#it's just... over

[creativeimagination206]

Sweeney Todd

is literally one of my favorite musicals, and some of my irl friends hate when I talk about it because I do it so often (pretty sure I've drunkenly shared the plot with one of my friends like three times, rip XD)

But I'm not going to rehash the plot here because I... don't want to. Instead, I have some thoughts in general about the plot and the whole character of Sweeney Todd (and some thoughts on the whole Anthony/Joanna thing), the message of the musical, and also the 2007 adaptation (because I've watched it about five times and I keep noticing more adaptation choices).

I'd talk about the original story too, but it's not really as interesting to me. I also read it a while ago, so I probably would miss a lot of things.

One of the biggest messages of the musical is the destructive nature of revenge, how it corrupts a person and their morals and twists them until they can't even recognize their own family.

Honestly, I have so many thoughts and objections to that sort of idea, at least based on the story of Sweeney Todd. Like, without summarizing the whole musical, Sweeney was sent to a prison in Australia on a trumped up charge that (to my knowledge) isn't fully explained. The judge, a power-hungry maniac, was attracted to Sweeney's wife, Lucy, as was Beadle Bamford, and sent Sweeney away so that he could have Lucy.

Keep in mind that when Sweeney was sent away, his daughter, Joanna, was 1 year old.

After Sweeney was sent away, the judge invited Lucy to his house "because he felt bad" and instead he was hosting a masquerade party where he (and probably others) raped Lucy, with no one stepping in to help her. She subsequently tried to kill herself and ended up basically losing her mind.

If I were Sweeney, and I escaped from prison 15 years after this happened, I would absolutely want to kill the people responsible. Especially after learning the full story from Mrs. Lovett.

It's also really important to note that the only reason he starts killing other people at all is because his attempt at killing the judge is foiled and he kinda goes crazy. And it's Mrs. Lovett who encourages this. Which, and I'll talk about later, feels different in different adaptations.

Anyway! Here's the thing -- I don't condone what Sweeney does, entirely, because he does kill a lot of people, but I don't love that the musical completely condemns Sweeney and frames his need for revenge as something to be completely avoided. Like, I don't know if that says way too much about me or anything, but I can't fully blame him for wanting to kill the Judge and the Beadle. Both men did unspeakable things, unforgivable things, that they don't ever face consequences for.

Because they're rich, entitled fucks.

I feel like everyone knows the story of Sweeney Todd in the most basic sense of "he kills people and bakes them into pies" and it's such a gross simplification of the actual class struggles and morality issues that are way more complex. Not enough stories treat revenge as justified.

Except for, like, Princess Bride.

Oh also, the whole Anthony/Joanna love story? Everyone treats it as so cute and sweet and a light in the darkness of the musical, but seriously??? She doesn't know his name until halfway through the musical, and before he even shares his name with her, he says that he'll "steal her" and "even now I'm at your window." At first it feels so innocent, like love at first sight, but like... it's so stalkery.

Also, remember how I said before that Joanna was 1 when Sweeney was sent away, and he escaped 15 years later?

Yeah. Not only does Anthony want her, but so does the Judge. Like... Claude Frollo style.

But yeah, Anthony feels like such a stalker to me. Does he have pure intentions? Sure, yeah, he wants to rescue her from a terrible situation. Is it still a little weird? Yeah. The way he frames it and the lyrics of his songs just... they rub me the wrong way sometimes.

Onto the adaptations, then! Or, adaptation singular, I guess.

I don't love the 2007 Sweeney Todd movie. Have I watched it a half a dozen times? Yeah. Yes I have. Do I like it? A little, I guess. It just feels like it drains the entire spirit of the musical. Eliminating the chorus/ensemble songs makes it feel like they were trying to take the musical out of the movie. You know what I mean? Like they were trying to erase the fact that it was a musical and cram it into a movie format. Although, I will admit, there were some cool cinematic changes made during transition music that worked really well.

Another thing I do like is that they actually had Toby played by a kid. I understand why they don't usually do that, but it was a nice reminder that Toby is meant to be young.

As much as the casting of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter seems like it would be a good fit for Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett... I feel like they just don't commit to the bit enough. Bonham-Carter's Mrs. Lovett just isn't unhinged enough. And yeah, I am biased toward Angela Lansbury's portrayal, and I guess it is kinda cute to see the compassion Bonham-Carter's Mrs. Lovett has for Toby, but like... I dunno, I just feel like she's not crazy enough. Maybe it's just me, but her going into the whole "we should bake people into pies" doesn't feel as natural, because she doesn't start as insane. Lansbury's Mrs. Lovett is just... superb, I love her.

I feel like they committed too hard to the aesthetics of the era and not enough to the actual just... content of the characters. Also, they do cut out so much of the fucked up stuff, which makes sense, but also it's already rated R, so why not just leave it in? Y'know? Like, they took out the line about how old Joanna was when Sweeney was sent away to... avoid the pedophilia that the Judge displays in the original musical? For why? They also erase the desire the Beadle has for Lucy too? Not that it was a hugely important part of the musical, but like... why cut out lines like that? The song still exists, but the lines are changed or erased. There are a bunch of songs that are shortened.

And like, sure, time considerations are a huge thing. I get that movies have time constraints. It just feels so pointless to cut out some of these things. The movie is barely over two hours, like they could have kept some things in.

Anyway, if you're gonna watch a version of Sweeney Todd, go watch the 1982 film with George Hearn and Angela Lansbury. I prefer Len Cariou's singing voice, but I haven't been able to find a recording of the original original musical with him and Lansbury, so the 1982 film is the closest I've come (and yes I've watched that one about four times too).

Till next week, folks! Sorry this one's a little late -- the past few days have been rough, and I also scheduled the poll to go out way too late, so there's that.

If you made it this far, drop a knife emoji in the chat/tags, and thanks for listening! I could honestly probably keep rambling, but I'm not going to because I've been typing this out for like an hour and a half XD

[pangur-and-grim]

also I got a tattoo partially re-coloured today and they bandaged me in veterinary wrap like I'm a sick horse

[ahotknife]

the thing is that childhood doesn't just end when you turn 18 or when you turn 21. it's going to end dozens of times over. your childhood pet will die. actors you loved in movies you watched as a kid will die. your grandparents will die, and then your parents will die. it's going to end dozens and dozens of times and all you can do is let it. all you can do is stand in the middle of the grocery store and stare at freezers full of microwave pizza because you've suddenly been seized by the memory of what it felt like to have a pizza party on the last day of school before summer break. which is another ending in and of itself

[boasamishipper]

unpopular opinion but i think a ship that's not canon but both halves are canonically insane about each other is infinitely better than a ship that's canon and boring

[holographings]

someone on twitter said Imagine what s2 jayce would give to talk to s1 viktor just one more time. and someone had a time travel alternate dimension fic ready to go. and i read it. and now my face is being eaten by 3750 feral dogs i think

[grovylelover]

Walked into the local marriott and guess who was behind the front desk. yuuuuuuup. the immortal king of legend who vaporized so many people it permanently fucked up the timeline.

[s0up1ta]

toxic yaoi or something idk i haven't watched gravity falls

[kiwibirbkat]

Jason: Y'know, I was actually a ghost for a while before I was revived

Dick: *eye twitching* Is that so?

Jason: *smirking* Yeah.

Dick: That's so- interesting! I'll be right back! *slams the bathroom door in his face*

Dick, whisper screaming into his phone: LESLIE, I DON'T NEED THE ANTIPSYCHOTICS, I WASN'T HALLUCINATING JASON THAT WAS GENUINELY JUST HIS GHOST-

Jason, who only ever haunted Dick a couple days because he realized that Dick didn't seem to care about his death and thought Dick was only upset because Jason might've seen something embarrassing about him as a ghost: ?!?!?

[snail-day]

Okay. Breathe, Satoru. You can do this. It's just a sleepover. Just your girlfriend. Just the person you're absolutely, irrevocably obsessed with. Who you're trying really, really hard not to scare off.

Standing in your apartment, hands shoved deep in his pockets to keep from touching everything. You’re flitting around, casual, relaxed, while he’s trying to memorize the shape of your furniture, the smell of your space, the way you hum when you walk into the kitchen.

Satoru's baby-blues locking onto the bathroom door. “I’ll, uh... shower first, if that’s okay?” like it’s the most neutral, chill request ever. It’s not. He’s sweating. His ears are pink. You nod like it’s no big deal - of course it’s no big deal - but to him? It’s a very big deal.

He gently closes the bathroom door behind him. Worries if he makes too much of a sound, he will be banned from your fine establishment. Your things are everywhere. Shampoo bottles, conditioner, your razor, a little candle half-burned on the sink, your loofah hanging from the shower knob, the loofah. He stares at it for too long.

Are we at the loofah-sharing stage? Satoru wonders, frozen in place. It’s pink. Fluffy. It looks soft, and it’s yours, and he’s fighting every stupid urge in his body. “Don’t be weird,” muttering aloud, as if he can command himself into normalcy. Still, his fingers twitch. He holds it. Briefly. Gently. Just for a second. Just to say he did.

Then comes the body wash. He squirts out the tiniest amount and rubs it between his hands like it’s precious perfume. The scent hits him and he nearly slides down the wall. You smell like this. You smell like this all the time. How is he supposed to survive? Because now he smells like you.

Pressing his face into the steam and pretends it’s your neck. He’s sick. Maybe a little pathetic. He knows it. But he’s also just so in love. What can a guy do?

When he steps out, face flushed and hair damp, he feels like a teenage boy at his crush’s house for the first time - which, in his mind, he kinda is. You’re waiting for him in pajamas, makeup wiped off, looking soft and sleepy and so perfectly you. He thinks he might pass out.

And then… brushing teeth together. Should be simple. Should be normal. But nothing is normal around you. He’s beside you at the sink, trying to play it cool while your shoulder brushes his. You hum to yourself while brushing, glancing at him through the mirror, and he nearly foams at the mouth. Or maybe that’s the toothpaste. He’s not sure.

Then he sees it.

A little blob of foam at the corner of your lips.

Something happens to him. Something dark and unspeakable. He wants to kiss it away. He wants to lick it off your mouth like a psychopath. He stares. Blinks. Shakes his head like a wet dog. Absolutely not. No. Stop it.

What’s wrong with you, scolding himself. She’s just brushing her teeth. Like a person. A very pretty, perfect person.

He spits. Rinses. Avoids eye contact. Looks at the drain. Looks at your spit down the drain. Another weird thought. One that must be suppressed.

And then it’s time. Bedtime. Final boss.

Your bed is small. Cozy. Absolutely infested with plushies. He pretends to be annoyed but he secretly loves them. Even if they are plotting to kick him off the edge of the mattress. He climbs in carefully, unsure which plush is your favorite. Unsure what you'd do if he accidentally knocked one little guy off the floor. The blanket smells like your laundry. Like home. Like the future he wants with you.

You’re already under the covers, blinking at him sleepily, smile soft and content. Wearing his shirt and not much else. The fabric rides up your thighs and he has to look away before his brain fully melts. He deserves a prize for not making a move. Deciding to lay on his back, stiff, hands folded like he’s in a coffin. He doesn’t touch you. Not even a pinky. Be good, chanting to himself. Be good. You like her. You love her. You’re not a perv, you’re not a perv.

You shift closer.

A leg brushes his. A sigh escapes your lips. Your hand settles gently on his stomach like it belongs there.

He almost cries, something between a half whimper and a wheeze leaves his throat.

Slowly, carefully, he slides his arm around your waist. You don’t flinch. Don’t pull away. You lean into him.

He swears he hears wedding bells.

You fall asleep just like that, face nestled against his shoulder, breath even and slow. And he lies there, heart racing, brain fried, blinking up at the ceiling, Satoru would be getting no sleep tonight.

His thoughts are a mess: She’s so pretty. Is she really mine? What if I kissed her forehead? No, too soon. Maybe not. God, her skin is soft. I should move in. Tomorrow. Today. Right now. No, bad. Calm down. Be cool. Be a good boyfriend. Don’t get a boner. You’re cuddling. It’s fine. Just breathe. You’re okay. This is okay. Everything is okay.

He wants to. Touch you, that is. Just your waist. Just a hand on your back. Just to pull you closer and feel your heartbeat against his chest. But he doesn’t. He stays perfectly still. He doesn’t want to push anything. You haven’t done that yet, and he’d rather die than make you uncomfortable.

Except nothing’s okay. Because he’s so in love it physically hurts. Because you’re sleeping peacefully and trusting him with this little moment, and all he wants is to stay like this forever.

How are you sleeping so peacefully while he’s over here thinking about nothing but how perfect yoh are?

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Finally caught up with Apothecary Diaries. I can't believe they gave Maomao a gun.

[chloesimaginationthings]

Harley Sawyer is a very normal man from Poppy playtime

[samiramohans]

YELLOWJACKETS 1.10 // 3.03 // 3.04

[odetokeons]

♱ Nosferatu (2024) dir. Robert Eggers ♱

+ bonus

[sparkoflena]

Kon: Why are you staring at me so intently?

Tim, completely casually: I think I want to stab you with Kryptonite a few times. In different areas. For science.

Kon: ...why is my best friend considering torturing me?

Tim: I'm wondering if it takes you down so badly because it is truly that dangerous to you or if the invulnerablility of Kryptonians gives you a weak pain tolerance.

Kon: And you're asking me, a half human, instead of Clark or Kara?

Tim: They'd start telling Bruce about my "concerning villainous behavior" again.

Kon: And I won't?

Tim: I've kept fighting through pneumonia, a gunshot wound, and broken bones. And you go down when I poke you with a rock. Come on, you've got to be curious.

Kon: ...okay, I am a little curious.

Tim: YES! You won't regret this!

Kon: I will absolutely regret this.

[badolmen]

WARNING 18+

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