#rip kong studios you will be missed

[itsjustloudy]

Pov: you're Kong studios and Murdoc needs money to sail to a shitty plastic island in the middle of nowhere

[cringywhitedragon]

Reshi’s worst gaming moments of 2023

Warning: This does contain some curse words and some mild ranting but is generally just for me expressing some of the worst fails that I find personally in the gaming industry this year. Tread carefully if you don’t want to read.

It’s that time of the year again folks, and you know what that means….

It’s time that many of us begin wrapping up this year, and in some cases, discussing some of what I feel are some of the worst gaming related moments of this year.

And while this year did have some wonderful game releases, there was also a lot of chaos, dumpster fires, and quite a few RIPs this year.

Please note: for this “list”, I will not be discussing drama regarding YouTubers, streamers, and/or gaming critics/reviewers unless it has a direct tie to a game or the industry itself/and or the drama was large enough to be considered problematic (IE: The Hogwarts Legacy harassment from certain less than stellar members of the internet community on streamers from last year which I did cover and shame in my last Worst of Gaming in 2022) so no Zero Punctuation.

But anyways, let’s get this dumpster fire a rolling shall we?

Two big Oofs, So long E3 and Volition. You will be missed.

We all know reboots and or remakes. Almost every major franchise gets them at some point… Aaaaand many of those tend to be a hit or a miss.

For one, you may have one that is a massive success such as the FF7 remake and or perhaps a middle-ground like that of Maverick Hunter X that really doesn’t do anything and just gets ignored. Or on the other and most likely hand, you have a reboot that absolutely ruins everything about what we all loved about the original, disembowel everything we loved about the original, and spit it back at us to less than positive reception.

It happened with DMC which thankfully recovered. But what happens when executive meddling that ends up killing a studio.

Then you’ve got the Saints Row “Remake” from last year which sadly ended up killing the studio all because Deep Silver decided to force the dev team to change things away from the original idea.

And in other news, it turns out that after nearly 20 years that E3 is finally kicking the bucket. There’s a number of reasons from the pandemic to the whole gaming companies following Nintendo with the Direct format and while I’m sad to see it go, I had a feeling that it wasn’t likely going to last long after 2020

RIP E3 and Voltion, you will be missed. And f*** you Deep Silver for ruining a franchise.

Oh blizzard…. Blizzard… blizzard… (And Microsoft. Keep your hands to yourself, we’re not here to make Xbox exclusive here.)

We all know about this and thank fuck it seems to be dying down after the big M bought them out. It was a mess.

But don’t think Microsoft is off the hook. Some documents did reveal that the company did show an interest in possibly trying to buy out a certain group of game studios from Japan which I doubt would go well with by fans of some of these company’s franchises. Capcom told them to screw off, Nintendo I highly doubt would let them, and Sega?

….

*no comment*

MS, as much as I love your computers because MACSrPOO, leave the little guys in the market alone. We don’t need any more franchises going exclusive to your console. You had your cookie with Activison-Blizzard, now keep your hand out of the cookie jar.

Kong and Gollum exist…

Runners up for worst games of the year since this wouldn’t be a list without them. They fit the bill, they’re buggy, they’re glitchy, they were rushed and look like a low budget PS3 game (and one killed its studio after release and LoTR fans were not happy)

Also strangely Gollum released recently on Switch in Japan of all places and world-wide is still TBA (I thought that was kinda funny)

Starfield: “Dead” space filled with humans and pronoun dramas

Another we all saw coming. Starfield is a clusterfuck like a lot of Bethesda games but at least it’s playable unlike a certain fallout game a few years ago.

Most people find it boring and personally I’m only a tiny bit frustrated that I’m forced to play as a human and don’t have the option to play as another species as another space-sandbox allows you to do *cough cough* Starbound *cough cough*.

Also there was a whole drama over freaking pronouns and nexus removing a mod that got rid of them. Personally I don’t give a flip-flop and this whole drama since it was all stupid. I mean it’s fine if you don’t like pronouns or you do, and I'm fine with ppl modding a game and whatnot freely but please be civil about it.

Unity from unity’s redonculus fees

The indie scene is pissed and I understand why. Hey unity, spare the little guys and actually focus on the actual garbage *cough cough* asset flips using your engine

Insomniac got hacked: It was worse than the rockstar hack

Leaks happen all the time but hacks are a different thing which really sucks for companies as we saw only a few days of posting this.

Please do not go out looking for any content of this hack since this was done by a ransomeware group and out of respect for the devs.

Komani fracking up silent hill

Ah yes, the EA/Blizzard-Activison of the East and another fail. So we got a P2I (influence) television show and some more stuff I’m not sure off

EA officially bypasses Overwatch 2 (another disaster) with its annual sports release

Overwatch 2 is a big ripoff but it’s funny to see that it got bypassed by a buggy ass EA Sports game on Steam in terms of ratings

[sodone-withlife]

i know who i am

summary: really, he never saw himself ever willingly letting anyone in on his broken past, but here he was, sitting in across from Waipo in the tiny cramped office at the back of the shop and nervously sweating about what he was about to tell her

read it on ao3: chapter 1 is the original version with Mandarin, chapter 2 has everything translated into English

the movie really hit me hard as an ABC, and I really wanted to write something for it. even though she barely had any screentime, I loved Waipo—she reminds me of so many of my relatives—so I decided to make her be one of the most important people in Shangqi’s life, and it turned into this wonderful mess (i had to stop writing this for a bit because I literally made myself cry). there is mandarin in this, it's kind of intended to be a physical manifestation of how my bilingual brain works (i did put the English-only version first, the original version with Mandarin is under that one but the formatting for it one is better on ao3, so i suggest reading it from there). apologies for my shitty mandarin; I have mediocre language skills, but I'm still so excited to be able to incorporate it in my writing. in regards to the character's names: I only know for certain the Chinese characters used for Shangqi and Wenwu, but for Xialing, I'm going to go with what it apparently was in the hong kong release (夏灵, with 灵灵 as the nickname)

English Translation:

“Waipo, do you have a bit of time?” Shangqi stood in front of Katy’s grandma, fidgeting nervously as fluent Mandarin rolled off of his tongue with an ease he's never felt in any other part of his life. “I want to talk to you about something."

She pinned him with a knowing stare. “Does it have anything to do with the trip you and Katy went on this past week?" she asked, Not waiting for his answer, she got up from the shop register and beckoned him into the back office. Feeling oddly like the first time he came into the store years ago as a teen—when he first met Katy’s family who had since taken him under their wing—he followed her into the familiar, cramped space.

He wasn’t exactly sure what within him prompted this interaction. He had come to San Francisco for a normal life, to get as far away from his father’s reaches as he could and to outrun the blood that stained his footsteps.

Never did Shangqi imagine that he would end up claiming the ancient rings that now sat in a heavy-duty (thanks to Xialing, with whom he now keeps in regular contact because of the promise they made to each other before he left the compound because he already left her behind once, and he’s never doing it again damn, my baby sister is running the Ten Rings now, and she’s trying to turn it into something better) and a very well-disguised (thanks to the sorcerers in the New York Sanctum and holy shit he’s in contact with famous superheroes now) back in his mess of a studio apartment.

Never did he imagine letting anyone in on his broken past, and even though his hand had been forced when it came to telling Katy, here he was going to the second person who truly saw something in him when he first started his new life and planning to tell them everything.

(Okay, fine, Shangqi wasn’t actually planning on letting anyone else in on it after telling Waipo, not even the rest of Katy’s family, but he really didn’t want them to be so involved yet—he still had no idea what he himself was doing and he wants to preserve what normalcy he can.)

(Also, he’s been reliably informed that anyone close to a public figure is bound to be targeted for attacks—which he figured out when the mercenaries attacked on the bus because yes, Lingling, he does have brain cells thank you very much.)

“Little Dragon, what’s on your mind?”

Little Dragon.

He started at the nickname, the one originally given to him by his mother. Somehow, it had completely slipped his mind that Waipo also called him that, starting a few weeks after he first met the Chen family. He barely kept it together, the long-unused nickname dredging up memories he had thought left him forever.

You have the heart of a dragon, she had declared firmly when he asked her why she decided on that particular nickname.

(That was exactly what his mother had told him right before she died, and yet he stood by, hidden behind a door, and did nothing while the men beat and killed her, the heart of the family.)

(He would carry the guilt with him for a lifetime.)

It was a while before he could bring himself to visit the family again—there were a lot of awkward excuses before Katy reluctantly backed off—and it took even longer for him to get somewhat used to the name again, but he eventually started seeing it as a gift with each faint impression of happier days that he got every time Waipo called him that.

Old, weathered hands gently covered his own, which were shaking and clammy with nervousness. Shangqi wondered how Waipo would react to the darker side of the lost boy she had basically adopted all those years ago, wondered if the legends of Ta-Lo and the Great Protector were known outside of the rather insular communities that continued to tell the stories, wondered if she had heard about his father through the stories that were passed down for thousands of years, from generation to generation…

(It can’t be wrong to miss him, can it? Even with the years of hell Wenwu had put him through, he was still his father. Shangqi still faintly remembered the man his father had been when his mother was still alive, the happy times they shared as a normal family…)

(But those times were long gone, ripped from their grasp by the past Wenwu wanted so badly to leave behind. Grief had shattered the whole family, and it ultimately led to the children fighting the father who had been driven to near madness in his denial, in his quest to put his broken family back together again.)

Mom, I miss you so much.

(And now Wenwu is dead, just like his beloved wife.)

(But just as she died to protect her children, he did the same. Now, his children are reunited and in contact again, getting ever closer despite living as far apart as they did, and he was reunited with his love in the afterlife.)

Finally, he straightened his posture and took a deep breath, looking directly at Waipo, who he’d come to view as the grandmother he never had.

“Waipo, have you heard of the legend of the Ten Rings?”

And Shangqi told her everything.

He told her everything and more,

She listened.

She listened as he described the legends behind the Ten Rings, Ta-Lo, and the Great Protector; his father’s history; his own history, from witnessing his mother’s death to ripping open the throat of the man who killed her when he was barely a teen, from leaving Lingling behind to seeing her again in the fight club she built from the ground up, from returning to the compound after a decade away in San Francisco to the battle in Ta-Lo…

Finally, he fell silent and stared at his hands but it wasn’t long before Waipo moved, slowly standing up with one hand on her cane. He made to help stabilize her but was quickly waved off with a stern look. He sank back into the chair and felt her move behind him. The shaky weight of her hands on his shoulders as she gently pressed down and straightened his posture was familiar, even after years of not having his posture deliberately—so gently—fixed like that every time he saw Waipo.

“You are the legacy of all who came before you, but you are your own person.” she finally said gently, and the tension in his shoulders slowly loosened under her familiar touch. “You decide your own fate.”

~~~

That night, Shangqi knelt before the altar he had in his apartment, the only part that was carefully maintained in all the years he had lived there. But now, two smiling faces stared back at him, a joy reflected in their eyes that he knew would disappear in less than ten years after the photo was taken.

Am I still your pride and joy? Lingling grew up, but I didn’t even take care of her like I should have.

I swear to you, I will never abandon her again

Even as his life got even more unbelievable as the years went by, the altar and his copy of his parent’s wedding photo would remain a constant. He and Lingling dove deeper into their family history—of the Ten Rings, of Ta-Lo, of both the good and bad—and both worked to carry on their parents’ legacy.

(With all of the proper discretion agreements and threats when needed, of course.)

Lingling is dating my best friend now, and they’re so happy together. Mom, I know you would have loved Katy. Dad, I know you didn’t like her much, but she really is a wonderful person.

Life went on.

There were the good days, when he went out with others and could almost feel normal, and there were the bad days, when phantoms pains plagued him and he woke up from a restless sleep expecting to see bruises mottling his body like they did so often when he was younger.

(Also, he was considered a superhero now and holy shit that’s still insane, even years after he first got in contact with the Avengers and the sorcerers in New York. Now he was going all over the West Coast, to help the locals take care of whichever crazy supervillain decided to wreak havoc that day.)

Dad, I hope you find this story as funny as I did: I helped a group of American superheroes yesterday. They’ve never been to San Francisco before and were extremely unfamiliar with the roads, especially Lombard Street. They spent half an hour trying to drive down the street, but I ended up driving them down myself.

(San Francisco was still home, and he had found a life there with all his friends and Xialing whenever she visited. He had a job now, too, at the local youth center teaching martial arts and self-defense, teaching and guiding the youth in a way he wishes his father had with him.)

People came into his life; some stayed, some left, and some even got together.

Mom, Dad, Lingling and Katy are getting married today and everyone is so excited for them. I’m taking over the Ten Ring within a month so Lingling can take a break. She’s led the organization for so long, it’s my responsibility now. I hope I can live up to her standards, she’s done really well. She’ll be back in a few years, but even after, I’m going to be much more involved to lessen Lingling’s workload.

Shangqi walked the path knowing who came before him and who was still with him.

Most importantly, he walked the path knowing who he was—demons, flaws, strengths, and all.

Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I’ll take care of them.

I hope you’re happy together in the afterlife.

~~~

Don’t be afraid, Shang-Chi, for you have heart of a dragon and the power of the Ten Rings.

We will always be with you and Xialing.

Original Version w/Mandarin

“外婆，您有没有一点儿时间？” 尚气 stood in front of Katy’s grandma, fidgeting nervously. “我想告诉您一些事情。”

She pinned him with a knowing stare. “是不是跟你和瑞雯这前个星期去的旅行有关？” Not waiting for his answer, she got up from the shop register and beckoned him into the back office. Feeling oddly like the first time he came into the store years ago as a teen—when he first met Katy’s family who had since taken him under their wing—he followed her into the familiar, cramped space.

He wasn’t exactly sure what within him prompted this interaction. He had come to San Francisco for a normal life, to get as far away from his father’s reaches as he could and to outrun the blood that stained his footsteps.

Never did 尚气 imagine that he would end up claiming the ancient rings that now sat in a heavy-duty (thanks to 夏灵, with whom he now keeps in regular contact because of the promise they made to each other before he left the compound because he already left her behind once, and he’s never doing it again and damn, my baby sister is running the Ten Rings now, and she’s trying to turn it into something better) and a very well-disguised (thanks to the sorcerers in the New York Sanctum and holy shit he’s in contact with famous superheroes now) back in his mess of a studio apartment.

Never did he imagine letting anyone in on his broken past, and even though his hand had been forced when it came to telling Katy, here he was going to the second person who truly saw something in him when he first started his new life and planning to tell them everything.

(Okay, fine, 尚气 wasn’t actually planning on letting anyone else in on it after telling 外婆, not even the rest of Katy’s family, but he really didn’t want them to be so involved yet—he still had no idea what he himself was doing and he wants to preserve what normalcy he can.)

(Also, he’s been reliably informed that anyone close to a public figure is bound to be targeted for attacks—which he figured out when the mercenaries attacked on the bus because yes, 灵灵, he does have brain cells thank you very much.)

“小龙，你有什么心事儿？”

Little Dragon.

He started at the nickname, the one originally given to him by his mother. Somehow, it had completely slipped his mind that 外婆 also called him that, starting a few weeks after he first met the Chen family. He barely kept it together, the long-unused nickname dredging up memories he had thought left him forever.

你有神龙之心 ，she had declared firmly when he asked her why she decided on that particular nickname. You have the heart of a dragon.

(That was exactly what his mother had told him right before she died, and yet he stood by, hidden behind a door, and did nothing while the men beat and killed her, the heart of the family.)

(He would carry the guilt with him for a lifetime.)

It was a while before he could bring himself to visit the family again—there were a lot of awkward excuses before Katy reluctantly backed off—and it took even longer for him to get somewhat used to the name again, but he eventually started seeing it as a gift with each faint impression of happier days that he got every time 外婆 called him that.

Old, weathered hands gently covered his own, which were shaking and clammy with nervousness. 尚气 wondered how 外婆 would react to the darker side of the lost boy she had basically adopted all those years ago, wondered if the legends of Ta-Lo and the Great Protector were known outside of the rather insular communities that continued to tell the stories, wondered if she had heard about his father through the stories that were passed down for thousands of years, from generation to generation…

(It can’t be wrong to miss him, can it? Even with the years of hell 文武 had put him through, he was still his father. 尚气 still faintly remembered the man his father had been when his mother was still alive, the happy times they shared as a normal family…)

(But those times were long gone, ripped from their grasp by the past 文武 wanted so badly to leave behind. Grief had shattered whole family, and it ultimately led to the children fighting the father who had been driven to near madness in his denial, in his quest to put his broken family back together again.)

妈妈，我太想你了。

(And now 文武 is dead, just like his beloved wife.)

(But just as she died to protect her children, he did the same. Now, his children are reunited and in contact again, getting ever closer despite living as far apart as they did, and he was reunited with his love in the afterlife.)

Finally, he straightened his posture and took a deep breath, looking directly at 外婆, who he’d come to view as the grandmother he never had.

“外婆，您听说过 ‘十环’ 的传说吗？”

And 尚气 told her everything.

He told her everything and more,

She listened.

She listened as he described the legends behind the Ten Rings, Ta-Lo, and the Great Protector; his father’s history; his own history, from witnessing his mother’s death to ripping open the throat of the man who killed her when he was barely a teen, from leaving 灵灵 behind to seeing her again in the fight club she built from the ground up, from returning to the compound after a decade away in San Francisco to the battle in Ta-Lo…

Finally, he fell silent and stared at his hands but it wasn’t long before 外婆 moved, slowly standing up with one hand on her cane. He made to help stabilize her but was quickly waved off with a stern look. He sank back into the chair and felt her move behind him. The shaky weight of her hands on his shoulders as she gently pressed down and straightened his posture was familiar, even after years of not having his posture deliberately—so gently—fixed like that every time he saw 外婆.

“你是所有在你之前的人的遗产，但你是你自己的人，” she finally said，“你决定你自己的命运。”

You are the legacy of all who came before you, but you are your own person. You decide your own fate.

~~~

That night, 尚气 knelt before the altar he had in his apartment, the only part that was carefully maintained in all the years he had lived there. But now, two smiling faces stared back at him, a joy reflected in their eyes that he knew would disappear in less than ten years after the photo was taken.

我还是你的骄傲吗？灵灵长大了，但我也没好好照顾她。

我向你发誓，我再也不会抛弃她。

Even as his life got even more unbelievable as the years went by, the altar and his copy of his parent’s wedding photo would remain a constant. He and 灵灵 dove deeper into their family history—of the Ten Rings, of Ta-Lo, of both the good and bad—and both worked to carry on their family’s legacy.

(With all of the proper discretion agreements and threats when needed, of course.)

灵灵跟我朋友最近开始谈恋爱，他们俩可开心了。妈，如果你还在我们身边，我保证你会喜欢她。爸，我知道你一开始不太喜欢她，但她确实是一位精彩的人。

Life went on.

There were the good days, when he went out with others and could almost feel normal, and there were the bad days, when phantoms pains plagued him and he woke up from a restless sleep expecting to see bruises mottling his body like they did so often when he was younger.

(Also, he was considered a superhero now and holy shit that’s still insane, even years after he first got in contact with the Avengers and the sorcerers in New York. Now he was going all over the West Coast, to help the locals take care of whichever crazy supervillain decided to wreak havoc that day.)

爸爸，我希望你跟我一样觉得这个故事很好笑：我昨天帮了一组美国超级英雄开车。那是他们第一次来旧京山，对道路非常陌生—尤其是 Lombard Street。他们开也开不好，花了半个小时慢慢的开下去。最终，我把他们的车开下去的。

(San Francisco was still home, and he had found a life there with all his friends and 夏灵 whenever she visited. He had a job now, too, at the local youth center teaching martial arts and self-defense, teaching and guiding the youth in a way he wishes his father had with him.)

People came into his life; some stayed, some left, and some even got together.

妈，爸，灵灵她今天会跟我最好的朋友结婚，我们都很兴奋。我一个月之内开始接管十环的业务，让灵灵休息休息。她干了多少年了，现在是我的责任。我希望我能辜负她，她管的非常棒，帮了许多人。她几年后会回来继续当领导，但我好像在领导方面发挥更大的作用。

He walked the path knowing who came before him and who was still with him.

Most importantly, he walked the path knowing who he was—demons, flaws, strengths, and all.

妈，爸，你们放心吧，我会照顾他们。

我希望你们俩来世都幸福。

~~~

尚气，你别怕，你有神龙之心，十环的力量。

我们永远会在你和灵灵的身边。

[phanta-friends]

episode one of eating some us snacks

the fabulous wonderful @louciferish send me a shitton of US snacks as part of a snack exchange and I thought I would do a fun series where I review everything

(for context, I'm from England)

SNACK ONE (1) -- GOLDFISH CRACKERS

(straight up forgot to take a picture of them but!!!)

this was a perfect arrival because literally the day before some of my mates from Hong Kong and Sweden etc were saying about how much they missed goldfish crackers! So I bought them into the studio and everyone had some - main feedback was that they were a lot like mini chedders, but imo theyre actually a better texture and also like, cute

Because I'm used to just eating a normal bag of uk crisps, I went and ripped the whole package open in the way that I usually would (so you dont have to get your hands all greasey) but soon realised that this bag was NOT a single portion. So had to try and get everyone to finish them before they spilt everywhere.

4/5

[estellestarlightevergarden]

GIRLFRIEND

Title: Girlfriend

Pairing: Stuart Pot x Fem! Reader

Fandom: Gorillaz

Genre: Fluff, Comedy

Series: None

Part 1 ONLY

Masterlist

Notes: Wrote this with 2 Braincells after reminiscing my awkward years. Which I love despite feeling scrappy.

Also Gorillaz was called Gorilla before Gorillaz I believe.

IF I'M WRONG PLEASE SOMEONE CORRECT ME!

Summary: pre-Gorillaz is out at a new Minigolf course. Y/n third wheels the alone time with Stuart and Paula. What could go wrong?

---

Bursting through the doors of Kong Studios. After all of the running past tombstones and lightning I wheezed.

The loud slam of the double doors gained attention from the four band members or Gorilla. Their heads turned towards the direction of the doors.

"GUYS!!! GUYS!! GUYS!! and Paula.. I HAVE AMAZING NEWS!!!" I hollered.

Hearing many groans.

Mainly from Murdoc and Paula, A hum from Stuart, and loud footsteps from Russel.

As I finished my wheezefest I smiled at them all and held up a poster for a mini-golf course.

Everyone groaned.

Minus Stuart and Russel.

"What? I thought you all liked mini-golf? What's wrong?" I pouted.

"Don't you remember the last time we were at one y/n?" Paula sighed.

I tilted my head in confusion. Murdoc groaned out loud.

"For your sake did you not drive into a golf cart into the water course?!" He exclaimed.

"Nope I'm pretty sure that never happened" I smiled and Staurt and Russel snickered.

"And what about the time you hit my head with a golfball?!" Paula screeched.

"I couldn't see I thought I saw Flamingos everywhere" I replied coolly.

This time Murdoc chuckled but had abruptly stopped and cleared his throat.

"And what about the time that you had me crash in a bumper kart course!" She huffed. Her face now a Ladybug red.

"Well it is called bumper karts for a reason no?" I giggled.

This comment only caused her to sigh. I smiled in victory.

"So no one really wants to go with me?" I sighed. My shoulders slumped and a sad frown forming on my face.

--

"Yay! Thanks 'D for coming with me!" I smiled at the lanky purpleette. He only gave me a sweet smile with the front teeth missing.

"Its really no problem y/n" he chuckled giving a sheepish smile.

I smiled at him a small blush forming on my face as well as his as we stared at eachother for a few minutes.

Suddenly we heard someone clear their throats which snapped us out of our hazy trance.

"I'm definitely not leaving you alone with my boyfriend that's for sure so I'm going to watch you" Paula hissed as she stepped out of the vehicle.

I blinked and shrugged.

"The more the merrier!" I chirped slapping on my happiness back on.

Hearing a sigh and a large shadow looming over the three of us. There was russel.

"I'm gonna come with just incase you all dont get injured " He mumbled.

-

Soon the four of us wandered the mini-golf park.

Murdoc left the four of us, as he had to attend to "important issues" like usual.

"All this wandering around has me hungry.. HOLY CRAP THEY SELL CHURROS!!" I shouted out of hunger and ran towards the food stand plaza.

I had bought two churros. One for Russel, and One for me.

Smiling as I finished mine. I watched the purple headed man and his girlfriend share theirs. I tapped Russell on the shoulder.

He turned to look at me and I pointed to the two lovebirds as I gagged.

This caused him to laugh. I smiled and a sudden thought came to my mind.

I got up and slipped towards their table and snatched the churro out of their hands.

"Aww saved a piece for me! Sweet! Thanks Stu!" I chirped and pecked his cheek before skipping off.

I ripped the piece that Paula ate from throwing it in the trash and eating the rest.

-

After playing golf for awhile. I had needed a break from the small clubs and courses.

I had spotted a photobooth!

"Hey look a photobooth! Let's go take a picture stu!~" Paula sweetly called out to the purple haired man.

To which he only nodded and followed his lady towards the booth.

I scrunched up my nose and gave a wicked grin. I looked at Russel to which he only sighed.

"Please.. Please Please Please?" I begged with puppy eyes.

He looked at me then the two and nodded.

Operation: Split the Cheater and My Crush bestfriend up so I can save him is a go!

Or for short!

Operation: Grape is a Go!

-

I pressed a finger to my lips and counted down to three.

One.

My hands reached for the curtains

Two

My hands gripped them

THREE!

I opened the curtains and pulled Paula out only to sit in her place while Russel blocked the curtain.

"Hey 'D let's take some good pictures Yeah?" I blushed.

His face seemed to get over the slight shock and nodded.

FLASH! 1

We made silly faces at the camera

FLASH 2

I hung my arm loosely around his neck while making a rock-and-roll sign with my hand .

FLASH 3

We sat facing eachother with a blush

FLASH 4

♡

After the bright light I took the pictures and stuffed them into my pocket.

"I'm keeping these! For safe keeping! See ya soon Stu!" I chirped before getting out and running off to find Russell.

-

"Russel! I'm teeling you it was great! Besides I kinda wish I could tell him how I really feel.." I blushed playing with my fingers.

I looked up at the large male for advice.

He gave me a small smile and patted my head. "Why dont you go tell him now he's all alone right now" he motioned to Stuart.

He was standing alone and playing on his mobile device.

I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Russ!" I smiled at him and ran towards the tall male who was occupied on his phone.

Finally an opportunity to tell him without Paula around! Besides she doesn't deserve him..

I stopped running only to tackle him into a hug. To which he had jumped in suprise and dropped his phone.

"Hey 'D !" I chirped looking in his eyes.

"Oh hey Y/n.. you scared me a bit there!" He laughed and reached for his phone.

Instinctively we both thanked our heads together from trying to grab his phone.

BONK

I rubbed my head and giggled only to hand him his phone.

"Sorry 'bout that! Anyways why are you here all alone? Well not really.. I know you came with Paula, but why isn't she here?" I questioned the purple haired man.

To which he only shrugged.

"She said she'd go to the bathroom so I'm waiting for her" He replied quickly.

"Well Stuart Can I tell you a secret?" I blushed fiddling with my fingers.

"Well yea except if Murdoc wants to know then it might come out" he laughed nervously.

I nodded and smiled.

"Okay so what is it?"

"I like you no like you is an understatement I really really REALLY Love you.. even if your with Paula.. and even if she makes you happy yours comes first! Just know that I dont love your girlfriend Paula becauseshemightbecheatingonyouwiththatdamnedgreenpicklemurdoc! Even if you dont feel the same keys just make sure nothing stays weird between us yeah?" I breathed out.

I closed my eyes expecting being rejected.

Instead I had found myself experiencing those same butterflies, I had gotten in the last photo of the Photobooth.

He pulled away for just a second only to be pulled back into another kiss.

"STUART?! Y/N!? I KNEW IT I KNEW IT IM GONNA AHHH!!" We jumped away hearing Paula's shouting and stepped aside.

Only for her to roll onto the fake grassy hill towards a port-a-potty that Russell had just used.

She was flung into the small space and swmd it forward with the door closing.

"I guess that solves it! You Stuart Pot otherwise known as 2-D Are now my boyfriend!" I grinned.

To which he hummed.

"Your boyfriend? I like the sound of that" he hummed happily and pressed a soft kiss on the top of my head.

I smiled at the feeling.

Finally he wont get heartbroken over That cheater..

[mytastessuck]

Gorillaz: Song Machine, Season 1: "Strange Timez"

2The final frontier...until the next frontier as indicated by the album's title. A lot of guests showed up to help out Gorillaz on this album, ranging from indie acts to freaking legends. You thought Humanz was overpacked? You don't know the shit that Kong Studios was filled with when the Spacemonkeyz left. A good amount of my playlist is filled with songs from this album so let's just shut up and get on with it so I can gush about an awesome album.

1. Strange Timez

Heh, they start the album off with the titular track. That's pretty coo---HOLY SHIT, IS THAT ROBERT SMITH?! When you got the fucking frontman of The Cure singing with you about what an utter shitshow of a year it was a while ago, you know that Gorillaz has thrown away any semblance of fucking around. Everyone sounds like they're on the verge of panicking and I'm all for it. What a KO punch out the gate.

2020/10

2. The Valley of the Pagans

Beck decides to team up with Gorillaz, making it his third most important collaboration since his team-ups with The Lonely Island and Bender. This track is something that needs to be shouted out loud with the windows rolled down on a road trip and that's mostly due to the energy Damon brings to the track. Beck does a servicable job but something is missing that would put this on the level of Ultimate Beck Songs. Still, awesome track.

9/10

3. The Lost Chord

This track makes me feel things. Things that I've got no right feeling. Both Damon and Leee manages to make this one of the most depressing tracks on the album even without the context of the album. Some days all you can do go harder, go harder.

11/10

4. Pac-Man

Okay, gonna say something that even I don't like saying. This song is great...until Schoolboy Q starts rapping. I dunno what it is about the rap that turns me off. It just feels loose, all over the place and building up to something that has no payoff. It's a shame the song relies on that part so strongly. Noodle had an interesting outfit in the video though.

7/10

5. Chalk Tablet Towers

Another club anthem from Gorillaz! Nowhere near as good as "Strobelite" but definitely much more relatable (I wanna go home indeed.) St. Vincent is a great back-up on this track that's good enough to dance to, do drugs to or stare at your drink as you wonder if this is the state you're going to spend the rest of your life in...to.

8/10

6. The Pink Phantom

Pretty good tone to this song. Somber, nice crooning from Damon, 6lack's part is a bit superfluous but it doesn't detract from the rest of the son---HOLY SHIT, IS THAT ELTON JOHN?! AND IS HE THE BEST PART OF THE SONG?! I can't believe the blind old bastard still had it in you. To this day, I find myself singing "I tried to say I love you/But you wouldn't listen." to myself out of nowhere. This song elevates this album to a classier stand than anything Murdoc touched has any right being.

3000/10

7. Aries

Really nice chill-out song. Good instrumentation from Peter Hook and Georgia. I'm really underselling it but it is impossible to be in a bad mood when this song comes on. Kind makes you want to go out and, you know, actually do shit. (With a mask on though.)

413/10

8. Friday 13th

Finally some good rap. Geez, that was mean. Well, if it makes you feel any better, this song becomes a bummer if you know the context behind it. Octavian manages to fuel the nihilistic vibe behind the song that makes you wish for beautiful days to take your mind off...well, life. Bonus point for James Baldwin quote.

11/10

9. Dead Butterflies

Yes! More songs to make me feel stuff! Kano and Roxani overshadow Damon as they sing about how nothing matters but...nah, that's it. Nothing matters. We're dead bugs. We got nothing left. Let's just speak Spanish or something.

10/10

10. Desole

Man, Fatoumata Diawara is such a good singer, she can make a man tolerate the French. Second single from the album and they show that are willing to go back to songs in different languages and I am all for it. Fuck yes. Sorry for swearing. Putain Ouais.

714/10

11. Momentary Bliss

First single off the album and it is special, so fucking special. Slowthai grabs your attention by the throat with his heavy rhymes and holds you long enough for Slaves to slam themselves down on you with the increasingly-punk-by-the-second climax they crash in on. Damon can barely keep up as he makes sure that enough hype is gathered for this album through one of its best tracks.

1000/10

12. Opium

I only heard this song when I listened to the album for the first time and I immediately put it on my playlist afterwards. EarthGang kicks so much fucking ass on this track that Eddie Murphy experiences sympathy pains every time he hears the word "Georgia". These guys need more cred and they are half of the reason why you should shell out for the deluxe edition.

365/10

13. Simplicity

The title is accurate. The song is simple. Pretty calming though. And nothing offensively wrong with it. I dunno, it must feel like a let down after Opium's haze of awesomeness.

8/10

14. Severed Head

Goldlink and UMO are the bravest fuckers on the planet to bring attention to the serious problem of decapitation. With nice keys backing up their sermon, maybe people will take having all of their major organ functions operable more seriously now. I know I will.

10/10

15. With Love To An Ex

As an African-American who experiences misfortune in love myself, something about this song speaks to me. Ex-niggas may not be texting me...might actually need ex-niggas for that...but shit, your past following you does speak to me in the worst way possible. Man, fuck people.

11/10

16. MLS

Hey, it's these guys again! I'm not going to tell you where I know them from. That's for further down the road. Still, glad to know these two are able to create something beautiful that can be mistakenly picked up by a parent who mistakes it for something from the Craig of the Creek soundtrack.

9/10

17. How Far?

We lost a treasure of a percussionist when Tony Allen died. This track is proof he was one of the best in the business. Skepta doesn't let any slack fall down on his side either. Dissing the listeners while Tony backs him up with one of the best beats I've ever heard. RIP sir.

800/10

Album Score: 494/10

And that concludes the Gorillaz retrospective. Next week, we start on my second favorite band, Ween:

We will covering all their studio albums, starting with the punk masterpiece, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness. That'll take me a couple of days to write up. See you then.

[magicaltrash]

It's time to check in on our Magical Trash Year-in-Review. If you read last year's inaugural edition, we had quite a few additions to the Disney theme park trashscape. 2020 did NOT follow that pattern, unfortunately, due to the parks being closed for large portions of the year as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus did impact trash cans, however, as we saw Disney modify their cans with locked open inlet flaps and safety signage wherever their parks were open. For 2020, Magical Trash tracked 8 substantial trash can design changes, a drop from 2019's 13 tracked changes:

Added: 5

Updated: 2 - plus global COVID-19 modifications

Removed: 1

The US-based parks saw the most activity, with Walt Disney World seeing 3 changes, followed by a unique historical update at the Disneyland Resort. Disneyland Paris Resort recorded 2 updates, Shanghai Disney Resort debuted a new-style can due to the pandemic. No notable changes were recorded for Tokyo Disney Resort or the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Here's a detailed breakdown of updates:

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway - NEW Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Boulevard This new attraction opened in March, replacing The Great Movie Ride. Brand new trash can designs were introduced.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Temporary) - NEW Walt Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Grand Avenue, PizzeRizzo Prior to this new attraction's opening in March, the media center was located inside PizzeRizzo, with temporary stickers placed over Muppets-inspired branding on the restaurant's trash cans.

See-Through Cans - NEW Disneyland Paris Resort, Parking Security-friendly trash cans were spotted in guest parking areas outside of security screening zones. The see-through panels reveal the bags of garbage inside - and aren’t themed, other than color.

Face Mask Disposal - NEW Shanghai Disney Resort, Shanghai Disneyland, Entrance Thanks to the global pandemic, Shanghai introduced a new category of can for face masks, encouraging guests to rip their masks in half and dispose as they leave the park.

"Red X" - NEW Disneyland Resort, Disneyland, Main Street U.S.A., Corner Cafe Historical research uncovered a new can... from 1974. The “Yellow X” can style was popular in Disneyland’s Frontierland and New Orleans Square through the 1970s - and a red-variant existed on Main Street U.S.A. as well.

Adventureland - UPDATED Disneyland Paris Resort, Disneyland Paris, Adventureland In February, Paris debuted a revised Adventureland can look featuring a compass rose design, with an outline reminiscent of vintage maps.

Locked Inlet Flap - UPDATED Global Disney Theme Parks As parks reopened, trash cans had their inlet flaps locked into an open position to prevent the need for physically touching the surface.

Health & Safety Messaging - UPDATED Walt Disney World Stickers were applied to trash cans throughout the resort to remind guests to practice safe behavior during their visits.

Electric Umbrella - REMOVED Walt Disney World, Epcot, Future World, Electric Umbrella Epcot's Electric Umbrella restaurant closed in February, and with it, we lost its talking trash can. Fate unknown.

Other notable events observed in 2020 included PUSH the Talking Trash Can's 18th birthday, spent quarantined in his creator's office. The Disney Parks Blog offered a downloadable print-and-build model of Main Street U.S.A. trash cans, while Disneyland Paris offered color-and-animate pages for their cans. A Polynesian Resort trash can went for big bucks at an auction, while we celebrated the holidays at Disneyland with historical looks at trash cans + Christmas trees in 1956, 1963, and 1967. Here at Magical Trash we celebrated our 11-year anniversary on the trash can beat, did some deep dives into hurricane preparedness, explored backstage trash cans at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris, learned about Disneyland's liquid waste recycling program, viewed a lot of lonely trash cans at closed parks, got introduced to the "swing top" phrase for describing can types, and conducted the COVID Christmas Can Tour - a survey of Epcot trash cans as they relate to festiveness and safety. As it's impossible to be omnipresent at 12 theme parks and numerous resorts around the world, let us know what we've missed! Thanks for an interesting year, CanFans! [All photos used by permission.]

[almasexya]

Godzilla and the Really Big Shrimp (Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, 1966)

The last time we saw Godzilla was back in Invasion of Astro Monster, and during that review I mentioned that the series was on the cusp of going off the cliff. Well, here we are y’all -  we’ve arrived at the start of Godzilla’s Nonsense Period, and we won’t be leaving anytime soon. This isn’t to say that there aren’t still some solid pictures in here, but we’re nowhere near the heights of something like Mothra vs. Godzilla or the original Ghidorah.

Before we can really talk about Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (or Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster as it was known in the US) we have to discuss the reality it lives in. Kaiju pictures were getting expensive, prohibitively so, requiring a lot of time and effort to make big hulking rubber suits and miniature sets for the actors to stomp around in. It’s possible Toho, looking over at what was happening with Daiei and Gamera, decided to set their sights squarely on kids to make up their costs, and that meant cutting costly city sets and simplifying the plot.

Ebirah began its life as a King Kong vehicle, with Toho planning to have the big ape square off against its giant shrimp monster, but that plan ended up falling through, so they stuck Godzilla in at the last minute seemingly without making any changes to the plot (this explains some of the weird stuff Godzilla does in this film, like getting woken up by lightning and seemingly having a thing for a female character).

With Godzilla slotted in as the main kaiju, Toho was ready to go, but before we can talk about that, we have to talk about our new director, Jun Fukuda, a man as well known as Ishiro Honda in the Godzilla fandom, but not really for the right reasons. Fukuda would helm the majority of the Godzilla films from here on out, and they tend to share the same loopy, kid-friendly sensibilities throughout. Whether this was a studio mandate or just how Fukuda preferred to operate is up for debate, but his light, breezy directorial style is a direct contrast to Honda’s gravity, and it’s at this point that screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa really started to let loose.

Ebirah begins downright strangely, with an old shaman proclaiming that Yata (whoever that is) is alive. We then cut to a group of teens in the middle of a dance marathon, and already we’re miles away from the silliest of the previous Godzilla pictures. See one of the teens wants the boat so he can go look for his brother, Yata, who vanished in the south seas. After they lose the contest, they set off to the pier to go hang around in a yacht and complain, before running into a shady looking guy, Yoshimura (Akira Takarada) who’s apparently sleeping inside.

Yoshimura inexplicably tells the teens they can sleep on the yacht too, after which he promptly conks back out, only to wake up to find the boat underway in the middle of the ocean. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be!

Ryota, the kid missing his brother (Toru Watanabe) commandeered the yacht more or less by himself, and after a bit of fuss from Yoshimura, who’s quickly outed as a rogueish type who was hiding out on the yacht, they all just kind of go along with it, before their boat gets smashed by a giant claw and they end up on a seemingly deserted island.

What follows is a lot of general traipsing around and scouting the island - it doesn’t take the leads long to find out they’re sharing the island with a bunch of nefarious Bond villain knock-offs, the Red Bamboo, who appear to be using the island to work on some kind of nuclear something or other, their island guarded by a giant shrimp named Ebirah that destroys any ship that comes near. The characters sneak around the Red Bamboo base, getting into some fairly stakeless trouble with the leader of the bad guys (Akihiko Hirata, once again sporting an eyepatch, though on the other eye this time) and then getting separated to go off on their own adventures. Ryota eventually finds his brother, who has been hiding out on the nearby Infant Island, which looks more like a fun paradise than the irradiated dead zone it began its life as, but the two decide to go back and rescue the other natives who have been imprisoned and put to use as slave labor by the Red Bamboo.

There’s a lot of knock-off Bond stuff here, including an attractive native girl Daiyo (Kumi Mizuno) and a lot of chases and near-miss encounters with the bad guys. While it’s not terribly uninteresting to watch, it nearly pushes Godzilla out of his own movie, and by the time the characters wake him up and set him on the Red Bamboo, there’s not a lot of time left for him to shine.

The human characters don’t fare much better - Yoshimura steals most of the scenes since he’s really the only one with a character, and there’s not much there either aside from his trusty lockpick. The three boys sort of fade into the background, and Akihiko Hirata doesn’t get to chew as much scenery as one would expect playing a store brand Bond villain, which more or less just leaves us with the kaiju.

Like in the previous film, Godzilla is more or less a good guy here - the protagonists actively cheer him on, and worry about his welfare when the Red Bamboo are about to blow up the island in a nuclear explosion. The suit is... not the greatest. It follows the trend we’ve been on since the first Ghidorah film, with Godzilla looking blunt and nice and not really at all scary. While he’s certainly going to look worse later on, that doesn’t really do much for me now.

Ebirah, while a neat piece of suitmation to be sure, doesn’t do much to impress, especially considering the previous films involved Ghidorah. It looks, realistically, like a giant shrimp, and it’s most effective when it’s plucking boats out of the water and drowning people, represented by a sinister claw. At the end of the day Ebirah is literally just a big shrimp, with no real powers or abilities other than breathing underwater and swimming fast, which doesn’t exactly make for exciting kaiju combat.

The fights between the two just aren’t much to look at, with an endless rock-throwing scene (does anyone enjoy these?) and a lot of moments where the two just kind of flail around and knock into each other before one of them falls over. The suit actors absolutely put in a ton of work to film the battle scenes, especially the underwater ones, but it feels like a lot of effort for nothing, considering how dull the finished product actually ends up looking, with the most notable scene being Godzilla ripping off one of Ebirah’s claws in a surprisingly brutal scene.

The special effects in general are pretty sparse here, with Godzilla stomping on the Red Bamboo base, a clear step down from the elaborate city sets of Astro Monster. We also can’t ignore the “fight” with a ratty-looking giant condor that comes out of absolute nowhere and gets dealt with in the span of about 30 seconds in a scene that feels like a fever dream. The interior sets of the Red Bamboo base look nice, with lots of colorful pipes and blinking lights, and the Mothra prop makes its last appearance until the 90s, though the big moth is basically just a plot device here, and sadly doesn’t bring the Ito sisters back with her.

All the while we have Masaru Sato’s bizarre surf rock score blaring throughout, which would be the starkest contrast possible to Akira Ifukube’s bombastic marches until Godzilla vs. Hedorah hit the scene with whatever the fuck it was doing. I can’t say the soundtrack doesn’t work, especially with the plot leaning on Bondian antics so heavily, but it certainly feels more like a Saturday morning cartoon than the series had ever felt up until this point.

Overall, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is more mediocre than anything else, a fairly cheap film made to appeal to a younger audience, with not a lot of solid monster action to make up for it. If you want to see a couple guys in rubber suits hammering on each other, there’s better places you can look than here.

[kookie-for-you]

Royal Flush, Chapter 3

Previous Chapter

Masterlist

“So for the order of member debuts, it’s going to start with Yeji,” our manager, Soonbok, said, hitting a button on the keyboard, bringing up the two photos of me for the debut, one in that cute fluffy skirt and the other in a pair of high waisted denim, high tops, and a crop top.  Our concept was all about the duality of feminine style—the sweet, cute side and the more punk and rebellious side.  Or, as our manager called it, “Sugar and Spice.”

Jisoo’s hands flew to her cheeks.  “Oh, Yeji-eunnie you look so good!  How did you look so perfect?”

“Why me first?” I asked, feeling my heart speed up with nerves.  I critically examined the photos.  In my opinion, they weren’t anywhere close to perfect.  My hair laying weird in one photo, and my legs were way too thick, even after the editing that I’m sure had been done.

“You’re the center, and the visual,” Soonbok explained.  “Bang PD-nim thinks that you’ll grab the attention first, and get people excited for everyone else.”  I nodded slowly, unsure how I felt about that reasoning.  I had a feeling it was a little bit less exciting being called the visual than it was for Minji to be called the leader, or Jisoo to be called the lead rapper.  It just felt like less of an earned position.

“Who’s next?” Jahyun asked, clapping her hands excitedly.  

Soonbok obliged, clicking to the next slide of her powerpoint.  “After Yeji, it will be Minji,” she told us.  Minji’s photos were lovely.  Her bleached blonde hair popped against her tan skintone, and the blues and reds the stylists put her in looked amazing on her.  “Then JJ.”

JJ.  That was Jisoo’s stage name.  Her name was Jung Jisoo, and in English her initials were JJ. Sometimes I forgot she had taken one, since we all still just called her by her name.  We’d have to get used to calling her JJ more, at least for during interviews and things.  Jahyun had taken one too—Juliet.

I’d been offered a few stage names too.  Roxy, Stacey, Maya.  In the end I’d decided to keep my own name though.  Kim Yeji suited me.

“After JJ is Juliet.” I realized I’d basically missed Jisoo’s pictures.  I made a mental note to look back at them later.  Meanwhile, now Jahyun’s adorable face was smiling on the screen.  I was surprised by her edgy photo though—I hadn’t been on set for those photos, and had yet to see them.  It almost seemed wrong to see our bubbly and cute maknae posing in combat boots and ripped jeans, but she pulled the look off as effortlessly as she did so many other things.

I could tell Jahyun was proud of the pictures as well, so I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze.  Her grin grew wider as she snuggled back into my arms, craving cuddles as usual.

“Haneul-eunnie is last?” Jisoo asked, looking to our eldest sister sitting on the end.

Soonbok nodded, giving Haneul a kind smile.  “Haneul’s energy is so kind and calm, she’s a great way to round out the group and make people feel secure that the group is grounded.”  Soonbok always had a way of delivering information in such a nice way. Maybe that was why she was (secretly) all of our favorite manager.

Haneul’s pictures were pretty too.  She’d had her hair dyed a dusty pink, and they’d done her eye makeup to match with sparkly pink eyeshadow in the soft pictures, and hot pink eyeliner in the edgy ones.  I found my eyes drawn to how impossibly small her body seemed to be—before Haneul had even been a trainee, she’d trained for years as a ballerina, and her body shape told that story.

Minji sighed, looking equal parts nervous and excited.  “Having a schedule for the photos makes debut seem all the sooner.”

Haneul nodded.  “Only two months now,” she said, and I felt a shiver run through me.  Was I excited?  Terrified? What if the fans hated us?  We had a lot to live up to.  I’d been on social media, and I’d seen people speculating about us, and how Bangtan set such an example for us to follow.  It was a lot to take in.

Coming up after Bangtan would provide us with a lot of opportunity, certainly.  People would be watching us right away.  We’d start out with probably bigger shows and interviews. There were even already talks of a small tour around the US early next year.  But there were drawbacks too.  We would get away with a lot fewer mistakes than an average rookie group.  Everyone was going to be watching Royal Flush.

 * * * 

Two hours later, we were mid-dance rehearsal.  We’d just finished another run-through of our debut song when our choreographer gave us a break to rest and have some water.  I smiled as I saw Jahyun dramatically collapse onto the floor right where she stood, reaching up to drag Jisoo down to lay with her.  The two of them giggled as they cuddled up next to each other, sweaty as they were.

I followed Haneul over to the side of the room where our water bottles were.  Somehow, she already had mine and handed it to me.  “You look exhausted,” she joked, pushing a sweaty strand of my hair from my face.  

“Not really,” I replied, taking a long drink of water.  It was still cold and fresh—the insulated water bottles Haneul had bought for all of us were so good.  “Minji?” I called out, handing our leader Jahyun’s water.  “Take that to the kids, please.  They’ll forget to hydrate.”

“What do you think of being the first member debuted?” Haneul asked as Minji scampered off to deliver water to the maknaes.  Haneul and I both took a seat resting our backs against the wall, watching as the tiny leader was coerced to joining the other two who were now starfishing in the middle of the studio floor.

I shrugged.  “I mean…it’s not like it means much,” I said, trying not to seem too nervous about the idea.  “So they’ll see my face first.  It’s not huge, they’ll see Minji’s the next day, and then Jisoo and Jahyun and you.  We’re a group.”

“Jahyun is already planning out her first twitter post once we gain control of the account,” Haneul said with a smile and a shake of her head.  “She wants so badly to make a good first impression on the fans.  It matters so much to her.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.  Too easily, Jahyun could be seen as just a silly teenager who was excited about becoming a star.  But us—Royal Flush, and the staff—we saw how hard that girl worked every day, even while still going to school and growing up.  Her family were all the way back in Daegu.  Jahyun might have given up the most of any of us for this, and she kept a smile on her face the whole time.

So often were people going in and out of the studio, we didn’t really notice when the door opened, but then a voice called our attention.  “Hello, Royal Flush.”  Simultaneously, all five of us looked over to see all seven members of Bangtan standing in the doorway.

I don’t know how we all managed to get to our feet and bow so quickly.  “Hello Bangtan-sunbaes,” we replied, almost in unison.  I heard Jahyun giggle nervously, and I looked over to see her halfway hiding behind Jisoo.  While I watched, I saw Jisoo pinch Jahyun’s elbow in an attempt to get her to calm down.

Kim Namjoon was the one who had greeted us.  “We thought it was about time that we came and saw you all.”

By now, all of us had finished bowing.  My eyes moved from one member to the other, too entranced by the sunbaes to focus on one. Jeon Jungkook seemed to be focusing on his leader and avoiding our eyes, Park Jimin gave a cheerful wave, and when I caught Kim Seokjin’s eyes, the saucy man winked at me.  I felt a furious blush rise in my cheeks and ducked my head, terrified that my face was now the same color as my hair.

Minji stepped right into her role as leader, stepping away from the group and bowing again to Bangtan. “My name is Kong Minji, sunbaes,” she introduced.  “I’m Royal Flush’s leader.”  

Haneul stepped forward as well.  “I am Li Haneul,” she said, bowing as well.  “I’m the eldest.”  Haneul looked over at me expectantly.

When I looked over the group again, my eyes met with Min Yoongi.  They seemed to lock with mine just the same way they did in the practice room.  I wondered if he had told his other members—well, other than Namjoon and Jimin—about how we’d already met.  “My name is Kim Yeji, sunbaes,” I said quietly.  “I’m…Yeji.”

I heard Jahyun snicker so quietly I’d almost felt I imagined it.  A tiny smirk showed up on Yoongi’s face, though it was gone in a second.

“Ah, another Kim!” Seokjin said, throwing his head to the side to whip his bangs from his eyes.  “Tell me, Kim Yeji, how does it feel to be the second most attractive Kim at Big Hit?”

My blush came back full force, exactly at the same time as Namjoon and Taehyung both shoved and shouted at Seokjin playfully.  I simply forced a giggle, ducking my head down again and pulling my hair in front of my face.

“You’ve made her shy, hyung,” Jimin protested.  “Don’t let him be a tease, he never knows when to stop.”  The boys laughed, including Seokjin.

Jisoo took her chance to give another bow.  “I am Jung Jisoo, sunbaes, but you might know me by my stage name JJ.  I’m the main rapper for Royal Flush.”

“And I’m Yuk Jahyun.” The maknae didn’t wait a second to introduce herself, clearly eager.  Her bow was as bouncy as her personality.  “I’ll be debuting as Juliet.”

“You’re the maknae, aren’t you?” Taehyung asked with a smile.  He slung an arm around Jungkook, who was still being very still and quiet, avoiding eye contact.  “Our Jungkookie can give you some tips on debuting so young.”

“Oh yes!” Jahyun said, nodding.  “I’d be honored to learn anything sunbae had to teach me.”

“We were hoping to catch a sneak preview of your choreos, if that’s all right with you?” Namjoon suggested. His calm smile and demeanor really radiated out of him, putting me almost at ease again.  “It looks like you were taking a break…”

“Of course, sunbae,” Minji agreed, and when she looked around the rest of us nodded eagerly along. “We can surely run through our debut choreography again.”

“Fantastic!” Seokjin exclaimed.  His exuberance seemed only to excite Jahyun more, and she giggled while bouncing up and down and clapping.  Bangtan made their way further into the studio, joining the staff who had been watching us from one side of the room.  As Haneul and I placed our waters down and rejoined our members in the center, I took the time to observe the way our sunbaes interacted with each other.

It was so easy, the way they walked and talked.  Namjoon and Seokjin seemed to be discussing something together as they both stood at one end of the group.  Taehyung and Jimin were both clearly whispering teasing words to Jungkook, as his red cheeks and stifled laughter seemed to imply.  He repeatedly shook his head at them and shoved them away as they attempted to hang off of his shoulders.  Hoseok watched them and occasionally added a ruffle of Jungkook’s hair.

Yoongi seemed to stay off to the side.  He’d chosen to crouch down, and was simply staring at his shoes, seeming deep in thought. While I stood there, wondering what he was thinking, he looked up and our eyes met once again.

I looked away quickly. I really needed to stop that.

We quickly got back into the very familiar starting position for our choreo.  I started in the center, and knew every eye would be automatically drawn to me.  I’d have to be careful not to make any mistakes.  The choreography wasn’t exactly easy, and Royal Flush was no exception to Big Hit’s love of precision and synchronization.  It would be noticeable if we weren’t together.

It was just another run-through.  I couldn’t be nervous.  I looked down at the ground, ready in my opening position.

When the music started and the first eight beats went by, my head popped up right on cue, and after that, I wasn’t really aware of anything that happened.  My body got carried away by the music, and by the long hours of work and the sheer memorization of this dance.  I forgot who was even in the room and just focused on dancing as good as I ever had.

The second the music stopped, and all five of us had stuck our ending positions, Bangtan broke out into applause.  My cheeks burned automatically, and I felt a sheepish grin on my face.  “Wow, our juniors are the best,” Hoseok kept repeating.

“Really, Royal Flush, that was awesome,” Namjoon said, standing up from where he’d crouched down next to Yoongi to watch.  My eyes slid over to Yoongi, who was simply nodding along to what everyone else said. He looked tired.

“Oh man, I’m going to be singing that song later,” Taehyung commented.  “Jisoo-ssi, that one line you have?  Deck of cards with five queens in one hand, I’d call that a Royal Flush, that is such a killing line.  Did you write that?”

“Yes, with Yeji-eunnie’s help,” Jisoo said, and I smiled in receipt of the acknowledgement.  “Yeji-eunnie is great at lyrics.”

“She is great at dancing, too,” Hoseok said.  “I couldn’t keep my eyes off you, seriously.”

“Haneul too,” Jimin interjected.  “I can tell, you must have a background in modern dance or something?”

“Ballet,” Haneul said with a smile and nod.  Jimin nodded as well, and smiled along with her.

“As much as we’d love to stand here and compliment our juniors all day, Bangtan does have practice as well,” Namjoon said.  He threw an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders.  The maknae had seemed to brighten up during the performance, though he hadn’t said anything.  “We will leave you to your practice, Royal Flush.  Minji-ssi, is it all right if I get your cellphone number, so I can text you when our groups can meet up for a meal sometime?”

“Yes, of course, sunbae,” Minji said hurriedly trotting over to her bag to grab her phone.  Most of Bangtan wandered out with smiles and waves from them and bows from us.  Haneul gripped my arm tightly.

“Can you believe Bangtan liked our dance?” she whispered in my ear.

I looked at her, a little surprised.  “I thought nothing shook you, eunnie,” I teased.  “They’re our seniors, of course they like us.”

“They could have ignored us, but they didn’t.  And Park Jimin complimented my dancing.  ME,” she repeated, seeming in shock.

While I couldn’t understand why she was surprised someone would enjoy her dancing, I understood the feeling. “I know,” I repeated, watching as Namjoon left, last of his bandmates.  “It feels like things are really starting to come together.”

“Like this is real,” Haneul added.  I nodded.

“Yeah.  Like this is real.”

Next Chapter

A/N:  If you would like to see a GREAT idea of what Royal Flush’s dance/performance aesthetic is like, I highly recommend ITZY’s dance rehearsal videos.  I use them for inspiration when it comes to Royal Flush.  The Dalla Dalla dance rehearsal is a great idea of what Royal Flush’s choreography looks like, with the members as follows:

Yeji-Yeji (I decided this BEFORE I knew this member’s name was Yeji, I was shocked)

Ryujin-Jisoo (JJ)

Chaeryong-Minji

Yuna-Haneul

Lia-Jahyun (Juliet)

[jlf23tumble]

1D Day, Hour Two

The file I’m watching on YouTube is much shorter than an hour (44 minutes!!), but that’s because the poster kindly removed the “VT” (shudder) from random countries (it always boils down to [insert country’s name’s] fans wilding, and there’s only so much of that I can take).

Still, hour 2 is fucking ICONIC for many reasons, the biggest being Harry’s barely constrained rage. Yes, Louis’s “done with it all” demeanor on 1D Day is (justifiably) legendary, but Harry’s right there with him (twin flames, y’all). I can’t tell if he’s coked up, genuinely angry, or just passive-aggressively petty because someone told him he had to speak more quickly, much more loudly, and with some enthusiasm, for chrissakes. Oh, he delivers, all right, so much maniacal shouting. Deets under the cut.

Hour 2 is all Lirry, and I, for one, love Lirry, so it’s 44 minutes well spent. Liam tells us, “We’re kicking it off with VT from  France, give it up for France!” (“FRANCAIS!” Harry yells), and after the missing bit of French VT, we’re back to Lirry, with Harry vacillating between murdering the French language (“Mercy boo coo to France”) and shouting “I ATE SNAILS” as his contribution to what they did in France last time they were there (Liam played football with some guys near the Eiffel Tower, fwiw).

The first guest is Dynamo (or, “DYNAMO, EVERYBODY” if you’re Harry), and he’s here for card tricks and more (���OH, SNAP” is Harry’s response to Dynamo nearly twisting his own finger off, and god, it’s horrifying). Harry’s fairly manic through the entirety of the card tricks, but I love Liam because he’s me in every card trick (“I’m glad mine’s easy to remember because I’d probably forget,” which is true of any card you take, like, ever???):

“WHO LOVES MAGIC!” Harry shouts, and there’s a needlessly complicated special interactive trick that gets introduced here, with Dynamo saying that he wrote a prediction on a piece of paper and sealed it in a box at the beginning of the day, so he needs to Harry to keep the key safe. Points if you correctly assumed that Harry will stuff that key right in next to his dick as a joke.

Because nobody rehearsed or prepared for this epic full-day live event, there are all kinds of problems with the cameras, and if you want a fun drinking game to get you hammered within 45 minutes, take a shot every time you see a variation of this (Liam looking vaguely concerned while Harry aggressively points at the sky or the camera while shouting):

A horrifically bad segment that’s a poorly disguised advert for Google Hangouts (lmaoaoaoaooaoaoa) kicks off questions from all over the world (the audio is bad, none of the visuals syncs), but we get some iconic answers to deeply important questions, like, “If you were in the Hunger Games, who would  survive the longest?” Liam says he’d hide and then kill passersby (yikes), and Harry says he’s more of a lover than a fighter, so he’d hide in a tree until it all blew over. Liam: “Oh, yeah, you’re definitely more of a lover.” Harry: “Easy there, Piers Morgan.”

The next question is from a group of girls wearing Christmas sweaters, which annoys Harry because “it’s a whole month and two days early,” but I think his issues are bigger than jumping the gun on holidays (and honestly, the UK doesn’t have the twin buffers of T’day and H’ween, so you KNOW this is just part of his general rage). Anyway, they want to know what other careers these two would be involved with, sans the D, and because they’re five, Liam says spaceman and Harry says baker.

After a series of horrible glitches, the next question is about which superhero they’d be, and me as Harry, blowing a giant raspberry as he ponders this important question with the level of exhaustion he surely must feel, three years into this band/interview technique. Liam can read the room, so he picks this one up and says he’d be Kung-Fu Panda, which makes it easy for Harry to say Hong Kong Fuey (!!!) or Top Cat.

With that mess done, it’s time to “ROLL THE VT!” (according to Harry) for Switzerland, and because the producers here are nothing if not cliché lovers, that means tiny cowbells for Harry to play with when we come back. He quickly tires of this, throws the cowbells off stage, yells “WE NEED A CAMERA,” and walks straight into the call box with the overwhelmed girls from hour 1. These girls are still weeping, but Harry says, “Thank you for listening to the album, you’re getting kicked out, sorry,” in the flattest voice possible, so good cop Liam hurries over to ask the weeping girls which song they liked and usher in two new people.

“Happily” is debuted, but we don’t get to see it, boo, but we do get ushered over to a theater with some contest winners. Or as Harry says, “We’re here backstage to meet some fans who have won a chance to be here…SHUT UP…in our VIP cinema,” and then, “You’re crying…is that because I told you to shut up? I didn’t mean it.” Liam is there again to save the day, but there are lots of sound problems, so it’s hard to tell what’s happening, tbh.

Anyway, these fans get to ask some iconic questions, such as, “What would we find in your fridge?” which gives us this classic from Harry: “I DON’T LIVE ANYWHERE, SO NO FOOD,” as the audience says, “awwwwww” in the background.

There’s a question from a lady on the screen, saying that she’s in front of the X Factor studios, and she wants to know what they would change their audition song to, if they could go back in time, and because Harry’s well aware of his various stalkers, he says, “I saw her the other day at the X Factor studios, 100 percent” (fwiw, Harry would do “Wrecking Ball” with props, and Liam would do “Mirrors”).

The last question is what they would change if they could go back in time, and Liam says probably his older haircuts, and Harry says that one day in April (and he mentions April again later in the hour, so someone investigate), he had a dodgy breakfast burrito, so he’d probably change that (he also had a dodgy batch of prawns one time, too, but that’s a different story, and god, he’s an underrated comedian). The sound is for shit, but Liam doubts this, prompting Harry to scream, “DON’T JUDGE ME, LIAM, I’M TRYING MY BEST,” and whyyyyyy is he so on fire (and why do I love it so much):

We get back to the studio with an inexplicably breathless Scott Mills (he says he ran…but from where, lmao) and do another spin to figure out who the official 1D account (????) will follow on twitter. Harry starts cheating before people start yelling at him to stop, which is a shame, really, just follow all of these poor bastards, honestly!

We don’t get to see the VT from Germany, but we do get to see Lirry bickering about camera problems and stolen lines, plus an exhaustive rundown of all the thrilling things to come, and I’m so thankful to the person who made this moment a Dua Lipa meme all those months ago:

One of my favorite segments has a really awkward setup, but tl/dr/dw, Harry brags, “I’m a bit of a chef myself, and if I’m honest, Liam, I’m pretty damned good at it,” so we get a “ROLL VT!” and an aggressive finger point, both from Harry, and a silly but charming cook off with the tour chef, who seems like a lovely lady (p.s. look at how glorious his hair was under all those tablecloths…also, he’s chewing gum in a gross way, but this whole bit is worth watching in full):

The cook off is genuinely funny and results in a beautiful pavlova from Sarah and a basic sandwich (with pickle and paprika) from Harry, judged by Mark Jarvis, Gemma Styles, and Lou Teasdale, all of whom Harry bribes. I’m more fascinated with this ring, and my head canon has it either saying ILY or JEN (both of which make me smile):

With that bit over, we move on to more rapping of random tweets, and it’s embarrassing, so I won’t get into that. But the VT of Liam surfing is something special, not only because he looks so obviously happy while he’s doing it, but also because he says some very profound things in the interview around it: “I get followed a lot, so it’s quite nice to get out in the sea where nobody can follow you […] it’s so nice and peaceful […] it doesn’t matter what you look like, you can just have a good time, it’s a bit of an escape,” and ouchhhhhh, that’s some real talk.

We head back to the studio for a fashion segment with Louise someone; a handful of lucky fans in Sweden won a t-shirt design contest, and Lirry are gonna do some modeling. Louise is happy that Harry knows where Sweden is (Harry:  “I got a B in geography…might have been a C, can’t remember”), and some poor shlub working on this trainwreck in the shadow gets dragged out on camera because he’s wearing green jeans, but he’s not there for long (Harry: “GET OUT” *shove*). Louise describes the fashion show to come, and Harry says that he’s quite good at walking in straight lines, but Liam reminds him that he tends to fall over a lot on stage and that the tiny catwalk is actually pretty shiny (god bless Liam for being so responsible).

Luckily for all of us, professional model Cindy Crawford is there to help with some tips (she’s introduced as “IT’S ONLY BLOODY CINDY CRAWFORD” by Harry, and I die with Cindy’s “Hello, boys,” and Harry’s “Hello, Mrs. Crawford”…followed swiftly by Cindy’s, “Please don’t call me Mrs. Crawford”). There’s some sexi modeling, and even though he only wears two shirts to Harry’s three (*and* Harry gets down on the ground to pose), Liam wins, according to the Swedes. He requests a model  off with Cindy as his prize, and he’s surprisingly good?

The last segment is with Dynamo, the magic man, and for some reason, Harry’s weirdly agro about his own shirt mic, like, unnecessarily so, ripping it off to speak with Dynamo before gently putting it back where it belongs. Maybe he’s just frustrated about how they have to use Google+ (lololololol) for a totally convoluted imaginary concert that ultimately doesn’t work (me as him, tbh). 

While Liam does tech support live on air (!!), Harry asks Dynamo to do some card tricks to stall for time after literally nobody says a word when he monotones, “We’re having a technical difficulty…does anybody know any jokes.” Harry pulls a card as directed, but then, for seemingly no reason, he suddenly starts yelling, “THIS ISN’T WORKING, SHALL WE SEE SOME HIGHLIGHTS? HIGHLIGHTS!!! ROLL HIGHLIGHTS [aggressive pointing]!!” and the highlights are truly awful, and I hope he’s enjoying his smoke break for hour 3, jfc.

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

THE FRIGHTENERS is Peter Jackson’s Missing Link

One of the conceits of Ghostbusters is that some people consider them frauds. In both films, there’s a human villain, a government administrator in both cases, that thinks the Ghostbusters are con men; filling the public’s head with concerns of spooks and then charging the suckers to “get rid of them.” In The Frighteners, Frank Bannister is a con man ripping people off for “eradicating” spectral activity, but that’s not to say that the ghosts aren’t real, they’re just in on the con.

The Frighteners was released on July 19, 1996, and while it was not a success at the box office, it has developed a devoted cult following. Of course, some of that might have to do with the appreciation of the work of Peter Jackson by the broader audience. It was after he finished this movie that Jackson, and many of the same members of the film crew, took up the challenge of a little project called The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Back in 1996 though, Jackson was merely known for a few, small gross out horror films like Meet the Feebles, and his critically acclaimed drama Heavenly Creatures. After that success, Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh pitched a projected about a town haunted by the Grim Reaper, and the huckster exorcist that knows all the ghost stories are real. This would become The Frighteners.

    Jackson and Walsh were lucky enough to find a patron that believed in their pitch, Robert Zemeckis. It was Zemeckis’ intention to take the idea, and turn it into a Tales from the Crypt spin-off movie that he would direct, but he ended up liking the finished script so much that he agree to let Jackson direct it as a standalone story. Universal Pictures financed and distributed the movie, and gave Zemeckis and Jackson rare creative control, including final cut.

It was also the Zemeckis connection that allowed Jackson to cast his first choice for Bannister, Michael J. Fox. Although not necessarily as bankable as he was in the 80s, Fox was still steadily employed, and perhaps in the midst of a bit of a career resurgence. It was later that same year when Fox returned to TV and starred in a new successful sitcom called Spin City in which he played the put upon deputy mayor of New York. It was while he was shooting Spin City that Fox announced that he had Parkinson’s, and to date, The Frighteners is Fox’s final leading role in a film.

It could be argued though that the real star of The Frighteners though, was its visual effects. Weta Digital, now at the forefront of computer effects technology, was just three years old at the time, but it carried the heavy load of the film’s complex visuals effects, including characters that were all or partially CG. These include “The Judge” played by John Astin, an Old West hanging judge with a loose jaw and a skeletal torso. While The Judge is partially CG, the Grim Reaper figure was all computer generated, and it doesn’t quite stand out by 2018 standards.

    That Reaper figure is not the actual spectre of death, but the film’s villain Johnny Bartlett played by Jake Busey. Barlett was a spree killer put to death decades earlier, but even in the afterlife he was obsessed with ratcheting up his “score”. Through the course of the film, it’s revealed that the ghostly Bartlett had killed Bannister wife after the two were in a car accident, the originating event of Frank’s psychic ability’s and Johnny Bartlett’s first post-death murder.

Now Johnny Bartlett the character is inspired by real-life spree killer Charles Starkweather. Starkweather killed his way though Nebraska and Wyoming over a two month period in December 1957 and January 1958, and was arrested after murdering 12 people. During a one week period in January, Starkweather killed 11 people, and it was during this period we has in the company of his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. Fugate served 17 years in prison after a jury found testimony that alleged she was a hostage of Starkweather to not be credible.

This dynamic comes into play in The Frighteners too. Like Starkweather, Bartlett had an accomplice in a teenage girl named Patricia Bradley, who was more than a little than just okay with being romantic with a psychopath. The adult Patricia is played by Dee Wallace Stone, who Jackson cast because he liked the idea of hiring the mom from E.T. as a way to surprise the audience about Patricia’s allegiance.

Trini Alvarado, then perhaps best known for playing Meg in Little Women, and the Re-Animator himself, Jeffrey Combs, round out the main cast. Alvarado plays Dr. Lucy Lynskey, a doctor who’s husband is killed by ghost Bartlett, and becomes Frank’s sidekick and love interest. Combs is FBI Agent Dammers, which sounds a lot like “Dahmer”, an expert in cults and the paranormal who suspects Frank is the real killer and only pretending to see ghosts.

    There are a lot of players on this complex stage that Jackson set. Chi McBride and Jim Fyfe play two of Frank’s ghostly partners, Julianna McCarthy plays Patricia Bradley’s paranoid mother, and R. Lee Emery appears as, what’s essentially, the ghost of this drill sergeant character from Full Metal Jacket. The setting is the town of Fairwater, Jackson’s native New Zealand dressed up to look like a quaint sea-side town in either New England of the Pacific Northwest.

As to the play itself, it’s clear that Jackson pulled influences from Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice. At its heart is the idea that death is not a transformative experience, but just another condition of life where people become more of what they are. After he dies, Lucy’s husband Ray continues to jog and be considered about his physical health even though he’s an intangible spectral blob of ectoplasm. In other words, you can’t change who you are even after you’re dead.

There’s also a bit of Stephen King and Twin Peaks in The Frighteners. It’s the small town tableau where everybody knows each other, and knows about the strange goings-on, but at some level refuses to accept it. And considering that New Zealand was still an unknown element to a lot of North American moviegoers, so the real life locale accentuates the fantasy in a way.

Indeed, The Frighteners laid the ground work for Jackson’s journey to Middle Earth in many ways: shooting New Zealand, and mixing practical effects with computer generated imagery. In hindsight, The Frighteners might be seen as a dress rehearsal for The Lord of the Rings, a chance for Jackson to stretch his skills and prove he was ready to tackle the complex technical requirements of the trilogy. That’s not to say that Jackson wasn’t talented enough to pull off LOTR without the work on The Frighteners, but it was mentioned in many reviews for The Frighteners that the effects work overwhelmed the story.

    On the other hand, Jackson’s career path might explain the success of The Lord of the Rings. In an era when a director is plucked from the indie oeuvre and given a $200 million budget, said director either rises to the challenge or buckles under the weight of the size and scope. Could Jackson bear the weight of LOTR easier having made The Frighteners?

Looking back at The Frighteners it’s easy to see why critics would get the impression that it’s more interested in the technical. Have said that, what’s working in the film’s favour is that The Frighteners is chock full of ideas, and is capable of navigating a wide spectrum of tones from camp to thrills. The film also reminds us of the inherent charm of Michael J. Fox, even when he’s trying to play someone unlikable on the surface.

It also marks a passing of sorts. Horror sometimes seems like the game for the younger directors, a chance for them to show their proficiency in the language of cinema. After The Frighteners, Jackson worked on the blockbuster scale with a King Kong remake, and The Hobbit trilogy, with only a break in between for the smaller Lovely Bones adaptation. Jackson’s not shown much of sign that he’s interested in going back to splatter shock and gallows humour. It seems that time has passed.

The Frighteners though stands at a fascinating intersection in terms of its director’s resume, and being the rare horror comedy that slips through the studio machine. It’s interesting to note that The Frighteners was released on the same day that the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta began, so as soon it opened, The Frighteners was buried under the anticipation and expectation of something decidedly more upbeat. The makes The Frighteners, in the end, ripe for rediscovery.

  The post THE FRIGHTENERS is Peter Jackson’s Missing Link appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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[attract-mode-collective]

The Breath of The Wild, Being Played In The Wild

All right, let’s get that E3 aftertaste out of your mouth, with a long overdue helping of Game Culture Snapshots.

Now, for those of you new to Attract Mode (sup, folks on Medium) here’s the deal: there is perhaps no better platform than Instagram when it comes to honestly and intimately illustrating the pervasiveness of video games in our everyday life, IMHO.

It’s something I’ve been doing my best to present for quite some time now, and after a bit of an absence around these parts (though folks like Oliver has helped filled that void), I figured it was about time that the thing one thing that best defines the Attract Mode blog, and perhaps Attract Mode as a whole, made a return.

At least until the Super Attractive Club is back in business. And… it’s been a while, as evidenced by the image above and below, of Jake Kazdal taken shortly after the Switch’s launch in Japan…

BTW, again for you newbies, I sometimes present Instagrams in whatever order. Other times, there’s a theme. Like this time, cuz here we have another depiction of buttons being pushed, of someone at The King of Games HQ lost in PS4 VR…

One will also find a Famicom Mini and this sign of exuberance over… okay, I can’t tell which level in Super Mario Bros was just finished, but from the looks of it, it was a hard one…

Turning back the clock even further, here’s a snapshot courtesy of Stuart Brett, from the 1986 edition of the Hudson Caravan. I just love how color coordinated everything is…

And this one’s from what appears to be an Instragram account belonging to a museum dedicated to the golden era of games (before Nintendo entered the picture). Hence this pic of kids checking out the merchandise at Sears circa 1978…

Though right here, right now, it’s hella hot all over the country. So when you need to stay cool, but also collect those Pokemans, like Adam’s kid Dante…

Meanwhile Adam Frost’s kid is handling the Game Boy for the very first time. Try to imagine a GB that’s similar to you in size, scale-wise… is there a handheld that currently exists that would work?

Here we have misterraroo’s kids lounging on a rug with squares that are reminiscent of the blocks from the original Game Boy version of Tetris…

He also recently caught this fellow Nintendo dork while waiting in line at Universal Studios with the kids playing with… a PSP?

Speaking of, was happy to see Cory running Suzuki Bakuhatsu on his…

Skot Deeming recently went to the Louvre and unfortunately had a hard time seeing the Mona Lisa in person, but thanks to his 3DS, he didn’t have get all that close after all…

And here’s kappuru playing… something… or maybe he’s checking out Google Maps on his phone, in front of a game center in Hong Kong?

Mark Essen recently encountered a Pac-Man player who clearly dresses for success…

Julius Viloria has a mini Neo Geo arcade cab, one that he lets Optimus Prime play, to blow off steam…

Meanwhile, Shawn Robare has a custom made Monster Squad cab that both Gizmo and Stripe are willing to team up to play…

Whereas microom shows us that Fuchiko, when she’s not hanging from the side of a cup, likes to play Dragon Quest 3 for the Famicom…

You know who also loves the Famicom? The undead, as Mare Sheppard shows us…

So I though my TV was on the small side; Tonyo’s place is only big enough to have a Nokia Windows phone, but at least it’s good enough for Akira and Kazuma…

themisterfalcon has a cat and it can play video games…

Patrick Miller also has a cat and it wants attention…

men_gunners recently attended a performance featuring my fave chipunter with a Famicom on his head, Professor Sakamoto…

Though when it comes to documenting that particular genre of music, no one does it better than Marjorie Becker; here’s a recent fave from her, of Fastbom at some chip show in BC…

One more from Marjorie, and the last pic for now, of a dearly departed friend; the local NYC chiptune scene was dealt a very heavy blow with the recent passing of Tony Ness. There’s not a whole lot to say here, other than how everyone who knew the guy also loved the guy. RIP…

Don’t forget: Attract Mode is now on Medium! There you can subscribe to keep up to date, as well as enjoy some “best of” content you might have missed the first time around, plus be spared of the technical issues that’s starting to overtake Tumblr. 

[chill-pill-life]

Seventeen going to the Convenience Store

Episode Four: Where Seventeen visits the convenience store because of someone’s hunger.

Mingyu: “Wonwoo~”

Wonwoo:

Mingyu: “Wonwoo~”

Wonwoo:

Mingyu: “WONWOO!!!”

Wonwoo: *jumps up from bed in shock* “What now?”

Mingyu: “I’m hungry” *smiles*

Wonwoo: “You’ve got to be kidding me”

Mingyu: “Minghao”

The8: “Shut up and go back to bed”

Mingyu: “No wake up!”

The8: “Go bother someone else”

Mingyu: “I’m hungry let’s go to the convenience store”

The8: “Ask someone else like Wonwoo”

Mingyu: “I did and he didn’t want to”

The8: “Obviously he wouldn’t IT’S 4AM YOU IDIOT”

Mingyu: “FINE you all leave me with no choice then…” *leaves room*

The8: “Finally thank god”

Mingyu: *takes a sip of water*

Mingyu: *clears throat*

Mingyu: “FIREEEEEEEEEEEE!!! FIREEEEEEEEEEE!!! WAKE UP EVERYONE THERE’S A FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”

Mingyu: “COUPS HYUNG YOUR CHILDREN ARE ON FIREEEEE”

Mingyu: “JEONGHAN HYUNG YOUR HAIR IS ON FIREEEEE”

Mingyu: “WOOZI HYUNG YOUR STUDIO IS ON FIREEEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “CHAN YOUR MICHAEL JACKSON ALBUMS ARE ON FIREEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “VERNON YOUR MACBOOK IS ON FIREEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “HOSHI HYUNG WOOZI IS ON FIREEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “JOSHUA HYUNG YOUR GUITARS ARE ON FIREEEEEE”

Mingyu: “WONWOO YOUR BEANIE COLLECTION IS ON FIREEEEEE”

Mingyu: “JUN YOUR PASSPORT BACK TO CHINA IS ON FIREEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “SEUNGKWAN JEJU IS ON FIREEEEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “SEOKMIN DONKEY KONG IS ON FIREEEEEEE”

Mingyu: “MINGHAO MINGYU IS ON FIREEEEEEEEEEEEE”

Mingyu: *takes a seat on the sofa and waits patiently*

Seventeen: *runs into the living room*

Scoups: “MY CHILDREN ARE YOU ALL ALRIGHT?!”

Jeonghan: “AM I- AM I BALDDDD???! No wait don’t tell me I don’t want to know” *cries*

Dino: “MICHAEL JACKSON MY SPECIAL EDITION ALBUMS DON’T WORRY DINO WILL PROTECT CHU”

Jun: “My passport! My passport! Nooo!! I need it to leave this placeeeee”

Wonwoo: “1 beanie, 2 beanie, 3 beanie, 4 beanie…. WAIT beanie number 5 is missing!!!”

Hoshi: “WOOZI WOOZI WOOZI ARE YOU OUHKAY ERMAGAWD I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE SECRETLY CREPT INTO YOUR ROOM TO SLEEP TONIGHT”

Woozi: “You creep into my room to sleep?!”

Hoshi: “I didn’t say anything”

Vernon: *runs out with a pail of water and pours it on his mac*

Woozi: “Vernon, you know that you just poured a bucket full of water on your perfectly fine Macbook right?”

Vernon:

Vernon: “What?” *realises situation*

Woozi: “Unlike you all, I don’t fall for Mingyu’s dumbass tricks”

Vernon: “Give me a moment while I cry in the corner”

Woozi: “It’s gone bro”

Seungkwan: “HELLO HI OMG MUM I HEARD THAT THERE’S A FIRE IN JEJU ARE U OKAYYY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S NO FIRE?”

Joshua: “Is this powder on the floor- perhaps the remains of my guitar?” *welps*

The8: “No, it’s just leftover ramen seasoning that a certain someone forgot to clean last night”

Mingyu: “Minghao, I said I was on FIREEEee! why aren’t you asking if I’m okay??”

The8: “I honestly just came out to watch you get burnt alive but after coming out of my room, I am utterly disappointed”

Scoups: “Hang on someone’s missing! ONE OF MY CHILDREN IS MISSING!”

Scoups: “SEOKMIN! SEOKMIN WHERE ARE YOU?”

DK: “Sleeping”

Mingyu: “But your donkey kong is on fire!”

DK: “UGH I’m so done with you Mingyu, I hope every donkey kong burns to the ground” gasp

Scoups: “Okay so everyone’s fine, there is clearly NO fire, it’s 4 in the morning, what in the name is the meaning of this Kim Mingyu?”

Mingyu: “Mingyu wants food”

Seventeen: “…”

Jeonghan: “So let me get this straight, you woke us up at 4 freaking AM and messed around with my hair getting caught on fire, for food?!?!?!”

The8: “I knew it”

Vernon: “Dude not cool, my macbook got fried” *sobs*

DK: “Great, so donkey kong isn’t on fire, what a nightmare”

Woozi: “I’m going back to bed”

Mingyu: “But Mingyu wants some food” *pouts*

Jun: “Someone hold me back if not I’m gonna hit this tall thing”

Scoups: “Alright, alright. First of all, no violence in this household is allowed, secondly if it was allowed, I am the one who is going to hit this child”

Scoups: “Thirdly, since we’re already up, let’s just go down and get some food”

Mingyu: “YAYYY” *throws confetti in the air*

Dino: “Confetti! Wheeeeee!!” *tries to catch confetti*

Joshua: “Am I the only one who wonders where the confetti came from?”

Jun: “There is no way I’m going down at this time-“

Wonwoo: “I’m a little hungry”

Jun: “LETS GO”

Jeonghan: “Seungcheol, I blame you for spoiling our children”

Joshua: *glares at coups*

Scoups: “What do you mean? Mingyu’s bad habits came from you…”

Jeonghan: “What are you saying, you’re the one who always-“

Mingyu: “I WANT FOOD”

Scoups: “Can’t you see that your parents are arguing?!”

Jeonghan: “Don’t yell at the children!”

Scoups: “URGH”

*at the store*

Mingyu: “This is how heaven must look like”

Seungkwan: “Yeah, if you want to gain like 50 pounds and wear a size 100, going to the emergency ward for a heart attack then yeah sure!”

Dino: “Dino was upset about my albums before but my heart is fluttering, I think I’m in love”

Jun: *stares at chan and stares at the dinosaur crackers and back at chan*

Jun: “Must. Contain. Judgement.”

Dino: *hugs box of dinosaur shaped crackers*

Jeonghan: “Do you want me to buy that for you Dino?”

Dino: *nods like the adorable child he is*

Vernon: “Do they sell Macbooks here?”

Joshua: “No Hansol it’s a convenience store why would they sell Macbooks?”

Joshua: “Frankly, I’m quite happy that your Macbook is gone, it’s been creating a gap between our relationship, now I just need your phone to disappear and it’ll be all good between us”

Vernon: “Hello kind sir, do you perhaps sell Macs?”

Cashier: “Oh, we don’t but down the street there’s a Mac-“

Vernon: “THANK YOU SIR I WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR KINDNESS” *runs*

Cashier: “-Mcdonalds…”

Joshua: “So far so great” appearance of evil josh?

Mingyu: “HOLY MOLY WHAT IS THIS?”

Wonwoo: “Chips?”

Hoshi: “It’s called Cheetos gyu, haven’t you tried it before?”

Mingyu: “BUT IT’S ORANGE!”

The8: “It’s just cheese”

Mingyu: “CHEESEEEE”

Mingyu: *opens bag*

Wonwoo: “Erm Mingyu you know that you’re supposed to pay before opening it right?”

Mingyu: “Om nom nom what is this magical taste in my mouth?”

The8: “Don’t over-react Mingyu, it’s just chips covered in oil and artificial flavoured cheese”

Seungkwan: “You forgot to add trans fat”

Mingyu: “But it tastes sho good!” *squeals*

Mingyu: “Minghao can you hold this for me, I need to tie my shoelaces”

The8: “Fine but hurry up”

Cashier: “Did you just open up the chips without paying?!”

Mingyu: “He did it” *points to Minghao*

The8: “WHAT THE FUNK YO”

Cashier: “I’m calling the cops” *takes phone out*

Scoups: “Okay what’s happening now?”

Cashier: “Are these yours?”

Scoups: “Yes they’re my children, that at this point of time I’m seriously considering abandoning, but for now yes they are”

Cashier: “They opened the packet of chips without paying for it, it’s a crime and they can go to jail for it”

Seungkwan: “I predict you’re going to rot in that cell until you’re 30”

The8: “I ain’t going to jail man”

Scoups: “I’m sorry, these kids didn’t know any better, can I just pay for it instead? Please don’t call the cops, we have a music show to do tomorrow and the CEO will flip out if they aren’t there, just tell me how much it is”

Cashier: “Just pay me 50 bucks and we’ll call it even”

Scoups: “50?! What a rip-off!”

Hoshi: “Well there goes your hard-earned money”

The8: “The worst part is… I DIDN’T EVEN DO IT”

Cashier: “What do you mean you didn’t do it, the bag is open and it’s in your hands”

Mingyu: “YEAH MINGHAO HOW COULD YOU! ITS ILLEGAL!”

The8: “WHY I OUTTA-“ *rolls up sleeve* thughao

Scoups: “Boys, don’t fight here!”

Seungkwan: “Pass me that bag of chips hosh, this is getting interesting”

Cashier: “Hello is this the police?”

Scoups: “OKAY SIR HERE’S 50 DOLLARS ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?”

Cashier: “Sorry, there’s an inflation of price, it’s 100 now”

Scoups: “That is absurd, it’s practically daylight robbery!”

Wonwoo: “Actually hyung, it’s night-time robbery…. because it’s at night…”

Hoshi: “So it’s either we sent Minghao to jail or pay $100? What kind of sick logic is that?”

Seungkwan: “I say we send Minghao to jail and spend the hundred on something else like meat”

The8:“I feel the love y’all”

Cashier: “The address is 62-gil Gangnam-gu, yes the convenience store-“

Scoups: “HERE’S 100!”

Cashier: “Happy New Year children” *kisses the stack of cash*

Hoshi: “There goes our lunch for tomorrow”

Scoups: “WHO DID IT”

Wonwoo: “Wonwoo will not testify”

The8: “I swear hyung its Mingyu”

Mingyu: *shakes head*

The8: “You liar! You almost sent me to JAIL!”

Mingyu: “Okay fine, I opened it. It just looks so yummy I had to eat one”

Scoups: “The CEO gave it to me for us to use wisely and now it’s all gone, you better not make any more trouble or I’m going to seriously consider abandoning you”

Seungkwan: “Don’t forget that he broke Jin Sunbaenim’s display case that day”

Mingyu: “SHHHHH don’t remind him”

Scoups: “Let’s just all go home and get some rest”

*back at the dorm*

Mingyu: *sits on bed and takes out Cheetos packet*

DK: *wakes up*

DK: “What is that crunching sound?”

Mingyu: …

DK: *sniff sniff*

DK: “Is that cheetos I smell?”

Mingyu: “MINE!” *closes packet and hides under blanket*

[fatpie42-blog]

2017 Movie Guide: March - June

Anticipated movies in March

Get Out

UK release date: 17 March 2017 (UK)

An incredible trailer for this film exploring a fear of white people and mind control has me very excited.

The Void

UK release date: 31 March 2017 

Steven Kostanski made the "W is for Wish" segment from ABCs of Death 2 which was particularly appealing for me because it was like a horror interpretation of the science-fantasy world of Masters of the Universe. (Kostanski also created Manborg which I am now keener to check out than ever. A John Carpenter-style Lovecraftian horror will always appeal to me, but this looks awesome. Also Ellen Wong (Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) is in this too!

Also considered March releases

Logan UK release date: 1 March 2017

While I didn't like the last Wolverine solo movie at all an interesting trailer for Logan has me intrigued. Besides, by this stage you can probably expect me to check out any X Men movie universe film at some point.

Kong: Skull Island UK release date: 10 March 2017

Another King Kong movie potentially leading on to a showdown with Godzilla. It looks like a lot of fun.

Power Rangers UK release date: 23 March 2017

Dean Israelite's debut "Project Alamanac" was a bit awkward and was understandably criticised as a Chronicle rip-off, but it showed enough promise for me to be excited by his (also Chronicle-esque) Power Rangers reboot.

Ghost in the Shell UK release date: 31 March 2017

The more I see of this film the more excited I get. Scarlett Johansson in those action scenes looks awesome and the visuals are amazing. I'm just not certain that Rupert Sanders (Snow White And The Huntsman) can pull this off.

Anticipated movie in April

The Handmaiden

UK release date: 14 April 2017

It's the latest from Chan-Wook Park and while I found his films after Oldboy were a bit hit and miss, I was absolutely blown away by his last film: Stoker. I've no idea what to expect from The Handmaiden, but I'm hearing good things.

Also considered April release

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 UK release date: 28 April 2017

By now, like most people, I've become an avid follower of the Marvel Studios films. Guardians of the Galaxy actually wasn't a favourite for me, but I'm still keen to keep up.

Anticipated movies in May

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

UK release date: 12 May 2017

Some have been understandably perturbed at seeing a Guy Ritchie adaptation of the Arthur legend where Arthur Pendragon comes across as "a geezer". Still, after The Man From UNCLE, which I loved so much, I'm prepared to give this project the benefit of the doubt. This looks like a more fun version of John Boorman's “Excalibur” and I'm looking forward to a unique take on the material.

Alien: Covenant

UK release date: 19 May 2017

Ridley Scott's The Martian was awesome and I was actually a fan of Prometheus. (The concept of a terrifying cultish alien race responsible for our existence really captured my imagination.) I love the alien movies (at least the second and third anyway) and I'm so glad we are getting this expansion of that universe rather than the semi-reboot that Neil Blomkamp was promising.

Also considered June release

Gifted 2017 UK release date: 16 June 2017  

I loved Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man movies, particularly for how moving the central relationship was in the movie. (I've been meaning to check out 500 Days Of Summer.) His work particularly impressed me considering how much he seemed to be succeeding in spite of dodgy script decisions and studio interference. There's nothing particularly impressive about the premise but I may need to check this out.

[theheavymetalmama]

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

2016 was an exceptionally shit year on many fronts and I for one won’t miss it. Hopefully 2017 will be better, but given that soon we’ll have a president who lets his ego make important decisions and has elected cabinet members who don’t know the first fucking thing about any of their positions...yeah. It’s going to be a long, trying four to~God fucking help us~eight years. But 2017 does at least have one thing going for it, and that’s the fact that it’s a big year for movies, which means lots of opportunities to escape from this horrible, horrible world for at least an hour and a half.

Now this isn’t a top ten list, as if it was the vast majority of this list would be taken up by comic book movies. Instead, this is just a general list of movies I want to see and hopefully get to see this year, starting with least anticipated and ending with most anticipated. Starting with...

Resident Evil: the Final Chapter

Kind of cheating here because there’s something I want to clarify; I don’t want to see this movie. Rather, I want this movie franchise to die and I hope against hope that this is indeed the FINAL chapter...though I’m not holding my breath. The one thing I am looking forward to is the inevitable review from Phelous. If you love the RE games but hate the movies, watch his reviews on them because he just rips them to pieces.

Wonder Woman

In an ideal world, this movie would probably be my number one movie I’m most looking forward to, or at least somewhere in the top three. But we don’t live in an ideal world, we live in a world where some asshat thought it was a good idea to kill Superman in two movies and made Batman and Superman both having moms named Martha a big plot twist and the execs fucking went with it. Suffice to say the DCEU has been an ongoing shitshow. Man of Steel was just okay, Suicide Squad was laughably bad, and Batman v Superman was a chemical plant dumpster fire. So while I’m not as excited for the first female lead superhero movie in over a decade as I should be, Wonder Woman has some good things going for it. Different director, different producers, writers...are not ideal but weirder things have happened before, it takes place in World War I making it totally disconnected from the other DCEU movies, and the fucking trailer has more color and levity than the entirety of both Man of Steel AND Batman v Superman. Hopefully this will be the movie that turns things around for both the DCEU and female lead superhero and action movies as a whole.

XXX: Return of Xander Cage

Yes, the first movie is dated as hell with its’ aesthetics and its’ overall writing and attitude makes it the cinematic equivalent to pogs and the second movie was basically a 90 minute advertisement for Pimp My Ride (is that show still even on?) and as a whole both movies have aged like milk. However, the makers of this movie seem aware of that and have seemed to embrace the post-number four Fast and Furious franchise’s attitude of “Hey, this is basically a bunch of cartoon characters who settle things with racing of all things, let’s stop taking this shit so seriously and have some fun.” Vin Diesel shines best when he either gives a genuine performance or goes so over the top that GI Joe would tell him to tone it down a bit. Still pretty low on the list because, honestly, I’m not expecting much out of this one.

Friday the 13th

Hopefully this one goes better than the last attempt at a reboot.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

There have been several movies based on the King Arthur fable over the years, and while none of them were particularly bad they can’t be defended as good movies either. However, this one has a shot because it’s being directed by Guy Ritchie. You know, the dude behind those RDJ-lead Sherlock Holmes movies, as well as ‘Snatch’ and ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ Every other attempt at making a King Arthur movie since ‘Sword in the Stone’ has tried playing it straight to varying degrees of success, Monty Python and the Holy Grail not withstanding. Hopefully Ritchie’s gonzo take on Sherlock will work wonders for King Arthur as well.

Kong: Skull Island

Godzilla 2014 was a very polarizing movie. I liked it, but will admit its’ not without problems. Still, there are three things everyone can agree on. Tricking the audience into thinking Brian Cranston was the lead when in fact it was a boring white-bread version Kick-Ass was a dick movie on the studio’s part, the tone was needlessly grim, and despite having the best looking Godzilla to date (sorry, Shin Godzilla) there was too little Godzilla in the movie. It’s sequel (yes, Kong: Skull Island is a Godzilla 2014 sequel) seems to be taking those criticisms to heart, with an all-star cast and a welcoming injection of humor and levity, this is one monster movie to look forward to.

Power Rangers

Yeah, I’m honestly not sure what to expect of this one. Either it’s going to blow our minds or it’s going to be a disaster of Biblical proportions. Either way, I’m eager to find out.

Beauty and the Beast

As far as animation goes, save for ‘The Good Dinosaur’ Disney and Pixar have been knocking it out of the park since Wreck-It-Ralph. The live-action remakes of their classics, however, are a bit of a mixed bag. Maybe this is the one that will turn it around for them, as they seem to be bringing their A-game with this one.

Logan

The X-Men franchise is running on fumes. First Class was excellent, Days of Future Past was good, Apocalypse fell flat on its’ face, and while Deadpool was a ton of fun a big part of that movie’s charm was hanging a giant lampshade on how little it had to do with the other X-Men movies. At this point, I’m long past the ‘give it back to Marvel’ phase and just want to see this franchise put on the shelf for a bit. Having said that, one aspect that does still hold up is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Sure, Origins was crap, but The Wolverine was at least two parts of a decent B-movie. And with ‘Logan’ being Jackman’s last hurrah as as everyone favorite Canadian, hopefully this is a worthy send-off.

War of the Planet of the Apes

Hey, the first two were good. Hopefully they can go three-for-three.

Jumanji

Remakes tend to be hit and miss, so kudos to the studio for deciding to not even bother trying to recreate the original and tell something different entirely. This movie will be a collect of shorts focusing on the experiences of different people involved with the game, or so they say at least. I just there’s a scene where The Rock and Jack Black can interact because that would be just golden.

Kingsman: the Golden Circle

The first one was a surprise hit and an even more surprising ton of fun, and I have no doubt in my mind this one will do the same.

Lego Batman

I was as shocked as anyone when The Lego Movie was not just good, but so much better than anyone expected as well as better than a 90 minute toy advertisement deserved to be. Hopefully not only will lightning strike twice, but above all else I hope this movie shows how Batman having friends and allies is a good thing and serves as a step toward putting the tired, achingly cliche, egregiously overdone, hopelessly outdated, grimdark, moody, paranoid, untrusting, morally ambiguous, post Frank miller “MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEAAAAAAAD!” version of Batman we’ve been stuck with for the last 30 years to fucking rest.

Murder on the Orient Express

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good mystery movie and even longer since I’ve seen the iconic literary figure Hercule Poirot in...well, anything. Hopefully this movie will fill that void.

Thor: Ragnarok

Let’s face it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point in time is pretty much unstoppable. Such is their talent with making good movies that not even the two most iconic superheroes ever in the same movie could hold a candle to the third Captain America movie loosely based on a comic book that isn’t even good. However, there are two irrefutable criticisms for the MCU, and it’s that as a whole the MCU is both a sausage party as well as whiter than the line in a Starbucks in Nebraska, and that the Thor movies are the weak links in the MCU chain. Hopefully the upcoming Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies will address the race and sex thing, and from the looks of things ‘Ragnarok’ will do the same for Thor. Bigger scale, elements from Planet Hulk brought into the fray, Kate Blanchette playing the villain Hela, and a possible appearance by Doctor Strange? Hell yes, sign me up!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Do I really need to explain this one?

Star Wars: Episode VIII

The Force Awakens was good. Rogue One was even better. As of right now I haven’t the slightest idea of what VIII will even be about, but I’m sure it will be good. Not to mention it’s the last time we’ll see the late Carrie Fisher in anything.

And my number one most anticipated movie of 2017 is...

Spider-Man: Homecoming

It’s come to my attention that some people are upset that that there won’t be a third installment to Sony’s now defunct Amazing Spider-Man series, and that...baffles me. I mean, did anybody even watch Amazing Spider-Man 2? It was...bad. Sure, there are worse movies out there, but ASM2 still wasn’t good. Andrew Garfield was good as Spider-Man but as Peter Parker he choked and choked hard, the villains sucked, and it’s painfully obvious that the people at Sony/Columbia Pictures were way more interested in keeping the Spider-Man license and aping the MCU formula in order to make a quick buck than they were in making a good Spider-Man movie.

Hopefully, this will the movie that redeems a tarnished franchise, and so far it has a lot of good things going for it. Not only can Spidey interact with the MCU, not only are they skipping the origin story, not only is Michael Fucking Keaton playing the Vulture, but actor Tom Holland was a better Spider-Man in a few minutes of Civil War than the entirety of both Maguire and Garfield in the previous five Spider-Man movies. What else can I say? Oh yeah, I know...

UNDEROOS!

[myhollywoodnews-blog]

Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner's Eye Shadow Palette

Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner's Eye Shadow Palette

Jeremy Brown - Latest News - My Hollywood News

Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner’s Eye Shadow Palette, Hollywood Celebrity Club.

2020 New Celebrities, A Wrinkle In Time Film, Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner’s Eye Shadow Palette.

Hollywood News 2018 Latest Story Celebrity film production Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American motion picture studio based at The Walt Hollywood Studios in Burbank, California and is a subsidiary of Walt Hollywood Studios, itself a wholly owned division of The Walt Hollywood Company, with film producer Kevin Feige serving as president. Previously, the studio was a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment until The Walt Hollywood Company reorganized the companies in August 2015.

Can you watch Hollywood Celebrities anywhere without Internet?

Downloading a Celebrity from the Hollywood Celebrities Anywhere app saves the video file onto your device so you can watch it without an Internet connection. You will need to be connected to the Internet to download your Celebrity. Once you have finished downloading, you can watch your downloaded Celebrities offline and on the go.

What is Mulan’s last name?

Although Mulan is set in north China, where the dominant language is Mandarin, the Hollywood film uses the Cantonese pronunciation, “Fa”, of her family name. In Mandarin her name is pronounced “Hua”.

Where are there Hollywoodlands in the world?

Hollywoodland – Hollywoodland Resort – Anaheim, California USA. The Magic Kingdom – Walt Hollywood World – Orlando, Florida USA. Hong Kong Hollywoodland – Hong Long Hollywoodland Resort – Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Tokyo Hollywoodland – Tokyo Hollywood Resort – Urayasu, Chiba, Japan.

More Celebrity News ►►

When Kim Kardashian launched KKW Beauty a lot of people accused her of ripping off of her sisters’ goldmine: Kylie Cosmetics. But then people backed off a bit because Kim released her contour sticks – we all know she’s the contour queen – which is an item not found in the Kylie Cosmetics line.

Yesterday Kim announced that she and her longtime makeup artist Makeupbymario were coming out with a line together through KKW beauty. When the KKW beauty Instagram account posted this photo of the KKW / Mario eye shadow pallet, people were quick to notice that it looks extremely similar to Kylie’s Royal Peach Pallet. Take a look at them side by side:

The both have similar looking shades, both cost $45 dollars and similar packaging. But if you guys look closely, Kylie’s pallet is white and has 12 shades while Kim’s is grey and only has 10 shades. Also, they both have one blue pot but Kim’s is metallic blue and Kylie’s is a matte blue.

Of course fans took to twitter to call Kim out though with one use tweeting: If I was kylie I’d be heated and another tweeting I actually think the #KKWxMARIO palette looks lush but isn’t it the exact colour scheme as Kylie’s peach palette?… The only difference I can see is the texture of the blue?

My thoughts: I truly feel like even though they’re both sisters they have somewhat of a different fan base. Not huge, but I do think it’s a little different. Also, since when does someone own colors? I go to Sephora all the time and other makeup brands have similar eye shadow pallets so can we really say Kim ripped off of Kylie? I personally am super excited about Kim & Mario’s new line since they basically brought baking and contouring o the forefront. I want to hear from you guys now though. Do YOU think Kim ripped of Kylie with her new eye shadow pallet? Sound off in the comment section below and then when you’re done with that, click right over here to see Kylie’s post-baby makeover. Also, don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you so much for watching Clevver News, hit me up on my socials @nazperez and maybe I’ll see you on Instagram! Bye!

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Latest Hollywood English Celebrities 2017 New English Films, Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner’s Eye Shadow Palette.

Some of Hollywood’s animated family films have drawn fire for being accused of having sexual references hidden in them, among them The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994). Instances of sexual material hidden in some versions of The Rescuers (1977) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) resulted in recalls and modifications of the films to remove such content. Hollywood Celebrities Recut Latest Story, Fans Think Kim Kardashian RIPPED OFF Kylie Jenner’s Eye Shadow Palette.

https://www.myhollywoodnews.com/fans-think-kim-kardashian-ripped-off-kylie-jenners-eye-shadow-palette/

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