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zemolvr · 11 months

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thinking about mac and dennis being together during quarantine. not spending time with anyone else besides each other.

and in the end, it rebuilt their friendship. dennis was ready to rip mac in half for most of season 14, yet they’re back to sitting on their couch with nothing better to do than write country songs together.

and for some reason it bothers me that that’s all we got to see. they had to be quarantined for months. something changed during that time for mac to go from harassing dennis and needing dennis to care about him so badly that he poisons him, to the somewhat normal dynamic they had before mac came out. their plot line finally wasn’t about mac wanting to please dennis and dennis hating him for it. their plot line was just about them being them: assholes who argue and act like they’re more important than everyone else, but they’re doing it together.s13-14 mac and dennis probably wouldn’t have written country songs together. dennis would’ve verbally accosted mac for even suggesting they do something together.

but then covid happened, and they were stuck together. they were bored and they only really had each other.

i could chalk all this up to “two people are stuck in a house with no one but the other, they can’t be mad at each other forever” but that just doesn’t feel right when i think about how RCG portrays how charlie handled the quarantine.

charlie goes to dee. why would he ever do that? he hates dee, and frank is pretty much his favorite person in the whole world so why would he leave to go be with dee in the first place? and when he’s shown with her, he’s angry. he’s screaming at her. even when it shows them in 2021, trying to explain their business to the loan guy, he’s angry with her. and she’s angry with him.

versus mac and dennis, who are happy to talk about their business. dennis is touching mac on the shoulder and upper back like he always has. they try to play their song for the loan guy.

they had a good fucking time together in quarantine. they are best friends above all else.

SOMETHING had to have happened during those months of just mac and dennis. mac must’ve realized dennis will never commit to him and he stopped trying to force it. it’s like he’d rather keep dennis as his friend and live with the underlying feelings (based on his reaction later in the season when he gasps when dennis so much as touches mac’s hand) than have dennis hate him and reject every single piece of affection.

i just wanna know if they binged the predator movies and if so how many times did they do it before dennis got tired of mac’s commentary.

#it’s 2 am i am literally just talking out of my ass #does this make any fucking sense #iasip #macdennis #mac mcdonald #mac iasip #dennis reynolds #2020: a year in review #BOY WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

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frodothefair · 6 months

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Emma 2020: at first I wasn't too keen on the passive-aggressive, self-important Emma who was forever rolling her eyes -- I felt they were driving the point too hard. But then it grew on me, particularly when Emma began to understand that she was being horrid, and her "me above all" facade began to break down.

Mr. Woodhouse sitting behind several different screens against the draft also made for a good laugh.

#emma #emma 2020 #jane austen #fragrance reviews things #movies

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poetryincostume · 8 months

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The Madwoman

Aesthetic wrapper, 2020

Original gothic-inspired design , styled here with bra by Karolina Laskowska

Upholstery damask, silk ribbon, petersham ribbon, silk/steel yarn

#project: the madwoman #costume #media: original #project: historical sewing #extant projects: 2020 #historical costume #victorian #aesthetic dress #crimson peak inspired #gothic romance #gothic dress #I think maybe I’m going throw a few old projects up on here #bc Instagram shouldn’t be the only record #and Lso it’s good for me to review - I’ve been so wrapped on work I forget that actually I can sew #poetry in costume #write up to follow once I’ve found the images outside of my insta made slides (may have to settle for those)

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fibula-rasa · 3 months

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Favorite New-to-Me Films

January ’24

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

(listed in order of collage above, L to R)

Eleven P.M. (1928)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy]

Synopsis: Sundaisy, a violinist, tries to fulfill a friend’s dying request to ensure his son is raised away from the criminal element of the city. Unfortunately, Sundaisy is duped by a phony priest, and the boy grows into a low-level crime boss. After a series of misfortunes spurred on by the boy over the course of decades, Sundaisy’s family is nearly ruined. However, Sundaisy’s will for vengeance leads to supernatural consequences. All this is couched in a frame story of a man trying to meet an 11 p.m. deadline.

This is easily my favorite first-time viewing of the month. The synopsis above admittedly does not capture the mystical/transcendental attitude that Eleven P.M. reflects. This is the only film Detroit-based Richard Maurice ever directed, but it displays sophisticated ideas about film storytelling, using an array of devices in inventive ways. It’s always a treat to be reminded of how creative and exciting independent filmmaking can be in America. If you want to check this one out, I advise you to keep an open mind and not approach it with an overly literal, nitpicky mindset. Let Richard Maurice take you on this ride and I don’t think you’ll regret it!

I watched this on the Pioneers of African-American Cinema box set, which I can’t recommend highly enough. The films are outstandingly curated and contextualized and the set showcases an often-overlooked but indispensable part of American cultural history. A lot of the films are also available on streaming through kanopy, which you may be able to access with your library card if you live in the US.

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Lea on Rollerskates / Lea sui pattini (1912)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Lea isn’t allowed by her parents to go rollerskating with a friend, so she decides to skate in her own bedroom. She proceeds to wreak havoc in the home before an accidental self-defenestration sets her free to wreak havoc at the roller rink instead.

A jam-packed, stunt-heavy bit of nonsense led by Lea Giunchi. I’ve watched quite a few of her films now and I’ve learned this is pretty standard for her. I love each and every pratfall.

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Two Girls are in Love with Foolshead / Le due innamorate di Cretinetti (1911)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Cretinetti is dating two girls at the same time. The girls decide to duel, but Cretinetti is the one who loses… repeatedly.

I’ve finally gotten around to watching more Andre Deed films and this one was a highlight for January. I don’t know who the skinny woman is, but she and Valentina Frascaroli are great together.

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X (2022)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A crew of filmmakers leave Houston, TX for the country in order to film a farm-themed porn. The producer of course did not disclose the nature of their stay to the elderly property owners. Said owners have ulterior motives in renting their cabin and respond violently to the group.

Appreciative of all of Ti West’s work, and X has so much going on and so much to say that I originally typed out two full pages (single spaced) on it before I knew it. I won’t be sharing those two pages because I think there are a few points on the approach to gore in recent horror movies that I need to mull over more. For now though, I’ll just say, I didn’t enjoy X at all, but I deeply appreciate what Ti West is putting out there. I probably won’t watch it again and I’m going to be sure my stomach is prepared for whenever I get around to Pearl (2022).

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The Hayseed (1919)

[letterboxd | imdb | Silent Comedy Watch Party]

Synopsis: Fatty wants to marry Molly, but so does the sheriff. Buster tries to keep the general store in working order while the sheriff plots against Fatty.

Luke the dog is one of my top 5 movie dogs of all time. I’ve never made an official list, but I know in my heart that Luke is at the top. Also, I adore how many modern professional wrestling moves you end up seeing in Fatty/Buster collaborations! In this instance, note the dance sequence with the lady who gets swung around wildly.

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The Ghost Ship (1943)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Tom Merriam, a young officer, reports for his first commission on a long haul trip on the Altair. The captain has a bit of a strange vibe, but the newbie likes him, at first. As crewmen perish under the captain’s leadership, and the captain’s lectures take on a more sinister tone, Tom knows he needs to act to save the remaining crew and the ship.

Checked this out as I was on a Val Lewton kick not knowing much about it beforehand. I did not expect it to be a movie about fascism done in microcosm. So, if you were looking for a movie about ghosts or a Flying Dutchman, this ain’t it. Its off-beat structure amped up the tension, though the denouement was a little too pat. Cinematography was fantastic, as you might expect from Nicholas Musuraca. I hope Sir Lancelot got two checks for how much his singing contributes to the movie. Richard Dix is such a skilled actor in everything I’ve seen him in, but he is pitch-perfectly terrifying in this movie.

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Miss Pinkerton (1932)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A nurse who’s bored with hospital work gets assigned to an old woman who’s ailing after a big shock: finding the dead body of her nephew. The detective on the case asks the nurse to gather reconnaissance for him at the house and she gets all the excitement she can stomach as a result.

Miss Pinkerton is a pre-code gem I somehow have never seen before, despite my devotion to Joan Blondell. The plot and characters are interesting, the cinematography (done by Barney McGill) and staging of the film is very dynamic and Joan Blondell brings so much to Miss Pinkerton with her signature effervescent sass. It’s also just over an hour long, so it would make a great watch for one of those evenings where you’re indecisive but want to find something compelling but compact.

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Phil-for-Short (1919)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Damophilia “Phil” Illington is a free-spirited tomboy brought up by a Greek-professor father and his right-hand man, Pat. Her lack of lady-like decorum raises the ire of two town elders, who are also the local killjoys. When her father passes away, one of the elders abuses his position of power to force her into a conservatorship. Phil disguises herself as a boy and hightails it with Pat. While on the lam, Phil makes the acquaintance of a young woman-hating Greek professor. Through a set of misadventures, Phil and the Professor end up married, but it takes quite a bit of work after the marriage for them to find happiness with one another.

Great characters and performances and I enjoyed marriage not being treated as the resolution or an end point to the story. It’s also very endearing to see such a pervasively queer story about a man and a woman getting together.

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The Mystic (1925)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A con artist enlists the help of Hungarian travelling carnival performers to enact a phony medium scheme against the hoi polloi of New York City.

Tod Browning is a sure-bet filmmaker for me and The Mystic was no exception. Highlights for me were: the execution of the seance sequences, Erte’s gorgeous costumes for Aileen Pringle, and an ending that I hoped would happen but assumed wouldn’t!

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There Ain’t No Santa Claus (1926)

[letterboxd | imdb | Silent Comedy Watch Party]

Synopsis: When Christmas rolls around, Charley doesn’t have enough money to both pay the rent and buy his wife a present. He uses his $80 to buy her a watch, instead of the rent, and his nasty landlord/next-door-neighbor steals the watch. Christmas Day turns into a free for all, when both Charley and his landlord dress as Santa and plan to enter via their respective chimneys for their respective children.

Well-paced, great comeuppance, and very well-executed gags. Additionally, Charley Chase looks absolutely outrageous in his Santa wig and he knew it!

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This one didn’t make it into the collage, but it’s still on the list:

Little Moritz Runs Away With Rosalie / Little Moritz enlève Rosalie (1911)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Little Moritz loves Rosalie and wishes to marry her, but her father objects. So, of course Rosalie and Mortiz run away together in his funky little flivver, but dad and the family dog give chase.

Most of this short is the chase sequence and it’s very well executed. Sarah Duhamel is so cute and so is her family dog. The location shooting is nicely done (was this shot in Nice?) This charming poster captures the vibe of the short perfectly:

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In January we were hit with a nasty winter storm and, while we were relatively lucky in my neighborhood, we were without internet for a third of the month. So, we ended up relying on our home video collection, which accounts for five of the films above and me re-watching two seasons of Soap and Fritz Lang’s Niebelungenlied (1924).

Despite the holdup, I continued my “Lost, but Not Forgotten” series with The Dancer of the Nile (1923) and started a limited spin-off series, “How’d They Do That?” about special effects and stunts in the silent era.

I also made themed gif & still sets for: Miss Pinkerton, Dementia (1955), and A Christmas Carol (1971).

Here’s to a less eventful February! And, as always, if you’re interested in any of these films, but have specific content warning needs, feel free to ask me.

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mylifeinfiction · 14 days

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Harleen by Stjepan Šejić

He smiles... and I make the worst mistake of my life... I smile back.

As fascinating an origin story as it is a compelling, thematically complex study of mental illness, Stjepan Šejić's Harleen shows us the 'meet cute' behind the twisted relationship between Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel. It's heavy on the psychiatric, favoring conversations and inner monologue over any substantial action; a choice that works beautifully in showing how inevitable Dr. Quinzel's transformation into Harley Quinn really was. However, the moments of action we do get, throughout, are delivered in a satisfyingly graphic manner that effectively displays the erratic, manipulative psychology of these characters.

I really enjoyed getting a more nuanced look into Harley Quinn, a character I'm mostly familiar with through animated series (where she's little more than a caricature of 'mad love') and films (where's she's so far gone, there's really no trace of Dr. Quinzel left). Šejić's smart writing and gorgeous artwork elevate this character to something more interesting, more consequential, than a secondary villain while also giving further insight into the psyches of several other Batman villains, in the process.

9/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

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bedlund · 6 months

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crazy things happening on my computer right now Destiel literally real .

#destiel #<- three days until year in review ends #also. HOW is davinci resolve a) real b) FREE c) where has it been all my life (nov 2020-march 2023)#me.txt

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fantasyfantasygames · 3 months

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Go To Hell

Go To Hell, Vnarchy, 2020

This is not the most-zine zine I have in my collection, but it is definitely very zine. This shit is on construction paper. It's printed on construction paper. It takes something pretty nasty to make me feel bad for an office printer, but I feel extremely bad for the printer that created this.

Go To Hell is a cyberpunk game of tearing down the powerful and casting them into the muck and day-to-day survival of the 99.99%. Everyone in the future is chipped with their ID, which lets them access pretty much everything they own. Chips are even used to verify identity in the constant VR that the rich and powerful live in. No chip, no property, no power, no way to get it back. You're tearing it all down starting at the top by kidnapping people and violently un-chipping them.

The game uses a rock-paper-scissors system that will be very familiar to those of you who played World of Darkness LARPs in the early aughts. There are abilities that let you call for a best-two-out-of-three, re-throw (up to 3 times), "throw the bomb", or "ghost out" (losing but taking a lesser penalty). Character archetypes are your typical hacker, bruiser, face, and sneak; pick two. The game is expected to last a few sessions before a TPK as highly-paid security and military-grade ICE take you all out.

The back of the book has four pages of disorganized scrawl containing corporation names, rich family names, cyberpunk handles, cyberdeck program names, street names, and other useful things to pull from when improvising a scenario.

Vnarchy wrote a sequel to Go To Hell, entitled Hands In Go Team. HIGT was actually the original idea, but they felt it wouldn't be possible to write an optimistic game without giving an outlet to the violence and pessimism first. I can understand that.

Go To Hell is "guerilla stocked" in game stores in the Boston/Atlanta Metropolitan Axis, snuck in with the small-press offerings with a $6.66 price tag. Some people have taken to photocopying it and stocking it themselves. Vnarchy's comment on that was a flexed-bicep emoji.

#ttrpg #imaginary #indie ttrpg #rpg #review #it was 2020 we were all already in hell

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