#is a simultaneously really funny and really fun and dramatic sequence

[spacetrashpile]

the injury mechanic annoyed me too much for me to really miss it during inquisition and veilguard but i have to admit that sometimes i do miss the drama/comedy potential of them. remembering tonight when i picked up zevran in rhiannon's playthrough after the fight where she and alistair had been basically instantly downed. picked zevran up and was going "come on alistair, calm down, zevran's fine, it's not like he actually killed us. i mean he only gave me a wrenched limb, what about you?" and then i clicked over to him and zevran had cracked his skull open. out loud went "oh okay i guess i see why you're mad about that one."

[japes-the-clown]

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE: AN INVERSION ON “COMING OF AGE” FILMS AND A CRITICISM OF ADULTHOOD

Hi hello hey it’s me Jericho Jay “Japes” Marshall out here with a pretentious love letter to the filmmaking on display in nickelodeons The Spongebob Movie. Yes, I know it’s a kids movie. Yes, I know it’s not that deep. But I’m majoring in english, and deeply depressed, so I need to get this OUT and onto a PAGE.

I have watched this film many times over my lifetime, a few when i was just a kid, then in my early teens, even when i turned eighteen, and now, a month before i turn 20. Every time, I grow a new appreciation for the nuances that this movie brings to the table, and on my most recent watch my own deliverance from childhood makes me relate to the core themes the hardest I ever have. The Spongebob Movie isn’t just a movie about childhood, but a movie about adulthood.

Today, I’m going to make clear exactly how The Spongebob Squarepants Movie criticizes our understanding of adulthood and how society treats the neurodivergent, while effectively turning the “Coming of Age” genre on its head, within its 87 minute runtime.

START: CONSISTENT CHARACTERIZATION

One thing a lot of films (ESPECIALLY kids films) fail to nail is consistently showing aspects of a character throughout the runtime, enough that changes to a character feel impactful and justified instead of rushed and stifled. The best examples of movies that fail to do this are often the marvel movies that people tend to not remember- the first two thor movies, the avengers age of ultron, etc. In these movies, characters certainly have traits, but their personalities and motives can be very weak and make dramatic changes feel A LOT less dramatic. This can be seen in age of ultron, when quicksilver gave his own life to save someone else, which felt like nothing because he wasn't well developed. He wasn't particularly endearing, nor did him sacrificing his life contradict a part of his character. It felt very much like the writers trying to say "Look, this character which was once opposing the avengers, is now dying for one. Please cry." No hate to the writers of Age of Ultron, but it proves itself often to be an unmemorable part of the catalogue.

In the Spongebob Movie, the characterization is ON. POINT. After the introduction, with the pirates rushing in to watch spongebob, we get so much information regarding spongebob as a character.

Pictured: Spongebob holding a piece of cheese like an operator

The first scene of the plot is a dream sequence a large crowded scene at the Krusty Krab, with a customer not receiving cheese on his patty, and it being positioned in the same way as a bomb being located. In the dream, everyone is panicked, and Mr. Krabs is visibly distressed, almost like a damsel. Spongebob comes in, announcing his position as manager, much to the relief of Krabs. He goes in, and puts cheese on the burger (again, very akin to a bomb defusal scene), bringing the perturbed customer out safe and sound. Everyone lifts spongebob up as a hero, which is interrupted by his boat alarm.

This scene is JAM PACKED with stuff that both introduces the character to new watchers and introduces the crux of his arc to everyone else. Spongebob of course is very fond of the Krusty Krab, and wants to be the manager- he wants people to see him as cool, and as a responsible adult. He wants to be the sort of person that can be trusted with big responsibilities. And we also see, most importantly, that he is extremely childish through his faximile of what it meant to be adult. Everything is scaled up; it's a very silly situation, which well suits both the joke and his character as an inexperienced kid. This is one of the most direct ways to convey someone's character, because a dream can be interpreted as a direct port into a character's desires. This being the first introduction to the character in the movie sets the tone for EVERY following situation.

In the next few scenes you see Spongebob's real life, which involves his lengthy morning routine; his life is sort of whimsical, and so too is his routine. He showers by shoving a hose into himself till he bursts with water, he uses toothpaste to clean his eyes but not his teeth, and he puts on pants which he must fold to make. Again, all pretty solid jokes, but also very telling about his outlook. He is funny, weird, and childish, which is juxtaposed by the scene where he's- he's uh- showering with squidward. Squidward is an example of the "adult" that spongebob isn't. This has always been the case, but here his normal routine makes it very clear that other people in this world aren't like spongebob. They shower normally, they brush their teeth, they put their clothes on like normal. Spongebob's world is one of wonder and without responsibility, which makes it questionable as to whether he could handle one.

Pictured: Spongebob's room, adorned with childhood imagery

Pictured: Spongebob celebrating his position as a manager, despite Krabs saying that it was squidward who got it

Even his room in this scene screams "kid". He has toys strewn about, glow in the dark stars, and pictures of superheroes on the wall. He even says "Sorry about this calendar" as he rips a page, personifying inanimate objects as a kid would. The movie is telling you, "THIS CHARACTER IS A KID", but in a way that's masked because it's also just a set up for jokes. It's done so well, in my opinion, that it would go over your head because from your perspective you would be laughing along as spongebob did his wacky antics.

On top of that, his excitement for his assured managerial position at the Krusty Krab 2 continues to be bolstered. He marked it off with a cute drawing on his calendar, for those familiar he changes his normal "I'm ready" chant to "I'm ready- promotion-", and he's even already set up a party to celebrate at his favorite chain, Goofy Goobers, a child's entertainment restaurant similar to chucky cheese, albeit replacing pizza for ice cream. He hasn't just gotten excited, but has this childish anticipation for something which isn't even assured.

Spongebob arrives at the opening of the Krusty Krab 2, where he is so excited he can't contain his glee. He breaks the silence and makes members of the crowd uncomfortable, reinforcing again that spongebob is a standout in a world of adults, and a kid who doesn't understand certain social norms, which society looks down upon. When Krabs reveals that Squidward got the managerial position, Spongebob hyped himself so much that he starts celebrating, not even noticing that he wasn't picked. He gets on stage, and begins to give a speech, to which Krabs interrupts.

The next part I think best illustrates Spongebob's clear ignorance to society: Krabs attempts to subtly tell spongebob that he isn't getting the job, but spongebob repeats everything he says into the microphone. Again, fantastic joke, grade A, but the amount this shows how invested spongebob was. He already saw himself as an adult, someone who everyone would look up to as a manager- he could take the responsibility, and isn't aware of everyone likely cringing in the audience. This is the natural step for him in his mind, especially because of his exemplary work which had been previously celebrated through employee of the month awards. This was not an option for him. There wasn't a world in his mind where he would be outclassed by squidward.

Krabs has to break to him that he lacks responsibility, and that his childishness makes it difficult for Krabs to give him such a job. This might seem harsh, but I think the intro again shows how Spongebob saw the job; he didn't understand what it would be like, fantasizing another level in the menial work structure to be an amazing adventure of a job. People in the crowd reaffirm that in the eyes of society, spongebob is just a kid, a goofball. In my eyes, this is a story not just of childhood, but of neurodivergence. Spongebob isn't normal, and is blocked by society for his ignorance of social norms and sunny disposition. He finds things fun that other people can not, and he places values in completely different things. So he is blocked from the meaningful recognition he desired, despite the obvious evidence of his commitment.

I think this is a mighty interesting dichotomy!!! Simultaneously, spongebob's understanding of the world truly is warped, often resulting in a lack of consideration for others as well as harm for himself when things don't go his way, AND he is a good worker which puts in MANY hours of work without so much of a complaint. This is COMPLEX. You have to ask yourself, as a viewer, "would I give spongebob the job?" The answer can be different and can be REASONED.

And that's JUST spongebob! There are other characters with characterization that mixes into the themes of the movie very well, but I'm going to bring up any related points in future sections.

Okay, Okay. So now you're saying "WOW OKAY GREAT so why does any of this matter?" I'm so glad you asked. VERY glad.

2: THE BREAKING OF A YOUNG MAN'S SPIRIT

THIS is the point of the movie. The obstacle in this movie truly isn't adulthood, but instead self doubt. Spongebob's whole world is turned upside down by Krab's rejection of his basic personality. Spongebob asks himself: is it REALLY okay to be who I am? Am I an adult? Is the world fair? One of the most shocking scenes in the movie is blended so well in tone with the rest that you don't really notice; spongebob eating ice cream to cope with his disappointment, akin to that of adults drinking alcohol, and appearing to be visually "drunk" and washed up. This is BRILLIANT, and a recurring theme, where the true line between adult and childhood becomes blurry and impossible to see. Spongebob, the representation of a kid, gets hungover, spiteful, and angry about the injustice of his situation. This is often how adults act in the fact of adversity, but what's funny is that this too is how a kid would act; getting angry and overindulging, feeling entitled and acting socially immature when he didn't get what he wanted. He walks in to the Krusty Krab literally just to shit talk Krabs. And it doesn't stop there.

Pictured: Plankton finding "Plan Z" and looking at it like a centerfold in a playboy magazine

Almost every character in this movie juxtaposes another, again smearing the line of what it means to be an adult. For example, Spongebob and Plankton are polar opposites; plankton is cold and vengeful, angry at the world around him, and spongebob is a happy person who tends not to take things personally, a friend to all. In planktons first appearances in the movie, he is portrayed with clear adult themes, mocking spongebob, making pinup jokes about plan z, and living in a fairly dark and grey space. But, as the story moves along, we see many similarities; both spongebob and plankton are fairly one track minded, and when spongebob's perception is broken he himself gets a little vengeful. When eugene is put in danger over this, though, we do see that he places the lives of others over his own wants. And, even at the end of the movie, we see their similarities. Plankton reuses the "Sorry Calendar" joke that spongebob used at the start of the movie, drawing another line of what it means to be an adult. Is it childish of plankton to say that? Is the inherent irony he has impactful here? His want for something that isn't his, and his disregard for others in pursuing it feels just like how a younger child may steal the toy of another, without understanding what it means to share.

Pictured: Neptune flipping his shit at his lost crown

Then, there's the character of Neptune. Neptune is a big man baby. He rules the entire land, commands the most respect, and is considered the most powerful person under the sea, and yet, we see that he gets overprotective of his property, prepared to execute anyone who even annoys him. Throughout the film, he's obsessed with chasing an image of youth, as he is bald, and ignores the suffering of the people on bikini bottom to make sure no one sees his bald head. He throws what's equivalent to a tantrum when he finds his crown is missing, and believes a very crude note written by plankton saying that it was eugene who stole it. His character is an "acceptable" child because he's in a position of power, where spongebob is an "unacceptable" child as he is just a working class member of society. And the funniest part is, that he mocks spongebob for wanting to go for the crown, when even he, the strongest person in bikini bottom, refuses to go out of fear.

We see that these "bastions" of adulthood, plankton and neptune, are the ones who are responsible for missteps of society; we're ALL children in the long run, but the strict enforcement of a perceived true adulthood creates a space where they can act immaturely yet those under them/around them cannot. Dennis makes this case even more, as the only thing he does in this movie is hurt others. There's only one thing that seems to truly denote adulthood, and it's cruelty.

Even squidward, the adult that is supposed to be more responsible that spongebob, refuses to go on the quest to retrieve the crown, as he acts mostly in self interest, even later claiming to only care that plankton was stealing the secret formula as it was hurting his own paycheck.

Spongebob is the only one willing to go, willing to defend the man who wronged him, willing to value life over his own interests. He is both child and adult, just as the adults are too children.

As he moves through the plot of this film, he becomes less confident in his disposition, with his naivete causing moments like him and patrick crossing the state line and immediately getting carjacked, or them being put into an uncomfortable situation by all the bubbles they blew when they tried to get their car back. His bright personality is questioned constantly: Only five days to shell city? BY CAR. This is man's country. But weren't we the double bubble blowing babies?

Pictured: Spongebob caught trying to take back the key to the patty wagon when patrick fails to distract everyone

This is made more obvious to him as patrick remains oblivious throughout; patrick is a mirror for him, that acts as a childhood constant, that makes it clearer for him every day the draws of his childishness. There's the moment in the club where patrick's distraction was poorly thought out, and only because he said he wanted to do it adamantly, there's the moment where patrick challenged neptune on how many days they would have to do it, which served no purpose but for his own fun, there's the moment patrick points out the free ice cream trap- he is the unemployed uncritical lens that spongebob is afraid he is.

So everything's fucked, and anyone who is childish is bad i guess!!!

But that isn't so,

3: The illusion of manhood

So we've talked about spongebob's characterization as a naive child, how this is impactful in his transformation into someone who is anxious about that aspect of his personality, and how the society around him is hypocritical in it's own immaturity. But where does this all come together?

Pictured: Planktons dystopian world, which Mindy shows Spongebob and Patrick

It's at spongebob and patricks "conversion to manhood". At his lowest point, spongebob becomes a squidward- he becomes critical of his AND patricks interests, and regards them as childish, deciding that this means that they can't make it to shell city, as it requires them to be adults. When mindy shows them the dire situation back home, she hopes that spongebob's sunny personality and care for others would shine through, but instead he turns to what society has been telling him; it's impossible. He can't do it, he's just a little kid, and there is no point to any of this as he'll fail regardless.

Thinking about it like this, it truly is one of the darkest points in the entire series; spongebob just openly admitted that there was nothing he could do, that all of his friends were goners because he was effectively useless.

Mindy comes up with an idea; she'll trick spongebob and patrick into believing they're men; she convinces them of mermaid magic (their innocence allowing them to believe) and uses kelp to make them think they've matured into adults. Notice that physical modifiers being the only key to this "fake adulthood". With this, they jump off a cliff because they believe that with adulthood, they are invincible.

This is really telling about how the society they're in thinks of being an adult, and relays that to children. There's another level, a distinct separation between spongebob and adulthood, which seemed like the difference between a squire and a knight- being an adult means that you aren't weak anymore (as though he was weak in the first place), and thus you can do things you never thought before. Is it truly healthy that this is how a society tells kids that adulthood is like, for them to enter the world and feel a truly awful financial and literal hellscape waiting for them? uh, you can, you can decide that for yourself i think.

Nonetheless, they survive the fall, and conclude that they really are invincible, able to power through a ravine with their happy go lucky attitude, eventually befriending the monsters which were once trying to kill them. They weren't acting like adults, but the labels themselves made it possible for them to soldier on with the childlike disposition they had. I find that to be powerful. If we were able to be more hopeful as adults, and power through the worst things brightly, could we do great things? Idk but these depression meds sure do taste good nom nom

After crossing the ravine, spongebob and patrick meet dennis, and have their worldview crushed as it's revealed that they are actually still kids. Dennis being the "alpha male" that he is, is characterized by violence and a lack of morality. The pair are saved by a giant boot, which is the first of two humans in this movie. Spongebob and patrick are both taken by the man in the diver suit, as we fade to black, marking the end of their illusion of adulthood.

4: Back from the Edge (of death)

Spongebob and Patrick awaken in an antique shop, realizing that they were surrounded by fish that had been killed specifically for sale as tacky antiques. They are lifted out of their fishbowl, and put under a heatlamp, as their fate is sealed to become a member among those dead fish. In spongebob's final moments, he mourns his inability to be an adult, as well as to reach shell city; but before they both die, patrick points out that they truly did reach shell city, as the crown was within their reach.

This. This is a phenomenal scene. Why? Because of what it means for spongebob's arc.

Pictured: Spongebob and Patrick on their deathbeds, finding happiness

He sees the crown, and realizes that, unequivocally, that even if he didn't bring the crown back, he made it to shell city. Every person he met told him that he couldn't even do that. and he did it. He is a kid, yes, but he's a kid who went where not even NEPTUNE dared go. Everything people said about him, about how him being a kid stopped him from success, was suddenly shattered. He has been asking himself if it's okay that he is a kid, and he saw, unambiguously, that it is. He is allowed to be happy. He can enjoy things that other people don't. He can be naive. He can be himself, no matter what anyone says. And so can you. Great things can be done by people who are "childish", who are "naive", who are kind without expecting a return, all of it. YOU are okay. Your stims are okay, your comfort series are okay, your interest in tropes are okay, YOU'RE OKAY!!!!

with that, spongebob and patrick are dehydrated on the table, and ostensibly die, the kids that they are, shedding one final tear each, forming a heart beneath them.

...

Miraculously, the tear electrocutes that lamp at it's socket, causing smoke to rise and set off the sprinklers, rehydrating the pair, and bringing them back to life. The "Man in the Suit" attempts to capture them, seeing them about to lift Neptune's crown, but the rest of the dehydrated fish come back to life- squirting him with his own glue and beating him to the ground, as spongebob and patrick run out with the crown. David Hasselhoff offers them a ride back to Bikini Bottom, and the pair begin their ride back.

5: The confrontation of Adulthood and Childhood

Pictured: Dennis looking all lame and shit

As spongebob and patrick are being swam back to bikini bottom, the boot under which dennis was crushed rockets to Hasselhoff, spitting him back out to finish the job. The appearance of Dennis, IN MY OPINION, makes him look rather goofy, with his broken glasses making him look more like a office worker than a badass assassin as he attempts to kill spongebob and patrick. Spongebob, in trying to reason with him, is able to ruin his eyes with bubbles, and then survives as dennis gets hit by a raised platform which spongebob and patrick are too low to be hit by.

Having defeated one representation of adulthood, spongebob and patrick are shot down by HasselHoffs MASSIVE MAN TITS with the crown in order to prevent Krab's fate, blocking Neptune's lazer just in time as they crash in.

All seems to be well, but plankton uses one of his mind control helmets (which we'll be getting into later) to enslave even Neptune, putting mindy, spongebob, patrick, and Krabs against the wall.

In another stark moment of characterization, Spongebob tells patrick that "Plankton Cheated", which prompts plankton to tell spongebob that the situation wasn't a kiddy game, and that it was the real world. This sort of distinctions in their ethos tell you how spongebob interacts with justice; he believes in "playing fair", while plankton is bitter and believes in getting what he wants.

Finally, the apex to our plot, is a musical number. Spongebob begins to make a long-winded speech, where he takes ownership of every label he was called as he stood on the stage at the beginning, the similarity between the two events being clear (holding a microphone at an inappropriate time, making a speech as he blocks out input from an adult trying to talk him down). Spongebob then busts out into the film's rendition of Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock", "I'm a Goofy Goober". This results in spongebob reversing plankton's whole plot with "the power of rock and roll". Plankton is made powerless, and thrown into a little padded cell.

The final scene in the movie has Mr. Krabs freed from his imprisonment in ice, and spongebob is offered squidwards position as manager of the second Krusty Krab. He seems hesitant, and squidward offers an insightful analysis of what spongebob might be feeling (the typical analysis of a coming of age movie, where the protagonist finds out that what they wanted all along is not what they wanted, but it was what was inside all along). Spongebob refutes that squidwards fly was just down, and GLADLY accepts the job.

AND THAT'S THE MOVIE

6: AN INVERSION ON THE COMING OF AGE GENRE

A coming of age story tends to be one which is focus on the growth of a character from childhood to adulthood, asking questions about what it means to be an adult. A character reaches for their perceived adulthood, and realizes what it means to ACTUALLY be an adult, typically juxtaposing what people think (drugs, parties, sex) versus what the movie postures as the correct adulthood (responsibility). In this, I think that the spongebob movie directly criticizes the position of what "an adult" is, in the sense of how someone acts.

Like we discussed in part 2, every adult character in this movie tends to be very childish in themselves, unable to see through simple ruses, and often very possessive of personal property. I don't think we actually see a child in this movie as a speaker at any point, only really as background characters (in goofy goobers to solidify spongebob as childish, and I believe in the chum bucket as they're lead to an unsafe place by their parents, who are supposed to be responsible). Thus, what is mostly examined is how adulthood and childhood is a very thin line. Squidward, for example, going directly to plankton to accuse him of stealing the formula, instead of taking it to the top immediately, which would have ended this whole thing fairly quickly; that was rather silly, and was the fruit of his need to assert himself as an adult.

Spongebob goes through this movie FIRST not caring much about whether or not he was an adult, and it is only after the social pressure from adults does he start to chase it. He then chases his perceived image of an adult, going on an adventure, and is crushed by the fact that he isn't an adult. Instead of finding what an adult is, he instead becomes comfortable with his existence as a child, finding himself at the end of the movie able to comfortably chase after an ideal again, where in a normal movie he would humbly reject the job he was offered.

This is, truly, what we should all take from this film. Spongebob realizes that people who aren't necessarily socially adjusted or acceptable can do great things, regardless of what the people around them say, especially because the people around them are liable to throw tantrums and be actively harmful to society. He is allowed to find comfort in childish things, and to be naive, because the world needs more people willing to help others. It's a scathing criticism on the imposed adulthood that exists in a lot of coming of age films, which begs us to drop fun in the interest of doing the right thing, as though those two ideas are contradictory.

BONUS: EXTRA STUFF THAT I LIKED

The goofy goober song became really good storytelling, at first marking childishness, then marking a level of discomfort and judgement in the club, then marking spongebob recognizing that his happiness came from what he liked and not some vague idea of adulthood, and finally marking his full acceptance of his childishness, taking the form of rock, the music of rebellion. It's not as subtle as leitmotifs, but it works really well in how the same song can give very different feelings throughout, and inform how we interact with a story.

There are a lot more examples of adults being pressured into childishness, with the connected twins who liked goofy goober at the club, who were beaten senseless for absolutely no reason, which highlights the way that the society hurts people that, by all means, are just as much adults as anyone else. There's of course Plankton's helmets which created a society of people who simply slaved away with nothing to say, taking life as it came and listening to authority.

On top of that, this movie is PRETTY ANTICAPITALIST AND ANTIMONARCHY, despite those things being allowed to continue to exist at the end- monarchy is seen misusing power constantly and often for unfounded reasons, and Spongebob's diligence at work is rejected by a penny pinching Krabs, who cares only about money. Like, THE KRUSTY KRABS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER? THAT IS SOME MONTY PYTHON ASS SHIT. This year is the first year i laughed at that joke, because it's really some "capitalists are fucking dumb as shit" humor that slipped over my head when i was a kid. The villain literally being defeated by Rock and Roll, which was sung with a message against the oppression of differences in people? Yeah, I think the spongebob movie hated rich mother fuckers.

END: UH YEAH THAT'S WHAT IT IS

So yeah. The movie is good I think. There's a lot more i could go into, but I've been writing this post for hours and at this point i haven't even read it so...

I recommend going back and giving this film a rewatch!!! Pay attention to all the moments where adults act like children/kids act like adults, because it'll make ur brain pop like a zit. Anyways that's me, I'm Jericho Jay "Japes" Marshall, and I HATE facism.

[laurenreviewsmovies]

Wonder Woman 1984

Director: Patty Jenkins

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, Kristen Wiig

Release Date: December 19, 2019, November 1, 2019, June 5, 2020, August 14 2020, October 2, 2020, December 25, 2020

My Rating: 8/10

My Review (WITHOUT SPOILERS...unless you never even watched the preview and got a vibe of who the bad guys are):

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first new movie I saw in theaters since March 2020. And I made sure to wait a full month after it had been released so that I could see it with the least amount of people possible. 

So before seeing this movie myself, I heard a lot of reviews. Sadly, a good amount were negative. While I did see some that I completely 100% agreed with (the ones that praised the escapism and the 1980s nostalgia), there were far too many that said the movie was slow, was boring, was overindulgent or cliché. I went in with low expectations as a result, just hoping for a good movie. And wouldn’t you know it - I was blessed with an awesome good time.

This movie overall made me feel a lot like I felt when I first saw Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. When I first saw that movie and was trying to explain it to people, I more often than not started my spiel off with: “have you ever wanted to WATCH a comic book? Not a comic-based movie. An actual comic book that has been animated?” Because that’s how that movie felt. Especially with the art style and graphics. It was a superhero movie, yeah, but it was a COMIC BOOK movie first and foremost and that really put it in a league of its own. That’s how I came out of Wonder Woman 1984 feeling. Instead of animating a comic book, they just made the graphic panels live-action. Dialogue, action sequences, hand-wavey science that can literally only be described as “comic-book science”.

In my head, I could easily imagine the shots of a scene drawn out in a comic book. Was this movie maybe overindulgent or cliché? Sure! But you know what else is overindulgent and cliché. Comic books. There’s literally a whole section of tropes in media dedicated to “comic book tropes”. It’s comic books’ bread and butter. That’s what made kids fall in love with comic books before superhero movies or television shows were even a thing. They were campy, they were magical, they were science fiction-y to the extreme and that’s what made them so fun! So maybe compared to other comic book based superhero movies, and especially compared to the other darker and grittier movies that make up the DCEU, Wonder Woman was lacking. But only when you’re looking at it from that certain point of view. 

This movie felt more like a labor of love. It was made for Wonder Woman fans who love the character, loved the last movie, and wanted to see another fun adventure. For the past 13 years, superhero movies haven’t been in the one-off range. Wiith the original Spider-Man movies...it felt like they were just making one movie. And then if that one did well, they would come up with an idea for a sequel. That’s how most movie franchises went (disregard movies based off of books, those don’t count). With the MCU movies, the idea was ALWAYS to have them tie together into one bigger story. Just like how this movie kind of felt like watching a comic...the storyline itself just felt very true to the feel of comic book stories. There was no tying in to future blockbuster sequels. This could’ve been it’s own little arc within the comic book universe. It was a weird, fantastic stand alone plot and that was refreshing. There were a lot of great things about this movie, there were a number of things that I can agree weren’t the best, but overall this movie was simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a nostalgic thrill ride. Just like the first movie, it was in a league of its own. Too many people have been hating on this movie because they’re comparing it to every other superhero movie. Don’t do that. Judge it by it’s own merits...because it was pretty fucking great.

What I really liked: KRISTEN WIIG. I knew Pedro was going to be great because c’mon, it’s Pedro. Ted Cruz can suck a dick, Pedro’s performance was outstanding. A madman spiraling into more and more madness while trying to maintain the image that he’s being completely rational. Wonderfully executed. The one (1) actor I was worried about for this movie was Kristen Wiig...for as much as I love Kristen Wiig, she’s always going to be a goofy character. That’s what she’s known for, she’s the master of it. When I saw nerdy little Barbara at the beginning of the movie tripping on her heels and dropping her papers and being overall super awkward I was like, “yeah, I see how they thought of her for this role. Dorky comic relief”. I knew she was going to become the secondary villain but I wasn’t honestly expecting too much. Maybe I should be glad I went in not expecting a lot from her or her character because I was absolutely floored by her performance. Give this bitch more dramatic roles.

What I didn’t really like so much: The pacing. It’s one of the negative reviews I had heard before going in that I actually kind of agree with. It’s a long-ass movie and it delivers a wonderfully solid emotional punch more than once...but all that happens in the last 45 minutes or so of the movie. Luckily, the movie is beautiful and funny as are the actors, so it wasn’t a pain to sit through at all. But I did kind of get bored at times and find myself checking my phone.

[norsecoyote]

MCU Rewatch: Thor: The Dark World

Get ready for possibly my most contrarian take in the whole MCU: I legitimately love The Dark World.

I mean, yes, okay, Malekith is probably the single worst-realized villain in the entire shared universe, a character for whom “I want to destroy the universe... BECAUSE I’M EVIL!!!” is not even slightly an exaggeration, and who has a truly ridiculous power of Being Wherever It Is Convenient For The Plot Regardless Of Plausibility Or Established Rules About Interplanetary Travel. The Aether is also one of the all-time ill-defined McGuffins, although honestly post-Infinity War it’s significantly less so -- understanding that it’s the Reality Stone and seeing how Thanos uses it both makes its various effects in Dark World less arbitrary and does in fact explain why Malekith is after it. 

Also, yes, Jane Foster continues to be a giant empty space where an actual character should be. I am bothered by that less in this movie than the first Thor because, this time around, she is given zero agency, and just kind of pushed around the game board by the other characters! Yes, it would probably have been better to just, you know, characterize her, but at the cost of some awkwardly regressive gender politics the film is at least able to make her stop being an active problem with the story’s believability (and it does some genuinely great things with Darcy to earn back some of its feminist cred).

So yeah, this movie is by no means perfect. But do you know what it is?

Funny as fuck.

Seriously, from the word Go, every single part of this movie (that isn’t one of Malekith’s solo scenes) is just immensely clever and entertaining. Even as it lays out a pretty unexciting plot, the dialogue sparkles, the actors’ timing is across-the-board excellent, and both the editing and sound design are working in concert to throw a constant stream of gags at you. The movie as a whole isn’t “shot like a comedy,” but there are absolutely sections of it that are, and they are just delightful -- we were laughing out loud most of the way through.

Special mention has to be given to the final battle, which is the funniest fucking Big Action Movie Fight Scene I have EVER SEEN. Seriously, watch this:

It starts out so hyperserious and dramatic, and then... the cuts, the foley work, the absurd sequence of events, the framing (those cars crashing into the hillside on Svartalfheim...), even the facial expressions are perfectly pitched to turn what is simultaneously a hugely dramatic confrontation into a genuine farce. 

FUCK, it’s so good.

But aside from... well, actually no, as part of that cavalcade of comedy, the other reason I love this film despite all its flaws is that it finally fixes Loki. For as much as Ragnarok is a reboot of Thor, this movie reboots his brother, and actually gets him right. It throws away all the shitty, nonsensical “motivations” and “plots” he had before, gives him a new central drive and characterization that makes a shit-ton more sense, and finally lets him be funny.

Prior to this, if we ignore the Unbiased Reviews, Loki wanted to rule Earth, because... he’s mad about Odin concealing his true heritage, and now that he knows he wasn’t born heir to a king he wants to rule a random backwater planet because he deserves to as an Asgardian, which he isn’t, and so since he wants power he’s going to ally with an alien army who will somehow get way more power than him, and... yeah.

New Loki: he’s lost his adoptive mother, the one person he actually, genuinely believed cared about him as a person (even if he would never admit that), and in his grief he is desperate to earn the love of Asgard (and maybe even his idiot brother, too, whom he now sees not as an obstacle but a fun plaything). Yes, it absolutely sucks that they fridged Frigg (har!) to get there -- although to be fair, she absolutely did deliberately sacrifice herself to save her home -- but now Loki a) has a genuinely sympathetic motivation, even as it still pushes him to act like a dick at times, and b) is free to have fun, since he’s no longer trying to Screw Over Literally Everybody. 

Hiddleston in this movie is goddamned hysterical -- you can feel Loki’s manic glee at being freed from prison (although the surprise of Chris Evans’ cameo is definitely a huge part of why that scene works so well). This movie finally gives us the Loki I didn’t realize I was waiting for through the first Thor and The Avengers, and it’s another one of those things where it’s just so good that it retroactively colored my memories of his first two films.

(side note: Anthony Hopkins does an incredible job playing Loki playing Odin; the way he mimics Hiddleston’s body language is so perfect and subtle that I realized “oh hey that’s Loki” even before I consciously noticed what the actor was doing to communicate it.)

So yeah. There’s really not much “thematic depth” to this movie to analyze, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t the single most fun movie to watch out of the whole MCU up to this point. Even now, it’s still only really surpassed for sheer joy by the two Guardians films and, of course, Ragnarok.

Just a pity about the plot, you know?

[disinvited-guest]

4/17/18 Recap

It’s tradition that when a show is in the Cincinnati area, my sister and I have Cincinnati chili beforehand, so we grabbed Skyline on the way to the venue, arriving around 4:30.  We met up with a lot of folks we’d seen before at one show or another.  A few minutes into our wait, we heard This Microphone playing from inside the venue.  Then, a minute or so later, Flans started a Vibe Report with his voice still blasting from the venue.  A bunch of us in line simultaneously freaked out about the Vibe Reports being for Stale Vibes for a full minute before all realizing that it was the song that was a recording, not the video.  When they did do soundcheck, much later, they practiced a bunch of their less-played Flood songs and I Like Fun.

When they opened doors, we made two lines.  I ended up in the slow one, but my sister was smart enough to go in the opposite from me, so she went ahead to get us a spot.  We ended up in front of Marty’s drum riser, which is where we’d discussed before the show.  I was surprised by how tall the stage was, coming up nearly to my chin!

They came onstage early to the Last Wave video, which surprised me, and it wasn’t even quite 8 yet when they started into Damn Good Times.  Danny saw me right away and I got a huge smile (I think he recognized my sister too, but when I mentioned it to her between sets she snorted and said “you two only have eyes for each other” so I’m not sure).  

Linnell introduced them as They Might Be Giants and Flans explained how they would be playing two sets, and for the second set they would be playing Flood “in sequence.”  

The crowd cheered, then Linnell told us “not the sequence they are on the album, just a sequence.”  Which got a laugh.  Flans finally cleared up how exactly it would go by telling us they would be playing it in reverse sequence from the album.

They played The Mesopotamians, then I Left My Body, then Linnell introduced Hey Mr DJ by saying “This song has a fade out.”  They had obviously practiced doing it with a fade out since Louisville, it went really smoothly and they didn’t have to gather around the drum riser to make it work.  Linnell was hilarious during the fade out because he kept mouthing the lyrics, not even whispering, all the way through to the end.

They introduced the next song as a cover of Destiny’s Child, then got into a debate as to whether their cover version was just like the original or not.  Eventually Flans decided “different costumes, same sassy attitudes.”  Linnell thought that Flans had the sassy attitude down, but wasn’t sure if he did.  Flans then told us he was “portraying the sassy attitude of Kelly Rowland,” while Linnell was in the role of Beyonce Knowles.

Linnell told us he was a “mere understudy” for the role.  Flans went back up to the mic stand to respond, then thought better of it “I was going to make a really obscene comment, then I realized that that was a bad idea.”  They started into the song and Flans was especially dramatic.  He started out singing directly to a member of the crowd, did his pivot turn, and walked along the edge of the drum riser twice.  As they finished, Dan Miller left the stage and they started into Don’t Let’s Start.  Perhaps because it was earlier into the show, Flans and Danny weren’t jumping and spinning around stage as much as they usually do for this song, although there was still a fair amount of hopping and dancing from both of them.

Dan and Curt both returned to stage for Spy.  When it was Linnell’s turn for the ending, he had them playing opposite that sample of his from Here Comes Santa Claus.  When he turned things over to Flans, he kept them all playing for a bit, then stopped Linnell and Marty until it was just Curt and Dan playing some goofy sounding high notes with Danny supporting.  He then brought the crowd into it a bit with long, extended cheers, then ended things with no warning, saying “Spy” into the mic in a normal speaking voice.  Curt left,  and they played Number Three and then Wicked Little Critta.  Dan said something to Danny during WLC that made both of them crack up.  

Curt returned to the stage and Linnell went over to get the contra alto clarinet while Flans introduced it as “last seen at your high school concert band rehearsal.  I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that one.”  Danny was singing the backing vocals to All Time What again, which is so incredibly adorable and wonderful. (He also sang a lot of the backing vocals for the Flood set and my sister pointed out that it’s probably because he and Dan practice together, which is even more wonderful.)

The Dans left stage but Dan Miller didn’t go far.  The whole set, he’d been switching off malfunctioning guitars with a harried Mr. Burnette, who would fix them just in time for the next to have a problem.  Dan stayed just offstage, working to fix the latest in the string of guitar issues.

Flans grabbed his acoustic then told us that they were doing this next song a little bit differently because the second set was a Flood set.  There was some feedback and he said “Oh, I think that was me.”  As the noise died a bit he said, “the noise is coming from my [name of the guitar I forget] made in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  It has the power of Christ behind it.”  This got a laugh, Flans clarified that when there was feedback, the guitar made people say “Jesus!” then tried the guitar again, saying he thought it was fixed.  

This resulted in more feedback, and Linnell told him “It will never be fixed.”

They then started I Like Fun, and I thought it was kinda funny Flans was all nervous about doing it differently when poor Marty was the only one doing something different.  The poor guy was incredibly tense, trying to play a part he was used to doing on electronic drums on his regular trap set.  He got through it wonderfully though because he is a national treasure.

The Dans returned to the stage while the Johns plugged the new album.  I believe it was here they asked people to hold up their vinyl copies of I Like Fun.  There were some Flood vinyls to, and Flans told those people they could make a killing on ebay because “people don’t realize it’s still available.” Linnell played a note on his keyboards that told me they’d be playing Mrs. Bluebeard, but Flans wasn’t done.  He made a few more comments about buying things at high prices and that was what made ebay so wonderful before they started into the song.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned before that when they play Mrs Bluebeard the lights onstage are all blue.  It’s a bit on the nose, but I think it’s a nice touch.  From there, they went into New York City. Flans sang King Kong rather than Dylan and at one point Danny stood behind Flans and randomly spun in a slow circle.  They finished out the set with The Guitar (with a wild Future of Sound) and left, with Flans telling us they would be back in 15 minutes.

They didn’t quite make 15, but they were back onstage to Gypsy before the regular 20 minutes with Dan taking pictures of the crowd with his phone.  Flans stopped to remind us they were playing all of Flood in reverse order, making it “a memory test for everybody,” before they started into Road Movie to Berlin.  Flans included the King of Liars verse, which I was super excited about, and I whistled along at the appropriate points.  They went straight into They Might Be Giants from there, it was incredibly goofy and high energy.

I believe it was here that Flans told us he could feel himself getting younger as they played the songs “like Benjamin Button.”  Linnell offered another example that he thought was more fitting, and Flans said “Well, I’ve never seen Benjamin Button.”

“So that’s the one you prefer,” Linnell responded.

“It’s about the businessman who’s a baby, right?” Flans asked.  Linnell said that was exactly what it was about.  Then, in a old-timey New York businessman accent, Flans did his best Benjamin Button impression “I’m Benjamin Button, see?”

Linnell told us the next song was originally recorded by an orchestra but that they had given it their own unique spin.  This lead into Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love.  From there, they went straight into Women and Men, which I was most excited to hear out of all the Flood songs.  It was as fantastic as I had hoped, although Linnell switched “shipwreck” and “beachhead” around.  After the song, all the lights went down and I clapped and cheered especially loud, which I think Danny heard, because when I could see again he was looking at me and laughing.  

I believe it was before Hot Cha when the band started discussing how tricky it was to promote this show “never since Tempe, Arizona” had a show cause such trouble, since it wasn’t in Cincinnati, it was in Covington.  They discussed the many different places their shows were that were actually just Boston, and Flans told us “We have no idea where we are most of the time anyway.”  They took a poll of the people from Covington versus Cincinnati, which wasn’t very successful.  Most people cheered for both, and Linnell told us that it appeared one and two thirds of the crowd was here tonight.  They played Hot Cha, then made a few more comments about the Covington/Cincinnati divide, saying they would be organizing chicken fights between us after the show.  Linnell grabbed his accordion and they played Whistling in the Dark.

As they got set up for Letterbox, Flans commented on the fact they now had two acoustic guitars onstage.  He told us that they were now “that kind of band,” and that “Next comes the stools and the cap’m’s hats.  Letterbox was as impressively word-dense as always.  When it was over, Mr. Burnett came out to give Dan his electric guitar and Flans commented on the exchange, causing him to present it to Dan with a bit of ceremony.

They played Minimum Wage and Flans sang a bit of the ending “bah bah bah bah” and then Hearing Aid before Flans stopped to warn us that we were getting “Perilously close to the beginning of side two.”  They finished off side two by playing Someone Keeps Moving My Chair.

Flans told us we were now on side one, then pause and said “There’s no stage banter between songs on the album so I’m not sure what to say.”  He asked Linnell how his day was, but Linnell hadn’t done much, and Flans hadn’t either.  Flans then commented that he had finished the book he was reading, and started On Fascism “because I felt like I wasn't getting enough of current events.” This got a laugh from the crowd, and Flans remembered a story.

He told us about the Belly Up, the place they play in Solano Beach on the West Coast.  He told us it was exactly the kind of place we would expect from the name and tried to do an impression of the guys who were there.  Unfortunately he “didn't have the bangs for it.”

Apparently the cousin of the guy who owns the Belly Up owns a venue in Aspen, Colorado and wanted to book them.  Flans said they were wary about it, but when they got there it was mostly the same type of people. “Ski-bums,” Linnell clarified.

Flans continued, describing the seats around the edges of the venue “and in one of those seats was Madeleine Albright. I still haven't processed it.”

Linnell called Madeleine Albright a ski-bum, and Flans said he thought she was more of a boogie boarder.

“No, that's not right,” he realized.  “What do you call that thing you do on the board?” A bunch of people in the crowd gave him the answer and he said “Snowboarding!” Linnell told him that boogie boarding was in the water, then Flans reminded us “I consider myself an indoorsman. You kids do what you want.”

They really started pushing for the end at this point, with little banter other than a few basic song introductions.  They played We Wanna Rock, Twisting, and Particle Man without pause.  They had trouble getting the crowd to clap during the song, and people stopped completely after Linnell's Here You Come Again interlude.  Curt came onstage for Particle Man just so he could clap, then left again for the sole purpose of making his grand entrance during Your Racist Friend.

He and Dan left the stage and they played Dead, then Curt returned to do the intro to Istanbul.  Dan started to take a picture of Curt, but saw Mr. Burnett was doing the same thing, so took a picture of him taking the picture instead.  Curt and Dan switched off for one of the endings, which was fantastic as always.

They played Lucky Ball and Chain, which was exciting to hear live. Flans switched the lines about the railroad apartment to lines from a different verse on accident.

They all played Birdhouse In Your Soul, then Flans thanked everyone while Curt and Dan left, and I thought for a moment they were going to skip over Theme from Flood, but I was mistaken.  It's a sort little thing, but I loved getting to hear it and it made an awesome way to cap off the set.

They returned with Fingertips, which is always amazing live.  Flans did his Heart Attack bit. The audience cheered between Dan's whispered “fingertips” and he pointed at us all while we did. They left stage after just that song, with just the Johns coming back onstage for the second encore.

They grabbed accordion and acoustic guitar respectively, then introduced How Can I Sing Like A Girl.  Flans told Linnell to wait, but he started the accordion part anyway. Flans called “John! John, stop.” Linnell did and Flans explained he had to check his guitar, since it wasn’t working the last time he checked.  It worked fine this time around, and they started into the song.

I was worried they would end it there, but all the guys returned to the stage and Flans introduced them to us.  When Dan was introduced “What’s this? Dan Miller on the keyboards!?” He played a bit on the keyboards, then apparently recorded and looped it somehow, because after a bit he threw his hands up in the air and the music he’d been “playing” kept going.  They ended the show on Doctor Worm.  As the song was ending, Danny moved over and played a note the keyboard, grinning over at Dan, who just told him what note to play instead to complete the chord.  Danny obliged and all the guys held and held that last note before leaving the stage.

They were back on with stickers, Flans handing them out on the other side and Marty right in front of my sister and I.  Danny didn’t come out for more than a minute after the others, and I was worried he wasn’t coming out at all, but eventually he did, flinging stickers left and right, far out into the crowd.  

Marty handed a setlist out on our side while Danny handed out two on the other.  While Marty moved back to get his drumsticks, Danny headed over to our side with another setlist and handed it to me.  After Marty came back and gave out the drumsticks my sister and I managed to escape the crush.  I wanted to stick around a bit longer, but my sister steered us back towards the car, telling me if I was going to cry, she didn’t want it to be in front of everybody.  I’ll have you know I didn’t cry, but it was a near thing.  I still can’t believe it’s over.

[aion-rsa]

Superman & Lois Episode 2 Review: Heritage

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This Superman & Lois review contains spoilers.

Superman and Lois Episode 2

There was a time, long ago, when big genre TV shows would get two hour premieres. Not the kind of two hour premiere that Superman & Lois had, where an episode that was actually a full hour without commercials got stretched out over a longer time slot with additional commercial breaks and a behind-the-scenes special. I mean a genuine 90 minute pilot that sat in a two hour timeslot. Those days are long gone, but I’ve long suspected that The CW structures the first two episodes of its biggest new series accordingly. And just as Superman & Lois feels like the most ambitious addition to the network’s DC TV lineup since The Flash, so too does its second episode feel like an extension of its first.

That’s a very good thing, by the way.

If anything, Superman & Lois episode 2 is an even easier watch than the impressive first episode. At this point, you’ve either bought into the concept of the show as a family drama, and the idea of Lois and Clark as parents, or you haven’t. We’ve met all the key players already, so there’s a little less exposition necessary (although, to be fair, it isn’t like the first episode committed the sin that so many CW pilots do, where it can sometimes feel like characters are taking turns introducing themselves to the camera), and the story itself can breathe.

What that means, for one thing, is more action. I can’t tell for sure, but it certainly feels like we spend a little more time with Superman in costume than we did in the first episode. And if you liked the cinematic look and feel of those sequences before, you’re in luck, because there’s no sign whatsoever that they blew their effects budget on that episode. This show just looks great.

That shouldn’t be a surprise though, right? It’s Superman. There’s a general sense that the network and the producers knew that either you go big or go home with the Man of Steel, hence the show’s widescreen look and amped-up special effects and redesigned costume. Superman & Lois episode 2 isn’t wall-to-wall action, but when we get it, it counts and it looks terrific, and that’s what matters.

That title, “Heritage” refers very much to Jonathan and Jordan Kent, particularly the latter. The parental decision is made to keep him home from school after his “ocular release of energy” at the Shuster Mines, specifically so that Clark can take him to the Fortress of Solitude for evaluation by the Kryptonian technology stored there (and the holographic form of Jor-El) and to gauge his power levels. Jonathan, on the other hand, has to go to a school where he doesn’t feel terribly welcome, especially when steps were taken to make sure that the football team’s playbook never arrived for him to study, thereby making his life a little harder on the field where he usually excels.

But “Heritage” could also refer to how much Smallville has changed since Clark left it. While Lana’s husband Kyle Cushing isn’t the most likeable character on the show, he effectively speaks for the people of Smallville who feel they’ve been left behind, and who are in desperate need of a job creator like new Daily Planet owner (and apparent vulture capitalist) Morgan Edge. So far, Clark dealing with the Jordan issue means that he hasn’t yet come to terms with how Smallville has moved on (or fallen) since he’s been gone, and it’s Lois who finds herself in the line of fire with the locals. Something tells me that eventually this is going to change, whether in a confrontation with Kyle or whether it’s Lois who forces him to reckon with what’s happening.

We also learn more about the mysterious “Captain Luthor,” who may not be the villain he was presented as last week. For starters, he uses non-lethal force on the soldiers who confront him, and despite the dangerous situations he’s created in the past, they were clearly designed to draw Superman out rather than cause maximum loss of life. But more importantly, it seems he comes from a world where Kal-El was either inherently evil or let his power corrupt him, and he had his own relationship with General Sam Lane on his world. Some harrowing footage that closes the episode indicates that Captain Luthor’s grudge against the Man of Steel is justified.

In case you can’t tell, “Heritage” is juggling quite a lot. But it manages to not get in its own way, while dealing with its heavier dramatic moments unpretentiously and its weightier subjects with relative ease. I often cringe at the Supergirl model of journalism, or what has passed for it with the Central City Citizen on The Flash. Taking both Lois and Clark out of The Daily Planet may help in that regard here, and so far they seem to be easing Lois into doing some investigative journalism here. There’s still the question of whether Lois actually has enough to do at the moment, but since this episode feels very much like an extension of the pilot, I’m willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt right now.

Speaking of Lois getting into trouble, we do get our first look at the new Morgan Edge this week. Adam Rayner is Edge this time around, taking over from the Earth-38 version who was played by Adrian Pasdar over on Supergirl. As with Sam Lane, we can chalk this bit of recasting up to the changes made to reality by Crisis on Infinite Earths. Rayner’s Edge is a little more subdued, a bit more cynical, and more of the elegant boardroom shark that was first introduced in the comics. He’s certainly not the nicest guy on the show, but time will tell if he’s actually the season’s big bad or if they’re going to eventually give him some nuance, as well.

This core cast is really what powers everything through. Elizabeth Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin are, of course, perfect in their roles, and there’s probably not much reason for me to hit that point every week. But seeing them as parents is a new wrinkle for the characters overall, and the pair hit this pretty effortlessly. In particular, Hoechlin’s resigned “you heard your mother” after Tulloch’s Lois puts the boys in their place during a blowup is both perfectly delivered and wryly funny. Even Superman knows who’s really in charge in their house. That entire scene could have gone south in less gifted hands, but the four actors who make up this Kent family make it work.

The warmth between Jordan Elsass and Alexander Garfin as Jonathan and Jordan Kent that feels even more pronounced in this episode than the previous one. Particularly when they’re getting along, they’re fun and believable as brothers, and they (along with Inde Navaratte as Sarah Cushing) are refreshingly free of the overwritten teen dialogue that has become de rigueur over the last couple of decades. It also helps that the entire young cast are actually believable as high school freshmen…it’s pretty hilarious to think Jordan, Jonathan, and Sarah are supposed to be the same age that Clark, Lana, and Pete were in the first season of Smallville, for example. If you missed it, watch for Jonathan and Jordan’s simultaneous reaction when their mom goes after Morgan Edge at the Town Hall. Superman & Lois isn’t as likely to lean on humor as The Flash, but it could use more subtle moments like this one.

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It feels like the pieces are all in place now, and that there are even bigger and better things ahead.

The post Superman & Lois Episode 2 Review: Heritage appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kayskasmoviereviews]

Truly Massive Movie Blog Update - Part 4 (of 4)

Fatima - A soft-spoken but effective French drama about an Arab immigrant woman just trying to get by with her difficult work and her even more difficult daughter. The movie does a great job of making its case by simply showing its protagonist’s life without much overt editorializing by the filmmakers.

Better Watch Out - A Christmas-set horror movie that doubles as a commentary on a very toxic type of teenage masculine entitlement. To be honest, the movie was a bit nastier and a bit less fun than I had hoped it would be going in, but the nastiness helped it to make its point more effectively.

Moko Jumbie - The first Trinidadian film I’ve ever seen! This magical-realist indie film worked for me as an immersive look at contemporary Trinidadian life, with the occasional detour into bizarre, almost Lynchian surrealist territory. Not everything about it is particularly tidy, but it’s still much more engaging than not.

Memories of Murder - An excellent South Korean police procedural loosely based on the story of South Korea’s first known serial killer. The movie is intense, often funny, and finally quite dramatic. The movie shows you what it’s like to live in a society where police brutality and ineffectiveness are almost taken for granted, while simultaneously getting you really invested in the mystery.

Last Life in the Universe - A strange, ethereal Thai film about the relationship between a suicidal Japanese librarian and an apathetic Thai hostess. The movie has some quiet surreal elements, and a cameo by Takashi Miike as a yakuza gangster. Imagine if Ozu and Jim Jarmusch hung out.

Sonatine - A deconstructionist yakuza movie by Japanese auteur Takeshi Kitano. The movie has a pretty clear point of view on the meaninglessness of yakuza life, and some neat and creative moments, but is also a bit slow going.

Good Time - A panic attack on film. Robert Pattinson completely disappears into his role as an anxious hoodrat with lots of instincts, none of them being self-preservation. Really well done.

Man with a Movie Camera - One of, if not the, purest examples of Soviet montage theory in action. The movie has a lot of really interesting ideas and vibrant sequences, and captures life in a certain time and place in some ways, but you can also feel the limits of montage here. Despite what Eisenstein said, no one in their right mind would want every film to be like this one.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - A conventional but very well-executed teen romantic comedy. Sometimes this particular genre is all you want; when that time comes, this film will fill that nice perfectly for you.

Drop Dead Gorgeous - An underrated, under-appreciated satire of beauty pageants from 1999. Kirsten Dunst, Allison Janney, and Denise Richards are all fantastic in it, and you get to see a pre-famous Amy Adams at her best. The movie is still quite funny and on-point regarding the shallowness and vapidity of much of American culture.

White Right: Meeting the Enemy - A remarkably brave TV documentary by Deeyah Khan, a British director who got a number of death threats from alt-right/Neo-Nazi types and then decided to interview some of them. It took a great deal of courage for her to even undertake this project at all, and what she got from interviewing these men (and they’re just about all men) and trying to connect with them on a personal level was more remarkable still. While some of them (like Richard Spencer) seem like genuinely evil ideologues incapable of being moved by human connection, many of the other people she interviews seem like deeply misguided, isolated individuals incapable of dealing with themselves or their pasts. The things they do are evil, but you feel kind of sorry for some of them. I’ve seen a few of these post-election documentaries about the far right, and I think this one does the best job of exploring the psychology at play.

Minding the Gap - A truly amazing documentary by Bing Liu, which started out as his attempts to film his skating buddies in Rockford, Illinois and over a period of years grew into something much larger and more meaningful. What we ultimately get out of this film is an intimate portrait of three young men (including Liu himself) who are seriously wounded by their abused and deprived pasts and are trying (and sometimes failing) to get out of the vicious cycles their traumas have put them in. I didn’t see any of the other Best Documentary Oscar nominees yet, but I still feel like this one should have won.

Pather Panchali - A defining classic of Indian cinema and neorealist cinema. The movie captures life in a poor Bengali village in the early-ish 20th century in a fully immersive and convincing way. This is one of the best early examples of how cinema can just put you into someone else’s life for a while. I definitely plan to see the rest of the Apu trilogy at some point in the near future.

[evenstevensranked]

#43: Season 2, Episode 10 - “Devil Mountain”

Ren’s Life Science class goes on a field trip to observe some birds. Yay? Drama ensues on the trip when we find out that Mandy “Always-Gets-Her-Man” Sanchez has a crush on Bobby Deaver. Yikes!!! Elsewhere, Tom gets a personal pizza oven in his room, which is the only reason Louis and Twitty are bothering to hang out at his house. Basically, Louis is a horrible friend to Tom until the last 5 minutes. WHYYY?!

This episode opens with Ren and Bobby doing homework at The Stevens house. They’re always so incredibly awkward. Like I’ve said before… Bobby Deaver is kind of weird. I don’t get the appeal. He seems very aloof and spineless to me. They’re about to kiss when Steve comes waltzing in on the phone.. which is highly uncomfortable. He becomes a nervous wreck and ends the phone call by saying “Okay I’ll kiss you tomo— SEE YOU tomorrow!” Oh, man.

We find out that he was on the phone with their teacher, Ms. Lovelson. They’re in the same bird watching group and Steve is going to be guest-lecturing their Life Science class. I’m suuure that will be an embarrassment free experience for Ren! (Sarcasm.) Steve basically does everything in his power to keep Ren and Bobby from kissing now. He interrupts them constantly, makes them snacks, and sits riiiiight in the middle of them while telling boring stories. He starts to give Bobby the third degree asking him all sorts of personal questions. There’s a bit where it cuts to a black and white interrogation sequence parody. I always thought this was pretty funny.

“FOR THE LAST TIME, DEAVER! GIVE ME THE INFORMATION!”

“Alright… I have a sister… *cries*”

Now, on to the subplot! Tom got a new (giant) personal pizza oven in his room per Doris’ recommendation. Yes, Doris! This is the first time Tom ever speaks of his mom. Louis is confused and asks, “…Doris?” and Tom explains “Mother. She’s worried I don’t socialize enough with kids my own age. Which is nonsense” while simultaneously playing online chess. It’s pretty great.

“AH-HA! Trying to take my bishop! I know you too well, Mr. Smarty Trousers...” - Tom is a GIFT and the whole reason this episode isn’t ranked lower.

In hindsight, I really feel like this show gave kids very unrealistic life expectations at times. Apparently I can bring a butler to school with me, and I can make my principal quit their job and turn school into one big party. There’s no way my mom would allow me to have a freaking PIZZA OVEN in my room. First of all… why would you want to eat pizza in your bedroom anyway? Crumbs. Ew. This is the episode that made me assume that Tom is rich. We get to see his room though, which is cool! Much like Twitty’s, I feel like they got the characterization correct here as well. I seriously love that they actually put work into stuff like that. All of the rooms we’ve seen so far highlight the character’s personality without hitting you over the head with their interests. For example, this made me realize that Lizzie McGuire barely tried sometimes. Gordo was very into film, directing, and old records. So guess what they plastered on his wall?! It feels very contrived: 

In contrast.. here’s Tom’s! Very neat. Nerdy paraphernalia on his shelves. Something that looks like a pin-up model poster right above his head. Why does that seem extremely accurate to me?

Everything’s chill and then… *dun, dun, dun* The pizza oven breaks. There’s a tiny detail that I love here. Louis dramatically touches inside of the pizza oven and quickly bounces back all shocked when he feels that it’s cold. It’s just really funny to me. But, yeah. The pizza oven is dead. And ya know what that means!!! ...Louis and Twitty suddenly don’t care about spending time with Tom. Ugh. They immediately peace out and Tom is left all depressed and alone. Wow.

The next day at school, Louis is trying to tell a joke to some kids at lunch when Tom comes over all excited with good news (presumably about the pizza oven.) He keeps interrupting Louis by adding funny remarks that ultimately just annoy everyone around him. I feel so bad. The bell rings before Louis is able to say the punchline. So what does Louis do?! He starts yelling at Tom. “What’s so important?! This better be good news about the pizza oven, because right now I’m in no mood.” SERIOUSLY LOUIS?! Well, Tom catches on and can clearly tell they’re just using him. So, he goes and does what I’d do: He lies and says the oven will be broken indefinitely.

Ren and Nelson are waiting for Steve to show up for their Life Science class. (Btw: Every time I hear “Life Science” all I can think of is LIFE SCIENCE EXTREME from Ned’s Declassified, where they took baby dolls and strapped them to rockets.) Ren insists that it won’t be too embarrassing, because Steve “happens to be one of the area's foremost authorities on the Dickcissel" — with extra emphasis on “dick.” The innuendos are too much this season. Nelson laughs.

Just then, Ruby comes rushing over to run her latest gossip column by Ren. It’s here that we find out the oh so devastating Junior High news that Mandy Sanchez has a crush on Bobby Deaver. It’s kind of ridiculous because she says “I’m really sorry, Ren! Should I kill the story?!” as if it’s a serious piece of journalism. Like, do schools even allow gossip columns like that?! I’d be absolutely mortified if “Brittany Butler has a crush on ____” was written up for the entire school to read without my permission. Mandy is super preppy, fake and snobby. She’s played by Bianca Lopez who funnily enough plays another preppy, fake and snobby character in The Princess Diaries named Fontana! A member of Mandy Moore’s popular crew of cheerleaders.

Here she is making heart eyes at Bobby...

...and there she is on the left making fun of Mia. She literally plays the EXACT same character here with the same condescending, high pitched voice and everything. 

Anyway, Steve ends up being thoroughly embarrassing. Who would’ve guessed?! We get a montage displaying just how embarrassing. It starts off with him making the class pronounce “Bird” slowly, as if it’s an entry level English as a second language class. Lord help me. The montage ends with him emotionally saying “And there he was… A Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker… actually sucking sap.” Yep. The Yellow-Bellied Sap Sucker. Disney's favorite bird. I’ll never forget the time they mentioned it on Lizzie McGuire, as well. 

Steve invites everyone to go on a field trip to Devil Mountain to observe the migration of… some bird, idk. It’s not important. When he asks who wants to join him, Bobby is the first one to raise his hand with genuine excitement. (I told you he’s weird.) So naturally Mandy, Ren, Ruby and Nelson decide to go, too. This should be interesting.  

While walking home, Louis and Twitty pass by Tom’s house and notice him sitting outside chowin’ down on some cheesy pizza. And we get this incredible exchange:

Twitty: “Hey, Gribalski! Thought you said your oven was gonna be busted for a year!” Tom: “Oops!! Guess I made a boo-boo!” Louis: “Is that any way to treat your friends, man?!” Tom: “This hot, delicious pizza is for people that care about me — and not for two faced pizza pigs like you! NOW GET OFF MY PROPERTY!”

I love Tom so much. He proceeds to sassily whip some crust at them before running into his house with a mouth full of pizza. I honestly think Tom is my second favorite character after Louis.

After coming home from food shopping, Eileen notices that Louis sneakily rang up $150 worth of frozen pizza. Wow, what a great kid he is in this episode! Needless to say, Eileen ain’t happy. He says “Look, I’m on a 4-slice-a-day habit okay? So, let’s preheat the oven to 450 and discuss this in a calm and reasonable manner” which is actually a pretty good line, lol.

The next day on the hiking trip, Steve has the kids break off into pairs to explore. He ends up pairing Bobby and Mandy together, and pairs himself with Ren. Of course. Ren and Mandy end up being extremely passive aggressive to each other and are low-key fighting over Bobby right in front of him. (See cover image of the post) Bobby clearly notices and just… walks away. This is what I mean about him being spineless. He just blows with the wind.

While paired off with Steve, Ren spends her time spying on Mandy and Bobby with her binoculars. This clearly isn’t a healthy relationship, lol. Then again, what Junior High “relationships” are?! Deep down, Ren obviously must not trust Bobby. I mean, I’d be pretty angry at Mandy’s flirty behavior too. But it takes two to tango!! Bobby’s just going along with it. Again, spineless.

Ren and Steve have a falling out when she yells that she’d rather be with her “BOYFRIEND instead of up here watching stupid birds with you!!!” The Stevens kids are not their best this week, lol. When storming off, Ren unknowingly heads down the “Devil’s Backside: DANGER!” trail. (Also, “Devil’s Backside”??? Wow.) While wandering around lost, Ren almost falls to her death in the most hilarious way:

She’s clearly just standing on one leg and flailing her arms around in front of a green screen. Amazing.  

She lands holding onto a brittle branch. Even though she could very well die at any moment.. she still whips out those binoculars again to spy on Bobby and Mandy. Priorities. 

The branch breaks and she falls even further. Thankfully, Steve finds her. They have a heart-to-heart and make up. So, that’s nice. This plot ends with Steve separating Bobby and Mandy on the ride home so Ren and Bobby can be together. Bobby claims he missed Ren all day and felt like Mandy was crowding him. Okay. Sure. I don’t trust this guy either. But, yeah. That’s it for that.

Louis calls Twitty and Tawny in for an emergency meeting to brainstorm how to get revenge on Tom. Tawny isn’t impressed and heads straight for the door. Same. She asks them if they even know anything about Tom or care about him. Like the fact that he’s currently representing LJH in their regional chess meet. Obviously, they didn’t know because they’re awful friends. They seem remorseful, but then Louis gives us this gem of a line:

It’s incredibly funny out of context, but in context it’s just extremely immature and flippant. Tawny says “Louis, no one can disappoint me quite like you can” and leaves, which marks the turning point for Louis here. That’s one thing I really like about this episode. It took Tawny’s disapproval for him to realize how terrible he was being. It just goes to show how much he cares about her and values her opinion.

Cut to Tom’s chess meet. Louis and Twitty show up and turn it into some lively, obnoxious sports event. Complete with painted chests and D-Fence signs. I’m sure this would never fly irl, but it’s a really nice gesture in the Even Stevens-verse. They cheer Tom on the entire time, until he eventually wins! Yay! He gets a great final line, too. When asked the classic “You’ve just won… What are you gonna do now?!” question, where an athlete would typically reply “I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!” Tom says, “I’m gonna go get my windbreaker.” I love this. I have said this before and people literally looked at me like ???

One other great thing about this scene is in the final moments of the meet. Louis is sitting with Tawny anxiously awaiting the outcome… and she just glances at him — proud of his decision to be a good friend in the end. They’re so cute.

The end!!

In conclusion, Tom is most definitely the greatest thing about this episode. Since he’s a supporting character, I thought I’d rank this one a little higher than I might’ve otherwise because he deserves the love!

I adore the ending with Louis showing up and being supportive of Tom, and that little look from Tawny. It almost makes up for Louis being generally awful the entire time. The Ren/Bobby/Mandy love triangle isn’t totally bad, though! I live for petty teen drama, tbh.

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Bookshelf Briefs 12/26/18

Abara | By Tsutomu Nihei | Viz Media – Although it’s up for debate how directly or tangentially related Abara actually is to Knights of Sidonia, in my mind the manga is unquestionably a precursor to Nihei’s later work. Even if they take different forms, the two series at the very least share elements of the same dystopic vision, a grim future in which humanity’s survival is not guaranteed in the face of the existence of creatures known as Gauna. Collected in a single, deluxe hardcover volume (along with another of Nihei’s earlier stories, “Digimortal”), Abara feels like the beginning of something grand even while being a complete work unto itself. Rather than prioritizing a narrative telling a coherent story, more than anything else the plot serves as a vehicle to showcase Nihei’s artwork and the astonishing, nightmarish atmosphere it creates. And that is just fine—the illustrations in Abara are stunning, managing to be simultaneously  beautiful and grotesque. – Ash Brown

Again!!, Vol. 6 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – In the original timeline, the fate of the ouendan was sealed when Usami was responsible for a disaster at a baseball practice game. This time, Imamura is working very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. True, he still blames himself for the team’s eventual loss, since he wounded the pitcher’s fragile ego, but some things have clearly changed as a result of his actions. Namely, Usami is able to get the crowd on their side, rallying their spirits with her cheers when all seemed lost, and earning some praise from the school principal for her leadership. Sometimes this series is frustrating in that characters have to work harder for the kind of sports manga successes that make me sniff, but man, there are a few brief, glorious moments in this volume that are all the sweeter for having been hard-won. – Michelle Smith

Giant Spider & Me, Vol. 3 | By Kikori Morino | Seven Seas – There’s a bit of seriousness at the start of the third Giant Spider manga, as we find out why our kidnapper is so upset about the spider—his daughter was clawed by a cute baby bear, and died from an infection from the wounds. The rest of the volume, though, is relatively sedate, and even the big finale, in which Asa appears to be either ill or grumpy but is merely molting is pretty low-key. And yes, it’s a big finale as this is the final volume, even though the author says they know Nagi and Asa have lots more adventures. This is the sort of series that doesn’t really need a dramatic climax, but Nagi has changed thanks to her giant spider friend—she’s now surrounded by other friends as well. This was sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Girls’ Last Tour, Vol. 5 | By Tsukumizu| Ywn Press – Each volume of this gets darker than the last, while still maintaining its mood of “two girls wander around a city in their tank.” Chito almost dies a couple of times, and sprains her ankle at one point, leading to Yuu attempting to do leader-like things, which does lead to some laughs. And there’s a fascinating sequence when they look at modern art in a deserted museum. They’re still going up, though, and are helped in this (after breaking into a building using more high explosives) by an AI unit that begs for them to turn it off. We also get a flashback to how their journey began, showing that they were kids staying with adults at one point, and that things are terrible all over. One more volume to go. Will it end in death? – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 16 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – The big surprise in this volume is that the student council president happens to be Yozora’s older sister. We’ve seen for a while that family issues are a large part of what makes Yozora the way she is, and it’s no surprise that she’s in a relatively foul mood this volume, where the Neighbors Club and the Student Council go on a vacation together. Before that, though, we do get Yozora returning to the Neighbors Club, and a virtual reality game that I will just gloss over as I found it the weakest part of the book. And for fans of Kodaka and Sena, there’s the final scene, even though it’s just a dream that… Rika has? Why is Rika dreaming of things like that? A good, fun volume, though even more perverse than usual. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 3 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – Adorable and relaxing take a back seat to ADVENTURE in this volume, as Conju is kidnapped while in a “rough section” of town, requiring a rescue that involves a lost liquor, hang-gliding, and lots of faux badasses who really aren’t all that. It’s a heck of a lot of fun, and really shows off our heroes at their best. They also do well taking Hakumei’s boss out for a day on the town, showing him that life is not just work 24/7. And there’s a chapter involving sweets and some badgers that is quite funny. I’m really enjoying this series, though it has to be said—Hakumei and Mikochi are a married couple, they’re just not aware of it yet. (Nor do I expect that to change.) – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 4 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – How much you enjoy this volume may depend on how much you can take “I am oblivious to even a direct confession” on the part of Riko, which makes Kai once again spend half the book holed up in his room wondering where everything went wrong. Even when he returns to school and tries to take up his playboy ways once more, things go wrong—right now Riko needs a good friend more than a boyfriend, and if Kai’s not there, well, maybe Takaya will do. (Honestly, Takaya seems to be like he has his own issues, which I suspect may get revealed in a future volume.) Will Riko ever get Kai’s feelings? Does she like him back? Is she even ready to move on? And what of Ayumi, the intrepid newshound? Hatsu*Haru is a well-written soap. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 12 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I imagine there may be some people who have dropped Horimiya by now, and I get it—Hori is sort of a terrible person, groping her friends and joking about getting “technical” consent, and still being upset that Miyamura isn’t hitting her like she really wants him to. She’s a bit of a teenage mess, really. Fortunately, the cast around her have their shit together, so I don’t think things will get that bad. Honestly, seeing Hori groping Sakura reminded me that Sakura is one of the group now—in fact, one chapter has other students surmise that she may have a harem of hot guys. I still love reading Horimiya, even as it’s gone from “romance I’d happily recommend” to “problematic fave.” – Sean Gaffney

Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 2 | By Yumi Unita | Seven Seas – For the most part this was an OK, not great final volume of this series. The majority of it deals with Nerimu’s master trying to recruit Yoneko for the job permanently, and Nerimu trying to point out that this would involve essentially dying. That said, there was a fantastic moment near the end, as Yoneko is shown that her neglectful parents started off with good intentions and are not merely terrible people. And Yoneko says that this is true, and acknowledges it… but also reminds readers (and Nerimu) that the majority of her time growing up has been spent unhappy, and seeing that her parents have good sides as well is not going to change that. Still, at least she decides to live on for now. Like other Unita series, this was weird but worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 10 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The third and final day of the Inter-High begins and since Midousuji got a somewhat sympathetic backstory that might be the start of a redemption arc of sorts it’s time to introduce another odious foe, this time in the form of Eikichi Machimiya, a schemer from Hiroshima who’s got a huge grudge against Hakone due to how things played out the previous year. This is a pretty fun volume, since Machimiya organizes a huge peloton that gobbles up stray riders, Jaws-like, and Sohoku must contend with leaving Onoda—who worked so hard on previous days for the team—behind to be devoured. Tadokoro even cries. Of course, plucky Onoda can’t be counted out yet, but neither can Hiroshima! Looking forward to the next installment, as always. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

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ROUND II OF THE MINI REFUSE (HAHA THIS JOKE STILL ISN’T FUNNY)

PART I: BLACK MIRROR//SAN JUNIPERO

While I was a fan of all of the Black Mirror episodes that we covered in class, this one really stood out to me. Not because it was scary, or sad, but because it was shockingly happy and sweet. The first episode of Black Mirror that I ever saw was Shut Up and Dance, and if I’m being honest it was scary. I watched it late at night at a sleepover, and it was essentially the equivalent of watching a horror or thriller movie for me. That’s the atmosphere of most of Black Mirror’s episodes. But San Junipero has an overwhelmingly positive energy, especially compared to the others. I’m sure most of us have thought about what life would be like if we grew up in a different decade, and the technology in this reality makes that possible- sort of. I really loved this take on immortality, because it really does seem like something that could be possible in the future. I also think that this episode posed an interesting question to its audience: if you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it? They make it look so appealing! You can live in whatever decade you want, potentially with your loved ones, in a place where you don’t have to worry about anything. When I was younger, and this is gonna get morbid for a second, I always thought that I wanted to die young. But life is unpredictable! I might meet a person that I want to be with forever tomorrow. Or maybe I already know that person. Or maybe we won’t even have a choice of whether or not we want to live forever in the future! The point is, nobody knows what tomorrow holds and that’s part of what makes this episode so cool. 

Another thing that I wanted to talk about is the 80s aesthetic throughout the episode. Throwing it back to the 80s has become increasingly popular in modern media, with Stranger Things, The Goldbergs, Freaks and Geeks, The Americans, the list goes on, and I love it. I’m one of those annoying teenagers who constantly says “man, I just belong in a different generation”, and the 80s, while not my top pick, have always been very attractive to me. Performing in The Wedding Singer  this year also opened up my eyes to how fun 80s style really is. It was really refreshing to have a Black Mirror episode take place primarily in the 80s, especially when they are usually set in the not-so-distant future. Additionally, I loved the LGBTQ representation in this episode. I also thought that Yorkie’s story was one that a lot of people would be able to relate to, especially in older generations. Many don’t act on their sexuality for their whole lives out of fear of being publicly shamed, and Yorkie’s story is a perfect example that it’s never too late to pursue what you love. Good job Black Mirror, you made me cry instead of jump, at least for one episode.

(get ready for lots of gifs, after that gif comment in class)

PART II: THE KILLING JOKE 

It’s no secret that I am not Batman’s biggest fan, but I really did enjoy this comic. Prior to this unit I was 100% team John Green on this debate. Batman doesn’t even have any powers what’s so great about him anyway?!?!

I still keep some of my opinions from BB (before Batman), for example, I still think that Batman would be nothing without his villains, especially the Joker, but I now think that I understand why people love him so much. No one person is purely good or purely evil, and that’s what Batman is all about, in my eyes anyway. I also like the way that Batman is depicted in this comic, especially compared to The Dark Knight Returns. Batman in this version is much more focused on actually helping people as opposed to “fighting his inner darkness”. The Killing Joke Batman is a Batman that I can get behind. He still has his dramatic voice overs, but they aren’t so ridiculously over the top and cheesy. I also really like the art work of The Killing Joke, and the panels are way easier to follow. AND THOSE MOVIE LIKE TRANSITIONS! For someone not too familiar with comics, the cinematic approach made reading The Killing Joke much more enjoyable for me.

I mentioned that I still believe that The Joker is the real star of Batman, and I think that this particular comic strengthens that argument. The reader gets a sense of how evil he really is, but also the extent of his sanity. He’s chosen insanity to avoid dealing with his trauma, and the reader is more sympathetic to the Joker because of this. “Ignorance is bliss”, and the Joker is really just this common saying to an extreme. He would rather not feel anything at all than feel the pain that he was subjected to in his life, and I think that everyone can understand that, regardless of whether or not they agree with his choice. I particularly love the quote “I’ve demonstrated there’s no difference between me and everyone else! All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day”. 

PART III: THE SHINING

I did see this movie before we watched it in class, and I watched it again after, but I really valued the discussion that came from our group screening. I wanted to watch The Shining because of its “classic” status, and it also helps that it’s ranked #60 on IMDb’s top rated films. In fact on IMDb, the tagline that’s posted is “a masterpiece of modern horror”. As soon as the word masterpiece is tied to something, there’s a 99% chance I’m going to want to check it out, yes I’m a pretentious snob like that. 

I think part of the reason that I love this movie is that I’m not one who’s immediately turned off by a complicated and ambiguous story line, in fact it intrigues me. The Shining was like this year’s Psycho for me. It checked off all of the things that I would want from a movie: a unique score, dedication to character, innovative shots, and a plot that makes you think. Having a recognizable score is an amazing feat in filmmaking, and I think that The Shining accomplished that. Sure, you probably wouldn’t be able to hum a few bars like you could Jaws, or Star Wars, but you know it when you hear it, and knowing it when I heard it landed me a quick chat on twitter with one of my favourite social media personalities. It’s pretty crazy to me that Jonah Green was mentioned in my very first blog post over 2 years ago, and I’m still an active supporter of him to this day. Jonah has stopped posting regular videos, but over the past few weeks he has been doing nightly livestreams where he’s been talking about some more thought provoking topics that people in the comments suggest. During one of these streams he walked through a room where someone was watching a movie, and I caught just a couple seconds of what sounded like The Shining. A couple of hours after the stream he tweeted that he would be chatting with people for a little bit while watching some horror movies, and what happened next is as follows:

(probably what my face looked like after that exchange // side note: how is Jack Nicholson’s face so simultaneously hilarious & horrifying??)

In summary I’d like to thank Kubrick, Mr. Edwards, and the Academy for this award. In all seriousness, this was cool, but really it’s a testament to the power of film! I’ve only seen this movie 3 times but I was able to recognize it from a small audio clip! That’s how you know you’re doing something right. The classic Kubrick ambiguity of this movie only makes me want to watch it again and again. The characters are so defined and fully realized that I would definitely be extremely uncomfortable around Nicholson in real life, or want to give Duvall a hug. The amount of continuous tracking shots made me so excited (I mean, Birdman is one of my favourite movies if that tells you anything). I’m not a horror movie junkie by any means, but this is a movie I know I will continue to enjoy for years. To finish off this section let’s take a listen to that bit of the score that I’ve been going on about shall we? (skip to about 3:58)

PART IV: GENGHIS KHAN

My favourite, everyone’s favourite. It’s finally made it’s return.

This is probably one of my favourite music videos of all time. When my good pal Lacy sent it to me and said “we should learn the dance”, I’m gonna be honest I wasn’t expecting too much. Little did I know that opening up that link would have such an impact on my life. 

If this weren’t sent to me, I can almost guarantee I would’ve never stumbled upon the masterpiece of Genghis Khan (the video, not the cruel emperor). Honestly though, all jokes aside, I think this is a great video for a few reasons. 

1. That dance sequence really is spectacular, 10/10 choreography 

2. It showcases a family with two dads in a normal (ish) way

3. Catchy tune 

4. The song is much more meaningful alongside the video component

5. Face jewelry??

6. Visually pleasing shots with that 80s vibe again

7. Singing and dancing guards! Especially the little penguin flap move starting at 2:32

8. The best dance move ever at 2:55

9. Edwards put it on our grade eleven exam, which made me feel so much better after having an emotional break down from being late

10. The song never got too popular, so I don’t hate it for being overplayed 

As a gift to the world, I cut a particular clip which is my favourite part of the whole video, so I hope you like it.

PART V: EDWARDS

Here we go. What a crazy journey we’ve been on together, am I right ladies? I totally copied Brynne with this one, but there’s no other way I’d rather finish off this post. Edwards, we’ve been sharin’ laughs together since ‘13, how crazy is that? Back when I was obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy and the bottoms of your jeans weren’t ripped to shreds. Man those were the days. One thing that I won’t forget from grade nine is getting an essay back after you marked it and seeing scribbles all over the front page. My first thought was “wow, that bad?” but it turned out it was just the art of your son who wanted to help you mark. To tell the truth, I think you probably added a couple chicken scratches for your own satisfaction, but that’s beside the point.

Sadly, I’ve only got two other chicken scrath- I mean yearbook signatures from you (what was grade nine &ten me thinking??) but they’re pure gold.

I don’t think I’ll ever live down this Grey’s Anatomy thing, but don’t worry, I’m not cringing as hard as Kepner is about it.  Also, you’re eating your words now huh? You WISH I didn’t take your grade 12 class, you gotta be careful what you put out into the universe!

I’m only kidding, I know I’m your favourite student, and yes, I know that you can’t reply to this post to deny it. I really just wanted to give you the shoutout that you deserve for putting up with me for 5 WHOLE YEARS. Think of all the time you could have saved only marking normal-length blog posts instead of the novels that you get from me. Think of all of that time you could’ve spent making fun of other kids instead of just me (and Brynne obviously, you are ruthless with that one). Think of all of the laughter that you’d have accumulated within you because you weren’t exposed my quick wit and hilarious jokes. I wanted to thank you for always being there to share a laugh, a new video, or a difficult conversation. You’ve done so much for so many students and I know that I will never forget the impact you’ve had on my life as not only a teacher, but a role model. I actually remember the first day of high school, I was doing a tour of the building with my link crew leaders and as we were walking through the english hallway one of them asked, “Do any of you have Mr. Edwards this year?”. I looked down at my timetable and sure enough, there you were for second period english. They then said something like “Aw he’s an awesome teacher, you’re gonna love him”, but that was such an understatement. I know that I will be added to the bottom of the never ending list of kids who comes back to visit you, but I don’t mind. You’ll be at the top of my list of teachers who inspired me to be unapologetically myself, and that’s something I can’t thank you for enough. 

Alright, we’ve made it to that part of the post where I talk about the best Viral Friday submissions and I’m very proud to say that the class actually liked my picks this year. So, since I don’t have to fight anyone, I can simply appreciate the best submissions from the whole class (my own included obviously)