#action

[fuckyeahisawthat]

I've been trying to write something about the action in TOG2 and it's honestly hard because the more I look at it, the more things I notice that are just stupid, lazy or nonsensical. And it just makes me annoyed on behalf of everyone who worked really hard on making the action in the first movie so damn good.

Because the action in TOG1 was really, really good. It felt grounded and like there were real stakes and consequences. It was emotionally impactful, rich in character details, and it also looked fucking badass. It stood out from the general slop of weightless, bloodless PG-13 blockbuster action. And it seems clear to me from behind the scenes videos that Gina Prince-Bythewood approached the violence in the film with a lot of care and intention, and that the filmmaking team had really thought through every detail of fight choreography, weapons, set design, practical and VFX, cinematography, lighting, and score.

Obviously what makes an action sequence "good" is somewhat subjective, but I think a useful rule of thumb is: good action should tell a story. We should learn something about the characters and their relationships through the way they fight, and be able to track changes in those things over the course of the film.

TOG1 was chock full of beautiful action storytelling. The action sequences were for the most part not long, but they were full of character and relationship information, and they were a delight to watch over and over again.

Nile and Andy's fight on the plane tells us (and Andy) a huge amount about who Nile is as a person--that she's determined, resourceful, brave and stubborn; sneaky and gutsy enough to restrain Andy while she's sleeping; skilled enough to land a hit on her in a brawl; and tough enough to keep fighting even after Andy breaks her arm. Andy's solo fight in the church tells us that she's the best of the best, but it's come at a cost, and that she will do things alone even when help is available right in the next room. Joe and Nicky have the van speech moment, but the practiced way they fight side by side, the way they always look for each other first in a fight and are still genuinely scared and enraged watching the other one get hurt or killed--these things tell us just as much about their relationship.

And one of the unique things about TOG is that the characters really fought as a team. I have written before about the phenomenon of characters fighting next to each other but not with each other; once you start noticing this in movies you will not be able to unsee it. I think there are a number of reasons for this trend in fight choreography, from individualist writing choices (wanting to showcase each character as their own Special Unique Hero in preparation for their spinoff film even when they're part of a team), to the practical reality that if you're filming a bunch of actors in front of a green screen, they may literally not have been in the room at the same time as each other.

TOG1 didn't do that. It opened and closed with two great ensemble fights, where we saw the characters being aware of each other in space, helping each other, covering each others' backs, and checking on each other, as if they were actually all people in the same room who cared about one another. It meant we had great character moments like Joe running to Nicky's side after the kill floor regeneration and the whole team following Nile's lead to cover Andy with their own bodies in the final fight when she's mortal but still not acting like it.

In a sequel, we should have seen how these relationships have changed, now that Andy is mortal, Nile is part of the team, and Booker is not.

The first action sequence should have allowed us to see the new status quo. How does the team work together now? Are there friction points, like Nile still being less experienced and Andy forgetting she's not invulnerable? How do they integrate someone like Copley, who has some of the same tech skills that Booker did, but really shouldn't be in the middle of the action when there are other options?

Instead we got...idek what was going on at that Temu ass Bond villain mansion. What even was that mission? It was obviously planned, but they walked in in broad daylight, with no weapons, no body armor for either of the mortals, and half a plan they were seemingly making up on the fly. (We see them on a mission right at the beginning of TOG1 and they are stealthy, silent, and armed to the teeth. This was. Not that.) In the first film, they are trying hard enough to keep a low profile that Andy deletes a photo of herself in a tourist's selfie. And then we see their worst fears about what happens when people discover their secret realized! They add Copley to the team explicitly to help them cover their tracks. You would think if anything they'd be more cautious now. But they're firing guns into the air and going on very noticeable car chases because...it looks cool I guess?

Pairing the two mortals together in the fight makes NO sense. And then it makes even less sense that they split up once they're inside the house and don't cover each other's backs! There is a moment when Copley and Andy are taking cover and Copley seems to need to draw Andy's attention to the fact that she's standing next to a wall of swords. Motherfuckin Andy??? The woman who keeps a sword bucket by the safehouse door??? Gtfo.

Nile's and Copley's positions should have been switched from the beginning. It almost seems like the fight was choreographed to be that way and then got changed at some point. Copley could've even gotten to drive the boat into the garden when things went off the rails! Then the "remember you're mortal" line would have meant something and revealed information about how he's changed in the six months he's spent with them, other than just being lazy exposition.

What was the objective? Kill the bad guy? That's not even really their deal. Yes obviously they kill people...but go back and listen to Copley's speech from TOG1 when he's describing their impact on history. Almost everything he mentions involves rescuing civilians. Which is exactly what they thought they were going to do on the South Sudan job. We don't know anything about this guy and we don't care, so we don't have any sense of stakes.

I could go on with nitpicking but the overall point is that it feels like none of these things were thought through from a character and worldbuilding point of view. Building an action sequence around what looks cool with no sense of overall coherence instead of starting with "what story are we telling?" is a recipe for a bad action sequence.

The Andy and Quỳnh fight in Rome is the one action sequence that works, because someone somewhere did put thought into it. It has a story and an emotional throughline. The choreography is actually telling a story (even after 500 years apart, they know each other well enough to block every strike; Andy doesn't actually want to fight Quỳnh and keeps trying to get her to stop) and they're both acting their faces off. It's like a vestige of a better movie that's still in there somewhere.

Unfortunately, all the problems with the opening sequence recur in the (too long) climax at the World's Least Secure Nuclear Facility. If there was any time we would expect to see all six of them fighting back to back and acting like a team, it would be in the finale. But no!!!

They enter the facility as a group. Nile is even in front!

But then they immediately split up into trios, pairs and solo fights, and stay that way for the rest of the sequence. And then complain about Discord trying to separate them! Guys y'all did this to yourselves with a stupidass battle plan.

This means the emotional impact of the climax of the film is completely fractured. Andy is the only one to see Booker die. Copley is maybe (?) killed off-screen and we get no confirmation about whether he's dead or alive. Nile gets the information about her immortality-ending powers alone, and then gets stabbed by Discord and captured alone. Andy fights Discord alone, on the world's most boring concrete slab.

It's the complete opposite of everything that made the first film powerful and unique.

Good action is not just about the coolest moves or the most outlandish stunts; it is about using physicality to say something. TOG1 did that really, really well, and TOG2 just does not measure up.

[ultrakillblast]

ROBOCOP (1987)

[nikitamindx]

A thousand words mean nothing next to one action.

[figurecollection]

Schmetterling Action Figure by Konami, from Busou Shinki

[enchantedchocolatebars]

@talisman975

Wip! 🫶✨

[mleelunsford]

Nix of Nothing is updated! http://www.NixofNothing.com

[wastedskins]

Lollipop Chainsaw, 2012

[videogamepolls]

Requested by anon

[opencommunion]

how to donate an eSIM

[fortuneaday]

[dailyflicks]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON TWO Episode 1: A Son for a Son

[nikitamindx]

It doesn't matter what words a person says, what matters is his actions.

[blumineck]

Calling all artists, animators, and fans of fun and useful pose references! In 2 weeks time I will be taking part in @adorkastock & Friends' MASSIVE Group Poses for Artists Shoot.

We've got a bunch of models of different sizes and shapes, more props than you can shake a stick at (including bows, a pole and a POOL), and two full days of shooting to get as many reference photos as we possibly can. It's gonna be awesome, and there will be some PHENOMENAL references coming out of this.

If you'd like to pre-order Photo packs, you have until the 25th October. Get them here:

In the meantime, as a taster, here are some of the photos from last time I collaborated with @null-entity (who's also part of this project!) Enjoy!

(You can find the rest of these sets in my Patreon Shop)

[gothhabiba]

🍉🇵🇸 eSims for Gaza masterpost 🇵🇸🍉

Which eSims are currently being called for?

Connecting Humanity is calling for:

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG

Simly (“Palestine” plan)

Gaza Online is calling for:

Holafly (“Israel” and “Egypt” plans): code HOLACNG

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG (can now be used multiple times from the same email)

Airalo (“Middle East and North Africa” plan)

Sparks (“Israel” plan)

Numero (“Egypt” plan)

For Connecting Humanity: if you sent an eSim more than two weeks ago and it is still valid and not yet activated, reply to the email in which you originally sent the eSim. To determine whether the eSim is still valid, scan the QR code with a smartphone; tap the yellow button that reads ��Cellular plan”; when a screen comes up reading “Activate eSIM,” click the button that says “Continue.” If a message comes up reading “eSIM Cannot Be Added: This code is no longer valid. Contact your carrier for more information,” the eSim is activated, expired, or had an error in installation, and should not be sent. It is very important not to re-send invalid eSims, since people may walk several kilometers to access wifi to connect their eSims only to find out that they cannot be activated.

If a screen appears reading “Activate eSIM: An eSIM is ready to be activated” with a button asking you to “Continue,” do not click “Continue” to activate the eSim on your phone; exit out of the screen and reply to the email containing that QR code.

Be sure you're looking at the original post, as this will be continually updated. Any new instructions about replying to emails for specific types of unactivated plans will also appear here.

Check the notes of blackpearlblasts's eSim post, as well as fairuzfan's 'esim' tag, for referral and discount codes.

How do I purchase an eSim?

If you cannot download an app or manage an eSim yourself, send funds to Crips for eSims for Gaza (Visa; Mastercard; Paypal; AmEx; Canadian e-transfer), or to me (venmo @gothhabiba; paypal.me/Najia; cash app $NajiaK, with note “esims” or similar; check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased.)

You can purchase an eSim yourself using a mobile phone app, or on a desktop computer (with the exception of Simly, which does not have a desktop site). See this screenreader-accessible guide to purchasing an eSim through each of the five services that the Connecting Humanity team is calling for (Simly, Nomad, Mogo, Holafly, and Airalo).

Send a screenshot of the plan's QR code to gazaesims@gmail.com. Be sure to include the app used, the word "esim," the type of plan (when an app has more than one, aka "regional Middle East" versus "Palestine"), and the amount of data or time on the plan, in the subject line or body of your email.

Message me if you have any questions or if you need help purchasing an eSim through one of these apps.

If you’re going to be purchasing many eSims at once, see Jane Shi’s list of tips.

Which app should I use?

Try to buy an eSim from one of the apps that the team is currently calling for (see above).

If the team is calling for multiple apps:

Nomad is best in terms of data price, app navigability, and ability to top up when they are near expiry; but eSims must be stayed on top of, as you cannot top them up once the data has completely run out. Go into the app settings and make sure your "data usage" notifcations are turned on.

Simly Middle East plans cannot be topped up; Simly Palestine ones can. Unlike with Nomad, data can be topped up once it has completely run out.

Holafly has the most expensive data, and top-ups don't seem to work.

Mogo has the worst user interface in my opinion. It is difficult or impossible to see plan activation and usage.

How much data should I purchase?

Mirna el-Helbawi has been told that large families may all rely on the same plan for data (by setting up a hotspot). Some recipients of eSim plans may also be using them to upload video.

For those reasons I would recommend getting the largest plan you can afford for plans which cannot be topped up: namely, Simly "Middle East" plans, and Holafly plans (they say you can top them up, but I haven't heard of anyone who has gotten it to work yet).

For all other plans, get a relatively small amount of data (1-3 GB, a 3-day plan, etc.), and top up the plan with more data once it is activated. Go into the app’s settings and make sure low-data notifications are on, because a 1-GB eSIM can expire very quickly.

Is there anything else I need to do?

Check back regularly to see if the plan has been activated. Once it's been activated, check once a day to see if data is still being used, and how close the eSim is to running out of data or to expiring; make sure your notifications are on.

If the eSim hasn't been activated after three weeks or so, reply to the original email that you sent to Gaza eSims containing the QR code for that plan.

If you purchased the eSim through an app which has a policy of starting the countdown to auto-expiry a certain amount of time after the purchase of the eSim, rather than only upon activation (Nomad does this), then also reply to your original e-mail once you're within a few days of this date. If you're within 12 hours of that date, contact customer service and ask for a credit (not a refund) and use it to purchase and send another eSim.

How can I tell if my plan has been activated? How do I top up a plan?

The Connecting Humanity team recommends keeping your eSims topped up once they have been activated.

See this guide on how to tell if your plan has been activated, how to top up plans, and (for Nomad) how to tell when the auto-expiry will start. Keep topping up the eSim for as long as the data usage keeps ticking up. This keeps a person or family connected for longer, without the Connecting Humanity team having to go through another process of installing a new eSim.

If the data usage hasn't changed in a week or so, allow the plan to expire and purchase another one.

What if I can't afford a larger plan, or don't have time or money to keep topping up an eSim?

I have set up a pool of funds out of which to buy and top up eSims, which you can contribute to by sending funds to my venmo (@gothhabiba), PayPal (paypal.me/Najia), or cash app ($NajiaK) (with note “esims” or similar). Check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased, which plans are active, and how much data they've used.

Crips for eSims for Gaza also has a donation pool to purchase eSims and top them up.

Gaza Online (run by alumni of Gaza Sky Geeks) accepts monetary donations to purchase eSims as needed.

What if my eSim has not been activated, even after I replied to my email?

Make sure that the QR code you sent was a clear screenshot, and not a photo of a screen; and that you didn’t install the eSim on your own phone by scanning the QR code or clicking “install automatically."

Possible reasons for an eSim not having been activated include: it was given to a journalist as a back-up in case the plan they had activated expired or ran out of data; there was an error during installation or activation and the eSim could no longer be used; the eSim was installed, but not activated, and then Israeli bombings destroyed the phone, or forced someone to leave it behind.

An eSim that was sent but couldn’t be used is still part of an important effort and learning curve. Errors in installation, for example, are happening less often than they were in the beginning of the project.

Why should I purchase an eSim? Is there any proof that they work?

Israel is imposing near-constant communications blackouts on Gaza. The majority of the news that you are seeing come from Gaza is coming from people who are connected via eSim.

eSims also connect people to news. People are able to videochat with their family for the first time in months, to learn that their family members are still alive, to see their newborn children for the first time, and more, thanks to eSims.

Some of this sharing of news saves lives, as people have been able to flee or avoid areas under bombardment, or learn that they are on evacuation lists.

Why are different plans called for at different times?

Different eSims work in different areas of the Gaza Strip (and Egypt, where many refugees currently are). The team tries to keep a stockpile of each type of sim on hand.

Is there anything else I can do to help?

There is an urgent need for more eSims. Print out these posters and place them on bulletin boards, in local businesses, on telephone poles, or wherever people are likely to see them. Print out these foldable brochures to inform people about the initiative and distribute them at protests, cafes and restaurants, &c. Also feel free to make your own brochures using the wording from this post.

The Connecting Humanity team is very busy connecting people to eSims and don't often have time to answer questions. Check a few of Mirna El Helbawi's most recent tweets and see if anyone has commented with any questions that you can answer with the information in this post.

[yeye23]

Another part of the animatic cleaned up! We love our fights don't we