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misstrashchan · 3 years

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Hi!

I have seen you are into podcasts? I wanted to try consuming some stories in this media format because I am curious... however, I do not know much.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you!

Okay, so I don't know what kind of genres or stories you might like or be looking for, but the majority of podcasts I'm familiar with and can recommend are mainly horror, or have horror elements. So, fair warning there. (Most podcasts on this list include trigger warnings in the episode descriptions too)

The Penumbra Podcast- I'd say this is a good, safe starting point to see if you like consuming stories in podcasts. The first season started out as an anthology series for a variety of stories, ranging from sci-fi noir detective mysteries, swashbuckling westerns, haunted houses, knights slaying monsters, etc. The main premise of the podcast is "stories you've heard before told in ways you'd never expect".

There are two reoccurring storylines, Juno Steel (sci-fi/noir) and the Second Citadel (fantasy/adventure) that the show focuses on more so as it goes on and drifts away from the anthology format, but you can choose to just focus on one and come back to the other later, as the two stories are completely seperate from each other and don't need to be listened to understand the other. Same if you don't want to listen to the horror anthology episodes like Shaken and Home and would rather skip them over (though they are fantastic if you do like horror). It's very engaging, fun, diverse and energetic, and excellent voice acting and sound design. Just a good time all round.

Currently there's three complete seasons out, episode runtime ranging 30-45 minutes and a currently ongoing series. Here's the teaser:

Alice Isn't Dead- So this is just a firm favorite of mine in podcasts, hell, it's one of my favorite stories in general. Keisha, the narrator – a truck driver who is driving across America, delivery to delivery, is looking for her missing wife, Alice. We listen to her speak into the truck radio, partially musing to herself, partially addressing Alice as though she is leaving her a voicemail describing her travels and the bleakness of the road ahead – and worse, the potential of what follows her. It's a horror, a psychological thriller and a mystery, told in short, sharp chapters. The way in which the story is told makes excellent use of the audio medium and actively incorporates it into how the story at hand is being told, which I just adore when podcasts do. (There's a book version out and it just doesn't quite hit the same mark as it does in podcast format). In general it makes for a very intense and intimate experience that just keeps you hooked all the way through.

The story is complete at three seasons with 30 episodes each with a 20 minute runtime.

The Magnus Archives- If you follow me, or if you've been on Tumblr in general, you might already have a vague awareness of this series because of how popular it is, and for good reason too. It's a completed slowburn 200 episode cosmic horror/tragedy/drama that at it's core is an anthology series, every episode being a seemingly self contained short horror story.

Given as "statements" by people who have had paranormal or esoteric encounters to the Magnus Institute based in London, which is dedicated to researching such things, is then recorded onto tapes by the narrator and protagonist Jonathan Sims, (one of my favourite tragic heroes) the newly appointed Head Archivist after his predecessors mysterious death, who appears to have purposefully disorganized the Archives, much to his annoyance. But then patterns begin to occur within the statements, characters and previous statement givers appear in other's stories as they intersect like a huge web, and it's clear that there's something much larger and sinister at play as an overarching narrative comes into view that then draws the Archivist in.

Similar to Alice Isn't Dead, the Magnus Archives makes use of the audio medium and actively incorporates it into how it tells the story with how every statement is recorded onto tapes, as well as the events of the strange happenings in the Archives that the main characters (the Archivist, his research team, and the head of the Magnus Institute) experience themselves. Though without spoiling anything, the tapes themselves have a far more relevant and a active role in not just telling the story, but as the story and world itself.

This was a passion project for the writer, Jonathan Sims, (yes that is the name of the main character which he also voices, yes it is confusing) for a long time, and you can absolutely tell with how planned out the meta plot and intricate lore is, as well as just the quality of the writing in general. It covers all kinds of horrors and explores the concept of human fear itself, our personal relationship to it, which ties into the themes of agency and humanity the series also explores.

(trailer starts at 1:00)

The Silt Verses-

Let Me Speak First of Revelations

And Next of Dark Deceit

Then I'll Speak of Champions

Of Lovers, Gods and Beasts

My Song is Long and Twisted

It Winds, it Worms, It Rends

It Carries Few, It Drowns Many

And Those I Love, It Rends

This podcast is a fairly recent newcomer compared to the rest on the list, the first season is still ongoing, with only nine episodes out so far out of its fourteen with a season two planned ahead as well (with a roughly 40 minute episode runtime) but is absolutely divine. I'm genuinely frustrated that I'm not articulate enough to properly describe just how clever this series is, and can't recommend it enough.

A folk horror/religious fantasy serial drama that follows Carpenter and Faulkner, two river worshippers of an outlawed god, travelling up the length of their deities great black river, in search of revelations. As their pilgrimage lengthens and the river’s mysteries deepen, the two acolytes find themselves under threat from a police manhunt, but also come into conflict with the weirder gods that have flourished in these forgotten rural territories.

If you like themes of religious existentialism, how capitalism will commodify everything once deemed sacred, the indescribable horrors that arise from religious fanaticism/cults, rich lore and world building and complex morally grey protagonists who act as fascinating character foils to one another, lyrical and poetic narration, an eerie atmosphere, and don't mind the occasional intense scenes of body horror, you will love this podcast.

Oh, and crabs.

(I would also highly recommend I Am in Eskew by the same writer, his previous and completed podcast at 30 episodes, about a man living day to day within the monstrous city Eskew, but as an overall story and characters the Silt Verses is the much stronger of the two.)

#hope this is helpful!#sorry if it's a bit much #I get a bit overexcited when I get a chance to talk about podcasts #the penumbra podcast #alice isn't dead #the magnus archives #the silt verses #i am in eskew #podcast recommendations #asks

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yikesharringrove · 4 years

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drummer!billy fucks steve after robin drags him to billy’s band’s concert at the gay bar and he swears he hates the band until he sees billy... please :)

I’m so hot for drummers I became one. That’s TRUE.

This is some modern lovin’.

Also I have a friend in a vegan eco-punk folk band and they fucking suck.

Pansy Division is a real queercore band they are AMAZING super recommend they have a song called Fem in a Black Leather Jacket that I can SO see Billy singing to femme!Steve to be teasing one day.

Queer Bar is the name of a REAL BAR my friends and I (used to, thanks Miss Corona) go to to watch drag performers and queer punk bands.

Ayoo3

Porn Porn.

Steve didn’t go to a lot of concerts.

He didn’t do great in sweaty crowds, and the loud music would leave his ears ringing for days. But Robin would still drag him out to see her friends’ shitty bands play at shitty dive bars.

“You have to come. It’ll be fun. They’re actually, like good.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“That’s what you said about the last two bands, Rob. And they fucking sucked.”She had dragged him to some house show for her friend in a vegan eco-punk folk band which is apparently a thing that exists in this world, and they sucked. It was like someone screaming about global warming over a Bon Iver song. It made Steve want to actively go out and litter.

“What’s the genre?”

“Queercore. You can listen to them! They have an album on Spotify that’s done pretty okay. They’re called Pansy Division.” Steve gave her a cold look as he pulled them up. He listen to their three most popular songs, That’s So Gay was a pissed off track about people using the word gay as a derogatory. Fem in a Black Leather Jacket was self explanatory, and Luv Luv Luv was a more chilled out song, but the lyrics were all about how love isn’t real and “we’re all just animals at the core”. Steve was sold.

“Where are they playing.” Robin grinned at him.

“Queer Bar.” Steve groaned. Queer Bar was small. A divey place that got hot and sticky. Steve didn’t like going as he always left covered in spilled drinks, and other people’s sweat, and had hooked up with three of the bartenders and just didn’t really wanna deal with all that.

“I don’t know, Robin. You know I don’t like Queer Bar.”

“You like it just fine. You’re just a slut. You do realize that if we could only go to bars where you haven’t fucked one of the employees, we would have like, five bars to choose from.”

“Don’t slut shame me. I am a young flower, who must dance on the wind and take a dip in every pond.” Robin stared at him.

“Steve that makes no fucking sense. Just admit you’re a sloppy whore and let’s move on.”

“Fine. I’m a sloppy whore. So when is this terrible night scheduled?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Robin!”

“Dingus!”

“You couldn’t’ve given me some notice?”

“You’re getting like, thirty hours of notice right now.” She rolled her eyes. Steve always told her one of these days they were gonna fall right outta her head.

“You are a nightmare and the bane of my existence and I’ve never hated anyone as much as I hate you.” Steve deadpanned. She leaned over on the couch to smack a wet kiss to his cheek.

“And you should probably bring condoms. These guys are just your type.”

“So, that’s what you’re wearing?” Steve just glared at her.

“If you’re dragging me to this thing, I at least want to be comfortable.” He was wearing short denim cutoffs, ones she had cutoff for him. They were high-waisted, and he tucked a baggy Jane’s Addiction t-shirt he had stolen from his ex-boyfriend into them. He had just done a little eye shadow and smoked liner.

Robin was in a black body-con dress, her old brown leather jacket over her shoulder, but her arms were not in the sleeves. It was very fashiony of her. Steve tugged on a red bomber jacket.

They would be meeting Robin;s girlfriend, Heather, at the bar. Apparently she was friends with someone in the band.

“Let’s go, Dingus.” Robin was holding The front door to Steve’s apartment, swinging it between both hands. He pinched her side as he walked past.

They had to take a Lyft to Queer Bar, another reason it was the worst. It wasn’t in walking distance. Their driver was this quiet guy who wouldn’t stop staring at Robin, even when she loudly started talking about her girlfriend. Steve only gave him four stars, a serious deal for Steve, who would probably give five stars even if the driver fucking murdered him.

Steve had met Heather quite a few times, and he liked her. She was cute, and easy to talk to, and made Robin so happy, but she also kept talking about Billy and how he was going to come out with them later, and kept winking at Robin.

They traipsed into the bar, Steve ducking to avoid one of the bartenders he had slept with. The guy had been real clingy after and asked Steve to get breakfast while Steve was trying to get dressed and get outta there.

So, they’re in the club, and it’s about time for the band, well, it’s twenty minutes after time for the band, and Steve is tired and is nursing a vodka cranberry and has been hit on more than he wanted tonight.

But then the band is taking the stage, and Steve is ready to lose his mind at this perfect specimen taking his place behind the drums.

He had tattoos on nearly every inch of skin Steve could see, his arms, his legs, his neck. He was putting his long hair into a ponytail, a few curls escaping and settling around his face. He was laughing at something the bassist was saying to him, twirling his stick in one hand.

“Heather’s friends with the drummer. His name is Billy.” Robin was giving him a knowing look.

The band was pretty good. Played a lot of loud songs. People were slam dancing around the front, far from where Steve was standing, watching the drummer. He really fucking whacked the drums, broke about three sticks during the hour set. He was all sweaty. Would play with a big grin on his face, blue eyes crinkled, tongue between his face.

By the time they finished their set, Steve was sporting a half-chub in his shorts, was rearing to get fucked by this gorgeous drummer.

“What did you think!” Heather was beaming at him.

“Yeah, they’re okay.” Robin rolled her eyes.

“So, we’re just waiting for Billy, then we can get outta here.” Steve’s heart stopped. He had fucking forgotten they would be hanging out with this perfect Billy.

He came up behind Heather, picking her up from behind, laughing loud and beautiful.

“Stop, Billy! You smell like shit!” He rubbed his head onto her neck, making her slap at him. He released her, turning those eyes on Steve. He put out a hand.

“Billy Hargrove.” He took both of Steve’s hands in his, made him blush.

“Steve Harrington. I’m a friend of Robin’s.” Billy ran his tongue along his teeth, looking Steve up and down.

They ended up going to a club and getting hammered. Steve danced pressed against Billy, ended up laying on the bar while Billy led a few random guys in taking body shots off of Steve. He ended up making out with Billy in a dark corner, hands roaming until

“My place is close by. You wanna get outta here?” Steve shivered as Billy rasped in his ear.

“Yeah, let’s go.” They found Robin, who slapped Steve on the ass as he left, tucked under Billy’s arm. They walked a few blocks to Billy’s place, a little apartment over a Thai restaurant. It was cozy, had posters all over the walls, and lots of plants. He had a fat little cat he introduced as my chonker, Diablo.

They made out on the couch for a while, but then Diablo started yowling at Billy, so Billy hefted Steve up, and tossed him on the bed, refilling the cat’s water. Steve wrestled out of his clothes as he could hear Billy cooing to his cat in the kitchen.

“Holy shit you’re hot.” Billy shut the door behind him, staring at Steve, spread out and naked on his bed. “Heather said you were just my type.” Billy came to the bed, crawled over Steve, settling his wight over him. Steve reached up, tugging his hair out of the ponytail.

Billy ducked to kiss him, nudging his thighs open. He leaned to dig through the night table, brought out a bottle of lube and a condom.

Tattooed fingers nudged at his hole, rubbed lube around the rim. Steve started tugging at his shirt, making Billy laugh while he had to tangle it off of himself.

“Relax, Pretty Boy.” Steve whined as Billy went back to circling his hole, so he pressed in. He pressed up to the knuckle, curling his finger. He fucked it in and out of him slowly for a while, pumping his finger in and out.

He pressed another in, curling and spreading his fingers, stretching Steve out.

Steve took hold of his wrist, angling his hand.

“Curl you fingers.” Billy smirked at him, curling his fingers. Steve jolted as they shoved into his sensitive little nerves.

“You know just what you want, don’t you?” Billy was mouthing at his chest, sucked a dark mark on his left pec. “Not afraid to ask for it, either.”

He was drilling into Steve with his fingers, fucking him roughly with his hand, bending his fingers, opening them up. Steve was gasped, his legs opening even wider. He added another finger, pouring more lube over his hand, over Steve’s hole.

“I’m ready, just fuck me.” Steve’s eyes were wide, being sure to pout just the way he knew guys liked, voice all perfect and whiny.

“You’re bossy is what you are.” Billy added another finger, making Steve cry out at the stretch. “Think you can cum on just my fingers? I think I’d like that.” He bite gently at Steve’s nipple, making him arch into his chest, pushing his hips down onto Billy’s fingers.

“I want you cock. Please, just fuck me. Please, please.” Billy grinned, resting his chin on Steve’s chest, speeding his hand up, jack hammering it into Steve. “Holy fu-uck.” Steve came all over himself, choking around a few breathy moans.

“That was hot. You’re gorgeous.” Billy pulled his fingers out gently, letting Steve catch his breath while he took off his jeans, tossing them on the floor. Steve took extra notice of the lack of any underwear.

Billy was hard, his cock flushed red against his stomach. He rolled on a condom, settling himself between Steve’s legs, spread wide.

“You ready for me?” Billy was stroking Steve’s cock, smirking as Steve whined, oversensitive. Steve modded, wiggling his hips, whimpering for Billy to fuck him.

Billy pressed himself against Steve, holding his hips down as he gentled himself in, going slowly, inch by inch.

“You’re so tight Baby.” He was pressed flush to Steve, grinding his cock deeper, making Steve choke. He pulled out, immediately setting a brutal pace, sitting on his knees, one hand holding onto Steve’s upper thing, the other gripping his hip.

Steve was fisting the sheets under his head, clawing at them to try and hold on.

Billy was gorgeous above him, hair messy and wild, skin glistening, his muscles moving so beautifully under his tattooed skin.

Steve was hard again, trailed on hand down his body to wrap his fingers around his cock, jerking to the speed of Billy’s thrusts. He was getting close again, Billy was expertly hitting that sensitive little spot inside him, was panting and muttering about how hot Steve is, was making him whine and flush and fly closer to orgasm.

It hit him like a fucking train, making him cry out, adding to the mess on his stomach, tightening around Billy.

Billy gave one final grunt, slamming into Steve, emptying inside the condom. He caught his breath, staring down at Steve, running a finger through the spunk on his stomach, pressing it into Steve’s mouth, his eyes going dark as Steve moaned around his finger, eating his cum off it.

“You’re ridiculously fucking hot.” He huffed a laugh, pulling out of Steve to ditch the condom. “Now I actually owe Heather. That sucks.”

Steve laughed, slapping Billy’s chest.

#steve in super short jorts is my RELIGION #yikes writes #lemons #steve harrington #steve harrington x billy hargrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove #harringrove fic #harringrove ficlet #harringrove drabble

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dccomicsnews · 4 years

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Directed by: Cathy Yan

Written by: Christina Hodson

Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor

Review by: Eric Joseph

Summary

Somewhat capitalizing on the success of 2016’s Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in an ensemble tale that kind of functions as a solo adventure all at the same time. The Clown Princess of Crime may share the screen with several other DC favorites, sure, but it still feels like it’s her movie in the end. Think of how Steve Rogers remained the central character in Captain America: Civil War amid guest stars galore, and you have somewhat of a decent parallel here – albeit with a much smaller cast, of course.

Unfortunately, Birds of Prey didn’t rake in the box office dough it should have, but we can only hope that more people discover it once the home video release hits shelves. In my view, this film turned out much better than I’d anticipated, so I’m going to tell you why it’s worth your time and money. Questionable marketing, costume choices, and an unnecessarily long title that should have been simplified to “Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey” in the first place were likely the biggest factors contributing to financial shortcomings, although there’s nothing we can do about any of those at this point.

Basically, the story follows Harley Quinn, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya as they call come together while the villainous Black Mask and Victor Zsasz hunt the human MacGuffin that is Cassandra Cain. I won’t spoil why they’re pursuing said child in case you haven’t seen the picture for yourself, but that’s the gist of it.

Positives

The greatest positive to mention is that of the gal whose name is included in the title itself: Harley Quinn. Like I said, this is damn near a Harley solo film, although I can’t complain too much because Margot Robbie simply knocks it out of the park. It’s as if Suicide Squad were the appetizer and Birds of Prey is the main course. Her performance is spot-on, and I can tell she put a lot of effort and research into every onscreen decision she made while inhabiting the character’s skin. My guess is that she’d just begun reading the comics while filming Suicide Squad, and then read a lot more in the time since. I know for a fact that she’s become a fan of the source material, and it really shows.

In fact, I must say that the rest of the main cast did commendable jobs with the roles they landed – even if some of those portrayals were questionable. Well, any missteps when it came to characterization weren’t their fault, as actors just play with the scripts they’re given. We’ll pick up on that point when we get to the “negatives” part of this review, alright?

Actually, it could be argued that some gripes can be tolerated when the end product turns out so well. The narrative itself unfolds in nonlinear fashion, yet it comes across as quite smooth. It’s a far cry from the editing nightmare that was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘s theatrical cut, that’s for sure.

If anyone deserves a round of high fives, it’s 87eleven, the stunt team who choreographed the stellar action sequences. There’s a very good reason why the fight scenes are on par with John Wick films – and that’s because the same talented folks just mentioned worked on those. Here’s hoping they’re brought aboard for more DC projects in the future, particularly anything having to do with Batman.

K.K. Barrett and his production design crew also warrant a tip of the hat. I’m aware that they wanted their Gotham City to look different and more realistic, but it’s my belief they achieved something closer to the comics than anything lensed by Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder. Not meaning to knock what those guys did, but their Gothams simply looked like everyday major cities. Gotham City is a character unto itself, and that’s something I haven’t seen portrayed to the fullest extent outside of the Tim Burton-Joel Schumacher era and the Gotham TV series. But here, we’re transported to Black Mask’s nightclub, an eerie amusement park and otherworldly pier that look like they were plucked from Batman: The Animated Series, with daytime romps through the city forcing me to recall something like the Burnside borough from the comics.

And when it comes to supplemental content, WB sure didn’t skimp on that for the Blu-ray release. I recommend checking out “Birds Eye View Mode” for your second viewing of the feature presentation, as it is essentially a video commentary, behind-the-scenes tour, and pop-up video-style factoid dropper all rolled into one. Beyond that, there are featurettes that delve into production design, stunts, costuming and much more.

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Negatives

Okay, here’s where I have to get dead serious.

My first airing of grievances has to be directed at costuming. That particular department may have wanted to avoid skimpy spandex outfits and “onesies” as they put it, but not many characters in this movie are recognizable to readers of comics. Although most people flocking to theaters don’t actually read the books, the core audience will kickoff the snowball effect of advance poor word of mouth without fail, and that definitely happened well before opening weekend this past February.

Now, I’m not saying Mary Elizabeth Winstead had to run around in a singlet as if she were going for a swim, but they could’ve figured out some sort of tactical gear akin to the blueprint laid by comic book artists. If other movies in the genre can do it, why couldn’t this one? And when she finally does don the black and purple complemented by a white cross, it’s in a tracksuit-type whatever-it-is that looks like it was ordered online and arrived several sizes too big. You see, this is what grinds the gears of diehard fans. If their familiar getup is supposedly so impractical and unfavorable to women, then Harley Quinn and Black Canary wouldn’t be cosplayed ad infinitum worldwide, would they?

Now, I’m not going to do likewise for every other character – save for Harley, who couldn’t even wear her familiar red and black color scheme – but there’s a reason why I singled out Huntress: I’d been waiting years for her to come to the silver screen. Not only that, but both the Birds of Prey and Arrow TV series had already struck out when it came to her costume, so that’s why I had high hopes for this. And to be clear, I have no criticisms of Ms. Winstead herself; the casting department found the right actress. It’s just that they missed the mark with her gear.

As for poor characterization mentioned earlier, I can’t fathom how Black Mask and Cassandra Cain got so f—ed up. The former would be more aptly described as “Black Mascara” and the latter is not the disabled hero who once took up cape and cowl as Batgirl in the comics. I’d go as far to say they could’ve called her “Jimmy Olsen” and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Really, why mess up them both when every other major character in this production was pretty much nailed from a writing standpoint? But that’s Hollywood, baby, and they know better than you or I.

Verdict

In the case of Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the pros far outweigh the cons. Trust me when I say this film is a must-see for fans of Harley Quinn and DC Comics in general, so do yourself a favor and pick it up on whatever home video format you prefer. It’s insane, R-rated fun on the same level as Deadpool, so fingers remain crossed that this finds the larger audience it deserves.

Blu-ray Review: Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) Directed by: Cathy Yan Written by: Christina Hodson Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ewan McGregor…

#Birds of Prey #Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

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tlbodine · 5 years

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A Decade of Horror Recommendations

With 2020 approaching, we’re reaching the end of a decade that has been uncommonly good to the horror genre, especially the last few years. Here’s an overview of some of the stand-out titles and my recommendations. Feel free to ask me about any of the titles on this list and I’ll happily share my more in-depth thoughts on them!

Note that, of course, I have not seen every movie that’s come out in recent years, so I’ve probably missed some titles -- feel free to jump in with your own recommendations!

Also this post is really long and has gifs, so I’m putting it under a cut. Sorry for the dash spam, mobile fam. Tell Tumblr to fix their shit.

2010: Supernatural Horror Starts Making a Comeback

Some stand-out films:

Insidious: An important film for modern horror history, helping to usher in the new wave of paranormal/hauntings/demon films. It lays the tropes for a lot of the films that would get big in upcoming years. I thought it was pretty solidly decent.

Devil: A clever script about being trapped on an elevator with the devil. It’s a bit too ambitious and doesn’t quite live up to those ambitions, but it’s solidly decent and refreshingly original. A hidden gem for the year.

Black Swan: Maybe the height of Darren Aronofsky’s career as a household name. Not my favorite of his movies, but a pretty solid psychological suspense.

Frozen: No, not that one. This is a clever movie that embraces a narrow scope: some teenagers get stuck on a ski lift and have to endure the elements and some hungry wolves below. Not a great movie, but worth watching as a study in what you can do with limited resources.

Black Death: Quick shout-out for a dark and grisly historical horror involving witchcraft and torture. It’s not a fun movie to watch, but it’s got Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne, and I feel like both original screenplays and historical horrors are rare enough to warrant support.

2010 also had its share of predictable franchise tie-ins (a Saw movie, a Resident Evil movie, remakes like I Spit on Your Grave and The Crazies, etc.) The Horror Renaissance was a few years in coming.

2011: The Year of the Predictable Remakes

So many franchises getting flogged to death this year -- tripe like SCRE4M, Final Destination 5, Human Centipede 2, a Hellraiser reboot literally no one watched, and Paranormal Activity 3. Blech. BUT. 2011 also brought us a couple of my favorite movies ever:

You’re Next: I would credit You’re Next with re-defining the “final girl” in horror. Also it’s a damn good home invasion movie with buckets of gore and a smart script.

Cabin in the Woods: This one’s a bit divisive -- some folks really hated it I guess -- but it’s such a loving deconstruction of horror, and it’s wholly original even while being comfortingly familiar. Also it’s hilarious.

2012: A Few Important Titles

I feel like 2012 was full of movies nobody has actually ever seen or talked about. But some of the good ones that I’d recommend:

Sinister: Like Insidious in some ways, but maybe better. Also, “Snakes don’t have feet.” Honestly just a very good, solid demon/haunted kid movie.

V/H/S: A must-watch for horror buffs. It didn’t invent the found footage genre, but it did refine it and really show off what it could do best.

Smiley: OK so like. This is not really a great film, but I think about it a lot and recommend it a lot. It’s stuck with me quite a bit somehow, and in some ways it feels very much ahead of its time as a creepy prediction of what internet culture would be like at the end of the decade. “We did it for the lulz.” Seriously, watch this movie today, and remember that it was made eight years ago, and see if it gives you chills too.

I guess I should also mention Prometheus here, which lots of people liked. I was not one of them, but it was a heavily talked-about film I feel like and of course an Alien franchise tie-in.

2013: The Year the World Remembered It Liked Horror

This was a big turning point year, launching some new franchises instead of just re-treading old ones:

The Conjuring: I personally hate all of these movies, but they are huge and you can’t swing a dead cat in the modern horror fandom without encountering one of them. The first Conjuring film was at least decent. For extra credit, watch it as a triple feature with Insidious and Sinister and do a compare/contrast.

The Purge: Not only the start of a successful franchise but also a pop culture phenomenon and a damn good movie to boot.

Mama: I love this movie. I have this movie on DVD. It’s kind of bittersweet and may not completely follow through on all of its promises, but it’s still quite good and has some lovely performances.

Warm Bodies: Not really a horror -- kind of a romance -- but it warrants mention here because zombies were a hot item in 2013, and that’s a current special interest of mine on account of having a zombie book of my own coming out that is more than a little influenced by this story. (the film is a pretty good adaptation of the book, although honestly you could just skip the movie and read the book and get a better experience.)

Willow Creek: I feel like I recommend this movie a lot, but that’s just because I think it’s very good and a very smart use of its own resources. A found footage mockumentary that actually manages to make Bigfoot frightening. Totally worth the watch.

Mr. Jones: Here’s another hidden gem, also in found footage style (I feel like that was a prevailing theme in the years after V/H/S) but it’s surprisingly fresh. It’s a folk horror piece that doesn’t go at all where you might expect despite its thoroughly well-trodden ‘couple in secluded house’ setup.

A bucketful of remakes and sequels this year too, including an Evil Dead reboot, V/H/S sequel, Insidious sequel, etc. I should also probably mention World War Z, which was not actually very good and also had nothing in common with the book of the same name, but does mark an important moment in the mainstreaming of the zombie revival, especially considering it came out the same year as Warm Bodies.

2014: Fuck Yeah People Actually Like This Shit Let’s Make More

I feel like maybe our current horror renaissance started this year. Some recs:

The Babadook: No surprises to anyone who follows my blog, but I love The Babadook and I will defend it to the bitter end against its detractors. It is one of my favorite horror films of all time and one of the best of the decade.

It Follows: Ok confession, I actually did not like this movie at all. I thought it was ridiculous and over-hyped. But it makes the list because a lot of other people really, really loved it, and I accept that they saw something in it that I didn’t. Watch it and make up your own mind (and report back with your findings).

As Above, So Below: This may be the most claustrophobic film ever made, and it deserves to be studied on that merit alone. It’s also pretty creepy and I suspect a lot creepier for folks who are unnerved by Christian horror/mythology (I am not, but I know lots of folks really are).

Housebound: A hidden gem from New Zealand, this one is worth a watch because it takes a familiar haunted house premise and gives it a surprising and honestly delightful twist.

Jessabelle: Not a great movie, but deserving of a spot here because it’s a Southern Gothic and features a main character in a wheelchair, which I think is neat.

13 Sins: I feel like I’ve written about this movie for the blog before, and I recommend it a lot. But it’s clever and is a great early example of the “killing game” genre that has become increasingly prevalent (I mean, aside from the Battle Royale/Hunger Games version).

It was neat to see so many original horror stories (as opposed to reboots/franchises) coming out, and that’s a trend that would continue (and is something that makes horror one of my preferred genres - there are more original stories in it than in many other types of film).

2015: Hell Yeah Let’s Ride This Horror Train

So many excellent movies this year! Ahh!

Crimson Peak: Guillermo del Toro’s love letter to the Gothic. What I love about this movie (aside from Tom Hiddleston) is it plays all the tropes straight. It’s not trying to be a new spin or reinvent the genre or break all the tropes. It’s just a gothic horror story, told exactly like what it is, by a guy who makes damn good movies. I felt like that was really brave and surprising at the time.

The Visit: M. Night Shyamalan had basically made a joke of himself after a string of awful movies, but this movie was enough to earn back a bit of respect in my book. It’s a clever premise and a smart use of found footage.

The VVitch: Creepy-ass slow-burn supernatural historical horror, sign me up. I actually don’t like this movie as much as a lot of people (see above: religious-themed horror doesn’t push my fear buttons much) but it’s beautifully made, thoughtful, and artistic in a way that makes people sit up and pay attention to just how good the horror genre can be.

Krampus: This movie is extremely silly and I love it. A holiday favorite I watch every year now. It’s hilarious, and imaginative, with some really creepy visuals and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

The Invitation: For me, some of my favorite horror movies are the ones where the film is uncomfortable to watch before the actual horror stuff starts up. This one has an almost unbearably tense build-up and pays off in an incredibly satisfying and creepy manner.

2016: Horror Goes Hella Mainstream

I feel like 2016 was another year of just...lots of kind of fun unique premises tossed out like spaghetti to see what would stick. And I am here for it.

Don’t Breathe: Home invasion gone wrong is a great trope, and this one gets extra points for having the single most disturbing sequence utilizing a turkey baster I’ve ever seen in film.

Hush: Speaking of home invasions. This one is pretty standard fare -- homeowner fights back! -- but the deaf main character is a neat twist.

Lights Out: It’s pretty cheesy at times and the plot sort of falls in on itself, but the opening sequence is genuinely frightening and the movie almost literally killed @comicreliefmorlock so that’s a commendation I guess?

Train to Busan: An Asian take on the zombie survival story. It’s a really good movie (if horribly bleak) and it does such an excellent job of making you genuinely care for all of the characters.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe: A really neat premise with some wonderful slow-build horror. The storyline kind of goes off the rails, and it asks a lot of questions it doesn’t answer, but it’s quite good regardless.

The Forest: I was disappointed with this one -- it just failed to live up to my expectations -- but it’s decent, and it’s a good attempt at capturing the creepiness of Japan’s Suicide Forest.

Before I Wake: This one was sad more than scary, I thought, but it fits so neatly into a certain aesthetic that I am always a sucker for -- dreams and nightmares bleeding into reality, yes please.

Split: Say what you will, I thought Split was amazing, and James McAvoy deserves a goddamn Oscar for his performance in this movie.

The Monster: A hidden gem that’s worth watching to see how well it delivers on its premise: two characters stuck in a car with a monster outside. It’s not amazing, but it’s neat, and sometimes it’s nice to have just a straightforward creature feature with a bit of emotional heft for good measure.

2017: Did Somebody Say Blockbuster?

In hindsight, they’ll probably say 2017 was the start of the horror renaissance, but we’ll all know they’re a few years too late. Still, this was another great year:

Get Out: Funny, dark, deeply uncomfortable and with some real meat to it -- Jordan Peele knows how to make a great movie. This absolutely deserves all the awards.

It: Not a perfect movie, but a good adaptation of a difficult-to-adapt book. The kids are great. Pennywise is menacing, but that fucking flute lady is the scariest part.

It Comes At Night: I didn’t like this one much, but a lot of folks did so it makes the list. See above re: It Follows.

Gerald’s Game: Everything that’s wrong with this movie (ie, the ending) is wrong in the original story, so where this movie fails it’s a matter of sticking too close to its source material. But the premise is truly, genuinely horrifying, and the degloving scene almost made me vomit. So that’s cool.

Happy Death Day: Another horror-comedy, with a healthy dose of self-awareness. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s what allows it to be fun.

The Babysitter: This movie is hilarious. It’s also super bloody and clever and clearly made by people who love slashers, and the affection shows.

The Ritual: So-so in the acting and pacing, but the creature design is A+ and the concept is really neat. Seriously just watch this one for the monster, it’s super cool looking.

I should probably mention Mother here, but I can’t speak for it as I haven’t gotten around to watching it yet. It’s a very divisive film. One of these days I’ll watch it and let you know.

2018: There’s More Where That Came From

If 2016 was the year of filmmakers just trying stuff for the hell of it, 2018 was the year of talented filmmakers and studios realizing that, oh shit, you can make really good horror movies with mass appeal.

A Quiet Place: I’m glad I caught this one in theaters, because it really deserves to be watched in a dark, quiet room where no one dares to make a sound. The ending left a lot to be desired, but it was a clever premise.

Hereditary: The best horror movie of the year imo. Painfully uncomfortable - I’m not sure I could watch it again - but highly recommended.

Apostle: Watch this one in a triple-feature with The VVitch and Hereditary. A really good period piece with a character you actually want to root for.

Bird Box: I didn’t like this movie much, but it was hugely popular. I bought the book recently and suspect it is much better. Still, it’s worth a mention for its impact on mainstream viewers (lots of people who don’t like horror really liked this movie). I won’t budge from my initial opinion that it’s just A Quiet Place meets The Happening, though.

What Does 2019 Hold?

We’re only halfway through the year, so we’ve got some time to see what is coming down the pipe. Lots of things to look forward to! But some solid titles so far this year that I’d heartily recommend:

Us: Jordan Peele is at it again. It may not be as good as Get Out -- there’s some plot holes where the internal logic of the world is at odds with the message it’s trying to send -- but it’s thoughtful and gives plenty to chew on. And there are places where it’s just unbearably tense and creepy.

Brightburn: I had high hopes for this movie and was not disappointed. This is a super (ha, ha) good film.

The Wind: A Gothic on the American frontier. It accomplishes what I think It Comes At Night was supposed to do, but more effectively (for me anyway). Bonus points for being written and directed by women. Double bonus: Caitlin Gerard, the main actress, is also the lead character in Smiley.

I have not yet watched Velvet Buzzsaw, Ma or Midsommar this year, but I really want to. I’m also looking forward to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark film despite having some reservations about the whole concept.

#horror #horror movies #horror movie recommendations #movie recs #long post #gifs #horror by the decade

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inactivesimblrr · 6 years

Text

get to know me tag!

tagged by @literalite (thank u lamer clone!) n im not tagging anyone bc.............. every1 i think i know has already been tagged so thats calm, there r 125 questions below!

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Pat[REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? pat

3. BIRTHDAY? 23rd of nov!!!!! <3 (2001)

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? hmhmhnnnn,,,,, lotr, the hobbit, harry potter, anything from the grishaverse,,, idk man i like books a lot,,, the raven cycle,,, hnmgmg,,

5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? aliens 100% i believe in them! ghosts? i mean... i half kind of do half dont but my kind of ghost aint the same as the usual idea of a ghost yanno? mine r nicer <3

6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? leigh bardugo, tolkien, i would say j.k rowling but shes trash! her books r good tho ://

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION? ??? idk so im gon pretend this means podcast and in that case im listening to the black tapes rn!

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? matcha or strawberry!!!!!!

9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL? thats swag (i began using it ironically but now i cant stop)

10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? uhhh eve or the wonderful world by mark joshua! orrr shiloh by little chief!!

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD? grinned

12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? walking back to georgia by jim croce

13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? honestly.... drop dead diva... im sorry.... but tbh i dont watch tv all that often!! ACTUALLUY HECK i would def recommend merlin the bbc tv series and ofc sherlock the tv series but keep in mind both those recs will rip out your heart MULTIPLE times,

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN? .......... im down all the time lolol but tbh all the harry potter films + the 1st fantastic beasts movie, all the lotr films and all the hobbit films AND sherlock both the rdj and jude law films and then the bbc sherlock christmas special the abominable bride

15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? yah! my all time favourite game is tes oblivion!! it has been my fav since i was 6!

16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? my life not working out the way i want to!! i want my life to be happy and long and spent with the people i love and not having 2 worry abt money or health!!!

17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? i think maybe my ability to find everything funny??

18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? my temper is beyond vicious honestly like im not kidding my temper is.... disgusting

19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? birds

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? winter

21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? nah!

22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? im still a kid im only 17!!! and uh,, i miss the innocence!! i miss being oblivious!!

23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? i dont have one!

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? brownn w/ a bit of green!

25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? dark brown!

26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? my parents and my family!

27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? jude law, sebastian stan, emma stone

29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? back to school shopping!! also i get to eat fried chicken and cheesecake tonight because even tho my birthday was yesterday im celebrating it today!!!!

30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? stationery??? video games?? FOOD??

31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? jane and the dragon!

32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE? i dont know what a male is sorry

33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? a baby bit only

34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? n’aw i dont think so!

35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT? i mean... if i weren’t as ugly as i am id love to be in front of a camera doing fun acting stuff or whatnot! but bc i am ugly im usually behind the camera + i do film at school!

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? lettering/calligraphy!

37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? what if its us by becky abertalli + adam silvera (its so cute but the ending was.... not satisfactory...)

38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald!!!

39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? used 2 play piano, accordion, and violin! but i dont do tht anymore!

40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? bird!!

41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW? too many 2 pick from !!! im srry!

42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? gdgs all of them!!!!! maybe the power to warp reality bc i could do anything then?? a reality where im married to jude law or emma stone? done, a reality where i have all the powers in the world? done

43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE? a cliff somewhere where its cold and the water is vicious underneath!

44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? babies, animals, happy couples, pregnant people, old people, a lot of things really!

45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? i used 2 do karate but now i dont do sports!

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? idfsng idk! strawberry milkshake maybe?? matcha boba??? milk!!

47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? last week!!! i love handwriting!

48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? nah!

49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? ppl who r rude for no reason and also ppl at school who just pick on other ppl for no reason looking at you rahni teagan and the other f*ckheads!!! hope u die literally i know thats a horrible thing to say but you all deserve it

50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT? i went to two twenty one pilot concerts!! the first one was in the forum in melbourne and then the other one was a few years or one year later and it was in a sold out stadium!! both were in the mosh! and then idk if this counts as a concert but i went to and did the meet and greet for dan and phil’s first tour! i dont like them anymore tho ! ://

51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN? no way in HELL!!!!

52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? a lot of things!!! famous actress, spy, war general, prime minister, pro wrestler, explorer, cartographer, filmmaker, architect, interior designer, dragon, PIRATE

53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN? i know this is a bad idea but honestly the harry potter universe PROVIDED i had magic!! bc like,,, yah

54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT? a lot of things! my future mainly lol :(

55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? no but i gotta say sometimes in the middle of the night when i wake up and the undefined shape my clothes sitting on my desk chair looks like That i get a bit worried yanno it looks like a demon im not gonna lie

56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? ya but i dont htink im any good at it!

57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL? only due to sickness, funerals, or holidays!

58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET? my house! OR the cliffs of moher :o)

59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? in some old old old european castle in the middle of nowhere on a mountain and next to the sea

60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? nuu :( but i do feed a lot of birds that come to my house and ive named them and love them even if the lorikeets dont love me back which is fine!!!! :(

61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? early bird i guess

62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? sunsets??

63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? yes! but i dont have my full lisence only my learner’s permit!!

64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? headphones (noise cancelling!!)

65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? yup!! they were green!!

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? soft rock, indie folk, indie-everything mainly except for indie-rock,,, country music dont hate my i love country music as long as its certain country music!! aint having none of this keith urban rubbish in my house!! we only listen 2 the james taylor brand of country music in this house!!! so i guess country folk. folk music in general is my jam!!! i love ballads as well and ofc blues!! theres so many more jbdsgjbas but i cant possibly list all of it!!!

67. WHO IS YOUR HERO? the idea of me living out the future i want if that makes sense!

68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS? yah!!

69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY? a lot of things honestly!!!! 2 many to list im really passionate!

70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK? real book but i read more on electronic devices bc its easy and i dont have to worry about lights !!

71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? idk!!!!!!!! maybe history!

72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? nup!! im an only child thanK GOD

73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? movie tickets to crimes against grindelwald last night!!

74. HOW TALL ARE YOU? i think im like 176cm??

75. CAN YOU COOK? only if i have a recipe! but i can make really good drinks (non alcoholic ofc!!)

76. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? rainy weather, good literature, my family

77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? hubris, wrath, pococurantism

78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? female

79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? ?????????? who knows

80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? australia!!

81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED? my group chat

82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? my birthday yesterday lol

83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER? dont want youtube tht much anymore tbh

84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES? nah

85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP? procreate

86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE? incredibly close with both parents but fight with my dad like cats n dogs

87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? irish or strong strong american or posh english also scottish

88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? israel, republic of ireland, and so many more places like nksgskbgs i cant list them also all the nordic countries

89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 3

90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? no

91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? nah

92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OF THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING? both!!!!!!

93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? daring in terms of i like to do things that could potentially kill me for the adrenaline rush but not daring in terms of introducing myself to other ppl lol

94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING? nah thank GOD

95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? oui

96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS? non

97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? ill happily admit i’m wrong provided the other person wasnt a douchebag about it but even then ill admit im wrong! aint no shame in recognising ur wrong ma dude

98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? dont like the beach but i love the sea?? so forest i guess bc i dont like sand

99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? "two things stand like stone, kindness in another’s trouble, courage in your own” - adam lindsay gordon

100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? an excellent one, but i dislike lying and value honesty so!!

101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? ssssss slytherin!

102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? ya

103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT? cop out answer here but it depends on the situation

104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? yes

105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES? depends

106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? try and find the owner and track em down but if i cant ill hand it in to the place where it was lost

107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? yes

108. ARE YOU TICKLISH? yes

109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE? yes

110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? ears but theyre closed up!!

111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? thorin oakenshield

112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS? nah

113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? ? idk man

114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? no, too many bad people are living good lives right now

115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? nope! perfect vision here my dude!

116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN? in the future i want 1 child only

117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? my little cousin

118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? a Lot

119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? a few times only, but i value sleep

120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOU CLOTHES? black and green

121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES? hell ya !

122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV? audience member for the xfactor!

123. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 17

124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “so comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” -tolkien OR “always seek the giant.”

125. DO YOU PREFER SWEET OR SAVORY FOODS? savoury

#nonsims #non-sims #non sims #saviorhide #saviourhide #tag #tagged

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thebandcampdiaries · 4 years

Video

youtube

Coyote Grooves is back on the scene with a brand new studio release: California’s Coasting

Coyote Grooves is a solo project based in Atlanta, Georgia. What makes his sound special is the fact that he combines different genres in order to create a one-of-a-kind original sound. From folk to soul, to dream-pop and indie-rock, anything goes here! The artist’s most recent track, “California’s Coasting,” is a great taste of this mix of influences. This is the kind of track that will surprise you for it sonic variety, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat due to its rich, yet minimalistic arrangement.

Clocking in at slightly under the 5 minutes mark, this song feels immediate and easy to relate to, yet also quite punchy and direct. going for a more engaging twist. The combination of strummed acoustic guitars and electric guitar soundscapes give the song a psych-folk vibe, which makes me think of bands such as The Flaming Lips, Bon Iver, as well as classic acts such as The Byrds or The Beach Boys. The verses are held back, going for a more minimalistic approach. However, the hooks are incredibly deep and uplifting. The vocals acquire an anthemic mood, with some beautiful harmonic layering and a thick layer of guitars, percussive sounds, piano, and other details. In addition to the personable and edgy performance value, this release is also quite distinctive because of the sheer quality of the production. I am a big studio geek myself, so I like to focus on this particular aspect of the music I listen to, as production can really define the sonic signature of a song! The prevalent reverberation effect allows all the sounds to blend in together, creating a blurry, yet still defined effect - kind of what you can expect to hear on some of the earlier Phil Spektor production, where the main goal is to create a uniform, ambiance-driven piece of music that features some exciting dynamics. The melodies are really well-arranged, blooming seamlessly around the bare-bones rhythm section. This allows the song to have a pulse, but it still allows the vocals to pop out at the forefront to the mix. Speaking of vocals - a great singing performance is really at the core of greatness in this particular genre. The voice is what tells the story, it is the element that people focus on the most, and that’s how they find the “human” qualities that drive the music. In this case, Coyote Grooves does not fail to impress with a masterful vocal delivery and some poetic, heartfelt lyrics.

This song is a really good add-on to the artist’s already excellent discography, and it showcases his willingness to keep exploring new ideas and grow with his sound and vision. When compared to his previously released tracks, “California’s Coasting” seems to be even more focused on storytelling, as well as creating a production aesthetics that is thicker, richer and has more depth than what you would expect from an acoustic singer songwriter. Having said that, the music still retains a very special sense of intimacy, despite the biggest soundscapes that fuel the arrangement. The song has multiple layers that really add life and character to it. The resulting outcome is something that speaks to the audience, connecting with listeners on a more profound level and creating a lasting impression from the very first notes.

I would definitely recommend listening to this release if you're a fan of artists such as Death Cab For Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, as well as Elliott Smith, Iron & Win, DIIV, or Simian Ghost, only to mention but a few. This track will conquer you with its soothing, ethereal tones and down-to-earth arrangement. If this is an indication of what’s in store for this artist next, we are in for a true treat!

Find out more about Coyote Grooves and listen to California’s Coasting on Spotify, or on any of your favorite music streaming platforms on the web.

https://open.spotify.com/album/20YqfE1VDyf2tC8TvElyDT?si=rUSefqT0S9akiS2WrK8NBw

https://youtu.be/L7quWOdr9A8

coyotegrooves.com

Instagram: @coyotegrooves

We also featured this song on our playlist on Spotify. Check it out via the following link, and discover a selection of amazing independent artist from all over the world:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vCtmkPDbpE9pj5DfJnycU?si=WD-7VG3eS6Sv_stFrw25_w

Additionally, we had the chance to chat with the artist. Keep reading to learn more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer: The melody is usually the first thing I come up with just because it’s the easiest thing to mess around with and come up with something on the fly, then as I solidify the idea the groove just comes hand in hand. I often am singing silly songs around the house just as a fun little expression of freedom of self, but then some line will catch me or phrase will entice me enough to say, “ooo, I better record that for later.”

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer: I have performed live many times with different bands over the years, but I was always the one pushing to get into the studio and record. After a while I just looked around and realized that I have this massive catalog of ideas and songs, and I have just been waiting for the “right” people to come along to create and record together but it just never happened. So I hit the point where I said I don’t need anyone else to do this and I jumped right in to the studio life. As far as comfortability, I love creating in the studio, even if it is in isolation. There is a creative sense of purity that comes with building everything yourself from the ground up. I feel so connected to the music I have been making regardless of its quality and I don’t ever want that to stop. I miss the stage though… it’s more about playing with energy if anything, and with this new music, I know I could really make an impression.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer: If they had the time, probably “Love is Bad.” It pushes 7 minutes, but I really feel like it shows off a lot of my unique songwriting, diverse instrumentation and lyrical/melodic style. It’s also one of my most streamed songs that I have released on Spotify thus far, so you’ve gotta listen to the masses!

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer: HAVE FUN. I don’t know how many times I have put in some random sounds, burps, wind blowing, cars running, ect, ect, ect just because it made ME laugh, or go “that’s going to mess with people for sure!” I’ve seen artists fall into the trap of only working to please the masses so many times, not wanting to offend or create something too crazy and out there. Every time the production ends up sounding just like everyone else out there. Innovation requires boldness, uniqueness and uninhibited creativity. The easiest way that I’ve found so pass the barrier of popularity is to relax, open up, and HAVE FUN!

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer: “Deja Vú” which is the next track in the Heading West saga will be released at the end of the month. Our main character having chased the setting sun to his imaginary promise-land and having rejected the place that he had hoped to call home, finds himself for the first time questioning his path in life and recognizing the similarities of starting over with a new perspective of acceptance toward the uncertainty of the path forward.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer: You can stay in the loop by following me on Instagram, subscribing to my Spotify channel, or visiting my website at coyotegrooves.com. Right now I’m focusing on getting the 1st album out but I hope to expand my media into a podcast shortly, some writings and who knows what else. I just want Coyote Grooves to stand for something I can feel proud to believe in.

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ourdallasvideofestthings · 4 years

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Greetings all, I hope you are safe and that you’re finding ways to be inspired in these strange times. Venues are starting to open up and there is the temptation to go out and have a “normal” existence, but please stay safe—wear masks, social distance, wipe, hand sanitizer, and stay healthy.

Speaking of opening up, Frame of Mind, our TV show on KERA TV is coming back. This year’s official season starts September 24th with a very special episode that I will discuss later. We have 10 official episodes this year, but we have two special pre-Frame of Mind season shows, and the first one is THIS WEEK. Last year, we created The Norm Show—the official title is Norm Hitzges: An Opinionated History of Dallas Sports. It’s one of the most requested episodes we’ve ever produced, and it airs this week on Thursday at 10:30, our new time slot this season. It will also be shown on Monday, September 14th at 1:00 AM, if you’re awake at that time. If you haven’t seen it yet, go to your DVR and set it up to record now and while you’re at it, just set it up to record the whole season. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to produce this show, and I really want to give a shout out to Mary Beth Boehm, Anne Bothwell, and Bill Young, who put up with my insanity and make this possible. I can’t think of a filmmaker who gets to do something like this. As the show is getting going, we’re also moving forward with DOCUFEST, which will be the first weekend in October. We were hoping to have an in-person festival, but I just don’t think it’s safe yet, so we are doing a hybrid of on-line and drive-in at the new Tin Star Drive-in. Because we have an election coming up, we have some programs that will put perspectives on how we ended up in our current political situation. We have some fun and culturally significant programs and the usual things one would expect for VideoFest programming. We are working on a special program and perhaps you can help us out. I want to do a program of Dallas area arts organizations that have used zoom, video, or audio to reinvent or adapt their artistic practice to their audience. So, if you know an artist or group, please let me know. ([email protected]) If you are still reading, thanks, and I would like to take a moment to ask you to consider making a donation to the Video Association of Dallas on North Texas Giving Day at the link below. Think about it. Where else do you get your information on films all in one spot? Where else can you connect with film lovers from The Cinematic Conversations? We do so much with so little. We could do so much more with a little more, and you could help make that happen. Okay, that’s the end of pledge break, and now back to the music. Last week, we had a really great Cinematic Conversations with Sam Feder about his film Disclosure, . The section in the documentary show the people that were interviewed in the film is particularly interesting and brings up a discussion that should be in the documentary film world. This week, we are very lucky to have Peter Simek with us to discuss Peter Weir‘s 1975 classic Picnic at Hanging Rock. I haven’t seen it since 1975 and we can find it on HBO Max, Direct TV, TCM, The Criterion Channel for free, and on Amazon for 2.99. We’re so happy to have Peter with us for this. When Peter writes about film, he brings such insight that it makes us wish he had time to write more about cinema. For those unfamiliar, Peter writes for D Magazine, and whatever he writes about, it is great. Join us on Wednesday at 7:30. Speaking of D Magazine, we are sorry to hear of the passing D Magazine’s creator Wick Allison. Think about all the ways that this magazine has impacted our lives in this city, for a moment. I once heard Wick talk about the history of Dallas, and I learned so much. While he has passed, the institution he created lives on. Some theaters are returning to live screenings. The Angelika is showing Tenet, as is The Alamo. The Alamo is also showing a film I was planning on showing at DocuFest called, Feels Good Man about Matt Furie, the guy who created Pepe the Frog. I would still like to show it, so if this is interesting to you and you WILL NOT be seeing at the Alamo, let me know. ([email protected]) As for our two landmark theaters, The Magnolia is still not open, but the Inwood is showing Tenet (who isn’t?) and also All In The Fight for Democracy, a film about voter suppression. This is such a critical issue at this moment and the film screens upstairs on Wednesday and Thursday. The Texas Theater is still closed, but they are showing A Fistful of Dollars on Friday the 12th in their drive-in. Speaking of the drive-in, Bar Brizo in Richardson will be showing Ford vs Ferrari and I hear there will be cars representing! There is also a film festival coming up this weekend. Women in Film Dallas has their festival, which has had a few different names over the years but is now the Topaz Festival. Most of the films in the festival are shorts divided by genre, and most I haven’t seen, but I can very highly recommend the only feature in the festival: Julia Knots’ Inez, Doug, and Kira. I have loved and shown Julia’s work for years and I’m happy this film will get a screening, even if it’s virtually. The festival is September 8-13th. When I was a kid, Labor Day was a big deal. It marked the end of summer with swimming races at the pool. When I got older, I would also hear people talk about the importance of labor. There would be editorials in the paper, and people on TV, but that is now missing from the national dialogue. Automation, robots, and AI are challenging our concept of labor, and politicians are not interested in ensuring people get paid a good wage. But this year, labor has bigger challenges. The people who work at meatpacking plants, at our stores, in hospitals, people who are on the front line in our battle against the virus, some of these folks, while risking their lives for your comfort and sustenance, are not being paid a living wage. When you’re at the grocery store, thank the folks who are working there. When you have an opportunity and if you can afford it, tip people well. I challenge you all to look around you and think about all the hands that helped get you the things you have needed during quarantine. Be thankful for what these laborers are doing for you. Congrats, you made it through another week!

#peter weir #Women In Film Dallas #labor day

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dlamp-dictator · 7 years

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Allen’s Seinen Adventure

Well... it’s finally happening, I’m finally talking about Seinen manga like I said I would last month. This is my first time talking about manga specifically and tagging it, so... hello manga readers and fandom people reading this, as well as my usual followers that like these sorts of essay-type posts I do when I’m not shitposting about Blazblue. For those that don’t know, I’m Allen X, I post little essays about niche fandom stuff I’m into on tumblr called Ramblings, and every so often try to write stories and fanfics when the mood hits me. A month back I made a post saying I was going to talk about Seinen manga since I’ve reached that lovely age of 23 where theses types of manga would interest me given my age group. I’ve been buying more and more manga in this genre as of late and I wanted to give my thoughts on the ones that have grabbed my interest and why I like them.

In my last Rambling on this topic I said I was going to try and make separate essays for each Seinen manga I wanted to talk about, but... I can’t. I just can’t. I realized it when I talked about Symphogear, I really don’t feel comfortable breaking down manga and anime the way I do with video games. I don’t know, video games are more inclusive and universal than anime and manga. When I talk about video games, gameplay, enjoyment factor, and so on, I feel like I’m talking on a level that everyone would get, at least every gamer. With manga and anime... it’s kind of niche genre, especially the stuff I’m into, so to try and talk about them in the same manner of general appeal and interest just doesn’t feel right to me. Plus, God forbid I miss something super vital about an anime or manga from my western perspective and get roasted for not understanding something in context and harping on it... God, that’s a fear I have every time I tag a Rambling.

In any case, I figured I’d do this in the style I do my Anime Updates. I’ll give a brief summary of each manga, say what I like about them, what I don’t, and if I think others should into it. So, let’s get started.

Oh actually, before I get started, just gonna’ warn everyone now that since I’m talking about Seinen manga, sexual content is bound for all that I talk about. I won’t be showing pics or anything, but just know these are +18 rated manga. Anyway, back on topic...

So, first up is Murcielago. If I had to give this show a western comparison I’d say the show Archer would be a good one. Now, I’ve only seen bits of season 1 of Archer, but I think the idea is the same. Murcielago is about a State Appointed Executioner named Kuroko Koumori, a former serial killer turned government agent, and the adventures she goes on with her loli sidekick and driver Hinako as she kills, slaughters, and executes criminals just as, if not more, dangerous than she is, as well as attempt to bang every female without a two-mile radius. Actually, now that I think about I think Killer is Dead is better comparison for this manga. Now if only Kuroko gets voiced by Patrick Seitz if an anime comes out...

I don’t know, there’s just something engaging about watching this sex-addicted, murderous lesbian go about her day. This is sort of a popcorn read, something wacky and ridiculous that just makes you laugh. The gore is over the top, the situations Kuroko gets into are just so nonsensical that you can’t help but laugh at them, and the way she gets out of jams and gives out cheesy one-liners just makes me think this manga is just a hyper-violent, hyper-sexual action movie with an sociopath protagonist. And I'm always cracking up a little when I see Hinako react to all the hyper-violence going on around her. The fact that Hinako is so innocent and carefree despite who she works with is actually pretty endearing. I like how she’s, for the most part, an innocent little loli just having to put up with all of Kuroko’s shit. I hope it remains a running gag that Hinako is at most just inconvenienced by all the violent, sexual nonsense around her and is never truly effected by it.

Like I said, this manga’s a popcorn read, and if you need some crazy, B-tier action movie nonsense in your manga collection, I recommend buying this when you can. The second volume is out and it concludes the Murder House arc. I’m looking forward to volume 3 and seeing where it goes from there.

And since I’m sticking this in the Murcielago tag, yes Murcielago Lamborghini fans, Kuroko does, in fact, drive Murcielago Lamborghini. Well, Hinako drives it specifically, crashes it every other chapter, and Kuroko buys her a new one in the following chapter... I hope that remains a running gag too.

Next up is Ubel Blatt, AKA, Not-Berserk.

Now, before everyone tells me to stop reading this and start reading Berserk just hear me out. The main thing keeping me from reading Berserk is the fact that it’s currently on volume 38 here in the West, and I’m not sinking money into an on-going manga that’s ran that long. My personal rule for long-running manga is that if it exceeds past 18 volumes I either stop at 18 or whatever arc I feel is a good stopping point and wait until that manga finishes, or I have a damn good reason to pick it up again and sink all that money back into something that could get put on hiatus at a moment’s notice depending on that artist’s health and condition. Berserk... is just too risky an investment for me to get into, and Ubel Blatt’s plot is telling me that this manga’s gonna have a clear ending at some point, likely around the volume 15 mark, so I’m choosing this one for my edgy, medieval, violent story... thing. I was scrolling around the tags a bit for Ubel Blatt to get a consensus on this manga and saw a few people essentially calling this a poor man’s Berserk. Well folks, since I’m poor as hell I’ll glad sink money into what is currently at volume 10 and not play catch up with Berserk until it finishes.

Now, onto the manga itself, I find Ubel Blatt interesting in that this series has a very clear goal and that main character is making clear strides in accomplishing that goal. The main character, Koinzell, simply wants to avenge himself and his fallen comrades after being betrayed by his former allies. It’s... basically an even edgier Tales of Beresia except with a half-fairy-elf man instead of Velvet Crow. The world is already saved, but the ones that were sacrificed for that end are less than happy about it and want revenge at the cost of screwing the stability of the world over again. I’m on volume 3 at this point and I’m pretty hooked. It really does remind me of Tales of Beresia with out they show the heroes being flawed and even devious, but the public love them regardless... well, those that aren’t being enslaved by their rule anyway.

I especially like female lead, Aht. I’ve always like the warrior-princess archtype, and Aht is definitely winning me over with her loyalty toward Koinzell, even willing to change her body and appearance to help him in combat. My only regard about her is that we don’t get to see her in that badass black dragon rider armor she was wearing in the first few volumes when she was going to try and kill Koinzell for killing her brother. That armor just hit all my aesthetics for warrior princesses... but alas, I still like her though.

I believe this manga is up to volume 10 here in the States. Now I say 10, but it’s numbered 9... for some inane reason there’s volume 0 that is not a prologue volume, so please read, as it is mandatory to understand the plot... it’s the one thing I’m gonna’ knock about this manga, but it’s a good read so far. Looking forward to getting the rest on payday.

Alright, time to talk about a manga I’ve been reading exclusively online for awhile now. As of this point I know the light novel of Goblin Slayer is out in the West, but I’m... hesitant to get it since I was hoping the manga would come first, and I honestly prefer manga to light novels anyway, the only exception I made was Magical Girl Raising Project. According to Amazon a physical copy will be for sell around December and there is a digital version out, so I think I’ll get the digital copy as a way to support the series.

Anyway, Goblin Slayer is basically about... the adventures of a goblin slayer. Yeah, I know it sounds generic, but it’s good, I swear. In Generic RPG Video Game World #492, this fine fellow kills goblins and only goblins after they killed his family. He is basically medieval Batman if Batman killed. He knows everything about goblins and how to kill them, and with his party of a healer, an archer, a shaman, and a dwarf, he’ll make sure all of them pay for taking away the ones he loved.

This manga is a bit of a deconstruction of typical RPG tropes. If you guys are familiar with anime Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, then I’d say this is very similar to that, but with more mature themes in it. I found the world of Generic RPG Video Game World #492 rather interesting in how the goblins themselves are enough of a threat that they can kill newbie adventurers who are unprepared (and often are given goblins are seen as weak in this universe), but not enough of a threat for the higher leveled adventurers to bother fight them without high prices. It creates a cycle a of death and tragedy, real depressing stuff as the characters lament on their situation. The Goblin Slayer’s party members slowly start to understand why he hunts goblins and only goblins despite his rank, and the healer is such an endearing character. I like her interactions with the Goblin Slayer. Her innocence really compliments his gruff, silent nature, and she’s one of the few that can get more than a sentence out the guy save for his other love interest the Female Farmhand.

...

I know it sounds like I’m giving them generic names and whatnot, but manga really doesn’t give these characters names, like, at all. The Goblin Slayer is just called the Goblin Slayer by everyone in-universe, the healer is called Priestess I believe, and so on. It’s... really weird, but it works. I like where the story’s going so far, and it tempts me to get the light novel to see where things go from there. I’ll skim a few pages next time I head to the bookstore and see if the writing interests me.

In name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Lord grant me strength as I speak about this manga.

So... Tsugumomo... where do I even begin with this one? I dread talking about this manga. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, emphasis on guilty. I... don’t know if I can do this, but I’ll try.

Before I start, I’ll say this much, I like the premise. It’s basically a more Japanese version of Soul Eater. Special beings called, well, Tsugumomo, are objects that gain sentience after generations upon generations of use. Once sentient, they can take a human form and weaponize their original form so that exorcist can use them as tools and weapons to battle against evil spirits and demons. So yeah, basically a mix of Soul Eater and Twin Star Exorcist, other manga I happen to enjoy reading. And being the giant weeb I am, anything with a Japanese aesthetic to it is gonna’ get my interest. It’s how I got into Nioh, it’s how I got into Samurai Warriors and the Warriors series, so it appealed to me on a surface level. So when the anime came out, I watched the first episode and... immediately dropped the show there. The first minute had me clicking away to something else since it opened on a boob gag with middle school aged characters. However, episode 3 had a really good fight scene in it, I saw some gifs of it, and being a sap for a good fight scene, I gave it another shot. Episode 2 wasn’t that bad, episode 3 wasn’t either, but... I believe it was episode 5 that had me drop the anime again. I’m not against middle school aged characters discussing sexual topics, but... well, I can’t stand the first omnibus volume of Negima! for a reason. However, much like Negima! I decided to see if the manga was just as bad. After all, if The Sacred Blacksmith had talk me anything, it was that anime spin offs tend to play up the fanservice for the sake of making a quick buck. So i went to the manga to see if that was the case.

It was the exact opposite. The anime turned down the fanservice by quite a degree.

However... despite that, I’m still interested in the story. I’m going to spoil a bit from her, so be warned.

Much like with Negima! I skipped quite a few chapters, starting at around chapter 72, when they went into Kanaka, the main character’s mother, and Kiriha’s, Kazuya’s former Tsugumomo, past and relationship. I didn’t want to bother reading chapters of fanservice to get to what was interesting, so I skips around until I found something worth reading, and boy was this part worth reading. I found Kanaka to be real interesting character. It an interesting take on the whole “Too Strong to be Approached” angle. Or I really liked how she was emotionless until she was able to find a good opponent to fight and then essential became a more cheerful version of Blazblue’s Azrael, her strength being seen as something to be feared to the point of the Exorcist organization literally feeding her demons and evil spirits from their SSS-rank list just to make sure she wouldn’t try to take them out due to boredom. I liked how she trained her kids solely so they could give her a good fight when they mature. Her personality and how she grew in those chapters really hooked me to her character.

To read those chapters, get attached to those characters, only to realize both Kanaka and Kiriha were dead and that Kanaka’s son had to kill his own mother because of a mistake he made when he was younger... I was shocked by how invested I was already.

Also, there’s a tournament arc going on as of chapter 100, and learning about the exorcist academy and how they have different political beliefs in how Tsugumomo should be treated interests me as well, so there’s that.

With Tsugumomo I feel like it’s a Shounen manga trying to be a Seinen one by adding a bunch of nudity and sex scenes. Trust me, there are enough bare breast and sex scenes to be a hentai in this. And this very much much hits a nerve when it comes to my limits on fanservice. Dear god, the lewdness of this manga. I swear every chapter someone’s getting naked for some asinine reason or another. The sheer amount of underage nudity and sexual content is just enough to make me [RETRACTED]. Seriously, this the manga equivalent of Shadow the Hedgehog and the Dante’s Inferno video game. The mature themes in this manga detract more than add to the story... Also, Kazuya’s character design makes me want to stab my eyes out, but that’s a story for another day.

Again, I didn’t read anything else before that, so if anything I think Kazuya’s abilities are a little OP since what was keeping him from his full potential was goddamn amnesia of all things, but... I’ll let it slide since I don’t have the full context. Much like Wanna’ be the Strongest in the World and Ikkitousen, I wouldn’t recommend this manga to anyone, I can’t do it with a clear conscience, but this is certainly a guilty pleasure of mine... and boy do I feel guilty for liking it.

And lastly, to get the taste of Tsugumomo out my mouth, we have a good manga, The Scared Blacksmith. I’m gonna’ be brief with this one because talking about Tsugumomo drained me a tad, but...

I. Love. This. Manga.

I just finished it last week and I’m so glad I bought. I’m actually shocked this is a Seinen. Save for a bit of fanservice in a first few volumes and... the stuff that happened in volume 6, this manga’s actually clean for the most part. It’s mostly about the Knight Cecily Campbell and her life in the Independent Trade City... no, that’ really the city’s name. Okay, quick tangent, but what’s with these fantasy Seinen manga and their borderline parody location names? I know the names just serve a means to an end in the grand scheme of things, but... really?

Anyway, Cecily Campbell is a female knight joined the knight guard since she’s the only daughter of a noble family of knights, and... the story takes off from there. Again, Tsugumomo drained me a tad, but trust me when I say this manga is good. It’s got action, romance, a decent female character. I said this before in some of my other Ramblings, but Cecily is one of my favorite female characters ever. The anime didn’t do her justice... but anyway, this is a good manga overall. It fully out in the West so I recommend you all buy it when you can.

And so... on a lackluster note, I ended my rambling about Seinen manga. I’ll do The Sacred Blacksmith justice a later day. I’m beat now, so I’m gonna’ just... read some manga, maybe draw a bit... feel free to message me if you guys have question... I’m just... gonna’ be here. Phew, I’m tired now...

#murcielago #ubel blatt #goblin slayer #tsugumomo #the sacred blacksmith #your dictator is speaking

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jugs-and · 7 years

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2016 through music.

I wouldn’t say that music has become less of a thing for me in 2016. Music is great, it’s how I’ve met a lot of people, but I feel I hit a lot more musical dead-ends than previous years. There was this point--multiple points--where I couldn’t really figure what music I liked. It was different from previous years, as I spent more time in search of new music, than having a lot of playlisted albums to listen to.

Music did not necessarily feel less important to me, it merely was not quite the marker for passage of time as well as previous years. As a consequence, my music tastes were a bit all over the place: I feel I began the year listening to a lot of UK hardstyle and grime, then I went through a period with very dark, industrial techno, gabber beats--not related to any life event, it was just what I enjoyed at the time. Beyond that, I dabbled in some folk and country towards the end of the year, with some rap/gospel-- a la Chance the Rapper, A Tribe Called Quest both releasing excellent albums. This year ended with a lot of musicals and show-tunes to finish it off.

January - Of all the celebrity deaths this year, nothing topped David Bowie for me on the 10th of January. I actually was listening to “Blackstar” on Spotify the days leading up to his death, after hearing to the title track premiere on BBC Radio in December. I make it sound like a competition, but no other death even came close in 2016. The thing about Bowie was how timeless his music was in its ability to be “pop” and just something off-the-wall completely. It was always so recognizably “Bowie” but never quite tame or relaxed, his music always seemed tense as if in some sort of dichotomy. So long, Starman.

Honestly, the only person that I would be more upset about is if Brian Eno died.

Lazarus - David Bowie

February - From the sunny glory of January, I got into the groove of a lot of UK hardcore and classic happy hardcore.

It was really warm this month. I remember trying to build my PC, and walking to R-’s house to borrow his battery pack. That same weekend, I was browsing the hardcore section at Real Groovy. I remember this story specifically because I told this story for Rd- at work. A 30yo.+ guy started chatting to me recommending <those> hardcore mixes--the ones with the salacious covers with cartoon fake tits with suspicious names like DJ Candylicious. I swear I didn’t know this guy.

The gateway into this genre was a RobDaBank mix I was listening to on Spotify, there was an Elf Kid track. I loved the flow and sense of genuine fun, I want to note that I liked it before it became super cool. I can literally trace it back to that one track which made me pull out old Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Basement Jaxx, Skepta, DJ EZ albums, and ultimately into UK hardcore.

Golden Boy - Elf Kid

March - Early March when I went to see Sufjan Stevens. I went by myself because I bought my tickets incredibly late, it was amazing. The set was the material that dreams are made of, my dreams specifically.

He played through most of his new album with bombast and sincerity. There was a certain restraint to his set considering the content concerning the death of his mother. His encore set was a sparse affair with a three man band armed with mandolin, trumpet and double bass--tracks from Seven Swans, Michigan, Illinoise e.t.c.

I cried a little when Chicago played.

Fourth of July - Sufjan Stevens

April - April was uneventful, I don’t remember very much specifically about these days. I know I actually completed Fallout 4, the first video game in years that I’ve committed time to actually complete. It wasn’t even that great of a game, I generally don’t have the patience or the time to commit to something like that. I tried to replicate this with The Witcher 3--multiple times in 2016, but I have not found success so far.

The Irish flatmate had just moved in and he made it clear that I lacked a certain finesse around preparing potatoes. He set down his phone, he often walked around the flat with music blaring from his phone as if to announce his entrance.

Baz Luhrmann - Wear Sunscreen (Mau Kilauea’s Tropical Remix)

May - A lot of late nights at work. I don’t even remember what I was working on that was so important to warrant late nights. I’m trying to be a lot better with leaving work if I don’t need to do it till the next day. The late nights, I listened to a lot of mixes, and Traumprinz’s RA mix really stood out to me as well as his Giegling mix. There wa s a lot of distractedness digging through his discogs and finding his EPs.

There Will Be XTC is my favourite track that I’ve heard this year. The drum loop is so simple and emotive, the whole track is just so heavy.

Traumprinz - There Will Be XTC

June - While I did say Bowie’s death was incredibly upsetting, I feel the death of Christina Grimmie was probably the most devastating death this year. I don’t think she is quite a celebrity, outside of youtube I don’t think she was particularly well known. The nature of her death was just devastating, and so completely bizarre that it really bothered me for days. The whole fragility and unpredictability of human life still really bothers me.

I remember going to work on Monday after following the news stories, and just completely numb. I don’t really follow her music much at all, she was a relic of a time past. The month just went by quickly marking the halfway point in the year, I worked on some pretty good projects.

Just a Dream - Christina Grimmie and Sam Tsui

July - Family holiday in New York, we were all walking on the boardwalk at Coney Island and this was playing. It’s all a bit nostalgic, though I’d never been there before in my life. I’d seen the landscapes and the pier that reaches out into the water in so many movies.

The “Cyclone” ride was all the more exhilarating because I feared for my life and safety on that rickety timber framing, than any intended thrills. It was an excellent ride though, there is a certain art to it all.

Kent Jones - Don’t Mind

August - A close friend got married this month in Devonport.

It was an awesome wedding, it made me really hopeful. The wedding was basically crowd-sourced, and put together for nothing. The entire thing was fueled by the generous giving of the church I attend. In fact, the wedding date was only decided two weeks before because the church hall they were interested in had an opening.

I woke up early the morning of the wedding, and caught the sunrise from the North Head. The ferry I wanted to catch, I actually missed, and I sat in McDonalds, I bought two Egg and Bacon McMuffins. My headphones had Azealia Banks playing and I remember wearing my Sunday best while clambering up the grassy bank, trying not to mess up any of my clothes.

But oh my gosh, I love this track. It’s so braggadocio and so unashamedly AB.

Azealia Banks - Big Big Beat

September - I did my second Tongariro Crossing. A lot has changed since I did it last--dare I say, it’s a lot easier now, a lot of stairs instead of clambering up half-formed tracks. It was starkly empty compared to the summertime I completed last time. We hired crampons and ice-axes and climbed up Mount Doom. It was a great time, though the weather for long periods of time made it seem unlikely.

In the car ride down, I sat with Colin. I fell asleep in the front seat, and did that thing where you jerk awake. I also assumed someone’s name wrong because he was Spanish and another guy in our group was Spanish, and they both looked the same. There were a lot of other episodes, including driving down a country road in pitch darkness for fun, and Lady Gaga was playing on the radio inbetween Te Kuiti and the backpackers.

Lady Gaga - Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)

October - I ran a half-marathon this month, it was a week after my birthday. My training up to the marathon was a bit stunted with an injury two weeks before the run cutting my plans to a half. The entire run, I was listening to hardstyle, which I hastily downloaded beforehand. There was a Kutski mix from a Dublin show--I was mostly too tired to concentrate on it too much, I remember having to constantly increase the volume higher and higher to keep it having any relevance to my motivation.

Donald Trump won the US Presidential Elections as well this month. I’m probably more upset about it now, than I was on the day itself. His cabinet picks are <incredibly> establishment. It’s all rather disappointing, I just look forward to the resounding loss that the Republican are going to receive next election.

The second Presidential Candidate debate based within a town hall meeting, some writers suggested Donald Trump’s performance was akin to the single mom was summoned to the Harper Valley PTA. Donald Trump was the mirror that highlighted the imperfections of the Republican Party and I’m not sure if I agree. It’s a bit of a desperate comparison, but that Loretta Lynn album is great.

Loretta Lynn - Harper Valley PTA

November - I went to a Nina Kraviz show. I followed a lot of artists on her Trip label and adored her sets on the BBC Radio Residencies. I actually missed out on tickets initially, I don’t keep up with local music gigs. I don’t keep up because I find Auckland, in general, to be very thin on culture per capita. I did end up snagging some at the last minute off facebook, someone was offering tickets and I messaged him within a minute.

It was great, I loooooove techno a lot. It’s dark, it’s cerebral, it’s spiritual--I just lose myself in it. I missed the set by Bjarki which I am slightly peeved about because I slept from 11pm - 1am because I’m not a weirdo who parties all night. I’m the weirdo on the dancefloor just in another world--actually, I guess there are quite a few of those but on ecstasy.

Ghetto Kraviz - Nina Kraviz (Regal Sad Remix)

The days seemed to be going by so slowly at work. Christmas felt all so close and yet so far away. Desperately slowly. I occupied my days with headphones at work, keeping a low profile and listening to Hamilton. There were days where I would listen to the soundtrack three times to mark the passage of time. When the third listen finished, it was time to go home. Wait For It really stood out on first listen, but Satisfied is the best track for sure, and there are so many good tracks in there. The whole track is just reminiscent of sitting at the office, which is an unfortunate thing.

Wait for It - Lin Manuel Miranda

December - The last month before the new year. Contrasting the previous month, this seemed to all pass so quickly. Especially that last week, the entire office was rushing projects one after the other for three important client meetings.

At the end of year party, I think I was a bit intoxicated. I hadn’t eaten anything and drank two beer and left pretty early, forgetting my Secret Santa gift and my plane itineraries. I’m back in Wellington for Christmas, my brother is here as well. I’m kind of sick at the moment--I just started sneezing on Sunday, hay fever on Boxing Day, and it just never stopped with the running nose and sore throat.

The first day I felt maybe over 50%, we drove up to the Tararuas yesterday, and just jammed Eminem and twenty one pilots--all the greatest road trip music. I do like this twenty one pilots track a lot--though, I am extremely unlikely to watch Suicide Squad ever.

Heathens - twenty one pilots

Wow. That was long. Hi.

tl;dr - playlist.

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jazzviewswithcjshearn · 6 years

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In Defense of Grace Kelly: Keep On Dancing-- How older jazz fans are pushing new fans away from the music

This article was originally conceived as a submission to Pitchfork magazine to beef up their jazz content, but the subject matter is probably a bit too obscure for their magazine, especially as a burgeoning writer. It is largely a reaction to the views expressed on saxophonist Grace Kelly bringing new audiences to jazz by integrating dance and wardrobe choices commonly found in pop music on a popular internet jazz site. She is bringing in people who aren’t necessarily jazz fans but enjoy the bounciness of the music, and that is only good because a selected few will check out the music on a deeper level. Enjoy!

In Defense of Grace Kelly, Keep On Dancing: How jazz fans are pushing new fans away from the music

I have been a jazz fan all my life pretty much, I was incredibly blessed to be raised by a mother who played me lots of records that belonged to my father that he left behind after he got up and left us when I was 2 years old. Among the records I loved (and still love) growing up were classic Blue Note records by Jimmy Smith, Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell and Horace Silver, CTI albums by Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard and the CTI All Stars, several albums by Count Basie, the obligatory Breezin' by George Benson, and some things that haven't aged all that well by Chuck Mangione and Earl Klugh, things I no longer like. From the time I was 8-18 years old I was a serious hard bop snob, and thanks to teachers in high school who were my mentors, they got me into Pat Metheny, Michael Brecker and others. I saw Brecker when I was 7 years old along with the Chick Corea Elektric Band on the same bill. I didn't really get hardcore into Brecker though until my late teens when I wanted more adventurous stuff. Metheny was my gateway to free jazz, and the many treasures on ECM. Why all the background info? I want to show I have a wide taste in order to discuss the main topic of this article. Jazz fans preventing new people from getting into the music because of general snobbery. In particular a bizarre uproar over saxophonist Grace Kelly on an internet jazz forum.

For the past 15 years I've been a regular poster on the Organissimo forums. Organissimo is a Michigan based organ trio headed by keyboardist Jim Alfredson, and they've always aimed to go beyond just the typical organ combo fare that is mostly lots of blues in F, bebop, a funk tune and some standards. In 2003, a forum section of their website was created for expatriates of the Blue Note records forum which was taken down that same year, and I had been a part of that since the late 90's. The majority of Organissimo posters are middle and older aged men who are primarily into classic jazz, basically the bebop era of the forties extending into the modal jazz of the mid 1960's. Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Bobby Hutcherson, Grant Green (all favorites of mine, too) are long time heroes there, and there are always inquiries about what is referred to as the “train wreck” session by tenor saxophonist Tyrone Washington recorded in 1968. Mosaic Records co founder and former Blue Note reissue guru Michael Cuscuna has unequivocally stated it's never coming out, by the way. There are a few posters who are free jazz devotees, those who love ECM and various strains of European jazz, but largely what goes on the scene today, save for players who play bebop or hard bop based jazz are ignored. A month ago a discussion was broached about alto saxophonist Grace Kelly, and as has happened so often there in the past, all hell broke loose.

Kelly has been on the scene for more than a decade, she first caught the attention of the jazz world as a 15 year old teenager where she performed with legends like Phil Woods and Frank Morgan. In fact, some of her tone and phrasing heavily reflect the Woods influence, so that automatically gains her credibility as a “serious” jazzer right? Wrong. Not to the “O” crowd as we like to call it. Many forum posters chimed in that they never liked her playing and found it to be quite weak, and suggested that she may have gotten to where she's at due to marketing. Some of that may be true, but she has paid her dues. Something she's doing to increase the fan base and draw more people into jazz was causing many posters to go haywire: she dances when she plays. You know what? She's damn good at it and it's impressive, because her playing retains a high level. Ms. Kelly has a Youtube channel where she has a series of videos playing saxophone to choreographed dance moves, some of them find her prancing along with fellow saxophonist Leo P. while other find her in a dance studio combining fancy ballet inspired footwork, and more popular dance forms while playing a bluesy etude. Another video has her joined by a modern dance duo in an electronic music inspired fantasia. All these things are ultimately great for drawing in new fans, the latter video has 18,000 views!

It's important to remember that jazz has a rich history as a dance music, beyond just the swing era. One of my very best friends, an excellent tenor saxophonist who is a veteran of the free jazz scene reminded me of how much Grace Kelly is adding to a long standing tradition. One of his earliest on the bandstand apprenticeships was with alto sax free jazzer Luther Thomas, one of the biggest names in that genre. Thomas was into dancing, wildly swinging his horn, devising choreographed little steps, all things that have roots not only in R&B, but the swing era. Daniel Carter, another free jazz icon also moves quite expressively and let's not forget Sonny Rollins. John Coltrane's immortal “Chasin' The Trane” from his watershed November 1961 engagement at the Village Vanguard captured on The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (Impulse! 1998) was so named because Rudy Van Gelder, the late, great pioneering recording engineer, was following Trane as he was testifying from his horn walking to and fro . Coltrane was a veteran of the R&B bar walking scene, and many of his performances reflect that influence. Thelonious Monk got up and danced while Charlie Rouse soloed, Charlie Parker played standing stone still as trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (always an entertainer, coming from the Cab Calloway school) shouted and danced. Jimmy Smith would often lean down and rest his chin on the organ keys, holding notes for an indeterminable amount of time, in another display of showmanship. So none of what Grace Kelly is doing is out of the ordinary in jazz's rich history, it's all a matter of perspective. Some folks like their musicians to stand fairly motionless like Miles Davis soloing, then walk off the stage to give the others time to shine. Others like musicians to have a great time, like Freddie Hubbard's (1938-2008) funny odd two step while other band mates solo.

The Organissimo forum is not the majority of jazz fans, it's an esoteric niche that just seems bigger because it's on the internet, and that demographic is not the one she is targeting. She is not necessarily bringing hardcore jazz fans to the music either, maybe people who just like what she's doing and that's only a good thing. In percussionist, R&B smash artist and producer Mtume's famous debate with critic Stanley Crouch, Mr. Crouch insists music from the electric period of Miles Davis is woefully dated. Mtume's curt reply is so witty: the generations of people who gravitated towards albums like On The Corner (Columbia, 1972) and Get Up With It (Columbia, 1974) are not jazz fans, but fans of other music who got what Davis was trying to say, and it guided them to jazz. In much the same way Ms. Kelly is achieving the similar outcome, in my estimation. Only a few will become rabid jazz fans, but through Kelly they will explore all the greats, eras and deep history, so why would old guard folks at an internet forum be upset? It's a win win. I believe it's the simple fact the saxophonist is drawing upon things that are used to market in the pop world, and with jazz's reputation as a musty museum music for much of the general public, for jazz fans it's bringing up a skeleton. For years the music has struggled with keeping things strictly in the tradition while embracing contemporary trends in the marketing. For the music to survive, ultimately this is necessary to adapt to contemporary trends.

I've seen many new posters never return to that board because of negativity they experience for their tastes. Basic album recommendation threads devolve into demonstrations of minutiae a casual fan has no clue about. A Dallas based tenor saxophonist made probably the most sensible point in the entire 7 page thread on Kelly when he pointed out that although he doesn't care for her music, he more than applauded her dancing while playing, and hoped more people start doing that because it would create a whole new avenue for dancers to be integrated into the music. Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington, names that many young music fans know, are unfairly targeted on that board as well. Those rampant dismissals prevent new fan bases from being created. Why is jazz dead for many? Because of a constant regurgitation of the past with little tolerance for what's going on now. The reason I'm so passionate about the issue is because when I was 18, I was in that camp, overly clamoring for bebop and hard bop to be the ultimate styles.

At that time I missed a lot of cutting edge stuff from the likes of Jason Moran and Greg Osby. I opened my ears, grew and today I keep my ear open to the micro innovations of musicians like Glasper, Chris Dave, Mark Giuliana, and fresh hip things happening from the likes of Bobby Previte, Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer, Hiromi, Roscoe Mitchell, Ben Monder, Steve Tibetts, Krisjan Randalu, Ayumi Ishito, Steve Coleman, Linda May Han Oh, Terence Blanchard, Thana Alexa, Satoko Fujii and so many others. Grace Kelly, keep on dancing, ignore the haters-- what you do is really fresh, intriguing and brings new blood to this music.

See the original thread below: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?/topic/81704-grace-kelly/&page=1

https://youtu.be/VMYNLwlepRM

https://youtu.be/5coo3HaUA8Y

https://youtu.be/5N7ATjmywL0

#grace kelly #jazz #leo p

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thebandcampdiaries · 5 years

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youtube

Charles Ryan Davis - Four

Introducing a brand new release from a songwriter who loves to think out of the box, and connect with the audience outside the usual schemes.

Some artists are all about entertaining the audience. Others, instead, want to accomplish so much more. They want to leave a mark with their artistry and express themselves in the most rewarding and expansive way. Charles Ryan Davis is a singer and songwriter hailing from Kentucky, USA.

His music blurs the lines between alt-folk, indie, and many other styles, with a penchant for minimalism and seamless melodies. Charles actually doesn’t perform live, nor does he get interviewed by the media. For that matter, it doesn’t even reveal his face on his album artwork. He focused on what really matters: the songs. When artists can strip themselves from “branding” their art and reaching out to the audience through traditional channels, they’re left with worrying about one particular thing: making music and savoring the experience go being creative. However, this doesn’t mean that Charles doesn’t want people to hear his work. On the contrary, he is eager to share is art with the audience, express himself on a much deeper standpoint.

For someone who shares Charles’ character and naturally introspective outlook on music and media, a genre such as indie-folk is the perfect vehicle. His songs afford Charles the opportunity to express himself and make his vision come true without the hassle of other external pressures and needs. This is music that comes from the heart and speaks to the mind. Like many artists in this space, Charles set out to take control of his creativity, showing the world that there is indeed another voice, and there is always a chance to do something different. This is probably exactly why “Four” strikes me as such an honest and direct work. Charles has nothing to prove, and he isn’t interested in that: he wants to tell stories, share ideas, and more importantly, write great songs.

His most recent release, “Four,” is actually a really astonishing example of the artist’s one-of-a-kind creative vision, as well as his ability to mash up different ideas and influences into a seamless blend of sound.

The song on this release arguably has a common soul, which they all share. Having said that, each track follows a slightly different direction, giving “Four” an eclectic and authentic feel. Ultimately, “Four” isn’t just a beautifully written song. This release is a really perfect example of the artist’s creative vision and musical aesthetics, really hitting the mark with a fantastic tone and a really huge sounding production. The mix is warm and balanced, allowing each element to sit in its right space, and in particular, letting the vocals stand out in a very pleasing way.

At the end of the day, there is so much color here, and the sonic landscapes on “Four” are seamless, yet kaleidoscopic. In other words, this is totally not a black and white release. It’s in full color, and if sound could be described with images, this would be close to a Jackson Pollock painting! I really love the sense of artistic freedom I get when listening to this song, and you can really tell that the artist took many creative chances when coming up with this one!

This release feels like an instant classic, and it has a sense of familiarity to it, which almost feels like rediscovering one of your favorite records. Charles is indeed a true master at channeling a wide variety of musical influences, but in such a way the sound never feels like a trite re-composition of some other artist’s music, but rather something quite original, as a labor of love and passion for the music itself.

I would warmly recommend this release to anyone who enjoys moody, atmospheric, yet melodic music. Fans of performers such as Wilco, The Beatles, Bob Dylan or Tom Petty are definitely going to enjoy “Four,” and resonate with Charles’ uniquely dynamic style and vibrant attitude as a songwriter.

Find out more about Charles Ryan Davis and do not miss out on “Four” and other remarkable releases from this talented artist and performer:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4VbclZVZQhbpnJwowJnGLd?si=YM8X6-T9TFGvVQjWmh-ToA

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