#like Robert being homophobic turns a lot of people off plus we see a lot of his worst moments on page

[helenofblackthorns]

Maryse winning that "which parent does Alec take after more?" poll by a landslide is still so crazy to me. like Alec literally swore on the Angel that he'd kill Clary if she ever told Jace that he was in love with him, wdym he's not like Robert????? he's literally his father's son?????????

[nagdabbit]

A HANDY DANDY GUIDE TO WRASSLIN

For the lovely, the wonderful, the incomparable @gideongrace​ , may I present: Daggs’ Guide to the Wild Ass World of Professional Wrestling! (and it’s goin’ behind a cut because It Got LONG!)

So, here is the things. Wrestling is STUPID. And great? And fun as hell! And the most carny sport to ever exist. But, also SUPER inside baseball a lot of the time just because it’s got such a long goddamn history that it can seem daunting to get into. Like I’ve only been back into it the last four or so years, so there’s a lot of history that I’ve missed! There’s also a whole lot of gate keeping, just like comics or video games. There’s also the bitter truth that a lot of people in the industry are absolute shitheels that should have been fired long ago (and I’ll only be vague about a lot of that). So, yeah. A WHOLE LOT.

First things first: HISTORY. There’s just so much. But, conveniently? You don’t need it. It can be fun if you end up really like wrestling, but contrary to what a bunch of middle-aged, racist, misogynist and WILDLY homophobic, White American Men will tell you, you don’t actually need it to enjoy yourself. If you DO want history, might I suggest the How2Wrestling podcast! It is a cheerful, lovely show hosted by two goddamn delightful humans, Kefin and Jo (who are also just wonderful people to interact with in general)! There is also the Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling by Aubrey Sitterson and Chris Moreno, which is a great read! Wrestlesplania is another good show for history of the sport and the wrestlers! They’re definitely, uh, hornier, but v fun!

Secondly: On the subject of inside baseball, wrestling jargon is a whole thing. The ONLY part of wrestling history that is 100% important: it is a carny sport. Like, some side-show, vaudeville ass shit, yo. And it has never evolved from that, so there are a whole lot of terms used that are very specific to like... early 1900′s carnival culture. Here is a wikipedia article, but there’s also a wonderful How2Wrestling episode about it all! I’ll try not to use much!

Thirdly: We can’t talk about wrestling podcasts without mentioning Colt Cabana’s The Art of Wrestling. A lot of the archives are behind a paywall now, but the show is great. If you DO get into wrestling and start to find wrestlers you enjoy, I highly highly suggest checking to see if they’ve done an episode. Colt is a goddamn delight of a human, deserving of support and a great interviewer on top of it. Even if you just bookmark eps you’d wanna listen to and then start a free trial to marathon them all. (See also: the Colt Cabana & CM Punk lawsuit(s), in which Colt got royally fucked over.)

Fourthly: Nobodies Watching Wrestling. Drag Queens watching wrestling. That’s all you need to know. Even out of context, they’re goddamn delightful humans. Might I recommend this episode with EFFY, because I sometimes just watch it when I’m having a bad day.

Fifthly: Tights & Fights is a great weekly wrestling pod, and is how I keep up on a lot of things that I might not be watching. PLUS, diverse group of (wonderful) hosts: Hal Lublin, Daniel Radford, Lindsey Kelk, Open Mike Eagle, and producer Julien Burrell. They’re just great. And horny, at times, but in a charming and respectful way.

Now... The boring part. I’m just gonna get some of the popular company introductions out of the way, and then the fun part of So Many Match Suggestions at the bottom. But, business first! (The Big difference between Larger Companies and Independent Companies is that the big guys have a contracted roster of people who sometimes can work with other companies [unless they’re the WWE, who have exclusive contracts and still call their employees Independent Contractors so they don’t have to offer health insurance or a union], and indie guys contract people usually show-by-show. ALSO, there is intergender wrestling [men vs women, which does bother a lot of people. I do side with support of it, but I do totally get how it can be hard to watch] in indie shows, whereas there is NOT in 90% of the big companies.)

(And, honestly, if you wanna skip this part, you can, but if I don’t do it first, I’ll forget..)

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BIG PLAYERS

WWE - Here’s the thing. The WWE kinda... is a terrible capitalist bastard of a company, run by a morally bankrupt, egomaniacal, shitstain, roid-rage cryptkeeper of a man. And, if you want my personal opinion, RAW and Smackdown are both (currently) TERRIBLE shows, despite having some truly phenomenal talent. BUT, but. NXT (and NXT UK) is probably the best, like, weekly wrestling show (on TV, at least, but we’ll get there). The talent is INCREDIBLE, the storylines are less bad bananas, and they’ve adopted a LOT of the best indie talent lately (because they want to directly compete with AEW, but that’s a whole other thing). WWE programming is also the easiest to get a hold of because they are the longest running and basically Disney, so there are some full matches on YouTube, and Raw and NXT are available on Hulu. They are also releasing a lot of free stuff on the WWE Network that you can watch without signing up for a paid account, but there is a lot of stuff behind a pay wall.

Cons: Real Talk, run by a bunch of terrible people. Responsible for covering up a lot of truly reprehensible crimes for which no one was held accountable, despite being well documented. A blatant disregard for the (physical and mental) safety and/or financial security of a lot of their roster--specifically the people you don’t see on TV. (If you want some history, you can look through the past tweets of the New York 64 Tournament, but a lot of it turned my stomach, so I would not suggest, but it’s there if you have the same morbid curiosity that I did)

Pros: The company might be run by terrible people, but their roster is good. A lot of my top wrestlers do work for the WWE, sure, but they do hire a lot of decent humans that I sometimes feel bad about not supporting. Also, it is the dream of a lot of people to join WWE simply because of the prestige, the massive audience, and job security. I might hate Vince but I can’t begrudge any wrestler currently working for them.

NXT Pros: On the subject of rosters, NXT is LIT. But they have also stolen some of the best indie wrestlers recently: Mercedes Martinez and Jake Atlas, two of my All Time Favs. Both of whom deserve the world, because being openly gay in the wrestling industry is the pits.

All Elite Wrestling - AEW is a very new company, and they are my favourite of the big promotions. They are a company run by wrestlers, rather than a millionaire with a writing staff. I like the wrestling style(s) better, I was a huge fan of a lot of their roster before they hit TV last October, and I like not giving the McMahons money. The storylines are better, if only because they don’t have a writer’s room dictating scripts and such, and the characters are more fun (for me at least).

Easiest ways to watch for free: Their YouTube channel! There you can find a lot of highlights, behind the scenes, AEW Dark (the “dark” matches, or the non-televised matches from TV tapings), PPV pre-shows and a lot of stupid stuff.

Cons: A bit of an issue offering equal match time to the women’s roster the way they SAID they would at the start. A bit more violent of a style as a lot of the wrestlers came up death match style wrestling, or are from Japan/wrestled in Japan and typically wrestle “strong style” (wrestling style with less theatrics and known for Real Real Strikes that Hurt A Lot), which some people can find off-putting. Also, they hired Jake Hager, who is a real piece of shit.

Pros: Have a wonderfully diverse roster. Orange Cassidy. Sonny Kiss. Good storytelling. Jake The Snake Roberts doing Hella Promos. The Dark Order, who we affectionately refer to as the Spooky Perverts. Chris Jericho yelling at a Drone, and Matt Hardy being a wizard. A bunch of wrestlers who are married to other wrestlers who work for WWE, and good jokes are made.

BUT THE BIGGEST PRO-AEW THING I CAN PROVIDE: NYLA FUCKING ROSE. They didn’t make her the first women’s champion like they should have, but they put her in the first championship match on the FIRST episode of the weekly show, Dynamite, and she is now the CURRENT women’s champion. I don’t wanna make a big deal, only it is a BIG DEAL, because Nyla Fucking Rose is the first openly transgender wrestler signed to a major promotion, and if you think I didn’t fucking CRY LIKE A CHILD when she won, you’re wrong. So, yeah, a NATIONALLY TELEVISED WRESTLING PROGRAM’S CURRENT WOMEN’S CHAMPION IS A TRANSGENDER, FIRST NATIONS WOMAN. NYLA. FUCKING. ROSE.

As of right now, AEW seems to be done filming, which is both Very Smart and also heartbreaking, but you can find all the ways to watch over here on their site if it looks like fun!

WOW Women of Wrestling - Have you seen GLOW? This is a show created by the IRL creator of GLOW (the promotion the show is based on, not the show)! And it is? Incredible? The characters are fun and portrayed as superheroes, the stories are CAMP af, and the wrestling is GOOD. They’re a non-traditional show, which is fun. Their roster is made up of wrestlers playing different wrestlers. Wrestling is a bunch of super talented people playing characters while doing acrobatics. WOW gives us people playing characters, playing other characters, while also doing acrobatics.

Cons: All male announce team? On an all women’s show? Excuse? And also: Tessa Blanchard who is, it turns out, a great big racist. Also a little harder to get full episodes it seems.

Pros: Literally everything else.

Ring of Honor - For awhile ROH was handily competing with WWE. And then they weren’t. And then they got better. And then they got worse. And now, currently, they are a company that I hate supporting.

Cons: Run by assholes who don’t care about worker safety, and don’t put anything into the women’s division.

Pros: Sometimes they partner with New Japan Pro Wrestling. They’ve recently released a lot of goooood old matches including some Kevin Steen (currently WWE’s Kevin Owens) vs El Generico (definitely, 100% not at all, no way, no how, of course NOT WWE’s Sami Zayn [he is, this is another inside baseball joke that I’m just obligated to make every time I mention El Generico]) matches which are BRUTAL. Oh, and Dalton Castle:

Impact! - It’s back! I don’t watch it, but they DO have Rich Swann, so they can’t be bad. There is an entire history to Impact that is BANANAS. Like AEW, a bit more rough and tumble, scrappy death match folks, and I like a lot of the roster, like Taya Valkyrie, Jessika Havok and Sami Callihan. Not a bad show, but the full show weekly doesn’t hold my attention.

Cons: Tessa Blanchard, mostly. She is an incredible wrestler, her matches are good, but.

Pros: Pretty easy to watch, actually? I believe they’re still on Twitch, and they have an entire channel on Pluto TV.

New Japan Pro Wrestling - NJPW is GREAT. Definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. The shows are long, and strong style just... hurts. Like, a lot of wincing on my end. But the wrestling. Oh, lordy, the wrestling is incredible. But it is brutal. Strong Style wrestling is much different than the typical American style that you see in WWE, and a lot more grounded than high flying lucha styles. (Though a lot of wrestlers do travel to Mexico and train in lucha style wrestling (which I am the least familiar with), so currently there is a lot of the very high flying flippty dos and the absolutely brutal strikes that you see in strong style wrestling.)

Cons: Show/match length is typically long and there is A Lot to See. The only way I know to watch full shows is through their streaming service.

Pros: Just the whole thing, really. They release a free match on YouTube every Monday. Also, Toru Yano, the best wrestler in the world.

Indie Promotions that I know less about because I can afford only so many streaming services

Firstly, here is a Wiki list of wrestling streaming services. I’m gonna name a couple below, but the wiki page has a handy list of costs of the bigger ones because capitalism knows how to get you. (Personally, I only use IWTV at the moment. They’re a good company run by good people, and a lot of indie promotions would have died out without partnering with/support from them)

Beyond Wrestling - Beyond is My Favourite Promotion To Watch, Bar None. Their weekly show (when in season), Uncharted Territory, is fantastic. Diverse talent, diverse styles. They do have a lot of death matches, which can suck to watch if you aren’t into that sort of thing. I am, it turns out, into that sort of thing. But listening to interviews with a lot of death match wrestlers, specifically Jimmy Havoc, can help understand the w h y of it all! Available on IWTV.

Chikara - Chikara is So Fun! They are a (mostly) family friendly promotion and training school. Their shows are filled with young/newbie wrestlers as they learn the tricks. Run by Mike Quackenbush, who is a delightful person, BRILLIANT wrestler/trainer, and someone who is willing to take the safety of his people into account. He’s good people, who trains good people, and supports good people, and gives them a safe, open place to learn. It’s also very fun! A lot of comedy matches. Watch on: CHIKARAtopia or some of their archive is on IWTV.

EVE - An all-women promotion, providing a safe working and training environment for women and girls. They have put their foot in it on occasion, but they seem to still be good people. (I would recommend the Tights & Fights episode with founders Emily and Dann Read for a little backstory on the company, but not needed.) Ways to watch.

RIPTIDE - YO, RIPTIDE IS DOING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SHIT. Cinematic wrestling, and it is great. The matches are good, the promos are good, the people are good. But the way they film it oh my god holy shit. When everything is a little less hectic, they are people I am definitely gonna support as much as I can. Watch here.

A Matter of Pride - Here’s the thing. They have put on some very good, inclusive shows. However, some serious allegations have come out about Rick Cataldo, who is involved with the company, and I think it’s important to mention. They have done a lot of good in the world of prowrestling and they put on good shows and they have given a platform to people who might otherwise have been pushed aside, however bad things have still happened there. Watchable on YouTube.

OTHER NOTABLE INDIE COMPANIES

GCW (IWTV, Fite TV & Smartmark) * Black Label Pro (IWTV) * Prime Time Pro Wrestling (IWTV) * Uncanny Attractions * RISE (IWTV) * Bar Wrestling * PWG * Stardom * Bizarro Lucha (IWTV) * OTT

There is also NWA Power that is a good show on YouTube, however, they immediately hired (and now fired for being racist) Jim Cornette who is... just an absolute jackass. But I do feel I should mention them.

Is that over? Yes? Well..

NOW THE FUN PART. THIS IS MY MOMENT. THIS IS THE ONLY PART THAT REALLY MATTERS.

So. The thing is. Wrestling is A Lot. SO, I’m gonna give you as wide a variety as I can! I’ll point out some fun people, some fun gimmicks and HOPEFULLY won’t completely turn you off! If you enjoy any of these, then the dumb stuff up above is useful!

First! The most important wrestling match of All Time. Invisible Man vs Invisible Stan. This is everything you need to know about the beats of good wrestling, but also why wrestling is fun. There are two people in this match: Referee Bryce Remsburg and the audience. And that’s it. This is literally just a referee (but it’s Bryce, so the referee) miming a wrestling match, and an audience buying into the kayfabe wholeheartedly. (Inside baseball: Bad Boy Vision - “Bad Boy” Joey Janela’s [another wrestler] sunglasses)

One of my favourite matches in recent memory, AND one of the best matches sort of just in general! David Starr vs Jordan Devlin at OTT. Quintessential wrestling, fantastic storytelling, and one of the best promo packages I’ve ever seen. BONUS: David Starr is a GREAT human fighting day and night to unionize the wrestling industry. He’s the Bernie Sanders of professional wrestling.

I thought about putting an actual death match on the list, but the closest I will get is this Nick Gage vs Josh Briggs fans bring the weapons match. I chose this match because my very best friend does not like this style of wrestling at all, but he did enjoy this match. It’s a lot, obviously. But it’s not as bad as it could be, but there’s also no shame if it isn’t your thing. Hell, I don’t even know why it’s my thing! I don’t even like bloody horror movies! I will say that Nick Fuckin’ Gage is one of the most prolific death match guys still working today, and also one of the nicest, kindest, most beloved guys there is and I would die to protect him. MDK!

Okay, this is the single most beautiful match to exist. Cara Noir vs PAC (fka WWE’s Neville). This isn’t wrestling, this is art. Great story, no commentary, gorgeous camerawork. Bonus: Cara Noir has the most fantastic and well rounded gimmick (character) in the business. Have you seen Black Swan? That’s it. That’s his character. And it’s great. Nailed. It.

Oh, did you know David Arquette is a wrestler? HE IS! Here’s he and RJ City.

On the subject of WWE and NXT, this Halftime Heat match of Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream vs Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole & Tommaso Ciampa. These are six of the best wrestlers work, and definitely TOPS in the WWE system. SEE ALSO: Black & Dream put on a HELL of a program together at NXT, but it’s been boiled down to this highlight vid that gives me feelings. Gargano vs Andrade Cien Almas is one of THE BEST matches of all time and here is a shitty highlight reel, but it’s still good. Adam Cole is 1) incredible and 2) the prettiest possum in the Denny’s dumpster, have a Cole vs Finn Balor highlight reel. God, I wish it were easier to find WWE stuff on YouTube.. All these matches should be on Hulu, tho.

NEXT! Kris Statlander vs Davienne for Beyond. Kris Statlander is A Legend, despite being real new to the business. Currently wrestling for AEW, former stuntwoman and, most importantly, she’s an alien.

FREE FOR ALL TIME. Solo Darling vs Penelope Ford vs Veda Scott vs Ashley Vox. They didn’t have to go that hard, but they did.

SPEAKING OF. Kylie Rae, Penelope Ford, Kimber Lee & Skylar vs. Shotzi Blackheart, Harlow &Twisted Sisterz. I just? I love? All of them?

And not to mention Kris Statlander vs Priscilla Kelly. I mean, I mean. I cannot sing the praises of both of these women enough.

Okay, so I am really only passingly familiar with a lot of Japanese wrestling. Mostly got into it last summer, actually. I get it, I love it, but I’m not as well versed in the people involved. Two badasses I do know? Meiko Satomura vs Kana (WWE’s Asuka). Fucking legends, both of them. Hard hitters, too, jesus.

If you do get into NXT at all, Keith Lee and Donovan Dijak put on one fuck of a program together, but the story started long before they ever entered the WWE! Please enjoy this absolute hoss fight from a couple years back.

NOW, some intergender matches! If you think they aren’t your thing, feel free to skip!

A fun match of (current IRL romantic partners) Keith Lee vs Mia Yim from before either of them debuted at NXT. I believe they weren’t dating at this point, so the next part will really hit, cuz it’s romantic as shit... This was not the booked ending. Keith Lee didn’t kick out on purpose. (Which, I mean, is literally all wrestling endings, but.) Mia was booked to lose (at least they told her that), and he purposefully took the L and went out on his back, to surprise her and give her a MASSIVE push.

Leyla Hirsch vs David Starr. I just. I goddamn love Leyla Hirsch. A very young wrestler, very new to the industry and I just love her so much?

Two great, intense matches of Joey Janela, the patron saint of bad decisions. Versus Kris Statlander (I can’t get enough of her) and versus Jordynne Grace.

Orange Cassidy and Penelope Ford vs Shockwave and Veda Scott. Shockwave is a robot and Orange Cassidy is Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer. I can give no other explanation.

COMEDY TIME, YO. Comedy wrestling is The Best. There’s a name, Orange Cassidy. Yeah, he’s very funny, and also the most divisive person in wrestling rn. He’s Paul Rudd. He knows he’s a wrestler. He’s lazy. And there’s one match that we need to get out of the way first...

Orange Cassidy vs David Starr. The thing is. Orange Cassidy can fucking wrestle. His gimmick might be that he doesn’t want to, but he can. And It. Is. Great.

Now we can get on with the funnies.

Orange Cassidy vs Colt Cabana. Not story needed. Just two dudes at a food festival. Oh, yeah, there’s also a Swamp Monster. We love Swampy.

Colt Cabana vs Toru Yano. It’s just. So. FUN.

You might know the name Joey Ryan as The Dick Flip Wrestler, or The King of Dong Style. His dick has magical powers, it’s a thing. Here’s he and Orange Cassidy.

Johnny Cockstrong is the opposite of Joey Ryan. Literally. Here’s him also vs Orange Cassidy.

Did you want to see a Dick Test of Strength between them? Well, it happened.

Back to RIPTIDE for (another intergender, kinda) Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate & Trent Seven vs Joey Ryan, Candice LeRae (the World’s Cutest Tag Team) & Colt Cabana.

Kinda almost but not really comedy but very funny and also full of good wrasslin’, here is EFFY vs Orange Cassidy. Pirated, technically, and in real low quality, but I Love It. EFFY is Daddy.

Now, you’ll notice not a lot of women in the comedy section. Real talk, women still tend to get treated as a joke by the wrestling industry at large, so they don’t get the luxury of being as funny as they want. But one woman out there doing the lord’s work is Session Moth Martina. Legend. Love her. Admittedly, another intergender match, but it makes me happy. Martina & Orange Cassidy vs Joey Janela & Penelope Ford (Janelope).

One of my All Time Favourite Matches to date, EFFY and Danhausen (Gaytanic Panic) vs Chris Dickinson and Pinkie Sanchez (Team Pazuzu). Yes, this is a Halloween show. Yes, the Ref IS dressed as Chris Dickinson. There are teeth, Jesus resurrects someone, Danhausen is in fishnets and Effy is in face paint. It’s great. Love that Danhausen.

And there we have it! A whole lot of information and a bunch of matches and some stuff. It’s real dumb, and sometimes the industry is dark, but there’s a lot of hella good people doing dumb things. I hope this was helpful?? And Fun! (But my feeling won’t be hurt if it wasn’t fun, I promise!)

I leave you with this, RJ City making coffee in his underwear with Danhausen. Completely out of context. Because I love it.

[carmenlire]

White Blank Page Ch. 3

Edit courtesy of the lovely @kindaresilient!!

read chapter one

read chapter two

read on ao3

Magnus smiles as the door above him chimes cheerfully. The display is mostly the same, though he’s intrigued as he sees a sign advertising a midnight story hour at the bookstore in a few days, in celebration of Halloween.

It seems like the year’s gone by much too fast, Magnus reflects. Before he knows it, the snow will be falling and he’ll be trying to fit in his Christmas shopping into his bursting schedule.

This time around, there are several people milling about Lightwood Books, though no one spares him a second glance. Magnus doesn’t immediately see Alec but now that he knows to look for it, he can detect Lightwood’s background in the casual elegance and quality of the decor.

Magnus had met Maryse and Robert a few years ago before their divorce at a charity gala at the Four Seasons in Midtown. They’d only spoke for a few minutes but it had been like pulling teeth, Magnus overwhelmingly aware of what the couple thought of him.

New money, he’d hard Robert sneer to Maryse as they’d turned and walked to catch up with other friends.

That had been enough for Magnus. He’d poured his blood, sweat, and countless tears into his company and he didn’t need bigoted assholes condescending to him.

When he’d heard a few weeks later that the Lightwoods gave money to anti-LGBT groups among other equally conservative causes that caused him to gnash his teeth, Magnus had scoffed as he’d edited the story, unsurprised. They seemed like people who’d look down on anyone who didn’t fit their arbitrary, far-too-narrow mold.

It doesn’t look like their eldest son took after them though. Thank God, Magnus thinks.

Alec had been nothing but warm and welcoming the last time Magnus was here and he hopes to see the man again. Though really, he doesn’t know Alec’s schedule in the least and he might just be wasting his time on a fool's errrand.

Wandering through the aisles, Magnus picks up a book on botany for Ragnor as he makes his way upstairs. Looking down at his watch, Magnus makes a note that he has around an hour to kill before he needs to go back to his apartment and change for dinner with Camille.

Looking down, he doesn’t see the person he runs into until it’s too late. He’d clipped them on the shoulder and as he lifts his head to apologize, Magnus can’t help the instant grin that comes over his face.

“Alexander,” he greets warmly. “Fancy running into you here.”

He has a brief moment to worry that perhaps Alec didn’t remember him. It had been a few weeks, after all, and Alec was sure to see countless customers in his shop.

Before he can worry too much, however, Alec is smiling down at him, continuing down a few steps until they’re the same height.

“Hey, Magnus. I do work here so not so unusual, I’m afraid.”

Alec’s voice is dry but Magnus is deeply interested in the flush that starts to crawl into his cheeks.

“And how are you this fine autumnal afternoon?”

Laughing a little, Alec readjusts the box in his arms, settling it on his hip. His biceps might bulge a little but Magnus does not stare.

“I was just restocking and straightening up the children’s area. We had a busy morning so the place was a bit of a disaster.”

“And now,” Magnus asks, shifting a little closer.

Alec raises a brow, considering. “Well now I suppose I could take a break. If that was what you were hinting at?”

Laughing, Magnus shakes his head a little, unrepentant. “You can’t blame me if I want to spend a few minutes with the proprietor of this lovely bookstore. Maybe I want to pick your brain for the next bestseller.”

“Well, then if it’s alright with you, let’s head upstairs to the cafe and we can talk recommendations.”

Alec turns to go back up and Magnus isn’t complaining. No, he’s absolutely thrilled to follow Alec. Not only will he get to spend some time flirting with his favorite bookworm but he’s treated to a delectable view of Alec’s ass.

It’s a win-win as far as he’s concerned.

Settling them down at a table in front of a window, Magnus takes a few seconds to look outside as Alec sets his box down on the table. The busy Manhattan street is positively teeming with people. It’s a little after three and there’s the usual mix of tourists, businessmen, and teens that always seem to be in a hurry. Magnus feels removed from everyone else and it's not an unwelcome feeling even if it does rarely happen.

“Are you in the mood for anything or do you want me to surprise you?”

Magnus looks up at that. Alec is standing behind his chair, not yet having taken a seat. He thinks for a minute before shaking his head.

“Surprise me, though I’d prefer anything you have be made with soy milk or some other alternative.”

Alec nods once before smiling and turning toward the barista working the coffee counter.

Magnus watches as Alec approaches the counter and orders. The barista grins at him and the two seem to engage in a round of playful bickering before the blonde turns to the espresso machine. He looks more suited to playing beer pong in a dilapidated frat house than making cappuccino foam art but Magnus just finds that it adds to the charm of the shop.

Taking out his phone, Magnus ignores the speculative look he sees the barista throw his way and instead focuses on the dozen emails that have accumulated since he arrived, taking a minute to look through them. When he sees Alec walking toward him, two mugs in hand, he resolutely shuts his phone off and shoves it in his coat pocket.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got you a triple white chocolate mocha. Don’t worry, it’s all dairy-free.”

Magnus smiles and just knows that it’s too open and happy for such a simple thing.

Accepting the drink, Magnus blows over the top before taking a sip, humming at the subtle sweetness that doesn’t take over the bitter coffee. “Thank you, Alexander. This is really quite good.”

Settling down across from him, Alec wraps his hand around his giant white mug. He looks relieved that Magnus likes the drink and distantly Magnus knows that he’d have lied and said that it was the best damned thing he’d ever had if Alec would continue looking at him like that.

“I know people usually have very definite opinions on coffee. Some want it to taste like they’re drinking straight from the espresso machine and others need at least a cup of milk and twice as much sugar to make it palatable. I’m glad I guessed right.”

Alec sounds pleased and his words are calm. There’s an undercurrent of that damned warmth that Magnus wants to reach out and touch.

It feels like time slows when he’s in this shop, when he’s with Alec. This is only the second time that he’s been here, but Magnus thinks that it’s his new favorite place. He can almost, almost feel his stress slipping through his fingers and as the tension eases from his shoulders, he takes another drink and studies Alec with a content expression.

It’s quiet for a few minutes and Magnus is surprised that it’s not uneasy or expectant. Instead, it feels natural and Magnus can’t remember the last time he was content to just sit still and enjoy someone’s company, to enjoy his own.

He’s always running around like a dervish. From the time he wakes until he collapses into bed, Magnus is working. He’s always being pulled in a dozen different directions but he wonders what it would be like if he just gave it all up, right this moment. Stopped everything and stayed here, watching as the fall sunshine paints Alec in gold and as the air smells like toasted marshmallow and coffee and ink.

Magnus almost hates to ruin the silence but he can’t help himself from asking, “So, Mr. Bookstore Owner. Tell me about the next big book.”

Alec chuckles as he takes a lingering sip of his own coffee. From what Magnus can see, it looks like Alec likes his light and sweet.

“It depends on what you’re into. I try to only give recommendations that I think my customers will really enjoy. So, what do you like to read?”

Humming as he thinks, Magnus narrows his eyes at Alec. Alec waits patiently with a raised brow and Magnus can’t resist the challenge.

“I like romance,” he says slowly. “My work deals with the news and when I stop and slow down enough to read for pleasure, I want to lose myself in something light that ends happy. I don’t like a lot of angst and I’d be perfectly fine if the story had no conflict whatsoever.”

A lot of people can’t believe that Magnus Bane likes romance. He loves it in all its forms and many subgenres and while he also likes other genres as well-- he can’t deny the appeal of YA or a good thriller-- Magnus has enjoyed romances since he was in high school and looking for something to do at home.

He’d ended up finding one of his mother’s romances and hadn’t looked back since.

Alec stares into nothing for a minute, thinking, before his gaze snaps back to Magnus. “Would you mind if it wasn’t straight?”

Intrigued, Magnus raises a brow. He definitely would not have thought Alec would ask something like that, not given who his parents were.

Not to mention, Magnus loves LGBT fiction. Unfortunately, he bites back a sigh as he figures that he’s probably read whatever romance Alec is about to suggest. In Magnus’s opinion, there weren't very many authors who wrote LGBT romance well and he’d read most of their books several times already if they did.

“Considering I’m bi, I’d hope to hell I don’t have a problem with that. Lead the way, darling.”

Magnus throws out his response and he can’t help the angle of his chin. It’s not defensive but combative. He just gave Alec an opening and in Magnus’s opinion, homophobic people can never stop their instinctive distaste for those who aren’t straight.

Plus, Magnus doesn’t have a subtle bone in his body and if he’s feeling Alec out-- letting him know that there’s one less potential barrier should he feel something-- then it’s two birds with one stone.

Magnus has always prided himself on being efficient.

Alec just laughs and shakes his head a little. Magnus prays to God that he’s not imagining the interest in Alec’s eyes and the way his gaze drops down to his mouth for a fleeting second.

“In that case,” Alec says, “I want to recommend Higher than the Big Trees. It’s a m/m romance that takes place in the city. There’s no angst whatsoever and it’s a classic romance between a professor and a celebrity.”

“That sounds perfect and I haven’t read it yet. Do you have it in stock?”

Magnus settles back in his seat, crossing his legs as he reaches for his coffee. He’s glad when Alec nods.

“Of course I do,” he says dryly. “Not only are they my favorite author but I can barely keep it on the shelf.”

“How haven’t I heard of this book if it’s so popular?”

Shrugging, Alec just says, “I’ve been suggesting it to everyone who likes romance. It’s mostly word of mouth sales, really. They’re a new author and that’s their first book. I have high hopes for their next one, though. I hear there’s a journalist involved.”

Magnus smiles at Alec’s enthusiasm and can’t deny that he’s looking forward to this book and potentially discovering another writer.

Not to mention, he thinks dryly, that if they were going to write about journalism than he had to read it-- if only to catalog the many mistakes they were undoubtedly going to make about his career.

The two of them talk for awhile longer and when the blonde barista comes around to collect their now empty mugs, Magnus grins a little as he sees the silent conversation he has with Alec.

They must be close, maybe best friends, Magnus wonders and laughs a little as he sees Alec send the barista a deadpan look that could rival Raphael’s when he feels particularly put upon.

The blonde leaves and Alec turns to look at Magnus only to see that he’s already being studied.

“Sorry about that,” Alec offers sheepishly. “Jace is my brother and still hasn’t learned how to behave in public.”

Magnus waves that away. “Don’t worry about it, darling. I’m well familiar with family that doesn’t know when to stop. Now, I believe that we were just talking about favorite children’s books and the perfection that is Percy Jackson--”

Whatever Magnus was going to say stops as he feels his phone start vibrating. Not many people have access to his personal cell number and he grimaces in apology as he catches Alec’s confused look.

When he takes the phone out, Alec’s face relaxes in understanding and he waves Magnus on.

Seeing that it’s Simon, Magnus rolls his eyes a little as he answers.

“My dear little assistant, the building must be falling down or someone had better have just lost a limb. Which is it?”

“Magnus, where are you? You have dinner at Chartreuse BonBon in thirty minutes and your driver just called the office to say you’re not answering. Where are you,” Simo repeats and Magnus’s eyes widen as he wrenches his sleeve up to look at his watch.

“Shit,” he hisses. “I’m out, Simon. What does the traffic look like?”

Simon doesn’t answer for a moment and Magnus hears muttering going on in the background. Finally, he replies, “For a Thursday evening, it looks like there’s just the standard after work traffic. Why?”

Furiously thinking, Magnus immediately decides that he’ll just have to go straight to the restaurant from the bookstore. He doesn’t have time to go home or even to the office and change into something a little more formal, a little more crisp.

Appearances might be everything to Camille but Magnus still looks fresh, no matter that he’s been on the go twelve hours. Luckily, he’d chosen one of his more austere suits this morning and the burgundy shade was a perfect power play.

“Okay, I’m going to head there straight from where I’m at. Tell Elias that I’ll just need picked up from the restaurant at the end of the evening and I’ll get an Uber there. Thankfully, I’m still in Manhattan so I should get there right on time. Thanks for the call, dear.”

Magnus hangs up and looks at Alec who’s staring at him with something that seems like wistfulness in his eyes. “I take it you’re running late for something?”

Moving his chair back, Magnus shoves his phone in his pocket and stands, Alec following.

“Unfortunately, I lost track of time and I have a dinner meeting that I can’t be late for. I’m sorry, Alexander but I’m afraid that I’ll need a rain check for our YA debate.”

“No problem,” Alec says easily as he looks over his shoulder. “I understand how important meetings can be. I didn’t know you were such a big shot, though,” he teases as they start heading down the stairs, Magnus calling his ride. Unfortunately, he’s so focused on the phone that he can’t just stare at Alec’s ass again.

Magnus laughs a little. “I do okay,” he mutters, trying desperately not to tell Alec just who he is. It’s nice to have someone who treats him like a regular person, like Magnus instead of turning into a fawning mess when they realize they’re talking to Magnus Bane, the CEO of Bane Enterprises and the most famous man in the news industry.

“Just okay,” Alec repeats skeptically. “Whatever you say.”

Magnus looks up at that and as they start walking to the front door, he can’t help but feel like Alec’s just humoring him.

Deciding not to think about that, though, and the potential consequences, Magnus turns to face Alec as he takes a step back. “I’m sorry to run out, darling, but I really do need to leave.”

“It’s fine, Magnus,” Alec says softly. “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”

Studying Alec for a minute, Magnus takes another step back, reaching a hand out behind him to the door knob.

“Something tells me it’ll be sooner than sometime before I come back.” He throws one last smile Alec’s way before he’s turning and opening the door, rushing out into the fall chill just as his car pulls up.

He’s halfway to the restaurant when he remembers that he never did get that book Alec recommended.

As he watches New York fly by thanks to a particularly scrappy driver, Magnus wonders what it is about Alec that seems to pull him in.

Stepping out of the Uber just a few minutes later, Magnus sees that he has five minutes before Camille is set to arrive.

As he smooths down his suit and shoots his cuffs, Magnus walks toward the doorman who opens the door smoothly and unobtrusively as he approaches.

He’s escorted to his table and immediately given a wine list, which he peruses absently as the waiter fills his water glass.

Murmuring his thanks, Magnus isn’t paying attention to what he’s reading as his thoughts seem left in the bookstore.

With a sigh, he shakes his head a little and reaches for the water to clear his throat and his head. He’ll need his wits about him if he’s about to go a few rounds with Camille and as he starts to review everything he knows about Bellecourt and its struggling, he smiles.

Anyone who knows him knows that it’s the look of a shark circling its prey and Magnus fully expects to come out the winner of their little tête-à-tête by the end of the night.

He stands as he sees Camille’s lithe figure striding toward him on her signature Louboutin pumps and as they lean in for a European greeting that has Magnus rolling his eyes, he can’t help but think that he’d prefer vastly different company for dinner.

Company that looks an awful lot like Alexander.

[briangroth27]

IT Chapter Two Review

2017’s IT is one of my favorite horror movies, so I was very excited to see the sequel! Chapter Two was very good, but as others online have noted, the first one is a better and scarier film. That’s not to say there isn’t anything to like in this one, though: the entire adult cast is just as fantastic as the kids from the original were and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion with a number of solid scares and reveals along the way.

Full Spoilers…

Chapter Two is a long movie and it does feel long, but not in a bad or meandering way. It’s to the credit of these writers and actors (both the adult and kid casts) that I would gladly spend more time just watching them all hang out, banter, and reminisce. The chemistry among both versions of the Losers Club is very strong and just like in the first film, I would’ve enjoyed seeing these people spend time together even without the horror trappings.

It was a bummer to see that so many of the Losers’ lives had turned out to be unfulfilling or downright horrific. Eddie (James Ransone) and Bev’s (Jessica Chastain) lives in particular were frustrating to see, since they both stood up to their abusive parents (Molly Atkinson, Stephen Bogaert) as children yet ended up marrying the same kinds of people. At least as adults Eddie still argued back against his wife’s (Molly Atkinson) overprotectiveness and Bev walked (hopefully) as soon as her husband (Will Beinbrink) got abusive, but I hoped they would’ve escaped those situations long before this point in their lives. I suppose that matches the idea that Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) hasn’t truly been defeated and they haven’t fully escaped the horror yet.

I wish Bev’s psychic connection to the others’ futures from her experience with the Dead Lights as a child (Sophia Lillis) had played a bigger role here than just providing a reason they couldn’t walk away from Derry again (because she sees that they won’t make it to the next time Pennywise returns). Maybe she could’ve tried to avert the deaths she saw (just make them more immediate now that they’re in town), reversing her role as a damsel in distress in the first movie by giving her a more proactive role here (and also helping Bill (James McAvoy) try to rewrite the story). She doesn’t try to leave town instead of fight the evil as much as some of the others do, but if they were going to introduce those psychic visions, they should’ve used them more. Also, even moreso than Eddie falling back onto old patterns, it’s frustrating that after so many people in the first movie saw Bev as a sexual object that really the only thing we know about her adult life is the abuse. I read that she’s a fashion designer, but I totally missed that in the movie. At first it seemed like a throwaway career, unlike some of the others’, but then I thought you could say a career in fashion allows her to choose and control how people are presented, as opposed to having everyone’s views of her forced on her. So, when It tries to drown her in the bathroom stall from the first movie, It’s trying to force her to crumble to the overwhelming public opinion of her, which works. We could’ve learned more about her, but I liked what we did get from Bev once she was back in Derry with her old friends.

Bill’s career as a screenwriter hitting a road block because no one likes his endings felt at first like a meta setup to change the story here (especially with Stephen King in a funny cameo echoing that sentiment), but I think it actually plays into the reveal about Georgie’s (Jackson Robert Scott) death in a very cool way. I think it’s a reflection of him wishing for all he’s worth that he really was too sick to play with Georgie the day he died. He “wrote” that ending for Georgie, himself, and probably everyone he’s talked to about it, but it wasn’t ever right. I really liked him finally coming to terms with his role in Georgie’s death (and the fact that there’s nothing he could’ve done) and forgiving himself by fighting off his younger self (Jaeden Martell); that was done very well. Coming to terms with what really happened also allows him to write good endings; a nice way of showing that he is at peace and finally living and writing honestly. I liked that they kept the movie a true ensemble instead of letting Bill become the lead hero out for revenge. The film also introduces some solid tragedy in Bill being unable to convey the danger of Pennywise to Dean (Luke Roessler), the kid who lives in his childhood home: even though Dean knows the clown isn’t right, he doesn’t seem too concerned about the voices he hears in his drain until it’s far too late. That was a smart chance to take Bill to the other side of the equation: Pennywise’s effect on the townspeople leaves the adults not caring about the kids that go missing or even noticing that strange things are happening, but even if they did try to make a difference, the kids couldn’t hear it.

Eddie is my favorite of the Losers so I was really sad he didn’t make it. I figured he’d make some kind of heroic sacrifice after hesitating to help his friends twice in a row and I’m glad he got to help kill It by providing vital intel, but I was still holding out hope they’d all survive. Still, he got a great showing here and I was happy with what we did get from him, both in terms of drama and comic relief. The irony of him arguably being the most scared of the Losers but still being the only one to hurt Pennywise in one of the solo attacks was pretty cool! I do still want to know more about this kid (Jack Dylan Grazer) who’d change “loser” on his cast to “lover” though. While his career as a risk analyst makes perfect sense, I would’ve liked that to come into play in some fashion here; maybe it could’ve helped them successfully navigate some trap (or not, to undermine what little confidence he had). His friendship with Richie (Bill Hader) was great and I wish he’d learned about Richie’s feelings for him even if he didn’t return them. I think you could read Eddie’s feelings for Richie as platonic or romantic and their relationship would be satisfying either way (but come on, give them the happy ending together!), but he definitely has the strongest bond with Richie of all the Losers. Watching him finally stand up to save Richie from the Dead Lights was a great, triumphant moment, even if it led to his death.

I really liked Richie here and I thought the reveal that he’s gay was handled very well. That gave his younger self (Finn Wolfhard) a lot of dimension now that it’s clear most if not all of his sexual comments were overcompensation and/or a front, and maybe a way to cloak his true feelings in comedy. A flashback where he tried to hang out with another boy and bond over videogames seemed like it captured his loneliness and eagerness to explore who he was discovering himself to be, followed quickly by his fear of being discovered by others (and seriously injured by town racist/homophobe/sexist/psychopath Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton)) very well. Pennywise also calls out his fear of anyone knowing who he truly is in an attack on him using the town’s Paul Bunyan statue, and that mythic figure’s implied “correct” version of manliness and masculinity was a solid parallel to Bowers’ evil. Plus, I liked that Richie finally got the solo scare he didn’t in the first movie. I wish the writers had let him come out to the other Losers, though, so (like others online have pointed out) we could see him conquer his fear of being discovered that he carried into adulthood (his comedy routine features references to his “girlfriend,” for example, but this clearly isn’t something he’s just learning about himself in his adult life). I’ll just assume he will at some point later on, since they’re staying in touch, and his moment of carving his and Eddie’s initials into the Kissing Bridge was beautiful. Hader gets a lot of funny lines here too, and he walks the dramatic and comedic line really well (as do Ransone, Wolfhard, and Grazer). I do wish either movie had established what “Beep-Beep, Richie” means (it’s the Losers’ way of telling him a joke’s gone too far). Bev says it here and Pennywise said it in the first movie, but neither film gave us the context of what it meant.

I thought Ben (Jay Ryan) pining over Bev for so long (even if he barely remembered her due to everyone forgetting what happened) felt romantic when he could’ve easily come off as a creepy “Nice Guy” or even just sad, so great work on his part on keeping his love for her sweet and true. Also, I think Bill’s the one who actually idealized Bev when they were kids: when he first sees her outside the drugstore, the camera has a sun-kissed filter and their bike rides are in nostalgic slow-motion.  Her interest in him is also artificially enhanced by her thinking that Ben’s poem was his. On the other hand, Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Bev save each other several times and we see them talk a lot more. They have a stronger, more real connection. If you look at their adult jobs, Ben literally builds homes (or at least, places that make you feel like you’re at home), while Bill is low-key controlling about how his life should go (and no one likes his direction), which is more of his idealized view of things. Plus, Bill’s presumably mostly happily married, so shipping him and Bev is problematic for a whole host of other reasons. I liked the motivation they gave Ben in the first film to discover the local history of any place he moves to—it’s something he does to make himself feel more at home and to just get to know his new surroundings—and while the shift to him being an architect as an adult does kinda feel like a retcon buttressed by the flashback of him reinforcing the clubhouse they discover in the woods, I didn’t think it was too awkward a change. You could say that Ben always being interested in the places his family took him translated into him wanting to build places for people to feel comfortable, which works IMO. Pennywise burying Ben was maybe not the clearest way to bring back his fears of not being strong enough to get to Bev, but it wasn’t bad; I’m not sure how I would’ve done it differently. Given he designed the clubhouse he’s buried in, that’s a neat way to strike at his adult success too, by subtly undermining his skills and turning his safe, homey place against him. I’m not sure when the school vision is supposed to happen, since the first movie takes place entirely over summer and he didn’t talk to Bev until after school ended, but they reference the Losers like they’re already hanging out. Maybe it was summer school?

Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) staying on Pennywise watch for 27 years was a good payoff to his grandfather telling him to make choices and stay on top of things as a kid (Chosen Jacobs) so he doesn’t end up getting a metaphorical (or literal) bolt through his head. That was enough to smooth out the transition from Ben being the one who knew all about Derry’s history in the first movie to Mike keeping the knowledge here for me, but it also left him without much of a life to explore yet again. I’ve thought since the first movie that Mike was underwritten and there was much more to dig into with him, so him not really being in any danger from Pennywise here was a disappointment; I liked him, but I wanted to learn more about him. We get more insight into his parents’ deaths, but that’s more about them than it is him. Even his totem (the rock Bev hit Bowers with when they met) was the least personal out of all of them—it’s more about them coming together as the full Losers Club than anything Mike-centric—and didn’t reveal anything new about him. Maybe a good way for It to strike at him would’ve been by taunting him with the “nothingness” his life had become. Still, it was cool to see him take charge of getting everyone back home and mobilized against It, even if that was ultimately based on a Hail Mary lie. That manipulation also sort of plays into what his grandfather told him about being the person in charge or the person getting killed, so that worked too; I just wanted to know more about him. I did like his monologues about memory, though.

Stan (Andy Bean) was even more disappointing: like Mike, he wasn’t very fleshed-out as kid (Wyatt Oleff) in the first movie (I wished back then that his characteristics had been split up amongst the other kids, given they clearly didn’t have time for him), and his early death here reinforces that opinion. Trying to play his suicide off as some noble sacrifice because he thought he’d be a hindrance to the others doesn’t work at all for me, one because killing himself splits the Losers up before they can even come together and two, because Eddie is also terrified the whole time but still (eventually) fights back for his friends to come out stronger on the other side. I liked the sentiment about friendship in Stan’s letter to the others, but I could not get on board with him killing himself “for the good of the team.” Why not bring him back with the rest of them and do something interesting with him instead? I did like young Stanley’s bar mitzvah scene, because I wanted that in IT since it was about growing up & he talks about what becoming a man means. It using Stanley’s face to attack his friends was also effective (and creepy!). 

Ultimately, because Stan’s role was so small, his screentime was more disappointing than distracting or harmful to the movie. Henry Bowers’ (Teach Grant) return, however, is easily the thing that fell the most flat for me. He was absolutely terrifying in the first movie, but here he was decidedly not. That’s a realistic take on high school (or middle school, in this case) bullies as you get older, but it doesn’t work to create dread in a horror movie (though I’ll concede I was worried about Eddie and Mike when Bowers attacked them; it’s the lead-up that made him feel non-threatening). Eddie’s reverse-Psycho moment of stabbing Bowers from inside the shower and his subsequent mullet comment, along with Richie’s genius pun in the library, were all pretty great moments that Bowers’ presence made possible, but I wish he’d been scarier. I think it would’ve been stronger had they stuck with Mike killing him in the first film (another instance of him making the choice his grandfather told him about), because I’m not convinced bringing him back to line up with the book was worth it (still, Bowers surviving doesn’t erase the fact that Mike acted to save himself and his friends, so that character moment is maintained). It could’ve used the present-day bigots (Jake Weary and others) as lackeys to get us to those good moments instead, which would’ve brought them back into the story after the opening scene. Maybe Pennywise could even activate the whole town against the Losers, upping the stakes considerably.

Pennywise unleashed and in full control of the town and everything our heroes saw almost from the moment they got back was very cool and creepy! It was nice that they snuck a glimpse of It’s origin as Pennywise in too, and it makes total sense that Bev would be the one to see it, both because of her horrible relationship with her father paralleling the woman telling the story (Joan Gregson) being Pennywise’s “daughter” and because she’d seen the Dead Lights and could see other times. Mike’s explanation of It’s arrival on Earth, learned from a local Native American tribe, worked for me too and I liked how it was rendered. At first I thought I would’ve preferred the scares here to have more to do with the Losers’ adult lives rather than dredging up all their childhood fears again: it would’ve been a unique way to reacquaint them with us and show us how they’d changed. Then, I realized that throwing their fears from childhood back in their faces not only illustrates that they haven’t been able to change all that much, but making them feel like they did when they were kids is an ingenious way to make them feel small again, like they haven’t accomplished any growth at all (like Bill starting to stutter again). When they got to the end, Pennywise’s final/real form (aside from the Dead Lights) was threatening, but not scary at all—partially because It wasn’t representing their specific fears anymore and partially because we could see all that It was—but that’s fear for you. These non-Native American kids performing the Ritual of Chud (a Native American ritual which used a stolen artifact) was not a great look, but I was glad that it didn’t end up working. It would’ve been way worse for them to perform the ritual better than the original Native people had. Instead, I liked the way they beat It in the end: Eddie’s intel on having been able to choke It when it attacked him as a kid paired with what Mike learned about it following the rules of its forms—so they had to make It small to kill it—and then ultimately Bev switching that up to make the monster emotionally small by showing that they were no longer afraid was a much better and more satisfying ending than any random ritual could’ve been. This way was more connected to them (totems or not) and had them working to overcome their fears to win.

The surviving Losers jumping into the quarry again like they did when they were younger worked perfectly for me. The callbacks throughout the movie were spot-on, but this was absolutely right (not to mention being a baptism allusion, since they’re finally released from their fears). I’m glad that they got to remember everything they’d been through this time (which I understand is a change from the book): it would be cruel to rob them of these friendships all over again. The logical reason that they didn’t forget again was that their memory loss was caused by It’s defense mechanism, in the same way no one in Derry seems to notice the things Pennywise does, but I liked that Mike couched it in the sentiment of them having more they wanted to remember this time around too.

The pacing is good, keeping a long movie from feeling like a slog. The direction and cinematography are crisp and clear, which is always a welcome change from horror movies that like to keep everything shrouded in so much darkness that you can’t see what’s going on. The score is solid and most of the movie’s vibe is suitably creepy, with just enough comedy to ease the tension without breaking it. The adults all stepped into the kids’ shoes really well and they felt like the same people, which was not a given as those kids were fantastic in the first film! It was good to see them again in a limited number of flashbacks. The adult Losers not remembering anything was a good excuse to bring in the flashbacks in the first place, so both they and us could see their pasts in a new light (that forgetfulness also helps the adults to come back to town more willingly). I just loved watching these old friends unite and enjoyed hanging out with them again. It made me wish there were more to their story, even if it didn’t involve further ancient interstellar evils, and I’d watch a third part about them just getting on with their lives now that they’re free to live them.

While this doesn’t quite live up to the first movie, IT Chapter Two is still definitely worth a trip to the theater! The excellent acting from the entire cast easily overcomes any shortcomings and the film’s considerable runtime. I’ll definitely get this when it comes out on Blu-Ray and I’m excited to see it again. Check it out!

 Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!  

[newagesispage]

                                                      JANUARY                         2019

PAGE RIB

***** James Cromwell has been busy with 3 productions in the works And you can see him in Counterpart right now on Starz.

***** Pete Davidson did 2 sold out shows in Boston on NY eve.

***** Stranger Things season 3 will be upon us on July 4.

***** Clint Eastwood’s The Mule is a hit.

***** The latest to be accused of sexual misconduct: Neil Degrasse Tyson is being investigated by Fox. They do seem to hate science but I will always believe an accuser first.

***** Do people really like Kid Rock? It is really hard to believe.

***** Days alert: We will meet Leo’s Mama and Leo will be taken with Xander who is back and plotting with Eve.  Rafe arrests Stefan.  He later heads off to help Sami and Hope turns to Ted.  Rex is back from Chicago. So glad that Jack is back.

***** Amazon has the new Modern Love which will star Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway, Catherine Keener and Andy Garcia.

***** Robert Mueller is finally releasing his first reports. The long list of lies and Russian connections keeps growing.

***** John Kelly is out. Nick Ayers, Chief of Staff for Pence turned it down.  Kelly has since told us that Jeff Sessions surprised him when he instituted the family separation at the border.** Mick Mulvaney who seems to hate Trump is the new chief of staff.

***** Wisconsin approved their shady bills that strip power from incoming Dems. They approved 82 appointees from Scott Walker in one fucking day.  How long are we gonna take this shit?? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!

***** Ivanka has won approval for 16 new Chinese trademarks including voting machines and sausage casings.

***** Rudy Giulliani tried to blame twitter for a conspiracy to invade his account. He accidently tweeted a link to a website that called Trump a traitor to our country. The site didn’t exist until he wrote G-20.in and a designer bought the domain.

***** The number of caged children keeps growing.

***** It seems Stevie Wonder has a huge amount of unreleased songs. LET’s GO!!

***** It seems Pelosi and Schumer and Trump had quite a meeting in the Oval Office. Trump took pride in a possible Government shutdown but weeks later blamed the Dems. Pence sat in silence.

***** Mike Pence is just as slippery a liar. –Seth Meyers

*****Defense Secretary Jim Maddus is out.** Brett McGurk, special Presidential envoy for global coalition to counter Isis has resigned.

***** Elizabeth Warren is the first to dip her toe in the water of Presidential insanity for 2020.

***** The 2019 stamps include Walt Whitman, Gregory Hines, Rivers, Alabama 1819 statehood, Marvin Gaye, frogs, state and county fairs, Woodstock, Joshua tree,  winter berries, Bethesda fountain and coral reefs.

***** The Grammy noms have been announced C’mon Glover and This is America for song of the year!! The comedy category is tough with Chris Rock, Patton Oswalt, Dave Chappelle, Jim Gaffigan and Fred Armisen.

***** Happy New Year!!

***** In sexual predator news:  Kevin Spacey sent out a creepy Christmas Eve message as his House of Cards character claiming his real life innocence. He also filed a motion asking to be excused from appearing at his hearing. Coward! ** Cybil Sheppard claims Les Moonves whined to her about his wife and mistress not turning him on back in the day. He asked if he could take her home and when she said,”NO!”, she found her show cancelled.

***** Trump has pulled out all the troops from Syria, declaring victory! He has also pulled out half the troops in Afghanistan.  Putin is very happy.

***** The top 6 banks made $100 billion in profits thanks to the tax cuts. The U.S. stocks have had their worst year since 2008.

*****

***** There are lots of Nicolas Cage movies on the way including A score to Settle with Benjamin Bratt, Grand Isle, Kill Chain, Primal and Running with the Devil with Laurence Fishburne. He is just starting Prisoners of the Ghostland.

***** Bill O’Reilly is already tweeting about replacing Justice Ginsberg and she is already on the mend.

***** The Golden Globe noms are out and the show will air January 6.  I will be routing for Robert Redford The Americans, Keri Russell, Barry and Patricia Arquette. The toughest category has to be the actors, Jason Bateman or Matthew Rhys? Bill Hader or Jim Carrey? Kieran Culkin or Henry Winkler? OMG! Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will host.

***** Kathie Lee Gifford will leave Today in April.

***** Netflix is putting out A Ted Bundy series with unheard audio interviews in 4 parts.

***** Kevin Hart was asked to host the Oscars but 2 days later, he stepped down after he would not apologize for some old homophobic tweets. Wouldn’t they look into that first? C’mon. Publicity?

***** Bohemian Rhapsody is the most streamed song of the 20th Century.

***** Finn Wittrock and Sarah Roberts have had their first child.  Finn will be appearing in Plus One with Ed Begley Jr. and Jack Quaid. He is also in Semper Fi ad If Beale Street could talk. I’m looking forward to Next Deception with Thomas Haden Church and The Last Black Man in San Francisco with Danny Glover and Mike Epps.  Renee Zellweger will play Judy Garland in Finn’s next flick, Judy.

***** Britain’s New Year’s Honours list includes Twiggy, Michael Palin, Jim Carter, Chris Nolan, Philip Pullman and 43 others.

***** Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary will be held on August 15-17 on the same site but will not be produced, sponsored by or affiliated with Woodstock Ventures LC. Michael Lang says that he will hold a 59th Anniversary but so far no details.

***** Let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today…. The only way to destroy them is to expose them… If man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance.  – Stan Lee (1965)

***** R.I.P Philip Bosco, Bill Siegel, Sondra Locke, Nancy Wilson, Frank Russell Parker, Sister Wendy Beckett, Peter Masterson, Norman Gimbel, Richard Overton, June Whitfield,  Melvin Dummar, Ringo Lam, Don McKay, Don Lusk and Penny Marshall.