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feral-lore-creature · 11 months

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oh boy oh boy oh boy am i here to tell you how much that was not rhetorical.

i guess the best place to start wpuld be simply with HR Giger and his rise to fame with his biomechanical artwork. Biomech, as it sounds, is the combination of organics and mechanics, most often represented with human/animal anatomy where joints are replaces with gears and pistons, but infused with muscles and tendons. Gigers art was particularly inspired by Salvador Dali, HP Lovecraft, and Alfred Kubin

(some examples of their work in order of who was listed)

(The Temptation of St. Anthony ,The Shaggoth,Homage to Rimbaud)

Giger was enlisted to the design set by Ridley after he viewed Giger "Necronimicon IV", for which the Xenomorph was designed after.

"Giger's design for the Alien evoked many contradictory sexual images. As critic Ximena Gallardo notes, the creature's combination of sexually evocative physical and behavioral characteristics creates 'a nightmare vision of sex and death. It subdues and opens the male body to make it pregnant, and then explodes it in birth. In its adult form, the alien strikes its victims with a rigid phallic tongue that breaks through skin and bone. More than a phallus, however, the retractable tongue has its own set of snapping, metallic teeth that connects it to the castrating vagina dentata.'"

The Alien is meant to incite sexual horror in men specifically, between ita phallic shaped head/inner tongue and vaginal secondatry mouth, whule still maintining no sexual dimorphism (except feom the queen) so you cant tell if its a male or female.

"however, he could not conceive of an interesting way for it to get onto the ship. Inspired after waking from a dream, Shusett said, "I have an idea: the monster screws one of them", planting its egg in his body, and then bursting out of his chest. Both realized the idea had never been done before, and it subsequently became the core of the film. "This is a movie about alien interspecies rape", O'Bannon said in the documentary Alien Evolution. "That's scary because it hits all of our buttons." O'Bannon felt that the symbolism of "homosexual oral rape" was an effective means of discomforting male viewers."

after this point all of my thoughts devolve into a garble of pointing and hand flapping so enjoy what i was able to provide and i hope we become moots bc i wanna talk abt alien w ppl so so bad

BY THE VOID, THANK YOU! This is so well done. I fucking LOVE IT. I'd LOVE being moots! 😭 I need somebody to info dump on, too!

Putting my own thoughts below the cut so nothing gets too long.

I always thought the idea of making (usually cis) men uncomfortable via graphic, fictional representations of rape was SUCH a good change of pace. It's refreshing, not just in terms of "flipping the script", but the way it's presented is often beautiful, and grotesque.

I remember watched the "horror" (read: fetish) movie "Don't Breathe" with my FATHER not knowing the plot twist (because that's the point of watching the damn movie...) It made me so fucking uncomfortable. It's just a fetish film, honestly. It handles extreme, very real events with no grace or creative liberty. It's horrible.

ANYWAY! Back to Aliens, I think that's also why I fucking LOVE the hive system the Xenomorphs work in. I know some people don't enjoy these terrifying, eldritch organisms being "reduced" to something so earthly as a hive system, but let's be honest, it's effective way to reproduce/gain numbers, and it's still just as scary.

That's the reason I adore the QUEEN herself. Her design is powerful, and elaborate. She sure as hell plays and looks the roll of queen. She's the epicenter of the species who commands all those under her as she "births" more of the monstrosities to destroy worlds in her children's wake. She's the only feminine being binding the hive together into an organized destructive force, and she doesn't even need a male to fertilize the eggs. (<- also a detail I really like.) She's quite literally an evil girl boss LMAO I love her.

These are the main reasons (and I'm sure there's more,) as to why I love HR Giger's original art work, and how it was shown in the first two movies, then later beautifully presented again in Prometheus 2012. (<- somebody please be obsessed with the Engineers with me, I love them, and need to bang one asap LMAO)

It's an amazing example of art that's meant to "comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable."

#tw rape mention #h r giger #alien franchise #alien 1979 #aliens 1986 #alien movies #h r giger art #hr giger #autistic stuff #favs tag

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scariercnidaria · 1 year

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whalefall dnd setting? please tell me more

OK HOLY SHIT. so im very autistic about the ocean and one of my hobbies is getting sad, watching fish documentaries and thinking about how i would stat up a fucking nudibranch or a portuguese man o war as a dnd enemy. which is kind of where the idea for the setting spawned for

right now im calling the setting #benthopelagia, this is the same as the tag i use for posting and for collecting inspiration

basically um so ive drawn a buncha maps of islands andstuff and theres a buncha nations.. yassez is the one ive. yknow. actually populated so far. the other 3 plotrelevant ones are isthmus and polonge (isthmus has claimed territory in polonge and fully occupies yassez). polonge is also at war with geuzi. fontaine has a treaty with geuzin. jicama and selenia are fighting over a strip of coast. danovsk is also fighting jicama over a pass thru the mountains. branthia is waiting on the sidelines ready to do very important Peacekeeping such as Supplying Weapons to insurgent terrorist cells.

>>GEOPOLITICS OVER read from here if u dont caare<<

theres a buncha.. buncha fake religions like cetaceanism (whale), currentism (its like breatharianism but it works bc its for filter feeders), integism (science cult), medusaism (jellyfish), The Really Big Human (a la dark souls gwynevere but an old man) Who Sits Above The Surface And Fishes Out The Cave Fish (only in ohio). i think in cetaceanism magnapinna are like. the devil.

theres a clan of nomadic humanoid orca that believe theyre demigods and run around fucking shit up. theres the shark mob from shark tale around the main coral reef settlement (barriertown/the shelf) called "reefers" who are pulling an hp lovecraft innsmouth on the landlubbers of port saiyon cause they keep coming on to land in order to steal electricity for their weed hydroponics.

theres a couple hydrothermal vents which are culturally the same as oil rigs

OVER TO THE WHALEFALL PART bc thats actually what you asked, theres a whalefall settlement which in a perfect world would be where i would start my players off. its like a small rural industry town thats slowly dying as resources get depleted. heavily cetaceanist but a sect of cetaceanism that think its ok to eat your gods. big whalers guild presence, and basically one quest would be to um. go kill another whale so we can Eat, please.

another quest start ive been ruminating on would be the PCs start on land and get mariners revenge'd to the bottom of the ocean.

theres also like - theres a trench? where there didnt used to be a trench? and people are like. man what the fuck. and in addition to that basically all contact with things on the other side of that trench - the whole opposite hemisphere actually - are just Not Coming, until weeks later they all come at once? so like whats actually happening is the core of the earth is hollow, but the core of that core is incredibly dense and this is called the unsigned (after unsigned integer overflow error. funny joke for me. the unsigned is a concept of integism). and its trying to break out except theres a stitch that it cant break and its called the time stitch cause its fucking with time (sorry this is all very fucking. stupid iv not completed the development of it yet. if u cant tell)

#benthopelagia #asks #is-that-feng-shui

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vintage1981 · 5 years

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Memory: The Origins of Alien - Official Trailer

Memory reveals the chilling, untold origins of Ridley Scott’s cinematic masterpiece Alien, rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, parasitology, H.P. Lovecraft’s weird fiction, the art of Francis Bacon, and the symbiotic genius of Dan O’Bannon (writer), H.R. Giger (designer), and, of course, Ridley Scott. Discover a treasure trove of unreleased materials from the O’Bannon and Giger estates, including original story notes, rejected designs and storyboards, sketches and concept art, behind-the-scenes photographs and footage, and Dan O’Bannon’s never-before-seen, original 29-page script from 1971, titled ‘Memory’.

#Ridley Scott #Alien #Dan O'Bannon #documentary #HP Lovecraft #HR Giger

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theliterarywolf · 3 years

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Ya wanna know the really sad ironic thing about Lovecraft Country? The original novel, which was written by a white guy mind you, ended with the main black characters alive. It even ends on a pretty cathartic note where they all laugh in the racist shithead’s face and ride off into the sunset. The show, heralded by a black woman, ends with killing all three of the main black characters. I still can’t wrap my head around why the fuck they decided to fuck with the ending like that

See, I didn't even -- Actually, can we talk about this because I just opened Twitter upon coming home from work to see someone quote-retweeting a post from one of the showrunners talking about 'Here's some stuff from the series bible. Wish we had more time to bring it to the screen'...

And it's apparently a chart of the US where, in the canceled upcoming seasons, the country was divided by race. Like, not even racial tensions causing divides, like the country literally segregated into parts based on race under names like 'Tribal Nations of the West' (fuck the Native Americans who lived on the East Coast I guess???), 'Whitelands' (fuck the people of color who live in upper Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and more am I right?), the 'New Negro Republic'--

Am... Am I having a fucking stroke, who okayed thi---

And the 'Jefferson Commonwealth'.

I think the person who quote-retweeted the post initially said it best: 'Wasn't this show supposed to be about HP Lovecraft fiction?'

The more I heard about this show and the more I see from people on Twitter who defend it, it's like the race theory answer to The Handmaid's Tale. Just with even less tact. And, even worse, 1. If you wanted to tell stories like this, why did you have to bring Lovecraft into it? Especially if you can't think about him without going 'CAAAAAAAT', why would you involve him whatsoever?

"Oh, but it shows people fighting against the real monsters in the world: racist white men!"

Forgive me, I have to go on a Nostalgia Critic-style rant here. *deep breath*

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, Fuck you! FUCK YOU!

FUCK!

YOU!

I am SO beyond sick! And Tired! Of every black horror production having to relate to The Struggle (TM) or 'racism/ are the real monsters'. I just want to see black and African characters fight demons or explore ancient, cursed entities! I'm a Nigerian-American woman living in the U.S.! I have seen racism, I have experienced racism at the hands of white people, black people, Asians, Hispanic, whathaveyou. I know how much racism fucking SUCKS!

However, when I watch a horror production with primarily black or African characters, I don't want to be smacked upside the head with the pimp-hand of 'Hey, racism fucking sucks! Did you know that racism fucking SUCKS?!' If I want to have a reminder of how much racism sucks, I can go watch any number of documentaries dealing with real life moments in history (in fact, the two documentaries that Netflix used to have on the LA Riots used to be some of my favorites).

But I just want horror... To be horror. And if you are supposedly taking influence from someone who, racist as their beliefs at one point in their life was, primarily focused on cosmic-horror?

I want to see FUCKING COSMIC HORROR! For fuck's sake!

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thecreaturecodex · 4 years

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K’n-yani

“Women of K’n-yan” © Philip Rice, accessed at his deviantArt here

[Commissioned by @listmaker-lastcity. HP Lovecraft’s “The Mound” is one of his odder stories, ghost-written for Zelia Bishop. It’s less horror than a Lost Civilization fantasy, although it does feature headless zombies and other horrific elements. The titular Mound is one of the earthworks in Oklahoma, which serves as a passageway to the underground world of K’n-yan. The K’n-yani in the story were pretty clearly humans. The story claims the people of K’n-yan came from space and riffs freely on the various racist notions of the time that Native Americans couldn’t possibly have built the archeological wonders of the Americas by themselves. It actually feels like a forerunner of the “indigenous people were smart because aliens” racist claptrap that appears freely in ancient astronaut books and history channel documentaries. Only, again, with headless zombies.

So if they’re just (space) folks, what are they doing on the Creature Codex? One, I got paid to make them. Two, in the story, the K’n-yani have psychic powers, up to and including phasing through solid matter. Humans can learn this power as well, but aren’t necessarily very good at it. This fits in with the general “magic is super science” vibe of Lovecraft (remember, in “Dreams in the Witch House”, you can enter alternate dimensions through geometry). In various Lovecraftian RPGs, these powers get dialed up into innate supernatural abilities; Call of Cthulhu gives them spells and atomic ray guns, and Delta Green allows them to change their size and possess their victims. I’ve taken bits and pieces from both of these interpretations. If you’d rather have ray guns than their innate atomic blast ability I gave them, swap out the Fleshwarping feat for Technologist and give them laser pistols or the like.]

K’n-yani CR 9 CE Aberration This being looks almost human, albeit with a slightly high forehead and slightly large eyes. They are clad in finery decorated with geometric patterns, and carry an axe and shield.

The k’n-yani are a subterranean species of near-humans that have an empire spanning between the caverns of multiple worlds. Their own lore tells that they were brought from the stars by the servitors of Cthulhu, but this may be an exaggeration or mere religious belief. Their aberrant nature is evident not in their physical appearance, but in their control over their physical forms. A k’n-yani can control its size as easily as ordinary creatures can control their breathing rate, and can force its molecules to phase out of state with reality and into the Ethereal. They are powerful psychics, and can control the minds and matter of other creatures as well.

In combat, k’n-yani use their powers of reshaping matter to their advantage. They are constantly surrounded by a shield of repelling force, and can create blasts that tear enemies apart atom by atom. They typically disdain melee combat, relying on slaves and servitors to engage in hand-to-hand, but do carry axes to maim and mangle the weak and fallen. They are mobile in combat, using their ethereal abilities to pass through walls and floors, set up flanking, or escape traps and hazards.

The k’n-yani are cruel in the extreme, and easily bored. They are functionally immortal—a k’n-yani can alter its age as easily as it does its size or solidity—although some are slain by violence and others allow themselves to die from sheer ennui. To amuse themselves, they engage in arts and crafts. K’n-yani goldsmithing is beautiful in the extreme, but they also extend their artistic talents to the bodies of their enemies. They practice fleshwarping and necromancy. K’n-yani undead are typically necrocrafts, usually with exceedingly bizarre forms or demonstrating an ironic punishment related to the deeds the creatures performed in life. Such necrocrafts are often demonstrated in gladiatorial arenas, fighting each other or slaves. K’n-yani society is highly religious, but these religions are devoted to various Great Old Ones and Elder Gods, and serve mostly as excuses for k’n-yani depravity and violence.

K’n-yani CR 9 XP 6,400 CE Medium aberration Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +15, superior low-light vision Defense AC 22, touch 20, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 deflection, +2 shield) hp 114 (12d8+60) Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +9 Defensive Abilities phase through, repulsion shield; Weakness human-blooded Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee masterwork battleaxe +13/+8 (1d8+3/x3) Ranged atom blast +14 touch (6d8) Special Attacks change size Psychic Magic CL 12th, concentration +17 (+21 casting defensively) 18 PE—animate dead (3 PE), blink (3 PE), invisibility (2 PE), make whole (2 PE), suggestion (3 PE, DC 18), telekinesis (5 PE, DC 20), threefold aspect (4 PE) Statistics Str 17, Dex 19, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 20 Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 32 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Fleshwarper, Point-Blank Shot, Toughness, Stealthy Skills Craft (alchemy) +13, Escape Artist +21, Heal +12, Knowledge (arcana, planes) +13, Knowledge (religion) +16, Perception +15, Stealth +21 Languages Aklo, K’n-yani, Undercommon, telepathy 100 ft. Ecology Environment underground Organization solitary, pair, patrol (3-6 plus 2-12 necrocrafts) or party (7-24 plus 4-36 necrocrafts) Treasure double standard (masterwork battleaxe, masterwork heavy wooden shield, other treasure) Special Abilities Atom Blast (Su) As a standard action, a k’n-yani may fire a beam of destabilizing energy out of its hand. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 120 feet and no range increment. A creature or object struck takes 6d8 points of typeless damage (Fort DC 20 half). A creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this ability must succeed a DC 20 Fortitude save or be reduced to dust, as per a disintegrate spell. The save DC is Constitution based. Change Size (Su) As a standard action, a k’n-yani can change its size within one size category. Treat this as an enlarge person or reduce person spell, except that it can only affect the k’n-yani. This ability lasts until the k’n-yani decides to return to its original size as a standard action. Human-Blooded (Ex) Although they are aberrations, a k’n-yani is also treated as being a humanoid with the human subtype for the purposes of spells and effects. Phase Through (Su) As a swift action, a k’n-yani can become ethereal, as per the ethereal jaunt spell, for 1 round. It may use this a number of rounds a day equal to twice its Hit Dice (24 rounds/day for the average specimen). Creatures or objects that the k’n-yani is holding become ethereal with it—an unwilling creature can resist this ability with a DC 21 Will save. The save DC is Charisma based. Repulsion Shield (Su) A k’n-yani gains a deflection bonus to its AC and CMD equal to its Charisma modifier. It loses this bonus when it is stunned or helpless. Superior Low-light Vision (Ex) A k’n-yani can see four times the distance of a human in dim light.

#k'n-yani #hp lovecraft #pathfinder 1e #the mound #commissions

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sssshhhthefilmsabouttostart · 4 years

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The best and worst films of 2020

Let’s be honest - 2020 was an extremely shitty year for moviegoers everywhere, as the Queen would say an annus horribilis.

Due to the Covid pandemic’s dramatic impact on nearly every facet of human life, cinemas closed, film festivals went virtual and film productions became an intricate mess of insurance and safety challenges.

Yet despite these dire challenges and an unpredictable future, cinema remained very much alive throughout the year, with a wide range of ambitious undertakings snaking their way into whatever form of release seemed viable. Blockbusters receded to the background, allowing a wide range of movies to trickle through an uncertain marketplace that would have been hostile to them even in pre-pandemic times.

So what cinematic gems and unmitigated disasters were dropped upon audiences during the year?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration...

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

THE CURRENT WAR - THE LIGHTHOUSE - IN FABRIC - BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY (D) - BOMBSHELL - THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON - THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (D) - LIGHT OF MY LIFE - THE ASSISTANT - THE LODGE - THE GENTLEMEN - THE WAY BACK - DARK WATERS - 1917 - THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY - THE HUNT

2020′S TOP TEN BEST FILMS

10. THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW

Hot off the critical success of his debut feature ‘Thunder Road,’ writer-director Jim Cummings’ refreshing yet effective take on the werewolf genre amped up the dark comedy whilst delivering quite a few chills. Tinged with realistically flawed characters and clever scares, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ might not have been your typical werewolf flick but it successfully managed to bring that classic legend to life once again.

9. LET HIM GO

Previously last seen together as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents in ‘Man of Steel,’ Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were reunited onscreen as husband and wife again in writer-director Thomas Bezucha’s neo-Western drama ‘Let Him Go.’ Adapted from author Larry Watson’s 2013 novel, the film featured stunning landscapes, full-blooded moments of sudden violence and compelling performances from Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and, most memorably, Lesley Manville’s turn as a gritty and cunning matriarch.

8. COLOUR OUT OF SPACE

Based on the classic short story by HP Lovecraft and featuring another scene-stealing performance from Nicolas Cage, this clever adaptation was an effective horror film with an unrelentingly grim sci-fi bent. In addition to the truly disturbing and inspired images of queasy body horror, ‘Colour Out of Space’ also marked the eagerly-anticipated re-emergence of filmmaker Richard Stanley (his first time back in the director’s chair since being fired from his 1996 remake ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’).

7. THE INVISIBLE MAN

Who knew a remake could be so refreshing? With this updated take on the H.G. Wells tale, writer-director Leigh Whannell did just about everything right, delivering a tense, clever thriller with touches of both horror and sci-fi. As the fascinatingly flawed yet appealing tough protagonist, Elisabeth Moss gave a captivating performance in a film that was chilling in all the right ways, packed with plenty of twists and a deliciously nasty resolution.

6. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (NETFLIX)

Whilst the subject matter of ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7′ shared an uncanny relevance to today’s politically charged times, as a gripping courtroom drama with a stellar cast, the film ticked all the boxes. ‘West Wing’ creator Aaron Sorkin put his trademark traits - razor-sharp wit, rhetorical flair and political insight - to very good use in this masterful retelling of the trial following the 1968 anti-war protests outside the Democratic National Convention.

5. HEARTS AND BONES

In his debut feature film, Australian director Ben Lawrence created a spiritually rich and immersive drama about the relationship between a grizzled, broken war photographer and a Sudanese refugee. Whilst Hugo Weaving was note-perfect in his portrayal as a crumbling man wrestling with his past, equally impressive was first time actor Andrew Luri who delivered a quiet yet memorable performance in what was an affecting piece of cinema.

4. TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL (DOCUMENTARY)

Watching a documentary about the COVID-19 crisis in the middle of a global pandemic might not sound appealing but prolific filmmaker Alex Gibney’s latest work was easily the most essential non-fiction film of 2020. Shot safely in secret for five months, ‘Totally Under Control’ played out like a tightly-wound thriller as it placed the Trump Administration’s inept response to the coronavirus pandemic under the microscope.

3. BAD EDUCATION (HBO)

As far as crime stories go, embezzlement isn’t always the most thrilling subject. However, ‘Bad Education’ turned a relatively simple white collar crime story about a New Jersey school administrator caught stealing money into a compelling drama, thanks to an incisive and nimble script and spot on performances from Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano and especially Hugh Jackman.

2. MANK (NETFLIX)

Director David Finch’s dazzling portrait of Herman J. ‘Mank’ Mankiewicz, the screenwriter who collaborated with wunderkind filmmaker Orson Welles to write the first draft of ‘Citizen Kane,’ was a cinematic jewel from start to finish. Similar to last year’s ‘Once Upon A Time in...Hollywood,’ ‘Mank’ delivered a layered depiction of the filmmaking process, whilst Gary Oldman continued to excel at immersing himself in playing real-life characters, this time as the hard-drinking, intellectual screenwriter.

1. NOMADLAND

Writer-director Chloe Zhao’s intimate drama about an unemployed widow living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad was a thoughtful, contemplative and reflective piece of storytelling. It may have touched upon mature themes about loneliness, financial instability and restlessness, but ‘Nomadland’ remained an uplifting and hopeful piece of cinema that captured the various bittersweet reasons people choose to live a life on the road.

With an outstanding performance from Frances McDormand, brought to life through the charm of the ‘real life’ supporting cast, great direction and Joshua James Richard’s mesmerising cinematography, ‘Nomadland’ was the perfect film for 2020.

...AND NOW THE WORST!

DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS

VAMPIRES VS THE BRONX - BAD BOYS FOR LIFE - THE OLD GUARD - PROJECT POWER - ISN’T IT ROMANTIC - THE RHYTHM SECTION - WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE - I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS - MIDWAY - YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT - BABY DONE - FORCE OF NATURE - CAPONE - THE NEW MUTANTS - DOOLITTLE

10. WONDER WOMAN 1984

To quote Red Letter Media’s resident film critic Mike Stoklasa, “this movie was the cinematic equivalent of the Bluesmobile.” Directed by Patty Jenkins, this 80′s-set sequel to the 2017 DC superhero hit was lethargically paced and featured a completely bonkers narrative that made absolutely no sense. Horribly scripted, disjointed and overstuffed (a runtime of 2.5 hours), ‘Wonder Woman 1984′ sadly jettisoned everything that made Jenkins’ original film so compelling. The result? An appalling misfire.

9. THE GRUDGE

A curiously talented and interesting cast were somehow lured into - and subsequently wasted in - this pointless, tired, reboot/revival of the long-running ‘Ju-On’ Japanese-based horror series. Despite director NIcholas Pesce’s attempt to disguise the rudimentary nature of the plot via back-and-forth timeline jumping, ‘The Grudge’ was just a formulaic paint-by-the-numbers meander through a poorly developed story that existed only to prop up a bunch of uninspired jump scares.

8. BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

There are many movies that have no reason to exist - and this latest misfire from DC Comics was one of them. Directed by Cathy Yan, ‘Birds of Prey’ was a mire of uninspired ideas and recycled genre conventions that got old real quick. Penned by Christina Hodson (’Bumblebee’ being the ‘highlight’ on her resume), the script was as simplistic as it was thin, with needless subplots merely introduced to inflate the film to a decent running time. Even Margot Robbie’s manic performance as the ‘Mistress of Mayhem’ couldn’t save this mess.

7. JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT

What could’ve been a dream film for fans of these two classic stoner characters instead was nothing but a string of cameos and callbacks in a plot-less bore. Director Kevin Smith sucked all the life and fun out of this watered-down story, that suffered from a constant series of awkward and forced jokes that were painfully unfunny. An unfortunate stinker.

6. AVA

This latest foray into the ‘female assassin for hire’ genre was about as cliched as you could get. An emotionally troubled female killer whose male mentor assumes the role of the surrogate father? Check. Pounding dance music score? Check. Obligatory nightclub fight sequence? Check. Confused love interest? You betcha! Humourless, dry and uninspired, ‘Ava’ played out like a poor man’s ‘La Femme Nikita.’

5. FANTASY ISLAND

Hollywood’s obsession with repackaging Gen-X childhoods continued with this absurd attempt to reboot the classic 1970′s TV series as a low-budget horror joint under the Blumhouse label. At a dangerously close two hour runtime, there was simply nothing interesting about the film’s characters or its inane plot about a mystical island that grants wishes (a’la ‘The Monkey’s Paw’). Our advice? Turn ‘de plane’ around if you ever plan to visit this ‘Fantasy Island.’

4. ARTEMIS FOWL

For every ‘Harry Potter’ that explodes into the public consciousness, there always seems to be a dozen or more failed franchises. Sadly, Disney’s ‘Artemis Fowl’ found itself in the latter category. Director Kenneth Branagh’s dull and superficial attempt to transfer this popular children’s book series from page to screen suffered from a lack of character development, an over-reliance in CG effects and featured a lifeless performance from newcomer Ferdia Shaw as the titular character.

3. HUBIE HALLOWEEN (NETFLIX)

A month before last year’s Oscar nominations were released, Adam Sandler joked on ‘The Howard Stern Show’ that if the Academy snubbed him for his role in the film ‘Uncut Gems,’ he would make a movie “that [was] so bad on purpose.” And that’s exactly what happened. Supposedly a comedy, ‘Hubie Halloween’ was unfunny, disposable and completely devoid of any originality. Sadly for audiences, Sandler signed a four-movie deal with Netflix last year, worth up to $275 million - so we can expect to see more of this shit soon!

2. ALIEN ADDICTION

Aliens visit New Zealand and get high smoking human faeces? Someone should have advised Kiwi director Shae Sterling that audiences have moved on from such puerile comedies as this abomination. Suffice to say, if anybody ever admitted to finding this film remotely funny, they’d probably be outcast from society. An embarrassment to all those involved.

1. THE BEACH BUM

Director Harmony Korine’s generic stoner comedy about a prolific poet who drifts through life in a drug-induced haze had all the natural high of an unfiltered, soggy joint and was easily, hands down, 2020′s worst film.

‘The Beach Bum’ was a pretentious and uninteresting movie whose lead character, considered to be an ‘artistic genius,’ was nothing more than a relentless shithead to everyone around him. As Moondog, the semi-naked, bongo-playing, pot-fuelled beat poet, Matthew McConaughey was insufferable and grating in his portrayal of a character you would quite easily want to punch in the face - repeatedly. Blazed and confused, ‘The Beach Bum’ had no plot, no class and no entertainment value whatsoever.

MOVIE POSTERS

From the classic to the abstract, here is just a sample of some of the best poster designs from a highly unusual year of movies.

...AND FINALLY, WHEN WHEN IT COMES TO DIRE-LOG, THEY SAID WHAT!?

“I've never wanted anything more. But he's gone, and that's the truth. And everything has a price. One I'm not willing to pay. Not any more. This world was a beautiful place, just as it was, and you cannot have it all. You can only have the truth. And the truth is enough. The truth is beautiful” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

And who could forget this little chestnut of advice...

“That is the only truth and truth is all there is. You cannot be the winner because you are not ready to win. And there is no shame in that. Only in knowing the truth in your heart and not accepting it. No true hero is born from lies” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

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dansedan · 4 years

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Watching an HP Lovecraft documentary wherein Guillermo del Toro calls him "a guy who did not get laid much"

#silly #rant

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losyanya · 4 years

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i got tagged by @mochacoffee to share 10 niche interests of mine - thank you!

A hard ask, since Good Omens seemed to wipe my brain of all unrelated thoughts 😆 And even apart from that, my interests mostly revolve around animals, which is a vast topic and hardly a niche thing. But i teased out several specific topics to start out the list..

1. Urban wildlife. I came to USA from Russia, where one was hard-pressed to find a squirrel around the town. Birds, feral dogs and cats - sure, but all other animals were either at the zoo, at a farm, or deep in the forest. Upon arrival in DC, I remember being glued to the car window on the 3 hour drive to the new home because i saw DEER in suburbia. So, yeah.. the regional differences, the adaptations to co-habitation with humans, the dependence on normal human activity (recently highlighted by COVID) - all that is fascinating.

2. Animal shelter management. Some animal shelters get a bad rep, and some of it is deserved. Others are wonderful places both for pets that come through and for pet adoptive families. What makes a pet shelter “successful”. Why have I had people argue with much conviction that a no-kill shelter is unsustainable, when I had the experience of working at one for years and can vouch for the no-kill policy. It’s a very practical and serious topic, but one very close to my heart.

3. History of domestication. When did dogs first team up with humans, how did little lions manipulate us into feeding and worshiping them, how did we come up with domesticating silkmoths and why did nobody come to ride zebras. I don’t think I need to sell this topic any further.

4. Modern cultural differences in pet ownership. This is, again, inspired by my foreign heritage.. people in different parts of the world have such strikingly different ideas of what is normal and appropriate as far as pets go - it’s mind-blowing.

5. Mythological/fantastical anatomy. This is easier to illustrate than explain. Example: how are Sleipnir’s legs positioned/attached? It is like this, in “four rows”? (Source)

or “two rows”? (Source)

(And yes, I had this interest before I tried to figure out with the fact that GO-typical wing arrangement requires double the humeri/radii/ulnae, and what do these attach to exactly?)

6 & 7. Psychology (and experience) of addiction and eating disorders. One of these has deeply personal relevance; the origin of fascination with the other is less apparent, but the two topics have certain similarities/overlap. This is not something I generally discuss, but it’s fair to say that I’ve consumed a large number of available free documentaries, autobiographies and a fair amount of research studies.

8. r/fifthworldproblems. It’s a very confusing subreddit at first glance, summarized in an ELI5 post as “problems people experience in a hypothetical fifth world that takes place beyond our universe” and “surreal problems in a nightmare HP Lovecraft universe”. I read it regularly and delight in it as a particularly rich creative writing place, which thrives on taking language, norms, logic and turning them on their head.

9. Anton Chekhov. My favorite classical Russian author since childhood, who captivated me with his mastery of short story. I do believe I have, over time, read the vast majority of his short stories (over 500?) - all that I’ve been able to get my hands on, really. The frequent focus on regular people and everyday problems was uncommon for his time; apart from the brilliant writing itself, it has given me a much better window into that historical period in Russia, than textbooks, and I’ve only extended my love of short story and slice of life since.

10. History of medicine. This is also a vast topic, some of which is rather boring, so maybe... interesting trivia in history of medicine? innovative strategic thinking of early epidemiology... quackery medical devices... what they used to put in children’s medicine in the 19th century...

This was also long, but I learn from the best (as in, the predecessor of this post in tag tree) 😉

I never know who to tag, but I’ll try @krakensdottir, @deservingporcupine, @sirblackboardmonitor, @whispsofwind, @thyra279 and obviously - no pressure! And, of course, anyone can participate on their own accord, and I’d love to be tagged if you do - this is a great question, something that is lovely to know about people!

#tag game #just me talking

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recklessfiction · 4 years

Note

I'm a big fan of yours and I've consumed all of your work. I was wondering if you could recommend me books/movies/podcast that influenced you.

Thank you so much! That honestly means so much to me ❤️ And yes, absolutely I can:

The X-Files

The Sandman comics

Lore (podcast)

Welcome to Nightvale (podcast)

After Man by Dougal Dixon

At the Bottom of the Garden by Diane Purkiss

Any of HP Lovecraft’s works

Control (videogame)

American Gods

the art history documentaries by Waldemar Januszczak

Over the Garden Wall

The Hellboy comics and movies

The Hellblazer comics

The SCP Foundation website

The Magnus Archives (podcast)

Chilluminati podcast

World of Horror (videogame)

The Witch

Cabin in the Woods

The Thing

Observation (videogame)

#there are a lot more but these are some things i can think up now #Anonymous

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radioblueheart · 4 years

Video

youtube

HP Lovecraft - Fear Of The Unknown

A documentary about HP Lovecraft, with commentary from his biographer S.T. Joshi, as well as writers and filmmakers Guillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman, John Carpenter, Peter Straub, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Ramsey Campbell, Stuart Gordon, Robert M. Price, and Andrew Migliore

#hp lovecraft #s t joshi #guillermo del toro #neil gaiman #john carpenter #peter straub #caitlin kierman #ramsey campbell #stuart gordon #robert price #andrew migilore #lovecraftian #cosmic horror #lovecraftian horror

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skadisprawl · 5 years

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I dunno if it’s weird, but the last couple days when I’ve been sick I have been listening to HP Lovecraft audiobooks to fall asleep.

The travel documentary style of writing he has is better than NyQuil for knocking me the fuck out. Even with the best narrator it’s like listening to someone read a racist, classist dictionary - it just drones.

So thanks to HP Lovecraft for being a mediocre writer, I guess. And shoutout to HorrorBabble for having awesome versions of his stories up on YouTube.

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dearmrsbitch · 6 years

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March 22, 2019 - A Young Michael Jackson fan...

Dear Prudence,

My boyfriend is father to a wonderful 8-year-old who, after finding out Michael Jackson used to hang out with the Beatles, became obsessed. He’s an excellent moonwalker and has memorized all of Michael Jackson’s albums. He’s also precocious and always on the lookout to learn more about his new hero. So we are worried that some big talks are ahead with the latest documentary. My boyfriend is uncertain about how to talk with his son about Jackson’s history; neither of us are perfectly comfortable with the “separating the art from the artist” approach, but we’re at a loss for an age-appropriate way to have this discussion.

—Boyfriend’s 8-Year-Old Is an MJ Fan

Dear Leaving Neverland,

I get it, and this shit is complicated. I mean, not the Michael Jackson stuff, because he did it and we all know it. Damn nearly daily now, I find myself saying “your fave is problematic” in response to some new thing that’s come out, in this case, coming out for the fucking 100th time, it’s just that now we’re paying attention. (Fuck you, Bill Rapist Cosby)

At his age, it’s important that he knows about not going with adults who he doesn’t know, and I think, it’s important for kids to learn that public figures should not be worshiped as these incorruptible figures who can do wrong.

You don’t need to address MJ specifically until he finds it. I mean, you need to make sure that he doesn’t dress up as MJ or anything that’s going to make people go... “I’m gonna make a courtesy call to CPS...” Because people will do that shit, even if it’s wrong.

I think the debate about the art and the artist isn’t being done as it should be. Speaking as a writer, you can’t separate the art from the artist entirely, it’s more a matter of figuring out which pieces of art are the artist, and which are contrived, and which are contrary, and that’s harder than “separate the art from the artist” and people are lazy and don’t want to do the work.

It is okay to enjoy Michael Jackson’s songs when they come on the radio, it is not okay to not realize that he used his position to abuse and groom children in a textbook manner. The message of MJ is that hero worship is deadly to both the individual and society. HP Lovecraft created probably the most identifiable version of American horror that still exists today next to Poe, but he was a vicious fucking racist, sexist, and anti-Semite, and that informed his work - and that “othering” still does damage until other authors come in and start telling “The Ballad of Black Tom,” instead of why there are rats in the walls. Ender’s Game is an amazing science fiction piece about children in the war machine, but he’s also a nasty homophobe and devote those sales to churches that teach hate as a value.

What do we do? We need to have more conversations. Lovecraft is dead, so is it okay to buy his books new, but maybe not Card’s since he still gets the money to route it to bad people? Does the money from buying “Thriller” on itunes go to his notoriously delusional and abusive family who will use it to continue fighting to keep their cash cow pumping milk even after death? Really, we can only choose how we interact with the art that is produced, and to be honest, I personally seek out - used copies, free copies, “internet sourced” media, from problematic artists if I want them. Sorry, but as an author, I’m not dying on the hill that if we shut down torrents I”ll be a millionaire - only idiots believe that.

There’s also the factor of deciding what is the author speaking and what is contrived, I mean, look at all the nasty people in a Stephen King novel, right? He’s not them, he’s not dangerous, and he’s even taken responsibility and pulled a book that features a school shooting. No one believes that because he wrote a school shooting, that he believes in it and his actions reflected such. He’s also a reformed drug addict and alcoholic, and that informed a lot of his work. People and art are an ongoing conversation and the sooner you have it, the better. It’s okay for kids to have heroes, but not for kids to have gods, and they must always know that heroes are not the be all and end all. With age appropriate conversations!

I would recommend seeking out a child therapist and maybe talking to them about the best way to approach that question when it comes up. Because it will come up, probably sooner rather than later, I mean, if he goes to school, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it’ll be before some other kid calls him a “pedo lover” or some name and he’ll want to know why? You and your boyfriend should set up a plan, mostly your boyfriend because it’s his kid, to talk to him about what happened in age appropriate terms, and both a conversation about how art is a reflection of the artist, and sometimes they make good stuff, and sometimes they make bad stuff, and sometimes they’re bad people making great things and we have to leave those things behind because it’s better to be right than to do the moonwalk properly.

Do not let him watch the documentary, it’s contains graphic language of sexual abuse of children, and should wait until he’s older if he wants to.

I know this one is a little convoluted, since I’m a creator personally I know you can create deliberately proactive material and still be a good person and that the story of the wolf in sheep’s clothing is well and alive in the same art world. He needs to know enough to protect himself from predators, and not hang his personality on anyone without an understanding of the “grays” of human nature. You don’t want him to fall victim to hero worship that defines who he is, more than he defines himself.

But you should also make it clear,(as he ages) that there are lines that when crossed, like child abuse, murder, rape, etc., that are not gray lines, and should not be forgiven, like being a pedo. There are too many people bowing out of conversations when these acts happen that are trying to make “rape” a gray area and we don’t need that shit. Especially with male children in our society, too many of them get the message that whatever they can get away with is okay, and that shit needs to stop. That might be a conversation worth having in the future, about how when someone is famous, people don’t hold them as accountable and how that hurts people.

Child therapist, please. Have a plan.

Mrs. Bitch

#dearmrsbitch #hero worship #Dear Prudie #dear prudence #art #artists

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