#the sequel was absolutely beautiful for visuals holy shit man

[wcrstarter]

if theres ever an attempt at another hellboy movie, or a remake of eragon movie, they need james cameron because nobody does visuals the way he can

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2020: Non-2020 Films

My Best of 2020 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2020, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2020.

I didn’t see as many new non-2020 films as I would have liked, as I gravitated toward books from late-April on. But I did catch some gems, and finally ‘discovered’ two Studio Ghibli masterpieces.

1. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (Karel Zeman, 1962)

Holy. Shit. An absolute masterpiece. Never anything less than visually stunning, and always every bit as bizarre as it is funny as it is exciting.

2. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)

Clearly, Miyazaki’s imagination knows no bounds. The world-building, mythology and sense of wonder here is insane. What a beautifully realized, thoroughly enjoyable piece of cinema.

3. My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988)

A virtual tie with Spirited Away, becuase it’s just as perfect, and they’re both Straight. F*cking. Magic.

4. Stop Making Sense (Jonathan Demme, 1984)

How do you spell Talking Heads?? A-R-T.

5. Tucker: The Man and His Dream (Francis Ford Coppola, 1988)

‘Don’t get too close to people, you’ll catch their dreams… ’

Fantastic! It surely doesn’t hurt that I love a good David v Goliath tale, but Coppola brings this one to life with such creativity and playfulness, and the cinematography and production design are breathtaking. Then you have Jeff Bridges and Martin Landau, whose performances are overflowing with whimsy and heart. It all comes together to form a beautiful piece about dreams.

6. The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934)

A ton of fun…

William Powell and Myrna Loy are incredible together. The screenplay is clever and witty and lightning fast. And the direction understands the balance between screwball comedy and mystery, showcasing both the phenomenal writing and our perfect leads without ever letting things lose control or get too messy/silly (when they’re not supposed to be).

7. Chocolat (Lasse Hallström, 2000)

Absolutely delightful. Juliette Binoche is magical.

8. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Frank Capra, 1936)

Damn. What a crowd-pleaser. Gary Cooper is perfection as the pixilated Longfellow Deeds. And the screenplay and Capra’s direction blend perfectly to tell a heartwarming story about how a man’s worth doesn’t come from his bank account, but from his heart. Much like some of Capra’s other crowd-pleasers, mainly It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, this one effortlessly works its way into the heart of its viewer to make them want to cheer upon its ending.

9. Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999)

A masterpiece of a mosaic. PTA’s Magnolia is a masterclass in not only screenwriting, but also editing and directing. PTA works us through this day-in-the-life, everything is connected tale in a way that throws us for a loop while never losing us in the complexities of it all.

10. Doctor Sleep: Director’s Cut (Mike Flanagan, 2019)

I never wanted a sequel to The Shining. It’s a perfect film, and in a separate and entirely different way, it’s a perfect novel. I haven’t read Doctor Sleep (I have read it, now, and also loved it... even more so than the film.), and I skipped this in the cinemas because ::shrugs:: it just didn’t look like something I needed in my life.

I was wrong.

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Assorted (Animated Feature, Foreign Film, Editing, Screenplay, Etc.) - Coming Next Week!

More of My Best of 2020…

[hermionegranger56]

ok lads its time for my breakdown of folklore, something absolutely no one is asking for but here we are!! this album. thIs ALBUMMMM. dear GOD. the intersection of my two favorite things, taylor swift and indie folk???? i feel like i’m dreaming. when she announced the surprise drop i literally burst into tears and evidently for good reason lol.

anywho here’s the thing. Red has been my all time favorite album for 8 years now. it holds such an important place in my life and i never thought anything she did could come close (though Lover almost did). but this. THIS IS BETTER THAN RED

the lyrical genius is unmatched here. taylor isn’t just writing songs here, this is POETRY. every song is nuanced, intricate, devastatingly beautiful, with words that’ll haunt me for a long time. and the fact that it’s stories, literal folklore, no longer just about her own life is incredibly creative and is executed so well for someone who has interwoven her life into her entire body of music thus far. folklore blends facts with fiction so seamlessly and is a true exhibition of taylor’s power as a songwriter.

and the vibessss!! from haunting heartbreak songs, to ethereal lost-in-the-woods vibes, to a comforting return to her old self, this album has everything. taylor is without a doubt one of the most versatile artists of our generation, having success and skill in multiple genres and folklore only solidifies this fact.

ALL RIGHT KIDS LETS JUMP IN

the 1: hell yeah explicit tswift give it to me lol you ARE on some new shit!! ok when i first listened to this i hadn’t read her statement about the other perspectives and i was about to RIOT about her and joe breaking up (like they could ever lol). this is such a catchy beat, such a casual?? look at such a painful feeling? a really good start to this album. the part where she goes another day waking up aLONE killlllllls me wow

fave lines: “in my defense i have none/for never leaving well enough alone”

cardigan: (don’t get me started on the mv it’s gorgeous) YES THE TEENAGE LOVE TRIANGLE suchhh a good concept!! the melody of this song is unreal, the chorus makes me want to scream it’s so beautiful, the i-i-i is SOMETHING ELSE. it’s crazy how just the melody makes betty’s pain so palpable, but so enchanting at the same time. it’s bittersweet and cinematic and i’m in love. PETER LOSING WENDY GOD. easily top 5 song here

fave lines: “when you are young they assume you know nothing”, “cause i knew you/ heartbeat on the high line/ once in 20 lifetimes i” “you drew stars around my scars/but now i’m bleeding”

the last great american dynasty: watch hill!!! her watch hill house!! i live near there!! oh i think this song is so clever and i love how it ties into mad woman as well as harkens back to starlight. i LOVE the way she ties her self in, “and then it was bought by me” like ughhh her mind? and its catchy AF

fave lines: “i had a marvelous time ruining everything”

exile: YOU KNOW HOW TO DO AN INDIE ALBUM??? BRING BON IVER INTO THIS SHIT!! wowww this song is haunting and is definitely the “i’m you but stronger” version of The Last Time. the overlap of both of them singing and their parallel lines are flawless. i could play this on repeat for hours and contemplate my whole existence

fave lines: “you never gave a warning sign/i gave so many signs”

my tears ricochet: ok somehow a track 5 with tears in the title is not the saddest song here but DAMN is it good. I love the visual of someone watching over their funeral and reacting. the music is stunningggg here. ALSO i am pretty convinced this is about the whole scott/scooter drama, like the lyrics fit so well? and she said it was the first song she wrote so the timeline kinda fits?? geniusss

fave lines: “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace”, “and if i’m dead to you/why are you at the wake?”

mirrorball: ohhhh this one is so pretty!! it just makes me want to dance around the kitchen with the person i love??? its comforting, ethereal, happyyy ugh i love it. I also think it could be about her relationship with her fans? like her music shows us different sides of ourselves idk? or just absorbing into a relationship?

fave lines: “on my tallest tiptoes/shining just for you”

seven: i’m gonna call this now: this is going to be the most underrated song on this album. it is STUNNING. POETIC. HEARTBREAKING. the music is so hauntingly nostalgic. and the lyrics, holy absolute shit. they’re a delicate testament to childhood, memory, and innocent love. it’s gut wrenching and i love it so so much

fave lines: “i’ve been meaning to tell you/i think your house is haunted/your dad is always mad/and that must be why”, “and just like folk song/our love will be passed on”, “before i learned civility/ i used to scream ferociously” ALL OF IT

august: and now we get the girl james cheated with’s perspective, which i think is great. its sunny, wistful and sad underneath all that beautiful production. when she slides from the chorus to the “back when we we’re changing for the better” and hits that “mineeee to lose” GOD, it just fills your chest. i feel like even if you never have, this makes anyone feel like they know exactly what a summer fling feels like. one of my faves

fave lines: “august slipped away/like a bottle of wine”, “cancel my plans just in case you call/ and say meet me behind the mall”

this is me trying: the slow pacing of this melody serves to show these EXQUISITE lyrics here. this is so intimate and personal and i feel like everyone can relate to this feeling of just trying to hold on and put on a brave face?

fave lines: “they told me all of my cages were mental/ so i got wasted like all my potential”

illicit affairs: ok all you need to know about this one is a) I’m obsessed b) this is the closest she has come to creating a bridge that makes me feel like the All Too Well bridge has, like scream sobbing in the car type vibe??? its unreal. and this song makes me feel that shitty feeling of: “this was supposed to be casual but oops its very much not” hmmm maybe that’s where the scream sobbing comes from hahah

fave lines: “don’t call me kid/don’t call me baby/look at this godforsaken mess that you made me/you showed me colors you know i can’t see with anyone else”

invisible string: this. THIS is probably her most stunning love song. like. i thought it was Lover. i was wrong. this one is confidently from Taylor’s perspective, about Joe and dear lord i want a love like theirs. and shit does this song put the folk in folklore, the music is so simple and gorgeous and harkens back to her country roots without losing this new sound she has. and the first few notes remind me of Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens so instantly im sold. this and betty are tied for my number 1, it’s just too beautiful

fave lines: “time curious time/give me no compasses/give me no signs” “isn’t it just so pretty to think/all along there was some invisible string/tying you to me”, “cold was steel of the axe that i had to grind/for the boys who broke my heart/now i buy their babies presents”, “hell was the journey/but it brought me heaven”

mad woman: FUCK YOU FOREVERRRRRR!!! yes taylor said fuckkkk ugh i LOVE this vibe, the revenge of the mad woman that the town cast out is so eerie and powerful, i’m obsessed. it ties back into the maddest woman of TLGAD and it feels like a spiritual sequel to The Man, the same feminist thread weaving through it. the lyrics are razor sharp and biting, i love it

fave lines: “and you poke that bear/till the claws come out/ and you find something/ to wrap your noose around”, “it’s obvious wanting me dead has really brought you two together”

epiphany: so uhhh THIS is the saddest song on folklore. fight me. the seamless comparison between wartime and the pandemic and waiting for some epiphany that could make sense of all the horrors surrounding the both. idk man, as someone who’s been a covid nurse since March, i just….this one HURTS. similar to Soon You’ll Get Better tbh

fave lines: “hold your hand through plastic now/doc i think she’s crashing out/and somethings you just can’t speak about”

betty: OH I LOVE IT WITH MY WHOLE HEART! this is such a TRIUMPHANT return to old taylor, it is so joyful but sad at the same time?? the harmonica?? the last part of the love triangle?? it sounds like Taylor Swift and Fearless all grown up and it makes me ache for back then, but love where we are right now. tbh the first time i heard this i sobbed through the whole thing just out of pure nostalgia. she’s back but at the same time she never left. this feels like a love song to original fans and it. is. incredible. my favoriteeee goddd

fave lines: THE WHOLE CHORUS BABYYYYY

peace: it’s gorgeous, especially the guitarrr ugh. this feels like delicate’s quiet older sister. i think it’s definitely about joe and how taylor, despite loving him, still has these insecurities and fears about what a relationship with someone in her position could be like? like there will be struggles, but he’s her family and she “would die for you in secret”. stunning

fave lines: “i’m a fire and i’ll keep your brittle heart warm”, “the devils in the detail/but you’ve got a friend in me”, “give you my wild/give you a child”

hoax: i’m surprised she ended it on a sad one (but we still have the lakes!!) but this song is hauntingly beautiful WOW. every line of this absolutely floors me. i think this one will also be largely underrated, but it is pure poetry and deserves so so much hype

fave lines: “stood on the cliffside/screaming give me a reason/your faithless love’s the only hoax i believe in”, “it still hurts underneath my scars/from when they pulled me apart/but what you did was just as dark” “my kingdom come undone/ my broken drum/ you have beaten my heart”

ANYWHO TAYLOR HAS PRODUCED HER BEST WORK TO DATE AND IM READY FOR SAD GIRL AUTUMN

[curly-q-reviews]

ROAD TO THE OSCAR MAYER WIENER AWARDS 2K19

Black Panther, 2018 (dir. Ryan Coogler)

Nominated for: Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

ok y’all lets get this party started with a movie i didnt get to catch in theaters (i think i ended up renting it) but people were absolutely raving about it all of last year, and for good reason i gotta say!  it was one of the better marvel films that came out last year (though in my humble opinion Infinity War takes the gold)

speaking of marvel lets talk about it for a spell!  lets have a lil sit-down chit-chat shall we!!  cause its kind of insane how much of an american media phenomenon marvel has become, they are arguably single-handedly responsible for reviving the superhero movie subgenre and now these types of movies bring hollywood more dineros than they probably know what to do with (besides make more superhero movies).  what used to be a niche market where only your most hardcore of nerdy types dared to dwell has been embraced into the mainstream wholeheartedly, and now its hard to imagine the american film industry without them. 

from a film critique standpoint, marvel movies seem to be a hit-or-miss as far as quality, however i cant really think of a particular marvel movie that i thought was a total piece of hot garbage (the first two Thor movies come close but they were more boring than anything else).  however last year was a real success for the studio, they just kept pumping out quality movies left and right and once disney managed to get its grubby lil mouse paws on Spider-man it was a done deal baby.  DC and other companies have tried again and again to recreate the success that Marvel has managed and so far they’ve failed to various degrees.  Marvel’s just got that special something with their cinematic universe, some magical combo of great actors and creative directors and an ever-expanding budget that keeps them staying at the top every time.

so whats my stance on superhero movies???  well theyre not my usual cup of tea but i gotta say they’re real damn entertaining.  i kinda view them like a high-speed ride at an amusement park, super fun and thrilling and exhilarating and just a real good time!  but thats about as far as it goes for me, and im sure thats the same for a lot of people.  to be honest its kinda refreshing to have movies that quality-wise are up to my standards that i dont have to think too hard about.  so for me the movies i typically go for are like museums, whereas superhero movies (and action movies in general) are like a carnival.  both entertaining and fun, but the latter is just all about letting loose and not wondering about the why’s and how’s.  when i think about it, this kinda mindset is for sure a factor in how these movies got so popular, because with the shitshow that is our current government and the potential imminent death of our planet people are once again looking for movies as a form of escapism, rather than a way to get deep and philosophical and ask the tough questions and see something profound. 

with that being said, despite some exceptions that have proven me wrong to my utter joy and delight (im looking at u Logan), i expect movies that are nominated for wiener awards to be more like museums than like carnivals y’know what i mean?  u catchin my drift???  u takin what im dishin out????  the academy awards have a long history of prestige, of nominating the best of the best of any given year. quite a few movies that won oscars are now considered to be timeless classics.  which is why superhero movies, at least the typical marvel types that are chocked to the brim with CGI and epic massive fight scenes and explosions, dont really strike me as anything that could eventually become a timeless classic.  the amount of computer-generated effects alone will make these movies feel really dated as soon as like five years from now with how fast technology is progressing.  i just dont see it happening.

and that brings us to the first wiener award nominee ill be talking about, Black Panther.  this isnt director Ryan Coogler’s first time at the rodeo; his first feature film Fruitvale Station received critical acclaim in 2013, and the spiritual Rocky sequel Creed actually got nominated for some oscars a few years ago.  so we’ve got a promising and talented director at the helm which is a great start!  we’ve also got a stellar cast with the likes of michael b. jordan (who has been in all of Coogler’s films so far), lupita nyong’o, angela bassett, and forest whitaker in the bunch.  it also has the astronomical financial backing of Supreme Overlord Disney so u know this is gonna be some high-quality shit.

so i’m gonna tell y’all why i think this movie got nominated for so many oscars, because in a way i do think this movie is deserving of noms from the academy.  theres no denying that it is very groundbreaking for a movie of this scale and magnitude to have a black director and a nearly all-black cast.  in fact, i think a lot of the crew members (including set and costume design) were black as well.  thats fuckin huge my guy.  and this movie was by no means a flop either; it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 2018 and stayed in theaters for a loooong-ass time.  and not only were the people on this project mostly black, the movie itself is a story praising and showing off the beauty of african culture without exotifying or demeaning it in any way.  like i can say 100% without a doubt that this movie deserves its best costume design nom cause holy shit the outfits in this movie are stunning, just the perfect blend of ancient/current tribal african aesthetics and a more futuristic sleek style that any fashion enthusiast can drool over.

i cant say much about best musical score or best sound mixing or anything like that cause it all seemed like typical marvel stuff to me and wasnt all that memorable.  however i can say that the production design on this movie, while it didnt impress me as much as costuming, did still impress me.  the one thing i gotta knock it on is all the fucken CGI, like whole entire towns and landscapes were digitally rendered.  i wouldve been a lot more impressed and would agree more to the production design nom if they used more practical effects and real sets/locations. 

so.  best picture.  this is where i feel the most conflicted.  cause this is where i now have to look past all the pretty fancy visuals and music and look at the actual meat of this movie, its story and characters.  usually best picture noms also get noms for things like best actress, best script, and best director, cause those are all really important elements of a good film.  ur movie can look and sound as pretty as it wants but if the storys shit and the characters are shit and the actings shit then u dont have much going for u.

and by no means am i saying that Black Panther was shitty in these aspects, it was just well.  passable.  it was ok.  but nothing to write home about

we got some good performances from newcomers letitia wright and chadwick boseman, lupita kills it as always, but then everyone else was like.  okay.  michael b. jordan didnt really do his best in this and idk if its the script’s fault or something but it was weird.  and speaking of the script it was uuuuhhhhh well.  not great.  every time i think about that “what are those” reference i die a little inside.  and the story overall wasnt really anything new when u break it down, just another “son of king struggles to take his place” narrative.  and that aspect of the story couldve actually been more developed into something interesting, i found myself really intrigued with the political scenes.  but there just wasnt enough of that cause they needed to make more room for the PEW PEW POW EXPLOSIONS

granted, movies with lots of shimmer but little substance have been nominated for best picture before (just look at James Cameron’s Avatar which is apparently getting a sequel now????????).  and its not even that this movie is completely devoid of substance cause theres some interesting things going on plot-wise, and some stand-out characters too (shuri is the boss and no one can tell me otherwise).  its just, u know, a good superhero movie.  nothing really profound about the story itself except for the cultural, historical, and social context behind it.

so lemme get back to why i think this movie got a best picture nom.  i think the academy wants to keep up their appearance of being #woke now by continuing to nominate more than one poc-heavy project each year, but they seem to be caring less and less about the actual overall quality of these movies.  and theres even some movies on the noms list that i think actually have what it takes to be a strong oscars contender, like If Beale Street Could Talk and BlacKkKlansmen.  but i think in Black Panther’s case, they were under a lot of pressure to give it top noms (or any noms at all) because of the intensely positive response this movie got, as well as the accusations of racism to people who didnt think it was as great as fans were saying. 

also i have no doubt that Supreme Overlord Disney like threw piles and piles of money at the academy like they tend to do (cause i’d bet good money thats the only fucken way Incredibles 2 got nominated for anything)

well anyway ive gone on long enough about this, lemme know what y’all think.  really the only nom im iffy about when it comes to this movie is Best Picture, but the others i think are well enough deserved, especially costume design.  so i guess the one thing i struggle with is this: does a movie becoming a pop culture phenomenon and being groundbreaking in its cast and crew count as enough for it to be nominated for the top prize of the wiener awards, despite any fallbacks in script, direction, and acting?  idk man im just hoping it doesnt get the award by default or something but then again maybe after watching all the other nominees it may turn out that the rest of them were worse than Black Panther i guess i’ll have to find out

stay tuned for my A Star Is Born review y’all stay fresh and funky eat ur vegetables stay in school u dont need drugs when ur high on life

[kiritokun]

2016 Anime in Review

Holy hell, if I’m right, this is now my fourth year writing up one of these bad boys. Yep you read that right, I’ve been putting myself through this ritual for four years. Man time flies doesn’t it. You’d think after all this time I’d ask someone to proof read these to make sure I don’t get any silly mistakes in here like usual, but I won’t, cause that’s part of my charm. Lol. Anyways, sorry its a day late, New Years Eve got the better of me.But now, time for the anime! Here are my top 12 in alphabetical order!

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Oh man, while I did come into this anime late and watched it all in one sitting it was still a wonderfully suspense ride. It was stressful as the episodes went on, but the mystery wasn’t very deep. My assumptions slowly proved correct and how horrible it was to be proven right. While it comes to a relatively peaceful conclusion, it was still tense up to the end, but it was a great ride all the same.

D.Gray-man Hallow

A long awaited sequel to D.Gray-Man. If you had been reading the manga, you were not surprised by the anime at all, and were more than likely pleased that they followed it to the letter. The only real tragic part is that the anime and manga are basically caught up and we have no more of this wonderful series to watch or read. Its terrible considering where we are is the most intense and suspenseful part of the series yet and so many questions are open that need answers.

Dimension W

A sleeper hit for me, but one I am glade I watched. It was a thrilling ride, packed with action, story telling, and beautiful visuals. If you are into action and conspiracy with a twist of sci-fi and retro-fitting, you are in luck since that is what this series literally is all about. If the art isn’t your cup of tea give it a few episodes before you give it up, because beneath that is an amazing world and narrative that leads up to a relatively satisfying end.

Durarara!!x2 Ketsu

Now, last year I wasn’t able to give a spot to Durarara because it wasn’t that great the first two seasons, but its final season this year was the climax to those two seasons and man oh man was it a wonderful showing. Everything wraps up, the action kicks off into high gear, all the psychopaths in this show start clashing, and good ol’ Mikado is far off the deep end. It was a wonderfully twisted season that redeemed the rough start of the two first seasons, by showing us why all the set up was needed in the end to understand everything.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Oh Grimgar, you brutal mistress, you made death such a real and painful threat real quickly. You were hated for your slow pacing and the fact that the characters were “weak”. But in reality Grimgar was a much more real interpretation on if you drop someone into a “game” world; they will not quickly pick up fighting. It will take time and effort to become competent enough to survive and make a living as a “monster” slayer. I for one found this approach to the genre very refreshing, and while it started to show that old trope of “here’s the limit break” at the end, it wasn’t in an overtly obvious fashion. So while many scorned you, I enjoyed you to the fullest Grimgar.

Kiznaiver

Here’s the thing, Kiznaiver was a great anime. The story was fantastic, the music was grand, the animation and art direction was top notch, it was all very good. But the problem I still have with it is that they crammed this new girl bullshit down our throats. Now I got some shit for saying that in my prior review on the series, since Agata knew Sonozaki for longer since they knew each other as kids. But that was a short period during the Kizna beginning trials. It’s shown that Chidori has known Agata longer. God damn it. I’m tangenting again. Kiznaiver, great anime, hated the pairing finale.

Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!

KonoBitsu is honestly one of my favorite animes this year, if not my favorite, normally the bias isn’t so clear, but this was just a really fun anime for me to watch. The art was beautiful, the story was nice and lighthearted, and the characters were all well written and executed. Sure they tug us around with if the two mains will get together, but it’s a short anime, it wasn’t gonna give us a resolution when the manga itself hasn’t either. (Though I want that resolution so bad, come on Usa-chan deserves it.)

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

Man, KonoSuba… What a shit show. Not a bad shit show mind you! It was just a chaotic ride of glory. While I just thought it was neet going to op savior of fantasy world, it quickly goes to neet goes to neet with adventurer title, level up nerd. This gave it such a unique flavor to this dense genre that it stood out as a shining beacon of glory and hilarity. I swear the sobs this anime brought out from me due to oxygen deprivation are the closest I ever came to fainting from laughter. Thanks KonoSuba, you were great.

Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?

I knew from the moment I started watching this anime that it was gonna be good. The premise was hilarious. I love the MMO scene personally. Art style was also right down my strike zone. Story might have seemed to go nowhere but that’s slice of life for you.

New Game!

New Game was a great anime series. As a manga adaptation it can be a scary time waiting for it to come out. But it came out and was a very faithful adaptation; the art style was perfectly in sync with the manga style, overall a wonderful slice of life experience.

Occultic;Nine

I just talked about Occultic;Nine in my fall roundup, but that series was a wonderful brain twister. Most people say it had pacing issues. And I’ll agree that it would have probably benefited from getting two cours, it was still a great series that was expecting you to keep up. I’m glad to have watched it and hope the cold reception toward it changes.

Rewrite

As I’ve said before, I haven’t played the visual novels so to me Rewrite seemed fine, especially since it is getting another season which I expect will clarify some of the outstanding questions that season 1 left. And if not, well my opinion my change on the series after that. But as it stands, I enjoyed what I got.

HONORABLE MENTIONS- We are going back to honorable mentions this year instead of just me rambling about the rest of the anime I watched this year because I have been doing the quarterly reviews per season of anime and rounding up my impressions on everything I watch there. So if you want a bit more depth or whining look for those on my tumblr by looking for the anime roundups.

 Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Ilya 3rei!!

As I’ve said before, Ilya was a glorious seasonal anime this year. It struck hard and fast and it was quite a brutal story as it made a little girl decide between the world or her friend. Not cool world. Reason it didn’t make it to the top anime of the year was because it was a sequel and other things seemed more worthy

Gakusen Toshi Asterisk 2nd Season

In all senses the second season of Gakusen was better than the first. It got rid of the handicaps the first season was full of and it made for a great watch. That being said, it wasn’t revolutionarily different from season 1.

Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season

Less humor, more action, more drama. It goes from a funny journey in a fantasy world to a harsh reality of what would happen if earth got their hands on another planet or world and had to dispute how to divide said place and how to deal with the inhabitants. Same reason as Gakusen for being here, just a sequel and other things were better or more deserving.

World Trigger

World Trigger was almost in the top 12 list, but then fucking that anime original arc struck and it was very very bad and soured the entire anime series for me. Other than that the anime was okay.

And there you have it. Another year, another list. I have absolutely no clue what I’m watching in a few weeks, been too busy with the holidays too look. I think Rewrite season 2 hits this Jan so I’ll be watching that for sure. Otherwise I gotta go look. Maybe I’ll do that now! Anyways, see you around March-April when the season ends!

[docmurph12]

Alright so the last review was a lot of fun, so I kind of want to do another one. I dont know who is even reading these but it's a blast watching these with a critical mind rather than a fanboy one and writing a semi professional review. I think I'm going to make a hobby of this. Anyways.

So this one I was actually a lot more hopeful for than I was for Aladdin. Maybe as a result I was....let down more than I was watching Aladdin. I am actually writing this after about the first 20 minutes of the film. I'm not going to post until I'm finished with it, but I dont see a lot changing here, and you will know why in a moment, so don't hold your breath for a rollercoaster review, because it's going to be about as flat as the film was.

So going in, I knew what I signed up for at least. Sarah was a little bitter, having to rewatch the first 15 minutes again. I'm going to say this is almost a SHOT for SHOT remake. I mean FRAME FOR FRIGGING FRAME, LINE FOR LINE. Even the timing is ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. Honestly I might be just as much to blame for this as the next guy. I wear nostalgia glasses loudly and proudly. Just take a look at my living room. But the further I got into this thing the more I found myself asking "Is this truly what I wanted?" A few points before I finish this thought, because I am definitely going to lose my train of thought between the baby and the continuing movie.

-This feels like Disney wanted to go shot for shot, and only partially committed. Shots were almost copied verbatim, could have been traced in some cases, but because they were going live action.....I dont know how else to explain it but if there were an uncanny valley for animated animals it undoubtedly lives here, in the "Pridelands".

-Unfortunately the voice casting suffers a bit here too. It certainly isnt helped by the...lifeless animation (yes I know live action animals dont generally emote, but for christ's sake all things considered it's the goddamned Lion King. Come on now), but the performances are largely flat and dull. Standouts in disappointment especially pointed at the death of Mufasa, large parts of James Earl Jones' performance (mostly just because you can hear the age in his voice, where in 1994 he sounds about where he should have been age wise. There is a youthfulness in his wisdom that literally is bringing tears to my eyes thinking of the strength of that performance, compared to this one), NOT Jeremy Irons, oh sorry, Chiwetel Ejifor, and the shameless insertion of Beyonce (sorry folks, she is the Kristen Stewart of voice acting, and clearly in it just for the money as opposed to actually adding anything to the craft).

-There should not have been so much freedom allowed with the musical performances. With a couple small exceptions, The vocal performances were stale. It kind of felt like the performances were a meal and SO much was eaten up by the original performers that there just wasn't much left for the usurpers, or that they just didnt know what the hell to do with it.

-All hate aside, this film is visually stunning. I sort of hated the animal performances, or lack thereof anyways, but it is still a beautifully realized film. My favorite scene visually is 1000% where Simba is speaking with the spirit of his father, and the lightning is rolling through the clouds, outlining parts that look like a lion's head, instead of outright just being fully visible. Fucking beautiful. (By the way, we just got through the final fight between Scar and Simba. I didnt know it was possible to trace a cartoon with a computer but they did it. W......T......F......of course it has to happen as I'm complimenting it.....)

-Seth Rogan and Billy Eichner were pretty charming. The only outstanding performances in the movie from top to bottom. That said, Donald Glover was pretty good too. Speaking of exceptional performances in the face of an overall poorly performed film, my OTHER favorite part of the film was the three of them singing The Lion Sleeps and running through the oasis. Holy shit that was charming.

-Sad and kind of disappointing was the fact that the VERY little original writing, or improv, or whatever the hell it was was really good. I loved the quipping between Timon and Pumbaa, and it was REALLY good when it went a little meta. The fart joke and the piece about "Be our guest" was immediately recognized as both reverent reference and irreverent ribbing and was appreciated by both me and Sarah. Sort of shines a disappointing eye on Jon Favreau. I loved what he was able to accomplish with The Jungle Book. I realize he probably didnt do a lot of the screenwriting on either film, but with producer credits comes criticism for laziness where high quality is expected. Cmon man, I love what you do. SO DO IT ALREADY.

-I largely think this film could have been helped on a few fronts with one improvement. OR possibly changing a way the movie was put together, that is, if what I THINK happened was what actually happened. Animated films originally gave you a at minimum believable performance by capturing the physical performance of the voice actor performing ADR, and giving a rough animation estimate of that performance, since movement and expression largely impact what comes out vocally. I am not 100% sure that isn't what happened, but it FEELS like it didnt happen. If animating aspects of physical performances isnt the route, I genuinely think that having a sort of facial motion capture coupled with ACTUAL emoting could have drastically improved performances. It's interesting to see what happens when you put primarily voice actors in front of a camera, or primarily screen/stage actors in front of an ADR microphone. You can truly see the depth (or sometimes lack of) of their abilities as actors. One of my absolute favorite voice actors is Bryan Cranston, for that very reason. Unbelievable performer, in every arena. One of my least favorites is FUCKING BEYONCE. Goddamn is she a one trick pony, if that trick was simply existing. Truly a MASTER OF THAT CRAFT. That said, its 2019 (at that point), if we can give Andy Serkis EVERY tool to be successful, Disney should be able to put out a LITTLE Disney money to allow their actors to, you know, act.

Long (looooooooooooooooong) story made super short is The Lion King (2019) is more of the same, and symptomatic of a problem we created for ourselves: Shameless money grabs at nostalgia. Disney miscued like crazy at remaking a thing I didn't realize until only now how precious it was to me as a kid. Couple that with the fact that they have done SIGNIFICANTLY better doing the same thing but doing a different take, with a different, more modern and possibly more poignant message (I'm looking DIRECTLY at you, Maleficent). Honestly, as much as it KILLS the kid in me to say it, leave the sacred cows alone. Sometimes a good thing just needs to be left to be admired. Nobody ever thought they needed to improve on, say, Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, or Ridley Scott's Blade Runner with a sequel or a remake. Wait. Shit. I mean Lewis Carroll's Alice in WonderlandGODDAMNIT. I QUIT.

Verdict--4/10. Seriously please make it stop at Mulan. I really want to see that one, see it not suck, and see it STOP. And for the love of god PLEASE DONT CAST BEYONCE IN IT.

[spnreactionblogging]

peace of mind

I’m totally out of order at this point but oh well

okay I can't stay away from this episode that led to the gag reel kiss so let's go let's go

I am sad about this snake

I do appreciate how the camerawork and the music changes so much with this like romantic film setup here

charming acres has an immediate pleasantville vibe to it

every time the netflix subtitles say [high pitched ringing] i'm like oh angels are nearby

griffin the retail employee absolutely did not deserve this shit

I know the snake is here for thematic parallels but I think perhaps he is not feeling well because you have him in a plastic box with no heat source, I know you guys don't have google but you do have Search the Web and you could look up what a cornsnake needs and what he needs is not bacon

the wiki for this is killing me like lmao

"History Felix was the pet snake of the gorgon Noah Ophis. He did not like bacon."

there's no fucking way you guys don't have like ten thousand mice running around in kansas fields. throw one in the freezer for a while and give it to felix or something. have castiel use angel powers to make sure it's safe to eat. c'mon.

I love the burmese python they flashed back to in the recap though!! and I love this cornsnake. what good friends. Jack is holding him so gently. I know sad things happen to this snake in the show but I also know in real life the snake is fine so all is well and I hope alexander enjoyed holding and petting this sweet tiny cornsnake

I like this infinity swooshing of the pencil and it feels like limitless creativity to me, symbolically

I do appreciate dean's lifelong affinity for sandwiches, and the lettuce crunching is always funny to me

sam do you have any good memories at this point dude :(

poor sam wants to get out of there even though he's had no rest

I hate how dean rolls his eyes when castiel says jack looks up to him [dean] like... also stop interrupting cas

so i'm like vaguely aware that mind control within the town is part of the plot here so I guess sam is affected as a human but castiel is exempt as an angel? let's see

I like that sam and cas sort of match with their outfits in this episode

sam's hair is looking especially nice

I started yawning too I can't help it

"dean's right, you need to rest" I want all of them to rest

he's so concerned

sam and cas trying to get each other to rest is the biggest sastiel mood

I like griffin's haircut

they're naming themselves after members of Boston this time

cas knows about scanners & its sequels

I love watching castiel drive

I also love the reminder that angels don't sleep and I love that he's up reading while they're sleeping

norman fucking rockwell amirite

never eat food in a fairy realm, sam (or whatever the fuck this shit is) just never eat magic food

I DO love how close they're sitting to each other

LIKE A RIPE MELON ON THE SUN castiel lmfaoooo that's subtle

the mayor works at a restaurant and I appreciate that

"it was an apt metaphor" cas you're killing me

it's also fucking killing me that they can look up the obscure lore for any monster in all of history but they can't figure out what the fuck snakes eat, GET A MOUSE, NOT BACON jesus christ

dean you've seen enough cartoons to know that snakes eat mice. surely. yes? yes????

okay THERE are some mice, please offer one mouse while closely supervised thanks

god i love cas like

"you've gotta have morals. you know." cas just ?????? >:?

castiel implying dick descriptions to sam, holy fuck lmao

sam drinking coffee while saying he needs rest, sam winchester everyone

man this poor guy remembering cell phones exist

is this woman a siren or something?

the "honey?" after he's clearly dead is very scary

"I don't think you have a firm grasp on what snakes eat." this is the exact moment I officially fell in love with Jack

"it's not the snake that's dangerous, it's their bite" okay I get it dean that you're trying to compare this absolutely harmless cornsnake to Jack, who is also trying his best here and not trying to hurt anybody, and I'm here to tell you that a cornsnake (and most snakes, typically) isn't going to bite you unless you get in its face and terrify it and upset it, so.....

also fuck you dean for your little angel/devil test, just get out of here with this shit, people who aren't abusive don't try cute little "tests" with snack food, go away

oh poor cas, but sam was gone :(

"I'm looking for my partner" I know what he means but I like this anyway

I guess headphones are okay for this town? but not phones. hm.

it's the same song in the milkshake place, yeesh

"he has beautiful hair" true.

so the milkshakes/martinis are keeping people magically drugged?

"Oh you!" "Oh you!" "Oh no."

"three, I'm feeling adventurous" EYES EMOJI..........

"Double hockey sticks?" god

I like the implication that maybe "Justin" is POSSIBLY up for a threesome but saying the word "hell" is too much

I like donatello

also you guys should not be bringing that cornsnake around because it looks way too cold for him to be sitting in the car like that, you know he can't regulate his body temperature right!!

dean that cornsnake absolutely cannot hurt you please stop this

donatello has a nice house

"an absence of pity, of empathy, of humanity" okay so dean then

also it's IMPORTANT that there's a black hole at the center of the milky way? the gravitational force keeps it moving does it not like... donatello should know this

I do like the visual of the creamer in the coffee though

the lighting in this kitchen is gorgeous, I like this scene, I like that he has books in his kitchen, I want to live here

"What would Mr. Rogers do?" is a pretty good motto

"what would the winchesters do?" is a pretty terrible motto

y'know jack's a person, you don't have to make this into a weird thing like "who knows what's going on inside his head" come on, man, come on. he's trying his best here

oh it's the mayor. of course.

has castiel always had the ability to rip information out of someone's mind?

"And you know what happened next?" "No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me." castiel I love you so much

this episode is making me miss andy gallagher though

so sunny is a psychic too? or just resistant to it?

"I won't hurt you, Sam." sob emoji

Sam looks good with glasses

"you have to keep fighting" sob emoji x 1000 for the "always keep fighting" reference

ohhhh she's his daughter that makes sense why she's psychic

"I'm this town I'm god!" "No. You're not. We've met god." "God has a beard." LMFAO

"seems like the snake enjoyed the trip" "hard to say, he's very guarded" dean misses the point entirely "and what about you"

sam sweetheart please take time to process your grief

yeah I think jack just does not quite get what's going on and is taking things pretty literally

protip: find a reptile vet in kansas

this episode was fun I liked it