#CGI was iffy at some points

[kindlythevoid]

Something about the way Ariel’s siren song saved Eric.

Something about the way Eric fell in love with her siren song first.

Something about the way that when Ariel gave up her song, Eric was finally given the chance to love her for her.

(And boy, did he fall hard.)

Something about the way that Eric’s love was finally made whole when Ariel herself became whole.

Something about the way Ariel was able to love him with her whole self after reconciling with her past with her father.

[j3scax]

My Spoiler Free Review of the Fallout Show:

Biggest, sloppiest, awesomest recommend of my life, solid 9/10.

The show’s tone was absolutely perfect, nailing the feel, tone, attitude and comedy of the fallout games, as well as understanding the atmosphere needed to give the impression of a post-apocalyptic world. One complaint I have with a lot of post-apocalyptic shows is that it doesn’t feel like the world has been fucked over, but in Fallout it really gives the impression that 200 years have passed of not a single bit of true human development on the surface of the planet.

The show’s writing can be a bit iffy in some places such as certain plot points earlier on and some lines, but in all honesty it’s all around a completely solid: plot, story and script, while also not being afraid to add to the Fallout universe and lore. The characters are interesting, intriguing and genuinely enjoyable save for one, but even then he’s still written well and an enjoyable character, despite being weaker than the other main characters.

It isn’t perfect though! And I really don’t expect it to. The CGI can be a bit, euhhh in some places, but it isn’t immersion breaking in my opinion. I am slightly disappointed certain things from the Fallout universe didn’t see representation within the show, but to be honest I think it’s really forgivable as every other aspect brought in from Fallout is done perfectly. The world itself is done perfectly, with all environments again given a feel that actually looks like and feels like the environments of the game in person. The Vault, Wasteland and other Settlements are done absolutely perfectly, and genuinely look like how I’d picture them in my head. Genuinely one of the best adapted universes to digital screens.

As for the people saying the show is only there to just decanonise the non-Bethesda Fallout games - a sentiment that has been shot down by the creative leads of the Fallout Franchise themselves - the show definitely does not do this. And it’s clear that the next season of the show will definitely focus on non-Bethesda projects, and people do need to remember this is a Bethesda show, as well as the Bethesda games - unfortunately - being more well known than non-Bethesda Fallout projects, save for New Vegas. But even then, things are pulled from non-Bethesda projects, and considering the ending, there isn’t anything to worry about in terms of decanonisation. I personally, as a long time fan of most Fallout games (I’m still iffy on 76), see this show as a beautiful love letter to the game series that I’ve enjoyed since I was 7. I grew up on the original Fallout and Fallout 2, as well as played the hell out of New Vegas, and think that these games didn’t get as much love as they should have in Fallout 3 and 4, but this tv show really makes me think that Bethesda is showing that they care about these games too, and I have faith that they will be shown in future seasons as perfectly as they have in this season.

Honestly, if you love Fallout, please watch it! If you know nothing about Fallout? Watch it anyway! Some references and such may not be as impactful to you, but I feel it has a story and plot that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Oh yeah and all the characters are hot.

[mokeonn]

hey so your notes on the internet safety post made me realize that we watched the exact same internet safety video as kids. and i found it! its a mcgruff the crime dog animation called faux paw the techno cat, and its on youtube

Yeah!!! Faux Paw! I remembered all the cat stuff so clearly with the cursor helper and the horrible cgi that I completely forgot that it was a Mcgruff the crime dog animation.

I looked into it, and it turns out that some reposts of the animation online cut out the McGruff part, so I probably watched a version without it and just forgot about it.

(Version from 14 years ago with the Mcgruff into:

And version from 3 years ago with the Mcgruff opening cut out, reposted by the channel behind Faux Paw: )

Also, it turns out that Faux Paw has multiple shorts made as recent as 3 years ago... but the animation quality has gone down a LOT.

And just quality in general.

Here's, for example, a really bad short, also uploaded 14 years ago, with completely different animation, tone, and just general... everything.

Also, it's kinda racist. It takes place in China, and it handles it about as well as you think it will.

https://youtu.be/hGfjyDALM2Q

I think a detail that stuck out in this is probably the fact that whoever animates or draws this keeps giving Faux Paw 6 fingers. Like. When she points to say something, you can see a pointer, 4 folded fingers, and a thumb. This is jarring in normal contexts, but I think it's even weirder when a character was previously shown with 4 fingers (which is just the 4 digits on a cat's paw and no dewclaw)

Turns out! This is on purpose! Sometime between the original short and now, they decided to make Faux Paw a polydactyl cat! Which is kinda interesting, and I was gonna list it as an animation mistake above before I went on the official website to read about her.

Another fun fact! I googled Faux Paw to see if there was a former collaboration with McGruff and if there was more information on the production of the series. The first result I got was Faux Paw trippy/drug/high shirts that were likely a stolen design.

Which like, if it wasn't for my dislike of general "trippy" art and the fact that it's likely a stolen design being sold by a random quick cash t-shirt business, I would consider it. (The website itself is super iffy and relies on a lot of "buy now before it's gone!!" Tactics. It does have a lot of artists that work for the site and is not just a t-shirt printing machine like some sites... but the specific artist behind this trippy Faux Paw shirt has a lot of designs I've seen before. Since there's no dates on the designs, I can't confirm if this artist team is simply the mastermind behind every Spencer's shirt, if they're just taking designs, or some third thing. But that's a whole separate rabbithole.)

I also saw a listing involving her that was 2,000 dollars and was from a company called "Robotronics". I thought with a name and price tag like that, it was going to be a little Faux Paw robot or animatronic...

It was not.

You can see the extra fingers in the suit costume. Apparently, this is a website dedicated to making costumes, robots, and (for lack of a better term) merch about safety for children.

In the end, I couldn't find much information on the development of Faux Paw, her relation to Mcgruff the Crime dog, or the weird fall from grace (well. Whatever grace the original short had). If you simply google Faux Paw, you're gonna end up with a LOT of pdfs from teachers. But it seems like some form of internet safety is still being taught by some teachers. Yippee!

Basically: I did remember the name Faux Paw, but if you didn't mention McGruff the crime dog, I probably wouldn't have gone down this rabbithole. And I thank you for that.

[stuff-diary]

Moving

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2023

Moving (2023, South Korea)

Directors: Park In Je & Park Younseo

Writer: Kang Full

Mini-review:

I enjoyed this so much. I must admit I struggled a bit with the first few episodes, but once the show gets its setup process out of the way, it becomes a very engrossing drama. It's both a superhero story with a big heart and a espionage thriller, and I just love how Moving manages to mix those two genres. The whole cast is great, both the veteran actors and the newcomers, and the production values are fantastic (although the CGI has some iffy moments here and there). The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was also very satisfying. There are also a few scenes that point to a possible second season or spin-off, and I really hope we get some sort of follow-up. After spending seven weeks with these characters, I know I'm gonna miss them.

[danwhobrowses]

Netflix's Wednesday - Review

So the latest attempt at rebooting the Addams Family comes in the form of Netflix's Wednesday. Fresh off of The Sandman's success, the show sported a cast of Jenny Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and even Christina Ricci (Wednesday from the 90s movies), while also being directed mostly by Tim Burton, music by Danny Elfman, and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, we'll see how Netflix does with this.

Bear in mind, the Addams Family I am perhaps going to compare this to the most is the 90s movies of Ricci, Raul Julia, Anjelica Hutson and Christopher Lloyd - as well as Burton, but I also will be observing Ortega's portrayal of an older Wednesday similar to Youtube's 'Adult Wednesday Addams' shorts by Melissa Hunter (who later went on to do some writing for Santa Clarita Diet and She-Hulk), whose shorts were sadly cease and desisted - which could've been partly due to production of this very show, but I won't hold that against it.

Spoilers for Season 1 of Wednesday

So I'm going to review based on four key points; Production, Plot, Side Characters, and Wednesday herself, hopefully this way I will be able to express the pros and cons of the full scope of the show.

Production Production of the show was very sound actually; music was good, setting and costuming was also very well-done, showing differences from Wednesday's gothic style, Enid's bright and bubbly, Kinbott's clean whites, there are the theme motifs that you'd expect from a Burton-esque story.

In that same vein though, cgi was an oof at times, particularly for the Hyde, which was too uncanny to see past the Burton-esque bug-eyed claymations, Enid's wolf form was a bit iffy too.

But for the most part, Jericho and Nevermore academy did feel like real places that existed outside the vacuum of Wednesday's presence.

Oh also! Some things were just wrong, particularly the off-comment on Ophelia, Ophelia wasn't driven mad by her family she went mad over her lover, Hamlet. Given how Ricci's Wednesday performed Hamlet at school that's a definite gap.

Plot The plot is probably one of the things I am most on the fence about. For its pluses, it did work towards creating character development for Wednesday, layered into a murder mystery story, layered into a spooky high school scenario. It had some lovely easter eggs primarily playing on Addams family leitmotifs specifically the iconic double snap. There is a balance as well of being gothic but also caught up to current affairs, expanding the world more familiar to the Addamses via the presentation of 'outcasts'. The plot does invite a second series as well, but doesn't try to force it either.

However, there are things I struggle to shake off. For one, it doesn't help that this feels far too much like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, another stylistic reboot of a gothic female teen character in a gothic academy uncovering prophecies and having frosty relationships with the Queen Bee's kliq, while also engaging in her own love triangle and fighting a vengeful entity of the past. I do find it odd as well why we necessitated Wednesday to be in a high school setting, since her character had often been presented as emotionally mature and aware, in some cases it does feel like Wednesday was plopped into a monster high school concept to buff up its budget. Much of the murder mystery feels like it has holes in it as well, with characters simply acting oblivious or unhelpful to one another, Wednesday's continued distrust in Xavier for instance rides on the annoying side even when DNA didn't match, and Sheriff Galpin had been suspicious of a monster since episode 1 but chose not to suspect his son who he had worried carried on the genetics of his mother? Tis odd to say the least. Weens and Wednesday had their annoyances too, simply caused by a lack of communication.

The love triangle also felt unnecessary, it was perhaps to try and push the idea that Xavier was the threat to smokescreen Tyler but honestly I'm more disappointed in the Tyler reveal than shocked, because it falls so painfully hard down to cliché, as does much of the high school melodrama. For better or for worse; Bianca, Eugene, Ajax, Xavier and Enid are very cookie-cutter level high school clichés and frankly Xavier is still not a great love interest for Wednesday, let's not forget his actions at the Rave'N. For a story where Wednesday is being sent to an academy of people like her, there is an awfully apparent lack of people like Wednesday anyway, which bodes the need to change high school settings?

I will also note my dislike of the whole concept of 'outcasts vs normies', what made the Addams family good was indeed their counternormative lifestyle but they still existed peacefully among society, in Wednesday it wasn't bad that the main villain was a hypocritical reanimated pilgrim with a magic staff but it did harm the show that every 'normie' character was either dead or complicit to the evil side, thematically it failed in a lot of areas. Also was I the only one who caught on quickly that Thornhill was the enemy? Even before the introduction of Laurel? I mean Laurel is the name for a plant for one and it feels obvious to write Christina Ricci as the new Wednesday's antagonist anyway. The 'outcasts' don't seem too different in physiology either, it may've been a movie thing but the Addams often tended to be indestructible, they drink Cyanide, they can survive a point-blank bomb, they do the electric chair as a child's game, so it is kind of a far cry to 'do you mind ghost ex machina, I have been stabbed to death'. Finally it's probably gonna sound controversial to some but it was not lost on me that that nearly every male character ends up being useless in the climax, only Eugene comes in clutch and it's only to distract, Xavier makes things even more dire, Thing is AWOL, Galpin does shoot his own son but it's an extension of his inaction, and Ajax is just a spectator. I know writers want to try to stress strong female characters but that doesn't mean every male character must be either evil, useless or a cheap shot in it, the goal is supposed to be equality is it not?

Side Characters As a result of the plot issues, the side characters did suffer much. Enid was presented as the polar opposite of Wednesday, which did work in her favour a lot, her half-baked romance with Ajax is perhaps an underdeveloped spot however, underdeveloped also being the key word to use for Bianca and Walker - the mayor's son. Eugene is underbaked too, what could've worked as a good 'innocent cinnabon' character did end up being kept away from much of the series for too long. Tracking back to Enid, of course people immediately ship her with Wednesday, she could've been any kind of character and people would pair her because fandom is how fandom does. If you ship it it's okay but honestly I see it as platonic (reminder that two people of any gender are allowed to be just good friends), I feel like Ajax can be more of a character and it's a bit mean to disregard him too, bright colours doesn't always mean queer coding either but I will give you that 'Lycan conversion camp' did feel like a shoehorn of gay conversion therapy in its dialogue, however I don't think she 'wolfed out' because of Wednesday, they hinted it before she was clued on in Wednesday being in danger.

Principal Weems is perhaps the character who suffered the most from the narrative, it felt like she would be the obstacle for Wednesday out of jealousy towards Morticia, but really she just acts pretty fairly, if not a bit politically. Her then dying in the finale felt like a waste.

The Galpins became a mixed bag in the end, because Sheriff Galpin did feel like a good guy who needed to learn to trust the 'outcasts' more and open up, but in the end he just turned out to be a hypocrite indecisive about whether he's being oblivious towards his son's nature or looking for someone to take the fall for his son's crimes. I've already expressed my disappointment in the Tyler turn, mainly the fact that it ended up just being an act - it did a lot feel like the actor was only told when doing the final episode, because he did feel like a nice kid - I still don't know how he wounded himself but it just felt like a letdown that he was the cliché honeytrap minion who is fully aware of his evils. Thornhill at least had more method in her 'too nice' persona.

Xavier was the grumpy artist who felt more like he expected reward for interacting with Wednesday, and while she did wrongly hound him with accusations he wasn't exactly likable either. Rowan as well was a character who kinda was...well, dumb. The dude sees a picture his mother drew of Wednesday and a guy who clearly looks like a Pilgrim and decides Wednesday is the villain, sure maybe Telekinesis did fuck with his brain but it does mean that the foundation of Wednesday's investigations becomes born out of misinterpretation.

Which leads us to the Addams family themselves and, it's a mixed bag. I know people will say 'people don't think Morticia and Gomez are goals anymore because they're not hot' but honestly, chemistry is important. I've seen Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Zorro films, the chemistry she had with Banderas is far and beyond what she has with Luis Guzmán. I don't think I liked that their relationship with Wednesday had waned either, I understand high school is teenage rebellion phase but again, Wednesday had always been to my experiences very emotionally mature, in Addams Family Values one of the first things she says is 'they had sex' when countering a child's story about a stork bringing babies. Pugsley suffered the most in the short time he was there, suddenly unable to take care of himself and despite being Addams-like, still being conscious enough to be bullied by high school jocks. The Gomez murder plot was weak too, the build up of 'she wouldn't believe it' being just that Morticia killed Gareth Gates (not the singer) in self-defense was also weak I was expecting a lot more. On the plus side, Fester and Thing were great, Fester was only in one episode but was entertaining and frantic, while Thing provided a lightness as both accomplice and wingman to Wednesday, but also having a mostly unseen bond with Enid and experiences with Tyler and Xavier.

Wednesday herself Jenny Ortega, writing aside, was fantastic as Wednesday. Having nailed the cold wide glare, the dry tone and the silver tongued clapbacks, Ortega turned Wednesday into a capable, inquisitive loner but also one with flaws of being uncompassionate, untrusting and having been absorbed by tunnel vision. While Wednesday has these flaws that distances her from others, it also works to develop her on wearing down on these flaws. I do have some annoyance with the mother issues she has, the unpredictable nature of her visions are rather convenient also, but some of the best scenes are also moments where Wednesday is in full expression of her true self, particularly the cello scenes and the dance scene at the Rave'N. Ortega certainly filled the shoes of an iconic role that often kept the show afloat.

Conclusion Overall, Wednesday was a good start as a spinoff, setting the foundations of what the show would be like. I would certainly watch more of Wednesday herself but I would dedicate more time to fleshing out the side characters properly, while also remembering the counter-normalcy roots of the Addams Family's appeal. Remember that Wednesday is not simply a gothier Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and overescalation does not make things more successful, Adult Wednesday Addams thrived on putting Wednesday's character in normal and everyday scenarios such as one night stands, confronting catcalling or having a job interview, people will watch for Wednesday but that doesn't mean effort beyond cliché and the odd wink nudge to the camera should not be put in.

The show is a decent watch, but considering Ortega's performance and the shoes they're filling, there was certainly more we could've gotten out of it.

[seismologically-silly]

so i've thought about the dr who 60th specials and wanted to write my thoughts down:

i had fun. there was stuff in each episode i liked, but stuff i think could have gone better. the concepts were there, but i think sometimes the execution was a little iffy. i'll detail how i would have done this in the readmore

first of all, we keep the practical effects. no pure cgi here no sirree.

(also) first, we'll start at the 13/tenthree regeneration: david wears jodies's clothes for his first adventure. non-negotiable. at some point he and donna have a trip to the tardis wardrobe and help him find his outfit (like ten but not ten. like this face! donna can keep her snark at his suit but it's more playful). not sure how we would do this without breaking the pacing of the tardis reveal/coffee disaster, but this is an outline i do what i want. no post-regenerative weirdness from the doctor, which is remarked upon.

the star beast: pretty good. i like the doctor saving the world with the power of transgender, so we're keeping that. we're taking out the "male-presenting time lord" bit though. donna and rose survive either by being two people and being able to take the metacrisis or by being human and letting it go. and we don't need rose to be deadnamed. rose is rose.

wild blue yonder: no notes! this was a good episode, i wouldn't tweak anything.

the giggle: the big controversial one: i enjoyed it when watching it. it had stuff in there that cater to me. reality-bending villain, shirley-anne bingham, the fifteenth doctor, all bangers. maybe we do something about the german accent though. on the subject of the toymaker: what was the point of these specials? to be the 60th, yeah, but like. all together? why are THESE the 60th? the toymaker comes from the dungeon dimensions (i've been going through discworld and that'll be apparent, sue me), and he's very likely bored there. he's going to want to play with the doctor again. maybe he sees dhawan!master committing regeneration shenanigans during power of the doctor and decides to take advantage. maybe he's the REASON dhawan!master is committing regeneration shenanigans. thirteen is talking to all those older selves anyway, maybe the toymaker wants to wind the clock back. play with one again (he misses and gets ten again, but he liked ten anyway and can work with that. he also liked ten's dynamic with donna. HEY WAIT-). it can't be that hard for the toymaker to make sure the tardis lands so the first person tenthree sees is donna. it'll be fun to see if he kills her, anyway. or maybe he's like us for the first two episodes and doesn't want her dead and is rooting for her to live. he could be more active and help the metacrisis stabilize or be us, doesn't matter. but then tenthree throws the salt and invokes a superstition at the End in wild blue yonder, and the toymaker can go from Audience to Participant FINALLY.

note: i'd probably split the giggle into two. we could have spent more time with john logie baird, more time with the toyroom, and DEFINITELY more time with Mel. i was overjoyed to have her there, but she could have been any other character and the giggle would have remained the same. if mel's going to be in this story, let's make her a part of the story.

mel works for unit, she's seen some amazing things with the doctor, and was a regeneration companion, she could be set in the toymaker's sights. he starts messing with her, and calls the tardis and tenthree and donna back for another game. let's make him more active in the plot. not sure how the tv storyline can stay, but if we're attached to it we can figure it out. anyway. plot ensues.

we keep the confrontation on the roof. tenthree is still killed by the toymaker. he regenerates into fifteen and things are amazing (ncuti is in david's clothes bc that's how this works after the harnell/troughton regeneration. i'm no unnaturalist but i INSIST on that). Going into the EU a bit to explain what i'm doing here: in Death in the Family, the Seventh Doctor faces a being not from this dimension who can rewrite the rules of reality. familiar? (not the toymaker) seven is killed. dead. no regeneration. but he's got some loophole that lets him be an echo and take his companions to different places and times so that can work on his vague plan to bring him back. shortly after getting them started, this echo fades away. i'm thinking we do something like that. whether because of the toymaker's influence, regeneration being Weird after the thirteenth even with the timeless child, or anything else, fourteen is around for a bit longer as an echo to help fifteen get his bearings. we still have our high-stakes game of catch, doing some character building for fifteen and trying to figure out what the hell just happened, and fifteen is the one who throws the ball outside of the toymaker's reach. he has his first "i am the doctor" speech and claims his prize as the toymaker's banishment. celebrations. we cut to tenthree so is smiling at his friends. he's partially see-through. the echo is fading. he looks at his future, secure. he looks at his friends, safe.

"Let's do this right, this time," he says, more to himself than anything. he turns to the doctor and straightens- it's obvious he's in a lot of pain, but he's steadfast. "This is my prize- i wish you to have a good future. have a good life, Doctor. Remember to tell your loved ones you love them."

He walks over to Donna and gives her the biggest hug she's ever received. He ropes Mel into it as well. And content in the arms of his friends his family, where Ten didn't want to go, Tenthree lets his echo fade peacefully.

The Doctor sees his friends struggling with having him fade to nothing in their arms, so he walks over and completes the hug. They don't let go for a long time.

Cut to the TARDIS. The Doctor is getting ready to go. Donna and Mel, and maybe Shirley-Anne and Kate are next to him. "Any of you want to come with?" he asks. "Big universe, lots to see. Another whirl?"

They look at each other, and with regret, shake their heads. "We've got to tell our loved ones we love them," they say. Fifteen deflates for a moment, before standing straighter and giving them a wink and a wave. Before he can fully disappear into the TARDIS, Donna grabs him.

"But you'll be coming round to visit though. Not letting you say no! Next Friday, 5pm, my house, okay?"

The Doctor laughs and gives her a big kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you then, love."

But first, off to Everywhere.

(we're keeping the jukebox)

[gayspock]

bro.... okay assorted thoughts from dna mad scientist

first of all i already said it but i am SO freaking in love with namtar's character design. the practical effects are so, so, so freaking good. the way he walked... literalllyyyy i hate 2 draw comparisons, but i think abt how nowadays so much shit is just cgi'd for the fucking HELL of it like... ough you could NOT get cgi that would be anywhere near as harmonious as this costume was with the actor's performance. that cunt was feeling themselves.

and in general i will say i just. like tbh i knowww ive said it a lot but its so good and refreshing how creative some of the character designs are. theyre freaking weirdoooo. WEIRDOOO. I LOVEEE it. the other little scientist... idid not catch names (thats one thing i will say abt farscape - the names are so hard to get a hang of omg lol..) BUT i liked that design too. smile. aeryn's transition was a bit iffy but HEY. cant win em all

anyways storywise itself ok. listen im goin somewhere with this. i think its just... tumblr saturation... that makes me so sick of "found family". like im sorrryyy. i mean- i dont hate it i DONT. but the way ppl discuss it on here is so... weird bc half the time it doesnt even apply, or it's like... yeah theyre guys who like each other but its kind of just a friendship group and idk to me found family is more of an emphasis on certain themes rather than just. guys who hang out % got feelings for each other but. ok sorry thats an aside rank bc...

but.. FREAKING WHATEVER ANYWAYSSSS like my point. is its like. maybe i sound like a cunt. i dont know. im not trying 2 be edgy, but i get it sounds like that its just- i feel like shitty behaviour is necessary sometimes to make it more realistic SORRRYYY LOL.... but its weirdly refreshing when its like... the point keeps being made that yeaahhh these guys ARE starting to take a bit of a shine to one another. BUT ultimately theyre all stuck in a horrible fucking situation, & theyre so desperately sick for their lives back that they'll do freaking ANYTHING and throw these cunts under the bus like THAT. like even just in recent episodes- a few of them have been willing to just leave them behind if they gotta.... like d'argo on that one planet, and rygel in the cell... they donttt give a fuck and why would they yknow

and so like watching them just. YNAK PILOTS FREAKING ARM OFF. CHRIST. like- like it makes sense man... ha ha fuck me.. it does. like shit man. you go through so much fucking horseshit. theyre just kind of having to put up with each other. theyre first year uni flatmates right now for realll, not even that, and theyve been put through some shittt. and i LIKE that. it makes sense. & i think it will make any deeper connections more organic later on

and spreaking OF ANOIAFKIWFK['PGJSEG OSMKGAOJISGJPISDJ I LOVE PILOT I LOVE PILOT ILLOVEEEE pilot... pilot,zhaan and crichton are my FAVOURITES. but pilot could sooo soo shoot up there- it depends on how much more we get to learn about pilot but aooah rughh aorigughgh eekk. eeek. smileee. sortyy. SORRRYYYYY. JUST GIGGLES. KICKS LEGS. CHARACTERRRR TO MEEEE SMILEEE YAAAYYYYYAAYAYAY

also i love what they did with aeryn this episode also and specifically her repertoire with pilot. they have a really good fucking dynamic, man. best friends despite everything. i am actually really glad i like her bc i WAS worried as... perhaps its a more mdern media lens, but i feel like characters of her background, or her baxkground adjacent, can be done ehrhrm. not very well. but i think.... thus far i really love the way the show does handle lots of little character moments in the episodes.

LIKE THATS!!! Thats what i like!! bc- SORRY, im going 2 use trek as an example bc its a. decent comparison. but u have tng, yah? and its not entirely fair- thats episodic, yknow. but a lot of ehrm the character are extremely static and kinda. shallow in tng. lIKE I LOVEEE them sure and theyre all charismatic but i think with many of them ... ehrm lac depth... and . mm its moreso theyre always there to service individual stories, rather than the story is there to service them. and sooo they have to be a little blank- bc they are basically functions, for individual eps, and sotheyre kinda ? at the whim to change from ep to ep bc of that . and we do get some character eps but due to the nature of the show... u dont get the slow release of development, building them like you do here.

and i loveee that here bc its well doneee it is. smile. the way each of them do get fleshed out in every episode and its at a pretty organic pace like ive been saying. and so i likeee aeryn bc i feel like- i feeeel like i was worried they might go too much, too fast with her and it wouldn't work. but the steadier pace.... again, i really love pretty much all her interactions with pilot. i freaking love pilot man . sorry

also love zhaan ive said i love zhaan i want more zhaan bc her concept is everything to me. grin. had 2 say that too BUT OH

on the topic of aeryn. one thing i kinda wish.... I MEAN THEY WOULDNT. AND IT WOULDDD BE FUCKING WEIRD FOR IT TO JUST HAPPEN IN SOME RANDOM EP. but goddd part of me kinda wishes that there was no hard reset in this ep. or at least aeryn had someee lingering issues from whatever that was bc christ was that fucked up. wha tt he hell giys

speaking of, i also liked the like... non-apology from d'argo. again going back 2 what i said. i think its again... i dont know. it feels all the more... natural 2 me... like he's like "oh i would do that again. for sure." and pilots like "i expected that." i think its again wht i appreciate from farscape... theyve done this a few times where its just... a very measured response from characters instead of just freakingggg... forcing them to grovel, trying to close the episode arc story in a narratively satisfying way...instead its just again like yeahh he isnt fuckin sorryyy man. and its fine. lets play freaking music

also final thought. i insist d'argo should have paws still . like lion paws. anyways

[gchoate17]

I watched 33 seasons of television shows in 2022, edging out my previous personal best count from 2020. Most were on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. I ranked those seasons and made a few comments about them, should you care to know what influenced the season’s place on the list. Rewatched seasons are marked with an asterisk. Previous years' rankings are linked at the bottom.

The Great: Season 1 -- The first episode is a necessary, albeit somewhat unenjoyable acclimation period because the characters speak in what initially seems like gratuitous vulgarities on behalf of the show’s writers. But by the end of the second episode, it all clicks. Pure brilliance. (I thought my introduction to Nicholas Hoult was in “True History of the Kelly Gang,” in which he plays a terrible character I didn’t like. And then I saw him in “Sand Castle,” which is a war movie that may have forgotten to hire a military consultant – and Hoult has an iffy American accent. Based on those characters walking in, I didn’t like him in this show at first. But the moment I realized he was Marcus Brewer in About a Boy, everything shifted and I became a huge fan of his acting ability/character in this show.)

Keep Sweet: Season 1 -- An inside look at the fundamentalist sect of the Church of Latter Day Saints, lead by Warren Jeffs. I have a soft spot for cult studies.

Black Mirror: Season 4 -- The best season. All parents should watch Arkangel, and Hang the DJ stuck with me. Crocodile feels like it’s right around the corner.

Black Mirror: Season 1 -- A what-would-you-do episode, a comment-on-society episode, and an episode where life has become what my documentarian heart has always dreamed about. Fascinating.

Black Mirror: Season 2 -- White Bear is my favorite episode so far. That CGI Bear episode is one of my least favorites. I’m impressed that they’re still coming up with such interesting concepts two seasons in.

The Great: Season 2 -- At times it reaches too far, but Fanning and Hoult are fantastic.

Better Call Saul: Season 2 -- I’m hooked. They’ve got me pulling for the character who makes bad decision after bad decision.

Better Call Saul: Season 3 -- I’m more interested in Nacho and Mike than I am Jimmy and Kim at this point. I’m ready for Jimmy to stop making bad decisions.

Dead to Me: Season 1 -- Quirky and fun and funny. Reeks of Will Farrell’s humor, even though he’s just the executive producer.

*Seinfeld: Season 4 -- About midway through the season, the actors come into their characters in the way that we know them. Kramer is the best.

Better Call Saul: Season 1 -- I wasn’t a huge fan of Breaking Bad, and Saul was one of my least-favorite characters, but I never took him as seriously as I am taking him in his own show. Invested in both storylines. I also want to rewatch BB.

Better Call Saul: Season 4 -- I don’t understand Jimmy and Kim relationship. We’re getting closer to Breaking Bad timeline and I’m eager to come full circle.

*Seinfeld: Season 5 -- They’ve gotten a budget and some of the reputation-based jokes are starting to land – the best jokes are ones where the character doesn’t act, but we know what he/she wants to do/say – but there are still some entire episodes that fall flat. They’ve figured out their formula and any “gun” that’s introduced at all will predictably be fired before the credits roll.

The Last Kingdom: Season 5 -- The show has run its course. These characters have lived five lifetimes.

Alone: Season 8 -- This is my first season to watch and I didn’t want to like it, but I was too invested in Biko to stop watching.

*Seinfeld: Season 3 -- It’s almost like their trying to milk jokes from character reputation alone, but they still haven’t built a reputation. Except for Kramer, of course, who is still solid.

*Seinfeld: Season 2 -- “The Deal” (S2, E9) is the first good episode of the series. Kramer is still the highlight.

Maniac: Season 1 -- Interesting vibe/tone. Justin Theroux’s character makes the show worth watching.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 1 -- For network TV sitcom, it’s a pretty good show. Lots of good one-liners in the style of “30 Rock.” But the ridiculous nature and lack of depth of such shows grows tiresome after 13 episodes.

Black Mirror: Season 3 -- The weakest season so far.

Ozark: Season 4A -- Classic final season situation where the writers are caught in between stretching things out for another season while also trying to tie up all the plot lines. Things got ridiculous. Julia Garner was fantastic, though.

Inventing Anna: Season 1 -- Interesting story, poorly told. Julia Garner was fantastic, though.

Black Mirror: Season 5 -- I accidentally started with Season 5 – not that it matters that much since the episodes don’t build on one another. I appreciated that these three episodes were different than anything I’d ever seen, but they also kind of felt like b-movies. (One of those b-movies with inexplicable starpower.)

Dahmer: Season 1 -- Started out great, but the intrigue wore off after the first couple of episodes.

*Seinfeld: Season 1 -- Dated. They’re trying to find themselves. Kramer is still evolving, but he’s good from the get-go.

Ozark: Season 4b -- Too much.

Dead to Me: Season 2 -- It went a little off the rails.

Uncoupled: Season 1 -- Neil Patrick Harris always delights – and I appreciate having a fuller picture of gay sex -- but I was eager to be finished with this one.

A League of the Own: Season 1 -- The desire to show viewers how gay everyone is seems to have surpassed the desire to tell a good story.

This is Us: Season 1 -- Network TV predictability and saccharine as hell.

Murderville: Season 1 -- I could watch people break character all day, but there were a lot of dry spells throughout.

Russian Doll: Season 2 -- This is not the same show as Season 1 (which finished 3rd of 32 in 2020). So disappointing. I never felt like anyone was in control of the story.

Yellowstone: Season 3 -- SPOILER ALERT: How in God’s name do the Dutton’s not have better security? And does the federal government just not give a damn about all the murdering happening in Montana? Teeter is the most unrealistic character I can think of that has made it beyond the cutting room floor of any show – that accent is awful. And not a chance Walker gets on stage at a bar so close to the Yellowstone.

See previous lists here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

[benchisanidiot]

I've watched the first episode of the atla live action now, and I am not impressed so far. The first 20 minute exposition dump is giving us information that would have been learned organically trough like 2 and a half seasons of interactions and cunning and the characters actually DOING things. Which is another point that a lot of the things that happen in the first episode of the netflix season just sort of. happened. Not as a result of the characters having motivations and personalities and relationships that made THem affect the plot. Which was a core part of the original show and part of why I think so many people love it; the focus is not so much on lore or plot but on the characters and their relationships. The lore and plot is very much still there they just aren't primarily what drives the show forwards and creates tension and release. The netflix show so far has lacked that, and it shows. It's boring at times, there's practically no comic relief, they just kinda made Sokka a doofus who's also a bit mean. They never show the characters Caring for others or for themselves or for the world. They just sort of say it without showing it to be true. It lacked that whimsy and fun and hope that shined trough the animated show.

I think it would have been fine if they had removed Sokka's sexism, I've seen a Inuit fans of the show being iffy about it too, but then they should have made his interactions with Katara and Suki different, and actually GIVEN HIM AGENCY. But they just take out the CHARACTER MOTIVATION that makes the plot make sense and let the plot roll on as relatively normal.

Aang is also just. Weirdly serious. We don't see any of his whimsy or fun loving nature apart from those 5 seconds in the flashback that was the weird start of the first episode. Where's my little guy? I see his face but he's just not there inside. He's 12! He's naive and whimsical and unserious and a CHILD.

With all the character's Iøve had multiple moments of HE WOULD NOT SAY THAT GODDAMNIT and I just stopped watching cause I thought "why waste my evening doing this I could be doing literally anything else"

I think it looks really really cool. I'm loving what costume design has done, and what the cgi artists have done (not with the animals though but the backgrounds and settings are absolutely gorgeous), it just feels like the made it look really good and forgot about the core of the show...

So overall a lot of telling and not showing (like everything) weird set up's that never really got pay off, character decisions that I don't really get what they want with, and just in general a bit boring. Again the first 20 minutes is just exposition dumping. With like so much information that we in the show would have learned along side the character's naturally, and would have given them AGENCY and would have given us at least some suspense, but that they just decided to hand to us. Idk I don't really think it's worth using 8-9 hours of your life on. Just go watch the original.

[thefilmsimps]

Avatar: Way of the Water (dir. James Cameron)

-Jere Pilapil- 9/10 I can very much believe that James Cameron did it again. After working for 13 years on this sequel to Avatar, you would hope that at least the visuals and effects would be on point. Thankfully, that’s the case here - I went in expecting my mind to be blown after seeing a brief scene at the end of the Avatar re-release a couple months ago, and was only a smidge disappointed. The story, though, is an improvement on the original movie, but it almost had to be. Avatar arrived into the world as the kind of spectacle that movies used to deliver regularly. Its use of 3D was revolutionary, or would have been, if anyone else had been able to replicate its success (for my money, Scorsese’s Hugo was the one other instance where I was kind of into the effect). But the story it told was as bare bones and generic as could be: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a human sent to the alien world Pandora to infiltrate the cat-like Na’vi people, where he eventually switches sides to fight off the invaders. He learns their ways and actually becomes better at some of their rites of passage than the Na’vi themselves. There are dozens of ways to critique this story, but for the most part, it worked as a simple way of delivering the wonders of James Cameron’s world to the audience. The follow-up couldn’t do the same trick twice, but Cameron might be the best modern director of sequels. This time around, we join the Sully family - Jake, wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), sons Neteyam (James Flatters) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), adopted daughter Kiri (born of Sigourney Weaver’s character in the first movie and voiced by Weaver in this one), and human buddy Spider (Jack Champion). Worthington is the right guy for the role of Jake, but at times that character can flat. The focus this time, though, is on the kids. It’s one of the smarter moves in a movie that isn’t, let’s say, uhhh sophisticated. This time around the burden is split amongst them, as they all try to find belonging, especially after they relocate to a water tribe. Their links to their parents (adopted and otherwise) create much more emotionally complicated ground than Jake’s previous struggle. About that relocation: that’s really where the magic is. Cameron made a big deal of how he had to develop new technologies to capture his vision, and I’m glad he did. I’m iffy on whether filming at 48FPS (double the standard) is particularly helpful, but it’s an interesting effect when used on this entirely CGI created characters and settings. Some of the aquatic scenes here are truly breathtaking and felt like peering one’s head into an aquarium. Unfortunately, 3D technology still only goes so far, and the scenes taking place in our old jungle haunts aren’t quite as effective. You can tell where Cameron’s heart is, and it’s with the sea. There’s an entire chunk of the prologue that probably would have been another film maker’s second film, but Cameron says “fuck that, we’ll do it in voiceover and go to the beach faster.”

[whifferdills]

NIKOLA TESLA'S NIGHT OF TERROR. What a title! Big Finish wishes. The immigrant inventor, charismatic and cocky and bursting at the seams with thoughts and plans and dreams and a fervent if-not-me-now-then-you-later hope for connection. The wealthy investors and Edison as a parasite and America as a beautiful possible future and a grinding, inhospitable present. People as a crowd are frightened and easily manipulated; people as individuals have a choice. I offered him a ten buck raise. He quit and started to dig. The scavenger/robber aliens puppeting copies of dead humans around (stolen tech, stolen faces). Graham the folksy working class agitator, Ryan quietly but firmly offering emotional support to Dorothy, Yaz acting first as Tesla's companion and then as his Doctor. (Graham and Ryan work together really well - not hand in hand but as complementing contrasts & they have an easy rapport here that’s nice to see. Yaz.....isn’t Not a part of that but her protective impulse and positioning is more. Hmm. Proactive? That’s not really the word. Thinking~)

The Dr looking like they're not sure how much they relate to Tesla (and they're scared about what that means) as they run through #JustInventorThings before offering up, with an uncharacteristic vulnerability, feeling out of place. Their difficulty putting the Manic Fun mask back on, their flinch as he slams a door. The insistence on hope, even when you know it won't end well. The fruits of doomed optimism are small but still worth growing.

Another room filled with junk lit in dramatic red and blue with some iffy CGI and a over the top monster performance to pull it together....the lofi confidence with which Dr Who Tv Show assembles its sci fi metaphor out of plumbing supplies and an interesting building isn't exactly unparalleled but I'd be asking you to look at, like, Adirley Queirós before pointing at anything in the current franchise/ascended cult fave landscape. The overstretched budget is a feature, not a flaw. Dgmw I love stuff like Foundation Tv Show too but idk for me there is just so much more magic when it's all held together with gaffer tape and suspension of disbelief.

Sidenote: the music in the scorpion ship is so so good, huge and oppressive and dissonant. Akinola is serviceable at the whimsy horns and emotional strings but whenever the show lets him get a little weird with it i am 😍

[thetimelordbatgirl]

The trailer was actually kinda... Boring?

Like I don't want to judge anything too early but then again, they COULD do the Inhumans now thanks to the Multiverse. Kamala not having her 'unique' powers is kinda bad because now she just seems like the MCU version of Green Lantern and Kamala got too much potential for that.

Well I also played the Avengers game story and Kamala was actually very adorable in that, hence why I may be somewhat biased towards that appearance of her

Nah, its okay....think I got some bias too when it comes to Ms Marvel. Not cause of the game per-say, but because of her in the Avengers Assemble cartoon and even that Marvel Rising show that Disney briefly had a obsession with.....didn't like how they did Spider Woman (I refuse to call her Spider Ghost or whatever it was), but Miss Marvel was pretty cool in the show.

But yeah, the trailer honestly just looks like a generic teenage show trailer up until the powers kick in....and even then its pretty boring. There's not much to be seen really in terms of plot maybe beyond I guess Disney's attempt at representation of history and religion I guess??? But I say attempt cause Disney hasn't always been the best with this really.

To be honest, I'm still iffy with the idea of introducing stuff only cause of the multiverse. Like, it says basically MCU couldn't be bothered to find a good way to introduce the inhumans or even mutants, into their universe, so they basically steal from other universes to justify bringing them in suddenly. My friend, @disneyfan50 , pointed this out to me, but they really couldn't just connect Agents of SHIELD, already??? It has Inhumans in it, so why not??? They've even connected the Netflix shows now, so clearly they fine connecting the non-Plus shows, but cause MCU refuses to connect AOS for some reason, they've shot themselves in the foot and if they do go with the multiverse idea, it'll be just lazy really.

Oh no, fun fact, its now being justified that Kamala hasn't got her powers....to avoid her copying Mr. Fantastic.....I'm sorry, that really doesn't pass when you realize in the MCU alone, by that logic: Kate is copying Hawkeye, Riri is copying Iron Man as is War Machine and Rescue and so is Wasp with Ant Man. And given the rumors that Mr. Fantastic will be in MoM and the whole MCU F4 thing, it really be eyebrow raising at the idea they cant afford to do stretch CGI...they clearly can, they just want to give it to Mr. Fantastic and make Kamala into more of a Captain Marvel clone really.....or just steal from GL, no one will call them out after all for stealing from DC, so....

[vampireshdtw]

Dracula Untold (2014)

Tonight, Eve, Henry, and Matt watched Dracula Untold!

Dracula Untold, directed by Gary Shore and released in 2014, is a movie that tells the origins of Vlad Drăculea, the Prince of Transylvania, who makes a pact with an ancient evil in order to save his country from an incoming invasion, ultimately turning him into the infamous Dracula.

--

The vampires in this movie are powerful, dramatic creatures that are torn between their former human compassion and the fury of being outsiders to who they once called their fellow countrymen.

The origins of vampirism can be traced back to a pact made between a demon and a man desperate for power. Although the man gained enough power to rival entire armies at the cost of his humanity, the demon trapped him in a cave- only allowing him his freedom when he’s granted his abilities to someone else, and they too give in to their newfound murderous desire for human blood.

A human who drinks vampire blood dies upon its consumption, beginning their undead transformation: they have retractable fangs, eyes that burn red at the sight of blood, and their sense of smell, sight, and hearing are greatly heightened. Their finger nails can grow into claws, any wounds they’re dealt heal near-instantly (including pre-existing scars), and they have an immunity to being burned by fire. Additionally, they have a strong connection to bats, being able to transform into a swarm of them, and also direct them to do their bidding.

Their power comes at a small cost, however: silver burns to the touch, and although they still wake with the living, the sun’s rays threaten to turn their skin to ash. Of course, both their list of strengths and their list of weaknesses extend when their transformation is complete.

Surprisingly, humans can be granted the many powers of vampirism temporarily with little issue, if they have the self-control to endure it. If a turned human resists drinking human blood for three days after their initial transformation, they turn back into a human. If they give into their bloodthirsty desires, their fate as an immortal vampire is sealed.

Full vampires gain the ability to control the weather, summon clouds of bats great enough to take out thousands of men, and turn other humans into one of their own, but at the cost of God shunning their existence; giving them a significant weakness to crosses.

These vampires can be killed by one of two things- a stake through the heart, or sunlight. This can be aided with the use of large quantaties of silver, as that can drastically disorient the vampire, but no other weapon but a wooden stake can kill it for good.

--

Although I was told that the movie probably wasn’t going to be very good, I honestly kinda enjoyed it! There were some plot beats that were excrutiatingly clichéd and predictable, while others were just plain confusing and ridiculous, but that didn’t stop me from celebrating the awesome combat. Emphasis on the BAT! Seeing Dracula turn into a cloud of bats mid-battle to slip between his enemies was so awesome, and the entire group was cheering when he was bat-bending a massive swarm into the shape of a giant fist to crush the enemy armies! I also couldn’t help but get giddy when he began transforming his dying countrymen to aid him in battle. Super cool. Too bad the ending was hilariously terrible. (Matt)

This movie had so much wasted potential. The look of everything was great, particularly the costumes and sets. The action was fun and used Vlad's powers in creative ways to great effect. But the issue mainly came down to the plot. Conflict arises with no prior establishment and gets resolved in the most boring way possible. Every cool idea the movie had was undercut by a lack of commitment to following through. The final battle when Dracula turned his army into vampires was incredibly entertaining, only for them to turn on him for no reason and then all die 5 minutes later. The CGI was also iffy at points and the PG13 robbed the action of a sorely missing viscera, despite the scenarios being potentially really graphic. And the ending was one of the most pointless things ever put to screen but it was absolutely hilarious so it's got that at least. If Russell Crowe had popped up I would have died. Overall the movie wasn't a complete stinker and that's about the best thing you can say about it. #bringbacktheDCU (Henry)

This movie misses so many incredible opportunities, but it's still a fun watch. There's some classic white v. eastern bullshit undertones, a la 300, and the fact that it does use a lot of historical names is... A mixed blessing... The battles are really fun to watch, and Dracula’s powers are entertaining. Watching all his turned countrymen (and women!) go to town on Mehmed's men was fucking INCREDIBLE and it had me hooping and hollering because that was some depraved (if unfortunately tasteful) bloodlust right there. Unfortunately that's about all that was good about it. Story was predictable and boring, and Dracula was a fucking boy-scout. Like they establish he impaled THOUSANDS of innocent people, but through the whole film he was a paragon of restraint. Pathetic. Still, I had a lot of fun! 5/10 (Eve)

[amuseoffyre]

I’ve been inching my way through the live-action Cowboy Bebop series and have thoughts.

The good:

the main trio are perfect and I love them, especially once they get into the rhythm of the characters and the banter starts. Extra bonus points to Faye Valentine, because I love my girl.

the aesthetic of the thing is spot on, even if some of the CGI gets a bit iffy here and there

OH THE MUSIC I LOVE THE MUSIC OMFG

Ein! Ein is a precious good boy!

I absolutely adore Ana and the set-up they have for her, plus the backstory she has with everyone.

The bad:

bringing the Vicious stuff in from the word go. To me, Vicious was more menacing when he was this elusive threat. He’s less interesting once you slap a clumsy tragic department of backstory on him and push John Noble into yet another Token Evil Dad role.

“I’ll never let you go” Spike says to Julia (admittedly in a sequence where he’s trapped in a loop in his own mind) - and yet he did. Because he knows where she is. He knows she’s married to the man who scares the hell out of her. And clearly he very much let her go and left her there with him. Like dude. Dude, come on. I’m on episode 9 now and unless there’s some massive plot twist about what happened, that is very much Letting Her Go. Her being alive *and* with Vicious makes no sense for Spike’s character at all.

The other

I could do without ever seeing anyone turn into a tree, thx

oh look, a convenient post-coital boob-hiding bed-sheet in the engine room

Aesthetically, I find it nice to watch, but I won’t be rewatching once I’m done. I’ll be trotting back to my DVDs of the anime. It’s got the look and the sound right, but somehow, it’s lost the soul somewhere along the line.

[forevertalking]

Regarding the WandaVision Finale...

Man, this finale is…not good. It’s a massive shame because I actually love the first eight episodes. The first two were both in black & white and acted like totally normal sit-coms but they still had some mystery in them that kept me on the edge of my seat. Episode 3 did the exact same thing just in colour. And Episode 4 to 8 were all perfect in my eyes. I had so much faith for the finale because of these episodes that were leading up to it.

Now, I am a fan of theories so of course I started reading into the theories surrounding this show. I understand that people are saying ‘don’t be annoyed about the Evan Peter’s reveal, it’s your fault for believing he was the Fox Quicksilver’. I agree that my imagination started going wild but is it really that bad of a thing to complain about this? I mean, MCU, who are literally making a film called ‘MULTIVERSE of madness’ and have said that WandaVision ties into that film and then they bring Evan Peters, a fan fav from the Fox X-men films, just to do a shitty boner joke? OF COURSE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FOX X-MEN VERSION OF QUICKSILVER or atleast a character that wasn’t a dick joke. But hey, maybe they have plans for him, I hope so because Evan Peters is a great actor in my opinion.

Forgetting all of that for a second, the fight scenes weren’t interesting. Wanda vs. Agatha was fine but the green screen was iffy at points and in the end, it was just two witches shooting CGI lazers at each other just the standard MCU fight scenes. Vision vs. White Vision was okay and I really enjoyed their conversation but it wasn’t anything that crazy and White Vision just flies away lol.

Agatha just turns back into Agnes…okay. White Vision is basically just the old vision without any soul…okay. Wanda’s kids ‘die’ in a sad scene - good scene by the way - but then it’s revealed they’re still alive (in some form) in the post-credit scene…okay.

AND THEN THE FINAL BIT OH MY GOD. What the fuck happened to the writers? Monica tells Wanda after she gets rid of the hex and the kids+vision fade away that the people at Westview will never know what she ‘sacrificed’ for them…WHAT THE FUCK? Wanda tortured these people, they hate her, she did this to them. I get that she was depressed and full of grief but she should definitely be in prison or somewhere like prison. Darcy gets one line at the end and then they just say ‘she’s went home now’ or some shit. Monica meets a skrull, I don’t care. Although Monica was pretty dope so I am sort of excited to see more of her. Hayward went from an dickhead to a ‘let’s shoot these kids’ guy real quick. So lazy. A last ditch attempt at making sure people think that Hayward is the ReAl ViLlAiN when Wanda was the one that did all this shit. Minus the shooting the kids thing, Hayward was right! She was doing all of that!

Overall, this disappointed me. The show was flawless until the last episode and then suddenly is went to shit. A bunch of crap just squashed into one episode. It just didn’t work for me, man. Overall the show gets an 8. Would’ve been a 9 or a 10 if it wasn’t for the last episode.

[voldiebuns]

Horror Movie a Day 2020

The past couple of years I’ve done a challenge of trying to watch a horror movie a day through the month of October. Last year didn’t go well since I was so busy travelling, so I’m hoping for better this time around!

Under the cut you'll find my list of watched movies, plus rating and some thoughts about them. I’ll also be posting every day at my film twitter. Lemme know if you have any suggestions for what I should watch this month!

Hereditary (2018) | ★★★☆☆ This movie was... not at all what I was expecting from trailers and such. The devil worshiping angle was definitely a surprise, which I didn't entirely mind, but the first and second halves of the movie felt very disjointed from one another because of it. There were some good moments, but all in all, not entirely sure I liked the movie.

Parasite (2019) | ★★★★☆ More a thriller than horror, but I make the rules! I enjoyed this one a lot for the sense of tension it achieves even when not a whole lot of “action” was going on until close to the end. And of course how well it depicts class differences and how deeply affecting poverty is. Very good.

Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) | ★★☆☆☆ Granted, this is over 60 years old now, but it’s still very bad. And not even in a particularly fun way. It’s honestly pretty boring and not scary at all... But at least it was short!

Piranha (1972) | ★☆☆☆☆ So 70s it hurts lol And also so boring it hurts. I spent most of the movie wondering when something was actually going to happen. But the real thing I wonder now is why this was in my sharks, piranhas, and monsters movie pack because there’s approximately two seconds of actual piranhas in this and they’re not even really attacking anyone?? I think they may have included the wrong Piranha because the picture on the cover is... not this movie lol

Them! (1954) | ★★☆☆☆ I actually thought it seemed pretty well made for the time, but it was definitely very slow. Interesting as a reflection of US nuclear fears, which I don’t think gets seen as much in movies, though!

Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009) | ★★☆☆☆ This is... so bad. I’m pretty sure their budget had to be like $5 and half a gig of stock footage, but even aside from the godawful CGI, the cinematography is almost unbelievably awful and the acting is often cringeworthy. It also wasn’t particularly fun? But the romance was actually kind of cute.

Mega Piranha (2010) | ★☆☆☆☆ I honestly can’t even count the ways this was a terrible movie lol And still, not even in a particularly fun way! More cringe than cheese, which was really just disappointing.

Beneath Loch Ness (2001) | ★★★☆☆ This was actually really not bad. The graphics were incredibly 2001, but it came off as very heartfelt and the characters and their relationships felt real in a way they tend not to in these kinds of movies. I enjoyed it!

30,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2007) | ★★☆☆☆ Not really a horror movie, but in a pack with my other sea creature horror movies so it'll do. Production value was terrible and the plot was sketchy, but it had some interesting bits. Overall a pretty hearty meh for this one.

Tremors (1990) | ★★★★☆ First rewatch of the year! It's been years, though, and I needed a refresher before watching the rest. This movie is basically the floor is lava with killer worms and I love it lol A really fun movie!

Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) | ★★★☆☆ Earl without Val was not quite so much fun, but they did some cool things with the graboids. Plus many more explosions! Biggest complaint is the puppets and CGI didn't always mesh well.

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001) | ★★★☆☆ Wish they'd stop ruining things with worse and worse CGI lol This one got a bit goofy even compared to the others, but it was overall still fun!

Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) | ★★★★☆ This one was really fun! I loved that they went back to the beginning of the town, especially since it was easy to see how it became Perfection in the end. I think it's the best one, tied with the original.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015) | ★★★☆☆ The cinematography on this one was sometimes very weird. And the Jurassic Park homages went a bit past "homage" at point imo. But still a pretty fun watch.

Poltergeist (1982) | ★★★★☆ I think I'd seen this before, but I really couldn't remember. Either way, it holds up pretty well! Very engaging and creepy weird, with some good gross moments too.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) | ★★★★☆ Very enjoyable! Tim Burton's style meshed very well with the story, and of course the cast was full of wonderful actors. Unfortunate that Depp stars in it, but what can you do?

Underworld (2003) | ★★★★☆ Not horror exactly, but definitely adjacent enough. Great aesthetic and very enjoyable (re)watch! Also I super appreciated the soundtrack lol

Lake Placid (1999) | ★★★★☆ After I started watching, I realize I think I've seen this before. Still enjoyed it! The characters are definitely the draw more than the croc, though. Would have liked to see a bit more of it

Ghost Town (2009) | ★★☆☆☆ Holy bad acting and shaky cam Batman! Terrible movie with the barest hint of an interesting one beneath, but I think my biggest complaint is there was a Wiccan ritual being done... in the 1800s lol

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) | ★★★☆☆ There were really no horror elements in this to speak of, which I found a bit disappointing, and I also didn't feel like it had a very satisfactory ending. But I did enjoy the movie for the most part. I guess I just wanted more.

The Witches (1990) | ★★★☆☆ Mostly just pretty goofy, but a fun watch and it felt very seasonal. Anjelica Huston was, of course, the best part! Though I'm always happy to see Jim Henson puppetry as well.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | ★★★★☆ This was uh dated in several ways that make it a bit of an uncomfortable watch. But I really did enjoy it! The Clarice/Hannibal dynamic was even better than I'd been expecting.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) | ★★★☆☆ Wow, that was something else lol Something absolutely ridiculous and incredibly weird, but also very fun! I really enjoyed the main three characters and the music too.

Insidious (2010) | ★★★★☆ Such a good sense of tension in this! A lot of that was thanks to the music tbh, but I do think James Wan just has a really good feel for horror. Also, a very good ending, I'm definitely excited to see 2!

Malevolent (2018) | ★★★☆☆ A fairly enjoyable movie, but it just felt a little lacking and it seemed like the end came up really quickly. To be honest it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I wish there would have been a bit more with the ghosts.

The Conjuring (2013) | ★★★★☆ A rewatch since it's been a few years since I watched it. Very enjoyable movie with good music, great tension, and some actually good jump scares. The Annabelle stuff seems disconnected to the rest, though, I wish that had been more tied in.

Annabelle (2014) | ★★★☆☆ This movie dragged quite a bit and I feel like things could have been compressed quite a bit and it would have been better. The cult connection also could have been explored a lot more imo, because it felt a bit slapped

The Last House on the Left (2009) | ★★☆☆☆ Way too much sexualized violence for my tastes tbh, but I liked the concept and the cast was very good. I think I'll try the original sometime and see how it compares.

The Amityville Horror (2005) | ★★★☆☆ I feel like I may have seen this before? Not really worth the rewatch lol Like this movie is fine I guess, it just felt a bit empty and was overall unsatisfying to me.

The Crazies (2010) | ★★★★★ I was a little iffy going into this bc I thought it might be zombie-esque, and it was, but I really enjoyed it! I liked what they did with the government satellite especially.

Midsommar (2019) | ★★★★★ I was expecting this to be good since I’d heard good things about it, and it so was! The sense of strangeness and building tension was excellent. And it was just such a beautiful movie tbh.