#watch it in cinema too it’s so worth it I promise

[whatjaswatched]

Monkey Man (Dir. Dev Patel)

I want to say ‘I’m speechless’, but that’s such a lie, I have so much to say.

This is truly one of the best films I have seen in a long time. It hit so many notes, so perfectly. It was captivating the entire way through, it had subtle nods (I believe) to Shantaram and John Wick. The film pulled forward very real challenges that exist in India, and held up a mirror to the savage disparity between the ruling class criminals in India and the every day man, to the corruption, sex trafficking, poverty, violence against minorities and politicians who are running the country into the ground. It went somewhere that Indian cinema doesn’t have the balls to go and it did it masterfully.

Ugh, this film was just so fucking good. And that’s to say nothing yet of the acting, which was absolutely phenomenal.

Dev Patel had murder in his eyes in the best way, and I’ve never genuinely rooted for such graphic murder in a film before, but his acting/directing/writing had me holding my breath for his character to destroy his enemies.

My absolute favourite scene though, was far more tame - with the Zakir Hussain. I still can’t quite believe it happened, it was the perfect addition to an already wonderful film.

I went into this movie blind - I did not see a second of a trailer or read a single thing online, and I’m so glad, because my jaw was on the floor from how impressed I was.

Dev Patel is a talent and I’m now going to spend the next month or so going back through all of his work. I know there’s more to come from this brilliant, brilliant mind, but in the years to come people will point to this film as a career standout for him. What better way to make a directorial debut.

It was captivating the entire way through, and just so fucking good.

Please go watch it if you can.

[lannisterdaddyissues]

"Edge of Tomorrow" is one I have considered watching before (cuz it has Tom AND Emily Blunt), but I am just not crazy about Tom Cruise sci-fi movies. Like I LOVE Tom Cruise, but I did not like "War of the Worlds" or "Minority Report" really at all. :(

OHHHH BESTIE I TOTALLY GET YOU BECAUSE I WAS NOT A FAN OF MINORITY REPORT EITHER BUT I PROMISE YOU, EDGE OF TOMORROW IS WORTH THE SHOT!!!!

it's not like them at all tonally speaking. the sci-fi is only a secondary plot and it's mainly action-centered with LOTS of comedy and a romance subplot. also i daresay it features tom cruise's scrunkliest most pathetic role of all time because bill cage is sopping wet and stumbling around like a blind man screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time. absolute legend. he is so bitchless and yet i DESPERATELY want him carnally.

trust me bestie it's so worth it to see tom cruise get shot in the face by emily blunt at least three dozen times. he also gets called "bitch" to his face not once but twice and the sounds of him screaming every time he dies permeate my dreams when i sleep at night they're so orgasmic ok i'm done i'm normal-

[2-fast-2-curious]

Motorsport Audio Masterlist Perez-Zhou

Albon-Lawson

Leclerc-Ocon

Male Listener Audios

Sergio Perez

[M4A] Your BF Remembers You of Your Worth

[M4F] [Script Fill] Patience, Pretty Pet

Oscar Piastri

[M4F] [Script fill] Worshipping You After Your Workout [BFE]

[M4F] Aussie Snuggles with his American Girlfriend, pillow talk, leads to intense sex

All About Your Pussy

[M4F] Your Horny Boyfriend Gives You Head At Your Parents’ House

[M4F] You have one (1) missed call(s)

Fabio Quartararo

[M4F] Get On the Bed

Kimi Raikkonen

[M4F] JOI by your Soft Dom

Daniel Ricciardo

[M4F] Our First Time Getting Rough

[M4F] “Morning Darlin”

[M4F][Script Fill] Why Didn't We Fuck Before I Left?

[M4F] Kiss And Make Up

[M4F] Reminding You That You're Mine (full version)

[M4F] Bets and Promises

[M4F] Seaside Rendezvous

[M4F] Your First Time

Hiding in the Closet With Your Brother’s Best Friend

M4A-Come-To-Bed-Baby

M4A-Its-Bedtime-Darling

You-are-beautiful-ambient

[M4F] Lucky girl

[M4F] Fall Asleep On Daddy's Cock

[M4F] Just Relax For Me

[M4F] Your BF Discovers Your Dirty Secret... and Becomes Your New Daddy

[M4F] he's drunk and horny and trying so hard to stay quiet

[M4F] Revisiting Your Italian Lessons

[M4A] Your Brain Is Lying To You

[M4A] Your Pause Button

[M4A] Everything Will Be Alright, Darling

My Needy Obedient Girl

[M4F] Cuddle Fuck

[M4F] Pussy Appreciation

Period Comfort SFW

[M4F] Trying to quietly sleep with friend's sister.

[M4F] [Script fill] Ski Lodge Shenanigans

George Russell

[M4F] Babe, Do you want me to be your Daddy? I saw your browser history

Why Can't You Be Mine Instead?

Dominated By Your Brothers, Gigantic Friend

[M4F] [Script Fill] [Mdom] [British Accent][DD/lg] [Possessive] [Spanking] [Punishment] [Jealous Partner] [Wet Sounds]

[M4F] My little girl gets punished for using a toy behind daddy's back.

[M4F] - Back Row Cinema

Falling in Love on the Ferris Wheel

[M4F] I have to have you...NOW

[M4F] You Should Be Sleeping now

[Script Fill] [M4F] Don't Look Away From Me

[M4A] [M4F] I Offer You Dreams

[M4F] [M4A] I care about you

[M4A] [M4F] Rest, Love

(M4F) Morning Love Making and Cuddling - British Boyfriend Role Play

[Size Kink][Size Difference][Mdom][At the Gym][Spotting Your Squat]

[M4F] Learning how to please my new boss 😇

[M4F] [Script Fill] Kitchen Shenanigans

[M4F] 😟😟 Please help me mommy, I can't sleep

Table for Two

[M4F] [Script Fill] Ghostface Reckons You’re Not That Smart, Detective

Your BF calms you down after a nightmare

[M4F] The Professor Explains "Power Fantasies" To You After Class

[M4F] Good Girls Feel Better

M4F - Good girls go back to sleep - sfw audio pillowtalk

M4F] Cupcake for my little Cupcake [Script fill]

[M4F] I can't believe nobody invited you to the prom!

[M4F] You've had a long day, let your good boy take care of you

[M4F] Good Girls Ask for What They Want

[M4F] Why are you jacking me off while I try to sleep bro

[M4F] Driving Through The English Countryside With(Out) Your Sundress On

Carlos Sainz Jr

[M4F] The Spanish Lifeguard Asks You Out

[M4F] You discover your housemate is really good with his fingers!

Hispanic Guy New in Town

Lip Service: Sabor a Tí

[M4A] Your BF Tells You What He Loves About Your Body

[M4F] Para Ti:Audio en Español

[M4F] Midnight Impulse: A Night of Passion

Noche de lluvia [M4F]

Logan Sargeant

[M4F] Secretly Fucking Your Best Friend's Younger Brother After a Sleepover

You Must be Haunting Me

[M4F] Watching A Sex Scene with Your Friend Goes Way Too Far

[M4F] Sneaking Into Your High School Friend's Room Four Years Later

Mick Schumacher

[M4F] Hold the moan

[M4F] Lazy mornin’ cuddlefuck

[M4F] Cockwarming In Your New Sundress

[M4F] A Bet is a Bet. [Mdom]

[M4F] A Bet is a Bet Too [Msub]

[M4F] Anxiety Comfort [Cuddles] [L-bombs] [Kissing]

[M4F] Sleep Aid for a good girl

[M4F] Ice cream & Belly rubs

[M4F] 10 Minutes of Pussy Eating

Confession practice while you're asleep

[M4F] I came back to breed you!

"Untie Me...No, Wait, Fuck Me!"

[M4F] Midnight

The Barb Wire Killer

[M4F] Simple Encouragements!

[M4F][Request fill] You have done great!

[M4F][Request Fill] Dommy Pillowtalk

[M4F] Your German FWB Helping You Recuperate From A Night At The Oktoberfest

Andrew Showlin

[M4F][Script Fill] Right Here Waiting for You

Lance Stroll

[M4F] Fucked & Spanked at the Party

[M4F] Your Wedding Night With The Enemy Prince

[M4F] Sit on my face.. if I die, I die

[M4F] I'd love to be inside of you

[M4F] We're out of gas, so I should fill you?

I Don’t Want You to Think

[M4F] Your Lycan Boyfriend Ravages You On Full Moon’s Night

[M4F] Are You Feeling Like A Good Girl Again?

[M4F] The Best Birthday Present

loving boyfriend helps you relieve stress

[M4F] Submissive Moans for Mommy <3

[M4F] Gentle Daddy pets your pussy until you stop crying

[M4F] Gaming with your boyfriend

[M4F] Snowstorms, Cold Lips, Burning Bodies

[M4F] Gossip in the Office

[M4F] Running Late

Yuki Tsunoda

[M4F] Netflix and sleep

Fish tacos

[M4A] comforting to know

Max Verstappen

I'm Going To Fuck You How I Want...And How You Need

Couchsleeping

[M4F] [Script fill] A Lesson

Sebastian Vettel

[M4F] [Script Fill] To Pitch a Tent

[M4F] Welcome to Germany

Nursing the nurse

Cumming back (repost)

Just a quick ramblefap <3

[M4F] A Pleasure to Serve

[M4F] "I'll Choose You"

[M4F] Don't Laugh, but I gotta Tell You Something

[M4F] [SCRIPT FILL] "I Want To Fuck A Baby Into You."

[M4F] Msub going dominant (but failing miserably) [Ramblefap]

[M4F] This Is How I Picture Our First Time

[M4A]What is a train? [Relaxation][Train][Slow][Sleep-aid][SFW][German Accent]

[M4F] Telling you how to touch yourself

Reading and describing a German children's picture book

Snuggles

[M4F] It's Always the Shy Ones

[M4F] Quiet Period Cuddles

[M4F] The Care I Need

[M4F] we can stay in bed all day, as long as you don't cum

[M4F] ramblefap first try

[M4F] Little cuddlefuck for my babygirl

[M4f] [Script Fill] Roommates: Cooling Off

[M4F] [Script Fill] You Don't Need Him

[M4F] Desperate for your touch

[M4F] Promise Me You Didn’t See That

James Volwes

[M4F] Leave Him for Me

Mark Webber

[M4F] No I am so tired

[M4F] [fingered against the wall]

Susie Wolff

[F4F] [F4A] Help me decorate the tree

Toto Wolff

[M4F] Your Manager want you in his office

[M4F] [Script Fill] Daddy Trap

[M4F] Teasing Your Bookworm Boyfriend into Morning Sex

Keep relaxing, babygirl

I’m not going anywhere

You Are Not Your Mistakes

[M4F] Snowed in with only one bed

That Time We Went House Hunting

Your boyfriend's dad helps you during No Nut November

I love the thought of everything happening in public

[M4F] Don't Keep Daddy Waiting

[M4F] Letting Go of Control

[M4F] [Script Fill] Catch My Eye

Zhou Guanyu

[M4A][Script Fill] Please let me take care of you.

[M4F] [Script Fill] You don’t have to hold it all in.

[snowbunny-narrative]

My adventure... with a horse.

Its finally time to spill all the details about my horse adventure... I'm so sorry this took so long but life has been busy and chaotic for me. I know I'm late but I promise it's worth it.

So Angie fetched me and took her to a farm that was near the wedding venue. Really pretty place with lots wild life and plenty of green, open spaces.

When we got there, she parked near a barn and made me get out and strip. There were a few other cars there so I knew we weren't alone. Once I was naked she told me to stand, facing the barn wall with my hands up and then she sprayed me down with a garden hose, telling me I need to be clean and pretty for this cock

I was soaking wet when she grabbed a first full of my hair and started to lead me in. I took a step and she pushed my on to the floor on my hands and knees and said no bitch, you stay on all fours like a little horse.

I crawled in, being led by her pulling my hair. There were people sitting in a cinema style all facing a stage... which is where she was taking me

She led me up onto the stage and on the stage there was a scaffold frame with a wooden platform on it. She told me to get on it and stay on my hands and knees and keep my ass out and chest on the platform... then she started to tie me. I was completely immobile and exposed when she was done.

She started to lube me... my entire ass, ass cheeks and my pussy. I felt her stick the bottle in my ass and squirt some inside me. It was so cold going up my ass

By now I was trembling. I was so scared and kind of wanted to back out

I could hear the horses hooves outside... then a huge stable door opened in front of me and I could see this massive black horse being led in by his trainer

He was huge... insanely huge. When I stood next to him later, the top of my head didn't even make it to his shoulder blades.

I cried a little bit and squirmed against my restraints. I tried to think logically about how I could get out of this and realized I was too low for him and felt a brief wave if relief

The trainer stopped in front of me and my face was sort of at knee height for the horse. She brought the horse closer and I could see his cock... the head was flared, the veins were thicker than my fingers and it was long. ...

My relief was shattered when the platform I was tied to started to rise. It was on a hoist if some sort and ìt lifted me until my holes were at the perfect height for this beast to impale me

The trainer led the horse around me and he mounted... I was so scared. She was still holding him back a little when he tried to thrust and his cock slid up, between my ass cheeks. It felt like someone was pulling my cheeks apart, that's how huge he was

Eventually, his gigantic cock head found my asshole... I thought I was going to die. I have never been stretched like that before. I felt like I was high and having sex, the kind of high where you can feel every fold of skin and every vein of the cock inside you.

It was just 4 or 5 thusts and then I felt his cock kicking inside me and my insides swelling as he sprayed his load in my guts

I took it like that one more time and then my mistress took the reigns from the trainer. She told me that now I'm going to take this cock with no one restraining him

He mounted me again, this time thrusting with power into my gaping asshole, pushing even deeper into me. I screamed and I'm sure I blacked out but came to in time to feel him pump his cum into me

Before the final time, Angie went around and guided him so the head of his cock was against my pussy when he mounted me for the last time. He thrust into me and I orgasmed all over his cock. My pussy clenching onto him

Angie had a bucket to collect his cum from my pussy and untied me after he dismounted. She flipped me over and told me to raise and spread my legs. She positioned me so that my back was raised and I was looking up at my pussy as she put the speculum in and opened my aching hole

I watched her insert a thick, clear pipe into my pussy, I felt it hit my cervix and then she pumped all the cum she gathered into me. Completely filling me

And then... she started to pour hot wax into my pussy to form a plug and seal all that horse cum inside me

I was allowed to remove the plug the next morning and drink what ever cum remained inside me as a reminder of the absolute pounding that I had taken.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - A Blah Week

May June 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - It’s so damn cute. Seme is still sus... but cute. I didn’t even mind the pratfall since they clearly both wanted to take advantage of it. These two are great kissers - like MaxTul level. I am PLEASED. Meanwhile, sides have a drunken MOMENT. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 2 of 10? - I’m enjoying it which is fucking with my head, trash watch here! 

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 6 - Dome has aged so pretty! Do we think the café owner doesn’t want him because he is happy in love? I’m enjoying the high school story arc a lot, and I wish we were just watching that and none of the others (Dome or no Dome). I finally figured it out the actor playing Mai is from Manner of Death.

The Promise (Weds YT & WeTV) ep 10fin - Soap opera brother relationship suddenly? Also more not communicating and more separation? Just bullshit. The best part of the ep was the interstitial cat. It feels like this show dragged on forever I am so glad it’s over and I intend never to think about it again. Full review below (although I pretty much just said it all.) 

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - no ep this week, no idea why. It better not be because of the ZeeNew freakszoids or I am banhammering with a will. Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy & 1k*) eps 13-14 - skipped it this week as it concludes next week so I’ll binge all 4 at once.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - It’s just so good. I say it every week but it IS. Oh the running of the gays trope! Japan1 For us? How thoughtful. Awe, Yutaka’s confession in tiny was the best. SMILEY KISS! It took 3 BLs but Inukai Atsuhiro has finally actually kissed a boy. 

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 5-6 of 8 - Oof this is such a hard show. Too much angst. It is a complicated story worth further analysis, but it’s too much for me and I don’t wanna dwell in it. Also, sweetie, you don’t get to cockblock the boy you rejected then invite him to sleep over, I don’t care how confused you are. Good for Hanjoon for standing up for himself, but holy shizz is this hard to watch. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - Cats are not caretakers. The neighbor is a cutie. Fun convo for a VBL - top/bottom & everything. Faen fatale showed up + a pratfall kiss and frankly I’m finding this show a bit dull now that the charm of the initial premise has worn off.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - I never know what to say about this one. This was the dark separation doom episode. I was pretty blah over it. I’m just not engaged with this show. 

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy ????) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering to hunt.

Let’s Eat Together AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai (Japan movie) cinema release means no inter distribution. Looks cozy: daily lives of college students and roommates who enjoy meals together, and a v codependent, adaptation of yaoi Let’s Eat Together Aki and Haru. I’ll keep an eye open for it but assume we can’t get it for now.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*) 

Ended this week 

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I have been reliably informed it’s better left a DNF.

My Story (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I bounced at ep 4. Someone tell me if I should bother with the rest?

Pure Vanilla (Singapore) - 10 min short on Gaga featuring a cafe, boss/employee, friends to lovers. It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats on my screen. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS 

The Promise (Thai YouTube) - Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed. 4/10 NOT RECOMMENDED 

Okay it ended a while ago but I finished it:

Make A Wish (Thai grey) - 6 part PNR (from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af and has a fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency. 8/10 RECOMMENDED 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

6/7 Love Tractor (Korea iQIYI) 8 eps - announced in 2022 from WATCHA (Semantic Error) I've been WAITING for this one. About a stressed-out law student who family obligations force into the countryside where a series of strange encounters and misunderstandings with his hunky young farmer neighbour. Will this be an extended version of Strongberry’s Some More? Or Korea’s take on Restart After Come Back Home? I'm chuffed. Country boy meets city boy is a very underused romance trope in BL.

6/9 Boys Love Omegaverse AKA The Boys Love sequel no one asked for (Japan movie) - everyone jockeyed to release the first ABO but it looks like Japan will take it. They do like to do all things BL FIRST. This seems to just be borrowing the branding of Boys Love, showing little resemblance to either original, since it's about 4 men in an idol group. (But could go very dark with that title. Boys Love is technically the first and one of the darkest BLs ever made.) Movie+Japan = no inter distribution.

Still Coming June 2023 

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Gaga) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Yes please.

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

6/24 Tie The Knot AKA Under the Same Sky (Pinoy movie on Prime) Trailer - I guess Prime is coming for our Pinoy BL? From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), announced for 2022 based on a true story, Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never had a chance to fall in love until he meets Shao, a groom to be.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

From Make a Wish. 

Found my side dish. (Be My Favorite)

We asked this question literally the ENTIRE show. (The Promise) 

My point exactly! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? BTOB on Killing Voice - honestly I’m ded, end this show, no one else can ever be this good. 

[kimbappykidding]

Imagine trying to set Jun up with your friend having no idea he likes you

You met Jun through The8. You and The8 weren't a couple but you were casually hooking up and hung out a lot. So you saw Jun and the others often and got along with Jun a lot. Jun liked you the first moment he saw you but he knew you and The8 were together so he ignored the attraction. Then as he chatted to you more and more he realised it wasn't just physical attraction. He liked your personality and found you very funny. You had a similar sense of humour to him and he loved it. He knew he should've stopped hanging out with you as soon as he developed more complicated feelings for you but he couldn't. He loved being around you and decided it was worth it...until you started trying to set him up with someone else. "Just the man I wanted to see" you called walking into the Seventeen house and Jun smiled as he realised you meant him. "You're always happy to see me" Jun argued and you smiled "yeah I am but today I'm extra happy because I have great news!". "Yeah?" Jun asked. The thought that you and The8 had broken up immediately popped into his head but he pushed it away, cursing himself for even thinking it. "I've found you the perfect girl" you cried and Jun's smile wavered. "Oh?" he asked and you nodded not noticing. "Yeah she's my friend Nali. She's pretty and fun and the two of you would look amazing together! She's from Japan so totally gets the stress of moving to Korea and I think the two of you would really hit it off". Jun smiled "thanks Y/n but I don't really do blind dates". "It doesn't have to be blind! I'm seeing her tonight so why don't you come too? Some other friends are coming so it won't be obvious and you can assess one another before agreeing to anything". Jun paused "how big a group?". "Just 5 including me and you. They're really nice and I promise I'll be by your side the whole time". Now that did make it appealing to Jun. "Pleaseeee" you cried "for me?". Jun sighed at those magic words and agreed "okay". You squealed and hugged him "thanks Jun you're the best!". He hugged you back and supposed he'd go on tons of dates with other girls if it made you this happy.

So you and Jun walked to the cinema together and grabbed a coffee. Jun loved being with you, especially in public. You were just so vibrant and made everything feel fun so he was disappointed when your friends showed up. You introduced them all and Jun noticed the girl you'd told him about watching him. She was pretty but next to you that was pointless. You stuck to your word and didn't let on you wanted to set them up. You sat beside Jun in the cinema and chatted with him. Afterwards you went out for dinner and sat next to him again. The girl started talking to him so he replied and tried asking her the same questions. You spotted it and sent him a huge grin which made him blush and beam at you. He really wasn't interested in what Nali was saying but he did it for you. As you walked home together (you were staying with the8) you asked what he thought of her. "She liked you" you told him and he nodded "she was nice and interesting. I've never met a marine biologist before". "I know isn't it the coolest?" you asked. Jun nodded and you looked at him "so would you wanna see her again?". Jun paused "I don't know maybe...". You didn't push it and changed the subject. So Jun thought that was it when a week later you asked if he wanted to go on a double date with you, The8 and Nali. It was to a carnival so wouldn't really be a double date. You'd do your own thing for most of the time but Jun agreed still unable to let you down. He and The8 came together and you and Nali were waiting at the gate. "Wow" The8 said spotting your outfit and Jun nodded "yeah". The8 smiled and assumed Jun meant Nali which of course he didn’t. "We're lucky guys huh?" he asked and patted Jun's back. "You sure are" Jun replied in his head. You shot them both a huge smile when you saw them and gave them both hugs. "Wow Jun your jumper is so soft!" you cried and he smiled "thanks...". You looked at Nali "so okay you two remember each other right?". "Of course" Nali nodded and Jun smiled "how have you been?". "Good thanks" she replied and you beamed "okay so here are your tickets how about we meet back here in 2 hours?". Everyone nodded and you dispersed. Jun found himself alone with Nali and didn't know what to say. Luckily she was quite the conversationalist and kept Jun talking by asking him questions. He returned the favour and figured they knew more about each other than either of them needed to know. Jun saw you around a few times and you'd always smile and wave to him. When Jun and Nali were getting food you and The8 also happened to be and so you sat together. That was the most fun part of the whole day and you and Jun got into a very excited debate over his best hair colour over the years. Jun was disappointed when he was alone again with Nali but luckily he'd never have to do this again. While they were walking out she turned to him "this was fun but I don't think we should see each other again". Jun paused "oh okay, if that's what you want then totally". "It's not you. it's just...Y/n" she said. Jun frowned "Y/n?". Nali sighed "come on, you're so obviously into her!". Jun blushed "no I...were just friends". Nali laughed "you said that so sadly. It might be true but you don't want it to be and your heart belongs to her. So your cute but I'm not dating an unavailable guy, sorry". Jun shook his head "I get it...just do me a favour and don't tell Y/n?". Nali nodded "of course that's your secret to share" and she left. Jun sighed, would he ever be able to find someone or would he always just want you? Nali left and when you and The8 arrived Jun explained they weren't going to see each other anymore. When you found out she ended it you wrongly assumed Jun would be upset and encouraged The8 to take him out for some fun. You couldn't come because you had work early the next morning so the duo went out together. Jun's head really wasn't in it but they went to a bar and had a few drinks. The8 was enjoying himself and quickly caught the eye of a bartender. He insisted on going up for all the drinks and even though you and The8 weren't exclusive it made Jun mad. When The8 returned after having a five-minute conversation with the girl Jun sighed. "So what are you and Y/n anyway?" Jun asked. The8's smile froze "me and Y/n? You know were casual". "So you're not dating her and this is okay?" he asked gesturing to the girl watching The8 across the room. The8 frowned "yeah exactly...am I missing something? Did I marry her accidentally?". "No" Jun said and The8 nodded "so why are you acting like I did?". "I don't mean to it's just...why aren't you dating her? Why wouldn't you want to?". The8 frowned "well you know I don't date". "Yeah but it's Y/n! She's practically perfect in every way and you already spend so much time together. I just don't get why you haven't worked that out yet, you'll never find someone better than her". The8 paused "look I get how great Y/n is but I just don't see myself dating her or maybe anyone. I'm happy with the way things are...but has Y/n said otherwise? Is that what this is about?". Jun shook his head "no Y/n didn't say anything". "So you're just...looking out for her?" The8 asked. Jun nodded "yeah I guess". The8 nodded but wasn't convinced. Then it suddenly dawned on him what was happening and he wondered how he'd missed it. Jun was in love with you. The8 debated telling you but figured it should come from Jun. He didn't tell Jun he knew because that would freak him out and make him feel awkward. So he stayed quiet and watched as his best friend struggled to tell the girl he was in love with about his feelings. Jun had changed a little since the carnival and was more than a little annoyed at himself and your obliviousness to his feelings for you. He kept getting drunk as a way to handle it but that just made his emotions more likely to spill out as his outburst at The8 proved. You noticed the change in Jun and were a little worried. You were at Scoups' birthday party a few weeks later and saw how Jun was isolating himself from the others. He wasn't his usual happy self and was drinking a lot. When you asked him if he was okay he said he was but you knew he was lying, you just couldn't work out about what. "Is Jun okay?" you asked The8 who paused "why?". "He's been acting different, tell me you've noticed it too". The8 nodded "I have but he doesn't want to talk to any of us...however he might be willing to talk to you. He's always had a thing for you". That took you by surprise but you figured The8 just meant as friends. "Okay I'll go take him to one side" you said and The8 nodded. You approached Jun and smiled "hey, can you help me get something from upstairs?". Jun smiled but it didn't reach his eyes "if this is a ploy to get me to carry you up the stairs again you'll have to do better than that". "That happened one time!" you cried and Jun laughed. "I promise no carrying me" you said and Jun nodded following you. Unsure where to go you led him to The8's room. You grabbed the first thing you saw which was a lip balm and turned to Jun "are you really okay?". Jun immediately got more guarded "is this what you brought me up here for? Just to ask me a question I already answered". "But Jun I can tell something's bothering you so please just let me help you". "You can't do anything about it Y/n" Jun said and you frowned "at least talk to me about it, talking helps". Jun crossed his arms refusing to respond and you sighed "it is about Nali?". "What! No" Jun cried but he could tell you didn't believe him. " Nali wouldn't even tell me why you two didn't work out. She just said to ask you to explain". Jun shook his head "we just weren't compatible". "But why wouldn't she just say that? Jun did you call it off? It's okay if you did you can just say". Jun shook his head "no Nali did". "So why didn't she just say that?". Jun hesitated and you frowned "why do i feel like there's something you're not telling me? Jun what's going on?". He sighed "I didn't call it off name did but she didn't really have a choice considering I'm unavailable". "You are? So you're seeing someone?". The excitement in your voice really made Jun cringe and more than a little angry. "No but you don't have to be dating someone to be unavailable. Sometimes people take your heart without them even knowing and you should know that better than anyone". "I should...Jun I don't get what you mean" you said and he sighed. "I'm in love with you Y/n!" he replied and kissed you. You were in shock at the words Jun had just said so you didn't even realise he was leaning in to kiss you. So he kissed you before you could even process what was happening and you were surprised once again because it felt good. Really good. You could feel the emotions coming from Jun and kissed him back. He felt that and picked up the intensity moving closer to you, making you back up against a wall. Jun very happily trapped you against it and carried on kissing as he'd always wanted to until he realised this wasn't the fairytale romance he'd always hoped for and he pulled away. "Now do you get it?" he asked. You nodded breathlessly and Jun walked away. You watched him go before rushing after him. You caught him on the corridor just before he was going downstairs. "Jun!" you called and he hesitated at the top of the stairs. "You can't just tell me you love me and then walk away" you said and Jun paused "I can't?". "No" you said "I have so many questions...how? Why?". Jun shook his head "did you really never know? Nali spent a few hours with us and spotted it. Why didn't you?". You froze "I...I'm not sure". Jun turned away hurt and felt a tear leak down his cheek. "Jun wait!” you called and tugged his arm making him turn to face you "I'm sorry for not noticing but why didn't you tell me?". "Because I could tell you didn't feel the same way. You didn't look at me like you looked at The8". You shook your head "that's because I didn't know. How am I looking at you now?". Jun met your eyes and paused to see the emotion and want there. He'd been dreaming of this for so long. To see you staring at him like that. So he just completely caved and kissed you again.   This time you were anticipating it so you kissed him back immediately. "Jun" you said breathlessly and he just replied with your name which sent a shiver down your spine. You had no idea Jun could make you feel this way and also were kicking yourself for never realising how gorgeous he was. The way he was looking at you made your stomach do cartwheels and he was intoxicating. You'd never wanted something like you wanted him and you had to tell him. "I want you" was all you managed but it was all Jun needed. Nobody at the party noticed you were gone except for The8 who smiled to see Jun's locked door and your car still parked outside. Jun however wasn't feeling so happy. He laid beside you in bed feeling pretty vulnerable. He had no idea what had just happened and he couldn't sleep no matter how much he wanted to. He hadn't spent ages loving you just for one night? He sat up and went to get some water when he heard you call his name "Jun? Are you okay?" you called sensing he'd moved. He sighed and you flicked a light on "Jun? What's wrong?". He looked down nervously "I...what is this?". "Us?" you asked and he nodded "I enjoyed it but I don't just want what you and The8 have and I didn't even think about The8'” he sighed. You called his name and told him to sit down. "Breathe it's okay" you told him gently holding his hand and he listened to you. "Jun I want this to be more than what I have with The8 too". Jun looked at you "you do". You nodded "I might've been blind before but I see you now and nobodies ever made me feel like you do. Now I think about it I feel like an idiot. You always made me laugh and smile and feel safe. You were the perfect man for me and I never even realised". Jun smiled and kissed you again when he paused "but will The8 be mad?". You shook your head "The8 did something a few weeks ago which i thought was strange but now I think might been about this...he told me if I ever met someone and I wanted to date them that was fine and he'd step aside. I think he meant you". Jun blushed and felt a deep admiration for his friend. "So we have nothing stopping us..." you said and Jun felt elated  "so you're...I'm...we’re...". "Yes" you said and Jun grinned hugging you. "Now I can sleep happily" he cried and you laughed. Jun did sleep after that and didn't wake until mid-morning when a knock at his door woke him up. He blinked his eyes open and saw you lying across from him. He smiled and went to cuddle you more when the knocking persisted and he sighed. He disentangled himself from the bed and made his way to the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw it was The8. "The8...hey" he said drawing the door further closed to hide you. The8 nodded "some of us are going for breakfast, I was just going to ask if you wanted a coffee or something?". Jun nodded "yeah sounds good". The8 nodded and went to walk away before he paused "and would Y/n like anything?". Jun froze until The8 smiled making him relax. "It's cool I'd never get in the way of something serious, you should've told me you liked her sooner" The8 said. Jun nodded "thanks you're the best. Can you get Y/n a chai latte with oat milk". The8 nodded "sure thing" finding it adorable how Jun knew your favourite drink order and left the two of you alone. Jun returned to bed and you moved when he laid beside you. "Who was that?" you asked cosying up to him and Jun wrapped an arm around you pulling you closer. "Just The8". You paused and opened an eye "did he know I was...". Jun nodded "yeah and he's fine with it. He's bringing you a chai latte". You relaxed "wow he's a good guy...not that i had any doubts". Jun nodded "I know. I feel very lucky to have him and you". You smiled "I feel the exact same, we're really killing this couple thing huh?" making Jun laugh. "Totally" he agreed and laid back down with you and fell back into a soundless sleep.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Avatar: The Way of the Water

The art of world building in cinema has almost been none existent for a very long time. Sure you can say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done that for the past 12 years, but that is something that is adapted from already published source material. Star Wars was one of those franchises that kept creating more to expand the universe, but it seems to be stuck in a certain timeline. What I'm talking about is the ability to take something completely original and truly explore a world that is nothing like anything you've ever seen. In 2009, we all were introduced to such an idea and were blown away by the amount of creativity and beauty the first Avatar film had given us. It ended with the promise of endless possibilities of what the world of Pandora could show us in its ever expansive landscapes of jungle, mountains and oceans. To say that this new installment continues to dazzle and fulfills that promise of something new is an understatement. The last time I could honestly say that I felt as if I was living in a new world and didn't want to leave was the original Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This film lets you live in its vast aquatic part of the world and you get to see creatures and other types of life that has influences from our own world, but it is still breath taking. I almost felt like I was watching a nature documentary that featured many spiritual elements and a commentary on the horrific nature of human poachers of sea life. Now there are some familiar story elements about being a teenage outcast amongst other teens and races, respecting nature and connecting with it, but somehow this film finds a way to bring back that charm and wonder factor in many fresh ways.

Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully now fully living a new life as chief of the Omaticaya. I loved that he is one with the Na'vi and he has truly come into his own as a leader and now a father of 5. He is even more compelling as he navigates trying to fight for his people while understanding that family is the only thing that is worth protecting. Zoe Saldana returns as his wife Neytiri and she was even more excellent and powerful than before. Her chemistry with Jake was so heartfelt and you see their loving relationship blossom. She really gets to kick some ass the latter half of the film and her physicality was astounding. Stephan Lang returns as his father Colonel Miles Quaritch and he has never been more sinister. He is on a revenge quest and he was relentless and yet so magnetic on screen. Cliff Curits is always excellent as the chief of the reef people clan of Metkayina Tonowari, he was powerful. Kate Winslet was amazing and equally powerful as his wife Ronal. Together they were a powerhouse of leadership and their connection to the sea was wonderful to behold. I loved that they were a representation of the Māori people.

Even though Jake and Neytiri are the leads in the film, it was truly about the coming of age story of their children. Jamie Flatters was great as their oldest son Neteyam. He fulfills the older brother role very well and I liked his constant protective nature of his siblings. He wasn't too overbearing, but there was conflict in the right moments. Britain Dalton was great as the younger brother Lo'ak and I related to his status of being the sort of reckless black sheep of the family. His intentions are good as he tries to get people to understand him, but not everyone would listen. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss was cute the youngest sister Tuktirey and she wasn't as annoying as I feared she would be as she constantly finds herself in some form of danger. Sigourney Weaver was outstanding as Kiri the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine played by Weaver in the first film. I loved that the spiritual element of the story was given to her as she showcases the most beautiful and tranquil nature of the sea. She is different from the rest and she tangles with that as goes on a personal search for answers about her lineage. Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro was great and I loved the chemistry he had with the other kids. He gets to learn the best and worst parts of humanity while retaining his identity with the Na'vi. His story repeats the same beats of the first film, but luckily they’re rushed a bit and have a different feel to them given the circumstances he’s in.  

The score by composer Simon Franglen was excellent and added to the beauty and wonder of the world. His use of the themes by late composer James Horner were all correct and I loved his take on the emotional beats of the film. The same attention to detail to the visuals from the first film continues here and breaks new ground on what is possible in the world of CGI and motion capture. I saw this film in IMAX 3D with high frame rate, but it wasn't consistently at that speed which I didn't mind. There was a constant switch between 48 frames per second and the standard 24 fps and the 48 fps was reserved for the more epic action scenes and sweeping shots. It could be jarring for those not expecting the switch, but I was completely fine as it added to the nature doc feel to the underwater sequences and the smoothness of the 3D. Like I said before, I felt that I have now lived in a new world that I didn't know that I needed to explore and yet there's so much more to see. Director James Cameron is a true visionary and creative genius that has delivered again something truly magical and expansive. If you loved the first film, then get ready to go back to Pandora and witness that same childlike wonderment you first felt. This is definitely one of the most gorgeous films of the year and definitely one of the best of 2022. There hasn't been a film that felt like it needed to be seen in 3D for a long time and this film requires you to truly experience it in 3D. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!  

[aithusarosekiller]

Some nice old rosechaser to make you question what the line between fluff and angst is

31st October 1981

Angel,

I miss you. That really shouldn’t be news at this point, should it? Of course I miss you, it would be wrong for me not to. Or maybe it is wrong that I do miss you, I don’t quite know.

This past week, things have felt different. Like something in the atmosphere has changed and been solidified, or something is edging closer and closer to us. Lily has noticed it too. She asked Sybill about it in a letter she sent a few days ago (you know her well enough by now, right? Lily’s girlfriend.) and Sybill said that something important was coming, though only one of her prophecies has been worth worrying about so far, so we really aren’t too sure. We told Dumbledore but he told us we were being paranoid; Lily didn’t take too kindly to that, it made me quite proud to watch her fight for Harry’s optimum protection after I had just been shut down for my attempt, but Dumbledore assured us it was okay. I think I might be starting to see what you meant when you said that he was selfish and lying to us, but he’s all I have to put my trust in at the moment

Speaking of Lily, everything has been going well with us at the moment. As much as I would give to be able to raise a child with you, raising Harry with Lily is perfect. Something about having a child with a friend instead of a partner works so well, and it made me think a little. That maybe, when this is all over, you and Sybill can formally meet Harry and become second parents to him. We could all take care of him together. We’d have to explain it to everyone else but I think it would be nice. The girls can have him for one week and we’ll have him for the next. Perfect, we can do it like that. When we are all out of this mess, we can do that. Then you get to be a dad to Harry and get to know Lily and Sybill better as you go. Harry’s a wonderful boy. You’ll love him, I promise. I know you don’t exactly adore children but I promise you’ll get along perfectly.

Happy Halloween, by the way. I don’t know if you still celebrate it, or if they’re forcing you out onto those brutal missions for ‘family honour’ instead of giving you a break, but I know it was always your favourite celebration, so I hope you still enjoy it. It would be a shame if you didn’t, it’s one of the first things I think of when I think of you. Remember Halloween of seventh year? I ditched the big party and went down to the Slytherin common room to meet you. You had no idea. We snuck through the tunnel to Hogsmeade and apparated to a muggle cinema from there to watch a Halloween film. It was so good but you wouldn’t stop picking on the inaccurate depictions in it. I rolled my eyes and told you to stop but I think you knew I found it sweet. We got toffee apples and everything after that. I miss it a lot, Evan. I really do. Maybe one day, we can do it again. No, not maybe, definitely. The war will be over soon and we can do all the things we used to do all over again, trust me.

We have a vase of roses on the windowsill at the moment, you know? They’re red. Lily chose them, but I think she knew I’d take a liking to them. I just like the fact that red roses are a perfect mix of us. They’re sort of like our flower, aren’t they? Do you think we can claim ownership over the red rose? Actually, nevermind, that was a stupid question.

Sorry, Angel, I have to go now. Lily is putting Harry to bed and then we’re going to open a bottle and relax, no magic whatsoever to spoil the moment. No wands, no crying baby (hopefully), no stress, no raging war outside, just two friends relaxing on Halloween, how it should be. Be sure to write back, or I’ll hunt you down and physically force you to.

I love you, Angel,

Your James x

[miss-jaffacake]

So I watched Avatar 2 at the cinema last night and now Im gonna drain you with my boring stories and opinions (I will marry whoever understood that reference) SPOILERS FOR BOTH FLIMS AHEAD READ WITH CAUTION

Anyway.

Avatar was a good movie not because of the story or characters; in fact, the plot was very much an exact copy of the Hero's Journey, and the characters were annoyingly bland, even if they were fun to watch. Jake's character in particular had no personality whatsoever, and he was more of a blank slate for the audience to project on. The real issue with the entire franchise is that they created an amazing, detailed, immersive world and made the movies with the purpose of showing it off, not with the purpose of creating an interesting storyline or characters.

All that aside, Avatar 1 was an incredible experience, and the effects were, without a doubt, absolutely worth the hype. The story was predictable, and there wasnt anything else to particularly distinguish it other than the worldbuilding and stunning effects, but Id still recommend it simply for how wonderful of a viewing experience it was.

Avatar The Way of The Water, though.... *wince*

Jake's lack of personality, values or morals were, in my opinion, what ruined the movie (and the numerous subplots, none of which were tied into the main plot). The whole "running away" thing was completely ridiculous; it went against every one of Neytiri's values, and it broke the idea that Jake is a powerful force, which was a prominent message in Avatar 1. After establishing his strength and making a big deal out of him, so to speak, he ran away???? It was more than infuriating, but since Jake had no values in the first movie either, it was easy to mould him into a completely new character. It felt jarring that his new motivation was to protect his family, even it was at the cost of his own people whom he so sought to protect in the prequel. He literally did a 180 degree flip. (and dont give me any bullshit about how being a parent alters your brain chemistry or whatever)

It was embarrassing to watch Neytiri and Jake ask for sanctuary when they were so powerful and respected in their community, and it was a poor way of introducing the idea of other tribes. There were a million other ways to do it; maybe the Omatikaya kidnapped his children as leverage because they wanted Jake on their side, maybe there was a debt to be repaid, maybe they asked for help in fighting the war, maybe the heartbeat Kiri heard was leading them there, maybe Grace got pregnant from one of the Omatikaya and Kiri wanted to find her real father, maybe Lo'ak ran away there after being berated one too many times,,,, you get my point. We couldve seen our main characters interact with the Omatikaya in a way that didnt completely demolish the ideas established in the first movie: that Jake had earned his place among the forest people and was a force to be reckoned with and that Neytiri had promised to never abandon her people.

So, we reach the Omatikaya, and Jake has to relearn how to be a part of a clan all over again, but this time with the rest of his family. I LOVE the premise of doing it all over again but this time with a family by his side, I really do. I like the nods towards Jake and Neytiri's dynamic reflected in Lo'ak and Tsireya, and it felt fitting that Jake's character arc had to take another turn.

Now onto each of the characters' respective, screwed up subplots and back stories. It very much felt like Jake took a backseat in the movie, and his children were now in the spotlight. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing, it just wasnt very well executed and I was hoping we'd see Jake wrestle with the implications of having lived two lives at once and maybe have an identity crisis idk.

Kiri's backstory is interesting, but i was beyond pissed that we didnt get any sort of explanation for how Grace's avatar got pregnant. Also, how does that tie into the fact she has different abilities than the rest of them??? The whole scene where she made the bond with the spirit tree was confusing and unnecessary; it didnt advance the plot, but merely opened yet another door that we didnt venture through. Im assuming she will be the "seed bearer" in the third movie. Her character had potential, as did all the others, but it was untapped throughout the whole movie, and we didnt get any explanation for why she was so different than the others, and what her biological family had to do with the fact she could "hear Eywa's heartbeat". It was made to seem like a deciding plot device in the trailer when really it took us nowhere.

Neteyam and Tuk had no personality; they existed for the character development of everyone else and to be a hindrance, respectively.

Lo'ak was the most thought-out character by far. One might even go so far as to say that this was his movie. Bonding with an outcast tukun was great, loved seeing his character projected back at him, and the cruel irony of Jake making his son feel how he felt when trying to join the N'avi was also pretty cool (Lo'ak has a severe case of middle child syndrome) Jake was the asshole dad to him for almost the entirety of the movie (hypocrite), cementing the idea that he was now a side character.

And Spider. Man i hate that kid. Not a terrible idea for a character, but i cant believe that "a son for a son" at the end of the movie. "Im so devastated my son is dead to the point im gonna replace him with the little shit that saved the guy who killed him". That was a gross storyline. Also, how come the only human kid speaks more N'avi than the actual N'avi??? Like,,,,, what??? Why do the have an accent??? It kinda ruined the immersion factor. HE WASNT EVEN YOUR FATHER, DUMBASS. HES A LITERAL CLONE GROW TF UP

So yeah, it was immensely rude of them to use Quaritch as the villain again. That was bad enough, but letting him survive??? Recycling a villain twice??? Wheres your dignity??? Have you no class??? And I understand that it was done so there could be a betrayal subplot in the third film, but that does not make it acceptable by any means. Also, none of the characters went through any development whatsoever. They literally killed Neteyam to give Lo'ak some kinda growth but it was for nothing. NOTHING!!! No one changed from the beginning of the movie to the end, and the only one who was true to their character from the first movie to the end of the second was Neytiri.

So, basically:

The subplots werent properly tied in, no character development, they ruined Jake, we have the same villain as last time, and the storyline is veryyyyy similar to the first.

Watch it anyway, the graphics are stunning and honestly almost make it worth the 3.5 hours. Almost.

[agentnico]

Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023) Review

Well, that was weird.

Plot: When an occupying alien species' bureaucratic rule and advanced technology leave most of Earth impoverished and unemployed, two teenagers hatch a risky plan to ensure their families' futures.

Throughout the age of cinema, we have been given many interpretations of extra-terrestrial life forms, from the face-hugging buggers of the Alien franchise to the friendly finger-pointing ET who simply wants to go home, to the angry creepy brainiac Martians from Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!.... there have been many. However one has never seen an alien design as one in the new quirky sci-fi movie Landscape with Invisible Hand. There's nothing humanoid in these creatures, with the appearance of slimy loaves of bread with four paddle legs and two caterpillar eyes. Their language is communicated by rubbing and slapping their paddle flippers together, creating a sandpaper friction sound. It's a unique and different take on what we see as aliens and fair play to the designers for going so weird with it. In fact, the entire movie is nothing short of peculiar, from the premise to the execution, and even if the movie does struggle to get some of its ideas across, the ambition and unpredictability of it all result in a bold blend of sci-fi and social commentary.

Coming to us from director Cory Finley, who's previously helmed the Hitchockian-style indie black comedy Thoroughbreds and the public-school embezzlement scandal true story in Bad Education, so it wasn't too surprising to see him tackle yet another outrageous project, though not many would have thought he would have gone this bonkers. However, through all the weirdness he still manages to ground the narrative by delivering a fable on human behaviour, talking about relations, art, and the weakness of human nature.

Acting wise we see a career-best turn from Tiffany Haddish, who puts aside her usual screaming comical performance to instead showcase some of her more dramatic naturalistic chops, yet still having that sassy sarcastic demeanor to her. However, the lead kid played by Asante Blackk came off a bit flat. I get that he's supposed to be a moody kid who's stuck in poverty under the capitalist regime of the alien race, but his acting was so bland. The rest of the ensemble does well with what they have, but it's Haddish who comes out as the MVP. But I think overall because all the characters are so emotionally detached due to being stuck in their mundane lives, it's difficult to connect with any of them.

Despite its promise, the film often falls short of delivering a deep exploration of its themes. The portrayal of the Vuvv (the alien race) verges on becoming caricatures, and the film's tonal shifts disrupt the overall experience. However, it retains an odd charm and occasional moments of amusement, making it worth a watch for those open to its quirky journey. And there are brilliant moments of satire that expose the flaws and failures of capitalism in a dystopian setting. The film shows how the Vuvv exploit the human population for their own benefit while offering them false promises and cheap entertainment. Which is oddly and scarily similar to real life. Only real-life politicians don't look like slimy bread. Well, most of them don't at least.

Overall score: 6/10

[spacevulpix]

also i finally figured out what it is that bothers me about the book of boba fett THIS GOT LONG

there's cool ideas in it - shit that i love seeing in star wars. boba fett being approached by a businessman who seems to have good intentions, only to find out he's swindling locals for 4x the worth of his water and a cool biker gang needs jobs so boba employs them as his personal guard? sick! i love every part of that.

the problem is that all these things happen in one episode, more like one half of one episode. the watermonger only exists to bring boba to the biker gang, the biker gang only exists to make krrsantan's attempted assassination a six-on-one fight to even the odds out/to pull off possibly the lamest car chase scene in all of cinema. like, they didn't even get wind machines to give the ILLUSION that these hoverbikes had any speed on them at all. no motion blurs, just an incredibly slow moving group of bikers chasing an incredibly slow moving space convertible.

the hutt twins want to lay their claim to jabba's crime empire on tattooine? great! we never get to see the hutts as serious players, only as the butt of the joke or idiot fail sons. except, this is the book of boba fett, so they're only here to make you confused for 2 episodes whether the mayor or the hutts is trying to kill boba fett, then in the third episode (only their second appearance) they reveal that somehow, off-screen, they learned it was the mayor of mos espa who was playing both sides bc he'd already promised jabba's territory to the pike syndicate for.... reasons? i guess?

and of course there's the fact that 20% of this show is actually an extension of the mandalorian season 2. it's like disney was scared people wouldn't watch season 3 unless they were certain grogu and mando were reunited from the jump, so they took all the emotional impact of grogu being made to leave with luke at the end of season 2 and reverse it in a very short time frame. it's star wars, so we don't know exactly how long it's been, but i think it's a safe bet to assume it's like, less than six months and that's being generous. based on how little progress luke has made with grogu in those episodes, it reads more like he's been there for a few weeks, maybe two months at most.

and it's so frustrating because this is what andor gets right! granted, andor had more episodes in it's season than either season of the mandalorian/book of boba fett/kenobi show (don't get me started) but that writer's room had SUCH a better grasp of the progression of time. you feel it in how the characters interact - even though it's only been two episodes since these two met, you can feel the emotion in their voices as they try to communicate everything that's happened, and it makes months feel like years.

every episode of andor feels like the natural progression of the events of the last - each main character is both part of andor's overall character narrative, yet they each have their own personal narrative building alongside and on top of the story as a whole. cassian may not have been directly responsible for bix being captured and tortured, but it was him who inadvertently brought the empire's attention to ferrix. syril may have eventually risen through the ranks of corporate security as long as he continued bootlicking, but he's too ambitious to understand his place in the system, and he's quickly cast out the moment it's clear he won't play the game.

and in boba fett, you can see where they could have gone bigger on concepts like this, because they're trying to do something similar! they're just failing real hard at it! it feels like that heist episode of rick and morty where they're hitting plot beats with minimal interest just so they can have a small army of characters you might have formed some kind of connection to from seeing them on screen at least once beforehand. i feel like it even cheapens some of mando season 2, like cobb vanth was such an interesting character and i could see him and boba having SUCH an interesting relationship, where they never quite see eye-to-eye because cobb disapproves of boba's criminal empire and boba thinks cobb is privileged for being able to look down on the unsavory elements of his empire despite all the good he's doing at the same time

but nope, he's cannon fodder for cad bane. and it doesn't even make sense to imply this deep relationship between cad bane and boba fett bc they never aired that scene from the clone wars where boba gets the dent in his helmet from cad bane firing on him!

[gameingnow]

For the Trek to Yomi Review

For the Trek to Yomi review, let's start with the story in a very short way right away. We start the game as a novice samurai who is a young man who works as a swordsman with his master and does not sweat his mustache. While we are working with our master, they suddenly raid the village and tell our master to come to the rescue. So he takes his spear in his hand and immediately runs to the front, before he leaves, he turns to us and says, “Son, sit down and stay out of this.” We're doing what we do? Of course we're not listening, and we're going after him to look for our master. That's where game cinematics comes in. Sundays Decency is captured in the scene transitions, we pass through restaurants, we flow serially between shops, we see people talking in the market and we witness a lot of fine details. The Trek to Yomi review (video) Hiroki's master is killed fighting against the bandits who attacked his village, and our young friend vows to protect his home and loved ones from future such attacks. Later, when Hiroki grows up and becomes a full-fledged Samurai, his village is attacked by bandits once again, and a fire of revenge surrounds Hiroki with guilt for not keeping the promise he made to his master as a child, and our story flows. It's worth stopping and watching every scene When we start looking at the game with a receptive eye, the most important element that draws us in is, of course, its visuals. Construction is the period covering the years 1603-1868 in the history of Edo (Japan) of Japan.) it is set in the period. In fact, it resembles the classic samurai cinema that you know, and of course, the first name that comes to mind when it is said is the famous Japanese film director Akira Kurusowa.Ha, it's not like it's a game, it's a movie scene you know. I'm saying why, because the game is themed in black and white, like classic cinema. The stage designs are of high-end quality. You know, they say, “the view is the same postcard,” that's exactly what every scene in the production is like, it's a postcard. From the moment the game starts, we are with Hiroki, who is our hero. We have one katana in our hands (it is a traditional one-way, curved sword type used by the Japanese samurai.) there is, and we are constantly busy dividing the enemies coming in front of us into equal parts, separating their heads from their trunks. So get ready for the first criticism coming here. Every action taken to defeat enemies, such as fighting, making light and heavy attacks, running away, jumping, jumping, is tied to a routine after a certain period of time, and now we can defeat 10 enemies in a row by doing the same things. Endurance and health are the main factors we need to maintain in the game. We do our attack numbers, blocks, attacks with an endurance level. Shouldn't I tell you about the health part anyway? if the health is over, our greetings are being read, or whatever is being done in Japan, they were burning it at work, I think anyway, let's get back to our topic. Health and endurance bars have developable facilities. These bars can be upgraded in the parts we find and combine in the game. I wanted to mention that when it comes to upgrades, our new batting styles are unlocked as we progress in the game. We are able to do serial hits, sudden escapes, consecutive sword combos, etc. From the very beginning of the game, we have been performing shows with swords, even so much so that after a certain period of time, manslaughter becomes child's play and the war becomes simple. There are no uniform enemies, some of them will faint if we blow them out like paper, but there are some of them that the guy's armor is too thick and tough. It's not that easy to kill them at work. You have to do a lot of combos in a row, sometimes it tickles a guy to make one hit, let alone reduce his life. Especially if there are those with spears, the brother hits us in the head from afar. Killing enemies connects you to the series after a place, the severed head or limbs leave you with a pleasant aftertaste in your mouth, although very rarely when you pass these enemies. gameingnow.com Read the full article

[bellaedythe]

some thoughts about bly manor that i havent seen other people express yet (big spoilers)

1. Dani isn’t just haunted by her fiance, she’s haunted by what he represented. When she sees him it tends to be in mirrors, so he’s stood with her like some perverse image of heterosexuality. He tends to touch her in a sexual/romantic way which she’s clearly uncomfortable with. He is both literally the spectre of her dead fiance and a metaphor for compulsory heterosexuality.

1b. see also: dani seeing him while literally trapped in a closet against her will.

2. The last episode is 100% a metaphor for being in a relationship where one partner has a chronic/terminal illness. This includes chronic mental illness (the suicidal ideation is not there by accident). Theres a lot of subtext about feeling like a burden on your partner, being scared to put them through the trauma of your illness and being scared theyll leave you when youre too much trouble. These ideas are brought up earlier in the series when discussing Owen’s mother’s dementia (and i could make a whole other rant about Jamie’s character development in this regard).

3. Preface: I dont like peter he’s an abusive arsehole and controlling freak. BUT I think this dislike is making people less likely to examine Peter’s motivations and the character’s themes. I think he represents one of the show’s central themes about the cyclical nature of abuse; how abused people often take out their abuse on others, therefore creating more abused people. 

We know peter was abused by his father (probably sexually abused if the comments about ‘other boys’ and ‘innocence’ and his mother knowing are read into) so it’s interesting to me that his actions towards Miles and Flora could be seen as him grooming them by taking over their bodies without their consent. They both seem to know to keep their interactions with him a secret, he promises them rewards for their compliance and when they complain that he ‘tucks them away’ without their consent he acts contrite and promises not to do it again. Peter embodies the cycle of abuse, grooming the children the way he himself was likely groomed. I am not in any way excusing his actions, just saying its interesting. 

4. Linked to the above point: the cyclical nature of the lady in the lake (how she walks the same path each time, how her years trapped in the trunk were a repeating cycle) parallels the cycle of abuse and this is totally intentional. Viola started this cycle of pain, abuse and death through her unwillingness for her loved ones to watch her die. She and Perdita murder each other, another strange cycle of violence, and the ghosts created by the cyclical violence are trapped in her “gravity” and unable to leave (aka unable to leave the cycle of abuse). The cycle will keep on going forever until it is stopped actively, just like real cycles of abuse.

4b. Dani stops the cycle (both the cycle of abuse and the lady in the lake) through a totally selfless act of love. this makes me cry bc she’s so good, she didnt deserve any of this.

5. Peter and Rebecca’s “love” is intentionally compared to Dani and Jamie’s. Dani and Jamie discuss how “love is not about possession”. Peter LITERALLY possesses Rebecca so he can force her to stay with him forever. Jamie knows that Dani will have to leave someday and cherishes every minute, Peter murders Rebecca to prevent her from leaving. Poetic Cinema.

6. everyone has said this but its worth noting. I’m crying. I’m fucking crying. everything about this show is so good I havent even delved into half the shit i could wtf

[9tzuyu]

ticket for one

prompt: accidentally taking someone’s seat at the movie theater

note: i am not at all afraid of horror, i loveeeee horror movies. but i had to work with my imagination. gonna try and push myself more to write :). hope you guys enjoy. thank u moli for proofreading.

🏷 : @wandaromanova @c-is-writing @nermalina

. . .

it wasn’t often that natasha was able to go out and enjoy a life of her own. she was needed almost 24/7 at her job. natasha wasn’t one to complain, but even the most skilled and profound agents couldn’t avoid exhaustion.

she needed a break. and per natasha’s request, she asked for a few weeks off several months prior.

a touch of normalcy greeted natasha as soon as she arrived at her destination. it was a small, forgotten town just a few states over, but it was one that functioned perfectly fine on its own. she felt lighter being away from new york, like she could finally breathe on her own.

the maryland wind kept natasha’s lips dry and chapped while loose red hair brushed against her face. her hands were shoved deep in the pockets of her jacket in an attempt to stay warm. she felt small.

“for such a well-trained spy, you sure know how to forget the basic necessities,” she mumbled to herself.

natasha didn’t have anything in particular planned for the day. she would probably stop by the store and pick up a few essentials, maybe go to the park and sit for a while. it was only a three-block walk, not far at all compared to the hikes she’s had to do for missions.

on her way there a brightly lit cinema caught the russian’s eye. she stopped in her tracks. natasha couldn’t remember the last time she went to the theaters. a vague memory of her and yelena dragging melina into the theater flashed across natasha’s mind.

her eyes followed the dimly lit board to see the 80s version of house on sorority row was playing. she bit her lip, finally giving in when she was greeted with the smell of freshly made popcorn. natasha was just in time too, the trailers for other movies would still be playing.

and even though natasha had a comfortable amount of confidence, she couldn’t lie to herself, it did feel pretty awkward asking for one singular ticket.

human nature, she supposed.

she was quick to select a seat on the digital screen, picking the farthest one away from the screen on the outside corner of the aisle.

however, when natasha made her way into the theater, she frowned. someone else was already sitting in her selected seat. it was a dumb thing to be annoyed by, she knew that, but she needed to sit there. natasha wasn’t one to shy away from confrontation either.

so the redhead made her way in front of your line of view.

“uhm can i help you?”

natasha hated that you looked so adorable as you stared at her.

“you’re in my seat.”

“o-oh, i’m sorry.” you blushed shyly, squirming your way out of her seat and down a few spots. there was a gap of 4 chairs between the two of you. she watched as you embarrassingly made yourself comfortable in your newly selected location.

you’d never been more thankful for a nearly empty theater in your life. lucky for you, the movie began to play.

but fifteen minutes later you found yourself staring at the redhead. she looked half tense, her fingers tapped on the armrest. then you noticed her choice of clothing – a grey sweatshirt with perfectly fitted sweatpants, but not the kind you’d wear around your house. your eyes traveled to her face, and oh my god you’d never seen a woman more beautiful than her.

“i know you didn’t pay to stare at me the entire time now did you?” her tone of voice was lighthearted, so you knew she wasn’t being rude.

and once again, you’d embarrassed yourself in front of the woman.

“i didn’t pay at all actually,” you stammered. “sorry for…. staring.” she nodded her head and averted her eyes back to the screen. you followed suit, this time promising yourself not to make any more awkward mistakes.

you completely missed the grin natasha had on her face. she found it kind of funny that you’d snuck in, but she couldn’t really blame you. movie tickets weren’t always worth the cost.

throughout the movie natasha could see you shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye, sometimes cringing at bloody scenes. she giggled before moving to sit next to you.

“sneak into the wrong movie?” her voice startled you causing your hand to fall over your chest. your eyes snapped down to her lips, only to be met with a smirk. “hi.” you whispered softly. natasha almost instantly caught on to the fact that you didn’t recognize her.

she didn’t want to sound arrogant or anything, but she’s an avenger. who didn’t know about the group of six? nonetheless, the russian relaxed a little more knowing you wouldn’t bombard her with questions.

“do you need to hold my hand?” her teasing nature and the fact that she was drop-dead gorgeous completely wrecked your brain. the mystery woman raised her eyebrow in question, clearly still waiting on your answer.

“i don’t even know your name.”

“natasha.”

you nodded, “well, natasha, i’m y/n. and yes- yes, i’d like to hold your hand.” she flipped the armrest up so you could be more comfortable before clasping her hand in yours. you felt warm in contrast to her cold fingertips and you took note of the softness of her skin.

neither one of you knew exactly what you were doing, but you both surprised yourselves by enjoying the other’s company.

a third of the way through the movie natasha looked down to see you unknowingly leaning into her side. it was cute.

“first you’re in my seat, now you’re cuddling into my arm. are we on a date, y/n?”

when you realized how close you were to the complete stranger of a woman, you pushed yourself away. apologies began to spill out but natasha was quick to cut you off by cupping her hand over your mouth.

“do you plan on sneaking into any other movies today?” you shook your head, confused as to why natasha was asking you this question. “do you have any plans after this?” once again you shook your head.

you were just about to ask her why she was questioning you when she cut you off.

“then let me take you out on a date.”

“what?”

natasha hid her nervousness – because honestly, what the hell was she even thinking? asking a stranger to go out on a date with her?

she licked her lips, “would you like to go out- on a date with me?”

you broke out into a smile, squeezing her hand for reassurance. “yes, i would love that.”

who knew such a simple mistake could result in a pretty woman taking you out on a date?

[castielcommunism]

I got to thinking about a meta post that I can’t find, which dealt with Dean not reacting to Famine in My Bloody Valentine. So many people just take what Famine says on faith, but in that post someone pointed out that what he craved most was abstinence. Dean literally tells people that he’s “well-fed” and in this interpretation he is. Too well-fed. He likes food, but he wants to be able to take his time when eating, and savor it (rather than shoving it down his face because of food scarcity.)

I’ve seen a couple interpretations of My Bloody Valentine and idk where my opinion falls exactly, but like imo a big thing about Dean’s various “hungers” is that they can’t be gratified instantly, which is what Famine seems to operate on.

Like, it’s not that Dean is insanely horny all the time, it’s that he uses sex as a proxy to feed a much more complex emotional and psychological need, which is the desire to be protected, safe, and intimate with another person. It’s not that Dean is a glutton, it’s that the presence of food in his life is always an insecure affair, so he flocks to calorie rich food whenever and however it appears to him, because its presence promises some form of security and safety to him, as well as an instantaneous flood of pleasure that dulls the horror of his life for a brief period of time. It’s not that Dean is (necessarily) obsessive about cinema because of a genuine desire to be a movie buff, it’s that movies and television were and still are the surest way for him to feel less alone.

Dean is not a hedonist, he’s far too unhappy and insecure (financially, socially, emotionally) to ever be one. Instead what he does is substitute long-term desire for short-term gains, because long-term planning in his life is impossible and, based on repeated comments he’s made about his own suicidal ideation, not really even something he considers worth doing, or rather, something he “deserves” to consider doing. So he goes for the easy, instant, temporary pleasures, not because he genuinely wants to live his life that way, but because it’s the only form of happiness he ever thinks is within his power to have.

So when Famine appears, Dean isn’t overcome with lust or hunger or passion or rage or anything. Those things don’t actually appeal to him; they are temporary proxies to simulate his actual desires, which are long-term stability, community, intimacy, belonging, and structure. Dean feels empty when Famine appears because Famine has nothing to offer him, short of completely changing the course of his life. I think on some level Dean is deeply unhappy with every fast food meal he eats, every pretty girl he sleeps with, every new movie he watches. Those things can never be simply enjoyed for what they are, or even things that give shape and meaning to his life. All they do is keep his own demons at bay for an hour or an evening.

[tenthgrove]

Hey! I saw full requests were open? If it hasn’t been done already, La Squadra with a teammate or s/o who gets very nervous and fidgety when having to go in public? Going to stores and places other than where they live is hard for them?

I love your writing, and I hope you’re doing well! :)

Well That's A Mood

La Squadra x Reader, Platonic/Romantic, SFW

Formaggio- This is a man who lives his life on the move. He's it's rare to find him at home before 8pm and following him around would have you think he's acquainted with half the population of Naples. I guess you could say opposites attract. This in mind, Formaggio likes to make the most of his contrasting personality to help you tolerate the experience of being in public. This works both by distracting you from your surroundings with his pure emotional volume and also distracting others, to reduce your feeling of being watched.

Illuso- Illuso is an ambivert. Not quite an introvert but not quite an extrovert either. He prefers sticking away from busy places but can cope with them if needs be. He might not notice your nerves at first as he tends to be focused on the strangers around him for signs of dangers, but once you tell him, it can be easily remedied. The assurance that if it gets too much, you can just go to the mirror world, may in itself be enough to help you get through this outing.

Prosciutto- The bad news about shopping with Prosciutto is that he takes the middle class mum's attitude to buying things. I.e. he stands around in one aisle repeatedly holding up two objects for half an hour before deciding to "see what's in the other aisle first then come back and see if we like this one more." In short, there is no 'quick pop to the shops.' Despite all this, he does change his ways when you tell him about your nervousness. He even learns to internet shop for you! In case you needed any more proof he loves you.

Pesci- He can relate to you. Being trained by Prosciutto has given him a healthy dose of paranoia about the general public, and he's currently in that awkward spot where he knows just how much danger could be lurking round the corner but doesn't yet have the confidence to deal with it. To compromise, he likes to do something fun while you're out, so you've got more to do than just focus on your anxieties. Perhaps a trip to the cinema could calm both your nerves.

Melone- A homebody at heart, Melone rarely can't be convinced to stay at home. However, he does like to go out and about occasionally, particularly during party seasons to soak up the atmosphere. Still, he is very considerate of your nerves and won't force you to come. You can always make up the time together later. In the event you do find yourself getting fidgety while out together, he will simply put his phone in one of your hands, take hold of the other, and encourage you to distract yourself on his games while he leads the way. The wonders of technology.

Ghiaccio- Another introvert, Ghiaccio spends most of his outside time before dawn and after dark, to save himself the displeasure of interacting with the human species. He definitely won't be pressuring you to go on a sudden shopping trip at peak hours. His strategy for when your nervousness strikes is simply to promise that anyone who causes you trouble will sustain multiple skull fractures courtesy of his fist. It's a promise he absolutely intends to hold himself to.

Risotto- At the expense of sounding repetitive, here is another assassin who absolutely has no objections to avoiding stressful outings wherever possible. A combination of autism and looking like some horror movie cosplay you've never heard of tends to leave him poor received by the general public, so he leaves errand running to the rest of the team. When you do go out together he helps you stay calm by keeping you occupied with light conversation (yes, he is capable of such a thing) and hurrying the outing to a close.

Sorbet and Gelato- The bad news is that Sorbet and Gelato do go out quite a bit. Neither of them are really into the internet so they have to go into town to get their things, as well as gathering all the intel for their endless work. They do stress you're under no obligation to come with them as they've already got each other as backup, but if you did come they'd really appreciate it. They'll make sure it's worth your while.