#I actually signed into Amazon Prime after watching this

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Marry My Husband was really good so far! The idea that good/bad events have to happen, but it can happen to a different person is so fun.

It's making me a bit sad how thin the main actress is though. I guess she had to be for the cancer scenes, but I just watched What's Up With Secretary Kim and she looked so much healthier there. And her magnificent ponytail is gone... I hope she gets it back.

[seat-safety-switch]

Recently, I watched a little video about how people make elevator buttons. Whereas I had assumed they were punched out of giant machines in huge quantities, they are actually machined to precision and then buffed to an attractive, jewel-like shine by a team of expensive, slow-working, perfectionist artisans. This came as a surprise to me, but then I thought about it medium-hard. Have I ever bought an elevator?

To investigate, I did my best imitation of a building, and called up the elevator-ordering people. I made sure to specify a bunch of bonkers configurations, and then sent them the results of a Google image search for “letter of credit.” Then I waited.

It seemed that I had picked a good elevator manufacturer, because it didn’t arrive right away. In fact, after a couple days of expectantly waiting by my front door, no elevator arrived. Not even a greasy technician, sent to take measurements of my shaft. Eventually, I had to go out and get groceries, and I forgot about the whole thing. That is, until a couple of months later, when my elevator arrived.

The first indication that it had arrived was that the neighbour’s dog, who is clinically diagnosed as being terrified of large geometric solids, started to lose his shit. I stepped outside, just to make sure he hadn’t accidentally triggered on my Lincoln Town Car again, and then I saw it in the driveway. A giant Amazon Prime box. With the help of a ladder and a lot of box cutting, I soon had the elevator out of the shipping container. It was a glorious thing: perfect, unmarked stainless steel. Gleaming, flawless buttons. A whole bunch of fancy wires, all labelled for easy maintenance. Nobody had even peed in it yet.

There was only one problem. I had ordered what I thought was a full elevator, but it was actually only an elevator car. I didn’t have any of the rope and computers and motors that are meant to drive it around. What I had, in fact, was a lot closer to a useless box. That didn’t stop me, though. There’s something else I had: the frame to a 1989 Chevrolet Blazer.

Soon, my elevator car was mobile once again. The buttons even lit up, although at night time they flickered a little bit if I was trying to run them with the sealed beams. I will be the first to admit that my sideways-elevator is not perfect. For one thing, it’s really hard to see out of. And it keeps dinging every time I blow a stop sign. It’s still the prettiest thing I’ve got, and, more importantly, the repo men don’t expect to see the elevator they came to seize do a wheelie and then crush their rental beneath 36-inch mud-terrain tires.

[likeadaydreamorafever]

Mischa Barton: ‘The trauma doesn’t just go away overnight’

The OC made her one of the most famous stars of the Noughties. Now 37, and with a new role in Neighbours, she’s back — and this time it’s on her own terms.

There was a time, not so long ago — the Noughties — when we hunted young women until they went mad. A pack of men with cameras followed them, stalked them, waited outside their homes to take their photograph, so that people could devour their lives and their changing teenage bodies, and watch their rising panic as they cracked under the pressure we were putting them under.

“It was all very Hunger Games,” says Mischa Barton, 37, sitting in a hotel room in central London, hair blow-dried, coffee poured, legs crossed. The British-American actress was 17 when she was cast in the teenage TV drama The OC, catapulting her to worldwide fame and making her Karl Lagerfeld’s “face of a generation” — an It girl in an era of size-zero bodies, up-skirt shots and gossip blogs.

Barton was — reluctantly — a paparazzi favourite. She was beautiful, cool and sceney, with a trail of rock star boyfriends and wild child friends. She suffered as a consequence of rather than in spite of the fame. She was arrested for drink driving, spent time in rehab and was detained in a psychiatric hospital. In 2017 a video of her, incoherent, rambling and distressed, was sold to the gossip site TMZ, peddled as proof of her going off the rails. Her drink had actually been spiked with a date rape drug. That same year an ex-boyfriend tried to sell a video — filmed without her knowledge — of her having sex and being naked in her own home.

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” she says, “but there’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Today her life is a little quieter — the paparazzi don’t yet know where her new home is in Los Angeles (though the sound of cameras can trigger a panic attack, part of her enduring post-traumatic stress disorder). The OC is coming up to its 20th anniversary, with a new generation of Gen Z fans going wild for the Y2K vibe. She has had a stint on Dancing with the Stars and the reality TV show The Hills: New Beginnings, as well as parts in horror films, indie films and now the resurrected teatime soap Neighbours.

Barton was, and still is, a valuable commodity. “They first wanted me to do an arc on Neighbours when I was in my twenties,” she says, dressed smartly in a blazer, A-line dress and preppy jacquard pumps. I’ve just finished watching the new season, I tell her. “Oh wow,” she says in her mid-Atlantic drawl, “have you actually been watching it?” Sure, I continue, it was nostalgic. “Oh wow,” she says again, flatly. “Yeah. I haven’t seen any of it.” Barton still has the cool-girl energy that drew so many people in: arch, a little judgmental, but fun. She is the popular girl at the party.

The “final” episode of Neighbours was broadcast on Channel 5 last July, after 37 years and 8,903 episodes featuring alumni including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Margot Robbie. A group of heartbroken fans campaigned for its return and four months later Amazon Prime signed a deal with the production company. The reboot features old favourites Susan, Carl and Harold, as well Barton’s new character, Reece Sinclair, the expensively dressed American hotel proprietor who is having an affair with the bellboy.

Barton spent two months filming in Melbourne, cramming lines for 5am call times. “They work crazy hard [on soaps],” she says. “Really, it was gruelling. You’re lucky to get a second take.” She did, however, rewrite some of her script. “They don’t let everybody change their lines” — she lowers her voice — “trust me. The other kids were like, oh, can I do that? And [the writers] were like, no.” She cackles. “Say your lines as scripted!”

The actress will always be known for The OC, in which she played Marissa Cooper, a rich, blonde Californian who was troubled and glamorous — and who every teenage girl was desperate to be. The first series, which aired in 2003, pulled in an average of 9.7 million viewers per episode in America and was a hit on Channel 4, and she won two Teen Choice awards.

“I don’t think I was fully prepared for that level of fame,” she says. “Because it has never been something that I have sought out. I really would much rather be anonymous.”

Still a teenager, Barton was lauded for her looks and treated, she says, as much older than her years. “You do look back and you were 18 dating 34-year-olds,” she continues. “With hindsight you’re like, yeah, that was weird.” An interview with Harpers & Queen has recently resurfaced in which Barton, 19 at the time, says she was told by her publicist to sleep with Leonardo DiCaprio, who was 30, “for the sake of your career”.

She left The OC after three series — she says she was bullied on set and exhausted by 18-hour days for each 24-episode series — asking the writers to kill off Marissa as brutally as they could. She died lying in the road, dripping in fake blood, her crashed car up in flames.

In the following years Barton became a familiar face on the LA nightlife scene, all smoky eyeliner and faded band T-shirts, photographed with Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan and Amy Winehouse, while dating the Kooks’ frontman Luke Pritchard, the American rocker Cisco Adler and the Roughs’ guitarist Taylor Locke. “I definitely got to tour with some cool bands,” she says, still a little thrilled by the whole thing. “I mean, I was obsessed. But I don’t know if I could date a guy in a band any more. It just sounds exhausting and dirty.” The paparazzi attention was certainly not “healthy” for romantic relationships. “Everything is just so heightened,” she says. “You depend on the person so much more, you think you’re that much more in love because they’re your grip on some sort of normalcy.”

In the gossip blogs she was considered fair game. She was criticised for losing a stone in a year, then criticised for being “bloated Barton”, with the celebrity blogger Perez Hilton often the leader of the pack. “Nothing I did was good enough,” she says today. “It was the peak of cruelty about young women’s bodies. It was wild.”

Could she leave the house without being followed by photographers? “No,” she says immediately. “I couldn’t. [The paparazzi] were doing all kinds of crazy stuff to me.” She says they tracked her car, tried to climb over the walls of her house, paid off restaurants and bought mobile phones for homeless people so they could tip them off. “I was stalked,” she says. “I did go a little bit nuts at [one] point. I just felt really helpless.”

Then there was an arrest (2007, driving under the influence, without a valid licence and possessing cannabis), rehab (court ordered) and psychiatric hospital. She said she was “depressed and overworked”, and then, she claims, pumped full of prescription drugs by her “team” to keep her working. People have got kinder about mental health, though, she says. “That’s one of the better things about society these days — people are more willing to talk about having had depression or anxiety, or it’s not so taboo.”

But it was her legal battle against her ex-boyfriend that was “one of the worst and most gruelling experiences of my life”, she says. In 2017 Jon Zacharias tried to auction off illicit videos of her to the internet’s highest bidder.

After a years-long legal battle she won the case to prevent him from doing so. “It’s shocking to realise that there is that type of darkness in the world,” she says. “And you wonder what you’ve done to attract it.”

Mischa Anne Barton was born in Hammersmith in west London, the middle of three girls, her mother a producer and photographer, her father a foreign exchange broker. She went to St Paul’s Girls’ Preparatory School before the family moved to New York when Barton was six.

She was a bookish, shy child who found respite in acting. She had her first modelling job at eight and her first professional stage role the same year. By 11 she was in Italian Vogue. By 13 she was the lead in the movie Lawn Dogs, which had dark undertones of child molestation, followed by Pups, a crime drama. “Even from a young age I was sexualised,” she wrote in Harper’s Bazaar in 2021.

After her big break in The OC she starred as the “hot girl” in various music videos (Noel Gallagher, James Blunt, Enrique Iglesias) and became the face of Chanel, Calvin Klein, Monsoon Accessorise, Neutrogena, Herbal Essences and Keds.

“I was definitely told ‘sign here’ many, many times over,” she says. “I’ve gotten a lot better with legalese. Now I will read a contract front to back.”

Do people think she made more money than she has? “Oh, I know they do.” Today you can watch The OC on Amazon Prime, Hulu and ITV. “But I say to my friends, ‘Oh cool, I just got a direct deposit for $1.50.’ And they’re like, ‘What’s that?’ And I’m like, ‘Residuals.’ ”

She pushed herself into indie films and cerebral plays, which she loved, and then appeared on the rebooted reality show The Hills, which “wasn’t for me”, she says. “It’s the fame-chasing and the posing stuff that I don’t like. I found them to be very alieny.” She says the producers tried to make out that the original cast of The Hills had hung out with the cast of The OC in the Noughties, “but that was not the case. I never saw them around. I mean, it was a completely different world, a different type of celebrity.” She looks up from pouring herself another coffee. “You know what I mean.”

Today Barton lives between New York and LA. She is steady and grown-up, but still with a streak of flightiness. Her spontaneity “is a problem”, she says. She travelled around Indonesia alone over the summer, then France, then the UK, where she has been staying with her older sister, a barrister, in Kensington.

“I’m happy being single at the moment,” she says. “Because it comes up, the whole thing of ‘Do you wanna settle down and have kids?’ I am a weirdly traditional, conventional person when it comes to stuff like that, more so than people think. But it really depends on the person you’re with.”

In the past few years there has certainly been a collective reckoning regarding our behaviour towards young, famous women of that era. But does that regret mean anything to the women who suffered through it?

Recently the FBI knocked on Barton’s door, saying they were “working on a case” and wanted to play her a series of tapes. She listened to her conversations with people from years ago, which were recorded covertly. “Who knows who was doing it?” she says. “But I was almost grateful to know that they [the FBI] were going to such lengths, otherwise you feel crazy and paranoid.”

She has also had direct apologies. In 2019 Perez Hilton told her, on The Hills: “If I could go back in time and do things differently, I would.” Barton was largely unmoved. “This bullying you did for so long to so many young girls, I find it hard to let go,” she replied. “I can’t really accept the apology entirely.”

I bring up Hilton today and she rolls her eyes. “I don’t listen to anything he says because he’s so crazy,” she says. “You can see how sorry people feel for what they did to people like Britney [Spears] then. Everyone now is like, ‘I can’t believe we did that to those poor women.’” She pauses. “People feel so entitled to you and your body and your image. It’s a strange feeling. It’s strange.”

Video included in the article:

[badsalmonella]

Media I tolerated for the 2023 cast of Camelot

I'm documenting these reviews for SCIENCE.

Ground rules: 1. I had to have watched this SPECIFICALLY for no reason other than a Camelot actor. Meaning no Phillipa's many great works aren't here. I just watched Hamilton because it was well made not specifically for her. (but like she WAS THERE and she ate it up so BONUS!) 2. I'm doing the bad ones for comedic purposes so I won't talk about Spain but like just know. I don't tolerate Spain. I. LOVE. SPAIN. Spain would blow all these entries out of the water. Don't just seek out Spain for the Danny Wolohan+ Andrew Burnap of it all frfr like it's just gOOD.😭

Under the Banner of Heaven

Verdict: ??/10

Definitely the most ""refined and pristine"" of the bunch I am about to talk about, I acknowledge this. But it turns out I didn't care about mormons when I saw Book of Mormon back in the day and went "eh." and I STILL DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM NOW. I unfortunately was not strong enough to finish this show. The first two episodes barely had Andrew Burnap and it was hard to continue knowing that there was some unsavvvvourrryyyy content waiting ahead of me. I'm always torn when talking about shows like this like what do you do when you know it's technically more competent but alsooo....it's more boring to you?

My whore levels: -ˏ͛⑅❒⌧⌧??/10

Someone (you know who you are) sent me this UNHINGED review for the show

and I went 'haha that's insane. that won't be me'. bad news folks.....it maybe might have been me. BUT ALSOOO all that progress would IMMEDIATELY undo because then the camera would zoom out and I'd be like 'ohhh.... oh no he does fit right in with these unsettling caucasians.... :/ Yeahh.............but then I'd see him in that blouuuuseeeee with that funky lil perrmmmm. 👀👀👀👀 all this to say. I am conflicted. I am confused. I am unwell. I want...a perm and a blouse?????

Broken Hearts Gallery

Verdict: 5/10

It's fine. It was alright. I'm not really a romantic comedy movie person so like I'm not the target audience but I mean this movie is doing what it says on the tin. Ya know? It's fine. Didn't offend me. Did what it had to do. Made me wish I was living an art life in New York City and Bernadette Peters was my boss.

My Whore Levels: 9/10

Honestly I love the glasses on Phillipa Soo, they got her in some fun outfits. I love the quirked up weirdo lesbian vibes. I love how she collects girlfriends like accessories. I would watch a movie about this character. Can I have a sequel??? There's a scene where she is mercilessly chopping a cucumber with a very sharp knife, it turns out my type is Phillipa Soo threatening murder I refuse to unpack that :)

One True Loves

Verdict: 0.5/10

Actually AWFUL. Like in a it barely feels like a movie kind of way. It's like it was made by someone they plucked off the street. Like the qualifications were 'have you seen a movie before???? okay cool then you can make one'. The worst editing I have seen in a movie in a long time. Holy shit. This movie costs 2$ LOOK AT THAT MOVIE POSTER!!!! If this were some random amazon prime movie with a bunch of nobodies I would understand BUT PHILLIPA SOO WAS IN THIS. THIS IS WHAT SIMU LIU ASKED TO BE IN AFTER DOING THE MCU. (not a joke)THE AUTHOR OF THE 7 HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO WROTE THE SCRIPT???? PHILLIPA PRODUCED THIS FILMMMMM. GIRLIE NOOOOOO💀💀💀 Also MASSIVE tonal problem. This movie is still sticking with me. Like I am GOOPED this was made. THIS APPARENTLY HAD A THEATRICAL RUN? and I know I said this before but HOLY SHIT I CANNOT BELIEVE BUZZFEED MAKES MOVIESSSSSS

My Whore levels: 2/10

They did my girl so dirty. This whole movie has the aesthetic of a high schooler's first photoshop project being a mood board inspired by a Taylor Swift song but all they use is the first 5 images you find on google search when you type in 'fall' and 'latte'. This movie told me "salt is spicy :(((" This is like if you could turn a cursive live, laugh, love sign into a look of a whole movie. They are dressing Phillipa Soo up like the most interesting thing she has to put on her dating profile is "I like reading :)". Two points though because for exactly one brief scene she was shoulder out, hair swooped dramatically and I whispered "slay".

Charmed (2018)

Verdict: 3/10

My worstie. My bestie. The beginning of the end. The moment that cemented that my bar was low. Honestly this would have been far and away the worst thing I watched for a Camelot cast member but One True Loves swooped in last minute and took home the gold(?) for being even more incompetent and even cheaper. I honestly have way too much to say about it though, which is proof that I somehow got emotionally invested. I'm convinced they had some sort of business deal struck with the Zara brand because everyone dresses like a business casual 35 year old woman on her way to the office (NO MATTER WHAT THEIR PERSONALITY IS THEY ALL DRESS LIKE THIS.) They must be getting awful direction or something because nooobody is doing a good job in the acting department (I'm typing this through tears. I'm choking and sobbing as I confess this to you all). There's DEFINITELYYYY a colourism problem. The show does NOT know how to utilize it's fun setting seriously for a show with witches you'd be SHOCKED how little magic is used in this show. THERE'S SO LITTLE WHIMSY!! and yet............I found myself bewitched (I'm sorry) by the show. I have given episodes rewatches. I have literally fallen to the floor, on all fours, WHEEZING, watching the bad credit card product placement in one of the episodes. My friend and I got to the episode where they say 'The curse is lifted! :) But the struggle continues' (the struggle....IS RACISM!!!) and our jaws DROPPED. A character projectile vomited on a man and he EXPLODED and all that were left were his boots in a smoking pile. It sucks but in a way I can't look away from. I wish there were ungodly amounts of seasons of this show. I wish Jordan Donica was trapped in a 13 season cycle of being this show's damsel in distress (no actually no I don't)

My Whore levels: I cannot share this number publicly💀/10

I'm not proud of the person I become when Jordan Donica is on screen in this show. YES they mostly dress him boring grey hoodies and jeans. YES He spends a whole season with his hair in the sad in between mid length stage that nobody likes being in (I stand in solidarity as a person who also likes keeping her hair short when it gets too long it's not great but it's part of the human experience) but damn dude that ain't stopping him from SERVING NORMIE CORE CUNT!!!!! Also because this relationship with me and Charmed is toxic every once in a while they would throw me the most delicious bone. Various suits in funky colours and long hair, ohhhh a bowler hat!!! The episode where he puts on a Shien punk leather outfit!! It's the small things, ya know? :) <333

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Hi I'm obsessed with these prompts. Can u do a drabble of Manny using prompt 17.

I can indeed!

Smut below the cut, minors DNI!

Dick picks. Unsolicited, and they are most definitely an unwelcome addition to your inbox. When the dick pic in question is being sent by your boyfriend, though, well... you are without issue.

'I miss you so damned much. As soon as I'm back, I'm gonna bury my mouth against that fine little pussy and lick it until you fucking scream, mamas.'

If you're going to be on board with any intentions, those will definitely suffice.

'Oh really? Tell me what else you're going to do?' Your reply is read, watching the dots as he types, excitedly awaiting his reply.

'It's real simple; Imma bend you over, spread those pretty legs nice and wide, and then slide every last inch of this right up in you. I can't wait to feel that hot, wet pussy gripping on me, baby.'

With the text, he sends a picture of his erection, long, hard, and perfect. It makes you feel a little wet, just looking at it on the screen, wishing he was home, so you could enjoy it, enjoy him.

'How badly do you want it?'

'You have no idea. I'm fucking raging for you. God! I wish you were here! Two more days, though, and I get you all to myself. I bet you wish you were here now, though. You could watch me touching myself while I fantasise about your perfect, big cock.'

You pout a little when you see he's read your message, but doesn't reply, lying there on the couch with your hand down your little shorts, rubbing the slick of your arousal as you imagine your fingers are his, closing your eyes and seeing him there above you.

Your mood is then shattered by a knock at the door.

"Damned Amazon man!" you mutter, throwing yourself up to your feet, wiping your fingers on a Kleenex before striding across your apartment. "Never turns up when I actually want him to!"

Clicking the locks, you slide the chain off and open the door, your eyes almost falling out.

"Surprise," Manny grins, laughing at your reaction.

"I thought you were the Amazon man!" you cry, flinging yourself into his arms.

"Nah, I'm not available on Prime, but my delivery service is top notch." He kisses you, walking you backwards into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind him. "Now, I require a signature for your package, ma'am." Taking your hand, he presses it to his crotch, the hard-on he's been dealing with since he got off his bike downstairs while texting you absolutely solid against your fingers.

"Mmm, just tell me where I sign." you giggle, Manny picking you up, carrying you over to the couch, removing your shorts after he's laid you down, and doing exactly what he said he would do.

You love it when he comes home early.

[starseneyes]

Good Omens: The Quest for the Set

Over the course of several months, I slowly checked Ebay, Thriftbooks, and Alibris for old copies of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman on deep discount.

Why? Well, it's a bit of a long story.

See, I thrift most of my books. It's the only way I can buy books most the time. But one chance purchase sent me off on a quest I never expected.

This is the story of how Rachel accidentally collected way too many copies of Good Omens on the quest to complete a set she happened upon by chance. And, yes, it does have a happy ending.

Deep into the heat of Summer 2023, both WGA and SAG-AFTRA were on strike—forced by AMPTP. (Yes, this is actually essential to the story)

And those of us outside NY and LA did our best to support. I was a madwoman on Social Media—posting every single day with links to Picket locations and the Entertainment Community Fund—and used any spare money I could scrounge up on Strike Shirts to support the cause.

I made it up to the lines twice in New York—first with the WGA, then with my Union later in the Summer. The first time, it was a day-trip that coincided with a family trip. The second time, friends sponsored my trip up because they believed in the cause.

And, wow, do I have amazing friends to do such a thing!

We were all a bit burnt out by August, and I was looking for something to distract me and cheer me up. I happened upon an old Prodigal Son interview with Michael Sheen where they mentioned a then-upcoming project—Good Omens.

"I meant to watch that!" I thought to myself. I shimmied to Amazon Prime and was stoked to see two whole Series waiting for me.

Imagine my surprise when I spied David Tennant on-screen with Sheen (yes, this is how out-of-touch I was about the production). I was a fan of both actors separately, though I'd only seen each in a handful of productions.

As Aziraphale and Crowley, I was captivated by them.

I marathoned both Series 1 and 2 in a week. Then, watched, again. Then, forced my husband to watch it, and found out my father had seen Series 1, but not 2, and made sure he got caught up, too.

I sought out the book, and found a Mass Market Paperback on Thriftbooks that was cheap enough I could afford it. But when it arrived, I struggled with handling it. It's just not my favorite size of book to read.

To my great surprise, I discovered my husband had found a regular paperback at the thrift store. Huzzah!

I read the book and loved it. But then I looked forlornly at my shelves. You see, if I really love a book, I like to have a hardback edition. I tend to tear up paperbacks on subsequent readings (I'm just not gentle on them, despite my best efforts).

So, I went online and found a sale at Blackwell's for the Illustrated Edition. And, yes, the shipping was included across the pond, which boggled my mind, but made it something I could afford.

It. Is. Gorgeous. There was only one problem—as soon as it arrived, I realized it was way too beautiful for everyday use.

It would take a month or so before I decided to try to find a decent, used hardback copy that I could use for everyday use.

I didn't want the crème de la crème. I'm a budget shopper out of necessity, and we were just getting our finances in order in October after our GoFundMe wiped out most of our medical debt.

So, I wasn't searching the web for First Editions or signed copies. I simply wanted a Good condition Hardback. And, I was elated to find one on Thriftbooks.

When it arrived, I immediately noticed part of the tagline was missing. I thought it was a misprint, but a lovely person on BlueSky informed me it was part of a set.

Now, this is when Rachel's OCD kicked into overdrive. I couldn't afford another book, just yet, but it felt lopsided to not have both books.

I posted about the conundrum and was surprised to find multiple people in my life who had one half or the other and had never noticed.

Matthew and I both took to the internet, thinking that maybe we could easily find the second copy, and then both our OCD would be satisfied. What we found was a maze of insanity.

See, the 2016 edition of Good Omens has a single ISBN but multiple dustjackets.

There's White. There's Black. There's ones with the full tagline. Ones with the half tagline. There's editions with quotes on 'em, and editions with different buttons: "Soon to be a TV Series", "Now a TV Series".

And nobody on Ebay, Alibris, or Thriftbooks will answer you about which edition they have. I messaged so many and they said, "Sorry, until we pull it to ship it, we know as much as you do!" Because the ISBN automatically pulls up whichever cover it chooses on whichever system, so you are at the mercy of chance.

I'm not a rich person even in the best of circumstances, so I decided to try a few times, and then move on. It would only be thrifted or second-hand items, obviously, but I didn't want to obsess forever.

I tried three times without success. Two Black 2016 Hardback Editions with full tagline. And one that claimed it was a Hardback edition, but showed up a paperback.

This is about the time I decided to give up.

I scrounged up a bit of money and found an SFBC 50th Edition for around $20. I counted my blessings when it arrived in decent shape.

The quest was over, I decided. I would simply look in Thrift Stores the rest of my life hoping that, perchance, the mystery White 2016 Hardback Half Tagline edition would find me.

Funny enough, when I pulled the SFBC edition from my mailbox, I found another package. After staring at it quizzically for a moment, I remembered an $8 "Acceptable" edition I'd found on Alibris and ordered on a whim when I saved money on groceries.

At the time, my Eldest had said, "I bet this is gonna be the one, Mama!" I remembered that with a smile as I picked up the SFBC edition and walked it to the living room bookcase, leaving the unopened second package on the bed.

After shelving the SFBC edition, I returned to my bedroom and tore open the packaging on the mystery copy. I started giggling as soon as I saw the top of the book—White hardback.

At this point, I was thinking, "Oh, of course I finally get a White hardback, now. But there's no way that it could be the right one. That's just not possible."

So, I pulled the book the rest of the way out of the packaging.

And. I. Screamed.

It was... the book. It was the BOOK!! How was it the book!?

I turned the $8 "Acceptable" book over in my hand, shocked at its state and normal wear on the dustjacket. My six-year-old rushed into the room to see what all the hubbub was about.

I triumphantly showed her the book, and then the laughter turned to grateful tears. I had given up the quest, but the prize found me, anyway.

I set the books together on the shelf, and waited for my Eldest to come home. As soon as he spied them together, he shouted, "I knew it! I knew it! I told you!" Yes, kiddo, you did.

For weeks after, I'd stop as I walked by the bookcase and smile broadly. It was so insane how it happened! I had given up! I was done!

And, yet, it reminded me of another time I gave up on something—December 2013 when I went in for a medical evaluation of my Fallopian tubes.

We had been trying to conceive for years. And I knew that if the test revealed my tubes were closed, we would stop trying. We couldn't afford another surgery. We'd already paid for so many procedures, medications, shots, and tests.

The results showed one tube that fired perfectly, and the other that sometimes did. I conceived via IUI the next month—one follicle from each tube. Twins. They're nine, now.

I had given up. And then the good found me, anyway.

In acting and writing, you get very used to rejection, to things not working out the way you want them to. I think I've gotten so accustomed to it, that I've forgotten sometimes the good things do happen.

So every time I walk past those books, it's a reminder to me. It's a reminder that, yeah, sometimes you strike out again, and again. But sometimes the good finds you, anyway.

As for the extra copies—we're keeping them to give them away. If anyone ever says, "Oh, I always wanted to read it, but can't afford it," I can hand them their very own copy to keep. How marvelous it is to be a position to share.

I'm going to face more rejections. I'm going to face more things that don't work out. But sometimes... maybe... just every so often... the good will find me, still.

And it'll find you, too.

[jennyeliseprince]

Animal Facts:

Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been inhabiting the world's oceans for around six million years.* Source: Georgia Strait Alliance

The orca's closest living relatives are hippos. The chevrotain, a small deer species, is a modern example of what their ancestor may have been like. It hides from predators by diving into water when threatened.*Source-CBC (Sidenote: totally wild to me that a deer-like species actually developed into an orca)

Orcas have a large and highly developed brain, particularly in areas related to cognition, problem-solving, and communication. They are able to learn and use complex hunting techniques, and they often work together to catch their prey. In addition, they have an advanced echolocation system that enables them to navigate and locate prey in the ocean with precision.*Source-American Oceans

It has been demonstrated that orcas possess a high level of self-awareness, as they have the ability to recognize themselves in mirrors. Moreover, they have a remarkable ability to solve problems and reason, as they can manipulate objects and solve puzzles competently.*Source-American Oceans

Orcas, also known as killer whales, possess a complex and sophisticated language that is unique to each pod. They employ dialects, which are local variations in vocalizations, to differentiate themselves from other pods. These dialects are acquired and transmitted from one generation to the next and can significantly differ between pods in different regions. Scientists have discovered that Orcas are capable of communicating with each other over long distances, spanning several miles apart. They also have the ability to utilize echolocation to locate prey and navigate their surroundings.*Source-American Oceans

Consumerist and Technological Facts:

Computer images fact:Doug Engelbart invented the first computer mouse in 1964, which was made of wood.*Source-GeeksforGeeks

Mac and cheese fact: James Hemings, the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson, popularized mac and cheese as we know it. There is an Amazon Prime documentary on this incredible chef titled, "James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen.”*Source-Today(I will be watching!!!!)

Lipstick Fact: In 1770, the British parliament passed a law that condemned the use of lipstick. The law stated that women who used lipstick to seduce men into marriage could be accused of witchcraft.*Source:Allure

Balloon Fact:Balloons were created for military communications, scientific experiments, and transportation. However, rubber balloons were not produced in the United States until 1907. Despite this, their popularity grew throughout the 20th century. The first commercial sausage balloons were manufactured in 1912, and in the late 1930s or early 1940s, Americans started twisting balloons to make animals. Another surge in recreational balloon use occurred in the 1970s with the introduction of foil balloons. Foil balloons are better at holding their shape than rubber balloons, making them ideal for conveying messages like "Happy birthday!" or "It's a boy!" The environmental impact of releasing balloons was not considered when I was younger and I certainly didn't know that their original purpose was function over fun.*Source:Slate

Tire Fact: Lego produces over 306 million miniature tires annually, making it the world's largest tire manufacturer.*Source:ContinentalTire 

"Beetles are still being harvested today to produce the cochineal used by the cosmetics and food industries. It is found in everything from M&Ms to sausages, red velvet cupcakes to Cherry Coke (to soothe the squeamish it is usually hidden under the far more innocuous label E120) There are signs, however, that humanity's appetite for cochineal may finally be waning:in 2012 Starbucks abandoned it as the principal red food coloring in strawberry Frappuccinos and cake pops after an outcry from vegetarians and Muslims." (Pg 143, The Secret Lives of Color)

Attendance Prompt: I remember when Starbucks stopped using cochineal in 2012. Many people were disturbed to learn that beetles are in our food and drinks. As someone who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, the idea of consuming an insect has always grossed me out. However, I recently discovered that one of my favorite cocktails, the Negroni, usually contains crushed-up bugs to give it its vibrant red color. The more I reflect on my upbringing, the more I find it ironic that basic, ugg boot-wearing girlies like me were concerned about bugs in our red velvet cupcakes when so many of the cosmetics and foods we ate growing up were artificial, banned in other countries, and contained cancerous chemicals. While I understand vegetarians and Muslims not wanting to eat beetles, I feel like I can sip my beetle Negroni and still enjoy it. 

[two-wheeled-therapy]

2022 OVERLAND EXPO EAST

How have I never heard of this wondrous event before?  Fortunately for me I noted the posting about it on advrider forums.  Upon checking it out, I signed up immediately for the full Overland Experience.  I am hooked! 

I loaded Jipci up for the ride down to Arrington, Virginia and pointed her south on Friday morning.  Arriving at the event, check in was a breeze as the staff of ever helpful volunteers showed me where to go.  Once there I knew I needed to set up my camp ASAP so I could get to the first event I had signed up for - The DART Level II rider training.  Once my weekend home was set up, I set off to find the training. 

It had warmed up considerably and was in the high 70′s as Bill Dragoo introduced his staff and started our training. I have about 12,000 miles experience riding dual sport motorcycles, about half of which was on dirt or gravel roads or trails, but I have never taken any training to teach me how to ride on these.  Let me tell you, there is no substitute for professional training.  Bill and his staff introduced each segment of the training and provided demonstrations of how they were supposed to look.  I, on the other hand, provided demonstrations of how they weren’t supposed to look. When seeing several of the obstacles they presented, I thought “there is no way in hell I’ll be able to do that!” My first attempt often reflected this negative mindset. But putting their patient guidance to use, I surprised myself and actually learned a lot, accomplished a lot, and overcame a lot.  I had originally tried to get in to the Level I course but was told it was full.  Bill told us all that regardless of what the scheduling app said, if we wanted to show up for any of his training while there, providing we paid for the full Overland Experience, we were welcome - Just show up with a proper gear and a positive mindset, and he would let you take the training.,

Knowing I needed more training, I toyed with the idea of making the Overland Expo an entire weekend of rider training.  But I had signed up for a lot of other training, and wanted to visit the vendors and get the full experience, so opted to keep my schedule and attend training on moto-camping, cooking, acro yoga and more.  Wait a second . . . did I say acro yoga?  Hell yeah!  And much like some of the obstacles in the DART training, when I first saw what they wanted me to do I thought “there is no way in hell I’ll be able to do that!” And once again my first attempt often reflected this negative mindset. But the patience and professionalism of Sam and Raquel of yogaslackers shone through and I was able to accomplish new things.  .

People.  That is what motorcycling is all about.  Yes we see amazing landscapes and remember them well.  But its the people that make each journey special.  People like Bill Dragoo, Adv Matt, Chef Corso, Sam and Raquel,and my new friends I met while camping, Steve and Rosita who have been living in their Chevy Colorado for months as they explore the country.  There were two people who really stood out to me on this journey.

The first is Dan of Cycle South.  This is the guy that posted the thread about this event on advrider.  He also is a guy who has ridden his little Suzuki throughout South America and has amazing stories to tell.  The other was Adv legend Sam Manicom.  Having heard about Sam Manicom through watching Adventure Bike TV on Amazon Prime, I had read some of his works and knew a bit of him.  So I signed up for two of his sessions.  The first was “Ask Sam anything”.  It was easy to get to this session as it literally was in the same site as the session I had immediately before that. So I wasn’t surprised when at first it was just Sam and me sitting there talking after we introduced ourselves.  But, not having looked at my watch, I didn’t realize that we had spent the first 10 - 15 minutes of the session with just the two of us talking about life and riding.  Sam was just as interested in my rides as I was in his.  Eventually about 4 others showed up and it really felt like a small group of guys sitting around the campfire after a day’s ride.  The only things that were missing was the campfire and the beers.  The second session I had with Sam was more widely attended as it dealt with moto-journalism.  How to get your story published.  Again Sam was just a down to earth guy sharing his knowledge and experience with other like minded individuals.  If you ever get the opportunity to talk with him - don’t pass it up - he has a wealth of knowledge and experience he is willing to share and also wants to learn from your experiences as well.

For the ride to the expo, I packed Jipci for much more than just a weekend.  I packed her for the 30 day Alaskan trip so I could see how she will do, and identify things I need to change.  I definitely need a bigger tent - the one man tent was just too small, and I don’t like my gear being outside, even if it was in a “vestibule”.  I am also thinking of soft bags for the big trip.  They will hold more which will allow me to carry less.  More on the reverse logic in another post. 

So I checked off my first two nights of moto-camping - One of which got damn cold, leaving frost and ice on Jipci.  But I survived.  The training, the experiences, the people made this all a wonderful event.  Oh and the fact that I was the big raffle winner on Friday night was a bonus too - which more than paid for the entire trip.  I came back with a few trinkets from the expo - One was Sam Manicom’s latest book, Moment Collectors, which is a collaborative book with chapters written by several different ADV riders (Dan wrote chapter 17).  I have read 4 chapters so far and it is a great read. Those who know me know I get stickers from places I have gone.  On the SAC Cycle these stickers adorn the inside of my top case.  This experience made me start another new thing - Stickers of people I have met along the way.  Jipci now has Sam Manicom and Cycle South stickers on her. These stickers evoke memories of great experiences as much as any “destination” sticker can. 

If you’ve never been to an Overland Expo - Go.If you have been - Go again!  I most definitely will be back.

[lumierecharity]

MOTHER MARY - THE HOLY. AMAZON PRIME HAS MADE THE MOVIE '"THE UNHOLY" AVAILABLE; ALLEGED NEWS. WHY NOT SIGN THE PETITION?

MOTHER MARY - THE HOLY

AMAZON PRIME REPORTEDLY HAS MADE AVAILABLE THE MOVIE "THE UNHOLY", A 2021 SUPERNATURAL HORROR FILM; ALLEGED NEWS. THE TENOR OF THE FILM IS ENCAPSULATED IN THE NAME "THE UNHOLY". FURTHER, PROMOTIONAL SLOGAN FOR THE FILM "THE UNHOLY" IS "BE CAREFUL WHO YOU PRAY TO    THE UNHOLY". 

PROMOTIONAL POSTER SHOWS A STATUE OF OUR LADY OF GRACE, AND BELOW THE STATUE IN A POND, THE REFLECTION OF OUR LADY IN A TATTERED GOWN, LONG AND POINTED FINGERS AND APPARENT DEMON-FACE WITH BURNING EYES.  

IT BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO UNDERSTAND THAT MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST IS HOLY.

WHY NOT SIGN THE PETITION TO TELL AMAZON PRIME TO STOP BLASPHEMING THE HOLY MARY AND DEVOTION TO HER. CLICK IN THE FOLLOWING LINK:

The coming of Mother Mary - otherwise known as Our Lady - was foretold to humanity by Almighty God. In Genesis 3:15, God told satan "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it will crush your head, and you will bruise His Heel." So God already planned to sent an immaculately conceived human woman to our race. He would ask her if she would consent to be the Mother of His only begotten Son. If she agreed, the Messiah - Jesus Christ of Divine Father and born of human mother - would crush satan's rule on earth. Likewise, satan would only hurt the Savior, not bring about His annihilation. 

We see that Jesus indeed died by crucifixion as a result of historical events which were overshadowed by satan's hour of darkness. Yet Jesus - Who had been borne by holy Mary - was not destined to remain dead. On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus arose again - alive forevermore. Furthermore, Christ has promised that all of good will shall rise again to eternal joy in heaven.

PROPHECIES

The prophets foretold that the promise of God regarding the coming of Mary to world history would be fulfilled. The book of Isaiah tells us that God promised Ahaz a sign that the Davidic dynasty would continue despite the threats of invading armies: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His Name Emmanuel" (Is 7:13-14).

APPARITIONS

For over two millennia, Mother Mary has constantly appeared in apparitions to uncounted people. Many apparitions occur which are not reported. Other apparitions have been reported over the centuries: Our Lady appeared in Lourdes, Guadalupe, Fatima, Ngome and many other areas. Many of Mother Mary's holy apparitions have been documented in The Miracle Hunter: 

The hallmarks of an apparition of Our Lady include the following:

- The Mother of God is always holy and dignified in appearance

- True miracles - which only bring good, peace and happiness to the recipients - often occur during or after the apparition

- Those to whom Mother Mary appear either come to faith in Jesus Christ, such as Alphonse Ratisbonne :

- or have their faith strengthened

- or their lives deepen in holiness, such as Juan Diego after he witnessed the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe:

It behoves all humanity to respect the Mother of God. Let us only read holy books which honor her name. Moreover, let us only watch non-blasphemous films which speak the truth of Mother Mary's holiness.

Holy Mary is honored as the Mother of the Son of God, the King of Heaven. Chapter 12 in the Book of Revelation shows that Mary wears the Queen Mother crown in Heaven. 

Satan's time on earth is limited: this being knows that his nemesis is a little Nazarene lady who bore the Son of God.  During our time on earth let us follow the example God set for us and honor the holy woman He chose as Mother of His Son.

Amazon Prime has made the movie "The Unholy" available. This film does not show the wonder of the true nature of Mother Mary, the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

WHY NOT SIGN THE PETITION?

With thanks to americaneedsfatima.org, miraclehunter.com and wikipedia

[irvinenewshq]

Harris gushes over Biden on late-night Brett Favre speaks out about fraud scandal and extra high headlines

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS — Episode 1343 — Pictured: (l-r) Vice President Kamala Harris throughout an interview with host Seth Meyers on October 10, 2022 — (Picture by: Lloyd Bishop/NBC through Getty Photographs) Good morning and welcome to Fox Information’ morning publication, Fox Information First. Subscribe now to get Fox Information First in your electronic mail. And here is what it is advisable to know to start out your day … ‘I LOVE JOE BIDEN’- Kamala Harris talks Biden, marijuana decriminalization, migrant buses throughout late-night look. Proceed studying … ‘UNJUSTLY SMEARED’ – EXCLUSIVE: Brett Favre speaks out about welfare fraud scandal. Proceed studying … ‘FAIR-MINDED APPROACH’ – John Fetterman helped launch man convicted of murdering aged lady. Proceed studying … SHOPPER’S HOLIDAY – Amazon’s Prime Day II alerts vacation spending hurdles. Proceed studying … TALK SHOW DRAMA – Kathie Lee defends Regis after Kelly Ripa writes bombshell memoir. Proceed studying … – POLITICS ‘POLITICAL AGENDA’– Gov blasts atmosphere, social and company governance as ‘anti-American.’ Proceed studying … BRINGING HOME THE BACON – Biden battles California in Supreme Court docket struggle over pork. Proceed studying … MUM TOO – Democrats, #MeToo silent after Politico outs sexual assault on Republican candidate. Proceed studying …   MEDIA ‘DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN’ – Potential Hunter Biden prices underscore failed progressive narratives. Proceed studying … ‘CARNIVAL BARKERS’ – NY Magazine author lashes out at media questioning John Fetterman’s health for workplace. Proceed studying … ‘EVERYTHING IS RACIST’ – ‘The View’ host Sunny Hostin fumes over being referred to as racist on social media. Proceed studying … ‘I’M NOT SURRENDERING’ – Detroit Information author hits ‘progressive’ educators for usurping her parental rights. Proceed studying …   PRIME TIME JESSE WATTERS – They will let anybody run for workplace these days. Proceed studying … TUCKER CARLSON – In 2022, whether or not you are thought of harmful or not relies on who you voted for. Proceed studying … SEAN HANNITY – It appears the momentum has clearly shifted in the direction of Republicans. Proceed studying … LAURA INGRAHAM – The unconventional Left by no means takes a trip from hating on all issues American. Proceed studying …   IN OTHER NEWS HOLIDAY ROAST – Sen. Warren mocked for Indigenous Peoples’ Day tweet. Proceed studying … DANGEROUS DRUG – Former drug czar declares America’s fentanyl disaster and ‘invasion.’ Proceed studying … ANTI-REGIME ACTIONS – Protests hit Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors. Proceed studying … FALLEN ON HARD TIMES – OPINION: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s fall: Not not like the economic system’s. Proceed studying …   FOX WEATHER What’s it wanting like in your neighborhood? Proceed studying…   THE LAST WORD “So, you reside in america and also you watch nightly the chaos in your metropolis, buildings burning, individuals being pushed in entrance of subway trains, individuals getting knocked within the face on the road for no purpose, carjackings, murders up in each metropolis in America. So, you have a look at that and also you suppose, is that actually it?” – TUCKER CARLSON       FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Fb Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn   SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERS Fox Information First Fox Information Opinion Fox Information Way of life Fox Information Leisure (FOX411)    DOWNLOAD OUR APPS Fox Information Fox Enterprise Fox Climate Fox Sports activities Tubi    WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE Fox Information Go Thanks for making us your first selection within the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox very first thing Wednesday. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Hi *waves*

Im pretty new to the fandom and i heard something about christians petitioning to cancel good omens so could you pls tell me what it was about?

Was it because its queer coded or something like that?

also i love your blog very much

Hiya! :) Thank you, happy you like the blog! :).

Oh yes, there was a group of Christians trying to get it cancelled (funnily, it was after it came out and everybody thought it was only one season).

Read for example here :).

More than 20,000 supporters have signed a petition in which they say that Good Omens is “another step to make satanism appear normal, light and acceptable”, and “mocks God’s wisdom”. God, they complain, is “voiced by a woman” – Frances McDormand – the antichrist is a “normal kid” and, most importantly, “this type of video makes light of Truth, Error, Good and Evil, and destroys the barriers of horror that society still has for the devil”. They are calling on Netflix to cancel the show.

That's right, while the show was on Amazon Prime, they petitioned Netflix to cancel it, proving that they did their research and certainly seen the show :).

I remember making this meme :D

Also there was a fun on twitter between Amazon Prime and Neflix (Stranger Things is a Netflix show):

Neil then said :):

“I really would’ve loved to have sent a box of chocolates to whoever organised it – they probably would have thought that I was being sarcastic, but it was the best thing in the world,” Gaiman said.

“It demonstrated that the people who sign petitions to get shows removed don’t actually watch those shows – if anybody at any point involved in that petition had seen Good Omens, they would’ve known how silly their petition was, but also if anybody had seen Good Omens, they would’ve known it was on Amazon Prime!

“But what it did for us was become the most amazing and effective promotional tool I could’ve imagined, because everywhere in the world where they have the kind of news show where they ask you questions about what’s in the newspapers, there would be a Good Omens question, which would mention that it was an Amazon Prime show and told people it existed and told people where to go and watch it.

[allfrogsmatter]

get to know me- 2022!

thank you for tagging me @pixelnrd

(i won’t lie i fangirled when i saw you tagged me)

🎨 favorite color- at the moment, sage green maybe

📖 currently reading- several books and articles about transgender rights in india (for a paper i have to write, reading for pleasure doesn’t exist for me right now)

🎶 last song you listened to- chelsea dagger (it’s the goal song of one of my favorite hockey players WHO just signed an nhl contract today!!)

🍽 sweet/savory/spicy- it always depends, but i definitely have a sweet tooth

currently working on-

✨ sims wise- nothing atm :( no time, however i had one free day last week and spent it playing my 100 baby challenge that i started in 2016 (i’m on baby 48) and once i finally make it to spring break i intend to get back to my hayes legacy save

🤫 real life- MANY things, i have a 2500 word paper due sunday, a 7 page paper due next friday, a final and an infographic due the following monday, and a final paper due that following friday (not to mention the daily lecture quizzes and weekly/section assignments for this week and next week) and when i’m not writing or studying i am at rehearsal since we open thursday night and run this weekend and next weekend, and of course in my very little ACTUAL free time (after rehearsal, before sleep) i am eating dinner and watching Victoria on amazon prime

i’m never sure who’s been tagged or who’s already done it so if you read mine consider yourself tagged!

[somedayonbroadway]

You mentioned a Sprace version? Well I'm always a slut for Sprace. Also, where can I find more/watch Nerve? Or read? I've never heard of it.

Nerve (Sprace) AU

Hi Anon! Sorry this took so long. So Nerve is a movie (it’s technically based on a book but they are very different). I think you can rent it on Amazon Prime, but that’s all I know of. It’s staring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco.

Since I already wrote out the outline, here’s a scene from it! Motorcycle Safety is what I like to call it. Please enjoy!

“Get to sixty miles per hour…” Spot read on his phone, tilting his head a bit.

Not quite believing that, Race leaned over the other boy’s shoulder. He tried not to let himself get caught up in the way Spot smelled or how strong his arms looked. He tried not to get too comfortable. After all, not many people in this insane game were willing to be helpful. Maybe Spot had done a nice thing for him, gotten him a tattoo he actually liked instead of some tacky thing that people around ask him about for the rest of his life only to find out he had no answer. No explanation.

This was just one night. This was just a stupid game. Spot was just a stranger.

“Wait, that’s it?” Race asked when he too read those words on the screen. “Just… get ta sixty on your bike?”

With a small shrug, Spot smirked at him. “Hey, I’m not complainin’,” he said, right as his phone chimed again. This time when he looked down, the smirk fell off of his face.

Race only caught a glimpse of that terrifying word before Spot put his phone down. “Wait, I’m sorry, did that just say ‘blindfolded’?” he asked, shaking his head and scoffing. “I’m sorry, I’m out,” the boy decided, starting to walk away.

But Spot caught his arm. “Wait! C’mon, I can’t do this by myself,” he smiled charmingly, pulling Race a bit closer. Race still looked extremely hesitant. So Spot tilted his head. “You said it yourself, this is the first time you’ve felt alive in a long time… I know you’ve got more fire in you than that,” he coaxed.

The blond boy scoffed and looked down. “Look, I ain’t no daredevil,” he shrugged. “I’m just a kid in way over his head—“

“I need you ta help me navigate! You’d be in control,” Spot insisted. “C’mon,  you trust me, I trust you… you get ta live up to the name ‘Racer’...” he tried to seduce.

Rolling his eyes a bit, the boy chewed on his bottom lip. “I had fun t’night,” he stated. “Thanks… for everything…” he breathed.

Spot stepped just a bit closer to him. Not quite close enough. Race could feel his heart ready to pound out of his chest. “Stay,” he asked in a breath. “J’st ta see what else happens.”

Just as Race might’ve argued again, might’ve actually listened to his brothers telling him how big of an idiot he was being in his head, a very loud, black, dirty truck pulled up beside them. A boy jumped out. He was huge, tatted up with what looked to be a glass eye in placement of what would’ve been his left eye. He had a smirk on his face. “‘Sup, guys! Racer, Racer! Let’s see you do something actually amazing,” he laughed, shoving a large bumper sticker into Race’s chest. The blond only caught it out of instinct. “Just hold that up for me, blondie,” he smirked, snapping a picture of a confused looking Race with the sticker in his hands.

Then the boy kissed his fingers and gave them a peace sign with his hand. “See you at the finals, ‘Your Highness’!” he mocked, sticking his tongue out before he jumped back in his car and drove away.

Race looked to Spot, still holding the sticker. “Do you know that guy?” he asked.

Spot sighed and shook his head. “No…” he muttered, but neither of them were very convinced. Still, he looked back at Race pleadingly. “Race, do this with me? All ya gotta do is say yes, n’ you have total control…” he encouraged.

And for just a moment Race got lost in those amazing brown eyes and then suddenly he was on the back of a motorcycle, clinging to Spot so tightly he wondered if the other boy could even breathe. He was staring at a red light, waiting for an inevitable change to happen. There were two minutes on the clock. Just two minutes. To agonizing minutes.

Spot glanced back at him and let out a breath. “You can do this,” he encouraged before he pulled down the shield of his helmet with the sticker Race had been holding stuck to the front of it. New York F***ing City it said.

Race squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. And when he opened them, “Okay… green,” he breathed, wishing he had been man enough to say no to this. The motorcycle started rolling forward. Race couldn’t breathe. “Okay, okay,” he muttered again and again.

“You gotta talk to me, Racer! What’s happening?”

Everything was shaky. Spot wasn’t driving straight. Race peeked out over his shoulder. It was a blur of cars and lights. “Cab on your right!” he called, noting that Spot was drifting towards it.

“On my right? Or go ta my right?”

“No! It’s on your right, go left!” Race cried as they got closer to the taxi.

“What?”

They were going to crash. Race knew they were going to crash. He was going to die, they were both going to die. “Hey!” the cab driver yelled. “You have a sticker on your helmet!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Race screamed, hitting the cab. “Left, left, left!” he tried to instruct in a panicked tone. So Spot went left. And now they were headed for some trees that divided the road. “Too far left!”

Spot’s knuckles were turning white. “What?!” he cried.

Race let out a panicked scream and then leaned to the right, trying to brace himself. But Spot got back on balance immediately. “Oh my god!” Race cried.

“Okay! Okay! That worked!” Spot yelled. “Just keep doin’ that!”

Race gripped onto Spot tighter. “What? Lean?” he asked.

“Yes! Lean!” Spot agreed. “You are in control!”

That was the most terrifying thing Race was sure he’d ever heard. “Okay… okay… next lights green…” he instructed hesitantly. “We’re at thirty! We’re halfway!” he stated.

“Good! That’s good! What’s next? We clear?” Spot asked.

Race’s heart plummeted when he saw the next light turning yellow. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this. “Next light is…” he looked down at the clock. They wouldn’t make it. Not if they slammed on the breaks. “Green!” he lied as the thing turned red. “Go faster! Faster!” He put a hand on top of Spot’s, trying to pump the gas harder.

Race screamed as they were almost hit. Well, the person driving that giant black van hated them. Amazing.

“Okay!” Spot yelled. “We still clear?” he asked.

Race nodded against his shoulder. “Yes! We’re clear!” he called. Only he didn’t see the cab rolling over for the woman on their right. He gasped and leaned to the left immediately, screaming as he did so. That’s when a minivan drove up beside them. They were screaming for them. “Whoa! Racer! Brooklyn! We love you!”

Spot gave them a shaky, quick wave. He couldn’t even see them. “Love you too!” he yelled. “Time check!”

“Thirty seconds! We’re almost there!” Race yelled. “We’re at fifty!” He guided them into a tunnel, leaning to avoid the other cars. Some people were honking, others were recording them. Race didn’t have eyes for any of them. “Faster, Spottie! Faster!” he screamed. “We’re clear, just go!”

Spot gripped painfully at the handles. “Count it down, pretty boy!”

“Fifty five…” Race started. “Fifty seven, fifty eight, fifty nine, sixty! Whoa! We did it!” he cried.

Immediately, Spot pushed the shield of his helmet up. “Whoa!” he cried, before his eyes widened. The road was ending. “Oh shit!” he screamed, clutching onto the breaks. “Hold on! Hold on!”

“Oh god!” Race cried.

Spot managed to come to a stop just before they crashed into the building in front of them. And he was breathing hard. “Oh my god, we just did that,” he muttered. “Holy shit! We just did that! You just did that!” he laughed.

It took a moment for the terror to fade away, for Race to start laughing. “Oh my god… my brothers gonna kill me…” he laughed. “We just did that!”

Spot helped them off of the bike and Race stumbled into him. They were both shaking and suddenly, as Spot took his helmet off, they were just staring at each other. It felt like an eternity before they finally allowed themselves to close the distance.

Race melted into the kiss.

[ratingtheframe]

I Care A Lot, Malcolm & Marie, Capone, The Life Ahead and the News of the World: Everything I watched in February.

Newsflash ! The cinemas still aren’t open and I’m starting to lose hope in them ever opening. Despite the UK government drawing a step by step guide into lifting the UK out of lockdown (like its flat pack furniture and not a critical pandemic) with cinemas due to open in April, I wouldn’t hold my breath seeing as our own human biology and its resistance is the actual measure of when it is safe to go out and about, not what our government says. So until everyone is vaccinated and has sustained the first few months of vaccination symptom free, I’m having to sift through Netflix and Amazon for something to watch, like I’m looking through a charity shop sale; without much luck. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for these streaming services, I (my dad) pay for them for Christ’s sakes and I know that one day I’ll be eating my words when I’m offered a Netflix deal that I (in a Vito Corleone voice) “cannot refuse”. However, unlike some of the creators on Netflix, I’ll make the most of this opportunity and be incredibly anal about what I want to make, even if it kills me. 

I feel like so many people are given the license to make whatever they want for Netflix and then I look at the trophy wall of Emmys that HBO has garnered over the years and consider their quality writers and casts. I would say most recently, shows like The Crown, Sex Education, Top Boy and Bridgerton are Netflix’s exceptions currently, being both of quality and giving us something we actually want to watch. And guess what all these shows have in common?! Not only are all the casts largely British but all productions of these shows are British too. The British quality of TV programmes for streaming services in the US is a win win for all; Americans get to watch our good quality TV and we get Golden Globes. Most notably, The Crown did exceptionally (as it always does) at this year’s Golden Globes, further proving the show's excellence despite controversy. I thoroughly praise Netflix's resistance to label the show “fiction” and the lengths it took in making the show as authentically as possible, despite the criticism. The awards speak for themselves and the Crown has scooped up several this year so far. 

To conclude, I want the cinemas to open just as much as anyone, but I’m happy to comply with the stay-at-home-and-watch-Netflix-rule for now. For now...Here’s everything I watched this February.

Annihilation (2018) as seen on Netflix

Netflix’s Annihilation starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Lee, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson and Oscar Issac was a multitude of things that were difficult to comprehend. This is not me saying this is a bad film, in fact its me saying the complete opposite as the complexity drew a tangible beauty to the film from beginning to end. I reeeaaalllyyy liked the beginning and how the first scene sucked you into the crazy and fanatical story that later unfolded. Natalie Portman as always was wonderful in this role, playing a biologist who enters another world in search of her husband, who’s gone missing on a similar expedition to hers. Like with most sci fi films, it was difficult to gather the meaning of such a film, however this lack of meaning didn’t draw away from the story or how it was portrayed, in slow and enigmatic shots that told the story with a natural pace. If you’ve seen / liked Ex Machina (2014), Annihilation has the same director and I would thoroughly recommend you watch this too as the way Alex Garland merges sci fi with horror is incredibly seamless.

Score: 10/10

Eastern Promises (2007)  as seen on Amazon Prime 

This film starring Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassel was incredibly dark and gritty. Even though I’m not Russian, I found Mortensen and Cassel’s Russian personas to be rather good for a Dane and a Frenchman. Their on screen chemistry was also really good and its make me wonder why I haven’t seen a film with these two in it before. The story follows Anna (Naomi Watts) a nurse and her hunt for the true identity and life of a baby that was born to a 14 year old girl. Nikolai and Kirill (Mortensen and Cassel) are Russian gangsters living in London and set about covering up this obscene scandal and getting rid of the product of it, a baby girl belonging to the condemned and now deceased child. It's a difficult plot to wrap your head around and like I said, it's incredibly dark. Actor and director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence 2005) directed this film and helped Viggo Mortensen with a nomination for Best Actor at the 2008 Academy Awards. 

Score: 8/10

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) as seen on Netflix

So remember how I said I was DESPERATE for films this month...I watched Fifty Shades of Grey with zero expectations and I can say definitively that it was worse than I thought. It's a true miracle that both Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan still have careers 6 years after such a film was released and I personally wouldn’t rush to cast either acting in my film after seeing this. Harsh, I know but reputation is everything and when you sign onto something that instead of highlighting your acting abilities, highlights your body parts, what am I supposed to think... I’m all for body confidence and what not, but I feel like most of this film sort of abuses sexuality and sexual expressions. The fact is, the BDSM part of this film wasn’t even that bad, it was the characters that pissed me off the most and their LACK of character in fact. They were orchestrated in such a flat way and the only time where either one of them found any character was through the sex itself and the discussion of it, especially Anastasia’s character. The most profound and irritating thing about this film is that Anastasia’s life seemed to only have meaning when she met the so called handsome, charming, wonderful, drop dead gorgeous Christian Grey. What does that teach us about women people? I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, sexualising women in film and media shouldn’t be the only reason for them to be there. And the entirety of Fifty Shades of Grey is built upon that fact. Even though the novel was written by a woman, it definitely missed the point in giving us a strong female character who could both be into sex and taken seriously at the same time. Seems like a really hard thing to do in cinema as filmmakers either go for the over-hyped sexualised prostitute, the caring mother or the nun. Like female professionals have never had sex in their lives… think again. I like to wonder what it would’ve been like had it been Ms Grey and Christian as her submissive. Not only would that mix up the character dynamic and go against gender confirmation, it’d actually be interesting. But maybe I should just write that story altogether...To conclude, the characters in this film were flat and the entirety of the film hyped up sex and the act of it way too much. It's like making a film about walking or breathing. 

Score: 1/10

Malcolm & Marie (2021) as seen on Netflix

Malcolm & Marie received a lot of attention in the media and sadly not for the right reasons. In fact, what’s so childish about the backlash is that hardly any of it had to do with the filmmaking techniques Sam Levinson (Euphoria’s creator) used or the story he wrote. More of it had to do with Levinson’s controversial ideas about how the media likes to view and prod film like a goldfish in a bowl, acting ostentatiously towards the art and appearing woke as opposed to just seeing film for how it is. I gather many film critic’s egos were bruised when Levinson used the lead character, Malcolm (John David Washington) as a butcher to film critics. He says things like “I’m choosing to make a film that’s fundamentally political, but not everything I do is political because I’m Black” in reference to the ignorance of some film critics who stamp politics onto any black directed film, attempting to brand the films with their own understanding of the film as opposed to its real message and story. Malcolm spends the majority of the night loathing a fictional “white LA reporter” and betting on her exact words for his own film, about an African American woman trying to get off drugs. What he says is funny, so funny it's true. White reporters DO do this and instead of embracing Levinson’s satricalism, the real LA white reporters of our media got overly offended and used the “lack of story” card as a backdrop to fuel their distaste at being called out. Had they known Levinson’s intentions with this film, they wouldn’t have reviewed it all together as I’m sure Levinson knew what he was getting himself into when mentioning the annoying “white LA reporter” and making the stereotype central to the lead's frustrations towards the industry. Levinson also graciously mentions that even though Malcolm has such hatred towards the critics, he is their fuel and by making his so-called “art” he only joins them in the argument . Levinson made his bed when he made the film and I think he’s sleeping rather comfortably. No one even bothered to praise both Zendaya’s and Washington’s performances, which were phenomenal considering the circumstances and the added pressure of having to carry a whole story in one room using only each other to fulfil that story. The cinematography was ambitious and overall, it was a simple yet well executed story. What are y’all complaining about? 

Let's put egos aside and focus on the actual film for once, rather than how its perceived the articulation of your opinions towards it. 

Score: 10/10

Coming to America (1988) as seen on Amazon Prime

At this moment I truly was becoming a slave to streaming services. I wasn’t particularly leaping at the opportunity to watch this film, however I chose to watch it as I heard that Eddie Murphy was releasing a sequel this year. As someone who doesn’t like comedy, I found this rather funny in places but it's hard to laugh at the black stereotypes portrayed in such a film even when those stereotypes were perpetuated by a black person. There was also a lot of misogyny, something else that I don’t call comedy but just misogyny. I found it hard overlook these moments and kinda saw this element as the downfall to the film which detracted from any of the other comedic moments.

Score: 5/10

Do the Right Thing (1989) as seen on Amazon Prime

One of Spike Lee’s earlier films, Do The Right Thing is a film I’ve been dying to watch for quite some time. The film is like a fascinating book, with chapters on each of the plights of living in Brooklyn in the 1980s. Though it takes one character’s perspective, there are a multitude of other stories that can be found in this film, with them interlinking seamlessly and coming together at the end. This isn’t a film about race but rather one about anger and its potential to divide people, especially when things become heated and fingers are pointed. It covered a variety of perspectives which I like, almost like an episodic series where each episode is different and takes on a different character. This structure added variety to the film and allowed it to cover a multitude of topics in a small space of time. The structure of this film was only successful because its characters, who were funny, three dimensional and above all, had something to say. Director and writer Spike Lee played Mookie, the lead, a pizza delivery man and quite the f**k up on the streets of Brooklyn, using his mouth more than his actions to get by in life. I really liked the balance of moments of comedy and severity which had me laughing in places and immediately stopping afterwards. Well written and I commend Spike Lee for having written, directed and starred in the same film.

Score: 10/10

The Life Ahead (2020) as seen on Netflix

As an actress, Sophia Loren is one of my all time favourites. On seeing films such as A Special Day (1977) Two Women (1960) Marriage, Italian Style (1964), I began to appreciate the work of Sophia Loren and notice how much of an icon she still is today. Having picked up several awards over an expansive 71 YEAR career, she has been honoured many a time by the Golden Globes and Oscars as one of the finest actresses of all time. Her presence on screen is inspiring and she’s been often referred to as the Italian Marilyn Monroe for her beauty inside and out. Here at the age of 86, she plays a Holocaust survivor and foster mother who cares for a troubled boy in The Life Ahead. Loren’s character, Madame Rosa, eventually saving him from a miserable life thieving and selling drugs on the streets of Italian. Loren’s son, Edoardo Ponti directed this film for Netflix and was generous enough to give us Sophia Loren’s presence on screen once more by casting her in the film as the lead.

Score: 9/10

Gold (2016) as seen on Amazon Prime

I found Gold to be one of those talky, talky films that starts at the end and ends at the end (if that makes sense) which in my opinion isn’t the most courageous structure one could use, but is common in biopics. It either starts on the protagonist’s death bed or at the point where the police have just caught them and for Gold it was the latter. The appearance of women in this film was second to none and that’s not me saying the director should’ve added female characters for good measure or token but why make a film that only appeals to one demographic, despite the intensity of the story...film is universal after all and if a film appeals to one certain group then what’s the point of releasing it? This doesn’t detract from Matthew McConaughey’s performance though as a “prospector” looking for gold in Indonesia. Even saying this, the character was very typical of him and it didn’t truly stretch his ability as an actor, not like Dallas Buyer’s Club (2013), Killer Joe (2011) or Interstellar (2014) did. To sum up Gold into one word it’d be “meh”.

Score: 7/10

Creed (2015) as seen on Amazon Prime

This was one of the most surprising films of the month. I’m not crazy about the Rocky films nor see myself watching all of them anytime soon, but Creed appealed as a more modern take on the hit franchise. Michael B Jordan plays Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, a champion boxer who died during a fight before Adonis was born. After being adopted by Apollo’s wife, Adonis Creed sets out to follow his father’s footsteps by becoming a champion heavyweight boxer himself, much to his maternal mother’s displeasure and his coach’s the one and only Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). The story is similar to that of Rocky and if anything, is a complete revival, using the son of one of Rocky’s former fighter as a backdrop to tell the story. Director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther 2018, Fruitvale Station 2013 ) brought this story to life and a courageous performance out of Michael B. Jordan. Not only was I fascinated by boxing by the end of the film, but just the whole idea of Adonis Creed, a fighter and not a quitter who thoroughly believes in pursuing your goals until they are obtained. Not only is this film for boxing fans but for those who share that same universal message and refuse to give into their own inhibitions to achieve great things. We should look to athletes more often in this respect and consider the pursuit of our own desires as boxing matches and marathon races more often as it helps put our fight into perspective and teaches us never to give in. 

Score: 11/10

Arrival (2016) as seen on DVD

Before anyone comes for me for not having seen Arrival, before I was a movie buff I had briefly come across the film several times but had never taken the time to sit it out and watch it from beginning to end. I’m glad I did as Denis Villeneuve is one of my favourite directors evah and along with Christopher Nolan, I consider him as the King of Sci Fi. Every single one of his films is incroyable (as the french say) and it's a mystery why he hasn’t been handed an Oscar yet. Arrival is this slow and beautiful story of a linguistics teacher (Amy Adams) who agrees to help on a mission to communicate with extraterrestrial life forms that have landed on planet earth in the form of twelve huge spaceships. Structure isn’t something we typically consider when watching a film, but it plays such an important part in Arrival for time and the manipulation of it is the main theme of this film. Essentially, the language in which Dr. Banks translates from the intelligent life form gives its readers the ability to see into the future, which is when we come to realize that she’ll have a child, who will die of an unnamed disease. Despite this fact, she decides to live the life fate intended for her. The reason why Arrival is a highly credible film is because of the coverage it has as a film in terms of what it's trying to say as a film. From someone who finds it hard to bring out the emotion of a screenplay, Arrival is a great example to me as a film that combines both a cinematic feeling and a strong emotional presence throughout the film. It doesn’t abandon emotions or relationships just because the film is about aliens, but instead embraces them into the story and intertwines them with the aliens who’ve come to planet earth. At the end of the day, we can have explosions, spaceships and aliens galore, but if we’re unable to connect with characters on an emotional level then the film becomes boring. Arrival is far from boring and may bring a tear or two to your eye by the end.

Score: 11/10

The News of the World (2020) as seen on Netflix

I feel like it's impossible to hate a film with Tom Hanks in it and The News of the World definitely fits into that.  Five years after the US Civil War, Cpt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) spends his days travelling around the US ‘reading the news’ to anyone who’s willing to listen. The majority of the US was illiterate in the 19th Century, meaning it was up to people like Jefferson to inform others of the ongoings in the world by reading them the paper. It’s a wondrous thing to think about, how information was once spread throughout the world in such an archaic format. Jefferson did this off his own back, not asking for much and finding fulfilment in the reactions to the news that he “broadcasted” to them. Whilst on his travels, Jefferson comes across a young girl (Golden Globe nominee Helena Zengal) who’s negro family had been killed by lynchers. The girl was originally from a Native American tribe but had been separated by them, leaving her to fend for herself. When Jefferson comes across her, he’s reluctant to take her in at first but decides to take her to some relatives across the country. It’s definitely the role you expect of Tom Hanks and his heart warming nature is captured for us in this film for Netflix.

Score: 9/10

The Mask (1994) as seen on Netflix

It's hard for me to label The Mask as a good film as that would mean shaking off the horrendous amount of misogyny it has and the lack of diversity within its characters. Films mean different things for people, but ultimately most of them reflect an element of humanity and explore it on screen with originality and authenticity. Cameron Diaz’s character was only there to fulfil the sexual appetites of the men around her, which is something I loathe in female characters. Originality The Mask has, authenticity, not so much. That's probably the reason why I hate comedies so much, most of them are written by men and are about men so it can get quite boring to watch at times. I liked the idea of The Mask but it definitely could’ve been executed in a less misogynistic way. 

Score: 5/10

Jackie (2016) as seen on Amazon Prime

One word; perfection. This film was hands down one of the most beautiful, genuine and honest films I’ve seen in my entire life. It had me reminiscing Todd Haynes’ Carol (2015) in a number of ways, from the similar filmmaking techniques to the slow and melancholy atmosphere that was being created on screen. The AMAZING Natalie Portman plays Jackie Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy who was brutally assassinated on a visit to Dallas, Texas in 1963. The fact that I didn’t even KNOW that his poor wife was in the car with him at the point of the assassination is shocking. On watching the film, I learnt Jackie was a remarkable, brave and intelligent woman who after her husband's death put so much into preserving her husband’s legacy despite his lack of popularity. The way the film is shot and the music by the brilliant Mica Levi (Under the Skin 2013 , Monos 2019) just ties everything together into a enigmatic and wonderful film. Natalie Portman was nominated for Best Actress at the 2017 Academy Awards and rightly so. This film has further proven my thoughts on her as one of the greatest actresses of our time. I seriously cannot EXPRESS how much I love this film, directed by Chilean director Pablo Larraín, who’s also made another film that I can’t get enough of Ema, which was released 2 years ago.

Score: 12/10

Foxcatcher (2014) as seen on BBC iPlayer

When we first think of Steve Carell, our minds probably drift to his most notable performance as Michael Scott from The Office or even Gru in Despicable Me. It's rare for a so called “comedy” actor to find his way into films with a more dramatic substance and over the last few years, this is what Carell has been showing us on screen, with this role in Foxcatcher and more recently, in Felix van Groeningen’s Beautiful Boy (2018). Foxcatcher is the true story of a wrestler offered the opportunity to train with a private wrestling team owned by a huge chemical corporation. Channing Tatum plays Mark Schultz, a quiet and reserved wrestler who trains alongside his brother David (Mark Ruffalo), also a champion wrestler. What's sad to see in this twisted story is how validated Mark feels once the powerful and wealthy John Du Pont (Steve Carrell) begins to take an interest in him and takes him under his wing. This relationship drives a wedge between Mark and his brother David, but much to John’s displeasure, it doesn’t last long. This is definitely a story of power and how people can react in bad ways when they are owed too much of it. Every performance in this was astounding and the slow and subtle telling of the story was truly beautiful to watch. Foxcatcher is a film I’ve been dying to watch for some time and it DID NOT disappoint. Period. The film was also nominated for five Oscars back in 2015, including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. 

Score: 11/10

In Fabric (2018) as seen on BBC iPlayer

Based on the current reviews of In Fabric, I deem the film a poncy experimental spectacle. Not only did it not say much, but what it was trying to say was rather disturbing and quite frankly bizarre. However, it's not a film I can necessarily hate on as it is experimental, meaning from the get go, I shouldn’t be expecting any sort of clear cut narrative, with relationships, protagonists, conflict or hierarchies. Experimental films are more about exploring a central idea and having all its “characters'' not essentially prove the idea, but just talk about it, like a debate but everyone agrees in the end. A debate where everyone agrees would be boring, which is why I find experimental films to be boring as most of the time they don’t have a meaning and sadly as humans, we’re obsessed with finding the meaning of things or else we’ll go crazy. And I would say this film definitely left me crazy at the end, proving the idea of man’s constant need to find meanings in things. In Fabric wasn’t really relatable, funny, clever or bold. It kinda just...was.

Score: 5/10

Delicatessen (1991) as seen on DVD

I love how the world likes to think that the American film market is the only film market when in actuality the French created the actual concept of cinema and the idea to project “movies” onto a large screen. With this has come a plethora of incredible movies from France that have gone onto to change the film industry forever. There’s a reason why the most prestigious and exclusive film festival in the entire world is held in the South of France and not LA. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the auteur behind Amélie (2001) one of the most well known independent films ever to be made and before Amélie came Delicatessen. This film is Tim Burton meets Wes Anderson but in French and tells the story of a man working for a butcher and the crazy characters he meets in the same apartment as him. By the end it's clear that The Butcher is selling more than pork and beef down in his store and that the new tenant is due to be the next item on sale. I loved how weird and larger than life the characters were and the otherworldly set design used for this film. There were so many moments that are quite hard to explain the beauty of them and if you’ve seen Wes Anderson or Tim Burton’s work, you’ll notice the similarities between this film and their work, perhaps showing a french influence on the current American market.

Score: 10/10

Amélie (2001) as seen on DVD

Continuing on with the French theme, I was reminded this month of the beauty of Amélie. Every, single, shot in this film is pure perfection and I bet all my money that Wes Anderson was a mega fan of this film when it came out. It's truly a film like none other and it’s only this time around did I realise how much I RELATE to Amélie. The way she sacrifices herself for others and gets nothing in return, the lengths she goes to tell someone something instead of JUST SAYING IT, her lack of friends, I can definitively say that there isn’t a character on screen that I’ve related to more than Amélie (besides Elio from cmbyn). If you haven’t seen Amélie have a word with yourself.

Score: 11/10

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) as seen on Amazon Prime

Pan’s Labyrinth was a surprisingly amazing film and I wonder why I hadn’t seen it sooner. I was astounded to see it was in Spanish which I thought made the story somehow better. It's rare that we see such high budget and well known film that’s in a foreign language but I’m glad this film got the noise it did when it was released. Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water 2017) tells us the story of 10 year old Ofelia and her discovery of magical creatures in the woods that inhabit the outskirts of her new home. Not only that but it’s 1944. The Spanish Civil War has been over for five years but small groups of guerrilla rebels continue to fight against the new fascist dictatorship led by Francisco Franco. This is a well structured film that shows two strong worlds and combines them in a satisfying way, which isn’t an easy thing as sometimes films can get lost in the facts of history instead of the emotions and dynamic relationships. The set design in this was UNREAL as always and I really felt for the characters and their given circumstances. And that’s what we call a film.

Score: 11/10

I Care A Lot (2021) as seen on Amazon Prime 

For a full review of I Care A Lot, follow the link: https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/643763403606867968/a-strong-performance-from-rosamund-pike-that-we

Score: 8/10

Interview with a Vampire (1994) as seen on BBC iPlayer

We were doing SO WELL until I made the costly decision to watch this waffle of a film, directed by Neil Jordan. Not only was the story all over the place, but the dialogue itself was incredibly on the nose and self explanatory throughout. It feels like there was more talking about the film instead of showing the film, which just made me switch off from early on in the film. I hated the casting of Tom Cruise in this and there were moments when I believed his character, but none of them outweighed the overarched and over bearing performance he was attempting to give. Brad Pitt was marginally better but the performance of Kirsten Dunst who was 12 years old at the time this film was released, outdid both actors. She was the only character that I truly felt for / cared about and her on screen presence was both enviable and wise beyond her years. Personally, I can’t explain what this film was even about because I truly didn’t get what was going on, however if you’re a fan of Kirsten Dunst’s work, this would be a suitable film to watch in that respect. 

Score: 4/10

Fargo (1996) as seen on Amazon Prime

Fargo is probably most known as a Netflix series, but before that, it was originally a film directed by the Coen Brothers and starred the likes of Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H Macy and John Carroll Lynch. I’ve been meaning to watch Fargo for quite some time and I was not disappointed with the outcome of it. It's one of those good old fashioned crime films, with lots of twists and blood split throughout the film. The film won two Oscars in 1997; one for Best Actress which was handed to Frances McDormand playing a police officer investigating a string of murders in Minnesota and another for Best Original Screenplay. A really well constructed story with a fantastic cast and great cinematography work from Roger Deakins (1917 (2020), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) The Shawshank Redemption (1994). 

Score: 10/10

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) as seen on Amazon Prime

The Darjeeling Limited further proves to us Wes Anderson’s ability to create entire new worlds and show us stories that take place all across the world. Three brothers, Peter (Adrien Brody), Jack (Jason Schwartzman) and Francis (Owen Wilson) have travelled to India in an attempt to bond with one another “spiritually” after the death of their father. Peter and Jack aren’t too keen on this little expedition, irritated at their brothers' intrusiveness over the trip. The majority of the film is set on this fanatical train travelling across India and yet again, we are blessed with some phenomenal production design to tell us a fun and uplifting story. What’s more is that the boys’ mother (Anjelica Huston) lives in India as a nun at the foot of the Himalayas. This becomes the real reason for their venture and such a thing changes the character dynamics between the three men. India is shown in all its beauty in this film using the backdrop of three men’s relationship with one another as a story.

Score: 9/10

The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou (2004) as seen on DVD

Another one of Wes Anderson’s lesser known films but equally as good as the rest, this film follows a group of marine explorers travelling across the pacific to try and kill a shark that supposedly ate a member of Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) ’s crew. With an all star cast composed of Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and Anjelica Huston this film was entertaining, enlightening and cinematographically ambitious. Steve Zissou is a fictional character who makes a living off of extreme and dangerous marine explorations. He makes films of his travels using his crew and after screening his latest film, he meets a young man (Owen Wilson) claiming to be his son. Evidently, Zissou is reluctant to accept that this man is his son and uses his presence as financial gain to the project. I appreciated all performances in this film and the set design (as always with Anderson’s films) was exceptional.

Score: 9/10

Life of Pi (2012) as seen on Amazon Prime

A highly visual and emotional film that carries beauty throughout in both performance and story, Life of Pi was directed by Brokeback Mountain (2005)’s Ang Lee and tells the story of Pi (Suraj Sharma and Irrfan Khan) a young boy alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a fully grown Bengal Tiger. Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Director at the 2013 Academy Awards, this film does a phenomenal job of reminding us why cinema is such a superior and infinite art form. Pi’s family are on their way from India to America, exporting a large number of their zoo animals in hope of selling them once they reach the other side of the world. After a horrendous storm ravages their cargo ship, Pi is left all alone in the ocean with what only appears to be a small dingy, but to his horror, he comes to find that the zoo’s tiger Richard Parker is keeping him company in the middle of the ocean. Now if that ain’t a viable story, then I don’t know what is. To make a film look like it was set in the middle of a Pacific and with a Bengal Tiger is no small feat. Suraj Sharma’s performance was both truthful and powerful, despite the film being mostly shot in a studio with nothing but animation for Richard Parker. This is one of very few films that does the original novel justice. 

Score: 11/10

Capone (2021) as seen on Netflix

Yikes. Capone has not been getting a lot of love in the media since its release on Netflix on 24th February. Personally, it's not the most god awful, offensive film I’ve seen and yet I wouldn’t have been the one to have made such a film either. The film is supposed to depict the last year of the infamous and notorious Al Capone, who suffered from numerous illnesses at only the age of 48. Tom Hardy plays the blood thirsty gangster and I have to say, this was a thoughtless casting choice. Hardy doesn’t have an ounce of Italian in his face and he put on this larger than life caricature of an accent that had me feeling rather sorry for him at moments when I shouldn’t have been. The acting was exceptional, but believable and interesting? That’s another argument altogether. Cinematography and sound wise, I thought the film was excellent in those respects but again, those should be additions to the integral story of a film. I get why Hardy signed up though, what actor wouldn’t want to play a mob boss? Maybe the point of Al’s life in which this film was built upon was perhaps wrong for the screen and I’m sure most would have preferred Hardy to play Capone at his peak. This film is a clear example of people getting ahead of themselves when they first explore an idea for a film. This film could have easily been saved in the development stage had someone said let’s not do this.

Score: 5/10

Creed II (2018) as seen on Amazon Prime

Obviously a prequel will always outdo a sequel, however I found Creed II to be just as meaningful as the first film. Maybe even more so as Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) is becoming a father his responsibilities have shifted dramatically. He’s also desperate to fight Viktor Drago, a Ukrainian ruthless boxer whose father accidentally killed Creed’s father in a match decades before. Drago is tough, beyond what he and his coach Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) could ever imagine and because of this, it drives a wedge between Adonis’ relationship with his coach. Creed thinks Rocky doesn’t believe he can beat Drago but Rocky insists not fighting the bull of a boxer would benefit him greatly, after all, look what happened to his father. The character dynamics have shifted in this sequel, but the structure has remained largely the same. We kind of knew what we were being served at the end and the change in character was there for everyone.

Score: 10/10

...and that’s it! Everything I watched this February, you do not want to KNOW how long this list took to compile. Thanks for reading and see you next month!

ig: @ratingtheframe

[mrsmarymorstan]

Now Furuba S2 is over, what now?

I’m already seeing a lot of people asking for recommendations now the S2 Sub is over; so this is a list of series that I think you’ll enjoy if you like Furuba! 

All platforms listed are true for the UK, but might not be for other residences. More viewing options may be available in other territories. 

Unless specified, All Manga/Comic recs are available from regular bookstores and EBook Stores. If you’re in the UK I’ll suggest checking out Hive, which is an online store where a potion of each sale goes towards a Local Independent Bookstroe of your choice! They also have flat-rate free shipping! 

Okay, so the actual recs! (I got lazy in some places and used the official synopisis) 

Romance

Convenience Store Boyfriends Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Six high school boys hang out at a local convenience store where they talk about their daily lives. Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are first year students looking forward to the high school experience. Alongside them, there’s Nasa Sanagi, the only member of the cooking research club. Natsu Asumi is a loner but has third year students, Mikado Nakajima and Masamune Sakurakoji, looking out for him.“

Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 - Crunchyroll, Funimation (Sub) S2 Funimation (Sub/Dub) 24 eps - Ongoing Manga: 18/20 volumes available in English 

“Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. And everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. Pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?”

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun Netflix (Dub/Sub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 12/12 volumes available in English 

“High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki. When she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says she wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Sakura discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shōjo manga artist working under the pen name Sakiko Yumeno. She agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga Let's Fall in Love they encounter other schoolmates, who assist them and serve as inspirations for the story.”

Snow White With the Red Hair Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total Manga: 9/22+ volumes available in English. Anime ends Vol. 8 

“In the kingdom of Tanbarun lives an independent young pharmacist named Shirayuki. Shirayuki is a plain girl, save for her shock of beautiful apple-red hair. Her stunning mane gets her noticed by the prince, but instead of romancing her, he demands she be his concubine. Shirayuki chops off her lovely locks, and runs away to the neighboring kingdom where she befriends a handsome stranger.”

Tsuruedure Children Funimation (Dub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga (Ebook only) 12/12 Volumes available in English

“Short and charming comedic vignettes offer a quick glimpse into the unique and funny situations, misunderstandings, and all around confusion that can happen in a high school romance. For starters, there’s a story about a delinquent girl and the student council president, and one about a stoic boy confused about an emotional girl. Relive the charm of high school romance!”

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Amazon Prime (Sub) 11 Eps Total Manga: 4/9 volumes available in english 

Looking for a slice of life romance but you’re an actual adult now and don’t want to read about teenagers? Try Wotakoi! It combines office romance with childhood friends-to-lovers. Narumi is a Fujoshi who doesn’t want anyone to find out the truth of her ways, Hirotaka is a Game Otaku who doesn’t care what anyone says about it, together they go about the ins-and-outs of dating as an adult. 

Coming of Age

BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt, so I’ll max out my defence Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Ongoing 

“She may be new to gaming, but Maple has found the secret to invincibility! Just put all your skill points into defense until you can't even move. That works, right? She doesn't want to experience any pain in the VRMMO game she started playing, and somehow it works better than anyone expected. Now she's got followers??”

Brand New Animal Netflix (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Set in a world where humanoid animals (known as beastmen) inhabit Earth, the series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who one day suddenly starts turning into a tanuki beastman. Running away, she seeks refuge in Anima City, a city built for beastmen to be able to live peacefully as themselves, and ends up meeting a wolf beastman named Shirou Ogami. Together, they investigate how and why Michiru became a beastman, becoming mixed up in even stranger events in the process.”

Hyouka Funimation (Dub/Sub) 23 Eps Total 

“A worthy addition to any animation fan's collection, Hyouka is a stunning masterwork that spins a charming tale of high school romance and mystery. After disenchanted student Hotaro Oreki joins his school’s Classic Lit Club, he meets Eru Chitanda, a kindhearted and inquisitive girl with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting him caught up in all sorts of trouble.”

Koto Oto Tomara! Sounds of Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total 

“Down to its last member, the koto club will accept anyone who is interested in the traditional Japanese instrument. But when a delinquent and a prodigy player sign up, finding harmony isn’t going to be easy—especially not with ensemble competitions looming around the corner. With enough time and some incredible skill at the strings, perhaps this motley crew can strike a chord with the judges.“

O Maidens in your Savage Season HIDIVE (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 7/8 volumes available in English (8th available for pre-order) 

The series follows a High School Literature club as they make their nervous first foray into the nature of sexuality. What is the difference between sexual attraction and romantic attraction? Does watching porn mean wanting to have sex? What are these strange feelings I am having down below? Why are boys so gross and girls so pretty? Each girl undergoes their own journey and finds their own destination, a brutally honest yet heart warming look at teenage female sexuality. 

CW: Sexual Assault, pedophilia (both portrayed as BAD AND TERRIBLE things) 

Our Dreams at Dusk Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English 

IF YOU ONLY CONSUME ONE THING ON THIS LIST MAKE IT THIS!!!!! The series is the VERY DEFINITION of “It Gets Better”. 

After his classmates discover some gay pornography on his phone, Tasuku Kaname contemplates committing suicide. Just as he’s about to jump, he spots a mysterious figure parkouring down a mountain. Shocked out of his moment, he decides to go and investigate what’s happening and finds an LGBT+ Drop In Centre. The series follows the lives of the people in the drop in centre, from Haruko who wishes to marry her closeted girlfriend, to Misora who is still trying to figure out what their gender is but has the threat of puberty hovering of their shoulder. 

It’s very clear that Kamatani-sensei has written this story FOR the Queer Community. It’s a truly beautiful story. Please give it your money if you can, so that Kamatani-sensei can actually earn some money, and so that Seven Seas know that there is a viable audience for these stories! So that we may get more content!

Reverse Harem 

Fruits Basket is NOT a reverse Harem, but i figure there’ll be some fan crossover. 

Kiss Him, Not Me Cruncyroll (sub) Funimation Dub available on DVD etc. 12 Eps Total Manga 14/14 volumes available in English

“Kae Serinuma believes one thing—princes belong together! As an avid boy’s love fan, she loves nothing more than fantasizing about faux relationships between the boys at her school. But when she loses weight due to the stress of her favorite anime character dying suddenly the boys want…her?! From pretty average to prettiest girl, Kae just wants these boys to date each other, not her!”

Sub uses an irritating “Silly Fat Person” voice that the Dub doesn’t. CW for Sexual Assult, though it is depicted as a BAD thing and used for Kae to question why she is so into it when reading BL, when IRL it is terrifying? 

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

A TRULY Bisexual harem! After bumping her head, young Katarina Claes awakens with all the memories of her past life... and promptly realises she’s been re-incarnated as the antagonist of her favourite Otome Game! Determined this time to live past the age of 17, Katarina starts to make plans to turn all her enemies into allies through the power of kindness and understanding! Throughout the series, she tries harder and harder to avoid her doom flags... without realising that she’s turned those doom flags into romance flags! 

Katarina lives out the fantasy of going to magic school and eating cake as all the pretty people fall head over heels for her. A pity she’s too dim to notice.

Ouran High School Host Club Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 eps total Manga: 18/18 volumes available in english 

Set in the high class elite private school of Ouran High, the Host Club exist to provide entertainment for the ladies of the school. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi Fujioka, stumbles across the Host Club and in their haste to leave they knock over an ¥8,000,000 vase. Now she must earn that money back by working for the Host Club, all the while disguising the fact that she’s a girl. Not that she ever felt much like a girl before hand anyway. Along the way, she gets to know better the Cool Kyoya, the flamboyant Tamaki, the Mischievous Hikaru & Kaoru, the Strong and Silent Mori-senpai and the adorable Honey-senpai. Comedic Hijinks ensue! 

Slice of Life

The Emperor and I Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English on Shonen Jump App 

One day Kaho returns home from school to find an Emperor Penguin in her fridge. He quickly becomes a beloved part of the family, but a secret to the rest of the world who would want to take him away from them. Hijinks ensue. 

Kakushigoto Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

Doting single father, Kakushi Goto, is determined to hide the fact that he writes echhi humour manga for a living. He couldn’t bare it if his daughter were to ever find out the truth, the shame of his profession only alienating her. A laugh out loud series that will suddenly cut you deep as it explores the nature of grief and familial love. 

My Brother’s Husband Manga: 2/2 volumes available in English 

“Yaichi, a stay-at-home single father, lives with his daughter Kana in suburban Tokyo. They are visited by Mike Flanagan, the widower of Yaichi's estranged twin brother Ryōji, who has traveled from his native Canada for three weeks to learn about Ryōji's past. Kana is fascinated by Mike and is immediately accepting of him, though Yaichi is hesitant to accept Mike as family.

While Yaichi is not overtly homophobic, Mike suggests that his tacit discomfort over his brother's sexuality drove a wedge between them that led to their estrangement. Mike's interactions with the family and neighborhood over the subsequent three weeks prompt Yaichi to confront his own prejudices around sex and sexuality, as his growing tolerance and eventual acceptance of Mike parallel his overcoming of his own homophobia.”

Whilst the trope of “the gay brother dies and the heterosexual brother learns not to be homophobic” might be over done in western media, the same is not true for Japan. It’s a heartfelt and honest look at grief and acceptance, as well as how the nature of family is changing all around the world... but attitudes are maybe conservative attitudes aren’t as quick to catch up. 

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 

So apparently everyone went “this show is undubbable! It relies too much on puns and untranslatable humour!” and then Howard Wang said “hold my beer” and did it. A bizarre comedy series set in a high school. It’s probably best known for the ongoing fight between the deer and the principal.  

Way of the Househusband Manga: 4/5+ (ongoing) volumes available in English  

After he meets and marries the career driven Miku, Tatsu AKA The Immortal Dragon decides to give up his life of crime to commit to being the worlds’ best husband. You’d be surprised at the transferable skills between a Yakuza enforcer and a house husband. From knowing how to efficiently cut up a slice of meat, to how to perfectly clean a bathroom of all evidence. Hilarious and heartwarming, Taki and Kyoko would be best bros. 

Slice of Life + Supernatural 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K S1 Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 episodes Netflix S1 (Dub/Sub) S2 & 3 (Sub) 50 episodes total 

“Saiki Kusuo is a typical 16-year-old high school student… except he has psychic powers. He can use them to get whatever he wants, but he also knows everything that people are thinking. Everything. No surprises, no secrets, no normal human experiences. He’s kept his powers in check since childhood, but with the temptations of high school now on his mind, he’s bending the rules—and spoons.“

Sabrina The Teenage Witch (2019)

Writer Kelly Thompson wears her magical girl influences on her sleeve in this new take on the Archie Classic. Sabrina is your regular teenager, except she is also a witch and so are her aunts. Hijinks (and Card Captor Sakura References) ensue. 

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 eps total Manga 13/13 Volumes available in English 

“Kamome Academy is rumored to have many mysteries, the strangest of which involves the mischievous ghost of Hanako-kun. When occult-loving high schooler Nene Yashiro accidentally becomes bonded to him, she uncovers a hidden world of supernatural beings. Now the two of them are conspiring to keep the peace between student and supernatural—that is, if they can only stay out of trouble themselves.“

Jughead (2015) 4 Volumes total

Bought to you in various parts by the creators of Squirrel Girl, Jughead combines slice of life with spy thriller, time travel and the joy of a good burger. Hilarious and heart warming, this run holds a special place in my heart as the one where Jughead was confirmed as canonically asexual and continues to express various aro/ace moods throughout the series. There’s a REASON my friends say I’m a Real Life Jughead.... 

Weathering With You - available digitally/physically 28th Sep. 2019

In June 2021, first year high schooler Hodaka Morishima leaves Kōzu-shima in order to get to Tokyo. When his ferry to the city is hit by a rainstorm, he is saved by Keisuke Suga, who runs a small occult magazine that’s looking for an assistant. As Hodaka becomes broke and struggles to find work, he meets Hina Amano, an employee of a McDonald’s restaurant. She takes pity on him and gives him food. After agreeing to work with Suga, Hodaka learns about the legend of the “sunshine girl” who can control the weather! It turns out that the newly unemployed Hina is a sunshine girl! And with her little brother, they start up their own business to bring sunshine to the never-ending rain of Tokyo. 

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Episodes Total Manga: 22/28 volumes available in English 

After tripping on the stairs, School Bad Boy Ryu Yamada and Top Student Urara Shiraishi discover they can swap bodies with a kiss! They then learn that they’re not the only ones with magic powers in the school, and with the help of the Supernatural Studies Club they begin to track down the identities of the 7 witches of Suzaku High. 

This series really stretches my limits on fan service, but at least it does proceed to get a little even in terms of gender. It’s still a really rather sweet and romantic series, once you get past the boobs and panties. 

Your Name Netflix (Dub/Sub) Spin Off Manga “Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound” - 2/2 volumes available in English 

A modern take on the Red Sting of Fate mythos, Mitsuha and Taki are two teenagers tied together. Three times a week, Mitsuha will wake up in Taki’s body and live the life of a Tokyo School boy. In turn, Taki will wake up in Mitsuha’s body and learn what it is to be a Rural Shrine Maiden. A look at the bonds that tie us, and how fate won’t let two young people fall apart before they can meet. 

Also the animation is BEAUTIFUL and it made me cry. Like a lot. There’s a spin off manga called “Your Name: Another Side” that follows the same story but from the POV of Mitsuha’s friends and family. It really brings new light to the events and made me very emotional.

Mental Health 

Green Lanterns: Rebirth (2018)

Jessica Cruz suffers from PTSD and severer anxiety, seeing her utalising her will power to overcome those problems and harness that energy to help save the universe is so incredibly powerful and moving. 

Hawkeye (2012-2015) 4 Volumes 

The Fraction/Aja/Wu/Hollingworth Hawkeye run is widely considered one of the best superhero runs of all time. Fraction and Aja perfectly capture “functional depression” at its finest, and we watch as Clint Barton slowly burns all his bridges before being forced by his friends to sort his shit out and put them back together again. There’s also a whole issue that’s primarily written in sign language too. 

My Roomate is a Cat Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 eps total 

“Mystery author Mikazuki would rather live in total isolation than deal with others. Getting a roommate is the last thing he’d ever do, until a stray cat sparks an idea for his next novel. After plucking the little killer off the streets, this four-legged muse inspires Mikazuki in ways he would have never expected. And for the street-wise cat, this human just opened the door to a whole new world.”

A Silent Voice (Manga/Movie) Movie: Netflix (Dub/Sub) 

“A former class bully reaches out to the deaf girl he’d tormented in grade school. He feels unworthy of redemption but tries to make things right.”

CW Attempted Suicide, bullying

Please watch the dub. Lexi Marman Cowden, who voices Shoko, is an ACTUAL hard-of-hearing actress. It makes for a more real and vulnerable performance that avoids the mild ableism of the Sub hiring a Hearing Actress and robot-ising her voice. 

Yuri!!! On ICE Crunchyroll (Sub) Funimation (Dub) 12 eps total 

“Yuri Katsuki makes his way to the Grand Prix ice skating competition as Japan’s top representative with his eyes on the prize. However, instead of celebrating, Yuri walks away defeated and ready to retire for good. But a run-in with champion Viktor Nikiforov and rising star Yuri Plisetsky ignites a new fire within him. With the two of them close by his side, Yuri will take to the ice once more.”

Yuri’s defeat sends him into a very relatable spiral of lack of self belief that he slowly starts to regain thanks to the help of Viktor. Part sports anime, part love story, all full of feels. 

The Dub is considered hit or miss depending on whether you like accents or not, but honestly it’s worth it for Sabat’s Christophe giacometti. Ayame walked, so Christophe could strut. 

Generic 

I’m gonna start by recommending the Shonen Jump App, it’s £1.99/month and gives you access to all their recent publications as well as their back catalogue in English! So you can read all of Boys Over Flowers, Nisekoi, Naruto, One Piece, Haikyuu, Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia etc. for a fraction of the cost of buying the physicals! SO much manga at your finger tips! No, they don’t sponsor me but i wish they would. 

Astra Lost in Space Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 5/5 volumes available in english, available on the Shonen Jump App

A group of teenagers on a school trip become Lost In Space and quickly discover a conspiracy is a foot. Part thriller, part comedy, saying anything more about this series would count as a spoiler given the number of plot twists throughout. 

Radiant Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 42 eps total Manga: 13/13+ volumes available in english (ongoing series)

A french manga turned into a Japanese Anime.

“Seth, a sorcerer destined to find Radiant, sets his sights on Caislean Merlin for answers. He’s desperate to find out what the Knight Sorcerers know, but can he trust them? In the wake of all that is unknown, he digs deep within himself for the wisdom and confidence to control his powers. And as the world around him continues to grow with more magic and power, he gains strong new allies.”

The series has BIG Saturday Morning cartoon vibes. My 12 year-old self would have been ALL OVER this.

Batman Ninja (Netflix)  

What if a Japanese animation studio asked DC if they could make a batman movie? And then just threw a Japanese history book at it? What if there was time travel? What if the main batman villains were all feudal lords in Japan? What if everyone were Samari? What if Damian had a small animal companion he could communicate with using a flue? What if Jason’s hood was made out of wicker? What if Penguin had a penguin shaped mecha? 

A wild ride from start to finish that makes no sense but really, do you care? 

[greensparty]

Movie Reviews - Val / Woodstock ‘99: Peace, Love and Rage

This week I got to review two docs that look back at pieces of 90s pop culture, i.e. my wheelhouse!

Val

In recent years there has been a proliferation of documentaries in which the subject was actually documenting themselves. This has a lot to do with the advent of the home video camcorder (hi-8 or VHS) in the 80s and 90s. In recent years I’ve noticed the documentaries on L7, Shannon Hoon and Soleil Moon Frye’s recent Kid 90 have all been subjects who were documenting themselves with their camcorder and now decades later their story was able to be told with that footage. Actor Val Kilmer was among the first people he knew to have a camcorder in the early 80s just as he was becoming a notable actor on stage and then film. His story is now being told with all of his footage he has kept over the years in Val, being released in theaters this week from A24 and on Amazon Prime Video on August. 6.

movie poster

I first became aware of Kilmer from his 80s comedies like Top Secret and Real Genius. I was actually surprised he made the transition to drama and never made comedies like those again considering what great comic timing he had. But after playing Ice Man in Top Gun, he was going for leading man drama and action roles. I actually had his action figure from Willow when I was a kid too. His portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film The Doors is one of the great music biopic performances of all time. If ever there was a performance that should have been Oscar nominated and wasn’t, this was it. The fact that years later you saw actors winning Oscars for playing the likes of Ray Charles and Freddie Mercury but Kilmer wasn’t even nominated for his lived-in performance is astounding to me. Kilmer also played Elvis in a small scene-stealing role in True Romance too. As he became a bigger star in the 90s, the stories about Kilmer were legendary: he was difficult to work with, he caused Joel Schumacher to push him on Batman Forever, yada yada yada. At a certain point, he started doing more smaller indies and supporting roles. But there’s no denying the strong performances he has delivered.

Val Kilmer in Top Secret

The documentary begins with Val’s grown son Jack narrating Val’s words. As we see Val modern-day he speaks with a voice box and his dialogue is entirely subtitled, after a procedure for throat cancer. This is Val’s chance to tell his story. He has lead a very sad life after enduring a tragic loss as a teen, something he never quite got over. He also gets into his complicated relationship with his parents, who divorced when he was a kid. He addresses the rumors about him being difficult to work with, but for him he sees it as being a perfectionist and not being a hostile collaborator. He also gets into his marriage to ex-wife Joanne Whalley, who is the mother of his children Mercedes and Jack. In recent years, he has gone to conventions and done meet-and-greet screening events even with his health issues.

Kilmer today

Kilmer aspired to work with genius filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick (we see his audition tape for Full Metal Jacket) and finally got to work with his acting hero Marlon Brando on the doomed production of The Island of Dr. Moreau. The most poignant moment in this (and there are many) is when Kilmer talks about meeting fans today and how he is signing autographs of Batman, Top Gun, and Tombstone posters and how he is selling the person he used to be, even thought he looks and sounds nothing like him anymore. At the age of 61 he’s already looking back and not forward. This does present a fascinating deep dive into the complicated man himself. Much like the aforementioned docs about L7, Shannon Hoon and Soleil Moon Frye, this also stands as a time capsule of the time Kilmer was documenting. Worth watching!

For info: https://www.amazon.com/VAL-Val-Kilmer/dp/B09888KKZK

4 out of 5 stars

Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love and Rage

About five years after the massive success of the Woodstock ’94 concert in Upstate, NY, in early 1999 they announced Woodstock ’99, a big concert festival taking place in Upstate NY to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the historic Woodstock concert, which was three days of peace and music. The 1969 concert was a cultural touchstone for Baby Boomers, and to a lesser degree the 1994 concert was a milestone for Gen-Xers. So in the name of commerce, the promoters decided to see if lightning would strike thrice. I was a music geek in college in 1999 and frequently attended concerts. I had already gone to multiple Lollapalooza’s and radio station festivals, so I was intrigued when I heard about Woodstock ’99. At first I was into it, but in the months leading up to the concert when bands like Aerosmith (who played ’94) and Foo Fighters pulled out of ’99, I bailed. Throughout the weekend of Woodstock ’99 there was reports of violence at the festival. I remember watching MTV News’s coverage and in the weeks that followed they had a roundtable discussion with Kurt Loder, Carson Daly, Serena Altschul and Chris Connelly trying to understand what happened and how it could have been handled differently. Now decades later, there is a new doc Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love and Rage that is premiering on HBO Max today, that attempts to unpack the events of that weekend.

movie poster

Director Garret Price deep dived a moving portrait of actor Anton Yelchin with the 2019 doc Love, Antosha (read my review here), and now he brought that same passion for archival footage of Yelchin to Woodstock ’99. On the weekend of July 22-25, 1999, the Woodstock ’99 festival took place in Rome, NY at Griffiss Air Force Base, a former air force base that closed a few years earlier. The doc does not hold back the irony of having a peace-loving rock festival at an air force base. The base itself had little in the way or trees or shade, which created issues for the 400,000 fans who attended and didn’t have a place to cool off like the ’69 and ’94 locations did. The fact that water bottles were $4 only added to the extreme conditions. There were not enough resources to keep up with the porta-potties either. There were also several rapes reported and several more assaults that went unreported. By the end of the festival there were some deaths and then there were fires, looting and riots. Was it the toxic masculinity of the mostly white male audience that caused this sexist environment? Was it the extreme heat and lack of hydration? Was it the under-prepared security crew? Was it the aggressive music from performers like Insane Clown Posse, Korn, Kid Rock, Metallica, Limp Bizkit, and Megadeth? This doc looks into all sides.

the audience of Woodstock ‘99

What’s interesting is that there are some interviews with Woodstock ’99 performers like Moby, Jewel and Creed’s Scott Stapp, but there’s actually more interviews with concert attendees and journalists. Its as if this documentary wasn’t so much framed as a music doc as it was a true crime doc, in which its looking at all sides of a crime scene. It would have been interesting if it had looked at some of the diversity of the performers a little more. For example, it wasn’t all rap-metal as people remembers, artists like George Clinton, James Brown (yes, THE James Brown), Los Lobos, The Chemical Brothers, Rusted Root, Our Lady Peace, and Elvis Costello also performed at the event as well. They get into that a little, but Moby talks about how he felt out of place with the show and wouldn’t have played had he known it was going to go down the way it did. Of all the artists I saw on the TV broadcast, Rage Against the Machine was the highlight of the festival IMHO.

the Woodstock ‘99 live album cover

This doc did a good job of putting this festival into the historical context. It was an age before everyone had cell phones, but it was also a time period shortly after the Monica Lewinsky scandal, just before Y2K and Millennium anxiety ensuing, and violent films like The Matrix and Fight Club. It was also an interesting time in music, where MTV was giving equal time to both rap-metal and teen pop. The one part I felt was shoe-horned in was addressing Metallica’s war on Napster, which happened the following year. Unless they just wanted to show that Metallica was out of touch with the young audience, I don’t see what that had to do with Woodstock ’99. But in the end, it’s fascinating to look at this event from the perspective of 2021 and how different the culture has changed since then. This is the kind of doc I wish I could see at a festival with an audience and hear the post-screening Q&A discussions. I guess I’ll have to settle for twitter instead!

For info on Woodstock ’99: https://www.hbo.com/music-box/woodstock-99-peace-love-and-rage

4 out of 5 stars