#i have a whole backstory about zombies and its personally very funny to me

[otogariado]

motherfucker who had a legit phobia of zombies watching the last of us hbo: oh mein gott why are there zombies in here. this is just like the video game

[mattelektras]

Hey what are your favourite + least fav x men characters and why im curious i love seeing ur thoughts (also, to make it easier hopefully???, i mean specifically X-Men you do not need to include like the 100+ teams connected to them like new mutants or Excalibur etc)

tbh these are just from. everywhere. a lot of my favs are xforce and sub teams. just mutants in general really

least favs

xavier. hes just a dick like. objectively. hes got no business mentoring young kids with the way he went about treating young scott and young jean. also mr i would never invade someone's thoughts without there permission. and then he DID

beast. just kinda boring like. we get it youre smart and patronizing and blue and furry, what else is there. kurt is the only blue man

havok. i dont like. hate him. i just think he should be made fun of more. mr all lives matter avengers stan. bully him more

deadpool because i hate that some people think he’s a mutant n it irritates me idk

brian braddock sorry betsy ur brother is dull as all fuck. he barely has anything to do w mutants as a whole and it’s like why do we even claim him as one when he ran around calling himself captain britain for so long like. cringe, sir braddock

favs:

storm. like objectively i think if anyone doesnt favour ororo in some kind of way then theyre insane. she has a lot of wonder woman isms in that a lot of people see her as this. ethereal above reproach goddess but shes ironically a very human character. like just the little facts that shes into botany and is claustrophobic etc. and the fact that everyone loves her is because shes a good person, not because she’s beautiful or powerful or perfect in anyway. like she’s loved because she’s earned it and she deserves it. she’s a good friend and a GREAT leader without needing to physically be in charge. shes very open and loving and loyal but is also someone u really only get one chance with?? she has a much smaller circle of incredibly close friends than people would think. idk i love that shes allowed to be both kind and flawed AND hugely powerful

domino. ive gone on about how i love neena a lot before so i wont bore u but she is. genuinely one of my favourite characters of all time from anywhere. she has a persona that she puts up but there's so much in her backstory that no one would expect if theyd only read recent domino stuff. like she really shines in her solos more than anywhere else i cant stress that enough

magneto. if i had to like. objectively pick a best character ever i think it would be magneto. i think superhero comics are best when they SAY something. like not to be all We Live In a Society but if youre not making some kind of commentary on the real world with your good vs evil media concept then what are you doing. and we all know the mutant metaphor doesnt hold up like. ever. but its as close as it gets with magneto because his fictional mutanthood is linked w his real jewishness and its never like. a replacement or one or the other. and one fuels his activism in the other? idk im not sure how to phrase it but i think he embodies what being a MUTANT is about, in universe, not what being an xmen is about. hes so REGAL and smart and so powerful just in the way he carries himself, even when he was depowered. they simply do not make characters like magneto other than magneto. and YES the dilfery of it all

kwannon. i love where her story is going and how much attention theyre giving her since the body divorce. just that shes being allowed to be bitter and resentful of betsy about having years of her life stolen. her learning how to be her own self again and what's her own. also i like betsy just fine but my first intro to ~~~psylocke was the betsy/kwannon mash up and like. for ME. with what i like in characters??? pretty much all of what i liked was kwannon's. the assassin stuff, the sword stuff, her brutality and harder attitude. like u all know my taste in female characters and shes IT. and theres a lot of potential in exploring her backstory

wolverine. unfortunately. i love a little weasel man. He Is My Dad. i think he has such a rich variation of relationships with other people whether it be as a rivalry, romance, friendship, parent etc etc. this bitch contains multitudes!!! i think he as a character has so much bought to him by the other characters around him. likes YES he is a grmupy old man who probably hasnt showered today but hes a very loving person despite everything

angel. this might seem like a wild pick for me but. the concept of a rich pretty boy with seemingly everything going for him being turned into this monstrous apocalyptic razor bird with varying self control is SO GOOD TO ME IDK IDK. like hes very gentle and atypical for a male character in a lot of ways and i enjoy that a lot??? just the contrast of it all. i think there should be more horrific pretty boys

monet. forever obsessed wither attitude and her confidence even when so much of her story is wrapped up in people stealing her identity and the betrayal in that and being controlled by others physically w the penance stuff like. shes been through all of that and is STILL probably one of the most sure of themselves characters out there. her yes i AM the shit actually, better than you attitude, not afraid to be a bitch superiority. ladies i think we should all be more like monet as a rule. her powers just being that shes pretty much better than everyone at everything. also shes just funny as fuck

im allowed to say this because shes in x books on the regular now but selene. i think shes so fuckin cool and maybe this is the wannabe goth death witch from my teenage years possessing my body right now but i LOVE an insanely powerful woman. shes like 20000 years old, shes physically incapable of dying, shes the FIRST mutant and has a very rich backstory. shes a great villain but i think now shes more vaguely xmen aligned with the krakoa situation theres huge amounts of potential with her to be on heroic teams as the untrustworthy but begrudgingly helps out kind of addition. with everyone being like. remember that time you resurrected half of us as zombies and traumatised us all for life and she’s just like. god don’t you people ever move on

[legionofpotatoes]

alright here’s ma thoughts on that flick I mentioned

we hatewatched a*my of the dead because we were CONVINCED “zombies in las vegas” would be an impossible concept to screw up, but in so assuming we obviously invoked a holy wager with the universe and got reminded, once again, that hoping for improvement from someone who’s dependably put out bad art is never a wise choice 😐

but we were honestly kinda roped in by the marketing??? and expected a goofy fast-paced flick with the odd traditional undead metaphor thrown in, framing some sort of relationship drama maybe or hell even nothing at all! we’d have taken pure indulgent storytelling, idk italian job with zombies in las vegas, I don’t know fucking anything but??? whatever this was???? spoilers below for it is time for One Of My Rants

I mean the main reason I really want to write all this and complain. this film here probably has the most unappealing cinematography I have ever experienced in my life and that is saying something. who the fuck signed off on that CONSTANT shallow-ass depth of field that imprisons your eyeline and turns every shot into bokeh paste???? and I mean every shot almost!!!! I promise if you think I am overreacting just throw a dart at the seek bar and watch twenty seconds from wherever it lands. it is horrifying to look at. at least it gave my girlfriend a good visual shorthand for what it’s like when I lose my glasses

why was sean spicer in this movie. did they pay him to be here. was sean spicer paid hollywood money for his scene in this film because fuck everyone who was involved in that decision

the legitimately baffling hints at the extraterrestrial origins of the infection that went absolutely nowhere and had no dramatic or plot-level bearing. we love to see the franchise sprouts fellas

yet another big budget waste of everything hiroyuki sanada has to offer. and bautista too I guess? I like him but man was this an odd career move

what was the crux of his conflict/resolution with his daughter btw. I understand it was rooted in miscommunication over their forms of grief irt mom but uhh… it was all rather clunky and didn’t land for me. I tried I really tried to buy in but something was wrong fundamentally with the groundwork there, it did not click and their catharsis felt unearned. I know there’s massive amounts of tragic baggage being projected there from the author so I’m not slapping any judgment down really;

but again it would be an easy thing to wave off if they just had a vibrant cast of lovable simpletons with good chemistry and the kinetic sense of plotting the trailers promised (and this premise never discounts good drama, either). but instead it was just two and a half (!) hours of meandering into situations the filmmaking instincts had no idea how to flow in and out of

to wit. I know talking about “bad pacing” is associated with armchair bullshit but consider the example of the scene were dieter does an out of nowhere little dance after childishly screaming but then still-killing a zombie, with the film framing this as a micro character triumph, and not a second later the bg soundtrack instantly fades into an orchestral score dramatizing a nearby mcguffin reveal, completely 180 degreeing the tone without a semblance of deft insert shot stitching or even I dont know a fucking jump cut maybe. now imagine this whiplash for 2.5 hrs uninterrupted

I will keep complaining about the length yeah because this was not a story requiring this much real estate to be told. Uhh in my humble and personal opinion, of course

[man sees zombie tiger] “this is crossing the line!” you can in fact write dialogue that is not utter nonsense that falls apart once you drill down its single fickle layer of referential meta winking. what line are you talking about. you have rules in this insane situation you’re in? total nitpick moment I know but it got burned in my brain for some reason. like a microcosm of the mismanaged dramatic instincts paired with weird writing that dots this movie. I am sure the director calls this either satire or genre deconstruction. I am SO sure

tumblr domino meme that goes from “dude getting sucked off while driving” to “entire las vegas literally nuked”

tig notaro is always great to see but once you know she’s been filmed as a separate greenscreen plate months after photography wrapped - cause she had to apparently replace some abusive asshole but that’s a whole other pig not worth fucking - it becomes impossible to unsee her odd detachment from everyone else in the movie lmao. it doesn’t really “ruin” anything on its lonesome but it is hard to unsee

why. was. sean. spicer. in. this. movie

a very simple key ingredient missing from fully turning lip service sympathy for main uruk hai dude into actual empathy that would generate meaningful conflict with hero family would be to spend a bit more time articulating what he internally wanted the most. because he was obviously trying to do something here with pointed agenda. a family, to have kids, build a caste system, save his wife’s head, return to his planet??? all of these could represent the bigger context in his psychology that spurred his vengeance but none of them are dramatically emphasized long enough for you to cheer him on. I’m not asking too much I promise. Articulating interiority of a mute character is pretty doable with deft cinema language, just gotta linger and hold a shot here and there for a few seconds, frame as his POV, donezo. I know this is also one of those like. “who cares” moments but the movie does, very evidently so, in making this guy an actual character. you can kinda piece it together and create a framework of sympathy for him, sure, but then again he ultimately becomes a foil to be killed and not defeated, so. Ehh whatever

quarantine zone stuff was not a wildly childish covid allegory quarantine zone stuff was not a wildly childish covid allegory quarantine zone stuff was n

the rooftop helicopter fakout at the end was such an ass-backwards, manufactured moment of what could be a simple setup/payoff it just pissed me off??? you gain nothing by giving sad dad five seconds of pointless crisis that flips right back to previous status quo ANYWAY, except for a weaksauce waste of runtime, which could be used instead to get inside notaro’s head and actually SHOW the remorse form as she took off, literally maybe even a frown playing on her face as she’s headed for safety right before we cut back to drax and the kid. just a simple-ass, minimal, momentary setup for what is the most basic filmmaking trick of creating macro catharsis moments. Just???? g o d if you can’t even land that shit why are you even doing any of this

that lil run final pam did was very very charming and super choreographed in a way that was the tiiiniest bit overdone

the whole intro with the simul-backstories and posing with family photos was just… oddly motivated. what was the goal? “here’s what we’re fighting for” vignettes? why? it’s not a functional setup in that vein. what was all that

also I am sorry if this is insensitive but the reasons most characters end up articulating to justify going back into the hell that destroyed their lives makes them sound seriously insane

I dont like complaining about CGI (honestly) but so much of it in modern movies can achieve higher fidelity if the animation is simply subdued. Do not overengineer and over-apply 2D cell methodologies and kinematics to each tiny twitch and movement in a hyper 3D model and I promise you. it will look a thousand times more natural. look at thanos in those last two movies. your rendering and detail are absolutely perfect with the tiger you just have to let stuff sit instead of constantly simulating swaying hair strands and firing off all facial muscles at once. great moment at one point where makeup zombie horse and CG zombie tiger are both in one shot together and just by unnecessary amounts of movement alone you can tell who doesn’t belong. again; detail, rendering, compositing, lighting, all picture-perfect; but y’all just gotta let the animation breathe sometimes, and chill it out

plot holes don’t really matter to me but it was kinda funny how lilly decided not to mention the enormous wrinkle in intel pertaining to an actual territorial tribe of intelligent zombies that require human offerings to let you pass, just so that reveal could play out in real time through the joyous punishment of the cartoonishly misogynistic dude

total chad move for mister uruk hai and final pam to rule from a rusted swimming pool complex

the ending with vanderohe oh my god. with the. cash stacks at the airport register. and specifically them working in his favor. that is literally something you do to get arrested under suspicion of theft. it was almost played for laughs and I respect that. coulda been goofier. make these movies goofy ya dorks

anyway, weird, weird movie. bad marketing. message unclear (something something sins of the father???), baffling editing instincts, literal worst-looking cinematography I ever laid eyes upon. Confidently dying on that last hill

[multsicorn]

book-and-show

My preferred mix of the two canons is basically ‘The Untamed, but Wei Wuxian lost control of his zombies by his own goddamned self, and also plot/logic holes are taped over by explanations from the book when needed and possible.  And we know that wangxian are together and will be married, but we're left with spaces to fill in the details.’  (One of the cool/interesting things about having multiple versions of a canon is that one can mix and match!)  But there are definitely things that I prefer, separately, about each.

[two very long lists.  all of which are all about personal opinions/preferences, and none of which are looking to start discourse!]

Eight Things I liked better about the show:

1. "Who am I to you?"  "I had thought, that you were the one who knew me for my whole life."  "Still, I am." is *twenty zillion times* more romantic than a stolen blindfold kiss, in a way that pretty much encapsulates why I so much prefer show to novel wangxian overall.  And in this TED talk - I mean, in another post, hopefully, in not too long, I will.

2. Lan Wangji's explicit questioning of and overturning his understanding of 'what is right, and what is wrong,' rather than simply being motivated by 'if loving Wei Wuxian is wrong, then screw everything else.'

3. Introducing so very many characters earlier in the chronological timeline, and showing us more about them and their relationships prior to Wei Wuxian's death - and outside of the key moments in which they're involved in the plot.  Wen Qing and Wen Ning, Jiang Yanli, Mianmian, Songxiao, Xue Yang, Meng Yao - this list could also be its own post.

4. More focus on the Sunshot Campaign and its aftermath, pre-death, specifically on the period when Wei Wuxian is the feared necromancer, and he and his loved ones are dealing with that, against a background of war and then possibly more war.  It's by far my favorite part of the narrative, just because of my preferences re: genres, so I appreciate it being foregrounded rather than just a backstory that's shown in flashbacks.

5. The successive confrontations between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji over 'leaving the right path'!  In the courtyard, when Lan Wangji pulls Bichen on Wei Wuxian to make him listen; in the sad umbrella rain, when Wei Wuxian holds Chenqing out in front of him, defying Lan Wangji's efforts to rein him in.  These things probably fall under the umbrella of the TED talk from the first point, but they're the beating heart of WHY I LOVE THIS STORY.  And they're not even in the novel...!  I thank the CQL team for my life.

6. Also, THE COMB STORY.  I'd never have thought either that 'how do we improve an m/m romance novel?  By adding a het romance subplot, of course,' but the fact is that I love the dimension it adds to both Jiang Cheng's and Wen Qing's stories.  Highlighting their shared loyalty to their clans - except not shared, because they're from different clans! - but their shared *understanding* of what righteousness, justice, etc., is, and the way it leads to their tragedies, and the way it's a counterpoint to Wei Wuxian's and Lan Wangji's different and ultimately shared understanding of 'what is right' and the way *that* brings *them* together is just... so good.  I am getting over it approximately never, and, again, it's show-original.

7. And I think the last big thing - other than, the acting's wonderful, imo, the visuals are great, (even the 'bad' special effects? I like 'em kinda ridiculous?), and when the prose-in-translation of all versions is iffy at best, (not judging MXTX's prose! or the scriptwriters'! but I unfortunately cannot read or understand it) it's REALLY NICE to have other major dimensions of the story that aren't lost or diminished in translation.  Honestly, I am only watching cdramas and not reading cnovels (I only read MDZS so I'd know what's in it) for that reason alone.  But in terms of *story* stuff -

8. I think that censoring wangxian's relationship down to the '(really really loud) subtext' level counterintuitively also makes the rest of the story seem considerably gayer.  If wangxian exists in hints and looks and narrative parallels etc., then likewise, so do the 3zun and Yi City triangles.  Not as much as wangxian, but they're more minor characters, and they're on the same continuum... to the extent that I legit thought that songxiao and xiyao would also be novel canon.  (They are not.)  If Wei Wuxian shocking Lan Wangji by showing him gay porn in the library, and commenting on Lan Wangji's beauty, is because he is actually into guys, then maybe Nie Huaisang lending Wei Wuxian that same porn, and also commenting on Lan Wangji's beauty, means the same thing, if that's all we have to go on. etc.

Nine Things I liked better about the book:

1. There's something about Wei Wuxian's narrative voice, the running commentary that he gives about others and most of all himself that is... funny?  Yes, it is, but that's not the part I love.  It's hard to pin down, but the pattern of the things he judges and the things he doesn't judge at all, even though maybe he should, but he really has so much empathy - in the literal sense, I mean, as well as the magical - is very specific and endearing?  He's exactly like that in the show, too, but we hear much less of it when he's not telling the story.

2. Getting to hear A-Qing in her Empathy fleshes out her cleverness and her bravery, again, in a way that's not easy to replicate seeing it from outside of her head.  (I think we may have more of all of the ducklings/juniors, actually, but I'm just not all that interested in their friendly banter.  Not when there's life-rending trauma in the OG of the same story!)

3. From the chronological start of the story, the Wens' domination and power-hunger is portrayed in a realpolitik way that's both more interesting and fits the rest of the story better, with the Jins later filling that same vacuum, and fearing Wei Wuxian's potential to do the same sort of thing to them, etc., as chronologically following and competing different takes on the struggle for power, without any need for the flat fantasy mcguffins of the Yin Iron or the 'spirit snatch.'

4. Wei Wuxian ~appreciating~ Nie Mingjue's dead body parts is hliarious. I love him hanging out with the corpse girls.  I love the Wens risingout of the blood pool for him ;___;.  Overall his relationship withthe corpses that he magics is such a cool weird fun part of the book,that is missing in the show except his friendship with Wen Ning for'let's make a show about necromancy but pretend it's not' reasons.

5. The fact that Wangxian don't split up and go their own ways at the end of the story, even temporarily!  I could go either way on 'Lan Wangji becomes Chief Cultivator' - I like the way that it moves into 'the future will be better than the past, and we'll work to make it that way', in the same way that 'the kids are alright' does, and the fact that Lan Wangji hates diplomacy and is bad at it can make for good amusing stories!  But I also approve of the fact that the personal win condition for so very many of these characters is to peace right the fuck out of sect politics, (like Mianmian our true hero does <3), and I believe in that as a happy ending.

6. Wei Wuxian's and Lan Wangji's complementary ~ravishment~ kinks.  I don't like the exact way they're written in the novel (and extras), but I *will* take and run with the existence of them, nevertheless.

7. The post-resurrection plot makes, um, sense?  Let's not forget the importance of that!  (But, honestly, 'must a plot make sense'?  It's not all that important to me, lol.)   Going from one place to another to collect the pieces of 'our dead friend's' body rather than seemingly at random makes the journey feel purposeful rather than direction-less, and gives an indication of progress that's not simply 'amount of the story read as per chapter count.'  Though it's still not clear to me why the juniors squad needs to be in Yi City!

8. It has more of Wei Wuxian's inventiveness.  Whether founding the Diabolic Path rather than 'just' inventing some tools and talismans within and also outside of it, or figuring out/explaining how some sort of magic works, whether lecturing to the juniors or working it out for himself, or something like that one night-hunting extra where he's being a supernatural consulting detective... it's fun to see more of his ~mind at work,~ in a way that doesn't fit as well either into an audiovisual medium or under the constraints of 'what is happening? definitely not corpse magic!' that censorship imposes.

9. The structure of revealing what happened in (what I can't help thinking of as) the main portion of the plot - who Wei Wuxian is, what his life story is, and Lan Wangji's part in it - through interleaved and not even necessarily in-order flashbacks is... so interesting?  Unfortunately I can't tell how well it would've worked for me in terms of changing my understandings of characters etc., because I watched the show before I read the book, so I came to it knowing the outlines of the story.  But it's a cool idea, and I wish that I could experience it properly!  (Though I would never have read the book without watching the show first, I would've failed out at the start due to translation issues and then if I'd persisted past that due to all the gay chicken stuff.)

[succubused]

I know nothing about jojo. Teach me it out of context

part 1 phantom blood. um jonathan (British) has some personal problems with his adopted brother dio brando (also british) and then dio kills their dad and becomes a vampire. jonathan gets shounen powers and a guy survives for like fifteen minutes after being cut in half. dio gets decapitated so jonathan went and got married but then dios decapitated head appeared on the boat and was like jonathan i respect you so i want to use your decapitated body as my own. and jonathan was like dude thats kind of fucked up but the boat blew up and dio did it anyway. erina survived though

im putting these under a cut cause it got long as fuck but heres your jojo summaries

part 2 battle tendency is like. joseph who is jonathans thotty grandson teams up with caesar zeppeli (italian) (gay) to defeat the pillar men which include kars (milf) esidisi (milfs live in boyfriend) wamuu (adopted son). another milf called lisa lisa trains them into their shounen powers and then esidisi shows up and kills the teachers aides and possesses lisa lisas assistant and then dies. basically they all get into this arena deathmatch involving zombie horses and kars grows wings and runs around all sexy for a little bit before getting launched into space. caesar gets crushed by a stone cross after making a gay ass speech. love loses. also it turns out lisa lisa was josephs mom the whole time.

part 3 stardust crusaders i kind of hate but i love the characters so basically jotaro kujo (josephs grandson) um he gets his stand and hes like whats this evil spirit i have to be locked in prison for everyones protection. and then his mom gets a stand too but sike women arent people so shes going to die. this is of course dios fault and they have to kill dio. kakyoin tries to kill jotaro and then jotaro pulls the worm out of his head and theyre best friends after that. polnareff tries to kill avdol and avdol sets him on fire and theyre [redacted] after that. they all go on a wacky roadtrip to cairo to kill dio during which kakyoin feeds a baby its own shit and avdol fakes his death for a little over a week. killing dio doesnt go great and vanilla ice sucks avdol into the void and kills their dog iggy and i hate watching that part. kakyoin is crushed under the weight of his own hubris. dio thinks hes sexy for being able to stop time but jotaro can also stop time and he kills dio. jotaros very traumatized due to the entire experience. for some reason both polnareff and joseph survive. the end

part 4 diamond is unbreakable is basically josuke higashikata whos josephs kid out of wedlock hunting down a serial killer with a hand fetish. jotaro is there hes a marine biologist now and josuke is technically his uncle. theres also josukes best friend okuyasu theyre a lil gay but thats alright we like them. also got short king koichi and yukako. and evil twink mangaka rohan. its like murder mystery except a lil more fucked up cause its jojo. ultimately kira (murderer with hand fetish) gets his ultimate powers that manipulate time and space but it doesnt even matter cause josuke has protagonist disease okuyasu dies for like 10 mins but he gets better. kira gets punched into the street by jotaro and then an ambulance runs him over and he dies.

part 5 vento aureo is giorno giovanna whos dios kid but hes also jonathans kid bc dio fucked with jonathans body and thats how giorno was born. he kind of acts like dio if dio had jonathans moral code and hes blond. anyway hes 15 and he joins the mafia because he wants to end heroin abuse and he ends up getting god timespace manipulation powers and killing the boss diavolo but half of his friends are killed horribly so that sucks. and then he becomes the don of the italian mafia. and hes still 15. also polnareff is there for a minute he gets killed sort of but his ghost possesses a turtle so hes giornos turtle after that i guess.

part 6 stone ocean my favorite part cause theres finally lesbianism. jolyne who is jotaros daughter is in prison bc she got framed for murder by her boyfriend. jotaros been an absent father due to him having personal problems. he shows up to break her out of prison but he gets his soul and his stand turned into discs and pulled out of his head and he goes into a coma and most of the rest is jolyne trying to get the discs back. she has 2 girlfriends called hermes and foo fighters who is technically a mass of sentient plankton. weather report (sexy) and anasui (ugly) are also there. the main antagonist is pucci who is a priest and was also dios best friend when he (pucci) was 16 for some reason. by the end they get jotaros discs back and pucci successfully starts manipulating reality itself and it turns out weather report was his brother all along and their backstory is REALLY fucked up and then jotaro comes back and anasui is like jotaro can i marry your daughter and hes like no and then everyone gets killed and pucci resets the universe but emporio the ten year old theyve been hanging out with gets weather reports stand and uses it to follow pucci through the universe resets and he ends up creating one where pucci never existed. it ends with “irene” kujo meeting hermes and anasui/weather report are also there. its implied that this is a new universe where none of the bad shit ever happened. emporio is crying. it kind of sucks

part 7 steel ball run i really dont know how to summarize but basically johnny joestar whos like alt universe jonathan but actually not really like that at all. hes also paralyzed from the waist down and he wishes he wasnt. um he meets an italian (gyro zeppeli) and they go on a horse race across america to track down the body of christ. they meet diego brando whos like dio but hes more about class warfare than megalomania and hot pants who has a stand that lets her turn her flesh into spray. diegos stand is that he can turn himself and other living things into dinosaurs. johnny can shoot his fingernails like bullets. anyway they end up fighting the president of the united states (funny valentine) who was trying to turn lucy steele whos only like 14 into a vessel for the corpse of jesus or something and he kills gyro and hotpants and diego and johnnys like this sucks but sends him into an infinite death loop bc hes a dimension hopper but he just keeps dying over and over again in any dimension he goes into. and he deserved it

part 8 jojolion i havent read but gappy seems like a nice guy

[monotonous-minutia]

Third question: pick an opera you’ve seen several productions of and compare/contrast those productions in as many or few ways as you wish

So, Zauberflöte is one of my favorite operas, but I don’t talk about it too much. I think it might be because it’s honestly hard to find a decent production of this one. Like, yes, the opera itself is super whack, but I don’t understand the need to make it even more ridiculous with bizarre sets/costumes/staging/etc. So most of the time I don’t even finish them. My method is usually this: 1) See if the overture is staged and how. 2) Check out the set and costumes and see how bizarre/distracting they are. 3) Watch Papageno’s first aria to see how they handle him. 4) Watch Monostatos’s first scene to see how they handle him. 5) If the first Monostatos scene is questionable watch his aria. If all of this is passable, I’ll start over and watch the whole thing. A lot of times, productions don’t pass the test. However, there are four that I have seen that I really enjoyed.

Drottingholm Court Theater, 1989

The first Zauberflote I ever saw was also the first opera I ever saw, so it’s very special to me. The production is glorious; lush sets and costumes set in the time it was written; intricate staging that really brings out the character’s personalities and motivations; an excellent cast with an especially expressive Pamina who most of the time isn’t there for Sarastro’s BS. Papageno is adorable and hilarious and the production does NOT make fun of him, which is refreshing. This is my favorite Sarastro; the actor (Lazlo Polgar) is so phenomenal that I can actually see Sarastro as the kind, wise, loving figure he’s supposed to be (but the misogyny is still there because it’s unavoidable). The Queen of the Night is regal, majestic, and terrifying. During her second aria she spends a lot of the coloratura staring manically into the audience. Two of my favorite bits of staging: At the end of Act I, when the villagers start to arrive to greet Sarastro, Papageno notices a cute girl in the crowd and starts flirting with her. Later we find out that she’s Papagena, and it’s simply adorable and makes their reunion all the more genuine. The other is at the very end during the Act II finale. They stage it as if Sarastro is performing a wedding ceremony for Pamina and Tamino and in the last moment Papageno and Papagena run in holding hands and go stand next to them so it becomes a double wedding and Sarastro gives them this huge smile and my heart just melts. An interesting choice they make is that the Pamina-Tamino duet where they’re saying their “final farewell” (“Soll ich dich teurer nicht mehr sehn?”) is at the beginning of Act II before Tamino leaves for his trials, which makes more sense because he is talking to Pamina and if it happens after Pamina’s aria it doesn’t make sense because he just listened to her say she was going to kill herself without responding and now all of a sudden he’s talking to her. So I like that they put it here because it makes their conversation more believable. The only thing I don’t like about it is the way they handle Monostatos; it’s not unique to this production, but that obviously doesn’t excuse it. A sad mark on an otherwise impeccable production. Unfortunately I can’t find this anywhere online; I just own the DVD, so while I’d recommend it highly, I doubt people will be able to find it.

Convent Garden, 2003

The second one I ever saw. Delightful in so many ways. I LOVE this Papageno and Pamina and the production really highlights the fact that they’re a team in the second part of Act I and it’s so stinking cute. The costumes don’t have a specific theme going on as far as I can tell, but I’m also not great with recognizing stuff like that. The set is relatively simple and doesn’t go out of its way to be flashy or outstanding. We get the cutest Pamina in existence, Dorothea Röschmann, who also isn’t there for Sarastro’s BS and frankly not Tamino’s either but there’s not a lot she can do about any of that. Damrau is the Queen of the Night and she is a QUEEN. Eek. This Tamino is VERY annoyed with Papageno to the point of being almost mean but Papageno eventually starts fighting back which is heartening. His line about being able to be a man too by not saying anything during Pamina’s suicidal aria is clearly a burn and after that he takes his stuff and goes offstage, instead of following Tamino like he does in every other production I’ve seen, as if he’s just done with him. They actually don’t interact again after that so I can imagine they just go their separate ways, which is kind of sad, but this production really doesn’t portray the bromance between them that others do. I do hope he gets to see Pamina again though. Papageno’s duet with Papagena is the cutest thing in the world and Papagena herself is illegally adorable. Also Pamina deserves much more than what these men give her. I hope either Tamino shapes up or she leaves him eventually. This one also remedies some of the racism by having Monostatos and his minions be zombies, which looks odd compared to the rest of the set and costumes but is appreciated. They also fix some of the wording in his aria (which I caught with my limited German skills) which also helps. This Sarastro is pretty nice too but not as expressive as Polgar and his staging isn’t as intricate. Overall though I love this one primarily for Keenlyside’s Papageno, Damrau’s Queen, and Röschmann’s Pamina.

Bronx (can’t find a date)

This one is in English and the translation is really good and best of all gets rid of some of the racism/misogyny so yay! The cast is really good at portraying the characters, and they embrace the comic and dramatic elements with equal weight, and there’s more diversity than is often seen. This Queen freaking SLAYS. And Pamina makes me cry. A lot. We get a lot of the missing dialogue here which helps flesh out the story and which I really appreciate because I’m kind of tired of people bashing the libretto when a lot of the confusion comes from bad translations and the fact that huge chunks of the dialogue are taken out because conductors want to get to the music faster. Like there is SO MUCH banter between Tamino and Papageno that’s freaking hilarious but we hardly ever get to hear it. And there’s a lot more exposition in the Papageno-Pamina conversation at the top of Act I Scene II that clarifies a lot of what people complain is so confusing, as well as a longer conversation between Pamina and her mother in Act II that explains more of her backstory and the significance of the flute. So I love that this production keeps a lot of it in. The set and costumes are detailed and very pretty. Papageno’s feathers and green wig are kind of Extra but he’s so funny I can forgive it. Papagena is TINY and adorable. We actually get some genuine chemistry between Tamino and Pamina which is a rare treat. At the very end Papageno and Papagena run onstage and Papageno goes to hug Tamino which is very sweet, and Papagena goes to Pamina, which makes me wonder if maybe they knew each other before. After all, they’ve both been hanging out at Sarastro’s place for some time waiting for their men to get it together.

Loyola University New Orleans, 2014

This one also gets rid of a lot of the racism/misogyny through another great English translation and taking out the entire duet with the Two Priests where they’re basically just saying women are terrible and making changes to the portrayal of Monostatos and his lines. The cast is more diverse too which helps. It’s set in what looks like maybe Egypt, which kind of makes sense given the whole Isis/Osiris thing. However, Sarastro is obviously imitating Zeus with a huge white beard, white robe, and he carries a giant lightning bolt in some scenes, which makes for an odd juxtaposition. This Tamino is less Stand There and Look Handsome and more Let’s Get This Over With which is refreshing. Monostatos is hilarious and I kind of feel sorry for him. We get an extra sassy Papagena and it’s a joy. The Three Spirits are actually portrayed as women in this one instead of boys which also helps with diversity and lessening misogyny. It also keeps a lot of the missing dialogue which is appreciated. The interactions between the characters are detailed and genuine and make for a heartfelt production overall.

so there’s that. Thanks for the ask; I especially love ranting/rambling about opera productions!!

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK 122 - Avalanche

Who would have thought when it happened that Eren kissing Historia’s hand would be THE moment of Shingeki no Kyojin. Imagine you’re picking up this lovely series for the first time. You see a fresh take on the survival-horror genre and think, “I could get into this.” A couple volumes in, you discover the zombie horde tale was a clever cover for a fleshy mecha gimmick. “Weird,” you think, “but ok.” Now it’s ten years and 130+ chapters later. We’re all reading a retelling of the Norse Myth of Creation wrapped in a cozy WWII disguise.

What do any of these words mean? Join me under the cut. It’s time for lore.

Thoughts on the chapter first. We finally get to see the life and times of Founder Ymir. Not surprisingly, she appears to be of vague Northern European origin in what appears to be the Middle Ages. The ancient Eldians were Vikings basically, but back then they weren’t even Eldian. They were human just like everyone else…until they weren’t.

Founder Ymir’s story eerily mirrors that of 104th Ymir. As a small child, she was nothing more than a scapegoat. Born a servant girl, she empathized with the group of pigs that had been captured. She released them, no doubt ruining someone’s feast in the process. A soldier asks who the offending party is and we see a great panel of Ymir surrounded by pointing fingers John Wick style.

Much like Mr. Wick, Ymir goes on the run only in a much different context. John Wick, in his universe, is the most prolific assassin alive. He’s on the run, but he’s not defenseless. Ymir is a child and is defenseless. The men (and I do emphasize the grown men) that chase after her never perceive her as a threat. They’re having a sporting time terrifying and slowly killing this innocent child. Running out of energy and time, Ymir happens across a humongous tree and decides an odd hiding spot is better than none at all. Entering the base of the tree, she falls down into an unseen hole – like Alice into the looking glass – and just as she’s about to lose consciousness, she comes in contact with what can only be described as…this.

A parasite? An alien lifeform? An ancient Eldridge manifestation? Maybe. Just like another old Myth there isn’t really a clear answer nor will there be. ‘Tis the Source of all Organic Matter and it was always there it was, lad.

We get several lessons here about how history can warp our perceptions of the individual players in both a positive and negative sense. Ymir never made a deal with the Devil to get her overwhelming power. She literally fell backwards into a divot and came out big as a mountain. On the other hand, the Founding Titan was not this ethereal being of divine beauty. The First Titan was grotesque to look at. It had no true face and its ribs were exposed, which I guess makes sense for a creature that large. Founder Ymir was a victim of circumstance and oppression. She has the power of nature and God at her fingertips but has only known servitude. That’s why there is no objection when she hears the following.

Not only is there CLEARLY no consent here, but I’m fairly sure Ymir is barely a teenager here so – Double Dose of Yikes!

Fittingly (or tragically, who can tell at this point), Ymir has three daughters: Maria, Rose and Sina. She raises her children while helping her nation conquer the lands around them with her unmatched power. However, thirteen years after her eldest child is born, a rogue soldier makes an attempt on the king’s life and Ymir leaps in front of the spear; one final act of indentured service.

Sort of. She is told correctly that she isn’t in danger. No doubt she has come back from far worse injuries than a spear to the collar. King Fritz tells her to get up and continue being a slave and Ymir says fuck you with her whole chest and gives up the ghost right there.

This shocking development leads to two things. First, we see the most graphic panel in a series full of gore and body horror as the children of Ymir are forced by Dear Old Dad to cannibalize their mother’s still-cooling corpse in order to obtain her power. Then, we see Ymir wake up in what we now know as the Paths dimension. Here she shall stay until a certain someone is able to receive and respond to her call for help.

That’s all for the backstory, now what about the source? It’s been documented well that Isayama loves myth and folklore especially of the Norse variety. Near the beginning of #122 we see Ymir fall into a tree that Momtaku and her co-host Luna succinctly describe as “both phallic and vulvic at the same time.” This seems like a clear reference to Yggdrasil, The World Tree. Yggdrasil is an interdimensional bridge with each branch connecting to a different realm, not unlike the branches we see in the PATHS dimension. Then we have the spine-like creature that latches on to Ymir like Symbiote under the tree. See if this looks familiar.

Nidhogg is a serpent that is known for eating away at the roots of the World Tree. It also has a famous rivalry with an unnamed eagle that sits atop Yggdrasil. A constant struggle between freedom and entrapment which is of course a central theme to this story. I’ve seen meta theorize that if the briny parasite represents the serpent of the Tree, that Eren Jaeger would represent the eagle the overlooks it and seeing how he’s spent most of this tale with wings on his back, that makes about as much sense as anything else.

It’s all a lead-up to Ragnarok: the End of the World.

Yup, that looks like the end to me.

When the First King lined up those Titans to form those walls, he couldn’t have known someone would find the one loophole to circumvent his failsafe. The reason the Coordinate Powers only fully activate for those of Royal Blood. It isn’t because of their genes alone. Ymir is a slave to the Royal Family, even centuries after her physical death. It isn’t until someone gives her a choice that she even thinks to take a different course of action.

What a charmer. This panel and the one that follows are both very important to me. Zeke, in his frenzy is a spitting image of King Fritz. Yes, the are directly related but also, I think there is something to be said of him taking on the form of Ymir’s greatest oppressor. After she hears Eren’s pitch to lend him her world-shattering power we see her eyes, full of tears, for the first time. Not an accident. It’s the first time in 2,000 years anyone has treated her like a person.

This is not an official theory or anything but it’s how I interpret this. The title of this chapter ‘From You, 2,000 Years Ago’ is of great significance outside of how it mirrors the title of the very first chapter. Ymir was sending a message and when we remember the Attack Titan’s special trait of moving (and looking) forward it’s clear who the messenger was. The question then becomes, was Eren the only one who was able to answer the call? Yes, just not for the reasons you would think.

 Technically, any of the Attack Titans (or any of them, I guess) could have unlocked the PATHS with enough work. The problem is, the only knowledge of Ymir’s story and the history of the Eldian people was with the Coordinate which, historically, was possessed by the Royal Line. It wasn’t until that fateful night when Grisha stole the Coordinate away that a very specific set of conditions could be met.

Once a single person of their own free will got even a glimpse of the tortured history and fate of Founder Ymir it was enough to set an incredibly complex series of events into motion. This is why the Attack Titan, even during the Great Titan War, can never listen to reason. They know what the end game is, thanks to Eren sending them snaps of that scenery.

Eren was special after all. Just not in the way we first thought. Funny that.

  Stray Thoughts

- Keep in mind that the final panel of Eren’s new Titan exploding out of his severed head happens the instant it lands in Zeke’s hand. How must Gabi be feeling right now? You think you’ve slain the Devil of the Earth and all you’ve done instead is give him immense power and an army of unstoppable giants. Someone get the Bart cake gif in the replys.

- The most impressive part of seeing Ymir’s backstory is that it was largely done with no dialogue. Almost felt like we were reading a scroll or ancient tome. Credit to the author for crafting such a deep, rich world to explore. Somehow, Shingeki no Kyojin isn’t the story he’s always wanted to tell but it will rightfully be the one he is best known for.

- Once again Zeke blows a 3-1 lead by being an entitled shithead. He and the rest of his family knew the story of Ymir and the fate she suffered and still saw fit to not only keep her imprisoned but to use her as a tool to subjugate their own people. No tears from me, muchacho.

[eeriehowl]

halloween sequels ranking, now that i’ve watched all of them

halloween 2 (1981) : 4.5/5

very good! the plottwist is a little poorly tied in, but reasonably so because it was forcibly pushed into the script last minute, literally. so i can’t really blame them for not doing a perfect execution. otherwise, good moments throughout highlighting the characters personalities, and the jimmy bloodpool scene is priceless. it just makes me lose it every time. keeps the spirit of the original and also brings in mr sandman as a soundtrack, which is delicious.

halloween 3: season of the witch (1982): 2/5

honestly giving it points for the androids and the creepy concept with the masks alone. the masks have a fun design too, even if simple! i want one of those pumpkin ones. ✨👀 but the main character is a boring generic action hero type and doesn’t intrigue me whatsoever. and his fellow female lead doesn’t do much for me either until the very end. the buildup to the climax is boring and long, but once the climax is reached, some fun scenes ahead at least. the yellow goop out of the androids, yesss.

halloween 4: return of michael myers (1988): 2/5

mmmm. here we go down the hell that is the Jamie storyline. i’m not a fan of the addition and michael starts getting ooc in behavior starting here. i find it weird he even targets Jamie to begin with, and no, the family bond alone doesn’t feel like enough of a motivator for his character. i missed laurie. also, he pretty much lost his stalking aspect for the most part. i liked the rooftop fight, it was a fun little concept. michael’s OWO what’s this scene is probably the best thing in this movie, lmao. felt in character with his bizarre behavior. the plottwist at the end doesn’t make sense, not with context from later movies in this storyline either. 

halloween 5: revenge of michael myers: 2/5

jamie story line continues. still doesn’t intrigue or scare me. even if a child in danger is usually a scary concept, the way it is handled here is just... not scary. maybe because of that lingering feel that’s still there from the last movie. the feeling that this is an unlikely target for michael. really takes me out of it. there are some fun and spooky scenes scattered here and there though. they subtly start hinting at michael being cursed in this one, which is a dumb plottwist that takes so much away from the original narrative of evil that made michael scary. doesn’t go hard apologism like the rob zombie remake though and keeps the whole ”its a curse” aspect subtle enough. the movie after this one though..........

halloween 6: curse of michael myers (1995): No

skip this one if u know what’s good for you. google the house chase scene if u wanna see michael fall down the stairs, but otherwise, big avoid on this one. this one goes further into the whole ”michael is cursed actually” storyline, it makes me snore. some people say it is better with the producers cut, but it’s really not. i’d argue that makes it worse. bunch of additional warnings for that one. the only thing that’s okay is that loomis is having a pretty chill time.

halloween: 20 years later (1998): 4/5

after so many mediocres and shitters, it felt nice to see a movie that did the franchise justice again. it also played mister sandman in the opening, which of course has me immediately. i liked the dynamic between laurie and her child here better than the one from halloween (2018), i felt that one was not as well handled. he had more character and was a better actor than karen’s actress. michael was back to being more of a stalking predator than the ”i’ll kill anything in my way” michael that 4-6 went with. all the laurie and michael development was interesting and their final showdown was really satisfying all around. too bad the next one pops.

halloween: resurrection (2002): 1/5

it kills off laurie on-screen early on and the acting is as sloppy as can be. i gave it one point bc there are semi funny parts after laurie’s death. it’s way more of a comedy after that than a horror movie. not good comedy for most of it. idk why they included the death scene at all, it just angered me.

rob zombie’s halloween (2007): No.

michael has rats for like 1 minute in the opening. otherwise, hard pass. gives michael an intricate backstory with a bunch of sad times, making his family shit, grasping at every straw to justify his behavior with a detailed sad backstory. this movie tries to make him an anti-hero instead of a villain, basically. explains waaayy too much about him, as john carpenter already said about it. he’s supposed to be sort of like a cryptid, this really did not stay true to that. graphic rape and violence and no subtlety what so ever.

halloween (2018): 2,5/5

the more i look back at it, the more it’s flaws shine, really. i had a good time watching it last year, but a big part of that is just bc i love watching halloween movies. i was thrilled to see laurie n michael again. but the handling of it is not great. the movie does not manage to make me care about allyson and karen, and they got a lot of screentime. i found myself often longing for a laurie or michael scene. but even so, the michael scenes didn’t feel very in character either, this one fell back to making michael a generic slasher villain. he kills everything that comes into contact with him and does no stalking what so ever. laurie’s scenes are fun however n the effects on her mental health after all this horror were believable and that car scene really HURT. also, michael’s akward creepy behavior patterns are pretty much voided except for that one scene where michael let’s this teen finish talking about his love problems for no reason before killing him. the ghost sheet over the girl was just a cheap reference to the original. of which the movie speaks of too much btw. i felt the references were very tacked on for the most part, except laurie’s little disappearing act. that was a real good one. doesn’t feel good that they’re making a sequel in the sense that it’s probably not gonna be great, but feels good in the way that i get to see my fave characters some more. 👀

[feijuan]

Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis, Am I Right?

This review contains a lot of spoilers -- I do not know how much of the anime is congruent with the manga, and as such there may be manga spoilers in this review as well. 

Click here to read on Wordpress!

On one hand, as we all ought to know very well,  

But on the other hand, I think I liked season 2 of Fist of the North Star: Regenesis more than the first, somehow. I also hate to admit there were parts of season 2 I liked completely unironically, as ridiculous and contrived as most of it was. Such is often my experience with every Fist of the North Star anime, game, etc, that I watch -- though I expected it much less from this, on account of it being maligned by pretty much everyone I know who knows anything about Fist of the North Star, for

Being made entirely in CGI (though I still think it’s the designs that are awful, and not necessarily the fact that it’s CGI, but to each their own I suppose when it comes to visuals)

Apparently not following canon much at all, but that doesn’t matter to me because I don’t know anything about Fist of the Blue Sky canon anyway, which makes my viewing experience… interesting… because I just had to accept whatever nutso bonkers lunacy I saw on the screen as truth.

I berated the first season quite a lot, not just for issues in adaptation, but for issues that are almost certainly in the source material as well. I thought the setting was a ridiculously contrary backdrop for the kind of martial arts antics happening on screen, in a literary and in a visual sense. The martial arts themselves, while always ludicrous in the franchise as a whole, were especially so in Fist of the Blue Sky - and in Regenesis their visual presentation was frankly awful, managing to be both tacky beyond imagining and super underwhelming. The writing had serious problems that required -- I'm not kidding and wish I was -- a Magical Jewel That Showed The Antagonist The Truth to resolve the finale, and the backstory we saw through this Plot Orb was complete and utter nonsense, the likes of which I haven't quite seen in a very long time. This really doesn't even cover all of the issues in the first season of Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis alone, because the majority of the characters aren't great either, including the protagonist whose value largely seems reliant on being an allusion to the already beloved Kenshiro, and the abundance of small contrivances throughout to fuel completely unnecessary conflicts.

As objectively bad as Regenesis was though, there were some things I enjoyed about it, namely a few of the characters. I loved Fei Yan and Erika, and as much as I hated Yasaka at first, he grew on me – though that was born from the absurdity of his redemption that made it impossible for me to take any of his crimes seriously. On that line of thought though, what I often enjoyed about season 1 was the spectacle of it, and I think that’s pretty clearly evidenced by my liveblog where I was either losing my mind and frantically posting screencaps to try and even begin to understand what I was looking at and how it was possible, or posting about Fei Yan Being Great. And sometimes complaining when I had the energy to think about the awful writing, instead of laugh it off…

So that was season 1. But what did season 2 have to offer, and could it redeem the anime, even a little bit? Well, short answers: A bit more, and not particularly. So let's get to the list making:

Things I decidedly didn’t like at all about Season 2

Need I even say anything about how the CG model proportions are still awful... looking Yu Ling's model makes me ache all over. But not only are the models in general still grotesque, but there were a few too many instances of flashbacks where characters were supposed to be teens, but they either had a kid model, or an adult model. There's no inbetween.  It's extremely weird and jarring when in one flashback Simeon looks like a 12 year old with similarly young looking Himuka, and then "a few years later" Simeon still has the 12 year old boy model, while Himuka has evolved into a 30 year old buff martial artist.

Fei Yan is Still Dead and Yasaka is good but he's not that good. This is admittedly a petty complaint but try to understand... Fei Yan was really good. And I miss him. Thank you for listening.

Fei He was wildly under-utilized, under-developed, and usually just a woman for male characters to make fun of or infantalize -- which is a crying shame (and unfortunately par the course for the franchise, ahem) because she was a link back to Fei Yan and his legacy. Having been partially brought up by him and idolizing him in her youth, she arrives near the end of season 1 to track down Kasumi, who she is pointlessly misled into believing killed Fei Yan for a few episodes. Later in season 2 when she does discover it was Yasaka who killed Fei Yan, nothing… happens, because by that time she has already come to respect Kasumi, so it’s trivially easy for Kasumi to convince her to forgive Yasaka just like he did. Once her initial motivation is snuffed out, she just becomes a detached ally of our secondary protagonist group, which consists of Yu Ling, minor members of the Green Gang, and the worst characters of the entire show!

The comedy duo. Far and away the worst aspect of both seasons of the whole show. The CG? The ugly art style in general? The casual misogyny? The non-canon mismatched cult planning world domination with nuclear weapons? That all pales in comparison to the damage these freaks wreck on every episode they are in.

Their horrendous “bits” are where like 80% of the misogyny this show displays actually occurs. Their boorish fantasies are used as vehicles for the only fanservice scenes in the entire run, and they make up ridiculous plans for Fei He to carry out that degrade her and make her a joke.Their bits are tone-shatteringly out of place and usually shoehorned into every episode since their introduction in the middle of season 1 at the worst time possible. I’m still seething about their prolonged scene in the finale where Yu Ling inexplicably rubs the metal-haired one’s head while her fiancee fights for his doomed life, and he pretty much c*ms and his metal wig falls off to reveal a single disgusting hair on his head -- we literally cut away from the final fight in the whole series so we can see THAT. LIKE WHAT? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

This show is already so far-fetched and often unintentionally hilarious that it doesn’t benefit in any way from having gag characters in the first place. It’s a net loss in entertainment value, really, because all the gag characters did was ruin serious scenes and interrupt outrageous scenes that were actually funny.

Fei Yan died, Yasaka died, Kasumi died, but THESE CHUCKLEFUCKS LIVED? #JUSTICEFORFEIYAN #GOTHRIGHTS

The whole thing with the vampire cyborg mad scientist soldier making pseudo-zombies. That was a lot even for Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis.

Oh, and another quick note about Fei He being poorly utilized: I also didn't like at all how she is revealed to have fallen in love with Kasumi in the finale... like c'mon. Was that necessary? They barely ever spoke! A woman can care about a man dying without being A Thing, Fist of the North Star...

Things I unexpectedly didn’t hate and even sort of liked to varying degrees about Season 2

Speaking of Kasumi, he was a lot more likable in this season and I don't know if it's because we naturally got to know him better as we spent more time with him, or if it's because he just Did More Good Stuff than before, but I'm leaning towards the latter. I really liked his tender moments with Erika going up to the finale and his fight with Himuka was leagues above any of his fights previously in terms of giving us some actual meaningful insight into his personality and beliefs. It's a shame these moments happened in the last two episodes of the series... But I am willing to concede that they were fairly successful in making me like him just in time for him to honourably wander off into the desert and die. Thanks.

As much as I heckled the literally religious cult composed of men in black, mysterious worshippers with pointed hoods sitting around a table plotting world domination, mad scientist soldiers, and assorted martial artists, I ended up kind of liking where the story went with it and the themes that were developed in the last stretch. The second arc had a very on the nose stance on war and weapons of mass destruction as the worst of humanity's creations, and we see it in a lot of places in the story. The narrative unfolding at a time when World War II was on the horizon, the nuclear bomb schematics that had been causing all of the strife in the story being erased from Erika's (a little Jewish girl, as well) mind in the end, and how Himuka was driven to villainy by war and became convinced the only way to create a future without it, was to hit the Hard Reset Button on the earth's population. For all its shortcomings with dealing with the -isms, Fist of the North Star has at least always had anti-war themes, but I especially liked how they were more focused and rooted in history in this season of Regenesis.

I actually... liked?! The villains?!

Simeon had a motivation that was irrational and pathetic, but made sense because of his background. Instead of the story trying to redeem or sympathize with him, he is simply pitied by Himuka who usurps him and puts him out of his misery, which is very rare for Fist of the North Star as a whole. It shouldn't be as rare as it is.

While I liked the anti-war themes, Himuka's motivation felt a lot less organic than Simeon's in my opinion and required a whole episode to be dedicated to explaining it to us, which I'm not a huge fan of unless it's really compelling -- and I don't think it was. Nevertheless I did enjoy his final fight with Kasumi and the philosophy of it, which made it harder than usual not to bend to the narrative's will and mourn him.

They weren’t glorified misogynists or cartoonishly evil goons! 👍

Himuka betraying Simeon and becoming The Real Big Bad was also rather fresh for Fist of the North Star, and it's a shame that it was spoiled in the opening, because if it wasn't I think I might have been surprised. Regardless, shifting gears like that was a good move in my opinion -- even though, yeah, The Villain Is Your Brother, Again.

When Kasumi wins his final battle against Himuka, and Himuka says "I have always been a vessel of nothingness. There is nothing to spill from inside of me" and he like, turns to stone in the rising sun, instead of dying from his wounds? Did it make any sense? No. Was it was raw as fuck and did I love it? Yes.

Erika... her arc in season 2 is very bittersweet, but it is undeniable that I was relieved when Kasumi erased her memories. It's probably not kosher, but when I was watching it I agreed with the narrative's claim that her only way to be free of her immense suffering and live like a little girl should was to clean the slate, and months later when I think back to it, I'm still okay with it. A little girl watching her parents die and being burdened with knowledge that can destroy the world, and everything that happens to her and her guardians because of wicked men trying to get that knowledge from her... I can't really fault the idea of taking that away from her and letting her finally rest. Go play in a sandbox dearest Erika... run along...

Every episode felt like 5 minutes long!

So that's the final impressions of Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis -- I ended up having more to say about it than I thought I would, considering how I was speechless most of the time I was watching it... with a list of Positive Points that long, you might be tricked into thinking it's unexpectedly good; but despite everything I liked about it, I can say with confidence that Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis is not good. All of the issues from the first season do carry over into this one -- the contrived story-telling and egregious tonal dissonance, lackluster characterization and poor handling of character drama, and just plain absurdity of most things happening on the screen remain intact. Had it not been for a small hand full of likable characters and some good themes trying to pierce through the hideous hide of this story, it would be thoroughly unremarkable, perhaps not even worth touting as a hilarious spectacle of out of context screenshots.

I can't be too sour though, because then I would be dishonest. It's clear as day that while understanding why it is so maligned, I enjoyed many parts of it far more than expected, and the experience of watching it with my partner was fun and at times even emotional. And as much as I can say with confidence that Fist of the Blue Sky: Regensis isn't a good anime, I can also say with confidence, that Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis was not even remotely the Worst Anime Of 2018. I think it's very telling that in the anime community, being completely mediocre with bad aesthetics and bad story adaptation are worse sins than that of, say, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar and Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody which are both "escapism" series that aired in 2018 and were rampant with pedophilia and slave fetishization that were popular on Crunchyroll when they were airing. Front Page Popular.

Needless to say, watching lots of airing anime every season gives me a sense of perspective and I use it, and so I am content with admitting that I happily watched Fist of the Blue Sky: Regenesis every Monday that it aired and often had a great time, oftentimes because it was an absolute riot to see, and sometimes because despite everything, it could be... decent!

[Happy very belated New Years everyone! I finally finished writing something, so hopefully this bodes well for my productivity in 2019! Enjoy and thanks for sticking with the blog!]

[artcanary]

1-50

oh my god dude 

im gonna put this under a cut bc this is a lot. this is a ride, have fun i guess

1. Your first OC ever?god. its got to be Super Kitty. when i was like … an incredibly small child I used to draw comic strips about this feline caped crusader, who was friends with everyone in the city, and the comics always involved him stopping an evil banana man from stealing money from the local bank. He was paid with donuts for his service to the city. i still remember how to draw him. 

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?i’d get arrested if I didn’t answer this with Bronze, probably… but really, they’re very important to me

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?man, i cant remember! i really dont think i have… P:

4. A character you rarely talk about?there’s loads of characters ive never even posted a single picture of on tumblr, i wouldnt even know where to start asdf

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? bronze is the easy answer, but… i guess that could also go to Servant or Westrin. Servant has a comic project in the works that basically stars him, sort of a series of one-shots about the things he’s experienced, i feel like that would be a good thing to take off and run with. Westrin’s just fun as hell, i love the guy.

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?real talk now… there’s at least five different characters that i refer to as a whole as “bronze-tangential”, who started out as, “what would bronze be like if they were in this world?” and then becoming their own thing within said world because i just get stupid attached 

its an epidemic

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?nearly all of them, actually. that’s the main reason i make characters, after all! too many to really go into specifics here, again P: 

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!not often, but i think Bronze and Westrin are the most common ones. unless playing a character in dnd, or running an npc in dnd counts… then a whole lot more hahaha

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?it depends on the circumstances. i don’t really like the idea, though. 

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design? Westrin’s old getup is a pain to draw, and there was one other design i did that I cant find anywhere… whichever way, i dont often tend to draw super complicated things often 

a couple fakemon ive designed though… heheh those can get pretty finicky

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? hmmmmmmmm my immediate thought was Eric Silverdale from a comic i was working on a few years ago. hes a darling, i want him to be my friend irl

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lothow could you do this to me i love each and every one of all my friends ocs GOD the first one who comes to mind is @d20-official‘s Smith, whos Bronze’s friend… everyone in that DND party actually

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? Rated on a scale from “harmless” to “honestly somewhat frightening”: -Baromet (charming and quite friendly but definitely a kleptomaniac),-Westrin (demigod of bards and travelers), -XEN09 (a nonsense hacker), -Conny (needlessly contrarian and dumb as HELL), -Enza Colie (long fucking story but hes a good-for-nothing), -Hemlocke (mad scientist, chaotic evil), -Iris (AI and hacker, VERY bad), -The Terminus (glitch-in-the-matrix demon, chaotic evil), -and Sydd (the Queen of the Faeries, hopefully the danger there needs no explaining :’D)

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory Mmm… there’s a few of them, most obviously Lent (whose background I did a short comic about). Basically his entire town got eaten by ghosts and turned into zombies, he only barely survived with a sliver of his soul left. 

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?yes, i often discuss storylines and such with friends

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? Probably Bronze’s dad! I don’t talk about him much, but his name’s Devon Reed, and he was a biotech developer specialising in android design. 

I often describe him as being something of a reverse Arthur Weasley - a very fatherly scientist fascinated to the moon and back with the concept of magic. 

17. Any OC OTPs? having trouble thinking of a lot of them right now, but there’s Eric + Lent & Naiadine + Tailias from Emerald Sigil, Avken + Baromet from my space campaign world, Sydd + Wyvv from my unnamed campaign world, and I’ve been considering Westrin + Servant as an interesting dynamic in Servant’s story

18. Any OC crackships? My character Bismuth and @autistictimeknight​‘s oc Eros. Theyre so fucking in love, I love it. Its been awhile but I do still think about them sometimes.

As I recall, Eros is an empath, she can read other people’s emotions. But Bismuth is a robot, and Eros can’t read her. Because of this Eros can let go of her fear of unintentionally manipulating the emotions of her date, which would hold her back from most other relationships. 

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)Hey, meet Bronze! I definitely do not talk about them every five minutes, why would you say that. 

Bronze was with me through two of the hardest years of my life so far, and being a DND character they grew with me, both as a fighter and as a person. They were non-binary before I started using those pronouns, they were the first character or person or anything who I fought someone about using the right pronouns for, they make a great icebreaker for if I want to see how someone reacts to non-binary pronouns … 

One funny anecdote about Bronze is that when I first made them, their “gimmick” was that they would sometimes glitch out and mess up their speech, mostly because I wanted an excuse not to engage in the roleplaying (which I was very bad at). The interesting thing is that as I got better at interacting with the group, we both grew out of needing it very quickly. 

I’m very proud of Bronze. 

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?Westrin is a bard! His singing voice sounds like Bill Wurtz and these are his theme songs.

21. Your most artistic OCProbably Westrin again, he writes a lot of songs… and Hallux is a game designer?

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how? I honestly dont know… no-one talks to me about them, haha! 

people use all manner of pronouns for bronze, though. 

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?I’m gonna go with Enza for this one. Enza Colie was originally written entirely because I wanted an antagonist for a short starring his sister, Jane Colie. But the more I fleshed out his reasonings for acting how he did and explored his character, the more I realised he’d make an even more interesting character if allowed to have a redemption arc, too. 

I just want to state for the record that I was very reluctant to the idea, and he basically dragged his way out of the villain pit entirely of his own accord. I am dubiously proud of him, and also a bit scared. 

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?Probably either Eric (Big Man, Best Friend), Crocus (Mother figure), Reed (Father Figure), Westrin (hed just make a good friend u kno??), or Bismuth (she makes good conversation!)

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)probably the homestuck fan-troll Hallux, but that’s mostly because they were based on a troll-sona I made awhile ago. They’re a hope/prospit game designer who is small and full of rage and love

oh, and there’s dave! dave’s a superhero speedster, existing in a modern-day superhero version of seattle. theyre idiot, just like me,

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? this is an interesting one… i don’t think ive ever had something Bad in a design ive done called to my attention by someone, but I did create my character Servant at around the same time I was first really expanding the diversity of my casts. (since i don’t talk about him often, a little context: he’s a magic spirit creature bound to human form to serve the royal family of the land and follow their orders.) 

somehow, younger-and-more-stupid me managed to have the revelation that making this “eternal slave” character literally anything other than a white man, especially as a white author, would be Pretty Not Good. im … thats really, really not something i should pat myself on the back for, but i do consider it one of the biggest bullets dodged in my artistic career so far that i realised that not all representation is good representation so quickly, before i could make that incredibly, incurably stupid mistake. 

after that, trying to make sure my characters and their presentations don’t harm anyone pretty much has become a paranoia. i don’t seem to have stepped on any toes yet, but when it inevitably happens, please let me know - i didnt know, and i want to fix it! 

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song? None that I can think of, actually! I don’t really do that often. 

28. Your most dangerous OC? god damn it i have no idea!!! is it the terminus? glitch in the matrix god of chaos motherfucker?is it sarle? terrifying calculating scientist with the power of the soul at her fingertips ??? is it ares??? is it athena????? is it petra?????? the gatekeeper???? 

… actually, the gatekeeper might be it, if “dangerous” just refers to “the amount of raw power it can wield”. the Gatekeeper is a titanic entity that exists in interdimensional multiverse space, and its implied to have the ability to create and destroy entire universe bubbles at will. for what cosmic purpose, no-one knows. 

at a more personal scale, though, literally all of the aforementioned characters are pretty bad to run into too. 

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?god. Mina or Tawn. Tawn is the Indiana Jonesy type and probably dumb enough, but also competent enough not to get into too much trouble there. Mina would probably drag her friends along. 

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection? XEN09. No-one knows, because no-one knows xir personal identity. Xe absolutely does, though. It’s less of a secret if you know xir in person, but good luck finding out about it otherwise. 

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)dave just reblogs memes all the time tbh. they like to keep tabs on the ridiculous superhero news going on, and they show human jokes and cat videos to their alien gf. they dont really post or add to posts, but they talk in tags a lot. 

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? i want to say tawn because i literally just realised ive been imagining their voice as sounding like luigi this entire fucking time and i never realised until this exact instant

33. Your shyest OC?probably baromet. they prefer to keep to themself in their hideout, with their collection of shiny things. they don’t really enjoy trying to communicate much, mostly because they expect to get yelled at. 

34. Do you have any twin characters?Yes! At least two sets; 

- Crocus and Sarle. (x) (x) They don’t exactly have a very well-developed relationship, but they are both quite important to the plot of my campaign world, and they are both very interesting. Crocus is a motherly figure who just exudes friendliness, while Sarle is .. very much not that, a researcher studying very gruesome things and pushing the boundaries of reality. 

- Jane and Enza Colie. I haven’t talked a whole lot about either of them here, but I’d rather leave their story to do the talking whenever I get around to it. Essentially, the both of them were intended to do the dirty work for their crime boss family, but Jane ditched to study medicine. Most of the conflict between the two of them comes out of Enza not understanding why she made the choice she did, and coming to understand how he’s been manipulated. 

35. Any sibling characters? I can’t really think of any off the top of my head, I should … I should really work on that. 

I can talk about Westrin, though. Westrin (a demigod of many things, but namely bards, travel, travelers, and people who are lost) often becomes close friends with mortals, sometimes practically adopting them. These people who consider him family, and people who have received his blessing, are able to use his surname, Brilanta, as their own if they choose. So I guess all of the Brilantas are siblings, at least in spirit. 

Oh, and XEN09 has like, seven siblings. Xe is the second-oldest, and least remarkable. 

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)? I already talked about Eros and Bismuth up there a ways in question 18, but I’ll talk about another relationship here. @autistictimeknight​‘s character, Nova the Alchemist, is mentor and adopted parental figure to my character Munna. Munna … Munna isn’t a very good apprentice. She tries very hard. 

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human That’s most of them, I’m not quite sure what to say here. Bronze is an android? Bronze again? Westrin? All the aliens ?? 

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer? man. uh. westrin or jean. or perhaps valencia. 

39. Introduce any character you want ??? uhhhHHHhhHHH Lord Brillium is the reigning deity of the Cloud Kingdoms in the other campaign setting I’m working on. They represent light and the quest for knowledge, and spend most of their days in the Cathedral Observatory watching the stars. 

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!one time bronze flew a hover-bike through the stained glass window in a cathedral blaring all star by smash mouth on their iguana

also one time bronze rickrolled a rakshasa demon and then pulled updog on it like, two minutes later

another time bronze scared off an entire army by pretending to be an automated security system 

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)ive got a whole little folder on here from all you blessed people !!!! right now ive got a drawing quinn did of one o fmy characters as my lockscreen

but i think the one i’ll really never ever get over is this piece of Jane, by @rabendraws​ / @owoltron​: 

(i bet you thought i forgot about this, dude. dude. think again.) 

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods? this is kind of a weird question, m, I feel like Bismuth would find learning about the mythos utterly fascinating, as would Tawn. 

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confesshaha. uh. i might. 

aside from the entire “bronze-tangential characters” thing i mentioned awhile back, I tend to really like designing characters with hair color lighter than their skin color. it just looks so cool man. i love drawing freckles but dont put them on enough characters. i like really curly hair, but also really long and flowy hair. i like drawing triangular body types, and pointy/prominent noses. 

44. Something you like about your OCs in generaluhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is a really vague question. m. m. 

45. A character you no longer use?there’s old versions of characters, but a lot of my older ones have been somehow repurposed. I guess there’s Turien, my first-ever DND character, who’s just kind of sitting dead now. Haven’t really done anything with him other than a pretty recent tangential character. 

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?Not that I can think of.

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child? Im certain it’s happened, but I can’t remember any specific instances. 

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pureSpring. spring knows nothing of th dangers of the world who is letting them into fights someon eneeds to stop this

(spring roll, hehe.) 

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memesim not sure what this question is asking since many of my ocs actively enjoy memes including but not limited to westrin, dave, bronze, xen09, iris, and doctor archersen

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wanti think. i think im going to pass on this one. i gave you the good old oc talk. your damn turn, yall: 

if you have any questions about any of these guys feel free to shoot one at me!

thats all from me im tired and its one am. techskylander you absolute madman 

[aftermathdb]

Death Battle Review: Sora vs. Pit

Battle five of season five (or battle 92 overall (eight more episodes to go until battle 100!)) brightens up your day with two warriors of light duking it out to see which heart is more pure for their sacred weapon in this fight to the end.

This is a popular request. As it’s being done for the release of Kingdom Hearts this year, we have a fun battle coming ahead between these two warriors of light.

Sora′s Preview.

Sora’s preview opens up in the standard way. Going over the backstory, and what he did before he became a warrior. It really helps to sell how absurd that it is that Sora is part of both the Final Fantasy universe and the Disney universe. Let’s be real here, Kingdom Hearts is a crossover franchise that works out so well despite so much going against it. Though, it does bring up the question of how the scaling is going to work.

The keyblade also has its own card. Being about 3′6″ in length, it’s certainly no Dragonslayer, but it has a lot of powerful magic to give it a boost. And it can open any door? Heh, who needs lockpicking skills and tools when you can just have a keyblade, am I right? - It also seems to be able to act on Sora’s desires, even when he’s unconscious. Similar to Raven’s soul-self.

Oh, and evidently, Donald Duck and Goofy (friggin’ GOOFY!) are world-hopping warriors. Crazy, huh?

Sora’s magic also holds some stuff to be impressed by. Like healing, gliding, and the rest of your standard Final Fantasy magic. Including fire, ice, electricity, gravity and even… Stopga (Creative name there, Square).

They even compare his abilities to other Disney characters like Peter Pan, and Figment. Plus, the Kingdom Key also seems to act like Thor’s mystical hammer, Mjolnir (Hey. Disney owns Marvel. I can make the comparison).

And then they completely lose me with the whole “Somebody” “Nobody” thing, it gets confusing. I’m with Boomstick here, “I’m a somebody who’s really really confused.”

Judging by feats, Sora has speed, strength, and durability. And it also looks like he can join Link in the “Guys who defeated Cloud Strife” club.

As for weaknesses, it seems that he shares the same ones that Beast does. He relies a bit too much on his friends and allies to accomplish things, and as we all know: DEATH BATTLE bans outside help unless the other side gets something similar. Though, given that Pit can’t fly without aid from Palutena, I’d say that this should be fairly even.

That end line was cheesy as hell, but given that it’s Disney meets Final Fantasy, I can see it being appropriate.

Pit′s Preview.

And the Kid Icarus development hell is brought up fairly quickly. Pit’s backstory is interesting enough, he’s a commander, he leads an army, and we are definitely not talking about the one from Captain N.

Despite Pit being well-over 25 years of age, he still seems like he’s a teenager. This… is a bit disturbing because of how some media says that people are the age in the afterlife that they are when they died. Which means that Pit probably died young, if we’re talking in the sense that he was not born in Angel Land (Real creative naming there, Nintendo).

The background has another jab at the old Captain N cartoon, and adds that Pit thinks eating Ice Cream off the floor gives you health. Hey, that’s how most Video Games work, right? - It must be a nod to how he leans on the fourth wall.

We’re also faced with the logic that is “The captain of an angel army doesn’t have his own wings.” - Gameplay mechanics, am I right?

Pit’s signature weapon doesn’t get as big of a rundown as Sora’s keyblade, which is a bit disappointing. But it’s offset by the wide arsenal of weapons that he has. If anything, Sora has mystical versatility while Pit has weapon versatility.

The Three Sacred Treasures, on the other hand, do get the detail treatment. Going over them showcases a wide variety of power and ability. And showcasing the gold-colored Silver Armor makes the visuals all the more worth it. Though,I do have to question if they’re taking Smash into account.

The math done on the boulder is fairly extensive. But hitting with 1600 of TNT doesn’t really stack up to Sora taking a hit from someone who could toss around about 1600 tons of stone. And while moving over 21000 mph is impressive, it still doesn’t really stack to Sora deflecting lasers.

Yet again, Sora still seems to hold all the advantages here. At least, the ones that matter in a fight anyways. Even his fourth-wall awareness is addressed in a small card, where he doesn’t have a lot of control over what’s going on (At least the Aftermath writing office won’t be getting any new people in it. The space is crowded enough as it is).

For some reason, I feel as if Pit’s and Sora’s lines could be easily interchanged with each other, and nobody would notice. That’s how Pit’s line comes off as.

The Battle Itself.

Kervin Alcindor (Who assisted in Black Panther vs. Batman and Naruto vs. Ichigo, and was lead in the Raphael vs. Wolverine DBX) is teaming up with animation vet Samuel “Zack” Watkins (animator of Guts vs. Nightmare, Ryu vs. Scorpion, and Jotaro vs. Kenshiro). Sora will be getting the voice of Bryce Papenbrook, while Pit will be being voiced by Justin Briner. Discount Goofy is voiced by Nick. Music is called “Unlocking Heaven” by Brandon Yates, Sprites are done by HyperJerk and McLeod Gaming, and audio is done by Ben Tehrani (Apologies. I could not find a twitter credit).

So, the reason why the fight starts is because they’re in an arena. If anything, that’s the most likely reason for these two to fight to the death. Given Sora’s personality as well as Pit’s, the only other way these two would fight would be due to a hate plague or something. It certainly does keep both sides in-character enough until one of them escalates the fight.

Pit’s entrance even references his games, where he goes through a door of light to his next destination.

Pit opens the fight with his light arrows, and Sora easily dodges them. The fight seems to be in Sora’s favor, as he does still hold many advantages.

Pit does still hold the edge in weapon versatility, as his upperdash arm gives us a funny moment of slapstick on Sora’s face.

The fight gets taken to what can only be assumed to be Skyworld, as we see that Pit is the one who escalates the battle… Or maybe not. Pit compliments his opponent’s teleportation skills, and they both seem eager to see what the other side is capable of next.

The fight gets taken back to the arena after Sora uses his own magic to stop Pit’s airborne assault, and bring it back to the ground. Where Pit uses his Sacred Treasures. It’s at this point, that you get the distinct feeling that the fight is going to end soon.

Spoilers in 5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Sora’s magic overpowers Pit’s Sacred Treasures. And Goofy kills the moment by saying “Atta boy, Sora!”

Verdict + Explanation.

First off: Thank goodness. If Pit had won, then there would be a bunch of comments saying that KH3 would have given him something to give him the edge.

As it turns out, Pit’s real advantages were his experience, and flight. While Sora held… Pretty much everything else.

Sora held the edge in speed thanks to that lightning feat, and since Pit has never shown any resistance to time manipulation effects, it seemed that he was out of luck there.

Pit’s arsenal gave him enough to hold out against Sora, but it wasn’t enough to put him down for good.

Essentially: Pit had the experience, they both had the light, but Sora had the strength, durability, and speed to come out on top.

The end quote is pretty lame though (Really? “the key to the fight”?  “A sora loser”? - that was the best you could come up with, Screwattack?).

Overall impression.

A very impressive 8.7/10. I feel that the visuals and music really help the fight. The dialogue makes everything pretty interesting, and the story makes it believable enough that, if this weren’t a fight to the death, these two would be friends. Some of the jokes work pretty well too, and we can even gather a good solid rating from me. While it might not be as visually impressive or destructive as stuff like Naruto vs. Ichigo or Hulk vs. Doomsday, it still holds up very well. And given that this was the first time both franchises had been brought in, I’d say that it was a good introductory for both of them.

Next Time…

Well, money on the table says that this fight might be a lot more close than we would give it credit for. I don’t really know a whole lot about these two, but it seems that DEATH BATTLE is keeping up with the trend of new franchises for this season.

Two zombie survivors. Who will survive? - Who will be zombie food? - I think we can all agree that…

The main character from Plants vs. Zombies could wreck both of these guys.

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

……… I don’t have a clever quip about this one. So let’s go with “Inferior to PVZ gardener.”

[casualarsonist]

Wolfenstein II, and the importance of tone.

B.J. Blaskowicz's pregnant lover, Anya, tears her burning shirt from her body as her grenades explode under the feet of the advancing Nazis. She straddles B.J's prone body and brandishes two machine guns aloft as blood showers her naked skin, and I roar with laughter. My girlfriend asks me what the f**k is happening. Hitler pisses into a bucket and vomits on the floor. B.J. rants against bourgeois pacifism in a drunken rage and passes out. And as the sword bites into his flesh, and his head falls into a pyre, only to be collected by a machine and reattached to a synthetic body, I rejoice at the moments wherein Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus has the balls to embrace the absolute madness of its setting and take everything up to 11. 

But something doesn't feel quite right. Its predecessor - The New Order - subverted and exceeded the expectations of everyone that awaited it; I don't think anyone could have imagined what Machine Games would do with the franchise rights of the world's first FPS. As a pitch, the idea of taking the inherently daft premise of a man fighting Nazi-zombie robots in a retro-futuristic 1960's and grounding it all in a real emotional place with characters that understand and communicate the gravity of their situation to one another and to the audience alike...well, it's mental. And yet it worked. It worked really, really well. The action was intense and bombastic, but when it was over and the game asked us to understand what was motivating these people to do what they were doing, the drama felt earned, and every enemy you defeated felt like a cathartic victory rather than an exercise in psychopathy. When a friendly character died, it hurt because you cared, and because the death felt like a genuine loss amongst all the well-written personalities. The New Order was dark and visceral and at times terrifying, but always a joy to play, and in the end, no matter which turn the story took, you were invested. 

So why does The New Colossus feel like such a mistake?

To be fair to the game, as I've already said, there were moments that I was literally rolling in my seat with laughter, and it is certainly at its best when it says 'fuck it' to the concept of restraint and goes mental. It is, at times, incredibly fun, and funny. The aforementioned scene in which an insane, addled, syphilitic Hitler pisses in a bucket whilst auditioning actors for a terrible, terrible film he has written is one of the best in the entire game, not just because it makes an absolute mockery of the long-feared icon of human evil, but also because it is rendered and animated so well that looking into his eyes is genuinely chilling for how lifelike it all appears. But moments like these are few and far between, and it's regrettably rare that, buried amongst long, long cutscenes that have nothing important to say, one feels like they are genuinely being surprised and entertained. 

I suppose it's all about on which end of the crazy scale you heap your content - balance is good, as is committing to one style and tone on either side, but to be indecisive, or to miscalculate and mistime and portion your moments improperly so as to leave your audience confused as to your intention can be fatal, and in the case of Wolfenstein 2, it very nearly is. Whereas The New Order balanced the silliness in its gunplay with sincerity and moments of genuine tenderness in its story, The New Colossus couples inappropriate moodiness and melodrama with the violent actions of its characters, and leaves them looking like hypocrites. After tearing through a gauntlet of soldiers leaving little but a hallway littered with bloody chunks of flesh, B.J. chooses to wax poetic about the loss of a friend's life and the loss of all her experiences with it, in turn completely ignoring the dozens of lives and thousands of experiences he just erased. The moment is timed so perfectly and the recitation of the lines so genuine that the juxtaposition almost feels intentional, as if the game wants you to scoff at his lack of self-awareness, and it might have been a nice subversive moment if this game’s immediate predecessor hadn’t pinned all its integrity on the fact that its characters and narrative were supposed to be relatable. Instead, B.J. comes off psychotic, annoying, and unlikeable, and the writers seem less like they’re in on the joke and more like they just don't know what their doing. 

Which is rather baffling, given that it's the exact same creative team behind the The New Order - the same two writers that created a masterpiece of action storytelling, and somehow married an impossibly absurd premise with a genuine, heartfelt narrative. They created a terrifying villain, complex and likeable sidekicks, and together with the ambitious and intense soundtrack crafted a world that lived and breathed despite exploring all manner of ridiculous scenarios (moonbase FTW). The New Colossus is this, but less well made. It repeats a lot of the same beats of its predecessor, and so they all feel forced, unearned, and inferior. It's as if the setting of Nazi-occupied America wasn't fertile-enough ground for the creative directors, so they needed to borrow directly from their previous game. They delve into B.J's childhood and fill his backstory with caricatures that overstate the point they're there to make, and yet at the same time expect us to invest in a depressing world that is directly at odds with the light-hearted insanity of the rest of the story, and I think moments like this come from a desire to leave the tone of their previous game behind in favour of something a bit more fun, while still feeling like they need to bridge the gap with some kind of drama. Unfortunately, they fail to find the balance, and the attempts at seriousness reek of try-hard melodrama and smash against the humour like two cars travelling opposite directions down a one-lane road.

I could be mistaken of course; perhaps I’m just too thick to ‘get it’ and they were trying to ironically deconstruct their own work, but the drama is so heavy, and heavy-handed, that I just can’t believe that this is the case, which is such a shame because there are all the makings of an amazing game under the hood - fantastic components have been assembled together in a confused and chaotic manner, leaving the follow-up to one of the greatest shooters ever made (and one of the most unexpected underdog releases) feeling like a victim of its own success. And this is exemplified in no better place that at in the ending of the game, which is in almost every way the antithesis of that of The New Order. 

A recap: in The New Order you must fight a super-robot implanted with the brain of one of your former comrades. After defeating it and ending the suffering of your friend, you’re attacked by the main villain - General Deathshead - as you fight amongst an increasingly unstable network of gas pipes and crumbling concrete. When you finish the desperate battle and kill Deathshead from within a conflagration of fire and flames, a short, poignant cutscene activates in which the game implies the end of one of the most important parts of the franchise. It’s a perfect example of why the game did best as a whole, offering the traditional trope of a boss fight with a new coat of paint, and then ending with a no-nonsense but impactful piece of genuine drama. 

So how does The New Colossus conduct itself? Well not only does it unravel the risk of the previous game’s ending within the first few seconds, but it ends by making the player’s last interaction with its Big Bad a single button-press that then triggers a five-minute-long cutscene in which the characters stand around and spout cliche ideological platitudes about America rising up. Then B.J. stares at the corpse of his enemy like a fucking nutcase, before getting down on his knees next to the wrecked carcass and proposing to his girlfriend, which would be funny if this wasn’t the same character we were supposed to be rallying behind and is now clearly insane. It’s anti-climactic, tonally unbalanced, and boring, and worse than all this is that it commits the cardinal sin of second acts in that it ends unsatisfyingly whilst promising a third installment that will be much more interesting. 

Fuck off. 

This could all have been avoided if the creative rudder of the production had steered it directly into the eye of the storm - the setting, its violence, and its cast of characters are all ripe for parody, so why the hell did they feel like they had to spend so much time exploring B.J’s tragic upbringing in which his racist, wife-beating dad makes him kill his own dog? What purpose does that serve in a story that opens with a wheelchair-bound protagonist machine-gunning Nazis in the face? It’s just madness. And in my opinion it ultimately undid a lot of the good will that The New Order worked so hard at creating. Even if the incoming third game commits completely to its craziness, we’re still stuck with this strange Frankenstein’s monster, and the fact that from about the half way mark I was just waiting for it to end is, for me, a nail in the coffin. It’s just...it’s such a shame. The New Colossus is a smooth, beautiful shooter, and also an trainwreck of mismatched tones, confused pacing, regurgitated story beats, and an unsatisfying ending. It tries to vary its gameplay and somehow ends up feeling more of a generic shooter than it’s predecessor - a game that actually set out to reboot the world’s first FPS. It has moments of absolute brilliance that it just fails to perpetuate because it doesn’t let them gather momentum, which leaves it feeling starkly weak specifically in the areas that The New Order excelled, and that makes it a much larger kick in the nuts to me than it ought to otherwise be.

Of course, if you’re not a whiny little baby like me, or are like a friend of mine who’d never played a Wolfenstein game in his life before this one, you might just enjoy it for what it is - a gorgeous, ambitious, and gratuitous FPS set in a strange and fun alternate history, but if you asked me to recommend it as a sequel to it’s fantastic predecessor, I just can’t do it. 

6.5/10

P.S. I think I’m going to remove the qualification titles of my ratings from this point onwards. I’m not 100% certain that I’m going to get rid of them forever, but between my poor attempts at thinking of ‘names’ for half-marked titles and the fact that I’m tied to classifying a 7/10 game as ‘good’ even though my subjective impression of the game might not agree with that, means that the more complex my feelings about a certain title, the harder it is to put a specific label on it. Wolfenstein II is a good example of this conundrum. I don’t think it’s objectively good at a lot of what it’s trying to do, and yet I don’t think it’s objectively ‘just okay’ across the board.   With this in mind, if you refer to my review scoring system you’ll get a better idea of what each ranking means, beyond what a single word can convey. You’ll see that Wolfenstein II gets a 6.5 because I think it is largely unsuccessful in the pursuit of its intentions regarding its narrative and tone for the reasons I’ve detailed above, and yet I can’t at all say that it offers a poor return-on-investment for the average gamer. Hell, you might think it’s an excellent game and disagree with me entirely - this is just my opinion, after all - but given that I will obviously weigh certain aspects of a work’s design more heavily than other aspects, I still think this is the best way to understand what each score means for me (and thus for you), and why I might have come any given conclusion.

[tumblunni]

Bloop x3

Thank you mystery person! It took me a second to remember this was the word for that meme, I just thought ‘hey, same’ XD

Okay so three facts for ocs? Any random ones?I’ll go with the one I’m currently developing: gremory hawthorne aka Darklord Jerkdad

* He’s the kind of guy who meticulously sharpens all his pencils to the same length. Gets super hung up on the ‘proper way’ to do things, so he’s spent the whole day making his office look presentable and hasn’t even started on the work! Seeing how he’ll do this as an evil overlord could be quite fun ^_^* Even though he’s very loud and obnoxious with his ego now, before he had the power to act on it he just kept his sarcastic monologue inside his head. Think of it as a guy who played the ‘blank slate personalityless protagonist’ for most of his life until he’d finally had enough! Most people in his workplace just considered him a boring dogsbody, and wouldn’t have figured him even smart enough to be writing elaborate ‘that’s what I should have said’ fantasies under his breath. Then again, being a jerk isnt much of a step up from being nobody.* He’s too much of a grump to admit it’s a weakness, but he’s actually really skittish about being touched! Mostly it’s just stuff like jumping a mile if he’s tapped on the shoulder, and generally staying in the corner of the room in all social situations. He doesn’t often have people trying to hug him so he hasn’t had to deal with this problem in a long time...

Bonus fact:* 85% of people he’s ever met have mispelled his name as gregory

And I’ve actually been trying to practise a writing tip I saw in a film review video that was like “good stories can tell something about the character in every scene, without you even noticing”. I THINK it was this video? Its quite long so I didnt rewatch it all to make sure.Stuff like ‘you can tell from the way he handles the sword that he’s more familiar with it than he claims, and you can see his face drop when the governer tells him to compliment his boss on making it. And he’s clearly humble and self-sacrificing if he can take this without retorting, but also very aware of his class status and resigned to it.’It really blew me awaybecause I’d never even thought about that! It’s like foreshadowing but for personality!

So yeah I’m gonna try and think about what these traits might say about this character/what showing these goofy lil scenes would foreshadow for the audience/at least what I was trying to deliver but my writing skill will determine whether it actually works, lol

* Goofy pencils scene of course shows that he’s gonna be a comical kind of jerk, instead of just a legit one. And although he’s quite nerdy he’s also kind of reckless and lacking in common sense. He gets hung up on the ‘idea’ of things and never really makes plans before he gets going. Just like how he went ‘HELL YES, GIMME!’ at the idea of becoming powerful and respected, but soon began to realize that he has no clue how to be a demon lord. And then he’s probably gonna focus on the aesthetics of the job and what he thinks he should do, rather than what’s actually the best choice. Hoo boy, we’re in for a ride!* Him snarking under his breath during that same office intro scene would establish that he’s a spineless coward who wouldn’t have the balls to be such a jerk if there were actual consequences on the line. And how generally self-focused his sense of morality is, since all he cares about is whether he gets caught. or, at least, this is who he is at the start of the game, and (hopefully) through your choices he’ll be able to develop beyond this. Fingers crossed?* On the one hand it might be funny to see him jump at the slightest thing, but also it’ll hopefully be somewhat sympathetic and act as one humanizing point to an otherwise completely villainous protagonist. It doesn’t necessarily make him seem GOOD, but it makes him seem more like he might have a reason for how he behaves. Not that a sad backstory is an excuse to be an asshole, of course, plenty of people have suffered in life and chosen not to take it out on others. But the possibility of a sad backstory is at least.. well.. sad? You feel one more emotion for him other than just ‘shut up jerk’ or ‘keep talking jerk you’re kinda funny’. And it’s a good potential hook to make you wanna read more, without having to find a contrived way to outright state HEY THERE MIGHT BE A BACKSTORY LATERAlso I’m thinking there could be a lot of potential scenes stemming from this character quirk. Like, it could help him realize that he’s developing some affection for his monsters when like.. one of them tries to nuzzle his leg and he jumps and scares it, and he ACTUALLY FEELS BAD. Such nonsense! Illogical! How can this be! And maybe he could find himself wishing he was able to touch others, when he hasn’t for so long. I feel like he’d be an absolute explosion of love once you get past his crusty exterior of grumpleness! And maybe he either tries exposing himself more to affectionate situations to try and work on his problem, or he tries to develop other creative ways of expressing his affection? That could fit really well with him cos it allows him to be all tsundere ‘I’m totally not a dad but also please understand I love you dearly but also please never tell anyone’. Also just because alternative displays of affection are cute and underappreciated! I dunno if anyone out there has seen the show Pushing Daisies, but they have a really sweet odd supernatural plot of the love interest being a sort of zombie and she can’t hold hands with the protagonist cos he’s a necromancer and its all very odd and sweet and they find lots of ways to show their love even though they can’t kiss. If you wnat loads of sweet dreams and also some sadness and then some more sweet dreams, watch that show!

wow i ended up rambling way too muchI guess im just very attatched to this oc already??Oh and one extra thing!! maybe he likes wearing long socks and gloves and wearing capes? I have no idea why but i do that as someone who also suffers from the whole ‘really wanna hug everyone but am also scared about anyone touching me’ dilemma. I guess its the ‘cover all my skin’ factor combined with a cape being like a snuggly blanket hug?

[televisor-reviews]

Top 10 BEST Films Of 2018

Taking this extra year to look at the film market of 2018 has given me the space to really look at the year as a whole as, what I’d describe as, really extreme. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t awful, and I wouldn’t really say it was mediocre either. There were lots of movies I loved but just as many I hated with surprisingly few I thought were just okay. Both the best and worst lists were pretty hard to put together because there were so many movies I really wanted to put on them. Cutting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom from my worst list was a serious heartbreaker for me. But that only means that I’m particularly quite happy with how both turned out, there’s some seriously game changing films on this list. And keep in mind that, despite how much I tried, I still couldn’t watch every movie from the year: so as amazing as I’m sure A Star Is Born and Best F(r)iends are, I just didn’t get around to them. If you’d like a list of every movie from 2018 I have seen (in order from best to worst), it can be found on my Letterboxd here: https://letterboxd.com/animatorreviewa/list/every-2018-movie-ive-seen/

#10. Searching Back in 2014, the world was introduced to a new form of filmmaking that told a story via the screen of the main protagonist’s computer in Blumhouse’s Unfriended. Kind of like a modern day found footage film. And while I was one of five people who really liked Unfriended and its 2018 followup Unfriended: Dark Web, I think Searching is the penultimate of what this newfound sub-genre is able to accomplish. Similar to what Cloverfield was able to do for found footage, Searching was able to use the computer screen film style to heighten the tension and breaks down a part of the audience’s suspension of disbelief to create a horrific experience for anyone who witnesses it. Which also puts a ton of pressure on the lead, John Cho, as even a moment of bad acting can break this fragile fourth wall. Pressure that Cho overcomes like it was nothing. All of this combines into an incredible experience that keeps its audience on the edge of their seats and constantly on the brink of a heart attack. I’m almost certain that Searching will be considered an important piece of 2010′s film history. #9. Bad Times At The El Royale In 2011, Drew Goddard set himself apart as a director with a very unique and interesting vision with his landmark piece A Cabin In The Woods. In 2018, he did it again with, in my opinion, an even better film, Bad Times At The El Royale with a fascinatingly put together and complicated story featuring some of the best acting from such a star studded cast I’ve seen in years. From Jeff Bridges playing against the Big Lebowski type most are familiar with to Jon Hamm definitely playing towards his Richard Jewell typecast to Dakota Johnson making up for all three Fifty Shades Of Grey movies with quite possibly her best performance. Bad Times At The El Royale is one of the most uniquely made mainstream movies I’ve seen in a while with several scenes told several times from different perspectives and each character breathed life into them with such interesting backstories. My only real problem is that the whole thing with half the place is in Nevada and the other half is in California doesn’t really go anywhere but it’s made up for as soon as Chris Hemsworth shows up to ham the hotel up. Incredibly entertaining and amazingly fascinating, this is a movie that threatens you with a good time. #8. The Favourite I appreciate that powdered wig period pieces are coming back into style with shit such as Beauty And The Beast (2017), The Age Of Adaline, and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. But among the failures of this once well respected sub-genre are good stuff too, for instance, The Favourite, a movie that actually remembers that British people spell some words with a “u”. One of my personal Favourite cliches of films nowadays is having a cast in which literally everybody is an asshole, see #9 and #1. And what I really like particularly with this is that old time-y movies about royalty can be really intimidating to hurdle, even now I have to hype myself up to watch something like Downton Abbey. But this overcomes it by being really entertaining with some great performances from the entire cast, especially Emma Stone showing once again why she deserves an Oscar! And the directing from Yorgos Lanthimos is so good, it actually makes me want to check out The Killing Of A Sacred Deer. The Favourite is a magnificently smartly fun picture that can satisfy both the most bored audience member and the most pretentious film critic. #7. Love, Simon Look, we all have biases. Some lead people to rave about how BlacKkKlansman is the best movie of the year because of how well it portrays black culture and their relationship with the police and evangelical racists. Some lead people raving about Crazy Rich Asians because it had the balls to fill its cast with Asians and Asian Americans. For me, an (at the time) openly bisexual 18 year old who masks most of my anxiety and fears with a very thin facade of comedy, Love, Simon really spoke to me while also entertaining the hell out of me. The script knew exactly when to be funny and when to be serious, when it should have a heartfelt scene and when it should go on a random tangent, and even when it’s trying to be funny or go on a tangent, it gives incredible insight into the main protagonist’s psyche. And for those moments, the context is everything. I remember cringing pretty hard at the whole “coming out as straight” bit in the trailer, but laughing my ass off when it showed up in the film. And Nick Robinson, who plays the titular character, kills it and I think he’s going to go places very soon. All of this culminates at the end, when the emotion is high and I (along with the rest of the theater) are on the edge of our seats, and Love, Simon got me to shed some tears. #6. Ralph Breaks The Internet Of the two million Disney movies released in 2018, this sequel is the highest one ranking on my list. And of the one million animated films released in 2018, this is actually the lowest one ranking on my list. Which kind of surprises me because you wouldn’t think so on the surface. On one hand, it’s just a sequel to a video game movie that lost Best Animated Picture to Brave, how is Wreck It Ralph 2 doing better than the emotional rollercoaster that was Christopher Robin or the long awaited and ton of fun that was The Incredibles 2. But then again, anyone who knows me knows that Wreck It Ralph is one of my favorite Disney cartoons, so how does it barely creep above the smart while not being funny at all Smallfoot or the only surface level hilarity that is Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation? Well, in some sense it’s much better than the original: with superior animation, a cooler concept, and finally realizing that the focus should be entirely on the real star, Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz. On the other hand, it doesn’t even come close to matching up: the humor is a tad sub par, too much is really going on, and considering the very cool concept, it should’ve done more with it. But did I still watch it a ton as soon as I could: absolutely. So who really won here: me for being a little disappointed or Disney who made a very entertaining film? The sixth spot feels about right to me. #5. Annihilation Between J.J. Abrams’s batshit crazy Nazi-zombie experiment Overlord, Steven Spielberg bringing his amazing talent to Ready Player One, Netflix throwing their hat into the “ripping off Big Hero 6″ ring with Next Gen, and do I even need to mention Marvel, 2018 was a damn good year for sci-fi in the middle of a decade that was, as a whole, great for the genre. And while Annihilation isn’t the last we’ll see from science fiction on the list, it is the one that’s here largely because of that. Flatly, I love how the science in this movie works; in general, I tend to prefer my sci-fi very grounded and that is how Annihilation works. I could kind of see how something like this bubble can exist and everything inside it really working this way. But what I really love about this film’s science is that it is a borderline horror flick. Once Natalie Portman walks through into the anti-Wizard Of Oz, the shit that goes down is horrifying. All of a sudden: up is down, left is right, and nobody knows what time it is and I loved it! This kind of gaslighting horror that I don’t see a whole lot of lately really throws the audience through a loop because for once, we don’t know what’s going on either. And for a film to really go so far just to confuse people, I have to at least respect. And to do it so well with some amazing acting on just about everybody’s part, I must love! Annihilation is a serious experience that I wished I was able to catch on the big screen. #4. Sorry To Bother You In 2018, Donald “Childish “Lando Calrissian” Gambino” Glover released his major #1 single, This Is America. Whether you love it or you hate it, you have to admit that it was saying a lot in such a unique way. The world that music video took place in was a nonsensical cartoon to somehow represent the plight of African Americans in the United States. I’m not gonna pretend like I totally understand because I definitely don’t; the point is that the portrayal struck a nerve with a lot of people and, personally, it did feel like a proper way of showing it. And Sorry To Bother You does something very similar, portraying the African American plight in a humorous, cartoonish, and unrealistic way to counteract the very serious, down to earth, and realistic parts. Do black people need to completely show themselves as white to get anything done; maybe not but we all know that people in general are much friendlier and nicer to those who sound like their ideals, usually meaning white. Are we, as a nation, (spoilers) turning poor (and considering how blacks are predisposed to being lower middle class because of reasons relating to how capitalism works, most of the blacks of the world) people into horses; I sure hope not but big companies and better off citizens do tend to think of the working class as just objects to do shit for them. Sorry To Bother You brings up a lot of the problems prevalent in modern society, especially those that directly relate to African Americans, in a palpable and entertaining way is ingenious and amazingly well done thanks to the overwhelming talent of Boots Riley and I cannot wait for his next big project. It’s definitely the best racial relations film of the year, beating out other great films like Monsters And Men, If Beale Street Could Talk, and The Oath. #3. Isle Of Dogs 2018 is a year that really threw me through a loop as far as films went. When I went to see Isle Of Dogs, I was certain that it’ll be the best movie of the year, absolutely no competition. Then, later on, when the #1 film came out, I was certain that would be it. Then the #2 spot came out and made me question everything all over again. Anyway, Isle Of Dogs is Wes Anderson being very Wes Anderson-y while combining it with the same kind of claymation he used in the fantastic Fantastic Mr. Fox and the traditional culture of Japan that’s oh so lovable. And as much as I love the Anderson style, the animation used here, and how Japanese culture is portrayed, involving my favorite animal brings my appreciation over the top. I am so down to get a million more films in which the theme of the picture is that dogs rule. This really is the kind of film that I love just about every aspect of, and though it might mostly be on a surface level way, I really don’t have anything bad to say about this film. It’s almost boring how much I enjoy this, I don’t have much to say except please watch it. It’s so good! #2. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Back in 2012, the world as a whole was introduced to a pair of directors mostly known for animation named Phil Lord and Chris Miller when they directed the surprise hit 21 Jump Street and its followup 22 Jump Street. The world then got to know them a little bit better when they seemingly single-handedly jumpstarted the beloved The Lego Movie franchise. Then in 2018, everyone learned that no matter how crazy, Lord and Miller know what they’re doing when their firing spelled doom for the financial flop that was Solo: A Star Wars Story. So when the pair brought their producing and writing talent to a Sony Animation made Spider-Man movie just a year after The Emoji Movie, I think most people were expecting to enjoy it if only because that snippet at the end of Venom was really well animated. But I don’t think anyone was expecting an Academy Award winning film. Whenever I went onto my Twitter for a solid month, all I saw were people exclaiming how Into The Spider-Verse was their favorite movie of the year and then again for another month after the Oscars took place. All of a sudden, Disney Marvel, Warner Bros. DC, and Fox X-Men (rest in peace), have a brand new and major competitor... and for good reason, this movie is incredible. I immediately accepted it as easily the best Spider-Man movie ever, but took a few watchings for me to accept it as the second best film of the year and a few more to accept it as my Phil Lord and savior. It is so much fun, so entertaining, so enjoyable with such great characters, amazing writing, and hilarious comedy all wrapped with a brilliantly animated bow. Another film I really have nothing bad to say about, this is just a fantastic film through and through. Before we get to #1, here’s some Runners Up:

Black Panther This was the year I got a little spent on superhero movies. Considering how I still put Into The Spider-Verse as my #2, clearly not that much, but I just wasn't super amazed by what Marvel, DC, or X-Men had to offer. But I don’t think I even disliked any: Avengers: Infinity War was fun but incredibly unfocused, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies was hilarious but was still just a poor child’s version of Teen Titans, and Deadpool 2 had some great action but not nearly as entertaining as its predecessor. Black Panther was the only one that really left a real mark on me, but even still, it’s not the best film of the year to handle black culture. Even as far as Ryan Coogler films go, I think I’d rather watch Creed or its sequel Creed 2. It’s good but I don’t think it deserved a best picture nomination. Instant Family Hear me out, the movie in which Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne adopt Dora The Explorer and her two bratty siblings directed and written by the same guys behind Daddy’s Home 2 and Horrible Bosses 2 is the feel good movie of the year, is incredibly hilarious and underrated, and even got me to shed a tear by the end. There is no excuse to let Daddy’s Home flourish and this beauty and die, I implore you to please watch it. You will not regret it, let it get big on home media, get more of these made! Vice I get that not everybody gets the Adan McKay style of making a dramedy like in The Big Short or Bombshell, but I do and I love both Christian Bale and Amy Adams so Vice was really up my alley! I just thought of it as a really enjoyable movie with a message I was predisposed to agree with. What really throws this into being a great movie to me is that Christian Bale really is that good in this, maybe one of the best performances in his career. I don’t know, I thought it was funny so I enjoyed it well enough. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? I think most people agree that this was easily the best documentary of the year. As much love as I have for Fahrenheit 11/9 for being my first theatrical documentary and Behind The Curve for being one of few docs that are incredibly entertaining, I had to eventually break down and admit that Won’t You Be My Neighbor (once again) made me cry because I grew up loving Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood that much. Especially now that we’re past A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood leaving not nearly as big of a mark as people were expecting and we’re still watching and talking about this documentary, I think this actually has the lasting impact it earned. Green Book It won best picture, I guess I’ll talk about it. As a movie, Green Book is fine. It’s well made with some good acting, I’ll allow it being considered good. Is it racist? I’d say probably not but it does definitely feel racist. Kinda like that scene from The Office where Michael Scott does his Chris Rock impression; you know he’s not racist and he doesn’t mean for it to come across as it but it still absolutely does. Considering the message of the story is “don’t be racist/homophobic,” I’m pretty sure that it’s not racist/homophobic, it just doesn’t know how to say it without coming across as such. My real big issue is with it winning the same year that had Roma and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, it had no business even being nominated. But outside of all of that, Green Book is an okay movie. Mid90s The 2010s owes a ton to Jonah Hill and I don’t think most people realized that. He told studios how to translate old properties to a modern audience with 21 Jump Street, showed how comedians can combine their sense of humor with the serious setting around them in The Wolf Of Wall Street, and most importantly to this entry, showed how coming of age stories should be told in this day and age with Superbad. Ever since, for better or worse, coming of age films have been trying to recreate that magic. The closest to get it right, in my opinion, is The Edge Of Seventeen but still goes wrong by being much much better, but Mid90s does some really great stuff as well. I appreciate any theatrical film that’s willing to be filmed in a way that doesn’t look theatrical at all. And I also appreciate the likable but very flawed characters portrayed. Mid90s really left a mark in my mind and is a great start to Jonah Hills directorial career. Aggretsuko: We Wish You A Metal Christmas And for my pick of short film of the year, let’s talk about what might be my favorite Netflix series, Aggretsuko! As a cradle between season one to season two, this does a great job at portraying these super relatable characters in a very entertaining scenario all set during Christmas! Maybe it’d make more sense to give this honor to something more impactful like A Sister or clever like I’m Poppy: The Film or even a nice surprise like Harvey Birdman, Attorney General, but no. I refuse. I enjoyed A Very Merry Aggretsuko Christmas much more. Book Club Considering how I’ve spent literally every Worst Of list talking about how awful Fifty Shades Of Grey is, even that year it took off I ended up watching and bitching about Fifty Shades Of Black, I’d like to talk about what is easily the best film to come out of this franchise. Book Club is basically a bunch of old lady celebrities getting together, reading the Fifty Shades books, and talking about their sex lives. It’s like a feature length Gilmore Girls movie and I loved not only the idea, but the film itself was hilarious. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch As a die hard Black Mirror fanatic, of course I was excited for a full Black Mirror movie with, from what I’ve heard, five hours worth of footage. Especially since its story was told in such a fascinating and unique way, I was interested as hell into this and I loved it! I’ve loved select your own adventure books and games for a long time now, from Detroit: Become Human to Gravity Falls: Dipper and Mabel and the Curse of the Time Pirates' Treasure!: A "Select Your Own Choose-Venture!". So one set in the well established and amazingly well put together world of Netflix’s British Twilight Zone, sounds incredible and it was! It’s just so cool! Bumblebee Laika didn’t have a movie in 2018, but I feel like we still did with Bumblebee. Getting Travis Knight, the director of Kubo And The Two Strings, objectively their best picture, to do a Transformers entry is ingenious! If anyone should know how a creature like this would move and how to differentiate any one robot from another robot, it’s an acclaimed director from Laika. Now that we’ve finally pried this franchise from Michael Bay’s claws and Paramount playing it smart with their directors, maybe we’ll finally get a series of good Transformers films... or maybe Transformers 7 is cancelled and all hope is lost. #1. Hereditary I think the 2010s get a bad wrap when it comes to horror. All too often I hear Gen X-ers proclaiming how, “there’s no good scary movies anymore!” Completely forgetting hits like The Cloverfield Paradox, A Quiet Place, and The First Purge. Every new trend of a certain genre can usually be traced back to one major film: 1930s had Frankenstein, 1980s had Halloween (BTW, the 2018 one is also great), 2000s had The Blair Witch Project, etc. I think this new trend of mixing slow and suspenseful with big jump scares and everything is dark can be thanks largely to The Conjuring. While that franchise might have started the trend, I feel pretty certain that Hereditary perfected it. Every scare is at least mildly horrifying, the loops it throws you through is abundant, at no point are you sure what’s going on, and by the end, you find yourself breathing much heavier than you remember doing. Hereditary is a trip and a half that I loved going through again and again. I think when people think back to what was the best horror film of each decade: 1930s Dracula, 1980s The Shining, 2000s The Ring, 2010s Hereditary. I loved this movie in all its horrific glory.

[creativity-is-rebellion]

Top 20 Horror Movie List

Since I was a teenager, I have been a horror movie buff. This is my own personal top horror movie list, in no particular order, other than the order they came into my head.

1) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

This is a classic for all horror movie buffs, and a movie that can be re-watched again and again every Halloween. The original Freddie is that perfect mixture of vicious and darkly funny. 

2) Halloween (1978)

This is a slow-burn horror movie, especially when you compare it to later movies in the Halloween franchise, but you could definitely say this, along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, sparked the first wave of the slasher craze, and spawned the creation of a number of masked, unkillable killers for decades to come.

3) Child’s Play (1988 and 2019, they both are good in their own way)

Chucky is a mixture of evil and hilarious. If you like to watch people get slashed whist the killer is delivering devastating one-liners, this is the movie for you.

4) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (either the 1974 version or the 2003 version, they both bring interesting acting and plots to the table)

See my comment above regarding Halloween. This also squarely fits into some aspects of Southern Gothic (read my post about the Southern Gothic horror genre to see what I mean). I don’t think there is a more vicious and twisted family in horror, save for Rob Zombie’s Firefly clan.

5) Friday the 13th (1980)

If you haven’t seen this one, can you really call yourself a horror buff? The original camp getaway slasher. And the killer isn’t who you think.At least not in this installment.

6) Leatherface (2017)

Not all backstories in horror movies are worth a watch. This one is.

7) Session Nine (2001)

This low-budget slow-burn takes the old idea of an abandoned asylum and gives it a modern twist. It also examines the horrors of toxic masculinity, with supernatural undertones. The ending is mind-blowing. It’s a must-watch

8) Eden Lake (2008)

A brutal and effective British hoodie-horror that, despite the clichés, stays on the right side of scary. It also delivers a surprising ending.

9) Lake Mungo (2008)

Few films convey the complexities of the grieving process better than this psychological horror, which became an instant modern indie classic. It chillingly employs a faux documentary and found-footage format to tell the story of the Palmer family, who are attempting to come to terms with the strange drowning death of their daughter Alice, although I don’t want to give too much away. A must-see.

10)  It Follows (2015)

This movie is the most dire disincentive for fornication on the far side of reality, and its premise is very creative. Not only is the plot quite unusual, the setting and the way in which it was filmed is also unique. It Follows is deceptive (in a good way), as it looks as simple as a horror movie can be, but when you watch closely and pay more attention, some bizarre elements of it really stand out. In addition, it has incredible camera work accompanied by John Carpenter-style music. Watch this movie for a fresh take on the horror genre.

11) Scream (1996)

This movie was a refreshing take on the slasher genre, which breathed new life into this dying (at the time) sector. It pokes fun at and subverts the horror movie tropes that came before it, and although the genre of horror may have now moved beyond what Scream had to deliver, it still owes much to this horror movie gem. Perhaps even its ability to still thrive.

12) The Shining (1980)

This is my favourite movie of all time. It can (and has been) interpreted in a myriad of ways, and has even spawned its own crazy conspiracy-ladened documentary (only see that if you are a die-hard fan). The camera-work, it’s inability to really age, it’s slow-burn script, and it’s exceptional acting make it just as awesome 40 years later as it was when it was originally released (even if it wasn’t initially welcomed and even received a golden razzie award). If you haven’t watched this horror movie classic and you consider yourself a horror fan, what are you doing with your life? Watch it now.

13) Doctor Sleep (2019)

The long-anticipated follow-up to The Shining does not disappoint (at least in my opinion), even if the plot tries to appease both the lovers of the novel and the lovers of the movie (the plot of The Shining diverged from novel-to-movie, if you are not aware). Rose the Hat may be one of the most terrifying villains in modern horror, and this movie doesn’t sugar-coat the more shocking scenarios in King’s novel. Seeing what became of Danny Torrance all grown up does not disappoint.

14) IT Chapter One (2017)

This is one horror remake that I thoroughly enjoyed, and believed to be much-needed. Although Tim Curry in the 1990 miniseries was superb, Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise is darker and creepier. And let’s face it, the miniseries hasn’t aged well. The kid actors do a superb job, and I easily believe that this was the best horror movie of 2017. Don’t come for me. The only negative aspect is that it had some (of what I believe) to be some cheesy and unnecessary CGI, when practical effects would have sufficed.

15) IT Chapter Two (2019)

I had to watch the second helping of IT twice in order to appreciate the story and the characters, who were all grown up. Taken as a whole, the first movie and this sequel have done a tremendous job telling King’s tale of a killer clown and how to defeat it. The acting, especially of grown-up Ritchie (played by Bill Hader) was great, and there were some genuinely scary scenes. The comments I made about CGI in my review of the first installment also apply here. But you can’t watch the first one without watching the sequel, and this sequel is more than good enough for a watch.

16) The Conjuring (2013)

The first chapter in the stories of possession recounted by real-life, renowned “Demonologists” Ed and Lorraine Warren is slow-burn and creepy enough as the characters gradually experience more and more disturbing supernatural occurrences, before the possession finally occurs. In directing The Conjuring, James Wan has succeeded in creating a new horror movie universe. It was definitely one of the scariest horror movies released in 2013.

17) The Conjuring 2 (2016)

I liked this follow-up movie in The Conjuring franchise because more things happened in this plot than in the sequel, and I like action-packed horror. The fact that these movies are based upon “real life” events makes them creepier to moviegoers. When you think they have found the entity that wants to possess the main protagonist of this story, you are led in a different direction, one that is ultimately scarier. The Conjuring 2 is a respectable follow-up to its predecessor.

18) Insidious (2010)

This is also an example of a successful horror movie universe created by James Wan. The Lipstick Face Demon, despite holding comparisons in appearance to Darth Maul of the Star Wars series, is legitimately terrifying. I love the idea this movie introduces regarding the place called “The Further.” This place is rife with entities, both sinister and helpful, and is mysterious enough to make you want to learn more. It is one of the better additions to modern horror of the past decade.

19) Happy Death Day (2017)

This Groundhog Day-inspired horror-comedy is a light-hearted addition to this list, albeit with an interesting and refreshing plot. You’ll feel invested in the protagonist as she undergoes a positive personality shift, and will also be rooting for her to succeed in finding her killer and thus getting out of reliving the same day again and again. The ending is satisfactory, and will leave you wanting a sequel.

20) Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

The sequel to Happy Death Day offers an entertaining expansion on its original premise, providing further explanation as to why Tree (the protagonist) ended up in the situation she did originally. There are some amusing sequences of different ways she kills herself to reset her day in order to return to her original universe and end her purgatory for good. In my opinion, this is a must-watch.

This is by no means a complete list. I might make another one with new additions down the track.

[riddlebot]

dremis, all 100 oc questions

you MONSTER

1. How do they present themselves to others? He presents himself as a confident and sexy.2. Do they like animals? He loves animals!! Mostly small woodland creatures tho.3. How do they dress? Nipples: covered. Belly button: out. Clothing? Skin tight.4. How many languages do they know? He knows 4 languages.5. How big is their family? Pretty small at first, but it’ll get pretty big in his future. His found family is huge.6. What is their purpose in the story? Comedic relief at this point I swear7. Do they know how to fight? Yes! 8. What is their back story? [redacted]9. Why is their name, their name? His first name was the one I liked the best from a fantasy name generator, and the rest are nicknames and stuff added in the typical gnome naming convention. 10. Do they have any nick names? All his names are nicknames basically. So yeah, a whole lot.11. Do they have a romantic interest? Not currently but he will.12. How do they cope with struggles? It depends on what the struggle is. If it’s something big it’ll effect his mood drastically but if it’s small he’ll try and hide it to deal with on his own.13. Do they have anyone they can lean on? His giant found family.14. How do they react to someone dying? If it’s someone he cares about, then he’d be very upset and inconsolable. 15. Can you name 5 personality traits they have? Funny, charming, perceptive, excitable, caring.16. How did they become a character? I made a DnD character just for fun and he was a complete joke of a character and then you made me flesh him out.17. Do they get along with others? Yes! He’s a very friendly boy.18. What flaws do they have? Emotions can get the better of him easily, he’s really invested in his career, and he is not quick to get on the front lines to fight with his friends.19. How do they influence the story? I’m not sure, the same way any PC influences the story I guess.20. What do they look like? A tiny little blonde menace. 21. What are their hobbies? He likes to collect little knick knacks, and play pranks.22. What are their ticks? I have never thought about it... Probably something to do with touching his hair, like tucking it behind his ear and then untucking it over and over again.23. Do they like children? He loves children.24. How do they react to being around wild animals? If it’s a small animal he tries to talk to it immediately, if it’s big he is wary but won’t do anything unless it attacks him first.25. If they were given the task to prank someone, who would it be, what would they do, and would the prank work? He does so many little pranks, so it would probably be really elaborate and ridiculous, I’m not good at pranks though so I can’t think of anything.26. Do they have any survival skills? Not on his character sheet, but in my heart he does.27. Are they more book smart or street smart? Can you be both? He’s both.28. How do they get out of a difficult situation? He will talk or fuck his way out of any situation.29. Do they use their body, mind, personality or force to get what they want? Body and personality.30. What music do they enjoy? Tavern music.31. How do they overcome obstacles? With help from his friends.32. When faced with a difficult decision do they get stronger or break? Break, if it’s really difficult. 33. Do they have any special powers? I think technically gnomes are supposed to be able to turn invisible at will but I don’t have that on his character sheet so who knows. 34. How do they change throughout the story? He becomes more serious and adult like, and more trusting I think.35. Do they have any friends? If so, are they close knit? He has a ton of friends, and he think’s he’s close knit with them but they might disagree.36. How is their family life? [redacted]37. Are they likable? I think so, I certainly made him to be.38. Are they the hero, or anti-hero? Hero.39. Do they make questionable choices? I think to some people some of his choices in life are questionable. 40. How do they become who they are? Some good old fashion trauma.41. How was their childhood? Pretty average.42. Are they close with anyone who is going to screw them over? I don’t know, but I’m sure you know as the DM.43.How do they adapt to different situations? Do they adapt at all? He is very good at adapting.44. How do they speak? Examples - Are they soft spoken, hot heated, vulgar. Hm... It depends on who he is speaking to. He’s got a loud clear voice and he speaks in a very friendly and polite way to strangers, but is more casual to his friends.45. Are they opposed to violence? Not a ton like he would rather talk things through but he knows the world they live in works a certain way so usually problems are solved with fights.46. When is their birthday? Fuck if I know.47. Are they quick to judge? No I don’t think so.48. Do they have anything they are trying to hide from others? Not actively but his backstory is not known by a lot of the party members.49. Do they act different around different people? Yes, but doesn’t everyone.50. Do they enjoy the arts? Yeah he’s a gnome that’s like their life.51. Do they like science? This is funny because I actually decided he was a flat Earther, but instead of Earth its whatever place our DnD world is.52. Are they more emotional or logical? Emotional.53. How do they deal with their emotions? Their emotions just come out and are big and loud and a lot.54. How do they cope with sadness? He holes up in his room and cries and doesn’t talk to anyone until someone breaks into his room to get him and console him because he’s a big baby.55. What is something they care about? His job, his friends, his guild.56. Would they die for anyone/anything? He would die to protect his friends absolutely.57. What do they do when they are happy? His ears stand up and he grins and he bounces around and chatters quickly. He’s a dog.58. How would they come across to other characters? Examples- messy, lazy, childish, caring ect. It depends on the character. He could come off as suave and sexual, or dorky and silly.59. Do they have a phrase they use over and over? Praising the Gnomish god in a “oh my god” fashion, probably.60. In a crowed room are they in the corners, sides, or in the middle? Depends, if it’s just a party he’s dead center, if it’s a mission he’s a good distraction to have in the middle but he’s also tiny and can slip into shadows so he could also be on the sides, watching.61. Are they comfortable being in a crowed room? Yes.62. How do they relax? Reading in a garden.63. Have they ever harmed anyone and regretted it? Verbally or physically? I can’t think of a time.64. Do they like to dance? Yes.65. How do they get around their environment? Examples - horses, bike, vehicle? He walks and they probably use horses but he’s tiny so he’d need a pony.66. What is their pet peeve(s)? When people don’t laugh at his jokes.67. Do they have a disability? No.68. How do they react to getting flowers? He would smile and flush a little.69. Would they ever wear a flower crown? Yes I’ve drawn him in several.70. Do they like themselves? It’s complicated but I’ll say for the most part yes.71. Who do they dislike? Rich people. Human men.72. What is their motto? my brain immediately said “eat the rich”73. Do they have any markings on their body? Yes, a scar on his hip.74. Have they ever been abused? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes.75. What is their biggest fear? [solas voice] dying alone76. What are their goals? Right now, fucking the dragonborn in our party. He’s not doing great.77. How do they go about achieving their goals? Rolling a die after every mission we go on to get a 19 or 20.78. Do they have a fight or flight response? Flight lmao.79. Is there someone in their life that they care about more than themselves? There are a lot.80. How would they fair in zombie apocalypse? Pretty good I think, he’d be freaked the fuck out by zombies but he’s a sniper and tiny and good at hiding.81. Do they have any tattoos? If so, are they significant? I jokingly gave him a tramp stamp but I haven’t drawn it since.82. Are they good at mental math? No.83. Do they get along with others? Yes.84 Are they lazy? Not usually.85. Are they self motivated? Yes.86. How do they cope with anger? His anger is scary, he lashes out.87. Have they ever been in a situation where they were helpless? Yes.88. Are they organized or messy? Organized chaos. He has a lot of things packed into a small space like a mouse.89. Can they remember a lot of information at once? Yes.90. What is their occupation? He’s a sex worker. And also a rogue.91. Do other characters respect your OC, if so, is it out of fear? Or do they respect your OC because they like them? I actually feel like most of our party doesn’t take him seriously, aside from his best friend. But people who know a lot about him respect him because of knowing what he’s gone through and how he’s come out of it.92. If they were given minutes to live, what would they do? Who would they want to see and say? I honestly think he’d just panic because he has so much he still needs to do.93. How do they deal with stress? Full on hair pulling laying on ground anguished scream.94. Do they have a more submissive or dominate personality type? Dominate. He is good at getting and holding a room’s attention.95. Do they have a pet? I had him have a squirrel but I think I scrapped that idea.96. Do they have a stash of weapons? In his room probably yes.97. Where do they live? Who do they live with? He lives in Sanctuary in a guild.98. How do they calm themselves down? Breathing exercises. 99. Are they co-dependent? No.100. Are they a day, or night person? Night.