#and genuine serious emotional moments of suspense and character drama

[dravidious]

You're the CAT (Coolest of All Time)

Episode 2 of The Amazing Digital Circus came out yesterday (great show) and it got me to finally watch Murder Drones (great show) and the humor in that show is VERY dumb. Dumb and blunt and frequently things happen or characters say things that don't make sense for the sake of being silly (for example, a robot calling herself hormonal). The moment that made me realize just how good the writers are at doing dumb stuff was in episode 4 at 15:04 (warning for spoilers and gore (robot gore) (the gore isn't the funny part, that comes after) (text explanation below the cut that I wrote before pasting the link) (also the link is to 13:54 because the context is important))

The characters are around a campfire and are shown reading a book titled "Final Girl Survival Guide", and the character reading it references a horror trope from it. Then, a horror monster shows up and kills someone and the characters shout "Split up!" "I think I read that's good!" and they drop the book as they run, and the wind blows the book open and the camera moves to show the book, and the page reads "DON'T SPLIT UP!!!". Except I lied, it doesn't say that, I expected it to say that with all my heart but instead the page reads "THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BOOK SAID." Which makes NO SENSE and is SO FUCKING STUPID and subverted my expectations SO MUCH that it was the FUNNIEST THING EVER

[mrbigbrother]

Sword Art Online is a great and flawed, exciting and tragic technological epic.

There doesn't seem to be much middle ground with other reviewers either loving it or hating it. I am in the camp that loves it. I don't think it deserves any of the hate it has received either. But I will say that it does have some upsetting moments that can throw you for a loop. There was an arc in Season 1 concerning Kirito's sister having developed romantic feelings for him which resulted in a terribly ironic scene that causes her to have a breakdown. It is a bold topic to even attempt to write about, and sheer rawness of the emotions explored are jarring. I always interpreted that as her just being confused with her emotions for her brother after he got out of the game, her having lived life without him as if he was already dead this whole time. It shows the kind of collateral damage that trauma can have in the long term. And I think it's one of the more difficult and very sad arcs of the series. But it has a good and sweet payoff too. Its the willingness of the writers to take the chance to navigate such uncomfortable realms if trauma that has always impressed me about SAO.

It still has flaws, but it manages to move past them and climb itself up into some very earned moments of effective edge of your seat action. But SAO is at its best when it allows the characters to make their own decisions, and then shows us the consequences of those choices, which never feel the right choices, because in this game there are none.

Kirito at first seems like the usual black haired teenage anime protagonist as he slowly grows into a young adult in season 2. He he has a believable character arc as a kid struggling to survive and protect his friends in season 1, to a dynamic and tragic survivor who performs very earned moments of heroism in season 2.

When he was afraid, I was afraid for him. When he was in battle, i was excited for him. and if I can make one solid case for this series, Kirito is an astonishingly human character who alone makes SAO worth watching.

The show touches on themes of ptsd, which it is revealed that he's suffering from after having had to kill another person during the first season. Even tho he was in the right to defend himself, the brutality is enough that it haunts him. There's a great scene with him weeping as he confesses his guilt to that wonderful nurse character as she holds him like a mother would. Here, and more than a few times, I was genuinely moved to tears.

SAO is not the anime you were told that it was. It will catch you off guard with how human it is. Its mature themes are hidden under the surface of its VR fantasy RPG set up. We the viewers, just as slowly as the characters do, experience a slow burn realization of how deadly serious their situation is. I think I love season two the best. It shows us the aftermath of the technological nightmare that was the SAO game, and how the characters are going through a long and strenuous healing process.

I admire the great emotional content that is blended well with the suspenseful and dark storylines. The action sequences feel more dangerous and high stakes than in most Shonen Jump anime. But what stays with me more than anything about the series long after seeing it, is Kirito and his friends long journey to support and overcome their problems together. SAO is a genuinely moving character drama about countering tragedy and malice, with friendship and hope.

Great fucking show. atleast don't knock it, before you try it.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Tangled: The Series Review

I just watched Tangled: The Series and I finished all three seasons in four days. TL:DR It’s good. It’s really, really good and I definitely recommend. This might be the best thing that has come out of Disney in the last decade or more. Now head under the cut for a more detailed look at the show and my thoughts on it.

Plot

The plot is actually pretty simple and is a direct continuation of the storyline from Tangled: Before Ever After. Granted, there are a lot of elements that answer questions not only from that movie but also from the Tangled movie itself but they are introduced with a lot of time in between that lets you process and even get disengaged at a couple points.

Not gonna lie, the pacing can be pretty slow sometimes and you almost forget what the end goal of the journey is but that allows for a lot of character work to be done (which I will talk about in a sec). It doesn’t seem like it has enough plot for three seasons but they do end up filling it out. Sometimes it’s a little frustrating but it works about 98% of the time.

The finale of season 3 wasn’t overly hyped up by the set up so it didn’t feel anti-climatic like it so often happens when shows just oversell their final showdown in the build-up and then it’s just... eh. Here the emotion and suspense definitely felt proportional to the action you’re getting most of the time.

Characters

The characters were great! They build up on what we’ve seen from Rapunzel, Eugine and Cassandra in the two movies and gave a lot of screen time to side characters as well. Pascal gets two episodes that are centered on him and he gets his own arcs! He’s a chameleon! And you feel for him as an independent character and Rapunzel’s friend, not just her pet. There are a lot of moments where other citizens of Corona that aren’t part of the main focus of the show get attention as well to a point where the kingdom truly feels populated and the world comes alive off the screen. It’s truly moving to watch most of those stories develop.

A little complaint I have would be with Rapunzel’s parents. The focus on them wasn’t bad–not at all–it just wasn’t enough. To be fair, I was actually surprised that they even touched on them but when you truly examine how they did, it just isn’t enough. We get a look at the trauma of losing a child mostly through Rapunzel’s father who definitely got more screen time than her mother but, ultimately, neither of them feels well developed. You are just not sure who they are as people and it feels unsatisfying precisely because the show tried to focus on them. It just didn’t work out fully.

Other than that, most of the characters just work really well. They all get arcs and go through a lot of character development that makes you attached to them and you really get invested in the story which is great. I genuinely cried a couple of times because I was so touched.

Villains

The villains might just be my biggest issue with this series. They have some good minor villains, some cases that are engaging despite the frustration they breed and a couple of villains that are just frustrating in their execution. I’m going to break this down a little to express what I mean.

The main villain of the show is okay but is a little underwhelming. She’s not on screen until season 3 and the thing is that she feels a lot more menacing while she is just a presence that hangs over the main cast rather than she is when she is actually present. (Now this might spoil a little simply because there is no other way to word it) Her servants come off as more menacing than she does. The only time she’s truly pulling her weight is in the finale that I already mentioned was just the right amount of hyped up so that you don’t end up disappointed by it. I was pretty neutral about her and liked her more when she was just an incorporeal tale the heroes were hearing about.

There were several minor villains that worked great. They were the right amount of menacing and the show actually allowed itself to go into pretty dark territory with some of them. Most left lasting consequences for the main cast of heroes and were just all around perfect. The thing that I have an issue with is all (and those are several) the villains that switched over to the good side because it never felt executed correctly. It was either rushed or not well motivated. The writers of the show were making a point about how kindness can touch any kind of person but it still felt forced and not focused on enough. All of these cases would have benefited from a bit more time for the change to happen.

There are two villains in the series that are particularly frustrating when it comes to that because with them changing morality was like flipping a switch. With the first one both the good-to-bad and bad-to-good changes were just not motivated enough and were ramped up to eleven. It just leaves you thinking “You should go to sleep and then you’d calm down” but instead he ended up nearly getting dozens of people killed just because he couldn’t think to count to ten. And in the other case, the switch to the side of evil was definitely motivated in insecurities that were festering over time but the flip-flopping between good and evil was just really annoying and didn’t feel like it was grounded in particular thought or even emotion. It was just happening because the plot demanded it which was extremely jarring after two and a half seasons of a character driven show. And despite the clearly overtaking insecurities, watching this character make some of her choices is unbelievably frustrating because they just don’t make sense. No matter how hurt she is, she is just acting like she either is unable to think or like she doesn’t care about anyone but herself which clashes with the moments in which she is considering going back to the side of good. It is baffling and the worst point of the writing in any aspect.

Relationship Drama

Or rather the lack of anything I would describe as relationship drama aka unfounded jealousy and wild miscommunication that would take half a minute of intelligent conversation to be resolved. I was so pleasantly surprised by the way the relationship between Rapunzel and Eugine was handled. They are both supportive of each other and forgive mistakes. They talk about their feelings and resolve conflict whenever it arises. They trust each other even when it appears that the situation doesn’t warrant that. It is just a healthy relationship that is absolutely heart-warming and adorable to watch.

I am especially thrilled about the fact that they brought up Rapunzel rejecting Eugine’s marriage proposal in Before Ever After and touched on how it would feel to a girl who’s spent her whole life confined to one place to be thinking of settling down (not ideal since in a way it implied that marriage is a trap or at least boring and would cut off your opportunity for adventure but at least they talked about it). And I am especially pleased that they gave the characters time to explore their relationship and also explored the idea of them being in one without being engaged. Really, the message that you can love someone and still not be ready to get engaged is valuable and not something I would expect from a story about a Disney princess.

Some more highlights to talk about and some minor spoilers (don’t read if you don’t want to know more) – they explore how Rapunzel inspires Eugine to be better but it isn’t framed as her being his only salvation. It is framed exactly as what it is – Eugine seeing Rapunzel’s kindness and deciding that he wants to be better for himself and for her, too. I really appreciated that. They also have this episode in which Rapunzel and Eugine have to play parents and I liked the way it was handled. It truly felt like they have the connection between them to support a family and raise children but they are not in a rush and that goes back to the idea that they don’t need to get engaged and married if they don’t feel ready even though they might appear ready.

Lore

I loved the lore of the series. There is a lot more we learn about Corona as well as Rapunzel and the abilities of her hair. There is more information about the world and the surroundings of both the characters and Corona as a kingdom. We get a great expansion of the fantasy element of the world as well as the history and politics of it and I was immersed in the way it made the story and the characters richer. The show is doing its own thing and it is following whatever has already been established about the world and building on it in order to make both the story more compelling and to answer questions that have been raised in the movies without being answered. It’s doing quite well on that front.

Originality

A lot of times I would think that we are going down the route of a certain trope but then they’d put a fresh spin on it or at least a new angle that isn’t usually brought up and made the story that much more engaging. The show dealt with some serious topics that I never would have expected from a Disney princess property. They actually explore Rapunzel grappling with the responsibility that will fall on her shoulders once she’s queen of Corona and it was done in a very realistic and honest–even raw–way. Definitely not something you think you’ll find in the show when you sit down to watch it. There were certainly some cliches and moments that I wish they could have subverted the tropes they were using, but overall, I was often surprised by the way they handled the matter they were writing about.

[devilsskettle]

i think nearly half the time i have a problem with a movie, it’s because of the pacing, and unfortunately i think that’s the most difficult part to get right while also being the foundation for the whole movie. this is definitely true imo of the fear street movies. it’s not just that the overall pacing in fear street is pretty rough, it’s also the pacing of the scenes, especially when they try to have an emotional moment but don’t seem to know how to transition smoothly back to the main plot so the ends of certain scenes are choppy and abrupt. like both of alice’s big emotional moments seem shoehorned in to try to get the audience to care about her without really thinking about working in that dialogue naturally. it’s probably bad to say this but the first time i watched that scene where cindy confesses to snitching on her and alice tells her about her s*lf h*rm, i literally laughed out loud not because the content of the scene is funny obviously but because the first time alice shows emotional vulnerability and expresses herself genuinely, they don’t even try to wrap up the scene - the next line of dialogue after “we all have our ways of dealing with shadyside” is cindy recognizing the red moss from camp lol it’s like the writers were like oh, we actually need to make alice an emotionally compelling character, so they spun a wheel of generic teen drama issues and landed on s*lf h*rm, put it into their madlibs for dramatic teen dialogue, and were like okay that’s enough of that, moving on. (for the record i’m not making light of s*lf h*rm, i know it’s a serious issue and it’s one that i deal with myself, which is why i have a problem with how carelessly they threw it into the story as a cheap tactic to try to get you to care about a character they didn’t even care about enough to actually give any character development, without thinking about it with any nuance or sensitivity imo. i know other people were fine with it so maybe i’m hypercritical and hypersensitive but whatever that’s just my opinion).

then when she makes her big speech about standing up and fighting the curse, she’s immediately axed in the face. like i’m sorry but what is the point if there was going to be no suspense at all between her climactic character development moment and her death. i’m not saying i need them to write a novel but i think we need at least three minutes or so between then and her death for the speech to have emotional resonance or else it seems like either a poorly executed (no pun intended) joke or sloppy writing

(much like simon’s death - again, i literally laughed out loud the first time i watched it but it really does seem like they just. ran out of time and didn’t know how to kill him but needed him dead for plot purposes lol, it also cuts short the potential emotional impact of kate’s death since neither he or josh have a chance to react beyond the initial shock).

then there’s a couple moments in part 3 where i thought they were setting up some kind of moment of emotional connection between ziggy and the other characters, but they just didn’t follow through at all. first of all, she was criminally underutilized in the 1994 part of the plot line, but we might’ve gotten a little bit better of an idea of her life and personality as an adult if she had just been given any meaningful dialogue at all lol. like when she sees the tree at the mall and has flashbacks to the camp nightwing massacre, deena comes up to her and they have a moment together looking at the tree and deena goes “this is it” and ziggy just says “yup” and walks away so deena can have her own tree-related flashback and i just??? i really expected them to have some kind of little exchange since they’re really similar characters who have gone through difficult curse-related challenges and have lost people they’ve cared about as a result and they’re both risking their lives to try to break the curse and help each other and they haven’t really had a conversation with each other about any of that and you’d think at some point they would at least from a writing perspective as narrative parallels and they had this little moment all set up to do that and they just decided to show us shit we’ve already seen again? then abruptly cut back to the main action? and then later when josh is like “i can’t lose my sister!” you’d think that’s a big emotionally climactic moment for josh but also it’s something that maybe would resonate with ziggy since her sister also was murdered by the same killers they’re fighting but she and martin just stand there looking at him like  ._.  then it cuts away to the main action again like they really could’ve done more there i don’t know i just find it so hard to stay emotionally invested in movies that don’t really know what they’re trying to do with their characters in the first place

[doof-doofblog]

"You And Me, We're Done, For Good!"

Double Episode Catch-Up

Monday 1st March - Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope your week is going well so far! I've decided again today that in a desperate attempt to catch up, I'm going to do another post reviewing two episodes. I feel my last post went well and the way I wrote it felt really good, so I'm hoping this one will be the same. So I'll be reviewing the episodes of Monday and Tuesday this week,

Wow, wow, wow!!! An emotional dramatic roller-coaster that's for sure! Okay so I feel there are two main things to focus on, but before we start on them I'm going to start with Whitney and Gray. So after Valentine's Day it looks as if Whitney and Kush have been having a secret fling. Their romance hasn't come to knowledge for everyone yet, as they appear to be enjoying each other's company, Whitney is ushered away as Gray contacts her to look after the children. Of course, being how kind, caring and understanding Kush is, lets her go to do her job at childminding. Whitney goes a out her day looking after the kids, but when Gray comes home asking where the children are, Whitney informs him that they're playing with Raymond over at Denise's, now I get Gray would be concerned as Lucas has returned, but he has no knowledge about Lucas, plus the children wouldn't be there unsupervised, Denise wouldn't allow that considering what she knows, so I feel Gray getting angry with Whitney was completely unnecessary - but then again, when has Gray ever done something which is necessary?! Something tells me if he flips about Whitney letting his children go out to play, how the heck is he going to react when he learns she's been building a relationship with Kush?! It's been known that Gray has hold a spark for Whitney, but it looks as if she just sees him as a mate - I fear what's going to happen when Gray learns about Whitney and Kush, what do you guys think?!  

--

Awwwww Isaac and Lola?! I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this relationship? I always did love Lola being with Jay, but I'm beginning to think that this could really go somewhere! It looks as if Isaac really does have strong feelings for Lola and after recent events of confronting his Mother to deal with his diagnosis, he's ready to tell Lola about his condition. As they enjoy another date, they were discussing movies and I have to be honest, I loved this moment, I enjoyed how natural it was. The banter, the laughing, genuinely getting to know each other more, but the interesting moment when Lola tells him to reveal something to her that she doesn't know about him, he does look a bit scared, a bit hesitant to tell her the truth, but eventually he admits that he has schizophrenia.

Now understandably, this would worry Lola. But I think she dealt the news brilliantly! Very understanding, caring - almost as if it didn't matter. She's still willing to go on dates with him and even move further into a relationship. However when she's back home after the date, maybe just to put her mind at rest, she tries asking a type of "Alexa" whether schizophrenia is dangerous, but it looks as if it doesn't work and the device doesn't respond. Just then, Isaac arrives with desserts with huge happy smiles across his face, but Lola kind of digs herself a hole when the device has a delayed response, informing her about schizophrenia right in front of Isaac. I do feel this was a little awkward, predictable maybe, but it made for brilliant viewing. Even Isaac finds the funny side and admits that he understands her concern and reassures her about any worries she may have for the future. Even the following scene where they're enjoying their dessert together, I love how Isaac is reminiscing about his teenage years and informing Lola of the time he told a friend about his diagnosis, I found it really really moving.

As I explained in my last post, I don't know the full detail when it comes to schizophrenia, I had to do a bit of research to understand, but I'll be interested to see if Isaac's condition deteriorates or becomes worse. Isn't it a bit predictable? Isaac finds happiness with Lola, only for his illness to escalate and go out of control? This is EastEnders after all, nothing is ever simple or easy and happiness doesn't last for very long. I'll be interested to see if they do an episode which focuses completely on Isaac and his mental health, as they've done with Stacey and Bobby in previous episodes, I think it would be great for the viewers to learn and understand what schizophrenia entails for those suffering with it.

--

Okay so finally I know the name of character, it's Stas!!!!! After how many episodes now? Three maybe? His name is pronounced loud and clear! (Also thank you to a few subtitles!). Okay so this story regarding Ben, Kheerat and Stas kind of makes sense. So Ben and Kheerat have joined forces in a way to do business with Stas. Did anyone else feel for Vinny though? I felt bad the way Vinny was dragged into all of this. I think Vinny hesitates when he learns that his brother is doing business with Mitchell's but also states that it'll be a bold move to get their family name out there and heard of.

Things seem to be going well for a Panesar's, that is until a dodgy shoplifter is spotted in their shop, both Kheerat and Vinny take it upon themselves to lock the shoplifter in the shop and confront them. Can I also just mention how brilliant Kheerat was in this scene, it was a strong and powerful performance from Jaz Deol. I don't know why I loved it so much, but I felt like it was a type of speech that we've never seen before, well maybe apart from Masood a few years back. I kind of see Kheerat as a younger version of Masood in a way, what do you think?! Eventually a plan is put in place for Ben, Kheerat and Stas to meet at the Arches. As far as I can make out, Stas is expecting for receive his money - money for what, I don't know? But either way Kheerat tries to reassure Stas that his "Dirty money" will be delivered. The one moment that did grab my attention though is when Stas basically insulted Ben about his sexuality, I mean - how dare he!

As time drags on, Stas seems to get a little impatient for his money and from the looks of things, Vinny is meant to be the one who's delivering the money. Stas starts to lose his temper and pulls out a gun, in an attempt to hurry things along he puts on some music as a timer for when he wants his money to be delivered, but unbeknown to everyone, as Vinny is rushing to get the money to the Arches on time, he gets approached by the shoplifter along with a huge gang, cornering him in his path. It's far to say that as the music is continuing to play, both Ben and Kheerat are fearing for their life as Stas threatens to blow up the building as a he points a gun to a gas canister. Poor Vinny is trapped, he tries his best to fight his way out of the brawl, backing into the Vic. Luckily as he enters the pub, he sees Callum sat at the bar, in a desperate attempt to get away safely, he asks Callum for his help. But little does Callum know what he's getting himself involved in, especially considering his job role.

Only, how Callum does help Vinny remains to be seen, as we don't see exactly what Callum does. But eventually, Vinny makes it to the Arches, even though he's late and music has stopped playing, both Ben and Kheerat have managed to talk Stas round in the meantime. Ben admits to his ex-business partner that he had called him "Mad" in the past, but that does not mean that he's stupid. I have to admit watch all this drama unfold, it was pretty exciting stuff, dramatic and very suspenseful. Eventually, Vinny arrives safe and sound with his money still all in tact in the bag, I guess you could say Kheerat and Ben are more than relieved to see his appearance. Kheerat mentions that everything can be forgotten if Stas leaves with the money now and he'll make sure that Stas is given his money every month. As things begin to settle down and Stas leaves with his money, everyone else returns to the Panesar business, Kheerat questions Ben as to whether Stas has always been so erratic in his ways, to which Ben admits he is. Has Kheerat got himself in too deep? As Ben turns his attention to Vinny and questions why he was so late, Vinny reveals to them that he had to ask Callum for help, which completely sends Kheerat in a panic! Considering Callum's job role, who knows what would've happened if Callum had found out the truth? Kheerat voices his disappointment in his brother, claiming that if anything comes back to haunt them, then it's on his head! I do kind of feel for Vinny at this point as well, and when he bumps into Callum later on in the street, it looks as if he's beginning to question his involvement in his brother's business. Does he really want to be handling dodgy deals with his brother and Ben Mitchell? Does he perhaps want to take a different route and do something different with his life? Even Callum admits he could become a police officer, PC Vinny Panesar - who knows?

As Ben returns home after his eventful day, he bumps into Stas for one last time. Showing a bit of interest, he questions who it was who told him the Mitchell's were backstabbing him. It's then that Kat is seen leaving the pub, Stas clocks on to her and informs Ben that it was actually her who blabbed. But the interesting is, how is Ben going to react when he learns Kat has been sleeping with his Dad?! THAT I am looking forward to seeing! Are Phil and Kat actually a serious thing? Or simply just a bit of fun?

--

Okay, so we have to talk about Ruby don't we? Poor Ruby! I think I'm beginning to feel more sorry for her as time goes on. I don't condone the lying and scheming that she's done, but no one deserves to go through losing a baby, it's the most heart-breaking thing anyone can go through. It's the day after her miscarriage and it looks as if she just wants to carry on, heading to work might even take her mind off of a few things, but Martin tries to persuade her to stay at home. But as Ruby is adamant she wants to go to wrong, she gets an excruciating pain. As Ruby is rushed to hospital, it looks as if Stacey is at home feeling nothing but guilt, does she fear that it's her fault that Ruby lost her baby? I mean, she didn't do anything to harm her, but due to all her stress, could that have caused Ruby to have a miscarriage?

It's eventually revealed that Ruby has suffered a haemorrhage after her miscarriage and they need to empty her womb. I have to say the performances from both James Bye and Louisa Lytton have been brilliant during these episodes, having to watch a young couple grieve for their lost baby, it's devastating! Poor Martin doesn't know how to console his wife, he simply can't find the right words to comfort her. He returns home to get her some more comfortable clothing when Stacey approaches, of course she's riddled with guilt and remorse, she deeply apologises to Martin. I think after everything she and Martin have been through, they know each other better than anyone, so when Martin admits he doesn't know how to be there for Ruby, Stacey tells her ex-husband that all Ruby needs is for him to talk to her, to know how he's feeling, it'll give her some comfort that she's not having to go through this all on her own.

Returning to the hospital, Martin finally finds the courage to open up to his wife. Earlier she questioned why he wasn't angry for losing his child. But he admits that he hasn't gotten past the sad stage, he's still upset and grieving for the child they've lost. He admits that when Ruby announced she was pregnant, he was terrified to begin with, but then he came comfortable with the idea and it made him happy to be a Dad again and to bring up a child with her. It would've completed their family. It looks as if this is what Ruby has been waiting to hear, she's needed to know exactly how her husband has been feeling, it seems this is the first time he's been completely open with her. I found this whole entire storyline so touching you know, upsetting as well as touching, dramatic. Performances from everyone involved have been incredible!

I kind of feel Stacey also as she's having to deal with the knowledge that she was there when Ruby fell, could she have done something more to help her? If they hadn't been arguing, she probably wouldn't have fell? All these questions would understandably going round and round in her head! As she stands on the Square with a bunch of flowers, she watches as Ruby and Martin return home from the hospital. Kush notices her and offers to go with her for support. As they enter their house, Ruby is pretty much stunned to see Stacey walking in with a bunch of flowers, I think she almost takes it as an insult. Stacey pleads for them to stop fighting and arguing, too much has no happened because of their horrendous arguments. But Ruby seems to have none of it, maybe she feels that there's too much water under the bridge for them ever to rekindle their friendship. Ruby then drops the false blow that Stacey was to blame for her miscarriage because she had pushed her down the stairs.

Now this is a false accusation, I don't how guys see this, but Stacey did not push her. Ruby followed Stacey up the stairs, but as Stacey turned, Ruby's ankle gave way and she fell. Stacey denies the allegation and pleads for Martin to understand that she'd never do something like that. But then Ruby takes it one step further by revealing to her husband that both Stacey and Kush locked her in the office and forced her to take a pregnancy test to prove to them that she was in fact pregnant. As awful and disgusting that was, Stacey tries to fight her corner, claiming that she was just looking out for her ex-husband. Ruby had been lying about so much and they feel they had good reason to check whether she was telling the truth or not.

As everyone continues to argue, poor Martin is just sat there as everything seems to sink in, the loss of his child, the accusation against Stacey and then revelation of how they treated Ruby. It all gets completely too much for him, causing him to completely explode. Telling them all to stop arguing, he exits the room and leaves the house, Kush following to console his best mate. But Martin appears to be absolutely furious, lashing out at Kush and punching him to the floor. Kush tells his friend to punch him again if it makes him feel any better, but he also reminds Martin that he knows exactly how he's currently feeling. Kush has been there! He's lost a child! I think some people do sometimes forget about that, it was one of the most tear-jerking moments I have ever seen on EastEnders, when Kush and Shabnam lost their son, Zaair.

The next scene between Martin and Kush is really loved, it was sad, moving and to be honest, it was nice having Kush remember holding his still-born son. Devastatingly, Martin never even got the opportunity to hold his new child, but I think this brief talk with Kush does help him in some way. Kush even asks him whether he's cried for his loss yet, but when Martin admits he hasn't, Kush informs him that that's where he needs to start. If Martin is worried about Ruby and trying to be there for her, he needs to make sure that he can also grieve himself before he can look after his wife. He voices that he's finding it hard to believe that Stacey would purposely push Ruby down the stairs just so she would lose their baby, I mean anyone would find it hard to believe that anyone would/could be that cruel! The final scene of the episode, Martin is sat on Arthur's bench in the Square, he looks to be in deep thoughts of the days events, but as Stacey approaches him, he realises that things between them can't be as they once were. He needs to be there for his wife, she is more important than anything right now and maybe the best thing for everyone would be if Martin and Ruby had nothing more to do with each other, he reassures her that they'll be civil for the children's sake, but the kiss they shared at Christmas was a huge mistake. He's been over her for a long time now and Ruby is his priority, as far as he's concerned, his relationship with Stacey is over, for good!

Overall a very emotional and dramatic set of episodes! I apologise for this post being so so late, I have to admit I've been a little distracted and had a few breaks during the day whilst I've been writing this, but I'm glad to have finished and have it up now! I'm looking forward to seeing where these different stories go, please feel free to leave me a comment or a message letting me know what you're think, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you everyone! I love you all xXx

[cheesymovie]

okay so I’m alone in my dorm @ uni and I’m bored as all hell & i’ve has a recent fascination w old movies??? & u reblog stuff about old movies all the time so I’m just wondering if u have any suggestions?? I wanna watch some good/fun ones but I have no idea how to find the ones that don’t suck!! always a sucker for the ones that have gay subtext but like. any suggestions at all would be so appreciated thank u queen

oooooh yes!!!!!!! you came to just the place! im just gonna list some of my faves, hang on cause this is gonna be a LONG one (im not sure what your cutoff for Old is so i just went with 1960)

silent:

wings: really well done visually, also features the first gay kiss in history (ofc the context is different, but it’s there!)

nosferatu: the legendary spongebob character’s origin story! the music is wonderful in this, it’s very Artsy, just one of the greatest horror movies ever (it’s a bit slow at times but most silent films are)

the cabinet of dr caligari: REALLY cool from an art perspective, the sets are incredible, i love german expressionism, another great one for when you’re in the mood to get Spooky

steamboat bill, jr: buster keaton is a legend for a reason, this is my personal favorite of his. theres also something very unique and charming about silent film slapstick that i just adore, and this is a wonderful showcase of it!

the gold rush: basically the same reasoning as above, but with charlie chaplin. also this movie has a lot of genuine emotion you dont often get from silent comedies!

sunrise: a song of two humans: a must-see for silent films, it has super intriguing visual effects that really give a dreamlike quality to it, as well as great acting for the limited medium

show people: a really sweet classic romance that also gives you a nice (if not totally accurate) taste of The Movie Biz @ the time

metropolis: one of the first sci fi movies ever. visually STUNNING like nothing ive ever seen, also a bit of a workers of the world unite moment

noir/drama/general Serious Stuff: 

the big sleep: SEXY! the plot is hard to follow but it’s worth it for the characters and also just all i can say is. hot - it’s about a murder or two!

the maltese falcon: actually makes sense and like. Says Stuff abt humanity. gripping plot and nuanced characters -about a bird statue and the knights templar also human nature but also who could forget a murder or two!

sunset boulevard: absolutely enthralling characters, script, plot, performances, all of it! - it’s about a murder!

rebel without a cause: HUGE gay subtext with this one, one of the original Teen Movies

kiss me deadly: interesting!!!!! i was intrigued from start to finish w this one and you probably will be too

strangers on a train: one o those Psychological Thrillers, interesting n well acted - it’s about The Concept of Murder

north by northwest: super fast paced spy action movie that also #makes you think

murder, my sweet: another classic phillip marlowe story with that fast talkin detective dialogue i love so much - it’s about a murder! (my sweet)

double indemnity: the height of Cynicism in noir, not even any detectives in this just bad deeds and Tension -it’s about a murder or two!

key largo: just a hotel full of intriguing characters all At Odds with each other and the concept of heroism

random harvest: kinda cheesy amnesia plot but comes across well with good acting and dialogue

the lady vanishes: about a lady. who vanishes. funny at times and has that Classic hitchcock tension before he really landed on his final style

casablanca: “here’s lookin at you kid” “i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” just. one of the most iconic movies of the whole Classic Era and for good reason!

to have and have not: basically casablanca BUT consider this- i love Them (them being humphrey bogart and lauren bacall)

comedy/romance/general Light Stuff:

the thin man series: one of my absolute all time favorites! it’s just a story about two rich people who only love each other and alcohol getting dragged into solving various mysteries. my favorite thing about this is how much you can tell they love each other, like they’ve been married for years and just banter back and forth in a way founded on mutual respect n adoration which is So refreshing to see in classic movies!

it happened one night: i ADORE this movie! it’s a classic road trip comedy with a ton of bizarre side characters and hijinks, and also basically Invented the rom com genre. they’re also genuinely in love in a very cute way! it’s just sweet and fun and one of my fav movies of all time

arsenic and old lace: a dark comedy about old lady serial killers, brothers who think theyre theodore roosevelt and frankenstein (respectively), and Love. it’s super bizarre but a real joy to watch!

it’s a wonderful life: makes me sob every single time and leaves ya with that fuzzy warm feeling inside (recommended for christmas/winter viewing)

duck soup: i mean it’s the most iconic marx brothers movie, what more can i say!

bringing up baby: just a real wacky romp where it’s the lady and the tiger, with a whole lot of silly comedy

my man godfrey: makes fun of rich people n has a big loud ensemble cast (also romance)

the shop around the corner: they fall in love through letters but hate each other in real life! :0! bonus points for jimmy stewart’s voice

abbott and costello meet frankenstein: the title says it all. completely joyfully stupid movies like these are a big reason why i love old movies!

roman holiday: audrey hepburn’s debut movie. really sweet, has an ending that makes me cry

death takes a holiday: super interesting experimental concept not seen often in this era - Death literally takes a holiday and has to deal w life n love n all that

sabrina: a very nice and well acted little romance/cinderalla story w sprinkle of comedy

the philadelphia story: another Classique rom com with a love triangle n some nice fast-paced witty dialogue

musicals:

singin in the rain: one of the first classic movies i ever remember loving. every second of it is just. ah chef kiss

guys and dolls: very fun!!! just emblematic of good ol showtunesy musicals as a whole 

top hat: fred astaire and ginger rogers!! need i say more?

on the town: really fun music n choreography, generally engaging to watch

cabin in the sky: an all black cast with a ton of great songs n talent! 

the great ziegfeld: a really lovely period piece about 20s live shows with stunning costumes/choreography

gentlemen prefer blondes: it’s classic baby!

meet me in st louis: very sweet very fun lots to love

an american in paris: kinda ran out of juice near the end here and realized Musicals is the Same. anyways watch it gene kelly is charming and can click his heels together 

horror/sci fi

dracula: sexy. iconic. what more do you need

frankenstein: really has a Heart unlike a lot of these, also Iconic

bride of frankenstein: made me cry! see above but like, More

just realized im listing all the universal monster movies, so just, watch Any of those for a good and cheesy classic horror time

the day the earth stood still: a real cold war era movie about aliens and morality

plan 9 from outer space: a HILARIOUS so-bad-it’s-good old sci fi movie, highly recommend 

them!: giant radiation ants babey! really good effects for the time n well done suspense

honorable mention: this is past the cut off date but watch santa claus conquers the martians oh my gosh it’s the epitome of old b list sci fi and it never fails to send me n pals into a regular Laugh Riot

[starwarsnonsense]

Top 10 Films of 2018 (So Far)

Since I quite like continuing old traditions, I wanted to do a post rounding up what I consider to be the ten best films of 2018 so far. This list includes a few films that came out in 2017 in the US, since they were only released here in the UK this year.

Have you seen any of the films I cover below? Have I piqued your interest in a title you might not have heard before? Let me know, and do share your favourites too!

1. Annihilation, dir. Alex Garland

This was my most anticipated film of the year, and my hype for it was more than rewarded. This is a marvellously rich and transporting science fiction film that isn’t afraid of taking the viewer to some very weird places. However, Annihilation doesn’t simply rely on its strangeness to succeed - it is also firmly rooted in its characters and themes, which has made it incredibly rewarding to return to. Natalie Portman is fantastic as Lena, and Annihilation is a brilliant showcase for her - Lena is a complex and frequently self-destructive character, riddled by guilt and regrets that shape the pulsating, luminescent world of the mysterious ‘Shimmer’ that she has to venture into. The Shimmer might seem like an environmental phenomenon at first, but it’s really more psychological, being a space that adapts according to the people who enter into it. This film overflows with fascinating and thought-provoking ideas, and it was entirely worth the hike I made over to Brooklyn to catch one of the final showings at the theatre (since Annihilation was denied a theatrical release in the UK, I made a point of seeing it while I was on holiday in New York). I think it will go down as one of the great science fiction films, and it belongs in the same conversations as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris.

2. Beast, dir. Michael Pearce

This little British film - shot mostly on location in Jersey by a first-time director - was easily the biggest (and best) surprise I’ve had so far at the cinema this year. I literally had no idea this film existed until a day or so before I watched it, and that made the experience of viewing it even more wonderful. Moll (Jessie Buckley) is an isolated young woman who is stifled by her controlling family and quiet life on a remote island, as well as a secret sin that bubbles away underneath the surface. Her life is predictable - safe, repetitive and dull - until she meets Pascal, a mysterious local man who she finds she has an affinity with. However, there is a murderer haunting the island, taking the lives of young girls in the night. Who’s to blame, and what impact will the killings have on Moll and Pascal’s swiftly escalating romance? While that is a synopsis more than a review, I felt it necessary to explain the premise to try and compel you to seek this one out. Beast is raw, woozy and utterly absorbing - the love story between Moll and Pascal is one of the most passionate and gripping you’ll ever see on screen, and their chemistry is simply sensational. There’s a real gothic, fairy-tale edge to the story which appealed perfectly to my (admittedly rather niche) tastes. This is a real hidden treasure of a film - do yourself a favour and make it your mission to watch it.

3. Lady Bird, dir. Greta Gerwig

This film was so, so relatable, despite my not really having experienced an adolescence anything like “Lady Bird’s”. While the details of her life are very different from mine, I think anyone can relate to the sweeping brushstrokes - the tensions that can arise between parents and children, the thirst for freedom and independence that builds the closer you get to the final days of school, and the feelings of love and loyalty that are always there even when they’re unspoken. Greta Gerwig captures all of this and so much more with marvellous delicacy, balancing little moments that add colour and spark with more serious scenes so deftly that it’s amazing to think that this is her first feature. Lady Bird is a very specific and very beautiful film, and it’s special precisely because it feels universal even as it feels small and personal to its director. 

4. Eighth Grade, dir. Bo Burnham

This is the perfect double bill with Lady Bird, and the people who have dubbed this film “Lady Bird Jr” are right on the money. Elsie Fisher has a real star turn as the heroine Kayla, who is a very special child - she’s kind, sensitive and thoughtful, which basically means she’s my kind of superhero. But even as she is a good and sweet person, she is also going through all of the trials you’d expect a 13 year old to be facing in 2018, as she wrestles with acne, confusing feelings about super-dreamy boys, and the escalating anxiety that comes with a comment-free Instagram post. Like Lady Bird, this film succeeds in being both very specific and highly universal - the only social media I had to deal with as a teen were MySpace and Bebo, and I found that seeing Kayla wrestle with a whole kaleidoscope of feeds, devices and platforms made her strong grip on her integrity as a  funny and deeply warm-hearted individual all the more remarkable. Bo Burnham, as with Gerwig, made a pretty incredible film here - in particular you should watch out for the father/daughter dynamic, which is my favourite part. Eighth Grade is funny and generous, and the perfect medicine if you’re feeling demoralised by the state of the world right now.

5. The Breadwinner, dir. Nora Twomey

The Breadwinner is a really lovely animated film telling the story of Parvana, a young girl living with her family under the Taliban. When her father is taken off to prison, Parvana sees no other choice but to dress as a boy to provide for her mother and siblings. But how long will her disguise last? The story here was what really gripped me - it’s very simple, in both the telling and the themes, but it is truly beautiful in that simplicity. The emotions are very raw, and this film goes to some shockingly dark places at times - while I think it can be watched with children as long as they are mature enough for some challenging themes and upsetting moments, it’s likely to speak most strongly to adult audiences with a fuller appreciation for the context in which the film is set. It’s a great and moving alternative to more mainstream animated efforts, and is well worth your time.

6. Phantom Thread, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

This was a delightfully twisted film with an absorbingly complicated and twisty relationship at its centre. Vicky Krieps is an absolute marvel as Alma, and it’s wonderful to see how she battles to bring the fragile and austere designer  Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) to heel. It’s also a beautiful film with rather fabulous fashions - if you love couture, particularly from the ‘50s, this will be a real treat. I also appreciated the many allusions to classic cinema - there are strong shades of Hitchcock’s Rebecca, as well as the underrated David Lean film The Passionate Friends. Check this out if you like your romantic dramas weird and entirely unpredictable.

7. Revenge, dir. Coralie Fargeat

Revenge is angry, sun-soaked and batshit insane - and it is pretty great for all of those reasons. It follows Jennifer, the teenage mistress of a sleazy married man. After a horrifying assault Jennifer returns, phoenix-like, to wreak her revenge upon her attackers. This movie was very much inspired by exploitation flicks, with their penchant for showing scantily clad (and frequently bloody) women wielding shotguns to hunt down the brutes who did them wrong. However, first-time director Coralie Fargeat takes every one of those tropes and owns them, ramping up the blood and giving the action a propulsive energy that keeps you gripped even as you know exactly where things are going. The soundtrack here is also one to look out for - it’s all pulsating synths that do a great job of building the suspense and tension from the get-go.

8. Lean on Pete, dir. Andrew Haigh

This is a very painful film in many ways, but it’s only painful because it does such a great job of earning your emotional investment. The lead of this film is Charley, a sensitive and quiet teenage boy who becomes attached to an ailing race horse as he seeks to escape his troubled home-life. When he finds himself in crisis, Charley takes the horse and they head off on a journey across the American heartland. Charlie Plummer is extraordinary as the lead here - Charley is the kind of character that makes you want to reach through the screen so you can offer him a hug of reassurance and support. The photography of the American countryside is exquisite, and means this film really deserves to be seen on the big screen - the breadth of the landscape gives all of the emotional drama some (richly deserved, in my view) extra punch.

9. You Were Never Really Here, dir. Lynne Ramsay

This is a very weird film (you’re probably noticing a theme at this point) but it’s completely absorbing. It’s very much actor-led, and the film rests on the shoulders of Joaquin Phoenix’s gripping and unpredictable performance - in some scenes he’s muttering in deference to his mother like a modern-day Norman Bates, while in others he’s portrayed almost as a lost boy in an overgrown body, disorientated by his environment and engaging in acts of extreme violence as if in a sort of trance. The narrative is fuzzy and unfocused, but I didn’t find that mattered much since I was too busy following every evolution of Phoenix’s face.

10. Thoroughbreds, dir. Cory Finley

Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy make fantastic foils to one another as two appallingly privileged teenagers whose obscene wealth is only matched by their resounding lack of morals. This is a film that plays with your loyalties, trying to wrong-foot you at every turn - it’s frequently difficult to figure out what’s genuine here, and while that did sometimes leave me feeling a bit emotionally detached that’s usually the point. This film is more of an intellectual puzzle than a lean, mean, emotion-extracting machine (see: Lean on Pete), and it succeeds brilliantly on that level. The simplicity of the story means the fun lies in picking apart lines and expressions, so go in prepared for some close viewing.

[jaywrites101]

JayReviews: Shazam!

What makes a person pure of heart? Today at JayWrites101 we're looking into the recent "controversy" surrounding Captain Marvel and her DC competitor Shazam!. Some are saying this movie is everything Captian Marvel should have been, others are saying this movie is the hack. Which is true? Let's find out together.

The purpose of this review is to break down The Good, The Bad, and The Strange to find out what makes these stories so unique.

Spoilers ahead.

Medium: Movie. Genre: Superhero, Comedy Premise: A young boy is given the ultimate power of Shazam, and must use this power to recapture the Seven Deadly Sins. Plot: A young boy named Thaddeus is teleported to a magic temple and given a test to see if his heart is pure enough to wield the power of Shazam. He fails the test and spends the rest of his life devoted to finding his way back to that temple.

Enter Billy Batson, a young delinquent living in Philadelphia who lost his mother when he was a very young child. Billy regularly runs away from his foster homes and pulls pranks on cops so he can track down every Batson in Philadelphia. Finally, at the last woman on the list, Billy is crushed to discover that she wasn't his mother either, and he's left without any option but to return to foster care.

Thaddeus, now an older man, finally cracks the code to magic and breaks into the temple. Shazam, being near the end of his power and life tries to stop him, but Thaddeus steals the Eye of Sin, which does exactly what it says on the tin and becomes his eye.

Also, it frees the Seven Deadly Sins from their captivity. Thaddeus can sort of control them, but in reality, they're just using him, and since he's already doing what they want... it works.

Anywho, Shazam, now left dying is forced to give his powers to Billy and pray that the kid won't abuse them as previous heroes did in the past. Smaaaaaaart.

The rest of the story is Billy trying to figure out the limits of his powers with his best friend and foster brother Freddy. Being Shazam makes him grow into an adult. Wacky hijinks ensue!

Billy eventually attracts the attention of Thaddeus who forces Billy to fight by kidnapping his family, and Billy discovers a way to allow them to become superheroes like himself. Together they beat Thaddeus, return the Eye of Sin to its cage, and bind the Sins back into their original prisons.

The Good: This movie is hilarious! This is one of the best modern examples of physical comedy I've seen in years! Between Shazam! and Into the Spiderverse, I'm hopeful that this style of comedy will make a full recovery. 

Aside from the laughs -- which were plentiful -- I have to say the acting was on point for everyone involved. The kids were excellent, the adults were excellent, line readings, facial expressions, all of it was top notch here.

But we're going to give this Good with an asterisk. You see, this film is a comedy, it's fun and light-hearted. This lends itself well to more expressive emotions and any slip-ups made only serve to add to its charm. It's still a really big Good. But it a bar that's a lot easier to clear in a comedy with serious moments than in a serious movie with comedic moments.

The next Good I want to point out is the cinematography. The camera guy had fun with this. And by fun I probably mean hell. The long takes, the swivels, the crane shots! There was action with this camera, and you could feel that each take was shot with dedication and care. It's refreshing to see in a movie like this especially when so many films of late show flat, static shots with the occasional shot-reverse shot thrown in.

The last point I want to bring up is the dramatic stakes.

People died in this movie.

Yeah, okay. I can hear you already tying away like "no duh," but usually in these superheroic, high-action flicks people are getting offed by stray bullets or "Raaar! Monster smashes building!" And you never really see the death toll. Like, you're sure someone died, but you're not really sure who, why, or how. Unless they're a mentor character. But those folks come with an expiration date to begin with, soooooo...

It's usually easy to ignore the damage done in films like this.

Thaddeus locks about twenty people in a skyscraper room, throws his older brother out the window, and proceeds to murder the remainder of the people saving his father for last.

That's frekin hard to ignore!!

Likewise, the scene where Bily reunites with his birth mother just to find out she left him there with the police intentionally... I... I just can't... I can't even...

The Bad: I don't believe in perfection. I believe everything can be improved. The prime example here would be how exaggerated everything it.

Don't get me wrong. In comedy, exaggeration is played off for laughs and it's beautiful, buuuuut. When you use exaggeration in your drama... It comes off as forced.

To the film's credit, the exaggeration mostly comes from the fact that they're all kids. But it's still grating to older audiences at times.

I was left in eternal confusion about how old Billy was before he gained an adult super-form. This is one area where even the internet failed me. Canonically, Billy is 12... Considering he has a crush on his foster sister who is about to leave for college... <.< I'm going to say he's supposed to be older in this film. 

I mean... They try to imply he's still in grade school, but he looks like he's already in high school. He also acts like he's already in high school.

Aside from that, most of everything else I have to go here are nitpicks. Things like "how do no one notice the lightning bolts being blasted into the rooftops?" You know. Nitpicks. They're there in every film, series or story. Nitpicks can add up and snowball fast, but in this film, they're barely noticeable.

The Strange: This section of the review is devoted to the things that probably wasn't thought out as well as you might have expected.

The other foster kids.

Out of the six kids we have: Billy the protagonist, Freddy the cripple, a little black girl, the college girl/ love interest, the fat kid, and the Asian stereotype.

There is nothing done in the movie to address these characters except that in the end, they all do actually get superpowers.

To be clear: I'm not complaining about the diversity. I'm complaining that these characters are little more than their stereotypes, and the film indirectly implies that these kids are living half a life unless they're flawless, swole, and sexy.

I know, I'm a white boy who's never lived in a foster home before. I don't think I have any kind of right to be offended... But I think there's someone out there who should be.

There are plans for a sequel in the pipelines. I hope they address this. Because half-assed inclusion can be more damaging than outright bad inclusion.

I still think this was a good step in the right direction. But they still need to take a few more.

Strongest Scene: The villain in the office scene. To me, that was the most gut-punching part of the movie. They said, "Hey, I'm going to have this bad guy do bad things in what would otherwise be a kids movie," and somehow the studio was like, "eh, whatever we don't care."

And we received gold. 

The suspension was locked on high, the terror was real, and I actually believed Thaddeus was a wicked monster. Not to mention this was our first glimpse of the Sins outside of the statues. There was so much intensity packed into one small scene that I'm absolutely sure better reviewers than I will continue to pick over it for years to come. So it absolutely receives my subjective vote.

Weakest Scene: This one always pains me to write. I'm going to have to give it to Billy meeting his birth mother. Now, this scene did have some powerful moments in it, like Billy giving back the compass and the mother just looking at it blankly like she couldn't see the implications of it. Powerful stuff.

But the execution of it was... off. For one thing, this was a tight scene and it didn't have a lot of time to build up to the big moments. So some things felt rushed.

For another, Billy's mother seemed almost irritated that Billy had found her after all these years. Like, she glossed right over surprised, ignored curiosity altogether, and went straight on into "yeah, kid what do you want?" and that was... maybe intentional? I don't know.

It's hard to express exactly what I disliked about this, but this woman didn't feel like a mom and... I think that was supposed to be the point, but it really undercuts the emotion this scene should've had. And the only thing that connects to the rest of the movie is that Billy has to accept that his foster family is his real family now.

This is still an excellent scene, in any other movie it would've been fine. But Shazam! hit a high bar and this is easily the one scene that doesn't hold up.

Conclusion: This film was genuinely amazing! If you haven't watched it, you probably should. There's a lot to take out of it, and it stands alone on its own two feet so you don't have to worry if you've literally never watched any other DC movie.

How does Captain Marvel and Shazam! compare to each other?

Check back here tomorrow for my detailed thoughts on this and a few other "controversies" floating around on the internet.

[kimbapmmbapbap]

Current Favourite Dramas

So I thought it would be a cute idea to share my top ten favourite dramas as of 2017. Maybe I will come back to this next year and it has completely changed or more or less stayed the same. I hope this will also come into use if someone wants to watch a new drama or wants to get into watching them!!! I will also include reasons why people may not like it just so if there is something you really hate when watching dramas, that you know it is there!!! 

Anyway, here we go: 

 10 - Playful Kiss

I honestly love this one! It was the first drama I ever watched which is why it has to be on this list. If you look online, it seems to have a lot of hate around it due to the female character and that it is just one big cliche, but to be honest it is so nice once in a while to watch something a bit cheesy, and that doesn’t require much thought while watching it. For those who don’t know what the plot is, it revolves around a girl who is in the lowest class in her school and follows her love story around a boy who is the smartest and coolest in the school. At the beginning he hates her and often embarrass her on purpose in front of their classmates. But as fate makes their families live together, their love grows closer.

What may put you off this drama is its over clicheness, and the foolishness of the main leads. If you dont like too much cheese, then this may not be for you, but i do recommend it if you want something easy to watch and if you are interested in the Itazura Na Kiss franchise!! 

09 - Smile, You

I fell onto this drama about two years ago and my god I was glad I did!!! The cast, the story, and the chemistry is just amazing!! It is a classic hate to love relationship between the main couple, the drama faces issues of money, family and changing the way you live. It involves two families: the Seo’s and the Kang’s. The Seo family are rich after inheriting the grandfathers business however they go bankrupt due to carelessness, and have no over option but to live with the Kang family, who has been serving under the Seo’s, and have to learn how to live frugally.  I absolutely loved the female lead, she started off being a spoilt brat and always getting what she wanted, to someone who wants to work and earn her own money. 

The only issue i find with this drama is that I constantly got frustrated with the other family members due to their stubbornness and constantly thinking that they are right when they are being stupid and annoying!! but other than that, I honestly think this drama is an amazing one. It is a 45 episode drama, but the episodes used to go by so quickly so it didnt take too long to watch!!

08 - My Father Is Strange 

Oh my goodness, this drama honestly completely surprised me. It made me laugh and cry and smile with happiness. The whole cast were amazing and played their roles so well, it was almost like they were a real family. It revolves around a family of five who seem to be living the perfect live. However, when someone turns up claiming to be the fathers son, it all gets disrupted. What I liked about this drama the most is that each of the family members have their own individual story, and focuses on them building new relationships. I loved Jung So Min and Lee Joon’s character in it so much that i genuinely want them to be together irl!!! 

The only issue i find with it was that some of the side stories dragged too long and the in-laws of one of the daughter’s in the family were a bit annoying!! But that shouldnt put you off it the drama. Even though it is a 52 episode drama, like Smile, You, it went by quickly and is something I think both drama veterans and newbies will enjoy!!! 

07 - Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo 

This was an absolutely beautiful, funny, and meaningful drama. The chemistry between the two characters was amazing, loved this couple!! That is not the only reason why I loved this drama. I honestly think the main reason I liked this drama is because it is the first one I have watched that has brought on the message on how serious mental health is, it doesn’t try to make a comedic or weakness element to it which i think it amazing!!  The story revolves around a girl who is aiming to be a weightlifter and is studying at a sports university. It shows struggles with love, friendship, and mental health. 

You know what, I honestly can’t think of a reason why you might not like it, other than that the female lead is a bit stubborn and foolish at times. It is a mood warmer and is certainly a must to watch. 

06 - Secret Garden 

Secret Garden was my first favourite drama. The plot is so good, and it thrilling and nerve-wrecking up to the end. It is another hate to love relationship drama, and features a lot of body swapping. The story focuses on the relationship of a stunt woman and a male ceo of a rich shopping centre who’s personality needs a bit of working on. The two end up drinking a potion that causes them to swap bodies when it rains. This leads to some funny, sad, and interesting moments between them. I loved the extended cast and their own stories, and it also features young Lee Jong Suk!!!!!!! 

You may not like it if you dont like douchey male leads and cliches of evil mother in laws. It is a classic drama which I feel is almost wrong if you dont watch it!!!! 

05 - Suspicious Partner

One of my favourites from 2017!!!! This drama is filled with funny moment, romance, and suspense!!!!! The Chemistry between Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun was just unreal, I cant explain how much I love them!!!!!!! There was so much sexual tension and hot kisses!!! The story surrounds a woman who wants to be an attorney and a man who is a prosecutor. Everything changes for both of them after the female lead is framed for the murder of her cheating ex boyfriend. The acting in this drama was incredible, especially by the villain of the story, he was so good!!! 

What was annoying about this drama is that there was a breaf period where the couple broke up when they didnt need to!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!! I was so annoyed, but it didnt ruin the drama for me,  and overall it was such a good drama, the plot was on point and was so suspenseful on how they were going to proof the killer of murder!! 

04 - Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 

HOOOOOO BOI!!! This drama was a whirlwind of emotions, which is why I loved it!!!!! The first couple of episodes fooled me into thinking it was going to like a historical rom com, boy was i wrong!!!! If you are going to watch this prepare laugh a lot, cry a lot, feel betrayed by certain characters, and to fall in love with all of the princes!!!! If you do not know what this drama is about, well it revolves around a girl in the present day who when saving a boy from drowning is brought the the Goryeo times of Korea and finds out she is in the body of the cousin of the wife of one of the royal princes, and she soon has to find out that she has to adapt to royal life in korea!!!

I feel like if you research this that you will find a lot bad press about it, but don’t listen!!! It does have a rather different ending to what most thought it would have had, but you know what, i honestly believe that the ending was perfect, even though it broke my heart, it fit so well with how the story was told!!!! I do recommend in watching an up beat drama afterwords because its a sadden!!

03 - You’re Beautiful (joint 02)

The next 2 drama’s on this list are pretty much on a tie of second because of how much I loved them!!! You’re Beautiful is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion!!!! It is such a fun loving show, it made me laugh and smile so much, the chemistry between all of the characters was amazing and its nice to see that they are still all friends (this was made in 2009). The OST was so beautiful and catchy, I love Park Shin Hye’s singing!!! The plot consists of a nun in training who has to pretend to be her twin brother due to him having plastic surgery issues while getting ready to debut with as one of the biggest boy group as its new member. The lead of the group Tae Kyung and Mi Nam dont get on at the start due to several incidents, but after finding out she is a girl, he ends up with having to look after her in situations and both end up slowly liking each other. 

Similar to playful kiss and secret garden, it holds a lot of cliche, and personally I did not the kind of love triangle and the second female lead, however I thought she was alright in the last episode. But overall, it is such an up beat drama. I watched this when I was going through a tough time in my life, and it really helped me get through some of my problems!!!! 

02 - Pinocchio (joint 02)

I’ve got to say, I was so surprised by this drama!!! Everything about this drama is just ahhhh!!!! Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk are my absolute favourites, they both perfectly acted their roles and their chemistry was beautiful!!! I recommend this drama with all my heart. Like I mentioned, I loved this main couple, but the reason why it gets my top pick was due to its plot. I loved the whole mystery element to it and how they used journalism to find the answer of how Dal-Po’s (ljs) father’s death was abused and caused the death and disappearance of his brother. It was an on edge, suspenseful drama, but also had its comedic elements. I absolutley loved the supporting cast, even the second male lead, which I rarely ever do!!

The only fault i find with this drama is that when I first watched it, i thought the first 3 or 4 episodes were quite slow, but now i find those as some of my favourites as it tells the past and how dal po was effected by the death of his father and how poor journalism changed his life!!! I cant tell you how many times I’ve watched this one, i remember the first time I watched it, I started it again straight after!!!

01- The Best Hit 

As I am writing this, I can’t stop smiling!!! That is how happy The Best Hit made me!!! I found out about this drama a few days before the first episode aired due to the release of Beautiful Beautiful, a song for the soundtrack, and I instantly fell in love, not only with the song but also because it starred Yoon Shi Yoon who I absolutely adore!!!! There are so many reasons why I love this drama, so here are some: the 2 Days 1 Night references and cameos were amazing (the drama is directed by the past director of the variety show and Cha Tae Hyun who like YSY is a cast of the show). I liked how the plot of the drama was a mystery. No one knew where it was going, who was going to end up with who, what was going to happen to YSY’s character. I also liked how there wasnt really an evil character, and those who you thought were, they were just stupid. The plots consists of Hyun Jae (ysy) who is a famous pop star in 1993 time travelling to present day. He finds out that in 1994 he dissapeared, creating a conspiracy on if he is dead or alive. He finds out he has a son, and tries to help him achieve his dreams while falling in love along the way!!! It is so funny and sweet, I remember the waiting time each week for a new episode to arive!!!

What some people may not like about it is that there are sever continuity errors and areas which could have been developed further, but you have to hand them credit, it was the directorial debut drama for both PD Yoo and and Cha Taehyun!!! Honestly, this is one of my all time favourites and will all ways be!!! Please please please watch this drama!!!!!

SOME HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

The Ledgend of the Blue Sea

Oh My Ghostess 

Boys Over Flowers

Flower Boys Next Door

Personal Preference

Because This is My First Life

While You Were Sleeping 

[ohifonlyx33]

Top 5 episodes of season 1

I know it gets the most criticism, but honestly it's still my favorite season. A bit simple and some might say generic, but it's heartfelt and sweet and fun... and it felt like they were just one team of agents who were a part of something bigger. I love all the hints and clues and parallels and certain clearly visible character arcs. And I love it in retrospect even MORE. The problems they faced were all different and unique eah week which was cool, but there was also an underlying villain they couldn’t see and some conspiracies connecting them. Nevertheless, they were happy at the end of the day and they could go to bed a little worried or perhaps shaken, but alive and safe. Honestly, it's just so clean from a storytelling standpoint. They knew they were telling a specific story and they played their cards just right giving us a smokescreen. Here we think we have a seemingly innocent show, but something bigger is at play, and no one knows exactly what... the agents can't see it either. They used the procedural style to explore characters while letting bits of information drop when they needed to. And then everytime they drop a big twist and pull you in more. I love them. I love this season

-F.Z.Z.T. (1x06) FZZT is just such a nostalgic SHIELD episode as the young show kicks the show up a notch in suspense, showing they can do serious drama, but at the same time it keeps it cute. Everyone on the team feels like they're starting to become a family, even Skye is warming up to me as we see her bonding. And while this is a Fitzsimmons episode, they all have some really nice Bus Fam moments. The bus kids joke around in the beginning, Phil gets to be the everyman's-hero talking to the fireman, Skye and Ward get a moment of connection that feels genuine, Mom and Dad have some time alone to talk about recovering from death, Jemma is established as a dutiful and sacrificial agent who can make hard calls, and Fitz levels up with his bravery and loyalty. But who can forget the first reall glimpses of the amazing chemistry between fitz and simmons as they start to realize just how much they mean to each other?

-T.R.A.C.K.S. (1x13) The structure of this episode is so creative. The way the writers switch between POVs and use the subsequent lapses and overlays in narrative to lead up to the climax is pure genius and that makes it one of those instantly memorable episodes. Not only is the archetecture brilliant, the interior is decorated with snappy humour, fun action, well-acted emotional moments, strong character moments that connect to their personal arcs and relationships, as well as a cohesive episodic plot that serves to advance the characters as well as the seasonal narrative. Philinda is stronger than Mayward, Skyeward is stronger than Mayward, Fitzsimmons is stronger than Fitzskye, and if you were feeling the s1 Skye-Hate: you can stop now.

-Turn, Turn, Turn (1x17) The whole series has been slowly building up momentum, heading toward the edge. And here at the turn, we reach the drop. It's such a pivotal episode to the entire series as HYDRA is revealed to be operating within SHIELD. The rest of the episode? The episode itself gets completely swallowed up by the last few moments wherein we learn that Grant Ward is, in fact, Hydra. But a few things that I remember are Skyeward having a moment, the showdown between Coulson's team and Garrett, the first true Fitzsimmons Reunion Hug, and the silent montage of betrayal as Garrett is marched out.

-Beginning of The End (1x22) To be honest, it's not the most cohesive, compelling episode, but it's a strong finale that wraps things up tightly, delivers some truly great moments, and sets up a bit for next season. Skye taking charge is nice, the showdown with Ward gives some nice tension, Mike and his son always make me feel things and it's good to see them, it's nice seeing the team take charge and take names, even Nick Fury pops in for a hot sec... but the big reason I absolutely HAD to put this episode on the list? Obviously the pod scenes. In contrast to the frantic pace on the surface, the pod scenes are quiet and intimate, wrought with poignant emotion. From the moment they learn they'll die they try to find comfort in being together... all while Fitz struggles with whether or not he should confess his feelings to Jemma. Ultimately they find a way for one to survive, and Fitz has to explain why he won't live without Jemma. Every second, every micro-expression is SO important. Those scenes would continue to haunt them throughout all of season 2, and viewers are still haunted to this day.

-Nothing Personal (1x20) I was trying to pick my final episode and there are several good ones I could have picked here... But this one really stands out as being emotional. Besides the team finding out Ward is HYDRA, Skye and Ward have some amazing scenes full of real emotions (because it WAS personal, Ward). Then at the motel there's some breathing space for a touching Fitzsimmons moment that makes us hold our breaths... and a surprise plot twist at the end when Phil finds a recording of... himself? I never saw that one coming. The episode just delivers feels.

[aion-rsa]

Best Horror Anime To Watch on Netflix

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Come every October, audiences can be guaranteed that programming will shift over to horror-centric content to fit with Halloween. With the litany of streaming services that now exist, it’s gone from being difficult to fill 31 days of content to it being a serious struggle to fit everything in. There’s horror programming everywhere at the moment and this is also true when it comes to anime. 

Netflix has built up an increasingly impressive library of anime content  that includes some moody horror selections that are perfect for the season (or anytime really). However, with so many titles out there it’s not always easy to know what’s worthwhile, especially when the names of some series don’t do much to help on the matter. Here’s a helpful selection of some of Netflix’s best and most frightening anime titles so you don’t have to dig through the herd.

Parasyte –the maxim–

How Many Episodes: 24

Sub and Dub

There are plenty of anime that feature unassuming humans who are suddenly paired together with a supernatural partner or even become a hybrid of man and beast themselves. Parasyte -the maxim-,however, is the only one that feels like it could be an unofficial sequel to The Thing. Aliens have invaded the planet with the goal to gradually subjugate the entire human race. Shinichi Izumi is a run of the mill highschooler who finds himself bonded with one of these parasitic monsters who takes up residence living inside his hand. Shinichi and his alien parasite try to root out and eliminate the rest of these predatory species and the result is an amazing hybrid of mystery and action with constant body horror thrown in for good measure. There are hundreds of different aliens featured in anime, but the threats in Parasyte will actually make stomachs churn. In addition to the disturbing visuals, Parasyte crafts a surprisingly emotional relationship between Shinichi and the alien living in his hand.

Devilman Crybaby

How Many Episodes: 10

Sub and Dub

The Devilman series has been around for decades in various iterations, but the most recent take on the material, Devilman Crybaby, feels special and like it’s trying to do something different with the property. Devilman Crybaby‘s plot isn’t overly complex. It features a world that’s at risk of being overrun by demons. Akira bonds with a demon in a way that turns him into Devilman, a hybrid between man and demon that’s the key to ending this war. Devilman Crybaby is dripping in carnage and it’s a series that trades in extremes. The legendary Masaaki Yuasa is the director and it’s the fluid ways that he plays with animation and color that makes Devilman Crybaby such a delight. Bloodshed and monsters have never been so visually beautiful.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato

How Many Episodes: 3

Sub and Dub

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is like if Resident Evil and Snowpiercer had a baby. It’s one of the few genuinely creative takes on the zombie genre in years. The Battle of Unato is Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress’ movie that’s set six months after the events of the series and it features the humans’ united front to take back their world from the undead. The animation is on a whole other level and there’s such satisfying world building present in this broken steampunk society. Obviously a knowledge of the original anime is helpful here, but The Battle of Unato can still be appreciated by genre fans who are looking for something like Attack on Titan meets Frankenstein. It’s a smart combination of old-world technology with radical new forms of destruction. Netflix splits up Battle of Unato into three busy episodes, which makes this the perfect watch that won’t take up a lot of time and can help bring more people around to the preceding series.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

How Many Episodes: 26 and 2 Movies

Sub and Dub

Neon Genesis Evangelion may not immediately come across as a horror series, but there’s disturbing imagery that’s present from the first episode that only becomes more intense as the series goes on. Evangelion is a moody deconstruction of not just the mecha genre, but also human nature. The series elegantly meshes together provoking questions with incredible action sequences and gutting character drama. The anime stands out for its unique take on robots, monsters, and how it intertwines religion with it all. It’s an ambitious project, but few anime create the same sense of anxiety and dread as Evangelion. Neon Genesis Evangelion is still considered to be one of the most acclaimed and challenging anime even decades after its debut. There’s truly nothing else like it. 

Ajin: Demi-Human

How Many Episodes: 26

Sub and Dub

Ajin: Demi-Human is a horror anime that riffs on many of the themes that populate the genre. Kei Nagai learns that he’s an Ajin—a hybrid between human and demon—who have advanced regenerative abilities. Ajin can also create powerful ghost-like warriors to combat other Ajin, which is kind of like if Tokyo Ghoul mixed together with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Ajin are hunted by the government and turned into science experiments, which makes Nagai and the rest of his kind determined to take out the corrupt organization and quell the conflict between human and Ajin. Ajin: Demi-Human is more interested in action and atmosphere than some of the heavier psychological issues explored in these other anime, but it’s still addictive and morbid fun.

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Death Note

How Many Episodes: 37 

Sub and Dub

Death Note is one of the bigger anime to come out of the past few decades and it’s because despite the hyperbolized places that the story goes, it still presents a parable that explores the curious nature of man and the dark places that curiosity can go. Death Note is a brilliant exercise in perspective as it shifts between killer and detective with the titular and mysterious Death Note caught in between. There’s something deeply terrifying about the Death Note’s power to kill anyone whose name is written inside of it and how flippantly Light Yagami utilizes this function. Death Note has some provoking thoughts and it’s impressive that it’s able to mesh such exaggerated visuals and extreme elements into this disturbing character study. Part of the joy in Death Note is that Light makes mistakes from the start and only works himself deeper to the point of no return.

Erased

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub and Dub

Erased is a fantastic mix of genres that wraps together elements of horror with science fiction and psychological thrillers. It tells a very different kind of story about the pursuit of a serial killer and plots a tight story that doesn’t meander within a lean 12 episodes. The anime centers around Satoru, a man who experiences a phenomenon known as “Revivals” that send him back briefly in time to help prevent accidents. Suddenly Satoru’s mother is killed and it looks like the culprit has ties to a series of crimes from nearly two decades ago. Satoru’s next Revival sends him back to his childhood with the opportunity to prevent these crimes and save his mother in the process. Erased isn’t interested in the mechanics behind Satoru’s ability and it instead focuses on powerful character dynamics and a mystery that’s actually suspenseful and frightening. Satoru’s efforts to solve this crime as a 10 year-old boy makes for a fantastic complication.

Dorohedoro

How Many Episodes: 12

Sub and Dub

Horror anime should primarily be scary, but one of the perks of the genre is that anime can animate terrifying visuals on a level that often surpasses standard American animation. There’s still a lot of debate on whether the increased presence of CG in anime is a good thing or not, but Dorohedoro is proof that it can be used effectively and stylistically to amplify the surreal nature of the story at hand. Dorohedoro is set in a wild gig-economy world where magic is rampant and the schism between humans and sorcerers creates crime and disorder. Most humans are subjected to crude magic and find themselves with bizarre heads as a result. Caiman, the main character, wakes up with a reptile head and no memories of who he is, which leaves him even more vulnerable than usual in this chaotic world. Dorohedoro is another excellent example of creative world building that mixes horror together with fantasy and crime in an inspired way. It’s the type of freaky meditation of identity and society that Bright wishes it had been.

Attack on Titan

How Many Episodes: 25 

Sub Only

Attack on Titan has grown into one of the most popular anime series of this decade and it’s incredible to see how the scope of the story has slowly grown over time. The anime takes place within a walled city where humanity has feared the gigantic Titans that roam the land outside their walls. The anime chronicles the population’s efforts to combat these monsters, but it also looks at the war that’s been going on for generations and the sordid history of how Titans originated in the first place. Attack on Titan truly rewards dedicated audiences and the betrayals, revelations, and character development is just as satisfying as the epic fights with hordes of Titans. Netflix only has the first season of Attack on Titan available, but it’s still a convenient way to get introduced to the influential anime before its fourth and final season hits.

The Promised Neverland

How Many Episodes: 12 

Sub and Dub

The Promised Neverland tells such an addicting, enigmatic story that there’s a reason a slew of horror films and even Stephen King have riffed on the idea that’s at its core. The anime is set in a broken version of the future and it looks at a number of young children who are confined to an orphanage. The orphanage’s charity seems to be a blessing in this harsh times, but it turns out that there’s actually something much more sinister going on with the orphanage and the people that run. The Promised Neverland tells a disturbing story that gets more intense with every turn. It’s not afraid to incorporate deadly creatures, but more than anything else it highlights how humans can be more evil than anything else. The second season of The Promised Neverland is on its way, so these excellent debut episodes should be mandatory viewing. A live-action adaptation is in the works at Amazon.

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Other horror-centric or monster-based anime titles to check out on Netflix when you’ve scared yourself stiff from everything else: Black Butler, Blue Exorcist, Castlevania, Gantz: 0, Vampire Knight

The post Best Horror Anime To Watch on Netflix appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[geekpellets]

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Circus This may be the first Hammer horror film I have ever seen. In Vampire Circus a Dracula-esque figure is killed, but vows vengeance on the community responsible. Years later a circus comes to town and people start dying. SPOILERS, it’s a vampire circus! GASP! Let’s start with the acting. The acting is quite good. Not the best, but it’s not really wrong either. The acting here is more akin to that of the stage than of film. It can take a while to adapt to that. That said, they really are trying and their performances are energetic. The child actors are worse, that’s usually to be expected. The acting of the Jester is particularly good, and perhaps the only genuinely creepy thing in this film. Hammer horror films are known for the light pink blood, which I hate. I’m not taking anything off for it here, though, because it’s their thing. There are proper effects, well designed, visually gruesome, but implemented in a way that would seem ridiculous compared to the effects that would be used 7 or 8 years later. The start of the film is awesome. I will give it that. In a span of 10-15 minutes people are killed and seduced, the towns folk are gathered, fuckin’, the count is killed and explosions, explosions, explosions.Nothing else in the film, lives up to these first 15 minutes. There’s a lot of filler in this movie disguised as Circus acts, and maybe it would be worth watching if they were genuine circus acts, but they aren’t, so I didn’t care. Like, we really gotta watch every damn fake ass circus act these people do? I think the first night gets the point across. There are moments the stand out between them, but these moments really could have been done without being sandwiched between unengaging circus act segments.The climax fails for two reasons. First because the first 15 minutes is superior to the climax, and second because the film wants to do action more than it wants to do genuine horror. It’s an action climax, but the film isn’t good at action scenes.Even in those first 15 minutes, the actual fight with the Count isn’t good. Had it done a more traditional horror/suspense climax as opposed to an action one, it wouldn’t have to rely on its weakest property. And can I just say, before this movie, I didn’t think of a vampire bite as an art in and of itself, but now I do because the vampire bites in this movie all look goofy as fuck. There are some cool effects in this movie, particularly involving mirrors, and some cool ideas, but ultimately I definitely not watch this one again. Salem’s Lot Salem’s Lot is about a town called...Salem’s Lot...that gets invaded by vampires, This is actually a mini-series, and it’s considered a classic. I was looking forward to it. I wish I had watched something else. I actually think I’ll make this one quick. In the first two hours of this movie, vampires are slowly, slowly, populating the city, and the main protagonist is living in another movie. I’m exaggerating a little bit, but damn, we have to wait for 2 hours for the protagonist to realize there are vampires and do something about it while he spends the rest of the time dating and talking about his book? That’s not for me. That’s a whole damn movie in itself. Worse, the movie kind of comes down to that relationship he starts of, and honestly I never felt any chemistry between him and his love interest even after two hours of prep. Her personality is girl, and she’s dating him because...and his personality is generic male protagonist. That said, there are good things here. I like the design of the vampires. I like the primary vampire, I’m always a fan of the Count Orlok design. Granted, watch vampire children float around windows is dorky looking, and Count Orlok moves with a stiffness and clumsiness that robs him of his fright. The physical action in this movie actually isn’t good either. I can’t suggest this one either. This movie was so slow, so dry, that I had to watch it over two days, putting me behind a little, which is why I’m writing this on a Tuesday. Probably should have watched the Rob Lowe series. The Hunger This is a vampire movie that was made in the 1980′s, where the best vampire movies were made, so this HAS to be good, right? RIGHT!? The film is about two immortals, one who has started rapidly aging, and a young scientist who specializes in studying the affects of aging that the immortals begin to take an interest in. David Bowie is a damn fine actor. This movie reminds me of Only Lovers Left Alive, but more focused, with better themes, more fascinating characters, and superior climax. For the record, there isn’t a single bad performance in this movie. In fact, this is a movie where the performances must carry the film, and they absolutely do. I don’t think I’ve ever sympathized with a vampire before, but I sympathize with David Bowie’s vampire. These characters express such subtle and complex emotions, a layers, quiet layers behind their actions. It’s fascinating. The whole movie is fascinating. The title is fascinating. Hunger for what? Blood? Youth? Companionship? All of the above? The interior decorator on the film did a great job. There are some beautiful shots. The film is uniquely directed and edited in a way tat is artful and interesting. The direction and editing alone grabbed me by the balls before anything else. This is also not a very gore-heavy film, but there is blood. The blood might be watery but the color is right. There are also other fantastic make-up and practical effects that I will not spoil, but the quality of the effects surprised me. I simply wasn’t expecting it from what is kind of a supernatural sex drama. And there is sex. There is nudity. There are exceptionally slobbery kisses that make me uncomfortable. There is David Bowie’s ass. I just don’t like watch slob kisses, it feels invasive, but it is something that actually comes up again later as an insightful character moment. The first half of the movie is paced near perfectly. The second half happens, perhaps, far too quickly. Simultaneously, the speed in which the second half happens could be reflective of one of the immortals fear and impatience. The Hunger is a movie that reinforces my belief that vampire movies truly reached their height in the 80′s. There is simply a string of vampire movies during that period that are not only excellent, but feel distinctly different from one another. The Hunger is a movie that I would definitely own, and would happily suggested if you don’t mind a horror movie that’s light on scares but heavy on intrigue and fine cinematography. The Reflecting Skin The Reflecting Skin is follows the life of a child who thinks his neighbor is a vampire, but she isn’t. I go ahead an make that distinction here because A.) It’s not Fright Night and B) Because there’s nothing supernatural about this movie and you shouldn’t get your hopes up. Some of the films I watch are horror movies in the typical way that one would expect. Some are less horror movies, and more “Fucked Up” movies. When I say “Fucked Up” movies, I don’t mean movies full of gore porn, or pretending to be snuff films, or snuff films, or with rape or other sexual encounter meant to shock you. I mean shit like Gone Girl. It’s hard to explain, but when something twists everyday expectations, everyday people, when people are physically or mentally trapped in a cycle of tragedy they can’t escape, that’s a Fucked Up movie. That is The Reflecting Skin. It is a series of tragic and horrifying events witnessed through the eyes of a child, and as this child retreats further and further into imaginary things he has convinced himself is real, we as the viewers recognize the child never had a chance, that everything was stacked against him, and that he will ultimately succumb to the cycle of tragedy that has afflicted everyone else, and THAT is The Reflecting Skin. This film is not going to be for everyone. First of all, it’s tone is weird. There are moments of brevity that take the form of some serious absurdity. I, personally, didn’t mind as I love absurdity. Also, even though the film seems grounded, the way it is shot, some of the characters, some of the designs and the acting leads me to believe that this is meant to be kind of a fable, kind of a dark fantasy, some hybrid of Stephen King and Wes Anderson. With that in mind, I didn’t mind the small, quick, changes in tone. If one looks at it as such a story, it is all too fitting, but again, that’s just me. The film is beautifully shot, with picturesque scenes all through out it. It almost makes an empty middle American county feel like some place you actually might want to visit. As I said, some of the acting is exaggerated, I believe it is directed as such. Almost all of it is good. I didn’t care for Jeremy Cooper’s acting so much, Jeremy Cooper being the young child we follow, BUT, he has a way with facial expressions that probably got him selected for the role. Especially towards the end. I believe his acting was flawed, but he was not untalented. Viggo Mortensen shows that he was talented and committed even then. Committed, because he see his ENTIRE asshole. It is not good. I get. Vulnerability. I did not need to see that. It’s not even his fault though. It’s not his fault his cheeks couldn’t hide his asshole. Sometimes it’s like that. We can’t all have proper cheeks. I think the film is well paced. I think the time between major scenes works to the movie’s advantage. I think the movie leaves some things to interpretation, but only some things. It answers most. As an individual that appreciates when something is left to the imagination, I have no problems with this. It is also suspenseful. Not just because you are wondering how the series of tragedies will affect our young protagonist, but because there is a genuine threat that feels both down to Earth and ethereal simultaneously. There’s no gore here. Well, there’s a minor amount of blood. There are no practical effects either. It’s not that type of movie, and if you are looking for that type of movie, this is not for you. But, if you are interested in a dark slice of life tale in middle America, this is definitely one worth seeking. It’s a buy from me. Just...beware the brown eye.