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cursed-critters · 3 years

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Stop! Read this, or not.

Hey, anyone who happens to be here! I’m Rowan (he/they/it) , some non-binary creature who found their way to this app. I tend to hyperfixate on things for extended periods of time. I am not the best artist, but I try my best. I consider myself a fairly good writer who would like to publish one day. I find myself more focused on specific characters sometimes as opposed to the entire creation (be it a book, game, show, movie, etc.) I headcannon everything about whatever I’m into, no matter how pointless. I like to share things I think about, so please feel free to ask me about my headcannons! Ask me to write or draw things too! I also enjoy making AUs from time to time.

Fine me on Twitter where I post like almost the exact some stuff

My biggest fixations

•Batim (mostly Sammy)

•Fnaf (mostly William)

•Fnaf Novels (mostly Dave)

•Sally Face (mostly Larry and Travis)

•Little Nightmares (mostly Mono)

•Deltarune (mostly Rouxls)

•Undertale (mostly Burgerpants)

•Splatoon (mostly Marina)

•Pokémon (mostly James)

•Supernatural (mostly Cass and Dean)

•Dexter (mostly Dexter)

•Criminal Minds (mostly Spencer Reid)

•Steven Universe (mostly Garnet)

•Spooky Month (mostly Kevin)

•Kid Vampire (most Count Papa and Kid Vampire)

•Lord of the Flies (mostly Simon and Jack)

•Detroit Become Human (mostly Connor and Hank)

•The Owl House (mostly Phillip)

•Gravity Falls (just in general)

•Ddlc (mostly Yuri)

•DuckTales (mostly Gyro)

•Tender is the Flesh (just in general)

•Penpal (just in general)

•Borrasca (just in general)

•Dayshift at Freddy’s (mostly Dave)

•Dialtown (mostly Randy)

•The Song of Achilles (just in general)

•Moral Orel (mostly Clay)

•Venom (mostly Eddie and Venom)

•Prisoners (mostly Alex / Barry)

•Freaky (just in general)

•Nimona (mostly Nimona and Ballister)

•Alice in Wonderland (mostly Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter)

•Little Miss Sunshine (mostly Dwayne and Frank)

•Life is Strange (mostly Nathan and Kate)

•Life is Strange 2 (mostly Finn)

•Life is Strange True Colors (mostly Steph)

•Batman: The Telltale Series (mostly Oswald)

•Batman: The Enemy Within (mostly John)

•Barry (mostly NoHo Hank)

•Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (just in general)

•Imposters (mostly Richard and Jules)

•Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (mostly Rahzar)

•Zombieland (mostly Tallahassee)

•Loki (mostly Loki and Mobius)

•The Shawshank Redemption (just in general)

•A Hat in Time (mostly Snatcher)

•Baldur’s Gate 3 (mostly Astarion)

•The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (mostly Shadow)

•Sonic Prime (mostly Nine and Shadow)

•Sonic Forces (mostly Infinite and Ian Jr.)

•Sonic the Hedgehog Games (mostly Shadow)

•Beastars (mostly Jack)

•How to Train Your Dragon (mostly Dagur)

•The Batman (mostly Riddler)

•Gotham (mostly Penguin)

•Harley Quinn (just in general)

•DC (just in general)

•Monster High (mostly Toralei, Clawdeen, and Kieran)

•The Umbrella Academy (mostly Klaus)

•Adventure Time (mostly Ice King and Mr. Fox)

•Fionna and Cake (mostly Simon)

•Clone High (mostly JFK and Ponce)

•Smiling Friends (mostly Allan and Glep)

•Rabbit Doubt (just in general)

•Late Night with the Devil (mostly Jack)

•Kid Vampire (just in general)

Tagging information

-Most things will be tagged with specific fandoms or Oc

-My thoughts/rants will be tagged with Rowan Rants

-My art will be tagged with Cinnamon Creates

-My writing will be tagged with Rowan Writes

-My replies will be tagged with Rowan Replies

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the-literata-letters · 4 years

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reading list - 500: science

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS MY OTHER READING LISTS.

✵ ACTIVELY UPDATING ✵

☐ 500: BRYSON, Bill – A Short History of Nearly Everything ☐ 500: KUHN, Thomas S. – The Structure of Scientific Revolutions ☐ 500: SAGAN, Dorion – Cosmic Apprentice ☐ 500: WHITEHEAD, Alfred North & RUSSELL, Bertrand – Principia Mathematica ☐ 501: MEDAWAR, Peter B. – The Art of the Soluble ☐ 501: PANEK, Richard – The Invisible Century ☐ 502: ABRAHAMS, Marc – The Man Who Tried to Clone Himself ☐ 507: PAN, M. Ling – Preparing Literature Reviews ☐ 508: DARWIN, Charles – The Voyage of the Beagle ☐ 508: DILLARD, Annie – Pilgrim at Tinker Creek ☐ 508: FORTEY, Richard – Dry Storeroom No. 1 ☐ 509: BROOKS, Michael – The Quantum Astrologer's Handbook ☐ 509: NEEDHAM, Joseph – Science and Civilization in China ☐ 510: HARDING, G. H. – A Mathematician's Apology ☐ 510: NIEDERMAN, Derrick – Number Freak ☐ 511: BUNCH, Bryan – Mathematical Fallacies and Paradoxes ☐ 512: BECKMANN, Petr – A History of Pi ☐ 514: LESMOIR-GORDON, Nigel – The Colours of Infinity ☐ 516: MAOR, Eli & JOST, Eugen – Beautiful Geometry ☐ 518: HOUSEHOLDER, Alston S. – Principles of Numerical Analysis ☐ 519: DEVLIN, Keith – The Unfinished Game ☐ 520: AUGHTON, Peter – The Story of Astronomy ☐ 522: JOHNSON, George – Miss Leavitt's Stars ☐ 523: TYSON, Neil deGrasse – The Pluto Files ☐ 526: FELT, Hali – Soundings ☐ 529: DUNCAN, David Ewing – Calendar ☐ 530: FEYNMAN, Richard P. – Six Easy Pieces ☐ 530: SMOLIN, Lee – Time Reborn ☐ 531: WILCZEK, Frank – The Lightness of Being ☐ 536: ATKINS, Peter – Four Laws that Drive the Universe ☐ 537: SCHECHTER, Bruce – The Path of No Resistance ☐ 538: FARA, Patricia – Fatal Attraction ☐ 539: MOFFATT, John – Cracking the Quantum Code of the Universe ☐ 540: JOHNSON, Steven – The Invention of Air ☐ 541: ATKINS, P. W. – The Periodic Kingdom ☐ 546: KEAN, Sam – The Disappearing Spoon ☐ 547: WATSON, James – The Double Helix ☐ 550: WINCHESTER, Simon – The Map that Changed the World ☐ 551: HULER, Scott – Defining the Wind ☐ 555: SEARLE, Mike – Colliding Continents ☐ 556: SCHOLZ, Christopher – Fieldwork ☐ 563: McNAMARA, Kenneth – The Star-Crossed Stone ☐ 565: FORTEY, Richard – Trilobite ☐ 567: HORNER, Jack & GORMAN, James – How to Build a Dinosaur ☐ 569: ACZEL, Amir – The Jesuit and the Skull ☐ 570: SOLE, Richard & GOODWIN, Brian – Signs of Life ☐ 571: THOMPSON, D'Arcy – On Growth and Form ☐ 572: CARROLL, Sean – Brave Genius ☐ 573: WALSH, John E. – Unraveling Piltdown ☐ 575: DARWIN, Charles – The Descent of Man ☐ 575: GOULD, Stephen Jay – The Panda's Thumb ☐ 576: DARWIN, Charles – On the Origin of Species ☐ 576: HANNIBAL, Mary Ellen – Evidence of Evolution ☐ 577: ROYTE, Elizabeth – The Tapir's Morning Bath ☐ 580: SABBAGH, Karl – A Rum Affair ☐ 581: STEWART, Amy – The Drunken Botanist ☐ 581: STEWART, Amy – Wicked Plants ☐ 587: SACKS, Oliver – Oaxaca Journal ☐ 590: SHUKER, Karl P. N. – The Search for the Last Undiscovered Animals ☐ 591: SCHUTT, Bill – Dark Banquet ☐ 595: HOELLDOLER, Bert & WILSON, Edward O. – The Ants ☐ 596: DINERSTEIN, Eric – The Kingdom of Rarities ☐ 597: OUCHLEY, Kelby – American Alligator ☐ 598: GALLAGHER, Tim – Imperial Dreams ☐ 599: SULLIVAN, Robert – Rats

#books #reading list #what to read #dewey decimal system #nonfiction #science #academia #give me recommendations

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kolbisneat · 4 years

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MONTHLY MEDIA: December 2020

And so concludes another year! Maybe not the most ideal 12 months on record, but certainly memorable. I dunno. Anyway here’s how I wrapped up the year.

……….FILM……….

Gremlins (1984) Every time I watch this I just marvel at the fact that it was made. The practical effects are fantastic, the characters are so over-the-top that I think the Gremlin-sized mallet is the most believable part of the whole film. It just has that energy of a live-action cartoon and for that, I love it.

Gremlins (1990) This and Aliens fall under the category of sequels I didn’t like at first (for the hard turn in tone) but have come to really appreciate and enjoy. The opening with Bugs and Daffy really sets the tone for the whole thing and in hindsight, I appreciate how it manages to do all the same stuff that was loved about the original while making it feel bigger and different. Not necessarily better or worst, but definitely different.

Happiest Season (2020) It really felt like Harper was written to be the villain, right? Anyway it was a solid Christmas movie for a modern era, Kristen Stewart was a solid lead, and Dan Levy’s comedic timing is unreal. All-around fun watch.

The Family Stone (2005) Claire Danes and Luke Wilson are the only redeemable characters in this movie and while I don’t think they’d work out as a couple, it’s a shame they never get a chance to chat and just say “hey all of our family members are awful, right?!?” Actually Thad and Patrick are decent people, but I suppose they’re overshadowed by everyone else. Oof what a movie.

……….TELEVISION……….

Ted Lasso (Episode 1.01 to 1.10) Never have I more sincerely connected with a character’s outlook than Ted Lasso. It doesn’t matter if you know anything about Premier League soccer, what you get is an optimistic, heartfelt comedy that doesn’t punch up, punch down, or really punch at all. It’s gentle and kind and the sort of tv we need more of right now.

The Queen’s Gambit (Episode 1.01 to 1.07) Dang I thought I knew a little bit about chess but like...none of that helps here. It felt like a Rocky miniseries only chess instead of boxing (and I mean this all as a compliment). Given that the show doesn’t expect a knowledge of the grame, credit to the actors for communicating what’s happening in a game just through facial expressions. Worth checking out.

The Bachelorette (Episode 16.08 to 6.13) You know what, this was a pretty good season! It’s a shame we didn’t get any follow up after the proposal, but it was refreshing to see a group of guys who all got along and were just generally mature!

Mad Men (Episode 7.12 to 1.14) And so ends a pandemic-long viewing of Mad Men. First time watching it and I knew a little of how the series ended and honestly, I think it was fine! We got to check in with most of the cast and while I wish we could’ve kept going with these characters, it really did feel like they were all headed off in different directions anyway. Great series would highly recommend.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1.07 to 1.11) It wasn’t until Asuka showed up that I realized this show is a metaphor for puberty and thus, is super horny all the time. Viewing through that lense, it’s an interesting allegory and the robot fights are cool.

The Mandalorian (Episode 2.01 to 2.08) For me, this show works best when it’s doing its own thing and just kinda existing in the world. The frog lady stuff, the random tasks, even the first ep did a good job of walking the line between fan service and the confidence to tell a new story. But dang if that last ep didn’t throw it all out the window. I’m just not a big enough Star Wars fan that I need to see all the old stuff again. It’s lazy writing and that’s what bums me out the most.

……….READING……….

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (Complete) Really great! I don’t read much modern(ish) day fantasy but the ideas and worldbuilding in this are so economic that it felt immediately familiar. Plus who doesn’t love the idea of a sword-wielding heroine cutting down monstrous klansmen?

Illuminatus Part III: Leviathan by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (Complete) After reading all three parts I can say, with confidence, that I have no idea who 90% of the characters are. Maybe it’s the similar names (John, George, Joe, etc.) or that every character talks like a philosophy student, but I just couldn’t separate them from each other. The plot and illuminati stuff was fun, but I’d seen so many great reviews and high praise that I was expecting it to be more fun.

Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke (Complete) Darwyn Cooke’s effortlessly cool style elevates Stark’s pulp story to something that walks the line between classy and cruel. A murderous criminal is a tricky lead to follow but somehow you still want to see how it all shakes out. If you dig this first book then I recommend getting all 4 of Cooke’s interpretations of Stark’s work.

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Nathan Fairbairn (Complete) Still love this series after all these years and rereading them in color has been great. I still think the “glow”, as a twist/reveal, doesn’t really work and is somewhat convoluted, but it’s one misstep in what’s a consistently great run. The color version only adds to the quality of the book.

Dragon Ball 3-in-1 Vol. 2 by Akira Toriyama (Complete) This is the sort of light-hearted, good-natured comic I like to read around the holidays. There’s just something about a world where a criminal organization can be a mix of humans, bears, and a monster made of jelly that feels right, you know?

……….AUDIO……….

Song Exploder (Podcast) I’ve only listened to a handful of episodes so far but it’s really giving me a new perspective on music and the craft that goes into composing! I recommend starting with songs you like and then expanding from there.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) A small seasonal interlude! I’ve posted a longer recap on Reddit but the group has temporarily resolved the issue of the island flood and have moved on to an escaped Fairy causing wintery havok and significantly dropping the overall island temperature.

D&D Homebrew Adventure (Menace of Merlin) And so concludes the adventure! I think I could’ve made the final showdown against Merlin a little more climactic, but live and learn. Now we’re taking a break as the group makes up new characters to play in this world!

And that’s it! We did it! Goodbye 2020 and here’s to a bigger and brighter 2021!

Happy Thursday!

#Monthly Media #Rambles #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

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alien-romantic · 3 years

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A thing for Kodie about films /nbh

I really like films with hidden meanings and easter eggs and things you only see on the second or third run through. I really enjoy films by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim etc). I love analysing films too and would love to incorporate film analysis into my university course more.

As I said before, my memory isnt that great and i really struggle to recall what films ive watch, not just in the past few months, but like, ever. So when people ask me what my favourite film is, chances are its a film I cant remember because ive only watched it one and it's not ingrained, imbedded into my brain like films such as "Howl's.." is or "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves" (good film btw). So to find my favourit film, I need to Dig Deep... And maybe scroll through Netflix to see if I can remember what I've seen

The Old Guard: I loved this film. I watched it last year round my friend's uni house by the beach and it was amazing. I really liked what they did with the characters. The pacing was good, although I could tell that it was adapted from a comic book in the way they had to skip over certain things.

Stand By Me: an adaption of a Stephen King short story, The Body. I really enjoyed this film; its about four young boys who hear that an older boy has gone missing and they go in search of his body. It really encapsulates for me ideas about youth and friendship. I really enjoyed this film when I saw it.

The Nice Guys: a neo-noir comedy starring Ryan Gosling. Im not the biggest fan of comedies usually but I liked this film. My mum and step-dad often like to put on films in the evenings and sometimes I end up watching them. While I cant remember the entire plot, I know that there were many aspects of this film that I liked and would watch again.

American Psycho: (this is a funny one, actually) I told my parents at Christmas that I hadn't seen this film and that they might like it, and so we watched it on Christmas Day. On Christmas Day!!! Now while there's some elements of this film that aren't great (some questionable things, you know?), I would watch this film again.

Films that I do not like

Im not the biggest fan of big macho movies about GUNS and MILITARY and ALIEN INVASIONS. Im not the biggest fan of romcoms either, unless they kinda fit into a very specific niche of "'90s romcoms produced by Richard Curtis" (Like Notting Hill or Four Weddings and a Funeral). I dont like that certain genre of comedy films that are specifically aimed at men ( Paul, The Hangover) because I think theyre trash. I would be happy to watch a jumpscare based horror film if I was in the company of someone I trusted, so by living (kind of) alone, I dont watch any (and hey, arent horrow films always best watched with someone?)Ive had The Devil All The Time on my list for AGES and need to find the right time to watch that.

I think my knowledge about tv series I enjoy/have enjoyed is much better than my film knowledge lol

(Im really tempted to do this again but with books because there are many books that I've read once but I adore, so I might save that for next time :D)

Honorable Mentions: Knives Out, Divergent (only the first one though), The Time Traveller's Wife, What We Do In The Shadows, Ender's Game, Spirited Away, Call Me By Your Name (But fuck whatever Armie Hammer's thing is) , Legally Blonde (although I prefer the musical), Shawshank Redemption (another Stephen King classic!)

#do not reblog #for kodies eyes only #everyone else?#'i look away i do not see'#/lh #misc #ar.post

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drinkthehalo · 4 years

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Macro perspective on each Lymond book

I've been listening to the Lymond Chronicles audiobooks, which has given me a different perspective than reading them. With audiobooks, you’re less inclined to stop and dive into the details, to look up an interesting word or obscure historical fact; instead you get swept along with the larger arc of the book.

So, I thought it would be interesting to look at what each book is about from a macro perspective.

Spoilers for the entire series follow.

The Game of Kings

In genre, it's a mystery told in a historical adventure style; it asks the question "Who is Lymond?" and gives us a ton of contradictory clues, then finally reveals the truth - in a psychological sense by stripping away Lymond's defense mechanisms and revealing the human being underneath, as he breaks down in the dell, "the guard was down... every fluent line and practised shade of Lymond's face betrayed him explicitly"; and in a narrative sense via the trial, which examines each "clue" we received throughout the story and tells us what it really meant.

Thematically, it's mainly about "serving honesty in a crooked way" - that morality isn’t simple and that sometimes you need to break the rules to do the right thing. Nearly all Lymond’s acts are apparently bad things done for a goal that is actually good. We see the theme also in Will Scott (who learns that the world is more complicated than the "moral philosophy" he learned in school) and the various characters who help Lymond, breaking the rules of society by aiding a wanted outlaw (Christian, Sybilla, the Somerviles).

It is also about the balance of looking out for self vs the obligation to the greater society - Lymond is not completely selfless (after all, he is back in Scotland to clear his own name), but when forced to choose, he always chooses the greater good above his own goals. He is contrasted with Richard, whose great mistake is to put his obligations to Scotland at risk in pursuit of his personal vengeance, and Margaret Lennox, who is purely and grotesquely out only for herself.

The historical context is part of this theme, as we see the various border families playing both sides between England and Scotland, with the heroes being those who ultimately stand up for Scotland, even as we understand that some have no choice but to profess one thing while doing another.

Queens Play

In genre, it's a spy novel; thematically, it's about what Lymond will do with the rest of his life. The question is asked explicitly several times (most obviously, "You have all your life still before you." / "The popular question is, for what?") It's important that Lymond loses his title at the start of this book; he has to figure out who he will be without it.

The main characters all represent possible paths Lymond could take -

O'Liam Roe, who sits back and laughs at the world with detachment, while abdicating all responsibility to use his mind and position to change the world for the better.

Robin Stewart, who loses himself in bitterness about the ways the world has been unfair to him, and in fixating on how he deserved better, fails to take any action to improve himself.

Oonagh, who works passionately to change the world for the better, but whose ideals have become corrupted because she has attached herself to a leader who is more out for himself than for their cause.

And of course Thady Boy and Vervassal, two extremes of himself that Lymond tries on, and (by the end of the series) must learn to reconcile.

The recurring imagery of the first half is the carnival, the masks, the music, the parties, and our hero in danger of losing himself amidst the debauchery. In the second half the imagery every time Lymond appears is of ice, the ultra-controlled, hyper-competent version of Lymond at risk of losing himself by denying his artistic soul. (There’s a wonderful essay here that explores these motifs.)

In the end, Lymond comes to the conclusion that he must not withdraw into detachment or bitterness, that he must find a way to make a positive difference in the world, but that he also must not attach himself to a powerful figure who may be more out for themselves than for Scotland (ie, his refusal to attach himself to Marie de Guise). This sets up the creation of his mercenary army in the next books, as a way he can exercise independent influence in the world.

The Disorderly Knights

This book couldn't be more relevant to the world today. It's a portrait of cynical hypocrisy in pursuit of power; it lays out step by step the tactics of propaganda and manipulation used by despots to build up themselves and tear down their rivals: pretend to be pious, accuse of others of your own crimes, tear down straw men instead of engaging in real debate. It tells us to "look at his hands"; what matters is what a leader actually does, not what he professes to believe.

It shows us how leaders use charisma to manipulate, and, in showing the battle between Gabriel and Lymond for Jerott's loyalty, shows how Lymond takes the harder and more ethical path, by refusing to use his charisma to seduce (a lesson learned from his experience with Robin Stewart) and instead guiding Jerott to come to his own conclusions by means of rational thought instead of hero worship.

At every level the novel advocates for tolerance and internationalism, and against petty sectarianism, as Lymond questions whether the Knights of St John are really any better than the Turks, and as he tries to get the Scottish border families to abandon their feuds in favor of the greater good of the country.

In terms of genre, it’s a pure adventure novel. I never get bored of the masterful action sequences with the battles in Malta and Tripoli, and the extraordinary duel at St Giles in the end. (Also in terms of thematic imagery, there is some crazy S&M shit going on in this book, with Gabriel and Joleta's sadism and Lymond's self-sacrificial masochism.)

I love Disorderly Knights so much. It is nearly perfect - well structured, thematically coherent, witty, fun, breathtaking, and heartbreaking.

Pawn in Frankincense

In genre, this is a quest novel. In several places it explicitly parallels The Odyssey.

In theme, it explores -

Do the ends justify the means? How much sacrifice is too much? Lymond gives up his fortune, his body, and his health; Philippa gives up her freedom and her future; we are asked often consider, which goal is more important, stopping Gabriel or saving the child? We even see this theme in Marthe's subplot, as she gives up the treasure, her dream to "be a person," to save her companions. Perhaps the most telling moment is right after Lymond kills Gabriel; despite all his claims that Gabriel’s death mattered more than the fate of the child, he’s already forgotten it, instead playing over and over in his mind the death of Khaireddin. If you do what is intellectually right but it destroys your soul, was it really right?

The other big theme is “nature vs nurture.” What is the impact of upbringing on how people turn out? In its comparisons of Kuzum vs Khaireddin, and Lymond vs Marthe, it seems to fall firmly on the side of nurture.

It’s also a kaleidoscope of views on love, with its Pilgrims of Love and their poetry, and the contrasting images of selfless, sacrificial love (Philippa and Evangelista for Kuzum, Salablanca for Lymond, Lymond for Khaireddin, perhaps Marthe for Lymond as she helps him in the end) with possessive, needy “love” (Marthe for Guzel, Jerott for Marthe or Lymond, arguably even the Aga for Lymond).

This novel is also a tragedy. Its imagery and the historical background complement the themes by creating an atmosphere lush, beautiful, labyrinthine, overwhelming, and suffocating.

The Ringed Castle

I have to confess this is my least favorite, in large part because I find the historical sequences (in Russia and in Mary Tudor's court in England) go on way too long and have only tangential relationships to the themes and characters.

It seems to be primarily about self-delusion as a response to trauma. Lymond spends the entire novel trying to be someone he isn't, in a place he doesn't belong, because he is too damaged to face reality. (His physical blindness as a manifestation of his psychological blindness; the sequences at John Dee's, surrounded by mirrors, forcing him to see himself.)

Lymond convinces himself he can build a wall around his heart to block out all human connection, that he can be a “machine,” but despite his best efforts, he cares for Adam Blacklock and develops a true friendship with Diccon Chancellor. And of course, by far the most important moment is after the Hall of Revels, when Lymond's heart unfreezes and he suddenly sees one thing VERY clearly. (And then tries, desperately, to escape it.)

The only reason I can think of that the book lingers so long on Mary Tudor (so boring omg) is the parallel with Lymond, her false pregnancies as a manifestation of her desire to see the world as she wants it to be, and her failure to see reality as it is. Ivan of Russia also is a parallel: delusional, unable to trust, and dangerous. Their failures, and the failure of Lymond's Russia adventure and relationship with Guzel, tell us that you cannot hide from reality forever.

The book spends so long painting the backdrop of 16th century Russia that it makes me think that Dunnett got too caught up in her research and needed a stronger editor, although there is also a parallel with Lymond in the idea of Russia as a traumatized nation struggling to establish itself, and of course, Lymond subsuming his need to deal with his own issues into a goal of building a nation.

It's also about exploration, about the intellectual wonder of discovering that there is more to the world, as we learn about Diccon Chancellor and the Muscovy Company. It’s wonderful imagery, but I struggle to how this fits coherently into the overall theme of the novel, and am curious how others reconcile it.

I like the idea of this book more than the reality. If you’re going to do to your hero what Dunnett did to Lymond in “Pawn,” there has to be consequences. But hundreds of pages of our hero in such a frozen state is difficult to read.

That said, the Hall of Revels is one of the best things in the series, and I’ll always love this book for that.

Checkmate

Checkmate is about reconciliation of self and recovery from trauma, as Lymond is forced (kicking and screaming) to accept who is and what he's done, and to allow himself to love and be loved. Philippa is his guide, as she discovers the secrets of his birth, understands his childhood, hears his tales of all the terrible things he's done, and loves him anyway. As far as genre, this is definitely a romance.

There are villains in this book (Leonard Bailey, Margaret Lennox, Austin Grey) but they're all fairly weak; the true antagonist is Lymond himself. From the beginning, he could have everything he needs to be happy (he's married to the woman he loves, and she loves him back!); his true struggle is to stop running from it (by escaping to Russia or committing suicide) and to break through his own psychological barriers enough to allow himself to accept it.

The primary parallel is with Jerott and Marthe, who also have happiness almost in their grasp, but never manage to achieve it.

The heritage plot looms large and is (IMO) tedious; it's so melodramatic that it takes some mental gymnastics to get it to make thematic sense to me. It ultimately comes down to Lymond's identity crisis and childhood trauma. His “father” rejected and abused him, so he based his identity on his relationship to his mother, but his suspicion that he is a bastard means he lives in terror that he doesn’t really belong in his family and that, if his mother isn’t perfect, he is rotten. (I love him but, my god, it is juvenile. The only way I can reconcile it is that his fear about the circumstances of his birth is really just a stand-in for his self-hatred caused by his traumas.) He also continues to struggle with his envy that Richard was born into a position with power and influence that Lymond has spent the past six books struggling to obtain, and that Lymond’s terrible traumas (starting with the galleys) would not have happened if he had been the heir. The discovery that he actually IS the legitimate heir is what finally snaps him out of it, since his reaction is to want to protect Richard, and this also reconciles him to Sybilla since protecting Richard was her goal too.

There are some other parts of this book that I struggle to reconcile (Lymond's inability to live if he can't have sex with Philippa; the way the focus on heritage seems to undercut the nature vs nurture themes; that no one but Jerott is bothered by Marthe's death, which undercuts some of the most moving moments in "Pawn”; and I mostly just pretend the predestination and telepathy stuff didn’t happen). On the other hand, I do sort of love the way this book wholeheartedly embraces the idea that there is no human being on earth who will ever be as melodramatic as Francis Crawford.

In terms of the historical elements, in addition to providing the narrative grounding for the character stuff to play out, it sets up the idea that Scotland has troubles coming up (the religious wars, the betrayal of the de Guises) and that Lymond needs to go home, let go of France and Russia, and focus on Scotland where he belongs. I’m sure there is also some political nuance in the fact that our Scottish hero, after spending so much time and energy in France, ends up with an English wife.

The conclusion in the music room is perfect - it brings us back to the amnesiac Lymond who innocently played music with Christian Stewart, to Thady Boy whose songs made the cynical French court weep, and fills the “void” Lymond described to Jerott where there was no prospect of music. The aspects of himself are finally reconciled and he has a partner to share his life with.

I am curious what others see as the macro / thematic big picture meanings of these books. :) And if anyone can find the key to make “Ringed Castle” and “Checkmate” make more sense to me...

#lymond #the lymond chronicles

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bookclub4m · 3 years

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Episode 129 - Non-Fiction Film & TV Books

This episode we’re talking about Non-Fiction Film & TV books! We discuss media about media, self-pity book purchasing, spoilers, and more! Plus: Kakapos!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards | Appleberry

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

Movies (and Other Things) by Shea Serrano and Arturo Torres

Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Questlove

Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mike Reiss, Mathew Klickstein

Hollywood vs. the Author edited by Stephen Jay Schwartz

Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies by Ann Hornaday

The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell

Richard Ayoade Presents the Grip of Film by Gordy LaSure

Typeset in the Future: Typography and Design in Science Fiction Movies by Dave Addey

Typeset in the Future website

101 Movies to Watch Before You Die by Ricardo Cavolo

How to Watch Television, Second Edition edited by Ethan Thompson and Jason Mittell

Other Media We Mentioned

A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (Wikipedia)

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (Wikipedia)

Samurai Pizza Cats (Wikipedia)

My Pet Monster (Wikipedia)

The A-Team (Wikipedia)

Murder, She Wrote (Wikipedia)

Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Wikipedia)

Goosebumps (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Live from New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

Saturday Night Live (Wikipedia)

The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers

The Kids in the Hall (TV series) (Wikipedia)

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

The Fugitive (Wikipedia)

View from the Top (Wikipedia)

The Room (Wikipedia)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Wikipedia)

Alien (Wikipedia)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Wikipedia)

Blade Runner (Wikipedia)

Total Recall (Wikipedia)

WALL-E (Wikipedia)

Moon (Wikipedia)

House (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Battlestar Galactica (Wikipedia)

The Video Game History Hour podcast

Decoder Ring - The Soap Opera Machine

Shrill (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Love, Actually (Wikipedia)

List of Hallmark Channel Original Movies (Wikipedia)

33⅓ (Wikipedia)

Criminal Minds (Wikipedia)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Wikipedia)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (Wikipedia)

Dredd (Wikipedia)

The Muppets (Wikipedia)

Top Gun (Wikipedia)

Kate Beaton’s Top Gun comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Wikipedia)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Wikipedia)

Armageddon Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know about Zombies, Contagions, Aliens, and the End of the World as We Know It! by Dale Sherman

Links, Articles, and Things

Library Punk episode 014 - Manga

Episode 128 - Plucky Kid Detective

Fanart!

Episode 104 - Entertainment Non-Fiction

Toy Galaxy (YouTube channel)

Lindsay Ellis (YouTube channel)

Amanda the Jedi (YouTube channel)

Jenny Nicholson (YouTube channel)

Every Frame a Painting (YouTube channel)

Postmortem: Every Frame a Painting by co-creator Tony Zhou

Welcome to the Basement

Pushing Up Roses (YouTube channel)

Jacob Geller (YouTube channel)

Letterboxd (Wikipedia)

Demi Adejuyigbe on Letterboxd

Sidewalk Slam - Episode 57 - AEW Revolution 2021 (YouTube)

Kakapo (Wikipedia)

Lego set

Diegesis (Wikipedia)

The Stranger (newspaper) (Wikipedia)

Chuck Klosterman (Wikipedia)

Hanif Abdurraqib (Wikipedia)

24 Film/TV/Video Non-Fiction books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire by Jonathan Abrams

“Indian” Stereotypes in TV Science Fiction: First Nations' Voices Speak Out by Sierra S. Adare

Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade

Contemporary Black Women Filmmakers and the Art of Resistance by Christina N. Baker

Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present by Robin R. Means Coleman

The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry by Maryann Erigha

Framing Blackness: The African American Image in Film by Ed Guerrero

Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication by Sheena C. Howard

Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals by Julia Lee

The Films of Bong Joon Ho by Nam Lee

Moving the Image: Independent Asian Pacific American Media Arts edited by Russell Leong

Farewell My Concubine: A Queer Film Classic by Helen Hok-Sze Leung

Cinema-Interval by Trinh T. Minh-ha

Get Out: The Complete Annotated Screenplay by Jordan Peele

Where Do You Think We Are?: Ten Illustrated Essays About Scrubs by Shea Serrano, illustrated by Arturo Torres

Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity by Viola Shafik

Maori Television: The First Ten Years by Jo Smith

Shaded Lives: African American Women and Television by Beretta E. Smith-Shomade

Tribal Television: Viewing Native People in Sitcoms by Dustin Tahmahkera

Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation by Ahmir Questlove Thompson

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: A Guerilla Filmmaking Manifesto by Melvin Van Peebles

Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism by Nancy Wang Yuen

I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African American-Owned Television and Radio by Kristal Brent Zook

Also check out the booklist from our episode on Entertainment Non-Fiction.

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Which zine do you most want to read? (Twitter poll)

RJ's zine about Love Actually

Anna's zine about Criminal Minds

Matthew's zine about Dredd

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

It’s almost time for our annual “We all read the same book” episode. So on Tuesday, July 20th we’ll each suggest and talk about one title and you’ll get to vote for which one we’ll read. (And yes, it will definitely happen this time.)

Then on Tuesday, August 3rd it’s time to jack in and download because we’ll be reading the genre of Cyberpunk!

#episodes #genres #nonfiction #films #movies #tv

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The Losers: Chris Evans, Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana’s Forgotten Superhero Movie

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Even The Losers get lucky sometimes. Before the DCEU was formed to compete against the ever-expanding, cash cow that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the approach at Warner Bros. was far looser. With the booming business of comic book adaptations in full swing, the studio was throwing money at several eclectic comic book titles like Watchmen and Jonah Hex, trying to stay competitive and seemingly more adult than their rivals. Hence before leaving to create his own superhero project, Hancock, wrier-director Peter Berg started penning an adaptation of DC/Vertigo’s The Losers, bringing in French director Sylvain White to helm the picture.

Produced by Joel Silver, The Losers centered on a team of elite, black-ops Special Forces operatives betrayed by their handler. Director White connected with the material immediately.

“What appealed to me about The Losers was that it wasn’t the typical superhero-with-superpowers thing,” White told MTV. “It was based on real characters—realistic characters—and based in reality, like a lot of the European graphic novels that I had grown up reading.” The director worked with creators Jock and Andy Diggle to refine the script and lend their expertise with design to give the film a distinct visual palette that changes with new locations.

Frequent Silver collaborator Idris Elba was cast as Captain William Roque, with the cast being rounded out by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, coming off his turn as The Comedian in the studio’s adaptation of Watchmen, Zoe Saldana, fresh off of starring in the highest-grossing film of all-time, Avatar, Chris Evans, still mainly known for playing the Human Torch in Fox’s early Fantastic Four films, and rising actor Columbus Short. While current audiences would go on to become intimately familiar with most of this cast, their names didn’t generate enough buzz in 2010 to get folks into the theater. The Losers only made about $30 million on a $25 million budget.

Of course a tepid response at the box office does not mean that a movie is destined for obscurity. Just recently hitting Netflix and ready to capitalize off its now A-list cast, The Losers is currently the most popular film on the streaming service. Besides the even greater interest in comic book properties, the cast of The Losers have gone on to such success that they revitalized interest in one of DC’s almost-forgotten adaptations. Let’s look at where the cast of The Losers have been since the film’s release in 2010 to explain the sudden spike in love.

Idris Elba

While Elba, a star of British television via Luther, had already made an impression with American audiences by 2010 thanks to 28 Weeks Later, Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, and a guest stint on The Office, Elba’s star would rise considerably after his appearance in The Losers. In 2011, Elba would join the MCU as Heimdall in Thor, who’s role in the Thor films would expand as the franchise progressed. Elba would also pop up in prominent roles in blockbusters like Prometheus, Pacific Rim, The Jungle Book, and Star Trek Beyond. Away from blockbusters though he really broke out with a SAG-winning performance in Beasts of No Nations, and starring in fare like Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game.

More recently, Elba stole scenes away from Jason Statham and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the villain in Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw. Finally, things have come a bit full circle for Elba, as he’s set to appear in another DC adaptation over 10 years after The Losers, portraying Bloodsport in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

In 2010, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was probably most well-known for his roles on television in series like Supernatural and Grey’s Anatomy. That all changed after Morgan was cast in an adaptation of the “unfilmable” graphic novel Watchmen as The Comedian. While his time onscreen in the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons adaptation was minimal, bringing such an iconic comic book character to life earned Morgan a deeper cachet with the Comic-Con crowd. Morgan would work steadily in films like The Possession and the Red Dawn remake, but he arguably made a bigger impact on television portraying yet another iconic comic book character on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Negan.

Movies

Avatar Sequels Recruit Vin Diesel for Mystery Role

By Kirsten Howard

Movies

How The Suicide Squad is Different from Guardians of the Galaxy

By Mike Cecchini

Morgan received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the villainous Negan upon his debut, earning the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series, MTV Movie and TV Award for Best Villain, and Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television. He’s been going steady as Negan since while doing other occasional comic-con friendly projects like Rampage.

Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana was on top of the world in 2010, and in the time since, she’s only become more successful. After appearing in the buzzy Star Trek reboot in 2009 and a little film called Avatar, the former Center Stage star would go on to headline her own action film Colombiana. However, that would seem like small potatoes compared to what would come in 2014. Saldana was cast as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s riskiest adaptation to date. Would audiences get onboard with an off-beat space opera featuring C-tier Marvel characters? Turns out, yes. Gamora not only became the heart of the Guardians, but the character would feature prominently in the grand Phase 3 finales Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

In the shadow of that, Saldana has starred in more Star Trek sequels, an ill-advised TV remake of Rosemary’s Baby, and as Nina Simone in in Nina, a performance did come under fire for due to the lightness of her skin. Still, Saldana now has leading roles in the two highest grossing films of all-time, and is still expected to star in Guardians and Avatar sequels. Not too shabby.

Chris Evans

Speaking of the MCU, Chris Evans wasn’t floundering in 2010, but he did seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut, typecast as handsome smart alecks prior to The Losers. In fact, his big mainstream break is probably the less than classic spoof comedy, Not Another Teen Movie (2001); afterward he played Johnny Storm in Tim Story’s lukewarm Fantastic Four movies in the mid-2000s; in fact, arguably his most amusing role up to 2010 was when he appeared as a douchebag movie star in Edgar Wright’s genre-bending comedy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).

Movies

Knives Out: When Murder Makes You a Better Person

By Natalie Zutter

Movies

$400 Million Knives Out 2 Deal Gives Netflix Major Movie Franchise

By David Crow

That said, The Losers found him playing against type as an awkward tech expert. Perhaps his chance to show a different side of himself led to his life-changing role as Steve Rogers in the MCU’s Captain America. Anchoring the Avengers franchise for eight years, Chris Evans rose to the top of the A-list, and used that newfound celebrity to help get passion projects like Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out made. Evans is one of the most popular celebrities on social media right now and looks to continue his profitable relationship with Disney by voicing Buzz Lightyear in the animated origin film, Lightyear.

Columbus Short

Perhaps the only member of the cast not to launch into the stratosphere after The Losers, Columbus Short has had a few issues that have prevented his rise. Short booked a role on the popular ABC series Scandal, but personal issues derailed his involvement in the show. In 2014, as part of a no-jail plea agreement, Short pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence and performed 30 hours of community service. Short also avoided jail by pleading no contest to a felony assault charge after throwing “a running punch” at his in-law during a family gathering at a bar.

In an interview with Access Hollywood Live, Short shared that substance abuse due to the stress of family issues and personal loss had led to his departure from Scandal. However, Short has appeared to move past his personal struggles and can next been seen portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Storyand returning as Quadir Richards in True to the Game 3.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3lwQGVL

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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ihateyou2500 · 6 months

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i think this is the worst thing i have ever made my humor is so dogshit not even joking

SOUND WARNING‼️‼️‼️

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim vs the world #pasta’s art #scott pilgrim vs the world: the game #jesse scott pilgrim game #jesslee fic #mike scott pilgrim game #rick scott pilgrim game #richard scott pilgrim game #ryan scott pilgrim game

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themovieblogonline · 27 days

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The Running Man Remake: Glen Powell and Edgar Wright Team Up

Get ready to lace up your sneakers and run for your life—because The Running Man is making a comeback! This iconic story is getting a fresh new look, and it’s not just any remake. With Edgar Wright at the helm and Glen Powell leading the charge, this version promises to be a more faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian thriller. So, what can we expect from this high-octane reimagining? Let’s break it down. The Dream Team: Glen Powell and Edgar Wright First off, let’s talk about the dynamic duo behind this project. Glen Powell, fresh off the success of Twisters and Anyone but You, is set to star as Ben Richards. Powell’s star power has been on the rise, and it’s no surprise that he’s landed a role that could catapult him to even greater heights.Whether he’s charming audiences with his wit or kicking butt in a dystopian nightmare, Powell is proving he’s got the range to do it all. And then there’s Edgar Wright, the genius behind films like Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Wright’s signature style—fast-paced, quirky, and loaded with pop culture references—makes him the perfect choice to bring The Running Man back to life. With Wright directing and co-writing the script with Michael Bacall, you can bet this movie will be a wild ride from start to finish. A Faithful Adaptation of King’s Vision Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what makes this remake different from the 1987 Schwarzenegger classic. According to insiders, this new version of The Running Man is going to be a more faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. For those who might not be familiar, the original story is set in a dystopian America in 2025 (which, let’s be honest, is uncomfortably close). The plot centers on Ben Richards, a man desperate to save his gravely ill daughter. To do so, he enters a brutal reality show called The Running Man, where contestants are hunted by professional killers on live television. It’s like The Hunger Games meets Black Mirror, with a dash of ’80s grit thrown in for good measure. The 1987 film, while entertaining, took some creative liberties that strayed from King’s original vision. It turned the story into more of a straightforward action flick, which worked well for the era but didn’t fully capture the dark, satirical edge of the book. With Wright’s version, fans of the novel can expect a return to the source material’s intense, thought-provoking roots. This remake is aiming to be more than just a popcorn movie; it’s going to make you think—and maybe even squirm in your seat. Edgar Wright’s Vision: Expect the Unexpected When you hear Edgar Wright is directing, you know you’re in for something special. Wright has a knack for blending genres and creating films that are as visually stunning as they are entertaining. With The Running Man, we can expect a movie that’s not just a faithful adaptation, but also a fresh take on the dystopian genre. Wright’s style—sharp, witty, and always a little offbeat—is the perfect match for King’s dark and twisted story. If you’re a fan of Wright’s previous work, then you know this film is going to be anything but ordinary. But what exactly can we expect from Wright’s vision? For starters, you can bet there will be plenty of action, but don’t be surprised if it’s delivered with a twist. Wright loves to subvert expectations, so even if you think you know what’s coming, you’re probably wrong. This version of The Running Man is shaping up to be a thrilling, thought-provoking ride that’s as much about the spectacle as it is about the social commentary. The remake of The Running Man is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of the decade. With Glen Powell starring and Edgar Wright directing, this movie has all the ingredients for a hit. Whether you’re a fan of the original novel, the ’80s film, or just looking for a new dystopian thriller to sink your teeth into, this remake is one to watch. Stay tuned for more updates as production gets underway—because if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that The Running Man is going to be a run worth taking.

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wits-writing · 5 years

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Knives Out (Spoiler-Free Movie Review)

I managed to get into an early preview screening of writer/director Rian Johnson’s whodunnit thriller, Knives Out, last night. This has been among my most anticipated movies of the year since the star-studded cast was announced. A good murder mystery with a collection of colorful characters making up the suspects are always a great opportunity for an ensemble to strut their stuff, even in relatively minor roles. A slowly escalating series of reveals and clues that end up resulting in the dramatic reveal of the true culprit by the dashing gentleman detective at the movie’s center.

What makes Knives Out the most fun I’ve had with any movie this year is how it both is and is not the traditional murder mystery it seemed to be in all the promotion. Since the movie’s not out yet, I’m going to keep this review spoiler free because anyone curious about this one deserves to be as surprised by it as I was.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Knives Out’s humor and drama burst forth from the heated inner-family drama of the Thrombeys and the publishing empire built on the mystery novels of its patriarch, and this mystery’s murder victim, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Everything we learn about Harlan comes from flashbacks and observations that can be made about his isolated country manor, the movie’s primary setting. The 85-year-old author took pride in what he managed to build for himself and his family. However, as flashbacks to the night of his apparent suicide make clear, he began to have his doubts about whether his wealth has helped his heirs or held them back from their true potential. Doubts that sowed seeds of discord among his family as he got into several arguments with them during his 85th Birthday party, each providing new potential motives for whodunnit.

There’s his youngest son, Walt (Michael Shannon), the CEO of the family publishing company that handles distribution of Harlan’s novels in “30 languages with over 80 million copies sold”, as Walt brags to the detectives interviewing him. He took pride in being responsible for the business side of the operation but faces insults from his siblings of only needing to be handed the novels considering his business title meaningless. He also had a history of being rebuffed by Harlan whenever he suggested selling the novel rights for adaptation or other merchandise. Joni (Toni Collette), Harlan’s daughter-in-law, and Instagram “influencer” who has been supported by Harlan ever since the death of her husband, but on the night of the party had an argument with Harlan about a check that didn’t clear for the college tuition of her daughter, Meg (Katherine Langford).

Finally, there’s Walt’s eldest daughter, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband, Richard (Don Johnson), and their son Ransom (Chris Evans). Ransom’s an irreverent spoiled man-child, who stormed out of Harlan’s birthday party and ended up skipping the funeral. It’s an absolute delight seeing Evans get to go full smug jerk in a role for the first time since playing Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim VS. The World. Whenever he’s with the rest of the Thrombeys, a mess of overlapping arguments exploding out is almost inevitable as he takes a certain level of delight in soaking in their fury. Despite his unpleasant qualities, he has a reputation among the family for being the one Harlan saw the most of himself in, which curried generous financial favors during Harlan’s life.

Part of the reason the Thrombeys’ family drama can be as entertaining as it becomes as the movie goes on comes from how Knives Out contextualizes it from the outside perspective of the investigation and the people who worked for Harlan. Detective Lt. Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) were sent out in an official capacity by the local police to investigate and interview the family about the night before to rule out any possibilities besides suicide. Elliott’s role in the investigation is as the straight man for the eccentricities of the affluent family to bounce off while they tell their versions of what happened the night of Harlan’s party. Wagner, meanwhile, acts less detached from the situation at hand as he’s a fan of Harlan’s mystery novels, often noting how architecture and decorations around the house line up with details from those books.

However, the presence of the two officials pales in comparison to private investigator and “Last of the Gentleman Detectives” Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). As eccentric as the entire Thrombey family can be, Craig’s performance as Blanc outpaces them all in terms of sheer screen presence. He approaches the investigation as more of a game than a matter of life and death. The closer he comes to a key realization the more dramatic his mannerisms become, especially a tendency for flowery, poorly thought out metaphors. Daniel Craig clearly had the time of his life portraying Blanc, down to the delightfully exaggerated Southern accent. His presence alone gives the investigations and conversations of Knives Out as much or more energy than any of the best action movies to come out this year.

The final piece of Knives Out’s puzzle comes from the nurse who was caring for Harlan in his final days, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas). It’s around her that different shades of every member of the Thrombey family come out, primarily an air of condescension. She’s an honest and nervous figure to a fault, with an obvious tell when she’s lying that becomes one of the movie’s best running gags. The flashbacks involving her time with Harlan become the most revealing about the elderly author, as we see clear signs of friendship and affability between him and Marta. Her presence and de Armas’s performance add a level of depth to the story that keeps the heightened tone of the unfolding mystery grounded.

The presentation of all the character elements from the filmmaking of Knives Out gives it an energy that makes its 130 minute runtime fly by as the plot drops one twist on another as things go on, even going so far as to add other genres to the mystery drama. The shot choices from cinematographer Steve Yedlin and the way it’s all edited together by Bob Duscay keeps things moving and amps up the tension or humor depending on the moment. The strings heavy score from Nathan Johnson adding to the whodunnit genre pastiche the entire movie is built around. All of it coming together in one of the most tightly written movies of the year where no detail goes to waste and each character adds something to the proceedings. I’ll be rolling this one around in my head for a while and can’t wait to see it again once it’s regularly released.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

#Knives Out #Rian Johnson #Wit's Writing #Movie Review #Daniel Craig #Chris Evans #Ana De Armas #Christopher Plummer #Jamie Lee Curtis #Michael Shannon #Toni Collette #Don Johnson #Katherine Langford #Lakeith Stanfield #Noah Segan #whodunnit #mystery movie #murder mystery

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plcyersandpieces · 6 years

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RWBY Character Image Song List 2019

Heyo folks! It’s the hiatus, so you know what that means--MUSIC TIME!

After a volume ends, I try go through an extensive list of characters in RWBY and pick out various musical themes from my collection for each character as a sort of “image song.” These are primarily instrumental pieces, and my collection consists of largely anime and videogame soundtracks that I’ve picked up over the years. The characters are those who were named and appeared in the show, with a couple of unnamed exceptions like Pilot Boi and the Shopkeep, or had a recurrent role in the overarching story like Summer.

Of course, these choices are subjective. Some may not agree with my choices for certain characters. However, my selections were based on what’s presented in canon, not any kind of headcanon. I take into account the character’s history and personality, as well as their personal growth. If they only appear in one episode, I try to take into account the context of their appearance as well as the small amount of personality presented.

So, without further ado--here’s the list! Characters are ordered in the volume in which they were introduced. Links to the songs are provided, and checked to be up-to-date. They are primarily YouTube links with the occasional Soundcloud or KHInsider link where I was unable to find anything on YouTube or the song wasn’t complete.

Volume 1

Team RWBY

Ruby Rose: Hopes and Dreams/SAVE the World/Last Goodbye - Undertale

Weiss Schnee: Primavera - Ludovico Einaudi

Blake Belladonna: The Wandering Isle - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Yang Xiao Long: To the End of the Wilderness ver. Detonator - Wild ARMs 4/Music the Best: Rocking Heart

Team JNPR

Jaune Arc: Revived Power ~Battle With the Colossus~ - Shadow of the Colossus

Nora Valkyrie: Another Winter - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

Pyrrha Nikos: Aloy’s Theme - Horizon Zero Dawn

Lie Ren: Yasuo, the Unforgiven - League of Legends

Team CRDL

Cardin Winchester: Those Without the Will to Live - Chrono Trigger

Russel Thrush: Village of the Barbarois - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Dove Bronzewing: Neko-ou - Neko no Ongaeshi

Sky Lark: Under Her Control - Final Fantasy VIII

Beacon Staff

Professor Ozpin: Treize Khushrenada: The Person who Makes History - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Glynda Goodwitch: The Silent Light - Chrono Trigger, arr. Rebecca E. Tripp

Professor Peter Port: Flying Boatmen/Serbia March - Porco Rosso

Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck: The Hunt: Going Green - Twister

Friends & Family

Summer Rose: Undertale - Undertale

Penny Polendina: Osanpo Desu - Azumanga Daioh

Sun Wukong: Zidane’s Theme - Final Fantasy IX

Villains

Adam Taurus: Black as Sin, Red as Blood - Wild ARMs 3

Hei “Junior” Xiong: DJ Sona - Kinetic - League of Legends

Melanie and Miltiades “Miltia” Malachite: Winter Fashion - Richard Neale

Roman Torchwick: Inkwell Isle Three - Cuphead

Cinder Fall: Evelynn, Agony’s Embrace - League of Legends

Others

Shopkeep-chan: Sore wa Himitsu Desu - Slayers Next Sound Bible II

Cyril Ian: Live Report - Undertale

Lisa Lavender: Death Report - Undertale

Volume 2

Team CFVY

Coco Adel: Chambermaid Swing - Parov Stelar

Fox Alistair: Silence ~Battle With the Colossus~ - Shadow of the Colossus

Velvet Scarlatina: There’s Only One Family Named Schrodinger - Wild ARMs 3

Yatsuhashi Daichi: Demon Lord Ninetails - Okami

Atlas Staff

General James Ironwood: Demacia Rising - League of Legends

Friends & Family

Neptune Vasilias: Super Galaxy Rumble - League of Legends

Zwei: Dogsong - Undertale

Villains

Emerald Sustrai: Medicine Eater - Tenkuu no Escaflowne

Mercury Black: Violator - Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Neopolitan: Lutece - Bioshock Infinite

Raven Branwen: Wars of the Last Wolves - Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen

The White Fang

Tukson: Galka - Final Fantasy XI

The Lieutenant: Materia - Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Perry: Battle and Pleasure - Wild ARMs: AlterCode F

Deery: Wingly Forest - Legend of Dragoon

Grimm Eclipse (post-V2)

Dr. Merlot: Mad Poet - Wild ARMs: AlterCode F

Volume 3

Team ABRN

Arslan Altan: Path of the Huojin - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Bolin Hori: Northern Country Kamui - Okami

Reese Chloris: Skate or Live - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

Nadir Shiko: Johnny of the Robo Gang - Chrono Trigger, arr. hashel05

Team BRNZ

Brawnz Ni: Under the Progress - Parasite Eve

Roy Stallion: Maki Ya - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

Nolan Porfirio: Boss Battle 2 - Legend of Dragoon

May Zedong: Pretty Pounding - Michael Clark

Team SSSN

Scarlet David: Pride of the Seas - World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth

Sage Ayana: Tides of War - World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor

Team NDGO

Nebula Violette: Look to the Skies - Angela Little and Lee Groves

Dew Gayl: Oklahoma - Downdraft - Twister

Gwen Darcy: The Cello Song (Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude) - J.S. Bach, arr. Steven Sharp Nelson

Octavia Ember: Taliyah, the Stoneweaver - League of Legends

Atlas Contestents

Ciel Soliel: Thunder Plains - Final Fantasy X (HD Remaster)

Flynt Coal: Tank! - Cowboy Bebop

Neon Katt: Bit Rush: Arcade Ahri - League of Legends

Friends & Family

Qrow Branwen: Curse of the Worgen - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

Winter Schnee: Freya’s Theme - Final Fantasy IX

Taiyang Xiao Long: Totems of the Grizzlemaw - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Amber: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Techno - Vanessa Mae

Villains

Salem: Ley Lines - World of Warcraft: Legion

Volume 4

Mistral

Oscar Pine: Farm Boy - Final Fantasy VII (HD Remaster)

Li Ren: Eight Dog Warriors’ Theme - Okami

An Ren: Prologue - Okami

Atlas

Jacques Schnee: Shinra, Inc. - Final Fantasy VII

Whitley Schnee: Machiavellian Bach - Portal 2

Klein Seben: A Mole Man - Tenkuu no Escaflowne

Henry Marigold: The Grand Duchy of Jeuno - Final Fantasy XI

Pilot Boi: Sky Dance - Pyre

Menagerie

Ghira Belladonna: Valley of the Four Winds - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Kali Belladonna: Queen Fury - Legend of Dragoon

Corsac and Fennec Albain: Shadow of Doubt - Tenkuu no Escaflowne

Ilia Amitola: Neeko, the Curious Chameleon - League of Legends

Villains

Arthur Watts: Karazhan Opera House - World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

Tyrian Callows: Darkmoon Faire Carousel - World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Hazel Rainart: Spirit Guard Udyr - League of Legends

Volume 5

Friends & Family

Mata: Stone Hill - Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Saber Rodentia: Night Howlers - Pyre

The White Fang

Sienna Khan: The Proving - Horizon Zero Dawn

Yuma: Revival of Alseides - Tenkuu no Escaflowne: The Movie

Trifa: Elise, the Spider Queen - League of Legends

Villains

The Branwen Tribe: Talon Sheath - Pyre

Vernal: Drawn to Strife - Horizon Zero Dawn

Professor Leonardo Lionheart: Sadness-colored Sandglass - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Volume 6

The Legends Lost to Time

God of Light: Okami White Light - Okami

God of Darkness: Emperor of Eternal Darkness - Okami

Jinn: Meridian, Shining - Horizon Zero Dawn

Ozma: Stormwind - World of Warcraft

Young Salem: Elizabeth - Bioshock Infinite

Friends & Family

Maria Calavera: Vamo’alla Flamenco - Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy

Saphron Cotta-Arc: Adlehyde Castle Town - Wild ARMs: AlterCode F

Terra Cotta-Arc: Totally Busy - Wild ARMs 4/Music the Best - Feeling Wind

Adrian Cotta-Arc: Minako’s Ambition - Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Sailor Stars

Red-headed Woman: Canticle of Sacrifice - World of Warcraft: Legion

Other

Dee & Dudley: Shingakki 3 - Azumanga Daioh

Villains

Lil’ Miss Malachite: Tarren Mill - World of Warcraft: Taverns of Azeroth

Tock: Thrash Pack - Pyre

Caroline Cordovin: Ancient Civilization Exhibition - Wild ARMs: AlterCode F

#rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #team rwby #character theme list #character image song list #rwby character themes #rwby image songs #jaune arc #nora valkyrie #pyrrha nikos #lie ren #i ain't gonna tag everyone lol #but here you go

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grigori77 · 6 years

Text

Hidden Gem #6

NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

Dir. PETER SOLLETT; Wri. LORENE SCARAFIA; Music. MARK MOTHERSBAUGH; Starring. MICHAEL CERA, KAT DENNINGS, ARI GRAYNOR, ALEXIS DZIENA, AARON YOO, RAFI GAVRON, JAY BARUCHEL, JONATHAN B. WRIGHT; R.T. 90 mins; 2008, USA

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Nick O’Leary (Cera) is a lovelorn teenage bass-player obsessed with Tris (Dziena), the unfaithful schoolgirl who dumped him but keeps stringing him along. Norah Silverberg (Dennings) is the teenage daughter of a record producer whose own non-existent love life is more than a little due to her constantly playing “designated sober best friend” to unruly party girl Caroline (Graynor). Convoluted circumstances conspire to push them together over the course of a chaotic night out in New York City as they search for the impromptu performing venue of their favourite indie band, Where’s Fluffy?

WHY IT’S AWESOME: I don’t usually go in for romantic comedies, but every once in a while a notable exception comes along that shows some neat twist or an alternative “outsider” quality that I can latch onto and run with. Juno remains the gold standard for me, but this one comes close in terms of indie charm and geeky lovability, playing like a mash-up of Diablo Cody and a millennial take on John Hughes-era classic screwball comedy. A big part of its success is the fact that it’s SO EASY to relate to the two main protagonists – I was an awkward loser when I was their age, definitely not one of the cool kids, so these two sassy little geeks are about as close as I can get to a little vicarious nostalgic projection for an hour-and-a-half … although I’ll also admit that none of my teenage night-out shenanigans ever got to be this enjoyably, riotously entertaining. Playing out over the course of a single night, it’s a thoroughly hilarious misadventure of drunken abandon, awkward matchmaking and wonderfully barbed dialogue, all playing out to a deliciously ear-wormy indie soundtrack featuring Vampire Weekend, We Are Scientists and Richard Hawley among many other little gems. The biggest selling point here, however, is the winning chemistry between Michael Cera and Kat Dennings – they’re great on their own (Cera was already riding high thanks to Arrested Development, Superbad and Juno, but this was definitely a firm step towards the future heights of Scott Pilgrim and Molly’s Game, while Dennings was already showing off the truly awesome comedic talent that makes her so effortlessly watchable in 2 Broke Girls), but the comic sparks fly best when they’re together, and they’re ably supported by Ari Graynor, who frequently steals the film as hot-mess lush Caroline, Alexis Dziena in an enjoyably reprehensible turn as Nick’s manipulative mini-bitch ex Tris, and the dynamite double-act of adorability that is Aaron Yoo (Disturbia) and Rafi Gavron as Thom and Dev, the very gay guitarist and singer of Nick’s band The Jerk-Offs. (Indeed, another one of my very favourite things about this movie is the way it wears its LGBT colours on its sleeve and makes no apologies about it.) This is sweet but cut with a zesty edge of sarcastic sass, just the right balance of romance and comedy, never in danger of descending into the realms of twee sugariness, so it’s EXACTLY the sort of thing I look for in this kind of movie. Unsurprising, then, that screenwriter Lorene Scarafia went on to make her directorial debut with 2012’s end-of-the-world satire Seeking a Friend For the End of the World, another quirky, alternative romantic comedy I totally responded to. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

#nick and norah's infinite playlist #michael cera #kat dennings #Awesome Movies #must see movies #quality comedy

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ironfist-clown-factory · 6 years

Photo

IMPORTANT:

If you’re planning on drawing Rondo, please refer to this gallery for Body refs

Name: Rondo (Ron-Doe) Randuo Age (at the start of Nonkina Ace): 18 DOB: June 21th, 2000 Gender: Male Sexuality: Straight Occupation: Protector of the 1st Kingdom of the Valley of the Mist (The Snake) Nationality: European Likes: Practical Jokes, Buffoonery, The Loot, The approval of others, The Snake Style Dislikes: Losing, being the weakest of his siblings, the feeling of disappointing smeone Favorite Meal: Beef Stew Personality: High Spirited, a charmer with a side of pranking Fighting Style: Randuo Secret Arts (It resembles a mixture of Sambo take downs, Lethwei Kickboxing and Hung Ga) Clown-Po abilities: Limb-stretching (The Snake Style).

He can stretch his arms and legs 25ft. With which, he can swing around, coil his arms and legs together and shoot out like a spring/gun, strangle an opponent into submission, etc, combined with striking with his bare aura.

Something I tend to not do is read western graphic novels. It’s because I prefer manga over other forms of comics and what not, it’s just that a lot of them kinda bore me. The last good one that I read for the longest time was Seconds by the guy who did Scott Pilgrim.

Or at least that’s what I would have said had I not read Lastman, some French made graphic novel that flew under the radar here in the States.

I would normally give a small li’l plot synopsis, but it’s a series full of different turns, and I enjoyed all 6 of the books we got over here! Yeaaaaaaah, as it turns out, First Second only published the first 6 books while the series was already at like, 11 or 12 books in France.

A shame really, it’s actually really good! And there’s even a prequel series about the main character, Richard Aldana that just got a really good english dub not that long ago. Not to mention there was a pretty sweet Power Stone like game put out too, but it’s based more on the comics than the show.

I will say that if you do give Lastman a shot (which ya should), go into the comics first before the show. If you watch the show first, you’ll be disappointed by the loose, kinda Adventure Time-y artstyle.

But anyways, Rondo. If I liked something enough, you can guarantee that I’m gonna reference it in Nonkina Ace, and surprisingly a good lot of you were able to deduce Rondo and the Valley of the Mist’s influences. Give yourselves a pat on the back for guessing right!

- C-KUN, from the Nonkinaverse Design Bible

OH SNAP!! YA’LL GETTING TWO BRAND SPANKING NEW CHARACTERS TODAY!! AND THIS ONE WASN’T EVEN ON THE WHEEL OF CREATION!!

I spoil you guys sometimes~! Anyways, meet Rondo Randuo, The Snake of the Valley of the Mist, one of the 12 Heavenly Protectors!

Somewhere in the vastness of Europe, lies a valley that has been left untouched by time.

A Valley that has been surrounded by an almost impenetrable mist for what seems to eons, were time has never evolved beyond the Medieval period.

Knights are their cops, Kings and Queens are their presidents, and a long running family has kept the valley safe, generation after generation.

This is the Randuo Family.

Every generation, 12 children are born and trained to become the next elite fighting force for good in the Valley. Each child is given a moniker that is tied to the Twelve Beasts of the Misty Sky.

The Bear, The Crane, The Eagle, The Elk, The Boar to name a few.

Of the Twelve, Rondo Randuo, born in the 2000th Age, is The Snake of The Valley, and easily this generation’s weakest fighter.

It’s not that he isn’t strong, he can keep up with his siblings with ease. Yet he’d rather use his abilities for practical jokes and buffoonery. However Father Rinto, The Bear of the previous generation, doesn’t approve of his son’s misuse of powers.

Rondo knows this, and wishes to stay in his dad’s good graces. So when an Outsider makes their way into the Valley and asks Rinto to participate in a tournament he had fought in long ago, Rondo sees his opportunity.

“No!! I shall enter this tournament, and I’ll prove to my father that I am worthy of being The Snake!!”

With his father and the Outsider’s approval, they set off for the Battle C-Road tournament, so Rondo can finally prove himself to his father once and for all!

#Rondo Randuo #Nonkina Ace #Valley of The Mist #Clown OC #Clown OCs

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