#you can see how i am so struggle with andrew hairstyle

[kafa1010]

Something I draw, quick.

[ftstorm]

My take on 5x10

Welp, that was a big one!

You know, before going into this episode I reminded myself this was the first episode of a new era, the first episode completely made by the new team.

So with that in mind my expectations were "Okay, let's see what they've got."

And oh boy did they surprise me.

DISCLAIMER: this text post is long af, not kidding.

1. THE INTRO SCENE.

You guys have no idea how glad I am that we got Mac doing a usual MacGyvering in his house. It's been ages since they implemented this format of showing his dynamics outside Phoenix and around his house.

I wasn't worried about the proposal thing at all. Guys, you have to accept that MacRiley was always going to happen after that 4x04 episode.

There was also the fact that this was the intro scene (usually the most important plot issues happen in the outro scene), Bozer's weird reaction and the melancholic audio cue.

If that proposal was happening, they would've made it more uplifting.

(I gotta say that watching Monica Marcer and the official MacGyver account making damage control in Twitter 3mins into the episode was a funny experience)

So my initial questions about Mac wanting to propose were: "what are his motivations?" and "how is this not going to work out by the end of the episode?"

The second question we got the answer later on. The first question remains unanswered. If we take on Mac's words, he says:

Mac: Unexpected, I know, I know. But that's why I like about it. You know ever since I lost my dad and Jack I've been thinking about the bigger picture. A commitment to make things work it's exactly what Desi and I need. A grand romantic gesture. *cue melancholic music*

Here we're presented with a bunch of things worth analysing, in my opinion.

He's trying to see the "bigger picture" which, for me, it means he's trying to tackle down different issues from his life with one specific, efficient action [the proposal]. Those issues being:

> his current romantic relationship: make is aware they have an inconsistent relationship > his performance at work: he needs balance between his personal affairs and his work, which is based on saving the world in a daily basis and for that he needs to be focused. > dealing with his past losses: to my understanding, saying "ever isn I lost my dad and Jac I've been thinking about the bigger picture" means that he doesn't want hopelessness to take over him, he wants to keep on moving and being proactive about his life.

So... you have to understand that in some sort of way, this proposal thing is a signal that Mac is healing. In some sort of way, if you were in Mac's shoes you would see that it was a positive thing for him. A step forward.

The thing is, we [the audience] have an extended understanding of the situation and we know that an engagement would be an incredibly rushed decision.

As well as it is that Mac's trying to move forward, he obviously hasn't been able to pinpoint the true issue behind his relationship with Desi. He isn't wrong about them lacking in the commitment department, but forcing the relationship to scalate isn't the right move. He should be asking himself: "Why are we avoiding commitment?"

And that's when he'd find out that they have very deep and important trust and communication issues.

~~~~

2. Moving on. MURDOC.

Russ: I can process it more efficiently by having it all spread out ahead me, you know. I reckon see the bigger picture at once.

This is when I realized that the episode was centered on this whole "bigger picture" idea. Russ struggles to see the full picture until the very end and Mac finds out that he hasn't been seeing the full picture of his life at all by the end of the episode.

Fast forward, the team's in Mexico, Riley knows about the ring already and she has already had the talk with Bozer in which she refers to her feelings for Mac in a past tense.

Then Murdoc appears.

And as if the episode wasn't already a rollercoaster after Mac's reveal, now Murdoc shows up to put everything upside down.

First I gotta say, man Dastmalchian is SUCH A GOOD MURDOC. Excellent actor. The way he delivers his lines, his facial expressions, all of it make an original and very entertaining Murdoc.

He always gives me such a Andrew Scott's Moriarty vibes and I love it.

Secondly, his dynamic with Andrews: *cheff kiss*

I loved how Andrews was so over Murdoc's theatrics, to the point his facial expression screamed "Why did I even reclute this guy" LOL.

Back to the story.

This is something I was hoping it wouldn't happen but at the same time I don't see another way it could've happened which is the explanation behind Murdoc's escape and how Phoenix didn't know about it.

Because what they told us is that the FBI didn't let them in on Murdoc's escape, right? Does that imply that the FBI has a corrupt agent in charge? Does it imply that the order of not letting Phoenix in came from above? Maybe someone with higher clearence than Matty? A politician? Governement conspiracy?

It smells like plot hole, tbh. I feel like the Murdoc's escape is a classic "it is what it is". We'll see if they come back to this in later episodes.

~~~~

3. BIG SECRET REVEAL 1.

By now we're at the point of the rollercoaster where you're going up and up and up. Your tension building more and more as you're getting close to the drop.

Bozer and Riley's audio was the drop.

You know, during this scene I jumped from my seat, closed my eyes, cringed, squealed, my heart accelarated, forgot how to breathe...

As a person who is a little bit bipolar when it comes to romance (I can be very shy about it or very outspoken about it) that scene made me SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

Imagine having your feelings exposed not only to the person you have feelings for but also his girlfriend who happens to be your friend, your boss and the criminal that's threatening to kill hundreds of people.

I was like: "Not like this!!"

And Mac's reaction didn't help because of the lack of it. I don't know what I expected but his slightly monotone reaction broke my heart.

Thankfully, I've recovered since then and I don't mind that it happened that way.

Still, imagine how suffocating it must've been for Riley. That idea was what made me so uncomfortable and I think that's what they were going for. They wanted to make it as straightforward and awkward as possible.

But it doesn't end there. It's followed by Mac revealing the ring to Desi (and Riley). Mac's in "fuck it" mood and Desi kinda panics.

Little side note here, using GUM and a DIAMOND to break a bullet proof glass... BIG YES. That's an intrinsic MacGyverism.

~~~~

4. BIG SECRET REVEAL 2.

Then we get a breather from this drama by introducing another drama, Leanna's death.

Bozer's reaction to the news was heartbreaking for my already heartbroken heart.

I have my suspicions as to why they decided to kill her... The other episode completely made by the new team was the Quarantine one (5x06). During that episode Mac and Bozer bond over Bozer's pain. After learning about Bozer's mom, Mac chooses to share a piece of his own pain with him.

So, hear me out, I think they writers are planning to help Mac process his own grief THROUGH Bozer's grief. Keep in mind that we still have a Bozer centered episode coming up.

This is just a theory. I may be wrong, but I think it may be right too.

Back to the episode.

Once again we see a three dimensional Russ. He does something accordingly to his own judgement thinking it's the right decision [hiding Leanna's death], he realizes he screwed up, he gives Bozer a very heartfelt apology about it.

Henry's acting talent shone with this narrative. Actually, most of the actors had the chance to shine THANKS to the NARRATIVE. Murdoc, Andrews, Desi, Mac, Russ and Bozer... they all had their highlight moments (I'll talk about Riley later).

Parenthesis here... THE NARRATIVE HAS RETURNED THEIR SOULS TO OUR DEAR CHARACTERS!

WOW, they aren't brooding, angry, sad or whiny ALL THE EFFIN TIME. ABOUT TIME!

~~~~

5. LAST ACT.

For the third or fouth time in this episode my heart broke again when Mac was friendly towards Riley, after she explained herself. It really felt like he was friendzoning her.

But here's something to point out. Riley visibly relaxed when he reacted that way. What does that tell us?

> She had been so tense up until that point. Imo, she's on the defensive now. You can even see it in her wardrobe, make up and hairstyle choices. They're very contrasting to Riley's most vulnerable moments in this show (like when Audrey broke up with her).

Riley has had a year to sort out her feelings. We see in this episode that she spoke about them in a past tense. Whether she achieved it or not is unknown. We just know that she has at least tried to move on.

> She was mostly afraid of ruining her close relationship with Mac (who's her only family, along with Bozer) and her friendship (?) with Desi. We've seen it over and over again: Riley DID NOT WANT to get in the middle of them.

Keep that in mind as we go in the last scene.

It took me a while to figure out a possible thread of thought inside Mac's mind. Why did he look at the ring and decided to go to Riley's house? It really didn't make sense to me.

One moment he was thinking about his proposal and somehow that lead to him having the necessity to know if Riley still had feelings for him? Why??

My theory is that he went to her apartment for permission.

His question was a way of asking Riley for permission to propose to Desi. It was a way of reassuring himself that proposing was still the right decision.

In a way, he could also be fishing for an excuse to not do it [the proposal].

Because now he has doubts. He's confused, unsure.

Mac asks:

Mac: Hiding your emotions and letting it pass. Did it go away?

What could her answer have been? Here I wanna go back again to Riley being emotionally defensive, added her strong desire of not wanting to be in the middle of Mac and Desi's relationship.

I think she would've said "Yes, it worked."

Because it also lines up with my idea that the love triangle has changed from "Riley's a better match for Mac" to "Mac needs to win Riley's heart".

Riley's done her job. She worked out her feelings. Now it's time for Mac to sort out his humongously messed up internal self and reignite her spark. That's what I think.

Also, if anyone has any idea on how the song that played in that scene relates with the moment please share it with me because I don't really understand the song choice lol.

~~~~

6. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Desi. I'm not sure what's going on in her mind. She seemed stressed out by the ring, very serious about Riley, lenient with Mac... I'm really not sure.

My guess would be that she doesn't want that type of commitment but she wants to be with Mac yet she can't ignore Riley so does that mean she has to end it with Mac? That's the thought process she may have had? Idk...

I'm glad they let her be mature about it, with no overreactions, no whining, no blaming, nothing of that style that we're used to see in her.

I'm also glad about that moment when she defeats Murdoc and Andrews. THAT'S HOW YOU WRITE A TOUGH DESI. It was filmed with such a gracefulness and elegance. I liked it.

From a MacDesi point of view, she's probably being open minded and giving him space and waiting for him to come back to her... but somehow I got the vibe that she's actually... running away?

Lastly but no less important.

THE HISPANIC REPRESANTION OMG. RUSS SPEAKING SPANISH AND THAT CUMBIA MUSIC FILLED MY HEART WITH SO MUCH PRIDE!!! :')

[uclaradio]

Latinx Punks’ Style Against Societal Norms

Article by Samantha Garduno

Photographs by Karina Jaramillo and Kelvin Cerezo

In the United States, white supremacist and patriarchal ideologies create societal norms causing a struggle for survival among marginalized youth. Latinx kids from Los Angeles are currently trying to create their own space in order to openly perform their identities and ideas in an oppressive society. The punk genre is a loud and fast-paced form of music that speaks about the failures of society. Classism, Sexism, and Racism are all issues that limit the growth of marginalized youth. This genre encourages rebellious youth movements against oppressive social norms and government institutions. The punk scene is a form of spatial entitlement and sonic space among Latinx youth trying to survive in Los Angeles. The rebellious aspect of the punk scene is shown through Latinx fashion; their style is considered as nonconforming. The dark “edgy” clothes worn by these youth is critical in giving the space meaning and allows the representation of Latinx punk identities. Conservative adults look down upon Punk Latinx groups because they look intimidating and problematic. However, interacting with these Latinx Punks and hearing their stories it reveals how empowered they are by claiming a space that is rarely inclusive towards their identity.

The aggression and rebellion that is seen through Latinx Punk style is a product of marginalized kids’ creation of subcultures in order to help them survive discrimination and racism. Their styles showcase empowerment and unity among Latinx youth. They are able to separate themselves from mass culture to seek their own individuality. In the following photos, I will present some images from the OC Punk Fest of Latinx youth embodying the punk culture. At the fest, I asked them to introduce themselves, share their identities, and why the punk subculture is important to them. After hearing their stories, I learned that these Latinx punks are visionaries and want to present themselves through their fashion, ideas, and music. They are making an impact in today’s society by being themselves.

Left to Right: Jagger Age 16, Sydney Mendez Age 16, Rodrigo Hernandez Age 15, Daisy Gonzales Age 16, Andrew Hernandez Age 17 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo)

Sidney Mendez: “My name is Sidney, I'm 16 years old. I live in Placita. I’m Latina and Columbiana. Punk is something that has been a part of my life because it runs in my family. My mom was in a band when she was younger and so she taught me basically everything she knows about punk music. It’s basically something that I’ve been listening to my whole life and never got over it.  Punk music is more than just listening and liking how it sounds, it makes me feel alive because of how my adrenaline rises. It’s a contest feeling of happiness for me and it brings me and my friends closer because we share the same interest in music.”

Left to Right: Aurora Zavala Age 20, Karina Perez Age 20, Leslie Mayorga Age 19 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo)

Aurora Zavala: “My name is Aurora Zavala I'm 20 years old I'm latina. The way I dress is inspired by some of my favorite musicians from the '80s and of course, I incorporate my own taste into it. It's important to me because I feel like it represents everything that I like.” Karina Perez: “Well hi my name is Karina Perez I’m 20 years I live in South Central Los Angeles. I’m Latina. Well for me it’s a representation of who I am what I like and it’s important to me because I’m representing the punk scene in some way since we are underrepresented and not really paid attention to an extent. It also represents us female since it’s very dominated by males and shows that females do exist in the punk scene that were out here changing the scene and representing it. And also it is a part of me and my style and who I am as a person.” Leslie Mayorga: “My name is Leslie Mayorga I’m 19 years old and I’m from Los Angeles, I identify as Hispanic. My style varies a lot it’s usually lots of black 80s-esqué garments like dresses, trousers, blazers, etc. I love jewelry too! I’ve made earrings and stuff like that. I feel like the reason I like to dress the way I do has a lot to do with how I express myself and want to physically project myself to others, a lot of times people stare at me and mad dog me and I know the reason for that is because of how I look (dress, hairstyle, makeup) and in a way making people angry or uncomfortable in that sense can be liberating because it’s obvious that if someone feels threatened it’s because they are looking at something they don’t know or even bother to understand/respect and I find it kinda funny and kinda sad how people can be so judgmental. Part of it too is that I just love putting outfits together and adding little details. Fashion and style can be very empowering.”

Far Right: Ramon Torres Age 19 (Shot by Karina Jaramillo) Ramon Torres: “Ramon Torres (19) Hispanic. My style is a mix of 90s grunge/punk/hipster style. It’s just a combination of all the things I enjoy listening to or things I find appealing to wear. Usually set myself apart from the general population that wears the new high-end brands while I just thrift most my stuff to save money and mix it up. My style is significant to me because it gives a satisfaction that I don’t look like everyone else and it gives me confidence. This is basically saying to everyone else “This is me, I dress weird and that’s okay.” I always had a sense of style, however, my current style was influenced by OC punk scene going on right now where punk is still seen as abnormal and crazy!”

Anai Mata, Age 19 wearing a distress Black Flag Police Story shirt and a cheetah print skirt (Shot by Karina Jaramillo) Anai Mata: “Anai Mata, age 19, born Chula Vista raised Moreno Valley, I am Mexican American, first language Spanish. My style has a lot of rock and roll roots, my dad was a metal head and I would see pictures of him; he'd talk about the music but in very little interest. When of course I was interested. He has the photo of him and his old friend and they're both in heavy leather jackets and hightop Nikes; I thought it looked badass. Anyway, music wise I started off listening to Rage Against the Machine when I was 5 years old and from there  I built up a style, you know. My first punk bands were The Adolescents, Conflict, The Casualties, The Clash, and Circle Jerks. I always thought about the punk scene/music was revolutionary. The style itself was fucking everyone off right and it was an outcast thing. That's goes with me. My parents didn't let me dress myself under up to 5th grade and I would dress casual. At the age of 12 through 15, I was making my own shit(jeans, cut shirts and shit like that). I started attending backyard shows at 13 because my brother had this band, so therefore I was exposed to the Moreno valley punk/ska/indie. It was all mixed in from what I remember. Throughout high school I had my docs and patches I shaved my hair into a tri-hawk and would wear it up every day. My dad has beat me up because of the way I would dress and stuff. It wasn't cool but it’s important because it shows the ones that want to see you "normal" or "una pinche niña adolescente" like it’s a big FUCK”

Nathan Salazar Age 15 (Shot by Kelvin Cerezo) Nathan Salazar: “My name is Nathan Salazar.  I am 15 years old and I’m from Long Beach, California. I am Hispanic and Guatemalan. My style isn’t exactly the same as everyone else; I like to dress in my own way where I feel comfortable. I like to paint my nails black and wear docs and tuck in my shirt with cut sleeves and wear a bandana around my leg. I paint my nails and wear the bandana because I hate the fashion now and everyone looks the same and it bugs me. I just try to do the opposite like painting my nails to show that I don’t care that “painting your nails is for females. ” The scene is important to me for many reasons. I’m glad punk rock is still thriving because if it weren’t I would be one bored mf but also it gives me a reason just to go out and be with people I can call my friends because we all feel the same about things and how we think people on the outside are. I’m thankful for the scene because how it brings us together in every way not just through feeling but through the love for punk rock and without the scene I don’t even think I’ll have my own band, The Neurotics, and it encourages me and my band just go hard every time we play because we can’t look sorry. I love the people in it yeah everyone’s not perfect but the people I’ve met I’m thankful for that people are really humble.”

[everythingmusicandfilm]

Oscars 2019

Yep it’s that time of year again, the 91st Annual Academy Awards is on the 24th Feb 2019. An interesting year for the oscars, after announcing there will be no host and that the awards for editing and cinematography won’t be aired lived before revoking that decision. It seems like the awards are up in the air and there were a lot of snubs. After a lot of debates, I have finally narrowed down (sort of) my oscar picks for the year. 

Writing

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

I really loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the six different stories however I struggled to see how they worked together, it very much felt like a broken up film. Can You Ever Forgive Me was a surprisingly intriguing story that uses McCarthy’s performance to keep it going. If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful story that focuses on young black lovers that rarely get represented in Hollywood. A Star is Born also a beautiful story that managed to differ from previous versions and provide a unique take on the story in the modern era. Best adapted screenplay for me however is BlacKkKlansman, a powerful and inspiring story that connects America’s past with present times to comment on the absurdity of today’s political climate.

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

This was a particularly tough category to choose from. Vice was not my favourite film and I found it rather messy. Green Book was a step up and I loved the character arc of Mortensen’s character. Roma, easily one of my favourite films of the year had a beautiful story and intriguing characters. I really really loved First Reformed. The importance of climate change along with the often contradicting worlds of science and religion and discussions of mental health, this film had an intriguing storyline that really got me thinking. I think however my favourite original screenplay out of these choices (and not just because of the pun) is The Favourite. It is a uniquely strange film that I have never seen anything like before. A comedy period film is a unique blend of genres that I can’t get enough of. With incredible performances from Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, the interesting look at behind the scenes of the absurd royal family along with lesbian characters that are almost never shown in films of this time period. The Favourite is a fresh story that as sequels and franchises dominate the film industry today, seems extremely rare.

Technical

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Cold War had particularly stunning cinematography along with The Favourite and Never Look Away. I really loved the cinematography in A Star is Born also. The close proximity of the camera to the couple falling in love as well as on the stage makes this film so intimate. The lighting in this film is incredible and highlights the stunning blue and red colour palette. I think the oscar however should go to Roma cinematographer/director Alfonso Cuarón. I can’t remember the last time I watched a film so visually stunning. The monochrome tone is embraced with the latest digital technology to create a film so stunning it might just win the oscar.

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man”

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Both Ready Player One and Solo: A Star Wars Story were disappointments for me and the visual effects were far from revolutionary. Christopher Robin was however a lovely film and the visual effects used to create Winnie the Pooh and his friends were impressive, creating a unique look between cartoon and reality. First Man, one of my favourite films of the year had some stunning visual effects both in heroic scenes and heartbreaking as the mission to the moon played out. My favourite use of visual effects in a film however has to go to Avengers: Infinity War. There can be a lot of stigma around superhero films however you have to be pretty ignorant to ignore what these films are doing. Only 3% of the shots in Infinity War did not use visual effects, entire characters are built around CGI including the incredible performance by Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film has created the entire world of Wakanda and features many space scenes. It is safe to say that the Marvel films are leading the way for visual effects and are definitely deserving of the oscar this year.

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,�� Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Again, a difficult category to choose from. Mary Poppins Returns was a visually stunning film to watch as the effects and costumes came to light. The Favourite also managed to bring the 17th century to light with its set. First Man was a highly underrated film this year and the production design was incredible as it reimagined the 1960s in a way I haven’t seen before. Roma was one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and was a very close second along with First Man. The best production design however has to go to Black Panther. The amount of work that went into that film in order to create authenticity was obvious when watching the film. An almost entire African/African American crew and cast made the film authentic with African culture. The costuming/makeup along with the set design/colours and special effects created a visually stunning film that revolutionised the film industry and even shaped history.

Film Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

I have already expressed my opinions on Vice and I think the editing is where the film went wrong so not entirely sure how it is in this category. Green Book again, a lovely film but not exactly revolutionary. Bohemian Rhapsody I have mixed feelings about, but there is no doubt that the editing to move between the music scenes and dialogue was very well done. The Favourite, again a unique film that uses editing to merge genres like we haven’t seen before. However the oscar for best editing has to go to BlacKkKlansman. The editing in this film is genius. The pacing allows the comedy to work and the politics to hit the audience in just the right moments. The use of split screens and merging images along with the use of the Charlottesville footage at the end allows this masterpiece of a film to bloom. It allows for the comedy and politics to play out at the right moments, a tactic I think Vice failed to do.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice”

I think the makeup and hairstyling nomination only applies to Christian Bale in Vice, although an incredible transformation it was. And although there are some stunning transformations in Mary Queen of Scots, I think Border deserves to take home the oscar. Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff are virtually unrecognisable in this film as the makeup and hairstyling helps to make this film so special.

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Some great period costumes were shown in The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Poppins Returns and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. However the costume design in Black Panther was highly unique and revolutionary. The in depth detail and authenticity that went into the African warrior costumes as well as the Black Panther suit was extremely impressive. So much hard work went into making these costumes and it was refreshing to see African culture portrayed this way in a major Hollywood movie.

Sound

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

First of all I am absolutely astounded that First Man was not nominated for best score, did they even see the movie ??? Anyway, this category is still extremely difficult to pick. I ended up with a tie between Black Panther and Isle of Dogs. If you read my Mary Poppins Returns review then you’ll already know how obsessed I am with the music in this film. If Beale Street Could Talk also offers some extremely beautiful and emotional piano pieces. BlacKkKlansman was also one of my favourite film scores as the solo guitar melody along with smooth drums and lush strings creates an extremely unique score. Black Panther however had an extremely powerful score that was authentic to African culture. The African vocals and drums creates a powerful score for a powerful King. I also absolutely loved the Isle of Dogs soundtrack as I can never look past Alexandre Desplat. The plucked strings fits perfectly with Wes Anderson’s lively animation. But yeah, still mad about First Man.

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

An easy one for me. I do love the Kendrick beat for Black Panther as well as anything Mary Poppins. “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” was surprisingly a very close second. If you would have told me a year ago that a song sung by Tim Nelson would be one of my favourite film songs I would have laughed. The oscar however absolutely has to go to “Shallow”. This song is so raw and unique and has so much power and emotion. Bradley and Lady Gaga’s chemistry and their vocals make this song an oscar worthy performance that I can’t wait to hear live on the day.

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst

“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Yes, finally First Man is recognised for sound. I am happy that A Quiet Place got nominated as it proves that silence is just as important as music in films. The oscar does by far go to First Man though as the sound in this film is astonishing. The way it is editing really highlights the important parts of the movie and turns it into a intimate drama rather than a Hollywood blockbuster.

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

Again, same as above although each one of these nominations is deserving of the award. Sound mixing is slightly different as it is about how you hear the sound rather than what you hear. Two different but equally important parts of sound design. The sound mixing works with the sound editing in First Man to create a superb sonic film.

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Loved Incredibles 2, loved Isle of Dogs but my favourite animated feature by far was Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. I have already written about how much I loved this film as it has completely revolutionized superhero and animated films. The story, the graphics, the sound really brought the comics to life to create a stunning, unique and important animated feature.  

Acting

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

I always love any role Sam Rockwell plays and I thought he made an incredible George Bush. Adam Driver was also impressive in BlacKkKlansman along with Sam Elliott’s legendary performance in A Star is Born. I can’t quite decide however between Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant. Ali is one of my favourite actors and he plays the reserved piano player role so well in Green Book, the reason why the film is getting so much attention. Grant also plays an impressive part in Can You Ever Forgive Me that for me actually overshadows McCarthy’s performance.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Again, extremely hard to pick. I am a little confused that Amy Adams was nominated for this performance but not for her performance in Arrival??? Marina de Tavira also surprises audiences with her performance in Roma as she highlights the struggles of being a mother. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz both play incredible roles in The Favourite, both characters that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. Regina King however absolutely shines in If Beale Street Could Talk especially considering she didn’t have that much screen time. She is a very talented actress and it would be incredible to see the award go to a woman of colour.

Best Lead Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Some incredible performances by actors this year including Viggo Mortensen who plays an Italian American surprisingly well. I was also very impressed by Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’s Gate who brings raw emotion to the character of Van Gogh. Christian Bale, one of my favourite actors did an extraordinary transformation to play the character of Dick Cheney and I won’t be surprised if he takes home the oscar. Rami Malek also had an incredible transformation to play Freddie Mercury and I think it’s safe to say that the oscar will likely go to him. My favourite performance however was by Bradley in A Star is Born. I’ve already talked about how much I love this film and Bradley absolutely shines in it. He plays the musician, the alcoholic and the lover extremely well as he brings so much emotion and this film definitely moved me the most because of his performance.

Best Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I’m sorry I’ve just given up now. There are so many incredible actresses out there and they all deserve the oscar. Yalitza was absolutely incredible in Roma, an outstanding performance that brings so much joy to Mexican people as she gets the praise she deserves. Olivia Colman played an unforgettable role in The Favourite and Melissa McCarthy really surprised me in Can You Ever Forgive Me. The tie for the favourites however (and I’m wondering if there will actually be a tie) is between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga. A Star is Born is one of my favourite films of 2018 and Lady Gaga’s performance was a big reason for this. I was blown away by her acting and never once doubted that Ally was new to the world of music and fame. Glenn Close also impressed me with her performance in The Wife, and as we’ve seen with multiple awards ceremonies already, she is clearly a favourite to win.

Best Director and Best Picture

Best Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”

Adam McKay, “Vice”

So many great contenders this year but where the hell are the women??? Although I assume the oscar will go to one of my all time favourite directors (so I’m not complaining) Alfonso Cuarón, I think Spike Lee deserves the award. I’m shocked that this is his first time nominated to be honest. He has such a unique vision and all of his films especially BlacKkKlansman manages to connect comedy with politics to create an outstanding film that makes you both laugh and think. He is an extraordinary director and he really deserves this award.

Best Picture

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

Best picture for me has to BlacKkKlansman. I don’t really understand how Vice and Bohemian Rhapsody are even in this category and although I did like Green Book, it wasn’t exactly a favourite for me. The Favourite was an extremely unique film that merged genres and had powerful performances, stunning costumes and production design and an intriguing story. Roma, who has very high chances of taking home the award was a refreshingly stunning film that highlights a mexican family who often do not get to see themselves represented in Hollywood. The cinematography, production design and sound were particular highlights for me along with Yalitza’s performance. Black Panther, a highly revolutionary film that has literally shaped history, has an outstanding cast, spectacular production design and costumes and a powerful score is an incredible contender for best picture and I would absolutely love if it won the award. A Star is Born, one of my favourite films of the year had so much emotion that it moved and inspired me in a way that Hollywood films don’t really do anymore. The directing, performances, cinematography, editing and of course music makes this film an extremely worthy Best Picture nominee. In the end I chose BlacKkKlansman as my best picture. Spike Lee delivers a unique film based on a true story that manages to balance laughter with shock, fact with fiction to represent both the absurdity and danger of racism in America. It combines extraordinary acting, editing, sound, cinematography and directing to create an extremely moving film that successfully comments of the political climate of America in 2018 and inspires a change. This is something that few Hollywood movies actually succeed in doing, and it should therefore win best picture.

Snubs:

If Beale Street Could Talk / Best Picture

Eighth Grade / Literally every single award

First Man / Best Score

Bradley Cooper / Best Director

Michael B. Jordan / Best Supporting Actor

All of the women directors

[riverdaleroundup]

Riverdale Roundup: 2x04 “ The Town That Dreaded Sundown”

Okay shit is getting real now. I’m fresh off watching this new Riverdale and I would say that i’m shook but I mean honestly it was okay. I mean shit is starting to happen but i’m not yet on the edge of my seat.

So we open up the show and the  river vixens are prancing down the street in a little pack like a group of basic bitches on halloween. Honestly the sheer number of people who went as river vixens / or betty and veronica on halloween made my head hurt. Like if your costume is popping than okay cool we get it you like the show so you bought the yellow tube socks and the HBIC shirt and you’re living your best life but if you just put on a button up shirt and put your hair in a sloppy ponytail you’re not betty cooper so like sit the fuck down. That’s not a costume. That’s you pulling out a shirt that doesn’t fit from the back of your closet so you could try to feel relevant.

Alice Cooper is a grade A brutal bitch and I honestly live for her. She sits down in front of her computer, slips on her chic ass glasses and chugs that white wine ready to tear shit up with her cutting edge reporting. She slips into worried guilt tripping mother mode for a hot minute but still looks chic as fuck doing so. I just realized that she’s that cougar that Nate banged season 2 of gossip girl and i’m dying. Literally shook. Who is Alice to judge Grundy robbing the cradle when she and Nathaniel Archibald got it on on numerous occasions when he was a generous 16 years old.HOLY SHIT I JUST LOOKED AT HER IMDB PAGE AND SAW THAT SHE PLAYED SHERRY IN GILMORE GIRLS??!? How did i miss that? I literally just re watched the Sherry episodes. She looks so different. I’m dying.  But can we also talk about the inconsistent state of her bangs? Like one minute she’s got that casual middle part and the next she’s rocking a side swoop. I can’t keep up.

Okay so Betty wants Jughead to drive all the way to riverdale high to spend lunch with her. Like how long are their lunch breaks? Like honestly it was a struggle to make it down to mcdonalds and be back in time for english but these kids can skip all the way to the other side of town to enjoy a romantic lunch and still make it back in time for their joke of a literature class?.

I wasn’t paying enough attention to know what the sperant leader's name is but he looks very familiar to me. He kind of reminds me of like a cheaper version of Nat Wollf in the naked brothers band. Honestly any minute i’m expecting him to pull out a guitar and confess his love for Rosalinda.

Also this is the first time that i’ve heard official riverdale referred to as the north side and it kind of threw me off my game. Like we’ve had this whole south side angle working for a while now but i never once considered that they would call riverdale proper anything other than riverdale.

Okay what is with the remix of Archie's speech when he’s walking down the hallway. Like I’m sorry I didn’t know Archie Andrew’s music career ( which i totally forgot about until he lied about being home all night writing songs) had progressed so much that he was now mixing his own beats and headlining this year's coachella.

Kevin is just so forgiving. Like he was mad for like 10 minutes of one episode and now he and Betty are bff’s again.  Also he mentions his mom and I was like what? Kevin has a mom? Does she live out of state and pretend he doesn’t exist ala Jugheads mom?”

Also it’s just too much that Black Hood is like “ Omg Betty your cute speech about loving your friends and making Riverdale a nice place has inspired me to MURDER”. Now starts the shit that I hate. Betty is like i’ll tell the police a half truth and withhold important information. That is just way too pretty little liars for me. Those bitches never went to police with anything. I mean season one of riverdale these kids would find a used tissue and be like “ we have to tell Sheriff Keller about this” and now Betty thinks this is a cross she should bare alone. Kevin is right. Betty is in high school ( aka fifteen years old for fuck sakes) not the newest graduate of Quantico.

So both Toni and Jughead are into true crime and that means what? That they’re going to ride off into the sunset and listen to spooky criminal podcasts together for all of eternity? I already hate where this whole Toni/Jughead/ Betty triangle is going. It’s just so freaking typical and I can’t deal. I had hopes from last episode that they might just co exist for at least a little while but suddenly this episode Toni grows this bitch ass attitude and starts attacking Betty out of nowhere.  Betty was trying so hard  to avoid being the jealous girlfriend by being like “ I’m so nice you’re new best friend can crack the code with us and we can all be friends” . They’re having their little crime solver party and Toni makes a little comment about Betty's ponytail which would have been fine if she had said it like in a nice joking way but she starts coming for the hairstyle like the ponytail murdered her father right before her eyes and she’s been sworn to seek vengeance ever since. Kevin rips Toni a new one because Bettys pony is “ iconic” and he’s not here for any of her bullshit.  Than Betty makes literally the same comment that knock off Nat Wollf the serpent made about black hood targeting north siders but this time Toni feels personally attacked by this and decides that she needs to start poking holes in Jughead and Bettys relationship and being an over all annoying bitch.

Okay so the fake ID that Archie uses at the gun store looks like he made it himself on the back of a monopoly get out of jail free card. He’s getting together all his weapons so that he can what? Have a shoot out in the middle of the street with the masked man? Also why do they call his ski mask a hood? Archie keeps being like “ It’s not a Ski mask” but has the boy ever been to a mountain? That looks a lot like a mask to me.  So while Archie is gathering ammunition and literally painting the town red while waving a gun in the face of a couple of serpents, Veronica is making a rush order to vistaprint and somehow convincing Cheryl to help her hand out a lazily designed shirts.

So after Archie is banished from school for being locked and loaded  he sends Veronica to go toilet bowl fishing in order to retrieve his gun.  So Reggie is so grateful that Archie didn’t sell him out about the ski mask that he’s decided that him and the rest of the football team ( plus one boy scout) are willing to rejoin their not so secret society. But this makes no sense to me because it’s not like Reggie committed some heinous crime in that hood. He just showed up at Archies house in it to scare him.

But whatever i’ll let that go. The football team had to be there because conveniently the teenage branch of the south side serpents have just rolled up and are ready to rumble at midnight. Literally. Rumble. Have we slipped into an alternate universe? Am i watching west side story? The Sharks and the Jets are literally about to fight openly in the streets. Plus the whole way that Veronica was like “ fair fight! No weapons.” Is so west side that it makes me want to murder myself. Like if I couldn’t sit through a whole high school production of that play then I’m not looking to see it here. Is someone literally about to burst out into the chorus of America and bang their fist on a metal fence? But anyway.

The town meeting is called and it’s not a cute one like in gilmore girls. Alice Cooper is running this meeting. She wants to close down south side high but like how will that help? Are all those kids just going to go to riverdale high now or did she figure they would all just stay out on the streets in south side sans education? How would that save money? She’s so against the south side but like is that not her old stomping ground? What’s the beef Alice? What is your MO? Fred is all like Alice this is a time for us to be united and blah blah blah. Hiram and Hermione are muttering about Fred and is he a problem or is he an asset and i’m like enough with the secrets. Tell me the goods.  

The boys head out in the pouring rain like they’re about to shoot a dramatic Taylor Swift music video. They start to  fight in the streets and Archie is getting his ass handed to him. So Dilton gets stabbed but I got really confused. It kind of looked like he was the one who was pulling the knife? So did he stab himself for the drama or am I just a literal Psycho? Veronica shows up in her dramatic ass cape like in the season one premiere and fires the gun in the air which spooks all the boys like a group of nervous dogs around fireworks.

Jughead and Betty figure out that the code is from her old Nancy Drew workbook and head off to rescue everyone at the town meeting. Now the thing is who is this person that they know enough about Betty that they know that she used to check out that decode book all the time as a kid? That works with the idea that it could be Hal doing all of this but I really just don’t see it. But what do I know? Nothing.

So now the killer is making blocked calls to Betty because why the hell not. Here’s why that doesn’t work for me. In this day and age who the hell answers an unknown number? Not I. I barely answer the phone when people I know are calling.

That's it.

Until next Thursday. Byeeee.

[kafa1010]

Okay I post on this site too.

Actors on Actors that I want 😭😭😭😭😭 please meet again... Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg :

Here's my delulu... Crying

[kafa1010]

me in 2023: