#I went for sort of a romcom feel for her inner monologue

[kerryweaverlesbian]

Sarah Blake/Bela Talbot. One of them's a catgirl. You're interested?? Read it!! Sarah's a really fun POV to write!

For the Suptober prompts Black Cat and Portrait. Below is the opening:

Sarah Blake looks at the paper-covered painting she'd spent the past three weeks searching for, a glass of wine half-drunk in her hand. The painting is propped against the fireplace, and it looms, as portraits tend to. B, the little black cat that had followed her home from the auction house - the same day as when she got the commission, now she comes to think of it - sits upright next to her legs on the couch, ears twitching away from her fingers whenever she tried to stroke her. 

That's unusual, for this cat. Typically, she'd sprawl out over any available surface, mewl for attention until she got head scratches, and purr contentedly any time Sarah put her hands on her. Now she was stiff, tense. 

The only time Sarah had seen her like that before was when she'd tried to put a collar on her¹, and she'd ended up scratched and bitten so badly she'd had to go to the ER. When she got back, B wouldn't look at her, but kept following her from room to room, hissing if Sarah turned her face to her. Sarah, feeling incredibly guilty, had apologised out loud and showed B that she put the collar in the garbage, only realising after she'd done it that of course a cat wouldn't know what any of that meant. 

Strangely, though, it seemed to work. B had come back purring as soon as the lid closed over the trash. She even licked the bandage over Sarah's cuts, and pushed her head into her hand. 

B's a pretty funny cat overall. She has this unimpressed stare she levels at Sarah for such uncouth behaviour as 'bouncing a toy near her' and 'putting out cat food'². She gave a token grumble whenever Sarah scooped her up like a baby, but would dig her claws in if Sarah tried to put her down again before she was ready. She hops onto the counter when Sarah brings her research home (which is more often than she probably should, but hell, what else has she got to do on a Friday night?) and stares at the papers like she's reading them. More than once, B had put her paw on just the information Sarah had been looking for just after Sarah remarked on how she needed it³. 

"My good luck girl," Sarah had praised, and kissed B's furry little head. B's hackles had gone up from the smooch, but then she seemed to calm herself deliberately, and she flopped over the papers like she'd lost all her bones in a fit of lazy decadence. 

In the present, Sarah swirls her wine and surveys the hidden painting. 

"What do you think is wrong with it, B?" 

She's supposed to burn it. That's what the note said, which she'd found in an envelope taped to the back of the Picasso she'd just purchased. The note had been written in wobbly scratches of biro, addressed directly to her. It was lucky she was adept at reading awful handwriting - in the archiving business, it's essential - because the script was only barely legible. There had been $32,000 dollars in the envelope too. 

The flat out work of the last few weeks had been for the money and the chance at more,  she wasn't going to deny that, but part of it was her overactive curiosity. 

What's wrong with it? Ava's first thought had been haunting. She'd waved her EMF machine at it half heartedly after the delivery guy left, but the needles stayed dissatisfyingly still. She'd bought the thing on Amazon when a friend mentioned cold spots, but it turned out they'd just had a fault in their double glazing⁴. She hasn't heard from them in a while, not directly, but from her Facebook feed she knows that they haven't been murdered in their bed by a malevolent spirit so far. Which is good! Just, well, a little disappointing, is all...

Read more on ao3

¹ The collar was baby pink, and had a little bell on the end.

² Sarah's never seen her eat it, but it always disappears by morning.

³ So, she talks to her cat, so what? Before B, she'd talk through her process with her toaster.

[creativityobsessed]

Be Brave Adachi, or the musical shaping of episodes 1-4

Part 4: Episode 4

This is part of a 4 part series. You may wish to start with part 1, where I introduced the main musical cue we’ll be following and how it represents Adachi questioning the world as he knew it. Or, if you missed part 2, or part 3, you might want to start there.  

If you would like to follow along, please cue up 13:15 in episode 4.*

HOO BOY does everything happen in Episode 4! I swear every time I went back to rewatch to check something I noticed 2 more things that were worth mentioning. Go get your drink of choice, we’re gonna be here a while.

Since we have so much to talk about, and there’s not much new going on, I’m going to gloss over the 1.5 rotations of Questioning that happen right after Adachi gets off the phone with Tsuge. Y’all probably recognize it by now, right? Right. 

The really interesting new stuff in this episode starts after Kurosawa rescues Adachi and Fujisaki, while they’re walking back to the office. Here, for the first time in full since episode 1, we get a repeat of the guitar music that I called Adachi-at-home in the first post in this series. Now, I’m gonna have to make a slight retraction because a) I didn’t know yet that this was gonna be important later, and b) it’s more interesting than I originally thought. So, to add some nuance, this guitar cue is not just Adachi when he’s on his own, fully relaxed, it’s that plus Adachi ruminating on how he doesn’t compare to Kurosawa. In the first case, he’s wishing for just one of Kurosawa’s good qualities. Here, he’s pointing out that they are “fundamentally different” with overtones of I am fundamentally worse than he is. The super interesting thing that I missed the first time around though is that this is the tune of the Home section. Sure it’s in C-sharp major (ish) rather than A major (not exactly a related key, but not an unrelated key either, at least if you ask Brahms^), but the melody is the same enough that I DEFINITELY should have caught that. What can I say, *shrug* pandemic brain.

So, anyways, given what I have since discovered about this guitar cue, I’d like to revise what I think it’s about - it’s about Adachi’s unacknowledged crush on Kurosawa. He still doesn’t realize yet that Kurosawa is something he wants, but moments like these show us just how much he wants it. 

Around 16:15, at the end of Fujisaki’s internal monologue in the elevator, Questioning comes in. This time, though, it’s not about Kurosawa in the slightest. When I was first trying to come up with a point to this series so my Intro to Musicology professor wouldn’t hunt me down for writing a “here’s some stuff” paper, I was all ready to say Kurosawa is the answer and call it a day. But if that’s the case, then why does Questioning start here? Sure, he just found out that Fujisaki knows about Kurosawa’s crush, but the worldview that he’s questioning isn’t that Fujisaki is more observant than he thought. It’s his reaction to her disinterest in relationships. Furthermore, this version of Questioning is far more stable than previous ones - instead of a tritone or other non-chord set of vertically stacked pitches, most of the Question phrases end on unison D, or some version of D + F-sharp (usually in the m6 orientation, rather than M3). Each Question phrase is approximately in time, or at least close enough that we have a sense of when the next will happen, where in the first few versions of Questioning the space between each phrase rotation felt indeterminate. I think what we’re seeing here is that even though Adachi still has questions, his life has already changed. He has a better sense of the people around him, and is less terrified of asking questions.

The Questioning section actually pauses when Kurosawa notices Adachi’s wound, and we don’t head into the next section immediately. In fact, we don’t ever get the next section here - we jump straight to Home, as Adachi starts back in on how much better Kurosawa is than him. It’s in the piano here, I think mostly so that they don’t have to change instrumentation midway through (we’ll see why in a second). This version of Home is the same slow tempo as the guitar version, and it’s very dry. All of the harmony is in block chords, which contributes to a kind of emptiness. But that’s ok because it doesn’t last. 

After a single (musical) sentence, Adachi begins to hear Kurosawa’s own self-loathing through his thoughts. As this happens, the chords that were once in blocks stretch out into arpeggios, filling in the spaces around the melody, in a move that reminds me so much of the way that letting go of a bit of anxiety can feel like unfurling from a tiny space.** Kurosawa’s “I’m sure he finds me annoying” is immediately followed by the addition of a cello line - and I’m about to go do some rewatching looking for where cello is important, but my first impression hypothesis is that cello represents Kurosawa’s inner headspace, particularly after some of the ways I noticed it being used in ep. 7. The cello twines around the piano line that we’re already familiar with, possibly as a metaphor for the way that Adachi and Kurosawa are having similar thoughts. And, as with earlier episodes, we end without a full resolution - we get a cadence, sort of, but the piano continues for a bit and ends with a cluster of notes with G as the main thing that catches our ear. For those unfamiliar, G is not a particularly tonic-feeling note in A major. It’s flat 7, which helps tremendously in feeling like we are NOT in major, better suited to the melancholy nature of the various thoughts flying around here. 

And then. Ok, and THEN. The part I have been writing this entire series to talk about. So, to set the scene, right? Adachi thanks Kurosawa, Kurosawa deflects but gives Adachi a direct, blinding smile, and for once Adachi doesn’t squint. He returns the smile. He has become comfortable here. 

As if that weren’t enough, the music comes in, and yes, we’re back to Questioning, but it is absolutely in time, with two beats of 6/8 between each iteration of the Question Phrase. Furthermore, this version has both guitar and glockenspiel in it - the guitar is Adachi’s home instrument, and here it suggests he’s become comfortable with questioning the world around him, while the glock does more to highlight the difference in the treatment of time. 

We don’t move on from this section for a bit, because Fujisaki interrupts his thoughts. We do, however, get hints of the next section - a rising line in the piano timed in the same way as the next section will start, for example. The underpinnings of the Questioning section provide a lush background for Adachi’s monologue on visiting Fujisaki’s mother, something the first version of Questioning could not have done. Adachi is being very brave here, and the changes to our favorite cue are a reflection of that. 

As he finishes we head in to the section of the piece, which is mostly accompanying shots of Fujisaki being overwhelmed, Adachi being worried that his attempt to be brave has gone wrong, and not much happening. There’s a weird loop in the middle, which makes me think that they tried it with the whole track and it felt waaaay too long without anything happening. 

Anyway, after she reassures him that his bravery is appreciated, we head into the Answer section. Adachi and Fujisaki’s chitchat isn’t what’s important here. The important thing is we have the Answer section, and here it is fully scored, electric guitar and bass, percussion, the works. Not only that, but the cue ends, and it ENDS ON THE TONIC. We did it folks! We found the resolution! And it turns out, the way to get there was to BE BRAVE.

This may not be the end of the whole series, but this is AN ending. This is the pan-out that we get at the end of every 90s Hollywood teen romcom. Adachi has Learned Something with capital letters, and it’s not that he loves Kurosawa or even that he needs to give up his low self-esteem. It’s that he can be brave, and he can contribute. It’s hard, and it may take four episodes of building to it, but he can do it.

Which is a lesson he’s really gonna need for the beginning of 5. But that’s a story for another time.

If you’ve followed my nerdery this far and you’ve enjoyed this series, please let me know via likes, replies, and/or reblogs. I may eventually continue the series if there’s enough interest (there’s some FASCINATING things that happen to this cue in episode 7, for example), but for now, I’m gonna go take a nap.

I did a follow up in response to an ask, if you really really want more.

*All video timings and quotes are from Irozuku Subs videos. If you’re watching somewhere else, your mileage may vary slightly.

^If you’re a SUPER HARD CORE theory nerd, look up Neo-Riemannian Theory for how this works. Or just if you want your brain to explode. Either way, have fun, cause I need it for my dissertation and I STILL don’t quite understand how it works.

**Not an Academically Approved metaphor. This is why I’m doing this on tumblr.

[your-girl-thursday]

Last Night - Bughead Fic

So this is my first Bughead fic. I’m still trying to get the hang of writing these two. This takes place before the pilot so the character dynamics are a little different. Special thanks to @xoheatherkw for betaing and cheerleading this week (and pretty much every other week too).

There was a certain magic Betty felt every time she went to the Twilight Drive-In. Tonight was no different. In fact, the place seemed a little more electric than usual. It was like the drive-in itself knew Betty Cooper would be leaving soon and wanted to say goodbye.

It never occurred to Betty how much she would miss this place. Somehow the drive-in hadn’t made it on her list of town landmarks to visit before the summer. Now that she was there, it felt like kismet. A wave of homesickness punched her squarely in the chest. In twenty hours time she would be in California, another coast and time zone entirely.

That night was supposed to be her last grand hurrah with Archie Andrews, her best friend and secret crush. The key phrase was ‘supposed to be.’ Forty minutes before they were set to meet, Archie had finally called. He had been been on a supply run in Oceanvale with his dad. Delayed shipments, traffic accidents, and a bad set of spark plugs had all pushed their departure time further and further back. It was an hour at best to get back from there. Betty had half-heartedly lied that she wasn’t upset. 

The truth was that she was hurt and more than a little embarrassed. She had built up the night as The Moment when Archie would realize that his feelings for her skewed toward romantic. She thought that with her departure looming he would have that romcom impulse to tell her how he felt at the last minute. Part of her wondered if this summer would give her such much needed perspective on her future with (or without) Archie. 

Since Betty’s parents thought she was occupied for the rest of the night, she decided to find something else to do. Jughead had invited them to visit him at work. The Twilight was showing East of Eden, which Betty had been bummed about missing. Plus, it sure beat nursing a broken heart alone.

And so here she was. 

Betty walked straight past the unmanned ticket booth, wondering where Jughead was. It didn’t take long for her to find him. She could hear him all the way across the lot. He was running the concession stand, handing out popcorn and sodas. The salt and butter in the air made Betty’s stomach rumble. She joined the line, watching Jughead navigate behind the counter. He juggled bags and cups without any sort of grace. It was a wonder he didn’t drop anything, but he somehow managed to burn through the line without spilling anything.

The moment Jughead noticed Betty was painfully obvious. His entire face lit up. Betty couldn’t help but smile back. There was something nice about being around someone that was genuinely happy to see her. 

“You guys came after all,” Jughead said, a little breathless from all of the running around. “I thought Archie wasn’t too keen on seeing East of Eden.”

Betty shrugged. “Archie cancelled, which worked out in my favor. I’m really keen on seeing the movie.”

The smile on Jughead’s face dimmed noticeably. “He stood you up?” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the counter.

“He’s still out with his dad.” Betty forced a smile, even though she knew her friend would see right through it. “Are you still taking orders?”

Jughead stood up and gestured behind him. “What’s your poison, Betts?”

“Popcorn and a pack of Red Vines,” she answered with zero hesitation. It was her go-to.

Jughead arched an eyebrow. “Shocking.”

Betty pulled out her wallet while Jughead readied the snacks. He carefully layered the popcorn with butter and salt, just the way Betty liked it. Once done, he placed her things on the counter.

The total Jughead quoted was way less than Betty usually paid. She frowned at her friend as he pulled several bills out of his pocket. 

“I figure you’ll be more likely to share if I help pay.” Jughead grinned sheepishly as he added Betty’s money to his. “Snacks taste so much better when you share. It’s theater law.”

Betty shook her head. “Alright, but next time I’m paying for it all.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “There’s no one at the ticket booth so I just walked in.” Both of them laughed at her confession.

“What a rebel! Elodie called out so this is a solo operation tonight. No one will even notice.” Jughead looked at the clock on the wall. “Speaking of, I’ve got a minute before the snacks stop dancing and people get antsy.”

Jughead jumped the counter and picked up their pack of Red Vines. Betty followed him toward the projection booth with the bag of popcorn. She snuck a handful of popcorn, savoring the taste. “You really do make the best popcorn, Juggie.” He smiled at her, ducking his head as he held the door open for her.

It wasn’t Betty’s first time in the projection booth, but usually there was someone else there too. Everything seemed quieter as they settled into the room. Jughead picked up a book off of the chair next to the projector, tossing it onto the table with the licorice. He gestured for Betty to sit, then started fiddling with the film canister he needed to prep.

“I could’ve moved that myself,” Betty reminded him.

Jughead scoffed as he deftly switched out the reels. “That’s a library book, and you’re hand is dripping with butter.” He smiled when the opening credits appeared on the screen. “I have a pristine borrowing record to protect.”

Betty snuck a glance at the title of the book. A tiny snicker escaped her. “You were going to read The Grapes of Wrath while you watched East of Eden?”

Jughead pulled up another chair and set it next to Betty’s. She had a much better line of sight. Her seat was originally meant for the projectionist. She shifted and ripped open the package of licorice, offering Jughead a piece.

“When it comes to James Dean, I’m more of a Rebel Without a Cause guy, what can I say?” He smirked and bit off a large piece of licorice. “I was up here reading before my shift started.”

“Of course you were,” Betty murmured, munching on her own piece of licorice.

They slowly worked their way through the snacks and a large stack of napkins as the movie rolled. The silence between them was relaxing. They both were enjoying the movie, although Jughead had to occasionally run back to the concession stand. He brought back napkins and soda with him on his second trip.

Betty’s constant inner monologue shut off when she was around Jughead. She didn’t hear the endless refrain telling her that she wasn’t good enough and that she had to be perfect. It occurred to her that this should’ve been her ideal last night all along. The movie crept closer and closer to ending, making Betty wonder how she could spin the night out.

Guilt stabbed at her. Betty had planned out goodbyes with all of the important people in her life. Milkshakes with Archie. Pancakes with Kevin in the morning. Lunch with her parents and Polly. And yet she hadn’t chosen a moment for Jughead. Each time she thought about saying goodbye to him a little voice whispered ‘not yet.’ She half expected to run into him like she did every day of her life, appearing just when they needed each other. 

“It’ll be weird not seeing you this summer,” Jughead whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen. He was so intent that had it not been for the blush staining his neck, Betty would’ve thought she had imagined his words.

That wave of homesickness crashed down again. Betty smiled sadly and touched her forehead against Jughead’s shoulder. “I know what you mean.” She looked up at him wistfully.

Jughead swallowed, opening his mouth to say something. Nothing came out, but an awkward laugh. Betty felt something shift between them. It was exceedingly rare for Jughead to be so open and vulnerable. He had to know that she truly valued him, right?

Betty opened her mouth to tell him how much their friendship meant to her when Archie Andrews decided to barrel through the door. 

The redhead ran a hand over his face. “Jug, I need your advice. I think I pissed off…” His voice trailed off as he realized Jughead wasn’t alone. “Betty?”

Betty straightened up in her chair, while Jughead sank deeper into his and tugged down his beanie. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. 

“I tried calling you to apologize again and see if you still wanted to hang out.” Archie’s shoulders slumped. “Are you mad at me?”

Betty flipped over her phone, seeing the notifications she had missed. “I silenced my phone.” She shot Jughead a smile, trying to make him feel less uncomfortable. “It’s theater law.”

That earned her a snort from Jughead. He unfolded himself from the chair and made his way to the door. “Sounds like you two need a moment. I’m gonna go turn the popcorn machine off.” His exit was punctuated by the squeak of the door hinges behind him.

The silence that followed was nothing like the one Betty had been sharing with Jughead. This one was charged, heavy with unsaid words. Betty became hyper aware of a smear of butter just behind her ear. Her fingers itched to swipe at it.

“I’m so sorry, Betty. I really thought I would be back in time. And it’s not like we can just do it another night since you’re leaving tomorrow.” Archie ran a hand through his red hair. “I feel awful.”

The words were like aloe to Betty’s burned heart. They didn’t fix the problem, but provided some mild relief temporarily. She could hear her mother’s words echo in her ears. Betty was a good girl. Good girls swallowed their sadness, let any volatile emotion roll right off their back. Good girls didn’t tell people how devastated they were by their actions. 

Betty settled for a half truth. “I’m not mad at you.” 

Relief swept across Archie’s face. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear. We can go to Pop’s right now and get that milkshake.”

A knot formed in the bottom of Betty’s stomach. She wanted this. She would’ve killed for this an hour and a half before. Now she was worried about leaving her friend behind. There was something cold about seeking out Jughead and walking away as soon as Archie showed up.

Betty stood up and walked past Archie to the door. “Let’s finish the movie first,” she countered. It sounded like an option, but Archie had no choice. She had started the movie beside Jughead and would end it there as well. She left the projection room and headed for the concession stand. 

Archie veered off toward the bathrooms. “Meet up with you in a sec,” he called after her. 

When Betty spotted him, Jughead was leaning against the front of the counter of the concession stand. His arms were crossed firmly across his chest. Betty made eye contact with him and smiled. His answering smile was edged with something she couldn’t identify.

“Heading out.” It wasn’t a question. 

Betty leaned against the counter next to Jughead. She knocked her shoulder into his arm. “Not without finishing the movie.”

Jughead looked down at her. “You know how it ends.”

“Since when has that ever mattered.” Betty grabbed some napkins from a nearby dispenser to clean the spot on her neck. “I’m sticking with you until the bitter end.”

“There’s like five minutes left. Are you sure you want to make that kind of commitment?” The weirdness melted from Jughead’s smile. He was back to the smile he had given her earlier in the night. It was brilliant and made Betty feel triumphant for bringing it out. 

“What?” Jughead asked, making Betty realize she had been staring a beat too long.

Betty lightly touched his forearm. “You’re a really good friend. You know that, right?”

Jughead’s eyes moved from Betty’s toward where they were touching. He swallowed quickly. “So are you.” His attention shifted to the credits rolling. “Movie’s over. I’ll be right back.”

Not yet. 

It was a warm summer night, but Betty still felt cold when Jughead walked away. He got about ten steps away before he stopped in place and pivoted back toward her.

“They’re really lucky to have you this summer,” Jughead told her. “You’re going to practically be running the place by your third day.”

Betty laughed. “Yeah right.”

“I’m serious. I’ve seen Betty Cooper when she has a goal. I’d bet on her every time.” There was something about the look in Jughead’s eyes that knocked the air right out of Betty. He sounded so sincere. She knew that this moment would be one she replayed. It wasn’t enough to drown out her mother, but it would help. “Have a safe flight tomorrow and good luck.”

Not yet.

Betty took a step toward him, a lump forming in her throat. “Aren’t you joining us at Pop’s? Archie and I can help you clean up here.”

Jughead looked at a spot just over Betty’s shoulder. “I think it would be better if I skipped out on that. Archie’s got a lot of groveling to do.” They shared a smile. “Seriously, go have fun with him.”

Without thinking Betty closed the gap between them. She flung her arms around her friend, curling her arms around his back. “Goodbye, Juggie.” 

“Bye Betts.” The words were barely audible, mere whispers ruffling her hair. He relaxed into the hug, going from making simple contact to actually holding her.

They pulled away slowly, backing away from each other. If saying goodbye to Jughead was this hard, how much worse would it be to say it to Polly? Tears pricked at the corners of Betty’s eyes. She’d said the words, but couldn’t bring herself to move any further away.

Not yet.

Jughead playfully pointed a finger at her. “Hey now, there’s no crying in baseball.”

“More theater law,” Betty said, smiling at the reference to one of her favorite movies. She had long since realized that humor was Jughead’s way of handling hard stuff.

It was so hard for Betty to fight the urge to keep their conversation going. She needed to end it, rip it off like a bandaid. That was the only way she would get through it. Change was a part of growing up, getting away. This was the trade off for getting away from her parents for the entire summer. That didn’t make it hurt any less though.

Betty took a deep breath. “I’ll see you in three months.” There was a firmness in her voice that surprised her. 

“Count on it,” Jughead told her, understanding the finality of her tone. He turned quickly and practically ran away. Before he entered the projection booth he faced Betty again. His expression didn’t change as he took her in. It was almost like he was memorizing how she looked. Jughead took a deep breath and waved goodbye.

Then he was gone. 

Betty crumpled against the concession stand. She willed herself not to cry. There were so many times she had stopped her tears over the years. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Think about how great California would be. Think about how freeing it would be to be forty some odd states away from her mother. 

Her breathing had gone from shaky to stable by the time Archie finally returned. Betty wrapped her arms around her best friend when he stopped in front of her. 

“I figured you guys would say your goodbyes now,” Archie told her. “Best friend instinct.”

Betty smiled at that, knowing it could apply to either her or Jughead. “Is it also telling you that I need a shake?” She slipped out of Archie’s arms. “Because I really need a shake.”

Archie nodded. “Definitely. Let’s go.”

[carnegiestout]

Book or Movie? “Warm Bodies” review

If I know I’m going to see a movie based on a book I usually read the book first, knowing full well that the movie will probably not live up to my expectations. However, I saw Warm Bodies in the theater before reading the book, so I had no preconceived notions about casting or characterization. In fact all I knew about Warm Bodies was that it was a take on Romeo and Juliet, but with zombies. I went to see this film with a group of friends who also happen to be co-workers. Of the six of us who went, only two of us really enjoyed it. So, she (Allison) and I decided to review the movie and book, which we read later.

The Movie "Warm Bodies" Directed by Jonathan Levine. Starring  Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry &  John Malkovich

Amy: I don’t care what anyone else said, I loved Warm Bodies. It was funny, sappy, and a little bit gross. Exactly what one might expect from a zombie romcom. Allison: Thank you! I loved it! It was exactly what I wanted it to be - funny, cheesy, with only a few bits of horror! I also really liked how short it was - I’m sick of three hour long epics! Amy: I'm totally with you there. The thought of sitting in a theater for three-plus hours makes me dread going to the movies. Another thing I loved about Warm Bodies was R’s inner monologue. It was just funny and kind of sad. Yes there were parts that were kind of stupid, but again, it is a ZOMBIE romantic comedy.

Allison: Yes! A similar movie, Shaun of the Dead, was marketed as a romantic comedy with zombies, although that one was more about the living people than the dead. But the idea is the same - this isn't a gore-filled Romero movie. Yes, there are horror elements, but that’s not the crux of the story. While we’re on the subject, one difference between the movie and the book is the outfit R wears. In the movie, he wears jeans and hoodie (setting up a great joke) but in the book, R wears black dress pants, a white shirt and a red tie. I like to think this is a hat-tip to Shaun of the Dead, since that’s the same outfit Shaun (Simon Pegg) wears. Amy: Also, it was leaps and bounds better than Twilight. People need to stop comparing it to Twilight. Allison: I admit that I haven’t read Twilight, but I was forced to see the movie version and I agree 100%. It’s unfortunate that every movie with supernatural elements that centers on a romance is now, apparently, doomed to be lumped together with Twilight. I think many people who would really enjoy the movie haven’t or won’t see it because of that false association. Amy: Another thing I loved about this movie was the relationships between the main characters and their BFF’s. M stood by R when the rest of the zombies wanted to eat Julie and Nora stood by Julie when the rest of the humans wanted to kill R. Allison: Rob Corddry really stole the show as M; some of the best lines were his, whether they were funny or frightening. Both he and Nicholas Hoult expressed more in a grunt or a gesture than most other actros could. M’s character in the book is a bit different (at least physically) than how Corddry portrayed him, but the loyalty, humor and hope are there in each version.

M (Rob Corddry) and R (Nicholas Hoult) in deep conversation at an airport bar. Via Filmofilia.com

Amy: I think Rob Corddry had about five spoken lines in the movie and I absolutely agree that he stole the show. I read somewhere that the cast studied with Cirque de Soliel to get the zombie movements down. I think they did an excellent job. Amy: Speaking of best friends, Julie's best friend Nora says during a dream sequence that if she could be anything in the world she wanted to be a nurse. As we were leaving the theater several members of our group were commenting that it was sad that she said nurse instead of doctor. I realize that being a nurse is considered to be a "typical" female profession but I think being a nurse is a truly noble profession. I have several friends that are nurses and they worked incredibly hard to get their degree. So, lets not disparage a woman for wanting to be a nurse instead of doctor in a film, especially a film about zombies. And now I will get off my soapbox. Allison: Yeah, I know some viewers really objected to that! In the book, Nora goes on to explain that she doesn't think that civilization will around long enough for her to finish medical school. Nora’s character is a bit different in the book - she’s older than Julie and a bit wiser - so her reasoning sits well with me, at least. Amy: I’m choosing to ignore the really terrible CGI from the movie because I don’t think it took anything away from the story.

One of the many "bonies" that menace the Living and the Dead. Via IMBD.com

Allison: I was pleasantly surprised that the CGI wasn't as bad as it could have been given the film’s budget. It reminded me of the mummies from the 1999 movie The Mummy - good enough for the purposes of the movie. And honestly, I thought they were pretty damn menacing! Allison: One last thing about the movie - Richard Roeper (of Ebert and Roeper) gave the movie 3 ½ stars. In his review, he says that he preferred Warm Bodies over other zombie movies and TV shows (The Walking Dead, etc.) because those zombies are predictable. A mutual friend who saw the movie with us took exception to that, and thought that Warm Bodies was no less predictable than other zombie fare. While I can see why someone might say that, I think Roeper meant that the movie didn't follow the usual formula of zombies being your standard unfeeling monsters, devoid of any humanity. Having zombies that retain or regain their humanity (as well as a human falling in love with one) deviates from the standard horror formula, where the story isn't at all about the zombies, but only about the human survivors, and the zombies can easily be replaced with aliens, giant robots or whatever. You're not going to find any multi-dimensional zombies staggering around in The Walking Dead. The Book "Warm Bodies" by Isaac Marion (Fiction Marion)

Amy: My first thought about the book is that while the movie could be considered YA, I wouldn't classify the book in that way. We have it shelved in adult fiction and I believe that is where it belongs. Allison: Agreed. The writing style is more complex than what you might find in some YA - the use of terms like "Escheresque" and "vertiginous" might throw younger readers off. A good portion of the book is spent with R describing what life as a zombie is like and R’s thoughts on what caused the dead to rise. In these passages the author, I think, is using zombie life as a metaphor for depression - the alienation, the lack of interest or ambition, even the dulled senses of the Dead. Of course, this isn't a theme restricted to “adult” literature, but some younger readers might become bored with R’s continuous ruminations. Amy: At the end of the movie you get a sense that everyone will live happily ever after. At the end of the book you get the sense that although things are getting better, it will take years and years before life returns to pre-plague conditions. Allison: One of the key plot points that happens very differently in the movie and books - and which we can’t really talk about since it’d be huge spoiler - definitely contributes to that. Without giving too much away, what ultimately happens with General Grigio (Julie’s father) in the book as opposed to the movie sort of sums up the ultimate message of each. Amy: Allison mentioned that in the book the character of Nora is different, older and wiser.  I liked both characterizations of Nora.  I liked her sense of fun and humor in the movie and how she was wise beyond her years in the book.  Maybe it is because I saw the movie first, but I think I liked the movie better. Allison: I’m having a hard time deciding which one I liked best, since they’re both so different in tone. The movie is much lighter and the focus is on the romance between R and Julie. The book delves deeper into the inner lives (such as they are) of the zombies. We hear a great deal more from R on subject other than Julie and learn that there is even a zombie society. The zombies hold worship services, have sex, marry and raise children. At the beginning of the novel, R meets and marries his wife and later they are given two zombie children to feed and teach. There’s much more world-building in the book than in the movie, which works really well. If the movie had too much of that - aside from R’s introduction at the beginning - it would have been bogged down and much too dark. One section I really enjoyed and illustrates the side of zombie society we don't see as well in the movie was R's (internal) explanation of why he dislikes being called a "corpse" or a "zombie." When Julie first calls R a "corpse" R thinks, "...I realize she can’t possibly know the sensitive cultural connotations of the word 'corpse' …" R also dislikes it when Julie refers to herself as "human," as opposed to a corpse or a zombie. R thinks of himself as human; a Dead human, but human nonetheless. Amy: Marion did an excellent job giving his characters depth and making the reader feel that the "Dead" were also human. He also did a great job relaying that both the Zombie and Human populations were dead in the sense that there was very little hope that either population would survive.  That being said, I would tell people to read the book and see the movie in any order they choose. Allison: Absolutely! After I read the book, I found the short story that inspired it, I Am a Zombie Filled With Love online. I'm also planning to read the prequel Marion is writing, The New Hunger which right now is only available as an eBook from Zola Books, but you can read an excerpt on Entertainment Weekly's website here. And if you can't get enough of romance and/or zombies, click here for a list of similar books and movies! ~ Amy and Allison, Adult Services