#also thelma + louise is beautiful

[icyg4l]

PAC: What Would Happen If You Had a Friend Like You?

Hello beautiful people! I thank you guys so much for the support I’ve received over the past couple of months and even this past weekend. I will continue to make content that resonates with my collective. I am delivering my new PAC as promised, even though it was supposed to come out last night (oopsie lol). Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this one. It is inspired by tears and frustration of those who feel taken for granted in their friendships (including myself). Please don’t hesitate to book a reading with me if you would like to receive a personal reading. Without further ado, please select your pile.

Top Left-to-Bottom Right: (1-4)

Pile One: If you had a friend like you, PIle One, I think that you would meet them while working/interning for a company. I think that this person would be the fresh air to the heavy atmosphere surrounding y’all. I see that you are both sophisticated professionals who know how to handle conflict calmly for the most part. It’s hard for you both to “pop off” and this may be a problem within you guys’ friendship. You both must learn how to be okay with not letting things go off the hook. You must be intentional with the way you navigate or you will be screwed over every time. I feel that if you had a friend like you, you would be very suspicious of this person because you can’t put a finger on why you feel this way. This person will be equally suspicious. But once you actually talk to each other, you will share stories and experiences regarding business ideas, your dream career environments, many of you will bond over being the only women at work and even sharing secrets about your family dynamics. I could see that you will run a business with this person and it will be successful. It may take a while to hit this bump but it’s definitely possible. Lastly, beware of oversharing too soon or jumping to conclusions. Take it slow, babe. There will be slip ups between the both of you but it’s best that you become strict with yourself on what it means to have a healthy friendship.

Cards Used: Queen of Cups, The Chariot, The Emperor, The Tower (RX), 9 of Wands, 6 of Swords 

extras: nipsey hussle. “motivate” saweetie. moldavite. overbite. 

Pile Two: It’s very interesting how your story will play out, Pile Two. It’ll be a story to tell your grandchildren. So what I am getting from your pile is that you will meet your other half during a breakup. But the thing is, this person will partially be the reason for your breakup. I see the scenario of women getting played by a guy. The movie ‘John Tucker Must Die’ comes to mind. Also, the storyline between Teddy, Spencer and Skylar from Good Luck Charlie comes to mind. You guys will find comfort in each other during this painful period. Many people would stay away from “the other woman”, but you won’t because your situation is unique. I feel like if you are dealing with someone right now, they have two sides to them. They could have air sign placements. I feel like when you come face-to-face with this person, you will not feel any sort of anger or resentment towards them. You will cry in this person’s arms and immediately feel at home. But you should know that once you feel that you want to move on from this, the bond that once existed will change and this change will more than likely not be taken lightly. So enjoy your time with this person for the moment being, Pile Two. Have conversations with this person about how the dynamic will change overtime to prepare for it.

Cards Used:The World, 3 of Swords, Two of Cups, Wheel of Fortune, King of Cups (RX)

extras: igbo tribe. medulla. voguing practice. thelma and louise. grief counseling. hideous bangs.

Pile Three: I feel like this group is into music. You may want to move to one of the music capitals like Atlanta, Nashville, New York or Miami to pursue a music career. In my third eye, I am seeing snippets of the pilot episode of ‘Star’. The premise of the show is the formation, trials and tribulations of a girl group. There are two sisters and a best friend that are in this girl group. During the pilot, the blonde sister has to physically fight her sister’s abuser to bring her to Atlanta so that they can move to Atlanta with their aunt. After this, they are proactive in jumpstarting their career even with drama, drugs and whatnot clouding their future. Now, I feel like your friend will obviously be a newcomer in the music industry as well. It is best if y’all work together. I see that if this person has a kid, you will be the child’s godparent. I also see some notoriety, fame and recognition coming with this person once you all decide to work together. This will only happen because y’all collaborated; if y’all went solo, the same result would not happen. But you need to be aware of doing things in vain. You and them both need to think about each other because the spotlight can blind people’s true intentions. Think clearly. But I feel like y’all would actually be friends for a long time despite any differences that may occur because of vanity. There’s chemistry that y’all have with each other that you will not have with anyone else so cherish each other while you all are still here.

Cards Used: 10 of Cups, Four of Discs (RX), The Star, The Empress, 8 of Cups, 6 of Wands, King of Wands 

extras: girl groups. ‘musically inclined.’ music industry. tlc. money grab. “cut the check.” “ain’t shit sweet.”

Pile Four: And last but not least, Pile Four. Your situation will involve meeting someone who is also addicted to something. You have their vices so do they. I am channeling the energy of Edward Norton and Maria Singer. They are liars. They show up at AA meetings for fun and catch each other in a lie. I feel like this friendship will be about holding each other accountable. I am also channeling Rue and her sponsor, Ali. They have an uncle-niece relationship. I believe that you all will have a significant difference in maturity. And this will be the reason why you bump heads. Someone believes that they know more than the other person because they’ve been doing it longer or they don’t believe that their vice is worthy of being taken seriously. Now, this vice could be drugs, sex, over/undereating, online shopping, gambling, playing video games, etc. Now, when you meet this person, you will be put off because you won’t know any better. But this person will leave a strong impact on your life. It is best that you keep them around because you won’t know what you got till it’s gone. Taking this person for granted will be the worst thing that you can do because there is no one else that will hold you accountable like them, Pile Four. 

Cards Used: 9 of Discs, Princess of Cups, Temperance, 6 of Wands, The High Priestess, The Hermit, 9 of Wands 

extras: low fade haircut. burning hair. electric slide. goal chaser. fear of death. close call. chewing ice.

[therumpus]

Strong Women and Tenderness in Poetry: A Conversation with Caitlin Coey

by Jeri Frederickson

Through the strength of Ani DiFranco’s songs, Jessica Chastain’s ass-kicking characters, and a host of friends, Caitlin Coey’s debut poetry collection, Without the Cliff (Finishing Line Press, 2023) weaves strength and beauty to bolster the reader through the grieving and painful seasons of life. The poems explore complex memories and relationships through healing and beauty.

Coey is a queer writer whose work focuses on gender-based violence, mental health, queer love, and the importance of friendship. Her poetry names childhood traumas that many have experienced and reminds readers they are not alone. Coey’s poems resonate with the strength of friendships that guide folks out of dark nights of the soul. Her works reimagine what could have or should have been - and how to draw strength from the icons of our day. Her poetry has appeared in Shambles, The Roadrunner Review, Awakened Voices, Sad Girls Club, and The Heduan Review.

Coey and I met attending poetry seminars and workshops, and I have had the privilege to publish her poems in Awakened Voices, a journal for survivors of sexual violence. I spoke with her recently on Zoom to learn how these poems came to be and how she has cared for herself and her reader.

***

The Rumpus: Congratulations on your debut book! How did Without the Cliff  title come about?

Caitlin Coey: There is a poem in the book called “A Prayer for When Legs Crumble and Vision Blurs” and the last couplet is “make me Thelma and Louise without the cliff.” It's a prayer to myself about wanting to be strong. Something I do as a coping mechanism when I’m feeling disempowered is watch movies and TV shows where strong women are kicking butt and defeating villains. It’s comforting because I know it’ll end well and my body remembers what it is to feel empowered. 

Rumpus: The book ends on a poem with strong women and a prayer. You’ve offered coping mechanisms to the reader at the end.

Coey: The poem that ends the book now is a calming poem. It's a soothing poem. My goal was always to be mindful of not overly protecting, but not triggering the reader. I didn’t want to include anything just because it was difficult or because it was shocking. So, ending with a piece that's comforting is like giving the reader a warm blanket, and it lets the reader know that I, as the author, am okay too.

Rumpus: Why is it important to you that the reader knows the author is okay?

Coey: I come from a theater background and if you're an actor in a challenging scene, and you're not okay as the actor, the audience knows that. Then the audience worries about you instead of following the story and having their own experience. That's something that I really carry with me as a writer. I didn't want to shy away from anything, but I also didn’t want to re-traumatize anyone if I could help it. I know there's a big divide about trigger warnings, but I like to have them. At 34, I know what a lot of my triggers are, not all of them, but a lot. Even if there aren’t the words “trigger warning” or “content warning,” there are often breadcrumbs and you can sense what something is going to be and choose if you want to engage with it. To be clear—even if I end up being triggered by something I watch or read, I'm never mad at the person who made the art. But if there are intentionally no breadcrumbs and no warning of any kind, it feels like valuing the art over the mental health of the audience.

Rumpus: You begin the book with an Ani Difranco quote. Is this a way to prepare the reader and yourself for the sometimes difficult content in the book?

Coey: As many queer women do, I have a long relationship with Ani DiFranco and I love that song “If He Tries Anything” from the album “Out of Range.” It makes me feel empowered. I was probably listening to it during the writing of many of these poems. I wanted there to be those breadcrumbs. The dedication is to survivors. For me it functions as both a welcome and a content warning. For this book, I’m saying listen this happened to me, and I made it out of the bottom of the well, metaphorically. And you're going to be okay too. The only reason I was able to write any of this is because I had people around me who showed me how to get out because they’d been there too.

Rumpus: How did you know these poems all went into a collection?

Coey: I've been writing for most of my life—since I was ten—but it was sporadic. When I started going to therapy and diving into and uncovering the stuff that I talk about in the book and dealing with it, writing is what helped. The poems go together because they’re all a part of my healing process.

Rumpus: There are several poems that are letters to specific people in your life, but the reader gets to be someone who knows you and the person that these letters are written to.

Coey: I’m glad to hear that as a reader you feel let in by those pieces. I got some feedback a while ago that those poems shouldn't be in the book because they’re an inside thing between me and somebody the reader doesn't know. I was adamant they needed to go in the book because those people are very important to me.

Now there's a lot of books and surveys that talk about how friendship is equally as important as romantic relationships. But I remember a time when, and maybe it was just the atmosphere I was in, but friendship was looked at as a placeholder to romance. I’ve never agreed with that. I wanted to elevate the importance of friendship and show that a big part of what enables me to be okay enough to write about what’s in the book are the people I wrote letters to.

Rumpus: As a fellow writer, I was impressed with the beauty of the language that was in poems that include difficult subject matter. As a reader, it also felt like an elevation that holds everything.

Coey:  I have always dealt with complicated feelings with metaphor, even before I knew what a metaphor was. As a kid, I had a lot of really complicated feelings, but I didn't know how to describe them. I can remember being asked, “Do you feel sad? Do you feel happy?” I was always like, “That's not enough; those aren't enough words.” I still have trouble as a 34 year-old identifying my feelings sometimes, which is a result of things I talk about in the book. So, I use imagery to express myself and to understand how I feel and what I think.

Rumpus: This beautiful language also extends through the First Kiss series.

Coey: The first one I’d never written about before because it's about a coercive experience. I was always mad that was how my first kiss went. And you know, you can get into conversations with friends about first kisses and what they were like and it’s supposed to be fun. I would always have to decide if I was going to say the real thing or pick something else. And that just makes me so mad and sad for myself. So, I wrote what I wished instead, which is where the redux poem comes in. The other First Kiss poems are those alternative stories. I liked the idea of surprising the reader in an exciting way with those stories. I’m reframing the experiences and choosing what I want to tell in the moment.

Rumpus: Is Without the Cliff telling the story you want to tell?

Coey: Absolutely. I hope people feel less alone. Maybe one day we won't have to say this anymore, but writing about trauma isn’t just therapeutic, it’s valid artistic material. Even ten years ago, I can remember feeling like my work didn’t have a place in the literary world, and that could have been my specific bubble, but I don’t think so. With that idea resounding in society, it can be hard to keep writing about these difficult things, to remember that your voice is important. That’s what I want people to know. Don't listen to the critic in your head saying you don't matter or that nobody wants to hear it because it’s not true. Your story is valuable.

________________________________________

Jeri Frederickson is the author of You Are Not Lost, available from Finishing Line Press. She is the Creative Director of a nonprofit arts organization in Chicago whose mission centers survivors of sexual violence. She graduated from Antioch University Los Angeles with an MFA in Writing.

[missamyshay]

Talk shop Tuesday: I have not stopped thinking about Rio/May Thelma and Louise since putting your beautiful and evil words into my mind yesterday afternoon. Begging you to let me behind the scenes!!! What was the inspiration behind the idea? What is it that compels you about May and Rio?

Still crying about it btw, don’t think I’ll ever stop!

Oh HEY!

waves in the wind was such a joy to write and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Usually when I write gift fics for people (which I haven’t done that much but would love to do more of!) I start with an idea I already had, and shape it into something I think the recipient would like. This time, though, I had nothing to go off when it came to making a gift for you! I was wracking my brain for something to inspire me and then this past weekend, WITW was born.

I’ve written Rio/May once before, as a background couple in a long fic that I started writing at the beginning of last year. It was the only time I’ve done it, and as far as I’m aware (someone correct me if I’m wrong!) the only time anyone’s really done it, and I loved it. And then, this weekend, I got a comment on that fic, which brought me back to that idea, and it just clicked. I’d also been listening to II Most Wanted a lot, and suddenly I could see it so clearly and I just got to writing!

I think what compels me about Rio and May, is that by virtue of being mothers to Miles and Peter—mothers to Spider-Man—they’re two sides of the same coin almost. There’s no one else in the world who understands what it’s like to be them, except each other. And yet, it’s so different for each of them. I’ve always thought it would be interesting to see them together, to understand what levels they relate on, and what levels they can never relate on. And again, by virtue of being mothers to Spider-Man, there’s an inherent tragedy to their lives which would permeate any relationship they might have.

There’s so little backstory for both of them in canon, and I always take any opportunity I get to create worlds for characters that interest me. Writing the fic was such a fun journey and exercise in storytelling for me, and I really enjoyed it!

[djservo]

movie recs w bro auras??

ohhhh you shoulda never asked me this question I think about those things way 2 much.. get your reading glasses on pal it gets real ugly down there

ok firstly want to clarify wit "bro aura" there's "whoa this character is so [bro]" in a singular characterization way n then there's "ohhh this is somethin the bros would do" in a situational way n then there's a more general/subtle yet distinctive vibe like the Pathos n Dynamics of it all... that's how i think of it at least all very convoluted yes but just 4 distinction 🦠 that being said I think these recs are more situational/dynamics rather than than str8 up characterizations bc if i tried listing all the individually sergio or joaquin aura coded movies we'd be here forever and i have a pie in the oven rn i don't have the time!!! ok onward .

Some Like It Hot (1959) — sorry to be corny but it's a classique for a reason!! Tony Curtis is so demure and Jack Lemmon is god's favorite court jester U can't take ur eyes off that man's mannerisms + they both play off each other so well!!! I love dummies stumbling thru silly hijinks!! I'd also recommend Matt Baume's video essay on the making of the film for a TMC #herstory moment

The Odd Couple (1968) — kinda theeee opposites-as-roommates movie, not my fav tbh it's a bit of a slog when Jack's not on screen but worth it if you want like a Cinema Classic Bro (brorigin..) moment that's kinda the foundation for the opposites-as-roomies dynamic

Paul Newman + Robert Redford are the original bros in my heart so Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) is a must and U might as well (in fact I implore you to) toss in The Sting (1973) to cement the fact that their chemistry is magical even just from the way they look at each other with those freaky beautiful blue eyes man it's like they're telekineticing... telekineticizing... shakspear luv.... I got into cards bc of this card trick Paul's character does ugh truly titillating work...

Rope (1948) inspired by Leopold and Loeb (the original Billy + Stu from Scream if u really think about it) sociopathic buddies with a buttoned-up formality that gives it this smexy polite n repressed edge (don't you love when the killers are true gentlemen!) this film also has a fun gay history so pair with Matt Baume's vid if u end up watching! if you like murder mysteries I think you'll enjoy

all 3 of the movies I did simstober edits based on obviiiii though I feel like generally every other 80s/90s horror movie has bro moments + I'm sure I've even posted a few rando screenshots here if u wanna dig around. I rewatched Re-Animator (1985) last month + almost did that for this year's simstober edit instead 🤭 and An American Werewolf in London (1981)!!!! good ol chummy back n forth right from the start + it also has the best transformation scene Ever (to me).. the Fright Night remake (2011) if u wanna stay in that 'friend comes back wrong' lane (the original is so good too but doesn't have as much buddy interaction if rmbr correctly)... also Lair of the White Worm (1988) which is soooooo fkn fun and worth it for the campiness alone but THAT ENDING !!!! I think about it all the time, it's one of my favs!!

Thelma & Louise (1991) is monumentalllll (lightly referenced in this bro post a couple years ago hehe) if U watch Butch Cassidy u gotta pair these two together, outlaw buddy movie marathon baybee!! & while we're in '91 might as well toss in Point Break ("I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth" bonk) there's just somethin about late 80s/early 90s homoerotic undercover cop/action cheese .. the devastating n overbearing power of friendship(+love) or somethin... something gay was in the water in '91

if u don't mind more of an ensemble film Jason Lee + Jeremy London's characters in Mallrats (1995) are so spot on right down to their stupid conversations + even their outfits and PATHOSSSSS🤌 wise, that general meandering 90s feel ticks the bro aura in my head well BRAIN TURNING TO MUSH god this is getting long but I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface OK buck up (<-me to myself)

situationally Y Tu Mamá También (2001) is prob obvious when it comes to 2 friends getting into a Thing that drastically changes their dynamic (not that that's necessarily the bros .) + Splendor (1991) also fits the 2 guys 1 woman dynamic too but in a sillier way + Araki's style is a treat for the eyes just in general. Hush! (2001) also fits that dynamic but they're actually boyfriends rather than just friends (girl wants one of the guys to get her preggo bc she wants a baby & kinda forces herself into their relationship. me as hell. jk) but it's surprisingly really heartwarming!!! perf for the holidays!! Plan B (2010) is sooo underrated, that's another silly plot where a guy wants to get back with his ex-girlfriend & he hears that her new bf is bi so he tries to seduce the current bf to get him away from her...???? soo fkn silly and fun but Also surprisingly sweet and charming!! I posted about Matthias & Maxime (2019) when I first watched it bc it felt that uncanny... tbqh I'd recommend any early Xavier Dolan to immerse urself in joaquin's early québécois herstory (I totally ripped his backstory from I Killed My Mother not that we would even KNOW that @ djservo's slow ass smh) but this one in particular is soooooo....??!!! just watch it and report back to me . and i'm sorry to say in the year of lord 2023 that The Social Network (2010) is still that bitch to me hand covers bruise I WAS YOUR ONLY FRIEND YOU HAD ONE FRIEND oh my god JAIL TIME mr fincher for making me emotional over BILLIONAIRES !!!

not a movie but I've been sick n wanting something easy on the brain so I've been rewatching Boy Meets World from the start and if you don't already know, I based the bro apartment on Eric + Jack's in s5 and I've finally reached s5 and MAN O MAN!!! goldmine of bro auras through n through honestly cory + shawn have their moments too but literally just watch any eric + jack compilation on youtube (or jump to s5 tbh) to see the vibes it's actually so serious that I've been building an apartment from scratch in my feverish haze to closer resemble their with a working balcony it's soooooo soo gravely serious to me wait what were talking about again

[rappaccini]

arachnophobia ch6 notes

title

from 'thelma and louise' by nova twins

opening quote

from the 2013 sci-fi tv series orphan black, about a group of women who discover they're clones from a defunct illegal experiment, and struggle to maintain their autonomy while dealing with religious extremists, cops, corporations and government entities that want to control them. an absolutely incredible show featuring one of the best performances by an actress you'll ever see (she plays ALL the clones).

in context, this quote is from one clone, cosima, to another, sarah. sarah's a rogue clone, and a punk (GREAT representation of british punks by the way, probably the last great one i've seen in mainstream media before hobie came along in atsv), who's often demonized for being reckless, difficult to control and unwilling to play by the rules the biotech corporation the clones are technically owned by have set up for her. sarah also worries that she's a selfish, cruel person because of these qualities, and in this moment, cosima's telling her that being that kind of woman made it possible for her to keep existing.

related to the content of this chapter in that gwen stacy is a character who is famously cloned, and has those clones' autonomy mocked and dismissed because they're not 'the real person'. and that this is two multiples of the same person, who are still their own distinct individuals, meeting while one's having an existential crisis, and discussing how being too unwilling to play by the guys' rules helped gwen a survive and keep her power. because she separated from peter and resented being his designated girlfriend, and because she embraced those messy, selfish emotions, she not only got to live and be the protagonist, but get to keep her powers. being that messy unlikable undesirable bitch was what saved her.

arrival in 65a

times square: ref to gwen's debut appearance.there's one panel of her in costume zooming over times square with a little girl wearing a spider-gwen costume looking on.

jjj is the mayor in 65a's continuity. in 65b's he seems like he's still a tv personality.

on 65a, there's no such thing as artificial sugar. i figure she'd be able to taste the difference, and it'd probably make her emotional after being away for so long.

my internal logic re number vs letter designation with universes is different numbers are entirely different realities with different physics, but different letters designate different timelines that operate by the same laws of nature. ergo, gwen can lose the portal watch in 65a and won't glitch out, but it still isn't HER world. she cannot do that on 138b, because she isn't made of the same matter.

the fire-hero is johnny storm, from the comics.

in the comics, the beautiful jewel-toned smearing of the light really only exists on the covers of the comics. the tones remain, but the smearing is much more minimal in the actual book. in the movie, they make the world so informed by gwen's emotions that it's a little to tell where the hell anything is. i'm trying to excuse that as her being stuck in her head due to her emotional conflict. once she's settled down and focused, things open up again.

and 'get out of your head and let the world in' is very much one of the big themes for this chapter. gwen's spent months ruminating on things, time to apply them.

the spider-gwen kiosk is a comics ref. after gwen gets out of prison, she's become a celebrity with merch stands. and the costume is again, a ref to that little girl in gwen's debut. there's just something very important about her being loved by little girls in her dimension.

and meta as well: at this point, spider-gwen is the female spider-hero (and the version of gwen stacy) most young girls know. she's enormously popular with them thanks to her presence in various cartoons and yes, the films. her future in 10-15 years when those girls start picking up her comics is hopefully promising. it's just a matter of what state her character will be in when those girls are old enough to discover her, and whether they'll have to find out she used to be her own person (... before becoming Miles's Girlfriend, in all likelihood), or if they'll already know that going in. i hope it's the latter. i'm afraid it'll be the former.

in the fic-version of 65a, comics-gwen has no involvement with the multiverse. in the comics, she first encounters it in her debut issue, right after her father learns her identity (like in atsv), but also only 2 years into her time as spider-woman (unlike in atsv, which stalls film-gwen's development for an entire year to keep her stuck in her debut issue). and she's constantly in and out of the multiverse ever since. in the fic, she has none of those experiences, so she doesn't know what it means to be gwen stacy.

also she doesn't call herself ghost-spider yet, since she's the only spider-woman she knows of.

gwen b's experience with gayatri taught her to tell her, and give her the autonomy.

plus, a's in prison as far as she knows, and b is really against being trapped at this point after her time in the ss.

gwen b learning how gwen dies probably really took a bite out of her confidence. can't imagine she wouldn't be anxious while webslinging, or doubting herself in a fight after that.

i figure gwen b's fine with pickpocketing in a pinch. girl's been homeless for eight months and spent many of them with hobie.

post-prison, gwen-65a's public reputation improved; people sell merch of her, are more friendly to her... but by the end of her solo, her status quo is that she's disliked by the media and law enforcement. i like that. it's important that she be on the outs. it's a unique element to her story, and maintains the meta of her being a specifically female superhero, and a gwen-who-gets-to-be-a-hero: the universe won't be kind to her. but she keeps going anyway.

girls like gwen: that meta of it being the case irl, and of the importance of her character as a specifically feminist one. the most important thing is that she is here to tell stories for and about girls and women that center them and their struggles.

the storm siblings, in ghost-spider, are influencers who vanished, then returned 5 years later with superpowers and became celebrity 'heroes'. comics gwen used to be a fan of theirs. i figure gwen b as a zoomer would have followed them. they don't seem to exist in 65b.

specifically, they're heroes who are wrapped up in the idea of public palatability, who arrive when gwen's trying to get people's opinions of her to improve, and who consider her too ugly and flawed to be worthy of her status as new york's iconic hero. gwen 65a is too unphotogenic for them, and her world (... and probably the movies too, given what they chose to remove from her adaptation).

gwen's ridden the trains in the comics.

in-fic timeline: atsv is vaguely set in may, the earth-8 blowup happens in late june, and gwen's birthday is roughly 6 weeks from that, so fic-gwen was born in aug, which is when this scene takes place.

the inky shadows are one of the best things about takeshi miyazawa and ig guara's vision of 65 in the mcguire ghost-spider run.

skyscraper bones: the gentrification of comic-gwen's nyc is still under way.

the spider-gwen mural was made by 65a's hobie brown. a d-story in the latour run is him gaining respect for spider-woman enough to memorialize her after he believes she died. he comes a long way from spraying her in the face with paint and calling her a cop/dadfucker. that's their first meeting in the comics. it's hilarious.

moon + howl: references to man-wolf, whose criminal activities are tuned to the lunar cycle.

gwen's preparing to go home. seeing 65a makes her want to go back and find these people she hasn't encountered yet. even the bad ones.

her father isn't dead in the comics. changed here to ref the gwen-617 meeting at the end of the latour run, where gwen encounters a version of og gwen, after her father dies but before she's killed, who tells her to get back in the fight because at least she still has a dad.

gwen's future where the ss picks her up is not bright. she literally loses her powers, is manhunted, forced to join the hand, and her father is nearly beaten to death on kingpin's orders to punish her. she goes to prison, where she's surrounded by her villains and has no way to protect herself. she gets venomized. she can't be a consistent member of the mary janes anymore. she emerges in a world where her future isn't very bright. movie-gwen seeing that future would be terrified of it.

... and yet all those things work out. she gets her powers back, via venom. she's the one who chooses to give up her secret identity. her father quits the force and supports her. and she gets through prison and comes out the other side.

a fall from grace is another kind of fall.

and all gwen needs to know is that it's possible to survive it. now she does.

privilege: at the end of the latour run she acknowledges that her sentence is lenient bc she's a white girl, a cop's daughter, and she's given the opportunity to skip her sentence and get a life of relative comfort... as long as she starts working for the government on a black ops team (probably the thunderbolts of 65).

it should be noted that comics gwen refuses that offer and chooses to remain in prison, where she's constantly beaten and abused, bc she distrusts the government and values her independence that much.

meeting herself

post-release, gwen is a minor celebrity and not well liked. people take pics of her in public, she's kicked out of restaurants who don't want her associated with them, she can't tour with the janes.

but to a girl who thinks she doesn't have a future at all, that must sound wonderful.

first references to swimming/drowning/paddling in the river. motif for this chapter.

the latour run deals heavily in themes of government/justice/police corruption, while the mcguire run drops those. part of me thinks it's just discontinuity. in-universe the explanation seems to be that because gwen's actions caused the collapse of the hand, who control nyc at that point, the corruption cleared up by a lot. the world is better because she's spider-woman.

gwen works odd shitty retail jobs in the comics. bodega clerk, smoothie shop cashier. it's one of the most appealing things about her-- she isn't a science whiz about to join a fancy startup or a government super-spy. she's just getting by.

gwen's using the hobie's-boat-smell as a source of comfort. it's where she was consistently living for the past eight months, and it reminds her of someone she loves. (also, more river motif.)

gentrification is a theme in gwen's early comics.

first ref to a gummy spider.

and to gwen eating kale chips.

gwen a's watching a stream of the mary janes' latest gig. and she also uses corded earbuds, not airpods, because she's a young millennial.

gwen briefly tried being a hero through an app/website in the comics after her identity was exposed. the storms put an end to that.

comic-gwen is canonically average looking, compared to movie-gwen, who is canonically pretty. comic-gwen is also thinner (due to symbiote-siphoning of her fat reserves), with a skinnier face, longer hair that's a bit lighter in shade, no facial piercings, and straighter teeth.

and comics-gwen's an ex-con who was canonically beaten within an inch of her life constantly by other inmates, and people know who she is. she's gonna be nervous about strange people.

gwen b's wearing hobie's shoes (and likely a sweater that they passed back and forth), gayatri's shirt-that-pav-probably-also-wore, and the haircut miles technically caused. all pieces of people she loves, and left, and let down.

important to have some continuity with perfect gwen and gayatri: when first encountering a version of themself, each of them instantly responds with empathy.

comics-gwen also loves meeting alt versions of herself, and positions herself as a big sister figure to a lot of them. she's taking this in stride.

you're me, and i'm you: callback to gayatri.

gwen b at this point thought gwen a was incarcerated, and was planning to break her out of jail. again, like with gayatri, she's trying to save her self. though in this case, b's the one in need of saving.

another great, okay, fine callback.

literally earth-8 gwen isn't what gwen needs (@ the dudes who wrote sitting in a tree, and everyone who thinks that really is a good outcome for her). she doesn't need to be famous, or rich, or a career hero, or a gorgeous beloved superwife-and-mom. she just needs to know that she can live, and that she can have her own life where people let her stand on her own.

growing up: big theme here.

and to gwen b, a version of her who made it past 19 is extraordinary.

you can't tell me you wouldn't have weird fucking thoughts about what's causing the little differences between you and your alt self. skull thoughts!

gwen a probably deals with weird selfie requests and cosplayers all the time.

jackal: one of gwen-65a's major new villains. a creepy professor from 616/peter parker's world, who's into cloning and was always obsessed with gwen stacy sexually, who stalks spider-gwen into her world and intends to set up shop there (... until cancellation/editorial hierarchy dragged him back). the dog days arc he's involved in was literally nominated for a hugo award bc it's that good.

in the fic though, i'm just gonna imagine that 65's jackal, who 616 jackal kills off, is still that creeper.

also a reference to shadow clones, the latest ghost-spider miniseries, where she gets cloned. in the fic continuity that hasn't happened yet, and might not at all bc i'm pretty sure lyla (yup, a lyla) bennett is another crossover villain, who can't exactly cross over if there's no way gwen a is able to freely access the multiverse.

comics gwen had a potty mouth when she first debuted. let her keep it!

earth-66 is the dinosaur dimension where t-rex-spider-man is from. chosen bc it's literally the next one up numerically from earth-65 and it'd be funny as hell.

what the fuck happens now: another gayatri callback.

betty's apartment

comics gwen loves corn dogs.

pastrami sandwiches were eaten by gwen65 and gwen617 in the comics during their existential crisis summit.

the nickname convo was just me taking my 'what the fuck do i call all these gwens' convo and loading it into the fic. also stacy stacy was her nickname during that two-gwens issue.

maxine. yeah i'm headcanoning that film-gwen, who i'm interpreting as trans, was probably named max originally. easy way to reinterpret the middle name that also expands on her trans identity and her relationship with her dad: yes, he's okay with her being trans, but guys he's a catholic cop, he's not gonna be THAT okay with it. he wants her to be girly, and straight, and he's gonna have an opinion about her changing her name. and since gwen assuming her full identity is gradual, at the time that she changed names, she was willing to compromise with the middle name in that way in order to get it.

gwen a and gwen b was just me caving to the peter b method. it's simple!

gwen a's status quo post rescue in the comics that she isn't wanted anymore and the cops get along with her bc her dad... sigh. rejoins the police force. hate that! skipping it for the fic! here he's dead, so the cops still are mixed on her: she's his daughter, but she's also why he ended up dead and disgraced.

regardless, gwen a is still viewed as someone's daughter, instead of someone. a theme.

betty's place is largely as described in the comics. gwen's been known to sleep over there often.

first ref to 'the girls' -- and another gummy sighting.

i swear if the spiderverse movies' big subversion with gwen is 'good news! you don't have to die, and you can have superpowers! but you still have to be someone's girlfriend!' ......... not enough.

going from the dead helpless gf to the living superhero gf isn't enough. because she's still the girlfriend. and her having powers won't even be about her; it'll be about the boy scoring a powerful girl, and getting to have her help him on his adventures. not as bad as being left at home during the fight, not as good as her getting to fight her own battles.

salt: gwen can have powers, but only as long as she's using them to support miles's story. she can have a plotline, as long as it never develops her into someone he doesn't find attractive or who wouldn't want a relationship with him. she can be a hero, just not as good a hero as he is. she can be special, but she can never be as good as or better than him.

salt: if you've ever gotten the vibe that spiderverse gwen is lacking something special in her powerset compared to the others, you're right. they literally didn't adapt her special skill (being a symbiote host). it feels like they started and stopped at 'she's the only girl, so looking pretty when she fights is her unique ability.' (it is not.)

jess's spider-silk comes from her fingertips in the movie. hobie's lightning palms are a headcanon, as is pav's greater strength, but they come from little details about their fighting abilities.

fun fact: according to marvel editorial, gwen-65 isn't allowed to drink alcohol bc of her target audience being middle-school to hs aged kids. i'm gonna roll with an in-universe explanation of: it'll fuck with her symbiote.

betty and gwen are the same size in the comics, but not at all in the film.

betty's cat murderface is wonderful. he even has his own theme song.

another gummy sighting.

lavender perfume: ref to action comics gwen, who sets her apartment on fire due to the number of scented candles she has going at once.

letting the transdimensional grime go: another small way she's getting ready to go home.

gwen a might not be on tour, but she's still part of the band.

glory does the drum subbing in the comics.

comics refs: betty brant has taylor swift on vinyl. nightmare! at the nightclub is a panic at the disco ref, and one of em jay's favorite bands. and betty got detention for playing swedish death metal over the school intercom. (also, gwen likes veronica mars. i figure that's her poster, not betty's)

movie and comics betty have totally different looks and vibes.

and comics betty is probably gwen's closest friend. movie betty doesn't hesitate to snatch her spot in the band when she quits.

mateo. gwen's bland love interest in shadow clones, her latest miniseries. get that dick gwen, but don't call him back.

clowntown is earth 65's mcdonalds.

gwen's recent comics amped up the sexual tension between her and em. em literally wrote a pick-me song that gwen thinks is about her. and she's jealous about gwen getting attention for being a hero/not focusing her energy on her.

otherwise, em and glory are a couple. i love their relationship, and i don't think gwen and em actually match personality-wise to be a couple, but man do i want them to have a disastrous hookup.

gwen and em were friends since sixth grade, and came up with the idea for the band together then. glory and em started it in detention when they were seniors.

comics-gwen's band are her best friends, who rally around her after learning she's spider-woman. movie gwen's band... don't seem to be that.

the bombing/harry's coma comes from the recent comics. man-wolf did it. and the bodega bandit's health struggles and gwen's compassion for him were a big part of that run too.

the og plan for carnage 65 was that gwen's suit was reproducing and would've eventually latched onto em as a new host. i'm taking that element and applying it here to the fic: it's still shedding, it just hasn't chosen a host yet, and gwen a's aware of this and trying to find a solution.

comics gwen loves exploring new worlds. she'd have loved touring. and setting up b offering to let a tag along on multiverse jumps.

harry osborn. comics gwen went to the prom with him, not peter. he was the third party to their hs friendship-- it was a trio, not a duo. they have a sweet on again off again romance that's probably the best of any of comics gwen's love interests.

gwen's spotting peter in the back of that photo. it would've been taken literally minutes before he lizarded out and attacked harry.

the gum wrapper's hobie's.

the gummy liking gwen is foreshadowing.

fire escape

movie gwen's ock seems to be right out of the raimi films. comic gwen's ock is a villain of the week working under moon, whose octopus is a literal animal instead of robo-arms.

movie gwen seems to have gone through a kraven's last hunt canon event. in the comics, he's a villain of the week who has a swarm of animal minions, instead of a hunter.

fwiw i like movie gwen having a more menacing ock. if they're gonna empty out her canon rogues gallery, they'd better put in a few new ones to make up for it.

comics gwen got bitten at a political protest. cindy moon was the creator of her spider, who made it for herself, and took gwens' powers away out of anger that she got them instead.

gwen's biggest male villains are men who want to control her or punish her for defying their control. and women who want to take her place on the pedestal. jess and miguel fit perfectly into that theming.

the storm siblings are villains in the comics. they're only 'heroes' for clout and try to kill/drive gwen out to keep the city to themselves. in the comics they succeed, bc the comic was cancelled and editorial wanted to force gwen to be a supporting character in peter's world. in the fic, they haven't, bc they don't know about the multiverse, and bc this gwen's father is dead and known associates are out of town, so they can't threaten her out of the city yet.

one of the original plans for johnny was that he'd eventually turn on his sister, bc he's much less evil than she is.

i figure movie-gwen's no responsibility phase was probably her being an influencer. that shot of her grabbing the camera before leaping off the roof in her itsv backstory intro gives me that vibe, plus she's a zoomer. she'd try it.

a's trying to make b feel less embarrassed with the green-hair-and-piercing story (which is canon)

also a way to segue into talking about other changes: comics gwen is from queens, movie gwen is from chelsea. comics gwen isn't a dancer, and was bitten at 17. movie gwen is, and was bitten at 13.

in the comics, em is white.

in the comics, og gwen debuted in december. adapting that for fic-gwen a's birth month.

in the comics, gwen's bitten at a political protest. in the movie, it's implied she got bit... in class. hm. there go her politics. thaaanks.

gwen a thinks gwen b is new at being spider-woman, bc she's now the exact age a was when she got started.

i figure b's age is due to the writers aging her down (... sigh. to be miles's gf). she still has the two-years-experience when she enters the films that she did in the comics. i figure they just didn't think through the implications of aging her down.

it's batshit that a 13yo girl was being hunted by the cops and throwing herself into dangerous situations. girl literally has more experience than hobie does, and she was doing it younger than even him. it also means that the manhunt lasted for two years instead of one, and she had to live with it while she was 14 or so. poor kid.

spider-girl was the original name proposed for spider-gwen. you can still kinda see it in the script for the debut issue. spider-woman was better.

becoming spider-woman is tied in with gwen's implied transness in the films. like anything, it's a process. it's canon in the movies that gwen only joined the janes after being bitten, so presumably the bite gave her the courage. building on that: getting a piercing that isn't to her ears, shortening her hair, starting to skip dance. all aspects of her gender identity that being spider-woman gives her the strength to start negotiating... but only in secret.

gwens' outgrowing her suit and name, to set up her adopting new ones.

growing up: gwen was too young to be spider-woman, yet she was. it works because it was her choice to become that.

earth-8 salt: aside from gwen's character being wildly out of step with 65-gwen, her supposed past self, earth-8's shady as hell. if gwen and miles are perfect parents, why are they letting their preteens be members of an otherwise all-adult hero team and letting them go into battle.

ghosting miles: what gwen did after sitting in a tree. she hung all over him, cooing about how 'if only they could be together someday' and then dropped his ass and never spoke to him again. good for her, may she continue to duck that boy.

blue coloring: the underwater/river theming continues.

about peter

not happy, but content-- this comes up a few times in the fic.

'half in love' -- callback to pav.

peter-65b is so different from peter-65a. for one, movie gwen reciprocates his crush on her and they're going to the dance together (not prom, dance; gwen can't have been older than 14 or 15 during that scene, and prom's for upperclassmen).

i don't vibe with that change. movie gwen having genuine romantic interest in miles and peter, when her comics self doesn't, is a huge misread of her character that robs her of a lot of her meaning. she's not their girlfriend, and can never be their girlfriend if she's going to remain the protagonist of her own story.

i recontextualize it in the fic as gwen being... fine, with those feelings towards both boys (since her feelings for them are linked as similar in the film). but not quite being madly in love with them.

esp given that gwen b is trans. not a lot of options for a high school romance in that situation. going along with peter's feelings would be her only chance at one, and i think that's something gwen b wants/wishes she could have had because part of the stereotypical girlhood experience is being a subject of attraction for boys; if a boy likes her, it's working.

look: high school romances almost never work out. they're not meant to. they're for teenagers to explore their feelings, playact romance for the first time and start to learn what they want from future partners. not for them to make serious world-changing commitments of love when they're not even adults yet.

from the bottom of my heart: even if miles and gwen do get together, it's a training wheels relationship. she's gonna break up with him when she graduates, or if she doesn't, that's a yikes, because she's stuck waiting on him when she should be moving into adulthood.

gwen b's hangup is that she was denied the chance for that kind of romance-- with peter, because he died. with miles, because they were separated too long and by the time they reunited her crush on him had cooled, she had a thing with hobie and she was in a different headspace. girl was homeless for five months, an interdimensional secret agent, living with an anarchist who she was probably sleeping with. there's no way you can go back to cute high school romance after that. and that's okay.

there is no miles morales in 65. in the comics, his parents don't meet. i assume it's the same in the film. so gwen a assumes that b is talking about miles warren. there's a hot-for-teacher joke that used to be here.

still. very interesting that comics gwen has to contend with advances from a guy named miles who sees her as an object to possess. and so does movie gwen, except comic gwen's miles is an evil villain, and movie gwen's is a hero her age. different situations... but same result: gwen being denied her agency by a miles who wants something from her that will hurt her if she gives it to him.

miles isn't gwen's best friend. in canon, she knew him for one bus ride and then never again. she knows pav and hobie far better by the time miles comes back into the picture. they are closer to her than miles ever was. and in the fic, that's even more so, bc she and miles only hang out for one afternoon, then a month; but she's known hobie for about 7 and pav for about 5.

gwen being out of the loop with miles will come back in chapter 7. he's changing too. she doesn't realize that.

miles is important to gwen, but he's not her boyfriend or her best friend.

growing up: you're gonna regret the shit you never did as much as you regret the shit you did. gwen b needs closure on the gwiles-aversion. yes, it could've been nice in some other scenario, but it didn't happen. and it's okay that it didn't happen and she can be both sad and relieved about it.

the forest hills house

in the comics, gwen and her father have a home in forest hills, where they're next-door neighbors to the parkers. usually that's mj's role, so it was a fun switchup.

i'm trying to infuse movie gwen with her comics self's history where it feels compliant. so, same grandfather. same house. her mom dies later than in the comics, which is ~when gwen came out to her dad, and the strain of those medical bills causes them to lose the house and move to the city (... which was also motivated by gwen's transness. she'd have an easier time there than in a suburb).

the house being helen's is a headcanon on my part. george stacy was in the yancy street gang as a kid, so he probably wouldn't have enough money to buy a house in the 'burbs, or family who'd leave it for him. helen would.

jennifer walters was comics gwen's lawyer.

comics gwen's dad is still alive and the house is still theirs. in this fic though, he isn't, and gwen sells the house to pay for the lawyer.

growing up: the girls are having a moment of immaturity for shits and giggles. gwen a's feeling nostalgic and seeking a little closure that b inspires her to do something about.

standard high is where 616 gwen went to school. 65 gwen went to midtown with peter. standard's also where action gwen goes to high school-- it's got uniforms, so it's presumably a prep or religous school. i went with catholic so we could have the reference to saints, to joan specifically (a woman who's hated and killed for defying gender norms to go into battle, who's deified only after her death). and to the spider-society being basically a religion.

also, comics gwen's family isn't religious, but her mother had a christian burial. presumably there was something of a disillusionment afterwards. i'm assuming the same for movie gwen, given that we see her saying grace with her dad and the parkers.

helen stacy's death is unknown. in the comics, she dies when gwen's a baby. in the film, no answer. i'm assuming it was an illness and she died in gwen's childhood. more angst that way, and i figure gwen coming out to her dad after her mom's death would make him more willing to accept it.

the parkers are supporting chars in the latour run but totally vanish in mcguire's. out of universe, the author probably forgot. in universe, maybe they moved now that peter's death has closure, and they're probably not too thrilled about living next to the girl who killed him.

ned's peter's bully in the movie; he attacks ned specifically, so they're going with him being triggered by his bullies and 'wanting to be a hero' like gwen (who was presumably starting to fight crime at that point).

in the comics, peter is also bullied, not necessarily by ned. but he doesn't attack the prom in an attempt at being a hero, or standing up to his bullies. he becomes the lizard bc he's embarrassed that gwen, a girl, is fighting his battles for him. he tries to kill his own friend because he's angry that she went out with him instead. comics peter is an incel.

i really fucking hate that they made gwen return his feelings and smoothed up his motivations in the movie.

a gwen who isn't interested in peter parker romantically, and literally kills him to get him off of her and does not fucking like being forced to be someone's girlfriend would be too subversive, i guess. especially in a story where she's only in it to be the male hero's girlfriend.

(especially a hero who has trauma related to watching peter parker be killed by having his ribs bashed in by someone's bare fists)

the comics don't really go into that, to be fair. it's all mentioned, but never dwelled on. plus peter's very deified by the for peter campaigns, and the library.

peter calling her doll, and her hating that, is from the mcguire run. she knew he was into her and didn't like it.

shades of gray: gwen a knows her peter isn't a good person in the end, but still regrets killing him and wishes things had worked out. she doesn't want to absolve herself, but she wants to forgive herself (... which she can only get from another version of herself).

there are worse things you can do: hobie callback. total forgiveness and understanding from gwen b.

gwen b's still a little too black and white. she goes from demonizing the peter killing to wishing she could've done it now that she knows the context. missing the point, which a calls her on.

in the comics, gwen a gets her powers back because she stays bonded to venom. her costume is dope. her powerset is dope. the themes of a girl finding literal power in embracing her demons instead of exorcising them are dope.

... no wonder the movies didn't adapt the symbiote. again, too transgressive. draws attention away from miles, gives her powers he doesn't have, a girl having messy emotions is a turn-off... and no boy would want to touch someone wearing that suit.

the symbiote's made of tiny goopy shapeshifting spiders.

it gives gwen all the basic spider-powers, except now she has organic webbing. she can breathe underwater, in a burning building, and with her nose and mouth covered (which she learns thanks to sue strangling her). it can resemble any outfit/camouflage her as well as miles's invisibility. it can heal her.

allegorically, gwen's power-up pill era was her being dependent on drugs and forced to see an abuser to get them.

the suit is gross and terrifying. it makes gwen physically repulsive to look at yet it's what sets her free and allows her to keep her agency. that's why b is drawn to it.

its diet is from the comics. kale chips!

yes, gwen in the comics calls her gummies 'the girls.' and they are called 'gummy spiders' too.

poltergeists: lots of ghost imagery in this chapter.

on the roof

gwen a discusses her anger the same way she'd talk about the symbiote. that's what it's symbolic of: all her unattractive 'dangerous' instincts and feelings. you know, the ones that girls are encouraged to repress or deny.

b wants a symbiote bad at this point.

gwen b's so stuck on not killing peter bc she's afraid of how it affects her arc. the one thing true about canon events is that people don't change unless something triggers it. and in the case of comics gwen, her compassion, her aversion to killing, her awareness of her anger's consequences, her tendency to pull her punches and her understanding of the moral grays of being a villain stem from killing peter, and the trauma and regret of that situation.

sure, movie gwen never got her hands dirty. but she also never learned those lessons.

movie gwen stagnates for a full year in her debut issue. she hasn't made any progress since itsv, while miles grows so much. she's still stuck at the start of her arc, unable to move on. probably to make sure she isn't too mature for miles.

movie gwen's world is missing a lot of key characters. aside from the janes not being her friends, harry's gone. that removes the incel subtext of peter's character, and means her symbiote either won't exist or has to happen in a different way.

so literally: the atsv writers hollowing out gwen's world to make her lonely and remove any rivals for miles, and any hangups she'd have about being the hero's girlfriend, is directly leading to her not being able to grow as a person or get the thing that empowers her. i hate gwiles, i'm sorry, i hate this ship so much, because of what it does to gwen. no matter how nice he is, no matter how cute they are, she can only be with him if she's stagnating.

important to point out that's the issue with gwen's film world being different. things don't have to happen the same way, but if you make a change, make it to enhance a character, not detract from them.

comics-gwen's dad quit the force for her too.

divergence: he doesn't die due to that coma. i already told you the change was to homage gwen-617. so's a chewing out b for not going home: "i would do anything to have more time with my dad" is all 617.

coming home

gwen coming home on her birthday was a happy accident.

since this gwen's a few months older than her movie canon counterpart, is voluntarily going home with the knowledge that things CAN work out, and has a portal watch to take her away and at least two places she can go in the event that it doesn't, i imagine their conversation goes down differently. instead of an emotionally devastated kid with nowhere to go begging her dad to please not arrest her, she's coming to him to let him know that she wants to come home but will be okay if she can't.

and bc she's coming home with agency, she's going to want to keep it. they have to talk, seriously, about terms for her return. gwen's growing up, and she can't lose that ground.

this is the testing part of the seven stages of grief. time to evaluate whether the new solutions of meeting her self, going home and adopting a symbiote are possible. they are!

her dad has a visions sweatshirt. presumably he went there or gwen did.

gwen invites her older self over for dinner and to spend the night as a thank you for getting the family back together. and probably to help explain where the fuck she's been.

i assume a and her dad are having a very emotional daddaughter convo while gwen's dismantling her bedroom.

the 'other reason' gwen can't sleep is the symbiote. gwen knows a's here to offer it to her, and she wants it.

coming home to your childhood room after spending months elsewhere is difficult. you realize that the person you were when you left isn't the person you are when you return. another part of growing up is getting that feeling for the first time.

functionally speaking: gwen was homeless for eight months. being homeless teaches you pragmatism. she's not going to look at the clutter the same way again.

gwen spent seven-ish months sleeping most consistently in hobie's bed, with hobie next to her. she's used to that, and would miss it.

more river smell nod. both because she misses hobie, and because taking that fall from grace, hitting the metaphorical hudson, and absorbing the stench is what gwen needs most, and being her father's daughter won't let her do that.

one of the conditions her father and she agreed on was: gwen will still be spider-woman, but she has to be honest about where she's going and what she's up to.

yes it's shitty of her to be leaving so soon. but she has to make it clear to her dad that she's serious about it, or he'll revert to dad mode and start smothering her again.

gwen's doing the jump at twilight to lessen the chance of someone seeing them.

in the comics, em is the host of venom's offspring. here, it's gonna be gwen b. the timing worked out, and since fic-a has no multiverse experience, there'd be no way for that plot to be resolved otherwise. also it's confusing as hell to write two gwenoms. b had to get a different symbiote for my own sanity.

"carnage beforehand" -- yup, it's carnage. gwen won't call it that, but that's who it is.

also, carnage was killing em jay. the symbiote's tuned to gwen's genetics, and would've killed her with radiation poisoning if she kept it for too long. so gwen b is literally the perfect host.

miguel, peter b and george would all refuse to let gwen get the symbiote. peter b and george bc of their dad instincts, miguel bc he's a control freak using dad instincts to justify his control freakiness.

jess would be repulsed: she has a strong sense of What's Allowed and What's Not, and consensually joining with a symbiote for good is definitely Not.

miles and pav are kind boys, but they're boys and they're spider-men. they'd see this as gwen being corrupted and confused and needing to be saved from herself.

and hobie wouldn't stop her from doing something to reinforce her autonomy, but in his world venom's the uniform of the riot police so even he'd be averse to the symbiote.

b bonding with carnage would actually be a good solution for 65a. it saves the otherwise-host em from the pain and trauma of being a host, and 65 from destruction. and it removes a potential villain from a's dimension.

it also solves the problem of 65b not having a clear path to gwen getting her symbiote. fuck it, we'll outsource.

and it is also gwen wanting its power. wanting to become something that would terrify the society and scare off anyone who'd want to put her in the girlfriend box again. wanting to be angry and self-preservationist and never having to worry about being alone for it again. and wanting a way to preserve that anger and keep control over it.

plus, the gwens have a reason to hang out now.

'give it to me'' -- callback to chapter 3's infirmary scene. a final step in gwen's transition, now along with the final evolution of her as a hero: surrendering the need to fit into any prescribed boxes about what she's allowed to be, embracing what it'll take to make her happy and let her live, and being affirmed in it regardless of what people think of it.

gwen 65's world is at its best when it's horror adjacent. her major rogues are mad scientists and their creations, a devil, a werewolf, an invisible woman... and venom, who is technically a demon that she's possessed by.

they're on the george washington bridge. a leap of faith is a classic affirmation of a spider-hero's identity. and this particular bridge has such a heavy history with gwen in particular that it's gonna trigger the emotional reaction needed to activate and bond with the symbiote.

comics gwen did bond with her symbiote over music!

she also fed her symbiote to her dad, so it could heal him from his coma, and be in a safe place while she was in prison. (albeit in this fic, he's essentially brain-dead and can't be resusciated)

abyss= a motif throughout the fic, finally paying off. abysses are moral low points, and they're also deep underwater spaces full of scary shit. it made sense that gwen's would be in the hudson.

carnage is more bloodthirsty than venom, but a symbiote reflects its host more often than not. og carnage bonded to a serial killer. fic-carnage is bonding to a girl who wants to do whatever it takes to ensure her own agency and survival. it's going to be the avatar of her anger, and the voice of that gut feeling she's been wrestling with.

technically gwen should've been killed by that fall. but she's super-strong and has a symbiote absorbing the blast so, shrug.

gwen a wasn't laughing when she joined with the symbiote because she lost her mind. it was because it felt really fucking good to finally have that power, and that partnership.

payoff for the breathing underwater motif! symbolically, and literally!

end quote

from seanan mcguire's ghost-spider run. yet another issue 4 quote. issue 4 is bomb, check it out.

[365days365movies]

31 (Films) to Life: End of Year Round-Up II

Before I wrap up last year and begin anew, here's the rest of the round up of the crime films I saw in 2022! Here's the first part of this post if you want a catch-up. These post is gonna cover these films:

Once Upon a Time in America (1984); directed by Martin Scorcese

Thelma and Louise (1991); directed by Ridley Scott

Reservoir Dogs (1992); directed by Quentin Tarantino

Casino (1995); directed by Martin Scorcese

Heat (1995); directed by Michael Mann

The Usual Suspects (1995); directed by Bryan Singer

L.A. Confidential (1997); directed by Curtis Hanson

American Psycho (2000); directed by Mary Harron

Catch Me if You Can (2002); directed by Stephen Spielberg

Monster (2003); directed by Patty Jenkins

The Departed (2006); directed by Martin Scorcese

Zodiac (2007); directed by David Fincher

OK, let's jump back into this recap!

Goncharov (1973); dir. Martin Scorsese - 82%

Look, I realize that this, as a recently recovered film, this has gotten a sort of cult-following, as it were. But after finally getting ahold of a copy of it and watching it, I dunno...seems somewhat overrated to me? Sure, Scorsese's choice to focus on Italy during the end of the Cold War is an interesting premise, and the cast is genuinely excellent, but...again, I thought it was only OK compared to some of the other movies on this list. Although, I will say, John Cazale was a stand-out character for me, in sort of a spiritual successor to his role in Dog Day Afternoon, playing the unhinged assassin with a very complex backstory. I read somewhere that there was a planned spin-off for Ice Pick Joe at some point, and I would love to know more about that. Plus, Scorsese's choice to follow up on Midnight Cowboy and Dog Day Afternoon by injecting homoerotic tones, especially in a film from this time period, was...

...Yeah, I'm WAY too late to hop on this meme. I'll stop now. It's a very funny meme, though. Love the fact that Scorsese himself admitted to making it; that's shit's hilarious. Anyway, on to the actual list.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984); dir. Martin Scorsese - 94%

This is a complicated movie to describe and to recap, and I actually never posted the last part of my review for this one, but...man. This is an excellent movie. Granted, exactly what you'd expect when I say it's a Martin Scorsese-directed period piece set in NYC and starring Robert de Niro...but, it still manages to surprise here and there. A couple of these surprises are, in my opinion, a tiny piece contrived, and it also manages to make its main character thoroughly unlikable in many ways, but it's still a great story with a lot of character packed in a...3 hour and 50 minute runtime, JESUS CHRIST. OK, yeah, this is a really long movie, but it's also hard to see a good place to trim it without harming the story and character work as a whole.

In terms of my normal breakdown, acting is nearly perfect all around; plot is convoluted and takes place in multiple time periods, but is still very good; directing and cinematography is beautiful; production and art design is perfectly immersive throughout all time periods represented; and if I hear pan-pipe music one more time I'M GONNA FUCKING LOSE IT. But the editing is still solid, despite an insane runtime. Look, if you're the kind of person who doesn't like uncomfortable moments in film or unlikely characters, or if you'd rather not strap in for a lot of atmosphere and silent character moments over the course of a nearly four-hour movie...maybe skip this. But otherwise, this movie is entirely worth it, and a genuine masterpiece. A must-watch for crime movie and Scorsese fans.

Thelma and Louise (1991); dir. Ridley Scott - 84%

A good Ridley Scott movie (and one that I only published half of my review for, whoops)! So, Thelma and Louise has a pretty good plot and acting, and does everything else pretty well. Plus, its titular relationship is compelling for a lot of reasons, whether or not you take it as romantic (which there are arguments for and against). As well as being a good source for an essay on justice within a patriarchal culture that has issues with female self-autonomy and sexual consent (yes, really, I'm not even reading into that super hard), it's an interesting movie. But if I'm gonna be honest, while I thought this was a good movie...it's not necessarily one I'd go out of my way to watch again, and I may turn away from it when it comes on TV. Y'know what I mean? Like, I'd tell people it's a good movie, but I wouldn't recommend it, necessarily. It's a good movie to watch at least once, though.

Reservoir Dogs (1992); dir. Quentin Tarantino - 89%

Reservoir Dogs, on the other hand, is a movie that I absolutely recommend. Now, is this a movie that, like Scarface, every college fuckboi in the world has seen, recommended, and quoted. I mean, yeah, absolutely. Is it gratuitously gory and violent? Again, yeah, absolutely it is. But it has a banger of a cast (Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, to name a few), fantastic plot and good writing, good direction and cinematography, good production and art design (simple as it is), great editing, and memorable music (for what little there is in this movie). There's a lot packed into this one, and there are narrative twists and turns you wouldn't necessarily expect, leading to one of the tensest endings I saw in a movie last year. And as much I would love to go into more details about this crime thriller...I won't. Go watch this one, trust me.

Casino (1995); dir. Martin Scorsese - 94%

So, this year, I made a huge mistake. I was in a hotel room for a conference, alone (much less sad than it sounds, believe me), and I decided to watch a movie that night. So, I sit down, look at my list of films, and realize the next one is the Scorsese classic film Casino. Now, I have a copy of this movie at home on DVD, but I find it on streaming, so I figure I may as well go for it. Here's the problem: it was on AMC. Now, at first blush, this doesn't seem like a problem. But it actually is a massive problem for Casino, more than any other movie I've ever seen, because the censoring for TV really distracts from the movie itself. Like...really badly, too. It was an issue.

Now, is this a good movie? Very much so. As Scorsese loves to do, it follows a gangster played by De Niro, during the time period where the Mafia was at its strongest influence in Las Vegas. His enforcer and best friend, played by Joe Pesci, joins him in the business. What follows is a multi-year story of death, lies, betrayal, talk shows, domestic abuse, and a LOT of crazy shit that you follow the entire time with baited breath. This is a 3 hour plus movie, and I remember more of it that I rightfully should. And yes, there are a LOT of F-bombs, all of which were covered by Joe Pesci's less-than-stellar dubbing over his own lines. When "fuck" comprises 40% of a character's dialogue, censoring tends to really hamper with immersion, just saying. But yes, this film has stellar acting from the leads and support, an interesting and engaging plot with curse-heavy writing, great direction and cinematography throughout, fantastic production design, and a good score with great editing. Definitely watch this one...uncensored. Trust me on that one.

Heat (1995); dir. Michael Mann - 90%

Well, shit, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in a crime movie? And Pacino's playing a cop? Hell yes. It's also Pacino's last movie before he goes into overacting hell, and even then, he has a lot of scenery in his teeth and he is loving it. But even despite that, solid performances from our two leads, one of whom is playing to type, and the other against it, but both very well. It manages to mix multiple compelling stories, while maintaining the tension of a cat-and-mouse game, during which you're somehow always rooting for both sides to win. Direction is great, production design is simple but good, and the music is...fine. I actually don't remember it much, to tell the truth. But either way, a must-watch for any crime film fan. It's fantastic.

The Usual Suspects (1995); dir. Bryan Singer - 92%

As some of you may know by now, I'm a firm believer in divorcing the art from the artist. So, yes, even though this is a Kevin Spacey vehicle directed by Bryan Singer, I still really wanted to watch this one. And it's great. Absolutely fantastic, don't get me wrong...but I was kinda fucked from the start here. Without going into any details, this movie is about cops investigating a crime committed by the mysterious Keyser Soze, and uncovering who the culprits are. And that's it. That's all you're getting. Because there's a famous twist in this film, and I knew it from the jump, unfortunately for me. Definitely didn't ruin the movie, but not knowing the twist would've made it OH so much sweeter. So, that my word that it's a good movie, do not attempt to look it up anywhere for more info, and go check this one out.

L.A. Confidential (1997) - dir. Curtis Hanson - 90%

Another Spacey vehicle! And hot damn, is it a great one. I like the previous movie more for the plot, but L.A. Confidential is certainly no slouch when it comes to twists. Not the least predictable twist in the world, but still a notable twist. Again, excellent cast here (Crow, Pearce, Spacey, Basinger, DeVito, Cameron, etc.), great plot and writing as well, great direction and good cinematography, excellent production design, and great music, and this is another must-watch action movie, on par with Chinatown in tone, and Heat in quality. Also, a seminal buddy-cop movie...kinda.

American Psycho (2000); dir. Mary Harron - 82%

Fun fact about me: I'm a serial killer true crime junkie. Which, yes, makes me either a typical millennial or a middle-aged white mom with nothing to do all day, but sue me, I think it's an interesting topic. Anyway, because of that, I've always been interested in watching this movie, which not only pictures a very '80s sense of psychopathy that's still identifiable today ("sigma males", anyone), but actually inspired a real-life serial killer duo, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, AKA Canada's most notorious murderers. Their favorite book was the original American Psycho, which was later adapted into this film. But that said, outside of the true-crime connection, I also liked this film as a character dissection of a man quickly going insane, as well as the exploration of a business shark capitalist drive and misogynist culture surrounding it as major causes and drivers of that mindset. And I'd say that was reading too much into it, but...it really isn't.

But that said, this movie is interesting to watch, but definitely not perfect. Acting, with Bale as an exception, is good but not great throughout. Plot and writing are good, if ham-fisted at times, and with an unexpected ending (and not in a great way). Direction is great, cinematography is pretty good, too. Production and art design is extremely solid, and maybe the strongest part of the movie. Music gives that a run for its money, though, since it's also a narrative device to better understand our lead. This is a good movie, and weirdly relevant with certain elements of our internet culture, so check this one out if you have the time. And if you're in the mood for a film whose bread and butter is toxic masculinity, but was also directed and written by women. Which is hilarious.

Catch Me if You Can (2002); dir. S. Spielberg - 88%

The concept of an auteur in terms of film directing is varied and storied, but is usually used to refer to an individual whose artistic vision is clear on the screen, making their films quite distinctive to the discerning viewer. And Jesus Christ, is this film an example of that for Stephen Spielberg, because I don't know if a crime film could Spielberg harder than this! What I mean by that is that Spielberg's style, while not often applied to the crime genre, is very apparent in his films. You usually know one when you see one, is what I'm saying.

That's to say nothing about quality, which is very good in the base of this film. The only real weak spot, for me, was the music of the film, which wasn't very distinctive outside of the opening credits theme. Everything else, though, is pretty great. DiCaprio and Hanks kill it, even though Hanks was admittedly still definitely Tom Hanks through the film. Plot and writing was a Spielberg plot, but a really good set of character dissections and interactions. Direction and cinematography are fantastic, Production and Art Design are TOP fucking notch, until we sort of fall off towards the end of the movie. And editing is great, even if music wasn't my favorite. Great movie, very much recommended if you want to see Spielberg do a crime film. And you should want that, ideally!

Monster (2003); dir. Patty Jenkins - 86%

Remember that thing I said earlier about being a fan of serial killers? Well, Monster and its focus on real-life murderer Aileen Wuornos was high on my list of must-sees at the very beginning of this project. Charlize Theron's performance as the character is pretty legendary, and for good reason, because she does an AMAZING job as Aileen. And Ricci's no slouch as her girlfriend Selby, either. Was it the most accurate movie in the world? No, but it was unexpectedly accurate in some ways as well. Wuornos is one of those figures who's kind of controversial, as some of her murders could have been self-defense, and the film's writer and director, Patty Jenkins (yes, that one) does realize that. And I started to be worried in the beginning of the film, but she turned me completely around by the end. It's great!

Direction, though, is...fine? It's not particularly distinctive, but it isn't bad. Same goes for the Cinematography. Production design is excellent, mostly because Charlize Theron BECOMES Aileen Wuornos, partially due to acting, but also absolutely due to appearance and wardrobe. It's genuinely very impressive the whole movie. And finally, music was there, and kinda weirdly clashing with tone in some instances, but it's not too bad. Check this one out if you're into serial killer stuff, too.

The Departed (2006); dir. Martin Scorsese - 94%

Another fun fact about me: I grew up in New England, as well as currently living there. And I live in an area of the region where Boston is a major feature, as is the culture that revolves around the city. And yes, this film is well-known for being a somewhat stereotyped view of Boston...but JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, is it wicked accurate, kid! It also helps that, as a Scorsese film, it's very well-made and absolutely star-studded. Some of those stars, namely Damon and Wahlberg, are actually from the area, and they flex some intense Boston accents throughout this movie. DiCaprio and Nicholson are also fantastic in this film, as are Sheen, Baldwin, Farmiga, Winstone, and Anderson, even though some of them don't quite pull off the accent as smoothly as others. Baldwin, in particular, is still Alec Baldwin, no matter how you try and change that voice.

Directing and cinematography is stellar, unsurprisingly, while production and art design is definitely very iconically mid-2000s Boston. The score of this film literally changed the musical tastes OF BOSTONIANS, according to my fiancée who's more from the area than I, and the editing is also top-goddamn notch. And the plot and writing? Holy SHIT, the plot and writing! Look, you need to now two things. One, this is a cop-mafia drama in a vein similar to Heat, and it is VERY good at that job. A little bloated, story-wise, but it doesn't show too much. And two, watch this movie, do not look up the plot or film beforehand. Suffice to say, this is an in-depth morality play all over the spectrum of morality, and the twists are EVERYWHERE. Please check this one out, it's fantastic. Go Sox.

Zodiac (2007); dir. David Fincher - 90%

And last but not least, another serial killer film with an unclear ending, and one that focuses on the investigation and the figures involved instead. Zodiac is a fantastic movie, based on a book about the case by Robert Graysmith, who's played in the movie by Jake Gyllenhaal. Graysmith is, in fact, arguably the main character of the film, with Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo playing other key figures in the investigation from both a press and police side, respectively. You watch how this unnerving case affects these people's lives, while knowing that the case won't ever actually be solved. They present a case for the killer, but no actual answers. And in playing with that, Fincher is able to build some real goddamn tension in some moments.

Again, though, not perfect, but it's pretty damn close. Acting is stellar all over, even though some people don't quite disappear into the role. Ruffalo and Gyllenhaal are amazing on that particular front, but it's hard to see RDJ as anyone but RDJ, as an example. Plot and writing is great, directing and cinematography is great, production design is pretty good (I dunno, I wasn't as sold on that one, but that might be a me thing), and the music is great as well! Editing makes the film a little overlong in my opinion, but I don't think it affects the movie much. Check this one out, again, if you're in a serial killer movie mood.

And that's it!

Next film I was set to watch was Captain Phillips, and I'll try and check that out this year regardless, but I only got that fair this year. That said, though, the next movie I'm set to watch in 2023 is technically a crime film, from what I understand. But I'm leaving the life of crime behind for a while otherwise. I've done my time, so it's time to say farewell to the old life for now. But that said...I do have plans. Oh, I always have plans.

In 2023, I'll be going off of a list of challenges, as curated by the book Everyone's a Critic: 52 Week Movie Challenge. These challenges each require I watch films of specific categories, like award-winners, animal films, etc. And the first one in the 52 Films challenge is Best Picture winner. And for the first of those...I gotta watch this movie. And I've been wanting to watch it since 2020. So, what better time like the present? Plus...been a while since I've watched a foreign language film, honestly. So, strap in for the next one! It's gonna be a ride in 2023.

Next: ...We'll see.

[familyparadox]

Last year Tumblr obsessed over Goncharov (1972) a beautiful and magnificent movie about woman who commit crime filled with Homoerotic subtext. But tragedy struck when it was realised Goncharov was just a new kind of folk lore and whilst magnificent in it own right it could not be experienced beyond half agreed quotes and themes.

Now may I suggest Thelma and Louise a real movie about woman who commit crime filled with Homoerotic subtext (and a kiss between them at the end) a truly amazing movie a must watch. It is about two woman who go on the run from the cops in America after killing a man. During which they commit over crimes and sometimes enjoy themselves and sometimes they suffer tragically. But this movie to me seems to be right up Tumblr streets. It is be gay do crime the movie (also it was made in the 90’s).

[bowtiesnmusicals]

My recap of the Marsha! Marsha! Marsha! podcast.

When did Chris write a song? The bio included song writer.

Marsha and Chris met at Podwall party. Thelma and Louise.

Talked about where they grew up. Similar backgrounds. Grew up not far from each other. Both did FFA because it was easier then chemistry to pass.

High school taught Chris to be witty and quick on his feet.

Teachers can be bullies too.

Assholes online saying hurtful things.

Chris is a fan of social media. .

Talked about booking Glee.

The first couple of years of glee were like a dream.

People said he didn’t make it because he was playing a gay character

Outpouring of love for Kurt happened the night the pilot aired.

Was just worried about not getting caught drinking champagne on golden globes night.

Profoundly grateful for the experience of glee but it was also very tiring.

Damn dance studio all day.

Hardest part for Chris was all the damn happiness.

Moved on to talking about writing tlos.

Lights started going on and off in the studio. Happens to Chris a lot.

Duality of being an author and actor is fun.

It’s never too late to right a wrong.

Please watch or listen to the podcast. They had a beautiful discussion about being yourself and the allegories in ATOM. I can’t do it justice here.

Not rushing to make TLOS movie.

We owe it to the people that fought for us. Don’t ignore politics. Thats what politicians want.

You can protect yourself and still be brave.

Let’s make sure we show many different kinds of experiences. Queer roles should go to queer actors but stop stereotyping. There are so many different experiences. Queer writers are super important.

The best person should get the role but that also means everyone should have a fair shot at the role. Casting directors need to stop with the double standards.

Chris doesn’t act much because he gets stereotyped because of playing Kurt. He’s a comic con and Disney gay and not met gala gay.

New sci-fi series for middle grade!

[badliar-withasaviourcomplex]

Must Likes in Order to be as Obnoxious as Me

I recognize that some of these things are problematic but I am a strong believer in enjoying things while also acknowledging the problems.

Books: I act like I read a lot but I am a full time student in the Humanities so I have little free time for pleasure reading. Despite this, I always carry a book with me but I use a standard size Fjällräven backpack so the book must be small. Here is a non-exhaustive list of my must reads (because they fit in my backpack)                    

-The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath- This is my all time favourite book 

-My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh 

-Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman 

-Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

-Perks off Being a Wallflower

-A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft

-The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (this is a short story)

Movies/ TV shows: I do not watch a lot of movies because I have the attention span of a goldfish but here is a short list of ones that I enjoy.

-Marie Antoinette- ALL TIME FAVORITE

-Thelma and Louise- Definitely one of my all time favourites

-But i’m a Cheerleader- Also a top pick

-Little Women (2019)- The costumes in the 94 version are better but this one has Timothee Chalamet so...

-Fleabag- Top tear TV show

-Bojack Horseman

-Call Me by Your Name

-Dead Poets Society 

-The Grand Budapest Hotel

-Perks of Being a Wallflower

-Fantastic Mr. Fox

-Edward Scissor Hands

-Lady Bird

-Little Women (1994)

-Beautiful Boy

-Emma (2020)

-I am also obsessed with Marvel, but clearly I have a specific vibe going on here so I’m not going to talk about that rn

Musicians: I am aware that my favourite artists are not niche, but despite this knowledge, I am incredibly pretentious about them.

-Taylor Swift- I was in her top 0.01% of Spotify listeners in 2021

-Phoebe Bridgers

-Michelyn Fae

-BTS- I am obsessed with these boys and its unfortunate only because it breaks up the aesthetic I’ve got going on

-Bo Burnham

-Boygeneus

Songs: I think I will just make a dedicated playlist post because the list is too long

Miscellaneous:

-Rayne Fisher-Quann

-Annotating books

This list is non exhaustive and subject to change/additions

[darkshrimpemotions]

Taylor Swift "Midnights" hope/expectation based on Taylor's description and the publicity for the album: Moody, dreamy music with heavy introspection in the lyrics. Maybe something we haven't heard before, even.

My song-by-song reaction under the cut:

NOTE: ALL OF THIS IS INVALID I was listening on terrible speakers the album sounds great in stereo.

Lavender Haze - I don't know what I was expecting but this isn't it. The lyrics are a little simplistic and the music is. Odd? Like there are some random, discordant noises happening throughout the first verse and after that it's just kind of one note electropop.

Maroon - Hauntingly sad and wistful lyrics, but the music is still weirdly electronic. Musically this feels like a 1989 b-side.

Anti-Hero - Okay, now we're getting somewhere. This song is delightfully weird lyrics-wise. Still kinda 1989 vibes but slightly to the left. Like the poppy-ness of the song juxtaposed with those lyrics almost adds to the weirdness?

Snow on the Beach - This song. This is what I was hoping for! I'm usually not a fan of duets where you can't really hear and distinguish both voices, but Lana and Taylor blend so beautifully and it just works.

You're On Your Own Kid, Midnight Rain - No thoughts head full heart bursting these may have just made my top 5 songs list. The regret-nostalgia-resignation-remembrance of it all! There is a whole movie in each of these songs and I can't even BEGIN.

Question...? - Just gonna quietly put this in the same folder as Ilicit Affairs, Ivy, and Betty, nbd.

Vigilante Shit - I am speechless. When I said I was hoping for something we haven't heard from Taylor before? Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this. It's giving me Something Bad, No Body No Crime, Two Black Cadillacs, Thelma and Louise, my whole brain is crying happy tears. She really said I will not only steal your girl, I will help her plan your demise first.

Bejeweled - Spiritual successor to both Mirrorball and Look What You Made Me Do, somehow, and in the best way. All I can think about is her talking in Miss Americana about how she's always tried so hard to be good.

Labyrinth - The lyrics and mood of this remind me so much of hoax. But my god why is this song's chorus so high and breathy and squeaky. Girl your lower register is crying asking why you're mad at her!

Karma - This is that diary entry we've all written when we're so angry our hands are shaking and we're either crying or stabbing through the paper or both. By the end of it, you're calm. You can breathe again.

Sweet Nothing - Finally a break from the overproduced eletronica that has plagued this entire album. This is a beautiful song. Sweet.

Mastermind - This song is...creepy. Cheeky. Fun? Also delightfully weird.

Overall: This feels more like a surprise experimental release than either folklore or Evermore. The production is really weird. Not good weird, not bad weird, just...weird. Like a 1989 practice run on steroids. At times it works, and at times it feels like the producer is trying to cover up her voice entirely. It's very electronic in a way that doesn't necessarily serve the songs in every instance.

I do think some of these songs will end up being favorites. I think a lot of them will end up being songs I skip most of the time though, because the production is just too busy and overdone and makes me anxious. Maybe it'll grow on me?

[orlafilmblog]

Film Diary #3

In the Blink of an Eye – dir. Kiana Naghshineh

TW: Rape

In this animated short the audience switches between the survivor’s point of view and the attacker’s point of view as the attacker pounces on the survivor in a dark street. I thought the way the attack was animated was very engaging and creative, making the most of the animation artform. My main take aways were how violent the attack was on both sides, as the survivor fought back hard. This film also used water as if the survivor was drowning/going under/struggling to stay afloat. Towards the end she is in a bath looking at the bruises on her body is the calmest moment of the film. The way water is used in this film relates to how we will use the loch in our film.

Champ – dir. Hannah Peterson

I loved this short film! It’s the story of a group of 4 girls who play basketball together and are best friends. After practice, one of them tells the others, in a ‘trying to be laidback’ way that their coach had assaulted her. The friends in support then go over to the coach’s house and vandalise it. The film was a beautiful portrayal of friendship, and the performance from the ain actor was incredible. It was clear that she was deeply affected by what happened without her having to say anything. Her facial expressions told the story. I also really liked the way it was filmed!

I May Destroy You – dir. Micaela Coel

TW: Rape and Sexual Assault

This TV show is an essential watch for everyone. I watched it for the first time when it came out a few years ago, and I appreciated it all the more second time around. It explores sexual assault in a very honest way, and all the characters feel so real and react in such genuine ways. There is also a scene where the main character walks into the sea, and listening to Micaela Coel analyse the scene gave me so much inspiration for our own swimming scene. The end of the show is also similar in some sense to the end of our film (SPOILERS AHEAD)! Nothing happens. The rapist is not arrested. Arabella doesn’t ever get the satisfaction of justice. Life just continues on, and she has to live with it.

Thelma and Louise – dir Ridley Scott

TW: Sexual Assault

What a wonderful film about female friendship! I was ashamed to admit to Katie that I hadn’t seen this yet, and I am so glad she shamed me into watching it. Whilst it does deal with sexual assault quite near the beginning of the film, it is definitely not about that specifically. It feels much more focused on… well it’s in the title… Thelma and Louise. Their chracters were brave and bold and full of life and they had such a strong connection no matter what. I just loved it 😊

[myfrenzi]

Cinematic Journeys: Road Trip Films from Different Cultures

Cinematic Journeys: Road Trip Films from Different Cultures

In the realm of cinema, the road trip genre has always held a special place in our hearts. It’s the genre that takes us on an emotional rollercoaster while exploring the vast landscapes, cultures, and human connections that the open road can offer. Road trip films have the power to stir our souls, make us laugh, and even shed a tear or two. In this article, we’ll embark on what to watch on OTT, a cinematic journey, exploring road trip films from different cultures and the unique emotions they evoke.

The Universal Allure of the Road Trip

Hitting the Open Road

There’s something inherently liberating about hitting the open road, leaving behind the mundane and embracing the unknown. Whether it’s an escape from the routine or a quest for self-discovery, road trips have universal appeal. From the iconic Route 66 in the United States to the rugged Himalayan roads in India, the call of the road is impossible to resist.

Cinematic Exploration

The world of cinema has long recognized the allure of road trips. Filmmakers from various cultures have utilized this genre to tell captivating stories that resonate with audiences across the globe. Each road trip film offers a unique lens through which we can explore different cultures, landscapes, and, most importantly, the human condition.

Road Trip Films: A Cultural Odyssey

American Classics

Route 66: The Mother Road

American cinema has produced some of the most iconic road trip films. Classics like “Easy Rider” and “Thelma & Louise” have become synonymous with the genre. They not only take us on a physical journey but also delve into the psyche of the American dream and the pursuit of freedom.

Bollywood’s Take

“Dil Chahta Hai”: Friendship on the Go

Bollywood, too, has ventured into the realm of road trips with films like “Dil Chahta Hai.” This heartwarming tale of friendship and self-discovery takes us on a road trip through picturesque Goa. It’s a reminder that road trips are not just about the destination but the bonds we form along the way.

European Wanderlust

“The Motorcycle Diaries”: A Latin American Odyssey

From Latin America, “The Motorcycle Diaries” stands out as a poignant road trip film. Based on the real-life journey of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, it offers a glimpse into the landscapes and social issues of South America. It’s a reminder that road trips can be a catalyst for social awakening.

Emotions Unveiled

Laughter and Tears

Road trip films are known for their ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. From moments of laughter to tears of nostalgia, these films take us on an emotional rollercoaster. The ups and downs of the journey mirror our own lives, making us reflect on our personal journeys.

Human Connections

One of the most profound aspects of road trip films is the exploration of human connections. As travelers cross paths with strangers and companions, they discover the beauty of shared experiences. These encounters challenge prejudices and remind us of our shared humanity.

What to Watch on OTT: Road Trip Edition

As we dive into the world of road trip films, it’s essential to know where you can embark on these cinematic journeys. Many of these classics are now available on various OTT platforms. So, grab your popcorn and get ready to explore the world from the comfort of your home.

“Easy Rider” — Available on Netflix

“Dil Chahta Hai” — Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

“The Motorcycle Diaries” — Watch on Hulu

In conclusion, road trip films from different cultures offer us a glimpse into the human spirit’s enduring quest for adventure and self-discovery. They transcend geographical boundaries and language barriers to stir our souls and remind us of the beauty of the world and its people.

FAQs

What makes road trip films so emotionally impactful? Road trip films resonate with audiences because they mirror the ups and downs of life’s journey, making them emotionally impactful.

Are there any road trip films that explore social issues? Yes, films like “The Motorcycle Diaries” delve into social issues while on a road trip, highlighting the power of such journeys to drive social change.

Where can I watch these road trip films online? You can catch these films on various OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.

What is the significance of road trips in different cultures? Road trips hold cultural significance as they often represent the pursuit of freedom, friendship, and self-discovery, themes explored in these films.

Can you recommend more road trip films from different cultures? Certainly! Films like “Y Tu Mamá También” (Mexican) and “The Darjeeling Limited” (Indian-American) offer unique cultural perspectives on road trips.

Now that you’re armed with a list of road trip films to watch, it’s time to embark on your own cinematic journey from the comfort of your couch. So, grab your remote, hit play, and let the road unfold before your eyes.

[nostalgiahighway]

New Hours at Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum

One of my favorite museums in SoCal is making some changes. I’ll let them tell you about it.

From the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum:

Lions Automobilia Foundation Announces Expanded Schedule

Rancho Dominguez, CA (March 30, 2023) - Beginning in April, the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum will expand the days and hours that it will be open to the public. Beginning April 1, 2023, the Museum and Car Collection will be open at 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM each Wednesday and Saturday to accommodate the large interest in visiting the vast facility.

According to Museum Director Lana Chrisman, “We have seen a tremendous increase in those fans of the automobile culture who want to visit and explore our beautiful collection of hot rods, movie cars, race cars, muscle cars, Lions memorabilia and especially the recreation of the iconic Lions Dragstrip Starting Line. So, after the tremendous event held last weekend for Tri-Five Celebration of Chevy’s, the Board of Directors decided to open on Wednesdays and earlier at 9:00 AM.”

Starting in April, the museum admission fee is $20 for adults, with Seniors, Military and Youth (ages 4-17) at $15, children under 4 are free. The extensive car collection also includes movie car replicas such as the Batmobile, Back to the Future’s DeLorean, the General Lee, Thelma and Louise’s Cadillac, TV’s KITT Trans Am and the Bullitt Mustang among others. 

The Museum’s huge collection of Willy’s coupes and sedans is unrivaled, most having been restored in-house in the museum shops. On loan to the Museum, currently, is the Big John Mazmanian candy apple 1941 Willys and the metallic blue Stone Woods and Cook “Swindler 2”, two iconic Southern California racers. 

Board Chairman and Founder Rick Lorenzen enthusiastically invites all fans of our Car Culture to the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum with our new hours. In support of local car clubs, upcoming events are April 15th with the Chariots Car Club and the Roar of Lions on June 17th including the Outlaw Gassers of Southern California. Stop by early for a donut and coffee at Rick’s Cafe!

Follow the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum online on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Tickets are available online at LionsAutomobilia.org or at the Museum desk.

Lions Automobilia is more than a Museum.

[iheartliquor]

[noahsartt]

some thoughts i have on the killing eve finale because i can’t think about anything else:

i saw this post :

and i wanted to elaborate and share some messy thoughts.

every reference they had in the finale to ‘divine reunion’ & the kintsugi ‘taking your broken bits and making them stronger by coming together’

but once eve chose to go to villanelle they actually made it work. and that’s what makes me so sad because it wasn’t either of their faults that it ended tragically, they found each other finally. and there was STILL death.

dying in a way that matters is one thing, and it’s heroic which would have been a good callback to carolyn telling eve that ‘the hero only gets the girl in hollywood’. like eve thought she was the hero, but in the end it was villanelle who saved HER. it could have been good like that but instead they chose to murder villanelle for nothing.

it’s pretty cruel of the writers to reduce her life to nothing and make her die due to some plot convenient twist. right when happiness was in her reach and right when she knew for sure that she was capable of being loved, which everyone kept saying she wouldn’t be because she was ‘evil’ and ‘a monster’ etc etc. i’m so happy that she atleast got to feel love from the person she loved the most (even if laura ruined those moments when she talked about them in her interview )

in my own version of an ending for them, they wouldn’t die. as i said, there would be meaningful ways to kill them off but i don’t like to think of them as people who were ‘doomed from the start’. especially not after they have such a beautiful reunion. those romeo & juliet, thelma & louise, and scorpion and frog references were too much for me </3

in my own version of an ending there would still be a degree of ambiguity and open ended-ness, but it would end as them being the versions they were always meant to become, separately and together. i feel like their stories could have started out so differently, and they’d still find themselves together in the end.

let’s a raise a glass to the red string metaphor:

the set up for these characters was so perfect, and the ending felt cheap and rushed compared to the complex and beautiful nature of their story. after everything they’ve been through, they deserved to come out of it. it is not creative, entertaining storytelling to kill off a character last-minute, who’s life had changed because of another. and also in eve’s case, she lost her person right when she accepted her.

also this season in of itself was comprised of so much filler… for example, what was the point of pam and yusuf? hugo could have easily been yusuf. and pam’s character was useless after she ended up rejecting carolyn’s offer when her whole arc was built on learning to follow orders and kill when she’s told to without asking questions ( like she did with helenes ex gf & konstantin). how were the twelve and kenny such a big plot point but we never found out the truths about any of that either. not to mention how villanelle killed the supposed twelves in a 15 second montage while eve was dancing?? it feels like a very bad fanfiction.

they could have easily tied pam into the bigger picture if they followed something like this :

i think it would have payed off a bit better if v & e heard gunshots so they jumped into the water and we thought they got hit but then it cuts to carolyn dead on that bridge and then to pam lowering her gun and walking away. pam once again “choosing” the assassin lifestyle by killing carolyn since at the end of the day carolyn will always be loyal to MI6. then it would cut back to v & e and they’d floating in the water, not shot, and very much alive.

a greater plot twist than what we got.

what actually ended up happening seemed like a failed attempt to visually re create dani & jamie’s ending in ‘bly manor’. unlike with killing eve, dani died with purpose, and died a real hero; her death was a key plot point and it was not some half-assed last second attempt at shock.

it could have been so much better if laura gave a shit about these characters the way phoebe did.

also, the entire subplot of villanelle being obsessed with christianity out of the blue, wanting to “get better” and finally when she accepts herself and is loved for who she is, then she dies—and according to laura, eve has had a “rebirth” and is going to go on and live the life she “deserves”…. how homophobic does she want to be?? that was not a scream of relief from eve as laura is trying to make us believe it was, sandra oh screamed in pain and horror. eve was heartbroken. she was not relieved.

i also cannot believe that laura said eve was happier around “human beings”… basically saying villanelle isn’t one, and dehumanising her so bad. when the POINT of the show is for us to empathise with the villains as phoebe said, and villanelle’s own journey was realising she was more than just an assassin and that she was capable of a life that satisfied her, a life with love. but no, laura really just dehumanised the fuck out of her and said slay eve is better off without her.

why can't people see that eve doesn't want another ‘chance' to 'get it right.' she's not the same woman from s1 (maybe she never was). i think she surrounded herself with people who were forcibly doing ‘the right thing' so she could pretend she was happy that way. but she wasn't.

and it was so obvious with the way she was chasing after villanelle. because villanelle represented this part of her that she pretended wasn’t there and she didn’t realise how powerful that part was until she found someone else who embraced it. on a surface level it’s the killing and the murder, but the subtext screams with queer undertones and that’s why the story between them resonated a lot with the majority wlw audience.

i don’t think fictional stories are ever just stories, not when they impact people in real life to this capacity. the amount of people who were re-thinking if they deserved to be happy in their own lives because of the way killing eve ended really broke me. and it’s not this dramatic overreaction either because traumatic endings with queer couples is all we’ve ever known.

it was devastating that killing eve, a show that had subverted those stereotypes in the past, built its legacy around it, had followed through with the worst one of them all in the end. bury your gays is such lazy writing i’m so tired. with eve in the earlier seasons, even her husband couldn't see that side of her that villanelle had & it frustrated her because she was scared of it. but then villanelle made it make sense and it scared her more that someone lived so freely that way. that's why she was so hesitant & she walked away so many times. being confronted is scary. that was good storytelling.( i mean of course villanelle was in a cage of her own) but eve saw everything she could be in villanelle. through everything, all her hesitation and morality, she found her way to villanelle and the two of them finally made it work, they finally had it all. her happiness WAS villanelle. it’s sad to see how the s4 writers saw villanelle the same way her mother did , a one dimensional psychopath with an incurable darkness :(

it’s so clear too. when it comes to the tarot cards, villanelle got the sun card, and to her being loved back by eve = the sun, pure and true happiness (even if it was only a few hours). eve got the death card, having to live without villanelle especially after they came together is worse than a physical 'death' for her.

it's unfathomable to be that people can't see that. and furthermore, why would the writers write eve to have been happy to “escape villanelle” when they wrote her to say that she didn’t like it when villanelle got shot with the arrow, just 3 episodes earlier…nothing is adding up between what we see on screen and the narrative laura neal has in her head. if we aren’t interpreting it the way you wanted us to, laura, (which NOBODY is) than that’s on you , not us. especially, ESPECIALLY when you never seemed to know the souls of these characters to begin with.

killing eve is a love story at its core. their mutual understanding of each other was the only thing in both of their lives that made sense. there would be no point otherwise. phoebe literelly said that every scene in the show was for the purpose of getting v and e to be close, everything was supposed to lead up to it. being seen by someone beats everything else, that's real love. the implications of the finale felt very homophobic. i'm so tired.

what i used to love about killing eve was the complex nature of the femme fatale trope, and the way it was so effortlessly queer. it was powerful the way the queerness was never this massive talking point. it just was. villanelle’s female gaze for example>>>>. i have never seen anything depicted as well as it was depicted through her eyes. and the subtle emphasis of how femininity could be vile , scary and lethal. villanelle changed so many things just by existing in that show and that’s why it means so much , that’s why the fourth season feels like such a slap in the face because it didn’t feel like the others (s3 was questionable too ).

and more so the fact that straight viewers and professionals recognise how bad this ending was. it’s a huge backstab. eve’s speech at the end was completely about how beautiful reuniting with villanelle was, and they killed her after that for what? shock factor doesn’t work anymore :/ not even the actors were satisfied , but jodie and sandra did their best and really made the episode what it was. especially after reading laura’s interviews … yikes she really lost the plot and it infuriates me. it felt as though she hated these characters and never understood them at all. i could go on about this for ages but i don’t have to, just look at any news article on the finale or the 4x08 ratings…

i guess i’m just happy that villanelle got to experience that love from eve because that was what everything was ever for. for her story alone, i think killing eve will always be remembered despite the horrible ending. we have a right to be devastated.

there’s so much more i could and have said other times about this, but physically i am drained at the moment. and it’s been said and re-said all over twitter and in recent articles so i think you’re all aware.

rip villanelle you will always be famous to us.

[coramills]

So I've been seeing a lot of hype around the wlw "height difference" from around various fandoms and since I deem the people involved in them too small, I decided to give you actually tall wlw content. As a gift.

Starting with "Classics who are Personal Faves"

1. Geena Davis (6' / 1,83) - Thelma and Louise (1991) - does it really get gayer than going on a road trip with your bestie to rob people and blow up their trucks?

2. Claire Stansfield (6'1/ 1,85) - Xena Warrior Princess - "I've always wanted to be inside of you Xena", she says, batting her eyelashes and then proceeding to be as gay as possible at every convention ever (I love her).

3. Uma Thurman (5'11 / 1,80) - Kill Bill I and II - one badass lady beating up ... more badass ladies? I know it's not technically queer but it revolutionized action cinema all the same. Leading to...

"I can't explain how this is queer, I just know that it is"

4. Karen Gillan (5'11 / 1,80) - Gunpowder Milkshake - speaking of action cinema, right?? Here's a whole beautiful movie about women doing their thing and wlw found family.

5. Alysia Reiner (6'1/ 1,85) - OITNB - you cannot tell me running a women's prison is a job for a straight person.

6. Gwendoline Christie (6'3 / 1,91) - GoT - gender bending knight lady anyone?

"That one time up to serial offenders"

7. Missi Pyle (5'11 / 1.80) - Rizzoli and Isles - I have watched this episode so many times it's unbelievable.

8. Famke Janssen (5'11 / 1,80) - How to Get Away with Murder - and also with being super gay. I didn't put the word on there, but I thank whoever did.

9. Jane Lynch (6' / 1,83) and Dot Marie Jones (6'3 / 1,90) - Glee - two lesbian actresses?? On one show??? And both so tall??? Chef's kiss.

And last but not least, "History says gaaaayyyy"

10. Elizabeth Debicki (6'3 / 1,90) - Vita and Virgina - very tall, very Virgina Woolf.

11. Nicole Kidman (5'11 / 1,80) - Virginia Woolf on The Hours - incidentally the same person portrayed, but I put a picture from the Golden Compass because that was probably the role with which Nicole Kidman helped a lot of girls realise they would grow up gay.

12. Saffron Burrows (6' / 1,83) - Frida - anyone who appears next to Frida Kahlo must be queer SOMEHOW but actually telling her she's better in bed than her husband? Excellent.

13. Janet McTeer (6'1/ 1,85) - Daphne - the lean, people. THE LEAN. Go and watch tall ladies be queer right now.