i hope you have a nice night/day

sorry you don’t have to reply to this. i’m just very like intimidated by reaching out to people to actually talk to them but thank you so much for thinking about replying to the question. i’m trying to learn how to write as sonny or julie and i’m scared of like turning them into some random character with dialogue

i'm tacking on the both of these here as well so hopefully thats alright ♡

sorry for the full-on yap fest above but i hope theres something in that answer that might be remotely helpful in the slightest for you!! and i hope it makes a lick of sense!! ;w; you're absolutely more than welcome to drop any questions at all and i'll do my best to come up with an answer! ^_^ i love little questions so please know you can drop by and ask something at any time, i dont mind at all!

but also wanna say thankyou for the kind words too! ♡ its so so sweet knowing anyone outside of our little corner here enjoys what we toss around at one another, and though i dont post too often at the moment im happy that you like our takes on our silly little guys to send these in! i know we appreciate these questions and the sweet sentiments so much ♡

you're very welcome though ♡ again i hope that theres something in all that rambling that maybe helps, or maybe eases that worry about making any character sound too different from their source material. like i noted i do believe that while theres definitely ways to try and capture canons' voices and dialogue, its also perfectly alright to allow yourself the grace and space to make a character your own! and sometimes, that difference between canon portrayal and personal interpretation are worlds apart - and sometimes thats simply the beauty of writing for a character!

i do completely understand the fear of them sounding out of character, especially while starting to attempt to write as them. but i think its more than okay to make sure you're gentle and patient with yourself while navigating their respective voices, over time you'll find what feels right for them, what clicks best, and yes there'll be moments even after you've written for them for a while where you may second-guess what you're doing for them. still get that sometimes for maria! but i'd say try to remember to just have fun with exploring them as characters! ^_^ theres no right or wrong way to write a character, so long as you just. enjoy what youre doing, where youre taking them, and love them.

i think for now ill hush up but again, nonnie, thank you so much for sending the question and the kind words in! ♡ i hope, again, any of this makes sense and im happy to elaborate or answer other questions you may have!

i hope you have a lovely morning / afternoon / night wherever you may be, nonnie!

[2oppositesidesof1coin]

I hate the obession with spoilers and spoiler culture in general. Actors arent able to actually act because they arent being told whats happening in the scene or the overall movie. Studios think that spoilers and twists are what make films and TV great and what keeps people coming back to a show or film. But like movies, TV, and even theatre is a collaborative effort. How does the cast and crew really know what to bring to a piece if only the writer and maybe the producer know whats going on?

Also theres a reason why stories like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet have stuck around for so long. Even if the ending of those plays are known audiences go to see how the theatre company will approach the characters, the location, and the overall story. Hell some people just go to see how Romeo and Juliet would play in the 1930s. How Hamlet would play in modern silicon valley.

And even in things like TV and Film where a story may never change knowing what happens doesnt deter peoples enjoyment. I've rewatched Golden Girls almost every year I've been alive. There used to a meme on the internet that people wouldnt watch new things and would just rebinge the Office. I have a friend that plays all 13 seasons of Bobs Burgers on loop. My bestfriend has some of his favorite films practically memorized.

My point is that if something is worth watching it doesnt need to relay on spoiler warnings. Are there some shows and movies that are maybe better with a twist or maybe audiences can only sit through once? Sure. But not every piece of media should be approached in the one and done mentality.

Not to mention there are going to be kids who will be born after your film/TV show or whatever is made. If them growing up knowing the spoilers inherently ruins your art then maybe its just isnt that good of a story.

All I am saying is that stories stay alive, even stories with genuinely could twists like the silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, because the cast and crew were able to really put their all into and make it a collaborative piece that hit with audiences. Stories stay around because people love the costumes, the acting, the set pieces, the story, the characters, everything. Sometimes stories stay around for the twist and thats fine.

But not every piece of media nowadays doesnt need to be produced like if the audience even knows a smidge of the plot it will wreck the entire production.

Stop treating audiences like rival studios trying to steal your trade secrets and start treating them with the respect of a loyal viewer or a paying customer.

[dankovskaya]

btw the new matrix is really not that bad (NOT SPOILING IT) i was sort of impressed by the plot because i really doubted they would be able to come up with something that did not feel forced and contrived like squeezing a new story out of a concept that had already been fully realized nearly 2 decades ago but? to me at least it was a believable premise even if it did get kind of corny with the power of love shit but whatever. the first act especially was very interesting and recreated the “what the fuck is going on” feeling from the first one pretty well which i think is an achievement because everybody on the planet already knows the basic idea of the matrix now.

most of my complaints come from the fact that everything that i personally would use to describe the matrix movies is absent? for the sake of modernization i guess but we lost the obnoxious green filter i love and we lost most of the interesting and creative and CLEARLY VISIBLE fight choreography in favor of a more modern annoying shaky camera 1000 abrupt cuts per fight filming style which i hate. i might be forgetting something but i think they didnt even do the slow-mo camera 360 effect that the matrix is known for CREATING a single time which is fucking bonkers to me... and neo’s bullet stopping ability turned into a weird forcefield thing idk he isnt supposed to just Block them he is Catching Them Mid Air Bro..... not to mention the Force Push????? and the outfits overall were mostly bland imo like i didnt REALLY expect them to go full 90s hacker futuro-gothic leather on leather on pvc but they couldve done it A LITTLE BIT. damn. maybe im a hater but the “gothic” matrix outfits just made me think of how “alt fashion” has become mainstream enough that it doesnt actually register as alternative half the time like they were just wearing outfits. the only wardrobe that stood out to me as imperssive was that of morpheus-who-isnt-morpheus (whose entire concept was NOT elaborated on nearly enough i might add bc i was confused as hell) and he was the least “goth” of them all. ok im noticing now that my complaints paragraph is over twice as long as my praise of the concept but i promise i genuinely enjoyed most of it i will probably go see it a second time. right and i will also just say: i did not care at all and i mean At All about neo and trinity until this movie i thought they were very cute in resurrections. what’s scary though is that they are 100% clearly expecting to make another movie.

[wackology]

Dumb HBCU/WR movie ramblings

Ok so I've been thinking a bit about the HBCU and a potential Wacky Races movie in development a bit and I got a lot of shit to say about this so buckle your seatbelts and hold on to your hats as you witness my incoherent ramblings and fanon headcanons.

So it pretty much agreed upon that any next installment of the HBCU is gonna take a while to come out considering how WB has put the HBCU in standstill for their dr seuss cinematic universe and liveaction-animation hyprid movies. Hell even the director of Scoob said that. The possibility of us getting another cinematic HB film in the next 5 years are close to none but if we were to get a movie it would probably be wacky races themed. Why? Cuz the Scoob film left off with Dick escaping prison with the wacky races on his mind (or in this case, his prison cell) and it would make sense for WB to continue the HBCU (which they probs don't plan to) with a character we are pretty familiar with and the only likable character in Scoob. Which begs the question, where would the plot go narrative wise?

Dick probably won't be the main character of the story but I can practically guarantee it will be Penelope Pitstop. I mean they already got concept art and i think they have models too that were unused and the people on scoob said they didn't add her to the film because they planned for her to be part of something bigger. Basically, I bet my left arm that the protag will be penny because apart from dick and muttley, she was the most memorable character of the show. We must also consider how they would tie up other hanna barbera characters and properties into a WR film thats part of an HBCU installment.

So basically, with this in mind I have created a few theoretical plots/premises that might happen in a WR movie

1. A Hooded Claw driven girl power film

Claw is an og and classic antagonist for penny, and if they really wanted to make a film centered on her the hooded claw is the perfect character to play the bad guy. I feel like the plot would go a bit like this: In order to kill penny and get her inheritance, Claw sponsored/set up the wacky races to kill penelope under the guise that good ol uncle sylvester was supporting Penny's girl power dreams to be a racer. Basically, he acts all supportive and shit for her to chase her dreams and enter this new race but under the mask actually set the whole thing up as an elaborate plan to kill her.

He lets the most deranged, insane and wacky people enter the race, from a gangster mob, to literal monsters to a pilot racer and a military tank duo with guns and canons thinking that Penny's survival chances in this race will be close to none, especially with it being a sausage fest and him not believing  in girl power. He even hires a professional mercenary with an evil dog to help kill penny in the WR (yes, dick, and yes he was sucessful at killing the pigeon in the scoobverse so he is actually considered quite the exceptional and competent villian in universe).

The rest of the film would be her racing and doing good despite all the odds and ends at her winning the grand finale, much to the frustration of Claw.Basically a film of empowerment for young girls to enjoy. This plot would probably be the most faithful to the original WR and most likely be a prequel to Scoob since the movie implies that Dick was doing all the skull shit after the wacky races sooo yeah.

There could also be a peter/penny subplot, perhaps not as romantic interests but as platonic friends or just some flirty exchanges between them, as well as a dick subplot with him not liking to race much at first and doing it for just the money but coming to love it as the film progresses. This plot would also probably be the least HBCU type film since it is mostly WR based and by nature would already have a ton of characters but they might try to replace some of the less memorable characters with other HB characters that are a bit more memorable than the boring racers but not as well known to have their own films (could see the country bears replace luke and blubber bear as well as any other character replace the lumberjack guy).

2. The Great Race inspired film

So we kinda get the idea in scoob that dick hasn't been in the Wacky races for a while after muttley disappeared and all the skull business happened but as we all know, dick was the character who made the races actually interesting. So the execs couldnt just have the wacky races without dick so what did they do ? They got a doppleganger of course, that being this boyyyy

Basically, the Wacky Races executives used Dick's way less famous twin brother  the Dread Baron and his dog friend Mumbly to fill in for the two once they realized Dick wasn't going to come back after prison. They were wrong of course but dick doesnt know he's been replaced and escapes thinking he was going to join the races again but when he does find out it bruises his ego a lot.

This idea technically serves better as a subplot and could be woven into the hooded claw story above if we just changed a few elements( make it happen after scoob instead of before, perhaps DB and Mumbly were hired by claw to kill penny and dick has to begrudgingly help penny and peter to get his place back in wacky races). After plot stuff happens it ends with dick being in the WR again and DB finding employment elsewhere in the Laffalympics which can easily tie into the established HBCU since it has the yogi gang, mystery gang, captain caveman and the teen angels gang and blue falcon and dynomutt.

Does this theoretical plot draw a lot from my personal desire to see DB just once. Yes. But do i care. No

3. The super HBCU plot(probs the most likely)

So the end credits basically tell us that after the scoob movie that the mystery gang and other HB characters joined the falcon force and are fighting baddies and crap.

Dick has escaped so they will probably start looking for him and in order to do so they get tangled up in the wacky races. Dick isnt the main antagonist tho( he's either trying to sabotage the other wacky racers because he is salty af or begrudgingly has to help out the heros or main antagonist) but the falcon/scooby gang discover a huge conspiracy happening within the wacky races that goes something like this: this race was set up kind of like a scavenger hunt across the world or the US to find mcguffins that are actually really powerful and crap when assembled, which is what the villain was trying to do because evil reasons. Basically wacky raceland done funnier or just Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run.

In this premise not only would the og wacky racers and scoob cast be in it but i bet there would also be a bunch of cameos and references to other HB characters and they might even join in on the action and be racers too. I have no real clue on who the main baddie would be but I think it would be a johnny quest bad guy or something:( in the end credits they are teaming up with Quest industries after all).

I feel like the entire vibe of a premise like this would be very mad max like but without all the apocalypse stuff and just pure unrefined insanity. I kinda based these ideas off some of the unused concept art in scoob and I'm pretty sure the gang and the falcon force would team up with penny cuz they were planning to do so in the og concept art.

I have a few other ideas in my head but those arent fully developed but I might post them one day lol. But yeah, thanks for listening to my dumb shit lol

[fightevilandthengetblownup]

Chat: Jo + Gray romcoms

(for lexy)

Jo> She likes pointless fluff movies. I’m being told I have to watch Friends With Benefits next after I finish the last 20 mins of the first half of this series

Jo> :l

Jo> *actually doesnt mind that movie just finds it hysterical Jo does*

Grey> Is Friends with Benefits the one with Mila Kunis?

Jo> Yep

Grey> Who’s the male lead in that?

Jo> Justin Timberlake

Grey> Ah

Jo> It’s kind of hilarious that Jo likes that movie

Grey> Because of how she is about relationships?

Jo> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_CVAI_twO0 and then http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6M-V4oHso first 20 seconds just… kind of amazingly hilarious.

Jo> She’s somewhere between or actually boh main characters at once

Jo> (Also the Train in the background of the first cracks me up)

Grey> TRAIN IN THE BACKGROUND LOL

Jo> Yeeeep

Grey> You linked me the sex scene? LOL *signs in*

Jo> Its the end of the crappy romcom movie that the girl wanted to watch and the guy spent the entire time paying out.

Jo> LOL

Jo> Yes

Jo> Because

Jo> First 20 seconds is magic

Jo> …hell the entire thing is magic

Jo> And hilariously like if Jo were a guy and a girl at the same time

Jo> honest to god

Grey> “I sneeze sometimes after I come” *drink everywhere*

Jo> Wait for it

Grey> HES SINGING

Jo> LOL

Grey> “WHOA TOO FAR”

Jo> “When women start to scream it can me misconstrued”

Grey> *dead*

Grey> So much for just once

Jo> LOL Yeeeep.

Jo> Can you see kind of where I get my amusement from?

Grey> Yep

Jo> “Grab my hair.” “Kiss my neck”

Grey> *dies at butt part*

Jo> *nodnod*

Grey> Oh my god

Grey> Oh man mom walking in at the end

Jo> Lol yep

Jo> I find so much fucking amusement from that movie and the fact it’s number 3 on Jo’s fave ‘romcom’s

Grey> What are the first two?

Jo> Pretty Woman and Miss Congeniality

Grey> Awwwww Miss Congeniality. "So her top favorites are about a hooker finding a sugar daddy, a tomboy becoming a barbie doll and two friends fucking?“ Gray that’s not… no.

Jo> "Got a problem with that?” Gray. Darling. No… …though he has a point but no…

Grey> “Other than your taste in movies is shit. No.” He’s got the air of implying about him.

Jo> “…I’m just glad it was top three then, I’m sure you’d find the next two just as shit…” Jo is well aware the implication and I am snickering my head off

Grey> “And what are those, Legally Blonde and The House Bunny?” *pets her*

Jo> “…no. Clueless and a tie between 500 Days of Summer and Runaway Bride….

Jo> ” She knows how bad those are, but theyre better than Legally Blonde and House Bunny at least. (What’s Your Number, Stardust, Legally Blonde, You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless In Seattle round out the top ten though)

Grey> “*snickering*” Yeah. The House Bunny is shit but Legally Blonde isn’t bad imo. It’s got Matt Davis in it for one so…

Jo> “…oh go ahead. Say it.” Lol yeah House Bunny is. Legally Blonde’s pretty alright - the second is dreadful though.

Grey> “Say what that you have horrible picks and clearly just want some guy to swoop in a rescue you?” Second one doesnt exist in my mind. Because I like the first one too much to admit it.

Jo> “You just don’t like romantic comedies and most of those involve free thinking, independent women who can survive all on their own without a man…sorta.” LOL I cried my way through it. In pain.

Grey> “Except they all end up with a guy and the whole plot of them is either "fucks a dude and keeps fucking him” or “discovers she’s ladylike after all”.“ I saw it on tv once, attempted to watch then switched the channel 5 minutes in because it was hurting

Jo> "Pretty Woman is about how you aren’t just your job - that there is more to a person than just that; Miss Congeniality is about doing the right thing, and that everyone can be more than what their intial appearance might suggest; FoB is about how… sometimes worrying about the labels of things can ruin something that’s working and that …getting over that shit’s for the best…” It’s dreadful..

Grey> “Uh huh.” Yeah I dont know what charm the first one has that the second one is missing but you can definitely tell it’s missing it. Same with Miss Congeniality, first movie is cute second movie makes you want to tear out your eyes

Jo> (Oh god, I just realised the girl in Friends with Benefits at the start is going to go see Pretty Woman at the cinema as some romcom weeklong thing and her then bf dumps her out front and she’s already missed the boots)

Grey> *DEAD*

Jo> “…shut up, alright. God, a girl is allowed to like pointless fluff sometimes!” LOL So so true. The same goes for Bring It On. *crying at this movie again now*

Jo> (“You know I love this movie! If a prostitute and a ruthless businessman who fall in love, then anyone can. *wistful sigh/tone*” *dying*)

Grey> “I would think you get enough of that with the runt.” Oh my god that’s hilarious

Jo> “…I think your brother knows better than to..freak me out with that sort of thing. Reality, fiction, don’t cross the streams..much.” I know. I forgot it and now Im dead.

Grey> “So he’s not constantly trying to bring you flowers or jewelry or anyt of that other crap? I’m surprised he has so much restraint.” No wonder Jo likes the movie

Jo> “No, he’s not. Seems you don’t know him quite as well as you think…” Oh yeah. … http://youtu.be/GvBNVJjhj4Q?t=11s Just… start o the film is pretty much this. And yep. It totally does.

Grey> “Or he doesn’t like you as much as he says he does.” I feel bad for Justin’s character cause that bitch crazy

Grey> “Next time just shit on my face cause that’s the same thing” no it isnt lady

Jo> Wait for the explanation of Mila’s character

Grey> WOW Andy’s a dick

Jo> LOL Yuuuuup

Grey> *spit take at Justin*

Jo> Just wait

Jo> It gets more

Grey> *DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD*

Jo> “Or maybe he likes me as much as he says he does and doesn’t want me to feel uncomfortable or pressured and is making sure I’m okay with things.” I KNOW RIGHT?! AND THATS JUST THE FIRST THREE MINUTES OF THE MOVIE

Grey> “If he liked you as much as he said, he’d get you flowers. Because that’s what Grey does, flowers and chocolate and bubble baths with candles and rose petals and all the other lame shit because that’s what he does, he does the lame "romantic” crap and he likes doing that. So he either doesnt actually care that much or he’s completely terrified of you and is too scared to even approach the matter"

Grey> That’s hilarious

Grey> Especially Justin’s just completely lunatic of the girlfriend. Like Mina’s guy was just lazy and a jerk but Justin’s girl was fucking monkeynuts crazy

Jo> “He would not - he might want to, but right now? He wouldn’t. I prefer non-materialistic things anyway so…” I know. She’s amazing. She keeps calling too. I seriously recommend it if you have a few hours to spare or fill or are bored sometime because that movie is just great. Better than No Strings (the Portman/Kutcher one)

Grey> “If he wouldnt its because you’re scaring him. But hey if you’re cool with him being too scared to say what he wants then….” It does look a lot funnier than Natalie’s

Jo> “I am not /scaring/ him. He knows he can say whatever he likes to me or bring up stuff…. …” It is. I’ve seen both several times, Friends With is much better. The original Coke to Nat’s new.

Grey> “Sure he does. That’s why he didn’t tell you he loved you for the longest time. Because he’s totally not afraid to talk to you.” I feel like I should just watch both then Black Swan to mindfuck myself but I can’t right now lol

Jo> “He does, and… that’s none of your business, and it wasn’t 'the longest time’, was barely three months after..” LOL Oh god that would be dreadful.

Grey> “Uh huh. And he hasnt really said it again has he?” Yep it would

Jo> “He has too. …a few times.” Brainfuck indeed.

Grey> “And I bet you know exactly how many because it doesnt happen a lot.” Completely

Jo> “…your point being? People don’t have to say they love one another all the time, I’m sure you could count on one hand the number of times you’ve said it.”

Grey> “Because I’m a arrogant asshole monster who doesn’t really give two shits to get emotional about things. Does that sound like Grey to you?”

Jo> “…no. Sounds a little like me though, so instead - how often has Anna said it to you, huh? Just because he doesn’t say it often doesn’t mean he doesn’t know he can ask about things or talk about stuff.”

Grey> “More than five times less than twenty. He’s stupid though, how would you know he knew he could ask if he doesnt feel like he could say it? Doesnt matter now I guess with that collar on you he’ll be too freaked out to do much of anything”

Jo> “..Oh. ….Because he knows me? Because neither of us is going to judge or fly off the handle? Because I haven’t gone running yet? ….shut up, fuck you.”

Grey> “If he knows you he knows that your terrified of getting attached and won’t bring it up for fear of driving you away. I’m just stating facts.”

Jo> “Otherwise known as caring and respecting a loved ones boundaries. And you say that like we’re not attached, because we are, so shove off. …you’re being a dick with the truth.”

Grey> “Otherwise known as being spineless. Wait until he wants to get married then see how attached you are. Better than just being a dick right?”

Jo> “There’s a difference - one is being respectful, the other has no basis other than fear for it. …. ………. Let’s not talk about that, ever, again. Oh shut up..”

Grey> “So how do you know he’s doing it out of respect instead of fear? Just wait.”

Jo> “Because, I just do. …And I said again…”

Grey> “Uh huh. You’re going to run when you see that little box.”

Jo> “…. ….I’m not going to run..” Mental commentary: “I’m going to politely say I need time to think, excuse myself and go hide under the covers. The fastest will be a brisk walk. Yes. No running. It’d be fine.”

Grey> “Yes you are. Watching him bend his knee and go into his pocket for it is just going to scare you so badly you’re going to take off running like a scared deer.” Awwww poor Jo

Jo> “No. I’m… I have more restraint than that even if that /isn’t/ my response.” Think she’d feel bad for it but..unless she suggests it she’ll probably freak.

Grey> “You’re right, cause he’s probably going to do it in public. You wouldnt want to make a scene. All those eyes on you expecting to say yes especially his when he looks so happy and expectant.” He wouldnt ask. I mean like… probably never unless they actually had a kid. Because he knows it wouldnt work

Jo> ( http://youtu.be/VIirTZQWJBg?t=30s *crying* Guess Jo has a penis where her vaginas supposed to be)

Grey> (SO DEAD. Oh Woody Harrelson you are always hilarious)

Jo> “…shut up. How do you know the answer would be no? Or that I wouldn’t be the one askin’? Everyone’s always calling me the boy of us…” Cue gray laughing head off. And yeah, no - I’d figured he probably wouldn’t, what’s sad is a marriage would work but proposing the idea wouldnt. (IKR? He’s a gay sports writer)

Grey> “Because you don’t do commitment? You… ask him… *laughing*” *nods* He’d figure they couldnt therefore wouldnt ask unless its a kid in which case he’d feel like “this is a family now” and ask. (He’s hilarious. I lost it)

Jo> “I do sometimes. …. *tries not to laugh as well* Yeah, okay shut up..” Yep - which I think he might be able to get a yes if he didn’t say it was cause she was preg or had had a baby, mde the family comment instead. (LOL Yeeep)

Grey> “Fine. That was funny enough I’ll shut up. *still laughing*” *nods* I think his approach would be something like “I’d like for us to be a family. And I want to be officially part of that family.” Plus that way if something happens to Jo the kids stay with him. (Armpit girl? Do I even want to know…)

Jo> ( http://youtu.be/GJucbfuvh-A armpit girl)

Grey> (Oh Justin baby what is it with you and crazy broads)

Jo> “Glad you enjoyed it… *fails at holding back a giggle* Okay seriously, I’m not that bad.. or I’m not the worst, so shuddup.” Yeah, that would actually probably work. (Yeeeep)

Grey> “Not the worst? Right okay compared to like me or something.” And of course Grey would have the sense enough not to try to make a big affair of it, nor would he want to

Jo> “There are worse people out there without going straight to you, Gray.” Yep yep - big affair woul get a no.

Jo> (Oh god, I forgot the guy in this has a stutter when he was nervous)

Grey> “*indignantly* Are not. I’m the worst. End of discussion.” *slaps Gray for wanting to look like the horrible monster again* I think the closest he’d come to that was asking if she wanted her mother there or any close friends. (So dead)

Jo> “Sure thing, I just meant there were people between the two of us on the worse scale is all.” *snickers at him* lol true true. Knowing Jo she’d not want much, or until after. (Yeeep)

Grey> “Nope. You’re close enough to me there’s no one left between us.” *nods* Jesse go to bed jo harvelle gray chat complete Aug 21st, 2012

[niennavalier]

And now a bit of Endgame ranting cause I saw a post on it. And to just call bullshit on the time travel thing at the end.

Granted, just to clarify: I dont take that much issue Steve going back for Peggy, in terms of character and story. AKA: yes, I ship Stucky, but this post isnt about that relationship. Do I think it wouldve worked better to give Steve closure in terms of moving on and finding a new family? Yes. Do I think it wouldve been really nice to have Steve and Bucky and Sam and the Avengers being that family in the present? Kinda yeah. But did I kinda expect them to go this route anyway? Also yes, based on Steve's vision from AoU.

If they hadnt just had old Steve at the end cause that RUINS EVERYTHING.

IIRC this was later explained as being essentially a full, closed loop, where Steve always went back in time and lived with Peggy and was always Peggy's mysterious husband that the fandom has always wondered about. And that this works because an alternate timeline is only created when an Infinity Stone is moved through time, as explained by the Ancient One. (Which is already just so damn specific like why would you know this one thing?? But I guess there's magic so I cant argue there all that much)

But this still DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.

Just on the writing side, this really feels like a desperate attempt to cover a plot hole. Because the explanation is "oh, well it's a time loop because we never said it couldn't be a time loop". And while that's fine for fanfiction, fanfiction isnt a multi billion dollar grossing film. Like, yes that explanation isnt wrong, but it's so messy, because there was never any precedent set up for it to ever be a time loop. They did such a great job explaining how travelling back in time would cause timelines to diverge, that I, at least, understood that to be the type of time travel they were playing with. And it works! But the lack of explanation of time loops in the movie makes it hold up terribly if you're SOLELY watching the movie. I mean, you shouldn't need to watch interviews to understand the movie. Basically, its sloppy, so I reject the possibility.

Also, it just messes with canon? I doubt I need to explain the whole "Steve is too much of a dumb golden retriever to be able to live in the past and not change shit". At the very least, no doubt he'd save Bucky from Hydra. Nuff said.

But mostly, it messes with Peggy, especially with the Agent Carter show. For one, that scene at the end of season 1 which was written for her to let go of Steve and move on? That suddenly means nothing - the same problem as with Steve - except for some reason this pisses me off more? Like, how DARE you mess with Peggy Carter's character arc, you monster. Also, it makes the timeline strange? Because if this is supposed to be read as a full loop in which Steve was always her husband (which I assume they're justifying with the fact we never got confirmation as to who her husband was) then that means he didnt show up until after the events of the TV show. Season 1 starts in '46 and season 2 starts a year later. And if season 2 also spanned a year, he didnt show up until 1948, at least? Which just...why?? Steve has no reason to go back to a time 3 years after the end of the war. (Frankly, I'm of the opinion he wouldve gone back far enough to help in the war...and maybe taken Rhodeys advice and pretended he jumped out of the plane, idk. But still, gone back to the same year, at least, as when he was originally presumed dead.) But even if he was smart enough to wait until after 1945 so as to not mess with the timeline that much...why 1948? Why wait that long, or longer, when his entire reasoning was because he wanted to get that life with Peggy? Just...what??

Also! That line from the recording in Winter Soldier. The only reference we've ever had as to who Peggy's husband was. About Steve saving a battalion in 1945, and her husband being from that battalion. I personally remember this line being tossed around a lot because it was the reasoning that Daniel couldn't be her husband because he was discharged before then. But it should also mean Steve isnt her husband because then he saved...himself? Yeah, maybe time travel incident and he poofed himself into that battalion on accident so past him did actually save future him. But 1) that's fucking convoluted. And 2) again, why wouldn't he be in Agent Carter? Which means this is just apparently a complete lie, and the only evidence we thought we had is actually nothing at all. Or the logic behind that statement is like "Steve also saved himself by saving the battalion because they got through the Hydra blockade safely" but...I'm sorry, that's dumb, and I cant imagine Peggy talking around a point like that. (And no, she wouldnt be talking circles like that to conceal the fact Steve is her husband cause you know what would be easier? Not making that reference at all.)

Plus the fact this was clearly never their plan? Fairly certain the Agent Carter writers said at some point that the show would answer that particular mystery (all the more reason it should've gone longer) and I highly doubt this wouldve been said answer. Also just the existence of the Steve and Sharon ship in canon because uh, gross. (Although again, this wouldve been fine if they hadnt just put old Steve in at the end because then Steve wouldve gone back and made a divergent timeline. Meaning that Sharon in the original timeline wouldn't have...known Steve when she was a kid? So at least theres that?)

(Personal opinion is that the original plan was to have Steve die in Endgame because of that scene from AoU and the implication seeming to be that he gets back to Peggy somehow. Not necessarily dying instead of Tony or anything, but just that he wouldve died. Or at the very least, they weren't planning to have old Steve show up because of problems)

Rant over.

[saints-row-2]

film watch day 3: Venom

Venom is only tangentially a horror movie so it probably isnt really fair to include it in my “watch a horror movie every day for a month” list but there is absolutely nothing i could watch today that means as much as Venom does so its going to have to fly

i use this image specifically because it really represents the best bits of Venom. namely; Venom (Tom Hardy) bullies the life out of Eddie (Tom Hardy), while Eddie looks like hes dying of consumption. the rest of the film happens around them, sure, but none of the other actors can hold a candle to Tom Hardy, who storms through this movie doing whatever the fuck he wants and stealing the entire show so hard the film goes from being a dull 2003 style origin story to his own personal Little Shop of Horrors homage. 

Eddie Brock is an edgy tv reporter with his own news show dedicated to covering stories people DONT want to talk about, which i found pretty immediately sympathetic. anyway. he cant resist himself and tries to confront local Elon Musk rip-off Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) about the deaths in Drake’s human testing program related to his search for a cure for cancer. Eddie is promptly fired, and loses his girlfriend and apartment to boot. however, determined to find out the truth, Eddie breaks into Drake’s testing facility, and gets himself infected with the alien symbiote known as Venom. the film then completely loses its own mind. 

Venom’s plot is nonsense. it has at least one major recurring plot thread that goes absolutely nowhere and multiple smaller storylines that have no endings. the character arcs are often inexplicable. the post-climax ending scene happens with next to no explanation at all. the film feels like it had those 40 minutes of scenes Tom Hardy mentioned being cut ripped out. but i didnt particularly give a shit watching the movie and i dont particularly give a shit now.

Venom, as a film, wanted to be a scary edgy action-horror. Tom Hardy wanted to make a buddy cop comedy movie, and because hes the main character, thats what the movie is now. i really cant overstate how fucking good Tom Hardy is in this movie. hes incredibly charming, funny, and likeable, and his chemistry with himself is fantastic. as soon as Venom and Eddie Brock meet the film kicks off in a major way. 

maybe this is my own love of characters who are as you might say “off their shits” is giving me enormous bias but i found myself watching every scene Tom Hardy was in with a kind of rapturous glee. watching Eddie and Venom fight about biting off heads, freaking out in a public restaurant, squabble like children and do ridiculous motorcycle stunts was fucking delightful. 

the film is a mess. but its kind of fucking glorious as well and frankly if youve got an aching desire for a complex plot-driven thriller you can fuck off with that attitude. i watched Venom to see Tom Hardy completely wild out and had a fucking blast. theres a scene where Eddie Brock eats a live lobster. 

what helps the movie as well is how competent and likeable all the other actors are. i got the strong impression Riz Ahmed wasnt exactly deeply moved by his role as Stock Villain, but he fucking does his job well and gives some fun, bizarrely intense nihilistic nonsense speeches. Michelle Williams definitely wasnt given enough to do, but is sharp and funny as Ann. Reid Scott plays Ann’s boyfriend who would ostensibly be Eddie’s romantic rival in any other movie, but is actually a very nice, friendly dude, and i found the lack of romantic tension and bickering between Ann, Eddie and Dan (Scott) really refreshing; it helps keep the focus on Eddie and Venom instead of bogging the plot down in romantic drama. Eddie bounces around the film as a hot mess who cracks wise while needing help and again, was immensely sympathetic in his position as, as Venom says, “a loser”. 

as nuts as this probably sounds, i actually have huge hopes for a Venom 2; i think given a second time round seeing the successes of this movie, they could make a really competent weird buddy comedy with more direct focus on Eddie and Venom. still though, im enormously thankful that Tom Hardy apparently impromptu decided he was going to start remaking The Mask.

if you arent convinced that Venom is the movie for you, you probably arent capable of fun. not to overrate this movie, but if you didnt enjoy it, fuck you. thats all. 

COULD have been gayer. 

[thinkaboutkink]

GOOD ENDing GAY MOVIEs List

My very personal playlist of gay movies with easy and soft plot and good ending.

Los Amantes Pasajeros (I'M SO EXCITED!) | 2013 | Spain | By Pedro Almodavar | PLOT: The narrative is set almost entirely on an airplane, this movie its so fucking hilarious, gay and explicit scenes. The protagonists are 3 gay flight attendents, 2 gay/bisex pilots and the passengers of the business class. Need to be seen. (One of the cast member is Lito from Sense8)

In & out | 1997 | America | by Frank Oz | PLOT: Very soft romantic comedy. Howard Brackett is an English literature teacher, living a quiet life in the fictional town in Indiana, with his fiancée Emily. The town is filled with anticipation over the nomination of Howard's former student Cameron in the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of a gay soldier. Cameron does indeed win the award and, in his acceptance speech, thanks Howard, adding, "and he's gay." Howard's family and friends are shocked; but that is nothing compared to Howard's own reaction of disbelief and indignation. He angrily reassures those who know him that he is straight. Reporters invade his hometown, harassing him for interviews, following the awards night telecast. Well not that straight ... just saying.

Sex Up and Sex Up 2 | 2003/2005 | Germany | by Florian Gältener | PLOT: Ziege, Häschen and Sven are best friends and just average teenagers with the usual problems: girls, hormones and sex. Being 16, all three guys are still virgin and look for ways to change it. Sven is the only one having a girlfriend their relationship just doesn't work. Ziege just looks for a girl who could deflower him, until then he passes the time with pleasing himself. Häschen falls for the beautiful Valerie and has another problem: Whenever he walks up to a girl to talk to her he farts. Everything changes when Ziege's parents return from an exotic holiday and bring a mask with them. Overnight a plant grows out of this mask and its juice has an incredible effect: Once you've taken it and it starts to work you get horny at the first person you see at that moment. THATS NOT ALL GAY but THE GAY PARTS ARE SO HILARIOUS 😂

The Rocky Horror Pictures Show | 1973 | America | by Richard O'Brien | THIS MOVIES ITS SO FAMOUS DON'T NEED PRECENTATION ANYWAY PLOT: In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named "Rocky." For being suck an old movie the gay action and tension are very explicit. A POINT FOR IT 😂. Watch at your own risk. Not a really good ending but so fun.

Scary Movie | 2000 | America | by Wayans brothers | that movie is a pearl of my childhoods 😂 this a parody of a horror movie called Scream (full of gay tension not intentional) in this movies otherwise are very explicit gay characters and a surprise ending. PLOT: An 18 yo girl named Drew receives a threatening phone call while home alone one night. Drew is chased outside by Ghostface, who stabs her. The following day, Cindy meets up with her boyfriend Bobby and her friends, Brenda, Ray, Greg and Buffy. Various news teams, including hack reporter Gail, converge on the school in the wake of Drew's murder. Gail hooks up with Buffy's intellectually disabled brother Special Officer Doofy, hoping to milk the facts out of him. While Cindy is in class, she receives a note reading: "I Know What You Did Last Halloween!". Amazing movie. The gays don't have a properly good ending but .. complicated issue.

Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth | 2000 | America | by John Blanchard | another parody of Scream with the same plot of the movie before. More dark comedy and Lesbian. Funny 😂.

The 10 years plan | 2014 | America | very funny and romantic story of Myles and Brody, best friends and total opposites. Myles is a hopeless romantic looking for Mr. Right. Brody is a sexy player on the hunt for Mr. Right Now. These two friends make a plan that they'll be together if both of them are still single in a decade. Nearly ten years later and still alone, both friends will do whatever it takes to avoid becoming a couple. Don't worry good end. 💕 (NETFLIX)

Alex Strangelove | 2018 | America | by Craig Johnson | the cutest film ever seen, that is so soft and well-going movies. Teen Drama PLOT: Alex is a High School Student. After eight months of relationship with his best friend Claire, they still haven't had sex and Alex seems to be the one who keeps putting it off. Alex then meets Elliot, an openly gay teenager, and begins to have feelings for him as well, leading him to question his sexuality. Very Very Sweet thing. I quotes his best friend "Do you listen to Panic! At the disco while jerking off to pictures of vapire? Than you are not bisexual." (NETFLIX)

Love, Simon | 2018 | America | by Greg Berlanti | Another sweet teen drama that I love. PLOT: Simon Spier is a closeted gay high school boy living in a suburb of Atlanta. He has a close and loving family and three best friends: Nick, Leah and Abby. One day, Leah informs Simon about an online confession of a closeted gay student at their high school, known only by the pseudonym "Blue". Simon begins communicating with Blue via email using the pseudonym "Jacques". The two confide personal details and form a connection. However, their emails are accidentally discovered by another student, Martin, who is infatuated with Abby. After learning his secret, Martin blackmails Simon by threatening to make his emails public unless he agrees to help Martin win over Abby. SWEETEST.

Love Is All You Need | 2012 | Danimark, Italy | by Susanne Bier | this isnt a gay main story but in the end it turns out gay PLOT: Ida, a Danish hairdresser who has lost her hair to cancer, returns home from the hospital one day to find her husband is cheating on her. She decides to travel to Italy on her own for her daughter's wedding, but discovers on arriving that the wedding gathering will present its own challenges

Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Look) | 2014 | Brazil | by Daniel Ribeiro | PLOT: The story centers on Leonardo, a blind high school student struggling with independence and his friendship with Giovanna and Gabriel. Gabriel will become more than a friend.

Sommersturm (Summer storm) | 2004 | Germany | by Marco Kreuzpaintner | PLOT: A teenager comes to terms with his sexuality and his feelings for his best friend over the course of a summer. Tobi and Achim are best friends and rowing teammates, and they have competed together in several races. During a summer training retreat, Achim's increasingly serious relationship with his girlfriend stirs up feelings in Tobi that suggest he views Achim as more than a friend. Events come to a head as the summer comes to a close and a big race is on the horizon.

Handsome Devil | 2016 | Ireland | by John Butler | Plot: very not romance movie its a easy film with good message not violents. Its about a friendship. It centres around an ostracised teenager, Ned, at an elite rugby-obsessed all boys boarding school in Ireland modelled on Castleknock and Clongowes, whose new roommate, Connor, is the school’s new rugby star-player. The two form an unlikely friendship until it is tested by those around them. The film features themes of homosexuality, while examining the hypocrisy and snobbery of the Irish private school system. very quiet movie, if you dont want to cry 😂 (NETFLIX)

FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST SOME OTHER GOOD ENDING FILMs, HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.💕💕💕

[jenroseyokel]

Awesome of the Year 2018: The Books

Happy New Year! ‘Tis the season for year end lists left and right as we attempt to figure out the best of everything from 2018. And of course, as a fan of books, music, and movies, it’s only right to get in on the list-making. Over the next week or so, I’ll be sharing my 2018 favorite lists. First up: books! This year, I set my Goodreads reading challenge at 40 books, and actually passed it. I’ve been setting arbitrary book goals for years, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve succeeded since 2007. Probably because of all the graphic novels and comic trades I read this year WHICH TOTALLY COUNT BTW. Ahem. Anyway. This isn’t really a best of 2018 list so much as a Here’s a Bunch of Books I Really Liked in 2018 list, split up into categories. I hope you’ll find something interesting here, especially if you’re looking for ways to spend bookstore or Amazon gift cards you got for Christmas… ;)

Newish Books by Rad Christian Women:

Every Arbitrary Book Goal should have a small correlated goal attached. This year mine was to make sure I read at least 50% women authors… and there have been a lot of GREAT new books from women writers in the past few years. If the “Christian women” section of your local bookstore makes you cringe a little inside too, check out these three wonderful books, all released in the past couple years:

Courage, Dear Heart by Rebecca K. Reynolds (NavPress, 2018)

Anyone who has read Rebecca’s writing knows she needed to write a book. She has a sharp mind, a poet's soul, a scientist's eye, and the most beautiful, tender heart. Also, she's an incredible writer who loves her readers with a love that radiates off every page. Buy a copy for everyone you know.

Wearing God by Lauren F. Winner (HarperOne, 2017) Girl Meets God was a formative book in my early 20s, and I’ve always meant to read more from this author, but somehow haven't. I finally picked up this one and oh man, for a solid month afterward I couldn’t stop thinking about it. With the eye of a scholar and the heart of a poet, Winner draws on personal stories, deep Biblical study, and a love of language to explore lesser known metaphors for God. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren (InterVarsity Press, 2016)

Several years ago, James K.A. Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom helped me see liturgy in a new way, as not just religious practice, but the embedded routines that shape us. In this book, Tish Warren brings that idea to life as she walks through an ordinary day explores the holiness in our most mundane moments of living. You may not look at brushing your teeth or losing your keys the same way again.

Good Stories

This year, fiction reading was… all over the place? I don’t know if I read much that was OMG amazing, but here are a few that were fun…

The Fairyland Series 2-5 by Catherynne M. Valente (Feiwel & Friends, 2012-2015)

I am notoriously awful at finishing book series. I read the first Fairyland book maybe… two years ago? Yikes. Just finished the last one and wow, so fun. Colorful characters, a whimsical narrator, crazy locations, and a whole lot of heart make this Victorian fairytale meets contemporary fantasy a delight to read. 

Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Harcourt, 1956)

Lewis’ contemporary retelling of the Cupid and Pschye myth through the eyes of Psyche’s jealous sister Orual. Second read for me, and even better this time around. Pretty sure this is Lewis’ storytelling at his best.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw (Orbit, 2017)

This was a year to embrace fun, nerdy reads. So there was the Star Trek spoof Redshirts (with a plot twist I totally saw coming... and I am not good at guessing plot twists) and my first trip into the Star Wars extended book universe (or whatever the heck they call it these days) and… this. A story about a doctor for the undead in London, trying to solve the mysteries surrounding a murderous cult and keep her monster friends safe. Not the greatest, but a fun Halloween read. I’ll get to the sequel eventually. (See also: bad at finishing book series.)

Poetry for Everyone 

Another new reading practice this year: always keeping a poetry book on the bedside table. Poetry books are best for leisurely dipping in and out rather than reading cover to cover. If you think poetry is only for the ivory towers, give these writers a try and think again.

A Child's Year by Christopher Yokel (Independent, 2018)

Okay, I’m biased here, but hey! Chris quietly released a new poetry book into the world this fall, and I’m a big fan of Chris AND his poems. A Child’s Year is a season cycle, sort of like his last book A Year in Weetamoo Woods, but this time it’s anchored by a four part poem recalling the journey of seasons through childhood eyes. And according to our friend Kirsten’s 7-year-old son, he gets the experience right. ;) 

The Jubilee by John Blase (Bright Coppers Press, 2017) For his 50th birthday, John Blase released his first poetry book, with a poem for every year of life. It’s rare for me to make it through an entire collection start to finish but these were just so good. There are poems about aging — the author’s and his parents’ — and poems that evoke wide spaces and natural wonder. There are psalms and parables, and meditations on dying and, yes, living. All of them finely tuned with wisdom, gentle grace, and a touch of humor in all the right places. How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson (Dial Books, 2014)

When I heard Marilyn Nelson read her poem “Thirteen-Year-Old American Negro Girl” on the On Being podcast, I was captivated. And when I found this lovely hardcover in a used bookstore back home in Florida, I knew I needed to read more. This is a memoir in poetry about growing up in a black military family during the American Civil Rights era, told with gentle lyricism, warmth, and humor. Plus, the book itself is lovely with whimsical illustrations and family photos.

Comics!

I’m always on a quest to get more comics in my life. Plus knocking out a whole series in a couple weeks is a solid way to pad out your Arbitrary Book Goal.

Amulet 1-7 by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphix, 2008-2016)

After their father’s tragic death, Emily and Navin move with their mom to a strange old house that belonged to their great-grandfather… and so the adventure begins. In this fantasy series, the two kids find themselves in an underground world of demons, robots, talking animals, and a dangerous and powerful Amulet. A captivating and beautifully illustrated fantasy tale. Ms. Marvel 1-5 by G. Willow Wilson (Marvel, 2014-2016)

Y’all, I super want to be a Marvel nerd. But alas, I can't keep up, so I get my sister to loan books to me. Ms. Marvel is my new fave. A Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City has the power to grow, shrink, and stretch her body at will. So she’s trying to fight crime, keep up at school, and well, stay out of trouble with her parents. So fun. (Dear Disney: I really want this kid to show up in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before it gets canceled kthxbye.)

The Legend of Wonder Woman by Ranae De Liz and Ray Dillon (DC Comics, 2016)

Weren’t we all mildly obsessed with Wonder Woman after the 2017 film? Another one I borrowed from my sister. A solid take on Diana’s origin story that’s accessible for comic n00bs (ahem, like me) who can’t figure out where to begin with beautiful art and a lot of heart.

The Classic I Finally Read 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen I always try to tackle either a thick intimidating novel or an unread classic in the wintertime. This year, I worked on my Austen deficiency and discovered I relate a little too much to Elinor Dashwood.

What’s Next?

In the new year, I think my goal is less about numbers and more about reading widely. I liked the 50% women authors goal because it helped me actively choose to support women writers. This year, hoping to read more books by authors of color, explore some new ideas and genres, and hopefully do a better job reading deeply and taking notes. I’ve got my eye on Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge too, perhaps as a way to dig into new things I wouldn’t normally notice. And yeah... perhaps a monthly reading life update is a thing I can do here on the blog. :)

If you’re curious to see the full list of What I Read This Year and follow along with me in 2019, feel free to follow me on Goodreads!

What were some of your favorite reads in 2018? And what are your goals for the new year? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

[daedalusdavinci]

guardians au summary

the guardians au is based off of a weird and cobbled together mess of aus that me and my friends had way back in 2015. its really actually more about exploring the kids lives if theyd gotten the chance to grow up and do all of the things their guardian selves did, and not about like, managing kids. ive always found that massive family aus make things complicated very quickly (especially w shipping), so there are no kids

the whole au centers around abro, whos a director in la. hes not famous, but his movies are infamous in the same way ratatoing is infamous. theyre weird indie films with activist subtext that are JUST edgy enough that sometimes he ends up doing blog interviews that usually end in him rambling for a while unprovoked about how bullshit it is that you cant just eat a real mud pie or something equally not informative or helpful. he grew up in texas with amom, had a really fucking Bad childhood that made both of them codependent as shit, and eventually led to amom leaving for new york to try and pull her life back together. he lived with bro for a long time in the same way that fratbros live together but could also barely be considering living because they gargle mountain dew and leave entire tables on the lawn, but eventually moved to la after making his first movie so he could get better collabs.

the beforan ancestors are sort of a large, complicated, messy friend group. some have known each other since childhood (aradia and sollux) and others met while serving in the military (karkat and eridan), but theyve all sort of just made friends with each others friends in a big mess. theyre spread out across the country, but karkat and sollux (childhood friends who have been dating for a while now) are currently living in california because of solluxs tech job, and eridan is living in la because hes a rich prick (and bc if he cant see karkat for his daily shooshpap hell probably wilt like a rose in nonoptimal soil. theyve been pale for ages).

karkat is working as a nurse, but dave runs into him at some point and decides on the spot that he HAS to have karkat act in one of his movies. which karkat agrees to do without having any idea who dave is and regrets it as soon as he finds out that by acting dave means improving insults while a variety of absurd things go on in the background that karkat has to ignore all of. karkat hates it, and he hates dave.

but not as much as eridan does. because eridans hated this dudes movies FOREVER, with a burning fucking passion, and sends dave rude twitter messages all the fucking time, and when karkat complains about how hes working on set now eridan just about blows a gasket. he HAS to meet the idiot responsible for this shit. and dave agrees to meet him because its funny because of course he does and eridan is SO pitch for him and dave SO doesnt know what that means and it turns into something that makes pigtail pulling look mature with eridan doing stupid obnoxious shit to get daves attention and dave accidentally egging him on just because hes a tool by nature.

eridan and daves messy relationship is the central focus of the whole au, but theres a lot of side plots/relationships going on too, like dave crushing on karkat and sollux at the same time when theyre literally dating each other, daves absolutely insane relationship with dirk and dirks life back in texas pretending to be some normal guy while he and his neighbor narrowly avoid getting kicked out for shenanigans every other week, and daves relationship with rose, who comforts him about his relationship problems by texting him back “lol” like she isnt a crazy cat lady with equally weird books to his movies and like she doesnt reply to all of his photos with “whos that saucy green bitch in the back” because she has a thing for karkats friend kanaya who shes never even met

again i dont know how much ill ever write for this au but its just something that lives in the back of my brain and sometimes i do stuff for it but its so massively messy i feel like i need notes just to explain myself

[jasondean]

i'm sending you the first thing i thought of when i tried to think of an ask to send you. so. here's this cursed thing. heathersstuck.

ohhh my god okay first of all im gonna preemptively apologize for how long this is about to be. 

another disclaimer that this is all gonna be based on my knowledge of the alternia that we see in homestuck itself because i havent gotten super into hiveswap yet. and, as we all know, any good homestuck au is one where the contending canon is thrust into the homestuck universe as opposed to the other way around. so im gonna spare everyone the painful ideation of plucking a small handful from the VAST homestuck cast just to put them into the plot of heathers

im ALSO gonna preface that im thinking about the heathers film while writing this, not the musical. and im not gonna go into anything regarding martha, betty, kurt, or ram because i think focusing on the main cast is enough for right now lol. 

anyway, potential positions in the blood caste system as well as god tier assignments under the cut!  

so ive definitely thought about this on several occasions and ive seen some heatherstuck content where the heathers are trolls right. the thing is, the color symbolism from both media dont line up. and the heathers being drawn to keep their original colors just doesnt work out with the hemospectrum. like no way is heather chandler a red blood or mutant blood (imo itd make sense for jd to have mutant blood). the heathers being red, yellow, and green blooded would just make them a group of lowbloods and that doesnt fit with the power structure depicted in either canon. 

heather chandler would absolutely have fuchsia blood! i couldnt imagine it any other way. duke could maybe get away with being jade blooded because thatd put her in the midblood range but also what does that leave for mcnamara? i dont really have a good answer for that right now but - 

the heathers themselves aside, veronica would actually be pretty well suited for being some kind of blueblood (teal or cerulean maybe?) veronica being blue blooded would put her in a position of enough privilege to be taken under chandlers wing but also not privileged enough to naturally be at the top. 

jd would probably be rust or mutant blooded. but its also fun to consider: purple blood? since those in that blood class are more susceptible to becoming more ..unhinged. however, i personally favor rust or mutant blooded since i am partial to reds and it would help play into his hatred of society.

trolls or not though theyd all be destined for something right? so im gonna move onto potential god tiers. 

now this is where my laptop cut out so most of the classpect analyses themselves come with help fom http://dahniwitchoflight.tumblr.com

im imagining veronica as a rogue of space. first of all, space players are CRUCIAL to a session as one of the cardinal aspects (space & time making up the fabric of paradox space). its been said by calliope that space can be a passive aspect that holds great power, “hosting the stage before suddenly in some way ‘showing who the master truly is’” and then collapsing in on itself. space players are essential to sessions because it falls on them to light the forge which is necessary for the process of ultimate alchemy (creating the next universe) - and that aside, the idea of veronica collecting and breeding frogs is incredibly cute to me. 

“Those bound to the aspect of Space are, as the name suggests, concerned with the big picture. They are patient, masters of the art of ‘wait-and-see’, and are inclined to take things as they come. That isn’t to say that they’re pushovers or willing to let injustice lie-they just choose their battles wisely, understanding that sometimes you have to let something burn to the ground in order to build it back better and stronger than before. To this effect, they tend to be innovators, concerned with creation and redemption. Catch them recycling the old to make the new, the fresh, and the beautiful. For the Space-bound, the journey is as, if not more, important than the destination; how they do something is as important as what they do. At their best, they are steady, impartial, and creative. At their worst, they can be detached, apathetic, and vague.”    – this description of space players comes from the extended zodiac quiz itself 

rogues invite theft through their aspect or theft of their aspect. they have problems coping with their aspect or their supposed lack of it, they think that they cant handle it which causes them to give it up too easily. the challenge rogues face is to come to terms with their aspect and own it. 

heres a bit on rogues of space specifically: “They might have a tendency to quickly change the subject into others things or cover their interests up to distract from what they perceive to be their failed creations. They may feel uncomfortable with the thought that everything is random and meaningless in the universe, or that it is what you make of it, because they often think they don’t know what to make of it. They may feel lonely at times and feel like they have too much Space to themselves, wanting to fill it up with other people and things. They might lower their standards to the point that they give up their personal Space to someone not worthy enough, just so they won’t feel alone.On the flip side they might feel like they have too much stuff, maybe because they invite others to use up their Space, giving it away too readily, lamenting their lack of impatience with others, or the ability to say no to people. […] a Rogue’s challenge is to learn to be comfortable with their Aspect, and allow the healthy parts of it to enter their lives. They must learn to be okay with what they have right now, that they have it within themselves to change things and make them better. They don’t have to give up so easily.”

jd seems like hed obviously be a prince of doom and this feels self explanatory but. princes are described as being stubborn and pessimistic and they actively destroy using their class / destroy through their class. a princes challenge is to not end up destroying themselves along the way. doom aspect because not only does it pretty much encompass chaos, but the symbol (and the aspect itself has been speculated to be) pretty clearly draws from The Tumor which is. a giant fucking bomb essentially. another fun tidbit about doom players is that they are DEATH MAGNETS they die a LOT and its theorized that for this reason sburb has a sort of game mechanic in place to help balance that out by granting doom players multiple dream selves. i just think itd be really fun to see a sburb session where jd (maybe) cant be kept down by dying. doom is also associated with judgement and sacrifice, and have been said to be “fates chosen sufferers.” “doom players are wise, kind, and non judgmental at their best and bitter, resentful, and fatalistic at their worst.” 

and while i definitely think the doom class is fitting for jd im stuck between prince and bard? bards are the embodiment of the “wild card”. they allow destruction through their aspect / invite destruction through their aspect and their challenge is to not be ruled by the whims of their aspect. and im just now thinking that while this does make sense in its own way, princes and bards are active / passive opposites and i cant really imagine jd being the more laid back of the two. hes just too extra, lol. although i love the idea of jd being in that ridiculous bard getup 

heres some insight to princes of doom: “A Prince of Doom unapologetically pushes people way past their own limits. They are truly passionate, even almost crazy activists. They hate being told no or that they can’t do something, but are more likely to simply destroy or kill the person who said no then prove them otherwise. Depending on what kind of situation or session they find themselves in, and whether or not what they do is really needed at the moment, they can be heaven sent saviors, freeing people from what binds them, or terrifying dictators, ruling over people and enforcing their will wherever they want, letting nothing and no one limit what they do. […] They likely use Bombs and Fire as their main weapons. They have a lot of potential to go down a very destructive or even evil path if they use their powers irresponsibly, but not every Prince of Doom is automatically evil or will Doom their session.“

heather chandler i can definitely see being a witch of rage. witches manipulate using their aspect or manipulate their aspect directly and their challenge is to use their rule breaking powers in a morally conscious way. 

heres some info about witches of rage: “You don’t tell a Witch of Rage anything, they tell you. Anything you have to say they can Reject with Doubt, Negativity and Skepticism and be like ‘No you’re wrong, it’s actually this way.’ They manipulate fear, mistrust and anger, either lowering it or making you believe it’s not all that bad, even if it is. Or they can amplify it, making you paranoid and afraid of even mundane things. […] They can be ‘loose cannons’ and this can be good or bad, depending on how good you are on getting them on your side and keeping them there. Their entire moral challenge lies in the choice between using their powers on their allies or their enemies, like most witches.”  

heather duke would likely be a maid of mind. a maid creates with their aspect / creates their aspect, and a maids challenge is to rely on themself for their aspect. this absolutely isnt to say that duke cannot think for herself at the beginning of the story by any means.

here’s a bit about maids of mind: “At first they tend to defer to the decisions of the group rather than be a part of them and are more focused on watching and waiting and seeing how other people make decisions. […] When a Maid of Mind starts rising to their challenge, they start deciding for themselves what roles they need to play and when. […] They may just have an apathetic and indifferent personality in general. They start letting their thoughts and decision be known and have an effect instead of just referring to others and blending in.” 

and finally heather mcnamara would probably be a page of heart. (i had a hard time coming up with a god tier for her since, if im being honest, shes not a character i pay much attention to.) pages invite exploitation of their aspect / invite exploitation through their aspect. they start with a deficit in their aspect that they overcome through (obvious) overcompensation. their challenge is to keep at things, even if they fail or the journey is slow, to become stronger in the end. 

bit about pages of heart: “They can be very over dramatic in their emotional displays, blowing up every little thing completely out of proportion and giving disproportionate emotional responses to almost everything. […] They can be easily exploited through all of this by other people who either take advantage of the Page’s emotions and empathy, or take advantage of the Page’s obsessions and desires, using it against them. […] When they rise up to their challenge, they start learning to be more balanced and sincere with their emotions, their affections, and with themselves. They learn how to be passionate, sincere and truly honest with themselves and others.”

and all of this is just SOME of the possibilities of what could happen in a homestuck heathers au. would they all be in the same session? would they all be trolls? would the heathers & veronica be in their own session and jd be in his own session that ends up intertwining together? theres literally SO MANY possibilities when it comes to homestuck aus and i love that shit. 

now that ive spent so much time speculating all this its time to deposit myself directly into the dumpster 

[blueincandescence]

A Non-Toxic Reading of TLJ

http://scavengersholocron.com/category/home/why-the-last-jedi-isnt-just-bad-its-toxic/

This article — “Why The Last Jedi isn’t just Bad: It’s Toxic” — is going around tumblr as the best compilation of TLJ’s faults. I read it eagerly, hoping to understand what I missed. It’s a very thoughtful read and it made me think a lot about my assumptions. 

I still feel that there is a valid non-toxic reading of TLJ, because the arguments are predicated on two beliefs that I simply don’t share.

1) Kylo Ren is portrayed as sympathetic.

I never felt that. Fuck Kylo Ren. He gets a deeper backstory. Luke isn’t perfect. It’s more complicated. Blah, blah. In the end, he isn’t redeemed; his redemption is shown to be a lost cause.

From the article:

In other words, there’s nothing relatable when you think about a wealthy white male growing up sure of his place in the world and deciding to leave it all behind to join a fascist organization.

Exactly! That’s what the movie shows.

So the argument is that Johnson says that Kylo “is relatable because of his angst.” And, yeah, that piece may be somewhat relatable to some people. I find it insufferable and I’ve been rolling my eyes at this trash character from day one. But he’s a perfect example of millennial fascism. Kylo Ren is the living embodiment of, “Cool story, bro. It’s still murder.”

But wait, wouldn’t that mean that Rey’s entire role in the movie basically focused on developing Kylo Ren as a character? It does, and you wouldn’t be wrong to think that way.

I was pretty checked out during the Rey/Ren scenes and was really hoping they would go nowhere. Which they did! Rey does the Luke Skywalker thing of trying to save the villain but the villain doesn’t want to be saved because he is the worst so she leaves him to his fate. Subverted!

The Kylo Ren I watched on screen is not sympathetic. He’s pathetic. Will that stop shippers from glorifying him? No, but Rey rejects Kylo’s millennial fascism our-version-of-Nazisim-is-different-we’ll-be-benevolent-violent-dictators bullshit outright, so they’re still stuck in la la land.

2) That characters have to be perfect for us to love them.

They don’t! Heroes are fallible! NO ONE IS PERFECT. We all have lessons to learn. The good guys in this movie learn their lessons and become more admirable. The bad guys (spoiler! Kylo Ren) do not learn their lesson and doom themselves. 

Finn:

Again, from the article:

Until The Last Jedi where Finn is again painted as selfish and cowardly, and the film does not shy away from this fact.

Here’s some meta I wrote about Finn’s arc in TLJ. Finn’s arc isn’t that he’s a coward who becomes brave. It’s that he’s mistrustful of causes. Why on earth should he put his life on the line for the Resistance? Finn sees the world as morally gray. He tries to leave in TFA because he wants to live and, after all the terrible things he’s been through, he deserves it. His arc is about coming to terms with his identity as “rebel scum.”

Not to mention, it’s Rose who ultimately has to teach Finn about the seedy belly of Canto Bight and how it operates: through slave labor. Another character shouldn’t have to explain to Finn, of all characters, the tortures and ills of slavery. After all, that’s the only life Finn’s known, taken as his family and raised in a life of servitude as a Stormtrooper to the First Order.

Rose doesn’t teach Finn about the horrors of slavery. She prompts him to see it under the glitz and glamour of a freedom he’s never gotten to enjoy. The instant Finn realizes that slavery and torture are behind Canto Bright he rejects the whole place. Precisely because he doesn’t need to be taught that. His experience of slavery is much more stark and, well, fascist than Rose’s. But he never tries to deny that they’re equally bad. 

Finn is tempted by the gray side. But Benecio’s character snaps him out of that funk right quick. He takes his place as a leader of the Resistance. Destiny doesn’t tell him he has to be. No one passes on the mantle. He figures out what his morality is and makes a stand. That’s heroic!

Poe:

Painting him as a cocky flyboy with a chip on his shoulder just doesn’t work when it goes against everything we’ve been told about his character. The “lesson” Poe was supposed to learn was one he already knew.

What do we learn about Poe in TFA? He’s the best and he has the ear of General Leia. The rest is fanon and outside texts that a fraction of the audience have read. Poe is reckless in the way that action movies reward all male heroes for being. 

I didn’t feel less sympathetic toward Poe because of this. The whole plot is predicated on the idea that the audience will be on Poe’s side and mistrust Holdo. Poe is the character we care about, so it’s a surprise to learn that he can be wrong. In that way, “the action-oriented hero saves the day” trope is deconstructed.

Is it done well? Eh. The Holdo plot was contrived. There needed to be a better reason to keep the info secret — some stuff about spies or whatever, fine. Make an effort. But Holdo’s mistake makes us more sympathetic to Poe, even though he’s wrong his heart was in the right place. 

That’s precisely why he is rewarded in the end with command of the entire Resistance from General Leia herself. He’s learned that the best strategy for the Resistance is not the one that does the most damage to the First Order — the Resistance protects its people whenever humanly possible.

This is the feminist (in the philosophical sense; not the guy vs. girl bullshit) identity of the resistance that sets it apart from the masculine military-industrial complex the film abhors: Life is sacred. But, as we learn through Finn’s arc, choosing to put your life on the line is a heroic act. And thus we have balance. Finn and Poe make some mistakes along the way, but they end up exactly where they should be: The Leaders of the Resistance.

Rose:

Despite Kelly Marie Tran’s boundless enthusiasm for her role, Rose Tico is ultimately underwhelming as a character. Despite mourning the death of her sister, her ultimate presence in the film seemed to be reduced to a girl with a bad crush on Finn.

No!!!!!! Rose is fabulous. Rose stands up for herself at all times. Rose goes from hero worship to taser in ten seconds flat. And yes tasering a black man is in horrible taste given the world we live in. What standing up to Finn demonstrates about her character is that she’s representative of Ride or Die Resistance. She knows the world and its horrors. She mourns her sister but she’s proud as hell. She understands she’s only a tech but when she has expertise in something she doesn’t let the two most famous men in the Resistance talk over her.

Her crush on Finn is active. When Finn disappoints her, her conception of him changes. When Finn amazes her, her feelings take root. She does something about her crush. She saves his life. She kisses him. Rey is no longer the center of Finn’s universe. His capacity care grows and he grows, too. He still feels for Rey, sure, but Rose Tico is amazing and he knows it and the audience knows it.

...

All that said.

I will acknowledge that it is entirely possible I’m giving the movie too much credit. Maybe I'm willfully interpreting things not as they were meant, but as I would like them to be.

But isn’t that how fiction works?

I’m not saying TLJ is a perfect film or I wouldn’t have wanted less Kylo (please, lord, give me less Kylo). I would never say that other people’s interpretation of the film’s racism and misogyny is wrong. I’m going to continue to read articles on this topic and educate myself and try to grow in my understanding.

But is it wrong to celebrate the message I left the theater with if I can point to concrete moments and ways I read it as progressive? Is it wrong for me to love these characters and see the best in their arcs?

[nerdandabook]

Logan Review (spoilers)

I want to do something interesting with this blog, and while it will predominantly be book related I do want to spread out to other types of media as well. So with that in mind I am presenting my review of Logan, the last outing of Hugh Jackman as the (seemingly) immortal Wolverine.

The movie starts off in 2029 to there being no more mutants being born. Apparently that evolutionary branch has finally snapped and were left with the stragglers of a dying race. Enter Logan, also known as wolverine, our “hero” who is found in the company of an aging and mentally ill Professor X and a young, silent girl who seems to have the same abilities as Logan. They are being chased by a government agency that created the girl named Laura using Logan’s DNA and trained her to be just as vicious as he was in his prime. Together they search for someplace safe from their potential captors.

I was hit by a wave of sadness as all the characters started to make their appearances. You are hit very quickly with the knowledge that these are physically old characters, even Logan is pushing 400 years at this point in time and he definitely feels it. He has a limp, his claws dont extend as easily as they used to and he just is generally tired. He is shot a few times early on and while he can still shake off the hits, you see it taking the better part of an hour for him to fully heal from the trauma. Professor X isnt much better, at this point he is suffering from a degenerative brain disease which for a person like him means that without knowledge or even really trying he can kill everyone around him within a mile radius. As such they must keep him constantly drugged to dampen his abilities and keep him calm. Two of quite literally the most powerful beings on the planet are reduced to a state that most people wouldnt want to keep living in and it only gets worse from there. In fact we find out that Logan is carrying around an adamantium bullet so that if he wanted to, he could end his life.  This can be considered a small spoiler but not really much of a surprise so Im comfortable saying it here, the reason Logan is so worn down and dying is because of the adamantium in his body. After so long it is poisoning his body and again causing it to deteriorate faster than he can heal himself. Another thing I was not ready for was the language in the film. When I popped the film in I forgot that it was an R rating. The first time he drops a serious F bomb I was very taken aback and for some reason i never really got used to it. Something about these characters that have been around since my childhood suddenly not holding back shocked me. That being said if Logan acting so catches you off guard, hearing Charles dropping F bombs will really send you reeling. Im not one to be sensitive to profanity but it felt a little like they were given free reign of it and because of that over used it a little bit. Just my opinions.

MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING!!! PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE PLOT OF THE FILM!! 

So Logan, Charles and Laura are on the run from an agency that uses Mutant DNA to create soldiers similar to what the weapon X program did to Logan.... because it is the weapon X program helmed by Stryker’s son and doing the exact same thing (sans the horrible deadpool attempt like in “The Wolverine”, at least he learned from his fathers mistakes.) Turns out he has made X-23 who again is technically Logan’s daughter and X-24 who is an exact clone of Logan except subservient to Stryker’s wishes. After a fight that leaves wolverine injured, a family and Charles DEAD and Laura desperate to reach her friends (the other kids in the weapon X program) wolverine caves and agrees to bring her to them and they can head to Canada where they hope they can be safe. A lot of stuff happens but in the end of course they beat the bad guy, Laura uses Logan’s adamantium bullet to kill X-24 but the fight has left wolverine mortally wounded and as he finally begins to understand what it’s like to have someone who cares for him and he care for them in return, he passes away leaving Laura alone to grieve over his body. 

All in all this was all this was a great movie and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a great close to two very endearing characters while introducing a few new ones to carry on the legacy. As I said in the beginning, mutants are no longer being born so the result of the new weapon X program is a new generation of mutants to carry on into the future. I felt that Charles’s death was too sudden, it was something they could have given a little more time to seeing as how this is one of the most important characters in the entire series, but alas it served its purpose and gave him a proper send off. Logan’s death was not unexpected but nontheless upsetting as he finally finds a bit of happiness and a family that he never really allowed himself to have and just like that it’s taken away from him and even sadder, Laura. I’m excited to see where the franchise will go in the future, however it will never be the same without these two. I believe next up is the Dark Pheonix story which should be interesting.... I’ll see you all again forthwith!

I truly appreciate you if you’ve made it this far as this is the first movie review I’ve ever done. It will take me some time to get fully accustomed to it and I do want to do the best I can with these. So if you’ve made it this far I truly appreciate you and I hope you’ll check in again next time... Till then...

Nautilus, 

Suravye ninto manshima taishite