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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 4 years ago

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Psycho Analysis: Lucifer/Satan

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Please allow me to introduce this villain. He’s a man of wealth and taste...

Satan, or Lucifer, or whatever of the hundreds of names across multiple religions, folk tales, urban legends, movies, books, songs, video games, and more that you choose to call him, is without a doubt the biggest bad of them all. He is not just a villain; he is the villain, the bad guy your other bad guys answer to, the lord of Hell. If there’s a bad deed, he’s done it, if there’s a problem, he’s behind it. There’s nothing beneath him, and that’s not just because he’s at the very bottom of Hell. He is the root cause of all the misery in the entire world.

And if we’re talking about Satan, we gotta talk about Lucifer too. They weren’t always supposed to be one and the same, but over centuries of artistic depictions and reimaginings they’ve been conflated into one being, a being that is a lot more layered and interesting than just a simple adversary for the good to overcome when handled properly.

Motivation/Goals: Look, it’s Satan. His main goal is to be as evil as possible, do bad things, cause mischief and mayhem. Rarely does anything good come from Satan being around. If he is one and the same as Lucifer, expect there to be some sort of plot about him rebelling against God, as according to modern interpretations Lucifer fought against God in battle and was then cast out, falling from grace like lightning. When the Lucifer persona is front and center, raging against the heavens tends to be a big part of his schemes, but when the big red devil persona is out and about, expect temptations to sin, birthing the Antichrist, or tempting people to sell their souls.

Performance: Satan has been portrayed by far too many people over the years to even consider keeping count of, though some notable performances of the character or at least characters who are clearly meant to be Satan include the nuanced anti-villain take of the character Viggo Mortensen portrayed in The Prophecy; the sympathetic homosexual man portrayed by Trey Parker in South Park and its film; the hard-rocking badass Dave Grohl portrayed in Tencaious D’s movie; Robin Hughes as a sneaky, double-crossing bastard in “The Howling Man” episode of The Twilight Zone; the big red devil from Legend known as Darkness, played by Tim Curry; the shapeshifting angel named Satan from The Adventures of Mark Train who will make you crap your pants; and while not portrayed by anyone due to being entirely voiceless, Chernabog from Disney’s Fantasia is definitely noteworthy in regards to cinematic depictions of the devil.

Final Thoughts & Score: Satan is a villain whose sheer scope dwarfs almost every other villain in history. It’s not even remotely close, either; Satan pops up in stories all around the world, is the greater-scope villain of most varieties of three major religions, and his very name is shorthand for “really, really evil.” Every other villain I have ever discussed and reviewed wishes they could be a byword for being bad to the bone. Even Dracula, one of the single most important villains in fiction, looks puny in comparison to Satans villainous accomplishments.

Satan in old religious texts tended to be an utterly horrifying force of nature, until Medieval times began portray him as a dopey demon trying to tempt the faithful (and failing). Folklore and media have gone back and forth, portraying both in equal measure – you have the desperate, fiddle-playing devil from “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the unseen, unfathomable Satan who may or may not exist in the Marvel comics universe who other demons live in fear of the return of. Satan is just a very interesting and malleable antagonist, one who is defined just enough that he can make a massive, formidable force while still being enough of a blank slate that you can project any sort of personality traits onto him to build an intriguing foe.

One of the most famous examples of this in action is the common depiction of Satan as the king of hell. This doesn’t really have much basis in religion; he’s as much a prisoner as anyone else, though considering how impressive a prisoner he is, he’d be like the big guy at the top of the pecking order in any jail for sure. But still, the idea of Satan as the ruler of hell was clearly conceived by someone and proved such an intriguing concept that so many decided to run with it.

I think that’s what truly makes Satan such an interesting villain, in that he’s almost a community-built antagonist. People over the ages have added so much lore, personality, and power to him that is only vaguely alluded to in old religions to the point where they have all become commonplace in depictions of the big guy, and there really isn’t any other villain to have quite this magnitude on culture as a whole. It shouldn’t be any shock that Satan is an 11/10; rating him any lower would be a heinous crime only he is capable of.

But see, the true sign of how amazing he is is the sheer number of ways one can interpret him. You have versions that are just vague embodiments of all that is bad and unholy, such as Chernabog from Fantasia, you have more nuanced portrayals like the one Viggo Mortensen played in The Prophecy, you have outright sympathetic ones like the one from South Park… Satan is just a villain who can be reshaped and reworked as a creator sees fit and molded into something that fits the narrative they want. I guess what I’m trying to say is that not only is Lucifer/Satan one of the greatest villains of all, he’s also one of the single greatest characters of all time.

Now, there are far too many depictions of Satan for me to have seen them all, but I have seen quite a lot. Here’s how Old Scratch has fared over the millennia in media of various forms, though keep in mind this is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive lsit:

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” Devil:

I think this is one of my favorite devils in any fiction ever, simply because of what a good sport he is. Like, there is really no denying that Johnny’s stupid little fiddle ditty about chickens or whatever sucks major ass, and yet Satan (who had moments before summoned up demonic hordes to rip out some Doom-esque metal for the contest) gave him the win and the golden fiddle. What a gracious guy! He’s a 9/10 for sure, though I still wish we knew how his rematch ended…

Chernabog:

Chernabog technically doesn’t do anything evil, and he never says a word, and yet everything about him is framed as inherently sinister. It’s really no wonder Chernabog has become one of the most famous and beloved parts of Fantasia alongside Yen Sid and Sorcerer Mickey; he’s infinitely memorable, and really, how can he not be? He’s the devil in a Disney film, not played for laughs and instead made as nightmarishly terrifying as an ancient demon god should be. Everything about him oozes style, and every movement and gesture begets a personality that goes beyond words. Chernabog doesn’t need to speak to tell you that he is evil incarnate; you just know, on sight, that he is up to no good.

Quite frankly, the implications of Chernabog’s existence in the Disney canon are rather terrifying. Is he the one Maleficent called upon for power? Is he the one all the villains answer to? Do you think Frollo saw him after God smote him? And what exactly did he gain by attacking Sora at the end of Kingdom Hearts? All I know for sure is that Chernabog is a 10/10.

Lucifer (The Prophecy):

Viggo Mortensen has limited screentime, but in that time he manages to be incredibly creepy, misanthropic… and yet, also, on the side of good. Of course, he’s doing it entirely for self-serving reasons (he wants humanity around so he can make them suffer), but credit where credit is due. The man manages to steal a scene from under Christopher Walken, I think that’s worth a 10/10.

Satan (South Park):

Portraying Satan as a sympathetic gay man was a pretty bold choice, and while he certainly does fall into some stereotypes, he’s not really painted as bad or morally wrong for being gay, and ends up more often than not being a good (if sometimes misguided) guy who just wants to live his life. Plus he gets a pretty sweet villain song, though technically it’s more of an “I want” song than anything. Ah well, a solid 8/10 for him is good.

Satan (Tenacious D):

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It’s Dave Grohl as Satan competing in a rock-off against JB and KG. Literally everything about this is perfect, even if he’s only in the one scene. 10/10 for sure.

Robot Devil:

Futurama’s take on the devil is pretty hilarious and hammy, but then Futurama was always pretty on point. He’s a solid 8/10, because much like South Park’s devil he gets a fun little villain song with a guest apearance by the Beastie Boys, not to mention his numerous scams like when he stole Fry’s hands. He’s just a fun, hilarious asshole.

The Howling Man:

The Twilight Zone has many iconic episodes, and this one is absolutely one of them. While the devil is the big twist, that scene of him transforming as he walks between the pillars is absolutely iconic, and was even used by real-life villain Kevin Spacey in the big reveal of The Usual Suspects. This one is a 9/10 for sure, especially given the ending that implies this will all happen again (as per usual with the show).

The Darkness:

While he’s more devil-adjacent than anything and is more likely to be the son of Satan rather than the actual man himself, it’s hard not to give a shout-out to the big, buff demon played by Tim Curry in some of the most fantastic prosthetics and makeup you will ever see. He gets a 9/10 for the design alone, the facty he’s Tim Curry is icing on the cake.

#Psycho Analysis #Satan #Lucifer

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inkatheart-fandom · 4 years ago

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Ranty Plot #003

Oooh look, it’s my favorite fandom. I know, not many people are into HTTYD stuff and see it as weird. I don’t care, here we go.

Fandom: How To Train Your Dragon - Race To The Edge

Ship(s): Viggo/Hiccup, Hiccup/Astrid

Tags: Rarepair, uncommon ship, ‘dark ship’, somewhat unhappy ending, villain to ally, enemies to lovers, age gap, pining, violence

So this takes place directly at the end of Triple Cross, with a slight deviation:

Figuring himself for dead anyway, Viggo admits to Hiccup that he had never poisoned Toothless. That he'd just needed Hiccup to work with him. Hiccup looks to the Skrill, then to Toothless, and finally to the arrows in Viggo's back. Viggo tells Hiccup that he'll hold the hunters off for as long as he can. Hiccup asks him why, why he was doing all of this, and Viggo admits his deep admiration for Hiccup and the Riders. That he wishes he could do better, but doesn't have the time. As he goes out to face the hunters so that Hiccup can escape, Hiccup refuses. He grabs Viggo and pulls him onto Toothless, and the four of them make their harrowing escape out of the cave. Viggo, however, is in bad shape. He knows he's dying, but he silently admires Hiccup for thinking he's worth saving. For thinking he's worth something at all. The one person in the world he wanted had turned those caring eyes on him, even after all of the horrible things he'd done. He tells Hiccup his final goodbye before he feels the last vestiges of his energy give out and he falls from Toothless's back. He's saved by the Skrill before he hits the water.

Viggo is surprised when he wakes up. He has been bandaged, and taken somewhere that feels safe. Familiar, even with the gray storm hanging overhead. When he looks around he and Fishlegs spot each other at the same time, and Fishlegs informs Viggo that he's been ordered not to let Viggo go unsupervised. It's not surprising though. Fishlegs has Meatlug go get Hiccup. While she's gone, the two discuss what happened between Viggo's fall and now. Viggo hears the scream of the Skrill somewhere on the island, and learns that it had come with Hiccup back to the Edge and has been hovering around making everyone nervous. Hiccup returns and relieves Fishlegs of his post, then tentatively takes a seat next to Viggo's bedside. When questioned about why he would save the life of his enemy, Hiccup explains that if someone like Dagur the Deranged could change for the better, then anything was possible. He hadn't hurt Toothless, and he'd formed a bond with the Skrill of all dragons. He goes on to say that if Viggo was telling the truth before, about wanting to do better, then Hiccup would give him the chance. But if he double crossed Hiccup again, there would be no redemption. Viggo wholly understands that, and gives him a sincere thank you.

It isn't long before the Skrill becomes a problem. It makes all the dragons nervous, and has a storm constantly hovering overhead. It comes to a head when a lightning strike sets one of the huts on fire (again). Hiccup and the Riders come together to discuss what to do about moving the Skrill, and Viggo listens from the outside. He makes the decision to go see if he can calm the Skrill himself. Viggo, still injured and completely unarmored, makes his way into the forest to find the Skrill. He finds the beast and seems prepared to be mauled, only to find that the Skrill calms when he sees Viggo. Viggo is able to approach the dragon and pet his head, further calming the beast. Viggo finds himself amazed at the intelligence and strength he finds behind those eyes, the power beneath his hand. With a dragon like this, a man could take control of the Archipelego with ease. He's forced so sit, weak and winded from his injuries. This is how Hiccup and the Riders find him, with the Skrill's head in his lap and the storm overhead finally calming. Hiccup explains that whatever happened, the Skrill must have formed a bond with Viggo. After a long moment of contemplation, Viggo decides on a name: Talon.

Viggo tries to help around the Edge, but none of the Riders trust him with any task. Only Hiccup seems willing to put up with his company, but everyone seems to want Hiccup's attention all the time, and further, the Riders are territorial of Viggo near Hiccup. It's understandable. When he isn't with Hiccup, he's being watched by one of the other Riders. Attempts at conversation are met with either ridicule or suspiscion. Bored and feelingly uncharacteristically lonely, Viggo falls asleep in the stables one night with Talon. He wakes to find Hiccup watching him. He asks after Viggo's injuries, then sits down with Viggo. He explains that he understands how painful it is to have nobody like or trust him. Viggo trades, explaining that he grew up the runt of his family as well, but he didn't get a Nightfury to change his life. He talks about how he had to prove himself to a viking family, how he was mocked for never being strong enough to slay a dragon without trickery. It led to him blaming dragons for his shortcomings. They stay up talking, and Hiccup falls asleep against Viggo's shoulder.

Viggo understands why he isn't trusted by the Riders. As the weeks go on, when his injuries have healed and Fishlegs deems him recovered, the Riders make the demand that Viggo leaves. Hiccup tries to levy for Viggo, because with Viggo's skill with tactics and the raw power of a Skrill on their side, it would be a huge advantage against Johann and Krogan. Their discussion is interrupted then dragon flyers attack the Edge, everyone goes out to fight. Viggo hopes that this could be his chance to prove himself. Without a saddle, he can't ride Talon without being killed, but he knows the other Riders can control their dragons off the saddle, so perhaps he can too. He tries to control Talon from the Edge, but the two are uncoordinated and don't understand how to give or take orders. A Singetail lobs a fireball at Viggo, Talon intercepts and in his rage, lets loose a powerful lightning blast. An errant bolt hits Viggo and sends him toppling off the ledge. Hiccup and Toothless save him.

Viggo wakes up in what he's come to accept, lately, as 'his' bed. For the first time since he'd been at the Edge, he's alone. After a moment he quickly recalls the events before he was struck and jumps to go find what happened. He finds Hiccup at the blacksmith, working along on a new project. He has the blueprints and the starting leathers for a new saddle. Viggo's saddle. After querying, Hiccup admits that he was impressed by Viggo's attempt to help. The Skrill, though, is a dragon that can't be handled like most others. They'll need to find a way to keep Talon's lightning from hitting Viggo. Together, the two work on the plans. Fishlegs and Snotlout appear to voice their disapproval of giving Viggo a saddle. In the end, the saddle has to have a rubber base, and Viggo's armor has to be given a similar treatment. Getting to work alongside Hiccup, though, is thrilling. Viggo gets to see, firsthand, how Hiccup's mind works and solves problems. In the end, even Fishlegs has started to help out. Once finished, Hiccup announces that tomorrow, they'll begin Viggo's training.

Viggo stumbles onto a meeting of the Riders where everyone seems to be ganging up on Hiccup, calling him insane for giving Viggo the ability to ride the Skrill of all dragons. Hiccup coming to Viggo's defense, especially when Viggo isn't there, touches Viggo in a way he doesn't want to admit. He wants nothing more than to claim Hiccup for his own, to have that ferocity and loyalty all to himself. But to do that would mean hurting Hiccup, would mean revealing himself as the monster that Hiccup is trying to insist that he isn't. He goes to find Talon and contemplates leaving; he'll never be trusted by the Riders and he could save Hiccup a lot of stress if it left. But leaving would be the cowards way out, and he knows he can be useful to Hiccup and his mission. He resolves that he's going to prove to Hiccup (and the others) that he can be trusted. And maybe, somewhere in his heart, he hopes that Hiccup might look at him with the kind of reverence he looks at Astrid or dragons.

Their first riding lesson is rocky. All of the Riders insist on being there, and get in Viggo's way and make things more difficult. Talon is hard enough to control, as it getting Hiccup's lesson through. It's not about controlling Talon, it has to be about trusting and working with him. Hiccup's constant encouragement, though, does get through. He ends the first lesson sore and a little humiliated. Hiccup comes to his hut that night and gives Viggo encouragement, he thinks the man did well despite the trouble the other Riders gave them. Viggo is nearly overwhelmed by the desire to touch or kiss Hiccup, being so close to the man, all alone. He resists, though only just. Hiccup tells Viggo meet him before dawn at the stables. They're going to go to a more private training area where the other Riders won't come barging in. When Viggo lays down that night, he can't help but touch himself to the thoughts of Hiccup. He should be thinking about training, about the thrill of flying with Talon, but all he can think about is Hiccup, and how badly he wants to claim him. He finishes himself, and falls asleep feeling a little guilty.

Viggo meets Hiccup as promised. They fly to a nearby island with the hopes of not being distrurbed. This lesson goes much smoother, and by the end of the day he feels confident on Talon. A few days later, their next lesson begins, trust exercises with him and Talon. Then a little more advanced, with verbal commands. Then hand signs. Hiccup seems genuinely impressed at how quickly Viggo and Talon are progressing, and determines the two of them to be a great match. Viggo goes to bed each night with thoughts of Hiccup, mental retellings of the day wherein Viggo gets to touch or kiss Hiccup, and it's slowly driving him crazy. Soon enough, Hiccup and Viggo are practicing much more advanced maneuvers, and in one case, Viggo manages to knock Hiccup off Toothless and pin him to the ground. It's a tight, tense moment where Viggo has Hiccup beneath him, both of them staring into one anothers eyes (eye). Viggo is a breath away from a kiss and Hiccup doesn't seem like he's going to stop him when Toothless intervenes to save his Rider. Both men are a little dazed and off balance. Just as Hiccup is about to call it a day though, Viggo grabs his wrist and yanks him in for a kiss. He isn't at all surprised when Hiccup pulls away and flies off without a word.

Their training lessons stop, though Viggo knows it's as much because he's competant on his dragon as it is for what he did to Hiccup. Hiccup seems more subdued around him, and Viggo finds himself worried that Hiccup would never look at him the same way. He'd made a grave mistake. When the Riders discuss Krogan's supply of Singetails, Viggo helps them determine the correct location. He hadn't been a direct part of Krogan's dragon capturing, his job had been to figure out the Dragon Eye and its lenses. Hiccup, though, decides that this will be Viggo's first mission with the Riders, despite everyone's complaint. They fly to Singetail island and find the Deathsong. As they discuss battle tactics, Viggo makes his suggestion. Krogan's men expect the Riders, but they don't expect Viggo and Talon. The other Riders agree, only because Viggo will be hanging back and out of the fight until a more opportune moment. Hiccup seems reluctant to agree, but he does. Sure enough, when the hunters have Hiccup and the others pinned down, it gives Viggo the perfect opening to strike from behind. With the success of the mission, and both Deathsongs freed, Hiccup gives Viggo that proud look that makes his heart do funny things. The Riders still seem reluctant, but not outright hostile.

That night, back at the Edge, Hiccup finds Viggo in his hut. He has a box in his arms and he sets it out on the table. It's revealed to be a Maces and Talons board and Viggo recognizes the peace offering for what it is. They settle down to play a round as they talk. Hiccup was impressed by Viggo's plan, it worked well. Viggo admits that it's difficult knowing that he'll never be fully trusted, that Hiccup will always have a small part of himself that will doubt Viggo's new alliance. Hiccup, however, surprises him. He admits that if he could trust Dagur the Deranged as wholly as he does now, after everything the man did, then it's possible for Viggo to be the same in the future. It won't happen overnight, but slowly the doubts will ease away. Viggo can never wash all of the blood from his hands, and he knows that no matter how many good deeds he does, he's destined for Hel for the sins of his past. Hiccup doesn't seem so sure, and it's that naive optimism that melts some of the ice from Viggo's heart. He admits out loud that once upon a time he wanted to crush that optimism, to make Hiccup as cynical and dark as Viggo. When Hiccup queries about now, though, Viggo admits he wants to protect it. He wants to give Hiccup a reason to be optimistic about the world and about him. The game ends in a draw, but neither man makes to move. Hiccup inquires about the kiss. Viggo admits his absolute admiration for Hiccup, and how badly he's wanted to do that since the two of them met. Hiccup stands, but instead of leaving he comes around the table and pulls Viggo into a kiss that's curious and uncertain. Viggo is more than happy to return it, and when the kiss gets more heated, he pulls Hiccup into his lap. They grind against each other until they both finish, and Hiccup leaves shortly after, confused and dazed.

A few days of quiet pass. Viggo has been entrusted with patrol routes since his successful mission at Singetail island. He's happy enough to be given the responsibility - perhaps it was as Hiccup said. He could earn trust slowly over time, prove that he was their ally. When he spots another Dragon Rider he halts Talon from immediately attacking - it's not a Singetail so chances are it's an ally. It's Dagur and Mala, but when they see who's on the back of the Skrill, they attack. Viggo tries only to defend himself, but Mala lunges and knocks him from Talon's back. He yells for Talon to put up an SOS as the fight is taken to the ground, and he barely manages to keep the furious woman from killing him. Between Mala and Dagur, by the tim Hiccup arrives Viggo is injured and barely able to keep Talon from trying to kill. Hiccup arrives with the other Riders and Viggo goes to calm his dragon. Hiccup struggles to convince Mala that Viggo is no longer their enemy, and when Mala looks to the other Riders and finds that they're still somewhat skeptical, she remains unconvinced. He tries to get everyone back to the Edge. Later, he tends to Viggo's wounds in his hut and admits that he's relieved and even proud that Viggo had refused to hurt Mala or Dagur. They kiss, and Viggo pulls Hiccup into the bed this time. They get a little further, but still end up not touching one another below the waist. Hiccup leaves, and Viggo decides that his injuries were well worth it if it got Hiccup in his room.

Hiccup summons a summit of his Berk, the Berserkers, the Defenders of the Wing, and the Wingmaidens. He wants to talk strategy for Johann and Krogan, and he also wants his allies to understand that Viggo is indeed on their side. The summit devolves into an angry mob, nobody wanting to trust Viggo, which he understands is for good reason. Not even Hiccup can keep up with the fury around him. It gets even worse when a terror mail arrives and reveals that Defenders of the Wing island is under assault by Flyers. Everyone immediately turns on Hiccup and accuses him of treason, leading them away from their homes while Krogan and his men attack. Viggo breaks in and states that the mail is a ruse, that Krogan and Johann sent it to divert the attention of the Riders away from their real assault, they're going for the lenses at Wingmaiden island. Hiccup struggles with a decision, everyone in arms, and orders half of his people to Wingmaiden, and half to Defenders. He then asks Viggo to stay behind and watch the Edge. He does so, but he can't help but worry about Hiccup. When Hiccup and the others return, Viggo finds out that he was right. Krogan and his flyers attacked Wingmaiden island, and with the Riders split up, Krogan and Johann got away with the lenses. Hiccup is injured, but as much as Viggo wants to help him, the other Riders don't let him close enough to do so. So Viggo makes a reckless decision. While everyone is tending to Hiccup, he saddles up Talon and takes off into the night.

He knows it's paramount to a suicide mission. He doesn't have time to set up a trap for Johann and Krogan, so all he can hope is that letting Talon attack at full power will be enough. He gets to the island where Johann and Krogan are based and, using some clever tactics and Talon's full strength, does significant damage to the enemy forces. He separates from Talon so that he can go after the lenses, and comes face-to-face with both Johann and Krogan. The battle is hard fought, but he manages to get the lenses and get away, though very badly injured.

By the time he returns to the Edge, everyone had been looking for him. They're all shocked when Viggo returns with all of the lenses, and all but collapses. When he awakens, covered in bandages, Hiccup is there immediately to scold him for being so reckless and idiotic. Viggo is shocked when Hiccup starts crying because Viggo was very nearly dead, and he realizes how much he'd made Hiccup worry. Viggo pulls Hiccup down to hold him, and after the younger has calmed he finally thanks Viggo for retrieving the lenses. The next day, when he comes face to face with the other Riders, he finds that he's being regarded with much more respect. Hiccup had been right all along. It was possible to be trusted given enough time and good will. That night, though, when he goes to find Hiccup, he finds the younger talking with Astrid about their future. Viggo knows he wants Hiccup all to himself, but at the same time he knows he wants Hiccup happy, in the end. He retreats to his room.

When Stoik is attacked, everyone goes to Berk to help defend it. Viggo struggles upon seeing Hiccup so broken up about possibly losing his father. He's surprised when, late one night, Hiccup seeks him out and all but throws himself at Viggo, begging the man to give him something else to think about. Hiccup is suffering, and Viggo wants to help - Hiccup is handing himself over and this could be his only chance. In the end, Viggo takes Hiccup to his bed and pleasures him until he falls asleep. He gets the opportunity to run his fingers through Hiccup's hair and enjoy the feel of him, but leaves before morning so nobody finds them in a compromising position. When Heather shows up with news about Vanaheim, Hiccup struggles once more with what to do. Viggo offers to stay behind and defend Berk so Hiccup can go. Both Hiccup and Viggo are surprised when the other Riders seem to agree with the idea.

When the Riders return, successful, they also have the final Dragon Eye lense they need. It's off to Dramilion island to head off Johann and Krogan. Hiccup makes a quick plan as they find Krogan and Johann already there. Knowing Talon's full power now, Viggo agrees to assault the ships. Hiccup is shot down into the sea by a Flyer, and Astrid jumps to save Hiccup. Viggo goes for Toothless. With everyone still struggling with the battle, the Dramilion is captured and Viggo tells Hiccup something he knows the other won't want to hear. If they want to keep the King of Dragons out of Johann's hands, Viggo can kill it. Hiccup is enraged by the idea, and in his anger says that Viggo hasn't changed at all. It's a slap to the face, but Viggo knew it wouldn't be met favorably. He just tells Hiccup that they have to be prepared for the concequences of Johann having the dragon.

They find the Dramilion, abandoned and dying, and take him back to the Defenders of the Wing. Mala orders Viggo to be bound, and Hiccup, still upset it seems, doesn't stop it. Viggo doesn't fight it. While Mala and the others are trying to save the Dramilion, Hiccup goes to Viggo and apologizes. What he'd said wasn't fair, but Viggo has to understand that killing dragons is never the answer, no matter how dire the circumstances. He lets Viggo free, and Viggo takes the opportunity to steal a kiss. Shortly after, they find out that the Dramilion isn't the King of Dragons, and race for Berserker island.

The final battle begins. Hiccup needs to get beneath the island and leaves Astrid and Viggo in charge of commanding their forces. Viggo goes for the ships while Astrid takes the Flyers. Krogan moves to stop Viggo, and as the two fight, Viggo gets an opportunity to take out Krogan and his dragon - he knows that the dragon won't leave if he just takes Krogan from its back. But remembering what Hiccup had told him, not wanting to disappoint the man again, he refuses to take the shot and gets shot down because of it. Talon can't fly, and Krogan assaults them both from the air. Krogan calls him weak, and when he finally gets to the ground, he and Viggo continue their fight. He drives home that Viggo let his infatuation with a child break him, that he's become weaker, he was always the runt of the hunters, but now that he's lost his ruthlessness he's nothing. Just as Krogan is about to deliver the final blow, Astrid swoops down to the rescue. Viggo is surprised, but the woman helps him to his feet and reminds him the Riders look out for each other. The roar of the Dragon King turns all the Flyers' dragons against their riders, and the tide of the battle quickly changes. They are victorious.

When they return to the Edge, for as much as Viggo wants to celebrate with Hiccup, to finally and fully claim the younger for his own...he finds Hiccup and Astrid already embraced. He realizes then that if he pushed himself to Hiccup, he would be forcing the other to choose between a life with his best friend and lover, or the man whom the world barely trusted. So, that night he pens Hiccup one final letter and leaves it in his Maces and Talons box, then takes Talon and leaves for good.

#HTTYD #Vigcup #Viggo #Hiccup #My Writing #Rant Plot

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reallyprofoundkryptonite · 4 years ago

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The end of RTTE where it shows Krogan and Drago is quite the info dump on Krogan’s Character.

Why?

Well, Krogan seems so strong and brutal all through his screen time, but at the end, when he’s at Drago’s feet- he’s scared. Terrified, even.

That face- that one facial expression says it all. He doesn’t even have to speak to show he’s terrified.

And look at the way Krogan tames and dare I say trains dragons. Yes, his methods are a bit harsher than Hiccup’s, but his dragon truly cares for him- why else would she willingly come to his aid- to help him or catch him when he’s falling. And the series states that you can’t make a dragon help you by being cruel to them.

He had fish- the Singetail’s favorite fish, mind you- something they probably wouldn’t get very often in the wild- on hand to help train them, and for some reason, the fact that he cares about the dragons enough that his actually helps him, makes think about- what if Krogan would attend to the hatchlings in the hatchery when they were breeding them?

That would honestly be so cute to think about.

On long nights, or when he’s just too tired to go back to his room, he’d sleep in the stables with his dragon.

He could even be considered one of the pack, if the big red baby decided to take him in.

What I’m trying to get at, is that Krogan seems like much more of a dragon/animal person than a people person. In fact, it seems like he hates people with a burning passion- because of people like Drago, who have most likely used him, abused him, and then threw him away when he was considered worthless- like he was a weapon that simply got too dull to sharpen anymore.

Krogan is also, noticeably, quite honest and sincere. Even though he may seem to be like any of the other villains, he doesn’t like to tell lies like the others. It’s from conditioning. He’s been beaten every time he’s lied probably, so he fears lying will get him in trouble or punished.

His temper is another thing. He’s easy to make angry, but it would seem that he’s always tense, always on edge. His first few interactions with Viggo show that he’s desperately trying to keep his temper in check, but after a while, he just starts lashing out. Especially when he feels like he’s being cornered or being threatened. Like when Viggo threatens him with telling Drago about his failures, Krogan hesitates- he’s scared, again- and then, he lashes out in retaliation to that. It’s a simple fight or flight response, and he chose to fight.

What if Krogan wanted desperately to escape from Drago’s clutches- be a free man- but he was too scared, and he didn’t know how, because he thought he’d came off as too cold or too egotistical to Hiccup, and therefore ruined his chances at living a free life, and at actually being a human, and not a weapon.

With the threat of Drago looming over his head, maybe he was just driven too far back into his cold, cruel outer shell to open up and actually speak up or to cry for help.

He doesn’t know who to trust, and he doesn’t know what to do.

All of these came from me simply paying attention to just him, and making inferences. Maybe I’m looking a little bit too deep into this, and I’m probably just going to be screaming into the void that is Tumblr, but I’m going to tag a few people that I can think of off the top of my head (not many) to see what they think about these theories too! I like discussing things like this, and I, myself, like looking into people’s mental states.

I’m honestly thinking of going into psychology in college later, so I think it’s fun doing basic research on these topics so I have a little extra knowledge on the subjects beforehand. Mostly because I have generalized anxiety/depression (although I’m not medically diagnosed because my mom won’t get me tested, and I don’t have a car yet to do it myself), ADHD and like asberger’s (I think that’s how you spell it :/).

I am also going to use a new tag for my rambles so I hope you don’t mind.

Anyways that’s enough of my rambling, here we go-

@evilwriter37 (don’t know if you’re feeling up to this today but I love hearing your responses to things like this)

#the cats rambles #httyd #krogan #httyd rtte #krogan rtte #rtte #krogan httyd #httyd fandom #my writing #psycology #character study

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creepykingdom · 5 years ago

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Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2019 Review

By Grant Duval

Every year, and fortunately for us horror fans, earlier every year, Orlando is treated to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Every year it seems to outdo itself, and this year was no exception. This is a welcome change of pace from other Halloween celebrations in the area which seem to be the same thing every year. Every house this year was different and exciting from previous years. Even the one haunt that had been done last year was a complete change. Also, this whole event was themed to the 1980's, which I absolutely love as a child of the 80's. Unfortunately, these haunts don't allow photography, so I wasn't able to get nearly as many photos as I would have liked, but trust me, these houses are all intricately decorated and most are worth your time.

I'd like to preface this with the fact that I bought the front of line pass for an additional $80. This allows front of the line access to all mazes, but there is a line for front of the line, and you can expect to wait at least 10 minutes with the front of the line versus the hour plus waits that were occurring. You also get front of the line access to many rides. There are also 2 shows. With this pass we were able to get to one show, two rides, and all 10 mazes with only 30 minutes less. This is a testament to how invaluable this pass is, as I would have never made my way to all the mazes had I not bought this. I suppose the easiest way for me to do this is to go through each item one by one and give my thoughts.

Stranger Things was the most popular haunt of the night, and for good reason. This maze went through each season and brought to life the greatest moments of the whole series. The set design, especially in the upside-down, was top notch. This also felt like the longest of all the mazes. The characters were all cast well and it was great seeing them all battle the forces of darkness. Side note, at Voodoo Donuts you can purchase a delicious Stranger Things donut before entering the park to really set the mood. Also, there is an extremely large animatronic you must walk under to escape which is very convincing. The scare level was a medium or so, but the set design was amazing. 9 out of 10.

Us was the next maze of the night. I was never a fan of the movie as I felt that the trailers gave away everything. My mom, who was my traveling companion, had never seen it. This was one of her favorite mazes of the night. Entering through the funhouse in the movie sets everyone up for being chased by the doppelgängers and their scissors from the Jordan Peele movie. The lab scene with all of the rabbits was neat, and the exit which involved going through a bunch of mannequins mixed with scare actors was a great touch. The big problem though is that you really have to be acquainted with the movie in order to fully understand what was going on. My mom had lots of questions, and as I only saw the movie once when it came out, I didn't remember everything. Scares are high in this one. 7 out of 10.

Universal Monsters exists almost as preparation for the highly rumored land in Universal's Epic Universe park which is being built. Characters from classic horror movies, such as Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, Bride of Frankenstein, and the Mummy reside here. Strangely there was a part with Quasimodo, and that felt unnecessary as the whole point of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not to be scared of him (actually, that was the point of Frankenstein as well). The sets were nice, but it felt kind of disjointed as we went from one character to another with no real transition. This maze also felt short. Scares were medium level but the high quality of the sets made up for it. 6 out of 10.

Ghostbusters was easily the most hyped of all of the mazes. This maze featured all of your favorite characters from the original Ghostbusters movie, and the sets were so realistic it felt like we were in the middle of it. The haunt follows the same path as the movie, from the library to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man battle. The character actors looked just like the original actors. Every last detail was perfect. The Slimer puppet that came out in a few scenes was a nice touch, as were the Zool puppets that stalked us. Overall, I wanted to remain inside as long as possible but was disappointed that Ghostbusters 2 was ignored as I do love Viggo the Carpathian. The scare factor is low, in fact this would be a great first haunt for those who are unsure if they would like this. This one gets a 10 out of 10 though from scratching my nostalgia itch.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space was hands down the most fun maze. This movie was a staple of my childhood as I used to watch it weekly. This is another maze that moved scene by scene and took us into the alien Klown world. All of my favorite Klowns from the movie were in there, as were the characters. The soundtrack of the movie, which by the way is KILLER, blasts through the whole maze. This was my absolute favorite haunt and I may return just to do this one a few more times. The scare factor is medium, but this is more of a funny house than scary house. 10 out of 10.

House of 1000 corpses was my most hated house of the night. I could never get into the movie series, and I understand that there are many people who absolutely love it. The maze felt short, the set design felt the weakest, and strangely, it was in the same spot as my most hated house 2 years ago, which was the Horrors of Blumhouse maze. Maybe the spot is cursed. It had that awful haunted house smoke smell. Also the characters weren't really too scary and the spots where they were coming to scare us at were obvious. I didn't jump once. Granted, as a person who is not a fan of the movie, I am likely not the best one to review this one. Scare factor was low (but the gross out factor was high). 3 out of 10 (but likely someone who was a fan will love this).

Depths of Fear is another original house. I find that Universal does great things with original houses and this one is no exception. The gimmick of this one is that we are on a submarine about to detonate with creatures inside and we have to find our way out. This one has a constant loud beeping which gradually gets faster and faster adding to the tension. This reminded me of the movie Leviathan. The set design was purposefully claustrophobic and the fear level was intense. The only problem was that the creatures themselves weren't too scary. The scare factor would be a medium. 7 out of 10 for great set design, but way too short.

Graveyard Games wins the award for most boring idea. Teens enter a graveyard and vandalize it causing the spirits and zombies to rise to wreak havoc upon the vandals. There was a social media aspect as the teenagers have been sending videos of this to their friends. The sets were amazing which made up for the pretty played out idea of zombies. The scares were good and the effects were good, which elevated this maze beyond what I thought would be the worst maze of the night. This maze is intense and is a joy to walk around. The biggest problem is that the maze was really short. 8 out of 10.

Nightingales Blood Pit was the most original idea. I didn't know how a gladiator themed haunt would work, and boy does it ever. Dismembered limbs, animatronic lions, and buckets of blood make this one of the true masterpieces of the whole event. This felt like I was walking in an actual gladiator coliseum and couldn't get enough of it. This is a bloody good time and the scare factor is huge. 10 out of 10.

Yeti: Terror of the Yukon, is by far the best themed and scariest house of the entire event. You enter through a snowstorm and enter a very realistic cabin. You wind your way in and out of it and the temperature is kept at a very cold level to really sell the idea. The yeti itself is absolutely terrifying. My mom claims to have never screamed so much in her life. Exiting the cabin you enter a forest and it felt like I was walking through the ET adventure queue. The scares come from above as well which really intensified the whole experience. Hands down my mom's favorite as well as my second favorite maze (but likely my favorite if I removed my nostalgia). Yeti is long, intense, and takes no prisoners. Scare level extremely high, set design extremely high. 10 out of 10.

Completing the mazes I need to talk about the scare zones. The scare zones were the weakest aspect of the whole event and they felt shorter than prior years. The Vikings Undead area had some cool costuming and viking tools. The only problem was that it was too foggy to really see anything. Zombieland Double Tap didn't connect with me at all. I loved the first movie, but the scares were not there and it seemed like they went a little light on the theming. Rob Zombie's Hellbilly deluxe is one of the two strongest scare zones, but definitely not the one to take kids to, as there are several dancing girls in underwear high above everyone dancing with fire. This is also a very loud area as Rob's music is blasting. The scare actors were also some of the best in park. The Anarch-ade, themed to 1980's arcades, was the weakest of all scare zones. The arcade machines themselves were nicely done, but the area was so small that it was hard to get a feel for it. This is also the scare zone you first enter into, which sets everyone up for the 80's theme. The best one though was the Vanity Ball area, which also happened to be the longest of all the scare zones. This area was themed to fashion shows with a ghoulish twist. The scare actors were incredibly disturbing looking, and the fashion show was fun to watch. I could have spent an hour here.

I sadly didn't have time to see the Academy of Villains: Altered States Show, which is dance and fire based from what I understand. What I did see was the Marathon of Mayhem show, which is a water projection show with projection mapping on the buildings behind it. This is much better than their normal night show, and hearing all of the songs such as Killer Klowns and Ghostbuster blasted loudly was incredible. I cannot explain how amazing this show is. The fountains shoot very high, the lasers are neat, and the scenes on multiple screens gave us so much to look at I'm sure I missed a lot. This show is one of the must dos. 10 out of 10.

Overall, the 2019 edition of Halloween Horror Nights is a marvel. I loved it so much I intend on returning! From scary houses, rides with shorter lines, fun drinks, and a killer fountain show, this is truly the best version I've been to.

Creepy factor- 10 out of 10. Come on, did you really think Halloween HORROR Nights would get a lower score than that?

#blogposts #halloween horror nights

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dindadango · 6 years ago

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MY HONEST OPINION

This is what I’m feeling after watching How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World yesterday. It contains many spoilers, so don’t read it if you haven’t watch it. Also, this is just my opinion. Don’t judge me.

First of all, I’m very disappointed in this movie. Don’t get me wrong, I like it but it wasn’t as epic as I thought it would be. Maybe because the two previous movies were really good and surprised me in many ways, so I thought the final one will be even more epic. But I was wrong. It’s the weakest of the trilogy, and I feel like it didn’t live up to its standards.

I don’t even know the main focus to this final movie. It should be about “Hiccup letting Toothless go” right? But I don’t really feel the emotion, because they aren’t many scenes that involve the two of them together. I know the previous movies already show us so many Hiccup-Toothless moments, but is it too much to ask if I want just 5 minutes of Hiccup-Toothless moment without anyone interrupting them? I mean you have to show and remind the audience of their close bond before breaking them, right? And sadly, they aren’t any scene like that. It’s always Hiccup and Toothless and other characters.

I feel like this movie is about Hiccup-Astrid and Toothless-Light Fury rather than Hiccup-Toothless itself. I don’t know why but they seem distant to each other, and focusing more on their romantic partner rather than “the best friend bond” that they have. I didn’t say there shouldn’t be romance, it’s okay to have romance because I believe every movie have their own romance plot, but not every movie should focus on it. I mean, this is a story about “a boy and his dragon”, right? The main focus should be about “best friend”, right? I fell in love with How to Train Your Dragon because of Hiccup and Toothless’ bond, not Hiccup and Astrid. So, for god sake, please focus more on them!

Light Fury. I love her and I hate her. I love her design and the way she disappears, it was amazing. The animators were doing a great job animating her. But I hate her because she’s one of the reason Toothless leaves Hiccup. She was also kinda clingy to Toothless, I think. And wherever she asked Toothless to follow her, he will accept her right away. Toothless have you forgotten about your boy, Hiccup?

At the beginning, it didn’t start like the way it used to. No “This is Berk” narration until a few minutes after the movie begins. I guess they wanted to tried new things and give the audience more like “the finale” feel, but I prefer the old ways better.

Grimmel and the villain. Between Drago Bludvist and Grimmel the Grisly, I choose Grimmel as the best villain. Probably because he’s smart, like Viggo Grimborn from Race to the Edge, and I feel like he’s the one for Hiccup. The right enemy I mean. They both pretty smart and tactical. I feel like he could do more, and have more screen time in this movie. For the final battle, it’s good, but I was kinda hoping all of Berk could join the fight. Since it was the last movie, why not have all of Berk fights to defend themselves, not just the dragon riders.

My favorite scene? All scenes that has Stoick in it. I miss Stoick so much, and I always teared up whenever they show Stoick. Also, I’m sorry Hiccup but I think Stoick is a much better chief than you. Why? Because I don’t support Hiccup’s decision to move Berk to the Hidden World. I know how much Hiccup love dragons, but come on... Are you really going to give up everything just so you can live together with dragons in their own world? I mean it’s not just you who lives there, but all of Berk. Have you thought this through? Do you think the dragons will accept humans in their own world? Oh Stoick, if only you didn’t die in the second movie, please look at the dumb decision your son makes.

There are many parts that makes me teared up. One, when Hiccup give Toothless the new tails, and before Toothless can rush out to find the Light Fury, he looks at Hiccup. It was the moment I knew Toothless won’t come back to Hiccup. Two, when Hiccup and Astrid search for Toothless in the Hidden World, and Toothless was roaring to all dragons, Hiccup realize that he has to let him go. This scene broke me so much. The way Hiccup looks at Toothless. I can’t describe it. Three, the goodbye scene. Maybe it’s not as emotional as I thought it would be, but hey if I remember I didn’t like the “Toothless Found” moment in the second movie at first, and now it was my favorite scene. Hiccup’s words were amazing, and I can feel his emotion really well. He’s letting his best friend go. He’s accepting the future without Toothless. It’s hard to watch without crying. But I hate that Toothless was like “Oh you’re letting me go? Ok then.” I don’t know why but the way I see it, Toothless was emotionless in that scene. It almost feels like all he cares about was the Light Fury, not Hiccup. So, I have a mixed feeling in that scene.

Next is the wedding scene. Well, from the beginning of the movie, Gobber talks about how Hiccup should just marry Astrid and live happily ever after running the village. And they also go on and on about marriage until the end. This maybe an unpopular opinion, but I personally think they shouldn’t show us the wedding scene because it’s not important and add nothing to the story. That’s because the scene before the wedding was the one where all of Berk letting go of their dragons, and then cut it to the wedding, and cut it again to the end. So, what’s the point of showing the wedding scene? Why not skip the wedding and show us the Haddock family in the end? After all, we all know Hiccup will marry Astrid sometime in the future without even showing the wedding scene.

Finally, the ending. It wasn’t what I suspected. I thought they were going to be separated from each other for good, but they actually meet again, when they’re older and have kids on their own. It sounds like a fanfiction ending to me. This maybe a very unpopular opinion, but I don’t want Hiccup to see Toothless ever again. I wanted the goodbye to feel more real and emotional, and also because of the popular quote “There were dragons when I was a boy”, I keep convincing myself the dragons were disappear for good. Apparently not. Also, in the flashback scene where Stoick said he’ll find the Hidden World and close it, I thought it was going to be the final conclusion for this movie, with Hiccup being the one who close it. I feel like it’s the right answer for why there aren’t any dragons today. Guess I was hoping to much.

The animation is really good. I really love the part where Hiccup and Astrid went to the Hidden World. It. Was. AWESOME! The music was fine. Tbh I don’t really focus on the music, but it was good. You can really tell you’re watching How to Train Your Dragon from the music arrangement. And last thing, it was good and satisfiying movie. But I feel like they could do better you know, since it was the final movie after all. Anyway, it’s still HTTYD and I like it even if it’s not masterpiece like the two previous film, but hey it’s better to be average than bad, or even worst. Oh yeah, the credits was beautiful tho. Good one, DreamWorks! And thank you for this amazing trilogy.

So, that’s my honest opinion about How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Although I know many people won’t agree with what I said, heck I don’t even know if someone would actually agree with me. But everyone has a right to state their own opinion, and this is mine. So let it go, and accept that people have different opinion.

#httyd3 spoiler

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keanuital · 7 years ago

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John Wick solidified Keanu Reeves as one of the greatest action stars of all time

With A History Of Violence, Tom Breihan picks the most important action movie of every year, starting with the genre’s birth and moving right up to whatever Vin Diesel’s doing this very minute.

John Wick (2014)

In the entire history of American action cinema, there are very, very few movies that take their fight scenes as seriously as John Wick does. Some of the action set pieces in John Wick—the home invasion, the one-man nightclub siege—are straight-up masterpieces, and the movie never lingers long between these exquisitely crafted depictions of mayhem. But my favorite scene in the movie isn’t a fight. It’s the part where Viggo, the movie’s lead Russian gangster, has to tell his son just how badly he’d fucked up. Viggo’s boy, Iosef, has broken into the home of a “fucking nobody.” He’s killed the man’s dog, stolen his car, and left him unconscious. Viggo, played by the late Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, doesn’t mind any of this. He just minds that Iosef did all this to the wrong guy.

Carefully and patiently, Viggo tells Iosef that he and his associates used to call John Wick, that nobody, baba yaga—the bogeyman. And then he continues, “John wasn’t exactly the bogeyman.” Dramatic pause. “He was the one you send to kill the fucking bogeyman.” A moment later, as that sinks in: “I once saw him kill three men in a bar with a pencil. A fucking. Pencil.”

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That scene comes before any of the movie’s fights, and it tells us a whole lot of things we need to know. It tells us that Wick is an absolute avenging angel of death, of course, and it gives us context for the life that he left behind when he fell in love and got married. But that scene also tells us what kind of movie we’re watching. It’s a movie that takes place in its own universe, that leaves behind any notion of realism or naturalism. It tells us that we are watching myths and archetypes, that the movie is going to be a sort of tone-poem homage to history’s great bleak, existentialist action movies. It tells us that directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch know their Melville and their Woo. The first time I watched John Wick, I spent that entire scene cackling with glee. That scene promised a lot, and the movie paid off on it.

I have to imagine that the person who greenlit John Wick thought he’d be getting another Taken clone; 2014 was the era of the Taken clone. A few years earlier, Liam Neeson had revitalized his career by playing a leathery, regretful death-dealer in a cheap, unpretentious B-movie, and other aging movie stars were trying to do the same with theirs. Denzel Washington made The Equalizer. Sean Penn made The Gunman. John Wick, originally titled Scorn, could’ve turned out to be one of those.

Instead, John Wick turned out to be a whole new mold: a sleek, stylish, and deeply silly studio B-movie that takes place in its own fully realized world. And after years of choppy, illegible Hollywood action scenes, it revived the visceral beauty of a well-shot, well-choreographed fight, succeeding in making Keanu Reeves look like an absolutely unstoppable killing machine. These days, people aren’t making their own Takenknockoffs anymore. They’re more likely to make John Wick clones, like Ben Affleck in The Accountant, say, or Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde. That’s a good thing. The John Wick clones have been way better than the Takenclones.

In some ways, John Wick was a very familiar movie. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of quiet, soulful, and well-dressed hitmen pulled back into the killing game by tragedy, forced to eliminate their old bosses. We’ve seen a lot of broken loners going on quests of revenge after seeing their families die. We’ve seen badasses so cold that they take out entire armies of anonymous cannon-fodder types. We’ve seen underworld stories in which the police barely even seem to exist. John Wick is, in a lot of ways, a traditional action movie, one that works very much within the rules and structures of the genre.

But in other ways, John Wick is a strange statement of a movie—one that takes all those tropes and makes them as weird and otherworldly as possible. For one thing, when John Wick goes to war with the Russian mob of New York, he’s not avenging any actual people. Instead, he’s avenging the death of a dog, an adorable puppy gifted to him by his dead wife. Iosef insists, over and over, that it was just a dog, as if this is going to help him in any way. It’s a beautiful little subversion of an old revenge-movie trope. People hate seeing dogs die in movies, so we’re spared the usual Death Wish-style scene of rape and murder. Even the dog dies offscreen. Instead, we get to skip straight to the revenge. And the movie knows it’s absurd for Wick to be killing dozens of people to avenge a dog that he’d only had for, what, a day? But it works on a couple of levels. At one point, Wick says that the dog represented all the hope he had left in the world, telling us that that’s what sent him off on that killing spree. So it’s an effective story device. But it’s also a grand cosmic joke. Because after all, it was just a fucking dog.

Taking this simple and unreal pretense as its starting point, the movie builds an entire world. This is a universe full of hitmen. There are so many, in fact, that they have their own hotel, a place where any actual killing is expressly forbidden. That’s one of the rules of this hitman world that everyone understands. Another is that everyone is supposed to pay for stuff in gold coins. Even the police seem to know what’s going on. At one point, a cop comes to Wick’s door and sees a body lying on the floor behind him. His response: “You, uh, working again?” Wick: “No, just sorting some stuff out.” That’s good enough for the cop, who backs right out. John Wick: Chapter Two, the movie’s 2017 sequel, builds on all of this and turns it into something even more gloriously alien. But it’s all there in the first movie—a violent hidden world, right under our noses.

A year before starring in John Wick, Keanu Reeves went to Hong Kong and China to make his directorial debut. Man Of Tai Chi isn’t what you might expect from the moment that an aging movie star steps behind the camera. Instead, it’s a great little underground-fighting movie, one made with a slightly incoherent plot and a great respect for fight choreography. The movie almost makes more sense as a collection of fight scenes than as a traditional narrative. It’s mostly in Chinese, but Reeves himself plays the villain, a glowering evil American billionaire who makes people fight to the death. And he made the whole thing as a vehicle for Tiger Chen, a Chinese martial artist who’d been one of the fight choreographers for The Matrix.

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Man Of Tai Chi was, for me, the moment that Reeves became an all-time elite action star. He’d already had a surprising number of classic action movies on his résumé: Point Break, Speed, the Matrix movies. He’d done many of his own stunts in Speed and trained hard in wire-fu for The Matrix. But I’d always thought of him as an actor who sometimes did action movies, not as a straight-up action star. Man Of Tai Chi revealed Reeves to be something else: someone so in love with the genre that he’d make a labor of love like that. And John Wick is the moment he solidified his spot in the history of the genre. Keanu Reeves is, quite simply, one of the greatest action stars of all time. He might be the single greatest, no qualifiers necessary.

Think about it: Reeves was 50 when John Wick came out, and he still went out of his way to make the movie as hard and physical as possible. He recruited his Matrix stunt doubles Stahelski and Leitch to direct the movie even though they’d never directed a movie before. (Reeves’ devotion to the Matrix stunt team is, to my mind, one of the most endearing things about him.) He threw himself into training, learning styles of martial arts that he’d never attempted. And he pulled off these incredible fight scenes—scenes that mix gunplay with hand-to-hand grappling in believable ways, scenes in which he has to pull off these great stunts without the benefit of quick-cutting. He even did a fair amount of his stunt-driving. And he put in an affecting, grounded performance on top of all of that, bringing this absurdist world to life with the sheer weight of his facial expressions and body language. And he delivers his best badass lines with absolute panache and confidence. (Viggo: “They know you’re coming.” Wick: “Of course. But it won’t matter.”)

There’s a ruthless efficiency to the way Reeves moves in the movie. The way he kills people tells more of a story than the actual story does. He’ll punch someone, then shoot him, then punch him again. Sometimes, he’ll take a bad guy down in a leglock, holding him immobile while he shoots a couple of other bad guys, and then shoot the original bad guy while that guy is lying helpless on the floor. A scene like that one-man nightclub invasion is put together with absolute precision, ratcheting things up gradually until it becomes something insane and surreal. It’s beautifully lit and shot and edited, like Drive or something, but all of that atmosphere serves to highlight the action. There’s a scene near the end where Viggo, on the way to his final showdown with Wick, laughs maniacally. It’s not because he thinks he’s going to win. He knows he’s about to die. He’s just having so much fun watching Wick work. We, the audience, knows how he feels.

John Wick made an impact. It made money and earned critical raves, something that I don’t think anyone expected of it. It spawned a whole universe‚ two movies, with another on the way, and a spin-off TV series called The Continental reportedly in the works. One of its directors went off to make Atomic Blonde, an instant-classic action movie in its own right if only for that incredible single-take apartment-building fight. John Wickspawned imitators. But more to the point, it proved that an American studio B-movie could be truly great, that it could compete with anything coming out of South Korea or Thailand or Indonesia. It proved that we don’t have to settle for bullshit. It raised the stakes. People keep asking if American action movies are back, and I hadn’t really had an answer. But now, yeah, I’m thinking they’re back.

#keanu reeves #john wick

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years ago

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #198 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The prologue.

The studio originally wanted to cut the prologue, but I’m glad they didn’t because it works REALLY well at establishing the world and lore of Middle Earth moving forward. I’m someone who has never read any of the books, so my only experience with this world IS the movies. And the prologue works not only to set up the intense backstory of this story, it also sets up the ring as a character all its own. But more on that later.

2) Ian McKellen as Gandalf.

McKellen was nominated for an Oscar because of his performance in this film (but oddly not because of the sequels, even though the performance loses none of what makes it special). This trilogy has a number of stand out cast members in it and McKellen is one of them. He is able to fully embrace all of Gandalf’s qualities. He is wise, occasionally angry, has immense patience but does lose it at times, and just has this massive beating heart. The way he interacts with the other characters - namely Frodo and Bilbo - shows just how important he is to them. You get invested in him and their relationships. It’s an absolutely wonderful role.

3) The Shire.

The trilogy is able to consistently portray a song sense of place across Middle Earth, so it is important that The Shire starts the trend. Through production design, writing, character, and even music (Howard Shore’s score plays an incredible part in all three films), there is a true sense of peace to The Shire. It feels like home, the one place which is untouched by the darkness which spreads through Middle Earth (in the films at least). And creating such a sense of safety which the audience then leaves from makes the following conflict all the more intense.

4) According to IMDb:

Gandalf's painful encounter with a ceiling beam in Bilbo's hobbit-hole was not in the script. Sir Ian McKellen banged his forehead against the beam accidentally. Peter Jackson thought McKellen did a great job "acting through" the mistake, and kept it in.

5) Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins

Upon first meeting Bilbo you understand the warmth that lies beneath him, but the jadedness is what comes through strongest. He’s fed up with the simple living of The Shire, of the proper hobbits, and he longs for adventure. It’s a feeling I think most people have had at least once in their lives and it gets you invested in the character. Holm is a great character actor and does as fine a job here as he did in, say, Alien or The Fifth Element. You understand upon meeting him how important he is to Frodo, Gandalf, the story even, and he’s memorable even with minimal screen time (although minimal screen time in a trilogy of films all around three hours long is still a fair amount of screen time).

6) Elijah Wood as Frodo.

Frodo is really the main hero of this journey. He’s the one who carries the titular thing and definitely the one who goes through the biggest change from beginning to end (which is saying something considering some of the character development in these films). In this film, Wood is able to play Frodo with an incredible amount of warmth in him. You understand that he is a good person who is happy, but he forsakes that happiness to do the right thing (taking the ring to destroy it). Wood plays Frodo’s progressing grief and (in future films) descent into madness absolutely incredibly. You have to believe him through ever emotionally state and Wood performs in a way where you do.

7) This is a great representation of Gandalf’s complexities as a character.

Gandalf [after Bilbo accuses him of wanting the steal the ring]: “Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you! [Calmer now] I am trying to help you.”

Don’t mess with Gandalf. He may act kind to his friends, those he holds in good standing, but if you piss him off he will get so mad the room literally darkness around him. Juxtaposing this threatening anger with deep compassion for his friend is a great way of showing the audience just who the grey wizard is.

8) The trilogy deals with tone shifts REALLY well, to the point where you don’t even realize that there is a shift. But we are able to move from light happy Shire territory to dark evil “one true ring” territory effortlessly. I dig that.

9) I had a whole conversation with @theforceisstronginthegirl WHILE I WAS WATCHING THE MOVIE to figure this out. Because, besides invisibility, I didn’t really understand what the ring DID. I knew it worked as a horcrux which could bring Sauron back, but besides that? Now I understand the ring is more representative of the temptation of evil. There is power in evil. The power to influence, even the power itself is tempting. And the ring represents this. That works really well, I think. Better than - say - giving you superpowers through an evil ring.

10) Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee.

While Frodo does start very grounded, the ring does end up effecting him in many ways. Not Sam though. Sam is consistently good and human throughout all three films, always doing the right thing, always having the best intentions for his friends in mind. The Fellowship needed Sam for the same reason the films do and that is because he is the heart of both. He’s the small town hobbit who has no aspirations for pride or adventure, only to do the right thing. And he stays this way from beginning to end. He is a good man and, in many ways, Frodo’s rock throughout the journey to Mordor. Sean Astin plays Sam just brilliantly, taking any sense of ego out of the performance and just letting Sam breathe as a character. He’s absolutely wonderful and has a great connection with Elijah Wood’s Frodo, helping you get invested in that relationship also. All in all, Sam is just great.

10.1) Yes, I ship Sam and Frodo. Not in a way where I’m like, “I’m so mad they didn’t get together in the end!” But like in a way where I understand how deep their relationship is already and can easily see them being with each other.

11) Christopher Lee as Saruman

Even before we learn he’s evil, Saruman is a dick. Calling Gandalf stupid and referring to Hobbits as “half-lings”. Lee is able to make the white wizard absolutely chilling and threatening, a guy you know you don’t want to mess with from moment one. Lee actually knew author JRR Tolkein and I believe had hoped to play Gandalf. Even though he didn’t, he still read the novels once a year every year until his passing. So he brings a lot of respect and understanding to the part which shows through. While Lee has always been a great villain actor, he’s almost chameleonic as Saruman I think. He knows the character inside and out; his motivations, how far he’ll really go, and that makes for a wonderful performance.

12) Merry and Pippin.

Portrayed by Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd respectively, both films characters go through a wonderful transformation in films two and three. However, this is a post about Fellowship, and in Fellowship we get a strong sense of who these characters are in the beginning (making their future development all the stronger). They are used for a lot of comedic relief in the film and are very good at it. Each of the Hobbits brings their own brand of warmth and heart to the first film, with this duo being no different. Each actor is great in their part and plays off the other incredibly well. Merry and Pippin are a set, they’re linked. And you understand the strength of that bond right away.

13) The Black Riders.

These movies do an excellent job with their monsters/villains. The Black Riders are a great representation of that. Their design is wicked strong and immediately threatening, playing upon classic fears of the unknown as they are literally shrouded in darkness. Every time they appear on screen there is an immediate feeling of threat. They’re just freaking awesome.

14) Hey look, it’s director Peter Jackson!

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

15) Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn

Probably my favorite character in THIS film (Éowyn is my favorite character in the whole trilogy, but she’s not in this movie), Viggo Mortensen is crazy strong as the mysterious ranger. He reportedly was so in character during filming that director Peter Jackson referred to him as "Aragorn" for over half an hour without him realizing it. He has the grizzled rogue thing down but without the irresponsibility which can be attributed with the characters. There is this clear sense of both duty, grief, fear, and even shame for his ancestors which are always at conflict with each other that makes the character WILDLY interesting. Honestly, he’s just really freaking good in the part.

16) Ah, to eat like a hobbit.

Aragorn: “Gentlemen, we do not stop ’til nightfall.”

Pippin: “What about breakfast?”

Aragorn: “You’ve already had it.”

Pippin: “We’ve had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?”

[Aragorn just walks away]

Merry: “I don’t think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.”

Pippin: “What about elevensies? Luncheons? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?”

17) One thing I like in this film that was unfortunately lost in The Hobbit films is the reliance on practical creature makeup. ESPECIALLY with the Orcs. I could theoretically walk down the street and see an Orc because it was actors in REALLY elaborate makeup. They felt real, grounded, even though they’re fantasy creatures. In prefer that to CG.

18) Holy shit, I just realized that these are the trolls from The Hobbit.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

19) Liv Tyler as Arwen

Unfortunately, there are only three really significant female characters in the entire trilogy (Arwen, Galadriel, and Éowyn) and they never interact with each other. Fortunately, they’re all pretty awesome. You understand just how important she is from her very first frame. Like other elf actors like Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett, Tyler does a good job conveying Arwen as something a little more than human. A little more evolved. Although I wish Arwen did more in terms of fighting during the trilogy, the audience is made to understand that she is not only competent but dangerous. Her first moment in the film she puts a sword to Aragorn’s throat after sneaking up on him (ah, flirting) and she easily tricks the nine Ring Wraiths into a watery (if temporary) demise. I just wish we’d had more of her fighting or interacting with other women.

20) Much like The Shire, Rivendale has a palpable sense of peace and safety to it which relates to a strong sense of place. You get a taste for elf culture as the film allows the audience (and its characters) to slow down and get their wits about them.

21) Hugo Weaving as Elrond.

Weaving is a remarkably talented character actor who is great in this part. As mentioned before, he is able to make the elf leader seem a little more than human. A little wiser, a little more evolved. He is very controlled which suggests a great amount of power behind him. You understand his concerns, his fears, his love for his daughter, his duty to his people, all through Weaving’s performance. He is just really great in the part.

22) There is a strong immediate juxtaposition between the more ambitious Boromir and the cautious Aragorn in their very first scene with each other. They don’t even really talk to each other but you understand what makes them different IMMEDIATELY.

23) I really like Aragorn + Arwen because we understand that there is not only a deep love between them but a great respect. They see each other as equals and in their scenes together are consistently honest, respectful, and compassionate. It’s just a great relationship.

24) The Council of Elrond

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This scene is just dripping with such juicy and interesting conflict. It is defined by such a unique culture clash between elves, men, and dwarves which escalated so wonderfully. All these different people with different ideologies and motivations fighting amongst themselves, including our first encounter with Gimli and Legolas’ blossoming fun conflict. It’s just awesome!

24.1) Ah yes, The Lord of the Memes.

24.2) I could talk about why Frodo is such a great hero, why he’s the one who takes the ring, but instead I will refer you to this excellent meta that’s been going around Tumblr.

24.3) I love Elrond’s sass face when Sam shows up, then his look of utter surprise when Merry & Pippin show up to his super secret council meeting.

24.4) And finally.

Elrond: “You shall be the fellowship of the ring.”

25) The way Bilbo freaks out when the ring is once again so close to him, when that evil tempts him, is so telling of just how dark this item of power is.

26) There are a number of small moments in this film which gets you invested in the group dynamic of the fellowship, making its dissolving at the end of the film all the more powerful. One of the earliest examples of this is when Boromir teaches Merry & Pippin how to handle swords before it devolves into a friendly row.

27) John Rhys Davies as Gimli

Davies is a character actor who is probably most well known for his role as Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark (outside of this film, that is). He blends wonderfully into the part of Gimli and I think is one of the most underrated actors in the film. Davies makes Gimli fun, gruff, occasionally heartbreaking (when he weeps over his cousin Balin) with an incredible fighting spirit that allows him to steal a number of scenes. He gets more room to shine in The Two Towers than this film, but that doesn’t mean he’s not consistently great.

28) The Mines of Moria.

As I’ve mentioned before, this film does well to convey a great sense of place in all of its locations. The Mines of Moria are no different. As soon as we enter this place we understand the danger which lurks here. It’s threatening and frightening, marking the Fellowship’s first great challenge. You know they’re not going to come through the other side unscathed.

29) I always liked this speech.

Gandalf [after Frodo says it’s a pity Bilbo didn’t kill Gollum]: “Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo’s hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.”

30) Ah yes, the mine skirmish.

There’s a wicked sense of dangerous fun which marks this action sequence, which is potentially the best in the film. You get a sense of each character’s fighting spirit, with even the Hobbits jumping into battle passionately after they believe Frodo has been struck down. It’s just really entertaining.

31) The Bridge of Khazad Dum.

This is a scene of pure stakes. I was taught that if a character can leave a scene without being devastated, than the stakes are too low. That’s exactly what’s happening here. Gandalf can’t let the Balrog pass and destroy the quest and if the only way the Balrog doesn’t get what it wants is through death. This is why the scene is so iconic, because it’s so freaking simple. The creature design of the Balrog is absolutely amazing and Howard Shore’s score just packs a strong punch when Gandalf dies.

Because that’s the other memorable thing about this scene: Gandalf freaking dies. It’s absolutely heartbreaking even when you know it doesn’t take. This is partially because of Howard Shore’s score, but mostly because of the incredible performances the actors give while their characters grieve their departed friend. It’s just freaking great.

32) In continuing the film’s strong sense of place, the Elf Woods are very strong. There is something just a little bit off about it. It’s not the safe place Rivendale was but instead much more unsettling and mysterious. It’s otherworldly, just like its queen…

33) Cate Blanchett as Galadriel

Cate Blanchett is - I think - the greatest actress around today. And her performance in this film is no less great, even if it is supporting. You understand her wisdom, her heart, but there is something dangerous about Gladriel that lurks just beneath the surface. You know you don’t want to get on her bad side even when all she’s doing is being kind to you. Blanchett is able to be all these things with the appearance of ease, which I think is what makes her so great. When you’re watching Cate Blanchett act, you don’t think, “Oh, that’s Cate Blanchett.” Instead, she fully immerses herself in the character and leaves any sense of ego out of it. I freaking love Cate Blanchett.

34) The moment where Boromir opens up to Aragorn is really strong for me. It’s a moment of great connection between the two, where Boromir is able to put his pride aside and actually communicate the insecurities he has. The fears. How he wants to be a great man, a great leader. And Aragorn doesn’t judge, doesn’t argue, he just listens. He makes it safe for Boromir to speak. I dig that.

35) I never got the whole “Frodo offers the ring to Galadriel and doesn’t rescind the offer when she’s obviously tempted” thing. Like every time I watch I’m just like…

“Frodo, put the ring back. Don’t let crazy Cate Blanchett have the ring.”

36) I’m reaching the end of the post, so I should talk about Orlando Bloom as Legolas.

As with the other elves I’ve mentioned, Bloom is able to make Legolas feel something a little more than human. However, he’s also the closest to human elf we’ve seen so far. There’s a bit more fear to him, he’s occasionally more brash, and just genuinely interesting. Legolas ends up having a great kinship with Gimli and is just a lot of fun to watch.

37) The scene where Boromir gives into temptation and tries to take the ring from Frodo is incredibly powerful. It largely shows how poisoning the evil of the ring is and how even good men can give into that weakness. But the fact that his last moments are regretful ones over his actions just makes his eventual death all the more heartbreaking, especially because he asks Aragorn for forgiveness.

38) The final fight with the orcs is a solid climax with some real consequences, organically splitting up the group for future installments. The action is well choreographed and fun, making the scene just genuinely interesting.

39) Ending the movie the way it does is great because it is based on one of the simplest and most important ideas in storytelling: choice. Frodo CHOSES to leave the Fellowship, Sam CHOOSES to swim after him even though he can’t swim (one of many reasons I kinda low-key ship these two). Their choices have consequences which effect the rest of the trilogy and just lets them both grow as characters. I love it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an incredible start to a great film trilogy. We are introduced to Middle Earth in a great way with incredibly strong performances marking the lengthy run time. There is a great sense of epic scale to it as well as great heart, leaving the audience with a memorable adventure that feels full even though there’s more to come. All in all, just a great film.

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skarletterambles · 7 years ago

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I enjoy over-analyzing fictional characters of dubious moral standing and I’m not sorry.

The real reason this blog exists: I wanted to be able to reblog stuff that is wildly off-topic for my main blog. I figured my followers there would appreciate it, since personally I think multi-fandom blogs can be annoying if content isn’t clearly tagged (although I tag meticulously like the library clerk I am...)

Unexpected benefit of this blog existing: It has a fraction of the followers, so not many people will see that I am three things that the Tumblr community seems to hate and/or mock: over age 35, asexual, and a fan of this character:

The rest of this post is about him, characters like him, and how fandoms approach them.

Sorry but not sorry: I find the heir to the Skywalker dynasty to be a fascinating character who fits right in with the long line of villains, antiheroes, and gray characters that have always captured my attention.

And I do mean always. I fangirled the coyote on Looney Tunes before I could write my own name. Nowadays I suppose I’d have to apologize because oh no, the coyote is problematic! He wants to kill and eat another sentient being! He models unsafe behavior! He runs with knives and plays with explosives! Children will think they can jump off cliffs and/or get run over by trucks and survive! WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!?!

[Pictured: The reason for the fall of Western civilization. Clearly.]

Looking back through almost four decades, if I was going to latch onto a character as a favorite, it was almost invariably “the bad guy.” The only exceptions I can think of are Basil of Baker Street and Scrooge McDuck. (Oh, and Aragorn, but that was more based on my crush on Viggo Mortensen than anything about his character.) The others have all been, if not outright villainous, at least the scoundrel/rogue/trickster/antihero type.

The Looney Tunes coyote. Junior Snork (which dates me horribly, I realize.) Chief from Fox and the Hound. Fanny Fox on Maple Town. Tito from Oscar and Company. Don Karnage from TaleSpin. Negaduck from Darkwing Duck. Cluny from Redwall. Jack Sparrow from PotC. Snape from Harry Potter. Imhotep from The Mummy. Jaime Lannister from ASoIaF/GoT. Zuko from Avatar. Tom Keen on The Blacklist. Illidan, Deathwing, Nefarian, and Arthas from Warcraft.

My favorites are the flawed, gray characters. Complex characters like them offer a way to explore the darker emotions we all face. What is right and what is wrong? What is unforgivable, and what isn’t? Can a villain be redeemed? Can that redemption happen without the character dying? If it’s true that every villain is the hero of his own story, what does this character think he’s doing? Why did they make the decisions they did, and if they had the chance to do it over again, would they make different choices? When did they reach the point of no return? What is their weakness? What motivates them? What do they have in common with the hero? With each other? Is it possible to be a villain and still have genuinely good qualities, or do certain acts of evil indelibly taint everything about the character? At what point does an antihero become a villain? Once they do, can they ever switch back? What would be sufficient motivation to do so? Where does this character draw the line and say something is too evil even for them?

These are the things I love to contemplate, analyze, debate, and write about!

So hell yes, Kylo Ren is fascinating to me, and I should be able to express that appreciation without feeling like I have to defend myself every time.

“Yes, I know he’s done some horrible things. No, I wouldn’t want to emulate him. Here, allow me to provide a twenty-page annotated list of everything he’s done that is even the slightest bit morally questionable, along with a heartfelt pledge that I know it’s Bad(tm) and promise never to do the things he does. Oh, and have an additional ten pages detailing my awareness that there are PoC in these movies who are also awesome and interesting characters, and swearing on penalty of death that my failure to fixate on them is not, in fact, a sign of racism on my part. See also Figure 17b, which provides photographic evidence that many of my good friends in high school looked far more like Rose than Rey. I have all this verified and stamped by a notary republic, blessed by clergy of four different religions, and I have undergone rigorous psychological testing at the most prestigious hospital in the world to ensure I am of sound mind and body. Am I allowed to enjoy this fictional character now?!?!”

It’s a fairy tale space opera with magic glowing swords, alien penguins, and lasers that can blow up entire planets. It’s an escape. It’s not real. I know that. I’m old enough, and smart enough, to understand the difference. That used to be a given in fandoms, but in today’s climate everything is a contest to show how “woke” and pure you are. It sparks my anxiety and makes me reluctant to participate in fandoms I would otherwise enjoy. Just let me overthink a fun story in peace!

Furthermore, I have studied literature and storytelling tropes in detail, and I can read between the lines to see what Lucasfilm is doing with his character. Leia was not wrong when she said there was “still light in him.” It’s not merely a matter of “I think this character is compelling.” It’s “I think he’s compelling and I think the story arc I see starting to form is going to be epic, emotional, and thought-provoking.”

The first six Star Wars films focused quite a lot on the kinds of questions I wrote above, showing how Anakin fell to darkness and then, at least in the eyes of his son, redeemed himself. If you honestly think that the grandson of Anakin, the son of Leia and Han, is going to be written off as a one-dimensional evil villain, I honestly don’t even know how to begin to set you straight. Star Wars has always been about hope, and family.

But you know what? Even if Kylo Ren does end up firmly on the Dark Side, it’s still okay to enjoy his character. Because he is, indeed, a fictional character.

And you know what else? It’s perfectly okay to not like him as a character. Just don’t condemn fans who do, or the actor who plays him, as horrible people. (Seriously, Adam Driver has gotten hate and threats from so-called fans who dislike his character. WTF is wrong with people?!) Again, Kylo Ren is a fictional character. Liking him or not liking him is not a grand moral statement.

It is beyond tedious to have fandom discourse over and over again about how if you like X character or ship Y pairing, then you’re in favor of abuse, murder, fascism, violence, rape apologia, ableism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, or whatever awful thing is in the headlines today.

If you knew me IRL you would laugh yourself silly at the thought that I would be involved in any of that in reality. I’m a nonviolent, compassionate person who follows the Golden Rule whenever possible. I avoid killing bugs because I feel genuine remorse when I do so. I’m a progressive, and left-leaning politically. I have so much empathy I can feel drained after a day of working with the public, depending on what situations I’ve dealt with. (Me, in customer service mode: ”What’s that? Your wife of forty years passed away in an accident, and that’s why your movies were late? I’m so sorry for your loss. Of course I’ll waive that fine and close her library account. You have much more important things to be dealing with. You take care, now.” After which I’ll pretend to be unaffected for the rest of my shift, then go home and tear up so badly that I can hardly tell my family what happened.)

So yeah. Give me my pirates with delusions of grandeur, my brooding antiheroes, conflicted space knights, tortured secret agents, snarky warlords, misunderstood sorcerers, corrupted dragons, and even my clumsy coyote with a taste for roadrunners. I will enjoy every minute of their antics without a shred of guilt. Humanity has been telling stories about these kinds of characters since we first grew brains complex enough to do so, and by doing so we learn so much about ourselves and each other.

#villains #personal vent post

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arlessiar · 7 years ago

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Eleven questions

I’m incredibly late with answering this, but it took me a while and then the whole Kingsman SDCC thing happened in-between. So no idea if people are still interested in this, but now that I’ve written it I also want to post it. :)

I was tagged by @notbrogues @hartwin-af and @spockri

rules: 1. always post the rules. 2. answer the questions given by the person who tagged you. 3. write 11 questions of your own and tag 11 (or however many) people to answer them.

Questions by @notbrogues

1. Describe your least favourite character.

In general, the pointless love interests, the boring villains, the almighty and flawless heroes, the dumb and helpless females

(And just in case, the opposite – my favourite characters are the caring doctors, the smart geeks, and the loners, misfits and underdogs *g*)

2. A go-to comfort meal/snack/treat.

When my Mum crumbs meat or veggies to fry them she always makes a small fried bread/omelette from the rest of the eggs and breadcrumbs. She adds salt, pepper and some cheese. It’s an old Silesian tradition, my Gran always did that and we still do it today. It means home and comfort for me and I love it and I’ll defend it from every other hungry person in the house. It’s mine. My precious. Me eats it alone! *eg*

Apart from that – Avocado. Chickpeas. White chocolate. Chocolate digestives.

3. Describe a perfect vacation, with no limit on funds or how long you can stay there.

I go there quite often, but still, London. It’s been my happy place for years. And from there I’d go to Cornwall, to the Lake District, the Brecon Beacons and the Highlands. With unlimited funds I’d take my parents with me or my BFF, and we’d spend lots of time visiting all the manors and country houses!

4. Do you listen to podcasts? If so, what are you favourites?

Listened to the Three Patch Podcast in the Sherlock fandom, but only a few times. Not really my thing in general.

5. One widely accepted fanon headcanon that you just don’t agree with?

Hmm, I like most of the fanon and can live with the rest. Not so keen on Percival being Roxy’s Dad. Distantly related, yes, but I can’t imagine him as her father.

6. One story/movie/song/album/piece of art that resonated with you and that you will never be able to forget?

There’s so much I could write here, but I have to make a decision, so:

Stories, movies – too many to count!

Song and album – R.E.M., Automatic for the people, “Everybody hurts”. My fav forever band, and that song saved my life during a very low phase I went through in my teens. Oh, and Jeff Buckley’s version of Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Listening to that for the first time was a revelation.

Piece of art: My favourite picture is Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the sea of fog. I could stare at it for hours. Also, seeing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers for real in the National Gallery had blown my mind and I’ll go to look at it every time I’m in London.

When I was a teen there was an exhibition in my city with photographs from Nan Goldin. Our art teacher took us there and most of my classmates weren’t prepared for this rather explicit art. For me though a gate had opened, I finally understood the art of photography, and it’s been a passion of mine ever since.

7. If you have a day off, no responsibilities or pressing matters to attend to: what are you doing for the rest of the day?

Three words – Lego, AO3 and tumblr.

8. Favourite past trend that you are most nostalgic for?

I honestly never really followed trends a lot, so I’ve no idea what to say here. ^^ What I really really miss is the way they made computer games in the Nineties. Give me a good old fashioned Adventure with tricky puzzles and I’m happy.

9. What’s a hobby/skill you’ve always wanted to learn?

Playing the harp or the violin. And archery. Might still try the latter one day.

10. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

So sorry, but I have to skip this one... I don’t dream much anymore. The only thing I can say is: Hopefully still surrounded by the people who I love more than my own life.

11. What was your first fandom? First OTP? First NOTP? Any memorable experiences from those early days?

My first fandom was Star Trek, around 1991. I always blame my Dad for me becoming a geek because it was him who told me to watch TOS. :) Wrote my first story in a notebook when I was twelve, no OTP though then, it was rather Mary Sue-ish. ^^ Then we got our first computer, and I had moved on to DS9. More stories, now on computer, still no OTP but lots of h/c. Then we got internet in 1996, and I was having some sort of epiphany – there was this world-wide phenomenon called fanfiction! I was not alone! An amazing discovery! Saw my first slashfic at that time, Garak/Bashir, and I was 16 and all like ‘ewww’ and backed away from it (so that was probably my first NOTP).

Being a Tolkien fan for years I easily fell for the LOTR films later and wrote FF for that and published my first stories. Arwen/Aragorn was my first fandom OTP I guess. Saw more slashfic, Legolas/Aragorn, and I was still not convinced, but I read one. While I never shipped that pairing, slashfic in general suddenly started to look appealing. Well, and today I say “all I’ve learnt about sex, I’ve learnt from fanfic”, because those years were really educational… ;)

Next fandom was Stargate Atlantis (OTP McShep), my online fan-life started in earnest then with the Gateworld forum and LJ, then Torchwood (OTP Ianto/Jack), then Sherlock (OTP Johnlock). And here I am now, in the Kingsman fandom, with Hartwin and Merhartwin being my OTPs.

Now @hartwin-af

1. Who are your favourite artists/actors/fictional characters?

I admire Viggo Mortensen both as an actor and as an artist. And Colin Firth has been one of my favourite actors for many years. Closely followed by Chris Pine and Matt Damon. I also think Meryl Streep is a goddess.

Fav fictional characters: Aragorn, Sherlock, Mr Darcy and tons of others, among them right now Harry Hart :)

2. What are your favourite tv shows/movies?

Fav TV shows from the past: Star Trek DS9, Torchwood, MASH, SGA, Sherlock, Flying Doctors, Diagnosis Murder, Queer as folk

Recent TV shows: Agents of shield, Poldark, The Handmaid’s tale

3. What/Who do you fear?

Dying alone

4. What are you looking forward to the most?

At the moment my summer holiday and Kingsman 2.

5. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

The acceptance of ignorance you see nowadays. It’s ok to lack knowledge, but one shouldn’t be proud of it. It’s no badge of honour to boast about. There’s something you don’t know – go and look it up.

6. If you could make one thing canon in your fandom, what would it be?

DAISY UNWIN

7. Do you hoard usernames?

Nope. In fact I’m known for having the same username for decades and almost everywhere…

8. Coke or Pepsi? Tea or Coffee? KFC or McDonald’s?

If at all, Coke. Coffee, with tea being a close second. McDonald’s, but rather Burger King!

9. What would make today better?

Less humidity. Apart from that it’s been a pretty fine day. :)

10. What’s your favourite scent?

Privet when it’s in bloom.

11. What’s your proudest achievement?

Finishing my university degree (MA)

And @spockri

1) Are you a morning person or a night owl?

100% night owl

2) What is your OTP (and you can only pick 1!) and why?

Currently Hartwin. It just… happened. Love the fact that they’re so different and yet so similar, and that there’s tons of chemistry between them.

3) What is your favorite thing about Colin Firth?

His smile. Absolutely.

4) What’s your favorite book and how would you recommend it to someone who’s never heard of it?

That is in fact Atwood’s “The handmaid’s tale” and has been for years. I would recommend it as a book that’s become scarily relevant again in the light of the current political situation in the US.

5) Where is your favorite place to read?

Used to be my bed, but the older I get, the less comfortable it becomes. So today it’s my desk chair. And Parliament Hill when I’m in London.

6) What was your last impulse buy?

Clothes. I have way too many clothes… send help! Or Livia Firth, so that she can rip me a new one. Or Colin so that he can rip my clothes off… ok, wait, I need to stop.

7) What is/was your favorite subject in school?

That was English and Art

8) Are you an introvert or extrovert?

Introvert, INFJ. And an HSP.

9) Do you have any trips/vacations planned this year?

Most likely London again in August, and a short trip within Germany to visit two wonderful friends in October

10) What would you do if you saw Colin Firth walking on the other side of the street from you?

In my dreams I’d work up the courage to walk over to him and smile and say hello and ask politely for an autograph… depends on the situation though. So in reality I’d most likely try not to bother him to respect his privacy and just stare at him from afar… while silently hyperventilating

11) I probably know you because we’re both into Kingsman, so when did you first watch Kingsman and what drew you to it?

When it came out I saw many posts about it on my tumblr dash and had no idea what it’s about. Thought it must be a big thing though and decided to watch it one day, but ignored it then on tumblr in order not to spoiler myself accidentally. It was on my list for a while and I finally bought the DVD in November 2016. Watched it with my parents. Was hooked in a second. This rarely happens to me, but I liked that the movie didn’t take itself overly serious but was still believable, and that the story had no loose ends. Also, suits and Savile Row (love a man in a good suit), and Colin Firth. Sold. The rest is history.

- - - - -

Now, eleven questions from me, just in case anyone still wants to do this and isn’t sick of this meme already. :)

1) What did you want to become as a child, and what did you become?

2) If you were allowed to dress your favourite actor however you’d like, who would it be and what would she/he look like afterwards?

3) Did you ever cry while reading a book or watching a film, and if yes, when was the last time that happened and why?

4) What is your favourite piece of jewellery that you own?

5) If you could invent and play any kind of yet non-existent role in an existent movie, who would you like to be?

6) You have to share a room with a Kingsman character for one night. Who will it be and why?

7) Did you have a comfort toy as a child and if yes, what happened to it?

8) What is the colour/design of your bedclothes?

9) What was your happiest fandom moment so far?

10) The last film you saw in the cinema

11) You invite your favourite fictional character for dinner and you’re having pizza. They say it’s your choice – what kind of pizza would you order for them?

You all probably did that already, I’m sorry!!

@agentdagonet @ripgalahad @jeherion @jesspaw @londongypsy @letmecomealong @galahadthelate @solarrift @lady-mephistopheles @fideliant @deepdarkwaters

#meme #eleven questions #arlessiar's replies

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baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa · 8 years ago

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ALRIGHTY it’s review time! I’ve finally finished RTTE Season 4 and MAN was I pleased. A vast improvement from the last two, much closer to the first season in quality and good enough that I think it could edge towards canon. From what I’ve seen from the fandom, there’s still a lot of controversy-- some people loved it and some still hated it. I have SO MUCH I could say about it, especially since a lot of the plot lines are continued from season 3 (which I did not finish, due to extreme annoyance and disappointment), but this will already be a long post with me condensing my thoughts. I tried narrowing it down to some of my favorite parts and some of my least favorite parts, but all in all, it was a fantastic season. If this is what the writing team can do, consider my expectations raised. So without further ado:

Cat’s Top 5 Best and Worst of RTTE S4

Best of the best

5. While the overall quality of the season was amped up, there were a few small shining stars that definitely excited me. The first is Ruffnut... who finally seems to be rounding out as a character! We get a lot of comedy relief from the twins and chicken, and this season was no different. Macey’s viking funeral cracked me up. But what I loved most was the way the twins seemed to grow. Especially Ruffnut. We get to see her trusting her intuition in Gruff Around the Edges, recognizing that her brother had been misplaced before anyone else. We get to learn from her interaction with Gruffnut that she values humility and honesty. And then later, in Twintuition, it’s Ruffnut that urges her twin to prioritize the dragon riders over Macey. It’s Ruffnut that humorously and bravely stands up to Viggo in his interrogation. They’re small steps for the twins, especially Ruff, but I think this season has been more characterization than any season so far.

4. My next favorite part was a little bit of a selfish, fangirlish kind of pleasure. We got to see Hiccup in tight black leather. I almost didn’t include this in my faves because it’s such a ridiculous little thing, but it made my heart do a pitter patter. Why? Because we’ve never seen Hiccup in black leather, but how much have we as a fandom loved to read and write about Hiccup in black leather? I can think of a few fics off the top of my head, including my own Sacrifice AU. There’s just something so dark and mature about putting Hiccup in black-- it takes him from our scrawny noodle cinnamon roll to a mysterious, vigilante sinnamon roll. It allows the imagination to play with ideas that we as a fandom (and, selfishly, me as a writer) never expected to get to see on screen. It’s not something I thought we’d get from our Y-7 show. And it’s not just the leather, it’s his demeanor sometimes. The tension and angst, the occasional ruthlessness, the table flipping, my goodness! Our baby Hiccup is growing from a noodley family-friendly dork to an actual young man with emotions that aren’t watered down by the PG rating. I didn’t think all of his outbursts were 100% in character, but at least for the most part, we’re getting some characterization that fits the tone of the first and second movies.

3. The last three of my five faves were-- I’m sure expectedly-- related to the Hiccstrid. Gods alive, it’s about time, right? For a couple of years now we’ve been impatiently waiting for the romantic development. Not just as squealing shippers who love a good romance, but as fans who respect the timeline of the canon movies. After season three, I’d started to give up hope, but S4 brought it back for me. I could do a whole post alone about the Hiccstrid, but for now I’ll mention my #3. I loved the riders’ reactions to the couple. Was it realistic that Fishlegs caught them kissing and thought-- strategy meeting? No. Was it goofy that the twins thought either Astrid and Hiccup were dying? Of course. And was Snotlout’s gambling theory totally out there? By Thor, yes. But I loved every minute of it. I loved the silliness, the obliviousness. My boyfriend and I died laughing at the twelve-step program line, and at every comment Tuffnut made about Hiccup’s frailness. It was light, it was fun, and I think it was super appropriate for the series. In my headcanon, I’ll probably keep a more mature take on it, but I think using a comedic approach was the best way for the writers to handle it.

4. I loved Blindsided. Which is where, I think, most of the fandom divides. You either adored it or you hated it. I have just one thing I didn’t like about it-- I thought it wrapped up too quickly. Other than that, I thought it was one of the strongest episodes for Astrid’s characterization in the whole series. Like Ruffnut, she kind of gets shafted so far as real plot focus goes. She’s too often shoved in the boiling cauldron in a volcano with Throk, too often the damsel in distress. Always falling off of something, always nearly getting hit by something. This episode was the first time that I didn’t roll my eyes and say, “Here we go again.” Because it didn’t just toss in a knight in shining armor moment for Hiccup. We saw Astrid lose her edge, her confidence, and then spit her self-consciousness in the face. My absolute favorite part of the season, even more than the kisses, was when Astrid jumps into combat with the Triple Strike and Hiccup sighs, “Of course she’s not going to hide. What was I thinking? She’s Astrid.”

The whole episode was just unapologetically her. It had her stubbornness, her wittiness, her relationship with Stormfly. We saw her be vulnerable without being a damsel, saw her take on danger despite a disadvantage. And we got a situation where Hiccup and Astrid were forced into close but casual physical proximity. Not just the “oops I fell on top of you” trope, but Hiccup guiding Astrid, her reaching for him. Why is that important? Because for the RTTE hiccstrid that they wrote, the two are very teenagery. Can’t be close or touching, because omg we’re just friends. But this kind of put them into a situation where I think they could subconsciously recognize how natural and comforting each other’s touch is. We see hand-holding, close contact, Hiccup sitting by her bedside (”until she falls asleep”, wink wink), and Astrid holding tight to him during flight. The biggest complaint I’ve heard is that the hiccstrid was rushed, but I think this episode is the biggest evidence that it isn’t (comparatively speaking). We get a few nods of hiccstrid in the first few episodes, but once Blindsided happens, it’s all bets are off. They realize how easy it is, how heart-pounding and real their relationship has become. That there will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. It’s not just a childhood flirtation anymore, it’s a bond that’s been long forming. And I think her blindness in this episode did a great job of showing her off as a warrior, but it also did a lot to connect the bridge from friends to more-than.

5. The one thing I did have an issue with, hiccstrid wise, was all the random setup the writers did in the last couple of episodes. What they were trying to do was position everything for Viggo to make Hiccup choose between Astrid and his passion for the dragons. But we had Hiccup and Astrid say, “Sorry I got so worked up” and “I just can’t focus when you’re in trouble”, but we never actually saw them getting worked up or losing focus because of the other being in danger. I thought that was weird and a little poorly executed. BUT while I didn’t like how it was set up, and while I thought that it was cheesy that once again Astrid was captured by the villain, I loved the way Viggo mentioned the future. I think his exact words were, “Are you really going to sacrifice your future-- all the wonderful years you have ahead of you-- for that?”

I mean, holy crap! Do you get any better foreshadowing from a group of writers? The villain calls Astrid his future, and Hiccup doesn’t blink twice. He doesn’t amend the statement, or go off on a tangent about protecting the dragons. That said, how did Viggo know what was going on with Hiccup and Astrid when the gang hardly did? But whatever, I thought it was a very poignant way of confirming that this is the same couple from the sequel that are clearly headed for marriage and a forever kind of love. They didn’t pansy dance around it or treat it like the new relationship that it-- at a glance-- is. They knew that hiccstrid saw each other as end game and they treated it as such.

And the worst...

1. Season four wasn’t without its flaws. There were a couple of spots where the writing was a little rushed, a couple where it was a little lazy. But as opposed to the past couple of seasons, which had one or two good episodes in a sea of awful, this season just had a few episodes that fell flat for me. One of those was Notlout. Question: How many times have we seen Spitelout be a jerk to his son? A thousand. How many times have we seen Snotlout react by being bullheaded and reckless? A thousand. I felt like Notlout was just this season’s reiteration of the same typical Snotlout-centric episode that they do almost every go around. Spitelout says something nigh treasonous, Snoutlout gets insecure, the gang and their missions are thrown into shambles because of his need to lead, and in the end he realizes that the team does value him after all. We get it. It wasn’t a bad episode or anything, but it’s so repetitive and unnecessary at this point. Would have much rather seen more of the twins or Berk.

2. Episode two that I really disliked-- The Longest Day. I thought it was silly. Apparently this week or whatever of sunlight is not unusual for Berk, so why was everyone so rattled and unsure of how to behave? Why did everyone just decide to stay up for 24, 48, 96 hours instead of boarding up windows and sleeping? That’s what people who actually live so close to the north pole do. And why on Thor’s flat earth would Hiccup send the riders home to “do something easy” and wash their dragons instead of getting some sleep in the first place? If you’re going to take a cultural event like the sunny and dark seasons of the north as inspiration, actually let your fictional nation utilize realistic means of coping. It was ridiculous and completely blown out of proportion. Frankly just bad. Sleeplessness causes silliness and moodiness and clumsiness, yes, but the extremes they took it to was really a mockery of the characters, in my opinion. It wasn’t funny, it was badly written. Did not enjoy it at all.

3. That was actually not my least favorite episode, though. The one that had me scowling at the screen and rolling my eyes and sighing with exasperation was Out of the Frying Pan. Could there be anything worse than dumbed down plot and terrible resolution? I’ll just make a list of things that were absurd. Hiccup and Fishlegs being stunned that they don’t think exactly the same. An uneccessarily difficult goal-line of a mysterious hatching ground in the middle of a volcano. The Eruptodon not being able to fly the egg to the mysterious hatching ground even though it’s been able to do so for a millennia of generations. HIccup, dragon master, thinking a NIght Fury was better suited for a lava-filled volcano. The fact that once he tried and failed, their first thought wasn’t immediately oh let’s try Fishlegs’ way. The necessity of Hiccup going with Legs and Mala into the volcano. The impatience of Throk and Astrid, which led to the idiotic idea of swinging a GIANT METAL CAULDRON over an active volcano with-- what-- a rope? Mala being so freaking one track minded, instead of humanizing her with some doubt or fear. The giant metal bowl tarzanning across the volcano. The damsel in distress moment where Astrid is fainting from the heat. Have I mentioned the giant cauldron in the lava??? LITERALLY nothing special about the lava in the hatching chamber. They could have chucked the damn egg into the lava pit and it would have been just fine. So many plot holes, so much lazy writing, such poor characterization. I was incredibly worried that the season had just taken a page out of season 3′s book. The only redeeming moment of the episode was where the mama Eruptodon was magically revived by some dank herbs from Throk.

4. The only real failure I found in the over-arcing plot lines (not the individual plot lines of each episode) was just how quickly the whole Viggo and Ryker thing was wrapped up. For such an adversary, they were disposed of a little casually. Ryker I guess was eaten by the whirlpool of lunch. Even though he and his crew have been shipwrecked a dozen times over the series and always seem to magically make it out alive. And then Viggo is expected to be this big mental combatant, but suddenly he’s chucked into a weird basement hole (instead of killed by his supposedly brutal brother?) and we have this back and forth of will he betray us? maybe not? oh yeah, he’s definitely backstabbing us? Nevermind haha he’s chucking a knife into the ocean. If we hadn’t had such a tease with whether or not Viggo was on the dragon riders’ side, it would have had much more of an impact when he actually did take Astrid hostage and demand the dragon eye. They set up the betrayal between the brothers well, with various scathing comments from Viggo in the approaching episodes, but the whole thing was a little confusing and rushed. In the end, Viggo falls into the volcano (at least he didn’t jump into a cast iron fishbowl), and we’re led to assume that he’s doneso. Maybe he lived? Maybe not? I think they were trying to be poetic with him jumping after the dragon eye, but it just came off a little poorly executed.

5. And that brings me to my last point. I needed more episodes! This season took me back to the first. It was exciting and fun, but there was also real emotion from the characters and real peeks into how they operate. We got the group using teamwork, Hiccup becoming a leader, the politics and dangers of dragon poaching, and a few hilarious moments in between. Like I said, there are a few weak points to the season, but it was a much stronger and much more satisfying set of episodes. We got to see a lot more realness from the teens, and finally finally some Hiccstrid that could be considered canon (if you squint at their ages). Even the Dagur and Heather side story didn’t annoy me (Why? Because they weren’t flat mary sues with traumatic backstories blah blah blah), which says a lot. Over all, this season did what it was supposed to-- it amused me, got me invested, and made me hungry for more. It made me impatient for season five, which is such a different emotion than what I was feeling at the end of season three. Now I’m sucked back in and all I can do is wait with bated breath.

#httyd #rtte #rtte spoilers #race to the edge #race to the edge spoilers #cat rants #gosh i miss talking about these doofuses

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andytgerm · 8 years ago

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Oscar Picks! Get Your Fresh Unique Oscar Picks Here!

TI did good this year! In terms of preparation, I mean. These picks are probably godawful, a losing combination of switching between going with my gut or my heart or my head. But, I have seen all but THREE of the nominated films (2 animated, 1 foreign language), which is, I think, very good for someone with no connections for screener access. Also, I thought it was, on the whole, a good group of nominees, in that I only wanted to die while watching, like, 3 of the movies.

So, without further ado, my mostly informed picks for tonight!

Best picture: “Arrival” “Fences” “Hacksaw Ridge” “Hell or High Water” “Hidden Figures” “La La Land” “Lion” “Manchester by the Sea” “Moonlight”

La La Land has been “controversial” since more than festival-goers saw it because it’s been the front runner for so long. But it will surprise few to learn that I think it’s great! Deeply considered and moving, and with thematic depth, plus the kind of razzmatazz I’m a complete sucker for. Frankly, I don’t see a ton of differences between it and, say, Mad Max: Fury Road in terms of craft and skill displayed, but it’s been dinged because the perception is that it is light and unserious and a rip-off or what-have-you. Or too jazzy, or maybe the wrong kind of jazzy? Anyway, it’s definitely winning, and in a line-up with only 2.5 movies I didn’t as least think were “mostly good” (Hacksaw is pretty bad, Lion is meh-nipulative, and Hidden Figures is a little obvious, but otherwise I like ‘em all!), I’m not really mad about it and probably would vote for it because it appeals to my taste so specifically.

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: La La Land Dark Horse: Moonlight

Lead actor: Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea” Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge” Ryan Gosling, “La La Land,” Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic” Denzel Washington, “Fences”

The most high profile competitive race, despite it being one of the weaker categories this year. The battle of the narratives is strong here, and I wonder if it’s been overblown a little bit. BUT, the competitor is who I would pick, so I’m going to lean into hope and go in that direction. Garfield is nominated for the wrong movie (you didn’t see Silence, but he was great), and he’s kind of a cartoon in Hacksaw with his VERY broad accent. Gosling’s charming, but the center of the so-called “backlash” against LLL with his jazz love. Captain Fantastic is a bad movie that buys into Viggo’s characters world-view too much to be anything but self-indulgent claptrap and also has no support anywhere else. Affleck’s got the momentum and a great performance, but Washington’s got the monologues. Both playing frustrating characters, one for talking so much without doing enough listening, the other for not communicating at all. My vote goes to the excellent August Wilson interpretation, again, due to personal taste leanings.

Will Win: Denzel Washington Should Win: Denzel Washington Dark Horse Smart Pick: Casey Affleck

Lead actress: Isabelle Huppert, “Elle” Ruth Negga, “Loving” Natalie Portman, “Jackie” Emma Stone, “La La Land” Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”

GREAT category. God, so many great female lead performances this year. My personal pick is probably the sadly un-nominated Annette Benning in 20th Century Woman, who is so subtle and great and does some of the best “watching and listening” acting you’ll ever see. But Ruth Negga probably takes the subtle and unshowy slot, and she’s terrific too, so I can’t complain too much. Given this choice selection, I’d go for the probable winner, because, seriously, Emma Stone is charming and funny and deep and complicated in La La Land, plus she gets to do a big 11 o’clock number. Huppert’s probably the potential upset, she’s got momentum and gets to do a LOT of different unusual things in Elle. Portman never seemed to reach full potential, but she’s a strong center in Jackie once you get used to the big choices and latch on to the movie’s wavelength. Streep Streeps it up and does all the things you love.

Will Win: Emma Stone Should Win: Annette Benning Emma Stone Dark Horse: Isabelle Huppert

Supporting actor: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight” Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water” Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea” Dev Patel, “Lion” Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”

Another strong category, though the Shannon nomination for that nothingburger of a movie is regrettable (he’s at least the CORRECT supporting actor to go with). Bridges is great, turning on a dime when The Big Dramatic Thing happens at the end of that terrific movie, having kept you laughing the whole way to that moment. Patel’s fine, but his section of the movie does not fulfill the potential suggested by in the first part. Mahershala Ali is another great watching and listening performance, and his raw and simple connection with Little, especially in the scene where he explains what “faggot” means to him, is so delicately beautiful. Hedges, though, is unexpected and confounding in the best way. His character is trying his best to make the best of a bad situation, giving his all, even though he’s not grown up enough to have that be enough all the time. It’s a terrific honest and unexpected portrait of grief in a movie full of contrasting pictures, and I’m really excited to see what he does next.

Will Win: Mahershala Ali Should Win: Lucas Hedges Dark Horse: Jeff Bridges

Supporting actress: Viola Davis, “Fences” Naomie Harris, “Moonlight” Nicole Kidman, “Lion” Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures” Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”

Octavia would not be my Hidden Figures pick (how about that Janelle Monae, huh?) but she does have that killer line in that great scene with Kirsten Dunst. Kidman I sadly found forgettable (but check out Big Little Lies on HBO, you guys). Naomie Harris gets the most recognizable/predictable arc in Moonlight, but she sells the hell out of it. And doing it in three days!? That’s incredible. Michelle has the big scene that’s the closest we get to catharsis in Manchester, and is maybe doing the best job of “Supporting” in a way that many of these other performances aren’t. But holy hell does Viola deliver everything you would want her to in that part. I have no beef with her placement here, and she gives great watching/listening, great monologuing, and has the best scene of the movie (that night time phone call) centered on her. Gosh it’ll be great to see her win.

Will Win: Viola Davis Should Win: Viola Davis Dark Horse: Michelle Williams, I guess, but c’mon.

Best director: “La La Land,” Damien Chazelle “Hacksaw Ridge,” Mel Gibson “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins “Manchester by the Sea,” Kenneth Lonergan “Arrival,” Denis Villeneuve

Oh, hey, I haven’t had the chance to say anything about it yet, but Arrival is really great and full of ideas and feelings, and to see it nominated here is great! But this is a Jenkins/Chazelle race, and La La Land fever is definitely strong within the Academy.

Will Win: Damien Chazelle Should Win: Really, I’d be glad do see anyone but Gibson, but I guess I’d go with Denis Villeneuve in the interest of spreading the wealth? Dark Horse: Barry Jenkins

Animated feature: “Kubo and the Two Strings,” Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner “Moana,” John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer “My Life as a Zucchini,” Claude Barras and Max Karli “The Red Turtle,” Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki “Zootopia,” Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

This is one of my “I haven’t seen them all categories” which is too bad because I like seeing animated films a bunch, but Zucchini and Red Turtle have not made it to my neck of the woods yet. I liked Zootopia a lot, though I found its second half less engaging on second viewing, and I think the villain is telegraphed a bit too heavily. But that beginning, and getting to know the world, plus its thematic depth will make it a worthy winner. Kubo is GREAT and fun and moving, perhaps a bit let down by its vocal cast, but otherwise gives you everything you could want in an animated film. But Moana is a Disney musical, and if you haven’t figured it out already, I’m a sucker for those (they make me cry just by, like, structure? Like, opening establishing musical numbers emotionally move me to tears just because they exist?). And it’s one that doesn’t forget it’s a musical halfway through.

Will Win: Zootopia Should Win: Moana Dark Horse: Kubo and the Two Strings

Animated short: “Blind Vaysha,” Theodore Ushev “Borrowed Time,” Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj “Pear Cider and Cigarettes,” Robert Valley and Cara Speller “Pearl,” Patrick Osborne “Piper,” Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

This crop was just ok this year, I thought, though seeking out the shorts is always one of my favorite parts of Oscar season. Borrowed Time was my surprise favorite, and is heftier than you think it’s going to be. Pear Cider is... a lot, and not always in a good way, but the style is good. Blind Vaysha’s a bit much, but has got a great Caroline Dhavernas voice-over. Piper’s level of detail is jaw-dropping. And Pearl’s got tech innovations and well-calibrated sentimentality, so that gives it the edge for me.

Will Win: Pearl Should Win: Borrowed Time Dark Horse: Piper

Adapted screenplay: “Arrival,” Eric Heisserer “Fences,” August Wilson “Hidden Figures,” Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi “Lion,” Luke Davies “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

I mean, am I gonna not give a theoretical award to August Wilson? Well, predictions-wise, yes, but god that script is so deep and fascinating. This is an easy area for them to recognize the great achievement of Moonlight, and it is certainly a win I can get behind, three well-told connected stories is no easy feat.

Will Win: Moonlight Should Win: Fences Dark Horse: Arrival

Original screenplay: “20th Century Women,” Mike Mills “Hell or High Water,” Taylor Sheridan “La La Land,” Damien Chazelle “The Lobster,” Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou “Manchester by the Sea,” Kenneth Lonergan

20th Century Women! That’s a hell of a script, and it moves so beautifully and delicately. What a wonder of a miracle that movie is! The Lobster is prickly and the dialogue is very mannered, but the conceptual originality is undeniable. Hell or High Water has a lot more on its mind than you go in expecting, and was a huge surprise favorite for me, with some terrific duet scenes (Pine and his kid! Pine and Bridges!) and wonderful cameo sized characters (Texans with guns! Waitresses!). In hopes of a “spread the wealth” mentality, I’m predicting Manchester, though, as it’s not favored much elsewhere, and it certainly is written with depth and insight.

Will Win: Manchester by the Sea Should Win: 20th Century Women Dark Horse Smart Pick: La La Land

Cinematography: “Arrival,” Bradford Young “La La Land,” Linus Sandgren “Lion,” Greig Fraser “Moonlight,” James Laxton “Silence,” Rodrigo Prieto

These are all great!

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: Moonlight Dark Horse: Moonlight

Best documentary feature: “13th,” Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish “Fire at Sea,” Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo “I Am Not Your Negro,” Raoul Peck, Remi Grellety and Hebert Peck “Life, Animated,” Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman “O.J.: Made in America,” Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow

Many of these are also great! And the three that are centered on the African American experience are a nice trilogy together. But, c’mon, OJ is a TV miniseries.

Will Win: O.J.: Made in America Should Win: I Am Not Your Negro Dark Horse: 13th

Best documentary short subject: “4.1 Miles,” Daphne Matziaraki “Extremis,” Dan Krauss “Joe’s Violin,” Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen “Watani: My Homeland,” Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis “The White Helmets,” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Boy, this is an emotional killer of a category. After seeing all 5 in one night on the big screen, I tweeted “Saw all the Oscar doc shorts tonight, and they were crushing, but if seeing all of any 1 category would make one a better person, that's it.“ and I stand by that. Illuminating and tough, a great group of shorts.

Will Win: The White Helmets Should Win: Watani: My Homeland Dark Horse: Extremis

Best live action short film: “Ennemis Interieurs,” Selim Azzazi “La Femme et le TGV,” Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff “Silent Nights,” Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson “Sing,” Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy “Timecode,” Juanjo Gimenez

This was definitely the weakest shorts category. I enthusiastically liked one of them (Sing) and thought another one was fun (Timecode), but the rest I found inaccessible (Ennemis Interieurs) or verging on sappy (La Femme/Silent Nights). My cynical self thought Silent Nights (sentimental, but deals with Important Social Issues) would win the moment I saw it, though I have heard of no one who is a fan. Still gonna guess it, so I can be pleasantly surprised when it loses.

Will Win: Silent Nights Should Win: Sing Dark Horse: Ennemis Interiurs

Best foreign language film: “A Man Called Ove,” Sweden “Land of Mine,” Denmark “Tanna,” Australia “The Salesman,” Iran “Toni Erdmann,” Germany

I was blown away and cannot stop thinking about The Salesman. That movies got staying power, plus it received extra attention with the awful Travel Ban, so that makes it an easy prediction. I haven’t seen Land of Mine. Tanna was pretty and simple and unique, but didn’t really hold together upon reflection. Ove is pitched right to the older sentimental voter, and I guess it’s a pretty ok version of that story. Toni Erdmann’s got the cool film fan vote, and it had like 3 of my deepest, most gut-busting laughs of the crop, but it took a long time for me to get on board with it.

Will Win: The Salesman Should Win: The Salesman Dark Horse: Toni Erdmann

Film editing: “Arrival,” Joe Walker “Hacksaw Ridge,” John Gilbert “Hell or High Water,” Jake Roberts “La La Land,” Tom Cross “Moonlight,” Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

Another easy area for La La Land to rack up a sweep, and it’s certainly got rhythm and pizzazz going for it. Moonlight’s got some terrific wordless sequences though, and can hold a long shot with the best of them.

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: Moonlight Dark Horse: Moonlight

Sound editing: “Arrival,” Sylvain Bellemare “Deep Water Horizon,” Wylie Stateman and Renee Tondelli “Hacksaw Ridge,” Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright “La La Land,” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan “Sully,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Arrival made up all those alien noises, which were really essential to you buying into the movie. Deepwater Horizon was a better watch than I expected, and it certainly explores all the different ways an oil rig can blow up with sound. Sully’s got those birds. Don’t forget the birds. But this is a big war movie category, and the most high profile one of the night will *sigh* probably win here.

Will Win: Hacksaw Ridge Should Win: Arrival Dark Horse: La La Land (sweeps can be powerful, you guys)

Sound mixing: “Arrival,” Bernard Gariepy Strobl and Claude La Haye “Hacksaw Ridge,” Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace “La La Land,” Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth

I watched Michael Bay’s Benghazi movie and all I got was vague credibility when predicting this lousy Oscars category (it was bad). Musicals do well here, though I think La La Land is weaker than many think here because a lot of folks complain that they couldn’t understand the lyrics (I thought the mixing was fine, but they maybe should have chosen singers with more powerful voices?).

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: Arrival Dark Horse: Hacksaw Ridge

Production design: “Arrival,” Patrice Vermette, Paul Hotte “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock “Hail, Caesar!,” Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh “La La Land,” David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco “Passengers,” Guy Hendrix Dyas, Gene Serdena

Sweepin’ gonna sweep. How bout Hail, Caesar!, tho?

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: Hail, Caesar! Dark Horse: Arrival

Original score: “Jackie,” Mica Levi “La La Land,” Justin Hurwitz “Lion,” Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka “Moonlight,” Nicholas Britell “Passengers,” Thomas Newman

Original musical! I’ve been humming and feeling the great instrumental themes form La La Land since I saw it.

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: La La Land Dark Horse: Jackie

Original song: “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” “La La Land” — Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “Trolls” — Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster “City of Stars,” “La La Land” — Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul “The Empty Chair,” “Jim: The James Foley Story” — Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting “How Far I’ll Go,” “Moana” — Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

This is a heartbreaker category, where is Popstar? Where is Swiss Army Man? Where is Sing Street? Why those La La Land songs? I’ve gotta go with my sort-of Twitter buddy Lin Manuel Miranda (he followed me for a little while, OK? Get off my back!), even if he’s many not who most are predicting. Plus, if Pasek and Paul lap him and EGOT in a year, I’ll be pissed at how rude that is.

Will Win: “How Far I’ll Go” Should Win: “How Far I’ll Go” (really for the second reprise, but it’s good at first too!) Dark Horse: “City of Stars” (though Audition is better, and Someone in the Crowd’s the best song in the movie)

Makeup and hair: “A Man Called Ove,” Eva von Bahr and Love Larson “Star Trek Beyond,” Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo “Suicide Squad,” Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Realistic old person makeup is hard to bet against, and I really don’t want to live in the Oscar Winner Suicide Squad world. Star Trek’s got really good work in this category, too, though.

Will Win: A Man Called Ove Should Win: Star Trek Beyond Dark Horse: Star Trek Beyond

Costume design: “Allied,” Joanna Johnston “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Colleen Atwood “Florence Foster Jenkins,” Consolata Boyle “Jackie,” Madeline Fontaine “La La Land,” Mary Zophres

This is far from my best/most knowledgable category, but I’ll be happy if contemporary memorable designs from La La Land get it as expected.

Will Win: La La Land Should Win: La La Land Dark Horse: Jackie

Visual effects: “Deepwater Horizon,” Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton “Doctor Strange,” Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould “The Jungle Book,” Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon “Kubo and the Two Strings,” Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould

Did you see all those animals in the Jungle Book? And the note at the end about how it was filmed in California? That was really cool. Doctor Strange was great fun in this area too. But Kubo had a special features real showcasing this work during the credits, so it moves up in the running for me.

Will Win: The Jungle Book Should Win: The Jungle Book Dark Horse: Kubo and the Two Strings

#Oscars #Predictions #Oscar Nominations #Academy Awards

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thestateofardadreaming · 8 years ago

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So @jaqofspades asked me to tell you all about 10 favorite characters, in 10 different fandoms.

Well. You know what? Excellent timing! I’ve been having a lot of fangirl moments lately. Thank you for asking!!! :D So I will start with....

Sebastian ‘Bass’ Monroe. (NBC Revolution)

For the life of me, I don’t get why I identify so much with this character. We have nothing in common. Well, except that we love too much? And are loyal to the wrong people? It helps that David Lyons is gorgeous... When I first started to watch the show, I really liked Miles. I was ready to fall for him and all.. And then I met season 2 Bass, which made me see President/General Monroe in a whole other light. I like all versions of him : the carefree young man, the lost orphan, the guy trying to do the right thing, the crazy psychotic dictator, the man who burned his own initial off his arm, the late father, the betrayed brother, the killer.. everything. Yes, I think about him often and wonder ‘what if’. I hate the idea of him ending up alone, having once more lost his family.

On to Monroe’s antithesis ;

Aragorn son of Arathorn (The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien)

My friends dragged me to the movies to watch a movie called ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’. I had seen the trailer while watching another movie... and I had thought : what a weird movie about an adventure quest? Is it something like Indiana Jones?

Anyhow.. I watched it.

Came out of the cinema, and my life has never been the same.

Aragorn was part of the reason why I was bewitched.

The same week, I bought all the books and read them in a few days. As I discovered the character of Aragorn, i remember I threw the book on my bed and thought to myself ‘What? this character was written for me’. Not saying that I’m noble and mighty like Aragorn but... I crazily identified with him. I even wrote a LOTR fanfic with a feminine version of Aragorn. My fellow LOTR fans still call me Estel, like Aragorn’s elvish name. I still go back to Aragorn and wonder at the perfection of his character, the words Tolkien used to write about him and how Viggo Mortensen portrayed him. I call him my alter ego. Maybe he’s my moral compass. I don’t know. I love the idea of the forgotten king that will return (I know it’s typical of the way Tolkien’s Catholic beliefs seeped into the text but still), the lost wanderer who is not that lost. The man seen as trash by the very people that he trying to protect, and still bearing it with grace and gentleness. The warrior and the healer. He’s not only a soldier, or a tracker, he’s a healer and a lover. Just the perfect character, the one that makes me want to be a better person.

Perfect introduction for my dear

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)

How do I describe him? How? He’s the perfect knight, the too perfect knight who lost everyone and everything that made him himself. And yet, he still kept his promise, and held steadfastly to the Force. The man who watched after a child, from afar, under the harsh suns of Tatooine.

I wish i could mention two characters of the same fandom because I can’t talk about Obi Wan without talking about Qui Gon. He broke my heart, my poor Obi when he lost his beloved Master, and then lost his brother Anakin, and the whole order that was his family. I find his quest to understand the will of the Force particularly interesting. I also liked that he was known as the Negociator. The perfect diplomate.. And later General Kenobi Do I have a thing for generals? Such grace, poise and courage. yes, I’m still not over Anakin breaking heart. NOT AT ALL. Give good things to my Obi. Like Sabé? I love how Ewan managed to create an Obi Wan that was true to Alec’s version but was also another Obi Wan, perfect for the time when the movies came out. I think i could say much more but I think I’ll stop here. But he was totally the reason why I fell in love with Star Wars (him and the Royal Handmaidens!!! And Qui Gon of course.)

On to someone totally different :

Katherine Pierce - Katerina Petrova (the vampire diaries)

Selfish, cruel, manipulative, thoughtless... hell bent on her own survival. When she comes to Mystic Falls, all she wants is to kill and destroy and torture. And yet, as time goes by we start to realize that it’s not all there is. There’s also the Katherine who had a baby snatched away from her, who believed in love, who saw her whole family slaughtered and spent her whole vampire life running from the scariest vampire of them all (or so we thought).

She’s a perfect villain, ruthless and ready to do what must be done. But like many other vampires in this crappy show her biggest weakness is love. The game is to guess who Katherine truly loved the Salvatore brothers? phewf.. Nope. Elijah? Maybe. Nadia, her daughter : sort of. Herself? Totally. She’s sexy, tough as nails and funny.. what’s there not be liked? Also totally love her fashion sense and her makeup.

Needless to say that once she was killed off, I also stopped watching the shows.

Of course, i often asked myself ‘what would Katherine do?’ but she’s no role model.. But the next one is totally one :

Margaret Hale (North And South, Elizabeth Gaskell)

She’s a very modern heroin in spite of the century in which she lived. The daughter of a Clergyman who goes through an existential crisis, and starts to doubt his faith and decides to leave his office, to become a teacher in the North. This is where Margaret Hale is faced with poverty, the workers and the owners of cotton mills and has to face the harsh realities of life. Raised to be a lady, with her mother’s family, she ends up having to take care of the whole household as they can no longer afford more than one or two servants, and her mother becomes terminally ill.

Of course, she caches the eye of one of the mill owners but she sees him as materialistic ungentlemanly man. I’m not going to tell the whole story... but she is both a well behaved lady but also knows how to speak the truth, and stand up for those less fortunate. She might be the daughter of a former clergyman but she isn’t scared for her reputation and the niceties that she has to conform too, be it in the beauty department or even deportment.

She’s a remarkable character and a far cry from Jane Austen’s lovable but sometimes too good to be true female main characters.

READ NORTH AND SOUTH IF IT’S YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!

On to another remarkable female characters :

Morgaine Le Fey, (The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley)

Once more, I saw the tv movie before I read the books.. But I loved her from the beginning. The brave and truth seeking priestess of Avalon who got tangled up in the politics of a very young Britain, with the remnants of the Roman rule, the spread of Christianity and the receding old religion.

What I loved about her is that even though she was serving the Goddess, she wasn’t all good. She did terrible things. She lived her life thoroughly and got her heart broken by those around her, she tried to kill her own brother.. lost her child. And that was the path that brought her closer to Avalon, to the way of the Goddess. I loved how she grew to become more and more intelligent, spiritually and mentally strong... And yet never lot her connection to the otherworld and to the Invisible. She was really an eye opener and a role model.

Marion Zimmer Bradley gave a very interesting feminist and spiritual twist to her character.

Since I can’t pick all the characters from a show, I’m going to restrict myself to Meredith Grey.

Meredith the survivor, Meredith the twisted sister, Meredith.. Ah Meredith! I’m probably going to cry when this show ends. She’s such an amazing character. I love this gif of her, because here she is... One year after losing the love of her life, becoming a widow, and about to let go of the house he built for her, here she is dancing. Dancing with life, the good or bad.

Meredith Grey is the character that I’ve truly seen growing through all the seasons. She’s a far cry from the Mer we met on her first day. I think Derek’s death was good for her, but it was terrible also.. but it also showed her growing her own wings and stretching even more into becoming a better version of herself.

If you would have asked me how I thought Meredith would be so many seasons after the first, my answer would probably have been completely missed this character development.

Here’s to Mer!

The next one HAS TO BE PROTECTED :

Elliot Aldersen That’s my baby.. so full of idealism, and with a jumbled mind.. A mess of a genius mind. I both find him soooo fascinating and so vulnerable.. So real, yet so completely lost. He’s a mess. He’s a baby. PROTECT ELLIOT.

Talking about idealists :

Ben Cash. I want your babies, and I want to raise them in the wilderness with you. And I want you to wear a red suit at my funeral.

Where to start? He’s completely crazy but he’s got it all right too. I love how he raised his children (some things are questionable but hey it’s a movie), how he let them be their own person. And how much he loved his wife.. And his outlook on life, and he’s complete disregard of society’s expectation and rules. He gives me hope, he gives me life.

Are you saying I only have ONE LAST character left?

Noooooo... Too much pressure.

So I’m going to cheat :

THE DOCTOR (Doctor Who)

All of them.. ALL THE DOCTORS. If there’s a character that can make you laugh and cry at the same time, it’s him. He is just perfect. All doctors are my doctors. They grow on you. Foolish crazy man alien that believes in things like humanity and love.. In spite of everything he has seen. Yes, he has moments of doubt, of darkness, but he always goes back to his childlike naivety or wisdom.

I keep on hoping that one day a blue box appear in my garden and I can explore all of space and time with this wonderful creature.

Since I love well rounded character, it’s a pleasure to know that the writers had years to give him depth and subtlety. Even now he can surprise us.

Thanks... I enjoyed it. It was very frustrating though.. Because they are many other character that I should have talked about... well.. next time.

This was fun.. Thanks!

I’m tagging :

@corvidaequills , @duchesspeggy, @scarletfantasia, @hisgirlinthewhitedress, @maevelin, @nerdanelistarnie, @ceaselesslyinlove, @ivorwendarcy @ladymallister, @indely

#About Elwing

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