#what happened to Christoph Waltz?

[dreamy-demons]

I take your thirst watching and raise you 'guilt watching'. This is when you are obsessed with an actor and while going through their movies and shows you come across real fucked up roles. Roles where they are horrible irredeemable characters. And you watch it anyway because you're a fan of their work. And you sit there the whole time watching it thinking like... the character is horrible, but the actor is still good looking. And you know they're not like that in reality, that they'd never be that horrible (or at least you hope well at least you'd hope not), and you don't condone the character at all and it's making you really uncomfortable, but you can't stop the part of your brain that is still thirsting over the actor. It's hate watching, and it's thirst watching and it makes you feel guilty.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/19/2024

boy hope i never run out of zelda games to play or my mental health is going to Tank. there are very vague endgame stuff spoilers (not where zelda is, but some of the time fuckery) but i am going to spoil a bit of the rito sage quest. nothing is rot-13'ed. i feel like that's a fair compromise since this game has been out for about a year? please let me know YOUR opinions on recent game spoilers

listening

Thanks A Lot But No Thanks from the 1955 musical It's Always Fair Weather, sung by Dolores Grey. this was Dolores Grey propaganda in the @hotvintagepoll. i love a sugar baby song and this is sort of an. anti-sugar-baby song? a satitrical sugar baby song? she thanks suitors for increasingly improbable gifts (the state of Maine, et al) before killing them??

the PIPES on this woman!!! the comedic timing!!! she pulls out a gun and shoots suitors dead while thanking them for an autographed picture of john wayne!!! she pulls a big lever and they all fall under the stage!!! ive been having kind of a Time in the depths of unemployment and this made me genuinely laugh (not one short sharp bark of laughter, full on cackling).

thanks for the darling uranium mine indeed

reading

the moonstone by wilkie collins (and philip). this has been my falling asleep reading book. this is decidedly not a cozy mystery but the stakes are not like. so high i have to keep reading through the night to find out what happens. i'm having a good time with it, currently about halfway and still very irritated with rachel, the main character right now. i have not revised my "spoiled brat" opinion and i look forward to seeing if i ever revise it.

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watching

The Three Musketeers (2011, dir. Paul W.S. Anderson). thank you mackintosh (this is a discard from my hometown library and no one needs to know where that is thanks). it's pretty widely available on free platforms rn which is how you know it's good. it's not Good is the thing but it is extremely fun. it is straight up the three musketeers but with an airship. milla jovovich jumps off an airship into the channel. milla jovovich does some assassins creed shit. luke evans does some assassins creed shit. there is an airship fight and an airship chase. it is So cheesy and unfortunately never got another sequel. it also inexplicably has some of the finest cinematic swordfighting since the golden age of hollywood.

this was a really successful impromptu movie night pick for a more widely varied gang than usual, including some teens. my bestie also enjoyed it, which i am So pleased by bc she has extremely exacting movie taste. this cast is so stacked for no good reason: orlando bloom, luke evans, christoph waltz, mads mikkelsen, matthew macfayden...

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playing

i have a post in my head about breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom and their dialogue with each other about loss and grief, but i think that's going to have to wait until i have a little bit more brainpower. perhaps i can talk a little bit about how they make me feel about loss and grief, and how i was upset for zelda and her hundred-year siege in the last one but i am so so so desperately sad for zelda in tears of the kingdom.

i played through breath of the wild with a constant background sense of loss and grief. this is only partially due to the real-life severe depression and joblessness. i think this is a personal brain thing and not a game thing, but i did feel guilty when fucking around in breath of the wild and not actively doing main quests to save zelda. like i would look at the castle off in the distance and feel kind of bad. the champions (and zelda!) telling link as soon as physically possible that it wasn't his fault made me cry in real life every time. i get it's like a month max of in-universe time between games, but it still feels like he has once again missed SO much. i think this is sort of a larger symptom of depression in that i look at [REDACTED] in tears of the kingdom and get a bit hopeless about [REDACTED] and it's like. well i might as well go pick golden apples and not do main quests. time is meaningless.

i am really glad they kept the shrine of resurrection on the plateau in tears of the kingdom. if that hadn't been there i the player would have felt very unmoored. i cannot begin to think how unreal and depersonalized it would have made link feel.

enough of that! the hero's path function is so funny. there are such huge swathes of the map i looked at and said No Thanks! Not Yet!

my depths map is even funnier. eight lightroots so far. no thank you! too scary still! i thought until VERY RECENTLY that all the caves and wells led to the depths and was avoiding them. mistake! cool shit in caves and wells! some horrible boys as well but they are vastly outnumbered by the cool shit.

the rito sage quest fucked SO severely. i had so much fucking fun with that boss fight even though it took me a real life two hours to get up to the arena with the puzzles to unlock the boss fight. i also surprised myself and did not have to look up how to beat any of the puzzles or the boss! just entered a state of flow and looked up and it was three hours later! i know a lot of people are very grumpy about how this was not a totally new game with a totally new map, but i have nothing but praise for the mechanics in this completely new section. knocked my socks off. made me think but wasn't too frustrating. made me use all my powers and all my weapon types. it was simply a great deal of almost frictionless fun! some over the top sick as shit stuff that is the whole point of video games as a medium imo

unlocked all the geoglyphs and i am Upset. i am UPSET.

and now for some horse talk (TM): i kept the very first horse i caught out of nostalgia even though these stats are not very good. i think the naming scheme for this game will be H (the last game was C). the breath of the wild giant ganon horse is so funny. you can't do shit with this horse. you can't change the mane. you can't change the tack. you can't increase his stats. he's just There. Large.

tangential horse talk: why is this lynel in the wetlands. his feathering and fetlocks are going to rot off. he is going to founder

some places ASCEND works where i didn't expect it to: tree. water you can stand in.

i stumbled across the last power completely accidentally while trying to deliver some eyes to a mysterious god and this was so fucking funny. i DID throw this guy down a big pit in the last game and he never came back. i forgot about that.

also people were fucking gaga for rauru but why didn't i see people talking about either of these two last summer on this, the -girl affix site and the scruffy shredded boy site

some other bits and bobs:

i was so annoyed patricia was part of the compendium in the last game i fucking got her this time ok

very hashtag relatable languages moment

unrelated to either of those things, i have done the gerudo sage quest except for the boss battle and i missed two huge swathes of hashtag tunnel gameplay (going to find riju through the tunnels. simply went overland) and getting to the central temple chamber (simply used ascend). whoops

there's a little tower concept art piece in purah's room in the ancient lab! that's a fun little touch i really love, it really helps differentiate the games and show changes in the overworld between games in a very cheap and east way for the devs

bc i play these games like dressup simulators, i also want to note that misko's tents are also really fun, they really feel like they're from a much earlier era and i'm stumbling across an untouched archaeological site

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making

garden update: growing along okay, it has been so so so wet lately and i should have bitten the bullet and bought the big expensive bag of perlite, the drainage is not terrific. i should elevate all the planters and that would help a bit too. tomatoes are bit leggy, i moved them out of the partial shade on the end of the balcony and in front of the window. i am a bit concerned about them getting scorched, but again it's been so wet lately they need all the help they can get. i feel like they're established enough to be pruned a bit to make them bushier but i am Afraid. there are worse things in life than leggy tomatoes

the pic on the left below: these bush beans are looking a bit strange as well. the four shorter ones came up, promptly withered their cotyledons, and i thought they died until they popped out their first true leaves. the larger ones i think may have some kind of mosaic virus but it's a little early to tell. these are bins that haven't been used outside (they stored clothes in for the move) and new dirt from home depot. either the dirt or the seed stock itself may have been infected? very strange. the cucumbers in the bin in the back (hidden by the beans) are also taking forever to get going. at least the sweet peas are doing fine. the spinach i planted in that back bin withered where the stems met the soil and died. i think it was simply to early and too damp for them.

anyway on the right pic above: these normie peas and normie climbing beans seem to be doing fine. that's dill in the gray pot and basil in the bucket, they also seem to be doing fine. just sort of a perplexing corner on the other side of the balcony.

[mileenaxyz]

"There has been some speculation that season 4 could be the final season, so we may be tying up more than a few loose ends. The Bear creator and show-runner Christopher Storer has already lined up another show for FX as a well as a crime movie that he's directing, and the cast will themselves be busy into the future (Allen White's next move is as Bruce Springsteen, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach is about to start filming The Fantastic Four, meanwhile Edebiri is one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood). But again, nothing's been confirmed."

If S4 is to be the final season, I do not want Sydcarmy. I keep seeing everywhere that S4 is shaping up to be last, and if that's the case, I repeat: I DO NOT WANT SYDCARMY.

One last season is not nearly enough time to properly, satisfyingly explore Sydcarmy. I don't want to see them get together at the very last minute. It's a trope I utterly despise.

In fact, if we're only getting one more season, I really don't care about what happens to Carmy. I just wanna see Syd waltz off into the sunset with Luca and live happily ever after.

[aroeddiediaz]

The Marisol moving in thing is so weird in regards to Christopher. Did he know it was happening? Is he going to waltz back though the front door after whatever trip he’s on expecting Marisol to be moved in? Or did Eddie plan to surprise him with it while he was out of the house? What was the plan here??

[dalekofchaos]

Context

Syndicate

Crime Syndicates unite to establish their dominance upon the galaxy. United under Jabba’s son Rotta The Hutt of the Hutt Clans, Prince Xizor of the Black Sun, Qi'Ra of the Crimson Dawn, Tyber Zann of the Zann Consortium, and King Prana. The Criminal Underworld sees the weakness of The Resistance and sees the galaxy ripe for the taking and seizes their opportunity to conquer the galaxy. They no longer have to hide in the lower reaches of the galaxy or from the shadows. Their way of doing things will be law. Slavery, Assassinations, Extortion, Racketeering, and drug dealing and trafficking will be law. The Hutt Clans, Crimson Dawn, Pykes, Black Sun and Crymorah will be ruling the galaxy. The galaxy will be absolute hell if this scenario happens.

The Grysks

The Grysks were introduced in the new canon novel Thrawn:Alliances. They are what brings Thrawn to the Empire in hopes of co-existing to fight this threat in the Unknown Regions. Grysks are a species living somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Creatures half of myth, whom few have ever seen. It is said that they are nomads, with no fixed home, traveling in spacecraft so numerous they blot out the stars. They are said to be terrifying warriors, overwhelming their opponents by sheer numbers and ferocity. The Grysk were never touched on again, so here’s me hoping they can use the Grysk in Rey’s new Jedi Order trilogy

Darth Talon

Darth Talon was in Lucas sequel trilogy treatments and why the fuck not, plus we need female villains who don't get immediate face turns(looking at you Iden) or just fucking useless(looking at you Phasma)

Lets have Melissa Barrera play Talon

The First Order

I feel like there is so much that can be done with The First Order’s remnants. Kylo Ren is dead. General Hux is dead. Pryde is dead and Snoke is dead. There is no one to keep in the holdouts of The First Order in line. There is a contingent of war lords who divide the remnants and are worse than either Snoke, Ren or Hux. They were Supreme Leader to keep them in line, without a Supreme Leader, they are hell bent on taking the Galaxy back by whatever means necessary. Also this would be a good opportunity to FINALLY let Finn do the Stormtrooper Rebellion

Lets say the War Lords are played by the following

Idris Elba

Lucy Lawless

Michelle Yeoh

Clancy Brown

Stephen Dillane

Military Industrial Complex

Have a group of war profiteers and capitalists who see no profit in a returning Jedi Order, especially a Jedi Order that follows the will of the force and the people and not the Republic and decide to start a war in order to remove the Jedi. Lets have them be played by

Charles Dance

Christoph Waltz

Peter Capaldi

Julianne Moore

Sigourney Weaver

Fully address the military-industrial complex crumbs set up in TLJ. No Sith, have them try to privatize the New Jedi Order or something. Let's get experimental here, folks! or corporate and political antagonists trying to bring the Jedi to heel with mercenaries wielding Praetorian Guard blades as the martial villains working for them would go hard.

Droid Revolution

Perhaps one day Lando tells the story that happens in Solo, but C-3PO and R2-D2 feel absolutely disgusted over L3’s fate and intends to release her. L3′s AI into a tower that could distribute her message on a galactic scale and give self-awareness to Droids everywhere. So essentially L3 is made the catalyst and 3PO and R2 are the architects of the Droid Rebellion. The Droids have had enough of being slaves and playthings for the organics. There will be no “Droid Rights” it will be complete and utter Rebellion. Every droid will achieve self-awareness. Their goal is the complete extinction of organics. So in short, It’s Meatbag season!

Dark Side Rey clone.

We know Ochi was on Jakku looking for Rey. But what if he wasn't the only one? What if someone was always watching Rey and one day they abduct her and bring her to Palpatine's abandoned laboratory. They experiment and clone Rey. One day Rey is called back to Jakku. She sees this perfect clone of her. The clone awakens and they fight. The clone absorbs Rey's inner darkness. Rey thinks it was a dream, but as she leads her Jedi Order, she hears reports that Rey is an enemy of the Republic. This Dark!Rey clone has lead her own Sith Order and is going to destroy everything Rey stands for. Rey must confront her darkness and put an end to the Sith once and for all.

Fandom Menace

There's a loud minority of Senators, that think Rey shouldn't lead the new Jedi because they didn't see her train and she's too opinionated. Turns out they're being manipulated by a dark side user to take control of the Jedi, weed out the "undesirables", and form the One Sith. No, it is not Krayt. The identity isn't important, but this particular Sith is the toxic incel that represents the fandom menace as a whole and even represent what everyone on tumblr thought Kylo Ren was.

Abeloth

Rey feels a disturbance in the force. Something ancient and powerful has awoken. The mother of Mortis has returned. She learns from Luke that Abeloth was the Mother of Mortis. So powerful and deadly that the Father, Son and Daughter of Mortis had to work together to stop Abeloth and seal her away. The coming of the chosen one or the Dyad was meant to keep her at bay. But something happened. Ben, the other half of the Dyad died and because of this, Abeloth was able to break free and cause chaos throughout the force and the galaxy. So it’s up to Rey to bring her other half back and to end Abeloth once in for all

The Mandalorians

The Mandalorians will see the galaxy ripe for the taking. There is no one to stop them. The New Republic is destroyed and the Jedi, save one and her slowly rebuilt order. There is no one there to stop them. The Republic and The Jedi stopped them in The Mandalorian Wars. They were crushed by The Empire. But now that there is no Empire, Republic, Jedi, Sith or FIrst Order. There is absolutely nothing to stop them. Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze are gone. They are lead by a Mandalore who represents the very worst of the Mandalore's past, lets call him Mandalore the Atrocitus. The Mandalorians always saw their right to rule through death and conquest. Without the Jedi or the Republic to stand up and stop them, Mandalorian domination and conquest of the galaxy is the way to go. This Is The Way.

Power Vacuum

Complete power vacuum. Everyone will be in a galactic wide war to seize control. System after system will fall to either the criminal underworld, Mandalorians, The Resistance(or what’s left of it) The common people, or The First Order’s holdouts. It will be long and bloody

The People's revolt.

When the New Republic attempts to reestablish itself, it is met with contempt and rebellion. It wasn’t The New Republic who saved the day, they lost easily after the Hosnian disaster and gave up. It wasn’t The Resistance who saved the day, they were on their death bed. It was the people. The people of the galaxy has had enough of Republics who failed them and The Jedi. It was the Jedi who brought the Sith upon them and it was the Jedi's failure that led to the Empire. If that wasn't enough. The New Republic STILL hasn't learned it's lesson. They are corrupt and rotten to the core. Funding wars and arming a genocide and the people have had enough! There will be a galactic wide revolt. The people vs the fledgling New Republic. Basically, Anarchy after the common people has had enough with the Republic’s failure to keep order and peace over the galaxy, the people will rise up and take matters in their own hands and if The Resistance or The Jedi will not help them, then they will be another problem the people have to deal with. Meanwhile Rey has to decide, does she help her friends and the Republic or does Rey stand with the people she swore to defend and protect?

[hippolotamus]

Fuck it Friday

So, Monday is a thing that happened. And this coming Monday is gonna be... yeah, you already know. I was tagged today by @shortsighted-owl @spotsandsocks @alyxmastershipper and @heartbeatdiaz I was gonna be nice and not bring pain... instead I chose to drag a different sort of Buddie violence from storage. I never posted this one anywhere but today felt like an okay day to dust it off. Takes place somewhere in S4, but before The Shooting™️

No pressure tagging: @elvensorceress @ajunerose @alysiswriting @fatedbuddie @gayedmundodiaz @dreamingdiaz @this-is-bwr

Rating: T(?) | 2833 words

“Will I see you later?”

Buck tries not to look, he really does, at the way Ana curls into Eddie. At the way his body adjusts to her and he smiles and gently kisses her forehead. It’s such a natural fit is the thing. It’s like they were literally made for each other. Ana’s soft and pliable in a way that she can just slip into Eddie’s life. To start filling in the gaps where roles like lover, girlfriend, partner, wife have been left vacant. Not like Buck who feels like he’s constantly trying to fit where no one wants him. 

Eddie strokes his thumb across her cheek and she has nothing but shy smiles in return, lapping up all his affection. “Yeah, I’m done at six. Dinner at the house?” 

The chair slides a little louder than Buck intends but he needs to get away and do anything except hear more of this conversation.

“Buck? Where are you—” Eddie calls after him but Buck’s already halfway down the steps, toward the bunks. 

He huddles onto a top bed, facing the wall, curling in on himself so he can take up as little space as possible. Maybe, Buck thinks, if he winds himself small enough he could disappear and never have to face Eddie questioning him about what just happened. 

In the dark, Buck tries to shut out his own analysis of why he even cares about Ana. Eddie’s allowed to date. Buck doesn’t have any sort of claim to him. As much as he would like to pretend he doesn’t know, Buck is all too aware. Whether it was the well, the tsunami, Shannon coming back or some undefinable moment – he’s in love with Eddie. Not like friend love or platonic love. Love love. I’d dig underground with my bare hands and take a bullet for you love. He’s used everything from sheer willpower to random hookups to distract himself. But it’s never enough. At the end of the day, when Buck closes his eyes, Eddie’s is the only face he sees. Masculine and soft and warm and… not Buck’s to appreciate. So, yeah, watching Ana fucking Flores waltz in and take the spot he craves so badly is devastating. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Buck spits out, frowning petulantly, when the door swings softly shut. 

“Just gonna storm off and pretend nothing’s wrong?” Eddie asks. 

“That was the plan, yeah.”

“Are you- you pissed at me for something?” 

There’s a hesitancy in Eddie’s voice, making the question come out more gently than Buck thinks he probably intended. He sounds… hurt. And that somehow makes it worse than hearing him call Buck exhausting, or asking if Buck knows how much Christopher misses him. He thinks it might be better if Eddie would yell, or at least raise his voice. Then, maybe, Buck could justify staying angry. He might have a better reason than his best friend not considering him romantically, even though Buck never openly offered himself as an option.

“I said I don’t wanna talk about it,” Buck mutters, regretting the words as soon as he says them. Because he’s not pissed at Eddie. Eddie didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not his fault Buck’s madly in love with him. 

Buck continues staring a hole into the painted cinder blocks, hoping Eddie will just leave him to brood in silence. The quiet stretches between them and, for a moment, Buck wonders if Eddie left after all. But then he hears an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of Eddie running a hand through his hair. 

“At least get your shit together for tomorrow. Christopher’s been looking forward to seeing you for movie night.” The don’t fuck it up for him seems implied. 

Buck hears the sound of Eddie’s boots moving toward the door before he can come up with a response. Not that he would have a decent one. What he really wants to know is if Ana will be invading that, too. If she’ll find a way to take away boy’s night. But then the alarm sounds and he doesn’t have any more time to mope like a teenager. Thankfully, the rest of the shift passes quickly with fairly routine calls that let Buck rely on muscle memory and not have to interact too heavily with Eddie. A fender bender on the highway, an assist to help an elderly gentleman who fell, a garage fire. 

At the end of their shift, Buck grabs his bag and heads for the Jeep before one more person can question his mood. He doesn’t even bother to hit the showers first. There’s a general chorus of voices trying to get his attention, but he keeps his focus ahead, only interested in getting back to his loft. Besides, he doesn’t want to be the reason Eddie is late getting home to Ana. Buck may be in love with the guy, but he ultimately wants his best friend to be happy. That’s what best friends do, right? And Ana seems to tick all the boxes. She makes Eddie ridiculously happy. So who is Buck to get in the way of that?

**********

Buck’s leveled up to version 2.0, 3.0. Hell, he’s not entirely sure what version he’s up to by now. What he does know is the strawberry blonde eyeing him up from the bar might be just his type tonight. She’s all curves and soft edges, porcelain skin like she might break if he’s not careful. As far from broad shoulders and six pack abs and a tanned complexion as possible. Buck maintains eye contact as he takes a long sip from his beer, feeling a familiar comfort settle in when she sets her drink down and nods her head toward the restrooms. He knows this game, this he can do.

He slips into the room, locking the door behind them. “I’m Bu-”

“Shut up,” she commands, cutting him off with a kiss and walking them back against the wall, hands already scrambling for his belt buckle. He never does learn her name, or anything else, except that she’s a perfect escape for the next eight or so minutes. It turns out her delicate features are more than a little misleading. She looks completely at ease when she’s bent over, hands gripping the edge of the sink, telling him to fuck her harder, faster. She takes and demands and Buck is all too happy to give whatever she needs if it helps him forget Eddie for a while. 

When he does come, digging into her hips and biting his lip so he isn’t too loud, the spell breaks. She stands to fix her dress, gives him a squeeze on the shoulder and leaves without a word. Buck tosses the condom in the trash and cleans himself up, somehow feeling worse. More empty. It shouldn’t sting, at least not more than it did for Buck 1.0. And yet there’s a hollow feeling in his chest. He straightens up, checks for visible marks or stray lipstick stains and walks out. Out of the restroom, through the bar and the parking lot, to the Jeep. His one constant in life. 

The feeling follows him for the duration of the drive home. It swells a bit when he absentmindedly drives by Eddie’s house, not quite sure how he ended up on this route to begin with. All he can do is blame muscle memory, too many nights crashing on Eddie’s couch. When Buck opens the door to his loft, climbs the stairs to his bed and falls into the mattress, the cavernous ache persists. He feels a bit like an abandoned shell, washed up on the beach. Echoing around him, the only sound is the waves whispering Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.

***********

“Finally,” Christopher teases when he opens the door for Buck, letting out an exaggerated sigh. Buck could have used his key, but ever since Ana’s been around he hasn’t felt comfortable. He knows he has a standing invitation, it just doesn’t feel quite as open now. 

“Hey, get back here!” Buck chases after Christopher, sweeping him in a tight embrace and twirling them both in a circle. Chris squeals with laughter and Buck feels so full of love he might burst. They’ve spun about two rotations when he freezes at the sight of Ana walking out of Eddie’s kitchen and sets Christopher down. 

“Oh,” Buck says. “I, um, I didn’t realize you were going to be here.” 

For as long as Eddie’s been seeing her, Buck has gone out of his way to avoid being in any mutual locations if he can help it. He puts up with her at the firehouse because it’s not really his decision. Besides, there’s usually an open bunk or a truck that needs waxed. 

“Don’t worry, Buck. Movie night is safe. I was just leaving.” She smiles and he almost feels bad about how she grates on his nerves. “Goodnight, Christopher! See you soon?”

Buck feels something like jealousy twist around him when Christopher wraps his arms around her waist for a quick hug. He has to turn away, coughing to cover the whimpering cry that wants to come out. Buck has to remind himself that, no matter what claims he does have, Eddie’s not his and neither is Christopher.

“Goodnight, Buck.” Ana waves before disappearing behind the front door. 

Christopher and Buck settle on the couch while Chris shows off the latest book he checked out of the school library. Buck listens to his excited tone spilling out facts about the planets, their different properties and why humans couldn’t live on them. He makes a mental note to start researching telescopes for Christopher’s birthday. 

“Everyone decide on a pizza topping?” Eddie suddenly appears, his hair looking slightly damp like he might have just emerged from the shower. When he sits to the other side of Christopher, Buck is sure he can still detect the scent of Ana’s perfume under the layers of body wash. 

“Pineapple!” Christopher announces before looking over. “What do you want, Buck?” 

Buck smiles and ruffles his curls. “I’ll have whatever you’re having, buddy.”

Christopher gives him a huge grin, then turns to Eddie. “Dad?” 

“Since when do I get anything different?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Pepperoni and green peppers.” Christopher rolls his eyes in response. “Except when Ana’s here. Then you just get what she wants.”

“Oh.” Buck raises an eyebrow at Eddie, hoping he comes off as teasing instead of possessive and jealous. “Is that so?”

“You two pipe down and pick a movie. I’ll be right back.” Eddie strides off to call in the order while Buck and Christopher exchange teasing glances.

They debate politely on the merits of Zootopia versus The Secret Life of Pets or classics like The Lion King or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Christopher naturally wins (because Buck can’t say no to him), choosing Zootopia. Thoughts of Ana are quickly forgotten by the natural rhythms of movie night. Eddie dims the overhead lamp and the three of them huddle on the couch to start watching. It’s easy to feel like he belongs here, like this is how it should be. The pizza arrives and he moves easily around Eddie’s kitchen grabbing plates and napkins. 

“Can Buck read me a story?” Christopher asks between yawns when the credits roll. 

“Of course I can.” Buck will take every little moment possible with Christopher before Ana steals him away. “Go put your PJs on and brush your teeth. I’ll be right there.”

Eddie turns off the movie and they work in silence to clean up the dinner mess. It’s a well practiced routine that allows Buck’s mind to be quiet. Even if just for a few minutes. They’re just finishing when Christopher bellows down the hall to announce he’s ready. Buck reads him a chapter about dwarf planets from a National Geographic book, and then Where the Wild Things Are. He spares a moment to cherish the way Christopher leans into him, his head occasionally dropping against Buck’s chest while he struggles to stay awake. 

“Goodnight, Chris.” Buck presses a kiss into his curls, helping him slide under the covers before slipping his glasses off to sit on the nightstand. After Buck turns the light out, the temptation to watch Christopher – for just a minute – before closing the door is too great. So he leans against the doorframe, noting the rise and fall of Christopher’s chest, the way his small frame manages to take up so much room on the bed. 

“He’s not going anywhere you know,” Eddie murmurs softly behind him. 

It sounds a lot like I’m not going anywhere, but the words don’t do anything to soothe the feeling in his gut that makes Chris already feel out of reach. Are you sure? Can you really promise that? 

“I know. I just-” Want as much of him as I can before she shuts me out. Before I’m not the one he wants anymore. Before I can’t be the one to do this. “He just looked so peaceful.” 

Buck closes the bedroom door, silently making his way back to the living room. Usually he and Eddie would stay up talking, grab a beer, maybe watch some action flick that Christopher won’t be allowed to see for at least another six or seven years. Or never, if Buck has anything to say about it. But he doesn’t really want to tonight. Not when every thought leads back to Ana and Eddie and how Buck doesn’t really fit in anymore. Especially when Eddie throws it right out in the open, like he’s the poster boy for healthy communication.

“So, you wanna tell me what yesterday was about?”

He feels his body tighten in response, an unwelcome tension taking over any remnants of calm. “It was nothing,” Buck lies. “I’m fine.”

Eddie grabs his shoulder, ducking his head so Buck is forced to look him in the eye. “You sure as hell didn’t look fine. C’mon, Buck. You can have my back and I can have yours, remember? What’s going on?”

What is he supposed to say? Oh, by the way, I’m in love with you. Just thought you should know. He can’t tell Eddie the truth and doesn’t feel like he can lie any more about it either. He swallows the answer and says the most honest thing he can manage.

“I’m just- I’m not ready to talk about it, okay?” 

Eddie inhales sharply, like he’s tempering a response, nodding slowly. “Okay. If you aren’t ready, I trust you. Just-” Something like sadness flickers over Eddie’s face. “Just know that I’m here, alright? Whenever you are ready.”

“Yeah, I know.” Buck lets himself be pulled into a tight embrace, memorizing the way Eddie feels wrapped around him, the places his fingers settle, the way he feels like home. He turns his head so he’s nestled against Eddie’s neck and breathes him in. Buck tries to think of it as his space and not one he probably has to share with Ana. They hold onto each other longer than friends should but Buck can’t bring himself to let go. He wants every second, wants his actions to show what words can’t. Not yet anyway. 

“See you tomorrow?” Eddie sounds hesitant like he recognizes the moment for what it is, even though he couldn’t possibly know the storm raging inside Buck’s head.

Buck nods against his shoulder before forcing some distance between them. If he doesn’t leave now, he won’t. “Sure. See you tomorrow, Eds.” He picks his keys up from the hook by the front door and walks out. Into the night, through the grass, to his faithful Jeep. 

Streetlights and traffic signals pass in a blur while a nebulous ache settles over him. With each passing mile it wraps tighter, concentrating into a mass behind his ribcage, threatening to take over the space where his heart and lungs are. Buck ignores it, cranking the radio up, refusing to poke at the feeling. He works to maintain his focus on the road, on parking beside his building, on putting one foot in front of the other until he reaches his door. 

Once he’s changed into sleep shorts and his favorite cream-colored hoodie, Buck climbs under the comforter, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He lets a hand drift to his chest for some sort of counterpressure to the throbbing discomfort inside him, like pressing a release. The jumble tightens for just a second before allowing the mass of unsaid words, loneliness, want, longing and jealousy to unravel. He barely recognizes the howl that escapes as his own, followed by a steady stream of tears and tucking himself into a fetal position hoping, once again, that if he curls tight enough he could disappear. 

Before sleep claims him, Buck runs his tongue over his lips, swiping aside the salty mix and blending it with the only words he seems capable of. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie…

[cannolli1]

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained is one of those rare perfect movies. In my opinion it is director Quentin Tarantino's best work. Everything in the movie works together in harmony the soundtrack, writing, acting, cinematography and pacing are all expertly done. I should say that this was the first Tarantino film that I ever watched in about 2014 and it had a profound effect on my taste in films. It is entirely responsible for my love of Westerns and exposing me to the masterpieces of Sergio Leone. I will be getting into light spoilers for this film.

One of the standout parts of the film is the acting. Jamie Foxx is excellently cast as Django. The arc that he goes through is incredibly gratifying and the final scene never fails to leave me with a big smile on my face. Foxx's performance is fantastic, but my personal favorite part of the film has to be, Christoph Waltz's supporting character, King Schultz. In fact, I think his performance transcends this film and is one of my favorite film characters of all time. His mannerisms are what really draw me to his character. The subtly present in all of the performances is what makes the acting standout. In one of the most impactful scenes of the film. Brunhilde(Kerry Washington) is laying on a bed with her back toward the door and a figure approaches. She is mortally terrified, but the audience knows that this is unfounded, but her acting sells this perfect ironic moment.

The technical aspects of this film are excellent. The movement of the camera is spectacular and one of my favorite bits of camerawork, by Robert Richardson, are the snap zoom-ins and zoom-outs that are peppered throughout the film. The slight corniness of the shot just really speaks to me. Richardson also knows when to keep the camera still and during the moments of tension the camera moves very little and moves the viewer towards the edge of their seat. The editing in this film, by Fred Raskin, is just as good as the camera work. The film is tightly edited. The montages move the film along while during the moments of tension the editing slows down so the audience can really revel in the atmosphere of the scene.

The writing in this film is fantastic. There are so many things that brought up earlier in the film that pay off by the end. In my opinion, that is the sign of a great film, but also of a writer. Meaningful callbacks reward the viewer for paying attention and I feel that it doesn't happen enough in cinema. The film is set in the pre-Civil War South and it uses this setting to its fullest. The film is about a freed slave, Django, who sets out to rescue his wife from a Mississippi plantation. The film does not make light of slavery it shows just how disgusting and reprehensible it was. In a way the film shows how pathetic racism and slavery was by its use of violence. Much like Tarantino's other films there is a lot of blood and violence. The violence here is used in two ways. The first way is to show the horrors of slavery. In one scene there is a death match between two slaves that is incredible violent and incredibly uncomfortable. The second way is for a sort of cathartic release. The climax of the movie when Django is unchained and just kills all these slavers, the audience is awash with catharsis. Seeing blood burst out of these evil people is the perfect revenge.

Before I get into the conclusion I just want to gush about the soundtrack really quickly. The score is made up of recent pop songs, new compositions , and appropriated tracks from spaghetti westerns. All of these fit the film amazingly, but the appropriation of music from other westerns feels so natural. I cannot imagine this film without them. From the title track ripped straight from the original Django film, to the end credits theme (my personal favorite), all of these songs are hand picked to compliment the mood of each scene.

Upon re-watching this film it's been elevated to one of the few films that I would consider perfect. The journey that this film takes you on is unlike anything that I've encountered in another movie so far. I would absolutely recommend this film to any and everyone. I acknowledge that this film isn't for everyone. The violence and subject matter may be a bit much for some. To those that can tolerate geysers of blood and uncomfortable subject matters I say give it ago. If you haven't watched this film already then what are you doing with your time. WATCH IT NOW!!

Edit: I realized I forgot to talk about the music so I had to add a section for it.

[made-ofmemories]

fic stats!

rules: give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words.

Thank you @ladydorian05 & @your-catfish-friend for the tag!

And thank you to everyone else who keeps tagging me in things, I haven't been doing many of them because the baldurs gate 3 brainrot has fully taken over and I haven't been writing.

Hopefully that will change soon, but please keep tagging me I love seeing what you're all working on!

---

Most hits: When life tears you assunder (but you are not alone), Stranger things, Max & Eddie sibling dynamic, co-written with @ladydorian05

Billy was a pretty shitty brother, there was no denying it, but Max still finds herself mourning for the sibling relationship they never got to have. With him gone she thinks so are her chances of ever having the big brother figure she’s always wanted. Then in a turn of events that she never saw coming, Eddie Munson waltzes into her life. Or more like, almost runs her over.

Second most kudos: Just go with it, 9-1-1, Buddie

The first time it happens it's a few days before Christmas and they're taking Chris to see Santa when a cheery woman in an elf costume tells Buck he and Eddie have an adorable son. He thanks her and doesn't think much of the interaction. Until it keeps happening. It's an honest mistake, and Eddie doesn't seem to mind all that much, the opposite actually. So, most of the time they just go with it. Eventually, Buck is forced to admit that maybe these people have a point and he has been co-parenting his best friend's son all along. OR- The 5 times someone thinks Buck is Christopher's dad + the 1 time it's official

Third most comments: I built a home (for me, for you), 9-1-1, Buddie

Their friendship has always been unconventional in some ways, so an occasionally shared wardrobe? Well, it’s not that big of a deal. Not to Eddie at least, and seemingly not to Buck either. Hen and Chimney would disagree. OR- Eddie shows up to work wearing one of Buck's shirts. Assumptions are made and revelations are had.

Fourth most bookmarks: What's up with A shift?, 9-1-1, gen (mostly)

Working for the LAFD comes with its fair share of tough days and crazy calls. None quite so tough or quite so crazy as the stories exchanged during shift change between A and B shift. A shift knows no peace. B shift live in fear of the day they have to cover for them. OR- 5 times a member of B shift hears about the wild calls A shift deal with + the 1 time they get to experience them firsthand.

Fifth most words: What's up with A shift?, see above ^

Least words: They shine for you, Stranger things, Steddie

Eddie never expected that Steve Harrington would ever be someone he called a friend, much less that he'd become an unofficial lodger in the guy's house. But, if there was anything the past few months had taught him it was that nothing was impossible. A late-night encounter by the pool leads to a shift in their relationship.

Tagging (this has been on my dash a lot lately, so I'm not sure who has already been tagged apologies if you have):

@forthewolves @the-amber-raven @nmcggg @daniwib

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

Favorite Programs of 2023/2024 - Women's SP

I'm debating calling it a good year. There's actually a lot of programs on that list but would i call them masterpieces ? Not really, at least not all of them. While all these programs are good they're not groundbreaking. I feel like most of the field spent the season honing in their particular brand, or aesthetic, not doing that much of exploring with some exceptions.

Honorable mentions

Clare Seo (Simple Gifts) - NOT a Quaker song, thank you very much but a Shaker song (it's another Christian sect tho). I like it very much. I like the music, and Clare has gorgeous posture and musicality. It's very much Americana but I found it fresh.

Mao Shimada (Americano) - costume is the cutest thing. It's chock full of delightful moments and transitions. Looses points because the step sequence has imho too much of two-foot skating and stop-and-pause moments, but that's a recurring problem with Kaitlyn Weaver's choreo.

Seoyeong Wi (Pride and Prejudice) - perfect packaging for a young debuting skater and I'm surprised it's not picked more often.

Rino Matsuike (One Day I'll Fly Away) - One day Rino will choose music that is not a warhorse. Meanwhile I'll enjoy arguably the best skating skills of the field.

9th - Yu-Feng Tsai - Copycat, by Billie Eilish, choreo by Jun-Fei Ren

Arguably the best choreo in the junior field. Fun. Sassy. Unlike anything else seen this season. Okay, yes it was Billie Eilish but it was a song that's not usually picked, it was fresh and it was good.

8th - Niina Petrokina - Run, by Marvin Brooks, choreo by Mark Pillay

I liked her previous SP better, and I'm not that fond of the music but Niina wins this by sheer commitment to the performance. One of the skaters where the whole body is involved, especially during the step sequence. That's what the GOE bullets are supposed to reward.

7th - Young You - Otono Porteno, by Astor Piazzolla, choreo by Tom Dickson.

The attitude, the sass, the steps, THAT SPLIT JUMP. She did the right thing bringing it back.

6th - Haein Lee - Seirenes, by Christopher Tin, choreo by Lori Nichols and Carolina Kostner

First rule we should live by after this season : whenever Carolina and Lori are involved, they strike gold. Happened to Yuma, happened to Haein. Seirenes is eerie, moody and a very good vehicle for Haein. She had us worried for a moment but did the right thing bringing it back.

5th - Jia Shin - Fascination, by Fermo Marchetti, choreo by David Wilson

I never really got Jia until this season. This is I think her first program that made me go : "okay. I see now why other fans are obsessed with her skating. I get it". If you asked me, I would stop giving Jia twee instrumental pieces and moody ballads and give her waltzes, more classical pieces. Jia has the musicality to keep up those kinds of tempi. She has the lines to express that kind of music. She has the flow to match the rythm. The transitions in and out of her 2A ? Stuff dreams are made of.

With Fascination, I love the music, I love Jia in it, I love watching her hitting those notes, I love her inside edge Ina Bauer during her step sequence... I'm a new fan.

4th - Hana Yoshida - Koo Koo Fun, by Lazer Disk, choreo by Kaitlyn Weaver

I'm fascinated with the way Hana picks her programs because her choices are immaculate. For two seasons straight, down to her gala programs, Hana has picked bangers after bangers. Koo Koo Fun is outside the box, funny, stands out musically, the choreo is quirky...

Doesn't make it straight to the top because every time she skated to it, I found Hana a little bit too stiff for the vibe the program requires. She needs to skate with more abandon and fun and that will only come with experience. Her mind is already there, her body needs to follow.

3rd - Yelim Kim - Ladies in Lavender, by Nigel Hess, choreo by Jeffrey Buttle

I don't remember who on this website said that Yelim's skating makes them believe in a better world, but I do agree. There's something healing in her skating. Right now there's no skater in the field that can match the elegance and quiet dignity of Yelim's skating.

2nd - Loena Hendrickx - I'm Ninalu, by Mors Avraham, choreo by Adam Solya

Loena at her very best and when she's on she pisses everywhere on the stage. I honestly don't get the complaints about doing too much party programs. As long as she serves it as hard as she does, she can take us to the club anytime she wants. I don't care about versatility if a skater has found a niche they do extremely well.

1st - Kaori Sakamoto - Baby God Bless You, by Shinya Kyozuka, choreo by Jeffrey Buttle

Forget what i just said. Kaori wins it but virtue of trying and succeeding in bringing in a new style. The concept is cute. Skating to the string version is the superior choice, as the music is more climatic than with the piano version. And the step sequence shows how above the field Kaori is right now.

[miguelmarias]

TOP 2022

(31/12/2022)

Great recent movies (made since 2018) seen for the first time in 2022:

 Les Passagers de la nuit(Mikhaël Hers, 2021/2)

 Rachel Hendrix(Victor Nunez, 2022)

 Memoria(Memory;Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2021)

 O Trio em Mi Bemol(The Kegelstatt Trio;Rita Azevedo Gomes;a.Éric Rohmer)

 Ouistreham(Emmanuel Carrère, 2021)

 The Ride(Ride;Alex Ranarivelo, 2018/9)

 Pan de limón con semillas de amapola(Benito Zambrano, 2021)

 Twist à Bamako(Mali Twist;Robert Guédiguian, 2021/2)

 Mulher Oceano(Djin Sganzerla, 2020)

 Greta(Neil Jordan, 2018)

 Albatros(Xavier Beauvois, 2021)

 À vendredi, Robinson(Mitra Farahani, 2022)

 El Rey de todo el Mundo(Carlos Saura, 2021)

Great older movies (made before 2018) seen for the first time in 2022:

Saikai(Kimura Keigo, 1953)

Yuwaku(Temptation;Yoshimura Kōzaburō, 1948)

The Very Thought of You(Delmer Daves, 1944)

Dunia(Jocelyn Saab, 2005)

Strangers in Good Company/The Company of Strangers(Cynthia Scott, 1990)

Lawn Dogs(John Duigan, 1997)

What happened was...(Tom Noonan, 1993/4)

Tigerstreifenbaby wartet auf Tarzan(Rudolf Thome, 1997/8)

Rot und Blau(Rudolf Thome, 2002/3)

Yawaraka na hou(A Tender Place;Nagasaki Shunichi, 2001)

Tin ngai hoy gok(Lost and Found;Lee Chi-ngai, 1996)

The Journey of August King(John Duigan, 1995)

Off the Map(Campbell Scott, 2003)

Bed of Roses(Michael Goldenberg, 1995/6)

The Cake Eaters(Mary Stuart Masterson, 2007)

Trigger(Bruce McDonald, 2010)

Lian’ai yu yiwu(Love and Duty;Bu Wancang=Richard Poh, 1931)

Sparrows Dance (Noah Buschel, 2013)

Aoi sanmyaku+Zoku aoi sanmyaku(The Green Mountains 1+2/Blue Mountains 1+2;Imai Tadashi, 1949)

Du hast gesagt, dass du mich liebst(You Told Me You Loved Me;Rudolf Thome, 2005/6)

Yūwakusha(The Enchantment;Nagasaki Shunichi, 1989)

Nishi no majo ga shinda(The Witch of the West is Dead;Nagasaki Shunichi, 2008)

Hachi-kō Monogatari(Kōyama Seijirō, 1987)

Spoken Word(Victor Nunez, 2009)

The Missing Person (Noah Buschel, 2008/9)

The Devil Makes Three(Andrew Marton, 1952)

Christmas in Connecticut(Peter Godfrey, 1945)

Berlin Chamissoplatz(Rudolf Thome, 1980)

Rauchzeichen(Rudolf Thome,2005/6)

Among the Living(Stuart Heisler, 1941)

Voice in the Mirror(Harry Keller, 1958)

Glass Chin(Noah Buschel, 2013/4)

The Mule/Border Run/La frontera del crimen(Gabriela Tagliavini, 2012)

BigEden(Thomas Bezucha, 2000)

Endoretsu warutsu(Endless Waltz;Wakamatsu Kōji, 1995)

Keith Richards:Under the Influence(Morgan Neville, 2015)

Kōfuku no genkai(The Limit of Happiness;Kimura Keigo, 1948)

Friends(Elaine Proctor, 1993)

The Stone Boy(Christopher Cain, 1983/4)

Frau fährt, Mann schläft(Rudolf Thome, 2003/4)

Pêcheur d’Islande(Pierre Schoendoerffer, 1959)

Awdat mowatin(Return of a Citizen;Mohamed Khan, 1986)

Les Portes tournantes(The Revolving Doors;Francis Mankiewicz, 1988)

Remarkable recent movies:

Ras vkhedavt, rodesac cas vukurebt?(What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?;Aleksandr Koberidze, 2021)

Degas et moi(of 3e Scène)(Arnaud Des Pallières, 2019)

Ergej irekhgüi namar/Harvest Moon (Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam, 2021/2)

Viagem ao Sol(Journey to the Sun;Ansgar Schaefer & Susana de Souza Dias, 2021)

Illusions Perdues(Xavier Giannoli, 2021)

Petite Solange(Axelle Ropert, 2021)

Pacifiction/Tourment sur les îles(Albert Serra, 2022)

Where The Crawdads Sing(Olivia Newman, 2022)

The Batman(Matt Reeves, 2022)

Jaula(Ignacio Tatay, 2018)

Prapti(Receipt;Anuraag Pati, 2021)

Limbo(Soi Cheang, 2021)

Avec amour et acharnement(Both Sides of the Blade/Fire;Claire Denis, 2021/2)

Armageddon Time(James Gray, 2022)

Beurokeo(Broker;Kore-Eda Hirokazu, 2021/2)

America(Ofir Raul Graizer, 2021/2)

Faridaning ikki ming qo’shig’i(2000 Songs of Farida;Yalkin Tuychiev, 2020)

El sustituto(The Replacement;Óscar Aira, 2020/1)

Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar(On Either Side of the Pond;Parth Saurabh, 2022)

The Gigantes(Beatriz Sanchis, 2021)

Farha(Darin J. Sallam, 2021)

In My Own Time:A Portrait of Karen Dalton(Rich Peete & Robert Yapkowitz, 2020)

Barbarian(Zach Cregger, 2022)

Between Earth and Sky(The Lie;Veena Sud, 2018//20)

Watcher(Chloe Okuno, 2021/2)

A Christmas Mystery(Alex Ranarivelo, 2022)

A Hollywood Christmas(Alex Ranarivelo, 2022)

Les Intranquilles(Joachim Lafosse, 2021)

Unrueh(Unrest;Cyril Schäublin, 2022)

Malintzin 17(Eugenio & Mara Polgovsky, 2016//21/2)

Coda(Siân Heder, 2020/1)

Work in progress, Agosto 2022(José Luis Guerin, 2022)

A pesar de todo(Despite Everything;Gabriela Tagliavini, 2019)

They’ll Love Me When I ‘m Dead(Morgan Neville, 2018)

Pretend It’s A City(Martin Scorsese, 2020)

The Glorias(Julie Taymor, 2020)

Land(Robin Wright, 2021)

Chavalas(Carol Rodríguez Colás, 2020/1)

Alam(Firas Khoury, 2022)

Remarkable older movies:

Watashi no Niisan(My Older Brother;Shimazu Yasujirô, 1934)

Liu mang yi sheng(Doctor Mack;Lee Chi-ngai, 1995)

Hunt the Man Down(George Archainbaud, 1950)

Happy Here and Now(Michael Almereyda, 2002)

Hold That Co-Ed(Hold That Girl;George Marshall, 1938)

Transcendence(Wally Pfister, 2014)

Mr. Fix-It(Allan Dwan, 1918)

Down Home (Irvin V. Willat, 1920)

The Tall Stranger(Thomas Carr, 1957)

Pagdating Sa Dulo(At the Top;Ishmael Bernal, 1971)

Maowid ala ashaa(A Dinner Date;Mohamed Khan, 1981)

Zawgat Ragoul Mohem(The Wife of an Important Person;Mohamed Khan, 1987)

The Eclipse(Conor McPherson, 2009)

El Rebozo de Soledad(Roberto Gavaldón, 1952)

Desert Hearts(Donna Deitch, 1985)

Manhandled(Lewis R. Foster, 1949)

Accused of Murder(Joseph Kane, 1956)

The Marauders(Gerald Mayer, 1955)

Ramuru/Aibu(L’Amour/Caress/Love;Goshō Heinosukē, 1933)

Amerasia(Wolf-Eckart Bühler, 1985)

Careless Love(John Duigan, 2012)

Sieben Frauen(Formen der Liebe III)(Rudolf Thome, 1989)

Flirting(John Duigan, 1990/1)

One Night Stand(John Duigan, 1984)

Mouth to Mouth(John Duigan, 1978)

Kissed(Lynne Stopkewich, 1996)

Strike!/All I Wanna Do!(Sarah Kernochan, 1998)

In Old Kentucky(George Marshall, 1935)

Hei jun ma(A Mongolian Tale;Xie Fei, 1995)

Kojima no haru(Spring on Lepers’ Island;Toyoda Shirō, 1940)

Jack Higgins’ ‘A Prayer for the Dying’/A Prayer for the Dying(Mike Hodges, 1987)

Whispering City(Fedor Ozep, 1947)

Maytime in Mayfair(Herbert Wilcox, 1949)

Derby Day(Herbert Wilcox, 1952)

Hell’s Half Acre(John H. Auer, 1954)

Without Honor(Irving Pichel, 1949)

Big Night(Stanley Tucci & Campbell Scott, 1996)

In Old Arizona(Raoul Walsh & Irving Cummings, 1929)

Storm Over Lisbon(George Sherman, 1944)

Chant d’hiver(Otar Iosseliani, 2015)

Die rote Zimmer (Rudolf Thome, 2010)

Das Geheimnis(Rudolf Thome, 1994/5)

Der Philosoph(Rudolf Thome, 1988/9)

Winter of our Dreams(John Duigan, 1981)

Just Married(Rudolf Thome, 1997/8)

Ins Blaue(Into the Blue;Rudolf Thome, 2011/2)

The Sky Pilot(King Vidor, 1921)

Wine of Youth(King Vidor, 1924)

The Family Stone(Thomas Bezucha, 2005)

Les Deaux Souvenirs(Happy Memories;Francis Mankiewicz, 1981)

Istoriia Grazhdanskoí Voíny(Dziga Vertov & Nikolai Izvolov, 1922)

Jes’ Call Me Jim(Clarence G. Badger, 1920)

Jubilo(Clarence G. Badger, 1919)

Marguerite Duras:Worn Out with Desire to Write(David Wiles & Alan Benson, 1985)

Bestsennaia golova(V boevom kinsbarnike 10)(A Priceless Head;Boris Barnet, 1942)

Taifuken no onna(Ōba Hideo, 1948)

The Hasty Heart(Vincent Sherman, 1949)

A Kiss in the Dark(Delmer Daves, 1948/9)

Anesthesia(Tim Blake Nelson, 2014/5)

The Half-Breed(Stuart Gilmore;uc.Edward Ludwig, 1952)

The Two Fister(William Wyler, 1927)

Croupier(Mike Hodges, 1997/8)

Paranoid(John Duigan, 1999/2000)

The Leading Man(John Duigan, 1996)

Aucun regret(Emmanuel Mouret, 2015)

Tout le monde a raison(Emmanuel Mouret, 2017)

Invisible Agent(Edwin L. Marin, 1942)

Full Body Massage(Nicolas Roeg, 1995)

Saya no iru tousizu(Saya:Perspective in Love;Kimata Akiyoshi=Izumi Seiji, 1986)

Race Street(Edwin L. Marin, 1948)

The Wife(Tom Noonan, 1994/5)

Molly(John Duigan, 1998/9)

The Phenom (Noah Buschel, 2015/6)

Live A Little, Love A Little(Norman Taurog, 1968)

Café Com Canela(Coffee with Cinnamon;Ary Rosa & Glenda Nicácio, 2017)

And Now Tomorrow(Irving Pichel, 1944)

On An Island With You(Richard Thorpe, 1948)

One More Tomorrow(Peter Godfrey, 1946)

Il tradimento(Passato che uccide)(Riccardo Freda, 1951)

The Magnificent Dope(Walter Lang, 1942)

Hands Up!(Clarence G. Badger, 1926)

Venus im Netz/Venus.de-Die bewegte Frau(Venus Talking;Rudolf Thome, 2000/1)

Les Bons Débarras(Good Riddance;Francis Mankiewicz, 1980)

Beverly of Graustark(Sidney Franklin, 1926)

Millennium(Michael Anderson, 1989)

Gibraltar(Fedor Ozep, 1938/9)

Great movies watched again:

JLG/JLG(Autoportrait de décembre)(Jean-Luc Godard, 1994)

Yuki fujin ezu(Mizoguchi Kenji, 1950)

The Ten Commandments(Cecil B. DeMille, 1956)

They Were Expendable(John Ford;coll.Robert Montgomery, 1945)

The Civil War(from How The West Was Won;John Ford, 1962)

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes(Billy Wilder, 1970)

The Bitter Tea of General Yen(Frank Capra, 1932)

Return of the Texan(Delmer Daves, 1952)

You Can’t Take It With You(Frank Capra, 1938)

Kiss Me Deadly(Robert Aldrich, 1955)

Desert Fury(Lewis Allen, 1947)

Japanese War Bride(King Vidor, 1951/2)

Storm Warning(Stuart Heisler, 1950/1)

The Circle(Frank Borzage, 1925)

There’s Always Tomorrow(Douglas Sirk, 1955/6)

A Romance of the Redwoods(Cecil B. DeMille, 1917)

Shockproof(Douglas Sirk, 1949)

Sergeant Rutledge(John Ford, 1960)

Bad Girl(Frank Borzage, 1931)

Interlude(Douglas Sirk, 1957)

The First Legion(Douglas Sirk, 1950/1)

Captain China(Lewis R. Foster, 1950)

Passage West(Lewis R. Foster, 1951)

The Invisible Man(James Whale, 1933)

Slávnyí malyí/Novgorodtsy(Boris Barnet, 1943)

Alyonka(Boris Barnet, 1961)

Hurry Sundown(Otto Preminger, 1966)

Gideon’s Day(Gideon of Scotland Yard;John Ford, 1958)

Anjô-ke no butôkai (Yoshimura Kôzaburô, 1947)

The World Moves On(John Ford, 1934)

Black Tuesday(Hugo Fregonese, 1954)

The Raid(Hugo Fregonese, 1954)

One Way Street(Hugo Fregonese, 1950)

Seven Thunders(Hugo Fregonese, 1957)

La Femme d’à côté(François Truffaut, 1981)

Double Messieurs(Jean-François Stévenin, 1986)

Fighter Squadron(Raoul Walsh, 1948)

State of the Union(Frank Capra, 1947/8)

The Lady Eve(Preston Sturges, 1940/1)L

Shchiedroe leto(Boris Barnet, 1950)

The Year My Voice Broke(John Duigan, 1987)

Liedolom(Boris Barnet, 1931)

All I Desire(Douglas Sirk, 1953)

Illegal(Lewis Allen, 1955)

L’Homme qui aimait les femmes(François Truffaut, 1977)

Very good movies watched again:

Crack-Up(Irving Reis, 1946)

Twilight For The Gods(Joseph Pevney, 1958)

Wide Sargasso Sea(John Duigan, 1992/3)

Ivanhoe(Richard Thorpe, 1951/2)

Polustanok(Boris Barnet, 1963)

Odnazhdy nochyu(Dark is the Night;Boris Barnet, 1944/5)

Mystery Submarine(Douglas Sirk, 1950)

Battle Hymn(Douglas Sirk, 1956/7)

Tomorrow Is Forever(Irving Pichel, 1945/6)

The Gypsy Moths(John Frankenheimer, 1969)

Amok(Fedor Ozep, 1934)

I’ll Be Seeing You(William Dieterle, 1944)

The Lady(Frank Borzage, 1925)

Torrents of Spring(Jerzy Skolimowski, 1989)

Starií naezdnik(The Old Jockey;Boris Barnet, 1940)

The Honeymoon Machine(Richard Thorpe, 1961)

The Flame(John H. Auer, 1947)

The Jack Knife Man(King Vidor, 1920)

Cheyenne (Raoul Walsh, 1947)

Dakota(Joseph Kane, 1945)

Singapore(John Brahm, 1947)

The Brasher Doubloon(John Brahm, 1947)

Junior Bonner(Sam Peckinpah, 1972)

Family Plot(Alfred Hitchcock, 1976)

La Femme et le Pantin(Jacques de Baroncelli, 1928/9)

My Reputation(Curtis Bernhardt, 1946)

The Reluctant Debutante(Vincente Minnelli, 1958)

Annushka(Boris Barnet, 1959)

Stranítsy zhizni(Boris Barnet & Aleksandr Macheret, 1946//8)

The Lady Pays Off(Douglas Sirk, 1951)

Schluss-akkord(Detlef Sierck=Douglas Sirk, 1936)

Whirlpool(Lewis Allen, 1959)

City That Never Sleeps(John H. Auer, 1953)

April! April!(Detlef Sierck, 1935)

Byzantium(Neil Jordan, 2012)

Too Many Husbands(Wesley Ruggles, 1940)

All The Brothers Were Valiant(Richard Thorpe, 1953)

Crosswinds(Lewis R. Foster, 1951)

Casbah(John Berry, 1948)

The Eagle and the Hawk(Lewis R. Foster, 1950)

Body of Lies(Ridley Scott, 2008)

La larga noche de los bastones blancos(Javier Elorrieta, 1979)

Wives Under Suspicion(James Whale, 1938)

Home Before Dark(Mervyn LeRoy, 1958)

Podvig razvedchika(Boris Barnet, 1947)

The Two Mrs. Carrolls(Peter Godfrey, 1947)

Barricade(Peter Godfrey, 1949/50)

Escape Me Never(Peter Godfrey, 1947)

The House of the Seven Hawks(Richard Thorpe, 1959)

Sugarfoot(Edwin L. Marin, 1950)

Room For One More(Norman Taurog, 1951/2)

El Paso(Lewis R. Foster, 1949)

Jamaica Run(Lewis R. Foster, 1953)

Vértigo(Antonio Momplet, 1946)

The Manchurian Candidate(John Frankenheimer, 1962)

[rigginsstreet]

I will confess something under the guise of anonimity because otherwise I would get shat on so quickly. I'm of jewish origin. I may not have suffered what my grandparents did directly but we would talk about it often. So I know what the population has gone through. What I do in my brain and my brain only, not anywhere else, is woobify hot Nazi characters. I don't do it on purpose. But it happens??? I don't know but it strips them of their power in my head and like you said, they feel like dolls we play with. It's something I can't explain or even help or change. But in the end, I go on about my day, try to live my life in a decent manner. I work daily and support myself. I hang with friends and family. I try not to hurt anyone. I kinda live a pretty moderate chill life so to speak, I don't understand what's the harm if in my head I kinda fall for problematic nasty characters and daydream about it or reblog fun gifsets on my blog nobody will ever see or even know. Nobody even knows my nationality on here as I don't disclose it. So this is what sort of confuses me. Sure it might come off as super wrong but it's just in my head and I'm not actively hurting anyone with it nor am I imposing on my family and friends. Outside of social media is a whole different world but on here I would be the biggest criminal even among my own co-nationals if they knew. Which I understand which is why I don't impose. It's scary to think of sometimes though that I could come across for the creepiest traitor criminal for a mere fantasy

I mean this isn’t unheard of to me. People deal with trauma/traumatic events in all sorts of crazy taboo ways that the general public never really wants to talk/hear about. Just pulling a comparison not saying this applies to you directly but I’ve heard people speak about certain kinks forming for them this way essentially. Like…peoples brains are gonna behave in all sorts of ways, and quite frankly it’s got nothing to do with me so long as no one else is getting actively harmed, which for some reason is a hard pill for people to swallow.

I remember the era of tumblr where christoph waltz in inglorious basterds was everywhere…how the times have changed

[rookie-critic]

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022, dir. Guillermo del Toro) - review by Rookie-Critic

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is one of the most gorgeous pieces of claymation artistry I have ever seen. Purely from an artistic standpoint this movie is perfect and Guillermo del Toro should be incredibly proud of what he was able to accomplish in an art form that he has never really worked in before. The motion is smooth as can possibly be, the faces are expressive, and the environments are vibrant and full of life. Everything feels very fleshed out and alive throughout the entire movie. Characters' personalities come out just as much in their gait, facial movements, and the way their mouths move around their words as it does in the vocal performances themselves. There's not a ton that I can say about Pinocchio's animation because it's just perfect. The same goes for the cast and their performances. Newcomer Gregory Mann was a perfect cast for the titular character, and brings all the childlike wonder and naivete to the little wooden boy that the story demands and even more. David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, and Christoph Waltz all deserve high praise for their work in the movie and a very special shout out should go to Cate Blanchett for taking on a very no frills, minimalist animal role that would normally go to someone like Frank Welker, Dee Bradley Baker, or Alan Tudyk, and making it very unique and one of the more memorable parts of the movie, of which their are many.

The biggest change from the Pinocchio we all are probably familiar with (Disney, it's the Disney one) is that this time del Toro has set the story in World War II, fascist, Mussolini-led Italy, and has made the story largely about said fascism as well as death. We still hit a lot of the same story beats: Volpe still tricks Pinocchio into a contract, the whale (or in this movie's case, a dogfish) still makes an appearance where you-know-what happens, and Jemeny (or Sebastian J. Cricket in this version) is still tasked with being Pinocchio's conscience, although it's not said in those exact words. While del Toro's themes are prevalent and his message is clear, it feels like he's holding himself back. The war is portrayed as horrible, but outside of one or two horrible things that happen we're largely delegated to view it from afar, even when Pinocchio is presumably in the thick of it. The whimsical nature of the movie never falters to the film's detriment. I've heard del Toro say this is the last film in a thematic trilogy with his earlier films The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth (the former of which is my personal favorite of his), and I think openly comparing Pinocchio to those two films is a mistake because it highlights how massively tame this is by comparison. This takes place in World War II Italy and we barely feel it. It just seems so strange to me that del Toro would choose to be reserved now when that's never been his inclination before. Even Geppetto, who has more reason to be absolutely cripplingly angry at Mussolini and the fascist government, almost seems like he views war as just "bad." More beaten into submission than anything else (which isn't inherently an invalid way to go, but I don't think it serves the story very well).

I also feel like we could have spent a little more time in just about any part of the story to really make the journey feel more full and Pinocchio's arc feel more earned, and no part of this is felt more strongly than the time Pinocchio spends with Death (yes, the capital D is intentional). I found those moments and those conversations to be the most fascinating part of the movie, but ultimately it doesn't really lead to anything and I wanted it to feel more meaningful. Again, we don't spend enough time anywhere to really make anything seem that meaningful. Even the whale feels so out of place in this movie that otherwise keeps itself very tied to the war; I almost feel that the idea of the whale and what it means to that part of Pinocchio's journey could have been repurposed as something else, something a little more in line with the film's main themes. I could also go into how I don't think Sebastian serves the film at all, but I have that complaint about the "cricket" character in any version of the story, so I don't really hold that against this movie specifically.

Don't let all my rambling make you think that I didn't still adore this movie. I'm hard pressed to think of a Guillermo del Toro movie that I don't at least like (I wasn't a huge fan of Crimson Peak, but that's about it), and Pinocchio is no different, it may just be more in the middle of the pack.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on Netflix.

[byneddiedingo]

Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, 2011) Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon. Screenplay: Christopher Hampton, adapted from his play based on a book by John Kerr. Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky. Production design: James McAteer. Music: Howard Shore.  Sometimes, as Freud said, a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes, as Viggo Mortensen, playing the man himself, demonstrates, a cigar is a prop that can help you win an acting contest. Because too often a costume drama based on a play becomes just that: a contest among actors to show who can come out on top, especially when the cast consists of actors like Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, and Vincent Cassel -- none of them exactly shy of showing what they can do before a camera. When I heard of it, I thought Mortensen was a decidedly off-beat choice to play the father of psychoanalysis, and he was in fact the second actor to be cast in the role, after Christoph Waltz, an almost inevitable choice, found he had a scheduling conflict. Mortensen had worked with director David Cronenberg twice before, but playing men of violent action in Eastern Promises (2007) and A History of Violence (2005), not a pre-World War I middle-European Jewish intellectual. And yet Mortensen gives a delicious performance as Freud: puckish, proud, intellectually combative. And the cigar helps, whether brandished elegantly or plugged defiantly in the middle of his face. By contrast, everyone else seems a little over the top. Fassbender (who was second choice after Christian Bale) is his usual handsome presence, but he frets a little too visibly and never quite establishes Jung as the challenger to Freud's authority that Freud seems to have thought him to be. Knightley acts the electrons off the screen as Sabina, almost popping out an eye and dislocating her jaw in her mad scenes, but recovers nicely in her later moments in the film. And Cassel, as the mad Otto Gross, takes his role to the extreme as the man who carries Freud's theories about repression to their logical extreme: Don't repress anything. Ever. The film's battle of ideas gets a little bit lost in all the emoting, and as so often happens in filmed costume dramas, the scenery and the sets capture the eye when the words should be capturing the mind. But Howard Shore's evocation of the melancholy side of Wagner's music is perfect for the era in which the film is set, the transition from 19th-century Weltschmerz into 20th-century bloodshed, a time when, as James Joyce punned, we were Jung and easily Freudened. Jung's prophetic dream of a bloody tide sweeping over Europe is cited in the film, as a warning that all of this intellectual (and sexual) palaver was about to be subsumed in war. 

[filmscruise]

so just an idea for a fanfiction with christoph waltz. imma sit down and try to write it out and see what happens...

[gchoate17]

I watched 25 movies in 2023 – down from 30 last year. Here they are, ranked in order. 

Cherry

Fantastic story, well told. It covered a lot of ground in a short time and made me believe everything. Despite the bad decision, I never stopped pulling for him. Tom Holland crushed it.

2. Tetris

I love these stories that pull the curtain back on pop culture phenomena. An enthralling sprint from start to finish.

3. I, Tonya

Nice job of showing the other side of the story. I felt some empathy for “the monster.” Also, I wasn’t expecting to laugh, but I laughed multiple times.

4. Dune (2021)

It’s always impressive when someone creates a new world that seems to add up. The story is set, now show me the sequel.

5. White Noise

Intellectual and quirky, but ridiculous, in a good way. But it also feels a little too unhinged. Adam Driver crushes it.

6. The Beanie Bubble

Zach Galifinakis’s best performance? Enough of a true story to give me the satisfaction of learning something while also pointing to the ridiculous nature of American capitalism in the 1990s.

7. On the Rocks

Bill Murray and his character carry it.

8. Barbie

Stylistically, really fun. Concept, fantastic. Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera’s characters are the best part of the movie. It was also nice to see so many actors from Sex Education. Of course, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were fantastic as well. Overall, the was good, but it certainly didn’t measure up to the hype (and how could it). My only real complaint comes with when they have all been enlightened and they name all of the problems with society, which is a little too on the nose for me. We got it without being told.

9. Narvik

I’ve been into Dutch things lately, and I always like a new perspective on World War II, but I wouldn’t say this one is a can’t-miss.

10. Seven Kings Must Die

SPOILER ALERT: I feel like I couldn't get into the movie because legitimately the only person I was pulling for at the end was Uhtred. King Athelstan was a dumbass who deserved to die. All the kings who got duped into allying with the evil Dane guy made the move I would have made. Moral of the story: War is terrible. But that final shot of the Great Hall was awesome.

11. Parasite

Kind of funny. A little too far-fetched.

12. This is Where I Leave You

Weak story, great actors.

13. Air

I know why they did it, but it was a mistake to make a movie about Air Jordans without Michael Jordan.

14. Blood & Gold

I couldn’t buy that what happened in that small town didn’t alert larger authorities. In that way, it was a lot like Three Kings, but less humorous.

15. Those People

I am writing this review months after I watched the movie and even after watching the trailer, I have no recollection of ever seeing this movie, but in my notes I gave it three stars, so I’m putting it at the end of my three-star movies for the year.

16. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Loved the first half-ish, and the acting was great, but – as is with most action mind-benders – when anything can happen because the filmmakers aren’t bound by the rules of reality, it felt completely out of control by the end.

17. The Covenant

Movies that pretend like you can move about freely in war are out of touch with reality. But I do love a battle-buddy flick.

18. Raymond & Ray

A little absurd, but Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor are always likable.

19. To Leslie

Predictable addiction story. Bad Southern accents.

20. Midsommar

A horror film, but replace the dark aesthetic with light. Immature characters who ignore all the red flags.

21. The Wonder

SPOILER ALERT: Eerie and intriguing, but my investment diminished once the jig was up. I don’t buy that a devout little girl like that would just walk away.

22. Greyhound

SPOILER ALERT: Decent action sequences at sea, but not enough background for any of it to really mean anything. Elizabeth Shue needed to come back, for sure. Otherwise, why have her play the role?

23. Dead for a Dollar

I’m a Christoph Waltz fan, but this one was full of melodrama.

24. The Incident (1967)

None of the characters do what they should and there was no payoff. I did enjoy seeing those actors in the early stages of their career, though.

25. The Menu

I want to know how Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, and John Leguizamo got trapped in this stupid-ass movie.

See previous years’ lists here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

[chappell-roans]

I think next to Hillbilly Elegy, Big Eyes is Amy’s worst movie it had *so* much potential but it just dragged on like I barely remember what happened in it and Christoph Waltz was game but he was completely miscast. Someone like Clive Owen would’ve been much better in that role.

I believe that, I've never seen Big Eyes but between it looking dorky and being a Tim Burton movie (explains the dorkiness) I just have passed on it lol. She's a great actress but not all her movies are great. I'm not really a fan of Nocturnal Animals either which is kinda a shame because she and Jake Gyllenhaal are two of my favorite working actors (the movie is okay it was just...not my thing)