#my comedy brain is having fun but my ‘this is a teenager’ brain is in such deep distress all the time this season

[twinstxrs]

so much happened in this whole episode but i’m still on fig infiltrating ruben’s dream, making it look like the place where his friend was murdered, and then disguising herself as kipperlilly & repeatedly saying different variants of “somebody needs to take the fall for this, and it’s not going to be me. it’s going to be you.” while adaine as the elven oracle shows up next to her. can you imagine waking up from that, the idea of a horrible truth being pinned on you by your friend to save her own skin while the personification of fate and destiny stands there, almost as a promise that this is GOING to happen to you. we don’t even know if this kid is guilty. my god.

[the-s1lly-corner]

HIHIHI

Soo i had a very fun ideia

Idk if you know ride the cyclone but basically its a musical theater show where shows a group of dead teenagers who died in a rollercoaster called cyclone and they were in some kind of limbo and they have to decide between themselves whos going to revive since only one can.

Theres this mysterious participant called Jane doe in the musical, nobody knew her when she was alive, no one knew her actual name, no one knew NOTHING about Jane, not even Jane knew herself completely. She only knew very little from her life and that she desperately wanted an identity.

SO HEAR ME OUT!!!

Jane doe type!reader and the gang

Like reader remembers very little from her life but enough to know that they were lonely, and they have this very mysterious personality where they have almost no emotion in their voice and very unaware about how they talk and act, like reader can say the most disturbing thing to others without even noticing. And reader is a doll like character just like Jane, so they sometimes act in a robotic way, almost like imitating a doll.

Example on how they talk:

Someone of the gang brings up something that freaks them out and reader will go like: "you know what really freaks me out? When a lioness and a lion have children the lioness will stop making love to the lion and give attention to the children, the lion gets jealous, sometimes so jealous that he eats the children, you think that would upset the lioness? Far from it, they just go back to making love as if the children never existed. I find that ideia terrifying."

In a full emotionless robotic-like voice without even knowing that they just said the most terrifying thing ever.

But when someone asks about reader's real life, they will go full SAD MODE AND START THROWING VERY EMOTIONAL THINGS.

Saying things like: "i knew very little from my poor life, but i knew that i was just a lonely poor soul. Lost in the way of life, i ask myself everyday, why such misery?" And keeps blabbering about it.

(If you want you can listen to Jane Doe's music to understand a little more better about the voice, its called 'the ballad of Jane Doe')

Sorry for making it so long, wanted to just make things easier for you by explaining everything without you needing to burn your beautiful little brain researching! I love your vlog by the way <3

The rest of the cast x jane doe type! reader!

linking the other post under the cut, but if i had a nickel for how many times someone has made a RTC themed request for TADC i would have two, which isnt a lot but its odd thats is happened; in the same day no less!/lh/nm

i think this is my sign to get into RTC, ive only listen to 3 of the songs (talia, ballad of jane doe, and noels lament)

ballad of jane doe had a choke hold on me in September, as well as noels lament

POMNI, JAX, AND RAGATHA

CAINE:

aha! haha! i think he would shoot back a fact thats nearly just as disturbing and/or obscure as yours!

though if its something particularly macabre he might look like the gif above. just pauses, speechless, before just

"oh! thats nice reader!" i mean, he might scold you if its too much, afterall the circus is a place for all ages and he would hate that be compromised!

youre in luck, he doesnt really ask you about what your life was like before the digital world, since well, he understands that everyone pretty much forgets everything; i think this applies to everyone tbh

GANGLE:

side note its so hard to find gangle gifs

very similar to ragatha in the regard that she tries to make sure youre not wandering off during a rather hectic IHA

kind of just grins and bears through your "fun" facts, but if her comedy mask is broken shes very bad at hiding some of the shock and discomfort on her face

probably makes a little whining sound/sounds like shes about to cry if you spit out a particularly brutal one

i forgot to mention it in the previous post for ragatha but i think her and gangle would be the ones most likely to try to console you if you begin grieving your lost life and memories

ragatha probably being the more successful one whereas gangle just lets you cry and get your feelings out; as well with some complimentary awkward shoulder pats

ZOOBLE:

finds some of them interesting! i think i said somewhere that zooble would be the type to be into the dark stuff before getting trapped in the circus, or at least they do to me. so i think you two would be on par with one another in terms of infodumping

unless im confusing them with someone else, i do have a habit of getting my hcs wrong and/or mixed up (looks at my old posts for crp where i constantly switch back and forth on whether or not slenderman would know how to cook)

with that aside, i think if they truly were not in the mood to listen to you or just wanted the quiet they would let you know in the nicest way zooble can

"no one wants to hear your net facts, reader"/ref but in a tired and over it tone whereas in the last post with jax hes kinda mean about it

KINGER:

do not say a bug fact he will not shut the hell up, he will go on and on for hours about different bug stuff, perhaps you two going back and forth for god knows how long. i dont think he would be too creeped out by the more... creepy facts of the critters, oddly enough, since like, he understands it so why would he be afraid?

probably gets put off by your tone and movements, but its not enough for him to approach you to talk about bug stuff

mf yall are both wandering off during an IHA TToTT

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hello JWB! Your blog is the best!!

I recently started my 3rd rewatch of Ipkknd over the past 10 years and reading your blog alongside is so much fun! Your navigation for the blog is so meticulous. You are absolutely hilarious and reading your posts reminds me of when me and friends used to discuss the new Ipkknd episode every day on our ride to school! Good old times 🥲

I have a question for you as someone who has watched the show at different periods in her life. There are some scenes which I had a different perspective of when I was a teenage girl compared to now as woman in her 20s. For example, in my current rewatch I get so annoyed at scenes where Arnav holds Khushi hard enough to leave a mark on her arms, but when I watched the scene as a 12 year old its not something that crossed my mind as abusive (especially when they played the Oh-so-wonderful Rabba Ve over those scenes).

So are there are any scenes like that which you looked at differently over the years with age?

Hello my dear anon!

Such a brilliant question - SO MUCH HAS CHANGED with age and time.

1. Arnav and Khushi’s sangeet. I was just so happy to see them get married that I didn’t think much about it but as I grew older I just really didn’t like it. They completely wasted Akash and Payal and I never understood Mami’s over involvement in the sangeet and also… Khushi lip syncing to lyrics instead of a yes I’ll marry you and WHY IS MAMI PLAYING KHUSHI AND WHY IS AN AUNT AND NEPHEW DANCING ROMANTICALLY 😣

2. The dabba service. I actually liked it when I was younger cause the comedy made me laugh. As an adult though I’m bothered that Khushi’s decision to be financially independent does not stem from supporting her family but that she needs to return 300 rupees to Arnav? And somehow we’re supposed to think she’s highly intelligent for working at her husband’s place, through his office kitchen and that’s a … victory? Also so awkward for Arnav to publicly be demeaning of Khushi and him getting furious that she’s “insulting him” but also Khushi getting rabba ve because he enjoys her food? It’s just too regressive that anything Arnav likes about Khushi is tied to bahu duties - that is cooking great food or calling herself his wife. Also Khushi just acts so childish in general I cannot.

3. Khushi’s behavior when Arnav lost his voice. I found her irritating. She’s too childish. The fact she expects Arnav will give her a gift to thank her for having done a “great job” like WHY can this woman NOT be intelligent is beyond me. ARNAV AND KHUSHI DONE SHARE THAT RELATIONSHIP! ALSO WHY DOES SHE GO AHEAD AND SIT IN THE DRIVER’s SEAT??? IS SHE A LITERAL CHILD LIKE I NEVER DID THAT WHEN I WAS 7 MYSELF! And it’s supposed to be funny that Arnav makes her do squats in front of a police officer? That’s demeaning to a woman who’s supposed to be your wife. It’s just really not landing for me tbh.

4. Khushi as a character is very annoying post elopement because she’s reduced to a childish caricature without a hint of brain.

5. I don’t think Arnav does anything great or romantic in the 24 hours track. He has emotionally and verbally abused Khushi multiple times. The one time she tries to leave house - that too for the sake of his sister - he makes her work around for money, threatens her friends so they can’t financially assist her and then takes over her property? I don’t find this coercion romantic nor do I find it to be “ASR” style. My guy was running behind to say sorry cause he was rude to her on the day his parents died. The one day where he’s allowed to be by himself and rude because it’s a traumatic day. (I have to see Khushi’s birthday and the sexy back massage in a separate context to enjoy).

6. I’m not ok with Arnav showering gifts on Khushi after he brought her home by coercing her. I don’t like how Khushi switches into bahu mode to make Anjali happy - girl you were threatened by your husband two hours ago and you’re busy playing Mrs Raizada? - and I’ve said this before but the sudden showering of gifts felt closer to love bombing and a reward for listening to him. I know Arnav is a man of actions - a man of actions would correct his mistake. I needed somethings to be better between Arshi to enjoy this.

7. I DO NOT LIKE THEIR I LOVE YOU DAMN IT. The fact it’s preceded by a very non consensual/dubious consent suhaagraat setup and that Khushi is busy talking about rituals than actually talking about what matters is… ugh. It genuinely feels like sexual frustration and my heart felt so sad that he’s dragging her around pheras to get done with it and Khushi’s elopement was traumatic.

8. Khushi tricking Arnav to light Janmashtami diya. Arnav is an atheist, that’s just as critical as following another “religion”. Would Khushi get a Muslim man to partake in Hindu religious activities by plot? No right. Would she be appreciate being tricked into having bread and wine as that’s the flesh and blood of Christ? Nope. The fact that they show wow Khushi is amazing she brought a NON RELIGIOUS MAN to partake in a religious amazing and thus has more influence than Lavanya on Arnav grates my nerves. I’m religious, and I cannot imagine imposing it on anyone - especially not to my atheist brother.

9. This is something small but I don’t get why Khushi can’t stay over the day Anjali miscarries and when Arnav asks her to stay back. Like something majorly traumatic has happened and Khushi still has to go by what will be acceptable for Dadi? That it’s not ok for Khushi to stay over? I get it if Dadi interrupted cause she’s perfectly terrible enough to do it and Arnav then wants Khushi to leave cause he won’t be able to hear another word against Khushi and she matters more. But also this is Anjali - there’s no way Khushi is leaving the house until Anjali regains certain consciousness and stability.

These are 9 moments that I didn’t like as I grew older (I have some stuff that I didn’t like right off the bat, lol) but here are also a set of moments that I actually grew to love the older I got.

1. A lot of first half Arnav. Very well setup as an anti hero with darker shades. His opinion on marriage and relationships is actually really good and I love the scene where he calls off the arrangement for his arranged marriage cause he clearly states that this would ruin multiple lives.

2. Shyam. I thoroughly enjoy a lot of his scenes because what a villain! I love all of his “nice damad” scenes cause it perfectly establishes why none would suspect and why Payal Khushi will have a hard time telling the truth to the Raizadas cause it’s just so impossible. I also love kidnapping era Shyam cause he and Khushi have AMAZING scenes and the show remembers that Shyam is KHUSHI’s villain! He really drives the plot.

3. I really have grown to love the scene where Khushi thinks she must leave Arnav because he won’t be able to accept aarav and that’s stemming from her own orphan trauma and that when Arnav does see her leaving he’s so gentle about it. He makes her sit, addresses her concern and that Khushi just bursts into tears and hugs him and admits she doesn’t know what she is doing and I love it that Arnav cares for her and Khushi is being her most honest self. It’s so underrated and SO beautiful.

4. Heer Ranjha in a different context. Because what Arnav says is an apology and perhaps the best one in the show.

Thanks for the love,

- Jalebi

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

What goes on during movie night ?

Ooh okay so movie night:

It's just absurdly hard to decide what to watch. Movies are brutal for the family. No one likes the same things, but they somehow always have fun? They have to institute a family decision making process, and this is how it goes:

It's in order of age. Jake (1), Neytiri (2), Spider (3), Neteyam (4), Kiri (5), Lo'ak (6), and Tuk (7). (Mo'at is 8 when she is around, and when she is she somehow always wins).

Whenever a decision needs to be made, Jake has Neteyam have Siri (Jake does not understand how to use Siri) pick a number between 1 and 7 and whoever's number it lands on makes the decision. This ruling is absolutely final, and the only rules are that parents can overrule for safety and that the same number can't be picked back to back.

Neytiri wins a suspicious amount of time. It's simply Eywa's will. When Neytiri wins they watch a lot of documentaries and classic rom coms. Jake always complains the loudest to annoy her, but then him and Neyetam are on the ground on the floor up close fascinated by the horror of US prison system or by the absurdity of 27 Dresses.

Jake, in contrast, almost never wins. When he does it's always the worst comedy ever but like, the most fun night. It's Grown Ups 2 or The Naked Gun, and Neytiri is trying so hard not to laugh in the corner while covering Tuk's ears and glaring at Lo'ak when he laughs at the jokes.

Lo'ak only wants to watch terrible action movies. This is everyone's favorite night lowkey. No one would ever admit it, but the movies are such a brain break, and they love how much they can annoy Lo'ak during them. They're all munching on popcorn and lounging on the couch absolutely destroying the logistics of The Fast and The Furious.

Neteyam, through a mouthful of popcorn: How would one car cushion the fall of another car?

Spider, throwing m&ms into Kiri's mouth: Oh, it wouldn't, that's a double car pancake.

Lo'ak: IT'S JUST A MOVIE, MY GOD.

Jake, intercepting an m&m: As long as you don't think you can drive off of a helicopter, son.

Kiri: well, you could, right, you just wouldn't live.

Lo'ak: PLEASE.

Tuk wins and they watch a classic Disney/Pixar film. No one pretends to hate these nights. Everyone loves Encanto and Moana. Jake is a huge Olaf fan. Spider and Lo'ak's remote-microphone renditions of every song in Camp Rock are legendary. Everyone has joined in at some point, by the end of the movie the family are all exhausted and sweaty and the amount of blackmail on Jake's phone is wild.

Neteyam's picks are always extremely snobby Oscar level A24 films. Tuk always falls asleep. Lo'ak and Jake play games on their phones and miss things and then ask stupid questions and it drives Neteyam insane. He's never angrier than when Jake asks the dumbest question ever that was answered earlier during the peak moment of Three Billboards.

Kiri's picks are super pretty nature documentaries. These nights are instant nap time for Jake, Lo'ak, and Tuk, piled on top of each other on the couch. Spider, Kiri, Neytiri and Neteyam share a carton of ice cream right in front of the tv and marvel at the pretty animals. One time when they are all older teenagers, Lo'ak and Spider decide to take edibles before this endeavor and Jake catches them so they give him one as a bribe and the three of them cry when a lion kills a zebra. It is very obvious but also very funny to everyone else. Also Jake ratted them out to Neytiri right away but said "Babe, they included me! ☺️" so Neytiri let it happen.

Spider's picks are crazy. He's all over the place. For a long time post his adoption, when they were little, he picks whatever movie the person he's felt he most recently pissed off he thinks would like best. Lo'ak discovers this quickly and begins to start a fight with him right before movie night lol. Neytiri and Jake were very suspicious when Spider was like "no I actually want to watch Jackass and it's not because you grounded me yesterday, Jake." Eventually he does pick his own stuff (he likes Homeward Bound and Cheaper by the Dozen) but sometimes he does still pick what his siblings want.

[rollercoasterwords]

hiiiiiii!! i don't have the brain to do or watch anything atm but i would LOVE some movie recs please 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

YAY ok assuming this is coming from the 80s movie post so. here r some of my favorite 80s movies:

ridiculous campy fun:

earth girls are easy (1988) - fucking LOVE this movie!!! such a fun time. horny aliens crash their spaceship on earth + get taken in by a human woman. also it's a musical comedy + the aliens are played by jeff goldblum jim carrey and damon wayans

hell comes to frogtown (1988) - also. obsessed w this one. post-apocalyptic world where society is a matriarchy + humans need 2 repopulate. protagonist is a Manly Man who has been discovered to have a Mega-High Sperm Count, making him a government asset so a sexy military doctor locks him up in a chastity cage 2 conserve his precious sperm. also there are mutated frog people + they kidnapped a bunch of ~fertile~ human women to keep as sex slaves so Manly Man needs 2 accompany sexy military doctor + sexy soldier to go rescue the ladies from Frogtown so he can fuck them <3 also his name is Sam Hell. hence. 'hell comes to frogtown'

clue (1985) - based on the board game!! murder mystery comedy w wacky characters + an ending that is oh-so-fun

weird dark fantasy:

the company of wolves (1984) - the movie that inspired my 80s movie post 2nite <3 creepy fairytale retelling of red riding hood w a bunch of stories-within-a-story so that it ends up feeling like some sort of fever dream matryoshka doll

labyrinth (1986) - one of my FAVORITE movies of all time!!!!! david bowie is a goblin king who kidnaps the protagonist's baby brother as a favor 2 her + then when she's like actually i want him back he's like ok solve my maze then <3

return to oz (1985) - sequel to 'the wizard of oz' that is like. 10 times darker + weirder + creepier + definitely scarred me + my twin when we watched it as children lol. dorothy won't stop talking abt oz so she's taken 2 a mental institution for electroshock therapy. queue dramatic storm + sudden return to oz except the city is in ruins + dorothy needs 2 save the day

horror:

aliens (1986) - sequel to alien (1979) which just missed the cutoff for making this list + i also recommend--but u don't NEED 2 watch it 2 watch this movie. outer space creature feature meets slasher survival horror. xenomorph i love u <3

the thing (1982) - another sci-fi alien horror but this time it follows a group of researchers in the arctic who encounter an alien that can change shape 2 look like any of them. queue paranoia. there's also a more modern remake of this movie if i'm not mistaken

day of the dead (1985) - probably romero's least well-known zombie movie lol but a fun one nonetheless! good if u like 80s movies + zombie movies which. i do <3

the shining (1980) - oooh artsy spooky hotel horror.....a classic to be honest....

animated:

the last unicorn (1982) - ANOTHER favorite movie of all time for me!!!! unicorn who lives in isolation in a forest overhears two humans talking about how there are no more unicorns in the world + is like what i can't be the only one left...so she sets out on an adventure 2 try and find out what happened 2 all the unicorns <3 another movie that scarred me as a child bc of how creepy + dark it was

nausicaa of the valley of the wind (1984) - studio ghibli <3 this is one of my fave ghibli films. post-apocalyptic wasteland where giant bugs roam the earth....amazing

castle in the sky (1986) - more ghibli! girl w mysterious magic necklace meets boy who is searching for castle in the sky. also they are being chased by pirates + creepy government agents. FUN

kiki's delivery service (1989) - aaaaand more ghibli. teenage witch sets out 2 make her way in the world + encounters existential dread <3

classics:

heathers (1988) - veronica decides that she's sick of her mean-girl popular friendgroup + at the same time meets Mysterious New Boy. when she complains 2 him abt her friends he starts killing them <3

the princess bride (1987) - based on the book (which i also recommend!!); i feel like everyone knows this movie but. basically fairytale-esque romance abt a girl named buttercup who falls in love w a farmboy named wesley but then wesley gets murdered by pirates...or so it seems....

ferris bueller's day off (1986) - teenagers decide 2 skip school + run amok in chicago. wahoo!!

[tezzbot]

How do you understand the Chaotix so good in your brain

HI JEN HIIII HI JENZEL HIII<3333

I. Don't actually know. I feel like I do this with every character I get really into is that, I like.. Really enjoy figuring out their .. idrk how to say it their attributes? I enjoy figuring out what makes my favs tick. I like finding little mannerisms, speech patterns, stuff like that, and then from there figuring out okay. How would they react in X situation or I guess. If I were them how would I feel and how would I respond

Like say if it were Charmy, he would have less of a filter and less of a poker face when reacting to something, wouldn't find something as embarrassing as Espio, but if he did his reaction would be bigger than a quiet facepalm. He doesn't understand the world as much as the others considering he is six But he's still relatively sharp and can piece things together since he's also a detective.

It's kind of like a juggling act of what a character would instinctively do and what other factors are contributing to them doing or Not doing something about it y'know

Comedic relief characters are always so much fun to pick apart for me as well because, yeah most people are gonna just laugh them off and not think twice about them, but I feel like in a lot of franchises the comedy relief usually have something more to them that at a glance no one would really pick up and TC are suuuuch a perfect example of that

On the surface Espio's a cool, calm, collected ninja. But you go below the surface and he's a anxious teenager desperately trying to seem cool getting so embarrassed by his best friends in the world who both have higher intelligence scores than him GJFHDG

Vector is a LOUD and abrasive and hashy bashy and seems greedy but he is EXTREMELY observant he has the keen eye of a detective and can figure things out really quickly and the only reason he's always after money is to keep them alive!!

Charmy is also loud and constantly chattering and seems a little bit away with the fairies lol but again he's really observant and pieces things together sometimes unintentionally! and he's extremely hyperactive because he's SIX

and even then I feel like their characters are even more nuanced than that I just. this post is getting long and this is directionless and rambling as it is GJFH

And their relationships with one another make them even more compelling to me!! They just care about each other and love each other so much and That's why they can fight and argue and get irritated with one another without even thinking of leaving the others' sides that one GIF from Sonic Heroes where Espio and Charmy just knock Vector onto his ass for no reason at the end of a level they can bully each other because they're a silly little family and they're best friends and they LOVE EACH OTHER!!!

Anyway yeah Team Chaotix I like them ^_^

[romancomicsnews]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem amplifies the fun of the franchise - REVIEW

*Slight Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem*

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been a franchise that has consistently been rebooted and I have never minded.

While the 2003 series was my initial Turtles introduction, the 2012 series really made me a fan. It had the right balance for me of brotherly affection, drama, stakes, and weird obscure villains.

While Rise of the TMNT wasn't exactly my taste, I can appreciate the animation, comedy, and going for a different new take. Plus my god is the Rise of TMNT movie good. I'm all for making really cool characters into animes now.

Going into this movie I had extremely high hopes. Not only has this franchise rarely disappointed, but it was produced by Seth Rogen, who has worked on shows like The Boys and Invincible, and directed by Jeff Rowe, who is not getting NEARLY enough credit for this movie. He was a writer on Gravity Falls and the co-director of one of my favorite animated movies: The Mitchells vs The Machines.

And I got to say, this movie does not disappoint.

The animation style is both impressive and at times disgusting in the best possible way. This is the first time I've felt New York feel grubby and grimy. Every shot looks wonderful, and that cannot be understated.

The hardest part of the Turtles is usually the brother dynamics. I feel like if not written or performed correctly, the Turtles can come off as buddies or even acquaintances. But this was not a problem here. The idea of having all four actors in the same room clearly paid off, as the four of them riffing and mocking each other were some of the highlights of the movie.

I do think coming out of this, some of these turtles will be the definitive versions of the characters. While Mikey and Raph have their charms, Micah Abbey as Donnie and Nicolas Cantu as Leo were stands out for me.

The idea of taking Donnie from the tech guy to more of a calculating nerdy weeb was genius. Donnie often is the guy who is most made fun of because he is nerd, and I think pivoting to him being a smart-ass and respected for his brain was a nice touch.

Leonardo as the goody two shoes dork who wants to lead so bad also worked for me. Leonardo can sometimes come off a sorta bully or arrogant for even trying to be the leader. Making him unsure but wanting to be a good leader makes him charming and more likeable.

Also among our heroes are Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil and Jackie Chan as Master Splinter.

While April does not have as much to do as I would've liked, I think Edebiri is a nice addition and I'd be happy to see more of her. She has good chemistry with the brothers, although it did take me out of the movie to think of the age gap between Edebiri and Cantu.

Jackie Chan's Splinter may be my biggest problem with the film. While he is a passable Splinter and has plenty of laughs, he does not seem as fierce of a warrior as he has seemed in the past, nor as wise. I do not mind a flawed, anxiety ridden Splinter, but he should feel like he can take on the Turtles easily, and I don't think he can.

(Also, Jackie Chan is a bad father in real life and shouldn't disown his estranged daughter for being gay. Read all about it here!)

I'm not going to go to into the details of all the villains in the movie, as there are quite a few, but I really loved the inclusion of the vast TMNT universe, and their own fun takes on them. One of the benefits of having Seth Rogen as a creative is access to all his very talented friends. A highlight for me was Mondo Gecko, voiced by the great Paul Rudd.

The main antagonist of the film being Superfly was a rather interesting choice. While I was sure we were going to have a Jekyll and Hyde situation with Superfly and Stockman going in, the idea that it was his mutant son was a weird but fun choice. Clearly Ice Cube was having a lot of fun playing a villain. He gave me quite a few laughs and felt like a proper first villain for these turtles. I'm glad they didn't just jump into Shredder or Kraang.

While all the characters are fun and interesting, what I really love about this story is the central theme of acceptance. Having them all have the goal of being accepted by society felt natural, important, and very teen drama, which is fresh to the TMNT. They are often outsiders who don't really care about that, just protecting the city. Making that at the heart of the movie made me feel for them in a way I haven't before.

Leaving the movie where it does excites me for more movies and the upcoming show they have planned. I think this version of the turtles can last us a good 5-7 years, and will end up being as iconic as the ones that came before.

Not that there is a super high bar for TMNT films, but this is definitely my favorite. I think kids are going to love, TMNT fans are going to love it, and non TMNT fans are going to be pleasantly surprised.

I highly recommend you go see this movie, I know I am definitely going again soon.

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[attackfish]

I have no memory if you have written this before, but my tired brain cant let it go so: Avatar Zhao.

I have not written this AU, but every time I looked at this ask, I had to stop and snicker to myself, because it's just such a terrible idea. And I mean that in the best way. It's a wonderful awful idea, and I love it.

So the thing about Zhao is he's The Worst. But there are different kinds of The Worst that a person can be. Ozai is The Worst because he's a horrible, abusive, genocidal tyrant, who spreads misery to so many people, and is corrosive. He eats away at the people around him. And then there's Zhao, who is just, deeply unpleasant. So very unpleasant. He bullies teenage boys for fun. He's obnoxious, and arrogant, and sucks up to people like Ozai, and does their dirty work, but also, he's just not very competent. And he is despite (or because of) his best efforts, absolutely hilarious. He is constantly getting humiliated and shown up, and constantly insisting on his superiority. He is so enjoyable to watch, and a lot of that is that Jason Isaacs is a delight. But anyway, Ozai is The Worst and Zhao is The Worst, but while I hate Ozai, I love to hate Zhao. Zhao is evil, but he's so stupid.

He's also the perfect foil for Zuko, because he's a reflection of what Zuko could be if he kept giving into his worst instincts and responding to humiliation with grandiose violence: [Link] and both spend a lot of time being humiliated.

So what would he do as Avatar? If he knew? I see two possibilities. The first, is that Zhao tells Ozai under the mistaken assumption that Ozai would be pleased, but in fact this just gets him very locked up. The second possibility is that he keeps it to himself, but then Zuko is banished and sent to hunt the Avatar, and there is no way Zhao is going to be able to keep this to himself. He is going to let it slip to Zuko in a moment of gloating, and then Zuko will try to capture him.

This is some beautiful black comedy screwball bullshit. Like, in the background you have all of the Avatar world building, with genocide and hundred year wars of conquest and people yearning to be free, and Ozai continuing the cruelties begun by his grandfather and father, and Zuko's motivation being earning his love, and the absolute shitty way Ozai has treated both his children and also Ursa, and so many people having died and everything is bleak, and the world needs the Avatar, and the Avatar is just The Worst person, and he's being chased around the world by an angry shouty sixteen year old and his extremely tired uncle, and the backdrop is all serious, because there is a world that needs to be saved, but instead, the plot is just Zuko, Iroh, and Zhao involving themselves in increasingly Looney Tunes antics and zany schemes as Zuko tries to catch Zhao, Zhao tries to keep from being caught, and Iroh just tries to drink one lousy cup of tea in peace.

[siskiyn]

so yeah a couple weeks ago i started playing neopets again after 13+? years. i'm over here making a discount dnd party with names like these. i kinda like it though..... my oc brain is stirring after a long, long time. like i want them to be a crew. the found family trope incarnate. ride-or-die. i have no idea what colors i want these babies to be but i'm MOTIVATED. there are so many new paint brush / colors to consider too, i am actually having a blast over here making goals to reach & learning stuff i never ever bothered with in the past.

(please join me)

ONTO THE PETS + OC BRAINSTORMING

MALFEEN thinking wraith for Malfeen, first. he's becoming my battledome pet! something badass and/or eternal looking. that's all really. eventide zafara could be ok too with some customization. he look a little too unimposing with those eyes. something about wraith though OOH i want one.

VHAMPIRR Vhampirr has GOT to change species and color, grundos gotta be the UGLIEST mfers out in neopia i'm sorry. Vhamp's gonna be the leader because i rescued him from the pound first and ngl it was exciting. teenaged sisk never found anything good while pound surfing. now i don't even know how many painted pets i've seen in there. the satisfaction is astronomical.

anyways i don't wanna be too derivative with a name like Vhampirr but then again cringe is dead, he could be some cool undead mfer. i'm thinking darigan? (once a darigan fan always a darigan fan.) there are many good species options something about darigan xweetok makes me wanna punch it (lovingly). he looks like he'd make fun of you and be camp as hell. he looks like he gets a new piecing every time he's depressed because he finds it quite bracing and rejuvenating, actually.

OAXUN Oaxun is the only pet i made from scratch, in homage to an old pet from an old account (rip). the rest are pound finds. at first i was thinking making her into a little baby eyrie. babygirl of the party who everyone dotes on, receives the chaotic parenting of the whole gang. but man i love eyries a lot & with a name like Oaxun i feel like a material color like maractite, water or relic would be soo fitting. i'm less and less attached to baby the longer i think on it tbh.

GRIMSVONTE literally just adopted this dude tonight. idk if i'll keep him but i think royalboy or something fancy like that would match the name. he could be that escort mission tag-along that you absolutely suffer through. Grimsvonte hahaha... royalboy gelert got me fucked up with the bowl cut hair. it's giving trust fund kid, Grimsvonte the 3rd... it's giving "mother father i'm off on a harrowing adventure don't look for me". idk it could be comedy gold!!

not many of the royals appeal to me although royalboy peophin is kinda hot? Hot Middle-aged Grimsvonte?? no i'm not accepting comments. just think about it.

& that's it!!! well i have a baby kougra pound rescue but *covers his ears* i don't really like him or his ugly ass name. i think i'm overly attached to baby neopets due to Nostalgia only. they're relatively cheap to get too. i don't know! can you feel the vibe of this group so far? the vision?? if i do get a baby neopet it'll prolly be a more thoughtful addition. maybe one of the above will magically turn into a single parent. like, say... baby peophin for daddy Grimsvonte? (i know you agree. you agree with me right. look at them together.)

[three-seperate-johns]

Eight shows to get to know you :) I was tagged by @thetideseternaltune

I’ve taken the ‘getting to know me’ part to heart - I don’t even follow tags for all these shows on tumblr. They are not necessarily my favourite right now, nor are they the shows I write/read fanfic for.

In no particular order:

Numb3rs - I grew up without a tv, so numb3rs was the first show I really picked out for myself, and I started watching it when I was ~15. It’s the only show I’ve ever gone out and bought every season of for myself. It’s just a really solid monster of the week detective show, with subtle and charming characters who are not too closely involved in the plots they investigate. Which is exactly my jam. One of my friends watched Numb3rs and chatted with me briefly about it, but I’ve otherwise never fangirled over it with anyone. Even though I still count it as one of my favourite shows of all time 15 years down the track. I’ve actually never read fanfic for Numb3rs, and I know next to nothing about the making of. I wouldn’t recognise the names of the actors or any of the showrunners, which is actually my ideal media consumption experience xD 

Buffy - First show I ever watched while surrounded by people who are obsessed with the show, and I had an excellent time with it. It was interesting because all my friends were teenagers when they watched it for the first time, but I was in my early twenties, and it was really interesting to see where my experiences of the show diverged from theirs. I don’t usually read Buffy fanfic, and some of my Buffy opinions are pretty controversial :P I think seasons 4-6 are the best, and I love Riley which seems to really bother some of my friends xD

Fallet - This show is a fucking fever dream. It took me a whole episode to work out that it was a comedy, it had some real ‘Douglas Adams’ vibes at the end, which was fun. It’s a murder mystery set in sweden that uses a mix of swedish and english, and it is best described as ‘kooky.’ My only IRL friend who watched it (after much nagging) did so while slightly feverish with covid. They seemed to have a good time, but I would not recommend doing this xD It’s wild enough without the delirium.

Vera - the quintessential ‘slow moving, episodic, british murder mystery.’ Vera is awesome (especially in the early seasons) for just being really fucking good. My favourite thing about this show is the leading lady - Vera is a grumpy, frumpy, middle aged woman without a maternal bone in her body. I am so sick of women needing to be kind and selfless to be a protagonist.

VGHS - now for something completely different! It’s a show made by a youtube special effects guy about a high school where you learn to play videogames. And it made me cry. A death notification set to an in-universe laugh track? Sign me up! It’s mostly super goofy, and the main character is way less interesting than all his friends, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Probably the closest thing to a pure comedy I will watch, but it makes it oddly poignant moments all the sweeter. Also, 10/10 ending. I don’t read fanfic of it either, and these days I’m waaay too old for the characters personally. I definitely had a bit of a thing for the main character’s gf tho. Ngl.

Shetland - I do this thing where I avoid looking at fan content for a show if I’m enjoying it on its own merits, because I want to experience it without the brain rot. Kinda weird, but it works for me. Shetland is funny because I could immediately see a pairing I wanted to explore, but I waited years for the show to go downhill before I let myself open ao3. Luckily, I think they caught up with the books, and changed hands around season 4ish, because the quality nosedived and I have read and written so many things for Jimmy/Duncan, and do not intend to stop xD I actually haven’t had the heart to watch the latest season, because I don’t think I’ll enjoy it all that much. Cool theme song though! And everyone should watch the early short seasons.

Capitani - I hate the hays code. And not just because of the moralising and the homophobia - it makes storytelling predictable. The impact it continues to have on all english speaking media is never more obvious than when you watch something from another part of the world and are completely blindsided by the emotional arc. Capitani fucking killed me. I’ve read that Capitani is Luxembourg’s only globally successful media product. I don’t know if that’s true, but I wasn’t sure if Luxembourg was a country or a city before I watched it, so it’s probably not far from the truth. I now have a fun little rap song in Luxembourgish on my spotify playlist! It won my heart forever when they set up a joke and completed it four episodes later without any call backs. Imagine having that much faith in your audience! I would read the shit out of fanfiction of the fucked up love story between Capitani and Karla, but unfortunately, there is none :(

MASH - My ex step father owned every season of MASH on DVD, and when I was 14 my friend and I would rush to my house to watch them while having sit-up competitions. I don’t know why this was a fun activity for two 14 year old girls, but I have so many fond memories of this time. It was the first tv show I ever watched sequentially, and the first show I ever watched start to finish. It was also the reason I beat all the boys in my class when we had to do those fitness tests in PE! xD I’m personally a bigger fan of the show post-season 3 when they had the big tone shift. While there are definitely funny scenes, the image in my head when someone mentions MASH is always Charles smashing up his record player. So while it’s famous as a comedy, that’s not really how I remember it. I keep meaning to go look up the show on ao3, because I am sooo curious about what the common pairings are, and what kind of tone the fics take.

I had a lot of fun with this :) Thanks for tagging me! I’m way too shy to tag eight people, but would love to hear about the viewing past of: @republicofgaypirates @galadriel1010 @leliesblou @scullyverse @justplainsalty

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Unorganized RUBY GILLMAN Thought Stew

I originally had a whole post typed out for this... And then it disappeared into the ether, because this fella accidentally hit Control+X... Tumblr, you really gotta work on that, I'm still a little miffed that I lost everything that I wrote here... and I'm rewriting the entire thing verbatim, I know- I should've saved it to a word doc first, which I did with this replacement post... Anyways... Thoughts on the RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN trailer!

Like the "Things I Loved About" posts I did on PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH and STRANGE WORLD, this will be a collection of unorganized thoughts... So, bear with me!

Finally… DreamWorks and Universal reveal that this movie actually exists. I mean, if you looked in the right places, you knew it was a thing. MEET THE GILLMANS was a title you saw, scooper sites had some stuff on it… But strangely, this project was never officially announced to the public until this trailer dropped… A little over 3 months before release. At least with THE BAD GUYS, whose trailer dropped 4 months before it came out, we knew of its existence as an in-development title as far back as the spring of 2018. This is an interesting approach: They’re literally going to marathon-run this film’s marketing campaign. How will it do? Well, I’ll get to that in another post…

First off? Visually? Eye-candy. Colorful as heck. I particularly dig the bioluminescent underwater kingdom, it’s like a mix of sea creature designs and futuristic lightshow aesthetics. Also, that shot of all the jellyfish? Desktop background right there.

You know, to keep waffling on about the underwater world… I’m getting the Aquaria Towers level from SPYRO 2: RIPTO’S RAGE vibes… Heck, I did a whole post on how I’d love to see a SPYRO THE DRAGON movie done in the style of PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, but that’s another story… But all this neon-like bio-luminescence and the overall design of the architecture is also really making me think of a mid-1990s policy “snipe” for National Amusements theaters. I saw this thing A LOT when I was a child growing up in the late 1990s going to the movies quite frequently (I had seen DreamWorks’ debut films ANTZ and likely THE PRINCE OF EGYPT when they had come out, among others), so it’s burned into my brain. So yeah, this underwater world reminds me of that as well. I dig!

The Krakens themselves have like a squishy, bendy, clay-like look. Almost getting much older claymation vibes, like Gumby.

The rest? The above world has a fun look, as do the human characters. Given that this was directed by Kirk DeMicco, who directed DreamWorks’ own THE CROODS, and then VIVO for Sony Animation, it’s fittingly colorful and vibrant. Some of the human design reminds me of the humans in that movie, too. Lots of unlikely shapes and such. Now if this is still set in Florida as rumored, then it fits, because VIVO was set in Florida as well.

The story itself seems like a cross-genre mesh of different ideas: The mythology of Krakens and mermaids, a teen coming-of-age comedy (DeMicco cited John Hughes influences), a family drama, and a… Kaiju battle action movie? Talk about going all out with your basic premise!

Speaking of which, this isn’t at all like LUCA, which was also about sea monsters blending in with humans in a coastal community. That movie was much more informed by director Enrico Casarosa’s Italian childhood, was set in the early 1960s, and was a much more slice-of-life kind of story. Sorta following the day to day of these three kids in mid-century Italy, with no really larger plot, and stakes that are at their level - which I quite liked about that movie. I also do not understand why a lot of people online are suggesting that it’s derivative of TURNING RED… Did TURNING RED invent the teen/coming-of-age movie or something? Is it because in that movie, Meilin has to hide herself when she morphs into a red panda? That kind of thing has been done before, too. The executions for both are very different, even from this film’s trailer.

The film’s logo is also great. As a graphic designer, I'm gonna nerd out about this for a second: “RUBY GILLMAN” is written in a friendly cursive, almost like the kind you’d see inked onto a high school notebook page. The “TEENAGE KRAKEN” is blockier and bolder, with the “K” letterform forming a tentacle. That is very, very cool and very eye-catching! It’s actually reminiscent of the first logo made for THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, where the “MITCHELLS” was in a similar kind of written cursive, and “MACHINES” was solid letterforms, suggesting the rigid and mechanic feel of the robots and devices that become corrupted in that movie. The final logo changes “MITCHELLS” to big capital letters, but it still looks like a notebook-like design (like say, that “S” thing everyone drew in the early 2000s), likely in Katie Mitchell’s notebook (as her art and scribbles are all over the movie, visually), but yeah- The RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN logo has that vibe, and I really dig it. Nice visual contrast of the protagonist’s wants to have a normal teen lifestyle, and her background and heritage.

I also find it funny that, on land, the antagonistic mermaid Chelsea disguises herself as a redheaded teenager. Some are quick to assume that’s a jab at Disney, or their upcoming remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but… It’s likely not much deeper than “Haha, let’s make her a redhead, like Ariel.” Because of how iconic and well-known the 1989 Disney animated film adaptation is, the first thing most folks think of when they hear “mermaid” is a redhead! I’d imagine the character design was locked a while ago, before it was even certain when this would come out. Even then, it’s little more than nothing.

I also noticed that Ruby’s calendar in her bedroom… May. Is that why Chelsea has come to her school? Because it’s Mermay?

I also find it funny that, on land, the antagonistic mermaid Chelsea disguises herself as a redheaded teenager. Some are quick to assume that’s a jab at Disney, or their upcoming remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but… It’s likely not much deeper than “Haha, let’s make her a redhead, like Ariel.” Because of how iconic and well-known the 1989 Disney animated film adaptation is, the first thing most folks think of when they hear “mermaid” is a redhead! I’d imagine the character design was locked a while ago, before it was even certain when this would come out. Even then, it’s little more than nothing.

I also noticed that Ruby’s calendar in her bedroom… May. Is that why Chelsea has come to her school to scope out a Kraken? Because it’s Mermay?

So yeah… I am looking forward to this. It’s nice to see a new original DreamWorks movie. In terms of their NOT-sequel movies, this is their first truly original movie, not based on any pre-existing IP or book or story what-have-you, since ABOMINABLE came out in fall 2019… In fact, of the last eight DreamWorks Animation movies… Only ABOMINABLE and THE BAD GUYS were not sequels to any of their previous movies. The studio's new plan, as I have heard once from the trenches, is to have a not-sequel movie and a sequel every calendar year. Last year fit the bill with THE BAD GUYS and PUSS IN BOOTS Dos, this year it’s this movie and TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, next year… KUNG FU PANDA 4 and… Well, who knows. My non-existent money is on RONAN BOYLE… But that’s also another story…

I’m just happy to see that we are indeed getting two DreamWorks movies this year, and one of them is an original… And the original in question looks like a fun time, a mashup of like 3-4 different genres, and boasting a colorful, vibrant, and neat visual style...

In another post, I'll discuss what I think it's box office prospects are. If that interests you, stay tooned, then-

[monstermonstre]

31 days of horror 2023 (part 1/?)

Every year in October I challenge myself to watch 31 horror movies, 1 for each day, with varying success. If you're new here, I love horror and so the challenge is more about the commitment, than pushing myself to do something I wouldn't enjoy or do otherwise (thankfully).

So far, so good, I haven't watched anything that angered me or bored me to death. Those first 11 days were actually pretty great overall, and with only 2 rewatches.

Cherry Falls (2000): I thought a slasher starring Brittany Murphy would be an easy like but instead this was the only film in the bunch I did not care for. The attempted subversion of one of the genre's best known tropes (the Virgin Will Be Spared) was not done in a way that felt compelling; the script felt like there were too many cooks in the kitchen, like so many hands had touched it that the original intent had been lost; and aside from that one subversion it was just too bland, too unremarkable. And the transphobia didn't help. Brittany Murphy was stellar tho.

Possibly in Michigan (1983): Day 2 found me already scrambling for a short film as my day was ending, and lucky me otherwise I might have never watched this classic. "80s feminist cannibalism musical" feels like it's maybe doing it a disservice but it's what got me to watch it and I wouldn't know how to begin to talk about it in a more substantial way. If that tagline appeals to you in any way, it's on Youtube, go watch it.

The Exorcist (1973): I had seen that movie once as a teenager, when I was still very new to horror, and all I remembered from it were the scares. Watching it now, the scares are the least of the impressions the movie made on me. If I was a sadist with a cinema I'd program a triple feature on loneliness, alienation, and the loss of the body with this, Lake Mungo, and the original Cat People. (P.S.: I really recommend the following video essay.)

4. The Exorcist III (1990): First time watching and it scared the shit out of me. I loved it but I haven't been scared like that in a while. Again, there's nothing I could say about this that hasn't been said before. It had some of the worst (honorary) and best things I've ever seen. There is a carp swimming up and down in my brain.

5. Chucky S3E1: Yes episodes of TV count. Anyway, Chucky is back, it's my favourite horror franchise and the show has been, so far, one of the most fun I've had following a TV show ever. That season 3 premiere was a bit underwhelming for me, but certainly not bad. I'm looking forward to the rest.

6. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010): Suffering depression from watching the two Exorcist movies back to back, I decided that rewatching a horror comedy I loved was in order. I used to worship Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, but now...it felt very "eh". I've been damaged by too many excellent films and some of the jokes from this classic just didn't do it as much for me anymore (aside from the "howdy-oh officer, we've had a doozy of a day" bit that makes me crack up every time). However it was still a good time and Dale is still one of the hottest man in horror.

7. Motel Hell (1980): Found out about this one through Stephen Graham Jones' Indian Lake trilogy and I wasn't expecting much from it so I was delighted when I found out how funny it was. Great time for slasher lovers, darkly funny, great performances, some really neat imagery (altho I could've done without the sound the "plants" made, like nails on a chalkboard). Just a silly good time.

8. No One Will Save You (2023): I appreciated the risks this movie took and its story but I struggled to get invested at all. Maybe the alien element just wasn't for me, the minute I saw one of the aliens (which kudos to the film for not beating around the bush and going straight into it) I just stopped caring. I did have a good time overall tho and I was pleasantly surprised at, again, the risks taken and the resistance to spelling every thing out to the audience. The ending was pretty neat.

9. Shutter (2004): The winner of my little poll and I'm grateful to everyone who voted for it. I have no idea how this film ended up on my watchlist but I had been putting it off for while because ghost movies are still one of the subgenres of horror that terrifies me the most. I am glad I was pushed to see this because not only was I not that scared (no really, I didn't even jump that much, I certainly was much calmer than when watching Exorcist III, I am so brave) but I really loved the film's atmosphere and visuals. It's rare, I feel, to see a horror movie so awash with light more or less constantly and still retaining a very compelling moodiness and tension. Very unique atmosphere and that ending wowed me. Also was I the only one to read Natre as trans? I even felt like the film was implying it for a while.

10. Creep (2014): Creep was also in my little poll and, when it ended, I realised I felt slightly disappointed it hadn't won. So instead of waiting on an excuse to watch it, and feeling emboldened by my frankly supernatural bravery during Shutter, I decided to just watch it. And it was the calmest I've ever felt during a found footage film. Seriously not one of the jumpscares got me, that's absolutely unheard of with me. But that didn't make me have any less of a good time. I thought it was hilarious (but obviously not funny in a way that I would recommend it to most people I know), Duplass was magnetic, and I really enjoyed the storytelling. It was also pretty close in some ways to a wrestling storyline that I'm very invested in at the moment so maybe that contributed to how tranquil a time I had. Again, if I owned a cinema and was sick in the head I'd do a double feature with this and the 2022 documentary Mister Organ.

11. Creep 2 (2017): I hate those Reader X Fictional Character fics that haunt tags on here but that's what that film was and I had a good time with it.

If you've read this far: wow. (and see you soon for part 2)

[amischiefofmuses]

TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER!

I. favourite colours: Red, purple or black. Especially when combined together in a gothic style. So specifically deep reds and plum purples, not so much the emo style of bright red and bright purples with black. Think regal vampire's castle.

II. favourite flavours: Barbecue seasonings, char on meat (steak or chicken wings especially), apple sweets, pineapple sweets, watermelon in any form and a nice warm spiced rum.

III. favourite genres: Fantasy and sci-fi that have deep world-building elements, found family stories in whatever form they take, horror, psychology and if any of these come with a touch of comedy then even better but I rarely enjoy pure comedy driven narratives.

IV. favourite music: I'm a bit polyjamorous, listening to whatever vibes with me at any given time but recently I've been listening to a lot of alt, folk, rock and indie. Think Will Wood and The Tapeworms, Neil Cicierega/Lemon Demon, Ashnikko - if it sounds a little unhinged then it probably scratches my brain just right.

V. favourite movies: Spirited Away, Van Helsing, Brothers Grimm, Dragonheart, Borrowers, Pans Labyrinth, Wolf Children, The Lost Boys, Tremors, Hellboy/Hellboy 2 - Fun fact, Hellboy 2 had a big influence on the writing of my Fae characters and their worldbuilding.

VI. favourite series: Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Helluva Boss, X-Files, 10th Kingdom, Stranger Things, The Owl House, Invader Zim, BBC Sherlock, NBC Hannibal and Charmed.

VII. last song: I only smoke to feel bad - KiNG MALA

VIII. last series: Probably Helluva Boss? If not, a rewatch of Invader Zim.

IX. last movie: Coraline! I'd actually never seen it before and watched it with friends (I was ashamed for years to admit I'd never seen it because most people assumed I must have given my vibes.) Was pleasantly surprised to see it also fit my usual love of Fae-themed things.

X. currently reading: Unfortunately nothing currently, my books are all in storage and I don't want to risk losing any while sofa-surfing. I was in the middle of re-reading Fynoderee by Alexander Caine Duncan before that though as I hadn't read it since I was a teenager.

XI. currently watching: Various youtube videos on unexplained mysteries. Mr. Ballen being a favourite.

XII. currently working on: Getting a place to live! Finally got the paperwork I've been missing today (and signed up to the local library!) so that's in progress. Other than that, roleplay replies and trying to make my blog easier to navigate.

tagged by: @handgiven tagging: @bdkrp @multianime @etherdwellers @universalextortion @woewept @bcund @hostilis @hannah-the-small & anyone else that wants to do it!! This is an open invitation!

[breserker]

Top 10 horror movies?

caveat that these are not in any particular order because not only does different horror feed the different brains but sometimes the mood begets the kind of horror needed at the time. also ofc, these are just my personal favorites, there are plenty more that i consider to be fantastic, good, amazing horror films, but y'know, personal bias

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Classic Slasher but also just a really good horror movie, the movie itself is nightmarish and creative, charismatic, and the protagonist is amazing in that she is smart, competent, and capable--while still remaining to be a teenage girl who is immensely scared. good gateway horror i think

Jacob's Ladder (1990) - Inspo for Silent Hill sure but another chaotic, nightmarish experience that is essentially a character study of a Vietnam War vet.

Possum (2018) - i LOVE this movie. I love this movie. it's slow and chock full of turn of the century german expressionism (it's a UK film) that really, really, really plays you as much as the main character is played. You know how people with real traumas get labeled as strange and weird and "They totally did it" just because of how they behave in society? This movie pulled me in to think that and then punched me in the face for thinking it.

From Beyond (1986) - I love all of Stuart Gordon's movies, you may know him best from Honey I Shrunk The Kids (yeah disney approached him idfk why). They're outrageous and chock full of practical effects with a dash of sex horror, but it feels like everyone is having a good time on set, they know each other, etc, and Barbara Crampton is spectacular in this and I call it my favorite.

Pulse (回路) (2001) - I won't say much about this but the magnifying glass it takes into the sicknesses of society that isolate us from each other is so heartfelt and sad. Kurosawa Kiyoshi is a powerhouse in Japanese Horror and is worth checking out. If you've seen and liked Se7en, for example, I recommend Cure (1997) for a similar detective crime horror experience.

Noroi: The Curse (ノロイ) (2005) - Found footage horror that made me scared to open my door in the middle of the fucking night. Jesus Christ! I think it has a cameo from Kurosawa Kiyoshi playing as himself, but it might've been another Shiraishi Kouji film that I'm thinking about.

Possession (1981) - This one really hits me in a way I can't describe in sophistication or words, it's viscerally emotional in that sense and really, really, really a soothing salve after experiencing fucked up sudden heartbreak, which is poignant because Żuławski made this film after his divorce.

Evil Dead (2013) - Ok I'm apparently a weirdo in that my favorite evil dead is the first one, the less-comedy/noncomedy one, but I'm putting 2013 on here because this -- for as violent as it is -- is a comfort film. I really love how they took the original Evil Dead formula and had its own story with it, I love Mia, I love the set-up that she's trying to kick heroin, and the gore is so nasty and mean but like. hey. it's Evil Dead.

Us (2019) - Yeah I have a feeling this will always be my favorite Peele movie, from the fantastical nature, the amazing soundtrack, the visuals, and from my first viewing experience - midnight viewing while working at my movie theater before it was officially out that i then had to drive myself and my coworker/roommate from and we saw a person walking down the street dressed in red at 2am. Incredible stuff. (also doppelganger horror gets me in a bad way)

The Blob (1988) - If the 50's Blob was nothing but a Red Scare movie, the '88 Blob is a reaction to that paranoia that skewers the notion that America is always on the good and right and small town teens are all treated equally and all that. Veneer of neighborhood smeared away in favor of wellmeaning teens bringing a homeless man to the hospital only to be met with the question "Does he have Blue Cross/Blue Shield?" Incredible effects, super fun, and i love that scathing turn of "This wasn't always right, actually"

[aelaer]

I'm probably clogging your inbox with this but, ✨💘🎈 for the ask game? :))

Never clogging! I wouldn't do the ask game stuff if I didn't enjoy replying to it :)

✨ What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

I've bemoaned in the past about how IronStrange fics get significantly more views/kudos compared to gen fics with the same characters, and that's the same story for my fics. The two fics marked "IronStrange" are at the top of my kudos/hits list (with the two crossovers rounding up the top 4), and I used to be a little bitter about that. I accept it better these days, though I do think folks who enjoy IronStrange should also toss more bones to writers who use the Stephen Strange & Tony Stark tag alone, and should rec gen fics in those collections, even if it's a separate category.

But because of this trend, it means that the work I'm most proud of, my Earth-197320 series, gets a lot less traffic than my IronStrange pieces. At this point, though, I am happy that there are still some out there who read gen fic. It'd be super awesome if it was more of a 50/50 split with Stephen fans, but that I have anything resembling an audience does make me luckier than some newer writers because the MCU is not as popular as it was in 2019, when I published a significant amount of my work and got my name out there. (I myself haven't read fanfic since February, so I need to get back into it. Part of why I haven't is that trying to find new gen fic starring Stephen is so difficult and discouraging).

💘 Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write?

Yes, but not in the MCU! I have a large collection of ollllld one-shots that I did as a teenager surrounding book!Aragorn from LOTR. They're still up on older archives, but rewriting them would be fun. I did a couple that are up on AO3, but my LOTR muse simply hasn't returned. And there are fics I'd like to get done for the MCU first.

🎈 Describe your style as a writer; is it fixed? Does it change?

This is a pretty difficult question if you really think about it. I ended up going down a rabbit hole and read this fascinating article about creative writing and style and tried to see where I fit into it.

I know I don't follow all the rules of concise writing, especially with use of adverbs, because I think "said wryly" is a justified use of an adverb if it can be read as straight-forward *or* wry. I'm not sure what an editor would do with my work if I presented it to them, but considering that Ready Player One and 50 Shades of Grey's terrible prose was published without issue, I'm not too fussed about my use of adverbs.

I really enjoy deep dives into the character's psyche, but I always write from a limited POV of usually one or two characters, so we get a limited view of the psyche in general, at least in one chapter. I'm not terribly fond of the omnipotent POV and only wrote it in a comedy, which used it quite well.

I will say it can change depending on the needs of the story, at least a bit. For instance, I usually have a limited third person POV, but I have written in first person and I've written third person omnipotent. I have some description to help set a scene, but scenery is not my forte and it's something I actively have to put my brain power towards to get it done. My most descriptive piece by far was the one from Sherlock's POV due to his very observant mind, and that was a pretty challenging piece.

The narrative of telling the story is a huge part of my writing, but I like to see character growth throughout it, if possible. It depends on the length of the piece.

I think that's enough rambling on this subject, hah.

[joestarbuckss]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

I don’t mind this question at all :)

Long answer under the cut!

Books:

The Hunger Games Series

The ACOTAR Series

For the Wolf + For the Throne

This is How You Lose the Time War

1984

The Fault In Our Stars

I read fanfic on AO3 about every day, it’s not often I read physical books

Looking at this list, the underlying theme for most of them is romance. I have a preference for fanfics because I can pick characters I already like and choose what I want to read. They have tags for anything and I can pick how long of a fic I wanna read. It’s just convenient and I can do it on my phone so I have reading content anywhere I go!

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Manga:

Toilet Bound Hanako Kun (this is the only manga set I fully own)

Danganronpa (not just the manga but the game and show too, I love it!!)

Steel Ball Run

Jojolion

Bungo Stray Dogs

Vanitas No Carte

Blue Period

idk if this counts but I read bl manhwa (ex Pearl Boy, Painter of the Night)

I haven’t read a whole lot of manga. Most of what I’ve read has been online. I have a few manga from BSD Beast, Danganronpa, CSM, etc. The only manga I have loved with an absolute passion is TBHK. I am in love with the story and art style so I had set out to collect all the books! I recently just got the last one I needed for my set :)

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Anime:

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Haikyuu

Bungo Stray Dogs

Chainsaw Man

Demon Slayer

Mob Psycho 100

Banana Fish

Cowboy Bebop

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Short Romance Animes give me LIFE (ex TONIKAWA, Horimiya, OHSHC, My Happy Marriage)

I have seen a lot of anime so it was very hard for me to not make this list longer. My all time favorite is JJBA. Honestly it has changed my life. It was the first anime I really got into and now everything is a jojo reference. Haikyuu, MP100, Saiki K and Cowboy Bebop are just easy shows to watch. They have good arcs and fun characters but don’t make we want to d!e (I’m looking at you JJK and CSM). Banana Fish is incredibly sad but I simply reject canon events and make my own truth. Actually I do this for just about every show with major character deaths lmao. All of my faves live, says me.

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Movies:

The Twilight Saga

Anything featuring Steve Carell (esp Get Smart)

Howl’s Moving Castle

The Hunger Games series

The Star Wars Saga

Harry Potter (4th and 7th are my faves)

The Labyrinth

If you take nothing else away from this list, PLEASE watch The Labyrinth! Teenage me had absolute brain rot of David Bowie and his grey leggings (who approved that costume lmao). It is just so fantastical. I wanted to be the goblin queen SO BAD. Anyways, read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and then go see the movie next month!!!

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TV Shows:

Criminal Minds

The Office

Pretty Little Liars

New Girl

Only Murders In The Building

Outer Banks

Any True Crime Shows

As far as shows go, I either love mindless comedy or crime shows. OMITB is a delightful mix of both.

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I hope this answers your question!! Feel free to message me with any questions, suggestions or even just to chat :)