#but at the end of the day Taika is still Just Some Guy

[xoxoemynn]

That one tag on your reblog of the Taika post is what really gets me, we *know* how pervasive Israel's propaganda is/has been, for a LOT of people this might be their first time some of the reality of the situation is breaking through (and tbh, especially if you're Jewish, we've been fed tons of propaganda playing off of incredibly legitimate fears of antisemitism and past trauma), I don't understand how people can talk about that and at the same time not extend any grace to those still trying to work their way out of the propaganda bubble. And on top of that, if you're not chronically online *and* in particular social media circles, most of what you're seeing is still the regular news biased towards Israel. In those first few days after Oct. 7th (aka, when The Letter was signed), all I saw about the situation on the mainstream news was how this was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, and concern for the hostages. I'm not gonna judge someone for signing something based on that saying we need to rescue those people.

Yeah exactly! I see comments/posts all the time like "wow, I never knew this. We weren't taught this in school. Thank you for sharing. I've never seen this before" and they're all framed as positive things. (Which they are! Learning and growing is good!!) But for whatever reason celebrities are expected to know everything immediately and people will flood their comments demanding a statement and if they don't say anything, or if they don't say it perfectly, suddenly they're an awful, irredeemable person. And believe me, I'm not "won't someone think of the poor, exceedingly wealthy celebrities," but that's just not a reasonable expectation to have of someone whose career is entertainment.

And you're absolutely right. It's only been recently that the news coverage has started to become slightly less biased in their reporting. My own brother, who's around Taika's age, has decided I'm antisemitic because I had simply shared a post supporting a ceasefire and listing some stats of the number of Palestinians who had been killed at that point, truly the most benign of posts you could make, but he refuses to listen to anything because "I watch the news, I know what's happening." And that's a much bigger, systemic problem than any one individual.

It would be wonderful if we had truly unbiased mainstream news coverage. It would be wonderful if our education system wasn't so heavily biased with a western slant. It would be wonderful if every citizen had the time and energy to read up on current events that they don't know much about. But that's not the reality we currently live in. And so unless someone is actively perpetuating harm (and there ARE celebrities who are doing that, but for whatever reason we don't hear NEARLY as much about them as we do about Taika, hmmmmm, wonder why that could be) it feels like a non-issue to me.

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

‘Our Flag Means Death’ Star Rhys Darby on Stede’s Transformations & Hopes for Season 3

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Episode 8 “Mermen.”]

Our Flag Means Death saw Gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) transform from a fish-out-of-water swashbuckler into the romantic hero he was always destined to be in the latest season of Max‘s original comedy.

After realizing the error of his ways at the end of Season 1, Stede sought redemption in the eyes of the infamous Blackbeard, a.k.a. Ed (Taika Waititi), after recognizing he was in love with the pirate. While the path wasn’t a direct one, they eventually found their way back to one another with the help of a fantastical mermaid sequence, some much-needed apologies, and ultimately a better string of communication.

Reflecting on his journey, star Rhys Darby is opening up about Stede’s various transformations in Season 2, including the excitement surrounding that mermaid tail, as well as about where he thinks the pirate lovebirds might end up next should the series return for Season 3.

Congrats on Season 2! Now that we can finally talk about it, what has it been like getting to see fan reactions, especially during the SAG-AFTRA strike?

Rhys Darby: Yeah, it was like a pressure cooker that needed to burst, for us and for the fans. When it finally came out, the burst happened and there was so much love for us, [but we] couldn’t talk about it. We were still stuck in this bottle and the cork wouldn’t come off, and that was difficult, but it was really lovely to see all the love and the surprise from everyone. Obviously, as you know, the fan artwork, it’s what we would say in New Zealand is pretty full on. So yeah, it was super cool.

And not that anyone gives out numbers, but I think I heard on the ethos that people [are] watching it, and it’s rating really high and at a time when we need this kind of beautiful love fest of comedy with a whole bunch of silliness to take us away from the disasters that are happening in the world. It’s been lovely. I just wish it was longer. I know people watch and rewatch and they’re so fanatical, but it’s just a comedy show, so to have any effect means so much to us.

In Season 2, Stede’s gone through a few transformations, one of which is that he’s a real pirate now, at least comparatively to Season 1. What helped you get into that new version of him? Was it the writing, costumes, or a combination of the two?

Yeah, the costumes are the first thing that comes to mind because once he starts wearing different gear, he looks at himself and goes, “Oh my God, I’m a different man.” And he really is turning from a man who is wearing these beautiful gowns with high heels and things inappropriate for a pirate ship to becoming an Errol Flynn-type hero straight away. That’s what they wanted to do with the character. So he’s lost a lot of that beautiful pageantry and is becoming a more practical guy who has to survive. He returns to this nightmare of a world because he wants to fight for love, and for want of a better term, “man up,” whatever the modern-day version of that is, “person up?” To become the guy that he dreamt of being in the first season.

He didn’t dream that he was going to fall in love with someone. He dreamt he was going to be this amazing pirate and that just was not going to happen. But then when he found this love, I think he went away from that [dream] going, “I don’t deserve this.” And then when he realized upon returning home that he does deserve it, he had to fight for it. And so the only way to fight for it was to drop the battle armor of the gowns and actually become the pirate he imagined being. So it was great to become that and to fight for that love and to thank god that [Blackbeard] didn’t die. He would’ve actually lost it, I think, because it would’ve been like, “Well, what am I fighting for now?”

I think it was just so fun to see that character change, but also within that change, see a bit of the old self come through, especially when he found that cursed red suit. And all of a sudden it was like, “Oh my God, the old me again, look how good I look!” So it was lovely that they had those elements… I was missing a little bit of the old Stede myself. So it was great to find that again. And then again near the end with the British invasion scenario where I got to do the big coat and everything, which of course looked awesome. You can see that moment where I put it on and did that slow turnaround. It was way more filmic shots of me wearing that kind of stuff. And I think that gave Stede's strength as well. So much of Stede's embodiment comes from the things he’s wearing.

Speaking of costumes, the big one of the season had to be Stede’s mermaid look. How did you wrap your head around getting ready for such a fantastical, and ultimately, beautiful scene?

That was the highlight of the whole season for me. As a kid, I used to swim around like a little merkid. I would put my legs together and I’d swim under the water. I’ve always been into mermaids and things because I’m into cryptozoology. So when I got to be a mermaid or a merman, I really took to it. It was pretty easy, to be honest with you. I didn’t have any training to swim like that. So the only training I did was some breath work beforehand to help me hold my breath longer. But that was kind of almost superfluous. Once I got that [tail] on, I just became a mermaid. It’s hard for me to describe how I suddenly become these things, but I think I just got under the water. I could swim really easily with it.

And I had weights on. So one of the things was we had to make sure I was the right weight so that I wouldn’t just float. That thing was sort of buoyant. So once we sorted that out, I could actually swim really well, and then just sort of hover underneath the water for a long time while [Taika]’s looking at me, I’m looking at him. To see it on the day, on the screen when I knew they’d got [the shot], there were just so many cheers, and I think they even played the music to see how the scene would work out. It’s one of those life moments where you go, “Oh my God, I’m becoming a cryptid again. I’m never going to forget this.”

This season really does focus even more on Stede and Blackbeard’s romance. How did you and Taika prepare for that? Especially since Stede’s more transparent about his feelings this time around.

It was good, and it was time. And because I was the new strong Stede, it felt really natural for me. I think it just worked really well with the writing because of the aggression that I was going through. When I was fighting that really bad guy [Ned Low (Bronson Pinchot) and] threw a violin at him because he ruined Calypso’s birthday, that was a good moment because it is not just about Ed, it’s about the crew, Stede’s family, and they were going through this amazing moment there, and all of a sudden this guy turns up and next thing we’re getting tortured. And I’m like, “How dare you?”

I think that progression of strength helped [Stede] break into the moment of, “I’m just going to take my lover as well now, and do something with him.” He probably had no idea what he was doing because it’s Stede, but it worked out and it was the right time in the show. Taika and I are really good mates, so it’s really easy to do emotional scenes together. As soon as we put our gear on, we’re just looking at that character, and we admire each other.

You and Taika have been known to improv on the show. Was there any improv moment from Season 2 you were particularly proud to see onscreen?

Yeah. Well, one, I noticed that some people are talking about that they thought was scripted, which wasn’t — most of the [scenes where] I’m with Taika are improvised in those emotional close moments — is on the deck of the boat where we’d do the thumb thing. That was all improvised on the day. So that was fun that we got that kind of stuff in. And there were some more little bits and pieces, but that’s one that comes to mind. That worked really well.

By the end of Season 2, Stede and Blackbeard have settled in to open their own inn. Do you think the peace and quiet will last in a possible third season, or will they get bored and want to rejoin the excitement?

Well, obviously as it stands now, it’s very lovely and it’s a nice positive ending, which is lovely for Season 2. But in reality, if you think about the characters, even in the fictional world, they’re both outlaws, they’re pirates, and the British back then… they never gave up. They did track down all the pirates and either hang them or get rid of them. There was only a couple that got away, and it certainly wasn’t those two. So I think what they’re thinking is, yes, this is bliss, but both those characters must be thinking, this is not going to last because you’ve got to sleep with one eye open.

Even though they’re in the middle of nowhere, they’re still in an area where everyone knows what they are, so they’re going to be tracked down. So I think if it was me, [they’d] end up back in action one way or another, especially if their inn is popular, which it probably would be. Word would get around. I mean, in those days, had you heard the Blackbeard and Stede had opened up an inn, [you’d have] to check that one out. It’ll be like Planet Hollywood.

There would be a wait-list, for sure.

Yeah, absolutely. Basically, they’re too famous now that Stede’s killed Ned and everything. He’s a famous pirate. So death is going to come to their door at some point. They’ll have to deal with it.

Do you think this version of Stede and Blackbeard’s story could avoid the fate of the real-life pirates?

Yeah, no, I think you’re dreaming if you think they’re going to live happily ever after.

Our Flag Means Death, Seasons 1-2, Streaming now, Max

Source: TV Insider

[fuckyeahizzyhands]

Con O'Neill interview with Awards Radar's Steven Prusakowski 😭😭😭❤❤❤

SP: Busy time of year, but, you know, starting to slow down in just enough to hang out with the family and do all the cooking for, like 48 hours and then.

Con: Are you the main cook in the house?

SP: I am the main cook.

Con: Yeah. So am I. I love it.

SP: I love it, too.

Con: It's my go to place.

SP: Yeah.

Con: Because when I left school, I trained to be a chef.

SP: Oh, wow.

Con: Briefly. Another story.Okay, let's rock and roll.

SP: Well, that passion never leaves you, I think. I think once you start, especially when someone enjoys and says, hey, I really liked your food.I hear from my daughter's friends or their parents, she loved your pasta or whatever it was, I'm like, okay, now I'm...

Con: It's the best feeling, isn't it?

SP: It is. It's wonderful.

Con: And just that kind of inherent, nurturing thing of just going into the kitchen empty handed and coming out with a meal for people is really rewarding. And I love it. It's intoxicating. I absolutely love it.

SP: Same here.

Con: Because I travel so much, I don't always get a place with a kitchen. And that's why I always try and get an apartment when I'm filming because it just gives me a place to be in my head that isn't about work.

SP: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I can talk cooking forever, but-

Con: But we should.

SP: I know we're short on time and I have a ton of questions and I won't get to all of them. So let's just jump into the series and maybe we could pick it back up. Sorry to interrupt, but I love the series. I love your character and your performance.

Con: Thank you.

SP: It's a stellar, and there's so much to Izzy that we see on the surface, but there's so much more to him beneath. How was this character originally pitched you and what did you initially want to bring to him?

Con: The thing about this character was he wasn't in the pilot. So when I spoke to David about it, there was nothing written. So he explained it in very broad terms. But then I quite like specifics when I'm choosing projects. And kind of... he brought up Salieri from Amadeus, and I really hooked into that. Now, I don't know whether we went that way with it in the end, but it was a really good hook for me because Salieri is that guy with a mission who is on the surface wanting, but is underneath something else. And I think initially, Izzy was that, but then we exploded him in several other ways and Salieri diminished to something else. But it was a good hook for me

initially to get in by thinking about Salieri.

SP: Yeah, I like it. I could see that for sure. And to start the season two. So going into that, he's a shadow of himself from this feared, intense, strong man to a broken man. And what was it like taking this character and exposing that humanity and starting to peel away some of that shield.

Con: I mean... David had spoken to me before we started shooting and explained most of the hulk to me, and I'd always played Izzy as a man who was in love but didn't know he was in love. And for me, the key into this season was a. the design, but more importantly, was the Taika's performance. To see a man that I love to be that broken and to be that vicious because of the heartbreak, it was profound for me to see what he did with Blackbeard, and it did break my heart a little bit. So the emotional journey was quite clear that at the end of the day, all hatred of Stede had left him, and all he wanted to do is fix Blackbeard, and he risks his life to do that. He literally puts himself on the line for that because, like always. And what I loved about what David and the writers did was they didn't remove Izzy from season one in season two, he's still there. And what Izzy does is about the crew. He puts his life on the line because Blackbeard is killing his crew, and he risks it all for that. But it breaks him seeing the the man he loves so fragile and broken and angry, it breaks him. So, It wasn't an easy job. It was quite a lonely job. It was quite a difficult job because it was going down that path that I knew inevitably we were going to go down. But I thought it was beautifully written. So most of what I needed to do was on the page, to be honest-

SP: -I'm sorry-

Con: I just had to throw myself into it.

SP: Excellent. And then with Izzy being broken and literally broken, he loses his leg, which is symbolic of much more. It leads to one of the most touching moments of the series, a note with four words: For The New Unicorn. What did that mean to you, and what does that mean to the character?

Con: You know, I've been talking a lot last couple of days - because I'm allowed to now - and, you know, this season is about Izzy coming out. In many ways, he comes out, but that moment, that rest, that beautiful piece of writing again, the writing, where the crew embrace him, and it just releases him. It releases him from his own concept of who he is. It releases him from his own concept of who he has to

be to be a first mate and a brilliant first mate. It released him of concept that he's alone. None of this would have been possible to Izzy pre season one, none of it. And in many ways, it's Stede that brings this into his life. Because before Stede, Izzy never thought of his relationship with Blackbeard as a loving relationship. He never thought of it as being in love. He only realizes he's in love with Blackbeard when he sees Blackbeard lose Stede. That's the only... The reveal is he's heartbroken because the man he loves is broken, and he doesn't know what to do with any of that. He's not emotionally capable. And the crew giving him the letter and calling him the new unicorn and releasing him from all the stuff that he'd done, all that pain that he'd suffered and anger that he'd raged upon them, it's a really accepting moment. So... yeah, I'm waffling a bit now, but it meant a lot, and it was a very beautiful moment to play. And I thought Andy, who directed it, directed it so...Andy was a real shoulder for me to lean on in those scenes, because a lot of those early scenes I'm shooting on my own. And it's quite difficult to play an emotional narrative when you're on your own, because it tends to just be one tone. And he was wonderful, and Alyssa and Alex and all. They were all wonderful in helping me gauge those moments, as were the rest of the cast. But, yeah, that moment touched me enormously.

SP: You know, you have this love triangle that is never really spoken, but it's there.

Con: Yeah

SP: Then it kind of shifts - it's almost like a love square. It's Ed, Blackbeard, Izzy and Stede. And where the love, you know, crosses, it's all... or the hatred is at sometimes, but then it evolves...

Con: Absolutely.

SP: It's so complex.

Con: I mean we all're in contemporary language. We always associate love with romance. That isn't the case here. The love that Blackbeard and Izzy have for each other is deep, man. It's deep, and it's rooted in years of working together, loving each other, saving each other's lives, being constant. This is probably the only constant they both had in their lives, is Blackbeard is Izzy, Izzy is Blackbeard, and then they have this buffoon come in and steal Blackbeard's heart. It's not that Blackbeard falls in love with someone else. Blackbeard falls in love with this guy. This Izzy just can't comprehend, and it's a constant. And then once, I think once Blackbeard hands him the gun, everything changes. And Blackbeard says, kill yourself. Everything changes. And then there's an openness to Stede and Blackbeard that brings him to that place of acceptance-

SP: -It's great to watch also. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Con: No, that. I mean, I'll waffle again. I'll waffle a lot, because that's what I do. But the more I think about that relationship, the more I go down all these different avenues of what it could have been, and what it could never have been, and what it is and what it wasn't. And as you say, it's layered and complex, and I'm honored to have been able to get to play with those actors, and especially with Taika, who's a profoundly good actor - everyone talks about Taika's director and writer - the man's a fucking great actor to work opposite, and he's... he's exquisite. So, yeah, I could only go where I went because the writers and Taika. Really.

SP: That's great. I... of course, we have to touch upon the end of the season and the end of Izzy, unfortunately, which I'm hoping is not. I'm hoping David has something up his sleeve. But what was your reaction when you learned it and how emotional was shooting that final scene? Because that final scene says a lot between...

Con: It was a... listen, I've been around a long time. The writing was on the wall when I started to read the scripts, and David had kind of hinted at it anyway when we went out for the famous dinner where he told me what the plan was, and I was gutted because I loved playing him so much. But, yeah, narratively, yeah, it makes sense. And I have complete faith, respect, love, admiration for David Jenkins, and whatever he thinks or wants to happen in season three will be the right thing if he gets season three, which I, whether I'm involved in it or not, I really hope he gets it, because he deserves it. And the show deserves it. The show deserves its triangle. It deserves it. But, yeah, it took a few days to sink in, and then I was fine. I was incredibly tired by that time. And I was lonely, as... really lonely because I was so far away from home filming all these scenes, and I tended to isolate when I was filming because of the nature of the work. So when I wasn't filming, I was sword training, or I was working out, or I was learning to walk on that fucking leg, or I was whatever whatever whatever. So I found myself isolating a lot. And in a way, it was a relief to be released from it. The final scene David had sent to me several weeks earlier. And I prepped, as I always do, and I prepped and I prepped and we were going to shoot at the beginning of the last week, and then it got shifted to the middle of the last week, and then it got shifted to the morning of the last day, and then it was shifted to the last thing we were going to shoot in the entire season. And there's always a dark cloud around those scenes because you never quite know how it's going to play. And there's a lot of pressure. And it being the last thing we were going to shoot, put more pressure on. And we were on the ship, which is a huge set, hundreds of crew members, the cast, everyone who could possibly be there was there. And I was getting quite unsettled by the amount of cacophony of noise and people. And then we rigged it all up, and it was still just [noise]. And then suddenly it was just me and Taika and just saying goodbye to a character we both fell in love with. And it was... it was a, I'm saying 'profound' a lot, but it was a profound experience doing that scene because everything else disappeared. It was just me and him. It was just Izzy and Blackbeard. And it was a lovely lovely moment.

SP: It was painful, but-

Con: It was lovely to be held by-

SP: -beautiful to watch.

Con: Yeah. Thank you. I mean, it's lovely to be held by another actor just... creatively and likewise with me to him. And David had a playlist playing and it was... elegant to do. It was nice to do. It was a nice, fitting ending to that chapter of this character. And I'll always be grateful that they shot it in that way.

SP: I do have to wrap. I just want to say before we do, I really enjoyed your rendition of La Vie En Rose. fantastic.

Con: Thank you.

SP: That's beautiful. And I appreciate all the work you did in the series, and I hope we see you again. And hopefully maybe you'll have a cooking show too, along the way, because I'd love to see what you make in that kitchen.

Con: Come on and let's bake together. Oh, I can't bake. I'll cook. It's lovely l ovely talking to you, Stephen.

SP: Great talking to you as well. Have a great day.

Con: Thank you. Bye bye.

SP: Thank you.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/05/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast & Crew; Rhys Cameos; Samba BTS; Samba & Rhys Goofyness; Wee John Wednesday + surprise Leslie; UK Launch; Watch Party Reminders; What We Do In The Shadows; New Watch parties: Love Birds; Articles; Fundraisers; Schadenfreude; Trends; Morale/LoveNotes/MORE RHYS CAMEOS; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

Jeez Louise fam today was a seriously jam packed day! Once again Im worried I'm gonna miss something because there was just so much so please feel free to let me know!

== Cast & Crew ==

The Crew section is a hefty one today, so buckle up buttercup it's gonna be a chaotic and heartwarming ride.

Okay so, yesterday we had that lovely message that was edited from our beloved captain. But then our dear friend @meowzawowaza_ over on twitter released yet another part of the video that specifically went over Rhys' frustrations with the cancellation. Now it's less positive, but as she says, it adds another layer that is helping rally the troops to keep fighting. Here's the thread with the videos. Apologies if you don't have twitter... I don't have a link outside of there at the moment. If I find one, I'll update it here.

THEN because she's awesome, our lovely @lucyrosebutler decided to share the cameo she had gotten previously. Which he ended with, "Yeah, you be you, keep rock'n, and yeah, you be you, and do it loudly."

Before continuing with the cast & crew...

== Kudosboard! ==

Wanna send our lovely captain, Rhys, some kudos and love after all he's given us, especially the last two days? You can do so over on kudoboard.com! Thank you @madzilla84 for making this happen! Get on over there and send our sunshine man some love!

Alright! On to more Cast & Crew.

= Samba =

Samba, our favorite BTS buddy posted a new BTS picture + was making sure to shout out the new S2 out on BBCIplayer today!

= Samba & Rhys =

Then because our entire cast and crew is a pile of goofballs, Rhys and Samba shared this little exchange on twitter:

= Wee John Wednesday Monday! =

And well, then there was Wee John Wednesdays Monday! Where we not only got to see the expected three cast members: Kristian Nairn, Vico Ortiz, and Madeleine Sami, but a SURPRISE guest, Leslie Jones who crashed the Instagram live party.

You can watch the whole thing on Kristian Nairn's IG Here. WHICH I highly recommend because it was an absolute blast and got so many of us pumped and ready for more. Some highlights that absolutely cannot describe the pure and wonderful chaos were:

Rocket Jousting

Leslie fucking every alien in space

Leslie wants to come to a convention

Horny pickle ball

Jenkins is on board for s3 if it happens

They see how hard we're working on SaveOFMD and they said "they deserve it" (s3) and "so do we!"

Mads just randomly runs into Taika on the beach

Gypsy made a chest binder for all Vico's outfits @edscuntyeyeshadow ty for the screenshots here on tumblr

Oh and David Fane popped in because he's a gem of a human being. Thanks @madzilla84 for catching that!

= Leslie Jones + Convention =

PSSSST: Wanna help get Leslie to a con? Go request her on the Galaxy Con Websites! Thanks @insane_foliage on twitter for the suggestions!

= Vico Ortiz =

Upcoming cast events! Sunday Feb 11, 4PM PST, Vico will be interviewing with the lovely Samantha Rei on Instagram Live

= Erroll Shand =

I just, can't get over how amazing Erroll's IG Stories are, and how much he interacts with the goofy fan memes. I love this guy.

== Uk Launch ==

So many people logged in for the UK Launch of S2!!! Thank you everyone! The data teams over at @saveofmdcrewmates are still crunching numbers to show how things went the first day, but we can definitely see #OurFlagBBC trending for a bit!

Also Pink News was tweeting about the launch, and Wee John Wednesday!

Great job everyone-- please keep it up if you have the spoons! Wanna watch OFMD again? You can help support the UK Launch by watching it on BBCIplayer! Once again, if you are outside the US you can get instructions on how to here on @reallygoodplants page, or from this article.

== Watch Party Reminders! ==

= What We Do In The Shadows Watch Party! =

Tuesday February 6th, 9PM GMT, 1 PM PST, 4PM EST

Watch Party Hashtags:

#VamPirates

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

== New Watch Parties! ==

FINALLYYYYY we have a Love Birds Watch Party! Feb 9th - 9 pm GMT, 4 pm EST, 1pm PST.

Watch Party Hashtags:

#AdoptOurLoveBirds

#AdoptOurCrew

#SaveOFMD

==Articles==

So many articles today with the UK launch, including the Guardian again!

What’s On TV This Week: 5th February – 11th February

TV Tonight: It's the Final Series of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Our Flags Means Death fans get TV licence just to watch pirate show

The Best Romantic TV Series to Get into the Valentine’s Day Spirit

8 TV Shows Were Canceled in January 2024, Including 4 From HBO

Why won’t there be a Our Flag Means Death season 3?

= Fundraiser Status =

eSIMs and Sanitary Products for Gaza by Our Flag Makes A Difference is currently at 27% of their goal. If you're looking for a good cause to donate to, these folks have been incredibly transparent about all funds.

@One of the crew, @mcstuffiesphd is selling Jeff stickers as well as other SaveOFMD merch and donating 50% to the Our Flag Makes A Difference group for the above fundraiser.

== SchadenFreude / Trends Time ==

Thank you @btweenhisteeth on twitter for capturing this metric! Looks like WB Discovery is still having a bit of trouble with their stocks. Wonder why that could be?

Other fun trends that popped up today: Thank you @merryfinches catching a shot of the pile of royalty below.

== Morale / Love Notes ==

So normally I just want to say all the things about how lovely you all are, but Rhys posted YET ANOTHER video on cameo tonight, and I feel like his voice is the sunshine we all need. The longer one up, is dedicated to LGBTQIA+ folks with some anecdotes from Rhys' childhood, and another specific to the crew for this show (it's about 3 mins 10 seconds long). Please take a few minutes to go watch them, you don't need a log in or anything for them. It's just worth it to hear our lovely captain say nice things.

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

And to end the night, just some silly gifs that maybe sort of but don't quite go together for tonight. Goodnight lovelies, it was a LOOONG day today, please go get some rest. Love you.

[ofmdrecaps]

08/03-04/2024 Weekend OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Rachel House Dominic Burgess; Nathan Foad; Articles; Fan Spotlight; OFMD Colouring Pages; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika

Okay yall, I ended up being up all night for days with a grumpy kiddo so I am yet again behind, I'm really sorry. Here's the weekend recap. Aug 5 will go out tonight if I have to chug espresso for the next 4 hours!

== David Jenkins ==

Source: David Jenkins Twitter

== Rhys Darby ==

Our Captain is out in Edinburgh Scotland! Doing his Live Cryptid Factor show with Dan Scheiber and Buttons!

Lots of short videos on his Instagram Stories:

The Cryptid Factor Live - Edinburgh - Buttons CraftTime

The Cryptid Factor Live in Edinburgh - Dan's Book

The Cryptid Factor Live In Edinburgh - The Crypid Factor

The Cryptid Factor Live In Edinburgh - The Caves

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

Source: petrichorpond On Twitter (per @mon-ster-chen's Post)

= Astras TV Awards Nominee =

Rhys has been Nominated for BEST ACTOR in a Streaming Comedy Series in the Astra TV Awards! The TV Awards ill be held on Aug 18th so keep your eyes peeled around then!

Source: Hollywood Creative Alliance Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Happy Wedding Anniversary to Taika and Rita! (Aug 4th 2022). They were caught smooching out in London recently <3

Source: Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

No context, but Samba called it "Man in the Mirror"

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan's weekly Saturday Celebration

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

= Ruibo Qian =

Just some stills from the Ms. Holmes/Ms. Watson BTS I wanted to include cause they're adorable.

Source: OldGlobe's BTS Video

= Rachel House =

So these are a week old but I found them via a more recent post from someone else there, so putting them in today! Rachel out with friends <3

Source: Instagram

= Dominic Burgess =

Dominic sending us goodnight cat pictures. What a guy <3

Source: Dominic Burgess' Twitter

== Articles ==

Thank you to @adoptourcrew for highlighting this article!

https://telltaletv.com/2024/03/20-iconic-queer-and-trans-characters-of-color-on-tv/

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

https://screenrant.com/tv-shows-always-recommend-good-regardless-genre/

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= OFMD Colouring Pages =

Another set of colouring pages from our fab friend @patchworkpiratebear - I love that we're getting multiple versions each time now! These are super cool!

Source: PatchworkPirateBears Tumblr: Teacups / Flag

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

Another episode of the Omegaverse! This time hosted by Tessa! Check them out on your favorite listening platforms here!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey Lovelies!!! Found this really adorable artist this weekend and I thought I'd share them with you because they really express a lot of things that I tend to think--- like how much I love you all, seriously, did you know you're fucking FANTASTIC?? and fucking BRILLIANT AND AMAZING AND TALENTED!?

Whenever I'm stuck doing work, or other family/life stuff, I always come back to thinking about this awesome fandom, and how much I miss talking too you all and how much I love all the crazy stuff you all get up to every day! I haven't been interacting as much because it's really hard for me to focus with so much going on (yay neurodivergence!)-- but please know I'm watching and laughing, and crying and smiling, and wishing you all the best and cheering you on! Hope the end of the weekend and beginning of the week is treating you wonderfully <3 Take care lovelies!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

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A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Just needing some of the Cinnamon Sugar, Salt and Pepper boys smiling together for this one <3 Gifs courtesy of more of our gif-masters @eddie-redcliffe and @thunderwingdoomslayer!

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream: Top 100 Movies #100 - #76

For the longest time I've wanted to do something like this, but I never could find the right time to do it. It just seemed so daunting, and the website's image limit was a hindrance, and then my computer died and my wife's computer was all I could use... and then I went on my hiatus from doing major reviews. But I found some time, so here we go.

These are my hundred favorite films ever made, divided into fourths so each one can get an image and I can devote more time to gushing about them if I want to without feeling like I'm dragging things out.

Speaking if dragging things out, let us waste no more time! We have a hundred movies to go, so let's knock out the botom quarter!

100. Us

Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort gets a lot of shit that I feel is mostly undeserved. Sure, some of the over explaining at the climax is a bit clunky when taken at face value, but it almost feels like it’s by design, as if the movie is daring you to nitpick the premise so that you can ignore the message it’s trying to convey. For me, I find that the stellar themes, fantastic acting, and godly soundtrack manage to make up for any of this movie’s flaws.

99. Crimson Peak

Murder! Mystery! Ghosts! Incest! Leave it to Guillermo del Toro to craft a Gothic horror film this stylish and impressive! This might just be my favorite of his films, and I definitely think it is severely overlooked compared to the rest of his output.

98. Mandy

Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite actors of all time, because when he goes crazy it’s always fun, and when he’s dramatic he genuinely kills it. This film lets him do both,with the first half being a slow burn dramatic romance that ends in horrific tragedy, and the back half having him do demon drugs and get into a chainsaw duel while he murders an entire cult. Truly a beautifully insane film.

97. Scream

The film that both revitalized and ruined the slasher genre, with winking nods to the tropes that made those films what they are while also playing things just straight enough to be appealing. Only a genre master like Wes Craven could pull off a pitch-perfect satire like this, though none of it would be near as good if it didn’t have a great cast who were firing on all cylinders. Young Neve Campbell before she became a sellout, Matthew Lillard cementing his place in horror history, David Arquette and Courtney Cox in their prime, and Roger “Mojo Jojo” Jackson playing the iconic voice of Ghostface… They’re as crucial to this movie’s success as the meta winks and impressive kills are.

96. Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi made one bad superhero movie and then everyone turned on him as if he didn’t make the film that proves you absolutely could make Blazing Saddles in this day and age. While it’s neither as gut-bustingly funny nor as profane as Mel Brooks’ magnum opus, it’s still a very fun, funny, and heartbreaking satirization of Nazism. I think he’s allowed to make one Love and Thunder when he made something this good.

95. Akira

The movie with the coolest bike slide in cinematic history, and this is indisputable because every single movie and show with motorcycles in it borrowed that cool bike slide. This film does show its age a bit, but it’s still an awesome sci-fi showcase of animated action and body horror. Plus it’s just a lot of fun seeing Tetsuo and Kaneda spend at least half of their dialogue dramatically screaming each other’s names.

94. 300

I make fun of Zack Snyder a lot, but I do it out of love; the dude who made 300 has gotta be capable of doing better than his recent output, after all. Stylish, slick action and slow-mo put to good use showing an army of nearly naked macho men cutting down hordes of nasty bad guys… The fact I watched this movie so much as a teenager should’ve been the first hint I was bisexual.

93. Spider-Man: No Way Home

People are really fucking hard on the MCU Spidey, and not without reason, but sometimes it really comes off as disingenuous. Look at this film, for instance; it has gotten some flak for just being a cheap nostalgia circlejerk that uses cameos so you can clap and cheer and ignore the ‘plot holes.’ I cannot imagine being that miserable of a movie watcher. To me, this film is a tribute to the cinematic Spideys that came before while giving them some degree of closure that I never thought I’d see, while simultaneously bringing Holland’s take on the character closer to where he should be. It’s also really hard to hate a movie where Willem Dafoe gets to go Goblin Mode again and power bomb Tom Holland through several floors of an apartment, cementing him as comic book movie villain royalty once and for all. Are there cheesy moments, moments where things don’t make the most sense? Sure. But to focus on those bits instead of the core themes and how the characters are used is an awful way t do film criticism. The returning heroes and most of the returning villains are used very effectively to tell the story they wanted to tell, and most importantly they don’t overshadow Tom and his friends. The fact he stands toe-to-toe with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield is nothing short of amazing, spectacular even.

92. The Lost Boys

Joel Schumacher died with one of the most unfairly earned infamous reputations around. Man made one campy superhero movie where you can see George Clooney’s nips and hear Arnold Schwarzenegger make ice puns and suddenly everyone forgets he made one of the greatest and most homoerotic vampire films ever made. While the stuff with the kids is very hit or miss, the stuff with David and his vampire biker gang is awesome, and the climax is one hell of a good time.

91. Barbie

Want to introduce your kids to feminist concepts but really don’t think they’re ready for Poor Things? Greta Gerwig has got you covered, with this pink-hued intro to feminism that uses the world’s most popular doll in a meta-narrative about her impact as well as what it means to be a woman and how the patriarchy is detrimental to both men and women. Margot Robbie gives a great performance as the titular heroine, but it is Ryan Gosling as the well-meaning idiot turned antagonist Ken that steals the show. It helps that he sings one of the most incredible, sincere power ballads ever written.

90. Street Fighter

As a connoisseur of cheesy, “so bad it’s good” films, quite a few of them have made my top 100. Here’s the first of those, this goofy Saturday morning cartoon of a film where the most American character ever (Guile) is played by the least American guy imaginable (Jean-Claude Van Damme). While it undeniably fumbles a lot of the cast of the game it’s adapting, Chun-Li and especially M. Bison are done so well it’s hard to be too mad. It’s a fun, stupid, silly 90s action film and sometimes that’s all I need.

89. Knives Out

After polarizing sci-fi audiences with his Star Wars film, Rian Johnson subverted our expectations by delivering a whodunnit for the ages. After seeing them restrained by blockbuster franchises for the better part of a decade, seeing Daniel Craig and Chris Evans really let loose again is a real treat.

88. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Twitter tries to convince me every other week that this movie is dogshit, but I ain’t buying it. This is one of the best uses of the multiverse in recent memory, using it to tell a stylish, silly, and heartfelt story about family and trauma. The entire cast is amazing, but it’s Ke Huy Quan in his big return to the silver screen that really steals the show.

87. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

My favorite thing about this movie, this proto-slasher, is just how fucking unclean it makes me feel. It’s not overly violent or gory, but it is genuinely grimy and unsettling in a way few other horror films can match. The dinner scene near the end in particular is just so fucking unnerving. Just truly unmatched atmosphere with this movie.

86. Spaceballs

While I’m not going to argue that this is a better film than Blazing Saddles, I still enjoy it a lot more since I’m a bigger fan of Star Wars and sci-fi than I am of Westerns. It’s just a damn funny parody, and hoe can it not when it has some of the funniest people to ever live (Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Rick Moranis, John Candy) and a great heroic lead performance from Bill Pullman all delivering some of the silliest lines ever written?

85. RRR

This is basically live action historical fiction anime. These characters pull off some of the most insane feats of action I have ever seen, action that makes the average American action film look like Peppa Pig. But I would not give a shit if there wasn’t a strong emotional core; the two leads have a brotherly bond unlike anything I’ve ever, and it makes the action that much sweeter. Frankly, this movie would make the list just for the final battle alone, since it might be my favorite action scene of all time.

84. Strange Magic

This movie holds a very special place in my heart. I went to see this with my wife back when we first started dating, and at the time I was filled with anxiety and insecurity, worried that I wasn’t good enough and didn’t deserve a relationship among other things. I sat down to watch this, and when it got to the titular song, something clicked, and I felt secure. I felt like our relationship was the right thing, and all these years later it’s hard to deny I was right. So thank you to this cheesy jukebox musical inspired by Shakespeare and George Lucas’ desire to make a film for little girls. They will never convince me you’re a bad movie.

83. Princess Mononoke

Maybe Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is objectively better, but this is my favorite. I think it’s because this one is a lot more excitin and action-packed, with all sorts of thrilling setpieces interspersed with the quieter dramatic moments Miyazaki excels at.

82. Jurassic Park

One of Spielberg’s greatest achievements is bringing dinosaurs to life on the big screen. No matter how many times I sit down to watch this, I still feel the same awe the characters do when they lay their eyes on the dinosaurs—which really highlights how good the cast is, because they’re amazingly convincing even when they’re looking at dated 90s CGI.

81. Labyrinth

It’s David Bowie starring as the villain in a musical filled with puppets that’s directed by Jim Henson. How the fuck is it possible to not love this movie?

80. V for Vendetta

Yes, this does dumb down the politics of Alan Moore’s comic significantly and turns the story into a much more straightforward plot. But what it lacks in depth, it makes up for with Hugo Weaving and pyrotechnics. And it’s not like there’s no depth here; crucially, this film keeps the entirety of the prisoner’s letter sequence. If that was left out, I would not have liked this movie at all.

79. Wreck-It Ralph

It’s amazing how much Disney got right here that it would go on to get wrong over the next decade. We have a hidden twist villain, something that hampered later films… but he’s shown to be a dick, with the villain reveal being how evil he is. It’s a big crossover of nostalgic properties… but they’re more used as seasoning for a story about original characters. It’s just astonishing how Disney would end up dropping the ball, even in this film’s sequel, when they got everything right the first time.

78. Sin City

What’s black and white and red all over? This bloody brilliant adaptation of Frank Miller’s sleazy comics (and one of the last genuinely good things with his name attached to it). The visual style here is the real big selling point; it genuinely looks like the pages of a comic come to life. While the movie as a whole is fantastic and “The Big Fat Kill” segment is still really, “The Hard Goodbye” and “That Yellow Bastard” are the real highlights, the former because of a career highlight performance from Mickey Rourke and a terrifying villain turn from Elijah Wood of all people, the latter because of one of Bruce Willis’ finest performances of the 2000s and excellent use of slight splashes of color (yellow for the titular bastard).

77. Batman & Robin

As long as I live, this movie will have at least one defender. Joel Schumacher created a silly, campy comic book movie for the ages, and maybe back in the day people weren’t read for it… but I was. I love the ice puns, the nipples, the bat credit card, all of it! All of its silly, stupid corniness makes this as memorable as it is! It’s like the West show with a gigantic budget.

76. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

And speaking of camp, here is the cult classic. We can argue all day and all night whether this film has aged badly, but this was a huge step forward for queer cinema on top of being a damn good musical. If nothing else, this movie helped rocket Tim Curry into the stratosphere and made him the star we know him as.

[burnwater13]

Fennec Shand and the Mandalorian on Ossus firing their weapons at the stormtroopers who have landed to recapture Grogu. Terrain is rocky and 'fallen' stormtroopers can be seen in the background. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 6, The Tragedy. Calendar by DataWorks.

“Cut!”

The scene ended and the actors were giving Jon a very strange look. There must have been a technical problem, because everyone made their marks, nailed their lines and the energy was really great. They all almost believed that they were in a galaxy far, far away. At least that’s what they said during the behind the scenes special that was also being filmed that day. 

Various members of the crew sighed. At least one of the grips had seen what happened and while they had done everything they could not to laugh out loud, they weren’t surprised that Jon had caught it too. He had a great eye for details and you couldn’t miss that one. The little guy, Grogu, had flipped the ‘bird’ at his scene partner. Not the puppeteers who worked with the ‘stunt’ double. The actual Child from that galaxy far, far away. 

“Grogu, buddy, pal… what was that about? That scene looked great. The energy was great. Why did you choose to spoil it? Now we have to do the whole thing over. That takes time. People are going to be late to lunch. What’s going on here?”

Jon was being quiet. No one else needed to know what he was talking to Grogu about. He was sure some of the cast and crew had seen it too. There had been a smattering of laughter that he hoped could be edited out or covered with music when that scene went to editing. But if they saw Grogu flip ‘Mando’ the ‘bird’, then the audience would too and it was still cheaper to do the scene than to edit that in post. 

“Pinched me.”

Grogu’s tone was annoyed, but he was narrowing his eyes as he looked across the room at the offending Mandalorian. Dank farrik! Jon did not want to see anyone in the cast find out about the Force the hard way. It had happened once before during rehearsals on season one according to Taika. Some one had done something that Grogu didn’t like and they had found themselves in a pile on the other side of the set. That’s when they put a serious effort into making the ‘stunt’ double and bringing in the puppeteers. 

“Grogu, buddy. I’m sure it was a mistake. An honest mistake. I’ll talk to them and it won’t happen again. I promise.”

Grogu sighed and then nodded his head. As long as it was Jon’s problem he would be fine. Jon always honored his word. 

Jon walked over to ‘Mando’ and had a hushed conversation with them. First things first, don’t pinch the kid. Grogu didn’t like it. It wasn’t what anyone should do. 

“But the kid’s so darn cute! Ya know the way TV adds ten pounds the kid just always looked a little fat to me. But when you meet ‘em in person, he’s so cute! Just like a puppy! How could I not pinch those cheeks? Come on, Jon. You know me. It’s like my grandkid was on the set.”

“I get it. I do. He is adorable. Everyone falls in love with him as soon as they see him. Even George. But he doesn’t like having his cheeks pinched. Even if you were his Nonno, he wouldn’t like it.  You’re not a spring chicken any more. Do you think you can stick the landing like you did as the Penguin?”

“What? What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t done stunts in years!”

“Exactly my point. The last person who pinched his cheeks had to be checked out at the ER. You don’t want that. I don’t want that. He doesn’t want that.”

“Cripes, Jon! Why didn’t you warn me? I’d have treated him like a tomato or an egg. A sweet little green egg… I’ll apologize to the kid. It’s all my fault. I don’t want there to be any bad blood. I was just in the moment ya know?”

“Good. Just be patient. He’s the key to everything around here. If he gets upset, his dad is going to want to take him home. We still have a lot of season to shoot and we can’t do it without him.”

“No problem, Jon. I got ya covered.”

The ‘Mando’ walked over to Grogu and stopped a couple of feet away. He wanted to give the kid some space. 

“Hey, kid. I’m sorry. I shoulda known better. It’s just you remind me of my grandkids and I miss ‘em when I’m on set. But I shouldn’t ‘ve done it. What can I do to make amends? Do you like food? I heard you loved pasta. I make a mean ziti bolognese.”

Grogu turned around as soon as he heard the offer for food and studied his foe. 

“And cannoli?”

“Of course cannoli! What kind of Nonno would I be if I didn’t serve cannoli?!”

Yippee!

Grogu had wondered what it would take to get an invite to Danny’s for dinner. Peli bet him ten credits it wouldn’t happen. Ha! This is the Way!

Happy April Fools Day!

[awritingcaitlin]

May Wrap Up

Well, it’s a bit late but the last week of May was really busy for me and I didn’t think to start prepping this ahead of time. Whoopsies!

💻At the Keyboard💻 I only wrote 12k this month. It feels simultaneously like I should have written more and at the same time I know that’s about right. Given stuff I’ve deleted, it really only nets to about 8k.

Still, I’ve been writing more regularly and it really does feel like I’m starting to get back into things after a prolonged break.

I don’t have any specific goals for this month beyond writing every day. Even if it’s only one sentence. Trying to say that I’ll have any specific part of Heist done by the end of the month feels too stressful. Though, It would be nice to finalize Act 1 and send that off to betas. 📺On the Screen📺 We finished Fallout and the brainrot isn’t as strong as it was last month, but I’m pleasantly happy with how the show ended. I’m eager to see the next season.

I also watched quite a few movies this past month! Free Guy was a lot of fun! It has both Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi in it. I was laughing at all the video game references and blatant product placement (along with the subtle nods.) Even people who aren’t entrenched in video game knowledge will enjoy the story. (Though I will say I was yelling at some of the contrivances regarding what you should and shouldn’t be doing at your work premises, especially with an NDA in effect.) 

The second Maleficent film was also really good! Got me thinking about fae and magic in new ways. Also Barbie is just… so… good. 💜Regarding Me💜 So one of the reasons why the last week of May was really busy for me was because I got a tattoo! I’m in love with the colors and my artist is phenomenal. It was my christmabirthday present for the past couple of holidays. I couldn’t be happier with it. (Though I’m currently suffering through the healing stages.)

Staged House Purgatory continues. We’re having another open house this coming weekend and hopefully that will bring in some bites. That’s all I have for you for the time being! I almost didn’t post this month because of the lack of updates, but then I decided I would. Stay safe out there everyone!

Pic of the tattoo under the cut!

[lesbiancolumbo]

Now you have to tell a story about embarrassingly iconic run in with david ehrlich at your first festival! 😎

pov: you are me. it is your first festival. you are like 20 and in college and volunteering. you have never been anywhere near The Industry until now, so you're very excited. you and your friends are in line for the first film of the festival, some ambiguous looking film directed by two guys both named daniel. you are young and love movies, so you are still at the point in your life where you worship film critics and are a bit starstruck. you think you see david in line with you (because you are STOOPID and don't realize most press people have an express line) and point this out to your friend. your friend says are you sure? and to check, you pull out your phone, zoom in on ol' dave's profile picture, and show her. you are convinced that this is david, get excited, but move on and go to the movie, which is wild.

pov: you are still me and after getting out of the movie, you want to know what everyone else thought of it. cuz how cool, you're at a world premiere of a film. anyways ol' david has tweeted alright. he was not in line with you, but another critic who shall remain anonymous (but works at polygon now and this makes you laugh every time you think of it) sent him this image:

david and anonymous critic are gently, lovingly ribbing you a little. david jokes that this image is the best film at the festival. everyone in the industry that you look up to and respect is commenting on this image. you, a twenty year old idiot, are mortified. you immediately run home to your condo and skip the last movie of the night (directed by some up and comer named taika something, but not relevant), then decide to shrug it off and move on.

pov: you are still me and it is your last day at the festival because you have to go back to college. you are wrapping up in your office and on twitter. david tweets that he is in the same building as you. like, for real this time. he is actually on your floor! you are flooded with embarrassment, but quickly "pretend to walk to the office across the building". yep, there he is. you go back to the office and proceed to die. you tell your colleagues the whole story. they laugh at you and tell you that you need to approach him. you will regret it if you don't, they say, it's the perfect end to this movie. you decide not to. you let ten minutes pass. then you say fuck it and approach him.

pov: you are still me and you are approaching that guy. you ask, playing dumb, hi are you by chance david. david says yes i am. you say do you know who i am? david says i don't think so. you say yes you do and show him the photo. he recognizes your pink phone case and immediately starts to laugh. he says it's the most flattering thing that has ever happened to him, and thank you so much for tracking him down. he'd been wondering about you! you tell him how embarrassed you were and how it was just because yknow. starstruck. you love those videos he makes. he asks you if you've been to the festival before, you tell him your whole budding cinephile life story, which he appreciates. he tells you what films he's been enjoying (to this day i can't remember any of them lol) and asks you about yours. he asks you if he liked the movie you were both at! which you found sweet. you ask for a photo with him and he agrees. you immediately text it to all your friends and become a fucking legend lmao.

[bookwormcosplays]

Apparently, I watched phase one of marvel so now we're onto phase two. Let's go!

Iron Man 3: Oh Stark is a jerk. We already knew this, but like that really is a low blow to go out of your way to tell someone you're going to do something then not do it. Not from personal experience of course... *sighs* I enjoyed this. I really did. Way better than the first movie, but I think I like it a smidge better than the sequel. I prefer the sequel'a villain though because it felt more valid. But also if someone left me on the roof, I would want to fight them too. I don't like the arc reactor being taken away. I know this universe continues and I felt like the arc reactor protected him against Loki. I don't know. Also the kid, I really liked him. When kids are in movies, I tense up because it'll either be done really well or really bad. In this case, the boy acted his little heart out. Onto the next movie!

Thor The Dark World: BORING. SNOOZEFEST. I really tried here guys. I watched the movie. Sure the realms lore and the antagonists are interesting I guess, but Thor and his story is just boring. If Taika "ruined the Thor franchise" with the newest Thor film, it has to be the worst movie ever written. This one and the first are the only ones I've actively disliked so far.

Captain America Winter Soldier: Okay we should be back in the good world. Maybe I'll understand the bucky x steve ship with this one. I have higher hope for this because generally after a boring one Marvel gives you a good movie. This is where the "you know me" "no I don't" meme comes from??? I liked this one a lot. This is better than all the Iron Man movies and Avengers. This is really good. I didn't expect much since I wasn't really a fan of the first film, but this had me immersed from beginning to end. I expected Captain America to be reunited with his old friend Bucky so it was interesting that didn't happen. I'm excited about the twins! I'm thinking... It's someone that has become popular in these last couple of years. But don't tell me!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Yeah I'm not wasting my time on this one

Avengers Age of Ultron: I just really HATE that they feel the need to make a romance film out of everything. I want superheroes. Not everyone needs to be in a relationship. Give it a break. But I'm enjoying the philosophical questions this movie is breaking. Also at first, I felt like the characters were flat now I'm starting to see their dimensions. The twins were interesting characters and the stark weapons showed up again. This is what I talk about when people apologize for their actions. Yes you can genuinely feel sorry, but your actions still affected people in real life at the end of the day. You can't blame anyone for the grudges they hold or the lack of forgiveness when they were negatively affected by you. I liked the antagonist in this one and also his death was pretty cool (some of the villains deaths were kinda corny ngl). Not my favorite of the avengers movie mostly because of the whole relationship thing that took up too much of the movie in my opinion especially when I didn't care. Also the "fine I'll do it myself" meme!

Ant Man: Skipping this one too for now

[lizard-spams-your-dash-too]

I posted 26,227 times in 2022

That's 21,823 more posts than 2021!

57 posts created (0%)

26,170 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@guardiansofgahooleonwii

@dingdongyouarewrong

@toothlesshat

@the-polyhedron

@huffy-1337

I tagged 4,301 of my posts in 2022

#sth - 1,841 posts

#sonic the hedgehog - 875 posts

#shadow the hedgehog - 840 posts

#wwdits - 333 posts

#mcr - 293 posts

#death note - 178 posts

#what we do in the shadows - 177 posts

#miles tails prower - 173 posts

#our flag means death - 172 posts

#rouge the bat - 148 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#dont think this is a real concern with zoomers since i too made mud pies and only really used the computer when i was already in preschool

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

imsonormalabouthisimsonormalaboutthisimsonormalaboutthisimsoniornal-

24 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

#4

This is a PSA:

Please continue to wear a mask people, COVID is still a real thing!

24 notes - Posted July 16, 2022

#3

I'm not really part of the death note fandom anymore but Ive noticed an interesting bit of fanon.

A lot of fans draw/describe Light with tanned skin, when in the anime and manga he's fairly light-skinned. The only canon source I can think of where he has a tan completion is the official illustrations by Obata. (Comparison below)

Anyway I don't really have a point here but I would like to say, keeping drawing him with tan skin. It's an improvement from the show in my opinion.

It differentiates him further from L, making his pale skin look even more stark. It also makes it harder to confuse him for a white dude, which is good since Death Notes story is so rooted in Japanese society and its Justice system. Also generally tired of people making jokes that Light is a white man.

Edit: changed some of my wording and added the last sentence

25 notes - Posted April 11, 2022

#2

Hey death note fandom, I'm trying to find a fic I read about a year ago.

It was a story on fanfiction.net and it was set in alternative timeline of death note.

Basically it starts of with Sorchiro Yagami's funeral, which L attends. Sorchiro was killed in a car accident, but L is fairly sure it was kira's doing. Sorchiro and him were the only ones looking into the kira case at the time, with Sorchiro losing respect at NPA. They haven't found any new leads on the case.

L's approached by a college age Light yagami who wants to help continue to search for kira. L agrees to work with light, even if he's not exactly trusting of him, as he needs extra help. They both get an apartment by the TO-HO campus to investigate kira.

The fic was abandoned, and was made sometime in the early 2010s late 2000s. It was also a Lawlight fic, with some fake dating in its later chapters.

If anyone can link it or remember the title of the fic I'd be extremely grateful, it's one of my favorite Death note fics and I want to archive it.

50 notes - Posted August 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Don't get me wrong I love Taika Watiti's work as much as the next gay atm but the amount of like parasocial worship of him I've seen recently makes me nervous.

I think it's important to remember we all know a very small sliver of him as a person.

At the end of the day he's just a guy whose making and in a lot of good things atm.

535 notes - Posted April 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[uncommon-etc]

To follow up with a more positive post from my ‘top 5 dumbest criticisms debunked’ here’s a list of adorable and well-thought-out details from Thor: Love and Thunder, which, while not that difficult to spot, I appreciated even more the second time round.

- The costume department made Tessa Thompson at least four different perfectly tailored suits for approximately eight seconds of footage. Was it a waste of fabric? Absolutely not.

- Jane isn’t just a sci-fi nerd for reeling off films that explain wormholes well, her Halloween costume in the montage is Ash from Alien, post chest-burster scene.

- Thor has Nick Fury’s contact saved to his phone as ‘Nick Furry’ which will never not be funny to me.

- Was giving Dwayne a mustache when Kronans have absolutely no capacity to grow facial-hair an absolutely ridiculous decision that some poor vfx artist should have been sacked over? Absolutely. But it was also a really nice callback to Taika’s childhood Freddie Mercury obsession, so jot that down.

- That poor guy who got hit in the face when a certain cape was flung for dramatic emphasis has my sympathies.

- The little broken heart next to Thor’s ‘RIP Loki’ tattoo was hilarious and tragic at the same time.

- It was definitely ‘bring your daughter to work day’ on set, I’ve already seen plenty of people remarking on the adorableness of Chris Hemsworth’s kidlet, but both of Taika’s daughters were among the stolen Asgardian kids and were apparently really mean to Christian Bale.

- Despite having all the trappings of a family-friendly film you get multiple ‘oh shit’ lines, though it feels entirely appropriate to the tone of the scenes, there are also at least two references to a mass orgy held on a regular basis in Omnipotent City.

- All of the snacks in the vending machine Thor breaks are region-appropriate, which pleased me as someone who grew up only getting to eat that stuff in Finland or on family trips to IKEA and ngl, if I was having to pay like 2-3 euros for a pack of Marabou or some salmiakki, and I had super-strength, I’d probably just smash the thing too.   

- Glad to see independent theatre is still thriving in New Asgard, but the irony of Valkyrie being very done with the two actors while wearing a Phantom of the Opera t-shirt was not lost on me. Her being a closet theatre-kid seems pretty on-brand. 

- Sif still being a badass sword-fighter with only one arm (why is that such a common injury in the MCU?)

- Idk why, but the scene on the boat where the straight half of the crew are outside doing straight things while Korg and Valkyrie are propping up the bar, drinking and discussing being gay felt... weirdly relatable. If that isn’t how you and your friends end up at the tail-end of a house-party don’t @ me.

- It seemed a really odd choice at first to have a film with three semi-sentient weapons that have their own personalities and a fourth that’s just kind of there, but in hindsight it’s also hilarious. Stormbreaker’s got beef with Thor and Mjolnir and the Necrosword parallel each other beautifully (both are slowly killing the person that wields them, but the motives are polar opposites) so I kept waiting for the thunderbolt to have some whole hidden agenda of its own, but no, it was the only cool-looking god-level weapon that was... just a weapon.

I’ll probably think of more to add, because I love this film so damn much, but feel free to chip in if there’s any obvious ones I’ve forgotten.

[anxiouspotatorants]

It is time. It is finally time for the new Suicide Squad rant (and spoilers will be plentiful):

As someone who was into DC Comics and comics in the mid to late 2010s and had so much hype for the first Suicide Squad movie only to be let down, I was so nervous for this one. I knew it was going to be a roller coaster, but whether I would come out happy or disappointed was up in the air. Having just seen it I will say this: I have no idea if this was a good movie-movie. It was insane. The comedy. The violence. The high emotion. I’m still trying to take it all in. But one thing I do know is that this is an amazing Suicide Squad movie. Gunn and co took the best parts of the comic concept and went batshit with it and that is how this property should be handled (in my opinion). Screw edgelordisms, we need full on insanity free of aiming for shock-value or sexy brutality we want chaos baby.

Starting the whole movie as they did, with Savant as the POV for a mission (or part of the mission) that just goes to hell immediately and kills off so many before the title arrives is the perfect way to start this movie. Like the second I realized this was how they were doing it I was just smiling from ear to ear, this is the spirit of the property.

Part of me wishes we got more Amanda Waller, but what we had was impeccable. Then again, this is Viola Davis we’re talking about, and if she was born to play any character in a superhero story, it is Amanda Waller.

And points to her tech team, introducing them with the death bets was just a lovely way to show how regular this is and how awful everyone is in this movie.

I’m not going to pretend like Deadshot and Bloodsport didn’t have the exact same character- and plot premises… but I will say that Bloodsport felt better executed.

I love that they kept some of the past members and not just Harley. Rick Flag got to have a full personality and interactions with his team members and to be a true leader and it made me so happy for someone who initially did not give a single shit about his character. The Harley friendship? The Dubois friendship? The friendship with that guerilla leader? Amazing. The one American soldier in fictional media I genuinely like. You go Mr Flag.

The new members were… they were insane in the best way. Gone are the shitty stereotypes and present are some of the wackiest creations to ever grace the mainstream movie-sphere (aka the slightly less normal comic creations): A man who has to shoot out polka dots two times a day so as not to die from a space virus. A giant child murdering weasel. A guy who detaches his limbs and slaps people with said detached limbs. King Shark. The second person to command rats with a fancy gadget. They are all crazy and all weird and all more or less morally repulsive people and I love them.

The amount of times I did a double take over the soundtrack I swear. Jessie Reyez? The Pixies? It was so much fun to pick up on once I did.

Was the depiction of a vague Latin American country stereotypical? Yes. Was the secret American involvement predictable and felt mildly patronizing from a non-American, part Latina point of view? Yep. But damn it if I didn’t have a good time with those stereotypes and laugh my ass off at how well executed some were. I don’t know if it was meant as parody, but that one secretary has me thinking so — and if so I am pleased.

Speaking of Latino dictators Harley’s one day romance with one of the villains was something I never knew I needed. Like it was so perfect for Harley that when it happened I almost hit myself for not realizing that this kind of plot should be a normal thing for Harley. And the end of it? Perfect not only in this standalone movie, but also in conjunction with the first and with BoP.

The Taika Waititi cameo??? Oh my god??? I did not expect that and I love it?? Sir, What We Do in the Shadows is impeccable.

Rick Flag’s death actually surprised me. It shouldn’t as this is Suicide Squad, but I kind of expected him to be on Harley’s level of unkillable (because let’s face it, no one kills Harley). What I will say is that his death was good and his final words and actions made me love him all the more. I hope this spawns more Rick Flag content, or at least inspires me to look at what already exists, if he already is as this movie made him (it’s been ages since I read one of the Suicide Squad reboot comics okay).

Starro. How can a villain be so wacky and so terrifying at the same time? I did not expect a literal alien starfish to have more terrifying powers and a more tragic plot execution than Enchantress. But here we are. And that damn star just wanted to be floating in space, and instead it was stuck getting revenge by killing and puppeteering human corpses. Wow that thing was creepier the more you think about it.

I don’t know what I think about Polka Dot Man. I loved watching him on screen but also damn those mommy-issues were on a new level. Not just in his backstory but how he literally sees her in every person around him that was insane. Very funny but like also the kind that makes you laugh just because you’re uncomfortable and don’t know how else to releive the tension.

When Waller got knocked out by a staff member I immediately thought «oh my god Amanda Waller is going to kill half the staff for this», so I’m mildly surprised and disappointed that I didn’t get to see that happen. But also I should maybe expect something like this in a potential future Suicide Squad movie. We can’t have everything in a movie as packed as this.

Peacemaker was very horrible and worked really well. Don’t really have much to say about him, not because I didn’t enjoy him but because I already feel like the film itself has said it for me. But the planting and payoff for his death? Chef’s. Kiss.

Harley’s wardrobe was beautiful. Ratcatcher 2’s combat outfit felt like a steampunk plague dream. Bloodsport’s mask was supercool. Rick Flag’s t-shirt was amazing. But the best little outfit was the Mafalda-keychain and her red dress, hands down. Oh and King Shark’s fake moustache finger moment.

King Shark is shaped like a friend I don’t care how many people he ate alive on screen he looks so huggable. It feels like wanting to pet a bear. You know it will kill you but damn it look at those paws and those cute eyes!

I really need to give it to not just James Gunn but the entire production team for this movie. The aesthetic was perfect. The story was the right blend of whimsical and violent. The finished product was a literal rollercoaster and I mean that in a good way. If superhero movies have to be like amusement parks, I hope they’re more like this one and BoP.

I’ll finish on the note that while I think this movie was great and hopefully a step in the right direction for the DCU/DCEU (as in stop trying to play Marvel’s game and just do your own thing/ let your creative teams run wild and free), it is not the first step. Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey and the production team for it took a step first, and they deserve due credit and attention. If you loved this Suicide Squad movie and haven’t watched BoP yet, do so. Because they really are in the same ballpark while doing things in slightly different ways. And any good DCEU movie deserves more attention so the studios know that creativity and risks should be rewarded. I want more DC movies like this, not necessarily in genre but in creative risks. I want a Black Canary rock movie. I want Alfred in a reverse heist movie alone in the batcave against Gotham villains. I want Gotham Academy on screen play by play from the comics. I want a fully animated psychedelic-like Khalid Nassour as Dr. Fate movie. I want elevated horror movie Constantine. I want weird ass Lois Lane journalist movies with a heavy side of Superman. And I want DC movies I didn’t even know I wanted.

Support creativity in mainstream comic movies. Help me become a DC fan and happy about it again.

[twh-news]

Tom Hiddleston made his glorious debut as Loki in 2011's Thor, which celebrated its 10th anniversary exactly two weeks ago today. Since then, the 40-year-old actor's God of Mischief has gone on a remarkable journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he grappled with the living in his heroic brother Thor's (Chris Hemsworth) shadow and evolved from villain to antihero. Now, it's time for Loki to step into the spotlight on Disney+'s Loki. Ahead of the six-episode drama's premiere, though, EW asked Hiddleston to take us through Loki's greatest hits.

The audition (2009)

It's well-known that Hiddleston actually auditioned for Thor's titular role. "I remember thinking I should probably do some exercise because Thor is a very athletic character. So I did that, got into his kind of regime and did my camera test, and put on the blonde wig, and swung the hammer," he says. "But I do remember on the piece of paper I signed, it said, 'The role of Thor/Loki.' I thought, 'Okay...' Long-story short: Chris Hemsworth is definitive in the role of Thor. I certainly think so, and the right decision was made on that day. I'm very glad it went the way it went."

Thor (2011)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, The first Thor contains the scene that truly set the stage for Hiddleston and Loki's post-Avengers breakout. After discovering he's actually descended from the Frost Giants, Loki confronts his (adopted) father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), about the deception in a harrowing and transformative scene. "That's the creation, in a way, of Loki's status as a villain, is this intense feeling of marginalization and isolation, [and] that he does not belong, that Thor is not his brother," says Hiddleston. "I'll never forget doing that scene because I had such respect, and still do, for Sir Anthony Hopkins, and suddenly I was having to play tennis with him in a very emotional place."

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige adds: "There's just so much pain and angst in it. I think that is the moment that Tom really got his hooks into the audience."

The Avengers (2012)

Loki has many memorable moments in The Avengers, but Hulk interrupting the "puny" god's egomaniacal speech and pounding him to the ground is the funniest. "I had a piece of wire tied to my ankle and there was a mat on the floor, which was out of shot, and three of the strongest stunt guys holding the wire at the end behind the camera. The experience being yanked out of frame was one I will not forget in a hurry," says Hiddleston, explaining he was the only one in front of the camera when they shot it because Mark Ruffalo didn't perform the role via motion-capture in that first Avengers film. "For about two years after that, I couldn't go through airports anywhere in the world without somebody kind of going, 'Hey, Mr. Loki, I love it when you get Hulk smashed.' It became a bit of a thing in a fun way,"

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Loki loves to use his powers to guard himself both physically and emotionally, as seen in Thor: The Dark World when Thor visits his imprisoned brother after the Dark Elves murdered their mother. At first, Loki is smug as always and everything seems in order, but Thor calls him out and the illusion dissipates, revealing that Loki is broken and grieving. "There's this love of their mother that unites these two brothers, adopted or not, and they form a kind of unpredictable and unstable alliance," says Hiddleston. "That scene was really key to anchoring that film in something honest and emotional."

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Loki learns nothing hurts like apathy when his brother reveals he's completely given up on him in this pivotal elevator scene from Taika Waititi's eccentric and warm threequel. "I think it really affects Loki. He thinks, 'Oh maybe I got this wrong. Maybe I did have a place in that family. Maybe this guy is my brother.' But it was a really enjoyable scene because it was just a very quiet moment with Chris in a very calm space in a big, colorful, spectacular film" says Hiddleston.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

After evading death many times, Loki finally met his end when Thanos (Josh Brolin) crushed his windpipe — but not before delivering a powerful speech in which he accepted all parts of himself, the Frost Giant and the Asgardian. "The redemption of Loki as a character was achieved in that moment of sacrifice and catharsis — that after all this time, after all this journey of feeling marginalized and fueled by jealous rage, he would risk his life to save his brother and call himself an Odinson. And I saw this perfect closure in a way," says Hiddleston. "I remember Josh Brolin could not have been sweeter. He was so generous. I walked into the room and he turned around and saw me come in, and just broke into this big wide smile, and opened up his arms, and enveloped me in a big hug and said, 'I'm sorry, man.'"

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

But Infinity War wasn't the end for Loki. Hiddleston appeared as the Avengers-era version of his character for Endgame's time heist. "It was really enjoyable to go back to this version of this character that I played before all of the evolution with those actors who I got to know so well and we'd all been on this journey together," he says. Of course, that Loki ends up stealing the Tesseract and disappearing, setting the stage for the Disney+ series. "Where does he go? When does he go? How does he get there?"

Loki (2021)

"If you've seen the trailer for Loki the show, you will know that Loki finds himself face-to-face with the TVA, the Time Variance Authority, who are an organization within Marvel Comics that govern the order of time," Hiddleston says. "I suppose Loki picking up the Tesseract in Endgame might have caused some concern. It is very exciting. The world of the TVA is a world of bureaucratic order, and of course Loki is the God of Mischief and Chaos. So you have the forces of order and chaos coming together, and that's where our story starts."

Bonus moment: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

At one point in the Thor sequel, Loki shape-shifts into Captain America, with Chris Evans making a cameo, while he and his brother escape Asgard. However, there's a version of that scene in which Hiddleston actually puts on the star-spangled hero's costumes himself. "[That] was a very strange and surreal moment, nevertheless enjoyable. So I got to feel whatever the feeling of wearing that suit [is], which is definitely a moment," Hiddleston recalls. "Then, they played that footage to Chris, and he did his best impression of me doing an impression him, and he does it brilliantly." High-praise from the God of impressions.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/25/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; How to help; Reviews; Cast & Crew; Kristian Nairn; Watch Party reminders; People of Earth S2, Uncle S2; RhysDarbyFaction; Fan Spotlight; ManifestingMoonglow; UK Folks; Articles; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika feat Pedro Pascal;

== How to Help ==

= Reminder: Rotten Tomatoes reviews! =

Thank you to @bzy_hands on twitter for continuing to lead the charge on getting s2 to 1000+ reviews!

Need help? Visit the report for How to Rate on Rotten Tomatoes

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

=Kristian Nairn =

Reminder that tomorrow is Wee John Wonday! Thank you @lisahafey and @labellapirata for the news that "The next few weeks are locked in, and I recon they are gonna be really good ;)" Sounds like it's time for some more clown/honking.

Kristian was also spotted on IG working on his Borg look:

...and he's released a new track on Spotify! Keep it warm

==Watch Party reminders ==

Hey all! Watch Parties are back!

= People of Earth S2 =

Feb 26-Mar 1: 9 PM GMT / 4 PM EST / 3 PM CST / 1 PM PST

#PiratesOfEarth

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOur Crew

If you don't have access to the show to watch, reach out to @iamadequate1

= Uncle Season 2 =

Join @libbyroseitm on Twitter 28 Feb & 29 Feb at 8 pm GMT, 3pm ET, 12 pm PST

== Rhys Darby Faction ==

Remember Max aka Poll Guy, the guy who inspired the new #RhysDarbyFaction hashtag? Well good news, looks like he's on board now and also signed the petition (wait to go @lisahafey)! Remember poison to positivity is definitely the way to go! Wanna vote in the last round of the poll on twitter? Check it out here.

== UK Folks ==

As a heads up, the BBC Schedule for OFMD is changing. Please visit the BBC Schedules page for more information.

== Fan Spotlight ==

More Collages for the month of February from our fabulous crew-mate @WanderingNomad on Twitter! Almost caught up!

Day 7: Nathan Foad

Day 8: #WeLoveSamson - Samson Kayo

Day 9: Con fuckin' O'Neill

Day 24: Stede Bonnet, The Gentleman Pirate

Day 25: Blackbeard, Ed Teach

== Moonglow Manifesting ==

As many of you know, #MoonglowManifesting came to an end yesterday the 24th with the full moon. I wanted to make sure to highlight some of the incredibly creative altars our crew-mates put together!

== Articles ==

HBO Renews 3 TV Shows in 2024, Cancels 4 Others & Reveals 3 Are Ending This Year

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies. Do you ever do/say something and then not long after you start feeling massively anxious about whether or not you should have done it? I know I do.

This is especially hard on the internet now a days because tone and sarcasm is so difficult to express and understand.

Just know that it's okay to feel anxious. When we don't get feedback at all (which happens a lot on the internet), or the feedback we expect, our brains can make us feel like something's worse than it might be. If you can help it, don't borrow that anxiety before you know it's an issue (I know it's hard, believe me).

Remember to take a deep breathe, drink some water, and remember even if it didn't turn out the way you expected, you're allowed to make mistakes, and you're allowed to have opinions on things. Just be sure to respect others' opinions and safe space as well.

If you're worried about something in particular, reach out to your crew and ask! We're still a safe space ship here, and we love to talk it through as you all know.

You're doing great, remember to give yourself some credit too.

Hope you have a great start to the week lovelies, we'll see you tomorrow.

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight is a little different. Instead of gifs of our guys, it's their characters! + Special Guest and SAG WINNER Pedro Pascal

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “Free Guy (2021)”

Video game adaption movies are notorious for being atrociously bad. There have been some good video game movies recently, but never great. Then there are video game movies such as Wreck-it Ralph and Ready Player One that are centred around video games. Free Guy is another video game movie that is centred around it. The premise is "When a bank teller discovers he's actually a background player in an open-world video game, he decides to become the hero of his own story -- one that he can rewrite himself. In a world where there are no limits, he's determined to save the day his way before it's too late, and maybe find a little romance with the coder who conceived him". So is Free Guy a great movie or something to be shut down?

Firstly, the concept of an NPC becoming more self-aware is such a great idea. The whole concept is so intriguing and engaging but what amazes me is that Free Guy succeeds in the delivery and the landing. The story is also surprisingly good as Guy trying to gain the affections of Millie Rusk/Molotov Girl is quite sweet and endearing to watch. Additionally, there is a plot with an evil CEO that give the film the tension and stakes necessary for a very satisfying finale. What surprised me the most is how much emotional weight and heart was in Free Guy. Some genuinely emotional moments explore some deep themes about the purpose and meaning of life that I didn't expect. Furthermore, the characters themselves are great, with the exploration of the relationship and character development between them is an enjoyable watch. The action scenes are fun to watch and a fair amount of jokes does land as well.

I love the amount of reference in Free Guy to not only video games but other movies too. There are even some references that wowed me. They also use a fair amount of video game terms that didn't make me cringe. I also loved that the director included very silly and funny things in the background as well which makes for great second viewing. The cast all do a great job as well and are incredibly charming. Ryan Reynolds is indeed just playing himself but it is still entertaining to watch even in Free Guy. Joe Keery is very lovable and plays a believable nerdy guy and is the one who I ended up rooting for the most. Jodie Comer is phenomenal though as she plays the passionate Millie and badass Molotov girl convincingly while being incredibly charming. She has great chemistry with Ryan Reynolds and Joe Keery which is what makes both scenes in the game and real-life enjoyable to watch.

However, Taika Waititi who plays the evil CEO and villain is a mixed bag for me. Taika succeeds in making his character completely dislikable which makes him an effective villain. The problem is that he is very goofy and cartoonish which is a jarring contrast to all the others who give more believable performances. Most moments with his character are also not that funny and most never landed, unfortunately. There are also a lot of problems with the script just breaking its own rules. For example, it is shown in the real world that they're playing the game on a computer, not VR, yet during in-game scenes, characters act like they can feel stuff when it makes no sense. Moreover, there is one major scene that occurs that baffles me as it was clear from an earlier scene that it shouldn't be possible to do, yet it somehow still happened.

Overall, I came into Free Guy with little expectation but was astonished at how much I ended up enjoying it. Even when the writing falters, the natural charisma of the cast keeps it from ever being monotonous. Free Guy is not just a good video game movie, it's a great video game movie!

For more reviews like this visit:

https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/