#Yes I see the irony of using Bugs Bunny

[spotty-bee]

[streetdancerproject]

My Last DJ Set for The Jam Cellar Is a History of The Jam Cellar

Last Tuesday, I put together a playlist that told the Jam Cellar's story as I have experienced it over the past 15 years.

Chant of the Groove, Fats Waller: Typically after announcements, we open the second half of the night with a line dance or a jam. I had songs for the Shim Sham and the Big Apple at the ready, but I didn’t want to turn my set into a line dance-a-polooza. I opted for the Tranky Do with the song that Jam Cellar instructors have preferred as an alternative to the Dipsy Doodle by Ella Fitzgerald.

Also, The Tranky Do was always more of a Jam Cellar thing. Way back in the early 00’s when Mike Faltesek was living here, he decided to piece together the original choreography. Up until that point, people were doing a version taught by Frankie Manning. Falty had noticed that the version in the Spirit Moves documentary seemed a little different and went on a mission to find any and all evidence of it on film. Eventually he was able to piece it together from a variety of film sources mostly featuring Al Minns and Leon James. This is a video of him alongside Frida Segerdahl the weekend they taught it at a workshop he organized and called “The Toe Jam” at the old Jam Cellar location. (This demo was not at the Jam Cellar though)

Well, Git It!, Tommy Dorsey. As I said before, we usually do a jam or a line dance after announcement, but I did both because I had to play this song, and there was no way people would not jam to it. The much faster version of this song was the one used in the landmark Mad Dog routine, of which all the original JC founders were a part of. That's a pretty lengthy story by itself, but fortunately, I have written about it previously as part of my history of the modern Lindy Hop scene.

The Primordial Ooze

This section of songs served as a quick tour of the musical landscape leading up to the founding of The Jam Cellar.

C Jam Blues, Lincoln Center Orchestra. I’m so confident that this is probably the most played song ever in the modern Lindy Hop scene, that I’m not even going to bother researching it.

Swing Lover, Indigo Swing. Icons of the neo-swing era from the late 1990s. The irony is that this can be technically considered vintage music now. Also, yes, I did cut out that weird spoken word bit at the beginning.

Watch The Birdie, Gene Krupa. On the short list of iconic Hollywood style songs. Another version was featured in the much less famous Hellzapoppin clip.

Alright, O.K., You Win / Everyday (I Have the Blues), Barbara Morrison. Another overplayed classic representing the groove period, but still a great live album recorded at another legendary Lindy Hop venue in San Francisco: The 9:20 Special.

Inspiration

The next set paid homage to the modern musicians that have greatly influenced and supported The Jam Cellar.

Sweet Eileen, Blue Sky 5. Craig Gildner has been a long time stalwart of the DC scene and a friend to The Jam Cellar since before the beginning.

Massachusetts (Live), Gordon Webster. Before starting her own band, JC co-founder Naomi Uyama was featured on a number of live Gordon Webster recordings.

Black Coffee, The Careless Lovers. Friend of the Jam Cellar, Mike Faltesek, went on to play and lead several bands of his own.

Someone’s Rockin My Dreamboat, The Boilermaker Jazz Band. The Jam Cellar has benefited greatly from its relationship with The Boilermakers. They were the band that opened the first night at the new location in the Columbia Heights neighborhood from the actual cellar location in Vienna, Virginia. More importantly, there's no way to quantify how the collective knowledge and understanding of Rich Strong, Marc Kotishon, Ernest McCarty, Jennifer McNulty, and especially Paul Cosentino has filtered throughout the world by way of the international instructors of the Jam Cellar, but it is incredibly significant. In regards to this specific song, I remember The Boilermakers first trying to figure it out at one of their gigs in DC because they heard it from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns. This represents the contributions of the vibrant New Orleans music scene to the Lindy Hop community. JC co-founder Andy Reid currently resides and plays music there on the regular.

Storming the Air Waves

About 10 years ago, I was invited to guest DJ on the live streaming radio channel that Yehoodi.com sponsored. I turned around and asked if we could feature all the DJs of The Jam Cellar. A total of 10 DJs submitted their favorite songs which we turned into a 4 hour radio show.

Dinah, Cab Calloway  & His Orchestra. The file I got for this song got corrupted, so it cuts out the last few seconds, but I had to play it because Dinah is supposed to be The Jam Cellar’s theme song . . .  

Opening JC Theme, The Hot Club de Jam Cellar.  . . .which is why they re-worked it into this version. It has the distinction of actually being recorded live at The Jam Cellar in one of the spare rooms with a band completely made up of JC staff.

Spinnin’ The Webb Chick Webb & His Orchestra.

Yacht Club Swing, Fats Waller. The live version. Not to be confused with the not as good studio version.

Sister Kate, Muggsy Spanier.

Dark Eyes, Fats Waller. These last few songs are a sampling of what we submitted for the show. Dark Eyes for some reason was the most popular song amongst the DJs. It’s such a moody and unusual song for a swing dance, but that’s part of the reason why I think people love it.

Live! By The Jam Cellar

The next couple of songs were used in signature performances by Jam Cellar instructors.

Jump through the Window, Roy Eldridge. A lot of people like to hate on this song because it inspires everyone to do the claps. However, can you think of another performance that has introduced such an indelible mark on a song that it's hard to imagine the song without them almost a decade later?  Usually the music influences the dance, but this is a case where it goes the opposite way. People who have never seen this performance do the claps at the breaks to this day. Embrace the claps.

I Could Write A Book (Live(1963/Copenhagen)), Sarah Vaughan. Not as famous as the last one, but one of my favorites from Naomi and her soon to be (at the time) husband Peter. I'm also going to take partial credit for this because I gave Naomi this song (along with a ton of other music) when she moved away. (Although I'm actually not sure if she realizes that.) My favorite part is seeing Ernest from the Boilermakers just grooving up there on stage. I normally hate it when musicians camp out on stage during performances, but considering the history between Ernest, Naomi and the rest of The Jam Cellar, I'm a fan.

The Finale

I actually planned my whole set to lead up into this last stretch of songs.

Just Kiddin’ Around, Artie Shaw & His Orchestra. Except this one. Honestly, I just threw this one in at the last second to eat some time, but it is one of my own personal favorite dance songs.

On Revival Day, Laverne Baker. A local favorite. Generally I try to avoid drawing religious parallels to the dance scene because at the end of the day, they’re not really the same thing even if some people feel that way. In relation to this song at least, I like the themes it invokes about the hopefulness and joyfulness of being together. That's not very surprising since it invokes a lot of strong imagery of life in black churches and black culture in general from which Lindy Hop is very indebted to.

No Regrets, Billie Holiday. My favorite Billie Holiday song. Shout out to Mike Marcotte for introducing it to me too long ago. The lyrics are spot on for this occasion.

Shiny Stockings, Count Basie & His Orchestra. When I started putting this playlist together, this was the first song that I put on it, and I knew it also had to be the last one played. If Jumping at The Woodside is Lindy Hop’s national anthem, then Shiny Stockings is its national hymn.

The Encore

Just One Look, Doris Troy. I was totally unprepared for an encore, so I had to scramble. I probably should have seen this coming, but I overestimated lindy hoppers’ collective ability to figure out a social cue. I defaulted to one of my favorite “end of the night, everyone go home” songs.

Dinah, James P. Johnson. Of course someone said that we should swing the eff out to end this. I thought about Woodside or Lindy Hoppers Delight, but this song has a very specific story attached to it.

At the end of the night of one of the first times I DJ’d at The Jam Cellar, I was messing around, playing random songs as the JC crew cleaned up. I decided to play a really hot song that I had found recently, and what came next felt like a lost clip from Hellzapoppin.

Everyone dropped their brooms and trash bags and started a solo jam. This was 2003, solo jazz was not a thing in the Lindy Hop scene, but the Jam Cellar was at the bleeding edge of the community’s understanding of the dance. This was mostly due to the fact that several of the world’s best dancers were living in DC at the time.

I'm sure it is a gross exaggeration to say this was the greatest solo jam I have ever witnessed, especially after seeing some of the best since then. There is no video. Just my increasingly nostalgic memory. 

The song ended, people exchanged high 5’s and they finished closing up. Soon, some of them would be headlining workshops and winning major competitions all over the world. Some of them were already at that point. Others decided to follow different life paths that. But at that moment, it was just a Tuesday night.

This is actually not the song I played that night. It was a  version of Charleston by a band led by Sidney Bechet, but it is on the same James P. Johnson compilation CD as this version of Dinah. These two songs are closely associated to me by sheer organizational chance. Plus it seemed more appropriate with Dinah being the Jam Cellar's theme song, even if few people remember that.

Epilogue

I suppose at it’s worse, The Jam Cellar allowed people to be a little too self indulgent like I am being here. It’s one of the pitfalls of having a nearly unrestrained creative sandbox. However, at its best, it was a place where people could come together to inspire and be inspired; to challenge and be challenged. Sometimes it was through creative performances, other times it may have been with difficult conversations, but most of the time it was with 2-3 minute dances.

The future of The Jam Cellar is uncertain. On Tuesday, they announced a summer break. The website was recently updated with a banner calling it an "indefinite break." To be honest, even if it doesn't come back, I won't miss it. I don’t miss trekking out to Vienna, Virginia to a basement in a strip mall. And I don’t even think I’ll miss the mansion/sauna in the heart of a changing nation's capital. To me The Jam Cellar wasn’t just a location.  

I did the math, and I can confidently say that I’ve spent over 90% of my Tuesday nights at some form of The Jam Cellar over the past 15 years. I've seen people who were moving away break down into tears knowing that they may never return. We've celebrated engagements and consoled divorcees. The room was packed as people took turns telling their favorite Frankie Manning stories the Tuesday after he passed away.

What all these experiences have in common is that they are about people. Folks. Community. I will miss is having a place to go every Tuesday night, knowing that I’ll see people that I want to be with. People who understand some of the fundamental principles of the dance that have not changed since it was born on the dance floors in Harlem almost 100 years ago. While there is plenty of room for individual creativity, you should not lose sight of your partner or the people around you. That's the main thing of value that we should take away from The Jam Cellar that should be carried over into the next chapter of whatever happens next.

[rawrmeansmemes]

DISNEY QUOTES MEME

send a   🏰  and I’ll generate a number, 1-166 and post the sentence as a starter. 

Ah, yes. Now what are you, and who are you doin' here?

Now, I'm warnin' ya. Don't let nobody or nothin' in the house.

I'm so ashamed of the fuss I made.

A lie keeps growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face.

Well... guess he won't need me anymore. What does an actor want with a conscience, anyway?

You buttered your bread. Now sleep in it!

All we gotta do is build an act. Make ya a star. A headliner! 

Gab, gab, gab. They're always gossipin'.

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.

You know, just the other day, I was talking to myself about you, and we were wondering what had become of you.

So this is love. So this is what makes life divine. I'm all aglow...

Oh, that clock! Old killjoy. I hear you. "Come on, get up," you say, "Time to start another day."

I can't believe. Not anymore. There's nothing left to believe in. Nothing.

Oh, I wasn't... I mean, I do, but-but don't you think my dress...

Why, it's like a dream. A wonderful dream come true.

Oh, I understand, but... it's more than I ever hoped for.

Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.

It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change.

Ah, that's just it. If you don't think, then you shouldn't talk.

if I lose my temper, you lose your head! Understand?

Curiosity often leads to trouble.

Better look first, for if one drinks much from a bottle marked "Poison", it's almost certain to disagree with you sooner or later.

Of course not. This is an unbirthday party.

Mustard! Yes, mu- MUSTARD? Don't let's be silly! Lemon, that's different...

Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life.

Goodness gracious, whatever shall we do?

It's... It's just that I never thought about it before. Say, that's it! You think of a wonderful thought.

Don't you understand, _____? You mean more to me than anything in this whole world!

Just a cute little bundle... of trouble!

You know, sometimes I don't think she's really very happy.

Well, I'm really not supposed to speak to strangers, but we've met before.

Well, *that* would make me happy.

But don't you remember? We've met before.

I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.

Oh... I just love happy endings.

I'm so hungry I could eat  a whole elephant.

You idiots! You fools! You imbeciles!

I'm not sleepy. I'm hungry.

I'd like to tear his gizzard out.

Sounds like someone's sick. How lovely. I do hope it's serious. Something dreadful.

When he stays out all night, he's always grumpy the next morning.

This will take brains, not brawn.

I was just wonderin', are we good guys or bad guys? You know, I mean, uh? Our robbin' the rich to feed the poor.

Rob? Tsk tsk tsk. That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it.

Oh, he's so handsome, just like his reward posters.

Wowee! I'm tip-top, alright, but I'm not as good as he is.

Look, why don't you stop moonin' and mopin' around? - Just - Just marry the girl.

Ladies don't start fights, but they can finish them!

Why, your eyes are like sapphires sparkling so bright. They make the morning radiant and light.

Wait a minute. I'm the leader! I'm the one that says when we go.

You FORCE them to like you, idiot!

You get down there and find the big diamond, or you will never see the teddy a - gain!

We're still friends, right?

Don't worry, old fellow. It's not *entirely* hopeless.

There's no evil scheme he wouldn't concoct! No depravity he wouldn't commit.

Now, you will remember to smile for the camera, won't you? Say "Cheese".

I'm afraid that you've gone and upset me. You know what happens when someone upsets me.

Hey, man, if this is torture, chain me to the wall.

Isn't it rather dangerous to use ones entire vocabulary in a single sentence?

Hey, man, you're ugly! And you're uglier than him! And you're Ugly, Part Three! Hey, you're Revenge of the Ugly!

Ooh, I think she likes me, man!

Hm. Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you.

My nerves are shot. This is a catastrophe!

Have I ever been wrong? I mean when it's important!

I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad.

You'll have your looks. Your pretty face and don't underestimate the importance of "body language." Ha!

This has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life!

I didn't make it all the way through third grade for nothing.

Well, there's the usual things. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep.

How can you read this? There's no pictures!

This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, "If it's not Baroque, don't fix it!".

Oh dear. That didn't go very well at all, did it?

Couldn't keep quiet, could we? Just had to invite him to stay, didn't we?

I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. But first I'd better go in there and uh, propose to the girl!

All right, Sparky, here's the deal. If you wanna court the little lady, you gotta be a straight shooter. Do ya got it?

No, really. On a scale of one to ten, you are an eleven.

How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon?

Arrrgh! This is the *stupidest* vacation! You drag me from home, jam me into this dumb car, drive me a million miles away to see some stupid rat show!

Oh yes, the past can hurt. But from the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.

I'm surrounded by idiots...

I laugh in the face of danger

Being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble

For what? This? I've gotten out of worse scrapes than this. Can't think of anything right now, but.

I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you.

Is this bottomless pit a friend of yours?

You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity.

You uncultured swine! What're you lookin' at, ya hockey puck?

I've set my laser from stun to kill.

Oh, great. If anyone attacks we can blink em' to death.

Candlelight, privacy, music. Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat.

Speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now.

Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?

You leave town for a couple of decades and they change everything.

I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day.

You know, wh-when I was a kid, I-I would have given anything to be exactly like everybody else.

Fabulous party. You know, I haven't seen this much love in a room since Narcissus discovered himself.

Would you like to stay forever?

My little baby, off to destroy people.

Ooh, I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover. Come on, scare me, girl!

They popped out of the snow, like daisies!

First rule of leadership: Everything is your fault.

You listen to me, my boy. I've made a living out of being a failure, and you, sir, are not a failure.

Do I look stupid to you? 

I was saved! I was saved by a flying wild man in a loincloth.

Are you sure this water's sanitary? It looks questionable to me!

Um, okay, but it won't be the same coming from me.

But I don't wanna use my head!

I may not be a smart dog, but I know what roadkill is.

Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall.

It's called a "cruel irony", like my dependence on you.

Why do we even *have* that lever?

Break it down? Are ya kidding me? This is hand-carved mahogany.

That is the last time we take directions from a squirrel.

Oh, he's doing his own theme music? Big, dumb and tone deaf. 

Is there anything on this menu that is not swimming in gravy?

We done a lot of things we're not proud of. Robbing graves, eh, plundering tombs, double parking. But, nobody got hurt. Well, maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we knew.

Hey, look, I made a bridge. It only took me like, what? Ten seconds? Eleven, tops.

Well, as far as me goes, I just like to blow things up.

C'mon, fight that plaque! Fight that plaque! Scary monsters don't have plaque!'

Now, put that thing back where it came from, or so help me...!

Ha, ha, ha. You've been jealous of my good looks since the fourth grade, pal.

You know, like on the street, with the honk-honk and the vroom-vroom, and the no walking involved?

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.

My friends need to be punished.

Leave me alone to diiieee...

This is you, and this is your badness level. It's unusually high for someone your size.

You'll like it, 'cause it's stinky, LIKE YOU! 

"Oh, look at me, I'm a flippy little dolphin, let me flip for you! Ain't I something?"

Well, you never really know you know, but when they know, you'll know, ya know?

There he is. Ha ha! Come here, loverboy.

I mean, who wants the pressure of being super all the time?

You know?! For a little bit. I feel like the maid: "I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for, for 10 minutes?! Please?!"

Now, I'll tell you what we're not gonna do. We're not gonna panic, we're not gonna die.

I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.

Boy, I'm pretty good at this lawyerin' stuff!

You and me... we're in a club now.

Swear you'll take us there. Cross your heart! Cross it! Cross your heart!

I know this may seem boring, but I think the boring stuff is what I remember the most.

I was hiding under your porch because I love you.

There is no way I am kissing a frog and eating a bug on the same day.

If I can mince, you can dance.

I was beginning to think wishing on stars was just for babies and crazy people...

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. This is bad. This is very, very bad. This is really bad'! 

Stay calm. It can probably smell fear.

I've always wanted to go out with a bang!

Yeah, this one we caught sticking his bumper where it didn't belong!

I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me.

I don't wanna be the bad guy anymore.

Well, this place just got interesting.

Tut tut! As your merciful princess, I hereby decree that everyone who was ever mean to me shall be… executed.

They get away with murder! I can never get away with anything!

I'm gonna wipe the floor with that little know-it-all.

Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?

I've always wanted a nose! So cute; it's like little baby unicorn!

Oh, look at that. I've been impaled.

On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?

Hey, kid? If you're pullin' my leg, I'm gonna eat yours.

I'm doing the happy dance, I'm not wearing any pants!

Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems.

Well, he was right about one thing; I don't know when to quit!

Never let them see that they get to you.

It's called a hustle, sweetheart.

Life isn't some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and all your insipid dreams magically come true! So let...it...go.

I'm sorry. I gotta blink. How do you hold your eyes open that long?

You trust her. Becky's eating a cup.

When you use a bird to write with, it's called tweeting.

[mvssmallow]

Cloudy With A Chance

Part 19: …of storms (part II of II)

Masterlist

Of course he notices.

For weeks on end Hanbin sleeps right up against his left arm, hair tickling his shoulder and toes occasionally wriggling against his ankles. It gets annoying but it was also comforting in a way, just knowing Hanbin was there.

So when he starts waking up without the warm body squashed against his arm, the alarm bells begin ringing quietly in the distance.

But everyone is entitled to a bad day or a bad week. He doesn’t want to make Hanbin feel like some kind of failure for not being happy all the time, that was just unrealistic, and there’s no reason to make a big deal out of it.

He lets it go. For a few days. For a week. For a week and a half. But too many days pass where they sleep with a gulf between them and he starts waking up alone. He wants to fix it, whatever it is, but he knows it’ll only lead to a fight. What choice does he have now anyway? When Hanbin looks like he hasn’t slept properly in weeks and is just pale shell of his former self.

They eat breakfast as the sound system plays Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits. It just makes everything even worse.

“You been okay? Keeping yourself occupied when I’m at work?” He asks casually, trying to ease them into the awkward conversation.

“Sometimes. I guess.”

“Are you sleeping okay?”

“Yeah. Sort of.” There’s a pause and a guilty look in his direction. “Did I wake you up in the middle of the night again? I’ll sleep of the couch or something. I guess I’m moving around too much.”

He knows Hanbin must have bad dreams judging by the way he frowns and grips the sheets in his sleep. By the time he’s jostled awake, Hanbin’s already settled down. Until the next time. And the time after that. He thought his heart could only hurt when it had been rejected in some romantic melodramatic way. He had no idea it could still ache when nobody was fighting or leaving.

“No, no no. Don’t do that. I can’t sleep properly without you next to me anymore. It’s actually annoying.” He says with a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood.

Hanbin gives him a small smile. Maybe it works for a little while, he’ll take anything at this stage.

“Got anything planned for today?”

“Um, no. Not really. I might try to write some more. Or something…” Hanbin trails off, staring out their window with a faraway look on his face, mind going somewhere that no-one can ever follow.

He knows some things about Hanbin by now. He knows when to leave him alone and when to drag him kicking and screaming out of his misery. But he also knows that this time is different, that Hanbin’s nerves were brittle like glass and that there was something more to it, like an iceberg that stretched on for hundreds of miles underneath the surface. He can’t force this, it’d shatter into pieces and cut everything in sight. It makes him feel helpless. It drives him crazy.

“Well, if you get bored or need anything, you know you can just call me right?” He says, maybe too seriously. “I can just leave work if you want me to.”

Hanbin nods and hides his face behind the bugs bunny mug.

He doesn’t even want to go to work today. He had laid in bed this morning, staring at the ceiling and debating whether or not to call in sick. He doesn’t want to go fix cars, he just wants to stay here and fix this, whatever it is.

But he can’t. Not really. There were too many people relying on him to turn up, help out, supervise the new apprentice, deal with the picky customers. This is real adult life. This is what it feels like to be torn up inside.

The last strains of ‘Landslide’ plays as he’s standing in their doorway. Hanbin hands him the SpaceJam lunchbox and there’s a awkward pause before the hug. It felt all wrong. Since when did they ever pause like that nowadays?

“Call me anyway. Even if you’re not bored. Okay?”

Hanbin nods against his chest. “Okay.”

He wants to say something else but he knows he shouldn’t. Not like this. He doesn’t want it remembered with all this. What he doesn’t say in words he puts into their goodbye kiss. It’s longer, slower, softer than usual. He’s holding Hanbin’s face in his hands and he doesn’t realise he’s frowning until Hanbin pokes at it with a small smile.

“What’s up with you?”

“Nothing. Nothing.” He says. “Just gonna miss you, that’s all.”

“You’re still so dramatic.” Hanbin says with shake of his head. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

“You better be.”

He kisses Hanbin again, ignoring the quiet gasp of surprise before sinking into the tight hug with more relief that either of them should need.

He’ll fix this tonight.

****

Sometimes he thinks God abandoned him. Gave him an overly sensitive and defective brain then left him to fend for himself.

He watches Jiwon walk out their door to go to work and all he can think about is the irony of it all; that he should be so scared about the future when they were never even destined to have one. 

By the time he hears the insistent knocks at the door, he knows for sure that all the Gods have definitely deserted him now.  

“Hi mum.”

“Don’t you answer the phone anymore?” She asks accusingly.

He says nothing, just steps aside to let her in.

“Have you thought about what I said?” She asks, sitting at their dining table as he sets down a glass of water.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“I don’t know what you expect me to say. It’s not like you’re giving me any options.” He says bitterly.

She sighs before taking in the mess that litters their table: from the car magazines, to rap flyers, to catalogues for sound systems, to letters with their names on them.

“Jiwon. Is that his name?”

“Yes.”

“He lives here?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of mess did you get yourself into, Hanbin?” She says tiredly. “I thought you outgrew this phase.”

He can’t even think of an answer.

“Your father is back in a week. You’ve got a week to deal with all….this.” She continues calmly, tucking the letters underneath the magazines, as if it’d erase Jiwon’s existence. “And it’s the company fundraiser soon. You’re expected to come. Don’t forget.”

He looks at her bitterly. “I haven’t.”

She looks at him with sympathetic eyes. “We can’t always have what we want. You should know that by now. Do you really think it’ll go anywhere? Be anything? Is that what he promised you?”

He doesn’t have an answer for that either.

“Hanbin…..just…end it now. End it quickly. Before any more damage is done. If you really care for this boy, you’ll spare him of all this. Your world, your future, is not compatible with his. You know this. Boys his age will get over it and move on. They always do. How long as it even been? A month or two?”

“Six.” He says flatly.

She raises an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, I suppose it might take him some time to get over it then.”

He shuts down and can’t look at her anymore.  

When she reaches over to squeeze his shoulder, he barely even feels it. “You think I’m being cruel. That I don’t understand. Well, you know I understand you more than anyone. But people like us…..once someone’s given us a plan, once we’ve done what they expect us to, they’ll never let us do what we want to. It’s just the way it is.”

She stands up then, gathers her coat and bag before kissing him on the cheek. “Answer your phone next time.”

It’s quiet again after she leaves. An eerie calmness washes over him. He knows this feeling-it’s his mind trying to protect him from all the rage and violence that’s buzzing around his body. He can feel both forces at once but he doesn’t really know which one to succumb to.

Rage.

Peace.

Rage.

Peace.

He stares at the glass of water on the table, fingers itching to pick it up, throw it against the wall, watch it shatter.

Rage, it is.

He walks out of the kitchen before he has the chance to destroy anything and goes into their bedroom instead, shutting the door with trembling hands and wishing he could shut out the world too.

And suddenly his entire life seems fake. Like a hologram that was glitching in and out of time. Everything taunts him; all those ideas he scribbles down for his book, all the appointments for Jiwon’s mic nights, all the plans and projects they dreamt of together. It was all a fool’s dream. What was he thinking this whole time? This wild idea to be a writer and run away with Jiwon? It was just a stupid immature dream. It’s time to get real.

His research, his drawings, his diaries, his notes….he tips them all into a box and hides them in the back of their wardrobe. He turns on his laptop and scrolls through all fifteen chapters of his book. He can barely recognise his own writing. What was the point of writing it now anyway? He’ll never get the chance to finish it.

He hits delete.

Like it never even happened.

****

He’s elbow deep in an engine when Hanbin’s name flashes on his phone.

“Hey. You okay?”

“Hi.”

“I can’t hear you properly. Are you outside or something?”

“Yeah.”

He doesn’t know what it is but his heart races with anxiety. “Where are you?”

“Outside.”

“Where?”

“At the beach.”

“The beach? What are you doing down there? It’s freezing.”

“I don’t know. I was just driving and I ended up here.”

Hanbin’s voice sounds thin, hollow, distant. It’s the first time he’s worried to the point he actually feels sick. He never ignores his gut instincts, it’s never been wrong.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?”

There’s nothing but loud static for a few seconds.

“Hanbin?”

“Huh? What?”

“Do you want me to come get you?” He half shouts into his phone, causing the other guys in the garage to look up in awkward sympathy.

“Oh. Okay.”

“Just….wait for me okay? Don’t go anywhere. Just wait for me. Okay?” He says, not realising how desperate he sounds until he sees the looks of pity he gets.

“Okay.”

He hangs up and runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

“Dude, just go. We’ll take it from here.” There’s a pat on his back as his manager pushes him gently outside. “Drive carefully.”

He doesn’t. And just because the universe must want them to suffer, he hits what seems like every single red light.

“FUCK!” He says, for the 5th time.

There’s relief when he finally sees Hanbin’s blue car in the empty parking lot but the driver’s side is empty. He parks haphazardly, stalking the area like a crazy person and only calming down when he can see a small figure in the distance, just standing and looking down at the waves. He grabs the spare blanket from the back seat and walks along the cliff edge, heart hammering in his throat the entire way.

“Hey….” He starts, not knowing what to say at a time like this. Hanbin doesn’t even look up.

“Hi.”

“So, um-”

“Did you know that there is actually more sea than land? And with global warming there’s going to be even more sea and less land? We’re all gonna drown one day unless we move into the mountains.”

It’s the most Hanbin has said all week.

“Oh, ah…no. I didn’t know that.”

The wind whips his hair in his face and he shivers even though he’s wearing a thick parka. Hanbin just stands there, facing the wind, in his thin jacket, looking at the water like it held all the answers to their problems. He barely even registers the blanket draped over his shoulders.

“Do you want to-”

“She knows. About you.”

“Who knows?”

“My mum. She knows.”

“How?”

“Someone saw us. Reported it back to her.”

“Well, did you deny it?”

“No.”

“What? Why?” He panics. “I thought you weren’t ready to tell them yet? What did she say?”

Hanbin laughs bitterly, it sounds awful. “We’ve got one week left. Better make it count.”

“One week? One week of what?”

Hanbin just shakes his head, like he can’t even say it out loud.

He reaches out to touch Hanbin’s fingers but there’s that recoil again. He feels the cold sting of rejection, just like the first time. Everything was so wrong.

“Hanbin? One week of what?”

There’s a long pause before Hanbin finally turns to face him. He wasn’t prepared for the hollow eyes, the miserable defeat, how tired that beautiful face had become. “One week of this.”

“I don’t get it-”

“They want me to break up with you! What is there to get?!” Hanbin snaps at him, eyes flashing angrily with irritation.

“Break up? What?” He asks, mind reeling and body aching, like someone just punched him in the chest. “Why? What happened?”

He watches Hanbin squeeze his eyes shut and pull at his hair in frustration. He hasn’t seen him revert back to his old habits in a long time. “I don’t know! There was some affair last year and my dad almost got fired. But then my mum lied for him. Lied and went on pretending like everything was normal. So he got promoted. And now there’s some promotion again and the annual fundraiser and I have to go to it with the CEO’s daughter. And I’m a total fucking embarrassment to them. And now I have you. And I’m…this. And apparently, it doesn’t go with the image they had. And….”

He listens in disbelief and waits until Hanbin has run out of breath. “Are you….are you serious? They want us to break up because of that?”

He knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left his mouth.

“I don’t expect you to understand any of it.” Hanbin says, face twisting with disappointment.

“No, I do. I do.”

“No you don’t! How can you? Nobody expects you to do anything. You can just do what you want, when you want. Chase whatever dream you feel like. I can’t do that with you. Not now. Not ever!” Hanbin yells at him as the waves crash loudly against the cliff face below them.

“Why the fuck not?!” He shouts back, tired and done with being passive and sympathetic about this.

“Because I can’t! I just can’t!”

“Yes you can! I’m so fucking tired of pretending like it doesn’t bother me. You think I’m gonna just stay silent on this and let you walk away? Do you know how long it took me to find this? Nobody is taking this from me, not even you!”

He’s so caught up in the moment that he only stops when there’s a flash of pain across Hanbin’s face. He follows his hand to where it’s gripping Hanbin’s arm, maybe a bit too tightly. He lets go with a heavy sigh.

“Are you really just going to let them tell you what to do?” He asks in a calmer voice. “Are you serious?”

“It’s not worth it Jiwon. I’m so tired of all this. Maybe leaving-”

He throws his hands up in frustration. “I can’t fucking believe we’re having this conversation. I can’t believe it. It’s like I’m talking and you’re not hearing any of it.”

“I can hear you perfectly fine.” Hanbin says with irritation. “You just think life is simple. That if you’re in love with someone, that’s all there is to it.”

“It is.”

“Maybe for you.”

He kicks at the rock near their feet and has the strong urge to punch something in the face. “So what? We just stop seeing each other? Is that what you want?”

“It doesn’t even matter what I want.”

“Why won’t you fight for it? I’m not worth it to you? All this time and it’s this easy for you to walk away from me?” He knows he’s playing dirty, implying things that he knows aren’t even true but if this is how it’s going to go down, then this is how he’ll play it.

“You don’t get anything!” Hanbin snaps. “You don’t fucking get anything! You live in some fantasy land where there are no responsibilities or consequences. They hate you, do you get that? They hate that I’m with you. They hate me. They hate the way I am. If you stay with me, do you want to know what will happen? Do you?”

“WHAT?!” He replies hotly.

“They’re going to find out everything about you. Everything you’ve worked for, it’ll be gone. Your rap thing? Might as well give up now. And your parents? Your family? Everything is going to be a mess. It’s not a fight you can ever win.”

“You can’t know that. Who even does that? How can anyone do that-”

“They’ve done it before!”

That catches him by surprise and extinguishes the red heat of his rage. All this time, they have always been so caught up in his ex-relationships that not once have they ever talked about Hanbin’s. He realises he doesn’t know anything about anyone before him.

“Where is he now? The one before me.”

“I don’t know.” Hanbin replies quietly.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” He says pathetically, feeling every bit undeserving of everything.

Hanbin just shrugs. “Well, now you know the history. I’m tired. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

He follows Hanbin back to the parking lot in silence and watches as Hanbin walks to his own car and attempts to find the right keys and buttons with shaky fingers.

“Here, I’ll drive it back.” He says gently as he takes he keys into his own hands.

“But you can’t leave your car here. You love that thing.”

He opens his mouth to say it but it doesn’t come out.

Not like this. Not like this.

“It’s only a car.” He says with a shrug, hoping to convince Hanbin that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really, not if there’s nobody to drive around in it. “I’ll drive you home.”

****

It’s 8:40pm, The Walking Dead has just started and June has finally found the comfortable spot on their couch when there’s a loud knock on their door.

He groans.

“I’ll get it.” Yo says as he walks past.

But there’s nothing for a few seconds.

“Yo? Who is it? Yo?”

He wanders out into their hallway, Yo looks back at him with a sad frown before stepping aside so he can see the figure standing in the doorway.

Jiwon.

Red eyes, tired, way too quiet.

“Hey, um…sorry for dropping by but ah, I kinda don’t have anywhere to live right now.”

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box August 19

It’s time for another Kawaii Box review! I meant to do this one at least a couple of days ago, but it felt like every time I was about to work on it something else came up. But I’m here and ready!

Word of the month: Gakkou - School

“Everything you need to hit the books in kawaii style!“

Shimmery Mt. Fuji Pen & Donut Bunny Pen

I usually don’t start with the pens, but sometimes it can be fun to shake things up. So to start off a brand new school year, we’re lucky enough to get 2 adorable pens instead of just one~

One pen features a vibrant pastel bunny-shaped donut on top of the cap and blue ink. These come in a variety of colors- and despite how I feel about yellow, I still think this is pretty cute. The ink is blue which is quite unusual as we usually only get black ink. It’s a fine tip and it writes wonderfully and appears to only smear a small amount if you use a lot of it in one spot or thickly applied it and don’t give it a moment to dry. You can also remove the bunny donut and put it on other pens or pencils, or the “pen butt“ rather than the lid.

-----

Meanwhile, our other pen is a pretty and sleek, clear tube in comparison to the vibrant plastic-ness of the other one. These are also available in several colors, each topped with a clear water-filled Mt. Fuji filled with shiny stars and a decorative flower. This one is also fine tipped but has typical black ink, and it works the exact same as the other.

Honestly either pen would be nice to have :3 they’re both cute in different ways but they both also have a problem that bugs me. The fact the pen caps can’t be put onto the back of the pen. It’s not a deal breaker or anything, but its a little inconvenient.

Lollipop Highlighter Set

Besides our fun pens, we also have a set of cute highlighters- another semi-essential item for school. It seems like if you don’t buy them then you end up needing them, but then when you do buy them you probably never use them. But it doesn’t hurt to keep some on hand, and because they come in a little pouch they’ll be easy to locate. 

The highlighter is in the rounded base of the lollipop, and these are unscented.

The highlighters work well. I thought the awkward shape would make them difficult to use, and it did a very little bit, but they weren’t impossible to use. I’m a little disappointed they weren’t scented though, because as lollipops I think it would have been cute.

Shibanban Sticky Notes & Nekoni Mini Puffy Stickers

These next two items were a variety and somehow I got 2 sets of doggies. Our first is a 50-sheet set of doggy themed pieces of paper. The booklet says they are sticky notes, but this is more like a notepad. They’re not sticky at all. But its still useful as a notepad, and its double-sided; the front has these cute doggies print on it while the back has rows of lines.

There was a variety of dog designs from the brand Shibanban, and I think I got a cute one just in time for cooler weather~

-------

Our next item is also dog themed (in my case), a set of small, adorable puffy stickers by the brand Nekoni. The irony of seeing dogs on anything with the word neko in it always gets me; for anyone unfamiliar, Neko means cat.

This sheet consists of 24, 3-sets of stickers :3 the doggies are so CUTE! Cat person or not, I can still appreciate an adorable puppy- and these pups are beyond adorable! As much as I dislike repetitive stickers, I think I actually prefer it here because I’m more likely to use them due to the repetition. The stickers are slightly softened and squishy.

Kawaii Dessert Erasers

Next up is an adorable set of erasers x3 my elementary self who collected erasers fell in love with these, and my teenager self who collected those dessert puzzle erasers adores the plate they came on!

These erasers are available in a few varieties and colors, each ranging from sweet snacks to drink, cakes, and other desserts. I look at my set and it screams creamy, with the exception of the heart, which I think is supposed to be a box of chocolate? It might be a cake though. I like how they all seem to have some little details in common too, rather than being a whole mish-mash of random colors, which tend to make some things look cheap.

They feel very smooth, almost plastic like. But they seem to work well and didn’t give me any problems. If you like erasers as much as I do (and have some pencils or erasable tools) I’d recommend picking up a set on the Blippo.com website.

Fluffy Bunny Dancing Ears Hat

This is another item perfect to cooler weather, it’s very fluffy to help keep the head warm, and when you squeeze the bottom of the ears, they pop up!

I have to admit that despite how cute this is I was a little disappointed to see it. In a box I got some months back prior to this one (I believe it was a Yume Twins), we got this exact same hat. It’s only a coincidence though, and there is good news to this; if something were to happen to the one I now have a replacement, or I could give this one away to someone else.

Morinaga Green Tea BAKE

This next item was a mystery snack, and being the BIG fan of Green Tea I am (sarcasm I’ll have you know) I was dreading this. But I figured if it has Hello Kitty on it I should give it a chance, and I did have these before in a chocolate blend, with mixed opinion. So I figured this could be a win or lose.

SURPRISINGLY I’d actually give this a win! I was very shocked to discover I actually like this. Yes, it does taste like green tea, but it’s also a sweetened and light green tea. It has a lovely soft and crumbly texture too, and the entire pack is only 18kcal.

School Girl Aiko Notebook

Out of everything we got, I feel like a notebook is one of the most essential- next to writing tools anyway. You need something to use them in don’t you :P and this month features an exclusive Kawaii Box/Blippo.com notebook featuring Aiko in a Sailor fuku, or school uniform. She’s surrounded by typical Kawaii Box designs, and the background features a pretty pastel gradient.

The pages are blank design wise, but each features lines and a section on top for the name and date. The book itself is semi-sturdy, but it’s not extremely full. So if you don’t want to use it to take notes, you could just use it as a diary or makeshift planner, drawing pad, vocabulary sheet, etc. It’s very cute, if I was still in school I’d definitely bring it with me!

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 5 out of 5: The items are very basic and typical of what we get in these boxes, so on one hand I was kind of bored with it and wanted to move on. But they’re also very sweet and cute, and practical so I don’t think they’re necessarily bad items.

Theme - 5 out of 5: There’s no way they could have failed this honestly.

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties. So, basically this box didn’t have a summer theme, which is okay because a lot of people begin school at the end of August or beginning of September- but at the same time, in doing a school theme I was completely bored with the items. A lot of these things we get normally, or on semi-occasion, and for me personally they’re not necessities because I already have so many. When I get a box, I really like the feeling of “ooh, I can’t wait to use this!“ and I didn’t get that.

♥Cutie Scale ♥

1. Mt. Fuji Pen - I’ve always loved liquid-filled items like these, they’re so pretty and a lot of fun to watch.

2. Dessert Erasers - These are very cute and detailed, the only thing I dislike is that after you remove the plastic wrap from them then they won’t stay on the plate. It’s fine if you’ll have it in a stable place, but it kinda loses meaning if you plan to put them in a pouch or something. 

3. Puffy Stickers - These are so cute, I don’t know which I like the most!

4. Donut Bunny Pen - I like how I can put the donut bunny on various other pens or pencil, but I dislike its yellow coloring- and the lid not being very useful is kind of a pain.

5. BAKE snacks - I was extremely surprised with these, they’re probably the only green tea item I ever liked up until now!

6. Aiko Notebook - I have a bunch of these but I do prefer the bigger ones to the much smaller hand-sized ones. They’re easier and can hold a lot more.

7.  Lollipop Highlighters - I’m not sure I’ll use these just yet because I have so many, but it could be fun to make a “highlighter assortment” with the various other ones I have.  

8. Bunny Hat - Only because I have 2 of them now. It’s very snuggly and sweet~

9. Shibanban Notes - They’re kind of cute but the design isn’t my favorite.    

[randomrichards]

HONOURABLE MENTION: Gru and Dru Impersonate Each Other from DESPICABLE ME 3 After a period of bonding, former Supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) and his bumbling estranged brother Dru (also Carell) decide to make a family dinner a little fun by dressing up as each other. Sure, this scene might be a little random, but it’s so enjoyable to watch these two try to imitate each other. I included this scene thanks to Carell’s impressive voice acting. Rarely do you hear a voice actor portray one character impersonating another character they also voice. To pull this off, they can’t sound like the later character, they must sound like former character trying to impersonate the later character. One perfect example is the scene in the Looney Toons Cartoon Rabbit Fire, when Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) and Daffy Duck (also Blanc) pretend to be each other to trick Elmer Fudd (Arthur Q. Bryan). When Bugs impersonates Daffy, you don’t hear Daffy’s voice. You hear Bugs doing his best Daffy impersonation. The same goes the other way. Carell pulls off the same affect with the characters. When Dru imitates Gru, it’s more innocent compared to Gru’s snarkier imitation of Dru. Such is a challenging task for a voice actor, and Carell pulls it off with graces. The Aging Montage from A QUIET PASSION This brilliant montage starts with each member of the Dickenson clan sitting in front of the camera like they’re posing for a portrait. When the camera closes in on Emily Dickenson (Emma Bell as a teen, Cynthia Nixon as an adult) and her family, they age right in front of our eyes. Director Terrence Davies is not known for using special effects, but the way this film flawlessly ages up the characters from one actor to another is breathtaking. 10) Wonder Woman Enters No Man’s Land from WONDER WOMAN As if I need further explanation. It’s Wonder Woman strutting in the middle of a battle field! And she’s dodging bullets with her shield and bracelets! And she’s kicking German soldier’s asses! All to the tune of her awesome theme song (courtesy of composer Rupert Gregson-Williams). Of course, it wouldn’t have worked without Gal Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman. Not only does she give off the presence of a true warrior, but you can feel the conviction as DC’s greatest heroine steps into battle, ready to defend the greater good. 9) The NASCAR Heist from LOGAN LUCKY Steven Soderbergh is a maestro when it comes to filming a heist scene. Watching a Heist unfold in Ocean’s Eleven and the sequels were always a blast to watch. He proves he still has the moves with Logan Lucky, where he brings a blue-collar spin to the tropes. This time, the masterminds are the unlucky Logan brothers (Channing Tatum and Adam Driver) who plot a heist on NASCAR with the help of demolitions expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig). Of course, they must break Joe out of prison to accomplish this goal. And it must be done quickly so Jimmy (Tatum) can be on time for his little girl’s beauty pageant. So not only do we see a heist unfold, but also a prison break, and a riot to boot. It’s just as glorious as the Heists in the Ocean’s movies. There are also a lot of funny moments surrounding this sequence, from Clyde’s (Driver) prosthetic arm getting stuck in a tub to Joe stopping a heist to explain the science of using gummy bears to make a bomb. 8) That Plot Twist from SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING To me, what made Spider-Man so special was Peter Parker’s struggles to balance his personal life with his superhero life. He had enough problems being bullied at school and having money troubles at home, but getting super powers only added complications to his life. Sure, Peter earns the glory of beating up bad guys as Spider-Man, but it comes at the expense of letting people down in his personal life. It made matters worst when those dangers found their way to his doorstep. Case in point: this plot twist. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) second life as Spider-Man has taken its toll on his social life, making it near impossible to socialize with Liz (Laura Harrier). Despite missing multiple events, Liz finally gives him a chance when she becomes his date for the homecoming dance. Just when everything’s coming up Parker, his joy comes crashing down when he finds out Liz’s father is Adrian Toombs, aka the Vulture (Michael Keaton). Now Parker’s faced with a dilemma; go through with his date and let Toombs get away with his heist or stop Toombs and ruin Liz’s life. When Marvel movies were criticized for being too predictable, this plot twist took everyone by surprise. I was at a preview night for this movie, and never have I heard an audience sound more shocked by a twist in my life. 7) The Opening Bank Robbery from BABY DRIVER Of course, we can’t talk about the best scenes from 2017 without mentioning the years’ best car chase. From the opening scene, we witness the precision Baby (Ansel Elgort) puts into his driving as he helps bank robbers (Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm and Eliza Gonzalez) evade police while listening to John Spencer Blue Explosions’ Bellbottoms. It’s always fun to watch a heist unfold in movies, but this car chase is a sight to behold. This scene plays more like a musical number the way the car sways gracefully in tune to the song. And the way that car swerves around that tight alleyway is a beauty. 6) All the Bomb Disarming Scenes from LAND OF MINE These are among the most intense scenes of the year. You can’t help but be on the edge of your seat while young German POWs try to diffuse millions of landmines on a beach. Yes, they’re Nazis, but they’re also frightened kids. They all dream of going home, yet they are stuck in a village that despises them. You sit there with dread knowing that one wrong move and Kaboom! These kids have to maintain a steady hand, but many of them are fidgety from terror. You are always anticipating an explosion, yet every Boom comes as a shock in this movie. 5) Run Rabbit Run from GET OUT Is it just me or does easy listening Rock N’ Roll music make horror films more unsettling? Notice how creepy Robert & Johnny’s We Belong Together sounds in Christine, as if it’s emphasizing the car’s obsession with its owner. And then there’s the infamous X-Files episode “Home”, when the sound of Johnny Mathis’ Wonderful Wonderful warned of the mutant monster’s oncoming attack. What makes these innocent sounding songs work so well in moments of terror? One reason is how the director plays on the irony of the upbeat music playing over a terrifying scene, as if to taunt the heroes. Another reason is how the lyrics an unintentionally further the tone of the film, as indicated by the former. A most recent example is how director Jordan Peele uses Flanagan & Allen’s Run, Rabbit, run in the opening scene of Get Out. First, the chorus is almost warning innocent bystander Dre (Keith Stanfield) of oncoming danger. Second, the uppity tune is as unassuming as the suburban environment, adding more suspicion to the world around Dre. Finally, it introduces the reoccurring theme of running which includes the creepy scene of the Armitage’s groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) randomly running around at night. And I haven’t even started on the brilliance of how the film was shot. Shot in one take, Peele has the camera circle around Stanfield as he walks alone at night (never a good idea in horror movies). And then we see a white car U-turn right behind him and follow him and you know the shit’s about to hit the fan. Then the camera circles around him, we realize the car’s door opens and out of nowhere, a man in night’s armor knocks him out and drags him into the car. This scene is a lesson on how to build suspense. There’s also a satirical element in how it takes the stereotype of white people’s fear of black neighborhoods and turns it on its head. 4) The Opening Fight Scene from THE VILLAINESS and the Stairway Fight Scene from ATOMIC BLONDE The reason I put these two together is they share a theme of female assassins fighting multiple killers within a confined area. And they are both shot in one take. What separates them is how they are filmed; one done with stylized glamour and the other with gritty realism. Let’s start with the Korean action film and learn how to start an action movie. This Korean action film hits the ground running with our anti-heroine Sook-Hee (Ok-bin Kim) going John Wick on a group of gangsters. Facing off armed and sword-wielding assassins, She shots and slices across a seedy alleyway through a hallway. All shot from Sook-Hee’s point of view. That’s nothing compared to when they take the fight to the gym. In an environment surrounded by mirrors, cinematographer Jung-hun Park deserves credit for keeping the camera out of sight. Then in a moment of master filmmaking, we see Sook-Hee’s POV as her head smashes into a mirror and then the camera switches to a third person perspective. How they managed to pull this off is a miracle. While director Byung-gil Jung was looking to impress through camera work, Director David Leitch was looking to impress through choreography with Atomic Blonde. While trying to transport key witness Spyglass (Eddie Marsan), MI6 Agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) finds herself ambushed by two KGB agents. And so, commences a brawl that leave all battered, bloody and exhausted. But just when it seems like Broughton is done, along comes more Agents to open fire on her. The camera follows Theron and the villains as they try to shoot at each other, throw each other down the stair and pummel each other to bloody pulps. It offers a more realistic portrayal of brawls. In most action films, the hero takes down thugs with ease. But like the Hallway scene from Daredevil, when henchmen get knocked down, they get back up and deliver their own hard blows. This not only humanizes the protagonist, but makes the action more gripping. 3) Remember Me from COCO Okay, it’s more of a song than a scene. But this song is special in how its meaning changes throughout the film. Remember Me is the most famous song of Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez)’s late idol Ernesto De La Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Trapped in a family with a draconian “no-music” rule, the song embodies Miguel’s passion for music and his longing for escape. But as the spirit realm reveals the downsides of a music career, the song’s meaning changes in Miguel’s mind. By the end of the film, the song showcases music’s power to connect loved ones. It also serves the film’s theme of the importance of remembering loved ones after they’re gone. On the lighter side, the song was also used to make fun of overplayed songs like Disney’s own Let it go.[1] 2) The First Rehearsal from A LONG TIME RUNNING In the first day of rehearsal for the Tragically Hip’s final concert, late singer Gord Downie returns from cancer treatment bearded and frail. From the recorded footage, you can see the rest of the band unsure of what to do. And then guitarist Paul Langlois begins the first notes of Escape is At Hand for the Travelling Man, and the band follows suit. In this moment, we watch Downie in suspense, waiting to see if he’ll have the strength to go on. But then he sings the first lyrics, he slowly reveals the charismatic front man Canada has grown to love. While we already know the Tragically Hip final concert goes off across Canada without a hitch, this documentary still has us in suspense in this moment. This moment feels like a moment of triumph for Downie, who is using his last ounce of strength for his last hurrah. With the recent passing of this extraordinary front man, this scene has more weight to it. 1) The Ending from Dunkirk No film ending has left more of an impact than this haunting, beautiful conclusion to the year’s best war movie, Dunkirk. SPOILERS AHEAD: After spending nearly two hours on the edge of our seats, we are finally relieved to see the 300,000 soldiers finally rescued from Dunkirk. In this moment, Zimmer finally breaks the cycle of intensity to deliver a beautiful melody of triumph. To the soundtrack of a Winston Churchill speech, we are treated to a series of haunting images, from Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) staying behind while his fellow men leave to a newspaper article declaring George (Barry Keoghan) a hero. But none compare to the conclusion of Farrier’s (Tom Hardy) storyline. There’s something awe inspiring about the image of an airplane slowly landing on a beach during sunset. Add Zimmer’s music and it almost brings a tear to your eyes. There’s also the image of the heroic pilot standing alone as he sets his plane on fire. Add the fact that not only does he have no way to get home, but he ends up captured by German soldiers and this scene stays with you forever. [1] Which was written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who also wrote Remember Me.