#film: king arthur 2004

[nardeletuane]

Diz a lenda que cavaleiros mortos retornam como grandes cavalos.

Rei Arthur (2004)

[skylessknights]

KING ARTHUR (2004) set design appreciation: ― Hadrian's Wall: The Roundtable [3/?] inspired by @lady-arryn wonderful set design series [x]

KA20TH CELEBRATION | Day 4 - Home

AN: How can I do this series and not include The Roundtable? Gosh the empty seats are a gut punch to the heart. So many men sat around this table but only six survived. So many years lost to an Empire that hey were forced to serve and to cause they didn't even believe in. But they all believed in Arthur and that's all that matters. (P.S. I love that Arthur and Lancelot are sitting next to each other 🤭)

Also to anyone who's writing fics for this film, feel free to use this has visual inspiration if you're struggling with imagery or what-not💖

Tagging: @ka20th

[queer-ragnelle]

to make changes to a story or to criticize it you have to first understand and respect it. arthurian legend exists on a wide spectrum the scope of which cannot be overstated. that’s not an excuse. try to interpret the deeper themes behind the layers of sometimes uncomfortable medieval subject matter anyway.

insofar as retellings go, merlin characterization varies wildly and i like many of them—from mary stewart’s asexual sweet thoughtful dad type to t. h. white’s silly weirdo old man to phyllis ann karr’s creepy inhuman predator type. i just need to be narratively convinced of it.

the movie sword of lancelot (1963) had a dagonet that told fun rhymes and offered worldly advice. king arthur (2004) dagonet was a stoic warrior with two lines of dialogue in the entire film and didn’t smile once. guess which film understood the material it drew from better and utilized the character in a meaningful way.

comprehension and respect is what sets john boorman’s excalibur (1981) at the top and leaves cursed (2020) wallowing at the bottom of the barrel. i’m not watching bc i heard the legendary sword excalibur was going to be on screen—i’m watching bc i want to become emotionally invested in a cleverly written character with lofty goals and interesting flaws wielding it. i want to root for them, imperfect though they be. but their faults have to be an intentional and thoughtful writing choice, not a result of poor planning on the creator’s part, and not an attempt to “fix” the medieval material and market to as broad an audience as possible. great king bad husband arthur succeeds where girlboss nimue fails.

i don’t want arthurian legend to suffer as greek mythology has suffered. i don’t want any of it watered down for modern sensibilities but neither do i want game of thrones 2. i don’t claim to be the final judge of what a “good” or “bad” arthurian adaptation is by any means. i like all of them! but i have read enough medieval literature and modern retellings and watched every film and show and documentary on the subject i can find, so i’m coming from that angle when i say a successful adaptation of medieval stories should act as a continuation of tradition. that can only be achieved when one considers the merit of the story above all else. capitalism will try to strangle it but we can’t let that happen. palatability or edginess for the sake of being palatable or edgy has no place in mythology and literary tradition.

all good stories are balanced, and the only way to be balanced is to admire the original stories and appreciate them for what they are, products of their time though they may be, and determine what the most compelling story you can tell with that material is. then write it down without any agenda in mind. it’s an art, not a science. so in the wake of booktok trends and weaksauce fantasy adaptations the likes of witcher (2019) and rings of power (2022) created by people who don’t like or understand the source material besieging our feeds, let’s create something beautiful. go forth and make stuff. gay knights and gay rights.

[agendabymooner]

pride & pettiness || jb22 series (1)

jenson button x ofc (british actress!ofc)

EXTENSION TO THE MR. DARCY TYPE (SMAU)

Summary: Ada James Abbott was an actress first and a writer second, but it seems like meeting a certain Jenson Button added more to her title as she learned to love and list down the most significant moments of her life with him.

OR her book, Mr. Driver, consisted of diary entries and memories that Ada remembered still to this day. These are the contents of the journals.

Content warning: Use of explicit language, Pride & Prejudice references, email exchanges, journal entries + scenarios (per time skip), fluff, yearning, Mr. Darcy & Lizzie Bennet dynamic (with a bit more humour and less aloofness), strangers to situationship to lovers??

Note: I’ve been talking to @daaiissyyyyy about sharing this thing because I have kept it in my drafts for a while. This may not continue or may continue but enjoy xx

a - n masterlist

o - z masterlist

i. 2004 In which, Ada and Jenson met for the first time. Also when the British actress found him attractive until he started talking.

JOURNAL ENTRY 1: SILVERSTONE 2004 — MR. HONDA DRIVER IS A HANDSOME GIT

I thought Hugh Dancy was the most attractive and insufferable man to have ever existed. But then my manager generously forced me to attend a race in Silverstone that eventually led me to some man named Jenson Button. He graced the grid with his boyish smile and his trademark charm that made me wonder if girls had ever fallen to their knees to be with him. 

But his charm was arrogance in disguise. Who would have thought that a man so handsome could be stupid enough to downplay a stranger’s ability? Especially if he hadn’t seen enough of what I do? He doesn’t even know who I am and I don’t think that he is ever interested to know— but his jokes said otherwise. The endless flirting wasn’t the only thing that had my face flushing. 

I probably overthink his jokes and had taken it to heart. But I can’t be blamed for that. He’s just attractive and I thought that he had potential. Then again, I shouldn’t expect too much from men. 

SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND

Martin Brundle and his Grid Walk was the best part of the race; each celebrity or guest who graced the race with their presence loved having a conversation with him. 

Ada James Abbott’s experience, however, was something of a memorable one. After all, meeting the most handsome man to have ever existed happened there. Live on the telly with his stupid attractive smile. 

“The movie, King Arthur, is in its first box office week. You happened to play Guinevere,” Martin pointed out, making Ada nod and grin.

She stood next to him with all the smiles that she could offer — just happy to be recognized by someone in this industry of sports. The former driver then continued, “And you’re here in the grid now to spectate and enjoy the race— do tell: why were you not here the last time when the Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out? We were anticipating your appearance as you have obviously played the role of Elizabeth Swann. I was hoping to tell you more about what I thought of it.”

Ada giggled quietly before answering, “The schedule was quite tight during that time with having to go to tours and promote the film and filming other works in progress. We can absolutely discuss what you think but I do not think that it’ll be something that everyone would like to hear about on such a busy day!” 

“Are you a fan of Formula One?” The reporter asked, a glint of curiosity washing through his features as he waited for the British actress to answer. 

Ada then hummed, “It used to be something I watched. My father tried to rope me into watching it with him before, but it seemed to be only effective for my brothers Ralph and Nathan. I would watch at least… a race every month. It’s- yeah- it’s not something I would watch by myself so being here now and watching the real thing is an experience my dad would kill to see firsthand.” 

“And you’ve met the drivers from the team you happened to be a guest in?” 

“I did,” Ada replied with a nod, “David Coulthard, or DC— he insisted that I call him that— is a lovely man. He ran through the basics of his car and obviously had put up with my lack of knowledge in the technical aspects of the race. Kimi Raikkönen is a rather reserved one, and we’d obviously have to work on our relationship because of the lack of communication. Otherwise, it is amazing! I’m quite fortunate to be at the McLaren gar—“

“Would you look at that beauty!” Ada turned towards the direction of the voice and found herself staring at the facial features of the speaker. 

A handsome man, he was. 

“I think that you are speaking about yourself, Jenson,” Martin joked as ‘Jenson’ approached the two, now standing next to Ada as her face flushed red. “That head of yours would make the car lose its balance.” 

“I didn’t say anything about myself,” Jenson scoffed playfully before peering down at Ada with a… smirk.

Ada lost all of her senses as Jenson began to speak, “‘Sides, if anything— this pretty face would make me lose my balance.” 

“I assume that you’ve seen Ada James Abbott before,” Martin piped up, making Ada glance at the man and shift back to look at him.

She wasn’t able to see the handsome man, Jenson, next to her, but she could remember how the upper part of his race suit hung from his waist and how his eyes lingered on her. 

What she wasn’t able to see however was the shaking of his head. Martin then continued to speak, “She’s quite an amazing actress, Jenson.”

“Is she really?” This comment had Ada turning as she looked at Jenson, whose smirk continued to grow while he spoke. “I’d believe any lie that you would tell me, especially if I’m being graced with your beauty.”

“What is that supposed to mean, exactly?” Ada spewed out, slightly baffled as he laughed heartily. 

“I’m just saying,” Jenson winked at her, “I’ll believe it when I see a trophy, darling.” 

With one comment, all the butterflies in her stomach had turned into something more sour. Ada Abbott’s smile turned strained as she only nodded before looking back at Martin Brundle. She wasn’t about to give this man the time of day right now. Perhaps he’d have to either retract his words or at least act like he just insulted her on live television instead of joking around like nothing happened. 

JOURNAL ENTRY 2: EAT YOUR OWN WORDS, MR. HONDA DRIVER.

I just won my third trophy of the year. It’s quite amazing. But there’s something wonderful about making Jenson Button eat his own words. It was probably my pride that asked for his email address but sending him an image felt nothing of malice but satisfaction. God, did it feel so good. 

TO BE CONTINUED

[desperatelyseekingcannibals]

A Mads poll with a difference!

A poll of Mads Mikkelsen movies where the selection is based on range of factors, including but not limited to: genre, writer/director, country of release, date of release and 🎉vibes 🎉

Some of the movies may fit in more than one category, so vibes have mostly informed those decisions.

Round One:

Choose your fave!

Let's take a look at some early English speaking roles...

King Arthur is a 2004 UK-US-Irish historical adventure. Setting the legend of King Arthur against the backdrop of the Roman Empire rather than a medieval retelling it revolves around defending the area around Hadrian's Wall. Mads plays Tristan, one of the knights of the round table (and Hugh plays fellow knight Galahad :3)

Clash of the Titans is the Australian-American 2010 remake of the 1981 classic action adventure based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Mads plays Draco, head of the King's guard, tasked with helping Perseus on his mission to save the king's daughter from being sacrificed.

The Three Musketeers is a UK-French-German 2011 retelling of the Alexandre Dumas novel, this time featuring airships whilst not going full steampunk. Mads plays baddy Captain Rochefort, leader of big bad Cardinal Richelieu's guard.

The Salvation is a 2014 Danish Western, filmed in the US. Set in 1871, the story follows brothers Jon and Peter who move from Denmark to the US. When Jon's wife and son comes to join them, they are set upon by criminals which results in a deadly feud. Mads plays Danish war veteran turned Wild West homesteader, Jon Jensen.

Fighters all, but who wins your vote?

[sasha-br]

This week begins the 20th anniversary of the little movie that could, King Arthur (2004).

I don’t have the room or the words to say how much this film means to me or how it taught me to write and how I still have friends that I love that I met because of it.

I had life altering experiences, an amazing trip to the UK, one to New York, and two to North Carolina. I have spent the majority of the 20 years thinking or reading or writing about KA or some iteration inspired by it.

It encouraged me to create what I consider some of my best work and brought me to people I had no idea were out there, people like me and people that taught me to be a better friend and person.

Thank you to Cat, to Karen, to Kaarlo and Maria and Amera and Gissey. To Shelley and Laura and Rhonda. Thank you to the folks that still read and comment.

Thank you, Lancelot and Arthur (and my modern Arthur and Lance). I love you boys so much ❤️❤️⚔️

Happy anniversary OTP and KA!

I will be hopefully posting some “drabbles” this week in the AO3 collection here:

I will be cross posting here as well.

❤️⚔️🍷

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Disney 100 ✨🏰🤍

Wishing you all a happy new year and to Disney, a belated 100th anniversary! 🎉

To celebrate Disney’s century milestone, I created an illustration based on 100 of Disney’s most known and loved characters from their respective movies/ series. I’ve included all the ones I’ve known and feel are generally popular but I’m sorry if your personal favourites aren’t here.

This has been in the works for almost four months now but due to many delays I couldn’t finish it on time. So here it finally is!

Out of all these range characters, the hardest to draw was the Cars. I’m not used to drawing cars so I’m not generally good at them (yet). Some of these may look simple and easy to draw but trust me, they’re not 😂.

With drawing the characters and the background, I like to be accurate with the respective style it’s drawn/ animated in and the colours too. But also I wanted to also simplify the 3D ones and add a little depth using shadow to the 2D ones. For example some of these films would have a desaturated grainy effect to it and I wanted to keep that. But finally after months of working on it, it’s completed and I’m happy with it! ✨.

Please, please do check it out on Instagram too:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zahra Sarfraz (@artofzahrasarfraz)

If this link doesn't work, my username is @/artofzafrasarfraz - it's where I put all my drawings up on. Please do share on stories and comment. Much appreciated 🥹🫶🏼🤍

All the 100 characters featured in this piece are listed below:

1927: Trolley Troubles / Oswald The Lucky Rabbit (2022): Oswald

1937: Snow White: Snow White and the Evil Queen

1941: Dumbo: Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse

1942: Bambi: Thumper and Bambi

1943: Private Pluto: Chip and Dale

1944: The Lion King: (Child) Simba

1949: Pinocchio: Pinocchio

1950: Cinderella: Cinderella

1951: Alice In Wonderland: Alice, Cheshire cat and Mad Hatter

1953: Peter Pan: Peter Pan and Tinker Bell

1959: Sleeping Beauty: Aurora and Maleficent

1963: The Sword in the Stone: Arthur Pendragon

1964: Mary Poppins: Mary Poppins

1967: 101 Dalmatians: Cruella De Vil and Patch | Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo

1970: Aristocats: Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz

1973: Robin Hood: Robin Hood

1977: The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh: Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin

1989: The Little Mermaid: Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian and Ursula

1991: Beauty And The Beast: Belle

1992: Aladdin: Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie

1993: Steamboat Willie/ Mickey Mouse Series: Mickey & Minnie Mouse | Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellingtion

1995: Lady and the Tramp: Lady & Tramp | Toy Story: Woody and Buzz Light-year | Pocahontas: Pocahontas

1997: Hercules: Hercules & Megara

1998: Mulan: Mulan | A Bug's Life: Flik

2000: The Emperor's New Groove: Kuzco

2001: Monsters Inc: Sulley, Mike and Mary Gibbs aka Boo

2002: Lilo & Stitch: Lilo and Stitch

2003: Finding Nemo: Nemo and Dory

2004: The Incredibles - Helen Parr aka Elastic girl, Robert (Rob) Parr aka Mr. Incredible, Jack-Jack Parr and Edna Mode

2006: Cars: Lighting McQueen and Tow Mater

2007: Enchanted: Giselle Phillip

2008: WALL - E: Wall-E & Eve | Phineas and Ferb: Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher

2009: The Princess and the Frog: Tiana | UP: Carl Fredricksen and Dug

2010: Tangled: Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder aka Eugene Fitzherbert and Pascal

2012: BRAVE: Merida | Wreck-It Ralph: Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz

2013: Frozen: Elsa, Anna and Olaf

2014: Big Hero Six: Baymax

2015: Inside Out: Joy and Sadness

2016: Moana: Moana | Zootopia (2016): Nick Wilde & Judith (Judy) Laverne Hopps

2017: COCO: Miguel Rivera

2020: Soul: Joe and 22

2021: Luca: Luca | Encanto: Mirabel and Isabella Mardigal | Raya And The Last Dragon: Raya

2022: Red Panda: Mei Lee aka the Red Panda

2023: Elemental: Ember Lumen & Wade Ripple | Wish: Asha and Star

[super-who-locked-me-in-here]

I can and will find a way to connect any and all media to Hannibal.

I told my friends on Friday that Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is part of the Hannibal Extended Universe because in that movie the character Papa Bear is voiced by Ray Winstone who also played Bors in King Arthur (2004) which was the first film that Mads and Hugh ever starred in together.

My friends ask me how every movie we watch is part of the Hannibal Extended Universe.

My friends hate me.

[sotwk]

KING ARTHUR (2004)!!! How could I forget to mention this in my list of favorite movies??? AHHHH. The best cast of knights EVER it is impossible to choose a favorite!

Thank you @missiemoosie for reminding me I am due for a rewatch of this magnificent and woefully underrated film! <3 It's so important I rectify this oversight that I'm making a new, separate post to recommend it!

I know many people take issue with the plot/premise of this adaptation, since it eliminates the magical elements, but I for one appreciated the different take on the legend. Script/story aside, the magnificent cast alone and terrific cinematography makes it well worth a watch!

To the un-initiated; behold this AMAZING CAST! (It's literally a buffet of hotties!)

Clive Owen as Arthur

Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot

Mads Mikkelsen as Tristan

Joel Edgerton as Gawain

Hugh Dancy as Galahad

Ray Winstone as Bors

Ray Stevenson as Dagonet

Keira Knightley as Guinevere

I'm off to find posts of this to reblog now; and off to do another rewatch!

[nightbringer24]

What is your favorite Arthurian movie?

It is a toss-up between Excalibur

And the 2004 King Arthur film.

Though the original Disney Sword in the Stone is fun as well.

[gone2soon-rip]

RAY STEPHENSON (1964-Died May 22nd 2023,at 58). Northern Irish actor. He portrayed Dagonet in the film King Arthur (2004) and Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (2005–2007). He portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show, and Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011–2017). His other films include Kill the Irishman (2011), where he portrayed mobster Danny Greene, The Three Musketeers, and RRR (2022), where he portrayed the villainous Governor Scott. His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter, Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails, and voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.and for playing the villainous Baylon, in Star Wars:Ahsoka,a spin-off of the hit Disney+ series the Mandalorian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Stevenson

[skylessknights]

KING ARTHUR (2004) set design appreciation: ― Hadrian's Wall [1/?] inspired by @lady-arryn wonderful set design series [x]

KA20TH CELEBRATION | Day 4 - Home

AN: You know, at first when I saw today's @ka20th prompt I wasn't sure what to do. But then I thought, why not get a closer look at the place that the knights have called home for years. Let's zoom into the details because the set/production design is incredible in this film. Hope you enjoy this series!

Also to anyone who's writing fics for this film, feel free to use this has visual inspiration if you're struggling with imagery or what-not💖

[queer-ragnelle]

Hi! I’m obsessed with your passion for organizing your Arthurian media collection. This is absolutely the best resource I’ve ever seen!! I’m just getting into Arthurian media and I’ve only read a few stuff so far. Seeing the fandoms opinions for stuff at large has been super interesting. I think this is possibly the worst question I could ask, but are there any books where Arthur is the main character and he is a good person/king? I hope that this newbie question isn’t annoying but tbh I do like books about people striving to good things in the world and I know Arthur’s is a more complex character with fucked up stuff throughout the different legends but also. I’m sure at least one book he’s not killing babies or something. Sorry. For this question, I’m sure there is some sort of glaringly obvious misunderstanding on my part of the legends and also a personal character flaw of my own for slightly less complex characters who are nice but. These things happen. Idk sorry again, and thank you! I totally understand if you don’t answer this and I wish you all the best!!!!!!! <3 have a wonderful day!!!

Hello anon!

Thank you so much! I hope the collection has been helpful to you. :^) No need to apologize for anything, this is a great question. I have a bunch of suggestions. Most books are ensemble casts with many different points of view, not strictly Arthur; that's honestly rare! So I've included films and shows for you as well, some that focus on him even more. But you will find a lovely King Arthur to enjoy in them all. Have a great weekend!

Retellings

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, The Story of the Champions of the Round Table, The Story of Launcelot and His Companions, & The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle

The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, & The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck

Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger

The Winter King, Enemy of God, & Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell

Exiled From Camelot by Cherith Baldry

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (I haven't finished yet but so far 10/10)

Films [Watch for free here!]

Knights of The Round Table (1953)

Sword of Lancelot (1963)

Camelot (1967)

Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

Excalibur (1981)

Merlin and The Sword (1985)

King Arthur (2004)

Arthur & Merlin (2015)

Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot (2020)

Kaamelott First Installment (2021)

TV Shows [Watch for free here]

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57)

Arthur of the Britons (1972-73)

BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979)

Merlin (1998)

Kaamelott (2005-09)

Starz Camelot (2011)

[nocompromise-noregrets]

20 questions for fic writers

The impossibly lovely @mihrsuri tagged me in this a couple of weeks ago, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get round to it - but I find myself in need of distraction, just a little bit, as Last Cat Standing is in the veterinary hospital getting his radioactive iodine treatment for his thyroid, and we can't have him back for maybe ten days as he's going to be somewhat radioactive for a little while; I'm sure he's going to be fine (this is the treatment described to me by the treating vet as both 'the gold standard' and 'magical', in that it's effective in 99.5% of cases, and in the 0.5% it isn't, they just give it another go and then it's effective), but we haven't had an entirely cat-free house for this long in 20 years, and I'm feeling a bit weird about it. Also I'm procrastinating finishing off an essay plan (I'd rather just write the damn essay but no, we have to submit a plan for tutor feedback to make sure we're on the right lines, and as you all know by now, that's really not how I work XD )

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 362 (plus another 76 on the other account for the fandom that does not speak its name...)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 1,491,388 (good grief; nearly 1.5 million?! and if you add in the 270,606 on the other account, that's 1,761,994 O.O )

3. What fandoms do you write for? Tolkien (chiefly the Hobbit movies, and LotR, a mix of movie and book-'verse); King Arthur (2004); Fisherman's Friends (fandom of one); The Alienist (TV; occasionally); Marvel (occasionally, chiefly bits of the MCU and X-Men comics/Evolution); Top Gun (here and there) - and a bewildering number of others...

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? My Heart Is An Empty Vessel (621); Shape Up (422); Safe (414); Not Alone (413); The Unworn Jumpers of Molly Weasley (343)

This is bewildering but also a fine illustration of the vagaries of AO3 and the absolute folly of measuring anything by the amount of kudos a fic has: Empty Vessel is three and a half years old, took two years to post and has 115 chapters, so was at the top of the tag many many times over those two years. Shape Up and Safe were written and posted not long after Top Gun: Maverick came out (I don't know how busy the tag still is, but it was very busy when the film came out so the fics in that fandom got a lot of interaction because a lot of people were there looking for fics) and are both one-shots. Not Alone is also a one-shot (for X-Men: Evolution) and has been up on AO3 for nearly twelve years (and has had a bit of a boost with the release of X-Men '97). And Unworn Jumpers (on which I really ought to put some sort of disclaimer, along with the small handful of other ancient HP fics I've got up there) is a seasonal one-shot that's been up for over ten years and tends to get a bit of a boost every December. So *shrugs* go figure. And if anyone wants to help the only HP fic in the top five not be in the top five any more, Come Home is only 36 behind it, and it is fluffy and cute and has Elrohir persuading Maglor to come to Imladris for Midwinter somewhat in the guise of the Elfling he hasn't been for a very long time... :D

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes. Sometimes it takes me a while (oh god six months, but I got up to speed with them all and now I'm trying to make sure I do it within a week) as I am a champion procrastinator but I feel it's important for me to say thank you. And sometimes squee a bit. :D And sometimes it makes me a new friend, which is extra-awesome.

I have a few very very old comments on the stuff I posted before 2020 which I never did get round to answering, which I feel bad about, but I also feel like it would be weird to go back and answer them now...I dunno, what do you guys think?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't do angsty endings very often, but The Last Watch (in which Bard dies) is really sad, and Never Forgotten and See This Storm Through (in which Sigrid and Thranduil comfort each other after the funeral, and Legolas comes home to Dale to look after his father and his family and grieve with them, respectively) are almost as sad although they both end with a small amount of hope.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Ah, most of my fics end happily :D I'm far too tired for anything but, most of the time, these days. But let's face it, My Heart Is An Empty Vessel ends with a coronation and a wedding (spoiler alert! XD ) so let's go for that one.

8. Do you get hate on fics? I am lucky; the closest I've had was some anon complaining about Empty-Handed being a spoiler for the then-unposted Empty Vessel although the events it 'spoiled' were inevitable in the context of a mortal-immortal relationship, and someone whingeing in a bookmark comment that Thorin and Bilbo don't even talk until the end of Mr Underhill's Finest Seafood Specialities, thus completely missing the point of the fic (and the 'past' after the pairing tag) - it wasn't about them - which made me chuckle as much as the rudeness annoyed me.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Sometimes. I have phases when I feel like it, and (much longer) phases when I don't. It's generally only fairly tame and euphemistic (with the single and solitary exception of that one hanahaki fic about the twins the premise for which, although not the smut, came to me in a dream) and probably not all that imaginative since, as the acest of aces, the whole idea completely bewilders me XD

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Not unless you count various different parts of the Tolkien legendarium. My brain just doesn't work that way.

11. (there doesn't seem to be a question 11; I feel like this might be one of those Tumblr traditions, as I've definitely done question memes on here before that have been lacking in a question 11...)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I have! I am deeply honoured that my KA fic Anniversaries was translated into Russian by Elenabu some years ago, and It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like... appears on Lofter in Mandarin, translated by AntheaXi. There were a couple of other Russian translations of some of my very old stories, but that was 15 or 20 years ago and I can't actually remember which or where.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have! A long long time ago, the fic that eventually became the original novel that is Two of a Kind, the tale of Hal and Jack, was a co-production, and I really enjoy bouncing ideas back and forth - and of course, there is the Tudors OT3-'verse fandom stuff that @mihrsuri and I have been pinging to and fro just recently, which is also hugely enjoyable. :D :D :D

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Oh, too many to name! Gawain/Galahad from KA2004, the bi widower dads, Legolas/Imrahil, Elladan/Elrohir, Erestor/Glorfindel, Sigrid/Tauriel, to name but a few.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I am determined to finish All I Want Is You. I am also determined to finish part whatever it is now of It's Always Been You, although that's been on the back burner for a long long time. There's one WIP on the other account which I'm also determined to finish although who knows if I'll ever get there. I'm not one for saying never, though. I was out of Tolkien fandom for 16 years, and after the fandom that does not speak its name fizzled out, I genuinely thought I'd never write again. And yet...here I am.

16. What are your writing strengths? Ooooh, I dunno. Spelling, punctuation and grammar, dialogue, leavening the serious romantic stuff with a bit of humour, kindness and love for the characters and settings, happy endings and quite a lot of fluff. :D

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Plot. XD Can't plot to save my life.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Only when necessary for character reasons, and always provide a translation. Otherwise you're shutting out readers who don't understand (unless it's not important that they actually understand precisely what's being said as long as they get the gist).

19. First fandom you wrote for? Knowingly? X-Men (comics), and that fic is here, although I posted it ten-odd years after first posting it to ff.net.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? All of them. I cannot possibly choose.

Thank you so much for the tag, lovely! Entirely no-obligation tags go to @lemurious, @verecunda, @writerman, @scary-grace, @seagull-energy, @herawell, @thenookienostradamus, @sallysavestheday, @myeaglesong, @palavapeite, @bigneonglitter, @bishkebab, @peonybroadbeltofbuckland, @redeemer46, @spiced-wine-fic and anyone else who wants to do this - if you see this and fancy it, please consider yourself well and truly tagged!

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

There are honestly so many fundamental things about Ridley Scott's Napoleon I disliked, I hardly know where to start so here's just a couple things that popped into my head. All of the disappointed/angry reviews I saw really were on the money with their criticisms. Below the cut a bunch of things in no particular order

Apart from the scenes in Egypt and Elba (which are sepia-tinted) the entire movie is colorgraded with a blue-grey tone like the most painfully dreary wet day in late autumn. Just watching it I got hypothermia. Just take these two shots - the first from the 1970 waterloo movie (highly recommended, can be found for free on youtube), the second from 2023 - to see the difference.

Despite a massive budget and cgi available the battles actually felt incredibly small. The Waterloo scene in particular felt like it was taking place on a patch of grass that was a 100 meters square, with two thin lines of French infantry advancing towards a relatively small group of British infantry dispersed within a couple meters of trenches, with the tents of their camp only meters directly behind that. It gave the entire thing the sense like it was a large reenactment society of maybe 200 people giving it their all, rather than 140.000. The 1970 Waterloo might be 50 years old but showed vastly, vastly more impressive scenes of huge formations of men, offering awe-inspiring cinematography compared to Scott's tiny Waterloo skirmish. I'm perfectly willing to accept disgustingly bad historical accuracy as long as the pictures are sufficiently pretty. They were not.

As a note, in the movie the British infantry inexplicably decides to walk forwards out of their fortified trenchline on the slope (complete with spikes) and form squares in front of it, instead of simply staying inside of their trenches.

There's a fucking sniper at Waterloo. Like, an infantryman with a rifle with a scope on it. He blows a golfball-sized hole in Napoleon's hat.

The Marshals - each colorful, fascinating characters many of whom would individually be worthy of their own movie - are less than background characters; I don't think any were even mentioned by name, and there's only two or three that are regularly seen on screen. Marshal Ney, famous, brave, tragic Ney, who has a very distinctive redhead appearance, was rendered completely unrecognizable by adding a moustache.

Phoenix's Napoleon has no charismatic presence whatsoever. Anyone who wasn't already reasonably familiar with Napoleon before seeing this movie would be dumbfounded why so many people followed him at all, or why upon his return from Elba thousands of soldiers sent to stop him simply deserted to his cause as soon as he approached. If you want to create a movie to deconstruct Napoleon from a brilliant national hero to a flawed man there are infinite ways to do so, and they chose the most sub-par by just making him kinda odd and insecure.

Napoleon's military genius is underexplored if not entirely absent from the movie, and to a large extent it simply feels like events are just kinda happening to him, especially with the way short disparate scenes are quickly strung together. One second we're in the aftermath of Austerlitz (1805), and two or three 1-minute scenes we're at the invasion of Russia (1812). Some of Napoleon's finest moments as a general are omitted from the film such as the Italian campaign, Jena-Auerstedt, and the six-day campaign of 1814 where Napoleon so thoroughly outgeneralled his opponent his tiny 30K man army inflicted nearly 30K casualties on enemy forces twice his size over the course of four battles.

Meanwhile his crowning achievement at Austerlitz is reduced to yelling thrice for hidden units to attack and then the entire enemy army flees onto an ice lake fit for a fantasy movie (just check out the ice scene from the 2004 King Arthur) and gets sunk by cannon fire. If you've seen the trailer you've seen almost the entire battle.

Huge parts of the movie are devoted to his marriage to Josephine, which I personally don't find terribly interesting to begin with, and historical events are contorted to be related to his marriage (such as ditching his army in Egypt because she's cheating on him), but it often felt to me like this storyline, such as it was, was firing in certain directions only to abruptly cut them off or let them go nowhere, and the movie seemed unsure whether it was the A-plot or the B-plot or a secret third thing.

Before I forget... not once but twice Napoleon is charging into the thick of the melee on horseback!!! First where he is at the very front of a cavalry charge at Borodino (the 30 seconds of it that we got, which were all in the trailer) and second near the end of Waterloo before making a run for it. And it's so patently absurd! It's like a WW1 movie with Kaiser Wilhelm personally storming the trenches or Emperor Hirohito flying a plane at Pearl Harbor. Napoleon demonstrated plenty of bravery in his life (such as when he was wounded by a bayonet at Toulon, or attempted to lead a charge at the bridge at Arcole) but the Emperor of the French was not at the fucking forefront of a massed cavalry charge with sabre in hand scything down infantrymen.

The movie ends with a card with casualtyfigures from a bunch of battles as if it's a sobering statement at the end of a Holocaust movie, so the Brits can remind you Napoleon was actually Hitler.

[ka20th]

King Arthur (2004) 20th anniversary celebration day 6: loss

what does it mean to be the one left behind? how do you carry on afterwards?

Day 6 of our anniversary celebration is for loss - those that happen in the film and those that have come before. There are only six Sarmatians left at the beginning of the film and only three at the end - how do the survivors feel about that? And, of course, how do Arthur and Guinevere feel about all they have lost by the end?

Tag us @ka20th and #ka20th in your posts and we'll reblog them here - and if you're posting to AO3, please feel free to add them to our collection here!

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