#but it’s not a film you can compare to fight club in the way that it commands the cultural zeitgeist. that’s stupid

[cannibalfag]

can you say what else it's about? genuinely interested

i’m not gonna write an essay in this post abt the intricacies of the film. but! ignoring the themes of cultural insensitivity, misogyny, abuse, & catharsis lead to a surface level analysis imo. i think bc ari aster is a horror movie director ppl tend to focus on the horror driven & scary parts of what he creates (cults, etc). to truly piece together every message he set out to deliver you have to look past the devices he uses to get these messages across. calling midsommar a cult movie is like saying hereditary is abt how to be a terrible brother. yk?

[elenauaurs]

TWISTED WONDERLAND OC

Name: Amin Adel Al-Farooq

Grade/Class: Freshmen/Class B (No. 11)

Birthday: October 24rd

Age: 16

Height: 165 cm

Dominant hand: Right

Homeland: Scalding Sands

Club: Magic Shift/Spell Drive

Best Subject: Astrology

Hobbies: Taking care of virtual pets

Pet Peeves: Invasion of personal/Having to repeat himself

Favorite food: Kibbeh

Least favorite food: Crustaceans

Likes: Cats, Stars, Good people

Dislike: Delinquents, ghosts, teasing

Talent: Combat

. . .

Amin is a student from Scarabia who is always accompanying Kalim and Jamil. His distant attitude makes him strange in the eyes of many.

The mysterious and distant boy actually hides a secret: He she's a woman and Amin isn't even her real name. (She isn't trans. In the universe of my ocs NRC remains a school just for boys, but the reason for adopting a male identity comes from her backstory)

Amin is a person who always has a closed or tired face. Most of the time, Amin is stuck in his thoughts instead of interacting with others.

When Amin tries to start a conversation with someone he doesn't know, 99% of the time the conversation can turn into something really awkward or quite edgy(depends on the mood lol)

Although he isn't very good at talking and is a little shy/embarrassed, Amin is not afraid to show his thoughts and fight for them. This attitude of his makes him get into several fights, which has earned him a reputation as a troublemaker.

Despite acting this way and having a short temper, Amin hates delinquents who break the rules. Whenever he can, Amin punishes anyone he considers a deliquent to 'save' them

With people close to him, Amin reveals himself to be a courageous, agitated, stubborn, playful, teasing and loyal person. But of course, that's not how he feels at all.

In fact, Amin is a pessimist and a person who has struggled with grief for a long time. He sees himself as an impostor who doesn't deserve happiness and has no reason to live other than to continue someone else's legacy. Amin constantly blames himself for the past and has a huge inferiority complex, but he refuses to demonstrate his weakness and the truth to others.

FACTS

Amin is twisted from the guards from Aladdin

He has incredible swordsmanship

Despite his small appearance, Amin is strong and agile

He knows parkour

Amin has combat magic that is far advanced compared to other freshmen, however his general magic (like levitating things, cleaning magic, coloring magic, etc.) IS REALLY BAD

By having such poor magic and almost failing many classes, Amin makes up for his lack of skill in written or physical activities (or combat)

Amin is banned from Mostro lounge

The headband he wears is a gift from Kalim

APPEARANCE

Amin has short, dark hair with bangs. His skin is dark and his eyes are dark brown

He always wears clothes much larger than his size and always wears a headband

Most of the time, he wears bandages around his hands that go up to his elbow.

. . .

Note: Since Aladdin is a racist film, I tried to do some research to avoid something that would be hurtful to people from the Middle East. If you know the Middle East well and noticed that there is something wrong with this post, please let me know and I will review it immediately, thank you!

Tag: @cyanide-latte @theleechyskrunkly @thehollowwriter @distant-velleity @tixdixl @rainesol @oya-oya-okay @boopshoops @br3adtoasty

[greedandenby]

Jacob & Sam talking about queerness in IWTV.

A compilation of stuff they've said in interviews.

(Long post!)

A.V. Club

Q: The show is being hailed as unabashedly queer as compared to the film adaptation. Why was that important to both of you and the show’s creators?

SR: It’s what’s written in the book. We’re doing the book and it’s the way it’s supposed to be.

JA: It’s true to the story.

SR: It’s true to what Anne wanted and, yeah… it’s time.

JA: It would be rude not to.

SR: Yeah.

Comicbook

Q: How important was it for the two of you to get this aspect of the story (the queerness of the books) not only correct, but to tell the full breadth and aspect of this very unique relationship?

JA: (…) For one, we have to acknowledge that the books are very queer. I think that IWTV Louis is not talking about it, at least in terms of Lestat.

SR: Until you get to the second half of the book. By the second half of the book, Louis does sort of start to acknowledge that it was something more, which I think is such a cool… (…) I think the relationship, the way Louis describes it in the beginning is sort of like, is it subtext or has he acknowledged it or is he just angry with the way it worked out? But I really feel that as we go on, the text is the text. It’s very clear that they’re in love and that they’re in a romantic relationship. I don’t think we would be doing the Anne Rice universe or doing the Vampire Chronicles if that wasn’t the case. I think it would be something else. And it would be a waste of time for us too because the fun stuff comes from the complexities of the relationship and the dynamics and all the detail and nuance that they have. If we’re doing a “will they won’t they” or, like, subtle glances across the room then you spend all the time on that tension rather than the really complicated toxic dynamic that exists between the two of them.

JA: Yeah, and then also playing that off against that tension and the aftermath of some of those fights. It suddenly rebuilds this sexual and emotional tension. Like you said, you get to explore the breadth of a relationship. But yeah, they’re each other’s endgame, aren’t they? In the books, they always come home to each other. I think it’s telling that that seems to be the denouement or the end of a lot of the novels: Louis and Lestat being petty and in love.

Esquire (Sept '22)

Q: The 1994 film adaptation of Interview With the Vampire shied away from depicting the romance between Lestat and Louis. Your adaptation is very explicit; at one point, we even see Lestat and Louis have sex while levitating. Rolin Jones described this series as “an excitable, aggressive, toxic, beautiful love story.” What did that mean to you, finally getting to tell the story in its full, explicit sensuality?

SR: I was very happy it was going that way, because it wouldn't be Interview With the Vampire if it didn't. It’s really important that we explored that, because a big part of their relationship is this intense connection. Anne Rice describes drinking each other's blood as incredibly erotic, almost like having sex. So how do you translate that on screen? I guess nude levitation translates quite well. I think it's really important that we don't shy away from it, because if we spend the whole season going, "Will they? Won't they?," we don't get to the really interesting parts of this complex relationship. Getting straight down to it means we can look at the dynamics of this pair—how they hurt each other and how they build each other up.

JA: With the levitating scene, we talked a lot about how you need those moments of joy and excitement and romance so it's not all about tortured Catholic guilt. We've seen vampire stories told that way before, and like Sam said, you then can't get into the messiness of their relationship. You have to really believe. You have to know that these two people are in love. Being in love is complicated and beautiful and messy.

IFC Center

Q: Sam, from the beginnings of the vampire traditions in literature and theatre, there’s often been a gay subtext. But for this adaptation, subtext becomes text.

SR: Yeah, I would say it’s not subtext, cause in Anne Rice it’s pretty damn clear. So it’s not subtext becomes text, it’s just text is now being text. And I think, fuckin’ yeah, it should be. If we’re going to do Anne Rice, we might as well do Anne Rice properly.

SR (about Lestat’s otherness): He’s come from some pretty intense experiences where he’s learned the history of vampires and things like that. And Lestat has come over from Europe to get away from the catechism of humanity and the way that’s kind of slapped on top of the vampires. That it’s all about self-flagellation in Christianity, Catholicism, that we’re all monsters and as a monster you have to serve Christ by being a servant of the Devil. You’re a monster: wake up and serve Christ. Which is what he’s discovered in his past. And Lestat thinks “That is garbage, and I’d much rather have a good time and I’d much rather celebrate myself.” Because he didn’t get a choice, he didn’t get to choose to become a vampire, he was forced into it. And I think we comment on it on the show, that all vampires are born out of trauma and that’s why people identify with them so well. Because they are traumatic, painful beings – often there’s sexual trauma in it as well. So he’s come to New Orleans to get out of that, to start his own new life, really. I think his bisexuality, his pansexuality has always been a part of that character when he was human, before he was a vampire, and I think that’s something he’s always embraced. It’s also something that’s quite heavily embraced in the vampire world as well, so it’s a nice space for that to work. And then once you become a very powerful being, the mess of humanity, all of these rules and things, they don’t matter.

io9

Q: Why are vampires associated with queerness?

SR: It’s being an outsider but also owning it, and owning a space. And they’re sexy and cool. They’re awesome.

JA: There’s definitely as well something about growing up marginalised, and sometimes (…) you feel like you relate to the monsters more when you grow up othered. You feel like “Oh, this is supposed to be scary but this creature’s being treated the same way that I’ve been treated sometimes”. There’s just something very welcoming and comforting about that and I think those ideas exist together.

SR: And they also live life by their own rules, define their own terms. It’s their own space, it’s not within any conformity. And actually, in our show, we do that a lot, like “Why are you so interested in this bullshit human existence?” I mean, there’s so much more than being confined to one thing or being told that you’re one thing by society.

Pride.com

Q: In this version, the queer subtext is out the door, it is fully textual. Why do you think that was important for this version?

SR: I mean, it’s funny when we talk about subtext because, like, I was a fan of the books previous to being a part of it, and I can see why, particularly in the first book, it could be considered subtext. But I feel like, especially from the second book or even the second half of the first book, it’s really text. And so I feel like it wouldn’t be Anne Rice’s IWTV or Anne Rice’s universe or Vampire Chronicles if that wasn’t properly dealt with and addressed. And as soon as you get through the fact that they’re in a romantic relationship and that they love each other very deeply, then you get to really look at what the hell this relationship was about, what are the nuance and the complexities of it, cause it’s not as straightforward.

ScreenRant at SDCC 2022

SR: I’m really excited for Anne Rice fans to actually get to see Louis and Lestat in a romantic relationship, and we’re not shying away from that in any way, shape or form at all, and don’t even bother… It’s straight up from the very beginning.

Q: Can’t say they’re besties?

SR: Never. No, it’s love at first sight.

JA: They actually kind of don’t like each other. They’re just very in love.

SR: Yeah, very in love. I mean, it’s love at first sight and Anne was very clear about that, for Lestat at least. Had to do a bit of wooing to get him there, but he gets there. So I’m excited for people to see that, because everyone deserves it.

TV Guide

SR: You can see these two monsters, these two men, kissing under Jesus Christ like they’re supposed to be and like they’re valued and important in the eyes of God, and they’re loved; or like they’re the antichrist and they’re here to burn that church down.

TV Insider

Q: Sam, Louis and Lestat’s romance is made explicitly clear in this version, and other than it being loyal to the book, why do you think that’s important for a modern series?

SR: I mean, it’s what exists in the world. Sometimes you hear people say that we’ve made the subtext text when actually we’ve just gone back to the text. It exists. So it’s important to honour that because that’s what was written and that’s why a lot of people love these stories. This love story exists and it’s a complicated love story and they’re complicated monsters who are in love. It would be a real shame if we didn’t honour that.

Vanity Fair / Little Gold Men Podcast(June ’24)

Q: I know a lot of queer viewers who have been drawn to this show, because it’s telling this really unabashed and fluid queer story that’s also […] this bizarre melange of tones and ideas. That feels like something that this community hasn’t gotten a whole lot of, and I think that’s one of the reasons it’s resonated so strongly.

JA: And that’s what I mean. If there were people that didn’t know that we could do this, didn’t know that this existed, that there was this space. That’s where I’m excited for more people to watch it. I don’t want to generalize about areas of America or the UK, but there are areas where you don’t get access to it. I think we can be very London-centric, LA-centric, New York-centric, and only see that. I would love it if there’s a kid who really needs this and sees it and is like, “I’m going to do my own thing,” or that’s just like, “I’m going to go out into the world feeling a little bit more comfortable in my skin today.” That’s beautiful.

Time Out (August ’24)

Q: It’s a LGBTQ+-centred story. Is it important to you to be a part of queer narratives?

JA: It’s unapologetic about its queerness and that’s beautiful. I see so many stories that skirt around things because they don’t want to offend anyone. My character is a Black creole man and he’s queer and he’s kind of awful, but those things aren’t all tied in together. For me, that’s the dream of representation: that our behaviour isn’t entirely tied in with our identity.

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.15 (2004/Summer) ft. Kamen Rider Blade Cast Interviews Hironari Amano x Yoshifumi Oshikawa (Suit Actor) (translation below)

Publication: August 20, 2004 (between episodes 29-30) Hironari Amano (Sakuya Tachibana) x Yoshifumi Oshikawa (Garren Suit Actor)

"When did you two first meet?"

Oshikawa: It was before we started filming. We went to JAC's (Japan Action Club) training field and practiced our moves with Pilot Director Ishida-san and Action Director Miyazaki-san. At that time, Miyazaki-san said, "Try doing things with your own personality," and Amano-kun did exactly that, becoming Sakuya Tachibana. I was so impressed, that I wondered if he had already practiced for the role.

Amano: My first impression of Oshikawa-san was that he looked like a nice person. I had heard that those who train at JAC are really intimidating. And yet, it seemed like it was full of nothing but nice people. Even half a year later, I still think he's very nice.

"What were your first impressions of Garren?"

Oshikawa: When I was working on Faiz last year, I received three sheets of illustrations for Blade, Garren, and Chalice, as they would be next year's Riders. Out of all of them, the one I had my eye on the most was Garren. But, at first they said I would play Chalice, and that Garren would be played by Ito-san. However, as the start of filming approached, I was told, "It looks like they want you to become Garren." I said, "Ah, Is that so? (happy). Well, I've got alot to think about" Since then, I've been really enjoying it. For the first time, compared to Takaiwa-san (Blade's suit actor), I play the role of his much stronger senior. Playing the role of a senior, I struggled alot with the idea of hitting Takaiwa-san in the face, calling him an "Idiot," and other things like that. So, when it came time to do it for real, I was too scared to touch him (laughs).

"Amano-san seems better in that regard."

Amano: That's true. I am the oldest. That's why I don't really struggle when it comes to playing the part in that respect. The other day, we were both being criticized by Tsubaki-kun, right? (laughs). We both had to sit next to each other.

Oshikawa: Tsubaki-kun started to lecture me.

Amano: He said, "Garren, you're really holding me back here" (laughs).

Oshikawa: He told me, "All you do is get in the way of the battle!" (laughs). He then said, "It's annoying" (laughs).

Amano: He's the annoying one (laughs). But, we can't really argue with the guys on Blade's team, can we? It's hard to fight back against them (laughs). Even though Garren's team is in a better position to attack.

"Do you reference anything when thinking about Garren's movements?"

Oshikawa: I tend to go to Ikebukuro when I have time off. Right in front of one of the Matsukiyo's (drugstore) in Ikebukuro, there's a crosswalk, with some space inbetween the roads. I'll just sit there and watch as people go by. There are all kinds of people, so I'll look for the details of how they walk and turn around, and sometimes, if I think it's a good movement, I'll try doing it next performance. It's all just normal behavior, but sometimes they do things that are out of the ordinary. Overall, it's really interesting to watch.

"Is there anything interesting about Amano-san's actions?"

Oshikawa: Amano-kun has the tendency to keep his eyes on his opponents once he faces them, so when confronting the enemy, he doesn't take his eyes off of them, almost as if he's threatening them with just his eyes.

Amano: It was brought up to me by Director Ishida. Up until now, I've often performed with my eyes looking down. My performance with Sayoko-san was good, but after that, whether I was being persuasive or frustrated by betrayal, I would keep my eyes down. I was told it made me look weak. Actually, when I watched myself in the aired episodes, I did look weak. So, when expressing my feelings, I try to perform in a way that I can't move my eyes away. When we're told to get ready to perform, we get ready and switch into our roles, but Oshikawa-san, he changes the moment he puts the mask on.

Oshikawa: My mood changes. It doesn't matter what height I'm reaching for, I feel like I can do anything. It's like there's nothing I can't do…..

"When wearing the mask, are there ever any personal annoyances, such as sweat getting in your eyes?"

Oshikawa: It doesn't matter once you put the mask on.

Amano: Is that so. Isn't it itchy? Ah, or maybe something else gets in your eyes?

Oshikawa: Never. It's because I'm totally focused. When I'm putting on my mask, I feel like I'm sweating profusely and burning up, but when I'm actually wearing it, I don't feel that way.

Amano: But, the photo of him trying to drink with his mask on looks like a joke (laughs). They actually took a photo of that.

Oshikawa: When?! Of Me? Ah, but, today I was told that when you're wearing a mask and your throat is bothering you, to just hold your mouth over the top of the mask and cough.

Amano: That! That's what Oshikawa-san did! (laughs). I thought it didn't make any sense.

Oshikawa: I don't remember doing that at all, I was only told that for the first time today (honest).

"What scene are you most proud of?"

Oshikawa: It still wasn't a satisfying outcome, but it was when I was about to seal the Peacock (Undead) at the sandy beach. I had the sealing card and was wondering whether to throw it or simply drop it, as a test, I dropped it. I asked the director and he said I could keep my test, so I dropped it again for the real take. But, I wondered how it would look on air to drop it, as I've only been throwing them to seal them off.

Amano: I though it was great. As a normal hero, you'd think, "(For your lovers sake) Finish him off!" But Tachibana isn't that type of hero. It made me very happy to know that Oshikawa-san dropped the card with such consideration.

Oshikawa: Ah, is that so? I'm glad~ (laughs). Until I saw the aired episode, I wondered if that was the right thing to do.

[joannerowling]

i'm rewatching the harry potter movies because i'm sick and trying figure out why they made the absolutely baffling choice to have every single spell have the same effect (target thrown 2-3 away as if from an explosion). the second movie is particularly egregious, especially the duelling club. rictumsempra (spell that canonically makes you laugh hysterically, very easy to make happen in movie)? thrown across the floor, no laughing. expelliarmus? thrown across the floor. serpensortia? thrown across the floor, snake appears.

also i wish madam pomfrey would show up and fix the rib i cracked coughing because ouch.

100%, it's always annoyed me because the way magic is used in these books is often so funny and absurd (remember Lupin sending a chewing-gum up Peeves's nose? lol). I get how some of these effects might have been jarring on screen, audiences respond to things differently etc., but the magic in the Potter films is just excessessively bland as a result. The worst offender was probably the Dumbledore vs Voldemort duel in OotP, which is incredibly dull compared to the descriptions we get in the book.

(I'll give Yates some points for having encouraged actors to develop a personal "wand wielding style", which at least gave elegance to something that could have easily looked very silly. But at the same time Yates's fear of silliness really weakened his production, you can see how the sets and costumes suffered from it. I feel like there could have been a better middle ground than all that cold sepia nonsense, but it was trendy at the time - see: Nolanisation.)

Also, some characters's personality really suffer from this. One of the ways Hermione's intelligence is shown (rather than told) is her creative thinking in battle; she uses her environment a lot, unlike Harry or Ginny who have "signature" spells (Harry's Expelliarmus, Ginny's Bat-Boogey Hex). Hermione will do things like turn a tapestry to stone so that the person chasing her will crash into it, or make an Erumpent's horn explode knowing no one will have recognised it and known to stay away.

This is one of the things i'd try to work on and show better if i was working on the Max show, especially because you know audiences would be into it. People enjoy when characters have individual fighting styles. You have to be careful not to get full video gamey about it ofc (this isn't DnD), but a touch more than what it was in the movies definitely wouldn't hurt.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

makenzie!! batman adaptation discussion for you: it could be argued that there are small elements of camp in batman begins (jonathan crane & falcone embodying them specifically, but also zsasz a little bit lmao), that are nearly obliterated in the two sequels... like nolan was toying with the idea of letting loose, mayhaps. it's really interesting to me, especially because batman begins is arguably the most boring film of the three. would love to know if you have thoughts on this

(my thoughts are getting away from me but also like how does this compare to the kind of camp in batman 2022?? neither are very similar to the 80s/90s films)

hi Elizabeth!!! I was waiting to answer this because I thought my Batman movie club was going to knock out all three Nolan movies pretty quick and I could give a more informed answer, but alas - we've hit a hiatus after Batman Begins, so that's all I'm going to have to work with and it's going to have to suffice because I don't want to leave this sitting in the inbox any longer.

I think for the most part Nolan's Batman movies are too wildly self conscious to qualify for true camp status, but without having revisited the Dark Knight and Rises yet I think I can agree that Begins has the most flirtation with maybe getting a little silly? I think Zsasz is too minor to make much of a dent in the all-consuming self-seriousness, but Cillian Murphy is really breathlessly committed to the Scarecrow and playing him as a straight-up comic book villain in a way that doesn't get to happen much later in the series. he tells Batman to lighten up while he sets him on fire, which rules and would, I think, probably not be allowed in the later movies. he ends the movie wearing a straightjacket riding a stolen police horse and gets immediately taken out by a lawyer with a taser! he's giving us everything he has to give! he has like four minutes of screen time and all of them are perfect.

I do think it's very interesting that throughout all three movies, Nolan is picking out antagonists who are known for being like. BOMBASTICALLY weird and over the top - Scarecrow! Two-Face! Catwoman! Bane! the fucking Joker!!! an entire secret society of assassins, COME ON - and then kind of fighting against the very nature of these characters to make them fit into the world he's envisioned, with mixed results; Harvey and Selina and Bane in particular all fall pretty flat for me. like, fuck, where's Lady Shiva's movie? not that she's not also on some freak shit, but a vicious martial artist obsessed with proving herself against the best fighters in the world seems way easier to fit into a grounded Bat universe in a way that doesn't feel anticlimactic than, say, a bad CGI Two-Face who almost immediately gets murdered. there were options!

anyway I've gotten way off topic, but I agree that Begins had the most wiggle room to set the tone for the universe by virtue of being the first and it did Try Some Things, especially with the presentation and pomp of the League of Shadows, as well as some of Bruce's Brucier moments when he's playing up his rich dolt image, but ultimately a lot of it got rejected in the latter installations in favor of getting ever grimmer.

comparing it to the 2022 movie is REALLY INTERESTING because they're both very dark and gritty, tonally, and I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out why one of them mostly works for me and the other one mostly doesn't (although I'll preface this by saying that they both have high and low points, especially: re their casting; Murphy's Scarecrow is inspired in a mostly bland movie and Paul Dano's Riddler is miserable in a mostly excellent movie, etc).

for me personally a lot of it comes down to how much trust the respective directors seem to be willing to put in their audiences to buy in and accept Batman as a story for what it is; this is largely what I mean when I say Nolan seems insecure in his story. Batman Begins, in particular, has much of its first hour bogged down by explanations of where every individual piece of Bat costuming and tech comes from, almost like Nolan feels a need to look at the audience and prove that it totally makes sense and could work; it comes across like he was specifically anticipating and writing for people who would call Batman's gadgetry unrealistic plot holes, and preemptively apologizing for what Batman is. the whole trilogy comes across as similarly cringing, like it can't quite shake being embarrassed by where it comes from.

The Batman 2022, to me, is sort of tonally similar, in that it's very grounded in the crime and corruption and grimiest parts of Gotham, but it reminds me much more of stories like the Long Halloween the way it's taking place in a sweaty haze version of the city that feels like a fever dream. everything is so heightened where Nolan's movies are so grounded as to be miserably earthbound; from the opening narration Bruce is already a prowling, larger than life shadow who calls himself a creature of the night and sulks around his miserable gothic mansion in running eye makeup while flinching from the sunlight. Reeves doesn't waste a fucking second explaining what Batman is or why Batman is because you are a 21st century moviegoer, you know what and why Batman is and we have shit to do. he already knows Gordon, the Joker is already in prison, the Batmobile is a muscle car that looks goddamn possessed and no, you don't need to worry about where it came from.

the whole movie is wrapped is this fucking. vaguely horny neon ambiance where you mostly know the rules but also have this sense that anything weird could happen at any moment; it's a space that is operating without powers or anything too outlandish for now but very much feels like it has room for a Poison Ivy or a Scarecrow twisting your mind, for a Clayface making you paranoid as you don't know who to trust. it's a gorgeous world to play in and I think it's going to lend itself much more to adapting the world, much more so than the Nolan movies where the addition of each new iconic character just came with the question of how much would be stripped away and flattened to make them fit in. camp requires that kind of playful artifice, things masquerading as other things, to work, and I think Batman 2022 really nailed that.

[adamwatchesmovies]

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers the kind of expertly coordinated, clearly shot action you rarely see in movies today. 169 minutes sounds long but in execution, it isn’t. You’re excited the whole way through. The conclusion, however, leaves me with mixed feelings. Is this the last episode in the series? If it is, there are many elements that ultimately, didn’t go anywhere. If it isn’t, John Wick: Chapter 5 will have to do some serious limbo-ing to get out of the weird corner it's gotten itself into.

Continuing his campaign of vengeance against the High Table, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) provokes the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). His plan? Challenge him to a duel. If John wins, he will be free of all obligations towards the High Table. Unfortunately, John can only do this if he is readmitted to a crime family, a feat easier said than done.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an action movie but I’d also compare it to an art film. The plot almost doesn’t matter. The Marquis, Elder (George Georgiou) and Harbinger (Clancy Brown) all fulfill complex roles and enforce policies/rules I’m not sure anyone understands. Narratively, the secret (?) society has all sorts of honorary traditions, which makes the plot complex but also not really. If you miss why this person is now on John's side when they weren’t before, that’s ok. What matters is the stunt coordination, cinematography, special effects and the way the results make you feel. Why do civilians keep dancing while men kill each other in the middle of a club? Because it looks good. That's why.

A world as obfuscating as this one should push you towards not caring about anything but this third sequel engages you with crazy characters and concepts that make you go “Where is this going"? Donnie Yen plays Caine, a blind assassin forced out of retirement to kill John Wick. How can someone who can’t see belong in a world that begins and ends with guns? You want to know. You want to find out what his ties to our hero are and what circumstances turned him into this Zatoichi-like warrior. Did he lose his eyesight? Was he always blind? Similarly, Scott Adkins plays Killa Harkan, this supremely greasy member of the German Table you just know has a thousand stories to tell just looking at him.

As nice as it is to have colorful characters living in a world that stretches beyond the borders of the screen, what you came for are the action scenes. Can they top what we saw before? Yes. The biggest and most impressive is a long battle shot from above which has John making his way through seemingly endless ruined rooms, taking out opponents with incendiary rounds while tracking - and being tracked - by two other opponents. You can’t even imagine how it was choreographed. The fights are flashy, full of bone-crunching stunts that will make you wince and often end in some kind of wild turn that takes you completely by surprise while giving you a tour of multiple cities. The film isn’t all that concerned with realism and is that much the better for it.

My primary criticism is that John Wick: Chapter 4 is both too close- and open-ended. This film's fallout should keep the story going but it's also very definitive as a final chapter. It's like director Chad Stahelski couldn't pick one or the other. If this is the end, it's not fully satisfactory. John Wick doesn't even share a single scene with his dog and his relationship with man's best friend is what started this campaign. Elements and characters introduced previously are forgotten (Halle Berry's Sofia, for example) or don't have the kind of payoff that makes the detour we took to get there seem worth it. Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody for example. His interactions with John and the Marquis are terrific, but at the end, he feels like a cool character writers Shay Hatten and Michael Finch wanted to include but ultimately, didn't know what to do with.

Anyone who has seen the previous John Wick films should see this latest installment. Even if you haven't, the visual razzle-dazzle of John Wick: Chapter 4 is worth it. Whether this is the last time we see John Wick and this world is hard to see but I hope not. Despite everything good about this picture, there are still many unanswered questions. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 12, 2023)

[redsamuraiii]

Shows I watch when I’m down

We all have our bad days when we feel depressed and unmotivated for no reason. Don’t beat yourself up over it, it’s a sign that you’re having a burn out or simply exhausted and just need a break from everything. 

Don’t feel guilty about taking the day off to rest. Watching shows can be good for your mental health as it allows you to stop thinking and relax. To me it’s much better than scrolling aimlessly on social media.

On social media, you will inevitably compare your life progress with your peers making you feel more insecure and miserable. Watching shows can inspire and motivate you, it makes you think and reflect on your life.

Movie - The Last Samurai

“A man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.”

It’s more than just a movie about Samurai battles, it’s a movie about finding your purpose in life. Tom Cruise plays a broken character named Nathan Algren who is forever haunted by his past. He no longer sure of what he is fighting for. He does not know what to do with his life. He sleep walks through life and drowns his sorrow in drinks hoping to ease the pain and forget the past.

Lost in life, he does not even know why he is still alive and wishes to die to end his suffering which is why he is fearless in battle. Until he met Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) that he began to re-evaluate his standing in life and way of thinking, transforming him into a better person who no longer need to drown himself in drinks, no longer feel pain but accepts himself for who he is.

Series - Cobra Kai

“Life shows no mercy, neither should we.”

It’s more than just a show about martial artists kicking butts, it’s a show of redemption and changing your life for the better. William Zabka plays a broken character named Johnny Lawrence who is traumatised by his childhood days. He finds it difficult to let go of the past when he has nothing to move on at present, much less think or plan about his future.

Lost in life, he does not even know what he is doing and sleepwalk his way through life, doing jobs he hates and drowning his sorrow in drinks. Until he met Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) and found his new purpose in life, a second chance, to make things better, for himself and the kids he aspired to help, so that they would not end up with regrets later on, like him. 

Drama - Fight Song

“I think God is too cruel.”

Kisara Hanae (Kiyohara Kaya) is a fearless, hard working and high spirited girl who takes pride in being an expert martial artists. But her life was crumbled when she almost died in a road accident after winning her tournament, causing her to began losing her hearing and unable to return to her martial arts training. She became broken, knowing that her life will never be the same again.

Her life began to change once again, but this time, for the better, when she met Ashida Haruki (Mamiya Shotaro), a struggling songwriter who used to be famous due to his one-hit wonder song but his band had disbanded, leaving him alone. Together, they tried to help one another in getting through their hard lives and learning to accept their new life and love themselves. 

Film - After the Rain

“I don’t have dreams and aspirations anymore.”

Akira Tachibana (Nana Komatsu) is a high school role model athlete that every student admired. Until she injured her leg during a training, which shattered her dreams into leaving the track and field club. Heartbroken and lost, as running was the only thing that made her happy since she was a child and the only thing that makes her feel special, she wondered why her life went wrong.

She works part time under her manager, Kondo Masami (Yo Oizumi), who is in the middle of a mid-life crisis. Seeing himself in her, a broken person, he tried his best to restore her back to her former glory in becoming a runner again. And seeing someone young and passionate like Akira rekindles his own forgotten dreams and lost youthful passion in becoming a writer.

Anime - Sakura Quest

"That’s when I realised, it doesn’t have to be me.”

Yoshino Koharu is from the countryside who came to Tokyo to study and find a job, hoping to start a new and exciting life but reality is often disappointing. After numerous failed job interviews, she questions her self-worth and doubt her own abilities until she got a contract job at the countryside which she resented as she is back to where she started.

But taking the job for the tourism board to revitalize a town opened her eyes and changes her mindset as she met other individuals from all walks of life, from other cities and towns who are as lost and confused as her in life. Despite her challenging job, she did not give up and over time, she grew to love her job. That’s when she realised that some things happen for a reason.

[legionofpotatoes]

Ohhhh, I get your initial post better now. I think the next film is gonna be more spectacle than any actual attempts at nuanced and critical story telling. Not just because of shit like markets and medium, but also because I remember reading a review where the director (I think it was) got pissy that people were complaining about aspects of the cinematography not translating well to TVs. And he got mad that people weren’t watching the movie “in the way it was intended” well at $15+ bucks a pop for the privilege of sitting in a dark room to watch wide establishing shots of desert scenery for roughly three hours… the prospect doesn’t exactly tickle everyone’s pickle.

So with that sort of ego running the show, I don’t think much nuance is gonna happen. Which certainly won’t help the likely Fight Club phenomenon you mentioned. (I Actually knew a guy who’s favorite movie was fight club, one of the worst people I had the displeasure of going to middle school with)

And to answer the question you didn’t ask

I initially found the game because one of the artist’s SFW pieces showed up in the periphery on my deviant art home page.

Very clean, well weighted line art, in the comic book aesthetic that’s more prevalent now, the sort that allows itself to have more cartoony features, very well defined silhouettes, (even for the characters that didn’t have tits twice as big as their head) I was taking an animation class at the time and also a horny teenager. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A lot of their page was concept and WIPs for the game. So it was both me being horny and me also trying to study for class, one of my major weakness was (and still is) I didn’t simplify characters enough for a good, consistent, well managed, workflow.

I would go through the concept stuff they posted, and eventually got curious enough that I decided to play it even though the only thing I knew about Dune was that David Lynch directed a movie version of it.

the studying sort of helped, I got a bit more confident and comfortable with simplifying features, but I was still pretty slow going compared to most of my classmates. I held myself to a stupidly high standard and kept trying to make it perfect, luckily the teacher was okay with me holing up in the computer lab during lunch and after school to finish assignments.

I don't think that cinema culture purists, while often annoying, necessarily overlap with thoughtless directors. It certainly can be telling, but the state of theatrical distribution is so utterly fucked right now that i wouldn't rule out most big-name directors playing a PR game with their incessant commenting on The Experience. and I think you're selling dune a bit short there - I enjoy greig fraser's cinematography to be honest! compared to lynch's version it is a bit sanitized in art direction, but the craft is solid. same with sound, it's all outstanding. certainly ends up cheaper to see movies in theaters in my neck of the woods too. the streaming subscription bloat is something I fully refuse to participate in and thankfully we don't have to pay that much for tickets. it's maybe half of that, and even less for matinees.

but I still think the question of nuance in part 2 stands apart from all that. I surely hope denis doesn't "view himself" in paul, in which case his ego could very well fumble shit real bad. but for now i really think it could go either way. The seedlings are there, even in the new trailer; they just might pull a fast one and one-up the books on clarity of message, who knows. I genuinely don't remember book paul being this cognizant of the psyop he was participating in.

anyway. very happy for your practical success in studying the game 😄 I respect any pursuit of craft in visual arts that is partially fueled by horniness. always a potential recipe for greatness. godspeed!

[dolphs-world]

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ~ 6/6

Today, I did a double feature of 2 "Planet of the Apes" films, Kingdom and the 2001 reimagining. I think the original film is the greatest movie from Old Hollywood. Apart from some dated acting, which I would argue brings charm, the film is perfect. A lot of praise goes towards the make-up, as it should, but the actual shot compositions, how they were able to film certain scenes, the score; basically a lot of unappreciated aspects of movies still holds up today and is impressive given the budget and time it was made. Upon watching these more recent movies today, the original blows them away which is quite shocking. The make-up/special effects are on par with the original, with a caveat I'll get too, but it feels less impressive because it's already been done. To the original, it's notoriety is one of the worst aspects. This is one of the only films I think should be watched completely blind and, from what I've read about the book it's adapted from (which I will read soon), blows it's source material out of the water. A relic from a bygone era, it is so weird to me how famous this movie is because they simply do not make movies like this anymore. But there is maybe one issue with the film, the 'character' of Nova. Nova is not a character, she is hot. Really no more than a sex toy. In sci-fi, particularly old pulp ones, there is a trope of powerful men's love interests being no more mentally developed than a baby. Now, I feel gross for saying this but it's not that bad in "Planet of the Apes". The only women that Taylor could have are like this. And there's a great monologue where Taylor acknowledges how sad it is that she's all he has. But she is still sexualised in her clothing. If it wasn't for this I think it would be fine. A while back I watched a movie called "Election" (I didn't like it) and it ended with a scene of a museum. In the museum were prehistoric man and woman. I thought to myself "how, the only difference is the hair and chest". And now I've been thinking about this a lot. Physically, the only real noticeable differences between men and women are: genitals, size, hair, chest, and pitch of voice, although this is cheating a little. Like, if you couldn't see the genitals of an animal you would not be able to tell the sex. Granted, humans in comparison to other animals have exaggerated differences, compare genital and breast size to other primates, but it's not ridiculous. So what does this have to do with "Planet of the Apes"? Sexism is a great subtextual theme of the original film. The only woman in any power is Zira. Stewart, the female astronaut, is only viewed as a woman and a casualty, not a person. When Taylor says goodbye to the apes, he kisses Zira. Despite everything, he can only view Zira as a woman. This subtext furthers the tyrannical hold the religious state has in the film as there is only one woman in the film. And yet, she is the most accomplished out of the bunch. And they never focus on this, they never focus on the difference between men and women because the focus is on the species. But it is still there. Another praise to the make-up is that they don't focus on the difference between male and female apes, I think only their hair and clothes are different. Which makes sense, this furthers the notion that there's a certain way that men and women are supposed to act in ape society. Somehow, a film from 1968 is better than ones from 2001 and 2024.

♪ ~ Mother and Child Reunion

📽️ ~ Fight Club

🎬 ~ Cowboy Bepop

📖 ~ Apt. Pupil (^still, I know. 10 months later and I will have finished it tomorrow)

[dgct2]

Great composers have the ability to evoke emotions that can be life-altering. What is it about your technique that makes you one of the greatest composers of our time? 

I really feel through the music. Music connects people. When I arrived in Los Angeles, I didn’t belong to any clubs or groups that could introduce me to people. I felt like an outsider. I don’t represent the prototype of a film composer. I feel more like an artist because my music is different. Also, the fact that I play in most of my scores. There are scores that consist of incredible musicians, but they just execute the work. For me, it’s different. The emotion connects me to the music. Directors have told me my music kind of becomes a character in the movie. [Co-creators] Craig Mason and Neil Druckman have said that my music is part of the DNA of The Last of Us, the fabric of the story. 

You scored both the original Last of Us video game and its 2020 sequel. Did you ever think you would create a score for a video game? 

It was never about writing music for a video game for me — the music was for a great story. I mean, I’m a terrible gamer. I always enjoy watching people play. It’s like watching a game on TV. But I always thought [the game’s players] connect on an emotional level, outside of the combat and the survival. If somebody connects to the heart with a great story, it’s going to be a revolution. After the two Oscars [for Brokeback Mountain and Babel], I was approached by several companies for video games. But it wasn’t for me. 

Why is turning down projects equally important as the projects you do accept? 

I think it has been important in my career to say, “No, this is not for me.” Even if it was a great offer or a big, great project. Suddenly Neil appeared and told me the story of The Last of Us. He told me that he also was looking for a connection. He wanted to connect with a gamer outside of the fighting, the killing, the surviving. He wanted to create a story that was going to be very emotional. There are a few moments in the game that people actually cried, just like in the movies.

It was very organic, also, in the way of the work, the protocol of the work. Usually, composers come at the very end of a project. It is cut, then there is a rough cut with temp music, and then the composer [tries] to fit it in. For me, I compose first. I actually like to start at the very beginning of the process, from the script. I create music based on my relationship with the story, the characters and obviously conversation with the director or the person that actually conceived the project. Then I start and adapt. Around 70 percent of my scores are done this way, with the exception of Brokeback Mountain. I composed the score 100% before a single frame was shot. 

Brokeback Mountain has a lot in common with The Last of Us third episode, for which you’re nominated: Both are gay love stories. In a predominantly heterosexual world, what are your thoughts for being recognized for two romances centered around LGBTQ+ relationships? 

I thought it was a great love story. The sexual part of it, or whatever that aspect in a certain point in the narrative, was secondary. This is about two human beings and the soul — a love story, a heart-breaking story of separation. Both stories were for different reasons. For The Last of Us, one of the things that I loved about this episode in the series is that in the game we know that Bill [Nick Offerman] had a gay relationship, but we never really got deep into his life or what had happened. This has expanded into Bill’s character, which I think is fantastic. I feel the most important thing in these two stories is really put in the relationship of two human beings. While writing the music I had that in mind: two human beings, and this is a love story. 

[sleeplessscripts]

Alright, I watched the first lord of the rings film for the first time in my life a couple weeks ago, here are some highlights. Tw for: spoilers for the first LOTR movie (Fellowship of the ring), discussions of: violence, drugs, swearing, and a lot of gay pining, also the use of the phrase “piss river” probably more often than is necessary

Elves: 👀👀👀👀👀

Oh dwarves also: 👀👀👀👀👀👀

Sounds like Sauron had daddy issues, or mommy issues

You might not feel thin if you had more than cake, jam, wine, and moldy cheese in your house

OH MY GOD ARE THEY DOUNT DRUGS

Ooooo I love the fireworks

Why does wizard man get all the history books and papers

How are the children supposed to learn not to repeat the past and die like a little bitch in a piss river if they can’t access the knowledge

At least fucking Frodo makes Gandalf tea god damn

Me @ the characters: HOLD HANDS

Isn’t this other wizard bitch evil. I feel like I remember that he’s evil and a backstabber.

Is there a dragon in these ones or do I gotta wait for hobbit

Ooooo scary glass orb

That’s what I thought you fucking bitch. Fuck you. Close your doors bitch that doesn’t mean you can’t get that fucking staff shoved up your ass. Shove that white orb down your fucking throat till you choke.

You spin me right round baby like a record baby right round round round

CORN. CROMCH. CROMCH THE CORN. ITS READY TO BE CROMCHED.

Oh my god the silly little video game is realistic to the movie? You do get chased around in a god damn corn field?

Bitches y’all are afraid of worms? (Friend: you’re afraid of lady bugs). Yeah but I don’t spend my 110 fucking years of life lolligagging with no shoes on through fields of ladybugs.

They really gave these bitches 0 weapons

Because a horse couldn’t jump 5 fucking feet into the river

Lotr horses weak compared to skyrims. Can’t even fly. 0/10.

These hobbits are so fucking stupid. Real white woman in a horror film vibes.

Whenever the chanting starts I can only think “Asmodeus, Satanus, Lucifer”

Have these bitches never heard of coal

Oh YUCK. DISGUSTING BIRTHING RITUAL. COVERED IN EARTH UTERUS. SLIMY.

[insert the sorry, mommy bit here]

There’s so many handsome men with long hair oh my god

“Still sharp” no shit Sherlock

Also the king of the elves is not daddy material

The elves’ city reminds me of fuckin markarth

Aragorn, that’s his name. Anyway his little smirk? Fantastic.

I’d like to have all their weapons, preferably at once. Take this as you will.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST BILBO WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT

Off we go, walking. Can’t wait till there’s giant spiders. Pretty scenery though. (Note: I describe all of the LOTR and Hobbit films as films where they walk in circles and do nothing but fight giant spiders)

Tbh I only trust Aragorn here. If shit happens with him later I will be devastated.

Ah yes two old men fighting through magical chants 100% the way to go

Have they really not gotten Frodo a pair of shoes yet Jesus Christ

The pony’s name is fucking Bill??? Everyone else has bomb ass names and the pony is Bill????

Sorry, Gimli, oh tentacles??? 👀. Anyway rip to your family. OH KRACKEN? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

“I have no memory of this place” me constantly, Gandalf, join the club

Oh that is a huge book

Big oof @ the clanking good job other hobbit

Cave troll: ugly. Not daddy material. Also did they use donkey noises for it?

Rest in piss to Frodo, at least you didn’t die in a piss river like that other bitch

All these men flinging and catching and holding each other while crossing a gap is pretty gay, ngl

Oh dragon? Dragonlike? Whip? Oh fuckin rip Gandalf.

Oh woods time? Is it spider time soon? OH MORE ELVES???

Oh pretty tree elf architecture I approve

Men? Crying at the beauty of a woman? Couldn’t be me.

Oh having a panic attack bc of voices in your head? Me too, dude

Yeah this elf woman? Bad vibes. Creepy.

Why is this one still covered in goopy earth placenta. Give this bitch a bath he has to smell horrible.

Okay how the fuck does the math work out if the human king was 3000 years ago, his son took the ring, died in piss river, gollum had it for 500 years, then Bilbo had it for however long, and Aragorn is the son of the second king?

Auburn hair bitch (Boromir) back the fuck off.

This is a shitty fucking plan sending Frodo by himself.

He go toot toot

Also I wanna run through a forest

Oh that bitch dead, yeet

Do arrows really go that far into someone?

Oh pulling the sword into yourself? Ngl… 👀

Anyway rest in piss to those we’ve lost

If Sam dies by drowning I swear to fuck

Honestly Sam is an OG friend, the only good one

Oh boat burial for Mr. I Thought I Could Have The Ring. He also deserves piss river, so good.

[myflighttrip]

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[ourflagmeansgayrights]

the way izzy was received by this fandom rlly is the worst combo of how fans responded to kylo ren and how fans responded to, like, tyler durden or walter white.

anything i could say comparing izzy fans and kylo fans was already said in this fucking incredible post by @chuplayswithfire. but basically: izzy is a huge cunt to everyone in this show but fans take him at his word when he talks about being hardworking and competent, they minimize and excuse his actions and act like he's an innocent traumatized baby, and they focus on him, a shitty white antagonist, instead of any of the other interesting characters of color they could be paying attention to

but imo the thing that rlly makes a difference between izzy and kylo, and the thing that makes me compare him to those other two white dudes i mentioned above, is that unlike the movies kylo ren is in, ofmd is actually well-written

the first movie in the star wars sequel trilogy was pitched, written, filmed, and literally released with no ending for the trilogy in mind. the writing for the next movies was adjusted based on fan reactions, and major plot points were decided by studio executives deciding which events would make the movie more profitable. i should not have to explain to you that this is a terrible way to write a movie series. or a television series. or literally any kind of fucking story in the world.

our flag means death, or what we have of it so far, is not that. there's fully developed characters with given realistic motivations, instead of one-dimensional props that are jerked around by a constant tug-of-war between writers, directors, and studio executives. there are narrative plot points that are woven expertly throughout the story, not hints of storylines that are completely forgotten about by the next franchise, or storylines that were finished that are getting dug up again. there's a central theme to ofmd, unlike the new star wars movies, where the theme seems to be "how can we milk this fucking franchise for all it's worth." there's no goddamn queerbaiting

i'll admit that i've never actually seen breaking bad, and everything i know about it i've learned via tumblr osmosis. but from what i can tell, it's actually a very well-written show, and the whole point of the show is that walter white is the epitome of entitled and abusive white man who thinks he's super tough and badass and that everyone should listen to him and do whatever he tells them to do (lmao, sound familiar?). he ruins his life and the lives of everyone around him and idk he might die in the end. anyway dont do drugs.

fight club i have seen, and i can confirm that this is a fantastic movie that features, you guessed it, an arrogant white guy who represents the classic violent male power fantasy. the narrator, deeply depressed because he's a beta male, watches jealously from the sidelines as tyler durden starts seeking violence, first from just meeting up with random guys for consensual beatdowns, but it escalates as more and more men start joining the fight club (wow! the title of the movie!) until the club morphs into a terrorist group. also if you haven't seen it there's a Big Plot Twist that i haven't mentioned and it's pretty good. love that movie.

anyway the point is that both of those men are very obviously. shitty fucking guys. classic macho men (even tho tyler durden's fashion sense is fantastically fruity, for some reason) who crave power over others and respect in the form of fear. the whole point of their fucking characters is that in any generic action movie, they would be the heroes

and so many fans just. completely fucking miss this. there are hoards of dudebro fan guys who relate to these characters and go "wow, he's just like me!" and absolutely do not get the point of the thing they're watching. it is fucking baffling to see

anyway that's izzy stans!! an truly groundbreaking combo of your classic female fans who woobify evil white men and classic male fans who miss the entire point of characters who are written to subvert the expectations of what kind of role a character like izzy hands, walter white, or tyler durden would be expected to play!!!!! izzy hands is written to be an antagonist and the personification of toxic masculinity that ed is trying to escape from, and yet people are acting like he's the show's third protagonist.

because izzy would be a protagonist, in a different and much shittier story. and even though we all watched the same show where he very clearly is not the protagonist, people are applying that role to izzy and not actually looking at what role he plays in this show.

[eyrieofsynapses]

…maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think I like Eliot's hand-to-hand fight scenes more than the ones in big-box movies.

see, I was rewatching a bit of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (yes I've seen some of the MCU, no I have not seen Infinity War or anything past it because I refuse to watch it without other people to cry with and my friends haven’t been available) before I rewatched Rundown. and guys, I adore TWS. easily in my top favorite films of all time. the fight scenes are fantastic! holy heck, the emotional weight! if you asked me which movies I love hand-to-hand in the most, that'd be at the top of the list, easy. Steve and Bucky in that final scene? ohhhhhh my gods.

but then I bounced over to The Rundown Job and just… y’know the bit where Eliot takes out the guys after Hardison signals him at the elevator? it feels so much more fun. I can't pin down exactly why, but it feels closer, more personal, more impactful. probably some of it comes from how Eliot is having--maybe not exactly fun, but how he likes doing his job. there's something about it.

and it's not just TWS that I can compare this back to, either. off the top of my head, I love it more than The Batman's hand-to-hand combat (which is admittedly rough because it's early-years Bruce, but still) and probably most anything else I've seen out of the MCU. animation isn't live-action, obviously, but I've seen some really solid combat in DC's animated work too. like, I haven't seen a ton of hand-to-hand work (it seems the film industry is understandably more fond of sword fights and such), but personally I find that when it comes to sheer fun, Leverage is really hard to beat.

now I'm not gonna compare it to sword-fighting or things like that. that's another ballgame. but hand-to-hand specifically… I'm not a violent person, but I dunno, y'all, there's just something about how Eliot fights that makes him fun to watch in a way I'm not sure I see elsewhere. probably it's partly that I'm just ridiculously fond of him. it is absolutely in large part because Christian Kane a) does his own stunts and works with the choreography, b) actively integrates Eliot's character into his work, and c) is just an all-around fantastic madman of a person.

but! they get so very clever with it! all the different things he'll grab to improvise with! I mean, where else do you get somebody who uses umbrellas, pipe organ pipes, whisks, screen doors, golf clubs, appetizers, literally anything to take opponents out on a regular basis? hauling people up over his shoulders and his back to toss them into dumpsters? comments like "if I'm not honest with you, you can't improve"? counting every single dude in a massive ship and then counting down as he takes each one out? barreling out of nowhere to tackle a dude? who else gives us lines like "that's what makes it fair" to the dude who laughs at him for not carrying a gun?

and it's hardly like we don't know Eliot's going to win--Eliot always wins--but there's still tension to it. he's not so good as to be perfect. he struggles, he comes back with bruises and cuts and the occasional broken rib, it's not like there's nothing at stake here. we've seen him have to let somebody go or otherwise mess up. too many opponents or too much muscle make him wary. he's competent as all hell, but he has to be sly and tricky and clever about how he fights as much as he has to deliver enough force. Eliot doesn't just fight well, he fights smart. he uses his surroundings and knows when to play possum and how to target an opponent's weak spots.

like. goddamn. I can watch him versus Roper in The Carnival Job a hundred times, and it still shakes me to the core to see him go down for that brief moment. in that second, you can believe he's in real danger. and he does come out of it hurt and limping and covered in blood. but we still have no doubt that he's an absolute badass!

oh yeah, and also: he has fun. there's always that little smile he's got when he's about to take down a bunch of unwitting thugs. laughing at Quinn when he's got bruised ribs and bloody teeth. looking at the pipe from the pipe organ in Van Gogh in surprise when it rings when he hits a guy before giving it an appreciative grin. sizing up Mikel and running through each situation (and, you know, that little make-out in the basement). staring at the dude in Lonely Hearts and going "fisticuffs? seriously?" with that tone of amused disbelief before flipping the guy into the harbor.

it's his job and he's not fond of hurting people, exactly, but he takes pride in it and he enjoys proving himself over and over. he enjoys the challenge. and it's kind of impossible not to love watching him beat it every. single. time

anyway yeah, if you ever ask me "who's the most fun to watch fight hand-to-hand?" it's probably always gonna be Eliot, tbh.

[youandmedead]

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Warnings: Swearing, Eddie possibly being out of character, some slightly suggestive content.

Requested by: No one

Synopsis: Relationships Headcanons about this dork

Extras: Dude I fell so hard for this fucker 😂 I may do a part 2 to these headcanons but set during s4

𖤐 Loads of people get the wrong idea about Eddie.

𖤐 Yes he is loud, yes he is energetic and obnoxious but underneath that exterior he can actually be a pretty chill and caring dude.

𖤐 Whenever your days are turning dark, he’ll be there to brighten them up! He uses humour as a way to try and make you feel better but if that doesn’t work then he’ll cuddle you for however long you want and offer to watch some films or listen to some music.

𖤐 As mentioned, Eddie is really upbeat and extroverted but sometimes on rare occasions his personality can do a total 360 and this super confident and carefree person has turned into a vulnerable and remorse filled mess. This usually happens at night and it’s when he needs you most. What will he do if you aren’t staying with him, you ask? He’ll totally try and sneak into your house or throw rocks at your window so he can get your attention and then explain the situation.

𖤐 You are the only person who gets to see his vulnerable side.

𖤐 He is the type of partner who absolutely adores to mess around with your hands.

𖤐 When you guys are chilling out, or at any given time,his hands will always linger to yours and intertwine your fingers together and raise your hand so he can kiss it.

𖤐 Would 100% draw stuff like music notes and skulls on your hands and arms!

𖤐 He also loves to compare hand sizes.

𖤐 He does enjoy pda a lot but it has to be at the right time. But don't get me wrong he does love to show you off and see all of the confused and shocked expressions from the 'popular' folks, but sometimes you guys may only link pinkies or something like that to stay on the down low around certain people and so you both aren't constantly getting teased (*cough* Dustin *cough*).

𖤐 Now speaking of D&D Eddie will definitely try to coax you into joining the Hellfire Club if you aren't apart of it already. If you are already a part of Hellfire he is even more ecstatic to play!

𖤐 The way he carries out the game in such an upbeat manner and keeps everyone invested is honestly awesome! I wish I could play DnD with him Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas

𖤐 Expect to be invited to his trailer quite often to listen to rock and metal music, watch cheesy horror films, play D&D etc

𖤐 Eddie talks so fucking much! Sometimes it can be annoying but it can also be very endearing. He's really opinionated and will get himself into trouble quite a lot because A) he will not shut up and B) he has many "unpopular opinions".

𖤐 Play fights are a very common thing between you, they're cause by the dumbest shit.

𖤐 I imagine that Eddie's love language would probably quality time and words of affirmation.

𖤐 He loves to tease you, so make sure you do not let this man know any of your weaknesses...he will use then against you.

𖤐 The both of you would go out for walks in the forest and mess around as if you were both 8 years old again.

𖤐 He'd definitely carve yours and his initials in a tree either when he's by himself or when you are present but not looking. (Definitely a softy for that type of stuff).

𖤐 Shits bound to be vandalised whenever and wherever you go out. Spray paint will literally cover every billboard in Hawkins.

𖤐 If you steal any of his shirts, he will honestly melt. He'll try and put the tough guy act on but will eventually cave and fail.

𖤐 The only t-shirt that I think you probs wouldn’t be able to get away with in is his hellfire one. This is purely because he wears it 24/7 and he may complain over the fact that you’ve got your own if your part of the club.

𖤐 The same thing can go for his jackets. He adores the way you look in them, but he probably won’t let you keep them for very long (he’s very attached to them).

𖤐 He loves to get high with you! The constant rambling that occurs between the both of you is not stop and honestly hilarious. Lots and lots of stupid conspiracy theories that make no sense whatsoever, joking on and doing stupid pisstakes of students and teachers you guys know...and I wouldn't be surprised if some freaky shit happened within that time frame either.

𖤐 Make-out sessions will also either always occur in his room, in his van, the forest or an empty classroom. To be honest I think that he wouldn't really care about the location, just as long as you are comfortable.