#the invitation (2015) + barbarian (2022)

[bereft-of-frogs]

I liked Flatliners more, but Leave the World Behind at least had some great tension building scenes. But like, imo The Invitation pulled that off better, of sustaining this really tight dramatic tension between a small cast/setting and then ending on a pan out to a larger catastrophe. This was…(spoilers under the cut)

…sort of undercut when Mahershala Ali explains the dastardly plan he’s been afraid of that his billionaire friend told him because when he explains it it’s like….yeah of course his DOD billionaire friend knows it will work we’ve done that like a hundred times. Like the CIA has actually done that a bunch so it’s like…oh yeah that, of course

The implication it’s a bunch of countries teaming up like ‘we’re sick of America’s shit’ is kind of a funny set up to all those dystopia theories that the rest of the world is mostly fine but the US is the only one having like, the hunger games, or whatever. Like if that was the intention you know what, hilarious ending 10/10. I think it was supposed to be scarier but between the ‘oh that’s what’s going on? haha yeah we know about the destabilizing plan, we’ve done that a whole bunch’ and the extremely unrealistic mushroom cloud implication (come on) (I mean I’m not asking for Oppenheimer levels here but come on you pasted in a mushroom cloud-like thing and expected us to believe they like, didn’t notice a nuclear weapon falling within 50 miles of them?) it fell a bit apart for me.

Tho 0/10 on the realism for Kevin Bacon’s prepper house, there was not one single ‘no step on snek’ flag. 🐍

I think I would have liked the ending better without that piece of it. Like it does just feel like this was like…the weird love child of The Invitation (2015) and Barbarian (2022).

apparently it is Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon Saturday, just finished Flatliners and now I’m watching Leave the World Behind 😆

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Black Female Lead Horror Movies to Check Out, If You Haven't

Barbarian: Tess Marshall, Georgina Campbell | Escape Room: Zoey Davis, Taylor Russell | The Invitation (2022, not to be confused with The Invitation [2015], which I also recommend, maybe even more): Evie Jackson, Nathalie Emmanuel |

"Kindred" (Which I call Corvidae, because the Black community already have Octavia Butler's Kindred, and they did NOT have to call Corvidae by that title): Charlotte Wild, Tamara Lawrance | Little Monsters (2019, idk what it is about creators recycling titles): Miss Caroline, Lupita Nyong'o

Run Sweetheart Run: Cherie, Ella Balinska | Sissy: Cecilia, Aisha Dee | Talk to Me: Mia, Sophie Wilde

[rollercoasterwords]

I haven't seen many horror films and would like some recommendations. What are some must-watch horror movies for someone new to the genre?

oooh this is such a fun question but so hard 2 answer bc horror is like. such a versatile genre & where u should start depends a lot on like what type of movies u enjoy/what ur looking for….

like if u want sci-fi/alien horror then the obvious place 2 start is w alien (1979) and aliens (1986) (there are other sequels as well but the first 2 are the best) & then also the thing (1982) and its prequel film that came out in 2011 (also titled the thing). AND of course the fly (1986) is a must-see...and if u want something more recent nope (2022) or no one will save you (2023)...both a little more artsy and slow-moving than the 80s recs on this list but very very good <3

if ur interested in slashers then again start w the classics scream (1996) is SO fun it deserves its spot in the horror hall of fame...i know what you did last summer (1997) is also a fun & slightly older slasher; cabin in the woods (2011) is great if u want some meta-slasher-horror; ready or not (2019) isn't necessarily a conventional slasher but i'd still include it in this category & it's one of my faves

if found footage is ur jam PLEASE start w creep (2014) probably my fave found footage horror film ever...but also i'm not a huge found footage fan generally speaking lol. that being said the blair witch project (1999) is of course the classic here but it's not my personal fave; other good options if u want something genuinely freaky/scary are the bay (2012) hell house llc (2015) and gonjiam: haunted asylum (2018)

if u want like possessions & demons etc then. start with jennifer's body (2009) if u want horror-comedy it is SO fun & a staple of the genre atp but if u want something scarier then it follows (2014) is a popular one. there have also been a lot of good possesion movies coming out recently i thought smile (2022) talk to me (2022) and when evil lurks (2023) (<- literally JUST watched this one today lol) were all quite spooky

& sort of possession-adjacent but if ur more into hauntings, ghosts, etc then start w the babadook (2014) or his house (2020) both SO good. also the shining (1980) is a classic & la llorona (2019) is a personal fave of mine (NOT. the u.s. 'curse of la llorona' movie. the guatemalan one.)

if u want witches then start w the craft (1996) another sort of fun one <3 or if u want a classic then hungry wives (1972). the love witch (2016) if u want a visually beautiful & less scary one; the witch (2015) if u want a scarier one.

if u want eerie fantasy-horror then the company of wolves (1984) or tale of tales (2015). if u want a creature feature then blood red sky (2021) for vampires, ginger snaps (2000) for werewolves, and a quiet place (2018) for like post-apocalyptic creature invasion horror.

& SPEAKING of post-apocalyptic. if u want zombies i could make a whole separate post but. START w train to busan (2016) & seoul station (2016) the dynamic duo <3 & then if u want some classics from the genre of course night of the living dead (1968), dawn of the dead (2004...i haven't seen the original one u could watch that one too tho...), and 28 days later (2002). raw (2016) if u want an artsier one, the girl with all the gifts (2016) if u want a fun spin on zombie apocalypse, cargo (2017) if u want 2 cry. & if u want something funny then PLEASE watch zombie for sale (2019) or anna and the apocalypse (2017) or one cut of the dead (2017)

if u want kind of a slower-build psychological thriller then the invitation (2015) is one of my faves, but mother! (2017) is also good if u want an artsy pick & gerald's game (2017) and lyle (2014) are good as well

and then just a grab-bag of horror movies that didn't fit perfectly into any of these categories: barbarian (2022) if u want something really scary, piggy (2022) if u want slow-building horror, midsommar (2019) if u want sunshiney culty a24 aesthetic, us (2019) if u want something that'll freak u out & is slasher-adjacent, get out (2017) if u want slow-build thriller vibes, and teeth (2007) if u want teen-girl horror classic.

bear in mind that many of these films overlap between the categories i've divided them into 4 this answer, as is the nature of horror...if u were asking me 2 just like. force myself 2 choose a top 10 horror movies 2 introduce someone 2 horror w no preference 4 genre or vibe...i think my list would probably be (in no particular order):

alien (1979)

2. the fly (1986)

3. jennifer's body (2009)

4. ginger snaps (2000)

5. train to busan (2016) (<- pains me 2 say bc seoul station is my fave zombie movie of all time but if i had 2 choose just one zombie movie 2 introduce someone 2 the genre it would be this one...beginner zombie movie...)

6. scream (1996)

7. his house (2020)

8. barbarian (2022)

9. creep (2014)

10. us (2019)

[yuriwarrior]

hiiii thanks for rbing my horror recs post! here's your recs! :)

based on crimson peak i'd recommend suspiria (1977), the haunting (1963), sleepy hollow (1999), the others (2001), the orphanage (2007), house on haunted hill (1959), vampyros lesbos (1971), alucarda (1977), the craft (1996), the crow (1994), the first omen (2024) and the love witch (2016) for their beautifully haunting (gothic) visuals.

based on carrie i'd recommend may (2002), ginger snaps (2000), pearl (2022), stoker (2013), let the right one in (2008), the witch (2015) and bones and all (2022) about outcast girls looking to be loved and accepted.

based on lake mungo i'd recommend savageland (2015), horror in the high desert (2021), butterfly kisses (2018) and the midnight swim (2014) because they're all hauntingly sad horror mockumentaries.

based on the killing of a sacred deer i'd recommend speak no evil (2022), funny games (1997), nocturnal animals (2016) and the invitation (2015) because they're all horror/thrillers about someone/a group of people being mentally tortured by some little freak(s).

based on get out i'd recommend the people under the stairs (1991), his house (2020), savageland (2015) and the blackening (2022) for horror with commentary about racial injustice, and black swan (2010), i see you (2019), the wailing (2016) and barbarian (2022) for very twisty gripping horror.

hope there's some you haven't seen yet! :)

Woah those are some detailed recs!! Thank you so much kim :) I haven't seen all of them, and I look forward to watching them

[lookwhathappenedtomack]

Ladies, gentlemen, and interesting people, welcome to...

The Mackolades are my personal annual film awards, awarded to my favorite (for the most part) movies, performances, and people from all the movies I watched for the first time in 2022, regardless of release year. This is more or less a companion series to Brendan’s Pink Bettes, as most of our movie watching is together. You can see the first and second Mackolades here on my tumblr, now let’s get started on the third!

FAVORITE DRAMA

WINNER: tick, tick...BOOM! (2021) dir. Lin-Manuel Miranda

FINALISTS:

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) dir. James Cameron

Dramarama (2020) dir. Jonathan Wysocki

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) dir. Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan

TÁR (2022) dir. Todd Field

NOMINEES:

The Batman (2022) dir. Matt Reeves

The Godfather (1972) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Klaus (2019) dir. Sergio Pablos

Pride & Prejudice (2005) dir. Joe Wright

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) dir. Anthony Minghella

Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) dir. George Miller

GREAT year for the Favorite Drama category! I knew from the first few minutes of tick, tick...BOOM! that it was winning, but two of the finalists (Dramarama and Everything Everywhere All At Once) gave it a real run for its money. And then TÁR was just impeccable in every way (CATE!!!!!!). Special shoutout to The Godfather for actually living up to the hype and The Batman for being a genuinely good superhero movie. Highly recommend Dramarama in particular to any of my theatre friends that see this.

FAVORITE HORROR

WINNER: The Menu (2022) dir. Mark Mylod

FINALISTS:

All About Evil (2010) dir. Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ)

Nope (2022) dir. Jordan Peele

Pearl (2022) dir. Ti West

Scream (2022) dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

NOMINEES:

Arachnophobia (1990) dir. Frank Marshall

Barbarian (2022) dir. Zach Cregger

Fresh (2022) dir. Mimi Cave

Hellraiser (2022) dir. David Bruckner

What Keeps You Alive (2018) dir. Colin Minihan

X (2022) dir. Ti West

GREAT year for horror, too! The Menu is such a fun ride, almost more of a dark comedy than horror. I had a lot more actual scares this year than in 2021, particularly in Nope, Scream, Arachnophobia, and Barbarian.

FAVORITE COMEDY

WINNER: Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021) dir. Josh Greenbaum

FINALISTS:

Do Revenge (2022) dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Glass Onion (2022) dir. Rian Johnson

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) dir. Michael Showalter

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) dir. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

NOMINEES:

Burn After Reading (2008) dir. Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

Fire Island (2022) dir. Andrew Ahn

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) dir. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (2022) dir. Anthony Fabian

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) dir. Joel Zwick

See How They Run (2022) dir. Tom George

Hey guess what. It was a great year for comedy, too. Barb & Star is destined to join Romy & Michele and the Tragedy Girls as a pair of gal pals that live in my head for the rest of my life. They’ve had this win sewn up since I first saw the movie in August, but there was still plenty of competition. Do Revenge is probably my unofficial runner up - those twists and turn and goops and gags and outfits!

FAVORITE SERIES

WINNER: Before Trilogy (3/3)

FINALISTS:

The Godfather (3/3)

Hell House, LLC (2/3)

Wong Kar-wai’s Love Trilogy (3/3)

X/Pearl/Maxxxine (2/3)

God, what can I say that hasn’t already been said about Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy? It’s just two people talking, but it’s perfect!

THE THANKS! I HATE IT! AWARD

WINNER: Whiplash (2014) dir. Damien Chazelle

FINALIST: Fall (2022) dir. Scott Mann

This new category is for movies that are good, but I hate them anyway! And there’s no movie that quite fits that bill like Whiplash. What an incredible work that I never wanna see again. Or dwell on for long here.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

WINNER: Halloween Ends (2022) dir. David Gordon Green

FINALISTS:

Brothers (2009) dir. Jim Sheridan

The Invitation (2022) dir. Jessica M. Thompson

Nerve (2016) dir. Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman

Uncle Peckerhead (2020) dir. Matthew John Lawrence

NOMINEES:

Fall (2022) dir. Scott Mann

Hatching (2022) dir. Hanna Bergholm

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) dir. Michael Showalter

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) dir. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

The Lost City (2022) dir. Adam Nee & Aaron Nee

Valentine (2001) dir. Jamie Blanks

After Halloween Kills won Biggest Letdown at last year’s Mackolades, I went into Halloween Ends with rock bottom expectations, but was pleasantly surprised! From the opening scene it showed it was completely different from any Halloween movie that came before it, and I was mostly delighted by what followed. It’s far from the best Halloween, and has some major problems, but it’s leagues ahead of Kills, and that alone win it Biggest Surprise for me.

BIGGEST LETDOWN

WINNER: Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022) dir. Sam Raimi

I’ve engaged in a fair bit of MCU hate over the last few years, but I’ve held onto the belief that I’d probably enjoy them if I gave them a chance and just didn’t think too hard about it. Well... I guess I was wrong. I really thought I’d like this, the trailers looked interesting and Sam Raimi has a pretty good track record with me. But yeah... Martin Scorsese was right, these are just flashy theme park rides. Absolutely zero substance worth engaging with. What a disappointment, for me and for general culture. Anyway, somehow this was the only movie I watched in 2022 that I went into with expectations that were significantly let down, and I figured I’d give it its own multiverse of mediocrity with the myriad of posters available.

FAVORITE LEAD ACTRESS PERFORMANCE

WINNER: Cate Blanchett, TÁR (2022)

FINALISTS:

Mia Goth, Pearl (2022)

Janelle Monae, Glass Onion (2022)

Keke Palmer, Nope (2022)

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

NOMINEES:

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Sally Field, Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

Natasha Lyonne, All About Evil (2010)

Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (2022)

Thandiwe Newton, God’s Country (2022)

Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu (2022)

Okay I have to bullet point this one so I can talk about all the finalists.

Cate is THE performance of the year for me. Her take on Lydia Tár is nothing short of amazing - even from the opening scene, with that TED Talk-like scene where she just talks about music for a few minutes, had Brendan and me grabbing each other and whispering in the (otherwise empty) theater about how breathtaking her performance was. I can’t believe I’m giving her lead actress two years in a row (out of three total!) but she really does deserve it.

Brendan and I loved Mia Goth in 2020′s Emma, but she reached new heights in X and, in particular, Pearl. The monologue! The face journey! The everything else! She’s now on the We’ll See Anything She’s In list, and I can’t wait for MaXXXine.

Janelle! I don’t have as much to say for her, but damn she picks projects well! Incredible lady and fantastic performance(s) in Glass Onion.

Keke - #ReleaseTheSpinCut! What a joy.

Okay I adore Michelle Yeoh and if Cate doesn’t win the Oscar I hope it’s hers. Truly wonderful and deserves everything good that’s coming her way right now.

FAVORITE SUPPORTING ACTRESS PERFORMANCE

WINNER: Hong Chau, The Menu (2022)

FINALISTS:

Jamie Clayton, Hellraiser (2022)

Courtney Cox, Scream (2022)

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Brittany Snow, X (2022)

NOMINEES:

Margaret Cho, Fire Island (2022)

Tovah Feldshuh, Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

Vanessa Hudgens, tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Andrea Martin, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Alia Shawkat, Being The Ricardos (2021)

Tandi Wright, Pearl (2022)

Hong Chau is another 2022 addition to the We’ll See Anything She’s In list, and she got an Oscar nom for the other one! Yay! But this is about my favorites, not objectivity, and I prefer her in The Menu. What a treat! I don’t have much to say about the finalists and nominees that wouldn’t require this becoming far too long, so I’m just gonna move on.

FAVORITE ACTOR PERFORMANCE

WINNER: Paul Dano, Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

FINALISTS:

Marlon Brando, The Godfather (1972)

Austin Butler, Elvis (2022)

Alton Brown, Elvis (2022)

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

NOMINEES:

Rohan Campbell, Halloween Ends (2022)

Ralph Fiennes, The Menu (2022)

Andrew Garfield, tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Robin de Jesús, tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Haley Joel Osment, Sassy Pants (2012)

Conrad Ricamora, Fire Island (2022)

I started watching Little Miss Sunshine for Toni, but I remember it for Paul, particularly the sequence pictured above. Special shoutout to Alton Brown for stealing the show for a scene or two of Elvis (a difficult task when Austin Butler’s Elvis is present!)

THE TONI “SHE HAS THE RANGE” COLLETTE AWARD FOR MULTI-GENRE EXCELLENCE

WINNER: Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)/Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)

FINALISTS:

Jamie Dornan, Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)/Belfast (2021)

Idris Elba, The Dark Tower (2017)/Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)/Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

Jenna Ortega, The Fallout (2021)/Scream (2022)

Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading (2008)/Constantine (2005)/Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

I mean, Jim Carrey was basically born to play Dr. Robotnik, and when you contrast that with Eternal Sunshine, well, that’s basically what this category is for!

THE CARLY RAE JEPSEN “SHE MAKES MY BLOOD FEEL CARBONATED” AWARD

WINNER: Elaine Stritch, Original Cast Album: Company (1970)

During the Ladies Who Lunch sequence of the Company documentary, I must’ve turned to Brendan at least three times to say “I love being gay” - Elaine’s an icon and a queen and I hate I didn’t get into theatre soon enough to appreciate her while she was alive. (NOTE: If I’d started this category a year earlier, Carol Channing certainly would’ve gotten it for the documentary Larger Than Life, and it felt wrong to not mention that here)

HOTTEST DADDY

WINNER: Russell Crowe, The Nice Guys (2016)

FINALISTS:

George Clooney, Solaris (2002)

Guillermo Diaz, Bros (2022)

Thomas Forbes-Madison, The Lost City (2022)

David Harbour, Violent Night (2022)

NOMINEES:

Daniel Craig, Glass Onion (2022)

Idris Elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)

Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone (2022)

Martin Henderson, X (2022)

Peter Sarsgaard, The Batman (2022)

Bradley Whitford, tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Someone ask me what kind of guys I like. I dare you. I downloaded six entire movies to get enough usable shots of these men - definitely the most work I did for any single category.

Anyway, that’s the 2022 Mackolades! 65 movies honored (or dishonored) from an eligibility pool of 205. Now you know what I love - any recommendations of what to watch in 2023?

[thebestoftragedy]

ok so besides the invitation (2022) vs the invitation (2015) we’ve also got barbarian (2022) vs barbarians (2022) which are both home invasion type thrillers. did we run out of movie titles. there are like 5 movies total in theaters right now you would think it would not be hard to give them distinct names

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2022 - September

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - "Tobias" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Tobias and Son keep the faith and are amply rewarded. But also don't forget to pay back those debts.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - "Judith" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Do not mess with Holofernes! Unless you're a badass like Judith.

Dracula Daily - "September" by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

That Van Helsing sure takes his sweet time but I respect the dedication to the process. And now I see why everyone wants to make Mina Harker the star of her own thing because these fellas hog up way too much of the action.

A Less Perfect Union by William Leisner (2008)

Alternate universes is part and parcel for Star Trek, and this series of novellas seems to have arrived at a time when authors were keen to meld those universes and pepper in some “what if...” scenarios. I like that this one gives T’Pol a proper due.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)

The whole thing, just all of it. What a read and especially good timing as I was just in one of those former silver towns that were built on the slave labor from local people. The house is so richly described that I can still walk through it when I close my eyes.

Weird Mysteries - "Robot Woman" by Basil Wolverton (1952)

There should always be a test case for obsession.

Goosebumps: The Game dev. WayForward (2015)

A shockingly good game based on the Goosebumps license. It captured a really mellow, spooky atmosphere and wasn’t interested in rushing the player along. Just the kind of game I’d hope to see and I’m glad we at least got a couple of these meaty adventure games in the series.

Goosebumps Dead of Night dev. Cosmic Forces (2020)

Some potential in the second level (see the aforementioned note on pacing), but the first and third levels drop the ball a bit. I don’t need FNAF scares in a video game based on children’s lit.

"The Dancing Pig" dir. Mr. Odeo (1907)

Not a horror story but the puppeteering on the costume is so good that it’s kinda scary.

Orphan dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2009)

You wish you could be the person they deny you.

Orphan: First Kill dir. William Brent Bell (2022)

The complete absence of tension.

The Invitation dir. Jessica M. Thompson (2022)

A mild update.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. dir. Adamma Ebo (2022)

A dollar earned is two dollars kept.

Medieval dir. Petr Jákl (2022)

Alone and destined to step over discarded bodies.

Barbarian dir. Zach Cregger (2022)

Stop and go, stop and go.

Pearl dir. Ti West (2022)

It begins where the chains are strongest.

See How They Run dir. Tom George (2022)

Find a clue and follow it to the beginning.

God's Country dir. Julian Higgins (2022)

The only reasonable conclusion.

Confess, Fletch dir. Greg Mottola (2022)

Yes hello Lorenza Izzo.

The Woman King dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood (2022)

The story within the collapse.

Don't Worry Darling dir. Olivia Wilde (2022)

A sudden halt.

The Silent Twins dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska (2022)

Tragedy on every level.

Luckiest Girl Alive dir. Mike Barker (2022)

Someone has to win.

[signor-signor]

Trending 27th - March 2020

How would you prioritize WOY’s proper conclusion if you were in charge of Disney?

Ah yes, a question that entices anyone who knows how a higher-up boss of bosses of bosses should treat the company’s IPs, including one that was professionally made by a cartoonist with over twenty years of experience. It just so happens that in the Disney College Program back in 2016, I took a class called Disney Corporate Analysis, giving me an idea of how the businesses within the company are intertwined.

Let’s start with how I would have prioritized WOY’s conclusion if the year was 2015, just one week before S2’s premiere.

Imagine, if you will, sitting in the office of that building with the Seven Dwarfs near the top, overlooking everything, and I mean everything, owned by the world-famous entertainment conglomerate that is the Walt Disney Company... movie studios, theme parks, merchandising, cruises, theatre, and television.

After you finish your time looking at Inside Out’s month-long performance and the status of Mission: Breakout, you check on Disney TV Animation - two of the latest shows (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero and Star vs. the he Forces of Evil) are in full swing, Phineas and Ferb have gotten a satisfying conclusion like Fish Hooks did the year before, The 7D is having a decent run so far, Gravity Falls is in its second season where Grunkle Stan’s twin brother appears, Pickle and Peanut is in production, and the 1-minute Wander Over Yonder shorts have been airing on a daily basis, less than two weeks away from the second season premiere. You also learn that several months ago, Craig McCracken presented a pitch for his third and final season of WOY, wherein Wander and Sylvia take most of the folks back to their planets with the Star Nomad, Lord Hater’s origin story is revealed, Peepers is tempted by a darker side, and a threat worse than Dominator comes around to test Wander. You start taking a liking to this concept.

You get a hold of Gary Marsh, who has already approved of Milo Murphy’s Law and Future-Worm. You tell him, “Make sure Craig gets to finish WOY his way.” He responds, “What? I was just about to cancel it after two seasons because the viewers love GF and SvtFoE more. Also, many other viewers seem more interested in AT, Gumball, SU...” You say, “Are you out of your mind? We gave Fish Hooks three seasons and a good conclusion regardless of the popularity of P&F and other shows, and if Craig and the team has one more season lovingly planned out to close out WOY, I say we make it happen.” Gary says, “But, but the budget-” “Don’t worry about it. Remember when you wanted to give GF a third season even though Alex planned to end it his way after two seasons? Why not take the money you were going to give him and put it towards Wander’s third season?” “But-” “But nothing. Here at Disney, we make dreams come true. If we cancel WOY too soon, Craig and his fans will be displeased. I tell you what: put the show on another hiatus so we’ll have more time focusing on newer projects.” “...I guess we can make it work.” “Great! I’ll see you and Ben in the next meeting.”

Now, if I were in charge after WOY was canceled after two seasons, here’s how I’d set my priorities for DTVA:

2020: This year, we have S3 of DuckTales (which I’m pretty sure Francisco Angones loves more than WOY at this point), continuation of The Owl House, The Curse of Molly McGee and S2 of Amphibia in the works, and other shows that fare well on television even with Disney+ in full swing. Speaking of which, shows like Monsters at Work and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder are slated for the streaming service, and I plan to put WOY on it by the end of the year. If it fares well, which it should, I’d invite Craig McCracken back to the company as soon as he finishes Kid Cosmic, assuming he already has a perfect ending in mind. Most importantly, I would have already dispensed with reruns of Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil, because they can be found on D+ now.

2021: Aside from supporting TOH and TCoMM, Craig turns 50 that year, so what better way to celebrate that milestone than to remedy the wrong done back in 2015 by giving him the privilege of making one more season (or a TV movie) for WOY and make it a D+ exclusive so fans will finally find out what’s worse than Dominator and how Hater came to be. Regardless of how Kid Cosmic performs on Netflix, I’d be willing to take that chance. If Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon were able to pull it off with their own prematurely canceled shows, I don’t see why Disney can’t.

2022: I would assume TOH, TCoMM, and some other new shows continue to thrive. If DuckTales, Big City Greens, and Amphibia have had the chance to end right, great. 15 months after I give Craig the OK on S3 (or TV movie), the hard work from the supporters of SaveWOY will have finally paid off... Wander Over Yonder: The New Galaxy (either one season or TV movie) arrives on Disney+ in late fall/early winter. I’d make it happen because I’ve seen countless letters, a few of which had this image taped on the front...

There was even one letter from a current Disneyland cast member that made a good point. It stated that if it wasn’t for WOY’s positive impact on his life, he wouldn’t have gotten into the Disney College Program. I thought, “If I let Craig close out WOY his way, his fans will be ecstatic and some might have a better chance at getting to work for Disney and I’ll have more employees!” Remember, folks, it helps to have witty and perceptive remarks in your letters. Be sure they’re politely written, though.

If the reception of WOY’s real conclusion is warm and positive, which it will be, no doubt, I might feel extra generous and give some other more prematurely canceled shows one more go for better conclusions (Dave the Barbarian, The Buzz on Maggie, American Dragon: Jake Long, to name a few).

The main point is, I know all Wander fans have put up with the popularity of overrated shows and not knowing what the new main characters of S3 look like long enough. I also know there are a few folks (specifically the voice actors) who might not have long to live - June Squibb (Stella Starbella), for example, is 90, and I’m pretty sure she might need a back up voice actor if we wait any longer. If the hints brought up by @suspendersofdisbelief, @owner-of-wendys, and @crackmccraigen himself are any indication, the third and final season is supposed to be the best one yet, and I would have to be an asinine moron to deny them the chance to show the viewers what they had planned. Some others, including @atalkingmagpie, @benbalistreri, and possibly @skulptduggery​, know what happens after S2, given their significant involvement in the show.

I know Craig and the team have been working on other projects for a while, but that shouldn’t hide the fact that they put their heart and soul into how WOY’s actual final season would play out, and by golly, I will not let it go unnoticed, especially not while COVID-19 is affecting the world.

Remember, I had a part in the reveal of the ship’s name, so more answers might come up when Craig sees fit.

The sooner we know more about S3, the better.

@disneyanimation​