#3 steps to Heaven 1995

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Watching Con O'Neill Content Day 8- 3 Steps to Heaven

Warnings for: Full Body Nudity, drug use, murder, torture, BDSM Imagery, forced kiss

Online this is classified as a Comedy by Rotten Tomatoes, which feels fair. When you google it says Suspense/Dark Comedy.

Initially, based on the premise, I thought this movie was just Vengeance Is Mine but Con plays one of the fuckers semi-responsible. I was not entirely wrong.

Full Spoilers Below! If you don't want my reactions, skip to the dotted separations at the end for the rating!

I've separated out parts where Con is on screen, and identified if a part of the movie takes place in a flash back.

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PRESNET

Why did she pull the gun out in elevator the first place. Like. Idk man, seems like you could have waited.

Love the step-by-step instructions for gun assembly

Why is she just spinning in circles with a gun in her hand? How does that help train for anything?

PRESENT- CON'S SECTION

CON! I hate the facial hair, oh how I hate it. Just in combination with the short hair. Makes him look way older. Like, it probably fits the character- But like, if he fluffed it, or did anything besides letting it stay so flat-

Is he on something? The character Angel, not con. Clearly, he's going for paranoid criminal, and I love it.

You know what, I can enjoy this. 'Worried?' "Now that you mention it, yeah!' Sweet. That was a nice car they took.

If Con's look is interesting the man with a knife and a beaver on his head is something extra.

Con in a wife beater getting pinned and interrogated is surely something.

Hey look, he's allowed to laugh! Crazy how that works.

Angel just letting himself get driven around by her is very funny

She makes him close his eyes, and gives him a bullet. Babe. What the fuck does that even mean. You can't use a gun properly.

"I've met someone" Babe, you don't know her name. This is just Con in most of his roles, but Jesus. Never really noticed it was a trope of his until now.

Wife Beater+ Tighty Whitie's+ Cig is also surely a thing

Cocaine + waving a gun around. A winning combo

Angel- this makes 3 Con characters doing stupid shit with guns...Please lower the accidental kill count

"Oh," Carefully raises one finger, schusses the air "Gotta be quicker" Why am I loving this so much? This man has clearly never killed another person.

WHY THE MOUTH AND FINGER SUCKING CLOSE UP. He's licking up the trace of drugs on the table, but why was this the choice.

Wife beater+ Tighty Whittie's+ Cig+ white ROBE is amazing

Don't get too close to the balcony now babe, I know you're excited, you'll be thrown if in no time.

Did he give her his address? Why is she here? He's trying to lay low? Does he just think he needs to get laid and surely this woman won't murder his ass?

Angel stealing my actual fit. Jean button-up + blue Jeans in 90s fashion. Bastard.

Angel, sadly you aren't one of the Con characters our lead will run away with.

AHHHHHH hahahhaha that pistol whip. His dramatic fall. This fall vs ep9 OFMD is honestly a tie. Dramatic and extra as fuck.

They're both just anxious little purse dogs shaking so hard. Why? Calm down babe, you are literally holding a gun, and he's tied down in a chair.

Babe, it's been two weeks since your guy died and he's being hunted down for money. He probably doesn't remember what he had for breakfast the previous day, let alone your man.

(In the flashback for this one point)THOSE EARRINGS ARE OBNOXIOUS

Oh, good. The Beaver hair guy is back.

This is where our guy dies!

To be fair if I walked in and my target was already tied up, I'd also be very happy.

I didn't think there would be this much panting and grunting, especially from Angel.

"He's very gentle" Carefully pinches and lifts his chin. Oh, my stars. I'm clutching at my pearls. *pulls out notepad for my WIP*

I think we all deserve to be hoisted up into a bridal carry, and lovingly twirled around.

"Yeah he's lovely-" Exactly, Angel. Stop ruining the mood and get with the groove!

This is too good. Just throwing him around like a ragdoll! The dancing is a bit much, but they're having fun with it.

The two evil guys definitely explored each other's bodies. That's a proud boyfriend look if I've ever seen one.

She could be a real bud and just shoot one of them. They don't know where she is, and then Angel has an opening to attack...or not.

"you-puff" Shame on you Con, those aren't usually your lines in these kinds of movies.

And HE FLIES OVER THE RAILING-

Did they not want to kill him? Why do they look so shocked he went over the edge?

Whelp, RIP Angel, I genuinely enjoyed that. don't be surprised if this next section is shorter. (Editor Me here, oh I thought the rest of this movie would be boring...how I was wrong)

Vaguely depressed and murderous is also how I look in semi-cheap wigs.

They really did cast a good guy for a politician/'sex pest'. Looks like a few of my state's representatives.

Remember, every character in a British piece of media needs to have a name in the form of Eddie, John, Sam, or Harry.

"Well respected in 'women's' things" Why does Angel get to die and these fuckers roam rampantly.

(Helps adjust his tie) "You've hurt me Harry" Is every villain in this having a thing with their side character besides Con? Or am I just watching too many Queer movies?

OHH IT IS A GAY THING!

YEY!

I don't think slapping the head like it's a basketball is the done thing with blow jobs, but I don't have a penis. So who knows?

'Angel Farnam.' Wow. That is a name choice.

Love that he has a beard. Like, an actual beard to hide a queer relationship from the public.

TOES. EWWWWWW.

OH MY GOD. BELLY BUTTON? WHY? Fucking why? I'm more surprised seeing him finger his belly button than seeing his entire dick, which, is almost impressive for a movie to do!

How funny would it be if he died by falling down the stairs. '2/3 down, 1 to go!'

If he's not dead just fucking shoot him. I know you want info...but

ACTUALLY IF SHE JUST SHOWS UP TO PLACES AND EVERYONE DIES THAT WOULD BE AMAZING

If you look at this like you would a comedy, this movie becomes much better and more entertaining.

That isn't how putting peroxide on a wound should feel, why the fuck is he flinching over every tap?

Cold compress? It's a scrape! I'd be worried more about a concussion with a fall.

THE FUCKING TALKING WHILE THEY SET THE BED AND CLEAN IS SO FUNNY. That's the only editing in this movie that felt like it actually added something.

Why did she join in to the cleaning.

Love that he just wants to eat food when she clearly thinks they're going to fuck.

That was a gentle remote throw, don't know how it broke, 3/10.

You could have shot him almost at any time, now that a ton of people are waiting outside, you decide to care.

"Whore" "-Lying little whore" Hahahahaha. Its lame, but I love when movies do that.

(Seeing him fully bound in BDSM restraints) Look, Like What You Like, but this isn't safe with a stranger? Also, this room looks hard as shit to clean if fluids get anywhere.

If speech is a 'No No' in the dungeon there are toys for that.

"-I never panic". Angel would disagree, you panic all the fucking time. Speaking of Angel-

THE PAST

Izzy the spewer transfers across universes.

THAT ISN'T SAFE, don't reach around and try to swap drivers while driving.

Yes! Take all the drugs before you get pulled over, smart.

Their arguing is very just fucking funny. A lived weird friendship where things just keep going wrong. They're all tied into so many different criminal rings, but they found each other. This could be a prompt for a found family story.

(She took a ton of drugs because the cops are on their asses tryign to pull them over) "Do I look like I'm off my face!" "You're always off your face."

Everyone being high as shit panicking is so good. I've believed their weird friendship here more than anything else in this movie.

Love that they just kind of kidnapped this guy and now they need to deal with his corpse.

PRESENT

"Something I've always been bound up in!" Raises his hands, bound. That got a laugh out of me.

There are gags/toys for that babe, zipping up the mouth hole won't do shit.

Now that she knows all this stuff why doesn't she just shoot him

"Good Luck! God Bless!" He's fun.

At least she kept the key ring in eye sight for him.

This does play on the 'politicians are into kinky shit' thing, but eh.

She keeps on accidentally killing people. Fun.

(Weird shower scene) What the fuck? Who touches their body like that, is she getting off on this? It looks forceful and rough? What man directed this?

"I think he liked me." Sure? He liked you? Why does it matter that these people whose death you witness like you? It's not middle school, they're fucking dead.

"It was me, I was killing them. Sort of." Yes! I don't know why she only cares about them after they die.

What man directed this porn? I respect them not covering anything up I guess? I hope there's no creepy shit online where in interviews she felt like she was forced into these scenes.

The whole 'Multiple photos, that get snuffed out as they die' thing has grown on me, not going to lie.

Her removing her hat and seeing her hair fall down then lighting up a cig, to me, was more erotic than seeing her naked.

Are the 'criminal crew' all Queers? I know Angel was kind of homophobic and jerked off to lesbian porn but-

THERE'S QUEER WOMEN IN THIS? YESSSS!!!

"Lust came to the rescue?" What does that even mean? Are you planning on fucking her?

She's 40 which is still young, she's entering/in middle age. Just own any wrinkles you have, it's hot! So fucking weird that for feminine presenting people aging is seen as something awful, it shows experience! And you own a cat, and clearly have money! Live your life babe!

Her earrings are all choices in this. Those things could knock me out.

They don't film this shit for live TV, I don't know why they're so stressed about her being a few minutes late.

(Pulls bra on backward, snapping the clasp, twisting it right way round, pulling up straps and adjusting over chest) Most realistic scene of a woman putting on a bra in a movie.

Oh, to fondly be called Sweetie.

I want to be her: both of them.

Cocaine + Cigarettes + Alcohol. Uppers and Downers aren't great ideas. But she's having them.

They replaced her cause she's too old I'm guessing? Shitty.

"It wouldn't take much(to kill her)" So go do that! Why do you need a stroll to do the thing you were planning to do.

Strangulation feels like a choice you made when you have a gun.

(protagonist gets knocked out by a bottle when a criminal sees her gun) NICEE! She's been so dumb about pulling out the gun

Why is this such a Tom and Jerry routine

"Fuck you!" "All in good time" AHHHHHH. I've read this story before. We'll see how this one ends.

The PAST

Oh, my favorite crew of idiots. How did they evade the cops? They were just on their asses now they have time to pull over?

Con/Angel fireman carried that guy? Good for him!

"That's not very dignified!" "Well what do you suggest?!!""Stand him up!" They slum him over the railing. Idiots. I admire this crew of fuck ups.

Did they not check for a pulse? Like, even high most people could figure that out. If you can still drive, you can hold your finger up to someone's throat.

(Sees him slowly tip over the railing into the water) Okay, so it's kinda on them, yeah.

The PRESENT

Okay, so gun safety is to always assume a gun is loaded and safety is off. STOP WAVING IT UNDER YOUR NOSE

20? He looked mid 20s at least.

THE PAST (One of the earliest scene we see of them)

Doing drugs in a random Men's room is a choice.

Also, don't lick a public bathroom stall's TP Holder Angel, you fucking maniac.

I'm saying she wasn't invited cause they were planning to all fuck in the bathroom/do as many drugs as possible without her nose taking it all. Any other guesses?

I love Con in this so much. He's so unlike all his other characters it's just fun. Like a pissed-off high toddler that can only put a few thoughts together that arnt him being mad or horny.

"You're hair, it's so black!" "It's natural!" "Oh, Pa-lease" Angel said that last line, oh my sweet summer child, you confuse me so.

(the dead boyfriend and politician start getting handsy) No shit they had a thing going on there. They've been eye fucking every scene he's not passed out sick.

(She angles a mirror to see under a stall to watch a blowjob?) Mam, I wouldn't want to watch my friends fuck. Why are you so weird.

ANGEL 'COCK BLOCK' TO THE RESCUE. Look at that grin, he knew.

"I need some more(cocaine)." "Love? Affection? Punishment?" Sir, I have a whole discord full of Izzy Hands fans you can suggest ideas to. "I'll take the whole fucking lot." SIR!

Ohhh her boyfriend would entrap 'famous' queer people, take photos, and then blackmail/extort them. He deserved to die then, no sweat off their backs. (Also, how does evil lady know all this to tell our protagonist? Is she extorting Patrick now?)

Present

Okay, this is my 4th time seeing this woman naked. Why?

(Protag is tied down and evil lady whispered in her ear)This is...a scene.

Gross forced kiss. I had more fun when this was semi-playful banter but now its just sexual assault. Gross, director.

Mam, you didn't bring that many bullets. Why are you just shooting random shit.

She just leaves her alive?

Aww, I wanted her to kill him(the other extorting friend). If anything he also kind of deserves some of the blame.

Well, this whole plot was kind of for nothing. She got closer to the real plot and was able to realize how shitty her boyfriend was. If he was 20 then she's got to be close to that age. She has plenty of life to move on from this.

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Story: 5/10 Shit. No character in this movie had agency/impacted the plot. Everything was accidental. All the ways they were doomed weren't purposefully set up by the main protagonists.

She didn't actively plan for these deaths so they feel hollow. Angel sure, he was tied down by her, but he lives on the nth story, so in the 30-ish minutes he could have left he likely wouldn't have. He assumed it was safe. The politician was an accident, and the media lady still would have gotten replaced.

In OFMD it's fun when Stede Bonnet accidentally kills because we care about him. We know he doesn't mean to do this and it plays on the murderous pirate trope. In this movie, we only know she's hunting down her boyfriend's murders. That's all we know about her! One hour, and thirty minutes, she had no development.

This would be such a fun premise. A woman accidentally interrupts a crime 'friend' group and watches them fall apart. Yet they make it gross and weirdly give no one agency in this whole story.

I want to write this movie better. This premise could be rewritten for a fanfic...hmm....

Editing/Cinematography: 5/10 Keeping it out of chronological order ruined the movie. Some shit really bothered me. A director is a man who has only done other projects to this level. He also wrote this shit, so every gratuitously extra scene of our main actress naked was all on him. He wanted to see her fondle herself and oh boy did he get it.

Every scene of this nature just felt uncomfortable, and putting that forced kiss in at the end just adds to that. He's a perv who thought it was hot. The main actress's dead fish eyes during just added to the awful feeling I got. Sure, we got a 'blowjob' scene, but nothing was super explicit other than it happening. Sexual 'deviancy' felt like something to be ogled at in this movie. The straight/pure 'good' main character had to do away with these sinful yatta yatta, you've heard it all before. I can make this 1:30 minute movie into an hour movie if I cut it.

I wish we cared more about Angel getting caught by the men he owed money too. About Harry getting publicly outed and dumped. About Andrea getting replaced in her tv show. But we just don't. It just kind of happens.

Imagine if we told the backstory of her boyfriend's murder first. Then our main character shows up 20 minutes in, without knowing what the audience knew, to hunt them down! That would be so much more fun! And gives us a reason to care! I enjoyed the flashbacks in this movie and not much else.

There's a good movie in here, it just needs to be re-edited.

Every character besides Con: 6-7/10 I liked how fucked up everyone was, and most of my issues are with the writing. They acted with what they had, and they had shit. Somehow our 3 criminals come off as a weird trio accidentally, just through chemistry. I wanted a movie about them. The spare characters just seemed to try to have fun beside our protagonist. She did the whole dead eyes, getting justice thing. In the end, it didn't even fulfill her. Finding the truth did, not assisting in their downfalls.

Con! 6-7/10 Loved it: Once I accepted he was playing a goofy junkie, I was having a good time. The scene where she saves him after the interrogation was weird. It put me off his character for a few scenes. He was into her and tried to make a move, she told him he needed protection, and that whole story line was just dropped. WHY!

FLASHBACK ANGEL WAS FUN. I don't know the order they shot this, but currently, Angel felt like an always high junkie. Flashback Angel felt like the shitty friend who bullies the friend group and doesn't contribute to anything. When they fall apart he's panicking and loses all bravado. He's fun. I don't think I've seen a bad performance from him. The plot and writing just dragged it all down.

OVERALL: 5-6/10 Writing can kill a movie, and it murdered this one. Definitely the worst of the bunch so far. I enjoyed it, but in a 'cant look away sort of way', it was very fun to watch and just see the action unfold. So do with that what you will.

I'd recommend this movie if you're here for Con. If I wanted to watch this plot again, I'd just watch Vengeance Is Mine. Low B tier overall for movie+Con. Just above the projects where he has almost no time.

Looking at IMDB he did this after Dancing Thru the Dark and the same year as Scarborough Ahoy. How the ever loving fuck?

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts down below, including the usual suspects!

@mossiestpiglet @ivegotnonameidea @treesofgreen

Have an amazing day y'all!

[soupy-sez]

3 STEPS TO HEAVEN (1995) dir. Constantine Giannaris

[zahlenfreak]

Slowly watching my way through what I can find with Con O'Neill. This is from the 1995 film 3 Steps To Heaven. He has just the goofiest way of falling down. I had to make a gif.

[gydima]

Since I don’t think this movie is worth watching in full, I made a compilation of Con’s scenes.

His character, Angel, is a coked-up fuckboi of the mid-90s variety. There's lots of drugs, some SUPER weird "violence," death, and enough bizarre stuff that you should probably just check the imdb page if you want to know more.

(BTW, just when you think he shouldn't be in any more scenes, there are flashbacks that go farther and farther back in time.)

[vampibrainrot]

Zealot/Lady Zannah of Khera reading guide

Lady Zannah is a high-ranking member of the CODA Sisterhood, a women-only group of warriors and a very influential party in the Kheran government.

After being stranded on Earth, Zealot created her version of the CODA, training women on the kherubim ways of war and fighting. After thousands of years of having a hand in many Historical events, Zealot (and Grifter) stepped out of the shadows and joined the WildC.A.T.S, a superhero team financed by the HALO Corporation and composed of descendants of the other kherubim living on Earth, to help fight in the war against the Deamonites.

Wildstorm Universe

-WildC.A.T.S (1992) #0 - #13

-WildC.A.T.S Trilogy (1993) #1 - #3

-WildC.A.T.S sourcebook (1993)

-Shadowhawk (1992) #13

-WildC.A.T.S (1992) #14 - #17

-Stormwatch (1992) #18

-Backlash (1992) #4

-WildC.A.T.S (1992) #18 - #19

Wildstorm Rising (1995) #1

Wildstorm Universe sourcebook (1995)

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #20

Union (1993) #4

Wetworks (1994) #8

Grifter (1994) #1

Backlash (1992) #8

Stormwatch (1992) #22

Wildstorm Rising (1995) #2

Spartan: warrior spirit (1995) #1 - #4

Voodoo/Zealot: skin trade (1995) #1

Zealot (1995) #1 -#3

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #22

Grifter (1995) #7 - #8

Spawn/WildC.A.T.S (1995) #1 - #4

Fire from Heaven (1995) #1

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #28 - #29

Backlash (1992) #20

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #30

Gen13 (1995) #11

Fire from Heaven (1995) #2

Deathblow (1993) #29

Shattered Image (1996) #2 -4

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #31 -34

Mars Attack Image

Grifter (1995) #9

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #35 - #37

Grifter (1995) #10

Backlash (1992) #31

WildC.A.T.S (1992) #38 - #40

JLA/WildC.A.T.S (1997)

X-Men/WildC.A.T.S (1997) #1 - 3

Wildcore (1997) #1 -2

Gen12 (1998) #2 & #5

Wildcats/Aliens (1998)

WildC.A.T.S (1999) #1 & #4 - #5

Wildcats: Mosaic (1999)

Wildcats (1999) #22 - #23 & #27

Wildcats version 3.0 (2002) #9, #13, #15, #19 - #21, #23 - #24

Wildcats: Nemesis (2005) #1 - #9

Majestic (2005) #8 - #17

Captain Atom: Armageddon (2005) #2 - 5

Wildcats (2006) #1*

Wildcats: Armageddon (2007) #1

Wildstorm Revelations (2007) #4 - #6

- DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar (2008) #1 - #6

Number of the Beast (2008) #8

Wildcats (2008) #1

The Authority (2008) #1

Wildcats (2008) #2 - 18

The Authority (2008) #18

Wildcats (2008) #19 - #30

Prime Earth/Post Flashpoint

Deathstroke (2011) #9 - #13

Stormwatch (2011) #17 & #18

Batman: Urban Legends(2021) #4 - #6

Wildcats (2022) #1

Wildstorm 30th years anniversary (2022)

DC's Grifter got run over by a reindeer (2022) #1

Wildcats (2022) #3 -?

Recommended

The ones mentioned here are out of continuity

The Wild Storm (2017)

Superman vs Lobo (2021)

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really THAT Bad?

Pixar was on quite the winning streak for most of its existence. From the very first Toy Story in 1995 up through Toy Story 3 in 2010, they built up an image of producing incredible, emotional animated features that really redefined the medium. Ratatouille, WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Up… Sure, sometimes they’d release something like Cars or A Bug’s Life that wasn’t praised quite to the high heavens, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would call the movies outright bad. But then, in 2011, Pixar’s home run streak came to a screeching halt as Cars 2 pumped those brakes hard on their endless victory with critics.

Cars isn’t the most beloved property to begin with, criticized for its generic plot and clunky worldbuilding, though at least it’s cute, endearing, and fun for kids. It’s absolutely not anything the world was hankering for a sequel for, but John Lasseter is quite skilled at forcing unwanted things on others. The Cars franchise is his pet project, so he pushed this right on through, and Disney was probably not inclined to say no to him considering the merch sales from the first movie (though it’s not like a ‘no’ ever stopped Lasseter before). What came from this was the only Pixar film to ever be a complete critical dud, Lasseter deciding to step away from the directing chair, and the fans and even the sequel pretending that this film absolutely never happened.

There hasn��t really been much of a reappraisal of this film over the years, mostly because that means you have to suffer through 90 minutes of Larry the Cable Guy (a fate reserved only for the most wicked sinners in the deepest bowels of Hell), but I mean really, even if it’s not great it’s still a Pixar movie! Is it really that bad? Well, fasten your seatbelts because it’s gonna be a bumpy ride as I try and elaborate on this utterly bonkers kid film.

THE GOOD

Yes, forget what Mr. Enter or the Nostalgia Critic told you, there is some good stuff here.

If there is one thing in this movie that is completely, unironically amazing, it’s the settings. We’re kind of on a world tour here, going to all these beautiful new locations that are animated with a level of detail and beauty that’s almost insane for a movie about talking cars. This isn’t too surprising, as the first film was rather gorgeous as well when we got to explore around Radiator Springs, but this is a whole new level.

But if we’re talking in a somewhat ironic sense, the absolute biggest quality this film has is how completely and utterly batshit insane it is when you get right down to it. This seriously feels like the sort of film where absolutely no one gave a shit in the best way possible, and it leads to an absolute goldmine of ludicrousness.

This of course starts with the fact this is a spy thriller WITH FUCKING CARS. We have Jason Isaacs and Bruce Campbell cameoing as spies… and then we get to see the former’s ground-up corpse onscreen, and we get to watch the latter be tortured and brutally executed! Yes, this family film has a body count, and it doesn’t even stop there, as plenty of bad guys get crushed, shot at, blown up… And that’s not even getting into the fact the third act is about stopping the assassination of Lightning McQueen, which also features Mater having a bomb strapped to him! Literally who the fuck thought of this?

And then there’s some of the absurd worldbuilding, which includes the Queen of England being a car and the actual fucking Pope appearing as a sentient Popemobile. This, along with Mater confirming that Catholicism is real, raises so many questions you’ve likely seen brought up many times before, not the least of which is how the crucifixion of Jesus Chrysler went, were there Crusades and an Inquisition, and are there car Chick Tracts in this universe? Cars have bathrooms, cars eat wasabi, cars drink water, planes and boats and trains are all sentient as well… The more and more they establish new things, the less and less anything about this world makes sense, and the more it feels like they just came up with a regular human spy thriller and just slapped cars onto every character. But hey, you get to see a car do karate, and that is genuinely, hilariously absurd.

Oh, yeah, and they essentially give Sally a foot fetish. I’m not fucking kidding.

THE BAD

Mater. Just… Mater.

Mater is a character best enjoyed in small doses; he wasn’t incredibly overbearing in the first film, after all. But apparently Lasseter really thought the world wanted this character to be the star of his own show. Leave it to a sex offender to think Larry the Cable Guy is funny enough to headline a major motion picture. Mater is just plain unfunny in this film, and what’s worse, he’s annoying. He getsin a few good scenes here and there, maybe a chuckle or two, but those moments are few and far between, buried under an avalanche of cringe. He’s an absolute idiot and a hindrance to everyone around him, which could lead to some really good comedy a la Johnny English or Naked Gun if written better.

It’s not written better. The two main spies, Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell, just completely and utterly believe Mater is a spy right up until the third act, never questioning anything as he bumbles through every single mission. Sure, they always end up succeeding, but still! It’s absurd they actually ever thought Mater was legitimate for even a moment, because he did nothing but jeopardize them at every turn. And that’s not even getting in to how Mater is a

Yes, Mater starts the movie getting all mopey and sad because Lightning wants to go out with his girlfriend and not have Mater third wheel. Then Mater inserts himself into Lightning’s pit crew, costs him his first race, and generally just mopes around about how much an incompetent boob everyone thinks he is. It’s even worse because, despite Mater demonstrably being a hindrance to his friends, the narrative bends over backwards to exonerate him, leading to an extremely cringeworthy segment at the end where Lightning chases down Mater, spouts the most homoerotic apologies you’ll ever hear from a talking car, and essentially says that if people don’t like Mater, that’s their problem and they’re the ones who need to change. Not the best message to send to kids, mind you.

And of course there’s how Mater’s spy plot distracts from the racing. You know, the thing this franchise built its image on. I get that second films like to mix things up and try new things, see what works and what doesn’t while a franchise isn’t fully established—it’s led to great films like Freddy’s Revenge, Gremlins 2,  and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom—but I really don’t think “Violent spy thriller” was the right direction to take the cartoonish and goofy world of Cars. Yes, it’s absolutely hilarious seeing cars brutally murdered, a menacing evil German Bond villain car, and the attempted assassination of Owen Wilson via death ray and, when that fails, terrorist attack… But there’s really no denying that they’re kind of going way too far out there, and these aren’t really concepts the originals fans or even the target audience of this film are going to gel with.

The rancid, rotten cherry on top is how this film has what would become the Disney standard a few years down the road: The twist villain. No, the legitimately creepy and intimidating German doctor is not our big bad, it’s a villain who was hidden in plain sight the whole movie and who is both completely obviously the villain and also nonsensically the villain. Their entire motivation doesn’t make a lick of sense, as they essentially funneled all their resources into creating an alternate energy that they were planning to sabotage to force everyone to rely on oil… oil they already had in the first place. And to this end, the villain decided the best course of action is to publicly assassinate popular racers using this alternate energy to give it a bad name. Worst of all, this stupid twist villain utterly wastes Eddie Izzard. It’s so bad that Bellwether, Hans, and Evelyn Deavor all look better and more interesting in comparison.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

Ok, yes, this movie is bad. Or more accurately, it’s not good. But after hearing this movie described as some sort of crime against humanity for so long, I was kind of surprised to find it was kind of enjoyable?

Yes, Mater is annoying and the plot is filled with nonsense, but there’s just so much insanity, absurdity, and “what the fuck” moments that it’s kind of endearing. It very much feels like the spiritual successor to Freddie as F.R0.7., one of my favorite animated films of all time, and while it never quite reaches those levels of enjoyable insanity, it’s hard to deny there is a bit of that Pixar charm keeping this from being unwatchably bad.

Currently it sits at a 6.2 on IMDB, and, yeah, that’s way too high. This is a 5.2 at highest, and I’d even go as low as 4. But I definitely think this film is definitely “so bad it’s good” as opposed to the just plain bad I’ve heard reviewers parrot for the past decade or so. It could be a good, if somewhat misguided, film to ease kids into the spy thriller genre, and at any rate it’s not really ever boring. So long as you can at least kind of tolerate Mater’s stupid antics and how the universe seems to go out of its way to suck his dick, this one’s not the worst thing to put on. If nothing else, it’s worth a watch for morbid curiosity alone.

Really, it feels more like one of those “Mater’s Tall Tales” short segments stretched to feature length than anything else... which probably explains why it isn’t canon. This whole movie is just a bullshit yarn spun by Mater to impress tourists! It all makes too much sense, guess I can just crank that score up to a 10/10 now.

[ivegotnonameidea]

3 Steps to Heaven (1995)

-> Entire movie

(and no, he doesn't disappear after the balcony scene)

[bemusedlybespectacled]

look my problem with 3 steps to heaven isn't the nonsensical plot or the needlessly sexual cinematography or the truly bizarre shit that happens like con o'neill getting pirouetted off a roof

I mean those are also problems but they aren't MY problem

MY problem is that it made me see james fleet's dick. actually, it not only made me see james fleet's dick, it also made me watch him get a blowjob and then die in a stupid accidental way while wearing a gimp suit. james fleet's character's sexual interests are plot relevant (so far as there is a plot to be relevant to), so, for some ungodly reason, that means we need to see his whole-ass dick.

which means I now cannot watch anything else with him without knowing I know what his dick looks like. sense and sensibility (1995)? well, I definitely know what his dick looks like. the phantom of the opera? he's there for two minutes but all I can think about the entire time is his dick. the vicar of dibley? my favorite britcom? SUBSUMED BY THE PENUMBRA OF DICK KNOWLEDGE.

I HAVE PERCEIVED HUGO HORTON'S WINGWANG AND NOW I CAN NEVER KNOW PEACE.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Legend of Tianpeng (2018) 天蓬元帅之大闹天宫

Director: Lin Xiao-Xin

Screenwriter: Peng Song / Zhuai Wen

Starring: Cheng Ye / Jing Xuan / Leung Kar-Yan / Zheng Qi / Dan Ni / Xuan Wu / Tang Qing-He / Aaron Wang Xing-Yi / Hu Zi-Jian / Cheng Si-Han / Wong Yat-Fei / Liu Ma-Ma / Chen Yu / Chang Jin / Xu Ge-Ge / Wang Peng / Alex / Fang Shuai / Sun Jie / Song Li-Ming

Genre: Martial Arts / Action / Fantasy / Comedy

Country/Region of Production: Mainland China

Language: Mandarin 

Date: May 18, 2018

Duration: 65 minutes

Type: Retelling

Summary:

Recently, the fantasy action comedy "Marshal Canopy" starring Jing Xuan started filming in Hengdian. The film is directed by the famous director Lin Xiaoxin, starring Zhao Benshan's beloved comedian Cheng Ye and the post-1995 Xiaohua Jingxuan. The series of films consists of a trilogy of "Marshal Canopy 1: Havoc in Heaven", "Marshal Canopy 2: The Country of Daughters", and "Marshal Canopy 3: Seven Loves of Jade Rabbit". Cheng Ye will play the leading role of Marshal Canopy, As the female number one in the trilogy, Jing Xuan will also play the role of the triangle in the trilogy, and partner with Canopy Marshal Zhu Bajie to perform the hilarious CP.

Marshal Tianpeng was accidentally involved in a big conspiracy in the heavenly court. In order to save his good friend Dapeng and his sweetheart Yutu, Tianpeng had to step forward and join forces with all the demons to fight against the dark heavenly court. Marshal Tianpeng in the film is upright and brave, defying power, and bravely pursues and explores the truth. After learning that the mastermind behind the scenes is actually the supreme ruler of Heaven, Tianpeng resolutely continues to uncover the truth. By portraying the role of Marshal Canopy, the screenwriter extols the great spirit of resistance and conveys the eternal mainstream value of "justice will eventually defeat evil".

Source: http://chinesemov.com/2018/Legend-of-Tianpeng.html

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ZqxFZ5aI4&ab_channel=FrankHuang

[donttalkaboutmemes]

Pocahontas (1995) Lyric Meme

Under the cut you will find 90+ lyrics from the 1995 version of Pocahontas to use for your enjoyment!      

The Virginia Company

1.      “For glory, God, and gold.”

2.      “The new world is like heaven and we’ll all be rich and free.”

3.      “There’s diamonds like debris.”

  Steady as the Beating Drum

4.      “Seasons go and seasons come.”

5.      “Oh Great Spirit, hear our song. Help us keep the ancient ways.”

6.      “Keep the scared fire strong.”

7.      “Steady as the beating drum.”

  Steady as the Beating Drum (Reprise)

8.      “Though the rivers proud and strong, he will choose the smoothest course.”

9.      “That’s why rivers live so long.”

10.   “They’re steady as the steady beating drum.”

  Just Around The Riverbend

11.   “What I love most about rivers is you can’t step in the same river twice. The waters always changing, always flowing.”

12.   “People, I guess, can’t live like that. We all must pay a price.”

13.   “To be safe we lose our chance of ever knowing what’s around the riverbend.”

14.   “I look once more, just around the riverbend.”

15.   “What I dream the day might send just around the riverbend for me.”

16.   “Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming for a handsome, sturdy husband who builds handsome, sturdy walls and never dreams that something might be coming?”

17.   “Why do all my dreams extend just around the riverbend?”

18.   “Should I choose the smoothest course, steady as the beating drum?”

19.   “Is all my dreaming at an end?”

20.   “Do you still wait for me dreamgiver?”

  Listen With Your Heart

21.   “Listen with your heart. You will understand.”

22.   “Let it break upon you like a wave upon the sand.”

  Mine, Mine, Mine

23.   “The gold of Cortez, the jewels of Pizarro, will seem like mere trinkets by this time tomorrow.”

24.   “The gold we find here will dwarf them by far.”

25.   “Mine, boys. Mine every mountain.”

26.   “Dig, boys. Dig til ya drop.”

27.   “It’s gold. And it’s mine, mine, mine.”

28.   “My rivals back home, it’s not that I’m bitter, but think how they’ll squirm when they see how I glitter.”

29.   “The ladies at court will be all a-twitter.”

30.   “The king will reward me. He’ll knight me, no, lord me!”

31.   “It’s mine. Mine for the taking.”

32.   “With those nuggets dug it’s glory they’ll gimmie.”

33.   “All of my life I have searched for a land like this one. A wilder, more challenging country I couldn’t design.”

34.   “Hundreds of dangers await and I don’t plan to miss one.”

35.   “In a land I can claim, a land I can tame, the greatest adventure is mine.”

36.   “Make this island my land.”

37.   “A man can be bold.”

  Colors of the Wind

38.   “You think I’m an ignorant savage, and you’ve been so many places, I guess it must be so.”

39.   “Still I cannot see if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don’t know.”

40.   “You think you own whatever land you land on. The earth is just a dead thing you can claim.”

41.   “I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name.”

42.   “You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you.”

43.   “If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew.”

44.   “Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grins?”

45.   “Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?”

46.   “Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?”

47.   “Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest.”

48.   “Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth.”

49.   “Come roll in all the riches all around you and, for once, never wonder what they’re worth.”

50.   “The rainstorm and the river are my brothers.”

51.   “The heron and the otter are my friends.”

52.   “We are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.”

53.   “How high will the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you’ll never know.”

54.   “We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain.”

55.   “We need to paint with all the colors of the wind.”

56.   “You can own the earth and still all you’ll own is earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind.”

  Savages

57.   “What can you expect from filthy little heathens?”

58.   “They’re only good when dead.”

59.   “Drive them for our shore.”

60.   “They’re not like you and me, which means they must be evil.”

61.   “We must sound the drums of war.”

62.   “Now we sound the drums of war.”

63.   “The only thing they feel at all is greed.”

64.   “Beneath their milky hides, there’s emptiness inside.”

65.   “I wonder if they even bleed.”

66.   “They’re different than us, which means they can’t be trusted.”

67.   “First we deal with this one then we sound the drums of war!”

68.   “This will be the day.”

69.   “This will be the morning. Bring out the prisoner.”

70.   “We will see them dying in the dust.”

71.   “I don’t know what I can do, still I know I’ve got to try.”

72.   “Now we make them pay.”

73.   “Eagle, help my feet to fly.”

74.   “Mountain, help my heart be great.”

75.   “Spirits of the earth and sky, please don’t let it be too late.”

76.   “Destroy their evil race until there’s not a trace left.”

77.   “How loud are the drums of war?”

78.   “Now we see what comes of trying to be chums.”

79.   “Is the death of all I love carried in the drumming of war?”

  If I Never Knew You

80.   “If I never felt this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life can be.”

81.   “If I never held you, I would never have a clue how at last I’d find in you the missing part of me.”

82.   “In this world so full of fear, full of rage and lies, I can see the truth so clear in your eyes.”

83.   “I’d have lived my whole life through lost forever if I never knew you.”

84.   “If I never knew you, I’d be safe but half as real.”

85.   “I thought our love would be so beautiful, somehow we’d make the whole world right.”

86.   “I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong.”

87.   “All they’d leave us were these whispers in the night.”

88.   “There’s no moment I regret since the moment that we met.”

89.   “If our time has come to pass, I’ve lived at last.”

90.   “If I never knew you, I’d have lived my whole life through empty as the sky.”

[lpfreakification]

What a time to be alive X)

This whole week I felt like I was working out all week, although I only go 3 days a week (M,Tu,+Th).

What I'm putting in during those days, I've been getting back w/ energy again X) What's even better is that I've been waking up refreshed again!

It's like in the 1995 Power Rangers Movie where the rangers revive Zordon. Once that power is back, the way he looks when he's revived. Back with energy X) I couldn't find the gif of it so I did my best to describe it :P

I've been so mentally prepared with parties on Friday. When everyone thought I was going fast, I think they thought I was in a panic. Nope :) I was actually in the zone. Auto Zone X) That was a great (adrenaline) rush. With the bonus energy I obtained from working out all week, I was able to give it my all + the tips showed! I like that I was able to take that performance as a big victory this time X) I know it cant/doesn't happen too frequently. I'll take what I can with the energy I have on me atm. What goes around... comes around :)

Now... *takes a deep breath* I FIND THIS NEW COWORKER TO BE VERY ATTRACTIVE.

Little steps like showing him how to use the coffee machine + fist-bumping :) I'm struggling bcuz I cant make eye contact w/out blushing >////< Its like that one Thomas Sanders vine where he's so mad bcuz the puppy is so/too cute. Yeah, that's exactly how I feel rn. One of my coworkers asked me a really good question: what do I want from this? My silent answer: d***. Been there, done that b4 + I miss it. It's been 3 years. I got some thinking + reflecting to do. My coworkers did find out more info on this attractive 31yo.

Single

Wants no kids

Served as a fighter pilot

From Columbia

Been here in the US for 4 months

Lives with 3 other guys

Says he lives close?

It's also difficult to approach him bcuz he has his phone on him often :( let's see how long this infatuation lasts. For now, his codename between my coworkers + the internet will be "Heart Eyes".

Also the amount of yaoi I've consumed this week has been quite an increase. Yarichin B**** Club, Heavens Official Blessing (Ch. 8 atm thx to the Read Aloud function), + I Cannot Reach You. Also so many cute kisses + fluff from "blfantasys" on IG. It's been quite a rush of dopamine but I'm concerned with myself. To separate fantasy with reality. I know not everything's like a bl/yaoi anime/manga. I just need more experience other than my job(s) to interact with more people (boys, in particular) around my age. I was blushing so hard while reading I Cannot Reach You Vol. 5 that one of my coworkers brought in. The way I can tell I'm blushing is putting my hand/knuckles on my face + feel how warm or hot my cheeks are.

I hope I dont have a repeat of May of last year. Too much of a good thing (yaoi) did mess with my mind (emotionally). A guilty pleasure? But at the same time, I want what these characters have. Just gotta work on it.

*thinking about how well we all get along at work aka why I love my day job*

Overall, I'm enjoying myself atm X) I know it wont last. Squeezing as much happy moments as I can. Yep! X)

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

Exploring Con O'Neill's Filmography Day #?-Pie In The Sky S02 Ep08

WARNINGS: Gun violence, alcoholism, pain meds addition, disability due to gun violence, workplace ableism, slight comment that could maybe be taken as transphobia? I'm also going to add slight passive suicidal ideation for the character Con plays.

CON IS SEMI-LIKEABLE IN THIS WHICH IS A SHOCK.

This is a cop/crime procedural, but unlike the ones I grew up with in the US in the mid to late 2000s/2010s this has no claws. Seriously, the main plot is driven by pudding. I align more with ACAB sentiments (obviously), and this does fall into Copoganda. But I'm here for Con, and not much else.

I also didn't catch the name of his character till the very end, as this had no subtitles and I'm bad with accents.

As always, I'll be active in the comments if you want to discuss the episode. Especially if you deal with chronic pain/a disabling injury as I have a bone to pick with some scenes, and want to know how close to life they are.

If you haven't watched it, it's less than an hour and something to turn your brain off while watching. Spoilers ahead.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pie In The Sky S02 Ep08 (1995, the same year as 3 Steps to Heaven. Jesus Christ, this man's career is wild)

IS HE GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. Based on what I know about crime procedurals, he's the murder.

(Con's character based on the first scene) He seems fun

Who is this mysterious man in the window

When is this? 80s? British 80s

Love the lesbians

That cop smiled more than any I've ever met

I know nothing about this show, and god, I hope I don't need context

Look at that helmet, how do people take cops seriously in England? I'd just point and laugh.

Why does he have a ceramic rooster?

Are these old ladies going to get murdered.

That guy's side part is really unfortunate

A CANADIAN COP, look at the Mountie

WHY IS SHE CARRYING PUDDING

Mommy issues to the rescue

This is going to be a phoenix write case

I LOVE RED SHIRT LADY'S HAIR

(Con's scene that you've seen online in gifs 'One...Homosexual', you know the one) I LOVE THIS ASSHOLE

YOU ARE THE HOMOSEXUAL

Why is talked to him like a child? Rude as shit. Even when he's acting weird, he probably has a reason. Hear him out and talk.

Slightly transphobic line? Idk how to read that.

Oh good, they're writing checks and not cashing them, Girlbosses

Look, I've just met this old guy(our detective inspector protagonist), but he's fun

It's a British show, there must be a character named JOHN.

IS HE A DETECTIVE AND A CHEF? Oh, that's his wife. God, I thought I was stretched thin. Look at him.

CON? (Con at a firing range?)

HOT

WHAT THE FUCK, why is he shaking?

At least he's wearing ear protection, (DI sneaks up behind him, and taps on his shoulder to alert him to his presence while still holding a gun) DONT FUCKING DO THAT, WHY WOULD YOU TAP ON HIM. HOLDING A GUN.

Con has a need for speed.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GUN SCENES WITH CONS CHARACTER. WHO IS HE KILLING

Nvm, that ladies hair is too tall

ARE THEY JUST STEALING/shoplifting? LAME IDIOTS.

Why is Con's character just keeping guns in cars. Shouldn't he know where to hide them better? Cause he already carries one on him. The trunk one is probably just in case he loses his main one?

THE AUDIO STING

Oh, he was a cop. Got injured and is now paranoid. Fair, but unsafe as hell.

They are such shitty shoplifters. She tried to make eye contact with the woman she was stealing from.

Do English people just make a shit ton of Bread Pudding.

Aww they're sisters and not lesbians. Rude.

I'm just sitting here imagining how funny this scene could have been. 5 guns fall out of his wheelchair as she takes it out. "Those are for work"

Are they going to fuck or is one of them going to get shot, I'm getting mixed messages

(A benching rack in the corner)He's getting his gains, I respect it.

2 Con characters addicted to pain meds.

IS HE ALWAYS A SIMP

Pain meds+ Alcohol is got a good look

You didn't choose this but you chose how you react buddy.

Go to therapy

Best DI in media. Stealing Criminal Old Ladies Pudding Recipe

(A chef says a xenophobic line about foreign recipes) What's wrong with foreign recipes? All your shit is bland.

WHY IS IT SO LIQUIDY. GOD I HATE HOT PUDDING

Maybe I'm bad with age, but Con and the detective seem like the same age. He doesn't seem ten years older than her.

He doesn't have to be a sad bastard, yeah, but Con's trapped playing that role. So if we can fix these characters 'problems' In the next twenty minutes I'll be shocked

He's jealous cause you're young and not jaded to the system like he is. You know. Like every ex cop/military/government character.

THAT CUT WAS JARRING (From a peaceful dinner to Con trashing in bed)

WHAT THE FUCK.

Who gets out of a car like that, slowly pulls out a gun, and fires like that? WHAT WAS HIS PLAN? DID HE HAVE DRUGS HE WAS HIDING? WHY??!?!?!?!

THAT WAS THE CHEST. HE SHOULD BE DEAD.

Go to therapy, Jesus Christ. The station would pay for it, and this is interrupting your daily well-being.

(The car shop guy goes to his house to hand over his keys personally, they do a weird double-take glance thing) That interaction post-nightmare felt gay? Is that just me?

What the fuck does 'twirlers' mean? Am I just not British enough to understand that?

73 arrests for shoplifting and they're still this shit? WHAT?

4 pistoles seem low based on his history. But I know a guy who has two hundred firearms anywhere from black powder with buckshot to pistols, and he's just a nurse...Well, maybe rural North West US is not the normal standard to judge by.

ALSO DON'T HIDE A FIREARM LIKE THAT. Does it just slide around in his trunk?

They're such jackasses to him, no wonder he's rude

THE FUCKER THAT SHOT HIM IS ALMOST OUT OF JAIL? MURDER HIM CON

TRUE THO, as long as he stays a cop feeling like this there's no point. He is just kind of stuck feeling like his life has no meaning. It's shit, but if he finds no point to living then yeah. He'll never move on

ANGRY CON. YESSSSS!!!!!

I was half expecting him to pull out a gun

THE OLD MAN HAS DRIP

THAT GUY IS GIANT

The nice thing about being a disabled cop here is no one suspects you and socially we're trained to ignore people with disabilities. It's something our governments actually uses in day to day life. I kinda hoped they cover that more.

I don't think you can pull out credit cards like that. Any bank would be suspicious.

WHY IS HE STILL AFTER THE RECIPIES

HE'S ONLY ASKING THEM FIRST SO THEN HE CAN GET THE FUCKING RECIPE AND THEN ARREST HIM. What in the Paddington bear logic is this this?

Con was playing a character named Ian? Cool.

Also, NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER CON CHARACTER DOING DUMB GUN SHIT. That brings us up to 5 characters baby (Telestar, Vengence is Mine, Blood Brothers, 3 Steps To Heaven, now this). The worst part is the only Con character I trust with a gun is Val. Cliff is responsible, but I still don't trust him. Izzy can shoot, and due to hijinks in the story, he might accidentally shoot someone.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall:

Took a minute to understand what everything was going on. They brought up a fun idea about how cops use PR. I wish Ian's issues were resolved in the end. He just kind of get's his groove back and suddenly everything's 'okay'. He still hates himself, and struggles with a pain pill and alcohol addiction.

Ian trying to prove he's still useful is giving me some hope for Izzy season 2. Con pulls it off really well. You see Ian's frustration with needing to ask for help, and pushing himself past his limits. You can feel frustration from Ian knowing he's being sent on this baby case for essentially bullshit reasons. He spoke up and upper management essentially remembered he existed. This is a really fun way to use Con's chops as a serious, but fun character.

The old lady plot was weird but fun. Girlbosing legends. Not knowing the protagonist, and being surprised when he rerouted a case just to get a recipe was funny.

Overall an enjoyable episode, besides a slightly transphobic joke, it's not as 90s as it could be. Also, he and the car salesmen guy at the end there had as much chemistry as he and the detective had. Get you a guy who can do both.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Con:8/10. Fun, angry guy. Wish he got therapy.

Story: 6-7/10. Fun, I know depicting cops like this is exactly how they get away with doing awful shit, but seeing a cop story that wasn't life and death(besides Ian possible hurting himself) was fun. Felt new, at the very least. I knew nothing about this show but could still watch it.

Cinematography: 6/10. Of its era, but you get the feeling of putting on a warm coat. This is something that they would play at a hotel, on the free stations. You've definitely seen something like this before.

Overall I'd say around a 7. If I rank it, low B. Just cause he's not a real protagonist in the series, and I want to show love to the shit Con put his whole chest into. But it wasn't a bad watch. Fun contained story.

@ivegotnonameidea thanks for the recommendation ;)

[soupy-sez]

3 STEPS TO HEAVEN (1995) dir. Constantine Giannaris

[overthinkingbelle]

Top 20 Favorite MB Performances (in concerts and musicals)

Gethsemane (1) ALW Birthday Concert 1998

‌Love Changes Everything (2) ALW Birthday Concert 1998

‌Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (4) Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert 1995

‌Anthem (3) Michael Ball Show 1994

‌Let The Rivers Run (5) Musicals and More 1996

‌All I Ask Of You (8)

‌One Step Out of Time (6) Eurovision Song Contest 1992

‌You Made Me Love You (7) Musicals and More 1996

‌The Boy From Nowhere (17) Concert 2004

‌You Can't Stop The Beat (11) Royal Variety Performance 2007

‌Welcome To The 60s (12) Paul O'Grady Show 2007

‌Epiphany (13) Sweeney Todd West End Revival 2012

‌A Little Priest (14) With Imelda Staunton

‌The Phantom of The Opera (9) With Leslie Garrett

‌If You're Anxious Not To Shine (18) BBC Proms 2007

‌Oh, What A Circus (20) Michael Ball Show 1994

‌The Vaults In Heaven (19) ALW Birthday Concert 1998

‌One Voice (15) One Voice Tour 2007

‌A Little Fall of Rain (10) Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert 1995

‌The Show Must Go On (16) BBC Proms 2007

[rohitgurumith]

SOURCES AND SIGNIFICANCE : BLOG POST #5

During the session that took place on 8th November, We were asked to find a Semiotically rich media object and uncover its underlying meanings.

As soon as i heard "underlying" and "hidden" meanings, i was instantly reminded of Death Note, a very famous anime that came out in 2006. I will be decoding the symbols referenced throughout the anime with the help of Semiotics.

SYNOPSIS:

The human world is contaminated by gruesome murders, small-time thefts, and needless violence. The realm of the death gods is a mundane, unchanging gambling den, in contrast. They both believe that their worlds are corrupt, including the brilliant 17-year-old Japanese student Light Yagami and the cruel deity of death Ryuk. Ryuk throws his "Death Note" into the human world for his own enjoyment. Light discovers it by accident and finds the first of its rules absurd: the person whose name is listed in this letter must perish. But the temptation is too great, so Light tries writing a criminal's name as an experiment, which unsettlingly recreates his first murder. Light, who goes by the nickname "Kira," is aware of the dreadful godlike power that has come into his possession. Light pursues his cruel sense of justice with the ultimate objective of ridding the world of all evildoers. The meticulous brilliant detective L is already on his trail, but when Light's intelligence surpasses L's, the massive manhunt for Kira devolves into a fierce intellectual conflict that can only be resolved by the execution of one of them.

HIDDEN MEANINGS AND ITS PURPOSE :

Apples : Apples are the most significant symbolic and recurring element in the show.

According to Christian legend, Adam's "First/Original Sin," which resulted in his "banishment" to Earth, was eating an apple. The Death Note is also the First Sin for Light.

2. Colors : Each character is given a colour to represent their thought process over the whole series. I'll just be explaining Light and L for the time being, even though all colors have been appropriately allocated to the appropriate characters.

The colour red for Light is a representation of passion, fierceness, lust (for power), danger, and tenacity. The colour blue for L is a representation of peace, wisdom, self-assurance, and calmness.

3. Ringing Bells : In the beginning of Episode 25, bells may be heard ringing as L's backstory is revealed. In the same episode, L claims that nobody else can hear the bells ringing while he can. Ringing bells represent committing a crime, or in this case, death. 

4. Foot Massage : Now, this is a symbolism that is quite frequently seen, but because I'm providing a thorough response on symbolism, I'll also quickly discuss this one. This is directly out of Christian mythology. just before he died, Jesus gave one of his disciples a foot massage, and that disciple later betrayed him. in this case, Light ends up killing L with the death note right after this scene.

5. Trinitarianism : The idea that God is three individuals is known as trinitarianism in Christianity. If Light is viewed as the Devil, who murders millions of people while believing himself to be God, then his three adversaries, L, Near, and Mello represent God.

6. The Alias "L" : The fact that "El" is a term used for "God" in Hebrew serves as another evidence that the L is depicted as/symbolizes God/Jesus.

7. Light's Death : Ryuk reveals to Light at the very beginning of the story how he won't be going to either Hell or Heaven. At the very end, Light makes an attempt to climb a set of steps but tumbles in the middle of it. This represents Light as being trapped in the midst of both Heaven and Hell.

REFERENCES :

Ohba, T. Obata, T. (2006). Death Note. Madhouse

ItalianRenaissance.org. 2012. Michelangelo's Creation of Adam - ItalianRenaissance.org. [online] Available at: <http://www.italianrenaissance.org/michelangelo-creation-of-adam/>

Scofield, C.I. (1995) The holy bible: Containing the old and new testaments. Lake Wylie, SC: Christian Heritage.

[samuelroukin]

CON O'NEILL as angel farnham in 3 STEPS TO HEAVEN (1995)