#that whole article was so intensely good actually. i don't know if he wrote it himself

[pennyserenade]

i read that autobiography cary grant did for himself in 1963, and this part has haunted me since i read it three or so days ago:

I dreaded the bustle of packing backstage that last night, as I have at the finish of every show or film I’ve been associated with ever since. I am always content to stay doing what I’m doing wherever I’m doing it; only circumstances seem to propel me on. I seldom leave anyone or anyplace of my own conscious volition. When the meal or party or association is over, and the people or person close to me are no longer there, I seem unwishing to move; without urge to change the situation, even though it could be for the better. Perhaps death is like that. Perhaps it is better on the other side of death; but I’m in no hurry to get there to prove it.

[mr-styles]

Aube Perrie is doing his best to keep things slimy and gross.

Some excerpts from Aube Perrie's recent article with promonews.tv:

PROMONEWS/DK: I was going to say that you’ve had a busy year so far, but I guess that this run of work has been going longer than that…

AUBE PERRIE: I have a bad memory for these things, but it's been pretty continuous. And I guess it started around a year ago, when Harry's team, actually H’s creative director Molly Hawkins and Columbia’s SVP Bryan Younce reached out and we started to try to make something happen for the new album. That's when, among other things, I wrote Satellite and Sushi. Satellite was actually written first.

I mean, there were also a couple before that - it was a long process. Among many things, Molly Hawkins is a brilliant creative director. She’s very cautious about the work they put out there, and so is H, Bryan and this whole team. But I was very fortunate and spoiled enough for having them letting me explore on a couple tracks, being extremely open and supportive. The process spread on a whole year, but that was all to the benefit of pushing the creative, pushing the ideas, giving ourselves the opportunity to explore and use the time to make something that really feels right.

When Satellite was written, I think we all liked it, but it just stayed only as an idea, we kept exploring, maybe we weren’t going to do it. And then it came back like, months later - after Sushi. It was a busy year but giving lots of time to reflect, to develop.

What did they give you, to prompt your ideas apart from the music?

The briefs were very different. Satellite was completely open. For Sushi they actually mentioned just one thing: Harry wanted to be a fish. That was the brief.

And he went from a fish to sort of disgusting Tulu octopus - that's what I was aiming for. I guess I didn't want to make a classic mermaid figure. And we tried to make it as disgusting as possible. But somehow, I don't know, Harry is so handsome…

Yes. So it still ends up being quite glamorous...

Exactly. It's terrible! But we really did our best to really make this world very slimy and gross - I kept insisting on that, and we were lucky to have everyone very much on board to go for a world that felt sweaty and textured. The texture of the tail and the squid body part had fight scars, our brilliant prosthetic lead Chelsea Delfino added the ones that white sharks have, went for a skin marked with shells. We really tried to put some gross details in there.

I wanted to design a world and restaurant location as disgusting as possible, that had this very odd and long back story. My friend and producer Josh Sondock took me to this great location that was already pretty intense, it has this crazy backstory that has been untouched, an amazing kitchen to work with - and we made it ten times worse. Still, H’s beard is kind of hot...

Having said that it's glamorous, he's still a very convincing man-squid. How did you go about creating something that good, that really does look like it was captured in-camera? 

It was very much captured all in-camera. Time was challenging because we had very little time to build the tail, the prawn masks, in time to fit the schedule. H was in the middle of the craziest tour, to say the least. We presented two different options. Something more fishy - closer to the classic mermaid I guess, but still pretty gross and unsettling, more like a slimy eel– and the squid, which was more difficult to do, but got us very excited. And H, Molly, everyone went straight for the squid. So much fun.

Wow. Not much time to fit in a lot of narrative. Did you get a much of a chance to discuss with him beforehand what was going to happen?

H definitely kept an eye on everything and it was nice to have him excited and on board jumping into a huge slimy tail and catching fishes in-camera beforehand, so we knew the main challenge would be to make it through the days. But at least we were all super aware of the challenge and up for it including H.

A lot goes through Molly, but they're also very close, so if you're discussing with Molly, you're discussing with H eventually. But I guess there was not so much discussion, but more support, especially for Sushi. It was just very easy and supportive and went very smoothly. There was just a lot of trust. And we were all here to try getting something fantastic.

I think we were all very strongly convinced it was actually good to try going for what was not so much expected of him. And I think we all were very excited picturing a result that felt like it had the potential to be quite unique. Including H.

He's familiar with the film world, having done features, and I guess he's toying with his image in quite an interesting way. Obviously not all pop stars are prepared to do that.

More should - because…it’s fun. Take Sushi. The shot list was wild. We had one day with H. At some point, you have no time to always explain what you’re shooting all over the place with A & B cam, you just need to get on with it. I guess it was way more indie film than blockbuster. But H is blockbuster. So the day would be impossible without him being very much prepared to be on the same boat as everyone one else to get it, embracing it and having fun with it. There is just no other way.

But I’m so glad that’s who he is. Everyone saw that day he’s definitely amazing at doing that and getting it. He’s very much prepared indeed. And by focusing the energy on nothing but getting it, it allows space for fun. And more than anything, it was all a lot of fun. That’s how it should be.

You can read the whole article here!

[amandadoylewriting]

Dancing With The Shadows of My Soul

From dark purple to bright perspectives.

(A reupload of my own article on vocal.media)

I took a poetry class in my second year of university. It was one of my favourite classes ever, and I always appreciated the way that my professor taught us how to craft more than just a piece of poetry, but a scene. How he showed us that the details were important too, not just the story. Maybe that's why I've always been interested in romanticizing my life.

I can't remember a time when I didn't struggle with mental health challenges. I've always had this sadness. Sometimes it's extremely intense, and other times it just lingers.

In that poetry class, I wrote a poem about my sadness and described it as dark purple. I described it as bruises that never fade. That poem got a good grade, but it was about more than that for me. It felt true, it felt like I had bruises, even though I had no idea of the trauma that lay ahead of me.

Flash forward to eight or so years later, and I understand what I meant now when I said that sadness can be like bruises that never fade. It feels like I have all of these bruises, but because of my mental illnesses, they'll never be able to heal.

Surviving the Abyss

I don't think I was ever formally diagnosed with depression. From what I remember, I went to the school psychologist, and they recommended that I see a therapist. Next thing I knew, I was 17 years old and standing in my living room, telling my mom that I didn't want to be "here" anymore. I was sent to a therapist for a few sessions after that, but nothing ever evolved.

The first talk of a diagnosis that I remember was in my first year of university, when some sort of school counsellor or doctor or something said that I might have a personality disorder in Cluster B. I looked into it a little bit, but pretty much forgot about it.

Everything came to a head in July 2017, the summer of my attempted suicide. Rewind the time just over half a year, and I was standing in my room straightening my hair for school, thinking about how I was the saddest that I'd ever been. And then I met a boy. He showed me what love was, briefly, and then brought me into a real life nightmare. For seven months, I was madly enamored with him, up until the day that he died, the day of my overdose. You see, I would have followed him anywhere. Everything went according to plan, except for one part — I had survived.

In the remains of the trauma, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, type II. This was the first diagnosis that actually made sense to me. I related to the manic episodes, where I remember singing to my mom while I danced on top of the coffee table. And I of course related to the depression, finally an explanation for the deep and dark feelings that I had always known so well.

In the years following, many terms have been thrown around. I relate the most to my bipolar diagnosis, my PTSD diagnosis, and my diagnosis of having traits of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Funnily enough, BPD is a personality disorder in Cluster B, just like that person at my university had said all of those years ago.

The thing about BPD is that most people don't start to show symptoms until the late teen years and into early adulthood, and those symptoms can be triggered by a traumatic experience, such as what I went through. So it seemed like things got worse for me mentally after the overdose, and it turns out, they did.

Now that you know the whole story, you should be able to see how much of a mess I truly am. I put on a façade that I have it all together, but that's nowhere near true, and I am working every day to rediscover myself on this very messy and unpredictable journey.

A Lazy Girl's Approach to Life's Small Pleasures

I've found it helpful to introduce easy and practical exercises into my routines, because let's face it, I'm a lazy girlie. My morning routine is short and efficient, including a good combination of what I need to do and what I want to do.

Mindfulness has never been easy for me, and maybe that's why I never prospered in all of those DBT classes. My mind is always running, and the world is always muted. I have a hard time tuning in. But I like to practice mindfulness by becoming aware of the small moments and enjoying them, because there's more to life than all of the unnecessary stress that we add on.

Throughout the years, I've always been able to express myself and my passion through various outlets, whether it be my writing roots, pushing myself to be of service to others, or even creating content that I care about. Spiritually, I connect myself to God in ways that feel good to me, and I practice tarot in a way that makes sense to me. I believe that belief is personal and it should be whatever you want it to be, which may be jarring for some who seek religion and spirituality for practice and tradition.

What I'm saying is that life can be really difficult when you struggle with mental health issues, especially if you're still trying to discover yourself. But I want you to remember that you don't need to know what you're doing and you can choose how your journey goes. You cannot control what happens, but you can control your perspective on the situation and how you choose to feel about it.

Transformation Personalized

From diagnosis to diagnosis, sadness has always remained, but I find small ways to make it seem not as intimidating and heavy. Some of these ways are traditional and others are not, but the important part is that they work for me. Every person's journey is different, as each person on this planet is so unique. Find the things that work for you and do those things, because those are the things that will help you stay balanced when the ground starts to rumble again.

If you're feeling good, take advantage of that and think about the things that led you to this feeling, and take note. Think of your life like a puzzle, where you get to put the pieces together how you want, and it might not fit on the first try.

However, you'll eventually be able to see the bigger picture.

[hikachin]

Voice Animage: Furukawa Makoto Summary

Before I gave a summary, the context of this interview was about his EP/mini album, "ROOM Of No Name". In here, he talks about each songs that are in the EP/mini album and how it came to be. "ROOM Of No Name" was released in November 17, 2021.

Source:

※Note: I would've translate the whole article if my Japanese skills are smooth, alas my skills aren't that smooth. If I translate an article, it can take me hours if not days to finish. Which is why I decided to make a summary instead. And as usual, I need to warn you that I am not an expert in Japanese and still learning. So some might be inaccurate, but still has the same meaning as the actual sentence itself.

※I personally don't know if this article has been translated or not. But I personally did this for my own sake and interest. I don't mind if you don't find this useful at all~

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

Title: What Furukawa Makoto wanted to convey in his habit-intensive "craving" mini album *⑴

The interview starts with introducing Furukawa Makoto to the readers with some of his famous roles such as Saitama from One Punch Man and Sherlock Holmes from Moriarty the Patriot.

"The five new songs from the mini album, "ROOM Of No Name" were written by Furukawa-san. Please tell us why you decided to make a mini album with lyrics of your own, following your previous work (album), "from Fairytale"."

➔Furukawa mentioned that the staff mentioned they'll start making new songs, but asked what will they do for the lyrics. Furukawa immediately said "I'll do it" lol.

➔He mentioned that even though he's not good at writing lyrics, he still likes doing it. But this time it was quite challenging for him since he had so little time to do so which was different than when he had to work on "from Fairytale" where he had a lot of time to work on.

"That sounds hard! What was the theme of the album anyways?"

➔The staff said they'll make a mini album instead. When asked what music he wanted to make, Furukawa list down the genres he love/his taste in music. He mentioned he wanted to do light pop, rockabilly, and many more.

➔He was suggested to make a tarot themed mini album, but refused it. He said that if in the future he wants to make a tarot themed album, it will be much more harder to write the lyrics for it.

"There are 78 tarot cards. At what point did you decided on the theme (for the mini album)?"

➔Furukawa said the theme was decided right before recording started. He said he started feeling "entrapped" due to Covid. He wanted to create an image of being "restrained" in a room.

"That is how you came up with the title "ROOM". Are the lyrics written first this time as well?"

➔He said he wrote the lyrics after the song and fit the verses according to the image of the song.

"Do you put the lyrics first?"

➔He said he's never been the lyricist and thought it's a little different when he wrote it and say "This is the kind of music I want you to write". *⑵

➔He said it's smoother to go ahead with the song rather than making few detailed changes to it in the process. *⑶

➔"But if I had the opportunity and time to scrutinize each sound on the spot, I would like to try my hand at the lyrics. It seems difficult, though." *⑷

He was asked to talk about the new songs in the mini album. With Forsaken Kiss being first, he was asked if the lyrics were written in Japanese first with the assumption that it will be translated to English. FYI: Forsaken Kiss' lyrics are fully sung in English.

➔"That's right." He said he was concerned about how the lyrics will turn out in English. He left it to the translators because he believed they would find the right phrases. He said the English lyrics he came up with might not fit.

➔"I want to sing something like this! I'm a little stuck on the number of notes here in Japanese, but I think the magic works in English, so please help me out!"

He was asked how he liked the translated lyrics

➔He said the English lyrics were a lot more wordy than he expected. But he also said the lyrics were more cool and informative than the original lyrics. He also knew it would be tough to sing it.

"Did you have a hard time with the pronunciation in English?"

➔He said he was provided with the English song (I think he meant a demo of it) and practiced it while listening to it. Though he said he practiced, he said it's impossible to sing it at home and said it's too noisy.

➔He practiced while taking a bath and blurting it out in his mask while waiting, but said he wasn't able to practice with a full volume. He gave himself a 50 for his pronunciation and said that it's frustrating. (But you did your best 😭)

The interviewer can't believe he gave a 50 for himself because they thought he did the pronunciation well.

➔He admits he isn't good at it, but he said he's the type to feel comfortable reading English with a good pronunciation. He does look up how to pronounce the words correctly.

The interviewer said they saw the lyrics before it was translated and described it as aggressive and sexy

➔He said that since the Japanese lyrics will not be added in the album, he wouldn't be embarrassed in writing such lyrics so he wrote it anyways. Quote: "I wrote something embarrassing in its own way."

➔He said there was a theory that lines that sounds bad in Japanese will sound good in English. He said although he wrote the lyrics and sang it, it doesn't mean he thinks THAT way. (*ahem*)

➔He wrote it in such a way because he has something to express and assumes he doesn't think that way. That is why he said he can express himself in such ways. He does it under the guise of "this guy's a work of art"

The interviewer mentioned that the next song, "Hai Glass", is THE Furukawa Makoto song. They questioned if the choice of words and other aspects of his musical career have become more defined.

➔He said that he likes music that leaned towards the adult-oriented side and was no longer afraid to write adult-oriented lyrics. He doesn't want to admit that this is a fixed point in his mind lol.

"Are there any other tendencies you were aware of?"

➔He tends to use "Night" a lot. Quote: "There's no such thing as daylight! You can think of it as the exact opposite of the word "midsummer sun"."

"This time, "Hai Glass" had an "adult" feel. But what theme did you write about in here?"

➔When he received the song, he already had a tentative lyric that was based on the image of "a woman who is so greedy that she has become distorted". He had that image when he wrote the lyrics.

➔When he wrote it with that image combined with the music, it goes on and on, and ended up in a "slutty" or "lewd" direction (LMAOOOO)

➔He repeatedly wrote and erased the lyrics in his phone, but would always end up in a situation where he thinks "that's not what I meant". But the more that happened, the image of "Cinderella" came up.

➔He said the has no means of being "open ended" and has a "tied up" feel to it. He goes on to talk about the story of Cinderella (how before she gets her happily ever after, she was bullied by her step mother and sisters). So he thinks of Cinderella as a distorted character.

➔"Featuring her distortion and the process of getting to the ball, I wrote the lyrics about Cinderella wondering if the day would come soon when she would be able to go to the ball."

"The shouts in the middle of the song, for example, bring out the charm of the singer's voice to the fullest, but do you have a particular favorite phrase when singing?"

➔He loved the part where he sang "Utaeya, Utaeya" and "Tonaeya, Tonaeya" *⑸ cause he said it sounds like black magic.

➔He said the hardest part to sing is the chorus itself. It's nice and rhythmical when he listened to it, but find it hard where he needs to put the energy and when to hold his breath. He was told he should've noticed this when writing it and admits he didn't noticed it lol.

The interviewer asked if the song took a long time to record

➔"Nope. There was another thing that was hard."

"We'll ask about that later, but it's about "Yurikago to Clover" now."

➔"Yes! This song is the one I had a hard time with!!"

"The gentle singing style and lyrics of this song are amazing, but what was the part that you had a hard time with?"

➔He continues to say that the lyrics for this song wasn't done until just before the recording started. But even during the recording he felt like something was off and that is why he spent a lot of time in it.

"In what way did you have trouble writing the lyrics?"

➔"The song talks about two non humans; homunculus-like people who escaped and lived a happy and quiet life. Nothing too fancy. But I had a clear vision with this (song) up to the point where one of them pass away. Unfortunately from there, I can't think of a vision of how the person left behind could be happy. I don't want to end the song with a feeling of restlessness/no conclusion. I wanted to show something wonderful to the people who were "left behind" and I want them to move on from that point. So I was very worried about the words I put in."

"You wanted to make them happy, but was it difficult to find a way to make them happy?"

➔ "Yes, I agree. But as for the ending, I came up with the idea to at least give a beautiful "clover view". But it was also difficult to mold the sound to get there. I thought about a few things and chose my words wisely.. like how they eat while they are alone, but there is the fact that they are not human. They are in the state of waiting for the end to come without doing anything."

The interview goes to mention that the song was filled with Furukawa's kindness. They then moved on to "Yuunagi wo Tsurete", where the song talks about "growing older" and asked what were his thoughts when he wrote the lyrics.

➔He mentioned he was worried about getting old (like joint pains, double vision of things, and more). He mentioned how he was a teenager up until he reached his 30s and how everyone around him is also growing up.

➔His parents will one day pass away (his words not mine) and the town he used to live in will surely change. He felt afraid about these stuff.

➔The past has good memories but didn't want those memories to fade away any further. Which is why he wrote the lyrics and it turned up that way.

➔"Time will surely pass even if you do nothing, and you can't keep looking behind you. Time can't be rewound. The lyrics are about living life to the fullest/doing our best to live."

The interviewer asked what he liked about getting older

➔He likes that more of his juniors and people around became more respectful towards him. He is grateful that they're very caring towards him.

This is about "Craving", the last song in the mini album. He was asked what was his first impression on the song.

➔He said that he had an impression of a "galactic railroad" running through the area, but said he can't find cool phrases related to it and gave up on the idea.

➔He could see the image of the song going from dark to light. From there, he expressed his strong desire to crawl out of a world where he's trapped and unable to be fully free due to Covid.

➔"I think the idea of what I want to do myself was strongly expressed in this song."

Is that why the title was named "Craving"?

➔He said he wrote the lyrics with the image of "craving" one's desire from the bottom of their hearts, the type of "craving" that is filled with "hunger". But also said it got closer to his favorite series, "Fate/Stay Night"

➔He loves and admires Emiya Shirou's (The protagonist in Fate/Stay Night) way of thinking and how he grants wishes(?). He wrote the lyrics in hopes of being Emiya and the lyrics ended up sounding like something out of the Fate Series.

The interviewer said they'll listen to it again with that image in mind and thanks him for his hardwork in writing the lyrics for the 5 songs. He was also asked if he had any "companions" when writing the lyrics.

➔He has his earphones that he uses to listen to the songs and humming to it. He said he also had 2 litres of black tea a day. (Ah yes... high-five Makonyan we're the same)

"TWO LITRES!?"

➔His "usual" beverage is now black tea (that is, in the timing of when this article was written). He said he would grab two bottles of black or lemon tea before he goes to his next work. So in total, he estimated to drink about 2-3 litres of it a day. He even drinks tea in coffee shops.

He was asked about the image that was in the album jacket.

➔The jacket was still in theme with the title of the album, so it was shot inside of a room. He wanted to express the idea of being "trapped" so the lighting was made to resemble iron bars.

➔"Not something like "fresh! Fun! Cool!" But rather a look that says "Bored. I'm tied up in here." something like that."

・"How did the shooting of the jacket went?"

➔"It went well.. except for the fact that I went there without being well-rested"

"The limited edition includes a recording of your online live performance in April. How was the live performance?"

➔He said he was excited to sing his own songs and was giving all his energy in his rehearsals. It was up to the point where someone points out he was giving too much energy for the rehearsals. It resulted in throat pains and a painful lesson for him.

➔He said the last song, "For Fairytale" was very impressive.

➔It was an online live and there was no audience, but the staff brought pen lights (light sticks) and waved them around for him (Awwww)

➔He couldn't help but cry and cry because he felt frustrated. The stage was supposed to be empty, but there was light sticks waving in his performance (STAFF-SAN 😭😭)

➔He said the view was really, really beautiful view. He said if there are actual audience, he would cry even more; some ragged tears will come out. He sang as best as he could to return the kind gesture.

"In the recording, we might be able to see Furukawa-san's crying face."

➔If it's possible, he hoped that the frame wasn't pointed to his crying face (or had a close-up of that moment) (I THINK I'LL CRY IF I SEE IT)

He was asked if he had any last messages for the readers.

➔He said the words "anata" *⑹ and "kimi" *⑺ popped up a lot.

➔"If you read it as "the tomorrow I wish I had hoped for," I think you will understand the consistency conveyed in this mini-album."

➔"In "Yurikago to Clover", that tomorrow had died. And in "Yuunagi wo Tsurete", it felt like we're waiting for that tomorrow. That is how I wrote the lyrics. There is no doubt that this is a very expansive album"

➔He goes on to mention that the lineup for this album has "strong habits" in it. He's sure that at least one of the songs from the five will stick out to his listeners.

➔"Compared to the previous full album, the number of songs is indeed lesser, but the content is as rich as it gets, so we hope you will continue to support us. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"

－end

⑴. I hope I got that translation right 😂

⑵, ⑶, ⑷. I kinda had a hard time translating these parts so it might sound like it doesn't make sense. I'm sorry if that's the case 😭

⑸. These words are translated in my translation of "Hai Glass". "Utaeya, Utaeya": "Sing it, Sing it. "Tonaeya, Tonaeya": "Chant it, chant it"

⑹. "anata" (あなた) means "you". Most foreigners will definitely say this, but in reality, the typical Japanese people doesn't say it that much. In my understanding, "anata" is indeed formal, but it's usually used intimately. "Anata" can also mean darling depending on the context. Like I said, it is based on my understanding.

⑺. "Kimi" (君) also has the same meaning as "anata". "Kimi" is usually much more casual and used amongst friends (in my understanding, that is). But then again, in Japan, they tend to just use people's family name, at least that is what's common.

－end of notes

My personal thoughts: "ROOM of No Name" is a must have/must listen album even for those who doesn't stan Furukawa Makoto. This album has a really "touching" feel in my opinion. There was a roller coaster of emotions put into it. Starting from the upbeat "Forsaken Kiss" to the gentle melody of "Yurikago to Clover" and back to the fast-paced rock in "Craving", you'll be taken into this journey of being "entrapped". My personal favorite out of all the 5 is definitely "Yurikago to Clover". This doesn't mean I don't like the other songs though! I love the other 4 songs, too! But "Yurikago to Clover" had a special place in my heart and will always have. In this interview, I felt like he really gave his all to make sure he was able to convey what he feels in his lyrics. I feel like it did just that. Even if he claims he's not good in writing lyrics, I feel like his skill in writing lyrics are very good, if not one of the best there is. I look forward to more of his music works in the near future!

You can listen to the full mini-album here!

[absynthe--minded]

In your opinion, what qualifies as a "good" book-to-film adaptation? Does it need to follow every detail and beat in the book to the letter, or is it more important to capture the heart of the characters and the greater themes of the story at the cost of changes to the source material?

(I'm largely referring to LOTR here, but you could apply this to any other example you see fit)

so the thing about LotR specifically, and about the Legendarium as a whole, that makes it different from other properties, is how intricate it is. this is a multi-millennial epic spanning tens of thousands of years, and everything that happens in it happens at specific times for specific reasons. @monstrousgourmandizingcats pointed out to me that the Rings of Power were forged at a very specific time in Númenorean history as well as elvish history - this was before Númenor was the colonizing superpower that it was at the end of the Second Age, so doing something like smacking Isildur into the middle of this drama makes no sense whatsoever. the amount of depth that's present in the worldbuilding is intense compared to basically any other fandom I've been in, and the level of consistency is remarkably high, even in terms of the drafts (there is a definitive canon imo, and adhering to that is difficult but worth doing)

my frustrations with Amazon's show are mostly stemming from the fact that the things it's doing - condensing the timeline, mashing all the characters together, mixing heraldry and familial sigils, deciding that for some reason the Harfoots are now proto-Hobbits rather than a Hobbit ethnic group - are fucking with that established world. Instead of taking the story as it was already given, and filling in the gaps and dramatizing what was already written, this is being treated like "the novel Tolkien never wrote", but that's the problem. he did write it, everything that's being covered in this series that they didn't invent was already written down, and the things that were left out were tiny details, not massive gaps.

I don't think this is a good adaptation because I don't think that it's going to make for a very intelligible story, to pick and choose and mix and match. I don't think whatever's onscreen will be Tolkien, it will be Amazon's very expensive badly-written AU fanfic The Rings of Power. There might be a couple of fan-favorite moments but I highly doubt they'll actually mean anything, I can tell exactly how much respect they have for the tiny details from just the Vanity Fair article. tbh at this point I even have problems with the Jackson adaptation, but that's for another ask, if people want to know what they are.

but that's not really the question you asked, sorry; I'll do my best to answer that now. 'what makes a good adaptation' varies from source material to source material, and I think it's a ridiculously difficult job that many people fail at, because there's not a one-size-fits-all approach.

despite that, I can try and come to a conclusion about what I like based on the adaptations that I think succeed at what they're doing, and I'm gonna pick four of my favorites - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), The Phantom of the Opera (1989), and Stardust (2005).

(more below the cut, tagged 'longpost')

all of these are vastly different from one another, take unique approaches to the source material, and have wildly varying relationships with the concept of book-accuracy.

LWW includes absolutely everything from the book (easy, as it's a very short children's book) and even adds in a full rendition of the big battle at the end that is skipped over in text as well as some additional scenes to provide character development or heightened tension. the place where I think it's goofiest and fails the most is the White Witch Sled Chase that culminates in the four Pevensies washing themselves downstream to escape the wolves, but that's a short action scene that nonetheless provides Peter the chance to showcase his capabilities as a leader and keeps the stakes and tension high. In this case, a good adaptation follows the plot accurately, includes relevant character details, preserves the order of events, and builds on existing dynamics in the cast to make the story compelling for those familiar with it, extrapolating motivation and conflict from stated events. It's a lot like gapfiller fanfic in that way, it's sticking to the canon but enhancing it when something feels lacking.

PotO89 is barely an adaptation of the original Leroux novel - Christine Daaé is now Christine Day, Raoul is now Richard, the Persian is a Scotland Yard investigator, and Erik is now cursed by the Devil in a 100% literal Faustian bargain and his 'mask' is crafted from the skin of his victims. There's far more blood and gore, a campy vibe that lets Robert Englund ham it up, and a Final Girl confrontation with the killer in the modern day that involves Christine destroying Erik's music. Why, then, would I call this a good adaptation? Because it preserves the gothic horror of the original novel, it maintains the strong and fiercely independent characterization of its heroine who in the book calls herself the mistress of her own actions, and it leans hard into the romantic tension between the two leads. It preserves the feeling and the emotional themes of the original novel (except Erik's redemption, but that's because this is a slasher movie) while also never forgetting that it's a horror film, and because it never forgets it's a horror film the tension between Christine and Erik exists more or less as it did in the original text. I certainly haven't found a more accurate take on that relationship. The core issue here is that Leroux's original novel isn't particularly cinematic - it rambles, it gets bogged down in the middle, there are side characters who get forgotten halfway through the book. In this case, trying to accurately adapt the story would fail, because it doesn't work as a cinematic experience, so the best approach is preserving the vibes instead of trying to remember every single detail.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a return to the example set by LWW - a great deal of the dialogue is taken right from the Dickens book, and while it cuts out certain scenes that emphasize the needs of the poor it doesn't ever shy away from the fact that Scrooge is fucking over people who need help and compassion, it makes up for that in other places. Also, the songs help explore the feelings of the characters and establish moods quickly and effectively. Unlike LWW, it makes several removals from the source material, and unlike PotO89 it's trying to adapt the book it's based on rather than preserve emotional experiences, but it threads the needle very deftly by never losing sight of what the important parts of the story are, and spending time with them. On top of that, the actors (both human and Muppet) throw themselves into the roles, really selling them and setting the emotional scene immediately, which means that even though it moves at a brisk pace the story doesn't feel rushed or lacking. The lesson here is 'if you can't adapt the story in full, find the parts that work best, and make those really shine'.

Stardust is based on a work by @neil-gaiman (who is almost certainly not going to reblog this but one can hope, you know?) and it's somewhere between Carol and PotO89 in terms of accuracy. It's telling a story that's technically the same as the book - a boy named Tristan (or Tristran) crosses over a wall into Faerie to retrieve a fallen star for the girl he's got a crush on, and the star turns out to be a woman, and then they fall in love - but the major difference is tone. The original Stardust is a somewhat absurdist fairy story with an intricate plot and complicated structure that relies heavily upon fairy tale logic and reader awareness of common tropes, and the film is a romantic comedy fantasy story more in the vein of The Princess Bride. The reason I like movie!Stardust so much, despite the adaptation changing many things (including the climax of the story) is because the process of moving from print to screen involves an awareness of the change in medium. A book, or a graphic novel, or both in this case, can rely on wordplay and whimsy and dense nonsensical playing around with language and prophecy, and a film that's not an arthouse experimental piece can't really do that, it has to have a satisfying narrative for the audience to watch. So movie!Stardust is aware of this, and leans hard into that preservation-of-vibes thing I mentioned while also drawing heavily from TPB, the archetypal and iconic self-aware romcom fantasy. Just as the original work was a meta examination of folklore and written stories, the adaptation is a meta examination of filmed stories. The lesson, then, is 'sometimes change is good, if the changes are made for a reason'.

If I'm talking about LotR or another Tolkien adaptation, I want an approach closer to LWW05. I want the gapfiller fanfic, I want the text to be treated as an authority to be contradicted only at great need. And Amazon's, uh. Not doing that.

[twilightprince101]

It’s been a while since I’ve drawn, much less created a new OC! But recently I’ve succumbed to Bugsnax brainrot, so introducing Brandy Brittleshoot!

Brandy is a freelance writer and editor, working on several different projects at once before coming to Snaktooth Island. Alongside decently good hearing he has an intense curiosity for the world, often experimenting with different Snakified limbs to get inspiration for his latest story! (Just be prepared if you ask them about it, you’ll be stuck there ‘till nightfall).

I also filled out an interview prompt of him under the cut from @cosmicheartz , so check that out if you’re interested and feel free to shoot any asks about them! I’d love to talk a bit more about my newest character!

Who are you?

I’m Brandy Brittleshoot, I’m a freelance writer! Editing articles, typing out scripts, writing for dating sims, I’ve done a lot!

( How long have you been writing for? )

How long? Hehe, honestly I can’t even remember. One of my earliest memories was me writing an alternate ending to a book that had a crummy finale. I was so upset and whined so loud at a last minute plot twist that my dad sat me down in front of a notebook with a pencil so he could focus on his work. Though, I don’t think he expected me to actually write something decent! Never underestimate the power of an upset fan!!

( Anything in particular you’re writing now? )

Oh a handful of things! I have like, a million story ideas sitting on the backburn, but right now? I’m outlining a story idea I got for my latest novel! The details are a little hazy right now, but it’s all about an island of shapeshifters who can change into whatever they want. But of course, in a world like that there’d be lots of chaos if there were just like, a bunch of dragons flying around everywhere (who wouldn’t want to be a dragon) so there’s the government trying to limit it somewhat and there’s this one girl who-! Oh, grump! Sorry, um, still working on that.

Why come to Snacktooth island?

Oh Lizbert’s to thank for that! A while back I helped with putting out her story about Grumplantis! She saw a bit of the work I was doing at the time and, for some reason, decided I should help her out! Still have no idea why she chose me to help edit especially considering I was writing Grumpus Croft fan fiction at the time, but to think I’d get to help publish official findings about a lost civilization!!! I didn’t even care about the money, just the thought of working together with an explorer like that is just-!

( *Ahem…* But, what about Snacktooth? )

Oh right, that! Well, long story short she thought the work I did was good and invited me to come along as a way to say thanks since she didn’t exactly have the funds to pay for my work. Obviously I couldn’t pass up an opportunity that big, getting firsthand experience with an actual adventurer! So I dropped what I was doing, packed up and came right along with her!

Thoughts on bugsnax?

Duuude, okay. So imagine me, a writer who absolutely loves fantasy, lands on this island and finds out that fantasy actually exists! And is edible!!! I get to know what fantasy tastes like!!! This whole island is walking through one big fantasy novel and I have gotten nothing but inspiration since I’ve gotten here, it’s amazing!

( What does fantasy taste like? )

Okay, it’s like--actually, hang on, it would be faster if I just read this excerpt I wrote down a bit ago instead of trying to explain. *ahem.* ‘Upon the first bite of the plump and crispy Bunger, a dazzling fireworks show of flavor cascades into my mouth and paints a nova onto my taste buds. Each crunch a new explosion, a new flavor, a new color streaming across the sky’s canvas and dazzling me like a nova-’ oop, put nova twice there… ‘-Dazzling me like a child’s first glimpse at the night sky’s expanse! A symphony of crackles for me to experience alone, and by the time the last stream of light fizzled out, I’m ready to light the fuse for an encore.’ And that was just for the Bungers!

Why did you leave town?

Hoooh boy okay, bit of a loaded question there… After Lizbert and Batternugget vanished I tried to keep calm and keep doing what I was doing, wait for them to get back. But as the Bugsnax ran out and people got hungry, it was a bit hard to keep doing that… especially with all the noise...

( You’re referring to the fight? )

More or less yeah. I could hear pretty much everything from inside my cabin: Everyone ganging up against Cromdo, Chandlo calming down Snorpy from a panic attack, Filbo doing his best to keep everything together (can’t blame the guy for trying). Good hearing is both a blessing and a curse I guess… but the worst no doubt was Wiggle.

( What was up with Wiggle? )

Well, I do like her music, don’t get me wrong. But since coming to the island I can’t exactly handle being in the same room with her. She tried getting me to write her some song lyrics for exposure, kept peeking at my writing notes to steal my ideas, and worst of all, she stress yodels. And around the time the two vanished, she certainly had a lot of time to practice. I already couldn’t handle the fighting, but her singing was the last straw, so I slipped out in the middle of the night before I had to hear another note. Erm... you don't think she'll sue me for defamation if you put this in your story, will she?

Any info on Lizbert?

Duuude, Lizbert is no doubt the coolest person I know--probably ever! It’s like she jumped right out of an action movie and I could actually talk with her! She was really nice, telling me about a lot of her previous adventures in her free time and supporting me when I was going through writer’s block. Of course, she wasn’t around too much when she was out hunting snax, but Doctor Batternugget was around!

( Did you and Doctor B.N. get along? )

Yeah Miss Nugget was really nice! She was usually quiet when Lizbert wasn’t around, but after keeping her company one day and helping her sort supplies we got to talk a lot. She even volunteered to read some of my story drafts in her downtime--without me asking first too!! Plus, she also was a good resource to go to when I was writing about… more graphic details regarding Grumpus anatomy. I know a lot of people say that they might not come back, but I know they’re out there somewhere I know it! I mean come on, an adventurous explorer and her nurse girlfriend? That just SCREAMS main character plot armor! Plus, it would seriously suck if I finally find people eager to read my work on their own, then they just vanish from my life altogether… Please be okay Miss Batternugget…

Tape’s almost dry Brandy, gotta wrap this up soon!

Oh thanks for the interview! First one I’ve ever gotten, certainly a learning experience! (Maybe I could make a story entirely using interviews, that could be cool). I’m just sorry for talking your ear off. Hey, I know you’re kind of a solo worker from watching you run around, but if you’d like I can try and help with editing this story when you head back to the mainland. Free of charge too, I know you guys at GNN aren’t exactly treated the best. Not to mention it would look really good on both our resumes if we collaborated for this kinda story!