#bring back craig smith

[kitnita]

whatever, i've reached a state of zen about it all actually. i don't want to blow up the team -otter with my mind anymore. they're just trying to build on the near-reverse-sweep vibes of last year's playoffs and lull all of vegas into a false sense of security by sucking as much as humanly possible

[chuckschippedchomper]

everyone needs to see this

[biosurvive]

i want to personally thank whomever casted death island for bringing back matt mercer, kevin dorman and erin cahill as leon, chris and rebecca <3

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Things I picked up from the latest TailsTube:

Shadow is antisocial and gets overstimulated when several people are talking at once, but still cares for the well-being of his companions

Knuckles likes it when Rouge compliments him

Tails decks out his lab in the Christmas spirit for the holiday season

Omega likes rocks (for the purpose of destroying other robots)

Knuckles considers gift cards to be practical and enjoys chili dogs like Sonic does

Omega may not realize he is a robot and also friends with Amy and the rest (?)

One time Sonic drew a face on the back of Eggman's head with marker, then took a selfie with Tails behind Eggman's back

Amy has several robot friends

Angel Island may or may not have fallen into the ocean?

Rouge is still trying to steal the Master Emerald, surprise 😂

Sage has been wanting to do family things with Eggman

Roger Craig Smith might be voicing Omega now?

Cream taught some Chao Christmas carols

Jewel is hosting a Christmas party at Restoration HQ! And Vector's bringing board games!

Shadow didn't teleport very far away from the group (seeing as he heard the chaos ensue when Knuckles realized Rouge had stolen the M.E.) so he was possibly eavesdropping/spying on the whole gift exchange 😂

Shadow and Tails seem to be on good terms (finally lol)

Shadow now has a red scarf with his name embroidered on it

[emotionaldashtoons]

Here's my poster of my official version of my version for my DisneyElseWorld's Pixar's...

INSIDE OUT 2!

I saw the new Inside Out 2 trailer, and they made Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy bad by betraying the old emotions. Lots of crazy stuff is about to happen! We don't know what's going on, lots of details are there too. But what would the ElseWorld version be like?

SO!

For my idea. I have 6 new emotions, the OC emotions like, Courage, Surprise, Pride, Trust, Shame, and Frustration.

MAIN VILLAIN

I am using on of my oc's Ego de Spite, to be the main villain of the au second movie.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Characters like Nia, the assistant of Ego, she runs the business with him but she tries to avoid him to help others. Bud, Courage's blood cell buddy, he doesn't speak but he's sweet, nervous, cute and got some attitude. And Brain, the big boss of Riley's mind, and the emotions need his help to stop Ego.

Returning Cast like...

Amy Poehler as Joy, Bill Hader as Fear (YES! I'm bringing Bill Hader back! He's so much funnier then I expected), Lewis Black as Anger, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Kensington Tallman as Riley, Diane Lane as Mrs. Andersen, and Kyle MacLachlan as Mr. Andersen.

Recast Alert!

I actually like Liza Lapira playing Disgust. After what Mindy Kaling did in Velma, it wasn't enough for me. Because the show and her are piles of shit to me.

With All-Star Cast like...

Chris Pratt (The Garfield Movie, Onward, & The LEGO Movie films) as the new outside leader emotion known as Courage, Sam Richardson (Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken) as Surprise, Kate McKinnon (Ferdinand & Saturday Night Live) as Frustration,

Andrew Rannells (Trolls 3) as Trust, Randall Park (Paw Patrol: The Movie) as Pride, Jim Gaffigan (The Bad Guys and The Office) as Melancholy, Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live) as Aunt Feely & Mrs. Andersen's Anger, Eric Idle (the Mighty Python films & Shrek the Third) as the mind algorithm/brainiac boss of the mind known as Brain, Nathan Fillion (Monsters University & Cars 3) as the villainous and hilarious, but very evily whiny, Ego de Spite,

Zooey Deschanel (Surf's Up and Trolls) as Ego's sarcastic female assistant, Nia, Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim & Superbad) as Yes Man, Will Forte (the Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs films) as Mind Gate Guard Jimmy, Peter Sohn (Ratatouille, Lightyear, and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse) as the emotions new best blood cell companion buddy named Bud,

Natasha Rothwell (the Sonic films) as Riley's middle school P.E. coach, Mrs. Hutch, Brady Noon (TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) as Jordan, with Marsai Martin (Good Burger 2) as Grace, Haley Tju (Big Hero 6: The Series) as Bree, and Jack Bright (The Good Dinosaur) as Riley's bully.

CREW

Written & Directed by Josh Cooley

Co-Directed by Bob Peterson and Ronnie Del Carmen

Produced by Mark Neilsen, p.g.a.

Executive Produced by Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Jonas Rivera

Story by Josh Cooley and Pete Docter

Edited by Kevin Nolting

Cinematography by Patrick Lin and Kim White

Production Designer Craig Foster

Story Supervisor Peter Sohn

Additional Dialouge by Dan Scanlon, Bill Hader, and Amy Poehler

Visual Effects Supervisor Bob Pauley

Supervising Animators Jerome Ranft

Music by Michael Giacchino

Score Cordinator Andrea Datzman

Casting by Kevin Reher & Natalie Lyon

[doctorofmagic]

First look at Doctor Strange v6 #1!

Full interview:

Surprising no one, Dr. Stephen Strange is back from the dead, less than two years after he departed the mortal plane. March’s Doctor Strange #1 resurrects the Sorcerer Supreme for the latest chapter in writer Jed MacKay’s Strange saga, which began with 2021’s Death of Doctor Strange and continued in the Strange series, spotlighting Stephen’s widow, Clea. Artist Pasqual Ferry and colorist Matt Hollingsworth join MacKay for the new series, which focuses on Stephen and Clea’s marriage — and plenty of magical superhero life shenanigans.

Over the past year, MacKay has established Clea as the Sorcerer Supreme of both Earth and her native Dark Dimension, a dual role that makes her an especially formidable hero. Early in Strange, which concludes with this week’s issue #10, Clea declared herself the “Warlord of Manhattan,” and she’s been very aggressive in taking out mystical threats to her domain while searching for a way to resurrect her husband.

Now that Stephen is back, MacKay has the opportunity to delve deeper into their unique mystical marriage. “What I find interesting about Clea and Stephen’s relationship is that it has a pedigree that is up there with all the other great Marvel superhero partnerships,” said MacKay. “This is a relationship that extends way back into Marvel’s history, and I wanted to see that expressed on the page. These are two people who have known each other for a very long time, have suffered their ups and downs, and have come through them to find a new balance in their lives together.”

“I think there’s a certain gravitas in the two of them together — neither of them are young, fresh, unseasoned,” said MacKay. “Stephen Strange is an elder statesman in the Marvel universe, the person that’s always brought in when magic intrudes into lives of other heroes, and Clea is every bit his equal: an alien warlord who possesses great power of her own. I think Clea and Strange are a power couple in every sense of the word, and I’m interested in exploring that relationship and bringing it back to the forefront in the world of Strange.”

Their marriage is especially rife with storytelling potential because up until Stephen’s death, Clea had lost all memory of their relationship in one of those deals with the devil that Marvel heroes do every so often (see: Spider-Man’s “One More Day”). “[Stephen’s death] has brought them together after every power in the world conspired to keep them apart,” said MacKay. “In bringing Stephen back, our heroes have a fresh start. What remains is seeing how they use it.”

With a fresh start comes a new art team. Artist Pasqual Ferry has been working in superhero comics for over 25 years, drawing big-name characters like Superman, Iron Man, Thor, and the Fantastic Four. After taking a few years off from monthly comics, Ferry returned in 2021 with the Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow miniseries, and there was a notable shift in his artwork. He began incorporating panel layouts evoking the grid-based abstract paintings of Piet Mondrian, giving the alternate-universe horror story its own distinct design sensibility.

With Spider’s Shadow, Ferry tackled one of the two heroes he’d been dreaming of drawing since he was a kid. Doctor Strange is the other one, and the new series is a passion project for the artist. “I have always liked magic, I have always liked the world of fantasy and anything that has to do with imagination,” said Ferry. “I’ve been intrigued by the designs by Steve Ditko, whom I admired for his work on Spider-Man. I always thought that the character of Doctor Strange gives artists a lot of potential to play with and imagine new things.”

“It’s the possibility, the challenge, the idea is to bring something new and wonderful to the table,” said Ferry. “There have been many great artists working on the character, from [Mike] Mignola, P. Craig Russell, Paul Smith. Great artists that have given us their version, and it is important that when Doctor Strange is in those worlds that we create an environment maximizing the use of panels and designs.”

“Pasqual is a marvel,” said MacKay. “He brings a seemingly effortless magic to these characters that sets them apart in the way those who live in the worlds of magic should be. He has an appetite for the weird and unearthly, and I can’t wait for people to see the strangeness he’s going to conjure!”

Ferry is also looking outside of superhero comics for artistic influences to maximize the book’s visual impact, from the nightmarish fantasy painting of Hieronymus Bosch to the surrealism of René Magritte and the mind-bending distortion of psychedelic art. He’s excited to translate these more abstract artistic concepts through a superhero whose aesthetic has been shaped by visionary comic book creators. Ferry’s frequent collaborator Matt Hollingsworth rounds out the art team, and his extreme versatility means that no matter what influence Ferry incorporates, the colors will match the style of the line work.

Stylistic contrast also plays a big part in how Doctor Strange’s and Clea’s specific types of magic are represented on the page. “I am going to try to differentiate Clea’s powers from those of Doctor Strange, making it clear that Stephen’s are fundamentally White Magic, while Clea’s come from the Dark Dimension, inherited from her parents, Umar and Orini,” said Ferry. “Aesthetically, while Strange’s spells will be bright, perhaps with an art deco touch in their shapes — I love P. Craig Russell’s designs — Clea’s will be darker in tone, more twisted, baroque, while remaining harmonious in shape. It could be said that Clea’s are more subtly threatening.”

That extra bit of menace ingrained in Clea’s personality will cause tension between the Spouses Supreme. Like any marriage, Stephen and Clea’s relationship has its own challenges, largely stemming from fundamental differences in their perspectives and how they engage with the world.

“We’ve seen in the past how Stephen’s background as a doctor is something that informs his every action,” said McKay, “while we’ve also more recently seen Clea carve her way through the arcane gangsters with little concern for bloodshed. How will these irreconcilable philosophies clash?”

[Source]

[the-rewatch-rewind]

Long fun episode featuring my brother!

Transcript below the break

Hello and welcome back to The Rewatch Rewind! My name is Jane, and this is the podcast where I count down my top 40 most frequently rewatched movies in a 20-year period. Today I will be discussing number 20 on my list: Miramax, Jane Starz Productions, and Blessington Films Productions’ 2004 fantasy comedy Ella Enchanted, directed by Tommy O’Haver, written by Laurie Craig, Karen McCullah, Kirsten Smith, Jennifer Heath, and Michele J. Wolff, based on the book by Gail Carson Levine, and starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy.

Cursed with the “gift” of obedience in infancy, Ella (Anne Hathaway) becomes increasingly desperate to break free when her father remarries, and her step-mother and step-sisters (played by Joanna Lumley, Lucy Punch, and Jennifer Higham) take advantage of her forced compliance. Finally she runs away to find and confront the fairy who cursed her, and makes several friends along the way, including an elf named Slannen (Aiden McArdle), and, of course, a prince named Charmont (Hugh Dancy).

I didn’t see this movie in theaters, but I did see it the year it came out. I watched it once in 2004, seven times in 2005, once in 2006, once in 2008, once in 2009, once in 2012, once in 2013, twice in 2014, once in 2015, once in 2016, twice in 2019, and once in 2021. The vast majority of those viewings were with my brother Quinn, so I asked him to join me and help explain why we love this movie so much. We had a very long, very fun conversation that I hope you will enjoy.

Hi, Quinn!

Quinn

Hello!

Jane

Welcome to the Rewatch Rewind. 

Quinn 

How exciting to be here! I feel famous. 

Jane 

Yes, you've definitely been mentioned in many previous episodes. 

Quinn 

It's very fun for me as your sibling, having grown up with you and been in the background of a lot of these watches, I'm guessing, to hear some of your takes as as a grown person on on these movies. And just kind of revisiting, you know, it takes me back to a time and place as well hearing you talk about them. So this podcast is personally very fun for me. 

Jane 

Have there been any movies that you hadn’t seen? 

Quinn 

You know none that immediately come to mind. There's definitely movies I didn't watch nearly as much as you did. Like, I think there's a couple movies that I've heard your, your… you explaining on the podcast, your affinity for them is kind of the first time I've heard, like, your insights, and like all the, the nuances that you notice about each of the movies. But no, I'm pretty sure I've been familiar with all of the movies that you've talked about. Like Adam's Rib, like I maybe never watched it all the way from start to finish, but I've certainly seen the “like a sound part” and the the highlight parts of the movie that you noted in the podcast. 

Jane 

Yeah, cause I think Rosemary's told me there's a couple that she was not sure that she'd seen. 

Quinn 

OK, it was news to me that everyone hated Bringing up Baby. I think I probably did at some point know that, and then just like forgot overtime but…

Jane 

Yeah, I feel like the rest of the family would never watch it with us.

Quinn 

Well, no and I didn't… I I completely didn't realize that that I… it always stuck out to me as one of my favorite movies of that time and era, and I don't think that I was ever old enough when I watched it to really question the like logistics of it, or like the premise. So, but I always loved Bringing up Baby. I thought it was funny. And I think that it's funny that people were so irritated with Katharine Hepburn because I think she's hilarious in the whole thing. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, so I did remember, like I almost was like, oh, yeah, everyone I know hates this movie, I was like, oh no, Quinn likes this movie! 

Quinn 

Well, I'm glad to get the shout out. I really didn't realize it was a controversial stance that I had. 

Jane 

Yes, well, I know a lot of like old movie fans that I've met online were telling me, like, “Oh yeah, I love Bringing up Baby!” So it's not just us, but... 

Quinn 

Yeah, definitely. You talked about its reputation as being kind of like a standout screwball comedy. I think that definitely makes sense. I think that it doesn't get screwier than Bringing Up Baby.

Jane 

Yeah, it is, it is THE screwball comedy. Yeah, so as far as the movie we're talking about today though, I think…

Quinn 

Made many decades later. 

Jane 

Yes! I think that that's one that we definitely fell in love with together, that like a lot of the movies I've talked about so far are like specific to me watching and then you would kind of watch them with me. But I think with Ella Enchanted, we watched it together and grew to love it together, so that's why I wanted to have you on for this episode. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, I definitely think that like looking at your list and like thinking about like oh what are some of the reasons why they ended up here? Like Ella Enchanted, I feel responsible for in ways that I might not feel responsible for other movies on this list. 

Jane 

Yes. Well, I think what's important for our listeners to understand is that when you were younger, like you're quite a bit younger than me. And when you were little, you really liked to, like, pick a movie and watch it a bunch, like, really close together. Is that fair? 

Quinn 

Oh yes, I had phase movies for sure. Like it was, I can think of particular movies that I would watch all the time and I could never tell you the reason why I stopped watching any of these movies. But there would be a period of time that I would just get really hot with a certain movie and that would be all I wanted to watch and then… I guess I would just get over it. 

Jane 

And I think that Ella Enchanted is the only one of those that has made it onto my list. 

Quinn 

Yes, I would say that's fair. And I, Ella Enchanted was for sure one of those movies, and I would actually say one of the things I for sure wanted to talk about today was the soundtrack for Ella Enchanted, I would say is has been a pillar of my music appreciation over the years and like that soundtrack is actually very good…

Jane 

It's very good. 

Quinn

…and I think introduced me to a lot of like older songs like classic songs that I otherwise wouldn't have known that I think was important in my developing a music taste as well. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. There's definitely a lot of covers of really famous songs. It's kind of weird that they chose to go that direction with, like, this fairy tale story like that they did more like rock songs. But it works really well. It was just kind of an odd choice when you, like, read the book, you don't necessarily think like, oh, this would be perfect to have like a Queen song. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I was actually thinking about, you had mentioned fans of the book Ella Enchanted that the movie is adapted from tend to be pretty disappointed with this adaptation. And I agree that it's a pretty poor representation of the book, and I guess I've sort of reimagined the movie as more just like another like retelling of Cinderella and, and I guess, like kind of with Ella Enchanted flavor to it. Like there's a lot of the plot points that like kind of the core characterizations of some of the characters are borrowed from Ella Enchanted. But yeah, I mean, I think there's so many adaptations of fairy tales out there, and like I think that it's a very fun and ultimately like kind of visionary choice that they went with like sort of this like 70's rock theme for the soundtrack that sort of like didn't really have any other connection to the story, but just those were the songs that they went with. And I do know that like specifically with Somebody to Love, which I think is kind of the key musical moment in the movie that was really sort of driven from like, I guess Tommy O'Haver was working with Anne Hathaway on some kind of like more traditional, like folksy fairy tale song. And it didn't suit her voice as well as Somebody to Love. So I feel like it was also very driven by like who were the people making the movie and what their tastes were, which is, I also think probably why it works because it was driven from an organic place. 

Jane 

Yeah definitely. And I think that casting Anne Hathaway and then like using her, because like, at that point, she was mostly known for Princess Diaries, which I guess she still is known for Princess Diaries, but, like, kind of taking that sort of flavor of princess of, like, I guess it's not really like a modern story, Ella Enchanted, because it's sort of set in this…made-up fairy tale-ish place, but like definitely has, like modern sensibilities that I think that like putting… I mean, Anne Hathaway has also done period work that's been good. I mean, she won an Oscar, but like, I think that taking her like personality and more modern sensibilities and putting it into this fairy tale thing worked really well. And I think that if they had tried too hard, like again, like, recognizing that that song didn't fit her voice and tried too hard to push her in a different direction. I don't think the movie would have worked.

Quinn 

Oh yes, Anne Hathaway is very much allowed to be Anne Hathaway in this movie and it's fantastic. I think one of my biggest takeaways from this movie in watching it relatively recently in preparation for this conversation was just how essential I feel it is in the Anne Hathaway story. Because, I mean, you see her, I think debuting in a lot of people's eyes, I think she was in a movie or two before Princess Diaries. Or was that her debut? 

Jane 

I think it might have been her debut. 

Quinn 

And I feel like you have definitely a star is born moment with Princess Diaries and she really I think emerged as someone to watch and as a a star that could like hold their own with Julie Andrews and and sort of have this kind of fun, relatable charm. Like I do see sort of like the Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrences that come after really sort of taking something from the Anne Hathaway School of being a young it girl actress. And I feel like it was Ella Enchanted that really I think the singing particularly introduced this new layer to her talent, you know, circle and now all of a sudden, Anne Hathaway can be in musicals and she's very good at singing. And I just think that it was a very important stepping stone to her becoming a superstar. And I mean, she won the Oscar for a musical. So I think you know I can see, you know, maybe she would have ended up in Les Mis regardless of Ella Enchanted, but I do think this movie really put her on the map. And it's funny because I don't think it's a like particularly well regarded movie in any sort of circles, but I have to think that it had some really important impacts on Anne Hathaway's career following. 

Jane 

Oh yeah, definitely. So had you read the book before seeing the movie, do you remember? 

Quinn 

I actually I don't remember, but if I had to guess, I would say I saw the movie first, and I think you knew the book and so were able to like give some context when I would see it early. And then I did eventually read the book and like it. It has been a long time since I've read the book though, so I cannot really recall what is different about the movie in the books now. 

Jane 

Yeah, I haven't read the book in a long time. I had read the book definitely before I saw the movie, and it was kind of like, I feel like the book was different than this. But like the, I mean the basic premise is the same, but it's different to the point that I, like you said, I kind of consider them two different things, and I can definitely see why fans of the book would think that the movie was a bad adaptation, but at the same time it's like, it's fun. They did their own thing with it and…

Quinn 

Well, and Ella Enchanted is an adaptation too, which I think it for me is what makes it work. 

Jane 

Right. 

Quinn 

And like I have been thinking in a lot of like media that I've seen recently with elements of the Cinderella story in it of like, what are some of the things I like about each retelling? And like I I texted you out of the blue when I was watching Into the Wood randomly and I was like, I think the Cinderella in Into the Woods is my favorite all time Cinderella. So like I did also, when I watched it recently was kind of thinking about like what are my favorite interpretations of the Cinderella story like in Ella Enchanted and what are some of the things that I think work better in other retellings? It's a story that is just very familiar at this point. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's been told and retold time and time again, and I I know you haven't listened to the Enchanted episode yet, but we talked about Cinderella quite a bit in that episode, too, because it's sort of like the fairy tale. And I think it's so interesting in Ella Enchanted that they added this layer of her being cursed. And it's not just that she has a really mean stepmother and step sisters. But it's like, literally they could order her not to leave and she would not be able to leave. 

Quinn 

Yeah, the curse is awful. And I do think Cinderella in all tellings of the story is someone who is abused,

Jane 

Right. 

Quinn 

and I think that that is a very important  facet of the story, and I think you and I've talked a lot about how there's a lot of like dismissal of Cinderella as a character in many iterations of just like being this damsel, like this bad representation of, you know, femininity and you know, just waiting around for a man. But I think that the curse really illuminates just some of the cruelty that I think Cinderella in all versions of the story experiences. But it's they almost don't really emphasize the chores, and like the the working and the cinder part of Cinderella, and they even dropped that from her name. It's it's less about the labor that she's expected to do and more just that this curse really defines all aspects of her life and turns even people that are trying to help her against her. And yeah, it's a terrible, terrible curse. And I think that it's a very lighthearted movie, but it's very dark what she has to go through. 

Jane 

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that it also… they do a good job of showing her sort of fighting the curse. And again, like you said, there's this perception that Cinderella is sort of a weaker, more passive character, but she really has always been, you know, very strong in being able to break away from her horrible situation. And I think they show Ella really doing everything she can to fight the curse and be like, OK, I'm gonna do what you told me, but I'm gonna do like, my own version of it. Like I'm gonna try and find loopholes in these orders so that I don't have to actually be under your thumb. And yeah, I I just, I think that's very well done. 

Quinn 

From a narrative perspective, it's a really powerful way to empower the character of of Ella and make her, I think, have people see more of themselves in her too, by giving her something to really fight against and be subversive against. And I think that that, I mean, it drives the plot of the movie. It's it's a good a good narrative tool. 

Jane 

Yeah and then there's the whole thing about that she's trying to fight for the rights of like elves and giants and other types of mystical beings who have been subjugated by the government. And I think that there's a little bit of an element of like sort of a savior complex in some of what she does, but I think that ultimately she feels a kinship with these people that are being forced to do things against their will because she's literally being forced to do things against her will all the time when people tell her to do stuff, she has to do it. And I think that that gives her a lot of empathy for, like giants being forced to do farm labor, and elves being forced to sing and dance. And I think they do a good job of showing that in the story. That like she feels like she kind of understands some of what they're going through and that's part of why she feels so strongly about trying to help them. 

Quinn 

Yeah, yeah, I think that it's also, I would love to see sort of the same premise of this story exist now and kind of retold now that we know a little bit more about how to be maybe a better ally or to sort of be a little bit more inclusive and less performative. Because I do think you know, in watching it recently, there were some things Ella said and did that I was like, ooh I don't know about that as you know, good activism. Like thinking specifically about how, when her and Prince Char returned to Lamia, which is where the palace is, you know where the Prince is there. He clearly has some kind of status and they're with an elf companion, their elf friend Slannen, and like they just he gets thrown out of the the palace and they stand there and don't seem to like, do anything to try to stop it. It's like, OK, well, we need to, like, act upon our convictions. So yeah, there's little things like that. And also like when Slannen the elf is trying to talk to Prince Charmont about working with his uncle to maybe allow elves to have other careers than being performers or entertainers cause he wants to be a lawyer and he's saying, “Well, can you petition your uncle the literal king for me to be a lawyer?” And he's just like, “I can't do that! That would be weird. It simply isn't done!” And so those are the types of things where the movie does let me down a little bit because I want to see, you know, some real advocacy and allyship. But I do think that you make such a good point about Ella feeling a kindred spirit to these marginalized peoples and really having that empathy and speaking up and saying something. I think that that is very clear throughout the movie and that is what allows her to be successful ultimately, is these relationships that she's built that she has built through empathy and through, you know, walking in people's shoes and hearing their stories and listening to them. So I think that there is a really beautiful message of of caring for the marginalized and advocating throughout the movie. 

Jane 

Yeah and I do think that there's they show that Prince Char, at least they show him as very like privileged and ignorant initially and that he, like again, he definitely could do more, but I'm thinking about like the scene when he listens to the giant leader and like, he's actually like, oh, wow, I didn't realize how bad things were. I'm going to try and make things better, and again, I don't know what he actually does, but he does become king, presumably at the end after his uncle dies. So hopefully he does…. 

Quinn 

He does sing Elton John. That we do know. 

Jane 

Yes, so I mean obviously there's only one step between sing Elton John and free the marginalized people, so… 

Quinn 

He's on the right path. 

Jane 

Yeah, yes. So again, yes, you're right, it definitely could do more, but I also think that they have some good points. There's some almost there moments, I think. 

Quinn 

Oh yeah, and in in thinking about the times, like, I think that those some of those interactions and conversations were like stepping stones to, I think more fruitful ways to interact in those spaces and in those conversations, but it definitely, you know I I think that's a very presentist mindset to even look at some of those conversations critically, because you know, at that time those were conversations that were the most tolerant things got. So, you know, it's definitely have to make allowances for differences in in time. And I do have to say, I think talking about Prince Charmont as a character, I think he is one of the better, more developed Prince characters that you get in one of these Ella Enchanted Cinderella retellings, and I think Hugh Dancy really played like, I think, all of the acting in this movie is really phenomenal. I think that's a headline for me is that it's a very well acted movie, even though it's probably objectively pretty bad. 

Jane 

The script left something to be desired, but the actors did the best they could with it. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, OK, let's just dive into it because I think that there is no better argument for “there are no small parts” than this movie because every single one of the actors in this movie like nails - and I don't mean like this in a casual like - nails their role. Like every performance I can think of, like one of my favorites to just like think about is Minnie Driver and like as Mandy who is like the fairy kind of governess of Ella and like she's not a very powerful fairy, so she's not that helpful in terms of her magical skill abilities, but like, she's kind of an ally to Ella in her abusive home and like, plays a role throughout the story. Very minimal and like the character of Mandy, I think I remember being pretty important in the Ella Enchanted book, and like they really, I think the writers really stripped this character of, like any kind of, like, notable personality. But Minnie Driver was just like, “Nuh-uh! Not my part!” And she just like, finds these like perfect comedic moments, and it's like she has like one line in a scene, and just like is so in character the whole time and is just like hysterical., completely matches like the attitude of just being like a little, like, sassy, and over it. And I'm like, that's just like one of the very bit parts. Like you've got like the the, I don't remember her name, but the actress who plays Olive, who's just like deranged and like all the, like, kleptomaniac stuff. And she's just like, “Ooh hoo hoo!” like, the whole time completely in character. Joanna Lumley is there, like, serving evil stepmother. Like she is not letting a moment go by without just like commanding the scene. Vivica A. Fox like comes in and does her like flashy, sassy little, like unhelpful cutaway scenes that are, like, again, all of these roles are pretty insignificant, don't have a lot of screen time, don't have much to work with, terrible script and like these actresses are just like, “This is the best role I've ever played in my life!” It's so much fun. It's like you talked a couple of podcasts ago about your favorite movies to watch being like ones where the actors are clearly having a good time. And like, I just feel like, you know, Anne Hathaway gives a fantastic performance and is committed and plays all the emotional highs and lows. She has the most terrible lines to say and she just like, gets through it like a professional. Hugh Dancy is like also having a good time, and it's like appropriately, like, kind of like charming and aloof. And like Slannen is memorable. Like he's got that, like, you know, conviction. And he has some very, like, silly, like, physical comedy moments as well. And then you've got like Jim, who's on Downton Abbey? Like playing this like ogre, who like has these dramatic cutaways while he's trying to eat people like just great performances all around.

Jane 

Yeah, I agree. I think that you're right. That is a big part of why I enjoy this movie is that it's very apparent that everybody was just having fun. And you get that, especially with the big dance number at the end, which is just kind of random and like, why are they singing Don't Go Breaking My Heart at a wedding? Like…

Quinn 

Ohh my gosh, it's so. It's fun though.

Jane 

It's just, yes. 

Quinn 

Like I I've never questioned… Like it's a weird song choice, but I'm just, that is one of the most joyful, perfect finales to a movie that I've ever seen, like where everyone gets a little bit of something to do. You like, get that fun, like end credits. Here's everyone's final bow, and it's just like a ton of fun. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's just unfortunate that Lucy Punch. Is that her name? 

Quinn 

Oh yes. 

Jane 

She doesn't get to be in it because- 

Quinn 

Well, and I just realized I didn't mention her performance, but I feel like it deserves its own subsection. So Lucy Punch, who plays Hattie, the step sister of Ella, the mean stepsister, I…. that is my all time favorite interpretation of the evil stepsister character, because Hattie is just like, very impetuous, but she is dangerous and she, like, serves a role in the story that actually, you know, like her ratting out Ella is what leads to some of the highest stakes in the story eventually, s I do feel like so often the step sisters are really just like bit characters that don't really have much to do other than like be mean to Cinderella in like one or two scenes. And I feel like she both took that sort of like superfluous, frivolous quality that the step sisters have and like, did that, but also, like, they did find a way to work her way into the plot. She had a bit of menace and a bit of intelligence that she was able to use to try to achieve her own goals. And then I think has a great, like, humiliating downfall. And this is made all the better by the fact that Lucy Punch is like this was her dream role to play a step sister. And be this character and like she is a step sister in Into the Woods and in something else, I'm pretty sure. 

Jane 

I feel like she's played Cinderella's step sister at least four times. 

Quinn 

Yes. And like that was her dream role and this actress is just like having the best time being this character. Like it totally shows and I think that Hattie is like a standout character and performance throughout the entire thing as well. And it is a shame that she is not in the finale, but it's because of a deleted scene. And you can see the deleted scene if you get the DVD. 

Jane 

Yes, which I think is a good way to transition into why we have seen this movie so many times because yes, it is fun. And yes, we would watch it a bunch probably normally anyway, but the reason that we have watched it quite this many times is because we had the DVD and we discovered how delightful the audio commentary is. And I didn't keep track of how many times I watched it with or without commentary. But I would say that more than half of the times I watched it were with commentary. 

Quinn 

Yes, I mean, I think it became… you could have almost kept track of this movie two different ways, like watching it in its original form and watching it with commentary, because I think you we went to either at different times when we were looking for different things in a viewing experience. 

Jane 

Yeah, but I would, I think that…that even if I counted them separately, the commentary watching would be enough to be in my Top 40. 

Quinn 

You know, I I was gonna say I Jane mentioned this episode. You mentioned it to me. And I kept thinking you were going to schedule it and schedule it. And I'm like, wow, Ella Enchanted really made it far up this list because it's been several weeks now. It's pretty deep in the ranking. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's #20 so it's in the top half. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Top half. I'm stunned. 

Jane 

Yes, but yeah, so I don't remember how many times I'd seen it just normally before we discovered the commentary. But the commentary is just… it just adds a whole other level and like one of the things that you said earlier that made me think of it was when you were talking about Vivica A Fox being fabulous. And like, Anne Hathaway mentions in the commentary the scene when she's tied up to a tree and Lucinda shows up and she's like, oh, I'm going to help rescue you. And she's like, no, I want to be chained to this tree so I don't have to kill Char. And in the commentary, Anne Hathaway says that, like Vivica A Fox was so excited to do that scene. And she, Anne, was kind of like, “I don't know. I don't really like the lines” and Vivica’s like, “Oh, I'm not gonna say the lines. But we're gonna have fun!”

Quinn 

Yes, one of an Ella Enchanted moment that I think about probably most of any other, although there's so many, is like right after she sets her free, Vivica A. Fox, is just standing in this, like, fabulous pose and she's like, “Well, aren't I fabulous?” while Ella is just like, “This is terrible! This is not what I wanted!” It's just like a fabulous moment of just, like, completely not taking in any of your surroundings. You're the main character, the story is you, forget about everybody else, forget whose movie it. It's, it's Vivica A Fox. It's just, it's fabulous. But yes, the commentary which it features, Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. So the two romantic leads of the movie and Tommy O’Haver, who is the director, he's like maybe the one you don't know, but if you don't know him you should. They just narrate the whole movie and it is absolutely hysterical, like the tone that these three have together is great. It's as if they're the best friends. They probably haven't spoken to each other in a decade now, which makes me sad because in my mind they hang out every day and commentate on things. Like they just have great chemistry. You can tell all three of them had a lot of fun making the movie and they're just like having a good time, and you can really you feel like you were there with them, like making this ridiculous movie that really wasn't that good, but damn it, they worked hard. 

Jane 

Yeah and it's like it's exactly what you would want from audio commentary, I think, which is like behind the scenes trivia because they have quite a bit of that. And then just like some like tea, like a little bit, not a lot of tea, but just like sort of like, oh, this didn't work very well or like, I was actually really miserable this day or something like that.

Quinn 

Well, they talk about like, little like spats they had with each other, but it's like, “Oh yeah, we got in a fight about that that day. I felt very this way” like it's it's all like it clearly happened like over a year ago. 

Jane 

Yeah, so there's that. But then just also like. Each one of them has a different thing that they kind of focus on more, which is nice that like they're not just kind of saying the same thing because like Hugh Dancy talks a lot about, like the stunt people. And like he was friends with them. And then Anne Hathaway- This is another thing, too, is like the commentary, like, really shows you how and how Anne Hathaway was like, set up to be super successful in Hollywood because she, like, remembers everybody's name, everybody who worked on this, like even like all the like, minor crew people and she's just like, yeah, this person did a great job and she, like, seems very like gracious. And like she actually cares, but is also very good at networking. And I think that that's exactly what you have to be to be like successful and someone that people like. 

Quinn 

Well, and you really get a sense of Anne Hathaway's work ethic, too. 

Jane 

Oh yeah. 

Quinn 

Which I think very much it comes through in the commentary where you just, like, get a sense of, like, all the things that she's thinking about. You hear a lot of the things that she's insecure about, and just like all of the the dynamics of being the Anne Hathaway of of this movie, being a movie star, being the the center of attention, both like in the internal world of the movie and in the external world of making the movie and in the even more external world of like marketing the movie and being the star.

Jane

Right.

Quinn

Like it's a very actually like I think nuanced character study of Anne Hathaway listening to the commentary while being very fun. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. And it's just like she never comes across as like, “Yes, I'm the star and I'm super famous and everyone should love me!” It's kind of like, “Yes, I'm putting in the work and I like really thought about this character and I really wanted to do a good job in this movie and I think everyone else worked really hard on it too.” And like definitely giving credit where credit is due and not really being super like... I mean obviously she talks about her own experiences, but not being super self-centered and like like everyone should be talking about me right now. 

Quinn 

And I think all three of the commentators really had that posture because Anne Hathaway does a great job of like mentioning like the lighting in this scene is beautiful and done by this person, that tailor was a tailor who works in Ireland. But I also think that like Hugh Dancy talks a lot about the stuntmen and like it's clear that he was like, legitimately really good friends with them, like during filming and would hang out with them. And like I think Tommy O’Haver also really like spotlights you know, actors and other people that worked on the movie. Like, I think you listen to it and it's like not like just them listing the credits, but it's like interesting seeing all of the different people that they each had to work with and spent time with. And like, how interesting it is just to put all these different people with all these different specialties in the same project together and just like stunt men interacting with movie stars and interacting with directors, interacting with lighting designers, interacting with other actors, it's all just very interesting to hear about the interactions that went into making the movie. 

Jane 

Yeah, it really highlights which I think I mean is probably true of pretty much every movie is that, like, just how interactive making a movie is, and just like what a collaborative effort it is. And it's not just like, oh, there's a few people involved and then there's, like, the background people that kind of help a little bit. It's like everybody really has to work together and like that's probably obvious to people who have made movies before. But I think when you're in the audience, you might not necessarily realize, I mean you see the long credits at the end, but just like how many people are involved in bringing this together and just how much they have to work together and trust each other to do their jobs. And I think that the Ella Enchanted commentary was kind of one of my first glimpses into just exactly what that looked like. And I think that that's part of what has like led me to be further interested in like, I'm not saying like I'm a filmmaker, but just sort of finding out a little bit more of the behind the scenes filmmaker stuff was really interesting to me without it feeling like, OK, now you're sitting down to a Filmmaking 101 class it it's all very fun the way they present it, but just like it gets you thinking of like, wow, there's so many people who work on movies that you never see who are really crucial to the process, and I really like that aspect of it and that they're definitely sure to give people as much credit as they can and not like you said, not listing the credits, just saying like, oh, this scene was really this person, like, really made it by doing their job kind of thing. And yeah, I really like that.

Quinn 

Yeah, and I think lots of DVD features have commentary on them, and so we've talked a lot about this commentary and it kind of leads to the question like what do you get from this commentary that like maybe you don't get in other movies with commentary? Cause I can't imagine there's another one on your list that like truly, you couldn't think of without the commentary which Ella Enchanted, I mean, it's inextricable from why you've watched this movie so many times. You wouldn't have watched this movie so many times without this commentary. I think it has all of these great things we've been talking about how deep it is, but it's also very funny.

Jane

Yes.

Quinn

And I feel like, you know, we quote and we've Mandela effected quotes from this commentary where like they don't actually say what we have ended up quoting years later, but like we quote this commentary so much to each other. Like probably the most quotable moment is like there's a point where Ella is supposed to in the movie like end up stopped in the middle of the road and there's like a horse drawn carriage that’s going to come and roll her over and she can't move because she's been ordered to stay because the Prince is going back to get the purse that she was carrying with her. And like they just describe how the line was originally, “MY SATCHEL!!!” when she realizes that she doesn't have it, and then the Prince is like, “Wait right there. I'll go get it.” And they're like, we had to cut that because we couldn't say it without laughing and they were like, then we I think we said, well, where's my satchel? We changed mine to where's my satchel and we still couldn't do it. S then in the movie is like, “Where's my purse?” is what she ends up saying. But like the “MY SATCHEL!” quote like, it's just the whole commentary is stuff like that. My other one of my other favorites, I can't even say things are above the other because it's all amazing. It's like, I guess all the sets had these different like almonds for Prince Char? 

Jane 

Yeah, all the, the castle sets had these dishes of candied almonds. 

Quinn 

Yeah, and it was just like this weird character study. And they're like, we want everyone in the Kingdom to enjoy my almonds! Like that Prince Char has his, like, favorite almonds. It's like this random detail that, like, you never would notice. There's just so many quotable moments, and like by all of them, all three of them really have great, hysterical little one liners. 

Jane 

Yeah, I was struggling to come up with a quote to use at the end of last episode because I was like all the good quotes are in the commentary. Yeah, cause the my satchel thing in particular, I feel like, I can't hear the word satchel without thinking of that, and sometimes I just think of it randomly. Just like “MY SATCHEL!!!”

Quinn 

Yeah and I also think one of the things that we have not yet talked about that I think the commentary does a good job of highlighting too, is that I love the costuming for that movie. I think that the costuming is perfect and they do a great job of talking about the different costumes, and you notice that characters have like signature colors, which I'm always, I don't know. I always really like that in movies when characters have signature colors. I think it's fun. And I I like that what that does visually is kind of like builds like a recognition for a certain character and seeing what color they're wearing, but like, I think it's cool. Like the characters have signature colors. I think the costumes are beautiful and well done, and the commentary does a good job of pointing out when that's the case. I think that Ella Enchanted is such a weird world and like you hear about all the different weird ways that this weird world was created together. But I do think it works surprisingly well like all told. You know, having these like kind of 70s-80s musical influences with kind of this like modern sensibility and the humor with like, costume, that kind of blended old and new with the signature colors, like something whimsical that pops like it all kind of like doesn't make sense in a way that makes sense. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that the world is kind of similar to the world of Shrek in a way? Like, I think Shrek has a lot of those like… it's like sort of a medieval world, but also there's a lot of modern jokes. And I think that Hercules kind of does that too, of like being like set in the past, but also with these very modern jokes. And I think that was just like a really big thing in like the late 90s/early 2000s to kind of make that sort of world? And they really ran with it and Ella Enchanted. I think they really just leaned into, like, we're going to make this weird. And yeah, it works so much better than you would think it would on paper, if just like, yeah so it's like kind of medieval castle fairy tale but also modern, but also like from a few decades ago, and we're just going to throw all those things together. And yeah, it just really works. And I do agree that the costuming really helps with that because the costumes are, like sort of whimsical, but also like very focused on like the characters and like Ella’s are a lot more practical than like the step-sisters have, like the most ridiculous costumes, especially at the end. 

Quinn 

Shout out to Hattie’s ring in the ball scene. 

Jane 

It is like…her ring is like as big as her hand.

Quinn 

It is so ridiculous and so it's just perfect. 

Jane 

Giant orange. 

Quinn 

And I mean, I love the the fairies, like, especially like Lucinda, like has a very, I would say modern, like it's a very costumey, like think like, sexy fairy at Halloween outfit, but it's like Nope, it works. Let's go for it. And I think also having Heidi Klum in the movie helps with its fashion appeal. 

Jane 

Oh yeah. 

Quinn 

Heidi Klum is a giant. 

Jane 

I wonder if they consulted her, if like, she was a costume consultant too. 

Quinn 

I also have to say that we have not talked at all about Cary Elwes yet.

Jane

Oh yeah! Quinn

And I love his performance, talking about performances, he is clearly having a marvelous time. And I also love kind of the meta connection to Princess Bride because I do also think that there are some elements of, like it's like almost like a more modern frenetic world than Princess Bride is, but there's like, I think they serve as like similar kinds of movies, at least on paper. 

Jane 

Yeah, it does have kind of a similar tone to that. It doesn't have nearly as witty of dialogue as Princess Bride, but it definitely has like, a similar like world feel. Yeah, I definitely see what you’re saying. 

Quinn 

Like you could imagine, some of the characters interacting, so I think it's very… there's a fun parallel that like he's sort of in the story as more the Humperdinck character than, you know, being the romantic lead ultimately that he is in Princess Bride. 

Jane 

And he he was like just… He's so good, like, especially because like, as his character progresses. Like earlier in the movie, he's just sort of, like, vaguely menacing. And by the end, he's, like, completely like… maniacal laughing, just like going completely overboard with, like, I've just completely lost my mind! And he does that so well, like- 

Quinn 

And that's you can tell that's a choice that he made as an actor because you could have very easily played all of that very flat and probably not gotten the effect like you get that from his performance is what really gives you that story. 

Jane 

Yes. Oh my gosh I love the scene when he, after Hattie, has told him that Ella has to do whatever she's told, and he's, like, making her do the hokey pokey and all this stuff. But he's doing the most ridiculous dance in the background and it's like you're trying to make her look silly, but you look way sillier and it's so good. 

Quinn 

Yeah, like just the the gleeful evil of of it all. Yeah, it's it's really, it's fantastic acting. I'm telling- like, up, up, down, anywhere you look in this movie: well acted. 

Jane 

Yeah, 100% of the time. And then he has a snake sidekick. Which is very like reminiscent of a lot of Disney villains - which is part of why I always think this movie is Disney, but it's not Disney - but I think that they did a really good job with that snake. I guess originally they were going to have like an animatronic puppet and they just couldn't get it to work so they ended up-

Quinn 

Can you imagine how silly that would have looked? Like, I think them talking about their pathway to arriving at the conclusion that this snake had to be CGI is very funny in the commentary. 

Jane 

Yes, yes. Because it's like, um yeah, no, that wouldn't have worked. So they ended up with a CGI snake. And I think it looks good. 

Quinn 

It's very well done. It's fantastic and I think the the actor, I mean it's mostly a voice performance, but the acting is very good with Heston as well. 

Jane 

Yeah! Yeah , so I think that and that really adds to carry out was his character. What is his name? Edgar?

Quinn 

Edgar, who is the evil uncle. Sorry if we haven't said that. Yes, he is the king, who is the uncle of Prince Charmont, who is Hugh Dancy.

Jane 

And I think like the uncle killed the father? 

Quinn 

Yes. 

Jane 

It's like a little, little Hamlet moment. 

Quinn 

It’s kind of – a criticism: It's kind of thrown together. It's like, OK, I guess he killed the father. Like I want to see him killing the father. I wanna see the blood on his hands! 

Jane 

And then he's trying to kill Char also, I'm not exactly sure why… 

Quinn 

It's kind of Lion King action like… 

Jane 

Because Char was going to be coronated. Yes!

Quinn 

So I guess he was like kind of a Regent ruler because the dad had been killed and and the dad was much more, the king was much more tolerant of other life groups like ogres and elves, and then Edgar becoming the king, he made a lot of these like species segregationist policies so...

Jane

Yeah

Quinn

It's presumed that with Ella next to the throne and with Char being a much more morally upright person that with Edgar's passing and his coronation, things went right in Frell or Lamia or whatever the kingdom's name is, because Ella’s from Frell and Lamias where the castle is. I don't know what the whole common is called. Andalasia. 

Jane 

[laughs] Probably. It's also really interesting how they decided that, like the people from Lamia would have English accents, and the people from Frell would have American accents, and then they cast like mainly American people to be the Lamia people and mainly British people to be the Frell people. 

Quinn 

It was chaotic what was going on with the accents. 

Jane 

Yeah so people had to do different accents. I mean not entirely, cause like Hugh Dancy is actually English and had his normal accent. Anne Hathaway had her normal accent, but like, just like Minnie Driver had to do an American accent. 

Quinn 

And that one notable fairy who has that bit part does like a New York accent in in Lamia, but she was like Irish. 

Jane 

Yeah, well, yeah. And the person who plays Ella's mom was actually British or Irish or something, and…

Quinn 

[New York accent] Finding her would be something terrible.

Jane

[laughs] Yeah.

Quinn 

So many good lines! 

Jane 

There's some, there's some very strange accents going on, but it's fine. It works. 

Quinn 

Also Parminder Nagra is there.

Jane

Oh yeah.

Quinn

And she is honestly not one of the more memorable performances, but she does a really good job! 

Jane 

It's really upsetting, like, that's like one criticism that I have: I would really like to have seen another scene with Parminder Nagra's character at the end like… 

Quinn 

It's really stuck in there, like the resolution of that storyline with like like it- you can tell they like there was probably some scheduling problem of like her filming ER or something because like, it is weird. Like Areida is Ella's best friend. And and like they set up their characters and Ella actually like, really like screws her over because of the curse. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's a heartbreaking scene. 

Quinn 

It's a really sad scene and then I think that for whatever reason, they couldn't film any better resolution to that story other than like she just comes to the wedding and like, there's a cutaway scene where she's waving to the carriage and just goes, “Good luck, Ella!” 

Jane 

And you know she was waving at nothing. 

Quinn 

And yeah, like, there's no way those women were in the same room when that happened. 

Jane 

Yeah, I mean, she is in the room at the wedding, like with her, and they cause she's part of the Don't Go Breaking My Heart 

Quinn 

Yeah, but like I that could have been filmed in post too, that cutaway shot. 

Jane 

That is true. Um, yeah so I think they really needed a scene where Ella explained what had happened. 

Quinn 

And like you assume that they were, you know, they healed the friendship, and they were in a good place. But like, they never said that. 

Jane 

Yeah, it's like, I mean, I get that they put that in there to show just like how bad, because that kind of was what pushed Ella over the edge of like, I guess I just have to live with this curse to being like, no, I need to get rid of this because her stepmother made her tell her best friend, like, “I could never be friends with you, and you suck, go away” basically. 

Quinn 

And yeah, I really, I think if it was a better script or like a better story, like the movie version, I don't really remember like how it happened in the book, but for the movie world that was created, I think involving Areida in some of the machinations at the end to, like take down Edgar would have, really fixed a lot of the, like narrative hole that is left with that storyline, like just to have Areida like give her some marginal role even where like she's for some reason there and can like help them do one thing like in the sequence to take down Edgar. Like just plug her in somewhere. And I think that would have been really nice to like have like her helping the cause and like reestablishing their relationship and then like then maybe you don't really need a final scene between them. You can just kind of use what you have at the end and be like, yeah, they figured it out. 

Jane 

Yeah, I agree that definitely would have been a really good way to do it, but… 

Quinn 

I mean, they have Heidi Klum in the end part like... 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah. Because she and Slannen have a thing. 

Quinn 

Yeah, they get together, which is there's a lot of questions I have, but it's fine. 

Jane 

Yeah, but I think that that's really, I mean, no offense to the writers, but I think there were like 5 writers on this movie, and like I don't know that they had a cohesive idea of what they were going to do with it. I think it was kind of like, OK, there's this really popular book and this really popular actress that we can write a thing for. 

Quinn 

And doing movies like this is very popular. 

Jane 

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, this is the time to do this sort of modernized but not fairy tale type thing. And we're just going to throw it together and hope for the best. And I think that it does work a lot better than it had any right to on paper, based on the dialogue and the script. And they talk about that a little bit in the commentary. They're like, very gracious about it, but there's certain moments where they're like, “Yeah, I never really liked this line,” or, like, “I never really felt like I said this right.” 

Quinn 

I think they're pretty upfront with saying the lines that they had issues with saying. 

Jane 

Yeah, but they're not, they're not gonna, say like, “Oh this whole script was trash.” 

Quinn 

Yeah, yeah. And I mean, in fairness, there's a couple funny, like “My tongue itches” is funny. 

Jane 

That is true. Yeah, there's some good lines in the actual script, but I think overall that's really the weak point. And just like the fact that they were able to get these amazing actors and some of them are like super famous, others I like, haven't really seen in anything else. 

Quinn 

Eric Idle is in the movie also. 

Jane 

Oh, I forgot about him! 

Quinn 

See, like you just keep thinking of people. There's a lot of performances. 

Jane 

And I think that they all just showed up and were like, “We're gonna have fun. We're gonna make this movie.” And it just really comes together in a very entertaining way. 

Quinn 

I do think also what helps is that the characters they're playing are all kind of archetypes. What talented actors are able to do, they're able to take these archetypal characters and sort of have an interpretation of them kind of ready to go. And so I'm, I'm also kind of thinking like, that's these are just good professional actors that like these are not like tough characters. They're just like they're ones that you can really like sink into and, like, get- they're, they're like, really meaty roles that like a good actor, will know what to do with. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, I agree with that, that's a good way of putting it. So yeah, so it's just it's just fun entertainment, but again, it just becomes like so much more fun and entertaining when you have the commentary on and you just hear them chatting with each other about their memories of making this movie and the good and the bad and the ugly. 

Quinn 

And if you like podcasts, I imagine you'll like the commentary because it it really does, I think feel like you're just sitting around the table with friends or sitting on the couch watching the movie with, you know, the friends or like people that were making the movie. Like it's a a really good aura that the commentary has. I feel like and again and thinking about like what does the commentary have that other commentaries don't? Like I think a lot of other commentaries are very cold and very like stale almost and like they come in for these very like discrete parts and they'll say, I did want to mention when we were watching this that this blah blah blah. And then they'll stop and they'll go back to the movie. Like, this is just this continual conversation that goes throughout the movie pretty much. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think a lot of times, especially when the commentary just has the director, they can get very technical with like just saying, like explaining how each shot was set up. And just like, I mean some of that is very interesting, but I think it almost feels like you're like going to film school or something or like you're sitting in a lecture and I definitely tend to prefer the ones that have multiple people and especially like, I mean, I don't want to say like we only care about the actors, but I think actors know how to perform better than directors do a lot of the time, and so they know how to be entertaining. I would say Ella Enchanted is like far and away my favorite, but there's a few others, like I talked about the Mary Poppins one. And I think that one is really fun for different reasons, because they're looking back with like 40 years of distance. But it's the same sort of thing of like they're interacting with each other and reminiscing together. And I think that's a lot more interesting than just hearing one person sort of give you a lecture about how this movie came together. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, and what the actors do, and I mean that's what they are when you're watching the movie, they are the audiences perspective, like into the world of the movie and, and so I think that you you feel like, you know, actors in a way that you don't feel like you know directors or people that are not on camera. And so, yeah, I think they're very practiced at bringing that perspective to an audience and sort of serving as that messenger or the gateway that an audience has to a story. And then I think to Tommy O’Haver’s credit. I think he's very charismatic. And so you feel like you know him or you like, get to know him through the course of the commentary. There's many directors whose commentary I've seen that I didn't really get a sense of who they were as people, but I feel like you get to know Tommy O’Haver and you like him. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that he, like, definitely takes his work seriously, but I think he doesn't think too highly of himself. I think a lot of directors have really big egos, which I think to a certain extent you have to for that job because you have to be in charge and you have to like get people to listen to you and so you have to think relatively highly of yourself. Otherwise you're gonna be like, “Well or- or not or whatever.” And you can't do that when you're a director. But I think that with Tommy O'Haver, he's like, he wants people to have fun on his sets, I think. And he's like, very proud of his work on this movie, clearly. But he's also, like, very gracious to the stars that he's talking to and like, very quick to point out when they did a good job, which I think they're more hesitant to do, like they don't want to toot their own horns as much. And so he's like, very much like, saying, “Wow, you guys were really great to work with and you did such a good job too.” And like that, they were exactly what he wanted for this movie. And I think that really helps make the commentary just seem a lot more fun, too, is that he's not being like, “I made this movie and I was so great.” It was like, “Thank you guys for doing such a good job.” and all of that, so I really like that. 

Quinn 

Yeah, he's he seems like- I would, I would be an actor or, like, work on a movie that he was the director for. I feel like he would be a good person to work with. And yeah, I do, it's interesting that you note that they the actors do I feel like have a hard time like tooting their own horn and like one of the main things that I feel like Anne Hathaway is comfortable like talking about is like her physical appearance. And like, she'll be like, “Oh, my extensions look so good at that point.” And I do feel like that's something that, like you think about, like the Harvey Weinstein of it all and like just a lot of some of the really, like, dark things about Hollywood and like, how sad that is that like, that's what she felt like, you know, those were some of the ways that she could, like, step into her own and, like, talk positively about herself. And then you think about like all other things that were going on like in the industry at large. I also think it's really great to hear like, a man complementing like the female star of the movie, who was like indisputably the star of the movie. And again, another good example of like female led projects like they're this idea that they're not as successful. It’s like here is another like- that's something I love about this movie, that it is a female led movie, that it's like, yeah, Anne Hathaway is perfectly capable of carrying a movie on her own shoulders. 

Jane 

Yeah, and it's interesting too that like the director doesn't at any point that I recall in the commentary. Maybe, he says, like… Because I do think like Anne Hathaway does complement her own appearance, she all is also very critical of it. 

Quinn 

Well, and and that's also true too. I mean just I think that's sort of where I was going, too and tying in like some of the larger cultural things, she is very critical of her appearance at times too. 

Jane 

One of my favorite parts though, is when she's like watching herself perform and she's, like, cringing. And they're like, “What are you..? And she's like, “Oh, it’s just a tooth thing.” 

Quinn 

Well, they're in the middle of complementing the lighting in the scene, and they're just like, “Oh, this lighting is so beautiful” and it is really beautiful. It's like flickering flames that of course, were, like, done digitally, but it looks very real and they're complimenting it and then and and Hathaway just goes, “Eugh!” And then then she's just like, “Sorry, it was a tooth thing.” 

Jane 

Yeah, but I think that what I was gonna say is I don't remember at any point, I don't think he ever really talks about her appearance other than to say, like, “Oh you look fine” when she's criticizing herself. I think that he's way more focused on her work and her her performance and like how dedicated she was and like she was in basically every scene and that she had to work really hard and he really gives her a lot of credit for that. And I think that's, like you were saying, a big problem in Hollywood is that a lot of actresses like you focus more on their appearance and what they're wearing and all this stuff. And I think it’s really great to see a male director recognizing that his female star really put in a lot of work and did a lot of stuff besides, just like looking pretty in this movie. And that's yeah, it's really great to hear that, especially on a movie that was produced by Harvey Weinstein. 

Quinn 

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's very true. And I just, I think. We've already spoken a little bit about this, but like, Anne Hathaway is just such a treasure, I think, like, and it's been very interesting, and like I I mentioned her in the same sentence with like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone earlier in this conversation. And like, just thinking about, like, what Anne Hathaway's trajectory has been, and then what those actresses’ trajectories have been where I think there there was, you know, generally good favor around Anne Hathaway for a long time. And then, like all of a sudden kind of around the time of her Oscar win, people kind of soured on her and felt that she really was sort of distasteful. And then just like having her image kind of come back around from there and now I think she has a very like, you know, people have a lot of, like, nostalgic affection for her being in all these beloved classics like Princess Diaries and Devil Wears Prada and Ella Enchanted. But then she's also, you know, an Oscar winner and like, taken very seriously, like, I think she's kind of reached that, like, you know, prime part of her career where she's been through all of these things. And we've seen actresses like Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence kind of on a delayed timeline, go through some of these same things like, I just think that Anne Hathaway, I really have a lot of respect and appreciation for all of the things that she's weathered. Being a young woman in Hollywood and having to kind of- that she was in these beloved projects. She's had periods of being very well loved, periods of being kind of hated and has sort of weathered the storms and has continued to to work and deliver really phenomenal performances, I just- I think she's such a gift and I'm glad that she's still out there kicking ass and making amazing movies. Like I love Ocean's 8, that's fairly recent, and I think that she still has some very exciting career moves left. I'm- I can't wait to see her as she continues. 

Jane 

Yeah, and I think it's really interesting because she was getting a lot of hate for a while, for like no really good reason. Like, I don't feel like anyone could point to like something horrible that she said or did. Like maybe she like said something that was maybe a little bit questionable, but like, I think now people are coming around to being more like, you know, she was never actually terrible. People were just mad at her for being a successful woman like, cause, I mean, some people like they said something super racist or something or like that was interpreted in a bad way. But I don't even know that anyone's been able to point to something like that. 

Quinn 

I think probably the thing that I heard or that that's been on in the news cycle was the Witches movie that she was in and sort of depicting people with limb differences as like witches and, there was some backlash to the way that the witches were portrayed and how that looked similarly to people with limb differences and sort of othered people with limb differences, or at least this was some criticism of that movie. And I thought that Anne Hathaway had a really, um… I was impressed with the apology that she offered and she made, I thought, a really powerful, well thought out statement that just said, “I didn't really do my homework fully here and this is upsetting because I upset people that I did not want to upset” and it owned the mistake, and just you know, said that she would be more careful moving forward and you know, like, I just think that's something that I appreciate someone that can stand up and apologize when they did something not fully thought out. 

Jane 

Yeah. Well, and I don't remember hearing anything about that, but like the Witches was based on a novel by Raold Dahl, whose prejudices are well known at this point. 

Quinn 

Yeah, so I I think it's… I don't think that Anne Hathaway should be held accountable for like production decisions that were probably outside of her control, but she still did take accountability. And I thought in a way that- I appreciated the thoughtfulness of the statement I ended up reading. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that she's always been very good about responding to things which, like, maybe she just has a really good PR team. But like, she definitely always knows how to, like, stand up for herself when she needs to, but then also, you know, not just double down when she makes mistakes. And I think that's really great. I know she was like a really big advocate for legalizing gay marriage and things like that. Like, she's really been somewhat of an activist in terms of issues that she really cares about, which I think is great. She's just a really… seems like a really good role model to be a movie star. I mean, obviously she's not perfect. I don't think that anyone has a right to expect her to be perfect, but I did really appreciate that, like when Ocean's 8 came out and everybody was like, “Wow, Anne Hathaway is like, the best part of this movie that is a great movie and has a lot of great parts.” And then some people were like, “Yeah, she's the best part of every movie she's in. Why has it taken you this long to notice?” Like people kind of coming back around to being like, “Yeah, she's always been good. Why did we hate her?” 

Quinn 

Well, and I think it's fabulous because in that movie she plays an actress who you kind of think is going to be like, obnoxious and not really that great. And then she ends up being, like, essential to the con and… 

Jane 

Yes, I love that. And like I kind of wish that they had done something like that in Ella Enchanted with Parminder Nagra's character. 

Quinn 

Right. 

Jane 

Like, that's what they needed to do is like bring her back and have her be like, “Yeah, OK, you really hurt me. But now I'm gonna help you” kind of thing. Yeah. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I mean, I guess I do feel like you tend to have things for actors and actresses that are older. You know, I think of a lot of your actor obsessions being, you know, people from a bygone era that were dead before you were born. I feel like Anne Hathaway has been an actress that sort of we've grown up with that we've sort of seen come of age - we remember a time before Anne Hathaway and saw her rise - that you've really enjoyed. And I think have looked at as like I would say, I think you're a particular fan of Anne Hathaway. And like I I think that that's that's interesting, and I'm curious if… you've probably already described many of the things that maybe have drawn you to her more so than like other actors of her generation. 

Jane 

Yeah, I would definitely… I mean, I'm sure there's bigger Anne Hathaway fans than me, I'm not like her number one fan or anything, but definitely she's one of the actors that I've been more of a fan of. And like, she's less than 10 years older than me, so she’s like pretty close to my generation and I think that a lot of it is that, like, she's an Old Hollywood fan, like she has a lot of those sensibilities of, like, the Old Hollywood actors. And I think that that is something that I've picked up on even without like that consciously being why I like her. But I do think that that has helped. That like she is definitely very modern, but in a way that takes things I liked about the older Hollywood style. Like I think she probably would say that she's more of a method actor and a lot of the actors I like are kind of before that became the norm. But like, I think she's still very much the like, get up there, say the lines and think about that rather than just being like, “I'm going to fully embody this character!” which is something that kind of irritates me about actors sometimes as being like, “I'm just becoming this person now.” It's like, I think she she's got that sort of line between herself and her characters that a lot of the like, more like modern stars… I mean, I'm, I know there's modern actors who are great, but I think the like movie star leading role people kind of rub me the wrong way sometimes. But like I think that she has similarities to like the old Hollywood stars that I'm a fan of, and sort of bridges that gap into the modern era, if that makes any sense? I truly don't know if I’m explaining this- 

Quinn 

I think that's all really interesting and I think makes a lot of sense. I think that's a cool observation and I'm just thinking tying it back to Ella Enchanted, I was thinking the last time I watched it specifically, I was like, what is different about Ella from Princess Mia? Like where… where are the lines there? And in truth, I think that there's a lot that's similar about Princess Mia and about Ella. And like I think that, yeah, that makes a lot of sense because I know that you really love like Cary Grant, for example, who I think Cary Grant has range and has performances that it's very transformative between roles, but he does have a brand and he has a style and like a lot of movies, it's like here's like a specific character, like this one's a scientist, this one's a teacher, this one's a, a that and we're just going to do the Cary Grant version of like that profession or like that. Like we're going to give him a few boundaries to work with that are like character defining traits, but then he's going to bring the Cary Grant brand to it. And they feel like that's almost what the transition from Princess Mia to Ella Enchanted is, is it's like, we're going to change the the formation of these characters in a little bit of different ways, and like I I notice like the Princess Mia, Lily friendship is kind of flipped in Ella Enchanted, and like Arieda is much more like Mia, and Ella is much more like Lily in that dynamic and like that, the fact that they're activists and like going to, like protests and stuff, I feel like kind of mirrors each other. But it's very much Anne Hathaway bringing the Anne Hathaway brand to each of those characters, and like they're both very Anne Hathaway. Like, you get her as a star, you get the brand of her, you get the identity of her while she's in kind of just these different formations of like, that protagonist character that leads the movie one way or the other. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think it's like there's certain movie stars who, just like, always play the same character. And it's like, OK, that's that actor, that's that actor, that's that actor, and it gets a little bit redundant. And then there's other actors who are like very much blend into their roles, which if it's done well, I think that that's really good and I really appreciate that. Like, I like Meryl Streep, and like those kind of like… really good. But I think there's some actors who are like, “I'm just going to be completely different in this movie!” and it just, like, doesn't quite… gel with me, I guess? I don't know. But like, I think my favorite kind of actors tend to be the ones where, like you can always tell it's them, but they're doing different things and like they're very versatile within their wheelhouse, like it's not they're doing the same thing every time, but at the same time they they bring themselves to it. And I think that that that Anne Hathaway is very much like that. Because obviously like playing Fantine in Les Mis is very different from playing Ella in Ella Enchanted like they're completely different characters. And I'm not saying like, “Ohh yeah, but it was just Anne Hathaway doing that.” Like, she's a good actress. But I guess I just, I feel like I get her persona a little bit more and like I… I don't want to say it like I'm trying to like insult any actors, but I just think that I tend to resonate with the ones that are more in the style of the Old Hollywood people who were like themselves, like you were saying bringing Cary Grant brand to different characters and I think Anne Hathaway has a very strong star personality and I think that that really comes out in the Ella Enchanted commentary and I think that it's very telling that that was like so early in her career because it was only a few years after Princess Diaries. But she was already like, “This is me. This is who I am. I'm a fully formed person and I'm not going to let Hollywood mess me up too much,” I think, because I think a lot of people fame can really go to their head. And I think that, I mean, there's no way for it not to a little bit, but I feel like… at least the way she comes across, I'm not claiming to know her, but I feel like Anne Hathaway has- seems to have kept her integrity throughout the fame. And I really respect that and it's been really fun to see that like through the ups and downs of her career so far, and I'm sure there's much more to come from her, she's not that old, so I'm sure she'll be- 

Quinn 

Right. No, we're it's not… this is not a memorial of Anne Hathaway. But yeah, I think that makes sense. It's interesting to hear what's really attractive about her from your perspective. Because I I, I think that does make a lot of sense, and I really do kind of see her as someone in that that just kind of feels right, you know, in thinking about Anne Hathaway as someone who's sort of… is in the older school of, you know, being that type of star, and I really do think that that's some of her best strengths as an actor and that she's she's immediately someone familiar. Like she, we've grown up with her on screen in various roles and like I think that that is something that a lot of those older actors really bring to like a sense of familiarity, and that allows you to really get into the story because they have such potent brands and their brands are not necessarily like “I'm a completely different person in everything I'm in.” Like I'm almost like Meryl Streep is an actress who people talk about as being very transformative. I almost think like Nicole Kidman is kind of that actress. I'm just like, “Satine is the same person as Virginia Woolf?!” Like she's someone to me that I'm like, Nicole Kidman could be anybody, like… 

Jane 

Yeah, or like Daniel Day-Lewis. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Yeah, like additional people. 

Jane 

And like, no offense to them like, I think they're amazingly talented and I- 

Quinn 

I think what you're describing is like actors that maybe don't have the ability to be that transformed or just like are overcommitted to the process, to the point where it's just like an excuse to be mean to people. Like Jared Leno. 

Jane 

Oh yeah, everybody who's played the Joker has been like, “I'm going to use this to be mean to people.” So yeah, there are definitely actors who do that really well and like, all power to them, tons of respect. But I think that there's some actors that just try to do stuff throughout their career that I'm just sort of like, that's fine, but I don't really like love that as much. And I think that in the Princess Diaries 2 commentary Anne Hathaway talks quite a bit about old movies that she likes. And I think that that is sort of what has given me the impression of, like, oh, that's why I like her. Because she also is taking from these old movies. And I think that a lot of the more modern actors who I like have something in common with the Old Hollywood style of acting. 

Quinn 

Is this the first Anne Hathaway movie on the podcast? 

Jane 

I think so.

Quinn

Oh!

Jane

I think it's only this and Princess Diaries. 

Quinn 

OK. That makes sense that I haven't really heard your thoughts about Anne Hathaway on the podcast yet. Another comment that I wanted to make about Anne Hathaway's performance style: I actually see a lot of similarities to Ginger Rogers and like how you were describing Ginger Rogers was like, at least perceived by Katharine Hepburn at like the time of Stage Door. I can see some similarities in like how they came across, and I think Anne Hathaway is less known for her dancing, but just the, you know, the really like competent professional model that can deliver really versatile performances and kind of has a few like tricks. And it's not just the acting, it's also the singing, or also the dancing or both. I I see, I see there being something sort of similar between the two of them. 

Jane 

Yeah. And just like that, people wanted to work with them. Because I think that was part of Katherine Hepburn's issues earlier in her career is that she was very difficult to work with, which like I understand like- 

Quinn 

 [laughing] I can't imagine Katharine Hepburn being difficult. 

Jane 

I know, right? 

Quinn 

That's why she's the perfect Susan Vance! 

Jane 

She was like like, I mean, obviously I feel like even now women are not treated very well in Hollywood. And back then, it was very bad in a lot of ways. And so, like, I can't really fault her for like, standing up for herself, and that got you labeled as difficult, so I think some of it was that, but I think also just like I think Ginger Rogers would have been willing to be friends with her, and she was very much like, “No. We are not friends.” Based on Anne Hathaway’s commentary, like, it seems like she’s very gracious towards everybody she was working with and like, I mean, maybe there's people out there who've worked with Anne Hathaway who were like, “Oh, no, she was horrible.” But I don't think I've heard any stories about her actually being hard to work with, whereas like some stars like I just off the top of my head, Christian Bale comes to mind of like crew members being like, “He just always yells at us” and stuff like that, and I think that like easy to work with for actresses can be code for just like very compliant and never standing up for themselves. And I don't think that that's what Anne Hathaway is like. But I do think that, yeah, she's more of a Ginger Rogers than a Katharine Hepburn in terms of like people want to work with her. So yeah, I think that's a good, that's a good analogy to draw. We’ve talked a lot about Anne Hathaway, but I think she deserves it. 

Quinn 

Yeah, well, I'm… knowing that this is her debut on your countdown, I I feel like she's somebody that I think of as a modern interest of yours. Someone who's still alive that you like and follow to some extent. 

Jane 

Yeah, well, there's- when I keep track of the movies I watch, there are certain actors who I update every year when I update my spreadsheet of like how many movies I've seen of theirs and how many times, and like list out like which movies I've seen which number of times for each of them, and most of the actors I track are from Old Hollywood. There's a few more modern ones. Yeah, Anne Hathaway is definitely one of those. And I think that also like being introduced to her along with Julie Andrews, like I wasn't a huge Julie Andrews fan before Princess Diaries. And so I think that like that movie, which I will talk about later, but that really made me really like both of them. And so I kind of think of like, me being a fan of Anne, starting at the same time as Julie Andrews. And so they kind of, like, go together in my mind. And I think having this other movie that's kind of similar to Princess Diaries in that she's playing sort of a princessy type character, but different soon after that really helped fuel my interest in like, keep my interest in Anne Hathaway after Princess Diaries. 

Quinn 

Yeah, it's honestly beautiful in many ways to think about that pairing for Princess Diaries cause I think I'm sure you're not alone in some way in that story of being introduced to both of them at the same time, or reintroduced, I think a lot of people probably know the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins at least. But yeah, I mean, I think that it's very cool that like, what a great, you know, way to burst onto the Hollywood scene than with the Julie Andrews movie and yeah, I think it's cool to think of how a lot of people must have become fans of both of them at the same time and must kind of attach these two very talented women who have both dominated the entertainment industry for quite some time. I think it's, yeah, it's, it's cool to think about that that's where Anne Hathaway started in a lot of homes. 

Jane 

Yeah, you know, and Julie Andrews continues to have a career, but also is more known for being sort of at the end of the classic Hollywood era, and that she similarly burst onto the scene with a big role that made her an instant star because- 

Quinn 

And that was sort of a kids’ movie too. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, exactly. It was a Disney movie. And so like to start as the star of a Disney movie and then just kind of go from there. And Julie Andrews has also had many ups and downs in her career with people loving her and then not liking her that much and like that has happened to her as well, which I think it happens to anybody if you're around long enough. But yeah. So I think that having that connection to Old Hollywood directly also seems more of my jam. And it was fun for me to see somebody closer to my age also talking about liking old movies and things like that. I'm like, OK, cool. I'm not alone in being interested in Old Hollywood, as a younger person who's still alive. And I'm sure that there's a lot of other actors who feel similarly also, like I think you kind of have to if you know your craft, you're going to have seen older movies. But yeah, I think she's been open about like, “Yeah, I I like Audrey Hepburn” and things like that, so… 

Quinn 

I was going to say she does give me a very Audrey Hepburn type vibe, but like almost like spunkier than Audrey Hepburn but Audrey Hepburn was pretty spunky too, so I wouldn't. I wouldn't take that away from her.

Jane

Yeah.

Quinn

To completely change the subject: amatonormativity. This movie is a love story. How do you feel about that? 

[both laugh]

Jane 

Yeah, it is definitely a love story. I do think that it's interesting that like, Ella does not at any point set out to find love. She does fall in love with Char definitely, but that's not her objective. Like it's an important part of this story, but ultimately like, that's not what the story's about. Like, I think it's much more about her curse and trying to break away from her having to be obedient. 

Quinn 

And really, her learning to use love as a tool to be the, you know, the most, like, actualized curse-liberated version of herself. I think that that's like important, too. Like she she realizes that love is something that she wants in her life, like a romantic love is something that she she wants and that that is sort of how she learns to use love as a way to break the curve. 

Jane 

Yeah and I feel like it's never really been an option for her up until that point, because I think that one of two things would happen. Either she would marry someone who would then, like, completely take advantage of her curse and just- 

Quinn 

Yes, that would be very scary for her. 

Jane 

Or she would end up really hurting her partner by having to do stuff because someone else told her to, and that kind of almost happens the second one. Because Char is very kind and understanding and like even there's certain moments in the movie when he like says something and she starts to do it and he's like “That wasn't an order. Like, I'm not trying to make you do stuff you don't want to do.” 

Quinn 

He's very taken aback by her in all ways because he's used to women throwing themselves at him and so he's very taken aback that Ella doesn't do that at the beginning. And then he's taken aback when she's like overly compliant on things that he meant as more like suggestions and just like interpersonal interactions. 

Jane 

Yeah. 

Quinn 

There's a lot of commands and casual conversation we learn through Ella Enchanted. 

Jane 

And I think they do a really good job with that and there's this great moment when he says, “You have to stay,” and she's like, “OK, I'll stay.” And he's like, “Well, no, you don't HAVE to stay.” And she's like, “OK” and she, like starts to leave. He's like, “But I would like you to stay.” And then she does. And I think that she really appreciates that he wants to give her her own agency when she's never been able to have that. But then of course, Edgar manipulates it and tries to get her to kill Char, and I think that that is part of why she was like, “it's not good that I'm in love with him” cause she knew something that could happen. I don't think she anticipated it happening quite like that or quite that soon. So I think it's very strong of her to allow herself to fall in love with Char and then to be able to overcome the curse, fully break it, rather than killing him, and… side note: another of my favorite parts of the commentary is when she says “I do love you, Char,” and then she raises the knife cause she's like being forced to. And in the commentary, the director goes, “I'm just not in love with you.” It's like, that's what you do. You kill them when you say that!

Quinn

It's iconic.

Jane It's great. But anyway, she is in love with him and so I think that again a lot of what I'm learning through this project is a lot of my favorite love stories are the ones where like falling in love is not the path that they were supposed to go on. Like with Sound of Music like she wants to be a nun. She's not supposed to fall in love with anyone. And then she does. And I think that often with amatonormativity the path is like you are going to fall in love and get married and have kids. And for Ella that's not her path at all initially. And so I think I really enjoy stories where people are forging their own path and not doing what society or other people around them tell them to do. Which is especially poignant in this movie because she literally has to do what everybody tells her to do for most of the story. And so I think that like, because there are all these things about like why, not only should she not end up with Char, she shouldn't end up with anybody. And so I think seeing like, but she wants to and she makes that happen for herself is more powerful than a lot of the like, typical romantic stories where it's like, maybe these two people are pulled apart by various forces, but like, they're going to find someone and marry someone. That's less interesting to me than stories like this. 

Quinn 

That's interesting. 

Jane 

But again, it's like there is the romantic element of it, but there's so much more going on and it's so much more about Ella finding herself and finding her own voice when she's being constantly talked over and drowned out. And I think that that's…that's what I like about this story. And like the love story is incidental. But I do think that it's good that Char is so much kinder to her than most of the other people she encounters besides Slannen I guess. 

Quinn 

Other than the romantic relationship, what are your favorite relationships in Ella Enchanted? 

Jane 

Ooh, that's a good question… ha, Edgar and his snake? 

Quinn 

You know that's a good one. I honestly think I might like the Ella and Mandy relationship.

Jane

Oh, yeah.

Quinn

I know it's not emphasized much, but you can just tell that they have a good rapport. I I guess I like Minnie Driver and Anne Hathaway in scenes together, they seem to really have a good chemistry, but yeah, I I like, I like that bond. I think that the step sister bond is funny and interesting. One of my least favorite relationships is the relationship between the father and Ella? Like he is so weird, like because he does- you get the sense he cares about her, and is like mildly intelligent. He's just, like, distant, like, absent, like always on on the road. So he can't be involved in the home situation, but like he's kind of a little weird. 

Jane 

Yeah, he- Well, he's very underdeveloped. And I also think it's very interesting how like, it takes him a really long time to notice that she's gone and you just see, like, this one random scene where he's, like, talking to the stepmother and “Where's Ella?” And she's just like, “Oh, she's off with Hattie and Olive, it's fine.” And it's like she's been gone for many days at this point. Like, did you just notice that she left? 

Quinn 

[stepmother impression] “She’s taking a tour of the castle.” 

Jane 

[continues stepmother impression] “With Hattie and Olive.” I mean, Joanna Lumley just is very, very funny. 

Quinn 

It's honestly the main performance of hers that I think of. I feel like this is very embarrassing. I know she's in lots of other things, but I mainly think of Joanna Lumley as an Ella Enchanted actress. 

Jane 

I mean, I feel like most of the people in this movie, there's like two different levels of people. It's like either, “Oh yeah, from Ella Enchanted!” or like, “They were in Ella Enchanted?!” 

Quinn 

Yeah, there are two choices. 

Jane 

Yeah, except for like Anne Hathaway, obviously it’s like, I know she's in Ella Enchanted, but I don't automatically think of Ella Enchanted. But like Hugh Dancy…

Quinn

He’s Prince Char!

Jane

He's just so ingrained in Ella Enchanted for me and I think that like, obviously, Anne Hathaway is the main star of this movie, but Hugh Dancy does a great job and I think he does a good job also of like stepping back and letting her be the lead of the movie. 

Quinn 

Yeah, he's really fantastic and I like the character of Char and it's all a yes for me on the Prince Char front. And I think like their relationship feels very earned throughout the movie. And I agree, you know, I think that it's like, ugh does every movie have to have a romance? Like there is a a quality of like, this probably didn't need to be there, but it is, but I think it's an earned relationship. I think you can see how they're both willing to be supportive of each other. I think you can see how they're helping each other grow. I think that Ella really does challenge Char’s complacency in his privilege. And I think that, I don't know what does Char really do for Ella? Um... 

Jane 

He saves her! 

Quinn 

Oh yes, he does save her from the ogres. I think that she does view the world in a really adversarial terms because she has to, to, like, protect herself, and I think that he kind of helps her bring down her walls a little bit. I think you see that throughout the course of the movie. So, yeah, I think they're both, like, really enriching each other's lives in a way that is nice, and they have good chemistry. I feel like I would watch the Hugh Dancy/Anne Hathaway rom com in the future, like I would see them paired up in another movie. 

Jane 

Yeah, I think that that one objection that I tend to have for a lot of especially rom coms, but romantic movies in general is that a lot of times I feel like the relationship between the leads is actually kind of toxic if you think about it and, like…

Quinn 

Yes, it's true. 

Jane 

…one of them is stalking the other, like something really creepy is happening that you're supposed to think is cute, and I don't feel like we get that with the Ella Enchanted one. I feel like they have a really good organic falling in love. And also like with a lot of Cinderella adaptations, I feel like the Prince is usually very underdeveloped as a character. 

Quinn 

And it's we talked about this when we watched all the Disney movies. Like it's probably one of the biggest flaws in the Disney Cinderella, which is sort of a standard classic interpretation of Cinderella. I think there's other versions of Cinderella that improve on it a little bit, but there's frankly many that follow in the same footsteps of having kind of an anonymous prince. 

Jane 

Yeah. And like on the one hand, that's fine, cause it's Cinderella's story. But on the other hand, I'm like, this is very much Ella’s story, but I feel like we understand who Char is and he's very well developed and their relationship is very well developed. Like we have many scenes together. At first, like she really doesn't like him. It's a trope that happens in many romantic films of like initially one of them is like, “Ugh, I hate you,” and then they get together eventually. But I think it's very gradual and just feels very organic and it makes sense. And so yeah, I I am in favor of their romance. Like I- 

Quinn 

Well, and he's also, not looking at Ella as a conquest, even though it's very clearly established when they meet that like she's not into him and he is sort of like allured by that because he's very used to like running from a screaming horde of fans. And so, like, you can tell that he's both like this is of interest to him that Ella has resistance to him because it's unusual, but it's not like- There's a very easy way to make that character very toxic then, and to say, like, oh, I'm going to conquest this, and I don't think that that's how he feels about her. And it's really they don't cross paths again until he's saving her life from the ogre. So there's like a very good, like, high stakes reason for him to intervene in her life at that time. Like, there's not, like, a creepy, like, I'm gonna get that girl who resisted me. 

Jane 

Well, and he doesn't know the full story of what she's doing because she's not allowed to tell anyone about the curse. But like he's willing to help her find her fairy godmother, like, basically no questions asked. And you don't ever get the impression that he's, like, doing it to like, because there's, you know, the whole friend zone of, like, “I was nice to her, and now she's not sleeping with me.” Like you don't get the impression that he's helping her to get in her pants or anything. Like he really wants to help her. 

Quinn 

Yeah, there's not really any like subversive stuff that you feel like subversive motivation that he has that you sense he has ever. 

Jane 

Yeah, yeah, I think they do a really good job of that of like, I think he would be OK with being her friend and advocate. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah, and you get the sense that he wants a peer to, like, talk to because he can't talk to any other young women because they're too busy, like screaming about him.

Jane

Yeah.

Quinn

Like, I don't… I can't imagine he's having, like, really deep conversations with a lot of the other people that are in the fan club that are just like, “Char’s naked in the shower?!” and like, just like screaming. Like literally screaming and like chasing him down. Like I think if there's anything that Ella Enchanted is a cutting analysis on stan culture because they really put the stans out there and say “You're blowing your shot by acting this way. It's not cute!” 

Jane 

Yeah, and I I think he also he's like tired of being overly sexualized. And so the fact that she sees him as a person is really like not just to turn on for him. Like obviously that's part of it. And like he falls in love with her partly because she is not screaming at him. But I think, like, just they're able to get to know each other, person to person, and that's really what you feel like their falling in love is is like now that I know you as a person, I really have this deep connection with you, and I think they have some great scenes together that really show that. So again, I like that the romance isn't the main part, but I also really like the way they do the romance in this movie. So I think it gets a pass from me of being like this is a good romance movie. 

Quinn 

The Jane Ace star. 

Jane 

Yes, exactly! You could be aroace and still appreciate the relationship that they have. 

Quinn 

The aroace sealed romance. 

Jane 

There you go. And, yeah, I do think that there's other good relationships. I really wish that the Ella/Areida relationship was better developed because I would really like to have that strong female friendship because again there’s… it is a female driven story, but the secondary characters that are more developed tend to be male characters like Slannen and the ogre Nish…

Quinn

Edgar.

Jane

Edgar, yeah. Whereas like you have, like, the stepmother and the step sisters who are great. And then... 

Quinn 

And and Minnie driver, you have Mandy. 

Jane 

Mandy, yeah, but I would love to see more from them. 

Quinn 

And Lucinda. 

Jane 

Yeah, but Lucinda is, I think every moment she has great. 

Quinn 

And there could be more diversity in the cast, too. That's also a critique. 

Jane 

Yeah, always. But at least they're not all white. 

Quinn 

It's true there is some diversity. 

Jane 

Minimal diversity, but yeah, yeah, absolutely. More diversity, would love to see a… like because everybody kind of, not everybody, but some of the other characters get paired up because you have that random like Slannen and Heidi Klum thing. It was like he could have found a man to be with. Like we could have some, queer pairings here. I mean it’s fine. I think that like I do enjoy this movie on its own. I don't feel like it would have made it into the Top 40 without the commentary. 

Quinn 

Well, yeah. And I think I think it's probably like a less polished version of, like, Mamma Mia in the sense of like, I imagine, like, you would watch this movie for similar reasons that you would watch something like Mamma, Mia and maybe Mamma Mia is just like a little bit sharper of a movie. Although it is also, I think in the same like it's kind of stupid at times and like embraces being stupid and yeah, it's like it's a random musical for no real reason. It's fun and so I feel like that's why it's also easy to watch the commentary because that just like makes it more fun. 

Jane 

Right, yeah. 

Quinn 

And so, you know, I think I agree, I don't know that this is like the best movie on its own. But I think the combination of it being a lot of fun, having fun commentary, sort of striking some of the same balance of like Mamma Mia and other movies that have ended up high in your countdown. That could be what it is. It's just it's just the right cocktail of all of those things. 

Jane 

Yeah. Well, I think it's very chaotic and eclectic, but ultimately, like everybody was making the same movie. And I think that really helps that like, yes, there's all these different pieces and all these different things going on. Which I guess is kind of what makes it feel a bit more old movie-ish that there's like this very convoluted plot of several different characters doing things. But yeah, everybody, I feel like everybody was on the same page. Everybody knew what movie they were making. They knew it was kind of silly and not really that amazing. And they were all just OK with that. And I think that really makes it work a lot better than it would have if people were like, yeah, this is whatever a trashy movie, we're just gonna get paid. And I feel like everybody was just like, we're gonna show up, we're gonna have a good time. And yeah, I think that that really comes across to the audience and that's what makes it an enjoyable movie, despite not being a great movie. 

Quinn 

Yeah. Sounds like the right recipe to end up on your countdown. 

Jane 

Yes, exactly. So thank you so much for being here with me and talking for a very long time about this movie that we both love. 

Quinn 

Thank you so much for having me. This was a lot of fun. I love discussing anything related to Ella Enchanted. 

Jane 

Yes, and I'm so glad that you were here to discuss it with me.

Thank you to Quinn for all of your insights and questions, and thank you listeners for sticking through my longest episode yet. I hope it was still fun and interesting for you – it certainly was for me. Now that we’re in the top half of the list, I feel like I’m going to have more to say about each movie, so they will probably start trending a bit longer, although I’m sure my solo episodes will still be much shorter than this. But before we get back to just me talking I have one more special guest episode lined up, so stay tuned for another long one next week, about a very different type of film. As always, I will leave you with a quote from that next movie: “She may be risking her life, but when it comes to being a lady, she doesn’t hold a candle to your wife, sir, sitting in Washington, playing bridge with three other ladies of great honor and virtue.”

[marinaiguess]

just finished watching sonic prime so why not share my thoughts on it? before i start rambling, i suggest you go watch it on netflix, it definitely deserves a watch.

now

Technicalities first (if i can call them that). So, judging as a viewer and not as a sophisticated critic who has read cinemtaography books, I’d say the show’s direction overall is pretty good. It’s nothing special but it’s pleasing and keeps you interested. The direction, the angles, the camera changes regarding placement and focus are well coordinated with the writing and each emotion each scene tries to convey. So, really, nothing new (i wasnt expecting a sonic show to make groundbreaking ways of storytelling through cinematography), but I believe it is worth mentioning because it plays a huge role on how one views the show. And there were many moments where I realized that a certain angle made the scene look more tense for example.

Animation! I think we all liked the bouncy styled animation, contrasting the hugely popular disney/pixar styled animation (which is good, dont get me wrong, but the animation tecnhique used in prime fits sonic a lot more imo). Also, the facial expressions are part of what made the show so great and enjoyable and I love how much emphasis they put on them, literally perfect. The details in animation, like the animalistic behaviours of sonic and co. and how they were depicted (ears twitching for example) are all very important and im glad they were implemented. And, I know a lot of us are focused on the facial expressions but we shouldnt forget abt the background as well. There definitely was attention to detail, details that were everywhere and completed the overall image of the show.

Music! the music is good what do you expect me to say like, oh that major g in the pirate scene made the scene look more tense but if it was a minor f it would make it a bit more sad and thus more fitting- no. the music was good. not surprised and props to everyone who worked on the music but i just dont think theres anything to add LOL.

Voice acting! Voice directing-wise? Really REALLY good, i wasnt expecting great performances but i was proved wrong and im happy about that. Now, for the main cast seperately? Devon has done an EXCELLENT job with his lines. His sonic voice is a combination of Roger Craig Smith and Ben Schwartz i believe but it’s also unique and very fitting for sonic, despite me not liking it at first. Brian as Eggman is meh for me, very good voice acting skills but i didnt like it that much. Ashleigh as Tails fit surprisingly well and idk why. Kazumi for rouge was a really good one, bringing rouge back to her sa2/heroes era and not the overly sexy and seducing voice she has in the games (i know its abt voice direction as well but yeah). big is meh, i dont like it. knuckles is pretty good tbh. and now, shadow the hedgehog. yes. ian did an excellent job voicing shadow and i LOVE LOVE LOVE his voice in prime, makes he’d sound like that in the games as well. i’ll stop now or i’ll start fangirling. 

Characters! I like the characters and sonic’s crew. the way the show’s written so far though has made me care about the post-apocalypse characters more than the other shatterverses. like, i like them all, yeah, but i care more about nine and knucks and rebel. maybe that was the point. also,HHHH WHY NOT BLAZE? why not silver? hoping to see them soon but PIRATE WORLD? there was a purple cat and a brown raccoon there but it wasnt blaze and marine. lost opportunity. (and rouge should have been the captain in the pirate one fr fr)

And finally, writing. I’ve seen a lot of opinions these days. Here’s mine. Good characterisation. Yes, it might surprise you but the characterisation is actually good. for every character. including sonic. maybe in a different post i could talk about every character but for now, i wanna talk abt sonic. bouncy, energetic, talkative, honest, lively, adhd coded, cheesy sometimes, reckless, extroverted who wants to work on his own from time to time. this is actually sonic. someone who loves his friends but doesnt listen to them cuz he has no patience. someone who conveys his emotions with actions and puts words aside. someone who likes to lay back once in a while, but not when the whole world is broken to pieces. someone who wants to save everyone, puts everyone above him and his needs. someone who cant stop talking, making witty remarks and jokes despite the given situation cuz he never gives up and is always hopeful and optimistic. frontiers gave us a different view of sonic’s character but it’s a very different situation as well. yet, if you carefully compare the two, you’d see how much things they have in common and how prime! sonic is very well written. 

overall writing is okay. characterisation is very good, interactions between characters are very good but some could have been better(some moments were too short for my liking), easter eggs, there are many and are greatly appreciated, many details, the recap of the prev episodes was really funny and clever but I feel like we were deprived of some great opportunities. like, eggman nega with eggman instead of the chaos council. thats just an example. and im not too salty abt it cuz it’s mainly a kids show and it shows. im glad that its enjoyable for adults like me as well though.

thats all folks. no one asked for this but youre getting it anyway.

[sonicku]

My thoughts on the new Sonic Prime clip, along with Prime!Tails as a whole.

(Before we start, I'll be refering to the Tails from the first shatterverse as 'Prime!Tails' and Modern Tails as 'Tails'. Just because I don't think theres a general consensus yet, and we haven't seen much of the other shatterverses as of posting.)

Okay! Now for the actual meat of this! First, I'll talk about the more practical side of things.

I have to start by saying that I LOVE how expressive their new models are, along with how they're used. Even with the BOOM cartoon (which I love, by the way) they were never this fluid and expressive. And do I even need to mention it in comparision to the games? Like, I love that they tried more in Frontiers with the faces, but this is leauges above it. Even the ears move! The ears!

With the pixel art animation, I do have to admit some bits seemed a bit janky, expecially Sonic's sprite. HOWEVER, the shot of Prime!Tails at his workbench was absoloutley gourgeous in my opinion. And my opinion is always correct. /j

The voices definitely take getting used to, but I've already warmed up to Prime!Tails' Ashleigh Ball within a few rewatches of this clip. Something about his more mature and... depressing voice and direction is so fitting for this itteration of the character; though I do wonder how it will feel with other shatterverse versions of him.

Prime!Sonic, however? I don't know, he's just... different. Not better, not worse, just a change I've got to get used to. I joined this fandom in the Roger Craig Smith era, and even going back to Sonic Adventure threw me off with the voice of Ryan Drummond. So it'll take me time to get a feel for Deven Mack, but I've got my hopes up that he'll be a great Sonic!

Okay, more story based stuff now! Before I gush, I need to get one nitpick out of the way that made me want to bite the writers ankles. THE TORNADO IS SONIC'S PLANE, NOT TAILS'. I'm willing to accept this as an alternate fact of the Prime universe, but it's such a weird discrepancy to have? Maybe he was just making it sound cooler for the poor guy. In which case, fair enough Prime!Sonic, fair enough.

I've always loved the dynamic between Sonic and Tails, but this clip is making the reason why even clearer to me. Sonic, for Tails, represents loved ones who support you and your disability. I'll be using this as an autism allegory, since that's my experience.

If you find the right people, and they are out there, they can help you experience the postitives of your disability even through all of the pain it's brought to you. For Tails, it's his bullying and the power of flight. For me, it's my alienation and heightened connection to things I love. Tails had Sonic, and I had my autstic friends, and autistic partner.

But Prime!Tails had no connection. He had no Sonic. He's spent a life with no support network to help him through this, and to bring out the best in him. All he's had is a cold, ablist world, one that broke him down for years until he snapped. Until everybodies lack of passion took the spark he had left. Until he fought back with violence and anger, a face pained like no eight year old's should ever be.

They're two sides of the same coin, and from the start, the same person. Whether there was people around him who loved him and accepted him was all that stopped him Tails from tearing himself apart all those years ago. He could have been Prime!Tails with different circumstances, and vica virsa.

It makes me wonder, though. With the different shatterverses, will his mental state change too? There's no reason to believe that the others are as cold and heartless as the first, so perhaps he was able to find his place in the world, even without Prime!Sonic. I think that would be important to show; there isn't one set person who is the saving grace, it's a series of people, a series of actions, an entire enviroment.

There's been a lot of thoughts in my head about this so I might be forgetting some, I'll reblog with extra if I remember anything. TLDR? This clip was fucking incredible.

[lboogie1906]

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is a singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer. Born in Newark, she released her debut album All Hail the Queen, featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Nature of a Sista' was her second album. She starred as Khadijah James on Living Single. Her third album, Black Reign, spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", raising awareness of women's rights and the perspective of women in communities worldwide. The record won a Grammy Award and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off and released her fourth album, Order in the Court, with Motown Records. She garnered acclaim with her role of Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album. She released studio albums – Trav'lin' Light and Persona. She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show. She has appeared in several films, such as Bringing Down the House, Taxi, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Beauty Shop, Last Holiday, Hairspray, Joyful Noise, 22 Jump Street, Girls Trip, and provided voice work in Ice Age. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Bessie Smith in Bessie, which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. She starred in Star. She portrayed Hattie McDaniel in Hollywood. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her work in music, film, and television has earned her a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards, 2 NAACP Image Awards, an Academy Award nomination, and sales of over two million records. She is a spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation women's underwear, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig. She represents her line of cosmetics for women of color called the CoverGirl Queen Collection. She has launched a perfume line called "Queen" and "Queen of Hearts". She was named the godmother of Carnival Cruise Lines'vessel Carnival Horizon. She has written a book, Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #womenhistorymonth https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp7fXePL7dG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[sun-strider-47]

So glad Matthew Mercer is back to voice Leon S. Kennedy for RE: Death Island!!!

If only they can bring back Roger Craig Smith as Chris, it'll be cherry on top.

[laresearchette]

Monday, December 19, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: LEGO MASTERS: CELEBRITY HOLIDAY BRICKTACULAR (CTV) 8:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: THE WHEEL (NBC Feed)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM W1A (Season 3)

CRAVE TV CLERK

NETFLIX CANADA TROLLEY

IIHF WORLD JUNIORS (TSN4/TSN5): 6:00pm: Pre-Competition: Canada vs. Switzerland

NBA BASKETBALL   (SN1) 7:00pm: Raptors vs. 76ers (TSN2) 10:30pm: Celtics vs. Clippers

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS SWITCH (CTV Life) 7:00pm: In an effort to get away from their problems, identical twins Bianca, a single city girl with a Scrooge-like boss, and Kaelynn, a single mother of two, decide to switch places for Christmas.

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 8:00pm: Oilers vs. Predators (SNPacific) 10:30pm: Blues vs. Canucks (TSN2) 10:00pm: Habs vs. Coyotes

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (CBC) 8:00pm:  The Griswolds (Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo) spend the holiday in a garish way, especially when a country cousin (Randy Quaid) pulls up in an RV.

LOVE IN PARADISE: THE CARIBBEAN, A 90 DAY STORY (TLC Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE):  VaLentine worries sex will be complicated with Carlos.

ROYALLY WRAPPED FOR CHRISTMAS (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm:  Lindsay, the NY director of an international charity organization, is called to the Kingdom of Veronia by the royal family to interview for the job of overseeing the whole operation. During the interview process, she finds true love with the prince.

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN4) 8:15pm: Rams vs. Packers

CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF (CTV) 9:00pm: The final qualifying round arrives; judges taste a slice of the contestants lives and pick the four best to recreate "The Greatest Gift" in cake form; the two top will be awarded the last spots in the upcoming national finale.

A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS VILLAGE (Global) 9:00pm:  A woman tells her young granddaughter, Chloe, that her miniature Christmas village can magically grant holiday wishes. As Chloe begins setting up the figurines, real-life events seem to mimic the scenes she creates.

A CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE (City TV) 9:00pm:  When Julieanne is mistaken for her boss at a Masquerade ball by a notoriously aloof businessman, she continues the ruse over Christmas.

HIGHWAY THRU HELL (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm

MISTLETOE TIME MACHINE (Lifetime Canada) 9:00pm: Three ex-best friends are forced back together when a magical incident sends them back to a pivotal moment in their shared past.

CLERK (Crave) 9:00pm:  Examining the life and career of indie filmmaking icon Kevin Smith. Featuring interviews with friends, family, filmmaking peers, and icons of the film, comedy and comic worlds.

MUD MOUNTAIN HAULERS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm: The Glovers race to get their wood and machines off Erie Mountain before government road restrictions shut them down for spring; Craig's crew is rushing to get the stranded wood off the landing before break-up drives them out of the bush.

ACTING GOOD (CTV Comedy) 10:30pm (SEASON FINALE):  In need of money to save her community project, Jo signs Paul and herself up for the Treaty Days pairs jigging contest, which brings up haunting memories; Dean collects his Treaty money for the first time.

[yeonchi]

Dynasty Warriors Weapon Moveset Power Rankings Part 3

Here are the weapons I'll be covering in this part, comprising of those belonging to Wei and Wu characters who debuted in Dynasty Warriors 2:

Xiahou Yuan (夏侯淵): Bow & Rod (鞭箭弓)

Zhang Liao (張遼): Twin Axes (双鉞)

Sima Yi (司馬懿): Horsehair Whip (拂塵)

Sun Jian (孫堅): Nine Rings Blade (九環刀)

Sun Quan (孫権): Sword (刀)

Lu Meng (呂蒙): Pike (戟)

Gan Ning (甘寧): Flail (鎖分銅)

Bow & Rod (鞭箭弓)

EX user: Xiahou Yuan (8-8E) EX attacks: C1/C3 Category: Special Technique: Whirlwind

“Follow up a Strong Attack with the iron rod by using it as an arrow and unleashing a powerful attack.”

And we’re back with another returning signature weapon. The bow and rod was Xiahou Yuan’s signature weapon in 4 and 5, though the bow portion of it seemed like more like an afterthought, probably because it hadn’t been implemented in 2 and 3 and it was only used in the C1 (plus the R1 Type Action in Warriors Orochi Z). The implementation of this weapon in 8 puts more emphasis on the bow as it is used as a follow-up to all the Charge Attacks and as such, they all support additional inputs (with the exception of the C1 and C4). You don’t really shoot multiple arrows at a time, but the attacks are quite powerful as the rod is used as an arrow. The EX Attacks also naturally flow from their respective charge attacks, but do note that you need to consider the C1 backstep in the EX1 and that you may be briefly open to attacks after executing the EX2.

Musou Attack 1: Power Shot (強断弓) Just a simple, grand arrow shot. Used in WO3 and 4. Also used in NEXT as a Blast Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Raging Bow (怒涛強断弓) Introduced in 8. The character swings the rod around before shooting an arrow akin to the Musou Attack 1, but with less power. It’s reminiscent of Xiahou Yuan and Huang Zhong’s Musous pre-6, but with swings instead of spins.

Aerial Musou Attack: Arrowstorm (蒼嵐弓) Shoots a barrage of arrows before one final one to finish. The Aerial Type Action in WO3U takes a cue from this Musou.

Tier ranking: B

Twin Axes (双鉞)

EX user: Zhang Liao, Pang De (7XL) EX attacks: C4/C1, C5 Category: Spears Technique: Whirlwind

“After switching to this weapon, for a limited time you can draw in surrounding enemies by manipulating air currents.”

After having used a clone of Guan Yu’s Crescent Blade previously, Zhang Liao’s signature weapon became the twin axes in 6. Then, when Pang De was reintroduced in 7XL, they gave him this weapon as a call back to his twin picks/halberds before it got changed to the mace in NEXT and Empires.

So the Twin Axes are a pretty good weapon with wide range. Zhang Liao’s EX1 provides a temporary increase in attack speed and movement speed while also being a guard break attack. Plus, after switching to this weapon, additional whirlwinds can be summoned for a limited time. The C3 is a targeted attack akin to Zhang Liao’s grappling attack in 6. Pang De’s EX attack brings up a couple of whirlwinds before smashing the axes into the ground, but it feels like there’s a delay between the execution of the C5 and the EX attack. Pang De’s EX attack is also announced in the Japanese script (砂塵撃, Sandstrike).

Musou Attack 1: Whirlwind Strike (斬馬撃) Sends the character running through the enemy while twirling the axes, finishing off with an electric tornado. In 7, the EX1 buff enables this attack to run at sanic speed, but be aware that you might not know which direction you are going. Used in WO3 and 4. Also used in NEXT as a Multi-Strike Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Lightning Kick (迅雷脚) A targeted attack that holds an enemy in place before doing a roundhouse kick to attack them and other enemies around them, similar to his C4 pre-6. This attack is called in the Japanese script. A fun little tidbit – this attack is also called in the English version as you can hear Roger Craig Smith/Joshua Tomar say “Now! Xun-Lei-Jiao!”, referring to the Chinese pronunciation of this attack. I think Roger Craig Smith might have had a hand in that line given how other characters never had the same treatment, but regardless of the circumstances, this makes it the only Musou Attack to be called in the English script without having it be part of a statement.

Aerial Musou Attack: Slicing Winds (斬凰撃) Introduced in 8. This attack twirls the axes briefly while in the air before landing and slashing an axe up.

Tier ranking: A

Horsehair Whip (拂塵)

EX user: Sima Yi (8-8E) EX attacks: C3/C5 Category: Special Technique: Dive

“Certain Strong Attacks can alter gravity and take control of an enemy in the air.”

Sima Yi used to shoot lasers from his fan and now he ends up with this. Would I call this weapon a good compromise? Not really, but the weapon is still good if you know what you are doing. The Normal Attacks are mostly shockwaves while the Charge Attacks are domes or gravity spheres. Apparently, you can mark enemies with a C4 or a C6 and they will be affected by the C1, C2 or C5 – the Koei Wiki says that the C4 or C6 can freeze enemies, but I think that it might be a bit of misinformation. Oh, and the Jump Charge is the only attack that shoots a laser. Nice one.

The EX1 is just the typical thunder attack carried over from 7, while the EX2 is a “Son of God” attack (said in a falsetto angelic voice).

As I said, the horsehair whip isn’t a bad weapon, but Sima Yi kind of deserves better. Give him back his fan and name it the Black Feather Fan (黒羽扇) as a declone of the war fan or even give him the wired gauntlets from 6 (not to be mistaken with Zhang Chunhua’s wired gloves).

Musou Attack 1: Spider Web (陥穽糸) A targeted attack which is akin to Sima Yi’s grappling attacks in 6. The weapon is not used in this attack, allowing it to be used by any character without continuity issues. Used in WO3 and 4. Also used in NEXT as a Throw Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Annihilation (重滅陣) Introduced in 8 and is the only Musou of Sima Yi’s that uses his weapon as it creates a large dome.

Aerial Musou Attack: Flash Snare (拘束糸) Basically an aerial version of the Musou Attack 1 that sends ice threads at enemies. This and the Musou Attack 1 are the only references of Sima Yi’s 6 moveset in 7 and 8. The weapon is not used in this attack, allowing it to be used by any character without continuity issues.

Tier ranking: C

Nine Rings Blade (九環刀)

EX user: Sun Jian (8-8E) EX attacks: C3/C4 Category: Blades Technique: Shadow Sprint

“Striking with the weapon creates sound waves that damage the enemy.”

Yet another declone of the generic sword moveset, the Nine Rings Blade is Sun Jian’s signature weapon in 8 and honestly, I don’t really think it suits him. Given the role that Sun Jian gets in the historical route, having him use a unique and decloned weapon is a bit of a waste.

That being said, the Nine Rings Blade is still a pretty good weapon overall. The C3 is a semi-targeted attack in that it only attacks if it touches enemies, but even if it doesn’t, the EX1 can still be triggered regardless. The C4 with the turning around is reminiscent of Sun Jian’s C4 pre-6. Both EX attacks naturally flow on from their respective charges and the C6 has a really good range with the six sound orbs.

The Shadow Sprint technique is also carried over to WO4.

Given how this weapon makes noises, this weapon would be better off with Gan Ning as a throwback to his pre-6 moveset. Maybe Gan Ning used a chain historically, but who cares about historical accuracy in Koei Warriors games, am I right?

Musou Attack 1: Tiger Claw (虎爪) A simple three-stage attack. Used in WO3 and 4. Also used in NEXT as a Multi-Strike Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Spiral Inferno (螺旋業炎撃) Another simple attack that charges through enemies. This attack is called in the Japanese script.

Aerial Musou Attack: Roaring Fangs (爪牙咆哮) Introduced in 8. This attack doesn’t feel like a glorified Jump Charge because it is followed up by a combo attack and as such, it doesn’t make Sun Jian feel like a generic character.

Tier ranking: B

Sword (刀)

EX user: Sun Quan (7-8XL), Cao Cao (7-7E), Sun Jian (7-7E), Sima Zhao (7-7E), Xiahou Dun (7), Generic EX attacks: C3/C5, C1, C3, C3, C3, C4 Category: Blades Technique: Dash

“A common weapon loved by novice and experienced warriors alike.”

Ah yes, the good old sword. Where would we be without it? Given the kanji used for this weapon’s name and the shape of the weapon, this should really be called a Blade by Strikeforce naming conventions as swords are usually straight.

Multiple characters have had the sword as their signature weapon, though they have been replaced in newer games. The sword is also used by generic officers and as such, they get an EX and Musou Attack in the Empires games, but they don’t get an extra EX in 8E, which is why it was a waste for Koei to not implement EX mix-and-matching like they do with Musou Attacks. Also, not having Xiahou Dun’s EX attack available in the Empires games was also a waste. I know that the movesets in 7E were based off those from 7XL, but it’s not like they couldn’t do it.

The C2 and C3 support additional inputs. Of note, I feel that the C2, C5 and C6 are pretty effective, particularly if you have the Slash and/or Cyclone elements. Sun Quan’s EX1 is called in the Japanese script (暴風斬, Blazing Gale) while his EX2 is a targeted attack that picks up an enemy and throws them, damaging others around them when they explode. The generic officer EX attack is basically just a repeat of the C4, which is kind of useless. In 8, if your character has Dash mastery, you can effectively bounce around the battlefield by performing one Jump Charge after another.

Given what I said earlier about Sun Jian, he should have kept this weapon (albeit slightly modified) while the flame blade should have been Sun Quan’s new EX weapon from 8’s release. I’ll explain when I cover it.

Sima Zhao’s moveset in WO3 is the closest to this weapon’s moveset with little to no changes.

Sun Quan’s Musou Attacks are called in the Japanese script.

Musou Attack 1: Tornado Blaze (旋風斬) Spinning in a tornado of fire. Used in WO3. Also used in NEXT as a Multi-Strike Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Heart of Fire (秘心殺) A targeted attack that holds an enemy in place before exploding them. The EX2 is kind of like this. The Type Action in WO3 is adapted from this Musou.

Aerial Musou Attack: Heavenly Winds (天風斬) Introduced in 8 and is an aerial version of the Musou Attack 1, which you’d think they’d introduce in 7, but that would have made Sun Quan a bit generic. The Aerial Type Action in WO3U takes a cue from this Musou.

Generic Officer Musou Attack: Crossroads (叉斬) Basically a cross-shaped shockwave.

Tier ranking: A

Pike (戟)

EX user: Lu Meng, Xu Huang (7-7XL), Guan Yu (7) EX attacks: C5/C1, C3, C1 Category: Spears Technique: Whirlwind

“A heavyweight weapon. The Switch Attack can drag downed enemies up from the ground.”

With the EX attacks this weapon had in 7, God knows why this isn’t a generic officer moveset when generic officers have used pikes in previous games. In the case of Lu Meng, he is one of few characters whose signature weapon has remained unchanged over the years. Xu Huang’s Great Axe got changed to this weapon in 7 while Guan Yu’s Crescent Blade was also replaced with this.

The attacks on this weapon are a simplistic, but the EX attacks leave something to be desired. In the case of Xu Huang and Guan Yu, their EX attacks serve as buffs, while Lu Meng’s EX1 is a targeted attack that just throws an enemy into the air and pulls them back down, which is kind of boring. 8 somewhat improves this with the EX2 creating five balls of fire that burn on contact and explode when an attack is made. The C2 is a targeted attack while the C3 supports additional input. The Switch Attack - well, you know what it says in the description. Guan Yu’s EX attack is unavailable for edit characters in Empires, but I still think it should have been included as with the other EX attacks that were removed in 7XL.

Musou Attack 1: Penetrating Blaze (総力突貫) Just a simple blazing charge, nothing special. Used in WO3 and 4. Also used in NEXT as a Blast Type Musou.

Musou Attack 2: Inferno Combo (豪炎連追撃) Introduced in 8, this combo attack also contributes to making the pike moveset less generic. It takes a cue from his Type Action in WO3.

Aerial Musou Attack: Firebomb (大炎柱) Creates a pillar of fire in front of the character.

Tier ranking: B

Flail (鎖分銅)

EX user: Gan Ning (7E-8E), Cao Ren (7-7XL), Dong Zhuo (7-7XL) EX attacks: C3/C6, C4, C1 (7-7XL)/C3 (7E/8E) Category: Clubs Technique: Shadow Sprint (7E-8E)/Whirlwind (7-7XL)

“Wrap this weapon’s chain around multiple enemies to round them up in a group.”

There’s a funny story about this weapon. In 7 and 7XL, two characters, namely Cao Ren and Dong Zhuo, had this as their signature weapon, with the Whirlwind skill to go with it. Fast forward to 7E and both of those characters were given new signature weapons from the DLC. Gan Ning, who had been using the chain and sickle in 7 and 7XL, was given the flail as his new signature weapon. The skill was changed to Shadow Sprint and the C2, C3, C4 and C6 were changed, essentially making it a different moveset altogether.

Let’s talk about the 7 version of this weapon first. The attacks on this weapon are pretty good at close range. The Normal Attacks up to 4 have good coverage, but 5 and 6 are apparently not recommended while surrounded by enemies as it only attacks as it only attacks forwards. The C1 can break the enemy’s guard.  The C5 is a targeted attack that grabs a single enemy, spins them around and slams them into the ground, while the C6 can grab multiple enemies and toss them away, plus it can be executed whether any enemies are grabbed or not (don’t trust the Koei Wiki on this, some of their information isn’t entirely accurate or updated for newer games).

Cao Ren and Dong Zhuo’s EX attacks are targeted as well; Cao Ren’s attack absorbs a bit of the enemy’s life (even if their lifebar is depleted) to recover a bit of his, while Dong Zhuo’s attack trips an enemy and breaks their neck with a camel clutch, which, admittedly, is a bit slow to execute.

Now for the 8 version of this weapon, specifically the new moveset as used by Gan Ning from 7E. Aside from the changes I mentioned, the C6 is still similar to its 7 counterpart, except the character leaps into the air at the end, making for a natural transition into the explosive EX2. The C5 remains unchanged as a targeted attack, plus the EX1 is a targeted attack as well, being carried over from Gan Ning’s old moveset in 7. The C4 is also capable of additional input, increasing the number of spins from 3 to 5. The Dash Attack is also capable of additional input to extend the duration of the attack and with it, the number of swings.

In Empires, there’s some weirdness going on when it comes to the old EX attacks, that is, those for Cao Ren and Dong Zhuo. Both of those attacks were adapted for Gan Ning’s new moveset, however while Cao Ren’s EX attack was spun off from the C4, Dong Zhuo’s EX attack spin off was changed from the C1 to the C3. The Koei Wiki doesn’t say this, but the fault is entirely on KT’s part. Why change where Dong Zhuo’s EX attack is spun off when the C1 in both versions of the moveset are the same? Sure, it might be better that way and other people might not notice, but it confuses dedicated people like me who might be documenting the finer details of weapon movesets.

Common to both versions, there is an input lag when you execute the first Normal Attack on horseback. The lag is more pronounced in 7 than 8, but it is still there as it takes time for the first swing to hit the enemy.

On a side note, Gan Ning has been known to use this weapon historically (at least the chain part), plus the ball and chain of this weapon is a smaller version of Dian Wei’s weapon in 6, which is specifically named the Morning Star.

Given what I said earlier about the nine-rings blade and what I will say later about the bombs, the flail should have remained with Dong Zhuo if we’re not giving him his Tyrant Sword back. That way we wouldn’t have had the weirdness in 7E.

Musou Attack 1: Shadow Rush (爆炎大車輪) Sets the flail on fire and swings around with it while running. A funny story - this was Gan Ning’s Musou 2 in 7 and 7XL. Used in WO3 and 4.

Musou Attack 2: Fire Links/Flaming Chains (縛鎖炎断) Introduced in 7E. This targeted attack binds an enemy and hits them and others around them with the flail before sending them back in a flaming blast. If it misses, the flail is just smashed into the ground while causing enemies around the character to be knocked back.

Aerial Musou Attack: Earthly Wings (地顛翼) Introduced in 8, this attack hits enemies from above before blowing them back.

Cao Ren Old Musou Attack 2: Grapple Smash/Cascading Falls (瀑布) A targeted attack that picks up an enemy and spins them above the player, affecting nearby enemies in the process. Used in WO3.

Tier ranking: B

[raybizzle]

"Bamboozled" (2000) is a comedy-drama written and directed by Spike Lee about two homeless street performers who agree to partake in a television network show where they perform in blackface. Spike Lee examines the racist depiction in Hollywood movies featuring Black people in satirical form. Blackface became popular in American Minstrel shows during the early 1800s, many years before emerging in Hollywood movies. But in the early 1900s, blackface appeared more in films predominantly played by White people until Black people, such as Bert Williams, began earning film opportunities in the mid-1910s.

There were two primary types of blackface in early Hollywood. The first was in clown form, using some form of black paint or polish (most common in Minstrel shows), and the other was White people portraying Black people in movies with black makeup. Negative stereotypes in Hollywood movies evolved further into characters such as Lincoln Perry (a.k.a. Stepin Fetchit) or Mantan Mooreland, the central inclination of Lee's film.

Throughout the movie, there are several examples of racist depictions of Black people in film and cartoon form. However, the film analyzes corporate dishonesty, the contentious rap militant group fed up with the show's racist content, and the easily appeased audience. The actors performed very well on a complicated topic. Unfortunately, the film flopped at the box office, grossing $2.5 million on a $10 million budget. The movie requires context and understanding. It's an educational piece of artwork not only from the premise of the film but also the technical mastery in editing and cinematography. The soundtrack was a mixture of hip-hop and R&B, peaking at #60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Director: Spike Lee Writer: Spike Lee

Starring Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy Davidson, Michael Rapaport, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Paul Mooney, Sarah Jones, Gillian White, Susan Batson, Yasiin Bey, M.C. Serch, Gano Grills, Canibus, DJ Scratch, Charli Baltimore, Craig muMs Grant

Storyline Under pressure to help revive his network's low ratings, television writer Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans) hits on an explosively offensive idea: bringing back blackface with The New Millennium Minstrel Show. The white network executives love it, and so do audiences, forcing Pierre and his collaborators to confront their public's insatiable appetite for dehumanizing stereotypes.

Available on Blu-ray and streaming services.

[madamealtruist]

TRANSFORMERS: INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION

Haven't really made anything Transformers-related on this blog. Figured now would be a great time to fix that!

Based on the works of Tyrranux comes a Transformers story filled with metal songs, anime-escue action, and insane battles!

TRANSFORMERS: INTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION

AUTOBOT RESISTANCE

ORION PAX (voiced by Roger Craig Smith)

BIO: A gentle heart behind an otherwise die-cast frame built for war. Deep down, he wants nothing to do with all this violence and bloodshed. But even if he wasn’t the son of Sentinel Prime sharing his strong sense of justice, Orion would not turn away from this. And above all else, he cannot forgive the ruling power of Cybertron for the disappearance of the Imperial Princess Puritronus. His best friend P-Tree. He can sense it, he doesn’t know how or why, but his instincts tell him that she is alive and that she’s out there. He's gone so far as to gather intel on her possible location. And now that his father has given him the all-clear, he's taking a team down to Kaon to look for her.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Dark red and navy blue colors surround a bulky frame, with a retractable battle mask that slides over his face. His dark blue "hair" is tied in a bun.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: Off-road armored truck outfitted with reinforced windows, enhanced thrusters, and a trailer hitch to carry necessary gear to troops on the battlefield.

MELEE WEAPON: Heavy battle-axe with a superheated blade and propulsion engine on the back to aid in extra damage.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Assault rifles, shotguns, pistols.

ENERGON ABILITY: A unique super-state that allows him to transform into what is said to be what is his true form, Optimus Prime. In this form, his colors brighten, his "hair" now flows free, and his robot mode is more knightly. He can now fire continual beams of searing light from his hands, teleport, and fly. The only downside is that this form isn't permanent. But he hopes that one day, it will be.

ARCEE (voiced by Kari Wahlgren)

BIO: Lead singer of the heavy metal band Sterner Stuff. Like most citizens of Cybertron, she has suffered her fair share of grievances from the corrupt regime running this planet into the ground, picking up music to not only air out her frustration but also hope that even one of her songs might inspire change in the people. She's just as much a hot-blooded firecracker with any gun as she is with a mic, bringing the same passion to any task put before her. The moment you give an inch, she will take a whole drag strip.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Slim, yet muscular, Arcee's cherry red armor is covered in numerous "tattoos" from various concerts. She's never seen without her red visor over her optics, and her dark red "hair" is always in a wild mohawk. Very punkish.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A speedy muscle car with propulsion jets to keep up with her brother and the competition. It also has a mounted photon turret on the back to deal with ranged foes, and twin spikes in the front of the car for when someone needs to be skewered.

MELEE WEAPON: Twin nano-vibronic sabers that Arcee wields with insane finesse.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Submachine guns, shotguns, sniper rifles.

ENERGON ABILITY: A rage mode where her optics turn a feral yellow and she goes completely buck wild, clawing and mutilating all that stands before her.

BUMBLEBEE (voiced by Max Mittleman)

BIO: Both drummer of Sterner Stuff and the band’s residential fembot fan-attracting heartthrob. As Arcee’s younger brother, he boasts much of the same hot-blooded construction, the same drive to see any task he takes to the end. And indeed, he was there to share in the frequent social injustices at the hands of the corrupt regime. While not as physically strong as his more tenacious sister, he's easily the faster runner. And the louder mouth.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: A slender build, accompanied by a yellow and black paint job. Bumblebee often wears all-black goggles into battle, gifted by his mentor, Hot Shot, right before Sterner Stuff's first concert. His short blonde "hair" combined with his goggles makes him look like what he is... an ideal metal star. (cough cough Chester Bennington!)

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A compact sports car, built for speed. It also comes equipped with twin plasma guns in the front for light-ranged fire. And he has incredibly powerful boosters that can be attached. He just can't control them yet.

MELEE WEAPON: Two stun batons that Bumblebee swings around as he does with his drumsticks on stage.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Submachine guns, sniper rifles, pistols.

ENERGON ABILITY: Short-ranged EMP that disorients Cybertronians and disables non-living machines.

MIRAGE (voiced by Ron Yuan)

BIO: A Cybertron Military Police officer who had been able to retire a decorated war hero after thirty vorns of service, but you’d swear he was court marshaled for a war crime with how poorly the system treated him and his fellow veterans. So he and a few of his ilk struck out into the wild, living off the platinum land. And in that time, he had become a master of Circuit-Su and Metallikato, bettering himself in combat and spirituality. But then his brother Prowl was murdered, driving him to come back out of the shadows to help the Autobots in liberating Cybertron.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Faded blue and silver armor, a long silver "ponytail" and jagged edges say it all. Cyber-Ninja.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: Sleek, exotic-looking sports car. Very luxurious.

MELEE WEAPONS: Crazy-looking triple-bladed gauntlets, which he uses like a crazed jungle cat.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Sniper rifles, pistols, assault rifles.

ENERGON ABILITY: He can manipulate the light around him to turn completely invisible.

WHEELJACK (voiced by Andrew Bowen)

BIO: The former champion of the Althiex Demolition Derbies, Wheeljack was always in need of repairing himself. Always in need of an edge. And as such, he opened his engineering shop for all those like him. But when he was accused of storing illegal materials in his shop, he was thrown out into the streets. Forced to fend for himself, Wheeljack honed his skills and eventually became a full-time Autobot. The Resistance has been a fun ride for him... so far...

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Wearing the greens and reds of his old derby team has its perks (namely recognition). But then you add on his bulkier frame for a racer, countless scars, coat flaps, "stubble" and dark green "hair" that is anything but well kept. This just screams one thing. This guy's nuts. And that's right.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: Durable, compact, and wild-looking, this rally racer looks like it has seen some shit. It bears plenty of scratches and a particularly nasty burn mark. On the left side.

MELEE WEAPON: A big-ass sword with a blade like a cleaver, capable of slicing someone down the middle if they piss him off.

FIREARM LOADOUTS: Machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers.

ENERGON ABILITY: He can overcharge his circuits, surrounding himself in an unstable, electric aura. This hurts him quite a bit, but if his Derby career shows anything, he's durable.

SILVERBOLT (voiced by Patrick Seitz)

BIO: Most know him as a respected member of the Iacon Police Force, by all accounts, he is one of the many soldiers serving Zeta Prime. But it is because of his station that he can serve as a mole for the Autobots keeping tabs on the Regime he pretends to serve, even carrying out covert operations to get wrongfully accused innocents out of the city. But now the time has come for him to join the Resistance full-time. And the Autobots are anything but disappointed.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: He has very knightly-looking white and gold armor, a well-groomed white "ponytail" and his wing markings from his time in the Regime are scratched out, replaced with the Autobot insignia.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A powerful fighter jet, with enough concussion missiles to pound away a mountain.

MELEE WEAPON: Two longswords, each one looking very regal in nature, and he wields them with amazing grace.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Assault rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers.

ENERGON ABILITY: In times of need, Silverbolt can manifest a glaive of pure light, capable of cutting through most known metals.

GRIMLOCK (voiced by Kaji Tang)

BIO: As one of the many child soldiers sold to the Pits of Kaon after the Third Helexian Siege, he's grown up with death by his side every waking moment. He's always aware that death comes to all who enter these gladiatorial fights. And even his code of honor does not keep him from taking lives. So it was most curious to him that Soundwave saw fit to spare his life in the ring, then to have him train the up-and-comer “Megatron” in the ways of the sword. It was not until that very same Megatron would form the Decepticons did he realize why fate allowed his spark to pulse. He is so far the only one to be given the offer to join the Decepticons... and refuse.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Barbaric, beastly grey and gold armor, with fiery red "hair" and a face almost obscured by his gladiator helmet and visor. He has too many scars to count and has a story for each of them.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A towering, bipedal Tyrranisian Dinobot with a large, fanged maw capable of spewing molten plasma that can melt almost anything.

MELEE WEAPON: A gigantic claymore with a vrolcanician blade, capable of igniting into a tower of searing hot, flaming death.

FIREARM LOUDOUT: Machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers.

ENERGON ABILITY: Builds up excess heat that can be released in a massive explosion that can scorch a small town at maximum power.

DECEPTICON IMPERIUM

MEGATRON (voiced by Carrie Keranen)

BIO: Brutal, efficient, without mercy, champion. Those are but a handful of words used to describe this bitch queen of the ring, the reigning champion for the past two vorns. The way she tore asunder the previous champion, the cannibal Rampage, is an event that will live in infamy within the ancient tomes of Kaon. But even more shocking is how she showed “mercy” towards those who tried to take her crown, deeming them far too weak and pathetic to kill, that by sparing their worthless lives they now belong to her as trophies… or so she says. She indeed now holds claim over the lives of her defeated foes, but those who know her best know she has no interest in mere trophies. What she really wants… is soldiers…

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Beauty and beast in one single, grey and red die-cast shell. Her long, pale purple "hair" contrasts with her piercing red, rage-fueled optic and the numerous scars adorning her body.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A massive, sharp-treaded tank, with a central fusion cannon, twin heavy ion ray blasters. missile pods, and frontal buzzsaws.

MELEE WEAPON: Her tank tread fists are capable of breaking through most metals with a single punch. She can also grab foes by the face and grind them against the moving treads.

FIREARM LOADOUTS: Fusion cannon (cannot switch out), shotguns, pistols.

ENERGON ABILITY: When needed, Megatron can draw an ethereal, gigantic sword, which can cleave through heavy armor and even small buildings with a single stroke.

SOUNDWAVE (voiced by Darin De Paul)

BIO: A professional assassin, infamous throughout Cybertron, has made his reputation as a nameless fear who always gets his target. Of all the bots to help the crowned Princess Puritronus escape her cruel mother, you'd never expect it to be him. But now Puritronus has all but vanished off the face of the planet. Seemingly, he has all but disappeared as well... but here he is in Kaon, with no sign of Puritronus…

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Sleek, blue, and silver armor, compact with several markings. Soundwave's dark purple "hair" hangs loose, and his face is hidden behind a silver mask and piercing red visor.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A six-wheeled off-road vehicle with hidden pulse thrusters and hypersonic concussion cannons.

MELEE WEAPON: A two-pronged sword resembling a tuning fork, this blade can discharge lethal amounts of electricity.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Submachine guns, pistols, sniper rifles.

ENERGON ABILITY: Soundwave can peer into the minds of his foes, disorienting them and revealing their locations to him.

BLITZWING (voiced by Jim Pirri)

BIO: Was once the unruly twins Runabout and Runamuck, two violent delinquents that couldn’t even cooperate with each other much less any other bots. This more than made their performance suffer, leading the two to be punished by becoming the guinea pigs of Shockwave’s first attempt at a Triple Changer with three vastly different forms. The initial results are quite interesting… if a bit on the horrific side….

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: A terrifying brute with beige and purple armor, an all-blue face with red, wild purple "hair", and rows of jagged teeth. His wings have a jagged edge on the end, as well as massive clawed fingers.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTIONS: Both a large fighter jet with ice crystal machine guns and a gigantic dual-barrelled tank with flame burst cannons.

MELEE WEAPON: A double-edged sword with unstable antimatter in its core.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles.

ENERGON ABILITY: Can coat one fist in fire and the other in ice. Both fists deal the respective elemental damage.

THUNDERWING (voiced by Fred Tatasciore)

BIO: Orion Pax’s academic mentor Dion, the old bleeding spark fool who made the mistake of following his apprentice into the Sea of Rust. He too became a prisoner of Kaon, quickly adopting the façade of the loud gun-toting, blood-thirsty maniac “Thunderwing” just to ensure the two of them don’t get rendered as spare parts by the other enslaved gladiators. And after the jig was up, he was brainwashed into keeping the Thunderwing persona. All hell is about to break loose.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Bulky, savage grey and purple armor, a regal red "ponytail" and scars across his face show he's both an elegant philosopher and a brutal destroyer.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A large imperial bomber armed with several plasma impact guns.

MELEE WEAPON: An imperial mace with the destructive capability of having a graviton engine within it. Long story short, extra force when it hits something.

FIREARM LOADOUTS: Rocket launchers, machine guns, pistols.

ENERGON ABILITY: A "roar" that has the concussive force to knock Autobots on their tailpipes.

LOCKDOWN (voiced by Ron Perlman)

BIO: One of the many head hunters working for Abominus, his job being to find fresh new “challengers” for the arena. Even when he becomes a Decepticon, his job description doesn’t change much. Still, the cold merciless hunter he always was... but now he no longer has to worry about leaving his targets alive.

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: Slender, mysterious, and creepy. His black and green color scheme perfectly complements his more rugged, commando appearance. His dark silverish green "hair" is more organized, and his large scar over his right optic shows that he's been through Hell.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A beefy, armored muscle car with an EMP disruptor built into the hood. Perfect for taking hits and avoiding them as well.

MELEE WEAPON: Grappling combat sickle with the capability to tear heads clean off.

FIREARM LOADOUT: Sniper rifles, shotguns, pistols.

ENERGON ABILITY: With a flash of his optics, Lockdown can scan the surrounding area to sniff out anyone he needs to track.

STARSCREAM (voiced by Erica Mendez)

BIO: The Split-Spark twin of Puritronus, Starscream despises being the lower of the two. She always tried to make peace with her sister and be a proper family. But every time, Puritronus pushed her away. And after she went missing, Starscream became nihilistic. But how long will it take until nihilism turns to blinding bloodlust?

ROBOT MODE DESCRIPTION: A strange mix of white and red, Starscream rocks the dark blue emo "hair" covering her left optic. And aside from her wicked claws, even her wings are sharp.

ALT MODE DESCRIPTION: A regal fighter jet with rotary proton cannons in the nose cone.

MELEE WEAPON: She wields a yo-yo-like buzzsaw flail capable of cutting through solid Destronium in seconds.

FIREARM LOAUDOUT: Machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers.

ENERGON ABILITY: With a flourish of kicks, Starscream fires a torrent of null rays from her shins.

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

Shag & Scoob

Update because it’s 8/31/23. I question if I’ll ever go back to this. I especially wondered about changing the title because there’s another thing similarly called that.

Anyway, here’s my...reboot of the Scooby-Doo franchise. My own take on it and revealing the names of certain characters. And there was the idea of Shaggy’s mother being a veterinarian before her name. Along with the fact Shaggy and his sister lived with her before her death and moving back with their father. Who Shaggy doesn’t have the best relationship with.

“In the peaceful town of Coolsville, Shaggy Rogers is a young outcast who is given a therapy dog named Scooby by his late mother to help him in life for his serious anxiety issues. But when a mystery pops up, Shaggy sees a chance to not only prove to his town he’s not a cowardly slacker, but also impress Daphne Blake. A girl he’s had a crush on for some time. When they also bring along Velma Dinkley, Fred Jones, and even Shaggy’s little sister when they can’t leave her alone. Things start developing as the accidental forming of Mystery Inc happens. Yet during their first mystery, the group discovers that somehow Scooby can somehow speak.

As more mysteries come about to them whether they welcome them or not. And trying to figure out how and why Scooby can speak. The mysteries start getting more dangerous, and down the line, Shaggy forms an unshakable bond with the Great Dane, leading to a series of events that will challenge them all. Specifically Shaggy as he tries to protect not just his best friend. But the last gift his mother gave him.”

Shaggy Rogers.

Voiced by: Kyle McCarley (Infinity Train)

Bio: A 20-year-old outcast who suffers from heavy anxiety issues. Despite being seen as a cowardly slacker who has a huge love for food, Shaggy is a very empathetic person who puts others needs before him. But has trouble having accepting who he is. He longs to be seen as a different person. But getting Scooby and hanging with others, he soon discovers things about himself that he didn’t think otherwise. Which will help overcome a loss that deeply affected him. 

Scooby-Doo.

Voiced by: Fred Tatasciore (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur) 

Bio: A 1-year-old Great Dane who has the unnatural ability to speak in broken English. Arranged as a gift by Shaggy’s late mother as a therapy dog to help him in life. When Shaggy and the rest of the gang discover Scooby can talk, they freak out but get used to it. While also making sure no one else finds out to protect Scooby himself.

Similar to Shaggy, he is usually very cowardly and hungry. But also, empathetic and loyal to a fault. And his friendship with Shaggy only strengthens as they realize they have more in common than they thought. And despite learning how to talk, he doesn’t even know why and assumes him being able to understand humans talk and talking himself is normal. He still has the mind of a dog, but it’s been expanded a little. Along with the fact he’s able to eat anything Shaggy can eat that would actually kill a dog.

Daphne Blake.

Voiced by: Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Infinity Train) 

Bio: The 20-year-old single daughter of the Blake family. Despite her family being wealthy known for selling fashion products, and while interested in being a supermodel. As a kid, she wanted to solve mysteries, yet hasn’t thought about it in a long time. But these days, she wants to be independent and is Sugi’s babysitter to make her own money.

Unknown to Daphne, Shaggy has a crush on her and wants to win her over. But worries she may reject him.

Fred Jones.

Voiced by: Roger Craig Smith (Resident Evil)

Bio: A 20-year-old jock. who is very levelheaded and intelligent. Yet not up to the level of Velma. He also has good leader skills but despises being called a “Meathead” and wishes more people knew that. He has an affinity for traps.

His father wants him to become a cop, yet he doesn’t want to. Which creates a strange relationship between him and his father.

Velma Dinkley.

Voiced by: Mae Whitman (The Owl House)

Bio: The 20-year-old eldest daughter of Nicole Dinkley, curator of the Coolsville Museum. Particularly a loner, studying criminology and one of Shaggy’s first friends. She joins up with the others to help them due to her expertise's in finding clues. And despite being a woman who is skeptic and more logical about things, she is fascinated with the witchcraft and the paranormal itself.

While she has a younger sister named Madylen who is going to a magic school. She also views Shaggy as a younger brother. 

Sugi Rogers.

Voiced by: Isabella Abiera (Infinity Train)

Bio: Shaggy’s 6-year-old adopted sister who’s more curious and less frightened than her older brother. She is also in on the secret that Scooby can talk along with the four young adults.

Simone Lenoir.

Lena Dupree.

Crystal.

The Hex Girls.

Casey Rogers.

Voiced by: Matthew Lillard.

Bio: Shaggy and Sugi’s father who was born in 1969. A police officer who is well-loved within the Coolsville community. Yet despite that, his personality is unlike his job. Considered to be very “Laid back” yet he talks about these insane stories that sound unbelievable tall tales to make people laugh. But in actuality, he’s a very emotional stable person.

Stefanianna Blake.

Voiced by: Grey Griffin.

Bio: Daphne’s mother who was born in 1969. She owns a fashion building and wants Daphne to focus more on leading the business.

Franklin Jones.

Voiced by: Frank Welker.

Bio: Fred’s father who was born in 1969. The sheriff of Coolsville and Casey’s partner. A strict parent who only wants the best for his son.

Nicole Dinkley.

Voiced: by: Kate Micucci.

Bio: Velma’s mother who was born in 1969. The Coolsville Museum curator who also owns a bookshop.