#the epicness of it without visuals is incredible

[bisexualamy]

i'm abt 15k words into writing my own fiction podcast/radio play and like. time and again i am so impressed with big finish's capability to do audio scifi well. how do you make something feel sweeping and epic with no visuals? we meme on big finish's library of awful death sounds but tbh they're so fucking impressive.

[quasi-normalcy]

Every "Nu Trek" (2017- ) Series Ranked from Worst to Best:

Very Short Treks (2023): There's really no words for just how terrible this series is. I mean, I know that it only barely counts because it's explicitly not canon and has a total combined run time of about 15 minutes, but *my god* is it bad! Only one of its episodes is remotely funny, and even that manages to feel like it's driven its main joke into the ground by the end of its 2-minute runtime. The only thing that I can say for it is that is that it gives me an easy, uncontroversial choice for worst Star Trek series, not only of the last 7 years, but of all time.

Picard (2020-2023): Listen; I know that this series is unpopular with the Tumblr Trek fandom, but it actually breaks my heart to have to put it so low on the list. It has, in my own opinion, the best dramatic acting of any Trek series and among the best directing, and almost every individual scene, in isolation, is compellingly watchable. More than that, it has fascinating worldbuilding choices, you can really *see* the passion of the writers for what they're creating (at least in the first and third seasons), and Agnes in particular is among my favourite characters in anything ever. It's got a lot of great moments, too! Picard and Seven bonding over shared Borg trauma; Soji uncovering the truth of her identity; Jurati hacking the Borg Queen's brain; Picard's final farewell to Q; Shaw's Wolf 359 monologue; Geordi's reunion with Data...I could go on. And yet, it just feels like so much *less* than the sum of its parts! Incredible ideas are introduced and then just shrugged off to pursue much more boring ones. Story arcs feel pointless if not actively offensive. Absolutely baffling writing choices are made throughout, with no indication as to why. And the nostalgia baiting , particularly in the final season, becomes so intense that it just chokes the plot to death. One comes away haunted by the feeling that this series should be so much better than it is.

Discovery (2017-2024): Really, this is two separate series: a twisty, grimdark, sci-fi war drama and a gentle queer coffeeshop AU about scientists who talk about their feelings. Both of them have their moments, but they each fall down in the same way: a focus on epic, high-stakes mystery box storytelling that undermines one's ability to really get invested in the characters, or even know who they are when they aren't off saving the universe. Without that, while I liked many of the characters and loved seeing them science the shit out of things using teamwork and the power of math, it's kind of difficult to get invested in this series one way or another. In spite of its absolutely gorgeous visuals, it comes off feeling weirdly...flat.

Short Treks (2018-2020): Not a lot to talk about here; just kind of an anthology series of short films adjacent to Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Mostly they're varying shades of mediocre, but a few of them are as brilliant as any episode of Star Trek ever made, so the series gets to be relatively high on the list.

Strange New Worlds (2022- ): This is the first entry on this list that, in my opinion, belongs on the top shelf with some of the best of the older series. And it achieves it basically by adopting the same formula as the original series or the next generation--socially conscious planet-of-the-week adventures with enough wit, cleverness and joie-de-vivre to keep it interesting. I remember in 2017, there was plenty of discussion of how it's possible to update Star Trek's formula for prestige television; how funny that the solution turned out to be "don't change it at all, just give it modern special effects and actual character arcs." That said, the series is a bit *too* beholden to the original, with focus primarily on a bunch of characters who aren't allowed to grow or change too much because we already know how they'll turn out. It would be even better if it were about a new ship and a new crew full of nobodies who we can come to love. Which brings us to...

Lower Decks (2020-2024): Above, I said that Picard felt like it should have been so much better than it was. Lower Decks, frankly, should have been so much worse. How is an adult animated sitcom with Rick and Morty style animation and constant memberberries this freaking good!?! Every episode is a master class in efficient storytelling, with 22 minute runtimes often feeling like they contain as much story and character work as episodes twice as long. And the characters are incredible--like TOS and TNG, they feel almost archetypal, and even though you've never seen them before, they slide so seamlessly into the Star Trek universe that it's hard to believe that they weren't just *always* there; that there was ever a time when you could imagine the Star Trek universe without just intrinsically knowing that Tendi and Shaxs and Mariner were off somewhere in the background. It's greatest success though, the reason why it's comedy works when it really shouldn't, is that it's only *slightly* sillier than the serious series. What we end up with a fantastic series with an ethos that is pure Star Trek, and in fact, if I had written this list a month ago, it would certainly be in the #1 spot. However...

Prodigy (2021-2024?): The first season of Prodigy is...charming. It's got some fun characters, some spectacular visuals, some interesting premises. And if the plots tend to be a little too simplistic to be engaging to an adult, hey, it's a kids' show. It's good. Solid. Above average. And if I had only the first season to go on, it would probably be in third position on this list. But then, a few weeks ago, it went ahead and dropped the best season of Star Trek in a quarter-century, and I really...I just cannot recommend this series highly enough. The sheer, ambitious scope of the narrative; the arcs it puts its character through; the cleverness of the writing; the fricking GORGEOUSNESS of it! And it does all this while redeeming deeply unpopular characters and plot points from other series, in a way that never feels forced or pandering. Not only is it the best Star Trek series of the 21st century, it's one of the best children's animated series since AtLA. Go. Go! Watch it! Watch it now!

[edenhasfeelings]

The Death of Media Literacy, Religion, Misogyny, and Cognitive Dissonance

Spoilers for Dune Part 1 and 2 and the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I'll admit, I have not read the Dune books yet, but I am a huge fan of the Dune movies. Not only did Denis Villeneuve just make two incredible, epic movies with a lot of nuance, gorgeous visuals, and an incredible score by Hans Zimmer, but the story itself is really compelling for a lot of reasons. My mother had tried to get me into Dune when I was younger, but at the time it wasn't my thing. I really liked Part 1, but Part 2 was something else entirely. I was gripping my seat the whole time, genuinely enthralled by everything happening. But I came out of the theatre with one definite conclusion: Paul Atredies is not a hero. I shared my thoughts in the car, and while my boyfriend agreed with me and my father had no opinion, my mother adamantly refused. She read the first book in college, and loved the 1984 version of the film (watching that, in my opinion, was like slow cooking your eyeballs over a campfire, but it was cool for the time period I guess). She was insistent he was the hero, and then tried to say that they changed the story to make him seem more like a villain, but he wasn't in the first book.

No hate to my mom, it's been a long while since she read the first book, and me and her are going to actually read the whole series soon. From my understanding and the research I've done, Frank Herbert wrote Dune as a cautionary tale against white saviorism and a commentary about America stealing oil from Middle Eastern countries and their subsequent colonization. I've also heard it was meant to be a standalone originally, but because people were portraying Paul Atredies to be the hero so much, he then wrote Dune Messiah to further drive home the point he was originally trying to make. But even without the knowledge of the books, it was apparent to me that he was not meant to be a hero in the movies. Of course, it isn't spelled out for you, and Timothée Chalamet does have some really epic, badass moments. But one of the biggest clue that you can have to what's going on is Chani, and how she reacts. She loves Paul, and she supports him, but she doesn't support him becoming a religious figure that leads her people because she feels as though that level of fervent religion is dangerous and not right; she says that a born and raised Fremen should be the one to free their people. You also see a huge shift from how Paul acts in the first movie and the first part of the second movie to how he acts after he drinks the Water of Life. In the first movie and first part of the second, he refuses to fulfill any prophecy, and tells them that he is not the one they are looking for. He is only wanting one thing: to avenge his father and his house. He even gets into an argument with his mother, Jessica, and he tells her that the Bene Gesserit were the ones to perpetuate this prophecy for their own gain. He knows it isn't real, and that it isn't divine, and that he was raised by Jessica to fit the qualifications for this prophecy for her own gain and the gain of her order. He knows what will happen if he takes up the mantle of Lisan al-Gaib: holy war spreading across the galaxy in his name. But when he feels like he has no other choice but to drink the Water to rally the Fremen to fight the Harkonnens, things instantly change. He becomes arrogant and demanding and self-confident, completely uncaring of how Chani feels and becoming solely focused on becoming Emperor. The line "lead them to paradise" felt really, really gross upon delivery, partly due to Hans Zimmer's masterful score. It feels damning.

While looking like a white savior story at very simplistic face value, Dune: Part Two is in fact a critique of it, even without the addition of Dune Messiah. The other big thing that the movie critiques is religion, especially blind faith at the cost of your critical thinking skills, religious fanaticism and idolization, and how religion is taken advantage of by people in power or people who want to be in power. Now I've seen a lot of tone deaf critiques of Dune, and a lot of ignorant comments made, usually in regards to the racial and political elements of the story. I have also seen a lot of people who get it and were able to help me expand my reasoning for the feeling of wrongness I got from people thinking Paul is a hero. But nothing compares to the TikTok I saw today. Someone blended the audio of Timothée Chalamet's Wonka character introducing himself, with the scene after Paul drinks the Water and goes to rally the Fremen to fight for his cause. The first image in the slideshow was an image of Wonka with the caption "Being raised in a religious household and calling yourself 'a Christian'." The second slide shows Paul in the midst of his religious fanaticism in the movie, with the caption "After being born again and having your entire worldview change." Absolutely no hate to this creator if you know who I'm talking about, but this video quite honestly had me gagged, for lack of a better term. I was absolutely shocked at not just the usual lack of media literacy that revolves around this movie and so many others, but the fact that they were so far gone from the point of the movie and Paul's character entirely that they thought it was a good idea to post that online in reference to their own faith. Paul Atredies took advantage of a prophecy that he knew was engineered to control the Fremen to do exactly what the Harkonnens wanted to do, just in a different font. His intentions might have been good to start, but ultimately, because of Jessica and the Bene Gesserit (specifically the Reverend Mother, as she talks to him in his visions and pushes him forward), who he realizes he is being manipulated by, he ends up where he is: a religious idol who (Spoiler for Dune Messiah) leads 61 billion souls "to paradise" and causes irreparable damage to the galaxy.

As someone who was raised Christian, I can tell you without a doubt that religion in general, but especially Christianity, can heavily damage your critical thinking skills and media literacy. When you look at everything from the lens of, "Ok but how does this piece of media validate my feelings and beliefs regardless of intention, subtext, or true meaning?" you end up falling into some really dangerous territory. Paul is not meant to be venerated in any way, shape, or form. He's a badass character and Timothée Chalamet did an excellent job portraying him, but you should not be comparing yourself to him, especially in the context of your religious journey. That is incredibly dangerous as you then shut your eyes to the true message of the story: white saviorism is bad, colonialism is bad, exploiting entire peoples for resources of any kind is bad, and spreading and using religion to control people is bad. Of course if you phrased bluntly any of these things to religious people they would (probably) agree that those are bad things. But when you put it into the context of film/literature/music/etc, and then you have no one spelling things out for you like you're used to people doing for you in your religion, and you've already tossed your critical thinking skills out the window in order to avoid doubting your faith, you end up supporting and turning a blind eye to the bad things that you would otherwise disagree with if it was made simple for you. Even if you have no ill intention, even though it was just a silly TikTok, the ease in which people delude themselves by refusing to look any deeper into media causes such mass amounts of complacency and allows history to repeat itself. It is repeating itself right now. When we learn about the Holocaust in school, everyone would say that if they were Germans living in Germany, they would have opposed the genocide of the Jewish, Romani, and queer people during WWII. But here we are, watching the genocide of the Palestinian people live on our phones, and yet people are still sitting in denial and complacency, and often using the Bible and religion as an excuse for why its' ok.

Steering away from the topic of religion, another clear example of media illiteracy recently was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I both read the book and saw the movie (full book review posted on my book review blog @385bookreviews). While in the book you get Coriolanus' raw thoughts and it is made more obvious that he is not a good person even without the influence of Dr. Gaul, the movie still does a really good job of showing his decline into the person we see in The Hunger Games trilogy. And yet somehow, even with the context of the first three Hunger Games books (and the four movies), somehow people were still painting Coriolanus as the misunderstood good guy of the story. The latent misogyny that came out of so many people, especially women and girls who claim to be feminists, by saying Lucy Gray was manipulative and everything was her fault, was honestly appalling to watch. There is always room for personal interpretation of media, however that is widely different from purposefully ignoring canon information and editing the text to adhere to your own cognitive dissonance. This can once again come back to religion, as I believe people of every organized religion also practice this habit of picking and choosing whatever they want from their holy texts and then conveniently excusing the rest of it. Media illiteracy is shown in another way with the Hunger Games series fans as well. A lot of people can go to the movies or read the books and root for the rebelling protagonist and recognize perfectly the plot of the story: government bad, so good people rebel and fight for their freedom, and those are our heroes. And yet these same people will then turn around and ignore genocide because "the oppressed people attacked first, they should have stayed peaceful".

While not all media reflects real life, or is meant to be taken as seriously, The Hunger Games and Dune are definitely not two of those series. By ignoring the context and subtext and purely engaging with things as fiction, and then ignoring the real life applications and implications of the work, we are being purposefully and consensually blinded and allowing ourselves to become mindless cogs in a capitalist machine. We all need to learn to think for ourselves, now more than ever, and that starts with our media consumption.

[thewormformerlyknownasletojrjr]

Sometimes self care is rewatching Dune (2021) and going on and on about ‘the symbolism of this or that’ or how ‘something here is a nod to the sequels’ or ‘look how the casting characterizes the house atreides’ or ‘the music here is phenomenal, it foreshadows gurney’s fate later on’ or ‘I think the difference in the vocalizing in the soundtrack here is deliberate’ until whoever you’re watching it with is ready to commit murder to shut you up.

But it’s just so phenomenal that you can watch it and catch new things each time, the visual and auditory storytelling in the background gives you so much! All these little things that go unnoticed until you see and want to jump out of your seat at them, let’s talk about that.

Let’s talk about how Jessica is always hooded when her scenes are associated with her Bene Gesserit powers and upbringing, how you can literally watch her out her hood down or up mid scene as she transitions from mother and concubine to an obedient disciple, how it foreshadows her struggle in the books all the way through Children of Dune.

Let’s talk about how well done the foreshadowing of the jihad is, how even this early on we can see the start of what is integral to Paul’s conflict in Messiah, how that feeling of helplessness about a destiny he doesn’t want will keep him frozen and unable to stop what’s in motion, how Messiah is such an incredible book because it ties into the dystopian trope wherein revolutionaries become like those they once revolted against, but how it’s so much more fascinating than some of the ways we see it in modern dystopias, because it’s the main characters who are following the pattern, not just watching in horror as those they fought with change for the worse, but actually experiencing it, horrified at what they’ve done and what they will continue to do, frozen and so unable or unwilling to do what needs to be done to stop it, how the movie is still in the stage where they are noble and valiant, but it makes sure to show the dread of what it coming, how it does such a good job of showing the burden of foresight that is so integral to Dune, the way that even as they see the future and can attempt to change it, they know that no matter their decisions, horrible things will come, how it shows Paul as scared hating the power he was given and blaming his mother and her aspirations, how the atreides family never wanted to be great, they wanted to be good, how Paul is coming to see that great and good cannot always coexist, how you look at this boy and you can genuinely see how he will become the man saying ‘Believers, all of them’ how Dune is such a hard story to get right because you watch someone devolve and stand by why horrible things are done without seeing him as a terrible person from the start, without the boy and the man seeming irreconcilable from one another, how the movie actually is on the right track even though the end result is unpalatable to the majority of society, how they are showing the white savior trope in a way that is thus far complaint with how it is deconstructed later on, how they have the epic notes of the beginning without going in a direction that makes the ending impossible.

Let’s talk about how they cast the Atreides family as beautiful people, but not soft, not tamed to modern standards, aristocratic in their looks in such a way that you believe they have been nobility for centuries, maybe millennia, slightly untouchable, dangerous, like those in power during the Italian Renaissance, how Paul looks young but also ethereal and formal, the balance between boy and duke and messiah in his appearance, how Leto’s hair and beard make him not only regal but worn by politics, cold and formal yet fatherly all at once, how Jessica’s ghostly pale complexion nods to her Harkonnen ancestry in the books and how she is beautiful in a way that seems not entirely human, how the other members of the Atreides house are each unique and full of character, not designed to fit a palette or aesthetic, whereas the Harkonnens have an eerie similarity that shows how little they value free will, how the Harkonnens are not dramatized to emphasize their characterization but rather understated, devoid of emotion save for rare explosive moments, how they echoed this in their design, making them blank slates, taking away rather than adding, leaving them almost human, but not quite, enough to trigger that ancient animal instinct in a person that says ‘something is wrong here, something is dangerous’ rather than making them fit in with the conventions of a time period or trend as to how to look evil.

Let’s talk about the soundtrack, how the epic music playing when House Atreides lands on Arrakis is echoed as Gurney and his men charge at the Harkonnens who so greatly outnumber them, how this not only ties you emotionally to the battle, hearing this dying cry of the Atreides, more so than the music continuing to be dark and foreboding through it all, but also how it foreshadows the survival of Gurney and the small group of men with him, living to reunite with Paul later on.

Let’s talk about how throughout the soundtrack we have women vocalizing, the emphasis on the power of the Bene Gesserit and how in Leto’s death scene we diverge from this trend, how he was so powerless against all these grand plans but he still took a stand, still ended things on his own terms.

Let’s talk about how Jessica doesn’t answer when Leto asks her to protect Paul as a Bene Gesserit. Let’s talk about the bull and the matador, the symbolism there. Let’s talk about the emphasis on medieval and renaissance headdresses on the Bene Gesserit, the significance of choosing attire from a time when the Catholic Church was in the peak of its power. Let’s talk about the nods to Gurney’s music. Just, look at all this stuff in the movie that you barely even notice, the first time. All the planning that went into it, how to fit in all these little nods, how to stay true to who the characters are in the present while also beginning to show who they will become. Let’s talk about it.

Though maybe not to the people I was watching the movie with. I don’t actually have a death wish.

[minecraftbookshelf]

Marriage of State AU Character Designs: The Mad King of Mezalea

Joel actually has three major looks through the course of the AU; Prince of Mezalea, Trophy Husband, and King Joel, with the subcategories of "armor" for each.

They all have the same base design of "human", differing by (apparent) age and general sense of style.

Some Joel Skins to start us off and provide the base we're working off of, and also the Mezalean banner because color pallet

And also, because it is actually relevant, (bear with me here) some samples of Mezalean architecture.

The Matral Palace and the Villager area.

Based off of Joel's final skin, the vibe is kind of "Victorian military dress uniform" however there is something very, very important to take into consideration from a worldbuilding perspective.

The Mesa is a warm weather biome. Its a colorful desert. Which means high temperatures during the day and cold at night. So tight-fitting, thick fabrics in a Victorian style would be incredibly impractical.

So we turn to the second possible source for fashion inspiration: The architecture, which gives mostly Byzantine vibes.

So what would Byzantine clothing look like, especially for nobility?

First off, taking into account that the Byzantine Empire lasted for approximately a thousand years and, naturally, underwent some dramatic changes in clothing style during that time, we'll pick a specific vibe out of the options. I settled on a bit of a mix between Early Byzantine (think the Theodora Mosaic shown below) and Middle Byzantine (see the mosaic of Emperor Constantine IX below)

And here are just some screenshots from my pintrest board for Mezalea and Mezalean!Joel, because if I put all these on here separately I'll hit the image limit too soon.

(General disclaimer: yes, Pintrest has an art theft problem, yes Pintrest is much harder to effectively use now due to the pervasiveness of ads on everything, no I don't use it for like, formal things. It remains one of the best ways to collect visual references and figuring out The Vibes)

(Yes, we get to go full Material Gworl vibes for the Mezalean King, as is only right and proper.)

General characteristics I'm adopting here for Mezalean clothing:

Brocade (and bejeweled) kaftan/kaftan-esque outer layer. This is a formal wear thing, and is absolutely a "showing off the wealth" power move.

Lots of Big Chunky Colorful Jewelry

I don't know what it's actual name is, but that general style of having jeweled tassel-like things hanging from the front sides of the crown/headdress.

Light-weight and loose fitting under-layers.

And of course, bright colors.

Prince Joel: Before he became part of the main cast in an epic fantasy adventure spanning several hundreds of years and an entire continent (and the adjacent ocean) Joel was the youngest of three princes with two older brothers who were both married and had kids.

Which is to say, it did not look like he would ever be the king.

His role in the kingdom was very much that of an ambassador to and direct connection to their people. He spent a lot of time working on fishing boats and in the mines and quarries. While he did receive a standard royal education on things like diplomacy and combat, international interactions were not his focus at all, much more involved in the day to day operations of his own home. (And yes, that is a very vital aspect of the idea of "royalty" in general, supposedly, and that being a particular point of Joel's upbringing will make more sense when I get around to writing and posting the post about how royalty functions in the Empires. tldr; its related to the whole thing where Pixlriffs accidentally redefined "war")

Basically, Prince Joel = the first skin, the simple green one. He's wearing more lightweight, practical clothes that allow him to engage in physically demanding dirty work without costing a fortune every day. He still dresses up for formal events, but he doesn't even attend all of those and he is far from a daily sight in court.

Trophy Husband: For a couple hundred years, Joel didn't live in Mezalea. Instead, he was one half of the chronological first arranged marriage in the "au in which all the marriages are arranged" situation. And this one was the one that most resembles the set-up of a generic "period" bodice-ripper novel (though that is not how it played out ultimately, for the parties involved, despite the romance that does happen.)

Basically, this is his War Prize Era. In which Lizzie won a husband in combat and then didn't really know what to do with him.

During this time period, Joel mostly wore ocean styled clothing, though during formal occasions he would wear a notable amount of Mezalean accessories, that were part and parcel of the treaty with him. (I'm trying so hard not to derail this into just a breakdown of the events of the Joel & Lizzie arc of the au im trying so hard)

He did tend to mix Oceanic and Mezalean clothing, due in part to Oceanic clothing being primarily designed for underwater wear, while he lived above the surface, finding the balance of practicality and appearances demanded by the political nature of his existence at the time. (Also a personal comfort thing as Mezalean clothing tended to afford more skin coverage and also had shoes) Once he and Lizzie were more comfortable both in the world and with each other he had more opportunities for personalization and tended towards Mezalean styles in oceanic colors. He did develop a significant appreciation for the Oceanic idea of skin-tight under-layers for water travel.

King Joel: He did end up back in Mezalea as king, which is when we hit the style closest to the second skin, which mostly for this is really an indicator of color scheme. Formally, he is now wearing the full Kaftan and Jewelry look, day to day its more of "colorful, simple, and lightweight" because he still is very active in the day to day commerce of his empire. He does usually wear significantly more jewelry than he did as a prince, he grew a taste for it during his trophy husband era XD. The details of his day-to-day wear are also fancier. finer fabrics, more embroidery, brocade hems, etc.

Most of his earrings are gifts from Lizzie, some in Oceanic colors, some in Mezalean, but all with little chips of prismarine to remind him of her even when she can't be there.

Armor: Joel's armor preferences are simple netherite plate. He also does have a ceremonial trident, as a member of the Oceanic royal family. His is gold-plated.

-

art

Lizzie || Jimmy ||

AU Masterpost

[jocia92]

Dan Stevens in an exclusive interview (Google translated)

Hollywood star Dan Stevens can currently be seen in the blockbuster “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in cinemas. The film is currently topping the box office charts and is number one worldwide. We met the charismatic actor in Los Angeles and talked to him about his current film, his next two projects and his choice of roles.

April 5, 2024 by Grace Maier

Can you share with us your first reaction when you were offered a role in Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? It's always a pleasure to work with the same people several times, but this time it was extra special as Adam Wingard, the director, is an old friend. I was also invited to play with an even older friend, Rebecca Hall, as well as Brian Tyree Henry, who I have known and admired for years. It felt like I was being asked to play with friends.

What was it like entering the universe of these iconic monsters? Did you have any ideas or expectations? It's a fun task to be asked to stretch one's imagination to the size of such cinematic titans! I've worked with CGI on an epic scale before, so it wasn't too foreign, and I was surprised at how many practical locations we had.

How did you prepare for your role in this blockbuster? Were there any unique challenges or exciting moments during filming? It was really exciting to shoot in the Australian outback, in the Daintree rainforest - this incredible ancient jungle. That sense of adventure on the way to work every day, passing crocodiles along the river banks, waiting for pythons to be removed from the set, really fueled the mood for the Hollow Earth walk in the film.

“Godzilla x Kong: The new empire” promises to be an epic clash. Without giving too much away, can you give us a hint as to how your character fits into the plot? Trapper is initially brought in to help Kong with his toothache - he is a vet for all Titan creatures - and is then approached by Rebecca Hall's character, Dr. Andrews, invited to the mission. He's a kind of happy, carefree Han Solo type, good to have around, tirelessly optimistic and impressed by little.

The film contains a lot of CGI and visual effects. What was your experience like acting in such an environment and how did it differ from previous roles? I've worked with this type of thing before so it wasn't too scary. I actually really enjoy working with a VFX team and helping to create something using our entire collective imagination. It's truly incredible to see what they achieve long after you've left the process.

Were you a fan of the Godzilla or Kong films before joining this project? How does it feel to be part of their legacy? I feel like I've known these characters my whole life: they are such an integral part of cinema history. I've loved seeing them in all their different iterations over the years and of course being asked to perform alongside them - and even fix their teeth - is a huge honor!

The film will have some intense action scenes. Can you describe one of your most memorable moments while filming these scenes? While it's not the most intense scene, the way my character is introduced - rappelling from a floating vehicle into Kong's mouth to perform large-scale dental work - was one of the more exciting stunts I had to do!

How do you think fans of the franchise will react to Godzilla x Kong: The new empire? What can they look forward to most? I want them to enjoy the ride! You'll see things you've never seen before and meet some fantastic new creatures and characters, but also maybe some familiar fan favorites...

You also have the film "ABIGAIL" coming out in April. Can you tell us a little about filming and what audiences can expect? This is a completely different kind of thrill! Essentially, it's a vampire ballerina heist movie - you know the kind - directed by the Radio Silence guys, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, who specialize in a particularly wacky brand of horror-comedy that I love .

“CUCKOO” will also be released in the summer. What particularly interested you about this film? Tilman Singer, the director, is a truly exciting new voice in cinema - he has a very distinctive style that is so captivating and artfully disturbing. I was also very curious to work with Hunter Schafer, the lead actress of Cuckoo, who is such a bright and brilliant artistic soul.

Your career is so dynamic. How do you go about choosing a role? I crave variety, challenge and surprise, so I'm often guided by the search for those things, but it can also be a certain quality in the writing, a desire to work with certain directors or actors. It's different every time!

[monstersinthecosmos]

List 7 comfort films and tag 7 people!

Tagged by @ihaventcomeupwthanameforaheroyet ! thanks!! I WROTE DOWN A FEW FAVS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD (IN NO ORDER) AND HAD 9, SO, I THINK IWTV 1994 GOES WITHOUT SAYING LMFAO, ALSO HONORABLE MENTION TO AMERICAN PSYCHO BC IT MAKES ME LAUGH MY ASS OFF EVERY TIME BUT I ULTIMATELY CUT IT FROM THIS PRESITIGOUS LIST.

is it obnoxious if i put some pictures in the post too? Sorry I get really excited to talk about movies hkjdslgasd please don't feel obligated to put pictures in yours, I'm just being extra.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day [1991]

LISTEN I CRY EVERY FUCKING TIME it's just the best, ROBOT DADDY??? HOT MOMMY???? The T-1000 is so scary?? ALL THESE RIDICULOUS EPIC FIGHT SCENES AND THE ACTORS ARE JUST NOT EMOTING AT ALL BECAUSE THEY'RE ROBOTS? The director's cut with the extra scene where John is trying to teach the Terminator to smile and you realize when he does his little side smirk it's because he's copying John's smile, bc when he copied randos it didnt fit on his face?!??! Eddie Furlong's voice cracking which feels like such a happy accident because he's a weak little fragile human in contrast to the killing machine?? PLEASE.

Hellraiser [1987]

IT'S WEIRD, IT'S KINKY, IT'S GAY, IT'S CHEESY, IT'S GOT PRACTICAL EFFECTS THAT ARE KINDA COOL BUT KINDA STUPID, IT'S GOT THE GRAINY 80S COZY FEEL, IT'S GOT INCREDIBLE FEMALE SEXUALITY AND BAD ACTING, I JUST LOVE IT. It's just a movie I put on when I need to relax and wow it just makes me really happy ;.;

Pet Sematary [1989]

okay this one and the next one and the last one are all GRAINY 80S COZY FEEL, you have to understand that I grew up watching 80s horror from like the age of 5 so that flim look, the grain, the flat lighting, it just !!!!!!! gives me so much cozy fuzzy warmth for childhood and I just adore it. Anyway !!!!!!1 I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH it's so extremely dark and also extremely absurd, somehow it's so magnetic that you are immediately immersed even though it's got the aesthetic of a bad TV movie, it's just wonderful I adore it. ALSO a rare super faithful Stephen King adaptation!

An American Werewolf in London [1981]

PRACTICAL EFFECTS MY BELOVED!!!!!!!!11 blah blah cozy 80s, but also! FUNNY! ROMANTIC! TRAGIC! SCARY WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE! I'm so deeply deeply impressed by the practical effects in this film, too! But wow it's so good every time, the hot nurse in this movie is a crazy monsterfucker I adore her, it's a good Armand/Daniel AU, the end is a gut punch every fucking time, it's the best, a naked American man stole my balloons, etc. Absolutely perfect film.

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain [2001]

VISUALLY STUNNING FILM ABOUT AN ASEXUAL WOMAN WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. I think this movie like, changed my life maybe? I think I saw it when I was 15 or so and it just had such a huge impact on me. I used to watch it so much I would just turn the subtitles off because I'd get distracted and didnt even need them anymore. It's a movie I used to bring with me when I traveled, like I brought the DVD with me when I studied abroad because I was so scared I'd have anxiety or get homesick, I just always wanted to be able to watch it if I need to. IF I WATCH THIS AT THE WRONG TIME OF THE MONTH I CRY MY EYES OUT which is cathartic in the end, idk if it's comfy or comforting but wow. but wow really amazing film it's so beautiful and had such a huge impact on my worldview and my creativity and the way I write and the way I do photography and just !!! ;.; I'm gonna cry!

The Departed [2006]

I really like it when Leo DiCaprio cries and he's not a super crybaby in his one but he does scream in pain and have the shit beat out of him and has panic attacks and needs anxiety meds! The cast is sick! The music is amazing! It's such cool storytelling!!! It's exciting every time! The ending fucks! GOD. Just wonderful, I love it so much. The Blu-ray starts over every time it ends so every time I watch it I tend to walk away and let it loop all day LOL. It's disgusting how many times I've watched it. ALSO MY BABE VERA FARMIGA WHAT A MILF god i love her.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall [2008]

this is like such a perfect comedy for my sense of humor, INCLUDING A BONUS DRACULA SUBPLOT CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, but is actually such a clever and lovely story about getting over heartbreak wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this movie so fucking much oh my god. Also ever since I worked on ships I feel like especially potent to it because there's something about the social community within the resort that feels so much like the community of a cruise ship crew!! ;.;

Tagging (but no pressure!): @rugbertgoeshome @hekateinhell @mothmage @apoptoses @cup-of-lixx @somevagrantchild @covenofthearticulate

[tialinffxiv]

5 Songs I'm Into Right Now

Thanks for tag @zylphiacrowley  🎶 Alright, so let's take a look at the chaos that is my playlist: 1: Electric Callboy "Hypa, Hypa"

This is the music that kept me awake and sane in Diadem, haha xD Seriously, their songs has both so incredibly aggresively positive vibe and are great pieces of music. +the videos are hilarious- without a fail those makes me smile wide or even laugh every time.

2: Samudrartha, from Honkai: Star Rail ost

Star Rail's ost is generally amazing, there's many songs in this game that I love. This one played in one of the epic moments in story and is tied to a character I especially adore. And that vocal is incredible!!!

3: AURORA "The Seed"

I always, ALWAYS return to her music- it's magical, ethereal and yet so powerful. She has one of the greatest voices ever and her songs are incredibly poetic and alluring. Also her choreography, the alluring movements, visuals- all this adds to this magic. I love each and every songs of AURORA but this one is also special for the powerful message it has. "Suffocate me So my tears can be rain I will water the ground where I stand So the flowers can grow back again" ^ this. this is pure poetry and it hits so damn hard.

4: Hurts "Illuminated"

And sometimes you just need a vibe like this~ It's also a song that I tend to link to some of plots I share with RP partner.

5: Vesna "My sister's crown"

Another powerful song. One of the very rare things that are good about Eurovision (screw this circus otherwise)- more people get to know such diamonds. You should as well.

And there's that! Thanks again for tagging. And here are my tags, altho don't feel bound to do this! Also anyone who feel like sharing their current fav songs are welcome to do so ❤ @bananarose @sasslett @avirael @koijikido @aethericfist

[meatball-headache]

I'm gonna show a picture of the raid! It's a spoiler, so it goes under the cut.

"How are you STILL STANDING!?"

Oh my god. I love this move so much. This is right up there with Nidhogg's Ahk Morn, Tsukiyomi's Lunacy, grabbing Shinryu's scales, or blocking the sword in Susano. I love the multi-hit stacks, they're so intense and epic, and this one pretty much takes the cake. She's blasting the entire arena, while you're getting treated to awesome voice acting, incredible music, and spectacular visuals.

This raid tier is phenomenal. The story is whatever, but the fights' themes—visually, audioally, mechanically, completely fantastic. They're an absolute blast to do, without question. I'll redo these all day long, loot be damned!

The only tiers that hold a candle to this are... Midas, Creator, Alphascape, and... Eden's Verse. There's a lot of good individual fights in other spots, but: Midas had Brute Justice, Creator had Cruise Chaser and Alex Prime, Alphascape was such a tremendous glow-up of nostalgia and novelty, and Eden's Verse had Shiva. Of course, Athena and Eden's Promise are among my favorite enemy designs of all time—but if they do one of those $400 figures of Eutrope with the wings and cannon, we're just gonna hafta skip rent for a month :D

There's some recency bias. But this music is such an absolute bop! I love Athena's theme, too—but the other music in Anabaseios didn't really do it for me, honestly. And, like I said, Eden's Promise and Fatebreaker are awesome... but the other two fights in the tier are only good. And, you can't really rate Bahamut's Coil along with the other raids, ARR was just... different. But using Answers as a battle theme probably makes it the best fight of all time, inarguably, at least honorarily.

Someone send me a link to the "those are her hooves you bitch!" meme, I need it :D

[therealraewest]

person who asked abt the comic website link here! is there a certain order of the comics thats chronologicalish ive actually never read a marvel comic before so i'm not sure how they're organized outside of some mentioning the year they were written

Okay so there's a few ways you can go about it. What I did was I started with the 2016 Lemire/Smallwood run (the first 14 issues in the 2016 section on the site, this run is roughly what the MCU show was based on and is both beautifully drawn and incredibly written), then read the 2014 Ellis run (light on plot but gorgeous visuals), then jumped forward to the 2021 MacKay run (which was FABULOUS)

After that, I decided I wanted to read from the beginning. Luckily there's been a few collections since Moon Knight started as an antagonist-turned-friend in Werewolf by Night, then appeared in a few Hulk Magazine issues before getting his own comic. You can find those in the "Moon Knight Epic Collection" on the site, which will get you through the original appearances and the 1980 run.

After that I googled "Moon Knight read order" and have been following that. MK's stint in the West Coast Avengers was short but fascinating and I wouldn't have found it without googling.

Just know going in that Moonie has gone through a lot of authors and some handle the character better than others. The original run was mainly Steven and Jake, with Marc appearing more sparsely and Moon Knight referred to as his own identity. In the late 80's after the original run ended, there were a couple runs that cut Steven and Jake out entirely to just focus on Marc. There was a 2011 run where Steven and Jake were replaced with Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine. The 2016 Bemis run has... A lot going on that has been better explained by others but I've been warned away from that one.

If you decide to read the 2021 run (which I highly recommend even as a beginner) you can also check out Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2024) which picks up afterwards and is ongoing, and What If: Venom which is also modern and features the MK system.

Also a note for marvel comics, there are occasional tie-in events that will happen to the whole marvel universe and will occasionally interrupt an individual comic plot, so if going in order you'll run into those. There's one happening right now (Blood Hunt) that the 2024 run is involved in.

[pandoramsbox]

Sci-Fi Saturday: Dr. Cyclops

Week 20:

Film(s): Dr. Cyclops (Dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1940, USA)

Viewing Format: Blu Ray

Date Watched: 2021-10-29

Rationale for Inclusion:

In looking over a list of science fiction films of the 1940s, most of the feature films were more horror than sci-fi: sequels to Universal Horror movies, dipped more into fantasy than science fiction, and/or re-hashes of the core story of Frankenstein. Narratives where science fiction didn't come conjoined with horror were mostly found in serials, like the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon serials discussed last week. Across all formats, the mad scientist remained the mainstay of the genre.

Representative of this decade sci-fi cinema is this week's film, Dr. Cyclops (Dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1940, USA). Mad scientist? Check. Horror paired with science fiction? Check.

On a technical level, however, Dr. Cyclops is a standout. It was the first science fiction film ever shot in 3-strip "glorious" Technicolor and one of the first sci-fi films to be nominated for a Best Special Effects Academy Award. These characteristics made it stand out and secure a spot on this survey. 

Reactions:

On a technical level, Dr. Cyclops did not disappoint. The Technicolor was vivid without being over the top, and my partner and I were both surprised by the quality of the visual effects. It was the first time on the survey where we found ourselves going "Oh, the effects are good" with no caveats, including but not limited to "for the era." Black and white cinematography can cover up a lot of sins when it comes to visual effects work, so the fact that we had this reaction to a color film was all the more notable to us.

An aspect of the film that took us by surprise, but in retrospect really should have been more obvious was how much of the film was based on the cyclops episode from Homer's Odyssey. The name "Dr. Cyclops" should have been a dead giveaway, but cyclopses are mythological creatures that existed prior to Homer's epic poem chronicling Odysseus's fraught trip home from the Trojan war, and their name has been applied to various works, characters, and vehicles without invoking the story of Polyphemus. Nevertheless, it wasn't until the bespectacled Dr. Thorkel (Albert Dekker) uses his experimental shrink ray on a group of unsuspecting scientists, and traps them in his lab, did the allusion sink in. Like Odysseus and his crew, despite their disadvantage in size, the scientists must use their cunning to blind their poorly visioned captor and escape. 

I was also amused to note that since Dr. Thorkel's shrink ray is powered by radium it means that, like The Invisible Ray (Dir. Lambert Hillyer, 1936, USA), Dr. Cyclops is a pre-Atomic Age atomic sci-fi film. Labeling a film as being "atomic sci-fi" will rapidly lose its novelty once we get to movies made during the Cold War, which is why I find examples of atomic energy figuring in science fiction narratives made prior to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 fascinating.

It also had not occurred to me until later that Dr. Cyclops would be the first film of this survey to deal with characters being miniaturized or shrinking. Using the survey as an excuse to watch The Incredible Shrinking Man (Dir. Jack Arnold, 1957, USA) and Fantastic Voyage (Dir. Richard Fleischer, 1966, USA) had occurred to me, but had I been thinking about shrinking people as a recurring sci-fi narrative, as I did killer brains, robots, and devolution, I would have included The Devil-Doll (Dir. Tod Browning, 1936, USA) in the survey too.

Oh well. I keep being reminded that when this project started it was meant as a representative survey and not a mission to watch every available science fiction film ever made. Still, I wish that I had given titles from the silent era through the 1940s the same attention I would later give films of the 1950s and 1960s.

[sitp-recs]

Survival of the Species by @romaine2424

Harry/Draco (2011, Explicit, 47k)

Draco approaches Harry on the 9 ¾ platform, after their sons have boarded the Hogwarts Express, and invites him over for tea. The discussion they have leads them on an adventure that neither could have expected. There be dragons! HPDH compliant but before any other canon info had been released. Minor Albus/Scorpius, minor Harry/Ginny. Cw for infidelity and a dubcon sex scene (both happen in a specific context, be warned though)

“Ever since you told me of the custom, I knew this would happen. The night I found you frozen outside, I knew I didn’t ever want to lose you. It’s been slowly building to this point everyday as I’ve watched you.”

Happy happy birthday darling Rom! I initially thought about making a list then I remembered that I did a Hidden Gems post already 😅 the next best thing was reccing one of my all-time favorites of yours, and this is such a belated rec! I read this fic right after immersing myself in the gorgeous, comforting world of Garden of Eden, and despite the similarities (older Drarry with kids and adult plots, love it!) the change of pace and atmosphere was so intense it felt like diving into a completely different world, one of fabulous mythical beings and impossible life decisions.

Dare I say this is my favorite Veela fic?? Maybe so! I’ve never been particularly into creature fic in general - something about its inherent dub con aspect (which you’ll see cleverly depicted here) makes it tricky for me, and I’m rarely able to stay engaged with long, plotty fics exploring this trope. Colour me surprised when Rom’s rich, well-researched and fascinating creature lore slapped me in the face with thoughts and feelings; sure enough I found myself deeply mesmerized by this carefully crafted world-building. The rituals, the family tree, the rules surrounding the biological/reproductive aspect! There’s so much behind it, so many vivid cool visuals and I distinctly remember my face going 🫢🤯😱 during this read. And the pacing is so smooth you don’t even realize things are rapidly getting very angsty and very complicated. Such incredible storytelling power!

I wanna be careful about this rec because I feel like giving too much away might spoil the fun. As the title suggests, this is a story that pushes both characters beyond their limits by putting them in an impossible situation. It’s a bit (a lot?) heartbreaking, but that’s also why so many decisions taken in that excepcional scenario, far removed from reality and normal conditions of temperature and pressure conditions, work. A particular context creates this vital connection of understanding and sympathy between us the readers and the characters, one the story might not have worked without. That’s such a delicate feat, and it blew my mind how Rom effortlessly achieved it. It goes beyond a fascinating lore and compelling plot points - in my opinion, it depends heavily on characterization and emotional resonance too, which this fic delivers in spades.

This fic really feels like an ode to both Veela and dragon lore, and the way it wraps everything together with a bold and fresh twist leaves me both excited and nostalgic for that feeling of “old creature classics”. Harry and Draco’s predicament getting stuck together away from civilization for so many years brings so many implications and complications, and Rom does not shy away from it. It’s painful and miserable and it shows human resilience in different ways than we’d have expected, and it ends up being really immersive and thought-provoking. I for one stayed engaged at all times, and really enjoyed the tender and comforting family feels we get in the second part. Buckle up and get ready for a 50k fic that covers so much time, character development and human complexity it feels more like a 200k epic. Treat yourself to an incredible journey with archaeologist!Draco as a bonus, and don’t forget to give Rom love and appreciation for writing such a clever story back in 2011!

I’m so so grateful that you’re back in the HP fandom and sharing your work with us again, my friend. You’re a fantastic storyteller and I’m very excited to see what comes next. Happy birthday!! 💜

Read on AO3

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

BLEACH: The Thousand Year Blood War Ep 18 & 19 Reactions and Thoughts

Overall reaction:

First up, I didn't write anything for episode 18 last week because when I sat down to do it, all I could think to talk about was Renji's bankai reveal, which was epic, but didn't have much more to say beyond that. I loved the whole thing though, they made Renji look like such a badass throughout. And the reveal itself was *chef's kiss*

As for this week...WOW. JUST WOW. INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, WOW. There's one main highlight and you all know what it is. Just...look at her:

This is one of the most stunning things I've ever seen coming out of this show, that includes the original series. Hell, this is one of the most stunning bits of animation I've ever seen. How did they make her bankai more pretty and elegant than it already was in the manga?! I just love that her collar and sleeves are transparent, and the little details like the snowflake pattern that constantly moves over her clothes.

The visuals for this episode were so amazing, and as you can tell, I can't reblogging gifs of it. I loved every second from a visual standpoint, everything was beautifully drawn and coloured, whether it was make Rukia look fierce or terrified or beautiful, or to make As Nodt more creepy and hellish than he already is. I mean, just look at this creep:

I loved this design in the manga, and I am LOVING it here now! Paired with church bells and music, this was a fantastic reveal.

As this adaption continues to show, when it comes to the fights of this arc, it's 10/10. Whether it's added content, hearing these characters say the lines, or just finally seeing these panels animated, it's reminding me of why I was so desperate to see this arc adapted into an anime. The moment I saw As Nodt's hand graze Rukia's, and she flinches and tries to find him, I got hyped. The moment he transformed into his Vollstandig, I was screaming. And then Rukia unleashes her bankai, and I was rolling in my chair. If As Nodt vs Rukia doesn't go down as one of the best anime fights from this year, I'll be shocked.

For one, while it goes without saying at this point, I cannot emphasis enough how GOOD the animation is:

I also loved the call back to decaying characters and the flies and how they were used for Rukia's greatest fear. It's a connection to Byakuya, an experience they can say they've both shared now, and it adds to the scenes that come next when he tells her he's proud of her and he helps her defrost.

Speaking of that scene, it was already a great moment in the manga, but see it not only animated but voiced, I teared up a little. I looked forward to seeing the dub version of the scene too, I have no doubt Michelle Ruff and Dan Woren will do great here. It's a small, emotional moment for the two them, and it's more or less a conclusion their brother-sister arc. We've come a long way since the beginning, huh?

While we're on voice acting, can we give As Nodt actor absolute praise. He made him so gosh dark creepy throughout. This is the kind of voice I would hear while reading the manga, and the way he was able to morph his voice from quiet monotony to raging growls was just amazing. He was a standout in the episode for me honestly.

If I had two nit-picks about the animation, one is that As Nodt's eyeball monsters looked a little weird and out of place, but it's so small it didn't take away from the fight for me. The other is the weird video filter they used over Rukia's flashbacks; not sure why they used that filter? Is it trying to say the original show is that old now? Were they trying to be creative? Regardless, it jarred me a little, but again, it's a nit pick in what is otherwise a fantastic episode.

Overall, it was an amazing episode that will likely be in my top fifteen of the arc of the show. Next week, I'm preparing for two shikai reveals and maybe a few tears ;_;

[ghostthemaddhatter]

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

Hey, there Padawans and Jedi Masters! This is Master Ghost reviewing the highly anticipated sequel Star Wars Jedi Survivor. After 5 long years, we finally got the follow-up to Jedi Fallen Order that we've all been craving. This game not only captured the Star Wars spirit but also expanded on the fantastic gameplay of its predecessor. Star Wars Jedi Survivor once again puts us in the boots of Cal Kestis who continues his journey as a Jedi on the run from the Empire. This time, Cal visits new planets that show off superb graphics and art direction. Let's lightsaber toss into the ratings!

1) Gameplay: 5/5 Hats. Jedi Survivor takes the fluid combat and platforming from Fallen Order and improves on it in every way. The new Force abilities add depth and Cal's skill tree allows you to customize your playstyle. Epic lightsaber duels with terrifying new inquisitors tested my Jedi reflexes.

2) Story: 5/5 Hats. Without spoiling anything, Jedi Survivor's story is full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Cal's character development as he struggles with the dark side is compelling. I grew to care about Cal's allies like Cere and Greez. The ending sets up exciting possibilities for future games!

3) Replayability: 4/5 Hats. With the variety of planets, powers, and customization there's a good incentive to replay Jedi Survivor. However, the linear story may limit replay value compared to open-world games.

4) Graphics: 5/5 Hats. Simply put, Jedi Survivor is visually stunning. The environments and characters look incredibly detailed and authentic to the Star Wars universe. Seeing new planets come to life invokes the sense of wonder I felt watching the films.

Overall, I give Star Wars Jedi Survivor a well-deserved 5/5 Hats! This is an absolute must-play for Star Wars fans. Jedi Survivor's engaging story, satisfying combat, and jaw-dropping visuals exceed expectations. Even Master Ghost approves! May the Force be with you.

[ronkeyroo]

nsbdhdhd you are currently one of my biggest inspirations, I especially love the way you do lineart, shading and... HANDS. Your hands are so good, do you have any tips on drawing them?? ♥️

Dude, thats!!! Thats so incredible to hear!!! It pleases my silly heart so and sets my spirit ablaze knowing my absolute top 3 favorite things to draw have been acknowledged and able to light such a spark within you!

Oh my goodness, hell yeah I do, scoot close and listen up!

I've always had a big fixation on hands since 1) They've always been a very important, secondary best tool aside the face when expressing emotion! And 2) I hail from the beloved depths of YuGiOh madness where hands are constantly involved and drawn in epic focus & angles so I've had a big arrange of visuals to study from!

(One of my favorite YGO animators actually published a study book on how to draw hands, so thats an amazing resource too!)

📝 Now for the actual tips, which I doubt will be original (forgive me ;_;) The best I can suggest is practice by trace and break it down to shapes!

Take cool pics of your hands, pose yourself or find awesome reference shots you can directly trace over so you can introduce yourself to the way the hand is built and develop some muscle memory (make sure to pay attention and /feel/ the direction of the lines and how they connect) and then? Start breaking it down into quick simple shapes so its easier for you to follow up on the physical buildup! Do so even DIRECTLY on the reference picture so you can study the basic skeleton behind it!

After you get a basic feel of it, start implementing what you learned without the reference while spicing it up with your preferred styles/ attention to details!

I know it sounds simple in theory and that hands are notorious for being difficult to draw at first, but behind every strong passion to learn, burns limitless potential bigger than any obstacle that may be in your way!

Practice is what sharpens you up every single time skill-wise, its not gonna be simple, but it doesnt have to be overly complex either! Its easier to understand something difficult once you break it down into steps, and especially comfortable when you have reference to study from!

Use what you have, gather resources and let them guide you until you can utilize their strength with your own two hands ♥ 🖐️🖐️ You got this!

Thank you so much again for the lovely message anon, for being inspired and for complimenting me and my work so fondly!! 💖

I hope I was able to help/encourage even if but a little bit, take care and dont give up if dem hands get too hard on ya - I was so crusty when I started out myself ;_;) But!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After getting to experience the process with both failure/success combined? The potential that unlocks before you can spark the passion that leads to further improvement, until one day It becomes second nature and the joy behind being able to draw those sexy grabby handz is WORTH it! 🫵

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 10: The Kill Box

You ready for a fight? We got ringside seats, soda and popcorn. Just make sure you've got your splash guard ready to go.

The Good.

When the illusion over Whitestone is disturbed and ripples...that's a beautiful visual effect. This show's at its peak when it portrays magic so well it inspires wonder. Exandria is a gorgeous world; it's so gratifying when it's done justice.

Earlier, I said it was a good move to split the party because it serves the intervening episodes well. But that choice gives us something fun here, too. In the original, everyone was waiting in the wings to see if Grog would win or need to call for backup. Because the rest of the group needs to get to Restruun to help, and because the gnomes are spotted and threatened, the stakes get raised considerably. Half of Vox Machina is in dire straights and the calvary isn't guaranteed to arrive in time.

Note: in the game, Matt described the spike as going through Grog's shoulder. That's till bad, mind you. Much worse in real life than tv and movies would suggest, but I can't stand seeing it go through the gut. You could conceivably miss organs in the shoulder at least. Here? Not so much.

It always a pleasure to see Pike be bad ass. According to the episode commentary they actually slowed down her face bashing because otherwise it would've been a little much. Even then it's still sufficiently brutal.

Always good to hear Ike. And Liam was right. Grog's absolutely gut-wrenching (no pun intended) vulnerability sells this scene. Grog's usually a sillier character, but Travis is just as capable of making a character hilarious as he is playing them so that they break your heart.

And of course, the iconic as always call to rage. Even more hype here than usual.

I will never complain about this show's fight scenes. You can feel the difference between Grog fighting Kevdak before he rages and after. Likewise, the difference between fighting Kevdak before he swells up with the magic of the Knuckles and after. The hits' power and the weight of the impacts as Grog is slammed around the arena makes you flinch like it was you getting hammered to the stones so hard they crack.

The choice to have the rest of the crew come in, with no fan fair, in a corner of the screen where you could easily miss them...mwah! Beautiful. It feels organic, and it makes you feel excited for noticing it.

But once the fanfair starts....their silhouettes on the roof, the closeups, Grog's call to arms.....AH! I knew we were getting something special for this episode. The fight is sufficiently gruesome on both sides, and everyone gets to show off.

The episode would not have been complete without the Willingham Poke Ball drop. It was a particularly clever move by Laura in the game and seeing it play out was just magic. The rise and payoff of the music, that shot of bisected Kevdak when the smoke clears....there's no word but epic to describe it.

Keyleth is adorable, and the Raven Queen is a cockblock.

That last isn't the good thing. But it does make for a nice set up for what comes next.

The Bad. (Or at least, not so great.)

The only thing I could've possibly wanted out of the fight that I didn't get was a bigger sense of danger. The stream version felt incredibly tense throughout, as it was essentially a timed mission. The goal was to kill Kevdak (no mean feat) before the rest of the Herd killed them.

I get that this was basically a chance for everyone to get to be badass and go buck wild. And I support that. But getting just a little bit closer to that stream level of tension would've been nice.

This is why I think Percy's "This isn't going well!" falls flat, as from what we could see it was going pretty damn well up to that point. And even after it just wasn't a curb stomp in Vox Machina's favor. A better line might've been "The tide's starting to turn!" Or, if they really wanted to be cheeky: "They're getting a Second Wind!"

I'm also a little sad we didn't get a variation on Scanlan's Hold Person from the stream. Even though I appreciated the little nod to it via Vex's bramble shot, that move lacked the accidental ironic significance of the original. Grog got kicked out of the herd by his uncle for protecting a gnome. Only for a gnome to be instrumental in said uncle's defeat. It was so good!

Nitpicks:

What was Kaylie doing there at the start of the fight? Afterwards she just disappears. If you wanted to show that she was keeping an eye on Scanlan, it would've made more sense to have a shot of her watching from a distance. That way it isn't weird that she isn't in the fight after she said she wasn't letting Scanlan out of her sight.

~*~

After the fight in the tavern with Vex and Keyleth catching up: DUDE!! Talk. To. Each. Other. Give me my banter and character relationship development!

~*~

There isn't a full version of "When the Bald Man Cries" on the soundtrack. Release the full version, you cowards!!

~*~

Kaylie's speech to Scanlan could've been rearranged a bit so it served as a smoother transition into her revelation.

Instead of this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: My mum gave up all her savings for my education. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was. You know, Dr. Dranzel spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorhalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother.

We could do this:

Kaylie: I'm actually not too different from yourself. I grew up in Kymal, but I moved around a lot. Scanlan: Ooh. Kaylie: Even more so when I joined up with Dr. Dranzel's troupe. You know, he spun many a tale about you, Scanlan Shorthalt. Scanlan: Yeah, I mean, that's not surprising. That guy seemed like a bit of a fanboy. Kaylie: But most of his stories I'd already heard... from my mother. My mum, who gave up all her savings for my education. So that I could play and travel the way I do. Scanlan: Uh, oh, oh, yeah? Moms are the best. Kaylie: Mine certainly was.

Not perfect, but I think it flows better.

Down to the last two, folks. Then the fun really begins.