#the bruises the choreography the chemistry!

[decidentia]

2023 is nearly over and I still don’t have an ice-skating AU.

[henshinwolf89]

Zeiram 1 Retrospective

When it comes to Tokusatsu, it can be somewhat tricky to initially get into. With such a long history and back catalog, and an often 50+ episode long commitment, it can be daunting to newcomers. That’s why I usually say to find what appeals to you and go from there. Maybe find something that’s on the shorter side of things before trying to tackle the bigger ones. Standalone Tokusatsu movies can be a good starting point.

That leads me to suggesting one such movie series as a potential starting point into the larger world of Tokusatsu, the Zeiram series, which consists of two feature-length films and a six episode OVA. Zeiram was created by the insanely talented Keita Amemiya, an absolute legend in the Tokusatsu industry. Having worked on almost every major Tokusatsu franchise in some form at one point before creating his own series, such as the incredible Garo franchise, he quickly established himself as a unique visionary of the business.

Zeiram is Amemiya’s second film after Mirai Ninja, his debut movie in 1988, and began its life as a sequel to it before evolving into its own thing. The first Zeiram movie was released on December 21, 1991, and reportedly had a smaller budget than Mirai Ninja, thirty million yen, which is roughly two hundred thousand dollars. The entire film’s budget is apparently the cost of just a single episode of Garo! However, just because it had a smaller budget doesn’t mean that they skimped on the special effects. The film deploys an impressive array of special effects, ranging from amazing suitmation, puppetry, pyrotechnics, wire work, fight choreography, and even stop-motion animation!

The film stars actress Yuko Moriyama as Iria, a tough as nails intergalactic bounty hunter. Moriyama was a relatively new actress, having her start on a contact lens commercial for Seed Contact Lenses and mostly doing TV work. Moriyama was initially hesitant to play Iria, as she had no prior experience playing action roles, but enjoyed her experience as Iria by the end and came out with a very positive outlook. She wasn’t used to using guns or gun props and was pretty surprised by the impact of the model gun the first time she used it. She got used to it eventually as she knew Iria was a professional and needed to act the part. Soon, she found firing the guns to be really fun. Moriyama also stated having difficulty with the suit Iria wore. It’s bulkyness making her feel like a robot and bruising up her body quite a bit. She got used to it after a month. However, the suit was very squeaky and noisy. You could always tell when she was nearby, much to the amusement of the rest of the cast and crew.

The other two major characters are the two average working Joe electricians, Teppei and Kamiya, played by Kunihiro Ida and Yukijiro Hotaru, respectfully. Ida was in Amemiya’s previous film, Mirai Ninja, and is a varied actor being in the original Japanese version of “Shall We Dance?” Hotaru, on the other hand, is an accomplished stage actor and should be a familiar face to Tokusatsu fans. He played The Evil Emperor Diable in Bishoujo Kamen Poitrine, had a cameo as the suicidal man in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack or GMK for short, and most famously played Tsutomu Osako in the Heisei Gamera trilogy, and Gonza Kurahashi in Garo. Hotaru and Amemiya are good friends, and they both have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.

Moriyama, Ida, and Hotaru all developed a great working chemistry with each other. Ida was very supportive of Moriyama, frequently psyching her up and giving her emotional support, while Hotaru often gave her acting advice. They did line readings together often and read through the script many times before shoots. They did this in advance as often as possible. Hotaru during shoots would hunch over to make himself look smaller in comparison to Moriyama, so Iria had a larger and more imposing presence.

Next up is Bob, Iria’s A.I. partner. Who is voiced by Masakazu Handa. He sadly died at the young age of 47 due to heart failure on August 26, 2014. Handa was a professional voice actor who also did a lot of narration work and announcement work at events like martial arts tournaments and sports games.

Finally, the titular monster, Zeiram, is played by suit actor Mizuho Yoshida, and the suit was made by famous sculptor and artist Takayuki Takeya. Yoshida’s first role was in Mirai Ninja, but he has played many Kaiju characters as well, such as Mother Legion in Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Zedus in Gamera the Brave and Godzilla in GMK. In the Rebirth of Mothra movies, he played Desghidorah and Dagahra in the sequel. He has also provided motion capture work for video games such as the Tyrant from Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, Dylan in Dino Crisis 2, Dead Rising, and Onimusha. Most notably was the mo-cap actor for both Solid Snake and Naked Snake/Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid 1-3.

Amemiya drew many designs to find the look of Zeiram, an alien wearing a sedge hat. He settled on the look of a traveler from the Edo period, as he thought it would be scary to see someone like that in the streets in the middle of the night. The Zeiram costume was quite heavy, most of the weight being on the head with tension on the neck. According to Amemiya, Zeiram is female, but in the films, the characters use male pronouns, so I’ll be using gender neutral terms to refer to Zeiram. I mean, it’s a bio-mechanical alien. It probably doesn’t even fall into our human definitions of gender anyway.

But enough about the behind the scenes tidbits for now, let’s get into talking about the actual film!

The movie opens with an intense scene showing how dangerous Zeiram is. A group of armed men are brutally slaughtered by the ruthless alien. A bounty is placed on the capture of Zeiram, and Bob accepts the order and claims no one may interfere with Iria and Bob’s job. Next, we see Iria skulking through the streets of Tokyo, gathering supplies. Then we are introduced to Kamiya, who is elated to finally strike it big gambling on horse races. Kamiya is divorced, most likely due to his gambling habits. Teppei is next, trying to contact Kamiya about their next set of jobs. He wants to quickly get them done as he has a date with the company’s secretary, Yumi, something Kamiya teases him about.

I like Kamiya and Teppei. They’re just two average dudes that are about to find themselves in something extraordinary. They are the source of comic relief and provide a contrast to Iria’s stoic badass demeanor. Their hapless antics don’t distract or ruin Iria’s action scenes, and they even contribute tremendously to helping Iria. Honestly, they remind me of Val McKee and Earl Bassett, played by Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward from the movie Tremors.

Anyway, Iria and Bob’s base of operations are siphoning a lot of electricity, and so Kamiya and Teppei are called in to investigate. Iria and Bob are building a device to trap Zeiram in a place called the Zone. They need to use the Zone to capture Zeiram to avoid causing collateral damage to Earth’s environment and population. Bob says that they need this job to pay off debts racked up by Iria. After catching Zeiram in the Zone, the two electricians arrive, and Teppei accidentally stumbles into the Zone’s teleporter. Iria gives chase, and Kamiya invites himself along. This is where the movie primarily takes place in the Zone, where no other life is allowed in outside those permitted or teleported there.

Iria traps Kamiya in a protective barrier and goes off to pursue Teppei and find Zeiram. Unfortunately, Teppei encounters Zeiram first and is attacked. He flees, and Zeiram produces a creature called the Lilliput monster to give chase.

The smoke in the scene where Zeiram attacks Teppei with the Lilliput was created with oil at 2 o’clock in the morning. One of the first locations they shot according to interviews. People who hung their clothes out to dry had them covered in oil the next morning, Amemiya feels guilty for it and was sorry. The Lilliput monster was played by suit actresses Mayumi Aguni. Apparently, an early example of a woman playing a monster in Tokusatsu. It’s unfortunately difficult to find information online about female Kaiju actors. The only others I’m aware of are Yumi Kameyama as Super Gyaos in Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe and, of course, the popular and adorable Rie Ota as Baragon in GMK.

Back to the movie. Iria manages to track down Zeiram and lures it to a warehouse that she previously laid with booby-traps. She ensnares Zeiram in a wire trap and begins to gloat about her victory. Her confidence gets the best of her as Zeiram seizes the opportunity and surprises Iria with the parasite in it’s hat, and cutting itself free. Meanwhile, Teppei stumbles upon Kamiya frozen in the barrier. He attempts to free him. The fight between Iria and Zeiram rages on, as they exchange fire between each other. However, Bob warns that conventional weaponry is useless, so against Bob’s wishes, Iria reveals her battle armor and switches to hand-to-hand combat.

Iria’s armor proves effective as Zeiram’s payload of artillery is reflected. Zeiram chooses to fight with melee as well and begins to overpower Iria with shear might. Iria lures it to another trap, restraining it in place. Zeiram unleashes more Lilliput monsters to buy itself time to escape. Iria defeats the Lilliput monster, but Zeiram escapes its binding. Zeiram presses forward and corners Iria, but just before it can finish her off, she manages to finally trap it in the same confinement barrier she trapped Kamiya in.

With Zeiram in custody, Teppei finds Iria and requests she release Kamiya. Iria complies, and she explains the situation to the two men. Just as Bob is preparing to teleport everyone back, a Lilliput monster attacks the group. Iria defends the two but gets transported along with the monster, leaving the electricians behind with the frozen Zeiram. The scuffle with the monster damages the control panel, cutting off access to the Zone. Bob reveals it has also destabilized the Zone too, and not much time is left before it completely vanishes.

Waiting for Iria, Teppei rifles through Iria’s bags as Kamiya grows impatient. Another Lilliput monster attacks Kamiya, and Teppei uses Iria’s weapons to fight it off. In the struggle, Zeiram’s stasis pod gets damaged and releases it. The two electricians attempt to flee by hot wiring a truck. Unfortunately, Zeiram corners them and bites Kamiya’s arm with it’s parasite. They manage to shake off Zeiram and escape. It’s revealed that by consuming its victims’ DNA, Zeiram creates its clone monsters. It creates an imperfect clone of Kamiya, but it is unable to follow orders. In its rage, Zeiram kills the clone.

The scene where Kamiya gets attacked by Zeiram’s tentacle is one of the final scenes to be shot. The tentacle was controlled by wires, and the prop was quite short. They had to utilize camera tricks to make it look longer. After Zeiram removes its scarf, revealing its face, to make the Kamiya clone, its face seems reminiscent of the Predator. I wouldn’t be surprised if Predator played a role in inspiring Zeiram in some way.

The two electricians flee into a beer storage warehouse and attempt to defend themselves from Zeiram. The fight causes Teppei to get separated from Kamiya. Teppei is unable to locate Kamiya, escapes, and contacts Iria. Iria and Bob debate sending Teppei the Metis Cannon to fight Zeiram after Teppei resolves to make a last stand after he assumes Kamiya might be dead.

Teppei heads to the drop-off point on a motorcycle to retrieve the Metis Cannon, Zeiram intercepts, and corners Teppei. Suddenly, Kamiya returns to save Teppei with a construction crane. However, Zeiram overpowers it and knocks Kamiya out of the vehicle. Then Iria swoops into the rescue, armed with a bazooka. Iria unloads the bazooka’s only shot towards Zeiram, severely damaging its body. Zeiram discards its lower half, revealing its true body is the hat, and mutates into a more skeleton-like creature to continue pursuing our heroes.

The bike scene was shot in a plane hanger in Haneda Airport. Amemiya had no prior experience with shooting a scene with a stunt like this before and was worried about the safety of the actors. The wire connected to the stunt actor on the bike fortunately snapped off, had it not, Yoshida, in the Zeiram suit, would have been hit and seriously injured. The Zeiram skeleton showcases Amemiya and his teams talent at practical effects with an impressive display of both stop-motion animation and puppetry, bringing the creature to life.

The trio, with Zeiram in tow, flee through a maze-like web of rooms in search of the Metis Cannon to kill Zeiram. Iria stays behind to stall Zeiram, leading to her being flung out a window after damaging Zeiram with a grenade. Kamiya and Teppei find the Metis Cannon but struggle to put it together in time, Zeiram tracks them down and corners them. Iria locates them in the nick of time and quickly assembles the Metis Cannon and uses it to destroy Zeiram’s skeleton. She then captures Zeiram’s hat in a barrier.

Bob transports Kamiya and Teppei back to home base outside the Zone. Then, he brings back the captured Zeiram. Next, he attempts to bring back Iria. However, Zeiram breaks free, damages the transport device, and goes on the offensive once again mutating further. Iria is trapped within the Zone as it is collapsing. Bob instructs Kamiya on how to repair the transport device as Teppei attempts to hold Zeiram back with a makeshift wooden barricade. Zeiram breaks free and is poised to kill Teppei when Kamiya fixes the device, and Iria arrives to save the day by lighting Zeiram up with as many shots as it takes, finally killing it.

As the morning comes, the trio catch their breath and thank each other for everything. Iria cuts off two locks of her hair and gives it to Kamiya and Teppei as a way of saying thanks and for them to have something to remember her by. Bob then asks if the three could group up for a commemorative photo. As Bob snaps the picture, everyone smiles and credits roll.

Though Moriyama was inexperienced as an action actress, by the time of filming the final confrontation with Zeiram, she was completely in character. Amemiya found it easier to direct her, as she had become accustomed to fighting, and he had gained more experience as a director. Despite a few bumps in the road, the cast and crew had a pleasant experience with the movie. The only major problems were the weather, which seemed to be against them, according to Amemiya.

As for my thoughts on the film? I absolutely love it! I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, whether you’re into Tokusatsu or just like monster movies or creature features, like Predator or Alien. I’d even recommend this movie to a Resident Evil fan! I couldn’t shake the feeling of being reminded of my love of the intense rivalry between Jill Valentine and Nemesis. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film played some role in inspiring Resident Evil 3, though I have zero evidence to back that claim. Zeiram even goes through several mutations, like a final boss from Resident Evil.

Even if you’ve never heard of Keita Amemiya’s work prior to this, chances are you’ve encountered his work vicariously through some games you may have played. Games like Hagane: The Final Conflict, Onimusha 2-3, Clock Tower 3, Genji: Days of the Blade, Final Fantasy 14, and Shin Megami Tensei IV. Like I said, he’s a legend of the industry, and he has fans all across the world.

If you’re interested, you can easily pick up a Blu-ray copy for a good price. It recently received a fantastic 30th Anniversary Edition re-release back in 2021 by Media Blasters. Go check it out! You won’t regret it!

[ask-ikevamp-faust]

I’ve given considerable thought to a nickname that would suit you. I could always call you something flowery like “my wicked priest”, but I think I shall call you “my soul”. Our romantic attraction and chemistry remind me of the legendary soul tie, so it seems a very fitting choice.

On a related note, I’d never dream of wanting to rid myself of you. In fact, I’d learn and perfect all of your favorite foods, not only because I love to cook but because I want to satisfy your desires.

Personally, I have a fondness for sweets. I adore a well-made creme brulee, almond croissant, or anything with dark chocolate. My favorite savory meal is a sandwich made with brie, salted ham, arugula, and freshly baked bread. It’s absolutely divine, especially when slightly toasted.

The only things I should need for the music lessons are a sheet music stand and access to a piano, although the idea of wearing a habit around the church is slightly amusing. I've never pictured myself as a bride of the church, but if you would like to see me robed, then who am I to deny you? Somehow I see you leaving bites and bruises under the high collar of my outfit, enjoying the fact that only you and I know they exist.

I would love to show you more about music and theatre. Aside from science, they are by far my greatest passions. My vocal part is generally Soprano, but I am specifically a lyric coloratura soprano in Opera. As for roles, I've performed as Rosalind in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera, and I've actually done both Lucy Harris and Emma Carew from Jekyll & Hyde.

I do remember some of my choreography, but I can assure you that my singing has always been far better than my dancing. I'm not terrible; I can hold my own, but I'm no born dancer. However, a simple waltz or an intimate couple’s dance would be very easy to recreate. I'd also be more than happy to show you my usual yoga routine.

I must add that you’ve made me blush once again by calling me beautiful. You're quite the charmer when opportunity arises, but I'm certainly not complaining. The items you've laid out certainly sound enticing. I've used a few of them, but most I've only had the opportunity to fantasize about. Are you looking to put a collar around my neck, darling?

- L

(P.S. One of my favorite musicals is called Tanz der Vampire. The song Die unstillbare gier reminds me heavily of Faust)

I have returned, I trust that you followed what I said and had a nice weekend. I must admit that the days seemed long and slow without our exchange. Also, your choice in name is a nice blend of romantic and possessive, it's charming, I approve. 

That's perfect because truthfully, I wouldn't let you go even if you asked. I've been thinking about it and it's difficult to narrow down my favorite meals. It must be because I'm not a very picky eater. As long as a meal looks appetizing I'll eat it. I suppose I am rather fond of prosciutto. If I'm extremely busy with my research I usually put together a prosciutto themed charcuterie board to snack on. 

You should make me your favorite sandwich, it sounds like something I would enjoy. Your fondness for sweets is valuable information, I'll have to search for these quality goods and share them with you. I'd like to observe you eating your favorite things. Do you enjoy frozen desserts? I was rather bored the other day and found a recipe for these "chocolate clouds". Apparently you drown berries in your choice of yogurt and form a cloud like shape with it, freeze the clouds, and then cover them in chocolate of your choice, allow the chocolate to harden and enjoy. I attempted to make these using dark chocolate, it was an interesting experiment. 

You know me so well, I'll have to reward you. That is one of the main reason I would enjoy seeing you in such an outfit. The idea of seeing you walk around the church concealing all of my markings beneath the robe is extremely alluring. 

You must sing to me so I can observe your abilities. I have seen a few operas in my time. The performers are rather impressive, their range and ability to project their voice in such a way is interesting. I asked a performer once if he'd become my subject so that I may study him but he refused, I'm not sure why. As for your roles, I should really watch these performances again so that I know who you're talking about. I am familiar with the titles, but unfortunately can't recall more. We could watch them together if you're interested, you can even make treats for us.

If you say your singing ability is superior to your dancing, now I really have to watch you dance. I will agree to do any couples dance with you if I get to watch you do a solo dance routine first. Also, I'm not very flexible but I suppose I can attempt your yoga routine.

With someone like you, the opportunity to charm is always there. The more I learn about you, the more certain I become, you truly are an impressive person with so much to offer the world. Too bad for the world though, I want you all to myself. Naturally with this comes the idea of a collar, because I can't put you in a cage now can I. While I'm eager to bring your fantasies to life, I'd also like to gift you some jewelry. If thats not to your liking then some other accessory. Something from me you can wear in public. What are your thoughts on this?

By the way, I didn't forget about the tattoo story. I recall choosing the moth and the lantern as the next one. It didn't make it into the last exchange so now I'm asking again.

(Oh I've never seen it before, but the title sounds like something I'd like! I'm gonna look into it :)) Thanks for sharing! btw would you like me to add this detail to the exchange?)

[prathapoklealevelmediastudies]

Day 2 of shoot

Coursework Development/ Production

On the first day of shooting, I encountered an unexpected setback when the female lead withdrew from the project at the last minute. Thankfully, at the last moment, the backup actor Shveni agreed to step in, which eased the situation considerably.

Starting promptly at 9 am, as I had already booked the MMA gym from 9am to 2pm for shooting. Given the limited time available, I decided to prioritize the gym scenes over the ones I had to reshoot at my place. First, I choreographed the fight scenes between the actors.

Then, I moved on to the makeup stage, where I skillfully applied fake bruise effects on face and hands to the lead actor and his opponent, ensuring they looked convincingly battered and bruised for the camera.

before

After

After completing the makeup, we transitioned into filming Scene 1, but before that I did the set design by clearing the background and adding a bench.

originally the scene comprised four shots. However, during the shoot, I opted for just two angles: a mid-close-up and a low angle.

Once we wrapped up this segment, we moved on to Scenes 2 which consisted of two shots: a tracking shot and a master shot, both taking place outside the cage. 

As we began shooting the fight scene, I noticed that the opponent's positioning didn't align with our rehearsals. Thinking on my feet, I improvised by incorporating a bend and shift action for Sumit, allowing him to move to the other side of the cage smoothly without disrupting the rest of the choreography, considering that Scene 2 had already been filmed with the different positions.

Moving on to the shot, I also sprayed water on Sumit's and his opponent's faces, clothes, and hair to achieve a natural, sweaty look.

To maintain continuity between Scenes 6 and 8, I made the decision to shoot both sequences in one continuous take. The fight scenes were captured from 5 to 6 different angles, ensuring I had a variety of perspectives to depict the detailed actions of the actors.

However, for specific shots requiring precise angles or actions, I directed the actors to perform those particular segments of the choreography separately. For instance, when capturing the scene where Sumit is pinned against the cage and receiving blows from his opponent, I utilized an over-the-shoulder angle of Sumit from outside the cage.

Similarly, for the knockout punch, I opted for a close-up shot of the punch and the opponent dropping to the ground, enhancing the dramatic impact of the moment.

After wrapping up the intense fight scene, we took a brief half-hour break to recharge. Then, I started capturing Raya's emotional reaction to the MMA match from both inside and outside the cage. Raya's response was pivotal to the narrative, and it required authentic tears in her eyes to convey the depth of her emotions. To achieve this effect, I utilized glycerin to evoke tears, enhancing the realism of her performance.

Following the completion of the gym scenes, we relocated to my residence for the continuation of the shoot, commencing at 2pm. Given that I had already directed these sequences on the first day, executing retakes posed minimal challenge. The prior shoot day served as a valuable trial run, providing me with insights into angles and camera positioning that facilitated a smoother process.

Since I had already completed the mock shoot with Shveni playing the role of Raya, there weren't many problems, and everything went smoothly, the male actor had already acclimated comfortably to his role, as he had had ample of time to immerse himself and grasp it's the character.

However, Both the actors were familiar with each other which helped their on-screen chemistry to effortlessly translated into captivating performances.

I opted to prioritize scenes 5 and 7, set in the bedroom, due to their heavy-dialogue nature and various actions. Initially, I conducted several rehearsals with the actors, addressing their struggles in maintaining dialogue flow alongside actions. To assist Raya in understanding her character better, I provided demonstrations through acting.

After a quick makeup session for Sumit, I began shooting scene 5. Utilizing two angles—a mid-close-up and Sumit's point of view which was accomplished with fewer takes compared to the challenges faced during the initial shoot on day 1.

Transitioning to scene 7, I employed four different angles to capture the depth of emotions conveyed by the actors.

With the bedroom scenes wrapped up, we moved to the balcony. Where I provided the actors with props (a novel and a coffee cup) we successfully captured the scene in just 3 to 4 takes. By 4:30 pm, the entire shoot had been completed.

Post-shoot, I transferred all the clips to my laptop and then onto the hard disk for safekeeping.

[aion-rsa]

Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

https://ift.tt/3iGgPxj

Search ‘Martial Arts Movies’ on Amazon Prime and you’ll get over a thousand results ranging from the classics to the campy, to the critically acclaimed. It’s an overwhelming library for the uninitiated and the mother lode for stalwart fans of the genre. There are so many gems buried in Amazon Prime that digging out the favorites is dirty challenging work but extremely rewarding.

When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu Theater shows because there was so much cheap content available.

Consequently, Amazon Prime’s Kung Fu film selection leans heavily that way, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include some non-Chinese favorites too. Martial Arts movies cross over to all other genres and nations. There are comedies, romances, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and art house films. From countless cheesy low-budget exploitations, many so funky that they’re totally awesome, to the brilliant ground-breaking works that are staggeringly sensational, here’s some classic jewels and hidden treasures currently included with Amazon Prime membership.

Fist of Fury (1972)

Despite his fame, Bruce Lee only lived to see three of his martial arts movies premiere because Enter the Dragon and Game of Death were released posthumously. His impersonators are innumerable, so many that Bruceploitation is its own genre.

But Fist of Fury is the real Bruce in all his nunchuck spinning glory. It’s loosely based on the history of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, which remains one of the largest international martial arts organizations to this day. When Bruce shattered the ‘No Dogs and Chinese Allowed’ sign with a soaring flying kick, it became a battle cry for the racially oppressed worldwide, firmly cementing Bruce as the world’s first Asian global superstar.

Come Drink with Me (1966)

Long before Charlize Theron went Atomic Blonde, Cheng Pei Pei blazed a path as Golden Swallow, the mysterious invincible swordswoman, and all female action heroines are in her wake. Fiercely independent and savagely lethal, Cheng delivers several sophisticated long-take fight scenes, the hallmark of real Kung Fu skill, with the poise and precision built upon her foundation in ballet. Cheng is remembered in Hollywood as Jade Fox from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and played the matchmaker in Disney’s live-action Mulan. Note that Amazon Prime also has the sequel, Golden Swallow, but it’s not nearly as good.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

This tour de force from director Tsui Hark and Jet Li launched a six-film franchise and a TV series. Jet plays Wong Fei-hung, a real-life folk hero and Kung Fu master who has been depicted in well over a hundred films and TV shows. Set during the late 19th century, the film examines themes of Western colonization and Chinese cults, and while blatantly nationalistic, it captures Jet in his martial prime and contains some of his finest fights.

Read more

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Wira Review: Meet the Next Martial Arts Movie Star

By Gene Ching

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The Forgotten Bruce Lee Video Game From the ’80s

By Craig Lines

Amazon Prime also has Once Upon a Time in China II, which is an excellent sequel, however the third installment (not on Amazon Prime) falls apart, allegedly due to disputes between Jet and Hark.

Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

This was internationally acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai’s first stab at the martial arts genre. It’s sumptuously artsy and laboriously dystopic, not one to see for the action but the art. Based on a classic wuxia (wuxia is Chinese for martial arts genre books and film) titled The Eagle Shooting Heroes, Wong simultaneously filmed a parody titled after the book with the same cast. Wong did the Redux after the original print was lost, salvaging what was left, reediting and re-scoring it. 

(Prime US only)

The Assassin (2015)

Director Hou Hsiao-hsien won Best Director at Cannes for this magnificent epic, which was also submitted as Taiwan’s Foreign Language entry at the Academy Awards. Starring the ever-glamorous Shu Qi, who made an early Hollywood crossover attempt with The Transporter, The Assassin is based on another wuxia tale that’s parallel to The Manchurian Candidate but instead of Korean brainwashing, it’s 9th century Chinese sorcery.

Read more

Movies

Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

By Alec Bojalad and 2 others

Movies

Ninjas All The Way Down: The Mysterious World of Godfrey Ho

By Craig Lines

The exquisite filmmaking makes this spectacular–panoramic landscapes, lavish costumes, intricately detailed sets, all gorgeous. Every shot is a stunning composition of light and shadow, and the camera lingers on each frame with ponderous and quiet respect, the kind that film students will gush over for years.

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in the UK)

Fearless Hyena (1979)

When people cite Rush Hour to reference Jackie Chan, it just goes to show they don’t know Jackie at all. Long before Jackie crossed over to Hollywood, he made dozens of films that truly captured his astounding Kung Fu skills, unrestricted by U.S. insurance liability. His late ‘70s period was particularly ripe because he was in peak physical shape and first creating his unique acrobatic comedies. Remember that chopstick dumpling training scene between Po and Shifu in Kung Fu Panda? In Fearless Hyena, Jackie and his shifu (James Tien) do it in live-action, no wires, no CGI, and the choreography is absolutely mind-blowing.

Wheels on Meals (1984)

Jackie Chan earned his Kung Fu prowess from being trained from childhood in traditional Chinese Opera. Many of his classmates also became stars in martial arts film. This is one of two collaborations between him and his two martial brothers, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (the other is Dragons Forever).

Read more

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Jackie Chan’s Project A Movies Are Spectacular

By Craig Lines

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Jackie Chan’s Hard Road to Hollywood

By Craig Lines

A modern comedy shot in Barcelona, the chemistry between Jackie, Sammo and Yuen is magical as they bring the fastest three-person sparring scenes ever captured. On top of that, Jackie faces off against real-life kickboxing champion Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez in what is considered by many as the greatest fight scene ever filmed. 

(US only)

Knockabout (1979)

Knockabout is Yuen Biao’s first lead role after dozens of supporting roles. His acrobatic skills are unparalleled, stronger than Jackie’s because his body frame is built like a gymnast. Sammo Hung’s girth has typecast him as villains and buffoons. Nevertheless, he’s a leading director and choreographer and serves as both in this film, on top of playing a comic beggar who trains Yuen in jump rope monkey Kung Fu (that’s right–jump rop –you have to see it to understand).

Read more

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10 of the Weirdest Kung Fu Movies Ever

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TV

Cobra Kai and the Legacy of The Karate Kid

By Gene Ching

It’s a slow build past some goofy comic hijinks, because Yuen’s skills improve over the course of the film. In a fight against Hoi Sang Lee, Yuen pummels so many goose-egg bruises into his noggin that he looks like the coronavirus. But once the training begins through to the final fight, Yuen and Sammo show why they are legends in the industry. 

(US only)

Dirty Ho (1979)

When this film came out, the title wasn’t as funny as it is now. But it still works in a way because this is one of the best Kung Fu slapstick comedies. Starring some of top talent from Shaw Brother studios, including Gordon Liu, Wang Yue, and Lo Lieh, it’s full of the stylish long-take choreography and blazing stunts using real fire long before CGI.

Read more

Movies

King Boxer: The Enduring Legacy of a Martial Arts Classic

By Craig Lines

Movies

The Man From Hong Kong: A Genuinely Dangerous Action Movie

By Craig Lines

It’s a classic tale of hidden master, a punk student, and notorious villains, including hilarious absurdities like sex change tea, and wheelchair and crutch fighting. The discreet Kung Fu challenge while sampling rare wines out of crazy cups is ludicrous fun; the sort that only master fight choreographer Lau Kar-leung can deliver.

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Here is another classic from Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung, but serious and somber. Alexander Fu Sheng, a prominent leading man, died in a tragic car crash during production, making this his final film. His character suffers PTSD after losing his family in a horrific opening ambush, but his storyline dangles unfinished.

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Movies

A Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Black Magic Movies

By Craig Lines

Culture

Ip Man: The Man, The Myth, The Movies

By Craig Lines

The film was rewritten to focus Gordon and Lau, as well as the always brilliant Kara Hui. The cast goes all out to honor their fallen comrade’s legacy, showcasing some of the finest weapon choreography ever shot. Based on the legend of the Yang family generals, the untimely death tugs hard on the heartstrings for anyone in the know. 

Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)

Just one more Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung project, this is the sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which is also amazing and available on Amazon Prime. However, Return to the 36th Chamber has such an odd concept for a sequel that warrants special attention.

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Movies

The 36th Chamber Trilogy‏ – Essential Kung Fu Movie Viewing

By Craig Lines

Liu plays a swindler impersonating the Shaolin monk San Te, the character he played in the first film. When his clan is oppressed by the Manchus gang, Liu sneaks into Shaolin, only to be deceptively trained by the real San Te, then returns for vengeance. His clan are cloth dyers, which makes for colorful pools for villains to plunge.

Liu’s uproarious rooftop Kung Fu and his battle with Wang Lung-Wei’s bench-fighter gang are outstanding. Kara Hui has the best retort after Gordon tries to play off his lack of Kung Fu, claiming it’s only for “universal peace,” and not revenge. She claps back “Huh! That’s a stupid Kung Fu.”

The Lady is the Boss (1983)

Kara Hui (aka Kara Wai) is one of the greatest Kung Fu divas of all, yet she’s only known by true devotees of the genre. If you’ve never heard of her, here is one of her finest comedy vehicles. Set in modern-day Hong Kong, Hui plays an American master returning to save her father’s Kung Fu school after his passing. Lau Kar-leung is the eldest student in charge (also the choreographer) and he resists her attempts to modernize.

Long take fights are staged in a topless club, a disco, and finally, a gymnastic gym replete with rings, parallel bars, and a beam, perfect for the choreographic shenanigans only Lau can bring. Gordon Liu appears with hair, which feels wrong because he built his reputation on playing bald monks. 

Crippled Avengers (1978)

From director Chang Cheh, the “Godfather of Kung Fu Films,” Crippled Avengers stars four members of the Venoms crew, from Chang’s classic The Five Venoms (also available on Amazon Prime).

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Movies

The Five Deadly Venoms: An Essential Martial Arts Movie

By Craig Lines

It was repackaged as The Return of the Five Venoms (and also Mortal Combat), however it is its own standalone masterpiece and has nothing to do with the original beyond the cast.

Lu Feng (Centipede from the Venoms crew) gets his arms chopped off and replaced by iron arms (a plot device that RZA echoed The Man with the Iron Fists). Lu and his father, played by the rough and tumble Chan Kuan Tai, cripple the heroes, who must then walk the road of vengeance while handicapped. The portrayal of the disabilities is dated (arm tied behind the back for the amputee, eyes closed for the blinded) but the choreography is ingenious. 

Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

Another echo of The Five Venoms from the sanguineous Chang Cheh, Five Elements Ninjas showcases the director’s unique eye for fantasy. It’s an orgy of weird fantasy weapons and ultraviolence, bloody fight scene after bloody fight scene, a cult film of truly epic proportions. As the title says, the ninjas are based on the five elements.

The gold ninjas don gold lame suits and switchblade shield hats. The wood ninjas look like rejected apple trees in The Wizard of Oz. If you turn this film into a drinking game where you take a shot whenever blood is spilled, you won’t make it past the first half hour. 

The Web of Death (1976)

What is the ultimate Kung Fu WMD? It’s a tarantula that roars like an elephant and shoots acidic webs, sparks, and death rays, and it decimates the wuxia world. The Web of Death has everything a cult film requires: crazy weapons, cross dressing, romance, complex set-pieces, halls of traps, including acid pits, spiked poles and dragon-headed sparkler cannons, silly superheroes and villains in costumes that would make MCU heroes blush. Filled with jaw dropping WTF moments, it’s a real treat for anyone into cheesy over-the-top Kung Fu cinema.

The Bride with White Hair (1993)

Based on a wuxia novel, The Bride with White Hair is a surreal plunge into the Kung Fu subgenre of Fant-Asia which blossomed in the ‘90s. It’s a doomed romance between rival cult members set in a world of swords and sorcery that stars Brigette Lin in the spurned titular role and the dreamy heartthrob Leslie Cheung.

What makes this stand out was the visionary direction of Ronny Yu. His pre-CGI special effects hold up surprisingly well. Lin’s characterization of the bride was so compelling that it spawned an homage in The Forbidden Kingdom and a remake in The White Haired Witch. The Bride with White Hair II is also available on Amazon Prime which reunites Lin and Cheung, but without Yu’s direction it’s not nearly as special. 

(US only)

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

Fant-Asia has been revitalized with the advent of CGI. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame marked a triumphant return to form for director Tsui Hark. Armed with quixotic special effects, Hark casts Andy Lau as the legendary detective Di Renjie, who is like a Tang Dynasty Sherlock Holmes. Wuxia films are akin to comic book movies, filled with glaringly overdone heroes and villains, super saturated color schemes, and a lot of flying about.

It’s high fantasy wirework in front of CG backgrounds with physics-defying fight choreography by Sammo Hung (Kung Fu physics are not subject to the laws of gravity). Most of all, it takes unexpected turns like the old Fant-Asia story arcs have always done. 

(US only)

Tai Chi Zero (2012)

Director Stephen Fung took Fant-Asia another step into an emergent subgenre of Shanghai Steampunk (Legend of Korra is another example). It’s an action comedy about the legendary forefather of Tai Chi, Yang Luchan, in what was meant to be the launch of a trilogy. However, it was filmed back-to-back with the second installment, Tai Chi Hero (not free on Amazon Prime), which was released only a month later and that proximity depleted their box office returns.

Nevertheless, Tai Chi Zero was an Official Selection at several notable international film festivals because it was so stylish and funny. Both films end on cliffhangers in anticipation of the next chapter, but Tai Chi Hero loses the momentum of its predecessor, except for the final cliffhanging tease. There’s been no further development on the final chapter Tai Chi Summit since Tai Chi Hero flopped. 

(US only)

JCVD (2012)

Jean-Claude Van Damme opens this French film with a remarkable long take fight, showing he still had it on the brink of turning 50, but it’s not really a martial arts film. He plays a self-deprecating caricature of himself, although not as comedic as his lampooning self-portrayal in the Amazon Original Series Jean-Claude Van Johnson.

There’s some top-notch cinematography including more complex long takes, remarkable displays of technical skill, and directorial timing. But it’s all about Van Damme’s confession scene when he breaks the fourth wall and discusses his filmmaking process in that weird recursive, artsy French film way. It’s a long-take monologue, and Van Damme nails it emotionally with a heartfelt confession that’s not so much amazing acting as it is brutally honest. He lays it out, bares his soul, and surprisingly, it’s a sympathetic soul. It’s a truly captivating scene, a dramatic triumph that no one ever saw coming, completely redefining Van Damme as an actor. 

(US only)

The Man from Nowhere (2010)

This was Korea’s highest grossing film that year. It’s a gritty and brutally bloody tale of a pawnshop owner, played by Won Bin, who unwittingly receives a camera bag filled with stolen heroin, attracting the attention of the drug ring gangsters.

However, he’s a retired special agent with fierce combat skills, tossed into a ghetto tale with exotic dancers, organ harvesting, an innocent child who needs protection, and gang wars. Won Bin won many dramatic accolades with the five films he made, including Taegukgi and Mother. This was his final one to date and he sells the ultraviolence with remarkable panache. 

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in UK)

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)

This is another outstanding Korean martial arts film, set in the Joseon period. It echoes Robin Hood, complete with a fighting monk like Friar Tuck, a Maid Marian type, only she’s a keen archer, and a Little John character wielding a shot-put ball on a rope for brutal ultra violence. Ha Jung-woo stars as the lead, a butcher who wields butcher knives, which just adds to the bloodiness. The fight choreography is fun and sanguineous, and the characters were well fleshed out, even the villain. Like a lot of Korean cinema, it takes some surprising turns in the details, little scenes that feel fresh in their presentation. And the panoramic shots are visually epic. 

(US only)

Redeemer (2015)

Marko Zaror brings an exotic Chilean actioner full of fight choreography that’s merciless, witty, and precise. Zaror is cut and yoked like a beast. He can catch great flying kicks air, roll well for nods to MMA, and handle complex continuous fights. Redeemer includes several long take scenes with the camera aggressively circling around battle, showcasing a masterful command of action and cinematography.

Set in Chile’s cool seascapes and weather worn graffiti-covered ghettos, Redeemer has a strong Catholic theme, lots of crucifixes and pondering about divine justice, which totally works as atmosphere for this fascinating fight flick. 

The Octagon (1980)

Before Chuck Norris became an invincible meme, he churned out a handful of Hollywood martial arts feature films. His third effort, The Octagon, co-starring Lee Van Cleef, is one of his best. It’s a ninja tale, pitting Chuck against noted masters like Richard Norton, Tadashi Yamashita, and his brother Aaron Norris, fighting his way into a ninja terrorist camp where the central ring is “the Octagon.” It was this film that inspired Jason Cusson to design the trademarked Octagon used in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. 

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

In the ‘80s, there was a proliferation of cheesy Ninja films and Sho Kosugi dominated the trend. This is one of those movies that is so horrible, it’s awesome. And it’s Sho’s masterpiece. Lucinda Dickey was a Solid Gold Dancer, who starred in the breakdancing films Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, which bookended Ninja III. While she wasn’t a martial artist in real life, she has the moves, adding to the huge stable of martial actors who started as dancers (even Bruce Lee was a cha cha champion).

It’s incredibly dated with references to video games, aerobics, and the most gawdawful soundtrack ever. The choreography is horrible; Sho overacts whenever it comes to selling a punch; it’s all about Lucinda who tries–really tries–to act her way through a ridiculously dumb story about being possessed by a ninja. But the final sword fight has a ninja zombie and it’s the funniest example of what we had to endure during the ‘80s ninja craze. 

(US only)

Shaolin Dolemite (1999)

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

There was Oscar buzz about Eddie Murphy’s depiction of Rudy Ray Moore in the biopic Dolemite Is My Name, but if you haven’t seen a Dolemite film, you really don’t know. Moore played Dolemite half a dozen times, but ironically in this film, he plays Monk Ru-Dee instead, and this is the only one with any real martial arts in it.

Moore took the cuttings from a 1986 Taiwanese film titled Ninja: The Final Duel, and spliced himself in to create his own story, and it’s just so cray. Beyond Moore, there are bizarre characters like the drunken Sam the Spliff, the topless Ninja Ho, and the coonskin cap wearing Davy Crockett. The story barely makes a lick of sense, but who cares? It’s mother-effin Dolemite.

The post Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3hp08F7

[richukisbb]

Would you rather: fuck Richard or marry zabdiel

OH FUUUUUCK FUCK FUCK.

WHY YOU GOTTA ATTACK ME LIKE THIS???

ESPECIALLY KNOWING HOW MUCH ZABDIEL’S ASS HAS BEEN CONTROLLING ME LATELY 😩😩😩😩😩

Okay I really had to think hard about this.

I’m pretty sure richard and I would have insane sexual chemistry. This is with the assumption that he’s good in bed. But let’s be real, Richuki can get it. Always. I’ve seen that Solo Yó choreography grind live and watched all the live videos of it. Our boy knows how to moves those hips. Which leads me to believe that he’s good in bed. I’m talking he would give it to me six ways to Sunday.

Anyway I want it, he’d deliver. Slow, fast. Rough, soft. Against the wall, in the shower, on the bed. Richard would fuck me until the point where all I scream is his name and have his fingers bruising my hips.

But zabdiel, I could see us getting married too. Aside from the fucking and great sex. I think we’d be compatible as partners. I’m outgoing and although I don’t think I have a dominant personality, I’m a woman that knows what I want and will demand that from my partner when they’re not stepping up.

Lol I’m reading the “type of woman” zabdiel wants that I posted and I guess I fit some of the qualities. I can be the partner that has a good time by going ou all day, then staying in the next.

The few gambles I could see with being married to zabdiel is that he doesn’t make me laugh? Maybe it cultural or language but I fear being with someone who can’t make me laugh. Like Christopher, Richard, Erickc hands down make me laugh the most. Zabdiel can come off as serious and which is fine but I need a goofball too.

That being said, when zabdiel is ready to commit I think he’d be a find husband.

This is a long winded answer to say that, although I fucking love zabdiel...

I’d rather fuck Richard still.

He’s my main lane so how could I pass that opportunity?

Thank you for the ask ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[fivecentimeterspersecond]

Interview with Sui Wenjing with Xu Lijia (English Translation)

Chinese Pairs skater Sui Wenjing sat down for a discussion/interview with Olympic Gold Medalist in sailing, Xu Lijia. I did a loose translation of the 10 minute rapid-fire q&a in the beginning segment, so this is a detailed translation of the long discussion starting at 11:10. 

If you’d like to listen, there’s a dropbox link someone sent me of it (since you need to download an app to listen) and someone also uploaded on bilibili.  

The “free skate”/discussion portion of the interview starting at 11:10:

After winning the silver medal at the Olympics, Wenjing underwent surgery in her foot and entered a lengthy recovery period. In March prior to the World Championships, she had another accidental fell and hurt her lower back, but finally with persevering will and spirit, she and her partner gave another perfect performance on the World Championships stage. To stand on the highest step of the podium, what kind of pain did she have to endure? Xu Lijia continues her conversation with Sui Wenjing.

Xu: I want to turn this discussion back onto winning the World Championships, this is already your second time becoming World Champions. I saw your performance at Worlds and I was completely blown away - I believe no matter whether you were watching live in-person or watching at home on tv, you have the same feeling. Before the competition did you think you would be able to execute so well?

Sui: No, I didn’t dare think that. Before the competition, we had a lot of mishaps like when I’d fallen while practicing the twist, Cong completely missed catching me and I fell directly onto the ice. At the time, I had to rest 3-4 days just laying there, then slowly resumed training. But even right before I left I was unable to successfully complete all 13 elements which made me pretty anxious. In addition after the fall, I was doubting myself like, “Can I really do this? Can I even compete?” If we didn’t skate well then what do we do? But I felt like there were so many people helping us so I felt a bit guilty. But at the same time I was afraid that, 1) another injury or mishap might occur while competing, and 2) if we didn’t compete well, we would leave a negative impression on the judges and would affect our scores for next year.

Xu: So you didn’t really expect that you would perform so well. Then if you couldn’t even perform all the elements right before leaving, then what mysterious force do you think propelled you to skate so perfectly? Or what other skills?

Sui: Some kind of mystical force from the universe [laughs] kidding, kidding! Honestly just the accumulation of several years of training and learning how to control ourselves during competition. Once we get to the competition, we know what we need to do, how we need to skate because when we were younger, we didn’t have a good feeling on how to compete. In addition our coaches were always encouraging me, saying not to give up, we have to fight. Whatever happens, happens. It’s not like you don’t have a chance. Think about it: even though this is what your preparation looks like, no matter how you skate, at least you did your best and you’re happy.  But look at your competitors, they also have a tough battle - they probably think their competition’s condition isn’t that good, and because they see they have a big opportunity, they’re going to be more nervous. This is how everyone’s mindset shifts. But now you have no burdens, you may be injured and everyone knows you’re injured, so you just fight against yourself. However you skate, it is what it is. Our team leader Lu told us “you must show us your status as a top athlete. You don’t necessarily have to skate well, but you need to show your best self to the judges and the audiences and that you still deserve to stand at the top of the world.” That released a lot of our burdens, and allowed us to put forward our best effort in competition.

Xu: It seems that in all aspects you received so much support and coordination from your entire team, they were constantly encouraging you. Because you encountered so many hardships, it sounds like that was able to release your burdens as well. Once you take that pressure off yourself, you’re able to put your best face forward and perform for everyone.

Sui: Right, of course there’s still some nervousness, but comparatively significantly less. Also after seeing our competitors’ condition, I felt like once we got to the competition, I thought, “no, I have to fight. Why are you ahead of me when you usually don’t skate as well as us!” I really thought that! I thought, I have to do my best. I didn’t think, oh I need to surpass them, I just need to be my best self, and if I surpass myself then I’ll win. Also before the competition I had constant support from fans, medical staff, always working hard and helping me with detailed preparation, how to adjust my condition, etc. I’m so thankful to everyone. This medal is due to our entire team.

Xu: I believe that this year’s world championship will be one of your most treasured experiences. Usually after the season is done, the summer is when you choreograph new programs. This year do you have any plans of where you’ll go for choreography?

Sui: We already finished choreographing. Once we finished competing, the week after we got new choreography, and then two weeks later we went to Japan to perform.

Xu: I can imagine you must have a lot of Japanese fans.

Sui: Yes, the fans from Japan are quite adorable. (laugh)

Xu: (laughs) How long does it usually take you to learn and remember a set of new choreography?

Sui: It doesn’t take long to completely memorize the choreography, maybe about one week. But if you want to be able to perform the program in competition, then it’ll take at least 3 months, roughly.

Xu: Three months? This is because it takes that long to perfect and be comfortable?

Sui: Right, you need to be familiar with it. Also, pairs skating is hard because of the coordination needed between partners - the rhythm, timing, in addition to the connection to the music. These are pretty difficult. Like, if you think about ice dance, they do have a lot of elements that require the two partners’ coordination but they don’t need to prepare for hard elements like jumps or throws, so they don’t need to leave time to prepare for these types of elements. In pairs skating, each element takes a lot of time, so once you complete an element you have to continue to perform. So when we’re choreographing we have to be very aware of the timing between the skaters and the music. This aspect requires a significant amount of time to perfect.

Xu: When you are choreographing do you listen entirely to the choreographer or do you guys add your own ideas or movements?

Sui: When we were very young, maybe the first two years we left the country to do choreography with Lori [Nichol], we pretty much listened entirely to her; we did whatever she said. But these past few years, Lori is someone with really good eyes: she is able to recognize our good ideas and pull them out of us. So these last 2 years we’ve used a lot of our own movements. In our programs this year, around 70% of the choreography was from stuff that Han Cong and I thought up. She would be like, oh hey, this way is good. A lot of our friends would ask us, “then why don’t you just choreograph your programs yourselves?” I’d say, no we can’t, because Lori has really good eyes. She’s able to easily see the big picture construction of the program. It’s like building a house: you start from the ground up then seal the roof. But we can’t see that. Also, we can’t see what a certain movement will look like from now until 4-5 months later. Whenever I watch videos of our programs the past few years from the first week after we choreographed, my god, it’s terrifying! They were just so ugly! But one year later, it looks like the way that she envisioned, really good. But at the time we couldn’t see it at all. This is Lori’s greatest strength.

Xu: It seems just like how an actor, after acting for so long can also become a director. Once you’ve done enough choreography you can come up with your own ideas and opinions.

Skating fans like to call Sui Wenjing and Han Cong “Onion Bucket” (cong （葱）= onion, sounds like his name; tong（桶）= bucket, a joke from when she was young and had a “bucket”-like figure). Even though they’ve been partners for 10 years, there’s no actual chemistry between them. Wenjing on Weibo would call him “Second Dad.” How did these two build up such an intimate understanding between each other? Xu Lijia continues her conversation with Sui Wenjing.

Xu: Let’s continue to discuss your figure skating career. Do you remember the first time you partnered with Cong?

Sui: 2007. I remember this clearly because my mom helped me remember.

Xu: Before you previously mentioned because Cong didn’t have a partner anymore, so you got pulled over to try it out, right?

Sui: Right, right.

Xu: At the time, what was your first reaction?

Sui: I just thought why not try it? (laughs)  Right, at the time I thought, this guy looks so scary.

Xu: (laughs) You don’t think he looks cool? I think he’s very cool/handsome!

Sui: He does look cool, but when he’s being scary it doesn’t show.

Xu: Ahh. So you just didn’t like that he has a bad attitude.

Sui: Right! Well, it’s not that he “seems” to, he DOES have a bad attitude! (laugh)

Xu: (laugh) So it’s like this! Then as soon as you paired up did you have good chemistry or was it due to many years together practicing?  

Sui: Not at the start, because first I never learned pairs before, and second, when I was younger I just immediately started skating with him after establishing some fundamentals in skating and jumps. I was like a blank piece of paper. My individual abilities were quite strong, and I was the type of person who could basically withstand anything during practice, falling a few times, a few bruises here and there didn’t bother me. I was pretty coordinated, which probably had to do with taking dance and martial arts lessons before, I grasped it pretty quickly. After pairing for 4 months — no, more like 20 days after pairing up, we entered our first competition. [T/N: some stuff muffled here, they were interrupting each other] We barely made the qualification round at the National Games, I remember.

Xu: Wow, very impressive that you were able to compete so shortly after partnering up. When you were younger and had less strength, did you fall a lot learning lifts and throws?

Sui: Yeah, I fell a lot. It’s not that I didn’t have enough strength, just that I wasn’t used to the “feeling” of being in the air or “feeling” of pairs skating, because pairs is actually quite different from singles.  You have to rotate horizontally and vertically, you have to rotate so high in the air during throws, and low to the ice during spins. It’s important for pairs women have to get to the feeling of rotating in the air so many ways, it takes a while to get used to. But I felt like I got used to it pretty quickly, including throws - my teacher said “do a throw double” and I don’t know how, but I just closed my eyes and did a triple. (Xu: Ohh…) Yeah, and I landed it, but thought, wait, this doesn’t seem right, and fell to the ground.

Xu: You seem to have a lot of natural talent.

Sui: Yeah. Then my teacher said, tomorrow don’t do doubles, just go straight to triples. From then on I never did doubles.

Xu: Wow. You increased the difficulty so quickly. In your impression, what do you think was your worst fall?

Sui: Worst fall I think was probably this year’s [fall before worlds].

Xu: Ah, the one where you said when you fell it felt like you lost half a life?

Sui: Yeah, because this time was during a twist, your entire body is horizontal in the air.

Xu: Ah yes, it’s so high, falling from a height even higher than your body height.

Sui: Right, it’s like my body height plus an arms length, so that would be over 2 meters tall. I went down head first, and watching the video, my reaction was pretty quick and I used my hand to lift my head a bit, then I rolled over. Otherwise my organs, head, spine may have been impacted. My self-protection instinct was pretty good.

Xu: I think this another kind of innate talent, because I heard before from Li Zijun that pairs ladies need to be very tough.

Sui: Right, because during throw and solo jumps, your body is vertical, so if you fall its usually on your butt, knees, arms. It’s actually easier to protect yourself then. But when you’re completely horizontal, you’re already feeling confused while you’re flying in the air, you don’t know where to grab onto and falling straight onto the ice horizontally is pretty dangerous.

Xu: The fact that so shortly after a fall like that you were able to win the world championships is really so admirable. When you learn quad throws, from when you first start learning, how long does it take to have a high success rate? How long does that process take?

Sui: Quad throws? Actually internationally very few attempt quad throws, and right now we don’t do them often either. Once you get to a certain age, the burdens these elements take on your health increase compared to when you were younger. So now we don’t do them often. When I used to do them competitively a few years ago, I actually didn’t do them that often either, only when my condition was good I would do 4-5 of them. But at that time my success rate was higher than 50%, I was able to grasp them pretty quickly. But it depends on the athlete, some could do them for years and never accomplish it. Some will do it a few times and get used to the feeling, and be able to do them. It depends on the person’s feeling. I remember when I was young I did quad throws, and I did them for a pretty long time but I wasn’t able to complete them perfectly. But once I got older, before my surgery, I was able to do both quad throws and quad twists in a program. But these elements require a lot of physical strength and the process took 10 years, almost 20 years of training. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can complete them in a single program, and you have to train with high caution to be able to complete them. Because our height difference isn’t that big, I have to use more strength to make the throws as high or higher than others, and therefore the impact on my ankles, knees, spine, etc. is much greater than other female partners.

Xu: Like you just said, your partner Han Cong isn’t as tall as Zhang Hao or other international athletes who are so much bigger and stronger, his figure seems to be more similar to singles skaters? (Sui: Yes) Even though your height difference isn’t so remarkable, you’re still able to get such amazing results - how were you able to overcome this aside from what you said before, like gaining more physical strength. How did he overcome the deficit due to his physique?

Sui: He just did strength training and “practiced me”. (Laughs)

Xu: So he has a greater strength requirement due to his height and figure.  

Sui: Well usually if you’re big then you’ll have more strength, but at the same time, we have our own strengths that others can’t achieve. For example, when we do solo elements like jumps, we’re very in sync because our height and weight are roughly the same, the difference in appearance doesn’t look like much.

Xu: Ahh, just like our synchronized divers, you both are very similar [in shape].

Sui: Correct. Also, for side-by-side spins we look a lot more in sync because we have a similar [body] radius, so we spin similarly.

Xu: Once you explain it, it makes sense!

Sui: Right, and during skating, our legs have similar length so our lines and rhythm is the same too. Plus when we perform we look very coordinated. It’s not like some of the pairs with one tall and one short skater, it’s like, hey why don’t these two seem to have a very “couple” feeling? (laugh)

Xu: I heard that before the World Championships, you specifically lost 6 kg. If you gain even a little weight, does it impacts him a lot?

Sui: It does affect him. As for myself, it doesn’t really affect my ability to do solo elements individually, like I can do them one by one with no problem. But during program, all 13 elements, once I get to the 5th or 6th element, I don’t have energy after. I get very exhausted. In addition, once I lose weight of course it helps my partner but even more-so it helps myself complete the performance better.

Xu: So are you the type who doesn’t gain weight easily no matter what you eat or gains weight easily?

Sui: Well, now I’m over 20, even though I’m past puberty I’m still okay, I don’t gain weight that easily.

Xu: But do you find it painful when you have to lose weight?

Sui: I just eat vegetables. Once I eat vegetables for a few days I’ll lose the weight. But what I find most annoying, is really everyone, including fans, when they meet me are like, “Wow you’re so skinny! I never realized you were so skinny!” But when they watch me skate on TV are like, “Huh, I think you look pretty chubby.” I’m so tired. I really can’t help it! (T/N: i just want to note that she says this all with a very light hearted, humorous tone, not as offended as she comes off in the translation)

Xu: (laughs) But actually, the TV does actually seem to add weight, it pulls you horizontally.

Sui: Yes, but there’s another thing you might not have thought of. There may be pairs ladies that are larger and taller than me, but when they stand next to a super tall and big male partner, they seem much smaller.

Xu: Ahh, you’re right, so that’s Han Cong’s fault.

Sui: (laugh) No problem, no problem at all! But one of his best features is that he’s got a really small face. I also really have a small face, it’s like a melon seed - when you see me in person you’ll notice my face is super small. But Cong has SUCH a tiny face, it’s like a small knife! Ah, it pisses me off!  I have such a small face but I have to stand in front of him, so my face seems so much larger and rounder. It’s so unbearable!

Xu: Sui is giving our audience some weight loss tips, just eat vegetables a few days and you’ll get skinnier, right!

Sui: Well, because I usually do a lot of training, aerobics, anaerobic exercise - figure skating is a very physically demanding sport so once you cut calories you’ll naturally lose weight. And drink lots of water!

Xu: When you’re learning pairs skating, are there times you and Han Cong have difference of opinions? Do you guys fight often?

Sui: We fight all the time, it happens often. In pairs skating, or any team sport, these kinds of problems arise all the time. After many years, we’ve learned how to compromise.

Xu: How do you guys make it work and stick together?

Sui: Before when we really couldn’t agree or come up with a solution, we would immediately find our coach, I think like this, he thinks like that, what do we do? And we would just go with whatever the coach said was better. Now we compromise or if our ideas are completely opposite, we do rock paper scissors and let god decide.

Xu: Wow, so you use this kind of method? (laughs)

Sui: Yeah and now we’re much more rational during training and we don’t try to assert dominance over one another.  We have to work to maintain each other’s conditions.

Xu: You two seem to have different conditions on and off the ice. Are your personalities similar or different?

Sui: We are two completely different people.

Xu: (laugh) I see that you really like to hassle him (T/N: dragging is probably a better term encapsulation of her sentiment though, kind of like jokingly criticize? it just sounded weird to put it in translation LOL), while I feel like he tries to appear serious.

Sui: No, I just really like hassling/dragging people! Nothing I can do about it, I’m just so used to it, I do it with everyone I talk to. I’m even like this about myself, very self-deprecating.

Xu: You must have lots of fun in your life. When you’re training with the team, do you usually eat with him [in the dorm cafeterias]?

Sui: We usually do eat together. I guess the good thing is that the two of us “look good” together? (laugh) [T/N: she uses the term “赏心悦目” which literally means pleasing to the eyes and heart…so she’s basically say they’re well matched HAHA]

Xu: When you don’t discuss figure skating or training, what other topics do you talk about? Are there any conversation topics you have in common?

Sui: He would tell me about books he recently read, movies he watched, any movies he’d like to see. I usually tell him, man I have things to do…(Xu: laughs) I really do have things to do! I usually have class on Sundays, I don’t really like wasting my free time. But usually most of my free time I’m doing nothing, playing around on my phone, but occasionally I’ll read a book, etc.

Xu: I see. Let’s discuss your coach Zhao Hongbo. Would you consider him a more easy-going or strict/serious coach?

Sui: I would say both. When we encounter hardships, he becomes a lot more easy-going but when we have problems during training then he becomes more strict. Everyone has different sides to them, and he will often try to help us from many angles.

Xu: What has he passed on to you that has helped you the most?

Sui: Because I’m a very fast-paced person, as you can probably tell-

Xu: You’re pretty self-aware!

Sui: Yes yes! And often during competitions, I may get really stressed and unable to control myself.  

Xu: So he helps calm you down.

Sui: He would say, don’t rush, take it step by step, like this past competition. He said just do what you need to do, however you skate we’ll be happy. But sometimes when we’re training and not so rushed, he would tell us, “you see what your competitors are like?” to apply a bit of pressure on us.

Xu: I feel like no matter what situation you’re in, he never seems to get too stressed, he seems very calm. You need a coach like this to keep you level-headed, especially when you’re frazzled, lost, nervous, or when you encounter difficulties. As Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo are Olympic champions, do you see any points of similarity and difference between you and them?

Sui: Hmm…points of similarity and difference…for differences, the two of us started competing internationally and earned medals much earlier. In addition, the two of us grasped a lot more performance styles.

Xu: So you two perform with more music genre and dance genre.

Sui: Right. We have a lot more variety because a lot of athletes can’t develop a lot of versatility in performance styles.

Xu:  Right now, Shen Xue is the [Chinese skating federation] president, she probably isn’t like Hongbo meeting you in the training center daily. So under what circumstances do you meet up with her, and what do you discuss?

Sui: Sometimes when my condition isn’t so good and I’m in a bad mood, when I’m stressed to a certain limit, she’ll talk with me, give me some small encouragement, step by step work through some problems during training. She would also tell me, “there’s a lot of new kids on the team, you’re all role models, when you have some time help me manage them.” Right now kids are adorable, but then when they’re teenagers/adolescents, then…you know.

Xu: They can be very rebellious.

Sui: They’re okay. Every age there’s something going on.

Xu: President Shen acts as an authority figure, does she give you any advice or guidance with anything?

Sui: Yes, for example during competitions she might give her ideas on hair style, or help with treating my competition tights because sometimes the color isn’t great, so it doesn’t look as bright so she tells me how to treat them so they look a bit better.

Xu: Ah she has many small tips. Finally, a lot of fans may want to know if you have any hobbies/interests?

Sui: Right now I like to read books and do calligraphy. But recently I’ve been pretty busy, I haven’t really been attending my calligraphy class.

Xu: Calligraphy? How did you start? Is it because it helps you calm down or did you like it since you were young?

Sui: Since I was young, I was the kind that wanted to learn everything. I told my mom, I want to learn to sing, dance, draw, play piano, I want to learn everything. My mom said, “who has time for all of that?!” But I still learned a lot of things, I ended up learning dance and martial arts, and of course skating. But outside of school I learned a lot. And english, I learned as well.

Xu: Speaking of english, I saw that you were using Ted talks for english lessons online. How’s that going?

Sui: Eh I don’t think it’s going that great. Sometimes I’ll just try to complete the lesson no matter how sloppily I do. But every day I try to do a few questions and look at them, it’s better than nothing. For english you have to speak and read it often.

Xu: Right, when I see you doing interviews you do speak quite well!

Sui: Well, for those once you do a lot of them you’re used to it.

Xu: That’s true. Last year when I saw you both at the Winter Olympics, I thought wow, seeing so many more Chinese athletes doing interviews in english, I was so happy.

Sui: I actually really like learning things, and I wanted to learn some instruments too. Before I even learned violin but my neck isn’t good for it. (laughs)

Xu: I get the feeling that you’re an extremely versatile person.

Sui: More like I can’t focus on one thing/get distracted easily. (laughs) I can’t ever persist with anything.

Xu: But I feel you already so dedicated to figure skating, you don’t really need any other hobbies, they just make your life more fulfilling (“colorful”). Finally, I want to give you the opportunity to give your loving fans some words/comments.

Sui: Firstly, I really want to thank these numerous fans for their support. I think that they’re all very dear to me, because they don’t have any personal or blood relations, they probably just saw us on TV or in competition one time and grew to love us and support us. Some even travel to follow us across the world. Some of them give us little gifts or throw plushies at every competition. It’s really touching and heart warming. In addition, the cheers and applause we receive at the end of competitions, I believe as an athlete that’s been able to make it this far, I’m so proud and happy. Thank you so much to our friends that are like family to us quietly supporting me and Han Cong. We will continue to work hard to show you our best selves. Thank you everyone.

Xu: Just like you just said, we hope you can maintain your health and have less injuries and fewer dangerous situations, hopefully in future competitions you can continue to surpass yourselves. We also look forward to more surprises from the “onion bucket” team. Thank you, Sui Wenjing!

Sui: Okay thank you thank you thank you!

[silent-writer83]

Envy

Request: Can I request a Jealous Cisco please, smutty or not dealers choice.

A/N: So I was gonna do a smut but it ended up being nothing but fluff. I hope you enjoy it regardless.

You were the one normal part of his day. No science, no metahumans, no stress. You were, however, his precious little secret. You see, working with the Flash had plenty of perks and just as many cons. Cisco would lose it if anyone found out about you, about what you meant to him. So he kept you far far away from his business at S. T. A. R. Labs. You had asked to go, to see what your boyfriend was up to all hours of the day, and even nights, but Cisco was smart. He always changed the topic, distracted you with kisses and knowing touches. Damn those sneaky hands of his.

Today was rather usual. Cisco tinkered with new tech for Barry while Caitlin ran diagnostics on her machines. Barry was in the room down the hall to train. Iris and Wally were scanning for any unusual meta activity. All in all it was a pretty peaceful day. Cisco certainly wasn’t complaining, eyes shifting to his phone every so often with each minute that passed.

“Whatcha keep lookin at?” Wally’s voice was unsettlingly close, the Latino boy jumping in shock.

“Dude! Announce yourself!” Cisco huffed, quick to snatch his phone out of sight. “Nothing. Just...waiting for the right time to order some food,” he lied. Apparently it was a pretty bad lie judging by the look he got from the guy.

“Every day for the past few months?” Iris mused from her place at the desk. Cisco glanced to her with a pout. Couldn’t she be on his side? “Cmon Cisco, whose got you all hugged up on your phone?”

“I bet it’s Gypsy,” Wally snickered.

“Is not,” Cisco scoffed. Sure Gypsy was a badass but you....she had nothing on you.

“But it is a girl,” Iris picked up on as she rose to saunter over, cornering the engineer between the siblings.

“I never said that,” Cisco rushed, feeling his palms start to sweat.

“Never said it wasn’t,” Wally smirked.

A soft buzzing turned all eyes onto Cisco’s phone, the latino’s heart pounding in his chest. He tried so hard to keep you a secret and he really didn’t want them to find out — at least not like this.

“Gonna answer that?” Wally hummed, trying to peer at the device that Cisco currently clutched in his clammy hands.

“No!” Cisco huffed, shoving his phone in his pocket to avoid Wally’s prying eyes. He watched the two share a knowing look, their matching smirks not settling well with him. His cover was so blown.

Sighing you stared at your phone as you ended the call when your boyfriend didn’t answer. He was probably busy anyways but you at least wanted to let him know you wouldn’t be able to make it to your date tonight. With no other choice you tapped out a quick message explaining that practice had been extended. Tossing your phone onto a pile of tights, coats and scarves, you stepped back into the studio as your break ended.

“Alright so, I asked you two to stay late for a special project. It’s a duet, a sensual piece and I liked the chemistry you two have together,” your choreographer explained as you joined for friend Matthias. He was a gorgeous dancer and you two had grown close since he joined the company two months ago.

“I’ll teach you the combo tonight and over the next few days we’ll rehearse. I want to film by the weekend,” the man instructed, leading the two of you to the center of the floor. Both of you had eyes on him, concentrated as he began to teach.

-

“Boom boom...ha. Boom boom....uh. Yes. Boom boom.....uh. Drop!” The choreographer vocalized the percussion over the music as he circled you both. Each syncopated beat was sharp, juxtaposed by a soft, subtle flick. Your body was sore, sweaty and tired but you had only just begun. “Dun dun, tick, tick tick, zah!” He clapped as you snapped to the next position, eyes low as you played the part of seductress. Matthias was on now, prowling into the scene with smooth movements, catching the next beat in complementary moves, hands finding hips as you arched against him.

The dance was just as sensual as your choreographer had told, If not more so. Hands flitted over your body in time with the beat, hips rolling in smooth patterns as your arms wound around your partners neck. Your noses brushed as he guided you through patterned steps, a smirk forming on your lips as you twirled away. His hand caught yours, tugging you close once more, hovering just a breath away before you parted into synchronized choreography.

-

Cisco walked with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. Admittedly, he’d been disappointed when he got the text about your canceled date, but he’d come up with a flawless idea. Why not bring the date to you! Sure some take out during whatever break you could get wasn’t exactly the height of romance but Cisco was happy just being around you. The two of you were just so busy any little second was better than nothing.

Stepping into the studio, it was easy to find your room — the only one blaring music at ten o’clock at night. When he stepped in however, the last thing he expected to see was you on your back with some guy snaking his way on top of you.

Brown eyes blew wide, lips parting as his jaw dropped. His stomach soured as he stood rooted to the spot, grip tightening on the little plastic bag he held. Who. The. Fuck. Was that?!

-

Hands found Matthias’s shoulders, pushing as you rolled on top of him. Back arching you snaked up, eyes flicking to the far wall, for what reason you weren’t sure. Something just drew your gaze up. Standing there was your boyfriend, grasping a bag of food so tight his knuckles were nearly white. You didn’t notice the look on his face, the mix of anger and pain as he glared at the man beneath you. You only saw Cisco, a squeal echoing in the studio as you jumped up.

“Coco!” The horrendous nickname you had playfully coined for him drew everyone’s attention, bare feet slapping the hard wood as you ran. With one easy leap you nearly tackled the man to the ground, clinging to him as legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck. “Oh my god what are you doing here!!?” You cooed, pulling back and pressing your lips to his.

“I’ve got an hour left if that’s okay?” You asked with a hopeful glint in your eye. You could feel the expectant look of your choreographer as you climbed off your boyfriend, who still stood frozen when you’d leapt on to him.

Tearing his gaze away from that guy, god he wanted to punch him in the face, Cisco absently nodded. He knew you danced, that you had partners and sometimes it was touchy but he never realized it was like this! As he stepped back and plopped down by your things to wait, his anger only festered. He watched as that guy touched you, rolled against you. He had his hands all over you and....and you just let him!

Cisco tried to remind himself that it was just a dance, that it wasn’t real, but each time he’d catch his gaze, that stupid jerk was smirking! This was the longest hour of Cisco’s short life and he couldn’t wait for it to be over.

-

“Hey babe,” you breathed as you padded over, finished for the night. You pressed your lips to Cisco’s frowning at the robotic nature in which he returned it. He was stiff, glaring at nothing in particular and far from the quirky man you knew and loved. “....Everything okay?” You asked, eyeing your boyfriend.

“Yeah. Sure. Totally okay over here,” Cisco huffed with a frown. Raising a brow at his response you decided to let it go for now. Whatever issue he was having, the last thing you wanted to do was hash it out at your job.

“Okay then,” you muttered, waving goodbye to your choreographer and hugging Matthias on the way out. You didn’t miss the scoff Cisco gave at the action either.

The atmosphere was just as tense on the ride home, shower, food and a moving later didn’t change a thing. You were getting sick and tired of his shit attitude.

“Alright. Spit it out, what’s wrong with you today?” You sighed, sitting back on the couch as you eyed your boyfriend.

“Nothings wrong,” Cisco lied, knee bouncing anxiously as he frowned at the television. He was trying not to think about it, think about that guys hands on you, about the way you seemed to fit in his grasp so easily. He was tall, muscled, a dancer. You probably got along amazingly and Cisco....Cisco was Cisco! He was a tech nerd at a failed laboratory who lied to you about what he did to keep you safe. Who loved geeky movies and video games. Who didn’t work out, who had two left feet. Who-

“Francisco Ramon,” you snapped his name with a sternness that had him shrinking in his seat. “You’ve been in a shit mood all night and I’m sick of it. Either tell me what’s up with you or-“

Lips covered yours in a hard kiss, hands cradling your cheeks in a tight grasp. Eyes fluttered closed as you instinctively caved, mewling as Cisco’s tongue licked a familiar path into your mouth. This was certainly a staggering turn of events, hands forcing you to the couch as he crawled above you. Desperate kisses rained across your jaw, sliding down your neck to leave bruising hickey’s. His grip was tight on your hips, holding you impossibly close as he marked you with a sharp bite.

“Oh fuck,” you gasped, eyes rolling in delight at the rough treatment. Cisco pulled back with a wet smack, shifting to connect your lips once more only to be halted as you gasped for breath. “Not that this isn’t really fucking hot, but....what’s up with you tonight?”

Cisco paused, panting softly from the rough needy kisses you’d shared. Everything was boiling and twisting inside of him, jaw tight as he ground out an annoyed huff. “He....He was all over you today okay!” He blurted out, pushing back and flopping into the couch. “I know it was just a dance, that it’s your job and everything, but god he....he didn’t have to touch you like that!” Cisco ranted. “Him and his stupid height and muscles and dance moves. I bet he doesn’t even know how you like your coffee,” he went off, jumping up as he began to pace. “Or that you talk in your sleep, or that you had a French bull dog named Bosco growing up!” Cisco ranted.

You sat quiet, jaw dropped as you blinked at your boyfriend. You never saw Cisco so worked up before. It was both amusing and arousing, but you needed to catch his attention before he gave himself a hernia with how tense he was. Sighing softly you’d stood in front of your boyfriend, hands catching his shoulders. “Cisco, te amo, pero you need to calm down,” you spoke smoothly, guiding him back to the couch.

Crawling in his lap, your hands come to cup his round cheeks, making him look at you. His brown eyes were wide and unsure, his hands tentative as they touched your waist. “You...mean it?” He asked softly, almost as if he was afraid of your answer.

A smile crawled over your lips as you realized he’d caught on. To be honest it sort of just slipped out but you couldn’t find it within yourself to regret it. “Yes. I mean it. Te amo Coco,” you hummed, giggling at the pout he tried to force.

“I hate that name,” Cisco mumbled, but he still brought you down for a sweet kiss. Your heart fluttered at the contact, kiss breaking only when your smile grew too large to contain.

“I know,” you giggled, hands falling to his shoulders as foreheads rest together.

“I love you, Y/N,” Cisco spoke softly.

“Love you too,” you hummed in return, lips meeting in a loving kiss that sent butterflies erupting in both of your bellies.

[crusty-the-snowman]

'Rags: The Musical'

- The whole squad got parts in the musical, even Michael (he also did tech)

Christine is Rebecca, Rich is David (the nine-year-old) Jake is Ben, and Chloe is Bella, while Brooke and Jenna are steamstress girls and Jeremy and Michael are in chorus

- It's awkward because Ben and Bella are in love so when Jake and Chloe are acting like they were in love Rich and Brooke just darkly glared from the wings

- But when Jake and Chloe come to the wings they go to their dates and. Smooch

- Rich tried to grab Jake's ass in a rehearsal and Jake yelled 'dAVID WHAT ARE YOU DOING' and it became a running joke

- Christine legit made people cry when she sang 'Children Of The Wind'

- There's a part in 'Sound Of Love' where theres a waltz and since Michael and Jeremy were in chorus they immediately clung to each other and did the dance

- Also in 'Sound Of Love' Ben says his name in a really weird way so Jake did it and they had to stop rehearsal because everyone was laughing so hard

- Since Rebecca is David's mother whenever Rich sees Christine he says 'hello mother' and she goes 'hello son'

- Theres a Russian custom to 'kiss' your significant others cheeks (usually just pressing your cheeks together and making a kissing sound, kinda like some Latin American customs) so whenever Michael and Jeremy are onstage in the back they do that and its adorable

- It's often you see Jake with his head in Rich's lap and Rich running his fingers through his hair

- Dustin Kropp plays Nathan, Rebecca's husband, so Christine and him hug a lot

- During 'Penny A Tune' David slides on the floor during 'You can't beat our prices!' And the first time Rich did it hE FELL OFF THE STAGE

- Brooke is a steamstress girl and since she can actually sew she once started mending someones clothes and no one questioned it

- 'Penny A Tune' takes place in a marketplace so theres couples walking around and buying things so Jeremy and Michael walk together

- Mister Reyes told them to walk with girls but once 'its 2017!' was yelled at him from all directions he let them be a couple

- Theres also 'families' in 'Penny A Tune' so Michael got his moms to let him bring in his little sister to be his and Jeremy's child

- Jeremy carried her on his hip until they had to go backstage (they were walking around in the aisles) then he would hand her off to Michael's moms, who were sitting in the seats closest to the doors to backstage

- Michael got a part as a rallier in 'Bread And Freedom' so he's standing on a soapbox and being Very Passionate and Jeremy is like 'wow.... i am so bi'

- [spoiler] Bella dies in a fire and someone has to carry her body onstage for a scene

- But the kid who carries her and Chloe hate each other so they're bickering until they have to go onstage so then Chloe lets her knees give out and she goes completely limp and the kid scoops her up and carries her onstage

- Jeremy's voice cracked on a high note in 'Greenhorns' and Michael snorted

- But since Jeremy was an alto and Michael is a tenor Jere glared at him until they were allowed to intermingle and then he tried to tackle him

- Chloe was wearing her dress and hitching it up a little for some reason and when Rich walked by he yelled 'I can see her legs!' And Chloe just hitched the skirt up more and gave him a saucy look

- Jenna is a really good singer so she was Rosa and everyone goes quiet when she sings

- They all love her

- They were running through the choreography for 'Bread And Freedom' and Christine was holding Rich's hand and at one point she started walking and Rich didn't get the memo so Christine said 'hurry up my child'

- In 'Easy For You,' Rebecca and Saul (her sorta-kinda love interest) are roasting each other so seeing Christine totally destroy this other kid is always a entertainment

- Brooke was Esther (a streamstress girl like Rosa) and she KILLED IT

- Christine once messed up a line in rehearsal so when she did she sank to the floor and laid there for a little and Jenna was like that one video of the guy saying 'are you choking??' To the choking kid and everyone laughed their asses off

- Jake flirts just like Ben in 'For My Mary' and it's the cutest thing

- Since Jeremy knows Hebrew, everyone goes to him so that they can pronounce the words in 'Kaddish' (a Jewish prayer song) correctly

- 'Wanna know how you're like Bella, Chloe?'

'How?'

'Kinda a bitch'

'MICHAEL!'

- Theres a really inspiring scene in the beginning of 'Bread And Freedom' where Rebecca and Rosa pick up their sewing machines and protest against the unsafe working environments of sweatshops, but those things are heavy

- So Christine and Jenna are suffering as they pick up this heavy-ass sewing machine + singing

- Bella dies in a sweatshop fire because the door was closed and she couldn't get out of the fire, and during that scene everyone is screaming (even the people backstage) so Rich Can Not be in those scenes because it reminds him of the Halloween fire

- Michael sometimes chases after people with a broom

- Theres a really sad scene during 'Kaddish' where Avram, Bella's father, sings 'open your eyes, Bella, just take a breath...' (Which is what he said to her when she was alive) and EVERYONE cried a little the first time it happened (Even Chloe, even though she was supposed to be dead)

- Thomas, Rebecca's husband, earned the name 'Charming Slimy Man' and Dustin wears that label with pride

- "Hello Bella'

- Brooke let out the shrillest, most blood-curdling scream when they rehearsed the sweatshop fire scene for the first time and afterwards she just smiles a little

'Was that good?'

'Holy shit'

'Language, Jake'

- Brooke has to wear a reddish-brown wig because she's "too blonde to be Jewish" (actual quote from my school)

- Christine and Chloe hang out more so that their characters have more chemistry

- 'Rags,' Bella's song, is super angsty and Chloe kills it

- Also in 'Rags,' Jeremy is onstage as an Affulent American during a dream sequence of Bella's, and when the people dancing have to circle around Bella, his hat fell off

- Michael is an immigrant in 'Greenhorns' so he's wearing this ugly coat and different frames for his glasses (because hipster-style was NOT a thing) and he kinda hates it

- In 'Penny A Tune' Michael's little sister looks like a little Affulent American child and she looks adorable

- Rich and Jake's characters (David and Ben) are in the beginning of 'Sound Of Love' and David needs to be a little shit and Rich loves it

'Yes, I ooooown a gramaphone!' - Christine, sounding adorable in 'Sound Of Love'

- Theres an awkward scene in 'For My Mary' where Ben and Bella waltz, and its so uncomfortable and weird and everyone loves it

- 'Penny A Tune': Jeremy and Michael's arms are linked, Michael's little sister is on Jeremy's hip, and they all look vv fancy

- [Suicide tw] During the sweatshop fire scene Mr. Reyes says 'Make it dramatic! Say 'don't jump!'

Brooke, Christine, Jenna: We're saying what

Chloe, from the back of the auditorium: WHAT

- BREAD AND FREEDOM BREAD AND FREEDOM BREAD AND FREEDOM

- Jeremy keeps hitting his left thigh (specifically) on things so his leg is all bruised up

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars Rebels: “The Occupation” -Review

After two seasons, the crew of The Ghost return to Lothal for the long haul. However, much has changed since the last time this team set foot on Ezra’s homeworld and the Empire holds a tighter grip on the grassy planet than ever before.

(Review Contains Spoilers)

After receiving word from Ryder Azadi that the Empire is testing their latest version of the TIE Defender on planet, Mon Mothma suggests that the Ghost crew return to Lothal for reconnaissance, but with one potentially deadly condition. The blockade surrounding the planet is too strong to slip in and out undetected. Any action on the planet requires a team committed to the long term. With the potential liberation of his planet finally at hand, Ezra leads the charge and soon the original five are on their way to what may be their final mission.

I spent much of the earlier seasons of Star Wars Rebels expressing my frustration with Lothal’s lack of culture or identity. While our central cast has always sparked with a unique personality, the planet of Lothal felt starkly bland or unfamiliar. For a world that was so central to Rebels’ identity and central conflict, this always felt like a misguided creative decision. However, now glimpsing Lothal’s skies blackened with smoke and fire it is hard not to feel a pang of sadness or even remorse. Like Sabine, the Rebels creative team may have held back too long on bringing to light the culture beneath Lothal’s surface, but there was always a connection there. The strongest parts of Steward Lee’s direction and Christopher Yost’s script pay direct attention to this sense of place and evoke a crushing sense of melancholy.

Similarly, “The Occupation” thrives off of how it plays with our core character dynamics. While it may be disappointing to bid goodbye to the larger Rebel Alliance so soon after meeting them, there is a certain power and emotional magnitude to stripping the cast down to their essentials and setting them out on a mission that carries a strong emotional weight. Even series regulars like Kallus and Rex take a backseat, as they are amusingly left to babysit The Ghost while the rest of the crew heads to Lothal’s surface. (I’d be more than on board for a buddy cop one-off episode starring these two though. That’s a potential relationship I would love to see more of.) While Zeb, once again, is relegate to bruising comedic relief, Yost’s script doubles down on the character for Ezra, Sabine, Hera, and Kanan as each are forced to interact with each other and what has become of a world that was at some point a home to each of them. Clear highlights come from the continued literal flirting with the potential relationship between Hera and Kanan in particular. Vanessa Marshall and Freddie Prinze Jr. have a clear and deep understanding and affection for their characters and it shines in these intimate moments and the chemistry between both actors is palpable. It’s easy to forget in the sweeping conflict and mythology that Rebels’ highpoints have often been more personal and much smaller in scale and this is more than on display here.

That being said, “The Occupation” isn’t an entirely clean return ride to Lothal. For an episode that makes the point of stressing the intensity and crushing totality of the Empire’s grip on Lothal, outside of the strong environmental and visual design there isn’t much in the plot to reinforce this. The Empire comes across just as generally incompetent and bumbling as ever. It’s an odd dichotomy that has been present throughout the series but feels more pressing here as the stakes and emotional investment continue to rise. As generally well directed Steward Lee’s sewer chase scenes may be, there is still an overwhelming lack of tension. Rebels, and to a lesser degree its sister series The Clone Wars, often fell upon flashy visuals and smart choreography/direction to cover for lack of stakes or tonal disconnect in the action set pieces at their center. More often than not it works, especially as Rebels is more than keen to keep the mood light and adventurous than some other Star Wars media. “The Occupation” represents a rare stumble where the execution feels at odds with the intent. The Empire may be closing in on Lothal and laying waste to its landscape, but we are still playing with pufferpigs and Vizago. Both are well and good and have their space, but their proximity is problematic.

On a minor side note, it is odd how Star Wars Rebels treats its recurring guest characters. Sabine and Ezra have no trouble remembering a minor villain from season one like Baron Valen Rudor, but a character who played a rather large role in an episodic plot like Jai Kell is treated like a deep cut.

Overall, “The Occupation” strongest moments center on design and character even if its general plotting and execution sometimes feel at odds. Luckily, last night’s second episode fairs much better.

Score: B

[rkhyeri]

                                     ⁽   we’ll be each other’s                                     company, oh, company   ₎

                                                    august eval ♥ with @rkzyx                                                                    ♬ insp.

         when yixing had originally presented her with his song choice for the evaluation, admittedly, hyeri hadn’t hesitated a second before agreeing to it. she trusted her partner well enough to make a suitable choice for them without her input and he had. however, on second thought, the dancer thinks the song might have been a little too suitable for them. 

          it’s not until hyeri’s alone at home, earbuds plugged in and foot lazily tapping out the rhythm to the beat that she notices it: the utter familiarity of the lyrics compared to her and yixing’s current relationship. she could have pegged it down to coincidence ( after all, most people liked the biebs’ music even if they couldn’t stand the artist himself ) but, once hyeri had gotten the idea in her head -- that these lyrics hit way too close to home -- she simply couldn’t abandon it afterwards. only two months had passed since yixing asked her out to the restaurant to talk and hyeri still remembered the deadened look in his eyes as they spoke about those personal things. love troubles, where they’d been, where they’d been going; above all, hyeri remembered the tone of yixing’s voice and how well it’d matched her own depressing one once myungsoo had left her ( again. )

         they really had been each other’s company. ‘just wanna have a conversation/forget about the obligations.’ biebs’ voice crooned through the studio’s speakers and hyeri couldn’t shake away the similarity, even during a rehearsal when she should be focusing on the choreography instead. yixing teaches it to her himself, improvising moves from his own imagination and asking for her opinion every now and then during the partnered movements. hyeri does her best during all of that, forcing a smile and then smiling for real whenever the male catches her fake act in a moment of attention. she’s not immune to his worried glances every now and then but hyeri’s too much of a liar to let him know the thoughts that continually plague her.

         sometimes ‘just friends’ is complicated, too.                    “what do you think of--”          “no, raise your leg more there--”          “are you sure about--?”          “spin out here--”          “you take my hand and, no, wait, let’s do this--”

         it takes trial and error, bumps and bruises, lots of laughs and painful nights before hyeri feels like she’s ready for the performance. yixing’s choreography is fun, playful, and the dancer can’t believe how utterly a contrast it is to the very real problems that keep her up awake at night. she still worries about yixing, hopes that his troubles have lessened in the last four weeks, but there’s guilt, too, that hyeri has only added on to his personal burdens with this dance. And afterwards… when this performance is done and over, they’ll have to go back to friends with no obligations. ones who talk only when an ear and a shoulder is needed for the other to cry on. it’s an unsettling, bittersweet reality.

         “kt’s laugh grenade, lee hyeri, here to dance!” the girl announces cheerfully on the day of the performance. she salutes the judges with a wave of her hand and her dancer coach rolls his eyes dramatically-- a bit too used to this particular trainee’s antics. “just get on with it,” the male coach growls and hyeri grins in response, afterwards tugging at yixing’s arm excitedly.

         “he’s a fan of us already, i know it,” she whispers in her partner’s ear. hyeri reaches up to adjust the collar of the flannel shirt yixing wears, smoothing it out with the palms of her hands and glancing up at him with a warm smile. “i’m your fan, too, you know? let’s do this, chicken-lover zhang yixing,” she teases. her own costume is just as casual as his: ragged denim shorts and an oversized flannel shirt to cover a simple graphic tee underneath. the couple’s fashion is subtle but unmistakable, designating her and yixing as a unit as they take their starting positions on the floor.

         yixing had been adamant about giving hyeri enough parts in the choreography to show off her own skills and she agreed to take advantage of every single one of them, starting at the very beginning. when the music starts, she’s already in character, gifting her dance partner with a flirty smile as she struts forward to the center. she’s the flame and yixing is her willing moth, coming towards hyeri and complimenting her movements with his graceful ease. once the choreography had been nailed down, fostering the chemistry between the two dancers had come next. that, of course, had been the easy part.

You ain't gotta be my lover For you to call me baby Never been about no pressure Ain't that serious

         they separate and dance together, limbs extending and feet moving in sync with one another. it is rare that hyeri gets to dance with a male on par to her skill ( taemin being the only one for a long time ) and she still feels the headiness on stage of getting to dance freely, without having to be too thoughtful of making her companion look weaker in comparison. yixing could hold his own against her, so well as to make her worry about what she’d look like beside him-- a novel sensation. that kind of challenge drives her -- inspires her to work harder and to dance even better than before.

Can we, we keep Keep each other company? Maybe we, can be Be each other's company Oh company

         every touch of yixing’s hand feels like fire against her skin and clothing. this man represents comfort to her, a reliable partner whose very touch lets her know that he’s there, ready to catch her. hyeri trusts him to do just that, relaxing her slim frame and letting him twist and drop her in the elegant flow of the routine. his grip around her waist is strong and supportive, and her answering smile is all too real as hyeri looks up at yixing once more. he drifts away to dance his solo part and she can’t look away from him even if she wanted to. yixing’s charisma is magnetic, too attractive for someone like her to want to run away from.

         ( she’d be outright lying to say her heart didn’t flutter at moments like this. )

         she rises with the tips of his fingers beneath her chin. hyeri’s lips part around quickened breaths and she effortlessly transitions back into their couple’s dance. together, apart, his hands on her hips and her eyes on the audience, dancing feels like a dream when it’s this easy with one another. it also lets hyeri forgets all her thoughts except those that matter in the moment: where to put what foot where, at what beat. where the hands go.

         the other thoughts she can leave for later.

[ethanalter]

5 Movies Directed By Stuntmen

Keanu Reeves in ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ (Credit: Niko Tavernise/Thunder Rpad Pictures)

Like its popular predecessor, John Wick: Chapter 2 is a symphony of bloodshed orchestrated by a director who knows his way around a fake hemoglobin-filled squib. Stunt experts Chad Stahelski and David Leitch called the shots on John Wick, the original action-packed hit starring Keanu Reeves in 2014. For Wick’s second chapter, Stahelski flew solo, as Leitch has since landed the coveted job of directing Deadpool 2.

By transitioning from stunt work to filmmaking, Stahelski and Leitch are following a proud tradition that dates all the way back to the early days of the movie business, when silent screen star Buster Keaton designed, performed, and directed the stunts in pioneering comedy classics like Our Hospitality and The General. In fact, Stahelski opens the second John Wick with an explicit callback to his forefather, Keaton. If you get a kick out of watching Reeves’ hero kicking, punching, and shooting waves of bad guys, try streaming the following five stuntmen-directed features, which also feature some rock ‘em, sock ‘em action.

Sally Field and Burt Reynolds in ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ (Photo: Everett)

Smokey and the Bandit, directed by Hal Needham (1977) An expert on cars and how to crash them, Hal Needham took pole position on the modern stuntman-to-director transition with this action-comedy favorite. After two decades of choreographing stunts in film and TV, the Tennessee-born Needham convinced his good pal, Burt Reynolds, to headline a script he had developed about a swaggering bootlegger who brings an escaped bride (Sally Field) on a cross-country beer run while Smokey, a.k.a. The Popo, a.k.a. the cops follow them at turbo-charged speeds. While their director kept his eyes trained on the lively auto action, Field and Reynolds, then a real-life couple, kept the movie on course with their easy-breezy chemistry. Needham, who passed away in 2013, would go on to helm 10 feature films over the course of his directing career — more than half of them starring Reynolds — but their first collaboration is the one that’s built to last. (Available to rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes.)

Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan in ‘Police Story 3: Supercop’ (Photo: Everett)

Police Story 3: Supercop, directed by Stanley Tong (1992) Supercop is proof positive that two martial arts experts in their butt-kicking prime — in this case Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh — are better than one. And as the architect of the duo’s mayhem, Hong Kong action legend Stanley Tong drew on his years of experience designing did-you-see-that stunts, many of which he road-tested himself before making the actors follow his dizzying, bruising choreography. Released in Hong Kong in 1992, U.S. audiences didn’t get to see Supercop (via legal means anyway) until 1996, five months after Rumble in the Bronx (also directed by Tong) made Chan as big a star in America as he was in Asia. Tong and Chan re-teamed this year for Kung Fu Yoga. (Available to rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes)

Final Destination 2, directed by David R. Ellis (2003) Serving as a stuntman on the sets of such ’80s action favorites as To Live and Die in L.A. and Lethal Weapon gifted David R. Ellis with a facility for staging action that he demonstrated to great effect when he choreographed the killer opening sequence from the second, and superior, entry in the Final Destination franchise. Don’t look for solid storytelling or memorable characters here — for that, watch Ellis’s follow-up, the supremely entertaining B-movie Cellular starring Chris Evans before he became Captain America — just enjoy the pleasure that the late director, who died suddenly in 2013, is obviously taking in building elaborate death traps that spring with clockwork precision. (Available to rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes)

The Square, directed by Nash Edgerton (2008) Aussie Renaissance Man, Nash Edgerton, wears many hats in the film industry: he’s an actor, a writer, an editor, a director, a stuntman, and a brother to Joel Edgerton (Loving, Midnight Special), who wrote and starred in his sibling’s feature directorial debut. A taut morality noir in the tradition of A Simple Plan and The Ice Harvest, The Square follows a pair of lovers who conspire to flee together from their respective spouses, making off with a cash-filled duffel bag in the process. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan, which is bad for the characters, but gripping for those of us watching at home. (Available to rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes)

Dwayne Johnson in ‘Snitch’ (Photo: Summit)

Snitch, directed by Ric Roman Waugh (2013) Who would have thought that an ex-stunt guy whose credits include Leonard Part 6 and Hook would become the director to coax Dwayne Johnson into delivering his best dramatic performance to date? Ric Roman Waugh’s underseen Snitch casts the stalwart Rock as a devoted father who agrees to work undercover with the DEA in order to help his son beat a drug charge. While Waugh awards Johnson a few opportunities to flex his muscles — most notably in a climactic chase sequence that, to be honest, feels like it was tacked on at the studio’s demand — the bulk of the movie requires him to be an actor, not an action star. (Available to rent or purchase on Amazon and iTunes)

‘Snitch’: Watch a trailer:

[robinthephoenixs]

Agents of Shield: Why you should watch/spoiler free review

So seeing as the 100th episode is coming up very shortly I decided to re-watch seasons 1-4 (no I didn’t have the time yet here I am) and then thought well why not review it! I’m sure there are some people who are mildly interested especially with the buzz around the landmark ep, so if your thinking bout it or wondering why it has such dedicated fans read on! As the title suggests this is gonna be as spoiler free as possible so I’ll be calling characters certain names and not mentioning others, so if you’ve seen the show and are a bit confused, that’s why. Ill be laying it out with headings in bold so if you’re just interested in a particular thing, just jump to it.Ill also not b reviewing season 5 as its not done yet. With that lets dive in with a small intro on how to watch!

To binge or not to binge?

I’m sure 100 episodes feels daunting and it certainly is with episodes averaging 43 mins and about 22 eps a season its not something to take lightly if your a busy person. Genuinely not trying to sound elitist but I have been watching from its inception so I have experienced both kinds of viewing and as far as which is better I feel it depends on the season. I barley remember watching it back when it first aired, but what I do remember is being excited for every episode and as far as the latest seasons go Id say an episode a day is better. I found I easily binged the first 2 seasons but slowed down at 3 so I think its up to you and how much free time you have but both ways are definitely viable. With the tedious stuff out of the way its on to the good stuff, what makes Agents of Shield so good! 

The Characters

To say the characters are the life and soul of the show is an understatement. One of the joys of re watching the series was seeing just how far each character has come. It is also one of the only shows were I can confidently say I liked pretty much every single character that has come through the roster. From my favourite Skye, to May, Jemma, Fitz, Coulson, Mack, Yo-Yo, Bobbi, Hunter, Trip, the Koenigs, General Talbot, Radcliffe and so many others. Even villains, which some are particularly good in a “Can I kill them myself?” sort of way. With a lot of these shows the characters tend to go in a loop or just become stagnant, Arrow comes to mind (I’ve actually not really seen many other made for T.V hero shows so Arrows gonna be my main point of reference, sorry if your a fan of that show) Yet here its a natural progression. They react and change depending on the situations and events they’ve gone through and they all change in different ways. They’re are all unique, with their own personalities and goals. 

Villains

So where would the characters be without some good villains and for the most part they’re a lot better then your regular MCU villains. There are some pretty complex well thought out villains who last for more than one season, they’re always there lurking in the back. The villains also effect the characters in some pretty huge ways, there not just there for the lols and then gone again, well some are. You can also sympathize with a good few of them as they are pretty well developed.They have motives and history and their own character development. They can be pretty imposing when they want to be as well. There are, of course, your throw away baddies and your cliched ones but there are as I’ve said ones with real dept to them.

The Actors

Now the characters wouldn’t be very good if the actors were shit now would they? Luckily the quality is very high with everyone in the main cast being superb. Saying that we have to talk about that elephant in the room, a certain character that may have put you off watching the show, Phil Coulson played by Clark Greg. To me I see his style of acting as unique, quirky yet it can be seen as stilted and just plain bad acting which is understandable. The first season is not his best but if you give it time he can put on some amazing performances and he has become much more natural to it. Still I feel like he is the Marmite of the show. As for the other actors there are some truly amazing performances. The chemistry between the actors is insane and its what gives them so much life. In particular Elizabeth Henstridge who plays Jemma and Iain De Caestecker who plays Fitz. Their scenes together are just fantastic from season 1 they blow you out of the park with heart wrenching scenes and in season 4 both have gut wrenching performances and both play off very well with Skye played by Chloe Bennet. Particularly the mid season episode in season 2 (I think) with Fitz and Skye and episode 15 in season 4 with Jemma and Skye, but there are so many more little moments between all the characters (a point I’ll get to in another paragraph). Some other performances I want to point out for the shear range of their skills are Brett Dalton - Ward and  Mallory Jansen - Aide. I’m not kidding when I say their performances should have gotten rewards, I thought they were excellent. And finally one guy who never fails to make me laugh or cry with the amount of emotion he’s able to display, Henry Simmons as Alphonso "Mack" MacKenzie. A true joy to watch, no one brings more emotion than him, he is the sweetest and deserves more recognition for his performance.

Writing

Just as a precursor I’m studying law/classics so I’m not an expert when it comes to the next few points but I’ll be damned if I don’t try my best! Overall I think the writings pretty decent, it has its ups and downs, as I’ll try to explain. With the first season the first half is pretty episodic but it does have those big pay off moments and I think that’s more what Shield tries to make itself about, even if that doesn’t happen. They have a lot of these mystery's that they build up to and getting there its pretty tense but the payoff doesn’t seem to last. Its a bit hard to explain. This only really happens with the one mystery element they insist on having. Season 2 is the biggest culprit but that doesn't take away from other moments that build up into something bigger. They usually sneak up on you. The example episodes I mentioned in the previous paragraph are some of the best and if I could go back and watch S4Ep15 fresh Id do it in a heart beat. The writers are very good at creating tension, its there specialty. I often find myself on the edge of my seat, even re watching the old episodes it brought back the same tension I felt the first time and when they want to bring the emotion the writers sure do deliver. Now for all the good stuff there is of course the pacing issues and odd dud arc. I didn’t notice it two much for seasons 1 + 2 cause it was like I was watching it brand new cause I have the memory of a gold fish but when I hit season 3 that was a struggle. The pacing just ground to a halt after the first half even though that season has one of the most unique episodes in the whole series it also has the worst. The first third of season 4 also suffers from the same pacing issues but it picks up soon so its not too bad. Apart from a few dud lines, the writing overall is pretty decent and the stories can be a fun watch but as I've said, it’s the characters that bring the heart to the show.

The Fight Scenes

Whats a good hero show without some action, right? Well Shield brings it in spades with seasons 2 + 3 being the highlights, particularly season 2. There’s an amazing one take fight with Skye that’s so fluid and the choreography is just perfect (little fact Chloe Bennet fractured her arm during this scene didn’t know and kept going doing other scenes!) There’s another fight with May, you’ll know the one, which just shows how technical they’re willing to get and still make it look great. They aren’t obsessed with 500 cuts a second although they aren’t immune to some dodgy cuts, they just know when to do it and make it seem so real and clear as to whats going on. I was genuinely stunned when i went to watch Arrow S4 and the fights were just so bad. It has something to do with the camera. In Arrow the fps seems higher or something making it look really bad while in Shield the cameras smooth. I don’t actually know what the difference is but if you watch em side by side you’ll know what I mean. Unfortunately the fight quality dips in season 4 I found. The punches don’t look like the connect and they started to rely on jump cuts more which is a pity. I’m not talking about S5 here but it seems to be mildly better than 4. Either way it is still always fun to see the fight scenes and they were very enjoyably to re-watch.

Special Effects/Practical Effects/Make-up/Sets

For a TV show Shield has some damn good effects going on. The first season is obviously going to be a bit rough and it is but they really step up their game in season 2. The way they show powers and the CGI behind them are pretty high quality for a lot of the times its used. This extend into S3 + 4 thankfully and especially with a certain someone in S4. It is a pity though that the team hasn’t really got a grasp on landscape green screen. Its fine if its just a quinjet, which I think are very well done and as I’ve said when powers are in play they can be very realistic but as soon as you slap someone in front of a green screen it turns to shit. The biggest culprit is the S2 finale where the bad CGI effectively ruins the big climactic scene, its really bad, I’m not exaggerating. Its not like it was even a complicated background, it actually looks really dull, I have no idea what went wrong but bad backgrounds are a running theme. If there’s no people in the shot they tend to look good, so that’s something! As for the practical effects they have that down to a tee. Explosions look good, props are realistic and the guns feel they have weight to them with the sparks and holes they make. The stunts are also quality and the makeup is superb. The bruises and cuts all look very realistic and if a character needs to look like shit, they look like shit. The production design is well above that of other hero shows on TV, its a credit to the team. Every location (when there’s not bad green screen) looks real and used. They really do a good job of making every individual set come alive!

Diversity

Diversity is a key issue when it comes to any TV show, hero or not and luckily Shield somewhat provides. In terms of people of colour and where people are from in the world it has a lot to offer. Its lead actress, Chloe Bennet, is Chinese-American and she did a great piece on how Asian American actors/actresses are treated, I highly recommend you look it up. With Chloe we have, of course, the amazing Ming-Na Wen who is reason enough to watch the show tbh. There’s Henry Simmons and B.J Briit who are both African American, Natalia Cordova-Buckley who’s Mexican and Gabriel Luna who’s Mexican American. There is also a couple characters from Britain which livens up the accents a bit so they’re not all just American. There is of course more poc but those are the main characters, so Shield doesn’t disappoint in that department, something which can’t be said for LGBT+ representation. I originally thought there were no LGBT+ characters but while watching the second time it turns out there is a singular gay character in the show as far as I can tell, which is something I will always be disappointed in. Whats worse is the character just kinda disappears, so I wouldn't get attached. It is such a pity they never had more LGBT+ characters and it is a stain on the show as a whole. (Just an aside I am Irish so if anything I said above is offensive just let me know, I know how important diversity is so I wanted to include this as a point cause it could be a deal breaker for some, myself included, especially when it comes to LGBT+ characters, so just say if anything sounds bad to you and if it is I’ll change it immediately)

The Little Moments

So here’s what I’ve been alluding to through out the review. It’s one of my favourite things about Shield is how they have these little moments, these scenes that just come out of no where and hit you in the gut. It shows how dedicated the actors are, they’re at 100% all the time. I find it really noticeable in the earlier seasons as with the later ones its just emotion all the time, but there’ll still be those nuggets of just two characters talking and having amazing chemistry. These moments have the ability to turn a mediocre episode into a great one such as S3Ep13 which was a fairly average episode that had the most tear jerking scens and even thinking about it is making me tear up. (I swear Mack in that scene ack I can’t) So if you do decide to watch the show look out for the little moments, they are just so amazing and sweet and when combined with the great acting and characters they really bring the show together.

For the final bit I’m gonna rank the seasons worst to best and try and explain why, still no spoilers obviously and it is going to be a bit biased but here we go!

Season 3

Probably get hate for this but I did not like season 3. The first half is pretty good but my god the second half is so slow and tedious. It should have been great, I really liked where they were going but it took so long to get there I nearly feel asleep. It also has my least favourite character (introduced in season 2 for reference) in the spot light to much and he just really badly effected my favourite character so much so that it carries over to the 4th season and causes them to be very whiny for too long (it’ll make more sense or less if you watch it).

Season 4

Another controversial pick but I just didn’t really like the first third of this season. It had pacing issues and I wasn’t very invested in the story. After that though its a banger of a season and the latter half really lets the actors show off their skills and by god they do. Its great the first time round, not so much the second but still good. A great season overall.

Season 1

This was tough for me, I really enjoyed the first season. I think its more the fact on second viewing I know where all the characters are going to end up and seeing them all so innocent, so pure is just heart breakingly good. I remember watching the mid season finale back when it first aired and just being riveted to the screen. I was as worried as the characters on the show! Also gotta give it props for having one of my first crushes, Skye, still love her to this day <3

Season 2

Ah season 2 how much I love yet feel bad loving you. If you don’t know I’m not the biggest fan of a certain group of characters and they make their appearance in a big way. So you’re probably wondering why I like it then. Well instead of following the comics (kinda) with these characters they make them more like the X-Men so even though their name sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear it I think they’re done very well so I can put my hatred behind me as long as there’s no royals in the future I’ll be good. This season also has my favourite series of episodes 11-15. These episodes are just so, so good. The tension in the first few, my God and there’s a specific scene with Fitz and Skye that is just so heartbreaking and good argh I love it. This season also introduces Bobbi and Hunter two great character and I also discovered that i have a terryfying fear of having shit being stabbed under my nails or having them pulled off so that’s great! (Its actually a horrifyingly good scene, the most gruesome in the series and once again great tension)

Conclusion

There’s so much more id like to say but I’m just so bad at putting it into words and also its long enough as is, don’t you think? If by some miracle you read all that, thank you and if I have convinced you to try the show or re visit it please tell me what you think, Id love to know! If you have watched the show and read this for some reason please add on anything I missed. As long as its spoiler free go ahead, positive or negative! (As long as its no like ugh this show sucks, at least give some points) So I guess that’s it! Thanks for reading and here’s to the 100th episode!!