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erinelliotc · 6 months

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Your history with Ed, Edd and Eddy

Hello! I'm so glad to receive my first message! I'll start apologizing in advance for my English grammatical mistakes since English isn't my first language, but I'll try my best :)

Well, Ed, Edd n Eddy is my favorite childhood cartoon! And I think it's my biggest special interest. It's been part of my life since an early age. It's hard to say precisely how old I started watching it because I don't know when I started picking out the channels I watched as a kid, but I think I started watching Cartoon Network somewhere between 2005-2007, when I was 5-7 years old (I'm a 2000s kid!). I've watched a lot of cartoons, but none of them give me that feeling of warmth and comfort Ed, Edd n Eddy does. It's hard to explain but I just love this show with all my heart and soul, it makes me so happy and excited. It's so silly, random and funny, it's everything my autistic little brain wanted and needed. Double D has always been my favorite Ed and today I can affirm without a shadow of a doubt that he's my favorite character of all time and probably the one I identify with the most. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned out to be the way I am today because of his influence.

[EDIT] I'm editing this to add something very important! I forgot to mention that I played "To The Eds-Treme" a lot when I was a kid!

If you don't know, it was a skateboarding game where you play as Ed, Edd and Eddy to impress Nazz. I was definitely at least 7 or younger when I played this.

It's so funny that when I found this game again, I thought "Wow, it was so difficult. I'll try to play it again". So I played and... won quickly, then I realized that it wasn't difficult, I actually just didn't know how to play because I was just a stupid kid xD

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I probably gradually stopped watching EEnE when I was around 10 or 11 (2010/2011) due to a combo of factors:

The show ended, new cartoons began to be released and Cartoon Network's schedule changed. So the time EEnE was on (probably in the early hours of the morning) stopped corresponding to the time I used to watch TV

Like I said, I used to watch a lot of different shows. I started hyperfixating on Adventure Time when I was 12 (2012) and this lasted until 2013. I tend to have lots of hyperfixations and to hyperfixate on one thing at a time, so the hyperfixation of the moment temporarily pushes the other ones away until another one arrives to take its place. After hyperfixating on Adventure Time I started hyperfixating on something else, then on another, and another... Until I get to where I am today xD

I was gradually starting to use the computer more and the TV less because I'm a very digital person. My interest in the internet became greater and greater and I was stopping to watch TV shows in general

You know when something is so much a part of your life that you don't realize how much it means to you? Because you're already used to it, it's part of your everyday life, so you just don't think about it much. And when you're a kid you're even more oblivious and clueless about things in general. Kids are simple. We don't overanalyze and reflect about things when we're kids, we just live and enjoy our simple childish lives. So when I was a kid, I didn't realize how much I love this show and I didn't even have any idea about rating things as favorites and stuff, I didn't think about it, so I didn't have that percpetion of "Ed, Edd n Eddy is my favorite TV show", even though I watched it a lot. I was just a little kid watching my TV shows and living my life, that's all. I only started to understand the enormous importance that this show has for me when I started to grow up and began to miss it intensely when I saw things about it or when I suddenly remembered its existence. Plus, you can only feel nostalgic when you grow up, and feeling nostalgic is a big factor in me becoming obsessed with things.

After I stopped watching it, my first contact with EEnE was probably when I was 12 and I saw and shared a post about it on Facebook in February 27th, 2013 (yes, coincidentally on Danny Antonucci's birthday!), and it brought me so many lost and happy memories, and the first part of my nostalgia! I was so happy to suddenly remember the existence of the show and unearth a series of positive feelings that I didn't even know were here.

Translation of what I wrote: "DORKS! (laugh) I REMEMBER *-* ED, EDD N EDDY"

And I watched EEnE for the first time again when I was 13 (July 2013) because I was on a plane trip with TVs in the seats. I turned on the TV to Cartoon Network, and coincidentally, Ed, Edd n Eddy was showing. Then nostalgia hit me even harder. However, this was just the "beginning" (the real beginning was in childhood, but anyways, it was the trigger to make me regain that lost childhood love), the hyperfocus hasn't started here yet.

I also saw and shared a post about EEnE on Facebook again in October 8th, 2014. Once again, a lot of positive feelings emerged.

Translation of what I wrote: "forever the most memorable cartoon of my childhood ❤️"

After that, I remembered the show from time to time (suddenly or by some trigger), especially when the subject of old cartoons or favorite cartoons came up by chance in conversations with my friends and EEnE always came to my mind automatically when talking about it even though I haven't watched it in years and it wasn't something active in my daily life at that age. It was only natural for me to answer to my friends in these conversations that Ed, Edd n Eddy was my favorite cartoon (and especially that Double D was my first crush and favorite character), as if deep down I knew how much it meant to me and that it was in fact the cartoon that had the greatest impact on my childhood and even on who I am today. So at that time (from 2014 to 2017), I used to look a little about it on the internet every now and then, but still not obsessively. I just saved some pics, looked for some episodes...

In January 2018, I was traveling and came across this t-shirt in a store (Riachuelo) at the mall. You have no idea how inexplicably happy I was, as if I were face to face with an old dear friend. That t-shirt just needed to be mine. When I started to remember it, nostalgia hitted me so hard and that's when everything started. Then I started hyperfixating at least since 2018, at least once a year.

Some pics with my t-shirt from February 24th, 2018:

In case you don't know, here in Brazil "Ed, Edd n Eddy" was translated to "Du, Dudu e Edu" because the Portuguese version of Edward is Eduardo, and the common nicknames are Dudu and Edu, so they just had to create the nickname "Du" (at least I've never seen someone called Eduardo being called Du) and there you go, we have the perfect adaptation! But we also lost the "Double D" nickname as we didn't have the issue of "Ed" and "Edd" sounding the same, so they just didn't see the need to keep it. So every time he's called "Double D" they just dub him as "Dudu" too.

Returning to the main topic: Hyperfixating made me find out about EddEddy and KevEdd ships, and honestly at that time I was kinda 🤨 because, besides never having thought about the possibility of them having anything other than friendship, I was raised in a conservative family and I reproduced their very homophobic thoughts more or less until I was 18, so I saw some fanarts and thought things like "Oh why would people do that!? Gross!". But still, for some reason I couldn't help but get a little too obsessed with EddEddy, and even a little with KevEdd, and save fanarts of the two together… little did I know. Today EddEddy is my biggest OTP, and I see no sense in KevEdd.

Each time I hyperfixated on EEnE it was more intense than the previous time, until it completely took hold and became an active and fixed part of my life. From 2019 to 2022 it was getting veeery intense. Sometimes the trigger was me sleeping, dreaming about EEnE, and because of the dream I remembered it and started hyperfixating. I finally had the idea to start looking for EEnE on TikTok (2022) and I discovered some really cool videos and profiles. Now, the last time I hyperfixated (September 25th, 2023) has been the strongest ever. I've finally reached the highest level of hyperfixation that makes me feel this is the most important thing in my life and I'm thinking and doing things about it 24/7.

So now I feel a great need to produce and absorb as much EEnE content as possible, which made me feel the need to finally join and interact with the fandom, which also led me to start using Tumblr for real and discovering that the format of this social media is PERFECT for me, as it is very organized, there are many ways to format text and insert media, media remain in excellent quality, the character limit is huge (great for me as I love writing), and I can edit the posts (great for my perfectionist side). This hyperfixation allowed me to step out of my comfort zone to explore a social media that fits perfectly with me, as before this I was a recurring Twitter user and faced a lot of annoying problems because of the limitations of this social media. It's even helping and encouraging me to finally practice my English and drawing, which are things I've wanted to do for a long time but didn't have enough energy to do or something important enough to encourage and stimulate me to do it, or didn't know how/where to start.

So I watched the entire show with Brazilian dubbing (since that was how I watched it when I was a kid and I wanted to feel the nostalgia more strongly), then I started subtitling the original episodes to watch them with the original voices and with my own way of subtitle since I'm a bit obsessive and perfectionist and I want to translate in the way I consider most accurate as possible. And boy, I love the Brazilian dubbing, I think they did a really good job and there are even some scenes that I find funnier in this dub BUT Eddy's original voice is simply a work of art. Tony Sampson was impeccable and did the most iconic and unique voice of all time. There are some scenes that I find hilarious just because it's Eddy talking, even the normal scenes that weren't intended to be funny or at least as funny as I find them. Also, I tend to prefer watching things in the original track because I like knowing exactly how things were said, and also to practice my English.

I also started writing about the show, the characters and their development throughout the seasons, writing fanfics, drawing the characters, writing some ideas for comics, making edits, and I'm practicing my English because I'm writing everything in English since the fandom is mostly English speakers and there are not many Brazilian fans. I plan to make videos compiling my favorite scenes, compiling EddEddy scenes and explaining how this ship makes sense, talking about Eddy being gay, talking about Double D and why I identify with him so much, talking about my autistic Double D headcanon, make Telegram sticker packs for each season, customize some t-shirts with the characters (mainly with Double D) and some scenes, buy clothes for my Double D cosplay (I already bought the hat and the t-shirt) which I intend to wear in my everyday life as casual clothes (basically I want to live my life as Double D from now on, which is not hard since we're basically the same person xD I'm just going to start dressing more like him to become even more like him) and even make other Double D clothes that I can't find for sale (I want to graduate in a suit exactly like the one he wears in season 5, and I also want the same cardigan and tie. And I was going to buy pajamas conveniently similar to his anyway, but duck pajamas, which also makes sense and isn't out of character at all, as we also see him wearing some duck-printed clothes).

But what makes me sure that EEnE is my strongest and most important special interest of all is the fact that for the first time in my life I decided to get a tattoo, for real! I used to have hypothetical tattoo ideas but not with the intention of actually getting them because I hate/hated the idea of permanently marking my body. I always said I would get a tattoo if tattoos worked like clothes (i.e., being removable and giving me the option to decide which one I want to wear on the day). But with EEnE that thought instantly disappeared completely, I was just like "I'll get it tattooed", without hesitation, it just felt right. I immediately lost my fear of marking my body as if it never existed because I consider EEnE so important and meaningful to me, so part of my own identity, that it just seems like the right thing to do. My initial idea was to tattoo Double D, but then I realized that actually all of them are very important to me even though Double D is my favorite, so I'm going to tattoo the trio, but probably doing something to highlight Double D (I'm still deciding what the tattoo will be like).

And you know what else? Rewatching Ed, Edd n Eddy now is even reminding me of lot of things that are blowing my mind. There are scenes from the show that I didn't even remember were from there, I just knew I had seen them somewhere. It feels like EEnE is so internalized in me that I don't even know which memories and parts of me come from the show, it's just all mixed up there and they are now part of my "system". I didn't even remember that I used to watch it with my dad and I only (re)discovered it when I watched a specific scene that I also didn't remember that was from EEnE, because I remember that I used to reproduce/imitate that scene with my dad because we found it funny. It's so strange to not be aware about these memories because they're so deep and buried in my subconscious. It's like I'm rediscovering myself and what shaped me and led me to where I am today, and rediscovering how important this show is to me and how much it influenced me.

Anyways, you asked for my history with Ed, Edd n Eddy, so here's my TED talk! All from the beginning and without an ending because all factors point to the obvious fact that this show will never leave my life. Not only did this never happened, but it became more and more part of my life over time, as well as having deeply rooted itself in me as a kid, so it has already become an inherent part of who I am, making it impossible to separate myself from the show. I just don't exist without Ed, Edd n Eddy.

Some current pics of me, now 23, wearing my favorite t-shirt :)

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glitchbirds · 17 days

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started watching the his dark materials tv adaptation earlier this week- something that i had meant to do back in 2019 when it began and never quite got around to. started s3 yesterday so i should get the remaining 7 episodes under my belt within the next few days genuinely it is fascinating to watch an adaptation of a series that i read only once, when i was ten years old, but which left such a profound impression on me that i have consistently cycled back to it for years and years (esp when its such a complex, sprawling fantasy world-or several worlds, really- that its adapting)

as ive mentioned Several times over the years- maybe not on this particular account though-, i was gifted an omnibus copy of all three books in one by my older brother, either for christmas or my birthday i cant remember, sometime before the 2007 movie came out (meaning i had to have been 10 at the absolute oldest when i started reading them, though maybe 11 by the time i finished?). i also very clearly remember The Controversy surrounding them among christians, mainly because of a few comments by classmates but more importantly because my (fourth grade, iirc?) teacher pulled me out of class one day to tell me the book i was reading was sinful and atheist and against god and etc (which made me cry very hard </3 even though she told me i could still read it. this was back when my dad still took me to (catholic) church on a semi-regular basis to appease my grandmother as well as sunday school (run by my older cousins) and at least a year or so before i started to develop a modicum of critical thought towards deep south church teachings. i was petrified of the idea of going to hell and scared to do anything whatsoever to jeopardize my chances) (this did not stop me from reading the book however, because i enjoyed it too much. but i also have a clear memory of reading the book every chance i got w/o paying much attention to what was happening around me and one day realizing that i was reading it while at church service and mentally freaking out that i was doing something sacrilegious and trying to force myself to stop reading. i think i spent about 10 minutes bored out of my mind before i, internally apologetic, went back to reading) luckily my parents seemed unaware or unphased by the fearmongering- i assume my mother never noticed, or this was before she started to become insane from fox news poisoning; my dad i think brought it up briefly because of a flyer he saw but wasnt overly worried about it- because i saw the movie in theaters (i liked it ok; have never seen it since, i want to now though) and also acquired the ds game (tbh i enjoyed it despite it being tie-in garbage and me being v bad at video games as a kid; i never managed to beat it though) and later the wii game (bad </3 never got far into it)

Anywayyyy. again i have never since reread any of the books or read any of the other novellas and the like philip pullman has written set in the same world, though im itching to do that now; and ofc while ive skimmed through wiki articles and the like to refresh my memory on things, my memory of most of the plot points in the books are heavily based on My Perspective As A Ten Year Old Child. i remember the first book the best, a decent amount of subtle knife, and can only recall a few specifics of amber spyglass, and its only now while revisiting the world by watching the tv show that im getting a proper, more well-rounded view of the symbolism and messaging and Authorial Intent(tm) behind the series, because of course a lot of this shit flew right over my stupid little child brain as a kid. once i got to the third book i started to understand, vaguely, why my teacher didnt want me reading this book and why there was a backlash against the movie, but a lot of things that are obvious to me now (and would have been obvious if i read the series just a few years later, really) just did not compute for a 10 y/o. which ofc does not mean that i think its a Bad thing i read them that young but all of ^ that turns watching this series into a mix of "oh i remember that" "oh i know whats coming up" "oh my god i forgot that this is from HDM, this has influenced so many creative projects over the years w/o me even realizing it" "oh they skipped over it but i know in the books there was a scene here that i loved and that has stuck with me forever" "i dont remember this from the books but it extrapolates perfectly from what i remember about these characters" "oh my god was the symbolism here really that obvious and i still didnt pick up on it" etc etc etc ANYWAYYYY. my actual review of the tv series so far: -season 1 in particular is sorely lacking in how it portrays daemons and it made me increasingly sad. daemons were without a doubt my favorite thing from these books and one of my favorite things in a work of fantasy Ever to the point where over the years i have Repeatedly decided to sit down and spend a ridiculous amount of time painstakingly plotting out what daemon i think (x) character from (x) piece of media i enjoy, would have. many of which are still committed to memory. i fucking love daemons as a concept and i wish this shit was public domain so any piece of fiction i write could utilize them forever. i get budget issues exist or w/e but whyyyy would you adapt a series where every character in a world would have a cgi animal with them at all times if you couldnt actually show those cgi animals in more than a handful of scenes per episode and only for (some) major characters and only if they had a speaking role in that scene and also occasionally just have them teleport instead of showing them walking from one room to the next and also crowd shots are fucking barren. its like watching a live action pkmn tv show where pokemon are onscreen for a combined 5-10 minutes out of 60 minute episodes. s2 is a bit better about it but it also spends significantly more time in other worlds where daemons arent visible so ig its easier to budget in more daemons in scenes that take place in lyras world. no idea about s3 yet though ofc the mulefa are coming so We'll See how they handle the cg there

-i do think the cg animal animation looks good though. like its not "i believe there is an actual snow leopard in the room" photorealism but not only is that something i do not particularly care about, i think daemons looking a little unreal is actually perfect. they are physical manifestation of human souls and are in-universe immediately distinguishable from identical animals of the same species... it works

-s2 in general is a significant improvement on s1 not just in the daemons but in the overall pacing and character exploration imo; which is surprising considering its the season cut short from covid lockdown; and also a bit sad since, again, most of what i remember is from the first book and thus many of my fondest memories of the books were things that were either skimmed over in the first season or cut out entirely </3 ALAS.

-iorek and iofurs fight didnt go as hard as it shouldve </3 they didnt even show iorek ripping iofur's jaw off... he was killed in the blurry bg behind lyra. how are you gonna let the 2007 pg-13 movie kick more ass at talking armored polar bears fighting to the death

-am i crazy or is the alethiometer just not used much in the tv series compared to the book... maybe the movie+games clouded my memory, or maybe its the fact that in the show there's rarely any elaboration as to what the symbols could mean or which symbols lyra is using for her questions/what she's interpreting. almost every scene of it being used blurs together and i wouldnt be shocked if some show-only fans think its a stupid plot device with no rhyme or reason behind the symbols, when imo i think you can at least roughly intuit many of the meanings, though obviously not to the extent that a reader could interpret full accurate sentences

-some really really strong casting for like 99% of the roles in this show, i love most of the changes theyve made from the books wrt to casting decisions, my only significant gripe is of course. why did you have to do lee scorseby like that. i loved lee a lot. i remembered him so fondly. why'd you have to give lin manuel miranda that one. just absolutely devastating to me personally (though the choice to have andrew scott as will's father was v funny to me because lin manuel miranda and moriarty from bbc sherlock hanging out together for a huge chunk of s2 has to have appealed massively to a very particular subset of tumblrina)

-again i read these books when i was 10 so the concept of "characters can be bad people but also really well written and enjoyable to spectate" hadnt really settled in my mind yet so i really have no idea if this fully applies to the book version of her but oh my godddd i love mrs coulter in this series. yes she kidnaps children and rips their souls apart from them yes she drugs her own daughter and holds her captive yes she murders people indiscriminately without remorse etc. and she rules <3

-similarly the changes theyve made to the golden monkey are Fascinating...

-i loved lyra and pan with my whole heart when i was her age and it is really :,) to now be fully an adult and see her again. waughh. i love how almost everyone she meets loves her too (i will not stand for ppl watering it down to found family fanfiction tropes. but She Is So Loved.)

-i think its cool that boreal went from being a fairly minor character in the books to one of the main antagonists for a hot minute. he was fun :)

-i dont remember having strong feelings about mary malone as a kid but i really like her here. i havent gotten to this point in the show yet but im aware they tweaked her backstory to make her a lesbian as well, which is just delightful to me

-will's relationship w/ his mother and particularly the way the book describes her mental illness from will's perspective was so, So important to me as a kid and the thing i remembered best from subtle knife, and i wish the show had dwelled on it a liiiittle more? in particular, the bit where will thinks about when he first realized something was up and his mother wasnt just playing a "game" with him and was actually terrified of a nonexistent threat, when he was seven and they were shopping for groceries, and how he realized then and there that he needed to take care of her and protect her- that stuck w/ me very strongly as a kid and i wish the show had found a way for will to talk about it with lyra, there were a couple points where i thought he was going to bring it up. maybe this season??

fun fact i started writing this post at like 10 last night. i gotta put a stop this rn

#very long and rambly post. apologies #txt

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oceansprompts · 11 months

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𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕝'𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 (𝟚𝟘𝟘𝟟) 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤

quote sentence starters taken from Marvel Comics' The Order (2007) issues #1. change the pronouns/adjust lines as needed.

Hi, I'm TV's Tony Stark -- The billionaire industrialist with a heart of iron!

I got it. Kids, super heroes, the whole thing. There's something profound there I respect.

C'mon -- A billionaire and an actor? With those mustaches? Forget it.

Hell, after we'd slept with everyone in town, the papers tried to pair the two of us up.

Did you quit or were you fired?

So the party days were over.

Exactly. The party days were over.

I was blessed with my health, comfort money, and a shadow made up of fifty cameras.

Are you sure you want me to lead your little super hero team?

This guy's heat signature is off the charts.

Can't hit it if we can't get near it!

I have an idea, but I need a second to recalibrate my equipment!

Really, [ bad name ]? That's a terrible name for a billion-dollar piece of Stark hardware.

I'm gonna kill it! I'm gonna cut off its damn head!

This thing completely shut us down and we could barely lay a finger on him.

Want to see the fastest thing you've ever seen?

I hope for the best and prepare for the worst... That's my silly little mantra... but I'm always surprised at how bad it can get.

The hell is all this noise?

You want me to hit them?

No. I mean, yes, but no.

I need you and your people to stand down or I'll have you shot as, I don't know, enemy combatants or some such.

Excuse me? Who the HELL are you?

Damn, our boy sure did make a mess, didn't he?

Three thousand acres, wouldn't you say? Eh, rhetorical question.

"Jurisdiction." Yeah, that's where I stop listening. And caring.

Get him wrapped up. I want to be tail-lights by the time the media shows.

Go ahead and call daddy. The company I keep isn't very impressed with Stark or SHIELD these days.

I have a long history of cleaning up my messes on my terms.

Now: I'm not really here, this isn't really happening.

And don't forget to smile for the cameras.

I have a long history of cleaning up my messes on my terms. Now: I'm not really here, this isn't really happening. And don't forget to smile for the cameras.

And he knows the royalties are awesome!

Ah. Right. Okay. My name is [ name ] and I'm an alcoholic.

It might be my birthday, but you're the most important person in the room tonight.

Did you hear my boy in that press conference?! He don't take crap from nobody.

Pretty great?! Come on -- We're officially superheroes now, yo! Shake your ass a little!

Look at you! You just saved Los Angeles! Hey, didn't you just save Los Angeles?

Tonight, you wanna roll with the rest of us, and get tore up?

From the floor up!

We're superheroes, and we're gonna go party like super heroes!

Come on -- don't hold out. You gotta come.

Baby, we just saved Los Angeles from [ super villain ]! You heard the news -- We're [ superhero team ]! Baby, we're superstars!

Was it your tax dollars? They didn't have credit cards or -- ?

I'm one trying to figure if we don't have to fire half your team.

A third. We'd only have to fire a third.

We can't dump these kids, they --

It'll look like we fired them for not being teetotalers like me.

It's why the war was fought -- accountability for the super-powered, and responsibility to the people those super-powers are sword to protect.

I will not create walking a-bombs that can't hold their liquor.

Good -- because I kind of have 10,000 things to do --

You blew it. And you knew you were blowing it as you blew it.

This wasn't a secret. This wasn't an unwritten rule. It was explicitly agreed to --

We've all been made into something more than just human. So we have to learn how to be more than just human.

Be at the training site at eleven or you're all fired, too.

Kidding. But don't be late.

Y'know, I'm supposed to be running this team, and I haven't slept three consecutive hours in the last three weeks.

How the hell do you stay so calm?

I'm just trying to do the next right thing. One right thing at a time, lined up in a row. That's it.

Right now, boss, the next right thing is taking off these ridiculous clothes and taking a very long, very hot shower.

That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I think I'll join you.

I said I -- Oh god -- I can't believe -- I can't believe I said that.

I mean -- My lord, I'm still a widow for god's sake.

Well, you'll always be a -- look it's okay. I know --

I'm -- you know what? I'm just gonna go.

What on earth do ya'll think they're talking about?

I kind of liked 'em. I liked not having to be them just yet.

Hey -- toughen up, buttercup.

They're wondering how they screwed it all up so bad so fast.

That's not gonna be us, yo. No @#%@#$@ way.

What are y'all looking forward to? Helping people? Or, like, stopping accidents, or --?

Heads up, heroes. Time to get heroic.

Am I afraid to die? I suppose? I don't know -- I mean, no more than anyone else is afraid of dying, I guess. Should I be?

#roleplay memes #rp sentence meme #sentence meme #sentence starters #roleplay prompts #roleplay starters #roleplay #sentence starter prompt #marvel sentence starters #marvel comics

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denimbex1986 · 7 months

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'This month, the world’s longest-running science-fiction television show is recognising an impressive milestone. Doctor Who, BBC One’s flagship family show, is celebrating its 60th anniversary with three specials and the return of David Tennant as the titular Time Lord...

A bullet-proof Vauxhall Corsa

Defying all known motoring logic, Tenth Doctor companion Martha Jones (played by Freema Agyeman) snapped up a Corsa B despite the existence of something called 'Fiesta'. Still, it came with some very unusual modifications.

In the 2007 instalment The Sound Of Drums, Martha’s car managed to deflect a barrage of machine gun fire from numerous bad guys with just a few sparks and not a dent in sight, never mind an exploding car (in fairness, the rear window did smash). Thankfully, her passengers David Tennant and John Barrowman were also unharmed...

A 1956 Vespa

Ok, this is the last non-car on this list of cars. Honest. But this one’s pretty damn cool.

David Tennant, also pretty cool, rocked the moped with an equally stylish Billie Piper sitting on the back as the couple hit London in 1953 (pretty naughty of him bringing future transport but we’ll let him off as the Doctor was intending to land in 1956). Due to the vehicle being fiendishly difficult to ride, stunt doubles were used for any shots of them moving.

Peugeot 307

The 2002 European Car of the Year did actually save the world. Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) owned a dark blue version and, famously, in the episode titled Turn Left, she used the car to turn… right! Only kidding. She turned left.

By doing so, she changed time and saved the Doctor, the world and, indeed, the whole universe. Sadly, her power could not extend to making the 307 desirable...'

#Peugeot 307 #Donna Noble #Catherine Tate #Turn Left #David Tennant #Billie Piper #The Idiot's Lantern #Martha Jones #Freema Agyeman #John Barrowman #1956 Vespa #The Sound of Drums #Vauxhall Corsa

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seancamerons · 11 months

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jem is seriously such a fun cartoon!

YES! I was in my 20s in college when I first heard of it, lol. my bus buddy, whose name was ed, told me about it. I watched it shortly after, and the rest is history. 😊

what's not to love? its got catchy 80s bangers played by a pastel pink haired front woman who is a hologram who turns out to be an alter ego of a girl by the touch of an earring.

to paint a picture, it's like if hannah montana, julie and the phantoms and a barbie all had a baby in an animated series 😆 it's truly outrageous! even for the 80's. the combination of drama with a rivalry, jerrica's secret identity, evil banger playing rivals the misfits who commit multiple felonies with little consequence on the regular ie: kidnapping, vehicular manslaughter, arson and more, heartwarming orphans, evil record exec, a love triangle, glamor, glitter, fashion and fame all wrapped in a pretty pastel package. all in all, it's got something for everyone. jem was created just to sell some off brand barbie dolls during a saturday morning cartoon time slot. genius.

if i ask most women in their late 30s or 40s who grew up in the mid 80s about jem, not only do they know jem, they get all nostalgic and legit happy at the mention. example, a colleague at work had the dolls. my boyfriends older sister dressed as jem for halloween. a college classmate who was my age, and i bonded over jem. this show had girls in the 80s dreaming and thriving. evidently, with streaming, it's accessible. i believe it's free on youtube its now on tubi.

honestly, jem isn't just for girls or children. let’s be real. cartoons aren't just for kids. usually, look to disney, shows like simpsons, fururama, and family guy for comparison, some of these are clearly nit for kids. disney primarily has jokes that go over kids' heads, but can get mom and dad to crack a smile or bust out laughing. same reason parents and kids like bluey.

we don't discuss jem and the holograms (2015) not the same, not even close. looking at a fella by the name of scooter braun, (guy isn't liked by swifties either, might I add if you know you know.) who consulted fans of the og and made it a dumpster fire by not taking any of the suggestions and ideas he asked us for. i don’t even think he took some the suggestions from the creator of jem, he simply thought he knew it all that's the impression i get. to top off he took it out of the 80s and made it gimmicky, wannabe teenybopper shit. it was off. i didn't get that far.

FUN FACT: jem and the holograms (2015) received a 22% on rotten tomatoes.

I didn’t exactly expect a movie like that or one that was more true to jem from 80s to be perfect or win an Oscar by any means, but they could have made it a bit like tongue and cheek, like similar to og jem, or even deep at times like barbie (2023). We likely won't get a redemption or a new one, but it was a shame the reboot didn't do it justice. The girls of the 80s deserved a live action of their childhood favorite! I mean, look at transformers (2007) for the boys. Why can't we have nice things?

Thanks for the ask. 💌

#asks #simonspiervsthehomosapiensagenda #thank you for the ask 💌#🩷#jem #jem and the holograms

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year

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Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)

Even though it disappointed repeatedly, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was worth it for 2007's animated micro-series Star Wars: Clone Wars. If you want to see a young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in awesome action sequences with character development and sights even the best special effects would struggle to bring to life, this offers it in spades. Stylish, action-packed, and teeming with memorable moments, this is the Star Wars you’ve been dreaming of.

From Genndy Tartakovsky - creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and the animated segment of Priest (the only good part). Clone Wars is an animated anthology series that bridges the gap between Episodes II & III. Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Mat Lucas), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Mace Windu (T.C. Carson), and Grandmaster Yoda (Tom Kane) battle the armies and minions of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As armadas of ships, legions of droids, and underwater militia clash, special op covert missions, fiendish monsters, ominous visions, and terrifying villains shape the future of the universe.

If you haven't heard of this series or dismissed it as a kid’s cartoon, you have no idea what you’re missing. This is no mere children’s entertainment, it’s Star Wars going back to its roots with a series of short adventures that tie together to make a gigantic story. There’s no way real-life actors or stuntmen/women would dare to pull off the moves we see here. They'd wind up digitally rendering people on digitally rendered background and at point... why not simply animate it all? This is the kind of story that shows what animation is best suited for. Atmosphere is generated through Tartakovsky's simplified color pallets and character designs. Nothing stands out as artificial, because it's entirely artificial. If you thought General Grievous was a pretty cool character in Revenge of the Sith, you haven’t seen anything yet, at best he’s a mere shadow of what you will witness here.

When it first aired, I fell in love with Clone Wars because of the cool villains and visual carnage. These depictions of Count Dooku, Darth Sidious, and the new foes introduced are instant favorites. The battles are varied and dynamic. This time, I was struck by the character arcs, particularly Anakin Skywalker's because of how much is done with the visuals. This is a confidently directed piece by someone who understands the power of silence. It’s so much more impressive to see a group of Clone Troopers take down an opponent by communicating with only hand signals than it is with them shouting orders at each other. Instead of actors, it's the animators doing the storytelling through the characters’ body movement. Anything extraneous has been trimmed out and tossed away to deliver a lean and satisfying epic.

This is a “movie” that no one will be able to agree upon because inevitably, the question of “What was the best part” will come up and everyone will have a different opinion. Will it be Mace Windu standing alone against impossible odds? The first encounter with General Grievous? The space battle whose uneven odds are tipped in the underdog's favor thanks to superior strategy? How about Kit Fisto in a prolonged underwater war, Anakin in a mission that would test his strength like none other before, or that part where Count Dooku and… well I don’t want to spoil it.

I do have some criticisms, and I know they’ll sound unfair. Technically, this is not a movie, but I’m judging it as if it was. It’s because it’s that good. Other television shows would struggle to stand next to it because it accomplishes so much in so little time. Star Wars: Clone Wars is only 2 hours long but it packs in as much as my favorite series’ do in an entire season-spanning arc. (On DVD, December 4, 2015)

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libertyoftheseas · 1 month

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A Guide to the Liberty of the Seas Deck Plans

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, a member of the Freedom class, is a grand vessel known for its wide range of amenities and accommodations spread across 15 decks. Since its debut in 2007 and refurbishment in 2016, it continues to offer guests a blend of luxury, entertainment, and adventure. Here’s a detailed exploration of what each deck has in store.

Deck 2: Starting Point

Deck 2 houses essential staterooms, including ocean view and interior options, providing comfortable accommodations. This deck also contains the medical center, ensuring that guests have access to necessary healthcare services.

Deck 3: Entertainment Hub

Deck 3 is where the entertainment action begins. It features the lower level of the Platinum Theatre, where guests can enjoy Broadway-style shows and other live performances. Studio B, the ice-skating rink, hosts impressive ice shows and offers opportunities for guest skating. The Art Gallery is also situated here, showcasing artworks available for purchase.

Deck 4: Casino and Performances

Deck 4 is a hotspot for gaming and entertainment. Casino Royale offers a variety of games, while the Schooner Bar provides a nautical-themed setting for cocktails and live piano music. This deck also includes the mezzanine level of the Platinum Theatre, offering excellent views of the stage.

Deck 5: Royal Promenade

Deck 5 is the bustling core of Liberty of the Seas. The Royal Promenade, an indoor boulevard, features shops, cafes, and bars. Dining options on this deck include Sorrento’s Pizzeria, the Cupcake Cupboard, and an English pub. The Main Dining Room, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is also located here.

Deck 6: Relaxation and Accommodation

Deck 6 offers a variety of staterooms, including balcony, ocean view, and interior cabins. The Vitality Spa on this deck provides a range of treatments designed to relax and rejuvenate guests, offering a peaceful escape from the ship's bustling activities.

Deck 7: Quiet Spaces

Deck 7 continues with a mix of staterooms, many featuring private balconies. The library and card room on this deck provide quiet spaces for reading, games, and relaxation.

Deck 8: Business and Comfort

Deck 8 houses additional staterooms and the Business Services area, catering to guests who need to stay connected and manage work-related tasks during their cruise.

Deck 9: Luxury Accommodations

Deck 9 offers a range of luxurious staterooms and suites, providing enhanced amenities and extra space for a more comfortable stay. These accommodations are ideal for guests seeking a more upscale experience.

Deck 10: Family Focus

Deck 10 is designed with families in mind, featuring spacious family staterooms and suites. These rooms offer additional space and amenities, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience for larger groups.

Deck 11: Fitness and Pools

Deck 11 is the wellness and activity hub of the ship. It includes a state-of-the-art fitness center and the adults-only Solarium, complete with whirlpools. The main pool area features multiple pools and hot tubs, while the H2O Zone kids’ water park provides fun for younger guests.

Deck 12: Youth Activities

Deck 12 is dedicated to younger passengers, with the Adventure Ocean Youth Program offering age-appropriate activities for children and teens. This deck also includes additional staterooms, including family-friendly options.

Deck 13: Adventure and Fun

Deck 13 is packed with thrilling activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, and a mini-golf course. The Viking Crown Lounge provides panoramic views and a relaxing atmosphere for unwinding.

Deck 14: Scenic Views

Deck 14 features staterooms with stunning sea views and includes the Cloud Nine and Seven Hearts card rooms, perfect for card games and quiet relaxation.

Deck 15: Sun and Serenity

Deck 15 is dedicated to ultimate relaxation, featuring the Sun Deck and the adults-only Solarium. It’s an ideal spot for soaking up the sun, enjoying the sea breeze, and finding a peaceful retreat.

Conclusion

Liberty of the Seas offers a diverse range of experiences across its 15 meticulously designed decks. From entertainment and dining to relaxation and adventure, each deck provides unique amenities and activities to ensure every guest has a memorable cruise experience. Whether you’re seeking excitement, serenity, or a blend of both, Liberty of the Seas caters to all tastes and preferences, making it a perfect choice for an unforgettable cruise vacation.

#liberty #sea #deck #plan

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rockytamtam · 1 year

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autism be damned i have seen the lion musical again !!!!! : a lion king musical review

this was supposed to be the third silly review but in the end it's gonna be the first ^-^' anyway, this was the second time i went to the lion king (last time i went was on may 4th), this time i had restricted view front row tickets &&& u can read more about this under the cut !!!

jsyk these go everywhere and aren't just abt the show i do talk abt the sillies that happen before and after it :D warning this is like. very long. like insanely long. no part 2 we die like men

saw the show on : june 18th 2023, théâtre mogador

first things first that was my first time going alone in paris and all went well until i tried to find the theater and kept getting lost, i made it tho !! and in time!

the cast changed a little but i saw stanley kassa as simba again (understudy), simon gallant played ed this time (saw him as zazu last time and he was crazy proud of himself at stagedoor, as he should he was awesome), & a new nala actress (paola fareri), new timon (romain apelbaum), & other kid simba & nala

my seat was ! much closer to the stage than expected it felt like i was IN the stage, but it's still not bad at all even for a restricted view seat !!!

during the circle of life, this time, there were no technical difficulties with the elephant so i got to see it ! i thought it was going to hit me with its tusk lol, & i saw zazu run so i was so happy

cried again during the key change 💚

olivier (scar) does change his energy depending on which kid is on, it's pretty different from last time!

also it's VERY impressive seeing him act from so close

it wasn't until the lioness hunt that i realized that i just Could Not see the entire back of the stage and when actors were there i could just see the top of their head

anyway. the lioness hunt 💕💕 i just love the choreography

during i just can't wait to be king it felt like the lyrics changed? like they were singing the movie version? and i couldn't tell if it felt this way because they changed them since the 2007 french cast recording or because i just didn't remember properly

anyway i love zazu. zazu my beloved. i just love this bird.

hyenas time i love them theyre my favorite characters :DDD i actually picked this seat because it's on the side of the stage they go to during the other song >:]

first time seeing simon as ed and he's got a really cool energy !!! shenzi (mélina mariale) & banzai (abdel-rahym madi) killing it as always

actually got startled when mufasa (noah ndema) roared

(skipping they live in you bc i have nothing to say sorry!!)

BE PREPARED TIME. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SONG. olivier is wonderful, the hyenas are wonderful, this is starting so so well.

and then. before the breakdown, the hyenas start walking around on set, as they do ! they go right in front of my spot, AS I PLANNED! AND I AM SPOTTED (lime green hair helps!)

im having a main character moment wth. banzai is like "i love your hair color! he needs the same" while grabbing the puppet's hair, and im just "AA THANK YOU???!!" and shenzi and ed gave me a high five im just. that was a "and everybody clapped" moment but i was having a blast okok thank u

BANZAI WAS LOOKING AT ME WHILE SINGING FROM THE BONE STAIRS THINGS I WAS SO HAPPY???

the stampede made me sad, but i wasn't exactly looking at it bc i was curious about what was happening in the wings

there was this small child in the crowd who was crying LOUDLY and everytime everyone else would go"awwww :("

rafiki mourns is still one of the songs i find most beautiful, i especially love when the lionesses cry bc i think the tear effect is so cool

end of act 1 (sorry timon, sorry pumba. u guys are awesome too) !!

i could see more actors & dancers up close it was so cool i love looking at the costumes & makeup

kept making eye contact with the hyenas it was a little awkward ESPECIALLY when they werent the character u were supposed to focus on

second time seeing ntsepa as rafiki and she's still awesome. i love her sm :(((

THE LION HEAD IN HE LIVES IN YOU REPRISE. THATS IT THATS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.

son oncle oscar? is still my fav thing idk if i put this in the right order but its whatevs

the same little kid yelled "SCAR!" during simba confronts scar

curtain call / finale moment !!! pumba (cyril romoli) was smiling at me but i didnt notice until the end (< - too busy looking at the hyenas)

this guy's about to go stage door alone (he's very faceblind and he's me!)

i dash i fly out the theater . im gonna see simon, mélina, and abdel. i repeat endlessly. and i'll try to see stanley and olivier again

this time there were more people than last time, but it was also night last time and now its sunday

i got to see mélina !! she was so so sweet and signed my notebook, i was too scared to ask for a pic

all goes well, UNTIL i start feeling rain on my arm and next thing u know it starts pouring

30 minutes in olivier breitman comes out of stage door holding the smallest carboard box over his head, he hides under the franprix with us and he signs my notebook too before running to another spot (he was so sweet i love him sm)

the rain stops after an hour, only dancers came out and . i suspect it was abdel but i cant besure bc this one girl told me he left when the rain started -, and i go back near the actual door

ten minutes pass still no one, but i still want to see simon or stanley; two dancers come out and are like "hey you can go inside if you want to hide from the rain"... WHAT. anyway i go inside stage door

i heard the girl who was waiting with complain that i got in, i dont know if i should move or not so i decide to stay near the door

stayed there for maybe 15 minutes and then this guy came to close the gate that led to the theater and i was like. yeah okay these guys are not coming out or already left

AND THEN I HAD TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR FOR MY TRAIN TO START. anyway i got home at 10 thank u

THE END !!!!!!! im so sosrry i am Very talkative

#i think this might be 70% me loving the hyenas & their actors oops #sorry not sorry theyre awesome <3 #this is like 1000 words long what how #musicalposting #the lion king #long post #just to be sure

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movieremakesandmore · 1 year

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Comparison pt. 3 - Drama

The Karate Kid (1984)

To conclude my series of blog posts, I will be discussing one last movie genre (or genres, since some may fall into various categories), which is romance/drama. Whether you have actually watched it or not, we have all heard about the movie The Karate Kid. Probably the one from the 80s, right? How about Footloose or Freaky Friday? Maybe you've watched the Annie play or went to see Hairspray: The Musical. These are all movies that have either been remade or remastered for a newer audience. Younger generations might not know that Disney Channel's 2003 film Freaky Friday is actually inspired by a 70s movie of the same name. While the plot between these two films doesn't stay exactly the same, it is technically still considered a remake, or a "remastering" as I'd like to call it. Disney did the same thing with The Parent Trap from the 60s, recreating it again in the 90s which I always thought was the original until about a year ago. In this case, the "better" movie really just comes down to what you grew up with. Both the original and remakes scored nearly the same on every critic website.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Since we spent so much time talking about movie sequels and remakes, why don't we end the series of blog posts with some information on movies made into musicals? Annie was originally created as comic strip in the 1920s, made into a musical in 1977, became a movie in 1982, and was remade yet again in 2014. Hairspray was originally created as a movie in 1988, made into a musical in 2002, and was remade as a movie again in 2007. To avoid confusion, I will only be comparing the first-made movie to the more recent one. Starting with Annie (1982) here are its ratings: 49% Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6/10 IMDb, and 4.6/5 Google Reviews. Annie (2014) received a 28%, 5.3/10, and 4.5/5. Hairspray (1988) scored an impressive 98% Rotten Tomatoes, 7.0/10 IMDb, and 3.6/5 on Letterboxd. Its 2007 remake scored a 92%, 6.7/10, and 3.5/5. This evidence shows the original Annie to be a lot better than the remake, but for the Hairspray movies to be about the same.

Hairspray (1988)

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jackblogsthings · 1 year

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New York's Most Eye-Catching Clothing Brands

New York is home of some of the most unique clothing brands on the planet. These brands are indispensable to anyone who loves fashion. Sies Marjan is a New York-based brand that creates clothing specifically designed to show off your unique characteristics. The brand has a broad range of clothing, including an elegant and satin dress or plus-size pants. 1. Sies Marjan Sies Marjan is a luxury ready-to-wear brand founded in the year 2016 by Dutch designer Sander Lak. After finishing his studies at Central Saint Martins, he worked at Dries van Noten until launching his own label. His main focus is color, fit and fabric. He enjoys mixing unusual shades into his edgy designs. It is a favorite among its fans and is well-known for its use of jewel toned and shining colors in its pieces. The brand resurfaced in New York in 2016 with bright rainbow colors, and quickly made an impression. Although it closed its doors in 2020 its impact lives on. The Colors of Sies Marjan is a record of the five-year history of the label. Rizzoli edited it and included high-quality illustrations and notes, the best pieces and highlights from campaigns and collections. This chart tracks the brand's revolutionary path. 2. Tier NYC Tier NYC was founded in 2014 by Brooklyn residents Nigeria Ealey, Esaiejean Simon, and Victor James. It is a striking clothing brand that gives a new take on fashion. Although they're not style designers, the founders of Tier NYC are proficient in graphic design and art, which is evident in their collection. Their essential streetwear items include French Terry hoodies, tees shorts, sweatpants and hoodies that can be worn throughout the year. With an eye for specifics, they also make customized camo designs as well as utility design. Ealey, Jean Simon, and James thought it was the right time to expand following their experience participated in Harlem Fashion Row's annual show. They opened a boutique of 975 square feet inside the Beverly Center in Los Angeles on Friday. 3. CD Greene CD Greene is known for his made-to-measure dresses that accentuate the feminine figure by paying keen attention to embellishment. Every detail is designed with the customer in mind so that the dress never overshadows her. His work can also be seen at Bergdorf Goodman, where his gowns are showcased in the amazing holiday window. The metallic-colored jumpsuit appears coupled with a model who plays the trumpet, while a second dress is on a flowing Mermaid model.

youtube

CD Greene's work pays homage to his creative roots in sculpture. The focus is on form, asymmetrical balance and the texture. His distinctive designs that are sculpted using crystal and mirrors are beloved by Hollywood royalty and pop stars alike. 4. Lemlem Inspiring by a trip to her native Ethiopia, supermodel Liya Kebede established Lemlem (meaning "to bloom and grow" in Amharic) in 2007 to preserve weaving and create jobs for artisans from the region. The result is a fresh stylish, modern women's and kids' clothes line that's contemporary and distinctly African. The label's net sustainable program guarantees that every piece is produced entirely by hand in Africa. This is a way to support local talent and keeps Africa's textile industry alive. Some of the label's eye-catching designs are the slinky gauze dresses and kaftans detailed with brightly embossed patterns. 5. Tia Adeola Tia Adeola was the concept behind Teni Adeola born in Nigeria, a designer. She was born in London. The brand was launched from her dorm room using art history as an inspiration. Her specialty is ruffles, the lace and lace which evoke the Renaissance. Every piece is designed with an feminine touch. Her ability to create striking clothes that make you feel like you're wearing art is another quality. Adeola is a popular choice model for sexy style and her collection for fall/winter 2023 at New York Fashion Week showed the talents she has shown to be. She sent 20 looks down the runway, each playing off of another with synergy. Watch the YouTube video

#New York Style #Clothes #Dress #Life Advice

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brookstonalmanac · 2 years

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Holidays 9.24

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Peru)

Banned Website Awareness Day

Bluebird of Happiness Day

Brooklyn Dodgers Memorial Day

Constitution Day (Cambodia)

Dating Day

Do Impressions of Famous People Around the Office Day

Dominion Day (New Zealand)

Festival of the Latest Novelties

Fidelity Day

Gallbladder Good Health Day

Heritage Day (South Africa)

Jim Henson Day

Kiss Day

Lady of Mercedes Day (Dominican Republic)

La Mercè (Barcelona, Spain)

Lash Stylists’ Day

Libra zodiac sign begins

Mahidol Day (Thailand)

Manit Day (Culture Day; Marshall Islands)

Moose Day

National Collagen Day

National Familial Hypercholesterolemia Day

National Firefighter Suicide Awareness Day

National Monument Day

National Professional Baseball Day

National Punctuation Day

National Youth Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)

New Caledonia Day

Republic Day (Trinidad and Tobago)

Santa Cruz Day (Bolivia)

Thrue Bab (Blessed Rainy Day; Bhutan)

Transatlantic Telephone Day

Worldwide Day of Play (Nickelodeon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cherries Jubilee Day

National Horchata Day

National Mofongo Day

Zwanze Day 2022 (Cantillon Brewery) [Saturday, Varies]

4th & Last Saturday in September

American Frog Day [4th Saturday]

Centzon-Totochtin Drunken Rabbit Day [Last Saturday]

Everybody's Day Festival [Last Saturday]

Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Last Saturday]

Fish Amnesty Day [4th Saturday]

International Lace Day [Last Saturday]

International Rabbit Day [4th Saturday]

Kiwanis Kids' Day [4th Saturday]

Museum Day (Smithsonian) [4th Saturday]

National Alpaca Farm Days begin [Last Saturday]

National Ghost Hunting Day [Last Saturday]

National Hunting & Fishing Day [4th Saturday]

National Public Lands Day [4th Saturday]

National Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

National Wildlife Ecology Day [4th Saturday]

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play [Last Saturday]

R.E.A.D. in America Day [4th Saturday]

Save Your Photos Day [Last Saturday]

Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

Independence Days

Guinea-Bissau (from Portugal, 1973)

Feast Days

Almarcon (Positivist; Saint)

Anathalon (in Brescia; Christian; Saint)

Antonio Gonzalez (Christian; Saint)

Chuniald (a.k.a. Conald; Christian; Saint)

Cocktail Day (Pastafarian)

Émilie Gamelin (Canada; Christian; Blessed)

Feast of Maiso (pre-existent Mother Goddess; Brazil)

Festival of Nafulectu Dilxiln (Black Big Spider; San Carlos Apache, Arizona)

Gerard of Csanád (Christian; Saint)

Germer (a.k.a. Geremar; Christian; Saint)

Jim Henson Day (Muppetism)

Our Lady of Mercy and its related observance (Christian)

Our Lady of Ransom (Mercedarians)

Our Lady of Walsingham (Church of England)

Pacificus of San Severino (Christian; Saint)

Rowlf the Dog (Muppetism)

Rupert of Salzburg (Christian; Saint)

Rusticus (a.k.a. Rotiri), Bishop of Auvergne (Christian; Saint)

Schwenkfelder Thanksgiving (Pennsylvania Dutch; Silesian Reformation)

Teddy Ruxpin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series; 2013)

The Big Bang Theory (TV Series; 2007)

Black-0ish (TV Series; 2014)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Album; 1991)

Brand New Day, by Sting (Album; 1999)

Caress of Steel, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Chuck (TV Series; 2007)

Come Sail Away, by Styx (Song; 1977)

Constantine (TV Series; 2014)

Dazed and Confused (Film; 1993)

Dear Evan Hansen (Film; 2021)

Dharma & Greg (TV Series; 1997)

First Daughter (Film; 2004)

Jailhouse Rock, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

The Long Run, by The Eagles (Album; 1979)

Mister Rock and Roll (Film; 1957)

The Munsters (TV Series; 1964)

The Name of the Rose (Film; 1986)

Nevermind, by Nirvana (Album; 1991)

1999, by Prince (Album; 1982)

The Odd Couple (TV Show; 1970)

Peyton Place, by Grace Metalious (Novel; 1956)

60 Minutes (TV Series; 1968)

Shaun of the Dead (Film; 2004)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, recorded by The Platters (Song; 1958)

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series; 2017)

Tears of a Clown, by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Song; 1970)

That Thing You Do, by The Wonders (Song; 1996)

Today’s Name Days

Rupert (Austria)

Anatolij, Antun, Rupert (Croatia)

Jaromír (Czech Republic)

Tecla (Denmark)

Alvar, Alver, Alvo (Estonia)

Alvar, Auno (Finland)

Thècle (France)

Gerhard, Rupert, Virgil (Germany)

Kopros, Mirsini, Mirto, Persefoni, Persis, Thekla (Greece)

Gellért, Mercédesz (Hungary)

Pacifico, Terenzio (Italy)

Agris, Agrita, Knuts (Latvia)

Gedvinas, Gedvinė, Gerardas (Lithuania)

Jan, Jens (Norway)

Gerard, Gerarda, Gerhard, Maria, Teodor, Tomir, Uniegost (Poland)

Ľubor, Ľuboš (Slovakia)

Gerardo, Mercedes (Spain)

Gerhard, Gert (Sweden)

Rostyslava, Thekla, Thecla, Volodyslav (Ukraine)

Eartha, Ertha, Herta, Hertha, Mercedes, Mercy, Scot, Scott, Scottie, Scotty (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 261 of 2022; 104 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 37 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guìyuè), Day 23 (Jia-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 22 ʼĔlūl 5782

Islamic: 21 Ṣafar 1444

J Cal: 21 Aki; Sixday [21 of 30]

Julian: 5 September 2022

Moon:2%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 9 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Vondel]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 89 of 90)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 26 of 31)

#Holidays

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brookston · 2 years

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Holidays 9.24

Holidays

Armed Forces Day (Peru)

Banned Website Awareness Day

Bluebird of Happiness Day

Brooklyn Dodgers Memorial Day

Constitution Day (Cambodia)

Dating Day

Do Impressions of Famous People Around the Office Day

Dominion Day (New Zealand)

Festival of the Latest Novelties

Fidelity Day

Gallbladder Good Health Day

Heritage Day (South Africa)

Jim Henson Day

Kiss Day

Lady of Mercedes Day (Dominican Republic)

La Mercè (Barcelona, Spain)

Lash Stylists’ Day

Libra zodiac sign begins

Mahidol Day (Thailand)

Manit Day (Culture Day; Marshall Islands)

Moose Day

National Collagen Day

National Familial Hypercholesterolemia Day

National Firefighter Suicide Awareness Day

National Monument Day

National Professional Baseball Day

National Punctuation Day

National Youth Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)

New Caledonia Day

Republic Day (Trinidad and Tobago)

Santa Cruz Day (Bolivia)

Thrue Bab (Blessed Rainy Day; Bhutan)

Transatlantic Telephone Day

Worldwide Day of Play (Nickelodeon)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cherries Jubilee Day

National Horchata Day

National Mofongo Day

Zwanze Day 2022 (Cantillon Brewery) [Saturday, Varies]

4th & Last Saturday in September

American Frog Day [4th Saturday]

Centzon-Totochtin Drunken Rabbit Day [Last Saturday]

Everybody's Day Festival [Last Saturday]

Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Last Saturday]

Fish Amnesty Day [4th Saturday]

International Lace Day [Last Saturday]

International Rabbit Day [4th Saturday]

Kiwanis Kids' Day [4th Saturday]

Museum Day (Smithsonian) [4th Saturday]

National Alpaca Farm Days begin [Last Saturday]

National Ghost Hunting Day [Last Saturday]

National Hunting & Fishing Day [4th Saturday]

National Public Lands Day [4th Saturday]

National Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

National Wildlife Ecology Day [4th Saturday]

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play [Last Saturday]

R.E.A.D. in America Day [4th Saturday]

Save Your Photos Day [Last Saturday]

Seat Check Saturday [4th Saturday]

Independence Days

Guinea-Bissau (from Portugal, 1973)

Feast Days

Almarcon (Positivist; Saint)

Anathalon (in Brescia; Christian; Saint)

Antonio Gonzalez (Christian; Saint)

Chuniald (a.k.a. Conald; Christian; Saint)

Cocktail Day (Pastafarian)

Émilie Gamelin (Canada; Christian; Blessed)

Feast of Maiso (pre-existent Mother Goddess; Brazil)

Festival of Nafulectu Dilxiln (Black Big Spider; San Carlos Apache, Arizona)

Gerard of Csanád (Christian; Saint)

Germer (a.k.a. Geremar; Christian; Saint)

Jim Henson Day (Muppetism)

Our Lady of Mercy and its related observance (Christian)

Our Lady of Ransom (Mercedarians)

Our Lady of Walsingham (Church of England)

Pacificus of San Severino (Christian; Saint)

Rowlf the Dog (Muppetism)

Rupert of Salzburg (Christian; Saint)

Rusticus (a.k.a. Rotiri), Bishop of Auvergne (Christian; Saint)

Schwenkfelder Thanksgiving (Pennsylvania Dutch; Silesian Reformation)

Teddy Ruxpin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series; 2013)

The Big Bang Theory (TV Series; 2007)

Black-0ish (TV Series; 2014)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Album; 1991)

Brand New Day, by Sting (Album; 1999)

Caress of Steel, by Rush (Album; 1975)

Chuck (TV Series; 2007)

Come Sail Away, by Styx (Song; 1977)

Constantine (TV Series; 2014)

Dazed and Confused (Film; 1993)

Dear Evan Hansen (Film; 2021)

Dharma & Greg (TV Series; 1997)

First Daughter (Film; 2004)

Jailhouse Rock, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1957)

The Long Run, by The Eagles (Album; 1979)

Mister Rock and Roll (Film; 1957)

The Munsters (TV Series; 1964)

The Name of the Rose (Film; 1986)

Nevermind, by Nirvana (Album; 1991)

1999, by Prince (Album; 1982)

The Odd Couple (TV Show; 1970)

Peyton Place, by Grace Metalious (Novel; 1956)

60 Minutes (TV Series; 1968)

Shaun of the Dead (Film; 2004)

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, recorded by The Platters (Song; 1958)

Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series; 2017)

Tears of a Clown, by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Song; 1970)

That Thing You Do, by The Wonders (Song; 1996)

Today’s Name Days

Rupert (Austria)

Anatolij, Antun, Rupert (Croatia)

Jaromír (Czech Republic)

Tecla (Denmark)

Alvar, Alver, Alvo (Estonia)

Alvar, Auno (Finland)

Thècle (France)

Gerhard, Rupert, Virgil (Germany)

Kopros, Mirsini, Mirto, Persefoni, Persis, Thekla (Greece)

Gellért, Mercédesz (Hungary)

Pacifico, Terenzio (Italy)

Agris, Agrita, Knuts (Latvia)

Gedvinas, Gedvinė, Gerardas (Lithuania)

Jan, Jens (Norway)

Gerard, Gerarda, Gerhard, Maria, Teodor, Tomir, Uniegost (Poland)

Ľubor, Ľuboš (Slovakia)

Gerardo, Mercedes (Spain)

Gerhard, Gert (Sweden)

Rostyslava, Thekla, Thecla, Volodyslav (Ukraine)

Eartha, Ertha, Herta, Hertha, Mercedes, Mercy, Scot, Scott, Scottie, Scotty (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 261 of 2022; 104 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 37 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guìyuè), Day 23 (Jia-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 22 ʼĔlūl 5782

Islamic: 21 Ṣafar 1444

J Cal: 21 Aki; Sixday [21 of 30]

Julian: 5 September 2022

Moon:2%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 9 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Vondel]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 89 of 90)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 26 of 31)

#calendar #Holidays

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greensparty · 2 years

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2022 Collectibles Extravaganza

My pals at the Northeast Comic Con (which I’ve covered in the past) had a collectibles Collectibles Extravaganza at Boxboro Regency (Boxborough, MA) on July 1-3. For me, this marked my first time at a convention since 2019. This didn’t have as many guests and panels as most cons as the emphasis was on exhibitors, but there were quite a few special guests and I was lucky enough to catch up with some.

me with a Tribble at the convention

First up was a Zoom reunion panel discussion. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the PBS children’s show, which was produced by WGBH. It was on until 1978 and then reruns for the next few years. I remember watching it as a kid and the big thing I remember was all of the kids with their striped shirts and they would play on the giant Z, O, O, and M letters. This year there have been a ton of reunion celebrations. I caught the panel of original cast members Bernadette Yao, Joe Shrand, Kenny Pires, Maura Mullaney, and Nancy Walker. I am not nearly as much of a Zoom expert as other PBS shows, but it was fun to see them all and the positive message the show has had on fans over the years.

the Zoom reunion panel

Roger Kabler’s Robin Williams Tribute Experience

Next was Roger Kabler, comedian and impressionist, mostly known for his spot-on Robin Williams impression. He recently made an indie film Being Robin about his experience. “After he died I was very haunted by him and felt compelled to carry out his work. Like [Robin Williams voice] ‘I want to go back to work now, c’mon let’s go’. And I was retired, I wasn’t going to do it, because showbiz is very dangerous for me. But I was like, who am I to say no to Robin Williams if its true? If its true, I should really listen and be respectful.” I remembered seeing Kabler on the short-lived 1992 NBC sitcom Rhythm & Blues, where he played a radio DJ and there was one scene where he did a wicked impression of both Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in the movie Awakenings. Was there feedback from Williams about that? “I didn’t hear anything about that, but apparently he saw something I did around 2007 or 2008, when I did an impression of him on a TV show. It was a reality show about celebrity impressionists The Next Best Thing and I did Robin and he saw it and it got back to me that he really liked it. That was nice to hear, but I never actually met him.” As for the impression itself, he says “Its more of inhabiting. But its an homage and people seem to like it”. His film Being Robin is currently seeking distribution. I will have a review soon, so stay tuned!

Bell (lower left) with Joe Perry (second from left), Danny Hargrove, and Joe Pet circa 1983.

Next was Cowboy Mach Bell. He played in several bands including Thundertrain, but I know him because he was the singer for Joe Perry Project from 1982-84. During the time Joe Perry left Aerosmith in the early 80s, he formed his own band the Joe Perry Project. The lineup changed with each album, but their 1983 album Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker had one of their best lineups with Bell on vocals, Joe Pet on drums, Danny Hargrove on bass and of course Perry on guitar. That album has left a lasting impression especially among Joe Perry fans. “I’m finding out more and more right now” says Bell, “that people who do remember those tours are going back to that album. The interesting thing with books, movies, records - we’re realizing that those that we listened to and then put aside, we come back to and listen with new ears as you’ve moved along. The Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker album is among those albums. It was in between the time that Aerosmith had gotten back together. Now listening to the album, it still stands up, there’s a lot of great musicality in it, catchy songs. I’m learning more now as I connect with fans now. We didn’t have social media back then. It was just come to town, here’s the songs, goodbye. Never thought I’d see those kids again.” In the last few years, Bell has written some books about his rock and roll memories including Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker: A Diary and I Gotta Rock. “I kept a daily diary when I was with The Joe Perry Project with all the gigs we did, recording and all the van rides. I had the diaries all these years.” So he revisited these diaries and put them together. In addition to his books, he is also developing a top secret band as well. Can’t wait!

For info on the Collectibles Extravaganza: https://collectiblesextravaganza.com/

#collectibles extravaganza #northeast comic con #convention #zoom #roger kabler #being robin #robin williams #cowboy mach bell #joe perry project #tv #film geek #comedy #music nerd

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mostlymovieswithmax · 3 years

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Movies I watched in July

Once again I’m doing my monthly round-up of movies I’ve watched. This was a good month for the cinema getting back on track and seeing new releases including the new M. Night movie, Old and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Pretty sure Marvel put out a new movie also. I’m hoping that this list can help in guiding a decision about what to watch (or what to avoid) and introduce people to movies they may otherwise not have heard of or bothered to see. These short reviews are my own subjective opinions on each individual movie and maybe a more informal approach to movie criticism can help include others who are just passing through. Here is every film I watched from the 1st to the 31st of July.

Bridesmaids (2011) - 4/10

Off to a good start. I won’t say Bridesmaids is a terrible movie but I don’t think I’m exactly the target audience. As far as I know, this is a beloved comedy but I just can’t get on board with all the boring, juvenile humour; with Maya Rudolph shitting in the street, with Rose Byrne and Kristen Wiig trying to one-up each other at a toast that went on forever, with Melissa McCarthy shitting in a sink… the conflict is so done to death and makes the movie feel unspecial. I do understand the appeal of the film, especially for women in that before this movie the likelihood of seeing something like this, where women play up the more crass and gross side of comedy, was probably few and far between. But the story is very tired and while I did appreciate some moments, namely a couple of decent jokes and some of the more intimate scenes, for the most part it felt like they wanted to corner a more quiet type of line delivery in a way that was supposed to be understated but very funny so as to not rely on over the top body language or musical cues, and it ended up being super dull.

Spectre (2015) - 7/10

As far as I can tell, a lot of people don’t like this instalment of the James Bond franchise… but I really enjoyed it! I’ve really taken a shine to these Daniel Craig-era Bond movies and while I can’t say any of them are the most amazing thing, I have a lot of fun with them. The biggest problem I have with Spectre is the villain being utterly pointless and uninteresting in basically every way. The idea of every villain Bond has fought before being tied to this one organisation controlled by this one guy is ridiculous, and what makes it worse is that the villain is barely in it! There’s so much that doesn’t come together in this but as it goes, I still had a really good time. Daniel Craig holds the whole thing together; he is excellent as 007 and the main reason I’m up for each of these movies is because of him. Sam Mendes directs again after the previous instalment and for what it’s worth I do think he does a good job with some of the action set pieces and the locations. I’m so ready for No Time To Die.

Shazam (2019) - 7/10

Shazam is a genuinely fun superhero movie that doesn’t take itself seriously at all. I was having a great time throughout and while it could conform to some of the same tropes we’re used to with these kinds of movies, it still remained playful and used the character of Shazam to his fullest potential in a way that showed an understanding of just how silly the idea of a kid who can turn into an adult and shoot lightning out of his hands is.

High School Musical (2006) - 6/10

So as you may or may not know, I co-host a podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s a film podcast and every week I get together with my other co-hosts and watch movies. For episode 38, we watched the High School Musical trilogy. This first movie blew me away. I was really surprised with just how much fun I had, and if you want to hear more of my thoughts on the film, please listen to episode 38 of the podcast.

High School Musical 2 (2007) - 4/10

We then jumped into the second and while it’s certainly not as good as its predecessor, there are still some brilliant songs that manage to top the last movie. Again, more of what I have to say can be heard on episode 38 of the podcast.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) - 3/10

Senior Year was pretty hard to get through. I don’t remember it being as bad as it was, but then I didn’t really remember it anyway. It did however have one redeeming quality, which you can discover on episode 38 of the podcast.

The Piano Teacher (2001) - 9/10

What the fuuuckkkk. The Piano Teacher is horrendously affecting and I was so upset when it ended, maybe not because it’s not what I wanted but because it’s just so fucking dour and unrelenting. This is the second Haneke movie I’ve seen (after the original Funny Games) and I’m so impressed with how well executed it is. Following a woman who teaches piano, we get a glimpse into the life she lives, how sheltered she is from living with her mother at an age where you’d reasonably expect a person to be living alone or with a partner or friends (even going so far as to be sleeping in the same bed as her), and how repressed she is sexually. It’s clear she’s never experienced any kind of sexual interaction or romantic love with another person, so she goes out of her way to take control and make that happen. The upsetting nature of it comes from just what she does in pursuit of it or as a result of her repression, and what is done to her. It is by no means a movie to recommend to your parents but The Piano Teacher offers so much in terms of the ideas it presents (and I’ll admit there seems to be a lot more going on than I think I picked up on a first go round) about women in modern society, and about the portrayal of sex and expectations of people when it comes to how that is represented in a person’s character depending on their gender. I really enjoyed this movie but it is not for the faint of heart.

Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011) - 1/10

My podcast co-hosts decided it’d be a right laugh to add Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure to this episode and that might have been a fun idea for them because they got to watch it together, but I was just watching it alone. Just a 24-year-old man watching Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure alone and having a miserable time, I might add. But for a short and sweet ramble on what we all thought, please listen to episode 38 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

Dr. No (1962) - 6/10

A lot of very iffy parts of this movie. A lot of discomfort arising from how black people are portrayed that really didn’t sit right with me. As far as a Bond movie goes, this first instalment in the series is one I’ve seen before and it’s not wholly engaging but it plants the seeds for the rest, with Sean Connery breathing life into the role and making an otherwise lacklustre plot bearable.

Black Widow (2021) - 6/10

I think probably the best part about Black Widow is the experience I had while watching it. It was great being back in the cinema with a couple of friends in a packed theatre. The energy was high and I’m sure for a lot of people, this is the first time they’d been to the cinema since Endgame. For what it’s worth, I did have a lot of fun with Black Widow and I’ve explained more of what I thought about the movie in episode 39 of the podcast.

The Climb (2020) - 10/10

The Climb was added to Now TV recently and I already knew I loved it, having seen it in an empty cinema theatre last year, which I had an absolute blast with. The Climb details the years of a rocky friendship told over scenes filmed as one-shots. Not only is the presentation something to gawk at, but the performances by the two leads playing these friends with a terrifically dysfunctional dynamic is truly captivating. They’re both trying to figure out their own lives and where one can come across as being rather selfish, the opposite is true in his counterpart, whom everyone loves. This is a truly funny and heartwarming movie with a lot to say about how we choose to live our lives and who we choose to be with. It’s a shame the distributors of The Climb didn’t do a very good job because if not for it being available on Now TV, it would be near impossible to watch without forking out more money than is necessary to purchase a film.

From Russia With Love (1963) - 5/10

The second Bond movie. I thought perhaps I’d change my mind on it with another watch, having seen it for the first time maybe a year ago. But no, it’s still largely boring and it treats women like absolute garbage. From Russia With Love is one of those movies I forget as I watch it, and I was trying very hard (in the middle of the day!) not to fall asleep.

The Good, The Bart, and The Loki (2021) - 1/10

I don't usually talk about the short films I watch but for this I'll make an exception. As we all should know, Disney owns The Simpsons now, through their acquisition of Fox, so, coupled with another of their properties, that being Marvel, they decided to make a six-minute animated film wherein Marvel’s Loki is stranded in Springfield. This felt as though it was a minute long due to the horrendously jarring pacing; it is a movie that feels adamant that it needs to exist, while trying as hard as it can to be over as soon as possible. It serves only to stare the audience directly in the face and say “look, characters from The Simpsons are dressed as Avengers”, shit out three credit scenes, then end before you’ve even processed the atrocity you just bore witness to.

Russian Ark (2002) - 8/10

For this next episode of the podcast, we watched a few Russian movies, starting with Russian Ark, a film shot completely in one take as the camera moves about a luxurious museum in a first-person perspective as this main character watches what is happening around him, seeing people moving about the place but unable to interact with them, guided only by another man who seems to be just slightly out of his own perception of reality. This is a tremendous feat in filmmaking and more can be heard about what I have to say in episode 39 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

Ivan’s Childhood (1962) - 7/10

For my own pick of Russian movies to discuss on the podcast, I chose the debut feature from one of my favourite directors, Andrei Tarkovsky. It’s amazing that while this is not his best film by far, Ivan’s Childhood is still such a stellar debut, jumping around in its timeline as it details a child’s experience in the second world war. Again, I do go into more depth in episode 39 of the podcast, so be sure to check that out.

Outlaw (2019) - 1/10

The third movie chosen for this marathon is apparently the fourth Russian LGBTQ+ movie ever made. I’m unsure of the ultimate goal of this movie but what seems to be clear is that it hates the LGBTQ+ community. This is perhaps the worst film we’ve discussed on the podcast to date, so listen to episode 39 to understand exactly why it’s such trash.

Almost Famous (2000) - 7/10

I too love heavy music and also studied journalism so it stands to reason that a movie about a teenager who makes his way onto a band tour, following them through America and interviewing them as they hang out and play shows is going to be a premise that resonates with me. This certainly did. I enjoyed Almost Famous a lot; this kid is living the dream and I was so along for the ride, seeing a lot of myself in what was being portrayed. That said, the story itself is at times a bit by the numbers and I really would’ve been more on board if the visual component was more interesting. For what it is, technically it’s fine enough but nothing in that department ever jumped out at me.

Minari (2021) - 8/10

It’s crazy that this didn’t get a theatrical run where I live in the UK. It feels as though I complain about film distribution all the time but I really don’t understand the process by which a movie gets no cinematic release and yet, months later will pop up on the front shelf of hmv, taking pride of place. But of course I got the blu-ray straight away. Minari has a lot to say about the immigrant experience, specifically in America as a family comes over from Korea and tries to start a business and make something of themselves. You get to see a lot of what you might not think twice about when you think about immigration: the hardship of coming from a place where you know everyone to somewhere rural and sparsely populated, having to make friends with locals and integrate within the community; the strain it can put on a family and on a marriage where this idea is presented about the importance of making it on your own in order to live and not just survive, while also taking into account why you’re doing it in the first place and the value you place on being part of a family that you decided to make because that was more important than money, than economy, than proving you were good enough to make it in a place that gave you very little advantage from the offset. This concept of the promised land, of the American dream is a construct. There are times when it’s not pretty, when you have no running water, or you’re in debt, or a family member is dying and it just feels like you’ve been dealt as bad a hand as you can get. But it is better to know you’re not facing all that alone.

Roma (2018) - 10/10

This was my recommendation for the podcast episode on Alfonso Cuarón movies. Roma is as beautiful as it is heart-wrenching and I would recommend listening to episode 40 of the podcast to find out more about my thoughts.

An American Werewolf In London (1981) - 8/10

In all fairness, London is enough to make anyone a little crazy at the best of times. An American Werewolf in London showcases some fantastically grotesque effects, akin to something like Carpenter’s The Thing, in showing the dead brought back to life and a horrifically gory transformation scene. Although the film is from the perspective of an American protagonist, directed also by an American, the depiction of British culture and climate is something I’ve not seen many films pull off quite so well, and I was pleasantly surprised at the more comedic tone the film has overall, which is something that works more in its favour than straight horror would.

The Party’s Just Beginning (2018) - 6/10

Karen Gillan’s directorial debut is… pretty good! There are a lot of ideas I like in this movie: a woman living life and through convenient circumstances, is confronted with death in many ways. Gillan obviously knows her homeland as well as she can, imbuing the whole thing with an intensely Scottish vibe (though maybe not in the same vein as something like Trainspotting) that makes it a bit more unique than a more run of the mill movie of this ilk, backed up in no small part by her own main performance. The plot itself is no great diversion from the kind of story I’m used to with these smaller movies and for something that’s trying to include messaging about transgender issues and suicide, it probably could have been handled better or done in a different way.

Solaris (1972) - 9/10

Another Tarkovsky joint, one I thought I’d revisit to see if there was indeed more to get out of it a second time. Well, it’s no surprise that yes, there was certainly more to get out of it. Solaris is a crazy trip of a movie and I would liken it to Kubrick’s 2001 in terms of how grand the scale of it feels. Yet this is a film that comes across as deeply personal, choosing to focus on a specific character as he goes to a space station to help those on board who are experiencing some kind of emotional crises, only to feel the effects of the planet, Solaris invading his own mind as it has the crew. To many, I can see this lengthy Russian sci-fi being a tad slow but my personal experience is one of deep engagement. Solaris pulls its viewer in a lot of different directions and it is always doing something unexpected in terms of where its narrative goes. There’s a lot to think about with the movie and thankfully it’s no chore to watch again.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001) - 9/10

Another recommendation for the podcast episode on Alfonso Cuarón movies. This is a very relaxed experience, following three young people as they go on a road trip, visit different places and have sex. Listen to episode 40 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast for more of my thoughts.

Children of Men (2006) - 10/10

My favourite Cuarón movie, one that never stops being tense as its characters are constantly moving towards the end goal. Set in a future where humans are infertile, the oldest living person is 18, and London is the last city in the world that’s still keeping it together, somewhat. This is masterclass filmmaking. Listen to episode 40 of the podcast for more insights.

Minority Report (2002) - 5/10

I’m really not the biggest fan of Spielberg… Minority Report is an interesting movie in terms of its concept of stopping crimes before they happen by way of prediction, but I just didn’t connect with the heart of it. The colouring is way too overexposed in a way that’s supposed to be eliciting a futuristic vibe but instead feels so early-2000’s in the worst way. My biggest problem with Minority Report is just how long it is, clocking in at two hours and twenty-five minutes which allows for a lot of meandering, all while never quite developing characters enough for you to care about.

Caché (2005) - 9/10

Oh god! Another Michael Haneke movie! Here we see a couple periodically sent video tapes featuring hours of footage of the outside of their house. The anxiety ratchets up and the mystery gets deeper with every minute. There’s always at least one moment in any of his films that have so far made me realise just how out of my depth I am. Caché is no exception, and I won’t spoil anything here because I think it’s better just to watch the movie and see for yourself. He is a director that wants the audience to know something and that something is never what is explicitly shown at face value; it is pressed into the fabric of the film - plainly evident, yet hidden. Caché is so stupidly clever in displaying its themes and messaging - making reference to the Siene Massacre of 1961 as well as a deeper study of colonialism - and there’s no way to change a single detail of it without risking the Jenga tower crumbling to the ground. It all works in tandem. It is passion and fury and haunting.

Coco (2017) - 7/10

Pixar had a string of around seven forgettable movies before this point so thankfully Coco emerged to show the company still had something good in them. Coco deals a lot with themes of death and legacy, remembering those who are gone in order to preserve them and while its plotting is quite basic and there are certainly moments that either drag or cannot escape the same Pixar formula, most of what the movie has to offer is a lot of fun, with creative, colourful animation and emotional beats that resonate the way they’re supposed to.

Incredibles 2 (2018) - 5/10

Oh, they almost had it! There's a lot here that could have been explored in far more interesting ways. Setting Incredibles 2 directly after the events of the first movie was not a good idea. If it had taken place five or ten years after, the characters could have been in different places in life and it would feel as though they'd actually changed and developed. But instead of trying to be a film that actually cares about its characters and the journeys they go on, a lot of the film is wrestling with the idea that Bob isn't supportive of his wife and Jack-Jack has to fight a raccoon… They have to shoehorn in a villain that in no way compares to the genius of the original. The ending of the original introduces another antagonist that gets wrapped up within this film's first ten minutes, except they don't catch him and he's never mentioned again. It's a real shame because the animation is fantastic and the acting is superb and there are great ideas sprinkled throughout. It just doesn't come together.

Toy Story 4 (2019) - 6/10

I was rather reluctant to watch Toy Story 4 because from the get-go I’m not really here for sequels being made just for the sake of it. Everyone loves Toy Story and making another one is a sure fire way to make money. This is the first time I’ve seen Toy Story 4 and for what it’s worth, I did enjoy it. The animation is immaculate and that alone feels like a huge flex from Pixar who tend to step up the game when it comes to animation in film, despite not having the best track record for films generally at this point. While it was nice to see these characters again, I found a lot of them to be side-lined (namely Buzz) in favour of a story that focuses mainly or entirely on Woody, who I just don’t like as much as in the previous movies. Generally the movie is good and decent enough but there’s no real antagonist and the plot is quite loose… it doesn’t feel as though it needed to be made from a story point of view.

Onward (2020) - 6/10

And with that I have seen every Pixar movie. And Onward is a fine one to go out on. While I don’t think it compares to the likes of earlier Pixar it’s still pretty fun. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a medieval setting filled with bright colours and magic! Speaking of which, the animation was super and the medieval quest element is something that hooked me with the film. Again, plot-wise it does feel very familiar and I don’t know, maybe I’m past the point now of expecting Pixar to mix it up where their formula for story-telling is concerned but the movie is quite predictable. Nonetheless, while I’m not rushing back to see Onward I would hardly turn it off or refuse if someone wanted to watch it.

Old (2021) - 3/10

Oh boy! New M. Night movie dropped and my word, was it fun! For more of my thoughts on this… masterpiece (?) of a movie, please direct your attention to episode 41 of The Sunday Movie Marathon podcast.

T2 Trainspotting (2017) - 5/10

Trainspotting is perhaps one of my favourite movies and I had never bothered with the sequel, 20 years on, because the ending of that first movie is so conclusive. T2 felt more an excuse for these guys to get together again and in that, I probably would have preferred a couple of pictures on Twitter of the main cast and director, Danny Boyle having dinner or something. This is a fine movie - very arty in its presentation but meandering and dull in its story that doesn’t offer much in the way of proof that it had to exist.

Taste of Cherry (1997) - 9/10

What makes life worth living? This is a central question and theme of Taste of Cherry, and one that leaves such interpretation not only up to its central character but to the viewer as well. This film got me thinking about times in my life when I truly have had no answer to hard questions. Because it’s hard to convince people of things they are so adamantly against and harder still to rationalise what you believe if you’re not even entirely sure why you believe it in the first place. We are all of us alive and in recognising that, does that make it precious? And if indeed living is not a happy thing, why then should we fight so hard to preserve it? I felt upset as I watched this movie because I’ve been asked these kinds of questions before and it makes me feel stupid when I’m unable to answer. But the only real answer I can give is, everything. And if you can’t see the point then you’re not looking hard enough. Taste of Cherry is beautiful in its exploration of these topics and in its overall presentation, offering some of the best visuals in any movie I’ve seen - fitting for a feature with so much to say about the beauty of life - and an ending that as much pulls the rug out from under you as it does pull you out of the dark and make you realise just how lonely you’ve felt.

Bones (2001) - 2/10

Snoop Dogg is Jimmy Bones! This film is super funny but I’m not sure it’s trying to be and I really didn’t love it overall. But I do talk more in depth about it in episode 41 of the podcast.

The Duchess (2008) - 5/10

Another recommendation for the podcast. The Duchess was pretty much exactly what I thought it was going to be and there’s a lot to like about it but generally it’s a bit sparse. For more chat on the movie, listen to episode 41 of the podcast.

The Man With One Red Shoe (1985) - 1/10

This was another one for the podcast and man, was it awful. We had to watch it at 1.5x speed towards the end because it just wasn’t getting finished otherwise. To find out more, make sure to listen to episode 41 of the podcast.

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) - 7/10

Pull the lever, Kronk! Haha! Slays me. I do quite miss this era of Disney, where the animation was hand-drawn and the stories were actually compelling and funny. The Emperor’s New Groove is vibrant, it’s got great characters and memorable moments that will forever be ingrained in the memory of culture. All in all, it’s just a solid flick that doesn’t waste time, developing the standard fall from glory type of arc but smoothly and in an entertaining way.

The Suicide Squad (2021) - 8/10

Oh, bloody hell! They actually made a good one! The Suicide Squad is not only better than the ‘Suicide Squad’ of 2016 in every way, it’s a genuinely great film! This time, James Gunn (director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies) is at the helm and it seems clear that Warner Bros. basically let him do what he wanted with the movie, as it doesn’t seem to bog itself down with the restrictions of a more family-friendly rating. The result of this is a far cleaner, colourful film with a clearer vision that takes from early Vietnam movies and uses that style to craft a superhero/villain movie that differentiates itself among the copious amount of existing films of the genre. The Suicide Squad wastes very little time, introducing fun, crazy characters we’ve not seen on the big screen before and isn’t worried about killing a whole bunch of them, with standouts being Elba’s Bloodsport, Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2, Stallone’s King Shark (expertly rendered with fantastic visual effects), and Robbie’s returning interpretation of Harley Quinn. A lot of Gunn’s trademark sense of humour is laced throughout and more often than not, it hits. The audience at the cinema were truly loving this movie and I’ll admit, I was right there with them. This mix of the gritty, gory and absurd is not something that should work as well as it does but the basic premise of the film is already so silly (and boy, do they know it) that it just works! Certainly one of the best DC movies since The Dark Knight and one I’d be more than happy to watch again. This is what the modern comic book movie should be: just balls to the wall fun!

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