#the realism of the characters and the chemistry too omg

[ryansjane]

just finished itsay and bruhhh that was an experience. gonna be a bit of an ass here but i don't like bl dramas (not gonna get into it too much but jesus they are often such trash IM SORRY- i'm sure you can come up with a few reasons), so i had a few reservations. i only ended up watching it because i came across some gifs randomly and the cinematography was immaculate. i need to just express why i love itsay so much.

the positive female/side characters, there is no misogyny and the love triangles aren't made to make you hate anyone, they get you thinking. everyone in the show acts like an actual normal person lol I just love them all and want good things for them. the guys in the friend group not all pairing up like this is matchmaker. the cinematography. the certain realism and simplicity, between the filming location, script and editing (no slowmo and same 2 ballads repeated every 5 minutes god bless). the chemistry between the two actors and lack of awkwardness that generally make me cringe in these shows, cause some of those actors look like they want to be anywhere else lol

you just know this show wasn't created to pander to cishet audiences, even if it's overshadowed by the BL drama label (not saying bl dramas can't be good like itsay but they get lumped in with the many other bad ones sadly). you can just tell the creators set out to make something good. you see companies pumping out these like (im sorry) porn-quality (though full respect to those on a budget, it's more @ those who dont put in effort) low-effort dramas simply because it's what gets views.

this is not some bl drama it is a piece of art and i wish it wasn't marketed as such because i would love to recommend it to other people and not be associated with fetishisers. i would LOVE to see it be given the same respect/hype as films like call me by your name. to you know, see some mainstream lgbt rep that is not white and doesn't have a gross age gap. speaking of which the MELANIN thoughhh omg and it's not presented as a flaw or made fun of by any of the characters i love it, just adds to the realism.

now i know a lot of people criticise the crying in this show but it honestly made sense so i didn't mind it, it wasn't like a constant thing. mind you this is coming from someone who legit cannot take tears seriously in films/shows like i have to look away 95% of the time because i will laugh lmao. during the first few episodes i was like huh? is this just a wholesome trauma-free gay story? which can definitely be good!! but i think a lot of these dramas just get it so wrong so i was like ehh, i think this show found a good balance though personally.

i think my favourite episodes were 2 and 3.

1/2. SORRY HAHA.

TLDR; WATCH THIS SHOW I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR IT AND IT HAS SO MUCH RESPECT FOR THE PEOPLE IT'S REPRESENTING.

I also just want to talk about how this show resonated with me personally.

1. ya girl's actually a first year uni student studying communications so i was like ayy. tbh the series made me kinda find passion for one of my study units (film studies) because damn i understand what it is to appreciate cinematography and good direction now.

2. my signature scent is coconut as well!

3. i am in love with the filming location. i love those beachy towns with colourful buildings and kids running around/biking. it's truly my aesthetic and the type of place i want to live.

4. this show really made me kinda think about my sexuality. like i don't identify with any label i'm just vibing (leaning on the male side though). watching the two yearn for eachother and be confused was kind of comforting? definitely helped me paint a clearer picture regarding how i feel about girls.

5. listen childhood best friends to enemies to lovers is my shit so that being the basis of this beautiful show is just *chef's kiss*

i just enjoyed the series a lot and as i said i wish it wasn't labelled as a bl drama because i feel that it got so many things right, a lot of people could benetit from it.

Okayyy it's over im sorry hahaha

2/2

my face when I saw your long ass message lmaooo, I didn’t even know you could send messages that long :’) okay so this is gonna be a long ass response as well. as a bl drama fan, let me just defend bl dramas for a minute jiduiudedsj! so while bl started out as a genre for straight women, today I’d say a great majority of the fandom is lgbtq+, meaning that the writers have started to realize that people want actual representation. and don’t get me wrong, while a great majority of bl dramas are mediocre as hell, some even trash, more & more have started being REALLY good. so I understand your reluctance but for me it’s not bl that is tainting itsay with its label but itsay that is showing what bl truly is & can do. at the end of the day bl is still mlm representation no matter the quality of the show & it still promotes love and equality for all. yes there’s a long ass way to go for every show to be good but I believe we’ll get there someday lol. NOW, I agree with everything you say about this show, I won’t go back on every point you made but yes everything was genuinely immaculate. I must admit I freaking laughed at the ‘porn-quality’ shows reference bc a few shows popped into my head jknshnjqhb. also when you say ‘it’s not a bl drama it’s a piece of art’, I just have to answer: why can’t it be both? at this point the definition for a bl drama would be ‘a show that focuses on a love story between men.’ it’s said or written nowhere that bl shows are bad, or can’t be art. again just bc the majority of bl shows are bad doesn’t mean the whole genre is synonym with being bad. it’s like saying that bc most horror movies are trash the whole genre is trash. also the bl label is what made itsay so big, if it was just labeled as a gay series or idk what else it wouldn’t have been as seen & appreciated. which now that I think about it could not happen bc any thai gay series falls under the bl label. the crying on the show was a lot, but it’s what made it special in my eyes. it wasn’t crying for the sake of crying, it wasn’t angst for the sake of angst, it was all there for a reason & to show us that those are teenagers who are growing, learning & evolving. and that usually comes with some tears. my favorite episodes were also 2 & 3! also my signature scent is also coconut as well lmao, I never realized :’) and yes the childhood best friends to enemies to friends to lovers trope........... PERFECTION. anyway it was fun to receive such a long ask lmao, but I do hope I can change your mind about bl, bc at the end of the day you can decide not to watch it or to dislike it, but at least know that itsay being associated with bl is not a bad thing by any means. it doesn’t lower its quality at all, yet it increases the percentage of good shows there is under this genre. have a good day!

xxx

[twopoppies]

Hi! I was going through your fic masterpost and I noticed there’s no fic where one of them (or both) is a royal.Do you have any recs in that regard? Thank you so much! x

oooh….I do love a good royalty fic!

adjudication by @bottomlinsons (M, 75K) This is a really unique fic with political intrigue as the heart of the storyline. Wonderfully developed world building, and a suspenseful plot. There’s a love story, but it’s more of a catalyst for everything else that happens. The author has said they’re continuing this ‘verse. Link is to a download

Howls Like A Beast (You Flower You Feast) by @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 17K) This author’s writing is poetic without being too precious, descriptive in a way that paints a gorgeous portrait without piling on unimportant detail, and their smut is sexy af. I love all of their fics, but this is a personal favorite because it combines so many of my favorite things (supernatural elements, Versailles, Larry, and smut…what more could you want? LOL). 

Nothing But You On My Mind by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense (E, 84K) I couldn’t put this down from the minute I started. Everything about it was such fun. Terrific banter, great chemistry, unique story, beautiful writing. I literally read the first 9 chapters in one sitting. Starting at 1:30 in the morning (like an idiot).

Victorian Boy by audreyheart (E, 101K) For anyone that hasn’t read this yet, it’s delightfully unique and layered with a little of everything – hate to love, romance, intrigue, action, betrayal, sex, and more. It’s well written, keeps you guessing, and it’s sexy – in a wonderfully Victorian way. 

Wear It Like A Crown by zarah5 (E, 141K) One of my favorites from this author. Really unique storyline, complex characters, great smut, great pacing. Link is to a download

You Take Me Over, You’re The Magic In My Veins by supernope (E, 36 K) Medieval princes pining forever. Plus, magical realism and some excellent smut. What more could you want?

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream by togetherwecouldbealright (M, 123K) I read this one so, so long ago that all I remember is that I loved it, that there’s some really romantic and sweet moments, and that my notes from way back when only say, “OMG this one is so good! And I’ve barely gotten to the smut!” HAHAHAHA! (This fic has been deleted. Link is to a download)

Celebrity Discount by LoadedGunn (T, 27K) I read this one so long ago, I actually don’t recall details, but my notes say, “Sweet. Good banter. Definitely not enough smut” LOL! Which is not surprising, given that it’s rated T. However, this author always writes well and I’m going to trust old me on this one.  

Glow by dolce_piccante (M, 41K) This is an Alien AU mixed with a little bit of Royalty AU and it’s just lovely and bittersweet and sexy. 

[cinnasbooks]

Review of Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (Spoiler Free)

Stars: 4.5/5

This was such a cute book, my goodness. I loved all the sentiment behind everything, all the relationships, the friendships and the chemistry between each and every character. It was so well written.

Let's start with Penny. Love her. Love her hair - I really want it if it looks anything like the cover. She's basically me and i've never related to a character so much in my life. Worries about everything? Check. Worries about those she loves. Check. Is prepared for a literal apocalypse. Check. Will not open to anyone until they know them really well. Check. My only issue with Penny was how she treated her mum, but that was resolved well and there was a pretty damn good reason behind it. Also I didn't see Penny's biggest secret coming. It was a shock, which doesn't often happen in books I read?

Sam. Sam Sam Sam. Where's my Sam? Honestly what a hard-working cutie. He's just doing his best in this world and it's all you can ask of him. His first relationship in the book was toxic and particularly frustrating but so necessary for the following plot omg. I can't rave about Sam enough. New book boyfriend anyone?

The plot was great. Good twists every here and there and I like the setting a lot. I found a few characters unnecessary like Mallory and Andy... I guess it's realistic to have them there but idk they just felt like side baggage a bit... hence the -.5 stars... Back to the plot. Just when you thought you knew where the story was going there was just a casual realistic bomb planted in between the pages... nothing to worry about EXCEPT ITS SO GOOD.

I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book is. If you follow my reviews you know I struggle with romance books/ YA / Teen romance books and realism. this was realistic. Love it.

I recommend it for 16+ yo there are some sexual assault references so please be aware of that if you are sensitive to such topics. There are other heavier topics too including alcohol and other addictions so keep that in mind but they're not too predominant.

[irageneveart]

I rly liked ur rfa hc, and was wondering if I could ask for one about the rfa and horror movies? Like what each members fav movie or monster/etc would be, or how they'd react to horror movies! It's cool if u dont wanna, ur just the only person I've seen doing those that likes horror too, and I rly rly wanna mix the two together cause i love both~

wow anony you’re making me smile so much! thank you for the feedback, I’m a sucker for that sjkdfdifhd and I’m very very happy you enjoyed those HCs!!!

I’m honored to be able to answer this for you haha it’s good to be in totally different and weird fandoms xDDDD

I hope you enjoy these, it was fun to think what they would like and the reasons why, I hope I did well. under the cut cause I don’t like covering someone’s entire dash jdskfdsn

thank youuu for your request and sweet words o/

RFA and their favorite horror movies

ZEN

you’d expect Zen to be “MC these aren’t real / don’t worry I’ll protect you” but he’s actually scared during the movie lmao

ofc, he won’t ever say it out loud but, Zen, you don’t sweat and grab the couch at every jumpscare because you find the movie boring pls

no series movies because he doesn’t know if he has time to watch them every day and he doesn’t want to disappoint you. he will watch any movie you pick tho

the movie has to be at least decent in plotting, he can pick up bad acting really fast and it will just ruin the movie for him. if the main protagonist is just a screaming lady in distress he won’t be really impressed by the movie

he enjoys the most those with a bit of romance on the side. he liked the chemistry between the scientist and the journalist from “The Fly”, he understood the drive of Candyman from the movie with the same name, he even liked “Only Lovers Left Alive” even if you found it completely slow and boring. I know I did

his favorite tho has to be “The Shape of Water”. it had a bit of love, a bit of plot, a bit of gore and well written and diverse characters

after it ended he acted a bit in front of you, telling you he loves you without words and taking you in for a slow dance because you are his Eliza

what a sappy bastard gosh i love him

YOOSUNG

needless to say all of them scare him lol but he will act brave because what if they scare you! and you need him!!

he likes long series that you two can go on marathon with, blankets and snacks are mandatory

if you just finished binge watching a show this week, next week you can put on the Halloween series and so on. he’s fine with most slasher movies, but somehow still hopes people will escape even if you know damn well there’s just one survivor in these movies come on Yoo

the one that stuck with him the most has to be “Happy Death Day”. he found it relatable, the student life and the way he found it funny and cool at first, just like Tree

but the more the movie progressed he started to feel sad and maybe it’s okay to age and just do the same things every day with the people you love. it’s comfy and secure and he likes that the most about his life with you

he gave you a long embrace after, he was happy with the ending and the movie gave him a weird feeling of being content

JAEHEE

“These aren’t real, MC. There is no thing like immortality” she says in a very unimpressed voice

yep, she doesn’t like horror movies

you can watch them tho she has nothing against them, it’s just she feels there are better things to do than watching fake blood and screaming everywhere

however if there is something more than the general annoying people-killer-killing-end things that she finds so predictable and boring, she will watch what you very nicely ask her to

she watched “Don’t Breathe” and “10 Cloverfield Lane” which she found pretty nice, but the endings threw her off and ruined the feeling for her

She also watched “The Shining” which she enjoyed the most up until that point

but one night you ask her to watch "Get Out” without telling her anything, and she loved it. not only that she didn’t expect the twist, but she also finds it terrifying because it can be true. themes like racism, slavery and etc - these are sad truths that were, and in some cases still are, real

JUMIN

alright listen, he loves everything with magic, cults, even monsters, but it has to have a plot

but just. don’t watch horror movies with him.

or any movie for that matter ksdkjsfjbd

Juju, I love you but I don’t need to know every historically correct detail about this scene I just wanted to see them married ok

with horror he is always picking on the realistic parts of the movies even if you’re watching something like freaking IT. “that cannot be possible”, it’s a movie Juju keep watching. “that is too much blood for just a cut in the forearm” JUMIN

the only time he is completely silent is when he’s watching movies like “Zodiac / The zodiac killer”, “Saw” or “V from Vendetta”, trying to figure out the outcome. bonus points if he doesn’t guess the ending and he’s just BOOM

his favorite tho is “Silence of The Lambs”. he is so engaged into the movie, the acting, the filming, Hannibal, everything. his only reaction is just one word as the movie ends. Masterpiece.

he will find every little detail about the story afterward tho, prepare yourself for an entire week of information. he tried the show too, but it didn’t leave him with the same feelings as the original movie did

one night before bed he will turn around and he would just ask you if you want him to acquire healthy human flesh for cooking juju wtf go to sleep

he is so precious just let him learn and discover everything omg but no human flesh pls

SAEYOUNG

he is like Randy Meeks from “Scream”, you bring up horror movies he will constantly talk only in horror movies quotes and will trivia the shit out of you

lmao he won’t ask you to watch movies, he will just call you from the other room asking in a ghostface voice “Wanna watch a scary movie~?”

he knows every slasher movie with behind the scenes, out takes, lost tapes and every buried article on the internet. the perks of being a hacker

of course he loves “Alien” and “Predator” series, space and aliens? he’s in

he also probably owns a very rare copy of the masks used on the set for Jason and Michael. you really spend time making sure that’s not the real goddamn mask of Leatherface made out of human skin, that’s how real and good it looked

there is at least one day in the week where you, Seven, Saeran and Vandy are watching a horror together. it’s usually Vanderwood nagging Saeyoung for dropping the chips on the carpet, you’re laughing and Saeran is the only one to actually watch the movie and just ignore the rest

but aside the movies you two know so well and have a fun time watching, being silly at this point after watching them again and again, he really likes the ones on the darker side of realism. “The Number 23” and 1960’s “Psycho” are movies he just likes to sit down and watch

but his favorite is “American Psycho” hands down. he won’t comment much on it, he watches it pretty serious and engaged into the movie, doesn’t matter how many times he has seen it

seeing Patrick Bateman’s double life and how creepy, disturbing, frightening, satirical, funny and heartbreaking the movie is you don’t have to guess too much why Saeyoung loves this movie tho

he is the type that would totally fuck you while wearing a horror mask if you asked him to don’t @ me

boyfriend goals ksdnkjdjbnfsdjk ok i’ll see myself out

[cowboyguts-moved]

omg okay thank you!!!! ok, so i've got this nice lil gay couple, & i wanna write their first time. not the actual act but the morning after, but i'll probably reference the act just for fun. & i'm lost as to how to DO IT??? how to convey that kind of intimacy!! its a huge deal for them. i wanna b pure & romantic but also sensual & raw at the same time ? i want to b authentic but i also wanna capture the whimsy of it, i want it to b STUNNING n i thought who better to help me achieve that than u

AWWHHH shucks heeeehee okay yeah i can try to help!! i don’t write a lot of sex scenes but i mean i can try to help you with the emotions and realism of it 

okay soooo you said whimsical and i think that’s good because one of the first things you have to know is that sex, i mean especially for the first time, i’m not sure if they’re virgins but, it’s supposed to be kinda goofy and imperfect and funny, fun too. sex is supposed to be fun! you’re naked with the person you really like, so i think whimsy is something that’s needed. virginity loss is different, maybe more nerve wracking but all the same it’s kinda fun, and it’s fun to be embarrassing, it doesn’t take away from the importance of the scene. make them laugh a little, fumble, tremble, slip and say sorry, finish too fast, don’t make them give it So Good for 3 hours. make one of them pass out after they come and the other one is begrudgingly tender with them anyway. make them a little confused if they don’t know what they’re doing or if they do there’s still gotta be some nerves if this is something that’s a huge deal for them like you said. not everything is going to work out perfectly. i know you’re just referencing it but these things can help with that. i think the best kind of intimacy is the kind where people are just being people with the one they love and so a sex scene will come across a lot more impactful and heartfelt for the reader and your characters.

senses are my go to. im always thinking about smells and tastes and the feeling beyond the sex that’s in the chest and belly, and if you’re writing about the morning after the feeling will definitely linger and will flare up when your characters recall pieces of it, the memories come in flashes but the feelings and tastes stay with you and it leaves you kind of fuzzy headed, like you’re hyper aware of some things but oblivious to a lot too. sex doesn’t smell like berries and vanilla, if you want it to be raw it smells like skin sweat B.O. and your privates + their secretions, if you follow those rules for other senses too it’ll be Pretty Raw if you ask me. raw real sex is like kinda Stupid to be honest like you’re being embarrassing and you’re panting and laughing and clinging and humping too hard ALL THAT. so your characters should be kinda sore. the soreness mingles with those deep seeded belly and chest feelings, it’s like your body is thrumming. 

a way i like to make things Stunning especially in situations like these where words are hard to find and you’re still up in the clouds or maybe consumed with other emotions cause you did somethin really REAL with a person is making a character really aware of the lighting, sun through the window, marks on skin from sheets, the way the others hair looks, their body language. their racing thoughts that has to do with touch and taste and feeling from last night but also what does he/she think of us Now, are we beyond something now, did we surpass a line, am i relieved or worried, does my heart ache for this person even more now, am i especially tender

what does having sex mean to them? what were they before and has this changed their chemistry or was it always sort of inevitable. LETS SAY i was writing something about childhood best friends to lovers ( I am) and they have their first time in the future, sex doesn’t have to be that all-changing event but it’s a big thing anyway. they’ve loved each other all their lives and now they’ve reached a point where they’re the closest they’ve ever been and so it’s intense on them, it’s emotional it alters their perception of each other and how you look at other things. it’s important you establish what your characters are to each other, their history, and if banging causes a ripple in the timeline. that morning after would be pretty twilight-zone, maybe one of them isn’t doing what the other wants, like they’re getting coffee and talking in short sentences and there's this thick,,like, palpable tension. and if it’s not like that?? like if they’re relieved and comfortable and they feel even more whole now and such and such, there’s still something different buzzing in the air it’s like electrifying, there’s a rift in the earth u know.

with all that!! you don’t need to over do it. like don’t be really verbose and be all, first he smelt his dick and then he saw the moon flittering through the blinds and THEN he tasted his sweaty neck like,,,, just spread it around and be kind with the scene, or referenced scene and the morning after, make sure things make sense and they flow. like real humans think and feel and do when they’re fervent and hypersensitive and in love. im SORRY this is long but i tried to cover all the things i personally consider when i have to write one of these scenes 

[ashnadir]

Your character is the star of a movie, what genre is it? What is the plot? And who else is staring in it?

Iann could never star in a movie, he’s far better suited to supporting cast.  He could service the protagonist in a few categories:

Exposition!guy - the character who just knows stuff and can enlighten the protag/forward the plot

Funny!guy - the character with the quips and who breaks the fourth wall occasionally with winks and cheeky remarks

Realism!guy - the character who points out reality and plot-holes, not in the ‘ugh you’re all stupid’ way but in the ‘lol okay taking a step back’ way

Coward!guy - the character who fucks up and runs away from things and bungles into good things somehow and the protag is like ‘Oh, Iann’

Partner-in-crime - the character who the protag teams up with (either by choice or by circumstance) and may or may not betray the protag in the end

The genre varies but has these surprising real raw emotional moments where the audience realizes that they’ve actually gotten attached to these damn characters, how dare that happen??? The ensemble cast is all sorts of charming and have so much chemistry together omg and a small fandom is created on tumblr for them.

As for Iann’s protag, it could vary:

@thisbrutalbelle - found!family drama with a couple traumatic graphic scenes. Iann would be her mentor-type who sort of helps Bellamy out in her troubled youth and she grudgingly learns to love him, then something really tragic happens and suddenly you’re crying and desperately wanting a happy ending

@freddiewatts - buddy-film adventure. Lots of antics and adventure and some betrayal and some catalyst prompts forgiveness and suddenly this emotional moment where you just want them to hug and make up so they can have more buddy-adventures sequels in the future

@xxtuaharjunaxx - super indie gay romance.  Big-name celebrities in this low-budget film that focuses on Tuah’s internal emotional trials and tribulations.  Lots of flashbacks. It’s sweet and a little funny but laced with an ever-present melancholy and doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending (because it’s a gay movie). Popular at film festivals, little mainstream distribution.

@cassiegermaine - it’s a movie based on a play.  So there’s mostly just scenes of them in a couple rooms in a house, they’re siblings and it’s a lot of family skeletons in the closet, moments where they yell at each other and moments where they cry.  Reaaaally emotional but also funny sometimes and very cathartic.

@gracevilliers and/or @evangelinethorn and/or @faye-andrews - Hyper-violent action film, like Tarantino-style only not annoying.  Iann is the super-loyal side-kick but there’s that scene where the protag! goes!too!far! and it’s the breaking point for Iann, he leaves her, then dies helping her out and she goes vengeance!mode and kills everything and it’s epic.

@aliaoren and/or @lasirenaelena - Indie adventure dark-comedy with a twist because in the end it turns out that their ‘platonic dude best friend’ Iann actually is just a platonic dude best-friend, but their chemistry is off the charts and fans are left confused about whether Iann was the protag’s love interest or not, and there’s huge internet flamewars about it

@samuel-floros, @danisavin - indie roadtrip romcom about Dani and Sam and missed connections.  Iann’s that guy who is both their friend and possibly enables antics that serve to eventually solidify Dani and Sam’s love for each other.  

@lilo-el-lobo - Chicano gang-film that turns supernatural and also kind of gay, but gay is not the focus.  OH WAIT me and Mary already wrote this screenplay

@ottoleitner and/or @ephrampettaline and/or @strangerein - historical drama.  Wartime thinkpiece about soldiers and PTSD with Otto, historic survival/disaster film with Ephram, unsung anti-heroes in a seemingly minor historical event with Rein.  Neither Otto or Iann are particularly likable and kind of cowardly, but war is hell.  Ephram dies tragically, Iann is left with survivor’s guilt.  Rein is underappreciated and only Iann knows the real truth that’s not in the history books.

[daily-yoificrec]

June 2017 Rec Roundup

Top ten list for fics that were updated/posted in the month of June that I recommended! I say top ten, but they’re listed in no particular order. 

Bc I’m so busy, I chose to post w/o additional comments. but all of these fics are ones I highly recommend as must-reads, and even ones that are wips you should def give a try. 

1. if this be error by alykapedia || Rated T, 7.8k (WIP)

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov’d, I never writ, nor no man ever lov’d

Yuuri Katsuki wants nothing more than to retire back to the country and busy his days with managing his family’s declining finances. At twenty-three, he is facing his fifth season in society unmated and with no prospects in sight.

At least until Lord Viktor Nikiforov makes him an offer he would be foolish to refuse.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unmated omega in possession of a not-inconsiderable dowry, is in want of an alpha.”

JFALKJDA;FJS;LA THE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ECHOES. This isn’t a p&p au though, it’s a regency au, but still that first line had me right away. This has an absolutely delightful beginning, with background offered and hints of worldbuilding throughout. The interactions are lovely, the setup is lovely and just

just

♡✧( ु•⌄• ) super duper fucking recommended wip to follow

just read it oh my god (⌯⌅⌄⌅)

2. boy next door by wingchestr || Rated E, 4.8k

“Hi, welcome to the Green Bean,” Yuuri says, in the way that’s become something of a joke between them. “What can I get for you today?”

In which Viktor buys way too much coffee from the cute barista at the coffeeshop on the corner, and Yuuri has a terrible crush that Viktor never, ever needs to know about, and somehow it all works out in the end.

Really cute a/b/o and coffeeshop au! The author’s other fics are amazing, so I have really high expectations for this one. Yuuri and Victor have great chemistry.

3. What it feels like to be Loved series by tothebatcave53 || Rated M, 19.4k

Being blinded by love isn’t a bad thing, unless it blinds Victor to all of Yuuri’s less than subtle hints about being a dragon.

Comment: I love!!!! This series!!!!!!!! Really funny and really fun to read, with touches of worldbuilding and wonderful interactions between Yuuri and Victor. I reread the entire thing when I saw the fourth part go up. Magic realism is great, dragons are fuckin A, and I’m very weak for the idea of Yuuri hoarding Victor. The affection is just wonderful.

Heck. Read it please.

4. can’t count the years by counterheist || Rated T, 4.8k

A local magazine features Mila’s as the best breakfast spot in town one year after it opens. The opposite page is devoted to a pie shop Mila has heard of, but never been to. Easy as Pie gets a paragraph of text and three photographs. One shot is a slice of blueberry pie, another is of hands kneading dough. The last one is of a woman with long, dark hair and olive-toned skin holding an armful of large blue ribbons. Sara Crispino, the caption reads, owner and baker at Easy as Pie holds all six of her National Pie Competition blue ribbons.

Mila drives over the same day she sees the article, as soon as the breakfast rush ends.

Pls read this if you love saramila bc it’s so good and there aren’t nearly enough saramila fics in this fandom. There’s also side vicyuu! But seriously, read this for diner owner Mila and pie master Sara. I really love the dynamics built between everyone, especially Mila and Victor’s friendship.

5. learn to love the skies I’m under by LinneaKou || Rated M, 11.3k (WIP)

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Katsuki Yuuri disappears without a trace.

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Viktor Nikiforov finds a stray poodle and takes it home with him.

These two events are, oddly enough, connected.

Comment: Sadder than one would expect. The premise isn’t unfamiliar, as it’s inspired by another fic (which the author lists, and I’ve read) but the author still executes it really well. Expect feelings when you read this, no matter how soft some things may seem.

6. kiss and cry in the corners of my castle by unexpectedtrash || Rated G, 6k (WIP)

Yuuri only wanted to go back home to Hasetsu, where the ocean was warm and life was mundane and comfortable. Take it back, he wanted to beg. I never asked for this gift. Magic was a double-edged sword, and with Voldemort advancing, Yuuri wants to turn tail and run.

Only, Yuri might have a thing or two to say about that.

Comment: There are A Lot of Hogwarts AUs, but this one is setduring the events of the Harry Potter books themselves, and I love how it’s kicked off. Slytherin Yuuri vs. Umbridge, Angry Badger Yuri Plisetsky, and this makes me very excited about how they’re going to integrate the characters with the story.

7.Night is Young and the Music’s High by opalish || Rated T, 3k

“Best press conference ever,” the Japanese Nationals silver medalist says when asked. “Ten out of ten, would medal again.”

“I would die for Katsuki-kun,” Minami declares, with terrifying sincerity.

“He doesn’t need a shovel talk, he needs another gold medal. And that’s something I never thought anyone would say about Victor Freaking Nikiforov.“

“Freakingevich,” Yuuri corrects him officiously, adjusting his glasses. He’s been studying.

And:

“Well, it won’t affect me,” Victor says dramatically. “Not when I’m just Breakdancing Sensation Yuuri Nikiforov-Katsuki’s unnamed but spectacularly beautiful husband.”

“You’d better be Figure Skating Legend Yuuri Nikiforov-Katsuki’s unnamed but spectacularly beautiful husband,” Yuuri mutters, vowing to never dance in public ever again.

Beautiful hilarious characterization, dialogue that has me cackling, just in general this fic has me throwing it as a rec to various group chats as well.

Ten out of ten, would read again. 

*zooms off to do just that*  ≡ = -└( 。 >ω<)┐

8. a covenant with a bright blazing star series by seventhstar

The A/B/O Regency marriage of convenience AU no one actually wanted.

In which the reclusive and highly respectable Lord Yuuri Katsuki is offered fifty thousand pounds if he remains married to poor, scandalous trademan’s son Viktor Nikiforov for a year. Desperate for funds, he accepts.

It’s only one year, after all. What’s the worst that could happen?

comment: I am, admittedly, slightly confused as we still don’t have the background yet but so far this series is great omg. The vicyuu relationship promises to be great, the Pride and Prejudice influences make me bounce excitedly, and this is certainly a series to stalk if you don’t mind A/B/O fics.

Pride and Prejudice influences, people. tryyyyyyyy iiiiiiiit

9.  Driving Mr. Katsuki by CullinanKatsudon || Rated M, 13k (WIP)

Yuuri Katsuki gets into Victor Nikiforov’s car, mistaking it for his Uber ride…and Victor doesn’t correct him.

Comment: Oh my god this au and this fic are ridiculous but holy hell, the author has me fuckin invested as yell. I’ve laughed and pitied Yuuri and facepalmed at Victor and this fic is just a ride. Super duper fucking recommend, it’s hilarious and brilliant and I just. I laughed so hard.

10. cancel your reservations by renaissance ||  Rated T, 5.4k

Yuuri is a college student conducting private fencing lessons for a handsome, rich, and mysterious student. Viktor is not learning to fence because he does medieval reenactments.

ak;ljdskafl;jsa; I saw this prompt floating around only a few days ago, and the author’s executed it so damn well. Yuuri and Victor hit it off amazingly, Yuuri is amazingly oblivious to something other than Victor’s romantic overtures for once, and this is 10/10 recommend would read again.

[comicteaparty]

April 8th-April 14th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from April 8th, 2019 to April 14th, 2019.  The chat focused on Radio Silence by Vanessa Stefaniuk.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Radio Silence by Vanessa Stefaniuk~! (http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until April 14th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What do you think happened in Wren’s past to make her the way she is? How does this also tie in to what happened between her and Conibear? Will she ultimately overcome these issues? If so, how do you think it’ll happen?

€heshire777

My favorite so far is Shy's expression when Wren grabbed his arm on the bus.

€heshire777

I don't have the link handy, sorry

€heshire777

Radio Silence should totaly do a jam with noosehead

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Do you think Matt is hiding something from the group given his video call at one point? If so, what is he hiding, and what’s stopping him from saying anything to the group? What does the person he was talking to have to do with it?

starkfield

1) I love Brent's worry going into overdrive when Colbie and Shy get left behind and the bus is looking for him, worried that even an old lady walking her dog is in desperate need of help...it's such a great character moment as you realize how much he notices/is always mentally juggling

RebelVampire

1) my favorite scene this read through is probably the scene where wren and shy finally talk. i appreciate how natural everything felt, yet at the same time felt like a concentrated efffort on wren's part to finally get shy to talk to her. brent also kind of set up some expectations about whether theyd get along or not, so it was some good immediate payoff to seeing that yup, he right. 2) I think it's pretty clear Wren was an abusive relationship before she met the band. Who with it's hard to say. It could be a boyfriend but given her age id also believe it was her father. But regardless i think for all of wren's confidence that she has a lot of self esteem issues that shes trying to get over and it doesnt help when ppl like conibear are around her reinforcing her worst fears. i think shell overcome them, but i kind of think she needs to get a therapist if she doesnt already have one. which, theyre on the road a lot, so i dont get the impression she does have one.

3) Probably Shy because I find Shy the most relateable. Also I like shy because i kind of feel like he has the most potential for growth. Not to say the other characters arent growing or have issues to deal with, but i feel shy kind of starts on the lowest rung of the ladder. So when he grows and changes, like how he finally learns to talk to Wren, its really noticeable and really satisfying. Like watching your baby grow up. 4) for the life of me i cant fathom what matt is hiding. at first youd assume the obvious: that he wants to go solo. but that doesnt seem likely given other things hes said. and youd also think hed have said something by now if that was the case. though i feel like hes avoiding the subject because he feels like the others, especially colbie, would take it as a betrayal. as for the person he was talking to, who i believe is his cousin, i think shes just involved in the sense that he needed to tell someone. so he told her cause she cant exactly go spilling the beans to the band for him

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. Given the focus on communication and relationships, what was your favorite moment where the challenge relationships present was on display? Overall, what do you think we can learn about the two from the comic?

RebelVampire

5) I've always really love this top panel with the Brandenburg Gate http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/comic/174 Cause man, there is so much attention to detail in the panel. Not just for the architecture, but all the little activities of the people too. It really feels like a hot tourist spot. Not to mention I love the angle used cause it really gives an impression of granduer and scale. 6) i really liked the recent one between matt and shy where shy was upset matt had treated him like a kid when dealing with samantha. at first i was kind of was more on the other character's page where i didnt really get what shy's deal was considering samantha had been the awful one. but then when shy was forced to communicate his feelings, it just really struck me as an "omg this makes sense." but i somehow feel this reaction i had was 100% what communication and relationships are all about. because sometimes we dont understand how we hurt others, and sometimes we forget that ppl arent mind readers. so for me, it was a moment where communication really was at the heart of it and it showed that without communication, relationships really just dont work that well. which this last sentiment i think is the take away from the entire comic. communication is key, because if we dont make others understand, we cant expect others to just magically know.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Why do you think Liz took a chance on the band? What happened between her and Pandora, and how might this come up again given the past history Radio Silence has with the Sirens?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Overall, how do you feel Shy will continue to grow and change over the course of the story? What role do you think Wren will have to play in his future?

RebelVampire

7) im really torn between saying shy and wren or shy and brent. so ill say both. cause i super enjoy watching how shy and wren come to get along even though their personalities are so opposite. like opposite in the way i never know what to expect when theyre interacting, so that makes each interaction exciting. but i also like shy and brent just cause of how mother hen brent is with shy. and honestly, theyre just super adorable when theyre together. 8) I'm going to be boring and say I think Liz took a chance on them for the exact reasons she said: she liked their sound and thought they had potential. though probably not shown i imagine once she met them, she saw their chemistry and charisma and thought "perfect." as for what happened between her and Pandora, i really think it might have had to do with the sirens. Either something before like Liz was supposed to help Pandora and Pandora betrayed her. Or it could be after the Conibear incident and Liz told Pandora to step up and doing something. and Pandora was like "lol nope" and Liz was like "how dare" but i do think pandora will be vindictive and use the sirens to irritate liz. and everyone will be sad

9) one of my variety details i think deserves more attention is how great the comic is at throwing in languages to kind of show everyone's ethnicity and add character to them through that. like how wren and shy both swear in different languages. or wren's extremely heavy accent that's really spot on for what it would sound like. i think it really helps bring the world together and emphasize the setting as well. because youd expect a british rock band to have more opportunities for different languages and stuff like that just due to how connected europe kind of is in general. overall though, just an endearing detail to me. 10) I think Shy still has to grow and stop being so, well, shy. Like even the recent incident with Matt kind of shows that hes n ot the best communicator. and i think thats something well see continue to change and hell voice his opinion and communicate his feelings more and more. and i think wren will definitely help with that cause she is more than willing to remind him ppl cant read his mind and he has to say the things for ppl to know the things.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. As a band, do you feel that Radio Silence will continue to be successful and grow their popularity? Or, do you feel they will crash and burn? What challenges will the band continue to face in regards to either path?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. What do you think is the story with Colbie and his family? Why do you think Colbie’s dad is trying so hard to contact him? How might this affect Colbie’s place in the band?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strength is realism. Like this feels like an actual band that might exist and how theyd actually go about their actual daily lives. Even between the social media stuff, it just has this really endearing authenticity that helps draw you in to the drama and slice-of-life stuff. 12) I think theyll continue to grow, but i kind of feel that its their personal relationships that are gonna be the biggest obstacle to their growth. Cause I mean you have wren is keeps bottling up her past and no way that isnt going to blow up some day. You got Matt keeping secrets. You got Colbie's family issues. And then I kind of even think there might be issues with Brent cause i think theres gonna come a point where Brent has to pick between family and the band or something like that. And all these are gonna bring about drama and test everyone's dedication to staying cause love of music and fans can only take you so far

RebelVampire

13) i am most looking forward to things about wren getting revealed. cause i feel like the time is drawing near where well at least get an answer or two, and im interested to see what sort of depths this adds for her character. 14) I get the impression that Colbie's mom and dad might have divorced maybe and then she died. or maybe no divorce. i just assume divorce cause it sounded like she had money to give colbie which wouldnt work as smoothly if the mom and dad had shared accounts. granted i guess i also assume death too just from how colbie phrases buying gifts and stuff to matt. as for colbie's dad, well, probably typical rich dad. didnt have time for his son, son goes off to do his own thing, dad is like wait a second get back here. as for why hes trying to contact colbie? I mean i could assume the typical get back home here? but then maybe his dad is just angry cause colbie hasnt called him. and like will suggest colbie comes back out of vengence for colbie cutting him out of his life. i dont think itll have much effect tho outside of everyone else finding it a big deal while colbie doesnt really want to talk about it.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Radio Silence this week! Please also give a special thank you to Vanessa Stefaniuk for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Radio Silence, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.radiosilencecomic.com/

Vanessa’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quietsnooze

Vanessa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/quietsnooze

[destressjournal]

DCOM Rankings #74: Dadnapped

As I said in my previous review, I didn’t care so much for this movie. I thought the trailer was kinda dumb and a little too kiddie for me. (It was 2009 so I was 14). I was getting to the age where I was growing out of these movies. I think after 2011 I kinda stopped watching DCOMS altogether, but we’ll get there soon.

Anyway, after watching this movie, it was actually kind of cute! I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did, even though I kind of wanted to hate it.

So, flaws.

- ummm I guess the first half was really predictable and boring. I mean you KNOW the dad is going to stay for the convention even though Emily osmet’s character is like we gotta gooooo (by the way, I honestly forget all the character’s names....so I will refer to them as either another character or their real names) I mean nothing really happens until the dad gets taken.

- I feel like children’s novels wouldn’t be this popular among adults. Unless the writing was just THAT good. I get maybe kidnapping Stephanie Meyer during the Twilight series craze, but I don’t really know of any YA books that would be popular enough to create this kind of cult following. But hey, maybe I’m wrong. I guess captain underpants and diary of a wimpy kid were good enough to get big budget movies. Either way, in order to get me to believe any of this, I feel like there needs to be some realism grounding the story.

-All the “home alone” style pranks they pull on the bad guys. Seen it, been there, done that. I’m just not interested in the slapstick comedy throughout the whole thing. Funny enough I didn’t like all the scenes when the characters just get covered in all kinds of stuff (trash, toothpaste, bubble suds, cheese whiz, water balloons full of onion juice or something). And guess what specific scenes they chose to play in the end credits? All those scenes AGAIN. Sorry they all just gross me out and it’s not funny to me. Home alone is the ONLY movie in which I can tolerate those pranks.

-The characters are honestly pretty one dimensional. Maybe except the main character. But besides her, everyone else has like 1-2 personality traits. The dad is obvlivious, and forgetful. The three kids are the cute nerd, the funny nerd, and the commanding little brother. The bad guys are the funny one and the serious one. And the bad guy is just a guy with an evil plan and an evil laugh. Maybe it’s set up this way for a reason, cuz they want to to be like a “kid spy agent” type movie. But eh. It’s just not my taste. But like I said, it’s cute!

- speaking of the bad guys, the hotel manager’s motives were kind of out there and didn’t make a lot of sense. Kind of going back to the point about the author being THAT famous being a tad unrealistic. At least for me. Like, is his writing like the voice of God or something???Y’all need to get a grip.

-one last thing. There’s a scene in which Emily’s character says “wow I need to get a comb” referring to how messy her hair looks. IT LOOKS PERFECT ARE YOU KIDDING ME???. I WISH I could style my hair perfectly like that. (I know the there are stylists who do their hair tho) but yeah that literally had me pausing the movie and going wtf!

To sum, the over-the-top stylized gimmicky nature of the movie is cute but I don’t usually like those kinds of movies for myself because they seem too aged down.

Okay, the good things now!

-Emily osment’s character (I just looked it up, her name is Melissa, huh) Was actually a pretty good character. At the beginning she was a little bit annoying but like I can’t blame her because everyone around her was even MORE annoying. (This part got deleted and I’m so mad so I have to type it again). But throughout the film you really get to see how she grew as a character, using her imaginary Zoom friend as a guide. At first, he was just a manifestation of Melissa’s hate for her dad, and someone for her to talk to for the audience to understand what’s going on in her mind. But then as the movie went on, you can see how Melissa and Zoom think more and more alike and she embraces a side of her she didn’t know she had. And she liked it. And as it turns out, the Zoom character was based on Melissa all along. Even though you KNOW that Zoom isn’t real and it’s just Melissa talking to herself, this is still great character growth that’s happening internally. It’s her realizing that she has strengths and is smart all on her own. She is capable of doing great things and is a real person, aside from a character in a book. If only the dad told her this at the very beginning of the movie instead of the end but....then there would be no movie so...but anyway this is basically as deep as the movie gets.

-the acting was great all around! The story definitely flowed from one thing to the next. I actually did like how they did the twist villain, and while I had hints, I was not actively like “oh the hotel manager is the villain”. So that was surprising. But there were also 2 twists! One that was the kids just pulling a harmless prank and the other two older guys being the bad guys. And then the second twist villain.

-I did like the chemistry between David Henrie and Emily osmet. It’s not like omg amazing but I think it works, even if things did go a little quick. But I guess when it’s literally a kidnapping emergency you tend to get vulnerable and close really quickly. So I will forgive the movie for that. I honestly forgot how cute David henrie is. I wonder what he’s up to now....probably bored like the rest of us.

-I don’t think there’s a character that I absolutely hated. There are some weird ones that I didn’t really like, but I understood their place in the story, so I can’t 100% justify kicking them out of the movie. So I guess the movie did a good job with the characters.

- this movie was filled with action and a bit of suspense too. While the over-the-top gimmicky films are not my taste, drama, kidnapping, suspense, those are the parts of the movie that I like, and it definitely has that “home alone” feel that I mentioned earlier. Is it perfect? Hell no. But at least I’m not bored for most of the movie, so that earns this a point!

So in conclusion, this was better than I thought it would be. It’s not amazing and I don’t know if I will voluntarily click to watch this again, but I had a decent time with it. All in all, this is definitely a kids movie. There are movies like high school musical that both kids and adults can watch and it’s not totally weird. But this movie...if you’re an adult and love this, I’m not judging (like I said I liked it too) but this was 100% directed at kids. And that’s why it’s not going to be an A on my list. I think it’s going to be either a plain B or a B-. Most likely plain B for the character development alone.

So that’s that. The next movie is another favorite of mine. Cuz high school drama is what I live for. Let’s go!!

[sarcasticsaddo]

MOVIE REVIEW: You Get Me

I did a poll on my instagram spam account (fatratglenn btw) and i got 100% votes for me to start and put movie reviews on my tumblr. so here goes nothing...

FIRST OF ALL.... this movie had 5 main characters - Holly, Tyler, Ali (or Alison), Gil and Lydia but the movie to me in general is primarily focused on Holly & Tyler.

So, basically the movie starts off with Tyler narrating about his life and blah blah blah *insert cliche teen boy shit in here* and how his new girlfriend has quote on quote ‘changed his life’. And briefly afterwards we’re taken to this cliche house party in the middle of damn nowhere where we are introduced to these privileged ass California teens. Then out of nowhere Tyler , our male protagonist, discovers his lovers (Ali’s) ‘vices’ (being the cliche popular party girl previously who insists she’ changed). He then talks to this misogynistic asshole Chandler - i mean Chase (i could not remember because the name is so overused) who speaks of Ali in a somewhat ‘disrespectful’ manner. The annoying thing about this is that the movie forces us and wants us to believe that this guy was important to Ali and is spilling about her old ways and is such a typical douche bag its kinda not believable. And ALSO this dude is all the way from San Fran, so accordingly to my research he would have to travel some good  383.2 miles just to see Ali and attend some party which he knows NOBODY there which is stupid and unrealistic. I just wanna say that ‘unrealism’ is to be expected in this movie - so be warned...

Ah, and then naturally in his typical douche bag token white guy ways, our boy Tyler gets off his tits ‘drunk’ just fir the purpose of him yelling at his girlfriend who declared his ‘soulmate’ 5 minutes ago! THIS MOVIE IS NOT CONSISTENT. Anyways, she then breaks up with him with no emotion whatsoever which instantly told me this movie had no hope for acting as i yawned. Prior to this we see him engage in a random and stupid conversation with Holly finally after a good 20 minutes of rambling. THEN he sees Holly and doesn't seem as drunk as he did 0.2 secs ago and gets in the car with this COMPLETE STRANGER and goes clubbing with her. Then we are ‘blessed’ with a cringey montage of he and her clubbing and taking what appears to be ecstasy. Then they continue to be unrealistic teens as they grind and make out for a solid 5 minutes on each other. This scene was especially painful to watch as Bella Thorne and Taylor John Smith had 0 chemistry but at least they tried. Then it cuts to the pair in bed after clearly having sex and just spends a good 15 minutes (it felt like the whole movie) of them both talking and bonding and in this HUGE MANSION which clearly isn’t Holly’s so doesn’t that tell you she’s a little PSYCHOTIC because she broke in for no damn reason?! Anyways, then Tyler and Holly fuck AGAIN and then he says he has to leave because ‘his parents’ (whom he said he only lived with his mom) would be worried. 

So he leaves and doesn’t show any interest in his Ex-Girlfriend Ali, until she texts him on--screen asking if they can talk - ONLY THEN HE’S INTERESTED. Then they have a cliche moment where he betrays her an lies but she doesn’t know it - SHOCKER! cliche again, i know. So a little while later she moves to his school and unnaturally starts becoming close with Ali, Gil, Lydia - much to Tyler's dismay which she clearly does so she can get to him. Then they make out forcefully privately and he says she can’t do this and that he’s going to be ‘fucking sorry’ which was arguably the best line in the entire movie and the one line spoken with actual emotion so bravo Bella Thorne for being the only one who can semi-act. 

Fast forward a couple more painful scenes and we find our selves seeing that Mr Dumb ass finally realized Holly is insane after she tells some lies that hurt his ego but (i agree with because he was so unlikable.) Also prior to this she tells him he used her, in which he of course denies, but to me was proven to be true as when they slept together they had a bond and he called it ‘special’ when he led her on to a false image which may have sparked her unhealthy desire for him in the first place. So yes, Tyler aka Mr ‘Such a good boyfriend’  did use Holly. 

Also note that there is a super uncomfortable make-out scene between Holly (Bella Thorne) and Gil (Nash Grier) when she speaks about her and Tyler’s fling to Ali (anonymously of course) on the beach because that’s where all Cali Teens hang right? 

Sooner or later Holly lies about being pregnant and talks about Tyler all the time and Ali never notices it being a little off because ,she too, has no brain just like everyone else except Lydia who is nearly killed so what does that tell you? Also near this moment we have, low and behold, the single handedly best scene of this god-awful movie, which is when the most likable character - Lydia suffers a seizure which is so dramatized and taken out of context considering the angles and close-up shots of her shaking her ass are not scary at all and are actually extremely hilarious, laughable and are simply comedic gold!

And then, just THEN Tyler realizes alongside a hospitalized Lydia, that this bitch, Holly is a FUCKING PSYCHO! I had to pause the damn movie to sigh in relief that this was finally noted. Then things get more ‘serious’ when Holly’’s baby-daddy, Tyler, shoves Holly who is allegedly pregnant which his child over and she bleeds and gets grazed, then she makes it her mission to tell Ali about them and she does.

Then our ‘beloved’ high-school couple (sorry Gabriela and Troy) break up at the damn beach AGAIN. Like seriously, could the director not have shot these scenes at different locations like we get it - they live in California and overly LOVE the beach, but showing something different would be a little refreshing, thanks. She says ‘she never wants to see him again’ boo-hoo crap and that’s the end of that.

BUT NOT BEFORE Holly ties fucking Alison upside down (like man that really took some effort getting up there) to her own ceiling at the mansion and then whilst Corrine, her stepmother (who doesn't do anything about her behavior despite being aware of it) tries to untie Ali but not before Holly (our favorite psychopath) strangulates her to death. This clearly showed Holly gave no fucks and made her more likable to me. 

Then Tyler and Gil turn up and there’s a classic cliche showdown which is borderline ripped right off of Scream and Friday the 13th etc in which Gil is nearly shot (OMG NASH GRIER NEARLY DIED SO INTENSE bull-crap!) and Tyler is shot in the shoulder and Ali grabs a fire-poker and stabs Holly in the side causing her to fall inevitably in to the pool. But get this - she’s not dead! - (somehow she didn’t drown or bleed to death, that was a pretty painful stab btw) as Tyler pretends so badly to be dying as Ali and Gil pretend to care and attend to him whilst the police arrive. Then Holly is implied to become obsessed with the ambulance nurse as she somehow lives and looks untouched completely. REALISTIC Y’ALL!

Then yay! all their problems are solved as 3 of them party at Tyler’s little sisters party and then it ends. Classic cliche happy ending , worst 89 minutes of my life.

Some other things i’d like to point out is how this film is meant to be an ‘American Thriller’. Excuse me, but this wasn’t dark nor a thriller - it was more like a dramatized teen movie that had been done in Hollywood several times over the past 40 decades prior to this 2017 flick. And, with some more emotion, better acting, script and realism added in (and much more) this could have had the potential to be a good and somewhat decent Netflix movie! I think despite all those factors, the thing that let this movie down also was the stupid cringey-ass cuts in-between scenes where it was a overview of California (implying YET AGAIN that the director wants you to know that’s where they live for some unspecified reason) which had a form of EDM neo pop generic dubstep TRASH playing over it too.

So yeah, this took me a while to type, and now my fingers are numb! But, this was and hopefully not my last movie review! Now please don't watch this movie because if this review and its 4.6 IMBd score and it’s 26% score on rottentomatoes.com proves that you should STAY THE HELL AWAY from this movie.

The only somewhat likable charters were Holly (the fucking psycho) and Lydia - the one who actually had a brain! All the other were extremely boring, unlikable and mediocre.

REVIEW CONCLUDED.

Until Next Time my dudes,

sarcastic-saddo