#scifi au 404

[ethosiab]

scifi au doodles of the bounty hunting team (entirely self indulgent)

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

2024 tuesdaypost retrospective

it's hard not to make this all about my nearly full 365 days of unemployment. i have cut a great deal from this wrapup. thank you all for your love and support (often financial!) this year :') it has never been scarier to have no familial safety net and i really, really appreciate all of you relative strangers (i have met very few of you in person!)

jobs applied to: my best estimate is 4500 given my daily target balanced with periods of more acute despair and physical illness

interviews: 2

calls to the massachusetts unemployment agency: 73

cats spayed and/or neutered: 3 (phil, orange boy, ruby)

eclipses seen: 1

hurricanes: 1

completely fallow weeks: 5

i have GOT to be more specific about writing out loud what worked and what didn't work instead of resorting to "vibes were off". i also have to remember to be better about saying where i found things and saying the premise/genre of the film. i try to draft these on sunday nights so i can kind of mull things over for a bit, but that rarely happened this year.

highlights of the year: a tomato plant in a five gallon bucket, hotvintagepoll, the eclipse, my new zebrawood desk, throwing my own birthday party (NOT passive aggressive it was very comforting to be in full control), ren faire, the modern zelda games, genshin impact, heist films, naomi novik's temeriare series, Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard, the Popping Tins newsletter about tinned fish products, new joywave and beyonce and charli xcx and kesha albums, and an actual play podcast focused on critical worldbuilding smart characterization and fun interaction between good friends.

questions? comments? concerns? something about the structure/critique of these posts or a work i talked about really click or really not work for you? i would love to know!

listening

all the tuesdaysongs are in one spotify playlist below. if i recced a whole album (only did that this year with The Offline’s La couleur de la mer and Toshiyuke Honda's SONGS OF THE MILKY WAY ) i put the song i thought most representative of the album.

special shoutouts to the Well There's Your Problem engineering disasters podcast, the Sangfielle season of Friends at the Table, The 404 Media Podcast news/tech/culture podcast, and the Whale Hunting podcast about financial crimes.

i would like to find music through other avenues than the spotify weekly recs playlists, especially since the platform has noticeably nosedived after their last round of firing people. unforch i have yet to find a music influencer/blog/tastemaker/podcast whose tastes jive with my own.

-

reading

the sort of three broad categories of stuff i talk about in the reading section are articles, comics, and actual books. fairly pleased with my RSS feed, which is filling the twitter hole and also has a separate Real US News tab i can look at in a more controlled manner. people seem to have liked the article/book combo bc reading a book a week is usually kind of a heavy lift for people who are employed. as long as i do either an article or a book i feel like this category is checked off in my brain. i would like to do both more weeks and figure out how to do more concise book reports. i am pleased that people seem to like the couple weeks of giant DNF lists where i briefly state why i did not finish a specific older scifi paperback.

shoutout to @rae-being-naughty for introducing me to one of my favorite new authors, t kingfisher! what a delectable niche. those books go down SO easy. shoutouts also to the temeraire books, Trouble And Her Friends by Melissa Scott (what if neuromancer was good?), Dark Wire by Joseph Cox (nonfiction about the encrypted phone company the FBI shadow-ran) and Witch Hat Atelier.

the OPPOSITE of a shoutout to the most frustrating books i did not finish this year, a fragile enchantment by allison saft (the very weird fantasy meghan/harry fantasy au????) and jennifer dugan's the ride of her life, a cowgirl wlw romance that had some kid pop up in the second chapter and yell about how they shipped the leads and were making a tiktok about it. hello??????? huh????? i had that book on hold for SIX MONTHS. what the fuck did people see in that book???

reading and holding and interacting with a physical hard copy book is so much better for my shattered attention span, and i have giant bookcases full of physical books i desperately want to read, but i read ebooks so much faster. a dilemma that will for sure continue into the new year.

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watching

logged almost 169 things on letterboxd this year so far (almost nice). the giant spike is when i watched a a dozen individually loggable betty boop shorts. tasty tasty stats.

saw one entire film (howl's moving castle) in theaters and i do not think i will be doing that again bc (while fun) it was a very anxiety inducing experience.

more tv and shorts and tv comprised entirely of shorts than i expected to watch this year!

watching highlights of the year:

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playing

the gaming rig i bought in 2020 is really staring to show its age and only very light-resource pc games are feasible rn. very many thanks to both @sybilius and @pasta-pardner who both bought me games i will one day play!

spent most of the year with big open world exploration/puzzle/action games, as is traditional. barely touched a fallout this year, which is less traditional.

by hours, the ranking is probably

genshin impact

breath of the wild

tears of the kingdom

STUFF SORT on my phone

stardew valley

powerwash simulator

what are people interested in seeing in this section?

the trouble with this section is that has been a thorn in my side basically since i started this series, but games are such a part of my life it feels weird NOT talking about them? but talking about video games is difficult bc none of them are very good. i find myself Still a little burned out on them even after almost three years on from the video games job. finding something fun and free on itch or steam is very time-consuming. every time i talk about genshin i feel like i have to caveat it with one million Don't Play Gacha Games warning stickers like the ones that come on cigarettes. and i don't feel like a screenshot of whatever achievement i hunted on genshin in a specific week is very interesting to people.

maybe the solution is to cut this section for a while and have a special bonus add on section every once in a while??? i dunno. would love to know people's thoughts here on how to make talking about/telling stories about the games i play more interesting.

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making

the tuesdayposts as a whole have been both very good and very bad for my mental health, bc i really needed a project to work on to break up the soul crushing monotony of writing cover letters. however writing the tuesdaypost every week was often a very anxiety inducing expereince bc i felt like i didn't do much. or did stuff very unevenly. the "point" of the tuesdayposts is to remind myself every week that absorbing a lot of different things helps me stay on a more even keel. esp in times of great unrest. unfortunately, a year of unemployment.

i saw my siblings twice, managed to actually write and post christmas cards, framed a bunch of shit, discovered a new favorite soup, and did some indifferent gardening and cross stitch.

the making section this year tended to be more lifestyle blogging/what i cleaned. a lot of weeks i did not have Anything in the tank except basic vacuuming and halfhearted wiping counters down.

however??? i managed to post three fics??? two were previously written but at least they are no longer languishing on my harddrive??

this goofy little NFT genderswap blondeyes has the craziest hits to kudos ratio on anything ive ever written.

i really do intend on finishing this cait/fahrenheit 5+1. the stars have not been aligned.

this very brief crossover has gotten some of the loveliest comments!!! when i am done directing and choreographing the big prisoner/arcade argument in my brain i am excited to actually write that.

im genuinely for real afraid to ask or expect anything of 2025, but here it comes anyway!

[youarejesting]

My fics in 2020

I am proud of this year. I worked hard until the end. 2020 was my year of finishing my stories. I have done so much and next year I want to do more. So keep an eye out Jester will take over.

Fandom(s): BTS, mentions of NCT, BLACKPINK, MONSTA X.

Networks:@btscreatorscorner @castlebangtan

Total Fics: 34

Total chapters: 404

Total Words: 565,587 Total vids and fake subs: 13 

Best and Worst Title?

Best: ‘Music is the spark that sets my soul on fire’ and its sequel ‘Dance is the celebration of the flame’

Worst: The Check Up

Best and Worst first line?

Best: Yoongi never understood why people would say one's blood is important. (Mania)

Worst: It all started in Mykonos. (Steal my sunshine)

Best and Worst ending line?

Best: “I got you this pretty dress” Seokjin grinned showing you the dress before hugging you and giving your forehead a kiss, “Let’s go burn it” (Me & the ghost in number 23)

Worst: But all you got was a sharp-toothed smile. (Pandemonium)

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than, or about what was expected?

I think I wrote what I expected, but I think I could have definitely finished more. Which is a bit upsetting.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year? 

I don’t have limitations to my writing so nothing is deemed unpredictable.

I am however generally surprised by my love of throwing in twists and also gore, I love gore.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

Wild space: it is strange because I am not particularly a fan of space and scifi, but I am really into writing world building things and having the ability to create a whole planet was amazing.

Most popular story? 

Tumblr:

Seoulmates

Femme

Quarantine

AO3: 

Quarantine

BTS365

Love Listening

Story most underappreciated by the universe? 

Tiny Tan: Limited Edition

Story that could have been better? 

All

Sexiest story?

 Love Listening

Saddest story? 

 Me & the ghost in number 23

Fluffiest story? 

Mall Santa

Most fun story? 

BTS Among Us 

Hardest story to write? 

Kisaeng

Daylight (i'm still writing it haha)

Easiest/most fun story to write? 

Light it up

What story took the longest?

365 lol took all year

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? 

The biggest risk I took all year was posting my work. Living life on the edge.

What are your fic writing goals for next year? 

To double my writing

Fics that you wrote in 2020:

BTS365: 365 mini stories ✓ fluff, comedy, angst, romance, mature, action, adventure, smut. This has it all. Find your birthday and read your story. I wanted to give something unique to people.

Quarantine: 100 Chapters ✓ Something to accompany you while you are alone during quarantine and the pandemic. I was lonely and I figured so was everyone else. So, I decided to have BTS help us all go on an adventure that didn’t focus on the covid virus but on some other aspects around it.

Femme: 50 Chapters ✓ A futuristic world where women are rare. This was an indulgement fic that gave circumstances for the reader to be in a polyamorous relationship with the boys and live a glamorous life. Ending was a bit rushed.

Seoulmates: 29 (ongoing) Each member of BTS has a unique soulmate bond. I love the idea of this, another indulgent fic but you aren’t alone with the boys you have friends and you can play different parts.

Witching: 11 Chapter ✓ When your brother goes missing trying to find them gets you in a turf war between two covens. This fic was actually a way for me to vent for a project I wanted to complete but the project is so big that I wrote this instead.

Herb: 2 Parts ✓ mature, smut. Jimin claims he has everything you need, he doesn’t disappoint. I came across this idea within the 365’s and extended it because I liked the idea so much. Jimin has everything from casseroles to scarfes, cat food to cell phone chargers and the reader just wants to be loved and relieve stress.

Limited Edition: 10 Chapters ✓ BTS boys are sold as limited edition figurines. This was originally me venting about not having any merch and then became a daydream that what if the merch came alive. And the story was born.

BTS Among Us: 7 Chapters ✓ gore, action, adventure, scifi, angst, death of main characters. This one was so funny for me, I had my friend pick a colour and that was the imposter from the start. I was amazed that no one figured it out in the end. I want to play again soon.

Light it up: 13 Chapters ✓ fluff, comedy, angst, romance, mature, action, adventure. This was inspired by the dynamite trailer, I loved it so much that I began writing, I had no clear direction but as I wrote it started to shape and someone said it was like stranger things and I credited Stranger things cause it did indeed have a similar premise and I don’t want to pretend I came up with something that has already been done.

Love listening: 2 Parts ✓ SMUT, comedy, fluff, angst, romance, mature. This was inspired by a strange video that came up on the internet, I was searching for BTS misheard lyrics and the video I clicked had some funny ones but after that the next suggested video was bts moans and auto play was on and well this fic was born.

Me & the ghost in Number 23: 11 ✓ fluff, comedy, scifi, supernatural, romance, angst, mature, smut, death of main character. This was inspired by many of the ghost text au’s I had read but many of them were like the show oh my ghost where the main ghost character isn’t actually dead just in a coma and I thought the opposite way instead of them waking up, I wanted things to shape the other way. This one was so difficult to write and I cried a lot due to the loneliness Jimin was facing and the mourning from Yoongi.

Hope in the sheets: 4 chapters (so far) fluff, comedy, smut, adventure, slice of life, romance, angst, mature, growing up. This one is a fic that targets my childish desires. I have grown up so much and this fic is a visual representation of that. 

Asks: 77 (ongoing) where the bts boys answer the readers questions and concerns.

Reactions: 15 (ongoing) 

Prompts: 18 (ongoing)

One shots:

Kisaeng: This was a reverse fic project, the idea that instead of Mulan pretending to be a man and going off to war, it was BTS dressing as women to stay home from war. I loved writing about fictional history. 

Steal my Sunshine: This was a summer project. I wanted to write something that felt like a very bad spy movie, like Mellissa Mccarthy and Mr Bean-esque. I formed this one and it made me laugh the whole time writing it.

Blue Side: This was talking to myself about being sad and admitting that I could be sad but I should learn to split the happy and sad into two worlds and limit my time in them both, it was about equal balance and finding the good in the sad and the sad in the good. I don’t know how hard to explain.

Temptation: I had fun writing but it is pure SMUT. not even good SMUT.

Pandemonium: This was really fun. The premise is dark and the ending is left ambiguous, in the original, Namjoon kills the reader but I left it open so you can imagine them continuing their relationship or not.

Mall santa: A fluffy christmas piece. A secret santa I wrote that I felt needed to be soft and quirky and have just all the hallmark moments.

Mad: This one is finished, but I have it published privately at the moment waiting to unveil it as it is well SMUTTY. I don’t know what it is about Taehyung but he is always so dark and I guess that's what people find appealing. I had this idea from a 365prompt and well I had to write it.

One wish: This was a birthday fic that I wrote for a friend. I wanted people to read it on their birthdays or imagine their birthdays and themselves in this position if they made the same wish.

The Check Up: I wrote for this for a friend going through a personal procedure, they were nervous so I took their bias and made something I hoped they could think about while in the procedure and I even explained the steps and what might happen over the next few days hoping the whole thing wouldn’t seem as scary because technically her mind had already been through it when reading the story.

Sparks of the heart: Robots developing human feeling. It was a cute universe and Yoongi’s story will be a series within 2021.

Dance machine 3000

Digital Art

Electronic Tonic

Circuit chef

Random Access Memory

Kookies Trojans and Malware

Feel Better: Another fic written for a author who was sick, I wanted them to endulge in some escapism whilst they were sick.

Music is the spark that sets my soul on fire & Dance is the celebration of the flame: These two were requests that I loved dearly.

Horror movies: Cheesy damsel in distress meets boys will be boys.

I will wait (somesay): This song wouldn’t get out of my head so I had to write it.

Wild Space: When I wanted to write a hybrid AU but I already have a hybrid AU being edited. So hybrid werewolves meets space.

The Bomb: This one is compete and ready to post I had to talk myself out of writing this as a series but I love the story line. I love the end.

Lost Boys: This has been stuck in my head since i had a dream about it and I finally wrote it into the new year. I hope you like it.

Mania: Not my favourite work, love ABO universe I just haven’t got an actually story line so it is on hold.

Incaceration: The story that never was, I really need to get around to this one.

Tagging: @moccahobi I know you wanted to tag me... but I am finished so I am tagging you.

[missytearex]

Recently, I’ve wanted to make a list of all my favourite fics written in 2018, but then I realized…there are just too many! Even with my monthly lists, I usually end up excluding some great fics, which is why I’ve decided to divide it up into weekly lists instead! 

These will mainly exist to satisfy my weird obsession with making lists, (you don’t want to see the notes on my phone, guys, seriously) but also to show appreciation to some of my favourite authors! So, like it, ignore it, (for all I know I’m shouting into the void) but you bet your ass I’m still gonna make it! 

This week, I’ve been on a reading spree, so the list is pretty long and filled with lots of Christmas fic, because who doesn’t love Christmas fic? Also, I’ve just discovered the absolute fucking joy that is Girl Direction, so expect more of that in future posts.

💙 Great Minds (They Think Just the Same) by Anonymous

tomlinshaw | 8k | not rated — (canon divergent, co-workers, enemies to lovers, fluff)

the one where in an attempt to get the Breakfast Show back to the number one morning show in the country, the BBC brings on Louis as a co-host with Nick. They only thing is they don’t really get along… until they do.

💚 Wonderland by @sweetlouist91

larry | 4k | general audiences — (au, christmas, fluff, magic, fae)

For the prompt: Harry the fairy takes up residence in Louis’ attic to hibernate through the cold months, but Louis ends up finding him whilst putting up the Christmas decorations. Queue grumpy Harry being woken up, but he can’t go back to sleep once he’s tried to hibernate, so he starts following Louis around, full of excitement and questions about his first Christmas.

💛 Moon Wrapped in Gold Paper by @wellingtontat

larry | 7k | teen and up — (au, christmas, fluff)

The first time Louis meets Harry, several things go very wrong.

💙 A Story For the Ages by @suddenclarityharry

larry | 7k | not rated — (au, christmas fluff, humour, fake relationship, strangers to lovers)

Louis is sweating, his mother’s words still ringing in his ears.

We expect you to bring this boy home for Christmas, Louis. We want to meet him.

He should have known it was coming. After seven months of pretending to have a boyfriend in order to keep his mum from meddling in his love life again, he should have realized he’d have to actually introduce her to someone eventually.

❤️ play the game by Anonymous

tomlinshaw | 5k | explicit — (smut)

Nick wakes alone, but things get better from there.

💚 in other words by @sarcathlon

nouis | 3k | general audiences — (au, space, scifi, fluff)

sometimes you lose things in space; sometimes you find things.

💛 Forget the Silent Nights by @londonfoginacup

larry & ziam | 44k | teen and up — (au, christmas, fluff, humour, housemates)

For years afterward, everyone who lived at 404 E. Redwood referred to that Christmas as The Christmas we stole a baby.

Technically, that wasn’t the strict truth, as Evie had already been five years old by the time she came to stay in their crowded (but loving) home. And technically they didn’t steal her.

Either way, the last Christmas with the seven of them in that broken old house on Redwood all together was probably one of the most memorable holidays each of them had, what with the wedding and the the snowstorm and the raccoons in their attic…

And the baby they stole, of course.

❤️ Santa Baby Honey by @sadaveniren

larry | 28k | explicit — (au, crack, bdsm, christmas, co-workers, humour)

Louis is the CEO of a toy company and Christmas is a stressful time of year so his assistant decides the best way to make him chill out is by getting him laid through a Secret Santa

❤️ hymns for restless stars by @turnyourankle

larry | 37k | explicit — (au, christmas, fluff, famous/non-famous)

Every Holiday season Louis has his pupils write down their Christmas wishes for class. He’s read almost every wish under the sun, but one girl’s wish takes him by surprise. It’s for her uncle not to be alone anymore. It’s not a wild wish by any means, but Louis had no idea that former teen idol Harry Styles was lonely in the first place.

💙 given me the thrill of a lifetime by @foliealou

lirry | 12k | not rated — (au, based on a movie)

a While You Were Sleeping AU where Liam is Sandra Bullock, Louis is Peter Gallagher, and Harry is Bill Pullman

💚 Twinkle Lights and Snowy Nights by @haloeverlasting

larry | 7k | general audiences — (au, christmas, angst, friends to lovers)

Harry’s exhausted, and he’s hungry, and he needs more help than he’s willing to admit. Luckily, those most important to him love him just the same.

💙 You’re Here, Where You Should Be by @lululawrence

larry | 5k | not rated — (au, girl direction, christmas, fluff, aspec, friends to lovers)

three years after having last seen her best friend, Louis shows up at the Christmas party Harry’s family throws every year. Old feelings might not be as buried as Harry had thought.

💛 Gently As She Goes by @graceling-in-a-suit

larry | 33k | teen and up — (au, girl direction, fae, magic)

A modern fairytale (literally!) featuring a quest to bring a lost girl home, celtic goddesses, braiding, friendship, true love, and magic.

💛 This Christmas by @suddenclarityharry

larry | 6k | teen and up — (au, christmas, exes to lovers, angst)

The door swings wide and he’s already got a broad smile in place for whichever remaining guest is arriving now. But his grin falls, only to be replaced by astonishment when he sees who’s standing on the other side of the door. “Louis?”

Louis Tomlinson, the boy Harry had loved and lost ten years ago, stands on Harry’s front step looking beautiful and just as shocked as Harry. He blinks owlishly. “Harry?”

💛 You Should Be Here With Me by @dimpled-halo

larry | 3k | teen and up — (au, christmas, a/b/o, exes to lovers, angst)

Louis is home for the holidays and doesn’t expect his mum to invite his ex and his family over for Christmas. All the feelings he’s had bottled up since breaking up with Harry before going to uni come back in full force.

💚 Set Your Heart A-Whirl by @becomeawendybird

larry | 4k | general audiences — (au, christmas, fluff)

Harry comes home for his family’s big Christmas party and learns something surprising about his past.

💙 Do Not Falter (There’s a Star Ahead) by @londonfoginacup

larry | 2k | not rated — (au, a/b/o, christmas, fluff)

It’s Christmas Eve, and every single one of Louis’ family members are crowded inside his little flat. Really, what more could he ask for on his birthday?

The present he never knew he wanted - in the form of an omega from his past - might just make this his most memorable Christmas.

💙 Blood Is A Special Substance by @aceniall

shiall | 7k | not rated — (au, halloween)

Niall’s first year as a manager at Higgin’s Haunted House should be everything spooky he’s ever dreamed of. It’s just unfortunate he got stuck training the least scary person he’s ever met in his entire life.

💙 The Light In Your Eyes And The Dark In Your Heart by @aceniall

shiall | 6k | not rated — (au, witch!niall, magic, established relationship)

The past six months of dating Niall have been wonderful. It’s just odd that he chose now to start insisting he’s a witch. Shawn can only take so many potions and spells before he’s bound to do something drastic.

🧡 The Bones Of Your Heart by Anonymous

tomlinshaw | 4k | mature — (exes to lovers, angst, hurt/comfort)

Louis’s still there in the morning. Nick doesn’t really know what to do with that.

❤️ Sojurn by Anonymous

tomlinshaw | 6k | explicit — (au, strangers to lovers)

Nick’s got writer’s block. Louis is a master of distraction.

❤️ Stuck In The Middle (Of Nowhere) With You by Anonymous

tomlinshaw | 10k | explicit — (canon divergent, fluff)

Nick throws a party at Soho Farmhouse’s new Yorkshire retreat, to celebrate his X-Factor victory.

He didn’t anticipate getting trapped in the middle of nowhere with rival judge Louis Tomlinson, who’s a terrible duvet thief and a surprisingly good kisser. Not that Nick’s been thinking about that last part for the past three weeks. Much.

💚 sea skin by @sarcathlon

zouis | 0.9k | general audiences — (magic, au)

a boat, zouis, selkie!zayn

❤️ legs for days by @sarcathlon

horshaw | 1k | explicit — (smut)

just niall, nick, fishnets, and wanking

Also, I’m reading an amazing WIP: 

💛 Color Me Blue by alexenglish

nouis, ziall | 25k so far | teen and up

Four years after Niall’s life falls apart, it falls back together. A story about forgiveness, and figuring it out.

[olivierdemangeon]

  Synopsis :  21 octobre 1994. Trois jeunes cinéastes partent réaliser un reportage dans la forêt de Black Hills sur la légende d’une sorcière. Ils n’en reviendront jamais. Un an plus tard, le fruit de leur travail est retrouvé…

Origine du film : États-Unis Réalisateur : Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez Scénaristes : Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez Acteurs : Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard Musique : Antonio Cora Genre : Drame, Horreur, Mystère Durée : 1 heure et 21 minutes Date de sortie : 28 juillet 1999 Année de production : 1999 Sociétés de production : Haxan Films Distribué par : Artisan Entertainment Titre original : The Blair Witch Project Notre note : ★★☆☆☆

Notre commentaire : “Le Projet Blair Witch” est un film d’horreur psychologique proposé en found footage datant de 1999, écrit, dirigé et édité par Daniel Myrick et Eduardo Sánchez. On doit également “Exists” (2014) à ce dernier. Les acteurs principaux sont Heather Donahue, qu’on a également pu voir dans “The Morgue” (2008), Michael C. Williams, qu’on a pu voir dans “The Objective” (2008) et Joshua Leonard, qu’on a pu voir dans “Si je reste” (2014).

La trame de fond pour le film est une légende fabriquée par Eduardo Sánchez et Daniel Myrick, détaillée dans “The Curse of the Blair Witch“, une sorte de documentaire parodique diffusé sur la chaîne SciFi en 1999 avant la diffusion du film. Les deux acolytes, Sanchez et Myrick créèrent également un site web apportant de plus amples détails sur cette supposée légende. 

La légende décrit les meurtres et les disparitions de certains habitants de Blair, dans le Maryland (une ville fictive), aujourd’hui Burkittsville, durant les 18e, 19e et 20e siècles. Les habitants ont imputé ces événements au fantôme d’Elly Kedward, une résidente de Blair accusée de pratiquer la sorcellerie en 1785 et condamnée à mort. La malédiction de la sorcière de Blair présente la légende comme vraie, complétée avec des articles de journaux, des actualités, des reportages de télévision, et des témoignages.

Le tournage a commencé en octobre 1997 et a duré huit jours. La majorité des scènes du film ont été filmées au Seneca Creek State Park dans le comté de Montgomery, au Maryland, bien que quelques scènes ont été réalisées dans la vraie ville de Burkittsville. Certains des habitants interviewés dans le film n’étaient pas des acteurs, alors que d’autres l’étaient, mais inconnus de la distribution principale. Les scènes finales ont été filmées à Griggs House dans la ville de Granite, toujours dans le Maryland. Heather Donahue n’avait jamais manipulé de caméra. L’actrice a dû se familiariser avec le matériel deux jours avant le début du tournage. 

Près de 19 heures de séquences utilisables ont été enregistrées, et ont dû être modifiées pour obtenir un film d’environ 90 minutes. L’édition en post-production a duré plus de huit mois. À l’origine, on espérait que le film serait diffusé sur la télévision par câbles, et les cinéastes ne prévoyaient pas une large diffusion. L’investissement initial des trois cinéastes était d’environ 35 000 dollars. La société Artisan a acquis le film pour 1.1 million de dollars, mais a dépensé 25 millions de dollars pour le commercialiser.

“Le Projet Blair Witch” est considéré comme une référence en matière de métrage proposé en found footage sans pour autant être le premier à utiliser ce mode de photographie. Le film pose en effet un jalon dans l’histoire du cinéma en raison de son succès critique et de son résultat au box-office. Cependant, de notre point de vue, le métrage n’a pas bien résisté à l’érosion du temps. En effet, depuis 1999, la technologie, les effets spéciaux, même en faisant appel au found footage sont nettement supérieurs à ce que l’on pouvait proposer il y a presque 20 ans, surtout d’une manière artisanale comme c’est le cas avec ce film. Pour exemple “Exists” (2014), toujours d’Eduardo Sánchez, paru plus récemment, est plus abouti, plus inquiétant, plus stressant. 

Alors il y a fort à parier que si nous avions vu ce film à l’époque de sa sortie, Laurence et moi aurions été dans le consensus général, aujourd’hui ce n’est absolument pas le cas. Les films d’horreur, d’épouvante, de zombie, ou autres phénomènes paranormaux, font partie d’un genre que nous apprécions particulièrement, et la cote de “Le Projet Blair Witch” ne peut donc plus rivaliser avec des productions plus récentes. 

L’intrigue est prenante, certes et il faut avouer qu’il subsiste durant l’intégralité une certaine tension. Cependant, il faut être honnête et avouer que le métrage ne fait absolument pas peur. Les événements sont mineurs et ce n’est que dans la toute dernière partie du film que les choses se précipitent et s’activent, sans pour autant être clairement explicites. 

“Le Projet Blair Witch” a fait l’objet d’une édition en DVD ainsi qu’en Blu-ray, paru le 18 octobre 2006 chez Warner Home Vidéo France. Pour de plus amples renseignements, n’hésitez pas à consulter la fiche du film sur le site DVD.Fr.

En conclusion, “Le Projet Blair Witch” apparaît aujourd’hui comme un film ordinaire tant le concept du found footage a été décliné pour les films d’horreur. L’histoire est basique et l’intrigue se contente d’être stressante. Il n’y a que peu de jump scare, rien de fondamentalement horrifique. La photographie se milite à l’univers d’une forêt avec de jolis ruisseaux. Le rythme est moyen et s’amplifie dans la dernière partie. La distribution est sympathique et reste cohérente dans ses prestations. Un film qui aura mal vieilli et qu’il aurait été préférable de visionner lors de sa sortie. 

Bande-annonce :

LE PROJET BLAIR WITCH (1999) ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis :  21 octobre 1994. Trois jeunes cinéastes partent réaliser un reportage dans la forêt de Black Hills sur la légende d’une sorcière.

[ethosiab]

Sketchbook doodles

[ethosiab]

I’m. So normal about the team Canada au. So normal and definitely not about to combust. Really just the most normal a person could possibly be. Perfectly still and certainly not vibrating out of my skin. I am. Calm.

Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please say more I must know about the little dudes I will not survive the winter

i believe you . you're soooo normal.

i, however, am not. long rambles + art under the cut

plot-wise, the AU is predominantly centered around the two Ethos—the 'original', who works for the Script Foundation and donated his DNA to their clone research for a little extra cash, and 404, an escaped clone and one of the more successful results of said research. The Script Foundation is a scientific/medical corporation, among the many in the system looking for a cure to death. To get around their inability to experiment on human subjects, they developed the cloning program, to develop realistic human bodies without the consciousness that brings in ethical issues (spoiler alert this does not happen).

When 404 escapes, of course the Script Foundation wants them back. A bounty is put out for them, and the Etho's put on a team to help bring them back. Etho, Tango (ship mechanic, Etho's only friend), and Joel (bounty hunter, does not want to be here) spend their time hunting down 404, and running into many issues along the way.

On the other side of things, 404 spends only about 3 hours on the run before they run into Pause and Beef. There's a lot of weirdness here, 404 doesn't recognize Pause and Beef beyond a sense of deja vu, and Pause and Beef think 404 is Etho (who they have not seen in years and have presumed is dead). I'm writing a fic for this scene, actually. long story short team canada takes 404 in, and agree they can stay with them for a bit.

From this point on, there's a lot going on for both sides.

Etho's face is plastered all over the city, it's a pretty high bounty, and he probably gets mistaken for 404 multiple times before the information gets updated with a photo of 404 with the scar. Joel and Tango have to work together to rescue him after he gets captured by rival bounty hunters

404 gets beef and pause to call them that, because they don't want to be etho (and the confusion that would come from using that name is immense). they aren't etho. they're not entirely satisfied with going by their number designation though, but they've got nothing better

pause and beef continue to grapple with the fact that A: etho is not dead, B: the guy that looks like Etho, who is currently sleeping on their couch, is not actually Etho, and C: they're helping a wanted criminal

The two of them do briefly consider handing 404 over, with the logic that they shouldn't have any attachment to them since they're just a clone, not actually their friend. They can't bring themselves to, though.

404's scar is from a knife to the face- when they first met beef and pause, 404 had no idea who they were. they were scared, and intimidated, and those two were acting way too familiar with them. they attacked pause, and he retaliated. it just so happened that pause was armed, and trained how to fight, and 404 was...not.

luckily, 404 heals quickly. a cut to the face that should have taken minimum of a month to heal, and should have been fatal without medical attention, resolves itself in a few days. ...that's probably why the script foundation wants him back, huh.

Team canada are able to keep the knowledge that theyre harboring a fugitive on the downlow by being known bounty hunters- they've generally got good standing with people.

in fact, 404 just helps them with bounty hunting. They have the time of their life doing this shit. pause and beef love having them around too (it makes them wish Etho had agreed to join them doing this, all those years ago).

team canada are having a lighthearted and fun time, things go wrong but they escape trouble and everything ends alright. that's their vibe.

for etho though, everything keeps going wrong it's almost comical. everytime they've got a lead and almost catch 404, something gets in the way. in my head this au really is just a space opera anime in a similar vein to cowboy bebop, so etho and the gang are like the very unlucky villains.

tango and joel are constantly bickering. a big point of contention between them is that joel wants to fly the ship, because this is his mission and he was hired to do this, but Tango won't let him because its his ship and he's not going to let some bounty hunter drive it. Etho is so tired.

404 does not wear a facemask like etho. in fact its just a generally stressful time for etho to have his face well known everywhere. he doesn't like people seeing his face, and while mostly its an anxiety thing during social interaction, after so long of keeping it private, its really unsettling having to see it everywhere.

Joel's mostly in it for the money to pay off his debt, Tango's there because he's worried about Etho, and Etho's doing it because he thinks he has to. He hasn't really had a life seperate from the Script Foundation in years, it's all he knows. for him, this is about finding out what he's being made to do it fucked up, and the choice to do something about it.

It's about seeing this happier and more free version of himself, and choosing to help them instead of feeling the resentment he wants to. (Look at this person who is meant to be you. they are experiencing the joy you never got with the people you turned your back on. you realise you've never gotten that, you've been hiding from yourself for your entire life because you've been scared of upsetting the quota. you've been settling for mediocrity when you could've had so much more. Are you going to allow them that?)

also 404 might figure out theyre trans so that's a really fun thing for etho to find out about himself through his clone.

yeah i think the genres here are very different depending on whether you're looking at it from 404 or from Etho's pov lmao

and this isn't even getting into the shit about genetically enhanced humans, or cyborgs.

okay you've made it this far, have some sketches of the ethos as reward. these are from probably a mid point in the plot, i was playing with the idea of 404 being able to grow their hair our for a few months after escaping.

[ethosiab]

404 scifi au making me go crazy

We got 404 griping new found freedom and the horrors of being a convict despite having never committing a crime, only finding shelter and solace in people who knew their original, and sometimes they forget they're not him. They look like him, talk like him, but they're not him. And all they really want to do is live as their own individual

We got team Canada realizing that no, etho is not dead, but they are giving that knowledge by someone who wears his face. It's not their etho and he doesn't even have a name. He's worth a lot of money, but could they really turn him in? Would it be so wrong to finally let him be a person? To indulge themselves in finally having their friend back, even if it isn't the same?

We got team JET and the terrible horrible no good very bad bounty hunt, toeing the line between homoerotic tension and murderous intent with each other and at this point probably just wanna go home

And Etho experiencing all of the above because his life is anything but easy dispute how much he doesn't want it to be, and the combined identity crisis and relationship issues already sucks without Wingus and Dingus over there arguing about the steering wheel for the tenth time today

They make me ill, your honor

-day 🧡

YOU GOT ITTTT EXACTLY!!!!!! YOU GET ME!! YOU UNDERSTAND!!! Makes me so happy getting asks like this because I'm glad I got the point across right!

"toeing the line between homoerotic tension and murderous intent" is actually a top tier description of whatever is going on between joel and tango thank you

[ethosiab]

can't tell if it's because the urge to smush my interests together is very great or if its actually a banger idea to do something with scifi au etho and faye's video for her future self in episode 18 of cowboy bebop

[ethosiab]

[25] IM BACK. here is a messy team canada for beef day

The fundraiser for Gamer's Outreach is still ongoing! Don't forget to donate and get in on some of the incentives before it's too late :D

[ethosiab]

Anything slabtek? 👉👈 Would be super interested to see them from your sci-fi au!!

hi jammmm <3 you get 3 scifi au slabteks because i got really in the groove. and some related facts below so they're not completely contextless bc i want to ramble

(Img 1) theyre actually room-mates in the au because im a sucker for that lol. After etho had recovered from the injuries that erm. Made pause and Beef think he was dead, he stayed in a room provided by the foundation for a few weeks while he sorted himself out a little. That... wasn't working completely, he was kind of a mess since his memory was all fucked up and his entire support system had fallen from underneath him. Tango, who knew etho a little from some work they'd done together in the past, and who took over for ethos duties quite a bit while he was getting back on his feet, offered him a place in his apartment so etho would have a stable place to stay and not have the foundation on his back about finding a home all the time.

Etho only intended for it to be a short arrangement, he didnt know tango that well and he doesnt know all of what tango knows about him because he can't remember the past few months of his life. It just became easy, is all, because tango spends a lot of time away from home while on work trips, and needs someone to mind the house. So it became a little more permanent, and they settled into a routine with each other.

God knows they both have horrible self care when it comes to sleep schedules and overworking and forgetting to eat, so they tend to be able to keep each other accountable when they're both home.

Etho sleeps on tangos couch still, but its one of those ones that pulls out into a bed, so its really fine.

I don't know how long it takes Joel to figure out that these guys live together but its gotta be a slightly comically long time

(img 2) The Citadel is Tango's ship that he maintains, and while it's not technically his, he's worked for the company long enough and is such a good pilot/mechanic that he's kind of got that guarantee that he'll be the one flying and in charge of maintaining it on jobs

which also means he can get away with some modifications that he wouldn't otherwise be able to, given he's trusted. some of them are straight up illegal, some of them are simply in breach of contracts that state he's meant to get approval before making modifications

He doesn't intend to tell Etho about these at first (because duh step 1 to not getting caught is not telling anyone), but when he gives Etho a proper tour of the ship, Etho notices. Instead of telling tango off or accusing him of sabotaging the foundation, however, Etho's just mostly curious about the modifications themselves. I would consider this the stage at which their friendship really starts to blossom, where tangos been more vulnerable with etho as well.

(Img 3) closer to immediately pre-canon theyre very comfortable around each other :] its not just tangos apartment anymore, its their apartment, and its ethos home too.

Doesnt stop them from always making jokes about tango coming back from a trip to find the place upside down (etho probably has played a few pranks on him before where he'll shift around some of tangos carefully organised chaos and time how long it takes him to realise when he gets back)

So uh. Theyre room-mates. Housemates. Not solely friends, not labelled a QPR. And if you ask them if they're dating they'll both get really uncomfortable and ungracefully switch the topic <3

[ethosiab]

various sketches n things from wips i picked at tonight

[ethosiab]

we're doing reqs? groveling on the floor. team canada please. doing anything you feel like it. being stupid (every day with them)

sci-fi au team canada! (or uhm. one version of them). right after beef and pause meet 404 and agree to help him :D

First they gotta give him some non-bloody clothes that fit, Etho's old ones should work, right?

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my hand hurtsss

[ethosiab]

beef having a normal one in the scifi au

[ethosiab]

Episode 404-ish Sci-Fi AU where Etho's DNA was used to create clones by the Script Writers (evil science organisation uhuh). Said clones mostly being used for human experimentation purposes, because of course if its a clone theyre experimenting on its not a REAL person and isnt unethical. right. hhaha.