#Andrew Garfield is my biggest weakness

[moonyslove78]

The way this man always goes for the face hold during passionate kisses just— 🫠

This has got to be one of my biggest weaknesses! And when it’s AG it’s an even bigger weakness! 🥺😩

[tepkunset]

Rating the three films I watched on my sleep deprived flight

Beans - 10/10

I was dying to see this film and so excited to find it on the flight entertainment screen menu. Of the three ones I watched, this was absolutely my favourite, unsurprisingly.

For those of you who don’t know, Beans is about a young girl growing up in Kahnawake during the Oka Crisis aka Kanesatake Resistance. In this way, it transcends the typical white girl “coming of age” story in a way rarely put to film.

I could really relate to the character of Tekehentahkhwa AKA Beans, and that absolutely contributed to me crying three times over the course of the film.

I cannot praise the acting skills of Kiawentiio as Beans and Rainbow Dickerson as her mother enough. There is one scene in particular, where the elderly, women and children are trying to evacuate the Reserve and are assaulted the entire drive with rocks destroying their vehicle, that absolutely wrecked me.

The way in which real life video and audio showcased the passage of time was really well used. It also cemented the fact that this film is a true story.

I highly, highly recommend this film, especially to Canadians. But I do warn you that it contains sensitive content, including violent racism, self harm, and sexual assault.

Spider-Man: No Way Home - 6/10

I haven’t seen the second MCU Spider-Man film lmfao so I’m glad this one begins with the ending of that one. I am also happy to inform you that I had no trouble following the plot, so you do not have to watch the second MCU Spider-Man film either to enjoy it.

Let’s get the biggest highlight out of the way first: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning as alternate universe Peter Parkers was awesome. I grew up with Tobey Maguire Spider-Man, and before leaving for my vacation decided to re-watch those films in what was pure nostalgic enjoyment. Seeing him appear through the portal in particular nearly brought a tear to my eye. I thought he and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man worked really well together as big brother figures to Tom Holland Spider-Man.

But I also was straight up insulted the way this film acts so superior to the older Spider-Man series. Fuck you bitch, you are easily the weakest Spider-man set of films. The fact that the only way to save this series is by doing a hard universe reset on it at the end of the movie to fix so much of its bullshit goes to prove that. Finally we can escape the constant Iron Man influence.

I also can’t stand Bandicoot Cucumberpatch Doctor Strange, who is sadly in this film too. Happy is also very annoying and needlessly shoved in here because we can’t have an MCU Spider-Man film without Iron Man influence. (Yet again this Spider-Man is unable to just stand on his own, because the writing for him is so weak.)

There’s so much crap weighing this film down that could have been cut. For example, everything with Flash Thompson is just time-wasting cringe. Everything with Happy is just time-wasting cringe. 90% of what is with Ganke—sorry, Ned, is just time-wasting cringe.

It’s also worth pointing out that I highly doubt this film would even exist if it wasn’t for the well-deserved success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. And because of that, there’s no way to escape comparing the two. And the fact is, there just isn’t a comparison. Into the Spider-Verse is vastly superior and accomplishes all the good beats without any of the bad ones weighing it down.

Okay, back to some positives, though. I also really liked the way they brought back the villains from the previous Spider-Man series and what they did with them. The biggest highlights were unsurprisingly Doc Ock and Green Goblin.

Tom Holland Spider-Man and MJ have some believable chemistry.

The ending fight, despite having so many characters involved, was actually pretty easy to follow, so props for that.

This film is definitely the best MCU Spider-Man film to date.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage - 8/10

The Venom films are definitely not for everyone, and I totally get that. However, this film is fucking nuts and I had a blast with how unrestrained it is. I’m not even really sure how to talk about it though. It’s just... it’s an experience. Especially when your sleep deprived brain is running purely on red bull.

I’m not sure what Woody Harrelson was going for with Cletus, but it was very entertaining. The best comparison I have is Jack Nicholson’s Joker tbh asdkfjajdgj no I’m serious.

All the comments that this film is a rom-com more than a super-hero story are absolutely accurate. Yes, the rom part of the rom-com is between Venom and Eddie. The movie ends with Venom saying he loves Eddie while they sit on a beach together watching the sunset. Like, that happens.

There is a very sexy villain in this film called Frances. I liked her a lot.

No one prepared me for the scene in which Venom goes to a night club, gets hit on by a woman, rejects her and then literally says, I quote, “I am out of the closet”.

[spyderbones]

All the OCs for the OC ask meme! 8D (Well, if you want, that is. xD I just love your charries. ♥)

I finally got around to this!! Whew, it’s been hard work, and I honestly kept forgetting I had to do this, lol… but, thank you!! I love your OCs, too! 8D ♥♥♥

Dawson O'Brian

01. Full name: Dawson Markus O'Brian02. Best friend: His girlfriend, Cora Anderson03. Sexuality: Demisexual04. Favorite color: Green05. Relationship status: Taken ♥06. Ideal mate: His ideal mate would be someone that balances him out perfectly. That can show him how to have fun sometimes, while still being serious when the situation calls for it. That’s supportive of him and encourages him to open up, and to be the best person he can be. Someone that accepts his flaws but inspires him to be a better man… so, in a nutshell, Cora ♥07. Turn-ons: Everything about his girlfriend, lol… but seriously, he’s got a weakness for red hair. And BDSM.08. Favorite food: He’s by no means picky, but if he had to choose a favorite, he’d probably pick some sort of Irish pub food… something hardy but simple, like a shepard’s pie or a lasagna (OH MY GOD HE’S LITERALLY GARFIELD)09. Crushes: Cora Anderson is his one and only ♥10. Favorite music: He doesn’t listen to a lot of music, but when he does, it’s mostly alternative rock, with maybe a bit of country thrown in. An odd combination, but he likes what he likes and he’s unapologetic about it.11. Biggest fear: Losing Cora or becoming anything like his father.12. Biggest fantasy: Literally anything to do with Cora. Seriously, that girl makes for one hell of a sex life~13. Bad habits: He used to be a smoker and sometimes, rarely, he’ll bum a cigarette here and there still. And he still turns to drinking when he’s in a bad mood, a remnant of his teenage years when he was a hardcore alcoholic.14. Biggest regret: Besides some decisions he made in his teenage years- his alcoholism and nearly flunking out of school and getting into fights, that sort of thing- his biggest regret would be a mistake he made early into his friendship with Cora, when he slept with another girl to try to make her jealous. It really hurt Cora, and to this day he wishes he could go back and undo that mistake.15. Best kept secrets: He tends to keep his past a secret, but very rarely does he keep secrets from Cora. In fact, the only secret he’s keeping from her right now is his plan to pop the question, which he’s had worked out for a little while now~16. Last thought: Probably something dirty related to Cora. xD17. Worst romantic experience: He doesn’t have a lot of romantic experience. Cora is his first real relationship, though he’s had a few hook-ups here and there before her. His worst romantic experience would probably be the aforementioned hook-up to make Cora jealous… either that, or the circumstances around which he lost his virginity. It was incredibly awkward, and not at all romantic.18. Biggest insecurity: He’s incredibly afraid of becoming like his father, so any traits he shares with the man- as well as his past in general- are a huge insecurity for him. He can also be a little insecure in his relationship with Cora, because she’s been in a serious relationship before and he sometimes worries that there might be some lingering feelings there, since the relationship didn’t exactly end on her terms.19. Weapon of choice: His fists, though if he had to pick a proper weapon, a greatsword would be the way to go.20. Role Model: Probably some famous architect… I don’t know enough about architecture to pick one by name. xD

Emily Lawry

01. Full name: Emily Julianna Lawry02. Best friend: The girl’s got a lot of friends03. Sexuality: Bisexual04. Favorite color: Red05. Relationship status: Single06. Ideal mate: Someone down to earth to balance out her wild side, and who accepts her for who she is, flaws and weaknesses and all.07. Turn-ons: Confidence, dark hair, crooked grins08. Favorite food: Is wine a food?09. Crushes: None10. Favorite music: Alternative rock11. Biggest fear: Being alone12. Biggest fantasy: She’s not much of a fantasizer… she goes out and gets what she wants13. Bad habits: If you could consider sleeping around a bad habit? She also doesn’t always practice safe sex, oops. She also bites her nails when she’s stressed14. Biggest regret: Losing contact with the only true friend she’s ever had15. Best kept secrets: She got pregnant at fifteen and had an abortion16. Last thought: N/A17. Worst romantic experience: She tends to guard her heart pretty well, but the one time she opened up to someone, he left her after she got pregnant. That wasn’t exactly a great experience for her18. Biggest insecurity: She’s got a bunch of little insecurities, but generally she’s a pretty confident person19. Weapon of choice: A gun20. Role Model: Clarisse from Silence of the Lambs

Steph Harris

01. Full name: Stephen Andrew Harris02. Best friend: He tends to keep to himself03. Sexuality: Gay04. Favorite color: Blue05. Relationship status: Single06. Ideal mate: Someone that understands him and helps to coax him out of his shell, while still being patient with him, since he doesn’t talk07. Turn-ons: Being dominated08. Favorite food: Grilled cheese09. Crushes: None10. Favorite music: Pop music, anything instrumental11. Biggest fear: Something bad happening to the people he cares about12. Biggest fantasy: Settling down with someone that he loves, having a family, the whole white-picket-fence life13. Bad habits: Bites his nails occasionally14. Biggest regret: Not ever getting to know his birth mother15. Best kept secrets: He doesn’t really have any secrets16. Last thought: N/A17. Worst romantic experience: None- he’s totally inexperienced18. Biggest insecurity: His artistic skills; he’s always worried his art isn’t good enough19. Weapon of choice: A pencil20. Role Model: Van Gogh

Kieran Jenkins

01. Full name: Kieran Jenkins02. Best friend: Kit Connolly03. Sexuality: Bisexual04. Favorite color: Dark blue05. Relationship status: Taken06. Ideal mate: Someone who’s patient with him and his flaws, but doesn’t coddle him or treat him like a child. Ideally someone who understands the hardships he’s been through and supports him through them.07. Turn-ons: Being dominated, confidence08. Favorite food: A nice steak09. Crushes: Kit Connolly10. Favorite music: Instrumental music11. Biggest fear: Bad things happening to the people he loves12. Biggest fantasy: He’s pretty tame, honestly13. Bad habits: Drinking when he’s stressed, can sometimes lash out at people who are just trying to help14. Biggest regret: The death of his squad when he was in the army; if he’d gone through the door first, they would have survived15. Best kept secrets: Generally he tries to keep his PTSD/migraines a secret16. Last thought: N/A17. Worst romantic experience: After being discharged, he started seeing a nice girl- nothing too serious, but he liked her well enough. One night, he had a nightmare and, in the haze of it all, attacked her while she was sleeping next to him. Needless to say, that relationship ended quite quickly.18. Biggest insecurity: All his PTSD-related quirks and triggers19. Weapon of choice: A gun20. Role Model: His commander in the military

Maverick Brennan

01. Full name: Maverick Brennan02. Best friend: Lindsay O’Shaughnessey (If I spelled that wrong please correct me, it’s been so long since I had to spell her full name omg)03. Sexuality: Heterosexual04. Favorite color: Brown05. Relationship status: Taken06. Ideal mate: Someone sweet, with a good heart, that balances out the instability he’s known all his life.07. Turn-ons: He’s also pretty vanilla08. Favorite food: Sushi09. Crushes: Lindsay O’Shaughnessey10. Favorite music: Pop/rock11. Biggest fear: Never being good enough12. Biggest fantasy: He’s a tame boi13. Bad habits: He’s a bit reckless, just in general14. Biggest regret: He doesn’t really have any regrets15. Best kept secrets: He doesn’t really have any secrets, either16. Last thought: N/A17. Worst romantic experience: He’s been cheated on before, but he was never  serious enough about her to be heartbroken by it18. Biggest insecurity: His poverty… he’s struggling to get by, and he doesn’t like people knowing it19. Weapon of choice: His tongue- he prefers to talk things out20. Role Model: He doesn’t really have one

Dominic Markovic

01. Full name: Dominic Markovic02. Best friend: Katherine Devereux03. Sexuality: Pansexual04. Favorite color: Black05. Relationship status: Taken06. Ideal mate: Someone with some fire in them, who’s got a passion for what they do- and a passion for him- but that he doesn’t feel the need to keep up with, either. Someone who he’s just as important to as they are to him.07. Turn-ons: Dominating and doing the dominating~08. Favorite food: Again- does wine count as a food? If not, probably blood09. Crushes: Katherine Devereux10. Favorite music: Instrumental piano or violin11. Biggest fear: Losing the people he cares about12. Biggest fantasy: Probably some sort of BDSM fantasy- he’s into that13. Bad habits: He’s got a stick up his ass- does that count?14. Biggest regret: None, really15. Best kept secrets: He doesn’t really do anything that warrants being kept a secret16. Last thought: N/A17. Worst romantic experience: He doesn’t tend to give his heart to just anyone, so he hasn’t had very many “bad” romantic experiences18. Biggest insecurity: He’s not a very insecure person19. Weapon of choice: His fangs/claws- he’s a vampire20. Role Model: No one in particular; he’s his own man

Omg, months later I have finally completed this!! Sorry for the wait- but here, everyone, have this infodump of all my precious OCs. xD

NOTE: Cora, Kit, Lindsay, and Kat are all the creations of @essentiallyzem​ and are also wonderful characters whom I love so very much. 8D

[innusiq]

Get to Know the Writer (meme)

Get to know the writer meme

@isabellajack tagged me, which I thank you for.  I won’t be tagging anyone else, but I wanted to answer this for you.  Any other writer who may be in a funk is welcome to grab, post and pass along.

Rules: Answer the following questions & share about yourself!

#1 Poetry Or Prose?

I’m leaning towards Poetry… though I’ve have to admit, haven’t read any in most recent years…

#2 Dialogue Or Description?

In regards to my own writing… it could go either way, but I do lean towards dialogue first and then build around it.  Sometimes… if the dialogue is done right and the voice of the character captured, that can sometimes lend to an unwritten description of a moment in regards to Fanfic. As a reader and writer of fanfic, I know what to expect of the characters… how they act, move, expressions… But I must admit, when reading… sometimes there are those fic authors that get waaaaaaay too descriptive… when that happens I tend to check out before I can get into the fic too deeply because there’s too much “colorful verbiage” being thrown together in an effort to try to stand out that I loose what the writing is trying to say.  I don’t need 6 types of metaphors/similes in one paragraph to tell me how a person feels. Don’t beat me over the head with words please.  I try to steer clear of beating readers over the head.

#3 Favorite Character You’ve Ever Written?

*Clutches Chest & Gasps* That is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child!  There was a time where I didn’t have too many to choose from… but that was (holds breath) nearly two decades ago… and so many fandoms ago… BUT, if I really had to choose, it would be when I wrote TeniMyu RPS TutixNagayan.  OMG I was smitten with those two.

#4 Least Favorite Character You’ve Ever Written?

I don’t think I really have one? I don’t tend to write fics with characters I’m adverse to.  Life can be a drag in and of itself, I prefer to write characters I love.  Sure there are characters I use that are antagonist, but they serve a purpose and I don’t feel any true negativity towards them, or struggle with writing them.  Even writing those characters that are unsavory, there is still something to like about getting their characterization accurate.

#5 Favorite Character Trait To Write?

Specifically Pre-Serum Steve’s stubbornness, that is always fun.  Generally, I tend to strive for realism of the characters, tangibility. Providing a snapshot in their lives that is 100% believable built off of the traits we know and love.

#6 Favorite Character Name You’ve Come Up With?

Rosalie… she was a niece of Ray Vecchio’s from a Due South I wrote.  Man, that was too many moons ago…

#7 Biggest Weakness In Writing?

Bringing a fic to a close. Sometimes it feels like I am forcing it, and it’s writing the ending that can take the longest for me.  I don’t want to beat a dead horse as I know, all fics must come to an end, but I struggle in keeping them from sounding/feeling cheesy and short.

#8 Biggest Strength In Writing?

My love of the characters I am writing.  It’s my love for a character/pairing that spurs me to write in the first place. There has to be a love for the characters for any writer, a desire to examine what we are given further than a given canon because it’s connected with something in outselves.

#9 Favorite Trope?

There can never be enough Coffee Shops AUs... Well written Mpregs…  A slow build/burn that has the lead up to a pairing’s first kiss feel more intense than the explicit scenes that may follow.

#10 Least Favorite Trope?

Trash Parties… I just don’t get that.  Dom/Sub isn’t my go to fic, either.  I can handle “light” versions, but even then just seeing it tagged Dom/Sub can make me scroll right on by an author’s work.  

#11 Author You Look Up To?

Will I be looked down upon if I do not have an author to list (even professional)?  History of me:  growing up… I detested reading.  This caused a huge struggle for me in school because if I had no interest in the subject matter, I was reluctant to read it.  Nothing really appealed to me.  Graduate, add fandoms, and now I can’t stop reading.  I know there are people who follow fanfic writers and everything they produce, but I can’t really pinpoint a specific author.  When I read a piece, it’s subject matter I pay more attention to, not the name of the person who wrote it.  I’m an Equal Opportunity Reader.

#12 Favorite Book/Piece You’ve Written?

I’m not one to toot my own horn usually, and it can be hard to single out one specific fic overall, so here are a few more recent ones:

The Social Network - https://archiveofourown.org/works/875838 (Missing Transition)

RPS-The Social Network – https://tsn-kinkmeme.livejournal.com/10450.html?thread=19299026#t19299026 (Hiding in Plain Sight - WIP)

Merlin - https://archiveofourown.org/works/1454626 (It’s You and Me Against the Odds)

RPS-MCU - https://archiveofourown.org/works/8294710 (No Longer a Place)

MCU - https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906372 (They Say Love is Pain…)

#13 Favorite Line You’ve Written?

They always say home is where the heart is, and before Chris’s heart has always been settled and well rooted in the city of Boston, but now… this is the first he realizes that home, his home, is no longer a place, but a person.

#14 Fanfiction Or Original Work?

FanFiction.  I like the feeling of immersing myself in a world I already hold dear to my heart.  It’s a bit like coming home, a comfort, of knowing what to expect of characters even when I may not know where a story is going and still get surprised by them all the same.

#15 Favorite Genre To Write In?

I tend to write romance. I just want to see people happy.  

#18 Heavy Description Or Little Description?

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t like seeing what is being said getting buried in colorful, disjointed ramblings of an author trying to prove their artistic flare.  I used to challenge myself with 100 word drabbles to help myself figure out ways to tell a full fledge story in few words. Description is totally necessary, but not to the point to losing focus.

#17 First Person, Second Person, Or Third Person?

Definitely third person. I may have written one first person POV fic eons ago, but I generally skip reading anything that is First Person, unless it is by an author I might recognize and love.  

#19 Multiple Point Of Views Or Just One Point Of View?

I lean towards one point of view, but I also like multiple points of view if it is done right.  If a writer is jumping between POVs within a paragraph/part/chapter, that tends to get a bit muddy (especially when using pronouns).  When I write multiple POVs, I choose a POV per section/part/chapter and make it clear in the beginning of each whose POV I’ve changed to.

#20 Multiple Protagonists Or Just One Protagonist?

I can barely handle one… so just one please.

#21 Favorite Villain You’ve Ever Written?

I have no answer for this.

#22 Longest Piece (Word Count) You’ve Ever Written?

Individual Piece:  A work in progress that has stalled out called “Hiding in Plain Sight.”  It is a Real Person Fic of Andrew Garfield/Female Jesse Eisenberg and it is presently 49K words. I, personally, am not a fan of reading fics where a character’s gender it changed… I’ve read a few definitely, I’m not adverse to them, but it’s definitely not something I do.  This fic started via a challenge group and it just drew me in to write.  I really need to get back to it…

Series:  A four part Fraser/Vecchio Due South series that reached over 100K words.  Man that really was a long time ago…

#23 Where Do You Get Your Inspiration From?

Life in general, really. It could be hearing a new song on the radio… watching something on TV… a personal occurrence in my life… and the characters themselves that draws me in.

#24 How To Deal With Writer’s Block?

Don’t sweat it.  I write for my own pleasure really.  If I write, I write, and if I don’t…. I can’t say it doesn’t get me down, but it’s not the end of the world for me.  I used to write rather prolifically when I first started, but as the years moved on and available writing time lessened, it’s been hard finding a moment to just sit and write (or stare at the blinking cursor). I haven’t given up, I still do write, but it may be one piece in a year, that I open monthly and plug away at. Patience is key.

#25 Writing One Book At A Time, Or Multiple At A Time?

One… for the most part… but I have more WIP’s left open than I like…

#26 Planning Out The Book Before Writing, Or Just Writing It On The Go?

For the most part I do write with a singular idea that in the end, I sometimes find myself surprised by where the characters took me.  There have been occasions where I’ve drafted an outline, but I’m more of the fly by the seat of my pants author.

#27 Picking Chapter Titles Before Writing Or After?

I do not usually name chapters of longer pieces, but in general… I usually start writing and name the piece something but in the end I usually change it to a final title.  Sometimes it’s easy, other times I struggle to figure out an official title, but it always works out in the end.

#28 Picking Character Names Before Writing Or After?

Most of the characters I write already have their names, but anytime I’ve introduced an original character, it’s during the writing process I decide on a name.  It’s like I can’t write the character if I don’t know their name.

#29 Simple Or Complex Plotlines?

Simple, plain and simple.

#30 Multiple Different Characters Or Just A Few?

I tend to narrow my focus on a few characters.  Less people I can screw up with the better.

#31 Sad Or Happy Endings?

Too much sad in the real world, I must write happy.  Angst is ok as long as it ends happy.  

#32 Rhymed Poetry Or Free Verse?

I really don’t have a preference here.  Either works for what is being written if it’s called for it.

[atrophiedcompassion]

the last jedi review

spoiler free: it was overall good, but not as good as it could’ve been. it had about 30 mins of filler and some of the plots execution was less than desirable. certainly needs at least one more viewing for a proper opinion

spoiler full review under the cut

what they did well was near perfection: Luke, Leia, Kylo and Rey were beautifully characterized, their arcs clear, well done, exceptionally emotional and powerful.

First of all, they finally gave Leia the standing she deserved in the new trilogy. it was like Rian Johnson heard my criticism of TFA Leia (no force sensitive mentions, just an old hag they had no clue how to use. it was and remains one of the most disappointing things about TFA) and finally gave her a meaty role, in a way, the perfect way to end Carrie’s work with Star Wars. sure, the travel through space scene was a bit cartoonish, but finally, FINALLY, we were given, shown, FORCE SENSITIVE LEIA. it was emotional, especially that it came after the very clear moment between her and Kylo, when he hesitated in shooting at her ship. it was very clear that they were sensing each other and Kylo’s reaction when the ship was shot after all was also amazing.

her whole role was great, finally the General i had always expected from post ROTJ Leia to be. and even if they didn’t kill her on screen, and it’ll have to be an offscreen death (or who knows...who knows), i think they did conclude her arc remarkably and whatever happens in episode IX it can only finish her participation in a great way. 

the final meeting with Luke, the forgiveness, the closeness, i am so glad they gave us that. the space twins live on, and we were given true closure.

second of all, Luke. LUKE WAS PERFECT. the guilt, the wisdom, the cranky old master behaviour a la yoda in ESB, it was miraculous. every time he was on screen it was emotional and powerful. the awe and fright at Rey’s abilities. his disappointment that she went straight to the dark, that she didn’t fight temptation at all, when it was clear that he had done that all his life and it had cost him so much! i mean, it’s clear that Luke’s resolve in ROTJ is strong, and that he will certainly not cave in to the Emperor’s requests. but now, with his anger at Rey’s easy temptation, it becomes clear to me how much it had cost him to say no to Vader in ESB. at his lowest moment, having just been mutilated, having just learned that his great mentor Obi Wan had lied to him, at the very revelation that the long sought after father was finally before him offering him the world, he still found the courage, the strength and maybe even the weakness to say no. to allow himself to die rather than to fall to the dark side. and then this kid, with enormous grasp of the Force, dives right into the darkness on the first occasion!! the fact that they gave us that on screen was immense.

and then, the final battle, when he displays the most stupendous command of the Force, when he shows Kylo off in a spectacular fashion, that was amazing, it was one of the best moments in the whole SW saga.

the death moment was perhaps a little sudden, because it clearly stemmed from the fight with Kylo, and not later, but it still comes peacefully, and not at the actual, real hand of his nephew.

Now, Rey, her journey was not as spectacular as it was in TFA, but she was the emotional core of the film and in many ways, the only true pure Force sensitive person in the saga. sure, Leia was as pure and free of temptation as possible, but there is something murky about the relationship between her, Ben/Kylo and Han. something happened to Ben to have all that great darkness inside him, and as a comic panel once said, it surely came from her side of the family. Rey can and did dive into the darkness and came out unscathed. she not for one second yields to Snoke nor is she willing to accept Kylo’s offer of joining him to rule the galaxy (at some point in these movies, this has to stop tho. it’s the worst offer in the galaxy ffs! no-one seems to take up on it). she is the voice of reason and the hope the galaxy needs.

the big family reveal is underwhelming for a reason. it’s something Kylo says, it’s her biggest fears that he’s voicing, trying to play with her mind. it may be a misdirection, my dad says, and he’s been right about this (after snape’s “treason” in HP6, he was the first to point out that it may play out differently in the end. plus, should her true, actual, shocking parentage be revealed in the middle film, it’d be too much on the nose copying of ESB. we already had the offer scene and the moment between the dark and the light characters.

Finally, Kylo Ren. first of all, what a pleasure it is to watch Adam Driver perform!! he is magnetic in every scene and you can literally see the conflict in his face. his weirdly beautiful face. i love the guy (i mean, i went to see Silence in the theater, a religious film! starring Andrew Garfield!). i think his arc is tremendous and if my gut feeling is right, they might actually make him the big bad. no redemption. he just follows the darkness through and through. at the start of the movie, he has that moment with Leia, he hesitates, he takes the finger off the button. at the end, he barges full on, take no prisoners kinda way, totally willing to kill every single person in the mine/bunker, his mother included. it’s interesting, because so far it seems that killing Snoke (and not his father or Rey) finally completed his apprenticeship in the dark side, killing the puppet master finally allowed him to go completely dark.

@winteredfall believes there’s the parallel with Anakin, who also made the offer to Padme, to kill the emperor & take over, and in the end he was still redeemed.  but....that was the third movie. this is just the second movie. i think it’d be much more interesting if this guy didn’t get redemption and if he was simply the bad guy. it’d make the character richer, it’d be a departure from the classic SW and it’d show that some people cannot be redeemed. it’d finally take Nu SW into a new direction and the following trilogy wouldn’t have the baggage. (side note: for me, after learning in the prequels what Vader did to access the dark side, aka kill 30 kids, Vader’s redemption in ROTJ is meaningless and unacceptable. for me, Vader cannot be redeemed after we know what he did. he can be forgiven by his son, who doesn’t exactly know the details. but me as the viewer, i cannot forgive him anymore. his son saving is nearly an empty gesture given his actual really heinous crimes. and this is why i hate the prequels, because they ruined Vader for me, arguably the most interesting character of the OT)

the offer to Rey immediately after offing Snoke shows that he never really wanted to be good. he just wanted to stop being manipulated and used. his rage after she rebukes him and takes off is not brattisness, but simply the dark side finally taking over. rage fuels the dark side, anger is the prime motivator, so it all works. and Kylo is a better character for it. and the movie could take the SW saga into a whole new direction. but we shall see.

The Force was finally restored to its original meaning, fuck the midicloridians. Sure, luke’s explanation seems a rehash of Obi Wan’s but it had to be done. also perfect was Luke’s put down of the Jedi and their hubris, it was amazing to see the concerns people had with the prequels, namely the sith emerging during the Jedi’s highest power, addressed and put to bed.

the Kylo - Rey relationship was intense, and heightened, but unlike in TFA, where it did have some dark sexual undertones (Kylo does mind rape Rey and the sexual overtones of that scene cannot be overlooked), this time it had a very sibling vibe. Rian Johnson took note of the unholy Reylo shippers and of the effects of that scene in TFA and turned it around. sure, it was weird that Rey was bashful to see Kylo shirtless (but thank you for the scene nonetheless), but all that malefic sexual energy from TFA was gone here and it felt great.

all their scenes together, be it in the Force, or actually side by side fighting were superb. they have immense chemistry and made it all seem very palpable. also, at the end, where Rey’s leaving in the Falcon and they communicate once more, that was not Snoke’s doing, so their connection IS real, and not “forced” by a higher power.

now, what they did wrong may actually be not that bad on a second viewing, perhaps it needs a little more attention to detail. but so far, the whole Casino plot, get them on the FO ship, Benicio del Toro char, all of that was awful. i understand the political aspect of the plot, of showing the war profiteering and the real reason why the galaxy is still at war, which is highlighted by the fact that at the end, no-one comes to the aid of the Resistance. but the tone of those scenes was all wrong. it was choc full of species, of way too much slapstick humour, cutting away from Resistance cannot get a moment’s respite really awful situation, to Rose & Finn riding blissfully, almost forgetting their mission, on those animals?! it was worth it now that they saved those animals, even if they were about to die and leave their Resistance with no actual hope?! WHAT THE FUCK!! i get why it was liberating for characters like Rose & Finn, who had lost everything and had always been downtrodden, to finally do something rebellious and for themselves, but in the bigger picture of what was happening with the remaining Resistance crew, it was very offputting.

i liked Rose a lot, because she had heart and seemed sharply focused, but then..they gave her some really weird choices. it was almost like let’s give the POC characters something meaningless to do (because they eventually not only fail their mission, but they bring into Resistance secrets a third party who betrays them, leading to a near disaster for the Resistance), while the white characters were given the actual plot, and actual plot resolution. remember, Poe is also mistaken in his plans, and eventually, the white woman Holdo was right all along.

now, let’s get into the open misogyny of Poe Dameron’s character. undercutting even Leia, and causing massive loss (all the bombers!!!) in the opening battle and acting like he was right. disbelief that the heroic Vice Admiral Holdo is a woman (that was such a jarring moment, wtf!!) and not trusting her, and her cautious ways. of course, the plot is awfully trying to make us think Holdo is a bad guy, simply by having her not relay her every decision to an underling, which she should do why!??! (because he is the man right?) the reveal is just awful and even if i read somewhere that some folk like how the second in command is bad trope was subverted, Holdo was highly mistreated by her inferior and we can only understand that it was because she was a woman.

why they chose to portray Poe this way, i don’t know. but the whole plot was very very poor and even if the end is quite satisfying, as Holdo’s cautious, womanly plan actually works, she saves the day, and Poe’s manly action plan fails, it still begs the question why was this whole plot necessary!?

what was also filler was the minute rivalry between Phasma and Finn, absolutely pointless. also, i know Finn / John Boyega is a main character, but after giving him a horrible plot, him sacrificing himself would’ve been a little more satisfying than him being “saved” by Rose out of love. that whole romance came out of nowhere! of course, with Finn sacrificing himself we wouldn’t have the epic Kylo - Luke confrontation, still the resolution of Finn’s sacrifice could’ve been better. Also, this romance feels made up just so they wouldn’t have to “ship” Finn with Rey, even if for sure, they have far better chemistry, an actual story together and real feelings for each other. maybe i am just looking into this from an inappropriate angle, but it did somehow bothered me that they aren’t willing to let Finn/Rey happen. while i certainly don’t ship anyone in the new movies, some chars have obvious chemistry together while some don’t!

finally, who is Snoke!? his death probably robs us of any possibility of finding out who he was. i mean, this guy seems far more powerful than the Emperor even, so where did he come from? was he another hidden apprentice!? was he the emperor in a new disguise!? was he just some random dude who happened to be exceptionally good with the Force? how could he come to power when Luke/Vader ended the sith in ROTJ!?! all these questions might never receive an answer. i mean, the whole Casino scene proves why an organization like the First Order can prosper and exist in the first place, as war is profitable as fuck. but there’s no explanation for this Force sensitive ultimate bad guy. ugh!

now what was truly atrocious: all the animals, the 4 tittieded animal Luke milks (blue milk! but are they telling me this is where Beru also got the milk? because for sure those creatures didn’t look like desert dwellers. and if it was imported, no wonder they were poor LOL), the island caretakers, the porgs, the animals Rose & Finn ride, all the Casino creatures. filler filler filler. this is pure disnification and it sucks

BB8 was also just awful. he was given R2D2 in ROTS powers, remember how bad it was when R2 started flying?!? BB8 showing up in the Imperial pacer was worse!! a true great reveal would’ve been if it was the BDT char coming to an unlikely rescue minutes after selling Rose & Finn out, but no. it had to be the wonder robot! how did he get up there in the first place!? that was horrendous. and i will finally say it. i hate BB8. i didn’t like it in TFA, but here i hated it. god!

and finally, the marvel type jokes seconds away from a highly emotional/intense moment. i understand the technique and even in marvel movies it is sometimes hit and miss, but in the tonally dark TLJ, where the resistance cannot catch a break, are taking loss after loss, with less and less hope and more and more deaths, these cute moments don’t fit at all. SW needs humour, even in its darkest movies, but not this type of humour. give us something else. or at least, give us the joke after the tears have started flowing, and not when they’re just still brimming in the eyes, that is not too much to ask!

overall, this is a 8.5 i would say, even if i have a lot of criticisms, the action scenes are brilliant and it has some real, amazing, SW-like moments.

[bishreview]

Top 20 Films of the Year

I think it’s about time I did something about films so here’s my list for the top 20 movies. This year has seen a rise in quality superhero films, some strong horror flicks, but I’ve felt genres like comedies and science fiction have really dropped. This list will include films that were released to Australian audiences in 2017 but will miss the Oscar nominated ones at the start of the year because they were classified as 2016 still. Enjoy.

20. Spider Man: Homecoming

Superhero films really did well this year, with Spider Man’s first lead film in the MCU a pleasure to watch from start to finish. Focusing on the high school aspect rather than the superhero aspect (like all previous movies of the hero have done), Holland brings the role to new levels of excitement, humour and reliability, making this maybe the best film incarnation of the hero.

19. Split

Split is a different sort of film. It’s a super-villain film, disguised as a psychological thriller, disguised as a horror. James McAvoy’s role as the character Kevin, a person who has multiple personalities, is incredible as he switches between different personalities, with their own characteristics, with ease.  M. Night Shyamalan looks like he’s making a comeback, and it’s exciting to watch.

18. Raw

Have you ever watched a film so gross but so engaging that you can’t look away even though you’re disgusted by what you’re watching? Because that’s Raw. Julia Ducournau’s unique film about cannibalism is incredibly unique and brilliant, whilst also being one of the hardest to watch films I’ve ever seen. Big warning to those with weak stomachs.

17. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi will probably go down as the most decisive Star Wars film ever. Disney have made it clear that they are avoiding canon in their trilogy, turning away from the comics and focusing on the films. With The Last Jedi they took it further, taking risks throughout the whole movie. In doing so, they made the most unique Star Wars film yet, and maybe the strongest since the original trilogy, focusing on the balance of the force instead of the usual ‘good vs. evil’.

16. John Wick: Chapter Two

John Wick is such a brilliantly written character. Although the second instalment in the hit-man, revenge franchise looks more into his past and the organisation he was a part of, we still know little about the ‘Boogeyman’. Keeanu Reeves is brilliant as the titular character and Derek Kolstad has again written another amazing story, creating one of the most interesting and unique cinematic universes.

15. A Ghost Story

There are some movies which capture your imagination and place you in a story that you can escape in. A Ghost Story is a different story. It’s heartbreaking but makes you feel warm. Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara are brilliant as the two leads, holding a chemistry which is hard to create so naturally. Although it’s slow at times, there is a certain beauty throughout the movie, drawing you into the love story even at it’s slowest moments

14. Logan Lucky

Logan Lucky is a really fun film. With a great cast including Adam Driver, Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, and Daniel Craig, the heist film is an entertaining watch. Although heist films sometimes feel cliched, Logan Lucky utilises the American car racing competition NASCAR as its setting, allowing the film to explore a different range of characters, making it one of the most intriguing heist movies in years.

13. Wonder Woman

The DCEU is getting really hard to watch. Justic League, released late this year, was more of the same average flicks which has plagued the franchise since Man of Steel. Before that though was Wonder Woman, the cinematic universe’s saving grace. Gal Gadot is incredible as the iconic superhero, carrying the movie all the way through with her engaging performance. Mid-way through the year I stated this film was the saving grace of the franchise, and that could never be more true now.

12. The Big Sick

Rom-com’s have never really been my thing. I often feel their stories have been done over and over again and that the genre doesn’t try to be do anything different. The Big Sick though is a story which hasn’t even been attempted by the industry yet, a movie about religious and cultural traditions and progressing forward with them. Kumail Nanjiani explores his real life story in such a tongue in cheek way that you can’t help but love the story and the characters.

11. The Lost City of Z

I was remembering this film the other day (I’ve only watched it twice) and the feelings I got from it still gives me the chills. The exploration of the jungle in James Gray’s film about real life explorer Percy Fawcett is gorgeous. It’s a slow burning movie that depicts Fawcett’s addiction to the Amazon rainforest in such a mesmerising way that you often forget that he’s searching for gold, rather just wanting to live in the Amazon. Charlie Hunman is brilliant as the lead and it’s a movie that will stick in your mind for a long time.

10. Thor: Ragnarok

2017 was a great year for the MCU, and Thor: Ragnarok was the shining light. Although the previous Thor films have been some of the more weaker entries in the franchise, Ragnarok was able to give the titular character his best story yet, combining the comic with the Planet Hulk storyline. With incredible performances by Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson and Jeff Goldblum, NZ director Taika Waititi created the best and most fun Thor that has ever hit the big screen.

9. The Beguilded

The Beguilded was a strange watch. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name, the film explores lust, forbidden love, obsession, fear and hate in a stable manner, balancing these themes effortlessly. Sofia Coppola has deservedly won awards for this film and will hopefully be nominated for a few more after being snubbed at the Golden Globes.

8. Silence

If I were to pick a film that I have seen this year that still disturbs me it would be Silence. Set in 17th century Japan, during the Tokugawa shogunate, Silence follows two Christian priests (Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield) trying to track down their mentor (Liam Neeson) whilst continuing to spread their outlawed religion. The movie is very graphic and doesn’t hold back on the Crucifixion techniques that were implemented during this period. Garfield also delivers the performance of his career, pulling you in emotionally to his character’s experience. 

7. War On The Planet of the Apes

It was always going to be hard to complete the Apes trilogy, as the first two films of the franchise were both amazing. War though is best of the three. An incredibly emotional experience as we watch Caesar and his fellow apes fight for survival against humans. Andy Serkis is again incredible as Caesar, continuing to prove that he’s the best actor in a motion capture suit.

6. Logan

Superhero movies were truly a shining light in 2017. The fourth comic book movie on this list (and the highest), Logan (based on Old Man Logan comic) is an incredible experience. Allowing the movie to have a restricted rating was a risk but it paid of as it allowed the character to be at his brutal best. Hugh Jackman will always be Wolverine and Logan was a perfect way to send off nearly two decades of the character on the big screen.

5. A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls (can also be called How to Tear Someone’s Heart Out) is the saddest film of the year. It hits you deep in the feels, ensuring the audience cries their eyes out by the end of the film. Lewis MacDougall is incredible as the lead, and the supporting cast are brilliant, especially Liam Neeson as the voice of The Monster. The film blends a heartbreaking story about cancer with a beautiful fantasy world, utilising water-colour animations to bring the audience into the imaginary world. 

4. T2: Trainspotting

T2 has been a long time coming. A sequel to the incredible original (Trainspotting) has been rumoured for a while, and Danny Boyle has finally delivered two decades on. Bringing back the beloved Scottish gang, led by Ewan McGregor, T2 doesn’t hold back on themes of getting old, reminiscing on youth, and trying to make up for the mistakes of youth. With all four of the characters being on a path which joins them back together, fans of the original will feel blessed with this sequel, whilst new fans will straight away connect with their stories. 

3. The Disaster Artist

The Disaster Artist is a perfect homage to the greatest film of all time, The Room. Delving into the creation of the aforementioned masterpiece, The Disaster Artist is about more than having a laugh at the people who were involved in making it. Instead it allows a sympathetic view on the desire to be an actor, to create film as an art form. Both Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero are respectfully portrayed by the Franco brothers, allowing a look into the hardships they faced during the making of The Room. It’s a fantastic story, both hilarious and relatable, and could be the Franco brothers best performances.

2. Dunkirk

I’ve always felt like Christopher Nolan has an obsession with outdoing himself every movie. After the epic (albeit flawed epic) which was Interstellar, it looked like he was going to stick on the sci-fi route which had dominated so many of his previous films. Instead he made Dunkirk a history piece about the Allies biggest failure in World War II, the loss of France. The film is tiring to watch, moving slowly and feeling like it’s in a constant route, as every small victory is followed by the plan going wrong. Fionn Whitehead is terrific in his debut mainstream role, and Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Harry Styles also bring in strong performances, suggesting that Dunkirk may be Nolan’s best work.

1. Get Out

I watched Get Out again last night and it still hits me the same way as it did the first time I watched it. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is incredible. The comedian jumps into a genre unfamiliar to him, in a horror/thriller, and he delivers. Get Out is a unsettling film, raising issues of racism (and anti-racism) without making it overbearing. Daniel Kaluuya is incredible as the lead and will hopefully get rewarded during award season, and the supporting cast of the film (notably Lakeith Stanfield and Betty Gabriel) help create a chilling atmosphere throughout the whole film. The twist ending also may be one of the most impactful non-events in film history, with the expectation of what is going to happen making more of a statement than what actually happens (it will make more sense once you see it). Get Out is an incredible film, close to the best for this decade so far, and my number one film for 2017.

That’s my film list. It came out later than I wanted it to but I’ve just been hammered with work at the moment. I’ve completed the Top 50 Singles of 2017 list and that will be released tomorrow so stay tuned for that. Thanks for the support and hopefully you’ve enjoyed this list.

[rileypalmer-blog]

Get To Know Mun!

tagged by :  @prettyboygcnius

1. What is your middle name? Anne 2. How old are you? 28 3. When is your birthday? December 23 4. What is your zodiac sign? Capricorn but I am a cusp so some Sagg. traits 5. What is your favorite color? Deep red 6. What’s your lucky number? 13 7. Do you have any pets? A dog 8. Where are you from? Indianapolis originally 9. How tall are you? 5′6″ 10. What shoe size are you? 8 usually 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Uhhhhh 7 I think? 12. What was your last dream about? I see my best friend for the first time in 13 years, we go watch fireworks, then he tries to kill me 13. What talents do you have? Writing, drawing.... I can lick my elbow, is that a talent? 14. Are you psychic in any way? Eh, tiny bit maybe. I’ve had some instances... 15. Favorite song? Almost everything ever. RN, probably Do You Feel It? by Chaos Chaos 16. Favorite movie? Breakfast Club 17. Who would be your ideal partner? IDK, the Ronin Jin from Samurai Champloo isn’t real so... 18. Do you want children? I have one. I’m done. 19. Do you want a church wedding? Didn’t do that either, lol 20. Are you religious? Yes 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? A couple of times 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? Do speeding tickets count? Got one of those. 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? Nope 24. Baths or showers? Showers for getting clean, baths for relaxing 25. What color socks are you wearing? None! It’s summer time, hopefully I won’t wear any for a month but when I DO wear them they don’t match. I haven’t matched my socks since I was 14, I don’t plan on starting that again 26. Have you ever been famous? Nope 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? Depends on what I’d be famous for 28. What type of music do you like? Pretty much everything but mainstream rap 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yup 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two 31. What position do you usually sleep in? I’m everywhere 32. How big is your house? A little on the small side but it works just fine 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Cereal. Or pizza. Mostly cereal 34. Have you ever fired a gun? Yup, I own a couple 35. Have you ever tried archery? Had a bow a long time ago 36. Favorite clean word? Wait, there are clean words?? Uh.... soap? 37. Favorite swear word? Fuck or dammit 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? I can’t remember. I love to slep tho, so no more than 24 hours I think 39. Do you have any scars? Yup. Biggest is a c-section scar 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Not that I’m aware of 41. Are you a good liar? Maybe *squints* 42. Are you a good judge of character? Eh, so so. My main rule is, don’t trust anyone until they’ve earned it 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? I tend to do an English one if I watch too much BBC 44. Do you have a strong accent? Um... I have no idea?? 45. What is your favorite accent? Oh jeeze... I can’t pick just one 46. What is your personality type? Laid back (except when a topic interests me), easily bored, creative, semi anti social 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? My boots 48. Can you curl your tongue? Yup 49. Are you an innie or an outie? Innie 50. Left or right handed? Right-handed 51. Are you scared of spiders? Depends on how big they are 52. Favorite food? Hmm... pizza I think... Or sweet and sour chicken 53. Favorite foreign food? Chinese or Italian 54. Are you a clean or messy person? Ordered chaos 55. Most used phrased? “What the fuck?” or “You’re killin’ me Smalls!” 56. Most used word? Dammit or fuck 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? Normally, like 10 minutes 58. Do you have much of an ego? Nope 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? I’m not big on hard candy 60. Do you talk to yourself? Yup 61. Do you sing to yourself? Also yup 62. Are you a good singer?  My family is musically inclined, but not me. I guess I’m about average 63. Biggest Fear? Car accidents, losing people, looking in mirrors in dark rooms.... 64. Are you a gossip? No, not really 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? AAAnd I have officially forgotten the name of every movie I’ve ever seen 66. Do you like long or short hair? Long on me, depends for other people tho 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Maybe? 68. Favorite school subject? Art. And lunch. Yes, lunch is a subject, don’t argue 69. Extrovert or Introvert? Semi introvert 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope 71. What makes you nervous? Too much to name 72. Are you scared of the dark? Nope 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? Depends on the correction/mistake 74. Are you ticklish? Yes but it pisses me off 75. Have you ever started a rumor? No 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? When I worked at Subway 77. Have you ever drank underage? Yeah 78. Have you ever done drugs? No 79. Who was your first real crush? My step cousin when I was like, 3 80. How many piercings do you have? One. My left ear is a 12 gauge 81. Can you roll your Rs? Yup 82. How fast can you type? Eh, so so. If I’m in the mood it’s pretty fast 83. How fast can you run? Run? What is this word you speak of? 84. What color is your hair? Reddish rown 85. What color is your eyes? Brown 86. What are you allergic to? Bullshit 87. Do you keep a journal? I am addicted to buying them, but I rarely stay interested 88. What do your parents do? Mom works in a deli, dad’s a mechanic 89. Do you like your age? I don’t have an issue with it, I just have an issue with what people say I should’should not do at my age 90. What makes you angry? Too much to list 91. Do you like your own name? No. It’s too common 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? I have a little girl named Katheryn but if she would have been a boy we would have named her Gauge 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? I wasn’t too partial but I have a girl now 94. What are you strengths? Creative, patient to an extent, empathetic 95. What are your weaknesses? Stubborn, messy, empathetic 96. How did you get your name? Mom says it’s for her step sister, grandma says it for her grandmother, dad says it’s from a Boston song so, who knows? 97. Were your ancestors royalty? Not that I know of 98. Color of your bedspread? Goldish 99. Color of your room? Gold and dark red 100. Favorite celebrity? Matthew Gray Gubler, David Tennant, Johnny Depp, and Alan Alda.

[prettyboygcnius-blog]

Get To Know Mun!

  tagged by :  @trappcdbird

1. What is your middle name? Braxton (and yes, I’m a girl) 2. How old are you? 19 3. When is your birthday? August 16th 4. What is your zodiac sign? Leo, bitch! 5. What is your favorite color? Black & mint green 6. What’s your lucky number? uh 16 maybe? I don’t really have one tbh 7. Do you have any pets? A dog, two cats & a hamster 8. Where are you from? Pennsylvania aka cornfield land 9. How tall are you? 5′2 10. What shoe size are you? 5 in womens, 3 1/2 in childrens (i can’t ever find my size... ever) 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Probably only like 5 or 6 tbh 12. What was your last dream about? Trying desperately to save a baby bird from dying in the snow and failing 13. What talents do you have? Singing, acting, guitar playing, being on stage in general 14. Are you psychic in any way? Doubt it lmao 15. Favorite song? I’m a music hoe so that’s an unfair question 16. Favorite movie? 500 Days of Summer, Peter Pan (2003 version), any Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Toy Story (all 3 of them), most other Pixar films 17. Who would be your ideal partner? Matthew Gray fuckin Gubler 18. Do you want children? Literally my biggest dream 19. Do you want a church wedding? I wouldn’t mind I guess, but I’d prefer something more extravagant 20. Are you religious? Yes 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? No & hopefully I’m not jinxing myself 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? Once, when I was 13 for “breaking into”  an abandoned house (my friends and I all entered through an open door... lmao) but we just paid a fine and that was it 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? Joe Jonas winked at me when I was 2nd row at a DNCE concert but no, I never technically met anyone famous 24. Baths or showers? Showers, baths make me uncomfortably drowsy 25. What color socks are you wearing? White 26. Have you ever been famous? Nope, although people tell me I should be lol 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? Not really, I don’t think I could stand the lack of privacy 28. What type of music do you like? Classic rock, doowop, alternative & indie - a bit of everything 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No but I damn want to! 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two, & my pillow cases feature Evan Peters & Matthew Gray Gubler 31. What position do you usually sleep in? On my right side, usually 32. How big is your house? Average, I guess? Not small and not big 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Yogurt or cereal 34. Have you ever fired a gun? Yeah but I was like 7 and barely remember 35. Have you ever tried archery? Once, at the same place I fired the gun lol 36. Favorite clean word? What? 37. Favorite swear word? Probably either fuck or dick 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? Probably under 24 hours, I’m a pussy I can’t go without sleeping lol 39. Do you have any scars? A few but they’re literally all from bug bites lmao 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Probably at one point 41. Are you a good liar? Depends on what I’m lying about 42. Are you a good judge of character? Oh hell yes 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? I had to do a southern accent for a show I was in and I’m getting pretty good at scouse thanks to @easilyswcyed​ 44. Do you have a strong accent? I have an American accent so... idk how one would define it as ‘strong’ 45. What is your favorite accent? They’re all beautiful tbh I can’t pick one 46. What is your personality type? Outgoing, easy-going, sensitive & super anxious, pretty loud, always talking at 100mph and I’m either on top of the world happy or hating everything & it kinda sucks, there’s no in between 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? Myyy shoes, probably? I don’t really buy expensive clothes I’m so frugal with my money lol 48. Can you curl your tongue? Hell ye 49. Are you an innie or an outie? Innie 50. Left or right handed? Right-handed 51. Are you scared of spiders? Oh fuck yeah 52. Favorite food? Probably either Chinese, pizza, or a tuna sandwich from Subway lmao 53. Favorite foreign food? Chinese to the fuckin max 54. Are you a clean or messy person? I’m neurotic about being neat & organized 55. Most used phrased? “fuck me” (when I’m pissed, not sexually lmao) ”literally” “i don’t know” 56. Most used word? Probably fuck or literally. 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? It all depends. For work I can get ready in like 20 minutes because fuck that place. If I’m going somewhere what I actually care about, it’ll probably take me an hour and a half or so (shower, hair & makeup) 58. Do you have much of an ego? Internally I guess, but I’m humble and I don’t like to seem conceded and I don’t act like I’m the shit unless I’m joking 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? I suck until it’s small enough for me to bite (lmao ayyy) 60. Do you talk to yourself? Every fucking day 61. Do you sing to yourself? Every fucking DAYYYYY 62. Are you a good singer?  I grew up in a family of musicians and I’ve been the lead of two musicals so... you tell me bitch 63. Biggest Fear? Losing someone I love, being betrayed by people who I thought I could trust, getting into a car crash/plane crash/ship wreck, spiders, elevators, fucking CENTIPEDES THAT RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THREE MILLION LEGS 64. Are you a gossip? I hate to admit it but yeah I am 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? There’s so many but recently I saw Hacksaw Ridge which was fucking fantastic 66. Do you like long or short hair? It all depends on the person 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? I could try, but I bet you I’d fail 68. Favorite school subject? Science and English probably, although if we’re talking electives then Graphic Design all the way 69. Extrovert or Introvert? Mostly an extrovert but there are times where I’m more introverted (I hate being around big groups of people who I don’t really know and/or where I feel like an outsider) 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope but that would be fun except I’d be terrified 71. What makes you nervous? Literally everything to ever exist in the history of everything 72. Are you scared of the dark? It depends on where I am 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? I try not to cause I feel like it’s rude as hell 74. Are you ticklish? yes, & I don’t even like reading this question holy shit 75. Have you ever started a rumor? No, but I’m sure I’d passed one on 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? I’m the assistant manager at my job so when he’s gone I’m the big boss bitch 77. Have you ever drank underage? Yeah, but not often at all, I’m not a drinker 78. Have you ever done drugs? Never 79. Who was your first real crush? This kid Mikey in my kindergarten class who was cute and brunette and had freckles 80. How many piercings do you have? Five -- two in each ear & a bellybutton piercing 81. Can you roll your Rs? Hell yeah, I’m Italian so 82. How fast can you type? Pretty damn fast 83. How fast can you run? omg I SUCK at running 84. What color is your hair? Shit brown 85. What color is your eyes? Shit brown 86. What are you allergic to? Everything outside in the spring 87. Do you keep a journal? I used to, but I always forget 88. What do your parents do? Both my parents were musicians, but now my dad’s an Emergency Responder and my mom edits photos for dog show photographers. 89. Do you like your age? It kinda sucks, I don’t like growing up, I want to be 13 again 90. What makes you angry? Betrayal, being lied to, being gaslighted and called crazy for assuming things that were actually correct the entire time (if you can’t tell, there a lot going on in my life right now) 91. Do you like your own name? Oh man I used to HATE it when I was little, but it grew on me 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? Harrison Michael & Audrey Lauren -- my boyfriend and I love The Beatles & Audrey Hepburn 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? Both! (oh god please not twins though) 94. What are you strengths? I’m determined, hard-working, friendly & a perfectionist 95. What are your weaknesses? I can be a pessimist and I’m way too sensitive 96. How did you get your name? My mom & dad were going through CDs for name ideas and they both saw Carly Simon and immediately fell in love with Carly 97. Were your ancestors royalty? No but my boyfriend’s were 98. Color of your bedspread? White sheets & a black comforter 99. Color of your room? White walls & a light green carpet 100. Favorite celebrity? Matthew Gray Gubler!!!!!!, Evan Peters, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Chris Evans, Andrew Garfield, Leonardo DiCaprio, and literally a thousand more but those are my babes

Tagging; @deocrumtorquent, @@easilyswcyed @@darkcndtwisty @@rileypalmer @the-storm-within-me @@snowinabottle @everythingelle and anyone else!

[aurimeanswind]

Weak at the Knees—Sunday Chats (9/24/17)

What a week it has been.

It’s more personal life/work related, which I notably don’t talk about here on the inter webs, but it’s been a good, hard working week in my life!

I’m just gonna go right into the games, forgo the editorial, and focus on the questions, since there are some good ones this week. Back-to-back late postings of the Sunday Chats though, just been some late Sunday nights is all!

Alright. On to it!

What’s on Tap

Metroid Samus Returns

I mentioned it a bit last week but Samus Returns continues to be absolutely excellent.

It’s the full Zero Mission treatment for Metroid 2, and it’s an amazing reimagining of the classic Metroid formula from that game.

It keeps everything that made that game super rad, and is just exactly what I wanted the 3DS 2D Metroid game to be: an amazing 2D Metroid with 3D graphics!

I love it. Yay!

Destiny 2

Still chipping away at Destiny 2, trying to make it into that upper echelon of “above power level 280″ and finally being one of the cool kids.

After the demoralizing failure of not finishing the Leviathan raid this past week, there was definitely some time off necessary.

I walked away, but now I’m back up to the plate and ready to knock it out of the park.

What I’ve Been Working On

It’s been an interesting few weeks of working on things. I am still cranking those words out everyday, and I can feel something coming. I wanted to release something this week, what with it being a full year since the release of the first episode of Alex Talks Season 3, but we’ll have to wait a bit more. Stuff is coming. I do promise. I have so much written, and I wanna wait for the right time to record some footage and do some new things with video content, but I am also extremely lazy.

So, with those to things going at each other, we’ll see how it turns out.

I’ll say this week I’ve been writing almost exclusively about Destiny and Metroid, and it feels real good to write about those two things again!

Questions

Remember to look for my tweet from my @ALFighter27 twitter account on Sunday afternoons soliciting Sunday Chats questions, respond, and you’ll be in here! Having fun! Yay!

Hrm. I mean I could take this a bunch of different ways.

I think there are definitely a few things that I’ll list off. Like, I could always be a better person. I honestly, truly believe that, and I think that mentality is partly what leads people to believe I am one at all, is because I strive to be better, to be more inclusive, to be more empathetic and understanding.

Like one thing I hate about myself is how lazy I am, ya know? Like I procrastinate a lot. Whether it’s little things like doing the dishes or cleaning my bathroom, or big things like writing projects, articles, editing writers’ work, responding to important emails, or otherwise. I wanna focus on that and be better.

I also generally want to be healthier. Like, both my parents were, for a time, overweight, and had gastric bypasses done and now they’re healthy and skinny, but I don’t wanna lean on that as an option, and I know the odds are stacked against me. I wanna be happy with my body, but also I have so many medical things wrong with me that I’d like to prolong the feeling of being able to get up, and run, and play, and just be active as long as I can, because ya know, you don’t appreciate that kind of thing when you have it.

So yeah, I hope that answers your question.

But also I am not a very good writer and could be so much better but I’m trying. Putting in the work and time, so to speak.

It’s only been...

*checks calendar*

928 days today! That’s not that long at alllllllllll....

*dies*

I have talked about this before, but my Growing up with a Generation piece is definitely up there. My Twilight Princess piece is too. And I actually legitimately love my Breath of the Wild review. Super proud of that.

I think there are some reviews that could have been better, especially the ones on episodic games. But I’ve kind of stopped reviewing them now because it’s hard to encapsulate those feelings. Especially if you’re going to try and do so without spoilers. 

But nothing sticks out to me that I am particularly not proud of because I just haven’t published those things. I wrote a thing about JRPGs versus WRPGs that I ended up just not liking at all, and scrapped. But that’s really the biggest one.

Haha I think I’d want Christopher Nolan to direct it, just because he is my favorite director, but no. That won’t do. 

Ugh, Logan this would be such a terrible movie oh my god.

Okay, either the Russo Brothers, or, preferably, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, directors of 21 & 22 Jump Street.

Actors?

Uhh, for me I’d want like, Miles Teller for myself, because we kind of have a similar “look”. In a PERFECT WORLD a young French Stuart would play Scott, oh my fucking god that’d be so perfect. You have no idea. But like, a young one. I could totally see a Josh Gad playing Evan Wall. Joseph Fait is tough, he’d maybe be like an Andrew Garfield type. Tony Horvath would be really tough. I’d love just like, a Justin McElroy for him, honestly. 

Nabeshin is a tricky one. Like, maybe a Michael B Jordan, but I’d think a Chadwick Boseman could do great too.

Danny Juarez would be played by either Michael Peña or Rob Schneider. One of the two.

Haha I mean, I think I already covered Tony, I really think the J-man could do a great job, but I’m sure there is a better pick out there.

Jurge Cruze Alvarez? Joseph Gordon Levitt. 

Jarrett Green? Don Cheadle. 

Logan Wilkinson? Grant Gustin. Who would also probably play Jacob Bryant. He’d play both of you.

I have to think about this more you put me on the spot haha.

Ahhh, the classic question. Actually the dogs I grew up with!

The Saint Bernard.

Although I love huskies too. Here is the only picture of a couple of them I found on my Facebook. 

They are siblings so that’s why they look so similar haha.

I fucking love Saint Bernards, and big dogs, and dogs you can hug. But I love all kinds of dogs.

So HAH Joey! I bet you thought I’d say corgi! And I got you!

Definitely had to google this.

No.

NEXT QUESTION!

Goddamn Wrestlers I swear.

So i have never seen Face/Off, and I KNOW. I WANT TO. So by default it’s The Rock, and The Rock is a fucking amazing movie, so I ain’t even mad.

Not to late at all!

The BEST snack food... Hrm...

I mean I love potato chips, personally, but I try not to eat them. Not anymore, at least, because I can feel my arteries slowly closing as I put every chip in my mouth...

I’d honestly say, if accessible, the french fry. The french fry is the perfect snack-um. My brother actually just made home-made french fries, like cut the potatoes himself, last week, and they were fucking amazing.

Yeah.

Yeah I would.

I mean, I’d like to know the chance, ahead of time, personally, but I could get more than just burritos at Chipotle. Now, if my burrito BOWL exploding in my face randomly that’d just be kind of funny.

METROID.

Shit, they already did that one.

This is tricky, because there are a ton of really cool one offs that would be fun to bring back. But my totally bullshit answer is just gonna be a REAL Paper Mario RPG again. Even a Super Paper Mario 2 would be fucking amazing, but a sequel to Thousand Year Door, in conjunction with a TYD remaster on Switch, would be incredible.

Listen, I’m sorry I deleted you off my friends list in such glorious fashion Max. I’M SORRY!

But apparently Danny Juarez is gunning for my position, so in short, he’s dead to me.

Will keep you posted.

So here is a big thing I’ve realized, and there are still occasionally games I’ll like to stream, but I tend to listen to podcasts when I play games. When I stream, I can’t do that, and I end up falling really behind on my podcasts. But I’ve been streaming Destiny a lot lately, and will try and continue to do so.

Not having a schedule makes it super hard for me, and if I could figure out something consistent and fun to stream, I’d definitely give it a shot. But right now, I just don’t know. I got a new capture card, and that definitely helps, even though I mostly got it for video, but it ebbs and flows. Maybe there will be more on the horizon!

I got nothing else left in me this week, I am tired, and tuckered, and ready to just play some games and chill for the rest of my night.

Thank you all so much, for reading, supporting, asking, listening, everything you do.

Next week I’ll be asking YOU ALL a question for Sunday Chats again, so keep on the lookout, and until then...

keep it real.

[thefilmsnob]

Glen Coco’s Top 10 Films of 2016

Another year has passed and although it wasn’t the greatest year for film, there were still several that stood out. Here are my picks for the top 10 films of 2016. But first, the runners up:

Runners Up

-10 Cloverfield Lane

-Fences

-Hell or High Water

-Loving

-Nocturnal Animals

-Sing Street

-Sully

And here’s the top 10!

#10b (Bonus Track): The Witch

Director: Robert Eggers

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie

The fact that a horror movie is anywhere near my top 10 list is astounding, but The Witch is a rare gem in a genre usually composed of cliches and cheap thrills. This is one of the most beautifully photographed movies of the year containing countless striking shots and director Robert Eggers creates a mood of almost unbearable tension. The film follows a family who’s been banished by their community to live in a remote part of the woods where strange things begin to happen and we’re never quite sure whether it’s mere paranoia or something supernatural. What’s so impressive is that we see very few little violence or traditionally scary images, yet Eggers always makes you feel like such elements are just around the corner. It’s been said before, but it’s what you don’t see that’s terrifying. The reason why this film isn’t in the top 10 is because of  audio problems and poor line delivery. The story is already ambivalent, but you’ll find yourself even more lost because you miss half the dialogue. That said, it’s still a pleasure to look at and definitely worth an honourable mention.   

#10: Silence

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson

No, it’s not Martin Scorsese’s best film, but even his lesser works are better than most movies out there. Silence is officially a box office flop and admittedly its pacing is frustrating at times, but its effect is undeniable and will leave you thinking about it well after the credits roll. The movie follows two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) as they search for their mentor (Liam Neeson) who’s apparently given up the faith in a 17th Japan that was ruthless toward Catholics. Though the sceenplay could’ve been a bit tighter, like The Witch the movie looks marvelous thanks to Scorsese and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. Scenes of the priests sneaking through caves, Catholics crucified over the ocean or chilling events seen through the bars of a prison cell are all visually stunning if not disturbing. And the dilemma of whether it’s moral to allow others to die just to uphold one’s faith is an important question here and one that’s handled with care. 

#9: Moonlight

Director: Barry Jenkins

Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Andre Holland

Moonlight tells the harrowing story of Chiron, a gay African American growing up in the projects of Miami. Unfortunately, in a place like this where machismo reigns supreme, Chiron seemingly has no chance; it’s a tragic situation. Impeccably acted by all three performers who play Chiron as well as the supporting cast, especially Naomie Harris as his drug-addicted mother, the story is told in three different time periods, enhancing the idea these problems can’t be solved overnight and that people from these neighborhoods do, in fact, grow, mature and have fascinating, complicated lives. Directed with poetry and grace, covering both the tenderness and darkness of this character’s life, Barry Jenkins brings everything together perfectly with a final, almost real time, sequence completely devoid of action, but rich in honesty, vulnerability and feeling with Trevante Rhodes and Andre Holland holding your unwavering attention. We’re entranced by the implications of their meeting and eagerly await the outcome.

#8: The Edge of Seventeen

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Woody Harrelson

Although the problems Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) faces in The Edge of Seventeen pale in comparison to those of other characters in this list, they’re still realistic, identifiable and fitting for a 17-year-old high school student. Nadine’s already awkward, lonely and isolated from her classmates and she has to deal with her only friend dating her older, more popular brother. It sounds like a recipe for a paint-by-numbers teen comedy, but writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig provides one of the most honest and witty screenplays of the year. Steinfeld is quite possibly the best 20-and-under actor in Hollywood today and was completely snubbed for this complex role as a precocious young lady who’s too smart and witty for her own good. She’s hilarious in this role, but also naive and vulnerable and it’s these qualities under the surface that make her such a sympathetic character. Woody Harrelson is exceptional playing the hard-edged mentor teacher who cares about her deep down despite his tough love. The verbal sparring between the two is a delight to witness in an equally delightful film. 

#7: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Director: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone

Starring: Ander Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone

Considering the rest of this list, no, this isn’t a joke. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is the funniest movie of 2016 and one of the funniest movies in recent memory. Written and directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, 2/3 of the Lonely Island comedy group, they’re joined by their partner Andy Samberg in acting and writing efforts to bring us this hilarious mockumentary and biting satire about the pop music industry. Producing countless belly laughs through priceless one-liners and some of the funniest sight gags you’ll see, Popstar focuses on the rise and fall and rise of The Style Boyz and all the infighting that comes with that. And I can’t forget to mention the outrageously funny original songs. Any movie whose song contains the lyrics “I wanna fuck you like we fucked up Bin Laden” has to be good.

#6: Manchester by the Sea

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams

Manchester by the Sea is a minor miracle. Here’s a film whose protagonist has ruined his life through a horrifyingly plausible accident, abandoned his titular coastal hometown due to overwhelming grief and guilt and now must return to take care of his nephew following his brother’s death, yet somehow writer/director Kenneth Lonergan manages to avoid melodrama and manipulation. This is a film with emotional complexity and gorgeous naturalism in a story with no easy answers or moments of eye-opening catharsis. The whole cast is extraordinary, but Casey Affleck stands out playing Lee Chandler who displays flat, distant behavior on the outside, while simultaneously conveying the emotional turmoil going on within, trying to deal with one tragedy after another. It’s an impressively restrained performance for a character who we come to sympathize with more and more as the plot unfolds. The ending won’t please everyone, but it’s honest, human and entirely realistic just like the film.

#5: 20th Century Women

Director: Mike Mills

Starring: Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning, Billy Crudup

20th Century Women takes place in the late ‘70s when the cultural identity of America was in a state of flux. This feeling permeates the film and even though it concerns a small group of seemingly insignificant characters, the film is framed within a much larger history and this coupled with the revelation of the characters’ fates far down the road gives the proceedings a heightened sense of importance. Annette Bening, another Oscar snub, is perfect in this role as an aging mother trying to navigate such a strange world while attempting to reconcile her conservative tendencies and wariness of modern life with her liberal values and open-mindedness. This complicated, 3-dimensional character recruits some lodgers and neighbours to help raise her boy, but these people are just as complicated, flawed and, indeed, beautiful themselves, especially Abbie played by the magnetic Greta Gerwig. The movie has little plot, but you fall in love with the characters and their struggles and that’s really what’s important. 

#4: La La Land

Director: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

The people involved in making La La Land should just be thankful the film was produced. A completely original movie musical filled with jazz doesn’t sound like the most lucrative products for today’s audiences. But with the help of Damien Chazelle, who demonstrated his wizardry behind the camera and helped bring jazz to the forefront with his extraordinary Whiplash, and two of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, the movie has become a technical marvel and a smash hit. Bringing to mind the classic old Hollywood musicals, La La Land tells the story of two struggling artists with Gosling and Stone making us invested in these struggles every literal and figurative step of the way. Containing breathtaking dance numbers, infectious original songs and some truly show-stopping moments, the movie is fun and exhilarating from start to finish and the chemistry between Gosling and Stone is possibly the best you’ll see in 2016. It’s impossible to walk out of this movie without a smile on your face.

#3: Arrival

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Arrival is a realistic and logical take on the fascinating premise of first contact. Denis Villeneuve, one of the best directors in the business, is an expert at creating and maintaining an almost suffocating level of suspense with the help of his distinct camera work, steady pacing and nerve-wracking music. The snubbed Amy Adams is brilliant as Louise, mourning the loss of her daughter while facing the herculean challenge of communicating with aliens. Adams has a way of making Louise quiet, contemplative, even sad without exuding weakness. Unlike lesser films where a communication problem like this is solved in minutes, Arrival presents it as a grueling process involving linguistics and translation  that Louise and Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) must go through in order to make even the smallest breakthrough. This aspect of the film is entirely convincing and even educational. The ending is a real mind bender that’s executed elegantly and adds another thought-provoking layer to an already dense narrative. The best moment, though, is a scene where a helicopter’s approaching a spacecraft hovering in the distance. The view of the object in the background coupled with the unnerving music and lack of dialogue is hypnotizing and brings to mind imagery from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s a truly mesmerizing sequence.

#2: Lion

Director: Garth Davis

Starring: Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara

The most important thing about a story is that you’re invested in the characters and no other movie of 2016 makes you as invested in its lead as Lion. The thought of falling asleep on a random train and waking up hundreds of kilometers away from your home is terrifying, especially if you’re a young child in a densely populated country like India who doesn’t know where home is. But that’s the true story of Saroo, ably played by the young Sunny Pawar and the older Dev Patel. Remarkably, the adult Saroo manages to use Google Earth to find his home and long lost family. All aspects of the film work from the directing to the writing to the wonderful performances. It’s a pleasure going on this extraordinary journey with Saroo. It all culminates in the most satisfying ending of a film in 2016 that challenges you to keep a your eyes dry. You won’t be able to. This is the most inspirational film of the year.

#1: Everybody Wants Some!!

Director: Richard Linklater

Starring: Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Tyler Hoechlin

It wasn’t nominated for anything, it’s not groundbreaking and no one even saw it, but, dammit, Everybody Wants Some!! is the most satisfying movie experience of 2016. No, it’s not as good as Dazed and Confused, its spiritual prequel, but it’s pretty damn close. The film follows a group of university baseball players in the days leading up to the first day of school. That’s it. Writer/director Richard Linklater understands youth, knows how people talk and has a firm grasp of time and place and he combines all three of these qualities perfectly here. There’s no real plot to speak of but Linklater is that rare filmmaker whose dialogue is so engrossing and whose characters are so relatable that we can forgive him and just enjoy the ride. He also captures that unique time period of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, just like 20th Century Women, where cultural identity was so undefined. He showcases this with a great, eclectic soundtrack composed of rock, pop, rap, new wave and country tunes and even the players go from a disco to a country bar to a punk rock show all in one weekend. But what makes this movie work is the baseball players themselves. Sure, their goals are similar to most college-aged men: have sex, drink beer and compete with each other over everything. But there’s so much more to these characters who sound and act like real humans with varying traits, opinions and emotions. Their macho exteriors don’t drown out their insecurities and insight into their own lives and surroundings. Most importantly, though, you’ll have a blast watching this movie. There’s not a dull scene or exchange within and it’s often laugh-out-loud funny. Hell, it’s literally and figuratively one big party and it’ll make you want to jump through the screen and join in.

[haroldgross]

New Post has been published on Harold Gross: The 5a.m. Critic

New Post has been published on http://literaryends.com/hgblog/oscars-2017-final-call/

Oscars 2017 (final call)

So, it’s time to put all the cards on the table and make my final bets. The end of awards season has definitely clarified some of the potentials, but there are always surprises. 538’s ongoing statistical analysis was interesting, but felt somewhat flawed for a while. By the end, I was pretty much aligned with the stats which clarified as the post SAG awards season crept onward. Best Actress and Best Picture initially had the biggest gaps due to late arrivals of some films and the lack of eligibility of others to all the awards used as guidance.

I didn’t quite manage to get to all the films again… some just weren’t available to me. But I did get to most…  Reminder this is about predicting winners, not necessarily who I think should win. And with that disclaimer, here we go…

THE MAJORS

Best supporting actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomie Harris (Moonlight)

Nicole Kidman (Lion)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Viola Davis still has the edge here after a long awards season. I couldn’t argue with her win, but I think Spencer’s performance was more controlled and subtle.

Winner: Viola Davis

Best supporting actor

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)

Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)

Dev Patel (Lion)

Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Mahershala Ali continued to dominate the season. It is possible he could still lose it, but not particularly likely.

Winner: Mahershala Ali

Best actress

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

This one of the categories that could surprise. Stone has been the favorite and La La Land is dominating all the awards ceremonies. But Huppert wasn’t even eligible for a number of the same awards, so we’ve not seen the play-off of the two. And Huppert has been doing well in foreign awards. I still bemoan the snub of Amy Adams for Arrival, but what can you do? Given the tidal wave of love for La La Land, I think it will carry this award away with it as well.

Winner: Emma Stone

Best actor

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)

Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

Viggo Mortenson (Captain Fantastic)

Denzel Washington (Fences)

I’ve been surprised to see Affleck’s star still ascendant in this category, but Washington was very late to the season. There really is no comparison, to my mind, in ability. Washington’s performance is much more compelling. Gosling is great in La La Land, but the role doesn’t have the depth to compete here despite the juggernaut of a musical behind him.

Winner: Denzel Washington

Best director

Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Chazelle is still the likely winner here, especially after his DGA win. My preference is still Villenueuve. Arrival is beautifully and mindfully directed and structured. It isn’t as easy a movie as La La Land, but it is much better crafted.

Winner: Damien Chazelle

Best foreign language film

A Man Called Ove (Sweden)

Land of Mine (Denmark)

The Salesman (Iran)

Tanna (Australia)

Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Winner: Toni Erdmann

A Man Called Ove is gaining some late momentum, but I think Erdmann’s momentum was stronger early, when a lot of votes probably were logged.

Best picture

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

  My personal pick for best in this field is still Arrival. It accomplished some very difficult feats and left the audience with some very interesting ideas and did it all honestly, while managing to let you trick yourself. Hidden Figures managed to deliver a powerful, but personal story. Either are solid choices for the win.

However, La La Land, which I also enjoyed a great deal, has the Hollywood and Broadway inside track and massive momentum (not to mention 14 new nominations).

Winnner: La La Land

  THE MINORS

Best adapted screenplay

Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

August Wilson (Fences)

Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures)

Luke Davies (Lion)

Barry Jenkins and Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)

Arrival. Period.  It even improved on the award-winning original story it was based upon. But, honestly, likely to be Moonlight. This gets harder to predict due to Moonlight being here rather than in Original (as it was for BAFTA and WGA where it won).

Winner: Moonlight

Best original screenplay

Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster)

Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)

Mike Mills (20th Century Women)

This is a bone that may get thrown to someone other than La La Land. While Lobster is quite unique, it just isn’t that great a script/story at the end of it all. Manchester, as well, fell flat for me. The strength it has is really the performances, not its words or story, but it has been gaining momentum due to its BAFTA win. Given the political tides, it could end up Hell or High Water, but think it released too long ago to capture the votes. Admittedly, after WGA, where Manchester lost to Moonlight (which is in the Adapted category here), it is even less clear. Given the continued groundswell for La La Land, I’m going with them to break the musicals curse (An American in Paris was the last time a musical won original script, back in 1951, with Gigi getting adapted in 1958).

Winner: La La Land

Best animated feature

Kubo and the Two Strings

Moana

My Life as a Zucchini

The Red Turtle

Zootopia

Kubo and Two Strings came back into the running after BAFTA, despite the Anie going to Zootopia. But the momentum is clearly with Zootopia, despite all its weaknesses and flaws.

That said, I’m sticking to my guns on on this one for the right choice rather than the likely. It’s Kubo for the statuette because if it doesn’t win I will scream at the reveal.

Winner: Kubo and the Two Strings

Best documentary feature

Fire At Sea

I Am Not Your Negro

Life, Animated

OJ: Made in America

13th

Winner: OJ: Made in America

It is possible that 13th still takes this category, but the general winds suggest not.

Best original song

La La Land – Audition (The Fools Who Dream) by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

La La Land – City of Stars by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Moana – How Far I’ll Go by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Trolls – Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster

Jim: The James Foley Story – The Empty Chair by J Ralph and Sting

Winner: Fools Who Dream (or City of Stars… but La La either way unless they split the vote)

Honestly, I have a strong feeling that Miranda will take this to promote him to that rare PEGOT category.  But the support for a La La sweep is pretty strong and How Far I’ll Go just isn’t as good as the other options.

Best original score

Jackie by Mica Levi

La La Land by Justin Hurwitz

Lion by Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka

Moonlight by Nicholas Britell

Passengers by Thomas Newton

Winner: La La Land

Really, is there any doubt on this one?

Best live action short

Ennemis Interieurs

La Femme et le TGV

Silent Nights

Sing

Timecode

As usual, throw a dart and pick one.

Winner: Sing

Best documentary short

4.1 Miles

Extremis

Joe’s Violin

Watani: My Homeland

The White Helmets

Winner: The White Helmets

No particularly good reason for this pick other than its topical nature.

Best animated short

Blind Vaysha

Borrowed Time

Pear Cider and Cigarettes

Pearl

Piper

For its pure audacity, going with the new tech.

Winner: Pearl

THE TECHNICAL

Best costume design

Allied

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Florence Foster Jenkins

Jackie

La La Land

Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Best make-up and hairstyling

A Man Called Ove

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Both Suicide Squad and Star Trek received awards from their peer awards ceremony, but since the whole Academy votes here, I think it is Suicide Squad hands-down.

Winner: Suicide Squad

Best production design

Arrival

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail, Caesar!

La La Land

Passengers

Winner: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Passengers impressed me more, but the broad scope of Beasts and its popularity will probably take the night.

Best cinematography

Arrival

La La Land

Lion

Moonlight

Silence

Winner: La La Land

I don’t think it was the best, but I think it will get caught up in the tsunami that has been building for the movie.

Best film editing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

La La Land

Moonlight

Winner: Arrival

The editing made Arrival. No other nominee can claim that integral a role for its success. I know Hacksaw took BAFTA, but however adept, the story didn’t change based on the editing. I’m being stubborn here, I realize.

Best sound editing

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Sully

Winner: La La Land

Hacksaw has a real chance here. The work during the battle is pretty amazing.

Best sound mixing

Arrival

Hacksaw Ridge

La La Land

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

I’ve made this mistake in the past by going for the big action flicks like Rogue One… keeping any dialogue intelligible over all that racket took some serious effort. But given that the CAS award went to La La Land, I’m going to believe the professionals since they get to vote on it again for Oscar night.

Winner: La La Land

Best visual effects

Deepwater Horizon

Doctor Strange

The Jungle Book

Kubo and the Two Strings

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Winner: Jungle Book