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stickthisbig · 1 year ago

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I have no idea what this is but I decided to write down my grand theory of Star Wars and how authorship affects the ways in which stories are good and bad? Come for media critique, stay for the analogy at the very end about how Star Wars is like college, also there's gifs

The original trilogy is a series of derivative works. That's not a pejorative, but a description of their content and structure; they are constructions that use existing pieces to tell a new story. They are samurai movies, they are meditations on Joseph Campbell. They are the work of a film nerd trying to create a story that is Everything. There's nothing novel about the storytelling of the original trilogy; it was just particularly well executed, because they were made with love by a craftsman, surrounded by a team who kept him from giving in to the worst of his narrative excesses (most notably but not limited to Marcia Lucas).

There's a lot of No Reason in the original trilogy. Why's Darth Vader so strong in the Force? No reason. It doesn't have time to delicately explain everything, so it relies on the audience's understanding of the shape of the story to fill in the gaps. It's the time in the story for someone to fall in love, so a romance plotline it shall be. The author is trying to do something, and he successfully does it.

The prequel trilogy represents an older creator for whom derivative works were not enough, who had been creatively stifled by the very thing he created. (I strongly recommend Patrick H Willems's series about Frances Ford Coppola if you want a really interesting take on George Lucas and the tragedy of his career.) Extremely importantly, they represent a creator with almost unlimited cash and no one to tell him to tone it down.

Everything that is bad about the prequel trilogy is because they were made with a vision by a creator who was trying to do something. George Lucas has six hours and fifty-eight minutes of material prepared about diplomacy, representative democracy, and how all unchecked power is always all bad and by god we are all gonna sit here until he finishes it. The writing is so clunky because it is not there to build character or relationships; it is there to convey information. The sequences with the Gungans are such a mess because they're the injection of (very inadvisable) comic relief into a story that is not supposed to have any relief at all.

One of the worst sins of the prequel trilogy is the rejection of No Reason. It continually poses questions that do not need answers and then takes pains to answer them. Why's Darth Vader so strong in the Force? His mother conceived him as a virgin birth because of the Force, by way of midichlorians, which as we all know are the powerhouse of the cell. It is such a deeply unsatisfying answer, but George Lucas seems incredibly sincere about the fact that this is important. He is trying to position his derivative work within a new fandom context that conceives of his work as wholly original, and the wild thing is, I think George Lucas always thought all of this and just wasn't allowed to put it in. Improbably, the problem is not that he hasn't thought enough about his own lore, as a common charge goes; he appears to have thought about it way too much.

I have to confess to not being a prequel trilogy fan, but probably the single biggest thing to come out of it is Obi-Wan. Ewan McGregor almost instantly became the canonical version of the character. It's because the same thing that made it bad also made it good. It's a story that is trying to do something, and that is opening wide an almost Stendhal-syndrome-esque array of locations and people and stories. Fuck yes I want to hear everything about the person Alec Guinness used to be when he was young and badass, tell me everything about the weird desert guy. Of course I wanna go to Space Italy and see what the galaxy was like before it got dicked up. Sinister rise to power of Darth Vader's master? Check. Seeing the evil enemy built as a series of actions is the shit prequels are made for.

When the prequel trilogy is boring, it's because the pacing is fucking awful, especially in Revenge of the Sith. The dizzying array of new stuff is never boring, and you can all fight me on Kamino being one of the best planets in the whole series. When it's good to be in George Lucas's mind palace, it's extremely good. For better or worse, he did it. He gave his almost seven hour lecture, he said what he had to say, and he left.

And then we move forwards in time, into an era of Star Wars as a strategy rather than a story.

(I didn't see Solo, so it's not gonna be in here. Neither are any of the TV shows or the EU, because I have other shit to do with my life.)

The Force Awakens was not the first Star Wars film that was made by someone else; the authorship of The Empire Strikes Back is complicated- George Lucas kind of managed to ghostwrite his own movie?- but he definitely didn't direct it. Empire was very much still a Lucas production in which he was intimately involved.

The Force Awakens has a point, but it ultimately doesn't do anything.

It resets everything back to the start: an evil empire represented by British people in suits come to power; three heroes arise; a mentor who's incredibly important apparently despite only knowing the heroes for five minutes is murdered by a cloaked Force user; something is blown up. It is meant to stoke the fires of nostalgia, and it provides nothing substantive in terms of plot. In fact, it represents a retrograde movement. It is a very fun watch and a movie with absolutely nothing to say, at least nothing that wasn't written into the series thirty years beforehand.

It's not a surprise that, since it's just meant to get people hype and then serve them what they already know, the best thing it provided were its new characters. I was so stoked to see a Black person in a Star Wars movie; we got three new main characters and not a white man among them?? But let's fuckin' table that shit, because we all know what's coming.

[I was gonna put in a Kylo Ren gif but he looked like such a dipshit in all of them, you're welcome]

Actually I lied, I forgot that what came next was Rogue One. The purpose of the film is to make a war movie about Star Wars and like many/most war films, what the movie is trying to do is meditate on the duality created by the futility of war and the value of sacrifice, it fills in a blank in canon but is really a tone piece meant to make you have feelings and reflect, I watched it once and it was so touching and horrible that I've never been able to watch it again, 10/10 no notes

And then we have The Last Jedi, which is weird.

The Last Jedi represents a step back to a craftsman at the helm, and the exact same shit happened again.

It shouldn't have, because it happened again in a completely different way! The Last Jedi is a singular vision with one creative direction, and that is the cause of everything that is bad and everything that is good about it, but Rian Johnson wanted to do something radically different than George Lucas. He's not interested in giving you his Star Wars lecture; he's interested in breaking Star Wars open, thrusting it bodily in a new direction. The Last Jedi represents at least as much movement as The Empire Strikes Back.

So it's not like a shock that the movie was wildly divisive, and lists of the best and worst things are the same items shuffled around. I honestly think Admiral Holdo's death is the finest moment in the entire trilogy, in terms of visuals and in terms of emotional impact. I fuckin' love that Luke was sitting on PTSD Island sulking, because it's some Luke shit to do. "Let the past die. Kill it if you have to" got me HYPE to see where this would go. I wanted to go on that ride. I've loved Star Wars since I was a tiny child, and I wanted to go on a journey into something that was entirely fresh.

Other people hated all of these things, and honestly in this case, I don't agree but I can't say they're wrong. Wanting Rose to be deleted from the series simply for using oxygen is racist. Wanting Snoke to have had more impact on the story is a difference of opinion. Either you were interested in this ride or you weren't, and you're not a bad person for not wanting that out of your Star Wars.

But on the other hand, it's not a very good movie.

The problems that make it not very good are the result of having one guy at the wheel. It's clumsily made. It feels like it ends three times before it actually does. The Canto Bight sequences are the work of someone who doesn't want them to be in there, and somebody who could play ball would have finessed the story to make them organic. Some of the CGI work represents a lapse in professional judgment. The Force dyad stuff does not make any sense at all, because it plays like somebody who couldn't really explain a thing they were doing but refuses to stop doing it.

It's so good when it's good. I just wish it had had another screenwriter who could have fixed what was bad.

I didn't care for Rise of Skywalker.

By the time it came out, I was experiencing a kind of numbness surrounding Star Wars; not literally, because I got my tattoos finished up just before it came out. I didn't have any idea what was about to happen. There were a lot of rumors circulating about the extent to which things had gotten rewritten, but it was pretty clear that whatever it was going to be was fully an Abrams/Disney thing.

And indeed, this time, they did make a movie that tried to do something. Extremely unfortunately, what the movie was trying to do was reinforce the status quo. It did this on every level- Holdo's sacrifice was made meaningless, the minuscule amount of queer content was palatably deletable, a woman of color's lines were given to a white man who was buddies with the director, the story reverted from "everyone's a Star Wars" to "there are only four people in the galaxy who matter", Poe's awesome storyline from the comics was thrust aside for a frankly kind of racist replacement, every bit of story development from TLJ was cast aside. There are no consequences for anything, because all that matters is moving to the end of the story; I cannot believe that absolute motherfucker made me watch Chewbacca die with my own eyeballs just to wave it away literally two minutes later in the clumsiest way imaginable. In the prequel trilogy, in Rogue One, in TLJ, everything everyone does matters so much. The minutest actions have huge consequences. In Rise of Skywalker, nothing matters even a little bit. Everybody just waits around for the main characters to get finished dicking around.

I cannot believe that it's a thing I would possibly think ever, but the only thing that got any work put into it was Kylo and Rey's relationship. Trust: I didn't enjoy watching it. There's a piece of Wishful Drinking where Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd are trying to figure out if Billie is related to the guy she's dating, due to a bunch of Hollywood marriages. Even after the shitstupid reveal of Rey's parentage, it still really, really feels like the same vibe. But by the time they kissed, I was like, "Yeah, I mean I hate it but I see where it happened."

Star Wars is like the end of a semester in college. The prequel trilogy is the period where you're studying, trying to cram so much stuff into your brain that you're never gonna remember. The original trilogy is exams, exhilarating and rocky but ultimately liberating.

The sequel trilogy is the party you go to afterwards. At 10 PM you're at The Force Awakens, singing along at the top of your lungs to a song that's catchy and doesn't have to be good. At midnight you're at Rogue One, where you break down sobbing in the bathroom. The Last Jedi is 2 AM, weird and full of promise, as if anything could happen.

The Rise of Skywalker is 11 AM the next day, when you've already broken down the details at brunch and are now lying in bed unable to nap, with the horrible certainty that this is all there is, you will never be more than yourself, just a regular person who carries no special importance.

I didn't like it in real life; I sure didn't want it from Star Wars.

#star wars #nothing but star wars

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elephantlovemedleys · 4 months ago

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My ★★★★★ review of Moulin Rouge! (2001)

or rather, just me rambling about The movie rewatch of my 2024 that i didn't expect to became a highlight, and is definitive of one of my biggest interests and current fixations at this rate.

At the start of the year, I promised myself to go and rewatch some films that I have not seen in a long time, nor do I have memories of in terms of recalling the plot. For some reason, one of the movies that came into mind for me to brush over again was Moulin Rouge! I do have some history with this film, as I remember one of the very first songs I learnt how to sing, was Lady Marmalade (yep, this is actually true). And I recall myself as a child seeing various scenes from it on TV, thinking of how gorgeous Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor looked together and overall how colourful the movie looked. Other than that, I eventually did get to see the film as a whole when I was a little older, and I did like it of course, but it somehow just stopped there.

I’m pretty sure the last time I saw it was back in 2017. My memory gets quite fuzzy so i can’t exactly remember, but anyways the point i’m making here is my god, I can't believe i didn’t appreciate this movie back then as much as i do nowadays. This isn’t the first time this kind of scenario has occurred to me, as I had the same experience with the Princess Bride, watching it as an eight year old. I thought it was fine and I liked it, but it also stopped from there. But seeing it again after so long when I was 21, I just fell completely in love, and it’s now one of my favourite movies of all time.

In my part, what struck me to the core and became such a standout was the immense passion and emotional intensity that surrounded the relationship between Christian and Satine. An idealistic man who dreams of being a writer, moving from a well off family in London to pursue his dreams and join in a cultural revolution, and a more cynical woman who works as an entertainer at the Moulin Rouge and as a courtesan, but has hopes and aspirations to become an actress. They have different approaches to how they view love, Christian never having experienced the act of falling in love, is curious and wants to know how it feels like, and Satine being somebody who can’t dwell into love for any means due to her job and the life she leads, lets it clash altogether. But one thing is for sure, it’s in these differences that they fall for each other. The more they spend time together, the more they realise what they have been looking for all along or never knew they needed was as simple as that, love. But it’s through the expression of song, and writing that makes a simple melody or a lyric that screams “I love you!” to the rooftops so powerful, and even more dramatic because as much as they love each other, they still cannot be together due to circumstances–especially a very inevitable doom. The way you come to care about these characters and root for them even if things don't fall perfectly into place stems from having a lot of heart, and it's one i totally know that i have. A very defining factor that drew me to their love story was the rawness, and utterly convincing and undeniable chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. There are instances wherein i'd be watching their scenes and i feel like i shouldn't be there, that i was intruding something very intimate happening. Goodness, nobody else i believe can replicate this kind of chemistry balanced with such amazing performances, all they had to do was look at each other and sing to each other and I already knew what it meant. You could feel the love, the yearning, the want, and passion between them which is just so fantastic, that it also goes to show that it is in the power of this sort of acting showcase and the vulnerability shared that makes you feel every inch of how much you want these characters to overcome such circumstances and be together.

Everything that i said in the paragraph above, is why my favourite scene is the Come What May reprise, and why i just adore this movie so much. It tugs right through your emotions, one minute you're laughing and singing along, and the next thing you know you feel as if your guts have been torn out the way Christian's heart felt like multiple knives were thrown at him when Satine died in his arms. Getting really into this film and going over it has become one of the best things or one of my ultimate highlights for the year, and i definitely don't regret anything. That being said, i shall go and listen to Come What May again for the nth time of the day.

#i would appreciate it if people would go like or comment on my input on letterboxd too! <3 #personal #maria rambles #moulin rouge #films #watches #baz luhrmann

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once-upon-an-imagine · 1 year ago

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I was about to send an idea for a dialogue... but the song thing sounds interesting.

And my song of choice is... El Tango de Roxanne, Moulin Rouge movie version, though. I am so very curious about who does it remind you of. 😈

send me a song

El Tango de Roxanne - Moulin Rouge Soundtrack

oh my God! this made me want to rewatch Moulin Rougue! Ewan McGregor 🥰🥰 I had to at least rewatch the scene and OH MY GOD! so, at first I thought Sirius... but then I thought... Remus!

reader being either part of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black or just a very well-known pureblood family and Remus meeting her through Sirius and instantly becoming INFATUATED with her! and same goes for her, she instantly falls in love with him but it is definitely a forbidden love! taking into consideration the entire thing with the scene and the whole

First, there is desire Then, passion Then, suspicion Jealousy, anger, betrayal! Love is for the highest bidder, there is no trust Without trust, there is no love! Jealousy, yes, jealousy!

taking a different turn for it instead of the reader being based on the literal Roxanne lyrics, instead her having to marry someone else rather than her true love, Remus in this case, and I pictured someone like Lucius Malfoy or one of the Lestrange brother literally bidding with her parents for her hand and being maybe a dance or a party or something and Remus is there somehow and he sees her dancing with all of these men and building all of this jealousy inside him even if he knows she does not want to and she'd much rather be with him, idk I love this song and I think it would be something suuuuper dramatic, intense and angsty, just like the song 😂 if you have more ideas, it can maybe become a full story? what do you say, love?

#remus lupin #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin headcanon #send me a song #the roxanne tango #moulin rouge

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thisgirlnamedblusy · 1 year ago

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hi, i love ur work sm. there’s no rush for anything and i hope you’re doing okay. i wanted to request a marilyn x fem reader who is also a teacher at nevermore. i wanted to make it a really tense romance where they both have feelings for each other but they just can’t express it the way they want to.

so one day during parents weekend larissa confronts the reader about her obvious feelings for marilyn and gives her advice on how to tell her. the reader decides to listen to larissas advice and she goes to marilyn to make the first move which makes marilyn go all shy and she ends up running away out of shyness/embarrassment bc she doesn’t know what to say back. a couple days pass and marilyn comes to the readers room and confesses her feelings for her. (i was wondering if you could write some smut and some fluff as well).

thank youu!

Yesss here it is!!! I hope you like it!!! Sorry about the language mistakes

Too shy

Pairing: Marilyn Thornhill x Fem, Teacher! Reader

Warnings: Smut, strong language, fluff

Word count: 3,728

Summary: You love her, but she doesn’t know. You’re shy and coward, and one day you’ll have to do something to tell her about your feelings

N/A: Requests are open!!! Sorry about the delays, I’m working hard on your requests. I love you all!!!

You were pacing the halls as usual. Classes always left you with a horrible headache, and you liked to walk to ease it a bit. You would have liked to go outside, but it was raining heavily.

In your head you planned the next day's classes, or rather tried to. Something else was going around your head. Or rather, someone. When you started working at Nevermore, everything seemed normal, pure routine. Teaching classes, calming the werewolves, trying not to be fooled by the sirens... Normal things at Nevermore. You were a girl who always wanted to have everything under control and unfortunately, an unexpected variable slipped into your calculations. A variable with first name and last name, Marilyn Thornhill.

She was a nice woman, she taught botany. She was normi, but except for a few teachers, no one else seemed to care, and she also had the invaluable trust of Larissa, the Nevermore principal.

Love at first sight always seemed like a lie to you, a cliché, something that did not happen in real life. It seemed impossible to you that time stopped like in the movies. Until the day you met her. Indeed, film directors did not invent anything. You remembered that scene from “Big Fish” in which Ewan McGregor waved away floating popcorn when he saw the woman he would love all his life.

It wasn't as dramatic, but you felt exactly the same. Her eyes, her smile, the way she spoke. Everything was perfect for you. Every time you saw her you blushed, every time you heard her speak your heart pounded. You hoped not to be too obvious, to disguise your attraction to her, but you weren't sure you were doing it right.

At first you talked about anything, for hours. You could sit at a table, in the library or in the patio and spend time chatting. That changed a while ago. You hadn't gotten angry, or argued. You two were just too embarrassed to talk to each other. You didn't know why, but you liked to think that she also had feelings for you, that she lowered her head when she saw you for the same reason that you did.

That tension became too strong soon. The monosyllables reigned in your conversations, and the nervous smiles too. You wanted to run into her arms, tell her that you loved her, that you would spend the rest of your life by her side. You couldn't, you were too shy, or too coward.

There was no student on your mind, no exams, no werewolves, no vampires. On your mind there was only her.

The next day was not just any day. It was the parents' weekend, and you had no tasks, so your mind was only dedicated to imagining scenarios for possible confessions of love. They all looked bad to you, they all terrified you, but what scared you the most was her rejection.

You were sitting at one of the wooden tables, with no food on your plate. That woman had taken away your hunger and sleep. If you didn't do anything she would end up killing you, or so you thought. A bit exaggerated.

You looked ahead of you and your heart sank. There she was, sitting at the opposite table, and what was better, she was looking at you. Noticing your eyes on her, she quickly looked down at her plate. You couldn't make it out very well, but you thought you felt how her cheeks turned the same color as her hair. Yours also turned red, of course.

“Do you like the views? (Y/N)?” Larissa asked, sitting next to you. You jumped on the spot, without even thinking about that question. When you did, you panicked.

“W, what?” You stammered, pretending you didn't hear what you did.

“I mean, you have some good views from here, don't you think?” principal Weems repeated, nodding slightly towards the redhead.

“I, I don't know what you mean,” you said, pretending to be clueless.

“Please, (Y/N). Don't try to fool me. I have known for a long time that there is an unbearable tension between you and Marilyn. Every time you are together, it seems that sparks are going to fly,” she said amused. You wanted to die of shame. You knew you were pretty obvious, but you didn't know that even your own teammates would be able to read your mind.

“Oh, well, I…Okay…” You sighed in defeat. There was nothing to lose by coming clean, and you had already reached a pretty critical point. “Yes, I'm crazy about her.”

Larissa smiled at you with a satisfied smile, as if you didn't need to admit it.

“And what do you plan to do about it?” She asked, taking her drink to her mouth. You shook your head, completely dismissing the possibility that you could make a first move.

“Well, nothing,” you said, looking sideways at Marilyn, who seemed quite distracted by her food. Larissa's eyes widened at that statement.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing”

“What a nonsense. I see how she looks at you, (Y/N). The two of you are made for each other.”

“I don't know, Larissa, I'm not too sure about that,” you said, lowering your voice a bit.

“Well, I am. I assure you that if you wait for Marilyn to take the first step, you are going to get gray hair.”

You agreed. She was probably right. You were both shy. If she didn't do anything and you didn't either, you'd never be together. You thought that this type of love problems only existed in adolescence. A kind of intuition came to your mind and suddenly you felt courageous to act, to do something.

“And what am I supposed to do? I don't even know where to start,” you said, somehow more sure about things.

“It’s very simple, (Y/N), talk to her. Tell her what do you feel,” Larissa said. You thought that this advice could have been given to you by anyone and you felt a little disappointed.

“That sounds easy, but it's not. I can't find the time or the place, and every time I talk to her I get tongue-tied. It would be a disaster.”

Larissa looked thoughtful and snapped her fingers, as if she had come up with the best of her ideas.

“What about now?”

“Now? But, but…” You said, getting a little nervous.

“You should trust me, and be brave. She's not going to say no to you.”

“You can't know that.”

“I know, I just know,” she said smiling, indicating that you stand up. “Look into her eyes and tell her how you feel about her. She is a very sensitive woman, and a few nice words will move her.”

“But, but…” You said, getting up half forced. Larissa shook her head and adjusted your clothes a bit.

“There are no buts, (Y/N). Go to the library door. There will be no one there. I'll get Marilyn to come too and when you're alone, tell her how do you feel.”

You weren't sure at all. It was too sudden, no time to prepare, but you obeyed Larissa and left the courtyard.

“This is not a good idea, I know it is not a good idea…” You repeated to yourself, while you walked from one side of that hidden corridor to the other. The sound of accelerated footsteps interrupted your thoughts, and that fleeting idea of escaping. Marilyn.

“(Y/N), are you alright?” She asked, looking at you concerned. You frowned and nodded, wondering what exactly Larissa had told her.

“Me? I'm fine,” you asked, pointing to yourself. Marilyn shook her head and blinked rapidly.

“Larissa told me that you needed me here, that it was something urgent,” she explained. You clenched your fists in anger, what a great plan.

“Oh yes, yes. Well, it's not urgent but...” You said, scratching the back of your neck and feeling the familiar warmth of the blush on your cheeks. “But I would like to talk to you.”

You wouldn't have a better chance. The excuse was bad and unexpected, but if you didn't say something now, you'd probably regret it forever.

“Oh, really?” She asked, perhaps less surprised than you expected.

The calm and serene expression of the redhead was the last thing you needed to throw yourself into the void, to say everything you had been thinking for a long time. It was now or never, and you would not let that opportunity pass you by.

“Emm, yes…” You said timidly, hiding a growing nervous laugh. “You see… I… I…”

Marilyn nodded, taking a step closer to you. You swallowed hard and started to sweat.

“We are, we are friends, right?”

“Of course we are,” she said, with that innocent voice that made you lose your mind.

“Brilliant. Well I... I was wondering if that's all we are...” You said with an almost inaudible voice.

“What do you mean?”

“I, well, I want to say that maybe friendship isn't strong enough… What I mean is that it is strong, too strong and that's why I…” You were nervous and the words that came out of your mouth didn't make any sense. Your whole body began to shake and you sighed, overwhelmed by the situation.

“Calm down, (Y/N), breathe…” The redhead told you, putting a hand on your shoulder. That didn't help at all.

That sudden contact made you regret what you were about to do. But you didn't finally and reached for the hand that was resting on your shoulder, holding it gently.

“I… I… I'm not good at saying things,” you whispered embarrassed.

She didn't take your hand away, but she also caressed yours gently. That moment was perfect, like a movie. You couldn't contain yourself. If words didn't work, maybe actions would. You slowly brought your head closer to hers and placed your lips on hers. It wasn't even a kiss, just a little touch.

Marilyn didn't move away, she even closed her eyes for a moment. Everything seemed to be going well, but when you moved away from her, you saw a certain astonishment on her eyes and also a certain nervousness.

“I…” You said, shaking your head. Her cheeks were red and her look was one of utter surprise.

“I think, I think I have to go I have… I have to…” She said stuttering and moving away from you.

You didn't know what to do, you just shook your head. It wasn't a rejection, or so you liked to think, but when the redhead nervously walked out of that hallway, you began to fear the worst.

You wanted to run away, escape from that academy. You had taken a very big step and it had not gone well. You couldn't blame Larissa, she just wanted to help you. If anyone was guilty, it was you. You couldn't settle for a declaration of love, you had to kiss her. You were always this clumsy and you started to think that maybe that was why all your dates were running away from you.

You were lying in bed, after two days of absolute silence, thinking about your next step. If you had to get out of there, pretend nothing happened or try again. None of the options was valid for you. Maybe it would be best if you stayed in that room until the end of the semester. Yes, that would be the best.

Someone knocked on the door and made you jump. It was late, at night. You didn't expect anyone, much less, nobody expected you.

You got up from the bed and crept up to the door. The nerves ran through your body again and you reached for the knob with a trembling hand. You opened the door and looked shyly. You were about to slam it shut. It was her. Marilyn was there, playing with her hands.

“(Y/N) May I come in?” She asked, her voice very low.

It was expected. Surely she came to tell you that she didn't like women, that she only wanted your friendship, or something painful like that.

You closed your eyes and nodded slightly, wanting to faint to get rid of that conversation. She walked through the door and closed it immediately upon entering.

“Marilyn, I… I'm sorry about the other day. I do not know what happened to me. I mixed things up and...”

You couldn't finish your pathetic apology. The redhead shook her head and kissed you deeply, taking your face in her hands. Your heart skipped a beat and you grabbed her waist, bringing her body against yours. She jerked away as gasps began to fill the room.

“I don't understand anything,” you said, smiling happily. She laughed and hugged you.

“I'm the one who has to apologize, (Y/N). The other day I got nervous and ran away,” she said, with a tender voice while she looked at your lips with desire. “I'm very embarrassed and I didn't know what to say. I'm a mess, I know. But I've spent two days thinking about how to talk to you, how to tell you that I wanted that kiss as much as you did.”

“So… do you like me?” You asked, feeling the greatest relief of your life. She nodded, kissing you again.

“Since I met you, (Y/N)…” She whispered, continuing to caress her cheeks. “I wanted to tell you, but I never found the moment, I was afraid that you wouldn't feel the same.”

“Me too,” you said, laughing right after. She did too, and she ground her forehead against yours.

“How stupid we are…” She sighed

“Think that we've wasted so much time…” You said, with an exaggerated voice.

“So many kisses…” She said, following your game.

“So many nights…”

The kiss turned deep, passionate. In your head there were no more doubts, no more fear. It had all been a matter of shame, of shyness. That card never played in your favor, except on this occasion. What annoyed you the most at that moment was to have to agree with Larissa, and you also wondered if she had said something similar to Marilyn.

But it was not the moment to think about that, it was the moment to make up for lost time.

The kisses became messy, hungry. Marilyn slipped her jacket around her shoulders, indicating that she wanted it too, that this tension had exploded and you couldn't stop anymore. Your hands moved to the buttons of your shirt, slowly undoing them.

“You're not going to run away now, are you?” You said amused, as you went to her neck. She shook her head, bringing her hands to your bare chest.

“I'll never do it again,” she murmured, enjoying touching your bare skin with her hands.

With a graceful movement, you let your shirt fall to the floor and hugged the redhead, reaching for the buttons of her dress. There were no words, just gasps and the sound of kisses. You stopped for a moment, looking at each other, as if you needed a signal to continue, to let yourself go completely.

You walked forward, gently pushing Marilyn away, until she was against the wall. Once there, you finished unbuttoning her dress and dropped it. She was smiling, watching you enjoy the view you didn't think you'd ever see. The skin under her dress was something you could only imagine until that moment. She always covered herself a lot and you couldn't help but bite your lip at that precious discovery.

“You've stayed very still, (Y/N),” she said playfully. Your cheeks blushed when you realized that you were looking at her body obsessed. You shook your head and attacked her neck again, this time more savagely.

Her hands went to your back, desperately searching for the clasp of your bra. When they found it there was no pity, there was no compassion. The click came immediately after. You parted slightly so that the garment fell, revealing your chest and drawing a thirsty gasp from the redhead.

You imitated her movements, looking for the lock that was hidden against the wall. You were short of breath. The sight of her bare chest was more than you had ever dreamed, and you couldn't help but bring your kisses to her clavicle, slowly going down until you reached the desired place. She, as if invaded by an uncontrollable passion, grabbed your head, making you stay in that position, trying to keep your mouth from leaving her nipples.

“You're so good…” She whispered, while you played on her chest.

You lifted her head and grabbed it, pulling her into more hungry kisses. With your other hand, you took hold of her leg, caressing it with determination.

“You're perfect,” you said, leaving her leg on the ground. She shook her head as she parted her legs, indicating that yours should be between them.

You didn't want that contact to be with the fabric of your jeans, so you moved away a bit to unbutton your pants. Marilyn grabbed your wrist, pulling you against her again.

“Leave it to me, (Y/N). I want to undress you with my own hands.” You nodded profusely and brought your hands against the wall, on either side of her head. Marilyn sighed and brought her hands to your pants, unbuttoning them in a painfully slow manner. When she did, she inadvertently thrust her hand inside it, caressing your crotch through your underwear. You moaned at the unexpected contact and spread your legs so she could reach lower.

“Fuck…” You whispered, being caressed in that area in a surprisingly skillful way. If she could give you those feelings with your underwear on, you had a hard time imagining what it would be like when you no longer had them on.

“I can feel your desire, (Y/N)… I can feel how your body needs me,” she whispered in a suggestive, lascivious way.

“That's because I need you,” you said, almost out of breath.

She laughed and jerked away, bringing her hands to the edges of her own underwear.

“I need you too, (Y/N). I need you to love me…” She told you, lowering her panties down her legs and leaning against the wall. The redhead gestured for you to come closer. Before obeying, you finished pulling down your pants, having some difficulty taking them off, you almost fell to the ground.

Once naked, you looked at your lover with desire and bent down, kissing her now totally naked body, slowly going down, until you reached the lower part of her belly. Before kissing that area, you looked up, hoping for some kind of approval.

“Do it, (Y N), kiss me…” She told you.

You smiled and ran a hand between her legs as you knelt down. Her arousal was evident and slippery and her moans began to sound as you caressed her.

You didn't want to keep her waiting, and you plunged your mouth into it, running your tongue along the entire area, stopping at strategic places, sucking on the point of greatest pleasure.

“That's…” she gasped, unable to hide the pleasure she was feeling. “(Y/N), I need you inside of me, make me yours…”

You agreed, while you enjoyed her smell, her taste... You raised your hand and without making her wait any longer, you inserted two of your fingers into her, causing her to moan somehow scandalously.

Your rhythm was soft, but intense. You were so close that you could see your actions, you could see how you entered her, how you made her enjoy. That turned you on even more, and your desire was starting to hurt. You needed more of her, you needed her.

Little by little her moans turned into some bad words, apparently inappropriate for her. Her hips moved, while you tenderly kissed her sex.

“Don't stop now, (Y/N)… I'm going to…”

She couldn't finish the sentence. With a series of high-pitched moans and a strong grip on your hair, her entire body went rigid, letting you know that she had reached that point, that point of ultimate pleasure.

Without giving you time to recover from that paradisiacal vision, she pulled you up and kissed you passionately, with unbridled passion, moving you towards the bed, continuing to take her hands all over your body.

When your legs touched the bed, you dropped into it and Marilyn climbed on top of you, placing her legs between one of yours, as if it hadn't been enough, as if she needed to rub against your body.

After a few seconds of rocking, her hand slowly moved down your body, and she reached that needy, hungry area. Just as you imagined, the sensation that her caresses caused you without clothes through her could make you go crazy.

She knew where to touch you and how to do it. Your look became pleading, desperate. As if she had somehow understood you, she inserted her fingers into you.

Her pace was fast, skillful. She stopped just when she had to, where she had to. You were writhing with pleasure, and you couldn't take much. You were ashamed of not being able to control yourself, of succumbing to the pleasure so rashly, but you decided to let go and scream when the sensation became too intense. Marilyn raised her eyebrows and put on a teasing smile.

“How fast, (Y N),” she said she amused.

You turned red, and you felt deep shame. It had been a long time since anyone had made love to you, and that was always a problem. Marilyn didn't tease you anymore, she just went down and kissed you warmly on your lips.

“I'm sorry… It's just…”

“Do not apologize. We have all the time in the world to enjoy…” She told you affectionately.

“I know this will seem childish to you but…- You said, sitting up a bit. “Do you, do you want to be my girlfriend, Marilyn?”

“Of course I want,” she told you enthusiastically, kissing you passionately again. It was one of the happiest moments of your life, but a vibration on your mobile took you out of that state of euphoria.

You took it and unlocked it, cringing with embarrassment as you read a message from Larissa:

I'm very happy for you, but could you be a little more discreet? I need to sleep ;)

#marilyn thornhill #marilyn thornhill x reader #wednesday #laurel gates #ms thornhill #oneshot #smut

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djemsostylist · 2 years ago

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Having recently watched the Star Wars films again, I decided to also tackle the books again as well. I've read most of what Star Wars has to offer, but there are a few I haven't made it to and a few I feel like I don't appreciate the way I should.

I started with the novelization of The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks, and I'll be honest when I say I didn't expect much. TPM as a movie was boring, and I figured the novel wouldn't be much better.

I was wrong. I was so wrong, in fact, that I'd say I highly recommend it. See, my chief problem with the prequels is a two-fold one: 1, George wrote a truly horrible story, and 2, George hired truly atrocious actors to be the leads. Ewan McGregor not withstanding, the actors he hired were barely able to handle the script he gave them, let alone bring something more to the characters.

Anakin's fall should be slow, steady, bit by bit and then all at once. He should be Anakin, of course, but he should also be Vader. Because that is the thing about Anakin--he was always Vader. He didn't have a nightmare once and wake up Vader, after having been a good man his whole life. Vader's selfishness, his single-mindedness, his fear, his fixations, his rage, and his desire for power and control were always a part of Anakin, as much as his supernatural ability with flying and machines and his visions of the future. Anakin could be kind, he could be selfless, he could be decent, but all of these aspects of Anakin were always entwined with Vader. And as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to hide the Vader, to pull on Anakin's face and plaster on Anakin's smile and pretend that the fire that rages always is banked, is controlled, is not waiting to consume. So when he takes those final steps, when he kills Mace and kneels before Palpatine and takes the Temple, we should have seen it coming. Not because we've seen the original trilogy and we know that Anakin is Vader, but because we've seen the Vader in him all along. Because this was always how his story was going to end. He was always going to be Vader, forever.

The problem is that the movies don't really give us that, particularly in TPM. I think George sort of wanted to show this kid's super innocence, and it came across as grossly naïve and also almost cloyingly sweet. The Anakin we get in TPM has no hints of Vader, no darkness, no intensity, none of the vices which will plague him for a lifetime. He's sweet and innocent and pure, in a way that's almost annoying its earnestness. He has little to no agency in his own story--he isn't even a POV character. And Padme, who will one day become his future wife, views him with the same sort of feeling one would expect for a 14 year old girl and a precocious little moppet--she thinks he's cute and childish and that's about it. She likes him certainly, but so does everyone he encounters, because he's a caricature of childhood innocence and naivete. There's nothing to him.

Anakin in the novel comes across as older--I'd put him at 12-13, to the movie's 9. (The book does state that he is 9, but I teach 9 year olds--even an incredibly precocious one would not come across like Anakin). In this Anakin, we see shades of Vader. He lives in a constant state of hyper awareness of both his abilities (which he is fully aware of, unlike in the movie where he seems not to notice his skills at all), and he wrestles constantly with a gnawing fear of losing everything he loves. This Anakin is quiet and thoughtful, and though kind and outgoing, is also prone to fits of rage or moments of utter stillness. When Watto is screaming in his face, Anakin sort of checks out, blank faced and staring until Watto exhausts himself and forgets to scream, ostensibly because he knows that arguing is useless, but also because, I think, he isn't sure what will happen if he fights back. He dreams of a life in the stars, but he can't see a future without his mother. He knows that he has abilities others don't, and he knows enough to keep them to himself. He saves the life of a Tusken Raider in the desert because he feels its pain, but he also beats the shit out of a teenage Rodian (a young Greedo as it would happen) because he is mourning the loss of Padme.

And speaking of Padme, their relationship in this is intense. In the movie, Padme pays about as much attention to him as you would expect, given their age difference. It would be weird for her to be as immediately smitten and attached, and likewise Anakin's interest in her seems childish and unremarkable.

In the story, their connection and mutual interest is instant and intense. From the moment they first meet in the junkshop, they are almost always together, and Padme is as fascinated and drawn to him as he is to her. (Which, coincidentally, fits much better if she is 14 and he is only a little younger). They spend all their time together, and are often lost in deep conversations. Anakin can't stop thinking about her, and she doesn't seem to mind when he holds her hand or tells her that he is going to marry her someday (with a flash of foresight). He sees visions of her in his future, leading an army, older and sadder. She seems to have difficulty leaving him (when she climbs on the Eopi to leave, she doesn't make eye contact and refuses to look back) and Anakin is devastated by her loss. He ends up beating the shit out of Greedo for an unrelated offence, and doesn't even seem to realize what he's doing until Qui-Gon shows up to pull him off.

Later, when he finds out the truth about Padme being the queen, she goes out of her way to find him and make sure he still feels the same about her as he did before. She promises him, on the ship when he gives her the Japor carving, that she will never forget him, the way way she feels about him--even makes a callback to his assertion that they will one day be married.

And this works. It works in a way the movie doesn't, because you get these two people who are both more mature, more grounded than anyone else their age, and they immediately share this intense, overwhelming bond that sort of takes both of them by surprise. It makes sense then, why, meeting years later, they are just as instantly drawn back together.

(In my version of the Clones, with an exaggerated timeline, Anakin and Padme would be on Naboo for close to a year, carefully working to bring about an end to the blockade and invasion, Anakin being trained by Qui-Gon on the dl, and they'd grow ever closer. I'd probably even have their first kiss maybe, during this time--she'd be almost 15, he'd be almost 14 (assuming he's almost 13 when we meet him), and this would enforce their bond.)

My point it, that in the novel, Anakin is intense, smart, deeply connected to the Force, and already aware of his abilities, though not in control of them or truly aware of what they mean. He is kind and thoughtful, but he is also prone to rage and fear, and he struggles with both. He is already terrified of loss, and he struggle with it throughout the novel itself. He also has the intensity that Vader has, the fixation--he's obsessed with Padme from the moment he meets her, and though his obsession is reciprocated, it doesn't make it any less intense. The Jedi, too, are concerned about his rage issues in a way the movie doesn't make clear--so much so that in the book they not only defer making a decision about his training on Coruscant, they expressly forbid Qui-Gon from training him. It's the rage as well as the fear that give them pause.

Overall, the novel sets up an Anakin (and a Padme really) that are believable for the people who they will become. There is an obvious through-line from Anakin to Vader, and it makes for a more cohesive character overall. And having Padme be just as drawn to him from the beginning also helps--their relationship has never been sane or healthy, and that is the point. Two early teens sharing an intense bond that only strengthens with time makes a lot more sense than randomly falling in love with the weird teenager you first met a cherubic child.

I'm curious to pay attention the through lines of this as the novels go on. Up next: Rogue Planet and then The Approaching Storm. (collecting all the novels year ago really was a stroke of genius).

#star wars #anakin skywalker #djem reads star wars #padme naberrie #this is gonna take a while lol

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year ago

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Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006)

Most movies are obviously good or bad. Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (or simply Stormbreaker in certain regions) has what it takes to entertain young teens but its low points are subterranean. I hesitated to call it a miss until I saw the villains. This adaptation of the book by Anthony Horowitz is derivative of every spy movie you've ever seen. Even if you can forgive that, there’s no way you can take the bad guys seriously.

Orphaned at a young age, Alex Rider (Alex Pettyfer in yet another bad YA Novel adaptation) is recruited by MI-6 when his uncle (Ewan McGregor) is killed in action. His mission? Pose as a contest winner and get close to billionaire Darrius Sayle (Mickey Rourke) to find out the real reason he created “Stormbreaker”, a computer system he claims will change the world.

It’s ridiculous to believe a 14-year-old would be recruited by a government agency but that’s part of the fantasy. Turns out Alex has been subconsciously trained by his uncle for years. He can stand toe-to-toe with ruthless thugs (in cleverly conceived action scenes by John Woo that are unfortunately not convincingly shot). He just needs the chance to prove himself. Then he’ll have the opportunity to get his revenge… and save the world too. In Bond-like fashion, Alex is given a variety of amusing gadgets disguised as everyday “kid” objects. A yoyo, a pen and a Nintendo DS (available in stores now!). Those are pretty cool.

Whenever Stormbreaker starts winning you over with its teenage charms, a disappointment is unfortunately right around the corner. When they introduce Mickey Rourke’s Darrius Sayle, you’ll be flabbergasted. With pimp-like clothes, a cane, a ponytail and blue eyeliner, he looks like a caricature. You think that’s as bad as it’s going to get but then Missi Pyle as Nadia Vole opens her mouth. Her accent is so bad and cartoonish it’s like she’s in a comedy sketch.

And then, there are the contrivances and coincidences, not to mention the poor planning. Sayle has a personal vendetta against the Prime Minister (Robbie Coltrane) so he’s filled the Stormbreaker computers with a deadly virus. Not a computer virus; a green liquid that will kill millions of children when his old enemy presses a big red button as part of the launching ceremony. Said big red button is encoded to launch the virus only if the Prime Minister presses it. This means Sayle couldn’t release the virus (the literal virus. I can’t get over it) even if he wanted to!

This sort of logical head-scratcher isn’t alone. It’s accompanied by a double-whammy of bumping into the right person, at the right time. To prevent the big button from being pressed, Alex desperately needs help. Who happens to be at the ceremony providing security? None other than the soldiers he was training with a week ago. The authorities must’ve had a great deal of confidence in them considering their first mission is this high-profile. Alex uses one of their weapons and destroys the button. His evil scheme down the toilet, Style runs away. Alex goes to pursue him but oh no! Traffic! How could he possibly catch up? Well by asking his school crush, Sabina (Sarah Bolger) for a ride! She just happens to be riding a horse right outside the building! Sure, why not?

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker is not a Harry Potter ripoff in the same way as the Billy Owens or Percy Jackson franchises but it’s pretty clear it wanted to cash in on the craze. An orphaned boy who discovered he belongs to a secret organization, access to special powers/resources, a film series whose leading man is destined to grow into a hunk for the girls, action scenes to appeal to the boys, a twist on an old formula to make it fresh (in this case, James Bond). Yeah, it fits. Unfortunately, this first chapter has none of the metaphorical magic needed to have lasting power. Plus, it’s just not a good movie. Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker is yet another mid-2000s flick that ends on a note promising a sequel that never happened. (July 31, 2020)

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maximumwobblerbanditdonut · 2 years ago

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Have you seen Moto Guzzi’s “On To The Next Journey?”

Moto Guzzi is “ON TO THE NEXT JOURNEY” with Ewan McGregor

youtube

If you’re looking to cuddle into the blankets with a good mug of comfort and a new show, look no further; award-winning Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has partnered up with Moto Guzzi to bring us a new autobiography-style campaign showcasing the beauty of “the symbiotic relationship between man and motorcycle.”

The campaign, now available to watch on Youtube, is a beautiful homage to Hollywood’s golden years, with every Moto Guzzi machine in the film fresh out of Ewan McGregor’s own collection (that’s how much of a Guzzihead our Obi-Wan is, apparently).

Ewan MacGregor riding a handful of Moto Guzzi Machines in the brand’s new campaign, “On To The Next Journey.” Media sourced from the brand’s recent press release.

Locations of the scenery include Eric Lloyd Wright’s brutalist house in Malibu, as well as the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, “the desert spaces in Lancaster, the L.A. River and the Second Street Tunnel in downtown Los Angeles,” all memories that will stay with McGregor for a lifetime – especially the one riding Moto Guzzi’s stunning V100 Mandello.

“When I got to open up with the V100 on the Pacific Highway,” recounts Ewan, “it was truly an exhilarating experience; this is a very unique bike – sporty yet comfortable, perfect for a long ride. It’s totally Moto Guzzi at heart, and that’s what’s so great about it, that they managed to design a modern liquid-cooled motorcycle that still feels like a Guzzi.”

Now, wait, how long will it takes SH, a beginner motorcyclist on his custom Triumph 🏍️ to do the same by copying Ewan McGregor 🤔

@imahalfemptykindofgirl Very good observation. Ewan’s motorcycle 🏍️ is a limited edition Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello “Aviazione Navale” in celebration of its historic connection between Italian motorcycle manufacturer with the Navy. The link between Moto Guzzi and the Navy goes back more than a century when company founders Carlo Guzzi, Giorgio Parodi and Giovanni Ravelli served together in the Aeronautical Service of the Regia Marina during the First World War.

The brand emblem, Spread Eagle, has its origins in this era and combines classic style with modern technology with elegant design and exclusive details, this motorcycle is a desire for many motorcyclists and collectors around the world.

#Youtube

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rookie-critic · 2 years ago

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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022, dir. Guillermo del Toro) - review by Rookie-Critic

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is one of the most gorgeous pieces of claymation artistry I have ever seen. Purely from an artistic standpoint this movie is perfect and Guillermo del Toro should be incredibly proud of what he was able to accomplish in an art form that he has never really worked in before. The motion is smooth as can possibly be, the faces are expressive, and the environments are vibrant and full of life. Everything feels very fleshed out and alive throughout the entire movie. Characters' personalities come out just as much in their gait, facial movements, and the way their mouths move around their words as it does in the vocal performances themselves. There's not a ton that I can say about Pinocchio's animation because it's just perfect. The same goes for the cast and their performances. Newcomer Gregory Mann was a perfect cast for the titular character, and brings all the childlike wonder and naivete to the little wooden boy that the story demands and even more. David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, and Christoph Waltz all deserve high praise for their work in the movie and a very special shout out should go to Cate Blanchett for taking on a very no frills, minimalist animal role that would normally go to someone like Frank Welker, Dee Bradley Baker, or Alan Tudyk, and making it very unique and one of the more memorable parts of the movie, of which their are many.

The biggest change from the Pinocchio we all are probably familiar with (Disney, it's the Disney one) is that this time del Toro has set the story in World War II, fascist, Mussolini-led Italy, and has made the story largely about said fascism as well as death. We still hit a lot of the same story beats: Volpe still tricks Pinocchio into a contract, the whale (or in this movie's case, a dogfish) still makes an appearance where you-know-what happens, and Jemeny (or Sebastian J. Cricket in this version) is still tasked with being Pinocchio's conscience, although it's not said in those exact words. While del Toro's themes are prevalent and his message is clear, it feels like he's holding himself back. The war is portrayed as horrible, but outside of one or two horrible things that happen we're largely delegated to view it from afar, even when Pinocchio is presumably in the thick of it. The whimsical nature of the movie never falters to the film's detriment. I've heard del Toro say this is the last film in a thematic trilogy with his earlier films The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth (the former of which is my personal favorite of his), and I think openly comparing Pinocchio to those two films is a mistake because it highlights how massively tame this is by comparison. This takes place in World War II Italy and we barely feel it. It just seems so strange to me that del Toro would choose to be reserved now when that's never been his inclination before. Even Geppetto, who has more reason to be absolutely cripplingly angry at Mussolini and the fascist government, almost seems like he views war as just "bad." More beaten into submission than anything else (which isn't inherently an invalid way to go, but I don't think it serves the story very well).

I also feel like we could have spent a little more time in just about any part of the story to really make the journey feel more full and Pinocchio's arc feel more earned, and no part of this is felt more strongly than the time Pinocchio spends with Death (yes, the capital D is intentional). I found those moments and those conversations to be the most fascinating part of the movie, but ultimately it doesn't really lead to anything and I wanted it to feel more meaningful. Again, we don't spend enough time anywhere to really make anything seem that meaningful. Even the whale feels so out of place in this movie that otherwise keeps itself very tied to the war; I almost feel that the idea of the whale and what it means to that part of Pinocchio's journey could have been repurposed as something else, something a little more in line with the film's main themes. I could also go into how I don't think Sebastian serves the film at all, but I have that complaint about the "cricket" character in any version of the story, so I don't really hold that against this movie specifically.

Don't let all my rambling make you think that I didn't still adore this movie. I'm hard pressed to think of a Guillermo del Toro movie that I don't at least like (I wasn't a huge fan of Crimson Peak, but that's about it), and Pinocchio is no different, it may just be more in the middle of the pack.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on Netflix.

#Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio #Pinocchio #Pinocchio 2022 #Guillermo del Toro #Gregory Mann #David Bradley #Ewan McGregor #Christoph Waltz #Cate Blanchett #Finn Wolfhard #Ron Perlman #Tilda Swinton #Tim Blake Nelson #John Turturro #Burn Gorman #Tom Kenny #film review #movie review #2022 films

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fyozai101 · 6 months ago

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FILM REVIEW

STAY (2005) ANALYSES

Stay (2005) is a drama thriller genre movie directed by Marc Foster. It is a movie that tells the story of a psychiatrist that tries to prevent one of his patient’s suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality. As the movie progresses we see the truth of the leading character Henry’s past and the truth of the events.

In the leading role, Ryan Gosling plays Henry, the patient who tried to commit suicide multiple times. Ewan McGregor, who plays the psychiatrist Sam Foster learns that his new patient Henry whom changed his psychiatrist recently is going to commit suicide on Saturday at midnight. Sam’s girlfriend Lila (Naomi Watts)who tried to commit suicide herself before offers to entice away Henry.

Henry claims that he killed both of his parents but he came across with his father and his psychiatrist goes to his mother’s house and sees that Hemry’s mother is alive and well. His mother offers Sam food but her fridge is empty. The events followed by the dog biting the psychiatrist, and Sam seeing the mother’s head bleeding. Sam then goes to the police station to report what happened but they tell Sam that the women that lived in that house is dead. Later, Sam reaches out to a waitress named Athena (played by Elizabeth Reaser), whom Henry has mentioned and fallen in love with. Athena is an aspiring actress, and Sam meets her at a script reading where she is reading lines from Hamlet with another man. She agrees to take Sam to Henry, but after a long trip down winding staircases, he loses sight of her. When Sam returns to the rehearsal room, he finds Athena there, reading the same lines as when he first met her. Sam finds a painting that Henry had painted and bartered for books about Henry's favorite artist at a bookshop known to have been visited by Henry. He finds out that the artist had killed himself on Brooklyn Bridge, on his twenty-first birthday. Henry's twenty-first birthday is Sunday, and Sam realizes that Henry plans to commit suicide on the Brooklyn Bridge in the name of imitating his favorite artist.

Sam finds Henry on the Brooklyn Bridge with a gun in his mouth. Later we saw the scenes of a car crash and found out all of these were a dream that Henry saw while he is dying, which explains the movie’s progression and overwhelming atmosphere. However, some theories said that the people around Henry were drawn into some kind of world. For instance, after Henry dies and is put into a body bag, Elizabeth tells her name to the police and because Henry died before hearing her name there was no chance he could’ve known her real name in his dream. Likewise, Sam reminds of his and Lily’s memories from Henry’s dream and asks Lily out afterward.

All of the leading actors perform an excellent performance. They all reflect the theme of the movie and the psychological state of their characters very well. The movie makes you question what is real and what is fake in every step of the characters. The ending also satisfies the audience and leave them speechless. Even though it is not categorized as fantasy film there are events that cannot be explain by logic, so I think we can say that it can be categorized as fantasy.

The cinematography really captures the weirdness and the suffocating vibe of a dream. Color palette of the movie is mostly dark and cold colors which shows the characters mindset and emotions. Stay is an excellent movie, ahead of it is time. I could not describe this movie other than perfect.

By; Sunya

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cryptid-killjoy · 1 year ago

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@orleans-jester orleans-jester Of course the inside would be totally ripped out and completely redone in the Laveau style. They’d never keep it like this. Just tear out the insides and the ‘skin’, break it down to the bare bones and then build it back up again. Even the process sounded so goddamn Laveau with all the macabre details. It felt really good just being able to relax with Flotsam again. Reminded Thomas of the old times when they would just plop on the couch together, watch some Top Gear, laugh at how stupid the men could be and have a couple of brews and some popcorn. The current view was much better than the television, no matter how HD they made the screens these days. Thomas had a pretty good read on Flotsam, or so he liked to think. He knew that mind was going, the gears turning, could swear sometimes he could see and smell the smoke that was being caused from everything moving too fast like a treadmill. That scene in Modern Times where Charlie Chaplin is working in the factory and gets sucked up into the machine, that’s how he pictured Flotsam’s brain sometimes. He might not always know exactly what was turning those gears, but he could see when they were turning. He knew about the nightmares. He still read over that journal, treating Valerie and Flotsam’s dreams as if they were his own. They had such a vivid imagination that they wrote them so beautifully and Thomas could picture it in his head like it was a movie. He’d sometimes get caught up in thinking about them, as if they really had been his. So he’d been extra affectionate at night lately, lots of kissing and cuddling and arm and back stroking until he fell into the darkness of his own sleep. To reassure him that no matter what happened, they were going to be safe because they had the stupid, foolish, cliche, cringeworthy power of love on their side and they were all still living because of it. All five of em here in this cabin. He’d wait for Flotsam to open up about this one. About why those gears were gearing to go. Trying to force Flotsam to talk was rougher than trying to get blood out of a stone, and he wasn’t going to go ruining their vacation over it. Besides - he looked happy right now. Well and truly excited for this experience that Thomas was planning. So he’d relax with his brew and their food and the ocean and the pups and watch his husband do a very dorky kung-fu lightsaber battle against the air, and love him all the more for it. - So the next morning came, as mornings often do, though the night had seemed particularly long for two reasons. Number one, Thomas was excited for the next day. That always made it seem like time was slowing down. Time goes faster when you’re having a good time, but goes slower when anticipating one. And the second reason was he was being more cautious about Flotsam’s nightmares. Trying to be more on the edge of sleep rather than falling down it in case he was needed for comfort, for calming down. But the morning came, and it seemed as if there was no dream to worry about. That felt like a very good omen for the day ahead. They had the morning routine down perfectly. The triplets were at the age where they could hold their own bottles, but obviously they were still watched, supervised, cuddled while they did so. Then there was the diaper feeding and getting them into their little outfits for the day. The squirmies were really kicking up though. Little legs kicking when they felt the fabric, like they wanted to be free. “That’s the swamps in em,” Thomas would say when Stark made it difficult to put his little pants on. Just for Flotsam, Thomas would dress in light clothing, doing his best to emulate a sort of Ewan McGregor vibe, grooming his gingery beard in the same style.

Course Clopin didn’t approve of Piper being used for anything, not by the government especially, and not to do stupid little favors. But this? This didn’t count as a stupid little favor. When he’d hear about it later, he’d order a JarJar Binks costume, just so that he could be huffy and say ‘How wuude’ that they didn’t invite him. Also, as long as Piper was happy to do it, there was no problem-o. Thomas didn’t ask for anything, because he didn’t really have anything. Star Wars wasn’t his jam, and he was always much more amused watching Flotsam and the twins and Scout get into their lightsaber battles than joining in. Still, he’d have fun trying to be like Obi-Wan for the day.

Kids packed - because honestly that felt like it took longer than any diaper bag - and they were ready to go down to the docks where they would take a boat up to the island. And a B-E-A-UTIFUL day, as Thomas would do in the Bruce Almighty voice, doin a very dad thing of standing outside of the cottage door once they were all out, do a stretch, hands on his hips, and look up at the sky. Looking blue and clear -a rare one for these parts of the world. But just all the more fucking perfect. Another good omen. Nothing bad was going to happen today. Then he picked up the two car seats that were on either side and carried them to the car, smelling the air. Even that, somehow, was green. It just had that earthy smell around it that reminded him of their own Lothlorien. It was a comfort to know that no matter which continent they were on, there was always going to be a place with that smell. He chuckled over at Flotsam and fastened the babes into the backseat. “It’s the deep breath before the plunge,” He quoted Lord of the Rings, of course, as he got into the drivers seat. He didn’t have the wealth of Star Wars quotes that Flotsam had, so he decided to be a little shit and use one from his own franchise. Though he was trying to get in the Star Wars Spirit. As soon as he started up the car, he loaded up the Imperial March on his phone so it played through the speakers as they drove away from the cottage.

Down to the docks, which were busy today, given how nice a day it was. People wanting to go out on boar tours, or just to have a nice day of it, going out on fishing. They weren’t taking a big boat out there, it was just a small ferry, fifteen people. And their little family took up five spaces on their own, though with the stroller, it gave them quite a bit of sitting room. Normally babies or small children weren’t allowed but Thomas handed over a bit of extra cash for them to look the other way about some very well behaved babies that they’d be carrying.

“I did a bit of light reading last night,” Thomas said, once they were situated on the ferry, under the open air, heading towards the strange shaped islands. “It’s 670 steps up to the old monastaries, near where they filmed. So if it comes down to it, I’ll carry you on my shoulders and you can hold the triplets,” He said to Flotsam with a teasing grin.

Flotsam would already sit around the cottage rental by the ocean imagining it different even though it wasn't theirs just because it was so not him, his mind always in artist mode and seeing the potential in angles, space, shapes, and areas with his own ideas. He couldn't help himself. His brain was always creating.

The way Thomas saw his mind wasn't entirely wrong. It was always chugging away full steam ahead on a track that never ends in one way or another. Having Thomas know his every dream was strangest form of intimacy considering they were sort of thing a person usually didn't have to tell another soul if they want to. Considering the Laveau eyes it was one of the few places beside their own thoughts a person had true privacy. So, sharing them all freely made him feel completely ripped or bore open for the other whether it was silly dreams or not because those personal ones like that came, and he was always truthful. It was also strange to get affection for it as an adult as if they needed consoling over their nightmares. They were annoyances harbored in the soul, just a dream he usually bottled up like everything else. That's how Flotsam had always treated them. He wasn't scared of them or too worked up. That was more of what was often behind the quiet brood. He figured somehow psychologically even involuntarily it was one more way he punished himself otherwise his mind would let it all go. Therefore, he must deserve it. It would stop when he paid his debt. However, once he started getting that extra affection he liked it. Thomas always knew just to do even if Flotsam didn't know he needed it.

Flotsam was truly excited from the moment something Star Wars was mentioned. It might not have been Middle Earth, but it was pretty damn cool. It was one more reason why he liked the mando staffs, they reminded more of wizard staffs. Flo was all about kung fu fighting with a Gandalf staff in his hands. High-yah. He was pretty sure someone would say he desecrated the tool by putting a parasol on one end, but he's a rebel like that. Not that it was easily seen wrapped in black leather to appear like a long handled hand grip section to keep it closed in place while down.

Thomas was looking hot as fuck as in his Obi-like attire. Flotsam was totally weak for it, beard and all. Even if Star Wars wasn't his favorite jam Flo sure hoped he was still going to have fun. Flotsam kinda wanted him stoked him too or why bother? Brain spiral. He wanted to do something they'd both enjoy and thought they were. Kind of why Flo was so stoked.

"What's that saying? Can take a kid out the swamp, but can't take the swamp out of the kid? Something like that." Flo laughed. "Atta boy." He kept praising Stark like it was a good thing.

Flo would smirk back as Thomas quoted back, always quoting. Flo would hardly give him demerits for Gandalf quoting. Flo has a habit of mix and matching his fan bases. One of Flo's favorite things to do is make up his own lines while watching the movies. For example: whenever the guy from Kim Convienience shows up as a fighter pilot Flo will shout out something in that guy's accent from the other show, "This star destroya is only-a for da gay." - Which is a mix of a line from a funny episode where his character was upset about pride day and was trying to give discounts only to gay people in his store. Everything was 'only for da gay.' Flo consistently mocks everything about Star Wars all while watching it in comparison to how he watches Lotr in complete reverence every single time.

Flotsam grew a sinister Grinch smile when he heard that Vader March hit his ears. "Oh yeah." He flipped the hood of his cloak up feeling the vibe.

Flo was getting used to money being handed under tables to get what they wanted instead of threats. Oh how life had changed. What a world. It had gotten to a point of it hardly being a thought anymore. What was a thought was seeing they were going to get on a boat again. Just that alone kept Flo happy. "I'm starting to feel like I have my own personal matelot, Mr. Laveau... and it's sexy." Though Flo had to laugh a little. "I sort of feel like I'm on The SS Minnow right now and we're about to get lost at sea like on Gilligan's Island. If we do get stranded with this group of people, for the record, we're the sexy ones.... and l'm like Ginger, only the rock star instead movie star and everyone's disappointed because I'm taken."

Then Thomas started teasing him about how many steps had to be climbed. "Oh, you think I can't make it huh? Challenge accepted."

He kept trying to seem all Jedi serious as he trekked, but somehow he kept slipping more into one liner goofball side of Star Wars and kept grinning and laughing instead. He was focused on the physicality of it but he was no Scout. Lanky and strong sure, but age and illness had deteriorated the guy just a wee bit. He was winded sooner than he might have been in his glory days. It was going to be a refuses to give up on it walk. He'd have to slow down and take his time, really pace himself.

Honestly, it was only when he slowed down he got to take it all in. He looked out and sat on the steps a moment to really take the place in.

The monasteries weren't really the biggest part of the hype to Flo. It was more about the scenes when Luke Skywalker was in hiding with so much turmoil in his heart. That was relatable. Running away. Isolating in a beautiful land that meant something meaningful to him to keep peace in the universe elsewhere. Flotsam liked this place the more he thought about it. It was Skywalker's sanctuary very much like his own little Lothlorien in New Zealand. The very thought made him breathe the air in deeper. He felt a kindred way with it's nature in these thoughts connecting with it through the storytelling. It started to put a very peaceful look on his face.

"What do you think we'll see when we get to the top?" He asked honestly unsure considering he hadn't looked through any tourist information. "Can you see the northern lights from here too? I read you can see them at a place called Malin Head here which I had on my list. It had old country scenery like this around it. I just thought it'd be cool to see the lights together, but even cooler from the Jedi Temple." And yes, of course he would continue to call them Jedi temples even if they were monasteries of a different sort.

#flotsamxthomas

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