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andrewthoughtsbombdiggity · 4 years ago

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‘Supah Hero

Super Hero Character

Name: Andra (ANNE-Dra)

Alias: None

Character Intro:

Andra is a human man featured as a main character in Where the Heart Lies and as a main character/secondary character throughout the series. He is 5’8, well built with the exception of a small gut, tan and brown haired (with a pretty prominent flip in the front). He has a power born within him known as the Light, an ambiguously originated power hypothesized by other to be from God (as it seems to work really well against witches, demons, etc.). The Light can be used in many ways and is powered by Andra’s soul.

Setting:

The setting of Andra’s world is on an earth very similar to ours and takes place from 2017ish – 2032. Earth is much like our own except much like the Fallout games its technologically oriented in the 1970’s-90’s. America is America minus the fact that there aren’t “states” as much as there are regions that the country is broken into. Some regions are small (such as The Island (Long Island)) and act without direct control of the country, other regions are large and under direct control of the government (The Mountains (later referred to as Upper Appalachia and Andra’s current home). It is also more forested and aesthetically the cities look more as they would in the 1800’s rather than industrial and modern architecture.

Biography:

Early Childhood:

Little is known of Andra’s early childhood, he has parents named Jen-Jen and Lawro and a brother named Joe (not to be confused with the prominent character Jojo). He mentions that “My mom and dad gave us [me and Joe] the best life possible… but I haven’t seen them since I came home from the war… and I’d rather not”. He had his powers since the day he was born and his mother said that he contained the “divine spark” and stated she had a vision of the universe opening in front of her when he was born. Whether or not this was the power of Light being imbued within him by some vague force has not yet been revealed. It has been written that Andra once mended an injured frog when he was 7… and this was when he became aware of his powers, although he didn’t really know what they were. By age 14 he had a grasp of his basic abilities though unaware where it came from or how it was powered Adolescence: At age 15 he and his friend Jojo were drafted from The Island to battle China in the “Grand War” a devastating 1 year war that left China in ruins… but so many Americans died in the conflict no one was really happy with the result. The Grand Army was disbanded and all previous draftees were given the option to leave or join The New Army, Jojo joined the new while Andra left… thoroughly traumatized. This started the darkening of his heart and his soul was tainted… restraining his powers greatly. He moved to the mountains and lived by himself in peace until…

Events of Where the Heart Lies:

Away from his friends and family at 17 as well as suffering from his trauma from the war Andra had a very hard time until he met his friend Noah, a studying friar whose powers of “The Word” soothed him. However he also fell in love with a woman named Carmilla Rose who seemed to help Andra get over his pain and put him on the road to freedom. However, Carmilla was actually a witch who knew of Andra’s powers (Through the demon Naradonna who whispered her will into Carmilla to destroy him) and wished to corrupt and harness them {see: ‘Powers’ below} for her benefit which would ultimately have killed Andra. She stole his heart and ran further into the wilderness to complete her dark magic whilst leaving Andra to wither and die. Noah not knowing what to do sent for Jojo and together all three journeyed to figure out the curse, cure Andra, and confront Carmilla and defeat her.

Events of Global Seed and Politzania Mania

Andra in Global Seed and Politzania Mania is a bit older at 22 and 24 respectfully. Having honed his powers better in these two stories his personality remains the same save for the fact that he adopts a baby that he names Lucy (she was born of a strange ritual in aboriginal Australia) and fathers twins with an unnamed woman called Arthur and Sally who appear to have inherited the Light. After completing the respective journeys and adventures he seeks a quiet life with his children far off in the countryside away from it all, determining that the world is at peace once and for all. Fatherhood calms his more excitable tendencies as most of his energy is drawn to them and this makes Andra become more even-keel, wiser.

Events of Super Flower Platinum

Andra is a main character yet again, now 32 and with a little “huskiness” to him, Andra built “the Village” as a refuge for all his friends and their families after the events of Politzania Mania. Living in the quiet village, they all believe their work as heroes is done as they wish to live in tranquil remote retirement. Unbeknownst to them one final threat looms its’ ugly head in the form of the demon Polestar. Having fused with Gak (a character in the previous stories) and gifting him dark powers, Gak submits Yarri (another character) to his will and corrupts the planet. After killing an ally, Andra and co. find out the assailant and chase after him. Andra loses his left arm in the initial brawl and Polestar and company escape. Andra has changed in this, having the world so corrupted constantly brings up memories of the Grand War, and this leads a change in him to be erratic and anxious as the journey continues. His kids die as well towards the end (except 1, and he fathered 4 more children in the years leading up to Super Flower Platinum) and this breaks him into a calm madness, far from the joyful and happy-go-lucky character of before… no this is WAR Andra.

Powers:

The Light: The Light is a mysterious power gifted by God to Andra at birth and only fully realized after the defeat of Carmilla Rose in the events of Where the Heart Lies. It allows Andra to manipulate light and energy. While enhancing one’s physical stamina and strength to slightly above average means, it is mainly powered through the soul and the heart of Andra (the heart in the main belief of humans of this world is that the heart is the bridge between spiritual and physical, hence why Carmilla stole the heart as she would have control not just over Andra, but over his soul). Noble intentions are not required although it tends to weaken the overall ability of whatever Andra is doing. Another downside to the Light is that it can damage Andra physically or spiritually if he over exerts although it still will hit his target. The Light doesn’t grant immortality or anything… Andra still ages normally and functions as a normal human.

Abilities:

Detonate- detonate is an ability Andra has that light travels through the spacing of his fingers and blows up anything under or being held by his hand without damage to people (unless he wants it to). This comes in handy if he needs to open a lock or door forcefully or to momentarily distract an enemy (Painfully).

Stun- Stun can stun an enemy by focusing a touch to the heart or to other pressure points although it is more effective when the heart is touched. Blinder- Blinder blinds an enemy with a flash of light that can also double as an attack because it can also burn demons and witches.

Sun King- This ability is the most powerful in Andra’s arsenal and has only been used once, it appears at first as a pulsating ball of yellow/white light that contracts and expands then appears as many smaller balls of pulsating light that cover a large range, they then explode. The catch is that it can kill Andra and he does not control where the little light balls go.

Bam-Bam- any physical/melee attack enhanced by light Pulse- Pulse allows for Andra to place his hand onto an opponent, at which he will pulse light through them, this causes the enemy to glow and burn from the inside out, really effective against witches.

Dawn and Dusk- A last resort; Andra can attach himself to an opponent and explode. It can kill him.

Personality:

Andra’s personality shifts drastically throughout the entire series. Very withdrawn, quiet, and skittish in Where the Heart Lies, he is described by Jojo as being a scared and timid shell of his former shelf, although this is due to the curse. Following the lifting of the curse, he is much more stern and serious but this eventually gives way to his very goofy, jovial, and gregarious true self in later stories, and even further when he becomes an older adult with a child, he’s more mature and experienced and this shows prominently in the third story Politzania Mania where he acts as a counsel to Adrino (another character) when confronted with identity issues. He is still haunted by the Grand War and he sometimes drinks himself to sleep on occasion, much to the chagrin of everyone. He can also be quick to judgment and he finds this out the hard way when his powers weaken and seemingly the most inopportune times.

Goals:

After the events of the first story, Andra simply wishes to live a life of peace and quiet. However he and his friends keep finding themselves embroiled in these mysterious fights of good and evil. After many supernatural run-ins (i.e. the events of The Global Seed), he deduces that he shall find a way to clear the world of supernatural and spiritual evils… thus ridding fear (conscious or unconscious) of primary evil. He’s an unknowing hero, just on a mission to make the world a little brighter. It is unknown if the Light pushes him to cleanse the darkness or if he feels he can accomplish this because of the Light.

Death and Legacy:

The death of Andra takes place a little before the end of the events in Super Flower Platinum. Polestar having recognized the one power that can vanquish him and Gak as well as his offspring (born in the beginning of Super Flower Platinum, named GolStar and SilStar), he kills all but 2 of Andra’s children in a gambit to rid a legacy of the Light and to break Andra mentally to make him easier to defeat. The two surviving children are Saraphina and Lucy, Andra’s adopted child. Andra in a mad outburst goes all out against Polestar, killing SilStar and critically wounding GolStar, however in a moment of distraction Polestar launches a powerful wave of demonic energy at Andra’s left side. Not covered or prepared to defend Andra watches in horror as Lucy uses her ability to sacrifice herself and give Andra one last fighting chance (She turns into a giant tree resistant to anti-nature energies and encases Andra in it, the sap from said tree heals him and her spirit snaps him back into reason and reality). The ensuing fight is brutal with Polestar and Gak seeming to become the victors. With hope fading in the eyes of his comrades, Andra is moved to tears, he then realizes what he must do. Inferring Polestar is the final supernatural threat to worldly peace he charges towards him, incurring many fatal shots to the body before wrapping himself around Polestar/Gak and essentially converting himself and his soul into a Light bomb, destroying Gak/Polestar and GolStar and SilStar and restoring Yarri’s sanity. All saddened at the loss of their friend, the remaining heroes erect a statue in his honor with the inscription “Let the Light Take You Higher” as his ultimate message that people are good, and that good is Light, and the Light will lift you up when all seems lost and hopeless, as demonstrated by his sacrifice. And if there was anything he left behind besides his daughter Saraphina, the only wielder of the Light ability now, it was not only the proof of truly good people, but also that world will no longer encounter true evil ever again.

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andrewthoughtsbombdiggity · 4 years ago

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egnaro krowkcolc a

Upon viewing A Clockwork Orange, a few questions arose in my mind. What kind of movie is this? Where is this going? I saw that the description was “dystopian” and sci-fi, and the strangest thing was that for the first time I watched a movie that was dystopian but wasn’t apocalyptic. Society seemed normal, I mean it seems that this dystopian Britain was obsessed with the 60’s erotica art scene, but normal nonetheless. After a few more times of viewing to see if I could “get it” I gave it an ‘A’ rating. This movie struck me at first as an exploitation and college film with a big studio budget, due to the extreme use of nudity, sex, and phallic/clitoral depictions that were nearly unheard of or seen in a big studio movie. But as previously mentioned I do like to give art a chance, even if it isn’t something I necessarily like or enjoy. The cinematography is done quite well with some shots even allowing you to feel like the main character Alexander De Large, such as the shot where he is watching the films as part of his rehabilitation and he starts shouting in horror, the way the camera is angled gives us a sense of disturbing and unease (1:16:34-1:17:23).

The film is directed by the late Stanley Kubrick, a renowned and prolific filmmaker and director who’s other movies include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Kubrick adapted the film from the book of the same name. The book was written by Anthony Burgess in 1962 and satirizes government (both left and right wing) it also depicts teenage gangs and violence and monstrous crimes, some of which were changed in the movie. Kubrick’s intention for the film was to satirize government as well, we see this in the many scenes where The Minister of the Interior appears and F. Alexander appears for the second time. Although the film does not out and out say it, It is to be perceived that the Minister of the Interior is the authoritarian side of things and a representative of a government that kind of reveals what makes the film “dystopian” (2:08:20-2:13:15), where he hints that F. Alexander (Alex’s captor) was a “writer of subversive literature” and F. Alexander the government (representative of the Minister of the Interior) “Totalitarian” (1:47:36-1:47:59). There’s always something to this movie, something to uncover, and although it is really wacky and out there, you get the feeling about halfway in that there is something more. You nearly feel brilliant when you pick up on a theme, and there’s a different theme to pick up on every time you watch Clockwork orange. That’s the beauty of it, all the different themes and how they plug into each other, how they play off one another, how they and the movie critique society as a whole. It’s a real thinker’s movie; ripe with analysis and hidden meaning that anyone watching this movie cannot get enough of. The acting in this movie is superb, the actor Malcolm McDowell plays the main character Alexander De Large (Alex), a witty, sociopathic, intelligent youth who delights in classical music (particularly that of Beethoven). The way McDowell plays Alex is so convincing that when he looks at the camera and stares at your eyes, you really feel the piercing above his brow as he stares intently and gravely upon you. His acting really carries the movie as you do follow him and his journey and you really do believe he is a real man. Kubrick as he stated in an interview that his intention and vision for Alex was “Alex is a character who by every logical and rational consideration should be completely unsympathetic, and possibly even abhorrent to the audience,” he continued. “And yet in the same way that Richard III gradually undermines your disapproval of his evil ways, Alex does the same thing and draws the audience into his own vision of life. This is the phenomenon of the story that produces the most enjoyable and surprising artistic illumination in the minds of an audience.” (Far Out staff, “Kubrick Once Explained…” https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stanley-kubrick-explains-a-clockwork-orange/). And I would agree with this wholly, Alex is the driver of this movie, he was the driver of the book, hence why he is the main character. The audience sees a savage self, a more primal and truer self in Alex as he gallivants on his crime spree(s), it is the fact that he is forced into such rehabilitation that makes us sympathize with what seems to be a man you shouldn’t and couldn’t sympathize. The music is on point and the electronic and despondent rendition of Beethoven’s 9th symphony (played numerous times throughout the film (26:01-28:04, 1:15:41-1:19:29)

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is a nice touch that portrays nostalgic longing for yesteryears softens the harsh reality of his cold world, think Fallout 3 & 4 but instead of bubblegum pop and 50’s rock, its classical music in a harsh “near-future” (60’s near future) Britain. Clockwork Orange takes you down a government-sterilized trip down dark corridors and fluorescent hallways, with hints of fascist and socialist agendas, the portrayal of violence, how it affects the youth, even the subjects of free will and can it be taken away? When you are done watching the movie it all ends in a spectacular fashion, with Alex’s picture being taken with the Minister in hopes of swaying public opinion, all the while the previous 10 minutes you slowly start to understand that the effects of his “reboot” were undone as he imagines himself with a woman with an adoring crowd. It ends with Alex narrating to the audience “I was cured, all right”, an eerie and thought provoking line as the cherry on top of a very experimental, philosophical and strange piece of cinema. My heart really warmed up to this film as it is charming despite it obscene and jarring exterior, deeper within is something all can take with them, whatever that is, is up for you to decide. Good luck deciphering the language the delinquent youth use, as I wouldn’t want to spoil it. Another take on the meaning of this movie wouldn’t be surprising as it is still debated whether or not it deserves an X rating or should even considered a great film, but by its cult following and the Stanley Kubrick, who treasured this movie above all else, it is no less than a masterpiece, and I agree.

#clockworkorange blogposts greatcinema

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andrewthoughtsbombdiggity · 4 years ago

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Gay Me Up “Zaddy”

As a practicing Catholic, born and raised, these last two weeks have been… jarring to say the least. I have no problems with gays, in fact one thing about these movies that makes me sympathize with the characters is that they cannot be accepted or must keep who they are hush-hush and under the table. I take a stance that one should hate the sin and love the sinner, and for future reference maybe have a few Christian movies to dissect after the LGBTQ Movie Unit? Prince of Egypt (2000) was a phenomenal movie as well as The Passion of the Christ (2004). I detect the pushing of one side and not the other and even though this may not be the intention, I still feel it. But not to mention in a world where open mindedness is key, one can parallel that Christian movies as well as gay movies are not given a fair shot in mainstream cinema. So why not expose us to some hidden gem Christian movies as you’ve done with these LGBTQ movies? Maybe we ought to change that. Another thing I am not overall happy with is the fact that these movies are not available on streaming services, however they were for the most part very well made and a lot of care went into making them. That being said the old soul in me is also a little miffed that I had to rent Call Me By Your Name for $3.99, in other words, I paid 4 dollars to watch a kid masturbate with an apricot (1:36:00 – 1:37:31).

I understand teenagers/young adults are hormonal, horny monsters that would bang anything pulse optional, but NO ONE DOES THAT EVER, and if they do… in the words of my friend Elyse, “Do you boo” (I want my money back). A humorous question does pop up in my head; do LGBTQ people get grossed out at straight people make out and sex scenes? Or do they not really care? Just some food for thought, and in the spirit of these humorous/philosophical points can we say that there is a definite style of gay movies, a “Queer style” if you will? I do not believe there is a queer visual style as after reviewing these movies they seem to be filmed, as any other film would be. Scenes such as Elio in Call Me By Your Name courting Marzia (1:08:20 – 1:09:45) are filmed the exact same way (in daylight and moonlight scenes) as scenes between Elio and Oliver’s (55:30 – 57:20) courtship/blossoming relationship. The way the relationship between Elio and Oliver and the relationship between Elio and Marzia is filmed, specifically how the camera captures it (not the writing or emotions the actors portray) is not stylistically different from each other and therefore at least for this movie does not show any “Queer Visual Style”. I also believe that a queer visual style takes away from the fact that queer, gay, trans, and lesbians are people just like you and me and a stylistic difference in visual portrayal could alienate them and make them seem all too different from regular people. Take Moonlight for instance, that movie is beautifully shot, and although scenes such as his struggle to play soccer with “the boys” (13:51 – 16:51) exemplify that he isn’t soft but something inside Chiron (his gay orientation) lurks behind and gives everyone the impression that there is something different about Chiron and that gives them the impression of him being soft. I see no difference in the visual style of that and say the shot of him learning about the pangs of becoming older and realizing one’s wildness in youth must give way to becoming what he wants to be (19:40 - 21:17).

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In my opinion there is no difference in visual style whether the movie is queer or hetero-normative. Hollywood, in particular a good story has always had the ability to change my mind about many things. And how, you ask yourself, how can a movie “queer me” and surprisingly, Brokeback Mountain did just “queer” me a little. The deep friendship, bond, and further relationship bond made me see that two men can truly love each other and despite all the norms and tradition they break, still have that fond and unbreakable connection 20 years later (The movie starts in 1963 and ends in 1983). It reminded me of my friend Joe and I, and no we aren’t involved like that but I do consider him a second brother and my closest friend. Where I draw the parallel is that despite being hours away from each other they have managed to remain close just like me and my friend Joe have despite me moving some three years ago.

No scene shows this excitement and happiness more than their first meeting after the stint on Brokeback Mountain (1:03:45 – 1:04:25)

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and this scene really shows us as the audience the attachment these two feel for each other (even though it completely doomed Ennis’s marriage but we are not focusing on that). Throughout the movie they meet up throughout the years, their passion still lively as ever, and throughout the movie, even though I am not gay or bear romantic feelings towards my best friend Joe, I kept thinking to myself… “Are me and Joe going to be this close with me in a few years…? Am I? I wonder if we’ll ever go on guys’ trips and do some cool shit before we settle down. And that’s the magic of Brokeback Mountain, it humanizes us and most importantly for its time humanized relationships that were unconventional. And for those who aren’t gay, it made me think about my relationships with my family and friends and how close and tight I am with them, and again even though my feelings aren’t of the sexual or romantic kind towards them… I’m still able to sympathize, empathize, and relate to the story of two dudes separated by time and distance never skipping a beat and having a grand ole time. Of course I acknowledge that they had tension in their relationship especially due to the urging of Jack “Fuckin’” Twist to have them leave their lives behind and start anew together and Ennis rejecting the notion due to a past witnessing of a hate crime, however I am choosing to focus on the closeness and bonding aspect and how people gay or not gay can relate to that and relate it to all their relationships. To quote the character Mr. Bucci from Call Me By Your Name (58:38) “Cinema is a mirror of reality and it is a filter”, LGBTQ people have always struggled for acceptance of who they and this is portrayed in movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Call Me By Your Name, and Moonlight among others, without alienating themselves in a distinct visual and rather being filmed as people like you and me, cause again they are people like you and me, they just vibe a little different.

#LGBTQ #Movies Cinema #COM105

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andrewthoughtsbombdiggity · 4 years ago

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Remember What the Dormouse said... Feed Your Head

Our general perceptions of ‘madness’ are expressed through movie scenes much more than the novels or memoirs on which they might be based. In addition, films might echo superstitions and stigmas that are already deep-rooted in varied cultures and beliefs including the idea that mental illness is somehow otherworldly or supernatural. In the end, movies demand a conclusion, more than most art forms and ‘madness’ has traditionally led to tragic fates, even in the most compassionate narratives. The movies in recent time are promoting and reflecting a heightened public awareness of mental health yet the ‘madness’ still brings viewers close to our own vulnerability. It is interesting to think that one’s madness or downward spiral can lead to crazy situations and philosophies. I believe more so now than ever that we currently idolize the crazy and the mad, the screwed up and the dysfunctional.

Look at how many people like me and you went to The Joker and found our own catharsis as not seeing him solely as the painted clown that fought Batman, but as a misunderstood passionate man who was destroyed by the system, by THE MAN if you will. Many related to that. We are all very much like the Joker, we see ourselves in those layers of dysfunction and craziness. We see ourselves and think, “What if I became that mad?” “What would the world come to?” What would I do, what would bring me to that point?” Other movies give us a glimpse at the writer and or director’s take on those questions.

In Parasite, a Korean thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho we see the lengths a family will go not only to secure comfort and a decent living, but also to keep it. In the movie, a family of 4 (Father, Mother, Daughter, Son) lives in a derelict basement struggling to make ends meet, The son’s affluent friend refers him a job teaching English to the teenage daughter of a wealthy business man, pretty soon the family gets all the wealthy family’s workers fired and replaces them. The father becomes the driver, the daughter scams as an art therapist, and the mother becomes the housekeeper. Pretty soon they discover the old housekeeper has been keeping her husband in a secret bunker under the house to escape loan sharks. So what do the new “parasites” do? Try to get rid of the old ones, it ends in the death of the old housekeeper by concussion and the family scrambles to secure the husband, tying him up with rope and duct tape.

Throughout the entire movie at this point, I’m on the edge of my bed waiting to see what comes next and this movie brought me on a twisted turn. There are two “endings”, the end of the family’s employment at the wealthy family’s house and the aftermath. The end of their employment occurs when the husband breaks free his bonds and goes on a rampage killing the daughter, to which the father kills not only him but the wealthy business man after he sees the disgust on his face from being near a poor person. The father having killed two men escapes to the secret bunker and here lies the aftermath, the son vows to buy the house when he has enough money and the daughter dies, with the mother despondent and heartbroken. The movie ends with the son buying the house and being reunited with his dad. The movie’s ending is ambiguous! Having you scratch your head at not only what just happened, but also what it means. What does it mean? After leading on a crazy rollercoaster of them possibly being caught, who’s going to die? How are they going to get out of this? You realize that they were just people like me and you… it was a thought experiment played out before your eyes, next time you watch the movie, put yourself in their shoes, would you go that far to secure a better life? What would you do to defend yourself from losing everything? If I had written it I would’ve had the father not kill the wealthy businessman, just punch him in the face or something.

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American Psycho on the other hand is a trip through Pyscho Lane. Patrick Bateman is your quintessential yuppie in Wall Street who we find out has a darker side on second look. Throughout the movie we see his killing go from hobos and business rivals to random prostitutes and old flames. Near the end he’s going mad because he believes he is going to be caught, and despite admitting it to his lawyer and “friends” they don’t believe him, in fact they think he is just joking. I think it is very interesting to think what has him trapped like that; no matter how much he kills he can’t get caught. Is it all in his head? In his ailed (and probably coked out, c’mon its 80’s Wall Street) mind fever dreaming this to cope with his gilded cage of a life. Or is he truly just a predator unable to die with an endless prey supply? He finds no catharsis, he seems lost in his life and killing was just a way for him to find meaning in his empty life. He is a very rich man, able to afford all the food, wine, drugs, music, and woman he wants but it’s never enough, he feels nothing, emotionally dead. Perhaps him killing was what he felt thrilled him, and when that faded he though sex AND murder would knock his socks off, but no again just a pit. When he does try to escape the rat race (mostly of his own creation) he finds no way out other than to slowly be tortured with no resolve.

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I would not have written that any other way, just thinking of the different meanings written here isn’t the tip of the iceberg of what this movie could mean. Again what would you do in this situation? Why wasn’t he caught, why was everything seemingly swept under the rug? We don’t know and this movie works its ambiguous ending and angle best by staying in the unknown and being mysterious.

#Youtube

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andrewthoughtsbombdiggity · 4 years ago

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Forever Young? Do You Want to Be Forever Young?

After viewing Euphoria, The Breakfast Club, Mean Girls, KIDS, and Mid-90s, movies/TV shows that particularly center around adolescents and their struggles (mostly through sexual and social lenses) during their time growing and becoming adults. Being that these films center on “youth culture” there are many similarities that are thematically common thus connecting them in some way or another. Personally I do not find myself relating to any of the characters, except for Ray because he is a leader and doesn’t throw it in your face, he leads quietly and I am very much like that, also he has a drive to excel and make something of himself and leave his poor financial situation (which I am currently doing). The first of the three similarities I found is sex, sex and sexual dialogue is prevalent throughout the movies. Sex is the main subject in KIDS, with the AIDS being a plot device catalyzed by Telly, a boy who wants to have sex with virgins and the rat race that involves his ex Jennie warning other girls of his interest that he has AIDS. In Euphoria, the show is sex, with most of the cast being obsessed with getting laid and talking about sexual subjects for example Kat’s loss of her virginity to appear cool and to belong in her friend group with Maddy (who mentions how “powerful” pussy is). Cassie Howard fornicates with a merry-go-round (Euphoria Ep 4) which as a side note is interesting because we associate a merry-go-round with childhood innocence and her masturbating on it is kind of like the true death of her innocence and her morality (even though she was high) or the character Jules played by Hunter Schaefer is a trans woman who has hookups with married men (the hook is that she is a boy, the married men are closeted and use her as means to satisfy what they perceive as their forbidden desires). In Breakfast Club, Bender harasses Brian and later Claire about their virginity, calling Brian a loser for lying about it and being one and calling out Claire for being a tease/stuck-up/prude/faker (They really got along I swear).

In Mid-90s, Stevie has his first sexual encounter with an older girl, to which they both brag about it to their friends, which earns Stevie street credit (Mid 90s, 52:31). When Stevie first meets Ruben and gets to know him, Ruben tells Stevie that he should do as he does cause he “fucks bitches” (although it’s implied he’s all talk and tries too hard to impress his friends). Sex is a really heavy theme found in all these movies. Why does sex matter to a teenager/young-adult, I remember my high school days… I remember my first girlfriend… but looking back, everyone was messing around with someone. I could never truly figure out why kids were so obsessed with sex and these movies do in some way or another perfectly reflect that fascination, maybe it’s the bodily changes and us getting used to the hormones, maybe it’s our first real experience dealing with the “taboos” of adulthood (although in my opinion due to social media and influencers the whole hush-hush about sex is disappearing).

All in all sex is a normal thing, it happens but it personally strikes me as bizarre that the kids in Breakfast Club had done nowhere near the amount of stuff compared to Euphoria, which leads to the next common theme, generational gaps. Generational gaps is a bit of a stretch yes, but its consistent in a non linear way, where as you can compare the teacher in Breakfast Club as a generational gap due to the fact that he thinks the kids get stupider every year, you can also compare yourself to the generation portrayed in each movie, or two movies of a different generation. For example, my mother relates to Breakfast Club because that’s very much like what Gen X kids were like, that was their youth culture, where as I can relate to Euphoria because that is my generation. Each movie is like a snapshot of what kids were like at that time. It is relatable to a degree to contemporary youth culture because while Mean Girls and Euphoria are very much my speed due to the generations and technology portrayed in them, KIDS and Mid-90s is not because I wasn’t even alive. Contemporary means up to date, and although for the time they represent they are, but as for nowadays (2021) only the former two really are truly contemporary. Third is trying to belong, with the exception of KIDS this is what drives most of the teens to do as they do. Teens are very impressionable, not content to be alone for the most part, therefore most decisions they make guides them to be at a place where they are accepted to some sort of degree, they find their niche. Jules’ niche is banging married dudes, Cady just wants to fit in to her cliquey high school and have friends because she spent her life being homeschooled in Africa, Stevie just wants an escape from his troubled home life and is with people where he can be himself. Bender has a discussion with Claire as to why the physics club (which Brian is a part of) is a social club and not just a “nerdy academic club “ (basically another argument where bender points out that Claire is a stuck-up snob).

Everyone in these movies just wants to belong, sex even has a role to play in them trying to belong, guiding them to be “loose” and promiscuous because they believe that is what will make them look good. The sound track to a film or show does help the narrative, it directs your emotions where the director wants, if something is thrilling you may hear high pitched instruments, if something is spooky or empty or desolate, you may hear the wind or creeping violins. In Euphoria, techno music and rap is used specifically because of the audience watching and the subjects of the show, the teenagers. The song Milkshake by Kelis is used in Mean Girls, the song is typically associated with women flaunting and showing off physically, very fitting to the plastics (girls who are the popular ones in the movie). Mid-90s has grunge music associated with the 90s and skater culture and not to mention

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2oby0e65jA

The Mamas and The Papas’ song “Dedicated To The One I Love” (Mid 90s, 21:00) while they skate and drift on the roadway put me personally in a good mood and reminds me of when I was younger and just hanging with the boys and feeling the breeze in my face. The soundtrack and the right song can really make a scene in a movie and move an audience member in the exact way you need them to be to emotionally understand what the film is trying to put out there.

Spotify Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/user/andyman357/playlist/6PAa3NCf7wVgWtUH6axSIr?si=BCLlpSsqSDCf2O4MZf3UXA

Andy’s Strange Trip

The first song I picked is Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles This song is about John Lennon’s childhood and how he always felt different, like he was on a different wavelength. I relate to that because I believe I am “High or Low” or rather crazy/genius and that you can tune into my frequency, it isn’t too bad (big lyrical reference). And Your Bird Can Sing by The Beatles on the other hand is in a weird way that moment when your friend says something completely eye roll worthy and you say “And I’m the Queen of England”. I relate to it because the singer is saying to the person the song is aimed at that they don’t “get” the singer, they’re not understanding them but are more than quick enough to discuss what their bird can do. In other words, Andrew sees his ex talking about how amazing her life is when it really isn’t that amazing and is trying to explain the bigger picture but still isn’t seeing the point. The third song Bitter Water by The Oh Hellos Basically in the most beautiful poetic way describes my last relationship, which was a major growing experience. I chose Juke Box Hero by foreigner because I have dreams to become an entertainer/writer not a singer but the song gets my feelings that I have felt for years right, about how you just keep rocking and stay on top. my 5th choice is Mr. Blue Sky by E.L.O Not obvious to any of you, but my personality is this song. on a different side of the same coin Madman by Sean Row is about someone who thinks differently and is off the beaten path therefore he is by most people’s standards a “Madman” and I relate to that because that was always me and for as much shit as I got for it I was also praised for it. a more fun and upbeat song is California Jam by Klaatu, I love psychedelic jams even though I don’t even do drugs, I just like how all my life I could “get” the meaning of something that you should only “get” when intoxicated. Going old fashioned, My Way by Frank Sinatra is a song about how you’ve beaten all your obstacles and accomplished everything, YES PLEASE. WORD UP TO THAT YO. Another Beatles song, Here Comes the Sun relates to my life because throughout my life I have had many personal challenges and this song always reminds me that the sun is going to come up and burn away the bad (with time). Last but certainly not least, Magentalane by Klaatu because it always feels good to be back at home.

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