#tlj (the legend jones)

[academicgangster]

happy birthday to my main man (September 15, 1946)

[academicgangster]

The universe in which Tommy Lee Jones starred as Terminator TR-101!

Commission art for @academicgangster

[academicgangster]

happy birthday to my main man (September 15, 1946)

[nyelung]

What am I even writing?

That’s actually a good question, you know, because it’s a lot. Or rather, I try to write a lot but instead I just start ever new plotbunnies and there’s even more only hopping around in my head. Maybe I should start posting about those, too, and hope that someone sees and adopts them and then shows me a link because some day I want to read all those bunnies in my head.

Anyway, for now, let’s talk about those bunnies that are halfway out in the open already. (Link to my ao3 is in bio if you want to look them up)

Ok, wanna hear about my stories? Then let’s go.

First of all, of course, there’s the Paradoxaverse series with like a dozen stories so far and none of the multichapters are finished so far but since I am currently making major edits on this one, I will talk about that more some other day.

Then there’s “All according to plan” a story where Leia actually makes it to Tatooine in IV and then notices that she hadn’t actually planned that far and has no idea how to find Kenobi there. This was formerly a oneshot with an open ending but I’ve been planning to write more for this AU and fill my Boba/Leia needs. You know, we rarepair shippers are always thirsty.

Oh crap. I just rediscovered that there’s still that Supernatural/Yu-Gi-Oh! (first series with Yugi Muto, not the later stuff) crossover series stuff that I wanted to write where Gabriel ends up in Domino City and is sincerely fucked up by the presence of the millennium insignia and also by people trapping souls into game cards.

Aaaaand next guilty conscience moment. Rebirth. Where Obi-Wan reincarnates as Hermione and I got all the feels with the patronus and the mirror esired and also maybe I am projecting my own gender fuck here a bit. I might also not have written anything of those highly emotional stuff because I always forget about this AU. Well shit.

Then I got “Finding Family” which is, as you might guess, all about the Found Family trope and it’s about Rey and too many Force ghosts to name them all. Also Force headcanons for the win, I guess? Was started right after TLJ came out and ignores practically the whole movie so...

I’m really finding all the good stuff again as I’m looking through my works right now. “In the line of duty”. Political marriage of Jango and Padmé which will eventually turn into romance and people are saved and Padmé will quite possibly sue the federation off their asses.

The next one is one I feel very guilty about again. “I had a vision” is based on the wonderful headcanons by suzukiblu about a time travelling Mace Windu unfucking the timeline, stopping Anakin Skywalker from falling and himself from losing a hand and also, clone wars are really uncool, so they are cancelled as well. Mace is a hugger and somehow becomes a dad in this. It’s where I get my fluffy fix.

Children of Fate is a Fire Emblem fanfic about the Awakening kids travelling to the world of Fates and then becoming retainers to the royals and all and also trying to fix things and it will be so sad and somehow I haven’t written for this in a while and ... more guilty feels.

Oh, “Reformation” is a fun one. It’s Obi-Wan nearly dying on Bandomeer and the Force rescuing him by shoving a bunch of Force ghosts into his head and then it will be fun and Qui-Gon will be so overwhelmed with teaching and also, the Jedi Order will be fixed.

“Death and the Sea” is one of my newer babies where I have James Norrington become the Captain of the Flying Dutchman and Jack Sparrow becomes god of the sea and they slowly fall in love and the slow burn will kill me and yeah. I’ve reread the chapters I’ve written so far a lot and it’s still giving me feels when James talks to Davy Jones.

Then there’s “Light of the Fell Star” a Fire Emblem fic where Sothis runs around and fixes stuff and everyone gets happy childhoods and Jeralt somehow has to babysit a time goddess and his twin kids and this will be so long but also so good. Also, the brothers of Zanado (Macuil, Indech, Cichol) all teach at the monastery and there will be so much fluff and family and domesticity. And probably murder and mayhem.

Oh, my flagship (hurhurhur), the Ferryman. The first fic I wrote about James Norrington becoming Captain of the Dutchman. Most of it has actually already been written in German and only needs to be translated now but I somehow keep adding more chapters and somehow the document now has like 10k more words than it had before.

Second to last I got “MYMI” a Jango/Obi-Wan story where Sidious tested his soul transfer ritual (Legends stuff) before applying it to himself. Test subject is the other person with a lot of clones. Which means that Jango dies a lot in this story and it never sticks.

And my newest baby is “Crimson and Viridian” a marriage of convenience story about Leia Organa and Fenn Shysa and maybe Boba will make an appearance too and it’s part of FettsOnTops wonderful “Leia deserves all the good things” collection on ao3.

Wow, having written all this down, it doesn’t feel as bad as I thought. Meaning: It still feels very bad but if I write daily, I might even finish something this year. Also, I seem to have certain tropes I like a lot.

Feel free to kick me into action if you see something you particularly like.

[academicgangster]

 You can leave me at home for the next autumn photoshoot. (via kuymdmouse)

[onwardintolight]

Canon Catchup

With TROS coming out soon, I’ve been doing a lot of catchup on canon material that I’ve missed, particularly that which I think will be most relevant either for the movie or for Resistance Reborn (which I finished yesterday and will talk more about below). I will avoid major spoilers, as excited as I may be about some of them, haha, but I wanted to write out a few of my thoughts here while they’re fairly fresh.

A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Córdova and Galaxy’s Edge by Delilah Dawson—these don’t seem quite as relevant to TROS, but I read these two Galaxy’s Edge tie-in novels a few months ago and I thought I’d say a few words. I REALLY enjoyed the A Crash of Fate; it was such a lovely, heartwrenchingly beautiful story that reminded me a little of Lost Stars in the way that it focused in on a friendship/romance between two people who wouldn’t ever be main characters in the movies. The story was told primarily over the span of a single day, and wow did I not expect my heart to be pulled in so many different directions. Definitely one I will read again and again. 

I’m not sure I’ll do the same with Galaxy’s Edge. It was a super fun read, with some great, Indiana Jones-like action sequences, and I’d recommend giving it a go especially if you’re planning on ever going to Galaxy’s Edge—but it also had a few seriously problematic elements that I just couldn’t overlook. For one, NO WAY is Leia going to force Vi to work closely with someone who tortured her, and speaking of torture, many black people have already commented on the problematic nature of the excessive violence Vi undergoes in this book.

TFA and TLJ Junior Novelizations by Michael Kogge—I wanted to get a refresher on these stories, and since I’d never read the junior versions, I decided to give them a try. Overall I enjoyed these quite a bit. The TFA one was way better imho than the adult novelization by Alan Dean Foster, and both had some really meaningful character moments. There was one Leia scene at the end of the TFA one that brought me to tears.

Aftermath: Life Debt and Aftermath: Empire’s End by Chuck Wendig—I’d originally read the Aftermath trilogy as each book was released, but with everything I was hearing about Resistance Reborn, AND with the return of Palpatine in TROS and the promise of finally figuring out what’s been going on in the Unknown Regions, I thought it was a perfect time to revisit it. I skipped the first one (my least favorite of the three, and also my copy is in a box somewhere from when we moved last and the library’s audiobook copies were checked out) and read a synopsis instead to refresh my memory, then dived straight into Life Debt. Both of these books were as good or better than I remember them. I enjoyed them the first time, but I enjoyed them even better this time around. I feel like they’ve gained even more significance now. My HanLeia shippy heart is happy with some of their scenes, and also I rediscovered that I absolutely adore and would probably die for Norra, Wedge, Jas, Sinjir, Temmin, and crew.

Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland—this was a super cute but ultimately rather forgettable junior novel. The best part about it was seeing Rey, Poe, and Rose interacting. I may revisit it sometime after TROS and see if my unexpectedly skyrocketing feels for these characters (see below) makes it better.

The Poe Dameron comic run—I’d previously read the first trade (Black Squadron), the third (Legend Lost), and maybe a tiny bit of the second (The Gathering Storm), and aside from a really poignant bit in Legend Lost I just didn’t find myself very invested. This time around, however, flipped that on its head. Trades 4 and 5 (Legend Found and The Spark and the Fire) completely did me in, and without warning, I found myself 100% invested in Black Squadron. Poe, Jess, Snap, Karé, Suralinda, and L’ulo have officially joined the Aftermath crew in my list of characters I would die for. I just want all my babies to be okay! There were numerous moments in those last two trades (including the AMAZING Annual #2, a must-read for HanLeia new canon fans) which made me cry. I’m not even joking. So good. Well done, Charles Soule.

Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse—Buckle up because I have a lot to say! I HIGHLY recommend reading the Aftermath trilogy, Bloodline, the Poe Dameron comics, and watching the Battlefront II campaign (which I talked about in another post) before reading this because HOLY MOLY. You won’t be lost if you don’t, but it will mean so much more to you if you do. Speaking of crying, I literally lost count of the moments that brought me to tears, and so many were significant because of how all the stories I mentioned and more have been so beautifully interconnected in this one. Wedge and Norra, Zay and Shriv, and so many others—each was given their due and it was amazing. One character’s surprise appearance had me practically on my knees with joy and heartbreak all at once, and I would say more but I’m really trying to keep that promise not spoil you, haha. 

If the Poe Dameron comic weren’t enough to win me over, this book has officially cemented Poe as one of my favorite sequel trilogy characters. Tbh, I’ve had trouble feeling much of a deep connection with any of the sequel trilogy leads—I love them, sure, but not like Leia, Han and Luke, the trio I grew up with. I’ve wanted to love them more, I’ve wanted to be more invested in them, but it just hasn’t happened. I’m really glad I read this book before TROS, because I think this has changed that. I was definitely getting a few OT golden trio vibes with Rey, Finn, and of course, my Boi™ Poe—except they’re completely their own characters, and I’m really starting to love them for who they are.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book, it felt really meaningful, and I can’t wait to read it again. 

That being said, when I finished it yesterday I felt a little bit disappointed, like it tasted a little bit bittersweet. I’m still trying to figure out why that is, but I think it may be down to three things: 

1) Though there were a number of fantastic character reveals, there were some obvious people absent and I can’t help but wonder where they are. I hope they’re not dead. I hope TROS includes some of these characters, too. I hope we get the rest of their stories either way.

2) The book is way too short. Especially on the heels of the Aftermath trilogy, this feels like only the first act of at least three. The ending comes way too soon, just after it really seems to get going. This I don’t blame the author or the publishers for at all; they are very limited, after all, in what they can portray leading up to TROS. But it really left me longing for more. This book had such a wonderful focus on character, but in the end, I wanted to see the character arcs get even more resolved than they do here... but I guess they really couldn’t be, and that’s what TROS is for. I just hope the movie does it well! I need all these people to be okay <3

3) It doesn’t shy away from grief, struggle, and the mental cost of war. Honestly, that’s part of why I love it so much, but I think that’s also part of why it left me feeling a little melancholy. The Resistance is in such a seemingly hopeless place, and while things do get better over the course of the book, there’s still such a terribly long way to go.The First Order rains merciless terror on anyone or any planet who gives even the slightest hint of opposing them or of aiding the Resistance. The whole galaxy is afraid. Poe struggles deeply with guilt and with how to make up for the horrible mistakes he made in TLJ (this is not brushed off in the slightest, not by the book or by the characters in it, and I appreciate that). Rey is confused and still unsure of her place in things. Characters are faced with the fact that they will almost certainly die because of their choice to join the Resistance, and it’s heavy. And Leia. Oh, Leia. I am deeply grateful to Roanhorse for her very realistic portrayal of Leia as someone who has lost so incredibly much (most recently her husband and brother), most definitely has PTSD, and probably is dealing with a bit of depression. Leia is weary. Leia struggles to keep stepping forward, struggles to figure out the next step for those she leads. Leia struggles to keep hoping. The battle between hope and despair in the face of terrible loss and terrible odds is very much felt in this book. But as ever with Leia, hope always wins in the end. By the end of the book, you can still feel the struggle, but hope wins. 

I think that because I personally relate so much to Leia, reading some of that was hard. Not because I feel like it’s contrary to who Leia is, but because I resonate with it so much and because it reminds me in a particularly strong way of some of the struggles I’ve dealt with that I’d like to forget. It’s no wonder that my heart felt heavy after I closed the book. But along with that, I also see how Leia perseveres, how she’s finally gotten to a place where she lets herself rely on and be comforted by others, and how she accomplishes the seemingly impossible just because she damned well refuses to give in to despair, no matter how tempting it may be. It reminds me that I, too, can accomplish incredible things despite all my struggles, despite the odds stacked against me.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book. Resistance Reborn hasn’t quite come up to the level of Bloodline or LPOA in my personal ranking, but with future rereads, it very well might someday. 

This book—along with all of this reading—has put me even more on the edge of my seat for TROS than I was before, if that’s possible. I desperately want it to be the best ending possible for the Skywalker Saga and for all these characters who’ve become so beloved to me. I’m trying to temper my expectation—TFA still isn’t especially my jam, after all, and while overall I’m a fan of the ST (the TROS trailers made me cry, for goodness sakes), I have a somewhat complicated relationship with it in general—but goddammit, I’m hoping anyway. There’s so much beautiful setup in the new canon EU, such a deliberate focus on character, and so many hints that this might reach through the whole saga and bring together something bigger than we can imagine. 

I’m hoping anyway.

[academicgangster]

you gonna be good now, boy?

[greyjediwriter]

My Journey with Star Wars...

Star Wars, and even Indiana Jones, were the films my dad and I bonded over when I was little. It introduced me to the “geek world” despite my dad not being a geek at all. I remember watching the prequels with both of my parents in the theaters, and it kind of inspired me to do what I am working on right now: writing, acting, and music. 

On a sadder note, my dad and I are never able to watch the sequel trilogy together despite him wanting to watch TFA. He passed away three days before it released here in the US. December 15, 2017 at midnight was two years on the dot and that night, I was in the movie theater we always went to with my mom and one of my best friends, in the back row, and the third act of the film started when the clock stroke midnight. I hoped to smell cigarette smoke so we know my dad was there, but whoever got high before the show stunk up the entire theater. I have no idea who this person was, but I sarcastically say thanks. At least TLJ is now my favorite Star Wars film. (And if you think otherwise, haters gonna hate - you can’t change my mind.)

Still, my dad has probably seen every single Star Wars movie that’ll ever be on the other side, and I’m kind of jealous of that idea but the fact you have to be dead in order to do that freaks me out. Anyway!

So, because this is Tumblr, I’m sure you want to know how I became the shipper that I am. Let me tell you a little story on that... 

Edit: It’s turning really long. Not sure if I should apologize...

Nah! At least you can get to the good stuff down below!

I finally watched TFA a day or two after we buried my dad. I was still numb from the shock. I was with my aunts, uncles, and cousins (my mom couldn’t bear to see it yet because it reminded her of Dad too much). We had our predictions on what’ll happen, and I was the only one who got something right - Han Solo not having the Falcon at the beginning of the movie. I freaking gasped saying, “I was right!” Even my aunt poked the hell out of my arm, whispering, “You were right!” 

Later on, IT HAPPENED.

That confused the CRAP out of me. Of course, my mind was distracted right after because Han and Leia reunited, then 3PO killed the moment. I think me and the entire theater got annoyed at that droid even though he’s a beloved character.

Then, back to confusion. 

I was sure that Rey was also a Solo until the interrogation scene played out. I stared at the mental mind fight and thought, “Am I sensing sexual tension or is it just me?” When Rey said, “That you’ll never be as strong as Darth Vader,” I was SHOCKED. I became fully invested with these two characters because of how strong Rey was and how vulnerable Kylo was. They truly are characters we haven’t seen yet. (I would say in Star Wars history, but the people who know Legends will prove me wrong. Bastila and Revan anyone?)

Continuing on with my first reactions, is it weird to say I wasn’t shocked when Kylo sabered Han through the heart? 

Like, I noticed how Han leaving was like a farewell tour. When Leia said to bring their son home, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Han shouting Ben’s name was the final nail in the coffin. Especially since one could notice how they were following the structure of Episode IV. When Kylo ignited the lightsaber, I felt nothing. It’s weird when you’re still in shock from someone’s passing. I didn’t cry until I finally saw it with my mom after it came out on blu-ray. 

Okay, fast forward to the end, I could tell the music was making the cliffhanger all the more literal, but I was so convinced that REY IS A SKYWALKER, Y’ALL! I even muttered, “Goddammit,” when the credits rolled. Still, within those first few weeks, I thought Rey was a Skywalker all the same.

Me today: Oh my sweet, summer child...

Thankfully, I saw it again a second time, and I knew after that Rey wasn’t a Skywalker. Who she was, I wasn’t sure yet. I just knew that I saw the sexual tension again between Rey and Kylo. I was still scared of the idea that they could actually be related.

That is, until I started looking stuff up. 

I don’t really do much on social media. I use Facebook once in a while, but I only message my friends for the most part because for some reason I still don’t have their numbers (I need to ask my friends how we’re not texting normally). But, I watch A LOT of Youtube. And I came across some videos by a youtuber who called herself Courtoon. She is now one half of the duo Knights of Rant, and I LOVE their podcasts! I recommend if you haven’t checked them out yet! (I’ll leave a link to their blog down below.)

But, she was talking about how there can be a Force Bond between Rey and Kylo. In another video, she talks about how the story between the two would be like Beauty and the Beast if The Last Jedi played out that way. 

Because of this awesome person, I finally embraced the Reylo ship. I also became convinced that Rey is a Kenobi. She was handing a Skywalker the legacy lightsaber just like Obi-Wan did. 

Come TLJ - OH HOW I WAS WRONG AND SOMETHING I PREDICTED BUT DIDN’T THINK WOULD HAPPEN HAPPENED.

So... during the premiere, I got excited when the Force Bond happened. Or, at least the characters are now aware of the connection. Loved how they fell in love within ten minutes of screentime, and THE BEEFCAKE! Oh my Goddess, Rian blessed us with that. It made me gasp out loud and made me think “did it get hot in here or just me?”

(Posted because of Adam Driver’s gloriousness and yes that is not a word)

So, the part I predicted correctly: Snoke dying. Yup. I predicted that when I was talking with some of my cousins at our eldest cousin’s wedding (that’s a mouthful) last summer. I just thought Hux would take over, but from what happened on screen, that remains to be seen.

And THE ENDING. I was about ready to cry and immediately wanted Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill to get acting nominations right then and there. And to everyone who thinks Reylo is dead, oh ho my friend, Reylo has just begun... 

Man... I just can’t wait for the book version of this to come out. 

And that is my journey with Star Wars and how I became a Reylo shipper. If you actually read to the end, HOW DID YOU DO THAT BECAUSE I JUST KEPT ON RAMBLING! MAJOR APPLAUSE TO YOU!

Or if you skipped to the end, it’s fine. I just hope the GIFS have you entertained enough. Stayed tuned for my first analyses of Evanescence songs and how they relate to Reylo!

[twodollarlatefee]

Happy 74th birthday to Tommy Lee Jones! With over 200 films on his resume, what hasn’t he been in or played?! The man is a tour de force! From serious (The Fugitive) to wacky (Batman Forever) And everything else in between, Tommy is a modern legend of cinema! Too bad IG only lets us post 10 pics, because we would’ve kept going! Instead of posting all of his most popular roles, we sprinkled in a few lesser known titles like Rolling Thunder, Stormy Monday, & Black Moon Rising. What’s your favorite TLJ movie/role? ❤️📼❤️ • •• ••• #tommyleejones #actor #birthday #movies #icon #legend #vhs #vcr #videostore #meninblack #thefugitive #nocountryforoldmen #cohenbrothers #podcast #80spodcast #80s #90s #2000s #70s #rollingthunder #batmanforever #dccomics #twoface https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKK0SBFzkX/?igshid=1hxgzm6v5aeck

[odviin]

Some of my faves...

ANIME/MANGA:

Hikaru no Go (Sai, Akira, Hikaru) Pet Shop of Horrors (Count D, T-chan) Eyeshield 21 (Hiruma, Rui) Nurarihyon no Mago (Youkai Rikuo, Aotabo, Kurotabo, Kubinashi, Yuki Onna) Gokusen (Yankumi, Shin, Kyou) Yuri on Ice (Yurio, Otabek, Victor, Yuuri) Tiger & Bunny (Tiger, Blue Rose, Fire Emblem) Shounen Onmyouji (Guren, Mokkun, Masahiro) Detroit Metal City Beelzebub Hunter x Hunter (Hisoka, Illumi, Kuroro) Angel Sanctuary (Rosiel, Mad Hatter) Yami no Matsuei (Muraki, Tsuzuki, Watari) Shingeki no Kyojin Naruto & Naruto Shippuuden (Kyuubi, Naruto, Gaara, Itachi, Neji, Hinata, Kimimaro, Temari, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Haku, Zabuza, Samehada, Deidara, Pein, Yondaime, Sandaime, Kurenai) Get Backers (Akabane, Ginji, Kazuki) Death Note (Light, Ryuk, Rem, Mikami, Misa) Kuroshitsuji (Sebastian) Saiyuki (Sanzo, Gojyo, Hazel, Gato, Kanzeon Bosatsu) Katekyo Hitman Reborn (Hibari, Mukuro, Dino, Tsuna, Gokudera) Silver Diamond (Kou, Narushige, Touji) Hoshi no Yakata (Sumiya, Sakurai, Hirofumi) Loveless (Soubi, Ritsuka) Gravitation (K, Hiro, Ryuichi) Fullmetal Alchemist (Ed, Al) Yakitate Japan Natsume Yuujinchou One-Punch man D.Gray-man (Kanda, Allen) Fruits Basket (Ayame, Kyou, Hatsuharu, Ritsu) Weiss Kreuz (Schwarz, Schuldig, Farfarello, Crawford, Ran/Aya) Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Ojisama to Neko Bleach Nana

Studio Ghibli (Calcifer, soot sprites (susuwatari), Howl, Haku).

TV SHOWS:

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Sara, Amaya, Snart, Mick, Gary, Ray) The Flash (Cisco Ramon, Caitlin/Killer Frost, Harry/HR, Joe West, Barry, Julian, Gypsy) Lucifer (Ella, Lucifer, Cain, Mazikeen, Trixie, Chloe, Dan, Amenadiel) Supergirl (Kara, Alex, Maggie, Lyra, Wynn) Supernatural (Castiel, Crowley, Charlie, Garth, Rowena, Gabriel, Dean, Jack, Death, Billie, Ghostbusters) Doctor Who (9, 10, Donna, Wilfred, Jack Harkness, Amy, Rory, Rose) Stargate: Atlantis (Rodney, Ronon, Todd, Carson, Jennifer, Zelenka) Xena (Xena, Ares, Gabrielle, Callisto) White Collar (Neal, Mozzie, June, Peter, Elizabeth, Diana, Clinton) Person of Interest (John, Harold, Carter, Shaw, Root) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (everybody, but especially Rosa.) Hannibal Lost Girl (Vex, Kenzi, Trick, Tamsin, Bo) Arrow (Sara, Nyssa, Thea, Malcolm, Felicity) Gotham (Cobblepot (Penguin), Nygma (Riddler), Fish Mooney) Constantine Farscape (Aeryn, Crichton, Scorpius, Braca) Galavant (King Richard and his dragon) Versailles (Philippe, Chevalier, King Louis XIV) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Spike, Tara, Cordelia) The Musketeers (Porthos, Constance, Feron, Sylvie) Shadowhunters (Magnus, Izzy, Raphael) Agent Carter (Peggy, Jarvis) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (May, Fitz, Simmons) Game of Thrones (Oberyn, Daenerys, John Snow, Arya, Margaery, Brianne, Ned Stark, Khal Drogo) Once Upon a Time (Hook, Regina, Merida, Mulan, Belle) Santa Clarita Diet Jessica Jones Stranger Things Veronica Mars Sense8 Dexter

I will probably love Good Omens once it comes out.

JDRAMA:

Gokusen (Yankumi, Shin) My Boss, My Hero Ikebukuro West Gate Park Mr. Brain Zettai Kareshi Ando Lloyd Bloody Monday Kurosagi Nobuta wo Produce

COMICS:

The Sandman (Morpheus/Dream, Death, Delirium, Emperor Norton) Belzebubs Looking for Group (Richard) Scandinavia and the World (Iceland, Finland) Kiroileva siili The Crow The Darkness Nemi Valerian Elfquest My Life as a Background Slytherin (+ some DC & Marvel stuff)

MOVIES:

DCEU: Wonder Woman, Justice League, BvS, Suicide Squad. (Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Etta Candy, Chief (Napi), Harley Quinn, El Diablo, Lois Lane) (I am really waiting for the Justice League Dark & Gotham City Sirens movies!) The Dark Knight trilogy (Joker) MCU: Black Panther, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Thor, Iron Man. (Loki, Bucky (Winter Soldier), Yondu, Doctor Strange, The Cloak of Levitation, Nick Fury, Black Widow, Pepper, Mantis, Heimdall, Hela and pretty much everyone from Black Panther) FOX: Deadpool, Venom, X-Men: First Class + DOFP + Apocalypse, Logan. (Deadpool, Magneto, Venom, Yukio, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Blink, Bishop, Warpath) Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rogue One, Revenge of the Sith, New Hope. (Rey, Poe, Finn, Chirrut, Baze, Leia, Kylo Ren, General Hux, Phasma, Anakin, Qui-Gon Jinn) (vulptices/crystal foxes) The Crow Velvet Goldmine Terminator 2 (+ others too) Mad Max: Fury Road LOTR/Hobbit (Thranduil, Legolas, Gimli, Thorin) Harry Potter (Luna, Snape, Lucius) Kingsman Maleficent Rocky Horror Picture Show The Shape of Water The Long Kiss Goodnight The Great Wall (Lin Mae, Tovar) Pirates of the Caribbean Interview with the Vampire + Queen of the Damned Labyrinth (Jareth) Airheads Wayne’s World Blades of Glory Priscilla: Queen of the Desert The Birdcage The Crying Game Battle Royale Vaiana/Moana Frozen

PODCASTS:

Welcome to Night Vale

BOOKS:

Good Omens (Crowley, Aziraphale) Discworld (Death, Death of Rats) Dragonlance (Raistlin, Tanis) Hobb: Farseer & Tawny Man trilogies (Fool, Fitz) Johannes Cabal the Necromancer All for the Game trilogy (Neil, Andrew) Ender’s Game + Speaker for the Dead Harry Potter (Luna, Sirius, Remus) Heinlein: Double Star LeGuin: Earthsea

I SHIP:

Stucky: Steve+Bucky (MCU/Marvel) Kylux: Kylo Ren+General Hux (SW:TFA/TLJ) Stormpilot: Poe+Finn (SW:TFA/TLJ) Destiel: Dean+Castiel (Supernatural) Chirrut+Baze (SW: Rogue One) Venom/Eddie (Venom) Harrisco: Harry+Cisco (The Flash) Shinkumi: Yankumi+Shin (Gokusen) Malec: Magnus+Alec (Shadowhunters) Cecilos: Cecil+Carlos (WTNV) Hartwin: Harry+Eggsy (Kingsman) Harley Quinn+Poison Ivy (DC) Legolas+Gimli (LOTR)

[thisisthepartwhereyou]

FILM-REVIEW #1: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) *May Contain Spoilers*

So now with the craze of the holiday’s over and a new year beginning, I finally got the time over to view the movie which many has waited impatiently for ever since The Last Jedi (2017) famously split the fanbase in two. At least that’s what I’ve done.

Now before I start, I want to make something clear: I consider myself a Star Wars-fan. I recognize it as one of the most recognizable and cinematically significant film-series to ever be shown on any screen, big or small. I consider it one of the most iconic stories told in modern history, and a groundbreaker in many ways. However, unlike many other fans, who has this deep connection through their childhood, I do not. I grew up with other franchises, including Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters and the Police Academy-films. I didn’t really get into Star Wars until my teens, and while I am familiar with the Legends-continuity, I have never really read any of it. So basically, my view on Disney creating their own continuity is as neutral as it can be.

Because of this, some would probably consider me LESS of a fan, while others might argue that it makes me more objective when writing this review. Either which, I pride myself on being as honest as I can when it comes to movies, and that it is what I intend to be when reviewing this. 

So... How does the final part of the sequel trilogy hold up as a movie?

I am sad to inform that out of the three latest installments of the main films in the series, this is the one I enjoyed the least. While I enjoyed at least two thirds of The Force Awakens (2015) and half The Last Jedi, I’d say I liked about a third of this one overall. Mainly because it was... Messy.  

TROS suffers from many a things, including pacing issues, uneven tone, too much talking, a over-reliance on nostalgia and an unimaginative direction. Many creative choices feel rushed or made out of pressure, many clearly on account of the critique directed at TLJ. 

While I can’t say TLJ was without a few glaring flaws, the parts that were good were really quite intriguing and something that could be built upon. However, a majority of those ideas are either glossed over or downplayed here. This is especially disappointing, considering that the makers stated that their creative choices would NOT be influenced by the critique of the last film. I hate to feel cheated and lied to by members of the entertainment history; this felt like the Arkham Knight-identity thing all over again. Rather than going out with a bang and carving out more of it’s own identity for the trilogy, it felt like this movie this took a fearful step back and copped out with the most obvious direction that one could’ve imagined.  

Also, while exposition in itself is good, it needs space and timing in order to make an impact. The first good chunk of the movie is literally nothing but exposition and moving from location to location and character to character with barely any time to breathe! This movie was about two hours long, and it felt like about 20-30 minutes had been cut just out of fear of losing people’s attention. 

You’d also think that for what they marketed as the end of a saga (pffffft...!) would try and focus more on the development of familiar characters rather than introducing new ones. There’s like 10 new characters here whose roles could’ve been either scaled down or given to ones we already know. As they come and go, we have little connection to them as opposed to the ones appearing in earlier ones. This in turn makes the plot fairly bloated by the time of the third act. As a former Narutard it actually reminded of the end of the Naruto-manga; because it in the end didn’t dare to thin the massive cast or have the room to complete their arcs, it just felt all over the place. 

So with all this, you’d probably think I hate this movie. But no, not really. Yes, it is a quite annoying and a bit dissapointing, but it’s not like I’m going to burn my blurays or start a petition. To me, the biggest sin would’ve been if the movie had been boring/uneventful, like Attack of the Clones (2002) or Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), which I to be perfectly clear don’t really hate either (just almost). Boring this movie is most definably not. So, what was it about the movie that I actually liked?

Well, while the movie feels like it has too much of a hurry at times, it works well together with the action scenes. Several of the alien designs are memorable, and some of the new characters, such as the bountyhunter Zorri Bliss, do make an impression. The Emperor is back, and lets face it, despite the questionable feasability as to how that is possible, he is still quite good, though mostly through the powerful performance of Ian McDiarmid. To be fair, plenty of actor’s performances outdo moments of poor writing here; Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver giving the movie some of it’s most emotional moments. The character of Poe Dameron, which I’ve never really understood why people like, does have more of an engaging character arc her than in the previous two films. The few ideas that are further built upon from TLJ work well, and while most twists and turns are unimaginative, one or two are actually really, really GOOD.

So, in summary, what do we have here? Quite simply, not the worst Star Wars-movie ever, but quite possibly the one in this trilogy that squandered the most potential. Do I feel a little miffed? Yes. Is my life ruined? Of course it f*cking isn’t. One thing I’ve learned about Star Wars is that it takes more than a few bad installments to kill it, and judging by the overwhelming success of The Mandalorian, I’d say we’re only just beginning. How will people view the sequel trilogy and current spin-offs in 10 years or so is hard to say, but I believe that while some parts will age like wine, other will like a bowl of fruit, not too unlike the prequels. Maybe there is even a lesson to learn here for the future of the series; work out the basic outline from the beginning, and if something goes a little wrong, don’t lose your nerve, JUST STAY ON COURSE.

As a whole, I give The Rise of Skywalker the rating of 5/10. 

[academicgangster]

Person. Lovely lovely person.

I have been a Tommy Lee Jones fan for AGES and kept this shit largely to myself because never have I ever met a single entity on this beautiful planet who was like “But hey…have you seen those thighs?”

So then like 2 days ago I find this random video of him in JEANS across multiple films and I’m like “OMG SOMEONE GETS THE THIGHS.”

Then I find your blog and it’s just….pages of Tommy Lee? Actual pages and pages?!

And someone else is losing their shit over the fact that he does indeed have pretty eyes and does a killer puppy dog look, negating the idea that you have to look like Chris Evans to be adorable?

Person. Beautiful beautiful person.

FOLLOWED.

Absolutely delighted to meet you! HOW ABOUT THEM THIGHS, THOUGH.

HOW ABOUT THEM EYELASHES, THOUGH.

(I only have Sam pictures to hand at the moment, but so many of his other characters also have beautiful eyelash moments. Followed you back!)

[academicgangster]

have you ever watched the yuri nosenko movie? I just want to know if it's available to watch anywhere...

Sure have! I couldn't find it available to watch anywhere, so I own the DVD. posts with a couple of screenshots

He's very very pretty in it, but it was a lot less interesting than I thought it would be. Not as much international spy stakes/courtroom drama/general intrigue type stuff as I hoped.

If you want an obscure TLJ film that's really, really good (imho, at least), may I point you at Broken Vows?

[academicgangster]

i love how you call tlj 'bean' so much so so much

mr sexy bean jones! It's been a hot minute since those posts but I stand by them

[academicgangster]

It's him

[academicgangster]

Your blog is Tommy Lee heaven, and I just have to know: What's Your Favorite Screen Cap Of Harvey Two-face? (I just love bringing up this precious)

I'm partial to this one! The Dutch angle, the hot pink contrasted with the pretty side of his face, the fact that this exact shot is where he starts to come off the rails from 'executing what he perceives as blind justice' to 'actually visiting his pain upon other people' (deciding to flip his coin more than once until he gets the result he wants - just once more, then just once more, then just once more.)

...of course, this reading of his character arc makes more sense if you've seen my posts about my autistic Harvey theory. :D