#Lucas cannot write scripts

[musewrangler]

As someone who is currently a 19 year old boy, I hereby give Anakin a pass for all the cringy stuff he said to Padmé in aotc. Reasoning: we're idiots, to put it frankly. Still got some leftover puberty hormones going around, messing stuff up, no brain-to-mouth filter, barely an idea even of what flirting is, and seeing a really pretty girl? Yeah, my brain would be absolutely fried as well. Only difference between Anakin and I is Anakin doesn't know when to shut up and I don't know when to talk. Honestly George wrote his dialogue incredibly realistically, because if I had grown up a slave on a desert planet for 9 years I'd hate sand too!

Aha, I really loved hearing your perspective here! With all due respect to teenage boys [I teach high school and enjoy them immensely] you are spot on. xD

I think with a bit of directorial tweaking, that this scene could have been far more comedic in all the right ways. I think allowing us to see Anakin be awkward and gawky, but charming as well and aware that he just said something lame to the girl he likes would have gone a LONG ways for the audience. Just a shot of his reaction, you know, that face of ---oh crap, that was not what I wanted to say---would have been gold. I think they played it too seriously. Because I think Natalie Portman and Hayden Christiansen are both good actors and there was so much that COULD have been done by them in this movie to make it hurt even more by the end of the trilogy.

So all this to say, I agree with you and think they totally should have leaned into your take here.

Thanks for your thoughts! Good to hear from you!

[gffa]

hi Lumi, your posting about star wars books made me want to start reading them, which ones would you recommend?

Hi! There are a lot of Star Wars books out there and there's a lot I enjoy about them! Sure, I'll give a warning that I'm picking out the best moments and a lot of the books are not always great in their entirety, especially depending on how much you want to stay 100% true to Lucas' story.

A lot is going to depend on what you're looking for--are you a prequels fan? Are you more interested in original trilogy books? Jedi-centric books? Bounty hunters or pilots instead? Etc. Generally, I assume if you're asking me, you're here for the prequels books, but I have a more generalized list of recommendations here or you can browse my novels recs tag.

But I always generally recommend starting with: - Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover isn't a perfect book, I could nitpick some details here and there, but the heart of this book remains unchallenged as the best SW book there is, imo. It elevates the story it's adapting (already a high bar for me, I love ROTS), Stover knows how to turn a phrase to dig deep into a character's motivations, and there's a reason why we're all constantly quoting that book. It adds so much to the story and it's a compelling tale on its own, it makes me love the characters and hurt for them all over again, and there's approximately a thousand lines in this story that you could write an entire essay on.

- Padawan by Kiersten White cannot dethrone the ROTS novelization, but I would say that I think it wound up being my favorite of the Disney era books, because it's such a straight shot to my id. It's definitely on the lighter side, it's a happier look at Obi-Wan's childhood (which I think fits his character better), he struggles and has a lot going on, but overall he's pretty well-adjusted and happy, plus there is an absolute ABUNDANCE OF CUTENESS in this book, it was so delightful and whimsical and adorable, it just made me happy.

- Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule if you're at all interested in The High Republic. This is still my favorite book of the entire series, I think it set the stage incredibly well, it had some absolutely banger lines for someone with prequels brainrot like me, and genuinely made me excited for the entire line-up.

- Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott, which is an audiodrama but has a script version available if you're hoh or just don't like them. It's a solid look at Dooku's time as a youngling and why he left the Jedi Order and backstory with Sifo-Dyas that'll break your heart. I prefer the audio version here because the Asajj framing works so much better with the actress' voicework, it really digs into her feelings about all of this as well, making it a nice gut-punch of a story.

And now I would add Padawan's Pride by Brian Q. Miller (audiobook only, unfortunately) because it's a lovely, charming look at Anakin's time as an apprentice. It's very deliberately written as a lead-in to the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic (which I think you're supposed to be keeping in mind as you read, so I'd suggest reading in release order rather than chronological order), showing the conflict between Obi-Wan and Anakin, between Anakin the Jedi way of life, yet all the love that's growing there and the hope that they weren't wrong to hold onto. Just the right amount of crunch and sweet.

I recently read The Living Force by John Jackson Miller and, while I have a couple of issues with it (it was less spiritual than I'd like, some clunky "attachment" discourse moments that clash against Lucas' definitions, etc.), overall it was a book I loved. It was laugh out loud funny at several moments, it showed the Jedi as deeply caring, it gave time and page space to Jedi who don't usually get much focus, it had some knockout administrative worldbuilding details, and a genuinely fun experience of a story.

There are more that I personally loved (Force Collector was really good for me but not an easy one to recommend, The Legends of Luke Skywalker was very dear to me for being so in love with the galaxy far, far away, Obi-Wan & Anakin: Choose Your Destiny is a Choose Your Adventure style book that's not going to be for everyone but I adored and got so much out of, that's where Theater Nerd Mace Windu came from, the first and third From a Certain Point of View anthologies had 3-4 incredible stories in them each, the ESB one didn't impress me, etc.) and a lot of comics that I think are just as good to read if you haven't started on those, but I think this is a good starting place for prequels nerds.

(I stuck mostly to Disney continuity, it's what I'm more familiar with, and the only Legends books I fully recommend are Revenge of the Sith novelization and Dark Rendezvous, not even my beloved Wild Space comes without a bunch of caveats, but if you're interested in Legends, let me know!)

[padawanlost]

Hey! I just came around your blog and I’m actually new to the Star Wars fandom (I know I’m ridiculously late 😭) and I happen to be a huge Anidala shipper 🥺 they’re just so wholesome and sweet. But I did want to ask if there’s any official material out there (such as novels, or comics) explaining why they both love one another so deeply? Your one of the blogs I find has the most reliable prequels related stuff, so I’d love to hear your answer ♥️

Hey!! Welcome to the PT fandom, we're lucky to have you :)

I wanted to write a love story in a style that was extremely old-fashioned, and frankly I didn’t know if I was going to pull it off. In many ways this was much more like a movie that from the 1930s than any of the others had been, with a slightly over-the-top, poetic style-and they just don’t do that in movies anymore. I was very happy with the way it turned out in the script and in the performances, but I knew people might not buy it. [George Lucas]

Beyond the obvious "they had to", I can give you a thousand reasons why they fell in love: the trill of "forbidden love", shared childhood experience, mutual admiration, their physical appearances, mutual idealization, loneliness, shared values like loyalty and family, a escape from duty, etc. Because they are such complex characters we cannot reduce their story into a simple equation that could explain why they fell in love. Because…why do people fall in love? we can’t rationalize human behavior like that, not perfectly anyway.

Her life before Anakin belonged to someone else, some lesser being to be pitied, some poor impoverished spirit who could never suspect how profoundly life should be lived. Her real life began the first time she looked into Anakin Skywalker’s eyes and found in there not the uncritical worship of little Annie from Tatooine, but the direct, unashamed, smoldering passion of a powerful Jedi: a young man, to be sure, but every centimeter a man—a man whose legend was already growing within the Jedi Order and beyond. A man who knew exactly what he wanted and was honest enough to simply ask for it; a man strong enough to unroll his deepest feelings before her without fear and without shame. A man who had loved her for a decade, with faithful and patient heart, while he waited for the act of destiny he was sure would someday open her own heart to the fire in his. [Matthew Stover. Revenge of the Sith]

Both Anakin and Padmé were laughing now, and their laughter increased as they saw the look on the unfortunate creature’s long-billed face. Anakin looked at Padmé and the girl at him. Their laughter died away. The girl reached up to touch her hair self-consciously, but she did not divert her gaze. “I’m going to marry you,” the boy said suddenly. There was a moment of silence, and she began laughing again, a sweet musical sound he didn’t mind at all. The creature who accompanied her rolled his eyes.  “I mean it,” he insisted. “You are an odd one,” she said, her laughter dying away.  “Why do you say that?” He hesitated.  “I guess because it’s what I believe …” Her smile was dazzling. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t marry you …” She paused, searching her memory for his name.  “Anakin,” he said. “Anakin.” She cocked her head. “You’re just a little boy.”  His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be,” he said quietly. [Terry Brooks. The Phantom Menace]

Personally, I like to think their relationship was the culmination of their time together and apart. Their jobs, their sense of duty, their longing for peace and family and, most of all, empathy for each other.

Most people looked at them and saw a senator, a jedi and little else. They built these masks to protect themselves…but when they were together they could see each other for what their really were. That’s rare and for it to happen you have to empathize with someone and, most importantly, trust them with yourself.  Anakin and Padme had that. They had the bond, the faith in each other that allowed them to fully opened themselves and sustain their relationship beyond physical attraction.

[bellysoupset]

Now that you have mentioned Max's handwriting, I NEED to know how each of your OCs' handwriting looks like

Please and thank you

- 💜

Hi 💜!!

Yo, I've recently learned that Americans don't write in cursive? Well, fuck that.

Vince: By far the prettiest handwriting out of all my OCs! He writes in cursive and with very round letters, that are very evenly spaced and the same size, so sometimes it looks like it was done by a robot. In truth, Babbo and Ma schooled their children in handwriting (Vince the most, since they had more free time when he was an only child) and all of the Monacellis write like this!

Wendy: Wendy always had pretty, typewriter style handwriting. However, as she got older and more interested into the "ultrafeminine" aesthetic, her handwriting evolved. All this to say, Wendy signs her "i" with little hearts. Everything is an opportunity to show off her style!

Luke/Jonah: They share the third spot, because they basically learned how to write the same way. They shared an etiquette teacher, who used to slap their hands when they messed up. Then in boarding school, calligraphy was graded on! Both Luke and Jonah write in cursive, with big swoopy letters, except Luke's handwriting is slightly more muted and straight, while Jonah's is extravagant and tilted right.

(Leo knows this and he lowkey wants Jon to do the wedding invitations by hand. It's a fight for the future tho)

Max: Although I think Max's handwriting is uglier than Leo's, he goes over him because it's readable lol. He writes in block script, with too much pressure on his letters so the paper is always lowkey ruined. They're also very angular letters, almost looks like graffiti

Leo: Leo doesn't write in cursive, although he can read it. His letters are in block script, rounded, and very VERY tiny. For some reason he's got a pet peeve against using more than one page, so if he can cramp everything in one page, he will do that. More often than not he'll hand in things printed out, but still he uses like size 10pt and gets complaints over this often.

Bella: unreadable. Luke cannot trust this woman to write a groceries list. Bella's handwriting is in block print, but it's more of a chicken scratch than anything else. Vince, Jon and Wendy straight up cannot read her handwriting. Lucas can, but still he'll get things wrong. Whatever, it's not like she ever writes anything down, her job is a 100% digital. Bell is also the queen of abbreviation and grammar mistakes.

[fleshadept]

fun fact a huge reason why editing, despite being one of the most important jobs in filmmaking next to writing, directing, and cinematography, is largely ignored and unrecognized is because it was seen as women’s work for a long time. people learn about kubrick and hitchcock and spielberg and scorsese, but do you know thelma schoonmaker, who was scorsese’s editor for over 50 years?

the term “film editor” was first used to describe margaret booth, who worked in the film industry between 1915 and 1987. because of the low value of the position and her ultimate high level position at MGM, it’s estimated that there’s hundreds of films out there she worked on uncredited. she shaped the craft.

jaws was going to be a terrible movie until spielberg’s editor, verna fields, showed him what it could feel like if they avoided showing the shark itself and instead focused on reactions and POVs. she had her own editing lab at home, which if you don’t know what editing labs looked like before digital editing, was insane. she pioneered the fucking natural wipe transition that’s used in pretty much every movie today. she tutored george and marcia lucas! also her nickname was the “mother cutter” which is just badass

marcia lucas, by the way, was george lucas’s story and film editor. it’s pretty well known by now that most of the parts that made star wars strong came from her. the problem with attribution between them eventually led to their divorce, as george lucas kept getting credit for her ideas and skill.

when people think of filmmakers, they think of writers and directors and actors, but there are three phases to making a movie: pre-production, production, and post production, and by and large the reason post production is forgotten i because it was a women’s job for a long time—made easier because they could put the women in a dark room where they didn’t have to see them. but without editors movies would just be a bunch of separate, out of order video and audio clips in a huge folder. in the same way you can’t have a movie without a script or actors or a camera, you cannot have a movie without editors. and they should not be forgotten to time in favor of the male auteurs who took or received most of the credit

[anewkindofme]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tag, @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad.

A look at the next “My Boy”. We get a rare look at Alex’s POV.

———

Alex’s day is filled with caring for children and Littles alike whose caregivers freak out at the slightest fever or cough. Rather than urgent care or their general practitioner, they crowd the emergency room. If they want to pay an insane bill, that’s their job. At least Alex has no shortage of consults. Even if half of them annoy him. Not the kids or Littles, they’re cute. But the parents…well, they remind him of his parents. Luckily, he’s avoided any colds or flus this season. At the very least, Meredith can diagnosis him so he doesn’t have to see Arizona.

“I’m going to grab a bite to eat,” he tells his intern, Sandy Lucas. “Page me if needed or if Dr. Robbins is looking for me.”

Sandy nods. “Yes, Dr. Grey-Shepherd.”

“And if Dr. Grey or Dr. Shepherd come looking for me…”

“You’re with a patient and cannot be bothered.” She smiles.

Alex matches it. “You’re not so bad.”

Sandy chuckles. Alex barely makes it out of the ER when Jackson bumps into him. He’s rubbing his hands over his arms and slightly pouting.

“You okay, man?”

“I need you to write me a script.”

Alex tilts his head. “For a patient?”

“No…for me.”

———

No pressure tag: @snowviolettwhite, @cianmarstoo, @actualalligator & @kingofdarkness00

[mcbitchtits]

okay, since round three is on the books, i’m going to try to corral my points of review into more cohesion instead of just scattershot points.

(SPOILERS obviously)

My main critiques:

1) Have you ever read Mostly Harmless? Douglas Adams talks about how he was in a bad place mentally and “took it out on the book”, and later regretted it and meant to go back and rework the ending. A lot of people, I think, have the same feeling about Temple of Doom, knowingly or unknowingly regarding Spielberg and Lucas’ personal situations at the time.

Dial of Destiny is, for me, that same sort of bouncing off of it because the plot is too dark. And this one isn’t even literally dark, it’s just kind of depressing. My suspicion is that they tried to respond to the backlash to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by being serious, grounded, and in the case of the macguffin, extremely rational. But they overcorrected, in my opinion, and frankly it sucks that they killed off Mutt and blew up Indy’s life. Not only that, but it makes for a bad “ending” to the series (if it does turn out to be so, as they claim it to be). The movies, as a series, are pulpy, even if they’re grounded pulpy. Indy is a heroic character, even when he’s losing, and yes he finds his way back to Marion and puts his hat back on to live another day, but that’s not enough. And the reason it’s not enough, is

2) The script isn’t strong enough to support the plot. There are a lot of moments that are somewhat flat and empty and just not tight. I do wonder, with so many characters and moments, how much ended up on the cutting room floor; if there were more nuanced lines and fleshed out lines that gave things a little more depth.

For example. The “I’ve seen things, things i can’t explain... I’ve come to think it’s not a matter of what you believe, but how hard” line. This is a line that, to me, sounds like it’s supposed to be deep and thematic and sound good, but it’s actually empty and confusing. Yes, Indy’s character has always been a skeptic and yes, part of the themes of this movie are about science and rationality (and not being aliens omg~). But it also flies in the face of his character arc in Raiders specifically but also Temple of Doom, about wonder and awe and terror and mysticism. (And, you know, as a scientist, at the end of Raiders he points out that the “boogeyman” he didn’t believe in at the beginning is an incredible and dangerous force that should be studied. He didn’t just laugh it off or second guess his own experience.)

This line reminds me of a paper I wrote in high school, where I had a lot of rich resources and was trying to make a statement about human nature and the art of storytelling, and it was so broad and too wide that I ended up with a sort of empty, flat thesis as a result. That’s what this line is.

What it’s trying to do, I think, what it’s there for, is to set up Helena’s following line. That no matter the forces in the universe, even if he’s skeptical or just deep in the dark set of depression, he still believes in his marriage, in Marion. I mean, which is truly touching. But the cynicism of his line just makes the whole thing fall flat to me.

But more specifically when it comes to weak script structure: the writing does not earn its catharsis from the emotional climax to the denouement. Indy thinks he’s dying, thinks he’s old and worthless and his life isn’t worth living anymore, and wants the one thing he think has any significance to him anymore— his passion, his love for history, his study of the past. And in this moment, Helena tells Archimedes he cannot allow Indy to stay. That they have to get back, he doesn’t belong here, he’s just going to die a pointless and empty death. He needs medicine, and he can’t help Archimedes in this time.

What she should say here�� for her own character arc, and for Indy’s, as he begs for meaning in his life— is that she needs him. Yes she’s a scoundrel and yes she’s Indy’s character at the beginning of Raiders (and yes, she has a Short Round in Teddy), but what she doesn’t have anymore is her father, only his research; and structurally, thematically, she came to her godfather for a reason (that wasn’t just the dial itself, even if she keeps playing off how much she’s only in everything for the cash).

But she never says that. And Indy, having just lost his son literally and his wife emotionally, never says he needs her either. (Even though, obviously, he’s screaming it emotionally. That is hard to watch.)

As a result, the ending— wherein Indy does get Marion and Sallah and Sallah’s family (also, uh, where is Fayah?) and Helena and Teddy— it’s all sort of left to discomfort and allusion. We never get that moment like in Last Crusade where Indy and Henry Sr. can step back from the grail obsession and see each other. Helena’s rogueish punch is a good laugh, but it’s not enough to land that scene emotionally, and neither is the scene that follows.

(Which also, “are you back?” is supposed to mean, I guess, back in New York, back in his time, back in their relationship, but it’s also a flat/empty line because back to what. He just retired. He doesn’t have another adventure lined up; and according to all sources this is his “final” adventure. And saying, like, oh yeah, he’s “back” from the depths of depression? feels callous and dismissive.)

On a less dialoguey level, the script just has a ton of things crammed in it for the sake of them being Indiana Jones touchpoints, and I think there’s a shitload that ended up cut in editing, and there’s kind of too much. There are too many characters and so a lot of them don’t get richer moments to shine; the chase scenes are A Lot of Things Happening One After Another and not necessarily with any sense of snowballing danger; there are literally so many parts to the macguffin that we literally never learn anything about the fourth piece, the necklace on Archimedes’ skeleton. (And I’m not saying we should have; there’s already too much going on, and it’s excessive. My point is just that... it’s excessive, and there should have been more Kill Your Darlings happening, like, everywhere.) Hauke is there to be the Pat Roach character and he never gets that sort of fight scene. That’s the whole tropey reason to have him there! (And that’s the kind of thing that makes me wonder if there is another two and a half hours of cut scenes sitting on the editing room floor somewhere. There’s just so fucking much.)

3) Most strangely of all, the music feels like it’s tacked on as an afterthought. There are moments where it flows, and there are moments where we hear themes, but they never seem to work together. The first time we hear the Raiders March is Indy climbing up onto the treasure train and off his motorcycle (and it feels very much like it’s supposed to be like him running along the German sub in Raiders); but it doesn’t really feel like we crescendoed to that point— we should probably just be feeling the urgency tick up in tension, something with a driving and aggressive cadence to it, and then hit his theme later on when he clocks the German commander or maybe later with Voller.

And it’s like... not noticeable in other places. It should be punctuating that he’s the hero. (So maybe the problem is that heeeeeee’s too depressed in this movie and Helena gets so many hero moments? Maybe the problem is that the writing/editing is just not tight so the action can’t find its rhythm?) We drop into it right over the credits and I can think of one other brief moment. (I’m probably undercounting, but again, it feels not noticeable.) All in all the scoring feels very disjointed.

Okay. Those are my Main Points. Onto other smaller nonsense from this viewing:

What’s up with the bugs scene. Excessive. Just cut that straight through to the methane scene; we don’t have a reason to think Helena has a bug phobia, we HAVE SEEN INDY NOT BE AFRAID OF BUGS IN LITERALLY THREE OUT OF THE OTHER FOUR MOVIES, and also I’m pretty sure they’re CGI? This moment does not need to be in the movie. It does literally nothing.

I don’t think I mentioned it previously though I did notice last time— when Teddy pickpockets the rich kids on Sicily, the puppet show they’re watching is the Battle of Syracuse we’re about to witness, “dragon” included. A cute detail.

Helena’s outfit on Sicily is so weird to me. The linen shirt and pants at least make sense from an islandy, tropical approach, but what is with the victorianish boots. Maybe I’m wrong but I do not think there was a Victorian style resurgence in 1969? This outfit is also. So bland. Please give that girl a scarf or some jewelry or a funky belt or literally anything. Maybe an interesting vest featuring colorful Sicilian fabric. SOMETHING.

I enjoy the flashback we get to 1951 but I wish it were somehow integrated to include a map scene? Dumb personal preference on my part. Personal taste-wise I feel like Mangold played fast and loose with checking the boxes on small stuff like that and again it’s just. Not finessed.

I dislike the audio editing in the cave scene. I think what they’re aiming for is trying to make the initial line discernable from the echoes, but weirdly loud/intimate/unbalanced dialogue/audio editing was a big annoyance of mine in Crystal Skull, so this is a bit of sore thumb for me.

Also... why Beethoven’s Fifth? Just another thing that feels like the script could have made a little richer if it were another song; maybe something funny or something with meaning to Indy and Helena, I don’t know. Maybe something to play on the pulpy/period tropes. Maybe something more contemporary to show us Indy isn’t a total sadsack. I’m just spitballing.

Saw the movie today in just regular old standard projection without any dolby or anything like that; honestly a better audio mix than my two IMAX showings. Dunno if that’s just the classic theater being old and retrofitted or the AMC being on point technically, but either way. Improvement.

Realized that in addition to the Wilhelm pretty early on, there’s also the Falcon/prop engine start noise in the movie.

Today’s crowd was a little more understated (aside from all the mall kids running around), but weirdly the only joke that got an actual laugh was one of Helena’s lines? I can’t remember which one now. But I thought that was interesting.

Fascinating to me that people bounced so hard off of Mutt/Shia and here we are with Helena “Wombat” Shaw, troublemaker with daddy issues, smartass, —what’s the female equivalent of a womanizer, a manizer?— treasure thief, who adopted a kid trying to pickpocket her. Not that Lucasfilm/Disney know what the hell they’re doing here. (GREENLIGHTING A SHORT ROUND SPINOFF YOU DUMB FUCKS, GET ON IT ALREADY)

Production design pet peeve: why are all of Indy’s pictures of Marion from 1936? (Also, he had a photo of her with him in 1994, everybody say AWWWWW) They’ve been married for 12 years now, did they have NO family photos in that time?! DID NO ONE GIVE THE PRODUCTION DESIGN TEAM ACCESS TO PHOTOSHOP?????

(I wonder if any of this is related to the rumored ending reshoots or whatever? Like— the photo of Marion that turns up in his bag in 1994 was not in the original teasers; was that just because of late digital work, or was it because they rewrote the ending or something? I’m fully speculating here, I barely even know what the rumors are. (Can you imagine if they fully split him and Marion at the end initially. I would blow my fucking gasket.)

Okay that’s enough for now. I’m sure I’ll be back with more thoughts as I inevitably continue to go to showings and mentally dissect this 24/7.

[gayofthefae]

Max teaches El how to play then she does on her own, sometimes in ways Max is even surprised by and had no influence on - like not taking Mike back at the pool in 3x04. But Lucas is holding the controller for Mike. If he lets go, Mike is unable to play by himself.

Teach a man to fish or something

But Mike doesn't understand the game itself, he is completely confused by it, so he can only succeed with continuous step by step instructions.

This is one of those things I thought from my first watch, even thinking he was straight. Mike does not see El as herself in season 3. He sees her as "girlfriend". This is never made more clear than when Mike and Lucas describe El and Max with as the generalized terms "girls". Mike is mimicking a boyfriend to a girlfriend on TV or in people around him, not understanding the actual experience he's supposed to be having or the intention behind those milestones. I thought it was just the writing, but the "I love you" always felt like a checkpoint. It's the "next thing".

Mike and El seem to me like the straight couple who get married because they've "been together long enough" and there are no milestones left. They're checking boxes. Mike has been told that when you date someone, you spend time with her, but he doesn't know what's next - as shown in Destination Unknown on his playlist - until she dumps him. Now he has a new objective: get her back, but that's vague and he has been unsuccessful even after they're on good terms again so he doesn't know what to do next. Until he lets the ily slip - right! That's a milestone! We'll go with that one.

But in successfully achieving it, only then is he able to realize he doesn't actually want it. He thought he would because he'd never hit a milestone before and that's what you're supposed to do, so he thought that it would bring him joy so he was excited by it, but he realized when it hit him that this was a game to him. And it wasn't supposed to be. "Normal" people actually feel it. In typical relationships, you do what makes you feel better or because you want the other person's happiness.

"We could always call them" "We can do that?"

He's checking the rule book. With Will, he just wants to follow him to apologize because he doesn't like Will being upset. With El, he doesn't like her being upset, but that's vastly overshadowed by the knowledge that boyfriends who like their girlfriends get them back when they're dumped. He's following a script in only one scenario, and he still is. That love confession was cliché. That's exactly why.

People say it's an epic love story because it's mimicking one. But its mimicry is too purposeful to be real. He does and says all the things you do and say when you love someone. But only because he was told that's what people who love someone do and say.

Whenever someone goes off-script, he fumbles.

Calls line.

Returns to old lines to see if they work here, if they can get him back on track in the script.

But he can't improvise. Because to improvise, you have to understand the character's motives.

He doesn't know what he's supposed to want or why these lines are said. It's shown in how his speech mimics Will's. He tells a story about himself and El like Will did describing their time apart because he only understood that in a love confession, you tell a story. He didn't understand why, how it fit, or what it had to represent.

He cannot improvise because he doesn't understand his character's motives. El handed him a script and he didn't feel comfortable using it, that's why he was so confused how to proceed. But in the end, he just opted for using it.

He has yet to speak from the heart. He has yet to say anything to her purely from his inclinations and desires. Because he doesn't trust them. He doesn't trust them to be right. He's never trusted them to appear straight.

But lovers say those lines. Friends shoulder punch each other. He doesn't know in what context or why, but he'll do his best.

Something that always bothered me about Stranger Things 3 and 4 and romance.

It's so...

It's too...

It's like—AH! I got it: It's a game!

In ST3, romance is a game—

—a game Mike knows he's losing. He has

• lifelines

• saving throws, and

• even HP in this game.

The game has in-game consequences, like upsetting Hopper, disappointing the entire party, and El dumping him (game over, try again?). Romance: Mileven edition is still just a game—for Mike, a game of testing limits. He can try again later. But it's also a stageplay: the only reason he was winning in the first place was because he has a really good coach watching and helping him—someone who's already on round six or seven of this game and Act II of this play:

Lucas, who is playing Romance: Lumax edition quite successfully with Max, even if he's gotten Game Over a few times. However, he always has to tell Mike the answers, which is completely out-of-character for Mike, but he keeps winning with Lucas’s help—as long as El doesn't realize she's playing.

(I just realized this "romantic" shot is super dark, and we can barely see their faces)

Still, once Mike starts being, well, "a total asshole," El starts playing, too. Romance for her is a treasure hunt. She's

• making allies

• finding treasures and solving puzzles, and

• earning EXP

She has a better coach: Max. She doesn't quite understand El's choices in this game, but teaches her that it is a game, and she offers amazing advice that makes her a better player.

Romance: Lumax edition was (in ST3) a similar game with similar in-game consequences, like breaking up, but Max and Lucas both want to keep playing... until they can't anymore, and for good reason. When the party falls apart in ST3:8, Max loses her stepbrother, her stepfather walks out, her mother is busting her ass working two jobs, and they have to move after just getting settled a few months ago. Between this and Lucas struggling with his own social identity (becoming a jock or remaining a nerd) and comprehending his own trauma, and as Lucas and Max became more serious about each other and themselves, this is the first time Lumax splits for real, even if they remain on good terms. The game is over—in fact, this isn’t a game nor an act anymore—but the love and friendship remain strong.

By ST4, Mike, however, is still playing. And so is El.

They continue to play as long as someone is watching. However, unlike Lucas and Max, Mike and El have almost always been playing against each other in ST3, and now in ST4, they are both playing and acting, as convincingly as they can, to maintain... a lie. That they're happy, that they are happy with and without each other and without the party; that they will always be there for each other and understand each other; that the distance and time apart hasn't made them think about not playing anymore. After all, what's the point in winning if no one sees? But they don't want to keep playing—it's exhausting.

And they convince someone of the act:

D&D? That's a game, but love? No, Mike is so serious about the people he loves. Mike and Will have built their party from the ground up. Their friendship is irreplicable. It doesn't require acting, strategy or outside influence to maintain. It doesn't even require gifts. And, most importantly, no one watches them "win" at friendship. It only requires them being genuine. When one of them is no longer being genuine, there are real-world consequences—it puts their friendship and everything it built in jeopardy.

It was never a game, and Mike knows this because he can't lose Will. And he realizes too late (by their rain fight) that not only is Will not interested in whatever show Mike is putting on, but that he never had to play this game to begin with. Mike could have somehow spent the rest of his life with Will sitting in the basement playing games for the rest of their lives, if he realized soon enough that this was an option.

So, when Mike and El "ignore" Will, Will thinks it's because they're deeply in love, and they're genuinely happy and very much without him. It even confuses Will when Mike makes it crystal clear he isn't happy. When Mike tells Will that he and El had "a fight that you can't come back from," he fails to tell Will that he's losing and perhaps... he doesn't want to keep playing the romance game if it's game over. This is because he's been acting this out for so long, and it causes him to unwittingly mix love and romance with two different relationships. Will deduces, Okay, there's a problem with Mike's relationship and he wants to fix it. I love him and I should help. Will was of no help last time (not understanding the game) and nearly walked out on their friendship, and Will doesn't want to do that again. He provides a real-world solution. Mike tries again to tell Will the truth, that it's an act he doesn't want to maintain, and again Will, thinking Mike wouldn't lie about something as serious and genuine as love keeps giving genuine advice. It's almost funny rewatching it.

Finally, Mike just straight up tells him the truth. He's dating El because it's "simple dumb luck" and he doesn't know what he'll do once "she doesn't need [him] anymore." Still, it's only half-true. He doesn't elaborate that he's spent so much time throwing his relationship with El in everyone's faces just to look normal as the reason he's pushed so many people away.

Will, realizing being genuine isn't working... finally starts playing the game.

He lies to Mike about El's feelings for him

and is rewarded for it.

(I need metric data on how many times this van scene was replayed)

Will's in-game objective is to help Mike become a better player, and Mike finally has the peace of mind from Will that he'll be okay if he just stops playing entirely. It flipped.

So by the time Mike realizes he actually traded love for romance, where does that leave them? Oh.

Here.

(I forgot where I was going with this, sorry)

Will applies game logic to real life—which never works without consequences—thinking it's the only way they can survive and we have Mike's "confession." Mike has lied to everyone and now can't stop playing. He's told Will last summer that Will needs to at least pretend to play, and now he can't go back on this. He can't go home, or explain himself, or repair all the damage.

Lying is his life now.

The way they showcase both love and romance in this show just hurts my soul 😅

[theladyfromplanetx]

Rebel Report

"The release date of the Star Wars prequel is still more than 850 days off, but gauging by the rumors surrounding Episode 1, you'd think it was next week. Unofficial fan clubs, Web sites and Newsgroups are rife with guesswork about the cast, script and shooting locations. First, here are some Lucasfilm-confirmed facts: Preproduction has begun at Leavesden Studios outside of London; sets are being built; principal photography is expected to start in the latter part of 1997; George Lucas will direct the first movie. SWGM can also report storyboards, character and vehicle designs and maquettes for Episode 1 are being produced at Skywalker Ranch.

Now, back to the rumor mill, with official responses from Lucasfilm:

George Lucas is considering Natalie Portman for the young female lead in Episode 1. Our casting director has interviewed over 3,000 people for the two lead roles. No one has been cast to date.

Kenneth Branagh was 'considered' for the role of Obi-Wan. The Branagh rumor came out of a London tabloid and was never true. We certainly admire Mr. Branagh's talent, but have never considered him for the role of Obi-Wan.

The idea of Grand Moff Tarkin showing up in the prequels... George Lucas has not shared with us all the characters in the prequels, so we cannot answer this question.

The copyrighted 'tentative' title for Episode 1 is Star Wars: Genesis. George has not titled any of the prequels. We are using Episode 1 as a placeholder title.

Bijou Phillips has gotten past her fourth callback for the next Star Wars flick. Phillips had one general interview, and is not currently being considered for any role.

Alec Guinness will be playing young Obi-Wan in the prequels. This, of course, would be impossible since the story takes place 40 years before Episode 4.

I'm pretty sure John Williams is doing the music again. No decisions have been made regarding the music as of this date.

Christopher Walken would be an excellent villain in the prequels! Walken is a great villain, but he is not currently being considered for a part.

Winona Ryder...will...play the mother of Luke Skywalker and wife of Darth Vader. Ryder is not currently being considered for a part.

I've heard that the new trilogy will be partially filmed in Portugal and Tunisia. Our Producer, Rick McCallum, is currently scouting locations, but the majority of the work will be done at Leavesden Studios. Other locations have not been determined yet.

Tommy Lee Jones as Emperor Palpatine... This is a false rumor.

I heard that Macauley Caulkin would play Luke as a child...and Mark Hamill would play Anakin Skywalker. It is a false rumor about Caulkin. First, Luke was not born at the time that the prequels take place, and Caulkin has not been contacted for any role. It is also a false rumor about Hamill.

Hollywood sources say George Lucas wants Frank Darabont to write the script for a new Star Wars film. Currently, George is writing all three scripts. There is a possibility that he may bring in another writer to help on the second and third scripts after he has the first drafts completed. George certainly admires Darabont's talent, having worked with him on the Young Indy series, but no writer has been signed on as of this date.

One final fact: See you in the next issue."

- From Star Wars Galaxy Magazine, Fall 1996; Editor Bob Woods.

[media-studies-stay-alive]

Ocean's Film Opening

Introspection:

In making this video, I learned how to use the camera stabiliser, some shooting angles, arranging and directing the actors, and the unspoken rules of making a movie. In this film, although I had used the stabiliser, I still had hand tremours in most of the shots, and some of the camera values were not adjusted properly when I shot, it caused me that most of the storyboards were dark. I need to find solutions and improve the above two problems.

Mind map:

An introduction about the Mind Map:

This is the Mind Map I made before making this video. I used science fiction as the topic, and I could write out all the ideas I knew about science fiction, and then I came up with the idea I wanted to use from this Mind Map.

Video:

Story Synopsis:

It's a survival story about a student who goes back to school at night to get his homework and is transported to another dimension.

Cast:

Actor introduction：

Luca:

Luca plays the role of the boss and protagonist of the masked man, and he appears in most of the scenes, because the two roles he plays are the two most important roles in the video.

Ocean:

Ocean, who plays a masked man, doesn't appear on camera much because Ocean has written, directed, filmed and edited on the sidelines. This is why he played less.

Arthorn:

Arthorn plays the main villain who kills the survivors in the video. In the video, he is a villain with strong strength. In this story, there are more battles with the protagonist, so there are more scenes about him

Nick:

Nick played an ordinary masked man who hunted the main character in the video, and he also played the corpse of a security guard. In this video, he did not appear many times, but he had a very good acting performance in the corpse of a security guard.

Luca, Arthorn and Nick:

The above three were not registered for the Media Study exam, and they were cast as friends of Ocean.

Storyboard:

The introduce about the storyboard:

I drew these storyboards before I started shooting the video, so that I could show them to the actors before I started shooting the video. Furthermore, the actors could better understand how their actions should be done, and so that the actors could understand the structure of the whole story.

Behind the scenes of BE ALIVE :

What did I do in this movie:

In this film, I was responsible for the writing, video editing, shooting, and acting. In this film, I referred to some of the actions in a trailer of backroom, and also looked at the works made by others. In the shooting process, because most of the shots need to be shot at sunset time, so the video was divided into more than 10 days to shoot. Before writing the script, I went to watch some instructional videos on script writing and followed the advice of the videos. In order to complete this work, I tried to learn video editing by myself, in fact, I got a new skill.

What did I improve during the production process：

In the process of making this video, I realised that the rules of this industry must be done well, and I also learned how to plan the whole shooting process. Moreover, my photography skills and video editing skills have been improved to a certain extent. In addition, My camera/shooting skills have been developed by this project. I fully understood the importance of mise-en-scène.

The teacher's impressions after viewing：

Questions i asked:

How do you feel about this video?

Can you guess what type of video clip it is?

Do you think it is suitable for young people to watch?

Do you want to watch the hole movie?

Introducing idea.

What is backroom？

Backroom is a world that is relative to the real world Earth Frontroom, the total area cannot be measured, it is divided into different sizes of various Spaces - Levels. And these Levels are actually made up of the Liminal Space that can bring about a sense of depression and weirdness. As the number of authors grew, this became a forgotten setting.

The idea (inspiration) comes from the following video.

What i had done before i made this video:

Before I started making this film, I learned how to edit the film, and I had learnt some skills about the media from the book. For example, I learnt different types of camera shots, some unspoken rules of photo editing and film making. And before I started making this video, I looked at other people's work as a level media study. Finally, before I started shooting, I bought all the necessary props online and learned how to draw storyboards.

[wallisjewellie]

On that torrid Anakin/Padmé/Obi-Wan love triangle which was promised in 1983, then again in 1999

My impression is that Lucas had indeed been trying to insert the Anakin/Padmé/Obi-Wan love triangle into the Prequel Trilogy - repeatedly and in different forms/with different solutions. Only, he scrapped elements of this plot line in the last minute every single time. I have written about it in previous, related posts, but here I would like to make some further additions to this line of thought, which is actually way more than speculation.

Let’s begin.

I pointed out previously that Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas (‎Da Capo Press; Updated ed. edition; May 31, 1999), which is a book by Lucas’ biographer, Dale Pollock, and which was first published in 1983, states that

“There will also be a torrid love triangle among the grown-up Queen (who will give birth to the twins, Luke and Leia), Annakin Skywalker, and Ben Kenobi. The consequences of this love triangle are one of the great betrayals layered throughout the three prequels that have enormous impact on all of the major characters in the story.”

Now I would like to draw attention to the sentence right before the above quote:

“A spectacular wedding for Annakin Skywalker is expected for Episode II, in which he is betrothed to the Queen (portrayed as a teenager by Portman).”

The 1999 edition was “updated with a substantial new chapter that discusses the revamped Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, the Star Wars prequels”. Based on the deal in place between Pollock and Lucas, the latter was able to cut anything he felt was factually inaccurate - yet he didn’t touch the part about the love triangle and the betrayal.

Pay attention to the sequencing of the sentences: Pollock first writes about the wedding of Anakin and Padmé (taking place in Episode II), only then does he mention the love triangle. This makes me think that the Padmé/Obi-Wan plotline was about to be strengthened in Episode III. But as per Pollock, it should also have been layered through the PT. It is not, though. Or is was it…?

Confused? Don’t be. Read along.

We know for a fact that in a 1996 revised draft of Episode I, then titled simply “The Beginning”, it is heavily implied that the teenage Queen had a crush on Jedi Knight Obi-Wan, and he picked up on it. I have written about it here (x). (In this 1996 draft Obi-Wan was not a Padawan learner. Also, Padmé and him had a great number of interactions, because Qui-Gon appeared much later on screen.) Padmé’s attraction to Obi-Wan in this draft was overt, and it appeared to be evident to him.There were multiple indications that the Queen was crushing on Obi-Wan, and at least one where he noticed it, and when he did, the reaction it generated in him was of emotional nature. (Her eyes on him made him nervous.)

But all these were not in TPM, and cannot be found among the deleted scenes, right? Right. But-

In June 1999, a mere month after TPM had premiered, LucasArts released a CDROM companion called The Star Wars Episode I. Insider’s Guide which included among other things numerous notes detailing what was in previous drafts of the film, mostly in the revised rough draft that was completed on June 13th, 1996, and which contained clear reference to Padmé’s crush on Obi-Wan. These notes were ripped from the Insider’s Guide, and published on Medium.com (x) in May 2020. The file also included so-called “callouts” that cite the specific page number(s) in the draft where the events take place.

Why is it important? Because there is a note about Padmé and Obi-Wan, literally titled “A Crush?”, and its content refers to what is happening on pages 33, 43 and 44 of the 1996 rev draft. Take a look:

“A Crush?

On several occasions in the revised rough draft, there is mention of Padmé’s growing affection for Obi-Wan. When the Jedi argues with Amidala regarding Jar Jar’s fate, the script indicates that Padmé is “impressed that Obi-Wan is able to stand up to the Queen.” As they prepare to enter Mos Espa, she “gives Obi-Wan a long, adoring look.” Once in Mos Espa, Padmé watches Obi-Wan “with interest and respect,” and it is noted that her “eyes make the powerful Jedi nervous.” (RRD, pp. 33, 43, 44)”

Lucas was clearly meant to be laying down the groundwork for that love triangle, by making Padmé fall for Obi-Wan first. Well before she fell for Anakin. And it was confirmed in an officially released insider’s guide.

Those who cannot comprehend how Padmé got besotted in the first place with Anakin instead of the dashing Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the day, who she had met during the rescue mission… Well, you have your answer now. Her mind was actually supposed to be on Obi-Wan.

Moving on.

The definition of “torrid” according to Merriam-Webster is “parched with heat especially of the sun: hot; giving off intense heat: scorching; ardent, passionate”. Cambridge Dictionary defines the word as “involving strong emotions, especially those of sexual love”.

Pollock writes in 1999 (the same year the Insider’s Guide was published) that this love triangle is envisioned to be “one of the great betrayals layered through the prequels”. And that it is supposed to have “enormous impact” on the main characters. These are strong words. And since we are looking at the words of the author of Lucas’ biography, we should not discard them as part of an overly eager fanfiction.

There are some betrayals we are witnessing throughout the PT: the most dramatic is Anakin’s tragedy betrayal of the Jedi Order and the prophecy; then there is Palpatine’s grand scheme betrayal of the Republic. And we know from the OT that no one is morally irreproachable; not even Yoda or Obi-Wan.

And thus I am missing the promised betrayal with enormous impact which must be connected to the torrid love triangle between the three protagonists according to Pollock. Where is it? Lucas tacitly confirmed it coming even in 1999, since it is spelled out in the book, and he did not have it cut. This is the betrayal which must be committed by Obi-Wan and Padmé. Betraying Anakin. On a very personal level.

If we put together the concept of an ardent, passionate love triangle, involving strong emotions, especially those of sexual love, as well as the concept of a great betrayal, which leaves Anakin hating Obi-Wan, and seriously questioning the identity of Luke���s father, the conclusion appears to be rather straightforward: Padmé and Obi-Wan weren’t just supposed to take the side against Vader in the new, emerging galactic order. They were supposed to have some sort of affair. They were supposed to commit adultery in Episode III. And there was supposed to be a decent buildup to it.

This is harsh.

It really is. But so is Anakin committing mass murder of children, turning against the Jedi Order, becoming a tyrant etc. So is the Chancellor taking over the Galaxy. The truth is that we all see these shocking revelations coming: Anakin’s personality and weaknesses, Palpatine’s master plan are all in plain sight. They are layered through the prequels. Just like the love triangle was promised to be.

In The Beginning, Padmé did have a crush on Obi-Wan, and he knew it/felt it/was uncomfortable about, but aware of it. The adoration could hardly be mutual (at least I hope so), since she was very much a minor, while Obi-Wan was an adult Jedi Knight. But the seed was sown: she fell for him, and he knew it. And the original idea could have been that this (buried) childhood crush was to be resurfaced later. Again, Pollock mentions the torrid love triangle after the spectacular wedding.

Or not. Was it always Anakin and Padmé, who were supposed to hide their love and affection for one another? Must two people having a “spectacular wedding” do that? Was there originally something else (apart from what’s canonic now) behind Obi-Wan’s heavy protest against Anakin acting upon his feelings towards her?

One element of the torrid love triangle, the possessive-obsessive love from Anakin’s side was there, and his paranoid fear of Obi-Wan taking Padmé from him remained in RotS, although downplayed. I have discussed the disgraceful fate of the RotS Padmé/Obi-Wan storyline several times before; not going to do that now. But one thing is clear: their affair should not have been only in Anakin’s head. (It could have been a nice last-minute try though, in order to insert the triangle somehow into the story, given that by that time, not much Padmé/Obi-Wan interaction had survived the cutting floor in TPM and AotC.) But it should have been real. And torrid. And should have been having an enormous impact on all of the major characters of the story.

Probably not just on the story of the prequels, but on that of the original trilogy as well.

I think that the original idea was the ambiguous paternity all along, Lucas just eventually didn’t have the guts to steer things to the direction of uncertainty about the identity of the father. Pollock himself mentions in the same sentence the triangle and that the Queen will give birth to twins. (“There will also be a torrid love triangle among the grown-up Queen (who will give birth to the twins, Luke and Leia), Annakin Skywalker, and Ben Kenobi.”)

To be honest, even though I am an Obidala fan, I do not really support the theory of Obi-Wan being Luke’s (and Leia’s) father. (And don’t even get me started on the twisted idea of Padmé conceiving two children from two different fathers…) I do love the father-son redemption arc, and Vader’s name is… well, it’s literally Vader. But I support the idea of creating uncertainty about the father’s identity in the viewers’ (and Anakin’s) head, as long as possible. Again, the revelation itself is one of the biggest plot twists in the OT, so it would have made perfect sense if Lucas had left us somewhat suspicious about Luke’s origins before said revelation.

The prequels should have left the possibilities open, leaving it to the OT to have the story unfold. And the prequels should have given us that torrid love triangle.

[demadogs]

Mike's behavior if he doesn't have some weird and complicated feelings about Will is baffling to me. If I can look at his behavior over the course of the show and go, "yep this is exactly how I acted as a kid about with one of my best friends" because I was really jealous and upset when they spent more time with the other kids in our neighborhood than they did with me (even if I was also friends with the other kid), had a grudge and didn't like a kid that moved into our neighborhood because my friend spent too much time with them, and actively started distancing myself from my friend because it hurt we weren't as close anymore.

I very much did have a crush on my friend, I just never realized because I just assumed I was 100% not gay as a child. Mike is somehow such a realistic portrayal of a oblivious gay kid with a huge crush and if it wasn't intentional it's kinda scary how spot on all his behavior is.

i agree but i dont think hes oblivious anymore. i think he definitely was in s3 but since will and el moved he realized how he really feels but hes DEEPLY suppressing it and just hoping it goes away on its own.

theres also genuinely not another explanation i can think of for his behavior with el and will. especially when we have the comparison of real love, lucas and max, and real platonic friendship, steve and robin or eddie and dustin. (not to say mike and wills friendship isnt real, theres just nothing more happening in any other friendship.)

those friendships are much more recent than will and mike so idk if theyre the best comparison, but none the less we dont get soft moments like the “hawkins is not the same without you” scene with other friendships. and the music choices with other friendships are very different from mike and wills. i think a good representation of real platonic love was the scene of eddie and dustin messing around in the field and eddie tells him to never change. the music that plays during that is “bright, hopeful music” compared to mike and will’s “emotional, tender music”.

anyways i genuinely would like to hear a mlvn shippers interpretation of mikes actions with will that isnt rationalized with internalized homophobia. why wouldnt he hug will at the airport? no its not because he suspects wills feelings, we know from the script itself that hes oblivious. why didnt he call or write will? its not just that theyre growing apart. if they were and there were no feelings attached you would think theyd want to regain that friendship, ergo, an actual real hug. why did he ignore will for el AGAIN? no other couple on the show have trouble balancing their relationship and their friendships.

and his actions with el. why didnt he say he loved her until a near death situation? why did will have to push him to continue? his gf was crying to him saying he doesnt love her and even then he still didnt say it. WHY wouldnt he say it during that fight if he actually genuinely loved her?

if this was genuinely queerbait, they are sacrificing a character that used to be a great, selfless best friend that people loved and making him treat two of the most important people in his life kinda terribly in order to achieve it. i just cannot see them going through with making mike have all these unlikeable actions if theres not a valid reason for them, and again, i cannot think of a single reason that makes sense for all of his actions other than internalized homophobia.

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

do you think the jedi prohibit 'frivolous uses of the force'?? because i see it a lot in fic but i swear i distinctly remember obi-wan using the force to pull a literal chair over lmfao

Yoooo, I've been wanting to write a post about that for like a week xD Okay, so here's the thing: I started answering this one, confident that I knew where the use of the word 'frivolous' came from - but it turned out that I was wrong, so I'm actually a bit baffled about its origin. But here goes:

(@cacodaemonia I know you were interested in this topic?)

No, I don't think the Jedi prohibit that. I don't think the Jedi even have 'frivolous' use of the Force as a concept. The idea that they prohibit it, or at least frown upon it, is very likely rooted in the AotC scene of Anakin levitating a piece of fruit.

Wookieepedia cites that scene and that scene only on the topic of frivolousness in the page on Telekinesis.

But the word frivolous isn't used in that scene! Who came up with it? Obi-Wan being grumpy about Anakin levitating the fruit could mean just about anything. Maybe Jedi frown upon showing off in front of a diplomat you're meant to be protecting in a professional way. Maybe Obi-Wan and only Obi-Wan disapproves of Anakin levitating stuff because he kept doing it around the apartment as a kid, just to be a little shit. Maybe Jedi frown upon playing with your food with the Force, which wouldn't necessarily be linked with it being 'frivolous' but just with 'don't be gross.'

Now I thought it came from the novelization using that specific word, but it doesn't! The novelization is based on the original script as opposed to the dialogue in the movie (it actually came out before the movie, so that's why) and the scene is longer in them both and seems to confirm what I said about how it could mean a lot of other things (because he isn't just levitating it originally, he's playing with it):

(novelization)

PADME: You did that? [ANAKIN looks up - wide-eyed innocence.] ANAKIN: What? [PADME scowls at him. PADME jabs at the fruit - ANAKIN subtly moves his hand and it lifts up from the plate and hovers in front of her.] PADME: That! Now stop it! [PADME laughs. ANAKIN laughs. She reaches out for the fruit - it loops.] PADME (continuing): Anakin!! [ANAKIN moves his fingers. The fruit flies into his hand.] ANAKIN: I'm not really supposed to do that... for fun, I mean. If Master Obi-Wan were here, he'd be very grumpy. [ANAKIN is pleased. He cuts the fruint (sic) into several pieces and sends one back to PADME. She bites it out of the air and laughs.]

(script)

Even taking Anakin at face value, this does not say there is an Order-wide ban on 'frivolous' uses of the Force. Again, maybe Force-assisted food shenanigans are frowned upon. Maybe Anakin isn't supposed to mess with people with the Force for fun. Maybe it's just Anakin assuming, as he sometimes does.

I think 'frivolous' might come from one of the EU books - it's not from No Prisoners (the Karen Travis TCW book) though, so I have no idea who might have used it in that context first??

Anyway, the issue in fic is that 'frivolous' is often confused with 'casual.' Hence the Obi-Wan thing imo.

One, 'frivolous' is judgy - it gives it a sense of sin, something that the Jedi... don't seem to have that much of a concept of? Dressing 'immodestly' isn't condemned, for example. I don't see the Order as a whole (there are sticks in the mud everywhere) having a thing against a concept as vague as 'frivolousness.' I mean... Yoda? His whole idea of fun is to mess with people and cackle, and his teaching methods include massive trolling, teasing the grown-up Masters with his gaggle of kiddos and whatnot. You cannot tell me Yoda never tugged on somebody's cloak to make them trip.

Two, frivolous and casual aren't the same thing. Obi-Wan pulling the chair falls into the casual use category imo - and yes, we do see him and others do this kind of casual stuff many times! (Off the top of my head: Obi-Wan grabs the map-ball thingy from the map-reader in AotC - in front of younglings, so there's no fear of a bad example being set - Yoda calls his stick to his hand in AotC, Obi-Wan pulls a chair in TCW s2, Jedi call their lightsabers to them all the time - though it's usually in combat settings, so it doesn't necessarily count, Obi-Wan closes a door in AotC - I think Ewan was the one who thought it'd be neat to do it? Idk...)

And I don't agree that "it goes to show their hypocrisy" or whatever. What, because we assume that's what Anakin meant in the AotC scene and because we assume it's 100% an Order-wide thing, and we assume that the Jedi would view using the Force for daily tasks as frivolous, then every single instance of Jedi using the Force for simple every day stuff is hypocritical?! Even though floating freaking fruit around somebody's head and pulling up a chair are absolutely not the same thing? The latter is something you would do no matter whether you use the Force or not - pulling a chair is a normal thing to do. Playing with fruit around someone is a rude thing to do. There's a difference whether or not 'frivolous' stuff is frowned upon.

And also, using the Force is a natural thing. The Jedi do it like they breathe - it's all around them and they're aware of it constantly, and it's not always something they can turn on or off. It's natural that they would use it for daily stuff, and the level of respect that comes attached with using it would necessarily vary from one Jedi to the other. Just look at Quinlan. What, jumping out of a gunship to make an entrance isn't frivolous? Well, Quinlan is a Master, so his views on it are just as valid - just as Jedi - as anybody else's. (Plus Obi-Wan - the Council Member - gives him grief for being late, not for just for being ridiculous, so again - rudeness.)

I can see some Masters being against using the Force with carelessness - and yeah, I can also see some Masters being against using it in a 'fun' way - because you have to be careful with that stuff, but it probably would generate debate. There wouldn't be a definite consensus on what is too much and what isn't.

If "the Jedi all frown upon casually using the Force" is something that Lucas intended to convey in the movie, please correct me and give me a source.

Though it is also entirely possible that Obi-Wan was meant to be a bit hypocritical about it - because he and Anakin have their tensions, and as somewhat of a parental figure it's only natural that he would scold Anakin for stuff that isn't that big of deal, or that he himself has done, because that's what every person who's ever been in charge of a younger person has done at some point. So sure, maybe Obi-Wan scolded Anakin for being too casual with the Force? But I still don't see it as a Big Rule that is in the Jedi Code That Must Not Be Violated and that get you Shamed and Shunned if you dare to have fun with the Force.

(Honestly, it reminds me of 'your Lightsaber is your Life' thing, and Ahsoka and Anakin both separately whining that their Master was going to kill them for losing/breaking theirs. There's a certain level or respect and care expected, the Masters (or... only Obi-Wan and Anakin, lol) nag a bit, aren't always careful enough themselves, the kids make a big deal out of it in front of other people, but ultimately there are zero repercussion whatsoever for actually failing to follow the Master's nagging. Like, Jocasta tells Ahsoka Anakin would totally understand, and it's Ahsoka who insists he wouldn't and makes it into a big thing.)

Again, having Masters tell their students to be respectful of the Force and not to treat it like a joke? Sure. Showing off with the Force in a rude manner being called 'frivolous,' and it being a bad thing? I could see it. Having Masters get pissy about pulling chairs, closing doors or whatever - about doing things you can do with your hands with the Force instead? Maybe, but it wouldn't be an Order-wide thing.

One thing's for certain, we never see a Master directly scolding a student for using the Force casually in the Prequels, the OT or TCW, much less calling it 'frivolous.'

So yeah, gimme Jedi levitating stuff to clean up under the furniture xD

[californiannostalgia]

I cannot believe I am saying this but

Steve Harrington should've died this season

like, narratively speaking

nothing against the guy, there was just so much set-up for it and then they Game-of-Thrones-ed it (that much build-up, all for nothing? that's bad writing bruh)

and what on earth are they trying to do with the Steve and Nancy plot? do they not rewatch their own show before writing the script? where did the character coherency go? do you expect me to believe Nancy Wheeler would ever settle for a suburban mom's life? and for that matter, where's my feral, knife-sharp Mike Wheeler? where is my sarcastic little shit, where's my blorbo

also Will Byers deserved to have a horrifying clock vision actually, instead of putting Max back in the hell she magnificently climbed out of in episode 4 (and Jonathan saves him by playing their favorite song, COME ON) (my other blorbo barely got screentime, I want more Jonathan Byers in my Stranger Things aaahhhhh)

it's like because we got some quality Lucas (YES PUNCH THAT RACIST MOTHERFUCKER) and Dustin (he made me cry) content, Will and Mike got put on the backburner (I mean I guess with the track record for previous seasons, it was Lucas and Dustin's turn to carry the entire plot, but still)

Max and El had some really phenomenal scenes tho, Millie and Sadie are so freaking good (wow I can't wait for season 5 when Mad Max comes back to life and Max and El kill Vecna) (manifesting)

Brenner is a pathetic man and I want everyone like him to know that you are ordinary, you are nothing, your abuse does not deserve forgiveness and no one will mourn you

anyway I guess I'm not very satisfied with how they wrote the latter half of this season, but I did cry when Hopper and El reunited so I guess there's that (THE PARENTS ARE FINALLY KISSING)

[strangeswift]

Controversial opinion but I cannot take non-straight!Eddie / Steve / Nancy / Max / Lucas / El etc headcanons or theories seriously.

I get that ppl all have headcanons about the characters and it is also because they want to see themselves in these characters or like certain dynamics between the chaarcters. But for the love of me, I just cannot really like it. Fanfics are fun and all but there's just something that irks me about non-straight!Steve or Eddie headcanons. Because there is literally nothing that shows or suggests that these guys are actually non-straight, nor there is any actual romantic dynamic written between them. It is also annoying that they are put in the same place as ships like Byler that actually has canon evidence and is half-way canon already. It is also that the writers havent spent so much time on queercoding Will and Mike's characters but then they just..... forgot to actually queercode Nancy, Max, Lucas and El? I heavily dislike it when ppl say Nancy must be a lesbian bc she doesnt actually love Steve or Jonathan. I dislike it when Max must be bisexual because... uh... because what? Because she might have had a crush on El? People basing Lucas ''bisexuality'' on Lucas's ST book bc he described a fellow black kid bc he was happy that he found another black kid like himself.... just doesnt sit right with me. I dont like it when ppl say El is a lesbian bc 'she got stuck in the lab and called nancy and other females pretty too'.

Bruh not everyone is non-straight, ok? Some characters (actually most characters) are straight on this show and dont have that sort of characterization. I am sorry i just cannot take Stddie seriously even if the fic is written well

Hi anon! I believe you are conflating headcanons and theories.

Let's define our terms!

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "Headcanon refers to something that a fan imagines to be true about a character even though no information supporting that belief is spelled out in the text. Sometimes that involves filling in your own explanation for a character’s strange motivation, or projecting aspects onto a character that make them more relatable to you."

So headcanons aren't something to be "taken seriously" in the first place. They're just for fun. And if headcanons about characters being queer aren't fun for you, just don't engage with the content. Unfollow, block, filter, whatever you gotta do.

Now... Is this the part where I remind everyone that I DON'T LIKE ST3DDIE EITHER. (Obligatory link to my St3ddie post that I will CONTINUE TO LINK in every single one of my responses on this topic.) I agree that Steve being heterosexual in canon is important to his character, and I don't personally HC him as queer for that reason. People HCing Steve as queer isn't problematic though because HCs don't affect canon and they don't even need to be based in canon! Because they are for fun! I promoted the St3ddie script because I'm a huge fan of Ella's writing and I enjoyed it for that reason. And she doesn't ship St3ddie either! It wasn't meant to be taken so seriously. It was for fun.

Also.

Most people who HC the characters you mentioned as queer fully realize that they were not written as such and aren't trying to comvince you that they are. Personally? My sexuality HCs (except Mike, but that's more of a theory than a HC) are based mostly on vibes.

For example: Lucas is bi to me because one time I saw a tweet that said that Lucas had a little crush on Will when they were younger, and I thought that was cute. And it's fun! Based in canon? No. Cute? Yes!! I hadn't even heard about the section in his book, and obviously when I did, I recognized that it was not meant to imply that Lucas was attracted to that kid (and yes it also rubs me wrong when people misinterpret it as such, because it takes away from the real meaning.) But Lucas is bi to me because I think it's cute and fun, not because there's any canonical evidence. And I literally don't care. Because it's a headcanon.

Max is bi because she's cool, and straight people are not cool.

Nancy Wheeler is bi because I want her so bad.

El is a lesbian because that's how I personally choose to interpret some of her actions. Not because I believe the Duffers wrote her that way.

Anyway. Hope this helps.

[johnconstantius]

hiii you don't have to answer but I was thinking, is there any particular part/scene of all the days you're looking forward to writing the most? (there's so many i myself can barely wait for)

MINOR SPOILER ALERT

So, I have to admit I’m looking forward to writing a lot of scenes on this story in future - so read no further if you want to avoid semi-spoilers for All the Days.

Right now I’m writing some El and Mike scenes for chapter 6 that are super fun.

One of my “character groups” for the new story is Dustin and Grigori (!). Really looking forward to writing this pair together. And I’ve got some Lucas/Max/Dustin/Grigori scenes that I cannot wait to put on paper.

I’m really looking forward to writing the end of the tale. I’ve scripted two major “final fights” - one with El, one with Mike - that I’ve been imagining for years.

There’s so much more - scenes where Will, Dustin and Dart will feature together; scenes with the finding of Excalibur; the New Mexico Indian casino; Brenner (!); El and Mike’s first time... so many things to write down.

And for chapter 7, we’ve got Mike vs. Ewan in a shirts/skins soccer match with El watching from the sidelines. I assure you it won’t go well 😊.