#she has watched the dan olson video | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

es-mentiras · 4 years

Video

youtube

I Can't Stop Watching Contagion | Folding Ideas

Coping with crisis in the real world by confronting it in fiction

[O]ne purpose of fiction is that it allows us a space to practice intense emotions and states without exposing us to the complexities or harms of those states in reality. ... Watching a disaster film in a disaster, particularly one as sociologically driven as Contagion, is an extension of this. Rather than practicing intense emotional states before they happen, this instinct of exposing ourselves to what we’re already experiencing, amplifying existing emotional states, it works as a form of emotional inoculation. I am scared and anxious and uncertain, and so I will make myself more scared and more anxious and more uncertain, because it’s still fiction, it’s still safe, it still has an end. It is bounded. Things will get bad, things will then get worse, people will die. The world is unfair, it is unbalanced, it is unjust, and catastrophe will bring out both the best and worst of all of us. And then it will end.

...

There is an escapism to a story about horrible things, because that story is complete. It is bounded. It provides a framework to horror that doesn’t exist in the real present. Our future is uncertain, beset on all sides by devils, and we can come out better or we can come out worse or we can die and none of us knows which it will be and we’re all screaming at those in power to make the moral choice, to choose better.

...

On one hand I am deeply privileged to be in a position where I am and can remain isolated. On the other hand I can’t even think about the other hand.

Disease does not have a narrative meaning, it does not have an eye for poetry or twists or closure. The only meaning is in how we respond. So I watch Contagion over and over and over again. Because I need to practice emotions, and I need to live in a bounded world, and I need to believe we can choose better.

full video transcript under the cut:

[video is Dan Olson of Folding ideas lying on his couch, staring unmoving into the camera. scenes from Contagion are projected over him.]

VOICEOVER: This video is not an essay, it is a raw nerve.

Contagion is a 2011 film directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring an ensemble cast including Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Winslet. The film revolves around the origin, contraction, spread, and cure of the fictional MEV-1 virus, a highly contagious, aggressive, and fatal strain of hybrid bat and pig flu.

The initial patient, Beth Emhoff, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, contracts the virus in Macau after shaking hands with a casino chef who has recently handled an infected pig. She spreads the virus to several other people in the casino after they handle objects that she’s touched, such as gambling chips, a martini glass, and her cell phone. An important aspect of the film is that the fictional virus is highly transmissible via fomites, which are objects that an infected person has touched after touching their mouth or nose, coughing or sneezing on the object, or otherwise leaving infectious residue on an otherwise inert, non-biological object. A local waiter who handled her glass returns home, infecting members of his family before wandering into traffic in a fever-induced delirium where he is struck by a vehicle and killed. A Japanese businessman who shared chips with her returns to Tokyo where he falls ill rapidly, dying suddenly of a seizure on a crowded bus, infecting several bystanders who touch him or handrails that he touched. A Ukranian model who handled Beth’s phone flies to London where her symptoms also escalate rapidly while she transmits the disease to others via handling portfolios and riding in a cab.

Beth returns to America where she infects several people in Chicago, first her ex lover Jon who contracts it when they have sex while she is on layover, and a bartender at the airport who handles her credit card, before flying to Minneapolis where she infects the coworker who drives her home from the airport and her son Clark. A day or two later Beth’s husband, Mitch, played by Matt Damon, picks up Clark from school after Clark begins to exhibit a fever. While Beth and Mitch are talking in the kitchen Beth suddenly has a seizure. Mitch rushes her to the hospital, leaving Clark with a babysitter, but Beth’s condition continues to worsen, she fails to respond to treatment, and she dies. As a stunned Mitch is driving home he gets a call from the babysitter that Clark has possibly had a seizure and might not be breathing. Mitch tells her to call 911 immediately, but before anyone can get there Clark is already dead.

From there the story expands to encompass the doctors, politicians, reporters, hucksters, and ordinary people who are swept up in an all-encompassing pandemic that threatens to kill a quarter of the global population. The movie is an incredibly tense hundred minutes of society pushed to its breaking points, not as a fantastical disintegration into wastelands of leather-clad murder gangs or a zombie apocalypse, but one rooted in the historical reality of epidemics.

And I can’t stop watching it.

I have watched Contagion over fifteen times in the last two weeks. Several days I’ve just watched it on repeat two or three times. And I'm not alone. According to Netflix it is, at the time of writing, the second most watched thing in Canada. For weeks it has sat in the top ten.

Unlike many similar films, such as the 1995 film Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman, the film is not about any one person, and there is no singular twist of victory. Rather it is an example of sociological storytelling. It’s about the systems and networks that these characters exist within, and how they both influence and are influenced by those systems, and what happens when those systems are placed under tremendous strain. Kate Winslet plays Dr. Erin Mears, a front line worker for the CDC who is sent to Wisconsin to track the transmission of the virus and contain its spread. Half way through the film she catches the virus herself, and then her condition worsens, and then she dies. It is unceremonious. It is not foreshadowed or paid off because it is not poetic, because pandemics are not poetic and don’t have a tight arc or an eye for narrative fulfillment. It doesn’t have meaning, the only meaning is in how we choose to respond.

Because this is sociological the movie doesn’t end when doctor Ally Hextall develops a vaccine. What would be the singular victory moment in most films is instead the beginning of a slow, painful march back to stability as first the vaccine needs to be mass produced, and then distributed to billions of people worldwide. It is a dangerous task that needs to be tightly controlled as it requires access to the isolated virus and thus is very slow to ramp up. The film trudges through the immense societal tension that is created when there is a cure, but it will take over a year to make and distribute enough for everyone, a situation that lays bare every societal privilege. Dr. Orantes, played by Marion Cotillard, is kidnapped and held ransom for the vaccine by Chinese villagers who are keenly aware that in the priority of global politics the poor, the rural, and the non-white are at the very back of the line. They are terrorists, but they’re not wrong, just desperate. They are at the back of the line, and the government throws them under the bus anyway. Despite the existence of a vaccine Mitch continues to keep his teenage daughter, Jory, under aggressive quarantine out of legitimate fear of the disease that has been amplified to paranoia by the trauma of losing Beth and Clark, the survivor’s guilt of being naturally immune, and the uncertainty of whether his daughter would share that immunity or not.

In December 2019 the coronavirus COVID-19 was identified by doctors in the city of Wuhan. Over the course of January and February the spread of the virus began to be identified in South Korea, Japan, and Italy and, gradually, most of the rest of the world. The disease itself is not exceptionally lethal when compared to epidemics such as the Black Death in the mid 14th century or the spread of Smallpox through indigenous populations following contact with Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries, but, first of all, “better than the black death” is a pretty bad standard, and second on a global scale a mortality rate of 1-2 percent in an unchecked pandemic still means, in absolute terms, millions and millions of preventable deaths. This is compounded by the strain that mass illness, even one that is not terribly lethal, inherently places on an already strained society: crowding healthcare systems, disrupting infrastructure, and forcing people to choose between working while ill, and thus infecting others, or losing their jobs. A low mortality rate is often the result of adequate care, but the quality of care goes down as the number of severely ill goes up, as the number of infected healthcare workers reduces the number of people qualified and capable of administering that care. This, in turn, has a knock on effect where unrelated illnesses and injuries become more dangerous. A heart attack or broken leg that would be easily managed under normal circumstances becomes that much worse when there aren’t enough people to help, aren’t enough beds to go around. The more people who are exposed, the more need to roll the dice against that one to two percent, and the more are going to lose.

As of March 2020 most of the United States and Canada have entered a period of uncertain quarantining. Non-essential businesses are closed, events are canceled, workers are being sent home or laid off, borders are being shut down,and the economy is in freefall. Every existing societal problem, from income inequality to housing inequality to healthcare, is being stressed and amplified by not only the virus but the complicity of our governments. News comes out hourly about warnings the people in charge received months ago, and the ways in which they were either ignored or exploited for personal gain. Several American politicians were briefed on the security risks of COVID 19 in late January, and then took to Twitter to decry public fear as a partisan hoax while they dumped their stocks in preparation for a crash that they knew was coming. People in government, their corporate donors, and their pundit allies are getting anxious, debating breaking quarantine and telling everyone to go back to work and roll the dice on whether or not they’re going to die for the economy. We are standing on the precipice of a very uncertain future, and we don’t know if that future is days, weeks, months, or years away. This could be the new normal for a very long time.

So why do I keep watching Contagion?

A dimension of narrative that I like to bring up pretty regularly is the idea that one purpose of fiction is that it allows us a space to practice intense emotions and states without exposing us to the complexities or harms of those states in reality. This is typically in the context of the fanciful: reckless stunts, wild sex, gun fights, or general risky behaviour. We talked about this with Fifty Shades and the idea of non-consent as a fantasy subject.

Watching a disaster film in a disaster, particularly one as sociologically driven as Contagion, is an extension of this. Rather than practicing intense emotional states before they happen, this instinct of exposing ourselves to what we’re already experiencing, amplifying existing emotional states, it works as a form of emotional inoculation. I am scared and anxious and uncertain, and so I will make myself more scared and more anxious and more uncertain, because it’s still fiction, it’s still safe, it still has an end. It is bounded. Things will get bad, things will then get worse, people will die. The world is unfair, it is unbalanced, it is unjust, and catastrophe will bring out both the best and worst of all of us. And then it will end.

Is there looting, and arson, and murder? Yeah. But it is, ultimately, out of the ordinary. People get paranoid, people get desperate, they riot under stress, but even when food supply lines break down, the world isn’t summarily turned over to those with the bullets and the willingness to use them. There is no Mad Max dystopia, no Fallout post-apocalypse, because at the end of the day humans are pro-social. The cooperative survive.

In 1349, in the midst of the black death, it must have looked like the end of the world. Entire households, entire villages, dying a gross, horrifying, pain ful death, month after month after month. Then for generations, every year wondering if this was the year the plague returned. Was this the year there would be no one left to bury the dead. But people survived. The working class, who bore the brunt of the disease and saw the bodies of their families, clans, and communities piled like cord wood, fought back against the aristocrats who isolated themselves in their towers and remote estates. It was messy, and bloody, and it took decades, but in the end serfdom was abolished. Europe lost upwards of sixty percent of its population over the course of five years, but it wasn’t Armageddon. Things kept going, people kept going, and Europe would go on to be absolute bastards to the rest of the world.

The disease in Contagion is not unrealistic, real diseases have been as deadly, or worse, but it is dramatic. It moves very, very quickly, is highly contagious, and kills a huge number of those who are infected. In reality this aggressiveness would kinda work against the disease, and, morbidly, would help responders limit the spread. It moves so fast and kills so quickly that there’s little question of who has it, and within a couple days everyone who has it is either recovered or dead. This was the aspect of the SARS epidemic that allowed response teams to effectively quarantine the virus where it burnt itself out. That said it’s not impossible that something could spread so aggressively, be so incredibly contagious, that it could spread like wildfire and become almost impossible to contain before anyone even knows what’s going on. But it’s undeniably dramatic and emotionally effective.

48 hours. We can contain two days in our head. A situation where things will get materially worse literally tomorrow or the day after if nothing is done right this second, that’s a comprehensible timeline. Forty eight hours is short enough that in a catastrophe, driven by adrenaline and stress and necessity, you can stay awake that long without even realizing it. COVID’s life cycle is closer to a month. By the time you get sick you’ve already been sick for two weeks, and now you’re in for hell for another two to four weeks. It’s just past the range where it really feels real. Two weeks isn’t long, but it’s still over the line into the indeterminate “future”.

This problem extends in both directions. There’ s only so much space in the mind for time. As the news ramps up, as things get worse, the present crowds out history. The distance between the irrelevant past and the now contracts. ’Days ago’ becomes distant. ‘Months ago’ is irrelevant. Years ago is ancient. By evening even earlier the same day is suspect in its relevance to the Now. We remember January but it has as much presence in the mind as childhood. Our lives become superliminal, displaced from time, as we wrestle with our own minds and how they try to process the chronology of our own existence. By Sunday, Friday no longer feels real, and yet every day’s news is the consequence of decisions made fourteen, twenty one, twenty eight days ago. Today’s responses won’t yield results until well into next month. This flaw in our meat is a gap into which charlatans, hucksters, and conmen can drive a wedge and pry us open, and pry they will try.

When I first saw Contagion in 2012 I thought the weakest element was what I considered at the time to be the demonization of online media. Jude Law’s character plays an online pundit and conspiracy theorist who preaches to an audience of millions about an herbal tincture of forsythia that he claims is the cure, a cure he just-so-happens to be selling. It is, in 2020, the realest element of the film. Herbal cures, hydrogen water, steam treatment, teas, magnets, suspensions of silver, tinctures, and tonics. We’ve got pastors standing at the pulpit telling their congregation it's all a hoax, that there’s no reason to suspend services, that their nebulous enemies are just trying to shut them down. We now live in a world where the US president told people based on a rumour that chloroquine, a drug used for treating malaria and lupus, was the cure, so a man in Arizona ate a packet of fish tank cleaner containing the chemical. He’s dead now. And that is, again, all part of it.

And I am in an absolute haze. My daily life has not much been impacted, overtly. I’m already an agoraphobic shut-in wh o worksonline and has a bad sleep schedule. But it’s too much. I’m tired all the time. I can’t pay attention to the news and Ican’t not pay attention to the news. Working is difficult. I have a long history of respiratory illness. I am at risk.

On one hand I am deeply privileged to be in a position where I am and can remain isolated. On the other hand I can’t even think about the other hand.

[end transcript]

#i've seen a lot of posts like ''haha time to distract myself from irl horror with fictional horror!'' and i just wanted y'all to know #that that's a totally reasonable response to have; you're not weird for doing that. so this isn't precisely tma but i think it fits anyway #covid 19 #coronavirus #tma #horror #contagion

11 notes · View notes

dragonprincefan · 6 years

Photo

Hey Dragon Fans! Let’s do a round up of all the information we’ve gotten so far about The Dragon Prince! This is quite a lot of info, so I’ll be throwing the bulk of it under a cut. (There will be spoilers for episode 1 of the show below the cut.)

The Dragon Prince, developed by Wonderstorm Inc., animated by Bardel Entertainment, and distributed by Netflix will be releasing all the episodes of the first season on September 14, 2018.

The official summary is, “Two human princes forge an unlikely bond with the elven assassin sent to kill them, embarking on an epic quest to bring peace to their warring lands.”

You can watch the promotional trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Bf7JLnlOU

Promotional taglines used by the official accounts have been “Destiny is a book you write yourself!” and “dragon big”.

Netflix currently has the show rated as TV-Y7 for Fantasy Violence. The animation is cell-shaded CG, much like what you see in Fire Emblem, Guilty Gear, or Avatar: The Lost Episodes.

The show will have an accompanying video game developed by Wonderstorm* with the story tellers for both show and game working closely together to ensure the stories being told are well integrated and complementary.

Our lead characters for the Netflix series are Callum, the elder human prince, Ezran, the human crown prince, and Rayla, a Moonshadow Elven Assassin.

The universe The Dragon Prince takes place in is divided into two primary areas, Xadia, the magical lands in the East, and the five great human kingdoms in the West. Centuries ago, Thunder the King of Dragons guarded the border between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms.

In the TDP universe, there were originally six types of magic: moon, sun, stars, earth, ocean, and sky. Humans developed a seventh type of magic, Dark Magic. With Dark Magic you find a creature that has that magic as part of their essence, you consume it quickly, and it unleashes a great amount of magic quickly. Dark Magic became a shortcut to great, fast power, but led to corruption and was wielded at the expense of the varied, intelligent, and powerful magical creatures of Xadia. The dragons and the elves allied to try to put a stop to the humans’ use of Dark Magic, but the Dragon King Thunder was killed by humans using dark magic and Thunder’s only egg and heir, The Dragon Prince, was destroyed. Now the world stands on the edge of all out war...

The first episode is titled “Book 1: Moon, Episode 1: Echoes of Thunder” and was premiered at the SDCC 2018 panel. You can read IGN’s review of the episode here.

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE ONE BEGIN HERE

Ezran is scared of thunderstorms and likes to steal treats from the baker with his pet glow toad, Bait. Glow toads are described as “the Grumpy Cat of magical illusionary amphibians.”

Even though Callum is older he is not the crown prince because he is the stepson of the king. This means Callum and Ezran are half brothers. The condition and whereabouts of Callum and Ezran’s mother is reported to be a spoiler. The King is a black man, and it appears that Ezran may be biracial.

One of the royal guards Sorin/Soren/Zoren (spelling unknown) is tasked with training Callum in sword fighting. Callum is disinterested and prefers to draw, unless Soren’s sister, Claudia, is around. Callum appears to have a crush on Claudia, and Soren helps by going easy on him in sparring sessions in front of her. Claudia appears to be very studious and nearly runs into a tree while reading because she is too focused on her book. Claudia and Soren’s father is a highly placed lord and leader of the royal army/guard.

It looks like Callum will be learning to use magic over the course of the show. What type of magic he uses is currently unknown. Based on the trailer I think that may be Claudia also shown using magic. Regardless of her identity, I suspect what the dark haired female magic user in the trailer is using is the Dark Magic we’ve seen discussed.

The elves that Rayla is a member of are called Moonshadow Elves (white haired elves with dark horns) and they literally draw power from the moon. They are at thier strongest during the full moon. The bracelet Rayla wears was acquired during a ceremony swearing loyalty to the Dragon King’s cause/memory(?). Moonshadow Elves demonstrate at minimum some form of cloaking magic, but can still be detected by certain types of animals. Rayla has a Scottish accent.

Rayla is going to be something of a mysterious figure and strongly conflicted about her role in current events, “testing her sense of right and wrong.” She tries to tell herself that “an assassin does not decide right or wrong, only life and death.”*

When the Moonshadow Elves stage an attack on the castle, the King decides to send Callum and Ezran away for thier own safety. Meanwhile, Soren and Claudia are ordered by thier father to stop the assassins. Callum wants to help but is told he cannot because he is only 14 (and 3/4!) years old and he must be 15 to fight.

There was a black-haired guard in the first episode (the one attacked by Rayla) that had not been formally named, but when asked by the panel audience they named him Marcos.

END OF SPOILERS FOR EPISODE ONE

During the Q&A session (I’ve discussed this with several people who were in the room now trying to get clarity) it sounds like the question of if there would be LGBT+ representation in the show was very narrowly sidestepped. They told the panel audience that any sort of answer would be a spoiler. It seems likely that there will be LGBT+ representation, but it has not been explicitly promised, and I urge folk to temper expectations with the knowledge that while it’s wrong to use the TV-Y7 rating as a reason to not show canonically LGBT+ characters, it may end up being outside the Wonderstorm team’s hands to try to get it on screen. I’m cautiously optimistic. We’ll have to wait and see.

The staff did say they are strongly dedicated to creating an inclusive and diverse fantasy universe, with an especial focus on visible ethnic diversity. We can already see the beginning of that with the King and Ezran.

Being on Netflix permits the staff to do a darker take on the story than they might have been permitted on network television, and they’re excited to get to tell a complex and nuanced story that explores moral grays and the idea that there are both good and bad actors in every group and culture. That said, they want this series to be fun, light-hearted, and quirky too.

The SDCC panel gave away two goodies to anyone lucky enough to get into the panel, a large physical poster version of the concept art we first saw with the initial announcement and an enamel pin of Ezran’s pet glow toad, Bait. The backing for the enamel pin announced that Hot Topic will be carrying exclusive merchandise for The Dragon Prince beginning in September 2018.

(A big thank you to elventhespian, owldee, and kohisu for thier live blogs of the SDCC 2018 panel.)

Official TDP social media accounts:

Tumblr - @dragonprinceofficial

Twitter - @thedragonprince

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dragonprinceofficial/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dragonprinceofficial

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPn8cnHhLHMQrGCmS0K5aBQ

TDP CAST AND CREW

The show is being helmed by Aaron Ehasz (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Futurama) and Justin Richmond (Uncharted 2, 3, & 4). Other staff members include:

Executive Producer -- Giancarlo Volpe (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Star vs the Forces of Evil)

Composer -- Frederik Wiedmann (Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Damned, Dying of the Light, various DC animated films)

Executive at Netflix -- Jenna Boyd (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Animation Directors -- Meruan Salim, Carlyle Wilson

Animation Coordinator -- Tony Power (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Lead Animator -- Brian Ahlf (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) , Eric Childs (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Brian Kavanagh (DinoTrux), Kevin Kyle (The Adventures of Puss in Boots), Jody Prouse (DinoTrux, The Adventures of Puss in Boots)

Other Wonderstorm Staff -- Robert Cogburn, Devon Giehl, Danika Harrod, Iain Hendry, Dan Liebgold, Lauren Topal, Neil Mukhopadhyay, Justin Santistevan, Lulu Younes

Various Animators, Storyboard & Graphic Artists, Directors, etc -- Sabrina Ali, Laura Ambrosiano, Nicki Bianchini, CT Chrysler, Frankie Franco III, Zakiah Grant, Chelsea Gratzlaff, Tim Kaminski, Erica Kim, Nasus Lee, Jessica Mahon, Katie Olson, Daniel Pira, Candice Prince‏, Devin Rosychuk, Alicia Schaeffer, Siggy Sigmond, Eman Thabet

Voice Actor [Callum] -- Jack DeSena (Sokka on Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Voice Actor [Ezran] -- Sasha Rojen (The Flash, iZombie)

Voice Actor [Rayla] -- Paula M. Burrows [@paulamburrows]

Voice Actor [Claudia] -- Racquel Belmonte [@raqattack5 | x] (Sira on Lego Elves)

Voice Actor [Soren] -- Jesse Inocalla [@jinocalla] (The Little Prince, Dead Rising 4)

Voice Actor [King Harrow] -- Luc Roderique [@lucroderique]

Voice Actor [Runaan] -- Jonathan Holmes

Voice Actor -- Rena Anakwe [@DJLadyLane | x] (Sapphire Shores on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Voice Actor -- Erik Todd Dellums [@ErikToddDellums | x | x] (Koh on Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Voice Actor -- Adrian Petriw [@adrianpetriw | x] (Adam in The Hollow)

Voice Actor -- Jason Simpson [@aboySimpson] (Cyclops on The Hollow)

I’m looking forward to having a fun fan experience with everyone in the months to come!

Fan accounts to watch on twitter: DragonPrinceFan, The Dragon Prince Podcast, and Mundo Avatar (news in Portuguese)

Dedicated fan accounts to watch on tumblr: @dragonprincefan and @tdp-news

153 notes · View notes

larksinging · 6 years

Note

and idk if i've asked this one before, but what are some good Comfort Lps that you enjoy watching?? or just any youtube videos in general

actually i rarely watch lps when im upset?? i think like. the kind of focus that lps require from me isnt the kind of focus i have/need when im upset or need something lowkey to listen to. i usually like to watch lps in the early afternoon/right after dinner when im like, chill and not too focused but just focused enough to watch something

instead i usually like to watch video essays ive already seen as a comfort thing! okay, well. for hardcore comfort, like “i am havin a meltdown” i usually listen to music. particularly the protomen. idk why thats just one of my Comfort Bands. i think it being familiar but also rock ballads is good for quick catharsis and a pivot in emotion

but anyway. my favorite video essayist ever is lindsay ellis (formerly... well shes trying to distance herself from it because of a lot of complicated history but its basically well known, she was the nostalgia chick). her stuff is mostly film analysis, though shes been moving towards more like. explaining some concepts big in media right now? like she did a video on death of the author recently. her series on the hobbit films is like, unironically a masterpeice, she basically went full documentary in the last couple talking about the history of the production. she also has a series about the bayformers movies through various literary critism lenses as a way to actually explain those frameworks which i think is really good if youre not as familiar with them. i also like her videos on bright, the hunchback of notre dame, and pirates of the carribean -- i rewatch those ones a lot. anyway yeah shes both really good at explaining film criticism applied to more popular media while being funny/relatable but also but also professional. sorry this sounds like a glowing review, i just love her work a lot and her stuff means a lot to me!

in a similar vein i like folding ideas (dan olson). he’s also mainly film criticism, though focused a bit more on how film functions and very film-specific theories. like lindsay will explain marxist theory or the female gaze and how it applies to a disney movie, dan will explain editing and what the kuleshov effect is and why that means suicide squad’s editing is terrible. he has a series on fifty shades of grey and its adaptation thats good, but i also like his videos on book of henry and suicide squad. he doesnt make many video essays about it but he also likes games a lot! he streams really regularly. he actually was on the last GDQ?? he played this obscure surv horror game called amy which he just like, picked up and learned the speendrun as an experiment in a few months

and then i also really like hbomberguy. hes probably the most political one ill watch when im upset (i like contrapoints and other lefttube people but i dont rewatch their stuff when i need a pick me up). hes like 50% political 50% video games (i disagree with some of his opinons, but his video essays are so good that im like. alright harris. this time). hes kind of a big deal now because of that DK64 stream he did that fucking exploded. anyway i like sherlock is garbage and here’s why, some of his videos about brexit, and um... i need to rewatch his video about lovecraft bc i remember being really moved by it, i think its like the best message about how we can talk about lovecraft in this day and age

THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ASIDE i just really like. produced video essays. ill also watch a lot of... like top 10 lists of whichever weird niche interest i have at the moment. like for a while i watched videos of top 10 lists or reviews of roller coasters?? right now i watch a lot of pokemon stuff. i dont usually have any recommendations because i watch whatever i do less for the quality and more for just whatever. except oh i really like defunctland for theme park (mainly disney) history. i find that stuff fascinating, and defunctland has the best production values.

anyway thats probably enough but yes. i enjoy lps but when i need something calming i like video essays because theyre scripted and designed to flow more easily and that soothes me. but i like ones that are a little bit funny, or at least are about something im interested in but not too... heavy.

the only lps i really have ever rewatched more than once are SBFP ones, surprise surprise. usually their david cage ones -- i find those lps are just, really high quality

#thanks jay!#actually this is just me gushing about my fav youtubers #jougletmann

2 notes · View notes

snarktheater · 6 years

Note

Some of the fans hate a lot on the shadow hunters series comparing it constantly with the books, Do you think the hate is justified? In terms of being an adaptation how good is the show?

I think that’s a pretty broad question, because people have different criteria for why they consider an adaptation to be successful. It may even depend on several factors! For instance I wouldn’t hold a movie adaptation of a book to the same standards as a show like Shadowhunters, because a movie will typically have to condense the source material, while a show might have to stretch or even pad it out.

Let’s be real, though: the general expectation out of a book-to-live-action adaptation tends to be “the exact same story, but acted out in live action with as much production value as possible put into making the adaptation look just like the source material describes”. I absolutely get that stance, because I was that little shit who watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and left the theater whining that they cut out Snape’s trial with the potions. I was, like, eleven at the time and that is no longer my stance on that movie, but I’ve been there.

That mainstream view of adaptation also explains the adage “the book is always better”, because that is an impossible standard to hold, and here are the three main reasons I’d suggest as to why:

As I mentioned, the medium usually forces you to compress or stretch out the material, and that’s just the beginning of it.

A book also fundamentally allows for a lot of projection on the reader’s end, since everything is described to you—but a description can never reach the level of detail of a picture. To stick to my example: the Harry Potter movies did an extremely good job portraying Hogwarts, but even so, my 11(ish)-year-old self complained about the staircases especially, for no reason other than they weren’t what I imagined. Same with the cast, who did a good job but didn’t look 100% like my mental picture of the characters.

A book is introspective. If you follow other material of mine than the Shadowhunters stuff—which I would highly recommend, because the Shadowhunters stuff is really not my best work—you might have read my ongoing Ready Player One review, where I repeatedly complain about how the book gives us zero empathy towards its first-person narrator and protagonist. Well, that’s because it’s a misuse of the medium—developing empathy for the protagonist is one of the greatest strength of the written word compared to an audiovisual medium.You can translate that empathy, especially using visual language and acting, but it’s never the same thing. So you always lose a layer of insight into the characters.

Note that sometimes, these things may turn out for the better. The Fifty Shades of Grey movie is much more palatable because Ana’s inner narration made her read like she’s either confused by everything around her, or downright scared of her love interest. Dan Olson made a great video essay about other changes that movie did to make it better than the book (even if it’s still fundamentally bad and unsalvageable), and I agree.

youtube

The problem is, again: if your sole (or main) criterion for a successful adaptation is faithfulness to the original, then even these things are losses in your (hypothetical) mind.

So to get to Shadowhunters specifically…I think that explains a lot of the hate. Maybe not all of it? I’m not following the fandom very closely, and the parts of the fandom I do tend to interact with tend to be more positive towards the show, so I only get the backlash as a very faint background radiation. The fact that Clare has been…let’s be generous and call it “ungraceful” towards the show probably doesn’t help either.

If you want my opinion: as I’ve stated before, I find the show to be more palatable than the books, and I also think that it’s at its best when it’s doing its own thing—i.e. very much failing at being a faithful adaptation, and not even for any of the three reasons I cited above, but out of a clear creative decision to do so. Of course, that’s because these days, I judge an adaptation on its own merits where possible, and reserve comparisons for things like the themes and politics conveyed by each version, not the literal events that take place in both. Which is not a superior or inferior view, just a different view.

There are cases when the show did its own thing and it was clumsy at the very best—Alec’s wedding storyline in season one and Isabelle’s addiction storyline in season two come to mind—and so, if fans are already biased against the show, it’s likely they will magnify those issues to justify hating the show as a whole. There is, after all, no objective way to aggregate your opinion on many parts of a creative effort, so two people may agree on what’s good and what’s bad in a show but have opposite conclusions about it as a whole.

So to get to your question “Is it justified”, I’d say: I’m sure there are people who have very good reasons for hating the show compared to the book. I’m also sure there are plenty of other people who have very bad reasons for it. All in all, I don’t really think it’s important, though, because how they feel is…well, it’s how they feel, and the reasons probably came afterwards. I’m not in the business of invalidating how anyone feels. Ultimately, this blog is just my takes and my reasons for those takes, after all. It’s far more important to me to teach other people to think critically about how they feel about a piece of art and why, rather than have them reach the same conclusions I did once they do think critically.

#shadowhunters #the mortal instruments #the shadowhunter chronicles #adaptation #critical thinking #st: other posts #Anonymous #ask

8 notes · View notes

queenhawke · 2 years

Text

I do feel like the mq writers didn't really know how to follow up from the end of s2. the start of s3 was kinda rocky and some of the moves they've made just don't make much sense. like, what did Brad being the janitor actually amount to? they didn't really do much with it. by ep 3 he is doing monetization stuff again and by ep 6 he's basically back in his old job except he's working with Rachel. and like. I dont mind that he's back in his old job bc I love to see the evil capitalist man be an evil capitalist, but what was the point of him being the janitor then?

speaking of Rachel, her being the head of monetization makes zero sense. like Carol girl hire someone who actually has credentials before you hire the college dropout. and ok sure, suddenly she has a "gift for monetization" but that came way outta nowhere too. in s2 she couldn't even sell a simple mobile game. (and do not get me started on her being pro nfts. rob mcelhenney look me dead in the eye and tell me she hasn't watched the 2 hour dan olson video.) idk I just think its a shame they didn't do anything w/ her wanting to be a writer. it could've been neat if she became the new CW instead of the new homie (not that I dont enjoy her and Brad's interactions, they're fun! but the way they got there feels forced)

I dunno i don't wanna be too negative bc I really do like parts of this season a lot (everything to do with Poppy is great, Jo is my perfect little meow meow) and the last two eps especially have been pretty good. it just feels like they were floundering a bit in the beginning bc of how s2 ended

#mythic quest #jo has thoughts #it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes for sure #feels like they're only just now finding their stride again #anyway just my Thots

44 notes · View notes

baseballlibertarian · 3 years

Text

Hillary Gets Emotional On Campaign Trail

The pressure of a surge by Barack Obama may be overwhelming Hillary Clinton as she choked up Monday unexpectedly when answering a question about how she keeps up the pace on the campaign trail.

Leave a Comment

This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Pingback by » Clinton Feels Heat, Lashes Out at Obama Ahead of New Hampshire Primary You Decide 08!

January 7th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

[…] Click here to watch the report on Clinton getting emotional. […]

Comment by Chad

January 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

ohhh, she’s good! I don’t buy it for a second! She’s desperate and is tugging at the heart strings. When Ahmadine-Whack-o-jad gets nasty…I don’t think I want a President that tears up when the times get tough and they will.

Comment by Florida gal

January 7th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

FOXNEWS, you should not make it soooo obvious that your an Obama “Hussein” supporter. You are doing an injustice to this country!! Keep your opinions to yourself and report the news!!

Comment by eisenmond

January 7th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

This is not a shocker to me. Clinton’s experience is balled up in watching her husband be president. Watching her break down due to this stress is going to be nothing comparred to those long lonely nights when your ratings are in the tank, the world is up in arms against us, and the economy is crumbling under the pressure of your increased taxes.

The only difference is that, for now, she can break down without her finger on the button!

Comment by David

January 7th, 2008 at 3:47 pm

How would she handle the pressures that the presidential office requires? This is a fatal campaign move. I can also guarantee the great presidents have shed tears during tough times…privately.

Comment by Kat

January 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

Fox news has become ridiculous. I used to watch you exclusively but I can’t believe that you are taking this comment in which she was totally composed yet sincere and turning it into something weak. You are turning me toward her because of your disgusting tactics.

Comment by drew

January 7th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

couldn’t happen to a better person. tough when you’ve been exposed as a complete fraud!

Comment by Citizen Gal

January 7th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

Reframe this: she’s talking about the democratic process, and the meaning of participating in a campaign—-her meaning and that of others running. Her voice and expression seems motivated with meaning—-emotion, yes, but not weakness. I am not going to vote for Senator Clinton, primary or otherwise, but this reporting seems like a real stretch to me. Even if she or Huckabee or Obama or McCain cry, haven’t we evolved as a nation more than this? Emotion as weakness. What baloney. GW Bush cried and cries—is he not a strong leader? No. Same, too, for Senator Clinton.

Comment by Peter Stockdale

January 7th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

Next stop Hollywood with a performance like that!

Comment by Renegade

January 7th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

If you think this is the peak of pressure the Presidential candidates and Presidents get, think again. I don’t think it would be a good idea to vote for someone who got emotional this early in the elections.

Comment by RANDY BRIDGEMAN

January 7th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

Mrs. Clinton is not strong enough to lead this country, in my view. We need a leader who is strong in every sense of the term. She would be better off ministering to husband Bill on a full-time basis. Pollitics is too rough and tumble for the young lady. GOD bless her, though.

Comment by David Olson

January 7th, 2008 at 4:02 pm

If Hilary gets emotional over something like Obama surging in the polls, then how will she react to a nuclear crisis? If she can’t handle the pressure of the race, then she certainly will not handle the pressure of being this country’s President. Hopefully, she will drop out of the race after she loses a few more primary elections.

Comment by Polly/Arizona

January 7th, 2008 at 4:02 pm

I don’t buy it. She is probably tired and feels sorry for herself. But as for feeling sorry for the working man and our country, she is play acting! She and husband Bill have an agenda they planned years ago and nothing will deter them from walking over anybody or anything. If she was really a good person, good things would be said about her. Nothing nice is ever said about her.

Comment by skies11

January 7th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

Another example of her incompetence.

Comment by ChristforBarackObama

January 7th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

I watched the video @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfRLEvQsv9A and I’m still doubting whether she faked the tears as part of her ‘warm personality tour’ or whether she was emotional because she is too fatigued. Which makes me think she will not be ready on Day One to be our president in the White House.

Comment by Jan L.

January 7th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Hillary is obviously feeling overwhelmed, at least momentarily, and very, very challenged. After all, she was expecting something akin to a coronation, and now it dawns on her that she is in a genuine political decision. Do the tears make her more “human”? Sort of, but they also leave one to realize that she might not be as tough a commander-in-chief as we truly require.

Comment by Michael Thomas

January 7th, 2008 at 4:11 pm

Well heck, Hillary, cry me a river. Just make sure it’s a river in New York, not in Arkansas or the White House.

Comment by Ken Wendt

January 7th, 2008 at 4:12 pm

At least she is not afraid to show her feelings. She feels strongly about this country and the direction it has gone in the past 8 years under Mr. Bush. I think the news media is blowing this out of proportion. I didn’t see any tears when I watched this.

I hope this country wakes up and puts someone in the White House that will fight for the white collar - that person is Hillary Clinton.

Comment by Elsa St-Pierre

January 7th, 2008 at 4:15 pm

Go ahead Mrs. Clinton, you has shown compasion, love for our country, commitment , most of all humanity and soul.

I don’t see anything wrong showing emotion when we believe and love our country. We don’t need another President of the United States that doesn’t care what happen to this wonderful country, we need someone with Hart, Soul and Human emotions.

God Bless you and I am praying and hoping to be my President. Thank you very much for all your time and efforts to make us better, not only in this country but around the world.

Please help us and the United States to be “number one again”. Thank you very much. Elsa

Comment by Tom Colley

January 7th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

Take a look at La Gov Kathleen Blanco at a post Katrina news conference, crying. When I saw that I knew we were in for a long bad experience and history proved me right. It goes on even as she is leaving office. Hillary gave me chills, I thought I was ahving a flashback!

Comment by T. Graves

January 7th, 2008 at 4:20 pm

There is no crying in baseball and there is no crying in politics. Growup.

Comment by Pattie in Parker, CO

January 7th, 2008 at 4:24 pm

As a Republican, I find it hard to appreciate much of anything from the Clintons. Having said that, I truly understood Hilary and her “emotional” reaction to questions regarding dealing with the enormity of this campaign. I perceived her repsonse as true passion for this country and I appreciated it. Maybe what Washington needs is a little more realistic emotion versus the scripted, rehearsed garbage we are continually force-fed from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Comment by DWilson

January 7th, 2008 at 4:34 pm

It’s obvious that Hillary is not up to the task of being President…..The President will face much more serious things in the future and we need a strong leader……

Comment by mike

January 7th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

I think that Hillary is showing her limit. How can she possibly lead a big and great country such as America with all thechallenges that are awaiting our country if she can not hold the pressure during her own party’s primary elections. Come on! we are not even yet in the midst of the presidential. What did she expect? Great leaders are ones who show what they are truly made of in time of challenges and pressure. Where is her smile, where is her confidence? Being the president of United States of America isn’t a easy task. She still have enough time to drop off the course if not she will become creasy before the end the primaries because the pressure has just started.

Comment by Philip Marsala

January 7th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

Regarding Clinton’s emotions coming to surface. Because of His identification with humanity, “JESUS WEPT.” John 11:35. I’d say this verse speaks volumes regarding Jesus and all of humanity. Needless to say, there is absolutely no major reason to decry one who displays his or her tears. Needless to say, human tears may well be the spirital expression of the heart at it’s very best. Don’t knock it!

Comment by tony

January 7th, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Oh, Pa-lease!!! Yeah, I want her to be my president. One day Iran goes nutty like today only worse, and she starts crying to their leaders, “Oh, this is so tough! Stop attacking us!”. Gimmie a break!

Comment by LaDonna Bangeman

January 7th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Okay, that’s scary. She is getting emotional over the polls on the campaign trail. Think about it folks…..is she going to cry if things don’t go well when she meets with the heads of foreign countries. I am a woman but I doubt I would ever vote to elect a woman as president. We are loving and nurturing………but we are also too EMOtional.

Comment by j

January 7th, 2008 at 4:47 pm

Hillary can’t take the heat in the kitchen, so she should get out. Immagine her losing her temper to world leaders as she did in the debate. There are much better, more experienced people on both sides of the isle.

Pingback by The Dan Lee Report » Blog Archive » There’s a lifeboat waiting for Hillary, unless she jumps too late.

January 7th, 2008 at 4:53 pm

[…] does not look like someone who can overcome her lack of likeablity, & her little sniffle festwhen she was “talking” to the girls at that cafe in Portsmouth? Completely planned […]

Comment by jackie

January 7th, 2008 at 4:54 pm

YEAH… that’s what this country needs for a leader - an emotional cry baby

Comment by richard tyler

January 7th, 2008 at 4:58 pm

God help the Islamofascists if President Clinton starts her mences while in office.

Comment by James E. Settle

January 7th, 2008 at 4:58 pm

She is NOT qualified - she does NOT have the emotional stability - she does NOT have the judgement - she does NOT have the experiecne needed - to be President of the United State of American

Comment by John Bacon

January 7th, 2008 at 4:58 pm

It is about our Country! We Don’t want Hillary!

Pingback by Hillary’s Emotional Moment « FOX Embeds « FOXNews.com

January 7th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

[…] her full response from my imperfect vantage point, or check out Major Garrett reporting on the incident — complete with a head-on […]

Comment by Richard Goddard

January 7th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

I am an observer from a far distant country and feel that my views are nonpartial. However I must state here that I do not know your viewing audience very well, but do feel that if they believe you are reporting news completely in a nonbiased position they must be brainwashed, or that far into persuasion that like an adicted drug they are drawn into argreement without a reasonable question. Sorry but this comes from a person firmly in the middle of the road that can see both sides. Thank you for taking the time to read my views. A small shout from England RJ Goddard

Comment by Travis Nave

January 7th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

This will probably happen every 28-days or so if she gets elected.

Comment by Victoria

January 7th, 2008 at 5:15 pm

Some people will say that it makes her look weaker, but I think it makes her look more human and more likeable, and may well translate into more votes from women…

Comment by LM

January 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm

She is DONE!!!

You might as well stick a fork in her!!! I dont care how human, she may seem and all that. The American public does not a want a soft president.

Comment by Jeff Jacob

January 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm

Yeah, she’s ready to be commander in chief on day 1. NOT. Back to being the Senator from New York. Go Obama!

Comment by Steve Russell

January 7th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

This is typical Clinton trickery. Don’t think that everything she does is not scripted. She is desperate. Her one and only ambition on earth is to be the president. She probably had an advisor tell her this would make her more likeable or bring voters closer to her. Her ambition is unprecedented. She cracks a joke in Jan. 2007 about how she is used to dealing with “bad men” an obvious slam to her husband but she still stayed with him for political ambitions. Her newest rediculous line is that everyone that voted for George Bush did so because he was someone you would want to have a beer with. Personally I wouldn’t want to have a beer with someone that is a self-professed alcoholic that has turned away from that life and has become a better man for it. That shows her lack of respect for the office and the man. We all know what respect her husband had for the office. President Reagan wouldn’t walk into the oval office without his suit jacket on he had such a high reverance for the office. Clinton didn’t even feel the need to wear pants!

Comment by David Robertson

January 7th, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Desperate times call for desperate acts, literally. This was nothing more than a staged attempt to rescue a dying campaign in New Hampshire.

David Robertson Danville Iowa 52623

Comment by Tom

January 7th, 2008 at 5:28 pm

go hard or go home. See ya Billary, and take Bill with y’all. Try agin in ‘02

Comment by Linda Wilson

January 7th, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Poor Hillary. The Clinton’s have somehow gotten the misguided idea that they own American politics. Sorry Hill, welcome to the world of reality. If she is elected, we will go right back where we used to be just like the pictures from Iowa of her surrounded by Bill and Madelaine Albright. God help us! And what’s this about Chelsea can’t speak to the media, except to say “your cute” ? She’s an educated 27-year-old woman! Why does she need to be protected from the media. I am glad to see American is waking up and hopefully we will put the Clinton’s back where they belong. They are sickening!

Comment by Chuck

January 7th, 2008 at 5:44 pm

No surprises here!…. Hope all Clinton supporters remember this in November.

Comment by Lauren Delpesce

January 7th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

On Hillary getting emotional….give her a break! The last thing I am is a Hillary fan, but these candidates have been keeping a 24/7 pace for at least a month. Anyone could have an emotional moment. She never lost composure and quickly regained her steely demeanor. Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill!

Comment by Melinda McAfee

January 7th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

I am not a fan of Hillary’s - not by a long shot - but I do think that people who campaign so relentlessly and who have invested themselves so much are bound to be subject to emotional glitches. She is tired. It might actually be a plus for someone who is perceived at times as hard, manipulative and calculating. I don’t think anything negative about her having tears in her voice any more than I would President Bush’s voice cracking when he is concerned about the troops. She cares a LOT if she makes this campaign work. Melinda in Oklahoma

Comment by Terri Garcia

January 7th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

And, if the Iranians point nuclear warheads at us, what will she do?? Cry? What an unfortunate display!

Comment by Brian

January 7th, 2008 at 6:07 pm

Hillary gets emotional and you Fox bag on her. Well then what is arrogance but another emotion? One we have repeatedly seen from W. W is very emotional…mostly negative emotions which have twisted the American perspective into something our founding fathers and mothers would be aghast at.

Hey, emotion and passion are what founded this nation. Americans should never become robots or cyborgs, responding only to convoluted logic supported by lies and secret agendas.

You guys at Fox are incredible, and that ain’t a compliment. Yellow journalism and mud slinging. My emotion to your reporting…YUCK!

Comment by david devore

January 7th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

Hillary is phoney and a loser. I still can’t figure out why my party caters to her and her adulterous husband!!!!

Comment by TS Cooke

January 7th, 2008 at 6:19 pm

Major,

Your story about Hillary’s emotions makes me concerned you’ve been following her too closely, too long. You’re starting to sip the Clinton Kool-Aid.

Don’t forget Bill’s ability to manufacture emotions at opportune, made-for-TV moments, such as getting teary over the white rocks on Omaha Beach back in ‘94. Nothing about any of the Clintons is genuine. The last thing we need is for someone we count on, like you, getting sucked into their web.

Other than that, I think you and Carl Cameron are absolutely the best campaign reporters in TV history.

Major Tim Cooke, USAR (ret.) Keauhou-Kona, HI

Comment by Esther Plexico

January 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

Hillary Clinton did not show weakness. She is a GENUINE person. We love you Hillary.

Comment by allen bradley

January 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

She is a woman. she responds like a women; not like an exective, not like a Leader, but a confusioned, disapointed, disillusioned woman who NO management no business being in the us senate let alone the white house. The spouse of a president who counts her husbands years of demonstrated political experience as Hers; at best has no concept of reality. HILLARY HAD LESS EXPERIENCE UNDER BILL THAN MONICA LEWINSKI!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better now, than later (after elected to show tlhis cruical FLAW.

Comment by Katherine

January 7th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

It was a breath of fresh air to see real humanity coming from a strong, multi faceted, human, woman, such as Ms. Clinton. A focused, dedicated, insightful, capable, woman forging ahead in a male dominated system that is in need braking through it’s strong hold on an old, greedy, pit of a thought system.

I believe it would be difficult for any person with humanity and emotion to deal with physical, mental and emotional exhaustion in an un-relentless, un-natural, political game.

What she showed me through this interview was humanity. I have seen where others in such a situation deal with pressures and truth with a false face, almost hidden under a cold well rehearsed, liner, non-dimensional, robotic, political responses, then head for that “end of the evening party” and a well deserved cocktail, most likely paid by “WE THE PEOPLE”

I believe “This humanity” she holds does not affect her ability in any way to lead this country. On the contrary……I see a dimension to Ms. Clinton that most candidates (with the exception of Thompson) in both parties appear to lack…..

I hope we as Humans “REALLY ” look a the mess that “WE THE PEOPLE” have allowed to unfold, while we blindly covered the eyes of our souls……selling out our future for “OIL”

I am but a pimple on the cheek of the creator…..And still I have a haunting question….. It’s the same question I had all those years ago while waiting in those long gas lines back in the 70′S ……How could we have allowed ourselves be so over powered and reliant on one commodity…..

Comment by Jan Neveu

January 7th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

Although I am a Republican … I found it interesting to read about Clinton’s emotional moment … there is no room for this kind of behavior from a presidential candidate … tears are inappropriate coming from candidates on either side of the contest … I didn’t like her before … now I really don’t like her and feel that she will resort to anything to become a winner … even crying like a big baby. Or shall I say ‘tearing up’ like a bigger baby.

Comment by Lloyd Johnson

January 7th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Hillary needs to take acting lessons to try to appear to be emotional.

Comment by Julia

January 7th, 2008 at 6:55 pm

This really scares me…I cannot imagine a President in a world crisis and falling apart and crying or getting emotional…talk about loosing clout with the world!

Interesting…Condolesa Rice has been under heavy stress, pressure, and even attack and I have never seen her get emotional or loose it! There’s a contrast for observation.

Julia CA

Comment by Advance!

January 7th, 2008 at 6:59 pm

Awwwww. Poor wittuw Hiwwawy don’t get to be a princess. I love it. She’s weak. We’ve known of her weakness since the Monica scandal. She’s never had what it takes to be president, she should have known better. I’d like to see her drop out, but she’ll force herself on us no matter what until she just can’t do it anymore, probably after the 8th round of recounts somewhere.

Comment by gene

January 7th, 2008 at 7:06 pm

mrs. clinton left a definite question in my mind. how would she react to a difficult negotiation if she were president ? she allowed her feminine side show. not strong in a foreign table negotiating. they now have her weak side. especially the far east where women are 2nd class citizens

Comment by mary

January 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

If she can’t stand the pressure she needs get out of the race.

Comment by Ike

January 7th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

When opposition comes, she gets angry. When the pressure comes up, she cries. What a mess !!!! Ready to lead? She can’t even lead her own self.

Comment by John Graham

January 7th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

I will start out by saying I am conservative. I have NEVER voted Democrat … and, I NEVER WILL vote for a Democrat … I couldn’t stand Bill Clinton, and I don’t like Hillary Clinton… but for the average undecided, uninformed voters who are swayed by things like Hillary almost crying and getting emotional … It will HELP HER POLL #’s. That is what this is all about. I don’t mind emotion. I like emotion. I am emotional. Some people out there will say to themselves that- that is what they were looking for … actual genuine emotion from her. And, now, they will feel more compelled to VOTE FOR HER because of it. I -actually- believed her for a moment; that she was actually human! That DOESN’T mean she should be the President of the greatest, most powerful, and most influential country in the world! Almost, to the contrary. She almost fell apart emotionally from a simple question, from an admirer, on the CAMPAIGN trail, to maybe win a PRIMARY, to maybe win enough primary’s to be on the ballot as the Democrat candidate, to maybe be elected as President of THE UNITED STATES! What would happen to her, if, GOD FORBID, she actually would become the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? There are some pretty tough questions coming your way. Thank GOD that she will never get that opportunity. I did believe her though. But…. NO… I would never vote for her.

Comment by Jean

January 7th, 2008 at 7:31 pm

How refreshing to see some real emotion from Hillary. I like seeing this side of her instead of the usual forced smile.

Comment by Lisa

January 7th, 2008 at 7:38 pm

While I am not a Hillary fan, I do not think this was staged…unfortunate for her that through the actions of some of her campaign people, this thought entered my mind, as well as a lot of other peoples, too. I think she gets the short end of the stick on some things that don’t seem “fair” to me, and again, I am not a supporter. While she didn’t gain the ire of so many by having a lot of these moments, I don’t wish for this to be a big issue for her, or our country.

Comment by Ed Kenneth

January 7th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

Is Major reporting the news or trying to creat a story about Hill’s “crying” Why don’t you folks just report the facts and let us viewers do our own analysis? Or do you not think we are smart enough? Or maybe we whould come up with a different view then major’s? Ed

http://bourbonroom.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/01/07/hillary-gets-emotional-on-campaign-trail/#respond

Comment by Chuck

January 7th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

I just watched the video of Hillary and it made me sick to my stomach. Hillary talking about what’s good for our country and the what’s good for the future of our children? Give me a break. All Hillary cares about is what is good for Hillary.

Comment by JUDI FULKERSON

January 7th, 2008 at 9:13 pm

WHY IS IT CONSIDERED WEAK FOR SOMEONE TO SHOW EMOTION ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY? IT GIVES ME HOPE TO KNOW THAT HILLARY IS ABLE TO SHOW FEELINGS. ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME THAT WE LOOK COMPASSIONATELY AT WHAT WE AS HUMANS ARE DOING TO THIS EARTH AND EACH OTHER. I FIND IT DISTASTEFUL TO TRY TO CREATE NEGATIVE DRAMA JUST SO SOMEONE CAN HAVE A STORY WHEN EMOTION IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT MAKES US AS HUMANS ONE STEP ABOVE OTHER CREATURES ON THE EARTH.

Comment by Katherine Murray

January 7th, 2008 at 10:06 pm

It’s too much of a microscope. Campaigning can be exhausting. Hillary Clinton is a human being. Let’s move on.

Comment by Harv Holley

January 7th, 2008 at 10:26 pm

If Hillary has a MELTDOWN at this point in just running for the highest office in the land, how would she handle a REAL CRISIS when our nation and our security is being threatened?

Comment by Gervis Webb

January 7th, 2008 at 10:45 pm

I am an independant; but may god help us if Hillary Clinton becomes president of this USA. The baggage she carries of her unfaithful husband and the fact she was a part of Whitewater is too much to bear. May the Clinton’s just disappear from the political scene and bring some decency to our political process. She cares nothing for this country except for what this country can give to her. She as Bill think they are above the law in their business dealings and personal relationships; may they drown in their own ambitions. May God bless America by removing the Clinmton’s from ever governing any part of this country. Gervis Webb.

Comment by Morris Lentz

January 8th, 2008 at 12:20 am

what a fake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Niki

January 8th, 2008 at 12:24 am

IF Hillary is already showing such turmoiled emotion this early in the race, what can we expect as her being the leader of our country in the reality of the world today? I’m a woman and it is a known fact that our hormones are different from males - we cant afford for her to break down when times get tough or she gets tired - the President of the United States must always be tough!

Comment by Terry Moore

January 8th, 2008 at 1:32 am

I think this “show of emotion” was as contrived as the dance on the beach with Bill. Or the Southern Black dialect. I simply will never trust either Clinton.

Oddly enough, it crossed my mind that if she always used the same tone of voice and vocal inflections as in the “emotional” moment, she would be much more likable than with her usual strident and condescending tone of her speeches. OH NO! Please don’t tell her. The last thing Republicans need is for her to actually be LIKABLE!

Comment by Kannan

January 8th, 2008 at 2:49 am

I felt sorry for her. Some say it is a sign of wekness. I think it is a sign of her heartfelt empathy. She became emotional not when she was talking about her electoral prospects but only when she was talking about America and its future. Give her a break please.

Comment by Chris

January 8th, 2008 at 7:11 am

Whether I would vote for Hillary or not matters not. I LOVE a candidate that shows themselves human! The compassion that showed in her inflection was awesome. I have a new reverence for Hillary now. I used to think she was made of stone. I am very glad to see her compassion!! Whomever I vote for, I want to know that they care about me, my family and my country. I saw that in her today!

Comment by Jana

January 8th, 2008 at 7:22 am

Oh Please! Men are stupid! If this country wants change get men out of the White House. This is all the men saying “Oh look she’s crying”. They are worse, they are lying. Everyone needs to look at Obama on all the news reports. Look at the difference in how cockey he is acting. He acts like he has already won. Hillary keep doing what you have been doing. Stick to your program and what you believe in. He will crash and burn all on his own.

Comment by Setmose

January 8th, 2008 at 7:38 am

She’s up against Oprah Winfried, what do you expect? Look at the way she’s holding the microphone even as she is getting emotional. You couldn’t do better on an Oprah segment about chronic cheaters and the wives that stand by them. Completely manufactured.

Comment by Joan Garrison

January 8th, 2008 at 8:23 am

My comment is I am worried about Hillary,but after hearing her this morning on c span her speech yesterday, she hit on every concern that the people of the people of US are concerned about, If the independent vote for Obama, in the end they will realize that all he has said was Change, but how.Hillary has said what she will do for the people . This speech should help her get more votes in NH, and onto the other states.If Obama gets the votes, The democrats will not make it in Nov’ because of his inexpierence. Good Luck Hillary

Comment by Barbara Aiello

January 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am

Dear Friends,

Quite interesting to see how New Hampshire is shaping up. As I sit here in my studio in southern Italy, I reflect on my ex-pat status and what these primaries mean to those of us Americans who live and work in Europe. Hillary is “verklempt” over her heavy campaign schedule. Oh my. We here in Europe who watch the daily rise of Islamist extremism, who see honor killings now go vitrually unreported because there are so many of them they have become commonplace and who see unrestrained immigration and its consequent parallel societies dominate Europe’s major cities… we get the message. Blow your nose, dry your eyes and give me Giuliani and McCain.

Comment by patriciajsasha

January 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am

I don’t care about her emotion however let us not forget her campaign speech after she lost in IA. She stated it ws a game, she stated she would be the winner. She brought the on the comparision of the electorial process in our country to being as little as “a game”. After I saw that speech and heard her myself say “its a game” one day and “its not a game” the next I have offically changed my vote. I was questioning Hilary before since I didn’t care for her husbands time in office and I don’t agree with most of what she says. But I have had enough of double politics and flip floppin. So good bye Hilary.

Comment by patriciajsasha

January 8th, 2008 at 10:37 am

I was a Hilary supporter until I saw this, and not because of the break down. For those of you who are following her campaign like I was(I saw her 3 times, shook her hand twice) you will remember her speech after she came in 3rd in IA. Now in that speech she compares the election to a game. She states she will win the game of approval. She will up the stakes in “the game of politics”. That jarred with me when she said it because I don’t think of the election process of the leader of our nation as a game, however even if she hadn’t have “broken down” or “fake cried” or whatever her words were “it’s not a game, it’s peoples lives ect” now that I don’t understand. 6 days ago with a different crowd it was a game and now it’s not. I had my disagreements with Hilary and some mistrust but really felt she was the one to be behind. Now I SEE and HEAR differently. I have had enough two sided in the White House. I’ve had enough “I will do this” and then nothing gets done. You have lost my vote Hilary!!! You need to get a better speech guy, one who remembers what he had you say last week either that or you need to remember what you said last week.

Comment by David Finch

January 8th, 2008 at 11:31 am

You have to ealize that Hillary has had her eye on the presidency since she was very young, but ambitious. For having this final ambition be crushed in defeat was and is a terible moment for Hillary. She never criticized her husband or divorced him because it would hurt her chances to become president. Every moment in Hillary’s life has been to be elected as president of the United States. So imagine what this potential major defeat means to her. I am an independent voter and I always vote for the candidate that I feel will do the best for our country, therefore I will vote AGAINST Hillary because of her crooked politics, business and life. Don’t forget the time she and Bill took furniture and other items from the White House that belonged to the country and not her and Bill! Don’t forget “White Water” and all the other things that represented her corruption in seeking the ultimate position. How could you elect someone that you couldn’t trust with your country or your money! Hillary is morally corrupt!

Comment by Terry

January 8th, 2008 at 11:47 am

Heaven help us. I can just imagine the Arab leaders watching a laughing while Hilary was “showing her emotional side.” Vote for her, not a chance.

Comment by Andrea

January 8th, 2008 at 11:49 am

I didn’t see Hillary breaking down, but something deep within her that finally broke through the ice and came to surface. I think I’d be able sense crocodile tears or breaking down–but when I saw the clip, I saw it was someone who felt so deeply about wanting the best for her country and that she was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion at that time–”caught in the moment”, so to speak. If anything, no matter her views, it shows she really does care about the US. That small moment showed that Hillary is not the Ice Queen that many of us believe–perhaps she should have the courage to be herself more often.

Comment by Billy D

January 8th, 2008 at 12:03 pm

I can’t help but wonder if the question that her so “emotional” was PLANTED lol

Comment by Deborah

January 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

What a good actress. She is such a manipulator. You just wait until she gets some real power and you’ll see the show of your life. Be afraid; be very afraid. She has nothing but her own personal interest in her heart; not Bill; not anyone but herself. She has hungered for this office and has done everything in her entire life to get there. I really feel sorry for her because she has subjected herself to a lot of scrutiny but it cannot compare to what she has done to other people. What goes around comes around. Obviously I do not like her but I do pray for her because I am commanded to pray for my enemies and I consider her a true threat to our country and our children and grandchildren. I can’t even imagine how difficult it is to campaign but surely it can’t compare to the schedules and decisions that have to be made by the President of the United States. She can’t handle it if she can’t handle this. It is so easy to say anything you want to say when you are out there campaigning. So many empty promises. Everything she says scares me.

Comment by Jennifer

January 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

I think some of you are missing the point. It’s not about showing emotion or seeming more human. This is not about how tough campaigning is or how rigorous her schedule is. HRC is a consumate liar (as is her husband) and will do ANYTHING to further her agenda. She will scheme, double-cross, and trample on whoever she has to in order to achieve what she believes she rightfully deserves. I am an intelligent woman who will NOT vote for a woman for President just because she is a woman. HRC isn’t strong enough to handle leaders of nations who treat women worse than dogs. She wouldn’t be able to handle it without getting her feminazi sensibilities in a twist. She is a socialist/communist who hides behind the “liberal” (which is just another word for socialist/communist) mask just waiting to pounce so she can make America into a socialist state (it’s half way there already, Thank you FDR!!). She’s a pandering fraud who will have us overrun with terrorists in no time.

Comment by PCM 01

January 8th, 2008 at 2:08 pm

Hmm…wrong political experience…questionable acting abilities…tendency to crack under pressure…Next!

Comment by sinna mani

January 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pm

In the company of a senior Labour politician I spent a few minutes talking to Hillary at UN development conference when she was first lady and realised how shallow her thinking was. She was very uptight when you critisised her position. She belongs to celeb culture and sound bites scripted by others whereas Obama seem to bea thinker as well as listener. I hope I am right.

Comment by Edward Primeau

January 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

Hillary has had a good life and enjoyed being first lady for eight years. Let put it to rest Hillary and GO HOME!!

Comment by Edward Primeau

January 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pm

One last comment, I have been married for 38 years and know how moody a woman can get we don’t need a female holding a button that can bring it all to an end. Think about it !!

Comment by Mark

January 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

My comment is you have an eight year first lady with a failed healthcare program running against a one term Senator running against a failed Vice Presidential candidate. Where’s the experience? They can talk all they want, and promise the world, but without proven concrete actions of fixing problems, enhancing a person’s lifestyle, and making you feel confident in the leadership of this country, what gives a person hope in future success by supporting one of the three?

Comment by AmyDGC

January 8th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

I gotta say I just don’t get it. I heard about this on the radio and they made it sounds as if she were balling her eyes out or having some sort of weeping, sobbing, ranting PMDD episode. And I just watched the video…her voice shook slightly people. I’m not a Hillary fan…quite frankly I’m surprised to be defending her…but I see no proof or indication here that she’s either incapable of being a decent President (couldn’t be any worse than our current one…as if that should be the gold standard) or that she’s attempting to fake anything to show her “softer side”. Fox News is comparing this to Muskie’s breakdown, perhaps somebody needs to pull that footage from the vault and compare and contrast. This was quite simply no big deal and anyone who lets it color their opinion of the candidate is clearly not interested in issues or substance.

Comment by Jennifer

January 8th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

LOL I agree w/the other Jennifer from 1/8 @ 12:42. When I ran for State House, I knew better than to have a crying fit in front of the press. Hillary should too. I fully believe that it was staged to try to grab the soccer mommy vote. She reminds me of Eva Peron on the balcony of the Casa Rosada — the only difference is America’s not a dictatorship (yet).

Maybe the above Jennifer and I should run on the same ticket… I think we’d do better than Hilly and the NOW gang ( or shall I say the NAG gang?!?!?) Besides, if she were a real feminist, she would have gotten rid of Bill a long time ago.

Comment by California Jack

January 8th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

If Hillary cries over something petty like that, how will she be able to hold up under the pressure of making command decisions in tense national security related incidents? I can’t put any faith or trust in her! Jack

Comment by Ronda Pullen

January 8th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

I wonder where her tears were for “the country” and her “deep” feelings about it when she and her husband watched Americans killed and injured in the first terrorist bombing in NY, our embassies and our ships being bombed, and did nothing about it … until the Monica story broke … and her husband agreed to bomb an aspirin factory to get the news away from that sordid mess with all his affairs. I could certainly see she had no feelings for Americans as she watched friends go to jail for deals the Clintons were deeply involved wth, or when Foster committed suicide, or her husband was impeached in the House, or Berger stuffed documents in his socks … the list goes on and on. This woman “feels” nothing for anyone but herself and her blinding ambition to turn this country into a socialist one. Talk about fear … she scares me as almost as much as terrorists do.

Comment by republicanmommy

January 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

I’ve heard so much about Hillary cying that I was curious to see it for myself. COME ON! I can’t stand Hillary, I would never vote for her, but get over this crying thing. She wasn’t even crying, she was just a little emotional when someone asked a sympathetic question. I’ve seen strong leaders, male and female, do the same. I tear up more than she did at some commercials. This time, I have to side with Hillary and tell the world- define crying. Just because I don’t like her doesn’t mean that she can’t have an ounce of humanity in her.

Comment by michelle

January 8th, 2008 at 7:36 pm

There are plenty of sexist pigs commenting today I see. I have seen plenty of politicians cry and I have never heard anything about their leadership abilities because of it, but as soon as a woman cries she is woman and not able to compete, an actress, manipulator,contrived, weak etc….. one poster said if she is cries now how can we expect her to lead this country. All the Presidents in my life that I remember have cried at one time or another including both Bushes and Bill. This is ridiculous and sexist and some of the women on here disappoint me the most. Saying that a woman cant do it because of differences in horomones!!! You are an embarrassment to women everywhere.

Comment by Becky

January 8th, 2008 at 8:30 pm

I don’t think it is sexist.. this is minor situation and won’t compare to some days in the life of the President. If she can’t take the heat, get out of the fire.

Pingback by everyone was wrong | This Is Me Ranting

January 9th, 2008 at 3:51 am

[…] data to start making new type of predictions. Two days ago the only thing you could see on TV was how Hillary cried, how they’re campaign is out of money, how they’re so desperate they’re sending […]

0 notes

duhragonball · 5 months

Text

Next Steps

I finished watching all the Evangelion stuff that I had planned, but I find myself still trying to figure things out about the show. I planned to be done with NGE in April, but it's becoming clear that it's not done with me.

Yesterday, I was talking about this Folding Ideas video from 2013. That was back when Dan Olson was still doing the puppets, but I had seen the video before and purposely avoided it, because it was about Evangelion and I didn't want to get spoiled. The video offered some insightful commentary on EoE, but it also pushed the "Anno's Revenge" theory of the movie, and from what I've read on fan wikis, it seems to have been mostly discredited? I think? It could just be that the wiki editors have an agenda, but I suspect that agendas were what led to the "revenge" theory in the first place. Having two endings to the same story will invariably split the fandom. Each side prefers one ending over another, and they're naturally going to push theories to explain why the other ending exists.

Also, the fan wikis aren't always aligned with themselves. That's Lilith up at the top of this post, and I've read two different versions of what that thing is on her face.

It's a mask that was placed on her face when she was strapped to that cross by SEELE. That's why it bears the SEELE coat of arms: seven eyes over a triangle.

It's Lilith's face, or if it's a mask, it's her mask, originally. SEELE's coat of arms was inspired by Lilith's appearance.

This would just be an interesting bit of trivia, except there's two contradictory explanations here, and that leads me to wonder if both of them are bullshit someone made up on the fly. When I first saw the character, I assumed those craters on the "mask" were meant to resemble the moon, but one of the wiki articles I read suggested that it was just wear and tear on the surface, which sounds kind of cheap.

I could probably get to the bottom of a lot of these things, but it would take time that I don't have. I'm starting a re-read of Jojolion next week. The more I think about it, Neon Genesis Evangelion demands a deeper dive, and I'll have to do my homework and rewatch the whole thing now that I know how it ends.

This is probably just as well, since I did want to go through the Rebuild movies. There's four of them and I own the third on Blu-ray, so I might as well see it through. Mostly, I kept wondering when Asuka would get her eyepatch in the original series, and it never happened. Turns out that's a Rebuild thing. So there's still pop culture landmarks that I've yet to see.

The more I think about it, the more I begin to see that the true appeal to this thing is trying to make sense of it. People have called End of Evangelion the greatest animated film of all time, but that's crap. It's not even the best film with a Toei logo and characters who strangle each other.

I mean, it's no shame losing to the best, but let's be real here.

So the fascination clearly lies with the analysis. Watching the show was just the first step into a larger world. I wasn't prepared for that, but I can't just turn back either.

What I'm saying is that I'll return to this someday. I need to bone up on some of these commentaries, and try to sort fact from guesswork, and then see how far I've come. Then again, it's 2024 and I'm still touting Transformers the Movie as a cinematic masterpiece, so maybe I've been standing in place for four decades in a row. Well, I didn't need to look up why Grimlock is awesome, so not everything has to be so damn enigmatic...

#2024ngeliveblog #first prime... then ultra magnus... now you #it's a pity you autobots die so easily or i might have a sense of satisfaction now #then hot rod gently pats him on the cheek like a golden retriever and galvatron calms down and start weeping

6 notes · View notes

welcometomy20s · 3 years

Text

April 13, 2021

Is Hololive Good Comedy?

Okay, I watched Dan Olson's video about Doug Walker's 'review' of The Wall, and that got me to watch Lady Emily's video about Demo Reel and I wanted to take a moment to analyze a hololive clip and talk about how a straight man works in comedy.

(This is me going highly off-knowledge, so bear with me)

A straight man is very hard to pull off, because it's a sign of maturity to know how the device works. A straight man is supposed to be the norm of the troupe. It's the philosophical center of what the story is, and therefore the straight man has to explain why the world is the way the world is, and also why are they part of that world?

Subaru is probably the best tsukkomi out there... again, as with most straight man, she's there to suffer, she's there as the audience surrogate, since she doesn't know otaku stuff very much. But it's clear that Subaru very much enjoys the world she is in, even though she might complain or fail miserably at games or whatnot.

A straight man much have a good deep connection, it might be positive like Subaru or it could be negative, and the straight man's dream is to have all the boke around them suffer endless pain, but whatever the flavor, there is a deep understanding and passion...

Tacoma Narrows (what's with people and using Seattle area things as names of their characters) doesn't hate them, or secret enjoys being part of Demo Reel... he's kind of indifferent, which is the worst place because... he becomes kind of useless to the whole setup.

I mean... I think every aspiring writer should watch Miko and Flare haranguing Kanata about her 'school', because it's such a good instructive piece of comedy. It's just Miko and Flare slowly subsuming the idea that Kanata's castle is actually a school, and Kanata has to constantly deny... and it's just so good...

Okay, I have lost the point and will finish the post here.

Edit - Oh, another thing Hololive is good at is how versatile these performers are... Flare is usually the straight person in the situation, but here she plays a great boke. Even Pekora plays tsukkomi, especially she's with other 3rd gen members, and she's good!

#vtuber #comedy #web talk

0 notes

videogamesincolor · 7 years

Text

The script for ‘Shadow of the Colossus’ is as bad (and as racist) as you think it could be

Shadow of the Colossus is considered by many within the Team Ico fanbase to be the video game that is neither suitable for film, or a story that could translate well as a script. Fumito Ueda’s “Design by Subtraction” approach, the intentional lack of clarity within the story itself, and the fact that the player is set against sixteen Colossi and nothing more, make approaching the idea of a movie difficult in the traditional sense where the feat might be easier to accomplish with games like Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, or Mortal Kombat, all of which take their cues from specific film genres.

Avocations for Guilermo del Toro to direct a Shadow of the Colossus film come and go because he is an admitted fan of the game, but the grand majority of SOTC fans remain unmoved from the position that it’s not a game that requires a film adaption.

Yet, there was an attempt. April 2009 Sony Pictures announced they would try to make a film adaptation with the cooperation of Fumito Ueda, yet nothing ever came of it. The next five years (most notable 2012 and 2014) would see talk of the SOTC film happening with different directors (Josh Trank, Seth Lochhead, Andrés Muschietti). Again, nothing happened, but, a script was actually written.

September 2017, a cinematographer named Dan Olson, chose to share with followers of his twitter account (@FormidableHuman) bits of a draft script for Shadow of the Colossus written by a man named Justin Marks (the screenwriter for the oft forgotten film, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, starring the late Michael Clarke Duncan and Kristin Kreuk, and Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book). Marks was the screenwriter attached to the 2009 attempt.

He shared just a few passages he was willing to post in screenshot format. In his twitter thread (available below in readable paragraphs, or you can go to his twitter page linked behind the cut), Olson points out the racist presumptions of screenwriter Justin Marks, who envisions the society of Wander, Emon and Mono, driven by the economy of human and animal slavery. On top of that, their homeland is described in ways comparable to the X-Men’s Savage Land.

Wander is a slave with all the spirit and short temper of a [bad] YA protagonist (Olson compares Marks’ take on Wander to Tidus or Vaan of the Final Fantasy series. I don’t see that, but I’m also not in the “Wander’s a teenager” camp either).

Agro, a mean-spirited horse, becomes his companion through their shared experiences as slaves wanting to “run free”.

Mono is a young and exotic sacrifice girl who speaks broken “Common Tongue” and is “moved” by Wander’s desire to defy fate (after she brings up the subject of sacrifice and the Forbidden Lands). Unfortunately, she is violently abused by a slovenly and drunkard of a father who kills her when he hits her hard enough to break her neck, thus triggering Wander’s journey to the Forbidden Lands.

Also, Lord Emon is pure evil who tells Wander that he is less than nothing because he’s a slave.

For lack of a better word, Justin Marks, who might’ve had the right idea with attempting to flesh out the world with flashback for the purposes of film, gummed up the works when he envisioned a sparse world, completely uncomplicated by white and xenophobic ideas of foreigners, by otherizing the hell out of it. It’s like reading the Storm flashback segment in the Draft script of Bryan Singer’s X-Men, but worse.

October 2017, Dan Olson also took it upon himself to read the entire script that he happened upon on his Twitch channel. The video is four or so hours long and more than likely an exercise in torture. I have no intentions of watching it, but the video is linked behind the cut with the twitter thread.

All of this came to light through the community for a Lets Play group, Super Best Friends Play (also known as Two Best Friends Play) during their Lets Play of Bluepoint Games’ remake of the 2005 game. Woolie Madden (one of the three active members of SBFP) puts in the effort of reading Olson’s twitter thread during the fifth part of their LP and their Reddit community (also linked below).

Most of the time when things like this come out and it’s not exactly wide-spread, there’s reason to doubt it (and you def. take this with a grain of salt, though old news media rather confirms it indirectly). Yet, If the script discovery has proved anything, it’s that Shadow of the Colossus isn’t a concept that can be tackled without losing or twisting elements of what makes it a compelling game in the first place. And some things, that should have been forgotten were better lost.

Dan Olson reads Shadow of the Colossus (Draft Script)

Summarized by @FoldableHuman (September 2017) | Script Reading Video (Twitch, October 2017) | SBFP Reddit Thread | SBFP Shadow of the Colossus #5 (Remake)

“Finally reading the Shadow of the Colossus movie script. I'm 30 pages in and I hate it. I hate it so much. I don't have reliable internet, so details will have to wait.But I want you all to know I hate it so, so much. I made it 8 more pages before I had to stop because the hate was coming faster than I could make notes.

Okay, so.

The opening is basically lifted straight from the game's opening cinematic, for example, and the colossi look and feel the same.

But That's About It

Wander gets to the temple, makes contact with Dormin, and we're tossed into ~~FLASHBACK~~ A solid half of the first 38 pages is flashback scenes to life prior to Wander arriving in the Forbidden Land and every single one is awful. This is hard to outline, because there's a lot of competing problems. Let's start with the racism.

[original thread]

There's a lot of this, where the things that are antagonistic are all but described as "exotic AF, like super definitely not-white". Second, you know how the punch of SotC hinges on a sort of moral unknowability? That Shaman Emon is an antagonist, but not villain? Please allow me to introduce you to Lord Emon Ba'ad'gi Putridus the Third.

[original thread]

Wander's speech super bothers me. He's basically a Final Fantasy teenage protag. He talks like Tidus or Vaan. I want to bust his teeth.

[original thread]

Oh there's also wankery going on with languages. Mono's alcoholic pig farmer dad speaks... ugh... "an exotic, completely- unheard-of tongue". o all his stuff is in italics, but Emon speaks "our language" (wording from screenplay) and Mono speaks broken "our language". This is used for no other purpose than to make dickbag dad completely unsympathetic, and for godawful exchanges like this:

[original thread]

If you haven't picked up on it yet, Mono is every "sexy savage" ever written. Wander, in this script, is an escaped slave who happens into Mono's village and steals Agro from her dad. Agro is a mean horse that her dad apparently keeps for no other reason than to abuse. But Wander tames him b/c they're both escaped slaves.

[original thread]

Here's where I originally stopped to say "I hate this so much" (She has just explained the basics of her faith's afterlife):

[original thread]

Alright, not to drag this on toooo long (I need to get to bed) I'll finish strong. In the game it's implied that Mono's death is institutional in some way, that she's maybe even a sacrifice. It pits Wander against things that are bigger and older than himself: tradition, the hierarchy, the colossi, Dormin. Wander's actions in assaulting/aiding these Bigger Things have consequences that he *clearly* doesn't fully appreciate.

And those consequences are meant to be ambiguous b/c we're meant to consider them on a time scale of eons. This is supposed to be deliberately contrasted against Wander's very *now* teenage concern of "hot girl is dead but I want living girl 😢".

Screenplay Mono gets Million Dollar Baby'd by her daydrunk dad.

[original thread]

Goodnight.”

#shadow of the colossus #screenwriting #justin marks #super best friends play #team ico #racism in film #abuse tw

12 notes · View notes

danschkade · 7 years

Text

PAGE x PAGE ANALYSIS -- BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #1 (PART TWO)

PUBLISHED: DC Comics, June 1998

SCRIPT: TY Templeton

PENCILS: Rick Burchett

INKS: Terry Beatty

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Tim Harkins

EDITORIAL: Darren Vincenzo

Picking up where we left off last week, we’re gonna dive back into1998′s BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #1. You can check out part one here, but for those with time against them, the setup of the issue is: The Joker has killed the only son of industrialist G. Douglas Reid, who has put a fifty million dollar bounty on the killer clown’s head. With all of Gotham gunning for the reward, Batman and his affiliates have taken the Joker into their private custody until they can resolve the situation. With Batgirl guarding the Joker in the Batcave, Batman and Robin head off to answer a Bat Signal from Commissioner Gordon. We’re eleven pages in.

Along with the regular discussion of story flow and scene direction, I’m also gonna get really into some tiny moving parts that particularly interested me as an artist. That might ultimately make this one of the dryer entires in this feature, but hey -- if you wanna skim through the analysis and just enjoy some great pages, friend of mine, it’s okay by me.

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #1 and all characters contained therein are property of DC Comics, reproduced here solely for educational purposes.

***

PAGE TWELVE

Such a good design on that little Riddler iPod Shuffle (hereafter referred to as a “?Pod”). The question mark motif is clear enough to read, while still subtle enough to keep from being distracting. Loughridge does a good job of keeping the vibrant greens of the ?Pod distinct from the soft greens of Reid’s office in panel two. Burchett choses to include the Riddler’s staff on the ?Pod screen, which makes him immediately recognizable as the classic Batman villain and visually echoes the ?Pod’s design, helping us catch the motif.

Props to Bruce Timm for giving each of the Batfamily distinctive mask eyes, so they can be easily identifiable even in the shadows.

I’d also like to point out something so small it might even be an accident, but something I’ll definitely be using in the future: the different way Reid and Gordon hold their phones.

The angle of Reid’s hand in panel one suggests he’s holding the handset microphone closer to his mouth so he can better make his demands. His posture in panel two emphasizes the anger he feels, the power he’s trying to assert.

Compare with the angle of Gordon’s right hand, turning the handset so that the speaker is closer to his ear. Added to the way he’s gesturing with is other hand, this clearly shows us a man who’s trying hard to reason with somebody who just doesn’t want to hear him.

Try acting this out yourself -- imagining how you’d have to be talking to be holding a phone in each of these two ways. Like I said, it’s small, but it’s some real fine acting.

PAGE THIRTEEN

The ?Pod’s great design continues to help us out in the first panel -- it’s distinctive screen becomes an easily identifiable panel shape. Since the rest of the scene takes place in a green/teal environment, Loughridge gives that first panel a red boarder to help break up the scene. See also; the magenta sky.

There’s an interesting relationship between the Batmobiles in panels two and six. Here’s the page again, simplified to just those two panels:

See how the front bumper (gouger?) of the panel two Batmobile asserts itself over panel five? Somehow, this doesn’t interfere with the reading flow. Maybe it’s the simple black shape of the bumper, encouraging you to view it more as graphic element than a pice of diegetic matter. Or maybe it’s because the Batmobile is essentially a location, so we don’t expect it to interact with Batman and Robin inside -- and as a result, it doesn’t throw us when we see it encroach into their space. See also: the Uptown sign in panel seven.

Furthermore! The panel seven Batmobile’s rear fin creeps all the way back into panel two. It’s definitely purposeful -- it’d be easy to avoid with a very minor alteration in the angles of the cars so that they fit entirely within the panel borders. So why this atypical staging? It’s certainly a lively layout, for one thing. For another, liberating the Batmobile from the bounds of panel boarders makes it feel fast and powerful -- driving at liberty all over the page.

PAGE FOURTEEN

Look at that great smirk in panel three. The New Adventures redesign of the Riddler has nothing on the amazing sport coat and slacks look of the original, but it does have a certain stripped-down charm. It’s clean, distinctive, and devoid of redundancies.

This scene suffers some a little bit of messy geography, as we’ll soon see. For now, just take note of the balcony railing at the bottom of panel one, which is unquestionably where the gunmen are in panel four.

PAGE FIFTEEN

“Or merchandise worth an equivalent amount.” Templeton immediately ties the Riddler subplot to the main Joker narrative. Again, everything in this comic radiates from the clown prince’s murder of Reid’s son. The universe of the comic feels huge, but also connected.

The Riddler’s pose in panel two is his question mark motif writ large. Lowering himself on that ball, the “dot” in the question mark of his body, is a really good visual idea. Unfortunately, it’s at the heart of the geography problem in this scene.

But before we get to that, I want to point out a great example of setting up, execution, and finishing off an action: in panel one, the Riddler uses his cane to pull the rope towards him -- the setup. In panel two, he descends on the rope -- the execution. Then, in panel three, he’s still touching the ball -- finishing off the action.

PAGE SIXTEEN

Burchett makes great use of negative space to increase the tension of the Riddler’s countdown in the last two panels.

Sidebar: I’m remembering this bit from a Dan Olson video about -- don’t freak out now -- Triumph of The Will and the Cinematic Language of Propaganda, where he talks about the paradoxical perception strength and weakness of the enemy as viewed by fascism. Check out this segment of his video, and watch until about 10:50. It’s only a minute of video, and it’s interesting food for thought when viewed in the context of how to depict super villains, especially trickster-style villains like the Riddler (see also: Loki, Mysterio, or the Flash rogue who’s actually called ‘The Trickster’). Just try not to overthink the Nazi stuff.

PAGE SEVENTEEN

We jump from a panel of the Riddler to a panel of the Joker. Note how both of them are looking straight at us, both gesturing with their left hands -- the Joker’s even echoing Riddler’s countdown with his “Quarter to three” lyric. All of this means that we get to ride the tension of the Riddler scene right into this one, and multiply it by the demonstrably greater potential danger posed by the Joker.

The scene wrings extra tension out of the metatextual history that exists between Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and the Joker in the mainline DC universe. Even without that, we feel the threat he poses to her by the way he’s staged on the page. Look how the Joker dominates the layout: In Fig. 1 below, we have all the Joker panel appearances and dialogue (darkened so as to make the contrast more apparent), and all of Batgirl’s in Fig. 2.

He’s a talker, alright. But this serves another purpose as well: it reminds us that Batgirl is isolated -- trapped in that space with the Joker.

PAGE EIGHTEEN

On this page, the creative team and the clown prince have the same objective -- they’re trying to draw us/Batgirl in, commanding our attention, using a repetitive visual/verbal rhythm to hold our/her attention. The rhythm breaks when the Joker reveals his little magic trick in the final panel; on the art level, this is achieved by having the Joker break the panel border, along with the sudden snap to red.

PAGE NINETEEN

The intensity spikes with this page, both through the warmer colors and the more action-y diagonal gutters. Some clever staging here; Burchett is able to convey Batgirl’s jump in the first panel by showing us the railing behind the Joker, giving us a concrete landmark by which to place her in space.

Check out the motion lines Burchett and Beatty have given us here; see how no two actions take place along the same axis, creating a ton of energy on the page.

That black silhouette in the last panel is as gritty as this comic gets, but Burchett keeps it respectable by only showing the Joker, not the Batgirl he’s clobbering. On the next page, it’s immediately made clear she’s just knocked out, not fully Jason Todded.

Also, props of everybody for never messing up which of the Joker’s hands was cuffed. It’s the easiest thing in the world to accidentally switch it up, especially when a character turns their back to the reader.

PAGE TWENTY

The Joker is now free to move about the Batcave -- Burchett gives us a detailed look at the cave in panel one so that we viscerally feel this dangerous new liberty. He breaks the panel boarder again in panel two, which adds to that great double exposure as he sees the Batcave entrance. Sure, he saw it earlier when Alfred was coming down the steps, but it’s still a great moment. And anyway, it’s the Joker -- maybe he just forgot about it in all the excitement. Who’s to say?

PAGE TWENTY ONE

And we’re back. Here’s the heart of the geography problem -- or at the very least, a continuity problem. Back on pages fourteen and fifteen, we saw the Riddler’s goons are up on the balcony, along with him.

The Riddler then descends to the stage where Batman and Robin are standing. He then begins a one-two-three countdown; we leave the scene when he’s on two. Now he’s about to count three, and suddenly the goons are on the stage as well.

Gunfights are logistically tricky in any medium, especially when your heroes are unarmed. In this instance, the goons had to be down onto the stage so that Batman and Robin could realistically (”realistically”) take them on hand to hand. But since we never saw them descend to the stage, nor would they have had enough time to believably get there via stairs or whatever, their sudden appearance on the stage is very jarring.

A fix; in panel three on page fifteen, pictured below, we just have the goons descending on their own ropes.

If they’re fully rendered, they can be placed behind Robin, The Riddler, and Batman without interfering with their silhouettes.

PAGE TWENTY TWO

This is real solid action blocking. First panel has Batman in the foreground, Robin in the back. Batman’s punch leads organically into panel two, perpendicular to Robin’s kick -- now he’s in the foreground, with Batman in back. In each panel, they have their own fights on their own planes of movement, making the space feel huge. It’s a very short, simple fight scene, but this variety of staging from panel to panel makes it feel much bigger than it actually is.

Burchett also manages to maintain a consistent rightward movement throughout. It totally feels like Batman and Robin are just tearing through these guys, and the uniform direction of movement is a big part of that.

PAGE TWENTY THREE

Back to Wayne Manor with this very cool page. Check out how the action funnels towards the bottom:

By placing the Map to Movie Star Homes where he has, Burchett guides the eye back to the central axis of the page. The action then travel’s straight down the central axis, getting narrower and narrower panel by panel, from the Joker’s wide stance to Alfred’s tactical crouch.

(The vibrating tea tray is a very nice touch.)

PAGE TWENTY FOUR

Wobbly panel shape as a shorthand for a woozy character coming back to lucidity is an evergreen technique. I’m also a big fan of the popping bubbles thing, but your milage may vary. When Batgirl comes back to full consciousness in panel three, Burchett cuts to a wide shot, soberly showing us all the characters in relation to each other, which is a great way to indicate a return to reality. We end this subplot, which preyed on themes of isolation and home-invasion danger, with Batgirl and Alfred standing together. An satisfying emotional mini-arc -- and appropriately, Alfred gets a joke in on the Joker.

***

You can get this entire issue -- for free! -- on Comixology, along with every other issue of GOTHAM ADVENTURES for around a buck apiece.

For a couple of my own comic creator bona fides, check out WILL EISNER’S THE SPIRIT RETURNS and SAN HANNIBAL, and pre-order the trade collection for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: GODS AND MONSTERS.

Additional content can be found on my website, danschkade.com, as well as my twitter!

Be well, talk soon, etc

PREVIOUS PAGE x PAGE ANALYSES:

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #1 (Part One)

GANGBUSTER: SWING ANNA MISS

MINI-ANALYSIS — FIRST SIGHTING: SUPERBOY

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #69 (with Aud Koch)

THE SHADOW STRIKES! #13

PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN #13

BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #17

#Batman #page x page analysis #dc comics #educational purposes #Ty Templeton #rick burchett #lee loughridge #comics #Dan Schkade

12 notes · View notes