#but its also not really compatible with the film if you think about it in any depth

[sapphia]

look, you cannot "headcannon" that the mona lisa was fake without destroying the literal text of the film. the mona lisa is epstein island, and miles is presented as untouchable because that's how billionaires literally are. nothing can be pinned on him, not with any real certainty, because his resources are unfathomably vast. he is just that powerful. it is not his murder that damns him, not his corporate crimes, not the recklessly negligent energy source, not the actual things that we know he has done to get to where he is. had only the glass onion blown up, it might have dealt him a blow financially and smeared his name and dragged him into court. but he's a billionaire. it wouldn't have ruined him. people wouldn't have cared enough to see that he actually goes down for what he does. we know that because it happens all the time in real life.

but the press coverage of destroying the mona lisa that he had in his possession only through corruption and backdoor dealings? that people will notice. it is the literal on-screen symbol of his power bought by wealth, and his sheer arrogance in thinking that he is above all rules because billionaires are above the rules that brings him down in the end.

as fun as it is to think that miles is so stupid that he was tricked into believing a fake mona lisa was real, it doesn't compete with the actual brilliance of film in taking the concept of epstein island and turning it into a light, family-friendly parable for child sex trafficking and somehow make it darker. because unlike epstein, it's not what miles does to people that matters. not the actual harm he does to them, the death he causes, the death he will cause if he's allowed to continue. only his destruction of a painting.

and it's supposed to remind you that in real life, epstein was murdered in his cell. miles gets justice in the film because it's a film and it needs a happy ending but it's not just. it's not for the crimes he deserves to punished for. in glass onion, the world is broken, and it's a reminder that ours is too.

because a this isn't a film, and we didn't get a happy ending. here in the real world, epstein’s co-offenders were never caught.

[kaythefloppa]

Wild Kratts - Our Blue and Green World: Part 1: Review [Spoilers]

Welp, here it is, the Wild Kratts TV movie (not to be confused with the feature film they've been teasing us with since 2021). There's been a lot of hype around this special and season, especially with how much the latter was being hyped up during the hiatus. Let's see if the blue and green bros were able to deliver: Spoilers under the cut

Well, this is certainly an attention grabber!

This entire live action intro is shot and edited like an animated Wild Kratts episode, it's glorious.

Woah, intro change!

They said the thing! They said the thing!

HELP THIS IS SO RELATABLE. Also, THE BOYS ARE FIGHTING

Lmao I don't think they do it very often, but using animals/nature in their insults is very creative.

Also, whooping crane episode when?

This entire song is mercifully short. Like most character sung songs in Wild Kratts, it's not good, but this at least is clever in its lyrics and its visuals. It feels like a Disney reference at best and I am content with that. I also ADORED seeing the Draco and Walrus Suit return again. It's arguably the best musical number in the series. No, that is not saying a lot.

MARTIN WHY ARE YOU THE ONE WHO'S MIFFED YOU NEARLY MUFASA'D YOUR LITTLE BROTHER

CHRIS WHY ARE YOU MILDLY INCONVENIENCED YOU GOT ACRAPHOBIA FALLING FROM THAT HEIGHT

When I first saw the clip, I thought that they were going somewhere with this, like they'd activate Peacock Powers at the end when they recognized the compatibility and blue and green. But nope. Wasted potential is an understatement.

Also, where the fuck are they right now? In a previous shot there was Target the Chameleon, implying that they've been to Madagascar, but that is an Indian peafowl, and as far as I'm concerned, they don't live in Madagascar. Were they just having an off-day? These animals have little to nothing to do with the plot when they really shouldn't have, so I don't see why they couldn't have just shown a projector image or something.

Remember when I joked about the Wild Pony Power Suit returning in S7.... fuck you Apollo.

Man, they are eating it up with the animation here. It's hard to tell with screengrabs but man, is it fluid.

The first half of this episode is mixed. While it feels like the brothers are incredibly stubborn, it also does make sense for them to be this fixated on their favorites. So I can totally buy this. It could've been insufferable to watch, but it wasn't.

As if YOU haven't spied on them since the first time your dorito-headed ass showed up on screen

Did you find that funny? Because not only do they do a similar joke like that later on, but they follow through on that joke in the most unexpected way you will shit your pants when you first ingest it.

Oh my god if they make a Creature Power Suit off of that bird, I will take back any diss I've made, that is so beautiful.

Good to know that Aviva put the button near the chest and not near the back.

Maybe it's just me but this is kinda pushing it. Chris is literally getting his organs crushed, I think that should matter more than A) being right or B) trying to get 2 people to stop fighting.

I'm loving the callback and what this leads up to but ew, all this does is remind me about how ugly bright the color pallatte in S6. Really glad they fixed it in S7.

HELL FUCKING YES

This episode finds really unique ways of showing how the two different biomes are interconnected. It's like Rainforest Stew's (very brilliantly handled) message only to a larger degree. Kids can learn a lot from this.

I fucking love this episode, man.

Honestly, the way they write Paisley in the first half of the episode is very in-line with her character. Most shows that do what this episode does has them be out-of-character as a set-up, but here, she's just roasting the fuck out of Zach. Once again, recontextualized entirely in the climax.

HOW THE FUCK DID HE GET TO MADAGASCAR FROM THE GODDAMN AMAZON IN ONE AFTERNOON THAT IS LIKE MORE THAN 1,000 MILES AWAY?? ARE ANACONDAS THAT FAST?????

Also, INDRIS!!!!! :D

I was frankly expecting this to horribly backfire but spoilers, it doesn't. This actually winds up working. Common Aviva W.

To be continued.... will the blue and green rivalry end? Will one prove superior over another? And will they be able to stop Zach and Paisley and save the planet earth? And will this change the adventures of the Wild Kratts team forever? Stay tuned for part 2!

Pros:

The live action segments.

The animation of the earth's model.

The musical number not being ass.

Paisely's catty behavior.

The Anaconda Suit.

The inventive ways they show how the stability of the Earth is complex. There are a lot of ways it functions and thus a lot of ways it needs to survive

The comedy.

Cons:

The villains do not do anything until the second half of this episode. In fact, they're left completely in the backdrop. I expected them to make their prescence known and for Aviva to invent the discs to get them together for the SAKE of fighting the villains. But no. It makes the stakes feel hollow, which is the opposite of what they should be gunning for in an hour long special that they hype the shit out of.

CONCLUSION:

It was an "okay" set-up. It did live up to some of the hype it had, but not all of it. Honestly if it wasn't for the second half of this episode, this movie would be mediocre or slightly above average, but no. They do pick themselves off the ground and... they do jump the shark. But we'll get to that next time

[moviemunchies]

Before this movie came out, there were some reservations about it–whether it would be good, or if it would even be released. There were problems with the state of the DC movie universe, for starters, and the weirdness going on with Warner Brothers management. Despite all of that, the guys at Warner Brothers insisted that this movie was coming out, and that it was “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”

It is… not.

Barry Allen is the Flash–a founding member of the Justice League and the fastest man alive. Upon getting a better grip on his power to travel through time, Barry decides that he can prevent his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name through a very simple switch-up. So he does that; except he’s thrown out of the timestream unexpectedly to his eighteen-year-old self’s life, where his mother is alive and he’s in college. 

Except everything’s changed! Because changing history isn’t only going to change the present, it also disrupts everything else, so Barry’s now in an alternate timeline. And in this timeline, Zod is invading and Barry can’t find Superman or the League around to help. So he’s got to figure out how to save the world, and then get home.

Yeah, it’s another loose adaptation of Flashpoint.

This movie was being billed as the thing that was going to reset the DC continuity for the movies and put it in the new state for Superman: Legacy. Except watching it, the movie is plainly not that at all–the way the universe is left at the end of this movie is not really compatible with whatever they’re doing with the new DC movies. The end result is that the movie feels pointless in its conclusion, a funny little one-off that affects nothing.

It’d be more forgivable if we’d had more time with this iteration of Barry Allen/the Flash. Instead, much like Superman in Snyder’s movies, we’re skipping straight to big stories without developing these characters enough to care. And now we’re getting no more of Barry Allen, or at least this Barry Allen.

Which is kind of a shame? Because I went into this out of curiosity, and I didn’t expect that much from it. I remember for the first third of the movie or so, I was having a surprising amount of fun. I liked this version of Barry. I enjoyed seeing his interactions with his fellow Justice Leaguers, and I thought about how I’d love to see more of these characters interacting. I’d love to see more stories about Barry, but I don’t think we will, at least not anytime soon.

Also, Ezra Miller went kind of insane in the last year or so, and that’s probably an admittedly good reason as to why they’re not rushing to make more anytime soon.

The multiverse is pretty weak here–people have written pieces as to why we’re all sick of the multiverse by this point, and that’s fair. Other than the main Plot itself, where Barry is in an alternate timeline, it only really comes up in the climax, to sort of say, “Hey! We remember all of these past DC iterations! Do you?” Okay, fine, that doesn’t make it good storytelling. It’s not terrible, it’s just not great, either.

Michael Keaton’s a fun Batman. I’m going to be honest with you–I never had much attachment to the 1989 Batman. I liked this take on Batman, though I don’t know if that means he should have replaced Ben Affleck, or even the Thomas Wayne from the comic; the decision to reference the Burton film felt more like fanservice than something that actually made sense.

Also! Question: why does Iris like Barry? By the end of the film, she’s clearly interested in him, and while we know he’s a great guy, the way he’s acted towards her throughout the movie isn’t very appealing from her point of view. She should be incredibly skeptical about his prospects as a romantic partner, if anything. It seemed like a typical ‘Nerd guy gets The Girl’ Hollywood trope than actually writing for the characters.

This movie feels like it’s had a dozen reshoots added to it, to try to make it appeal to more fans through references, and to try to make it fit or not fit in a new DC universe. And while it’s great fun at times, I’d have preferred if the movie only tried to tell a singular story. I would like an actual Flash movie that had Barry interacting with his own supporting cast and rogues gallery–because Flash has an amazing rogues gallery! Thawne! Zoom! Captain Cold! Mirror Master! These would be fun on a massive blockbuster budget!

And it’s pretty darn egregious that, with everything that’s going on in Warner Bros, that they canceled Batgirl, a film with a female Hispanic lead, and kept straight on with this, when its star has actually committed crimes and threatened people.

I don’t know! I had more fun watching this than I expected, and that was a nice surprise! At the same time, this far from “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made” that was promised–I don’t know how someone even arrived at that proclamation, unless the executives decided “nostalgic references to previous movies” counts as quality. Given the state of Hollywood, that’s a possibility.

If you’re a massive DC fan, or liked other movies in this iteration of the DC universe, than you’ll probably have some fun with this movie. But is it a must-watch? No. Not even close.

[sneek-m]

Favorite Dramas 2023

I think I need to raise the grading curve on ratings over on MyDramaList and start relegating the "just fine" shows from a 3 star to a neutral halfway point of 2.5 stars. That goes to say this year I actually watched a good amount of "just OK"s, a lot of 3s as those currently stand. Which is fine! I mostly watch these to wind down after a day at work or get my mind elsewhere as I catch up during my lunch breaks, hence the easier pickings of comedies. (Though, crime, mysteries and hospital dramas never really interested me anyway.) But I did watch some memorable ones, and I jotted down thoughts on them below:

0.5 No Otoko (Sundays, 11 p.m.; WOWOW)

0.5 No Otoko is far from showy, very comfortable settling into its suburbia: it’s only in the last credit roll did the crew decide to flex, revealing the elaborate set they used to execute the one-shot takes in Masaharu’s home. Though, calling the show low-key would be to gloss over the huge attention to detail they put in to build the world. The episode that sold me on this was the one involving Bugranger, the fictional in-universe super sentai show. They filmed an entire opening sequence for the episode, and made up its own exclusive little dance — actually a key component to get Masaharu bonding with his nephew, and then eventually his sister’s entire family. The drama goes on ordinary yet never mundane, finding warm comedy in the most everyday scenarios, but also handling the heavy stuff plainly, like his niece reading back the sticky notes left by his mother in the past when he was a more severe recluse. In the spirit of the drama, I think it would be better said that it’s more than meets the eye. 

Kashimashi Meshi (Mondays, 11 p.m.; TV Tokyo)

There were quite a few shows that I watched this year about the hardships in trying to create new, meaningful friendships in your late 20s. While Kashimashi Meshi isn’t explicitly about that compared to the few others, it still brings attention to the fact that a relationship like the one forged (rekindled?) by the show’s main trio isn’t so easy to come by. Because as incidental as their meeting seems, it still goes to show a chance to create and foster a connection isn’t to be taken for granted, a fact of post-grad adulthood written home from the pilot on: I understand the desperation in trying to keep company from Atsuko Maeda’s Chiharu, who quietly breaks down over dinner in front of her newly reunited college mates, revealing to be suffering from a debilitating depression while living alone after leaving a hostile workplace. Their initial interactions hint that they may have not been the closest of friends when they knew each other in school, yet it only makes it more worthwhile to see them deepen their relationship in a new form. I only hope there will one day be a dinner table like the one in Kashimashi Meshi I can join after a hard day at work.

Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Fridays, 0 a.m.; TV Tokyo)

I recommend watching the 2021 theatrical release beforehand as a kind of prelude to the discussions that happen in season two. But even without the viewing, you get the point it’s trying to make pretty clearly as general anxieties about mortality looms throughout. These guys are entering their 50s after all, and the topics often comes up as mundane as Shiro’s own grocery-shopping and yet nevertheless just as crucial: I think about Shiro going out with his parents to check out cemeteries to store their ashes with the same demeanor as if they’re looking at apartment rooms for rent. The lightness actually makes it more real for me, especially as I have these thoughts kind of often. 

Sexy Tanakasan (Sundays, 10 p.m.; Nippon TV)

One of my favorite episodes of TV this year was the show’s 8th episode revolving around what it really takes for get one’s make-up to not only look good but simply work for their preference. Of course, 23-year-old Akari’s own style is not compatible with 40-year-old Tanaka’s — it’s never one size fits all. You have to really study your own face and then visualize how you want to look; if you’re doing make-up for someone else, as Akari does, you have to really get to know the other’s person from the outside in. That’s a lot of work on multiple levels, and as much as make-up seems very interesting, I frankly have not had enough energy nor confidence to start doing the self-assessment myself so I can even begin experimenting on my own face. But that whole process, confronting your own reflection and putting in work to make your visualization of self-beauty come true, is embedded in the whole comedy of Sexy Tanakasan — albeit in the form of belly-dancing, though the make-up becomes more adjacent as the show goes along — to the point the men really become besides the point. 

Nichiyo No Yoru Guraiwa... (Sundays, 10 p.m.; TV Asahi)

Nichiyo No Yoru Guraiwa.. maybe deals with the right amount of extremes and by that I mean it’s so extreme to the point the fiction becomes clearly obvious and you stop sweating about the details, like, say, the whole lottery-ticket wish fulfillment that drives much of the plot. Still, the show dumps so much misery to its main trio, and I am thankful to these three particular actresses for adding to their respective fatalistic characters a much needed levity. Because really, whatever they decide to blow their lotto winnings on, as long as the gang has an excuse to get together again and have a grand ol’ time, that’s all you can ask for. That anticipation to go out on a weekend after long days spent planning out the details with your buddies is almost too real, especially as the droning part-time grind can waste away the hope of a free weekend entirely. And of course, actually having available buddies to make those plans real after being robbed of the opportunity to befriend strangers in the past. It all started from listening to their favorite radio show partly as an escape from their humdrum lives; in the case of Seino Nana’s Sachi, being roped into attending the show’s fan event as a sub for her mother, the real fan. You never know what can happen.

Ranman (Every weekday, 8 a.m.; NHK)

I cried like a baby, internally, on the last episode as it delivered what the 6-month-long serial had been building up to practically since week one. As Sueko withers during her last days, Mantaro presents her with his lifelong gift: her name etched into history as the scientific name of yet another of the botanist’s newly discovered plant species. After pouring everything to support her husband’s dreams, she can now stay by his side forever, she says. You follow a man’s silly obsession, and he shows a life is defined by what we do with what we’ve been given, and, perhaps more importantly, what of us we leave behind and pass down to those who come next. It’s what started Mantaro’s whole journey: the memory of his dying mother, embedded eternally into her favorite flower, one of the few things he got to know about her while she was alive. I’m kind of weak for these kind of things, this want to preserve a loved one’s memory as pristine as possible. Mantaro did it for Sueko superbly.

Daga, Jonetsu Wa Aru (Sundays, 10 p.m.; Nippon TV)

If there’s anything to be gained from the life of the two comedians during their come-up, it’s that art — if you can classify the routines of Audrey and Nankai Candies as such — takes a painstakingly long time to perfect. And it takes even longer when their egos get in the way of the growth of their own craft: it’s hilarious seeing that both Masaharu Wakabayashi and Ryota Yamasato wrote themselves as the boke of their respective duo when they so clearly are the tsukkomi, and they stubbornly stuck to their desired roles despite floundering for several years all for the sake of being the star of their own comedy. But the dynamic only seems obvious in hindsight of the comedians they would eventually become, and sometimes you do repeat your mistakes over and over again until something spontaneously flickers a switch. 

More dramas:

Paripi Koumei

Maikosanchi No Makanaisan

Oishi Kyushoku Season 3

Ichiban Suki Na Hana

Watashi No Oyomekun

Kocchi Muiteyo, Mukaikun

Hayabusa Shobodan

Pocket Ni Bouken Tsumekonde

[jeniffercheck]

I don't know if u care but Do you think that Shiv or Karolina are like big cinephiles or big readers or art/music purist fans? And is they are are they compatible. ?

Also what type of music /movies or books are their vibes? 🤔

i absolutely do care about this topic!!!!!! it's so long per usual i'm sorry, under the cut!!!

shiv to me is definitely a big reader, i think she's very well-read and i think it would be her main source of entertainment?? i don't think she would be snobbish about it and would read a lot of different things, and probably moves through books at a regular pace to just be able to read something and forget about it if she doesn't like it (certainly has the money to be a bookworm). she was reading a romance novel in one episode which honestly makes sense for her lmaoo.

shiv's movie tastes are much different, i think she would be pretty pretentious about movies in her adult age, mostly in part of her "rejecting" things that she might've liked earlier in her life?? i guess bc of the place we meet her, she's really trying to fit in to the boys club and i think that would bleed into her movie opinions for some reason 😭

and i think she has a horribly wretched taste in music but probably knows a decent amount about classical music due to her upbringing, AND whatever her weird and unusual knowledge about london grime would definitely weed its way into her music taste and i think that's something she would surprise karolina with for sure (shiv roy one year: hey i was sent vip for EDC, karolina: ???????)

karolina do have very specific headcanons about but i have no idea if they make sense since we just don't know a lot about her, but i do think she is a big cinephile but not super snobbish about it, like i think she has firm opinions and would argue for hours over a film but i don't think that's her one true hobby if that makes sense....like she's just karolina...idk 😭 i personally headcanon that her favorite movie is the matrix 🤭

i also see her really liking heavy music & i've said in another post that i can't find right now that i could really see her liking 90s alt/guitar babes like a heavy rotation of alanis, veruca salt, jewel, fiona apple, sheryl crow, etc. if anyone has seen the newsreader, i imagine her like that scene where helen comes home and just blasts heavy metal while she relaxes 😭

karolina reading...i'm not quite sure. i could see her reading a lot of nonfiction, and a lot of memoirs for some reason. definitely a lot of celebrity books, her PR brain probably goes crazy for the goss 😭

[mediawhorefics]

fmk: george mackay, misha collins, heath ledger

also, if you could choose your dream cast for a heist movie with five people, who would you pick and what roles would they have?

omg i would kill misha collins so fast it's not even funny rip queerbaiting icon✊ it feels disrespectful to speak of the dead like this (rest in peace beloved ❤︎) but fuck heath? and marry george mackay?? just because george mackay seems to have mellower/calmer energy and lbr i'd need that long-term i think.

omg that's SUCH a fun question!!!!

charlize theron is the leader/mastermind with a side of muscle because she's hot when she beats up people.

sandra oh is second in command without whom the whole thing would fall apart and prob the weapon expert or something. she and charlize's character have crazy sexual tension/partner-in-crime vibes (think pitt/clooney drift compatibility in the ocean films) and the rest of the crew doesn't realize they've been together for years until the end. but in like a sexy they're fugitives who have to live on different continents sometimes non-heteronormative way.

florence pugh is the lonely hacker who grew up on the streets/in the system that charlize's character convinces to join the crew because their old hacker (played by .... idk lets say george mackay since you mentioned him and i like the idea of two blonde bad bitches playing shadows of each other/the same archetype) sold them out on a job a few years ago and they've been making do without ever since. they both swear it's just for one job and they won't get attached but she ends up as the charlize/sandra adopted kid by the end of the film even though she's in her mid-20s.

pedro pascal and john boyega are their conmen because those two oooooooooze charm and we need some boytoys in here.

ik we hate love triangles but florence pugh's character def. is in one with the betrayer george mackay who is sniffing around the operation and whom no one trusts AND john boyega who is a shameless flirt. i can't decide who she develops a genuine connection with, but she does with one of them and its left open-ended for if there's a sequel.

what else do we need ? a driver ? maybe somebody like michael sheen who seeems really unassuming and sweet (aziraphale vibes) but then he's like.... a MANIAC on the road. or kristen stewart looking hot. those are the only two options. actually not kristen stewart, her and florence pugh's characters would 100% fall in love. oooh maybe for the sequel. michael sheen gets hurt/killed in the first one (rip bro) and kristen stewart is brought in for a love square?? lowkey how funny would it be if it ends in an ot3 poly relationship.... who is the one who gets left out? y'all choose. (wait, its florence.... it has to be florence, it's about her the whole time and then she ends up a single queen kdjfnghjsdss)

ian mckellan is some iconic gay duke or something who backs the whole thing...

@ netflix i am available....

sleepover saturday asks

[staravya]

tagged by: @coffinbirds​ rules: post 10 of your favorite movies and tag 10 people

not in any particular order because I can’t pick favorites BUT

Into the Spiderverse self-explanatory. looks great, sounds great, and everyone sings its praises for good reason!  

How To Train Your Dragon specifically 1 & 2. (I simply don’t acknowledge 3.) also the “Gift of the Night Fury” short, which I adore so much. a boy and his dragon working together to make the world a more accepting space, what’s not to love! they’re iconic and I love them.  

Spirited Away my first ghibli film, which scores a special place in my heart. lovely story with lively characters of all kinds.  

Promare the color! the music! the homoeroticism between an arsonist and a firefighter who both really just want to save people so they enemies-to-lovers about it! the lampshaded anime tropes that nonetheless are treated with affection rather than disdain! a love letter to anime in all the best ways. seriously though this movie is worth watching just for the pure spectacle of color.  

Pacific Rim drift compatibility reshaped the way i view interpersonal relationships between characters for the better. the mortifying ordeal of being known only it’s not mortifying, it’s wonderful and can sprout between people of all different walks of life, and it’s used to power giant robots to fight giant monsters. what else could you want! (not a sequel. don’t—just don’t look at anything but this movie okay it’s not worth it.)  

The Legend of Hei aka the story of the cutest animated kitty ever. he’s just trying to find a home! this is also one of my sister’s favorite movies so it gets bonus points and it deserves it tbh! adorable movie, beautiful landscapes, characters with cool powers animated gorgeously.  

Wolfwalkers the style of this movie is just. so good. discovering that those beasts your father hunts are just trying to live! becoming one of them! all of it depicted in stunningly drawn movement! the whole running with the wolves sequence never gets old.  

Jiang Ziya how do I even begin to describe how much I love this movie. it’s about someone just trying to save the person in front of him. it’s about questioning authority that abides by murder “for the greater good”. it’s about breaking the cycle at its root. it’s about trusting your senses above what you’re told, about doing what’s right, about a father demanding that heaven be just to the people it reigns over, about a kid who wants a family—there are so many themes that I love to bits in this movie. plus the animation’s great!  

Everything Everywhere All At Once would you love me if i was a rock (yes) (always yes) (a thousand times in a thousand worlds yes). funny moments interspersed with some of the most soul-wrenching conversations between mother and daughter that really just leave you thinking, oh, it’s love. it’s always been love.  

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron my childhood, in a nutshell. honse! incredible music! just a horse trying to get back to his herd and finding an understanding of people along the way. and also blowing up that one train lmao.

tagging: (no pressure if you don’t want to 💙) @chrysalizzm @tea-with-veth @meitantei-lavi @disastermovie @altair214 @onetobeamup @kdm13 @rainbowdragonn @feralsylph @raifuujin

[destinyc1020]

I can see Kaia n Austin goin either way (lasting a long time or breaking up this yr lol). Shes known to hav short relationships, bt the same wit her ex bfs (Pete, JE), n its clear Austin is a relationship person so he differs in that way. I think it also helps that both learned 2 keep their relationship private too, he is no longer in his gfs shadow (lik he was wit vanessa), n shut down any talk about him/kaia. Kaia posted JE on her ig feed a few times n talked about him in a interview (i still cringe at that ☠️), which was prob too much since they were barely a yr in lol. n it seems clear now that her/her team hav agreed 2 block any questionz related 2 Austin in interviews n the only thimg she posted was a ig story related 2 him. Prob helps her too now since she wants 2 b an actress n focus on her projects instead of her relationship

💯

Yea, that's true Anon. I think I can see them going either way as well.

I mean, if they survived his crazy filming schedule of late last year, AND this crazy awards season, then they may actually have a chance at making it long-term imo.

Unless smthg drastically bad happens 👀, I can actually see them possibly lasting a while.

I actually like the fact that they're private in their rlshp and have been pretty low-key about it. To me that makes for the longer rlshp. He might also appreciate the fact that she's low-key and doesn't post him to her IG all the time lol 🤭 She seemed fine with him taking the spotlight during his awards show campaigning. All good signs imo.

I'm sure she learned with the JE rlshp that sometimes it's just best to keep your rlshp to yourself. 😂 (And yea, I remember that interview too lol 😆 👀 I was like, wow! They must be really serious if she's mentioning him!! Haha)

And I also agree with you that Austin needed to get out of V's shadow and be his own man, and figure his life/career out. Sometimes some ppl come to realize that they're not really all that compatible anymore, and love might not be enough to keep a rlshp together. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I think his mom's death as well made him reevaluate some things in his life and question whether he even wanted to continue acting. 🤷🏾‍♀️🥴 He may have also suffered from depression... we just don't know.

[maddy-ferguson]

you make great points. and it's such a pet peeve of mine, because here in this fandom we are criticizing mlvn and saying they're gonna break up bc they're having problems and they introduced will's love for mike in this season... and i'm like... if that situation were applicable to other ships, then a *certain ship* also would be pretty much in trouble (jncy) and as much as i hate to say it, just bc a couple is having relationship problems doesnt mean theyre being setup for a definite break up. and s3-s4 exists. and yeah, jpper got together in s4 but they were so badly written in s3 lets be real. and lumx? i adore them in s4 but the way they were written in s3...? and like you said, jncy outright said that they dont understand each other anymore in s3, and s4 rolls we still see them having relationship issues that are not solved yet. if jncy is definitely endgame why mlvn wouldn't in that case...? and iknow, iknow... there are ''certain differences'' between jncy and mlvn but like... why bring the steve thing back then in the penultimate season if its not going anywhere?

all out of 'logical criticism' that are being used for mlvn could also be used for other couples, and are mlvns really wrong when they expect mlvn's relationship issues to be fully resolved and them becoming better in their relationship? after all, they still have not even broken up yet, and the monologue exists, the fact that they still havent fully resolved their issues yet (like certain other couple/s) might just mean that they are gonna resolve them fully in s5. and many of this stuff might be based on different interpretations, but the fact that we hold mlvn to such a selective standard and try to use ''logical criticism'' regarding the way they're written with problems/compatibility meanwhile not doing the same thing to other couples creates flawed readings here.

thank you for saying i make great points🫂

yeah i just think it's funny like this side of the fandom prides itself on its analysis skills and "media literacy" but it's still...definitely biased because if the standard to which we hold mlvn were applied to other ships none of them would hold up. which just means that, again, we have a bias against it (which like, duh), but also that the way they write relationships isn't as consistent as people make it out to be/seem to think it is? literally everything about s3 jpper...what was that. and it's not like it was just silly bickering, he literally didn't trust her intuition anymore and was acting like she was crazy when him telling her that this whole time she was right is such a big pivotal scene in season 1? like what sjdskjds

i'm not saying i don't trust the writers and i'm not saying pointing out the flaws in mlvn is pointless and i still think they're heading towards a breakup and all that but like...some of it doesn't hold up😭

but yes of course mlvns expect their ship that's been fighting and lying for two seasons to end up together...most bylers expect jncy to be endgame when they've been doing exactly that. i still don't think steve coming back as a potential love interest means they're getting back together because we've seen that film before and didn't like the ending and because thematically it still doesn't work, but yeah. it's just funny

[telepartyextension]

What is Disney plus watch party?

  Disney Plus' Watch Party feature, also known as GroupWatch, is among its best features. It's a fantastic opportunity to gather with friends to watch all your favorite shows using the streaming service. Continue reading to learn everything there is to know about Disney Plus Watch Party.

Disney Plus Watch Party

Disney Plus Watch Party (also known as GroupWatch), which was introduced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, enables you to watch a television or a movie with up to six other friends while doing so remotely. The aim is to eliminate the requirement that you all watch a show in the same room. 

To ensure that everyone is watching simultaneously, the feature synchronizes Disney Plus playback with the other group members. Each user has the ability to pause, rewind, or fast-forward the video for the entire party while doing this, ensuring that nobody is ever left behind. The GroupWatch has no "leader" at this time. Everyone has the same level of control over their watching experience.

Any Disney Plus app can use Disney Plus GroupWatch. Consequently, you can participate in a GroupWatch whether you are watching on the Disney Plus website, iOS or Android applications, your smart TV, or other devices. 

It's ideal for big families or huge groups of friends who wish to watch TV together despite being temporarily (or permanently) dispersed around the globe. When watching a major movie release or the launch of a television series, Disney advises that it works especially well. After all, watching movies with friends makes them much better, especially ones like Encanto.

Each participant must be invited to the session in order to use GroupWatch. They must have each have a Disney Plus account in order to sign up. On the same account, up to four separate profiles can stream simultaneously. Just remember that children's profiles cannot sign up. A profile for adults is required. Emojis can be clicked or tapped to express in-the-moment emotions once everyone has signed in together. 

A few examples of emojis are Like, Funny, Sad, Angry, Scared, and Surprised. There isn't a voice chat feature, but customers feel that pairing it with services like FaceTime, Skype, or anything similar gives them a better experience because they can discuss the program or movie they are viewing.

How to use Disney Plus Watch Party

The group Watch Party function on Disney Plus is really simple to set up. That contributes to its allure. Disney Plus GroupWatch can be used by everyone in the group as long as they are all familiar with Disney Plus. Users can easily join forces to view the newest film or television program once it has begun. Use it as follows. Just keep in mind that to participate in a GroupWatch session, every group member must already have a Disney Plus subscription.

The individual initiating GroupWatch should visit the Disney Plus website or Disney Plus app once everyone has signed up for Disney Plus. Disney Plus is now largely compatible with GroupWatch, so continue utilizing the streaming service the way you always have. Find the movie you want to view as a group from there. It's okay if you need to debate beforehand about what you want to watch as a group on a third-party messaging app provider. 

Once you've decided on a movie or TV show, select the icon that resembles a huddle of people. In most cases, it's right next to the + sign for adding anything to your Watch List.

The GroupWatch settings appear after clicking. You can decide which episode of a season to watch together if you're watching a TV show. Select one, then click the "+" sign next to the content. You will then receive a URL that you can share with others as an invitation. If you're using a web browser, click Copy Link. If you're using the Disney Plus app, click Invite.

 You can share the link however you get there, whether through email, SMS, third-party messaging services, or anything else you can think of. To connect with people, you can send the link via a Twitter direct message or similar methods.

Your GroupWatch grows as more people connect through the link. A GroupWatch can contain most of the seven devices. As each invitee joins the stream, their profile photo becomes visible. Click Start Stream to watch the episode or movie once everyone has joined. As if you were regularly watching something on Disney Plus, options for pausing, fast-forwarding, or rewinding are quite obvious.

Additionally, you can "react" using the various emojis so that everyone in the party can see your reaction to a certain scene. The only control distinction is that your actions have an impact on the entire GroupWatch party. If you choose, there is also the option to leave GroupWatch.

If you want to view any additional movies after the first one has finished streaming, you must start a new GroupWatch. However, if they are watching a TV show with several episodes, viewers can always click or touch Play Next Episode to move to the subsequent episode. This system is perfect if you and a group of friends want to stay up binge-watching a great show all night.

[disneyplusbgin]

Disney plus vs. Other Streaming Services: A Comparison

Introduction

The universe of web-based features has seen a hazardous development lately, offering a wealth of choices for watchers to browse. Disney Plus, the web-based feature sent off by the diversion monster, Disney, has arisen as a huge player here. Be that as it may, how does Disney Plus compare to other real time features? In this article, we will dig into the elements, content, estimating, and in general insight of Disney Plus in comparison to other famous streaming stages. Whether you're thinking about Disney Plus interestingly or pondering changing from your ongoing real time feature, this comparison will assist you with pursuing an educated choice.

Disney plus: A Brief Overview

Disney Plus, frequently adapted as Disney+, is a membership based real time feature that offers an immense library of content from Disney, Pixar, Wonder, Star Wars, and Public Geographic. Sent off in November 2019, Disney Plus has in practically no time acquired an enormous following because of its great substance list and the strength of the Disney brand. It highlights exemplary Disney enlivened films, unique series, selective substance, and then some.

To get everything rolling with Disney Plus, you can visit the authority site at disneyplus.com/begin code. The site is easy to understand and intended to make the information exchange process as direct as could really be expected. Clients can look over different membership plans, make profiles for their relatives, and begin gushing on numerous gadgets.

Moreover, Disney Plus offers a component called "Disney Plus begin code," which permits clients to enact their record and access content rapidly.

Disney Plus Content

Disney Plus is known for its broad and different substance library. It unites the sorcery of Disney and its auxiliaries, making it a one-stop objective for enthusiasts, everything being equal. This is the thing you can hope to track down on Disney Plus:

Exemplary Disney Motion pictures: Disney Plus offers a mother lode of exemplary vivified films, including "The Lion Lord," "Aladdin," "Magnificence and the Monster," and some more. These dearest works of art have been engaging ages for quite a long time.

New Deliveries: Disney Plus gives admittance to new deliveries, including dramatic movies like "Raya and the Last Mythical serpent," "Cruella," and "Dark Widow," which are accessible to stream with Chief Access.

Exclusive Content: Disney Plus is home to exclusive series and movies, such as "The Mandalorian," "WandaVision," "Loki," and "Hamilton." These exclusive titles draw viewers into the platform.

Pixar: The service includes an array of Pixar films and shorts, with beloved titles like "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," and "Inside Out."

Marvel: Marvel fans can enjoy a variety of superhero content, from classic animated series to original shows and movies like "Avengers: Endgame."

Star Wars: The Star Wars universe is well-represented on Disney Plus with all the movies and original series like "The Mandalorian."

National Geographic: The service also offers informative and breathtaking documentaries from National Geographic, making it an educational resource as well.

Disney Plus vs. Other Streaming Services

To understand how Disney Plus compares to other streaming services, we will assess several key aspects:

Content Variety

Exclusive Content

Pricing

User Experience

Compatibility

Let's break down each of these aspects in detail.

Content Variety

One of the basic variables while picking a real time feature is the assortment of content it offers. Various administrations take care of various preferences and socioeconomics. Disney Plus stands apart because of its interesting mix of content from Disney, Pixar, Wonder, Star Wars, and Public Geographic. This implies that supporters gain admittance to a large number of content sorts, from family-accommodating energized motion pictures to activity pressed hero series.

Other well known real time features like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video additionally have broad substance libraries. Be that as it may, they might not have similar degree of eliteness as Disney Plus with regards to content from famous establishments like Star Wars and Wonder. Conversely, Disney Plus has areas of strength for an on giving selective substance that must be tracked down on its foundation.

While comparing content assortment, it at last comes down to individual inclinations. On the off chance that you love Disney, Pixar, Wonder, and Star Wars, Disney Plus offers unmatched admittance to these dearest universes. Be that as it may, assuming you lean toward a more extensive scope of content types, different administrations may be more reasonable.

Exclusive Content

Select substance has become a characterizing factor in the fight for streaming matchless quality. Disney Plus enjoys taken full benefit of its broad arrangement of scholarly properties to offer a compelling setup of selective substance. The outcome of "The Mandalorian," the very first surprisingly realistic Star Wars series, was a demonstration of Disney's capacity to make content that drives memberships.

Disney Plus likewise centers around resurrecting adored characters and stories. With shows like "WandaVision," "Loki," and "The Hawk and the Colder time of year Warrior," it investigates a strange area inside the Wonder True to life Universe, adding profundity and interest to laid out characters.

Then again, other real time features have their own arrangement of elite substance. For instance, Netflix has put vigorously in unique series and films, creating widely praised titles like "More odd Things" and "The Crown." Amazon Prime Video offers selective shows, for example, "The Glorious Mrs. Maisel" and "The Young men."

The choice of which administration gives the best select substance at last relies upon your inclinations. In the event that you really love establishments like Disney, Star Wars, and Wonder, Disney Plus is an unmistakable champ. In any case, different stages might have select substance that adjusts better to your inclinations.

Pricing

Pricing is a significant consideration when evaluating streaming services. Disney Plus, like its competitors, offers a range of subscription plans to cater to different needs and budgets.

a. Disney Plus: Disney Plus offers the following subscription plans:

Monthly Plan: $7.99 per month.

Annual Plan: $79.99 per year.

  Additionally, Disney Plus often provides bundle deals that include Hulu and ESPN+, providing even more value for your money.

b. Netflix: Netflix offers multiple subscription tiers, with pricing as follows:

Basic Plan: $8.99 per month.

Standard Plan: $13.99 per month.

Premium Plan: $17.99 per month.

c. Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video is incorporated with an Amazon Prime enrollment, which costs $12.99 each month or $119 each year. In any case, it can likewise be bought into independently at $8.99 each month.

Actually quite important estimating can change in light of your area and any continuous advancements. Disney Plus frequently gives group bargains its other real time features, Hulu and ESPN+, which can offer amazing benefit on the off chance that you're keen on those stages too.

While comparing estimating, Disney Plus offers quite possibly of the most reasonable month to month plan, making it an appealing choice for frugal watchers. Nonetheless, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offer more adaptable plans that take care of changing inclinations and financial plans.

User Experience

The client experience is a vital part of any web-based feature, as it straightforwardly influences how charming and helpful it is to utilize. Disney Plus, similar to its competitors, has centered around making an easy to understand interface that makes it simple for watchers to find and partake in their number one substance.

Key features of the Disney Plus user experience include:

Simple to-explore interface: Disney Plus includes a spotless and instinctive connection point, simplifying it to look for content, make profiles, and access different settings.

Profiles: Disney Plus permits clients to make separate profiles for relatives, making it simple to tweak content recommendations and set age-proper limitations.

Content recommendations: The stage utilizes calculations to give customized content recommendations in light of your review history, making it simpler to find new shows and films.

Disconnected review: Disney Plus permits clients to download content for disconnected survey, a convenient element for the individuals who need to watch without a web association.

Cross-gadget compatibility: Disney Plus is accessible on different gadgets, including cell phones, tablets, shrewd televisions, gaming control center, and internet browsers. This guarantees that you can watch content on your favored gadget.

Other web-based features, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, likewise focus on client experience. They offer comparative highlights like profiles, disconnected survey, and content recommendations. The decision of which stage gives the best client experience might come down to individual inclination and the gadgets you use to get to content.

Compatibility

The compatibility of a web-based feature with various gadgets is a basic thought. Disney Plus, as well as other famous web-based features, have put forth attempts to guarantee their foundation are accessible on a large number of gadgets. Here is a comparison of gadget compatibility:

Disney Plus: Disney Plus is compatible with various devices, including:

Smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android)

Smart TVs

Web browsers

Gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox)

Streaming media players (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV)

Netflix: Netflix offers extensive device compatibility, with support for most smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming media players. It's widely available on various platforms.

Amazon Prime Video: Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video is accessible on many gadgets, including cell phones, tablets, brilliant televisions, gaming control center, and streaming media players.

Gadget compatibility is a significant element while picking a real time feature, as it guarantees that you can get to your #1 substance on the gadgets you utilize most often. Every one of the three stages, Disney Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, offer expansive compatibility, so the decision frequently comes down to the substance library and the client experience.

Conclusion

In the steadily growing universe of web-based features, disneyplus.com/begin stands apart as a novel stage with areas of strength for an on family-accommodating substance and restrictive admittance to Disney, Pixar, Wonder, Star Wars, and Public Geographic. It offers an assortment of membership intends to take care of various financial plans and furnishes an easy to understand insight with highlights like profiles, disconnected survey, and content recommendations.

In any case, Disney Plus isn't the main player in the streaming business. Different administrations like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offer their own assets, including broad substance libraries, selective titles, and gadget compatibility. The decision between these stages eventually comes down to individual inclinations and review propensities. To pursue the ideal choice for your streaming necessities, think about your substance inclinations, spending plan, and the gadgets you use to get to content. Every stage has its remarkable assets and can give a great streaming encounter to watchers of all preferences and ages. Whether you're a Disney fan, an admirer of unique series, or somebody looking for a tremendous substance library, there's a web-based feature out there that is ideal for you.

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

By: Alex Grinacoff

      I would like to start this post discussing the cinematic aesthetics of the film Sabrina (1954), directed by Billy Wilder. Upon watching this film, I was interested in seeing how it differed from films we have previously viewed from prior decades. This film is a romantic comedy and follows the journey of Sabrina, played by Audrey Hepburn, who falls in love with two wealthy brothers known as the Larrabee brothers. One of the main turning points in this film that I feel plays a lot into the storyline is when Sabrina is sent to Paris. Prior to traveling there, she was rather shy and even awkward. Although, during her time in the culinary school she transforms into a much more sophisticated as well as elegant woman. It was funny to see how before all this happened, the younger brother David did not really pay much mind to Sabrina whereas after the fact he quickly decides to break off his engagement with Elizabeth. The difficulty that is posed in this film is the fact that David pursuing Sabrina actually jeopardizes a business deal that the older brother, Linus, had spent much time working on with the Tyson family. The solution that Linus believes to be the answer is to intervene and attempt at winning over Sabrina himself, with the ultimate goal being to distract her from David and send her back to Paris. I found this storyline to be intriguing as it shows not only the world of love at this time, but also the trying and treacherous world of business. I like how love ultimately ends up overcoming the whole business deal as I think it really shows the power of true love. 

                                         I would now like to discuss the soundtrack of this film. WIth a variety of different songs, I feel that the person behind composing the soundtrack did a great job at capturing not only Sabrina’s personality but also her relationships with the two brothers. I think that music can be extremely useful in the creation of films as it really adds to the overall feel of certain scenes and can help express certain moods and emotions that are particularly meant to be conveyed to the audience. 

      Another piece of this film that I find to be extremely important is the types of lighting used in this film. Lighting can be a very valuable tool in terms of creating ambience or amplifying the aura of a particular scene, which helps the audience to feel more immersed and in touch with what is going on in the film. One example I would like to use is the use of backlighting in the scene where Sabrina poses for a photograph in Paris. This particular lighting helps to enhance not only the beauty but also the elegance of Sabrina in that moment.

      The other film I viewed this week is That Touch of Mink (1962), directed by Delbert Mann. This is yet another romantic comedy film, although one of the biggest differences from Sabrina is that it is in color. This film follows the characters of Cathy, who is eagerly looking for a job, and Philip, who is a wealthy businessman simply looking for an affair. At first, you might be thinking how could these two possibly work for each other. Throughout the film, Cathay holds out for marriage while Philip continuously attempts to seduce her with luxurious gifts and trips. Although, the film has a rather happy ending as the two of them end up getting married and having a kid.

      I would like to talk about the significance of this film being in color. It was shot in Eastmancolor, which was a process that was widely used throughout the 1950s and 60s and essentially revolutionized the industry, especially due to its compatibility with standard black-and-white cameras and printing machines. In this film in particular, vibrant colors are utilized and I think that this helps to draw contrast between the luxurious lifestyle of Philip and the more modest lifestyle of Cathy. I also think that the color in this film helped to not only bring a sense of romance and comedy to the film but also helps to accentuate the costumes and sets. One scene I would like to use as an example for this is the scene where Cathy can be seen wearing a pink mink coat that matches the Rolls-Royce belonging to Philip.

                                          When comparing these two films, I definitely think that That Touch of Mink has much more of a visual appeal to it than Sabrina, considering Sabrina was filmed in black and white. Although, I do still think there is that sense of elegance and beauty in Sabrina, especially with the fancy attire that the actors and actresses can be seen wearing. I would also like to compare these films to ones before the year 1948, an example being Frankenstein. In that film, the sets were way different as well as the costume designs and techniques used. I know it was a different genre of film, but you can tell that the stories the filmmakers were trying to tell were just different. The films for this week have more captivating and comedic stories that can please a wide variety of an audience. I feel like there was also more focus on the visual aspects of these films whether it be what the actors and actresses were wearing, or the different types of lighting and other techniques used to portray certain scenes in particular ways.

      In terms of being made at an earlier time, one way that Sabrina could not have been made at an earlier time is because of the timing and talent of its cast. What I mean by this is two-fold. The famed Audrey Hepburn did not have her breakthrough until 1953, so it would have been impossible to have someone play the role in the way that she did before that. The availability and popularity of its cast played a big role in the timing of the release of this film. Another way is that it was dependent on the culture of the post-war world. For instance, after the war there was a rise in different cultural commodities such as consumerism as well as European fashion and food. When it comes to That Touch of Mink, despite the fact that the film could have been filmed at an earlier time, it could not have been made with the same quality and effect that it had on the audience. The emergence of Eastmancolor made a huge difference in the film industry and it most definitely greatly added to the overall feel of this film by helping to accentuate the different characters and overall themes and messages of the movie.

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2006): Foreverhood

You know, after what happened with the previous WAD, I think it would be a good idea to take a nap. Remember though, that dreams can get really weird.

G8: Foreverhood

Main author(s): Brian Goodsell (Skadoomer)

Release date: September 10th, 2006 (original demo)

Version played: 1.1

Required port compatibility: ZDoom/GZDoom

Levels: 3 (from MAP01 to MAP04 without MAP02)

Foreverhood... is not a Doom WAD. It might use the WAD file to start, but in reality, it is one of the first games created for the (G)ZDoom engine, if not the first one.

According to the author of this demo, it all started as a small machinima back in 2004. After showing this film to his college professors, the idea evolved from a short movie to an indie game. Unfortunately like many other Doom projects, all that was released was just a demo released in 2006.

So let’s see what Foreverhood offers and think what could’ve been if it went past the demo.

This game’s plot is basically as bizarre as the rest of it. It talks about you being one of those Nuu creatures, Sequas that act like their guardians, the war that’s just about to begin, many different regions of a planet that feels like a place from dreams, and so on.

Foreverhood looks incredible, at least with its style. By 2006, it looked like no other. I think it might have been some of the most uniquely looking Doom Engine games (‘cause it’s no longer just a WAD) at the time. And while there aren’t many interesting buildings or landscapes since it all feels like you are walking up and down a mountain, the ones that are shown to you look amazing.

The music is very good. It starts off mysterious but rather cheerful, but with each track, it goes darker and darker asides from one, soothing music that plays during the conversation with one of the pivotal characters. There isn’t really anything wrong in this department.

Playing this game isn’t really complicated. You just have to talk from one NPC to another in each of the three maps. While the Automap doesn’t exactly help with navigation, I don’t think you will get lost for a longer period of time. Just remember that there is no falling damage but there is a chance you might fall from the map (you get transported back to the ground in the first map but I’m not so sure about the rest).

While talking to an NPC, you can change the speed of the dialogue by pressing Z (by default), and when three dots appear at the bottom of the screen, you can straight up skip it by pressing Q (by default).

Sometimes in Dusky Valley, you will encounter mushrooms without tops. Finding the top and placing them on the rest of the mushroom body will create a big, bounce-pad mushroom.

There is no challenge when playing this game. The only enemies here aren’t even attacking you (there is a plot reason for that), they focus on the NPCs. So you might as well ignore anything and just continue moving further.

Speaking of enemies, the only enemy you will encounter is the flying heads that shoot fireballs.

There is a karma meter in Foreverhood. Depending on what NPCs you kill, you will gather good or bad karma.

There are two new weapons in this game. The first one is your fists that function like the Hexen Barbarian ones. Once you kill enough enemies, you will charge up your power meter and start shooting projectiles out of your hands (at least when you have good karma).

The second new weapon is an Axe that probably functions like the one from Hexen. It can also be used to cut through some wooden parts (as in one time in Dusky Valley in a demo).

The only bugs you will probably encounter are the visual ones. I know I saw some in gameplay and on the menu.

Foreverhood is a concept that has a lot of potential. And the demo proves that it can be good. I can only think where it could go if this game was finished. Considering how GZDoom became an engine to house many Boomer Shooters/FPP games of our modern times, maybe there is still a small chance that Foreverhood will become a reality?

At this moment, we can only dream about it. And as for me, there is one last WAD to look into from the 2006 roster. I’ll see you when the time will come.

Bye!

[warlordgab]

Why LuNa fans love LuNa

This my contribution for the LuNazine...

LuNa, LuffyxNami, or as Japanese fans say, LuNami is one the first, and oldest, and arguably the most potent, pairings in this long-running manga

As time goes by, a lot of people come and go into the One Piece community, and that includes LuNa shippers. When it comes to the currently active LuNa fans, what drives us to support their relationship?

While it's true that a lot of people like LuNa just because they look cute, some of these people are likely to promote other shallow premises such Nami having a thing for Zoro/Sanji/Law, or Luffy marrying one of the princesses he came accross. So, the question would be, aside from the aesthetic appeal of the pairing, what makes fans actually stick to LuNa?

Some people who started with the anime would answer that episode 1 made them LuNa fans, with the moment of Luffy and Nami laying eyes on each other suddenly making time stop for an instant. Manga readers may take other moments from the East Blue saga, for example...

Some after getting up to date with series, when seeing everything in retrospective, notice they bonded with each other in a pretty organic way; how their chemistry start building up when they challenge eath other's beliefs...

...but instead of focusing on who's right or who's wrong, this conflict merely serves for both character to get a grasp of what the other is all about.

Some LuNa fans point out they started suppoting this relationship when looking at how patiently Luffy was waiting for Nami in Cocoyashi village, as it was weird but also unique. Others focused on the climax of the arc, when Luffy shouts "You are my NAKAMA!!!"

This moment resonated with many fans due to the context of the scene, and how much of an impact had on Nami when Luffy gave her such a sense of belonging. And, while it's true that "Nakama" (仲間) is not something romantic, given its meanings of "companion" or "comrade," it is the bond they created, and its potential to evolve, what captivated the fans

However, the greatest moment, the one people more often quote as their "origin" as LuNa fans, is the "pass of the hat"

This scene had been animated multiple times, some with a different feel to it, but this moment right here is the one that firmly establish their emotional chemistry, where Luffy offers Nami relief, comfort, and hope with a meaningful gesture.

There's even a name for this in japanese culture: Ishin-denshin (以心伝心), which means "what the mind thinks, the heart transmits;" a form of non-verbal communication achieved through natural but mutual understanding. A connection so deep, that we can compare it to how some married people get to know each other well, that they can understand what the other is thinking without needing a single word, just a look or a small gesture is enough to get the mesagge accross

But, there are other moments as well. As some people already know, Oda wrote the first entry of the Film series: Strong World. This movie's plots relies a lot on the relationship and chemistry between Luffy and Nami, and it offered a condensed version of not only the characters and the adventurous spirit of the series, but also the bond of LuNa. As Oda said "I really wanted to make a 'hero saves the heroine'"

And he didn't have any plans to give the role of "heroine" to any other character than Nami

A few people start supporting the pairing a lot later into series. From the second "pass of the hat," to their hug in Zou...

...it's pretty hard to predict what would warm up people to LuNa.

However, all of these impatcful moments are not the only selling point of LuNa. Fans love how compatible Luffy and Nami are. For example, Nami already laid down some of the reasons why her relationship with Luffy is so compelling...

...they complement each other. While Luffy often acts as Nami's emotional anchor, she's the one who challenges his most reckless decisions, being the one who reigns him in more often than not, and also provides the guidance he needs to venture the sea. As some fans had analyzed, their dreams converge and they compensate for each other's weaknesses pretty nicely.

As some people pointed out, this isn't a master-slave dynamic that many hopeless simps would relate to, Luffy and Nami act as partners, or put in other way, as equals. Luffy is not a simp for Nami, and she doesn't need him to be one for Luffy to play his part and provide her with the physical and emotional support she needs. Nami is no subservient to Luffy's every desire, and he doesn't need a servant to please him, she's a voice of reason, the brain to his brawn, and his guide toward his goal. All of this while giving each other enough space and freedom to do what they want the most

Needless to say, most sound and logical people support LuNa as a potent relationship. As their moments, while not inherently romantic, hold the greatest potential for organic development within the framework of the series. In others words, their bond can grow naturally into something stronger without altering plot or characters

In conclusion, LuNa fans support their realtionship, everything it is and everything it can become, because of their emotionally significant moments, their chemistry, their dynamic, and their narrative potential consistent with Oda's works, their lack of corny clichés or toxic traits, and last but not least, because they make the most sense.

[gayofthefae]

Keeping with the theme of general audience perspective:

I was kind of leaving the fandom until my friend reminded me season 4 was coming out and I had nothing else to do, then I got on tumblr around the roller rink fight bc I wanted somebody to tell me why Mike was being weird (and mostly wanted somebody to tell me that trusting this show enough for deep dive analysis was not a waste of time).

Really, for me as a general audience member what would have happened is I was getting a bit tired of Mlvn. I still thought they were sweet, but was worried they would end up at repetitive filler relationship conflict thereby normalizing unhealthy behaviour because it had no purpose. So...I would have been very happy to see Will introduced as a “new love interest” to Mike in season 4. Would have rooted for him near immediately. It would have made me want to rewatch - the Duffers’ goal, I’m sure. 

I think that was always the point. The reason we’re called delusional is because of that rewatch goal that we can see. We are of analytical minds and like to theorize. These things were planted for people like us to see and excitedly predict. But for the most part, no one was supposed to know. It’s a retrospective reveal. ‘It was there the whole time, like a magic trick, having us look the other way, while something else was being set up right under our noses”.

It is not meant to me watched as a childhood best friends to lovers love story. It is meant to be rewatched as a childhood best friends to lovers love story.

This is also the time of storytelling that leaves emphasis on the individual characters and thereby their trauma representation, which I love. Sitcoms often have obvious love stories set up from the get go, but dramas often have a cast of characters who get taken apart and put together like puzzle pieces. We absolutely see this in the different friendship dynamics every season. It preps us for it romantically as well, just like with Bob and Joyce - whom nobody hated despite Jopper being the obvious choice. You’re just along for the ride. 

And I am very happy that as I learn more about the film and television industry, I learn more about how planned out these dramas are. Because it always feels like they aren’t because of how unstrunctured and unpredictably random the pairings etc can seem. But that’s because the beauty in it is that it isn’t focused on a relationship. And that’s what frees the characters of codependency and expectancy in their relationships. But dramas have this beautiful thing where they treat each character is individual from their relationship by having endgame not be the only focus, but that that is only the true endgame for the people they still need to become. So naturally, we won’t see it start to blossom until they start to become those people.

Byler becoming more visible is a sign that the characters have reached a point of growth where they are ready for it. It was hypothetically compatible and narratively made sense for a prediction before, but they weren’t ready for it. And had they not changed in this direction, it would not have necessarily been best. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s been under the surface this whole time.

Early Bylers didn’t so much see it early as they did predict its future development. Because they weren’t there yet. But the signs were there that they would be. They were just hidden, as they were intended to be, to be noticed on a rewatch. The general audience intention just seemed to mean a rewatch of the show in its entirety after the reveal, not the second time you watch season 2 by itself XD. But it’s planted for the subliminal messaging and the theorizers anyways, out of a respect for their audience members.

Overall, I am very happy to say in recap that this show is not about Byler, but that is the best outcome for these characters, but only as the people they have become, whom they only could have become through their previous experiences and relationships. Not narratively, but realistically, any planted feelings would have faded or not been reciprocated and been gotten over had they developed in different directions. Which is exactly why narratively, it was natural for those who noticed the planted feelings to predict not that they would be endgame, but that they would become the people who that is best for.

[sneezemonster15]

What do you think about ppl like this https://sasukeyncoreblog.tumblr.com/post/686622642398183424

Hi.

What's there to say that I haven't said a hundred times before? The last comment made me smile. There is already a credible degree of obsession involved once you become a fan of a piece of art and write about it in an exclusive blog. It indicates a substantial level of commitment and effort, that you wouldn't just invest in something you didn't feel strongly about.

Sasuke and Naruto's love story finds its inspiration in Japanese Shakespeare (Chikamatsu), someone who idealizes the notion of romantic love in Japanese literature. Kishimoto's gargantuan effort in finding all kinds of romantic tropes found in literature, along with his maniacal obsession with making them visually and narratively compatible, using symbolism from South and East Asian mythology, all of it is evidence of his passion for Sasuke and Naruto's story. He has a persistent SNS brain rot himself. I have also discussed the cited interview before in a couple of my posts. It isn't really that difficult to put two and two together. heh.

The last comment in this thread made me think, it must be one of those fans who have their own unsubstantiated headcanons, for which they would easily dismiss glaring evidence of SNS. Meh, I can only snicker at them. What else can I be expected to think, looks like a case of sour grapes to me. And yes, those who deny SNS despite all the evidence are homophobic, directly or indirectly, whether they realize it or not. I don't expect a lot of emotional honesty from Naruto fandom, most of them aren't really aware that they are being emotionally dishonest with themselves, the extent of their denial is so far reaching, I can't really hope to hold an honest exchange of thoughts and opinions with them.

SNS inspires obsessive shipping. Full stop. If you understand the core ingredients of what makes SNS, SNS, if you really have that depth of feeling and understanding, if you are capable to feel what Kishimoto wanted you to feel, then you cannot be compared to shallow shippers and fans. Not all audience is alike. Godfather is an instant classic, one of the greatest films ever made, a masterclass in film theory. But one of my film buff friends fell asleep in the middle of watching it, it just wasn't her speed. Likewise, I usually like to watch Nolan's films but I fell asleep (twice, I tried twice and fell asleep both times) while watching his Batman trilogy. My ex, who happens to be a Batman obsessive themselves, haven't forgiven me for it yet.

So I understand not everyone gets SNS, the major themes that make their story so great. I appreciate it the way I do, because I come from a background where I have seen a hell lot of drama, romantic and otherwise, in films and literature and theatre. I am an art enthusiast, and as a former academic, I have written expansively on it. So, my context is different from a layman's context. I can identify things in it that most fans of a certain age and background can't, and I can't exactly blame them. My personal experience of life is also rich and diverse enough for me to appreciate SNS in a way that most others can't. If you don't know what you are looking at, you wouldn't understand why it is meaningful. But I can, and so can other fans such as me.

Understanding Naruto and Shippuden in its truest sense is a liability. It is a privilege and a curse. It's a boon and a burden. If one can get obsessive about literature such as Romeo and Juliet, then why not SNS, it's loads better than Romeo and Juliet. Yeah, I said it, and I stand by it.

I have said it before and for the purpose of this ask, I will say it again. If you ship Naruto and Sasuke for the right reasons, reasons that Kishimoto delineates himself, you believe in love for the right reasons. I am a childhood trauma survivor, and I really don't have time for shallow, superficial shit. I like substance and emotional heft in my stories. Kishimoto wrote his magnum opus with definitely this one thought in his mind, to write the greatest love story about two orphans in a conflicted world, a reflection of his own world, marred by the vagaries of war and loss and grief. Look at his interview that is mentioned in the thread, it is quite clear that his focus is on relationship and feelings. Love despite all odds. So intense and extreme and all consuming, that he is afraid people think of the boys as lunatics. He thinks perhaps they won't be able to get it, get the boys. He is aware how it looks to people who don't understand it. But he also knows that people who have experienced the stuff he writes about, they will understand. And they do. People who have survived childhood trauma, understand things about human condition that most people aren't able to, throughout their entire lives.

At the risk of being vulnerable, I would like to talk about what broke me first when watching Naruto the first time. No, it wasn't SNS. This scene. When little Gaara decides that if nobody loved him, he would love himself. Yeah, I had a breakdown after that. A very very deeply repressed memory came to surface. When I was a kid, entirely neglected and abhorred, I used to lock myself in my room, squash myself in a corner and imagine an adult me, rocking and hugging myself like a baby, while I wrapped my own arms around me, and telling myself that the adults in my life might not care, but the future adult me cares. So if they won't love me, I would love myself. That's how I used to comfort myself. Of course, later, it became kind of a part of my pathology, just like Gaara. Couldn't be helped. heh. But yeah, Kishimoto really put his finger on my most sensitive and deeply repressed nerves, he brought them out in the open and played them like a fucking harp, but it made the most haunting and beautiful melody so I stayed for the whole concert. Lol.

When I say their story isn't really age appropriate for its target group, I am not joshing, it really isn't. So I get that it's not for everyone. Maybe not even for adults who don't have that depth of emotions and understanding that this story requires. And it becomes clear that these are the same people who end up mischaracterizing both Sasuke's and Naruto's characters. It also helps that I have seen/read a lot of LGBTQ+ media, so the kind of tropes that I can identify in it, most others can't. Only the other day, I was talking to a friend of mine, he is an animehead. And even he doesn't get it. He also maintained that they were brothers and that Japanese media tends to depict male bonds as especially close, which is the case for Naruto and Sasuke, but that it isn't romantic. He compared them to Vegeta and Goku, sigh....

Now, he saw Naruto as a kid, so that's what he remembers. I could not keep it in at that point, I took my sweet time, but I proved him wrong. He still is resentful and doesn't completely agree, because he has this complex, whatever, as a long time Anime fan, in comparison, I have only been here a year. But he doesn't contradict me anymore. He knows his arguments will be stripped naked and spread to crumble in the sun, and good thing about him is that he defers to my critical evaluation.

But he is my friend and I care enough to invest in him. I can't do that for every Tom, Dick and Harry. But I do write a blog and when I am offered resistance to my posts, I don't react too much, unless the opportunist in me wants to make poor jokes, because what's it gonna accomplish? SNS is so in your face, that it takes a special brand of denial and homophobia to dismiss it. And I can give one all the technical reasons to prove it's a love story, but like I said, it really is about emotions. Feeling. If you can't feel it, you won't get it.

Perhaps some of these commenters also think either Sasuke or Naruto or both are straight? What can I say to that level of incomprehension? Maybe read more? Or live more? But that kind of advice should be coming to them from their mentors and therapists, not me.

In summation, Naruto and Shippuden aren't everyone's cup of tea. Those who scrunch their eyebrows at the obsessive passion that shippers show for SNS don't really get what makes SNS so damn special, and what exactly inspires such strong emotions in the shippers. It inspires an entire sea of emotions. And not everyone has the kind of mind or disposition to contain and process that kind of emotion. And I don't expect them to.