#the original feels very epic and full of passion and anger

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

hozier's released an acoustic version of literally my FAVOURITE track by him i am literally never gonna recover from this

[thedevilsmemes]

    PINTEREST QUOTES I USE IN MY MUSINGS BOARDS                           ~ A SENTENCE MEME - PART 1

                        Change pronouns as / when needed to preferred pronoun.

“I prefer to distance myself whenever I’m in a bad mood because I’ll become the most heartless person you’ll ever meet.”

“I can’t be held responsible for what my face does when you talk.”

“And yet, despite the look on my face, you’re still talking!”

“Master the art of observing.”

“You have to present yourself in such a way that people don’t even feel right approaching you with bullshit.”

“If you want to be strong, learn how to fight alone.”

“Move in silence; only speak when it’s time to say CHECKMATE!”

“My biggest problem? I notice everything.”

“Sometimes it’s better just to remain silent and smile.”

“She has a way with words, red lipstick and making an entrance.”

“Don’t play games with a girl who can play better.”

“My touch is power.”

“Let me distract you.”

“You can’t do epic shit with basic people.”

“I honestly don’t know anyone like you. Except for me, You’re a lot like me; which I absolutely love.”

“The secret to a well balanced life is a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.”

“Dangerous but fun.”

“I’m not in danger, I’m the danger.”

“ ‘You look unapproachable…’ and yet here you are… approaching me.”

“I’m not the good guy, remember? I’m the selfish one. I take what I want, I do what I want. I don’t do the right thing.”

“Admit it, life would be so boring without me.”

“I love being me. It pisses off all the right people.”

“Is my soul too dark for you?”

“We all have demons; I just choose to feed mine.”

“Here comes trouble.”

“What I create is chaos.”

“I’m not a thief, I’m just really good at accumulating things that aren’t mine.”

“A grin as sharp as a knife.”

“He was pretty cute for a monster.”

“You’re a psychopath!”

“I prefer creative.”

“Crooked grins, sly hands, and one dangerous voice.”

“I’m the tall dark stranger, those warnings prepared you for.”

“He was beautiful; beautiful like the Devil before his fall.”

“What doesn’t kill me, better run.”

“I’m everything you can’t control.”

“Who are you?”

“Demon to some; angel to others.”

“He will do what it takes to survive.”

“Nothing stands between a girl and her coffee.”

“She wasn’t just pretty. She was otherworldly and vaguely threatening.”

“And what could be more beautiful, than bringing new life into the world?”

“My body is basically a filter. Coffee goes in and sarcasm comes out.”

“I love the way your eyes light up when someone says ‘It might be dangerous!’ ”

“With OCD, little things become all that you can see.”

“I chose medicine because I can think of no other professional avenue more challenging, evolving and noble.”

“Insert coffee to begin.”

“Stressed, Blessed and Coffee obsessed.”

“I love it when the coffee kicks in, and I realise what an adorable badass I’m going to be today.”

“Follow your heart but take coffee with you.”

“I have sea foam in my veins, I understand the language of the waves.”

“The waves of the sea help me to get back to me.”

“Because I am my mother’s daughter, I can do anything. My mother’s strength lives in me.”

“I’d rather be dancing.”

“Where there is kindness, there is goodness and where there is goodness, there is magic.”

“Have courage and be kind.”

“Gentle and loving and very patient.”

“Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness.”

“She didn’t need to be fixed, just loved.”

“I wasn’t ready for half of the shit I’ve been through, but obviously I’m built for it.”

“I dance because there is no greater feeling in the world than moving to a piece of music and letting the rest of the world disappear.” 

“Don’t fashion me into a maiden that needs saving from a dragon. I am the dragon and I will eat you whole.”

“Don’t worry mother, your daughter is a soldier.”

“Sometimes you just gotta lay on the floor with your dog.”

“I am a fate worse than death.”

“She doesn’t need a hero, she is the hero.”

“You should never make a dance mad. They can kick your face, no matter how tall you are.”

“A well-read woman is a dangerous creature.”

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”

“Note to self: Let shit go.”

“Beautiful girl, you were made to do hard things, so believe in yourself.”

“I’m a monster.”

“My sadness turns to anger and that’s one of my worst toxic traits I have.”

“I don’t know where my head is at anymore… one minute I’m happy and the next I feel broken.”

“Me shutting down is far worse than me blowing up, I promise.”

“When the Devil falls in love, it’s the most hauntingly beautiful thing ever. And you should be terrified, because he will go to the depths of Hell for her.”

“Hello, I’m rich, nice to meet you.”

“Fifty shades of tired.”

“I’ll get over it, I’ve just got to be dramatic first.”

“Of course I feel too much. I’m a universe of exploding stars.”

“If I’m not hurting myself, I’m hurting everyone around me.”

“It’s not okay. Nothing about me is okay.”

“For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen; a gaseous nebula must collapse. So collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth.”

“It doesn’t matter what I do or what I choose because I’m what’s wrong.”

“Why should I apologize for the monster I’ve become? No one ever apologized for making me this way.”

“I’m terrified. I’m always terrified. I act like I know what I’m doing but the truth is I don’t.”

“You wanna know what I’m scared of? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared to move, I’m scared to breathe.”

“What does it matter if I say it? It’s not going to change it. It’s not going to make me good.”

“You are not your father.”

“A man with charm is a very dangerous thing.”

“I think he’s lonely. Lonelier than he lets on. Maybe lonelier than he realises.”

“Rely a bit too heavily on alcohol and irony.”

“Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?”

“I hope you’re proud of me, dad.”

“Me? Sarcastic? Never!”

“Hands up if your dad sucks”

“My sisters. My responsibility.”

“He’s a badass with a good heart. Soft, but strong. Unapologetic and honest. He’s the type of many you go to war beside, not against.”

“Because I’m the big brother. I’m sorry I wasn’t better at it, until now.”

“There’s a special place in Hell, reserved just for me. It’s called the throne.”

“Always protect her.”

“A gentleman takes actions when others are too scared to do so.”

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card. How you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.”

“Rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive.”

“Haven’t eaten much lately, not getting enough sleep, constantly horny and mentally unstable.”

“You can’t protect everyone.”

“I have to try.”

“The Devil is and always will be, a Gentleman.”

“I’m a bad influence, but damn I’m fun.”

“I am not who I was.”

“That sounds illegal, I’m in!”

“Original family disappointment.”

“Feel like making a deal with the Devil.”

“A king with no crown.”

“You don’t understand. It’s not that he can’t love… it’s that he’s afraid.”

“Him! Ah, there he is, that motherfucker. What a tool!”

“There’s still light in him.”

“I stopped being a kid the day you sent me down here to die.”

“I’m a reckless mistake. I’m a cold night’s intake. I’m a one night too long. I’m a come on too strong.”

“I don’t like what I’m becoming.”

[histoireettralala]

Joachim Murat: his youth in Quercy.

His steps often joined those of Napoleon. Born 250 years ago in Labastide, Marshal of France, the king of Naples remained, all his life, attached to his native land. His native village now bears his name: Labastide-Murat.

Published on August 29, 17 at 16:05, in ActuLot

Joachim Murat en uniforme de sous-lieutenant au 12e Régiment de Chasseurs en 1792 (Age 25), by Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin, 1835

His name will later be inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile. On April 5, 1791, three young people from Quercy (Murat, Bessieres and Ambert), appointed by the Lot Directory to be part of the King's constitutional guard, whose creation has just been voted by the Legislative Assembly, take the road to Paris. Coming from a family of small social status, Murat will reach the highest military glory thanks to the Republican wars and the prestigious imperial epic.

He was born on a causse with unexplored abysses

Joachim Murat was born on March 25, 1767, at La Bastide-Fortunière, a village in the Causse de Gramat. This physical environment has a certain connection with the future King of Naples' life and character. “La Bastide, a small village on the high plateau, looks like a fortress commanding the country. This majestic appearance amidst the drought, the almost desolation of the limestone soil which unexplored abysses hollow out in some places is the very image of Murat's life, a life full of contrasts where the good and the worst intertwine, where the peak honors and glory are next to disasters, mentions Marcel Dupont in his work on Murat. The sometimes violent wind is still a striking image of the marshal's mind, always filled with clouds and where hopes, vast projects, fury and annihilation collide day and night. Here is summarized in a few strokes, the prodigious and fatal destiny of this horseman who would have no equal to descend like a windstorm on the enemy troops.

His mother Jeanne's favorite child

Yet he seemed destined for a peaceful existence. Murat comes from a family that has lived in the town for more than three centuries. They are hard-working peasants, exploiting poor soil in harsh winters. How could a king arise from this modest environment more conducive to the development of country virtues than to warlike exploits?

This required the ardor of his youth, which will never leave him, but also the revolutionary upheaval. His father exploited the lands of "a few enlightened minds" in the village. Not being the owner, he is the manager, receiving earnings proportional to the crops. These are certainly satisfactory because the couple have a large house in the center of the town. This is the mother’s domain. The ground floor has been converted into an inn and the floor is divided between the family apartment and a few rooms for passing guests. This energetic woman who runs the inn is a caring mother. The good Jeanne Loubières, whom he will adore all his life, in fact, makes of the youngest of her eleven children, her favorite. By her constant presence, her desire to provide Joachim with an education, that goes beyond that of his environment, she will shape this son to the point that he will never forget his childhood.

With his curly hair and cheerful face, he's a rowdy kid, sometimes a brawler, as it should be to be respected in this country where endurance is proof of character. His time at La Bastide-Fortunière school made a good impression on his teachers: he is an average student but whose qualities of camaraderie and friendliness are recognized. His loving mother, who has deep religious feelings, thinks that the day will come when young Joachim will enter the Orders and may be parish priest of La Bastide.

His great pleasure is to lead alone the horses to the village trough. At the age when a horse seems formidable to a child, Joachim, who has an unusual vigor, already knows how to subdue them.

An amazing ability to lead

These predispositions did not arouse any suspicion among his parents who obtained a scholarship to send him, at 10 years old, to the Saint-Michel college in Cahors. He will stay there for 8 years. It is there that he will have as a comrade Jean Bessières from Prayssac, a future Marshal of the Empire. An unwavering friendship is born between these two men who would become close to the emperor.

Far from La Bastide, the young Murat discovers unknown horizons which open up new appetites for him. His intelligence is real. But as soon as he crosses the threshold of the class, he takes a singular ascendancy on his comrades, even develops an astonishing capacity to lead. How to blame him? If he goes too far for his age, he knows how to repent, implore and become very sweet again.

His whole life, he will use these weapons. Many contemporaries believe that he is completely sincere. Going from anger to tenderness, from elation to dejection, he is already and will remain, impulsive, even excessive in everything. Not without kindness and generosity.

At 20, he joins the cavalry

At the age of eighteen, he joins the Lazarists' seminar in Toulouse. But wearing the cassock does not make the seminarian. And this handsome young man of 1.85 meters, with a pleasant smile, already leads, outside the establishment, a private life the "good fathers" ignore. Here comes an important moment in Murat's life: his military engagement. It is allowed to think, with Jean Tulard, that after a quarrel, our too fiery seminarian was excluded from the University and dreading his father, takes advantage of the passage of the Cavalry of the Ardennes regiment to sign up for, he says "a life that does not displease him". In fact, the new Chasseur is "thrilled". He quickly stood out for his ability to train the most reticent horses and quickly became sergeant*.

For the simple rider, the days are repetitive and gruelling. After an early awakening (at six o'clock), you must groom sick animals, currycomb and brush them before preparing fodder, water and oats. It is only after this daily work, at ten o'clock that a soup is distributed. Then the upkeep chores of the stables. Strict rules still from the Ancien Régime! Because already Parisian ideas are swarming in the garrisons.

Giving free rein to his temperament, his need to be a leader, Murat, who places a lot of hope in the new ideas, takes the lead of the discontented men of the Regiment. This behavior is little appreciated by his leaders: he is put on permanent leave and expelled from the army. Humiliated, he decides to go back to the Lot. We are in 1789.

Delivery Clerk in Saint-Céré

Very badly received by his father who cuts him off, he returns to Saint-Céré where he is hired as a delivery clerk. For a few months, he was enraged, champing at the bit with impatience, convinced that his place is not here. The villages are buzzing. He became aware of the real state of France, of the mounting demands of the campaigns. Murat takes advantage of this return to his native land to attend and participate in public meetings of local clubs.

The past winter has been harsh and long. The harvest was poor. Lack of food and unemployment strike everywhere. Castles see their dovecote burned down. " Here will be hanged the first inhabitant who will pay the rent to the lord," says a poster from a Cahors merchant. It’s the revolt. Louis XVI summons the Etats Généraux on May 1, 1789 in Versailles. In 1790, for the Fête de la Fédération on July 14, each department must appoint two to three delegates. You can imagine that Murat is volunteering! The sympathetic, sweet talking but proud young man speaks. And it is in Lotois dialect that he expresses himself in cafes, wishing to reach the greatest number. The Revolution is born: Joachim Murat, who is part of the Third Estate by his origins, tries to change public opinion according to events. Every Sunday, he goes to Cahors: he listens, he harangues the crowd. He is on the Montfaucon list and is chosen to represent the Lot department.

The republican patriot leaves for Paris

Murat, 23, can go and explore the capital. It’s the consecration.

A new man is born. After a secular mass celebrated by former Bishop Talleyrand, speeches on the Champ de Mars ignite the crowds. One hundred thousand Parisians came to celebrate the first anniversary of the Capture of the Bastille. A year later, returning to the army, he is appointed to the King's Constitutional Guard, to protect but also to monitor Louis XVI. Indignant, the protester manifests a flawless patriotic commitment, calling himself a "pronounced republican", facing "this hideout of royalists who gravitate around the king". But the wind turns, Robespierre falls. His revolutionary passion almost interrupted his meteoric career. Bitter and worried, he is put on leave and returns for some time to Quercy, "wanting to become a simple plowman again".

Aide de camp

Skeptical about his future, then dejected, Murat quickly reacts, helped by the deputy for Gourdon, Jean-Baptiste Cavaignac, who encourages him to return to Paris. It is on the night of 12 to 13 Vendémiaire (October 5, 1795) that Murat is put in contact with the First Consul who needs him. He orders him to save the Convention threatened by the royalist riot. Forty cannons are placed by Squadron Leader Murat around the Tuileries Castle. Three hundred royalists will be killed. The government of the Republic is saved again. As Tulard points out: "From now on the star of Murat will merge with that of Bonaparte". No more depression, finally power and glory.

Promoted Bonaparte's aide-de-camp, he leaves for the Italian Campaign, direction Marengo. There, "his clothes will be riddled with bullets", but they will know victory.

He becomes Napoleon I's brother-in-law

In 1800, he marries Caroline, the First Consul's youngest sister, becoming the brother-in-law of the future Napoleon I. This marriage will give Murat an outstanding position among the marshals of the Empire. Quickly, he is invited to move to the Château des Tuileries and becomes part of the close entourage of the new master of France.

The rouser of men from the imperial epic will remain kind to his family at La Bastide. Coming from a small inn in Quercy to fly with his squadrons across Europe and into Egypt, Murat seems like a legendary character. Chateaubriand will devote long passages to him in the "Mémoires d'Outre Tombe". He will be admired by Stendhal, Dumas and Balzac. Three words characterize the King of Naples: ardor, ambition and panache. If he remains the most magnificent rouser of men the imperial epic will produce, he will invest much into the Lot whose deputy he will become in 1803.

And he will show kindness for his whole family. Especially for his mother, for whom he will show a deep attachment: he sends her rosaries blessed by the Pope.

The portrait he has done of Jeanne in 1792 will never leave him. It will be with him, in his homes, in his tent during his campaigns and in Naples, in his palace. He will build a castle for his "La Bastide family" in his native village, modeled on the Palais de l'Elysée, where he had resided as governor of Paris.

The King of Naples dies executed on October 13, 1815.

By André Décup

[Translation is mine.

Note: I translated by ‘sergeant’ the grade of Maréchal des Logis, which is its equivalent in the cavalry (and nowadays in the Gendarmerie).

There is no right translation for “entraîneur d’hommes”, I hope “rouser” doesn’t seem too weird in English.]

[elejah-wonderland]

Bleeding Love/2

Fanfiction 2/3

Elijah Mikaelson x Elena Gilbert

an AU TVD/TO story

a/n: I thought I should have it as one shot but it is turning into a three part. 

Thanks so much for reading. xoxo

tags @rissyrapp20 @dendrite-lover @captainshurley @cassienoble2000 @goddessofthunder112 

🦌

Days after

Mystic Falls

The doppelganger was awaken by her phone ringing.

Opening her eyes just barely, she took the phone from the nightstand and swiping it said-

"Hey"

"I still have something to deal with here at college, then will come to your house"- Bonnie said.

"What time is it?"- Elena asked.

"8:30"- Bonnie said-"What do you want from the diner?"

"Chocolate-chip mint fudge ice-cream"- Elena replied-"two big buckets."

"Still not over it?"- the witch now asked referring to her meeting with the Original.

"Three buckets"- Elena said now sitting up, rubbing her face with her hand.

"Oh, Lena!"- Bonnie stated-"ok, see you later."

As they both hung up, Elena laid back on the bed her mind transporting her back to the kiss. They had only shared two kisses and both were epic. The only difference was that the second one had the most unusual intensity, as if it was a goodbye of a most strangest kind. Why would he kiss her like that? Was something bad going to happen? Or was this a final goodbye?

Elena shook her head kind of dismissing the thought and the feelings surrounding it and went to the bathroom.

****

🦌

Harz Mountains, Germany

Elijah and the two Strix witches arrived to the designated place, where a lead took them, to find out more about the beginning of the Traveller covens.

Aya and Elijah walked into a building that was a very old Chemistry shop "Zum Roten Fingerhut" asking for Reinhard Pranke.

The man looked somewhat oddly at the woman and the man in the most pristine suit asking why they wanted to speak to his father.

"It is about a small matter of the herb Digitalis Purpurea or as you call it roter Fingerhut."- Elijah said in the German language-"he will know what I am referring to. Say a gentleman of the Organization called the Strix wishes to see him."

The young man gulped a bit when the name Strix came out. He obviously knew the name and who they were.

"I will give him a call."

"Please."- Elijah said.

Not long after the call, the old man arrived and took Aya and Elijah to a cabin in the mountains.

¤¤¤¤¤

In Mystic Falls, later, in the evening

Elena's house

"Ok, so what do we know about those Traveller witch covens?"- Elena asked Bonnie.

Bonnie now read out to Caroline, Stefan and Elena what she had found out after the clues Aya had left her.

"They are a several millennia old community, divided between those witches who sought to preserve what they saw as the natural balance of the world by using their powers for that aim, and those who believed they could use it to do anything. Fearing the power that could be unleashed on the world thanks to this use of magic, a group of powerful witches called upon the Spirits and then placed a curse on Qetsiyah's entire coven. The curse prevented them from gathering as a tribe, an act which would cause disasters such as plagues, fires and earthquakes whenever they gathered. Also, they no longer had access to traditional magic."

"There- traditional magic! That is what they want and the source of it. And it is in Mystic Falls."- Elena said-"but how do these vampire-witches come into the whole thing?"

"Isn't Elijah's witch going to find that out?"- Caroline said.

"Yes, that's why they jetted off to Germany."- Elena said-"the witch part is still weak because of the curse, and they need the traditional part of it to strengthen the magic in them."

"Ok. We need to find out who Qetsiyah is and try to locate the existing covens."- Stefan said.

"Easier said than done."- Bonnie now got up from the table to get herself some water -"because they are also shifters and this is going to be so hard to locate them."

Elena now sighed and mentioned Liv- "We have to find her. She apparently belongs to a Traveller coven as well. I really don't get why she left."

"So, this is all we got?"- Caroline asked.

"Yep."- Bonnie replied-"till we hear from Aya and Elijah. Unless you get one of your visions, too."

"Well, I can't just order them. It's the thing of the moon."

"Right."- Stefan got up-"I am going to try and find out about Olivia the old fashion way."

Caroline got up as well taking her boyfriend by the arm, telling her friends not to start on the ice-cream without her. Elena assured her that they wouldn't.

Outside the house a few seconds later, the blonde and the vampire shared a little kiss.

Inside, Elena took a spoon full of ice-cream before she said-

"I don't know why I am agonizing over it. It's not like anything can ever happen between us. He is sired to me- which still I really don't get how and why we can't -"- Elena said frustrated.

"Because- your blood in him makes him go all wild and violent in the heat of passion and he will have the urge to bite you and drink from you to the point of your death, and he won't be able to stop himself. Also, he will lose the humanity. It is your blood in him that keeps his humanity in tact."- Bonnie said-"it's magic."

"I want to know about the kiss! Was it like the first time you kissed or was this kiss like I want you, I need you, I want to make love to you- what?"- Caroline wanted to know the details.

"The first one was I want you, I need you- but this one was- like goodbye kiss, but like- weird- I mean. Nothing really led to it."- Elena tried to get around it herself.

"So how? He kissed you because he was going away and he will never coming- back- kind-of-a kiss? Not that he kept away since we had the problem with the virus."

"When was he here when we had the problem with the virus?"- Elena now looked puzzled at Caroline and then Bonnie, who both looked at the doppelganger, obviously now finding themselves in the right jam, as they kept that from her.

Bonnie shot a furious look at Caroline for not being able to control her mouth.

"Sorry, Lena"- Caroline now apologized-"but he told us not to tell you, because, he didn't want to - stir up things."

"He brought the Cure, didn't he?"- Elena said feeling happy and sad at the same time.

The witch and the blonde now nodded silently still feeling bad for having kept the truth form their friend.

Elena now got up from the sofa feeling a rush of anger splur, but also pained and full of love for the Original vampire-"This is what he does. How can I not love him? He is sweet, kind, good. And - I just- how am I going to ever move on, when he kisses me like that?"

Both of her friends were feeling for her friend. She tried to have other boyfriends. She even dated one or two from college, and it was a distraction for a little while, but then she knew that deep down she was not fair to them.

"This love is like a curse."- Elena now stated slumping down on the sofa taking the bucket of ice-cream in her lap, scooping out some ice-cream.

''Don't say that."- Caroline, the hopeless romantic now tried to stop Elena from thinking about it in that way- "You guys have like the love of all time."

"Oh, please. We are not Buffy and Angel."- Elena said.

"This was a TV show, you and Elijah are real."- Caroline said, continuing-"Bonnie or- I don't know who is going to do some magic thing, and you will be able to be together." The blonde now looked at her witch friend.

Bonnie had already tried to find a spell or something that would not make Elijah go into full evil vampire-bloodlust mode if or when they ever sleep together.

"I've read everything I could get on the sire-bond from the Strix archives."- Bonnie said-"there is no loophole. I am sorry."

"You see."- Elena said-"I don't know why we are wasting any time on this. It is just hopeless. We can never be and that’s that!”

Elena sighed and now taking a spoonful of ice-cream, closed her eyes for a second. She could still feel him, like it was just minutes ago. All the time. Like there was so much more, and not just a simple goodbye kiss, like he was with her and her heart ached with the love she felt for him. 

🦌

Germany

In the cold room in a hotel in a village in the Harz Mountains

Elijah sat down on the bed taking the picture of Elena out of the book of Sonnets. He swore he would not torture himself by thinking of her, looking at the picture of her. But, his heart just wouldn't listen. He now read the sonnet.

Putting the picture back in the book, Elijah laid down on the bed. His heart was aching. More than it ever did. The memories of holding her in his arms, kissing her, making love to her, all heightened the aching undead soul of his. How is he going to go back to her, be around her again? How will he bear it? When he knew what they had that one night, that one day they spent together?

In the room next door, Aya spoke to Sabine.

"He will go back to Mystic Falls and watch over her. Hopefully we will find the Parker coven members in time"

****

🦌

A few weeks later

Elijah woke up with a shuttering breath, breaking out in cold sweat. Another nightmare kicked his undead heart hard. 

Collecting himself a bit, he sat up and his thoughts swarmed to the a time past. 

Flashback

A year and a half ago, Mystic Falls

Elijah waited for the doppelganger in the Lockwood Mansion, as the family had been a long ally of the Strix. Elijah had arrived in Mystic Falls a couple of days before, and acted behind her back, killing Trevor, a vampire that had plotted and inadvertently killed Katerina Petrova, making her a ruthless vampire. Elena was not impressed by him doing the killing, as she needed Trevor tell her about the moonstone, she and Bonnie had been looking for quite a long time. 

As Elena found out, who he was and that he was a guest of the Lockwood family, she went there to give him a piece of her mind.

                       As she burged in, she shot a tirade at the old vampire without a greeting or anything similar-

"I don't care who you are, but you don't do what you want in this town before you check things with me!"- Elena said, her eyes glittering with anger.

"Hello, there!"- Elijah said calmly.

Her eyes still blazing at him, she took a moment, and composing herself a bit,  tried to subside her fury, as Bonnie and Carol  had explained who he was. She now replied simply-

"Hello."

"Would you please sit down and allow me to explain why I did what I did without consulting you. Please-"- he now gestured to Elena to take a seat.  

Elena nodded a little and with a small sigh she sat down ready to listen to his explanation.

As Elijah was about to start, one of the Lockwood family's help walked in with a tray of tea.

"Thank you."- Elijah said politely to the woman and as she served the tea. He offered a cup to Elena  but she refused it.

"You don't mind if I do have a cup?"

"No, but aren't you supposed to be drinking - something else?"- she was referring to the blood.

"It's been a long day and I prefer something calmer."- Elijah explained. 

As he took a sip he said-

"I apologize sincerely for having acted on impulse. I would never disrespect you, and your position in this community, nor undermine all your efforts. But, you see, Trevor Ford is responsible for the demise of Katerina Petrova, as well as - my brother."

"Your brother?"- Elena now looked at Elijah surprised. 

"Yes. You know that Trevor Ford is the Old one?"

"Yes. I've been told."- Elena said-"You are one, too. And the books don't mention you having a brother."

"No. Because, that was before we ever were turned into vampires."- Elijah continued-"that was nearly 2100 years ago. That was in 83 BC. He took him to the Magi and they cut his heart out as they needed it for the werewolf curse. You see my brother, well to be exact, my half-brother was the First Hybrid, the one you are looking for."

Elena looked at the vampire wide-eyed.                       

"I think the term you are searching for is OMG."- Elijah said.

"Well, yeah. OMG!"- Elena said.

"I also have the thing you were searching for so ardently."

"You have the Moonstone?"- Elena said surprised.

"Yes, Elena."- Elijah replied and continued-"I suspected that he had it on him, as this was something he could negotiate with, and he had found out that the Bennett witch lives in Mystic Falls, and he needed her to do the ritual. But, what he didn't know was, the Strix witches had altered the spell and could not be performed without the doppelganger's blood. When he came here, he was ready to take you and kill you if necessary, and I could not have that."

"What?"

"The doppelganger is very important in this fight against the hybrids. And, although, your strength is far superior to all other doppelgangers, due to your very mixed family gene pool, you could still not beat him, nor your witches. So, I have intercepted him on the way, before meeting you. You know the rest."

Elena sighed a little and said-"I do."- and continued-"Right. I- am sorry that I came bursting in and wanted to tear your heart out. Not that I could, but- in future- could you just let me know what your plans are?"

Elijah smiled a little-"It's a deal."

"Good."- Elena stood up now-"Your witch said that you will help us with the Harvest. We can meet in my house tomorrow morning- to coordinate-"

Elijah nodded and, the gentleman he was, stood up as well, taking her jacket, ready to walk her to the door. 

Elena stood still for a second as she waited for him to give her the jacket and  then said looking him poignantly-

"Thank you."

Their eyes locked streaming a commitment  and at that moment it was like there was this something more glistening out of them- and at that  moment neither of them would ever forget.  This was said- I will forever be there for you.                       

His heart was lost to her, as well as Elena's was to him. 

Elena took the jacket off of him and walked out of the Lockwood Mansion. Elijah looked after her through the window until she disappeared into the woods.

Elijah now got up and walked into the bathroom to refresh and get ready for the meeting with his witches.

¤¤¤¤

🦌

In Mystic Falls 

After a long night of chatting and watching romantic comedies, Elena got up early and went for a run. She needed to clear her head and focus on whatever was coming. But focusing was just not going well, and there in the woods, she bumped into another fellow runner. 

"Tyler, hey."- she greeted her werewolf friend.

"Hey. You're back?"- Tyler said.

"Yeah, got back like a night ago."- Elena said-"what's up?"

"I am surprised you don't know already. Olivia is gone. No word. No goodbye. Like we didn't date a year."- Tyler said.

"I heard. We are looking for her, too."- Elena said.

"She was acting weird, couple of days before you left for New Orleans. I thought it was because of Lexie giving her shit over killing that witch back in New York?"

"I don't know. We had a huge argument before Lexie left, too, but I had no time to deal with that. You have to ask Caroline."- Elena said.

"Yeah. Ok. See you at the thing this weekend at the Mansion?!"- by the thing, Tyler meant the Music and Art Festival the Lockwoods hosted every year on the grounds as a special one-day event. 

"Can't wait. Seriously need big time distraction."- Elena said-"Caroline said that it will be bigger than ever."

"It will be sick."- Tyler said. 

"See you there."- Elena said and went on running down the track.

¤¤¤¤¤

In Germany, Elijah convened with Aya and Sabine.

"I am going to check the New England lead. Sabine is going to Oregon."- Aya told the vampire.

Elijah nodded a little and than said-"I think it is worth going to New York, to check on John Lorenzo. You said they would not strike before the third new moon rising after the Lungsanadh."

"Well, not according to Reinhard Pranke"- Sabine said-"but that is coming from his witch ancestor seven times removed."

"Their magic now can't work on you. We made sure of it when we turned you back. So, you will have to look after Elena, who can be suseptible to it, as they might posses the blood of the doppelganger. You need to be back in Mystic Falls as soon as possible."

"You were saying something about imposing a boundry spell on the town?"- Elijah asked.

"Can't be done. The mystical convergence is not letting us do it. The Bennett witch has already tried it."- Aya replied.

They soon wrapped up and then each went their way. 

The Mystic Falls Scoobys spent the same day, as well as the next one passed by in research about Quetsiyah and the Traveller covens.

They would not only live and breath supernatural stuff, they also concentrated on the very human things like the upcoming one-day Festival event at the Lockwood Grounds. 

This being Mystic Falls, supernatural Central, as Caroline called their hometown, the Lockwoods being chairs of the Secret Council, knowing that the Festival also attracts all different supernatural beings, made sure there was a special protective spell cast, so there is no trouble. 

"All done."- Bonnie said as she went to check upon everything with her mom, who was there as well, visiting. Although Abby could not perform magic any longer, due to her having passed the gift to Bonnie to live as she was on the brink of death as a child, she still could check upon the spells being done right. 

Carol Lockwood thanked them and went off with the festival organizing team. 

Abby then picked up her bags and with a little see you later, left the Mansion. Bonnie stayed on, as waited for her boyfriend Luka to pick her up. 

The whole town was buzzing with people coming from all over for the Festival, and so were Elena and Caroline. 

"Tonight I want to forget about the world and -"- Elena said to her friend as they met for drinks at the Mystic Grill.

"And?"- Caroline asked as Elena didn't finished the sentence.

"You know."- Elena said asking for another Bourbon as she shot the first one down.

"You plan on getting wasted- but you have to be - on call- "

"On call?"- Elena looked at Caroline puzzled that she chose that word-"I am not a doctor."

"But you are -what you are"- Caroline also didn't know what to call the doppelganger-"You are not really a hunter, cos you don't hunt anything. But not really a slayer- who cares. But shouldn't you kind of still be - less slashed?"

"You know that I have to have a whole bottle to be a bit drunk. I know that I have to be on stand by. This is my life, always on stand by. I just want to let go. At least one night"- Elena said. 

Stefan now entered the Grill and Caroline's look directed with a wide-eyed nudge the vampire about Elena, which told the vampire that Elena was not in a good place. 

"Caroline I don't need baby- sitting."- Elena said seeing her friend's facial mimic to her boyfriend.

"I am totally ok if you need me to be on alert."- Stefan said-"You deserve to unwind and go party."

"Thanks"- Elena said-"sorry for being bitchy. Three years ago I was just a High-school graduate and then- pouf - 18th birthday- and Elena is not just a girl anymore, but this weird natural occurrence. So, tonight I just want to be a 21 year-old and - party. Do stupid things like get drunk. A bottle!"- she now asked the bartender to give her a bottle. The bartender gave her the bottle and Elena looked at her friends saying-

"Shall we?"

Stefan and Caroline followed. The vampire reassured the blonde that she shouldn't worry and that they would look after the doppelganger. 

And the doppelganger forgot world a little later as the event began, letting completely loose. 

Bonnie, who stayed only a little while at the gig, went to patrol the woods. All seemed to be as usual. There were no strange witch energies. No unusual hybrids appearing. Until she got to the road leading to the Wickery Bridge- 

"Hey there, witch."

                       Bonnie looked startled as the vampire now swooped like out of nowhere. 

"Damon!"- Bonnie exclaimed.

"The one and only"- the vampire said. 

■🦌

Elijah also arrived in town and as he swished to Elena's house, his heart stopped in his tracks as he now saw Elena kissing a man in the car. 

                       And a few seconds later they got out, laughing and kissing some more as they walked to the house, and as Elena unlocked the door, they entered it.

It cut him deep.

____

[shemakesmusic-uk]

This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to shemakesmusic@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Morchella

Newcomer Morchella releases self-produced debut single ‘Coat of Arms’. ”For me this track is an expression of the complexities of every individual and just how much ‘lies beneath the surface’," explains Morchella. "I wanted to take the listener on an atmospheric journey.” ‘Coat of Arms’ is a perfect blend of ethereal production and songwriting. It creeps from an electronic soundscape into a Kate Bush swirl and into a Sigur Ros build, with haunting backing vocals throughout. Morchella is a London based musician, producer and multi-instrumentalist, drawing inspiration from the likes of Agnes Obel, Jonsi, Radiohead, Sharon Van Etten and Bat for Lashes. She’s been busy working on new material with award nominated sound engineer Shuta Shinoda (Jehnny Beth, Hot Chip, Ghostpoet, Daughter), recording at Hackney Road Studios along with a very talented band.

Morchella · Coat of Arms

Emi Jeen

The story of Montreal-based alt-pop artist Emi Jeen is brimming with emotion, heartbreak, wisdom and triumph. With her songs that tell her tale: at once hopeful and nostalgic; wistful and urgent; raw and graceful. Emi says of her new single 'Runaway': "When I first began to write the lyrics for this song, I was in LA and just wanted to escape reality. I wasn't comfortable in my current situation, having so many disappointments fighting the music business for the last 10 years. I often feel so different when I'm in another country and feel like there's so many new opportunities that I feel like another person. On that trip, I began to see a little light out of the blurriness and started writing in the backyard of my Airbnb. Two years later, back in the studio, the song came to life. With the confinement and closed borders we are facing now, the urge to escape is heightened. It's okay to start all over again and to take risks. I hope 'Runaway' serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to change things around and move on and take a different path."

EMI JEEN · Runaway

Excorde

Musically, Excorde's songs feature a very broad yet cohesive influence and fusion of 80's and 90’s rock genres, from adult-oriented, classic, alternative, indie, progressive, alt. country, pop, metal, to the most important element of all: Excorde's truly original sound. Lyrically, expect to find thoughtful and deeply moving phrasings about experiences in love and life. Jimena’s emotional voice combined with Jonnie’s distinctive instrumental constructions will transport you to another dimension where catchy choruses, killer guitar riffs, and meaningful lyrics are imbued throughout the listening experience with Excorde.  The duo had this to say about their new single 'All the Way Back Home': "This is a melodic hard rock tune about plucking up the courage to end a dangerous relationship and finding refuge where you feel safe.  This song has sections ranging broadly from intimate to epic, full of rising actions, thematic variations with intriguing resolutions sure to keep your attention throughout the song.  The song also happens to be graced with the amazing 5-string violin talent of IceRequiem (Rachel Brick)."

jonnie cook · All The Way Back Home ~ (NEW MIX 7/13/2020)

The Crayon Set

The Dublin-based band specialise in catchy, alternative pop. The band released their debut album in April 2013.  Its follow-up, Lost Languages was released in 2017. The album was a move away from the indie pop of their debut and was in part a homage to many of their favourite 'Americana' artists. The band have just finished recording their third album Downer Disco with producer Stephen Shannon and it is scheduled for release later in 2020. Check out new single 'Summer Song' below. The Crayon Set are an exciting live band and have played many of the top Irish festivals and venues. Their dynamic live shows feature tight vocal harmonies, instrument swapping and occasionally some giant inflatable crayons.

The Crayon Set · Summer Song

S.K. Wellington

S.K. Wellington is a Calgary based Folk/rock singer-songwriter. Acoustically driven with relatable themes and catchy hooks. Formerly The Wellington Folk. S.K. Wellington had this to say about her latest single: "'Like a Ghost' came to me following the loss of a significant relationship. It would have made for an epic country song (they took the dog and all!) but I decided to go in a different direction. I was so broken that all of my inhibitions and fears about music, arranging, and producing, went right out the window. I needed to pursue this radically different process and new sound for my own healing and passion. I've realized that a relationship ending in a tough way doesn't always have to result in anger and resentment. You can allow that powerless feeling, the intense hurt and the grief, to soften you. I found a lot of compassion for both myself and the other, as I fell apart and then started to build my life back up again. There can be a balance while adjusting to a new normal."

S.K. Wellington · Like A Ghost

Tiffany Johnson

Tiffany is a singer-songwriter with a fresh new style. Her songs are a mix of country and pop with honest lyrics and unique melodies. Surrounded by music from a young age, Tiffany was a natural writer and performer. She fell in love with the idea of being able to capture a moment or feeling through her lyrics. She hopes that with each song she writes, someone will be able to identify with it and feel like they are understood. "My new single 'Out of My Head' tells the story of someone trying to move on. I think sometimes memories come back at the most unexpected times. Even when you think you have moved on, something will randomly remind you of the past. The song is all about trying to get those memories out of your head."

[manuscripts-dontburn]

October 2017 wrap up

I had an unexpectedly good reading month, considering both my work and university are slowly but surely becoming a crazy ride. I finished reading 12 books in a month, which is almost a double of what I manage to read usually! Furthermore I pretty much loved and enjoyed almost all of them! Let´s take them one by one in order I read them:

When Miss Emmie Was in Russia  (Harvey Pitcher)

The first book I finished in October was a non-fiction about English Nannies and governesses who, throughout the 19th and early 20th century, ventured into Imperial Russia to take care of well-situated babies and children. While I did reach for the book mainly because it is directly related to my diploma thesis (on which I am currently working), I think it was a delightful and fascinating account! It is a very approachable book giving statement of some truly remarkable women in rather remarkable situations. While the topic may seem very specific, you don´t need to be a scholar to enjoy it. 4 stars!

Roverandom (J.R.R. Tolkien)

When a small dog angers an arrogant old wizard over a yellow ball, he is turned into a small toy by his spell. And that is just the beginning of a story J.R.R. Tolkien wrote for one of his sons, who had lost his favourite dog toy once on a beach.  Few authors known for their epic words also understand fairy-tales and adventures. This may be a book for children, but it never feels infantile! Heart-warming, sweet and delightful. Also very short and ideal for readathons. I love Tolkien. 4 stars!

Peter the Great: His Life and World (R.K. Massie)

A work of truly mammoth proportions, so very detailed and thoroughly researched I can hardly imagine any other biography on Peter could give me more. The most famous of all Russian Tsars steps out of the pages vividly andone still feels both admiration and fear he had once inspired. It reads almost like a novel, both thanks to the skill of the author and because of Peter´s truly extraordinary existence and life. 5 stars!

Vampires in the Old Russia (Alexei Tolstoy)

I am quite sure the short stories included in this publications are translated and thus available in English as well, just not in a separate book like this one. In any case, this book surprised me - and pleasantly so! I had no idea what to expect, but I imaged a rather slow and boring style with ambiguous stories. Oh no! This reads really quickly, the author wastes no time and all the three stories included gave me chills! A very satisfying October read and perfect for anyone who likes the works of Bram Stoker! 4 stars!

The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)

A stunning book. Mystery, family tragedy, historical fiction, thriller - it encompasses a whole lot of literary styles and perfectly shapes them into one impressive story decorated with wonderful writing. I find it difficult to review this book, it is definitely something you should read without any preconcieved notions. But read it you should! 4,5 stars!

Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy (Diana Preston)

One of those non-fictions which read like fiction, yet are even more haunting since they once truly were a reality. This was the second book on Lusitania I have read and I suspect will be the last. The story of the sinking and the aftermath is just so depressing - and makes you in comparison realize what an organized and fairly "glamorous" event the sinking of the Titanic was. Just the length (Titanic 2 hours, Lusitania 20 minutes) gives you an idea. (Naturally both the tragedies were equally painful and I am not saying one was worse than the other when it comes to loss of life). Diana Preston gives a lot of information on all the events surrounding the ship, not merely the tragedy itself, and I have to admit some of it I skimmed. Still, a vivid and touching book that made me rather depressed. 4 stars!

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

Being in a Halloween mood (though we do not celebrate Hallowen here) I picked up a venerated classic written by Mary Shelley. I loved the atmosphere and the writing was beautiful. I liked the idea and one has to take into account how original and new it was at the time. Unfortunatelly, the book could never hold my attention for too long. I had to remind myself to pick it up again and again, I felt it dragged for most of the time, and I was actually glad when I finished. 3 stars!

Children of Irena Sendler (Anna Mieszkowska)

Not available in English as far as I gather, but you could find more books about this remarkable woman to draw some information from. And maybe better books too.  I felt this one was a bit disorganized and I wanted more of actual Irena, but that does not mean the information the publication carries are without value. On the contrary. More people need to read about Mrs. Sendler. You included. 3,75 stars!

ABBA: The Official photobook (Petter Karlsson)

ABBA was my most favourite music group when I was a kid and a teenager, and till this day I love them greatly.  The day the book arrived I immediatelly sat down and went through every photo and every word that it contained. Not much information was new to me, a passionate ABBA buff, but a large number of the (HQ and beautiful) photos are commented upon by the ABBA themselves which makes the book a delightful and new experience. 5 stars!

A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience (Emerson W. Baker)

I ploughed and skimmed my was through this book which felt longer than it shold have. While I can appreciate the research the author did and can see his attempts and neat organization of facts, the truth remains that the writing is bland and I felt bored. Bored by something as interesting as Salem witch trials! Furthermore, aside from enjoyment I rate non-fiction books according to how much I have learned. Here, sadly, the book fails again. I retained very little information after reading it. There was too many names, too much repeated information.... one got lost quickly in all that. Perhaps the book would do me better service had I previously had some notion about the Salem events, but unfortunatelly this was my first venture into the topic and not an encouraging one. 2 stars!

The Muse (Jessie Burton)

Jessie Burton is an author full of promise. Her debut novel was good, The Muse is better still. I think a bit more mystery would have added a lot to the atmosphere, since everything is really explained almost the moment one is introduced to the mystery, but I also admit that as the book progressed it was more and more difficult to put it down. Well written, with an interesting story and also including a wonderfully "normal" diversity (meaning the diverse characters are simply diverse and .... not caricatures... and not "just" that one thing that makes them diverse.... urgh... just go and read it yourself to understand), The Muse is a commendable piece of work. Looking forward to more by this author. 4 stars!

Ben Hur (Lewis Wallace)

The first time I picked the book up I put it down after three pages. The descriptions were too much for me. The second time I pulled through those first three pages, and  devoured the book in mere days, descriptions and all. Ben Hur has a strong story, and its descriptive nature (combined with the knowledge of WHEN the book was written) only ads to the captivating charm. The only thing I have to stress out is that the writing, at times, hobbles uncomfortably and awkwardly, and the treatement of two love interests of the hero is... well... pretty much just regular sexist and while I understand the society was like this in 1880s.... it still is not my favourite thing. Finally: I utterly love the film with Charlton Heston. It is a masterpiece. And the book added to my love for it even more. 4 stars!

So there you have it my dear fellow booklings! Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Do you agree with me or not? And what did you read last month? I would love to know!

[beckettsthoughts]

ALL THE SPACE ASKS

I had to leave this ‘til last, because I had some others come in at the same time. I love when I get these, you’re the absolute best

Cosmos: What are you like when you’re angry at someone?

Fucking cruel, at my worst. I’m petty, and I hate it, but when I’m really angry I like to make people feel guilty and that can come about from ghosting them, bragging about doing things without them, making myself unavailable when they offer to make it up to me. I like to think that these days I’m better about it, I’ve learned that most of my anger stems from something called rejection-sensitive dysphoria, and one of the coping mechanisms I use these days is to remove myself from it for a day or so to let myself rationalise what’s going on, get over that initial feeling of rejection so that I can see it from their perspective. Nine times out of ten it wasn’t intentional, they didn’t mean to upset and probably already feel kind of bad about it. There are times in the past when I feel that my anger was justified even if my retaliation wasn’t, but most of the time my anger was unwarranted and that’s something I’ll always regret. 

Shooting star: What are you like when you’re sad?

I don’t often find myself just sad, it’s usually combined with anger, frustration or downright despair, so it’s hard to tell how I get when I’m sad. I tend to feel tired, and I’ll probably reach out to my friends both online and offline to talk things through if I can. I’ll find something else to do, funny videos to watch or a story to read, and it usually goes away pretty quickly. 

I would explain what it felt like I was depressed, because then I was genuinely sad a lot of the time. But honestly, I don’t really remember that much. That whole period of my life feels like a blur in my memories now and it’s bittersweet, but there are times back then that don’t even feel real to me now.

Eclipse: What are you like when you’re happy?

Excitable is probable the best word for it, incredibly excitable. I’ll move a lot, walk and jump and flap my hands when I’m really happy. It’s so hard to describe outside of the moment of pure joy, but when I’m happy I’m affectionate and energetic and talkative. That feeling in itself is very enjoyable.

Space dust: Are you happy?

Yes, actually, in a calm sort of way. Right now ‘normal’ for me is pretty good, so even though I’m kind of neutral right now it’s a happy neutral, if that makes sense? I’ve had an alright day, my seminar was pretty dull but then I went to get dinner, did some drawing and then settled down to watch documentaries. I posted this ask meme and I got so many responses, which makes me really happy as well. So yeah, I’m happy at the moment for sure.

Constellation: Have you ever read a book that is worse than the movie?

God, you’re all going to hate me for this but I have to admit it:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I tried to read the book for the first time when I was eight or nine. The emphasis there is on the word ‘tried’, because I got about a third of the way through before putting it back down in bitter disappointment. I used to eat up books that size in a matter of days, maybe a week, but Deathly Hallows was taking me so long and I got so bored that I actually just gave up. I did manage to read the whole thing on my second try, but I definitely didn’t enjoy it the way I enjoyed the others. This was more of a personal issue, because in no way is the book bad, it just didn’t suit me or what I liked to read. The movies, at least, I could focus through. The two-part split was helpful, it made it much easier to digest and I found that I could follow the story a lot easier. Once I’d seen the movie I found the book a lot easier to read, but that first experience still stands out in my mind as the one time I genuinely disliked a book from a series I really loved. 

Black hole: Do you have any diagnoses?

Indeed I do. Several, in fact. I’m not exactly shy about it, so I may as well go through the list. Starting with the physical, I have: 

Chronic, full-body dermatitis 

Various allergies

Moderate to severe hayfever

Chronic migraine disorder

And in terms of mental health and neurodivergence, I have:

Autism

ADHD (combined-type)

Anxiety disorder NOS (originally diagnosed as social anxiety, since expanded to NOS with no further change)

Emetophobia

I was also previously diagnosed with depression, which I no longer suffer from.

Galaxy: Are you a sun, moon or star person?

Moon or stars, definitely, though I find it hard to choose which. I’m definitely not a sun person, though. 

Though one lovely person did once say I was their sun, moon and stars (I don’t think it’s hard to guess who that anon might have been)

Milky way: Do you prefer math or humanities?

Humanities! I took all of my A Levels in humanities and my undergraduate course is also one of the humanities! My specific interests within humanities are philosophy, ethics, sociology and the arts, including music, theatre, art, creative writing, linguistics and literature.

Satellite: When was your first kiss?

In a romantic sense, I haven’t had it yet and probably never will. That sounds really pathetic but in reality I’m just not interested and the whole concept ever-so-slightly grosses me out.

Sunspot: Are you a sensitive person?

Yes. Incredibly.

Andromeda: Describe your first best friend:

Lord, where do I even begin? Firstly, he’s one of the kindest and most considerate people I’ve ever met. He’s sweet, and he’s passionate about his interests in the best way. I could listen to him talk about them for hours. He has the nicest smile, something I’m glad I get to see on a regular basis when I’m home, and being around him always makes me happy. He’s cool, he has some awesome style and a wicked talent for hair and makeup, and his music taste is at least five times better than mine. There’s nothing I like more than just talking to him, being around him and getting to hug him and pet his hair while we chill in my room or his. 

God, he’s so good. I can’t even properly tell you how amazing he is. I love him more than anything else in the world.

Saturn: What do you think about before falling asleep?

Usually stories I’m writing, things I’m looking forward to or whatever I last watched before I turn my laptop off. Basically one night I might fall asleep thinking about some epic storytelling project and the next I fall asleep thinking about the “Top Ten Underrated Pokemon of Generation Six” and there is little no in-between.

Pulsar: What kind of person do you want to be?

Considerate, inspiring, comfortable and pleasant to be around. I want to make people happy and I want to make them feel safe around me, and I want to encourage them to live their best life.

Orion: What do you dislike most about yourself?

I have some pretty glaring personality flaws that I’m still trying to work on, for one. Aside from that, I hate my face shape and especially my chin/neck and also my skin can be a pain in the arse.

Meteor: Do you have a favourite historical figure?

It’d have to be Oscar Wilde, man. That man is inspirational.

[scope-dogg]

Scope Dogg’s Mecha Showcase: Hot Blooded Robot: Gekiganger 3

A while ago I did a series of reviews on various mecha series that are off-the-beaten-track compared to well-known series like Eva and Gundam in an effort to spread the love around. Having given it some thought, and having seen a few more series since then, I’ve decided to bring it back. Any spoilers within will typically be minor and only cover early plot details where possible.

Why you should watch it, in brief:

Probably the most underrated classic from the golden era of super robots. A series packed with fiery action that’s sure to excite and a mix of drama, romance and passion that will move the viewer’s very soul and inflame their manly fighting spirit.

The setting:

In the future, humanity is beset by an alien invasion. The sinister Kyoakk Empire, led by their effete and cruel prince Akara, descends upon an unknowing and defenceless planet Earth. Humanity looks to be surely doomed, until a miraculous discovery is made - a wall painting inscribed by a super-ancient, technologically advanced civilisation. Upon it is a warning of the imminent invasion, as well as a trump card in the form of a blueprint for a mighty machine of battle - the great robot of justice, Gekiganger 3. Now it’s up to pilots Ken, Joe and Akira to use its power to save the world.

Episodes: 48 total (Gekiganger 3 29, Gekiganger V 19)

First Aired: 1975

Why you should watch it, in full:

The 70s and 80s were the heyday of the Super Robots, giant, invincible defenders of justice against the unspeakable enemies of justice. With the advent of Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, there began a gradual shift towards gritty, more realistic, more nuanced stories in mecha anime, and the Real Robot subgenre emerged. While many of the most famous and acclaimed series in the genre’s history fall into this category, the shift away from Super Robots did lead to the loss of some of the spectacle and idealism that that genre represented. While it did re-emerge every so often in the form of more modern series like Gaogaigar, or more recently Gurren Lagann, these were always isolated, leaving fans of the subgenre looking wistfully back at memories of classic super robot series like Voltes V, Getter Robo and Mazinger Z. However, there’s one series that stands up with the very best of them - that being the stirring and epic Gekiganger saga, by Xebec studios. Boasting some of the best qualities of the era and inspiring fiery passion in the hearts of its legion of fans, Gekiganger is a series that shouldn’t be missed by anyone, and will surely be remembered as in inspiration well into the future. More after the break.

Gekiganger’s plot setup is a familiar one when it comes to Super Robot series - the alien invaders are most evocative of classic shows such as Grendizer or Voltes V, while the function of Gekiganger itself and the look of its three forms is evocative of Getter Robo, with elements borrowed from Mazinger. However, the show is far of a cheap knock-off - in fact, it feels like a culmination of the efforts of its cohorts, and through a powerful plot, great characters and high drama, it manages to elevate itself to something that’s more than the sum of its parts. 

Gekiganger 3′s intro is but a sample of the high-octane, hot blooded action that its episodes provide.

Foremost of these elevating elements is Gekiganger’s cast of characters - they’re interesting, entertaining, and also extremely original. Ken, Akira and Joe make for a fantastic trio of protagonists. Ken is vigorous and passionate, while Joe is distinguished by his lankier appearance and is relatively more calculating and intelligent. Akira’s a big guy with a heart of gold, who often provides moments of comic relief. It’s a very original and unique setup. One interesting facet to their relationship is the fact that Ken and Joe don’t like each other all that much upon first meeting, and their personalities clash in a way that eventually leads them to blows. Of course, they do eventually settle their differences, and it’s done in a way that feels well-thought-out and convincing. It’s a satisfying resolution to an early piece of plot drama.

The supporting cast is also an important piece of the puzzle. Standouts include a pilot from America who commands a cowboy-shaped mecha in order to assist Gekiganger’s struggle - yet another original and unique character. Additionally, Nanako, Joe’s love interest, is a really fleshed-out and well-rounded character, and their romance is likewise well-realised and just overall well-done.

Surprisingly, the same goes for the Gekiganger team’s enemies, the Kyoakk. While the human characters are strong in their own right, it’s the robustness and surprising depth of the aliens that really pushes Gekiganger 3 to a cut above the competition in terms of story. Many of the alien enemies that attack bring with them their own moral conundrums, such as alien characters that arrive on Earth and fall in love with Gekiganger team pilots, as occurs in episodes like The Memories Fade Away Into a Distant Galaxy and Holy Maiden: The Smile of Aquamarine. Even the evil Kyoakk prince Akara shows a more sympathetic side at times, especially in the dramatic episodes The Fateful Confrontation! Ken vs Akara! and Great Explosion! Go to Hell Kyoakks! As Ken wistfully muses at the end of this sequence, if Akara and Ken had met under different circumstances, they could have been friends. Instead, the tale becomes one of anger, revenge and tragedy. While Gundam would go on to become famous for its nuanced portrayal of the battle between the nominal protagonists and antagonists, the subtle and well-crafted approach that Gekiganger 3 takes rivals and sometimes even surpasses it. The strongest stories in the series follow this formula, with courage and sacrifice being the central theme of the series’ emotional peaks, such as the tear-jerking events of Bravery! Gekiganger Disappears in Flames! Sadly, the one time the series falls flat is during its final episode, Great Decisive Battle: Gekiganger Forever!, leaving viewers with a finale that’s infamously disappointing and not really fitting for such a great series. With that said, Gekiganger is more about the journey than the destination, and for the most part it’s a profoundly exciting journey to travel on.

While there are many memorable super robot attacks, whether it be Mazinger’s Rocket Punch or Gaogaigar’s Goldion hammer, surely none are as iconic as Gekiganger’s Gekigan Flare.

Of course, the drama of Gekiganger’s story is backed up by it’s thrilling action sequences. Gekiganger has three forms, including the iconic winged Gekiganger form, the slender and agile Umiganger form, and the tanklike and powerful Rikuganger form. Once again, this is one of Gekiganger 3’s most unique aspects. All of the forms come equipped with an impressive arsenal of attacks, as does Gekiganger 3′s successor machine Gekiganger V, and they’re all used in impressive fashion to vanquish the Kyoakk enemies. Not to say that the Kyoakk’s are a pushover, wielding weapons strong enough to vanquish even Gekiganger’s Gekigan Punch made out of Super Gekigan Alloy. Much of the time, the outcome remains in doubt right up until the very last second.

All of this works because Gekiganger’s presentation is nothing short of magnificent for its time. While its animation style places it firmly in the super robot era, some of the animation was almost uncannily well done, in a manner well ahead of its time. In fact, there were times when, if I hadn’t known better, that this was a series created much later than it actually was, perhaps even in the late 90s. The soundtrack is likewise brilliant, with the rousing cry of “RETSU GEKIGA-IIIIN” never failing to raise the viewer’s spirit during the series opening. The rest of the soundtrack also delivers at all times, enhancing the mood of the series in ways that are fitting, no matter whether the call is for sorrow, peril, or moments of bravery and heroism.

Overall, Gekiganger is a series that’s an inspiration to us all, no matter if you’re a simple cook or even if you live on Jupiter. Anyone who considered themselves a fan of mecha should hunt it down and begin watching as soon as possible, both the series itself and its thrilling feature-length motion picture, Gekiganger 3: Hot-Blooded Great Battle! Regardless of your age or gender, the result should be a flaming manly spirit both capable of scorching the enemies of evil and illuminating the path to justice.

[admittedlynotspartacus]

2017 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

This year in film, Colin Farrell ate a bunch of Big Macs for The Lobster and then slimmed out for Fantastic Beasts, only to be replaced at the end by Johnny Depp; Natalie Portman cried in close-up for two hours; Patrick Stewart played the year's second scariest white supremacist; and Paul Dano rode a flatulent Daniel Radcliffe across the sea. Of course, none of these are nominated for Best Picture, because the Academy still consists of a bunch of old white guys who were alive during the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals, yet still gifted La La Land more nominations than Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg COMBINED. However, moving on... here are the 9 films nominated for Best Picture ranked in my oh-so-humble opinion from "You can probably skip this" to "Run out and see this immediately."

9. HACKSAW RIDGE

Director: Mel Gibson Starring: Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn & Hugo Weaving The Plot: Mel Gibson uses the inspirational story of a religious man who refuses to carry a weapon into battle as an excuse to make the most violent movie since Passion of the Christ. Thoughts: Gibson executes the battle scenes effectively, and Andrew Garfield turns in a good-but-not-great performance, but there's no real maturation as a director here. He paints with broad colors a story that could've had tremendous power had there been more nuance. There was more to explore with this character's relationship to God, but it's largely eschewed for Old Hollywood beats and brouhaha. Overall, a fairly mediocre war movie, but this time with Jesus. Nominations: 6 (including Picture, Director, and Actor) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

8. LA LA LAND

Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling The Plot: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are adorable, talented, and wonderful and you love them... right? Thoughts: The entire gimmick of this Hollywood throwback musical is that it is a Hollywood throwback musical. It's in CinemaScope, everything looks Technicolor, and most of the numbers are filmed head-to-toe in one shot. It's technically proficient work by a clearly talented filmmaker, yet there is so little joy (and talent for singing and dancing) on display in the musical moments that it's hard to even understand the point. Ryan Gosling's too-cool-for-school hoofing and Emma Stone's whispery vocals are nothing compared to Gene and Debbie, Astaire and Rodgers, or even Judy and Mickey. And because there are so few songs, most of the film is occupied by textbook rom-com beats (however charmingly acted). See it for the instrumental score, which is on full display in the film's final ten minutes. Nominations: 14 (including Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

7. FENCES

Director: Denzel Washington Starring: Denzel Washington & Viola Davis The Plot: Dude says he's gonna build a fence, but mostly just acts like a shithead. Thoughts: Your enjoyment of this film is going to be largely based on how you handle the "stagey" factor. Denzel has effectively shot the classic play, rarely opening it up beyond the backyard set. In this way, it bears resemblance to the films of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf or Glengarry Glen Ross, but he lacks the directorial panache of Nichols and Foley, so the scenes often operate all on the same level with little dynamic change. For me, this got exhausting for 2 and a half hours, and the text (which remains beautiful poetry by the late great August Wilson) could've used trims, particularly when we see in Denzel's face the suffering of Troy so clearly that he doesn't need to talk about it much. Such is the power of the close-up, and even though it captures two phenomenal screen performances by Denzel and Viola, it ultimately robs the play of the power it would yield were we just watching them do it onstage. Nominations: 4 (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

6. LION

Director: Garth Davis Starring: Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar & Nicole Kidman The Plot: Young boy separated from his mother has no interest in finding her until he becomes rugged Dev Patel, is mildly insulted at a party, and has access to Google Earth. Thoughts: The first hour of Lion is among the most beautifully shot pieces of cinema this year. Sunny Pawar is a magnetic protagonist, and Garth Davis and cinematographer Greig Fraser find a visual language for the story of a young boy who is separated from his family and tossed into an overwhelming world that is both epically Dickensian and visceral. It's unfortunate that the moment he grows up into Dev Patel (in a very game performance), much of the film's engagement is lost and we are subjected to long scenes of Patel staring at a computer screen that oftentimes come across as advertisements for Google Earth. Still, if you don't weep like a baby at the ending, I doubt you have a soul. Nominations: 6 (including Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

5. HIDDEN FIGURES

Director: Theodore Melfi Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae & Kevin Costner The Plot: Nasty women get shit done. Thoughts: The most conventional of the Best Picture nominees gets its power from two key elements - that it's a story we don't really know, and that it's about three black women. It's a refreshingly old-fashioned American film about unlikely heroes that tells the familiar story of the space race from a surprising angle. And so, through familiar beats, the film is able to make an epic story personal, while also hitting the nerve of a country currently knee-deep in issues of race relations. Nominations: 3 (Picture, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

4. HELL OR HIGH WATER

Director: David Mackenzie Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster & Jeff Bridges The Plot: Proof that everyone is getting screwed over by banks, including bank robbers. Thoughts: A tense chase movie set against the backdrop of an economically-paralyzed Texas, David Mackenzie’s “Western” transcends our 21st century understanding of the genre (loud gunfights, chases, and anachronistic music) without tipping its hat too hard to the classics. Taylor Sheridan’s screenplay is dynamite, featuring three principal characters brimming with emotion and trading dialogue that feels both true to life and wonderfully cinematic. It’s these characters and their dualities that give the film its epic scope.  And this is to say nothing of the final sequence, which finds a power in silence of which most films only dream. In a summer full of duds, this was the one to see. Nominations: 4 (including Picture, Supporting Actor & Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

3. ARRIVAL

Director: Denis Villeneuve Starring: Amy Adams The Plot: In which Amy Adams can talk to aliens, but still can't win an Oscar. Thoughts: Denis Villeneuve, of Sicario and Prisoners note, is one of the best contemporary filmmakers at creating a feeling of dread and anxiety. The opening sequences of his latest (shot beautifully by cinematographer Bradford Young) play with a kind of hypnotic, slow-burn tension that’s seldom seen in movies these days, let alone a big blockbuster like this one. Anchoring it all is Amy Adams, proving once again to be one of our greatest actresses. Her interactions with the truly alien-looking aliens, through a rectangular glass window on the other side of a room filled with white haze, are the centerpieces of a film which flirts with timely notions of global unity and boasts a few twists and turns as well. When it starts dealing out reveals, it becomes less and less effective, but the overall vision and feel of the film, grounded by Adams’ performance, make it something to behold. Nominations: 8 (including Picture, Director & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

2. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Director: Kenneth Lonergan Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges & Michelle Williams The Plot: Casey Affleck could learn some chill from his ginger nephew. Thoughts: The latest in the line of the “Boston grief drama” is among the most depressing things you’ll see this year. It’s also one of the funniest. Kenneth Lonergan has always walked the line of humor and heartache with painstaking accuracy, but never as well as he does in this masterful work. His picture of life is one where a never-ending litany of stupidities is ever present. Just because you’re dealing with the death of a loved one doesn’t mean you stop getting bad cell reception, stubbing your toe, or forgetting where you parked the car. It’s a tricky balancing act, one that major Hollywood movies eschew altogether, presumably because they don’t trust an audience to be able to parcel out what’s funny and what’s tragic. But in Manchester, the two emotions trade off, sometimes coinciding, to remarkable effect. And nowhere is this more embodied than in a grade-A performance by Casey Affleck; it’s one of those performances that is so perfectly realized you really feel like you know the guy; you understand the whirlwind of grief and anger that exists within him and how he’s masked it with a detached veneer. The acting overall is tremendous; Lucas Hedges is phenomenal in a breakout performance, and Michelle Williams makes the most of her limited screen-time. Lonergan and co. so fully commit to this truthful vision of a world wherein nobody gets an easy pass; sometimes you can beat it, and sometimes you just can’t. Nominations: 6 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress & Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

1. MOONLIGHT

Director: Barry Jenkins Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Andre Holland, Janelle Monae, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali The Plot: It's black gay Boyhood. Thoughts: It is absolutely baffling as to how this movie, based on a Tarell Alvin McCraney play, featuring not a single white actor, and focusing on the maturation of a gay protagonist, ever got made. But that’s not even the tip of the iceberg of the miracle that is Moonlight. It’s one of those movies that is so utterly transporting, so richly detailed, and so very very real that even though one knows painstaking work went into it, it feels as though it emerged fully-realized from a collective consciousness and fell into our laps right when we needed it most. The film begins in the familiar territory of hip-hop mythology - there’s a role model drug dealer and junkie mom, for instance - and yet it soon becomes clear we are being presented with the cliches and tropes of this type of film to shatter them and ultimately come back around to say, “Look at these people. They’re human. They’ve always been and always will.” There is beauty in nearly every moment, from the stunning cinematography (the scene in the water… the cooking) to the subtle score, to its performances (Alex Hibbert’s, Ashton Sanders’, and Trevante Rhodes’ collective turn as Chiron is staggering, and Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali will surely be recognized come Oscar time). It’s all in service of a singular vision - one that isn’t easy to pin down or put into words, but one that will surely stay with me for a long, long time.

But alas...

[esonetwork]

Movie review: Star Wars Episode IX brings an epic, emotional end to the Skywalker saga

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Movie review: Star Wars Episode IX brings an epic, emotional end to the Skywalker saga

I love “The Last Jedi.” In fact, it’s my favorite Star Wars film. Even two years later, I still enjoy talking about it, although I do have to admit, the Star Wars fandom has made me feel a little…well…weary.

Due to the realities of online fandom culture, it’s tough to tell just how divisive “The Last Jedi” was, whether it was actually a 50/50 split of like/dislike or what more casual fans like the general public really thought of it.

Needless to say, it generated a lot of debates within the fandom, and those fans were not always nice about it. It has always seemed weird to me how other fans have gone out of their way to be mean, rude, and/or condescending to people just for liking a Star Wars movie. Like Luke Skywalker in “The Last Jedi,” sometimes I just want to run away to an island populated solely by Porgs and hide from the fandom.

I had hopes that maybe “The Rise of Skywalker” would be a break for the Star Wars fan community, giving us something new to talk about and maybe quieting some of the debates. But alas, I should have heeded Luke’s warning from “The Last Jedi”: “This is not going to go the way you think.”

Log onto Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or any other social media platform, and you’ll see an ongoing debate about this film. Even Rotten Tomatoes is divided amongst fans and critics:

It’s really tough to review this film without spoilers, especially since the controversial stuff is very spoiler-heavy. So before I dive into my VERY spoiler-filled thoughts, here’s my one sentence review:

Go see this movie.

There’s a lot of chatter online — some positive, some negative. My advice is to just go see it, and form your own opinion. Any time you have a movie in a franchise with a fanbase that is this passionate, it is really tough to produce a movie that pleases everyone.

“The Rise of Skywalker” definitely needs to be seen on a big screen, and it will no doubt be inspiring lots of conversations for many years to come.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead

So yes, “The Rise of Skywalker” has some flaws. Yes, there is some stuff I would have changed. But darn it, I just love this movie so much. It felt like a great ending to the saga to me — bittersweet but full of hope for the future. I loved it even more the second time I saw it, and I’ve already got plans to see it again!

The movie starts off rather abruptly; instead of easing us into the narrative, they drop us right into the story. Kylo Ren is off to confront the undead Emperor Palpatine, as the Resistance scrambles to face this new threat.

I kinda wished they’d saved the Palpatine reveal till later in the film, because it makes the first few minutes of TROS a little jarring. However, I will say that some of the early pacing issues, which bothered me on first viewing, did not bother me as much the second time. It was nice knowing what to expect, so I could just relax and enjoy what was happening on screen.

“The Last Jedi” was a more introspective, character-focused film that dived pretty deep into larger issues about the Jedi and the Force, while “The Rise of Skywalker” is more of a fast-paced adventure about chasing an artifact across the galaxy (it actually reminded me of Indiana Jones in some ways).

Now, I happen to enjoy both these styles of movies, but based on your own personal tastes, you might like TROS more or less than TLJ.

I really loved seeing Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, and the droids go on an adventure together. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac have such great chemistry, and it was really fun to see their dynamic.

Rey is one of my favorite Star Wars characters, and I have way too many cosplays for this character (I finished my Dark Rey costume in time to wear it to the theater for Ep. IX). I was really curious and nervous to see where this film would take her character.

Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the revelation that Rey was a “Palpatine.” I liked the idea of her being a nobody, to really drive home the idea that you don’t have to come from a powerful Force lineage in order to be great.

But, that being said, I think they handled the reveal well in the film, and the twist landed more smoothly for me the second time I watched it.

It’s interesting because Rey was so desperate for belonging and to find her family, only to discover that her only surviving family is literally THE WORST person in the galaxy: Emperor Palpatine.

TROS does a really great job showing Rey grappling with her anger (Force lighting!). She isolates herself because she feels no one understands her, and the one person who potentially does — Kylo Ren — is still trying to convince her to turn to the dark side.

The complicated relationship between Kylo and Rey is, to me, the best thing about the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Their fight in the ocean on the ruins of the Death Star ranks among my favorite Star Wars scenes now, and it’s made even more powerful as Kylo finally makes peace with his family and rejects the darkness.

I was nervous how this film would handle the character of General Leia after Carrie Fisher’s death, but I believe TROS gives the character a fitting and respectful end. She willingly sacrifices her life and becomes one with the Force in order to reach her son one last time. And Kylo’s vision of Han Solo made me more than a little misty-eyed; I hadn’t heard that Harrison Ford was returning, and it was a lovely surprise.

Speaking of Kylo Ren, Adam Driver is great, once again, as the tortured final Skywalker. I didn’t even realize that Kylo had such minimal dialogue after his turn back to the light on the Death Star ruins, because Driver is that powerful of an actor and does so much with his expressions and body language. I loved watching him transform back into Ben Solo as he fights the Knights of Ren and Rey passes the lightsaber to him through the Force.

There’s been a lot of debate surrounding the character of Kylo Ren, whether he should or shouldn’t be redeemed, and whether he should or shouldn’t make it out of TROS alive. Personally, Kylo Ren’s redemption arc was my one “must” for this film, and I’m really thrilled that I got it.

I am a little sad he didn’t live, because it would have been super interesting to see a dark sider coping with their mistakes from the past and searching for atonement. However, if I only got to pick two of the three things I wanted for Kylo — Bendemption, Reylo, and Ben surviving — I’d have chosen the two we got, because I do adore an angsty, tragic romance. I love the fact he crawls out of the pit, despite his pain, and then uses the last of his life force to heal her. (Yes, I’m still swooning over that!)

And, as we’ve heard before, no one is ever really gone. Ben is now at peace within the Force, and who knows? With places like the World Between Worlds introduced elsewhere in Star Wars canon, he may show up again in some way.

This film has a good balance of the new and the nostalgic. Lando Calrissian was used well; it’s always a pleasure to see Billy Dee Williams again. “Fan service” is sometimes used as a negative term, but it can be really powerful when done correctly (such as Cap catching Thor’s hammer in “Endgame”). I was initially hoping to see more Force ghosts, including Anakin’s, but I think the way the movie handled it was actually better (Rey hears the voices of past Jedi, inspiring her to get up and keep fighting).

I appreciated how the ending was bittersweet, like the endings of the other two Star Wars trilogies, blending love, loss, and, above all, hope. That’s why I’m a fan of Rey’s ending; even though all the Skywalkers are technically gone, their legacy isn’t, because Rey chooses to take on the name. She is reclaiming the Skywalker legacy and leading the Jedi down a new path.

As you probably gathered, I could talk about this movie forever, but this is turning into a really long review (if you’re still reading, bless you!). Since Star Wars is my favorite franchise, it’s really hard to look at these movies objectively/critically, and I find myself wanting to gloss over the little parts I didn’t like and just focus on what I loved.

So, to close this out, here are some of the random little things from this movie that made me smile:

I’m pretty sure what Finn was trying to tell Rey and keeping a secret is that he can feel the Force. Does this mean he can become a Jedi, or is he more like Chirrut Îmwe from “Rogue One”? I hope future books/comics in the expanded universe will explore this!

Seriously, Oscar Isaac is so good as Poe in this movie; he’s really funny and charming, and it was cool to see him grow into a leader after learning from his mutiny in “The Last Jedi.”

I still don’t really know who the Knights of Ren are but they sure look cool. My favorite shot of them is when the camera pans around them on the desert planet of Pasaana. They look like they’re about to drop this awesome rock music video, like one of them will reach out his hand through the Force and a guitar will snap into it. I need a Knight of Ren cosplay for a future con.

Loved Kylo and Rey’s Force fight where they jumped between locations.

General Hux is the spy! I just adore General Hux as a character, and while I wish we’d gotten more of him, I love that he is so petty that he will help the Resistance just to spite Kylo.

Porgs! I was hoping we’d catch a glimpse of one of the Porgs from “The Last Jedi,” and I wasn’t disappointed. I won’t confess how much Porg merch I own, but just know that I’m obsessed.

The Sith planet Exegol was so creepy and cool. The flashing lights were definitely unnerving and added to the otherworldly aura of the place. I wasn’t originally a fan of Palpatine returning in this story, but it was done really well, and his final showdown with Rey is awesome. I think the fact that he created Snoke is a cool detail, and I’m glad they showed it.

I loved seeing Rose again, but I also have to share that I was disappointed she was not given more screen-time. She should have had a much larger role in the plot.

The festival at Pasaana looks so fun and I really want to go.

Ex-Stormtrooper Jannah is a cool character, and I hope to see more of her. Plus, seeing those “space horses” charging across the surface of a ship just made me so ridiculously happy.

[scrumptiouspeachthing-blog]

Are there any words with the same meaning as paltry rate (as in production) List of Synonyms

For example: new and old. A list of common synonyms grouped in categories: for teachers, writers and students of English alike. Sorted by Category. These lists also contain examples for the most common 100 words or so; however, the intention is not to replace a thesaurus. Within the categories the sorting is alphabetical. For the selection of the words the top 50 lists of the most "common words in English" (provided by the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary) were a preferred inspiration - mostly verbs and adjectives, only rarely nouns and adverbs. Also, these are not exact synonyms, consider them as grouped in semantic fields - the reason being to provide a help for inspiration with these 50 examples of the most common synonyms and antonyms . A synonym is a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or a phrase. Antonyms are words which have the opposite (or nearly opposite) meaning. Words that are synonyms are referred to as being synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. A thesaurus is a resource similar to a dictionary that helps writers to search synonyms - as a device to compose a verbose and scintillating text. This list provides some examples of commonly employed synonyms. Utilizing synonyms is an elegant and frequently applied method to to make a text more pleasant to read. If the same word is used very often in several sentences, it might very well be the case, that this same word should describe something different in each of the sentences. Since synonyms are usually nuanced variations with slightly different meanings, their use will emphasize special characteristics, and thus the text will be more precise. List of Synonyms. Action Come — advance, approach, arrive, near, reach Go — depart, disappear, fade, move, proceed, recede, travel Run — dash, escape, elope, flee, hasten, hurry, race, rush, speed, sprint Hurry — rush, run, speed, race, hasten, urge, accelerate, bustle Hide — conceal, cover, mask, cloak, camouflage, screen, shroud, veil Move — plod, go, creep, crawl, inch, poke, drag, toddle, shuffle, trot, dawdle, walk, traipse, mosey, jog, plug, trudge, slump, lumber, trail, lag, run, sprint, trip, bound, hotfoot, high-tail, streak, stride, tear, breeze, whisk, rush, dash, dart, bolt, fling, scamper, scurry, skedaddle, scoot, scuttle, scramble, race, chase, hasten, hurry, hump, gallop, lope, accelerate, stir, budge, travel, wander, roam, journey, trek, ride, spin, slip, glide, slide, slither, coast, flow, sail, saunter, hobble, amble, stagger, paddle, slouch, prance, straggle, meander, perambulate, waddle, wobble, pace, swagger, promenade, lunge Do — execute, enact, carry out, finish, conclude, effect, accomplish, achieve, attain Have — hold, possess, own, contain, acquire, gain, maintain, believe, bear, beget, occupy, absorb, fill, enjoy Use — employ, utilize, exhaust, spend, expend, consume, exercise Get — acquire, obtain, secure, procure, gain, fetch, find, score, accumulate, win, earn, rep, catch, net, bag, derive, collect, gather, glean, pick up, accept, come by, regain, salvage Keep — hold, retain, withhold, preserve, maintain, sustain, support Put — place, set, attach, establish, assign, keep, save, set aside, effect, achieve, do, build Take — hold, catch, seize, grasp, win, capture, acquire, pick, choose, select, prefer, remove, steal, lift, rob, engage, bewitch, purchase, buy, retract, recall, assume, occupy, consume Make — create, originate, invent, beget, form, construct, design, fabricate, manufacture, produce, build, develop, do, effect, execute, compose, perform, accomplish, earn, gain, obtain, acquire, get Break — fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize Destroy — ruin, demolish, raze, waste, kill, slay, end, extinguish Kill — slay, execute, assassinate, murder, destroy, cancel, abolish Cut — gash, slash, prick, nick, sever, slice, carve, cleave, slit, chop, crop, lop, reduce Fall — drop, descend, plunge, topple, tumble Fly — soar, hover, flit, wing, flee, waft, glide, coast, skim, sail, cruise Decide — determine, settle, choose, resolve Help — aid, assist, support, encourage, back, wait on, attend, serve, relieve, succor, benefit, befriend, abet Mark — label, tag, price, ticket, impress, effect, trace, imprint, stamp, brand, sign, note, heed, notice, designate Plan — plot, scheme, design, draw, map, diagram, procedure, arrangement, intention, device, contrivance, method, way, blueprint Show — display, exhibit, present, note, point to, indicate, explain, reveal, prove, demonstrate, expose Antonyms Begin — start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate End — stop, finish, terminate, conclude, close, halt, cessation, discontinuance, cease, halt, stay, pause, discontinue, conclude, finish, quit Big — large, enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, colossal, gargantuan, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous Little — small, tiny, diminutive, shrimp, runt, miniature, puny, exiguous, dinky, cramped, limited, itsy-bitsy, microscopic, slight, petite, minute New — fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent Old — feeble, frail, ancient, weak, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, ragged, faded, broken-down, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, passe, veteran, mature, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, conventional, customary, stale, musty, obsolete, extinct False — wrong, fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious, incorrect, inaccurate, mistaken, erroneous, improper, unsuitable True — right, accurate, proper, precise, exact, valid, genuine, real, actual, trusty, steady, loyal, dependable, sincere, staunch, correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair Fast — quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, lickety-split, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash Slow — unhurried, gradual, leisurely, late, behind, tedious, slack Cool — chilly, cold, frosty, wintry, icy, frigid Hot — feverish, warm, heated, sweltering, torrid, equatorial, tropical, erotic, passionate, spicy, peppery, pungent, sharp tangy, tart, fiery, flaming, sizzling, charged, burning, seared, chafedВґ, inflamed, irritated, red, smarting, stinging Quiet — silent, still, soundless, mute, tranquil, peaceful, calm, restful, hushed, inaudible reticent, reserved, taciturn, secretive, uncommunicative, tightlipped Noisy — loudly, earsplitting, stentorian, strident, clamorous, boisterous, clangorous, deafening, roisterous, uproarious, pandemoniac All — complete, entire, full, gross, outright, perfect, total, utter, whole, any, complete, every, sum, totality, each and every, every bit of, bar none, every single, everything, everyone None — nothing, nobody, no one, zero, zilch, no one at all, no part, not a bit, not a soul, not a thing, not any, not anyone, not anything, not one, nonexistent, null nadir, nil, naught, void, nada, blank, nix Normal — daily, traditional, familiar, routine, proper, ordinary, typical, everyday, usual, commonplace, natural, classic, standard, general, bona fide, established, habitual, orthodox, prevalent, run-of-the-mill, time-honored, unvarying, average, conventional, customary, common, regular, garden-variety, household, plain, simple, balanced Strange — abnormal, aberrant, anomalous, bent, bizarre, deviant, queer, eccentric, freakish, fanatical, odd, eerie, peculiar, weird, unorthodox, nonstandard, atypical, different, irregular, nonconforming, offbeat, unusual, extraordinary, insane, irrational, disorderly, rare, exceptional, extreme, outlandish Descriptive Describe — portray, characterize, picture, narrate, relate, recount, represent, report, record Difference — disagreement, inequity, contrast, dissimilarity, incompatibility Explain — elaborate, clarify, define, interpret, justify, account for Idea — thought, concept, conception, notion, understanding, opinion, plan, view, belief Look — gaze, see, glance, watch, survey, study, seek, search for, peek, peep, glimpse, stare, contemplate, examine, gape, ogle, scrutinize, inspect, leer, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, spy, sight, discover, notice, recognize, peer, eye, gawk, peruse, explore Story — tale, myth, legend, fable, yarn, account, narrative, chronicle, epic, sage, anecdote, record, memoir Tell — disclose, reveal, show, expose, uncover, relate, narrate, inform, advise, explain, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, recount, repeat Think — judge, deem, assume, believe, consider, contemplate, reflect, mediate Feelings Anger — enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden Angry — mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed Calm — quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof Eager — keen, fervent, enthusiastic, involved, interested, alive to Fear — fright, dread, terror, alarm, dismay, anxiety, scare, awe, horror, panic, apprehension Happy — pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed Hate — despise, loathe, detest, abhor, disfavor, dislike, disapprove, abominate Love — like, admire, esteem, fancy, care for, cherish, adore, treasure, worship, appreciate, savor Moody — temperamental, changeable, short-tempered, glum, morose, sullen, mopish, irritable, testy, peevish, fretful, spiteful, sulky, touchy Sad — miserable, uncomfortable, wretched, heart-broken, unfortunate, poor, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, melancholy, glum, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, unhappy Scared — afraid, frightened, alarmed, terrified, panicked, fearful, unnerved, insecure, timid, shy, skittish, jumpy, disquieted, worried, vexed, troubled, disturbed, horrified, terrorized, shocked, petrified, haunted, timorous, shrinking, tremulous, stupefied, paralyzed, stunned, apprehensive Negative Awful — dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant Bad — evil, immoral, wicked, corrupt, sinful, depraved, rotten, contaminated, spoiled, tainted, harmful, injurious, unfavorable, defective, inferior, imperfect, substandard, faulty, improper, inappropriate, unsuitable, disagreeable, unpleasant, cross, nasty, unfriendly, irascible, horrible, atrocious, outrageous, scandalous, infamous, wrong, noxious, sinister, putrid, snide, deplorable, dismal, gross, heinous, nefarious, base, obnoxious, detestable, despicable, contemptible, foul, rank, ghastly, execrable Crooked — bent, twisted, curved, hooked, zigzag Dangerous — perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe Dark — shadowy, unlit, murky, gloomy, dim, dusky, shaded, sunless, black, dismal, sad Dull — boring, tiring,, tiresome, uninteresting, slow, dumb, stupid, unimaginative, lifeless, dead, insensible, tedious, wearisome, listless, expressionless, plain, monotonous, humdrum, dreary Fat — stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, plump, full, rotund, tubby, pudgy, chubby, chunky, burly, bulky, elephantine Gross — improper, rude, coarse, indecent, crude, vulgar, outrageous, extreme, grievous, shameful, uncouth, obscene, low Hurt — damage, harm, injure, wound, distress, afflict, pain Lazy — indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish Predicament — quandary, dilemma, pickle, problem, plight, spot, scrape, jam Trouble — distress, anguish, anxiety, worry, wretchedness, pain, danger, peril, disaster, grief, misfortune, difficulty, concern, pains, inconvenience, exertion, effort Ugly — hideous, frightful, frightening, shocking, horrible, unpleasant, monstrous, terrifying, gross, grisly, ghastly, horrid, unsightly, plain, homely, evil, repulsive, repugnant, gruesome Positive Amazing — incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary Beautiful — pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling Brave — courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome Bright — shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous, luminous, incandescent, intelligent, knowing, quick-witted, smart, intellectual Delicious — savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite Enjoy — appreciate, delight in, be pleased, indulge in, luxuriate in, bask in, relish, devour, savor, like Famous — well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious Funny — humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly Good — excellent, fine, superior, wonderful, marvelous, qualified, suited, suitable, apt, proper, capable, generous, kindly, friendly, gracious, obliging, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, satisfactory, well-behaved, obedient, honorable, reliable, trustworthy, safe, favorable, profitable, advantageous, righteous, expedient, helpful, valid, genuine, ample, salubrious, estimable, beneficial, splendid, great, noble, worthy, first-rate, top-notch, grand, sterling, superb, respectable, edifying Great — noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty Mischievous — prankish, playful, naughty, roguish, waggish, impish, sportive Neat — clean, orderly, tidy, trim, dapper, natty, smart, elegant, well-organized, super, desirable, spruce, shipshape, well-kept, shapely Popular — well-liked, approved, accepted, favorite, celebrated, common, current Talk / Speech Answer — reply, respond, retort, acknowledge Ask — question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz Cry — shout, yell, yowl, scream, roar, bellow, weep, wail, sob, bawl Say/Tell — inform, notify, advise, relate, recount, narrate, explain, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare, command, order, bid, enlighten, instruct, insist, teach, train, direct, issue, remark, converse, speak, affirm, suppose, utter, negate, express, verbalize, voice, articulate, pronounce, deliver, convey, impart, assert, state, allege, mutter, mumble, whisper, sigh, exclaim, yell, sing, yelp, snarl, hiss, grunt, snort, roar, bellow, thunder, boom, scream, shriek, screech, squawk, whine, philosophize, stammer, stutter, lisp, drawl, jabber, protest, announce, swear, vow, content, assure, deny, dispute Mean (Something) — add up to, affect, be important, be of value, be substantive, carry weight, connote, count, denote, express, imply, intend, involve, signify, spell, stand for, suggest, value, weigh in, Unsorted Somewhat — a little, sort of, kind of, a bit, relatively, slightly, moderately, to some extent / degree , reasonably, partially, more or less, not much rather, quite, fairly, by a long shot, by far, rather, significantly, well Somehow — in a way, virtually, to a certain extent, in some measure, to some extent, to a certain degree, quasi , in a manner of speaking, effectively anyhow, anyway, anywise, by hook or by crook, another, howsoever, in any way, somehow or other, someway, by some means Definite — certain, sure, positive, determined, clear, distinct, obvious Fair — just, impartial, unbiased, objective, unprejudiced, honest Important — necessary, vital, critical, indispensable, valuable, essential, significant, primary, principal, considerable, famous, distinguished, notable, well-known Interesting — fascinating, engaging, sharp, keen, bright, intelligent, animated, spirited, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, thought-provoking, challenging, inspiring, involving, moving, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, lively, racy, spicy, engrossing, absorbing, consuming, gripping, arresting, enthralling, spellbinding, curious, captivating, enchanting, bewitching, appealing Part — portion, share, piece, allotment, section, fraction, fragment Place — space, area, spot, plot, region, location, situation, position, residence, dwelling, set, site, station, status, state. 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[its-just-like-the-movies]

The Fifties, Debut 2017 Edition

Hello! So, as I semi-explained before, the goal of the fifties is to make a sort of halfway-through-the-year progress report of all the films you’ve seen and what you’d want to commemorate if you had ballot to cast, especially since plenty of films released before the fall aren’t really considered in that way for one reason or another. Not all categories have five nominees, though most do, and several contain runner-ups (alphabetically listed) to boot. Only Foreign Film isn’t listed. I’m very, very thrilled to be posting this, and even more so thinking about how this list will and will not change as the year goes on. The bottom of the page will have screencaps of the films I’ve seen for this ballot but, now that we’re here, let’s begin!

Best Picture

After the Storm: This is how you treasure a family you cannot help but repel, and earn second chances you are doomed to trip over

Get Out: Flaunts its jokes, its anger, its horror, refuting subtlety in favor of building itself towards confrontation with its characters and its audience

Last Men in Aleppo: Its mere existence feels dangerous and sparking with energy, fully putting us in the viewpoint of people fighting for their lives

The Lost City of Z: Keeps track of a journey that’s pulsing and present, even as it changes on itself, and on where it’s going

My Entire High School....: The funnest little slice of a film I’ve seen, visually resplendent, bristly about friendship and growing up

Raising Bertie: I’ve only had peripheral experience with people in these situations; how valuable it is to see these stories up close, and handled so well

The Salesman: Astonishingly light in handling the ordeals of its characters, wearing its themes with ease and deepening with every viewing

Starless Dreams: Fully sees the lives of these girls, what got them there, and where they could possibly be heading, on a personal and systemic level

Whose Streets?: Our streets; captures the rise of history and keeping track of the people bravely making it happen

Your Name: You can’t see where it’s going till its final scene but carries you through with empathy and resourceful plot navigation
           

Runners-Up: Not the hardest list to make, and I’m in love with my ten, but leaving off Atomic Blonde and Casting JonBenet still stings a little.

Best Director

Sabah Folayan & Damon Davis, Whose Street?: Assembling their footage like pros from innumerable sources, finding emotional toil in doing the right thing

James Gray, The Lost City of Z: So rich in examining Percy’s life and those around him, blending modern and classical methods in truly epic scale

Hirokazu Kore-eda, After the Storm: Offering full portraits of his characters and their lives, handling thorny subjects with sensitivity

Mehrdad Oskouei, Starless Dreams: Astonishingly gentle in examining the lives of these girls, showing full humans instead of criminals or victims

Jordan Peele, Get Out: For accruing so many tones and tenors with unsettling ease, gaining more force by refusing to hide his targets or his methods
       

Runners-Up: Margaret Byrne’s, Faras Fiyyad’s, and Kitty Green’s differently heroic documentary work on Raising Bertie, Last Men in Aleppo, and Casting JonBenet, and Asghar Farhadi’s and David Lietch’s takes on potboilers operating universe apart with The Salesman and Atomic Blonde are an equally commendable set of directorial achievements.

Best Actress

Ashleigh Cummings, Hounds of Love: Whose delinquent ids, poignantly honest pain, and surprisingly powerful will give the film a reason for being; refusing to bond with Evelyn

Dafnee Keen, Logan: ‪For steely expressions, animalistic fury, and alarming directness, standing tall in a cultural boom of murder children

Melanie Lynskey, I Don’t Feel At Home….: Owns that madcap tone while balancing the comedy and the ache of every scene; managing a tricky arc while playing a normal woman‬

Cynthia Nixon, A Quiet Passion: For prickly intellect and dexterity, handling Davies' dialogue like a pro as she hold Dickinson under an illuminating, painfully true light‬

Kristen Stewart, Personal Shopper: Makes every twitch, stammer, glance count with barely corked rage, terror, and contagious anxiety, with hardly a screen partner

Runners-Up: Taraneh Alidoosti in The Salesman, who does sterling work alongside Shahab Hosseini as a conflicted and heartbreakingly plausible woman.

Best Actor

Hiroshi Abe, After the Storm: Because that gentle, paternal charisma keeps this increasingly unreliable character so valuable to us, the film, and his family

Shahab Hosseini, The Salesman: As casual in his characterization as Abe is, but of a stabler man taking an even bigger fall, lashing out at those he cares for

Charlie Hunnam, The Lost City of Z: For standing by Percy's jungle obsession, caring about and using the people in his life to further that quest

Hugh Jackman, Logan: Expanding the Murder Dad trope from Prisoners in heightened tones; keeping Logan's rage and depression in boldfaced check; naturalizing an inevitable arc

Channing Tatum, Logan Lucky: Convinces us a doting father, a loyal sibling, and a criminal mastermind, in that cool, low key style

Runners-Up: You are more than willing to swap out Tatum and Jackman for Steve Coogan’s spin on mental illness and narcissistic victim complexes in The Dinner, and Kumail Nanjiani’s tenderly comic and heartfelt rendering of himself in The Big Sick if you want to. I might.

Best Supporting Actress

Holly Hunter, The Big Sick: ‪For the ways she warms towards Kumail and her husband without betraying the flames she held against them to begin with, funny when it counts‬

Kirin Kiki, After the Storm: Cheerily knows her family better than they know themselves with sad self-awareness; delineating relationships with astute physicality‬

Melanie Lynskey, XX: ‪Elevates the best film in XX's anthology with neurotic warmth and exhaustion, keeping a sympathetic hold on the audience throughout‬

Sienna Miller, The Lost City of Z: For the grace of period and of Gray, and the deep love she has towards her husband, soured by her painful longing to join him

Allison Williams, Get Out: Topping that Cassavetes in Rosemary’s Baby arc without bleeding her hand, believable with her affections and liberal awakenings

Runners-Up: Is a performance in a short film in an anthology even eligible? If not, there’s always Betty Gabriel in Get Out, giving the year’s most terrifying close-up, one-take performance, and Ella Rumpf in Raw, who probably would’ve made the list if I felt confident in my memories of her grubby, anxiety-inducing work that I wish I could’ve revisited before publishing this list.

Best Supporting Actor

Jake Gyllenhaal, Okja: Hilariously self-pitying with unexpected outlandishness in rendering the fraying, washed-up superstar hovering on the film's edges

Farid Sajjadi Hosseini, The Salesman: That ailing, shamed frailty; inhabiting the film's most despicable character with pathetic gentleness, making Emad's decision that much harder

Lil Rel Howery, Get Out: The friend you want and need, hilarious and moving without trying to make himself respectable

Angus Macfayden, The Lost City of Z: Because the scale of this man's pomposity outstrips expectation at every turn, but his sussing of Percy isn't wrong

Ray Romano, The Big Sick: So compelling as a character we never really know even as his relationships are hilariously, painfully palpable

Runners-Up: Luke Evans might have ended up here for his charismatic, physically and vocally adept take on top-dog narcissisms if I hadn’t felt so ill my second trip through Beauty & the Beast I had to leave the theater. LaKeith Stanfield wins some points too for his quietly, discordantly unsettling cameo in Get Out. Patrick Stewart may have shown up if another tour of Logan hadn’t betrayed so many stretch marks, but his final outing as Professor X is still a commendable one.

Best Original Screenplay

After the Storm, Hirokazu Kore-eda: A slice of life about the life you want and the life you get, fleshing out its characters while denying them arcs

The Big Sick, Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon: Messy like a life is, especially one dealing with a mess like this, finding specific and uncommon beats for a rom-com and for a film, period

I Don’t Feel At Home…., Macon Blair: Aware of its own low stakes and scope without diminishing its lead's crisis amid a strangely wound structure‬

Okja, Bong Joon-ho: ‪Handles an ever-evolving tone, pointed satire, and colorful characters with shocking ease; suggesting by the end it's all arbitrary‬

The Salesman, Asghar Farhadi: A tale of shell-shocked wives and husbands seeking vengeance for semi-noble reasons; perfectly refracted through Miller    

Runners-Up: It feels wrong to leave off Jordan Peele’s script for Get Out, which has such ingenious dialogue and tackles a tougher, more ambitious target by the end than by its start, but the structure of it didn’t exactly wow me, especially once Chris starts actually Getting Out. Maybe another run-through will convince me? Either way, props to Peele, and to Dash Shaw’s deliriously fun, plausibly high schooled (within this film’s reality), and often unpredictable My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Atomic Blonde, Kurt Johnstad: Not the main attraction, but twisty and fun with a plot that’s rewarding if you look for it, delicious with spy tropes either way

The Beguiled, Sofia Coppola: Carved into Coppola’s take on antebellum delusions and psychosexual manipulation, less messy than ‘71 but carries that bloody build

The Lost City of Z, James Gray: Properly epic, credibly ever-changing, compressing Percy’s life while finding innumerable riches throughout the years

Their Finest, Gaby Chiappe: Saggy middle, yes, but charming buildup and characters culminates in an affecting final third

Your Name, Makoto Shinkai: Maybe too long but emotionally potent, carrying its conceit with aplomb and crazy swerves while filling out the worlds of both leads

Best Ensemble

After the Storm: For uniform lightness of tone and crisp delineation from a sprawling cast, keeping personalities consistent as we learn their histories

The Big Sick: No one’s a joke, and no one’s infallible either, everyone standing by their character’s take on difficult events

Get Out: Because everyone’s boldly in sync with Peele’s demands while adding their own flavors, funny and terrifying and in on it all

My Entire High School….: For teenage snark, angst, and sweetness; adult caring and regret; apocalyptic terror; operating within a limited vocal range

The Salesman: That everyone plays such clearly and swiftly drawn people rather than just ideas makes Farhadi’s conflicts even tougher to bear
          

Runners-Up: I Don’t Feel At Home…., whose cast works wonders with a tone that has to operate between the dangerous, the mundane, and the truly odd; and The Lovers, whose characters are so charming and full of history after a half hour of nothing you wonder if it was shot in sequence, and what took this captivating cast so long to show up.

Best Film Editing

After the Storm, Hirokazu Kore-eda: For letting familial relationships and new discoveries unfold themselves at the character’s pace, allowing gaps to fill themselves

Atomic Blonde, Elísabet Ronaldsdottír: A trip with action film timing while nailing comic-book interludes, slowing and stopping with fascinating rhythm

Casting JonBenet, Davis Coombe: For tragicomic inflections, interweaving personal testimonies that bristle against each other, keeping track of its subjects

The Lost City of Z, John Axelrad & Lee Haugen: Refuses great beginnings or climaxes in favor of continuation, keeping an even hand, plus the year's sexiest match cut

Whose Streets?, Christopher McNabb: Jumping between professional, newsreel, handheld, and cell phone footage, makes this portrait even more valuable and feeling multiply authored

Runners-Up: Sarah Flack’s careful measuring of time in The Beguiled; Marion Monnier’s blotting of scenes in Personal Shopper; Hayedeh Safiyari’s unexpected vantage points and remarkable character beats in The Salesman; and Makoto Skinakai’s accenting of his own scripted swaps and reveals in Your Name

Best Cinematography

Atomic Blonde, Jonathan Sela: Delicious framing of fight choreography and comic-book blocking, handling neons as easily as interrogation-room dinge

The Beguiled, Philippe Le Sourd: ‪The power of candlelight excursions and daylight toils are the film's most reliable sources of tension; gives real stakes to shifting dynamics‬

Dunkirk, Hoyt Van Hoytema: Traps its characters in their environments while miraculously keeping score of the world and people around them

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Henry Braham: ‪Because the film's exuberant color wouldn't work without managing the frame so carefully; has great fun with the setpieces/numbers‬

The Lost City of Z, Darius Khondji: Keenly with Gray’s love of golds and yellows, but so lushly mixed with greens and properly grandiose

Runners-Up: Michael Seresin’s frequent moving lensing of War for the Planet of the Apes, for handsome apes and attention to detail, finding potent, impactful imagery in their quest for survival.

Best Original Score

Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer: For unrelenting tension without repeating past achievements, refusing to let the audience think these characters are ever safe

Get Out, Michael Abels: The song of every sinister smile; unrelenting and undeniably potent, like you’re about to get stabbed by a harp

The Lost City of Z, Christopher Spelman: Keeping the film’s operatic yet temporarily restrained sensibilities; always in continuum, and gorgeous to boot

My Entire High School...., Rani Sharone: Malleable and moody; the soundtrack to the best video game you’ve never played

Okja, Marco Beltrami: Accents the film’s shifting tones and making them easier to swallow; adventurous, then zany, then stomach-churningly awful
            

Runners-Up: One of the few lists I’d truly be happy to keep for the rest of the year, but still, props to Hanaregumi’s scoring of After the Storm, finding soft Margaret-style interludes that perfectly match its tone; Tyler Bates’ work on Atomic Blonde, which dazzles but maybe dazzles better as a soundscape; and Michael Giacchino for War for the Planet of the Apes, who came the closest and may make it on later for the way it practically carries the whole enterprise like a silent film for long stretches, even if it is over-scored.

Best Sound

Atomic Blonde, Jonas Jansson & co.: An amazing (diegetic!) soundtrack in tandem with a jam of a score, unsubtle but swings between the calm and the storm (of fists)

Dunkirk, Richard King & co.: Because who needs dialogue when the whole world is crashing around these people, creating unbearable sonic claustrophobia

Get Out, Trevor Gates & co.: Horrific spoon-on-tea cup action as affecting as the gulf of the sunken place, mixed with an unsettling score and painful thunks

My Entire High School…., S. Henshaw & R. Price: Because the soundscape is almost as satisfying as the array of art styles, keeping it zany in fatal crisis

War for the Planet of the Apes, Will Files & co.: As much variety in bombs and bullets as apes’ cries and the sounds of fingers on palms

Runners-Up: Jan Pasemann’s endless soundscape of All These Sleepless Nights, making it even harder to tell if this project is “real” or not, keeping up its only unique thread.

Best Production Design

Alien: Covenant, Chris Seagers: ‪For all the weird nooks, crannies, and mad scientist laboratories in Fassy's cave; the spaceships look pretty great too‬

Atomic Blonde, David Scheunemann: Plausibly 80’s, plausibly Russian, all heightened into a reality where the film can exist without spinning out of control

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Scott Chambliss: For Ego’s insane spaceship, palace, and dioramas; golden, remote-controlled pod operators that look like arcade games

The Lost City of Z, Jean-Vincent Pouzos: For the way the jungle creeps in Percy’s homes as much as it does his mind; for colonist’s huts, native shacks, and strange opera stages

My Entire High School.…, Dash Shaw: Delightfully rendered in such a very teenaged aesthetic, as perfect a compliment to the variety of styles as everything else

Best Costume Design

Atomic Blonde, Cindy Evans: For dressing Charlize to the nines in clothes that give her room to kick ass, doing equally right by Boutella and McAvoy

The Beguiled, Stacy Battat: For conveying dignity and desperation of character through cut and fabric, in day-to-day and formal wares; Kirsten's spinster-at-30 dresses

The Lost City of Z, Sonia Grande: Pinning class, rank, and character details onto the men's breasts; Sienna's dresses and hats

Personal Shopper, Jurgen Doering: For all the impossibly chic looks Maureen buys for her invisible boss; the slick array of jackets she sports on a lower but sturdy budget

Wonder Woman, Lindy Hemming: For genuinely practical armor on the Amazons; Doctor Poison's mask; the renderings of style icon Diana Prince and superhero icon Wonder Woman

Runners-Up: Katarzyna Lewinska for The Lure, for all the glorious, punk-loving reasons I’m throwing laurels at the makeup; and Catherine Georg for Okja, for crisply-dressed eco-terrorists, corporate glam, and a lovely little red coat.  

Best Documentary Feature

Casting JonBenet: So adept about communities, and how public crises are inevitably refracted through individual ones without suspicion or invalidation

Last Men in Aleppo: Dangerous and vital, for the director, for his subjects, and for us, chronicling the actions of real life heroes

Raising Bertie: These are the American lives that deserve eight million op-eds, sensitive with subjects trying to stay above water

Starless Dreams: That it finds so many textures and spots of light only makes the oppressiveness of their situation harder to watch

Whose Streets?: Diary of a living, breathing moment, one that rewards its audience while demanding more than just viewership


Best Visual Effects

Alien: Covenant: Because the film’s most consistent scare is the slimy skin of the fetal Xenomorphs, making that final form all the more terrifying

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: The sheer visual pleasure of so many saturated colors is as bold to superhero films as Logan’s finality; Never steps into Wonderland garishness

My Entire High School….: Such a deliciously realized combination of mediums working in tandem that I fell in love instantly

Okja: For making that damn pig the cutest creature on the silver screen in years, so vividly realized you could smell it, feel it, cherish it

War for the Planet of the Apes: Perfecting the art of digitally rendering genetically engineered apes, evolving and improving as much as the virus wiping out humanity

Apologies to whoever I’m supposed to credit here. Supervisors? Studios? Who knows. Either way, well done folks.

Best Makeup

Hounds of Love, Hayley Atherton: For grubby kidnappers and horrific bruises that indicate the passing of time and the suffering of Vicki without prurience

The Lost City of Z, Nana Fischer (?): For making the aristocrats look so glamorous, the wear of the jungle so exhausting, individualizing native tribes without exoticizing

The Lure, Artist Currently Unknown: For 80's punk-rock glamour specific to each character's style and each band's look, keeping these fishes rocking to their own beat

Runners-Up: Beauty and the Beast, for eccentric townsfolk and grooming their leads so romantically, though I can’t tell if making Dan Stevens’s prologue prince into Hedwig Robinson is a plus.

Special Acknowledgements to....

A Cure for Wellness, which falters in the beginning but whose second half is the most deliciously mad experience at the theaters this year

The Dinner, so astonishingly flabby and uneven but brings it together and cuts to the core of a lot of horrific white delusions and entitlements

Oh, Hello! On Broadway, because I had no idea if a filmed play on Netflix counts at all, but it’s a riot and I recommend the hell out of it

The Void, with creatively disgusting monsters and astonishing practical effects in a time where all that seems in the past

[psythonband-blog]

Five piece metal band Psython, from South Yorkshire, formed in 2014. Embodying the speed and precision of thrash, strength and force of metal and marrying it with the rage and venom of crossover, hard-core punk, their mission is a basic one – to practice the process of ‘write, record, practice, play’, producing a new album annually and playing as many live gigs as possible. Their self produced debut album, ‘Outputs’, was launched in 2016 and 30 gigs later, has been met with widespread acclaim. Having so far supported such highly esteemed bands as Cattle Decapitation, Akercocke, Down To Nothing, Onslaught, Ballsdeep, PIST, Witch Tripper, SHVPES etc, Psython have now cemented their reputation, as a serious and dedicated metal band, within the underground scene. This, their second album, is now ready for planned release, on 1st September 2017.

Jormungandr – Punchy, hard-hitting, raw aggression introing – such fitting, passionately performed lyrics, there’s no denying the sheer, ultimate power infecting this, from the word go. Skilfully placed riff melodies and an angrily catchy edge running through it, this is just laced with originally delivered metal intent. An absolute powerhouse blitzfest of thrash, from start to finish. Ones to watch, for certain.

Battery Life – Racing on into the fray, with full-scale metal assault, it’s a battle trooper of a song, loaded with high velocity riffage, enraged vocals and speed to kill. Relentless attack, from beginning to end. Power charged fury, at lightning pace.

Teeth – Drumming taking centre stage now, another crazed paced blitz of metal ammo, coming at you, with absolute conviction and spitting fury, in an intensely edgy way. Spot the vibrato in there and feel the incensed catch do it’s thing again, before it ends, with a shockingly precise, abrupt finale.

H.A.T.E. – Storming onto the scene, with a loaded, rage filled message – it means business and it doesn’t hesitate to tell you so. One listen to those lyrics and you’ll hope never to make enemies of these guys. Intelligent melodies, wah wah effect and blatant aggression rules the day – standout track, for certain.

Chai latte – Banging intro, rocking into life and metalling up the place, with total thrash. This works and belongs firmly in the mosh pit. Headbangers delight, it’s just fun, frollicking, intense thrash. Incorporating vibrant melodies, thrashy rhythm and very slight edge of a heavily metallicised Jane’s Addiction, it’s long enough to savour and it’s got something for everyone. A stunner of a track.

Ten Pounds – Firing up the pace even more and throwing in a real, heartfelt sense of anger, it’s a metal blitzkrieg. Slight echoes here of Obey’s ‘Gutless’ and the same rage filled pace as G’N’R’ ‘s ‘Right Next Door To Hell’. Pure intense violence, yet it still intersperses melodic riffs and anthemic vocals, from which an evident serenity shines through. There’s definitely something very real and sincere about this and it’s emotion catches you every time.

One Indeed – A drumming frenzy opens it up this time and an audible solid determination emanates from every component. As if you can hear them, mentally pinning someone against a wall and using them as a punch machine: the energy of the moment just pours out, in torrents. This kind of intention is rare and it’s a big deal. Something about it reminds me of The More I See’s ‘Fear Of Death’. An impressive feat, in itself.

Hashtrap – Massively expressive shout introing; joyful chaos ensues, from there on in. Battering you to death, with an epic drumming storm, it gets right up in your face and blasts itself into your memory. A welcome bit of warrior vocals, the power in this is enough that it doesn’t need to be any longer. It’s fearsome message is clear.

Old Man – Opening with a noticeable slight delay, already, it’s slower pace and darker thread fits with the title, but don’t think for a moment that you’ll get away with a lesser impact, cos it soon confirms its position on that, with a palpable stoning vision of heaviness. Soon reinforcing that impression, with a truly steel edged metal war, the vocals alone spell cathartic release. Ending on a hollow tunnel effect, it just screams power.

Overall – An epically produced and performed piece of work, just drenched in pure, original metal intent. Makes for a highly pleasurable and thought-provoking listen and a refreshing change from some of the derivative styles emerging from the scene. Whilst ‘HATRED’ has some nods to classic influences, it doesn’t rely on them; positioning them carefully and correctly, alongside their own highly original material, forming the vast majority of the album. A rare example of a truly invested band and the extraordinary quality of metal they create.

8/10 ********

For fans of high octane thrash metal and NWOBHM, such as The More I See, Obey, viking metal, hard-core punk, such as Jane’s Addiction, moshing metal, heavy, dark, deathy, power metal, such as Obzidian and Spreading The Disease and old school thrash and trad heavy-metal.

[nazih-fares]

Back in 2013, American studio NetherRealm surprised the video game multiverse with Injustice: Gods Among Us (or as I reviewed it in the Middle East as Injustice: Mighty Among Us), combining explosive combat and an epic scenario with talent from the Justice League comic book universe. Now 4 years later, right after the success of their main and iconic fighting game franchise with Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm gives us a new sequel based on the stories and adventures of the Justice League with Injustice 2.

The terror regime of Kal El (Superman) is no more than a tenacious memory after the event of Injustice: Gods Among Us. The tyrant Kryptonian overwhelmed by the loss of his wife Lois Lane and self-proclaimed “Judge, Juror and Executioner” is now held in place by a “red sun” powered prison. The defeat of Superman precipitated the fall of his regime of terror and almost destroyed Earth, and so from the ruins of this world, tiny hope came back thanks to Batman and his new team. The enemies of yesterday have become allies of today (like Harley Quinn) and the Justice League is split by each hero’s revenge plans or selfish motives.

This period of tranquility will be short-lived sadly, as you soon discover that a criminal organization led by Gorilla Grodd took advantage of the Justice League dismantled to revive the flames of discord and chaos, creating a new group of vilains called “The Society”, led by a new threat from the confines of the universe that will soon strike the Earth. The founding members of the Justice League will once again join forces and face the planned destruction of the world. But will this alliance resist the diametrically opposed visions of its two leaders which is Batman and Superman?

NetherRealm’s writers reiterate with Injustice 2 the features of the first Injustice: Gods Among Us which is based on rivalry, an ideological conflict and the end of the world. And if playing a fighting game for its story mode is usually something rare, Injustice 2 fuses perfectly the fist and the pen, giving us an epic narrative inspired by the some of DC Comics most appreciated story arcs. The invasion of the Earth by Brainiac as well as the Batman vs. Superman conflict will rejoice fan’s interest and enrich an adventure with multiple twists, proving that NetherRealm undoubtedly mastered the comic narration codes.

The story mode assumes its role as a tutorial and introduces perfectly the majority of the game’s roster (mostly the heroes), via 12 different chapters that could take you 5 to 6 hours to finish depending on the difficulty picked. There’s also 2 alternate endings, as well as the opportunity to play different segment during certain chapters that are based on a duo (like Blue Beetle and Firestom). In simple terms, Injustice 2’s secondary story ending is only available once you finish all different alteration of the numerous chapters, which could add 2 more hours of gameplay to your brand new game.

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On the point of view of presentation, a strong point from NetherRealm Studios’ productions, it is similar to the conflict in the story. While graphics are not mind-blowing, the difference between the 2013 Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 is undeniable, with more enhanced and fluid animations, and really great character design (big fan of Blue Beetle). The 12 battle arenas are detailed with care, filled with many interactive elements for each type of characters, resulting in an explosion of colors and pyrotechnic effects giving more kick to these heroic clashes. I’ll admire the great work done on the smooth transition between chapters, jumping from battles to cinematics without the need of loading screens.

The lore of the Justice League is dense and full of characters more or less known to everyone. While it would great to add everyone, I feel like NetherRealm picked the right fighters to prevent ruining the precarious balance between previous ones from the original game, and new ones that make sense for the story, without losing sight of the title’s competitive aspect. With this, Injustice 2 launched with 28 characters, including new heroes and villains with a unique style never been seen in the first game, starting with the story’s villain Brainiac, Firestorm (from Legends of Tomorrow), Blue Beetle (from Teen Titans), Gorilla Grodd and much more. Note that Darkseid is also available if you preordered the game or you can also give in to buying the upcoming DLCs, which will add 9 new characters this year including Starfire, Red Hood, and Sub Zero from the Mortal Kombat universe (a guest like Scorpion was in the first Injustice).

To please the fans by the number of characters is not so difficult but to make sure each of its fighters has its own charisma and class is another story. Injustice: Gods Among Us had divided the community and Injustice 2 might probably do the same, because by moving away from DC’s extended universe design and comics to develop its own “lore”, NetherRealm takes a risky bet. Comic book fans are by nature fussy and the slightest gap would trigger a wind of criticism, especially since most characters costumes and their equipment are so different from the originals or even the most modern versions. Closer to an armor than a costume for the majority of the characters, these outfits refresh the license while digging in past and present lore with more or less success. Harley Quinn, but especially the Joker, are inspired by Suicide Squad, while Wonder Woman reminds us of the old 1975 TV series, which could be fun… My only issue is that character faces lack of soul and even life experience, like Superman’s features make him a smiling boy scout and hinder the anger that should animate him.

NetherRealm Studios’ productions have always accentuated the spectacular, ranging from the X-Ray and Fatalities of Mortal Kombat to the Supers of Injustice, and its sequel Injustice 2 follows the same path. Heavy strikes and epic attacks reflect the extraordinary power of these superheroes and villains, as well as doing justice to their status as iconic figures of popular comic book culture. Injustice 2 characters thus crumble under the violence of the blows, although the lack of visual feedback on their body diminishes this feeling of power. I mean seriously? I know that Superman’s cape is made of Alien materials, but Batman’s gear surely cannot be perfectly clean after a Black Adam Super even in Comic book logic.

In any case, NetherRealm’s faith in his vision of fighting games is unfailing, and that’s the important thing after all. Easily accessible to newcomers and rich enough to keep the attention of veteran fighters (especially with the new eSports tournament series), Injustice 2 refines a gameplay proven on the 3 previous NetherRealm Studios games. You got you super gauge, grabs, abilities, combo, arena interactions and transition, super hits, special attacks… The palette of a perfect fighting game basically returns and will not surprise the fans of the first game. But Injustice 2 is not a simple copy-paste, and NetherRealm innovates with simple additions, like the addition of a dodge roll.

Injustice 2’s combos launch with ease and require only a very limited number of keys, however to fully perfect it and become a virtual martial artists, things are more in the sense of “easy to play, hard to master”. The most devout players will sharpen their combos and dissect a game system much more complex than it seems, ranging on all fronts of fighting game mechanics. The mere mastery of cancellations and parry-dodges gives a definite advantage in the arena while the Burn-Gauge option is essential to get out of a tricky and cornered situation. SImilar to the first game and Mortal Kombat X, consuming a bar of the “Super” gauge will allow a character to extend one special attack in terms of damage inflicted. In short, as you probably understood, Injustice 2 is tailored to satisfy casual gamers and eSports competitors around with a common passion for the brawl.

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While most fighting games have the option of customizing its fighters, these were purely cosmetic skins having no impact on gameplay, like a new costume or different haircut… But NetherRealm has ignored the players’ fears and has fully integrated into its title an RPG component with a loot system. All Injustice 2 characters are defined by four set of stats (Strength, Ability, Defense, HP), which can then be “enhanced” with a set of equipment gained throughout the game. These can range from new skills, to more powerful armor and weapons, letting Injustice 2 roster customize themselves accordingly and benefit from improvements such as extra experience gain, more magical attack resistance and more. The only constraint some players might see from this system, is that most items require a certain character experience level to be able to equip it, therefore demanding a required a lot of playing time. In the end, it is impossible to surpass an opponent by simply equipping a bunch of new items, plus nothing beats the sensation of a complete and full armor set which can give you even more boost. Even in some instances, special skins or shaders (called Premium Skins) can alter dramatically the style of a character turning for example the Flash into its archnemesis Reverse Flash, Supergirl into Power Girl, each with its different voice lines and sometimes changes in the animations.

Fans of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more will be delighted to let their imagination run wild with all these customization options. But unfortunately, nothing is free in the world of DC Comics and it will be necessary to dominate the Injustice 2 arena to unlock all the coveted items and loot. To do this, the Story mode is a good start, but the Multiverse mode is the end game grind, as it will allow you to collect Mother Boxes (loot boxes) which release all sorts of different currencies, items, armors, weapons and even shaders according to the rarity of the box. Of course, by using the RNG principle made popular in MOBA games, this random Loot system will force impulsive collectors to intensive gaming sessions which could end up great.

The Multiverse mode is also a well-known concept of fans and feeds the DC Comic’s worst-case scenarios for ages. The discovery of this tangle of universes opened a Pandora’s Box, which has the Justice League constantly monitoring with the help of Brother Eye, a super power computer technology invented by our billionaire Bruce Wayne. From this concept comes infinite opportunities of challenge, giving you series of matches to complete (as well as side challenges), with set modifiers, changing every couple of hours, reminding me of the Living Towers of Mortal Kombat X. For that, expect things like helping Black Adam avenge the death of his wife Isis on Earth 8143, or even help Scarecrow spread havoc on Earth 2415 and so on.

The first battles resemble a course of normal matches, with enemies posing only weak resistance but things eventually get tough. A level of difficulty and various parameters add more complexity, like a speed boost, or reduced timer… the Multiverse challenges are vicious by nature and can give the most seasoned fighters a hard time. But the mode is worth it, especially when it comes to its rewards, but also to discover a sort of “What if” a another character than Superman and Batman had saved us from Brainiac’s doom in the Battle Simulator.

Of course with a typical Player versus Player worthy of the name, a fighting game can not claim excellence so much that the solo often remains anecdotal. Aware of the trends of competitive gaming, Warner tries to impose on the eSport stage and the intentions of the editor are displayed fully in a PvP mode that can be played online or local, with dedicated Tournament mode (following rules set by the Injustice 2 Championship Series), ranked modes and King of the Hill. The matchmaking and net code – the pillar of a quality online experience – hasn’t suffered any sort of problems at launch, and it’s probably thanks to the closed beta this year, and even with my humble connection, a few seconds are enough to find an opponent and launch into a fight.

Injustice 2 was reviewed using an Xbox One retail copy of the game provided by Warner Bros. Interactive. The game is also available on PlayStation 4 via retail and online stores. We don’t discuss review scores with publishers or developers prior to the review being published.

  It's no surprise that the sequel of a great game is one as well, and Injustice 2 fuses perfectly a fighting game with a DC Comic fan service. Back in 2013, American studio NetherRealm surprised the video game multiverse with Injustice: Gods Among Us (or as I reviewed it in the Middle East as…

[tsunderedreamer]

Versus XV

The atmosphere of the Versus world is very different from XV's world.

The Caelum family opposes the Fleuret family. The Fleuret family dabbles in black magic, power hungry, and are willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of gaining entrance to the Kingdom of the Dead. Luna was once apart of the Fleuret family (full name Lunafreya) until her brother saved her from being sacrificed by their parents.

Once every five years, the Kingdom of the Dead surfaces on the same plane as humanity causing a red moon to appear. Cult followers believe that giving a child to the moon would bestow them great power. The Fleuret's are amongst those believers. However, there are times when the ritual goes wrong and the price payed is a loss of sense. After saving his sister, his mother and father decided to sacrifice him instead. The ritual went wrong and Ravus went blind and his parents perished. The loss of the leaders of said family caused Niflheim to easily annex Tenebrae; taking its crystal as well. To save little Luna from suffering the empire's wrath, the blinded Ravus used the magic gifted to him by the accident to erase her memory and left her in the streets of Insomnia, eventually found by a loving and wealthy couple. Her true name being Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. But her adoptive family gave her the name Luna Cornelia.

Ravus Nox Fleuret became a Niflheim general, his magic prowess making him a high ranking magus. He uses magic to sense others around him to make up for his lost of sight. He dreams of seeing his little sister again and secretly protects her during the invasion.

Noctis Lucis Caelum, at the tender age of 8 nearly died after a brutal attack from a Marlith. Seeing the Gate of the Dead, he walked towards it only for an extremely beautiful Angel to push him away from it with a tender smile. After waking up, his father was distraught but extremely relieved. A few short weeks later, Regis introduced the healing boy to the oracle Gentiana. Noctis kept to himself, noting the oracle looked like the angel from his near death experience. He immediately grew fond of her, and vice versa.

One year later, the Cornelia family introduced Luna to Regis and Noctis, proud of their daughter's academic prowess and hoping to impress the king. Luna and Noctis due to a unlikely circumstance grew close to one another. And they remained close for the majority of their life.

Prompto Argentum came into Noctis's life in his late teens. Nevertheless, the two were close. He was a Niflheim double agent that grew to adore the prince, not fond of the empire's practices. Verstael still doesn't care for what his son actually wants. See's Aranea and Loqi as sibling figures.

Gladiolus Amicitia has a difficult relationship with Noctis. Believing him to be spoiled and stupid, but still holding affection for him. His fealty, however, wanes after then invasion.

Ignis Scientia is devoted to his prince, and always there no matter what. He is the soothing voice of reason and thinks of plans in advance. Quietly nurses a crush on Gentiana.

Luna Cornelia is incredibly shy and timid, not really sure of what she wants. But speaks passionately of her hopes and dreams when excited. Easily broken by the events her Noctis suffered, she prays that he finds peace. Sadly, she is broken by the realization of her own origin and is horrified. Learning that her true family opposes the Caelum's, she struggles to understand and remains by his side causing great friction between Ravus and Noctis.

Ardyn Izunia is the Chancellor and the man who is hungry for power over his loss of Etro's favor. He uses empires and many cult families to sacrifice their children in order to enter the Gate once more to kill the goddess himself. None of the rituals worked successfully and it's implied that Luna may be the key which is why Ravus wanted to avoid her fate. Ardyn isn't as shady as to outright hurt Luna but more so use someone else. He killed Regis and Clarus during the invasion.

After the invasion, it's revealed the blood moon is making another appearance and as such people are clamoring to give their babies to gain power. Daemons are especially strong during this time. Noctis after fighting many bases, arguments ensue between his friends, and Etro's mocking tone in his mind, Noct's sanity soon begins to leave.

Manipulating his fragile state of mind on the two night blood moon, Ardyn reveals that he killed his father causing Noctis to snap, and his powers to go haywire killing other people in the ritual arena. Horrified and begging Noctis to stop, his friends are paralyzed by Ardyn, leaving Luna to face his wrath. Luna pleads and fights with him, knowing his recklessness could kill him, and get near fatally stabbed by him. While she lives, her blood that's spilled on the ground was the key to opening the Gate, letting Ardyn go inside.

Hurt, confused, and angry Noctis aids Luna and soon leaves out of shame. His friends beg him to stay only for him to refuse.

Gentiana, the angel senses Ardyn entering the gate and becomes worried when the blood moon extends to three nights.

Ravus is easily able to kidnap Luna and tell her about their family and reveals his inner feelings of wishing to protect her even blinded. Although, unsure, she feels the love she had for him years ago, and reluctantly let's him protect her. The bros look for Noctis worried about him, Gladiolus soon expresses disappointment in his friend's loss of sanity. Ignis and Prompto snap at him but eventually even Gladiolus leaves the party.

Ravus eventually loses his life against an empowered Ardyn who successfully returned from slaying the goddess. As he died, he told Luna of his unfailing love. Gentiana hearing his feelings bestows his sight to see one more time and stare at his beloved sister. Luna, hurt and heartbroken, experiences a mental break that leaves her mute.

Noctis has a vision of his father who tells of his faithful love and reassures him that he's proud. Telling him to find his destiny and make it right, Noctis with a new resolve, sets out to find and his friends and Luna. He meets up with Ignis and Prompto who are anxious about explaining Gladio's departure but a calm Noctis reassures them and says they'll find him. Prompto in the meantime is trying to stall his father's plan of experimenting on Bahamut.

Yhe three find Luna in Cor Leonis's care, broken beyond repair. Noctis, tells her of his desire to ensure a better future and to protect her. While still, saddened, Luna is happy to see him okay and accepts his apology of wounding her. About to tell him of her feelings, she is interrupted by soldiers invading and annexing another territory. Angered, Luna puts aside her fears and joins Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Cor Leonis.

The five meet up with Verstael, who leaves Gladio in charge of the mechanized Bahamut Zero. Prompto desperately wanting to stop his father, gets injured, gaining a deep scar on his cheek. Noctis begs Gladio to reconsider and as he thinks of his love for Noctis, Bahamut Zero fires Gigaflare at him causing Gladio to jump in front and take the blast. Dying in Noctis's arms, he tells him he was foolish and should've stayed by his side. Noctis promises to make things right and avenge Clarus for him.

Everyone is sad for a long time until Ardyn reappears and strikes down Cor Leonis. More sadness... Ardyn tells the group of his plans to become God and rule over all creation. The blood moon will remain forever and all will be blotted out.

Opening the Gate, he implores to others to come. Final Dungeon time. Inside the Kingdom of the Dead, the four talk of their dreams and hardships. Ignis is worried about what will happen, Prompto wants to prove his worth, and Luna struggles with loss and her feelings for Noctis. Gentiana crosses paths with them, confirming she was the angel Noctis saw as a child. He thanks her tenderly, admitting to seeing her as a mother. 

Touched by his words, Gentiana sheds a tear, and prays for a safe passage. At Etro's throne, Ardyn sits there and awaits the four, mocking them for their every loss. Noctis explains it because of those losses that made them strong (cheesy sorry). Epic battle with Ardyn occurs.

The final phase of the fight, Gladiolus, Clarus, and Regis give Noctis strength to perform the fina blow. Ardyn dies but leaves with a dark warning; the power of death is a double edged sword. Which rings true as Noctis's body remains damaged and struggles to leave through the closing gate. The other's try to take him along but he tells them of his eternal love for them and pushes them through. Noctis dies in Gentiana's arms at the foot of the throne, destiny propelling her to be the new Goddess and holds him in her embrace until Regis comes to hold Noctis.

Gladiolus, Clarus, and Cor surround the Dead prince, sadly, but knowing his soul will be with them permanently. The world is heavily damaged but the three living friends continue on their way. Luna returns to Tenebrae, in hopes of making it a better place and Ignis + Prompto go to Hammerhead, the blond hoping to make things right.