#cringe things & jaw droppers

[peachpety]

For the ask a reader meme: B10 and C2?

hi sugarsweet! gah, coming at me with most excellent, hard-hitting questions! i love it!!

B10. What is the best plot twist you’ve ever seen?

i'm not one for case-fics, but this fic was first that came to mind...as one that exploded my brain. in the best possible way...

Telling the Bees, by @cibeewastaken

if you've read this fic, you'll know. if not, grab tissues and get to it.

The other fic that came to mind is Wormwood and Realgar, by @opalesqueopioid (written for Quidditchfest, this fic has been hidden, which, i'm sad bc this fic was amazing and is one i think of often...dragonheartstrings!!! but regardless, i'm including it bc i was completely immersed like 👀 and jaw drops and whoopings!)

C2. What word or expression always makes you cringe when you read it?

'kay, i'm just going to say it. any use of "the blond" or "the brunette" or "the younger man"...i.e. epithets. i can forgive these, and let them slide...for the most part, but i confess, i do cringe a bit when i read it. it's not enough that i'll nope out of a fic...that's usually for Big Ticket Things (squicks, if you will)...but yeah. this and also "Dray" as a nickname for Draco. again, not enough to nope out ever, and NO JUDGEMENT, YOU DO YOU, but me personally, i 'cringe' and move on.

thanks for these asks, my love. xoxo peach 🍑

[yon-nyan]

The Shortcomings of Anime in 2017

Today, I decided to focus on my favourite pass-time (second to reading, of course): watching anime, but as I sat down to do it, I felt completely uninspired. This year has been a colossal titan of slumps and ruts, which has prevented me from enjoying many things that I normally turn to for fun and relaxation. Being able to watch anime definitely took a severe hit, but after deeper contemplation I have come to the realisation that the most logical reason behind my anime watching slumps have been the content that’s been available for 2017. Most of this year’s creations have been terrible and unpleasant, thus making it much easier for me to fall into an unintentional anime watching vacation.

I recently finished watching the first season of Inuyasha, which is a favourite of mine, however, it wasn’t always. While I remember having liked it very much upon my first watch-through, it wasn’t until this re-visit that I came to understand how much I love Inuyasha and why I love it so much. Long story short: it was fantastic in almost every single way. There’s great, consistent storytelling, amazing visuals that still hold up rather well, interesting and multi-faceted characters, and narratives within the series as a whole that could resonate with almost every sort of person on one level or another. It wasn’t a perfect series, most serials rarely are, but it was phenomenal and beautifully engaging. Modern anime sufficiently lacks many of the qualities that originally made me fall in love with the medium, qualities that can be found in a series like Inuyasha.

The 2017 seasons have mostly consisted of new additions to long-time familiars, and whatever new shows did sprout up, were laced with appalling tropes, poor storytelling, cringe-worthy humour, or it just focused so much on fan-service that it drowned out virtually everything else. While there are a few that have stood out and been remarkable, such as The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, March Comes in Like a Lion, Sakura Quest, and Tsuki ga Kirei, (and a couple others) most of them have been so disappointing that before I could realise what was happening, I had stopped watching them almost entirely.

Modern day anime caters more to the Western spheres and audiences rather than what works in Japan, and has worked there for many years. As this medium gains more popularity, spreading farther and farther to the corners of the world, the demand for genuine and consistently original content seems to have diminished in the face of common stereotypes. You would assume that the opposite affect would happen, but it didn’t. A lot of people who have grown to watch anime in the modern age, did so in the wake of shows like One Piece, Naruto, and shows revolving around musical idols. There’s nothing wrong with these if they float your fancy, but they aren’t the only things that this glorious medium has to offer. Originality, pure and intellectual creations of brilliance, are unwanted because then they’re too different from these mainstream titles.

Common tropes, usually dripping with moe, and over-the-top action are the preferred flavours. If a show isn’t following these tropes, then they result to absolutely ridiculous storytelling dynamics simply for the shock value and to say that it’s “different.” A perfect example of this is Elegant Yokai Apartment Life. It was a series that had the potential to resonate with feel-good vibes akin to Natsume’s Book of Friends, but instead progressed forward with some of the worst, what-the-fuck moments that I have ever seen. Most of it was a horrid mixture of lacklustre stereotypes and forced, incoherent jaw-droppers (that were more boring than anything else) that made it seem like even the writers didn’t know what to do with it.

Tsuki ga Kirei was a phenomenal series about awkward first romances around the pre-teen age that was genuine and honest. Yet a lot of people didn’t care for it because it didn’t have fan-service, or due to its slow progression (it’s very much a story-driven title). Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is a masterful exploration of rakugo, or Japanese verbal storytelling. It’s quite an intricate and beautiful performing art. The series exhibits traditional Japanese culture, while examining how it’s a struggling art form in contemporary Japanese society. But it’s quite unknown in many circles because it’s not filled with tedious action sequences, and focuses too heavily on a concept that is very much alien to Western audiences.

Another example is Sakura Quest. This show is mostly popular due to the fact it has cute young women in it. However, when I try to discuss other parts of the series that really drew me into it, aspects unrelated to the ladies or other cutesy things, I lose whomever I’m speaking with. This show is a marvellous piece on how small towns in Japan struggle to survive, particularly where tourism is concerned, when compared to much larger metropolitan cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. It shows the audience how many old-time traditions that Japan was originally built upon are being squished out of existence, and how these small communities are faced with the difficulties of keeping their traditions and heritage alive. But no one wants to talk about this, not when this character has big breasts and this other one is moe incarnate.

Look, I love anime, I really fucking do. I’m wholeheartedly stoked that anime is becoming much more than just a strange hobby that weird nerds do in the basement. The medium has a lot to offer, both artistically and scientifically (computer science). As someone who has a deep-rooted passion for exceptional storytelling, I must say that anime has exposed me to plenty of the finest narratives that I’ve ever come across. Nonetheless, I don’t want to see popularity strangle the brilliant potential out of the medium. Tropes are great when utilised with originality and creativity, but we need those things to keep anime great: originality, creativity, thinking outside of the popular box, allowing it to be genuine and true to it’s source rather than burying it in Western influences–those kinds of things.

While I didn’t set out to rant about my disappointments with anime in 2017, I am glad that I did so. I’m also very glad that it all came straight from the heart because a conversation like this needs to be genuine and real. In 2018, while I shall be more reserved about the offerings, I’m also going to be really hopeful. This isn’t the first time that anime has lost its way in the crowd of recognition and celebrity, and I doubt it will be the last. Nevertheless, I trust that it will find its way back to the masterful and innovative storytelling as it has plenty of times before… and if it doesn’t… in the words of Spike, “Oh well, whatever happens, happens.”

[atakportal]

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

New Post has been published on https://idealz.cloud/2018/07/10/summer-entertainment-we-still-cant-wait-for/

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

At times the summer months seem to drag on with their sweltering temperatures and seemingly limitless supply of eye- and skin-damaging sunshine.

But there’s a less oppressive light at the end of this very bright tunnel, and it’s made out of thousands of tiny pixels. Yes, I’m talking about screens, an important part of the most enjoyable summer experience: staying inside and watching shit.

Lucky for us, there are still so many summer releases to look forward to this season, from block-busting monster movies to steamy romance films, lawyer-centric dramas to Mama Mia sequels. And we are so excited for them to come out.

Man, it’s a hot one this year, so put these bad boys on your list of excuses to stay out of the sun:

Eighth Grade, July 13

The voice of Agnes in Despicable Me is all grown up! And she’s facing the painful, cringe-worthy middle school years we all have to get through. Bo Burnham’s feature film debut, Eighth Grade, promises to take a sincere and comedic look at the reality of those awkward stages in-between playground and prom—with bonus insight into what 2018 middle schoolers are experiencing.

Aside from the delightful trailer, the film’s promise is held in its Rotten Tomatoes score. A few dozen early reviews gave it a critics consensus of 98%. That’s good news for Burnham and even better news for those of us who look back fondly as ourselves at our most earnest. –Alison Foreman

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, July 20

Slap on some sparkly boots and your favorite hairbrush microphone — we’re going back to a magical Greek island. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has everything one could want in a prequel/sequel: ABBA songs, Christine Baranski, relationship ~ drama ~. Plus Lily James is playing young Meryl Streep and Cher (yes CHER) is playing Streep’s mother. Can you honestly think of anything more blissful than sitting in some nice air conditioning eating some popcorn and watching all that? I CANNOT. – Erin Strecker

Hot Summer Nights, July 27

A24 may have another indie smash hit this summer — luckily, with a lighter tone than the record-breaking Hereditary. 

In ’90s Cape Cod, Daniel is trying to stumble his way through adolescence when he smokes weed for the first time. Rather than extrapolate on the size of the universe or scarf down a large cheese pizza, he opts to haphazardly enter the world of drug dealing. 

Alongside It Follows star Maika Monroe, Timothée Chalamet seems primed to explore more of the Ladybird era with an exciting storyline that will begin as mischief, but quickly descend into mayhem. I love Timothée. I love drama. I love turquoise and pink cups. Let’s go. –Alison Foreman

Better Call Saul Season 4, Aug. 6

Better Call Saul’s third season finale was a heartbreaker, a tearjerker, an absolute jaw-dropper — which means that I’m facing Season 4 with equal parts dread and anticipation. We already know Mike’s gonna be okay, at least until he’s not. And we already know Jimmy won’t be, since he’s teetering on the edge of Saul-dom. But please, for the love of God, just tell me Kim makes it out of this thing unscathed. –Angie Han

The Meg, Aug. 10

Look, some days you just want to sit back, relax, and down a dino-sized bucket of popcorn while Jason Statham battles a prehistoric shark. And The Meg seems to be playing the tone exactly right, at least based on the marketing – leaning into the utter cheesiness of the premise with punny taglines (“pleased to eat you”) and on-the-nose song choices (“Beyond the Sea”). Because sometimes, the simple pleasures are the sweetest ones. –Angie Han

Insecure Season 3, Aug. 12

It’s nice to live in a time where you can choose your own millennial self-discovery series, and Insecure is arguably the best choice. Issa Rae has such a distinct and powerful voice in helming the series that it’s impossible to not feel part of her characters’ world when you watch. It’ll be a long summer, but I’m ready to see my friends again.-Proma Khosla

Crazy Rich Asians, Aug. 15

I first picked up Kevin Kwan’s addictive and extravagant novel in 2015, after my roommate became a recluse in the week that it took her to read it. This is a book that belongs on the big screen, where you can witness the unimaginable opulence of characters’ lives, relish the petty drama, and salivate over the food (someone fly me to Singapore, plz).-Proma Khosla

Spider-Man, Sept. 7

The web-slinger is swinging back into action on PlayStation 4 this summer and it looks absolutely amazing. Spider-Man allows you to step into the shoes and skin-tight suit of Spider-Man in an open recreation of New York City packed full of classic villains for you to live out your superhero fantasies in. It’s the most beautiful and smooth-looking Spider-Man game yet, and there’s no better way to ignore responsibilities and enjoy some AC than sinking dozens of hours into a Marvel simulator.-Kellen Beck

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[we-are-ahead-of-the-game-blog]

The Jimmer Effect

          Out of all of the captivating stories to come out of basketball recently, one of the most entertaining by far is Jimmer Fredette dropping seventy-three points for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association.  Remember Jimmer Fredette?  “Jimmer Fredette: nothing but net”?  If not, I don’t blame you.  Fredette was a star at BYU a few years ago and regarded by many as the top player in the country during his senior year.  His star continued to rise as he broke record after record: BYU’s career scoring record (previously held by NBA Hall of Famer Danny Ainge), BYUs’s single-game scoring record, BYU’s first half scoring record, most forty point games for BYU, most thirty point games for BYU, etc.  After a monstrous senior year, Fredette was unanimously named the 2011 national player of the year by the Associated Press, Basketball Times, the CBS Sports website, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Sports Illustrated website, Athlon Sports, Sporting News, and more.  Fredette achieved an almost godlike status throughout the country, winning an ESPY and having dedicated fans make tribute songs about his offensive prowess (i.e., “Teach Me How to Jimmer”).  Even President Barack Obama weighed in on Fredette, calling him “unbelievable.  Best scorer obviously in the country.  Great talent”.           And all of the attention was warranted.  Fredette really was the best scorer in the country.  His dominance, however, did not carry over into the NBA.  After getting drafted tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, it became evident rather quickly that the former college phenom would not survive long at the professional level.  His brief four year career involved stints on four different teams and time in the D-League before eventually being forced to sign overseas.           Fredette’s career is a bit of a puzzle: superstar in college, bust in the NBA, success in the D-League (he was named to the All-NBA D-League Second Team), and a beast again in China (this season, he’s averaging thirty-six points per game).  The reason comes down to this: Jimmer Fredette can’t play defense.  Fredette is an incomplete player, which is why he spent four years in college.  Spending four years in college when you’re an elite player just doesn’t happen much anymore.  It’s like being an amazing actor who only does community theater.  The transcendent Division I talents are usually one-and-done players.  Some might stay two years, with three usually being the max.  So when I see a four year stud in college, I usually pump my brakes.  Fredette could shoot like few others, but the guy couldn’t guard eighteen-year-olds when he was a senior.  GMs were fools if they thought he could hang around with the best players in the world.          Perfect example: Fredette scored seventy-three points on Sunday… and his team actually lost.  It wouldn’t surprise me if the guy he was supposed to guard ended up scoring seventy-four points.  The former BYU star was a bust in the NBA, yet fans are now clamoring all over again for their team to try to sign him.  It’s a phenomena we see often in basketball, where fans and GMs alike fall for these incomplete college stars and end up making fools of themselves.  I call this the “Jimmer Effect”.           The nation fell head over heels for Jimmer Fredette because he was exciting and was breaking records.  College basketball has this type of effect on casual spectators.  Only a select few fans actually watch the season year-round.  Most tune in when March Madness starts and then hear the announcers and reporters rave about all the wonderful things these players have done this season, neglecting to mention the important fact that sometimes these players might be significantly older than their competition and have a tendency to defend like statues.  These Fredette-esque players shine in the tournament with the whole country watching, win a ton of awards, gain national recognition, and are suddenly considered future All-Stars.  In reality, they are simply smoke and mirror prospects who will forever be destined to bounce from team to team or play overseas.           The Jimmer Fredette story comes out at a perfect time because that same night he scored seventy-three points, the Sacramento Kings traded outstanding big man DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and a couple of picks in this year’s draft.  There’s no other way to say it: the Kings got robbed.  Cousins is easily the best center in the league and loved the city of Sacramento.  Yes, he has his issues but his production on the court is lightyears ahead of what the Kings received in return.  So why on earth would the Kings give up their franchise cornerstone for so little?           The story become even more head-scratching when the Kings GM said yesterday that his team received a better offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, but declined it.  The Lakers allegedly were willing to give up everything and everyone aside from Brandon Ingram to land Cousins.  The Kings’ GM was probably frothing at the mouth at the prospect to pull in such a huge haul, including affordable young talent and an abundance of lottery picks, for such a troubled (albeit superbly talented) player.  His boss, Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadive, wasn’t as thrilled.  He insisted that his GM reject the trade and instead take a much lesser one from New Orleans.  There’s no reason any sane owner would ever do this, unless he was influenced by…           The Jimmer Effect.           ESPN reported yesterday that the Kings’ owner insisted upon trading Cousins to New Orleans for a much worse deal because he considers Buddy Hield to have “Steph Curry potential”.  That statement is a jaw-dropper for plenty of reasons.  Steph Curry, as we all know, is one of the best shooters to ever live, a terrific ball-handler, an above average passer, and a two-time NBA MVP.  To say that anyone can match up to Curry is a risky venture, especially someone who’s averaging eight and a half points per game.           Like Fredette, Hield is a four-year college player who excelled during his senior year that saw him win multiple awards, set a few records, and have a great March Madness… as a twenty-two year old… playing against guys who were oftentimes four years younger than him.  If Hield is truly that good, why didn’t he declare for the draft as a freshman or a sophomore or even a junior?  He stayed in college for the maximum amount of time possible and only started to become a dominating presence as he got older and his competition got younger.           And in that fabulous senior year where he played against teenagers on a nightly basis, Hield averaged a whopping two assists per game.  That’s a big red flag.  A guard averaging two assists is downright abysmal at any level.  There is not one elite guard in the NBA who averages two assists per game.  In fact, there may not even be one decent guard in the NBA who averages so little.           But wait, it gets worse: Hield averaged more turnovers in his best year in college than he did assists.  To repeat, Buddy Hield played his best year of basketball during his senior year… and he averaged more turnovers per game than he did assists.  That is a cringe-worthy stat for any player in any league, especially for a guard who was surrounded by talent at Oklahoma University and now apparently has “Steph Curry potential”.  Curry averaged three times as many assists at Davidson College as a junior, where he was working with much less talent.           To recap: Steph Curry is a legendary shooter with fantastic ball-handling skills and a great ability to distribute the basketball.  Hield is a decent shooter with average ball-handling skills and cannot pass the basketball.  Yet the Kings’ owner thinks he has “Steph Curry potential”?  Give me a break.           Vivek Ranadive fell victim to the same trick that’s been duping fans and owners for years: the dreaded Jimmer Effect.  Jimmer Fredette can score like a madman, but he can’t play defense.  Buddy Hield has the potential to wow a crowd, but he can’t pass the basketball.  Ranadive must have turned on the tournament last year, fell in love with Hield like many people did, heard everyone gush over him, saw him win the John R. Wooden Award, watched him get drafted number six overall, and told his GM that he had to have him.  Instead of acquiring multiple lottery picks and proven young talent at a very cheap cost from the Lakers, the Kings were willing to take a much lesser deal to land a four-year college player who averaged more turnovers than assists during his big senior year and is currently averaging eight points in the NBA because he has “Steph Curry potential”.           Buddy Hield will never be anywhere near Steph Curry.  In fact, his numbers this year are even worse than Seth Curry’s.  The much less talented Curry brother is averaging more points, assists, and steals per game with a much higher three point percentage and field goal percentage than Hield.  Yet somehow, the Kings owner forced his GM to give away the best big man in the NBA for a couple of draft picks, some other okay players, and a guy who he thinks is the next Steph Curry.  Yeah, right.  More like the next Jimmer Fredette.  Tell the Shanghai Sharks to start clearing a spot on their roster.

- EL

[atakportal]

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

New Post has been published on https://idealz.cloud/2018/07/10/summer-entertainment-we-still-cant-wait-for/

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

At times the summer months seem to drag on with their sweltering temperatures and seemingly limitless supply of eye- and skin-damaging sunshine.

But there’s a less oppressive light at the end of this very bright tunnel, and it’s made out of thousands of tiny pixels. Yes, I’m talking about screens, an important part of the most enjoyable summer experience: staying inside and watching shit.

Lucky for us, there are still so many summer releases to look forward to this season, from block-busting monster movies to steamy romance films, lawyer-centric dramas to Mama Mia sequels. And we are so excited for them to come out.

Man, it’s a hot one this year, so put these bad boys on your list of excuses to stay out of the sun:

Eighth Grade, July 13

The voice of Agnes in Despicable Me is all grown up! And she’s facing the painful, cringe-worthy middle school years we all have to get through. Bo Burnham’s feature film debut, Eighth Grade, promises to take a sincere and comedic look at the reality of those awkward stages in-between playground and prom—with bonus insight into what 2018 middle schoolers are experiencing.

Aside from the delightful trailer, the film’s promise is held in its Rotten Tomatoes score. A few dozen early reviews gave it a critics consensus of 98%. That’s good news for Burnham and even better news for those of us who look back fondly as ourselves at our most earnest. –Alison Foreman

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, July 20

Slap on some sparkly boots and your favorite hairbrush microphone — we’re going back to a magical Greek island. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has everything one could want in a prequel/sequel: ABBA songs, Christine Baranski, relationship ~ drama ~. Plus Lily James is playing young Meryl Streep and Cher (yes CHER) is playing Streep’s mother. Can you honestly think of anything more blissful than sitting in some nice air conditioning eating some popcorn and watching all that? I CANNOT. – Erin Strecker

Hot Summer Nights, July 27

A24 may have another indie smash hit this summer — luckily, with a lighter tone than the record-breaking Hereditary. 

In ’90s Cape Cod, Daniel is trying to stumble his way through adolescence when he smokes weed for the first time. Rather than extrapolate on the size of the universe or scarf down a large cheese pizza, he opts to haphazardly enter the world of drug dealing. 

Alongside It Follows star Maika Monroe, Timothée Chalamet seems primed to explore more of the Ladybird era with an exciting storyline that will begin as mischief, but quickly descend into mayhem. I love Timothée. I love drama. I love turquoise and pink cups. Let’s go. –Alison Foreman

Better Call Saul Season 4, Aug. 6

Better Call Saul’s third season finale was a heartbreaker, a tearjerker, an absolute jaw-dropper — which means that I’m facing Season 4 with equal parts dread and anticipation. We already know Mike’s gonna be okay, at least until he’s not. And we already know Jimmy won’t be, since he’s teetering on the edge of Saul-dom. But please, for the love of God, just tell me Kim makes it out of this thing unscathed. –Angie Han

The Meg, Aug. 10

Look, some days you just want to sit back, relax, and down a dino-sized bucket of popcorn while Jason Statham battles a prehistoric shark. And The Meg seems to be playing the tone exactly right, at least based on the marketing – leaning into the utter cheesiness of the premise with punny taglines (“pleased to eat you”) and on-the-nose song choices (“Beyond the Sea”). Because sometimes, the simple pleasures are the sweetest ones. –Angie Han

Insecure Season 3, Aug. 12

It’s nice to live in a time where you can choose your own millennial self-discovery series, and Insecure is arguably the best choice. Issa Rae has such a distinct and powerful voice in helming the series that it’s impossible to not feel part of her characters’ world when you watch. It’ll be a long summer, but I’m ready to see my friends again.-Proma Khosla

Crazy Rich Asians, Aug. 15

I first picked up Kevin Kwan’s addictive and extravagant novel in 2015, after my roommate became a recluse in the week that it took her to read it. This is a book that belongs on the big screen, where you can witness the unimaginable opulence of characters’ lives, relish the petty drama, and salivate over the food (someone fly me to Singapore, plz).-Proma Khosla

Spider-Man, Sept. 7

The web-slinger is swinging back into action on PlayStation 4 this summer and it looks absolutely amazing. Spider-Man allows you to step into the shoes and skin-tight suit of Spider-Man in an open recreation of New York City packed full of classic villains for you to live out your superhero fantasies in. It’s the most beautiful and smooth-looking Spider-Man game yet, and there’s no better way to ignore responsibilities and enjoy some AC than sinking dozens of hours into a Marvel simulator.-Kellen Beck

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1453039084979896'); if (window.mashKit) mashKit.gdpr.trackerFactory(function() fbq('track', "PageView"); ).render(); Source link

[atakportal]

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

New Post has been published on https://idealz.cloud/2018/07/10/summer-entertainment-we-still-cant-wait-for/

Summer entertainment we (still) can't wait for

At times the summer months seem to drag on with their sweltering temperatures and seemingly limitless supply of eye- and skin-damaging sunshine.

But there’s a less oppressive light at the end of this very bright tunnel, and it’s made out of thousands of tiny pixels. Yes, I’m talking about screens, an important part of the most enjoyable summer experience: staying inside and watching shit.

Lucky for us, there are still so many summer releases to look forward to this season, from block-busting monster movies to steamy romance films, lawyer-centric dramas to Mama Mia sequels. And we are so excited for them to come out.

Man, it’s a hot one this year, so put these bad boys on your list of excuses to stay out of the sun:

Eighth Grade, July 13

The voice of Agnes in Despicable Me is all grown up! And she’s facing the painful, cringe-worthy middle school years we all have to get through. Bo Burnham’s feature film debut, Eighth Grade, promises to take a sincere and comedic look at the reality of those awkward stages in-between playground and prom—with bonus insight into what 2018 middle schoolers are experiencing.

Aside from the delightful trailer, the film’s promise is held in its Rotten Tomatoes score. A few dozen early reviews gave it a critics consensus of 98%. That’s good news for Burnham and even better news for those of us who look back fondly as ourselves at our most earnest. –Alison Foreman

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, July 20

Slap on some sparkly boots and your favorite hairbrush microphone — we’re going back to a magical Greek island. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has everything one could want in a prequel/sequel: ABBA songs, Christine Baranski, relationship ~ drama ~. Plus Lily James is playing young Meryl Streep and Cher (yes CHER) is playing Streep’s mother. Can you honestly think of anything more blissful than sitting in some nice air conditioning eating some popcorn and watching all that? I CANNOT. – Erin Strecker

Hot Summer Nights, July 27

A24 may have another indie smash hit this summer — luckily, with a lighter tone than the record-breaking Hereditary. 

In ’90s Cape Cod, Daniel is trying to stumble his way through adolescence when he smokes weed for the first time. Rather than extrapolate on the size of the universe or scarf down a large cheese pizza, he opts to haphazardly enter the world of drug dealing. 

Alongside It Follows star Maika Monroe, Timothée Chalamet seems primed to explore more of the Ladybird era with an exciting storyline that will begin as mischief, but quickly descend into mayhem. I love Timothée. I love drama. I love turquoise and pink cups. Let’s go. –Alison Foreman

Better Call Saul Season 4, Aug. 6

Better Call Saul’s third season finale was a heartbreaker, a tearjerker, an absolute jaw-dropper — which means that I’m facing Season 4 with equal parts dread and anticipation. We already know Mike’s gonna be okay, at least until he’s not. And we already know Jimmy won’t be, since he’s teetering on the edge of Saul-dom. But please, for the love of God, just tell me Kim makes it out of this thing unscathed. –Angie Han

The Meg, Aug. 10

Look, some days you just want to sit back, relax, and down a dino-sized bucket of popcorn while Jason Statham battles a prehistoric shark. And The Meg seems to be playing the tone exactly right, at least based on the marketing – leaning into the utter cheesiness of the premise with punny taglines (“pleased to eat you”) and on-the-nose song choices (“Beyond the Sea”). Because sometimes, the simple pleasures are the sweetest ones. –Angie Han

Insecure Season 3, Aug. 12

It’s nice to live in a time where you can choose your own millennial self-discovery series, and Insecure is arguably the best choice. Issa Rae has such a distinct and powerful voice in helming the series that it’s impossible to not feel part of her characters’ world when you watch. It’ll be a long summer, but I’m ready to see my friends again.-Proma Khosla

Crazy Rich Asians, Aug. 15

I first picked up Kevin Kwan’s addictive and extravagant novel in 2015, after my roommate became a recluse in the week that it took her to read it. This is a book that belongs on the big screen, where you can witness the unimaginable opulence of characters’ lives, relish the petty drama, and salivate over the food (someone fly me to Singapore, plz).-Proma Khosla

Spider-Man, Sept. 7

The web-slinger is swinging back into action on PlayStation 4 this summer and it looks absolutely amazing. Spider-Man allows you to step into the shoes and skin-tight suit of Spider-Man in an open recreation of New York City packed full of classic villains for you to live out your superhero fantasies in. It’s the most beautiful and smooth-looking Spider-Man game yet, and there’s no better way to ignore responsibilities and enjoy some AC than sinking dozens of hours into a Marvel simulator.-Kellen Beck

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