#you really can tell who has theater experience and who doesn't based on how they present in a meeting

[cloysterbell]

Let me just say. If you were at any point in your life a theater kid, that shit will be with you for the rest of forever. I had to give a presentation to the entire marketing team today and the second they put me at that podium in front of a crowd I was immediately possessed by the soul of my 10 year old self and boy did I put on a show

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

#23: “The Miraculous Ladybug Movie May Give You What You Want, but My Show Gives You What You Actually Need! You Don’t Work in Television, so You Wouldn’t Understand.”

I've been running this blog for almost three years at this point, and I've seen Astruc talk trash about various things while claiming his show is better, like Winx Club, Paw Patrol, Pokemon, and Pixar as a whole. I never thought I'd see Astruc act like his show was better than a movie based on his show though.

For those who don't know (and you'd be forgiven, seeing how Astruc has barely talked about it on his Twitter), there was recently a movie that hit theaters based on Miraculous Ladybug called Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie. Supposedly, it's meant to be a retelling of how Marinette and Adrien met as civilians and as heroes. While I haven't seen it, it seems to be getting good reception, with some saying it's better than the show it's based on.

Of course, Astruc had something to say about this.

Okay, I sort of get what he's trying to say here. It's hard to compare the experience of watching an hour and a half long movie and a TV show with five seasons under its belt, but at the same time, the way Astruc phrased it still made it seem like he was trying to say the show was the better option because it “gives you what you need”. Nobody was expecting the Love Square to be resolved in a few episodes. Most people at least wanted more stories about the two to be told that don't involve constant padding. Astruc also acts like the Love Square is the only draw for the series instead of, oh, I don't know, the superhero action? You're really telling me they couldn't have tried focusing more on that after resolving the Love Square? I'm just saying, if The Office can continue after Jim and Pam got together, you can at least try to actually write other stories after the Love Square becomes canon.

One user in particular had some things to say in response to Astruc's claims, and you can guess how well Astruc took that.

Again, nobody is saying that working in television is all sunshine and rainbows, Astruc, but just because someone isn't familiar with dealing with network constraints and test audiences, it doesn't mean that they're unable to provide any meaningful criticism.

Also, Astruc is once again using a psychology term, in this case, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, to act like he's smarter than the critics. This man took psychology as an elective in college, didn't he?

But then again, this is coming from someone who doesn't think constructive criticism is a real thing.

Funny how he once again acts like anything that isn't positive feedback of his show is delusional, isn't it?

Eventually, this devolved into Astruc posting a little tangent about how fandoms have only gotten more toxic, which would have been a decent point... it if didn't come after all the things he said about fans not being able to criticize his show.

Again, there's nothing wrong with what he's trying to say here, but it feels less like a critique of how fans have become more toxic with the advent of the internet, and more like he's complaining about how mean people have been to him lately.

And, of course, this led to the usual fare of people calling out Astruc for his close mindedness, and Astruc once again saying how people aren't allowed to criticize his show in any way that isn't blind praise.

And here's the thing. We're still not done yet. This little tangent only warranted more comments about how Astruc handles criticism, only this time, it's also about calling out the people who think they can do a better job handling the show.

First, do you mind giving us an example of what kind of constraints you have to deal with, Astruc? We all know that TV executives suck, but I think we'd have more of a reason to understand your struggles if you actually explained some things that needed to be changed because of executive meddling.

Second, nobody wants a beach episode, Astruc, especially after that one issue of the comic you're choosing to ignore. We just want a more consistent story that doesn't rely on endlessly padding out the Love Square.

And finally, did you just say you have to be French if you want to rewrite Miraculous Ladybug? What does being French have to do with any of this? I remember seeing a little tweet a few years ago suggesting you would be a good choice to write a Superman story, but last time I checked, you aren't American.

Let's review in case you got lost. Someone tweeted that they thought the Miraculous Ladybug movie did a better job at the story it set out to tell than the Miraculous Ladybug TV show, Astruc tried to explain how his show is still good in its own way while justifying how long it's been going on for, he ranted and raved at fans for daring to criticize his team's writing before going on a tangent about how the internet has made people more hostile over the years, and when people still weren't happy with him, he claimed that you could only criticize or rewrite the show if you're an experienced French TV writer like him.

So just keep that in mind, fanfic writers. Unless you're French and have experience writing for television, you don't have a chance in hell to successfully write your own version of Miraculous Ladybug.

[incorrectprodigalsonquotes]

What Could've Been For Prodigal Son Season 3

Okay, so I already made this post by reblogging to one of my other posts but I thought I'd make an official post for it so I can make more for the "other future seasons" lol:

Version 1:

Martin dies and things happen more or less the way they do in my fic "Carved in the Cradle" (yes, this is a shameless plug lol)

Version 2:

Martin is in a coma for most of the season.

Malcolm goes on a spiral and locks himself away from the world for months.

Dani and Gil, maybe with Jessica, go to have a real talk with him and Malcolm just looks disheveled. Not like he's been attacked, but he's just numb and self-loathing.

Dani is the one to ultimately bring him back by just saying the specific phrase, "Defending yourself against a serial killer doesn't make you a bad person" because she separates the fact that it was his father and focuses on the fact that father or not, Martin Whitly is a serial killer who tried to kill Malcolm.

Malcolm returns to work, and we get a couple of normal case episodes, maybe some focused on the rest of the team like Edrisa and her firefighter guy, JT struggling with being a tired new dad, maybe an episode about fathers and daughters and we get a flashback episode about the day Dani’s father died (I'm convinced it was an unexpected death), and of course, a Jackie episode.

All the while, Martin is in a coma but is completely in Malcolm’s head, like in 2x09.

We definitely get a Christmas episode this season, we get Brightwell moments until they have a cheesy kiss under the mistletoe moment and that's when they unofficially get together.

I say unofficially because they don't talk about how it changes things between them until the episode that would come after.

Malcolm also comes clean to her about what happened to Endicott. At first Dani is rightfully upset about being lied to but tells him to continue with the rest of the story because she knows it's been eating away at him. She gets legitimately angry when she finds out about Ainsley’s stunt with the pig's blood because messing with someone in that way is never okay, especially when that someone was just trying to do what they could in the moment. Malcolm tells Dani that he understands if she doesn't want to be with him now, but he felt wrong starting anything with her without her knowing everything.

And of course, Dani says that she still wants to be with him, to try this out between the two of them because all she's ever really wanted from him that he wasn't already giving was full honesty. She's still a little miffed at him for lying but she does understand why he did it, doesn't condone, but understands.

There would be revelations that call back to Season 1 and how perhaps Jessica, assuming that Martin was having an affair, wasn't completely off base.

An episode with Edrisa’s parents involved in a case or having useful info about their victim, but we also learn how she became who she is.

We have a theater episode and find out JT's mom is actually a successful Broadway actress and she's even more bombastic than Jessica. It makes Malcolm more confused when JT says that Malcolm’s mom has a good calm energy but then he meets JT's mom and understands.

A beauty pagent case episode for sure, and Dani and Malcolm both go undercover. They've been keeping their relationship under wraps (maybe only Gil knows because if they didn't tell him, he'd figure it out). There are a lot of Brightwell heavy moments, and Malcolm is reminded of his dream he had a year prior. Both Dani and Malcolm experience jealousy for the first time. It was different when they were just friends because neither felt like they had reason to be jealous but now that they're taking things slow, neither like the idea of someone else trying to get romantically involved with them.

Where is Ainsley in all this, you might ask?

She's taken up a six month job overseas to just get away from it all. She doesn't want to come to terms with the fact that Martin tried to kill Malcolm, she's mad at Malcolm for stabbing their father (again), and she's mad at Jessica because no matter how much she loves her mom, she always has beef with Jessica.

When she gets back after the New Year, she still will not talk to Malcolm and Dani can see that it hurts him.

Ainsley tries to get between Malcolm and Dani because how dare he even try to be happy when their father is still in a coma. It doesn't work, of course. This isn't the end of it.

If you were wondering about Gil and Jessica, no worries, they've been smooth sailings the whole time, even with the Jackie episode. It's revealed that Jessica never disliked Jackie but the reason she didn't go to her funeral was because she didn't want to see them put her friend and her son's second mother (the only one who could get him to actually eat anything when he refused to) in the ground, it was selfish but it hurt too much. She also stayed away from Gil because she had feelings for him and out of respect for both him and Jackie, she didn't want to seem like she was going after him immediately after Jackie passed but then the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years.

Gil and Jessica have a really healthy relationship now and that's what matters.

The season ends with an episode of a case of a young woman (can't decide if her name should be Lorelai or Katherine) who was almost murdered. She was raised by a single mother and she's also recently married, having married someone in the Whitlys rich circle of society. She's a bit of a social outcast because of her past (or her mother’s past) and she never knew her father, she doesn't even know his name.

They catch her attacker but not before they try killing her again but she does land in hospital. She's in need of a blood transfusion and Malcom happens to be the same blood type so he offers to help.

They find out a few important things.

The girl was born in either late 1999 or early in the early 2000 (I haven't decided yet lol), and she and Malcolm happen to share more than a bloodtype, they share DNA. The reason she never knew her father was because her mother never wanted her to know that dear old dad was arrested in 1999... for killing 23 people.

The season ends with Martin's eyes shooting open and man, he looks pissed!

[abirdie]

"For me, ultimately maybe that's the aim: let's make a film that transcends"

Awards Radar has a fifteen-minute audio interview with Gael, chiefly about Cassandro, but there's no transcript so I transcribed it.

Gael García Bernal: Hello, how are you?

Joey Magidson: I'm doing alright. You know, it's cold. But such is winter in New York, so...

GGB: Yes, yes, exactly. Oh, but good, excellent.

[Ed: I would have trimmed out the small talk establishing that it's winter in New York — later it will emerge that both of them are in New York, but different locations — and it's cold, but that's relevant to some discussion that happens later so I left it in]

JM: Yeah, exactly. The alternative is much worse. I imagine this must be such a fun thing to do, because any movie you make you hope people respond to, you want to have a good experience, but not all of them you debut at Sundance and then you spend literally the entire year kind of celebrating it, in a way.

GGB: And a bit of silence as well because of the strike, no?

JM: Oh yeah, the added bonus there of “Oh, wait, now I just can't talk about it at all, but it still exists, right?” You know, it does, just — shhh — as long as you're quiet...

GGB: Exactly, yes. But now, fortunately, we're able to talk about it and also to, you know, close the circle a little bit — because it's always that energy, I mean, of doing something and afterwards seeing it come alive and see people's reactions and everything is so important. So, very happy to be able to do that, and very happy with the result as well and, yeah, it feels it's just beginning in a way.

JM: Oh yeah, for sure. I mean I think it's definitely a movie that's going to get discovered, even beyond this year, because I think it's serving more than one master, in a way. It's telling an important story. It's biographical. It also appeals if you enjoy wrestling. It's also — and not to undersell this point — it's entertaining.

GGB: Yes!

JM: And so many movies forget about that when they have an air of importance, and I can imagine a version of this movie that just forgets to be entertaining and you're like “But you know, it's about a guy who puts on a silly mask and fake fights people, right? Like that should be fun, still…”

GGB: Well, I mean, the nature of wrestling also involves… I mean, it's not only a very, very tough sport, and it's very highly skilled, and you have to be in top shape, and know how to do it, and train for many, many years to do it, but you also have to give a good show, you know, to give a good spectacle. So, it is a part of… I mean, we had to honor that as well. So, you know, we had to honor the fact that the film had to give a good show as well.

JM: I was just like curious what that experience is like because, as an actor, I'm sure you're ready to do your research, and you know what you're doing, and you know the character part is not necessarily challenging, but to also look and feel the part of a wrestler I'm sure is a slightly different experience, especially in a movie that— you know, it's still small and character based but, like you said, it has to work. If that part doesn't work, people will not respond in the way you guys want them to respond to.

GGB: Yeah, I mean, the preparation was quite extensive and there were, you know, we had the time to properly gain that ownership of the character, no? I trained like six months before, gaining muscle and just gaining like really, really… like strength, you know, but like inner strength, quite heavy workouts. And then afterwards it was the wrestling training, and that was really fun. It was hurting all over, you know, but it was nice to learn— I mean, it was essential, I’d say, to learn a lot of the tricks and the way to do it. You know, the codes of conduct, and just how to do… I mean, lucha libre is a mix of judo and Greco-Roman wrestling, acrobatics, and performance — you know, theater, carnival — so it's a mix of many things and it's amazing. I really, really enjoyed doing it.

JM: I think for the character also you have to sort of know the ins and outs because of the violations that happen within it with the opponents. If you don't have that feel, it'll… you know.

GGB: Yeah, exactly.

JM: Also I think for just for the experience of like, “Oh, if somebody did it wrong, this is what happens. Oh, I did it wrong fifty times before I can get it right. It hurts when I get it wrong. OK, I get why that happens.”

GGB: Exactly. Yeah. And that's funny because some of the wrestlers, whenever they get their character, you know, like whenever they start to play with the character and start to develop it  — because that requires a lot of… you know, you're training wrestling, but at the same time you're also finding the character at that point. And most of them, you know, their first tries of the characters that they come up with, they don't work. They’re trying, like… they don't connect. You know, there's something that is not there. And then all of a sudden, when they find it, it becomes amazing because it's like “OK!” It's something that that goes beyond, also, what they can control, because there is like… you know, it depends a lot on the alchemy that happens with the audience and… I don't know, just the accident of what works and what doesn't, so that is also very interesting about lucha libre, the finding the character kind of thing.

JM: I can imagine very appealing for an actor to go “Why does this character work more than this other one? I thought that was going to be a big hit. There's something there, I can tell.”

GGB: Exactly, exactly. It's very similar to that, yeah.

JM: Backtracking a little bit, what made the project something you wanted to do in the first place? I'm sure you get offered things in both native language and also in the States. It's not like there aren't movies looking to cast you, but what makes a specific one — and really, specifically, this one — the one that you say yes to, because you can only do so many at a time. This is especially… like you said, there's physical demands here; what makes it, essentially, the camp you want to go to, because it's like going to camp?

GGB: Yeah, well, this one, immediately what sparked my attention was the lucha libre aspect. You know, I was like, “OK, sounds great to do a lucha libre movie, you know, like never done it, maybe I'm only going to get one chance, you know?” So it's like, “OK, let's go for this!” And then the other thing was the character of Cassandro is something that also appealed to me, you know. I used to follow Lucha Libre when I was a kid, so that… you know, all the dots started to connect. And then little by little, like all films, all of a sudden the thing starts to become something that I get excited about, you know, for many reasons, and all the people start to collaborate and start to join, and then you're full of a huge album of reasons why you want to do this, that you later forget what was the clicking point?. But I'd say that, just mechanically speaking, the answer to that was when my production company got involved. It was when the film started to become a reality, you know, and that was really nice to do that.

JM: Because almost up until the camera rolls, you have no idea if it's ever going to happen, especially when it's…

GGB: Oh yeah, even before the film opens at a festival, you know, like you're still thinking, “OK, might not exist”, you know.

JM: We've learned that that can actually be the case now, so it's dangerous… like “I thought I really thought we made a movie, I got paid, how did this not come out?”

GGB: Yeah, it's been happening recently, right? Yeah, that's so weird.

JM: It's very counterintuitive. These things are expensive; you’d think they want to make money… Especially I think with a movie like Cassandro, you're watching it and it's easy to get sucked in, I think. Because you're as good an actor as you are, but also it's directed by someone with a documentary background.

GGB: Oh, thank you.

JM: The idea of, you know, we're not going to… it can be a big story and fantastical, but it's so locked in on character and it's so locked in on the story that I think Roger just does such a good job also and you guys combined to do something that —  I think there's a reason it's going to be a year soon since I saw it and people are still talking about it.

GGB: How cool. Hopefully that happens. You never know. You know, with films, it's like that's… I think, for me, ultimately maybe that's the aim, you know, like “OK, let's make a film that transcends, you know, like in some way or another.” Because we're full of… everyone's full of great ideas, but never know if these films are going to work, you know, and have that kind of transcendence. And so hopefully, hopefully, hopefully what you're saying becomes a reality, hopefully.

JM: Well, so far you’ve got eleven months already, so that's pretty good. But I think it’s true also that if you don't like it to start it's never going to work, because why would you commit the time, right?

GGB: Yeah, exactly.

JM: So at the end of the day you liking it is the first step, right? You— you've got to be happy in your life. You’ve got to be happy with your job. But if only you liked it, I'm sure that doesn't feel as good as “Oh wait. People stop me to talk about the movie” or people doing press for it after, you know, I've made other things. And then the idea of “it's got a life, and it seems to have staying power” is sort of the added bonus. So, when it happens, I'm sure you can't even plan it out. You can't go “This is the one!” because...

GGB: Yeah, exactly, exactly.

JM: It does feel like one people organically want to gravitate towards and I think it's partly the character, never having seen that before on screen like that. But also, I think the fact that it's a story about a storyteller in a way — like you were saying, wrestling is very much a combination of acting and sports and standup comedy, in a way.

GGB: [laughs] Yeah.

JM: And I interviewed John Cena a couple of years ago, and he said it's amazing training because you get told immediately if your joke landed or not. There's no audition process. If the audience doesn't respond. Whoops, you did it wrong.

GGB: Yeah, it has that. You have to read the audience really well and — that's the thing — you have to give a really, really good show, and a lot of sports should do that, should really also give a good spectacle. [breaks off] Oh, these are real people! I'm sorry, I'm looking at people that are... no… you think there's people like with no… they're statues, no... or wax figures or something. OK, there's people that are with bathing suits out in Park Avenue. You know, like… they look very real, though.

[Ed: I assume that what Gael’s looking at out of the window are in fact Carole A. Feuerman’s hyper realistic swimming sculptures]

JM: It’s “Why are you doing that? That seems like a choice…”

GGB: Exactly, a strange choice.

JM: “Choices have been made and I respect your choice, but I won't be joining you.”

GGB: Exactly [laughs]

JM: I'm down in Brooklyn, I'll be in Manhattan later or something. Actually, I'll now go look at that. I'm curious what that is... I think as we wrap up, I think the idea of — even for you just in terms of your satisfaction with it — you can tell in your voice how fun it was, but as a kid, having watched wrestling, you were saying… Can you imagine, beyond that even just like, “Oh, if I can be an actor one day that would be amazing”, but to get to be an actor who gets to essentially do the thing you watched as a kid has to be doubly satisfying.

GGB: Yes, yes, yes, that's exactly… that logic is beyond bonkers, like it's crazy that that can happen. And it does happen, and it's fun. It's incredible because it’s really “Wow, I can't even believe it,” you know, that I was able to be flying in the ring at this age. And I used to play that with my friends when I was a kid, and we used to destroy the room, we used to jump and destroy the beds as well, like kids do. And now I'm doing it as an adult, and also living from that, and enjoying it, but also without the training and the dedication that this sport requires. Like, I mean, I did a little bit of the training, but not like these guys really do, you know, because it takes ages and ages to get really good at this. So, yeah, that is amazing. I was very, very happy, and very happy to be an actor.

JM: And I think it shows. I think it shows in all of your performances there is a joy in getting to do this.

GGB: Oh, thank you.

JM: And I think it's something that people respond to. You know, we don't lack for actors in the world. There's always another one, right? And they'll probably find one who looks just like them, right. There's never… you never have that problem. But I think when you see someone enjoy the work. Or, you know, seek to do stuff that's interesting, but also connect with the audience. There's something there that people respond to, you know? There's a reason that your career is now, you know, twenty-something years old. It's the idea of people want to watch you and, you know, you don't always know why: you're happy it happened—

GGB: No, of course...

JM:  —but I think it feeds into why you want to do good work, also. There's a back and forth. There's a conversation happening.

GGB: Thank you. Well, I hope it continues. I hope it continues because it's important to also… it's like, to enjoy something you have to, let's say, nurture it or like, you know, water the plants, no? And also go always go back to those essentials that make the whole system kind of still in place. You know, the whole joy of that. And I think, I think… I hope I can— I mean it's also great to see actors that are very old, very veteran, and they've been doing this for many, many years. And they're great at this, but also they have a lot of fun doing it, no? And so that's fantastic to see.

JM: Exactly. There's nothing better than people still having fun. And it's the same for directors, same for everyone. I mean, look at who you've come up with. You’ve come up with people who have staying power behind the camera, in front of the camera. And they seem to be having fun. I think at the end of the day, if you can have fun, if you can see the people you respect and like also have fun, and you guys can do something that people want to see and respond to, I think you have more than sufficiently watered the plants, to put it as you said. I look forward to the conversation continuing because that's the thing about the longer it goes, the longer it continues.

GGB: I hope so. Yes, yes, absolutely.

JM: Thank you so much for doing this and congrats on the movie again, it's just so much fun.

GGB: Thank you. Thank you. That's really nice of you. Thank you, man. Thank you for the conversation.

JM: Likewise, take care. Have a good one, man.

GGB: You too. Bye. Bye. Ciao.

[howdoesagrapewrites]

𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣

Cw: Nightwing x vigilante!lesbian!reader

Notes: inspired by me wanting to chat with an AI of Dick Grayson and him shamelessly flirting until I had to come out to him. Also this is based off of me, like almost everything I write

>Let's say you meet as vigilante and just for comedic effect, he tries to hit on you, nothing too serious

>And he's just met with you being uncomfortable?? Like he honestly feels bad after that, he just found you cool and wanted to express his interest, it's not like he's even interested in pursuing an actual relationship with you, just friendly flirting

>He feels like a creep after that, top ten most humiliating experiences in his life, and his life has been eventful*

>It's not like he's been living inside of a cage, he's bisexual, he knows there's more than one way to go, but he sort of wants to silence his gut because he doesn't want to be the douchebag that believes every woman who doesn't want him is a lesbian

>"She doesn't seem to be into men... Oh my god, did you just assume she was a lesbian because she didn't flirt bag? What level of scumbag you have to be to-"

>But anyways, it makes him feel so embarrassed and tries to not address it because it would only get more awkward

>But you're not talking to him much and he believes you may have started this relationship with the wrong foot, and tries to fix it next time he sees you

>"Hey... So, when we met we started off the wrong way and I just want to say I never wanted to make you uncomfortable"

>"Don't worry about it, I don't care"

>"Oh, you weren't talking to me so I figured there could be an issue there"

>"Don't worry, I'm just not great talking to people in the first meeting, you should be used to it, with Batman and all"

>Your personality appears very serious but you're not at all stuck-up or severe, he likes when he makes you laugh because it seems so out of character for you

>His doubts are finally cleared out when someone else tries to flirt with you as well, gets the same annoyed frown Dick got from you

>"Sorry, didn't realize you were a lesbian"

>Then Dick comes out of fucking nowhere to give a speech about how the guy's not entitled to your reciprocity and he's got to work on his ego if he thinks you're a lesbian just for rejecting him

>"He's right!" You exclaim enthusiastically at your friend standing up for you "I am a lesbian though, but you're right about everything"

>"You didn't tell me"

>"It didn't come up" you shrugged your shoulders

>has a love-hate relationship with doing duo missions with you, since you tend to trust your own criteria a little too much and get in dangerous or reckless situations

>But you get the job done most times, and he likes hanging out with you out of the costume the most

>He's the type of friend that asks "want to hang out tomorrow?" And then barges into your house to do parallel play with the occasional "hey, check this meme/cute pic I found on Instagram"

>Will force you to engage in the latest piece of media that caught his attention

>He loves musical theater and sappy movies so if you don't like it, good luck

>He sings along to every Disney song, loudly

>Loves to cook, hates to wash dishes

>It'd be really funny if you two had the same taste in women

>"Hey, so... You and Zatanna are a thing?"

>"We were a thing but we're over, we still get along very well and- why are you asking this?"

>"And is she dating anyone else at the moment?"

>"Y/N why are you asking this?"

>"Is that information you have? Can you tell me if she's seeing anyone?"

>"Y/N, are you seriously trying to bag my ex right now??"

>"It's not my fault you dated half of the USA population"

[gemini-sensei]

I’d like to request a musical theater nerd! X demetri. I honestly don’t know if that’s a request that will work but… 😭✋🏽

Oh, it works, I can see it!

Demetri Alexopoulos x Musical Theater Nerd!Reader Headcanons

A/N: I don't know a lot about musical theater, only my one experience from a long time ago, so I went based off of that. So take this for what it is lol. I hope it's alright.

💘 Demetri has nothing to do with musical theater at all. He's more of a cinematic king of guy. So he has no idea about the school’s live theater department or anyone who takes part in. Sure he'll see posters for shows put up around the school when the spring musical is about to be shown, but he hardly pays any attention to those. He can't even tell you any play or musical the theater department has ever put on.

💘 One day he's trying to find a quiet place to study in the library, but a lot of tables are full of people chatting or doing anything else thay the library isn't really made for. It frustrates him, but he moves on quickly and walks to the back of the library, where he hopes to find some peace and quiet.

💘 Instead, he finds Reader sitting alone at a table. She has a book laid out in front of her, pencil in hand as her eadbuds feed music into her ears. She's not taking up too much table space, so perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ask her to sit for a while. However, as he gets closer, he realizes her book is no normal book. It's a play book, the script and songs for the upcoming music. She's marking it up by writing in stage directions and other little notes.

💘 She doesn't mind him sitting with her and offers a kind smile. Then she bows her head and continues working, reading the book so she'll know what to do and when.

💘 They don't talk for a while, but when he sees what book she's working in and what play it is, he gets curious. He's heard and seen things about it online here and there but has no idea what the hype is about. So he asks her and it sparks a whole learning curve for him, as well as sparks a little crush as she talks about it with such nerdy passion. He's hooked.

💘 They end up hanging out a bit. He goes out of his way to seek her out throughout the day and he'll drag Eli with him when Reader invites him into the school's theater for lunch and after school rehearsals. All it does is make his crush grow bigger.

💘 As time goes on, they get closer of course. There's definitely a connection, but he isn't the one that shoots his shot. Reader asks him out and they go to the movie theater to see a movie he's been talking her about that he's excited for. That seals the deal.

💘 When they are together, he ends up knowing every song for every musical she takes part in, and then some. Beat for beat, word for word. If there's a particular stage movement Reader has to do for that part, he damn well knows what it is.

💘 He claims he doesn't know how this happened, but it's actually a point of pride for him. So he was sitting in on a rehearsal when something went wrong with the sound system and the kid running it had no idea what he was doing. Everything came to a stop and he asked if he could take a look at it, managed to fix the thing, and Reader was so happy about it that she called him her hero. One kiss on the cheek later and he was made the new sound guy for theater productions.

💘 He's more than okay with that because he gets to watch her perform and rehearse her part. It's so great for him and he loves it. This is her nerdy thing and he loves watching her do it.

[retainerstainer]

The difference between wanting and needing...in any perspective

Sunday evening, you're doing a quick reset of everything and everything. Doing your laundry, cleaning your bathroom, finishing up homework, finalizing a study method for tomorrow's test. Your mom asks you to go and get her some chia seeds and avocados because she's making her food system method to lose weight. You get the keys but of course your brother parks in front of your car, so as stubborn as you are, instead of asking him to move the car, you grab a different pair of car keys and take the truck instead. Large, can go over any potholes, and makes you feel like a redneck.

After getting what your mom listed; suddenly you realize that your hair is getting oily and messy and in desperate need of a shower. And then you remember you need your holy trinity of necessities; body scrub, body oil, body butter, and aftershower perfume of choice. So of course you head to your nearby Marshalls and let the conscience do the talking and paying.

While I'm shopping and numbing my nose with every scent that each body product offers, I look around at the women my age and over my age and ponder how we all deal with the most common theory we always experience; getting what we want or getting what we need. But this topic doesn't just cover buying products but pretty much all the other things we overthink about.

"Do I really need this? I mean I already have a half bottle at home that I barely use."

"But if I don't buy it now and run out of the product I have at home, it'll be gone by the time I want it again"

"No one will have this, it'll be my scent that everyone will love and remember me by"

"I really want a boyfriend, but I'm already to the neck with personal things that haven't really been solved yet, maybe having a boyfriend will automatically clear that up, like cleaning my search history that I keep telling myself I'll clean!"

Many of this and more, is the overbearing and underestimating voice we sadly call our conscience that has us women to the neck with things that we think we want and the things we don't think we need at times. My time deciding what lotion to buy at Marshall's for example. But as a college student (and a simple somebody that has college to think about), having to decide by wanting to take a traveling and going overseas course for my spring semester, but needing to study and being on the Dean's List again to get into a great school to continue with my career in life blah blah...suddenly that life part and responsibilities hits you too deep and maybe buying that ice white chocolate mocha makes you second guess your spending choices.

But not everything that falls between wanting and needing certain things fall into buying products and such. Having a headache over deciding if you want to be in a relationship or if you need to be in a relationship can be quite stressful. I, of course, am embarrassed to admit that I have been on dates from the Tinder and Hinge world, and based from the men that I've seen from MY generation, I'm perfectly fine in the single pool and I'm not missing out on a SINGLE thing that is happening in that situationsip/fwb bloodbath. Just writing about it gives me PTSD and goosebumps. But for me, sure there are nights where I wish I was cuddled up with someone I want and that someone who not only wants but NEEDS me which is just as good. However, constantly thinking of wanting or needing a significant other won't get me anywhere or change anything that is most important for MY life, and of course for what I'M passionate about. I'm young, and yes I do WANT a boyfriend, but at the same time, in my position and situation in life, do I really NEED one?

Many girls who are in said relationships will always tell you that you don't need a man you can make yourself happy. Those are the same girls that get railed in the back of a movie theater by the guy she told everyone she'd never get back together with and is always smiling and happy with her situationship that she secretly blinded with as a relationship. Don't take much advice from woman like that, trust me, been there done that, got the memo. Besides the relationship status, what people really need to decide, especially with that they want to do with their life, aka me, is if what they're doing is something they want to do for themselves, or something that they need to do for themselves.

College students, mostly students who have a very strict and "education first, sex and young pregnancy later" kind of family energy, have a hard time deciding what they want and what they need in life, especially when it comes to their career choice. At first, when I was very very young and brain dead, I NEEDED to be a successful album cover artist because they make the most money, they get recognize for their talent, and they make a decent amount of money. And when I noticed that that career was NOT going to get me much, I had to open my eyes and move my body and open my weird circle and interact with people which that alone makes me more scared than an actual horror movie.

I didn't know that the things that I was doing, going out by myself, learning new things, being alone and not feeling weird about it, getting a new job, an adult job, those were the things I WANTED to do. The things that puts the pieces for the future me. Being a kennel assistant to being noticed and getting a different and better position as a clinic receptionist. No one pulling my arms and legs and overthinking if this is what my parents NEED from me in order to feel, I don't know how to express it, but to feel accepted I guess.

Doing or getting the things that YOU WANT for a positive purpose in your life is so important. It makes you who you are. I don't know where I was going with this, but I just NEED to get it out of my chest.

In the end, what to get out of this is, the difference between wants and needs is vital as we navigate life’s choices, especially as we prepare for adulthood. Balancing these two can lead to a more satisfying and fulfilling life, where we pursue our desires while making sure our needs and important subjects for us are met. The understanding alone, helps us to face future challenges with a clearer perspective.

Buy what you deserve, be thankful for the things you earn, give all that you can, and don't expect anything in return.

(I'm so fucking tired that I just came up with that, Maya Angelou don't got shit on me)

[boxoftheskyking]

If I could advocate for anything it would be making informed decisions about your career. Take yourself seriously my dudes.

Every union is different and a lot depends on industry and location. You can be generally pro or generally anti, I really don't care (I'm generally pro, but that doesn't change the facts I'm sharing), but either way you need to learn about the industry you're getting into.

For example, if you were a stage actor I'd tell you that whether or not to join AEA is entirely dependent on where you are planning to work - every region and city has their own ecosystem of theaters with their own relationship to the union. So some places you absolutely have to be union to work. Other places not so much, so then you need to look into the benefits and dues structures and how representation works and make the call for yourself. I think you'll likely be better off joining eventually in most places, but I don't know your life and your needs. Actually look into the health coverage and how that matches your needs. Look at the the houses you want to work in and the type of work you want to do. If you're a deviser or you self-producer, that's a very different thing than working at a LORT house or being a swing in a touring musical.

And that is true for every industry. Just take yourself seriously if you want to do something for your career and get yourself some information.

So many people are reblogging my unfortunately blazed post with like "always join every union every time" or "all unions are mobs and also cults" and none of that is particularly helpful. I have my own emotional response to both comments based on my experiences, but that's not really relevant here.

Regarding WGA all I can tell you is I dont know a single professional tv writer who is not a member or working on joining, because that is the reality of that particular industry. I certainly don't know everyone but I know quite a few. I can't really speak to screenwriting bc that's not so much my network.

Also just to say it's hard to accidentally apply for, interview for, be selected, and sign contracts for jobs so the idea that the big bad union is gleefully waiting for poor baby writers to wander into a spike pit is dumb.

[televisefur]

Hey, I haven't been active a lot simply because I'm busy learning art and doing other things. But I watched Mario recently! Right after I watched it, I decided to make a review, and it ended up being pretty long. I never really posted movie reviews on my Tumblr, so, this one will be the first one that I post on this site.

tl;dr - the Mario movie is the best video game adaptation of all time. It gets you excited, it gets you terrified, it gets you motivated. Fast-paced, but doesn't rush it too much. It hooks you in, and it is incredibly rewatchable. There are also two post credit scenes that are worth checking out.

I can tell you this now - there's never been a better movie adaptation of a video game than the new Super Mario Bros. animated movie. It is one of the most fun animated movies I've watched in a long time, filled with humor, charm and character.

While it wasn't necessarily close to any particular Mario game, it made good use of its elements. In my opinion, this kind of conversion from game to movie is the best one they could've done for Mario.

While the story is relatively simple, the interactions between the characters and the immersiveness of the movie compliment it well.

This movie is one of those rare cases where a kids movie would hook you in and kept you waiting for the next scene, the next event , the next chapter. It wasn't as predictable as I feared.

The Toads were as whimsical as the world they lived in, and Peach felt like a leader with lots of experience.

I felt a feeling of terror as Bowser was reciting his evil plans in front of his audience made entirely of familiar faces. I was extremely excited every time Mario bumped a Yellow Block to get himself a new power-up, and seeing the titular hero in a familiar power-up costume on the big screen filled me with delight.

Every character in the movie was given a personality of its own. I have no shadow of a doubt that every line of dialogue has been treated to tons of changes before the final cut - it seems Miyamoto and the team paid attention to everything.

I also feel like one of Miyamoto's goals with this movie was to make the movie explain previously unexplained phenomena in the Mario franchise - things that at first glance may not need an explanation, but as you grow up you realize how much these explanations would add to the lore and to the content of Mario's universe.

Some more things I like about it was its pacing, animation, dialogie, and tone. The inspirational message that this movie tells it's audience further adds to its charm.

This is a movie I'd be willing to rewatch - and that isn't something I'd say about a lot of kids movies, especially those based around video games.

All in all, I went into the theater with cautious optimism, and walked out with a large smile on my face, and a ton of thoughts about what I just watched that would take me hours to process. In a good way, of course.

I'm giving this an 8/10. I'm so glad that this collaboration was possible in the first place, and I am pleasantly surprised at the fact that it went as well as it did.

One last thing to note: if you're watching this in cinemas, stay until the very end, because what happens at the very end after all the credits are gone is going to be an exciting surprise for those who wanted more from this movie, but didn't get it.

I've been excited for the Mario Movie ever since it was announced for the very first time. And I definitely didn't expect my review of it to be this long! I'll be happy to read your thoughts on thisu. Thank you all for reading!

[dynjay]

Alright, I've been struggling with my opinions on this movie ever since I watched it, and as someone who's part of the target audience, I feel like I need to say this:

It's worth watching once.

Is it Pixar's masterpiece? Nah.

Does it have it's flaws? Absolutely.

But it is a story that was made based on real experiences of 2nd generation immigrants (specifically south Koreans) in mind, and honestly? There's a lot of positive reception from them. Like OVERWHELMINGLY positive:

"But if you think past the surface level, conceptually, it just doesn't make sense! There's aspects of this allegory doesn't translate well to real people if you think about it more deeply!"

Bud, I hear you, and I know. I KNOW.

In fact, there's a lot I don't really like about the film because it's so, SO far from perfect.

But we shouldn't let "good" be the enemy of "perfect", and there's genuine good that can come from supporting the film (one of which would be encouraging Pixar to make more originals than sequels, but that's a different topic for another day).

I feel like if the target audience enjoys the film (especially when made by someone within said community) this much, despite all its flaws, then I really think film's definitely doing something right by them, and that's something we should appreciate, despite what anyone else says or how you personally feel about it, you know?

That said, I genuinely wish there's an analysis of the film that breaks down what certain scenes mean to the people who relate to it and exactly how it translate to real life experiences. Right now, I only see videos that criticizes it, and if no one ends up stepping up to the plate, maybe I'll do it myself? Because I feel like someone should.

But I can tell you first-hand that watching a film like this or talking about it w/someone who's part of the targeted audience can make a big impact. Certain scenes you didn't really care for or felt quirky at the time might get revealed to be very intentional and crafted with care.

Now, does this mean you have to like the film?

It's not going to be for everyone, and that's okay.

I will say though; try watching it with someone who resonates with it. See what it means to them, because keep in mind that this film does has a specific target audience. Even if it doesn't resonate with you personally, I think it's still worth the watch, if anything, to learn a little bit more about the people it does resonate with.

And who knows? Maybe there's some things even I'm missing that resonated with others.

Hi hello its me alex and i have an important announcement to make: i just saw elemental and its actually really fucking good. I really do not understand all the hate towards it like AT ALL

Please do yourself a favor and actually give it a chance. Its good!!

[kimbap-r0ll]

Can I request headcanons for the vice wardens or also house ones if you'd like. But Crowley has decided to put on a play at school since it'll be the first time the heroine will actually be female and he's forcibly sticking the reader in that role. And it's a romance. So suddenly everyone wants to be an actor and kiss the reader on stage and reader is begging the wardens to audition to save them and totally not because that's their actual crush they want to choose who their first kiss is

Hello! I'll just be sticking to the vice housewardens for this one, thanks for the ask! I'm leaving Ortho out of this one since he's a literal child :)

Vice housewardens asked to be part of a school play by fem!reader

The show was going to be based off of a story form Shaftlands, one about a beautiful princess who ate an apple and fell into a sleeping curse

You are panicking because Crowley told you this without any knowledge beforehand

Trey

He isn't really a person to go out in front of an audience, so he's not really into the idea of being an actor at first

That is until he hears that you'll be the one to act as the female lead of the story, and you're basically begging him to take the lead male so that you'll at least kiss someone you want to kiss (of course you don't say this directly to him)

He'll laugh, telling you that he's not much of an actor and wish you good luck. But on the inside, he wants to be the lead since it does mean he can be closer to you.

Who knows, you might see him at the audition!

Ruggie (technically not a vice leader, but still counts for this)

He's been in so many different jobs at some point he has had to be an actor for sure

So he isn't opposed to the idea of being in the play, as long as the rewards are good. If it means kissing you, why not?

He'll play it cool with you, laughing at your unfortunate position of having to be the female lead but he'll tell you not to worry and that he'll help you - if you help him get that deluxe sandwich next time at lunch!

You'll see him at the audition for sure, but whether or not he'll get the role is up to the directors

Jade

Also someone that doesn't prefer being in the spotlight, so the play wasn't something he was thinking of being part of

That is until you run up to him and ask for help, saying that you can't kiss a complete stranger

He sees right through you though, giving you a sinister smile and saying "Oya, is it because you wanted to kiss me?"

He won't audition I feel, but he'll give you a kiss right after you try to say goodbye to him then and there

Jamil

No. He wouldn't want to stand on a stage even if he's good at a lot of things

He hears you pleading him, telling him that you'll die if you have to be kissed by someone you don't know, and he sighs.

He'll do it if it means helping you out, but he's not at all thinking he'll get the male lead, he just wants to be there to support you (and spend more time with you)

Turns out Kalim and Jamil are both at the auditions!

Rook

He probably signed up before you even asked him

He's a theater kid like Vil, and I wouldn't be surprised if Vil was directing this show altogether

You tell him that you can't be the female lead unless the male lead is someone you know, someone like Rook. He laughs and tells you that no matter what you'll still look stunning as the character.

He'll probably get the male lead, so you don't actually have to worry

Lilia

He's been on the stage here and there because of his position in the Light Music Club, so the show does spark his interest

It only starts to gain more of his attention when you run to him right after school and beg him to audition for the male lead. He hears how scared you are of having to kiss a total stranger, but he also sees how you want him specifically to kiss you

"You know, if you wanted me to kiss you that badly, you could've just asked me," he says, patting your head.

He'll still audition, just because it'll be a fun experience!

[rayshippouuchiha]

Yeah MCU really just grabbed random bits of storyline from everywhere. I think it's probably the worst with Iron Man because like in the early movies Tony refuse to give the military the suit because he doesn't trust what they'll do with it. But in Civil War he's all for governmental control and no one ever really addresses that shift. It's just "the storyline demands".

I was also of this mind when it was first announced that Civil War was gonna happen in the MCU because all I could think was comic era Civil War and the Registration Act. I wasn't sure what direction the MCU would/could take a Civil War story line because, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a basis for it.

But after seeing CW in theater when it came out (5 times might I add) I didn't and still don't think Tony's stance comes out of nowhere in the MCU.

At the time the film was released all we knew of the Sokovia Accords was the fact that they would start regulating the actions of super heroes and enhanced individuals and that it was a United Nations backed/developed piece of legislation. That's it, that's all that the film itself told us on screen.

It opened with a scene of a bunch of people getting killed on "foreign soil" (which is an entirely different issue) and then immediately tossed the Accords at us and said that over 117 countries agreed with the proposed legislation. Even Wakanda (a nation with an enhanced individual built in as one of their key leadership/spiritual roles) backed and spoke out in favor of it.

Tony's entire story arc in the MCU revolves around him taking accountability for the harm his negligence/naivety has put out into the world. (We can argue about the levels of blame that are actually his to carry vs what fandom/his guilt complex/others believe it to be but that's a separate issue.) He saw that his actions/inactions directly/indirectly put harm into the world and he attempted to fix that harm as best he could. Over and over again.

Tony's entire story arc is one mentally ill man attempting desperately to protect everything around him while outside forces and his own issues cause him to spiral.

So with everything that's happened to and around Tony since Iron Man I can absolutely understand him listening to the will of the UN, to the will of so many nations, and agreeing that enhanced people who act as the Avengers do need to have some degree of regulation.

Just, that's not ridiculous, that makes sense.

Again, especially considering the events you see in the opening of the film.

There's also a bit of a difference between Tony not wanting to hand over his actual suit to the US government and what the Sokovia Accords were talking about. (Again, at the time of the film's release and disregarding whatever walk-backs were made post release.)

The Avengers were a US based super hero group, they didn't have the right to run rough shod over other nation's borders without any sort of protocol in place. They were leaving notable casualties in their wake and the UN responded to that issue with proposed regulatory action.

As a business man who has experience in the corporate world and knows how things work on a large scale, a genius who is able to forward think enough to tell how things will likely develop, and someone desperately attempting to not fall into the same trap of compliance he was in pre-Iron Man, of course Tony would support that.

[queerplatonicpositivity]

Is it weird or sad to get hung up over feelings you have for your friends sometimes? Sorry if I talk your ear off here.

We've gotten pretty close this year and a day doesn't go by where I don't think about her and not only how happy and safe she makes me feel, but also how I feel like she's helped me grow more as a person; especially with trying to find my confidence and ability to trust others as a trauma survivor. It's completely reciprocal and I extend all of that to her as well for similar reasons. If she's stumbling or going through something, I drop everything I'm doing to help give her a boost and try to make her smile and feel safe. It's physically hard to try and go about the rest of my day when I can tell she's going through something and I don't touch base.

I didn't expect to catch feelings for her and I have a hard time figuring out what it all means, if I'm being honest. Like, are my feelings toward her just intensely platonic to where it bridges on romantic or is it really romantic? I'm not sure. With how close we've gotten, our friends in our circle see it and have made light jokes about it and how we're almost always talking to each other and rarely apart like an old married couple. Well, however that looks for being online. We've come to half-jokingly called each other husband and wife, which, to be honest has me blushing hardcore. She remembers little things about me from things I've mentioned offhand, and goes out of her way to make little things for me since she knows they always cheer me up.

This is where it gets to be hard because I know, realistically, we'd never be a romantic couple in any way since it doesn't make sense, unless I'd be her exception since I'm a trans guy (and she's been one of my strongest allies), and she's pining on a close friend of hers. That doesn't bother me. Well, at least I think it doesn't. Not the crush on her friend thing, the whole idea of being romantically involved. Like I said, what does it even mean to have romantic feelings for someone? I'm not sure.

But, I'd be lying if I said the idea of having something similar to a QPR didn't sound so incredibly nice and that's what gets me wanting to tear up sometimes. I love the idea of us going on adventures and cutesy friend dates together; like to museums, movie theaters, cafes, book / record stores, and anywhere where we can cause some mischief. I love the idea of us being roommates or those friends who buy houses across the street from one another, co-parenting our pets and building up our collections together. I love the idea of us holding hands, cuddling, hugging, sneaking extras of her favorite snacks into her lunch bag for work, surprising her with tickets to bands she's wanted to see or her favorite takeout order for when she comes home, giving each other loving affirmations like we always have, and stuff like that. Just being in her company in general means a lot to me - like it recharges me.

I think she knows I have a lot of love for her and we've been completely transparent about things like boundaries and we'd tell the other person if any were crossed. So far, none have. I suppose this is me feeling torn on wanting to be more open about how, I guess, ride or die I am for her and the idea of losing our friendship scares me since she's been open about having emotionally toxic and abusive friends - and I never want to be another reason why she doesn't want to trust others; especially if they had ulterior motives with befriending her.

Why do feelings have to be so damn complicated?

Hi Anon,

That sounds like a complex situation to be in. First, I want to reassure you that it's totally normal to have complicated feelings and pinings around friendship. (And, even if it wasn't, it's still okay and valid for you to experience it.)

I can tell how much you truly care about and cherish your friend. It sounds like she also truly cares about and cherishes you.

One thing I talk about somewhat often on this blog is my attempts to re-order how I tend to think about relationships. For example, instead of deciding on a "type" of relationship I want, and then the things we do together (or who we are to each other) follow that "type," I am trying to reverse that -- to start with what I want to do with a person and who I want to be to them, and then whatever words can follow... or not.

It sounds like you have great communication with her, and that she'd be respectful if you told her you'd like to do some of the things you mentioned: friend dates, being roommates, co-parenting pets, etc. I can also see how you want to tread carefully because of things she's been through.

If you're okay with it, I think you could gently approach her and tell her some of the things you'd like to do (maybe starting with some of the "lower stakes" things like the friend dates) and see how that goes.

Complicated feelings are hard, but it's definitely possible to navigate them and create joy with people we cherish.

I hope you update us on things if you feel comfortable!

[thearkhound]

Kojima Cinema Vol. 4: Lost World

Greetings from Kojima Cinema in the U.S.

At the end of the previous month we went to the United States to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), as well to research data for Metal Gear Solid. For this installment of Kojima Cinema, I'll discuss Lost World, the sequel to Jurassic Park, which I snuck out to see after attending E3, as well as its creator Michael Crichton (who happens to be one of my favorite authors).

By the way, Lost Warld (as in a combination of World and War) was the title of a canceled project that was planned to be my first game.

Lost World from Atlanta

I saw Lost World in a movie theater inside the CNN building in Atlanta. Since it hasn't been released in Japan yet, I was able to see it without any preconceived notions, but it ended up being very disappointing. Certainly there's a lot more CGI than the first movie and the dinosaurs are even better animated, but the story was way too much like a Godzilla movie. (Or maybe it was more like King Kong? Perhaps it's closer to Gappa: The Triphibian Monster?) At any rate, what happened to Michael Crichton's original story? I felt like going to Steven Spielberg and tell him "please, don't ruin Crichton's work anymore!"

Better CGI, But Half The Impact

I'm already used to seeing CGI dinosaurs, so there wasn't as much of an impact as there was for the first movie. I remember being moved to tears during the first movie when the Brachiosaurus, the first dinosaur, showed up as if I was glad to see one alive. There's a similar scene in this movie where they encounter a group of Stegosauruses and then Dr. Ian Malcolm says something along the lines of "everyone is impressed at first, but then they all run away" (there were no subtitles, so I'm not certain), which is nothing but ironic.

Jurassic Park: The Ride: The Movie

Ultimately the movie's priority is to charm the audience by showing off dinosaurs. It felt as if the plot and the characters were only added there as an excuse to showcase all the popular dinosaurs like the Compsognathus, the raptors and the T-Rex. It felt less like a movie written to tell a story and more like a film version of the "Jurassic Park: The Ride" attraction at Universal Studios. If you look at it with that perspective, it's a well-made and calculated film.

Despite A Noticeable Rut in the Production, Spielberg's Style is Still in Good Health

Spielberg's heart-pounding style is still in good health despite all of this. The scene where the trailer is falling off the edge of a cliff could be said to be one of the highlights in Spielberg's career. I don't like it very much, but the succession of one crisis after the other makes my hands sweat. Especially the gimmick of the glass gradually breaking is a novelty that no one else has done before. But I was left with one unanswered question. Why does the rear hatch of the trailer only has one sheet glass?

Unfortunately there were many scenes that ended up being not very interesting due to the usual hackneyed direction. There are many indirect effects that we're already familiar with, such as the camera tracking used since Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the use of lost limbs as seen in Jaws, rivers and waterfall turning red due to bloodshed, also seen in the original movie, and the swaying of trees and vibrations of water surfaces that gives the dinosaurs a sense of speed and weight... Perhaps the film would've been very different if the direction had been more creative. Was this the result of relying too much on CGI?

The Movie is Not The Novel

It's been two years since I've read the original novel by Michael Crichton, so I might not remember the details clearly, but it contained a certain message. He portrayed the habits of dinosaurs more extensively than in his first novel and even unraveled the dinosaur extinction theory with his novel ideas. In that sense, the book was less of a story and more of an academic study on dinosaurs. It also carried poignant criticisms and messages, such as warnings about technology and human society. As a fan of Crichton who was aware of the original novel, this film adaptation with its strong giant monster movie flavor left me dissastisfed.

About Michael Crichton

My introduction Michael Crichton was naturally The Andromeda Strain. Since then I've read all of his novels and essays that were translated to Japanese, including his work under the John Lange penname, all the way up to Airframe, with the exception of Eaters of the Dead. Crichton is one of the few authors whom I buy the first edition hardcovers from without hesitation. I've also seen many of the films he has directed such as Westworld, Coma, The Great Train Robbery, Runaway and even Looker. I like him as a filmmaker, even if he hasn't been holding the megaphone lately.

The Appeal of Crichton

Perhaps Crichton's appeal is that he has a visionary focus, creates a chaotic reality that is difficult to distinguish what is fact from fiction and skillfully embeds valuable information that few people know into his entertainment. The amount of data based on ideas and meticulous research is skillfully blended into products of entertainment. I aspire for the same thing Michael Crichton does in the games that I want to make. That's how I developed Snatcher and Policenauts, and it's the same thing with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid. The reason why I'm so fixated over creating a backstory or universe that doesn't really affect how a game works is because I want to get those aspects right.

Is A Fiction That Exceeds Reality Possible?

Lately there have been novels written by doctors, former mercenaries and even active policemen that ended up becoming hits. The realism and persuasiveness of such works is not something an average novelist can compete with just their imagination alone. Even I realized that when watching ER, a TV series that Michael Crichton created. What you create with knowledge will end up being completely different from what you create without. That's why asked for military advisor Motosada Mori to supervise the action and backstory in Metal Gear Solid. Recently, alongside Mr. Mori, we were able to gather research at a SWAT drill and a military base, where even saw an M1 tank. I think I was able to understand some things with such experience that I wouldn't able to from working at a desk alone. With Metal Gear Solid I hope I will able to create a video game with a Crichton-like aspect to it and not be lost in direction.

Source: Game Hihyо̄ Vol. 16 (September 1997), page 58-59

[fandom-blackhole]

My beloved darling my brain is on overheat, let's get this bread!

Armorer = Andromeda yess, did I tell you that I love your galaxy brain?,

This name can also explains Paz' fixation on the astronomical stuff,

Omg, he'd not only tatoo his babygirl's name but outline of Andromeda galaxy to go with it,

Grogu saying bad words omg,

Next time you and Boba are babysitting him, you are supervising them 25/8,

You let Boba teach Grogu how to swim, since you have a nice huge pool and it does seem harmless right?,

Next second you glance at them, Boba is doing some kind of water wwe with the kiddo, throwing him into the water lol,

LET ME KISS YOUR BRILLIANT MIND,

Also that meme that you've posted earlier of our connected minds is a real manifestation,

Listen, I thought about Rex and Cody too!,

But.. Jaster and Jango omg, honoring great grandpa and grandpa 😍,

Well since you and Boba have a big house, there is no problem with having more than two children,

Omg imagine the future vision of Grogu, Jango, Jaster, Rex and Cody being protective over Andromeda also sibling goals!,

Shit we need names for little Djarins tho,

I believe in you since you came with these brilliant ideas for Paz and Boba's children,

Boba playing guitar and singing for you,

He is secretly a big old fashioned romantic,

Also your jewelry collection must be worth more than entire national reserve lmfao,

Since Boba likes cowboys, space or not, he bought you a pony yeehaaw,

And you've had enough practice with riding, right? 😉,

Paz is really crafty, obviously,

He makes you flowercrowns using flowers from his little garden 🥺,

Boba saw your tumblr and decided to sign up too,

He immediately got attacked in the dms by those obnoxious, p0rn bots,

''Princess, why are random people asking me if I am looking for a sugar daddy? What is this bulshittery'',

You tell him to ignore these messages and that there is no point in responding because these are bots,

He doesn't get it, responding to every single one of them with I WILL FIND WHERE YOU LIVE YOU COCKSUCKER,

He actually commands his best hackers to find who is behind all of this shitshow lol,

No one messes with the Fetts, even bots,

Din doing your make up?,

Since he does a lot of drawing and doodling both in class and with Grogu his skills are pretty decent,

He'd even manage to put fallsies on you!,

I feel that Paz could totally slay your looks,

You'd be beaten to the gods, it's like mixing and adding ingredients so he's got you!,

Boba on the other hand is pro at smudging your lipstick and making your face stained by tears mixed up with mascara 😉,

Also Paz knitting???,

Making cute matching socks for him, you and Aurora and Ad'ika??? 😍,

When Din is home alone he vents to Crest about his existential crisis,

She just throws one of Grogu's plushies at him,

Boba asks if he can post pics of Fennec too,

You agree but under one condition,

You will send him pics done by you that he can post lol,

Paz, Boba and Din brotherly bonding st the shooting range,

They set up a little tournament,

But they all are so good,

Boba and Paz obviously have the work experience, but Din?

Auntie Armorer being a bad ass she is, trained Din and Paz in some martial arts and how to use a gun,

Grogu sneaking up on them and shooting straight bullseye lol,

Getting drunk with them?

Paz, due to his larger frame can drink a lot and still feel somewhat sober,

But when he is wasted he becomes even more of a goofball, wrecking chaos wherever you guys were partying at,

Din becomes drunk easly,

And he gets all blushy on his face,

Also he becomes really touchy and handsy with you 😉,

Boba being drunk?

Yeah, I think he can only become pussydrunk 😳😳😳

Okay sorry darling, but I need to calm down, I became too distracted after the last bit - 🐣

Listen there is no calm over here, and don't apologize for all of this beautiful masterpiece....

So names for Din's kids.... for a girl I like the name Farrah or Luna and for a boy what about Jax??

Boba totally tries to go behind your back and teach little Grogu things

You only find out about them because he tries to teach kids at school the same things and Din freaks out

All of the kids are super close and they all are protective of eachother

Especially little Andromeda, because she's just softer and more caring and she is the target when other kids are around

Rex and Cody are pretty much attached at the hip, doing everything together, and you and Boba aren't sure how but Rex was born with blonde hair, and Cody has a birthmark spanning where his scar is in the movies/show

Boba singing and playing the guitar? Be still my beating heart

Boba singing the the babies to sleep!!!!

Boba owning enough horse for all of you to go horse back riding when ever you want to

Boba has a movie theater in his house

BOBA BEING ON TUMBLR AND JUST GETTING PORN BOTS MESSAGING HIM LEFT AND RIGHT

Boba totally messages them all and tells them to fuck off he already has a princess

Listen Din is actually super good at art, and he loves when you let him do your make up

Grogu loves when Din does HIS makeup

Paz also is so good at making your base makeup look fucking flawless and natural and you aren't sure how he does it

And Boba is the KING of giving you that, just fucked look 😉😉

Paz knitting?!?!? 2739203/10 best image ever

He totally makes Andromeda's baby blanket as well as a bigger matching one for you

Din, Paz, and Boba totally get together every couple of months, especially if they haven't seen eachother in a bit

The Armorer definitely made sure her boys could defend themselves because she didn't want to see them hurt

Grogu is a total natural at shooting, but Boba will claim that he taught it to him because of the babysitting incident

GETTING SMASHED WITH THE BOYS!!

Din definitely can't hold his liquor and he talks so much more with no filter when he is drunk

He also will try to shove his hand down your pants, even if you are in public so watch out

You aren't even sure Boba can get drunk, but he does love drinking with you

Or better yet, drinking you 😉😉

Paz is totally a giggly drunk, and he always thinks he comes up with the best ideas but they are always terrible

But he does come up with some pretty good recipes while drunk

God imagine family dinners with all of the kids and Paz cooking 🥺🥺

Paz would be so overjoyed if you got a tattoo that symbolizes him

You both getting the mando vows tattooed in mando'a!!!!

Bob totally fills all the dad role with the kids so well

You find him telling them stories before bed and giving them each kisses on the forehead

(SEND ME THOTS!!!)

[blue3ski]

I'm so happy that it was so perfect! I'm sorry for responding to this late, I wanted to see if I could find an audio of the last night, and my goodness, I cried just listening to it. It sounds like it was even better being there! I know I felt the same when I went to see the tour, watching a bootleg just doesn't compare to seeing it live. I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions? What did you talk to Christy about, and did you get to give the cast your gift? 1/?

Christy has always been wonderful, but that day, she took it from 10 to 11. And I really like Constantine’s Gleb! I’d love to know what his body language was like during the office scene and the confrontation/aftermath, because the physicality can really help make an actor make the character his own. I’m still in shock that Jason kissed Lila’s hand. What was “The Countess and the Common Man,” like? From the reaction of the audience, it sounds like they were doing a lot of funny things! 2/?

I’m glad Cody was good! Listening to him, he’s definitely the weakest link, but he’s really good for this being his first acting role! I like his voice, and when he appeared in the lives, he seemed like a sweet guy. I never understood all the vehement hate he got. Where were you sitting? I hope you were able to see everything, for the most part. Those girls sound really rude, but I’m glad they didn’t ruin the experience. It sounded so wonderful, and I’m so glad you got to see it.-Pure Anon 3/3

Finally getting around to answering this!!! So sorry I took ages - I only just got back from New York this week, and between going back to work and jet lag, it’s been so hectic! I’ve barely been able to do anything that isn’t work, eat, and sleep, haha!

Putting the rest of this under a cut, cos it’s going to get long again!

*cough* I actually did take an audio of the last show, but thanks to my annoying neighbors, it’s not very good quality :)) Good enough as a personal souvenir of sorts, though, so I’m happy!I was able to give Christy my gift! It was a crochet doll of Anya I had a very talented friend of mine make, and Christy actually cried when I handed it to her, which made me all emotional too (there’s a pic of her with it that I’ll put up in a separate post along with a shot of my Playbill because Tumblr won’t let me insert the pics into this, haha!) She told me she loved it, and I thanked her for bringing Anya to life. This was Saturday, the day before I was actually going to see the show, so I told her I would be there the following day for the final performance and she said she’d be there looking out! I went back to stage door after the final show, and it was crazy - I couldn’t even hand Constantine his crochet Gleb doll in person, so I had someone else pass it on! I was happy to see that he was posing with it in other fans’ shots, though! It took three hours for me to finally see Christy again, and when she got to me, I told her who I was, and she told me she was so excited to show her mom the doll I gave her. I got to tell her how good I thought she was that day, and I think she was happy to hear it! She loved my “Anya dress” too that I wore to the theater - it’s a royal blue dress I got simply because it reminds me so much of that iconic blue gown! We got in some really nice, goofy pics - she really is the sweetest and most down-to-earth person!

As for Gleb’s Constantine, how would I describe his body language… Hmm, in the office scene, he starts out clearly jazzed to see that Anya is there, and he reacted to her like every person with a crush - he’s trying to impress in a sincere, boyish way, and trying to be comforting because he sees she’s afraid and uncomfortable. Then he’s reminded of why she’s there, and he kind of stiffens and becomes a bit harsher but he’s genuinely concerned. When he sings Neva Flows, it’s almost as a plea to Anya to reconsider what she’s doing so she stays out of trouble and he doesn’t have to do anything to her. During the confrontation, he’s visibly a mess emotionally - he knows what he has to do, but the agony of it is so clearly portrayed in the way he was trying to steady himself as he pointed the gun at Anya. But it was evident, at least to me, that at no point did he have the heart to hurt her - there was this undercurrent of gentleness even then in the scene. When he finally surrendered and fell to his knees, I was gutted by his expression as he looked up at Anya - he looked hopeless and resigned because he couldn’t deny who she was, he couldn’t do anything about it, and it was killing him. That resignation was the lingering sentiment when they shook hands and parted. 

ETA: I’ve had a few hours of sleep and I’m back on!

For Countess and the Common Man, it’s just so delightfully playful…and a bit naughty, haha! They were doing the most over-the-top kisses, and the dancing was ridiculous in the best way especially when they were visibly feeling their age but weren’t quite ready to admit it, which was making everyone laugh so hard! It’s so clearly a manipulative relationship between Vlad and Lily, but you have to love them because they’re like your kooky aunt and uncle who are kind of TMI but they’re also so entertaining!Cody got a massive reaction at the end of the show and at stage door, and I was really happy that he did because he deserves it. I haven’t been updated much on what people in the fandom think of him, but if there is vehement hate, I’ll conclude that based on what I was able to see, it’s unwarranted. Maybe things were shaky for him when he started his run, but he definitely finished very well. His voice, while a bit thin at times, never got lost in the midst of the others, and he has incredible potential. With a little more polishing vocally, he could be a huge theater star, so I really hope he keeps on with this! I was up in mezzanine seating, which gave me a really good view! I loved the intimacy of the theater - it allowed me to see the whole stage and take in the scenes as a whole, but got me close enough that I could still see each individual on stage clearly. It was such a great experience and a wonderful way to start off my time in New York, so I felt really blessed to have had it! I think I may never want to watch another version of the show after this, just so I never sully the memory! :D