#Fanboy vs Zombies

[ridiasfangirlings]

gaming tournament/game night non au homra vs scepter 4

This is definitely one of those post-ROK alliance bonding things, they decide to have a ‘friendly’ gaming night together (Munakata suggests they set up in Bar Homra and Kusanagi refuses because he knows full well this will not be friendly and he’s not subjecting his bar to this kind of mayhem). Imagine Munakata and Anna have been discussing ways to smooth over tensions between their clans, now that the Slate is gone they both think it would be best if they all lay their differences aside and start to get along more, especially since S4 is as busy as ever and having Homra to assist would be beneficial. Munakata naturally thinks about a game night first but he probably thinks of it a more low tech way, like what if we play mahjong and Candyland and do puzzles. Yata happens to be in the bar and overhears, snorting that only old guys play those kinds of games. Munakata is immediately intrigued and asks what manner of games Yata prefers, Yata is totally taken aback at having the Blue King suddenly all up in his personal space and he sputters out ‘y-you know, like video games…and stuff…’. Munakata’s glasses shine as he makes a note of this.

The next day Homra receives an invitation for a ‘fun and friendly game night,’ where they will all play video games to their heart’s content and engage in heart-pumping rivalry with S4. The Homra guys think it’s weird but also they’re all for it, Bandou is totally ready to finally get to shine. Kusanagi thinks it’s nice to see the boys so hyped, even if he’s not entirely sure that this whole thing is a good idea. Munakata’s chosen some kind of neutral ground, like an old unused government building that Fushimi gets to spend all week re-wiring so that they have the best wi-fi in the city. The S4 boys are more mixed on this idea than Homra, both because the more mature members of the squad are not exactly skilled in gaming (Enomoto is surprisingly pumped though, now it is his time to become the strongest glasses character at last) but also because they all have developed a deep seated level of anxiety whenever Captain mentions the word ‘bonding.’

Munakata does set everything up nicely though, he gets several gaming systems (imagine Bandou and Enomoto both fanboying over all these ancient game systems that Munakata somehow found, like this goes for thousands online where did you find it and Munakata is just smiling and sparkling. Enomoto feels sorry for the requisitions and budgeting departments) and there’s lots of comfy seats and refreshments. Anna’s come along as well and they all expect her to enjoy some calming games, like Benzai and Fujishima have already developed a wordless bond over Animal Crossing and Yata tries to steer her in that direction. Instead both Anna and Munakata end up playing some kind of super violent and bloody zombie apocalypse FPS, both very intent on the screen in wordless camaraderie, and the Homra alphabet boys quietly agree not to tell Kusanagi about what his little girl has been playing. Yata and Fushimi find some old game they played in middle school and Yata challenges Fushimi to a game, soon they’re yelling and trash talking at each other and the other Homra guys are throwing popcorn at Yata telling him to keep it down. Bandou and Enomoto immediately recognize each other as a comrade and eventually they decide to combine forces, together taking down everyone else in some melee-type game. Enomoto is even willing to recognize Bandou as a fellow glasses character despite the sunglasses, like an unexpected bond has now been formed and Munakata is very proud his bonding plan worked.

[keycomicbooks]

Fanboys vs Zombies (2012-2013) BOOM! Studios https://rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Fanboys%20vs%20Zombies.html

#FanboysvsZombies #JerryGaylord #SamHumphries

[stunning-gamer-logan]

Coconut Cannons| plants vs zombies 2

[sscarletvenus]

unloading some gun thoughts that have been on my mind :

- he's really the public enemy #1 of lookism universe huh he has pissed off everybody and their momma under the sun : johan, eli, jake, daniel, kenta DAMN

- he's reluctant BESTIES with crystal choi. like he says he doesn't care what she does as long as he doesn't lose his job but even staring at her funny means HE WILL DECK YOU

- he's an awesome oppa to soojung. the BEST actually.

- he seems the type to listen to japanese orchestral court music (雅楽) or SNSD there's no in betwen. jk tho he probably listens to Drake lol

- he shows severe lack of empathy and remorse for his actions, all being indicators towards him having sociopathic tendencies...

- like goo, he also probably despises tom lee for how that creepy old bum treated him during his trainee period. during the 4th affiliate arc tom lee stepped on ui daniel's face to keep him down, saying that he reminded him of gun and also something about how it was bad manners to get up once you've been knocked down. so knowing gun, maybe he DID fight back many times and tom lee only got worse/ harsher with his training?

- he has non-ui eyes from kenta's flashback so he probably didn't have ui as a child. i feel that being a heir to the yakuza made him vulnerable to harm from rivals so he got attacked a lot? or yakuza elders probably made him fight to become "worthy"? anyways he was pushed into a state where he has to fight to survive/has to become the strongest beast in order to survive, hence the constant ui...

-ig his growing up was a bit screwed up, and he was required to be a "REAL MAN" as seen by all his "men's worth lies in the money they make", smoking, drinking and displaying sexual promiscuity (he's 18-19 and its heavily implied that he has slept around with women in Vs. GUN)

- he is mentioned to be the young master of the Yamazaki group (massively powerful yakuza) BUT instead of ruling his family in japan, he's merely a CEO'S daughter's bodyguard? either charles choi has serious dirt on him or gun is somehow indebted to charles choi...

- steve hong said that charles choi met someone (alluded to be gun) while his time as a janitor in prison... so maybe he observed gun rounding up and beating all the other convicts to pulp and recruited him as the fighting genius???

- gun is literally the "me and and my girl don't argue, she smash my head with a brick and i walk it off like a man" tweet as a person

- his type is probably someone who can just kill him

- lmao daniel kicked his ass ONCE and he gave that mf his credit card info AND lay on the couch staring at his broken arm like a lovesick fool

- he would get along pretty damn well with seo moonjo from strangers from hell (just two sexy unhinged men thinking about ways to make their babygirls hyungseok and jongwoo worse idk)

- his cooking is ass btw! he is prohibited from entering the kitchen after listing the blood of his enemies as an ingredient for cooking steak.

- gun journals survival tactics while watching zombie movies

- he gels his hair back during work hours to appear older because otherwise he looks like a runway model and no one takes him seriously, either thirsting over him or mocking him for being a pretty boy lmaooo

- his house is probably full of posters and framed signatures and has a shrine or two (HIS FANBOY MOMENT WITH BREKDAK AT THE END OF GOD DOG???)

- his body is scarred all over so he must have had a lot of trouble sleeping on his front, side, or back when those cuts were healing. so ig he adapted to sleeping upright... he's like a horse that way lol

- i was wrong. he is a vampire and doesn't need to sleep. (hmmm like have we ever seen him close his eyes??? yup definitely not!!!)

- his yakuza title of shiro oni could imply that his victims saw his white attire in their final moments (like baek seongjoon being called warai oni for smiling maniacally at his victims before ending them)

- shiro oni AND warai oni were both infamous so it's HIGHLY possible that gun and seongjoon have already met or atleast know each other

- and with THAT i hope he clears his GED and gets therapy or something cuz that's my violent evil little scrunkle i wuv him

[artverso]

Arthur Suydam - Fanboys vs Zombies 

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed - Episode 02

Warning: Spoilers for all 50 episodes!

(Masterpost ) (Previous Episode) (Next Episode)

Donkey Riding

way ho and away we go, donkey riding donkey riding way ho and away we go, riding on a donkey

Wei Wuxian and Apple are doing their best for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

Xiao Zhan had trouble riding the donkey sitting side-saddle, so the Department of Questionable Practical Effects made him a fake leg to wear while riding regular style. 

Can you spot it? It’s very hard to spot. It is very convincing.

Simple Pleasures

Wei Wuxian takes his time wandering up the nearest mountain, and half of the cultivators in the land also wander up this mountain because...Night Hunting! The cultivators are hot and thirsty from walking because they forgot that they all know how to fly. 

Wei Wuxian relaxes by a well and listens to people stanning him. 

Also

I’m going to say it: Wei Wuxian never met a drinking vessel he couldn’t blow.

Everything is Beautiful at the Ballet

The actress who plays A-Yan is named Zhang Linran. She probably has studied dance since she was 4 and now she gets her big break which turns out to be feeding an apple to a donkey. So let’s pause for a second to look at how beautifully she moves.  

Reunions are Awkward, Part 1

Wei Wuxian meets up with one of his family members and it goes super well. 

I...like Jin Ling? He’s much less of a douchebag than his dad, his uncles Jin, Jiang, and Mo (the three stooges), and every damn one of his Jin cousins. He’s genuinely brave (his Dad’s primary good quality) and his hair is on fleek. He’s still a whiny diaper baby, but I like him. 

(much more after the cut!)

Then Jiang Cheng shows up, looking fine as hell and radiating peak arrogant-prick energy.

When he discovers that ‘Mo Xuanyu” stuck a piece of paper to Jin Ling, he tells the child to literally murder him. Excellent uncleing! A+++++ would recommend.  

“In fact, literally murder anyone who uses Yiling Laozu’s tools, like talismans, lure flags, or spirit compasses - basically murder everyone in the Lan Clan plus those other fanboys we saw coming up the hill. Then get out there and make some friends, goddamn it!”

These nets full of cultivators on this daytime night hunt are the only time we ever see anything in a net during a night hunt.  In fact dudes constantly go night hunting and the only prey we ever see is rock lady, murder turtle, and a couple of rag mops in the lake. 

You Are Not Qualified to Speak to Me

Also radiating arrogant-prick energy on this occasion is Lan Wangji. He has been using pettiness as a weapon since long before he met this Jiang Cheng turkey, and he *brings it* when Jiang Cheng tries to have a conversation with him.

Letting your eyes wander everywhere except to his punchable face while you ignore his passive-aggressive questions? Quality work. 

Dropping a silence spell on his child and then letting your own child explain it to him? Golden. 

Lan Wangji is never ever going to forgive Jiang Cheng for what he did on cliff day, and his silence here is as pointed as an ice pick. I suspect the last words Lan Wangji actually spoke to him were “Jiang Wanyin, stop it,” sixteen years ago. 

Jiang Cheng is actually the bigger person in this particular interaction, visibly mastering his temper and telling Jin Ling to take his medicine. 

Reflecting

Wei Wuxian hangs out by a beautiful river and hallucinates for a while. River Jiang Yanli is nurturing and River Jiang Cheng is pissed off, so there are no surprises there.  River Jiang Cheng thinks that Wei Wuxian is a promise-breaking douchebag. He’s not exactly wrong. 

Courtesy of convenient gossiping cultivators, Wei Wuxian discovers that the 16 year old arrogant kid from the Jin clan who his brother from the Jiang clan has custody of is actually and quite obviously Jin Rulan.

Well fuck I guess now I care about something, that’s inconvenient. 

Needing to help parent the child of the sister who parented him is what draws Wei Wuxian fully into his new life. 

As soon as he has this realization, Apple comes back from roaming around, and never gives him any trouble after this for the rest of the story. Which...probably doesn’t mean anything. 

Wen Gravesite

Does Wen Ning hang out here because it’s where he and his (dead) people came from? Oh great, now I am sad. 

Judging by all the leaves on this grave thingy I’m going to say that this grave tender dude is, ah, not very good at his job. 

Get him, Jingyi!

I feel like maybe we all focus too much on how Lan Jingyi is so hilarious and sardonic and not enough on how he is a such a biscuit. 

Soul Grass

As mentioned in the previous post, Chinese spiritual concepts don’t always translate well into English. Soul grass? Sure, why not. 

This is where Wei Wuxian’s Sherlock Holmes brain starts to work, although he still doesn’t remember really basic stuff about Dafan Mountain. Dying and changing bodies is rough on the old neurochemistry. This creates more opportunities for flashbacks, however, and if there’s one thing The Untamed deffo needs more of, it’s kissing flashbacks.

Temple Statue

Presumably grave-tender dude is also in charge of clearing away spiderwebs at the temple, because it’s not getting done. 

Jin Ling walks into the temple blaspheming at full volume. 

Since this isn’t a Greek story, he isn’t immediately struck blind for this. Then when he wishes for the statue to come alive, it obligingly does.  Everything’s coming up Rulan!

Wei Wuxian shows up to rescue all the kids by throwing talismans at the monster which does not tip anyone off to who he is. 

Baby Cultivator Babysitting

Lan Wangji chills out in the cultivators’ pavilion with Jiang Cheng and their mutual hate boners.

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian forgets all about his nephew and turns into cool professor guy, explaining the basics of soul-eating to the baby cultivators and gleefully encouraging their fear of Hanguang-Jun’s punishments. 

Because the Lan babies are good filial children they are super respectful and engaged with this random adult who is lecturing them. They also - like their own Hanguang-Jun at their age - see and admire Wei Wuxian’s intellect. It’s easy to forget how extremely smart Wei Wuxian is, because of how extremely dumb Wei Wuxian is.

Lan Jingyi suddenly figures out Wei Wuxian is not crazy. 

Bis. Kit. 

Then Rock Lady shows up and Jin Ling sticks 6 arrows into her while Lans Jingyi and Sizhui stand around not bothering to draw their swords.

I see a lot of comments about the bad effects in the statue sequences but I think Rock Lady is all right. The figure animation is decent and the lighting is no worse on her than on everything else in the scene. Her hair is nice, for a rock person.

Admittedly I just finished watching Guardian which has CGI monsters so bad they may have injured my retinas and possibly also my DNA, so the bar, for me, is pretty low. Rock lady clears it with room to spare.   

Note: Wei Wuxian’s flute playing does zippity towards controlling the statue. Not sure what his plan was here.

Wen Ning Kicks Ass

Now we get to meet Wen Ning, who appears to be a stone-cold badass. Later we will discover how hilariously inaccurate that assessment is. 

While all versions of Wen Ning are delightful, this version of Wen Ning is also...strangely attractive? He’s got a Patti-Smith-Horses-Era vibe here, instead of his more usual lost-baby-dork vibe. And his dreamy “I have nails in my head” expression is intriguing. 

I mean, he’s not a total snack like zombie Song Lan or pre-zombie Song Lan or blind Song Lan or post-zombie Song Lan, but this look is a good one for Wen Ning, is what I’m saying.

Reunions are Awkward, Part 2

Lan Wangji, who has 99% already recognized Wei Wuxian because of the haunted sword and the fierce jawline and beautiful neck and tiny tiny waist, is summoned by his flute playing as inexorably as the Ghost General was. 

Jiang Cheng also recognizes Wei Wuxian and goes into full beatdown mode, thwarted (silently) by Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian attempts to preserve his incognito by sassing Jiang Cheng in as sibling-like a manner as possible. 

Hanguang-Jun’s Pro-Ghost Agenda Has Been Clear for Some Time

This Jiang/Lan fight is hilarious when you consider the implications.

Macroexpression vs. Microexpression

Mo Xuanyu brought Wei Wuxian back using sacrifice summons, a dark ritual invented by Wei Wuxian that he, most likely, did NOT show to Lan Wangji back in the day. So it’s a pretty safe bet that Lan Wangji doesn’t know that Wei Wuxian was gifted a body, rather than stealing one.

when your brother turns around, you must whip him you will never live it down unless you whip him

When Jiang Cheng lets loose with Zidian, it’s not just because he’s angry. He’s using purple power to force Wei Wuxian’s ghost out of the body he’s apparently possessed. And Lan Wangji instantly STOPS him from doing that.

Clan Leader Jiang: this person has been possessed, against their will, by an evil ghost

Future Chief Cultivator Lan: Counterpoint: I am banging the ghost

Flashback Time

Welcome to your 30-episode flashback!

Once I used to join in Every boy and girl was my friend Now there's revolution, but they don't know What they're fighting

Let us close our eyes Outside their lives go on much faster Oh, we won't give in We'll keep living in the past

Road Tripping to Summer School

Gosh I’m looking forward to younger, kinder, more relatable Jiang Cheng.

...prick. 

Incidentally, until now this episode didn’t know that Jiang Cheng has smile muscles, and neither did the person who glued his wig on for him.

I Like Rabbits

Here we have our first rabbit in a large collection of rabbit iconography that appears in The Untamed. 

Instead of sending everyone to the Wikipedia page for Tu'er Shen I’m going to take this opportunity to rec the short film Kiss of the Rabbit God by Andrew Thomas Huang (tw: blood, tw:body-mod cutting) which you can read about and watch over at  Nowness.com 

Particularly if you are a queer person of Chinese heritage, check it out. 

So. What the fuck are these? Are they food? 

Are they made from wax? Or corn starch? or pig intestines? 

Wei Wuxian runs off to get laid drunk and Jiang Cheng grumps about it. Jiang Yanli reminds him that being free is a Jiang Clan Rule, so really Wei Wuxian is following the rules by not following the rules. Does that mean he’s not free? My head hurts. 

Jiang Cheng: yes but grump grump grump

Jiang Yanli: Nothing bad will ever happen because of A-Xian’s choices, trust me

Outro

Wei Wuxian faint tally: one  Caught by: the cold hard ground

Soundtrack: 1. Donkey Riding by Great Big Sea 2. Living in the Past by Jethro Tull 3. Whip It by Devo

Fic prompt:  Lan Wangji’s internal monologue while he sits in the pavilion with Jiang Cheng 

If you write a fic from this prompt and want to share, please post a link in comments!

Bonus: Wang Zuocheng, macro-expression king

Episode 03 Restless Rewatch coming soon!

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

Barefoot Waltz

Beauty Pop

Dramacon

The Garden of Words

Hana-Kimi

I.O.N

Last Hope

Lover's->Flat

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin

Re-Gifters

Runaways

Scott Pilgrim

Ai Yori Aoshi

Animeta!

Astra Lost in Space

Azumanga Daioh

Bakuman

Barakamon

BattleAngel Alita

Beet The Vandel Buster

Behind Story

Behind The Scenes

Black Cat

Citrus 1

Cowboy Bebop

DeathNote

Disappearance of Yuki-Chan

Dojin Work

Drifting Dragons

Eden's Zero

Eromanga Sensei

FairyTail

Fruits Basket

FullMetal Alchemist

Gunsmith Cats

Gunsmith Cats Burst

Gurren Lagann

Kare Kano

K-On

Komi Can't Communicate

Love Hina

Manga Dogs

Mär

Marmalade Boy

Maison Ikkoku

MegaTokyo

Mobile Suit Gundam 00F

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 1

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2

Mobile Suit Gundam The Last Outpost

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt

Mobile Suit Gundam Endless Waltz Glory of Losers

NTR Netsuzou Trap

Ouran Highschool Host Club

Our Wonderful Days

Pastel

Ringworld

Shortcake Cake

Skip•Beat

Steel Fist Riku

Suzuka

Syrup

Takane & Hana

Tiger and Bunny

Very Very Sweet

Voice of Love

Voice Over

Wanted

Wild Ones

GRAPHIC NOVEL

Another Castle: Grimoré

Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers

Check Please

Citizen of The Galaxy

Concrete

Dead Boy Detectives

Death Jr.

Dishonored

Doctor Star

Electric Girl

Frontlines: Requiem

The Fountain

Galaxy Quest

Hellgate London

Highlander The American Dream

High Level

The Jetsons

Kin: Descent of Man

Klaus: How Santa Claus Began

Klaus: The New Adventures of Claus

Klaus: The Life and Times of Santa Claus

The Legend Of Drizzt 1-7

Mirror's Edge: Exordium

Neverending

Newbury and Hobbes: The Undying

Orbiter

Ravine 1-2

R.I.P.D City of The Damned

Rust

Secret Identities

Starlight

Star Mage

The Star Wars (based on the original script)

Superior

Swordquest

Ultra

WildFire

Alex + Ada (I own volume one but won't be continuing the series myself. But it is finished.)

Anne Bonnie

Atomic Robo

Birthright

The Books of Magic (original 90's run, no idea about the new series)

Calvin and Hobbes

Crux: Atlantis Rising

Danger Girl

East of West

Fanboys Vs. Zombies

Invincible

The Losers

Kingsman

Jupiter Jet

Miracle Man

Saga

Splinter Cell Echoes

Spyboy

Starborn

ARTEMIS FOWL

ASSASSIN'S CREED

ASTRO CITY

CRITICAL ROLE

CTRL+ALT+DEL

DCU

All Star Superman

Batman Arkham Knight

Batman War Games

Batman War Drums

Batman War Crimes

Batman Year 100

Batman White Knight

Batman Curse of The White Knight

DC Comics Bombshells

Gotham Academy

Earth One Batman

Earth One Green Lantern

Earth One Superman

Earth One Teen Titans

Earth One Wonder Woman

Green Lantern 80th Anniversary

Harleen

Harley Quinn White Knight

Justice League of America Riddle of the Beast

Justice League: The New Frontier

Kingdom Come

Superman Red Son

Superman Secret Identity

Superman Smashes The Klan

Watchmen

DC ElseWorlds

Green Lantern 1001 Emerald Nights

Green Lantern: Evil's Might 1-3

Superman: Kal

Superman/Batman Alternate History

Stan Lee Green Lantern, JLA, Wonder Woman, The Flash

FABLES

Fables

Fables: Werewolves Of The Heartland

Fables: The Wolf Among Us

Fairest

Fairest: In All The Land

Jack of Fables

Cinderella From Fabletown With Love

Cinderella Fables Are Forever

Everafter

1001 Nights of Snowfall

Complete Covers

IRREDEEMABLE

Incorruptible

Irredeemable

JUPITER'S LEGACY

Jupiter's Legacy

Jupiter's Circle

LADY MECHANIKA

Lady Mechanika

THE LIBRARIANS

Librarians

LOLA XOXO

Lola

Lola Wasteland Madame

LUMBERJANES

LumberJanes

MCU

House of M

Ms. Marvel

Wolverine The End

Wolverine Origins

X-Men The End

MERCY THOMPSON

Mercy Thompson Moon Called 1

POWERS

Powers: Bureau

Powers

PROJECT BLACK SKY

Barb Wire

Blackout

Brain Boy

Captain Midnight

Ghost

King Tiger

The Occultist

Secret Files

Sky Man

X

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS

SEJIC-VERSE

BloodStain - SFW

SunStone - NSFW

SunStone Mercy - NSFW

Swing - NSFW

TOMB RAIDER

Tomb Raider 1-3 (Between Tomb Raider and Rise)

Tomb Raider 1-4 (Between Rise and Shadow)

TRIPPING OVER YOU

Tripping Over You

Extra Mini - NSFW

UNWRITTEN

The Unwritten

The Unwritten: The Ship That Sank Twice

RECS RECS RECS RECS RECS RECS!!! 

I have heard of quite a few of these and seen most of the manga come thru my register at work lol. I can second the Check Please rec (it’s also a webcomic!) and I’ve been reading the newer Books of Magic in the past year or so ironically enough and thought it was fun, was considering fishing some of the 90s out of the dollar bin at a local comic shop but the condition wasn’t good. Calvin and Hobbes is a CLASSIC and I’ve been meaning to get around to Kingsmen cause I enjoyed the movies. DC Bombshells is a GIFT. A Gift. And I adore the Earth One Teen Titans, kinda wished they’d continued it. Kingdom Come is another classic and something I was leant in high school, I was very lucky in high school lol. Lumberjanes is adorable as well! I know you said you weren’t looking to start new stuff but Fence is a good one and has Check Please vibes. The Umbrella Academy is also great when it comes to just weird superhero flavored nonsense. And Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is a classic for a very good reason. 

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

Oh no! Larvel Zombies vs Dee Cee Zombies!

For those that don’t know, at this point in time Marvel Zombies was not, like it is now, a book devoted to walking dead versions of classic heroes, but instead was a term they used for what we today would refer to as “Marvel Fanboys.” Once you know that, this makes a lot more sense.

[horrordirtbag]

Friday the 13th fan survey

saw this from @insanityincarnated (I added my own little question at the end)

1. First F13 film you ever saw? Jason Lives when I was 11, but I had been a fan without actually seeing the movies since I was 7 when my grandmother (who is a huge horror fan, go figure) told me stories about Jason when I asked about her poster she had put up for Halloween; it was literally like the campfire scenes in the movies (except in a kitchen) and I wouldn’t want any other way to have been introduced

2. Last F13 film you saw? I'm not sure if this means in theaters or just last one you watched recently, but either way the answer is part 4 lmao

3. How many F13 movies do you own? All of'm on DVD, getting the new bluray boxset soon.

4. Favorite film in the series? Jason Lives, which isn't a unique answer, so I'll give a special shoutout to Freddy vs Jason which is probably my ~3rd favorite.

5. Why? Jason Lives: Need I give an explanation? The movie is incredibly fun, clever, and it overall feels like a celebration of the character after fans missed him in part 5. It's a loveletter to the franchise. Plus, I love zombie Jason.

Freddy vs Jason: Everything the fanboy in me could ever have wanted, my two favorite boys sharing the same screen. The fight is just incredible, and the story is really fun. The fact that we got this movie at all is surreal. This film gets way too much unnecessary shit, but I guess fans are impossible to please.

6. Least favorite film? Jason Goes to Hell

7. Why? It sucks

8. Favorite actor to play Jason? Kane Hodder, the guy owned the role. I've seen people say he makes Jason TOO angry which... doesn't make sense to me lmao, Jason IS one angry motherfucker, and Kane captured that perfectly.

9. Least favorite to play Jason? I don't want to say any of them are my "least" favorite, because they all did great, and they all seem like really sweet people. I will say I have some issues with how stiff Ken Kirzinger was at times in Freddy vs Jason, but I mostly attribute that to Ronny Yu's poor directing, who told him to act like Frankenstein.

10. Favorite story line? F13 isn't exactly known for unique storylines, lmao, but there are standouts. It's a toss between Jason Lives or FvJ, again. Jason Lives has a very basic premise, but it absolutely nails the Friday the 13th formula like no other movie had or has been able to since.

Freddy vs Jason simply doesn't get enough credit for how well it blends both franchises. When you read the OTHER scripts they had considered for the crossover, you really appreciate Shannon & Swift's screenplay that much more.

11. Best kill? It's really hard for me to choose, so I’ll just list off a few of my favorites: heart punch in part 6, head crush in part 3, cooked alive in the remake, face smash in jason x, sleeping bag kill (duh)... i could really go on all day LOL

12. Worst kill? I don't think there's any particularly "bad" kills. Probably one of the offscreen deaths (but even those can be kind of dramtic & cool, especially the ones that play with shadows). I guess when non-Jason-morgue-guy slashes up a girl with a razor. Barely see shit and it’s not even Jason

13. When people say “ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah”, you…… This is where all the gamers in the audience would yell "AKSHUALLY IT'S KI KI KI MA MA MA" but honestly I just don't give a fuck, I'd just be glad I'm talking to someone who knows the movies lol

Bonus: Unpopular opinion you have?

The only bad movie is Jason Goes to Hell, all the other ones are enjoyable and I think often get too much hate (notably Jason Takes Manhattan and FvJ), and I don’t think the series should retcon any of the movies so that fans can make their own personal timeline since none have any baggage that would effect the series going foreward. Also zombie jason > human jason (but I love both)

[awpcomics]

Small press Shack stock update 1

I'm opening up an online store soon and here's a look at the current stock of titles available. if interested in any of the books let me know. shipping costs vary.

Small Press Shack  comic stock listing (by Company)

36k  studios

Tru vibes

# 1 $5

# 2 $5

2000 A.D.

Scarlet Traces

vol. 1 $25

vol. 2 $25

Aam/Markosia

N-Guard # 1 $5

Ablaze

Unsacred

# 7 $5

Unsacred TPB 1 $25

Unsacred vol. 2

# 1 $5

Abstract Studio

Motor Girl # 1 $10

Rachel Rising

# 13 $4

# 14 $4

#15  $4

#16  $4

#17  $4

#18  $4

# 19 $4

# 20 $4

# 21 $4

#22  $4

# 23 $4

#24  $4

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[stunning-gamer-logan]

Zombie pirates | plants vs zombies

[the-desolated-quill]

Sonic Vs Harley: Send In The Hedgehogs - Quill’s Scribbles

Unless you’ve been meditating in the desert for the past couple of weeks, you’ll know that there’s a bloody epidemic going on in the world right now. The coronavirus outbreak has dramatically changed our very way of life for the foreseeable future, and us plebs have been having to get used to all these alien concepts such as social distancing, self isolation, vaccines being good and Gal Gadot murdering John Lennon with a tuneless rendition of ‘Imagine.’ These are scary and uncertain times we live in, and this goes double for the movie industry as productions are halted and/or delayed, and cinemas around the globe are shutting shop. This means that streaming services, initially dismissed by pompous filmmakers like Steven Spielberg as being lesser than cinema, has now become Hollywood’s saving grace. Oh the irony!

But I’m not here to talk about that. Today I’m here to talk about how a blue CGI hedgehog seems to be more profitable than Margot Robbie.

Jokes aside, this is actually a fascinating topic of discussion in my opinion. Both Sonic The Hedgehog and Birds Of Prey (I categorically refuse to type the whole title because I’ve got better shit to be doing other than trying to remember how the fuck you spell ‘fantabulous’) were released within a week of each other just as the coronavirus outbreak was gathering steam, and yet the box office earnings of both films are poles apart. Sonic has now become the highest grossing video game movie of all time and is, at the time I’m typing this, the second highest grossing film of the year, beating even Disney Pixar’s new film Onward if you can believe it, whereas Birds Of Prey... well... it’s not exactly flopped as such. The film’s low budget protected it from that, but it’s hardly what you’d call a success, making just shy of the $200 million it would need to break even. How did this happen? Especially when you consider that public opinion of both films a year ago would have you believe that the opposite would have happened. Everyone was massively excited for Birds Of Prey, especially after the string of successes DC have had with Aquaman, Shazam and most recently Joker, whereas Sonic...

...yeah, lets not talk about that.

Now before we start, let me just make absolutely clear that this is just my opinion. Mu subjective opinion. Normally I’d expect my readers to be smart enough to know this, but I’m talking about a DC movie here and I know from personal experience how ‘passionate’ a certain tin foil hat wearing portion of that fanbase can be sometimes. You may recall back in 2016 I received rape and death threats when I had the gall to say that I didn’t enjoy watching Suicide Squad. You know? That beloved classic that nobody fucking remembers or talks about anymore? Also there was that time when Harley Quinn fans started spreading fake rumours that the Sonic movie was homophobic in the hopes of salvaging Birds Of Prey’s box office earnings. And yes, I know it’s not all DCEU fans that are like this, etc. etc., but considering that it only ever seems to be DC fans that pull shit like this, you’ll forgive me if I’m not exactly in a very generous mood right now. Basically, if you’ve seen Birds Of Prey and liked it, that’s great. More power to you. I’m not even suggesting that Birds Of Prey is a bad movie. I’m just exploring the reasons why I think the film may have underperformed and why, possibly, Sonic The Hedgehog overtook them despite outside circumstances. This is not fact. This is just my opinion. It’s my opinion. An opinion. A subjective opinion. It’s my opinion. Okay? Okay.

Also I should point out that out of the two films, I’ve only seen Sonic, not Birds Of Prey. Believe it or not, this will be relevant later on. Again, this is not about the quality of either film. This is merely my subjective observations regarding their respective marketing and box office performance.

So why, according to the fans and the media, did Birds Of Prey underperform at the box office? There are three popular reasons for this. The first is obviously the coronavirus. Less people willing to leave the house and buy a ticket, therefore less box office earnings. Makes sense, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. Lets not forget, Sonic The Hedgehog came out a week after Birds Of Prey and practically steamrolled over the competition despite coronavirus fears. So I’m not entirely convinced of this. The second reason is that Birds Of Prey only has niche appeal because it’s based on a lesser known comic book property. Again, makes sense, but so was Guardians Of The Galaxy and Deadpool, and they were both hugely successful. Obviously I’m not saying Birds Of Prey needed to be as big as those movies. Even if it just made the same amount of money as Shazam did, it would have been successful, but it didn’t. The third reason is good old fashioned sexism, and yes, I agree that may have been a contributing factor, but I think it’s naive to place all the blame on the anti-SJWs who feel threatened by a gang of women kicking butt. Look at the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters for example. That film received a tirade of misogynistic comments from butthurt fanboys, but it still made roughly the same amount of money at the box office as the original Ghostbusters did. The reason it flopped wasn’t because of the fanboys, but because of Sony spending a stupid amount of money on the thing in the hopes of jumpstarting a shared universe. If Ghostbusters 2016 had the same budget as Birds Of Prey, Sony would be laughing their way to the bank right now.

No I think there’s a little bit more going on here. Lets bring Sonic into the discussion and explore it, shall we?

The most blatantly obvious reason for Sonic’s success and Birds Of Prey’s relative failure is the age rating. Sonic is a PG, family friendly film with a cuddly animal as its main character. The film even stars Jim Carrey being his usual goofy self. Kids love this shit and parents will no doubt be prepared to risk a zombie apocalypse to let their kids see it. Birds Of Prey, on the other hand, is a hard R. Strong bloody violence, sexual references, everyone says ‘fuck’ a lot. No kids allowed. Of course that hasn’t stopped films like Deadpool or Joker being such giant hits, but they didn’t have to contend with a global pandemic. Plus, according to what I’ve heard from certain critics, apparently Birds Of Prey’s R rating doesn’t seem wholly justified. That if you were to cut back on the swearing and the gore, it would make no difference to the film. Now you see this is something I’ve been afraid would happen ever since Deadpool’s surprise success back in 2016. That studios and filmmakers would take the wrong lessons from it and make their films R rated just for the sake of making them R rated. We see this with movie studios all the time. One studio finds success and suddenly everyone tries to copy it without considering why it was successful in the first place. The reason Deadpool as well as other R rated films like Logan and Joker worked is because the films justified their R ratings. You couldn’t have told the same story without that R rating. An R rated Harley Quinn doesn’t seem necessary, especially when you consider that there have been Harley Quinn adaptations before that did just as well without being strictly for adults. Hell, the original Harley Quinn story from the Batman animated series was PG rated. So the inclusion of a R rating feels less like a genuine artistic choice and more like trend chasing. And now that Joker has become the most profitable comic book movie ever made, I fear this is only going to get worse in the future.

Another factor that needs to be considered is audiences’ trust and expectation. Sonic The Hedgehog’s journey to the big screen has in some ways become the classic redemption story. After the initial reveal of Sonic the Manhog, fans were understandably pissed off that a beloved video game icon was given such a grotesque re-imagining for the sake of ‘realism’ (snort). As a result of the backlash, the director Jeff Fowler announced they would revise the design and the film was postponed for three months in order to fix it. The result was a Sonic design much closer to the games and this generated a lot of goodwill from the fans. Subsequent trailers were much better received and there was a lot more positive buzz around the movie. Birds Of Prey on the other hand demonstrated the inverse of this. Everyone was hugely excited, but as we got closer and closer to the date of release, audience anticipation began to wane. The trailers received little fanfare. In fact a lot of people were largely unimpressed by it. Why?

Well first we should address the elephant in the room. The fact of the matter is Sonic has a bigger and much more passionate fanbase than Harley does. That’s not to say Harley isn’t a popular character. She is. But I think Warner Bros and DC seriously overestimated how much people wanted to see Harley Quinn get her own movie. She may have been the best thing about Suicide Squad, but considering what a total trainwreck Suicide Squad was, that’s hardly saying much, is it? I mean the villain Sandman was the best thing about Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. That doesn’t mean I want a whole movie based on him. It just means out of all the things I hated about Spider-Man 3, Sandman was the thing I hated least.

And that’s another thing. The fact that Birds Of Prey didn’t try to distance themselves from Suicide Squad I don’t think did them any favours. While Suicide Squad was a commercial success at the time, people haven’t exactly been kind to the film in subsequent years. I mean feel free to read my review of Suicide Squad for an exhaustive list of reasons why the film was less than enjoyable to sit through. One dimensional characters, poor editing, ugly colour palette, casual sexism, David Ayer trying desperately to look cool and edgy, I could go on. So when the first trailers for Birds Of Prey came out and we saw the neon colour scheme and Hot Topic wardrobes make a comeback, I can’t have been the only one who was slightly put off.

Which leads me to the biggest issue of all and that’s the stonking unoriginality of the whole thing. For all their boasting about how feminist and progressive they are, what is it about Birds Of Prey that makes it stand out from other comic book films? Granted Sonic wasn’t wholly original either, but at least they had the novelty of a blue CGI hedgehog to piggyback off of. Birds Of Prey really doesn’t have anything if you think about it. Here’s the impression I got from the trailers. It has the same aesthetics as Suicide Squad, so already I’m getting PTS style flashbacks, and its story doesn’t seem all that intriguing or unique. Think about it. A violent anti-hero has to protect a delinquent child from some sadistic big baddie. How many times have we seen that done in these films? Terminator 2, Deadpool 2, Logan, even Ghost Rider has told this story before. The fact that the characters in question happen to be women doesn’t change a damn thing. They even have Harley Quinn breaking the fourth wall. Like... guys, come on! Surely we can do something more original than this! It feels like the only thing Birds Of Prey has going for it is that its main protagonists are all women. But after the likes of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, that’s no longer a real selling point anymore. You need something else to entice people. Something that Birds Of Prey sorely lacks.

Now I’m sure any Birds Of Prey fans reading this must be getting pissed off at me, so I’d just like to remind everyone yet again that I’m not necessarily saying Birds Of Prey is a bad film. I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it. And that’s kind of my point. A week or so ago, my friend and I knew this was probably going to be our last opportunity to go to the cinema for quite some time, so we knew we had to make our choice of film count. We had a choice between Sonic The Hedgehog and Birds Of Prey, and we ended up going to see Sonic. We don’t regret it. We had a good time watching Sonic. It was a fun movie, well made and surprisingly moving at points. (interesting to note, Sonic also has the main protagonist protecting a child plot, but unlike the films I mentioned, Sonic’s story is told from the perspective of the kid. It’s a little thing, but it’s enough to make the whole thing feel fresh and unique because it’s something not even the games tend to acknowledge. Sonic is a kid and the film plays around with that, which adds to its overall charm). Maybe Birds Of Prey is a better movie than Sonic. I don’t know. But that’s not what this is about. When picking which film we would watch, it was the factors I mentioned before that we considered and I suspect what many other people took into consideration too. Basically we looked at these two films and thought to ourselves which one would we be prepared to go outside and risk our health for in order to see it in a cinema. In the end, Sonic won because, out of the two films, it looked more exciting and more unique than Birds Of Prey, and ultimately we trusted that this film could deliver what it promised. Is that fair? Probably not, but sadly that’s often how these things play out. 

Birds Of Prey may have had a good critical reception, but it ultimately shot itself in the foot thanks to some of its creative and marketing decisions. And if studios take anything away from all this, it should be that relying solely on the gender of the main characters as a means to sell something just doesn’t cut it anymore.

[artverso]

Humberto Ramos - Fanboy vs Zombies 

[mittensmorgul]

15.01 Back And To The Future rewatch notes

Note to anyone reading: I’ve already written a mishmosh of other posts addressing stuff in this episode, so this post is not a comprehensive list of every important or interesting thing in 15.01. This post is “things I haven’t otherwise talked about elsewhere yet” or “things I’ve been meaning to talk about in more detail but haven’t yet,” or “things I’d otherwise be compelled to write into the transcript doc in the other tab and really really shouldn’t.” Because that’s actually the purpose of this particular rewatch-- writing up the transcript. Which is happening in the other tab. :P

(i’m gonna go post the transcript now, so it should be up as soon as I get all the html un-screw-ified... >.>)

That said, let’s gooooo!

well, under a cut because long-ish >.>

I already talked about the song choice, and the fact it was the opening montage music in 9.10 (rip Lamp-- yes, this song has forever been the imaginary background music to Lamp/Other Lamp, sorry, the brain wants what the brain wants). It also reminded me of 11.04, the Night Moves scene, combined with Dean’s joke about how Piper brushed Sam off without giving him her number, and Dean replied “We got tonight, who needs tomorrow,”  where Sam asks Dean if everything is a Bob Seger song to him. Because, heh, here have another Bob Seger song summing up the end of the road here.

But I love how the lyrics MATCH UP with the action in this opening scene.

♪It's been a long time since you smiled♪ [zombies circle around TFW cutting off their chance of escape] Chuck: Story's over. Welcome to the End. [Cas kneels over Jack's body] ♪Seems like oh, so long ago♪ --NOW-- [in the graveyard, the scene picks up where 14.20 left off, and the music continues uninterrupted from the Road So Far montage. TFW battle a zombie horde, as we zoom out from Jack's burned out eyes and the fighting rages on] ♪And now the stage has all been set♪ ♪And the nights are growing cold♪ ♪Soon the winter will be here♪ ♪And there's no one warm to hold♪ ♪Now the lines have all been read♪ Cas: Sam! Dean! ♪And you knew them all by heart♪ ♪Now you move toward the door♪ [Cas picks up Jack's body and runs, leading the way out of the zombie fight. Sam and Dean follow, dodging monsters and graves] ♪Here it comes the hardest part♪ ♪Try the handle of the road♪ Sam [spotting potential refuge]: Dean, this way! ♪Feeling different, feeling strange♪ ♪This can never be arranged♪ ♪From the famous final scene♪

Then there’s the DRAMATIC ZOOM in on Dean that literally cuts Cas out of the shot as Dean reacts to his line that “Well, I wouldn’t starve.” Like that was the moment Dean began to literally shut Cas out, because he feels that line was Cas shutting HIM out. So instead of trying to deal with any of that because ZOMBIES TRYING TO BREAK DOWN THE DOOR is a more immediate concern, he turns his back and goes on his little tirade about Chuck. Like he was reliving that moment he got to smash Chuck’s guitar and wishes he could do it again.

And then we meet Belphegor, who already has a rather hopping tag on my blog, so I’m gonna… just move on a bit from here…

I am in pain over this callback to Bloody Mary, with the teenage girls who seem far younger than the girls from the original. These girls are far more innocent. They didn’t call up bloody Mary, they have no guilt of having killed anyone on their souls. Bloody Mary just… showed up. And tortured and killed them.

But this parallel was twisted. In the original, the girls’ father apparently gave their mother an overdose of sleeping pills that led to her death. in the new version, one of the girls’ parents just got divorced and was compensating by going on a shopping spree and buying everything her daughter wanted. These girls were laughing, loving what that divorce brought them.

It’s sort of a more cheerful parallel to Dean and Cas’s fracturing relationship over their dead son’s body…Well, more cheerful until Bloody Mary kills them, anyway.

Sam learns there’s no sudden worldwide zombie outbreak, so the incident seems localized to that one graveyard.

And at this point I started a THIRD thing I’m working on at the same time, because two was apparently not enough. I think I’m gonna copy/paste that stuff here, instead. It’s about the Three Ghosts of this episode-- each parallelled directly to one of TFW. Bloody Mary was one, and in this episode she was Cas’s parallel. It’s her victims Cas will find-- two little girls who never deserved the fate Bloody Mary dished out to them. But Mary Worthington had been murdered herself, and her killer never caught. So she originally killed people who kept secrets about others’ deaths as a form of revenge against her own killer. In trying to protect others, she became a killer herself. And heck if that’s not painfully Cas… or something he feels he’s painfully failed to do, to protect the Winchesters from having to do horrific things. And he DID sell his own potential future happiness in exchange for Jack’s life, only to have just watched Jack die horrifically. His sacrifice, again, has amounted to nothing.

In this episode, she follows Cas from the house, through mirrors, and reappears in a dark pond to grab at the mother and child Sam had already saved from John Wayne Gacy (yeah, I’ll type that one up next, but let’s finish this first...). So there’s a being now watching Cas from the depths of a dark pool, waiting to reach up and grab him when he finally feels safe. Sounds like… the Shadow.

So on to Sam vs Clowns. Sam’s direct parallel is the ghost of John Wayne Gacy, in clown costume, that he formerly burned in 14.13. In an episode where he was about to come face to face with his own past in the form of John Winchester suddenly appearing in the bunker, torn from the past. It’s an episode where Sam and Dean find peace with who they’ve become, and lay a ghost of their past to rest.

With the Equalizer wound humming along, affecting Sam in mysterious ways we’ve only begun to glimpse, and Sam’s brief flash of himself with black eyes apparently hurting Dean, it’s hard NOT to think of the parallel that Clowns have always held for Sam-- Lucifer. Heck I’ve written about that recently, or at least it feels like I have… but at the end of this episode, Sam stops and looks Gacy in the face and tells him to shut up. Which is something Sam has ALSO said to Lucifer (or at least a hallucination of Lucifer). The infamous “HE SAID SHUT UP TO ME!” of Hallucifer in 7.15, which ended Sam’s ability to shut out the hallucination by squeezing the cut on his hand.

Now on to Dean’s parallel ghost: Constance Welch, aka the Woman in White from 1.01. A woman who was the first ghost of the entire series, who Sam literally drove into her house to “take her home,” where she had to face what she’d done to her own children. She’d killed her own children in a moment of grief after her husband cheated on her, and then killed herself.

Dean had been moments from killing Jack in 14.20, in a moment of grief, but didn’t. Yet he’s now having some serious issues with Cas throughout this episode and by the end, they’re “frosty.”

Belphegor, with Dean, looks for a human heart to use in their spell, and stumble across one of Constance’s victims. Belphegor rips out his heart and holds it up to Dean, when Constance appears. She recognizes Dean from 1.01, who made her go home, and attacks him. Then tries to attack Belphegor, and actually injures his hand.

But this is the ghost Dean is paired with. He drives her off, and Belphegor does the spell to contain the ghosts by putting the heart in a pile of salt.

Okay, now where was I in these notes… right… Town, where Sam and Dean play FBI, trying to stop a benzene pipeline leak. And wow, what a weird story, right? Sheriff was confused, but helped evacuate the townspeople to safety.

I think it’s interesting that this was intended to be another stopgap measure, like putting Jack in the box in 14.19, because they know this spell won’t hold forever, and they know they have no other reasonable way to fix the problem. But they can try to buy some time, and hope they’ll come up with a better solution before things go sideways.

Dean asks Cas to help Belphegor do the spell thing, but Cas refuses, and goes to work with Sam instead, leaving Dean to deal with the demon possessing Jack. Which leads to all sorts of interesting conversations between them… I think I’ve written and/or reblogged enough posts on the queer subtext… er… text even… of these scenes to just point out here that it exists, and is heavy.

Meanwhile Cas and Sam go house to house looking for people they need to evacuate, and encounter the above ^^ ghosts.

So Dean’s stuck with the demon fanboy who admires what Dean did in Hell, and Dean seems pretty uncomfortable about this, but it’s not like he has a choice, you know? Who else is gonna do this? Cas couldn’t, Sam’s already on the other gig, and that leaves Dean. So… instead of denying what he’d done, he brushed it off as “a long time ago.” And then actually asked what the situation in Hell was like. The answer Belphegor gave is… interesting.

Belphegor: You ever seen an ant hill when it's, like, set on fire? [lol no, according to Dean’s wtf face] Okay, well, there we were, minding our own business, you know, flaying people for eternity, like you do, right? And then every door in Hell just sprang open all at once. You know? Souls got out. Sky cracked. And, uh, boom, ta-da, you know?

So all the gates are open, including the Cage, but Michael’s apparently still just sitting there. Which is worrisome. But my question is, if all the gates are open, yet the entire planet isn’t flooding with demons and souls, ONLY through the direct portal into that graveyard, how can what Belphegor said be true? At least, theoretically… But that’s a question for another day, when we have more canon to understand.

So… Dean has to face Constance, who flings him into a dumpster. Which makes me lol think about 1.01 and Dean flinging himself off a bridge to get away from her, and ended up covered in mud.

Cas’s “It’s one ghost,” *two more ghosts appear* “It’s three.” reminded me of “I got this,” “I don’t got this.”

Sam accidentally shooting Cas because the ghost got between the two of them horrifyingly reminds me of 12.17 and Eileen accidentally shooting Mr. Top of his Class at Kendricks when Dagon deliberately came between the two of them. At least Cas is salt-proof, you know?

Belphegor calling out Bad Ghost! kinda reminds me of Dean’s “Here ghostie ghostie ghostie” from 4.13. But REALLY. A demon, who tortures souls for fun and profit, yet can’t do anything more than weakly scold a ghost like a misbehaving puppy? INTERESTING. Because it’s Dean that has to whack her with a metal rod, while Belphegor ends up with deep gouges in his hand that are clearly causing him pain.

Dean hurls the name Casper at Constance before he whacks her, which is also a callback to 1.01. It was Sam who called him out for shooting at her with regular bullets: “What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak?” Lol that he remembered that.

Sam pulled a “I’ll hold them off, I’ll hold them all off” hopeless move when he sent Cas away, like Cas once did in 4.22 when he sent Dean away to stop Sam… but Sam actually got out in one piece, even though his gun was empty.

Sam picks up the little girl and runs as fast as he can and only looks back once he’s outside and safe. Like “take your brother outside as fast as you can and don’t look back”

I already wrote about the callback of Dean distracting Sam from tending to his wound with the cut-off joke, reminding me of the scene in 4.09 of Sam doing something similar while fixing Dean’s dislocated shoulder.

And then we have the realization that they’ve never really had free will, just limited choices because of the circumstances Chuck put them in. Sam is unrealistically optimistic that it means that Chuck’s actually gone, now. But that’s the hope he’s holding on to in order to get through this horror.

So this… is what they’re setting up as the guidemap to the series finale. Specifically, Sam and Dean must finally earn their way free. The ghostpocalypse is just step one, and not the true end. There’s still Heaven and Hell to deal with (though Heaven is mostly empty of angels and Hell seems to be actively crumbling now). And Michael, whenever he gets around to walking out of the cage. I’m sure that will go great! Unhinged archangel on the loose! But those are all minor distractions compared with Chuck, because he hasn’t really gone anywhere.

And we still don’t know what Actual Jack, Billie, and the Shadow are up to in the Empty, in their secret meeting in a realm that Chuck has no power. And what about Amara? How does she feel about this now that she’s grown fond of creation? I think there’s a much bigger game afoot than just a ghostpocalypse.

Meanwhile, Sam’s quote here is still setting up the final scene of the series: When we win this, God's gone. Hm. There's no one to screw with us. There's no more maze. It's just us. And we're free.

That’s the goal.

[brokehorrorfan]

DVD Review: Shark Bait

Shark Bait collects six schlocky shark movies - Swamp Shark (2011), Ghost Shark (2013), Zombie Shark (2015), Ozark Sharks (2016), Mississippi River Sharks (2017), and Santa Jaws (2018) - along with a bonus alligator flick - Alligator Alley (2013) - for good measure. The fin-tastic DVD set is available now from Mill Creek Entertainment in celebration of Shark Week.

Although Mill Creek presents the features in no discernible order, I opted to view them in chronological order to see if there were any patterns or growth over the seven years spanned. They're all cheesy, but it's interesting to see which of the movies embrace their inherent absurdity, which makes them easier to swallow. Case in point: Sharknado became a cultural phenomenon because it went all-in on the concept.

In viewing all seven of the movies over a short span of time, the formula is apparent. A cast with a couple of celebrities past their prime and a bunch of wooden, inexperienced actors play one-dimensional characters that spout unnatural dialogue (usually with an obligatory Jaws reference) in between animal attacks accomplished with laughable CGI.

Another fascinating fact is that a mere two directors are responsible for all seven movies. Griff Furst (Lake Placid 3) was in the director's chair for Swamp Shark, Ghost Shark, and Alligator Alley, while Misty Talley helmed the other four. I imagine making these movies is good fun, although it likely becomes tedious after a few. But their work was clearly successful enough to warrant repeat hirings, so more power to them.

Swamp Shark is an example of a pre-Sharknado creature feature that takes itself far too seriously. An animal smuggler accidentally releases a rare shark with a virtually impenetrable exoskeleton into a Louisiana river. Despite the swampland being infested with the added threat of alligators, the opportunity for shark vs. gator action is sadly missed. While the shark is predominately created with crummy CGI, a couple of shots admirably utilize a good, old-fashioned rubber head.

Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) toplines the film as the person tasked with stopping the flesh-hungry shark before it wreaks havoc at the annual Gator Fest. The cast also includes Robert Davi (The Goonies), D.B. Sweeney (Spawn), and Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. After years of independent and made-for-television work, Swamp Shark cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore recently shot the new Hellboy.

Ghost Shark is a strong contender for the most entertaining movie in the set. It starts with a practical, fake great white in the prologue until it's killed, after which point it becomes the titular, translucent Ghost Shark. It can materialize in any water, and its appearances become increasingly more outrageous, from the ocean and a swimming pool to water pipes and a slip and slide. I won't give away the most ludicrous highlight, but it's a rare unforgettable moment in a Syfy movie.

Levity is key, which is why the last act becomes more tiresome when it focuses on the why and the how, although I appreciate that its mythology is taken seriously despite the silly premise. Mackenzie Rosman (7th Heaven) stars as a girl with a personal vendetta against the specter. Richard Moll (House) brings surprising nuance to the role of the alcoholic lighthouse keeper with a dark past. Thomas Francis Murphy (The Walking Dead) plays the small town’s sheriff.

Zombie Shark (also known as Shark Island) finds a shark - named Bruce, of course - escaping from the scientific facility in which it was the subject of experimentation. It proceeds to find food on the shore of a nearby, secluded island. The shark spreads its undead virus to other sharks and, eventually, to humans. There's no shortage of voracious fish action, including a first victim that caught me off guard; a rarity in these oft-predictable films.

Cassie Steele (Degrassi: The Next Generation) stars as one of four friends on the quaint island for a getaway, and Jason London (Dazed and Confused) co-stars as the facility's head of security hunting down the shark. Although not a "name" actor, Roger J. Timber provides solid comedic relief as an islander who serves as host to the guests.

Ozark Sharks follows a family's long-weekend trip to an Arkansas cabin that holds a special place in the grandmother's heart, only to find that bull sharks have invaded the nearby lake. This happens while the town is gearing up for a big firework festival. Much like Zombie Shark, the first kill is a welcome surprise, but the film culminates with an unnecessarily melodramatic finale.

Allisyn Ashley Arm (A.P. Bio) stars as the angst-ridden lead who becomes the final girl of sorts. Thomas Francis Murphy is back, this time playing the soothsaying owner of the local bait shop. He owns an arsenal of homemade weaponry that adds a dash of fun to the bland proceedings, including a giant air canon, an oar turned into a high-voltage cattle prod, a double-bladed katana, and a crossbow that shoots dear antlers.

Santa Jaws not only has the best title, but it may very well be the strongest effort in the set. Although it lacks the star power of the other movies, it offers a radical deviation from the creature feature formula; it's a coming-of-age movie. When a dorky teen boy receives a magic pen that turns its drawings into a reality, he uses it on his comic book, Santa Jaws. Soon there's a killer shark with glowing, red eyes, a candy cane horn, and a Santa hat on its dorsal fin targeting his family amidst their Christmas gathering.

The result is something like Jaws meets Krampus by way of Ruby Sparks, if it were produced by the Hallmark Channel. Shark excitement takes a backseat in this one, and there’s a whole lot of unintentional camp present, but the youth-driven approach to the material is a breath of fresh air. With no hackneyed military or science roles, the characters feel more natural and developed.

Though not quite as far a deviation as Santa Jaws, Mississippi River Sharks spices things up a clever meta element. Jason London plays a fictionalized version of himself, the star of the Shark Bite franchise. He's the celebrity guest at a podunk town's fishing competition, and his inflated ego leads him to believe that he's the most qualified person to save the day when sharks start attacking. Unlike his blase role in Zombie Shark, London lights up the screen in this supporting role.

The real hero is Cassie Steele's Tara, but it's Dean J. West (The Hunt) who shines when London is absent. In the comedic role of Tara's friend, Wyatt, he's an overzealous Shark Bite fanboy who relishes the opportunity to live out his favorite movie... even if he doesn't know what he's doing. A brief cameo from Jeremy London (Mallrats) - Jason's twin brother - furthers the meta aspect.

Alligator Alley is included as a bonus film. Thomas Francis Murphy plays another pivotal role, this time as a bayou redneck who brews chemically-enhanced moonshine. He dumps a string of bad batches into the river, mutating the local alligator population to the point where they can shoot spikes from their tails. He has a long-standing family feud with another local Cajun family, with two star-crossed lovers - one played by Jordan Hinson (Eureka) - caught in the middle, but they must band together to stop the gators.

The first half of the film is a bit dull, as you're essentially waiting for all of these annoying characters to get eaten, but the pacing picks up when concept that can only be described as weregators is introduced. The left-field plot point is so preposterous that it makes the film vastly more interesting. And maybe it's because I had just watched six shark movies and water is hard to animate, but the CGI isn't half bad considering the time and budget.

Shark Bait crams all seven films onto two discs. Compression is apparent in every movie (particularly with murky underwater footage, for whatever reason), and of course there are no special features, but it still beats watching them with Syfy's incessant commercial interruptions. Each one clocks in at under 90 minutes, so even the poorly-paced movies - of which there are several - are over before you know it.

Although far from high art, the best films in the collection - Santa Jaws, Ghost Shark, and Mississippi River Sharks - subvert expectations by mixing up the trite formula, and they don't shy away from levity. If you're lamenting the lack of a new Sharknado film this year - the franchise concluded with its sixth installment last year - fill the shark-sized gap in your heart with the Shark Bait collection.

Shark Bait is available now on DVD via Mill Creek Entertainment.

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

2019 Supernova review featuring Shaun from Comics2Movies

Roll up, roll up, roll up, or if you are in Queensland and melting in this heat wash up instead. Wow, this week we have an awesome and exciting show full of fun and laughter for you to enjoy. We also have a special guest joining us to recap the fabulous Supanova Brisbane!!! That’s right folks, Supanova again (we need Kermit the Frog here running off waving his hands). We talk about some of the cool things we saw, some of the things that made us laugh, and why Buck seems to fear lycra, although to be fair it is a valid point.

We also announce the winner of the Nerdy Bag of holding competition. Congratulations to Jessica on winning our inaugural Supanova competition. We hope to have it again next year so, make sure you listen to get involved, also next year we will make entry available for our international listeners. Now I can give you no more spoilers or teasers on this week’s episode as there is just sooooo much to look forward to other then yes, Buck did argue with some people at Supanova.

Oh, we do have the games being played, the regular shout outs, remembrances, birthdays and special events for the week. We also wish to give a special thank you to some awesome people, the legends at Sons of Obiwan, the heroes at SuperTee, and the Rockstar Shaun at Comics2Movies, they all contributed gear to the Nerdy Bag of Holding. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen. Also a huge thank you to the all-powerful Podfather (All hail the Podfather) for helping us be at Supanova and the Baroness for all her hard work in organizing the event, also her patience when we were misbehaving like little boys with all the excitement.

Professor, Buck & DJ - Nerds Amalgamated Supernova review featuring Shaun from Comics2movies

Games currently playing

Buck

– Call of Duty : WW2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/476600/Call_of_Duty_WWII/

Prof

– Call of Duty : WW2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/476600/Call_of_Duty_WWII/

DJ

– DNP

Shaun

– Star War Jedi Fallen Order - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172380/STAR_WARS_Jedi_Fallen_Order/

Other topics discussed

Nerds Amalgamated episode 82 (Last time Shaun appeared)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/topshelfnerdspodcast/episode82

Changes to Supanova 2020 Gold Coast

- https://www.supanova.com.au/events/gold-coast-2020/about/

Fanboy vs Zombies (comic book series)

- https://comicvine.gamespot.com/fanboys-vs-zombies/4050-47586/

John Travolta (American actor)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Travolta

Chris Hemsworth (Australian actor)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hemsworth

Daredevil (Netflix TV series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daredevil_(TV_series)

Kit Walker (also known as the 21st Phantom)

- https://ghostwhowalks.fandom.com/wiki/21st_Phantom

Deborah Ann Woll (American actress)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Ann_Woll

Sons of Obiwan photo with Deborah Ann Woll

- https://www.instagram.com/p/B4oubOyBHcr/

Adam Tuominen (Supanova Brisbane 2019 guest)

- https://www.supanova.com.au/guests/adam-tuominen/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Tuominen

Julie Benz (Supanova Brisbane 2019 guest)

- https://www.supanova.com.au/guests/julie-benz/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Benz

Supertee

- https://www.supertee.com.au/

Sons of Obiwan Saber Academy

- https://www.sonsofobiwan.com/

The Fandom Zone (formerly known as the Fortress)

- https://www.youtube.com/user/swayzo14

John Jarratt (Australian actor)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jarratt

Wolf Creek (2005 Australian horror thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Greg McLean)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Creek_(film)

Wolf Creek (2016 Australian horrorweb television series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Creek_(TV_series)

What about Sal (Australian movie starring John Jarratt)

GoFundme page - https://au.gofundme.com/f/what-about-sal

TNC Podcasts

- Floof and Pupper podcast - https://thatsnotcanon.com/floofandpupperpodcast

- And Then They Fked - https://thatsnotcanon.com/attfpodcast

- Musicals Taught Me Everything I Know - https://thatsnotcanon.com/mtmeikpodcast

Brisbane Hackerspace (HSBNE inc)

- https://hsbne.org/

Other Supanova stalls

- Airbrush Tatts N Caps - https://airbrushtattsncaps.com/

- Shoot it First Jewellery - https://shootitfirstjewellery.square.site/

- ZQRacing - https://www.zqracing.com.au/

Kimberly Clark (author of Infernum)

- https://www.facebook.com/KimberleyClarkNovels/

Infernum (written by Kimberly Clark)

- https://www.amazon.com.au/Infernum-Kimberley-Clark-ebook/dp/B07767FSMF

Comics2movies

- http://www.comics2movies.com.au/

Drunk guys playing darts

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHkwINR5490

Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship (Book about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and Tolkien)

- https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587680262/?tag=christtoday-20

Sir Christopher Lee (English actor)

- https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Sir_Christopher_Lee

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lee

Shoutouts

Congratulations to Bag of Holding winner Jessica

9/11/2019 - Thanks to Sons of Obiwan, ComicstoMovies & Supertee for their contribution to the Bag of Holding

9/11/2019 - Thanks to the musicals podcast for the headphones

9/11/2019 - Thanks to the Podfather and Baroness for helping us at Supanova

11/11/2019 - QLD Bushfires - https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/severe-fire-conditions-expected-to-heat-up-today/live-coverage/a04e2dfd0e3a13a4aa8e3aeb482cf79e

Remembrances

11 Nov 1918 - George Lawrence Price, Canadian soldier. He is traditionally recognized as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed during the First World War. He was fatally shot in the left breast by a German sniper as he stepped out of the house into the street. He was pulled into one of the houses and treated by a young Belgian nurse who ran across the street to help, but died a minute later at 10:58 a.m., November 11, 1918. His death was just two minutes before the armistice came into effect at 11 a.m. He died at the age of 25 in Ville-sur-Haine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lawrence_Price

11 Nov 1918 - Henry Gunther, American soldier and likely the last soldier of any of the belligerents to be killed during World War I. Gunther's squad approached a roadblock of two German machine guns in the village of Chaumont-devant-Damvillers near Meuse, in Lorraine. Gunther got up, against the orders of his close friend and now sergeant, Ernest Powell, and charged with his bayonet. The German soldiers, already aware of the Armistice that would take effect in one minute, tried to wave Gunther away. He kept going and fired "a shot or two". When he got too close to the machine guns, he was shot in a short burst of automatic fire and killed instantly. He was killed at 10:59 a.m., about one minute before the Armistice was to take effect at 11:00 a.m. He died at the age of 23.

11 Nov 1973 - Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist and recipient of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodder preservation method". He invented AIV silage which improved milk production and a method of preserving butter, the AIV salt, which led to increased Finnish butter exports. He died from pneumonia at the age of 78 in Helsinki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artturi_Ilmari_Virtanen

Famous Birthdays

11 Nov 1951 - Kim Peek, American savant. Known as a "megasavant", he had an exceptional memory, but he also experienced social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the autistic savant character Raymond Babbitt in the movie Rain Man. Although Peek was previously diagnosed with autism, it is now thought that he instead had FG syndrome. He was born in Salt lake City, Utah - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Peek

11 Nov 1948 - Vincent Schiavelli, American character actor and food writer noted for his work on stage, screen and television, often described as "the man with the sad eyes." He was notable for his numerous supporting roles. He often linked his unique facial appearance and tall stature to Marfan syndrome. Schiavelli gained fame as a character actor. His best-known roles include Fredrickson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the Subway Ghost in Ghost, Organ Grinder in Batman Returns and Dr. Kaufman in Tomorrow Never Dies. Schiavelli also performed in a few video games, including Emperor: Battle for Dune as Harkonnen Mentat Yanich Kobal. He was born in Brooklyn, New York - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Schiavelli

11 Nov 1907 - Joseph Gilbert Hamilton, American professor of Medical Physics, Experimental Medicine, General Medicine, and Experimental Radiology as well as director of the Crocker Laboratory, part of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Hamilton studied the medical effects of exposure to radioactive isotopes, which included the use of unsuspecting human subjects. He was born in Waverley, Massachusetts - https://www.onthisday.com/people/joseph-gilbert-hamilton

Events of Interest

11 Nov 1675 - German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz demonstrates integral calculus for the first time to find the area under the graph of y = f(x) function. - http://scihi.org/leibniz-integral-calculus/

11 Nov 1930 – Patent number US1781541 is awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator. Its an absorption refrigerator which has no moving parts, operates at constant pressure, and requires only a heat source to operate. The three working fluids in this design are water, ammonia and butane. The Einstein refrigerator is a development of the original three-fluid patent by the Swedish inventors Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_refrigerator

- Patent - https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/53/e9/74/2cde176701fab8/US1781541.pdf

11 Nov 1954 - Publication of "Two Towers", 2nd volume of "Lord of the Rings", by J. R. R. Tolkien by George Allen and Unwin in London. Tolkien wrote, "The Two Towers gets as near as possible to finding a title to cover the widely divergent Books 3 and 4; and can be left ambiguous." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Towers

11 Nov 1961 - Molotov, Malenkov and Kaganovich expelled from USSR's communist party. As a result, and all lived mostly quiet lives from then on. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Party_Group

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

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