#I do think I worked on one or more of the recent godzilla movies but I don't remember which one(s)

[ferronickel]

Happy birthday @lilybug-02!

A version without devil bread under the cut:

[canmom]

Do you think Hideaki Anno is right-wing or is it too difficult to tell from his works?

Haha that's a question.

I'll focus on nationalism rather than trying to get into, say, gender politics here, since that's the accusation that most seems to follow Anno around.

Anno's politics are... hard to pin down from his work alone, I think. He's like... a prototypical case of that generation of 'apolitical' otaku that followed after the Anpo generation, with Eva pretty much the definitive statement of the 90s psychological turn. But that said... I can definitely see the argument that there are nationalist themes in some of his works like Gunbuster, though I definitely don't buy every reading in this series (lots of dubious kanji reading). He definitely has that otaku fascination with war machinery and war media (apparently he's a big fan of The Battle for Okinawa and watched it over 100 times), which can easily blend into imperialist ideology.

But there's complications here. For example, the Animekritik series cites the setting of Gunbuster in Okinawa as something formative to the nationalist ideology they are trying to illustrate - in part in relation to the ongoing controversy over American military bases in Okinawa. Anno has at least been on record as saying he's disinterested in Western culture, and I can see the reading of Jung-Freud as an external Other who is shown up by the Japanese girls, somehow simultaneously representing the USSR, Europe and the States. But anti-Americanism in Japan can come in both left and right wing flavours (c.f. Anpo). Communists want the Americans out too! Portraying Okinawa as a military training camp in a Japan-led military coalition certainly comes across as a more nationalist take on that whole matter, but I feel like it's got about the same level of serious nationalist commitment as Doctor Who putting random British people all over space.

When Gainax has played around with nationalist imagery it's usually been in a kind of ironic sendup way - see Ash's writeup about the Aikoku Sentai Dai Nippon controversy, in which Daicon Film staff were disdainful at the accusation that their goofy toku film reflected a genuine nationalist sentiment. While Imaishi takes it further, a lot of Anno's work is also about playfully reappropriating past works. In Anno's case a lot of that is classic tokusatsu, Ultraman in particular, and also Leiji Matsumoto's scifi, notably Space Battleship Yamato, which, well... you know the deal there lol. But it's not so simple to go from that to 'Anno is a nationalist'.

Eva doesn't tend to attract these accusations, but I recall the controversy came back around with Shin Godzilla, though to my mind it's hard to find a straightforwardly nationalist reading of that movie. (It's a film about the experience of the earthquake and Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, and it's critical of Japan's bureaucracy, but equally one where the JSDF repeatedly get their shit handed to them and civilian infrastructure is what actually stops Godzilla - not to mention Godzilla is painted as quite a tragic figure here!) It all feels pretty tenuous.

I haven't seen as many of Anno's live action films as I'd like, so I can't comment as much on the more recent Shin films, Love & Pop, Shiki-Jitsu etc. And it's always possible for subtler allusions to slip by the anglophone viewer. Still, I don't personally think Anno's post-Gunbuster work is particularly nationalist in outlook. I certainly haven't seen any evidence of him favouring, say, war crime denial, anti-Korean sentiment, remilitarisation, etc etc. - he's definitely not as dubious a figure as someone like Hajime Isayama. But it's not like, anti-nationalist either! It's just kind of hard to read in those terms.

So I lean towards your second option, I'm not convinced he's a nationalist or particularly right wing. He happily associates with Hayao Miyazaki, who's definitely not a right wing guy. But Anno'll also let hilariously cooked stuff like whatever On A Gloomy Night was supposed to be into the Animator Expo. So I don't think he's particularly left wing either, he's no Ikuni! But Anno's fiction is very individual focused, full of psychoanalytic themes and internal conflict. He can vividly portray trauma and complex power dynamics. There's a lot to appreciate in works like Eva from a left-wing angle. I don't really know why this association of nationalism follows him around.

Idk, maybe there's a bunch of interviews I'm missing! Presumably you have a reason for asking this question...

[chaos0pikachu]

Two Flavors of Japanese (BL) Cinema

Recently I came across a post that proposited that Japanese cinema hadn't changed since the 1950's and came in, essentially, two types. 

Let's discuss that. 

I can’t go into the history of all Japanese cinema in a singular blog post like that’s just not possible, there’s literal books and classes you can take on this subject, and I will be linking further reading down at the bottom of the post so you can do just that. 

This fact alone, should already disprove the point that Japanese cinema hasn’t changed since the 1950’s. Other than the fact that like, Japan isn’t a static society that is forever unchanging because human beings do not work like that. 

Which is why I’m writing this essay at all. 

I love cinema, I love storytelling and filmmaking. And, frankly, I may not be an expert but I am annoying. I own that. 

Japanese cinema has held influence over many directors, writers, animators, and so forth. 

Just watch this playlist of Sailor Moon references across various cartoons. Or how Satoshi Kon influenced the work of Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan. Or how James Cameron and the Wachowskis were both influenced by Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 Ghost in the Shell. And then there’s Akira Kurosawa who’s been cited as a major influence for directors like: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Martin Scorsese and a slew of others.

I want folks to know there’s a slew of amazing films from Japan and that distilling the industry - the blood, sweat and tears of its creators - to a strict dichotomy of this or that, either/or is disrespectful at best and xenophobic at worst. 

It’s also just a shame because, like, guys there’s so many great films from Japan! There’s also probably a lot of great live action shows from Japan but I’m not super knowledgeable about them - I mainly watch anime so that’s not a great metric in terms of Japanese television - so I’m just talking about films in this post. 

Ok so main points I’m gonna address: 

Japanese Cinema hasn’t changed since the 1950s 

Japanese film style falls under an extreme dichotomy of cinematic/sweeping (described as “atmospheric”) or cartoonish/slapstick (described as “live action manga”)

Baby does any of this have to do with BL? (no, but it IS more gay than you think)

With these four films: The Hidden Fortress (1958), Lady Snowblood (1973), Gohatto (1999), and Kubi (2023). 

I picked these four because they’re all “period pieces” taking place feudal Japan - or with the aesthetics of feudal Japan, The Hidden Fortress nor Lady Snowblood aren’t based on actual historical events, like Gohatto and Kubi are, however loosely, but take place in an amorphous 15th to 18th century Japan - and I think they strongly show the development of this singular genre in Japanese cinema. 

Plus the latter two films, Gohatto and Kubi, are gay as fuck and I know my people. 

[you can also read this post on this blog post which includes additional links as tumblr has a limit and for easier readability as this is a long post]

The Hidden Fortress 

Released in 1958, directed by Akira Kurosawa it’s probably the most well-known film on the list. It’s a film that exists within the “Golden Age” of Japanese cinema alongside films like Kurosawa’s own Seven Samurai (1954), Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) and Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu (1953). 

It was also the era where, after the American Occupation post-WWII a boom of movie distribution took place with new film studios such as: Toho (y’all know them from any Godzilla movie ever made), Toei (if you know One Piece you know Toei but they’ve done a ton of films both animated and live action) and others. 

The story is straight forward, two peasants, Matashichi and Tahei who bicker their asses off like an old married couple the entire film, happen upon a Very Hot Man with the Only Thighs Out (Toshiro Mifune was a BABE) named Rokurota and his companion a icy young woman named Yuki. 

Matashichi and Tahei have just escaped like, a ton of ~circumstances that include failing to become samurai, being broke as fuck, getting captured and forced into servitude - don’t worry that lasted like 6 hours tops - and then find gold hidden in a stick on a mountain. 

Turns out Rokurota has all the stick gold they could want! So they team up neither realizing Rokurota and Yuki are actually part of a clan that’s been recently wiped out and they’re on the run from a rival clan who has wiped theirs out. Yuki is the princess of said clan and it’s only survivor, while Rokurota is her samurai general and retainer. 

Tahei and Matashichi, living in ignorance of these facts, try to steal the gold away from them because they live that hustle life until the end when all is revealed and Yuki grants them both with a gold piece to share (this is a really big piece of stick gold). 

There’s other things that happen, like a fight scene between Rokurota and rival clan member, Yuki owning every single scene she in - I fucking love her - but that’s the gist. 

The story is, again, pretty uncomplicated, it balances the comedy of Tahei & Matashichi with the stoicism of Rokurota and Yuki well, and all the acting is strong. In terms of its film style, by modern day standards it’s not especially “cinematic” Kurosawa doesn’t favor fanetic camera movements, his camera is often very still and the movement he employs is often in individual character ticks, and/or background set pieces. This film has a lot of great set pieces. 

Kurosawa didn’t employ camera techniques like panning, he doesn’t really do extreme close ups, there's no swooping shots or fancy tricks, I’d say a majority of the camera shots in The Hidden Fortress are a combination of mid, and wide, with a few mid-close ups. One thing to notice is Kurosawa’s use of scene cuts; instead of a cut he used pan sweeps to change scenes. If you’ve ever watched a Star Wars film you know exactly what I mean. 

The Hidden Fortress, first and foremost, is an action adventure film. It has more in common tonally with Top Gun Maverick or Star Wars A New Hope, in that it's straight forward, sincere, and grand in scale, grounded by a very honest set of characters who are strongly motivated. 

I feel like in modern day discussions we association “action/adventure” films in a sorta of negative way; this is probably due, in part, to the oversaturation of the high budget blockbusters of the last ten years - oh MCU, how you’ve fallen - that are overly bombastic, overly complicated, overly connected, and the root of what audiences connect with - the characters - tends to be lost. 

Scott Lang's motivations in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are to protect his teenager daughter and the family he's built, which are simple, strong, and relatable character motivations. However, they got lost in the conventions of the plot, the frantic energy of the film, the simple amount going on around Scott that his motivations become less a central focus and thus he becomes small within his own film. We, the audience, become distant and it grows more difficult to connect with what's happening. This can still work on some level, the Fast and Furious franchise isn't successful because it's sophisticated, but the Fast-chise has embraced it's cheesier conventions and spectacle, while blockbusters like the MCU's output, simple juggle to much all at once. It also helps that while the cast keeps growing in the Fast and Furious films, there's still less than ten characters you have to actually know and care about. To fully understand and connect with the characters of The Marvels, you have to watch Ms. Marvel and WandaVision on Disney+ and the task becomes more akin to homework than simply the enjoyment of watching a movie. 

The epic scale grows so large it feels daunting, rather than exhilarating. 

I think this is why a film like Winter Soldier, more so than most MCU films of the last decade, has continued to be a fan favorite of the universe and of blockbuster lovers whether you are a fan of the MCU or not. At its root, Winter Soldier is character driven, with deeply motivated characters,  which is what makes the action and adventure aspects stick. 

The Hidden Fortress is similarly character driven with a simple and straightforward story that is about honor, loyalty, a princess, a loyal samurai/knight, rebuilding a decimated clan, and two “normal” characters to keep everything grounded and relatable. Which in turn, helps make it timeless. While the filmmaking itself isn't grandiose as what modern audiences may be used to, Kurosawa knows how to direct a scene and more than that, direct his actors. Mifune is commanding as always, but for me, it's really actress Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki that steals the movie. 

Lady Snowblood

Released in 1973 and based on a manga of the same name by Kazou Koike and Kazuo Kaminura, directed by Toshiya Fujita, Lady Snowblood and its sequel Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance are considered cult classics. Lady Snowblood, famously, is Quentin Tarantino’s inspiration for his Kill Bill saga (like, a freaking lot). 

Lady Snowblood is a part of the era of “new wave” and “pink films” that were emerging in Japan and elsewhere. Stateside I think a close equivalent to both the style and content of Lady Snowblood and other films like it are exploitation films. In fact while watching Lady Snowblood I couldn’t help but get exploitation film vibes just off the aesthetics and thematics of the film itself. 

To break down Lady Snowblood’s plot it goes like this: Yuki is tasked with getting revenge on four people who had a hand in her father, and older brother’s murder, and her mother’s rape (which is seen on screen so warning for y’all this is def a Does the Dog Die movie). 

Yuki’s mother kills one of her rapists, but is imprisoned before she can kill the others and while in prison she purposely gets pregnant so her child can carry on her revenge after she dies. Yuki is born, and raised by one of the fellow inmates and a priest who trains her in martial arts. She’s raised as a “demon”, whose only purpose is revenge for her mother, father, and brother. And boy does she get revenge the film is violent and graphic (even if by modern day standards the blood looks fake as fuck the emotions are there). 

Like The Hidden Fortress this film is very character driven, with a highly motivated protagonist but it’s also revels far more in it's violence and the spectacle of that violence. Yuki, in comparison to her earlier counterpart Princess Yuki, is the driver of the action in the story. She's an active participant in the plot, and the story centers around her. Princess Yuki is commendable, she's compassionate, and she makes decisions, but the story is more about what she represents - a fallen princess - than what she does. She's symbolic, the embodiment of a leader, a samurai spirit of nobility who becomes a leader worth following. Yuki, on the other hand, needs no protection from others, she's a much more direct and active part of the story since the story is hers - and her mothers - she's more elegant than regal, and there's nothing necessarily 'noble' about her.  She's not seeking to rebuild her clan as a leader, her motivations are singularly about her revenge quest to fulfill her mother's dying wish. 

In some ways, they're very similar - Yuki also feels compassion for another woman who's been used by the men around her as Princess Yuki does - and in others they are very different and speak to the changing expectations and idealizations of women from the 1950s to 1970s. 

Lady Snowblood is also way more violent than any Kurosawa film I’ve watched including The Hidden Fortress. While there is action in The Hidden Fortress, it’s all employed with specific purpose. Which is one of Kurosawa’s strengths as a director. It’s calculated and singular. Yes blood spurts up in Yojimbo but it's limited; quick and efficient, with more in common with John Wick or Collateral than the more fantastical and aesthetic Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez fare. 

Lady Snowblood revels in the aesthetic violence, there’s no “purpose” for Yuki to cut an already dead person in half, she does it out of pure frustration and for the glory of showing the audience that internal rage. Of a body hanging, dripping blood and gore onto the clean floor as the curtain draws to a close. 

The film also features on screen rape, sex, and nudity which The Hidden Fortress does not. There’s an implication that characters in the film would assault Princess Yuki if they could, but nothing ever goes beyond brief implication (still gross tho guys come on). Whilst in Lady Snowblood, the rape is brutal, the violence is brutal, and the emotions are far more intense because of it all. 

The allowance - for lack of a better term - of this kind of material showcases a cultural shift overall in the terms of visual storytelling filmmaking began experimenting with in telling, and in what audiences were responding too. Lady Snowblood was a beloved success for its overall low budget. In comparison to the two, The Hidden Fortress is filmed better, with more technique and focus, Lady Snowblood almost seems rustic in comparison, but it's a sort of rustic that speaks to experimentation. 

Low angles from a characters pov staring high above her, extreme zooms on Yuki's burning eyes, the oversaturated colors of red-orange blood or green walls or white clothes, the starless pitch black sky as powdery snow falls. The images are arresting even if at times they're choppy, and while the film opts for non-linear chapter breaks to create a story flow in comparison to Kurosawa's iconic screen swipes and straight forward narrative, yet, both work. 

Gohatto

Behold, the promised gay cinema I promised. 

Gohatto is a 1999 film directed by Nagisa Oshima based on the short story, Shinsengumi Keppuroku by Ryotaro Shiba. 

Gohatto is a pretty late entry in the new wave/pink films of its heyday but those films were Oshima’s bread and butter. Often dubbed as one of Japan’s cinema outlaws for his anti-establishment films, one of his films, Night and Fog in Japan (1960) was pulled from theaters all together. Most people in the west will probably know him even tangentially for his queer film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence starring David Bowie and Beat Takeshi or for this absolutely banger quote from the New York Times article, A Japanese Film Master Returns to his Cinema: 

(If you’re a BTS fan, the composer Suga and RM like, Ryuichi Sakamoto, both starred and composed the main theme of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Forbidden Colors, he plays the guy in love with David Bowie’s character)

Gohatto combines the setting of a Kurosawa film, with the more experimental storytelling of Lady Snowblood, whilst imbuing the film with more surrealistic elements and more complexity. And making it gay like - for real for real. 

Gohatto goes like this: it’s the late 18th century in Japan, everything politically is on shaky ground, and the shinsengumi are looking for newbies to join ranks. Welp, they find two promising newbies and wouldn’t ya know it one newbie, Kano, is like, hella pretty. He’s got bangs. 

He’s so pretty in fact that all these other dudes in the shinsengumi crew wanna smash, I mean down bad like the Taylor Swift song or whatever I don’t listen to Taylor Swift. 

This is all treated with a lackadaisical normality; there’s teasing about “I never considered sleeping with a man before, but damn that Kano kinda…” but there’s never a moment of “omg they’re GAY?”

Beat Takeshi’s - who’s also in this film, he’s been in a lot fo queer films I'm noticing - character Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizo often asks other characters not if they’re attracted to Kano - the implication being that they are - but rather if they are in love with Kano. Because lust is fleeting, but love is dangerous to your duty. 

Kano also might be a spy, or a murderer, it’s all very ambiguous and the ending isn’t a “happy” one. This isn’t a film about a love story of any sort, it has more in common with erotic thrillers than the action adventure of The Hidden Fortress, or the rape revenge fantasy of Lady Snowblood. Where as the former films have definitive endings, Gohatto ends ambiguously. 

What actually happened? And why did it happen? What did it all mean, in the end? The film offers no strict answers to these questions, asking instead, that its audience to come to their own conclusions. It’s also much more historical than the previous two films, taking real life historical figures like: Hijikata Toshizo, Okita Soji, and Kondo Isami and asking the question, “hm, what if they all maybe fell in love with this super pretty man before being overthrown and what does that mean metaphorically?” 

The Hidden Fortress doesn’t ask its audience to interrogate society in any meaningful way and that’s not a knock against it, it’s just an observation. Lady Snowblood specifically presents the plight of women, and a slight take on classism within the system, through the lens of violence and destruction. Gohatto is much more metaphorical, it’s not providing the audience with a direct message like the former two films, but presenting it’s thematics in a much more abstract way. The Hidden Fortress is an action adventure, with heroes who achieve their goals and overcome their obstacles. Lady Snowblood is a rape revenge with an understandable protagonist who succeeds in her bloody revenge. Gohatto has no heroes, and offers no straightforward catharsis at the end of its story story. 

Its film style is also far more atmospheric compared to the epic scale and straightforwardness of The Hidden Fortress, or the lower budget charming violence of Lady Snowblood. 

There’s lots of mood lighting, overhead shots of characters dimly lit, camera cuts to rain after two characters have sex, extreme close ups of one character observing Kano’s eyes and lips. It’s not a black and white film like The Hidden Fortress, but it’s not nearly as saturated in color and brightness as Lady Snowblood. 

Lady Snowblood drips with color, and light, even at night there always almost seems to be a spotlight on Yuki with an empty starless sky in the background. Gohatto is much more grounded in realism than high visual aesthetics, opting to create more of a lingering dreamlike trance or fog to the cinematography when the story’s final act begins to unfold. 

Yet, one thing Gohatto has in common with both The Hidden Fortress and Lady Snowblood is its violence; operating somewhere between the two. Like The Hidden Fortress the violence is quick, purposely, and specific, and like Lady Snowblood blood spurts, gushes, and heads are displayed proudly and grotesquely.

Kubi

Kubi is a 2023 film directed by Takeshi Kitano aka Beat Takeshi - this is the third time his name has been dropped in relation to a queer film in this post go Beat Takeshi - based on a novel of the same name that Kitano also wrote. 

Kubi is like Beat Takeshi’s sengoku period slash RPF fanfic come to gruesome bloody (literal, not British) life. A period piece epic; Kubi is both about samurai warlords and a historical event known as the honno-ji incident, which took place in 1582. It features various historical figures like Oba Nobunage - if you’ve watched some anime or played some JRPGs you’ve probably at least heard of this name before - and other prominent historical figures of the time. 

The basic gist of the movie is Oba Nobunage is both really good at his job, so he’s super powerful politically, but he’s also a grade-a asshole whom all the other important samurai lords fucking hate. However, they also all fucking hate each other and all want to take Nobunage’s place and get all that sweet, sweet power for themselves. The honno-ji incident involved one of these guys doing a coup for reasons still unknown today and then pretty much almost immediately dying swiftly after leaving another samurai lord to take over. 

Kubi takes these historical events, and is like “okay but what if we added some gay innuendo and gay sex to this drama?” with more beheadings than a French revolution. 

Out of all the films on this list Kubi is, admittedly, the one I enjoyed the least, however, it’s an interesting retrospective on the growth of both the Japanese film industry and this specific genre in and of itself. 

Kubi’s film style is very modern, it’s beautiful, it’s sleek, it’s expensive looking. And yet there’s specific scenes that feel like callbacks to the Kurosawa era, like the black and white flashback between Nobunage and his fellow samurai lords. One of Kurosawa’s top films was Kitano’s Hana-Bi (1997), and Kitano has worked with Kurosawa’s daughter on costume design on four other films as well, so these references feel not only purposely because of general influence but also referential in a way. 

In terms of story and tone, Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is sincere and straightforward, Lady Snowblood is experimental and fearless, Gohatto is introspective and suspenseful, whilst Kubi is unrelenting and even feels mocking at times. There is no break in Kubi's violence, there's almost no tenderness or softness, characters are selfish, and self-centered. The selfish, but joyful peasants in The Hidden Fortress don't exist here, and are replaced with a peasant character who murders his own friend and then rejoices over being relived of his family once he discovers they were murdered too. At times, Kubi feels like a subversion of the more glamourous depictions of the samurai in film. Which feels as though following similar footsteps established in Gohatto which also explored, subtextually, the faults within the samurai media persona. 

At times the film feels almost like a dark comedy, it doesn’t glamorize these samurai warlords, nor their clans, nor their ideals in the way The Hidden Fortress does, nor does it interrogate them in the way Gahotto does. Instead the story at hand is presented with a brutal realism, objective if a bit mocking with a side order of gay sex. Which isn’t presented in a mocking way so much as just an everyday aspect of life. 

When Mitsuhide and Murashige are caught by spies sleeping together there’s no shock or awe about it, just a calm report and the bigger issue is Mitsuhide hiding a fugitive more so than him sleeping with a man.

Similarly, when Nobunage is literally fucking one of his vassals in front of Mitsuhide, it’s not to disgust the other man, but rather a powerplay of sorts to make the latter jealous - at one point Nobunage promises if Mitsuhide accomplishes a mission for him, he’ll sleep with him - and it seemingly works to some degree. There’s subtext throughout the film that Mitsuhide might be, if not in love with Nobunage, want him in an obsessive way all the same (including being down to bone). 

Like with Gohatto the queerness is inherent, just a part of the culture. It’s not “romance” by any means, but it is simply a part of life and the culture itself. 

In terms of characters, Kubi's characters couldn't be more different from the characters in the previous mentioned films. The Hidden Fortress characters like Princess Yuki and Rokurota are easy to like, honorable, quiet, steadfast; while Matashichi and Tahei are less outright likable they offer a grounding and relatable to the big presence that are the former two. In Lady Snowblood, Yuki is quiet, calculating and menacing in her own right, truly embodying the idea of cold vengeance which makes her intriguing. In Gohatto Kano is elusive, which adds to his sensual allure, Okita is playful yet clearly hiding a more sinister air about him, and you just feel bad for Tashiro who’s pushy but seemingly sincere in his affections for Kano. 

Kubi has no by-the-by “likable” characters, every character is out for themselves in some way shape or form. So much so that the brief tenderness between Mitsuhide and Murashige is like a balm to a burn. Though I did absolutely enjoy the scene-chewing of Ryo Kase who played Nobunage. While Nobunage isn't a "likable" character by any means, he was so fun and engaging to watch he became a highlight of the film. 

Stylistically, this is a very modern epic film; it’s the type of film in terms of scale I imagine Kurosawa could have made if he had access to the same technology, but also wouldn’t because there’s no stillness or sincerity to it. The violence is also more in line with Lady Snowblood, but with a budget. Heads are lopped off with ease and at times with glee, dead bodies, headless bodies with crabs crawling out of the necks, a literal pile of heads for trophies it’s all here. It’s beautifully and dynamically filmed, it has a similar scale of a Lord of the Rings, or a Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms. 

Big set pieces, big costumes, big landscapes, big battles, and bigger body counts. It also has the largest cast of any film on the list - kinda neat that Kitano and Asano Tadanobu were both in Kubi and Gohatto together - and the best costumes of the bunch. 

It also, in my opinion, has the most complicated plot of all the films because of the heavy political intrigue - though this, admittedly, could be because of the culture gap as I’m not overly familiar with Japanese history. 

Okay so like, where does all this leave us in terms of those original bullet points? 

The Original Bullet Points

Japanese Cinema hasn’t changed since the 1950s 

If there's one thing - well okay many things cause I'm greedy but overall - I hope I've been able to outline here with these four films is that obviously Japanese cinema has changed since the 1950s. And thoroughly at that. Not just in terms of style, but in terms of character presentation, tone, stories technology, experimentation, and a growing reflection of the shifting and developing culture. 

It’s not simply that all four of these films are different stories, but that all four of these films are addressing different aspects of their modern culture via these period pieces, as well as, viewing this time period in ways that reflect the filmmakers own experiences and how they feel or felt about the world. 

Kurosawa was born in 1910 to Kitano’s 1947, Fujita and Oshima’s 1932. Kurosawa’s father was a member of an actual samurai family, his worldview would be thoroughly different from someone like Oshima, or Kitano, or Fujita’s. Some overlap, sure, but also still thoroughly different. 

And I feel that you can see that in their films; Kurosawa’s samurai films are almost referential at times, not always, but his work with Toshiro Mifune often leans that way; in The Hidden Fortress Mifune’s Rokurota is deeply loyal to his lord, the Princess Yuki, to the point that he won’t shed tears over his own sister being executed in her place. He spares the life of a rival because he respects him even though they stand on opposing sides. 

The samurai in Gohatto and Kubi aren’t nearly so idealized nor idolized, there’s very little “honor” in Kubi and even less loyalty. Whilst in Gohatto there’s a deep and subtle interrogation of the strict and oppressive bylaws of the shinsengumi. In one such scene, Kano is having drinks with a man who is interested in him, Yuzawa, who’s passionately talking about how the shensengumi uphold oppressive ideals including classism. 

[And then he jumps Kano’s bones I guess politics got the dude going lmao]

The Hidden Fortress’ Princess Yuki is at first, masculine - in story she was raised as a man rather than a princess - from the way she walks to the way she talks. She’s fierce, and upstanding, while also being compassionate to other members of her clan; even saving a young woman who’s a member of her clan that had been sold. There’s a regal quality to Princess Yuki. 

In comparison, Yuki in Lady Snowblood is elegant, and feminine, before striking out violently. Princess Yuki never has an “action scene” and in fact for a chunk of the film has to pose as a deaf woman to hide her identity. While not a passive participant in the plot, nor does she directly drive the action herself. While Yuki, well the entire movie is driven by her actions and the actions of her mother. The story is first and foremost, hers. 

Meanwhile women just like, they don’t exist in Gohatto or Kubi they’re like, in the ether~~~ they’re drifting, keeping out - or kept out? - of the drama. 

Given the vast differences in both style, tone, story and execution, how can you say wholeheartedly that Japanese cinema hasn’t changed since the 1950s? 

Japanese film style falls under an extreme dichotomy of cinematic/sweeping (described as “atmospheric”) or cartoonish/slapstick (described as “live action manga”)

I’m just…not gonna get into the overall history of Japan's adaptation of manga into live action films cause it would derail this conclusion and I ain’t got the time for that. I would like to note, Lady Snowblood is a live action film based on a manga of the same name - and it is not slapstick. It doesn’t even have comedic elements, it is a violent rape revenge story; I don’t think there’s a single moment where I chuckled. The Hidden Fortress is far lighter in tone, while Gohatto has more in common with Lady Snowblood - deeply and sincerely serious - and Kubi goes for a darker sort of comedy. 

This is just incorrect information. Personally I’m of the mind that “cinematic/sweeping is too broad a spectrum to even quantify as a film genre they are descriptors. 

That said, I don’t think Lady Snowblood is cinematic or sweeping. Gohatto is the only one on the list that’s even close to “atmospheric” though all four films have atmosphere - because atmosphere is a film technique it’s not a genre of film - The Hidden Fortress and Kubi are the only two I could qualify as “cinematic/sweeping” because they’re going for a larger bombastic scale. Though I feel folks watching The Hidden Fortress in the modern day might not find it cinematic because of how static and slow the film can be at times - the first act is long and drags quite a bit. 

To place such a strict dichotomy on an entire industry of filmmaking is simply bad film critique at best and xenophobic at worst given the context here. I’ve only talked about four films in one singular genre, I didn’t mention the countless other new wave films, or the birth of the kaiju genre with Godzilla, the expansion into horror and grindhouse - where does a film like Tag (2015) fit into such a strict dichotomy? -  nor the long, long history of animated works from various insanely highly influential and/or successful directors like Satoshi Kon, Makoto Shinkai, Hideaki Anno, Rintaro, Mamoru Hosoda, Mamoru Oshii, Isao Takahata, I mean the list goes on and on. 

If you expand your horizons you’ll find so many amazing films that do not flatly sit in this one or the other imposed categorization. Think about what queer cinema you may be missing out on by adhering to this imposed binary. 

Baby does any of this have to do with BL? (no, but it IS more gay than you think)

So, in the end, what does this have to do with BL? I would say it has both little and a lot to do with BL/GL which are genres all their own in Japan and other neighboring countries; as such their subject to the same waves, exploration and expansion as the four aforementioned films. 

It’s easy, if intellectually dishonest and academically lazy, to look at The Novelist and What Did You Eat Yesterday and say “BL only comes in two shapes and sizes”. 

There’s chocolate or vanilla and that’s it. When in reality there’s lots of ice cream flavors available, even if chocolate and vanilla are the best sellers it doesn’t mean strawberry or mint chocolate chip don’t exist. 

Where does animated BL fall into this western imposed binary? How does capitalism affect the output of what gets made for the screen and how? How does the political climate affect what’s being financed? Are BL and GL works that are being made somehow unaffected, existing in a stasis state, by the works across the film industry? Even from other queer works of film? What are we, as outsiders, not considering when we engage with this media? 

If we’re only looking at BL/GL for “queer representation” what films and/or television are we missing out on from these countries? What BL/GL are we missing by only engaging with what's put in front of us, and not diving deeper into learning more, expanding our individual knowledge, and experiencing stories that might take some work towards seeing? Stories that might be outside of our direct comfort zones because they don't fall into those strict if seemingly comforting boxes. What exploration into queer identity are we denying or ignoring the existence of because of these imposed binaries? 

I know some folks who are more well versed in BL history that would and do consider Gohatto and Kubi BL or BL adjacent, but I also know most western, especially American, audiences would consider neither of these films BL. 

So where does that leave them?

Further Reading: 

Cinematic History: Defining Moments in Japanese Cinema, 1926-1953

A Brief But Essential Introduction to Japanese Cinema

Filmmaking from Japan: The Golden Age of Japanese Cinema

Nagisa Oshima: Banishing Green

JAPANESE SOFTCORE: THE LAST OF TOKYO'S PINK EIGA THEATERS

The Last Samurai: A Conversation with Takeshi Kitano

The Evolution of the Japanese Anime Industry

Check out other related posts in the series:

Film Making? In My BL? - The Sign ep01 Edition | Aspect Ratio in Love for Love's Sake | Cinematography in My BL - Our Skyy2 vs kinnporsche, 2gether vs semantic error, 1000 Stars vs The Sign | How The Sign Uses CGI | Is BL Being Overly Influenced by Modern Western Romance Tropes? | Trends in BL (Sorta): Genre Trends

[hrodvitnon]

Small confession: I've been on Gojitwit much more often recently and I've borne firsthand witness to these- questionable at best- takes.

(for context, i dont go to interact with this stuff- the only reason i use twitter in the first place is because a lot of very talented artists both in the monsterverse fanbase and out either exclusively or primarily post on it. So I like being able to support their work and get a hit of content that tumblr just hasn't been giving me. This hellsite is nice, yes, but it can definitely be very dry sometimes.)

And I mean- yeah- they're bad, no arguments there, but i think twitter has just become a perfect cesspool of interaction bait, bots, AI, and general dumbasses that kinda just sour anything that happens there. There are certainly fandom problems- which I will get to- but Twitter has an uncanny ability to magnify problems to a frankly ridiculous level.

Now there are fandom problems too, but I think these are representative of a larger issue with the IP in general. Multiple problems, actually. One is that we're kind of in a dry season for kaiju/monsterverse content. Basically every MV project is pretty distant on the horizon, with the only exception being that Kong game, and it's kinda starting to wear on especially the side of the fandom concerned with the Godzilla side of the property. This segways into the other glaring issue: Legendary doesn't own half of their universe. Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Ghidorah, Mechagoji- these are all characters they have to both pay licenses for and also follow some pretty harsh rules to work with- and are simultaneously the parts of this universe many fans like the best. Some directors follow said rules better than others- like for example we now know that Wingard basically threw his hands in the air and handed off Godzilla's scenes in GxK to be handled by a smaller team so he could focus the bulk of the movie on Kong, who is a much easier character to do stuff with as he's not artificially held back by this stuff. Speaking of Kong being easier to work with- this is almost certainly a major reason for Goji's absence from the MV game- and also why they seem very concerned with sticking to original in-house Titans they don't have to shill out a couple million to use.

So yeah, I think Legendary is starting to feel the strain on their pockets whenever Goji pops up in a film or show- and Kong/homebrewed Titans save them money. This is why I kind of don't buy the 'apes are easier to empathize with' as being the definitive reason Goji got sidelined- it's just the one that gets parroted the most often and serves as good rage-bait. If that were genuinely true, HTTYD would not be a million dollar franchise.

In conclusion: twitter stinky. except for the kongzilla artists they're cool.

I don't think I've ever heard the idea that Goji's lack of screentime is due to "apes are more empathetic," that I've only heard allegedly coming from chimp simps acting like Kong is Jesus (I say allegedly because I like my sanity enough to not look that shit up with my own eyes). Then again, it would be just like Xhitter to say something like "Godzilla sucks but Toothless is cool because Toothless is cat".

[thorns-and-rosewings]

Wow... We've reached part 6 of this thing, the Reaper King AU 💀. I will be honest, this is the most I have written in years... Writing used to be the one thing I couldn't stop myself from doing... but... Somewhere along the lines I lost my passion for it. This is the first time in AGES I have had so much fun doing the thing that I love. And I gotta say I hope y'all are enjoying reading this half as much as I enjoy writing it :)

TW: As per usual, this touches on some darker topics. So you've been warned.

Part 6

-It takes KC a while to truly figure out how to use the App properly... But he gets the hang of it eventually.

-Although he does get a few more 'Old Man' jokes from Bloodmoon as he's figuring it out.

-The fact that he's a robot having trouble figuring out a dating app is not even acknowledged though.

-The conversations between KC and the Ranger, whose name is Harper (Yes, I have finally figured out their name and their a very tomboyish young woman in her early 30s with brown hair and emerald green eyes.) are very casual and friendly. Mostly talking about shared interests.

...Movies...

-The Friday the 13th movies are underrated along with the Nightmare on Elm St series. The original Jurassic Park movies are timeless. Godzilla movies are wonderful and best enjoyed in a large screen setting like with a projector or at a drive in.

-And to this day no one has a clue what the hell was up with Halloween 3.

KC: Honestly some of the B rated horror movies are better than the big budget movies nowadays... More entertaining.

Harper: Preaching to the choir, completely agree :)

...Pets...

Harper: I'm a dog person, I had a husky up until recently... Sadly she passed and I just haven't had the heart to get a new one yet. Not to mention my job; I would have to get a pretty well behaved dog to have it out here.

KC: I have one dog (Petting Muerte, the Moon Wolf alpha) but I take care of a lot of others... My eldest has a dog as well.

...he watches as Bloodmoon is having a full tug-of-war with a bone in his mouth with the two headed/deformed wolf that he has named HunterKiller...

KC: Completely reflects how he is as a person...

...Hobbies...

-As it turns out Harper has a love for legends, myths and all sorts of tall tales especially stories about cryptids. She's obviously extremely outdoorsy and would rather spend her life hiking the trails than sitting in front of a computer screen. The pay for working at the park she is currently working in is also really good... Probably because they can't seem to keep employees long term.

KC: Aren't you scared? There's a lot of disappearances in this area...

Harper: I am not gonna lie, I have... Seen some stuff. In the mists. I think... Eh, you probably won't believe me.

KC: You would be very surprised what I would believe.

Harper: I... I... think I encountered some of the forests cryptids once. I was out hiking and... Just these two forms amongst all that mist. I just froze... Then backed away and ran.

KC: I believe you. Strange things live out here... Were you afraid?

Harper: Well yeah... But... I always kinda had the theory that if you were respectful and left the cryptids alone... They'd leave you alone. I saw them, or at least thought I did, and I backed up and left the area. In kind of a hurry I admit... But I am not one of those people who go out looking for trouble. And judging by the fact that I am still alive, I think that theory might hold water.

KC: That's a good philosophy... I don't think it's completely accurate. But a very decent way of looking at things.

Harper: What's your theory?

KC: That it's nothing personal.

Harper: ?

KC: These cryptids hunt and kill indiscriminately. It's nothing personal to them. It's like a wolf hunting a deer... Maybe they have some scruples about what they hunt, but whatever they do kill... it's nothing personal. Respecting their domain won't always save you, but you'll probably live longer than most.

Harper: ...

KC: ?

Harper: And that is why I would rather deal with cryptids, monsters and legends than live in a concrete jungle amongst other humans any day.

-That one made Killcode smile.

...Family...

KC: I have a big family, all adopted and brought together by odd circumstances... My eldest is a young adult. My second eldest is a young teenager and it shocks me how mature he is. As he's definitely more mature than his older brother. Then my first daughter, she's growing so fast. She's so protective of her siblings and even me. Then there's my twin boys, who are a pair of mischievous little gremlins. Then there my four year old, she's very shy. Clings to my eldest like glue, which is surprising because he can be abrasive. And then there's my youngest, only a few months old now. But I can already tell she's going to be an energetic little hellion when she gets older. I love them all so much ♥️

Harper: Wow

KC: Is there a problem?

Harper: No no, just... Are they okay with you dating? I know sometimes kids don't like their parents dating. I don't want to upset your family.

KC: Actually they set this account up for me.

Harper: Oh ok. But based on your description they sound wonderful

KC: Do you have any family?

Harper: ...not really, I was an only child. My parents passed away in a car accident. No aunt's, uncle's, cousins or anything. I'm just kinda here by myself. Some friends actually made this account for me as a joke about a month ago. And... You're the only person who has had any interest in talking to me here. I was thinking about deleting this thing just before you started talking with me.

KC: Funny how the world works.

Harper: Is it nice?

KC: What?

Harper: Having a big family like that?

KC: It's the greatest joy in my life. There are times we disagree and argue, yes. But being surrounded by the ones you love the most and who love you back... There's nothing comparable.

Harper: Sounds lovely

-They talk back and forth like this for a few weeks. Before they finally opt to meet and go on a date.

...the date...

Upon KC's suggestion they are going to go on a hike on one of the shorter, but still challenging trails. One of Harper's favorites. He states that he'll be bringing her a red rose, so she will know who he is. She stated he didn't need too, but KC insisted. Harper actually gets to the beginning of this trail a little early and is quite nervous... Will they get along well in person? Will he like her?

...she didn't notice the approach of the towering 9ft tall creature garbed in a cloak, with a large glowing red core upon his chest until he was standing right next to her... She turns to see Killcode right next to her, but before she can do anything at all-

He holds out a single red rose. 🌹

There was a moment where the proverbial hamster fell off the wheel in Harper's head... But after a long moment everything finally caught up with her and she realized exactly what was going on.

Harper: Oh um... Hi...K...C?

Killcode: (Awkward smile)

They begin that hike... At first things are a bit tense and more than a little awkward. But they do begin talking, KC assuring Harper this isn't a trick or trap or anything... Harper asks a few questions of her own. But things become less tense. After a bit, things gradually go from being tense to calm, to friendly... And about an hour into the hike they are conversing like friends.

By the time they reach the halfway point of the hike, the moon has risen into the sky and any lingering awkwardness has completely evaporated and they stop and just look at the nights sky.

Harper states this is the best date she's ever been on...

KC points out that this is the only date he's ever been on...

They both laugh. Although KC starts to turn his gaze towards the forest more and more as they continue on the second half of the trail... Until he finally stops and crosses his arms. Looking at something that Harper cannot see.

KC: Young lady... Is there a reason you're following us?

...wordlessly Wisp emerges from the forest, bathing the entire area in a soft blue glow. Harper cannot help but stare at the little girl that is made of flames before her. She floats up and sits in KC's arms, allowing him and Harper to see the thing on her neck.

Harper: Is that... Is that one of those little cameras people put on their cats?

KC: (Gets horrified) Bloodmoon did you put a cat spy camera on your little sister?!

(Elsewhere Bloodmoon and the others slam the laptop closed)

...It wasn't until just before sunrise, after Harper had finally finished cleaning up the station that it really dawned on her at that moment that she is now dating one of the most feared local cryptids.

Harper found the situation both adorable and hilarious... And she admittedly was trying to avoid laughing too hard at the sight. But Wisp looked Harper up and down before moving in close and whispering to her father.

Wisp: I like her. She has a kind heart.

The girl then disappeared back into the forests from whence she came... While KC muttered about how Bloodmoon was going to be in sooo much trouble when he got home.

Rather than their date simply ending at the end of the trail, Killcode actually accompanies Harper back to the Ranger Station... Which was beneficial because much to Harper's dismay, those racoons had returned and had promptly locked her out of the cabin again. And the sounds of chittering and ransacking of the fridge can be heard even from outside.

Harper: (Growls) Evil little trash pandas...

KC: Maybe I can be of some assistance here?

Harper: If you wanna try, but they're tricky little things... The last time they locked me out I had to sleep in my Jeep. This time I am just going to go get the ladder and get in through the upstairs window... Which I started to leave open delibrately to handle these raccoon invasions.

Killcode says nothing as he walks towards the door and actually phases through it... Everything grows eerily still for a moment, before the loud, booming voice of Killcode echoes through the area like cannon fire.

KC: GET OUT!!!!!!!

Immediately the door flies open and at least a dozen raccoons run out... With their high pitched and fearful chittering sounding far more human than Harper can recall hearing before... Hell she swore she heard something along the lines of 'How were we supposed to know she was the mate of the Reaper King?!'

...yeah she's thinking too far into it...

Still KC just calmly unlocked the front door and walked outside. Expressing that he had a wonderful time tonight and would love to do this again. Something Harper happily agrees too...

They make plans to meet up again in the coming days. Before KC bids her good night and he retreats back into the forest so quickly that he just seemed to vanish...

...and she is perfectly fine with it :)

[spicybylerpolls]

Hi. So, I know this isn't really what you do but I really like what you and your anons have to say whenever we open discourse in here and this has been stuck in my mind recently and I would really like to know you guys opinion on the matter. So here goes nothing, I guess.

I think it was you who I saw not that long ago saying that Finn is the one with the smartest career outside of ST out of the ST "kids". Which is an opinion I agree with. The second one will probably be Sadie, especially in recent years. Noah, Caleb, and Gaten seem to be trying to establish themselves in Hollywood more in recent years but I do think Noah is concentrating more on college and finishing ST5 atm while Caleb and Gaten seem to prefer Broadway.

Now, considering all this, I don't know why some people are so "worried" about Finn's career post-ST. Saying his "bright future" got ruined and he's gonna be all about angry teens, legacy movies, and 80s nostalgia. While I do think he's waiting for ST to finally be over to take on other roles he probably couldn't take before because of the ST image, I do believe he's gonna continue doing those kind of projects because he genuinely likes doing those movies.

I mean, look at him promoting Ghostbusters just last week. The only times that guy looked a little uncomfortable was when the ST questions came up. Now compared that to him promoting ST. I'm not saying he's tired of ST because he seems to be well aware that it made his career but I do think the ST fandom overwhelms him sometimes and with good reasons.

Honestly, out of the ST "kids", the one with the most "worrisome" career is Millie. Yes, she's very popular in and outside of Hollywood but she hasn't really established herself in Hollywood outside of ST/Netflix, not to mention that her projects seem to be catered more towards her female side of the fandom. There are also other things that I'm not gonna mention here but I think people can guess.

I know Millie kinda "blames" ST for not being able to take on other bigger projects but Finn and Sadie have been doing ST for (or almost) as long as she has and yet they're in big movies like It, Ghostbusters, and The Whale. Working alongside big celebrities like Paul Rudd and TS and renowned directors like Del Toro and Aronofsky. I know Finn and Sadie probably have more freedom since their characters are not as "big and important" as Eleven but still. It's a little weird, isn't it?

There's also the fact that the Godzilla movies seem to have dropped her because "she was too expensive for them". I don't know how old you are but I remember Twilight and how bad some of their careers got after they became "too expensive" for mainstream Hollywood.

Honestly, I think Finn and Sadie will be fine, at least for a while (we can never truly know the future, especially in Hollywood). Noah, Caleb, and Gaten will be fine too. I didn't mention Priya because compared to the other ST "kids" she has basically just started. Millie is the one people should be worried about.

Anyway, what do you guys think about this? If you don't want to post this, that's fine. Don't worry about it. Just needed to get this out of my mind and chest. Have a nice day!

PS: I'm not saying any of them are "bad actors" or anything. Just that some of them seem to have made some smarter career choices that others.

Hmm, these are all interesting points! I def agree that Finn and Sadie are at the top based on their overall career choices, although maybe I'd switch Sadie and Finn around slightly. I think Noah and Gaten are both wild cards given the fact that they haven't done as many projects outside of ST. I hope Noah's agent gives him better projects than The Tutor because he absolutely has the talent for it.

Caleb is a wild card too, but he's been good in the things I've seen him in like Concrete Cowboy. He also has a horror movie lined up called The Deliverance, but it's on Netflix so it's likely hit or miss. I think Gaten said somewhere that he was nervous about getting roles post S5, but you're right that his career has a lot of potential if he continues down the Broadway path.

"Now, considering all this, I don't know why some people are so "worried" about Finn's career post-ST. Saying his "bright future" got ruined and he's gonna be all about angry teens, legacy movies, and 80s nostalgia. While I do think he's waiting for ST to finally be over to take on other roles he probably couldn't take before because of the ST image, I do believe he's gonna continue doing those kind of projects because he genuinely likes doing those movies."

I think some are worried about Finn because they don't see him as being as good of an actor as the others maybe? I'm not sure how fair that is, and maybe I'm biased as a Finn stan, but I've never seen him as bad in any of the project's he's been it. With When You Finish Saving the World, he had an opportunity to work alongside some great people and I think he held his own. I think some of the issue may be that in some of his projects like Ghostbusters, especially the latest one, he really isn't being given the best material to work with. His co-star Mckenna Grace got all the meatier material.

I personally think Finn has A LOT of untapped potential and he just isn't being used properly. I know he doesn't have a big role, but I'm really, excited to see him in SNL 1975 as I think he has a lot of potential with comedy because he's funny as hell. And obviously, he has a lot of potential with writing/directing and with his music career too if he chooses to focus more on that side of things instead.

I find your points about Millie to be really intriguing! I agree with you that she hasn't established herself outside of Netflix other than the Godzilla movies, but I'm not sure I fully understand what you're getting at when you say, "her projects seem to be catered more towards her female side of the fandom" and, "There are also other things that I'm not gonna mention here but I think people can guess."

Opening this up to everyone! What are y'alls thoughts?

[lanaevyssmoved]

NINE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER ❣️

tagged by @moonmothers @flymmcargo @kelemvorr @baldursgate2 !!!!!!! thank u so much.. u are all so sweet and thoughtful...

tagging @cetra @dandeyrain @princeofhags @mercymaker @lord-woolsley @hibernationsuit @alongtidesoflight @shadowcursedballs @tombtaker :D no pressure of course my friends! you may also consider this an invitation to talk to me more :3c

favorite color: wellow... ✨🍯🐝🌻💛⚡ i have loved yellow since i was very small my sister loved purple so everything she owned was purple and everything i owned was yellow.. and my room is still entirely yellow everything is YELLOW..... it just happens i gravitate

last song: uhhh spotify says i was last listening to last chapter in time, first chapter in eternity by VVN it absolutely fucks but bare in mind it might make you sad? tis music to make you feel and that shit always has different effects on people. OOP and spotify shuffle Just put on times change by umziky which is CUTE glitchpoppy stuff OH and spotify just put on higher by ia. which is vocaloid ur welcome.. this says how slow i am huh am i typing too much AND NOW ITS into the woods by phildel im making u a playlist

last movie: last movie i watched was godzilla king of the monsters with aisling teehee... every movie i've watched recently was with aisling... hehe.......

currently watching: WELL i was watching breaking bad but i burnt out around season 3 after i was binging it all day long and before that i binged all of desperate housewives all day long without any break so am i surprised i burnt out? no. also desperate housewives fucks

currently reading: uh i'm like always reading the six of crows by leigh bardugo i will open that book consume the Content and then close it whenever i feel like reading parts of it........ actually reading thru a full book currently no....not really but lets say crooked kingdom yeah

current obsession: mayhaps this question is pointless but i am deep in an autistic hyperfixation on bg3 which is showing no signs of dying down or stopping i will also say i am hyperfixating on gale himself and honestly my oc afhiri. and i think its safe to say illithids too i cannot stop myself from gobbling up information on them and i think about them just as much as the others ...........

sweet, savory, or spicy? i will sayy savoury!!!! i do like sweet but not as much . i am currently really obsessed with gravy..... not american gravy or whatever the bwi'ish kind.......... had to confirm that because i ain't got a fucking clue what american gravy is like . but i know its different!!!!!! due to my very english upbringing i never consumed spice ever in my life until i started to introduce it into my own diet a year ago and now i can eat things that say spicy just fine!! and they are very delicious. i really enjoy spicy noodles especially

currently working on: I HAVE TWO AFHIRI GALE FIC WIPS CURRENTLY ... :3c one of them is a cute domestic scene i'm writing through aislings influence and the other is a fat and large post game 3 years later fic that i cannot describe in any way than a psychological horror fic. :).....

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Godzilla Minus One (Yamazaki, 2023)

We are so inundated with images of mass destruction tossed off so casually in our mass entertainments that it’s cathartic to see a movie give such images the physical and moral weight they deserve. This is a movie very aware that what it depicts is mass death and wants you to reckon with that. And on a pure technical level, this apparently cost a fraction of the average Hollywood blockbuster but looks substantially better than most in recent years, because it takes care to frame its effects through a clear sense of scale, and to render Godzilla’s movements so you can practically feel the ground shake. The opening attack scene, which takes cues from the T-Rex attack in Jurassic Park, is especially terrifying. This movie respects Godzilla and understands that he can be fearsome.

The conventional wisdom about these movies is that the monster scenes are the raison d’être but the human scenes are boring and must be suffered through. That’s probably true of the recent American movies (King of the Monsters has an especially wide gulf in quality between the two), but I actually like the fable-like directness of Mothra vs. Godzilla, the media satire of King Kong vs. Godzilla and the Cold War tensions of The Return of Godzilla, to name a few examples outside of the original. In any case, I think the human scenes here are a cut above in the way they parallel the hero’s story with the tensions around Japan’s postwar identity, overcoming the dehumanizing wartime experience under fascist rule to achieve something empowering and humanist. I’ve perhaps grown cynical from the last few years of humankind being totally unable to work together to solve problems that threaten us all, so I couldn’t help but be moved by this movie’s vision of ordinary, collaborative heroism. I feel no shame in saying that I found much of this movie deeply moving and shed more than a few tears during my viewing.

I’m on the record for finding Shin Godzilla a pretty wretched piece of work that fails entirely as both spectacle and social commentary, so it was nice to see a Godzilla movie do those things as well as this does. I will also say that I was pretty annoyed that during my screening I was sitting next to two dudes who spent the entire movie talking and laughing. Given that they weren’t actually that loud, I probably shouldn’t care too much, but that’s the big man up there on screen, show some goddamn respect.

[thehubby]

If you still have the opportunity, go see Godzilla Minus One in the theaters. Right now, most theaters are playing it are showing the Minus Color version of the movie, which is an added bonus. Reasons you should see this:

• It's a good movie. This isn't just a good Godzilla movie, it's a good movie overall. You could swap Godzilla out with an invading army, a natural disaster, or some other sort of applicable crisis and it would still be good watching. There's a real plot here with real people who have real problems outside of just a big monster. They are often flawed, especially our protagonist (who demonstrates PTSD in an uncomfortably believable way), but they're trying and they are generally likable. I wanted almost every human in King of the Monsters to die; they were that stupid and arrogant and unrelatable that it made humanity seem like it deserved extinction. Here, you want the characters to overcome their own problems -- and not all of them do. It's not a perfect plot, and I think the movie fumbles the ball at literally the very end, but it's a good story, and for a giant monster movie? This is a great story.

• Godzilla is terrifying. This may be the scariest Godzilla we've ever seen. Even if he's not as bizarre as Shin Godzilla or possibly not as strong as the Godzilla of the Monsterverse, his presence and strength compared to the world he exists in is overwhelming. Remember the opening of Evangelion with the third angel, Sachiel, an unstoppable, incomprehensible force attacking Tokyo-3, a city built to fight its kind with Evangelions in reserve and a confident military? Remember how that went? (It went very badly.) Now imagine that a creature like it instead attacks a Japan still reeling from its defeat during World War II, with a neutered military and a public with no shelters to flee to, no safety protocols. This Godzilla is massive, strong, resilient, and its breath weapon literally causes miniature atomic explosions to occur. In many Godzilla movies of the past 30-40 years, people are scared of Godzilla, sure, but here they are panicked, with good reason.

• The filmmakers understand less is more. Remember when Jedi were cool because they were rare and mysterious, and lightsabers only came out when stuff was really about to go down? Or how in the first movie Jaws only showed up occasionally and that's when it hit the fan? That's how it is here. Unlike in recent times, Godzilla is only a small portion of the film, an occasional force of nature that shows up, wrecks house and is then driven off or leaves. You don't get a chance to become tired of him or inured to his presence as a result. This sets up a palpable tension as you have no idea when Godzilla will next appear, and I admit I was somewhat false-started a few times from a thudding sound in the theater next to me that I thought could have been it approaching.

• It's practical and understandable. Modern Godzilla movies often use pseudo-futuristic technology like genetic cross-manipulation of alien species, cybernetic mind-transplanation, vocal analysis replication, oxygen destroyer bombs and other such nonsense to fight the giant monsters. The people of post-WWII Japan use real equipment and techniques to battle -- conventional weapons like guns and bombs, known gases like freon and carbon dioxide, underwater speakers. They use human ingenuity to form tactics that match the known science of the time and seem like rational leaps to make. They don't know if it's going to work! They are just desperate. The ships and planes featured are authentic and real. The suspension of disbelief is very easy to achieve here, which only accentuates how scary it would be to fight Godzilla when you don't have, like, military grade nuclear powered lasers or something.

• The Minus Color version looks astounding. Don't get me wrong, the color version looks great too (although like most modern kaiju movies, the color especially during energy and breath attacks is oversaturated), but they really put in an extra effort to give it the feel of the early black and white Godzilla movies. The resolution is toned down ever so slightly instead of the crispness of 4k; the light and dark contrast is balanced properly. You get more clarity into what you're watching and the subdued tones really match the despair and fear that people are going through. It really feels like, if we filmed the very first Godzilla movie in 1954 with modern cinematic techniques and CGI but black and white film, this is what we would have ended up with.

Ultimately, this is easily my favorite Godzilla reboot, and probably my favorite Godzilla movie. The original Godzilla of 1954 has a special place in my heart, and just as people should still appreciate Pac-Man even though Ms. Pac-Man made it obsolete, we should still appreciate that first movie. I just think this is, frankly, better in just about every way (although they deviate from the original creature design in a couple ways I'm not thrilled on). If you must have monster-on-monster action, then either Destroy All Monsters from 1968 or King of the Monsters from 2019 are what you're looking for, but you'll have to sit through ridiculous plots (and sometimes infuriating people) in both cases to get your fix. I'll hope for a sequel from these folks.

[hatsune-mirto]

Hatsune Mirto Introduction Ver.0.5

Let's see, it's my first time doing something like this and my first time on Tumblr so I'll do my best. I'll probably scrap this introduction in the future for a more updated version when I'll get the feeling on how to do it!

With that said, hello, my name is Morgan and apparently this is my blog, Hatsune Mirto. The name is a pun of Hatsune Miku and the "Mirto", a plant used to make liquor where I live. I found this name to be pretty funny and representative of my silly personality.

I'm a 23 year old non-binary person, don't be hars with me as i don't really know how to use Tumblr as a whole.

I'll now proceed to list my interests, dividing them in various categories, I'll try to make this post as "easy" to read as possible even if it's totally not something I'm good at.

VIDEOGAMES: I have a kinda unhealthy obsession with gacha games (not a spender but I play too much of them). The ones I'm currently playing are: - Genshin Impact - Honkai Star Rail - Zenless Zone Zero - Punishing Gray Raven - Fire Emblem Heroes - I'm waiting for the Uma Musume global cause I love the anime so much! I also play League of Legends on my PC and I own a Nintendo Switch although I don't really use it much at the moment. My pc isn't very good so don't expect me to post something PC gaming related anytime soon. But here are some of my favourite non mobile games and series: - Like a Dragon - Crash Bandicoot - Rayman - Lethal Company - Fire Emblem - The Legend of Zelda - Final Fantasy - Metal Gear Solid

MUSIC: I mostly listen to italian music, so this section doesn't really have much to say for the "global audience" so let me list some artists I like: - Vocaloid (Various, mostly Miku) - System of a Down - Ado - Twenty One Pilots - Various videogames sountracks I'm not listing italian music cause I don't think it's really a topic of interest for most people

TV SERIES: I stopped watching TV series for a long time and started to come back to the media recently, here's some of my favourites: - Doctor Who - The Boys (currently watching) - Breaking Bad - Tear Along The Dotted Line - This World Can't Tear Me Down - Ultraman Blazar MOVIES: Here's some of my favourites: - Godzilla movies, they're my favourites - The Bicentennial Man - Interstellar - Kamikaze Girls - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - My Neighbour Totoro - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Grave of the Fireflies - Only Yesterday - Porco Rosso - Whisper of the Heart - The Cat Returns - My Neighbors the Yamada - Howl's Moving Castle - The Wind Rises - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya - Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves Yea I'm a Ghibli fangirl ANIME: - One Piece - Dragon Ball - Uma Musume - Fate Series - Inazuma Eleven - Dungeon Meshi - Frieren

I think that's enough for now, I don't know how frequently I will post here but I hope to learn how this works. Have a good day!

[signalwatch]

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Watched:  11/29/2023

Format:  AMC IMAX

Viewing:  First

Director:  Takashi Yamazaki

Where to start?

Over the years, Godzilla has been many things.  Like Batman, he's been a children's character while also being a thing adults could appreciate.  But he's also been cast as a walking analogy in two very, very good films (Gojira and Shin Godzilla), a villain in others (Godzilla Returns and Raids Again), a dad (Son of Godzilla) a hero (most of the Shōwa era), a goof, a buddy, a ruffian...  

The American-produced Godzilla movies have done well financially, but, to me, struggled with an actual story until Kong vs. Godzilla.  But it would be misleading to say the Toho Studios produced films didn't struggle with same.  The Toho movies responded to the challenge by getting progressively crazier as the need to fill screen time with something other than expensive monster fights (models and custom 7' rubber suits are not cheap) became a clear necessity. 

To fill that run time*, both US and Toho films needed a story for humans - humans that Godzilla likely will not even be aware of during the course of the film  - that is compelling and meaningful.  But, man , have the results been mixed.  You get aliens, faeries, conspiracies, what-have-you.  And some of that is great!  Final Wars is like a party of a movie.  Watch it sometime.

Meanwhile, Toho seems to have taken the licensing of Godzilla to Legendary and the US produced releases since 2014 to take a step outside of themselves and think about what would make a kick-ass Godzilla film.  Heck, what would make a *film* rather than an entertaining outing for the kiddies (and, let's be honest, me).  Thus, a few years ago, we got Shin Godzilla, which was absolutely terrific, in my opinion.  Harkening back to 1954, it was a modern solo Godzilla outing, and more about how the humans on the ground deal with a huge analogy for recent world events (at minimum for the Fukushima disaster and Japan's official response) wandering through their backyard .

Sure, the Godzilla in it seemed like a mindless engine of destruction and looked weird as hell, but that movie just works.  I dug the leads, the story, the analogies, the whole ball of wax.  The human story was compelling and frightening, Godzilla a force of nature.

I figured we'd get a direct sequel, but that isn't what happened.  Instead, Toho took a step back, and said "eh, let's just do it fresh again".  Which - respect, man.  Do whatever you want.  

So, Wednesday, I made The Admiral go to the movies with me, and we saw an IMAX screening of Godzilla Minus One (2023).  

I'd seen good, early reviews, but these were mostly die-hard G-fans, and I didn't particularly expect to get a straight answer.  There's a difference between "a good movie" and "man, I like watching monsters on a screen", and that differentiation isn't always made in the Godzilla-sphere (and, often, the genre-media-sphere in general).

What I can say is that at the end of this year, Godzilla Minus One will be in my top 5 movies seen in 2023.  Which - no shock, Shin Godzilla got similar high marks.  But, it's also true that I'm not sure I didn't like Godzilla Minus One (2023) a slight bit better than Shin Godzilla.  

As trailers would suggest, G-1 is a period piece.  The movie takes place roughly between late 1944 and end of 1947, I think.  The "Minus One" of the name is that, hey, Tokyo is already devastated, or at zero.  And then G shows up, and, well... it just got worse.  We're now at -1.

The movie centers on a Kamikaze pilot who chooses not to fulfill his mission, whether it's fear or a sense this is a waste of his own life here at the end of the war (both, really) he heads into a small island airstrip/ repair hut where he's violently introduced to much smaller version of Godzilla than what we're used to.  This is Godzilla's original, dino-sized form.

As one of two survivors of the incident, and a survivor of the war (and one tapped to explicitly *not* survive and protect Nippon), Shikishima is dealing with PTSD and Survivor's Guilt, mixed with his uncertainty of who he is in this post-war world.  Stumbling across a young (let's be honest, beautiful) woman. Noriko, who has picked up a loose baby in the wreckage of Tokyo, the three form a sort of family unit, building a shack and then home as Shikishima finds work on a boat clearing the sea of mines laid by both Japan and the US.  

Shikishima forms a bond with his boat-mates, and life is beginning to turn around, even if he can't let go of the war and his need for closure.  That trauma is preventing him from pursuing his feelings for Noriko and rejecting the baby as a surrogate daughter.

Meanwhile, unknown to all, Godzilla was hanging out at Bikini Atoll when the US thought to test a bomb, and we get our now Jumbo Sized Godzilla - going from T-Rex size to G 1954 size.  

Anyhoo... Godzilla does show up.  

Like I say, Godzilla has been many things over the years.  Here, he's a raging, atomic-fueled engine of fury, not the hauntingly eye-dead monster of Shin Godzilla.  He's well aware of what he's doing and why you need to get the @#$% out of his way as a large creature claiming new territory and not liking all these little humans who are in his way with their stupid buildings.  It's not personal, but that doesn't mean he has a passive bone in him - this Godzilla is not to be crossed.  

The design is closer to the 1990's style than Shin or Monsterverse Godzilla, and that's a good thing.  There are definitely unique characteristics - plate placement, head size, scaliness - but most noticeable to me was the eyes.  The suit Godzillas began having more expressive eyes in the Hesei and Millenium era, but here, there's a deadliness to his stare  His eyes track the humans or any perceived annoyance or threat, and they are red/ gold eyes of a very pissed off creature.  

For what this movie is about - the melodrama/ drama of the survivors, fallout of war, and the need to now combat a legitimate threat to all of Japan (this is an oversimplification, but bear with me) - this depiction of Godzilla is perfect.  The monster is a product of the war and man's folly - mutated by the bomb, he reflects some of the 1990's take on Godzilla's WWII origins.  But as a character, he's really a weapon of mass destruction with an agenda, and that agenda does not care about humans.  If he is a "god", he's not concerned with us, and much like bugs living in your house, he's going to get rid of these humans.

The break to the third act occurs after Godzilla's Tokyo debut, reminiscent of the 1954 film and directly referencing it in visual, audial and musical queues.  With modern CGI, it's not a suit actor stepping through sets, it's a living being wandering through Ginza as the locals, truly rampaging rather than clumsily knocking stuff over.

And, his atomic breath in this film may not be the spectacular laser-light show of Shin Godzilla, but it's an extension of his mutation coming from the bomb, and - narratively - an extension of the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  I won't go into detail here, but it's *scary* when you see G charging up (with a really innovative charge-up sequence) and cut loose.  

He also seems, by all counts, invulnerable.  It's not just his sheer size, but that he seems to heal from wounds with no trouble. So, do all the damage you want, he's going to come back from it and be pissed as hell you even tried.

All of this feeds into the actual plot of the film, which is really about dealing with the loss of WWII and the damage the war (which this movie freely indicates Japan started) did to the country and to the people.  Survivors of the war come home to find their homes gone, their relatives dead.  And for what?  

I've spoken with my fellow Godzilla fan, Stuart, who has a better grip on Japan than I do (he resided there for a bit), and his feeling was this was a surprising take - and perhaps a very modern/ recent one.  Centering the film on a "failed" kamikaze was not something he felt Japan would have done 30 years ago, but I think - narratively - it's an amazing choice.  The Imperial dreams of Japan now long in the past, Toho can reframe the story to be about choosing to fight when the fight is a good one, even if seemingly hopeless.  

And, man, when Godzilla is done with Ginza, it sure does feel hopeless, and any plan you put on the table is bound to fail.  

I don't know a ton about Japan's feelings about how its government selectively issues information, or how they feel about the US as an occupational force in the MacArthur or modern era, but the film sidelines both.  The Japanese government seems frozen by the attack, and the US is concerned large-scale naval maneuvers will trigger a war with Russia (not an unreasonable concern).  While a US version might be about bringing all three together to fight Godzilla, this film is about the veterans overcoming their grief and shame to fight again.

Oh, and there's a very real semi-experimental plane that I was vaguely aware of, but thought was a German design, that appears in the back 1/3rd of the film that got my aviation-buff dad to make an audible "wow!" when it showed up.  

Anyway, the movie drew a thunderous round of applause from my audience, which was - I will say - an audience of surefire Godzilla fans and their friends dragged to the movie.  Lots of Godzilla shirts and whatnot.  But it was also the 5:00 PM show on the day of the movie's release. 

SPOILERS

Look, sometimes we outsmart ourselves and think we're too clever for the emotional levers that can get pulled in a movie, and if a movie has too much of a feel-good ending, it doesn't feed our desire to feel like film fans who can't be duped by emotional manipulation.  But...  gang, that's emotional manipulation, too.  

I won't say I openly wept during the movie, but I did get choked up a few times.  In a Godzilla movie!  Because it's really about dealing with trauma, so seeing Shikishima deal with his, receive forgiveness and a path to happiness when I was 90% sure this movie was about to show a noble sacrifice... man.  It really says a lot about what the movie-makers wanted to convey.  And stuff that at the end of the day I personally want to believe.

END SPOILERS

I've watched a *lot* of Godzilla movies - probably all but one or two of the overall output of 30-odd movies over 70 years.  At the end of the day, why I liked Godzilla Minus One this much was simple: story and character.   

Call it melodrama, but the drama of this movie is really taking place inside a tiny house and on a boat, the cast has issues that understandable, is a solid mix, and I cared about everyone on screen.  The performances are heightened a bit, perhaps, but the characters are likable and feel believable.  And, much like Jaws or other movies that work despite the sci-fi, horror or other elements, you can both draw in your audience and sell something wild if the audience is pulling for these people on screen.  And that's something Gojira understood in spades.  As does this movie.

Anyway, this is now my second favorite Godzilla film.  If it's better - to me - than Shin Godzilla, it's that the movie works so well not just as analogy, but as a deep character film while also providing genuine thrills with the Godzilla sequences.  

I've tried to spoil all that as little as possible, because I'd encourage you to go see it.  It's just a solid movie all around.

* we also have to ask the realistic question of "how exciting would it really be to watch two rubber monsters fight for 90 minutes?".

The Signal Watch blog posts regularly!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

First off... Definitely go see THE BOY AND THE HERON / HOW DO YOU LIVE?

Number two... I can't believe I have to say all of this, but... Some avenues of animation fan-land need to C-H-I-L-L... Not just with this movie, but with a multitude of other things, but I won't get into them here. I just wanna talk about how Miyazaki's new film did in the U.S. Fantastic $10-13m opening, already bests the domestic totals of SPIRITED AWAY and PONYO. Looks to make a decent gross, maybe even outgross WISH- hey wait a minute...

So, one of my first questions is... Why are we even bringing "Disney" into this?

Or WISH for that matter?

I feel bad for the WISH filmmakers honestly, for all their hard work to culminate in their movie losing money at the box office. It barely passed $100m just recently. That all has zilch to do with Miyazaki's new movie. Or anything, for that matter. You might as well single out DreamWorks and TROLLS 3 while you're at it.

This should be about Miyazaki's new film, possibly his last, that he came out of retirement - in his EIGHTIES - to make, and how it's doing.

This and GODZILLA MINUS ONE's successes should be looked at, it shows that there are markets for other kinds of movies, it shows that some audiences will be there for some things... And that's great! We need more room in multiplexes for these kinds of movies, and their respective successes I feel are a positive sign for that...

Buuuuut, what the hell does HERON's success have to do with Disney?

I get that Disney is one of the largest players in both animation and mainstream movies, but really- BOY AND THE HERON's success is only going to tell Disney executives one thing, and it's what I just laid out above. It's not going to singlehandedly convince Disney execs to allow Walt Disney Animation Studios to open a full-on 2D unit and greenlight a 2D animated movie. HERON would have to make MARIO numbers in order to possibly do that, and that's being generous... And Disney used to distribute Ghibli films, too, even well after they called it quits on 2D films. (They released THE WIND RISES through the Touchstone banner in 2014.)

Like, let's celebrate the new Miyazaki film doing great without having to center Disney all the damn time. There are so many 2D movies that get made every few years all around the world, and they're far more accessible than ever before.

Why do we need big bad Diz to try again when so many other filmmakers are doing new and innovative stuff with that medium? And besides, what if they make a 2D movie and it has the same writing style as WISH, STRANGE WORLD, RAYA, etc.? "You made a 2D movie Disney, that's great! But it's still MID!" Disney gave you back the evil bad guy villains with King Magnifico, but WISH still sucked to you... You're just not going to get what you want out of this company anymore.

I get that Disney's 2D films are the bedrock of the enterprise, and of feature animation history. I get that in their official "canon", 46 of their 62 features are largely 2D/hand-drawn... But, we gotta stop expecting this big conglomerate to do it when they've steadfastly refused to for a decade now. They're answering to market research and what they think audiences want, not people like us who can detect a Milt Kahl head swaggle from a mile away...

Instead of making shallow remarks that only put down the animators/filmmakers, and not the bigwigs at the company (this whole "that'll teach 'em a lesson" mentality is among the dumbest on twitter and a few other places), just go find cool 2D stuff being made elsewhere and put your energy into making that stuff more known. You've got internet, right? Just google every year's crop of animated movies and even TV shows (like, say, SCAVENGER'S REIGN. Go watch that!), it's all right there, yeesh.

Like, let's celebrate BOY AND THE HERON's success, not make this another Disney Animation and Pixar bash-fest. Miyazaki didn't come out of retirement and hand-craft this film - which is an often heavy and painful reflective work on loss and grief and life and death and the universe - at his old age... for people to act like this is a playground, pitting it against another movie that has its own reason for existing. It just seems, among other obnoxious things some animation fans are currently doing, disingenuous to me. What is this hierarchy? Can we just enjoy and celebrate the art for once?

[davidmariottecomics]

Week 86 - 8/28/23 - A BLUE BEETLE MOVIE???

Hi there, 

It probably isn't news as it's a pretty popular film in theaters right now, but there's a Blue Beetle movie out! And it's a lot of fun! 

If you didn't know, Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, is my favorite superhero. There's a pretty good joke in the new movie about the difference between Ted and Batman, and not to step on the punchline, but it boils down to Ted knows how to laugh. He's a character frequently written to have a sense of humor, to know a good joke, and to be the dramatic superheroic straightman when it counts. He is not exactly an everyman--he's a genius, he dresses up in a silly costume, and he's rich--but in a lot of ways, he's just a guy trying to do the right thing because he can. 

And he casts a long shadow over the new movie, which is about Jaime Reyes--fantastically played by the dreamy Xolo Maridueña--who I don't love quite as much as Ted, but who I think is himself a great and important character. He's a very different hero. He's got a sense of humor, he's got a good heart, but his relationship with his family, with his friends, with the scarab, and with the Blue Beetle legacy allows him to be something totally apart from Ted. The movie takes a lot of liberties--it's part Spider-Man, part Ant-Man, part Green Lantern (though... honestly probably better than the past few recent film adaptations of those characters)--but it doesn't run from the truth of who Jaime is as a character, which I think makes it all the better. The best superhero movie projects don't try to be just an adaptation, but to take what makes the hero great, understand it, and share it in a way that makes them more accessible and loom larger as a hero. 

I don't want to spoil anything, but there was one extremely stupid part that made me tear up (out of just finally getting to see a thing on-screen and knowing there's some practical version of it out there and honestly, a little bit jealousy). If you see me, or want to reach out and ask about it, I'll gladly tell you. 

But there's a Blue Beetle movie. And even though I saw it and really quite liked it... I kinda still can't believe it. 

Next week: No blog on the website/newsletter! There is a Patreon post scheduled if you need your fix, going out to all backers at $5 or more a month! But I'm outta town and will see you when I return. 

What I enjoyed this week: Blank Check (Podcast), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon), Honkai Star Rail (Video game), My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon), The Broken Room by Peter Clines (Book), Dumbing of Age (Webcomic), Solve This Murder (Podcast), The Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Movie--which my pal Phil Murphy worked on!), Kaiju No. 8 (Manga), Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (Manga), Blue Beetle (Movie--duh), Oldboy (Movie), Witch Watch (Manga), Becca playing a little more Persona 5, Tangled (Movie), Jurassic Park (Movie), D.E.B.S. (Movie) 

New Releases this week (8/23/2023): Godzilla Monsters & Protectors: All Hail the King TPB (Editor--on the latter half)

Final Order Cut-Off next week (8/28/2023--last day to get your preorders in): Sonic the Hedgehog #65

New Releases next week (8/30/2023): Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla (Supervising Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer (A very silly credit) Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island TPB (Editor) 

Announcements: Becca is at Cartoon-a Palooza in Temecula on 9/15 & 9/16. It's a cool free all-ages little con, so come on out and see them!

Wanna support me? Consider joining my Patreon! I've got a bunch of cool stuff coming up and already on there. As well as some silly stuff like a tour of my desk, so you can see where the comics magic happens! I've got a bunch of stuff scheduled for September already and there'll always be more! 

I have a webstore! It does look like I'm going to get a small supplement to my Beast Wars Vol. 3 stock, which is nice, but most everything else, I am not going to have more of anytime soon! Maybe give it a look! 

I've still got a few things on my eBay, if you're looking for stuff! But obviously, anything that would get shipped out won't until I'm back!  Pic of the Week: It was National Cinema Day yesterday, which is why Becca and I went to Blue Beetle ($4 tickets to the movies!). But they had to work, so I went and saw a second film, the 20th anniversary screening of Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. And the theater that was showing Oldboy had a special Cinema Day deal on the Blue Beetle backback popcorn bucket, so I did pick it up because that with a popcorn and a drink was still significantly cheaper than the bucket usually is by itself. So here's a photo of Becca modeling it. 

[pkmatrix]

New Fan Editing Project: Godzilla (1998)

Yep, I’m at it again with fan editing!

I recently completed my third fan edit, an edit of The Relic (1997) (if you’re interested in checking it out, just send me a message), and started thinking about what I could work on next.  I considered returning back to my Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla fan edit, but that got me thinking instead about Godzilla (1998).

G’98 is a movie with issues.

I’ve had a bit of a roller-coaster relationship with G’98.  I saw the movie in theaters when I was 12, but unlike most I’d actually already seen EVERY Godzilla movie (including the then-recent and not yet released in America Heisei movies, which my parents had bought me imported fansubbed bootlegs of) and walked of the theater having thoroughly enjoyed it.  It wasn’t until I read the next issue of G-Fan and saw that every other Godzilla fan in the world had hated it that I suddenly switched gears (so fast my parents were confused) and decided I hated it too.  It wasn’t until five years later that I revisited it and my opinion softened, deciding I didn’t hate it after all but just didn’t care much for it.  The last time I revisited it - now almost a decade ago - I was struck by how boring a movie it is, and that that’s its greatest sin.  Not Godzilla’s radical redesign, not Godzilla’s personality - frankly, nothing to do with Godzilla himself - but the story of the movie is just DULL.

Why?

Lots has been written about how much people dislike Maria Pitillo’s character and performance, but that’s just a symptom of the real issue:  the movie WANTS to be a Romantic Comedy.  From the start of the film until about 30 to 35 minutes in, the movie is deceptively...fine.  More than one person has told me (and it’s happened to me too) that upon revisiting the first Act is actually quite decent and lulls you into thinking maybe you’ve been too hard on it.  Then the second Act starts and the film decides it’s going to be a bad Romantic Comedy from now on, often forgetting about Godzilla for LOOONG stretches.  Which maybe could be tolerable if Matthew Broderick and Maria Pitillo had chemistry, but they really don’t.  What’s worse, neither character really DOES anything - all of the actual decisions in the movie and actual agency rest with the two main supporting characters played by Hank Azaria and Jean Reno.  I’ve felt ever since that the movie would’ve been significantly stronger and more watchable had those two been the leads, and the Broderick/Pitillo story reduced to a subplot.

Part of why I hadn’t attempted this before was because, well, I didn’t think there was enough to work with.  The movie’s only an 1h 50m, I kept telling myself, and if I made all the alterations I had in mind I’d be left with, what?  An hour?  There just wasn’t enough there.  Except, I’M A MORON.  It was while thinking about it again earlier this week that I actually stopped to check what the runtime is, and my jaw dropped:

Godzilla (1998) is 2h 18m long!!

That’s WAAAY too long, and means there’s over 40 MINUTES I could theoretically cut and still be an acceptable feature length (around 1h 30m)!

So that’s what I’m doing.

BROAD STROKES PLAN

Cut back on scenes with Matthew Broderick, Maria Pitillo, and their storylines to reduce them to supporting characters.

Rearrange scenes to improve pacing and create a greater focus on Godzilla, Hank Azaria, and Jean Reno.

If possible, radically reorganize the second half of the film to eliminate the Baby Godzillas storyline which always felt tacked on, derivative of Jurassic Park, and there to pad out the film.

Alter the ending to make Godzilla’s death more ambiguous, or maybe even change it so he lives (had the idea of ending with his eyes reopening, then cutting to black with the sounds of his roar and people screaming).

Examine the feasibility of changing the music choices, as I felt the musical tone is too...whimsical?

I was planning to work on this today but, alas, some stuff has gotten in the way.  Still, I’m hoping to give this a try this coming week and see what I can do with the movie.

[sweetpaintedladie]

Hi. Stranger who would've voted KOTFM #1 (and saw this post https://sweetpaintedladie.tumblr.com/post/744625167770255360/the-complete-shutout-for-killers-of-the-flower) coming in peace. I agree with everything here, but I do want to give some context. And to counter a widespread assumption that folks think that AMPAS is an American institution.

Largely, yes, AMPAS remains an American institution. But ever since the #oscarssowhite controversy (2015), one of the unintended consequences of the efforts to address AMPAS' lack of diversity was the internationalizing of its membership, which is now 1/4 non-American (in 2015, it was a negligible number). And tbh, reading some of the comments from non-Americans/Canadians and reading non-American/Canadian film reviewers, it was very apparent that the film didn't connect with audiences outside North America.

More than a few European reviewers and commenters did not feel they understood the context of the film, didn't have any emotional connection to the history of American Indians, and, in some quarters, a vocal few - paraphrasing them - are tired of America's "racial guilt movies". AMPAS' internationalizing explains the success of Anatomy of a Fall, The Boy and the Heron, Godzilla Minus One, Poor Things (especially this one, with its heavily European crew and setting), and The Zone of Interest last weekend, as well as the awards season failures of Barbie (also largely a N American phenomenon) and especially KOTFM.

I agree with everything here 110%!

There’s a very American-centric view of almost every major award show/ceremony that oftentimes alienates those either non-North American or American audiences from non-Eurocentric works. I think in recent years, the AMPAS have actually done and *okay* job at fixing this, especially looking back at the major success and broken barriers by Parasite during the 2020 ceremony.

KOTFM and Barbie, as you said, were big in North America which resulted in less awards, which is a-okay because that doesn’t diminish the artistry they held nor their importance to people and society. If anything, their losses helped world cinema is get more appreciation through these shows and hopefully gain a bigger audiences through them! I do still think that the complete snub of all 10 awards from KOTFM was a bit odd, but at the end of the day we are still in the infant stages of the AMPAS learning how to navigate an international voting cabinet.

It’s just an award show, after all. The movies mean what they mean to people at the end of the day and their worth and importance will vary from person to person and group to group, which is the nature of art itself.

I really appreciate your clarification on voting here, thank you! It’s so easy to get caught up in what is viewed personally as best that it becomes easy to forget the genuine point by point cause of these things. I apologize if my first post seemed ignorant to the voting process, it was more so written toward both Lily and Robbie’s losses for their hard work on the film [as I greatly enjoyed both their work on it].

:)

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Do you have any HCs for her?

(Context: Hela)

Yes, I do. Not many because she’s a one-off character that appears for like half a movie and gets hardly any individual development outside of ‘oo evil lady’. But still some.

First off, she wouldn’t look like Cate Blanchett. Similar, but considering the fact I don’t want to be limited in any references I make in my rewrite, id rather none of them look exactly like their actors. The most it would probably go is Loki joking that Thor looks more like a hemsworth than an odinson. But. That’s because it’s Loki. I just don’t want to have to make ‘oh you look like X actor joke’ if I ever want to reference fucking Godzilla or something, k?

She is a lesbian. Because she’s played by Cate Blanchett.

Whilst her mother is left ambiguous in the film, her mother would be a jotun in my rewrite so I’m able to give her the half-blue look she has in mythology. It’s also why Odin takes so strongly to Loki as a child, because it reminds him of his own daughter.

The big dog she has will be Garmr instead of Fenrir because there’s more mythological basis for her dog being Garmr and less for it being her brother.

She doesn’t die in ragnarok. Does she get intensely weakened? Yeah. She loses most, if not all, of her power. But instead of dying she just goes back to Hel. Since I feel weird about killing the queen of death and all.

Her colour is gold, not green. I know it’s meant to be real ‘green odinskids are evil’ vibes but I think gold better matches the whole regal ‘true heir’ attitudes she’s slanging about.

She’s very tall. All gods are tall in my rewrite… because they’re gods, but Hela is half jotun (and in mythology, she’s half giant) so…

Her hair sticks together at the ends where it’s covered in blood and chunks of people meat and she’s not washed it.

She also makes a reference to Thor looking for like Gaia (the Greek goddess of earth) in her while ‘you don’t look like him’ comment. Because, at least up until recently, Thor was Gaia’s son in the comics. Even brought a whole planet back to life in the Empyre comics. If I keep this relation in the rewrite, I will need to make a joke about Wanda being Thor’s great grandmother. Because It’s a bit of a reach but it’s still funny to me.

She paints her nails black but it chips almost immediately so her nails always look really ratty.

She was only as evil as she was because Odin raised her that way. It’s not her fault that he made choices he regretted and didn’t have the skills nor patience to undo them. If he were a better father, she would have been able to meet her brothers and they’d be a happy, semi-functioning family together.

If given the chance to live a normal life, she’d work some dead end office job and work as a barista on her days off work, just to only be able to afford a tiny apartment with her girlfriend of eight months and their hairless chihuahua. He wasn’t hairless when they got him, Hela just hates finding hair everywhere so they routinely shave him to avoid that.

Also, a drawing of her in my rewrite (she looks a little younger than intended. Whoops)