#overall it is a great movie though and very very captivating

[willedeservesbetter]

The dog in "Anatomy of a Fall" winning the Palm Dog at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, is by far my favorite movie trivia of all time.

[marimayscarlett]

Another list of unrealistic wishes for the 2024 tour

Back at it again with the delusional takes and here to make it everyone elses problem - a very warm welcome to volume 2 of our wishes for the upcoming Rammstein tour ✨ This time again carefully put together by @wizzardclown @gothtoast and me, with additional wonderful influences by my dear @m---e---l. Thank you ladies 🤍

(Read our first list here and please consider checking out the great suggestions in the notes!)

Set list and concert organisation in general

first up, the question of the supporting act: -> either not happening in general, since none of us actually want to endure another round of the piano tinkling, so we though about this concept:

This way, we get an even longer concert with no distraction from the pure Rammstein sound.

-> or, another idea which came to mind: to celebrate the literary-genius Flake, he could give us a reading of one of his books before the concert, lighten up the mood and feeding the masses with entertaining facts. Additionally, Richard could play some piano in the background during it, for dramatic effect (like the piano accompaniment during silent movies back in the old days).

Opener for the concert this year: 'Haifisch'. Would be an amazing and appreciative nod towards the fans in regards to the support the band was shown last year.

'Zwitter': a banger to set the sexual ambiguous mood for the evening.

'Mein Land': Not sure if they every played this one live, but it would be a fitting song to get some summer vibes going.

for sunset rather fittingly 'Sonne'.

Off to the first proper segment, welcome to the 👻haunting hour👻: fitting for the upcoming night time, a creepy conglomerate consisting of: -> 'Wilder Wein' (I could write a whole chapter about this song, it's so captivating), followed by 'Spieluhr' -> 'Hilf mir': perfect for some new haunting stage show (maybe as a replacement for 'Puppe'; or to quote @wizzardclown: 'When in doubt, set Flake on fire') -> 'Heirate mich': preferably with some 'sliding on his knees/a rolling board'-Till -> to end this phase with a classic: 'Du riechst so gut' is an absolute MUST.

following: 'Rein Raus', some relaxing ASMR to lighten the mood.

Welcome to the next section: 🔥Some like it hot🔥, consisting of: -> 'Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen': camera focus has to be on Schneider. -> 'Asche zu Asche' with burning mics (!). -> 'Du hast' with its fire rockets (my favourite pyro in the whole concert) because no Rammstein concert can exist without this song, that's a physical law, and additionally Richard would be sad if he couldn't play it. -> 'Engel' preferably with the iconic wings (poor Till really has to go all in during this concert).

as a moment to take a breather: Mutter.

'Deutschland': a song we all wait for, with a huge meaning, just overall a perfect piece - yet no remix this time, since we need the time to slide right into the next phase of the concert:

💗questionable on-stage actions and homoerotica galore💗, consisting of: -> 'Mein Teil', with dilf dad-dance moves AND several guitarist kisses (what better moment than the dick eating song for it) -> 'Zick Zack' with at least some sort of elaborate costumes, -> 'Feuerräder', for the perfect vibe with Flake riding on Till's back, neon tube ready to knock seven bells out of his tormentor (justice for Flake), additionally maybe Oliver skating with his roller skates which emit flames in the background and more guitarist kisses

after this breathtaking segment, how about some 'Anna'-sing along! Scream the name of your fave on the top of your lungs and show your love for him 💘

finally some unrealistic (as if the whole list isn't a fever dream already) wishes : 'Eifersucht' and 'Fellfrosch'. To finally give Olli's sick bass lines the stage they deserve 😤

2. some more outfit ideas

long hair Schneider with his handband, because this was a look:

leg belts for Richard 🖤

and last but not least, this is a PSA: If Frau Schneider makes an appearance and decides to grace us with her presence, consider everything on this list to be obsolete. Seeing the mother again would be the greatest joy of all, we don't need anything more 🙇🏼‍♀️🙏🏼

[spacepunksupreme]

hii hannah! i consider you a 007 expert, so i wondered if you could recommend which bond movie i should watch, like in which is he the sluttiest whumpiest bitch ever?👀👀

Ooooooough okay first off, thank you lol I’m so honored.

Short answer: I think you might enjoy Pierce Brosnan’s Bond the best, he gets beat down a lot but his movies still have a good balance of goofy/serious. He is also drenched in water with hilarious frequency, truly wet and pathetic. And definitely the sluttiest Bond to me.

Therefore I’d recommend Goldeneye (1995) ! The main villain has the most “you wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid” feelings towards Bond, and his right hand (arm. man.) henchwoman’s whole deal is that she loves to crush men to death with her thighs which she subjects Bond to at least twice lol.

Long answer: I’ll also rec a few others with various Bond actors though so you can like pick your choice of vibe and intensity if Goldeneye doesn’t seem like your thing since the Bond franchise covers the entire range of silly to serious. Under the cut vvv

Unfortunately some of Pierce Brosnan’s truly sluttiest moments are in his two shittiest movies lol. That being said if you really just wanna have fun seeing Bond get tossed around and don’t care as much about the quality of the plot then you could also check out The World is Not Enough (1999) or Die Another Day (2002). The World is Not Enough has a great torture scene where he’s put in a ridiculous strangulation device while the villainess sits on his lap. and Die Another Day also has Bond captured and tortured in the first thirty minutes, the opening song is literally intercut with clips of him getting like sexily tortured lmao. Completely ridiculous. And post-rescue he spends a good chunk of time in hospital jammies with scruffy grown-out hair and beard getting scolded by M.

As for other Bonds:

Dr. No (1962) the very first Bond movie, actually has some pretty good scenes of Bond getting beat down. He gets knocked unconscious like at least twice, beat by henchmen, and drugged and undressed/redressed (the old pajama treatment lol) then creepily stared at in bed by the villain lol. And has a great scene where he has to crawl through a hot steam vent to escape imprisonment. Sean Connery’s Bond is the most macho though so he’s pretty stoic through it all. Somewhat slutty but not very pathetic lol.

If you wanna check out Roger Moore, The Spy Who Loved (1977) me has a pretty great fight scene in which Bond is just getting tossed around a train car by Jaws, a villain twice his size with metal teeth that he tries to bite Bond to death with lol. I personally think Roger Moore was like actually a little scared filming this scene with a man so much larger than him because he has the most animated facial expressions I’ve ever seen on him lmao. Jaws’ hand fits over his entire face and he does just grab Bond by the face more than once.

Timothy Dalton in License to Kill (1989) has a pretty good scene where he’s taken captive by the villain and given the pajama treatment as well (I believe you’ve seen the clip I’ve posted of this before lol). And gets knocked around pretty good in some of the other fight scenes throughout. Overall it’s only a decent movie though I think.

Lastly if you want to see Bond truly, truly tortured. Daniel Craig definitely gets beat up the most in general out of any of the Bonds lol, he gets nicely bloodied and disheveled in pretty much every fight scene, and Casino Royale (2006) has the uh, infamous cock and ball torture scene. The whole works in this scene: captured, stripped naked, beaten + he’s going through the entire emotional range from screaming to laughing hysterically through the pain. It’s extremely brutal though. I knew about this scene going in but it was still way more intense than I expected. Zero goofiness.

[carewyncromwell]

"What do you think?"

"...I think you're...very beautiful."

"I should hope so. And just who might you be? What are you doing here?"

x~x~x~x

Yay, Halloween is almost here! And my "movie character costume" for Carewyn and Jacob's aunt Pearl Cromwell is definitely a combo breaker. Although all of my other entries in this series have featured dressing my characters up as animated movie characters, I decided on a live action movie villain for Pearl -- specifically Mombi from one of my favorite underrated childhood movies, Return to Oz! (As a side, it was bloody impossible to find good quality still image references for this dress!! I had to simplify it quite a bit simply because I had so little to work with.)

Honestly, when it came to thinking of a costume for Pearl, I was kind of at a loss, in the beginning. Both Pearl and Claire are decidedly more subservient to Charles's will than even fellow Clan member Blaise is, considering that Claire is such a passive and ignorant character and Pearl follows him out of a misguided sense of honor -- so casting either of them as incredibly powerful, malevolent, self-focused Disney villains like Ursula or Maleficent seemed incredibly out-of-place. And yet even more "realistic" villains like Mother Gothel seemed more in-line with Blaise personality-wise, since Pearl's style of parenting tends to lean more on sternness and stoicism ("just suck it up and stop complaining," basically), rather than manipulation and feigned, cloying affection. Even Lady Tremaine, who I definitely eyed for a while, didn't come across as that great a match for Pearl, since she's never been the sort to want to social-climb through her children or otherwise, nor is she the sort to get any satisfaction from her subjugation and abuse of others, instead being much more the type to justify it as a necessary evil.

What really shifted gears in my head was finding a villain that looked more like Pearl, and Mombi immediately came to mind, since her original head has reddish curls just like how I imagine Pearl's, although quite a bit shorter and lighter in color. (Mombi's hair actually better resembles mine, funnily enough!!) And then yeah, I made the connection -- Mombi in Oz may be incredibly intimidating in her own way, but she's ultimately subservient to the real mastermind, the Nome King -- just as Pearl is subservient to the mastermind in her storyline, her father Charles. Mombi is perfectly willing to keep a child captive in a mirror on the Nome King's direction -- just as Pearl arguably keeps her own children, Arsen and Kain, inside the stifling Cromwell Manor because Charles is determined not to "lose" any other family members like he did Lane. And in the Real World, Mombi's non-magical counterpart -- Nurse Wilson -- is a very cold, stoic, oftentimes cruelly dutiful character who still betrays a tiny shred of humanity, since she does actually jump into a rushing river to try to rescue Dorothy at one point and looks genuinely distraught (maybe for the sake of her job, but also perhaps sincerely) when it looks like Dorothy is going to drown. This too is very "Pearl" to me: she can come across as heartless a lot of the time, but she isn't pure evil. Admittedly Pearl isn't as vain as Mombi by a long-shot, but hey, can't win 'em all.

I decided to base the head in Pearl's hands on her deceased mother Marilyn, just as a little shout-out to the rest of the Cromwell line. And well, that kind of macabre touch is very true to the film, that's for sure! Return to Oz overall is a movie I know a lot of people see as nightmare fuel, especially in comparison to MGM's The Wizard of Oz, which it tries to be a sequel to but doesn't match in tone at all. For me personally, though, I loved both films as a kid and I still do -- I like the MGM film for its music, dancing, and innocence, Return to Oz for its real sense of danger and darker, more book-accurate whimsy, and both for the unique and likable characters they created.

Coming very soon: our last two main Cromwell Clan members, Claire and Charles, to finish off these Halloween sketches for the year!

[spaceorphan18]

D - better actor or musician?

Oohh, I assume you mean Darren Criss?

This is a hard question because I have pros and cons for each?

I will say, off the bat, that the best thing Darren does is be an overall performer. Darren has this kind of charisma that draws you in - and regardless of what he's doing on stage (or on screen) he has the ability to kind of make you watch him. (Seeing him live, I can say this is more prominent in person, actually.) And that's a real skill. The ability to draw focus and have it all be on you... he's really quite captivating.

Is he a good actor? Mostly, yes. So, the first problem is that he doesn't have a whole lot of screen credits to his name and a lot of the stuff he's done isn't that great of quality in the first place. That Kristen Wiig movie and that Italian thing? I can't judge his acting cause those projects weren't good in the first place.

I think it takes him a little while to grow into Blaine -- but there are moments on Glee that he just downright is amazing. That scene of Teenage Dream Acoustic? It's perfection - and one of the best acting moments on the show. He's also pretty skilled at comedy - and can deliver some great stuff really well.

Also, I think the Versace mini he did pretty well, too. I can't say that I was 100% convinced by him playing a serial killer (not the way Evan Peters downright terrifies me in just about any role). But the last few episodes (again when he had the most time to settle into the role) he was amazing, and I do think he deserved the Emmy for it.

Is he a good musician? This is a little harder? He understands music very well. I think he writes music very well. I think he talks about and listens to music intelligently, and I always love hearing him discuss it, because he knows what he's doing.

I think, though, he's slightly limited as a vocal performer - as he's said himself, his range is limited, and he has a tendency to be out of tune or forget the lyrics or isn't always on par with greats. But I think (as I said above) his charisma and stage presence make up for what his vocal ability sometimes lacks.

That said - I do love the sound of his voice, and I think the charm he often adds into his own music (especially his acoustic stuff) makes up for his vocal limitations.

So, yeah, I don't know if I can make a decision one way or the other. I would like to see him act in more quality projects, and I do think he continues to grow as a musician, so either way, I'm good. :)

[insanely-lovely-and-random]

I saw the movie too. And honestly I didn't watch the trailers and only knew that the plot was a tennis movie with a love drama between the 3. From the general hype, it seemed like Zendaya was the main character and the plot would revolve around her. But in the end it turned out to be a little different. I definitely felt the chemistry between the 3 of them, but honestly the chemistry between Patrick and Art is the best part. And I was so happy for their hug and smiles at the end. I wish I knew what was in store for them next. (in my dreams they are together). Overall I enjoyed the dynamic. Sports movies always have the hardest time showing the sport in an interesting way, lol. But they succeeded. The actors are great, but because of the hype I expected more from Zendaya, but honestly her acting is the same everywhere for me and here she was even overacting somewhere. Her distorted face and screaming almost ruined the whole impression of the finale for me. In fact, all the attention was stolen by Josh and his Patrick. I don't think this movie is one of those that I will want to revisit again. But overall it wasn't bad.

I did see the trailers and I still thought it would be Zendaya focused haha! I loved that it was really a story about all three of them equally, they have a very captivating dynamic and like you said chemistry.

I also really loved that end shot it was beauitful and same hun, Art and Patrick are my dream goal haha but I do love a good open ending, leaves the viewer to decide so we can have it any way we like 😎

I'm very hit and miss with sports movies, the ones I enjoy best focus more on the people and story than tbe sport and this one I thinks the same. But boy did that soundtrack and zany camera work help me enjoy those actual tennis sequences!

I'll say Zendayas character was the most one note for me which did mean I was more interest in Art and Patrick (though to my surprise Patrick alone really stole the show for me) But I think the scenes with all three of them really bring something exciting and palpable to the screen!

If I love a film I always like to see it at least 2 - 3 times in cinemas so I'm going again tonight haha. I'm excited for a second viewing to see if my views hold up and just really take in the movie again!

[agentnico]

Wicked Little Letters (2024) review

I’d love to receive a rude foul-mouthed letter through the post. I’d have a hoot reading it. People in the 1920s took things too personally. Then again, people take things too personally nowadays also. I guess nothing has changed then.

Plot: When people in Littlehampton, including conservative local Edith, begin to receive letters full of hilarious profanities, rowdy Irish migrant Rose is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town's women investigate.

In the vain of the recent Banshees of Inisherin, yet again there is foul mouthed disagreement between the neighbouring common folk on the British Isles. Ironic indeed it is that the English culture is both built on good manners with the ‘gentleman’ ideology having originated from here, and at the same time it is not hard to imagine a person throwing the F-bomb at any given moment or in general succumb to crude profanities. As such, I would like to tip my hat to the British public for succeeding at both being the most polite and rude society at the same time. And with Wicked Little Letters, you can expect that exact abundant share of cussing and effing, with the letters themselves featuring some very entertaining playful insults. That being said, though in the trailers this was marketed as a comedy, the jokes take a back-seat for the most part and what we have instead is a mystery tale, only instead of a whodunnit it’s a who-wrote-it.

This story is truly captivating as you try and guess who is the one behind these obscene letters, and additionally the main characters are all given many layers to them that I never felt bored. As stated, though there are some funny moments here and there, I would not say this is a particularly hilarious film, but more so a drama with an interesting plot and some solid performances to boat. Again, the mystery was really engaging throughout, and aside of some pacing issues with the movie getting too slow at times, I found myself invested at all times.

Olivia Colman is great. I mean she’s always been great, ever since Peep Show, but now even as an Academy Award winning actress she never gives a lazy performance. Her character Edith is very complex and there’s a lot going on with her inner struggles, and Colman managed to really showcase the awkward eccentricities in this role, and as always I was impressed. Jessie Buckley on top form also as the expressive Rose, and she’s absolutely eclectic however I do think she was a bit too similar to her rowdy single mum role in Wild Rose. Anjana Vasan was amusingly deadpan as the woman cop fighting the case, and Timothy Spall was truly despicable and horrid as Edith’s father, really exhibiting the controlling and demented nature of his character, and pushing forward the feminist message of the movie.

Wicked Little Letters is a simple and enjoyable little British film, that is in no way groundbreaking, but for an easy Saturday evening watch it’s perfectly entertaining, and though the jokes are more of a miss than a hit, the central mystery and performances elevate this to a suitably watchful experience.

Overall score: 6/10

[average-guy-reviews]

The Creator (2023)

"As a future war between the human race and artificial intelligence rages on, ex-special forces agent Joshua is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI. The Creator has developed a mysterious weapon that has the power to end the war and all of mankind. As Joshua and his team of elite operatives venture into enemy-occupied territory, they soon discover the world-ending weapon is actually an AI in the form of a young child."

Most of the time when I go and see a film that's exactly what it is, a film, or a movie. Sometimes it's a 'great film', and sometimes it's a 'decent movie'. Very, very rarely do I ever sit and watch a piece of work in the cinema and feel like I have watched art. This is one of those rare occasions. The Creator, by Gareth Edwards, is, for me, a flawless film.

Starting with the cinematography....it is a beautiful film. From start to finish, I believe in and am captivated by the world of this motion picture. The CGI is a huge part of that and, and may be some of the purest and most dynamic I have ever seen. It's not big and flashy, and in your face, like a lot of films.....and if it had been I think it would have ruined the aesthetic of what I was watching. Instead, the CGI works to enhance the realism of the images, and that is what it should do. We should be able to look at a film and say, "Yeah, obviously it's not real, but damn it looks like it bloody well is!!", and in most cases? We simply can't. In this you can genuinely believe that all of the robots are real. If I bumped into one on the street I wouldn't be put out by its apparent uniqueness. I'm no expert, but I can find no faults in the cinematography, from my perspective anyway.

The story is really well written. Like a lot of films it lifts bits and pieces from other aspects of cinema, and I saw reminders of films like Platoon, I Robot, A.I. and Blade Runner, to name just a few. Yet they didn't stand out as blaring additions. They were weaved into the narrative seamlessly, with just enough of a nod that they could be noticed but not overwhelm the scenes. I feel like the writers did an outstanding job and deserve any and all plaudits they are likely to get.

The performances throughout were simply brilliant, with quick shouts to Gemma Chan as Maya, Alison Janney as Colonel Howell, Ken Watanabe as Harun, and Amar Chadha-Patel as multiple simulants. This story was essentially the tale of a man and a child, played by John David Washington (as Joshua) and Madeleine Yuna Voyles (as Alphie). The relationship that was built between these two on set is obvious, and that clearly helped with the performances. They worked together so simply, and yet with such an elegance that it almost comes across as though Yuna has known David her whole life. The on-screen relationship builds from a rocky start. Joshua is, after, all out to destroy the 'weapon' that turns out to be Alphie. No spoilers, but any relationship on screen changes, as does that of Alphie and Joshua. Every performance was on point and should be recognised.

Overall, as the attached image says, I find this to be a flawless film. I can not find any faults, and so it can not get anything other than a perfect score. I know some people feel like there are issues with the timeline, but to them I say simply watch it again and count the days. There are no big jumps. The main body of the story takes place over a few days. It does all make sense. I promise. It's getting a maximum of 5/5, with a recommendation to everyone to go and see it. I'm certain everyone will get something from it.

[shoceted]

have you ever made a ranking for each of the kamen rider seasons you've watched? which one is best for newbies, which one is your secret favourite, which one made you cry etc

i have made a ranking actually! i have a tier list that i very rarely share publicly because there's some spicy takes on there. but here's some thoughts on each season i've completed at this time because you gave me the excuse anon >:]

ryuki: i... really wish i liked ryuki more. i respect it immensely for what it did for the franchise and i think it's got themes, which is more than i can say of some seasons. but for the most part i ahhhhh... didn't love it? it's not my least favorite season i don't think but it isn't one that i'm going to revisit any time soon. i do love ren and shinji though; as a known sucker for a grumpy/sunshine primary/secondary red/blue pair they got me and they got me hard. i definitely am going to write some renshinji someday. and those last two episodes are some good fucking television. but overall ehhhh. i really do wish i liked it more though if only to fit in with everyone else :( (and it's not just the fact that it's heisei phase 1 that's the issue bc i'm loving decade and blade so far! and kiva also is there!). but yeah at this time my favorite ryuki is the one from japanese boy band mazzel stream carnival

double: DUB E X CRIME N THE CITY! i fucking loved w. it's just straight up damn good toku. and it literally took a single episode preview for terui ryu in all his stupid wet cat angstiness to captivate me forever. a single episode preview. like i will always remember finishing the 1st arc, seeing the episode preview for ryu's first episode right after, and being like "fuck" even though i intended to leave off there for the day and watched his first two episodes. DAMN U SECONDARY RIDER SYNDROME. i do think w would be a great place to start getting into rider tbh because it's just so good!!!!!!! i don't even have a lot to say about it but not in a bad way. it's just really really good. watch w. and make it soon. if you have not already. love is strong girls go on

ooo: so one thing you should understand is that i am literally watching ooo right now. like i'm sitting on my couch typing this and also watching episode 19 of kamen rider ooo. i legit watch through the entire second arc all the time. i think it's a very close second or third for my favorite season ever. eiji at the very least is tied for my favorite primary ever and that's saying a lot considering how much i love my other favorite primary ever. (which we'll get into.) ankh is just like me fr and i am going to eat his gender and HINA. BEST GIRL. 10/10. the very first ooo fic i started working on after watching this show (which i might fuck around and try to finish at some point even) is from her pov!!!!!! because i love her. AND DATE AKIRA IS THE MAN EVER (AND THE LEAST REPRESSED SECONDARY CONGRATION YOU DONE IT). the story the comedy the action the epic highs and lows of a hippie and his underwear and of a bird and his ice pops and of a girl and her brother and GAHHHHH. i love this show so so so much. i would absolutely start with ooo if i could go back in time. and i did not secretly cry, i cried a lot. openly. i want to make my boss watch it. i love ooo. i've been trying to design a hawktigergrasshopper shirt for months. i am literally watching kamen rider ooo right now and i will until i go to bed. you count the medals one two and three life goes on anything goes coming up ooo [i start crying]

fourze: my first exposure to kisaragi gentaro was when i watched heisei generations final for the first time, where i promptly freaked the fuck out because holy shit it's fuckin fukushi sota jesus christ jesse eisenberg moment. i actually watched one fourze movie (the winter one, bc i'm a h!p fan and manoeri is there. nadeshiko my beloved) long before i'd seen the series and forgot this. anyway i watched fourze in... like february-march i think? and i ADORED IT. kengo/gentaro is a top tier rider ship and i also have a wip of them that someday i will finish. the kamen rider club is SO GOOD (tomoko and jk are both just like me fr and miu!!! aka tomoyo sepakoi!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm the only person who liked that show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and meteor's suit is so pretty and fuck man the power of fucking friendship. i cried at fourze too. it took me like two hours to watch the two-parter where gentaro gets his final form. i love this show man. it makes me look up at the moon and think about happy things. my space kids. FOURZE YEAH!

wizard: so unfortunately i have the popular opinion that wizard is really long and poorly paced, especially towards the end. but that's straight up my only criticism of it. like that's it. i put wizard in the "free therapy" tier of my list initially but then moved it to "free therapy but you're a little bit high." haruto is a fucking excellent primary rider who i adore he's so my type i hate it here and like it makes me want to rewatch good morning call bc shiraishi shunya pretty and nitou... is definitely the character ever. to quote my own joke it's like one of the writers watched indiana jones on shrooms and had the idea to create the secondary of all time. (it's been like 10 years since the end of wizard do u think he's figured out that he's into haruto yet.) and RINKO MY GOD and koyomi... koyomi/haruto is proof het rider ships can also dissolve your bones... but most importantly. NARA SHUNPEI. HE IS JUST LIKE ME FR. lowkey highkey kinning him from his very first episode. i love that man. he just wants 2 be useful and you know what me too. but yeah so WAY too long but definitely good idc what anyone says; i ain't gonna hate a show that has the same moral as no pressure by novel core.

gaim: HEY SO DON'T START WITH GAIM. DON'T DO IT. DO NOT START WITH KAMEN RIDER GAIM. I AM SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE. GET LIKE A FEW MORE SEASONS UNDER YOUR BELT AND THEN WATCH GAIM. i am speaking from experience. okay. now i feel like gaim has a negative reputation nowadays. BUT. despite popular belief gaim is not peak sexism in kamen rider (like dude... kiva. what the fuck.) so that is that myth busted; also the ending is so beautiful and tragic but overall good if you dedicate some thought to it! and the characters are fucking wonderful! like in any other show i wouldn't care about zack and he's like in the eternally rotating top 3 gaim characters for me. i fucking adore kamen rider gaim. it's about growing up and it's about fighting against your oppressors and it's about pokemon go and dance crews, what could possibly go wrong. like as much as i hate micchy (which is a lot bc he reminds me of my toxic ex rip <3) i can't deny that he's an incredibly well-written character. kouta is an excellent primary and his journey throughout the series breaks your heart, but isn't that what growing up does? takatora is such a well-executed character that it's fun to watch other people react to how the show makes your opinion on him change. and god, kumon kaito has been giving me brain worms since 2015-2018. crimson lotus of misfortune, tragic banana boy, would-be tyrant, gay ass. no matter what anyone says, he's a great character. bananaorange is one of my favorite rider ships ever; it's either tied for first or a close second depending on the moment. and MAI. mai!!!! ray of light. if she was a tarot card she'd be the star. i love that girl. but DON'T START HERE JUST LIVE MORE

drive: so my plan for this year is all of heisei phase 2 + decade and i watched drive pretty early because i knew i would have complicated feelings on it, because i'm black and i'm never comfortable with positive portrayals of cops in fiction. and i was... kind of right. like there are things i loved about drive (heart. namely. fucking adore heart. had me from the moment he said "that roidmude might have been a monster to you but to me he was my friend." i love love love heart so much. he was my lockscreen for MONTHS this year.). i think that everything after episode 40 or so is great. and i relate to gou as much as i relate to shunpei, except in the opposite direction, so him suffering and breaking down and dying of flowers and stuff is really easy, and also fun. and CHASE. he is the fictional character that i think of when i read the word babygirl. but it's also... like... a show where cops are out to kill an entire species... and that makes me uncomfortable. and i abhor that fucking belt. like spoilers but you see a man getting tortured and you just LEAVE???????? THIS IS YOUR FAULT AND ALSO WHY DO YOU NEVER TELL KIRIKO ANYTHING. AND ALSO, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVE. seriously drive would have been p e a k if they weren't cops and kiriko was drive. i also wish heart and shin had more homoerotic tension with each other cause idk i would have liked to see it? anyway. drive. fwiw i think the way it ends is way worse than the way gaim ends, so :) spicy take for the day i suppose. so relationship status it's complicated. also i think shin is boring .

ghost: MY FRIENDS BORN IN THE SAME ERA AS ME WE THINK THEREFORE WE ARE!!!!! I LOVED GHOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! like seriously if wizard is no pressure ghost is jenga and to complete the trio of novel core therapy songs ooo is thanks all my tears and i'm always a sucker for media where the moral is that life is short and sometimes painful, but it's beautiful, and it's yours, and that's why you should see it through to the end. ghost genuinely makes me want to keep living. I LOVED GHOST. the pacing problems aren't a problem at all if you're not watching week to week i swear. takeruuuuuu my sweet baby my son who i raised myself. also nishime shun is super cute and only like a year older than me,,, i'm fine takeru is such a good boy and if you hate him you will die and go to hell. makoala my boys. they sure are gay aren't they. anyway i'm always a slut for older brothers so i love makoto and if alan was red instead of green i would want to eat his gender. and kanon is so precious but AKARI GOD DAMN IT I LOVE HER SO MUCH. PRETTY SCIENCE LADY IS ALWAYS MY TYPE. but i cannot pursue her because takeru/akari is one of my favorite rider ships ever and fuck you toei they're so fucking married by now. they have to be!!!!!! i refuse to live in a world where they're not! so they're married. thank you. they're also criminally underrated and i think i'm gonna publish my first het rider fic about them because they are so fuckign cute. goodnight. ghost is great. episode 6, my god, one of my favorites in all of rider. AND THE BELT NOISES. COCAINE IN THEM.

ex-aid: so my best friend in the whole world jack (hiiiiiii jack if you read this i love you) had been telling me to watch ex-aid for about two years before i watched it and now i know why: ex-aid has a disease in it and i don't just mean the bugster virus. ex-aid gives you a disease called ex-aid disease where you can't stop thinking about ex-aid. it infects you from the moment you watch it for the first time. symptoms include telling other people to watch ex-aid. watch ex-aid. i listen to excite at least once a day from monday to thursday on my way to work. i have one (1) gashat (tokimeki crisis for my wife who i am married to and is my wife, poppy pipopapo) and it is one of my greatest treasures. i. love. ex-aid. I LOVE EX-AID. kagami fucking hiiro god damn it, i should've known that the scene in sepakoi where kaneda cries would've had a lasting impact on my psyche because wow that boy can cry and be repressed about shit LIKE HIS GIANT CRUSH ON EMU WHICH HE SO HAS, MR. BL ASS SETO TOSHIKI GLOOMY GAY SADBOI. cough. i truly love all the characters though. it's just that kagami hiiro permanently altered my brain chemistry. the adhd lets me write gou and the autism lets me write hiiro. he's like my fucking muse. just god ex-aid is great the belt noises are great the suits are great the villains are great the soundtrack is great my wife is there (poppy) taddle legacy is my favorite final form ever and god it's such a beautiful fucking show. i miss takahashi shit like this because it's genuinely hard to believe geats was written by the same guy. i adore ex-aid. now would i start with ex-aid. no. do i know people who started with ex-aid. yes. but maybe once you've got a little early heisei phase 2 under your belt dive into the god damn gamer doctors. i'm on a mission right now. EX-AID. STREAM PEOPLE GAME

build: so build was my second season of rider, which i watched in late 2020-early 2021... aka when cherry magic was airing. i fucking loved cherry magic and i'll always be grateful for it because lmfttf was a really important fic in my personal fic writing history. but this is not about magic virgins this is about build which... really is another ryuki to me, but it's above ryuki for now because it really is enjoyable and akaso eiji is there and everything, but i don't feel very passionately about it. now when i first watched it i was ~*depressed*~ so that might be part of it, but it didn't have the power to bring me out of that depression that the season i'm going to talk about next does. it just was something i watched and then had watched. be the one's a great song though and the story is really good objectively. i'm also... about to commit sacrilege but it's fine here goes i'm not really into best match as a pairing??????? it doesn't feel as organic as some other rider ships and that sours me on it. while meanwhile you have shit like renshinji where it was 2002 or whatever and that changes my brain chemistry because oh! you genuinely were supposed to read this as friendship! while best match is like. explicitly bait for fujos. like advertised about being about heated drama between men, as opposed to naturally produced heated drama between men. but i did like it and i even have one of the best match rings (with the other with jack). no complaints about the story. but it's not something i'm super into. but they say it's a good place to start for a reason.

revice: so tl;dr at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 i was super depressed for a whole bunch of reasons. and then one summer day i found out that japanese pop singer and member of girl group beyooooonds maeda kokoro's older brother was the guy who was gonna star in the next season of kamen rider. so i decided to give it a shot. i genuinely just decided to give it a shot because of that. and it saved my fucking life. at first it was just that it was miles away from the aforementioned bunch of reasons i was depressed, something to look forward to every week that just didn't have anything to do with it. i'm a sucker for any tokusatsu show that's family-themed, so 8-10 did insane things to my brain chemistry. but really it had me from episode one. because ikki. igarashi fucking ikki my beloved. a fictional character has genuinely never gripped me like this. i literally buy merch of him every time i get paid. he is so special to me because his story was exactly what i needed to hear, and also because he's the prettiest guy on earth, my god. he's so my type that it's like he was created in a lab. i love igarashi ikki so much that actually we're married. like yeah does revice has problems? is the theme song not good? does the behind the scenes stuff & presence of kimura subaru (and again i'm black) make me uncomfortable? YES!!! BUT I ALSO LOVE THIS SHOW! it is a reason that i am alive and typing this right now! kamen rider revice is extremely special to me and my favorite season of rider ever. i don't know what could ever take its place. i love it so much. i collect vistamps of past seasons i've watched (eagle and jackal are next and i already have kamakiri and kong). the music aside from livedevil is fucking wonderful, the spinoffs are wonderful, heated drama between WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BETWEEN WOMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a show that means so much to me and is so close to my heart. i love it so much and it's unmatched and it probably always will be. i'm so glad i watched it. thank you, past me.

[yesterdanereviews]

Sharktopus (2023)

Film review #607

Directors: Hu Dong-Sheng, Shixing Xu

SYNOPSIS: When a huge octopus washes up dead on the shore, Scientist Dr. Jingya Fan, who was working on the project to create it, abandons the project. The financial backer, Mr. Chen, is not impressed with this, and kidnaps her son to force her to continue her research in secret aboard his ship. When the shark-octopus (sharktopus) hybrid research subject escapes from captivity, the lives of the crew and passengers are put in danger, and must stop the sharktopus before it's too late...

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Sharktopus is a 2023 sci-fi film. technically a remake of the 2010 TV movie Sharktopus, it bears no resemblance to it other than the title, and a titular shark-octopus hybrid. At the start, a giant octopus washes up on shore (while crushing some passers by), which it turns out is a research project led by Dr. Jingya Fan and financed by the mysterious Mr. Chen. Fan leaves the project, but Mr. Chen blackmails her to return by kidnapping her son in order to get her to develop a cure for multiple sclerosis, which is what her son has as well as the new test subject: A shark-octopus hybrid, or "sharktopus" if you will. Dr. Fan is taken to a cruise ship that secretly houses a research laboratory where she can do her work, but Interpol raid the ship to arrest Mr. Chen at the same time as the Sharktopus escapes from confinement, and so everyone is searching for a way to survive and stop the monster. The film certainly has a lot more going on than the original Sharktopus film, but that's not hard, as it barely had a story at all; just scenes of women in bikinis at the beach stitched together. This remake is essentially just a typical horror movie though, with the cast trying to avoid getting hunted down by the monster. There's not really any gore or jump scares, so the film just focuses on the cast and their trying to survive.

The film does get quite complicated, and there's a lot going on with the characters: you have Dr. Fan trying to save her son, then you have a team of Interpol agents raiding the ship, and one of them just so happens to be Dr. Fan's ex-partner and the Father to her son. The whole story and all the different characters do make things quite convoluted towards the end, so we don't get much focus on the monster as we perhaps should. Also, none of the kills are really creative or exciting either: the action is very ill-paced, and we don't see enough of the Sharktopus to make it an interesting centrepiece for the film.

The effects in the film are a mixed bag. They are fairly detailed, including the Sharktopus itself, but the CG doesn't blend in too well, and it looks a bit odd in motion. It definitely could have been worse, but it's not great either. The film does offer a bit of a twist at the end, but again, since the film doesn't really create much tension, and is all over the place, it doesn't really feel like it has too much consequence. Overall, Sharktopus has the honour of being better than the film it is based on, but that's a very small accomplishment given the state of the 2010 film. While the film does try and build characters and give them motivation, it's very limited, and it doesn't offer anything exciting in terms of being a monster film, with lacklustre horror, action and/or gore. I suppose the 2010 film at least had a self-awareness that it was silly, but this 2023 version really takes itself seriously, without the stronger plot and production to back that up.

[studio52sblog]

Are Timelapse Videos The Right Fit For Your Brand

In the rapidly evolving digital world of today, brands are always looking for fresh approaches to enthrall consumers and set themselves apart from rivals. Timelapse videos, which provide a distinctive viewpoint on a variety of topics and events, have become a popular and captivating visual storytelling technique. However, do timelapse films suit your brand well? We’ll go over the advantages, things to think about, and best practices for using timelapse video production services to improve your brand’s visibility in Kuwait in this extensive guide.

Understanding Timelapse Videos:

It’s critical to comprehend timelapse films and their operation before determining whether or not they are appropriate for your brand. We’ll go over the foundations of timelapse photography and videography, including how to gradually accumulate a sequence of still photos and compile them into a smooth movie clip.

Benefits of Timelapse Videos for Brands:

The use of timelapse films can improve your brand’s visual content strategy in several special ways. We’ll talk about the many uses of timelapse videos, including how they may draw in viewers, emphasize dynamic processes or events, elicit strong feelings from viewers, and set your business apart from rivals.

Considerations for Using Timelapse Videos:

Even though timelapse films have a striking and captivating visual aesthetic, not every company or marketing goal will benefit from them. We’ll go over key factors like budget, production time, topic matter, and audience preferences to take into account when determining whether to use timelapse films in your brand’s content strategy.

Best Practices for Creating Timelapse Videos:

Producing captivating timelapse videos takes meticulous preparation, execution, and focus on details. We’ll go over the best ways to take steady camera support, optimize exposure settings, choose the proper subject matter, choose the right interval and duration, and post-processing procedures for producing high-quality timelapse footage.

Examples of Successful Timelapse Videos:

We will provide examples of successful timelapse campaigns from a variety of industries to demonstrate the potency of timelapse videos in brand promotion. These examples show how timelapse videos can improve brand storytelling and effectively engage consumers, from documenting the development of great buildings to showing the natural beauty of landscapes.

Integrating Timelapse Videos into Your Brand Strategy:

After you’ve determined that timelapse videos are a suitable fit for your company, we’ll talk about how to include them in your overall content and marketing plan. We will offer suggestions for optimizing the impact and efficacy of timelapse videos, regardless of whether you’re using them for brand storytelling, product launches, social media marketing, or website content.

Conclusion:

Adding timelapse videos to your brand’s arsenal of marketing resources can be very beneficial. The final product of the video can be greatly improved by taking into account your brand identity, audience preferences, content relevancy, message clarity, and available resources. In this cutthroat age of digital marketing, timelapse films can stand out from the competition and draw in viewers with their captivating storytelling when used carefully. Timelapse videos are ideal for you if the applications covered above serve as your brand’s benchmarks.

Studio52 is proud of its skilled production crew, who specialize in creating Timelapse videos. The company has maintained its reputation as a top provider of timelapse video services in Dubai and other regions for decades, thanks to its impressive clientele. Studio52 is your dependable partner in video marketing because of our dedication to client satisfaction, creative direction, and technical expertise.

Are you going to reinvent your brand with timelapse videos? Get in touch with us right now to turn business achievements into remarkable works of art.

[alexstudyjapanese]

The Burmese Harp

I really enjoyed The Burmese Harp for the solemn yet captivating following of the main character, Mizushima, as he finds his purpose in Burma following Japan’s surrender from World War II. Although I was confused at the motivation behind some of his decisions, the messages portrayed, particularly in his letter at the end of the movie, hit pretty hard for me.

This is very much an anti-war film. It doesn’t steer away from showing horrific images of war, such as the piling of dead soldiers. These images really affect Mizushima as he travels across Burma to meet his unit in the prison camp. Early in the film he is given a mission to try and convince a nearby Japanese Unit to surrender, as the war has already ended. However, they refuse and end up all dying. The film critiques the mindset that some view as masculine as never letting go of your honor and fighting to the death. Instead, Mizushima, influenced by his Captain Inouye, see this as a futile death, no longer fighting for the overall war effort. Instead, you should return to what you have, your country, and start rebuilding. To be able to let go of battle and your ego, returning to help your people should be your new purpose.

The characters use music to connect, cope with the difficulties of war, and uplift their spirits. The main unit followed in this film sings surprisingly well. I believe it was noted at one point that Captain Inouye was a musician, so perhaps that is the reason for this. On top of this, Mizushima has learned to play the harp particularly well. After their initial departure, Mizushima and his unit don’t communicate directly again. Instead, they recognize each other through their hymns and harp playing respectively. The unit tries to get Mizushima to come to them by singing very loudly. The final goodbye Mizushima gives is through his harp playing. I’m not really sure what the significance behind this was, but it made for some pretty good cinema.

Mizushima’s journey across Burma begins with him seeing the horrible sight of his dead comrades. This is what initially kicks of his spiritual development. He realizes that these soldiers have gone unburied in a foreign land, and that somebody needs to be the one to give them a proper sendoff. It kind of seems like he just stumbled upon some monk gear and became a monk, though. I also was confused about why he said he may never return to Japan, as his original purpose didn’t seem like a long-term one. I think this may have been best explained in his goodbye letter. “I realized that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world … to find the strength to create peace by one’s own example.” Perhaps Mizushima has set on a path to spiritual enlightenment as a monk that he thinks needs to be carried out in Burma.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film and the way it was shot. The sets were well done and immersive. The sound was good as well, both the music and sound effects.

[remainseatedatalltimes]

2023: Bow Down To Barbenheimer

Oh 2023.  You came and went in a flicker.  And so will the memory of your cinema releases. 

Okay, okay.  It wasn’t that bad.  But in many ways, 2023 felt like a complete repeat of 2022 with the release of a series of decent, entertaining enough films to help moviegoers like myself enjoy a cinematic escape from the real world.  

Now don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  In fact, it’s precisely what my overactive brain yearns for.  And it’s a large reason why so many of the movies I review tend to sit squarely in the 3-to-4-star category.  I’m so grateful for that escape that I genuinely do like most movies.  But essentially, a movie needs to make me FEEL something that compels me to want to talk about it to get above or below that range.  To keep that escape going beyond the boundaries of the cineplex.  Good, bad or otherwise (we all love to share horror stories of the appalling film we had to endure…remember Cats?).  So whilst I thoroughly enjoyed my cinematic escapes in 2023, very few films kept me thinking and talking extensively about them beyond the boundaries of the cinema.  With a few exceptions…

But first, let’s talk about the three movies that DID make an impact in 2023 with most cinemagoers:  Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.  All 3 were big successes that certainly lit up the interweb.  And whilst Barbie certainly drew lots of well-deserved praise, unfortunately for me, most of the sequences with Will Ferrell and the Mattel leaders – who clearly had to be larger than life caricatures so to not offend the real-world company banking the film – just completely ruined the overall tone and impact.  Which is a shame, because if these characters had in fact represented the real-world business leaders, it would have elevated this already joyous and clever film to greater heights.

Meanwhile, The Super Mario Bros. Movie did great fan service with a fun and fast-paced film that finally gave the biggest names in gaming the cinematic star-status they deserve.  Even if Nintendo clearly didn’t read the Disney rulebook on merchandising by failing to release a new gaming title in line with the film…go figure.

But it was the final film in the 2023 trifecta that transcended the crowd to take the crown of my number 1 film of the year.  That film, Christopher Nolan’s dark, anxious and ambitious study of guilt, in the biopic, Oppenheimer.

To be honest, this movie probably does deserve a higher ranking than I’ve awarded it.  It is pretty close to cinema perfection.  A stellar cast, a stunning soundscape, a captivating story, and some of the best scene composition I’ve seen in years.  But I review from my heart, and I still left Oppenheimer stunned, but slightly hollow.  Which arguably is the entire point of the film.  I think we’d all have been very confused if this had been a musical retelling (don’t laugh, it’s actually a thing - Google Australian musical Atomic).  But when I look at other films I’ve awarded higher scores to, I stand by my score based on my personal taste.  I am quite thrilled it still managed to take out the no. 1 spot, however.  And hey, this is my list, so I can do what I want 😉

Interestingly, my second favourite film dealt with very similar themes – depression, grief, isolation – but in a VERY different way.  Quirky, brilliantly acted, and at times both heartbreaking and hilarious, The Banshees of Inisherin did find its way to my heart, and captivated me for 2 joyous hours of intrigue, laughs, tears, and WTF is happening musings.  Not to mention the haunting, yet stunning landscape sitting at the films core.  I lied.  I did mention it.

Rounding out my top 3 was another Barry Keoghan star vehicle, and one of 2023’s most controversial movies.  Whilst not quite as sublime as Emerald Fennell’s spectacular 2021 film, Promising Young Woman, her recent take on wealth, privilege, desire, and greed was impossible to look away from (even though I kind of wanted to in several instances).  But that is precisely the point of this film.  Reminiscent to me of one of my favourite films of all time, the underrated The Talented Mr. Ripley, this cynical, shocking, and brutal film was intentionally wicked and wonderful to behold.  Even if it may not be for everyone.

Similarly to 2022, I ended up awarding 12 films this year with 4-star ratings.  So there were plenty of other very good films released this year that you should catch up on if you haven’t already.  These ranged from the wonderfully optimistic and sentimental, Wonka – which, despite the director’s claims to the contrary, is the very definition of a MUSICAL; to the brilliant and most original film of the year, Poor Things – which very nearly pipped Saltburn for my 3rd place.  Emma Stone can literally do no wrong.  I also thoroughly enjoyed the animated gems ranging from the best superhero film of the year – Spiderman: Across the Universe; to Pixar’s romantic comedy, Elemental; to Disney’s latest animated musical, Wish – a charming, somewhat clever tribute to the 100th anniversary of the studio. I also clearly have a thing for seeing the upper echelons suffer, because the disturbing, yet brilliantly funny Triangle of Sadness also wet my whistle.  And rounding out the top 12 were three bigger blockbuster style films that shot well above their weight:  The best game adaptation of a movie to date (no, it’s not the one you’re thinking), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves; the Nike origin story (is that a thing?), Air; and the hilarious, Joyride which accelerated nicely, but took out a few orange safety cones on the way to the finish line.

Thankfully this year was very firmly tipped in favour of the positives, with only 2 films falling below the 3-star level (although several such as the over-rated critical darling Tár, and the underwhelming slew of Marvel 2023 releases including The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3, did teeter precariously close to that edge.

Instead, it was another Marvel film, the over CGI’d and yet rather dull, Ant Man sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania that unfortunately became my first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to drop below the 3-star level.  Mostly because it felt pointless, hollow, and somewhat dull.  The sooner Marvel realises the solution to their box-office woes right now is less about super-hero fatigue, and more about the fact they’ve lost their human elements – and in doing so – their emotional core, the better.  The solution:  Ditch trying to go “bigger”, and bring the action back to Earth, in a setting we all find familiar, to make the action more personal.  In other words, bring in the moral quarry that the X-Men present.  There is no better time than now to tell the mutation story.  So they should hurry up and re-tell it the way only Marvel Studios can.

And finally, rounding out my list in last place was the incredibly oddly executed black comedy – Allelujah.  I say black comedy because that’s my best guess as to the genre this film was aiming for.  But unfortunately, not even the talented cast could save this film from delivering a storyline that has been done numerous times before (and better) on television, in a way that felt both shallow and frankly insulting, all at the same time. 

[tarafostersblog]

Zola

The narrative of the movie was enthralling, and the individuals portrayed were fascinating. The visual presentation was of high quality, and the musical accompaniment enhanced its depth. As the story gradually unfolded, it engrossed me and kept me eagerly anticipating the next development. The film's innovative storytelling technique was invigorating, and I admired its fearless examination of intricate subjects. In summary, it provided a truly captivating cinematic experience. It made me wanted to watch more. It creates an instant connection between the audience and the protagonist, drawing viewers into the story from the very beginning. This narrative technique allows for a deeper understanding of the character's thoughts and emotions, setting the stage for a compelling and engaging cinematic experience. When done effectively, a narrating main character can add depth and insight, making the movie all the more captivating. Coleman Domingo's presence on screen always brings an extra layer of depth and authenticity to any character he portrays. His ability to connect with audiences through his performances is truly remarkable. Whether it's through his captivating stage presence or his on-screen charisma, Domingo consistently delivers compelling and memorable work. It's evident that his contributions to the film industry continue to resonate with viewers of all backgrounds. I believe that actors such as Coleman Domingo bring a unique perspective to their roles, and while some performances may not resonate with everyone, it's important to recognize their talent and dedication to their craft. It takes great skill to embody a character convincingly, and I admire the commitment that actors like Coleman Domingo bring to their work. The behavior exhibited by the white girl in the film is often reminiscent of how many individuals also behave, and it can be quite bothersome and cringeworthy. The subtle use of muted sounds to emphasize the contrast with the sounds of the boys playing basketball was a clever choice by the filmmakers. This technique drew attention to the boys' innocent enjoyment in the midst of a seemingly ordinary scene. The camera work effectively captured the dynamics of the moment, adding to the overall impact of the sequence. It's an example of thoughtful cinematography enhancing the storytelling process. The increase in revenue was noticeable almost immediately. By strategically adjusting the pricing structure, she was able to maximize the earning potential for the girl, all while maintaining a strict level of discretion and professionalism. This innovative approach not only benefited the girl financially but also ensured that the clients received an unparalleled, premium experience. As word spread about the exceptional service and exclusivity, demand surged, leading to a notable expansion of the client base and solidifying the girl's position as a top-tier provider in the industry. With a carefully curated clientele and a newfound financial security, the girl's professional and personal future appeared remarkably promising. Even though she never seen any of that money.

[crehador]

brother crab’s 2023 seasonals in review: spring

ough this is the season that's making me go with an anime of the season + runner-up format from here on out lol there is simply no way to choose just one

watched 17 this season and the top 2 are...

i'll get to oshi no ko later hold your horses

though i did have to think about it for a bit, skip to loafer takes anime of the season for me with tengoku daimakyou coming as a very close runner-up! both felt like exceptional adaptations to me (though currently i'm still anime only for both)

tengoku had some downright gorgeous animation, and skip to loafer was just... perfect tbh

so obviously the elephant in the room is oshi no ko which i'm sure will be an easy anime of the season (if not anime of the year) pick for many, and i'm not not picking it just to be contrary

i think the movie-length first ep was of course brilliant, and it was movie-quality as well. so based just on that, it would have been a strong contender for my anime of the season. and the rest of the season was great too! the quality certainly didn't flag

it just wasn't as compelling to me overall, and spring season as a whole was incredibly strong. competition too stiff don't at me

(everyone has permission to get mad at me for not picking idol as my op of the season later in this post tho)

this season's sequels were demon slayer, kaguya-sama, and birdie wing

GOLF YURI CAME BACK WITH A BANG i appreciate so much about birdie wing, aoi openly pining for eve (literally whining that she hasn't gotten a kiss) and also the story wrapping up quite nicely

kaguya-sama was also... good, i think? this season was not to memorable to me actually hold on was this even a new season? while typing this i just remembered i think it was a movie lol

well in any case despite my bias for the golf girls i gotta give sequel of the season to demon slayer solely for my boy GENYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

quickfire thoughts on everything else i watched:

jigokuraku felt like a pretty good adaptation, pretty and fun, and of course to me the most important thing is phew the cast is stacked. BRAZAS (AZA BROTHERS) PLEASE SURVIVE

mashle same as above, also felt like a pretty good adaptation, but in all honesty didn't captivate me much

yamada-kun to lv999 no koi wo suru was fucking adorable and i distinctly remember having thoughts and feelings about it but i have since forgotten. what those thoughts and feelings were lol

dead mount death play i'll get more into later after s2 finishes airing this season (fall) but the short version is damn strong start that just keeps getting stronger

my home hero was... fine... i actually like the premise, the mystery, the suspense, and especially the mom (kickass mom!!) but the fact that the manga is, what, over twenty volumes long already? and still ongoing? makes me feel kind of... wary... because this does not seem like a premise that should be stretched out that long

yuusha ga shinda! was... occasionally... i guess... funny... but it's not my... what's that saying? it's not my favorite hentai of pennywise or whatever. however asanuma was here so fine. i watched it

mahou shoujo magical destroyers looked like it could've been an anime of the season contender, and did have some incredible animation in there, but pretty much fell flat on its face to me. it tried to do a lot and made a mess of itself imo, not Terrible but didn't impress me

ao no orchestra started this season and went on for two cours, and thank fucking god it's over. this was DULL to me. the upperclassmen were a bit more interesting, but the kids at the center of the story were all just. not. very interesting at all. unfortunately asanuma was here as well so lmao

kawaisugi crisis was cute! easy for a cat anime to be cute. not one of the top cat anime i would recommend just for cuteness factor, but still fun enough to watch

opus.colors was hilariously trashy and gay, enjoyed it very much lol

the marginal service was... also bad BUT potentially enjoyable if you like a shitty 80s scifi b-movie. personally i fucking LOVED this (as is probably obvious from the fact that there are currently... 10 fics on ao3 and i wrote... 6 of them lmao)

these quickfire thoughts are not very quick at all are they

anyway onto the op and ed of the season (here's where you can get mad at me)

so yes idol is very good i know i know but honestly i have bad taste so i'm giving op of the season to SHINDA! from yes that's right yuusha ga shinda! the shitty ecchi of the season

i simply cannot resist a silly masayoshi oishi banger i can't

ED OF THE SEASON HOWEVER does go to oshi no ko's mephisto i also cannot resist an avu-chan banger

and to end with. i guess blorbo of the season and ship of the season. i can't believe this but they're both from the marginal service that blond twink from east dakota had a fucking grip on me... stokesraider REAL

[josephfebin]

Forefront 3: The Windshield Wiper (2022) - A Visual journey through Complexity of Love

The Windscreen Wiper, a 3D animated short film directed by Alberto Mielgo, explores the complex nature of love in an artistically striking and emotionally moving manner. The movie captivates audiences from the very beginning with its unique beauty and distinctive styles. The protagonist of the tale is a middle-aged man who raises a question, "What is Love?" at a café. This straightforward yet deep question serves as the foundation for a series of short stories that explore various elements of love. The movie exposes a variety of scenarios that keep the idea of love open-ended and thought-provoking, starting from the early blossom of infatuation to the difficulties encountered by elderly spouses separated by death. In order to examine how the concept of love and practise of love has changed through time, Mielgo interweaves a generational criticism throughout the whole movie. Both the director and the audience, who are positioned as observers from the outside, reflect on the constantly changing nature of this complicated feeling. The overall visual execution is unquestionably stunning, even though some moments may resonate more deeply than others. With a contemporary and razor-sharp visual sense, each scene is carefully designed to arouse the greatest amount of emotion possible. The characters and settings are given a recognisable realism by Mielgo's widely renowned graphical style, creating a world that feels similar yet artistically captivating.

In my own practise it helped, the technical aspects of the film. Although not very innovative in terms of the execution, Mielgo's strategy produces a unique fusion of stylization with realism, helped me in developing my ‘pull’. The key frame-animated 3D characters smoothly blend with the detailed backgrounds that were painted in Photoshop, together creating a visually stunning result. The conflict between realism and fantasy adds to the attractiveness of Mielgo's work by striking a balance that is both modern and cool. Moreover, "The Windshield Wiper" is an evidence to Mielgo's creative voice .He fearlessly explores mature themes and delivers them in a visually compelling and impressionistic way by drawing on personal experiences and bringing relatable human emotions to the screen. The end product is a collection of scenes that have a profound emotional impact on viewers and leave a lasting impression. As someone who has closely followed Mielgo's works, I had great hopes for "The Windscreen Wiper," and I'm happy to say that they were exceeded. Its acceptance into esteemed events like the Cannes Director's Fortnight and eligibility for an Oscar nomination reveals its creative excellence. Being a fan of animation, I'm grateful to have the chance to see Alberto Mielgo's passion project since he is an artist with a distinctive and forward-thinking approach.

Bibliography

Gold (2022). Alberto Mielgo (Love, Death + Robots’) on the toxic relationship at the center of ‘Jibaro’. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsH7aIs6ioY [Accessed 4 Aug. 2022].

mielgo, alberto (2021). The Windshield Wiper / TRAILER 2021. [online] Vimeo. Available at: https://vimeo.com/568179562.

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). ‘The Windshield Wiper’ Wins Best Animated Short Film | 94th Oscars. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzz0QoplrFA [Accessed 24 Mar. 2023].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). The Windshield Wiper | Award-Winning Short Animation about Love. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8MQl7vCkMQ.

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). What is love? | Analyzing Alberto Mielgo’s Oscar winning animated short film *THE WINDSHIELD WIPER*. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDNgSPVbDUA [Accessed 25 Aug. 2023].