#and Nicolas Cage but they only cameoed

[spicyboelives]

I had a dream where i ran into my abusers at the beach, and right when i thought all hope was lost Marc Spector fucking appeared. He was chill as fuck.

He told me to ignore them and helped me walk away (i was having a panic attack in the dream.) There was also a point where he tried distracting me with Twenty One Pilot Music videos. 10/10 Comfort Character be Comforting.

[thenightling]

Renfield Review

Renfield Review: I just got done watching Renfield and I liked it a lot.  It was a decent horror-comedy, especially if you like the cheesy, over-the-top acting of Nicolas Cage though his only real “Nicolas Cage-ism” is when he got to shout “HAIL SATAN” while making the heavy metal devil horns hand gesture shortly before being (likely temporarily) “Killed.”

The plot is that after ninety-two or so years serving Dracula, Renfield has finally decided to leave his toxic relationship with his boss.  I’m a little surprised the movie didn’t play on the fact that many book historians believe Renfield was a metaphor for homosexual attraction but considering how abusive the relationship was depicted in this film it might be for the best that they didn’t touch on that.  

  Now I’ll start with the negative and then work my way to the positive, the opposite of how I usually do my reviews but I have more positive things to say than negative.

First negative thing is I am not a fan of how they do Dracula’s teeth.  Having all of his teeth be pointed is a bit distracting to me.    The other things I dislike are related to the mythos.  We never see Dracula take wolf-form but we do get to see him as mist and a flock of bats. This bothers me a bit as I happen to like wolves and so few people remember he can take wolf form.  He even did take wolf form in the Bela Lugosi movie but it’s off camera, you hear others describe his wolf form running outside. I also don’t really like that he burns in the sun.  I know this is based on the Universal Studios Dracula but in the first Bela Lugosi Dracula movie he didn’t actually burn in the sun.  That wasn’t added until the sequels.  He was just Nocturnal.  And in Stoker’s novel he could move around by day just fine.  He just couldn’t shapeshift by day. Also the message about being in codependent / abusive relationships is a little heavy handed. I also found it odd that Dracula’s blood could heal the badly injured and even raise the dead and yet those the blood was used on weren’t turned into vampires.  Usually that healing factor in his blood has that tiny side effect of... You know... making you a vampire... There’s one small mistake in Renfield that I noticed.  The magical circle used to contain Dracula should not be called a protection circle. That kind of circle is a binding circle. When the magical circle is used to contain or trap a supernatural entity it’s called a Binding Circle. When the Circle is around you or others to protect you from supernatural threats getting in, that’s a Protection Circle. In Hocus Pocus when Alison makes the circle of salt around herself to protect herself from Winifred’s power, that’s a Protection Circle. In The Sandman when Morpheus is trapped, that’s a binding circle. In principle they work the same way in that the supernatural entity cannot cross the barrier of the circle.  But when the entity is trapped in the circle it’s a binding circle. When the entity cannot enter the circle, that’s a protection circle.    It appears the writer for Renfield got slightly confused on this subject.  They called the circle that trapped Dracula a protection circle. As I said, it’s petty.   

Now for what I like...

I do like the over-all message.  This version of Dracula is not the charming and sympathetic version you get with Frank Langella or Gary Oldman.  This version is pretty evil.  He’s also manipulative and an abuser.    There is a great homage to the 1931 Dracula movie and Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula really well (if I could just get past the teeth).   And Renfield even does the classic Dwight Frye laugh at one point if you listen carefully.    There’s a fun cameo appearance from William Ragsdale (Charley Brewster in the 1985 Fright Night and Fright Night: Part 2, 1988).    

The movie has a good moral about standing up for yourself, rescuing yourself, and freeing yourself from codependent and toxic relationships while also depicting a delightfully over-the-top and very evil version of Count Dracula.  And though this is connected to the Universal Studios Dracula I can’t help but feel that Hammer’s Dracula is being referenced when Renfield talks about the routine of Dracula’s feeding sprees and then getting “killed” and the various ways he’s been defeated.   Though they made him burn in sunlight like the later Universal movies and Hammer Horror movies they did show off a lot of Dracula’s traditional powers.    One of my favorite moments is near the end and it is a shameless commercial for Tumblr but I liked it just the same. A protection circle (read: Binding circle) is used to contain Dracula.  The person who uses the binding circle got the instructions from a “Wiccan Tumblr.”    It’s always good to see pro-Wicca content. Usually it’s only Catholicism used to contain or defeat Dracula.  And even though it was a shameless advertisement for Tumblr I was still amused by the reference.     I liked the ending and I like the affirmation for Renfield that he is enough and that he does not need Dracula to function.  He can finally be his own person.  And he learns how to socialize and make friends and rebuild his sense of self. 

I still prefer The Invitation (2022) for a more serious modern Dracula movie for its Gothic ambiance and charismatic depiction of Dracula but this was still fun and I would happily watch it again.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really That Bad?

The hand of fate is moving, and the finger points to you, Nicolas Cage.

The Wicker Man is a classic folk horror film known for its unique tone, musical numbers, Christopher Lee, and its iconic titular structure. Movies like Midsommar owe a lot to this film; it’s certainly not a film I love, as I’m not big on movies about cults, but I can appreciate it at least.

Now, as with any classic horror film, it was inevitable it would get remade, and if there’s one genre where remakes actually have a real shot at being great, it’s the horror genre. The Thing, The Fly, The Blob, all of these films managed to take a terrifying story told once before and twist and recontextualize it for a new audience, and all three of those films are classics in their own right. So you’d think remaking a film in which an intolerant but well-meaning cop is led to his death as his ignorance is preyed upon by a charismatic cult of pagans would go well, right? There has to be some biting social commentary or some unique elements to this film, especially seeing as the setting was updated to America! Setting the film in New England or the deep South, places rife for the sort of horror the original played with…

Oh, wait, it’s set on a weird fictional island? And the cult is some matriarchy that’s meant to show a reverse patriarchy…? And it’s not a musical?

Yeah, no, this movie didn’t exactly do much to win people over. Quite a few actors from the original were highly critical of it, particularly Christopher Lee and Ingrid Pitt, and the original director Robin Hardy had his name removed from the credits out of disgust at the state of the film. Edward Woodward, the original film’s star, turned down an opportunity for a cameo, which speaks volumes about what he thought. Nicolas Cage has been pretty open about thinking the film was absurd, and critics basically laughed the film right into bombing. It’s safe to say Universal, who had been trying for years to get this remake off the ground, were likely regretting ever allowing the project to come to fruition. All in all, the whole thing is a monumental travesty notable only for some meme-worthy content within.

But is that really all this misguided remake has going for it? Is its legendary badness overexaggerated, or is it truly like watching the world exploding every single night? Well, I’m here to answer that for you as I determine whether or not The Wicker Man is really that bad after all.

THE GOOD

This movie’s saving grace, and what you most likely know it best for, is just how batshit insane it is, to the point of it being one of the funniest unintentional comedies this side of The Happening. Of course, there’s the infamous line about the bees, but if you’ve actually sat down and watched the movie you’ll know that line (which only appears near the very end of the extended cut) is merely the tip of the iceberg. You have schoolgirls chanting “Phallic symbol,” you have hallucinated girls getting run over by trucks on boats, and you have Nicolas Cage kung fu fighting angry women which culminates with him dressing in a bear suit, sprinting across a field, and sucker punching someone. It’s just an insane ride.

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Of course, all of this is carried by Nicolas Cage. He realized what this movie was when making it, and in true Cage fashion brought the ham and cheese to make a perfect B-movie sandwich. His delivery of lines such as when he’s asking if two women have a shark in a bag or demanding to know how something got burned really are something else, and it all builds to that beautiful delivery of “NOT THE BEES,” the crown jewel of an utterly bonkers Cage performance. It became a meme for a reason, even if it isn’t notably crazier than many of the other lines.

If you can give this movie credit for anything, it’s for not being a straight up remake. Like yes, the basic premise—a detective goes to investigate an island and ends up sacrificed by a cult—is the same, and it doesn’t take advantage of being set in New England like it should, but this is a wildly different take with a different cult and different situations than the original film. It’s more akin to a remake like The Thing or The Fly than Van Sant’s Psycho, for what that’s worth. Though, on the other hand, this will be the only time this movie is ever mentioned positively in the same sentence as the former two movies because...

THE BAD

So, you know how I said it was good this movie decided to go in its own direction? That’s all well and good, obviously, but it would seriously help if that direction didn’t suck. This is a remake that just completely and utterly misses the point of why people like the original. There’s no musical numbers, the plot is dumbed down to extreme levels, the new additions and characterizations are just not really built into anything interesting… Sure, Nicolas Cage is a far more likable protagonist than the original guy (which is a low bar to clear considering what a judgmental douche the original’s protag was), but they don’t really do much interesting. They took a cult classic notable for its musical numbers, expert use of folk horror, and Christopher Lee and turned it into a bargain bin B-movie.

And that’s not even getting into the… questionable political message. Neil LaBute made the decision to turn the cult into a matriarchal society to show what would happen when patriarchal power dynamics were reversed, and the end result is exactly as problematic as you might imagine. With how divorced from reality any aspect of the cult is from a patriarchal society (I don’t see women having their tongues literally cut out or being sacrificed in pagan rituals very often), the entire film comes off as the anti-feminist version of Save the Pearls. Like maybe this idea could have been executed better, but it feels like the idea only someone who really hates women would want to even try and attempt. Like what point are we trying to get to, anyway? That everyone sucks? Do you really want to sit through a movie with a foregone conclusion where that’s the message? I get wanting to mix things up, but this was not a good direction to take the cult.

And of course there is the most damning element at play here: This movie is not even remotely scary. It has weird, surreal imagery, and as a horror remake it’s trying to be tense and unnerving, but between the idiotic anti-feminist angle and Cage hamming it up the whole thing comes off like a giant farce.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

As a horror film? Yes, this movie is pretty bad. But as a comedy? This film is a classic.

I’ve always believed that if a film fails at its main goal but still manages to be funny, it’s not a worthless film. But that’s the thing: This film still failed. It tried to be a folk horror film that wanted to make you feel suspense and mystery, and instead gave a screwy comedy where Nicolas Cage punches women and overacts. That 3.7 on IMDB might even be a bit generous if I’m being honest. This film is firmly in the “so bad it’s good” category.

Still, if you’re a Nicolas Cage film buff, this movie is absolutely a must-see; it’s one of his greatest batshit insane performances ever. And like I said, it’s a bad film with a lot of value. This isn’t complete trash, and cinema is honestly better for this film existing. Most horror remakes of the 2000s through the early 2010s ended up merely being forgettable garbage that no one talks about a few years after it drops. Does anyone even care about that A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot or the remake of House of Wax? Does anyone even know they remade The Wizard of Gore? But this baffling remake no one asked for and that no one wanted of one of the greatest horror films ever made has not only endured, it has become a progenitor of memes. I’ll take unforgettable garbage over run-of-the-mill cookie cutter trash any day of the week.

[agentnico]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023) Review

A month ago at the point of Quantumania’s release I was discussing superhero fatigue, especially with the MCU. However now it seems it may in fact be fatigue of cinema as a whole! 2023...what have you done.

Plot: A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Straight off the bat I’ll say that I am not really an avid diehard D&D fan. I have played a few games during university with one of my more nerdier mates back then. Yeah, you know the one. Everyone has that one geek king in their uni years who’s an expert in all things pop culture, comics, movies and D&D. So yeah, that cool dude! However outside of those few D&D sessions where I’d cameo as my dwarf character that I aptly named Gimli the Second, my knowledge of this trademark tabletop game begins and ends there. So of course I won’t get all the references and Easter eggs that are sure to please fans in this movie. That being said, as more of a casual viewer I must say...I didn’t really like this movie.

I know, I know, many of you liked this one. I’ve seen the positive critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and the excited audience response on IMDb. Yet I am not one of these lucky chums. Look, I’ve been getting really frustrated with the sheer mediocrity that Hollywood has been churning out recently. This year alone we had Adam Driver take on dinosaurs and somehow make it boring; M Night Shyamalan tackled the end of the world and there was no signature big twist; Nicolas Cage starred in his first ever western and surprisingly did not Cage-rage once; the new MCU big bad Kang ended up not being that intimidating...look, it’s been a crappy year for films so far. The fact that I’m considering Cocaine Bear at the top spot is heavily concerning. Now we have the new Dungeons & Dragons movie that I personally found to reinstate that fact of banality. 

The plot of the film is filled with predictable clichés all ripped from the likes of Lord of the Rings, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Princess Bride, only all those did it better. I found myself daydreaming multiple times throughout the movie and being flat out bored by a lot of what was going on. It was a weak narrative with very cringeworthy dialogue. Heck, even the comedy wasn’t really good. Hugh Grant does his usual over the top shtick, yet even though that worked superbly for him in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, in here it came off pompous and annoying. Chris Pine, as charming as he may be, is miscast as the lead bard, as the main character is supposed to be more of a know-it-all doofus, as such I feel someone like Jason Bateman would have fit the part more. In fact, this movie is directed and produced by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, whom both worked with Bateman previously on Game Night and Horrible Bosses, so I feel like they may have even had him in mind when they first wrote the script. Michelle Rodriguez is bland as ever, Sophia Lillis is forgettable, Rege-Jean Page was only cast for his looks and Daisy Head isn’t menacing enough as the villain. Justice Smith is the only one really who actually got some laughs out of the audience in my cinema, and also the only one to really have a proper character arc in the whole movie.

The visuals in all fairness were solid. The creature designs were realised really well, and the use of some practical effects is always a welcome. But overall this D&D adventure came off as a lazy fantasy rehash, and one that offered minimum thrill. Again, this may appeal more to hardcore fans of the original game, but overall the cure of 2023 movie mediocrity continues. Here’s hoping Chris Pratt voicing Mario isn’t as bad as it sounds...

Overall score: 4/10

[cinemacentral666]

Mom and Dad (2017)

Movie #1,132 • THE YEAR OF CAGE, CH. 48

While this isn't a great film necessarily, it's a prime example of why I started this Nicolas Cage filmography review project 17 years ago. I was hoping to find some fascinating and/or original under-seen hidden gems and this certainly qualifies. Reuniting with Cage is Brian Taylor, one half of the duo that made Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (a far superior sequel compared to the original) as well as the Jason Statham Crank movies. This is his first and only solo feature as writer-director (though he's been tabbed to helm another Hellboy reboot) and I really hope he gets to make more films because, despite its flaws, this is definitely worth a watch. (If anything it's proof that all movies need to be 80 minutes long on the nose!)

I won't get into the specifics of the plot because going in 100% cold absolutely added to the enjoyment of this satirical, bloody horror (I didn't even know it was a horror movie). Suffice it to say, by the time the great Lance Henriksen shows up, hellbent on killing his son (Nicolas Cage), there are only ten minutes left. It was at this point I realized that, as a satire, there was no way anything was going to be resolved successfully (what's the point? it's hard being a kid? it's hard being a parent? both parents and kids are stuck in an unending loop of resentment and pain that will forever trump the joys that supposedly come with those roles? SURE). But the film's breakneck pace works in its favor, as does its obstitant refusal to address the logistical WHY any of this happening in the hellscape it presents. It also features Cage at his unhinged best and it's a lowkey/darkhorse entry for Top Cage Rage performances in a career full of them. And let's be honest: this is why we're here...

And most of the action is great: stylish and effective. Look at these two elderly people getting killed...

As muddled as the message might be, this is a well-made movie and it's good enough where that grave sin can be forgiven.

FUN FACTS: Bokeem Woodbine shows up in uncredited, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. And the idiot loser Dr. Oz makes an appearance as himself, acting like the idiot loser that he is (he honestly seems too dumb to realize that the movie is making fun of him? LOL).

THE VERDICT: 8 CAGES OUT OF 10

CLICK HERE for all 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔞𝔤𝔢 Chapters + Ongoing Rankings.

..in 2020 I decided to watch every single Nicolas Cage movie in alphabetical order. This project will take me multiple years to complete. New chapters post every other Thursday…

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

THE FLASH (2023)

Starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, Temuera Morrison, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Rudy Mancuso, Luke Brandon Field, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Jeremy Irons, Nicolas Cage, George Clooney and Ben Affleck.

Screenplay by Christina Hodson.

Directed by Andy Muschietti.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. 144 minutes. Rated PG-13.

The Flash was always my favorite DC superhero (with the possible exception of Superman), so even though I’m well past my comic book phase, I’ve been keenly waiting for this film. Of course, it turned out to be a longer wait than most anticipated.

It’s sort of a tough time for the speedster. The CW television series of The Flash just limped off the air a few weeks ago, long after the show had jumped the shark, going from a terrific series to one that was barely watchable over the last few seasons.

The character has been on the outskirts of the DC film universe for a while, appearing in Justice League and doing cameos in Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad. However, this film has been on hold for a while now – for several reasons. Original plans had it being released in 2018, but a whole series of issues slowed down the speedster.

First of all, the film shuffled through a whole series of potential directors and script revisions. They finally settled on director Andy Muschietti (right off his successful helming of two films based on Stephen King’s IT), but even with Muschietti on board, it was planned to get wide release a year ago.

However, that was right at the time of the DCEU shift from the old Zack Snyder universe to the new conception of the franchise helmed by James Gunn. There were quite a few rumors that the Flash film would be scrapped, both because it was part of the old guard, and also because star Ezra Miller had often been in the news because of a disturbing series of personal and legal issues over recent years.

In fact, honestly, to a certain extent the film was more anticipated because it was going to feature the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, resuming the role for the first time since Batman Returns (1992). In fact, more than even the lead character, I have a feeling that Keaton’s participation in the film was the reason that this film survived and is finally reaching theaters.

It's a good thing that it did, because The Flash is the best DC film since… well… the first Shazam! Of course, this says as much about the overall quality of DCEU efforts as it does about the quality of The Flash. Still, while far from perfect, The Flash is a mostly quite enjoyable time-travel adventure with lots of fun Easter eggs for fans.

Sadly, one of the slight disappointments of the film is Ezra Miller’s performance and Barry Allen / The Flash. In fairness, Miller has many funny moments, but overall he plays the role a bit too broadly, almost like a Randy Rainbow parody of the character. With all of his other issues, it will be interesting to see if Miller continues to play the role in future projects.

The Flash is another one of those comic book films that revolves around a multiverse (I wonder if there will ever be another superhero film that actually stays in one time thread), and while the idea is kind of overdone by now, The Flash does some fun things with it. We get to revisit lots of different variations of superheroes over the years, with Michael Keaton’s Batman and Michael Shannon’s General Zod standing out as fun casting returns.

It's probably best that you go into The Flash not knowing too much of the plot, so I’ll not delve into the storyline too much to avoid dropping any potential spoilers here. The only thing you really need to know is that the nearly two and a half hours of The Flash zips by in an exciting and fun blur, and it’s definitely worth the time.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: June 16, 2023.

[grimmiaa]

The Cinema Cage Chaos Coliseum Rules

You love Nic Cage; we all love Mr. Cage. It's pretty well known he's taken some *questionable* roles. But nobody is perfect.

Except maybe Nic Cage, Kurt Russell, and Tom Hanks. Regardless, you know who has a *very impressive* filmography of nearly 100 credits?

Mr. Nicolas Cage.

And you know who likes to chart things and has a crippling dice addiction?

That's right, me. Bender. Wrong bit. Sorry.

We started this in May, and, unfortunately, we've only had time to finish two movies.

THE RULES

Actually, SUPPLIES: 1d100 and a list of Nic Cage's filmography. We're using the table on Wikipedia.

THE RULES

• Roll 1d100, find the corresponding film on your list. If you're using his wiki, like we are, please note we're ignoring cameos and production only credits. Documentaries we agreed to discuss when those numbers come up.

• currently, a perfect 100 is the roller's choice. That will change when there are 100 acting credits to choose from.

• rolling the same number does NOT mean you can cross that movie off the list. Herein lies the chaos. If you roll ConAir three times, you're watching ConAir three times.

Please enjoy! Let me know if you're playing on here or Twitter (@/the_grimmia on there).

[kevrocksicehouse]

Five of the weirdest Elvis portrayals (or incarnations) in film.

Michael St. Gerard in Hairspray. D: John Waters (1988). Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) gets conked on the head in a vicious game of  high-school dodgeball and when she wakes up she sees … Elvis. Okay his name is Link Larkin and it’s 1962 Baltimore, not Memphis but we know better (as did the producers who immediately cast Gerard in the short-lived Elvis TV series). Later they’re making out in a forbidden “Negro” club. “Oh Link, this is so romantic! I wish I was dark-skinned.” “Tracey our souls are black though our skin is white.”

Nicolas Cage in Wild at Heart. D: David Lynch (1990). Cage’s performances all have a little Elvis in them and as “Sailor Ripley” he leans into the King, helping Lynch delivers the Elvis movie of our most depraved fantasies. After a narrative of untold violence and perversity, he sings Love Me Tender as a marriage proposal that would have even made Colonel Parker shed a tear.

Val Kilmer in True Romance. D: Tony Scott (1993). Quentin Tarantino wrote this love story about  a part-time hooker (Patricia Arquette) and an Elvis Freak (Christian Slater) who gets regular input from the shades of his hero. Sometimes that’s just encouragement (“I like you Clarence. Always have. Always will”) and sometimes life advice (“Two in the back of his f—kin’ head. Cops’d throw a party, man.”)

Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep. D: Don Coscarelli (2002). Elvis near the end years after the death of the impersonator he switched places with year earlier, teams up with some guy who THINKS he’s John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) to take out a mummy preying on their fellow residents of the Shady Rest Retirement Home in East Texas. By the end (the most moving “Thank you, thank you very much” you’ll ever hear) I believed every word.

Jack White in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. D: Jake Kasdan (2007). Just a cameo in this great Johnny Cash biopic parody starring John C. Reilly, but White as the most manic Elvis imaginable (“It’s called Karate, man. Only two kinds of people knowit, the Chinese and The King. And one of them is me.”) walks off with the movie.

[rtownpod]

Todd saw "The Flash" on Thursday Night.

I'm going to try to give you as much of a non-spoiler review as I can. I will put spoilers behind the More tag.

The story is basically "The Flashpoint Paradox" with some differences.

Think of how Zack Snyder used "The Dark Knight Returns" comic for his Batman v Superman dawn of Justice movie, similar but different from the source material.

That being said, this movie is 💯 times better than Batman v Superman dawn of justice.

Was this movie perfect? In some ways yes. In other ways, not so much. The visual effects could have been better But overall the movie was fantastic, I absolutely loved it.

There were some incredible fight scenes, car chase sequences, flying sequences and many other things that make for a great comic book movie.

Let me put it to you this way, I'm going to buy this movie when it's available. I will also probably see it a few more times in theaters just to show my appreciation for the storytelling and the people involved with making it.

If you want to know who all the cameos are I can list them below, just click READ MORE.

SPOILERS AHEAD, you've been Warned.

The first Cameo you see in this movie is of course Ben Affleck's Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jeremy Irons is Alfred.

But we already knew that because of the trailers and commercials but what you don't know is that Gal Gadot makes an appearance as Wonder Woman, helping Flash and Batman with some problems that end with both BATMAN and the Flash getting tangled up in the lasso of truth and sharing some vulnerable personal details.

when Barry decides go back into the past to prevent his mother's dead he runs into a alternative version of himself, Then of course we get to see the alternate universe Batman which is the 1989 Batman, Michael Keaton.

And there's a sequence in the movie where future Berry and past Berry are trying to fix the timeline and in the process they see all these other timelines appear around them showing them various versions of Batman Superman and other Superheroes.

In this sequence we see George Reeves Superman in black and white and then we see Adam West Batman from 1966 and then we see Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater is Superman and Supergirl.

But I think the best Cameo from that sequence in the movie was the Nicolas Cage Superman fighting a giant robotic spider. Which is a thing that we were only aware of because of Kevin Smith and talking about what he was asked to write a Superman movie.

This is also where you find out that the past Berry ends up being Dark Flash, which we see glimpses of him when Flash first goes back in time earlier in the movie.

But I think the best Cameo in the entire movie happens when Barry goes back to what he thinks is his timeline only to find out that it's not his timeline and that his Bruce that was played by Ben Affleck had has now been replaced with George Clooney.

Oh and there is a end credit scene with Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa as Barry Allen & a very, very, very, drunk, Arthur Curry(Aquaman).

[majesticnerdynerd]

Hi!!! For the ask game, I have 2 questions to ask you. First, #28. What is your favorite story or chapter title you came up with this year? And secondly, #34.What's the weirdest thing you researched for a fic? Love your work, hope you have a great 2022!

Hi!! :D

#28. What is your favorite story or chapter title you came up with this year? This is a good question, because there were quite a few things that I've published in 2021, hm... superwholock or potterlock don't count because those have been here since 2020. For ~story~ it belongs to the Sherlock fandom - I really like Where the North Wind Meets the Sea because it is a Frozen reference that fits with the in-universe worldbuilding I'm kind of planning, even if a little changed :D it is merfolk/landfolk AU which was new for me since I've only ever read snippets, so I am completely going off of myself here with the magic and sea/land shenanigans, it is a breath of fresh air because I don'tbeat myself up with posting like with my other fics, and that is a nice change For ~chapter title~ the prize goes to the Supernatural fandom because I started publishing and writing the Take It or Leaf It series, which, from the very first installment, consists of flower puns! It is so much fun to build that separate and fluffy destiel flowershop AU world, seriously. I saw that 'fuck you bouquet' prompt, reserached flower puns and bookmarked a lot of sites and got to plotting. The separate parts could be technically considered chapters in a big scheme, so I'll take that and say that my FAVE so far of them 4 is You Can Poppy-n Anytime, simply because I mentally keep singing it to the tune of Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears :D

#34.What's the weirdest thing you researched for a fic? okay okay okay listen this is a very amazing question because there is so much I could talk about BUT I'll try not to write an essay (tho I love writing essays ask my former english lit professor - hi Nick! jk he doesnt have tumblr I hope)

So if I had to answer like what's the weirdest thing I've researched so far for a fic, I think it would be the thing of how baby centaurs look (for an unrelated, scrapped fic dialogue that was hilarious but also so unsuitable at the time) and there is a tumblr post and drawings around there somewhere

FOR A FIC THIS YEAR THOUGH. Listen. My dear listen :D I dunno if you read Reichenbach Falls, but if you do, you are in on the Nicolas Cage cameos/appearances, right? Well. That's the consequences of my own actions! I unironically enjoy writing in Nicolas Cage. He was supposed to be a one-off but he became so obnoxious I just had to include him (and is he really gone? we'll see) and along with that came an idea to put his cursed pictures into the notes/chapters

And the SINGLE. MOST.CURSED. PICTURE. is the one where he got photoshopped onto a weeping angel. That was SHEER COINCIDENCE that I found it, I was like hey I'll give it a try if not I'll just tell people to use their imagination and --- somebody did it. At this point I'm asking myself if it's weirder of me thinking to google it, or actually finding that somebody had already thought of it before me :'D My search history looked something like: 'nicolas cage weeper' 'nicolas cage weeping angel' 'dr who nicolas cage angel' 'angel nicolas cage' (that one has a movie attached to it smt like angel city?? I made a promise to binge his movies this summer for future references in the fic) 'nic cage photoshop' 'nicolas cage photoshop weird' 'puppet nicolas cage' (<- he has an animatronic movie too??)

So. Yeah. Nicolas Cage and his many abominable faces such as Queen of England or cats made it to the weirdest search history for my FBI agent Fred, I bet :D Here's barbie nicolas cage for anyone else randomly scrolling by:

THANK YOU for asking these wonderful questions :D And Happy 2022 for you as well Rainyavenue I hope it's great for you <3 :3 if anyone has more qs, feel free to ask :D

[justforbooks]

Sean Connery, Oscar Winner and James Bond Star, Dies at 90

Sean Connery, the Scottish-born actor who rocketed to fame as James Bond and became one of the franchise’s most popular and enduring international stars, has died. He was 90.

Connery, long regarded as one of the best actors to have portrayed the iconic spy, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 and marked his 90th birthday in August. His death was confirmed by his family, according to the BBC, which notes that the actor died in his sleep while in the Bahamas. It’s believed he had been unwell for some time. His last acting role had been in Stephen Norrington’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman” (2003).

Connery was an audience favorite for more than 40 years and one of the screen’s most reliable and distinctive leading men. The actor was recently voted the best James Bond actor in an August Radio Times poll in the U.K. More than 14,000 voted and Connery claimed 56% of the vote. Global tributes poured in for Connery on Saturday following news of his death.

In a statement, Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said Connery “was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words, ‘The name’s Bond… James Bond.’

“He revolutionized the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for the success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him,” said the producers.

However, Connery — who made his debut in the first Bond film, “Dr. No” (1962) — also transcended Ian Fleming’s sexy Agent 007, and went on to distinguish himself with a long and mature career in such films as “The Wind and the Lion” (1975), “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989).

His turn as a tough Irish cop in Depression-era Chicago in Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables” (1987) brought him a supporting actor Oscar.

Even as he entered his seventh decade, Connery’s star power remained so strong that he was constantly in demand and handsomely remunerated. In 1999 he was selected People magazine’s Sexiest Man of the Century, and from his 007 days to “Entrapment” (1999), opposite the much-younger Catherine Zeta-Jones, his screen roles more than justified the choice. Age seemed only to intensify his sex appeal and virility.

In his early career, his physique was his main asset as he modeled and picked up acting jobs where he could. In 1956, he landed the role of a battered prizefighter in the BBC production of “Requiem for a Heavyweight.” Good notices brought him to the attention of the entertainment community, and his first film was “No Road Back,” a B crime movie in 1956. He seemed doomed to play the hunk to ageing leading ladies, as he did opposite Lana Turner in “Another Time, Another Place,” or roles that stressed his looks such as “Tarzan’s Great Adventure” in 1959.

It was easy to dismiss him in films like “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” but his Count Vronsky to Claire Bloom’s Anna Karenina on the BBC brought him some respect and the kind of attention needed to raise him to the top of the Daily Express’ poll of readers asked to suggest the ideal James Bond.

After an interview with producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, he landed the role without a screen test, according to Saltzman. It was a controversial choice at the time, as Connery was an unknown outside Britain. But 1962’s “Dr. No,” the first of the Bond films, made him an international star.

His stature grew with the ever more popular sequels “From Russia With Love,” “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball,” which arrived over the next four years. Bond gave Connery a license to earn; he was paid only $30,000 for “Dr. No” but $400,000 for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie” and was soon getting $750,000 a film.

His initial efforts to break out of the Bond mold, however, proved fruitless. Films like “A Fine Madness,” “Shalako” and “The Molly Maguires” were well-intentioned attempts that did nothing to shake Connery as Bond from the public consciousness. After 1967’s “You Only Live Twice,” he left the Bond franchise, but he was coaxed back for 1971’s “Diamonds Are Forever.” He looked old for the role, and the series seemed tired, so with that, he left Bond behind — though money would tempt him back once last time in 1983 for “Never Say Never Again.”

He took a major misstep with sci-fi film “Zardoz,” and his career seemed to be foundering.

But he bounced back in 1974 with a supporting role in “Murder on the Orient Express” and the following year with “The Wind and the Lion” and “The Man Who Would Be King,” two bold adventures featuring a mature, salt-and-pepper-bearded Connery. “Robin and Marian” (1976) opposite Audrey Hepburn was not a popular success, but critics embraced it, and the film cemented Connery’s reputation as a versatile, serious screen actor.

In the late 1970s, there were more missteps such as “Meteor,” “A Bridge Too Far” and “Cuba.” But he scored in Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits.” It wasn’t until after his last Bond film that his standing as a box office star caught up to his critical reputation, thanks mostly to two huge worldwide hits: “Highlander,” which was not a big hit in the U.S., and “The Name of the Rose,” which was also much more popular abroad.

BAFTA gave him a best actor award for “Name of the Rose,” and he received his Oscar for “The Untouchables.” After that, he was an instant greenlight any time he agreed to take a role even if some of them, such as “The Presidio,” and “Family Business,” were not so hot.

Pairing Connery and Harrison Ford as father and son in the third “Indiana Jones” film was an inspired move, and the film grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide.

Meanwhile, “The Hunt for Red October,” in which Connery played a defecting Soviet sub captain, was also a major hit in 1990.

By the 1990s, he was so popular that his uncredited cameo as King Richard in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” became one of the film’s highlights.

He was still a force to contend with in the foreign market, as “Highlander 2,” “Medicine Man,” “Rising Sun,” “Just Cause” and “First Knight” proved over the next several years. His salary was regularly $5 million and above.

One setback was a bout with throat cancer in the early 1990s, but Connery rebounded with a burst of activity. He starred with Nicolas Cage in 1996 actioner “The Rock,” playing a character that drew more than a little on his history as James Bond. In 2000, he essayed a very different role and received positive reviews for “Finding Forrester,” playing a reclusive writer who bonds with a young black basketball player who’s an aspiring scribe himself.

Nevertheless, he continued with action roles well after his 70th birthday, playing the legendary adventurer Allan Quatermain in 2003’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” He announced his retirement in 2005. He voiced a James Bond videogame the same year, and he subsequently did some other voice acting, playing the title character in the animated short “Sir Billi the Vet” and reprising the role in 2010 for “Sir Billi,” which he also exec produced.

Thomas Sean Connery was born of Irish ancestry in the slums of Edinburgh on Aug. 25, 1930. Poverty robbed him of an education, and by his teens he’d left school and was working as an unskilled laborer.

At 17, he was drafted into the Royal Navy, but he was discharged three years later due to a serious case of ulcers.

He returned to Edinburgh and worked a variety of jobs, including as a lifeguard. He took up bodybuilding and placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition.

After moving to London, he learned of an opening in the chorus of “South Pacific.” He took a crash dancing and singing course and, surprisingly, landed the role, in which he stayed for 18 months. He was “hooked,” he said, but spent several years paying his dues in small repertory companies in and around London before anyone else became hooked on him.

Connery was devoted to his native Scotland and used his stature to press for the re-establishment of a Scottish parliament. When the body reconvened in 1999, 296 years after its last meeting, Connery was invited to address the first session, where he was greeted with a thunderous ovation. The next year, when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II — an honor he called “one of the proudest days of my life” — he asked that the investiture be performed in Edinburgh.

Connery published his autobiography, “Being a Scot,” co-written with Murray Grigor, in 2008. Besides his knighthood and his Academy Award, he received many kudos over his long career, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999 and the American Film Institute’s lifetime achievement award in 2006.

Connery was married to actress Diane Cilento from 1962-73. The couple divorced in 1973 and Cilento died in 2011. Connery is survived by his second wife, painter Micheline Roquebrune, whom he married in 1975; his son by Cilento, actor Jason Connery; and a grandson from Jason’s marriage to actress Mia Sara.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[sssshhhthefilmsabouttostart]

The best and worst films of 2020

Let’s be honest - 2020 was an extremely shitty year for moviegoers everywhere, as the Queen would say an annus horribilis.

Due to the Covid pandemic’s dramatic impact on nearly every facet of human life, cinemas closed, film festivals went virtual and film productions became an intricate mess of insurance and safety challenges.

Yet despite these dire challenges and an unpredictable future, cinema remained very much alive throughout the year, with a wide range of ambitious undertakings snaking their way into whatever form of release seemed viable. Blockbusters receded to the background, allowing a wide range of movies to trickle through an uncertain marketplace that would have been hostile to them even in pre-pandemic times.

So what cinematic gems and unmitigated disasters were dropped upon audiences during the year?

Ladies and gentlemen, may we please offer for your consideration...

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

THE CURRENT WAR - THE LIGHTHOUSE - IN FABRIC - BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY (D) - BOMBSHELL - THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON - THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (D) - LIGHT OF MY LIFE - THE ASSISTANT - THE LODGE - THE GENTLEMEN - THE WAY BACK - DARK WATERS - 1917 - THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY - THE HUNT

2020′S TOP TEN BEST FILMS

10. THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW

Hot off the critical success of his debut feature ‘Thunder Road,’ writer-director Jim Cummings’ refreshing yet effective take on the werewolf genre amped up the dark comedy whilst delivering quite a few chills. Tinged with realistically flawed characters and clever scares, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ might not have been your typical werewolf flick but it successfully managed to bring that classic legend to life once again.

9. LET HIM GO

Previously last seen together as Clark Kent’s adoptive parents in ‘Man of Steel,’ Diane Lane and Kevin Costner were reunited onscreen as husband and wife again in writer-director Thomas Bezucha’s neo-Western drama ‘Let Him Go.’ Adapted from author Larry Watson’s 2013 novel, the film featured stunning landscapes, full-blooded moments of sudden violence and compelling performances from Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and, most memorably, Lesley Manville’s turn as a gritty and cunning matriarch.

8. COLOUR OUT OF SPACE

Based on the classic short story by HP Lovecraft and featuring another scene-stealing performance from Nicolas Cage, this clever adaptation was an effective horror film with an unrelentingly grim sci-fi bent. In addition to the truly disturbing and inspired images of queasy body horror, ‘Colour Out of Space’ also marked the eagerly-anticipated re-emergence of filmmaker Richard Stanley (his first time back in the director’s chair since being fired from his 1996 remake ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’).

7. THE INVISIBLE MAN

Who knew a remake could be so refreshing? With this updated take on the H.G. Wells tale, writer-director Leigh Whannell did just about everything right, delivering a tense, clever thriller with touches of both horror and sci-fi. As the fascinatingly flawed yet appealing tough protagonist, Elisabeth Moss gave a captivating performance in a film that was chilling in all the right ways, packed with plenty of twists and a deliciously nasty resolution.

6. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (NETFLIX)

Whilst the subject matter of ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7′ shared an uncanny relevance to today’s politically charged times, as a gripping courtroom drama with a stellar cast, the film ticked all the boxes. ‘West Wing’ creator Aaron Sorkin put his trademark traits - razor-sharp wit, rhetorical flair and political insight - to very good use in this masterful retelling of the trial following the 1968 anti-war protests outside the Democratic National Convention.

5. HEARTS AND BONES

In his debut feature film, Australian director Ben Lawrence created a spiritually rich and immersive drama about the relationship between a grizzled, broken war photographer and a Sudanese refugee. Whilst Hugo Weaving was note-perfect in his portrayal as a crumbling man wrestling with his past, equally impressive was first time actor Andrew Luri who delivered a quiet yet memorable performance in what was an affecting piece of cinema.

4. TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL (DOCUMENTARY)

Watching a documentary about the COVID-19 crisis in the middle of a global pandemic might not sound appealing but prolific filmmaker Alex Gibney’s latest work was easily the most essential non-fiction film of 2020. Shot safely in secret for five months, ‘Totally Under Control’ played out like a tightly-wound thriller as it placed the Trump Administration’s inept response to the coronavirus pandemic under the microscope.

3. BAD EDUCATION (HBO)

As far as crime stories go, embezzlement isn’t always the most thrilling subject. However, ‘Bad Education’ turned a relatively simple white collar crime story about a New Jersey school administrator caught stealing money into a compelling drama, thanks to an incisive and nimble script and spot on performances from Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, Ray Romano and especially Hugh Jackman.

2. MANK (NETFLIX)

Director David Finch’s dazzling portrait of Herman J. ‘Mank’ Mankiewicz, the screenwriter who collaborated with wunderkind filmmaker Orson Welles to write the first draft of ‘Citizen Kane,’ was a cinematic jewel from start to finish. Similar to last year’s ‘Once Upon A Time in...Hollywood,’ ‘Mank’ delivered a layered depiction of the filmmaking process, whilst Gary Oldman continued to excel at immersing himself in playing real-life characters, this time as the hard-drinking, intellectual screenwriter.

1. NOMADLAND

Writer-director Chloe Zhao’s intimate drama about an unemployed widow living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad was a thoughtful, contemplative and reflective piece of storytelling. It may have touched upon mature themes about loneliness, financial instability and restlessness, but ‘Nomadland’ remained an uplifting and hopeful piece of cinema that captured the various bittersweet reasons people choose to live a life on the road.

With an outstanding performance from Frances McDormand, brought to life through the charm of the ‘real life’ supporting cast, great direction and Joshua James Richard’s mesmerising cinematography, ‘Nomadland’ was the perfect film for 2020.

...AND NOW THE WORST!

DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS

VAMPIRES VS THE BRONX - BAD BOYS FOR LIFE - THE OLD GUARD - PROJECT POWER - ISN’T IT ROMANTIC - THE RHYTHM SECTION - WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE - I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS - MIDWAY - YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT - BABY DONE - FORCE OF NATURE - CAPONE - THE NEW MUTANTS - DOOLITTLE

10. WONDER WOMAN 1984

To quote Red Letter Media’s resident film critic Mike Stoklasa, “this movie was the cinematic equivalent of the Bluesmobile.” Directed by Patty Jenkins, this 80′s-set sequel to the 2017 DC superhero hit was lethargically paced and featured a completely bonkers narrative that made absolutely no sense. Horribly scripted, disjointed and overstuffed (a runtime of 2.5 hours), ‘Wonder Woman 1984′ sadly jettisoned everything that made Jenkins’ original film so compelling. The result? An appalling misfire.

9. THE GRUDGE

A curiously talented and interesting cast were somehow lured into - and subsequently wasted in - this pointless, tired, reboot/revival of the long-running ‘Ju-On’ Japanese-based horror series. Despite director NIcholas Pesce’s attempt to disguise the rudimentary nature of the plot via back-and-forth timeline jumping, ‘The Grudge’ was just a formulaic paint-by-the-numbers meander through a poorly developed story that existed only to prop up a bunch of uninspired jump scares.

8. BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)

There are many movies that have no reason to exist - and this latest misfire from DC Comics was one of them. Directed by Cathy Yan, ‘Birds of Prey’ was a mire of uninspired ideas and recycled genre conventions that got old real quick. Penned by Christina Hodson (’Bumblebee’ being the ‘highlight’ on her resume), the script was as simplistic as it was thin, with needless subplots merely introduced to inflate the film to a decent running time. Even Margot Robbie’s manic performance as the ‘Mistress of Mayhem’ couldn’t save this mess.

7. JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT

What could’ve been a dream film for fans of these two classic stoner characters instead was nothing but a string of cameos and callbacks in a plot-less bore. Director Kevin Smith sucked all the life and fun out of this watered-down story, that suffered from a constant series of awkward and forced jokes that were painfully unfunny. An unfortunate stinker.

6. AVA

This latest foray into the ‘female assassin for hire’ genre was about as cliched as you could get. An emotionally troubled female killer whose male mentor assumes the role of the surrogate father? Check. Pounding dance music score? Check. Obligatory nightclub fight sequence? Check. Confused love interest? You betcha! Humourless, dry and uninspired, ‘Ava’ played out like a poor man’s ‘La Femme Nikita.’

5. FANTASY ISLAND

Hollywood’s obsession with repackaging Gen-X childhoods continued with this absurd attempt to reboot the classic 1970′s TV series as a low-budget horror joint under the Blumhouse label. At a dangerously close two hour runtime, there was simply nothing interesting about the film’s characters or its inane plot about a mystical island that grants wishes (a’la ‘The Monkey’s Paw’). Our advice? Turn ‘de plane’ around if you ever plan to visit this ‘Fantasy Island.’

4. ARTEMIS FOWL

For every ‘Harry Potter’ that explodes into the public consciousness, there always seems to be a dozen or more failed franchises. Sadly, Disney’s ‘Artemis Fowl’ found itself in the latter category. Director Kenneth Branagh’s dull and superficial attempt to transfer this popular children’s book series from page to screen suffered from a lack of character development, an over-reliance in CG effects and featured a lifeless performance from newcomer Ferdia Shaw as the titular character. 

3. HUBIE HALLOWEEN (NETFLIX)

A month before last year’s Oscar nominations were released, Adam Sandler joked on ‘The Howard Stern Show’ that if the Academy snubbed him for his role in the film ‘Uncut Gems,’ he would make a movie “that [was] so bad on purpose.” And that’s exactly what happened. Supposedly a comedy, ‘Hubie Halloween’ was unfunny, disposable and completely devoid of any originality. Sadly for audiences, Sandler signed a four-movie deal with Netflix last year, worth up to $275 million - so we can expect to see more of this shit soon!

2. ALIEN ADDICTION

Aliens visit New Zealand and get high smoking human faeces? Someone should have advised Kiwi director Shae Sterling that audiences have moved on from such puerile comedies as this abomination. Suffice to say, if anybody ever admitted to finding this film remotely funny, they’d probably be outcast from society. An embarrassment to all those involved. 

1. THE BEACH BUM

Director Harmony Korine’s generic stoner comedy about a prolific poet who drifts through life in a drug-induced haze had all the natural high of an unfiltered, soggy joint and was easily, hands down, 2020′s worst film.

‘The Beach Bum’ was a pretentious and uninteresting movie whose lead character, considered to be an ‘artistic genius,’ was nothing more than a relentless shithead to everyone around him. As Moondog, the semi-naked, bongo-playing, pot-fuelled beat poet, Matthew McConaughey was insufferable and grating in his portrayal of a character you would quite easily want to punch in the face - repeatedly. Blazed and confused, ‘The Beach Bum’ had no plot, no class and no entertainment value whatsoever. 

MOVIE POSTERS

From the classic to the abstract, here is just a sample of some of the best poster designs from a highly unusual year of movies.

...AND FINALLY, WHEN WHEN IT COMES TO DIRE-LOG, THEY SAID WHAT!?

“I've never wanted anything more. But he's gone, and that's the truth. And everything has a price. One I'm not willing to pay. Not any more. This world was a beautiful place, just as it was, and you cannot have it all. You can only have the truth. And the truth is enough. The truth is beautiful” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

And who could forget this little chestnut of advice...

“That is the only truth and truth is all there is. You cannot be the winner because you are not ready to win. And there is no shame in that. Only in knowing the truth in your heart and not accepting it. No true hero is born from lies” (’Wonder Woman 1984′).

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Fu Manchu

(WARNING! This analysis contains DISCUSSIONS OF OUTDATED RACIST STEREOTYPES! This analysis does not support or condone such things whatsoever and merely is here to analyze the cultural impact of the character!)

"Imagine a person, tall, lean, and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan, a close-shaven skull, and long, magnetic eyes of the true cat-green. Invest him with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources, if you will, of a wealthy government—which, however, already has denied all knowledge of his existence. Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man."

— The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu (1913)

I think it really goes without saying that the late 19th century and early 20th century were deeply, incredibly racist. One such manifestation of the racism and xenophobia of the times was the villainous archetype known as the Yellow Peril. The so-called “Yellow Peril” is a caricature of eastern cultures, portrayed in a villainous light; the characters are diabolical criminal masterminds who tend to be geniuses, know kung fu, have mystical powers, command barbarian hordes, and dress like the most stereotypical dynastic noble you could imagine. Just think of every single cringeworthy Asian stereotype you can imagine, stuff it into one villainous package, and BOOM! You have yourself a Yellow Peril villain.

You’ve most definitely seen villains that fit some semblance of this trope. Lo Pan of Big Trouble in Little China and Long Feng from Avatar: The Last Airbender are notable examples (and ones that aren’t particularly problematic, as their works don’t rely on some white guy saving the day and instead have Asian heroes). But we’re not here to talk about them, oh no – we’re here to talk about the grandaddy of them all, the villain who codified the idea of a Yellow Peril villain to such… er, for lack of a better word, “perfection,” that even though he has somewhat faded from the public consciousness he has managed to continue inspiring villains up until the present day: Fu Manchu.

While not the first Yellow Peril villain, he is pretty much the face of it. He is what comes to mind when you envision such a villain, which may be because his cultural impact runs so deep – characters such as Batman’s nemesis Ra’s al-Ghul, the Iron Man foe The Mandarin, and James Bond baddie Doctor No among many others all draw inspiration from this legendary Devil Doctor. So what exactly is his deal that has made him such a problematic icon?

Motivation/Goals: So Fu Manchu’s goals started with him being a Chinese nationalist but eventually he moved into your standard world domination, with him developing over time into becoming a sort of noble criminal, a diabolical mastermind with some level of ethics, class, and standards; the man sent his nemesis gifts on his wedding day and always stuck to his word. This doesn’t seem like much now, but you gotta remember, this guy was one of the first big literary supervillains; you’ve gotta cut him a little slack.

Performance: So it is time to discuss the elephant in the room… not once in his long and storied history in film has Fu Manchu been portrayed by an actor of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Indian descent. Fu Manchu has always, always been portrayed by the worst possible option in every single case: a white guy in yellow face. Christopher Lee is perhaps the most well-known white man to play him in a serious work, portraying him in a series of films, though Boris Karloff portrayed him as well. 

Peter Sellers portrayed Fu in his last major cinematic appearance, though unlike most other examples that film – The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu – was a parody, which does at least take away a little bit of the bad taste.

The only valid white man portrayal is, of course, from the fake trailer for Werewolf Women of the S.S. As said fake trailer is a ridiculous sendup of exploitation films and trashy cinema in general, the inclusion of a white man playing the fiendish doctor is pretty much part of the joke – but it’s who they got that’s the real treat. We’ll get to that shortly, but before that…

It is honestly really disgusting that in the long history of this character, he has never once been portrayed by an Asian actor. You’d think at some point that someone might at least just cast any sort of Asian due to the unfortunate tendency to view Asian actors as interchangeable, but they couldn’t even do that.

Final Fate: Fu Manchu is notable because he always gets away, even if his plans are foiled; in fact, he’ll sometimes have plans within plans, so even when he loses, he still wins to some degree. But enough about his in-universe fate; let’s talk about the real world fate of the character, where Fu Manchu has a very odd legal status in terms of public domain.

While the first three books are in the public domain, some characters from later books are not considered part of the public domain, which has lead to situations such as Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu not being able to be reprinted for years. On top of this, as the character’s creator Sax Rohmer died in 1959, Fu Manchu is not in the public domain in Europe; this has led to him appearing but not being directly named in Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he is only referred to as “The Doctor” (amusingly, he goes up against Moriarty in that comic, the character he draws inspiration from).

Best Scene: In what is one of the very few non-offensive uses of the character, Fu Manchu is given a brief cameo in the trailer for Werewolf Women of the S.S. that shows up in the Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature Grindhouse, and he’s played by… well… just watch:

Final Thoughts & Score: Fu Manchu is an absolutely fascinating villain born out of incredibly problematic places.

There is absolutely no denying that Fu Manchu was created from a deeply racist place. It’s an unavoidable fact. There is no getting around it. Fu Manchu as a character was meant to demonize the Chinese, to the point where production of films based on him as well as the novels was halted in times of war when the Chinese were allies. These books, these stories, are all extremely problematic by the standards of today.

But with that being said… who, exactly, is the title character? Do you know, without looking it up, who the hero who Fu Manchu antagonizes is, the Holmes to his Moriarty? This is Fu Manchu’s series, and throughout it he projects an air of intelligence, sophistication, and even honor that you wouldn’t expect would be afforded to a character such as him. As far as racist propaganda goes, an extremely charitable person could be able to call this “progressive” in some regard. Positive discrimination is a step up from regular discrimination, right? Again, there’s really no getting around the glaring problems with the character and his origins, but the fact Fu Manchu is one of the first supercriminals in literature and manages to just be unflinchingly cool to the point where you’ll probably end up rooting for him over the bland white protagonists says something for how utterly racism fails when it manages to make the object of its derision infinitely cooler than the race it’s trying to prop up as superior.

By my own criteria, Fu Manchu could only be an 11/10. I can’t deny how much of an impact, for better or for worse, the fiendish doctor has had on pop culture, to the point where he gave his name to and subsequently killed off a variety of facial hair, a feat only matched by Hitler. But this comes with a disclaimer: I cannot stress enough that Fu Manchu is deeply and inherently problematic on a conceptual level, and that despite how genuinely cool and fascinating he is in the right hands it doesn’t and cannot erase that his original purpose was to demonize the Chinese and Asian cultures. He also managed to help perpetuate yellowface and helped to popularize cliches that have plagued Asian villains to this day. While many in his wake have still managed to be cool and engaging in their own right, it really cannot be said how this character has a very complex history. Has he done more bad than good? That’s not for a white guy like me to determine; I’m merely here to determine the overall quality of the villain and determine their impact, and Fu Manchu undeniably has impacted culture. It would be wrong and disingenuous to break my own rules to give him a lower rating due to his problematic elements, but at the same time I cannot sit here and pretend they do not exist.

I would love to see the day where Fu Manchu can be reclaimed to some extent. Look at Shang-Chi, for example; the (at this time) upcoming Marvel film is set to feature the Fu Manchu-inspired Mandarin as a major character, and he is set to be played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, a Hong Kong actor. If one of the characters inspired by him can get portrayed by an Asian actor, perhaps someday in the future Fu Manchu can be reclaimed from his racist origins and given the respectful treatment he deserves. Fu Manchu is a character that is in many ways accidentally incredible and iconic. Born from horrendous racism, and yet the racist screeds depicting him always somehow manage to prop him up as the best character in the lot… it’s the paradox of racist thought, to go so far in demonizing their target they manage to make them more interesting and engaging than the generic protagonists. Fu Manchu is a truly great villain mired in the problems of the time he was created; in the right hands, great work could be done with him.

Bottom line is: Rob Zombie, get Nicolas Cage on the phone and start filming Werewolf Women of the S.S.

[omniversalobservations]

Supergirl (December 2019)

Holy crimson skies of death! Part One of the Arrow-verse crossover “Crisis on Infinite Earths” destroyed Earth-38 and sent Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen to an early grave after he stayed behind to avert the anti-matter wave from killing billions more people. Even The Monitor didn’t foresee it happening! While all the superheroes assembled to try and prevent Earth-38’s destruction, the episode still managed to include quite a few familiar faces from across the DC multiverse. Here are all the cameos from the Supergirl portion of “Crisis,” so let’s get to it.

Alexander Knox Sees Red Skies On Earth-89 Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was confirmed in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” even if the moment was short-lived. Robert Wuhl’s Alexander Knox, a Gotham Globe reporter, appeared in a brief scene at the beginning of the episode. In the scene, Alexander is seen reading the Gotham City Gazette with the headline “Batman Captures Joker!” As soon as the red skies emerge, Alexander notices the Bat signal. “I hope you’re watching, Big Guy,” says Alexander. Unfortunately, even if Batman was around to see the red skies, it was already too late and Earth-89’s fate was sealed.

Dick Grayson Walks Ace On Earth-66 While Burt Ward had already been confirmed to appear in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it wasn’t expected for his cameo to be nestled in the opening montage of Part One. The scene in question detailed the multiverse’s birth (and upcoming death) while flashing to different Earths across the multiverse.

One of the Earths was Earth-66, which showed Burt Ward’s Dick Grayson from the 1966 Batman TV series walking Ace, the beloved Bat-hound. Ward played Batman’s trusty sidekick, Dick Grayson/Robin, in the Batman series. Ward’s version of Dick is clearly no longer the Boy Wonder, but it was good to see him again before Earth-66’s unfortunate demise.

DC Universe’s Titans Appear On Earth-9 Arrow-verse executive producer Marc Guggenheim tried his best to bring together a plethora of characters from across DC’s shows and movies, and even asked Nicolas Cage to appear! Even though fans knew to expect the unexpected when it came to cameos, it was still surprising to see Jason Todd’s Robin (Walter Curran) and Hawk (Alan Ritchson) from DC Universe's Titans, which just wrapped its second season and finally transformed Dick Grayson into Nightwing. It was only a quick shot of the two of them, but it does confirm that the Titans exist somewhere in the DC multiverse. Too bad Alan Ritchson couldn’t return as Smallville’s Aquaman, though!

Earth-X’s The Ray Makes A Comeback! The crossover “Crisis on Earth-X,” which saw Nazis crash Barry Allen and Iris West’s wedding on Earth-1, introduced a freedom fighter named The Ray. Originally from Earth-1, The Ray helped the Arrow-verse heroes defeat Earth-X’s Nazis. He’s briefly seen flying across the skies, presumably while protecting his earth from those who wish to destroy it. However, the cameo is brief as he and Earth-X vanish in the anti-matter wave.

Source: Cinema Blend

The baton has officially been passed.

In hour 1 of the CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, which aired on Supergirl Sunday night, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and his daughter Mia (Katherine McNamara) joined the rest of the Arrowverse’s heroes on Earth-38 to fight the Anti-Monitor’s shadow army. Before wading into battle, though, Oliver gifted Mia her very own Green Arrow super-suit.

Katherine McNamara opened up about how much this exchange meant to be both Mia and her personally when she dropped by EW’s after-show Crisis Aftermath, which was hosted by Kevin Smith and aired on the CW following Supergirl.

“That was one of my favorite moments to shoot definitely just because Stephen and I have spent most of the season together and getting to watch him work and being a part of this story and this being my first crossover,” said McNamara. “That was such a big moment for both characters and I think we both felt that.”

Shortly after this, though, Oliver is mortally injured battling the shadow army, and the Monitor returns him to the Team Arrow bunker, where he dies surrounded by Mia, the Flash (Grant Gustin), Sara (Caity Lotz), and the other heroes. McNamara felt a very weird mix of emotions when they shot that scene.

“That was a historic moment in many ways for me personally. It was my first day on set with everyone in the suits. It was my first day wearing my suit on set, so I was so excited,” she said. “Then I get to set and I realize, ‘Oh I have to cry over my dying father. Let me reframe my entire headspace.'” She continued, “It was so wonderful, and Stephen killed it. Everybody really came together because Stephen, in a sense, was the beginning of this entire universe.”

With Oliver’s death, the Green Arrow mantle is now firmly in Mia’s hands. But, as Smith wonders, does Mia actually want this responsibility?

“That’s been the toughest kind of struggle for Mia throughout her entire process of being involved in this,” said McNamara, who will be the new Green Arrow if The CW orders the in-development spin-off Green Arrow and the Canaries, which will have a backdoor pilot in Arrow‘s final season. “She was raised in a world in which vigilantes were villainized and she’s come full circle with that having met her father and kind of gotten a look into the difficult choices he’s had to make. Now, she’s been through and worked through all of these issues and has a wonderful relationship with her father. She doesn’t want the responsibility because she doesn’t want to lose him. She knows she can take it on. She knows she’s ready for it. But she’s finally filled the one missing piece of her life and doesn’t want to lose that. That’s kind of the tragedy. Yes, there always needs to be one Green Arrow, but there’s only one Green Arrow. So she knows that’s coming to an end and it’s difficult.”

Crossover executive producer Marc Guggenheim added that legacy is a big theme in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” “It’s not just the passing of the torch from Oliver to Mia,” he said. “There’s a lot of passing the torch and keeping the flame alive.”

Guggenheim also revealed a very intriguing detail about the Arrow hour of the crossover, which doesn’t air until January. “We open with the mother of all flashbacks and we basically do the secret origin of the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor,” said Guggenheim. “Actually that whole sequence, the first draft, was written by [Crisis on Infinite Earths comic writer] Marv Wolfman.” He added, “We give you an explanation for the [Monitor’s] outfit.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly

The Arrowverse's biggest crossover ever takes place over all five superhero series on The CW, starting with Supergirl. Crisis has been building since last year's Elseworlds crossover, which introduced the cosmic being known as The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), who began 'testing' the many worlds of the Multiverse to see if they were strong enough to survive the cataclysm to come. Crisis has accelerated throughout the current seasons of Supergirl, The Flash, Batwoman, and Arrow but now the end is here.

With the anti-matter wave sent by Crisis' big bad, the Anti-Monitor, threatening the Multiverse, Harbinger (Audrey Anderson) gathered Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara), Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), Batwoman (Ruby Rose), and The Flash (Grant Gustin) to Earth-38, the home of Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). The heroes had to defend Kara Zor-El's world from the anti-matter wave using a Quantum Tower constructed by the Monitor and repel an attack by a horde of Shadow Demons. However, despite their best efforts to evacuate the planet with the help of Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), they couldn't save Supergirl's world.

Crisis Part 1 delivered on the promise that the crossover's stakes are life and death on a Multiversal scale. Literally billions died in the first chapter of the epic and this, shockingly, included one of the Arrowverse's founders and greatest heroes. Here's the body count of Crisis Part 1, which is just the start of the cataclysm that will reshape the Arrowverse:

* Alura (Erica Durance), the mother of Supergirl. Alura was introduced in Supergirl season 1, when she was played by Laura Benanti but Smallville's Erica Durance took over the role in season 3. Helped Superman and Lois launch their infant son Jonathan on a rocket before the antimatter wave struck, in a moment poignantly echoing Kal-El's origin story, so Jon Kent survived, though he landed in Earth-16's Star City in the year 2046 and had to be saved by Lois, Brainiac (Jesse Rath), and Sara Lance. Of course, Durance will return as Smallville's version of Lois Lane later in Crisis.

* Everyone on Argo City, the last surviving city of Krypton. Unfortunately, Argo had no starships to evacuate besides the spacecraft Alura saved for baby Jon so the people of Argo were all wiped out by the antimatter wave. Luckily, Harbinger teleported Superman and Lois to Earth-38 at the last minute.

* Earth-38 was destroyed, including 3-billion people who couldn't evacuate the planet in time. Despite the superheroes' efforts to defend the planet, they couldn't stop the antimatter wave from wiping out Supergirl's adopted world. While a wave of spaceships supplied by Brainiac and many of the aliens who took refuge on the planet was able to evacuate 4-billion lives to Earth-1 (thanks to a dimensional portal built by Lena Luthor), they couldn't save everyone. The Monitor said 7.53-billion people lived on Earth-38 so over 3 1/2-billion people died when the planet was destroyed.

* Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) gave up his life to help the evacuation of Earth-38 after the Monitor had teleported the rest of the superheroes to Earth-1. Out of arrows, Green Arrow took on the army of Shadow Demons by himself and was fatally injured before the Monitor rescued him. Oliver had long expected to die during Crisis and he spent all of Arrow season 8 preparing for the inevitable. On his deathbed, Oliver confessed to Barry Allen and Kara Danvers that he made a deal with the Monitor to spare their lives in exchange for his during Crisis - but the Monitor revealed that this wasn't the death he foresaw for Oliver, which casts serious doubt on how the Arrowverse's heroes can defend the Multiverse in Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Source: Screen Rant

In the beginning there was only one. A single black infinitude. Then the infinitude found release, and finally, the darkness broke, filling it with life.. With the multi-verse. Every existence multiplied by possibility. And spread out before space and time in infinite measure. Civilizations rose and fell. And rose again across reality's expanse. Life. A precious gift persevering in the face of every obstacle, until finally, the age of heroes was born. Chaos. The constant enemy of life, kept at by champions across the multiverse. Joining forces to fight on behalf of all creation. They found each other just in time because now, the entire multi—verse is about to come under attack. There is a malevolent force at work, one driven by a singular goal. The destruction of all there is. I have planned, there are those who say I have schemed, but the time for preparation has passed.

Source: TVMaze

(images via YouTube)

[nctzenwithoutabias]

“There’s nothing innocent about Child’s Play.”

-

To be completely honest, I didn’t know there’s a horror movie called Child’s Play. A trailer came up on my recommended on YouTube and I DID NOT KNOW it was a movie title. I looked through the comments and found out the 2019 is a reboot of the better version in 1988. I’d actually watch it with someone, tbh. I like horror movies. I watched them alone also. There was one I forgot the name of where during Alaska’s one month night (tbh I think it’s like 68 days), the vampires came out and killed the whole city of Barrow, Alaska. I think it’s only in barrow but correct me if I’m wrong bc idk. Anyway, it’s pretty thrilling and scary. I liked it. I watched it alone in one sitting during the day. I’m not a huge fan of horror films but I like them. I LOVE Nightmare on Elm Street. Johnny Depp’s first movie I think but anywho he looks so adorable there. It was pretty scary because we all think nightmares disappear in the day, but they had to live it. If they fell asleep, something would happen. Even a nap in class isn’t okay. It’s also pretty scary because no matter who ur with, u can’t escape Freddy Kruger. I recommend that one. It’s I think 1983 I don’t remember but somewhere around then.

Look at this darling. Omg. His floofy hair is adorable

This is a cameo in another one of them but this part is hilarious hahaha

He’s absolutely perfect. Not kidding. Literally in August is gonna be my fourth year being. Johnny’s fan. I’ve been so open ab it too. It’s literally one of the first things anyone will know about me. It was also like the first post on my tumblr.

LOOK!!! I mean I’d watch many more horror movies if he played in them. The shirt he’s wearing was our old school dress code. Suddenly I wish I never complained about it. I’d be wearing white all the time. Hahaha

Absolute thriller. Loved it

We use phones now hahah. He’s so cute omg. These 1960s boys didn’t have abs but it suits him so much better. I mean, his skin is completely baby-like, his hair looks like a cloud, he’s wearing a crop top guys skskkskssk

Anyway, personally I think the movie should’ve been called Chucky (I linked the trailer from 1988. Someone in the reboot trailer comments said the doll looks like James Charles lmaooo).

Once again, Nightmare on elm street was johnny’s first acting role and I think he did great. He’s a literal natural. Thanks to Nicolas cage for suggesting acting for Johnny. Anywyayyyyy yeah

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Here’s a phrase I don’t understand: superhero fatigue. The Greeks had their gods, 13th century Britons had their Knights of the Round Table, and we have superheroes. Superheroes are the mythical figures we’ve chosen to use at this current moment in time to explore what makes humanity great and not-so-great. Maybe I’m just a slut for good myths, but I don’t know how you get tired of that - I think what movie reviewers people call superhero fatigue could really be simplified to “I’m tired of superhero movies that are just ‘meh’.” Or, if you break that down, “I prefer it when movies are REALLY GOOD.” Oh, do you? Wow, I can’t believe you would be so brave to admit to something so controversial. I’ve read 4 reviews so far for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that contain some version of “I’m sure we all have superhero fatigue BUT this movie is really great!” and I gotta say, I think these reviews are getting it all wrong. How wrong? Well...

This is movie is really great precisely because it is a superhero movie. It is the ultimate superhero movie. It is everything that superhero movies could and should be, and it’s also really, really fucking beautiful.

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is an average Brooklyn high school kid. His dad (Brian Tyree Henry) is a cop, his mom (Luna Lauren Valez) is a nurse, and he’s going to a ritzy private school for the first time which is causing some father-son tension because Miles is crazy smart but he misses his neighborhood friends. The only person he can talk to is his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali)...that is, until he gets bitten by a radioactive spider and weird, very Spider-Man-like things start happening to him. He goes back to find the spider and stumbles on the REAL Spider-Man (Chris Pine) doing battle with the Green Goblin, and Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) is there too, and there’s a giant hadron collider that goes off and suddenly there are dimensions that aren’t Miles’ bleeding into his reality. And some of that bleed-through takes the form of other Spider-people, including Peter Parker (you know, the one from OUR reality, here voiced by Jake Johnson), Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Together, they have to help Miles figure out how to be Spider-Man and defeat Kingpin before he destroys all of Miles’ - and everyone else’s - dimensions. 

Some thoughts:

I’m not exaggerating when I say this film contains the most beautiful visuals I've seen all year. It’s a smorgasbord of sumptuous colors and textures. 

Other than the visuals, the best asset the film has is its stellar voice cast. Every single person is creating a nuanced, incredibly interesting character - sometimes with 5 min or less of actual dialogue or screen time. It’s masterful work, and the chemistry between all the Spider-people is off-the-charts which is particularly incredible because, like most animated voice-over work, these actors weren’t recording in the same place at the same time. 

The screenplay by Phil Lord (with input from Christopher Miller) of 21/22 Jump Street and The Lego Movie fame, is bursting with the kind of sly humor and quick wit that keeps up with the dazzling visuals. Jake Johnson is a particular treat as a 40-something Peter Parker having a mid-life crisis and becoming the gruff and unlikely mentor to a wide-eyed newbie like Miles. 

Loved the shoutout to Donald Glover and Community - there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of the first episode of season 2, in which Donald Glover’s character gets out of bed wearing Spider-Man pajamas. I’m still in the #donaldforspiderman camp, so that was a thrill to see.

A superhero is only as good as their villains, and Spider-Man is blessed with some of the best. All the villains in Spider-Verse are actually scary. and the peril feels real. Part of this is some excellent character design (the Green Goblin is an actual GOBLIN which is way scarier than Willem Defoe in a metal su...ok actually Willem Defoe is pretty fucking terrifying. But the character still looks amazing here.) and part of it is the fact that these villains cause real harm. People die. The stakes feel high in a way that a lot of other superhero properties just can’t achieve. 

The score and music are used masterfully to better illuminate Miles, his neighborhood, and the different personalities of all the Spider-people. This is not only how you do visual storytelling but aural characterization as well.

There is no forced love story between Miles and Gwen and I want to send a basket full of mini muffins to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for honoring Spider-Gwen’s character arc and not ruining something that is so perfect thank you thank you thank you.

That Stan Lee cameo broke me. I thought I was ready - I wasn’t. 0 to crying instantly.

I can’t express enough what a joy it is seeing all the Spider-people interact. Nicolas Cage is playing, essentially, himself when he says things like "Wherever I go, the wind follows and that wind...smells like rain." 

More than anything, though, the joy of seeing a half-black, half-Hispanic superhero who is learning that he can be Spider-Man exactly how it makes sense for him...what a gift that is. Anyone can wear the mask - anyone can be better than they think they can be, and that's the kind of woke storytelling that doesn't feel forced or like it's cashing in on a #moment. That's what superheroes were made for.

My expectations were high. What the movie delivered exceeded those expectations in every single way. Miles Morales is a regular person thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and he’s scared and excited and vulnerable and strong. He is a superhero because we all have it in us to be superheroes. We all have it in us to be the exact right version of ourselves, and to use what makes us different to become something greater. That idea makes me feel so many huge, powerful emotions - and none of them are fucking fatigue.