#not you spider-verse soundtrack i would never say that about you spider-verse soundtrack

[vamprisms]

the music for those original sam raimi spider-man films is like. unparalleled

[rikiws]

GANG!

I have one of those silly little moot thingies!

(No pressure you don't have to do it if you don't wanna!)

But! What music you automatically assume your moots listen to😼😼

To me, I imagine you fw brent faiyaz or the arctic monkeys, maybe some Daniel Caesar

Dude how did you know that... I fw Daniel Caesar and Brent Faiyaz HEAVY dawg are you psychic 😨 (Kendrick and Don Toliver TOO THE ENTIRE DAMN. ALBUM SIGH... ALSO KESHI I like too many artists this yap won't end so let me just stop myself) I never really got into the Arctic Monkeys but I still think they're awesome musicians, even if the music doesn't hit for me that much personally

I love this game though thank you for this, forgive me if I get any of you guys horribly wrong I'm a terrible judge of character...also I really like to talk about music so best believe I'll be listing a few songs out and explaining them too, very sorry if its a lot to look at 😭

@sugariricookies : you first ofc. I'd say you'd be into something fresh, I don't want to say cutesy bc its not exactly that but close yk. Beabadoobee FOR SURE and New Jeans too. Glue Song - Beabadoobee : its very quiet coffeeshop meetcute with a ton of flowers involved ykyk Melting - Kali Uchis : honestly any song by her bc CMON. I think it matches what you're like really well, if you don't listen to her much How Sweet - New Jeans : can we bfr this song is so heart emoji and you're also very heart emoji are we making sense

@sungbyhoon : Idk bit I feel like you'd be into something a little darker...? Not maybe something like Alt or Grunge, actually maybe yes if its something like Cade Clair or something, but more like Cigarettes After Sex and Chase Atlantic. Also very chill but less upbeat and more mature sounding I'm so sorry if this makes no sense, Another thing I feel like you'd also judge songs not just on the melody but also the lyrics so: Sunsetz - Cigarettes After Sex : Any song by them man bc they're lyrics are basically always so 🙏🙏🙏 Heavenly - Cigarettes After Sex : "Tell me it's love, tell me it's real" MAN 😢😢 LET ME SEE YA MOVE! - Lumi Athena & Cade Clair : HEAR ME OUT HEAR ME OUT IT'S JUST REALLY GOOD OKAY I'M NOT PROJECTING (I might be)

@copyhanni : hey...😼😼 okay but you're giving me Chase Atlantic, The Weeknd, and Tory Lanez full stop. You'd be more chill but also upbeat?? but like less cute and more roadtrip-with-your-headphones-in-esque: Out of My Mood - brian mantra & gate 문 : I think indie would be up your alley too, esp brian mantra I love him sm Bloody Hands - brian mantra : another one, his songs don't have too much going on I think instrumentally and his tone is AWESOME it's just 🔥🔥 Swim - Chase Atlantic : need I say more the synth and drums are EVERYTHING.

@suneng : okay just because you said you like Sunflower I want to think that you really like Metro and Swae Lee (bc SAME.) Also these songs imo seem really nice to study to, and to me you come off as an academic in a way so I think this fits (STEM girlies 🙏): Too Many Nights - Metro Boomin, Future & Don Toliver : the bass the BASS god I love the bass SO MUCH. I remember being a trap hater when I was like 11 chat I was WRONG. I think you'd fw this honestly I'd say its pretty easy to like and super catchy and just very chill Love me Harder - WOODZ : this is a very bassy music selection I'm gonna be so embarrassed if you don't like bass 😭😭 but the guitar here was life changing I think you'd love this Link up - Metro Boomin, Don Toliver, wow there's a lot of people involved in this one hold up: Afrobeats/Raeggaeton I'm not very sure but its really good sigh...honestly I think any spider-verse soundtracks you'd probably love.

@stariikis : not sure what it is but imo you'd be into maybe something softer ykwim? Def have wave to earth on your playlist somewhere there has to be 👊👊 Kind of similar to riri I'd say something a little calmer ykyk: daisy. - wave to earth : such a good song wave to earth man GOODNESS. I think this is such a perfect song for the vibes you give off The Long Drive - tv room : okay tv room is a little eccentric with the hyperpop and everything but I think this is one of the tamer songs from him, much slower tempo than his usual ones but still super upbeat in a way An Art Gallery Could Never Be As Unique As You - mrld : long name alert 🚨🚨 jokes aside I think you'd be into songs with less synthetic instruments in it instead and this song is perfect for that

@nishiriki : okay I really had to squeeze out the brain juice for this one and its gonna be such a huge stretch but hear me out you sound like you like rap,,, maybe nothing too dark lyrics wise like JID but something sort of playful-ish... okay let me just get the songs out I think i'll make more sense then: Two Tens - Cordae & Anderson .Paak : see like something a little silly but still nice to listen to, like the kind of songs you'd play in the car with your friends, otw to some random place to hang out LOVE. - Kendrick Lamar : again, the entire damn album still has me in a chokehold to this day there's no way. This is def my favourite from them all though (and a huge obsession of mine rn) and I think it matches you really well PICK IT UP - Famous Dex & A$ap Rocky : I was obsessed with this like a few years ago and then that dance challenge came and I got obsessed again. I don't think I've ever seen so many interludes in just one song before and it's so well done like its so goofy oml, no but I'd think you'd be into rap that's a little more upbeat, less serious ykyk ++Blueberry Faygo honorable mention here

chat I may have yapped just a tiny bit...okay but I fs missed a few moots since I haven't interacted with them enough to justify the music they'd be into I think 😭 nah but if you want me to write you in too please let me know bc I'd be more than happy to :)

[ironcroft11]

Can you do an analysis of the Calling lyrics and how they link with Gwen's POV?

Sure! First of all: This song is the second credit song from Across the Spider-Verse. Chronologically it's the last song being played in Across the Spider-Verse. Calling is a confession, apology and a promise from Gwen to Miles. It only makes sense from Gwen's POV and ONLY after the events of the movie. (That's why it's the last song we hear)

♫ Just to save you, I'd give all of me (All of me, yeah) ♫ ♫ I can hear you screamin' out, callin' me (Callin' me) ♫ ♫ It's my fault, made you fall for me (Fall) ♫ ♫ So, to save you, I'd give my all (My all) ♫

This is basically Gwen saying that she would give everything she has in order to save Miles. Miles, as we know, is trapped in the wrong universe after the events of Across the Spider-Verse. Gwen builds a team to go and save him. She also says she can hear Miles calling. This is just metaphorically though. It basically means Gwen knows that Miles is dependent on her help. This part also shows that Gwen blames herself for what happened and that she is aware that Miles did indeed fall in love with her. That's the reason why she will risk it all to save him.

♫ You fell for me, I count on you when times are tough ♫ ♫ Instead of holdin' you down, I should lift you up ♫ ♫ It hurts me when you start to see my flaws (my flaws) ♫ ♫ But just to save you, I'd risk it all (all) ♫ ♫ Short on time for you, I'd never have enough (have enough) ♫ ♫ When I ran into ya, I didn't plan on fallin' in love ♫ ♫ Always there to wipe your tears, I hate to see you cry ♫ ♫ If you tell me to jump, I'll ask you: How high? ♫ ♫ I know sometimes it be hard for me to tell the truth(tell the truth) ♫ ♫ But I go through any obstacle to get to you (to you) ♫ ♫ I'm not materialistic, but I got a thing for you ♫ ♫ Treat the world like my guitar, I'm pullin' strings for you ♫

This is the interesting part. It starts of with Gwen, again, acknowledging that Miles fell in love with her. It also shows that Gwen counts on Miles when times are tough. We can see that in the movie. Miles is her beacon of light. When she is struggling or feeling sad she looks at the picture of her and Miles. A memory that always brightens her mood. Gwen says it hurts her when Miles starts to see her flaws. This one is self explainatory. Gwen has flaws and they are on full display in Across the Spider-Verse. Some of these flaws are the reason why Miles gets hurt. But Gwen again reiterates that she will risk everything to save Miles. It's her number one priority. She then says she is short on time but that for Miles she'd never have enough, meaning that no amount of time she spents with Miles would feel enough. She wants to spend ALL her time with Miles. Then she says that she didn't plan on falling in love with Miles when she first met him, but she did anyway. This is the confession part of the song. Gwen confesses that she fell in love with Miles. The next two lines basically say that Gwen can't bear to see Miles sad and that she'll always be there to cheer him up. It also says that she trusts him BLINDLY. We then get the part where she talks about the fact that she lied to him. She acknowledges that but again reiterates that nothing can and will stop her from getting to him. We can see that in the movie when she goes to see Miles despite being forbidden to and despite the fact it would endanger the multiverse. This can also be connected to her current mission. Nothing will stop her from reaching and saving Miles. The last two lines are Gwen, again, stating that she has feelings for Miles and that she will do everything to save him. The rest of the song is kind of irrelevant. This is the main part that's from Gwen's POV. It's my favorite song from the soundtrack and I love how it fits PERFECTLY with what happens in the movie.

[bananaballs21]

soft asks to get to know people

what song makes you feel better?

what’s your feel-good movie?

what’s your favorite candle scent?

what flower would you like to be given?

who do you feel most you around?

say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

what color brings you peace?

tag someone (or multiple people) who make you feel good. 

what calms you down?

what’s something you’re excited for?

what’s your ideal date?

how are you?

what’s your comfort food?

favorite feel-good show?

for every emoji you get, tag someone and describe them in one word.

compliment the person who sent you this number.

fairy lights or LED lights?

do you still love stuffed animals?

most important thing in your life?

what do you want most in the world right now?

if you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

what would you say to your future self?

favorite piece of clothing?

what’s something you do to de-stress?

what’s the best personal gift someone could give you (playlist, homemade card, etc.)

what movie would you want to live in?

which character would you want to be?

hugs or hand-holding?

morning, afternoon or night?

what reminds you of home (doesn’t have to mean house… just things that remind you of the feeling of home)?

Hot to go by chappel roan!

Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse

Mmmmmm yes

LILY FLOWERS

My tumblr mutuals :3!!!

I love the way my smile is! I love my eyes! I love the color of my hair! I love my friends! I love my happiness! I love my life in general

Blue!!!

@themostfangtastic @yeeravioli @heyoitseragon @heyoitsangelo @cecildoesthings @c-h-a-o-t-i-c-u-s @mapsareforbraindeads (my homies for life!!)

The musical “In the Heights” (it’s my comfort musical)

THAT I AM GOING TO ON A VACATION TO AN IMPORTANT PLACE SOON and I’m going to leave a new language

Going to watch a movie and then dinner!

I just cried but I feel relax now lol.

There is a really good Mexican place in my hometown (that my friend worked in) that’s my favorite comfort food!

THE OWL HOUSE!!

I have no idea about this but I guess I could do my Friends that I already tag LOL!!!! Ricky : CAT! @yeeravioli : vampggot, Cecil :relations, Autumn :Spice, Nico :immigrant^2, @mapsareforbraindeads : Luz

YOU ARE SO AWSOME SAUCE!!!

LED LIGHTS

YES YES YES! When I’m going to vacation I’m going to buy more

GOD🙏

Book :3

Everything will turn out okay

I hope we never give up :)

MY FREDDY FAGBEAR SOCKS

I listen to the in the heights soundtrack

Someone made fan art of one my ocs!!!

SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE! I WANNA BE SPIDER-MAN AND AHHH

Hmmm I don’t know! Spider-Man:3

HAND HOLDING! ACTUALKY BOTH!!!

afternoon

Feeling clean :)

[night-city-valentines]

Hi-Fi Rush Review

I knew nothing about this game prior to its release, other than two things - people said it was similar to Jet Set Radio Future, and it was coming to Game Pass.

I've never played JSRF (but I've always wanted to) and I have Game Pass, so I downloaded and booted it up.

I was hooked from the start.

Hi-Fi Rush is an action-rythym game, with platforming, puzzle, and collect-a-thon elements set on the futuristic island owned by the Vandalay Corporation - a robotics company, currently giving out replacement limbs as part of their 'Project Armstrong'. Our protagonist, Chai, signs up for a replacement arm, but a mishap with his legally-distinct-from-an-iPod MP3 player ending up where his heart should be makes him perceive the world to the beat of his rock music. It also makes him Vandalay's Number One Target, as they label him a defect to be destroyed.

This all happens in the opening cutscene.

The game is gorgeous, going for an animation style similar to Spider-Verse, with the visuals being incredibly comic-like. The anime inspiration is also clear, with all the panicked and OTT movements of Chai as he scraps his way out of trouble. Along the way, you run into a host of other characters, such as a robot cat named 808, a badass hacker called Peppermint, a gentle giant called Macaron, and a therapist robot named CNMN (Cinnamon). And they aren't just supporting characters in the narrative sense, they also help you out in gameplay too (well, not CNMN, but what can ya do). Peppermint can crack through energy barriers with her laser pistols, Macaron can bust through walls and knock heavy objects into place, and 808 serves as an understated beat-counter, their lights pulsing along to the beat of the song that's playing.

808 isn't the only musical gameplay indicator, though. The entire world moves with the soundtrack, not just to the beat, but adding flair to the current track, like platforms rapidly shifting, and certain puzzles following their own beat. Even the combat has rythym to it; security lasers with unique timings, having to attack, dodge, and jump on-beat to do more damage and build your score multiplier, and parriable mini-boss moves that let you get a 1-hit KO. Chai's weapon of choice is a guitar made from scrap, and every hit, combo, and parry comes with a musical element.

The story is a fairly standard fare - Chai wants to GTFO, but he can't until he helps Peppermint take down Vandalay. Full disclosure, I haven't finished the game yet (I'm about halfway done), but what I have played I have adored. The game is packed to the brim with charm too. Chai is a quippy slacker, way in over his head, but loving every minute of his adventure. Peppermint is hot-headed, but bounces off of Chai well, and puts him in his place. The 6 bosses of Vandalay are all wonderful too, from the aggressive Southern wrestler-type Rekka, to the obviously JJBA-inspired Zanzo. Like many games nowadays, Hi-Fi's characters like to make meta-jokes, and while I am tired of that as a concept, in Hi-Fi it's sparing enough that I don't hate it (unlike a certain OTHER Game Pass game that also starts with an 'H').

And the soundtrack, oh MAN the soundtrack. It goes hard. There isn't much more I can say! It features both original and licensed music, but the originals are so freakin good I can barely tell the difference. Obviously if you aren't that into rock music, you won't like it, but that's a matter of preference.

With regards to what I DON'T like, I found the part that teaches you about parrying to be way too obstructive. Like, the otherwise fast-paced game screeches to a halt to teach you about this new mechanic, rather than all the other tutorial segments, which are over really quickly. I also find it hard to stay on-beat, even with the optional big on-screen indicator. This may be a problem with my controller, but more often than not I would hit the buttons in time with the beat, but only like 2 out of a 4 hit combo would be on time, which massively brings down your score, which sucks. Also, some of the combos just...don't work? Like I don't know if I really am doing them wrong, but I do the input, and no special move happens. That sucks too. Also I would have preferred to be given the choice to play as Peppermint over Chai but that's just me being nit-picky, let's be honest.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this game so far. I would definitely recommend trying it out if you have Game Pass, and I'd say it's worth the £30 price tag IF you like the music used. Even then, the gameplay is fun enough that you could mute the music and play to the beat on-screen if you just want a fun hack-and-slash adventure. The game is available on Steam, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S.

Hi-Fi Rush - 9/10

Pros:

- Great soundtrack

- Fun and addictive gameplay

- Wonderful characters and humour

Cons:

- Timings can be a bit wack

- The parry tutorial suuuuuucks

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: ENTERGALACTIC

or How to Stop Worrying & Make the Vibe Count

I always confuse Kid Cudi and Kid Fury from The Read podcast like on god, people need to get more crazy with stage names. This year marks rapper Kid Cudi's 8th studio album Entergalactic and he decided to produce a whole movie centered around it; something Gorillaz somehow hasn't done yet which baffles me. It was intended as a series, but they were smart enough to just compile all the chapters into a film which definitely worked. With that said, and the fact that upfront this looks beautiful, was this just a poor excuse to hustle a soundtrack? Well, if I know anything about the hustle,

Cudi spared no expense because this felt phenomenal

Initial visuals, designs and movement really showed that they were going for the style of Into the Spider-verse and they undoubtedly succeeded. Said this before, if Spider-verse was the gold medal, this is the victory lap and I'm so glad more features are really pushing against the whole realism era before to make the look and flow feel "less real" but more alive creatively. It still takes some getting used when the characters look like they're buffering with the frame rate, but when they flex it really pops off. There are even surprises within this film that I dare not spoil. Visuals alone, I seriously recommend watching this as High-Def as possible. If this was just a 90 minute music video, I would still watch it.

You can tell the artists got to pop off however possible

As you should know though, visuals aren't everything in film, so is there a story? Well, people keep saying this is When Harry Met Sally for black people but I never watched that movie. I just know that it's a simple romance about two stoner artists that fall in love and wonder if it's meant to be. When I say simple, I mean it because this is admittedly safe and predictable. Not bad, but I'm not a fan of the 2nd act monkeywrench that happens, especially when you can see it coming and I feel more focus could've been on our couple balancing love and careers as opposed to abruptly killing the vibe with asinine drama. And that's what this film is: such a Vibe. Everyone is mature, chill in discussing their matters, and even when problems arise, they don't make it such a big deal. The loudest things get is in the first third when our MCs are partying hard to celebrate their newfound successes. Otherwise, the film is all for a soft, intimate, relaxed tone that matches Cudi's R&B. What matters most is that you see what our MCs Jabari and Meadow of the movie see in each other and in the well-characterized New York they live in, and I can't hate this effective love story that personally resonated to me as a Black American.

Everything felt unified in making this feel beautiful

Now, word from the bathroom is that Kid Cudi is looking to (semi-)retire from music after Entergalactic to invest in projects like this film. Given what I've heard before, this year, I wouldn't exactly blame him. I would gladly see more styled features from this dude, this movie proved he can work out more than just music. I don't just want more stylized animations, I want more diverse talent flexing in more than just essentialist themes. Again, this isn't complex plotwise but the music, animation, and characterization make this matter more than I expected. If Netflix and Cudi are looking to make more of this, I'm all for it.

4 Out Of 5; A Cosmically Chill & Stoner Spirited Movie

[sevlawless]

HELP me fucken too! what kind of facts do u want tho bc as u know she is in like 6 different universes LMFAOKSKSJSNNSKS

I would say all of them but that would be a lot to write djjdjdrjdj. /lh 😂

For Infamous and for When Twilight Strikes pls. I'm so curious. 👀👀

I also love the fact that arabella just transcends universes. Shes probably competing with Miles Morales at this point. Miles is meeting all the people with spider powers and the there's arabella who is collecting all the ROs like pokemon throughout the different universes left right and centre. /lh😭

I was wondering is arabella Brazilian? I would love to know more about her background and her upbringing in whatever universe you prefer. 🥰

i wrote too much anyways but what else is new LMFAO! it's under the cut <3

for infamous:

- absolute movie buff, loves watching movies and listening to movie soundtracks! she thinks if a movie doesn't have a perfect soundtrack/score then the whole movie is gonna be off LMFAO one of her goals career wise is to write a song for a movie if not write a whole soundtrack for one

- this is more of a dead apple fact than specifically an arabella one but it makes me CRAZY so on any album/ep they put out she always put the most devastating personal shit you've ever heard song as track seven 🤩 bc she's petty i guess but also who else is the song gonna be about LMFAO

for when twilight strikes:

- owns a motorcycle !! i imagine she loves to take arden out for rides all the time (also in every universe arabella just loves driving i've come to realize) and hopefully gets to take rylan out for drives soon <3

the wts brainrot isn't as severe as infamous but that just means i need to play more methinks!

ALSO NOT MILESJSJDBDBDJDKDK i love a spiderverse reference ur SO real for saying that <3 arabellaverse is something that can be SO personal but it's so fun to put her in everything! it feels kinda like she's an actress and she's just bagging all these different roles 🤩

arabella is brazilian yes! in her like . ig just normal oc verse with no if or game she was raised by her dad and has 4 older brothers poor girl LMAO also bc she can't be arabella without mommy issues her mom was just never there in her life, and she does make attempts to reenter it but arabella can hold a grudge forever so she'll never have a proper relationship with her mom </3

also she is fluent in portuguese! she only rlly speaks it when she's with her family tho

[itsmyara]

Hi Hi! I wanted to ask you about Machi's character song ! I think it has some romantic undertone for Chrollo. What do you think about it ?

Hello~ Sure! It's about this verse, right?

Even if there is a name for this emotion,

I am the limbs, and you are the head, right? Forevermore.

It's definitely about her feelings towards Chrollo, and how she thinks their roles make it impossible for him to reciprocate because she's bellow him in the hierarchy, so she probably just avoid thinking about it.

The song was composed by the same musician who composed the 2011 anime soundtrack but I wouldn't consider it canon. Still, it's a good song, fits her well and about this romantic part... Well, I like it 👀

It's not my OTP but I really like KuroMachi, and it being one-sided actually makes sense to me. I can't really see Chrollo being romantic and reciprocating her or anyone's feelings tbh. And here I'm talking specifically about romantic feelings, so I would say he can be with someone and have feelings, just not exactly romantic love. He's way too invested in the Spider and I think nothing would ever be more important to him than it.

As for Machi, I can see her as someone who have feelings for him since she was a young girl, kinda like a first love that never went away and now is mixed with admiration and loyalty and even gratefulness because the PT gave her meaning, you know? And he gave her life meaning. So yeah, it's probably hard to name this feeling, and she accepts the fact that it's one-sided.

[mrawkweird]

Absolutely nothing but SPOILERS for No Way Home. No Way Home but Yes Way SPOILERS and a whoooooole lot of talking about the amazingly spectacular Spider-Man..

Ever since they announced that Tom Holland was going to be their Spider-Man for the MCU I had a thought bouncing around in my mind that with the world now having 3 live action Spider-Men MAYBE there could be a chance at Shattered Dimensions. I know there was the animated series but that game was my first experience with anything Spider-Verse related. I had really loved the idea of bringing multiple versions of the character together and it was something my heart wanted so much to see in live action but could never actually see people willing to make it happen.

I had dreamed a dream and thankfully lived long enough to see it come true. If it wasn’t for the success of Into The Spider-Verse this shit probably would have remained a dream. Speaking of, some people better quit playing and put some RESPEK on that film as well.

I cried. For various reasons.

I cried for Aunt May, I cried for finally hearing “With great power comes great responsibility” in this universe, I cried for Garfield getting his redemption, I cried for the soundtrack..

I cried for finally getting to see MY Spider-Man again for the first time in 14 years because for the longest time this is honestly all I had ever wanted. Him and the world Sam Raimi helped bring to life are responsible for me being the Spider-Man fan that I am today. Spider-Man 3 included. Those films are a huge portion of my childhood right there. Had me wanting to web swing out of the theater.

However, just because Maguire is the definitive Spider-Man/Peter Parker for me doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what others bring to the table so long as the heart and soul of the character remains true.

While admittedly it was a rough start I managed to gain an appreciation for Andrew Garfield’s take as Spider-Man through the years. Eyes that were once clouded with resentment for how Raimi’s universe got thrown out the door has slowly but surely begun to see the value that Garfield’s interpretation brings. I’m glad he really got to shine in No Way Home because the world has not been too kind to his time as Spider-Man. Myself included. I can honestly say after this film, however, that I think I may actually love his Spider-Man. Shit, as the hashtag has been going around, make The Amazing Spider-Man 3.

And then there’s Tom Holland who in this movie is finally set on the path to truly earn his stripes, well, webs.

There’s always been glimpses of the Spider-Man that I’m familiar with, the Peter Parker that I recognize. Glimpses of what would resemble a Spider-Man story that would always get overshadowed by at best what I can describe as “MCU’ness”. It would feel like they’d get in their own way to curve him from being who this character is. At least in my mind. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to take a different approach from the rest and there were things I actually enjoyed in the films prior but people were losing the plot and that came to a head in Far From Home. And it had nothing to do with the teenage aspect of the films because that didn’t hinder a damn thing in The Spectacular Spider-Man.

I've had issues fully investing in this universe’s take on Peter because it was as if they took away the significance of his origins and in doing so took away the key aspects that made him that inspirational hero but No Way Home ultimately said that we were watching the origins all along.

(And I see some people wanna be all “Well, you nostalgia blind haters should have been more patient because y’all got the story you wanted” like, bitch; the script went through multiple changes. None of this was a guarantee and people out here were already satisfied with whatever Iron Man origin they gave them. Turn the caps lock off. It ain’t “nostalgia” to want the character to be the character. Best thing I can think of to compare it to is imagine Bruce Wayne/Batman, a character shaped by trauma, not really being effected by the death of his parents. In fact it’s treated as if they weren’t even really that important to him. Is that still Bruce Wayne’s Batman to you?)

Instead of it being an Uncle Ben that tipped that scale for Peter it was an Aunt May.

For the past several films Uncle Ben’s importance appeared to be stripped away in favor of creating a tighter relationship between Peter and Stark only for that importance to end up actually placed within Aunt May. Someone who is honestly the only person that should be allowed to take the place of Uncle Ben if it were to be taken. My only wish is that we got more of the Aunt May that we got here in the previous films.

In the end May Parker was the spark and in that instance..

No Way Home is the birth of Spider-Man.

It’s funny because one shouldn’t want to see a character they love struggling but to face hardships and still push through to do what’s right even if it forsakes their own happiness is what makes this character so inspirational. Not just the symbol that is Spider-Man but the man behind the mask, Peter Parker, as well. I love how even his theme by the end of the film fully evolves along with his own character growth. It’s no longer just this theme of childlike adventure and wonderment but you can now hear the need to be something greater in it. You can now hear the sacrifice and the responsibility in the theme. The stars aligned for us to finally see the Iron-Boy become the Spider-Man.

Not to mention I am in love with how they’re treating his spider-sense now. Just the way it worked in that apartment scene was amazing and intense because you know there’s danger but with no idea when it was gonna leap out at you and like Peter you’re trying to prepare yourself for it. That shit was crazy and executed beautifully. It’s the moment you know everything is about to change.

Also, it’s honestly insane when you really think about the fact that Willem Dafoe has christened 2 Peter Parkers into officially becoming Spider-Man generations apart with his portrayal of Green Goblin. This full blown menace looked a universe splitting wizard in his face and said “I’mma blow his ass up too!”. Shit, Dafoe’s Goblin would have pulled up on Thanos for a 1V1 win or lose and no one can convince me otherwise.

A performance so nice they did it twice. Hell, a performance so nice people are saying that he managed to even top himself. That’s truly an amazing feat in it’s own right.

At the end of the day it was a truly surreal experience just getting to watch this film and that night is a memory I’m going to hold with me fondly for as long as I live. There’s certain experiences you wouldn’t mind reliving for the first time again and again and this is one of them. For me No Way Home marked the first time I truly felt the soul of Spider-Man in the MCU and in that final swing for brief moment I felt hope. Hope for this incarnation of Spider-Man and hope for their world and that’s why this movie made me emotional. The story of Spider-Man when its heart and soul is on full display will always make me emotional. It may not be perfect in some people’s eyes but for me I loved the hell out of it. Movie’s got me so high I can hear heaven.

Damn if they didn’t invite Tom Hardy into the club just to jump him for his Jordan’s and then kick him out tho.

[brelione]

Action Figures (Rafe,Kelce,Topper X Reader)

Warnings:Mentions of bulimia,cringy,kind of bad.

Takes place a few days after this

Series Masterlist

When you texted the group chat saying that you needed to go to Walmart,asking if anyone wanted to go with you your phone rang.Rafe had called you on Facetime,telling you that he was on his way with Topper and Kelce from the golf course. “HEY HOE!”Kelce shouted,trying to see you from behind Rafe.Rafe rolled his eyes as Kelce took his phone,getting into the truck. “Why do you have to go to Walmart?”Kelce asked,still holding Rafe’s phone. “Chocolate chips,hot sauce and nutella for toast.”You answered,sliding on your shoes.Kelce frowned,leaning closer to the phone. “Why cant I see your face?”He asked.

You rolled your eyes,glancing at the screen. “Because I don't like my face.”You answered.He pouted,eyebrows furrowed. “But I like your face-this is face time!You can see me and I cant see you and this is bullshit.”He grumbled.You lifted your phone so he could see your face,a lazy grin spreading across your features.He was quick to screen shot,giggling. “I hate you.”You mumbled before hanging up. “Give me my phone back!”Rafe exclaimed,reaching into the backseat and holding out his hand.You pulled on Rafe’s yellow shirt that he had left at your house,trying the excess fabric into a knot.

You heard a beep,jogging down your stairs,grabbing your mini back pack and putting your phone in your pocket before walking out of the house and locking your door.Topper got out of the front seat,keeping the truck door open for you.You grinned up at him,he blushed before closing the door for you. “Oof,your truck smells like weed.”You grumbled.Rafe chuckled,backing out of the driveway. “Sorry,sunshine.”He mumbled,rolling down the windows so you wouldn't have to smell the stench.

He gave you a second glance,smirking to himself when he saw what you were wearing. “Thats my shirt.”He spoke,poking at the fabric.You nodded,humming as you took out your phone.Kelce kept poking the back of your neck from the backseat until you turned around to look at him. “Can I help you?”You asked.He reached out his finger,poking the tip of your nose.You swatted his hand away,flicking his forehead. “Hi.”You grinned.He chuckled,messing up your hair.You hooked up your phone to the radio,playing the descendants two soundtrack. 

“Play the third one!”Kelce exclaimed.You laughed,sliding down in your seat so he couldn't poke you again.When Rafe pulled into the Walmart parking lot the four of you got out,Rafe somehow managing to get you on his back.You held onto his shoulders as he jogged into the store,Topper grabbing a cart.You and Rafe went to the snack isle while Kelce and Topper went to go look at the movies.Things had been awkward between you and Topper since Saturday afternoon in the guest room.You tried to ignore the strange feeling from within you whenever you looked at him.

Rafe had his hand on your shoulder almost like a leash so he wouldn't lose you.Unfortunately nothing that you needed was in that isle,moving on to the one next to it.Rafe grabbed a jar of nutella and a loaf of bread when he saw it,making sure it was the type of bread you liked before tucking it under his arm.He held them both as you hunted for chocolate chips in the baking isle.Kelce sprinted past the isle,giggling to himself but turning around when he realised he had went past you.He grinned,standing in front of you and holding something behind his back. “What?”You asked.He grinned,holding out a Captain America action figure. “I know its not Bucky but its close enough-come to the toy isle with me!”He exclaimed,starting to jog but stopping when he noticed that you were simply walking.He grumbled something before throwing you over his shoulder and carrying you to the toy section.He put you down in front of the shelves of avengers action figures,legos and toy weapons.

He watched as your eyes scanned over the toys,your hand reaching out to smack his arm in excitement as you grabbed a plastic box that contained the one and only Spider Gwen. “Look-they have Spider Gwen!”You exclaimed,holding up the action figure.He grinned at your excitement,not knowing who you were talking about but glad it made you so happy. “Oh wait,you haven't seen Spider Verse….its fine we’ll just watch it later.”You spoke quickly,still looking at all the toys.Your phone dinged,making you take it from your pocket to check the notification.Rafe had texted you,asking where you were and if you had all left without him.

Isle 14 looking at action figur3s

You heard the loud slap of sneakers against tile,Rafe coming into view with bread,nutella and a bag of chocolate chips in his hand. “I found them.”he grinned,shaking the bag. “Did bottom die?”You asked,remembering the blonde.You looked back down at your phone,scrolling through to find Bitchy Bottom Ass Ho.You typed,asking where he was.

Im literally in the isle next to u tf

You giggled,going to find the boy.He was holding a few boxes of cake mix along with a pillow pet under his arm. “Loser.”You nodded. “Hoe.”He grinned,following you to the other isle with Rafe and Kelce. “We got everything?”Rafe asked.Kelce shook his head. “No,no I gotta go look at socks.”He answered,tossing a few action figures into the cart that Topper had stolen from them.You decided to go with Kelce,not sure what Topper and Rafe were doing. “Why do you need socks?”You asked,slipping under his arm.He smiled,biting his lip. 

“I wanna see if they have any disney socks.”He answered.You tugged at his arm,dragging him to the women’s section. “Our shirts might fuckin suck and the jeans might make everyone insecure because of terrible sizing but us ladies do have some brilliant socks.”You smiled,showing him the shelf of socks.He smiled,looking at all of them. “Wait-are those ariel socks?”he asked.You handed him the largest pair,watching him get excited. “Oh hell yeah,they don't have Olaf socks though.”He sighed. “Yeah,but Amazon does.”You grabbed a pair of Winnie The Pooh socks for yourself,looking for any marvel socks. 

“Can we watch Frozen later?”He asked,grabbing your hand again just because he enjoyed the feeling.You nodded,asking if he wanted to go to the book isle with you.He said yes,of course.He would take any chance to hang out with you alone.He could never let that slip to the boys,though.He didn't want to cause conflict in the group,he knew about Rafe’s pretty obvious crush on you and knew better than to turn things into a love triangle.He had seen plenty of movies to know how that would end.You felt strong arms lock around your waist,scaring you.You looked up,seeing Topper with a grin on his face. “And you did this for why?”You asked,the boy kissing your forehead and letting you go.The four of you went to self check out,Rafe deciding to buy like ten packs of gum.A worker checked your receipt,trying to ignore the fact that a group of grown men and an adult woman had just purchased action figures and disney socks.

You ended up in the backseat with Topper,showing him the Spider Gwen action figure. “Swear to god she’s like the baddest bitch ever and I love her so much.”You grinned,taking a picture of the box.Kelce leaned on the arm rest,looking back at you. “I thought that was Natasha?”He grinned.You sighed,putting the action figure away. “There can be multiple baddest bitches.”You told him before asking for the aux cord so you could play The Little Mermaid soundtrack. “After this can you play Lion King?”Topper asked.You smiled,biting your lip. “Yeah,ok,Taka.”You giggled.His face dropped,glaring over at you.He stuck his tongue out,whining.

Rafe chuckled. “You kids behave back there or im taking away your disney movies.”He smirked.You leaned forward,fighting against your seatbelt so you could lean your elbows on the arm wrest. “Rafe,why are you so bad at driving?”You asked.He scoffed,putting his elbow on top of your head as he turned around a corner. “Oh,as if you didn't run over a traffic cone.”He huffed.You pulled his arm away,biting his skin lightly. “Did you just bite me?”He asked.You grinned as he pulled over,unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to look at you. “(Y/N),I will make you get out of my truck.Don't test me.”He spoke sternly,trying not to grin. “Do it,bitch.”You smirked.

He looked outside the window,checking to see if anyone was around before getting out of the truck and opening the door to the backseat.He reached across you lap,unclicking your seatbelt.Topper grabbed your thigh,trying to help you but it wasn't helpful seeing as though Rafe had his arms around your waist,dragging you out of the truck.Topper was laughing,video recording. “Im a good driver-I swear I am.Im gonna drive you to insanity.”Rafe chuckled,poking you repeatedly and holding you to his chest.You tried walking backwards,eventually getting him to stumble.You took the chance to get him on the ground completely,sitting on top of his chest. “YOU HAVE BEEN DEFEATED!”You exclaimed,smacking his shoulder lightly.He smirked before rolling himself over,knocking you into the grass with his knees on either side of your hips. “Yeah?Im defeated?Am I really?”He smiled.

You glared up at him,sliding out from under him. “Yeah.”You answered,standing up and holding out your hand to him.He declined the offer,standing up and trying to brush the dirt off of his expensive pants.You sighed,getting back in the truck to see Kelce looking at you with a goofy grin. “You know what,Kelce?Shut up.”You flicked the tip of his nose.He bit his lip,chuckling before turning back around.Topper rolled his eyes,looking at his phone and texting someone.Your eyebrows furrowed at his expression,scooting across the leather seat to see what he was doing but he pulled his phone to his chest.

 “What’s going on with you,Top?”You asked.He put his phone in his shirt pocket,looking away from you. “Nothing,(Y/N).”He answered.You huffed,moving back to your seat as Rafe began to drive again. “Can we get McDonalds?”Kelce asked.Rafe ignored him,still driving.You pouted,leaning forward. “Rafe?”You called out to him.He raised his eyebrows,looking up at you from the mirror so you knew he was listening. “Can we get McDonalds?”You asked.He nodded,turning down a different street opposed to the one that would lead directly to yours.Kelce rolled his eyes,glancing over at you and raising your eyebrows.

You leaned back in your seat,suddenly feeling kind of nauseous.This would happen every once in a while when you would forget to take your vitamins,sometimes you were too lazy to take the handful of pills and would instead just hold an icepack to the back of your neck for a while until you felt okay again.You must've looked like shit,Topper reaching a hand across to feel your forehead. “Are you feeling sick?”He whispered to you,his demeanor changing as he moved your hair off your shoulders,rubbing your back lightly. “Im fine,just forgot to take my vitamins.”You answered,enjoying his touch.It was helping with the nausea,you didn't really know why.Topper frowned,his hand moving back to your head and rubbing your scalp lightly.

 “When was the last time you ate?”He asked.You shrugged,breathing through your nose and humming quietly because you had learned that if you hummed for long enough you wouldnt vomit. “Rafe,can you hurry up please?”Topper sounded anxious.You didnt know why he was acting so dramatic,he had seen you much worse before. “Why?What’s going on back there?”Rafe asked,now sounding just as anxious as Topper. “She forgot to take her vitamins,not looking too good.”Topper said quickly,urging the tall boy to drive faster.

You sighed,eyes still closed. “Im fine,guys.”You grumbled,feeling their glares. “What about breakfast?”Kelce asked.You imagined that he looked like an angry,concerned grandfather.You shook your head,making him frown. “How many times have I told you that i’ll come over to make you breakfast when you don't feel like it?Gosh,dammit.”He sighed.You felt the truck swerve slightly,Rafe rolling his window down and asking you what you wanted.You just shrugged,not wanting to accidentally vomit. “Get her a burger for iron...maybe two,fries,apple slices.Just order her a cheeseburger happy meal and a McFlurry.”Kelce told him quickly.

You weren't paying attention but heard the sound of a paper bag crumpling,being passe into the back seat along with a red happy meal box.Topper took his hand away from your head,pressing the side of a cold McFlurry cup to it instead.You took it from him,holding the cold cup between your thighs and looking down at the vanilla icecream that was changing colors from the obnoxious amount of m and ms.Topper opened the happy meal box,checking to make sure they got everything right.He peeled back the yellow paper that protected the burger,handing it to you.

You sighed softly,raising the sandwich to your mouth with slightly shaking hands.After a couple of bites you already felt better,finishing it when Rafe pulled into your driveway.The doors opened,you unbuckled your seatbelt and Kelce insisted on carrying you on his back.He put the pin into the key pad,knowing the combination for emergencies.He set you down in the living room,letting you sit on the couch.Rafe handed you your icecream,Topper giving you the Happy Meal box that now only contained a small box of fries,a small bag of apple slices and a toy for children.

Rafe set down all the Walmart bags,offering you the jar of nutella so you could dip your apple slices in the chocolatey goodness.Kelce handed you the TV remote so you could turn on the movie that you had told him about earlier. “Its animated?”He asked.You nodded,opening the nutella jar. “Yeah,it is.Its good though.”You answered,dipping an apple slice.Rafe noticed you hadnt touched your icecream before realizing he hadnt given you the spoon.The three boys had ordered sixteen cheeseburgers for themselves along with a ten piece chicken nugget and four orders of large fries. “Shit-fuck,you still need to take your vitamins.”Kelce got up and jogged to your kitchen,grabbing you the palm full of small pills,getting down on one knee and holding them out to you.

 “Your majesty.”You rolled your eyes,taking the pills and pouring them into your mouth,swallowing them dry.Rafe shook his head in disapproval,handing you his mountain dew.You took a couple of sips until the lump in your throat had been washed down,handing the cup back to him.You only got through half of your fries before you felt full,putting the box down on the table and seeing the melting rainbow monstrosity of icecream. “Does anyone want this?”You asked,holding up the icecream. “You do.”Topper answered,biting into another cheeseburger and getting mustard on the side of his mouth.You gave him a dirty look,putting the cup down.Kelce put his arm around you,going to whisper in your ear. “Are you full or are you just stressed about the icecream?”He asked.

You shrugged,watching as his hand traced figure eights along your kneecap. “Okay,well try to get like halfway through,can you do that?”He asked.You nodded,grabbing the cup again.Kelce lifted his arm up so you could lean against his lap,his arm now resting on your stomach as the two of you watched the tv.You hadnt eaten icecream since sophomore year and everytime you had eaten it it would come back up and into your toilet right after.You missed it though,maybe Kelce knew that and thats why he had ordered it for you.You got some of the colorful dessert on your spoon,letting it melt in your mouth.

Out of the corner of your eye you could see the big grins on Rafe and Topper’s faces,proud of you. “That guy doesnt look like Tom Holland.”Topper pointed to the OG Peter Parker of the Spiderverse universe. “Ok,well neither do you.”Kelce fought back.Rafe grinned. “I mean,I kinda look like him.”He shrugged.You shook your head,your spoon hanging from your mouth. “Bullshit-SHUT UP!MILES IS COMING UP!”You exclaimed as Sunflower started playing.Rafe smiled at your excitement,unwrapping another burger. “Where’s the blonde girl?Uh...Spider Gwen?”Kelce asked.You flicked his chest,rolling your eyes. “It just started,just wait.”You answered.As Miles walked into class,sitting next to Gwen you ggigled. “THERE SHE IS!THERES MY QUEEN!”You exclaimed,pointing to her.

@sexytholland @28cnn  @popcrone818 @fttayla @cherryobx @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @drewstarkeyobx @poguestyleskye @judayyyw @jjtheangel @copper-boom 

@sunwardsss @outerbongs  @httpstarkey  @teenwaywardasgardian  @imagines-07​  

If you’d like to be tagged in all future JJ imagines/headcannons/series comment with a heart,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Pope imagines/headcannons/series comment with a smiling face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Rafe imagines/headcannons/series comment with a frowning face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Kiara imagines/headcannons/series comment with a question mark and if you’d like to be tagged in all future Sarah Cameron imagines/headcannons/series comment with a plus sign.Or if thats too complicated you can just comment whose name you’d like to be tagged in.

[mego42]

fav animated films

tagged by @joeyjoeylee and @pynkhues (ty ladies 💖)

i’m gonna be real with y’all, it physically hurts me to see some of you dismissing animated films as for kids and cartoons. if you’ll allow me to put on my art kid hat for a second, i have a (usually drunken) impassioned rant that i roll out around the topic but to spare y’all and sum it up, it is an ART FORM made up of three different art forms in a trenchcoat and quite frankly, you fav ~films COULD!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!

mary and max

you want an animated movie that truly deserves the film moniker? look no further. this gorgeously stop motion animated film is the story of an eight year old australian girl who forms an incredibly unlikely friendship based on a life long pen pal relationship with a 44 year old new yorker with asperger’s. it’s a really beautiful story that, fair warning, gets pretty dark at points but i can honestly say has moved me like very few films have possibly for personal backstory reasons but also because it’s so damn good. idk, it makes me cry a lot. also, the soundtrack? incredible.

fantastic mr fox

i love wes anderson, i think he’s an artist and a master of visual and micro-storytelling. fantastic mr fox isn’t my all time favorite of his portfolio (that prize rotates between the royal tenenbaums, moonrise kingdom, and the grand budapest hotel), i love this movie a lot and it is one of my favorite animated films. it’s another stop motion (LISTEN THAT IS SUCH A COOL TECHNIQUE AND HONESTLY BREAKS MY BRAIN WITH EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO IT) and the visuals can get downright eerie in a way that makes me shiver with glee.

coraline

another stop motion! the visual style of this movie is so gorgeous and complicated, i lost a bet over whether or not it was digitally or physically animated. i belligerently insisted capitalism would never allow for an animation studio to build such vibrant and intricate sets because there was absolutely no way that would be even a little bit cost effective and i have never ben happier to be wrong, tbh. the first time i watched this movie i immediately watched it two more times back to back bc i am very normal when i love stuff.

coco

i watch this movie a minimum of three times a year.

up

the first ten minutes of this movie is a greater love story than most love stories could ever aspire to be and that’s just the launching point for the rest. i am an absolute sucker for both found family and cross-generational relationships so this hits on multiple levels.

wall-e

this movie makes the list for a couple of reasons. one, I remain in awe of the kind of storytelling pixar can do without dialogue. two, it’s an inside joke between me and my husband (i’m eva, he’s wall-e, i never said it was a complicated or even a good joke but it makes me squishy nonetheless). we actually had a wall-e wedding cake topped with wall-e and eva funko pops and i hear it was gorgeous. i never saw it bc my flower girls stole it and smashed and ate it all in the back seat of their parents rental car.

spider-man: into the spider-verse

this movie is a mfing instant classic and if you haven’t seen it you’re only hurting yourself. the story is impeccable, the combination of depth and humor is absolute perfection and the animation is I N C R E D I B L E. they scrapped current CGI convention and went back to the hand-animation technique of shifting movement every second frame (alternating which frame, the first or second, depending on the vibe they wanted to give the scenes). they also scrapped motion blur to give the whole thing a sharper, more staccato feeling that (imo) really ramped up the energy and made it feel more comic book in a vague but crucial sort of way and also unique from other animated movies. THEN they went in and did the line work, painting and dot effects on top of all of that to give it that hand drawn, living painting feeling and honestly the whole thing is so lush and gorgeous if i think about it too much i want to punch myself in the face.

kubo and the two strings

look, the casting of this movie is a trainwreck, enough of one that i waffled a lot about putting it on this list. the fact that they told such a steeped in japanese culture story with all white people is a disaster and everyone involved should have known better. on the flip side, it’s one of the most breathtakingly beautiful animation jobs i’ve ever seen in my life so idk, i hold both of those facts in my head at the same time i guess.

anastasia

i have such a soft spot for this movie, I vividly remember seeing it in the theater. idk, it’s fantastic

the secret of NIMH

looking back this movie was SO DARK and i was SO OBSESSED WITH IT as a kid (still kind of an, tbh, in spite of the relentless cat slander, it’s incredibly thematically rich)

idk who has been tagged already so no pressure if you’ve already gone or you don’t wanna @nickmillerscaulk @foxmagpie @riosnecktattoo @jazillia007

[beemusik]

How David Bowie Invented Ziggy Stardust

Jason Heller’s book Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded is the story of how science fiction influenced the musicians of the Seventies. Out now in hardcover via Melville House, Strange Stars also examines how space exploration, futurism and emerging technology inspired the sometimes-cosmic, sometimes-mechanistic music the decade produced. In this section, Heller delves into the creation of Bowie’s most-famous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.

A small crowd of sixty or so music fans stood in the dance hall of the Toby Jug pub in Tolworth, a suburban neighborhood in southwest London, on the night of February 10, 1972. The backs of their hands had been freshly stamped by the doorman. A DJ played records to warm up the crowd for the main act. The hall was nothing fancy, little more than “an ordinary function room.” The two-story brick building that housed it – “a gaunt fortress of a pub on the edge of an underpass” – had played host to numerous rock acts over the past few years, including Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Fleetwood Mac. Sci-fi music had even graced the otherwise earthy Toby Jug, thanks to recent headliners King Crimson and Hawkwind, and exactly one week earlier, on February 3, the band Stray performed, quite likely playing their sci-fi song “Time Machine.” The concertgoers on the tenth, however, had no idea that they would soon witness the most crucial event in the history of sci-fi music.

Most of them already knew who David Bowie was – the singer who, three years earlier, had sung “Space Oddity,” and who had appeared very seldom in public since, focusing instead on making records that barely dented the charts. His relatively low profile in recent years hadn’t helped his latest single, “Changes,” which had come out in January. Despite its soaring, anthemic sound, it failed to find immediate success in England. But the lyrics of the song seemed to signal an impending metamorphosis, hinted at again in late January when Bowie declared in a Melody Makerinterview, “I’m gay and always have been” and unabashedly predicted, “I’m going to be huge, and it’s quite frightening in a way.” Bowie clearly had a big plan up his immaculately tailored sleeve. But what could it be?

Before Bowie took the stage of the Toby Jug, an orchestral crescendo announced him. It was a recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, drawn from the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange. To anyone who’d seen the film, the music carried a sinister feeling, superimposed as it was over Kubrick’s visions of grim dystopia and ultraviolence. Grandiloquence mixed with foreboding, shot through with sci-fi: it couldn’t have been a better backdrop for what the pint-clutching attendees of the Toby Jug were about to behold.

At around 9:00 p.m., the houselights were extinguished. A spotlight sliced the darkness. Bowie took the stage. But was it really him? In a strictly physical sense, it must have been. But this was Bowie as no one had seen him before. His hair – which appeared blond and flowing on the cover of Hunky Dory, released just three months earlier – was now chopped at severe angles and dyed bright orange, the color of a B-movie laser beam. His face was lavishly slathered with cosmetics. He wore a jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, revealing his delicate, bone-pale chest, and his knee-high wrestling boots were fire-engine red. Bowie had never been conservative in dress, but even for him, this was a quantum leap into the unknown.

Then he began to play. His band – dubbed the Spiders from Mars and comprising guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Woody Woodmansey – was lean, efficient, and powerful, clad in gleaming, metallic outfits that mimicked spacesuits, reminiscent of the costumes from the campy 1968 sci-fi romp Barbarella. The Jane Fonda vehicle had been a huge hit in England, and it became a cult film in the United States, thanks to its titillating portrayal of a future where sensuality is rediscovered after a lifetime of sterile, virtual sex.

In the same way, Bowie’s new incarnation was shocking, lurid, and supercharged with sexual energy. Combined with his recent admission of either homosexuality or bisexuality, as he was then married to his first wife, Angela, Bowie’s new persona oozed futuristic mystique, which Bowie biographer David Buckley described as “a blurring of ‘found’ symbols from science fiction – space-age high heels, glitter suits, and the like.”

But what bewitched the audience most was the music. Amid a set of established songs such as “Andy Warhol,” “Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud,” and, naturally, “Space Oddity,” the Spiders from Mars injected a handful of new tunes, including “Hang On to Yourself” and “Suffragette City,” that had yet to appear on record. Propulsive, infectious, and awash in dizzying imagery, this was a new Bowie – cut less from the thoughtful, singer-songwriter mold and more from some new hybrid of thespian rocker and sci-fi myth. These songs bounced off the walls of the Toby Jug’s no-longer-ordinary function room. The audience, whistling and cheering, was entranced. A show eye-popping enough to dazzle an entire arena was being glimpsed in the most intimate of watering holes.

Although the crowd was sparse, people stood on tables and chairs to get the best possible view. The stage was only two feet high, but it may as well have been twenty, or two million – an elevator to outer space designed to launch Bowie into an orbit far more enduring than that of Major Tom in “Space Oddity.”

At some point, amid the swirl and spectacle of the two-hour set, Bowie announced from the stage the name of his new identity: Ziggy Stardust.

Like an artifact from some alien civilization, Bowie’s fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was unveiled on June 16, 1972. By then, Ziggy had become a sensation. After the Toby Jug gig in February, concertgoers embraced Bowie’s new persona in music venues around the UK. Attendance swelled each night, as did a growing legion of followers who dressed themselves in homemade approximations of Bowie’s outlandish attire.

Just as the album was released, he and the Spiders appeared on the BBC’s revered Top of the Popsprogram, performing the record’s centerpiece: the song “Starman.” For many of a certain age, watching Bowie on their family’s television that evening was tantamount to the Beatles’ legendary spot on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States eight years earlier. “He was so vivid. So luminous. So fluorescent. We had one of the first color TVs on our street, and David Bowie was the reason to have a color TV,” remembered Bono of U2, who was twelve at the time. “It was like a creature falling from the sky. Americans put a man on the moon. We had our own British guy from space.”

Musically, “Starman” was an exquisite and striking slice of pop songcraft, exactly what Bowie needed at that point in his career. Lyrically, he smuggled in a sci-fi story that centers around Ziggy Stardust, who was both Bowie’s alter ego and the fictional protagonist of the Rise and Fall concept album, as loose as it was in that regard – it is more a fugue of ideas that coalesce into a concept. Through the radio and TV, an alien announces his existence to Earth, which Bowie describes in lovingly rendered sci-fi verse: “A slow voice on a wave of phase.” The young people of the world become enchanted and hope to lure the alien down: “Look out your window, you can see his light /If we can sparkle, he may land tonight.” But that alien is reticent, and his shyness makes him all the more magnetic.

Bowie sang the song on Top of the Pops clad in a multicolored, reptilian-textured jumpsuit, which Melody Maker called, “Vogue’s idea of what the well-dressed astronaut should be wearing.” In that sense, “Starman” is a self-fulfilling prophecy: before he could truly know the impact the song would have, he used it to describe its effect on Great Britain’s young people in perfect detail. He was the starman waiting in the sky, and the kids who saw him on TV soon began to dress like him, hoping to sparkle so that he may land tonight.

If Bowie intended “Starman” to be an overt reference to [Robert A.] Heinlein’s Starman Jones, the book he loved as a kid, he never publicly confessed to it. But the admittedly sketchy story line of Rise and Fall parallels another Heinlein work: Stranger in a Strange Land, the novel that had influenced David Crosby in the ’60s and, later, many other sci-fi musicians of the ’70s. The book’s hero,Valentine Michael Smith, comes to Earth from Mars; in Rise and Fall, Mars is built into the title. And both Valentine and Ziggy become messiahs of a kind – androgynous, libertine heralds of a new age of human awareness. Bowie claimed he’d turned down offers to star in a film production of Stranger in a Strange Land and had few positive words to say about the book, calling it “staggeringly, awesomely trite.” Be that as it may, he clearly had read the book and developed a strong opinion of it – perhaps enough for some of its themes and iconography to seep into his own work.

The opening song of Rise and Fall, “Five Years,” elegiacally delivers a dystopian forecast: the world will end in five years due to a lack of resources, and society is disintegrating into a slow-motion parade of perversity and moral paralysis. It’s a countdown to doomsday, with the clock set at five years. The song’s ominous refrain, “We’ve got five years,” is sung by Bowie with increasing histrionics, his voice sounding more panicked and deranged as he repeats the phrase. “The whole thing was to try and get a mocking angle at the future,” Bowie said in 1972. “If I can mock something and deride it, one isn’t so scared of it” – with “it” being the apocalypse.

“Five Years” set a chilling tone, but Rise and Fall didn’t entirely wallow in it. The coming of an alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust is relayed in a multi-song story that’s equally melancholy and ecstatic, tragic and triumphant. On tracks such as “Moonage Daydream,” “Star,” and “Lady Stardust,” Bowie wields terms such as “ray gun” and “wild mutation.” He also claims, “I’m the space invader,” as though he were channeling the ideas of his sci-fi heroes Stanley Kubrick or William S. Burroughs, particularly the latter’s 1971 novel, The Wild Boys.

As Bowie explained, “It was a cross between [The Wild Boys] and A Clockwork Orange that really started to put together the shape and the look of what Ziggy and the Spiders were going to become. They were both powerful pieces of work, especially the marauding boy gangs of Burroughs’s Wild Boys with their bowie knives. I got straight on to that. I read everything into everything. Everything had to be infinitely symbolic.” The photos of the Spiders from Mars inside the album sleeve of Rise and Fall were even patterned after the gang of Droogs of A Clockwork Orange; Droogs are mentioned by name in the Rise and Fall song “Suffragette City.” Furthermore, Bowie posed on theback cover of the album, peering out of a phone booth – just as though he were that other cryptic British alien who regularly regenerates himself and is often seen in a phone booth (specifically a police call box), the Doctor from Doctor Who.

Bowie also drew from work of the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Born Norman Carl Odam, the Texan rockabilly artist released a twangy, oddball 1968 single titled “I Took a Trip (On a Gemini Spaceship)” that Bowie wound up covering in 2002; it was from Odam that Bowie borrowed Ziggy’s surname. And after going on a record-buying spree while touring the United States in 1971, he bought Fun House by the Michigan proto-punk band the Stooges, whose outrageous lead singer was named Iggy Pop. He jotted down ideas on hotel stationary while traveling the States, resulting in a name that was a mash-up of Iggy Pop and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. Ziggy Stardust was a fabricated rock star, one whose sleek facade flew in the face of the era’s reigning rock aesthetic of laid-back, unpretentious authenticity. Instead, Bowie wanted to puncture that illusion by taking rock showmanship to a previously unseen, self-referential extreme.

When it came to Bowie’s urge toward collage and deconstruction, Burroughs remained a prime inspiration. A pioneer of postmodern sci-fi pastiche as well as the literary cut-up technique, in which snippets of text were randomly rearranged to form a new syntax, Burroughs straddled both pulp sci-fi and the avant-garde, exactly the same liminal space Bowie now occupied. Rock critic Lester Bangs accused Bowie of “trying to be George Orwell and William Burroughs” while dismissing him as appearing to be “deposited onstage after seemingly being dipped in vats of green slime and pursued by Venusian crab boys” – a description that sounded like it could have been cribbed straight from a Burroughs book.

In 1973, Burroughs met Bowie in the latter’s London home. The meeting was arranged by A. Craig Copetas from Rolling Stone, and the resulting exchange was published in the magazine a few months later. In the article, Copetas observed that Bowie’s house was “decorated in a science-fiction mode,” and that Bowie greeted them “wearing three-tone NASA jodhpurs.” The ensuing conversation ranged across many topics, but it circled around science fiction – and in particular, the similarity Bowie saw between Rise and Fall and Burroughs’s 1964 novel Nova Express, a surreal sci-fi parable about mind control and the tyranny of language.

In an effort to convince Burroughs of the similarity, Bowie offered one of the most revealing analyses of Rise and Fall as a work of science fiction:

“The time is five years to go before the end of the Earth. It has been announced that the world will end because of a lack of natural resources. Ziggy is in a position where all the kids have access to things that they thought they wanted. The older people have all lost touch with reality, and the kids are left on their own to plunder anything. Ziggy was in a rock & roll band, and the kids no longer wanted to play rock & roll. There’s no electricity to play it.”

Bowie went on:

“[The environmental apocalypse] does not cause the end of the world for Ziggy. The end comes when the infinites arrive. They really are a black hole, but I’ve made them people because it would be very hard to explain a black hole onstage.”

Curiously, it took him another twenty-six years before casually revealing in an interview that a sci-fi song called “Black Hole Kids” was recorded as an outtake during the sessions for Rise and Fall. He called the song “fabulous,” adding, “I have no idea why it wasn’t on the original album. Maybe I forgot.”

But Bowie dropped the biggest revelation about Rise and Fallin the 1973 conversation with Burroughs. Ziggy Stardust, according to his creator, is not an alien himself; instead, he’s an earthling who makes contact with extra-dimensional beings, who then use him as a charismatic vessel for their own nefarious invasion plan. But like Frankenstein’s monster being erroneously called “Frankenstein” to the point where it seems senseless to quibble with that usage, Ziggy Stardust continues to be widely considered the alien entity of Rise and Fall. Considering the shifting identity and gender of Bowie’s most famous alter ego, that ambiguity may well have been his intention. Talking to Burroughs, he ultimately labels Rise and Fall “a science-fiction fantasy of today” before reiterating its similarity to Nova Express, to which Burroughs responds, “The parallels are definitely there.”

Rise and Fall has always been as fluid as Bowie’s facade itself. Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion cast a shadow over Ziggy Stardust, especially the glammy incarnation of the many-faced character known as Jerry Cornelius – who was adapted to the big screen in 1973 for the feature film The Final Programme. It coincided with Ziggy’s own ascendency, not to mention the New Wave of Science Fiction and its preference for fractured narratives and multiple interpretations over linear stories and pat endings.

During their mutual interview, Burroughs brought up the then-current rumor that Bowie might play Valentine Michael Smith in a film adaptation of Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land. Bowie again dismissed it. “It seemed a bit too flower-powery, and that made me a bit wary.” For his part, Bowie’s fellow sci-fi musician Mick Farren of the Deviants later admitted he always thought Michael Valentine Smith was a major influence on Ziggy Stardust. “I was certain someone would call him out for plagiarism,” Farren said. “Nobody did.”

Bowie may have denied his affinity for Stranger in a Strange Land by his boyhood go-to author Heinlein, but he was not shy about professing his love for one of the authors Lester Bangs compared him to: George Orwell. Almost as a footnote, Bowie told Burroughs, “Now I’m doing Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four on television.” That project would never come to pass, but it would lay the groundwork for his next, less famous sci-fi concept album – a jagged, atmospheric song cycle that plunged Bowie into the darkest extremes of dystopia.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Top 10 Greatest Things Ever

I used to do lists like this all the time, so in the spirit of going back to my roots, I’ve decided to do a countdown list like all those internet greats do! You know, like WatchMojo or Spoony or ProJared! Today, I have decided to list the 10 greatest, most flawless things of all time, and why you should worship the ground they walk on! Let’s go!

10. Artemis Fowl

It was a very bold choice for Disney to ignore literally everything about the books and what made them good and instead do the exact opposite, but in the end it paid off with this utterly unforgettable cinematic experience! I sure enjoyed how half the plot was ADR’d in and how charming Josh Gad was as the hilarious dwarf Mulch! An instant classic for the whole family!

9. “Pickle Rick”

You know what? They were right. This is the funniest shit I’ve ever seen.

8. Reylo

How could I have never seen it before? This is such an amazing ship with the greatest chemistry I have ever seen. The moment I first saw these two trying to brutally murder each other, I a totally sane and normal human thought “oh yeah they should totally fuck.” We need to crucify JJ Abrams for killing Ben before he could smash that Rey coochie and instead leave her single (because there are definitely no characters she had better chemistry with).

7. Irate Gamer

Some people say you’re nothing but an unfunny, talentless hack, a complete ripoff of the AVGN, a horrendously toxic individual who betrayed those around you and destroyed the goodwill of your fans... but you know what? That’s ok. I forgive you Irate Gamer. You are very cool actually.

6. Lucy

God, is there anything better than an action movie where you never have to worry about the main character ever because she can pull new powers out of her ass to save herself at any given moment? Everyone’s favorite racially vague actress Scarlett Johansson really manages to prove that she is capable of playing an emotionless serial killing god with ease.

5. Frogger: The Great Quest

Sure, the camera barely works, the controls are unresponsive, the models are crappy, the story is nonsensical, and it has less than zero replay value... but Frogger in a magical 3D platformer still manages to be better than everything else, from Grand Theft Auto V to Pokemon Black/White to Doom Eternal. Konami really proved they could never do wrong with this one!

4. Obelisk of Undoing

You might think this isn’t the greatest Magic card ever, but think about it: if you sacrifice one Black Lotus, you’re halfway to being able to return one whole thing you control to its owner’s hand! That’s insane! What the hell were they thinking with this level of power back in the day?!?!? This shit is broken!

3. One More Day

Forget that shitty Spider-Verse or Tobey Maguire or Tom Holland or whatever: this is the real SpiderMan. This is a man who will go to the ends of the Earth and sell his marriage away to Satan all to save his geriatric aunt who is dying of a bullet wound in a universe where scientists regularly rip the fabric of reality apart. Truly he is living up to Uncle Ben’s words. There will never be a Spidey story quite as unforgettable and powerful as this one.

2. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Centuries

Truly Alan Moore was ahead of his time with his cunning parody of Harry Potter. Really, this alone grants it the #2 spot (though perhaps it would have been better at #1? Har har). No, but there is one thing more perfect than Harry Potter dick lightning...

1. Shrek the Third

How can one even quantify the sheer genius of this film? It took away all the stuff that didn’t work about the previous films like the amazing soundtracks, likable characters, witty references, emotional moments, strong antagonists, and good use of tone, and replaced it with Justin Timberlake. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be. 

[battlekidx2]

Kipo Season 2 Review

I know this is late, but better late than never right?

Every cartoon I’ve watched on Netflix that dreamworks made has blown me away. Kipo has managed to continue their streak of fantastic cartoons. I got to Kipo season 1 late and only saw it a few weeks before season 2 dropped. I’m really glad I did because the wait would have been unbearable. Kipo has an inventive world with a lot of potential, fun characters that I enjoy every time they are on screen, a great soundtrack, and beautiful animation. There were some things in Kipo season 1 that I wish were expanded upon and I think a lot of them were addressed with the 2nd season. Kipo still has a lot of room to grow, but it has all the building blocks to be a great show and seems to be heading there. Dreamworks is probably my favorite animation company. I have been very happy with everything they have released recently.

Characters

I think I have to start with Scarlemage.  He was built up perfectly in the first season and I really liked the payoff. Dreamworks always has a knack for writing villains be it for their movies or their tv shows and they’ve once again created a very interesting and fun villain. Scarlemagne managed to be fun and sympathetic yet disturbing throughout the season. And while I’m typically all for redemption arcs I liked that he didn’t get one in this season. I think him not changing in the way kipo wanted was a learning moment for both her and her father. For her father it showed him his greatest flaw, giving up on people/things too soon, and how damaging that can be. For Kipo it showed her that as much as she may want to believe in the best in everything that’s not how it will always work out. I think these are major lessons that will effect the characters moving forward. My favorite villains are the ones who challenge the hero’s worldview and that’s what Scarlemagne does. Scarlemagne himself was very compelling this season and I do believe that while he wasn’t redeemed this season there is the possibility for change in the future. 

I got chills every time his musical motif played. I loved the logic behind his obsession with classical music and clothes. How it initially stemmed from his innocent wonder. I think it’s fascinating how in one episode everything we knew about Scarlemagne was flipped on its head. There was a sort of tragic inevitability to his “villain’s journey”. It was all born from one choice on the side of Kipo’s father that was completely understandable from his perspective, but heartbreaking from Scarlemagne’s perspective. (I’m also a big fan of tragic villains where there’s one choice or factor that makes it so that them and the hero can’t see eye to eye)

Kipo: 

I like Kipo as a main character. She isn’t my favorite main character and I chalk a lot of that up to the fact that until the second half of this season her worldview wasn’t really challenged all that much. She was constantly proven right again and again which I think was framed really well for a large part of the first season. It’s because she doesn’t have any preconceived biases against mutes that she is able to find common ground and see the best in everyone, but this view that everyone is good and that everyone can change isn’t challenged in any meaningful way until Scarlemagne and even then we won’t get to see the fallout of that until season 3. More experienced humans like Benson and Wolf are show to have distrust of mutes and we see in Wolf’s backstory exactly why and yet despite having much more experience with mutes and living on the surface the second Kipo comes along everything they previously thought and experienced is proven wrong. I wasn’t the biggest fan of that. Again I think with this season we are starting to see a shift away from that. Kipo has just seen that her philosophy isn’t always correct with mutes and I would assume with how the season ended next season will deal with her coming to that realization about humans as well.

I think Kipo has a lot of room to grow as a character. And they seem to be taking steps to address the problems I had with her. I want to once again emphasize that I do like her. There are just things that I would like for them to address in the future. (also it’s nice to hear Glimmer’s VA again)

Wolf:

Wolf is the character I am intrigued by the most. Her past, while only briefly explored in flashbacks, was hard hitting. The fade from her attacking the mother wolf to the wolf skin she had on her head was chilling. Everything we learn about her childhood is fascinating because I like hearing about how she survived on the surface alone. It’s an interesting concept because unlike Kipo she had to adapt from a young age to survive, but she was left with little to no people skills and attachment issues because of it. She was the main character who had the most room to grow in my opinion and, while her arc may be predictable, I like how it has been handled so far. I do want more information about her past and maybe a run in with some of the wolves that betrayed her (I have a hard time believing that she killed all of them). I just think there is a lot of untapped story potential with her character and I was a little sad that outside of episode 4 and the finale she took a lot more of a backseat compared to the first season. Though it was understandable considering how much they had to cover in a 10 episode timespan.

Benson:

Benson was given more to do this season, but still took a bit of a backseat. His relationship with Kipo isn’t given nearly as much attention as Kipo’s relationship with Wolf. I would like a Benson backstory because there is still so much left up to the viewers imagination about everything he went through pre-series. He’s a really fun character that I wish were utilized to his full potential. He has a fun dynamic with just about every character he interacts with and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future. I also like his blooming romance with Troy. It was really sweet and funny.

World

Kipo’s world is actually what drew me to this show in the first place. It was a unique take on the post apocalyptic mutant world and I was excited to see where they would take it. I really liked the worldbuilding and how unique each mutant society was and how they managed to very even the burrow cities. This world is just rich with so much wonder and potential. There are still a lot of questions like “What caused the apocalypse?”, “Did the mutes cause the apocalypse or did the apocalypse create the mutes?”, “How did society evolve the way it did?”, “How can it evolve from here?”. I am so intrigued by everything about it. The worldbuilding is probably the strongest point in the show. 

Music

That being said, the music is a very close second. The score and soundtrack of Kipo is one that you can just pop on and listen to whenever you want. I don’t think there’s anything I can really say about the music other than it’s great and reminds me of spider verse with how the music is used in the story and how each type of music associated with a character tells you a lot about who they are. It does just about everything that I feel music should do in the audio-visual medium. It’s really amazing.

Overall

I’m a really big fan of this show. I have a lot of fun anytime I put it on. While it isn’t my favorite of the dreamworks cartoons I still find it to be amazing. It manages to have moments and episodes that hit me hard even on a rewatch. There’s just so much creativity and heart put into this show. I really want to see more of it because with how the show is going and growing I believe that a lot of my questions and problems will be addressed. I hope others can find the enjoyment out of Kipo that I do.

[sarcasm-and-references]

hi! here is the spotify link for my Trollhunters playlist in which i chose one song to represent each episode, listed in order:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7mdB5Vss7D0jAAS2S1sbPP?si=RGdbyHgvQY6PUCM_djbRYQ

full list of why i chose each song + some disclaimers under the cut (very long)

first off: it’s named pretty inconspicuously because this is my personal spotify and i didn’t want my friends figuring out what it was

okay so i’m a musician and i love the use of music in media, so i will often draw connections between how i feel listening to a song and how i feel watching a film or tv show

as a result, i’ve compiled a playlist and an explanation for 52 songs (one to represent each episode of Trollhunters). it’s in order but you could also just shuffle it for a generalized Trollhunters vibes playlist

one final thing: this is by no means a definitive list, and it is heavily biassed because of my taste in music which means it is mostly alternative or indie pop and rock music (there are also a few explicit songs, just a warning) so just to put that out there

alright, here is the complete list of why i chose each song:

Becoming: Part 1

Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Nothing too specific, it just gives off the vibes of morning, a small town, and the start of something big. I think the lyrics work a bit too but the sound and energy are perfect in terms of cinematic elements so full send on this one.

Becoming: Part 2

Could Have Been Me - The Struts

Chances are, you know this song if you’re a tik tok cosplayer or have seen any video of that sort. This choice felt right in terms of both lyrics and the music itself. It’s very hopeful and it talks about wanting to make something of oneself. I tend to associate this song with Percy Jackson and there are some parallels there. Kind of a modern-day heroism feel, which is definitely fitting for this show and the episode specifically.

Wherefore Art Thou, Trollhunter?

I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers

This episode seems to me like more basic exposition and is just setting up the first arc of the story, so I chose this song not completely for the lyrics (although I do think they fit for Jlaire in terms of Claire and Jim’s interaction but I’m trying my best not to focus too much on them). I think the sound and energy is pretty good for this song, and if you strip the song to its most simple interpretation, it’s clearly about wanting to improve.

Gnome Your Enemy

I’m Just a Kid - Simple Plan

Ha-okay this choice is a bit of a joke because of the angst but honestly I do think it fits for the gang’s first mission and Jim’s attitude and reluctance towards trollhunting in general.

Waka Chaka!

Killer Queen - Queen

Yeah this is mainly for Nomura and her introduction. Not much thought went into this choice but as I make this list I’m finding that episodes that I choose a song for often end up with a song for a character that’s featured (dw there’s not too many of these).

Win Lose or Draal

Centuries - Fall Out Boy

Jim’s first real fight; showing off everything he’s learned so far. Being a moral person and not ‘finishing the fight.’ A hero in the making.

To Catch a Changeling

Brother - Kodaline

So I think this song could definitely be used to represent Jim and Toby, but I wanted to take the chance to choose a song for the protective trust that Draal starts to build with Jim. Obviously this episode is much more than that, but I see that scene where Jim is reflecting Draal’s fighting moves as the unofficial start of their brother-like relationship. So yes, I did pick a song because of one small scene.

Adventures in Trollsitting

Hey There Delilah - Plain White T’s

This one is a bit of a joke but Jim is definitely simping for Claire in this episode by volunteering to babysit so I have chosen a song to fit with that. (Also, wOw this explanation makes it VERY clear I’m gen z).

Bittersweet Sixteen

100 Bad Days - AJR

Lyrics specifically fit here. Yes, a lot goes wrong in this episode, but the relationships are strengthened (Blinky and Jim) and it’s sweet in the end.

Young Atlas

Number One Fan - MUNA

Not gonna lie, I wanted to sucker punch Jim in this episode. This song choice is kind of satirical but really just for being confident and self-assured. Lyrics fit for the chorus and parts of the verses.

Recipe for Disaster

Carmen, Suite No. 2: VIII. Habanera - Saint Petersburg Orchestra of the State Hermitage Museum Camerata

Wow that’s a long title. Okay this is the only choice that has no lyrics/is classical on this list, but that is mainly because I chose it specifically for Strickler because he seems like a classical music kind of guy (maybe it’s a changeling thing @ Nomura). Also this is a pretty recognizable piece (in my opinion) and I also think it would sound pretty epic and would make for some great cinematic effects if played during the fight in this episode.

Claire and Present Danger

Seashore - The Regrettes

Originally, I was going to go with a song that fit the heroism arc in this episode but! I focus on Jim a lot in this playlist. Instead, this song is a choice for Claire and where she is in the story (finally being brought into the action). I’ve always loved her for being feminine and badass at the same time, so this song is somewhat a choice as an anthem for her (especially her being so headstrong and determined).

The Battle of Two Bridges

Young Volcanoes - Fall Out Boy

Teenage recklessness and power. Reminds me of adventures and young adulthood, plus the whole modern heroism again. I think this song also correlated with a high-stakes battle which is exactly what happened in this episode. Plus? How sick would it be if there was a fight and the strikes and dodges were coordinated with the beats in this song??

Return of the Trollhunter

Kids in America - Kim Wilde

More for the vibes in the beginning when it feels like it really should have been a new season. I think the lyrics fit pretty well here too. Fits with Claire joining the team and the heroes starting to come into their own.

Mudslinging

What’s Up Danger (With Black Caviar) - Blackway

This one was fully for Angor Rot and his first real introduction. He’s presented as an obvious and looming threat. While this song’s lyrics fit more with the more badass side of modern heroism (connects to Jim showing off his skills), I think the sounds fit with Angor and how he has begun to raise the stakes. This also may be a result of me associating this song with teenage heroes since it’s from the Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse soundtrack.

Roaming Fees May Apply

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns ‘n’ Roses

What can I say? The gang finds themselves in an unpredictable situation. It’s an adventurous episode to say the least. I feel like this song is used for action movies somewhat often so I’m throwing it in for this episode.

Blinky’s Day Out

Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede

This is almost completely a comedic choice. Barely any thought went into this one, and the lyrics have nothing to do with it. It is purely for the good vibes that always accompany this song because I feel like Blinky’s time on the surface was (at least initially) a “good vibes” situation. The apparent simplicity of being human can feel that way.

The Shattered King

Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

I’m using this episode to focus on Toby. Although there’s not much character development in this episode specifically, I think Toby deserves a better arc and I do want to give him at least one song. While I think there’s a lot more to Toby than he lets on or that which is shown in the show, he’s often used for humor and is basically the stereotypical funloving best friend. He seems like he’d enjoy a feel-good, upbeat, “classic” song, and there’s silly dancing in this episode so danceable song! (Also if the show were more accurate to today’s teens, I wholeheartedly believe Toby would be a meme-lover).

Airheads

Little League - Conan Gray

I absolutely love the simplicity of this episode, even if it’s just filler, but I have indeed found a way to make it angsty. This song choice is fully for the lyrics (though the sound isn’t completely wrong for the feel of the episode). I think this show gets progressively more emotional throughout the seasons, and, at this point, the kids are competing for Spring Fling nominations while Toby and Claire deal with a ridiculous problem. Something about this episode just seems to represent naiveté and this song talks about longing to return to childhood and innocence.

Where Is My Mind?

Hotel California - Eagles

Seeing as the obvious choice might have been Where Is My Mind? by Pixies, I tried to branch out here. This episode is honestly eerie because the characters face their worst fears but never discuss them or understand why/how it happened. For me, the vibe was a sort of mellow rock song and a dreamlike state. Thus: Hotel California. If I think about it enough, the lyrics work because of the sort of ominous false sense of security that I imagine using this song for in a story. Ultimately though, it’s the sound and energy.

Party Monster

Candy - Robbie Williams

This is solely for the vibes just because it feels like a party song to me for some reason. Sorry I didn’t put much thought into this one. Also though? This song and its lyrics low-key remind me of Mary and this is one of the few episodes in which she was featured somewhat prominently.

It’s About Time

Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones

Definitely not for the lyrics, I think it’s just the sound and the energy almost completely for this song. For me, it just seems very high-energy and almost tense because of a fast heartbeat? I can just imagine this song playing as Jim is racing through town as quickly as possible. It’s a bit stress-inducing, honestly.

Wingmen

Victorious - Panic! At the Disco

High energy, but this is more of a simplistic choice to go with the fight scene and the progress we see from Jim as far as his training goes.

Angor Management

Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas

I chose this song as a representation of the dynamic that we see starting to form between Strickler and Jim. They’ve become unlikely teammates and Strickler is obviously a guiding figure for Jim, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a father figure yet? Lyrics play into this choice a lot.

A Night to Remember

Just Like A Movie - Wallows

Specific to the dance scene. Nighttime lit up by emotion; bright kind of vibe. I thought about some other songs like Don’t Take the Money and Reckless Love (both by Bleachers), also Electric Love by BØRNS (didn’t choose that because I don’t really want to support BØRNS but I won’t get too into that). Ultimately, I think this one works best both with lyrics and overall sound. I’m a sucker for Jlaire so I had to focus on this part of the episode and how cute it was (sorry (not really tho)).

Something Rotten This Way Comes

Lessons - mxmtoon

Thinking about what you’ve learned and how to move forward in the present. Correlates more with where the story is at in this season finale, not as much with what exactly happens in the episode. Definitely a choice made for the lyrics (although Jim probably should have listened to the part about patience).

Escape from the Darklands

Hero - Weezer

Any upbeat, modern rock music for me always seems to fit the vibe for teenage heroes. I think the lyrics hit the nail on the head for characterizing Jim in this episode. He feels a huge responsibility and fear, and isn’t sure he can live up to it. Also I love him but going into the darklands alone? Not the smartest.

Skullcrusher

Off She Goes - Bad Suns

For Claire and her development in this episode. The emotion she has to use and how she pushes herself. The vibes are there but the lyrics in the chorus are what mainly influenced this choice.

Grand Theft Otto

Weightless - All Time Low

Not too sure about the sound with this one but I like the lyrics here for the dual plot of the episode. I think the whole thing with having a hard time and struggling but also not giving up hope resonates pretty generally with the trollhunters, but also specifically with Jim in the darklands and Claire and Toby (& Blinky) getting stuff done because they’re determined to save both Jim and AAARRRGGHH!!!

KanjigAAARRRGGHH!!!

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

This one is kind of a joke but kind of not. Seeing as this is the episode that the rest of the group goes to the *Darklands* to save Jim, I think the lyrics unironically fit in a humorous way. Can’t go wrong with classic rock either. (Can you tell I was struggling with this one?)

Homecoming

Life on Mars? - David Bowie

Okay, this is kind of just an excuse for me to throw this song in here, but it reminds me of a ragtag team of heroes who don’t necessarily win but live to see another day (probably because of this song’s feature in American Horror Story: Freak Show). Lyrics not so much throughout the song as a whole, but the vibes are definitely there in the chorus. A joke song that came to mind for this (for obvious reasons) was My Boyfriend’s Back by The Angels.

Hiss Hiss, Bang Bang

Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year - Fall Out Boy

Mostly for the vibes, correlates with the energy that Jim has after finally coming home. Also, lyrics fit pretty well here.

Hero with a Thousand Faces

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might Be Giants

I was searching for so long to find a song to match the chaos and hilarity of this episode (idc if it’s filler I love it so much), and realized only something just as obscure would work. The song and the episode have virtually nothing in common other than they are both ridiculous and I love them for it (sorry if that’s disappointing but hey). Also ever since I saw The Umbrella Academy use this for a fight scene I’ve loved the idea of this song in shows/movies with heroes so maybe this could fit with when Jim fought Hunter!Jim.

Just Add Water

The Kids Aren’t Alright - Fall Out Boy

I love this episode for the irony of the flour baby assignment. The main group is just dealing with so much more than health class homework at this point and yet they still take it so seriously. I chose this song partially because I really wanted to fit it in this list somewhere but I also think it correlates with the characters being so heavily involved in this dangerous, heroic life and still flying mostly under the radar in their small town. They’re going through a lot yet no one seems to notice.

Creepslayerz

I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

This one is for the eagerness that Eli and Steve have to fight the ‘bad guys.’ They’re excited to form a team and I think their dynamic works with this. Also I love their dynamic so much we need more of them.

The Reckless Club

I Was a Teenage Teenager - Green Day.

Really just a fun loving song about kids being kids. Considered Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds as a Breakfast Club reference but figured I’d try not to make it too easy.

Unbecoming

Generation Why - Conan Gray

Correlates with ordinary life, lack of adventure and wanting something more (both sound and lyrics).

Mistrial and Error

Run Boy Run - Woodkid

Purely for the scene in The Deep where Jim fights his greatest fear. The lyrics are perfect and I could absolutely see this song playing as Jim faces The Deep.

In the Hall of the Gumm-Gumm King

Revolution Radio - Green Day

I think high energy fights + the neon color palette and destruction in Trollmarket fit perfectly with the energy and sound of this song. Obviously also the epic portal escape at the end. I didn’t want to use Children of the Sun by Thomas Bergensen (although that’s a super good song and the instrumental version, None Shall Live, is used in the episode) and thought this one’s lyrics fit well with the team’s resistance/rebellion and renegade status.

A Night Patroll

Next Up Forever - AJR

This is not particularly chosen for the lyrics, but I do think they fit more or less. Correlates with this being the start of season 3, the tension is getting thicker and the stakes are rising. The vibe here is not necessarily being ready to take on responsibilities you know you have to, and being nervous to do so. (I am definitely focusing on Jim a bit much here, but the show is too).

Arcadia’s Most Wanted

Young and Menace - Fall Out Boy

Although the team has been acting as heroes for a while, this is their first time defeating regular crime - the first few phrases of lyrics fit with that the most. Figured it goes with underestimating teenagers. Also I’m noticing while editing that there is a ton of Fall Out Boy in this playlist.

Bad Coffee

The Reckless and the Brave - All Time Low

I chose this one for one of my favorite team-up dynamics: Jim, Toby, Steve, and Eli. The energy and the lyrics in this song I just think are perfect for this group and I think could also correlate with the whole grave sand training thing Jim did in the beginning (‘reckless’ & ‘brave’).

So I’m Dating a Sorceress

Love is Dead and We Killed Her - Doll Skin

Purely for Morgana’s raw badass energy. That’s it, that’s the explanation.

The Exorcism of Claire Nuñez

Rubi - Doll Skin

Specific to Claire, could also be seen as her possession but leans more into her own personal power. Lyrics are definitely important but I think the sound also fits Claire's character.

Parental Guidance

The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Bob Dylan

Not for the energy at all because I can’t really pinpoint that but! lyrics are important here and (even though I think it’s self-explanatory) represent the parents’ reactions.

The Oath

The Ghost of You - My Chemical Romance

The lyrics for this one definitely work - about pain and grief but also moving through it. Definitely chose this one for Draal but his death was the main event of the episode so that feels justified. I think the sound is a bit intense for the energy of this episode but I’m really pushing the angst and sorrow with this one. At least I didn’t use Another One Bites The Dust by Queen >:).

For the Glory of Merlin

Yesterday - The Beatles

This one is a bit of a stretch and it was difficult to choose for a while but I personally see Merlin as a morally gray character (although i wasn’t a fan of how he talked to Claire and manipulated Jim but anyway) and I think he’s got a very complicated past. He mentioned that he used to have a pure heart and I found that very interesting so this song is an ode to who he possibly used to be with its lyrics. Also they literally step back into a frozen moment in this episode in time so this felt fitting.

In Good Hands

California Friends - The Regrettes

More for the sweet relationship building that this episode does, and the potential of a closer friendship (the kind we see in D’aja Vu in 3Below). This song is arguably more about romantic love but I think it could work with platonic. (Also Arcadia is literally in California and we need a sunshiny song amidst all the angst in this season).

A House Divided

Ribs - Lorde

Ha-yeah, sorry guys but I had to do it. Quite obviously specific to the bathroom scene and especially the montage right when Jim steps into the tub, about loss of childhood and memories, growing up. I think a lot of people know and have cried to this song, much like a lot of us cried watching this episode.

Jimhunters

Untitled - mxmtoon

Slowly growing up, having to deal with changing relationships. Dealing with hardships while lonely is clearly a big part of most of this episode, but the song correlation breaks off a bit towards the end; the lyrics focus more on pushing through on your own while the episode talks about counting on one another in difficult times. I think it also plays into being a bit fearful of the future and having to adjust to new situations while remembering the past.

The Eternal Knight: Part 1

Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen

The vibes that go with the battle of the bands and also the onset of the fight when everything is getting more dangerous. Also the part of the battle before Jim takes on Angor Rot and Gunmar, where all the trollhunters, creepslayerz, and citizens are fighting together.

The Eternal Knight: Part 2

Time of Our Lives - Tyrone Wells

I know we’ve all heard this in fan-made edits after a series or show ends, but there’s a reason everyone uses this song. Feels like a very nice culmination, specific to parting ways with those you love after shared experiences. Really just for the last scene. This whole playlist idea came from me listening to this song in an edit and getting emotional so there’s that.

[monkey-network]

The Simple Beauty of Megamind

Bombastic. Energetic. Dangerous. Bald.

Megamind these couple years has continuously got enough smoke blown up the bum to where there’s not a lot I can say about it that Schaffrillas and others on youtube haven’t already addressed. It is that subversive take on the classic hero and villain story, a cunning take on nature vs nurture that the DCEU could only dream of making years after this film until Shazam finally arrived. Then again, I say there’s one element of this film that stuck with me more than its subversive elements and I believe explains why it’s popularity only struck big later than sooner. But first let’s talk Kick-Ass.

This underrated film came around the same time as Megamind, and is a more volatile, pretty meta, gruesome parody on the superhero. It’s Deadpool long before he became a thing. To quote a wise nerd, the brilliance of Kick-Ass, both the film and the comic it’s based on, is having the main protagonist be an average comic lover who the audience would almost exactly work in his timbs if they themselves wanted to be a hero. What makes the film also great is that it works like an animated comic book, colors, costumes, direction, the works. It’s a visual love letter that for all the high climaxes Marvel and DC films would make later, has a grounded sense of what it wants to be. Even with the absurdity that goes on in it, even when it’s considered a spoof, it’s a hero film through and through. One with heart, energy, and of course,

That really is what Megamind always was, regardless of what tropes it flipped on its head. It was never so much a parody of superhero films but one that reveled in its identity. A film that enjoyed the flashy costumes, the clever gadgets, the soundtrack that tells us exactly what it’s doing, and the campy nature of it all. Megamind’s not without its serious moments but they’re well-crafted contrasts to the otherwise loud and proud outlook of its characters.

We have an entire scene where Megamind puts on his badass and glossy “Black Mamba” costume and while it’s played up dramatics, it’s very poignant in how much Megamind played the game seriously. The film never feels ashamed of what it does and who it is, being up there with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy where the passion of showmanship is front and center. Whether or not you claim it as parody, it was a vibrant superhero film, blue and all. Unfortunately, that was why it wasn’t impactful at the time. It wasn’t just because it didn’t travel well as a parody claimed Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg but, and call this my theory, it was among a changing era in hero films. 

I brought up Kick-Ass because that and Megamind existed at a time where the campiness of superhero films slowly shifted to the desire of realism. Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was well over, The Dark Knight hooked a billion’s worth of an audience, and the MCU was just getting its footing but Iron Man nonetheless sent the message that live action heroes can be real and can be good. Superhero campiness wasn’t completely gone, but it’s clear in the early 2010s that Hollywood wanted to go a different direction with heroes. Despicable Me, even when it existed around the same time as Megamind, was not so much a hero/villain film but a family comedy in spite of the similarities, that’s why it got as big as it did. 

Only to fuck up after the 1st film, but we’re not discussing that 

Again, Megamind's a hero film through & through, but released when I guess we wanted heroes to feel more serious. It didn’t help that most of the homespun idiotic hivemind that are the critics at the time couldn’t see the forest for the trees and lambasted it as a “been there, done that” film. As good as everyone now says about the film, the odds were stacked against Megamind from the start.

but who’s to say time worsens relevance

This equates to the real gem of Megamind. It’s not that we’ve come to see what it actually said after some time, what tropes it challenges, but understand why it works on its own. I feel the best comic book films, the best hero films, embrace what they are even when its goofy looking. Megamind is one of the few superhero films that truly loves being a superhero film. That’s why its popularity boosted as later as it did. After having our fill of both the MCU and DCEU, for better or worse, it was just nice to look back on a film that yeah, didn’t shy away from using common bells and whistles, but did it with such gusto that it’s really hard to say it was all just a spoof.

Looking back, I can wish that things were different. If released in, say, 2019 we could’ve gotten that sequel as its popularity would’ve surely been recognized. Probably wouldn’t have stood before Spider-verse I suppose, but give and take. Same time, I don’t mind that it released when it did cuz after everything, it earned its last laugh.

It made being bad feel so good