#some films have beautifully written dialogue too

[hagstones-and-howling-hills]

Punching my wall because the subtitles don't match what's being said

[ambiguouspuzuma]

The single most important piece of writing advice I would give to a lot of amateur writers is to write less beautifully - or at least to write beautifully less.

I rarely find a piece of writing I can't read because it's too simple, or too concise and to-the-point - not memorable, perhaps, but also not a headache on a page. On the other hand, I see loads of pieces which are effectively unreadable because they're far too rich to swallow, and badly in need of watering down a bit.

The absolute worst culprit is the dialogue tags and stage directions. I'm a big fan of letting people write in their own style, but I would love it if a lot of writers could please cool it with letting me know every time a character blinks or licks their lips. I don't need to know that, especially if it happens every time they speak.

So many dialogue excerpts look like this:

"So this is how we talk?" he queried quietly, his eyebrows furrowed into knots. "Apparently," she replied with a puzzled grin, bouncing on the balls of her feet with restless energy. "Isn't that... exhausting?" he questioned, a lop-sided smile snaking its way across his lips. "The bouncing?" she asked shyly, her eyelids fluttering in shame. "No, of course not," he told her, his lean arms reached out to pull her closer. He buried his face into the mess of her hair, taking a deep breath of her perfume. "I just feel a little nauseated by all of these actions." "I don't know what you mean," she giggled, brushing the hair back out of her eyes as her cheeks flushed red. "Don't worry," he sighed, rolling his eyes up towards the ceiling.

I'm assuming this is a convention that comes from somewhere, given its ubiquity - perhaps somewhere in the world of fanfiction, where there will be short, intimate pieces entirely focused on the ways in which characters interact with each other. But to me, in an original work, it's so exhausting that I can't make it down the rest of the page.

Dialogue may be the worst, or most obvious offender, but the same principle extends pretty much everywhere else. Each line doesn't have to be some great quote you can hang on your wall, and it's hard to read a whole story written like that.

There's been some recent backlash on here against modern films where every line of dialogue is a quip, at the expense of building an authentic conversation, but that's how a lot of people start out writing - thinking that each sentence should be made as flowery as possible, when too many flowers in the same pot will crowd each other out.

You need to leave some gaps to let the sunlight in, and illuminate the beauty of the occasional flourish you do include. Think of it like vanilla extract, to make a reference that was topical when I started writing this post: you need to add a little for flavour, without which the writing will be too dull, but tip the bottle and I will actually be sick. Write beautifully less. Learn to embrace the prosaic.

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

My Favorite New-To-Me Movies of 2023

Women Talking

This movie won the Oscar of Best Adapted Screenplay and deservedly so...it's scenes are so tightly written and delivered so beautifully by the incredible cast of actresses, that it held my attention for the entire runtime. Every performance was fantastic, and I wish at least one of them had received recognition from the Academy...personally my vote would have been for Claire Foy, but any one of them could have walked away with a nomination.

Pearl

This was such an interesting horror flick...the saturated color palette, the extreme bursts of violence and of course, the magnificent performance by Mia Goth. She was absolutely fascinating to watch...the character of Pearl is so desperate to leave her home and to become a star that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

While I consider this to be one of the best movies I've seen this year...it's not necessarily one I'd ever want to watch again. At least not in the near future...because this movie is bleak. During the Great Depression, a group of people sign up for a dance marathon with the hope of winning the prize money. All the characters are so compelling and interesting to watch. Absolutely recommend watching it, especially for Jane Fonda's outstanding performance...but you might finish the movie a bit depressed.

Deathtrap

Man, this movie is fun. It's the kind of movie that I can't say too much about, because the plot is so full of twists...but the basic idea is: A famous playwright, coming off a string of flops, learns that his former student has written a surefire hit play, and he conspires to murder his student and take the play as his own. And you have Christopher Reeve wearing some fantastic sweaters.

Sweet Smell of Success

This movie is so good, I don't even know where to start. The performances, the writing, the cinematography...it's such a perfect example of a noir film (especially one that doesn't focus on a murder or a detective). I wasn't sure what to expect when I started, but from the moment I pressed play, I was completely engrossed.

The Last of Sheila

I really caught up on my murder mysteries this year...and The Last of Sheila is a really great one. Another movie that I can't say too much about because of it's twisty plot...but I will say you can definitely see how it influenced Rian Johnson for his Knives Out films. Also, this was co-written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim!

Catch-22

I blind bought this one after Alan Arkin's death...I had never seen it, but thought it seemed like a fun enough film to take the gamble on. And boy, was I right! While I can see why some critics didn't love it back then, this movie is so wonderfully bonkers, I can't help but love it! The witty dialogue, clever shot composition and excellent performances by a massive cast make this movie a real treat!

Home Before Dark

This was a very random find for me...I actually just came across it on TV when it was starting and decided to stick with it (just like the olden days, get off my lawn). And while the movie itself isn't perfect, I was completely drawn in by Jean Simmons' performance. Her character has just returned home from a stay at an asylum, and while she tries to reacclimate to life at home, we start to see her lose it again...but we aren't sure if she is actually being pushed towards that breakdown intentionally. It has a few shades of the movie Gaslight, for sure.

The Collector

This may have been my favorite new-to-me movie of the year! It is such an intense and uncomfortable film, with amazing performances by the two lead actors and an ending that I did not see coming. Given the story and the setting, I could almost see this easily being turned into a stage play...I'd love to see a theater try and capture the claustrophobic feeling you get when Miranda is trapped in that cellar.

A few honorable mentions are: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Thin Man, Sound of Metal, Persona and Somewhere in Time (this one mostly for the melodrama, lol)

Here's to more movies in 2024!

[burberrycanary]

I, too, want to procrastinate right now so thanks @zenaidamacrouras1 for the tag <3333

Rules: Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass this onto other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

I’ve been on a writing streak lately and I’m usually most excited by what I’m currently working on. But, taking a look back, here are some works I’m proud of.

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Still Left with the River (The Paradox of Motion) - 14k | G | Steve/Bucky, MCU

Summary: Coming back from as good as dead to a changed world is easier the second time around. But then Steve supposes that, like with most things, you get better with practice. 

A post-The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Stucky Endgame fix-it where even if you can’t go home again, you’ve got to go somewhere.

This is part of my massive labor of love stucky end game fix-it and probably my favorite story in the series, viewed individually. As I was writing this I went: no one is going to want to read a G-rated post-TFATWS stucky fic that doesn’t provide pretty immediate shippy gratification. But I love watching Steve have to pick himself up and go on after making a huge mistake that deeply hurt the people he loves most. While it can be cathartic as a reader to watch the people Steve left behind be furious, chewing him out until Steve has suffered some amount that’s “enough,” what I wanted to focus on is how hurting and disappointing the people closest to you, who continue to love you painfully through the hurt, creates such a complicated mess of damaged relationships. Steve, re-isolated by so much death and his own mistakes, now has to deal with repairing what he put wrong, if he can and if he’s given the chance to. But as the paradox of motion title would suggest, crossing that distance isn't easy.

This story is a quiet complicated love letter to New York City while this whole series is a massive intricate love letter to Bucky Barnes. Plus, Steve quietly pining is so my jam I can’t even. Come for Steve pining, stay for Steve making things right again.

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What the Living Do - 10k and counting  | G-E ratings | Henry/Alex, RWRB

Series Summary: This story is set a few months post-film and in a better universe than ours. Henry divides his time between New York and Kensington Palace. Alex is a second year student at Georgetown Law in Washington D.C. and lives in the White House. The distance is hard, but they're making it work.

We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want whoever to call or not call, a letter, a kiss—we want more and more and then more of it.

The epigraph of this series is from Marie Howe’s What the Living Do, which is a poem she wrote to her brother who had died from AIDS. It beautifully balances grief and living.

I’m drawn to characters who aren’t going to immediately tell you everything they are thinking and feeling—and to performances where so much is conveyed through micro-expressions that you don’t need dialogue.

Which means this RWRB series is an interesting challenge for me as an author that’s involved writing a lot of very direct communication all the way up to out-in-out Relationship talks. And a lot of fluff. But thanks to the series being told from Henry’s POV, it’s fluff in a minor-key mood. So if you like your bantery domestic fluff shot through with slowly healing grief and the lingering impact of spending years in the closet without a supportive family only to be traumatically outed, then this is the series for you.

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The Art of the Possible - 9k | M | Sharon-centric, TFATWS/MCU

Summary: Maybe whether you’ve picked the wrong side depends on where you’re standing—but if you can’t tell who the sucker at the poker table is: it’s you.

Sharon before, during, and after Madripoor.

I had so much fun writing this with @village-skeptic though it is absolutely not a story for everyone: non-linear and less than straightforward without the hook of a popular ship. Maybe I’m just drawn to characters the MCU keeps doing dirty (cough Bucky cough), but the incoherently bad writing of TFATWS created openings to tell a story that focuses on the bleakly dark aspects of the thematic and subtextual storytelling that is foundational to the MCU. And Sharon was the right character for telling that story.

But for anyone troubled by the politics of the MCU? This is a story for you and I hope you give it a try.

The trick to telling a story with heroes is knowing when to stop and what to leave out.

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I Leave This at Your Ear - 5k | E | Betty/Jughead, Riverdale

Summary: They sort of break up again on February 17 and definitely get back together on March 15. They barely talk between “the Valentine's Day massacre and the ides of March,” he jokes later, sitting next to her in a booth at Pop’s and hoping that she’ll slide closer to rest her head on his shoulder like she used to.

Ah, the brief golden age of Riverdale when that sandbox was fun to play in. This is probably the single best expression of my style as a writer: lyrical, a lot more show than tell, starting in medias res with people talking around strong feelings that are conveyed without being directly mentioned much of anywhere. I’m drawn to focusing on the hard and messy parts of relationships without the big drama of external angst or the relatively easy knots to untie that are misunderstandings—a Marmite tendency, I know. But I love thinking about the part where you go, ok, but how do we actually live with everything that’s happened? Getting back together is easy in comparison to going forward afterward—that is what’s hard.

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Exactly the Contents of One - 6k | M | Starsky/Hutch, Starsky & Hutch

The day's smoggy and breathless, already in the mid-eighties with the weatherman promising worse tomorrow, but as long as they keep moving it's not so bad.

(Or, becoming Starsky and Hutch.)

I definitely have a type: two characters who are very different people but share common values and are fighting for something bigger than themselves—idealists who get all mucked up and worn out in the trenches while loving each other too deeply and too much, generally in ways that are at odds with the society around them. Yeah, that’s my ship type. 

This is a throwback pick for an old fic, but I’ve always been interested in how slash developed as a genre and a subculture. I ended up taking a tour of some OG ships from the 60s and 70s, including going pretty deep down a Starsky/Hutch rabbit hole (the 70s TV series and not the film remake, I cannot emphasize enough). I was nervous about signing up for this because there was a 5k minimum word count and at the time I’d never written anything near that long. So, wow, I’ve come a long way.

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I'm not sure how long this game has been going around, but if @skarabrae-stone, @sullypants, @beaarthurpendragon or @controlofwhatido haven't played yet and would like to, please have some self-rec love 🥰

[worldwidemovies012]

Thangalaan review

: Pa Ranjith's film is intertwined with some fantasy and mystical realism. A must watch for Vikram fans.

Thangalaan is a period action drama starring Vikram, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Malavika Mohanan in the lead roles. The film is directed by Pa. Ranjith, produced by Studio Green K.E.Gnanavel Raja and the music is scored by G.V. Prakash Kumar.

Premise:

Britishers are in a wealth hunt, they take tribal people to work for them. Strange visions of Vikram to lead the troop to the Gold-rush area. What happens after forms the crux of the story.

Writing/ Direction:

Gold is the base of the film, the film showcases how it was handled in the 19th century by our rulers. Well-researched in terms of landscape, the way people look and the terms they use, which is sure to take the viewers back in time. The fantasy element is intriguing, the dynamic development of it is one of the few appreciable aspects of the film, the closure to it makes sense, sadly it is rushed by leaving no impact. The first half is like an adventure flick, with many different themes tried, but the result is extremely flat.

No clarity in the fight scenes as to who is winning and who is losing, the Black Panther sequence is a big dud with poor vision and the heavy smoke effects used lowers the visual standard.

Pasupathy’s humour portions are a big relief to the dry screenplay. The second half starts on a promising note with a few good scenes, displaying the happiness of the tribes for receiving new clothes, how the British treat the tribe with respect until they get to the Gold and shows their true nature after that, etc. Post which the film becomes dull with the slavery part not turning out to be emotional on-screen, the payoff is also very weak by bringing in a clumsy platter which is hard to consume. The biggest drawback of the film is the dialogue modulation of the artists which is probably authentic for the period, but had to go through hell to follow and understand.

Performances:

Chiyaan Vikram’s limitless efforts are evident on-screen, showing great variety in makeover, body language and expressions. Parvathy Thiruvothu is very casually natural on-screen, her scenes with the hero are lively, but the script required more to utilize the chemistry between them. Quite a challenging role for Malavika Mohanan, she has given her best, just wish she had more highlight action scenes to prove her full-potential. Pasupathy’s character started off fascinatingly, but then the arc was left abruptly without giving a proper ending it deserved. Stone-faced villains, the issue with foreign actors’ performances which the most Indian films have exists here too. The other supporting characters are written in a half-baked manner that we don’t get to feel for them.

Technicalities:

Meticulous work by G.V.Prakash, top quality songs overall, especially the Minikki Minikki track stands out and it is beautifully placed in the film. Solid score, his music made a lot of weak situations better, he has focused on what instruments to use as well. The visuals are first class, strong production value and location recce have led the team to explore new terrains, however the action is captured in an unimpressive manner. A lot of edit patterns and jump cuts are fascinating, but finesse is missing when things are simple, the packaging fails to engross. VFX is a mixed bag, the models look neat during the static shots, but the motions aren’t done right to make the sequences believable. Stunts lack punch, the approach is realistic but the output feels hurried.

Bottomline

Fantasy element is fine when it stands alone, falters when blent with reality. The film misses to hold the interest except for the initial chunk in the latter half. Had immense potential to be a hard-hitting flick, but it never took off from the ground level.

hindi:- थंगालान समीक्षा: पा रंजीत की फिल्म कुछ कल्पना और रहस्यमय यथार्थवाद से जुड़ी हुई है। विक्रम के प्रशंसकों के लिए यह फिल्म अवश्य देखें।

थंगालान एक पीरियड एक्शन ड्रामा है, जिसमें विक्रम, पार्वती थिरुवोथु और मालविका मोहनन मुख्य भूमिकाओं में हैं।

फिल्म का निर्देशन पा रंजीत ने किया है, जिसका निर्माण स्टूडियो ग्रीन के.ई. ज्ञानवेल राजा ने किया है और संगीत जी.वी. प्रकाश कुमार ने दिया है।

प्रस्तावना:

अंग्रेज धन की तलाश में हैं, वे आदिवासी लोगों को अपने लिए काम पर ले जाते हैं। विक्रम को सेना को गोल्ड-रश क्षेत्र में ले जाने के लिए अजीबोगरीब दृश्य दिखाई देते हैं। उसके बाद क्या होता है, यही कहानी का सार है।

लेखन/निर्देशन:

फिल्म का आधार गोल्ड है, फिल्म दिखाती है कि 19वीं सदी में हमारे शासकों ने इसे कैसे संभाला।

भूदृश्य, लोगों के देखने के तरीके और उनके द्वारा इस्तेमाल किए जाने वाले शब्दों के संदर्भ में अच्छी तरह से शोध किया गया है, जो दर्शकों को निश्चित रूप से समय में पीछे ले जाएगा।

फंतासी तत्व दिलचस्प है, इसका गतिशील विकास फिल्म के कुछ सराहनीय पहलुओं में से एक है, इसका समापन समझ में आता है, दुख की बात है कि इसे जल्दबाजी में बनाया गया है, जिससे कोई प्रभाव नहीं पड़ता।

पहला भाग एक साहसिक फिल्म की तरह है, जिसमें कई अलग-अलग थीम आजमाई गई हैं, लेकिन परिणाम बेहद सपाट है।

लड़ाई के दृश्यों में कोई स्पष्टता नहीं है कि कौन जीत रहा है और कौन हार रहा है, ब्लैक पैंथर का दृश्य खराब दृष���टि के साथ एक बड़ा डफ है और भारी धुएं के प्रभाव का उपयोग दृश्य मान�� को कम करता है।

पसुपथी के हास्य भाग सूखी पटकथा के लिए एक बड़ी राहत हैं। दूसरा भाग कुछ अच्छे दृश्यों के साथ एक आशाजनक नोट पर शुरू होता है, जिसमें नए कपड़े प्राप्त करने के लिए जनजातियों की खुशी प्रदर्शित होती है, कैसे ब्रिटिश जनजाति के साथ सम्मान के साथ व्यवहार करते हैं जब तक कि वे गोल्ड तक नहीं पहुंच जाते और उसके बाद अपना असली स्वरूप दिखाते हैं, आदि।

इसके बाद फिल्म सुस्त हो जाती है क्योंकि गुलामी वाला हिस्सा स्क्रीन पर भावनात्मक नहीं बन पाता है, भुगतान भी बहुत कमजोर है क्योंकि एक भद्दा प्लेट पेश किया जाता है जिसे पचाना मुश्किल है।

फिल्म की सबसे बड़ी कमी कलाकारों के संवादों का उतार-चढ़ाव है जो शायद उस दौर के हिसाब से प्रामाणिक है, लेकिन इसे समझने और समझने के लिए नरक से गुजरना पड़ा।

प्रदर्शन:

चियान विक्रम के असीम प्रयास स्क्रीन पर स्पष्ट हैं, मेकओवर, बॉडी लैंग्वेज और भावों में बहुत विविधता दिखाते हैं।

पार्वती थिरुवोथु स्क्रीन पर बहुत सहज रूप से सहज हैं, नायक के साथ उनके दृश्य जीवंत हैं, लेकिन स्क्रिप्ट में उनके बीच की केमिस्ट्री का उपयोग करने के लिए और अधिक की आवश्यकता थी।

मालविका मोहनन के लिए काफी चुनौतीपूर्ण भूमिका, उन्होंने अपना सर्वश्रेष्ठ दिया है, बस काश उनके पास अपनी पूरी क्षमता साबित करने के लिए और अधिक हाइलाइट एक्शन दृश्य होते। पसुपति के किरदार की शुरुआत आकर्षक थी, लेकिन फिर आर्क को बिना उचित अंत दिए अचानक छोड़ दिया गया।

पत्थर के चेहरे वाले खलनायक, विदेशी अभिनेताओं के अभिनय की समस्या जो कि अधिकांश भारतीय फिल्मों में होती है, यहाँ भी मौजूद है।

अन्य सहायक पात्रों को आधे-अधूरे तरीके से लिखा गया है कि हम उनके लिए कुछ महसूस नहीं कर पाते।

तकनीकी बातें:

जी.वी.प्रकाश द्वारा किया गया बेहतरीन काम, कुल मिलाकर बेहतरीन गाने, खास तौर पर मिनिक्की मिनिक्की ट्रैक सबसे अलग है और इसे फिल्म में खूबसूरती से रखा गया है।

सॉलिड स्कोर, उनके संगीत ने कई कमज़ोर स्थितियों को बेहतर बनाया, उन्होंने इस बात पर भी ध्यान दिया कि कौन से इंस्ट्रूमेंट का इस्तेमाल करना है।

विज़ुअल बेहतरीन हैं, प्रोडक्शन वैल्यू और लोकेशन रेकी ने टीम को नए इलाकों की खोज करने के लिए प्रेरित किया है, हालांकि एक्शन को बहुत ही कमज़ोर तरीके से कैप्चर किया गया है।

एडिट पैटर्न और जंप कट बहुत आकर्षक हैं, लेकिन जब चीजें सरल होती हैं तो बारीकियाँ गायब हो जाती हैं, पैकेजिंग भी ध्यान खींचने में विफल हो जाती है।

वीएफएक्स एक मिश्रित बैग है, स्टैटिक शॉट्स के दौरान मॉडल साफ-सुथरे दिखते हैं, लेकिन दृश्यों को विश्वसनीय बनाने के लिए गति सही तरीके से नहीं की गई है। स्टंट में दम नहीं है, दृष्टिकोण यथार्थवादी है लेकिन आउटपुट जल्दबाजी में किया गया लगता है।

बॉटमलाइन

फ़ैंटेसी एलिमेंट अकेले होने पर ठीक है, लेकिन वास्तविकता के साथ घुलने-मिलने पर यह कमज़ोर पड़ जाता है।

फिल्म के दूसरे हिस्से में शुरुआती हिस्से को छोड़कर बाकी हिस्सा दिलचस्पी बनाए रखने में विफल रहा। इसमें एक दमदार फिल्म बनने की अपार संभावना थी, लेकिन यह कभी भी जमीनी स्तर पर आगे नहीं बढ़ पाई।

[denimbex1986]

'Nearly five years after Andrew Scott was cast as Tom Ripley in Steven Zaillian’s limited series Ripley, based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, the Irish actor has received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of the infamous con man.

In a conversation with THR, Scott, who also received a Gotham Award for his performance, reflects on his “arduous” preparation for the role, the incredible physical stamina he exerted during one particular scene in episode three and how he protected his mental health.

How did you become attached to the project?

Steven Zaillian had sent me an email, and we may have had a brief conversation. And then he sent me the entirety of the scripts, which was a highly unusual thing. It was great to be able to read those scripts in their entirety. Sometimes you just get maybe a pilot episode or something, and you’re not sure where it might go, but the scripts were so extraordinarily written, with incredible stage directions and just everything about it was beautifully crafted. And the character just seemed to me to be wonderful, and I find it kind of witty and dark and mysterious. I was immediately intrigued by this character. What was really extraordinary about the way it was written is actually the dialogue is pretty lean: There aren’t a lot of speeches or long diatribes.

What did you want to do differently in your portrayal of Ripley than in previous iterations?

My biggest job was to keep my playfulness alive and to not get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. It’s genuinely an enormous televisual part. Just the sheer amount of screen time and acting, and the amount of time you spend with this character is highly unusual and in some ways unprecedented, certainly for me. If I’m thinking about the whole year of filming and the amount of screen time that I would have to fill, I found that kind of intimidating, so I couldn’t really think too much about the enormity of the task or the enormity of the production. In one way, that’s the thing that I had to really protect — for both my performance but also for my health.

How did you prepare for the role?

I knew that it was going to be very arduous in the sense that there was just such a huge amount of acting I knew I had to do. I learned Italian for three or four months beforehand. In relation to how Tom looked, as someone in the early ’60s, I felt like he would be sort of trim-looking but not too worked-out. You want to be healthy and whatever, but you want it to be period-correct. And other than that, I suppose a lot of my work was very private. Steve doesn’t do rehearsals with actors, so a lot of the work for me was sort of private and things I had to work out on my own. And that was fine because I’m dealing with a character who has a lot of secrets.

What was the first scene you shot?

The first scenes that we shot were in the boardinghouse when he’s defrauding somebody in episode one over the phone. We shot that very early on, and then we went into the sequence of the murder of Freddie Miles.

What scene was most challenging for you?

The physical stamina of the boat stuff was really difficult. The thing that was the most difficult was to just act so much — and a lot of time to act on your own. Carrying the weight of that around for so long, it was kind of like doing movies back-to-back in relation to the sheer amount of time you have to be on set. So that’s what I find maybe the most challenging. And then the stuff that I loved — I call it the more kind of domestic scenes between Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) and Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning) and Tom in a cafe or Tom and Dickie going to see a concert or just the stuff that’s a little bit more human. I find those parts of Tom very endearing; or the fact that he’s such an enthusiast for art and beauty, and that side to him that’s actually quite sweet, I find it a nice kind of balm in relation to the darker stuff.

Talk to me about filming the physically arduous boat scene.

I was scrambling, trying to not drown myself. A lot of the time I wasn’t even aware of where the camera was — all the stuff where I’m trying to submerge that boat into the water, this is all [me] literally trying to sink that boat with a little exhausted Irishman, trying to tip the boat while lifting all those rocks and just being underwater. Trying to get on that boat was really difficult. And you know, you’re not just doing it once. Steve likes to get a lot of coverage. You’re doing that an awful lot. It was grueling, but it’s an extraordinary sequence that engages all the departments of the crew and the creative team.'

[rings-of-power-realm]

10 star reviews about The Rings of Power 💚

The first season isn't even finished yet and already I have recommended this show to friends and family more than any previous media. Every episode so far (5 released) have surpassed my expectations, which were fairly high going in. As someone who has read all of Tolkien's published works (some more than I'd care to admit), anyone saying that "Tolkien is turning in his grave" has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. It was always going to be walking a thin line between creative choices and already established canon, but I can see, so far anyway, that they have absolutely aced it. If the show continues to be as great as it has thus far, I can see this being one of the all time great masterpieces of TV history, and for many years to come. It's incredibly rare that I won't have criticisms of some kind, especially for something I am passionate about, and the only criticism I have of the Rings of Power is that I can't listen to the sound track 24 hours a day, because I have to sleep at some stage. Bear McCreary has written a masterpiece worthy of being pinned up on the wall with Howard Shore's work from the Lord of the Rings.

                                                         🧝

Don't listen to the negative reviews. Some people have an idea of what something should be in their own mind. I too have read mostly all of Tolkien's books. You form a world in your mind from those words. It's yours it's personal. This show is Magnificent. It's a big bold dive into Middle Earth. Beautifully filmed and acted. The first too episodes are structured in a way to set a scene for the multiple storylines for multiple characters which as the series progresses will merge in to one common fight against the darkness. It's absolutely fantastic and if you don't watch it because of someone's snobby 1/10 then you will be missing out.   

                                                        🧙‍♂️

I can't believe people who are giving this such negative reviews. Who cares if it's not the way you think it should be portrayed because of your version of what you think you read from his original works. It is fantastically entertaining, incredibly well shot and produced, and while the story lines were slow to get rolling, and I don't necessarily think that some of the characters lineup with how they were portrayed in the Lord of the Rings movies later, it really doesn't matter. These are NEW. I can't wait for each episode to come out, I look forward to watching these every week, and I would love to be able to see all of them in the theater. The first two we saw through a free preview, and I wish I could watch every single episode on a huge screen! Enjoy them for what they are.

                                                          🏹

This is the first prequel I have ever seen that was not a disappointment. I love the acting, the faithfulness to Tolkien's vision, the use of reworked ideas/themes/dialogue from the Lord of the Rings, and the compelling worldbuilding. It is important to remember that this is an interpretation, not an adaptation, as this story is based on timelines in the Appendices to LOTR and not on Tolkien stories. Therefore, the showrunners had to invent story arcs and characters to flesh out the story. If they had note done this, then the show would be boring and empty. They did a great job filling in the gaps and told a story that I have already rewatched many times.

                                                         🧝🏿‍♂️

I almost didn't watch because of other reviews but I've learned to not even pay much attention to them. This feels just like Lord of the Rings to me. It could actually be its own movie. The acting is great, the scenery and graphics are amazing. I've been hooked and entertained since the first episode! Can't wait to see more.

                                                         🗡️

I was putting off watching this for a while but one night I couldn't find anything to watch and I put this on and now I'm glad I did. It's the first thing I look forward to after a long day of work. I think the plot is fantastic. I read a review that said they didn't know where the plot was going but how can you not? It's very easy to follow. I'm in love with the series already.

I am blown away by the quality of this production. There is nothing like it. Although it is not an original story written by JRR Tolkien, it is an interesting one; an important backstory.

Although the story unfolds slowly, like in most series, it has a decent amount of action and suspense. Watch it and indulge yourself in Middle Earth. And about all the criticism... This is my take: To me, there are two Middle Earths. (1) The original one that you have imagined when reading the books. (2) The world created by John Howe, Alan Lee, Peter Jackson, make-up artists, actors, etc., etc. This series fits right into the later one and does it justice.

                                                       🍂

Don't believe those fools who are giving bad ratings and negative reviews. I don't know why so much hate for this show. I'm so obsessed with this show right now and have watched all the six episodes non-stop and wanting more soooo badly. I mean the acting, the scenes, the dialogues and above all the VFX are soooo beautiful put together that will make your mind blown by this masterpiece. I've really enjoyed and didn't look away for a second while watching. It really took me to the place where I couldn't have imagine in my dreams. Please guys stop giving the bad ratings and reviews to a show like this one. This show deserve all the love and not the hate. We all should appreciate the work and efforts put in this show.

                                                        🔮

I think this prequel was beautifully done. The visuals are stunning, and story is excellent. There is a very satisfying last episode of season 1. I'm excited to see more. I had no problem adjusting and accepting the younger version of known characters, specifically Galadriel and Elrond. I think the acting and writing felt true to Middle Earth. I'm a fan of the books (Hobbit, LotR and The Silmarillian) which I read before the movies were released. I'm thrilled to have new Tolkien inspired material even if it's from the imagination of someone else, it is brilliant and a wonderful addition to the Middle Earth lore. There seem to be too many of the instant gratification society who were too impatient to wait for the payoff. Looking at the dates of many of the reviews is frustrating seeing that people couldn't reserve judgement until 10/14 after the season could be viewed as a whole. People have become to used to being able to binge a new show in a few days and not have to wait and dwell over what might happen and the new information presented in each episode. It has been exciting to see it unfold week by week. I'm glad for the return to this method of releasing a new series.                                                

Link to the 10 star reviews🍄

[ramayantika]

Indian classical dance movies/documentaries you can watch (1)

Lasya Kavya:

'Dance is a prayer with my entire being; not a formal austere ritual, but a transforming experience.' - Alarmel Valli

Personally, Alarmel Valli's dance has a special place in my heart. It's not only her dance that binds you to her, but it's also her thoughts and her beautiful creative mind that expresses itself through her movements and expressions. There is poetry in her movements, and somehow her performance is always captivating.

Lasya Kavya is a documentary on Alarmel Valli and her dance journey. Even non dancers who are into other creative pursuits can still connect to her. And if you are someone who isn't really into the arts, this documentary still holds some great insights to bharatanatyam so one can definitely give this documentary a chance.

Maya Ravana: In the Spirit of Ramayana:

Maya Ravana is a dance ballet on Ravana from the Ramayana. This dance drama has been one of the enthralling works of Shobhana Chandrakumar Pillai, who has also starred in many Malayalam films.

As the name suggests, this dance drama showcases Ravana, the Lankan ruler as a charismatic man, who is well versed in magic too. The dance drama unlike other purely classical dance performances has used film songs and dance sequences, yet the narration, the storytelling, colourful costumes, well-written dialogues and obviously Shobhana's choreographies make Maya Ravana in the must-watch list.

Given to dance: India's Odissi Tradition:

'You danced in the temple and I dance on the stage. For you, what is the difference between us?'

'You dance outside, on the stage. To you, dance is art and knowledge. We danced only inside the temple, as service to the God.'

When we talk about the history of Odissi dance, one cannot forget the Maharis, the temple dancers of the Puri Jagganatha temple. This documentary has some rare footage of the Maharis who were very old to dance, yet some some of them obliged to show some of the steps.

Both, Odissi and Bharatanatyam have been temple dance forms originally. Odissi too had lost its respect after the British and it was a hard task to reconstruct odissi again.

This documentary was the one that made me serious about learning Odissi again because I wasn't that interested in it before because I was already doing bharatanatyam and I already had a brief experience with Odissi in childhood.

This one shall provide a lot of insight for Odissi dancers to appreciate the history and the original perfomers of this beautiful form as well as this videos serves a dual purpose of providing historical and cultural knowledge for dancers who learn other forms than Odissi as well as for people who aren't into dance yet want to know about the history and culture of the various forms.

Natyanubhuva: "Dance in India is a celebration of the Body, the Mind and the Spirit. And in its evolution, it is universal and timeless."

The introduction of this documentary is sure to give you goosebumps. As a dancer, I don't think I will ever have words to explain how I feel when I dance, but the intro part does the job.

This documentary is the base for anybody to understand why Indian classical dance exists and how across centuries, this form is still relevant to the Indian society. Very beautifully, it begins with the Dhyana shloka which is learnt by all the dancers learning dance. It then proceeds to explain the relationship of the Art and the Artist.

Then we have how is a dancer's body visualized as a temple and the sacred space that surrounds the body which is adorned with movement and embellished with music.

If I wrote more about this one, I will reveal all the content present in it. This documentary too has some eminent dancers talking and presenting their respective dance forms and there are some very famous pieces of each dance style that shall provide a basic idea and may help you differentiate.

And just in case, if you have wondered what purpose dos these age old dance forms have which show stories of gods, goddesses and demons from epics of ancient eras, this documentary will give you the answer.

Documentary on the Thanjavur Bani of Bharatanatyam by Guru. K.P. Kittappa Pillai:

Fifth generation descendant of Sivanandam who was one of the Tanjore Quartet and the grandson of the legendary Meenakshisunsaram Pillai, Kittappa Pillai has contributed immensely to the Thanjavur Bani of Bharatanatyam. Bani here means a style and bharatanatyam itself has many styles where the basic format is same across all styles but there are slight variations in the number of adavus or in the technique or maybe in the movement.

This documentary unlike Laasya Kavya doesn't tell much about Guru Kittappa Pillai's journey in dance, rather it shall take you directly to the dance tradition. This documentary entails a brief history of the dance form and quickly moves on to various clippings of different Adavus which are the basic steps a dancer learns before moving on to the items.

I personally think that this documentary would be great for someone who hasn't stepped into the world of classical dance ever because they tell you the basic here as well as there are brief explanations of the dance pieces shown here. Overall a good one to appreciate how old the dance form is as well as to appreciate the sincere work of such gurus to keep the art form alive.

»»——⍟——««

Hi! It took me almost a year to find these gems out of which I have added only a few of them in the first part. I will be making more of these parts. I belong from a generation where majority of youngsters barely have any idea about classical dance and music. Being a classical dancer, I would like to spread word so that more people can appreciate the form and somehow this artform sustains.

Dancers, musicians and the audience together shall only sustain this artform that has been passed down from centuries with the help of gurus and patrons. It saddens me at times when I hear my peers ask what's the point of learning and performing all this when it is not as popularized as modern and western dance forms on television and media.

These documemtaries contain rare footage and lots of knowledge and information about the significance of dance, it's place in society and how it has helped develop such a beautiful and diverse culture.

I hope, many of you take some interest in these parts and I will be glad if you share some of the things you took from these videos or just any general discussion about them.

[djservo]

jumpscare february is almost over. cas djservo, how was your february reading what's on the horizon for march? public must know

what a blur the last half of february was! I read three books, the last two being less than 100 pages I all but slogged through.. something in the air! however - and likely incidentally - I caught up with/watched more TV than I've watched in months (including The Bear finally! will discuss at the end) so you win some you lose some in this cycle of #Conscious/deliberate content consumption 🌀

Junky by William S. Burroughs

I've tried and failed so many times to get into beat literature for the sake of #Context and #Understanding as an #AmericanReader and particularly as someone who enjoys media grappling with the disillusionment with the American Dream, but I fear the few read I've tried have all been too obtuse, boring, and/or one-note to me. I also doubt my reading explorations will ever measure up to the high expectations teen-me held after watching Kill Your Darlings (2013) for the first time -- though I think the chaotic-sensual aura I was so drawn to in the first place aligns more with dark academia (before it was even named dark academia) rather than the (supposed) gritty introspection of the beat era. Additionally, a quick wikipedia peruse of some of the more prominent names feature an uncomfortable paragraph or two exposing questionable ethics + political/social alignments, so most of my curiosity has been marred if not killed completely. I definitely wouldn't say Burroughs is the lesser of however-many evils in that sense, but I feel like Junky specifically has been referenced a lot in memoirs/essay collections/discussions of queer subcultures I've enjoyed so FINE! CURIOSITY KILLS THE CAT! I can recognize its groundbreaking impact contextually, but maaaaaan Go Ask Alice was a more titillating read. meandering in a repetitive way with no real juicy syntax to make up for it - it was so Whatever. I guess it wasn't long enough to be a waste of time, but I don't feel as if I've missed anything life-changing all these years. at least I can say I tried!

Crazy For Vincent by Hervé Guibert

speaking of questionable ethics 🫢 troubling, but at least short enough to digest in a night or two. I love when I find out a film I enjoy's screenplay was written by an author (or vice versa) bc it's like gaining access to another angle of their storytelling, and back in January I watched The Wounded Man ('83) which really stuck in my head for weeks. Manic urgency practically radiating off the screen, that kind of burning desire that makes you hold your breath -- like of Course I had to see how that translated in Guibert's written texts (though now thinking about it, I think it was moreso about all that was unsaid + the performances themselves rather than the dialogue specifically, but I DIGRESS.) one of the reviews I liked for The Wounded Man includes a quote by Clarice Lispector (another author I want to explore): "Having passions does not mean living beautifully but suffering pointlessly." So fitting for the resonant desperation throughout this short piece, so much pathetic longing you're all but limping with relief once it's over. shadowboxer or daredevil by fiona apple, that sort of hopeless growling croon. I think I'll check out Guibert's journals eventually when I'm feeling particularly self-loathing 💭

The New Testament by Jericho Brown

Note to self: no poetry while traveling!!! My head and heart were simply not in it as they ought to have been which is a shame because with the few pockets of fully-devoted attention I had to spare, the glimpses I got were beautiful. I used to think poetry was kind of the perfect non-committal yet complementary companion for any occasion, but being as deep as I am into this June Jordan collection, I've definitely evolved my way of thinking (more on that at the end of this month/when I finish the collection). Still very graceful and angry and hard-hitting, though I want to revisit this eventually in a more cohesive way rather than picking up and putting down in disjointed fragments

After I finish the two books I'm currently in the thick of, I think it's in my best interest to take up something lighter/more straightforward. I picked up a bite-sized Jean Cocteau at a used bookstore and I forgot I'd placed a hold on The Stranger by Albert Camus so those will likely follow, then maybe a memoir/something food-related because, finally, THE BEAR!

I didn't intend to watch the whole thing so soon, but I was with a friend who'd already seen it and I mentioned it was on my radar so we watched the first episode which of course turned into a two-day binge (huge for me!!) The performances were all so amazing, I found myself frustrated that everyone wasn't getting an equal amount of screen time/backstory bc I was so invested in each character LOL which is a strong start to a series I'd think! I loved the evolution of everyone's dynamics, the varying degrees of respect/trust and modes of communication, the vein-popping chaos and claustrophobic passion of it all. I totally get why Kitchen Confidential has been referenced so much in discussion - I'd think Bourdain would approve! I've also had a soft spot for Jeremy Allen White since Shameless so I'm thrilled that he's getting his time to shine - this role suits him so well! HOWEVER . the soundtrack and editing felt inconsistent and sloppy at times which really took me out of it, and I was soooo disappointed with the general (lack of) stylistic distinction/direction. story and performances aside, it kinda felt indistinguishable from any other Hulu Original Show™ - granted I barely watch TV (let alone Hulu Originals) nowadays so what do I know, but it just felt Too devoid of the cinematic gumption I was expecting given the setting/subject matter - which of course were supplementary to the broader scope of dealing with trauma/grief while running a business in the hellscape of late-stage capitalism, but still..... what was with those Food Network ass montages plsss this isn't Giada At Home!! what's the point of setting this at a deli if I end up craving a chocolate cake more than a sandwich?? where were the sensual meat cuts? the delicate intricacy of razor-thin garlic slices a la Goodfellas? the crackling of fresh bread ASMR? but I'll Acknowledge again that it has been a minute since I've watched/finished a new tv show - I'm mostly a film gal so in that sense I'm probably being more critical than necessary or fair when it comes to a literal 20-30 minute-per-episode tv show so FINE it's literally FINE 🧘‍♀️ though there's also The Crux of being so late to a popular piece of media that's been gif'd and screen cap'd to death and generally seems to have already had its wave of Cultural Discussions so the Meat and Intrigue of it all had kinda been diluted/dumbed down for me upon starting. maybe if I'd watched it when it was initially released it'd hit harder and I'd be as blown away as everyone else, but for the most part I just had a fun time and haven't really thought about it since (though I'll likely rewatch before s2 whenever it comes out)

[declanowo]

31 Days of Horror - Day 9 - Eraserhead

09/10/23

When thinking about how to open my discussion and thoughts on Eraserhead, I feel entirely lost. After finishing the film, I considered writing about it -  tried to plan out a fun opener or what I want to mention, yet my mind was far too scrambled to even venture into doing that. Instead, I went to bed and slept on it, dreaming off the depression I had been caught in throughout the day, and woke up with further thoughts about this movie, not coherent or helpful, hell I would argue they provided nothing of worth, but they were very much there. 

As to not fall behind, I am sitting here writing this discussion, trying to piece together the best way I can express my feelings on this film. 

I guess to start, I want to talk about the director, David Lynch, who needs no introduction. His work is vastly popular and famous for its dreamy qualities as well as the confusing nature of the often dark story. So far, I have watched all of the original Twin Peaks, as well as Fire Walk With Me, and I have read The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer, written by Jennifer Lynch. The show has greatly impacted me, especially Fire Walk With Me, which is a wholly visceral and dark film that has eternally changed me. Similarly, the pilot of the show really hit me too, watching the effects that Laura Palmer's death has on the town hit home for me, and is very realistic to the process of losing a friend in school, the disconnect it creates, the sudden realisations and the loss of hope. I guess I could talk about it all day, but I’m not here to discuss Twin Peaks. 

When I finished Twin Peaks, I made sure to add any of Lynch’s films to my watchlist that were tagged as horror or Mullholand Drive. That brings us to how I came to watch Lynch’s first feature film, Eraserhead from 1977. Of course, I shall not act like I understand this film entirely, most of my misunderstanding comes from the sequence towards the end involving the pencils, but I will get to that. This is merely some early thoughts I have on this infectious film :).

Looking into the core themes is vital to understand this film I feel, everything around the film opens up once it is viewed as a series of anxieties - a waking nightmare that is unable to be erased. These days, this may be the type of horror I find scariest, the kind that forces me into my shell, shrouded in my own anxieties. This, of course, makes it a nightmare to watch, yet this kind of horror also speaks to me like an intimate whisper, it mixes isolation with comfort in a way I don’t think I can entirely explain. As an eighteen year old, I don’t have the fears of becoming a father, yet I have the fears of caring for another being, the fears of meeting new people who mean a lot to those I love, fears of my world growing bleak, and fears of everything suddenly changing for the worst. 

I want to discuss these fears individually and the way they are presented through the film, but before getting into that, I want to talk about Henry as our protagonist. Played by Jack Nance, Henry is carefree, yet ultimately directionless when we first meet him. Excellently, this is demonstrated by the dialogue less opening that sees him walking through the industrial landscapes aimlessly, he appears to be so small in this isolated world, and his current status of work, being that he is on holiday, only pushes this idea further. He is naive, and easy to project oneself onto, especially when viewing him through the lens of being a kind of blank slate to begin with. 

Both the cinematography and sound of this film are amazing, they are both beautiful, eerie and horrific. The sets are dark and dull, perfectly industrial and are portrayed amazingly through the longshots, demonstrating just how baron this world feels, at times it doesn’t even feel like earth. Yet the sound design never lets you entirely bask in how beautifully shot everything is, constantly there are droning noises, be it mechanical or human through the babies screams, there is always something filling our brains. It is rare that the film allows us to sit in silence, and when it does you yearn for the bustle that was crowding your brain before, at least that way it is more difficult to think about what it is we are witnessing. 

The first anxiety I felt really thrown at me was when Henry had to meet Mary’s parents. The second we enter this house, everything feels off and uncomfortable, mimetic of many a first time meeting the family of someone you love (in any capacity). By all accounts, these are people we wish to impress, we can’t bear for them not to adore us, because we are far too deep into our love to even consider upsetting anyone involved. Both parents are uncomfortable to watch, they feel unpredictable and unhappy. The question of course rests in our minds, why? This feeds both into Henry’s anxieties, while also alluding to the films themes of family, the fear of raising and becoming one, because what if it grows into an eternal unhappy dance, watching as the chickens you carve bleed silently, knowing nothing is right, but you can’t quite do anything to change your lot now; you have a child, and there’s no erasing that mistake. 

The fear of parenthood is where I feel the title comes into play, the film. Henry has the child, a poor creature that I love, and can’t remove this mistake. Now he has been born, there is no going back, and whether or not Henry has what it takes to raise this baby, he has to, it is a terrifying feeling, a pit inside your stomach that you will never be good enough, that you can’t cater for someone, and ultimately, the best for them may be death. Although I expected the scene where Henry murders the child, it didn’t make it any easier to watch, given how gross the death is depicted to be. 

One final thing I want to mention for now is the woman in the radiator, who sings the film's tagline to Henry: “In Heaven, Everything is Fine”. The statement, to me, signifies a dream of living without these anxieties, as in Heaven, you will be cut free of these ties. Everyone is happy in Heaven, and the only trial is finally reaching it. Until then, we allow ourselves small glimpses into what heaven might be, and to Henry, Heaven is freedom from responsibility, it is having sexual autonomy over his fantasies, and it is death. Maybe the radiator sequences are what stick with me most as I am sitting and thinking about the film - there is something so peculiar about them, a comforting song that equally makes me want to shed my skin, if that makes sense. 

In conclusion, this film has so much to discuss and think about, but I want to leave it here for now - I don’t think I am ready to go into more detail about the industrial and sexual themes. I guess before finally ending, I want to mention how much I adore the child, a creature a mother could only love, and that I would cherish, although not in the literal sense - I think I would struggle to raise them, but I would give it my best shot! Thank you for the nightmares! My anxieties have never felt closer, and happiness has never felt so distant, as it lays dormant in a dream to one day be reclaimed. 

9/10!

[kaus-quietis]

The circus videoclub - November, by Rainer Sarnet

There are movies that haunt you, years after you watched them. These movies give off a particular feeling, one you cannot get out of your mind. Today in the circus videoclub, I want to share with you November, a masterpiece produced by estonian director Rainer Sarnet.

Hello there! I'm the circus resident poltergeist, Eliott, managing this blog until Lav comes back. Here in the circus videoclub I share with you my most recent discoveries / films I wish everyone would watch one day!

Rainer Sarnet was born in Rakvere, Estonia, in 1969. He is an estonian director and writer who started his work in animation. His film, November, was released in 2017, and is based on Rehepapp ehk november (the currants of november), a novel by famous estonian writer Andrus Kivirähk.

I have a lot of passions in life, which include black and white movies, folklore, good movies, books, and beautiful sceneries. November might have been just the perfect work for me in all these regards. Released in 2017, the movie is based on a novel, Rehepapp ehk november by Andrus Kivirähk (we will get to this author in another episode of the Circus Bookclub).

A quick note on Rehepapp ehk november, which happens to be one of my favourite novel: I cannot recommend it enough, however it hasn't been translated into english yet, from what I am aware of. You can read it in many other languages though, including finnish, latvian, russian, hungarian, french, etc. It is a great novel and has inspired a lot of artistic creations in Estonia (including this movie and a beautiful graphic novel).

In November, we follow the life of a nameless, fictional estonian village in the 19th century. The action takes place during the month of November, when winter is already there and life becomes harsher. In this village, however, things are not as ordinary as one could think. The villagers seek the help of treasure-bearers (kratts) to steal from each other and accomplish tasks, make deals with the devil at crossroads to buy a soul for their kratt in exchange of their own (fooling him, each time), trick the Plague and some turn into werewolves and ask the advice of witches. It is a strange and fascinating ballet of folktale, mythological themes, somber atmosphere and strange, beautifully written interactions between the villagers and the strange creatures/habits/phenomenas they live with, without questioning them. These strange things are part of the life of the villagers, and their acceptance of them gives to this movie a beautiful and particular ethereal feeling.

I simply love when such weird, strange situations are not perceived as weird and strange by the people living them. In November, these are just part of the story, without taking too much space or being put into question. As we see a kratt stealing, it is simply that: a kratt stealing, not a mystery to be solved. This is I think part of what makes Rainer Sarnet's movie so powerful, this perfect balance between the strange and the mundane.

November is a beautiful movie, with great images and well-written dialogues. It is strange and ethereal, but this strangeness is masterfully crafted, and does not put us outside of the action. From the first shot, the movie creates an atmosphere, a space from which it is impossible to free ourselves from: we have to wait for the credits. November is described as a fantasy horror drama film, and this mix of genres creates an original, unique and inspiring work. There is no movie like this one. As Hideo Kojima said on his twitter account: November is the movie for me.

I cannot encourage you enough to watch it. Not only is it a unique masterpiece, it is perfectly crafted from every angle, be it the scenario, the acting, the photography, the dialogues, the rythm, everything. Everything feels perfectly thought about, controled, and therefore flows perfectly in this strange yet fascinating film that unfolds. The main story itself -although there are many, many stories in this film, is quite simple, and it is a good thing. It allows the universe to unfold and takes all the space it needs and the atmosphere to settle.

This is it for November! I discovered this film a few years ago and it has been one of my biggest cinematic shocks so far. As time goes, I see this film gaining more and more recognition, and this makes me extremely happy. I hope you will enjoy it as well!

[lesbianrecorderplayer]

why is the secret door your second fav barbie movie? :))

Hi Katie! So you, @calmthings, and @pinklovehearts all wanted this, so here we go

So first of all, down to the basics, I actually really like Alexa's character arc. Unlike most other Barbie films, Alexa's situation is relatively grounded and relatable, as what is basically an authority figure who can't make her way around public speaking situations: anyone would be able to relate to situations like that, even if the stakes aren't as high for them. Moreover, this situation is just resolved as a matter of her basically just gaining more experience doing something worse, and having more pressure on her to do something: basically just a coming of age story, and the fact that her issue is resolved at the end of the film shows that this is now much more confident for her given what she's already been through. In addition to this, it's kind of similar to Luz Noceda's character arc, in that the thing that makes her progress as a character is the fact that she has people she cares about, and I think that's really cool. I genuinely believe that Alexa has one of the best character arcs to come out of a Barbie movie, like up there with Annaliese and Erika.

However, what I most enjoyed about this film was the villain. Malucia is quite possibly the most creative idea for a villain that Mattel has ever had, and it shows. In a world where all the villains can basically be summarised as "discount Preminger", having a villain who can be summarised as "bratty child who was given too much power" is so refreshing and fun! What's more, I feel like every time they write a villain song, they try to revamp How Could I Refuse somehow, trying to write something with the same tone, like in Diamond Castle (aka one of the worst villain songs they ever wrote), but I Want It All is so beautifully reflective of Malucia's character, while also being so fun to listen to and having all the capitalism jokes you would expect. I would go as far as to say I Want It All is one of the best songs they have ever written, it makes me so happy every time and is the perfect song for Malucia's character. In addition, she has some of the best one liners of the entire film, "No! I'm goal oriented!" comes to mind, honestly she's just endless fun all around, I adore her. Honestly, I believe that Mattel weren't trying too hard with this character, which I think is why she works so well. In addition, such a character could very easily be annoying, but she never gets to that point, and I think that's partially to do with her amazing dialogue, and partially to do with Tabitha St. Germain's absolutely incredible voice acting. She's been one of my favourite voice actresses ever since I watched mlp, and she shows her talents so well in this, creating such a fun performance.

I haven't watched this film for so long, but it's such a fun watch, and would definitely recommend out of all the post-Christmas Carol Barbie films

[teafiend]

Kang Gil Young screenshots credited to: @Nungchae (Twitter/X)

As I am plodding along with “You Are My Spring”, I am beautifully reminded of “The Guest” at quite a few moments. YAMS is a well-made and written (so far where I am at, Ep 6, though it is slow-going and likely will take me some time to complete, but I hope I will reach the end one of these days soon) drama, and one of the reasons I am taking my time have to do with the way the show was filmed, executed and written.

While I understand that the show itself won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I am impressed by the camerawork/cinematography and narrative base, which felt as if lots of care and efforts have been poured into it. Each scene and dialogue were important (supported by the excellent camerawork/angled-shots), and that takes a focus which I am not always able to give it in a binge/marathon, unlike other more “fast-paced” dramas. So, I am taking my sweet time to savour whatever the writer(s), PD and crew were trying to convey. I hope the narrative will continue to be strong till the end, as leisurely paced as it is at the moment. Performances were solid, as to be expected, though I find Yoon Park’s portrayal(s) to be most memorable at the moment.

But what struck me the most was some of the shots, which reminded me of TG - the lingering close ups, sometimes of only the eyes; the regular focus on only one of the actors - though YAMS has a totally different style and much sleeker, in contrast with TG’s darker, grittier, earthy, more colourful and intense aesthetics, I still find that they shared a few similarities, hence this ramble. And it was that sense of twice-removed-familiarity which had me rewatching segments of TG again to appreciate its aesthetics/visuals, performances and story.

There were many scenes where the shots were not merely there to move the narrative forward, but a story in its own right, like I often felt TG’s camerawork to be, so I found myself in thrall with YAMS’s camerawork/execution too. And YAMS is prettier in a glossy way that worked well for the story it was telling, in opposition to TG, and I find myself enjoying both in different ways.

We deserve pretty, nice things (even if they have to be wrapped up in murder mysteries, I suppose).

[chloefraazers]

Essential Niloy Reading

With Bonus Niloyakka

If you’re looking for your next fic binge and want to read about the ridiculous video game characters I’ve been giffing lately, have I got rec’s for you. All rec’s have been written after completing Horizon: Forbidden West and follow Nil’s canon characterisation. All are complete unless otherwise stated!

Like your fics to follow canon?

The Knife That Binds series by @mythicaitt and @kittleskittle follows the events of canon, pre-Gemini, and then goes on after Singularity. An exploration of Aloy as she navigates her feelings toward a very complicated man, and then features Nil’s perspective as he goes on his own journey to show Aloy his love for her. Absolutely stellar canon characterisation of both Nil and Aloy, amazing writing, and features a line of dialogue that never fails to take my breath away.

Scraped from Salt and Rust series by @cthu-boo is a deliciously spicy and sweet read that follows Aloy and Nil coming to terms with their feelings for each other – and, together, for Drakka. Has some absolutely incredible smut as well as beautiful depth to feelings and what it means to love more than one person at a time.

You Have Me by @ladyverena is a heartfelt one shot that is beautifully soft and sweet and is a really nice ‘What If’ for after the events of HFW.

Of Blood, Steel & Sand by @thunderjawsandlightning only has a couple of chapters, but is such a profoundly deep character study of Nil post-Battle of the Alight as he makes his way across the Forbidden West and encounters old ghosts and demons. Absolutely stellar. WIP.

Commander’s Idyll by @kittleskittle is a fan comic that sees Aloy and Nil take Drakka on a date. Absolutely GLORIOUS art, excellent humour, and casual nudity. WIP.

I Alone by @kittleskittle is a wonderfully spicy one-shot that shows how the Stillsands race should could have gone.

Prefer an Alternate Universe?

Wheels In Motion by @her-madjesty is absolutely essential Niloy AU. Modern day, in which Nil and Drakka work night shift at a McDonald’s, and get to know the redhead in the battered old truck who has a taste for nuggets and coffee after midnight.

Fireproof by @ladyverena places Aloy and Nil in a modern Hollywood setting where they are employed as stunt people for big time films and is full of delicious unresolved sexual tension. WIP.

I’ll Believe In Anything by @kittleskittle answers the question of ‘What if Nil was a ghost?’ A heartbreaking exploration of letting go of what you think you know and believing in more than what you can prove, and the expanded Ghost AU universe provides other delicious insights. I especially recommended State of Love and Trust for Drakka as a hockey player who risks losing everything he loves by letting himself drown in his own insecurities.

I Want Ours To Be An Endless Song by @cthu-boo is a canon-divergent soulmate au featuring finding your soulmate through music you hear in your head. Absolutely stunning lore and character work while following canon events. WIP.

Many of the above-listed authors also have multiple one-shots and ficlets that are too numerous to list but 100% worth a read!

Now go enjoy your Niloy.

[yeahiwasintheshit]

watched ‘licorice pizza’ finally, and for the most part i kinda liked it. it had that golden hour gauziness about it, i mean not literally, but like the feel of the movie.

its about this kinda sorta love between these two characters, gary and alana, and it was all pretty sweet and kinda 70s innocence, eventho you get the impression that they, or really gary mostly, will grow up to be a garbage person. like gary (played wonderfully by cooper hoffman, phillip seymour hoffmans son) is like 15 or 16 and he is already selling waterbeds at like a convention center, like some sleazy conman, lol and then he opens up his own a pinball shop, because while shooting a political ad for a city council member (he also makes commercials for politicians at 16 or 17 lol) he overheard that city council member say that pinball will soon be legal or he immediately gets on the phone and organizes being the first person to have a pinball shop in la (or something like that) idk its all sort of over the top lol and also he just seems like hes gonna be that sort of cut throat entrepreneurial asshole who is constantly scheming to make a buck, or like a guy who pops up on some cable news network to spew some political garbage, idk just sleazy. i mean his name in the movie is gary valentine lol. but anyway the story is of these 2 when they are still young and semi innocent, and its pretty good, you do like them both. its a love letter to the early 70s, for sure, and reminds me a lot of tarantinos ‘once upon a time in hollywood’.

because its a paul thomas anderson film, theres cameos by some big name actors and how these 2 characters sort of branch off on a little adventure with these big named actors. like alana ends up riding a motorcycle with sean penn, who plays an old william holden. gary is delivering water beds to bradley coopers house.

a lot of the movie are these sort of vignettes and little stories of these two characters, so the movie is less about an over arching plot than just some little stories about the mischief these two get into in the year or 2 the entire movie takes place. not having a strong plot could sort of make it feel meandering in a shittier directors hands but because its pta, the little stories are engaging and well written and it all sort of makes sense together and feels cohesive. you do end up enjoying watching what these 2 are doing.

its beautifully shot and wonderfully acted. great dialogue that feels natural and not forced. i like it and its certainly not bad but its not a favorite either. i know a lot of people absolutely loved this movie, but it just didnt hit me that personally. i liked it, but with a lot of paul thomas anderson movies i dont usually love them on first watch. i really love ‘the master’ and ‘there will be blood’ now, but when i saw both movies the first time they didnt hit me either. so maybe ill grow to love this too. still dont like magnolia tho. dont @ me.

[june2734]

A Few Of My Favorite Things: Arcane(The Series So Far)

I've never really been all that interested in League of Legends, most massively multiplayer online gaming haven't been my thing since I was in high school. So when I heard that Netflix was making an animated series based on the extremely popular property I didn't give it much attention, that is until the extremely well edited first trailer dropped and sparked my interest. This looked like it had the makings of being something special and I'm hear to tell you that after watching the first 6 episode of the 9 episode series that my instincts were anything but wrong. I was expecting something good but nothing could have prepared me for a something of this caliber. This is by far one of the most well written, creatively choreographed, and beautifully animated TV shows I've seen in years.

Without going into too much since I really don’t want to spoil a thing, the show centers around the characters of Vi and Powder AKA Jinx, a pair of sisters growing up on the streets of Piltover's undercity during an extremely turbulent time. The show acts an origin story for the two sisters prior the events of the game and explores their fractured relationship as well as the internal politics that shape the world around them. The animation in this show is like nothing I've ever seen before, the only thing I can compare it to would be the cel shaded animation style found in Into The Spiderverse. The closest thing I could find when exploring what aesthetic genre it might occupy is something called Aetherpunk which is a subgenre of steampunk that involves magic. The show marries both 3D and 2D animation techniques in a way that feels completely seamless, unless you're paying extremely close attention it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. This spectacular animation is complimented by the shows surprisingly dynamic use of cinematography, alongside shots that look beautiful enough to hang on a wall the animators also use the camera in creative and unconventional ways make action scenes feel shockingly kinetic and fluid. It feels like the kind of big leap in creativity and ambitious stylized 3D/2D animation that studios like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks haven't attempted to make in years, putting it right alongside the cutting edge envelope pushing work Sony Animation has being doing with films like Spiderverse and The Mitchell's vs The Machines.

This animation would be impressive enough on it's own but the shows writing is also surprisingly strong and nuanced in ways I never would have expected. The writing for the characters in particular is fantastic with each being motivated by complex motivations beyond what we see in their initial introductions. None of the dialogue between any of the characters, especially between Vi, Powder and their misfit family, feels forced or influenced by any kind of modern day slang or conventions that would date the show which leads to the relationships feeling that much more believable. To go back to Vi as an example without spoiling much, she lost her parents at a young age and feels responsible for her sister and the small gang she runs. You can see her impulsiveness and immaturity at first that leads to consequences later on, some of which are heart to hearts talks with her equally well written father figure that change her. There's a subtly given to her performance that adds a level of depth to what some might consider to be a "by-the-numbers" young street rat, you can feel her frustration at having to grow up so fast to take care of her sister and be a leader as well her frustration with their lot in life and wanting to rebel against those who oppress the people she cares about. This kind of meticulously detailed writing was the last thing I was ever expecting from the show but it's a welcome surprise that I really hope we get to see more of. There isn't a wasted scene or line of dialogue in the show, everything necessary to the overall storytelling and builds on one another to make one of the most tightly written and engaging animated shows I've seen since Avatar The Last Airbender. This is what a proper, well-written, character driven drama looks like! Another aspect that I, again, was surprised by in regards to the shows writing was how smooth the presentation of the world building was. League of Legends world isn't too dissimilar to other steampunk infused fantasy settings that have come before, but information about the series own unique quirks are presented to the audience in such a way that it feels like a natural part of the storytelling rather than something forced through awkward exposition. The world feels properly lived in, like there's a history to explore past what we see in the show which is always a good sign of longevity in a franchise. One last aspect of the show that surprised me was how dark it could get at times. You wouldn't guess from the first trailer or just by looking at a screen shot that this vibrantly cel shaded wonderland could have some of the most heart wrenching and brutal moments I've scene in an animated show in a while. Make no mistake, this is a show intended for an older audience. The characters truly get put through the wringer both emotionally and physically with moments so tense that some, honest to god, made me wonder how they would make it out alive.

I can't say enough of good things about Arcane and I honestly hope that if this gets enough attention and good will that we might see more works from Riot set in this extremely fascinating world they've created. The show is being released in three episode chunks that basically translate into Acts, Act 1 and 2 are currently out currently with Act 3 coming Nov 20th which makes this is the perfect time to start getting into it. If the the first two Acts are any indication of the thirds quality then this may just be up there as one of my favorite animated shows of all time. Seriously, if you love good storytelling or if you're just looking for an amazing show to get into then please take a time to check this amazing work of art out. It's way better than something based on a MOBA has any right to be as well as one of the best examples of how to do a video game adaptation right, I promise you will not be disappointed!