#the new disney plus star wars show. maybe a few

[cithaerons]

lovinggg this show…… it’s barely even star wars, thus far it’s far more a thoughtful exploration of imperialism and fascism than sci fi. it’s technically all fiction but sometimes barely, you know? i don’t think the veil between our world and the star wars-verse has ever been portrayed as so thin.

[originalwinnercheesecake]

The Owl House Watching and Dreaming Analysis. (Spoilers)

Its over. Its been around 3 years and now its over. Well like Luz says its time for a new chapter now. The majority of my tag is posts about the owl house, and now I have to find a new thing to post on. I like Molly Magee, but so far not enough to spend hours typing out analysis and theories. I got into Ducktales 2 years late and, it has me going through Disney plus to find more shows about the wacky highjinks of the duck family, so if that corner of the Disney fandom is still alive maybe I will pop in their from time to time. I also happen to like a few live action shows.

But before that I want to close out the owl house with 1 (possibly a coupe more posts). This one is my recount and review of the Owl Houses final episode, and will focus on the families and connections at the end, as I feel they were the most important part of the episode, Warning long post and spoilers below.

I will start off with talking about Meeting Kings father and what we learned about Titans. We have comfirmation now that Titans do not have spouces/mates and reproduce Asexually. King’s dad did not object to being refered to as Dad, but was term wise both his dad and mom. Two things: 1 does this mean King (who doesn’t need labels right now because he is only 8) will grow up to be aroace, like Lilith? 2 this is confirmation that he will still be able to become a parent 1 day, which I am glad about, because we know he will outlive Eda, Lilith, and Luz and this way we know he will still be able to have a family again after they pass on. Also we now have confirmation that the baby titan skulls in the trapers room were kings brothers and sisters. Were the Full grown ones his oldest siblings or were they his dad’s siblings. Also the owl beast. I knew it...they? Were a titan, and that were were probably the last living one Bill mentioned since king as an egg couldn’t cry or run, and was still being hidden. At first I thought they might be his parent, but it looks like they are actually either his older sibling or his aunt/uncle... They are still inside his mom and aunt, so they are a part of his life.

So now on to King’s Dad as a parent. Because the Titans heart was still beating he actually was not completely gone. His spirit was alive in the in between realms and was watching over King, is shown to be delighted that his son found such a nice family to raise him, and is confirmed to have had a bit of a hand guiding Luz in how quickly she learned glyphs and wild magic. This all feels like methaphors for Heaven and Guardian Angels. I do not know what Dana belives or if she belives in anything. She certainly hasn’t been shy about making metaphors to the bad parts of religon/christianity. But i am glad she also made these refrences loving and positive. They can be comforting to those that have lost loved ones.

Now on to the Collector. First the older collectors aren’t his gaurdians, they are his older siblings. From their point of view the war between titans and collectors was just them being mean and breaking their baby brothers toys. Okay, they are jerks, and it was a horrible thing to do, but okay the show didn’t go full on SU diamonds parasitic route. This makes me feel a bit better about how our collectors arc ended. King’s family and He forgave each other and are good friends, the collector is confirmed to come visit them from time to time, but he went back to the Star’s to finish growing up. His siblings better feel bad about him having been stuck in thousand year time out because of them, and better leave his new friends alone now. Him going back was one of the three options I felt were possible and while not perfect I genuienly do think it was the best one. The collector was ultimelty to powerful to live on the isles full time without hurting someone, and with all the repairs and rebuilding needed to be done Eda and Raine did not have the time needed to watch him as much as he needed.

No lets go on To Luz. She moved back to the Human realm to live with her mother and sister, and graduate from earth school in graves field. It also looks like Camila was able to eventually forge the documents needed to adopt Vee in the human realm and send her to school with Luz. But we can see that a permenent portal was opened at the old house (how can Camila afford two houses on her single parent vetenairy income? Did she pay in snails and the seller think she had gold?). Luz, Camilia, and eventually Vee (wonder how long that took) made visitations to the demon realm. Luz had the option to chose which realm she wanted to live in once she grew up. It also looks like Eda got upgraded from being Luz’s temporary host parent to being like a God mothe rto her. Camila will always be Luz’s real mother, but Eda still getting to stay in their lives as support is for the best. Camilia and Luz went through so much when Manny died and they were struggling to deal with it by themsleves. I said in an earlier post that I believe the owl house to ultimately be about finding a community that is suportive of you. Camila, Luz, and Vee did not have that before, but they do now.

Now on to Hunter. So the final hints very strongly that he was adopted by Darius, not Camila, and not Eda (who FYI had no positive interactions with Hunter and should not have been considered as heavily as she was by fans). This again makes the most sense. While watchig Thanks to them when Hunter is mentioned to be happy and doing well in the human world I was like “Alright the story still works great if Hunter becomes Hunter Noceda. Darius can just be a mentor to him if he goes back to the iles in summers”. But then when he described the life he wanted at the end of the episode I was confused because everything he said was things he could only do in the demon realm. He wanted to go back perminently. I doubt Camila will ever want to fully live in the demon realm, Luz did probably need to live in both worlds until she was an adult to fully make a fair choice, and you know it took months/years for Vee to step foot there. I still hope Camila got to be Hunters God mom or was in his life as a surogate Aunt. Hey Darius and Eberwolf are implied to have become like Police officers, dedicated to stoping suporters of Belos’s system fromt trying to reinstate it. It thoretically could have been possible that they would be away for stretches and Hunter would need another adult to stay with some of the time.

Reminder of what Darius and Hunter’s relationship was like since a lot of it had to develop off screen. Darius and Hunter are strongly hinted to have started spending more time together post ASIAS, by Hollow Minds Darius had grown so fond of Hunter that he was ready to abort his cover to help him. When Hunter ran away from the EC Darius is confirmed to have tracked him down to ensure he was safe, and Hunter was comfortable leaving his hiding place to go on a mission Darius gave him (protect Luz while she went to break Amity out of the manor). Hunter was very worried/scared when he saw Darius on the stage at the Day of Unity. Also while Hunter did not put Darius’s picture on the wall he started sewing every piece of fabric he could find in the Noceda’s basement and would talk about how this was something he practiced with Darius. So he clearly missed him, but I do not think he realized how much Darius and Eberwolf missed HIM until they came looking for him after waking up. On the subject of Eberwolf and Hunter, I have seen the headcannon that Eberwolf calls Hunter pup/cub but can we as a fandom please come up with a term Hunter uses for Eberwolf. there is no way they call each other “Uncle” and “Nephew”. Those are definitly trigger word for Hunter.

Also the Blue bird Palisman Hunter eventually carved himself. I am glad its a bird, because Hunter had Palisman as therapy/support animals and birds were the animal he was most comfortable with. I want to name his new bird Bananas. Since Bananas, like Flapjacks, were a human food he was unfirmilar with in the demon realm. I am also so glad that show let him grieve Flapjack and take his time before getting a new palisman. Flapjack was Hunters biggest support during his darkest time and I was so afraid that they would trivialize his lose due to the shortened season. But no not only did they give him a grave that got visitited, not only did Hunter get a tattoo of Flapjack, but so did Willow and Luz, maybe Gus and Amity as well. Flapjack was so loved and so missed, as he should be.

 On to Alador x Darius. I ship the couple but I am so glad how it was handled, with them basically being confirmed to not get together for another 3-4 years. As cute as their dynamic is, it would have been extstreamly problamatic for them to get together soon after the battle with Belos. Alador was just getting out of a long, abusive, marriage. While we do not get a chance to fully explore Darius’s character and what caused him to close himself off from his old friends, we know he was working through some things and closing a chapter on a mission that had been a big focus f his life. Not to mention that both men had teenagrs who had been tramatized and needed/deserved to be their dad’s full focus for the time being. So for that I am glad we did not get the Blight-Deammone step family.

One kinda nice twist was that Alador decided he wanted to build medical machines and Emira was the child that ended up working with him. Emira was the child who seemed to have the least in common with Alador so I liked that they eventualy had something they could do together. A stranger surprise was Amity and Lilith’s reunion, and the strong hints that they started working together again and bonded. Dana dropped them being Mentor and protage like a hot potato after Covention day and was quick to post that they were never close/did not like each other when asked. So its kinda strange that she suddenly had them start caring and tried to portray Lilith as a strong female figure in Amity’s life after her seperating completely from Odalia. This is the big thing I feel should have been either explored more or dropped.

Lastly reagrding the end credits; I am upset that for how many clips we saw of both Steve and Matt towards the end we did not get a single on of them reuniting or together. Come on Show Why. That said I love the jobs they were shown to have afterwards. I expected Steve to maybe get an internship/assistant job at the museum with Lilith, since they were such good friends. Seeing him, still friends with Lilith, but also with the Catt’s and working to rehabilitate other coven scouts was so much better. And finding out that Matt became a hotshot architectural designer on the isles is just perfect. Also I spent 3/4ths of the End credits going “Where is Gus. Do not leave him out of this time jump”. Then I find out he graduated early and was teaching students about the human realm at Eda, Raine, and Lilith’s new university. The little genius. They’re is no confirmation that he and Matt ever got together, but Oh well. Maybe they did and are just not into PDA? maybe did and broke up/were on a break? Maybe they only ever stayed friends? It was my second favorite ship (besides Lumity) but if it didn’t happen that’s okay.

All in All this was the owl house final. It was exciting, intense, it tied up lose ends,and gave our charcters ends that while not perfect, where the best they could have been. Good job Dana. Good Job Owl House Crew. Thank you for the show. Its helped me a lot with getting through the past 3 years.

[polgarawolf1]

Barriss Day fanart collages

As I can no longer access/post on my original Tumblr account (under Polgarawolf), due to a dead computer during home rennovations and issues with the internet that resulted in losing the email attached to the account (and the apparent inability of Tumblr to do anything to help me), I have made a new account, Polgarawolf1. I'm the same person, though, and I'm still a big SW fan, though I generally lean more towards the old EU than the new DISNEY!SW version of SW canon. I tend to have elaborate headcanons for the things that I write or otherwise create in fandoms like this but I'm also an AU girl at heart, so I can and sometimes do entertain multiple possible headcanons for certain characters. I'm hoping to get something written for BarrissDay before the deadline, but that might or might not happen, due to real life issues. I'm not a techy person, so I hope that the person (or people) who has (or have) organized BarrissDay and the Barriss Offee Appreciation blog will know how to find this, based on the BarrissDay tag!

Please be aware that my version of Barriss Offee is based largely on the original version of the character, as she appears in cut scenes, etc., from AotC and RotS (and therefore has very little to do with Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars nonsense, except for what I've modified to fit with my headcanon version of Barriss. Apologies, though, for the one image of Barriss with her hair loose/uncovered - it's how they drew her for the cover art of one of the MedStar books, during an unexpected attack, and unfortunately I'm just not artistically talented enough to believably alter it to try to cover her head/hair!), and as she was originally written in EU books such as The Approaching Storm and the MedStar duology. My Barriss is closer in age to Anakin Skywalker than Ahsoka Tano and is most emphatically not a terrorist who willingly helped bomb one of the hangars in the Coruscanti Jedi Temple, just in case anyone is wondering!

In any case, the collages are behind the cut! There are some just for Barriss, some for Barriss and Luminara as Padawan and Master, and a few based specifically on the MedStar books, with Barriss and Kornell "Uli" Divini (I have filled in for him as best I can, since there aren't any good images of him online. For those who are unfamiliar with the character, Uli is from Tatooine, attended Coruscant Medical, did his internship at "Big Zoo" or Galactic Polysapient Medical Center on Alderaan, and is something of a wonderkid, as he's already a fully qualified surgeon when either still eighteen or just nineteen, during the events of MedStar II: Jedi Healer, and is maybe barely 20 when the Clone Wars ends. Uli has something of a baby face but is extremely good at sabacc, which the various Healers - Jedi and otherwise - and surgeons and nurses of Republic Mobile Surgical Unit 7 often play with their friends during downtime. Uli's mother, renowned mudopterist Elana  Divini, is known for collecting "Alderaanian flare-wings" and one of his first meetings with Barriss happens when she's out doing a lightsaber kata and accidentally injures herself while he's in the swamps of Drongar looking at the local insects, sees her, and helps deal with her injury), who were at the very least written as good friends with the potential for more (if not for Order 66, etc.).

Apologies in advance for repetitiveness - I figured more would be better, even if it meant that I basically had to keep using the same scant handful of official images for Barriss from the films over and over, plus a few from the various animated shows. I'm aware that hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, but I've had it in my head for years (since long before Star Wars: The Clone Wars was made) that Mirialan art and particularly their folk art involve very similar motifs and also often the use of colorful stained glass and tiles, which is why I've used several of them here along with images meant to evoke stained glass artwork. No disrespect is meant to anyone and if anything bothers anyone, please let me know about it and why, so I can try to fix it or offer an alternative!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Animation Face-Offs

I find it amusing that the first real major animated movie box office show-off is occurring some 35 years after the one that arguably started it all...

November 18, 1988... Walt Disney Feature Animation's celebrity-loaded modern musical OLIVER & COMPANY from first-time director George Scribner, and Universal's release of the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas-produced ex-Disney director Don Bluth adventure THE LAND BEFORE TIME...

This wasn't the first time two animated pictures opened next to each other.

In fall 1982, Hanna-Barbera's HEIDI'S SONG opened opposite a Looney Tunes clipshow anthology movie called 1001 RABBIT TALES. Combined, they made $5m at the domestic box office... Not great times to open an animated feature that wasn't Disney, and not that their distributors probably even cared at the time anyways.

Sometimes, there are around two animated features a month. It's not uncommon for two studios to share. Off the top of my head, you had - in November 2010 - MEGAMIND at the beginning of the month, and TANGLED before Thanksgiving. In the early summer of 2013, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY only opened about a few weeks before DESPICABLE ME 2. TROLLS and MOANA shared November 2016. Again, just random examples off the top of my head.

But usually, they're spaced out... TROLLS BAND TOGETHER and WISH are five days apart...

TROLLS 3 is projected to take in around $20-25m this weekend, which is significantly less than what TROLLS took in back in 2016, but still alright for this kind of movie. WISH is set to out-open it, with over $50m for the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend stretch. For a $200m-costing movie, it's going to need all the legs in the world to get by. TROLLS 3 will need to pull some good weight too to more than double its much more modest $95m budget. (Wild to think that $95m seems *low*... There was a time when a DreamWorks/PDI movie cost $75m... And for a good while, roughly $135m!)

I'm curious to see how each film affects one another. Families aren't made of money, and there's gotta be a kind of adult pull to really make big bucks, and I'm not sure if either of these films have that. Plus you have stuff like WONKA right around the corner... Thankfully no Marvel, Star Wars, or Avatar movie to counter with. Although, PUSS IN BOOTS Dos last year, woooooow. That cat held his own against the blue cat aliens.

But yeah, if you think about it... This is a rare head-to-head race.

One could argue we saw this in late winter of 2021 when Warner Bros. released their live-action TOM & JERRY, and then Disney Animation had RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON out a week later. But that was before vaccines got out for all age groups (they were distributed to the elderly first, I - who was 28 at the time - couldn't get my first shot until April.), and the films had simultaneous streaming debuts, so I don't really count that. Plus, Cinemark theaters refused to show RAYA over a disagreement on who got most of the earnings. (That would've been my return trip to the movies after a year-long hiatus, my return ended up being A QUIET PLACE: PART II two months later.)

It's funny how TROLLS 3 is Universal and WISH is Disney... Just like how LAND BEFORE TIME was Universal, and OLIVER was Disney.

The Disney-Universal race was successful for both. OLIVER took home $53m domestically (the $71m figure you often see comes from the film's 1996 re-release), LAND BEFORE TIME took home $48m. Worldwide is up the air, because Disney never released OLIVER's numbers, Universal reported that LAND made around $84m. Winner is unknown, but it was always assumed to be LAND. Maybe because dinosaurs are more Universal than a modern-day New York comedy? Who knows!

Perhaps greatly inspired by that double-whammy of animated hits, MGM/United Artists wanted to try that for themselves. Don Bluth split with Spielberg and Lucas due to creative disagreements during production of both LAND BEFORE TIME and his other Spielberg collab AN AMERICAN TAIL, and set up ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN with the lion. MGM/UA released ALL DOGS the same day as THE LITTLE MERMAID...

Bluth's movie got left to sink by the Ron Clements and John Musker-directed musical sleeper hit... It wasn't even close. $27m domestic vs. $84m domestic, and in addition that, MERMAID's worldwide figures put it at roughly $183m. (Again, in 1989-90, without the 1997 re-release counted.) ALL DOG's worldwide total is unknown.

This didn't entirely scare distributors away from trying again.

The fall of 1990 was originally set to see another Bluth vs. Disney face-off. If plans had held, MGM-Pathe would've released Bluth's ROCK-A-DOODLE on the same day as Disney's sequel THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. MGM-Pathe ran into financial and legal problems, putting Bluth's film in limbo for a bit...

Instead, Warner Bros. went toe to toe with Disney, releasing an animated feature that wasn't a Looney Tunes clipshow: THE NUTCRACKER PRINCE... Suffice to say, it barely scrounged up $1m domestically, and Disney's sequel had troubles of its own, stalling at $29m domestically, $47m worldwide.

Two films fled from the autumn of 1991, as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST looked to not be a repeat of RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, but a repeat of LITTLE MERMAID and OLIVER's successes... 20th Century Fox - who had FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST - and The Samuel Goldwyn Company - who picked up ROCK-A-DOODLE - chickened, literally in the latter's case...

Only Universal had the guts to take on the beast... By releasing AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST the same day. The Don Bluth-less sequel made only $22m domestically, while BEAUTY AND THE BEAST made... $145m in North America alone, and blew up with $331m around the world...

After FERNGULLY and ROCK-A-DOODLE wisely fled from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, they duked it out in April 1992. DOODLE opened the first weekend of the month, with FERNGULLY following. FERNGULLY won with $24m domestically, DOODLE struggled with $11m. (It's worth noting that DOODLE first came out in the UK in August of 1991.)

Universal initially thought they'd have WE'RE BACK! A DINOSAUR'S STORY ready to compete with ALADDIN, but they likely realized that that was not a great idea... WE'RE BACK! opened over a full year after ALADDIN and still flopped hard. It opened nearby BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM, which also made a paltry amount.

From there on out, things were typically spaced out. Sometimes the smaller efforts opened close to each other.

And now here we are, Thanksgiving week of 2023... We have trolls vs. wishing stars. Universal vs. Disney. It'll be fun to watch, but I hope the two film crews of both get to put food on their tables once more.

[superfan44]

Don't Be Quick to Judge the Acolyte (A Star Wars Opinion Piece)

I have always loved Star Wars. Ever since being introduced to the original trilogy as a kid, I have been a massive fan of this legendary sci-fi franchise. From one of my all-time favorites The Clone Wars, to the more recent shows like The Mandalorian, I always get a sense of joy and excitement whenever a new piece of Star Wars media is introduced or announced. Of all the related projects set to come out this year, the one that has intrigued me the most, is the live-action series "The Acolyte". First announced back in 2020, all of the details that I have heard regarding this series I find fascinating. A mystery thriller set during the High Republic Era, with an emphasis on showing the perspective of the Sith and drawing influence from martial arts movies. Some of these details are the things that really drew me towards it. Aside from its main space opera trappings, Star Wars has been known to explore various sub genres, especially in some of their most recent projects. These details alone have me both excited and curious to see what this series will bring to the table.

However, while I wait in anticipation, I noticed that not everyone seems to share the same feelings as me. On the internet, there has been plenty of negative discourse towards the series, mostly towards a few of the casting choices and the creatives involved in the series. It honestly still kind of baffles me as to why people are so quick to be so judgmental on a series that isn't even out yet. I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge this series.

As someone who has seen a lot of movies and TV shows, I always like to approach everything with an open mind. I don't judge something based on what I want it to be, rather I just take it for what it is, regardless of how it ends up turning out. The same can certainly be said for Star Wars. I've been aware of the discourse surrounding the controversial sequel trilogy. Though I didn't outright hate them like some people did. When I saw each one in the theater, I just took them as they came, paying no mind to the nitpicks or flaws unless some people point them out afterwards.

When it comes to a massive IP such as this one, you're bound to have some people who will dislike or disagree with some of the narrative choices you make. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that doesn't mean that we should say hateful things just for kicks, nor should we let some people influence how you feel about something. I've heard some people say that there is a fine difference between "good" and "fun". I don't want to name names here, but I will say that even if some parts of Star Wars aren't perfect, it can still be fun to watch. Sometimes there are even parts of Star Wars that are both good and fun, the original trilogy being an obvious example.

Look, if I'm being honest, I don't like trash-talking Star Wars because, at the end of the day, it does still mean a lot to me. Plus, to their credit, some of the newer stuff under Disney have had some hits here and there. The best example I can bring up is Andor, the prequel/spin-off to Rogue One. I remember when it was first announced, people weren't really as enthused about it, some even saying things like "nobody asked for this!". Then, the trailers dropped, and it began to draw people towards it. When the series officially dropped, it turned out to be a big hit with both critics and audiences.

With all that being said, I believe that the same thing might happen with The Acolyte. I have a feeling that the show might surprise us when it drops and turn out to be a hit. Of course, we don't know for sure, but until then, I say we should at least give this one a chance. Let's not be so quick to judge it.

[ravenlocksentwisted]

Politics in the current era of Star Wars are a muddled mess. In the original and prequel movies, George Lucas had some pretty straightforward ideological positions when it came to imperialism and corruption (respectfully).

I don't want to get into the quality of the sequel trilogy or any of the Disney Plus TV shows (or anything before that, really). I don't really care what anyone has to say about that, positive or negative.

But I watched the latest episode of The Mandalorian today, and I have some, uh. Questions. About the third episode of season 3 and how that ties into what we've seen of the New Republic so far (in the books and movies).

So here's what I got from this episode: Mandalorians are cool and need to go back to their ancestral path, which plunged the galaxy into full-scale war at least once and led to ongoing fracturing and civil war, plus a twice-glassed planet. Let's get them away from the hippie peace-loving ways of Bo-Katan's sister and father. We are most definitely assuming that the Children of the Watch cult has a real understanding of what Mandalorian culture was even like a few generation back.

Meanwhile, the flailing democracy of the New Republic remains rotten at its core and when it functions at all, swings from entirely useless to banally evil. At best, people involved in the New Republic turn a blind eye to let our heroes keep on keeping on.

What, exactly, is the ideology that Star Wars is currently based on? Because if a good chunk of the world building for the current the Star Wars universe is going to take cues from The Mandalorian, then we need to realize that this show is a Western. And since everybody's been taking a good hard look at the very American Confederate-flavoured tropes of Firefly lately, maybe it's time to peel back the onion on how Star Wars is currently portraying democracy in general.

[gaiagalit]

I posted 15,746 times in 2022

267 posts created (2%)

15,479 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 15,728 of my posts in 2022

#mcu - 2,061 posts

#israel - 1,960 posts

#photography - 1,809 posts

#bridgerton - 1,401 posts

#flowers - 1,384 posts

#arab israeli conflict - 742 posts

#costumes - 699 posts

#anti semitism - 695 posts

#tony stark - 631 posts

#jane austen - 599 posts

Longest Tag: 93 characters

#haven't watched this show since the middle of season 2 but i still love the creative costumes

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Part of the MCU's storytelling problems stem from the fact everything takes place in the same universe.  Endings are left open to lead into the next project.  And because it's gone on for so long we're seeing issues with continuity to the point that there's retconning and character derailment.  One of Endgame's issues was that it was an ending that wasn't; the MCU was still going to continue afterwards.

Instead of having Tony make the ultimate sacrifice and giving Steve….that ending, ALL of the Avengers and their allies share the Stones' power together and defeat Thanos.  No one has to die.  (And while we're at it, find some other way to get the Soul Stone so Natasha doesn't have to sacrifice herself).  Tony can retire from being Iron Man and settle down with his family, Steve can still pass the shield on to Sam but stay in the present, all the Avengers live...And that's that.  Avengers: Endgame concludes Phase 3.

Phase 4 should have been mostly just tying up loose ends from the previous phases.  A few ideas:

Dr. Strange vs. Mordo

Captain Marvel vs. The Kree

Spider-Man's fifth and final contracted MCU appearance be moved from Phase 3 to Phase 4 and would wrap up his arc properly with none of the tug of war between Disney and Sony.

The Black Widow movie can still happen pretty much as we saw it (with just a few minor story adjustments, that movie could have easily taken place after Endgame).

Captain America starring Sam, with Bucky as a sidekick.  Maybe even have Natasha and Yelena join them and/or a non-derailed Sharon Carter (who's an ally not the big bad).

Phase 4 can conclude with the multiverse.  Maybe have Wanda discover that Vision is alive in one universe, Pietro's alive in another, and she ends up breaking the multiverse trying to bring them together and Strange and some other heroes try to stop her and fix what she’s done.

Now that the multiverse is confirmed, Phase 5 could take place in one of those other universes.  That is, Phase 5 would be a rebooted MCU.  Here we can introduce the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Eternals, etc. and not worry about continuity issues with the previous phases.  Plus it would still allow actors to return for their roles if they wanted to, they'd just be playing different versions of themselves.

There's nothing wrong continuing the MCU itself.  The problem is continuing in its current continuity.  It needs a reboot.  This will prevent established characters from getting derailed and new characters and storylines won’t be held back by what came before.

10 notes - Posted August 9, 2022

#4

Dead Sea Salt Flats

Source: Nature in Israel: Photography by artist Noam Chen

13 notes - Posted April 2, 2022

#3

The Ancient Hidden Streets of Safed

Source: Pictures of Israel by Israeli photographer Noam Chen: Urban Landscapes

16 notes - Posted June 9, 2022

#2

Spider-Man: No Way Home makes Tony Stark's sacrifice even more tragic. Said sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame is already one of the saddest moments in the entire MCU. However, Spider-Man's latest solo outing (and his entire post-Endgame arc in general) make it even more heartbreaking than before.

16 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Tony Stark and Peter Parker's relationship was one of the most touching in the whole of the MCU. Here are some of the highlights.

Tony Recruits Peter To Join The Fight In Civil War

Tony Gives Peter A New Suit

Tony Goes For The Door And Peter Goes In For A Hug

“If You’re Nothing Without That Suit, Then You Shouldn't Have It.”

Tony Invites Peter To Join The Avengers

Tony Tries To Stop Peter From Coming To Space

“Mr. Stark, I Don’t Feel So Good.”

A Framed Picture Of Peter Inspires Tony To Invent Time Travel

Peter Comes Back To Life And Tony Is Delighted

Tony’s Uncle Ben Moment In Endgame

22 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

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[paullovescomics]

I'm partial to the "return to physical media" sentiment, partly because the problems with streaming and digital-only have become glaring, and also out of general cantankerousness. A few recent pieces have pointed out how unsustainable streaming appears to be, and the real problems it has caused for people who work in the entertainment industry (talking here about production crews, writers, and the 90-odd percent of actors who aren't top-billers). One of the arguments in this discussion that goes "now streaming costs as much as cable used to". It's very easy to just subscribe to one or two, watch what you want to watch, then cancel the subscription and try a different one. There may be a small number of people who feel compelled to buy lots of streaming services so they can keep up with everything, but presumably they would also feel the same about all the extra cable channels, so they'd be paying for the highest level cable tier and HBO, Cinemax, and so on.

But I went to my local cable monopoly's website to see what it costs now. Maybe they've cut prices since so many folks have cut the cord. Nope. The lowest-priced tier was $65. Even if you only bought the higher-priced streaming services, you could get four easy and have some change left over, and each one of those would have literally thousands of hours of stuff to watch. Plus, with cable you either have to watch it on their schedule, or pay for a DVR (or I guess it's a digital equivalent now) and hope that it actually catches the shows it's supposed to. And of course it's going to come with a lot of channels I'd never watch, and chances are good all of them include F-- News, which I do not want to support in any way.

So I think I'll stick with streaming for the foreseeable future. Between YouTube, Twitch, and Tubi, there's more than enough "free with ads" streaming. And I'm cool with only subbing to Paramount when there's new Lower Decks or Strange New Worlds, or Disney when there's a new Star Wars show (though I admit i'm mad about Acolyte not getting renewed, so I might be less eager to go back to that one). If AEW goes to HBO Max, even if it streams a week after the cable broadcast, I'll jump on that.

Not to mention that I don't have a real tv these days. After my last one died (only lasted a couple of years), I just stuck with my lap top. I really don't like modern TVs. The sound is awful, they look boring, and you can't do shit without the remote. Also, and I know I'm in the minority here, and my age is a big factor here since i grew up with TV looking a certain way, but the super HD picture looks fake to me. Watching a show where everything is perfectly lit, hardly even any shadows anywhere, everyone's make-up immaculate, sets where everything is perfectly in its place and there's not a mote of dust on anything makes it all feel very artificial. And I'm not the type to demand immersiveness (often when people talk about being immersed, or especially ads that promote a thing as immersive, I'm not sure I even know what they're talking about). I'm very aware that people on the screen are playing make believe and Im' being told a story by other people. That's a good thing, because I appreciate the storytelling skills of all these people, and the whole reason I seek out stories is to be told a good story. But these ultra high def things just look so fake. The fact that I've worn glasses since elementary school might play into it, too. There are few moments when the world I see doesn't have some fuzziness in it, at least at the edges.

[bearpillowmonster]

I know you see Moana 2, this year no less, but really it's not all that exciting. One of the reasons Moana was so good in the first place is because it was from Jon Musker and Ron Clements, who literally made the Disney Renaissance and Moana was their last film. Plus we had Lin Manuel Miranda basically at the top of his game because this made the most name for him, only after did he get all these other hit roles to play in the music department or even acting and well, none have hit as hard, so he's apparently not coming back.

I'm not discrediting whoever takes these people's place, I'm sure they do great work, which the director was already announced and he also did Raya which...brings me to Disney's most recent track record. They just haven't been doing so hot with good movies, I think maybe Encanto actually made a splash and everything else has been received mostly poorly. So who's to say how Moana 2 will be any different.

They also announced a series of other projects that were in the works and their release dates with Inside Out 2 and rough years for other sequels and a whole frickin Disney universe in Fortnite, you think this is a joke?

But you have to realize why they're doing this, why today just all of the sudden, I mean it's just a bit odd that- OH MY GOODNESS

They're baiting you. They're trying to cover up as much as they can saying "Look, look what we have in store this year, forget all about a few hours ago and what's to come later on." It's all so obvious, it's all so planted, even talking about it makes me cringe because it obviously worked to a degree. Don't let Disney trick you, talk about how they could very well lose this battle, give them a fight.

(It was also Disney's Quarter 1 Earnings Call but it's all so coincidentally placed, tell me it doesn't have SOMETHING to do with it. They had to have known it was coming and scheduled around it or even hastily posted the stuff that should stay under wraps)

Don't give in to the shill, resist their corporate branding. I mean how blantant can it be when they flex their companies all over Fortnite, there's literally an island with Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Fox, ESPN, their flipping cruise line and Disney+, that's horrifying. How corporate can you get? Even from just a design standpoint and this is coming from a Kingdom Hearts ride-or-die, they actually take care of their worlds and properties that they choose and then incorporate it into a story without trying to straight up market to you, it's that simple, KH fans know that Disney is just the side-piece to an already delicious meal. Fortnite won't be that. It will never be that. I don't care if you can access Disney+ inside a video game to watch with your friends (doesn't that go against what you cracked down on?) I don't care what maps or characters you have and it really goes to show that they don't give a flying f- anymore.

Nintendo wanted Samus in Fortnite as well as Epic Games but Nintendo wanted it exclusive to Switch (which isn't really possible given the nature of the game) but it goes to show that they're picky about what they choose to do and they can be. Back in the day, Kingdom Hearts had to fight to even get Mickey to appear and instead we got a 2 second silhouette and it was awesome. Now they're tossing him out like candy, yeah his copyright basically expired but then we have the violence factor. You shoot people...with guns...in Fortnite. You straight up murder people then dance over their corpses which would've been the pig's behind back then, every news station would be covering it saying that it's trying to corrupt children (those darn video games at it once again) and so Mickey isn't in a fighting game. But here we are. They censored Epic Mickey so that it wouldn't look too scary. But here we are. They've given up, they'll loan out to whoever offers the money because they're weak. I know it's hard but-

Get the old regime out and bring in a new brighter future, one not so corrupted by money and corporate ideals.

[kylekozmikdeluxo]

Particular About Planning

A couple of weeks ago, at Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm revealed three feature films to be in development. Films that seem to be the ones that are to actually go forward and actually be shot and finished and theatrically released. After a few years of Disney+ TV shows and many start-and-stops… How many proposed-but-scrapped STAR WARS movies are we at now? From Josh Trank’s Boba Fett movie to Patty Jenkins’ ROGUE SQUADRON to the movie Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was supposed to produce, there’s got to be like… What… 10 of them now?

I have little to say about STAR WARS, honestly. I’m more of a casual fan of the series, though there are things I admire about it. As a kid, I never really got into it, and I was the right age to do so when the Prequel Trilogy rolled around in the late 1990s/early 2000s… No, I was a weird kid, a weird preteen. I was into other, and sometimes more obscure pieces of fantasy/space adventure/sci-fi/what-have-you. I was more into SPYRO THE DRAGON, BIONICLE, FUTURAMA, JAK & DAXTER, MORTAL KOMBAT, just a random smorgasbord of stuff that wasn’t STAR WARS… I hadn’t seen a STAR WARS movie all the way through until 2011, when I blind-bought that old Blu-ray box set that contained both trilogies. I caught all three Sequel Trilogy movies in theaters (and worked through all three as well, I’m a movie theater employee!), along with the two spin-off movies, ROGUE ONE and SOLO… I haven’t seen a single Disney+ show, though I do plan to watch both the STAR WARS: VISIONS seasons. Otherwise, I’m kind of off the train. I wasn’t particularly fond of THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, and from the outside, it just looks like a franchise beholden to whiny fans who want everything to stay the same. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe this Dave Filoni/Jon Favreau side of the galaxy is pretty dang good, maybe it’s just “Star Wars, the way you like it.” Three seasons of THE MANDALORIAN, and all this other stuff in the works, plus all the CLONE WARS animated shows… Yeah, that’s commitment I’d have to set aside time for!

So, one common criticism I have seen of the Sequel Trilogy is that Lucasfilm and all the people involved didn’t have a plan… It seems like they do have a plan for this set of movies going forward, as Lucasfilm has now spent time thinking of options and what to do going forward while maintaining the Mando side of things. It always seemed weird to me that when Disney rolled out the big STAR WARS slate many years back, that the Sequel Trilogy entries were only two years apart as opposed to the traditional three years, and that there’d be a spin-off in-between… And plenty more in development. Plus, THE FORCE AWAKENS opening literally three years after Disney purchased Lucasfilm… It feels like it was a big case of everyone jumping in head-first and a lot of shit happening along the way.

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER came out in December 2019, and it’s unknown when the next STAR WARS feature film will come out. Disney does have Christmas 2025 and 2027 carved out for future STAR WARS features, but it remains to be seen if one of the planned movies - be it Dave Filoni’s MANDALORIAN finale, the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Rey movie, or James Mangold’s ancient times picture - actually makes it to that date. If one somehow does… That means a six year gap between two STAR WARS movies… The last gap was a whopping ten years between REVENGE OF THE SITH and THE FORCE AWAKENS, not counting the CLONE WARS prequel feature film that went to theaters in 2008. Even if we factor in that movie, that’s a 7-year gap! So, maybe they spent all this time formulating a “plan” going forward for new STAR WARS stories? After all, a new timeline was shown during the expo, so it seems like there’s a plan now?

Then again, depending on who you ask, the Original Trilogy didn’t have much of a plan, either, despite whole blueprints and mapped-out storylines from George Lucas. But this is all another story for another day… This franchise, to me, is just one big mess and you take what you like from it, I suppose!

So, why am I talking about STAR WARS anyways? Well, sometimes, I think of what’s going on with me when it comes to the stuff that I do…

Planning…

Sometimes I worry too much about planning, because I start to feel… If everything is all planned out, then I’m just filling in the holes, checking the boxes… And along the way, I lose the spontaneity in what it is I do: Writing stories, making comics, making art, etc.

At the end of December 2021, I launched a webcomic… It was me jumping right into doing something, head-first, without having much of a plan. Part of me also wanted to end such a terrible year with something good, so there was rushing on my part as well… I’m also 30 now, and when I was launching this comic, I had recently turned 29… I had spent a lot of my life writing stories that were meant to be bigger things in the future, so I hid a lot of what I actually do for such a long time, with very little else by way of art/comics/writings being out there online.

I was also art-shy for so many years… A whole era of younger folk posting their art, so spontaneously, on places such as DeviantArt? It all passed me by. 15-year-old me in 2007/08 was too afraid to do that, didn’t have the means to, either. I spent much of my young adult years blogging about animation and what was going on in the industry, barely ever posting art despite making (or trying to make) it… I hadn’t come up with a smaller, more sacrificial story or set of characters meant for this kind of thing… That I could share online, and possibly fail with. I wasn’t going to do that with one of my more personal and ambitious works… Now at the ripe age of 30, I am doing that. Or trying to. (Or wait, on the subject of STAR WARS. “Do or do not, there is no try”?)

I wanted to be spontaneous, I wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to finally get something loose and fun out there after years of not doing so…

The result? From December 2021 to September 2022, I had only produced 29 pages of vaguely-connected vignettes that were rather poorly-drawn (like I was learning stuff while making the panels for it), and there was next to no rhythm to any of it. The two leads just weren’t all that well-defined or really jumped off the images. I kept changing art styles, I went from wanting it to be a comic strip-sort of thing to a chapter made up of individual pages. I’ve always loved drawing comics, I’ve drawn pretty much my whole life, but this was disastrous… And it hit me once I got the high-20s… I felt like I was “doing it” to “do it”, rather than for the passion. Instead of going at all the crazy ideas I had, I dreaded putting in the work, as I had felt rushed and had to churn out something good-looking while meeting an imposed deadline. The idea in my head and the scenes I pictured so easily did not, at all, match up with the results. There was some lore and backstory cooked up before a single page was published, but again, didn’t seem to register… This kind of “do it, do it, do it” model clearly did not work, and my best ideas didn’t even come out of it…

So, I took it back… The comic is still up on its site, but it’s now known as the “beta version”. I am slowly undertaking a complete overhaul of this first chapter of the comic. It has been retitled, and a few small pages called “Quickies” have been released along with some various concept art and pieces… Back to square one, it seems… And part of me is like… I still want to make stuff for this comic if the actual chapter takes the rest of the year to make. I have other life obstacles in my way right now, such as my recent move into my apartment, bills, work, finding a new job, other endeavors, etc….

It’s good to have a plan…

But not TOO MUCH of a plan…

Not to the point where every single thing is mapped out, and you’re just checking boxes when you actually get to creating the thing. But a looser plan that allows for the spontaneity and improvisation and great last-minute ideas to flow? I think that’s good for me, given the way I work.

The three “Quickies” that I did from this past September to January were fun ways for me to get the characters back out there, and give a better idea of what the comic is going to be like, and what kind of world these characters inhabit. And who the main character is, first and foremost! I’ll likely revise those segments once more and work them into the main chapter, as a lot is going to be changed in the coming months. The “beta version” is really just all part of that development process at this point, I guess like accidentally releasing scrapped designs and a poorly-made version long before the thing is supposed to be fine-tuned and released.

To reiterate, with planning, I simply have to find the right balance and get stuff out there without forcing it.

[amoveablejake]

A Never Ending Story

Tales of The Jedi

When Disney Plus first appeared onto the scene it didn’t have a great deal of content. Yes, it did have a wealth of Disney films and Disney Channel TV shows but it didn’t have the original series and films that Netflix and the other streaming rivals had become to be known for. It did however, launch with a title called ‘The Mandalorian’ which proved to be one of the best ‘Star Wars’ projects of recent years, actually no, best ‘Star Wars’ projects since the inception of the franchise. Disney would then go on to use its streaming platform to provide series for other franchises with different levels of success. Now, a few years down the line Disney Plus has grown to be a streaming platform behemoth like its rivals and it is frequently putting out new content. They have however, remained restrained with their ‘Star Wars’ offerings which I am very happy about. Yes, there are more titles than there have ever been but they are still spaced out enough to make each visit to the world feel unique and special in its own way. Over the last few weeks though, two new shows have been released, one ‘Andor’ that continues to be a revelation week in, week out and has surpassed all of my expectations. The other, is a six episode series of shorter animated episodes called ‘Tales of The Jedi’ and it is, well, its perfect. 

When ‘Tales of The Jedi’ was announced I was very excited. I do like the ‘Star Wars’ animated series such as ‘The Clone Wars’ and ‘The Bad Batch’ very much so another entry in that style was always going to be appreciated. When I found out though that ‘Tales of the Jedi’ was going to be about two Jedis, Ahsoka Tano and Dooku, thats when my excitement really began to increase. Ahsoka Tano is a fantastic character and one that I always enjoy seeing and her three episodes of the series offer an even greater insight into a beautifully developed character however, the real star of the show here are the three Dooku episodes. They are, quite frankly, breathtakingly good. They’re the sort of episodes that you wouldn’t necessarily know that you wanted but then the moment you see them and you learn more about the character you will question why you never knew these points in the first place. Dooku now is a much more rounded character and one that has one of the richest backstories in all of ‘Star Wars’. His path to the Dark Side is one that I will be thinking about a great deal and I think I will be revisiting again. With these series, my favourite thing about them is that different parts of the galaxy and the lore are being explored so piece by piece this universe is continuing to grow and grow or rather its being enriched and I can’t wait to see what new, unexpected story is next. 

If you will, I would like to change path for a moment here to end this week’s piece. I have been rather unsure what I wanted to write about this week as nothing felt quite right. I did have an idea but in the end I just couldn’t face it. Maybe another time. Instead I turned to ‘Star Wars’ as I so often have during times like this and it provided the warmth that I was looking for. It is a funny time of year and today is never an easy day. It has been many years but I still don’t really know what to say and whilst this may seem to be a bit more of a rambling end here I wanted to say something, even if it only makes sense to me. So yes, I am always thinking of him, today especially. 

-Jake, a man breathing in and out, 06/11/2022

[kanerallels]

hi friend!! it’s been a hot minute since I’ve watched through the Star Wars movies and I kinda want to watch the shows but I’m worried I’ll forget the context of the movies they’re in so if you have time

could you maybe make me a chronological list of the order in which to watch the Star Wars movies and shows? (i know there’s arguments about the right order to watch the movies but I just want to see it in chronological order)

YES ABSOLUTELY IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE TO DO THIS!!!! Thanks for thinking of me to ask this!

Okay, I shall do this chronologically as requested! (I'm assuming you mean chronologically in universe, not for when they were released)

1. The Phantom Menace

2. Attack of the Clones

3. The Clone Wars (animated movie)

4. The Clone Wars (animated tv show, 2008-2020. There's a 2003 version as well, but I haven't seen that and can't really place it in this timeline. I'd just go with this one)

5. Revenge of the Sith (for the record, you might want to watch this before season seven of the Clone Wars, but it's not a requirement)

6. Solo: A Star Wars Story

7. Star Wars: Rebels (the greatest animated tv show in all the land and yes I am biased lol)

8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

9. A New Hope

10. Empire Strikes Back

11. Return of the Jedi

12. The Mandalorian (only available on Disney Plus, and also not TOTALLY necessary to understand everything else. But it's super good, and has some fun cameos from the earlier movies/shows!)

13. The Force Awakens

14. The Last Jedi

15. The Rise of Skywalker

There are a few other shows that aren't super important to the plot line that I didn't include, and I didn't include the many, many books lol. But I'd be happy to answer questions about those as well!! Let me know if you have any other questions!

[themovieblogonline]

Eman Esfandi Joins Star Wars Show 'Ashoka' As Ezra Bridger

Disney has cast Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger in it's upcoming Star Wars series, Ashoka. Ezra Bridger first appeared on the animated show Star Wars Rebels. The young Jedi in training quickly became a fan favorite and over the course of the show's run, he grew into a full blown Jedi. Until now, Ezra Bridger was only ever represented in animation; however, all that is about to change when Ashoka hits Disney Plus. Ashoka will star Rosario Dawson as the titular Ashoka Tano, and as of now, the show still has no release date. Rosario Dawson made her live-action debut as the fan-favorite Ashoka Tano on the Disney Plus series, The Mandalorian. She also appeared in The Book of Boba Fett. Disney has been pretty secretive about the show, but we do know it will also star Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Ray Stevenson. Hayden Christensen will also return as Anakin Skywalker, which is sure to delight fans. The character of Ashoka Tano began on Star Wars the Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker's young apprentice. Over the course of the show she matured and became a formidable warrior. When last we saw her she was an adult and Ashoka will likely continue her story from where we left her on The Book of Boba Fett.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eman Esfandi has joined the cast of Ashoka as fan-favorite Jedi Ezra Bridger. Bridger was originally voiced by Taylor Gray on Star Wars Rebels. There is no denying that Esfandi looks the part and he's got the acting chops to boot. Eman Esfandi has starred in a few films including Red 11 and best picture nominee King Richard. He joins a growing cast that keeps getting better and better with each actor announced. Fans are sure to be excited by this news, as Ezra Bridger finally makes the transition to Star Wars live-action. This is just awesome casting on the part of Disney. He certainly looks the part, and based on his age, we will likely be picking up with Bridger shortly after the events of Star Wars Rebels. As a fan of Star Wars Rebels I couldn't be more excited. Given what happened to Bridger in the finale of the show I'm excited to see where he went from there. Also, this casting validates Rebels place in the Star Wars canon. I know all Star Wars properties are official cannon, but it also feels like live-action is taken more seriously than the animated ones. Maybe that's just me projecting, but that's what it feels like. Now that Bridger will be portrayed in live-action, the events and characters of Rebels can take their rightful place in the Star Wars universe. Just as Ashoka appearing in The Mandalorian validated The Clone Wars. Sadly, Ashoka has no release date yet but I can't wait to see it when it hits Disney Plus. Source: The Hollywood Reporter Read the full article

[nuttynutcycle]

Movie Night

Part Two here

"Is this a Star Wars or Star Trek night?"

Villain glanced back and forth between the two titles, conflicted.

"My gut says Star Wars." Hero answered. They split the popcorn into separate bowls and brought them over to where Villain was sitting. Hero took Empire Strikes Back and began the setup. A sound of rustling papers came from behind them.

"Lion King."

"Nope." Hero replied over their shoulder. They heard Villain scribble something down.

"Thirteen going on Thirty."

Hero considered lying, but didn't feel like going through the cross-examination. "Also nope."

"Sharknado."

"That can't be a real thing." Movie ready, they took a seat beside Villain on the couch. "How many are on your must-see list for me now?"

Villain double-checked their worn notebook. "Around 70."

One movie a night - that was going to take months to get through. Time spent away from keeping people safe. And if the current evening death toll kept up… Hero did the math and paled.

Seeing the look on their face, Villain took a fistful of popcorn from Hero's bowl. “A shame you didn't spend more of your past watching famous movies. Calm down; you're well on your way to interacting in society without making a fool of yourself."

"Ah yes, because Star Wars references are incredibly useful in saving lives." Hero snapped. Honestly, they didn't see the appeal behind the franchise. What kind of antagonist's main intimidation tactic was breathing loudly? Who wears a cape in space? Plus, Hero still wasn't sure who had shot first in A New Hope.

To be fair, they would have enjoyed the movie a lot more without the terrified sobbing coming from the corner.

Blindfolded, gagged and restrained with earplugs, the civilians were never aware of their purpose. Every night a new one would be taken and, if Hero behaved, released when the movie was over.

The first time Villain showed up on their doorstep with a hostage, Hero had leapt to free the shaking young woman. Villain broke her arm in retaliation without blinking an eye.

After a few weeks, Hero had gotten somewhat used to the terrified leverage Villain held over them. If anything, the civilian would be safe for the evening while Hero was out of commission. Whoever was paying Villain to keep Hero 'entertained' excelled at spreading the news of Hero's newfound break time to the rest of the underground. Crime and death rates skyrocketed during those evening hours. Watching the reports later was always the worst part of Hero's guilt-ridden mornings.

"I'll try to grab a quieter one next time. This is really putting a damper on the experience." Villain turned their head to glare at the oblivious civilian.

"Not like it will make this movie any worse. I can feel it lowering my IQ." Better to aim the angry villain at themselves. They knew from experience how much Villain adored movies and the brutal reaction to criticism.

Malice emanated from the Villain as they leaned back with a calculating tilt of their head.

"Darth Vader is Luke's father and Leia is his twin sister."

"… real mature revenge. Thanks for spoiling the trilogy for me, dickhead."

Villain grinned, the tension defusing. "I feel like I just deflowered you in some way. How does it feel to be spoiled?"

"Shut up." Hero grumbled, turning their attention back to the movie. Excluding the civilian's sobbing and Villain's hysterical laughter during Luke and Leia's kiss, the rest of the film passed quickly. Hero even found themselves getting lost in scenes before a siren would go by. They'd grit their teeth and try to ignore Villain patting their shoulder in mock comfort.

Once the movie ended, Villain handed the hostage off to their lackey waiting outside the house and paused. Turning back to face Hero, Villain closed the door behind them. "This Thursday, we're doing a full day of Disney. You're running low on popcorn, make sure you pick some up tomorrow."

Hero froze. Their blood ran cold at the words, at the thought of what could be accomplished in that time. "What’s your boss planning?" they asked quietly.

"She's gotten tired of holding back." An excited, almost manic gleam entered Villain's eyes. "Don't worry, I think you'll love what we do with the city."

Pure fury at the Villain and their own helplessness took over. Hostage forgotten, they lunged for Villain. They managed to crack one hit before invisible hands gripped and slammed them against the wall.

"Don't do anything stupid." Villain warned. They rubbed the spot Hero had struck them, a sharp shiner rising. "Against my better judgement, I've grown fond of our movie nights. I would hate for you to be distracted from Return of the Jedi by human remains all over your couch."

The hands on Hero tightened, and breathing suddenly shot to the top of their priority list. They fought for air. "Why… why are you telling me about Thursday?"

"Who knows? Maybe I like making threats. Reminding you of the position you're in. Maybe I like how you look when you're angry." Villain straightened their clothes and let Hero drop, satisfied with their point made. "Or maybe, like I said earlier, it's the popcorn. Seriously. Get some of that popcorn salt too."

Hero gasped for breath from their place on the floor. "Anything else I should get? Before the big day?"

Villain laughed, kneeling beside them. "I'm not that easy, Hero. You won't get any information out of me. Let's just say I'm very excited." They lifted Hero's chin, probing Hero with a piercing gaze. "Are you going to cooperate?"

After some hesitation on Hero's part, they nodded.

"See, I told her you would behave. Nice to know you're still predictable." They stood, giving a mocking smile before leaving Hero's house for the night.

Clenching their fists, Hero marched over to the couch and searched it for any bugs Villain might have concealed. The same process was repeated for the rest of the room. Satisfied, Hero sat and placed their head in their hands. 24 hours for the criminals to do whatever they wanted in the city… Hero shuddered at the thought.

Their situation was not, as Villain assumed, completely binding of Hero's ability to do their job. It just made it impossible to do without loss.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"Hero is going to be out of commission on Thursday. You need to call in heroes from other cities. The criminal underground is preparing -"

The operator interrupted. "Slow down. How do you know this?"

Hero took a deep breath. What good is a hero with no one to protect?

When it came down to it, they chose people over their secret identity every time.

[blaineandsamevanderson]

What's in your WIP folder?

Oh boy, that’s a big ask! I tend to start writing a fic and get distracted. Some of these are super old and I keep meaning to get back to them, but the muses are fickle.

Hawaii Five 0

On the Right Track Babe ~ When a case leads to an undercover assignment, certain things are uncovered (Mcdanno)

Untitled ~ Danny works a detail at Honolulu Pride cuz he figures if there’s gotta be a police presence at Pride that some of the cops should be part of the community (Mcdanno)

9-1-1/9-1-1 LoneStar

The Date ~ Buck gets ready for a date after his shift at the firehouse...and a hot guy show to pick him up. Hot guy is Dylan, the hot EMT played by Nyle DiMarco on a Station 19 episode where they were fighting wildfires in CA. (Buddie)

Chopped ~ Buck competes on a firefighter edition of Chopped (Buddie)

BBQ ~ Carlos takes TK to a family BBQ (Tarlos)

Untitled Buddie Soulmates fic ~ When someone falls in love, they are marked, a signal appearing on their skin to commemorate that their heart was connected to another. Many couples bore marks for one and other, but only in rare occasions, do they wear the same mark. When two people loved each other and were true soulmates, they shared a mark. (Buddie)

Special Report ~ The news runs a story about the Tsunami on the anniversary (Buddie)

Untitled ~ Buck offers to go as Josh’s plus one to a wedding (undecided ship)

Untitled ~ Eddie hurts his hands and is frustrated. Buck is a good friend and lends a hand ;) (Buddie)

Untitled 9-1-1/Prodigal Son Crossover ~ What is says on the tin

Glee (All Blam)

Running Mates ~ When Blaine Anderson becomes the Democratic nominee for the presidency, he has to pick a VP. A Glee/West Wing fusion

Let’s Marvin Gaye ~ So, idea: In Senior year, Artie decides to get some more directorial experience by making music videos of his friends covering songs. One in particular is a hit, Blaine and Brittany’s cover of Charlie Puth/Meghan Trainor’s song Marvin Gaye…but unlike the actual video, they don’t share a kiss. Both Blaine and Britt have their own storylines in the video, Sam and Santana acting as their respective partners, culminating with kisses like in the video…though Artie doesn’t fade to black fast…It quickly goes viral :)

The Smell of Fresh Cut Grass on Sun Soaked Skin ~ Summer before S2, Sam’s family has just moved to Lima and he’s making extra cash by doing yard work. Gets hired by Mrs. Anderson and he and Blaine meet.

The Most Magical Place on Earth ~ Sam is called to a meeting by Blaine's parents. They sit him down and say that of all of Blaine's friends, Sam is the most reliable, the most trustworthy and the nicest. So they have chosen (maybe even hire) him to keep an eye on Blaine because Blaine tends to go crazy when he takes this annual trip. Cooper couldn't handle him. Kurt couldn't take it. But they think Sam can. When Blaine does his annual week-long trip to Disney World, Sam goes with him. Oh what could possibly happen?

Mutual Admiration ~ Famous male model Sam Evans is on Ellen to promote his new GQ magazine spread and when asked about celebrity crushes he reveals he’s crushing on Broadway star Blaine Anderson.

Friends, Love & Homecoming ~ S2 AU ~ Post 2x03 – Sam joined glee in 2x01 and is not dating Quinn. Not dating anyone at McKinley, cuz he’s with Blaine. When Homecoming rolls around, he wants to take him, so he tells the club. I want reactions!

Drunk on A Plane ~ After being left at the altar, Blaine decides to use the Honeymoon tickets himself. AU ~ where Sam never moved to Lima and he and Blaine meet later in life.

Cruise Ship Coincidence ~ Future fic slightly AU (no Klaine engagement or Samcedes stuff or they broke up already). During a cruise, Kurt and Rachel bump into newlywed Blaine and Sam, who are on their honeymoon after haven’t saw them in years

DCTV

Crossovers

Untitled Bake Off AU ~ DCTV characters on Bake Off (Captain Canary, Winnara and others)

Stretch Right Up and Touch the Sky ~ Camp STAR is one of the North East’s most popular science camps. Every year, young minds arrive to learn and explore. Unfortunately, a few weeks before the camp was to open for the season, a large explosion in one of the labs and the ensuing fire made the camp uninhabitable. Not wanting his campers to miss out on their summer, Owner Harrison Wells called up Joe West, Owner of Camp Superflarrow, who he knew was looking to expand the science discovery program at his own camp. (Captain Canary, Winnara and others)

Untitled Beach Town AU ~ Beach Town AU: Sara Lance (16) and her sister Laurel (17) are invited to spend the summer at the summer beach house of Laurel’s friend Oliver (17). There, they meet a variety of people, townies, other vacationers, etc…and one townie in particular, Leonard Snart (17) catches Sara’s interest :) (Captain Canary, Winnara and others)

Untitled Actors AU ~ An AU where the Legends of Superflarrow characters are actors playing heroes (or part of the crew for the tv/movie) and Sara is one of the heroes and Leonard is one of the villains and their chemistry inspires the writers to give his character a redemption arc… (Captain Canary and others)

Captain Cold Comes to National City ~ Based on a thread started by this tumblr post: I’ve got it! Due to the Oculus’s destruction, Len Snart is blown through the time-space continuum. He awakens in a universe not his own, with a girl in a red skirt… not to mention a red cape… standing over him (Captain Canary, Winnara and others)

Legends of Tomorrow

A Tale of Two Snarts ~ A familiar face returns in an unexpected way (Captain Canary)

Land of the Lost ~ The Legends try to figure out how they’re going to fix time and find a lost friend along the way. Spoilers for the Season 2 Finale!!!! (Captain Canary)

Marvel

Rewinding the Clock ~ In the Marvel world, even old age isn't a constant...

We’ve Come A Long Way From Where We Began ~ Picking up where Infinity War ends….

Star Trek

Georgia Time ~ A follow Up the The Journey Home and Beyond set right after Kirk et all graduate but before they ship out. (McKirk maybe?)

Teen Wolf

Finding Home ~ After the Battle of Beacon Hills, life goes on. (Thiam & Mahealahey & Others)

Model Behavior ~ Isaac gets a job as an Abercrombie greeter (before the ban) and Danny's his trainer. (Mahealahey)

The Full Moon Job (Crossover with Leverage) ~ An alternate version of Teen Wolf Season 6. Wet after the pack pretends to leave Beacon Hills, but after that, all timelines are chucked, characters are brought back and fun is had (Thiam & Mahealahey & Others)

Stay All Day in the Sun ~ When Theo isn't around, the pack starts to wonder where he's going off to.... (Thiam & Mahealahey & Others)

Untitled Actors AU ~ Liam and Theo are actors on a hit tv show. Their characters are enemies with crackling chemistry, but no one suspects it cuz they’re together off screen (Thiam)

Untitled Actors AU 2 ~ What if Danny was one of the cast of a popular show about werewolves? Possibly called Teen Wolf, for the fans of the Meta and, in Season 2, they bring in some new characters, including one played by Isaac. Their characters aren’t supposed to have too much interaction initially, but soon everyone sees the chemistry… (Mahealahey)

[max--phillips]

It isn't the same with Star Wars it seems, they've gotten a lot better at pacing themselves with releases. There's been (to my knowledge):

-2 seasons of The Mandalorian (third one coming next year) -5 movies (3 sequels, Rogue One, and Solo) -The Bad Batch (1 season, second season coming later this year) -1 season of The Clone Wars (the final season) -TBOBF mini-series -Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series -Andor

And that's in the span of 7 or 8 years since they acquired Lucasfilm? So like 7 things total if I'm counting it correctly (I'm very likely missing something). Obviously that's not counting all the announced stuff or stuff that's currently in development like Ahsoka or other shows. But still it seems like it's more evenly paced out and it doesn't seem like there's 92 releases per year like with Marvel. It's still a lot and Disney needs to treat their employees better, but it's not a content factory like the MCU is.

For sure! Plus SW doesn’t have as wide ranging of an audience as the MCU does, so there isn’t quite as much demand for content. But yeah, since acquiring Lucasfilm, we got technically 3 seasons of TCW (LFL was acquired in 2012, season 5 aired on CN but was after that deal went thru, then Netflix released a season in 2014), Rebels, Resistance, The Bad Batch, Visions, Mando, TBOBF, Obi-Wan Kenobi, some show I did not know existed bc it was on StarWarsKids.com (which I also did not know existed) called Jedi Temple Challenge????, some animated micro series (total of 8), obviously the sequel trilogy, Rogue One, Solo, Biomes, A Droid Story, & will be getting Tales of the Jedi, Young Jedi Adventures (which 2 b fair is a kids show), Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, The Acolyte, Lando, whatever Taika Waititi is directing, and maybe Rogue Squadron but that’s apparently not even on the release schedule anymore.

So that’s a grand total of 9 shows released plus some mini series that barely count, 5 movies, a couple shorts, and 7 more shows and one movie in the works, plus a few additional seasons of shows already released (Mando, TBB, Visions, Andor apparently is already getting a second season). And I’m sure that since they had something to do with the games that have/are coming out since Disney owns LFL & Lucasarts is part of LFL. KOTOR has had a couple rereleases, The Old Republic is still kicking & has had expansions released in the last year, we’ll be getting a KOTOR remake, Battlefront, Jedi: Fallen Order, and we’ll be getting Jedi: Survivor next year, there was a VR game called Vader Immortal, Star Wars: Squadrons, another VR game called Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, a mobile & switch game called Hunters, and then we’ll get Star Wars: Eclipse at some point. Not to mention the LEGO Star Wars games, of which Disney would’ve had input in LSW: The Force Awakens (2016) & the new Skywalker Saga game. There was apparently a Minecraft DLC in 2020? And a Sims 4 DLC in 2020.

Still a lot of content (especially if you take into account the sheer number of books & comics in this universe) but yeah not quite the same content farm in just movies & shows as the MCU.