#top ten films 2016

[frayed-at-the-seams]

My top ten bl dramas (with kissing scenes but no sex scenes)

Not in any particular order.

Sometimes I want a romance but I don’t need the sex scenes. Sometimes I just like the kissing and the plot. So here are my top ten.

- 2G ether. Season 1&2.

A adorable fake dating story with entertaining side couples and a well written plot. It is an easy watch with a comedic story line. Any problems in season 1 and any questions left unanswered are covered in season 2. The main couple have great chemistry and the side couples seem to match it well.

It is one of my favourites because it is such a chill drama to watch and rewatch. It is one I tend to go for when I’m tired or needing serotonin.

Available with English subtitles on YouTube.

- Minato Shouji coin laundry. Season 1.

A romantic comedy with a strangers to lovers trope. The plot revolves around a 17 yr old in love with a 27 yr old man. That put me off at first but the age gap is really well covered. The whole plot revolves around the age gap and how it affects them. It is both light hearted while dealing with the honest dynamic of their relationship. Both characters go through a wholesome journey of development, with Shin growing more mature and Akira learning to let himself be loved.

There is hints of a side couple but those characters go through development rather than have their relationship end romantically, which I really enjoyed.

The dialogue is very well written and the actors have really good chemistry together. Despite the age gap, it became one of my favourites in a very short amount of time. It is all so well done and they handled the dynamic wonderfully.

Though I did not like season 2 cause the writing was terrible. Still acted well but bad plot writing.

Available on Bilibili or dramacool.

- We Best Love, N1 for you & Fighting Mr second.

Ignoring the two different titles, this is season 1 and 2 of the same drama.

It is a enemies to lover dynamic in season 1 with a enemies to lovers dynamic once again in season 2.

While the plot is overly dramatic at times and cliche, it is very well acted and the actors really work with their lines and make the cliche parts fit so well. They have amazing chemistry (especially in season 2) and I love their dynamics. The side couples don’t get much screen time but they fit very well with the plot and the dynamics of the main characters.

When it comes to pure chemistry, this couple is one of my all time favourites. They speak so much with their actions. It’s a drama that will entertain throughout. I didn’t get bored at all.

Available on Bilibili and Dramacool.

- Semantic Error.

Another Enemies to lovers trope between two opposing characters. Opposites attract between a digital media student and a computing student. The plot is well paced and the actors spark off each other very well. The character development is explored well and the filming style adds such a tension and uniqueness to the scenes. One of the reasons why it is a favourite is how the filming style works with the characters and highlights their personalities. Everything just flows.

There are no side couples in this drama however the side characters are well portrayed and fully dimensional. I enjoyed how each character’s dynamics worked with those around them.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

- Sotus The series.

A real slow burn between a new student and his head hazer. Although the hazing put me off at first the show went to explain all viewpoints really well. It explained why the Hazers continued the tradition of hazing as well as the students who were experiencing it. The relationship is a real slow burn but it’s done so well and scenes had me laughing and crying.

It includes other lgbt side characters and a straight side couple who are cute and go through their own personal growth.

An old bl (2016) but a good one. It was one of my first ones and I will never get over it.

Available on KissKH, Bilibili and YouTube.

- Takara’s Treasure.

A more recently released drama, this show was so wholesome and cute. It dealt with a character’s journey as he joins a university in Tokyo after living in a small town his whole life. His slow burn relationship with his senior is very cute and green flag.

I sort of wish that there were more kiss scenes but I did enjoy the ones we go.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Love for Love’s sake.

Another more recent drama. This one had me sobbing and giggling. For what seemed to be an intriguing plot about a boy seemingly playing out a video game where the goal is to make another boy happy turned into a really deep portrayal of depression and the loneliness of being lgbt. The romance and the relationships as they develop in this drama was all well paced and wholesome. The main character is iconic and he fights for what he wants which is great to watch. The drama itself was very well filmed. The cinematography didn’t distract too much from the plot but also made itself known and memorable. The pace was good though it could have done with maybe another episode towards the end, but with the time they had the pacing was pretty good.

This drama leads itself towards theory and not all the questions are answered but that is a good thing as an ending is provided but there is still enough to make one curious.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Why R U? (Korean version).

While I enjoyed the original Thai version, the Korean version out paced it for me. While the Thai one had many side couples and confusing plot lines the Korean one keeps it just to two main couples. It deletes the cheating element of the second couple and made it more wholesome rather than dramatic. The first couple actually starts as enemies to lovers and their dynamic is very funny. They fight all the time and swear at each other before slowly starting to admire and appreciate each other before falling for each other. The show was well paced and very lighthearted. The cinematography wasn’t bad but could have been more fun.

Though it’s from the same books as the Thai one, it feel almost like a completely different drama. This one had me laughing much more.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Stay With Me.

This is a Chinese drama based off a pervious BL drama called Addicted Heroin. Compared to the previous adaptation, the toxicity is taken out. Stay with me is mostly found family vibes between two step brothers, who don’t know that they’re stepbrothers for a long time, and how their relationship develops from friends to family. Whether this be family in a romantic sense between them or not, the show leaves that up to the viewer.

For a Chinese bl we do get kisses on the cheeks! Although I would like them to kiss properly. The show focuses on them growing as people and not just their relationship, which I enjoyed.

However, the show does end on a sob inducing cliffhanger and there has been no news about a season 2 yet. So watch at your peril. The show itself was well paced and very well acted.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Unintentional Love story.

This drama is of a young man who was wrongly fired from his job finding a reclusive ceramicist. He is told that if he can get the famous artist to sign with his old company, then he will get his job back. What follows is a slow burn romance with misunderstandings and great character development. Since the characters are all adults in their late twenties to early thirties, the show has a different feel compared to a lot of other shows where the characters are teenagers or young adults. These characters are running businesses and having to deal with issues such as money problems and loans. It’s nice to see such realistic things playing a big part in a character’s motivation. Yet they still have moments fuelled by their feelings and impulses. But they grow and learn and that’s what makes this drama really wholesome and lovely to watch.

The side couple in this is left unresolved but with a hopeful note. However there is a history between them that is not fully explained. There has been a movie based on their backstory that has come out recently, yet I do not know if it resolves their relationship in the show.

One of the things I love in this show is the costumes. As the sunshine character takes on more depth and grows as a person, his clothing colour palette gets darker. While for the grumpy character who learns to open himself up again, his palette gets lighter and by the end of the show their outfits have swapped colours. That is a detail which I loved when watching.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

Here you go. These are my top ten dramas with no sex scenes. While some of them may have making out scenes that fade to black, they are not explicit and the drama plots focus more on the storylines or the character growth.

So for anyone who doesn’t like watching sex scenes, I recommend the dramas above.

Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to ask about anymore in the comments.

[pinkscaped]

wait omg myah please please PLEASE tell us more abt myrah’s career after allume (and maybe during too 🤭) i js NEED to hear more abt her !

MYRAH YAMAZAKI is a Japanese K-pop idol and global icon based in South Korea. She made her initial debut in the rotational girl group ALLUME in 2005 as the group's leader and lead vocalist until her generation's graduation in 2010. Myrah is often credited for making ALLUME as popular as they are, achieving international stardom during this time for her strong attitude and natural star quality. Her run in Allume would be dubbed "Myrah and Friends" by fans due her popularity often overshadowing her groupmates.

Myrah would immediately begin a solo career after her 2010 graduation, destroying both the Korean charts and Japanese charts with the mini album HAUTE TOPIC. HAUTE TOPIC would break records for having all four tracks debut in the Top 10 on Melon. Moonlight, Chase Me, Starlight, and Kitty Kat would all break into the top ten and remain there for a solid five months. Myrah's solo career would be proflic and global, debuting in Japan shortly after her Korean solo debut where she would destroy the charts there as well. She would be the highest-performing Flowerbank soloist ever until the acquisition of Baebi's contract in 2023.

Myrah is still a high profile celebrity, starring in a handful of blockbuster films, critically acclaimed dramas, and becoming the face of many luxury brands through out the years. She is also the head of the creative board in Flowerbank Entertainment, owning an impressive amount of stocks in the company. She has been the host of the radio show AllTalkMe for over ten years now, keeping her and Allume relevant over the years.

ﾞ . ✩ . ' ۫           INFORMATION!

STAGE NAME :: MYRAH

BIRTH NAME :: Myrah Yamazaki

Birthday :: December 1st 1987

Zodiac :: Sagittarius 

Birthplace :: California

Hometown :: Osaka, Japan

Ethnicity :: Japanese

Nationality :: American-Japanese

Faceclaim :: Devon Aoki

Height :: 175 cm || 5′9

ﾞ . ✩ . ' ۫           VIRAL MOMENTS!

"I don't think people realize we haven't actually had sex...I wish but we're acting, guys." One of her first viral moments as an actress was in 2016 during the press tour for A Man and a Woman with her co-star Gong Yoo. Myrah and Gong Yoo would go on to have a public relationship that would often have them going viral for their cute and funny moments. To fans' dismay, the pair would split in late 2020.

When she snatched Sooah's mic from her during a concert, singing her lines and high notes. "My mic wasn't working. It's not like she sings much anyways," Myrah would go on to say in an interview, fueling the fire of rumors about the two having a feud during their time in Allume. After this, Sooah would noticeably clutch her microphone whenever Myrah would walk by her.

"How could I not like her? I've never spoken to her. I love 2ne1. Shut up." Myrah would shut down rumors of her and CL of 2ne1 having beef, telling a fan to shut up when they spoke negatively of her. Shot in glorious 2009 iPhone quality, the video would make its round around the internet. A week later, Myrah would post a selfie with CL on her blog with the caption "My bestiiiiii~ ^-^ <3" and the two are still close to this day.

She put her hand up in Gdragon's face when he attempted to sing to her at the 2013 MAMA Awards. It was a lighthearted interaction, Myrah laughing the whole time, but the internet took it differently and deemed her "a rude bitch" and VIPS would begin to harass her. This would have very little effect on Myrah as she would go on to post a couple of photos of her with T.O.P and Gdragon in the studio with the caption: "I lovvveee rappers!! (*^^*)♡"

"She's a bitch! A hot one though!" Myrah would shout out her car window when she was escorted out of a club by Flowerbank CEO Kim Iseul. Myrah was a bit of a club-goer post-Allume, often having to be picked up by friends or, on rare occasions, her CEO. When asked by paparazzi about her thoughts on Iseul having to pick her up, prompting her to say her now most iconic line.

[lokiondisneyplus]

Kevin R. Wright’s MCU timeline has come to a close. The Loki executive producer and now-former VP of production and development at Marvel Studios has exited his position to produce original film and TV projects, independently. Wright was one of the central creative figures behind the Tom Hiddleston-led Loki, which is widely considered to be the crown jewel of Marvel Studios’ Disney+ slate. On top of six Emmy nominations, the time-bending sci-fi series is the first-and-only MCU live-action series to receive a second season thus far.

In 2018, when Disney CEO Bob Iger pivoted to streaming with Disney+, he asked his most successful studio, led by Kevin Feige, to expand its shared universe into television. So Wright took the initiative with regard to a potential series about the God of Mischief, crafting a 30-page pitch that included many of the future show’s foundational elements, including the Time Variance Authority. The TVA — which is the bureaucratic agency that once preserved the MCU’s “sacred timeline” and now oversees its branched multiverse — proved to be so popular that the entity is soon transitioning to the big screen by way of July’s highly anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine. 

Before writers, such as series creator Michael Waldron, and directors were hired to bring Loki to life, Wright was also responsible for presenting his initial ideas and possibilities to Hiddleston, who, at that time, was content with his existing character arc that originated all the way back in Thor (2011). The Marvel executive even laid the groundwork for the series’ Emmy-nominated production design, having made a strong case to Marvel brass for immersive 360 sets. Besides finishing on time and under budget, Loki season two was also one of the first, if not the first, Marvel Studios projects to not require any additional photography.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Wright expresses his gratitude to Marvel and Disney, before expanding on the reasoning for his departure after nearly ten years with the studio.

“I am incredibly proud of my contributions to the MCU and thankful for my time at Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company,” said Wright. “The industry has changed dramatically during my near decade with the company, and I can no longer ignore my desire to independently produce original films and television. I extend my love and gratitude to everyone at Marvel Studios.”

Shortly before 9/11, the Philadelphia native delayed his film school ambition to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he served as a combat correspondent for four years. Upon completing his service, he majored in writing for film and television at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, before graduating as valedictorian. Wright then moved to Los Angeles and interned for a couple years, until a chance meeting and opportunity with Marvel Studios materialized at a time when he was considering abandoning his pursuit. He then steadily climbed the ranks, beginning as a development assistant and then the production and development manager on Doctor Strange (2016). That led to an associate producer position on Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), which put him on a trajectory toward becoming a full-fledged producer on Loki and VP of Production and Development.

[justforbooks]

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), also known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, media personality, and actor. His initial fame dates back to 1992 following his guest appearance on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and later on Dre's debut album, The Chronic that same year. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States, and 35 million albums worldwide. His accolades include an American Music Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 17 Grammy Award nominations.

Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, Broadus's debut studio album, Doggystyle (1993) was released by Death Row Records and debuted atop the Billboard 200. Selling 800,000 copies in its first week, the album received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following year and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "What's My Name?" and "Gin and Juice". He was the lead performer on Death Row's soundtrack album for the 1994 short film Murder Was the Case, wherein Broadus made his acting debut. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), likewise debuted atop the chart and received double platinum certification.

In 1998, he parted ways with Death Row in favor of Master P's No Limit Records, through which he saw largely continued success with his albums Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). He then signed with Priority, Capitol, and EMI Records to release his sixth album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002), which was further commercially oriented. This effectively continued upon him signing with Geffen Records to release his next three albums: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004), Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), and Ego Trippin' (2008); the former spawned the single "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), which became his first to peak atop the Billboard Hot 100. He then returned to Priority and Capitol—upon his hiring as chairman of the former label—to release his tenth and eleventh albums, Malice 'n Wonderland (2009) and Doggumentary (2011), both of which saw mild critical and commercial response.

During this time, Broadus starred in films and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. In 2012, following a trip to Jamaica, Snoop converted to Rastafari and adopted the alias Snoop Lion, under which he released a reggae album, Reincarnated (2013), and a namesake documentary film about his Jamaican experience.

His thirteenth studio album, Bush (2015), was produced entirely by frequent collaborator Pharrell, while his fourteenth studio album, Coolaid (2016), was released the same year as his induction into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. In 2018, Broadus became "a born-again Christian" and released his first gospel album, Bible of Love in March of that year. In November of that year, Broadus was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2022, Broadus acquired Death Row Records from MNRK Music Group (formerly known as eOne Music), and released his nineteenth studio album, BODR (2022)—preceded by the independently-released I Wanna Thank Me (2019) and From tha Streets 2 tha Suites (2021).

The Washington Post, Billboard, and NME have called him a "West Coast icon"; and Press-Telegram, "an icon of gangsta rap". In 2006, Vibe magazine called him "The King of the West Coast". ABC News journalist Paul Donoughue, cited him among the 1990s acts that took hip-hop into the pop music charts. Broadus received the BMI Icon Award in 2011. In 2023, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Broadus popularized the use of -izzle speak particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry. A type of infix, it first found popularity when used by Frankie Smith in his 1981 hit song "Double Dutch Bus". The Guardian's Rob Fitzpatrick has credited his album Doggystyle for proving that rappers "could reinvent themselves", expanding rap's vocabulary, changing hip-hop fashions, and helping introduce a hip-hop genre called G-funk to a new generation. The album has been cited as an influence by rapper Kendrick Lamar, while fellow rappers ScHoolboy Q and Maxo Kream have also cited him as an influence.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[naturepointstheway]

My Top 10 Most Kudos'd Fics Ever on AO3 to date of this post

Out of curiosity, I decided to rank all my works on AO3 (posted stuff on there since 2015, starting with Prince of Egypt) by number of kudoses, and here are the top ten, from most to least:

Out of Trouble Again - published 2015- Prince of Egypt - 536 kudoses (nothing else has reached anywhere near that, and probably never will. It's the Jupiter-sized one of them when it comes to kudoses.) Summary: What if Rameses' son had not walked in and interrupted right when Moses and Rameses were talking during the ninth plague in "Prince of Egypt"?

Dynasty Extinguished - published 2015 - Prince of Egypt - 160 kudoses Summary: God never said that only the first-born children will perish in the final plague on Egypt. A slight AU of the events of the tenth plague in the film.

Old Enough to Understand - published 2016 - Tarzan (1999) - 122 kudoses Summary: He is not a baby, but four years old, when he sees his parents killed by Sabor, the leopard. Early the following morning, he watches as a female gorilla wanders inside, bereft only hours ago of her own offspring. When the leopard attacks from the shadows of the roof, the boy and gorilla act together to escape the predator and make it back to where safety awaits in the jungle.

Refusal to Harm - published 2015 - Prince of Egypt - 117 kudoses Summary: No matter how much Hotep and Huy try to persuade him, Rameses will never harm his brother whether that be direct or indirect. Even as Moses brings down plague after plague on Egypt, Rameses will not hurt Moses, the man he had once called brother. (Rated T for mentions of torture, execration (magical cursing), and discussion of execution.)

Wilted Rose, Torn Portrait, Forgotten Name - published 2015 - Beauty and the Beast (1991) - 116 kudoses Summary: Two reminders of the Curse remain after the restoration of the castle and the Prince's human form: the wilted enchanted rose, and the portrait ravaged ten years before by a Beast's claws. The Prince has spent so long as a Beast, he has forgotten his own name, and, with the help of Belle, he remembers it once again.

Wedding Night in Midian - published 2015 - Prince of Egypt - 101 kudoses (why. WHY. I cringe when I read this attempt at "smut" (M rated, so not smut smut) XD HOW. How in the name of...) Summary: The wedding night of Moses and Tzipporah. Strong sexual themes and content. Moses is hesitant at first, but soon allows himself to love Tzipporah as he had never done before.

The Mute and the Maine - published 2022 - Cats the Musical - 99 kudoses (wait...WHAT. How. How. I keep thinking it's in the 30s kudoses wise but here we are, one shy of the triple digits at posting. (Also, is very likely to have another chapter added to it soon-ish because muses be Like That. Also interesting to note that it reached that in two years, where others had to take half a decade at least to boop the triple digit realm for the first time. Compared to my other stuff, this got the freakin' zoomies. Just like a cat!)) Summary (I wanna change it a bit when I post the next chapter for this fic): Troubled by Demeter's words about Mistoffelees, a mute cat mostly outcast by the tribe, Tugger takes it onto himself to have a talk with Misto, and let him know he is not alone. [Originally posted on Tumblr] [Based on Lindsay Chambers' Mistoffelees from the very late '80s/very early '90s in a Zurich production.]

30 Days of Beauty and the Beast: One Line, Different Character - published 2017 - Beauty and the Beast (2017) - 96 kudoses Summary: As the title suggests, thirty one-shots for thirty days where I take a single line from the movie spoken by one character, and give it to someone else, however likely or unlikely. Characters and other tags will be added as each one shot is added day by day. One-shots' lengths vary from tiny drabbles to long ones, and I'll aim to be mostly fluffy/non-angsty. Take note, I said "mostly".

House and Home and Security - published 2021 - Life is Strange 2 - 95 kudoses Summary: Hours after leaving prison behind forever, Sean finds himself at Daniel's new home, a house he can never feel is his, no matter how much Daniel insists it's his home too whenever he needs it. And there is a strange, forgotten feeling both alien and familiar, one he has nearly forgotten over the last fifteen years he had spent in a prison cell. And how is it that Daniel is already so grown up, a young man of twenty-five years?

The Pain of Your Absence - published 2021 - Outer Wilds - 82 kudoses Summary: The pain of the travelers' absence is too much at the Eye at the end of the universe.

[videli-jste-tento-film]

Jedna dekáda ve 100* filmech: speciální statistika (2010–2019)

*ve skutečnosti je jich 101, ale pš!

Dnes jsem si při přidávání nového filmu uvědomila, ��e už jsme na tomhle blogu ohodnotili 100 filmů z jedné dekády, a to mi přišlo velký a podstatný. Takže dnes jedna speciální statistika zaostřená tentokrát jen na filmy natočené mezi roky 2010 a 2019.

Takhle vypadá koláč ohodnocených filmů podle let, nejvíc filmů jsme hodnotili z roku 2016, ale i jinak je to celkem vyrovnané.

Viděli jsme jen 11 filmů, 42 známe, ale neviděli jsme je, a 48 neznáme vůbec. Jak vidíte, neviděli jsme lol žádný film z let 2013, 2017 a 2018. Nejvíc neznáme filmy z roku 2015 (90 %). Když porovnáme tuhle dekádu se všemi filmy, je tahle specifická zejména tím, jak moc se liší poměr viděných a neviděných filmů

viděno 2010's: 10,9 % X viděno celkem: 20,7 %

neviděno 2010's: 41,6 % X neviděno celkem: 28,1 %

Vzhledem k tomu, jak staré je osazenstvo čumblru (by voko spíš do 25 let), není překvapení, že o hodně filmech víme, ale jako správní odpůrci nové české kultury se na ně prostě nedíváme. Anyway...

Viděli jsme...

Anděl Páně 2 (2016) (17. místo celkem), režie Jiří Strach

Tři bratři (2014) (34. místo), režie Jan Svěrák

Dvanáct měsíčků (2012) (43. místo), režie Karel Janák

Tajemství staré bambitky (2011) (44. místo), režie Ivo Macharáček

Šťastný smolař (2012) (45. místo), režie Jiří Strach

Kuky se vrací (2010) (64. místo), režie Jan Svěrák

Korunní princ (2015) (76. místo), režie Karel Janák

Probudím se včera (2012) (90. místo), režie Miroslav Šmídmajer

Občanský průkaz (2010) (93. místo), režie Ondřej Trojan

Dešťová víla (2010) (97. místo), režie Milan Cieslar

Princezna a půl království (2019) (98. místo), režie Karel Janák

Jen dva filmy (ty kurzívou) nejsou pohádky nebo filmy pro děti. Režisérskou hegemonii má Karel Janák (3 filmy), těsně následovaný Jiřím Strachem a Janem Svěrákem (2 filmy).

Když se podíváme na scénář (to normálně nedělám, ale tohle je speciální scénáristický týden v Lidlu), tak mají dvě položky na svědomí Marek Epstein (Anděl Páně 2 [spolu se Strachem] a Šťastný Smolař) a Petr Hudský (Korunní princ a Princezna a půl království). Čtyřikrát se stalo, že si režisér svůj film i napsal – Anděl Páně 2 (s Markem Epsteinem), Dvanáct měsíčků, Kuky se vrací a Dešťová víla (s Janem Míkou).

Kromě scénáře mrkneme speciálně i na hodnocení filmů na ČSFD. Nejlépe hodnocený je Občanský průkaz (79 %), přes 70 % má ještě Anděl Páně 2 (77 %), nejhůře hodnocená je Dešťová víla (52 %), což si beru osobně.

O těchto filmech průměrně hlasovalo 70 lidí.

Neznáme... (jen top 10, protože jakože je jich moc)

Bloudím (2010) (6. místo celkem), režie Martin Müller

Nenasytná Tiffany (2015) (9. místo), režie Andy Fehu

Očima fotografky (2015) (20. místo), režie Matej Mináč

Hany (2014) (35. místo), režie Michal Samir

Pirko (2016) (46. místo), režie Lucia Klein Svoboda, Petr Svoboda

Tanec medzi črepinami (2012) (53. místo), režie Marek Ťapák

Eva Nová (2015) (59. místo), režie Marko Škop

Špína (2017) (60. místo), režie Tereza Nvotová

Ten, kdo tě miloval (2018) (78. místo), režie Jan Pachl

Prach a broky (2015) (79. místo), režie Šimon Pešta

Tady je to mnohem pestřejší, ale některé věci se přece opakují – například jsou tu slovenské filmy, filmy žen-režisérek, amatérské filmy, dokumentární filmy, povídkové filmy... Prostě všechno to, co tragicky nikoho nezajímá.

Scénáristicky je to tu stejně rozrůzněné – žádný scénárista se neopakuje. Ještě častěji než u viděných filmů se ale stává, že je režisér zároveň scénáristou. Týká se to celkem 7 filmů, scénář jiný člověk psal u Špíny (Barbora Námerová) a Prach a broky (Mikuláš Pešta a Vít Filipovský), Tanec medzi črepinami scénáristu nemá, z čehož vyvozuju, že buď bylo všechno impro, nebo se v tomto filmu vůbec nemluví.

ČSFD je k těmto filmům krutá, nejlépe hodnocený je dokument Očima fotografky (79 %), nejhůře potom Ten, kdo tě miloval (31 %).

O těchto filmech hlasovalo v průměru 62,5 člověka.

A co bude dál???

Co já vím. Tenhle post píšu už děsně dlouho a mám hlad. Tak vám prostě asi jenom řeknu, abyste se dívali na české a slovenské filmy a abyste hlasovali v anketách. Tož tak. Přeju šťastný a veselý konec července, přátelé, uvidíme se zase brzy.

[joesalw]

Man it's literally embarrassing how Taylor Swifts PR tries to manipulate and convince everyone she's bigger than Michael Jackson or the Beatles. Like given the narcissistic vibes this woman gives me she probably enjoys the comparsions and wants to be seen as bigger. But if you really look into it. It's bullshit.

Like her having 3 number one albums or something this year. Yeah she also released 3 albums. Not saying it's not impressive. But Mj did like one album every 5 year. He had admitted countless of times that he is a high perfectonist and doesn't get the product out until it was perfect. Why else does he have tje highest selling album (Thriller) and second highest selling album by a solo artist ( Bad). He has 5 out of 6 albums to sell over 20M.

He also wrote like 120 songs per album. So if he wanted to get like 3 or more number one albums he easily could have. But if you know a little bit how he was you would know that being just good wasn't good enough for him. With that man everything had to be perfect. That's not something I think just the fans it's knowledge of the general public in general.

Second the 1 billion Tour gross. Yeah impressive. But what about her attendance. MJs Tickets were cheap. Even for todays Standards. 16 Dollars back then or 20 Dollars and he also gave some of them away for free.

What matters actually is attendance. But ofc they never want to talk about that. MJ had a 12.4M or 13M attendance in a span of 3 solo tours. Taylor Swift has 9.7M in the span of 5 tours excluding the Eras Tour. So probably will have a higher attendance in total eventually but what he could done with 3 tours ( 2 of them not even touring in the US) she had to do with 6 tours.

And it MJ didn't Tour in the US during his History Tour where he pulled 4.5M attendance.

Second is that bullshit Eras suprassing This is it. First This is it which most normal people know can't even be a concert tour because he died before doing any show. Second Eras only grossed more in the US. Globally he is far ahead.

He has a top ten hit during 5 different DECADES! 6 if you included the Jackson 5.

And some said that she sells 1M albums (not specifically said which ones) per week. Which is very hard to believe. Couldn't find any data on that. The only thing I have that she sold like 13 or 14M in this year. MJs Thriller ( one album) sold like 1M for a week for a year. Bad sold 7M in the first week.

Like nobody cares how much money she makes or how many albums she gets to chart on billboard during the streaming era. It just shows how money hungry and chart obsessed she is.

And they still think they can speak on him. I saw some mjfans on twitter putting swifties in place as well as arianators rihanna fans and other fandoms for various reasons.

Like Rihanna is the best selling female recording artist in the 21th century. Rihanna made like 8 studio albums and Taylor Swift 10 so far. On top of that Rihannas last album came out in 2016.

But the only thing Swifties hear is Billionaire 1billion gross, economy. (Do they seriously think MJ never had an influence on the economy? The guy who saved MTV from bankruptcy? They guy who filmed They don't care about us in Brazil to showcase the poverty and had had a huge influence into making it a better place?) What has Taylor Swift done with her suppossed influence? Huh. Why does he have statues around the world and got crowned King somewhere in Africa. Taylor Swift ain't doing that. The only thing she does is ruining the planet with her carbon emissions of her private jet and stay silent on a literal genocide. Or weaponizing the word feminism ( I want to read a thesis how this woman puts feminism back instead of forward. Like I swear by misusing it for her damn white feminism and influencing her impressionable stupid fans she's actually doing more harm than good. )

.

[gaycrouton]

The Best and Worst Rated Episodes of The X-Files according to IMDB - a breakdown ✨

To kick things off, here’s a chart of the ratings for all 218 episodes in the series

Season One (1993-1994)

Highest Rated The Erlenmeyer Flask (9.0)

Lowest Rated Space (6.2)

Season Average (7.67)

Season Two (1994-1995)

Highest Rated Anasazi (9.1)

Lowest Rated Fearful Symmetry (6.5)

Season Average (7.84)

Season Three (1995-1996)

Highest Rated Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose (9.2)

Lowest Rated Teso Dos Bichos (5.9)

Season Average (7.99)

Season Four (1996-1997)

Highest Rated Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (9.0)

Lowest Rated El Mundo Gira (6.6)

Season Average (7.95)

Season Five (1997-1998)

Highest Rated Bad Blood (9.2)

Lowest Rated Schizogeny (7.0)

Season Average (8.08)

Season Six (1998-1999)

Highest Rated Dreamland (9.0)

Lowest Rated Alpha (6.4)

Season Average (8.12)

Season Seven (1999-2000)

Highest Rated Requiem (8.6)

Lowest Rated Fight Club (6.0)

Season Average (7.61)

Season Eight (2000-2001)

Highest Rated Existence (8.7)

Lowest Rated Surekill (6.8) Salvage (6.8)

Season Average (7.77)

Season Nine (2001-2002)

Highest Rated The Truth (8.3) The Truth II (8.3)

Lowest Rated Lord of the Flies (6.9)

Season Average (7.47)

Season Ten (2016)

Highest Rated Mulder and Scully Meet the Weremonster (8.0)

Lowest Rated Babylon (6.4)

Season Average (7.38)

Season Eleven (2018)

Highest Rated The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat (8.2)

Lowest Rated My Struggle III (6.4)

Season Average (7.47)

Films ✨

Fight the Future (1998) | 7.0

I Want to Believe (2008) | 5.9

Averages Ranked ✨

Season Six (8.12) Season Five (8.08) Season Three (7.99) Season Four (7.95) Season Two (7.84) Season Eight (7.77) Season One (7.67) Season Seven (7.61) Season Eleven (7.47) Season Nine (7.47) Season Ten (7.38)

Series Average (7.81) IMDB Series Rating (8.6)

Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes

Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose (9.2) Bad Blood (9.2) Anasazi (9.1) Dreamland (9.0) Redux II (9.0) Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man (9.0) Paper Clip (9.0) The Erlenmeyer Flask (9.0) Small Potatoes (8.9) Jose Chung’s From Outer Space (8.9)

Bottom 12 Lowest Rated Episodes

Nothing Lasts Forever (6.6) Signs and Wonders (6.6) Teliko (6.6) Fearful Symmetry (6.5) My Struggle III (6.4) Babylon (6.4) Alpha (6.4) 3 (6.3) Space (6.2) First Person Shooter (6.1) Fight Club (6.0) Teso Dos Bichos (5.9)

[IWTB is also rated 5.9]

As of March 2023, The X-Files is the 110th Most Popular TV show on IMDB.

Unlike the Nielsen Ratings, these scores aren’t set in stone. Anyone can make an IMDB account and contribute their ratings, so if there’s anything you disagree with on the list, go represent your opinion!

All statistics from IMDB, all graphs created by me ✨

The data was obtained in March 2023, since IMDB ratings are subject to change, these findings may not be accurate in the future

However, with each episode currently having around 5k ratings, it’s likely not to vary too much.

Trends and Points of Interest✨

Season Three had both the highest rated episode (Clyde Bruckman at 9.2, tied with Bad Blood) and the lowest rated episode (Teso Dos Bichos at 5.9)

Despite being very high on the Nielsen charts, El Mundo Gira is one of the least popular episodes.

Season Three was the most featured on the “Most Popular” list (731, War of the Coprophages, Jose Chung, Paper Clip, Clyde Bruckman)

Despite being a beloved season, Season Four appeared the most on the “Least Popular” list (Teliko, The Field Where I Died, El Mundo Gira, Kaddish)

Here’s the full breakdown for anyone who’s curious to see where their favorite episode lands!

I hate math, but as far as my calculations go-

Mean: 7.81 Median: 7.8 Mode: 7.3 Range: 3.3

Anything that shocked you?

1) I can’t believe Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man is so high

2) People are sleeping on Nothing Lasts Forever (it has one of the best MSR scenes!)

3) I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t hate Fight Club. I’ve always liked Kathy Griffin

[lyknest]

omg top ten bollywood movies? (answer when you are free!!!!)

how DARE YOU ANON ok im gonna make a list in chronological order of release with no explanation or else it will be kilometre long post

Anand (1971)

Sadma (1983)

Paheli (2005)

Udaan (2010)

7 Khoon Maaf (2011)

English Vinglish (2012)

The Lunchbox (2012)

Kai Po Che (2013)

Go Goa Gone (2013)

Hasee Toh Phasee (2014)

Haider (2014)

Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)

Dum Lagake Haisha (2015)

Aligarh (2015)

Masaan (2015)

NH10 (2015)

Udta Punjab (2016)

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

Dear Zindagi (2016)

A Death in Gunj (2016)

Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)

Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017)

Phillauri (2017)

Badhaai Ho (2018)

Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018)

ofcourse i went over the limit lmao. also obviously these aren't all of my favourite films, these aren't even probably the most but only those i remember on top of my head because ive seen so many movies its hard to keep track of all 😭

[mediamixs]

Top 10 Korean Horror Movies

Korean cinema has gained international acclaim for its unique and chilling horror films. Here are ten standout titles that showcase the diversity and depth of the genre:

Train to Busan (2016) Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, this film is a high-octane zombie thriller that follows a father and his daughter on a train from Seoul to Busan during a sudden zombie outbreak. The film is acclaimed for its intense action, emotional depth, and social commentary on human behavior in crisis situations. It has become one of the most recognized Korean films globally.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) This psychological horror film, directed by Kim Jee-woon, is based on a Korean folktale. It tells the story of two sisters who return home from a mental institution only to confront their abusive stepmother and the ghost of their deceased mother. The film is known for its intricate plot, haunting atmosphere, and stunning cinematography.

The Wailing (2016) Directed by Na Hong-jin, this supernatural horror film revolves around a small village plagued by mysterious deaths and illness following the arrival of a stranger. The film masterfully blends elements of folklore, suspense, and psychological horror, culminating in a gripping climax that leaves audiences questioning reality.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) This found-footage horror film follows a group of YouTubers who explore an abandoned psychiatric hospital rumored to be haunted. The film effectively uses its eerie setting to create moments of genuine terror, making it one of the scariest entries in recent Korean horror cinema.

The Host (2006) Directed by Bong Joon-ho, this monster movie combines horror with social commentary as it follows a family's struggle against a creature that emerges from the Han River. The film's blend of humor, drama, and thrilling action has made it a classic in the genre.

Thirst (2009) This unique vampire film directed by Park Chan-wook tells the story of a priest who becomes a vampire after participating in a medical experiment gone wrong. The film explores themes of desire and morality while delivering intense horror sequences.

The Closet (2020) In this supernatural thriller, a father searches for his missing daughter who has vanished into a closet that leads to another realm. The film blends emotional storytelling with chilling moments as it explores themes of loss and parental love.

Monstrum (2018) Set in Korea's historical past, this creature feature follows a group trying to survive against a mysterious monster that terrorizes their village. The film combines action with horror elements, showcasing traditional Korean folklore.

The Medium (2021) A mockumentary-style horror film that explores possession through the lens of shamanism in Thailand. The film offers a slow build-up with shocking twists, making it a compelling watch for fans of psychological horror.

Whispering Corridors (1998) This classic horror film set in an all-girls school addresses themes such as bullying and suicide through ghostly encounters. Its success spawned several sequels and solidified its place in Korean horror history.

These films not only entertain but also delve into deeper societal issues, making them significant contributions to both the horror genre and Korean cinema as a whole.

[knavesflames]

You've been posting more about music lately so I was wondering, what are your top 3 genres, your top 1 band or musician, and your top 3 all-time favorite songs?

Yap incoming I fear. Beware. I warned you all so you can’t yell at me for yapping. I’m sorry for the yap though (am I?)

Omg music my beloved :] honestly if I’m not interacting with people my earphones are in and it’s so bad because I listen to the same songs constantly. Spotify wrapped (and my friends) HATE to see a bitch coming.

I am very interested in language learning, everyone who knows me knows that much. I enjoy immersing myself in said language and one of the main ways I do so is by listening to music— I learned a lot of both Korean and French by music and television alone. So, a lot of the songs on my playlist aren’t in English or the language of the country I reside in.

I did look at specific stats on a website:

My top three genres this year are kpop (admitting it I’m a stan and have been since 2016), indie and soundtracks from different films/shows/games!!

My top three artists this year are dreamcatcher, aespa and le sserafim!! Followed closely by Philipp Sheppard, Indila and (g)-idle. However, I’ve been a dreamcatcher ult since their debut after minx.

I’m unsure if this comes as a surprise to people on HERE, but people in my not online life know I’ve been ever so slightly obsessed with supernova (aespa) (SOTY YEAHH), but let me list the top like, ten tracks this year because I think it’s funny how quickly the genres change. My friend and I talked about tonal whiplash (aespa..) recently and this makes me laugh.

-being loved isn’t the same as being understood - vines (ok listen i had a Time)

-supernova- aespa

-OOTD/Justice- dreamcatcher (they tied)

-bad blood- queendom puzzle with like a ton of artists

-sadeness- enigma (I daydream and I couldn’t even tell you what I daydream about because idfk. Arlecchino probably)

-untie- viviz

-strangers- Ethel cain (THIS IS WHAT I MEAN ABOUT TONAL WHIPLASH!)

-speaking of whiplash, whiplash by aespa

-fire in the belly- le sserafim

-can you hear the music- it’s the fucking oppenheimer soundtrack.

-Kara’s main theme- Detroit become human soundtrack 😭

-eyes roll- (g)-idle (yeah. I picture it. The things. You know.)

-boite en argent- indila

That was 12. I think. Idc

All in all, I <3 music and everyone who knows me well knows that I do. I ALWAYS listen to recs and most of the time I really do love them. I listen to everything except country music, I fear.

Anyway, I’ll stop yapping. Thank you for asking, I love when people ask things like this<3

[whenthegoldrays]

hiii elly <3

kinda bored lately and wanted to watch something so came here for recs :) could be of any kind btw like movies, tv shows (any language)

also maybe not something from your top ten kdramas post lol i've already watched most of the shows on there

also how're you doing?

hope you're doing well <33

Hey girl hey! Thank you for asking, I'm doing well! Terribly busy, but on the whole things are good. How about you?

Oooh okay this is quite a thing to ask me, I'm going to get decision paralysis dhdvdvdg but let me think of some less-common things I can recommend!

Available on Prime Video.

The Surprise (2015). Also available on Tubi. After inking their own death warrants, an eccentric millionaire and distraught woman fall in love and find voiding their contracts isn't an option. Romance! Dark humor! The k-drama truck of doom, except it's a Dutch movie! (Disclaimer: I do not recommend watching this film if one is suicidal)

From Prada to Nada (2011). A modern Mexican-American adaptation of Sense and Sensibility that surprisingly really works?? The title is woeful but the movie is pretty darn good.

The Lady Vanishes (2013). Iris Carr is traveling across Europe by train when she befriends Miss Froy, an elderly English woman. But when she wakes up from a few hours' sleep, Miss Froy has vanished. As fellow passengers claim the lady never existed, Iris fights to discover the fate of Miss Froy - and prove that she's not going mad.

Love and Friendship (2016). Adaptation of Jane Austen's Lady Susan, starring Kate Beckinsdale. The main character is the definition of gaslight gatekeep girlboss, and the supporting characters are all just. so funny.

To Tell The Truth (1961). If you just want something to distract you that doesn't take a lot of thinking, old game shows are ideal. In this one, a celebrity panel tries to guess which of three strangers is the person they claim to be.

Masterpiece/PBS Passport Shows.

All Creatures Great and Small (since 2020). Season 4 currently airing. A feel-good (but unafraid to get real and sad) show about the misadventures of a country vet practice in Yorkshire.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke (since 2020). Season 4 currently airing. In 1880s London, the daughter of a private investigator decides to take over his detective business after his untimely death. Mystery series that also has just about the BEST opening titles ever.

Available on Tubi (which is free!)

Forever Young (1992). The movie where I realized that Mel Gibson was cute, actually. In 1939, a heartbroken Army pilot volunteers for a cryogenics experiment and wakes up in 1992, where he gets a second shot at love.

The Space Between Us (2017). On his first visit to Earth, a man born and raised on Mars bonds with a street-smart young woman while unraveling the mysteries of how he came to be. To quote my mutual Chris: "wanna cry? 🥰"

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1960s). Some of the stuff hasn't aged well, but this is still one my top favorite old sitcoms. All the characters are so fun and endearing. You probably won't want to sift through all five seasons, so my top episode recommendations are "The Curious Thing About Women" (s1 e16), "The Two Faces of Rob" (s2 e2), "That's My Boy??" (s3 e1), "Big Max Calvada" (s3 e9), "October Eve" (s3 e28), "My Mother Can Beat Up My Father" (s4 e1), "4 1/2" (s4 e7), "The Impractical Joke" (s4 e16), and "Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (s5 e1).

(I got a little too excited with those episode recs, oopsie 🤭)

The Surprise, like I mentioned.

I just found out that they have some episodes of The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry on Tubi, if you want some good nostalgic laughs.

Available on Netflix.

Love At First Sight (2023). Cute romance about taking a chance on a good feeling.

The Adam Project (2022). You've probably seen it, but I will mention it anyway! Time travel. Annoying and precocious 12-year-old child. Ryan Reynolds and Zoe Saldaña. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo! FIVE STARS.

Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would (2022). The best Trevor Noah special, in my opinion. The curry story??? Iconic forever and ever.

The Full-Time Wife Escapist (2018). A woman takes a job as a housekeeper, but in order to stay in it, she and her boss agree to a contract marriage. If you've ever seen the k-drama Because This Is My First Life... This is the better version of that show, imo. The ML is suchhh a sweetheart.

Indian Matchmaking (since 2020). I never watch reality TV, so I don't know how I started seeing this show, but it's SO good and super bingeable.

Omg the Jurassic Park movies are on Netflix right now

Available on Hulu.

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020). It's a love story, and it's so silly and enjoyable. The resolution is just shdhfhshshsg

The Giver (2014). Jonas learns the secrets of the past, and the utopia he's grown up in begins to look more and more dystopian. Also, Taylor Swift is there for some reason.

Flamin' Hot (2023). It wasn't until I watched this that I realized how much I need movies about Mexican success stories in my life. File this under ✨inspirational✨

If you haven't yet watched The Artful Dodger (2023), you absolutely should. Come for the romance, stay for the absolutely bonkers, insane hijinks.

I barely started watching Timeless (2016), but it looks really fun and good. It's about time travel, unsurprisingly for me 🤭

Available on Disney+

Baby's Day Out (1994). A childhood CLASSIC of mine. The cuteness is just. so much. The humor is standard slapstick, but really fun, and the mom has some of the most gorgeous 90s outfits omggg

Hidden Figures (2016). I love this movie endlesslyyy. Awesome intelligent Black women overcoming the odds, space race setting, and even a side of cute romance.

The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). Dare I say, best dog movie I've seen?

The Call of the Wild (2020). Another dog movie, with Harrison Ford. I don't remember much of it but I remember really enjoying it.

Milo Murphy's Law (2017–2018). Have you seen this follow-up to Phineas and Ferb? If you haven't, you need to. The comedy is so gold tier and the music slaps.

Delicacies Destiny (2022). I kind of stopped watching this c-drama about 1/3 of the way through, but I totally should pick it up again, and it's worth watching even if just for all the gorgeous food scenes.

And of course, anything from my top ten k-dramas that you haven't seen yet is an automatic recommendation 😌

This got. so long. I hope you find something here that you like and thank you for asking @milkteawithrusk!! This was so fun to put together! 🫶🏼

[herbaklava]

what are some movies you recommend?

can be any genre. (idk if someone asked you this before, i didnt see!) 🩷

These are my top ten:

1. The Fifth Element (1997) dir. Luc Besson

2. Romeo + Juliet (1996) dir. Baz Luhrmann

3. Amateur (1994) dir. Hal Hartley

4. The Watermelon Woman (1996) dir. Cheryl Dunye

5. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) dir. Beeban Kidron

6. Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins

7. City of God (2002) dir. Fernando Meirelles

8. Do the Right Thing (1989) dir. Spike Lee

9. Princess Cyd (2017) dir. Stephen Cone

10. What Happened Was… (1994) dir. Tom Noonan

Here’s also a list of 70 of my all time favorite films on my Letterboxd! 🩵

[ithillyienseowyn]

Sitting here randomly thinking about how people lowkey are knocking or have knocked Melissa McCarthy's performance as Ursula and how I've seen in passing that people are again unfairly comparing the two films because "she's no Pat Carroll" and Poor Unfortunate Souls is such a down grade in the LA {I personally had a hell of a time watching her take on this}.

Meanwhile I saw an interview just the other day {it might've been last night because I was bored} where she was saying she was trying to honour Pat Carroll's performance and vibe but also not wanting to touch it with a ten foot pole... Because of course. So I took a gander at the animated film last night {shortly after saying I wouldn't because the back and forth is just exhausting to me} and you can literally see where she leaned into Pat Carroll's inflection and movements but also bringing the classic Melissa McCarthy staple to the role. {She is literally my fave LA villain next to Idris Elba's Shere Khan in 2016}.

Like there were many moments when I was watching this film and thought she was a legit scarier bitch than in the animated {but that's just my opinion because the whole detail of riddling her lair with mermaid bones and shit just gives me chills} and the discourse over her performance is making me think of the kids who were in my cinema group that were completely terrified and crying by the time you get to the engagement and Vanessa/Ursula turns back into a squid and drags Ariel back to the sea and kills Triton in front of her on top of Ursula growing double her size before the big fight at the climax of the film.

It just goes back to what I've been saying about how harsh and unfair comments have been in regards to this movie {from what I've seen} because Melissa McCarthy is one of those actors who up until recently has only been known for comedic roles {I love everything I've seen her in} and its clear that you can see she had fun with this role.

[ozu-teapot]

Films Watched in April 2023

Fargo | Joel Coen / Ethan Coen | 1996

Le plein de super (Fill 'er Up with Super) | Alain Cavalier | 1976

Angel's Egg | Mamoru Oshii | 1985

The Anniversary | Roy Ward Baker / Alvin Rakoff | 1968

Punk Samurai Slash Down | Gakuryû Ishii | 2018

Abel (AKA Voyeur) | Alex van Warmerdam | 1986

Suicide Club | Sion Sono | 2001

Blank Generation | Ulli Lommel | 1980

Behind Her Eyes | TV | Erik Richter Strand | 2021

The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It | Joseph McGrath | 1977

The Sunday Woman | Luigi Comencini | 1975

Enys Men | Mark Jenkin | 2022

Electric Dragon 80.000 V | Gakuryû Ishii | 2001

La cicatrice intérieure (The Inner Scar) | Philippe Garrel | 1972

Ava | Léa Mysius | 2017

The Fall | TV | Allan Cubitt / Jakob Verbruggen | 2013 - 2016

Films Watched in May 2023

The Devil's Trap | Frantisek Vlácil | 1962

The Week Starts on Friday (Short) | Elmar Klos | 1962

Beauty and the Beast | Juraj Herz | 1978

Frantisek Hrubín (Short) | Tomás Skrdlant | 1964

The People Next Door | David Greene | 1970

Celia | Ann Turner | 1989

Renfield | Chris McKay | 2023

Luminous Procuress | Steven Arnold | 1971

Dragon's Return | Eduard Grecner | 1968

The Man on the Roof | Bo Widerberg | 1976

Coach to Vienna | Karel Kachyna | 1966

She Dies Tomorrow | Amy Seimetz | 2020

Justine | Stewart Mackinnon | 1976

Yakuza Graveyard | Kinji Fukasaku | 1976

The Bride Wore Black | François Truffaut | 1968

The Haunting of Julia | Richard Loncraine | 1977

The End of the F***ing World | TV | Various | 2017-2019

Yellowjackets | Season 2 | TV | Various | 2023

The Cat Creeps | Erle C. Kenton | 1946

Me, Natalie | Fred Coe | 1969

Bold = Top Ten

Some notes: I’ve been going through one of those periods where I just wasn’t feeling it maaaan with regards to films and tumblr. Other things consumed my attention (Auriel's Bow isn't going to fetch itself from the Forgotten Vale) and at times it felt a struggle to watch and post. Still...

Anyway here’s one of those fancy two month Film Logs last seen in August/September 2022 only this time there’s a Top Ten compiled from both months. A few TV things make it into the list. I’m sometimes unsure about putting TV in the *Film* Log but The End of the F***ing World is great and I was very taken with Behind Her Eyes because it actually surprised me in the direction it took, such an unusual experience nowadays, plus the two female leads were very attractive. Hey, I’m only human, like Phil Oakey.

[schismusic]

On June 13th the Biografilm Festival in Bologna hosted the world preview of Uzeda: Do It Yourself by documentary director Maria Arena. Apart from the fact that calling it a "world preview" implies a level of attention to the movie that we could define as slightly oversold to the unwitting audiences, I was one of the expectant ones, having been following the project ever since it started its crowdfunding campaign. Much to my surprise, the campaign actually did grant enough money to proceed with the production. The reason why I'm so surprised has nothing to do with the actual quality of the output, including the short excerpts they were, at the time, already posting on social media — more on this later, but the gist of it is: it's great and we knew it. That is exactly why I was so worried at first: such a good project, with high production values for an independent documentary, about a band that just about no one gives a fuck about in Italy save for a very passionate ten or so people? I was afraid that, despite all my best hopes, the crowdfunding would barely scrape by at best.

I have never been happier to be proven wrong.

According to what Maria Arena herself said after the showing, the doc had been in the making (and I mean in the actual making, as in Arena was already going around Catania with the band shooting video of them and of PJ — a musicologist from UCLA who wrote a whole ass PhD dissertation about lo-fi and independent rock) as far back as 2016. Leonardo Sciascia would have probably argued that such an endeavour is "very Sicilian", which of course reflects very well on the approach taken by Uzeda themselves. For starters, the band name. The Duke of Uceda — Italianized into "Uzeda", of course, and take a deep breath before you go on — Juan Francisco Antonio Alonso María José Domingo Pacheco y Téllez-Girón was the one to reconstruct Val di Noto after the 1693 earthquake and subsequent Etna eruption which destroyed the city of Catania. Of course, the southern gateway into the city of Catania itself is also named Porta Uzeda. If that wasn't enough, on more than one occasion the band themselves, and especially drummer Davide Oliveri, the band noted how growing up where they did proved crucial to their music. It was pretty special (for me, but I assume for him as well) to see Davide be complimented, on the site of the showing, by a literal eightysix-year-old from Syracuse, Sicily.

That's what gets me: this isn't exactly music you would show your grandfather, per se. I know I wouldn't show it to mine, for example. And yet this dude waltzed into a projection room and still managed to pull some relevant insight out of the proverbial top hat. Call it genius loci, gut-feeling intuition, shared sensitivity informed by coexistence or, simply, good predisposition. This eightysix-year-old gets Uzeda, possibly much deeper than you or I ever will. Which I guess stands as a testament to what it means to do what you like, to stick to your guns and yet at the same time to find a way to stand within the grooves of consummate professionalism. Uzeda are all trained musicians, and this is a very important distinction to make in the context of punk and punk-adjacent music. Throughout the film the band insist on how studying with someone, learning to play music from someone else was a crucial experience that did not in any way, shape or form stop them or prevent them from playing exactly the music they wanted. Meeting a band like Bastro at a festival in Berlin was an opportunity to unlock a new style of music to play; churning scales over and over throughout the whole fretboard led Agostino Tilotta to start looking for what he himself calls "non-scales", if anything. And studying with other musicians certainly gave the rhythm section of this band an impulse to professionalism: Oliveri, at the very least, worked as a composer for an animated musical and as a songwriter on Gianna Nannini's Aria album; Raffaele Gulisano, bassist, also doubles as a high school teacher, while Tilotta and Cacciola choose not to make of this music their own profession.

Tilotta especially is often framed by Arena, or her director of photography whose name I don't remember off the top of my head, like a Sergio Leone character: a unique face capable of powerful expressions standing in stark contrast to and at the same time in perfect complementarity with the surrounding environment. This brings to mind how Leone himself would cast extras based solely on their faces, without really asking them to act. I can only imagine just how dazzling, for a director such as Arena, or for any director really, it must have been to have someone with a face like Tilotta's to work with. And with his endeavor: the man is a riot, a one-man show. The legendary Albini skit about Fake Italian makes a whole lot more sense when you hear Tilotta himself speak his ornate, calculated English.

But of course Uzeda is almost inseparable from their own Steve Albini connections. The single opening credit of the movie ("To Steve") hits incredibly harder than expected. According to Arena and her editor, the movie was left untouched even after May 8th, 2024: a testament to poignant editing and beautiful personalities. Oliveri spent a good five minutes constantly underlining just how profoundly good, kind, approachable, just how much of a friend Albini had been to them since the very earliest days working together — and just how much of a void he leaves behind in the wake of his passing. And of course I believe their friendship stems from a number of core values the band and their producer — rather, engineer, as he would have preferred — shared, chief amongst them the idea that one must persist. Like I said in my Joy Division post, and just like Coil and Israel Regardie. The capability to stay true to one's self implies understanding that there is no one-self to abide by except the one present at any given time.

As for the band themselves? Well, they were with Shellac on May 26, 2015. And that's not the sort of show you can ever complain about. Go watch this fucking movie when it's out.