#theyre close enough physically to be in john's control

[nukuome]

The individual panels vvvvvvvvv

[saints-row-2]

film watch day 8: Upgrade

i really really wanted to love Upgrade. i was certain it was going to be a sure thing; anything about people with AIs or aliens or demons sharing their consciousness is on a fast track to my favourites list. in the end though, while i loved a lot about Upgrade, i ultimately felt the film was less than the sum of its parts.

Upgrade is about the improbably named Grey Trace, who is assaulted by a group of men who murder his wife and leave him quadriplegic. Grey is quickly convinced by weird tech genius Eron to become part of a top-secret new experiment that would implant a chip in his spine that would grant him the ability to walk. with that chip comes STEM, an AI who is as eager to find the killers of his wife as Grey is. 

the ‘revenge thriller’ genre is one of the most overused in the universe, and with runaway brilliance in it like John Wick or even this year’s Mandy, its hard to have a stand-out film in the genre anymore. i was immediately put-off by the concept when i first read the synopsis, but was hopeful Upgrade’s unique premise would help it out. and the answer is... kind of?

Upgrade is a very violent movie with a handful of fight scenes that are far and away the best moments of the movie. theyre incredibly well choreographed and filmed. i havent seen any of cinematographer Stefan Duscio’s work before, but i was really fucking impressed. and Leigh Whannell, obviously an old hand at portraying violence after Saw, shines in these scenes. the camera work in the film is fucking great, and did some really cool shit with steady-cams. i thought the sound editing was inspired as well. this is a really good film to like, watch.

my main issue with Upgrade, after the convoluted plot, is the main actor. Logan Marshall-Green, who kind of looks like someone making a bad photofit of Tom Hardy, is bizarrely uncharismatic in this movie. i wasnt sure if the director was trying to make him seem like a cold, terrifying threat like John Wick, but if thats what Whannell wanted, he didnt succeed. watching the film i largely felt like Grey was kind of dumb, and like every badass quip and little speech was something the character had been rehearsing in his head. it came across like he really, really wanted to be cool and scary, but he sure as hell didnt feel it. hes often pretty funny, and i do wish they leant into making him more of a non-action orientated dumbass; the comic scenes were often really good, i just found him utterly unconvincing as an action hero badass. 

i think the most unforgivable part was how weak his relationship with his wife was. huge chunks of the film he doesnt even seem to be particularly thinking about her. i really dont know why the film bothered to include her at all, other than convention; i would have assumed ‘these people severed my spinal cord and tried to kill me’ would be enough to seek revenge. it feels lazy, and the kind of misogyny where having women as throw-away dead bodies and sadness fuel is so usual you dont even stop to question if its necessary. 

in scenes were Marshall-Green is still and silent, hes much better. this isnt meant to be a blow against Marshall-Green; i just wanted to highlight the amount of skill at play in the way the quieter moments of the movie are shot. times when Grey is silent and taking in the scene around him are often very powerful, and i was really impressed by how the film pulled the quiet parts off. 

the real scene-stealer is STEM. Simon Maiden (STEM’s voice actor) is the unsung hero of this movie, because i found his performance way more fucking engaging that Marshall-Green’s. hes sometimes funny, sometimes charismatic, and often chilling. his quick charming of Grey and their back-and-forth was great at times, and while i thought his evolution as a character was obvious, its fucking so good.

i will say this; Logan Marshall-Green’s physical performance is fantastic. his robotic motions and the difference in behaviour when Grey and when STEM are in control is an incredibly piece of acting. 

its a pity that the plot ultimately is so convoluted while also being weirdly simplistic. the film opens up questions about there being much bigger mysteries ahead, and then immediately drops them to bring the ending back around to the most obvious answer. i really wanted something more from it. of the ending twists one is weak, and the other is fucking excellent. genuinely theres some really great concepts in this movie, and i really appreciated a lot of the ideas... just not all of them.

Upgrade is, obviously, a cyberpunk film. i found myself really scratching my head at the politics of it, though. it hints at things, but if there was a political message behind it, its not entirely clear what it is that people rely on technology because they want to escape from reality? shit i mean, i guess, thats kinda the point of entertainment in general.

Upgrade isnt a movie entirely without merit, but i was mostly left wanting more than what the film gave me. its a good film with some cool ideas that came really close to being a great film, which is always going to be more frustrating to me.

[mangled-dreams]

Reader is the Winchester middle child, and is secretly dating Castiel. Reader can see Castiels wings and can touch them, so they often play with his feathers whenever theyre alone. Sam and Dean come in to see what's goin on only to see reader and Castiel doing some smooches and some cuddling. Please and thank you, uwu

Feathered Touch.

Smiling as you run a special like of bristle brush through Castiel's feathers you can't help but feel happy in this moment. It's taken a lot of time and effort and no small amount of sneaking to keep things like this secret from everyone, even your super sleuthing brothers. Well, not this particular activity but other much more intimate ones.

You don't rightly know when you could see Castiel's beautiful black wings, but it wasn't something that you'd been able to see when you first met. Some how--some way along the lines of battling side by side you'd developed the sight, as Cas calls it. Not all humans have this ability to see the wings of an angel, and it is unheard of for a human to simply develop the ability.

But, even as impossible as it may have seemed, it was in no way surprising to Cas. The Winchester family line has been throwing all known data out the damn window since he's known your brothers. You'd only joined TEAM FREE WILL only three years ago and are still having troubles here and there but not as much as they had anticipated.

Just a few years older than Adam, your existence threw your brothers for a loop. At first they denied that you could even be John's child, you look nothing like them or him, but the angels confirmed it when you'd been captured for... you can't quite remember.

You'd been so green to everything, protected by your mother who'd been a former hunter. She's done everything in her power to keep you hidden from any and everything around you that could wish to hurt you because of your father.

Cas, like Sam and Dean was cold to you. They took you into their bunker, tattooed you, branded you, kept you protected just out of loyalty to their father and your mother's wishes. It'd taken nearly a year before they would even think of you as an equal or really start to train you properly.

They showed you how to protect yourself but that's about the extent of it all. You had to teach yourself how to fight the various creatures your bothers would encounter. You read book upon books from Bobby to get the knowledge you have now. You learned everything possible to be a valuable member of the team.

It was after you took a literal bullet for Sam that you'd been completely accepted. It felt really horrible that it took you getting shot in order to be accepted but whatever, it's in the past.

"Cas your feathers are especially soft today." You say smiling when his wings coil out at your compliment.

"You have been caring for them quite nicely. It is not surprising to notice a difference." Cas says with a content sigh. It has been quite some time since he's trusted anyone with his wings and you are the perfect person.

"Oh, Cassy, you say such sweet words." You tease playfully running your bare hand down a column of feathers. Castiel shivers at the feeling.

He doens't tell you but it's arousing to him to have you play so tenderly with his feathers. It's always been a taboo in Heaven to allow another angel to physically touch each other's wings so freely, but he trusts you--loves you even.

You have no idea just what you're doing to him and he prefers it that way. He doesn't wish to alarm you or force you into acts that he want so desperately to play out. Not to mention he doesn't know what your brothers would do to him if the ever caught you two like this.

"Cas, does that hurt? You're groaning." You ask slipping off the bed to stand in front of your boyfriend. Like Cas you worry about what your brothers would think if you took the relationships to a more physical level. You do like in the bunker with them and some areas are not that sound proof.

Looking at Cas you realize you mistook his moans for groans. You feel blood pool into your face and nether region. Never have you seen anything more attractive than the look of lust in Castiel's dark blue eyes in this moment.

Moving strictly on instinct you pounce on Cas, shoving him to the bed with ease. His arms snap to your waist, holding you right where he needs you as your lips lock together in a feverish kiss. You've never had this kind of fever before and you wonder for just a moment whether it's an angel thing or if it's just pent-up sexual tension but you really need this right now.

There is only a few brief moments where your lips leave each other, just long enough to basically tear open Castiel's button up sky blue shirt and remove your own t-shirt. Your hands run over his skin. Your fingers run over his nipple and his hips buck into you.

"Castiel," You moan louder than you intended. Within seconds you're on your back, Castiel straddling your waist as he stares down at you with that look in his eyes. He's going to eat you alive and you just know you'll love every minute of it.

"Y/n? What's going on... in... here." Dean stands shell shocked in your doorway, Sam peering in just to stare at you and Cas with the same expression.

Your face burns and you quickly clover up your mostly naked body with a throw you'd bought a few days prior not realizing you'd need it for such reason. "D-Dean, Sam...ah, what--what bring you to my room?" You ask nervously. Cas stands up, his shirt hanging open as he stares blankly at the two men.

"There, ah, something you want to tell us?" Dean asks glaring at Cas before turning his gaze on you.

"Ah, nope, I... nothing comes to mind right now..." You lie nervously looking away from Dean.

"Nothing, huh? This sure looks like something." Sam responds looking from you to Cas and back again.

Shooting Cas a side glance he seems pretty stone faced until a wing brushes against your bear shoulder.

"You should leave." Cas says standing ridged. "You will not want to see what is about to happen." He adds seriously.

You rise a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm with Y/n on this, what are you talking about?" Dean asks still unhappy with the secrecy.

"I will be copulating with Y/n and you do not wish to see that." Cas responds, his wing having a mind of it's own and continues to brush against your bare shoulder.

Sam is the first to back away from the door. He's heard Cas talk in this tone and knows he's going to follow through with it. Dean tries to mask his horror but can't.

"Really?" You ask a little to eager in your tone. Dean scoffs at your tone and you shrug your shoulders. "What? Like you'd react any different?" You challenge reaching up to touch Cas's black feathers.

His whole body shivers at the feeling and he glares at Dean and Sam. "Leave now." He orders loosing his control over himself.

"Just tell me how long you've been doing this." Dean says already backing out of the bed room.

"Together about half a year, as far as physical today." You say standing up to close the door after your retreating brothers but Cas wraps his arm around your waist, pinning to you his chest. "T-the door?"

Dean eagerly closes the door and quickly darts off with Sam. They won't be getting anymore answers out of either of you right now, and honestly they don't want to be around for the show.

Cas presses his lips against your neck, nibbling and kissing as his hand roams over your naked torso. "Undress." He growls against your skin, gooseflesh running along your arms. You nod your head and make quick work of doing as he ordered anticipating the activity to come.