#the hunger games are some of The most iconic movies in the entire world me thinks

[alxclaremont]

the hunger games really are a college students comfort movie because i cannot tell you how many people i have seen or heard in the last week watching these movies

[captainseaweedbrains]

I posted 7,820 times in 2022

That's 2,060 more posts than 2021!

47 posts created (1%)

7,773 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@rosegardeninwinter

@glorianas

@mermaidsirennikita

@endlessnightlock

@lovely-tothe-bone

I tagged 1,981 of my posts in 2022

#period drama - 459 posts

#bridgerton - 252 posts

#otp: survival - 214 posts

#books - 213 posts

#the hunger games - 137 posts

#perfect movie - 137 posts

#the flock - 134 posts

#dead - 125 posts

#otp: hooked - 55 posts

#pride and prejudice - 44 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#give authors a little grace they are doing their bestthe recent antitrust trial should show you publishing doesn't know what the f it's doin

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Fav Peeta moment or quote in each books?

(Please tag other blog who want answer too)

Thank you 😊

@curiouspeetamellark

Oooooh, this is hard because Peeta is my favorite character in the series. Let's see... I'm doing both moment and quote because my favorite moments don't have my favorite quotes.

The Hunger Games:

Moment:The cave scene is the obvious choice, but I absolutely adore when he's teasing her in the river to help ease her stress over his injury. That scene just really highlights his easy-going, self-deprecating humor and I love him for it. Not caring if she and the entire country see him naked? Iconic.

Quote: I stand by this being the most important quote in the series because it shapes Katniss' narrative and how she moves forward in the series. And also because it proves Peeta isn't some weak character.

"I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not...No, when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everybody else. I can't go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to--to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games," says Peeta.

Catching Fire:

Moment: Listen, Peeta Mellark shines in this book. Shines like the sparkling pearl that he is. Collins made him shine because she knew what she was going to do to him in Mockingjay and wanted us (and Katniss) to hurt. There are so many moments I could choose.

But my favorite moment probably in the whole series if I'm being honest is when Peeta gets knocked out by the force field and Katniss freaks the eff out, slapping him in the face, flabbergasted when Finnick starts kissing CPR, shoves Finnick out of the way when he comes to, AND THE FIRST THING PEETA SAYS IS "Careful. There's a force field ahead." LIKE. SIR. YOU JUST DIED. YOUR GALLOWS HUMOR IS SHOWING. And then he COMFORTS KATNISS AFTER JUST DYING. A true star. We stan Peeta Mellark in this household.

And then the fact that this moment is Peeta's true death sentence because it's what convinces Snow that Peeta can truly be used against Katniss???? *chef's kiss*

Quote: I am a simple woman and Katniss observing him drawing always gets to me. Look at them, being a normal couple for once, drawing on the couch while her foot heals. Just look at these two idiots.

“I like to watch his hands as he works, making a blank page bloom with strokes of ink, adding touches of color to our previously black and yellowish book. His face takes on a special look when he concentrates. His usual easy expression is replaced by something more intense and removed that suggests an entire world locked away inside him... I don't know quite what to make of it. I also become a little fixated on his eyelashes, which ordinarily you don't notice much because they're so blond. But up close, in the sunlight slanting in from the window, they're a light golden color and so long I don't see how they keep from getting all tangled up when he blinks.”

Mockingjay:

Moment/Quote: I absolutely love when Katniss and Peeta talk for the first time since his hijacking. That scene is incredible and proves Everlark would be incredibly obnoxious in a modern au if/when they ever broke up because that's literally what Mockingjay is with war thrown in. The pain and anger in this scene. Katniss' frustration. Peeta's hard, observant words. I eat this stuff up like it's cake.

"I must have loved you a lot."

"You did." My voice catches and I pretend to cough.

"And did you love me?" he asks.

I keep my eyes on the tiled floor. "Everyone says I did. Everyone says that's why Snow had you tortured. To break me."

"That's not an answer," he tells me.

Thanks for asking, dearie! I think everyone who would do this has already done it, so anyone who wants to talk about Peeta and how awesome he is, I tag you!

21 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

#4

I have a friend who hates Peeta so much, because they only watched the movies. They said that Peeta is a weakling and a stalker etc.

What key point or best qualities of Peeta's I should tell them so they change their mind? Thank you 😊

(Please don't answer with, "they should read the novel, it's so good!", I've tried many times, fail every times 😑) @curiouspeetamellark

Hello! I've seen people answer this, but I finally have the mental ability to get to this. So, let's see!

I think it's important for people to remember the time these movies originally came out in, which was post-Twilight movie era. Everyone and their mother was trying Not to Be Like Twilight. Which is ridiculous and sexist and yeah. Not Great, Bob. But yeah, the movies don't portray Peeta well (especially the first movie) because of this reaction to the Twilight movies. I think it's extremely important to remember that, and looking at interviews with cast for the first movie really drives that home. I wrote my thoughts on how Peeta/Everlark are portrayed in the movies and why it lacked so so much here.

As for qualities: Peeta Mellark is one of the most rebellious character in the series and is crucial to the plot. He doesn't just talk the talk. He walks the walk. Peeta is the one who wants to die as himself and not be a piece in the Capitol's game (which Katniss thinks is DUMB when she first hears it and later understands and embraces, might I add). Peeta is the one questioning why they should stop rebellion (IN SNOW'S MANSION!). Peeta is the one who drops the baby bomb, making those in the Capitol protest sending an expectant mother into the Hunger Games. Peeta is the one who warns District 13 about the attacks, thus saving them and risking more punishment himself. Peeta does a lot in the series that only Katniss gets full credit for, especially in the movies.

But his biggest rebellious trait is his kindness. Everything stems down to that. From risking a beating to save Katniss when they were kids, to purposely aligning himself with the Careers in their first Games to protect her (Which he almost DIES for). And then giving a lifetime worth of money to Rue and Thresh's families because he wanted to and not asking permission. He just does it. Kindness is so so rare in Panem (and our world, honestly). It does not get the respect it deserves, which is why he is often seen as "weak." But being kind to someone, especially when that someone wants you dead for game, is a thousand times harder than being mad and cruel. This is what makes him stand out to Katniss time and time again. And she does not mince words when it comes to her thoughts. She admires him greatly because of his kindness.

Another one of Peeta's strength is how he can work a crowd and that is extremely powerful. Words hold power, especially in a propaganda war like the one in the series. He can weave a narrative like no one's business. This is how he and Katniss win their first Game, ultimately. That star-crossed-lovers move helped them gain sponsors, even though he was merely stating he has a crush on her. And before someone claims that's manipulative, let's just think about how any of his statements harm anyone but himself. They don't. In fact, KATNISS (and Haymitch) is the manipulative one out of the two--for good reason! She was trying to keep them alive, but she played with his feelings no matter the intentions. She also drugged him, which isn't a great look either.

I'm not even touching upon how having a crush on someone is equivalent to stalking. I don't want to be friends with someone who jumps to that conclusion because it's unhealthy to think that. Unless Peeta is peeping in her window at night and following her every move, (which he's NOT. He AVOIDS her before and after the games) it's not stalking. In fact, he leaves the ball in Katniss' court throughout the entire series. She is always the first to initiate contact with him, seeks him out.

TL;DR: Peeta is important to the series. There would literally be no series without him because he's the moral compass to Katniss' story arc, makes her fully understand that the Capitol plays these games and the districts and tributes are just pieces in it. He is smart, kind, and important.

25 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#3

My dearest friend, shall my eyes feast on the second chapter of the much anticipated story “The Flock” soon?

Very soon! Some time in October.

Here's a little teaser:

“I have decided Katniss will be dressed in blood red,” Marta announced that night in her cool, leveled tone. “It will act as a symbol of rebirth.” 

Cecily frowned. “Red? For a Binding? That seems a bit…unconventional.” 

“Perhaps,” Marta mused, stirring a bit of cream into her tea, “But Bara and I wish for Peeta’s Binding to be seen as a new dusk for our people. Samuel’s demise lies heavy on all our souls,” she said, her words incongruous with her tone, which did not sound remotely upset about the assassination of her husband’s father. “It is best we continue to remind the Flock that our family is about progress, and innovating what does not work.”  

“This is a Binding,” Cecily sniffed. “Not a political statement, Madame.”

“Ah,” Marta smiled, “but every ceremony is a political statement when you share the blood of the Mockingjay, Lady Axson. It is best to remember what family Katniss is joining.” 

How could Katniss forget? She was reminded of it constantly. 

25 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

#2

Flock Part 2 Teaser

I thought I’d give a little teaser to those interested in part 2 of The Flock. Enjoy! @rosegardeninwinter

“My lord!” Katniss exclaimed, holding onto her veil in fear the stupid thing would fly off in their haste. “What is the hurry?” 

Peeta stopped them and let go of her hand, taking a calming breath in. “Apologies, Miss Axson. I just knew my temperament was not ready for your grandmother, and my mother,” he added to lessen the insult. 

A smile played on her lips. “It is alright if you are not fond of my grandmother, Your Grace,” she mused, not expecting such an honest opinion from him. Everything about the Mellarks felt so calculated, especially as the Binding drew near, that it felt nice seeing her intended express his true thoughts to her. Katniss took a step closer to him. “In fact,” she said in a half conspiratorial whisper, “I am not always fond of her either.” 

There was that smile she liked so much. “Miss Axson,” he said, his voice warm in amusement, “I do not believe I’ve ever heard a woman speak so frank about her guardian. Well,” he laughed, “I suppose I’ve heard plenty from my mother, but never from a lady.” 

“Are you insinuating your mother is not a lady, Your Grace?” 

“I insinuate no such thing,” he said. “And let us stop with such titles. Our souls are to be Bound in two short months and you will be my wife. Call me by my baptismal name.”

30 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Katniss has been Paired beyond her family’s wildest hopes. Her upcoming Binding to the High Priest-Elect is sure to be an event for the tomes of Flock history, particularly if her grandmother has anything to say about it. But the longer the preparations drag on, the more beleaguered the young bride becomes. Peeta Mellark may be handsome and kind, but is that enough to entice her into life as a prudent and pious wife … and with Madame Mellark as her-mother-in-law?

As her impending nuptials loom, Katniss begins to consider her options.

Is she prepared to face their cost?

Religious cult Everlark

Hello all!

Part two is finally here, and only a couple days past the self-imposed deadline! *self-high five*

Wow. So over a year ago, when posting The Flock: The Pairing, I had no idea it would garner the love and support that it has. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and enthusiasm. Part two would not be here without you all.

And a HUGE thank you to the lovely and wonderful @rosegardeninwinter​ Part two truly wouldn't be done without her encouragement and editing and writing talent.

As always, all mistakes are mine.

I hope you enjoy part two and Katniss' journey to matrimony! And if you have not already, I highly encourage you to start with part one.

Read Part Two: The Veil on Ao3 👰🏽🥀💧🍞

78 notes - Posted November 3, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[flodaya]

Any YA book recommendations?:)

always! this is just random collection of some of my timeless favourite ya books 

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - she is like my all time favourite children’s book author, i basically grew up reading her books. this one is imo her best fantasy series, it’s about a girl and her love for books, i don’t really want to say more bc i don’t want to spoil anything but it’s just so beautiful, and Cornelia Funke has an absolute stunning writing style (i hope the translation is good too)

Cemetery boys by Aiden Thomas - quite possibly my favourite book of 2020, it’s about a trans boy who wants to prove to his family that he is a real brujo by performing a certain ritual 

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo - or her other books, it’s ya contemporary, really beautifully written (her other two books are written as poetry) 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - everyone talks about the show right now but these books definitely are some of the best ya fantasy books i’ve read when i was a teen, it just has those kind of iconic characters 

Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan - always, this is such a classic but it’s just really one of my favourite series and i still try to reread it at least once a year 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - i know probably 98% of the ppl on this earth have read this book or at least watched the movies but these just are those kinds of books that deserve to be hyped and read, they are the blueprint and i won’t let anyone reduce them to the love triangle 

Loveless or anything else by Alice Oseman - she just has a way of writing about teenagers in a way that makes you feel seen and understood 

Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - the most comfort books of all the comfort books, i reread this reguarly and every time it only takes me 1 or 2 days to get through

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - definitely should be conisdered a classic and must read. it’s about the blm movement, written really well, story is just super important 

An Ember in the Ashes by Saba Tahir - it’s like a roman spired fantasy world, it’s rather romance heavy iirc but tbh in this one i didn’t mind at all 

Poison Study by Maria V Synder - this book is so ciminally underrated and it feels like this inspired so so many ya fantasy books that came after it. it’s basically about a girl who is sentenced to death but has the choice to become a food taster instead, risking being poisoned

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - not entirely sure if this counts as ya but the main character is a teenage girl and i personally thought it’s one of his more accessible books. it has one of my absolute favourite magic systems that basically works by swallowing different metals 

Sythe by Neal Shusterman - set in a world where death has been conquered, so now “Sythe” are responsible for making sure the world doesn’t get over-populated so they are basically playing the grim reaper killing people. the story follows two characters who are apprentices to become Sythe  

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab - she really is one of my all time favourite authors. this book is set in a city that has monsters and lots of violence. it’s about a girl who aspires to be a ruthless monster killer like her father and a boy who wants to be human and good-hearted like his father

[vole-mon-amour]

OTP tag game.

Tagged by @captainjowl. You know for sure than I'm struggling to pick only 10 & fit them in here. But hell, that’s fun, thank you <3

Rules: Choose 10 OTPs BEFORE reading the questions, and then get to answering

1) Harry James Potter & Sirius Orion Black

2) Daniel Le Domas & Grace (Ready or Not 2019)

3) Samuel & Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4)

4) Corvo Attano & The Outsider (+probably Emily Kaldwin; Dishonored series)

5) Steve Grant Rogers & Bucky Buchanan Barnes (Marvel)

6) Tony Edward Stark & Peter Benjamin Parker (Marvel)

7) Handsome Jack & Rhys (Borderlands video game series)

8) Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert (TVD Books & a tv show)

9) Batman & Joker (in every universe, really)

10) Adam Jensen x Francis Pritchard (Deus Ex video game series)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

I believe it didn't hit me before Spider-Man: Homecoming. Civil War was about Steve & Bucky for me, but when I saw that growing up Peter with Tony, their dynamic, chemistry. Tom & Robert are really just like that.

2. Have you ever read a fanfic about 2?

Lmao. I've read like 50% of the tag on AO3, I wrote my own & started a few wips on them. They are amazing. Plus, with that shitty canon? We didn't get enough of them & they deserved better, so it's only logical to save yourself with fanfiction.

3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr screen saver?

I was living with The Outsider icon on my twitter & tumblr. That one is still my Google profile picture I believe. Don't remember about having an icon with the two of them. Also had The Outsider as my lockscreen on my smartphone for a while.

4. If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

Funny how it fits canon, lmao. Rhys literally tried to erase Jack's AI in TFTBL, so I guess another day on Pandora, nothing new. They torture each other, they kiss each other, they kill other people in the process. It'll be fiiine.

5. Why is 1 so important?

I love them since the first time I met them, which was much more than 10 years ago, I don't even remember when. At some point they were the reason I was waking up & forcing myself to eat just to read more fanfiction & feel something. Even if I was drowning in pain (I was extremely depressed), it was still something. I read every fic I could find at that time. The depression that Harry went through, all these feelings, his love for Sirius. I was living through it, I could relate.

I'm currently drowning in these two again, though in a much healthier & happier state. I see their flaws & I know as much as I can. I see them differently as an adult. They saved me, they keep being my number one, I still consider making a tattoo of Padfoot/Sirius or of both Harry & Sirius together. I have many headcanons, ideas, I write fics about them. They are everything, you see? They were my choice when there was nothing, no one. They are HOME.

6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

Both. There goes the dynamic of Jack & Rhys: torture, fighting, flirting, a lot of trauma. I'd definitely say that they are wild and comical sometimes, but they are definitely serious. With the Asylum, the mental health issues. There is so much more to it, the complexity of their relationship. The struggle of loving who you probably shouldn't (but hey, when does it work like that?) Thinking about Tettlate's Batman, about Batman: Europa & how Joker was: "You must be crazy, putting me in charge of the plan, letting me decide. Okay, well..."

Nah, they are entertaining, but this is a serious ship.

7. Out of all the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

Are you kidding me? They are all the definition of CHEMISTRY. I'd say 5, but then go 2, 6, 7, 8. Come on. I'm not choosing. Most of they are WILD.

9. How many times have you read/watched the 10’s fandom?

The fandom itself? Idk. I found one of my favourite artists through this fandom. If it's about the characters themselves, I played the first game with the DLC from start to beginning, looking around every corner. Spent more than 60 hours in there. Watched a second game (my laptop can't run the game) and the DLC (obviously), since Francis is in the DLC & not in the main game. I have a tag for them on tumblr, I read fanfiction, I tried to write my own. I still follow Elias & want a third game. Elias liked my tweets about Adam and Jensen being an actual couple a few times. I'd say I interacted with all of this a lot? Still do, actually.

10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

5. Best friends since childhood, fought & died for each other, still found their way back to each other. "It would break your Captain's heart, to see what they did to you." That only the MENTION of Steve can pull Bucky out of this brain washing(ed?) state, distract him in the middle of a fight. When Steve died in the comics because of Sharon & Tony sent Natasha to take Steve's shield from Bucky because even Tony knew how much Steve means to Bucky. And Bucky was like: "Oh, I see what he did. Not happening!" Fought Natasha (that is his ex in the comics) & kept going for Steve's sake.

Well, you see the point, I can go on and on.

11. How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

They're not actually canon so none? They had a few fights: In Civil war (the comics), in Homecoming (the movie).  That only means that they’ve got history & love each other.

12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8?

As fierce Grace is, they wouldn't stand a chance against Damon & Elena. Those two had to deal with worst thing than brainless stupid zombies. On the other hand, if there were no alive humans to drink their blood... It's either an animal diet that Damon hates so much or I don't know? Still, they're faster & more powerful. Their bodies have advantage of healing the wounds as well.

13. Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

From some people, yeah. Don't tell Athena, don't tell Vaughn, don't tell Fiona. Though Rhys wasn't very subtle about it & Jack just doesn't give a fuck. You will probably end up dead if you disagree or bore him, or if you're useless.

"I can take you to the top, but you gotta know where the top is" & Rhys doesn't tell anybody until Jack makes him the President for like whole 20 minutes lol.

Fiona & Sasha: "This can't be happening." Sure it can, darling.

14. Is 4 still together?

I have a headcanon about The Outsider finding Emily & Corvo after Billie frees him from the Void. He doesn't have anybody & they are his only friends aside from a potential friendship with Billie. And if we don't consider TOTO dlc, they definitely are! The Outsider visits them both when they sleep & takes them to the void sometimes. How could he not?

15. Is 10 canon?

Not really but also sort of? Let's say that they really care about each other in canon, despite Adam pushing Francis away because of his trauma & fear that Megan caused him. :/

16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

Can you imagine wizards fighting extremely powerful vampires? Superheroes with venom in their bodies that make them super strong with people that made a deal with the Devil himself (hi Le Bail)? 5000 y.o. God and his lover that share his powers and an augmented human protecting his tired IT guy? Combine mental health issues to that, Jack and Rhys with Batman and Joker. Corvo & The Outsider would probably slay them all as Corvo and Emily did in both games with entire islands, though it will still be a slaughter anyway.

17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5’s ship?

All the fucking time, lmaooo. I’m not even talking about it.

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond?

I feel like I already did with Steve & Bucky after many Marvel movies (we're not even mentioning Endg*me, I fucking died & was dead for full 4-5 months).

19. Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr page?

I used to do that a few years back, but not anymore. There is not much content since the trilogy is finished.

20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

1 already went through it & fandom lives, so I'd say maybe 7? Rhys will find a way to bring Jack back & they are both so wild. It’s what happened in canon anyway. Jack kidnapped Lilith & forced her to do Angel's job, so I'd like to see that witch try at first. Jack is an immortal bastard. <3

Now that I think about it, Corvo would also deal with her in seconds as she waits to curse them.

As a conclusion: no one breaks up forever, we're killing the witch.

I tag: @ianmillkovichgallagher​ & @aledbr​

Whoever else wants to join the game, please do.

[rayofspades]

Everyone in the World Forgot How Remakes and Sequels Work and I Have to Talk About It Because I’m Losing My Mind

I tried very, very hard to make this a coherent and somewhat organized post, but it’s still gonna sound like the ravings of a mad woman, so...prepare yourself.

Also, this isn’t gonna be an analysis of why remakes and sequels are so popular, because it’s exactly as simple as it seems: people like things that make them feel nostalgic and creators have caught on to this and realized that by remaking a familiar property, their new product has a built in fan base.

Great.

What I want to talk about is how the concept of remakes/reboots/sequels/whatever has been kind of destroyed. Both audiences and Hollywood have created these weird perceptions that are flooding the market in a way that is exhausting to audiences and confusing to creators. 

So, I’m here to discuss all the different types of remakes and why they work or don’t work and how this culture has been conditioned to support them regardless of quality.

Alright,

let’s do this.

Part 1: Cross-Media Remakes:

I find it somewhat impossible to criticize the existence to book--> movie remakes too much because they’re a vehicle for both creativity and audience expansion, even in cases where they’re motivated by money. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games made for some pretty solid movies, and that’s largely because those books just translated well to film. Obviously some changes had to be made to account for time constraints and visual storytelling, but they can get away with having a similar structure and still feeling entirely new based on the hard shift in presentation from book to film. 

I would make a similar argument for Marvel movies. From what I understand, those movies change more from their source material, and there are a lot of them, but it makes perfect sense to adapt comic books to reach a wider audience. I feel like the main reason people are becoming tired of Marvel movies is their overwhelming quantity, not so much the fact that they’re remakes. 

I would also love to talk about the popularity of GoT and LotR, but I don’t think I’m familiar enough with those franchises to properly discuss them, so I’ll leave that to someone else.

But there is something else I want to talk about.

While Harry Potter and The Hunger Games translated really well to film, the same isn’t true for some other cross media adaptations. 

Part 2: Adapt or Die:

In the late 70s, Stephen King wrote The Shining. I’ve read the book and I really enjoyed it, largely due to King’s writing style (the prose, the internal monologues, etc.)

The thing is, The Shining doesn’t really translate well into the film format; it’s really long and a lot of what makes it good is tied to its presentation.

So when Stanley Kubrick adapted The Shining into a film in the early 80s, he changed a lot.

Like

a lot.

The setting and characters remain pretty much the same, and the story follows similar beats, but certain events and themes have been drastically altered to the point where I would consider it a different story.

(Brief aside; the three most famous/iconic scenes from the film (”Here’s Johnny!” “All work and no play”, and Jack frozen in the snow) are ALL exclusive to the film.)

Regardless, both the movie and the book have maintained their own popularity with their own audiences. Both are considered good and both are considered classics. 

Although, from what I’ve heard, The Shining film did receive criticism back in the day for being needlessly unpleasant. Interesting. 

It’s a somewhat similar story with John Carpenter. If you ask people to list good remakes, 90% of the time people will list The Thing (1982). It’s practically the poster child for “hey, not all remakes are bad, guys.” 

In this case, Carpenter was working from both a previous movie (The Thing From Another World) and the prior novella (”Who Goes There?”). Carpenter’s film definitely borrows more from the novella, but it was obviously going to be compared more to the previous film, and it is  v e r y different from the previous film. Carpenter’s film (like The Shining) received criticism for how gross and unpleasant it was, but became the definitive version of The Thing and stood the test of time to become a horror classic.

Basically, if you need to change the original product when remaking it, do it. That is the best thing you could possibly do. It gives the creator a chance to actually create their own unique product that just happens to be based on or inspired by an existing property. This is actually a legitimately cool phenomenon; taking preexisting stories and altering them to fit a new cultural context or simply expanding and improving on ideas. It’s a similar concept to “old wives tales” and fairy tales, and how those stories are constantly changed and retold and in doing so become timeless. Gee I wonder if fairy tales are going to come up later in this post.

Part 3: Bad Changes are Bad

*Strums guitar* This one goes out to all audience members out there who have convinced themselves that bad remakes are bad because they’re too different from the original. *Strums guitar*

Stop. 

Please stop.

Look, comparing a remake to an original to showcase how bad the remake is is perfectly valid criticism. It can highlight how an idea can be botched when it’s not handled properly. Sure. That’s fine. I highly encourage people to compare the dialogue, characters, and world building of Avatar: The Last Airbender and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender. It’s important to recognize how one story is an utter fucking masterpiece and one is a poorly told train wreck.

Here’s the thing:

people seem to criticize the film on the basis of “it’s different” and, I mean, sure. But it’s not just that it’s different, it’s that it’s different and....um....

bad? 

Like, one of the “complaints” I saw about the movie was that firebenders now need actual fire in front of them in order to bend it, and I consider that to be just a neutral change. It’s not really better or worse, it’s just different. And please don’t comment on this post with “skflsfjsf NO it’s because in the original firebenders used the SUN as their source of fire” like yeah I know I get it it’s still an inconsequential change.

Now, saying that the earthbenders being held on land as opposed to the sea is a bad change? Yes, that is valid criticism because it makes no goddamn sense within the movie’s universe and just makes everyone look dumb.

That movie is an utter fucking disaster. It’s poorly directed, it’s poorly written, the casting decisions are baffling, the acting is horrible, it’s poorly paced, and it’s bad.

It’s a bad movie.

I would apply the same logic to the new Death Note live action movie (the American one). Putting aside the racial controversy for a minute, I’m fine with changing things about the plot and structure to properly adapt it into a movie. But...yeah. The plot is bad. It just comes across as really dumb and weird.

So yeah, bad remakes are bad, but it’s not as simple as just being “different.”

If y’all keep complaining about remakes making changes, then you’re only encouraging the products I’m about to talk about in the next few Parts.

Arguably the worst and most prolific products of them all...

Part 4: Sometimes, Things That Are the Same.......Are Worse

Alright, I’m gonna start with a really extreme example, but it perfectly captures the essence of what I’m trying to say.

In 1998, Gus Van Sant made the incredibly confusing and brave(?) decision to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. And I do mean “remake,” as in, it is shot for shot the same movie. It’s some sort of bizarre cinematic experiment.

I really like the original movie, so you would assume that, since this movie is literally the same movie, I would like it too.

I don’t.

No one does.

It’s the same movie but with worse performances.

It’s pointless.

Its existence is both unnecessary and confusing. Watching it was a bizarre experience that just made me wish I was watching the original.

(The best part about this is that 15 years after this remake came out, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin solved remakes forever by making Bates Motel; a contemporary prequel/reimagining of Psycho (1960). This show takes the characters and key events from the Hitchcock film and puts them in a different setting with an altered version of plot points. The creators openly and repeatedly state that they did not want to just remake Psycho and instead wanted to tell a tragedy/thriller using the framework of Psycho. To me, this perfectly encapsulates what remakes are supposed to be. It’s a good show and it’s severely underrated. Please go watch it, just ignore like half of season 3 and you’re gold.)

Unfortunately, the most common and (arguably) the most frustrating type of remake/sequel/reboot/whatever is the “let’s do the same thing...but different” type.  They can be a retread of the original plot or just take the title and elements of the original and use them while adding nothing substantially new.

Independence Day: Resurgence, Alien Covenant, The Thing (2011), and proooobably most direct sequels in any popular franchise (like the Transformers movies) fall under this category. 

The most notable ones in recent years are D i s n e y  r e m a k e s, but those get their own section.

Also, I’m hesitant to talk about these because it might just be a cultural difference, but it deeply bothers me when I see Japanese live action films that are based on anime and they just...keep everything the same? 

Like, in a live action remake of FMA, why the fuck wouldn’t you make up some grotesque and upsetting monster thing for the Nina Tucker scene? Why would you just use the design from the manga/anime??? WHY WOULDN’T YOU ADAPT IT TO MAKE IT WORK FOR LIVE ACTION?????????????????????????????????????

But hey, what do I know. It might just be a culture thing.

From what I’ve gathered and experienced, people have the following problems with these types of overly-faithful and/or pointless remakes:

1) They’re boring because it’s just a retread that feels inferior. 

2) They try to replicate elements of the original without understanding the actual appeal (aka the tangible details are addressed while the underlying ideas get sidelined or misunderstood).

3) They just...don’t adapt well.

Even if we were to take The Last Airbender and give it to a competent director who has a decently written script, that’s a case where you probably should have changed a lot more to properly make the jump from animated show to live action movie. Obviously, a lot of things would need to be cut or moved around in order to properly pace it.

I’m gonna talk more about this type of movie in a different section so for now let’s move on to the most recent remake craze that’s driving me up the wall.

Part 5: “I’ve got the power of remakes and anime on my side”

Fuck.

So part of the appeal of anime for me has always been its creativity. While some of it is pretty derivative when looking at specific genres, I’ve always found there to be a significantly wider range of creative ideas and concepts in anime than in any other medium. 

But now the industry’s running on fumes and someone let it slip that you can make a quick buck by just remaking a popular IP.

Fuck.

And I don’t wanna rag on the new-ish trend of readapting old anime for the sake of following the recently completed manga. This has had unbelievably successful results with FMA:B and Hunter x Hunter (2011) becoming massive critical hits (and two of my favourite shows).

(Although it hasn’t escaped my attention that studios have, in fact, used this gimmick to make half-baked and poorly crafted products with the knowledge that the existing fan base will buy that shit anyways. I’m looking directly at Berserk (2016) and Book of the Atlantic.)

But now they’re also adapting/sequel-ing shows purely for the sake of cashing in on the original (or adapting pre-made sequel products that were already made with that mindset in the first place).

Clear Card was boring as fuck and transparently existed to sell toys. 

I dropped Steins;Gate 0 after around 8 episodes when it become abundantly clear that it took the “let’s take elements of the old plot and just....do stuff” route without keeping any of what made the original cool and unique. 

The Evangelion movies seem really antithetical to the original show, and the third one feels like it was made by someone who thought they understood Evangelion and hated it. (But luckily the original is coming to Netflix next year so who even cares. Give me that 10/10 show.)

Although I will admit, Devilman Crybaby’s existence kind of falls under what I was saying earlier in this post. It’s one of many adaptations of an old manga that is changed substantially to fit the current cultural climate, with some unique aesthetic changes thrown in there for good measure.

It’s pretty okay.

But um...

Oh boy...

We’re about to get into it lads.

Part 6: Production IG Broke My Whole Brain. Brain Broken. Dead. No Brain.

Hooooooooo boy.

So, FLCL (also known as Fooly Cooly) is one of my favourite shows. In fact, it’s the only show I’ve ever watched that I have absolutely no problems with. None. Not even nitpicks. 

I’ve watched it 6 times, including with director’s commentary. It has an utterly perfect and unique/fluid aesthetic and I wish its visuals were just playing in my brain all of the time. It’s an arthouse comedy, which is a...rare (nonexistent?) genre, and it pulls it off perfectly. Its cool, its beautiful, its silly, its poetic, its creative, it has great themes that can reach both teenagers and adults, and there is literally nothing else on the planet like it.

So when it was announced that they were making a sequel 18 years later with a different cast of characters, I was...weirdly excited. Like a pavlovian happy response. I got even more excited after seeing the trailer.

Only a short while before the show aired did it dawn on me.

Wh...what are they doing?

From the trailer, I could see that they were taking some familiar plot elements (Medical Mechanica, Haruko, N.O., Atomsk, etc.) and adding some different protagonists.

Um

who gives a single fuck about the plot of Fooly Cooly?

The plot elements...don’t matter. It’s just a vehicle for cool and amazing things to happen.

So the show came out, and I saw more clips on youtube. While it is cool that they’re using different episode directors with some different art styles, the difference in quality between the directing and overall visual presentation is shockingly noticeable. I partially blame the fact that the anime industry isn’t as financially stable as it used to be, but this is also a Production IG show that’s based on an extremely popular property, so that’s barely an excuse. 

It mostly just looks like an anime with some cool stylistic elements, whereas the original looks stunningly perfect, dynamic, unique, and beautiful in every single solitary shot. 

I’ve read and watched many reviews of the sequel, both positive and negative, and from what I can tell it’s a textbook example of a “lets take components of the original and just...use them...while kind of missing the point and appeal of the original show.” Fooly Cooly is made of 100% intangible details. That thing is lightning in a bottle, and by taking the tangible details (plot elements and callbacks) and putting them in your show, you’ve already proven that you’ve completely and 100% missed the point.

Also:

this is the new show’s MAL score. While I consider anything between a 6 and a 7 to be “okay,” MAL scores tend to be higher since people rate on separate components of the show.

Like, a 6.7 on MAL is probably a 3 for everyone else. Yikes.

But honestly, the quality of the show is completely irrelevant, because that’s not the actual problem.

The only way to make a new FLCL product would be by accident. Have a director make a deeply personal product in which they do whatever the fuck they want. Have it be stylistically wild and make it look amazing. Create some sort of arthouse comedy with resonant themes and then just get Production IG to slap the FLCL brand on it to appeal to people’s nostalgia.

And that’s when it hit me.

That’s when my whole brain broke.

That accidental, spiritual sequel product can never happen. 

Because it looks like a huge risk to producers. 

Somehow, by remaking one of the most original and generation defining pieces of media ever created, Production IG proved that we do not live in a world where that type of product is allowed to exist. It can’t exist.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Part 7: Disney and the Culture of Hype(rbole)

When I was young, my family owned two versions of Cinderella on film. The 1950 Disney animated version, and the 1997 live-action version with Brandy. 

Obviously, they’re the same story. They follow the same beats and have the same characters. However, there are some major differences in scenes, character portrayal and, most notably, the songs. Both are musicals, but with completely different soundtracks. 

If we want to go even further, we also owned Ever After, which is a completely different retelling of Cinderella with a whole new plot made for an older audience (and it’s also very good. Check it out)

In other words, I have nothing against live action Disney remakes, In fact, I think Disney movies based on fairy tales have become their own type of fairy tale; classic stories that are being constantly retold and reshaped to remain both relevant and timeless. It’s beautiful.

What the fuck is Disney doing in the 2010s?

Right now, the trend seems to be completely recreating older Disney classics, only making them live action and, um, “fixing” them.

If you want a detailed analysis of this, go watch the Lindsay Ellis video about Beauty and the Beast. I’ll briefly sum up, but you should definitely watch the video.

Look, I personally don’t hate Beauty and the Beast (2017), but once you notice that the Beast’s character arc doesn’t really exist...

and that there are a bunch of plot threads that either don’t go anywhere or are just kind of pointless...

and that there’s a weird trolley problem with Belle and the servants that completely botches the moral of the story....

and that by adding a bunch of logic to a fucking fairy tale you’re stripping it of its appeal and also just creating plot holes...

and that the singing isn’t nearly as good as the original...

and a bunch of other problems with acting and characterization....

you start to notice that “hey, they made the exact same movie....but worse.”

But, people are okay with that.

Most people didn’t even really notice. And that’s fine, like what you like. I enjoyed the movie well enough, even though I definitely prefer the original. But...I would probably also like a different retelling of Beauty and the Beast if it was a good product. Except, then it would also be...new? And potentially better? Or at least a lateral move.

I just watched the trailer for the new Lion King (2019), and it looks...kind of good. But even thinking this...I kind of long for death, because the entire trailer is just “hey, remember THIS from the original.”

I’m just...I’m just done. I’m burnt out. I’ve had it.

When are we gonna stop making the same movie over and over again?

Or when are the changes actually going to make sense? I’ve seen most of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and it just goes in the opposite direction of changing everything, but the changes are just.....uggggh. Not good. Bad changes are bad.

The thing with Disney is that they are also a hype generating machine, especially after purchasing both Marvel and Star Wars. I once heard someone say in a video that, back in the day, people were trying to make the best possible product so it would sell and get popular. People...don’t really need to do that anymore. If you get 304958493093 billion people excited about the next movie in their favourite 80s franchise by promoting and hyping the shit out of it, then you’ve already secured tons of butts in seats before the movie even comes out. Every movie is an event movie if it comes from Disney and is part of one of their big franchises. Every new thing based on an old thing is the new “best thing.”

Even a new sequel that I actually liked, The Incredibles 2, was weirdly hyped up. (Also, even though I liked it, it didn’t escape my notice that there were a bunch of plot problems with the villain and the script proooobably needed another draft. Just saying.)

So, the big questions are, in this current culture, are we ever going to get another original sci-fi property, like the 80s Star Wars trilogy? Are we ever going to see a boom in a genre outside of Disney owned properties? Are we ever going to get another insane, passion-project smash hit like Fooly Cooly?

No. I don’t think so.

Not in the current state of things. 10 years from now? Maybe. 20 years from now? Probably. 

Part 8: Concluding Thoughts

I don’t know, man.

People are still making original things, but they’re not as popular and/or creative as they need to be to change where we are right now.

The very existence of Get Out does lend me some hope. It was a creative and original movie and a very large audience of people (including myself) really liked it. 

Yay.

More of this please. 

So, um, yeah.

I’m going to go watch Fooly Cooly for the 7th time and scream into a void.

Mmmm bye.

[almostafantasia]

life’s incredible again

Clexa Week Day 5 - Rivals in a Secret Relationship

Every city needs a superhero. This city has two.

Fierce rivals by day and lovers by night, Clarke and Lexa learn the struggles of leading a double life, particularly when it becomes impossible to stop their personal and professional lives from becoming entangled.

Read on AO3.

It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

At the speed that Clarke hurtles through the sky, the wind in her face is strong, striking her skin with a surprising numbness. Yet it’s only a shock for the first ten seconds of high altitude flight, after that it’s a refreshing rush in her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes so that it flickers in tandem with the deep blue cape that billows out behind her, fluttering rhythmically as she flies.

The world below Clarke manages to be both huge and tiny at the same time. Huge, because from up here the land stretches out seemingly infinitely, expanses of open fields and distant mountain ranges beyond the familiar skyline of the city that she calls home. And yet tiny, because the details below her are so comparatively miniscule from such an altitude – skyscrapers that would tower above her in the streets are so small that she could fit ten of them in the palm of her hand, lines of traffic pass along the roads like trains of ants marching back to their nest. It’s an eye-opening perspective into Planet Earth and Clarke loves it.

Flying is every bit as really fucking awesome as it sounds and Clarke is two hundred percent certain that she’ll never tire of it. Every flight feels just like the first one; exciting, exhilarating, and like Clarke is the star of her very own action movie. Contrary to popular belief, not every hero is blessed with the ability to fly – Clarke is just eternally grateful that she’s one of the ones who is because not only is it the most convenient mode of transport, but she looks wicked cool whilst doing it.

She hasn’t always been quite so adept at flying though. In fact, it took weeks, if not months to nail the perfect landing. Clarke still cringes internally every time she recalls her first ever public flight. The way that she mistimed the touchdown and oh-so-spectacularly crashed into a wall in front of about a billion photographers is almost certainly going to keep Clarke awake at night for years to come. Clarke’s superhero powers might stop her from getting any serious physical bruising but they do nothing to prevent the damage to her ego.

The newspaper headlines the following morning had been something else entirely. Clarke wanted to scream in rage when she saw them – she saved the lives of two young children that day, for Christ’s sake, and yet the front page of every major newspaper was emblazoned with a high definition photograph of her mid-crash, accompanied by a headline that inevitably ridiculed the absence of a heroic entrance.

And no matter how much Raven tries to convince her otherwise, being known as the girl who fell from the sky isn’t good for her superhero street cred.

“It could be your thing!” Raven insists.

“It’s not a thing!” Clarke protests with a whine, burying her face in her hands and once again dying a little bit inside as she recalls her collision with a wall and wishes she’d taken the time to practice a stylish landing before jetting out to save the world for the first time.

“No, hear me out,” says Raven “This is good.”

The look on Raven’s face, the wide eyes that tell Clarke that Raven is spouting her ridiculous ideas aloud right as they appear in her head, is enough for Clarke to know that what Raven has to tell her will be anything but good.

Rolling her eyes in anticipation of what will inevitably be a load of total crap, Clarke indulges Raven anyway.

“What?”

“Okay,” Raven says with a worrying amount of enthusiasm, “but what if you make a thing out of crashing in unexpectedly to bust the villains. Like you drop in through the ceiling and then when the dust from the rubble has cleared, you say ‘sorry about the mess’ and then bam! Arrested! Villainy over.”

Clarke has no words, rendered speechless from the pure insanity of the words leaving Raven’s mouth.

“Do you know what that is?” Raven asks, bright-eyed, when Clarke gives her suggestion no verbal response.

“It’s stupid,” Clarke answers without hesitation.

“Badass!” Raven corrects her enthusiastically. “It’s badass, Clarke. Do you want to be swept under the rug with every other hero or do you want to be iconic?”

“The girl who fell from the sky, Raven,” Clarke says with a whine. “I can’t be that hero. It’s way too Hunger Games to be credible.”

“Skygirl,” Raven suggests, bright-eyed and full of an enthusiasm that Clarke finds herself unable to mirror. “Come on, that sounds cool and you know it.”

And thus, Skygirl is born.

It’s one of the worst feelings in the world.

Clarke arrives at the scene of a major bank robbery that Raven tipped her off about to find that the day has already been saved by another superhero. The road is blocked with almost half a dozen police cars and the sidewalk outside the bank is crowded – emergency personnel including a squad of men with riot shields and heavy rifles strapped to their sides, reporters trying to force their way closer despite the bulky camera equipment that each team has, curious passers-by wondering what is causing the interruption to their perfectly ordinary lives.

Yet despite the crowds outside the bank, Clarke only notices one person. The red cape of the Commander amidst the reporters clamouring for the perfect front page headline has Clarke’s insides twisting in an unsettling mixture of disappointment and anger.

“Raven,” Clarke hisses, pressing the button on the tiny piece of technology concealed inside her ear to activate it.

After a couple of seconds, Raven’s familiar voice crackles through the earpiece.

“This is The Raven to Skygirl. What’s up?”

“Putting ‘the’ in front of your own name doesn’t make it a code name,” Clarke reminds Raven dismissively, before she launches into the reason why she requested her assistant’s presence in her ear. “But what the hell, Raven? I’m not the first one here. What went wrong?”

“What went wrong?” Raven parrots back, incredulity in her voice. “The situation has been sorted, right?”

“Well yes, but…”

“Then nothing went wrong,” Raven interrupts Clarke’s complaints with a sense of finality and a so-done-with-your-bullshit edge to her tone.

“But it wasn’t me who saved the day,” Clarke whines in an attempt to gain some sympathy, despite the futility of arguing against Raven. “The Commander…”

“And there it is,” says Raven. “The Commander.”

Clarke’s insides lurch with guilt. She can face off against any number of villains, and yet her biggest rival always seems to be the one person who has exactly the same goals as her – to keep this city as safe and as crimeless as possible.

Feuds between superheroes never end well. Just last year there was a huge scandal that decorated the headlines for weeks when a rivalry in a neighbouring city became so out of control that the two heroes involved ended up putting more lives at risk than they were saving. Clarke likes to think that she would never be self-absorbed enough to let things between Skygirl and the Commander get quite that bad – for a start, neither of them has a fragile male ego to escalate the contention between them – but she knows why Raven is warning her all the same.

Clarke’s pride, however, is an ugly creature that sucks the life out of anything positive in the face of a defeat such as this. She can feel it now, slowly crawling out from hibernation and enveloping every fibre of her being like a cloud of dark fog, crackling with negative energy and draining her brain of all humility and common sense.

“She got here first, Raven,” Clarke complains, even against all her better judgement. “Not only is this a complete waste of my time, but I have to suffer through the knowledge that she is the hero today. If only it was heroic to wipe that smug smile off her face with my fist.”

“Clarke…” Raven cautions her, the harshness of her warning in Clarke’s ear causing Clarke to wince.

“I don’t understand it,” Clarke continues to whine, even despite the warnings coming from both her assistant and the rational part of her own brain. “She can’t even fly. How the hell is that stupid ass car of hers faster than flying?”

“Clarke, just put on a smile and…” Raven pauses and lets out a huff of breath, before she continues, “… get yourself out of there before you do something stupid that will do much more damage to your reputation than being beaten to the scene of the crime by another hero.”

“Too late,” Clarke mumbles, pressing the button on the earpiece to mute herself and mentally preparing herself for what is about to come when she spots a familiar figure striding in her direction, dressed in all black with the exception of the crimson cape that hangs majestically from one shoulder.

“Skygirl,” the newcomer greets her with a nod.

“Commander,” Clarke responds through clenched teeth. “Congratulations.”

Clarke isn’t sure what is more infuriating to her, the Commander’s nonchalant shrug or the words that leave her mouth next, clearly intended to rile Clarke up.

“Just another day at work,” the Commander says indifferently. “I do what I can for my people.”

“Your people?” Clarke scoffs, unable to stop herself from commenting on the pretentiousness of the Commander’s words.

“My people, your people, the people of this city,” shrugs the Commander. “Whatever you want to call them. When they need a hero, I’m here to serve them.”

Clarke narrows her eyes, ignoring the persistent beeping in her ear that lets her know that Raven is still desperately trying to speak with her so that she can give the Commander her full attention.

“It was just a bank robbery,” she attempt to diminish the Commander’s accomplishment today. “It’s not like there were any lives actually in danger.”

“Say that to the man who got shot in the leg while the robbers made their escape,” the Commander replies without even a moment of hesitation, unaffected by Clarke’s scornful words. “And just a bank robbery was an attempt to steal almost thirty million dollars. If they had been successful, that would have been the biggest bank robbery that this city has ever seen.”

With a smile of blatantly forced politeness, Clarke replies snidely, “What a good job you were here to save the day.”

Either the Commander doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm in Clarke’s voice, or she just chooses to be the better person and ignore it – Clarke resents her even more if the latter is true – because she does nothing but shrug modestly as she takes a couple of steps back.

“I guess so,” she agrees. “See you later, Skygirl.”

Ignoring the flash of the cameras pointed at her from where the press huddle in a group on the sidewalk, the Commander returns to her vehicle, a flashy black sports car with doors that open upwards instead of out, an unnecessary number of vents and spoilers and a slightly off-centre red stripe that spans the length of the car that is just as obnoxious as the vehicle’s owner.

Finally choosing to no longer ignore the beeping in her ear, Clarke turns her earpiece back onto its normal setting and doesn’t even wait for half a second before growling her complaints to Raven.

“I hope you’re proud of me. I was this close to punching her.”

“Careful, Clarke,” says Raven, making no attempt to hide her huff of irritation. “The girl who fell from the sky is probably only one negative headline away from ruination.”

“I know,” agrees Clarke, “and that’s why I kept my hands to myself.”

Even as she says the words, Clarke finds herself rolling her eyes as the engine of the black and red sports car starts up, revving loudly a couple of times, before the car zips away down the road in the blink of an eye, almost wishing that her fist had found its home in the warpaint adorned face of her rival.

“The biggest attempted bank robbery this city has ever seen,” she whines for Raven’s benefit, recalling the Commander’s earlier words. “Why couldn’t it have been me who got there first?”

“We’ll get the next one, I promise,” says Raven’s assuring voice in her ear.

Clarke is almost certain that always arriving second to the scene will be just as damning for her reputation as punching another superhero in the face.

“We’d better!”

In her twenty four years of life, and particularly in the last eight months of carrying the burdens of the city on her shoulder, Clarke has come to learn that one of the best ways to deal with a bad day is to take up residence in a dark corner of a bar and drown her sadness in a drink or several.

One drink allows her to be sullen and disheartened by the day’s loss, two gives her an excuse for cursing like a sailor and badmouthing the villain who has wronged her, three takes her mind off the thing that’s getting her down. Four drinks are often enough to get Clarke up on her feet and dancing to forget her troubles.

Tonight Clarke is only on her first drink – a pint of dark ale with a taste as bitter as Clarke’s feelings of resentment for her rival hero. The lighting in the bar isn’t quite gloomy enough to reflect her mood – it’s not late enough in the night for the proprietor to turn the lights down properly yet – but Clarke uses the beer in her hand as a barrier between herself and the rest of the room. Her body is slumped back against the bench in the booth that she occupies with two of her best friends, blocking out their conversations as she takes sip after meagre sip, each one accompanied by a grimace at the taste of the ale that Clarke isn’t entirely sure she even likes.

At the risk of being melodramatic, Clarke decides that today may have been one of her worst defeats as a superhero – perhaps almost worse than losing to the bad guys themselves. (Deep down, Clarke knows that isn’t true, but her ego still aches from the battering it received at the hands of the Commander and her offensively flashy sports car and so the humiliation feels infinitely worse than any of her previous failures.)

“Hey, Sulkface!”

Clarke is snatched roughly out of her own crippling self-pity by the way that Raven aggressively snaps her fingers in front of Clarke’s face, forcing her to pay attention to her surroundings instead of wallowing in the defeat she faced earlier today.

“Are you going to participate in the conversations or are you just going to sulk in a corner and make us regret bringing you along with us?” Raven asks her, one of her eyebrows quirked up in a judgemental arch.

“What’s the matter?” asks Octavia, placing her drink down on the table that the three of them are seated around and leaning on one of her elbows to frown across at Clarke.

“She realised that she’s only a second rate hero,” Raven unhelpfully interjects, rolling her eyes.

“Excuse me?” Clarke exclaims, raising her voice and accompanying her verbal retaliation with a sharp kick under the table aimed at Raven’s shin and taking a small amount of joy from the yelp of pain that Raven lets out. “I’m a first rate hero, you’re a second rate assistant.” Pointing an accusatory finger in Raven’s direction, Clarke continues, “You didn’t call me soon enough. You didn’t make my suit aerodynamic enough.”

“Your suit is aerodynamic enough,” Raven bickers back, leaning back in her seat and folding her arms across her chest in indignance. “And there’s nothing I can do if somebody else gets there before you do.”

They sulk on opposite sides of the table, Octavia the awkward third party with her eyes flickering between Raven’s folded arms and Clarke, who picks up her glass and passive-aggressively takes a gulp of the dark liquid within. When neither of them says anything – and when Octavia lets out a disapproving sigh at their childish behaviour – Clarke realises that maybe she was a little too harsh with her words and concedes.

“I know,” she admits reluctantly, placing her empty glass back down on the table and looking up at Raven. “I’m sorry. It’s just … it has to be her, doesn’t it? Always having to prove that she’s better than I am.”

Accepting Clarke’s verbal olive branch, Raven’s mouth turns up at the corners almost imperceptibly and says, “I bet she doesn’t fly into walls with as much style as you do.”

Clarke flops backwards, her head falling against the wall behind her chair as she lets out a pained groan in response to Raven’s little dig. The animosity between them is replaced with playful teasing that Clarke has grown to love in her relationship with her two best friends.

“God,” Clarke whines, as Raven and Octavia share a look and some barely concealed laughter between them. “that was one time.”

Octavia reaches across with both hands and uses the index finger of each to push at the soft skin of Clarke’s cheeks, forcing her lips up into a smile.

“Cheer up, Clarke,” she says, undeterred by the way that Clarke whines and wriggles and slaps at the hands on her face. “You’ve got a date tonight.”

“Ugh,” Clarke groans, falling back in her chair as Octavia’s hands finally relinquish their attack on her face. “Don’t remind me. I hate first dates.”

“But,” Raven interjects, raising a single finger to emphasise her point, “you know what you do like?” Raven looks across to Octavia and then answers her own question as if the answer is obvious. “Sex. And what do first dates sometimes lead to?”

“Sex,” Octavia answers without hesitation, nodding along with Raven. She adds matter-of-factly, “You’ve been going through a dry spell recently Clarke. Maybe this date will be good for you.”

Pouting, Clarke replies abjectly, “Four months is not a dry spell.”

Raven and Octavia share a glance of wide-eyed incredulity as if to say oh yes it is, before Raven mumbles under her breath, “Maybe for you it’s not.”

If Raven and Octavia are trying to bring Clarke out of her sulk and encourage her to join in with their conversations with any kind of genuine enthusiasm, they’re doing an awful job. Clarke only ends up feeling sorrier for herself, taking another mournful swig from her glass at the reminder that her personal life is about as successful as her recent heroic endeavours.

Clarke’s lack of a verbal response is as good of a concession as her actually admitting aloud that Raven is right. Clarke pointedly ignores the grin that is shared between the two girls opposite her, desperately hoping that they will take this small victory and leave it at that. Her hope is misguided however – Clarke should really know after so many years of tight friendship that these two will never pass up an opportunity for a little harmless teasing at Clarke’s expense.

“Tonight could be the night, Clarke!” Raven says enthusiastically, leaning across the table with both elbows propped up on the dark wood as she gives Clarke a look of bright-eyed glee.

“Oh yeah,” comes Octavia’s equally unhelpful contribution. “Tonight Clarke is gonna be getting some!”

“Clarke? Hi!”

As a shadow falls over their table, Clarke propels both of her legs outward, the toe of her shoe colliding with the front of her friends’ legs, and feels only a tiny bit guilty about the fact that Raven is probably going to wake up tomorrow morning with a littering of purple bruises down her shins courtesy of Clarke. It has the desired effect – both Raven and Octavia stop with the raucous teasing and the crude hand gestures and fall quiet with just a few soft murmurings of discomfort as they rub the sore spots where Clarke has kicked them.

“Lexa,” Clarke says enthusiastically, her sullen mood from just seconds ago forgotten and replaced, jumping to her feet and greeting her date with a slightly awkward one-armed hug. “It’s so nice to see you! I promise I don’t know these two hooligans at all. Anything you might have overheard them saying is entirely untrue.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Lexa assures her with an honest smile. Gesturing towards the bar, she asks, “Shall we?”

Clarke nods and lets Lexa lead her over to the bar, ignoring Raven’s shout after her of, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Clarke takes a deep breath to compose herself, unsure where the nerves that twist and clench at her insides have come from so suddenly. Barely even a minute ago she was unaffected by the prospect of tonight’s date, cataloguing it in her mind as nothing more than a waste of an evening that could otherwise be spent in the comfort of her own bed with a bag of chips and her Netflix account, but with her date for the evening standing beside her – her totally gorgeous date who is without a doubt completely out of Clarke’s league – Clarke is grateful, for the first time, for her past self’s impulsive decision to say yes when Lexa asked her out.

Clarke takes in her date’s appearance, from the sheer white top that hangs loosely from her shoulders to the black skinny jeans that flatter her long legs. Lexa’s hair is effortlessly brushed over one shoulder so that the deep brown curls tumble down one side and her makeup is understated, a slight smoky eye that makes the green of her irises pop with colour, even in the dim light of the bar.

“You look great tonight,” Clarke compliments her.

“Thanks, so do you,” Lexa replies with a smile. Reaching into the small black purse that hangs from her shoulder, Lexa pulls out a wallet and leans on the wooden countertop of the bar, then asks, “Can I buy you a drink?”

Clarke fumbles around for her own wallet in protest, saying as she does so, “It’s fine, I can pay for…”

“No, I insist,” Lexa tells her, placing a gentle hand on Clarke’s arm to stop her from continuing the search for her own money. “Please, I’m trying to be charming and I probably can’t do that with conversation alone when I’m this nervous! You can buy the next drink. What will you have?”

Clarke reluctantly concedes defeat and picks up the cocktail menu that sits on the bar in front of them. She browses for just a few seconds, angling the menu so that Lexa can take a look for herself, then points at her order.

“Two mojitos, please,” Lexa tells the bartender, who starts mixing their drinks with a nod.

“Thanks,” Clarke mumbles gratefully. With the barest hint of a teasing smile beginning to form on her lips, she nudges Lexa softly and says, “Who says I’m not going to flee before we get to a second drink?”

Lexa doesn’t answer immediately – with the arrival of their drinks on the bar, she spends a few moments exchanging the right amount of cash with the bartender, then picks up her own glass and nods for Clarke to do the same before she speaks again.

“So I have however long it takes for you to finish this drink to convince you to stay for another one?” she asks Clarke, raising the glass to her face and taking a small sip through the straw. “Challenge accepted.”

As Lexa points to an empty booth across the room, thankfully one that is far away from where Octavia and Raven still sit, their eyes on Clarke as they avidly watch her every move, Clarke smiles to herself and tells Lexa, “Then you need to act fast. You should know that I used to be something of a drinking champion. At college I could down a beer in seven seconds.”

Lexa’s face, as they take their new seats opposite each other at the secluded table in the far corner, expresses a mixture of awe and amusement.

“Wow.”

Realising what she’s just said – and who she’s just admitted that to – Clarke feels her cheeks reddening. The warm air in the bar, nor the alcohol in her system from the drink she’s already shared with Raven and Octavia, does nothing to help as her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, that’s not the kind of thing I should be admitting on a first date,” she attempts to redeem herself, not quite able to look Lexa in the eye out of fear that she might see proof that she’s scared her date off already are mere minutes together. “I tend to babble when I’m nervous.”

Unperturbed and with a hint of a joke in her voice, Lexa doesn’t even hesitate before saying, “Maybe you’ll scare me away before you have the chance to buy that second drink.”

Clarke feels her entire body relax at Lexa’s words. She reaches out for her cocktail, fingers curling around the glass and slipping ever so slightly in the condensation formed by the cool liquid inside, raising the straw to her lips and taking a sip. It’s a pleasant contrast to the heat that burns in her cheeks, a cooling sensation that is more than welcome.

“I hope not!” Clarke responds. “I promise, that’s not my plan tonight.”

Lexa leans one elbow on the table, looking at Clarke with glinting green eyes from beneath long lashes as she lowers her voice and asks, “So what is your plan?”

She wraps her lips around the straw protruding from her drink, and Clarke forgets how to breathe as she watches Lexa’s cheeks hollow in a visual that Clarke didn’t realise she’d be attracted to until she saw it in front of her. Her mind straying to places she’s pretty sure are supposed to be forbidden this early on a first date, Clarke is finally grateful for the blush that already taints her cheeks, hiding the fresh embarrassment that accompanies her thoughts.

“I’m not sure there is a plan,” Clarke confesses. Gripping the edge of the table to tether herself to reality, she continues, “But I’d like to make a good impression on you.” Clarke looks up at Lexa with a hint of mischief in her eyes, and then adds, “Which is why you should know that I have absolutely never downed an entire beer in one go.”

Lexa tips her head back and laughs, a delicate burst of laughter that seems to radiate euphoria. Clarke decides that it’s one of the most beautiful sounds she’s ever heard, unexpectedly soft and yet it warms Clarke right to her soul and fills her with a desire – no, a need – to hear that same sound over and over again.

Her eyes full of intrigue, Lexa asks Clarke, “And if I’m into the beer guzzling types?”

Clarke can’t do anything to stop the grin that spreads across her face as she quips back, “Then maybe you’re on a date with the right girl.”

“So,” says Lexa, a smile pulling at her own lips. “Drinking champion. What else do I need to know about you before I commit to that second drink?”

“Let me see,” says Clarke, feigning deep concentration as she starts to list things off by counting on her fingers. “I’m a cocaine addict. I steal money from the homeless.” She grins across at Lexa to reinforce the fact that she’s joking, as if it isn’t already abundantly clear, then adds, “Oh, and I voted for Trump!”

Unperturbed, Lexa doesn’t hesitate for even a fraction of a second before completing Clarke’s list with one of her own, “And you use comedy as a defence mechanism when somebody tries to get close to you.”

The smile falls off Clarke’s face as suddenly as a lead weight falling to the ground. Taken aback by Lexa’s terrifyingly accurate assessment of the situation, it takes Clarke a good few seconds to regain her composure enough to give her response.

“Well, shit,” she says, guiltily dropping her gaze as she finds herself unable to make eye contact with the girl across from her. “Am I that easy to read?”

“I took a Psychology elective in my freshman year of college and now I half-think I’m qualified to be some kind of therapist,” Lexa shrugs. “But I’m serious, I want to get to know you. The real you.”

Clarke dares to glance up at Lexa and is met with a stare of the utmost honesty, so intense that she almost feels like there is something passing between them. Clarke is struck by thoughts of capes and masks and saving the world and her heart does a little flip in her chest that she’s not entirely convinced is caused by butterflies alone. She wonders just how much of her Lexa wants to get to know, or if she’s talking about the Skygirl persona too.

And she knows that Lexa feels it too, because Lexa’s gaze falters and a moment of weakness passes between them, and Clarke wonders for the first time if maybe going on this date is a terrible idea after all.

Clarke is used to saving people every day but it is Lexa who saves the conversation, reaching across the table and taking Clarke’s fingers in her own. She gives the digits a little squeeze, leaning a little bit closer to Clarke as she says ever so softly, “I want to see if I’m as attracted to what’s going on up there as I am to what I see on the outside.”

“Flatterer.”

“Please? I’m serious.”

Clarke can stop villains from doing heinous things, she can rescue people from inside burning buildings that threaten to creak and crumble to the ground or pull them from the twisted wreck of an automobile accident without even thinking twice, but she will never ever be able to save herself from the inescapable magnetism of a beautiful girl holding her hand and looking at her with those earnest eyes that could hold an entire galaxy in their depth.

“Okay,” Clarke says, taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts. “So I grew up in New York. The state not the city…”

There isn’t even a question in Clarke’s mind about a second drink when the time comes. She finishes her first far too quickly to be satisfied with just the one, so enraptured by her date and the conversations they share that she’s pretty sure a continuation of this date beyond the first drink is as much of a necessity for her survival as the oxygen that she breathes into her lungs.

Clarke makes the offer when both of their glasses are empty and she exhales in relief when Lexa agrees almost immediately; her only hesitation is a quick joke about Clarke having not quite scared her away completely yet.

They dance around the subject of work with ease. Like a stream winding its way down the mountainside, gradually gaining momentum as it travels further away from its source, the conversation keeps going with each twist, flowing effortlessly from the topics of school and family and favourite things, right down to who they would cast as themselves in a movie about their own life – Kate McKinnon for Clarke and Daisy Ridley for Lexa. There’s no need to talk about work when they could quite easily talk all night, and perhaps every other night for the rest of the month, without even getting close to exhausting the conversation of other subject matter.

There is just the tiniest amount of unease in Clarke’s stomach though. It feels like they should maybe at least acknowledge it, even for just a second before moving on, a quick hey I’m a superhero and I know that you are too and yes, maybe I raged a little bit earlier today when you stole my glory but how about we agree to another date?

When Lexa excuses herself to go and use the bathroom after drink number two, Clarke finally lets herself relax a little bit and slouches against the back of her seat. She reaches for her phone for the first time all evening, surprised when the screen lights up to tell her that the date that has raced past and felt like a mere twenty minutes or so, has actually been going on for almost an hour and a half.

The grin that she’s trying – and failing – to fight back, gets wiped off her faced with an unpleasant abruptness as not Lexa, but both Raven and Octavia drop into the bench on the other side of Clarke’s booth.

“Soooo,” Raven draws out the vowel, and the look of mischievous curiosity on her face has Clarke rolling her eyes. “How is it going?”

“It’s good,” Clarke admits, nodding her head slowly. It takes a lot of willpower, and the knowledge that Lexa’s return from the bathroom could be imminent, to stop herself from immediately gushing about what an enjoyable night she’s having. “I like her. She’s very easy to talk to.”

“And hot!” Octavia adds, reaching across the table to give Clarke a congratulatory nudge on the arm. “Nice one, Clarke.”

Clarke can’t help but smile because yes, the conversation with Lexa has been enthralling, but the view that she’s had all evening has certainly not gone unappreciated either.

“So what’s the plan?” Raven asks. Wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and accompanied by what can only be described as a giggle from Octavia, she continues, “Are you going to take her home for a little bit of…?”

“What?” Clarke interjects in protest as soon as she realises what her friends are implying. “No!”

Raven looks genuinely disappointed as she pouts and asks, “Why not?”

“Because…” Clarke spares a glance over her shoulder in the direction of the bathroom to make sure that Lexa isn’t on her way back, then answers, “Because I actually like her. As in I like her enough to want to see her again and I don’t want to screw that up by … well, by screwing her.”

Raven does nothing but stare at Clarke for a few long seconds, her head tilted ever so slightly to one side and her expression bordering on unimpressed.

“That is literally the gayest,” Raven says these two words emphatically, gesticulating with her hand as she does so, “thing I have ever heard in my life.”

“Agreed,” nods Octavia, arms folded across her chest and her expression as serious as it would be if they were discussing something with slightly more substance than Clarke’s current level of gay.

They both still immediately, then hurry back up to their feet, shuffling awkwardly along the bench until they are no longer sitting opposite Clarke, and when she follows the direction that both pairs of eyes keep glancing across in, she notices that Lexa is making her way back across the bar from the ladies restroom.

“Anyway,” Raven says to Clarke, “we actually came over here to tell you that we’re going home now.”

“Yeah,” agrees Octavia. “Enjoy the rest of you night.”

“Use protection!” Raven wickedly blurts out, before the pair make a hasty departure just as Lexa arrives back at the booth.

Clarke’s cheeks burn with embarrassment at her friend’s parting words, knowing that there isn’t a possibility that Lexa didn’t hear them too.

“I’m sorry,” Clarke is quick in her attempt to justify Raven’s words. The very last thing she wants Lexa to think after hitting it off so well tonight is that Clarke is only interested in her for the sex. “They’re idiots. If I haven’t scared you away yet then I’m sure that they will.”

As she lowers herself back into the seat across from Clarke, Lexa reaches across the table and rests her hand over Clarke’s. The touch is unexpected and Clarke startles slightly at first, but there’s a warmth that radiates from Lexa’s touch, a soothing rush of something that spreads along Clarke’s arm from the place where their hands meet, until the comfort of the gesture envelopes her entire body and causes her to relax.

“My foster sister is exactly the same,” Lexa tells Clarke, her voice low and just as comforting as the way that her thumb starts rubbing tender circles on the soft skin of the back of Clarke’s hand. “I share an apartment with her and she’s been insufferable to live with ever since she found out that I had a date tonight. She’s been giving me unhelpful and inappropriate advice for the last two days.”

“Such as?” Clarke dares to ask.

Lexa shakes her head ever so slowly and, as a pretty pink flush starts to decorate her own sharp cheekbones, answers, “Such as what kind of underwear I should wear.”

Clarke flusters a little at the implication – there’s only one direction that tonight could go in to make Lexa’s choice of underwear relevant on this date – and finds herself unable to make eye contact with Lexa. All of a sudden Raven and Octavia are voices in her head, two little devils costumed all in red on one of her shoulders and nudging her towards the bad decisions while the rational part of her own brain tries to counterbalance their corruption.

When Clarke gives no response, Lexa squeezes her hand gently and laughs softly as she says, “Don’t freak out. I’m not here to sleep with you.”

Clarke doesn’t know whether Lexa’s confession leaves her relieved or disappointed and realises that the way that her insides clench uncomfortably is probably due to a bitter internal battle between the two.

Manoeuvring the hand that still rests on top of Clarke’s until she can push her fingers between Clarke’s so that their hands sits as an intertwined knot of fingers on the table between them, Lexa lowers her voice even further and concludes in a voice that almost has Clarke spreading her legs for Lexa right here in this booth, “Not yet, anyway.”

“You shouldn’t say stuff like that,” Clarke warns Lexa, though the way that her voice comes out as barely more than a rasp is surely a giveaway as to the current direction of her thoughts.

“Sorry,” Lexa replies, though Clarke spots a little glint in the green eyes across from her that Lexa’s apology is not entirely full of meaning. Changing the subject suddenly, Lexa says, “I really don’t want tonight to end.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’?” Clarke asks.

To Clarke’s ultimate chagrin, Lexa untangles their fingers and reaches for her phone, pressing the button to unlock it as she glances at the time when it flashes up on the screen.

“But it’s late, and I can’t have another drink without risking getting tipsy and I don’t want to end up saying something stupid that might blow my chances with you.”

“That would take a lot,” Clarke admits, and the slight widening of Lexa’s eyes as if she can’t believe that those words have just left Clarke’s mouth makes the slightly risqué confession entirely worth the butterflies in Clarke’s chest.

“I have things to do tomorrow morning,” Lexa say, and despite the intent behind her words, the hesitance in her voice is perhaps giving Clarke her own personal renaissance. “I should be getting back.”

Clarke nods, understanding that this date has to come to an end at some point, albeit reluctantly.

Perhaps misinterpreting Clarke’s unenthusiastic agreement as mild resentment towards her decision to leave, Lexa jumps in quickly, her words hurried and apologetic.

“Wait, I promise I’m not blowing you off!” she assures Clarke, reaching across to take Clarke’s hand once more as if she just can’t get enough of having Clarke’s fingers underneath her own. “I’ve had an incredible time tonight and if I could stay here for a few more hours then I would. Can I at least walk you home?” Without even allowing Clarke time to answer, Lexa flusters even further and then apologises, “Sorry, you probably think I’m trying something on with you. I promise that I’m not. I don’t really go on dates at all so I’m trying very hard to make this one count by being respectful and chivalrous, and that includes walking you home.”

Clarke’s heart, if possible, swells inside her chest as Lexa scrambles over her words, watching as the other girl’s cheeks get steadily pinker with each second that passes. She would perhaps be amused at Lexa’s unabashed eagerness to impress Clarke, were Clarke not feeling the same kind of irrepressible need to conclude this date in a way that leaves Lexa desperate to come back for more.

“Okay,” Clarke agrees, smiling slyly across at the flustered girl. “Under one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You kiss me goodnight when we get there.”

A slow smile spreads across Lexa’s face.

“That’s a deal I can agree to.”

The journey home is more of a stroll that it is a walk. They dawdle along the sidewalk, entangled fingers swinging between them as they make their way to Clarke’s apartment, slowly so as to postpone the inevitable goodbye for as long as possible.

The streets that they walk along hold hundreds of stories and Lexa points out a shuttered ice cream parlour that her foster mother used to take her and her sister to when they were younger, and tells of how they would be allowed to get chocolate sauce and rainbow sprinkles on their cones if they’d been especially well-behaved. In exchange, Clarke makes Lexa laugh by recounting the story of an infamous night out in the nightclub that they pass just two blocks from Clarke’s apartment, when Octavia had been mistaken for some minor celebrity that none of them had heard of and gained them all exclusive access to the club’s VIP lounge.

But the night has to come to an end at some point, despite Clarke deliberately taking them the long way home, and the final turn onto the familiar stretch of sidewalk leading up to Clarke’s apartment building is a sad one.

Clarke says nothing as she leads Lexa into the atrium of her building and into the elevator, still prolonging their evening together, and Lexa stays silent too, squeezing Clarke’s hand just a little bit tighter as the doors close behind them and the tinny female voice announces over the intercom that the elevator is going up.

With their combined refusal to acknowledge that they will have to part ways sooner than either would like, Clarke realises how easy it would be to ignore the goodbye altogether and just drag Lexa inside her apartment for a much steamier continuation of the date. She remembers what Lexa said earlier about not intending to sleep with Clarke yet and recalls her own conversation with Raven and Octavia along the same vein. What she told them was true – after such a surprisingly good date, she doesn’t want to fuck it up by having sex too soon – but in this moment it almost feels like it could be detrimental for them to not seal the deal tonight.

Detrimental to Clarke’s lady parts, anyway, which are practically aching with the need to be touched by the girl so obliviously holding her hand as they take the ride up to Clarke’s apartment.

The invasive ping of the elevator as it arrives on Clarke’s floor snaps Clarke out of her thoughts and she shakes her head to bring herself back into the reality of attempted rational thought. She really needs to stop thinking with her vagina instead of her brain.

“This is me.”

The two seconds that Clarke spends fumbling around in her jacket pocket for the keys to her apartment is long enough for Lexa to take a step closer. She releases Clarke’s hand, and Clarke has barely a second to mourn the loss of the feeling of Lexa’s warm fingers slotted between her own, before those same fingers find a new home cupping Clarke’s jaw. Her fingertips rest just behind Clarke’s ear, where the soft curls at her hairline meet the skin of her neck, while Lexa’s thumb strokes a gentle path back and forth across Clarke’s cheek.

If Lexa’s goal is to leave Clarke in complete agony while she waits for the gap between their lips to close, then she is successful. Clarke’s entire body thrums in anticipation and the feeling of Lexa’s palm cradling the side of her face is certainly not helping the matter, yet Lexa seems unwilling to lean in the final few inches, apparently perfectly content to continue staring at Clarke with a look of gentle wonder in her eyes and the ghost of a smile on her lips.

It seems like an eternity that they are staring at each other. The time in which their eyes remain connected - mouths almost close enough to touch but neither one quite brave enough to make that final move – is long enough for generations to be born and to die, long enough for some species to go extinct and for others to evolve unrecognisably, long enough for entire civilisations to fall until they are the only two remaining, standing pressed against each other as the ruins of humanity crumble around them.

But it’s not quite enough.

With a little grunt of impatience, Clarke tilts her own chin up and closes the gap between them. Lexa’s lips, so much softer than Clarke could have ever imagined, cushion the impact and for a moment Clarke is stunned into stillness, wonderstruck by the overwhelming tenderness of Lexa’s lips and Lexa’s hand and Lexa’s everything.

The way that Lexa kisses her, the complete lack of urgency in the way that her lips slide leisurely against Clarke’s, is almost as if they are the only two people in the world. Certainly, Clarke decides, Lexa is the only person in the world that matters right now – nothing is more important than the lips that gently coax her own open, capturing first Clarke’s top, then her bottom lips between Lexa’s own. To Clarke, whose day to day life is always cloaked with the knowledge that Skygirl could get called away to an emergency at any moment, the kiss is a welcome moment of respite from the endless activity that comes with being a superhero.

As delightful as the kiss is, as much as her insides are fluttering at the gentle movement of Lexa’s mouth against her own, Clarke can’t help but want more. The kiss is nice, but it’s just nice – Lexa is being just a little too respectful of Clarke’s boundaries when after so much build up, Clarke is itching for nothing more than to make out with Lexa against the door to her apartment, hot and hungry and so very gay.

The sound of Clarke’s keys dropping from her hands and hitting the floor with a metallic clatter is one that barely even registers. All of Clarke’s brain capacity, or at least what little of it hasn’t been turned into a mushy gay puddle by Lexa’s kiss, is focused on the way that her empty hands curl into the folds of Lexa’s top, using her new handholds to simultaneously pull Lexa closer so that there is no space between their bodies and walk her backwards. Any doubt that Clarke might have had about Lexa being into this as much as her are dispelled as Lexa opens her mouth into the kiss more, accepting the swipe of Clarke’s tongue against her upper lip and responding with an intensity that had been lacking just moments ago.

There’s a bit more substance to the kiss now that Clarke is in control, a breathy whimper from Lexa as Clarke backs her into the door, a satisfied hum from Clarke when one of Lexa’s hands fervently buries itself in the untamed blonde curls on the back of her head. Clarke kisses Lexa with almost everything that she’s got, kisses her with her entire body and not just with her mouth – her restless hands smooth up and down Lexa’s sides, her hips push forward into Lexa’s to eliminate any space that might still lie between them. And Lexa responds with just as much enthusiasm, kissing Clarke back as though her life depends on it.

(Clarke is pretty sure that her life depends on Lexa’s kisses, fuelled with a fiery intensity but still laced with a sweet tenderness that seems to encompass Lexa’s being, and the reciprocation of that dependence through Lexa’s movements has Clarke feeling pretty damn good about herself too.)

It almost gets a little too much – almost – and Clarke has to take a moment to catch the breath that Lexa seems to have snatched from her lungs.

Lexa, however, takes Clarke’s momentary pause to take the control back for herself. She uses the hand not buried in Clarke’s hair to steer Clarke by the waist until is it Clarke’s back that is now against the door, then wastes no time at all in peppering the exposed skin of Clarke’s neck with a series of hot, open-mouthed kisses. Clarke lets out a low hum of contentment as her head falls back against the door and her eyes flicker shut – she likes the gentle back and forth of their kisses and the not so gentle way that Lexa scrapes her teeth against the skin just below the plane of Clarke’s jawline.

“You should know that it’s taking all of my self-restraint to – uh, to not drag you inside right now,” Clarke muses aloud, her breath catching slightly in her throat mid-sentence as Lexa’s tongue traces over a particularly sensitive spot just below Clarke’s ear.

Lexa places one more lingering kiss at the juncture between the corner of Clarke’s jaw and her neck, then forcibly drags herself away from Clarke, who feels a sudden rush of desire course through her body in response to the little grunt of disappointment that Lexa lets out as she reluctantly detaches her hands from Clarke’s body and puts a bit of distance between them.

“That wasn’t an invitation to stop,” Clarke jokes, though the smile quickly drops from her face when Lexa looks up with a heaving chest and pupils so wide they could swallow the whole universe.

“Wow,” Lexa exhales. “I’m kind of … well … yeah.”

It’s not an articulate way for Lexa to express herself – in fact it’s completely incoherent as a sentence – but Clarke gets it. She feels pretty inarticulate herself right now too.

“I’ve honestly had the best time tonight,” confesses Lexa. “I was … I was nervous, I have to admit, but you far surpassed all of my expectations.” She looks up at Clarke, teeth nibbling at her lower lip in anxiety, before she continues, “I know there’s a rule that the heterosexuals have where they have to wait three days before calling after a first date…”

“Screw the heterosexuals,” Clarke interrupts with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m so glad you said that.” Lexa shoots Clarke a shy smile, then with a more serious expression on her face, continues, “Because I’d really like to see you again and I don’t think I can wait three days before telling you that.”

Trying not to seem too excited, which almost seems futile with the way that her heart is currently performing an Olympic gymnastics routine inside her chest, Clarke replies, “I’d like that too.”

“Great,” says Lexa, breaking out a visible sigh of relief. “So I’ll text you?”

“I’ll be waiting,” nods Clarke.

“Bye, Clarke,” says Lexa, taking a couple of steps backwards towards the elevator. “And thanks for an incredible night.”

“Lexa…”

Upon hearing her name, Lexa’s eyes flicker upwards to look at Clarke’s, and Clarke surges forwards to close the gap between them, desperate to give Lexa one final kiss to remember her by. Her hands find Lexa’s waist and she kisses Lexa with an open mouth, the kiss itself just as filthy as the sound that spills from Lexa’s throat.

Once satisfied that Lexa isn’t going to forget tonight in a hurry, Clarke slowly pulls back, letting her hands drop from Lexa’s waist and bending down to pick up the dropped key.

“Bye,” she says, before turning to slot the key into the lock of the door to her apartment, smiling to herself at the memory of Lexa’s eyes dark, watching her with hunger.

Once inside her apartment, Clarke fusses around with nothing in particular. She takes off her shoes and leaves them by the door, then hangs her jacket over the back of a chair. Her mouth is dry and she takes a tall glass down from one of the shelves in the kitchen, filling it with cold water and draining most of it in one long gulp.

But her hands are restless, as is her mind, still reeling from the kisses with Lexa just on the other side of her front door. Without any further thought, Clarke reaches for her phone and taps out a quick text, unable to wait any longer to talk to Lexa.

Clarke Griffin So I don’t think I can wait for your text. Tonight was the most fun I’ve had in a while and I can’t wait to see you again. Get home safe!

Clarke panics as soon as she presses send, worried that she’s coming on too strong and that she’s going to scare Lexa away, but her fear only last for a handful of seconds, because her screen lights up with a message from Lexa.

Lexa Woods Dream of me!

Lexa’s text finishes with a kissing emoji, and Clarke falls back against the wall with a grin on her face.

Best date ever.

A/N: This has the potential to be extended into a multichapter fic. I'm not sure I have the time to continue it but if there's enough interest then it's definitely something that I'll consider.

[phantomofthepairofdice]

“Black Sunday” - Review

In the past year, I’ve seen a fair number of terrific movies, but most of them have been smaller indie fare that would benefit from the shared audience experience of being in a theater, but don’t strive for the awesome spectacle that demands theater sound and picture. For the most part, the blockbusters like Fast 9 and Black Widow got pushed back until theaters were viable options while others like Godzilla vs Kong will undoubtedly lack the impact a massive kaiju fight demands when I stream it from my couch. I’ve never turned my nose up at more bombastic popcorn fare (much to my friends’ dismay, I’m a known defender of Michael Bay), and I feel myself especially longing for a parade of big, loud blockbuster fare. I especially lament not getting to see something that promises big action but clever construction like No Time to Die seems to have considering the directing and writing talent attached. I can always rewatch class-A comfort food like Fury Road or Point Break, but the hunger for new surprises persists. This past weekend, my starved appetite for big budget, well-crafted movies was satiated with an under-the-radar espionage thriller from 1977: Black Sunday.

Based on the novel of the same name by Hannibal Lecter scribe Thomas Harris, the movie is about the Palestinian splinter group Black September organizing an attack at the Super Bowl. The mission is headed by Dahlia Iyad (Marthe Keller from Marathon Man) who enlists the help of former POW Michael Lander (a crazed but sympathetic Bruce Dern) to use his position as the pilot of the Goodyear blimp which films the games. We see that Iyad has directed Lander’s bitterness in life from having been presumed dead and left by his wife toward her cause. A testament to the characterization of the movie, it’s a manipulation that also comes from his infatuation and her pity that turns toward genuine care. Working with the FBI to prevent the attack that they know to be imminent are Mossad agents David Kabakov (Robert Shaw) and Robert Moshevsky (Steven Keats from a personal favorite The Friends of Eddie Coyle). Robert Shaw is absolutely dialed in as an Israeli agent whose reputation for finishing every job by any means necessary has earned him the nickname “The Final Solution.” It feels like a combination of what are likely his most iconic roles as the clever and ruthless agent of action Red Grant in From Russia with Love and the world-weary but vindictive and obsessive Shaw in Jaws. Also in the cast are character actors Michael Gazzo (Oscar-nominated for The Godfather II), Fritz Weaver, and William “Mr. Feeny” Daniels. Produced by the legendary/notorious Paramount exec Bob Evans, it starts to make a little more sense how they were able to get the approval of both the NFL and Goodyear to use their names and logos.

What’s most impressive about the movie, likely obvious from the plot description, is that it combines pulpy spy thriller elements and incredibly complicated geopolitical politics and somehow threads the needle. By focusing more on Iyad and Lander as a two-man operation without the support of her government, it tries to skate around the Israel/Palestine conflict. The perceived success of that task will likely vary - I would understand anyone’s objections to it as a piece of xenophobic fear-mongering. Hell, even the tagline is “It Could Be Tomorrow!” Yet, somehow it feels like it rises above that fray to be a rock-solid potboiler with a real sense of empathy for all of its characters and a priority of saving innocents. There seems to be no intentions to demonize, but there is a condemnation for violence of any kind. That may be due to the fact that the script is credited to three writers who each have their own pedigree. Most famous is Ernest Lehman whose versatility can be seen in films like Sabrina, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, West Side Story, Sweet Smell of Success, and North by Northwest. The guy was certainly no slouch at plot construction, dialogue, and adaptation. The other writers, Ivan Moffat and Kenneth Ross, penned Giant and The Day of the Jackal, respectively. It’s not hard to connect those scripts to the one for Black Sunday which has great pleasures in the hyper-detailed procedural elements and compelling characters that lead to the climactic attack. That it all goes down smoothly is in no small part a testament to the skill and craft of the film’s director.

John Frankenheimer is a gunslinger. Known best for The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds, he’s also got some certified action classics with their own cult followings like Ronin and The Train, and while it’s not as great as its original, The French Connection II is far better than it has any right to be. His work in the genre feels akin to Michael Mann for how it can be appreciated by the art house and multiplex crowds alike. His action is exciting, but the violence (most notable here is an exploding head and a swiss-cheesed man waiting for a photo op) is blunt and has real weight to it. He not only gives his actors the room to work both in terms of blocking and the actual length of the scenes themselves, but he also has an innate sense of coverage and clarity in big action set pieces that cut together perfectly in the editing room. In Black Sunday, John A. Alonzo’s Panavision photography is sensational, using handheld in key moments to ground the story so that even the movie’s most illogical story points seem plausible. It also features a really crackerjack John Williams score that mostly works to juice the action set pieces, but also has a nice thread of suspense and intrigue throughout. It’s kind of insane that Williams was able to make this score so effective in the same year he created two of the most iconic film scores of all time with Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

  The movie runs at 143 minutes, but never drags. It doesn’t take long between verbal chess matches and shootouts, keeping the pace and the pulse of the film up. The final hour of the movie is entirely set on the day of the big game, intercutting between multiple levels, locations, and characters, but everything that came before it has perfectly laid out the plans and motivations of both teams so that the audience is keyed directly into the tension. We’ve loaded the quarters into the slot machine, and it pays out a jackpot. Replete with still-impressive process and trick photography to achieve the special effects, it’s exactly the type of big movie magic I was missing. To attempt to describe the organized chaos would drain the pure visceral sensation of seeing Frankenheimer’s orchestra crescendo complete with countless extras.

If this gushing praise isn’t enough to sell what may feel like an old, long action movie, it might sweeten the deal that the final act was a clear inspiration for Christopher Nolan. Potential spoilers ahead. As for Nolan, it feels like a direct inspiration for Dark Knight Rises in that a massive terrorist threat endangers a Pittsburgh Steelers (fine, Gotham Rogues, but that’s Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger in the scene) game and both Batman and Kabakov hook a bomb on a wire to drag it over the ocean and spare the city. While it may not quite have been the sensory experience of seeing the latest blockbuster in theaters, watching Black Sunday scratched a long-untouched itch. It doesn’t solve the lack of safe theatrical exhibition of upcoming big-budget thrill rides, but it did more than a fine job tiding me over until that time comes again. Like any sort of scratching, it doesn’t get rid of the problem, but it sure does feel good.

Black Sunday is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Thanks for reading.

[realworldforum]

Does ‘Mulan’ Pass the Bechdel Test? - Evan :)

I would just like to preface this by saying wow I have not used Tumblr since sixth grade and tbh I didn’t know it still existed but I guess it does !! So good to have made my return !!!

Anyways, the Bechdel Test! I’ll admit I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole with this one and spent way too long scrolling through forums of random people arguing with each other over whether or not a certain TV show or movie passes the test. Personally, as a Disney lover, I wanted to see how many Disney movies pass the test because I’m pretty sure we’re all aware of how the VAST majority of Disney princesses/all other characters are straight, white, thin, etc. Through this process, I realized that the Bechdel Test definitely isn’t perfect (and now having just read Kate’s post I’m realizing how similar our opinions are so I love that for us <3).

First of all, I found this article (https://www.hercampus.com/school/ucsb/so-how-many-disney-movies-pass-bechdel-test) from 2017, and out of the 41 Disney movies that were released at the time, only 23 passed the test (with nine barely passing). I’m gay and can’t do math but I’m pretty sure that ratio is less than amazing. 

I was most curious about what the test would say about Mulan and the fact that this movie sparked some pretty fiery internet debates on whether or not it passes made me all the more certain that I wanted to write this post about it. It’s an interesting movie because the entire cast are characters of colour (I might be wrong but I think it’s one of only two or three Disney movies that pass the Racial Bechdel Test?) and it breaks down gendered stereotypes unlike any Disney movie before it. When it comes to checking whether or not it passes the test or not, though, is where my issues with the Bechdel Test come into play.

So let’s look at each of the three criteria of the Bechdel Test that determine whether a movie/TV show passes or not:

1. Two named female characters? There are three named female characters in the movie (Mulan, Fa Li, and Grandmother Fa) as well as the (unnamed) Matchmaker, unnamed bridesmaids, and several female ancestors (although they are also unnamed) so the movie passes this part of the test.

2. Do they talk to each other? Obviously, the majority of the movie takes place amongst an army of men, but Mulan, Fa Li, and Grandmother Fa have a few very minimal conversations (as do the unnamed ancestors), so the movie meets this requirement too.

Now, this third question is where I’m conflicted (and where I spent way too much time reading the spicy forums with all of the very angry people) with conflicting opinions)

3. Do they discuss something other than men? I meannnn … I guess? The female ancestors spoke with one another, but they were nameless. Mulan, Fa Li, and Grandma Fa’s dialogue while Mulan is being prepared to see the Matchmaker is almost entirely centred around marriage, and I know that ‘marriage’ and ‘men’ don’t equal the same thing, but still - are these the standards for female representation in movies? The film just barely meets this third requirement with this short bit of dialogue, as well as another quick exchange between Mulan and Fa Li that’s like two seconds long:

Fa Li: I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck.

Grandmother Fa: How lucky can they be? They’re dead. Besides, I’ve got all the luck we’ll need.

Fa Li: Grandma, no!

Grandmother Fa: Yep! This cricket’s a lucky one! 

Wow. Groundbreaking - we stopped talking about marriage long enough for a fifteen-second exchange about crickets!!

Let’s get one thing straight - Mulan’s characterization wasn’t perfect (she’s fighting for all of China but her victory is centred around winning the approval of men: her father, the Emperor, and Li Shang) but the movie still breaks boundaries in the sense that it features a princess who favours a sword over heels and tiaras. It’s a foundation for the female representation that we NEED and that girls everywhere deserve to see on their screens way way WAAAAY more often (I’m still waiting for a fat, black, gay Disney princess, though . . . more diversity pls Disney, I’m desperate!). But if the Bechdel Test is all we’re going to use to determine whether or not a movie exhibits gender equality or not, the bar isn’t exactly being set very high. Especially in this case where the movie can basically be summed up as “girl pretends to be a man and succeeds in doing so, girl proceeds to win huge victory for China, is then offered a place as a woman in a man’s world but instead proceeds to refuse it in order to return to domesticity and then girl gets boy. The end.” ANDDD despite Mulan being the protagonist, Mushu still had 50% more lines in the movie than she did https://newrepublic.com/article/132506/even-female-driven-movies-like-frozen-hunger-games-mulan-men-lines. This makes me sad to say and I feel like a bitch roasting the movie so much but my point is that we need to raise our expectations higher than just these three simple criteria of the Bechdel Test. I know it isn’t meant to be a 100% accurate depiction of whether a movie is feminist or not but u get the point.

As for how the movie can be changed to be more inclusive … how about we start by pretending the 2020 Mulan movie just doesn’t exist? https://www.sceneandheardnu.com/content/2020/9/18/mulan-is-bad-and-that-was-inevitable. RIP to Mushu and Li Shang’s chance to be made into the bisexual icon that I always believed he was in the original. I understand that most of Mulan takes place amongst an army of men (can we make it an army of women instead?), but at the very least I think the other female characters could’ve been given more screen time. Having grown up surrounded by ‘damsel in distress’ female characters like Princess Peach who constantly rely on the actions of men has made me desperate to see more kickass female characters in video games, movies, TV, books, and basically everywhere. Sorry if this didn’t make sense, words kinda just pour out of me when I get passionately pissed off about something and this has been no exception. Bottom line: GIVE US BETTER FEMALE REPRESENTATION PLS DISNEY (and everyone else). 

kk thanks so much for reading xoxo

- Evan <3

[margaritalevievablog]

I haven’t gotten to see the early showing of the first ep yet (if it’s still available) but here’s a promising review! :)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/deuce-review-1032504

James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal lead the remarkable ensemble of David Simon and George Pelecanos' entertaining and substantive HBO drama about sex and power in 1971 Manhattan.

In many ways, The Deuce represents the logical and satisfying culmination of David Simon's HBO journey from The Corner through The Wire and Treme. Long fascinated with the way that institutions grind down individuals and the citizenry, turning people and neighborhoods into statistics and commodities, Simon and co-creator George Pelecanos are able to use the New York City sex trade in the early 1970s to explore the exploitation of the human body itself.

A gritty, grimy (but rarely grim) tapestry of pimps and hoes, cops and pornographers, feminists and misogynists, crusaders and deadbeats, The Deuce has a lower intimidation threshold than Simon's last HBO project, the tremendous and tremendously wonky public housing miniseries Show Me a Hero, but it still balances the salacious with the journalistically inquisitive. It's another Simon drama that's a discipline-spanning sociological treatise on one level and a showcase for dozens of memorable, colorful characters on another. After watching the full eight-episode first season, which premieres on September 10, most of my complaints boil down to wishing The Deucehad at least five more episodes in which to let rapidly unfolding storylines breathe a bit more.

The show's initial point-of-entry is twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino (both James Franco). Vincent is ultra-trustworthy and responsible by standards that allow him to be a little bit of a progressive white knight, while also abandoning his kids and philandering wife (Zoe Kazan) early on with no serious audience repercussions. Frankie is a hot-headed vagabond who thinks nothing of running up gambling debts that fall on his brother. Their respective skills quickly make them valuable to Rudy Pipilo (Michael Rispoli), a Gambino capo who brings the Martinos into an ambitious, morally murky business plan for the 42nd Street area involving bars, massage parlors and sex shops.

The "James Franco plays twin brothers in a '70s porn drama" hook will lure some viewers in (and scare a few viewers off), but The Deuce is an ensemble and Frankie and Vincent stand out because they're played by the cast's biggest, most easily marketable actor and not because they're the show. To put it in The Wire terms, they're double-McNulty, a good star surrounded by countless juicier character roles. Vincent and Frankie share a mustache and Franco differentiates them effectively in small ways, via the wild glint in Frankie's eyes or the weary disapproval in Vincent's mien. Perhaps because Franco also had to be behind the camera directing two episodes, you never feel like the Martinos are dominating the screen and, as such, it's a perfect performance; you're glad when he's around and rarely miss him when he isn't.

There's too much happening in The Deuce to give more than a cursory plot summary. Maggie Gyllenhaal is probably the second lead after Franco as Eileen, who walks the streets under the name Candy, suffering indignities in order to support a son who lives with his grandmother. Eileen takes an interest in the pre-Deep Throat world of adult cinema and the greatness of Gyllenhaal's performance is in the contrasts she's able to convey between Candy's fatigued-but-talented professionalism, Eileen's growing desperation to change her life and her captivated zeal for the world of adult movies and the control she thinks it might offer her.

Candy works without a manager, which frustrates the various pimps, including Larry (Gbenga Akinnagbe), Rodney (Cliff "Method Man" Smith) and C.C. (Gary Carr), and makes her a curiosity and inspiration for the sex workers, including fresh-off-the-bus Lori (Emily Meade) and inquisitive Darlene (Dominique Fishback).

And then there are the police officers, going between benign neglect, superficial enforcement and criminal collusion at a moment when the NYPD was under scrutiny for corruption. Officers Alston (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) and Flanagan (Don Harvey) are central to that storyline, especially once Sandra (Natalie Paul), a reporter with an interest in the call girls, catches Alston's eye.

Some viewers will find the nudity, sex and, in particular, sexual violence to be barriers to entry for The Deuce, but like most Simon stories, the series is about power; the intermingling of sexual power and financial power is the text of the show. An early conversation between two pimps comparing their workplace approaches to Richard Nixon's carrot/stick incentivizing sets up a juxtaposition between how those with institutional clout and those who work outside of the system exert control in similar ways. The same is true of figures of authority, with law enforcement and criminal elements meting out punishment and offering protection in comparable fashion. As always, it's the exchange of money that drives everything, whether enterprises are entirely legitimate, organized rackets or in a state of flux because the courts are deciding minute-by-minute what is and isn't allowed (and the smart operators are the ones preparing to capitalize on every new loophole or opportunity). The characters in The Wire made cool, glib references to "the game," even as viewers were aware of the life-and-death stakes of the drug trade — and The Deuce is similarly enticing when it comes to documenting the swagger and glib cleverness of jive-talking pimps and sassy hookers, without ever ignoring the parasitic repugnance and frequent human misery of it all.

The world of The Deuce is often only a step up from the sewer, and led by pilot director Michelle MacLaren and cinematographers Pepe Avila del Pino and Vanja Cernjul, the show avoids being one of those period pieces in which every car looks new and every costume seems straight off the rack. The aromas of body odor, cheap cologne, garbage, cigarette smoke and inconsistently used disinfectant pervade every frame and unlike Vinyl, which will probably be a frequent point of comparison before people watch The Deuce, this new drama only sometimes becomes excessively enamored with nostalgic glamour. There's some nerdy excitement at the quality of the movies on the various marquees or the name-dropping of the occasional pre-iconic band, but this isn't a show that forgets the disillusionment of the moment for the low-income characters struggling to make ends meet and to be heard in a variety of civil rights struggles.

It's a show about exploitation and it's a milieu that runs the risk of being treated exploitatively, but with MacLaren directing two episodes and Uta Briesewitz and Roxann Dawson directing others, you can see the effort to not leer at the frequently exposed skin or, at the very least, never lose the context in which the skin is being bared. Anything that threatens to be sexy is only sexy to the point at which you spot the mildew on the walls, hear the sirens out the window, recognize the scary hunger in a john's expression or get any other reminder of the business transaction at hand.

The cast is tremendous, pulling from every corner of Simon's repertory company with the previously mentioned names plus the likes of Chris Bauer, Anwan Glover, Michael Kostroff and Chris Coy. Standouts in a group with no bad performances include the sweetly vulnerable Fishback, amiably well-meaning Gillard, darkly intense Akinnagbe and the spectacular Carr, whose suave-but-chilling C.C. may be the show's breakout character. David Krumholtz steals scenes as a limitedly artistic adult filmmaker and Margarita Levieva, whose student-turned-barmaid Abby is one of the show's more conventional characters, burns up the screen. Meade, Method Man, Jamie Neumann, Mustafa Shakir and even, beginning what may be his great comeback, Ralph Macchio all shine.

There are too many great things in The Deuce for them all to be serviced in eight hours and that's the show's weakness, such as it is. When a storyline like Officer Alston's arc with reporter Sandra feels rushed, that's a minor disappointment. There's a lot of hasty narrative here. It's worse when you sense that a couple of emotional beats with different prostitutes might have landed harder if we'd gotten a few more establishing scenes with the characters in earlier episodes.

That need for more is pervasive. We've only begun to get names, much less backstories and motivations, for some characters. The mob stuff is very familiar and needs more depth if they want me to think it's essential. At times I felt like I only understood what was happening with the cops because I'd seen The Wire and I've seen Serpico. Coy's character, a bartender who was at Stonewall, keeps the show's focus from feeling exclusively heterosexual, but the still-criminalized emerging gay underground is underserved.

Simon and Pelecanos are just beginning to put the machinery of The Deuce into motion in these eight episodes. As an opening act, the show's first season is substantive, provocative and entertaining. It's a journey through a certain kind of hell, but I'm already eager to return.

[jeremystrele]

The Best Sofa In The World

The Best Sofa In The World

Interiors

Lauren Li

The Statement Sofa

Do you want a sofa that has something interesting to say?  A sofa that doesn’t just facilitate conversation, it IS the conversation!? The statement sofa is the main event in the space.  They are sculptural and different, they’re conversation starters, they’re friends with big personalities.

1. Bohemian by Moroso from Hub

The Bohemian range by Patricia Urquiola is a favorite of mine (let’s face it, everything by her is my favorite) because it ticks a lot of boxes.  It has a traditional element, with echoes of the old Chesterfield buttoning style but in a completely new way.  The Bohemian is the perfect fit for a formal room in a Victorian style space, but with an edge. We have specified this in a pink and blue armchair version (it takes on a whole other personality), and are waiting for the sofa in divine green leather to arrive for some very cool clients. It’s an investment piece, for sure, but I’m a huge fan of the Bohemian.

2.Agent 86 by Grazia & Co

I’m so excited to share this exclusive on The Design Files!  It’s the brand new sofa design from Grazia & Co.  It’s cool and low, bulky but light.  It doesn’t have legs as the seat floats on an upholstered base.  Actually, I haven’t seen anything like it and I’m really LOVING it.

3. DS-600 by DeSede from Domo

Yes, it’s slightly crazy but also incredibly clever and totally original.  Known as the never-ending-sofa, there is nothing else that even comes close. Each module locks then zips together forming a sofa that can gently bend and curve its way through the space.  It’s even a bit of a movie star, and has made a few cameo appearances in films such as The Hunger Games and more recently it made an appearance at Club Unseen by Studio Pepe in Milan.  Although it was designed in 1972, I feel it’s making resurgence right now.  If you were thinking that a leather sofa made in Switzerland sounds expensive, then you’d be right!

The Go-To Sofa

These sofas work well in almost any space.  They are great for family life, as the sofa that everyone including the cat wants to curl up on!  The go-to sofa has to work hard as well as look gorgeous.  We watch tv, entertain, relax, sleep, and sometimes eat dinner on them.  Fabric choice plays a big part in choosing a sofa that is the right fit for you.

These options tick all of the boxes of comfort, durability and quality.  They will last for years.  

1. Phoenix by Arthur G

This sofa is a chameleon.  It is extremely comfortable and the fabric selection can really change the entire look.  For example, a velvet fabric looks luxurious whilst a linen fabric is more natural and casual.  The design is timeless and simple, it’s a great go-to and is exquisitely made in Melbourne.

2. Zaza designed by Charles Wilson for King Living

It’s pretty safe to say, that King is the ‘go-to’ place for sofas.  They know how to do them very well.  Within each range are a million different configurations and fabrics to select from.  When I first saw the new Zaza, which is to be launched at Denfair this week, I thought to myself, ‘Oh! I like what you did there with the folding armrest’.  I like the low back profile and that it’s a bit finer than some of their other sofas.

3. Wallace by Carmenes from Ajar

I first tried this sofa at Denfair last year and it was just divine!  Those armrests are like soft squishy pillows and provide the comfort, without the loose cushions that needs fluffing up. It’s so comfortable and always looks neat and tidy.

4. Wilfred by Jardan

The Wilfred looks so gorgeous and plush, but still has a light appearance.  The floppy arm-rest over the solid oak frame gives it a lot of personality and a casual vibe.  When it was released a few years ago, designers kind of lost their minds and we are still in love with this guy.  I’ve seen it ‘dressed up’ with a leather side and back detail by a very clever designer (Hi Gillian).  It’s incredible how upholstery selection can totally change the look.

Small Space Sofas

A lot of sofas are just ENORMOUS and they won’t fit in the living room of an apartment, that’s if you can even get them up the lift in the first place!  And let’s face it – apartment living is on the rise and just because it may be small in size, it doesn’t mean that your sofa can’t be extremely comfortable and gorgeous!  In fact, I would argue that because it’s smaller, more of the budget could be invested in a quality sofa and fabric, rather than something huge, just to fill a big space.

1. Togo by Ligne Roset from Domo

The Togo is having a bit of a renaissance at the moment as many designs from the 70s emerge.  These modular sofas are low, plush and extremely comfortable, they seemed to know how to relax back in the 70s!  A single section is perfect in a small space, but equally, two or more sections can be joined together to fill a much more generous space. The Togo is made in France by Ligne Roset and has a youthful vibe.

2. Camille by ANACA sTUDIO

The Camille is most perfectly proportioned sofa with a slightly playful vibe. Designed by Melbourne based French/Australian furniture designer Anne-Claire, there is something very cute and sophisticated about the Camille, maybe that’s a French thing?  Anyway, it looks gorgeous in upholstered in a plush velvet and it’s extremely comfortable!

3. The Offset by Menu FROM tHE aPARTMENT

What I love about this sofa is that it’s both delicate and boxy at the same time.  The fine arm profile is maximizing the seat space, which is perfect in a small space.  Designed by Norm Architects, its both homey and architectural at the same time.

The Modular Sofa

I am a bit conflicted about modular sofas. I get it, they are great because you can lie on one end and sit on another and some spaces just suit modular sofas perfectly.  However, they are just SO BIG!  I prefer two sofas and some armchairs for variety and interest.  Modular sofas should have a light, streamlined appearance so that they don’t completely overwhelm the space.  However, these modular sofas are absolutely gorgeous – they are perfect for Netflix binges, rainy Sundays and theatre rooms.

1. Tufty Time by B&B at Space

The Tufty Time is one of those sofas known by name.  It’s kind of famous amongst designers.  I would go so far as to say that it is a design classic of our time. It was designed in 2005 by visionary designer Patricia Urquiola.

It’s a modular sofa with the ottoman at the core, allowing for multiple configurations such as for the seat to be very deep, or the armrests high or low.  You can design some creative configurations perfectly tailored to needs of the space. It invites lounging however it always looks smart and the upholstered form doesn’t need plumping up. One to save up for!

2. Gentry Sofa by Moroso from Hub

This is the really the ultimate modular sofa that designers love to use.  Its refined shape, soft seat cushion, and elegant legs make it a modern classic.  It looks gorgeous in fabric and leather, even in quilted fabrics because the shape is simple.

3. Arkley by Jardan

The Arkley Modular sofa from Jardan‘s brand new ‘Art Series’ range launches TODAY! (It’s so new, in fact, that it doesn’t appear to be on their website yet… whoops!). An uncharacteristically curvy, retro-inspired shape ensures this eye-catching piece is destined to be a future classic. We love it in the smaller 3-seater shape, too! All Jardan’s pieces are made in Melbourne, which is always a plus.

The Cane Sofa

You know what I mean; it’s that sofa in the entry that you use to throw your coat on. Or the sofa in the bedroom that you bought with ideas to sit and read on, but you’ve NEVER sat on it, it just gets piled with clothes. This kind of sofa looks gorgeous, but comfort is not its most important function.

1.Belladonna by Sika from Domo

This rattan sofa is so sweet and romantic; it would add a touch of bohemian whimsy to any space.  It’s an iconic piece designed in Denmark in 1951 and is back in production in Indonesia where rattan is grown in abundance. Rattan is a solid fibre whereas bamboo is hollow, in case you were wondering!

2. Cane sofa by Curio from ClickOn

If you have been living under a rock these past few years, you may not have noticed that cane webbing is having a serious moment.  This cane sofa is refined and elegant and it would look perfect in a sunroom.

The Leather Sofa

I have a few rules about leather sofas:

1. Never have two leather sofas in the room. It will be too much leather and feel heavy and overwhelming. 2. Instead, one leather sofa and one fabric sofa, to soften the look and allow the leather to be the focal point. 3. Never, EVER use shiny leather. It needs to look natural with a matte subtle feel, not stretched tight and slick. 4. Leather looks gorgeous in an array of natural colours from cream, beige, tan, cognac, greige, light brown through to dark brown, even forest green. 5. I am not convinced that a bright white leather sofa is ever a good idea, and I’m yet to meet a black leather sofa that doesn’t look sleazy. If you know one, please introduce me.

There are so many gorgeous leather sofas out there, however I have narrowed this down to three.

1. Tiki sofa by Fogia from Fred International

So light and elegant with a slightly curved profile to the back and arms, the Tiki stands out from the crowd.  Designed by Norwegian designer Andreas Engesvik it’s a modern classic in my book, and a sofa I regularly covet.

2. Dawson by Arthur G

This sofa is absolutely stunning in person. What isn’t conveyed in the image is the open seam at the corners of the buttery soft leather, so you see the lovely raw edge of the leather. It just feels incredible and natural.  And because these sofas are made entirely in Melbourne, they offer the luxury of customisation. It’s always worth asking the lovely team at Arthur G if there are images of their sofas in other fabrics, as it really helps get the ideas going.

3. Klassik by Great Dane

With a slightly mid-century Scandinavian vibe, this is a true classic.  The high back makes this an extremely comfortable sofa, without being bulky.  It looks beautiful in leather, however there are some lovely fabric options available. This style is sofa can also often be found in vintage stores – try Grandfather’s Axe for similar secondhand options.

The Curvy Sofa

Curves are back baby! There are a few sculptural sofas that have been released recently and they make quite a refreshing change from the square bulky shapes we’ve know and love!

1. Julep by Tacchini from Stylecraft

This generously proportioned sofa is almost more like a sculpture than a sofa.  The Julep sofa is inspired by the Avant-garde furniture of the Fifties, I think its beautifully feminine and just gorgeous.

2. Stay Sofa by Gubi from Luke

What you see is what you get with a sofa like this.  This neat shape is always going to stay the same, no plumping, fluffing or faffing required.  This is a great option if you have a sofa in the centre of the room, as its curves look beautiful from every angle.

The Share House Sofa

Ok, so you live in a sharehouse.  This doesn’t mean that you have to sit on that skanky sofa that’s just always been there, but no one knows where it came from.  Get your housemates to pitch in to buy an affordable sofa.  Failing that, make them pay a price-per-sit fee (!).

1. Denver by Oz Design Furniture

This sofa definitely gives good bang for your buck!  It’s generous in size, so great for lounging with friends, but also looks contemporary and smart.  (And we’ve just noticed it’s on sale now!)

2. Como Sofa from clickOn

The fine arm profile of the Como sofa allows for more seat space, with those two little cushions included to soften the look.  A nice classic design and neutral colour options makes this such a neat, versatile little sofa with a neat little price to match!

3. The Hold from Curious Grace

Your housemates will be well impressed that you found such a cool sofa at a great price.  Although brown velvet sofas are fairly common in share houses, I would take a bet they don’t look as gorgeous as this! (It comes in heaps of other colours too!).

4. The Mellow from Curious Grace

The great thing about the Mellow sofa, apart from its affordability, is that it is robust and sort of ‘unflappable’. This is a sofa you won’t have to be too ‘careful’ with, if you know what I mean.  The structured design and smooth upholstery always looks neat, and if you select a dark colour like this, it will hide all manner of stains.

The Dream Sofa

These are the sofas that designers lose their minds for.  When we specify them for our clients, we get insanely jealous and possessive, we just want them for ourselves.

1. Maralunga by Cassina from Space

When I asked my designer friends what their favourite sofa is, the Maralunga (available at Space Furniture) came up more than a few times!  Another design from the 70s that is relaxed and instantly recognizable with its folding backrest.  If you can find an original in good condition, its better than winning the lotto!

2. Sesann Lounge by Taccini from Stylecraft

This sofa gives me that feeling of walking out of Baby Pizza wishing that I wasn’t wearing jeans, apart from that, I am in love with this sofa. Bulky and soft at the same time, the Sesann Lounge was designed in 1969 and later went into production.

3. Maker &Son

I am seriously concerned that if I sit in this sofa by Maker & Son, I may never be able to move again!  The commitment to serious comfort is just beyond comparison!

Constructed with pure comfort in mind, this couch is built in the traditional way, using materials like French jute webbing, traditional horsehair layered with soft clouds of cotton, wrapped in hessian and canvas all topped with feather and down plump cushions.  It means that there are no poly-materials at all.  This is a sofa that’s really going to look after you, and give you permission to just… flop.

4. The Cloud Sofa by & Tradition

If you ask me what my favourite sofa is, well it changes…. at home we have the Togo and it’s a great sofa for a young family.  It doesn’t need any plumping up and the kids can jump all over it, and it doesn’t matter.  It always looks good.  However if I had to choose another, the Cloud by & Tradition is a firm favorite.  It has the right amount of structure and softness, it looks good from all angles, and it’s comfortable and elegant.

And, if all else fails…

If all of the options above left you feeling a bit, meh….?  There is a secret weapon out there that allows you to have the extra deep seat if you’re tall, or the wider arm at the perfect height, so that you can rest your head and fall asleep within three minutes. Or the perfect fibre fill that you don’t need to fluff up all the time. Maybe you’re more driven by the things you don’t even see, like an all-natural fibre filling free of formaldehyde, that you don’t want to inhale.  You may need an extra hard-wearing sofa, which uses a luxury outdoor performance fabric such as the Perennials 100% solution dyed acrylic. These outdoor fabrics might sound a little but believe me they are GORGEOUS!

There is another world of sofas that are custom-made to your specific requirements, if you work with an interior designer to help realise your vision.

Beyond choosing a different leg or fabric, there are so many options out there that an interior designer can introduce you to. Interior designers have a wealth of resources when it comes to sourcing the perfect fabric, as well as furniture fabricator contacts that are trade-only (sometimes the ones who actually supply sofas to your favourite stores). It means that you will own a sofa that your neighbours won’t have… because your sofa is about what fits perfectly for YOU!

[teachergaming-blog]

Jurassic Survival Island Hack, Cheats, Tips & Guide

The game storyline is based on the famous Jurassic park movie story. Prepare yourself to start living a life full of dangers on an isolated island that actually has nothing good on it.

The island is filled with dinosaurs and weird creatures which are waiting to see an opportunity to kill you out right away. This was a brief look about the game and right now you got to put your hands over Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve cheats to unlock the full features of the game totally for free.

Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve was created and published by “gamefirst Mobile” company and it is available to be downloaded and played on Android and IOS platforms.

Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve requires an android version 4.1 and up to run. But if you ask me, then having a flagship device is totally recommended to enjoy the great visuals and run it smoothly at high settings.

Quick Intro.

Start the game right naked on the shore of the island and actually everything seems to be lost or weird to a beginner, but god will be sending you some dinosaur eggs as a gift. With them, you will be able to summon some help to survive for longer periods on this island.

Before getting deeper into the gameplay at our Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve guide, we would advise you to start looking around and explore the entire area to get used to the type of the game and know what would be your next move in such situation.

Game Controls.

In this section we will provide you with advanced Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve tips and we will also be covering the controls and how they work exactly in few lines.

Move around be dragging joystick on the bottom left side of the screen and on the opposite side you can find the attacking and interacting buttons located right to each other’s.

Keep an eye over your hunger levels and health points as well. Once the hunger level starts showing you a warning sign, then this would be the right moment to prepare a meal or maybe search for something to eat around.

The Art of Surviving!

Surviving on an isolated island will require more than the Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve cheats. Actually you will have to step up your game and start thinking of ideas out of the box.

The game is offering you the complete freedom to interact with the world around you, and you can craft anything out from the materials surrounding you. Maybe such a feature would be very comfortable and pleasing to the smart players.

Craft Anything You Desire.

The action button is going to become your most used function in the game so far. You may start collecting wood by getting close to a tree and pressing on this function button. This method is very simple and totally guaranteed as well.

Use the wood for building a small house for yourself. Reach a perfect post and enter the main menu to find many options available for you to be done at this spot. Choose the house icon and that is when you will be construing a shelter for you in this open area. Meet the minimum requirements for the house including the materials with the help from Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve hack.

Final Conclusion.

The missions will be updated frequently once you complete the given ones already. That is how the system works in the game.

Check out your inventory to see the latest items you have collected and try to organize them or throw the unnecessary items because it will slow you down. And with the Jurassic Survival Island ARK 2 Evolve hack, there will be no need to collect trash items.

We can assure you, that the game is a perfect choice for the players seeking the challenge and adventure, if you are bored from the regular games on the stores, then this one would fit you right well.

The First publisher is : Real Gamers

Main Post Link : https://ostatus.org/jurassic-survival-island-hack-cheats-tips-guide/

Topic :   Jurassic Survival Island Hack, Cheats, Tips & Guide

Re Shared on “WithoutWax” : http://withoutwax.tv/2017/11/28/jurassic-survival-island-cheats-hack-tips/

Re-Shared too on “WeAdvance” : http://weadvance.org/jurassic-survival-island-hack-cheats-tricks/

[dxbplanet-blog]

Dubai's theme parks: The most elaborate sandboxes on earth

You are about to board the fastest roller coaster on the planet, the 150-mph Formula Rossa, the pride of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park _ where pride, like most everything else in this desert architectural playground, comes super-sized.

But before you’re launched from the confines of a glistening indoor pavilion that spans the length of seven football fields, there is the vital matter of adjusting your racing goggles to keep the bugs out of your eyes.

The first theme park in the universe devoted to a luxury Italian sports car, Ferrari World is also home to the brand-new Flying Aces coaster, which boasts not only the world’s steepest cable lift and tallest loop but presumably the most fearless riders on earth.

Studio Central re-creates an old New York set on a Hollywood back lot and provides entry to the four other zones in Motiongate.

Not a car fan? No worries, because Ferrari World is but one spoke in many wheels.

Formerly the exclusive domain of Southern California and Central Florida, world-class theme parks are now springing up at roller-coaster speeds in the United Arab Emirates.

Where once stood sand dunes, skilfully engineered immersive environments now allow visitors to interact with internationally familiar pop-culture icons. I

Included in the mix: Smurfs, dinosaurs, Marvel superheroes, protagonists from the Cartoon Network, “Hunger Games,” “Ghostbusters,” “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Hotel Transylvania” and, the jewel in the crown, blockbuster Hindi movies.

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“We’ve got something for everyone, from ages 5 to 100,” said John Hallenbeck, general manager of the Hollywood-inspired Motiongate Dubai, which welcomed its first guests in December.

Mostly made up of family groups from the Arab states, the audibly enthusiastic crowds – some 5,000 to 6,000 people a day, a park rep told me – tend to filter in not first thing in the morning, as in American parks, but starting late in the afternoon, after the midday heat.

Talk about an oasis.

Adjacent to the 2,000-acre Motiongate, as part of a $2.85 billion resort complex collectively known as Dubai Parks, are the new Bollywood Parks, Legoland and Legoland Water Park.

Connecting them all is Riverland, a retail/dining area that also accommodates the 500 rooms of the Polynesian-themed Lapita Hotel, along with the construction sheds for the region’s first-ever Six Flags park, due in 2019.

“Theme parks are new to the local culture,” said Hallenbeck, a Wisconsin native and a seasoned executive of Universal Studios internationally. “People may get in line and not know what they are in for.”

What they find inside Motiongate are five separate, tree-shaded zones set to different themes. While one remains under scaffolding in anticipation of a late spring reveal, eventually the park is poised to offer 27 rides, five of them roller coasters.

The fastest, the smooth-as-silk 60-mph Madagascar: Mad Pursuit, is now operational and, like Disney’s Space Mountain, runs its course entirely in the dark.

Among the park’s distinctions: It’s the first anywhere to unite rival studios (Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate and DreamWorks, the last of which is sheltered inside a giant soundstage); the first to exploit both “The Smurfs” and “Hunger Games” franchises; and the first in the region to offer a water rapids ride, the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs River Expedition. And, yes: The ride vehicles are designed to carefully contain the flowing Arabian robes worn by some guests.

Far less sprawling, but abundantly charming, is the neighbouring Bollywood Parks Dubai, which tips its turban to the Mumbai film industry’s exaggerated escapist fare. Outstanding among the more than a dozen exotic attractions is the Lagaan: Champaner Cricket Carnival, a robust motion-simulator adventure based on a 2001 Hindi sports drama.

(All ride narratives are in English, though safety instructions are also delivered in Arabic.) “Bollywood is a lot about shows, and India is a lot about food,” said general manager Thomas Jellum, emphasizing that his park, where at any given moment a live musical number breaks out on the grounds, places human experience above mechanical rides.

In fact, a planned-for roller coaster remains in the blueprints stage, though Bollywood does boast its own pulsating landmark _ the 850-seat Rajmahal Theatre, home to the elaborate stage extravaganza “Jaan-e-Jigar,” a musical melodrama about twin brothers.

“Disney has its castle, and we have the Rajmahal,” Jellum said of the Taj Mahal-like entertainment venue. “Inside is a full Broadway musical, with a cast of 70.” That’s actually about three times the size of Broadway’s largest cast, but Bollywood is about extravagance – and “Jaan-e-Jigar” requires a separate ticket for its nighttime performances.

“This is very much an evening park,” Jellum noted. Elsewhere in Dubai, the stand-alone IMG Worlds of Adventure is an anytime park, given that its record-setting 1.5 million-square-foot expanse is completely enclosed, at times making it seem that you’re inside an enormous shopping mall.

Open since August and named for its co-chairmen, Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari, the $1 billion IMG houses rides fashioned around Spider-Man, Thor, the Hulk, the Avengers and even the Powerpuff Girls, not to mention a haunted hotel maze restricted to those 15 and older, an upscale Iron Man restaurant and, in its prehistoric Lost Valley zone (one of four), the aptly named Predator coaster. IMG Worlds of Adventure also has huge ambitions, seeking to attract 4.5 million visitors in its first year.

Already, plans have been announced to build an adjoining park with nine more zones, including those for Pokemon, Barbie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

To be called IMG Worlds of Legends, it is intended to span two million square feet.

Like all of the other parks in the region, it should help set the stage for Dubai’s Expo 2020, the world’s fair and tourism booster that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, hopes will do for his already popular emirate what the 1893 Columbian Exposition once did for a certain town in Illinois.

IF YOU GO

Getting there: From the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, in central Dubai, take the metro rail to the Ibn Battuta station and then taxi to the Dubai Parks main entrance for Motiongate, Bollywood Parks and Legoland – about a 45-minute trip.

IMG Worlds of Adventure, is half an hour away by cab.

Ferrari World, on man-made Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, takes roughly an hour by taxi.

Read more: https://goo.gl/b6zeav

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