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confusedgoldenflower · 3 years

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There is No Glorious Purpose

DISCLAIMER: This is a Loki Show re-write which means I do not own the original show but some direct quotes will be used, it will not align perfectly with the cannon of the original show, and it will also be written the way I think it should have gone seeing as it was 2012 Loki who just went through Thor 1, Thanos' clutches and Avengers 1.

This is not a Loki/Sylvie or Loki-cest fic.

If you don't like, then please hit that back button and have a nice day. You don't have to agree with me, but I do expect common human decency.

For anyone remaining, please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Blue Time and Space

“Friend, I think there’s been a mistake; I am Loki of Asgard and you will regret this. I am burdened with glorious purpose, I stand at the right hand of Thanos.” The words were bitter in his mouth but then again, so was the bile that he dry-heaved up during his reconditioning.

“Yeah, yeah, come on.” B-15 waved it off, at least the letters on the helmet was the only thing pertaining to the person’s identity after they came through the yellow, rectangular prism. He watched her closely as they neared, fists clenched and fully aware of how far away the Tesseract had ended up. The cerebral recalibration the Hulk so kindly dealt him did nothing to deter him from his secret goal.

“What infinity stone conjured that?”

B-15 stopped, their own subordinates armed but waiting for their leader’s response. Then she laughed.

“No, no, it’s from the TemPad.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ll see soon enough, now, come on, I don’t wanna have to give the whole spiel again.” B-15 came at him. The baton-like weapon she wielded hurt. But he was Asguardian. He also had use of his magic now with the restraints in ruins. Twin daggers parried the baton thereafter. He came close to overwhelming her more than a few times but her subordinates always stepped in.

“Agh!” It was humiliating to be overpowered by not only a simple blow to his back but also to admit it.

B-15 smiled down at him, “let’s go, and reset th-.”

“Don’t touch that!” The soldier picking up the Tesseract and staring at it like a confused child paid him no mind.

“Ok, Variant, let’s go.” B-15 slapped something on his neck, his body involuntarily jumped the opposite way. He was dragged out of the sand and towards another yellow rectangular prism. Another soldier grabbed something that resembled an old Midguardian lantern. They passed behind him and he could not manage to twist his neck enough to watch them. Then yellow.

He involuntarily gasped at the non-consensual setting change, pain flaring in a memory. A shriveled stomach flipped. But… His brows furrowed as he soundlessly analysed himself and his sadir in respect to the surroundings. I can’t feel him… I can’t hear him.

The two soldiers carrying him wasted no time in dragging him across the floor of the large room. It too reminded him of past Midguardian styles…. But he didn’t miss the Tesseract being turned to the man behind the desk.

“Where is this? Where are you taking me?”

B-15 laughed from in front of him, “your trial, Variant.”

“Why, and what is that anyway?”

Next thing he knew, he was pushed into a room with a robot, “hello?” It said something before lasering his clothes off. He gaped in horror as his fine Aguardian leather was destroyed and he was left there in the nude. The robot smiled at him in some sort of sadistic glee as his scars and healing wounds were flaunted like war-torn cadavers against his unusually pale skin. The floor disappeared.

He landed. He folded. He panted.

“Please sign this.”

His head whipped up to the man he could barely see over the stack of paperwork on the desk. A gulp, a deep breath and Loki was the vision of regal honor. Silently, he noted that he had somehow been clothed and thanked whatever power granted him that.

“What is this?”

The man looked at him with an exhausted droll stare, “everything you have ever said.” He grabbed a paper off the printer and laid it on top. Loki nodded slightly, then signed. The world blurred.

“Please step through.”

“Pardon?” The room was slow to come into focus.

“Jotnar, please step through.” Jotnar? He hadn’t noticed his glamour having failed him. The sedir he had so ardently loved and utilized and developed was a small, twisted ball in his center. He was locked in a cage.

“Wha--how…?”

“Magic is no good in the TVA, now please, step through.”

A red-eyed stare remained on the agent as Loki stepped through the unconnected threshold. Nothing happened. Another bout of vertigo and he was being told and none-too-kindly to take a number.

“For what, what is all this?” His blue hands gesticulated some as he addressed the man.

“Take. A. Number.”

Loki grit his teeth but he stepped to the small machine attached to the stakes cordoning off where the line was. He stepped into that small, simple maze. It was another large room stylized after the later American, Midguardian twentieth century. Even scrapers looked better as they drifted in the expanse of space. He slowly meandered up towards the window behind a very loud human.

“My dad is on the board of Goldman Sachs! One call and your whole job is privatized! What even is the ticket for, huh--aaaahhhhhggg!” Said human leapt out of his skin and screamed when he caught sight of the large blue alien. Red eyes merely gazed down at him without much agency.

“Howdy, welcome to the Time Variance Authority,” the bulbous screens lit up and an American, Midguardian southern drawl spoke happily through the speakers. Loki turned his attention to the screens as something finally began explaining things though his entire being made the unanimous decision that he did not like the talking orange clock.

“I'm Miss Minutes, and it's my job to catch you up before you stand trial for your crimes. So let's not waste another minute. Settle in, sharpen your pencils, and check this out. Long ago, there was a vast multiversal war. Countless unique timelines battled each other for supremacy, nearly resulting in the total destruction of...well, everything. But then, the all-knowing Time-Keepers emerged, bringing peace by reorganizing the multiverse into a single timeline, the Sacred Timeline. Now, the Time-Keepers protect and preserve the proper flow of time for everyone and everything. But sometimes, people like you veer off the path the Time-Keepers created. We call those Variants. Maybe you started an uprising, or were just late for work. Whatever it was, stepping off your path created a nexus event, which, left unchecked, could branch off into madness, leading to another multiversal war. But, don't worry, to make sure that doesn't happen, the Time-Keepers created the TVA and all its incredible workers. The TVA has stepped in to fix your mistake and set time back on its predetermined path. Now that your actions have left you without a place on the timeline, you must stand trial for your offenses. So sit tight, and we'll get you in front of a judge in no time. Just make sure you have your ticket, and you'll be seen by the next available attendant. For all time.”

The workers responded to the screen, “always.”

Out of one dark order and into another, Loki thought and forced down rising bile.

“--Hey, I asked for a ticket and he didn’t give me one! I--ahhhh!....” The loud human was hit with the shining, golden end of one of those batons and literally melted into nothingness. Loki clutched the ticket between his fingers tighter.

“Next.”

He stepped up to the window and offered up the small scrap of paper. The next while found him bound in chains yet again. He knew a Midguardian courtroom when he saw one, and the one he was shoved into was more like a morgue.

“Next case, please,” the judge said from her elevated chair, heads above anyone else, but below three ugly “modern art” heads. How could it be that he could even miss Thanos’ disgusting chin?

“Laufeyson. Variant L1130, AKA Loki Laufeyson, is charged with sequence violation 7-20-89. How do you plead?” She continued. Laufeyson, how preposterous, it sparked an itch to kill the Jotnar king again.

“Madam,” he began with all his silver tongue, “a god does not plead.”

“Are you guilty or not guilty, sir?” She was completely unfazed by his appearance, much like her underlings.

He thought for a moment, “guilty of some offense against this Sacred Timeline of yours? Absolutely not. You must have the wrong culprit.”

A brow raised at him, “oh, really? And who should we have?”

“The Avengers, I suspect. I came into possession of the Tesseract because they traveled through time--undoubtedly in some desperate play to avoid my ascent as God Ki--....” He couldn’t feel Thanos anymore, so what was the point? Wasn’t… he… free?

“That’s quite an accusation.”

“The cologne of two Iron Morta--er, Tony Starks is quite difficult to miss. They are your Time Criminals.” He opened his mouth again to bargain; to survive but….

“We’re not here to talk about the Avengers.”

“No?”

“No. That was supposed to happen, you escaping was not.”

“Pardon? According to whom?”

“The Time Keepers.”

“Ah… the three faces behind you, I presume? Do they happen to be open for conference?”

“No, they’re quite busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Dictating the proper flow of time.”

“So then, what do you do, Madam?”

“Dictate the proper flow of time according to their dictations. How do you plead?”

The silver tongue was heavy. His back sent shocks of pain through him especially after the re-injuring the soldiers dealt. Chains often found their way around his wrists and never had it hurt so much as in the last year. He closed his eyes. He may have been able to assemble those Midguardian fools the way he had intended, the time traveling proved that, but what else was left for him? Just more fire, and lies, and deceit. I had so wanted to see Asguard again.

“The court finds you guilty, and I sentence you to be reset. Next case, please!”

“I raise an objection!” Loki opened his eyes at the interruption as the judge sighs.

“You may approach the bench.”

“Hey, there, blue-raspberry.” The older human man made a shy sort of wave motion at Loki as he passed with a folder under his arm.

“If you're thinking what I think you are, it's a bad idea,” the judge addressed the man.

“Okay, I'm just chasing a hunch.”

“Anything goes sideways, it's on you.”

“Okay. I feel like I'm always looking up to you. I like it. It's appropriate.” Loki knew when he was witnessing groveling. Norns knew he had to do it enough times in his life just to save his brother’s skin.

“Who are you?” He asked after the judge permitted Loki’s custody to the newcomer. Said agent was walking Loki around some halls. Vertigo viscously hit when he tried to remember every twist and turn.

“Oh, I’m Agent Mobius, by the way,” Mobius cheerily said as he shuffled the two into an elevator.

“And you’re not taking me someplace to ‘reset’ me?”

“No, no, no, that was the place you just were. Ravon--I mean Judge Renslayer can be pretty brutal, but I’m just taking you some place to talk.”

“To talk?” His brow raised.

Mobius looked up at his blue stature without a care in the world, “yeah, and we know you love to talk. Talkie-talkie.” A hand mimed a moving mouth. His brows lowered into a slight scowl.

“We seem to have different understandings of my persons.”

“Well, I am an expert on Lokis.”

“... Loki-s?”

“Yeah. You’ll catch up.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Hard to tell, time moves differently here in the TVA.”

He was led out again and followed the human past several large openings in the wall of the narrow hallway that lead down into double-doored rooms. One, he couldn’t help but step towards. Then found himself outside of the elevator again.

“Ope, can’t do that, sorry.”

He stared at Mobius who was now several yards away, “magic and time works differently here.”

“Oh, it’s not magic,” Mobius held up a small device in his fingers, “it’s science.”

“Magic is science.” Loki stated plainly as he walked towards what he assumed Mobius was indicating as the destination, back straight.

“Haha, ok, Loki.” The agent opened the door for him. He nodded in thanks as was polite.

“Let’s get you comfortable,” Mobius stripped him of his chains and cuffs, “have a seat.”

Slowly, he did as asked. He could have wept as his back was finally rested.

“Not big on trust, are you?” Mobius asked as he snapped a sodapop can open. He rejected a second that was offered to him by the agent.

“Well?”

“Trust is a twisted road.”

“Haha, nice one, let’s make that one into a button.” Mobius began fiddling with a machine on the table they sat at in the middle of the darkened room.

“If the TVA overseas all of time and space, then how have I never heard of you before?”

“‘Cause you never needed to. You’ve always lived within your set path; the story you’re meant to play a part in.”

“I live within the path and story of my choosing,” Loki responded bitterly on impulse.

Mobius laughed again, “well, there’s the lie, Loki, it’s not your story.” Mobius looked him in the eye as the machine projected an image onto the blank wall.

“So I think we could start with a little cooperation, hm? I specialize in the pursuit of dangerous variants--particularly dangerous ones unlike you. I’ve got some questions for you, and if you answer them honestly, then maybe I can give you something you want. You wanna get outta here right? So, we’ll start there. Should you get out, what will you do?”

Would Thanos know? Of course Thanos would know…. Of course Thanos would come after him for deserting….

“Take over Midguard, AKA Earth?” Mobius interrupted the silence, “finish what you started maybe? Be king?”

The simple answer slipped off his tongue, “I was born to be a king.”

“Happily ever after then? A nice feather in your cap?”

“Then the Nine Realms. Then all of space.”

“Ooooh, ‘Loki, King of Space,’ haven’t heard that one before.”

“Mock me if you dare.”

Mobius chuckled again, “I’m not. Honestly, I’m a fan; your biggest. I guess I’m just curious why someone with such range would settle for just ruling whether it be Presidential or Kingly.”

“... The first and most oppressive lie was that of freedom, and someone will always be above while masses lie below.”

“How does that one go?” Mobius had his nose in his paperwork.

“For nearly every living thing, choice breeds shame and uncertainty and regret. There's a fork in every road, yet the wrong path always taken.”

“Good. Yeah. You said ‘nearly every living thing,’ so I'm guessing you don't fall into that category?”

“All of us fall into some category.”

“Oh, riddles. Love that. Anyway, a sampling of your greatest hits.”

The machine whirled and he was met again with the annoying Midguardian heroes and his brother after they bested him in New York, “if it’s all the same to you… I’ll have that drink now.”

“That just happened,” he declared.

“It's funny, for someone born to rule, you sure do lose a lot. You might even say it's in your nature.”

“The last person who said that to me did not live long enough to regret it.”

“Phil Coulson?” The clip played and Thor’s “no!” rang out.

“Didn’t the Avengers come together to literally avenge him by defeating you?”

Loki kept his face schooled diplomatically blank against the small bit of triumph he felt rising. Yes, they had come together, a force to be reckoned with especially after Loki’s clever engineering of their test-run.

“Little solace for a dead man,” he said instead.

“Do you enjoy hurting people? Making them feel small? Making them feel afraid? Making them feel little?” Mobius looked at him with an expression all too familiar from a certain one-eyed Aesir.

“Your little games won’t work on me.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I think--.”

“I know what I am.”

“A murderer?”

“A liberator.” The memory of the Other’s lightning bolt sent a shock wave through his system. He was removed from them, but he could always be put back.

“Of eyeballs maybe,” Mobius scoffed and played the clip.

“Just look at that smile, you’re enjoying it.”

Yet another clip rolled and a wealthy crowd’s screams of horror rang out. He was the center of attention. No one in that moment had attention above him… but that blue still glinted in his emerald eyes.

“Did you enjoy hurting them?”

“I don’t have to play this game; I’m a god, you dull creature.”

“Of mischief? Right… I really see that shining through.”

“No, I don’t suppose you would.”

Mobius sighed, “let’s talk about your escapes.”

“You're really good at doing awful things, and then just getting away. This is one of my favorites.”

A plane’s PA system from the 1970’s dinged, “from the flight deck, Captain William A. Scott, Northwest Orient Airlines 305, on schedule to land in Seattle. Flight time today, approximately….”

The projection showed him from an outsider’s perspective on a plane, well dressed with his hair slicked back and shades covering his eyes. His past self spoke to the flight attendant.

“Bourbon and soda?”

“Thank you,” past Loki gladly accepted the drink.

“Absolutely. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”

“I suppose we'll find out, won't we?” A note was handed off to her and she chuckled only in social politeness. A clear misunderstanding between them.

“Uh, Miss?”

“Yes, Mr. Cooper?”

“You might want to take a look at that note,” past Loki leaned forward and whispered, looking the woman in the eye over his sunglasses, “I have a bomb.” Her smile dropped. The scene skipped to when he had emptied the plane of all other passengers and was back in the air strapping a parachute to himself.

“Oh, this is the good part,” Mobius whispered.

“See you again someday,” past Loki says, still politely as he accepts the bag of $200,00 USD from the unnerved flight attendant. He had often wondered how she had recovered from the stupid, oafish ploy; he did his best not to harm anyone but he understood how it could have been quite the scare.

Past Loki turned and walked toward the tail of the plane, “brother, Heimdall, you better be ready.” He mumbleed before jumping out and getting collected by the Bifrost.

“I can't believe you were D.B. Cooper. Come on!” Mobius moved in his seat in a way reminiscent of an excited toddler.

“I was young, and I lost a bet to Thor. Where was the TVA when I was meddling with these affairs of men?”

“We were right there with you, just surfing that Sacred Timeline. So anyway, escapes… and a little psychobabble. What is it you think you’re really running from?”

He held Mobius’ stare. Time Keeper’s approval or lackthereof seemed utterly arbitrary, and the agent’s “fan-ing” of him lacking.

“Enough of this nonsense--.” Loki moved to stand but was hit yet again by vertigo and back in the chair.

“Back in your cage. See? I can play the heavy keys too.” Mobius tapped a finger on his own neck.

“What is it that you actually want?”

“I want you to be honest about why you do what you do.”

“This,” Loki motioned a blue arm towards the projection, “means you have seen my life, yes?”

“Yup. Back and forward, and variant and not. I’ve seen it all.”

“Then you must already know.”

“All I seek is a deeper understanding of the fearsome God of Mischief. What makes Loki tick?”

“Yet you have seen my life and all variations of it.”

“I wanna hear it from the ol’ horse’s mouth.”

“The satisfaction of my own ends,” he finally settled. “Is this your psychobabble? You, the great arbiters of power in the universe.”

Mobius nodded, “yup, we are!”

“Yet my path, my story and my actions are not my own? A semblance of free will belongs to every creature.”

“Hahaha, good one buddy. Look, this one’ll fire you up.” Loki stamped out the pain he had only otherwise felt when he was dropped from the Rainbow Bridge. He stamped down it all. And oh, it was easy. Simple. It was his simpler state of being.

The projection changed to Stuttgart and the projection-surrounded square of kneeling people, “the bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power….”

“Precisely. I was... I am on the verge of acquiring everything I am owed, and when I do, it will be because I did it. Not because it was supposed to happen. Or because you or the Time Variance Authority permitted me to. Honestly, you are pathetic. You are an irrelevance. A detour. A footnote to my ascent.”

Mobius giggled and scoffed, “you done? You’re gonna start taking things seriously.”

His body tensed. But all that happened was a twist of a wrist and the projection changing. He was faced with himself, bound and chained in Asguardian restraints with his glamor intact and cheekily knocking his ankles together to fill the hall of the All Father with the ringing of the metal clanging together.

“If you hadn't picked up the Tesseract, you would have been taken to a cell on Asgard.” Mobius informed him.

“Loki,” a familiar honey voice said in the ringing silence.

This future Loki addressed the woman in beautiful clothes, “hello, Mother. Have I made you proud?”

Her face stayed grave as he continued with undetected fake cheerfulness, “please, don't make this worse.”

“This is the future?” Loki asked.

“Yup, like you mighta picked up, the TVA doesn’t just know your past, we know your whole life as it’s meant to be. Think of it as comforting.” Loki grimaced at that. Comfort? He did not know such a thing. The scene skipped and he recognised the dungeons.

“And am I not your mother?” A projection of his mother asked.

Future Loki chuckled bitterly, “no, you’re not.” Loki felt the need to claw off the blue skin.

“Hmm,” his mother responded, “always so perceptive to everyone but yourself.”

“And then the Dark Elves attack the palace, and you think you send them to Thor.” Mobius chimed again.

“You might wanna take the stairs to the left.” Future Loki says as most other prisoners are set free.

“But instead, you send them….” The image skips again and it’s to Frigga in the grasp of the hellish looking Dark Elf.

“I will never tell.” She declares before she is brutally stabbed and fades. Loki jumps up but only goes through the projection. He can’t help her. No, no, no, no. Another tick. Just another trick like all those in the last year! He would never do such a thing. He loved her.

“You lead them right to her.”

But why would he do that? He was spiteful but-.... No, the elf. Think, Loki, think! Ah, yes, the Aether must have been helping them and changed them to that form. But why Asgard? Why Frigga?!

“You’re lying,” he pants, “what led to this!? Where is she!? Do you have her?!”

“It is true. That's the proper flow of time, and it happens again and again and again because it's supposed to, because it has to! The TVA makes sure of it. And you did this to your own mother, Loki! What kind of monster does that?”

“I’m not a monster!” He shrieks, voice cracking. A chair slams into the wall. He does his best to compose himself but his breathing and heart rates are all still erratic.

“What led to this?” He motioned to the agent then the world blurs to the projected image of her dead face. Fresh pain spikes his back.

“Oops, sorry, only loops you, not the furniture. Now, why don’t you tell me, do you enjoy hurting people? Do you enjoy killing? Were you about to kill me like you killed your mother?”

He fixed red eyes on the blond nuisance, “I wouldn’t hurt her!” The stinging tears obstruct his vision, but he’s too prideful to wipe his eyes--or the society he had been raised by was.

The human met his hateful gaze, “you weren't born to be king, Loki. You were born to cause pain and suffering and death. That's how it is, that's how it was, that's how it will be. All so that others can achieve their best versions of themselves.”

Loki’s grimace was translated through his conflicted heart into an almost silent sobbing scream. A chitauri screeched as the projection showed the Midguardian protection force he had pissed off enough to coalesce.

But he wouldn’t do that to her… he wouldn’t… he couldn’t….

“What are you doing?” Loki barely registers the voice as B-15.

“My job. Is it yours to interrupt?” Mobius responds as Loki is still frozen staring at the wall, not even seeing the projection anymore.

“We have a situation.”

“Gah, there's always a situation. Don't go anywhere. And it was just getting good. Spirited!”

The doors closed.

Mother, I need to find her!

Escaping the room was easier than expected and the maze did nothing to deter his frantic heart.

“Hey,” he ducked down behind the desk the agent from earlier was manning.

“Hey, I know you. You’re the criminal with the blue box.”

“Shh,” he dragged the other down, “what’s your name?”

“Casey.”

“Give me the Tesseract back or I’ll gut you like a fish, Casey.”

“What’s a fish?”

“H-how do you not know what a fish is?”

“I’ve lived my entire life behind a desk, and I’d like to know what I’m being threatened with before I comply.”

“Do you not eat--death, Casey, violent and painful death.”

“Okay, okay, I comply, I comply, jeez.”

Casey leaned forward and pulled open a drawer of a moveable table, “this it?”

“Wha… Infinity Stones?” The stones, mostly green Time and red Aether or Reality, were jumbled together in the small space.

“Oh, actually, we get a lot of those. Yeah, some of the guys use them as paper weights.”

“The greatest power in the universe and you have them carelessly thrown about?”

“Well, we actually are outside of the universe AKA the Sacred Timeline. Pretty neat, right?” Casey’s musings as he stood up and presented another bulbous screen hanging from the ceiling were ignored as Loki closed his blue hand around the Tesseract. It was dim. So, so dim and dull and…. Lifeless. His jaw hung open.

An elevator dinged, “oh, you almost hit me, that’s so messed up!” Loki clicked the button and returned to the small room. Slowly, he pulled himself off of the floor, set the Tesseract down on the table and twisted the dial.

“Your birthright was to die!...” Future Odin gave future bound Loki a sadistic smile, “as a child, cast out into a frozen rock. If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me.”

“If I had not fully asked for true mercy, I’d just say swing it. It’s not that I don’t love our little talks, it’s just, I don’t love them.” He found himself muttering along with his near-future self.

“Frigga is the only reason you are still alive and you will never see her again. You will spend the rest of your years in the dungeon.” He moved back with his shackled projection. That was too far, even for Odin. A flash of a red cape and eyepatched face looking down and telling him “no” passed in front of his eyes. His finger rolled on the dial.

“I love you, my sons. Remember this place. Home….” Future Odin told both Thor and him as he disappeared into energy from the cliff Loki was fairly sure belonged to Midguard. A breath caught. What… how… could it be?

It skipped forward again, “Loki, I thought the world of you, I thought we were going to fight side by side forever.” Future Thor with shorn hair and different clothes regarded future Loki--actually regarded him. Had he died? What sort of trickery could this be? He gulped around the hope in his throat.

“Maybe you're not so bad after all, brother. Maybe not…. Thank you. If you were here, I might even give you a hug.” An eyepatched Thor smiled at his future, blue leather clad self as a glass liquor stopper was thrown.

His future self caught it, “I’m here.” He smiled at the sight, that’s all I ever wanted… to be your equal, brother. He sniffled.

His life skipped forward again, “undying? You should choose your words more carefully.” Blue features immediately smoothed out and drooped in horror at the site of the purple titan. A golden gauntlet endued with infinity stones closed around his neck. His future self writhed in the air.

“You will… never… be a… god!” He flinched at the cracking of his own neck, his future self’s body falling limp instantly. No! He wouldn’t let himself die to him! He watched helplessly as his future self’s body was dropped while Thor screamed. The power stone’s magic broke up the spaceship as Thor wept over him. Purple enveloped the screen and then “END FILE.”

“Hah… hah… hah… hehehehe,” his lungs spasmed.

“Glorious purpose,” Loki sneered to no one. He collapsed gripping the Tesseract.

“Loki?... Nowhere left to run.”

“I know. Will you be ‘resetting’ or otherwise doing away with me now?” He stared into the dull blue depths of the Space Stone’s container rather than bothering to look up at the human. There wasn’t an answer.

“I am tired, Mobius.”

Knees popped as the other slowly knelt by him, “listen, I can’t offer you salvation, but maybe I can offer you something better. A fugitive Variant’s been killing our minutemen.”

“So why me?”

“The Variant we’re hunting is, well, you.”

He lifted his head, “pardon?”

#Loki #loki series #loki show #loki spoilers #Loki Show Rewrite #loki series rewrite project #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #Cannon non-compliant

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 5 years

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Candyman.

Psycho Analysis: Candyman

“They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for if not for shedding? With my hook for a hand, I'll split you from your groin to your gullet. I came for you.”

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

[Note: I am only using the first film for the purposes of this Psycho Analysis.]

Clive Barker’s most iconic horror creation is probably the Lead Cenobite… Er, I mean, Pinhead of Hellraiser fame. And why wouldn’t he be? He has a striking design, a compelling voice, a talented actor behind him… if only there was another Clive Barker-inspired horror villain like that…

Well, there is, and that would be Candyman, the Bloody Mary-esque spirit who kills any who chants his name five times into a mirror, eternally stalking the fringes of imagination and instilling fear due to his brutal murder by racists who despised him for impregnating a white woman. He cements himself as an incredible horror villain repeatedly throughout the half of the film he appears in, constantly badgering protagonist Helen and driving her to madness out of a sick desire to keep his myth alive.

And that’s sort of what this is: his obscurity bothers me quite a bit, so let’s try and spread the myth so you too can see why the Candyman is the sort of villain you would do well to remember the name of.

“Be my victim.”

Actor: Tony Todd plays the Candyman to perfection. The rich, terrifying quality of his voice is something absolutely legendary, and he manages to make him at once terrifying, remorseless, and somewhat tragic. And let’s not forget the man actually allowed himself to be covered in bees, and had live bees in his mouth. This guy’s a champ, and I will be forever angry they didn’t get him to play Dormammu in the MCU, opting instead for Benedict Cumberbatch’s placeholder voice. Life’s just not fair sometimes. But on the other hand, Todd is returning to the role in the 2020 Jordan Peele-produced “spiritual sequel” to the original film, so if nothing else, that movie is going to have the inimitable talent of the original Candyman on board.

Motivation/Goals: Candyman needs people to believe in him, because if he is allowed to fade from memory, he will cease to exist. However, Candyman also seems to want to target Helen specifically because of her probing into his legend, which brings a sort of public exposure that demystifies him, debunks his mythology, and strips him of the mystique that elevated him to the status of urban myth. He hunts Helen and torments her, framing her for his crimes at every turn to keep fear in the hearts of those in Cabrini-Green. Why he does what he does is probably the most fascinating aspect of the character, and ties in a lot with the more overt religious symbolism and observations on the mythological that the movie dives into.

Personality: Candyman is terrifying, cunning, and intimidating. He may actually be one of the smartest villains in horror, with how he constantly bamboozles Helen into taking the fall for his crimes. He most certainly has a bit of a god complex as well, considering how he’s a vengeful spirit who lives on as a terrifying urban legend.

Final Fate: Helen traps him in the burning pyre he was going to sacrifice her and the baby he kidnapped in, causing him to burn and explode into a flaming shower of bees. Guess we know where The Pain got his inspiration from.

Best Scene: The scene where he removes his coat and reveals his bee-infested ribcage to Helen, mainly because those are real bees all over Tony Todd and coming out of his mouth, and Virginia Madsen is allergic to bees and so ambulances had to be on standby. The fact these two were willing to go that extra mile to make this scene effective really seals the deal in my mind.

Best Quote: Everything out of Tony Todd’s mouth is amazing, but have this badass boast: “I am the writing on the wall. The whisper in the classroom. Without these things I am nothing, so I must shed innocent blood.”

Final Thoughts & Score: Candyman is a rich antagonist. The entire metaphysical angle of the film, such as the idea man created God and the power of urban myth, would only really work if it had a compelling being at the center of it all, and thankfully it does. From his cruel and sadly true-to-life manner of his death cementing him in legend to his relentless tormenting of Helen and destroying her life to the point that, in the end, she becomes an urban myth in her own right, the Candyman stands tall as a fascinating sort of spirit to analyze and meditate upon. Even right out the door, his nature as a perfect fusion of numerous urban legends – the Hookman and Bloody Mary in particular – just serves to make him some sort of terrifying figure that it’s easy to conceive of as some sort of spirit that teenagers would dare each other to summon. There’s just a lot going in with the guy.

He’s definitely not a typical slasher villain, that’s for sure, and I think that might be why he has a bit of obscurity compared to other iconic horror killers. Candyman as a film is a lot more cerebral than some of its horror contemporaries, and a lot of times audiences only want to see crazy kills, but that’s not really what this film was about; hell, it has plenty of violence but it’s not overly gory, which is probably why Candyman lags behind the other Clive Barker-inspired horror icon, Pinhead. And when Candyman did start going down the typical slasher route in the sequels, audiences tended to react negatively and the franchise died three films in. And it really is a shame, because the one constant in the series is how good Tony Todd’s performance is.

What I’m getting at is Candyman is a horror villain deserving of respect, even if, again like fellow horror icon Pinhead, it’s only for one or two films. He’s intriguing, he has mystique, he has a chilling voice, he’s portrayed by a talented actor… it should be no surprise he earns a 10/10. But all that being said, I kind of think Candyman being that sort of fringe horror villain, the one that people know but is just outside mainstream recognition, the one who is spoken of infrequently but with great reverence… Yeah, I think the Candyman would really love that.

Here’s hoping his 2020 return will deliver on the promise of sweets for the sweet. With Tony Todd coming back to don the pimp coat and bees once more, I can only imagine he will deliver unto his congregation yet again.

#Psycho Analysis #Candyman #Tony Todd

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filmaficionerdo · 6 years

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Best Films of 2018

2018 was not the year for prestige pictures by a long shot. Film this year was at its best when it came to superhero movies, and as much as I prefer those over most any other entertainment, that shouldn’t be the case, and that’s not what got me into film in the first place. As happy as I am to see my favorite comic book characters come to life, I got into film because of daring, bold, and outspoken artists who didn’t need a franchise to speak their minds. Too many mid-range films went to Netflix or other streaming services and they’re mostly of poor quality with a few exceptions. I miss the days when film studios took risks, but now they only look for the largest IP with the largest net-profits. It’s sad. I love Marvel movies more than anyone I know but they shouldn’t be the only reason I look forward to going to the theater. But this year also sparked a personal change for me because I moved away from the movie mecca of Hollywood to mid-Michigan, where there aren’t any arthouse theaters nearby during peak awards season so I missed more films than I would’ve liked (even though it’s been the most emotionally rewarding experience I’ve ever had) so I hope that helps explain why this list is so late. I’ve been catching up on independent films via online rentals as soon as I can and still have many left unseen. So maybe I missed something during 2018, but I can’t help but be letdown by the lack of inspiration I look to when I try to experience the medium I’m most passionate about. With that being said, I was still able to conjure a list of my favorite 25 films of the year. So, here goes:

25. Halloween

This was way better than I would’ve expected, especially coming from the guys who brought us Your Highness. Director David Gordon Green and writer Danny (Eastbound & Down) McBride delivered the first worthy Halloween sequel that’s ever existed. Their updated and timely subversion elevated this homage-y sequel while adding more fun than this franchise has ever seen. John Carpenter’s contribution and the opening credits sequence hit hard with me.

24. Ready Player One

Haters be damned, I really enjoyed this movie. Of course, I never read the book so that discredits me somewhat but what I got was a rousing Spielbergian experience that we haven’t witnessed since Minority Report. If you hate this movie, but you loved Hook, there’s something fundamentally wrong with what you think a Spielberg movie is supposed to be about. Ready Player One was a toybox of fun ideas and intellectual properties sewn together for a generation hung up on video games and nostalgia. It’s definitely not his best but I love seeing a veteran director who still has the ability to dust off his old toys and make pretend. The Shining sequence was an absolute standout of appreciation and love for another director’s craft.

23. Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley’s debut was strong and weird as hell. This felt like Spike Lee meets David Cronenberg. It’s funny, nuanced, and insightful. Riley’s new voice was energetic and angry in the best way. I saw this later in the year than I wanted to, but I have a feeling that repeat viewings will enhance this films relevance and my appreciation.

22. You Were Never Really Here

Lynne Ramsay is one of the best and most unpredictable working directors today. I always look forward to her work, but this semi-Taxi Driver remake was remarkably accessible for her and more powerful than it had any right to be. If you haven’t seen it, seek it out. It’s a crisp 88 minutes long and it’s riveting as well as heartbreaking. There was a uniqueness to the short runtime, violence, and poignant urgency that she handled with deftness. Joauquin Phoenix was remarkable, brute, and subtle all at once.

21. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Go ahead and agree that this wasn’t the strongest Marvel output in a while, but just like the previous Ant-Man, it’s a palette cleanser from a previous Avengers film. Ant-Man & The Wasp is maybe the most child friendly film they’ve ever released and it was still enjoyable as hell. It’s not important. It’s simple fun. And I love that Marvel still knows how to craft something that doesn’t want or need to reach for the fences. Sometimes an inside the field hit is just what we need. Ant-Man & The Wasp is a damn good bunt.

20. The Incredibles 2

Now that I hang out with a toddler on the reg, watching this movie never gets boring. I’d know, because she’s watched it with me five times. Incredibles 2 was long overdue and it’s maybe not quite so worthy of such a long wait considering the original was my favorite film of 2004, but its sequel was still full of exceptional animation. That sequence with Jack Jack and the raccoon still fills me with joy.

19. A Star is Born

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut was surprisingly strong. Filming everything in close-ups was an intimate and innovative way to express a rising star’s personal journey to stardom. Even though we can all agree that the first half of the film is vastly superior to the tear-turkey-jerky second half, it’s still an important film and a worthy update of a timeless classic. The music, performances, cinematography, and sound are all exceptional.

18. BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee felt reborn with BlacKkKlansman. Do The Right Thing will always be one of the all time greatest films; no question. BlacKkKlansman might be his best since. John David Washington just established himself as a commanding lead, and Adam Driver further cemented himself as a phenomenal actor. The poetic-ness combined with the satirical edginess made this one significantly heartbreaking watch while being entertaining and iconic all at the same time.

17. The Death of Stalin

I saw The Death of Stalin early in 2018 and it never left me. Writer/Director Armando Iannucci is a certifiable genius and the controversial nature of a film like this was one of the most refreshing voices of the year. This is one of the darkest political satires I’ve ever seen but it’s so goddamn funny. Laughing at something so atrocious and maddening is one of the only ways we, as a society, can heal from dark times in history. I fully believe it takes the power away from the people who committed such heinous crimes. It takes time and a brilliant voice, but it holds a mirror to the ridiculousness we’re currently subjected to, and hopefully with time, we can make fun of our situation too.

16. Leave No Trace

Debra Granik finally followed up her outstanding Winter’s Bone debut and she did not suffer from the sophomore slump that so many other filmmakers have. Leave No Trace is the saddest love letter to veterans that I’ve ever seen even though it’s beautiful and full of hope. Granik definitely should’ve gotten a Best Director nomination this year for her delicate and heartfelt look at a father struggling with PTSD while living with his daughter in the woods, away from society. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are stunning. This film stayed with me for weeks after I watched it. It’s a small but hugely important film.

15. Annihilation

Alex Garland previously made his directorial debut with Ex Machina after an incredible script writing filmography. He’s established himself as one of the smartest and most important voices in science fiction cinema after Annihilation. This is a heady sci fi film that scared the shit out of me. I felt uneasy the second the group of women walked into The Shimmer. Garland adapted the book it’s based on after only reading the book once, but he created something so frighteningly ethereal that it’ll be talked about for years. The score for this was off the charts good. Going from an acoustic instrumental to something electronic was what struck me the most as a stroke of genius.

14. Shoplifters

For a film I saw so recently, very few films this year have had such an emotional impact on me. Shoplifters is a small “family” film from Korean director Hirokazu Kore-eda, but it packs a punch that I wasn’t expecting. All I knew was that critics loved it and it was up for a Best Foreign Language Oscar. It’s a powerhouse of social status and what it means to be a family that defies language and cultural relevance.

13. First Man

First Man hit me hard on a personal level. I’d sort of written off Damien Chazelle as a director after La La Land underwhelmed me so much, but this film reinvigorated my appreciation in him because the filmmaking here was profoundly beautiful. The acting is impeccable. The cinematography was breathtaking. Seeing this in IMAX (as my last film in LA) was a jaw-dropping cry-fest. I left the theater shook. I doubt this film will shake as many as it did me, especially if you missed it in IMAX, but this was the theater experience of the year. At least recognize that Justin Hurwitz’s musical score was the most overlooked snub at this years Academy Awards.

12. Suspiria

This was another film I’d sorely missed in theaters, but when I finally got a chance to witness it I was blown away. Luca Guadaninio’s follow-up to my favorite film of last year, Call Me By Your Name, was a worthy successor. This was less a horror film, and more of an art-house homage to Dario Argento’s original 70s classic. It’s still a haunting film, but in a beautifully macabre way. Thom Yorke’s score is absolutely outstanding, as well as the subversively drab look, completely deviating from the originals color saturated visual palette. It’s a film that has to be watched more than once. Even though it’s 2.5 hours long, I was completely transfixed the entire time. It’ll depend on your mood or taste, but if you enjoy artistic, visual, and auditory enhanced horror, Suspiria is among the best.

11. Mandy

Throw up the horns. Mandy is here. Pasmos Cosmatos cerebral horror film is full of the best revenge porn I’ve ever seen. Nicolas Cage is unhinged (as he should be) in his best performance in ages. He’s the Cage we’ve been dreaming of since the 90s. The first half of this film belongs to Andrea Riseborough and underrated character actor Linus Roache, but the second half is all Rage Cage in full gory glory. Mandy is a film unlike anything you’ve ever seen, but yet somehow it’s still completely accessible. The title cards for each chapter are something straight out of a Heavy Metal comic book, and the hauntingly beautiful score by the late-genius Jóhann Jóhannsson is simply gorgeous. Mandy is a film meant to be laughed at and with. It’s a fever-dream of ideas that work brilliantly as a whole. It’s a hard one to recommend but if you know, you know.

10. Eighth Grade

Bo Burnham just burst onto the directorial scene with this film about the awkwardness of being a thirteen year old girl. Not something you’d expect from a male standup comedian in times like these, especially when it’s handled so delicately and with so much heart, but it feels so important to young kids who’ve been thrown into subjectivity amongst their peers within the digital age. Eighth Grade can, at times, make you so uncomfortable, and at other times it’ll completely tear your heart out and make you want to hug your dad. I know, because I saw it in the theater with my dad. He was like, you’re still the eighth grade girl you’ve always been. Thanks, dad.

9. Aquaman

I know there isn’t a ton of hate for this film, but there isn’t a ton of high praise for it either. Aquaman was exactly the film James Wan set out to make. It’s one of the most comic book-y films since Age of Ultron except it’s dumb as hell, and for that, I absolutely LOVED it. This was a throwback comic book film ripped from the pages that was corny as hell and never took itself too seriously. Aquaman is a damn hard character to adapt so it’s unbelievable that he got this big of a budget that included over-the-top actors like Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren. Patrick Wilson chews the scenery as Ocean Master and I don’t give a damn what people think of Black Manta; he’s completely awesome. You could’ve easily cut this film down, but I was happy to live in its oceanic cheesball world for hours. Aquaman was the comic book movie of the year that was as ridiculous as it was awesome. I laughed so hard at how stupid it could be, but I couldn’t help but be entertained by how insane it was.

8. Mission: Impossible Fallout

I don’t know how these films keep getting better, but they do. This was THE action film of 2018. As much as I love Fast & Furious 5-7, Mission: Impossible 4-6 has been the best run of a long running action franchise ever. Fallout brought one of the best villains yet in a story that barely makes sense, but I couldn’t care less. This film was big in that edge-of-your-seat way that rarely comes along. Thrilling doesn’t begin to describe it. The IMAX presentation was fantastic. I live for movies like this. It harkens back to 80s and 90s action films but presents itself for a whole new era of practical effects extravaganza. It’s the best action film since Mad Max: Fury Road.

7. Black Panther

There are a lot of people questioning this film’s entry as a Best Picture Nominee, but it absolutely deserves all of the recognition it’s getting. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is both culturally and politically significant as it is cinematically. This film is a culmination of what Marvel has been growing to. The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t simply about story progression, it’s about cultural progression. These films represent societal beacons of the times we live in through decades old comic book prisms. The lore and spirit of the comics are still present, as well as relevant, and the socio-political themes have been injected into them effortlessly.

A character like Black Panther can be a leader of change within his own cinematic universe. Marvel’s created something that transcends blockbuster cinema. Black Panther is now an icon of cultural appreciation that can inspire real change in the real world. He’s an optimistic embodiment of what we should strive to achieve as a society. We should share with the world our hope for change. Comic Book’s have never been so relevant. Black Panther has never been so important.

6. Roma

Director Alfonso Cuarón’s intimate portrayal of life as a housemaid was one of the most vibrantly affecting films I’ve ever seen. Every single shot wasn’t just a landscape; it was a mural. I’ve never seen direction take this angle and provide so much while saying so little. Some people might’ve felt emotionally disconnected from his style but Cuarón’s masterful direction captivated me like very few films this year had. There are multiple layers to his visual representation that effect more of what’s seen than what’s said. It’s not an easy watch and perhaps that’s part of why it was released by Netflix. Unfortunately, I had to watch this at home instead of in theaters, but I still felt the impact of the themes and presentation. It’s one of the few Best Picture nominees that truly belong in the category that’ll stand the test of time.

5. Paddington 2

This was one of the earliest releases of 2018 and it never escaped my mind throughout the year. Paddington 2 advances upon the original’s tone to encapsulate something that is pure joy. Paul King directed the bejeezus out of this movie. I felt like I was watching Wes Anderson meets Harry Potter. I saw Paddington 2 in theaters with just one mother and daughter couple and it never felt weird. The only thing that’s weird is that more people haven’t seen this film. I had a smile from ear to ear the entire time. This movie is magic. Like the Harry Potter films, all of the best British actors are present, and Hugh Grand and Brendon Gleeson give their best performances in years, if not ever. Hugh Grant should’ve been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. If you haven’t seen this hidden gem yet, do your soul a favor and seek it out immediately.

4. The Favourite

Yorgos Lanthimos is on a roll. This nutty Greek director began his career with the insane film, Dogtooth, and hasn’t let up since. But he’s also learned and built from his previous work. What started as something of a cultish followed career has expanded into prestigious and innovative filmmaking. I’d nearly missed this film in theaters until I drove across the state to see this with my parents in Ann Arbor, and although it might be one of the worst movies to see with your parental units, we all could agree that this was a uniquely hilarious and thought-provoking experience. At first, I wasn’t sure what to think because I was too busy trying to avoid talking to my mom and dad about Emma Stone jerking somebody off, but The Favourite stayed with me for weeks and I loved dissecting all of its themes and nuances. The Favourite is both entertaining and timely. It’s another one of the films this year that absolutely belong with (and should’ve won) the Best Picture nominations.

3. Widows

Steve McQueen’s Widows was vastly underseen and underrated. Here’s a director who usually only does vague, cerebral drama, but working with Gillian Flynn as a screenwriter adapting Lynda LaPlante’s 1983 novel about wives finishing the heist their husbands failed to complete before their untimely deaths, is about as pulpy and as timely as you can get. There are a lot of stories woven into Widows epic crime saga and some critics have faulted the film’s narrative for it, but look at Heat; one of the most prolific crime sagas of all time, which has more subplots than you could imagine, yet it’s still widely regarded as one of the best films ever made. Widows is the best film of its kind since Heat in 1995. It still carries the acting heavyweights and still compelled me more than nearly any other film in 2018.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Into the Spider-Verse is one of the few films in 2018 that has the power to influence cinema for the future. Not only is it extraordinarily entertaining, but it’s also innovative in terms of style and theme. No other film in 2018 was this inventive and groundbreaking. I was definitely excited to see this as a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but based on Sony’s mishandling of the character for years, it had me extremely cautious. Thanks to Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s impeccable screenplay, I got more than the Spider-Man I’ve always wanted to see. This is a Spider-Man for a new generation. He’s not my Spider-Man, he never was. This film is for everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. The cell-shaded animation and soundtrack elevated this film into bonafide classic territory. I couldn’t even comprehend it after I first saw it, because I wasn’t ready for something so new. Months after I watched this film, I could not stop thinking about it. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is so nerdy for the fans and so accessible to the newcomers. It feels like I’m living in an alternate universe where good movies in 2018 DO exist.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

The *Snap* heard ‘round the World...

Marvel has a good history of taking formulas from other genres and using them as a framing device for their superhero films; political thrillers, space operas, video games, heist films are all borrowed ideas that helped them keep the superhero genre from feeling stale. Avengers: Infinity War is Marvel’s fantasy epic. This is the Lord of the Rings of the MCU. The result is legendary. The Russo Bros. looked at their massive roster of heroes, who audiences have come to deeply care for over ten years, and came up with a way to tell one cohesive world-ending story centered around one villain; the mad titan, Thanos. They looked at Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and they saw how well those were balanced, and they applied it to a superhero film. It’s unbelievably well executed. The big reason Infinity War works so cosmically well is Josh Brolin’s portrayal of Thanos. We couldn’t get behind another world-ending event in these movies unless we believed and understood the villain that was behind it all. Brolin gave Thanos both menace and pathos. From the moment the movie starts, the stakes feel real. None of the characters are safe because we believe Thanos is capable of anything from the very beginning. There aren’t many epics where we spend this much time with the villain. Thankfully, Marvel knows we already care about the heroes, so after building up a ten year rapport between audiences and protagonists it was finally time to focus on the Big Cheese who’s behind all the conflict. This movie is so comic book/fantasy it’s ridiculous. I loved every second of it and could not wipe the smile off my face nor the tears from my eyes. I felt like my ten year old self, alone and engrossed in the most epic comic book I’ve ever read. I was shaken when I left the theater. I turned around and watched it again just 30 minutes after my first viewing, and I couldn’t believe how captivated I was the second time, third time, forth viewing, fifth, sixth, and so on... Nothing could’ve prepared me for this film and I’m so thankful it exists.

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gnosticinitiation · 6 years

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Whosoever wants to annihilate desire must discover its causes. The causes of desire are found in sensations. We live in a world of sensations and we need to comprehend them.

There are five types of sensations:

Visual sensations

Auditory sensations

Smell sensations

Taste sensations

Touch sensations

The five special types of sensations transform themselves into desire. Therefore, the causes of desire are found within sensations.

We must not condemn sensations, nor must we justify them. We need to profoundly comprehend them.

A pornographic image strikes the senses and then passes to the mind. The outcome of this perception is a sexual sensation that is soon transformed into animal desire. After passing through the sense of hearing and through the cerebral center of sensations, a vulgar morbid type of song is converted into sexual desire. We see a luxurious car, we sense it and thereafter we desire it.

We taste a delicious cup of liqueur, we perceive its odor with our sense of smell and feel its delicious sensations, and thereafter we desire to drink more and more until we become inebriated. Thus, smell and taste turn us into gluttons and drunkards.

The sense of touch places itself under the service of all of our desires; thus this is how the “I” receives pleasure from amidst the vices and wanders like the Fool of the Tarot from life to life with his bag (within which he carries all of his vices and absurdities) on his shoulders.

Whosoever wants to annihilate desire, first of all, needs to intellectually analyze the sensations and thereafter profoundly comprehend them. It is impossible to profoundly comprehend the contextual concept enclosed within a sensation with the mere intellect, since the intellect is just a small fraction of the mind.

Therefore, if we want to comprehend the entire substantial context of a certain sensation (of any type) we then indispensably need the technique of internal Meditation, because it is urgent to profoundly comprehend the “I” in all of the levels of the mind.

The mind has many layers, subconscious and unconscious levels which are normally unknown to humans. Many individuals, who have achieved absolute Chastity here in the physical world, become terrible fornicators in other levels and profundities of the mind when they are submitted to difficult ordeals in the internal worlds. Great anchorites and hermit saints discovered with horror that the Fool of the Tarot continued alive in other more profound levels of their understanding. Indeed, only by comprehending the sensations in all the creases of the mind can we annihilate desire and kill the Fool of the Tarot (who hides himself within all of those creases of our mind).

It is necessary for our students to learn how to see and hear without translating.

When a man perceives the beautiful figure of a woman and commits the error of translating that perception into the language of his sexual desires, then the outcome is sexual desire; this type of desire, even when it is forgotten, continues living internally in other unconscious levels of the mind. Thus, this is how the “I” incessantly fornicates in the internal worlds. Therefore, it is important to learn how to see without translating, to see without judging. It is indispensable to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch with creative comprehension. Thus, just like this, we can annihilate the causes of desire. Indeed the tree of desire has roots that we must study and profoundly comprehend.

Upright perception and creative comprehension annihilate the causes of desire; this is how the mind escapes from the bottle of desire and is elevated unto the superior worlds, then the awakening of the Consciousness arrives.

Normally, the mind is found bottled up within the bottle of desire; thus, it is indispensable to take the mind out of the bottle if indeed what we want is the awakening of the Consciousness. To awaken the Consciousness is impossible without taking the mind out of its bottled up condition.

-Master Samael Aun Weor, from his book, “Alchemy and Kabbalah in the Tarot”

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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Ranking : John Carpenter (1948 - present)

If one were to name off ten American directors from the past half-century or so in rapid fire fashion, I’d be willing to put money on the table that a vast majority would have the name John Carpenter on that list. His impact on horror, suspense and psychological thriller films is undeniable, and his prolific ability to score his films with iconic music he creates puts him in the realm of legends. For a director that dwells in the areas usually set aside for disposable box office fodder, it is surprising that at least five of his films (and possibly more, depending on who’s doing the debating) could be consider bonafide classics.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about putting this list together was the discovery and true understanding of just how much range that Carpenter is capable of, even if his films are distinctly his both in terms of genre-based elements and directorial style. When it comes to the films Memoirs of an Invisible Man (a personal favorite from my pre-teen years) and Starman, I didn’t even realize they were John Carpenter films because they were so different from what I’d come to know him for. Revisiting the films I was familiar with gave me great joy, and taking in the films I’d overlooked or passed on gave me a deeper understanding of John Carpenter not only as a creative spirit, but as a man trying to stake a claim to his voice in an industry famous for conformity.

With that being said, I took all eighteen of John Carpenter’s feature length films and ranked them in terms of my personal enjoyment and opinion. As always, the floor is open for discussion, so feel free to share your thoughts and open up a dialogue, and enjoy!

18. The Ward (2010) I’m going to be 100% honest with you all… coming in to this list, I pretty much had already decided that Ghosts of Mars was going to anchor this list. Fifteen movies in, it felt like my prediction would come to be. But then, something funny happened… The Ward showed up in my mailbox courtesy of Netflix DVD. I watched the film, and so many other films came to mind : Girl, Interrupted… One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest… Shutter Island… Session 9… Unsane… The Jacket… the list goes on and on. That’s the thing about this film… nearly 40 years in, the last thing you’d expect John Carpenter to be is derivative. The Ward really wants to be an asylum thriller, a revenge-based ghost story and a period piece, but it never really commits to any of its aspirations, and what we’re left with is 90 minutes of Amber Heard, and in an information age obsessed with cancel culture, what’s going on in her personal life is infinitely more compelling than what she’s going through in The Ward. There are some good shots of fire in the film, and Mamie Gummer is acting circles around everyone she shares the frame with, but otherwise there’s not much to this one. Hopefully this won’t be the last film of Carpenter’s career.

17. Ghosts of Mars (2001) If nothing else, Ghosts of Mars is an ambitious film. What it lacks in coherency, it makes up for in its amalgamation of ideas. The film is all at once a prisoner transport film, a film about a team of crack operatives, a film featuring a revolt and a tale about respecting the land that you intend to exploit for its resources. It sets itself up to be a John Carpenter take on Rashomon, with a number of stories being told through a singular unreliable narrator (due to the lack of those left to tell their own story). While there are some good ideas present in this film, not to mention some wonderful examples of non-traditional casting for an action movie, Ghosts of Mars falls short in its need to be everything to everyone. The film has garnered a cult following since its release, but as someone who saw this in theaters during its initial run, it still doesn’t do it for me.

16. Vampires (1998) If From Dusk till Dawn isn’t enough to satisfy your Vampire Western cravings, then I humbly submit to you John Carpenter’s swing at the mixture in the form of Vampires. All the earmarks of both genres are present : a crack team of experts hit hard and early, an undercurrent of religion that neither praises nor damns it, a seemingly insurmountable antagonist with a single-minded blind focus, and even a damsel in distress forced to rough it with the roughnecks. Like many of his films, the Carpenter score plays unofficial star against the bananas series of events laid out. Speaking of crazy events, leave it to the likes of James Woods and Daniel Baldwin to take what could be best classified as pulp material and elevate it into the realms of honest entertainment. While not as flashy or fantastic as some of his previous films, the special effects work is effective (no pun intended), with a nice batch of memorable kills sprinkled throughout the film. If this film would’ve been made in the 1980s, I would argue that it could’ve been timeless, but unfortunately, it screams of the 1990s in all the ways that make a film dated, which is even funnier when you consider it was released near the end of the decade. Vampires is fun, but I’d be lying if I called it a classic.

15. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Assault on Precinct 13 marks the proper feature debut for John Carpenter, with Dark Star essentially being a glorified student film. Interestingly enough, the film has a ton of representation across the board in its casting, making it one of the more diverse films released on a major level with its Black lead and strong supporting cast featuring women, Black and Hispanic actors/actresses. At the time the film was released, the gang problem was going from an underground and isolated situation to more of a widespread panic, and Assault on Precinct 13 provides plenty of subtext in terms of how gangs are viewed, the perception of their impact on the community and, most importantly, their everlasting struggles with the police. Speaking of the police, there are some subtle jabs at the inept practices of police in terms of administration and the way the handle prisoners, all of which lead to a perfect storm of despair for our protagonists.

14. Escape from L.A. (1996) This film marked the final collaboration between Kurt Russell and John Carpenter, and what an odd one to finalize such a rich and fruitful collaborative relationship. There are some things about the film that definitely work… Snake Pliskin is (and always will be) magic on the screen. Los Angeles certainly had the landmarks and the culture suitable for stylizing into a post-apocalyptic labyrinth of dangers. The statements the film makes on the moral majority and the isolation of people over cultural and ideological differences works as a harbinger for what could be in an extreme example, and has only become more relevant as time has passed. That being said, this film seems to not know whether it wants to be a comedy on the sly, or whether it’s just accepting of taking the often occasional odd detour for seemingly aesthetic purposes, which makes sense when one realizes that the film spent a decade in development hell simply because Carpenter was afraid to pull the trigger on a script he felt was “too light, too campy”. While a departure in comparison to Escape from New York, and definitely a tonal shift from the vast majority of the Carpenter films, it does have its moments… unfortunately, the moments are not frequent enough to put this one in the upper echelon of Carpenter’s work.

13. Dark Star (1974) For a debut film, Dark Star already had enough elements to be distinctly John Carpenter… the use of an ensemble cast, DIY special effects, a John Carpenter score, and hilariously, a Kurt Russell facsimile in the form of Cal Kuniholm. Oddly, this is really the only proper science-fiction film in the Carpenter canon (outside of the flop turned cult semi-classic Ghost of Mars), with several pieces of machinery requiring voice casting due to their intelligence and autonomy. Dark Star is also unique within the Carpenter legacy due to its reliance on wit, logic and humor more so than star power and wild premises, making it one of the more cerebral films made by Carpenter. On a personal note, my old friend Thomas spent YEARS trying to get me to watch this film, and after finally taking the time to do so, I’d love to have those years back to commit to the fandom of this film. It’s sadly been a bit lost to time, but it’s one of the John Carpenter films that I like to recommend the most, as it definitely deserves to be remembered.

12. The Fog (1980) After a massive hit like Halloween, I’m sure expectations from viewers and critics alike was sky high. With his follow-up after his first foray with fame, John Carpenter released The Fog, a supernatural affair with a much more deliberate pace than anything he’d previously released. Perhaps it was this slower, more methodical approach, combined with an extremely powerful use of subtle practical effects, that makes The Fog feel more like an uneventful slow burn than it actually is. More so than any film he’d released previously, The Fog pulls you in over your head into its tone and mood, and while nothing much on the fantastic side occurs, there are levels to visual stimulus used to engulf viewers in an emotion matching those within the world of The Fog. The sound design for The Fog does a great bit of the heavy lifting as well, which is something that should be noted, as it is some of the best work in that realm that Carpenter and company executed for any of his films. A subtle masterpiece, but it feels like the victim of being made on borrowed time, kind of like an album made by a band while in the midst of touring their breakout release.

11. Prince of Darkness (1987) In-between two of John Carpenter’s most outstanding and wonderfully outlandish offerings came Prince of Darkness, a deeply methodical slow burn that parks itself firmly in the intersection of science and religion and mines it for horrific fodder. Tinges of science fiction, mystery, horror, espionage and the supernatural are all working in tandem to create a literal house of horrors filled with intellectuals blind to the proof right in front of their eyes. As the midpoint of Carpenter’s self-appointed Apocalypse Trilogy (which also features The Thing and In The Mouth of Madness), it certainly continues the tradition of unfolding mysteries and threats that transition from vessel to vessel. Carpenter’s score is doing overtime in terms of setting the mood, nearly establishing itself as a physical presence in the manner that it accents what is presented visually, and the use of color is a bit more expressive than what is normally found in the Carpenter production style. The insect motif is also a nice touch, as it serves to literally make your skin crawl moments before traditional scares occur.

10. Christine (1983) On paper, the combination of a Stephen King story told through the lens of John Carpenter sounds fantastic, and Christine is definitely the type of Stephen King story that can fit the Carpenter bill. Being a teenager can be a frustrating section of life, and for the vast majority, the day that you own a car symbolizes an important step towards maturity and freedom. Stephen King took this ages old scenario and made it a deeper story about finding yourself outside of the protection and orders of others (be it dictator parents, picture perfect friends or a possessed vehicle), and John Carpenter picks up on every nuance of this subtext. Outside of Harry Dean Stanton, the film is cast mostly absent those in the realms of star power (and with all due respect, calling Stanton a traditional star is a stretch)... for my money’s worth, I imagine that Carpenter did this consciously in order to let Christine be the star of her story. Halloween proved that Carpenter knew a thing or two about horror films, and Christine shows that he can apply that formula with such precision that an inanimate object becomes terrifying.

9. Starman (1984) Starman is one of those movies that I’ve always been familiar with, but never took the time to seek out and watch… so much so that I didn’t even realize that it was a John Carpenter film until I started working on this list. Tonally, the film differs from other John Carpenter offerings, as it has more Spielberg energy to it than it does Carpenter stylings (although it does embrace the use of practical special effects, albeit outside of a battle or shock-based context). The invasiveness of an alien lifeform morphing into your lost love one right before your eyes is certainly jarring, but it makes for a stellar hook that yanks the viewer right into the heart of the narrative matter. By using Jeff Daniels’ Starman as a surrogate for someone with no understanding of human customs, Carpenter is able to extoll core human values without coming off as holier than thou or preachy, all the while setting up a buddy road trip scenario in order to accelerate the interaction between his leads and capture some countryside photography along the way. For a director known for doing the most, Starman is a surprisingly tender venture, succeeding via the use of less from a director associated with always doing more.

8. Village of the Damned (1995) The best thing about Village of the Damned is how much it feels like John Carpenter hitting the randomizer button and striking gold with every bit of output. Do you dig small creepy towns? How about unexplained weather anomalies? Strange occurrences and phenomena? A cult made up of psychic kids with mind control abilities that woke up and chose violence? Maybe even a little conspiracy and paranoia? This film has all of that and then some. The film actually stands out as one of the best looking in the Carpenter canon, with a surprisingly vivid use of color implemented that offsets the shades of grey the children are bathed in. Everything about this movie is drenched in a heavy creep factor, especially the performances of the children, who manage to be so pitch perfect in their characterizations that it is genuinely unsettling. Watching this story unfold is one of the most enjoyable experiences presented by Carpenter, and it stands as an example of when a fascinating concept is met with brilliant execution.

7. Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) Memoirs of an Invisible Man came out at an interesting crossroads between my budding interest in film, the idling of John Carpenter’s career, and the downward spiral that was Chevy Chase’s career. Looking at it through an objective lens is rough, but time (and the task at hand) has allowed me to do so, and I find that I still enjoy this film as much now as I did then. The special effects at the time were downright jaw-dropping, and many of them still hold up. The practical effects help sell the illusion, so much so that the illusion is implied in points that it would be a budgetary burden and still manages to not distract. With Chase in the lead, one would imagine that the film would be funny, and while not a comedy, it does allow for several beats of well-timed comedic moments. At the time, the film’s narrative was panned for being uninspired, but in my opinion, some of the harsh judgement may have come from the expectations set by the careers of Carpenter and Chase. While not your standard John Carpenter affair, the film does showcase his ability to “play the game” and create solid work, even if it continues to be harshly judged and misunderstood.

6. Escape from New York (1981) When it comes to actors connected to directors, it’s usually not long before the pairing of Kurt Russell and John Carpenter comes up, and Escape from New York marks the genesis of this cinematic bond. With his traditional good looks, no-nonsense attitude and penchant for sharp wit, Russell was the perfect leading man for Carpenter’s vivid cinematic exploitation ventures. As for Escape from New York, the city had yet to undertake its Disneyfication of the 1990s, and the movie stands as a bleak vision of what the crime and moral dissonance of the city (and era) could lead to if taken to the extreme. Creating the worst place in America as an inescapable pit to drop the President into immediately sets the stakes high, and with little to no background, we are given the one man seemingly capable of achieving against impossible odds in the form of Snake Pliskin. Like some kind of urban Mad Max, Escape from New York gets wilder and wilder as the minutes tick away, making it one of the most iconic New York films to date, and one of the strongest offerings from John Carpenter during his legendary run.

5. Halloween (1978) The first of many John Carpenter classic films, and arguably the most iconic of the bunch. Three films in, John Carpenter not only managed to turn one of the biggest profits in independent film history, but he created one of the all time great movie monsters in Michael Myers. The film put Jamie Lee Curtis on a rocket to success, turning her from a burgeoning television hopeful to a certified rising Hollywood star in just one role. In terms of pure production, the trend of growth continued for Carpenter as his cinematography gained more freedom of expression, the performances from his actors and actresses felt more natural, and quite possibly most importantly, his scoring ability was hitting maximum resonance, with the main theme of Halloween being equally as iconic as Michael Myers himself. The film has become an October staple for the masses, but manages to be enjoyable any time of the year due to its sheer ability to entertain and frighten audiences. If one were looking for a singular example of the John Carpenter aesthetic, Halloween stands out as a smart choice. Bonus points to John Carpenter for giving the Howard Hawks produced version of The Thing a shoutout two whole films before remaking it.

4. In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Films about collective psychosis are nothing new… be they fodder for popcorn consumption such as Fallen or Identity, or teetering on the realms of art like Jacob’s Ladder, they are always a strong foundation for something memorable. Maybe that’s why In the Mouth of Madness seems at once exciting and familiar while watching it, as collective psychosis provides John Carpenter with plenty of ingredients to make his trademark-worthy best. Building an entire referential lore around fictional fiction writer Sutter Cane builds all kinds of abstract immersion layers to explore, especially with direct references (and delightful digs) at Stephen King and his Multiverse. Sam Neill and Julie Carmen take us by the hand and yank us through the innovative twists and turns with wonderful chemistry, with Neill giving an especially cavalier performance. The film has a billion and a half production touches that put the creep factors on overdrive, with some of the directing choices nearing the realms of Lynchian. It’s also a nice touch to hear Carpenter back in the scoring chair (even in a shared capacity). Films like this one aren’t done justice via rumination, review or commentary… it’s best to just dive in and deal with the repercussions on the other side of it all.

3. They Live (1988) John Carpenter has made some amazing films in his time, but there are a small chosen few that contain genius-level writing and execution. Of this upper class of films, it’s arguable that They Live is both the most entertaining and the most thought provoking in terms of what it is saying (not to mention how much more relevant that message has gotten over time). A damning examination of capitalism, mass consumption, class divides, media influence and the use of police state tactics, Carpenter paints his science fiction with bold strokes of relevant facts that many often choose to ignore. The action in the film is top notch (including quite possibly one of the best fight scenes ever captured on film between Roddy Piper and Keith David), the makeup work on the aliens is instantly iconic, and the story not only sticks with you, but contains aesthetic elements reminiscent of Jenny Holzer’s influential artwork while being used for an identical purpose. If this list centered solely on John Carpenter minor box office successes that became top tier cult classics, They Live would likely occupy the top spot.

2. The Thing (1982) The Thing is one of those movies that works on so many levels that it’s hard to fathom. The shorthand used to set up the story gives you a clear understanding of the situation with minimal use of exposition that is replaced by loads of character and world building. The threat is initially unclear, but the indication of its eventual impact kicks off the film with context that is only understood after your first complete viewing. John Carpenter turned over the scoring helm to Ennio Morricone, perhaps the only individual who could score a Carpenter film better than Carpenter himself, and the results are classic. The special effects work is brilliant, as it is not only initially shocking to see the terrifying transformations the creature undertakes, but it is deeply traumatic in a way that sticks with viewers permanently. Carpenter could not have asked for a better ensemble cast, especially considering that it seems like everyone came prepared to play team ball rather than try and outshine one another. It’s always fascinating to me that this film was widely rejected both critically and at the box office upon release, as it took me way too long to get around to this one (and I was only 3 at the time of release). I’ve always encountered nothing but deep fandom for the film, and rightly so, as this film is a masterpiece that deserves every piece of praise it receives.

1. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) What doesn’t this film do right? Kurt Russell is giving his all as Jack Burton, and the film beautifully wraps itself around him in a hurricane of action-based slippery slopes. Setting the film in San Francisco automatically gives it a memorable aesthetic, and locking down the majority of the film in iconic Chinatown is nothing but cinematic gold. We’re told that we’re going to get an unbelievable story, then we meet our everyman that will guide us along on our journey, but very quickly his expectations (and by extension, ours) are blown clear out of the water, and things continue to escalate at an exponential rate. Memorable runs in high quantity and quality for this venture… some of the most quotable John Carpenter film lines come from Big Trouble in Little China, his score for the film ranks high among the canon, the special effects are electrifying (pun intended), the action is high octane, and the martial arts is treated with complete respect in its presentation. Outside of They Live or Vampires, this is arguably the most fun film of the Carpenter collection, and is almost guaranteed to turn the unfamiliar into fans.

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Best Movie Directors Of The Decade | Screen Rant

The 2010s have been filled with great films, and these are the best movie directors of the decade. As 2019 draws to a close, it's time to look back upon not just the past decade of movies, but also the people who have been responsible for making them.

This decade has been a fascinating time for movie directors, which has included legendary filmmakers delivering some big efforts, and new stars emerging on the horizon. At the same time, it's become commonplace for these emerging talents to be quickly swooped up by major franchises. The likes of Josh Trank and Colin Trevorrow, for example, all broke through with indies, before being chewed up and spat out by the machine. Others, however, have soared thanks to the likes of Marvel, Star Wars, and DC.

Related: The Most Divisive Movies Of The Decade

We've seen new films from all-time greats such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, the likes of Steven Soderbergh and Kevin Smith have retired and then returned, and across the board we've seen a number of exciting directors new and old produce some great films from 2010-2019.

Movies: Winter's Bone, Leave No Trace.

There's an eight-year gap between Debra Granik's two movies this decade, and while that's too long for a filmmaker of her sublime talent, it was also worth the wait. With a rare gift for depicting the reality of human struggles, Granik's works can be harrowing at times, but she never leaves you without a veneer of hope as well.

Movies: Bernie, Before Midnight, Boyhood, Everybody Wants Some!!, Last Flag Flying, Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

The volume of Richard Linklater's output means he's had some misses this decade, but that's to be expected when you often take such big swings - and when he hits, they tend to be home runs. His best films, such as Before Midnight and Boyhood, convey an astonishing touch of artistry: that of a director who can make a film feel so real, in both the happiness and the heartache.

Movies: Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig has just a sole film as a director so far, and yet still deserves a place here. That's how stunning a debut Lady Bird is (and also how great Little Women looks). Gerwig's feature film belies her relative inexperience behind the camera, easily blending comedy and emotion for a film that's at times hilarious, at others heartbreaking, and always authentic, with a greater visual style than is often mentioned too.

Related: Film Festival 2019 Preview: 12 Biggest Movies With Oscar Chances

Movies: Biutiful, Birdman, The Revenant.

In the middle of the 2010s, Alejandro G. Iñárritu was the director of the decade, which included him winning back-to-back Best Director Oscars. Operating at the very pinnacle of his craft for a few years, Iñárritu was able to perform some amazing feats of filmmaking, no matter how difficult they might've been to manage.

Movies: Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Quentin Tarantino has been around long enough now that his style isn't just recognizable, but a genre of its own, yet there's still little better than the real deal. His movies this decade have continued a trend of extreme violence and dialogue no one else can match, but it's his most recent effort that's the most remarkable. In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Tarantino shows a much more mature and even sentimental side, confirming that even this old dog can learn some new tricks.

Movies: Bone Tomahawk, Brawl In Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete.

S. Craig Zahler's movies are defined by violence. Across his movies this decade, he's made films that will make even the hardiest cinephile wince as punches land, limbs bend, and bones crunch. It's explosive, thrilling stuff, but it's also worth noting that Zahler has a great command of story and character, creating gripping tales that are served by those bursts of violence, and is a director who knows how to get the very best out of his actors, including a revelatory turn from Vince Vaughn.

Movies: Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Rian Johnson is a dangerous name to mention on the internet, but even some of Star Wars: The Last Jedi's detractors would admit he's a talented director. Johnson has shown himself capable of making thought-provoking, thrilling, and visually stunning movies, no matter if the budget is $30 million or $200m. With large-scale action combined with his own touches of humor, gorgeous cinematography, and rich in story, character, and themes, Johnson deserves to be acclaimed, not abused.

Related: The Best Movie Endings Of The Decade

Movies: Boy, What We Do In The Shadows, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok.

From a low-budget vampire mockumentary to a massive MCU blockbuster, Taika Waititi has emerged as one of cinema's most unique - and hilarious - voices this decade. He's able to inject his sense of humor into just about anything, which included making Thor one of Marvel's best characters and most exciting franchises, but even better was Hunt For The Wilderpeople. There, he showed an astonishing and singular talent for taking that humor, but turning it into real emotion at the flick of a switch.

Movies: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame.

Joe and Anthony Russo started the 2010s known for their work directing sitcoms. They end it as the people who helmed the highest-grossing movie of all-time in Avengers: Endgame. They've become the best and most-reliable directors of the world's biggest movie machine, and doing that takes real skill. They're directors who can stage a thrilling elevator fight sequence, an epic battle featuring dozens of characters, or just an intimate dance scene, and make all equally marvelous.

Movies: The Master, Inherent Vice, Phantom Thread.

Paul Thomas Anderson is another director whose legacy is already guaranteed and speaks for itself, but that doesn't make his work this decade any less worthy of celebration. We're well-acquainted with PTA's filmmaking styles, from his mesmerizing use of music to his constantly probing camera, making each of his movies a work of art. This decade, he's done so in a psychosexual meditation of relationships and love; an acid trip disguised as a film; and in The Master, arguably his best work, one of the great American films of modern times.

Movies: Get Out, Us.

Jordan Peele was well-known for his comedy writing and acting, which has made his turn into the horror director of the moment even more surprising. With Get Out, Peele didn't just make an excellent horror film that blended scares with comedy and a timely message, but what felt like a cultural milestone. Us wasn't quite as successful, but it was the sign of a director with great ambition, expert skill, and who is only going to get even better.

Related: How Us Is A Very Different Film To Get Out

Movies: Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk.

Returning from an eight-year hiatus, Barry Jenkins delivered one of the most talked-about films of the decade with Moonlight (for reasons good and bad). Oscars shenanigans aside, what Moonlight and its follow-up, If Beale Street Could Talk, showed is that Jenkins is one of the most important voices in cinema today: rarely have people of color been shown on screen in ways that mix pain and anguish with such beauty and grace.

Movies: Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit

Kathryn Bigelow hasn't been as busy as you might've hoped on the back of The Hurt Locker, but when she has directed, it's been a reminder of just how incredible she is. In both Zero Dark Thirty and Detroit, Bigelow has shown that she can make tense, taut, politically-charged thrillers that will have you on the edge of your seat as well as, if not better than, just about anyone else in the business.

Movies: Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs.

By now, everyone knows what they're getting from Wes Anderson: his olf-kilter humor paired with his own brand of melancholy, all dressed up in the most gorgeous, fussily designed and perfectly symmetrical sets. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Anderson this decade has become even more, well, Wes Anderson-y, and maintains his unique voice through both live-action and stop-motion animation. The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of his absolute best, and this decade has proved Anderson as a supremely talented filmmaker who doesn't just let us see into his mind and heart, but puts it on glorious display.

Movies: Ex Machina, Annihilation.

Alex Garland made the leap this decade, going from novelist and screenwriter to director of his own films, and it's one he's handled with such skill you'd think he'd been doing it for decades. In both Ex Machina and Annihilation, he's not only shown that he can create jaw-dopping visuals on low-to-mid budgets, but also create cerebral sci-fi films that deftly play with big ideas, don't dumb things down, provide thrills at the time, and refuse to leave your thoughts afterward.

Related: Best Movies Of The Decade (Nominated for Zero Oscars)

Movies: Gravity, Roma.

Alfonso Cuarón doesn't make movies very often: he has just two this decade, and only five this century. But when he does, you can be sure they're pretty damn great. With 2013's Gravity, he made a technical marvel that achieved great things with new technologies. Even better was 2018's Roma, which is not only the best Netflix movie to date, but paired that technical brilliance with a searingly human story, making for his most staggering work so far.

Movies: The Social Network, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl.

David Fincher is still perhaps best known for his two major works in the 1990s, but his run at the beginning of this decade is a stunner. Across his three movies from 2010-2014, Fincher continued to be a director who can so hauntingly capture the darkest sides of humanity, create mood and mysteries that enrapture us, and do so with meticulous attention to detail that ensures every single shot not only looks great, but is worth analyzing over and over again. Mindhunter has helped fill the gap, but it remains a huge shame that he hasn't directed a movie since 2014.

Movies: Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan established himself as one of the world's best directors in the 00s, but what's most impressive is that he's kept up those standards while pushing himself even further. Inception is a groundbreaking work of genius, and his subsequent efforts this decade show not only a filmmaker determined to keep on raising the limits of his craft, but marrying that ambition with a greater emotional maturity too. Like Spielberg at his peak, Nolan is now pure event cinema, and doesn't disappoint.

Movies: Whiplash, La La Land, First Man.

Damien Chazelle's still-fledgling career has perhaps been slightly overshadowed by controversies around his films, but what matters is just how special his movies are. Through his three features this decade, Chazelle has proved himself to be a filmmaker who has a serious sense of style and technical brilliance, whether he's creating a Golden Age musical or a massive sci-fi flick. But he's also one of substance too, capturing the pain and glory that comes with so singularly pursuing your dreams, even if they are fools.

Related: Best Animated Movies Of The Decade

Movies: Incendies, Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049.

Denis Villeneuve has had a longer career than most realize, but it's undoubtedly the 2010s where it has skyrocketed. He's been on a remarkable run that just about any director in history would be proud of, and marked himself out as one of this generation's greatest craftsmen, whether it's smaller-scale thrillers or dazzling blockbusters. He can capture the ugliness of humanity, but in the likes of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 - two of the decade's best films - its beauty too.

Ari Aster

Ryan Coogler

Ava DuVernay

Yorgos Lanthimos

Phil Lord & Chris Miller

Christopher McQuarrie

Martin Scorsese

Edgar Wright

More: The Best Superhero Movie Performances Of The Decade

source https://screenrant.com/best-movie-directors-decade-2010s/

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alecthemovieguy · 7 years

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Michael Fassbender rises ‘Alien: Covenant’ above formula

“Alien: Covenant,” Ridley Scott’s third film within the “Alien” universe, exists in an odd limbo between the more cerebral “Prometheus” and the more visceral horror and action that has come to define the “Alien” franchise. It is a potentially great film marred by the need to satisfy the formula of its predecessors.

In 2012, Scott returned to the series that launched his career. While 1979’s “Alien” had three direct sequels, Scott had nothing to do with them. With “Prometheus,” he wanted to explore unanswered questions regarding the space jockey, a fossilized creature found in “Alien.”

The space jockey turned out to be a member of race of aliens known as the Engineers, who provided the seeds of humanity’s existence. A group of scientists follow clues guiding them to the Engineers in hopes of finding the answers to why they were created. Naturally, meeting their makers didn’t go well.

“Prometheus” ended with the promise of a sequel, with the sole survivors of the mission flying off to continue the pursuit of why humanity exists. That is not the film “Covenant” turns out to be.

While there were horrific elements, “Prometheus” was more thoughtful than previous films within the “Alien” universe. The iconic xenomorph creature didn’t even make an appearance, leading to some outcry.

“Prometheus” is the first in a new series that is going to lead up to the original “Alien.” Scott’s original plans was for the new films to be more of a slow burn that would gradually reveal the xenomorph. After fans bemoaned the lack of the xenomorph, Scott accelerated the timeline.

For those who appreciated the direction of “Prometheus,” this may be a disappoint, but fans of the xenomorph will be thrilled to see its triumphant return, and it is indeed triumphant. Scott doesn’t hold back on the gore and carnage.

“Covenant” focuses on a colonization mission that receives a distress signal from a planet that may prove to be an even better option than the planet they are traveling to. The unknown planet is only days away, while their original destination is still years off. The crew decides to take the detour.

On the planet, they discover David (Michael Fassbender), the most interesting character from “Prometheus.” David is an android with human emotions and intelligence — the first of his kind. While he was built to serve Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), his curiosity and pursuit of knowledge has caused him to become deeply idiosyncratic.

David is an endlessly fascinating character and helps to elevate “Covenant” beyond the shackles of its formula. His mission was to help Weyland find his creator. With Weyland now dead, David has become obsessed with creation and developed a major god complex. He feels himself superior to humanity.

Fassbender also plays Walter, an android similar to David but with the personality dialed back substantially. David and Walter are distinctly different characters leading to several scenes of Fassbender acting against himself, which are a marvel to behold.

Unfortunately, once on the planet, “Covenant” begins to follow the story beats of “Alien” and 1987’s “Aliens.” Characters are picked off until the remaining survivors face off against the hideous monster. There is a fake out where it seems like the creature has been destroyed, but, of course, there is one more confrontation.

“Covenant” hues so close to these story beats that there is little surprise to the film, but there are pleasures to be found in the variations on the theme. Scott is a master director who manages to build and sustain tension in the familiar scenarios. This is a special effects heavy film in which every moment is believable. As with “Prometheus,” “Covenant” is beautifully designed and drips with an atmosphere of impending doom.

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned the cast outside of Fassbender. This is because most of them are ill-defined cannon fodder. Katherine Waterston is the lead, and while she’s strong, she isn’t given much a character. Similarly, Danny McBride, effectively playing against his usual comedic type, makes an impression, but there is little substance to the character.

Billy Crudup, who reluctantly becomes captain after a tragedy, is the only crewmember given something to play. He is a man of faith who thinks his superiors and crew don’t trust his judgments because of his beliefs. Given the strong themes of faith versus science in “Prometheus,” this is an intriguing concept that is introduced and then dropped.

Despite its flaws, “Covenant” is still worth seeing for Fassbender’s performance, the compelling themes and striking visuals. This is an exceptionally well-crafted movie that could easily be heralded as a masterpiece of direction if it weren’t for the fact that “Alien” and “Aliens” previously set the template it follows so closely.

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evilsimonwithgoodheart-blog · 7 years

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Article summary

Article 1

This article is about animation and all art styles, and since I’m in love with art and animation, it fits with me since I love watching cartoons and anime. Animation art and design are available through associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programs, as well as through certificate programs. Non-degree programs in the subject include mainly basic courses in animation and design, while degree programs provide greater depth and cover additional art topics, such as digital video production, game development and photography. Some entry-level employment options for graduates include 3-D modeler, storyboard artist and character designer.Ever since when I was a boy I always watch cartoons in TV. I also play a lot of games, seeing cartoon characters, watching artists making their characters and turning into life. But it mostly about my future. All that I wanted was to have a happy life, a happy family, and a good future. This was always my goal for my future. Art is one of best options of getting their to my goals. But it can be difficult, but it for the best.

There are times when I had to make progress of making these animation because making one takes time. It could take a very long time, that why people who make animation movies, animation effects, characters, splash art and more take a very long time like year or more in order to make the animation perfect for the people so that they could sale, make love, and more for the people. The animation can be in different styles, 3d or 2d. 3d is more like more realistic looks and almost everything is all 3d shapes. There not flat like in the cartoons or anything that is not in 3d. It also having it in real life.

A 3D animation certificate program gives students practical hands-on training in computer graphics and animation for a variety of mediums, such as internet web pages, video games, printed brochures, advertising materials, publications and graphic art projects. Students explore cutting edge technologies in animation modeling, lighting and texturing. Software programs that students learn might include MotionBuilder, Maya, Softimage, LightWave 3D and Animation: Master. The program lasts from 6 months to 1 year and may require a high school diploma or equivalent and a preliminary computer graphics course prior to admission. 2d however is a little different. Everyone has at least one 2D animated movie that they know and love, whether it’s The Lion King, Bambi, or something completely different. They capture our hearts and inspire our imaginations – but how do these movies get created? Animation is not as simple as it may seem.2D animation, also known as traditional or cell animation, is the process of creating motion in a two-dimensional space. It layers elements such as backgrounds, multiple characters and foreground components to create the illusion of depth. This type of animation can be hand drawn or created digitally with the help of illustrative programs such as Synfig or Adobe After Effects.

Google is willingly to hire an animation artist whoever they are unless their bad. They didn't care about their school reports or anything as long at least they are able to create something amazing for the google title animation. One of my teachers say that they are able to do this and they were paid well is they do their part as animator make a fine work. Other than that people want to see how much effort people can do with their skills. I hoped that once I’m able to make animation I bring my most favorite characters that I have created in my childhood years I bring them to life and how the world of who I am.

Article 2

Games are my second most favorite things in my life. I could not live without my games, maybe in the future but as for right now I am not ready to lose them. There are 1.23 billion people who also love playing video games because not only they are fun, but it's also more interesting to learn the stories of the games, learning more strategies of playing the games, and more. More importantly it all about the art of the games. The graphic design, the characters and the effects makes all games look something very special. Some games can be fighting, adventure, comedy, dancing, horror, and more. One of most popular games are Overwatch, Starcraft ½, League of legends, Rainbow Siege, Pokemon, and people still continue to make greater games than the past. The graphic becomes so real that is actually a person walking through nature. This article show of how much people indure games.

Games can also be good for you and your mind. Researchers have done thousands of studies on gaming since the 1980s, often with unmistakably negative results. Some associated video games with an increased risk of epileptic seizures, while others cautioned that the games could provoke dangerously elevated heart rates. Many studies also linked violent games to aggression and antisocial behavior. The several people I have read says why the games are good instead of being bad. Games can also develop physical skills. Preschool students plays sports games in WII that helped the little kids learn motor skills, such as kicking, jumping, catching a ball and more. But for those who didn’t want to play sports game, they play question games that helps them improve their brains. Playing education games can help the person brain more smarter for the person. They can strategies, make plans of attack or to defend. It can make the person smarter and maybe perhaps helped them make their education better for school and perhaps even more.

All of this, of course, flies in the face of the classic stereotype of gamers as attention deficit–crazed stimulus junkies, easily distracted by flashy graphics and on-screen carnage. Instead, successful gamers must focus, have patience, develop a willingness to delay gratification, and prioritize scarce resources. In other words, they think. One of the most popular video games ever created is called Tetris. It involves falling tile-like tetrominoes that a player must quickly maneuver so they fit into space at the bottom of the screen. In the early 1990s, Richard Haier, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Irvine, tracked cerebral glucose metabolic rates in the brains of Tetris players using PET scanners. The glucose rates show how much energy the brain is consuming, and thus serve as a rough estimate of how much work the brain is doing. Haier determined the glucose levels of novice Tetris players as their brains labored to usher the falling blocks into correct locations. Then he took levels again after a month of regular play. Even though the test subjects had improved their game performance by a factor of seven, Haier found that their glucose levels had decreased. It appeared that the escalating difficulty of the game trained the test subjects to mentally manipulate the Tetris blocks with such skill that they barely broke a cognitive sweat completing levels that would have utterly confounded them a month earlier.

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dinoexmachina · 8 years

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Movies 2016

While there is much to hate about what gets into theaters nowadays, there are enough movies that make the whole year worth it. This year I wanted to get out of my comfort zone more than I previously had, and the rewards for doing so were great. Nearly every inch of the spectrum in cinema had something to love. A few big blockbusters and a few small-budget indies, and everything in between. There’s something for you in the films of 2016. Below I’ll talk a bit about the movies I loved, and hopefully there may be one or two you haven’t seen yet. I encourage you to seek them out and give them a try.

Though I sought to see more films that would challenge me and expand my tastes, there were movies that hit me right in my strike zone. Star Trek Beyond admirably recovered the franchise from the dreadful “Into Darkness," and offered up what a great Star Trek episode that used the entire buffalo of its premise. The Shallows was a great “man against nature” story, pitting a surfer girl against a shark. The simplicity of the set up and the escalating danger worked tremendously well. Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One both elevated the blockbuster to include provocative ideas and challenging character work. The Invitation, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Green Room, and Don’t Breathe were the kinds of close-quarters thrillers that I’m absolutely jealous of. And then there’s The Nice Guys, which was pure Shane Black goodness. And who would be able to watch Moana without a smile on their face?

Zootopia, above all the movies this year, seems to have been made with me in mind. It’s an ingeniously crafted animated movie, with gags and treats and clever ideas in every inch of the frame.. What’s more, it’s far more sophisticated than it had any business being. Yes, there’s a message in there, but it’s offered up while focusing on the characters and the world and the central mystery. And yes, I’ve seen it several times since it was released.

Many films surprised me. I expected to enjoy The Jungle Book, but not as much as I did. The film was far better than it needed to be. The Lobster (which I included in the previous year’s post because I saw it in 2015) stunned me with it’s absurd depths. Though Hail, Cesar! was a mess of a film, I still love it. In it are several scenes of absolute perfection. Though I usually shy away from horror films, The Witch scared me almost more than any other horror has. It relied on pure atmosphere and minimalism, eschewing any cheap jump scares. As such, the movie’s frightening moments were incredibly effective, especially at the transfixing conclusion. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was really good, too, and more movies like that would be a great thing. I figured I would enjoy Deadpool, but I was beside myself laughing the whole time.

The biggest surprises I had this year were Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which is just fantastic and so lovable. Swiss Army Man was astoundingly bizarre, and yet I was moved by its sincerity. The sequence about talking to a girl “on a bus” was one of the most purely cinematic experiences I had all year. If there’s justice to be had in this world, Daniel Radcliffe will get an Oscar nomination for playing a corpse. And Sing Street, a film which everybody should see. The movie is medicine; if you’re having a bad day, find and watch that movie and you’ll be happy.

I’m a big fan of movies that make me think, not just about plot, but about the ideas and the characters. Films that are truly engaging are ones I absolutely treasure, and this year had some real heavies. Midnight Special, a sci-fi “thriller” with a soft-spoken style, was very affecting. Don’t Think Twice was honest with itself and its characters. Hell or High Water seemed straightforward at first glance, but had much more to say about its world than it seemed, and that final conversation between Pine and Bridges was so, so good. Even Kubo and the Two Strings, as fantastic and mystical as it was, took an archetypical adventure and added layers of depth beneath its gorgeous animation. Moonlight was an incredible moviegoing experience. It’s a film with true voice, telling a story with tenderness that films seem to be afraid of nowadays. But perhaps the most affecting films for me this year were Arrival, Manchester By The Sea, and La La Land.

Arrival was somehow able to make cerebral subjects like linguistics and relative physics into cinematic art. The considerate direction combined with an intelligent script made for a movie that dug deeper and challenged the central character in ways I hadn’t seen before. It resulted in a truly human movie, boiling down to a woman’s single, devastating choice.

Manchester By The Sea was perhaps the most humble a movie could be. There was nothing flashy or showy in the film. The closest it got was a pivotal conversation between the central character and his ex-wife, but even then the characters stammered and stumbled through the dialogue, but it worked. What’s more, the movie addresses grief in a truly unique way: it doesn’t solve it. Rather, it works through it, and progress is made, but there’s no dance competition or some such nonsense that washes the grief away, because that’s not how grief works and the movie knew it.

La La Land, though flawed as a musical and questionable as a life statement, was nevertheless completely transportive. It’s filled unto burning with passion and verve, and the final wordless minutes of the movie had me pinned to the seat with tears. The particular conclusion it has on love, as it pertains to these two characters, was a powerful and true one, and it sneaks up on you. It’s devastating in the most beautiful way, and the movie is better for it.

I love movies, especially when there are seeds of truth and honesty which the films allows to flourish. Genre doesn’t matter for a movie so much as honesty. A variety of movies approached their subjects — be it a grieving father, a lonely war journalist, a vulgar superhero, an ambitious bunny cop, or an actor who just can’t say the line like his director wants him to — with complete honesty, and that made for some truly fantastic films. Every film should have such ambition as the movies I mention here, whatever the genre. Would that it t’were so simple.

#movies 2016 #movies #year in review

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