#so she has to confront that's her bro and that will is interested in James

[izartn]

So about the Katherine and Will thing.

Anyways I for one, liked much more his whole thing with Katherine when it came to light she was his pseudo-sis/full sister and he manipulated her for revenge. Like also for his mother who made him promise to protect her and Elizabeth but he didn't have to seduce Kate. That was him being attracted to her and also getting to give the middle finger to Simon. Also ruthless in going for the fastest way to get Katherine and Elizabeth to his side. I totally wasn't expecting Will going for that angle but wow.

I also loved it didn't fuck him or anything, her probably being his sister, bc he has so much bigger problems going on. The fact that Katherine essentially killed herself trying to kill him in vain being one of those, alongside the whole being Sarcean Reborn thing.

lts just soo funny, bc all those traditional YA who are like, Sebastián from Shadowhunters you know? The villain who is obssesed with the female protag is also like her brother or something, and its proof that the chara is terrible, but they had a chance once, but ugh incest and they need to die, etc etc.

Only here is our protag, Will, who has so much going on, the brief detour for heterosexuality town bc Lady and him were a thing in a past life and "mother lookalike also tried to murder me" trauma is more interesting in what it says of him than the fact Katherine was kinda his sister.

Poor Katherine had to die bc this isn't a classic YA story with her as the heroine in distress with the dashing villain who tempts her. This is Will story and we only need her little sister, who is a more interesting adversary as a 10 year old seeing through his bullshit that Kate could be.

[cococubess]

Things I Would Ideally Want in Sofia the First: Royal Magic

(obviously this is going to be a show for pre-schoolers again, so they can’t get away with anything too dark. HOWEVER they did include some heavy topics in season 4)

(a lot of this is assuming that it takes place close to/directly after the finale)

• Cedric and Sofia father-daughter bonding time

•Sofia passes the amulet on/looses it in some capacity at the end and has to confront who she is without her powers. This would include parting with Clover, Mia, and Robin.

•Sofia and Roland talk about the fact that he indirectly (at best) killed his wife and they are most likely the only two people who know about it. Like take accountability bro

• The Protector’s acknowledging that they have basically made Sofia into a child solider

•The Magic Library episodes since those got really sparse at the end and felt really half assed

•Sofia confronts how much pressure has been on her for the past 4 years of her formative life

•Sofia and Miranda have a proper talk about the Amulet and how much Sofia had been hiding from her

•Tbh just have Sofia run away at some point, she is under so much stress and has the means to with her powers. Of course she’d come back and regret it, but acting that way wouldn’t be out of character for someone her age who is so mentally exhausted

•This one is pretty clearly going to be answered, but what exactly this Royal Magic School is. We didn’t see it at the school fair to my knowledge, so how is it found and why didn’t we know about it before?

•Sofia goes to the school by herself, rather than with James and Amber. Sofia’s already a very independent person, but I want to see James and Amber react to properly being away from each other for the first time

•It’s unclear if the schools that the royals choose to go to are sleep away schools, or another that they commute to. Either way, I’d like to see Roland and Miranda deal with empty nest syndrome while their kids are either living somewhere else or just very busy.

•Have focus on the other characters. Now that the Enchancian kids futures have been firmly stated, it would awkward to only have episodes focused on Sofia’s adventures. It’d be really rewarding to see James and Amber at their respective schools as well

•More detailed Cedric character arc. Now that Sofia is off at school and much more busy, Cedric has to work on being a good person without her influence being around to push him in the right direction as often. Give me a good one on one between him and Roland about their childhood issues

•If they could get Zach Callison back as James that would be AMAZING! Especially with how much his singing has improved, I think his and Darcy Rose Byrnes voices would sound amazing together

•SABRINA BACK AS VIVIAN imagine how much attention the show could get if they do! And because she was great as Vivian, of course!

•Miranda’s backstory. Who are her parents, how did she and Birk meet, how she adjusted to palace life. We see everything through Sofia’s perspective, so seeing Miranda dealing her same problems like grief or such a stark change of environment as an adult would be super interesting

•Tbh I don’t want to see Sofia in any romantic relationships. Like maybe it’s because of how young she is but I really can’t see her in a relationship with anyone😭😭 As much as a chunk of the fandom wants to see her get with Vivian or Hugo, I want them to just avoid the topic all together

•Do SOMETHING with Carrol of the Arrow, like they set up a whole thing of showing that the royals kind of suck and then never used the characters again

•Prisma doesn’t show up. Just mention her in passing like “Oh yeah remember Walmart Princess Ivy? Yeah lol that sucked”

•Jade just doesn’t show up <3

•Some sort of side special where Ariel Winter is fully interviewed about her time as Sofia. She seems so interesting, and was beginning the shower during Modern Family, meaning she would have been insanely busy but clearly cared enough about the show to continue. Desperately need an interviewer to ask her about her silly Disney Jr show😭😭

I have 2 years to come up with new ideas so expect more👹👹

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Khushi & Shyam

Upon rewatching the kidnapping track - barring the James Bond ghosts in Manorama & Khushi, Anjali and Manorama doubting Khushi’s character (cause I’ve had enough of her character assassination), and Khushi honeytrapping Shyam (ew to the kheer feeding scenes cause wtf) - I realized I deeply enjoyed the Shyam and Khushi scenes.

Yeah, that’s my hot take. Upon deeper pondering I realized that Khushi & Shyam might just be an underrated dynamic in the show. Almost ALL their scenes are stellar simply because of their chemistry and interesting history.

You see, Shyam as a character is very flat against Arnav. Each hate the other. Shyam wants Arnav’s money and Arnav warns him to stay off Khushi and attempt being the husband he pretended to be so long to Anjali. It’s just that. Literally all of their scenes post the terrace misunderstanding is a loop of this and Shyam going “yay I’ll win your trust and then you see Saale Sahab” and bro just has an Arnav protection charm cause Arnav doesn’t confront Shyam even ONCE when he sees him flirt with Khushi.

Rather Arnav abuses Khushi instead. Like… why would you not threaten Shyam as well? Arnav can literally financially choke Shyam further (I love that scene where he closes the joint account - more of that Arnav!)

On the other hand Shyam and Khushi are absolutely electric with Arnav out of the picture. During elopement I rolled my eyes, again, that all the loop was Shyam harasses Khushi, Khushi is like “lemme just do nothing about this” (cause Arnav’s misunderstanding needs to be constant!) and that’s it. Because Khushi is eternal helpless damsel who legit just needs to be mad or abused.

But with Arnav out of the picture Khushi and Shyam rise as characters more than “Arnav’s misunderstanding”.

They have to acknowledge the layers they wrote into both of them. The whole fact that Shyam and Khushi were best friends at one point of time! To think every relationship Khushi has, has betrayed or hurt her irreconcilably at one point of time and it makes my heart hurt for her. Her aunt, adoptive mother, sister, friend and husband.

Barring the villain Shyam is, during the Gupta House stay he was the only vocal advocate of Khushi in the house. Yes, Shashi and Payal always supported Khushi, but neither prevented Khushi from constantly being belittled.

Rather the max was they’d tsk over Buaji’s comments or laughing agree that she is mad.

But Shyam was the first to point out that there is a certain stillness and maturity behind the chatter. He is, perhaps, the only character who understood Khushi. He was the one who shifted Khushi’s narrative in her house. No she’s not crazy, she’s responsible. No she’s not childish, she’s an empath who would do everything to make everyone smile.

She’s having a bad day? Don’t badger her with questions, rather cheer her up with her favourite food.

(Khushi had a bad day when she joined AR, and she had a bad day when she left AR - but you see the marked difference in the way the house responds to her bad days with/without Shyam’s influence. With him, the house, for the first time, cheers Khushi up and lets her have her bad day).

When Khushi comes back from Janmashtami, humiliated, she has to spend time comforting her family and pacifying them. She has to push her insults away and bring a smile on everyone’s face. But Shyam actually asks her how she is and gives her the space to talk about her own feelings and humiliation.

She actually finds someone with whom she can share her pain without having to care for the other’s concern.

It’s liberating and the foundation of a truest friendship. I feel so bad for her that she lost this friendship!

And to see this strong friendship be a mask for Shyam’s dark deeds and desires is heartbreaking but writing wise - oof, that hurt! Imagine a false friendship being the healthiest relationship Khushi has had with anyone (thank God NK & Lavanya existed!)

The only time Shyam is wrong about Khushi is when he’s twisted in his romantic delusions. Which makes him such a compelling villain because you cannot figure him out. What are his motivations?

And with only Shyam in the house and Khushi manipulating him instead - we see the justified pain in Khushi! Like hell yes, Arnav did destroy your life. Hell yes, grieve for the fact that man gave you nothing but pain. They’re spitting facts to each other while trying to outwit each other.

Every scene is a definition of how twisted Shyam is or how intelligent Khushi is and how each takes turns manipulating the other and it’s literally super thrilling to watch. Shyam asserts that his only goal is Khushi - suddenly making him a freeloader who only wants to destroy “ArShi” makes no sense and rips away a lot of his character and motivations.

Also, begrudgingly, Shyam and Khushi exactly know each other too well. She knows where all his mind can go - and utilizes his obsession with her against him for he thinks he’s an ethical man regardless (I love the whole getting him to sign papers moment, she just pulled a Shyam on Shyam!) and Shyam knows Khushi’s weakness is family and utilizes that to buy time.

Khushi’s attachment to Arnav is as unhealthy as Shyam’s attachment to Khushi. Like seriously Arnav insults her five times before heading to the airport and Khushi isn’t afforded even a second of anger or grief. Like she literally admitted farak and he still walks off (yes he was going to go back to Khushi but he did break her heart at that moment).

And all the show keeps shoving to us is how Khushi wants to prove her innocence to a man who really does not deserve it (I’m not faulting Arnav’s anger, although tbh his anger makes sense a lot of times! But the abuse? No way).

Khushi’s deep love for Arnav right when he has been nothing but insulting (he literally told her he’s glad her parents are dead) and her rushing to prove her innocence and have constant Rabba Ve’s after he leaves instead of any rightful anger or hurt make like… no sense to me. Was that Stockholm syndrome talking?

I just find such richer writing in some of their scenes and dynamic that we get a full intelligent heroine and intelligent villain vibes where the audience is treated as smart.

Khushi’s hatred for Shyam is also so good and justified than her love and need for Arnav at this point.

I can imagine Arnav whispering an “I love you” breaking Khushi down to her going through an obsessive phase of finding Arnav and wanting him and his love and worrying for his safety. But until that point Shyam and Khushi make so much sense as villain and hero because Khushi rises beyond a star plus “bahu” who only wants her husband’s love regardless of his anger.

This is a woman wronged and she’s going to fix it by outwitting the villain.

Hell yes.

Also, Shyam is totally Khushi’s villain - a fact that the show forgets.

And no, this doesn’t mean I hate Arnav. His character consistency is brilliant. Nor does this mean I’m shipping Khushi with a man who harassed her multiple times, nope.

It’s just that this show also did something great apart from romance and romantic chemistry between the leads and that needs to be noted.

[datastate]

Monomon for the character asks!

THE OG... I RARELY TALK ABT HER WHICH IS A SHAME BUT SHE WAS ONE OF MY IMMEDIATE FAVES (AND STILL NARRATIVELY IS ABOVE LURIEN FOR ME..!)

thank you for the ask bro!! i love her a lot

favorite thing about them:

i can't say her entire character ;v; honestly if i had to choose something though i really admire the grace she accepts hallownest's end with. despite being so obviously prideful in not only her own work, but the work of her scholars and hallownest's people, she is able to set it to rest. everything she's done with her work as a dreamer has ended with her just wanting hallownest to find that peace, too. despite lurien's belief, she doesn't enjoy seeing its suffering and doesn't intend to prolong it indefinitely, but she understands that if it is confronted haphazardly that hallownest will never be put to rest properly and that is why she constructed everything in the first place. she cares about hallownest's people (as is evident in her elegy) and, as difficult as it is, she wants to die with the certainty that they won't be continually desecrated just because of the king's denial to confront the old light directly.

least favorite thing about them:

my main qualm with monomon is, despite it creating SUCH an interesting relationship, her treatment of quirrel. regardless of how their dynamic was in private and however willing quirrel was at the moment, she still held the upper hand. the archive was built in her likeness, quirrel was a common pillbug; she held a position above him, regardless of how close in rank they were with what she granted him upon her own grounds. although she was willing to give her life for the dreamer plan, she similarly pressured quirrel into giving up his life for however long the seals stood. it was a great strategic move on her part of course, but i always wonder how... sudden it was for him. was he involved from the beginning? did he know she was asking his life? they both knew they had little choice outside of this. it's all situational and unavoidable because of the trust and love they have for each other, such that they couldn't fathom another taking such an important role. even if monomon was a perpetrator in this case, i can't blame her entirely and i'm sure current quirrel's feelings toward her are mixed.

favorite line:

"better, an end" just really breaks me. she never wanted to see this fate, she was just preparing for the worst outcome and... wants to ensure they're not desecrated beyond recognition.

brotp:

the dreamers together are just :'] mon is the main link between herrah and quirrel and lurien ofc, but she values them a lot... no big thoughts on them en but they make my heart warm

otp:

i don't really pair her off w anyone aghsmsm but i am partial to herrah/mon!

notp:

typical weird shit aside, mon/lurien makes me uncomfortable though i couldn't articulate why

random headcanon:

herrah makes cloaks for monomon with messages of good-will and all that embedded on the designs... it's written in the weavers' language and an older dialect that isn't used as often these days. serves as both proof of their friendship and monomon cherishes them and enjoys learning more of the weavers even if some of it has been requested [or is done out of privacy] to not be archived

unpopular opinion:

i guess my Unpopular Opinion is just mainly wrt the canyon's purpose in aligning with hallownest in the first place. it serves as a barrier for the mosskin, placing additional pressure on hallownest to remain neutral/trading rather than exploitative. it wasn't because the uomas praised the king or anything, even if it was ultimately more beneficial than previously established, it was to protect the one who protected them: unn.

song i associate with them:

i have a whole playlist for that <3 but hm if i had to choose -> 'when i'm gone' by shawn james is really hitting me rn;;;

favorite picture of them:

i can't find or make a gif of it right now, but... specifically where quirrel is returning her mask. ugh ♡ cinnamon tography

[smugraccoon137]

Supergirl Season 2 episode 8 “Medusa” review part 1 

Remember SPOILERS and GAY thoughts ahead. This episode had a lot of shit going on so this may be a long review. I was going to do this in one but I spent too long yelling about Karas and Mon-els relationship. If thats not your cup of tea no worries, part 2 will have more fun stuff also Lena is back yayyy

Okay finally the episode I want to talk about. 

I love the thanksgiving scene. Winn and James being so excited to tell Kara their guardian only to be shut down by a tipsy Alex cus “fuck you guys im gay. This is my coming out day not yours”. Like relatable with a capital R. Who else has a knack for doing something super stressful on a holiday cus you just can’t handle it anymore? 

Thoughts on the part where its introduced to Kara that Mon-el is interested in her. Eliza mentions it offhandedly and Kara gets flustered. It makes sense for her to get flustered just cus its a reasonable Kara reaction. Shes a dork so yeah. A guy liking her “nawwww no way mom. Couldn’t be me.” 

It is frustrating to see the shot right after this though where she’s looking at mon-el with interest, and its obvious the writers are ready to set up Karas side of having romantic feelings for him.

Honestly it kind of seems out of nowhere at least for the characters. If you look at them as there basic elements it makes sense. Kara: last child of krypton (besides clark/her cousin) rescues a strange man who turns out to be of a similar race to her, as well as Romeo and Juliette elements because of their waring planets. Sending me Little Mermaid x Romeo Juliette vibes honestly.

Mon-el: a prince character who’s never had to work or try for anything being confronted with reality and a girl who’s convinced she “can change him”. Its a classic really to a heteronormative audience. If you look at these two like their bullet points this romance just makes sense. (omg I learned how to italicize on here fucking finally)

But these aren’t just bullet points these two are people, and characters or not they are still real and have real interactions and chemistry. 

So far I’ve seen little to nothing to show that these two have genuine interest in each other. And thats not even talking if they’d be a good match. (A topic for another day). Mon-el I think respects Kara, or at least what Kara stands for and chooses to be in the face of the world. I’m not sure if one could say thats respect for her exactly though and more so an admiration he may hold. I do think this admiration makes him want to uphold her expectations of him to a certain extent. Its less about being good because thats what he wants, and more wanting to be good because thats what Kara wants, and he admires Kara. You following me?

So from mon-els end romantic feelings make a little sense, but havn’t exactly been shown? Kara just keeps saving his ass and making him feel like the pretty princess he is and thats just dandy. Honestly evidence that miss Zor-el is a top right fucking there.

And on Karas end like what proof do you have? Until right here she doesnt even think of him more than a sparing partner, hero kindergarten student, space puppy, little brother/bro friend, guy that shes taking care of? None of these are romantic? Half of these are barely platonic?

Im honestly a little pissed cus like I may love supercorp and gay ass shit, but if one of my bitches wants to date a dude then FINE. Like do it honey, be happy, find you a man. But like at least write it in a way that makes sense? and also give her a guy thats going to do her right? Kara barely even knows what she wants right now, and Mon-el is literally figuring life out. Together there’s no stability, no structure, just chaos. So yeah Im mad, cus their set up for this relationship is kind of nonexistent except for the bullet points im supposed to happily swallow, cus their “good enough”.

But anways my last point on this interaction. The thing that made Kara actually look at Mon-el as a romantic option. Was not them spending time together. Was not him agreeing to train to become a hero with her. Was not her learning he was from Daxam and almost the same race as her. Was not saving his life and taking care of him after he got shot in the leg. 

It was her mom telling her he liked her. I know shes oblivious and me too bitch, but C’MONNNNN. Thats like so stupid. And also saphic 101. Like “heres a perfectly adequate MALE match that I can date cus it would be EASY”. Its so sad that the writers are trying to so hard to give me this half baked romance that honestly could have been good if put some time into it, and instead are accidentally writing the perfect heteronormative closeted character. 

Kara: wow I cant believe Alex is gay. Good for her. Not me though. I couldn’t. With girls. Pretty dark haired Irish ladies. Len-. Nope couldn’t be me. I love me some boys. Boyyyfriend ready. Oh yeah *looks at writing on hand* I am super duper duper in love with man dudes

Also Kara: mom said he likes me. *looks at mon-el*. eh I guess I’ll just trick myself into having feelings for the guy, date him, then break up cus I don’t know why I’m not happy with any man I’ve ever been with. Cus thats just a thing I do I guess

Okay so this was only 5 mins into the episode...so im just gonna write a part 2 to this with all the fun stuff. Just had to yell and scream a little.

Again part 2 will have more light hearted thoughts, and Lena which is generally why people watch the show and also why your reading this review you thirsty bitch

Enjoy the new episode tonite while I watch season 2

[dweemeister]

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Italian director Sergio Leone made a name for himself worldwide with the Dollars trilogy of Westerns starring Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name. These movies, along with Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), had more stylized violence than the typical Hollywood Western, and audiences flocked to see what some waved off as pulp novelties. During this period, an idea had been reverberating in Leone’s mind; no longer could he ignore his imagination’s wills. Leone’s success led him to spend ten years working on this passion project, even declining an offer to direct The Godfather (1972). Based on The Hoods by Harry Grey, Once Upon a Time in America is a gangster epic filled with betrayal, crime, graphic violence, and regret. The film alternates between three time periods: the late 1910s/early ‘20s, the final three years of Prohibition from 1930-1933, and 1968. It is Leone’s most ambitious project after a thirteen-year absence from filmmaking, and his last.

In New York City’s Lower East Side, we follow a handful of young Jewish boys who engage in petty thievery, grow to complete contracts for organized crime, and later make their fortunes bootlegging during Prohibition. The film centers on David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro as adult Noodles; Scott Tiler as a child). He is first seen in a Chinese opium den in 1933 after seeing three of his friends’ corpses – burnt beyond recognition – whisked away from a crime scene. A non-diegetic telephone rings during this wordless montage – a blaring, ceaseless ringing serving as an aural pang of guilt. That guilt will be gradually explained as the film progresses. Soon after this opium-induced retreat, Noodles will depart New York City for Buffalo. He will return decades later, his hair and soul fading, after receiving a suspicious invitation. Once Upon a Time in America’s first half concentrates on Noodles’ childhood, alternating with scenes from his 1968 return. The film’s second half intercuts between Prohibition and 1968.

Noodles’ boyhood friends are the protagonist’s de facto family. They include Patrick “Patsy” Goldberg (James Hayden as adult Patsy; Brian Bloom as a child), Philip “Cockeye” Stein (William Forsythe as an adult Cockeye; Adrian Curran as a child), Dominic (Noah Moazezi), and Maximillian “Max” Bercovicz (an excellent and up-and-coming James Woods as adult Max; Rusty Jacobs as a child). Fat Moe (Larry Rapp as an adult Moe; Mike Monetti as a child) is not part of the gang, but is nevertheless a friend who knows their secrets. The film also features Noodles’ young love interest, Deborah (Elizabeth McGovern as adult Deborah; a debuting Jennifer Connelly as a child) and friend/underage prostitute Peggy (Amy Ryder as adult Peggy; Julie Cohen as a child). Also appearing in the film are Joe Pesci (whose unclear role in the film is heavily downplayed in the European cut), Burt Young, Tuesday Weld, Treat Williams, and Danny Aiello. Louise Fletcher's cameo appears only in the most recent restoration.

Before continuing with this review, I want to note that there are multiple versions of Once Upon a Time in America available to viewers. Leone’s film debuted at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival with a runtime of 229 minutes (the “European cut”). For the American general release one week later, the film’s distributor (the Ladd Company, via Warner Bros.) cut the film to 139 minutes without Leone’s permission or input. The American theatrical cut – which was released on VHS in the 1980s and ‘90s and sometimes appears on television – rearranges scenes to play in a strictly chronological structure and removes essential plot details, essentially butchering Leone’s directorial intent. A 2014 Blu-ray release of Once Upon a Time in America includes additional footage bringing the runtime to 250 minutes, but the additional footage – due to the degradation of the original negative – appears worse for wear. This review is based on the European cut, which is the recommended print for all those seeing this film for the first time.

With a screenplay by Leone, Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Enrico Medioli, Franco Arcalli, and Franco Ferrini, Once Upon a Time in America is told through the lens of an unreliable narrator in Noodles. How one views the film changes radically depending on which period should be considered the “present”. If the viewer interprets Once Upon a Time in America as using the 1968 scenes as its anchor, the film is an old man’s reverie – where a lifetime of guilt is revisited and ghosts are confronted. In this interpretation, are Noodles’ memories of his childhood and young adulthood sanitized to spare him further pain? How does he square with all the pain he has been responsible for? Or perhaps one might view Once Upon a Time in America using 1933, as Noodles retreats to the opium den, as the anchor. Here, the 1968 scenes become an opium dream or a nightmare, a painful future that may have been. If indeed this is an opium-induced dream (which would make the 1968 scenes nothing but a hallucination), does that make the childhood scenes even less genuine than in the former interpretation? That Leone and his writers never force the viewer down either avenue speaks to its thoughtful screenplay.

No matter how one reads this film, it requires complete attention. Characters age over fifty years, friendships are formed and destroyed, and innocence is forever lost. Whether it is viewed as an old man occupied by his violent past or a young gangster attempting to smoke away his pain, Once Upon a Time is awash in regret. As much as viewers might sympathize with Noodles, Leone’s film portrays Noodles’ violence as the result of terrible choices influenced by his friends. Granted, there is one occasion where he kills in self-defense. But even that killing is laced with rage and revenge. Faced with the choice between his friends and the money involved with their operations and being with Deborah, Noodles will attempt to have both. Deborah’s disapproval of the gang’s behavior – her opposition becomes more tacit as she ages – assures that Noodles retain some semblance of a conscience as Max’s arrogance permeates through all their friends. Neither fully committing to the appeals from Deborah or his friends, Noodles will lose both.

In the film, smoke or steam is usually present just before or during moments tinged of bittersweet memory. Whether emanating as puffs from an opium pipe, the steam billowing from New York City’s manholes on a frigid day, or discharges from a passenger train, it is a demarcation of an event that will irrevocably affect Noodles’ life. Potentially, due to the film’s openness to interpretation, smoke or steam may also herald moments where Noodles’ memories are most suspect – through conscious reframing of his story or opium-influenced phantasms. Either way, certain narrative threads are left incomplete, raising questions over whether those dangling characters and subplots were Leone’s original intention. Perhaps Leone here is acknowledging the voids in human memory – people and things half-forgotten. Unlike its genre counterparts, Once Upon a Time in America leaves little space for comic relief. Any levity in the film is snuffed out almost immediately due to monstrous lust, performative masculinity, or Noodles’ weariness. The elderly Noodles is stone-faced, wrapped into a world frozen in time the moment he boarded that train to Buffalo. His pain is omnipresent in Once Upon a Time in America. Even in the earliest scenes of his childhood, the years of rumination can be felt in the film’s deliberate pace. Robert De Niro and Scott Tiler, respectively, embody the older Noodles’ sorrow and the younger Noodles’ conflicted feelings.

Like American Western films, the gangster genre is rife with mythologizing and, at times, a glorification of their protagonists’ violent lives. Where Westerns over the last half-century have deconstructed their role in the American mythos, the gangster film – probably because gangster films were never as ubiquitous as Westerns at their respective pinnacles of popularity – has not done so nearly as much introspection. Before Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990) and especially The Irishman (2019), Once Upon a Time in America stood mostly alone among gangster films as a rueful examination of its protagonist’s violent lifestyle. The film consistently undermines its characters’ celebrations and successes with the consequences of their prior actions. Those consequences weigh on Noodles still.

But Leone is not entirely successful in this regard. Once Upon a Time in America has two overlong rape scenes – both of which turned my stomach the longer they went on – following a fruitful robbery (this one follows an unsettling submissive fantasy by its victim) and a glamorous date, respectively. The two rapes are committed by Noodles; both scenes serve to highlight his descent into depravity rather than express a minimal concern for the victim. Once Upon a Time in America, already uninterested in developing its female characters beyond sex objects, frames Noodles as a husk of a man because of the murders and robberies he has committed, not his treatment of women. Just because the film has adopted Noodles’ viewpoint – in his childhood and young adulthood, he cannot differentiate between objectification and love – does not mean Leone and his screenwriters can wave away his misogyny as secondary to his violent tendencies. His misogyny and criminality are distinguishable, but both were learned from the same people and environment. This dynamic persists even from the first moment that Jennifer Connelly appears as the young Deborah. There, Deborah sexually teases the young Noodles in a way that neither reflects her personality as a child or as an adult. Is that the result of the opium clouding Noodles’ memory or is it Noodles’ obsession with Deborah?

Once Upon a Time in America is beautifully shot by Tonino Delli Colli (1966’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1997’s Life Is Beautiful) and edited by Nino Baragli (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West). Like a photograph that has faded somewhat but still captures the likeness and character of its subjects, the brown environments and warmly-lit interiors capture the spirit of these neighborhoods of New York City’s Lowest East Side. Life is hardscrabble here, with those born into the prevalent poverty rarely escaping from it. Their Jewishness, verbally and visually, is strangely downplayed by Leone. The film’s long takes – several last over thirty seconds – without any cuts from Baragli allow the viewer to reflect on its changing characters, internalizing the film’s scope and depth of Noodles’ introspection. For the 1968 scenes, the browns are mostly replaced by overcast grays in exterior and interiors. The colors, no longer as warm or as diverse, help the film navigate its temporal and tonal transitions.

Ennio Morricone’s powerful score does even more to strengthen the film’s emotional power. The recently-passed composer, best known for his work on Leone’s Dollars trilogy, was a classically-raised/taught, jazz-loving experimenter whose sound could be bold and brash. Upending expectations for what the Western could sound like with anachronistic electronic elements and guitar, Morricone suspends any anachronisms for his Once Upon a Time in America score. The viewer will hear an odd pan flute (not Morricone’s decision) and diegetic/non-diegetic jazz music, but the defining aspect of the score is its romantic minimalism. One does not associate minimalism with grand emotions, but the score’s romantic minimalism – encapsulated by “Deborah’s Theme” – does not preclude the pathos it evokes. The rests in the lushly-orchestrated “Deborah’s Theme” (according to Morricone himself, despite the cue’s name, it can also be interpreted as the film’s main theme) reflect Noodles’ silent longing and remorse. Even at mezzo piano with no dialogue or sound effects present, Morricone’s cues pierce the soul. As longtime collaborators, Leone respected Morricone’s talents, allowing his friend and colleague’s music to be the star for long stretches. Leone allows Morricone to envelop the viewer in its textural splendor. The orchestral renditions of “Amapola” and The Beatles’ “Yesterday” are effective in placement and arrangement. Whether it is his theme for childhood and poverty, for the film at large, or for Deborah, Morricone’s score to Once Upon a Time in America is an essential part of his film scoring career – a career that spans so many titles, that most of it has not been heard outside of his native Italy.

Before and when making this film, Leone intended to direct two films running around 180 minutes each. Convinced by his producers to whittle Once Upon a Time in America to the 269-minute version that should be sought for a first viewing, Leone was horrified to hear that the Ladd Company – frightened by the runtime and (justifiably) the rape scenes – decided to eviscerate his film. When word eventually (and inevitably) reached Leone’s North American fans that they would not be receiving a version of Once Upon a Time in America that respected Leone’s authorial voice, the film bombed at the box office and was savaged by most anyone who saw it. To some critics including the Chicago Tribune’s Gene Siskel, Once Upon a Time in America’s American theatrical version was the worst film of 1984; in an about face for those same critics, the European cut was the best film of 1984. Eighteen minutes of footage for Once Upon a Time in America have still not seen the light of day due to continuing legal entanglements surrounding them. Leone’s ardent admirers remain hopeful for their eventual inclusion on a future print.

As he challenged the tropes of American Westerns, so too did Leone subvert what might be expected from a gangster film. Or, perhaps with a cynical grin, Leone is challenging the essence and veracity of cinematic narrative. Once Upon a Time in America is an underappreciated, imperfect movie whose reputation continues to grow the further removed it is from its botched release. America’s traditions of tall tales and melting pot storytelling make villains and bystanders of the unsavory characters contained within. Haunted by a past that cannot be changed, Noodles attempts to reclaim his life’s story from those who have written it. As the viewer, we project our anxieties and insecurities onto images spliced to make narrative sense.  Authorship disputes and the struggle between legend and fact permeate cinema. Seldom do they converge as movingly as they do here.

My rating: 9.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[buckisthatyou]

Glow

Pairing: Bucky x Male Reader (soulmate au and highschool au)

Word Count: 2100

Warning: -

Summary: There is a pressed flower in each books you have borrowed from your favourite library and it glows every time you touch it. (soulmate au)

Masterlist

Author notes: This is for @cravingmarvel ‘s Writing Challenge [my prompt is Garden] and also today is her birthday (26th June) so this is also a birthday gift for her! I love you and im so proud of you!!!!!! Keep being amazing (human, writer, friend, musician etc)!!! also this is my first time writing soulmate au soooo please be nice! :’)

You do love sport but not as much as you love books. You don’t think it is a big problem. Both activities are fun and bring a lot of benefits. But some people just don’t see it. They believe that boys are supposed to go and do sport because it is more masculine than spending time reading books in the library. You hate those who have that mentality. Reading helps to build the muscles in the brain just like doing sport helps to build the muscles in the body.

“Hey y/n, are you coming to the game today?”

Clint asks you as the school bell starts to ring. You are putting your thick history book in your black backpack, looking at him with an apologizing face.

“No man. I have to return some books.”

Clint rolls his eyes, letting out a sigh.

“Really man? Can’t you return them tomorrow? I think Linda is gonna be cool with that. Not like she doesn’t know who you are.”

Clint does have a point. You and Linda know each other due to the countless number of time you have been to the library. Linda is a great librarian, super cool too. It is easy to strike a conversation with her and she has been very helpful in recommending the best book to read.

“Sorry, Clint. Can’t do that to Linda. Plus, I do need to borrow some books too. I see you tomorrow!”

You excuse yourself before Clint uses all his power to seduce you and make you change your mind. Clint is pretty good at convincing people and you don’t want to be one of his victim today.

“Alright, goody shoe! See you tomorrow!” he shouts as you have already sprint out from the classroom.

You let out a little laugh hearing that from him. Shaking your head, you take out your earphone and put on your favourite playlist. The hallway is full with teenage kids who are as eager as you to get home. You ignore the loud noise coming from them by blasting off the good music in your ear. Humming along with the song, you walk down the street, going to the library.

It only takes you 20 minutes to arrive at the library. It is a favourite place of yours since the private library is not overly huge and the decoration and vibes are calming. Plus, it also has a beautiful garden outside where you can chill under the big shady trees and just enjoying your time reading some books. It has always been your place since you were a kid. The owner was a close friend to your parent. It is safe to say that this library can be the definition of your childhood playground.

Once you step your feet inside the building, Linda who sits at the counter, gives you a smile and a small wave.

“Hi, Linda. How are you?”

“Hello, sweetheart. I’m good. How about you?”

“Never better. I’m returning these though.” You take out the books from your bag, placing them on the counter. She nods and takes them to be placed near her.

“You finished these fast.” She smiles and you can see the proudness and shock in the smile.

“Just got a lot of free time, you know.” You grin before disappearing to look for more books to read.

Later that night, you sit on your study desk. Open the books you have borrowed from the library, you are searching for something. Curious if there is a hidden gem in there. You have noticed a pattern from the previous books you borrowed.

Page 62.

You manage to find the hidden gift. A pressed flower.

You take it out from the book and it glows in your hand. You stare and analyze the glowing flower before placing it in a crystal clear box along with the rest of the pressed flowers. You wonder why there is always a pressed flower on page 62 every time the previous borrower of the book was JBB. You wonder who is that person? You wonder why is the pressed flower glows when you touched it?  Is this a clue for something important? Is the person trying to give a sign of rescue? Should you just ask Linda who is this JBB? You shrug it off and start to read the book before you go to bed. You will find the answer later but now you just need to enjoy this alone moment of yours.

You just stare at the guy, he walks into the cafeteria with this aura where you can’t help but to stare. You almost choke on your sandwich as Clint shouts his name.

“Bucky!”

Clint gives you a smirk when he hears you coughing.

Asshole.

Bucky walks to your table. Him and his other friends, Steve and Sam. You have always have a thing for him but he is way too out of league. He is the James Dean of the town. Effortlessly charming. Although you can get along with his group of friends, you still feel small and shy around him. For example, right at this moment. But you still try to keep your cool.

“Sup!” Sam greets us first followed by Bucky and Steve. They are talking about yesterday’s game but once in a while you join in the conversation but most of the time you fail as you can sense that Bucky is looking at you. The guy does not trying to make it seem low key, he makes it obvious. The confidence that you will never have when confronting him. You at last, stare at your sandwich feeling your cheeks burn with embarrassment from Bucky’s staring.

As you are about to take a bite, you hear a sound of a chair being pulled next to you. Looking up, you see Bucky smiles softly at you.

“If you don’t mind, I wanna sit here.”

“You already did, idiot!” Sam smacks his head which brings a loud laughter from the other boys. You just smile.

“No, no no. It is fine. I don’t mind at all.”

“Thank you. By the way, that’s a good book. I love the plot.” He points at the book on the table.

You smile widely. “Do you really? I have been wanting to read this one for quite some time and thank god I found it in the library!” You tell him excitedly.

“The library down the road? Oh interesting! But yea, it is a good one. You wouldn’t wanna stop reading it, trust me!” He chuckles at his own words.

The lunch time is well spent as you talk about the book with the cute boy, Bucky. It is the highlight of the day. It is all that you can think about until you totally forgot to drop by the library to ask Linda about a person named JBB. It is during the night when you see your box with a few pressed flowers that you remember about the mystery of the JBB person. This is the fifth book where you found a pressed flower in the book which the previous borrower is named JBB. You have been looking for other clue but nothing. It just the same. Page 62, JBB and a pressed flower.

“What did you say?” Clint asks you again in disbelief after you told him about the mystery of pressed flowers.

“Yeah. It is confusing. Do you think it is some sort of SOS or something?” you ask him back.

You two are on the way to the library. You will see whether if Linda is there to get some answer and then chill at the garden of the library. Clint? He is just there to get some coffee at the café in front of the library.

“Maybe that. Or maybe someone just so into making magical pressed flowers.” He keeps a serious tone.

You just roll your eyes at him. “You are an asshole. Do you know that?”

“Cmon man. I have no magic power. The only way is just to find the JBB person and figure that out.  Or maybe we can google that shit up. Why does a dried pressed flower glow?” he just shrugs at you when you stare at him but Clint does have a point.

Google that shit up.

And so you did.

You choke on your iced latte reading the article.

“You ok, bro?” Clint asks you, a little concerned.

“I-im ok. It just – look” you hand him your phone.

Clint takes the phone and scans the article.

“Soulmates?” his eyes go wide at the word. “The mysterious person is your soulmate?”

You nod at his answer. JBB is your possible soulmate.

You can’t stop thinking about it. You really thought you could have something wonderful with Bucky. You swear you feel special, magical with him. Like he is your real soulmate, not this stranger whom you never knew about.

You walk slowly to the library. You see Linda at the counter and you start to feel sick in your stomach. You feel nervous. What if the person who is talking to her right now is your soulmate? He looks older than you. That scared the hell out of you. What if the guy with the headphone? You shake your head. You keep looking for the possible JBB in the library until you see someone familiar outside of the library through the big glassdoor. You make your way to the garden so that you can talk to him. His appearance makes you feel calmer now.

Bucky is walking around the garden, enjoying the beautiful flowers around him. There is a book in his hand. It makes you smile. He plays sports for fun but he is a science nerd. He looks like a jock with his build up body but he is a sweetheart. Bucky is perfect for you. Everything he does brings a smile to your face and you refuse to believe that he is not your soulmate.

You see him stops next to a bunch of pink roses. He sniffs the roses and smiles before he picks up a pink rose and places it in the book he is holding.

“Bucky?” you call him.

He turns around to you. Red face because he gets caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing.

“What were you doing?” you ask him, getting closer to him.

“I-I was” his voice trembles.

“Are you JBB?” you make yourself ask him the question. You really hope he knows what you are talking about.

He looks at your face in disbelief. Now it is your turn to feel embarrassed. He probably thinks you are crazy. You look at your shoes, whispering “I’m sorry Bucky. Forget it.” He grabs your arm right before you leave him.

“Are you – are you my soulmate y/n?”

You keep quiet.

“Are you?” he asks again softly.

“I – I think so” you reply.

He immediately pulls you into his arms and hugs you. “I knew it is gonna be you.” He whispers to himself. You smile at his words. Being in his embrace makes you feel at peace. He is your other half and you are more than happy to find it out.

“I was afraid it wasn’t you.” You say to him.

“Me too but I’m always hoping that it is you even we haven’t know each other properly.” He chuckles.  It is true that you haven’t get to know each other properly because you are too nervous to be talking to him or even looking at his eyes because there is this strong feeling in your gut that makes you feel nervous.

“It is ok, Bucky. We have our whole life to get to know one another.” You look at him and smile. He returns your smile and leans in to kiss your nose.

“You thought I was gonna kiss your lips? You didn’t even know my full name, y/n!” he smirks making you shy. “Jerk!” you push him off your body and he laughs at you.

“It is James Buchanan Barnes” he says to tease you.

“Shut up, Bucky!” you walk off to get inside the library instead of stuck at the garden with your soulmate.

He runs to catch up to you.

“Here.” He hands you another pink rose.

You look at him and to the rose in his hand. You take it and it glows.

“It does really glow huh when you touch a flower given by your soulmate?” It excites him to see the glowing rose in your hand. You smile and nod. “Yes, James Buchanan Barnes. It does.”

Permanent: @mizz-kraziii @queenoftrash97 @fran-writes@amindfulloffanfictions @grosskyjaja @v-2bucky @jaysaku@ria132love@plumsforbuckxx

[mxnark]

♫

♫ rk memes - song drabbles

now playing… you’re the reason (acoustic) by victorious ft. victoria justice 

because the acoustic one fits this better than the original

it was supposed to be like any other night for mina.

when it came to her favorite shows, she'd make a point in the house that she was going to stay in her bedroom and watch whichever one of her favorites was on from the start time until it ended. she never actually brought it up to her family though, considering everyone had other things to do than bother her with anything. not to mention, she'd just get another lecture by her mom, saying she was going to ruin her eyes by always keeping her eyes on whatever screen was nearby her. but she always ignored her because 1. she's a teenager and 2. she ignores her mom's commands on a daily basis anyway.

like the kids in her school and her mutuals on social media, she was a fan of survival shows. the reason why is because of her interest in the idol industry in general, as she's always looking for new songs to cover and new groups to fangirl about. she also just liked the fact that this one felt like any other western singing competition, except mixed in with real idol companies that were willing to make them become a star and not a dumb british man who looked like an egg.

she was prepared in the most extra way. she brought up microwaved popcorn (that she secretly brought up to her room so that her mom wouldn't yell at her about that), a bunch of blankets, a fully charged laptop for streaming, and her phone that was opened to her stan twitter account. when the show finally starts on her stream, she watches the episode with excitement over the possible superstars she'll see. she can't wait until she is able to get a good screenshot and make it her icon until the next episode where she'll get an even better icon and so on.

so far, each of the contestants looked promising to her and she doesn't seem to recognize any of them. it's expected, really. she didn't really think she'd be able to meet a future idol anyway since she's always kept to herself. however, as the episode progresses, she does recognize one face. she goes on her twitter account to tweet "omg i think one of my brother's friends is on this season of mgas holy Shit my bro knows a future celebrity".

she continues to watch more contestants go and she makes her comments on them, saying which ones seemed god-tier talented and which ones were super attractive. but when she sees him, she drops her phone on her lap and pauses the stream quickly to make sure that her eyes were not fooling her. no... no. it can't be.

but as she clicks play to return to it, she hears his voice and it only confirms her previous thoughts, leaving her shocked as she watches kang daniel, her older brother that literally lives with her, is on her laptop screen. he's on national fucking television. she stays in that shock until she sees the popup that says "hello, daniel’s parents!" where she tries to hold back a laugh. as if both of them, let alone their mother, would watch this.

“they don’t know i’m here, actually. think you could keep it a secret? between you and me?” he asks to who she assumes to be an interviewer behind the camera, but it also somewhat feels like it could be directed to her. it wasn't like she was going to tell them anyway, considering mina's very aware of how her mom would react to it all. if he's lucky, he could be able to get out of the house with his head still above his shoulders. plus, the two of them had each other's back since she was born. she's not going to snitch on her ride-or-die bro. maybe to james, but definitely not to daniel.

as the episode goes on, she opens her phone and quickly types her thoughts in a tweet: "yo, that dude who sang the jesus song is kinda crazy for not telling his parents abt this. but u know what? he's talented . u go jesus dude"

she prays to god he doesn't find her tweets in the future. sure, she's under an alias and doesn't have any selfies on her acc. but if he knew that she called him jesus dude rather than just saying straight-up "my brother"? that would be humiliating.

...

"hey, can we talk?"

it's surprising to hear that come out from her own mouth. usually, she'd hear it being said by him or her parents. she was never much of a confrontational person growing up, not to mention this quote sounded... mature in a way and that didn't suit mina. but, it was the appropriate thing to say in this situation, especially after the one dinner where she was basically giving him looks full of suspicion. she doesn't know if he knew that she knew about the mgas, so she waits until the appropriate time to go up to talk to him about it... a.k.a on the drive back to school.

he tenses up and it makes her frown. "you don't have to shit your pants. you know what i'm going to talk about."

"sorry, sorry," he responds, relaxing a little. he's silent, as if waiting for her to just say it. he knows her well enough that she's not going to beat around the bush.

"no offense, but you never seemed like a person who'd stand in front of a video camera and sing to it willingly," she says off the bat. "why did you audition for this? don't you know lots of people are going to watch you on stage?"

"i wanted sungwoon to audition, but he said he wasn't going to go alone," he explains, making the situation make more sense to mina as to why the both of them were there. "i only came as support but i..." he drops the sentence to let out a sigh.

just from the explanation, it made her feel a little bit bad for him. she understood why this was stressing him out, considering he actually cared about what their mom and dad thought of him. even if she wasn't able to relate to that, she knew that their reaction to it wouldn't be as supportive as both of them wished it would be. and the fact that he's stuck in this just because he wanted to give his best friend support? that was so on-brand of him. mina wasn't angry at him to begin with. sure, she was a little hurt that he didn't say anything about it to her. but after hearing this? it's practically impossible to be angry at him now.

"look, if you're worried about me telling mom or dad about this, i won't," she says as an attempt to reassure him. "snitches get stitches. if i tell anyone, you can run over my phone or something. but i won't, so you don't have to do that and make me hate you for the rest of my life."

the exaggeration makes him laugh and it makes mina internally sigh in relief to know that it worked. "oh god, i can't imagine taking you-know-who's title. that'd be awful."

"hell yeah it would," she says with a big smile. "don't even compare yourself to him, though. that's self-deprecation. you're obviously a little bit better."

as the car pulls up to their house, mina quickly unbuckles her seatbelt, assuming daniel had somewhere else to be since he wasn't parked at his usual spot. before she could open the door, he says something. "mina?"

she turns back to face him. "what?"

"thanks," he says. even if it's simple, she knows there's something more within it. and though she was a queen for the dramatics, she wasn't going to make it a big deal. she never did when it came to showing affection anyway.

she gives him a playful, light punch to his arm. "you're dumb," she says. "you know i got you. kang gang through everythang." as soon as that comes out of her mouth, there's a look of disgust on her face. "that sounds disgusting. forget i ever said that."

she ignores the amused reaction and leaves the car. when she walks to the door, she looks behind to see his car disappeared. she smiles when the feeling of refreshment comes down on her. it was always felt good to talk to daniel, especially when it came to family stuff. even if they were more different than they were before, it felt good to know that she wasn't alone in this. she can't say that she was lucky to be an only child because she definitely wouldn't be able to handle her mom on her own. she can't say that she's lucky for not being an only child either since their oldest brother was also not making her life easier when he was still living with them.

maybe she's just lucky that she has daniel as an older brother, too. in school, she's always surrounded by kids who constantly complained about their older brothers and sisters and while she can add to that discussion when talking about james, she never really had anything bad to say about daniel. the only time she does say bad things about him is to him personally, and most of the time it was just light-hearted teasing.

without him, she didn't know where she'd be.

...

home did feel a little bit different now that daniel wasn't around anymore.

it didn't really click on the night that it happened. to mina, it felt like he was on timeout and wasn't allowed to go back home until she calmed down her temper, even though she didn't show any big sign of anger to him during the discussion. even though he told her about it, she didn't remember showing any sadness. she only smiled and gave a thumbs up while saying "you're finally escaping the evil witch's lair! congratulations!" he gives a sad smile, but the conversation goes on as normally until it ends with a hug and an "i won't miss you too much."

but on the night after that, when she took notice of the empty chair, it finally did hit. it was for his own good, she told herself. if he stayed any longer, he'd probably feel trapped forever. you wouldn't want that for him, would you?

the table was quiet that night, save for their dad trying to get some small talk. mina went up to her room and cried about it before she went on the internet as an attempt to cheer herself up.

she did get used to it. by the time the fifth season of the mgas was on, she was used to the fact that he was off on his own like a dove or something. it's not like the both of them totally lost contact, anyway. even if things were a little different, he still drops her off to places when she needs a ride and she'd see him at their grandma's church once a month. even if she was on her own now with the "ultimate boss", it was still kang gang through everythang. she's said that twice in her life and she felt like a bigger clown for it the second time.

had it not been for their text conversation about the auditions (with a bunch of eye emojis coming from mina), she would not have known that he would end up in the fifth season. she was able to convince her dad to watch the show with her, no mom insight, and they watched the show together in the living room with the blankets and popcorn and mina going on her phone before her dad tells her to focus on the show if she was going to watch it.  she knew she was going to see his band, but she didn't expect to see songhee and yeji and jeongin on the show. when her dad points her cousins out, asking if she knew about this, she only shook her head, letting him know that she was surprised as he was.

the next few episodes go by and mina goes through an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. she blames it on her being so sympathetic to her brother that after seeing minhyun and sungwoon get kicked off the show, she throws a silent tantrum rather than a loud one with a warning from dad. seeing the friendships her brother in the show as well as his interactions with the people he already knew makes her feel a sense of pride in her brother. she remembers her group chat being spammed with asking mina if she could ask him to get an autograph from convex (she sent a reaction image of a buff cat instead before saying "no").

though the finale was bittersweet, especially since she believed that her brother deserved a chance with his friends and yeji, she mainly felt pride in him for at least making it that far and for being less awkward than last time. she doesn't text him right after it aired since she thought it would be awkward to say all the encouraging bs after he technically lost. but, she doesn't keep that thought in her forever.

"he looks happier this time," she mentions to her dad. "like.. he didn't win, but he got further than last time and he's definitely better."

he nods in agreement. "i wasn't sure how he'd be doing after he got kicked out, but after seeing this, i think he'll be fine." he looks over to her. "you should get on this show, too. you like dancing, right? maybe you'll get as far as he does."

mina laughs at the idea, but it wasn't in a way to show that he was ridiculous for thinking that. "we'll see."

[asktheboywholived]

Hi TT :), I just went on your marauders threads masterpost and none of the links worked. Honestly it might be my computer (I have a super nasty virus atm) but then it might not be. To give you an idea, every time i scroll over the links the typing cursor comes up (y'know the one with the lines that highlights stuff) I've refreshed the page quite a few times and nothing seems to be working. I will carry on refreshing and see if it will work, but for now I just thought you ought to know :)

(( OOC: Yeah, I’m not sure what’s going on there. :P I’ll try and get that fixed… but in the meantime… let’s see if this works: 

MARAUDERS THREAD MASTERPOST:

THE MARAUDERS:

SCHOOL YEARS:

Yer A Witch Lily!

After receiving her letter from Hogwarts, Lily wants to tell Petunia, however the conversation quickly takes a turn for the worst.

Love At First Sight

Lily Evans is the most perfect girl James has ever seen! Maybe if he pulls some smooth moves, she’ll fall for him… and maybe not.

Love At First Sight (Baby Marauder Version)

Just A Little Crushed

Frank and Alice have a chat, and it goes south quickly.

Unwanted Attention

Alice is cornered by a persistent Gryffindor who can’t seem to take a hint… or a blatant NO.

Wanted Attention

Frank has a question for Alice… and he’s beyond nervous to ask it.

Lily’s Birthday

Severus wants this birthday to be special. Lily’s worth the effort.

Shower Encounter Part 1

The Prefects bathroom is the nicest bathroom in the school, so of course Lily wants to use it… but it looks like James Potter forgot to lock to the door.

Knock it off!

James just doesn’t know when to quite being obnoxious… but Lily is more than willing to help.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short:

Sirius finds Remus fretting over a new scar after the full moon.

Part 1

Part 2

Shower Encounter Part 2

Lily is about to get some sweet, sweet revenge.

Au-Naturel

Sirius has some female admirers, and they have a bad habit of “finding” his clothes and wearing them… but what happens when he has no clothes left?

Drunk Antics

Lily may have celebrated a little too hard after Gryffindor’s latest quidditch victory.

The Rat

Peter seems very comfortable in his rat form… until Mrs. Norris shows up.

Keep Away

James and Severus were rivals from the moment they set eyes on each other, but they both have a common interest… and that scares James.  

Question for Evans

James tries to pull the moves on Lily, but her reaction is less than favorable.

Snape’s Worst Memory

Severus says something unforgivable… something he’ll forever regret.

Runaway:

Sirius’s home-life has taken a turn for the worst… and the only place he can go is his sanctuary… the Potter’s.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Sugar Rush

After getting his hands on some cupcakes… Sirius is a little hyper.

We Will Rock You

The marauders are only mild sports fans…… mild.

Bromance

James and Sirius are the bestest of bros.

Meet the Blacks

Andromeda is engaged to a muggleborn, and the only member of the Black family she trusts enough to tell is Sirius.

The Yule Ball

The night didn’t turning out how Lily had envisioned, but James has a knack of showing up when she’s feeling down.

Sass Off

Dorcus and Marlene are dating… but Dorcas can’t help but feel that maybe Marlene’s feelings still reside with her old crush.

Blood Moon

Sirius, fed up with Severus, has told him about the Whomping Willow… during a full moon. James may be the only one who can save him.

You Fool Of A Black!

After rescuing Snape, James confronts Sirius about his dangerous little “prank”.

The Werewolf In The Shack

After Sirius tells Snape about the whomping willow and everything goes to hell… Remus starts to remember what happened.

The Shunned:

Sirius made a big, big mistake, and now he’s paying for it.

Part 1

Part 2

Merry Christmas Werewolf McWerewolf:

There’s a full moon on Christmas, and the Marauders want to spend it with Remus… but after Remus uses every form of persuasion he can think of, begging his friends to enjoy Christmas with their families, they begrudgingly agree to head home for the holidays.

However, as Sirius gets ready for the Potter’s Christmas party, he can’t stop thinking about Remus.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Remus Doesn’t Know Shit About Quidditch:

Looks like something is going on between Remus and Sirius… and Lily is going to get to the bottom of it.

Part 1

Part 2

Sectumsempra

Severus hasn’t forgiven James for saving him… and he’s been working on a little something… something just for Potter.  

Joining The Order 1

The war is starting to hit home, and Frank wants to make a difference.

Drunk Antics Part 2

When the boys get ahold of some “fire whiskey”… things get a little crazy.

Sore Loser

James just cost Gryffindor the match, so, of course… he’s going to bitch about it.

The Monster Under the Bed

Remus has an unexpected, and very unwelcome, late-night visitor.

Can’t Sleep

Remus and Sirius are no strangers to nightmares… and after a particularly frightening one, Remus can’t get back to sleep.

You Wish

Like father like son.

She Likes Me… She Likes Me Not

Lily has a confession to make… a confession that Severus never wanted to hear.

Smitten

James and Lily have gradually become friends… but James still can’t help but want more.

Just Friends:

James Potter has been chasing Lily Evans, the girl of his dreams, for 7 years. However, after a heart-to-heart with Sirius, James realizes that Lily may never return his affections, no matter how much he likes her. Maybe… it’s time to move on.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Wallflower 1

The Yule Ball has come again, and Lily has finally said yes to going with James… there’s just one problem… James is sick.

Wallflower 2

The Yule Ball has come again, and Remus isn’t attending… or at least, that’s what Sirius thought.

A Visit With Evans

James has never been in a real, muggle house… and even better, it’s Lily-Freakin-Evan’s house… this day could not get any better!

The Talk:

James and Lily are having some fun at Lily’s place… but what happens when the parents come home early?

Part 1

Part 2

Dirty Little Secret

Remus has always been ashamed of his scars, and done his best to hide them… but he can’t hide them from everyone.

The Black Plague:

Sirius doesn’t get sick very often… but when he does…

Extra

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Mother Dearest:

After receiving unexpected and devastating news, James and Sirius must learn how to accept their grief.  

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Career Counseling:

The school year is coming to an end, and it’s time for the marauders to start thinking about their futures… but with a war looming, what kind of future can they hope for?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Check Me Out

Now that Lily sees James as more than a friend… she can’t help but notice other things too… particularly how good James Potter looks in that shirt.

Freaky Friday (NSFW):

After an terrible potion mix-up, Remus is going to have to survive a few days walking around in Sirius Black’s body…

Alright… he can handle this.

What he can’t handle is the fact that Sirius is now in his body… and embarrassing Remus seems to be his top priority.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Mirror, Mirror (Extra):

Part 1: Remus

Part 2: Sirius

FIRST WIZARDING WAR:

Put A Ring On It:

James is sweaty and nervous… Why? Because he’s about to propose to the girl of his dreams.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Joining The Order 2

Now that Frank is part of the Order, it’s his job to welcome new recruits… but he certainly wasn’t expecting to greet THESE recruits.

Four-Eyes

Desperate times call for… a really terrible good sense of humor.

Surprise, It’s A Baby!

Lily is pregnant… and… WHO IS THE FATHER!?

Surprise, It’s Another Baby!

Alice has a little secret.

The Hunted:

Sirius and Remus find themselves in a trap… and Remus isn’t prepared to face the person who set that trap… his very own monster under the bed.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Cry Wolf

After being released, Fenrir returns to the Den to find Bellatrix waiting for him… Looks like there’s no better time than the present to put his plans into action. Unfortunately, those plans revolve entirely around Remus Lupin.

Seed of Doubt

Sirius receives an unexpected and unwanted visit from his less-than-stable cousin, and what she has to say may lead to some budding doubts concerning Remus Lupin and his loyalties.  

Dream A Little Dream Of Me Part 1

The fear of war is growing… and now it’s starting to seep into Sirius’s dreams.

Nothing To Lose… Everything To Lose…

The war is taking its toll, and with mortality at the front of everyone’s minds, Sirius can’t hold back anymore.

The Downward Slope

Remus crashes at the Potter’s for the night, but he didn’t know Sirius was going to be there as well. Things have… changed… since the last time they met.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me Part 2

Sirius has been cold and distant. Now he’s made his way into Remus’s dreams.

Power Play:

Crazy just got crazier. Bellatrix isn’t used to having her authority challenged… Fenrir doesn’t care.

Part 1

Don’t Shoot The Messenger

Marlene is gone, and someone has to tell Dorcas.

What Do You Want?

The war is destroying everything… including Sirius’s faith in Remus. But his feelings are still conflicted… and when Remus confronts him, which path will Sirius choose?

The Kids Are Alright Part 1

With babies on the way, Frank and James are feeling a new weight on their shoulders. This war has taken on a whole new meaning.

Having Second Thoughts:

The Marauders are in the middle of a war, and Lily is about to have a child. What were they thinking!?

Part 1

Part 2

Bed Time For Harry

James and Lily haven’t slept in what feels like weeks. Having a baby is exhausting… but Harry just went to sleep. Maybe now they can get some shut eye.

Foreplay

Harry and Sirius are asleep, so it’s time for the adults to play. But… James and Lily seem to have a hard time being “sexy”.  

Super Moon:

Being a double agent is tearing Remus apart, and when he gets trapped with Fenrir during a full moon, things take a turn for the worst.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Thrice Defied:

The war is taking its toll on the marauders, and James and Lily narrowly escape Voldemort’s clutches for the third time.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Liar, Liar:

Remus’s life has spiraled out of control, and now the only thing he can do is throw himself back into the war… but spying for the Order is a dangerous job, and Fenrir knows something that Remus doesn’t know.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Little One:

Remus has been caught in Fenrir’s twisted web since he was a child… But Fenrir has finally become bored of his little pet, and Remus is about to come face-to-face with a true monster.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Dark Times Series:

James and Lily are in a deadly game of hide and seek, and the seeker just found them.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

POST DEATH:

It’s Too Late To Apologize

Severus finds the Potter’s home in ruins. Lily is gone… and she’s never coming back.

The Man Who Loses Everything:

Remus Lupin’s world has come crashing down around him. Everything has been taken away from him… everything except…

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Just When You Thought It Was Over

Frank and Alice have been captured, and Bellatrix is out for blood… or worse.

The Cursed

Frank and Alice will never be the same.

The Nightmare

Lily was the love of his life, and Severus will never see her again, except in his dreams. But this isn’t a dream… this is a nightmare.  

The Depths of Hell

There is an island, where the inhabitants have been forgotten, left to a fate worse than death…

HARRY POTTER ERA:

A New Era

Remus has been trapped in Hell since the fall of his closest friends, the people he loved… and now, after years of struggle, he’s on his way back to Hogwarts.

Awkward Reunion

The Order has a new member… and Remus hasn’t seen her in years.

Potty Humor

Tonks really shouldn’t have eaten that…  

Never Be The Same:

After escaping from Azkaban, Sirius goes into hiding with Remus. However, twelve years apart, twelve years of false accusations, twelve years of torture… have left gaping wounds that may never heal.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

The Veil:

What happens to the people we leave behind?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

King’s Cross

What lies on the other side of the veil?

You Could Be Happy:

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” A story about a werewolf, a metamorphmagus, and finding happiness.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Metamorphmagus

Tonks has a little surprise for Remus.

Turntable

Tonks has spent the night with Remus for the first time… and now she has the house all to herself… so obviously a bit of “exploring” is in order.  

Fatherhood

Remus is now a father… and it feels strangely familiar.

The Kids Are Alright Part 2

With the war hitting closer to home, Neville pays what may be his final visit to his father.

I Open At The Close

The Marauder’s final moments.

JILY AU’S:

James Deer

Lily can’t believe it… James Potter is an animagus?

Apologies

James thinks it might be time to make up for being an ass.

Truth or Dare (Jily)

Lily and James are stuck at Hogwarts for Christmas… but they find a fun way to pass the time.

Hormones

Lily can’t stop crying… and James is a flustered mess.

The Art Of Seduction

James pulls out his best moves… which are kind of like everyone else’s worst.

REMADORA AU’S:

What’s in My (Pockets)?

Tonks likes jackets… and stealing other people’s jackets… well, one person in particular.  

The Whole Package

Remus has it.

Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

These jokes never get old.

Memories

A picture is worth a thousand words… but pictures can’t replace what Teddy lost.

Resurrection

Teddy decides to take a walk in the forbidden forest after a restless night… and he finds something on on the ground, an item long forgotten…

FENTRIX AU’S:

Power Play (CONTINUATION):

Crazy just got crazier. Bellatrix isn’t used to having her authority challenged… Fenrir doesn’t care.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

And They Called It… Puppy Lust

Fenrir and Bellatrix have an… interesting relationship.

WOLFSTAR AU’S:

MODERN AU’S:

Snap Chat

Remus receives a bizarre snap from a total stranger… turns out that stranger has a pretty face framed by some nice, black hair. He might be okay with this.

BYOB (NSFW):

Remus is working as a bartender at a Gay Club. He’s witnessed a lot of… interesting stuff… But nothing has come close to Sirius Black.

Part 1 (Video):

Youtube

Vimeo

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Bloopers (Video):

Youtube

Vimeo

God Save The Queen:

Sirius has been acting strange lately… he keeps taking off at night, and Remus could have sworn he was wearing makeup… Sirius Black is hiding something.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

HP UNIVERSE AU’S:

Truth or Dare (Wolfstar)

Sirius gets wrapped up in a game of Truth or Dare… and ends up biting off more than he can chew.

The Morning After (A continuation of “Can’t Sleep”)

Sirius has a bad habit of unconsciously stripping when it gets too hot at night… and apparently Remus does too. This may become a problem if they keep sharing each other’s beds after nightmares wake them up.

The Morning After The Morning After

Remus is starting to have a hard time falling asleep… weird things seem to happen when he falls asleep in Sirius’s bed.

The Morning After The Morning After… The Morning

It’s time for Remus to get even… maybe.

Distraction

Remus is having a hard time paying attention in class with Sirius sitting across from him.

Amortentia

Things just got a little awkward in Potions class.

Fetch:

Sirius can be such a brat… but so can Remus, especially when chocolate is involved.

Part 1

Part 2

DYAC!

Damn you auto correct…

Wrong Place, Wrong Time 1

James recalls walking in on a not-so-pleasant scene.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time 2

Remus and Sirius are having a moment… but they forgot to lock the door.

Midnight Meetings

It’s getting harder to have some alone time in the dorm… so the boys take their shenanigans to McGonagall’s classroom. Bad move.

Long Hair Don’t Care

Remus grows his hair out, and Sirius can’t handle it.

What Doesn’t Kill You, Leaves A Scar:

Remus has always found his scars ugly… but Sirius is determined to show him otherwise.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

If You Wannit Come n’ Get It:

Sirius stole Remus’s hat… and Remus is trying to get it back… creatively.

Part 1

Part 2

Freudian Slip

Uh………… Whoops!

That Awkward Moment When…

You end up accidentally comparing dick sizes with your best mate.

Never Give a Werewolf Alcohol

James is going to be a father! Sirius and Remus have stayed up to celebrate… but Remus has had one to many drinks, and Sirius is enjoying his drunken companion so much… that he might just let something slip.

Plastered

After getting very a little tipsy, Sirius receives an unexpected… and very unwelcome… visitor.

Bellybutton Ring (NSFW):

Sirius has had a little too much to drink… As a result, he may be showing off more than Remus is comfortable with.

Part 1

Part 2

Polaroid (NSFW)

Sirius just got a new camera, and Remus has become an unwitting model.

Sleepy Pups

Sirius can’t help it… he just loves to cuddle.

Candy Cane (NSFW)

It’s Christmas and Sirius is enjoying his new candy cane a little too much. That insufferable git.  

Baby It’s Cold Outside:

Remus is being a grinch, so Sirius is going to get him into the Christmas Spirit… and maybe get a little sing-a-long out of him as well.

VIDEO

BLOOPERS

Up or Down? (NSFW)

Sirius revels in the fact that he can make Remus flustered… using nothing more than his hair.

Don’t Play With Fire (NSFW):

Remus always becomes more aggressive as the full moon draws closer… He has always struggled to control it. But what happens when Sirius decides to threaten that control?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Extra

Never Be The Same (Alternative Ending):

After escaping from Azkaban, Sirius goes into hiding with Remus. However, twelve years apart, twelve years of false accusations, twelve years of torture… have left gaping wounds that may never heal.

Part 1

Part 2

Moving On 1

Remus has found someone who makes him happier than he’s ever been… someone who makes him feel safe.  

Moving On 2

Sirius has been locked in a cell for 12 years… and now that he’s out maybe things can pick up where they left off… or, maybe, nothing will ever be the same.

NSFW Wolfstar

Exactly what it sounds like.

DARK SIRIUS AU’s:

After being sorted into Slytherin, Sirius Black’s life takes a complete turn. He never befriends the marauders (in fact, he becomes James Potter’s greatest rival), and he continues to grow up in an abusive home environment, with nowhere to run. Where will this path lead him?

Cornered Animal

A greasy little bird told Sirius a monstrous secret about Remus Lupin… So of course… he’s going to use this information to his advantage.

Betrothal

Sirius and Andromeda used to be close… but with years of abuse and no where to run, Sirius has become a different person. Can Andromeda get through to him, or will he continue down his self-destructive path?

Brotherly Love

Sirius has been through a lot with Regulus. He’s the only one in their crazy family that he can bring himself to care for… but caring just leads to hurt.

It’s A Trap!

Remus is sent on an Order mission to an abandoned mansion… when he arrives, he quickly realizes he’s not the only one there.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

TUMBLR PROM SERIES:

Ginny Weasley

James Potter

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

Frank Longbottom

Part 1 (James and Sirius)

Part 2 (Sirius and Remus)

Part 3 (Sirius, Frank and Alice)

PROGRESSION SERIES:

Progression Of Fralice

Progression Of Jily

Progression Of Wolfstar

[bigyack-com]

The 46 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020

2019 was a landmark year for movies, especially for Disney, which propelled past its own box office record thanks to Avengers: Endgame — the biggest movie of all time — The Lion King, and Frozen II. In 2020, the start of the new decade promises a bit of a clean slate, with no big mash-up movies or remakes in store. Of course, there are still plenty of big hitters around. We've got two entries apiece in Marvel Studios, DC, and Sony's Marvel universes, including the return of Black Widow and Wonder Woman. There's a new movie in store from Christopher Nolan, in addition to the return of Fast and Furious, Minions, King Kong, and Ghostbusters.And after a year filled with Disney's remakes of past hits, we will be treated to three original efforts from Pixar and its own studio in 2020. Speaking of animation, there are also upcoming movies involving Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Sonic the Hedgehog. And oh, James Bond is back after five years, though in terms of time, nothing can beat the return of Tom Cruise's Top Gun after over three decades. Closer to home, we've got a few historical dramas, Aamir Khan remaking a Hollywood movie, and Farhan Akhtar in a boxing film. Kabir Khan will give us a film on India's 1983 Cricket World Cup success, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali has roped in Alia Bhatt to play a red-light district matriarch.Note: for Hollywood movies, most release dates are for the US, except wherever specifically mentioned.

January

ChhapaakRelease date: January 10, 2020Deepika Padukone plays an acid-attack survivor in a film inspired by the life of Laxmi Agarwal, from Raazi and Talvar writer-director Meghna Gulzar.TanhajiRelease date: January 10, 2020Based on the 17th-century Battle of Sinhagad, in which the Marathas fought the Mughals, respectively led by General Tanaji Malusare (Ajay Devgn) — serving Chhatrapati Shivaji — and Udaybhan Rathod (Saif Ali Khan). Kajol stars as Tanaji's wife.DolittleRelease date: January 17, 2020In his first role since Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. is a Victorian England-era doctor and veterinarian who can speak to animals and prefers them over humans, but is forced to set sail on an adventure to find a cure for Queen Victoria's grave illness.The GentlemenRelease date: January 24, 2020After Aladdin, Guy Ritchie returns to his action crime roots with this story of an American immigrant (Matthew McConaughey) who has decided to cash out his marijuana empire in London. Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant star alongside.Bad Boys for LifeRelease date: January 31, 2020 (India)Seventeen years later, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return to wrap up their buddy cop trilogy, which reunites the detectives after a mob boss desires revenge close to their official retirement.The Rhythm SectionRelease date: January 31, 2020Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown star in this spy thriller from the producers of James Bond, which follows a woman who discovers that a plane crash that killed her family wasn't accidental. You know where this goes.

February

Birds of PreyRelease date: February 7, 2020In this Suicide Squad spin-off set in the DC film universe, a Joker-less Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) teams up with three more female vigilantes to save a young girl from a brutal, iron-fisted crime lord (Ewan McGregor).Watch the First Trailer for Birds of PreySonic the HedgehogRelease date: February 14, 2020Delayed to make time for the redesign of its blue speedster in the face of criticism, this video game adaptation follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz) visiting Earth, teaming up with a former cop (James Marsden), and evading Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), a scientist interested in world domination.Watch the New Trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog

March

OnwardRelease date: March 6, 2020Pixar's next film is set in a suburban contemporary fantasy world and follows two elf brothers (Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) who set out on a quest to rediscover magic so they can spend one day with their father.Watch the First Trailer for OnwardA Quiet Place: Part IIRelease date: March 20, 2020John Krasinski returns as director on this sequel to the 2018 hit, which forces the family — Emily Blunt and her two on-screen kids — to venture out into the world, where the creatures that hunt by sound aren't the only threats.MulanRelease date: March 27, 2020Disney's wave of live-action remakes continues with this Chinese folklore tale about a young woman who takes her ailing father's place in the army. It's got an all-Chinese cast, thankfully, and it's one of the most expensive movies of all time, with a reported buget of $300 million.SooryavanshiRelease date: March 27, 2020You know we've hit peak “cinematic universe” when Rohit Shetty crafts one for his over-the-top cops. Akshay Kumar is the new eponymous entrant as the chief of an anti-terror unit, with Katrina Kaif as his love interest, and Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh cameoing as Singham and Simmba.

April

The New MutantsRelease date: April 3, 2020Delayed several times, this last entry in Fox's erstwhile X-Men world is about five young mutants — including Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams — trying to escape a secret facility while discovering the extent of their abilities.No Time to DieRelease date: April 3, 2020 (India)Daniel Craig returns as James Bond for the fifth and final time. Set five years after Spectre, a semi-retired Bond must find a missing scientist after a new villain (Rami Malek) poses “a danger the likes of which the world has never seen before.”Watch the First Trailer for No Time to Die‘83Release date: April 10, 2020India's surprising success at the 1983 Cricket World Cup is told through the eyes of captain Kapil Dev (Ranveer Singh) in this biopic from director Kabir Khan.Black WidowRelease date: April 30, 2020 (India)The first Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame jumps into the past — shortly after Captain America: Civil War — and follows Scarlett Johansson's titular character as she is forced to confront her past. David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz also star.Watch the First Trailer for Black Widow

May

Scoob!Release date: May 15, 2020The first feature animated Scooby-Doo movie is going to be an origin tale for the gang, telling us how a young Scooby and Shaggy met, and then teamed up with Fred, Daphne, and Velma to form Mystery, Inc. Warner Bros. hopes it will kick off a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe.Fast & Furious 9Release date: May 22, 2020This ridiculous franchise somehow continues with Fast Five director Justin Lin returning to (hopefully) reinvigorate it. Most of the old gang is back — including Jordana Brewster and Charlize Theron — and they are joined by new faces in John Cena and Michael Rooker.Artemis FowlRelease date: May 29, 2020Pushed from last year, Eoin Colfer's 2001 novel of the same name is getting the big-screen treatment 19 years after it was first announced. It involves a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, fairies, and a possible robbery.

June

Wonder Woman 1984Release date: June 5, 2020The second DC film of the year reconnects with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) seven decades on in the eighties, where she's (somehow) reunited with her old love (Chris Pine) while going up against two new enemies (Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig).Watch the New Trailer for Wonder Woman 1984SoulRelease date: June 19, 2020In Pixar's other original movie in 2020, a music teacher's (Jamie Foxx) soul is accidentally separated from his body and transported to a realm where souls develop and gain passions before passing into a newborn. There, he meets a soul-in-training (Tina Fey) who has been trapped for years.Watch the First Trailer for SoulTop Gun: MaverickRelease date: June 26, 2020For more than thirty years — as much time since the first film — Tom Cruise's Navy aviator has avoided promotion to remain in the air as a test pilot. The man with no future is forced to reckon with the ghosts of his past after he encounters his late best friend's son (Miles Teller) in training for a special mission.Watch the First Trailer for Top Gun: Maverick

July

Minions: The Rise of GruRelease date: July 3, 2020This sequel to the 2015 billion-dollar hit follows the tiny, yellow creatures as they encounter a young Gru — their eventual leader — for the first time.Free GuyRelease date: July 3, 2020A video game character (Ryan Reynolds) finds out he's in a video game and then tries to make himself the hero. Wait, isn't this the plot of Wreck-It Ralph? Anyhoo, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi star alongside.Ghostbusters: AfterlifeRelease date: July 10, 2020After a critically and commercially unsuccessful reboot, Sony rejigs the machine to produce a direct sequel set 30 years after Ghostbusters II. It follows two children and their mother (Carrie Coon) who discover their link to the original gang — most of whom are retuning — after moving to a farm. Paul Rudd is new to the cast.TenetRelease date: July 17, 2020Christopher Nolan's next film involves time travel and finds an agent traversing the world, including Mumbai. John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, Himesh Patel, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh star.Watch the First Trailer for TenetMorbiusRelease date: July 31, 2020Sony's own Marvel universe expands with this tale about a scientist (Jared Leto) suffering from a rare blood disease who attempts to cure himself and instead becomes afflicted with a form of vampirism. Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, and Tyrese Gibson part of the cast.ShamsheraRelease date: July 31, 2020Ranbir Kapoor plays a father and his titular son who are part of a dacoit tribe that fought for their independence from the British colonialists in the 19th-century. Sanjay Dutt, Vaani Kapoor, Ronit Roy also star.

August

Bhuj: The Pride of IndiaRelease date: August 14, 2020Set during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the story of a squadron leader (Ajay Devgn) in-charge of the Bhuj airport who helped reconstruct an air force base with the help of 300 local women. Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, and Rana Daggubati have supporting roles.

September

Gangubai KathiawadiRelease date: September 11, 2020Alia Bhatt will play the titular brothel owner and matriarch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next venture, based a chapter of S. Hussain Zaidi's book, “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”.The King's ManRelease date: September 18, 2020This period prequel to the Kingsman series follows Ralph Fiennes as Duke of Oxford and his protégé as they put a stop to tyrants and criminals. Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance are part of the cast.Last Night in SohoRelease date: September 25, 2020After Baby Driver, Edgar Wright's next film is a London-set psychological horror starring Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones), and Terence Stamp.

October

Sardar Udham SinghRelease date: October 2, 2020Shoojit Sircar's dream project about the titular revolutionary freedom fighter (Vicky Kaushal) comes to life. Udham is best known for taking revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing Punjab's then-lieutenant governor in 1940 London, for which he was subsequently hanged by the British.ToofanRelease date: October 2, 2020Farhan Akhtar and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra reunite for another sports drama — after 2013's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag — about a fictional boxer. Paresh Rawal, Isha Talwar, Mrunal Thakur, Rishi Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, and Soni Razdan are part of the cast.Venom 2Release date: October 2, 2020The first film was total carnage, so it makes sense that Tom Hardy's journalist and the titular symbiote are next taking on a serial killer (Woody Harrelson) and his own alien symbiote who is actually called Carnage. Andy Serkis directs.Death on the NileRelease date: October 9, 2020The story of Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) continues on holiday in Egypt, where a love triangle spills into murder. Gal Gadot, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie, and Ali Fazal also star.

November

The EternalsRelease date: November 6, 2020The second Marvel movie in 2020 spans several thousand years, following the titular immortal alien race as they battle their evil counterparts to protect humanity. Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Gemma Chan, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, and Kit Harington star.

PrithvirajRelease date: November 13, 2020Chanakya and Pinjar director Chandraprakash Dwivedi helms this epic historical drama about the life of Prithviraja III, who ruled parts of north-west India in the 12th century before his defeat and execution at the hands of the Ghurids. 52-year-old Akshay Kumar will play a man who died in his mid-20s.Godzilla vs. KongRelease date: November 20, 2020This is what it's been building to since the 2014 Godzilla reboot, and the film's title tells you all you need to know. Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, and Zhang Ziyi will play the humans.MaidaanRelease date: November 27, 2020Ajay Devgn plays coach Syed Abdul Rahim in this sports biopic, who is considered the architect of modern Indian football and sparked the national team's golden era between 1952–1962. Badhaai Ho director Amit Sharma is behind the camera.Raya and the Last DragonRelease date: November 27, 2020Disney Animation's first original film in four years — since Moana — is about the titular warrior (Cassie Steele) who's looking for the last dragon in the world. Little does she know that she, a water dragon (Awkwafina), is trapped in a human body.Here's the First Concept Art for Raya and the Last Dragon

December

DuneRelease date: December 18, 2020Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem lead the star-studded cast of Denis Villeneuve's ambitious two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi classic, often termed unfilmable.West Side StoryRelease date: December 18, 2020Steven Spielberg is behind this remake of the multi-Oscar-winning 1961 film adaptation, though it's said to stick more to the original Broadway musical script. It's about two young adults, associated with rival street gangs, falling for each other in 1950s New York.

Laal Singh ChaddhaRelease date: December 25, 2020Aamir Khan stars in Tom Hanks' role in this remake of Forrest Gump transported to Bollywood, which will hence run through the events of India's history. Kareena Kapoor plays the love interest, played by Robin Wright in the original.Tom and JerryRelease date: December 25, 2020The second 2020 film based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon is a live-action and animation hybrid. It follows a young adult (Chloë Grace Moretz) who teams up with the titular cat to stop the titular mouse from ruining an important event. Strangely not a part of the aforementioned cinematic universe.The Tomorrow WarRelease date: December 25, 2020In the near future, humans figure out how to draft soldiers from the past — Chris Pratt among them — to fight a losing war against alien forces. Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, and Betty Gilpin also star. The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay at the helm. Read the full article

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

9:28 PM Break

Tagged by the glorious @goddamnitkastle and OMG my body is so ready for Punisher, IS IT PUNISHER TIME YET??? Holy shit Marvel, DROP MY SHOW ALREADY.

But as we wait with baited breath for that, have this:

(Please do this if you want to!)

A) What does the last text you sent say? And to whom? The last text I sent was on Monday morning and I was complaining to my girlfriend that someone had taken my thermos and thus I would be deprived tea for my morning class. I was understandably distraught.

B) What does the last text you received say? And from whom? The last text I received was from my father from today, informing me that the tote he bought for me should be coming Monday. So... woohoo.

C) What time do you wake up most mornings? 9 AM, so that I might get my soul into my body and look halfway presentable, print my parking permit, brew my tea, and then rush out the door at EXACTLY the right minute to snag the good parking spot in the front lot so that I might arrive on time in perfect comfort to my 11 AM class.

D) Are you afraid of walking alone at night? Depends where I am. Mostly no, but I always feel better if I’m walking with someone else.

E) What do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day? Listen to some good stuff on youtube, rewatch some of my favorite things, jammies, all those good things c:

F) Where did your last kiss take place and with whom? Uhhhh, my girlfriend, on her doorstep, last Sunday ^^; I was saying good night before I drove home ccc: She was very sleepy X3333

G) Do/did you get into trouble a lot at school? Given I’m trying to become a teacher... let’s hope not ^^;

H) Do you enjoy your job? If unemployed, are you content being so? “Oh I just can’t wait to be King TO BE FUCKING EMPLOYED.”

I) Do you often pick up on double entendres and innuendos? I AM the innuendo.

J) Have you ever been offered drugs but declined? No one in their right mind would offer me drugs. They can sense the face of horror I can make from miles away. (Although technically 3 people tried to talk me into pot at once tho. They thought I’d be HILARIOUS on weed. But like... I have 0.000000% interest in any of that.)

K) Have you ever met someone who has completely altered your way of thinking? I once took a Gothic literature class. *clutches Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, and everything Henry James ever wrote* It changed nothing.

L) Have you ever been offered drugs and accepted? Only when my doctor is like “Buddy... you done broke yourself, have some painkillers.”

M) Tell us something weird that turns you on. I refuse to believe tentacles are weird anymore. C’mon guys, it’s 2017, let’s accept that they’re just big wiggly dicks and deal with it.

N) When did someone last admit romantic or sexual feelings for you? Was the feeling mutual? Pretty sure if I asked her, my girlfriend would tell me she’s sexually attracted to me right this second. She’s pretty reliable that way. I, on the other hand, have never, ever, EVER fantasized about my own girlfriend. Nope. Never. Didn’t happen. Lies.

O) What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately? Making Jim Gordon apologize to Harvey Bullock.

ALSO

What If Karen Page Also Became The Punisher???

P) When did you last swallow your beliefs to avoid an argument or confrontation? Hmmmm... I wouldn’t complain about the printer not working so I wouldn’t have to take hours out of my life watching my father dick around with it. So... there’s that ^^;

Q) Do you usually initiate hugs? Yeah, actually ^^; Although not always c: I’m trying to seem approachable and hug-friendly c:

R) Are you a very affectionate person? I mean... I do fucking try ^^;

S) Can you roll your own cigarettes I don’t smoke, so... no

T) What are you looking forward to? PUNISHERRRR. IS IT PUNISHER TIME YET??? And seeing my girlfriend tomorrow X333

U) Do you have any tattoos. Do you want any/more? No, but I am considering getting some c: My girlfriend’s back is filled with words, it is very beautiful c: I dunno if I'll do quotes, but I’d like to do some things ccc:

V) Are you mentally strong? I... I’m not sure I understand the question. In what way does one measure mental strength? We talking IQ tests? Being able to memorize huge stretches of shit? Doing a super fast sudoku? Calculating a tip in your head? Resilience and resisting mental fatigue? Friend, you gotta ask me some more specific shit than that

W) Are you physically strong? I’m working on it okay? *pouts*

X) Do you think you’re a good person? I’mma try bro, I’mma try

Y) Name one thing you wish you could change about your life right now. A job. Please.

Z) What do you usually eat for breakfast? Honestly, these days it’s a mug of tea with sugar. I’m on a new low-carb diet and I gotta be careful about that shit. So it’s tea and sugar or cereal, but not both.

[odrseasonone]

Episode Emphases???

i thought it might be useful to sort of note the sort of like ~themes or emphases i’m seeing coming out of each of our eps now, in terms of sort of pumping them out into 60-min eps, etc, so i thought i’d write this down and we can discuss our thoughts on this when we get a chance!  (if we like this, if we don’t, etc)

EPISODE 1 

note: so this one’s a bit different bc its obv a pilot buT i did notice some things about it

dragons are a major focus of this ep which is GREAT!! and exactly as it should be!! but also the power that comes w them - a power all-but gone in aragoth now but clearly v desired!!!

guy is the protagonist but that also works out really well ((still forever laughing that he’s actually guy now lasjdlfkjdsjkf))

guin is also big which is important bc she bridges the gap we’ve got between two of our three main locations in the ep (1 - court, 2 - guy’s town, 3 - resistance camp)

house fontaine also takes a front seat in the action, w guin as the protagonist of their subplot

((im laughing at those poor ppl who’ll be watching this ep imagining that guin and guy are the main characters and will fall in love etc and then BOOM #angstslutalways))

cedric is big in this, actually???? but that’s great bc he only has 8 eps total so *thumbs up*

cassius is clearly the main antagonist in this ep which is another great thing

this ep is action-heavy which is great!!

also, weirdly loving that the pilot ep is technically a tragedy bc the bad guy wins in the end bc im a sick person???????? #empirestrikesback

EPISODE 2

so obv helena is the protagonist of this ep!! i feel like, the next major character in this ep may actually be lynessa!

w charles and alex figuring strongly

the main action of this ep is the ball, itself

we also learn more about aragoth’s history which helps worldbuild 

but mostly we get to see how the nobility lives in stark contrast to how the peasants live

also features house beaumont (as a whole) pr heavily in this ep!! i also like that we see them both individually and as a whole

we even already have establishing character moments planned out for half of them!!

lynessa and celia are the focus of this house in this ep which i think is good since there’s a lot going on - evie and avelina figure more prominently next ep

we also get our first hints of the godiva vs arrington thing but aren’t drowned in it which’s a really strong way to go!!

it raises questions and draws us into the next ep and does NOT clobber us!!

EPISODE 3

roran and charles sort of share this ep!! like they share everything <3 v degrey, much dragonrider

w cassius as the antagonist

speaking of which, this one sort of solidifies what dragonriders can do and thus sets the stage in terms of dragonrider worldbuilding for the rest of the series!!

also, since this one’s gonna be exposition heavy and therefore maybe a lil confusing, it’s great that we have helena’s dreams going on in the prev. ep to literally illustrate what we’re talking about

speaking of which, i wanna find a few movies or eps of smth to watch to analyze ~how they handle heavy exposition

like, if we get a really strong charles actor, it will be fine but...if we don’T we wanna make sure it still flows...

i also feel like this is really our first good look at rowena!!

on the court side of this one, tho, this is really alex’s ep and through him we meet the other two beaumonts - in avelina’s case we get to know her better than anyone really wants to know her ;DDDD

this is also where it’s most natural to delve into the godiva/arrington thing a bit more, since avelina will mostly rave about it ;D

it would also be a good place to develop the dmitrei/avelina and lay the groundwork for general #teambeaumont stuff

EPISODE 4

note: so far, this is the least developed ep!! bc of this, i was actually thinking maybe we should move the alex/avelina confrontation and therefore the godiva/arrington backstory to this ep?? it would also cut down on the amount of exposition in the prev ep which i think would be good

i feel like james and guin are at the forefront of this ep

this one is action heavy and also explores the theme of what we’re willing to do when pushed to extremes 

the resistance faced w the starvation of the ppl, james faced w a literal volcano ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

it’s also v much a ‘passage of time’ ep as roran and arya train and james learns how to eat mangoes the right way ;D

also w the alex/guin plot, we have lots of opportunities to strengthen the suspense of her entire...situation

and wrap up anything we need wrapped up at house fontaine before jon arrives

also the fontaines prepping for jon’s arrival

also, if we haven’t before, here would be a good place to firmly establish arthur’s connection to the two elder fontaines so we know he’s in ~deep before jon arrives...and stiLL does nothing when he does

EPISODE 5

this is a big beaumont ep!! i feel like the big dynamics in this ep are celion and team beaumont

i also feel like it’ll be interesting to watch those develop in conjunction esp since celia gets her rude awakening soon

dezod also figures prominently for the first time so this might be a good place to learn more about him

jon is the main/obv antagonist of this ep - dezod is also but its not yet clear he’s an antagonist yet ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

also, lots of sorcerers in this ep, what w the whole #dezodclassreunion thing going on

in fact, this may be where we learn rowena’s a witch, once and for all, tho im sure we’ve had many hints before now, if not a definite confirmation

either way, this is a good time to talk about magic

if we wanna do avelina’s dabbling in sorcery in season 1, this might be a good place to put it

this might also be where we learn about the prophecy?????

EPISODE 6

this is really a fontaine-centric ep

actually, in a way, lord fontaine is the central character tho also not ;D he’s sort of the macguffin, if you will hahaha

i feel like this is a good place to further explore each of the fontaines and their various relationships both together and w others

the other major set of characters here is the pirates - including james

w jon firmly in place as an antagonist and the compare/contrast w the various fontaine courtship styles going on, i feel like this is where we more fully explore the softer side of cassius which we’ve been developing the whole time

we also get the interplay between lynessa’s feelings vs the demands of her ambition - tho its not necessarily written in such clear terms yet 

we see diff vers of her firmly set w 3 diff men: cassius, jon, and joseph

we also see team beaumont actually at work as they lay a trap for jon and thus seal lord fontaine’s fate

EPISODE 7

so obv the big four here are isabella, ophelia, roran, and cedric

also we should show whatever the other resistance members are doing as well, esp if we can come up w a plot for charles and alaric and arya

a theme here could be unity/faith - the having thereof as seen in cedric and roran and the lack of it as seen in the fontaine household and the appearance of it as seen in cassius and guin and the betrayal of it as seen by isabella against roran and cedric

it’s also about the pov of the peasantry vs the nobility that we’ve been seeing so much of

since there’s only one plotline here atm i don’t have a whole lot more to analyze about fluffing out this ep atm hahaha

EPISODE 8

this could be a big alaric ep, given that a lot of the plot revolves around the plans and actions of the resistance

we could fill in about his past here - his rearing as a lord, his seat on the council, his imprisonment

potentially we could juxtapose alaric to arthur, here, since we see some of arthur in present and would, if we decide to do flashbacks, see him there

and next week arthur’s own past actions and choices will be revealed

in any case, this or the next ep could be a good place for jon and arthur to fight (tho it takes on much more significance in the final ep so this one might be better)

that way, it was last season so he’s not as big a suspect as cassius and alex who fight w him in s2 but their dislike is still firmly established

we also see that roran has not learned anything from the past two eps - reinforcing his growth when he does after cedric’s death

stopping the enforcer and taking the castle are the main action of the ep

also we could def have some wedding prep in this ep

possibly avelina and lynessa extract a promise from jon/his men to retrieve celia asap

EPISODE 9

obv this is rowena’s big ep where we get our answers about her and she takes her place as a fully-fledged (but sympathetic) villain

that being said, she’s technically a protagonist of this ep

this one’s also action-heavy, what w the whole siege of the castle

we should also give each member of the resistance a hero moment that sort of closes out their character arc for the season and points them towards next season’s arc or at least gives the viewer whose fav character they are some sense of closure for the season ;D

we also have to give our other plotlines for the season some sense of closure tho not necessarily resolution

for example, we have to do something w the lynessa plotline even tho we know she marries jon in the v next ep so there’s no resolution - for example, maybe joseph admits his feelings to her or smth

so yeah we need to do smth momentous for each of our key characters:

lynessa

celia 

the thieves thing + kiss will serve for celion

cedric 

obv he dies heroically

roran 

fights cassius w charles and arya and learns the dire consequences of recklessness, etc.

charles 

finally takes up arms against cassius for the first time since cassius murdered his bro and all their friends ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but only to protect roran #iweep

dezod - actually im not sure he needs anything but isabella and ophelia may

guin

james 

the thieves thing + kiss will serve for celion

rowena 

learns there’s a new dragonrider and she’s noT safe

helena

alexandir

cassius 

learns that there’s a new dragonrider - his bff’s kid - and fights both him and charles

alaric

jon

[superhusbands4ever]

Harry Potter/Avengers Crossovers

@castlesbuiltintheair and @kitten-mittens asked for a masterpost of all my favorite Harry Potter/Avengers crossovers so here ya go <3 Most link to FF.net so be warned. As usual, my absolute favorites will be marked with **

**Man of Iron, Father of Gold by Lunabell Marauder Knyte - Kid!Harry/Dad!Tony - 49K

Tony’s in London on a business meeting and escapes for a little while. On his walk he runs into an orphan…he should walk away, he shouldn’t care, he wasn’t up for this… but when you tell one Tony Stark that he can’t do something, he does it anyway to prove you wrong. Besides…how can he say no to those woefully sad eyes that don’t belong on a six year old. Deaged Harry.

**Finding Home by cywsaphyre - MoD!Harry, Tony Is A Good Bro - 61K

When Harry finally accepted the fact that he had stopped aging, ten years had passed and he knew it was time to leave. AU.

(mobile watch out for the cut)

Harry Potter and the Aftermath by CJaMes12 - MoD!Harry, Tony Is A Good Bro - 93K

Who can walk away from a title like ‘The Master of Death?

The Almost Forgotten Marriage Contract of 1763 by worldtravellingfly - Fem!Harry/Tony - 13K

What would you do when suddenly confronted with a more than 200 years old marriage contract by a teen and her lawyer? Run for the hills? Call the nice guys with the comfy, white jackets? Certainly not - agree? Well, Tony Stark always was a bit - special.

Child of the Storm by Nimbus Llewelyn - Thor was actually James Potter - 822K

Once, Thor was James Potter, New Mexico being a refinement of Odin's technique (being murdered didn't do Thor's sanity any favours). After a decade, a mostly reformed Loki restores his memories, introducing Thor's son, Harry, to new family and friends. But soon, ancient secrets emerge along with enemies both old and new as darkness rises. Harry is left with a choice: Fight or Die.

Chance Encounters by Rain Seaker - 51K

Harry meets the members of the Avengers at different times throughout his life.

**Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart by orphan_account - Harry/Tony, mpreg, Teddy is Harry & Tony’s biological son - 117K

With Voldemort defeated and Harry turning seventeen, the elder Weasley boys decide to give him a chance to be a normal teenager for a while; namely, by buying him a ticket to Malibu, California. But of course, Harry Potter can never do anything normally. Especially not once he meets Tony Stark in a club, and begins a holiday romance that leaves him with more than just memories.

Of Wizards and Heroes by littlelightsinourheart - Harry/Loki -

Centuries after that fatal day of the battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter has fallen into legend, a bedtime story parents tell their children, a name whispered around campfires. He wanders the world alone and immortal, until one single reckless moment sends him hurtling into a parallel dimension of heroes and villains. A new enemy arises from an ancient power, and Harry must take a stand as the last wizard to protect this new world. If only SHIELD would stop trying to track him down...and someone could explain what the hell was an 'Avenger' was supposed to be. Honestly, muggles...

The Affliction of War by StrawberryGirl87 - Harry/Steve - 206K

Harry has a great job as head Auror, he has more money than he knows what to do with and yet he knows that something is missing in his life. His friends have moved on and created lives of their own beyond the war with Voldemort and yet Harry just feels lost. Until a new mission is given to him and he is sent to America but things are not as they first appear.

Great Expectations by CinnaAtHeart - Harry & Steve, Hermione/Tony - 76K

A man falls from the sky, and SHIELD is more than happy to help... even if Fury is tempted to shoot him before he manages to make his life more complicated than it already is. Now SHIELD's not quite sure what to do with him; especially when most of their experts claim he should be dead.

But then another turns up... and another, and SHIELD is half wishing they could rescind their offer of 'sanctuary'.

Magic users might just be more trouble than they're worth.

WIPs

**Making A Move by MusicLover19 - Harry/Tony - 55K

The war left Harry in a bad place. After five years of caring for Teddy he decides he needs to move. Luckily America is far away and a big place. However, Harry didn't take into account the muggle news. This means that Harry does not know about the Avengers, something which Tony Stark finds impossible to believe. Summary/rating might change later on.

**Petal by worldtravellingfly - Fem!Harry/Tony - 124K

Nine years after the Final Battle, Amaryllis Potter found herself working long shifts in a private hospital in New York City, combining Muggle and Magical Healing. The war never really let her go. And then suddenly her quiet, somewhat peaceful life changed abruptly as she ran into a stranger one night, after a long day at work. But not only her life changed… (Fem!Harry) [AU!]

My Son The Wizard by Savya398 - Kid!Harry/Dad!Tony - 171K

After his first year at Hogwarts Harry discovers a startling truth that throws him into an entirely new world. He finds a new family and a new home that drastically changes his life for the better, if not crazier. After all when you’re the son of Tony Stark, the one and only Iron Man, life is bound to be interesting.

[thisisevenharderthannamingablog]

6.12 Murder Most Foul

Quite the divisive episode this turned out to be. I admit, I had discarded the theory that they were going to go with Killian as the murderer, and although they obviously will resolve it, I can’t fathom how they might do so without feeling cheap.

That wrinkle aside, this was a far better episode than either of the ones preceding it. (Hell, the inclusion of badass Ruth alone lifted it over that bar.)

In the past: Robert and Ruth face a terrible decision. The twins are sick and will not survive the oncoming winter without medicine they cannot afford. Rumplestiltskin has a deal: give up one twin to be adopted by King George, and both can live. The choice is made by a coin toss. David stays; James goes.

Years later, drunk and broke in a tavern, Robert gets slapped in the face by opportunity when King George shows up. His son has gone missing, and whoever returns him will be richly rewarded. Robert bids farewell to his family, promises that he return to them as his true and whole self, and goes to Rumple for James’ location: Pleasure Island.

In this land of exotic temptation, Robert finds James with some help from Pinocchio. Robert proposes to take him home to his birth family. James does not like George, and is happy to agree, but of course they are intercepted before they can leave the island. Robert’s attempt at defiance avails nothing. James is whisked back off to the palace; Robert is whisked off to be disposed of by some of George’s soldiers.

Killian happens along and kills the soldiers and Robert for Reasons.  

In the present: Everyone celebrates Emma’s victory. Later, outside the house, David sees his father’s ghost, reviving his determination to find out how he really died (see 6.03). Snow is not around to urge him to give it up; he recruits Killian into helping him.

Killian, meanwhile, is most concerned with how to ask David for his blessing before he proposes to Emma, and goes along with the plan mainly it seems in order to keep David out of too much trouble.

Meanwhile, Regina comes to reluctant grips with the fact that this Robin is not her Robin but a very different man who really really wants to kill Nottingham and also he kisses weird, and that she may have made a mistake bringing him to Storybrooke.

Zelena shows up just long enough to warn Regina against letting him think that he has any claim on Robyn. Robin steals some “powerful” stuff from Regina’s vault.

While Killian distracts Emma, David steals some magical supplies. He and Killian make a potion to work out where the coin was the day Robert died, giving them the Pleasure Island connection; they visit August. August confirms that Robert was there for James, and that he was sober. He also mentions that he didn’t put all of his own story into Henry’s storybook; there are a few pages he kept back, and if he can find them, they may have more information about Robert.

Charming concludes that George must have killed Robert. He cuffs Hook to a bike rack and goes off to confront his twin’s adoptive father. George admits to having ordered Robert’s death. David gives George a knife and demands that he fight for his worthless life. Killian intervenes (so much for that cuff! Emma probably gave him a key), and a second, more intense confrontation ensues, this one over the question of what man David wants to be. Charming breaks down and abandons his murderous quest.

Later that night, at the docks, David tosses the coin into the water; his father’s ghost is put to rest. Killian joins him and asks his blessing to ask Emma to marry him, which is granted (duh). Ring in hand, Killian heads home, only to be stopped by August, who found those pages of the storybook. Those happen to show Robert’s face... which Killian recognizes as being that guy he killed that one time.

Buzz well and truly killed, thanks a bunch, August.

Parallels: Robert and Charming are both presented as having lost their way, their families in danger of destruction. Both men must face a choice and remain true to themselves. Robert is aided in this by a regretful Rumple, and Charming by Killian.

The title of the episode is a reference to Hamlet, although it’s a bit of a stretch to say the least. They both involve the ghost of a murdered father. (Given what we know about the Underworld, does this mean that Arthur has the phones running again?)  

Robert’s ghost says, “Family is everything,” a line used by King George to Snow in 2.03.

The Pleasure Island location is from Pinocchio, and referenced in the page August was typing in the end of 6.11. Pinocchio plays a guide role in both halves of the story -- a reluctant, lying guide in the past, and a more mature and rueful one in the present.  

Charming being six at this time, since Pinocchio became a real boy at most a couple of years before the Dark Curse, at which point I would guesstimate Charming was supposed to be around 20, that’s at least a decade of wooden-Pinocchio shenanigans for Gepetto to endure. Yikes.

Representing fate with a coin toss is a very old mechanism. I love when this show gets all classic with its symbolism.  

Wardrobe Department:

In Hindsight: The setup represents a bit of a retcon to the twin-trading dilemma as originally given by Ruth back in S2, but I can live with it. George is now responsible for ordering the deaths of both of Charming’s parents, which seems worth promoting him from enemy to nemesis.

We never find out the name of George’s queen -- presumably she had died by the time of the episode’s main action -- but that emphasizes how exclusively this plot is focused on fathers and sons, a theme that will carry through into 6.13 with Rumple and Gideon. “Family is everything” might as well be the theme of the show.

I really liked Robert appearing at Rumple’s place with nothing to pay; it puts the scene on an entirely different footing than their first encounter, and if it does not entirely remove the transactional element -- “You owe me” -- it does alter the resonance. This is not about money, not about anything material, not even about life or death, but about fatherhood in its purest form, the need to protect one’s child. That is a uniquely potent approach with Rumple in this context. (Of course the whole situation was Rumple’s connivance to begin with, but I think that by virtue of Robert being willing to make the deal, Rumple would argue that Robert deserved to be treated that way before.)

Having Zelena show up to deliver a patently obvious piece of information -- since Robyn is not his child by any definition, the entire scene was unnecessary -- seems like it can only have been intended to pave the way for future Robin 2.0/Zelena interactions.

Other than being certain that it will all end in tears, I’m curious what they have in mind for this plot. It was an interesting choice to say the least to place the healing scene in the crypt. Her attempt at a fresh start was doomed from the get-go, Robin wearing a dead man’s clothes in the place that symbolizes death-in-life, surrounded by the towering evidence of Regina’s past and her continued power-hoarding. She might regret the hearts, at least when reminded about them, but she has yet to do anything about it. I hope Sean had fun, anyway.

I liked the repeated shots of David watching Snow’s video on his phone; it really emphasized how isolated he feels. (I’ve seen a fair amount of annoyance over how Snow’s only waking scenes this ep were with Regina, but it fits with my assignment of the Devil’s Advocate role; Regina is currently under the sway of false hope, and it’s Snow’s job to argue with her.) Those moments preface Robert’s first two appearances to David. Can the ghost only appear when David is feeling particularly low and alone?   

“The one time I need you to be that guy” - thing is, David, you can’t be “that guy” just “one time”. It was a tough habit to break, and one Killian has no interest in resuming *cough* because you end up doing regrettable things like killing random civilians for murky reasons *cough*. I have seldom been so delighted by a line of dialog in this show as I was by Hook’s that he would try to dissuade anyone who set out on a course of vengeance. This really is the clearest possible marker of the changes he’s gone through, from thoughtless killer to someone who prioritizes others’ healing.

On the reverse note, David was being such an asshole, and I loved it! C’mon, bro, it’s just me, what are you, chicken? Fine, I’ll do it by myself (you loser, you’re not really my friend). It’s all painfully, deliciously adolescent -- he needs a lookout so he can conduct a petty theft! -- and so Back to Pleasure Island we go, to the voice of temptation. I loved all of the Charming scenes in this episode; Josh really cut loose, and it was glorious. (I should also note that I appreciated David’s apology later on for having put Killian’s relationship with Emma in jeopardy; that was a nice, clear touch.)

So Emma does her magic research out in the shed now, and not in the basement/dungeon. Check. That whole scene was golden, even with the undercurrent; turns out nothing is so distracting as full-on honesty. I could watch sunny, smiling Emma for hours. More important than defeating Gideon is that she’s defeated her own fear about her fate. She’s glowing with happiness, ready to enjoy life as it comes, content with her son and her lover. We are on the precipice of the final fulfillment promised by the Hero’s Journey. *happy sigh*

The Science Bros scene was a perfect moment of relative lightness in an episode that could easily have gotten bogged down in itself. Well done, show! See, you can do physical comedy without making fun of people. Amazing.

The bit between David and George and then David and Killian was just SO GOOD I actually don’t have much to say about it? Every instant of emotion was beautifully wrung out of those two confrontations. Moments like this, when we get to see Killian, who faced all of his worst battles alone, being a rock for his loved ones in their moment of testing -- that’s when I love this story.

I also love George, they could have done so much more with him as a villain. Some day I will write that fic (haha). Anyway, since Storybrooke doesn’t seem to have any other place to store long-term prisoners, I assume Isaac is next door.

On to the conclusion.

Hm. Well, if I must.

I’m sooooo tiiiiiiiired of Killian confronting something evil he did in the past, guys. So tired of David in particular throwing “pirate” at him like S4 and 5 never fucking happened. So tired of angst faces and secrets and angry confrontations. This whole situation is a painfully close retread of 6.06, right down to the age of the piratically orphaned boys. At least Killian had a motive for killing Brennan, whereas this setup is so random as to appear both pointless and contrived, so, uh, D- for effort, writers.

As I complained earlier this week, this would have been a Shocking Revelation back in, say, S3, before CS was a solid thing, before they had gotten used to being more or less constantly haunted by Killian’s past.

Really, they should just put a box up on the porch in which people can leave a short form explaining their grievance and their preferred form of restitution: blood, treasure, or saving their life/loved one/sanity please choose only one because episode length.

As it is, we know CS will be fine -- we don’t need the Swoopy Camera of Love Kissing, but I won’t complain about it.

We therefore know that Captain Charming will be fine. This whole “complication” is just wasting time that could be spent on something more interesting or more fun or both, like picking out something other than a plain, standard engagement ring for a fairy tale couple that has such a distinct aesthetic, both of whom have a series-long history of sentimental statement jewelry and one of whom wears a ton of rings, but that would require them remembering that S5 happened, which appears to be against the rules--

Ahem.

Okay. He’s feeling urgent about this. I can see him wanting to get something new, something that doesn’t have a Past because it’s supposed to be about their future. The only place in town that sells EF-style stuff is the Croc’s, which is a non-starter, so it would have to be whatever serves Storybrooke for a modern jewelry store, but even in a town this size, they should have SOMETHING a little unusual. The guy is the standout clothes horse on the male side of the show; he owns forty dark shirts in different but equally subtle patterns; don’t tell me he can’t pick out a ring with some flair.

Anyway. Maybe he’ll pick up something cooler when [spoilers redacted].

In under the wire again, as we prepare for tonight’s episode! I think this next one will signpost Rumple’s final fate in the series, so I am prepared to be interested in what happens even though my emotional investment is zero.

[scarfprincess]

35 to 45, Kai, 20 to 30, Aya

Kai:

35. How does your character behave around people they like?

If he’s comfortable, he’ll joke around a bit and affectionately make fun of them (this is mostly around his brother, Anya, Zack, and James). Otherwise, he’s attentive to whatever they say to him and is generally curious about them, asking questions about shared interests once in a while if he feels talkative enough ;v;

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

He gives them all the Glare™ if he really distrusts/hates them but otherwise he just ignores them honestly

37. Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Neither tbh? He will defend other people’s honor tho lol

38. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

He’ll remove himself first, then calculate what is needed to remove the problem/threat altogether =v=

39. Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

I’m pretty sure his mom’s cat bit him a lot when he was younger but he still loves him to bits

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

He doesn’t really say much to them, so I guess he looks rude at first, but he gives the biggest tips bc he’s just really shy =v=

41. Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

He definitely feels that it needs to be earned, and also that he doesn’t deserve to have anything good at all because he’s horribly self-deprecating oops

42. Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

His cook/housekeeper Martha, who’s basically like a grandma to him, and his butler James, who’s like another big bro or a young father figure to him =w= Also to a lesser extent, Zack’s, Looc’s, and Anya’s parents, who are all really gracious to him and his brother after his mother died =v=

43. Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

does Zack count

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

It’s extremely hard for him to vocalize his feelings at all, so if he says it, he definitely means it with all of his being =v=

45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

He used to be afraid that there was nothing beyond life, but since the events of S6 he’s reconsidered =v=

Aya:

20. In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

Outwardly, she acts like she’s too good to do anything with the rest of the crew (besides her sister), and pretty much acts like the “cool lone wolf” stereotype, but that’s bc deep down she hates herself and everything she’s done and thinks that her loner status is necessary for atonement, or something >w>

21. If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

Oh my god she blames herself and h o w

22. What does your character like in other people?

She likes it when people are earnest in their efforts and their feelings. She also likes people who can match her in wits and sarcasm, and who aren’t afraid of the front she puts up =w=

23. What does your character dislike in other people?

Dishonesty, manipulation, being slimy and/or overall a terrible human being?

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Nope

25. How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

She is always suspect of everyone, she doesn’t trust very easily, but will hunt for the truth before accusation (unless she is SURE her hunches are right)

26. How does your character behave around children?

She loves being around children, especially younger kids ;v; To her they are pure and honest with themselves and won’t try to hurt or manipulate anyone (unless they were mistreated or brought up badly, in which case she would probably kick whoever was responsible) She almost always lets her guard down around kids, which is rare for her when she’s with anyone else =w=

27. How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

She starts by hurling insults at them, and when they’re all riled up she starts a brawl lmao

28. How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

0 to 100 in the blink of an eye L M A O......

29. What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

She just wants to protect and be around her loving family honestly

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

injustice

[jamiekturner]

The most popular DC animated movies to watch in a lifetime

One of the most celebrated cinema couples – DC and Warner Bros – brought to our attention the most amazing comic book-based animation movies ever. They mastered the skill of bringing superhero adventures to life, and they’re continuing to provide the best entertainment for all audiences.

DC animated movies are so good that they have a lot of cinematic adaptations. Yet, unlike the surreal and expanded universes of Marvel Studios, DC’s straight-to-video animations celebrate the actual heroes as they were presented by their comic books.

In short, DC animated movies are not Sci-Fi mash-ups, but they tell the standalone story just as it is. That’s why they’re worth to watch.

Ready for some good DC animated movies? Here is our list of the best DC animation movies you should watch:

Superman/Shazam: The Return Of Black Adam

Shazam, for instance, is a neglected DC character. This is the superhero alter ego of a boy named Billy Watson.

Billy becomes Shazam each time he says his name, all before he meets a wizard that can change his life forever. The mortal enemy of our hero is Black Adam. He returns from the past to haunt and kill Billy before he obtains his Shazam powers, and Billy has to fight him over and over again.

Producers made the smart move of introducing Superman to the audience – Clark interviews Billy, and then fights next to him and helps him defeat Black Adam. The movie targets young dreamers who wish to have Billy’s magical powers and to feel better accepted.

Justice League: The New Frontier

Although DC Comics began entertaining us in the early 1930s, Justice League animated movies appeared only in 1960. The masterpiece The New Frontier treats a post-WWII tale where all leading heroes join strengths to defeat the evil about to destroy Earth.

Many of today’s favorite DC heroes were actually introduced with New Frontier, and so was the concept of godly creatures working hand-by-hand with strong humans for a good cause.

Green Lantern: First Flight

The reason why we all love DC animated movies (or their comic books) is the inherent weirdness of their characters, or maybe how that weirdness is fully embraced.

Green Lantern is a good example of such animated DC movies – a unique comic figure in the role of a space cop Hal Jordan who owns a magic green ring that makes his wishes come true.

And yet, Green Lantern Jordan shoots laser blasts and decides to travel through space. Meanwhile, he discovers and confronts a dangerous conspiracy within the Green Lantern Corps.

The only weakness of Green Lanterns is the color yellow.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

We all appreciate a good Batman-Superman story, as these are our two most beloved animation heroes. Superman would only entrust his Kryptonite bullet to Batman, as he’s the only person that’d actually use it if Superman loses control.

In the Public Enemies movie, the two heroes join forces to deal with a government conspiracy – Superman was framed for murder by President Luthor, and Batman is the only hero from the crowd that helps him solve this problem.

Who could be a more serious enemy than the head of the state? The ultimate fight will cause Superman and Batman to face their other superhero friends, and to do the impossible to clean their names. With plenty of thrilling moments and explosive action, this movie guarantees some serious fun!

All-Star Superman

All-Star Superman was produced by Grant Morrison, and belongs to the category of finest comics ever. All along, we were made to believe that the only thing that can destroy Superman is Kryptonite (basically, Superman was indestructible to us!), but Grant Morison changed it all with his unconventional All-Star Superman.

We were shocked at the very beginning of the movie – Superman got overdosed with solar radiation, and we got to watch the last year of his life. Yet, the protagonist remained hopeful and optimistic, and we enjoyed that together with the producer’s artistic mastery.

As expected, Superman did the best he could to help people in different ways, as he knew he wasn’t going to be around for long.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

We’re all haunted by a mistake from the past, and Batman is no exception. In his case, he regrets not being able to prevent Jason Todd’s death, his beloved second Robin who fell into Joker’s hands. The question that confuses us here is – What prevents Batman from killing the Joker?

The Joker doesn’t stay in Arkham for long, and each time he gets out he causes destructions and death. Batman, however, doesn’t want to take this road – he is afraid that if he kills the Joker, he won’t stop killing.

This is without a doubt one of the best DC animated movies, and a remarkable Batman story. The crime drama takes multiple hard-boiled and mystical turns, and takes our breath away ‘til the very end.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

In Crisis on Two Earths, DC animation films discussed multiverse for the very first time. Causal viewers were all head over heels, experienced what’d happen if all Justice League heroes had evil counterparts trying to destroy Earth. Bad, nonetheless, is not the only answer to this question.

Batman’s doppelganger is Owl-Man (James Wood), and his character is simply brought to perfection in this movie. The fight is intense until the very end, making us wonder who could possibly win this battle.

Wonder Woman

This animated movie doesn’t only tell us who Wonder Woman is, but also explains many of the things that happened before and after she got this title. It explains in a very masterful way what enigmatic origin actually means, and makes us like Princess Diana with or without her wonder woman features.

As Princess Diana ventured the male world, she was still a naive and well-tempered lady. Yet, she had just enough skills to turn into layered hero Wonder Woman, an exciting storyline with top-notch pacing that kept us motionless in front of our screens. For a superhero tale, Wonder Woman has a pretty realistic and faithful origin development, and treats an evergreen topic – justice.

Justice League: War

Here’s one of the newest additions of the Justice League saga – the readapted 52 story of Justice League: Origin. Here, we can enjoy a completely reinvented and DC-untypical universe set and the New 52 canon’s confines.

We may like or dislike the characters in New 52, but that doesn’t make War any less compelling, fun, or visually spectacular. It is still amazing to see how superheroes team up as one wouldn’t expect them to, as when Batman and Green Lantern or Superman and Wonder Woman learn to work together.

Justice League Dark

At a certain point, DC animated movies decided to explore the mystical side of their Universe, and the decision was a total success!

They introduced us to Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Zatanna, Etrigan, and Deadman – the dark heroes that hallucinate of demons and kill each other. Batman is once again supposed to take the lead – he looks for John Constantine, the master of these mystical arts, and asks for his help.

In Justice League Dark, we have the unique opportunity to enjoy superhero action blended with horror, and produced with the animation finesse only DC Films can provide. Better yet, it showed us that every comic book we love can easily become a dark tale – it only takes some imagination!

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

Teen Titans also got their own animated movie to tell the story of their superhero team. The Judas Contract updates this storyline in a modern way, introducing the betrayal of their favorite fan.

You may discover differences between the cartoon continuity and the comic book, but the story will still impress you – the Teen Titans have become more mature, and producers have discovered the right dark sides of their story to create this movie.

Superman vs The Elite

This time, Superman fights vigilantes who kill and injure villains with their powers. The subplot takes place in two imaginary enemy countries, and Superman tries really hard to stop this never-ending war.

Consequently, the Elite go after the leaders of these countries to stop the senseless violence – it may sound a bit nutty, but so does the imprisonment of super-power villains who can get out without any problem.

As Man of Steel cuts loose, the Elite discover that Superman is not willing to hurt people, and that’s what is holding him back. For the audience, this is a fact writers of such stories often leave aside – Superman is not only a superhero, but also a lovely human being.

Teen Titans Vs. Justice League

Being a sidekick in a DC animation movie is not the best role you can have, as it is in the case of Robin and Batman. And yet, sidekicks manage to earn the acknowledgment and respect of Earth’s most powerful being, as they prove to be able to oppose any force.

This theory is first tested in Teen Titans vs. Justice League, where leaders don’t have their weapons anymore, and can only rely on their protégés to save the world. The movie has a lot of similarities with the Judas Contract, and you should watch both of them to feel the full impact.

Son of Batman

Grant Morrison’s latest creation Damian Wayne has raised many controversial comic book debates ever since it joined the DC animated universe – some of us can’t understand how Batman’s sons don’t have his maturity and ability to do better than him, while others simply enjoy watching Bruce in a role of a caring father with a hidden identity.

Along the way, Bruce deals with serious fatherhood challenges such as teaching his sons not to kill criminals, which is a unique screen transition from Batman’s well-known past to his intriguing future. The movie has three parts, and all of them feature animal-human hybrids that add up interest to the story.

Batman vs. Robin

For those who didn’t watch it, Batman vs. Robin is kind of a sequel to the Sons of Batman trilogy – we don’t get to watch Nightwing dealing with his family heritage, but we still deal with Damian Wayne who continues killing because he was raised by the League of Assassins.

It is disputable whether DC needed another movie on this story, and it is actually very good that the villains take over: Watching them challenging Batman over the fate of Damian’s soul is one of the best DC animation moments ever!

Batman: Assault on Arkham

Even though Batman has been mentioned in the title, this is not a Batman movie. The Dark Knight opens up the setting, but he has only a supportive role. The throne this time belongs to the Suicide Squad – a group of brave villains on a suicide mission.

Amanda Waller sent our favorite characters Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, King Shark, KG Beast, Black Spider, and Killer Frost on duty in Arkham Asylum, where they’re supposed to fool Riddler into providing them information. As long as they manage to defeat Batman!

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Here’s another misleading title: Superman and Batman won’t be working together this time, and they’re both in the shadow of a new character and Clark’s cousin Super Girl. As Kara Zor-El arrives on Earth, she tries to settle in and to control her amazing powers. Clark shows her around, and suggest she should live among Amazons to gain self-control.

And it���d all be fine, if it wasn’t for Darkside to kidnap Super Girl and to try to misuse her powers. The movie guarantees an exhilarating plot and exciting action, but the original comic art (Michael Turner) is often considered too sexual for the story behind it.

Justice League: Doom

We are all familiar with Batman’s trust issues, in particular the discrimination against people with unusual powers. This explains why he always had a contingency plan to use the Justice League’s powers nefariously, in case the cohort went rogue.

Doom teaches us to expect the unexpected, and takes us on an action-packed journey which also showcases sorrow and regrets. We empathize with Batman as his loved ones are in danger, and that danger is actually caused by his own mean plans.

The movie also brings us the classic villains such as mastermind Vandal Savage, but also his less-known fellows Star Saphire, Bane, and Metallo.

All things together, there’s little chance you won’t enjoy this faced-paced and stellar thriller. The recipe of success has all the right ingredients: a compelling and riveting storyline, well-executed and crisp-clear animation, and the best possible voice performance.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Vol 1 & 2

For those who think the opposite, there is only one The Dark Knight Returns animated movie. What the title here tells us is that the story has two parts, and these parts are brought together on screen for the first time.

Regardless of it, we must agree that this is DC’s best attempt so far to stay true to the Dark Knight story, and to adapt it to viewers’ expectations. The Dark Knight here is older and about to retire, but before he does, he meets his cruelest enemies – the Mutants.

The struggle is obvious – Batman is no longer physically fit for the task, and he needs to train a whole new Robin to help him (Carrie Kelly). To the pleasure of viewers, however, Mutants and gangsters end up regretting messing with Batman, just the way we, faithful fans, would like it to be.

All in all, this movie confirmed that Batman is still a symbol of power, and no one can take this from him!

Batman: Year One

While watching this movie, one may even think it does not belong to the DC animation series. Unlike all action-packed Batman pieces we got used to, Year One offers a slow-paced and grounded development of events, just the way Frank Miller described it.

The screenwriter answered the most intriguing question of the Batman fans’ community – How did Batman come to be? How was it possible for an orphaned trust fund boy to turn into the Dark Knight?

Year One follows Bruce’s growing up in corrupt and vicious Gotham, and the situations that inspired him to pursue justice at all costs. At the time, Bruce had few encounters with criminals already, and decided to wear a mask in order to intimidate them.

Year One also introduces us to another important character in the story – Lieutenant Gordon who’d just moved to the city and is terrified by what’s going on there. He needs to stand against his entire police department, the mobsters, and the Catwoman how’s jealous of him.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis

Throne of Atlantis deals mainly with Aquaman’s origin, a neglected character in the superhero community who talks to fish, and is often mocked because of it. What the Justice League fails to realize is that Aquaman can control the oceans, or what forms in fact 70% of the Earth. Throne of Atlantis explains to us where he comes from, and how he becomes a respected member of the Justice League.

Superman: Doomsday

When LexCorps accidentally unleash a murderous creature, Doomsday, Superman meets his greatest challenge as a champion. Based on the “The Death of Superman” storyline that appeared in DC Comics’ publications in the 1990s.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

If you’re a Flash fan too, you must agree it felt good to see your favorite hero headlining a movie of his one. Flashpoint Paradox is perhaps the darkest DC animation film ever, so creepy that even Scarlet Speedster’s charm can’t shine through.

The storyline is very involving: Barry Allen travels through time to prevent his mother’s death, but his attempt results in destroying the DC Universe as we knew it ‘til now. This means that Bruce Wayne will be murdered in front of his father, and that he’ll never become Batman.

The Flash won’t get his powers, and the rest of the superhero crew will absolutely transform the Earth. Wonder Woman, for instance, conquers Great Brittan, while Aquaman drowns most of the old continent. Meanwhile, the US government imprisons Superman forever, and the Justice League simply doesn’t exist.

Even if you watch this movie for the 10th time, you’ll still spot changes you missed before. What a visual delight!

BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT

Gotham by Gaslight came to a very important conclusion: As old and explored Batman’s story could seem, there is always a way to shed new light over it! If you’re into new animated movies, you shouldn’t miss this masterpiece.

This time, we’ll be traveling to Victorian Gotham, and our enemy will be infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. To stop the terrors he’s causing, Bruce Wayne goes undercover in the unprivileged part of Gotham, and behaves in a way we never really expected.

Of course, the movie doesn’t deprive us of our favorite Dark Knight features, but the new package he comes in is truly fascinating. Regardless of the conditions, Batman blends easily into this exciting world, and we can’t wait to see how Gotham will be recreated in the future!

Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay

Since we’re talking of new DC animated movies, we shouldn’t miss Suicide Squad – the piece that never stopped fascinating us. The thin line between these powered creatures saving people or taking over the world creates a superb tension, both for other DC heroes and for the audience.

Hell to Pay has another great squad mission to present us – Amanda Waller’s last chance to save her soul by obtaining a ‘getting out of hell’ card. The turn of events will leave you speechless!

Batman: Gotham Knight

Here comes another highly unusual Batman animation. Gotham Knight contributed Christopher Nolan’s movies the same way Animatrix did with the Matrix trilogy.

This time, the best Japanese directors and American writers joined forces to complete the story between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The result of their work are six amazing short movies that embrace Batman’s entire life and the mysteries around him.

Batman: The Killing Joke

The Killing Joke is often referred to as the story that made Batman what he is today and perhaps one of the best animated Batman movies ever. It took multiple recreations in over 40 years to come up with a piece as marvelous as this – a brutal and controversial story where the Joker manages to prove that one bad day is enough for everyone to go crazy.

Batman: Bad Blood

Batman fans settled (somehow) for the Son of Batman and Batman vs. Robin movies, and for the idea of Batman not having the end he deserves. The third part of this story (Bad Blood), however, crossed the line.

We’re not saying that nothing interesting takes place in this movie, but the turn of events is so fast that we can hardly keep track of it. We lose Bruce Wayne at the very beginning of the movie, and we don’t even get to mourn him in the 75 minutes of exhausting plots waiting for us.

The best part of the top DC movie comes somewhere along the end – The Bat family fights together, and Damien finally takes over. This is also where we get to see Batwoman (Kate Kane) in an animation for the first time, and she looks exactly as we remember her from the original comics.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

The anthology sequence of Green Lanterns combines multiple short stories, and each of them treats a different Green Lantern Corps member.

Since there was no way to create a story on every character, filmmakers focused on the favorite protagonists, and ensured fans will enjoy every minute of watching. Note – even if you watched all animated DC movies, you may find these stories confusing.

Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker

Welcome to the story of the new Batman Terry McGinnis! This is also his first encounter with the atrocities inflicted upon Batman for more than 35 years, which results in this movie being too grim and dark for children to watch. Another big return is one of the Clown Prince of Crime (Mark Hamil), just as good as he used to be before.

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

Last but not least, there is the very best Batman movie: Mask of the Phantasm.

In this DC animation film, you will find all Batman features that you like – the beautiful animations, the involving voices, and the origin story of Bruce Wayne presented in a whole new and fresh light. Odds are great this will be the best Batman performance you’ve ever seen!

Ending thoughts on the best DC animated movies

We hope that our list of best DC movies invoked some good memories of the time spent exploring the DC animated movie universe. We, the same as all fans of the best superhero cartoon movies are looking forward to enriching this collection, and we promise to keep you posted on upcoming DC animated movies! Meanwhile – have fun!

If you enjoyed reading this article about the best DC animated movies, you should read these as well:

48 Of The Best Short Animated Films (Oscar winners included)

34 Of The Best Motion Graphics Studios And Their Work

Kinetic Typography: Best 47 Videos

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