#the general reaction is that it's a solid film

[alt-wannabe]

MCSR As Chemical Compounds

idk either man. expect very little actual explanation and a lot of chemical yapping from a very big nerd

Silverr as Silver Nitrate:

AgNO3

the above is the crystal structure

appearance is just a white crystal kinda like sugar

it took everything in me to not just make silverr plain Ag

silver nitrate is the most common precursor for all other important silver salts

also an extremely important compound in the development of photography! (and iirc silverr is a film major)

Feinberg as Ozone:

O3

produced during lightning strikes

pale blue at high ppm

only leaves gas state at cryogenic temperatures

naturally occurring in the stratosphere and absorbs UV rays from the sun

Fruit as Nickel(II) Chloride Hexahydrate:

NiCl2•6H2O

green

the non-hydrate form is a sort of olive-y yellow color

used to absorb ammonia in gas masks

Raddles as Potassium Permanganate:

KMnO4

Sometimes referred to as Purple Potion Powder

goes CRAZY purple when dissolved and is lowkey my favorite chemical

very strong oxidizing agent

one time i stained my hand purple through my glove with this shit idk how it happened

if made in specific solvents can look extremely similar to dragon's breath in minecraft imo

K4 as Octathio[8]circulene:

C16S8

also referred to as Sulflower (like sulfur and sunflower haha get it)

planar which is fairly uncommon for molecules of this size

can be stacked together to make sheets of sulflowers

Cube as Cubane:

C8H8

yeah this is self-explanatory

what is interesting though is that ring strain in 4 membered rings/squares is really high, so cubane existing is a bit of a chemical anomaly

i havent read into it enough to know for sure but i suspect that ring strain is why cubane is a precursor to a HELLA STRONG explosive compound

Reignex as PPTA:

Poly-p-paraphenylene terephthalamide

[-CO-C6H4-CO-NH-C6H4-NH-]n

the name is complicated as shit but this is just kevlar!

aka bulletproof vest material

looks fluffy when not woven completely together

aligning of polymer chains w hydrogen bonds creates EXTREMELY high tensile strength

Mime as Phenylmagnesium Bromide:

C6H5MgBr

a common grignard reagent aka a compound that can be used in a grignard reaction, an extremely important reaction in organic synthesis as it creates new C-C bonds

another fun fact about grignard reagents is that if water is added to them- or even if they're handled in particularly moist air- they fucking explode

extremely strong nucleophile and base

Poundcake as Xenon Hexafluoride:

XeF6

Noble gases don't react unless you REALLY make them

so a compound containing xenon is really interesting

colorless as a solid but sublimes (aka skips straight from solid to gas) into a bright yellow gas

fun fact a lot of instances where typical chemistry rules are broken (noble gases not reacting, octet rule in general, etc) involve fluorine to the point ive heard it referred to as a "batshit electron thief"

Fulham as Iron Hexacyanidoferrate:

C18Fe7N18

also known as prussian blue

extremely common pigment in paints and the first modern synthetic pigment

used extensively in The Great Wave

another one of my favorite molecules bc im biased and like inorganic chem aka things that contain metals

used as an antidote for heavy metal poisoning which is interesting bc it contains cyanide ligands!

Couriway as Bullvalene:

C10H10

in a state of constant resonance

aka the double bonds are CONSTANTLY shifting and reforming bullvalene into... itself but moved around a little

the bonds fluctuate so rapidly that in nmr analysis each carbon and hydrogen in the entire molecule is read as equivalent (for my non-chem people that's very uncommon and very cool)

formed through photolysis (aka using light/photons to fuel a reaction)

[bengiyo]

GMMTV 2024 Part 1 Stray Thoughts

I have finished viewing the trailers. I'm feeling relatively cool about most of it, and I had a strong negative reaction to the announcements about two adaptations.

Here is what intrigued me in order:

My Golden Blood - When Joss and Mond rose off the ground, I also ascended. Joss and Gawin wasn't on my radar as a potential option, but I am so here for it.

Wadee Gooday - I'm so here for the adult romance, and Thor is here. A boxer and a doctor have such fascinating potential.

The Trainee - OffGun workplace romance and Love Score is playing. We are so fucking back.

On Sale - TayNew in a ghost romcom? We are so fucking back.

Pluto - Film and Namtam and Namtam is lying? I am here for it.

Kidnap - Ohm is back in BL and they gave him a gun and a little brother who shares his name. This is probably gonna be a mess but it looks fun.

Only Boo - Not sure how I feel about an idol trainee show, but Louis is here.

We Are - Why are there four couples? Engineering? Hopefully, this is going to be like MSP, and let us put this behind us.

High School Frenemy - I will have to watch School 2013 before this airs because it looks like the original was well-received and this trailer just looks like boys fighting the whole time.

My Love Mix-Up - Fourth doesn't seem to do slapstick well in this trailer, and Gem doesn't look serious enough. New Hashimoto doesn't have that glint in her eye. New Aida looks solid. I'm skeptical. More thoughts below.

Ossan's Love - Literally why?

Summer Night - Phuwin and Dunk pratfall kiss bait into het nonsense with a BL side. No thanks.

My Precious the series - I feel like any hype I had for this has evaporated. I'm past it.

Ploy's Yearbook - Apparently step-siblings fall for each other in this? No thanks.

Enigma 2 - No idea what's going on but it has clear vibes.

Alright, I'm just gonna say it: The My Love Mix-Up trailer was not good. I love Fourth and Gemini a lot. I think Fourth is really talented, and I think he and Gemini make a good team. That being said, there is a reason KH continues to get content shared on this website, and right now I don't think Fourth and Gem showed the juice to match Michieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren.

I don't think Fourth is going to generate meme material as Thai Aoki the way Michieda did if this trailer is indicative of where he's going. I don't think Gemini is hitting the seriousness of Ida well here at all. Ida is a demisexual icon and so important to the genre, and I just don't think Gemini has this in him right now.

For those wondering why I feel so strongly about this, I will remind you that Kieta Hatsukoi is free on Viki.

We are now seeing cross-cultural adaptations of BL work, and I think that it's incredibly important to view the source work before we get into big discussions about what each adaptation does well. I am so concerned about Kieta Hatsukoi being adapted because it's so distinctly Japanese in its stylings and the dramatic tension underpinning it. The Thai trailer feels lacking to me because the angst felt so ungrounded. Fourth can moon over Gemini just fine, but there's a specificity to the mooning that he just isn't hitting here.

I will be talking about My Love Mix-Up Thailand as an adaptation of Kieta Hatsukoi. I will not be entertaining debates or discussions about it as an independent work. The trailer has called directly to the Japanese origins and it will be judged as such. If you haven't or won't watch the original or read the source work, please don't tag me, because "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore."

[spaceyflowerswriting]

heyyyyy!!! I was wondering if you could write a scenario where Jake and Taehoon (separate) catch someone trying to film up their s/o’s skirt and their reactions?

catching someone trying to film up their s/o's skirt (jake kim and taehun seong)

details: scenario, gender neutral reader written in 2nd pov, general canon au, reader and character have been dating for a while

a/n: thanks for the request ^_^ <3

��

JAKE

The sound of yelping alarms you, and you turn to look, only to see your boyfriend gripping someone's wrist and holding their phone in his other hand. You're confused until he explains, "This creep just tried to take an upskirt photo of you." Your expression contorts into one of disgust and Jake nods in understanding before smiling. "Let's get them arrested, shall we? But first, this one's for you."

Using the hand holding the phone, Jake swings a nice, solid punch to the creep's face. When they groan and fall to their knees, he turns to wink at you. "We can just say they fell on the way to the police station." He brightens up when you chuckle. "Do you wanna get a hit in, too?"

TAEHUN

"Babe, come here." Your boyfriend lightly tugs on your hand, and you follow absentmindedly. Once you join his side, you're surprised to see someone scrambling to put their phone away and straighten up behind you. Just that was enough for you realize what they had been doing and a feeling of disgust washes over you.

Taehun tilts his head at them. "Wanna explain to my partner what the fuck you were just doing?" He doesn't give the creep a chance to answer and instead sends them flying with a kick. He lets go of your hand to follow up on his beating, but you stop him before he gets charged with an excessive use of force. He agrees to report them, but--"Only if I can kick 'em one more time."

[tobylix-blog]

Digital nomads - Legolas x Reader

Content & Warnings: Modern AU, drabble Word count: 0.8k Summary: You and Legolas travel the world together staying in different countries for a few weeks or months before moving on, posting traveling content and some awesome archery trick shots.

A/n: definetely brought to you with the help of 'Migration Feathers' by General Elektriks

Your blog reaches 100k subscribers when you upload the final part of the series about your trip to Cambodia – the first one out of Europe that you take with Legolas. He is so emotional about the milestone, that even your joy seems to be but a faint reflection. His genuine delight brings back the memories of your first journey together. He was smiling just as brightly when you brought him to the best places you knew in the Netherlands and filmed his honest reaction to seeing deers in De Hoge Veluwe.

______________________________________________________________

As the hiking trail takes you two to Himakånå, the view from the cliff just isn't as breathtaking as the man before you. Standing high above the lake with wind catching in his hair he seems to be some ethereal spirit of the place. Eyes as blue as the water below. Faint shade of pink dusting his face after a long climb uphill. Life paints him so vividly, that you only take a few pictures, mostly staring shamelessly.

The following week you come back with a costume and a bow, accompanied by a mutual friend, Gimli. Despite the initial grumpiness and some rough jokes he takes great interest in showing you around the best sceneries in Tysvær and cheers for the best shots like a whole supporting team.

In the completed outfit Legolas seems like an elven prince rather than a son of some big shot in law. There's a translucent fog catching on the grass under his feet, making him appear all the more mystical and dreamlike. He doesn't say it out loud, but you notice from the look in his eyes that he feels relieved not being bound to the past in one more way. As much of an escapism as it is, you respect that.

Videos and photos from the hike take up a solid half of your SD card memory and two good days of editing before they hit your blog. Once they do though – the chaos ensues. Numbers on posts double within a day, while the portraits of your boyfriend begin their grand parade around the internet. You almost feel jealous. Legolas smirks proudly, but blushes so deeply, that you can't help a smirk as well.

______________________________________________________________

When Legolas walks onto the meter-thick ice of the lake, you finally know what to compare his eye color with. Between the bottomless sky and frozen water, seemingly the only person for miles around, except for you and the guide, he looks like a deity walking through the clouds of crispy snow. He turns back at you with those magnificent azure orbs framed with frosted lashes, and a blissful wave of warmth washes over you instantly in spite of the biting cold air. Legolas has that incredible ability to share his amazement, which attracted you to him in the first place.

He strides over the smooth icy surface confidently, like he was born in one of the villages on the eastern shore, crosses the major crack in one long jump over the exposed waters of Baikal and looks up to the crystal sky, all but dedicating poems to it. The bow in his hand only adding to the romantic image. The local guide, walking beside you, watches him with a smirk and says. «If Abai Geser had come from the West, that would be him.»

______________________________________________________________

When you get from one neat bar to another, tasting cocktails – sweet, bitter and even spicy on your tongues – and mixing the flavors even more through dozens of kisses, getting rowdy on the way until dropping at some karaoke, your blog hits half a million. Legolas starts a live stream right there in the cramped little room somewhere in Seoul mere minutes before sunrise.

He talks enthusiastically to the gathering viewers, while you half-hidden behind his back get the first row seat to the show. He is flushed from the alcohol and so carefree, easily falling into the quick speech pace chattering about your Asian trip and further plans. Such a striking contrast to the uptight college boy he was when you first crossed paths.

The thought of the past two years brings a smile to your lips, curling the edges slightly. Legolas somehow takes notice even through the small image on the phone screen and turns to you, only to be greeted with a passionate kiss and fingers readily finding their way to his ruffled hair. «I love you. More than anything or anyone. You're my home and my freedom,» you whisper heatedly to his ear.

Your eyes dart to the still working front camera of his phone, narrowing slightly before you turn the thing off completely. To hell that live stream, the viewers and whoever else. Let them think and overthink your actions as long as they wish. You two are now together and that means you are free from any boundaries and expectations.

[winged-cries]

Sorry if you've already talked about this before, but what do you think about the notion that horror is generally bad because it has a misogyny problem, and that exploitation / r&r films are problematic and the ppl who watch them are suspicious? i don't really know how to explain what i mean too well but i know you usually have very nuanced takes about this kind of thing 🤍

i think i understand what you mean, no worries 🖤

honestly i don't think horror has a greater misogyny problem than any other film genre, though how the problem presents itself may be different. it's maybe more blatant within horror but not necessarily worse. movies have a misogyny problem across all genres, i don't think horror is special in that. horror films do inspire some strong reactions though, so i can understand why it prompts more discussion in that vein.

rape & revenge is a particular case, and it's difficult to discuss. i have a lot of thoughts about it, but i find it hard to put it down in writing because they're not very cohesive. i actually did a little research and asked around for material about r&r because i wanted to give an informed opinion but i didn't find much. it'd be easier for me to discuss particular movies anyway, because i don't think i've explored the genre deeply enough.

there are some &r movies i really really love and i know some people watch them because they find the degradation of women titillating -- that upsets me but it doesn't stop me from enjoying or admiring the movie itself. some r&r movies are, in my opinion, really interesting and engaging and i'd go so far as to call them beautiful and thoughtful. of course for each of those you'll probably find a greater number of misogynistic drivel -- but i can't affirm that for sure because so much of my experience has been guided by what other women have watched, enjoyed and recommended, so i've probably avoided whatever didn't have much to offer. but then that's always really subjective -- for example, i don't care for i spit on your grave but my mom sort of loves it. i don't think her opinion is any less valid than mine, and i find opinions differ a lot when it comes to r&r.

i do have a question that i'd like to pose to you but also anyone else reading this, which is -- what you think of when you think of rape & revenge? do you consider only exploitation movies or do you also consider titles like the virgin spring or kuroneko? because of course there's a lot to be discussed about exploitation films, and how some directors managed to make genuinely interesting works while trying to remain commercial and please a certain audience. like, there are things in r&r exploitation films that i could do without but i can still admire the final result. but then sometimes i think of like, thriller: a cruel picture and how the pornographic scenes impact the movie in a way that i personally find interesting because it makes it all the more brutal, and the director really managed to make it all very non-erotic and even cold and distant... sort of going through the motions in a way that imo fits perfectly with what's going on.

but there's just so much to discuss about exploitation and about r&r specifically, a lot of my thoughts are not very cohesive or well informed. i'm curious to know how others feel about it, especially other women, and i'd love to discuss it more. but it's hard to give a solid opinion because i can see the matter through many different angles. like, of course the fact that r&r often targets a male audience while exploiting the suffering and degradation of women is a problem and reflective of a bigger one. but many r&r movies have genuine value and, more importantly, have real value to a lot women.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream: Late Night with the Devil

Horror has been clawing its way back into the limelight recently and frankly I couldn’t be happier. Between all the films where filmmakers have used the genre as a vehicle to deliver social commentary or explore deeper themes like the works of Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, the PG-13 horror films that give younger viewers an entry point like M3gan and the FNAF movie, and stylish horror dripping in symbolism like The Lighthouse and Mandy, horror fans are eating pretty good! We even got a good Lovecraft adaptation, starring Nicolas Cage no less! Sure, there’s still the cash grab legacy sequels and the hot garbage horror fans have come to expect, but it seems filmmakers are treating the genre as grounds to experiment again so that, even if the results aren’t perfect, we’re getting a constant stream of innovative creativity.

And Late Night with the Devil looked like it might be one of the best films in this new wave of innovative horror. The concept—the film being a found footage “lost episode” of a late night comedy show—is really unique, and it gives a lead role to David Dastmalchian, who has shown incredible acting chops playing weirdo supporting roles. Positive reactions to the initial announcement and the first looks really built this up to be the next big horror smash!

…And then came the controversy. It was revealed that AI generated images were used to create certain pictures in the movie (specifically the intermission cards), and as this came to light in the thick of arguments over the subject of AI, this killed a fair bit of hype and caused many to state they’d boycott the film. Using such lazy methods as opposed to, you know, hiring an actual fucking artist isn’t what you do to endear yourself to audiences. Still, the ethics of AI usage aside, I still wanted to give this film a chance, and thankfully the movie turned out to be every bit as fun, refreshing, and innovative as I’d hoped!

Until it isn’t.

For most of the film’s runtime, it delivers exactly what you could have hoped for. We get fantastic setup framing the film as sort of a documentary, with a Michael Ironside-narrated introduction giving us pertinent backstory before diving in to the actual episode. The presentation is fantastic; from the grainy VHS look of the actual show to the black and white backstage footage, they did a great job of capturing the look and feel of a show from that era, with everything making sense as something that would be filmed for the show. It keeps this up for most of the runtime.

But just as the film is about to bring home the gold, it does a mass hypnosis sequence where we see the illusion of worms bursting out of a guy… but this clip is played back almost immediately, without the illusion. While the worm effect is great practical gore, it is the first sign that they’re willing to betray the conceit of the film for spectacle. And it only gets worse from here, as this leads right into a big finale with all sorts of overtly supernatural elements as well as video footage of another person’s hallucination.

And while the supernatural horror stuff has some cool moments, including a couple of gnarly kills and some solid black comedy, it really sort of deflates the film. The setup they went with really only works if you keep the supernatural elements ambiguous. The initial demonic possession scene is where the cracks start to show, but there’s still at least a little wiggle room there, but when we have someone split their head open and levitate while blatantly using magic it is really impossible to ignore. It’s even worse because the effects in the finale are really not as good as the filmmakers think they are, meaning they essentially sacrificed the believability of the movie for pointless spectacle that it didn’t even need! Up until this point the movie was up there with the found footage heavy hitters in terms of realism and commitment, sitting alongside the likes of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. But it decided it was better to try and have it both ways, to be some spectacular supernatural extravaganza on top of the found footage realism, and it falls on its face flatter than your create lost episode creepypasta as a result. If only there were hyperrealistic blood to be seen.

Maybe it’s just me, but I hate when a film that builds such great atmosphere with subtle, ambiguous horror decides to go whole hog on the spectacle. It’s my biggest problem with Hereditary—Ari Aster had created such a fantastic, unsettling, oppressive tone for the film steeped in the ambiguity of the events, and then the final act has spontaneous combustion and levitating corpses. But, crucially, Aster pulls everything back for the final scene, leaving on an ambiguous yet deeply disturbing note. It’s why I wouldn’t hesitate to call Hereditary a great film. But I can’t do the same here. Sure, it tries to pull things back at the very end, but by its very nature it fails to do so. You’ve already betrayed the basic premise of your film for your Hollywood ghost movie tricks, you can’t win us back now. You were at the head of the race, about to bring home the gold, and you tripped at the finish line.

I know I’ve been super harsh on the movie, but that’s because I do love it. It’s a really good movie for the most part! Dastmalchian in particular is absolutely fantastic, showcasing great range as his character Jack Delroy alternates between the corny comedic charisma needed of a late night host and the sleazy, desperate hunger for fame you’d expect from a 70s TV personality, all while never coming off as a truly bad guy. It really showcases Dastmalchian’s leading man potential, and whatever else I wouldn’t hesitate to call this a career highlight. I genuinely hope this opens more doors for him because he is genuinely and consistently great throughout, even when other aspects dip in quality.

And aside from the obnoxious and intrusive AI images (which are mercifully few and far between), it spends a good 80% of the film being stylishly immersive and engaging. This is a genuinely good movie, and I do recommend watching it! I just unfortunately have to throw in the caveat that it trips over itself at the end and doesn’t quite achieve the greatness we were all hoping it would.

[jadelotusflower]

Stargate Rewatch: 1x01 Children of the Gods

After rewatching the original film I'm kicking off with the show's pilot - I actually watched both the original version and the "final cut" because there are aspects I enjoy of both. The final cut removes a few problematic elements and adds in some new material, but also cuts a few lines I really enjoy and the original version is really where my nostalgia lies, so... as always, my feelings, they are mixed.

Cold open with some redshirts - four men and one woman, sadly representative of the gender ratio the show will have going forward.

The unlucky Smurfette is Sgt Carol Weterings, not that I think she's ever mentioned by name in the episode.

"Probably the only thing it ever did was cost money." Heh.

I will say that Teal'c turning against Apophis at the end of the episode is nicely built - starting here where he examines the gun and identifies it as technology far advanced beyond the humans they’re used to dealing with.

When your name is above the title, you get introduced with an extreme close up.

The differences between the film and the show don't really bother me - I view the show as taking place in a very similar but alternate universe to the film rather than trying to squeeze them together - so O'Neil becomes O'Neill, Sha'uri becomes Sha're, Tyler becomes Charlie, Abydos is the closest planet to Earth, not the other side of the known universe, etc etc. But I consider the events of the film to be canon to the show universe unless directly contradicted.

But otherwise the pilot tries very hard to stick as close as possible to the film, to the point that Major Samuels states that General Hammond replaced General West.

Hammond says it’s been “over a year” since the events of the film, unclear exactly how much over.

The final cut has a longer version of the dead Jaffa, revealing one of them was a woman, and with all the changes to eliminate plot holes I don't know why Brad Wright put one back in. While we do see Jaffa women in the series, Goa'uld and Jaffa society is depicted as highly patriarchal and female Jaffa soliders are rare - we never see them in Apophis's ranks. It's an odd inclusion.

"What if the aliens get it?" "Well, they could be blowing their noses right now." hee!

"THANKS SEND MORE" Remember when Daniel had allergies? Give it a few episodes and the show sure won’t!

Amanda Tapping, doing her absolute best with some terrible dialogue. Brad Wright blames the "reproductive organs" speech on Jonathan Glassner, and it is terrible and thankfully removed from the final cut version, along with some other 90's era sexism from the bros. However there is one great moment, where Kawalsky asks "Have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F16 at eight plus Gs?" and without missing a beat, Sam deadpans: "Yes." I love Sam.

"I'll give you exactly 24 hours to either return or send a message through - no Kleenex boxes, please." Hee, Hammond isn't quite the cuddly commander we know and love yet, but he has his moments.

It's very cute that Sam has a very similar reaction to the one Daniel had in the film just before going through the gate, although his was based in the wonder of something incredible and unknown, and hers is based in the physical manifestation of knowledge - says a lot about each of them and their similarities yet different perspectives - the marrying of these two points of view is what makes them such a good duo.

Michael Shanks, doing the James Spader impression that won him the role. He was only 26!

And of course Alexis Cruz, the only holdover from the movie (other than Erick Avari, who won't appear until season 2).

The original team sure did leave a bunch of weapons with the Abydonians, didn't they? I presume they taught them how to fire the guns because there's no way Daniel could/would have. He did however teach them very good English.

"Greetings from Earth, Doctor Jackson" - very cute, it's sad that Ferretti disappears into the ether by season 2.

Not the face of a woman who is shy, but a woman who knows how to make An Entrance. She even smirks a little as she walks over.

There is however a weird little moment where Sha're is reluctant to shake Jack's hand and looks to Daniel first - maybe she wasn't impressed about his little joke brushing by her husband? Both of these beats are removed from the final cut version which is probably for the best.

It's criminal Sha're doesn't actually get to speak in this scene, and in fact how few lines she has in the episode altogether.

It's disappointing, because Sha'uri was such an integral part of the film, and yet the show tries to get rid of her as quickly as possible to get Daniel on SG-1 and give him a core drive for the next three seasons. Her abduction is the precipitating event of Daniel's ten-year character arc and defining moment of transition from film!Daniel to show!Daniel, and yet she doesn't get a character arc of her own.

However I do think Shanks and Vaitiare Hirshon sell the relationship in the few scenes they have - they're very physically connected/protective of one another, perhaps concerned that Jack's there to take Daniel back with him (which is in fact the case). And of course Sha're, annoyed at being left behind while Daniel shows the others his discovery, gives him a very proprietary kiss to show everyone what’s what.

I think show!Sha're gets a bad rap, she's spunky and I love her. I just wish there was more of her.

Sam and Daniel insta-bonding. Daniel making an intuitive leap to solve the puzzle and Sam filling in the gaps with science to make it work, they really are kindred spirits.

The issue with the cartouche though is that the symbols look like hierogyphs, not star constellations/Stargate glyphs.

Back in the pyramid, there's a scene sorely missing here - imagine if rather than ogling Sha're, Ferretti had a conversation with her, giving us more of a chance to know Sha're on her own terms rather than just Daniel's wife and the object of others desire. Especially when Ferretti was on the original mission so knows she's more than a "beautiful woman" - it would also give additional weight to him being the one to remember the gate address where she's taken later on.

Teal'c clocks Skaara's gun as the same tech he saw on Earth in breadcrumb no. 2.

"Nothing good can ever come through this gate!" "You came through it , Daniel" I mean...I realise there are a lot of problematic white savior-y aspects to the show, but idk, this scene and the Abydonians all petting Daniel to say goodbye gets me. Sean Amsing as Tobay also returns in Full Circle which is a nice callback to this scene.

The final cut removes a reaction shot from Jack which I have mixed feelings about - I get that the focus probably needs to be on Daniel at that moment, but I do think it's important for Jack to appreciate how Daniel really found a home with the Abydonians and was appreciated and loved by them, and it's nicely played by RDA.

LOL, watch out for how many times Jack pats Daniel on the shoulder. Apparently that annoyed Shanks so RDA kept doing it, but it's also a nice little setup of their relationship going forward.

There's a second shoulder pat in the hallway.

Just two dudes, drinking beer, (not) talking about their feelings.

“She was the complete opposite of everyone else, she practically fell on the floor laughing every time I tried to do some kind of chore they all took for granted.” Underrated line, because it gives important context to Daniel and Sha’re’s relationship, and perhaps more importantly, how Daniel characterises her - she is the one who keeps him grounded, who teases him, there is balance to their relationship. There’s potentially an interesting parallel there to Vala in the later seasons, although it manifests in a very different way.

“I think she forgave me for what happened to our kid, she just couldn’t forget…I’m the opposite, I can never forgive myself, but sometimes I can forget.” This is a great scene.

The Final Cut removes all the “harem scenes” and while I can see why, we do lose a bit of context to Teal'c's involvement in the process as he is the one who chooses the women from the holding cell to go into the harem, and then from the harem to be presented to Apophis.

There was another missed opportunity to actually see Sha're interact with the other prisoners - she could have had a conversation with Weterings at least, find out she was from Earth, perhaps assure her that the others would be coming to rescue them.

To the surprise of no one I’m sure, this episode does not pass the Bechdel test.

But there is a hint of solidarity among the prisoners - first in the holding cell where the others hold Skaara back, and here in the harem Sha're squeezes the hand of another woman.

Weterings is killed by the hand device which keeps the electrical current aesthetic from the movie the show will later abandon - as Teal'c looks perturbed.

Daniel back on Earth immediately getting stuck into the coffee even though no one else is drinking, lol.

"Ra played a god, the sun god, he borrowed the religion and culture of the ancient Egyptians he brought through the gate and used it to enslave them." A bit of a change from the movie here, where it was the other way around - slightly less problematic!

Everyone is in dress blues except Kawalsky who is in camo, and Daniel, who is wearing Jack's clothes.

"Colonel I'd like to remind you that rescuing Dr Jackson's wife is a secondary objective." This line was removed in the final cut and I don't know why? It adds to Samuels’s bastardry.

Has everyone forgotten about Weterings?

Shoulder pat no. 3!

In the second harem scene, Sha're is now sitting isolated from the other women - did she argue with them? Just trying not to be noticed? What happened offscreen?

Also what's going on in the top left corner - it looks like the healing device! Maybe Sha're did throw down with one of the others and that's why she's on her own. I have to read into things, because the show gives us so very little of Sha're and it's a real shame.

She does get a good moment fighting against the guards though - earlier she was defiant and told them she wasn't afraid of them, here she bites one of them on the arm.

I understand from a narrative perspective why Sha're is the one who gets taken over, but it really is Schrodinger’s fridging - until she’s found Sha’re is both alive and dead for the purpose of the narrative, both Daniel’s primary drive and source of inner conflict.

Christopher Judge does so much with so little. Master of the cheek twitch!

Oof, the nudity. In isolation from everything else, it doesn’t bother me - it’s intended to be horrifying, not titillating, and is effective in conveying objectification and dehumanisation by the Goa'uld.

However, it was a studio request, Wright/Glassner regretted doing it, it doesn’t fit the tone of the show going forward, but most importantly Hirshon was pressured into the full frontal when she only agreed to topless, and for that alone it should be excised.

The puppet symbiotes are so much more effective than the cgi they use later. I don’t think there’s another scene in the show that really captures the menace of the Goa’uld like this one - the symbiote (who we'll later learn is Amaunet) slithering around on Sha're's body is just so visceral and horrifying. The glowing eyes before implantation is an effective touch.

Jack sticking Daniel in it with Sam by saying Sha're was a gift could be amusing, except the conversation gets cut off before Daniel can explain. It annoys me, because Daniel not "accepting" Sha're was actually the point? It's kind of important! I assume he does tell Sam the whole story later.

"Unless we want to get ourselves a really bad reputation, I just think we should avoid shooting the first people we meet on a new planet" is a nice follow up to Daniel's sarcastic "well that would have been an excellent reason to shoot everyone" from the film. At this point, Daniel doesn't appear to be carrying a weapon other than a knife. Oh, how that will change!

The Chulak priests speak "a derivation of Arabic" and something else - the Goa'uld language is meant to be similar to Abydonian, which is based on Ancient Egyptian. Of course modern Egyptian is an Arabic dialect that came much later, but perhaps we are to assume Goa'uld - or at least the Chulak vernacular - evolved along similar lines.

Jack unable to shoot Sha're when she stands in front of Apophis is a nice movie callback.

The final cut has a good extra scene between Sam and Daniel where he is quite delusional thinking Sha're might just be drugged, and Sam tries to talk sense into him. Daniel's blind optimism against Sam's pragmatic realism will be an important aspect of their relationshio going forward.

Shoulder pat no. 4!

Teal'c P.I. sees Skaara talking to Jack and starts putting pieces together - the weapons from the opening scene, the weapons on Abydos + Jack's watch, and Daniel helpfully supplying the Earth glyph.

Alexis Cruz is committed to the film pronunciation of Sha’uri, bless him.

“But you are a great warrior, we defeated Ra together!” Skaara’s faith in Jack is so pure.

Skaara gets a shoulder pat too.

"Another fine day on planet Kawalsky" - This line was removed from the final cut! What a tragedy. I get the sense Brad Wright feels a bit cringe about the campier aspects of the show, but it's part of the charm! To be fair Ferretti was more of the wisecracker in the movie rather than Kawalsky, but I love that show Kawalsky is a little goofy.

I'm sorry, what is this silver monstrosity? I guess a sliver of credit that after the nudity not going for a sexy alien outfit, but this is a hate crime. I also have a very high tolerance, and even affection for, silly Stargate headgear, but there's camp and then there's ugly.

Peter Williams as Apophis though: 10/10, no notes.

"They're going to choose...who will be the children of the gods." I do love it when they say the title of the thing in the thing.

The subtle moment where Teal'c motions that Jack should kneel is a nice setup - Skaara being very reluctant and angry about kneeling, and being the last to do so, is nice movie continuity. Skaara really gets shortchanged by the show after this episode.

"How much would I remember if you chose me?" I wonder if Daniel ever thinks that maybe him drawing the attention of the Goa'uld contributed to Skaara getting chosen. You know, just to really lay on the angst and guilt.

So the premise is that these Apophis underlings are choosing hosts for their children who are symbiotes ready for implantation, which doesn't really fit with what we learn about Goa'uld queens/reproduction later. We also learn later that Skaara is taken as a host for Apophis's son Klorel which doesn't sqaure with these two choosing him.

Headcanon time! This is actually Zipacna who we meet later arguing for Klorel at Triad - different actor, of course, but he wears a similarly silly hat. So Amaunet now has access to all of Sha're's memories of Skaara and she and Apophis decide that he will make a good host - maybe she also likes the idea of a family resemblance between herself and Klorel (I think we can assume he is also Amaunet's son?). But Apophis doesn't want anyone to know he's choosing a host for his offspring, so sends Zipacna out to do it for him.

This makes sense of Klorel later claiming that Apophis chose his host, and also gives backstory to Zipacna showing up in Pretense. And in the scene, the Goa'uld make a very quick decision to take Skaara, while the rest get very grossly examined people before choosing.

Shoulder pat no. 5!

"I have nowhere to go." Teal'c turning on his brother Jaffa to save a roomful of people, not expecting to survive himself, really hits.

"For this, you can stay at my place." hee!

Jack not wanting to hear it when Teal'c tells him Skaara is no longer himself is a turnabout of the earlier scene with Daniel. Not so flip now it's your Emotional Support Abydonian, are you Jack?

Kawalsky getting Goa'ulded doesn't seem to hurt as much as Sha're's - because the symbiote isn't mature, or because Amaunet is particularly sadistic?

Soon to be SG-1 posing for their album cover.

It was the late 90's when tvs were tiny, so everyone had to stand uncomfortably close.

And we end with shoulder pat no. 6!

[steampunkforever]

How you handle pacing is in my opinion what will make or break Furiosa for you.

If we're judging the film on whether or not it's a good film, it passes with flying colors. If we're judging the film on whether or not it's a good sequel/prequel, I'll still say it's pretty good. If we're judging the film against Miller's last film, the lauded Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa feels a little disappointing, while still being a perfectly good film.

Fury Road is one of my perfect narratives. I've said this in my filmposts, in my podcasts, in general conversation. It's a supremely focused film that crafts its story in a lean, effective manner. The characters of the film drive in a line, stop, then turn around, and the film uses the minimal plot and dialogue to present its themes as succinctly as possible. It's elegant! Furiosa. on the other hand, tackles a story with a much wider scope, and comparing the pacing of both films would be unfair.

I liked Furiosa. It's a good film. As far as prequels set in established franchises go, it certainly handled origin stories much better than classic examples such as the Star Wars prequels (though its explainer of wasteland politics did feel like a phantom menace callback) or the 2010 A-Team origin did. Personally I feel this film went into development back when the 2010s obsession with the origin story was still strong, and Furiosa manages to overcome the fact that nobody really cares to see how superman got his cape anymore. It's a solid film. Just not as good as Fury Road.

The pacing has a lot to do with this. It meanders through Furiosa's story, and Miller's choice to show us Furiosa from childhood up to the start of Fury Road means there's a lot to wander through. Which is to say, there were several moments where my "I'm not sure where we're going with this" reactions weren't so much tied to how the film was going to end as much as they were linked to when we were going to wrap up. The movie has a much wider scope than Fury Road, and the pacing issues are a direct result of this.

Another result of the massive scope Furiosa attempts is a more minor quibble: the CG. Prefacing this, I'll say that I totally get it. To make a film of this scale, CG assets are a must have because this isn't Ben-Hur. Fury Road's limited scope meant that largely practical effects could be used on battles that would be *impractical* for the much larger production that is Furiosa. Even so, the CG was pretty solid for the most part, just a bit jarring compared to Fury Road.

Usually the followup effort for an excellent piece of cinema like Fury Road ends up bad, or at least mediocre. Furiosa is neither of these, instead presenting a good film with interesting worldbuilding that expounded on some themes in a way that made those of Fury Road more poignant after a rewatch. Still worth watching, especially if you're already into Mad Max.

To that, I feel like Anya Taylor-Joy was a pretty mid Charlize Theron replacement until about two thirds in, at which point she really nailed the voice and I finally bought the performance. This is of course made up for by Chris Hemsworth getting let off the chain and getting properly wacky with it. Very fun to see them let him be Australian again.

[bones-barlow]

I Made Battery Acid Spaghetti (Don't Make Battery Acid Spaghetti)

A thing to know about me is that I have a very strong, very regrettable weakness for awful hybrid junk food. Icee-flavored Oreos, Sour Patch Kids ice cream, Cheetos macaroni and cheese, the list goes on. Combine this with a slight contrarian streak, and perhaps it was inevitable that I would eventually try "Battery Acid Spaghetti".

You've probably seen the post. Sour rainbow gummy candy, peeled into long thin strings and submerged in cheap energy drink to create a vile little concoction, invariably followed by a crowd of people saying "don't do this". Ever since the original post broke containment and started to circulate on Reddit, there was always a little voice in the back of my head telling me to try it. However, the mere mixture of gummy candy and energy drink was never enough to push me over the edge.

No, the real kicker was when the post re-circulated through r/CuratedTumblr last week, and one user commented:

Now THIS got my mind working. I don't like Mountain Dew, but the grocery store where I do my shopping carries a variety of energy drinks in a variety of flavors, including a brand called "Ghost". Ghost in particular has several flavors that taste like types of candy: Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, and, most relevant to this post, Warheads. Unable to resist the siren song of garbage food-adjacent-substances that are bad for me, I made a few purchases and concocted the infamous little brew. For science, you understand.

After peeling some Airheads Xtremes into strips and pouring a Sour-Green-Apple-Warheads-Flavored-Energy-Drink over the top, the thing I immediately noticed was that the drink did, in fact, slightly solidify. Through some chemical reaction, a thin white film formed on top of the 'broth' almost immediately, and it was solid enough to fish out bits of it with a fork. There was no going back from here. I wasn't going to back down or let my hard-earned money go to waste. Chow time.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect in terms of flavor. Airheads Xtremes and Warheads are both sour, of course, but there's sweetness to both, and Ghost mimics their candy flavors nigh perfectly. The combination should probably be similar, right? Well, yes and no. The candy itself retained most of its sweetness, the sour crystals having washed off and dissolved into the Ghost. The drink was where most of the sourness went. These were expected. What wasn't expected was a third flavor: bitterness. The sourness of the candy and the drink was diluted through the sugarfree liquid and made something that was honestly kind of unpleasant to taste. What was more, once most of the candy had been finished, the liquid left had acquired a noticeable tint:

The Ghost wasn't quite colorless, but there was only a slight amount of coloration to it. With the candy having soaked in it for a bit, it had turned a sickly, cloudy shade of yellow. This did not help the flavor, and I only drank about half of what was in this picture and ended up pouring the rest of it down the drain, along with the remainder of the can of Ghost (totaling about half of the drink). From creation to completion, it took about 20 minutes.

Even this wasn't the end. The whole thing left a distinct stickiness in my mouth, and even after rinsing and gargling with warm water and eating some actual real food, it still isn't quite gone. This, when combined with my generally low tolerance for caffeine, has left me in an unpleasant and headachey funk.

So, what can I say I learned from this experience? Well, I may have set my expectations a bit too high. The perils of hyping oneself up, I suppose. I was not in terrible pain, my teeth didn't rot out of my head, and I certainly don't think I'd be able to use this stuff to mimic an actual battery. Nevertheless, I have come to the following conclusion:

Don't do this.

[todorroki]

I miss nature (Love Sea ep 4&5 thoughts)

I was planning on doing a post for each episode, but I was busy. Or maybe I subconsciously don't want to leave the island so I put it off and by the time I sat down to do write a post, a whole week passed. Who knows??????? LMAO

Title. i miss the island setting. which is crazy because i personally am NOT a nature person lol i prefer the city. but this is a drama and it's called LOVE SEA so like.... WHERE'S THE SEA. the only sea we're getting in the bangkok portion of this story is a sea of tears.

shoutout to the candid shots of the island. i thought that was a nice extra touch. also this scene!!! PLEASE someone give fp a royal setting or something. my god

onto the city, WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS FR. FORT IS A TALL BOY HOW ARE YOU GONNA OPEN ANYTHING WITHOUT A LADDER IF YOU'RE NOT AS TALL AS HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

i think the best part of ep 4 is seeing fort in that white tee. the gears in my head r turning at max speed. why does he fill that out so well. jesus.

how much is mook getting paid? she puts up with so much LMAO like the check must be sooo big and her loyalty to rak must be soo solid.

now for the most hurtful part of this ep, rak telling mut he doesn't believe in love and that there will never be anything more than sex between them. peat's line delivery was Good and effective. it stung as the audience just hearing it. and the way mut's face fell and rak's eyes start shifting afterwards?? he himself knew what he said hurt. but mut still wasn't deterred and at this point, i'm sure he has a good grasp on rak's general mindset.

my favorite part of ep 4, the kitchen scene at the end. them teasing each other, mut feeding rak. it was soo soft. and rak's pouty cat stare (sooo cuuute) and peat's legs! we cannot go an ep without em.

pausing between the 2 eps to gush about fortpeat for a second. why do they make domestic scenes look so good. or am i just biased (probably). the puppycat energy is SO strong with these two. i kinda want to see them play characters that are Completely opposite of themselves. i know they'd still eat their roles. it'd just be crazy to think about.

ANYWAYS, ep 5 ↓

the restaurant scene was so real. are we not allowed to call food by their names anymore. must we order a piggly wiggly mega crunch. i truly do get it. and the shopping scene afterwards???

mut telling him he wants to take care of his life. HOW CAN ANYONE WATCHING THIS NOT BE IN LOVE WITH MUT AT THIS POINT!!!!!!!!!

switching to the girls, aya did SO well in this part. the conflict, the hurt. i see it all!!! but how does mook even know if vi doesn't like women! girl believe in it!!

does prin remind anyone of stop from LITA??? like the goofy ass ego and behavior is so similar to me. wym she came all this way just to hurl verbal jabs at her cousin?? HELP. also i KNOW this is like a stand off between rak and prin, but they're both slaying so hard in the visual department. HAIR, MAKEUP, FIT! and for some reason the bgm is going so hard and for why LMAOOOO what is this music!!

and rak puts on a front like prin's words don't matter much to him, but they obviously hurt a LOT from rak's reaction to it afterwards. him telling mut to get out and leave him alone to deal with his emotions by himself!! and then seeing the food mut left for him. someone's caring for him!!! he's not alone!! and the best AND worst part is seeing rak cry into the food. my god. as someone who's been there more than once, that scene hit soo hard.

NOW THAT PART IN THE FITTING ROOM.... MUTRAK ARE SO HORNY YALL that's nawt even a door it's a flimsy curtain!!!!! i'm not mad about them wanting to bang in the fitting room btw.. im mad they got interrupted :( we could've had a whole keep your voice down kinda nc scene with so much kissing and biting smh

fort has said before they had to rework their first kiss scene bc they hadn't kissed in a while. seeing that they filmed the city portion before the island, i feel like this was the first kiss he was talking about? idk someone can correct me if im wrong. i'm simply guessing.

anyways. enough of this rambling. the ending credits of ep 5 is soo cute and my favorite so far. i can't wait for khom next week!! more characters!!!

if you stumbled across this post and read it, thank you for your time!!

[darkshrimpemotions]

Spoilery Aquaman 2 Review

Aquaman 2 was fun. A little clunky and cheesy at times, but tbh I found that kinda refreshing? It was so goofy and earnest in a way that didn't undercut the stakes or the tough moments and didn't feel nearly as formulaic as a lot of the superhero genre has gotten.

Like...I love a pithy one-liner as much as the next person, but does anyone else ever feel like big blockbusters in general have gotten SO polished that they've basically become scripts full of quotable moments? Does it ring a little hollow for anyone else, or is that just a me thing?

Anyway, the point is Aquaman 2 was kinda refreshing in that regard. There are moments where another film would've put the hero saying something funny and cool, but this movie just allows the character an emotional reaction that feels more honest. Because let's be real, even a goofy fucker like Jason's take on Arthur isn't going to be thinking up cool things to say when his family is in danger. He's going to be scared and angry!

I also thought some of the visual worldbuilding and background gags were just great, so fun. The film was definitely calling back to an earlier era of sci-fi and fantasy films, but in a way that felt self-aware without being too wink-wink, nudge-nudge. The use of CGI was a little heavy-handed in places, but that's hardly unique to this movie or particularly surprising in a film that takes place at least 1/3rd under water.

It was super obvious at first that Mera's role had been severely cut down compared to the first film, in a way that flirted dangerously with simply sidelining the woman into housewifery as soon as she has a child. But there were a few scenes that did the job of showing that Mera is still a queen and a warrior, and in the end it felt more like this was simply the story of Orm and Arthur while the first film was the story of Mera and Arthur.

That being said, Orm and Arthur's interactions were fucking delightful, beginning to end. Best part of the film, hands down. There was some great physical comedy, which I was surprised to see Patrick do just as well as Jason. There was also a really organic build from hate to grudging respect to understanding to love running through the film. The place they ended up felt earned, even in a film absolutely packed with plot and action and character journeys. It held the whole film together.

James Wan's horror background really got its moments to shine in this film, too, just as it did in the first one with that fucking trench scene. He really is a master at juggling tone and genre. I can't wait to see what he does next.

By far the clunkiest part of the film was the Black Manta/Necrus thing and whole environmentalism angle. Which is fine, actually. It feels like a little nudge toward the source material. And I think at any other time it would have fallen much flatter, but with the climate crisis constantly in the back of the mind the way it is now, the clunkiness got a boost just by how terrifyingly relatable and real the stakes were. The speech at the end felt earned, too, even with how clunky the plot was at times.

It was just a fun, solid superhero film! I'm sad we don't get a full Aquaman trilogy, but it was definitely a high note for Jason's time as Aquaman to end on. I can see myself watching this movie over and over.

[back-alley-goatboy]

Well, as its Ghosts season 5 eve, I think its about time I give my final theories to how The captain and Kitty die.

Idk if promo pics count as spoilers, but they are below the cut

Starting with Kitty. Honestly, I think its going to be either food poisoning or an allergic reaction from the pineapple, but it will be spurred on by Eleanor.

I mean, look how much fun Kitty is having, she's laughing with everyone, and Eleanor looks so damn salty and jealous.

I mean, we know she isn't above trying to make Kitty sick (the warm oysters), plus we have seen kitty throw up as a ghost. I imagine the party would eat the pineapple, it begins to make Kitty ill and Eleanor would notice and would make a game of it. Something along the lines of "oh its horrid, lets see who can eat the most", expecting her to throw up and embarrass herself, not die.

Im leaning more towards food poisoning because chances are that pineapple would be rotten as hell by the time it reaches the Uk in the georgian era via boat.

Above all, I want to see kitty realise that Eleanor was a bitch and start unpacking that trauma. Bonus points for genuine kitmas bonding over the fact their familes are terrible.

Second of all, The Captain. Whoo boy I have feelings about this one, its a much less solid theory but it makes sense.

We all know the beloved cracked mirror in the intro but it got me thinking, what if its a metaphor for a broken image?

We all know Cap is big on appearances, but in the promo pics we see him looking like hes getting grilled by the general (wiki told me the red bits mean general, dont quote me though, also, stick my beloved).

Ever since Redinng weddy, I have wondered if Cap was ordered to bury the bomb. I doubt it considering its active explosives in someones back garden so I came to the conclusion that the "letter/operation william plans" were actually letters and Cap buried them with the bomb to keep them safe. But then, a suposedly important Government secret operation goes walkies? Thats a situation right there.

What if, after getting his medals, the general complains that he isnt worthy of them/is a spy or german ect (some Havers is a spy theory here, I dont love it but it would make some sense in this context) and it kind of adds up too much, so the other soldiers try and get rid of him. If a fight was to break out it would explain why he has the stick, he grabbed it out the general's hand trying to defend himself. Similarly, the draw opening in the intro could be someone grabbing a stashed away gun, causing panic (maybe cap finally got his service revolver). We also know a man was murdered in the library (said by Robin in the little promo film), I can only imagine it was teased because it was relevant.

Obviously this is a less solid theory but it would explain the weird expressions in the promo pics and tbh Im biased towards the Cap was murdered theory. Hypothetically, it could also be why he only wants to be known as The Captain, if the General tried to revoke his title after he got his medals.

Also Lord Brigadier Sir Anthony Bartholemew Raisinby Jones mayhaps?

I mean regardless of what happens,they are my babies and im going to go feral. I guess we just have to wait and see.

[jacquelinemerritt]

Postmodernism: It’s a Thing.

Originally posted March 7th, 2016

So, recently I’ve taken to reading the work of Film Crit HULK (who you should totally be reading too, by the way), and I came across an older article of his where he argues that postmodernism doesn’t exist. To summarize, HULK argues that there is no actual distinction between postmodernism and modernism, as both artistic movements had the same fundamental goals of questioning the validity of classically accepted truth, whether that truth be how to tell a story, how to express concepts with line and color, or how to construct buildings.

Now, I’m actually a postmodernist, but I still found his argument to be pretty compelling in regards to the weaknesses of our cultural definition of postmodernism and our collective lack of understanding of what modernism actually was and is. And as he argued, those problems lead to problems when attempting to discuss it, as most people just have a general sense of the concept instead of a solid definition.

The thing is, postmodernism definitely exists, and its existence is made clearest when looking at how it can be defined in the context of moral and political philosophy, as opposed to its murky existence in art. To put it simply, postmodernism in moral and political philosophy is the rejection of the modernist paradigm of rationalism, progressivism, and amorality in favor of a return to classical understanding of knowledge and the good.1

Okay, so I recognize that that’s a pretty technical definition that you’re not likely to get unless you’ve studied contemporary, modern, and ancient political philosophy, so I’ll explain what I mean. Modern political philosophy is defined by the works of three particular people: Niccolò Machiavelli, René Descartes, and Thomas Hobbes. All three of these authors’ works are concerned with tearing down the classical notions of the purpose of government, knowledge, and the good2, and in its place building a new standard for those things from scratch.

Machiavelli is first on the scene, and he challenges notions of morality and government by claiming the most effective and most secure rulers are tyrants who engage in an evil and selfish rule. Descartes chooses to take nothing for granted concerning knowledge and builds a systemic approach to knowledge based on the principle that the human ability to doubt is the only absolute certainty. Hobbes then takes Machiavelli a step further and questions the reasons for government existence (drawing of Cartesian doubt) determining that the sole purpose of government is to prevent us from killing each other and provide safety from external threats (the basics of his social contract theory), and by such logic the best government is the one that keeps citizens safe through extreme enforcement of harsh law3.

I could track the development of modernism by philosophers further4, but instead I’m just going to note that Cartesian rationalism and the Cartesian Method (which is quite similar to Newton’s scientific method) led to the rise of industrialism, and social contract theory led to the rise of democratic regimes across Europe and America, wherein democracy itself ended up being espoused as a good in and of itself (a la Lincoln’s American Civil Religion). From here, we can already see a parallel between philosophical and artistic modernism; both began as revolts against the traditional or classical doctrine of what art and the good is, and both developed their own approach to art and philosophy from scratch, questioning the very nature of beauty and thought in the process.

Postmodern political and moral philosophy then was a reaction to the ideals of modernism, with philosophers like Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, and Hannah Arendt emerging as harsh critics of their ideals. Now, HULK actually acknowledges this, and he argues that the reactionary nature of postmodernism makes it indistinguishable from modernism, but in doing so he chooses to ignore the significant methodological departure made by Heidegger and those that he influenced.

Heidegger’s philosophy was, on the surface, a rejection of both Modernist and Classical ideals, but his concern with the etymological significance of language and search for the original meaning of words and concepts was a shift from developing concepts based on evidence to developing concepts based on the “text” itself. Derrida expanded on this with his concept of “deconstruction” as an approach to textual and political criticism (deconstruction is the de facto approach of anyone concerned with systemic injustice), and Arendt used this textual approach to examine the nature of human activity and thought, and propose a return to the “active life” and emphasis on public action present in classical thought.

Most postmodern thought builds on the Arendtian paradigm here, focusing on a return to classical ideals and deconstruction of modernist ideals, with the final addition of note being how postmodernism rejects both modernist and classical notions of human relationship in favor of focusing on developing an empathetic relationship with “the other.” This is also the primary function of postmodernism’s “incredulity towards metanarratives,” as Jean-Francois Lyotard put it, as the emphasis on “the other” leads to a willingness to criticize any overarching concept put forth by society that attempts to denigrate or harm people for perceived differences. Also, as HULK noted, the focus on deconstruction certainly is a metanarrative itself, but the embrace of classical values within postmodernism means that it isn’t simply a rejection of metanarratives, as is commonly misconceived. Finally, it’s also important to mention postmodernism uses the metanarrative of “philosophy” itself as its tool to deconstruct philosophy (this is the stated goal of Heidegger, in fact).

So, going back to my original definition, if postmodern philosophy is “the rejection of the modernist paradigm of rationalism, progressivism, and amorality in favor of a return to classical understanding of knowledge and the good,” can we use that definition to create a similar one for art? I think we can, and given my explanation of how postmodernism approaches these goals, I think it is as simple as “Postmodern art uses the classical tools of art to deconstruct or interrogate either the classical or modern paradigm of art.”

Now, I’m not going to attempt to apply that to any of the arts outside of film and television, but the application of this definition becomes pretty easy: Community is a postmodern show because it uses the format of the sitcom to interrogate all kinds of concepts and assumptions associated with traditional storytelling, and Hot Fuzz is a postmodern film because it interrogates the tropes of action films while remaining an action film. On the other end, a modernist interrogation of sitcoms would be Too Many Cooks, as it interrogates the “TGIF” sitcom era by showing the assumed state of peace and happiness within those sitcoms to be a complete lie, and a modernist action film would be one that distances itself entirely from and critiques the basis for that violence directly (unfortunately, I can’t think of a film that actually does this). Obviously there are many more potential examples I could turn to, and I’d actually be interested in discussing how this definition could apply to mediums outside film and TV, but for now, I feel like I have gone on for long enough about postmodernism and modernism. And I will be damned if they are not complicated to talk about.

Stray Observations

1Eudaimonia, if you prefer Greek.

2This is a slight fib, as Descartes had next to no concern with government, and neither Hobbes nor Machiavelli cared much about knowledge, though they certainly used Cartesian rationalism.

3Both Machiavelli and Hobbes have an incredibly pessimistic view of human nature, and it guides the entirety of their philosophies.

4If you want a much better and more detailed history of the development of modernism, you should read Leo Strauss’ essay “The Three Waves of Modernity.”

Let the record show that I feel like a proper pretentious douche for talking about Heidegger with no hints of irony whatsoever. There’s a similar feeling regarding Derrida as well.

I obviously have no shame in talking about Hannah Arendt, because she’s the freakin’ best.

I also recognize that this is hella esoteric, and that I’m also really failing to do justice to the ideas of any philosopher I mentioned here (it’s why this is a blog post instead of a proper academic paper), but I hope that this was still fairly easy to follow.

Also obviously most films with basic dramatic structure would fall under a “classical” paradigm.

[transformatives]

Queer Transformation in the Online Supernatural Fan-Community

The whiteboard at the front of the dusty classroom read out “PTSD” in big black letters. My class was on the mental health unit of seventh grade health, a topic which caused some to snicker but which made me and my group of newly queer, feminist, staunchly liberal friends nod in approval. The teacher, a coach with thinning hair, asked if anybody knew anything about PTSD. My friend, a fellow nerd, raised her hand and quickly went into a spiel about a book she read about the blossoming love between two male characters that was tragically cut short by one of the characters being drafted into the Vietnam War. With a start, I remembered what we had been discussing recently and with a sick jolt it hit me: my friend was talking about Supernatural fanfiction in front of our entire class. 

Supernatural is an action-adventure drama series that debuted in 2005 and ran for 15 years. It follows two brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester, as they trek across the U.S.A. in search of supernatural monsters to hunt, and it later evolved into something resembling bible fanfiction as the main cast was expanded to include angels, demons, and other biblical entities. Though it was originally written to appeal to a mostly conservative, middle american, male audience, it was quickly picked up by a younger, female, queer, and internet-savvy audience that would go on to create incredibly heartfelt transformative works about queerness, homophobia, and mental health. However, the journey there is a complicated one.

In 1973, film theorist Laura Mulvey coined the term “male gaze” as a form of media creation that “portrays women as objects and nothing more”. I believe that Laura Mulvey would agree that Supernatural falls directly into the space of the male gaze. Its depictions of women relegated them to a few limiting roles, likely due to the male dominated writer’s room and intended audience. These roles included: the deceased mother, the blushing virgin, the deceased girlfriend, the hooker with a heart of gold, the evil demon, the deceased almost-girlfriend, etc etc (are we seeing a pattern here?). While there were a few standout female characters, such as the nerdy hacker lesbian Charlie or the charmingly midwestern Donna, the general rule of Supernatural was that if there was a female character, she was more likely than not going to die a brutal and sometimes sexually charged death. This writing is problematic in itself, but it gets really interesting once you factor in the fans. 

Despite the fact that Supernatural had a mostly female fanbase and a solid amount of queer fans, reactions to female characters were complicated, especially in the beginning. One infamous poem from 2009 blog “Just Go Demon-Ho” lists reason why the demon love interest Ruby needed to be written off, including such inspiring lines as “Just leave now b*tch, we will stand up and cheer”. While access to the early internet allowed for fans to discuss their love of their favorite show, it also provided a breeding ground for fans to spread hatred and misogyny online. In this is the double-bladed sword: once anonymized, the internet allows for people to show their true colors, and this can often be very ugly. While people might feel the pressure to tone down such strong opinions in real life settings, people will often post without thought online under the pretense that “nobody will care anyway”, although this is not true. Perhaps there was also the perception that since these characters weren’t real, then the audience’s misogyny wasn’t hurting anybody, even if these comments could be internalized by other fans. 

Such behavior makes me wonder which came first: the audience’s internalized misogyny or the show’s external misogyny. I believe that they went hand in hand. Hegemony is defined by sociologist James Lull as “the power or dominance that one social group holds over others” (Gender, Race, and Class in Media 6th Edition, Page 41). As opposed to other forms of oppression, hegemony functions by convincing one social group that they are not being oppressed, and that their oppression is actually a result of nature or how things should be. In a way, since the female characters of Supernatural were not portrayed as actual human beings, the audience could not perceive any new female character as such, unless they were firmly out of the range of “potential love interest”. Fan perception of female characters was so harmed by this internet echo chamber of misogyny that it was very difficult to break out of the hegemony of “girl=bad, man=good”. Paradoxically, there was still a desire for these fans to see Dean and Sam in complex romantic relationships, but in the words of writer Anna Campbell from Medium, “...in general it’s hard to write a compelling heterosexual romance, after all, if all your women are objects more than agents.” Enter Castiel, angel of the Lord. 

Season 4 of Supernatural begins with Dean being raised from hell by the angel Castiel, who declares that “God commanded it”. Castiel then showed up repeatedly throughout the season, eventually becoming part of the main cast. Fans went wild. Here was a male character with an interesting backstory and relationship with one of the main characters, unlike previous love interests that were only caricatures of real women. It is doubtless that the fanbases’ misogyny also played a part in the popularity of a gay relationship, but the result is fascinating. In internet fan communities, a practice known as “shipping” is common, where fans take two characters that they think would look good together and create fanworks about them being in a relationship. This can manifest as simply blogging about them, or in transformative works (defined as “A new work based on an old one work [the new work] is transformative if it uses the source work in completely new or unexpected ways”) like art, fanfiction, and videos. And on the internet, gay relationships reign supreme. 

When someone unaware of online fan-culture is exposed to this fact, it can be confusing. But when all of the factors are considered, it really is not that surprising. From its inception, the internet has been a place where people can find groups of people with similar ideals as them that they might not find in real life. For many queer people, especially queer teenagers, the internet was where they first learned about LGBTQ+ identities and communities. Combine this with the fact that a lot of mainstream media is made with the male gaze and many female characters fall flat, and you get a female, queer community online that is simultaneously displeased with the disappointments of heterosexual pairings and the lack of queer representation in mainstream media. When more attention in films and tv shows is given to complex, fulfilling male relationships than is given to heterosexual pairings, then why wouldn’t people want to explore what is given to them? 

Queer readings of mainstream texts allow for the audience to glean more from the narrative, coming away with their own rich interpretations. As queer studies scholar Alexander Doty writes, “Queer readings aren’t ‘alternative’ readings. They result from the recognition and articulation of the complex range of queerness that has been in popular culture texts and their audiences all along.” By creating fanworks that investigate certain untapped aspects of characters (such as the popular interpretation that Dean Winchester is bisexual due to his innuendos, posturing, repression, and overcompensating masculinity), fans explore these aspects within themselves. Transformative fiction is not just “stealing” the ideas of the published work, but instead ways of furthering one’s understanding of it. The internet is a place where creators do not have to concern themselves with the pressures of a corporation worried about profitability, which often pushes media to fall into the male gaze. Rather, individuals can create works through the female gaze, which Laura Mulvey writes as, “Characters viewed through the lens of the female gaze are not caricatures. The beauty of the female gaze is that it aims to empathize rather than objectify, to show emotion and intimacy while also showing respect. This is a refreshing idea compared to the control, dominance, and superficialities of the male gaze.” Fanfiction, though often derided by popular culture, is a statement of rebellion. 

And now we return to seventh grade health class, with the warm afternoon sun shining through the window onto the face of my friend. I am mildly mortified that she is speaking about Supernatural fanfiction (disguised as it may be) in front of our entire class. I wonder to myself: How could someone relate something as serious as PTSD to a show so terrible and misogynistic as Supernatural, and then proudly declare it? Well, I would never. Meanwhile, she is thinking about her favorite show, about how much it means to her despite its flaws. She is thinking about how she and other fans have taken something that is often discriminatory to the very people they are, and how despite what others may think, they’ve transformed it into something that embraces queerness, neurodivergence, and mental health. Gay transformative works can be liberating to the queer community, but it must be acknowledged that the abundance of male/male romances are largely in response to a lack of properly written female characters. People can make lemonade out of lemons, but that doesn’t stop the fact that corporations are squeezing lemon juice into our eyes. Still, in a world where the powers that be dictate the reign of toxic masculinity, it is the rebellious joy of the creative fan to see that and then transform it into any of the beautifully diverse narratives it asks to become.

[industrial-horror]

Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ramp[ing] up its speed to a sweaty pace, and combing it with punk rock and imagery lifted from horror films and late-night sci-fi schlock, creating a gritty honky tonk punk rock."

Psychobilly is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror (leading to lyrical similarities to horror punk) and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo, though often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion. Psychobilly bands and lyrics usually take an apolitical stance, a reaction to the right- and left-wing political attitudes which divided other British youth cultures. It is often played with an upright double bass, instead of the electric bass which is more common in modern rock music, and the hollowbody electric guitar, rather than the solid-bodied electric guitars that predominate in rock. Many psychobilly bands are trios of electric guitar, upright bass and drums, with one of the instrumentalists doubling as vocalist.

Psychobilly has its origins in New York City's 1970s punk underground, in which The Cramps are widely given credit for being progenitors of the genre and the first psychobilly band to gain a following. The music gained popularity in Europe in the early 1980s, with the UK band The Meteors, but remained underground in the United States until the late 1990s. The second wave of psychobilly began with the 1986 release of British band Demented Are Go's debut album In Sickness & In Health. The genre soon spread throughout Europe, inspiring a number of new acts such as Mad Sin (formed in Germany in 1987) and the Nekromantix (formed in Denmark in 1989), who released the album Curse of the Coffin in 1991. Since then the advent of several notable psychobilly bands, such as the US band Tiger Army and the Australian band The Living End, has led to its mainstream popularity and attracted international attention to the genre.

[criticalbennifer]

Ben Affleck Is Batman, and Here’s Why That’s Perfect Casting

By:  Jacob Hall

August 23, 2023

By now, you've surely heard the news: Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman in the still unofficially titled ‘Man of Steel 2,’ which will see Superman go toe-to-toe with the Caped Crusader.

The reaction was immediate and intense. For every fan who thought Affleck was a great choice, there was another who was ready to jump off a bridge. For every reasonable conversation about the casting, there was another that made reasonable people want to remove their ears upon hearing "Batfleck." Because that's how much people love Batman; he drives us all to bridge jumping.

However, the simple truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as multiple opinions on the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman. There is only one solid fact: it's terrific. There's no one we'd rather see put on the cape, get behind the wheel of the Batmobile and chuck batarangs at criminals' heads.

You want a good reason? Here are a few..

He’s a Damn Good Looking Man

Look, let's get this one out of the way first: Ben Affleck is an extraordinarily good-looking man with a physique and face that seem like they were specifically crafted by nature for a superhero costume. More importantly, his looks are in line with our new Superman -- like Henry Cavill, Affleck is a man, not some generic, flavor-of-the-week pretty boy. They were never going to get an ugly brute to wear the cape and cowl (although 'The Dark Knight Returns' writer/artist Frank miller would probably prefer it that way), but at least they're casting the right kind of handsome. If you're attracted to Ben Affleck, it's only because you're a human being. (And let's be clear, we're not saying Christian Bale is an ugly brute.)

So, Let’s Talk About Daredevil 

The most common complaint from fans about Affleck's casting as Batman has been to dredge up the debacle that was 2003's 'Daredevil.' They ignore his two Oscars. They ignore 'Hollywoodland,' 'The Company Men,' 'The Town' and 'Argo.' They ignore the fact that he's a completely different man than he was back in his (shudder) "Bennifer" days. All some people can talk about is the fact that he once played a superhero in a terrible movie.

Yes, 'Daredevil' is stilted, boring movie that's somehow managed to age into an even more stilted and boring movie. Yes, Affleck isn't particularly good in it. But let's be honest with ourselves here: Affleck is the least of the film's problems. Can we talk about the lousy screenplay? Can we talk about Mark Steven Johnson's pedestrian direction? Can we talk about every single thing that's wrong with the movie (which will take all day)? Affleck is guilty of being involved in a production that was a clusterfrack from frame one -- of course, he was bad in it! Everyone was bad in it!

If you're going to use 'Daredevil' as a reason why Ben Affleck shouldn't play Batman, your argument is essentially "every actor whose given a poor performance or starred in a lousy movie can't play Batman." Follow that logic and no one plays Batman. Ever.

Aged Like a Fine Wine

A decade ago, Ben Affleck put on skintight leather to play the Marvel superhero Daredevil and the whole world rolled its eyes. What changed? It's quite simple, really. Time has been kind to Affleck. As he's aged, he's grown as an actor and artist, taking on more nuanced, challenging roles and proving himself to be one of the best directors working today. Affleck wears this experience in every film he's in now, appearing less like a cocky young star and more like a guy who's seen it all. It's easy to write off young Affleck -- he was likable but rarely compelling. But 41-year-old Affleck? He's aged into a true movie star, a man of genuine interest.

In the official press release, director Zack Snyder talks about Affleck being able to play both sides of Batman, the charming Bruce Wayne and the tough, vigilant Batman. Directing himself in 'The Town' and 'Argo,' he proved more than capable of playing complicated characters with dual identities, guys whose soft sides mask something far darker, tougher and more violent. Anyone who immediately writes off Affleck has not seen the films he's directed or, more specifically, the performances he's given in films he's directed.

Batman Can Smile, You Know

We liked Bale as Batman as much as the next fanboy, but it's time for a change. We know Bruce Wayne has a lot to be angry about, but that doesn't mean the Caped Crusader can't crack a grin now and then. Bale's stoic, humorless performance was typical for him, but Affleck is a very different kind of actor. He's a naturally funny and charming guy, a performer who can own the stage on 'Saturday Night Live.' Now, we're not saying Affleck should take the Adam West route with his Batman, but we are saying that Affleck can play a Batman who, you know, occasionally feels joy and has amusing things to say to Alfred. Batman can be dark without being mopey, so let Affleck do what he does best and lighten it up just a little bit.

One Classy Motherf———-er

Has any actor really captured Bruce Wayne? While Christian Bale and Michael Keaton made more-than-capable Batmen, their take on the millionaire playboy behind the mask was always a little, well, dull. Bruce was always the least interesting part of Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy. He was a cipher who occasionally pretended to be a loudmouth rich kid when he wasn't fighting crime. What about the Wayne of the comics? The well-liked philanthropist and social celebrity who acts as a figurehead for Gotham City by day before protecting it behind a mask at night? Affleck is perfect for this half of Batman's existence. Effortlessly classy, charming and suave, he resembles the Bruce Wayne we know and love, more so in everyday life than any actor who's put on the cowl before.

BONUS:  Holy Jawline, Batman!

When you're casting Batman, there's one thing more important than anything else. Sure, good looks, a superheroic physique and strong acting skills are a requirement, but they're all secondary at the end of the day. You see, there is one part of Batman that is more important than any other. If not chosen correctly, it's a tiny detail that could derail the entire film. We are, of course, talking about Batman's chin. If Batman has a bad chin, how the heck is he supposed to make that costume look cool at all? A bad chin and/or jawline will only make the whole thing look silly.

But, ladies and gentlemen, Ben Affleck has one helluva jawline. And that's all you need, really.

It’s funny to read all this and think of the Ben affleck from them and the Ben Affleck of right now (technically he was always this Ben but he and the people around him hid it really well)