#clemence patriarch

[random-brushstrokes]

Luis Garcia Sampedro - God Bids Us Forgive! (1895)

Taking its cue from serialised fiction, the work narrates the return to her father’s home of a girl and her daughter, the fruit of an extra-marital relationship. Kneeling, she implores clemency from her father, whose anger is placated by a priest who reminds him of the duty to forgive. The emotional strength of the painting won it an award at the 1895 National Exhibition, whose jury chose to ignore a deficient composition that nonetheless has its aspirations, since the artist based it on models by Caravaggio and Velázquez. Its acquisition by the State legitimised the discourse that defined the position of woman in the patriarchal society of the time. (source)

#Luis Garcia Sampedro #spanish art #genre painting #1890s

[dolphin1812]

The contrast between the two newspaper articles in this chapter is pretty funny. Both definitely have a royalist bent, but (based on a quick search – I could be wrong) the Journal de Paris focused more on pop culture than politics, and that’s evident from the details given in each article. The Drapeau Blanc is fairly objective in its style, mentioning only the immediate particulars of the case and recognizing the unknowns (such as where Valjean’s money is). The name of the paper alludes to its royalist sympathies, but they’re not glaringly obvious from the article itself.

The second article, on the other hand, is much more dramatic. Valjean is not simply a convict, but a “wretch” and a “scoundrel” with “Herculean strength” (the last one being dramatic enough that it’s probably how Hugo would describe him in his narration). The support for the present order is more evident through the use of additions like “indefatigable zeal” while describing the prosecutor and notes on the king’s “clemency” in “only” giving him life in prison. There’s also the addition of gossip about his relationship with Fantine, and while we know for sure that it’s false, it’s notable as well that the other publication avoids this, indicating that it really was seen as gossip that, believed or not, wasn’t considered acceptable to repeat in all papers. This work is more literary, too, quoting a patriarch. Overall, the combined purpose of this newspaper as information and entertainment is really clear from the style, which Hugo captured well. It gives a good sense of the feeling of reading papers in the time, and it’s a fun way to learn about what happened to Valjean.

I also like that Hugo circles back to the issue of tax collection here to illustrate M. sur M.’s decline after the loss of Madeleine. I’m a fan of his use of “documents” in general, as it lends the novel the sense of a historical investigation, but taxation in particular is a good way of showing how the central government is present in all towns even as local politics are more impactful. Taxation is how the government notices changes in a town’s prosperity, but ultimately, that prosperity depends on local government. Unfortunately, Valjean as Madeleine suffered from the same issue as the bishop, making himself the center of charity without changing the mindsets of the townspeople. Consequently, as soon as he’s gone, the town ceases to flourish. It’s heart-breaking, but seeing this confirmed by tax reports (rather than, say, the experiences of the people we know in the town) further emphasizes a) the historical aspect of the book and b) that the change was monetary rather than cultural. It it were cultural, perhaps it wouldn’t have happened in the first place, but people would also narrate it differently. Since it was more a change in the town’s finances because Valjean’s ideas didn’t reach the people, it’s fitting that we end with finances as well.

#Les mis letters #Lm 2.2.1 #Jean valjean #he’s back!!! #I’ve missed him

[cabinboy100]

1899: Season 1: (Conspiracy) Theory: Undercover Clemence…?

Beware: Season 1 spoilers! If you have not watched all eight episodes of 1899 season 1, get thee to your streaming device and watch! Then come back for some outlandish connection-making and crazytalk theorizing based on a funny look, the wrong pants, and an envelope. =)

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER.

CLEM: Are you telling me this is my fault? LUC: Stop your little act. It's pretentious. Your parents aren't around anymore. It's fine. You don't love me, you never did. This is not a marriage. It's an arrangement. So you can stop pretending.

Lucien explicitly characterizes their marriage as a sham and releases Clemence from any obligation she feels to keep up appearances. He exits the cabin immediately after this and we see Clemence aghast, at a loss, for maybe three seconds. Then a change comes over her and her expression turns to lip licking satisfaction or anticipation. It is a pretty radical transformation, and remarkable to witness.

This may be relief and pleasure at being freed from playing the role of doting newlywed wife, but I like to think that it's something more—delight in something falling into place as planned.

SAY YES NO TO THE DRESS!

Later, when searching for survivors of the clock ticking siren song, Tove and Clemence wander into a certain cabin and Clemence is moved to wax philosophical on the compulsory wife and mother role of women in society. She does not find anything fulfilling in that purpose, a part she was raised to seek and play and accept. Inspired by the strength and independence she admires in Tove, she decides to declare her own independence from patriarchal expectations with a fashion flourish…

CLEMENCE: I feel ridiculous. Do you know what they say? That men invented dresses and heels so that women can't run away.

With this, she trades her skirts for a pair of trousers from an open wardrobe trunk, signifying her rejection of the societal expectations she has experienced placed on herself and women in general.

Her words and actions *are* a nice follow-up and follow-thru on her reaction to Lucien's real talk about the nature of their marriage. But maybe that's not all they are…

THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE…

Later still, when Eyk and Maura are reunited in the lifeboat launch bay of the archived Kerberos, Maura produces the envelope she received from her brother…

MAURA: The last thing I remember before waking up on board the Kerberos was finding the envelope in front of my door. I think my brother sent it.

This prompts each of the survivors* to produce their own identical envelopes.

*Except for Jerome, but I believe we've already seen that he has received one, as I'm certain that's how he acquired the information that led him to Lucien and his cabin on the Kerberos.

And just like everyone else, Clemence pulls her envelope out of her pocket. 

Correction—she pulls an envelope out. And not out of her pocket, but out of the pocket of the pants she is wearing! Whose pocket of whose pants, then? And whose envelope?

Let's take a closer look at that cabin she and Tove were in. Look there, behind Tove, over her left shoulder…

It's the wolf and sheep painting! They are in Angel and Ramiro's cabin! If you didn't notice it before, that is the painting that inspires Angel's wolf-sheep metaphor when he chastises his definitely-not-his-brother earlier. It is also the painting hanging in the sexytimes corner of their cabin.

In the boat launch bay, we see Ramiro pull out his envelope, so the pants Clemence is wearing—and the envelope contained in its pocket—must belong to the dear departed Angel!

I believe that Clemence has maneuvered her way into being counted as a member of a select subset of travelers aboard the Kerberos—those who have received envelopes from Ciaran. She did not receive an envelope herself, but is aware of them and who received them. How and why?

1. She is a passenger who remembers the envelopes and their recipients from a previous Prometheus loop or loops. This would mean that she is aware of the repeating nature of their world and is immune to or able to avoid the memory reset between loops, perhaps like Daniel and Elliot do, or perhaps thanks to an innate natural gift. She has experienced loops in which Ciaran contacted other travelers and realized that they always survived longer than she herself did. Once she understood this, she began trying to get her hands on an envelope and so make it to the end of a loop. In this scenario, she does NOT necessarily know that the loop is a programmed and hackable simulation.

2. She is an undercover "plant" of Father's, like First Mate. Her mission is to locate and acquire the exit key via more surreptitious means than kidnapping and extortion. Flashing one of Ciaran's envelopes is meant to ingratiate herself with Ciaran's "chosen", a subset of travelers who for whatever reasons manage to keep closer to Maura by the end of a loop than most everyone else on board. This in the hopes of getting a chance to locate or even seize the key for Father.

3. She is an undercover "plant" of Ciaran's, a traveler selected—or created?—by Ciaran to maneuver herself into an ever-tightening spiral orbit around Maura for the duration of each loop.* And she may be doing so without being consciously aware of it, hacked/programmed to do it at a subconscious level. 

We don't see her make any drastic moves that seem to directly affect Maura, but perhaps her being a connection between and for Lucien and Jerome is an important role in itself. Producing the envelope in the launch bay bestows upon her some mystery cred, "proving" that she belongs among the final survivors of the loop.

*This is the weakest explanation that's come to me, because if she is Ciaran's agent, there's no reason he couldn't pump up her story and inventory with an envelope of her own. I say "no reason" based on his already demonstrated ability to materialize envelopes containing traveler-specific content for others.

4. She is a passenger whom Daniel has tweaked to be an agent in his plans, programmed to contain a piece of code vital to Maura's exit. She operates completely independently and in character to go unnoticed, but her ultimate goal is to be one of the last travelers standing when the Kerberos is deleted and the simulation shut down. She contains a vital piece of code that is only effective at the moment of ship deletion and in conjunction with the activated key, saves Maura from deletion and/or reboot into a new loop. Sure, Daniel never mentions her role, but why would he, when doing so would only expose her to Father and his henches?

5. Some other crazy possibility… =)

Of course, if crazytalk notion 1, 2, or 3 is true and Clemence ends up with Angel's envelope by design, it doesn't seem to get her—or her puppetmaster—anywhere, right? But we have only been privy to this last loop. Perhaps in previous loops Clemence is not one of the last travelers standing, is not immune to the click ticking, or does not have a friendly exchange about prisons with Jerome on deck, or does not enter Angel and Ramiro's cabin with Tove. We just witnessed the latest attempt, and the closest she's gotten to Maura and the key. Who knows? Perhaps she has won enough of Maura's trust in this last loop that Maura will wake her in 2099 and Clemence will be able to proceed with the *next* phase of her mission. =)

Are her earrings another sign of her secret agenda and/or allegiance? Perhaps, but the "Earth" triangle icon/logo appears in so many elements and contexts, it's difficult to say when it is significant and what it's significance might be beyond as an artifact and clue that the world of the Kerberos is not as real as its passengers and crew believe.

Wake up 🜃

Keep on keepin’ on~

#1899 #1899netflix #netflix #1899 theories #1899 spoilers #theory #spoiler #Clemence #envelope #Ciaran #crazytalk

[pilferingapples]

In Which It Will Not Be Explained How Marius Jumped to Conclusions

Just trying to figure out how Marius reached the opinion of Valjean he’s got in the chapter where Thenardier shows up, which is: 

“Jean Valjean, as you have said, is an assassin and a thief. A thief, because he robbed a wealthy manufacturer, whose ruin he brought about. An assassin, because he assassinated police-agent Javert."

  Not getting into the Javert stuff yet, let’s start with the Madeleine stuff

... We borrow the first from the Drapeau Blanc. It bears the date of July 25, 1823.

“ An arrondissement of the Pas de Calais has just been the theatre of an event quite out of the ordinary course. A man, who was a stranger in the Department, and who bore the name of M. Madeleine, had, thanks to the new methods, resuscitated some years ago an ancient local industry, the manufacture of jet and of black glass trinkets. He had made his fortune in the business, and that of the arrondissement as well, we will admit. He had been appointed mayor, in recognition of his services. The police discovered that M. Madeleine was no other than an ex-convict who had broken his ban, condemned in 1796 for theft, and named Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean has been recommitted to prison. It appears that previous to his arrest he had succeeded in withdrawing from the hands of M. Laffitte, a sum of over half a million which he had lodged there, and which he had, moreover, and by perfectly legitimate means, acquired in his business. No one has been able to discover where Jean Valjean has concealed this money since his return to prison at Toulon.” 

The second article, which enters a little more into detail, is an extract from the Journal de Paris, of the same date.  “ A former convict, who had been liberated, named Jean Valjean, has just appeared before the Court of Assizes of the Var, under circumstances calculated to attract attention. This wretch had succeeded in escaping the vigilance of the police, he had changed his name, and had succeeded in getting himself appointed mayor of one of our small northern towns; in this town he had established a considerable commerce. He has at last been unmasked and arrested, thanks to the indefatigable zeal of the public prosecutor. He had for his concubine a woman of the town, who died of a shock at the moment of his arrest. This scoundrel, who is endowed with Herculean strength, found means to escape; but three or four days after his flight the police laid their hands on him once more, in Paris itself, at the very moment when he was entering one of those little vehicles which run between the capital and the village of Montfermeil (Seine-et-Oise). He is said to have profited by this interval of three or four days of liberty, to withdraw a considerable sum deposited by him with one of our leading bankers. This sum has been estimated at six or seven hundred thousand francs. If the indictment is to be trusted, he has hidden it in some place known to himself alone, and it has not been possible to lay hands on it. However that may be, the said Jean Valjean has just been brought before the Assizes of the Department of the Var as accused of highway robbery accompanied with violence, about eight years ago, on the person of one of those honest children who, as the patriarch of Ferney has said, in immortal verse,

         ". . . Arrive from Savoy every year,           And who, with gentle hands, do clear            Those long canals choked up with soot."

This bandit refused to defend himself. It was proved by the skilful and eloquent representative of the public prosecutor, that the theft was committed in complicity with others, and that Jean Valjean was a member of a band of robbers in the south. Jean Valjean was pronounced guilty and was condemned to the death penalty in consequence. This criminal refused to lodge an appeal. The king, in his inexhaustible clemency, has deigned to commute his penalty to that of penal servitude for life. Jean Valjean was immediately taken to the prison at Toulon.” 

These articles obviously take different approaches, but they’re both very clear that Madeleine and Jean Valjean ARE the same person, and that the money he got from Lafitte WAS his own money, deposited there earlier. That’s what’s on the public record!  And these are given as representatives of what all the papers are saying. 

So how does Marius get to THIS:

“(Madeleine) refused the cross, he was appointed Mayor. A liberated convict knew the secret of a penalty incurred by this man in former days; he denounced him, and had him arrested, and profited by the arrest to come to Paris and cause the banker Laffitte,--I have the fact from the cashier himself,--by means of a false signature, to hand over to him the sum of over half a million which belonged to M. Madeleine. This convict who robbed M. Madeleine was Jean Valjean.” 

Like--he talks to the cashier, but how did he know to do that? All Valjean said about it was “ As for the six hundred thousand francs, you do not mention them to me, but I forestall your thought, they are a deposit. How did that deposit come into my hands? What does that matter? I restore the deposit. “  Where did Marius learn about the Lafitte stuff (inaccurately!)? Why did he do absolutely zero follow up on anything else?  It’s no good saying he couldn’t have found the newspaper accounts; he found out about Madeleine and the bank account, and Thenardier was able to track down the newspapers, it’s clearly not at all impossible!  It’s one thing for Hugo to say  (and he does say!) that Marius made up his mind about Valjean based on extensive research he made up in his own head; that’s unfair but about right for Marius at this point. But then he did SOME research and somehow never looked at the newspapers? 

As for the Javert stuff, that’s even more confusing, because it’s recent! and the police are right there! Marius, good rich bourgeois Marius, could have walked in and asked about an officer; or he could have just checked the recent papers, which include, as Thenardier found:

...a Moniteur of the 15th of June, 1832, announced the suicide of Javert, adding that it appeared from a verbal report of Javert to the prefect that, having been taken prisoner in the barricade of the Rue de la Chanvrerie, he had owed his life to the magnanimity of an insurgent who, holding him under his pistol, had fired into the air, instead of blowing out his brains.

Like! Even without the mention of the insurgent saving Javert’s life, the very fact that he gave a verbal report to the prefect after the barricade proves it wasn’t Valjean (at least, it wasn’t Valjean at the barricade!).   This was in the paper! one of the biggest papers! Marius!! How did you miss this?!? ...these are the research skill that got Marius a law degree. Bahorel makes more sense all the time. 

#Marius talk #Marius . Dude. WTF. #Long Post

[delightfulvoidstudent]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt #21: Solution

CW: mentions of violence and how you clean up.

and some really bad puns Like. really. bad. puns.

“This isn’t a solution!” Auberi paused, the wooden spoon in his hand clinking, once, against the glass pitcher he was currently stirring to get sugar to dissolve into lemon juice and water. He tilted his head just slightly, regarding his younger (youngest) sister with a slow smile. 

“I think you’ll find it’s the exact definition of one, Hel.” He replied, watching her eyes go slightly wide before she snorted with a mixture of disgust and annoyance, flouncing the rest of the way into the kitchen and dropping onto a stool, regarding him with slightly narrowed eyes. He just smiled, benignly, back at her, and resumed stirring, trying to get his lemonade to coalesce into something other than crunchy watery lemon juice. 

“Someone’s father, somewhere, is amused. I am not. Auberi, you can’t just drop people who annoy you in the streets off at Fenris’ door like fae gifts in the night. That’s not a solution, and I’m still not entirely sure what the problem was. Fenris hasn’t exactly been forthcoming.” Hel was still glowering, a look that didn’t really suit her face. Auberi watched her for a moment, the same lion eyes they all had, the high delicate cheekbones of their mother, the intransient set of her mouth, a gift of both parents and their life to date. She was beautiful when she was angry. Though he’d be honest, his sisters were beautiful all the time. They would have had better lives, if things had been different. Yet each had taken to their new life, their new last name, like ducks, no, swans to water. Nothing so coarse as a duck. Another halfhearted stir, and he gave up, withdrawing the spoon and tapping it, gently, to disperse the water into the pitcher. He’d let it sit a moment and try again. 

“I didn’t drop someone, I gently placed. He didn’t annoy me, he assaulted a member of our house in broad daylight. He’s been in Fenris’ loving care for less than four hours, and it amazes me that…” he trailed off. “Siobhan? Siobhan.” A soft sigh, regarding Hel. “I’ve been informed that he has big brother issues, that he, like so many that wash up on Ul’dah’s walls, flotsam from the ocean of sand outside her bounds, hurting and broken, requires a refugee of the mind, if not body.” Another exhale, this one less a sigh and more resignation. “I can’t, obviously, help him. Not only did I already cause him harm.” he held up a hand to forestall her comment. “Assaulted a member of our house on the street in broad daylight. He’s lucky someone was there to plead for clemency.” She subsided, with ill grace, but her mouth did close on her comment. “Not only that, but I, in case you have forgotten, am the current patriarch, of a fashion that he would understand, of this family. I am the bully big brother you all obey while muttering depredations and grumbly comments and sneaking toads into my bed.” “That was once and I was six.” Hel retorted, but the fire that had boosted her into the room had gone out. “I see your point. If he needs to heal, to see that not all brothers have to be violent even if they are antagonistic, I suppose you and Fen aren’t the worst example.” Auberi just lifted an eyebrow, there was nothing he could say to that. Fen liked to annoy him for the sake of annoying him. They rarely brawled about it. Anymore. Carefully, he leaned over, pressing a kiss to Hel’s forehead, and then regarded his pitcher for a long, sad moment. She, for her part, just kicked her heels against the struts of the stool. “It’s still not a solution, Auberi. You can’t just pluck people out of the street like you’re chasing flowers for a bouquet.” 

“It wasn’t, exactly, my choice either, Hel.” Auberi shook his head, taking a slow breath. “I couldn’t leave him there, hurt, to be picked over by the denizens of the streets the moment my presence was far enough they thought they could get away with it. I couldn’t heal him and leave him there and risk him coming for my back, not with another injured party. You know the protections we enjoy were bought with gil and displays of a willingness to do exactly what I did. Put an end to any threat to any that wear our mark.” Gently he rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “I know it isn’t ideal, but I think, just this once, it’s what’s needed, at least for now. You’re certainly welcome to take him off Fen’s hands, if you think all he needs is a time out.” Hel shook her head, slightly, then more vehemently. “Oh, I see you’ve met him then. Venomous little thing.” He muttered, then squeezed her hand, lifting up his spoon to again try to make lemonade. 

Hel, for her part, sat with him a moment longer before standing. She brushed out her skirts, and looked at him for a long moment. “Fine, I concede. I think you did what you thought best, given an unfortunate set of circumstances. I appreciate this is probably a rare exception to the usual happenings.” She headed for the kitchen door, pausing and looking at him. “Just keep in mind, Auberi, first of his name, oh wisest of us all. If you’re not part of the solution…”

Auberi had already found a discarded lemon, squeezed half dry, and was throwing it as she finished. Hel, thankfully, or not, had ducked past the doorway, the scent of lemon rind blooming where his improvised missile failed to hit anything but uncaring wood.

“You’re part of the precipitate!” She called, cheerfully, from the hall, her footsteps clicking as she headed out to find someone else to bother.

#FFxivWrite2022

[melissak2802]

Some my personal favourite Dame Agatha's characters that aren't detectives or antagonists:

The Lee family (as people who follow my Miraculous Agatha AU project probably guessed 🙂). Alfred, David and Harry for being relatable and admirable in different ways and their character development. Stephen and Conchita simply for being adorable (and among few romantic stories I sincerely ship). George and Magdalena for being satisfying satire. Lydia and Hilda for being strong and clever ladies in different ways and excellent match for their husbands.

Some from the supporting cast from Death on the Nile: Mrs Otterbourne and Miss Van Schuller are also satisfying satire and fun, Ferguson is fun too, while Rosalie and Cornelia are sympathetic (Cornelia may seem like a stereotypical Cinderella at first, but proves to be a wise and independent-thinking young woman by the final choice).

The Cloades - well-written, interesting source of drama in being too mentally dependent on the overprotective patriarch of the family who died unexpectedly and having not learnt in time to make responsible decisions. Each also is allowed to make a meaningful contribution in the plot. (Side note: no I don't approve of Lynn/Rowley ship with the canon motivation voiced in the final. These two are interesting characters on their own, through. The other Cloades - Jeremy and Frances, Lionel and Aunt Kathie, and Adela - are no less interesting)

The Crackenthorpes. Emma, Cedric and Brian are pretty similar to Alfred, Harry and David Lee respectively (and I came to love them earlier than I discovered an interest for the Lees). And Luther is basically a Simeon that is less of an asshole, to the point where he also keeps valuable minerals as collectibles) While Harold is the same type of satire as George)

Lucy Eyelesbarrow. Smart, active and compassionate young woman, a good professional, and one who turned a "lowly" job like domestic assistance into something to be seen seriously and not be ashamed of.

Roger and to an extent Philip Leonidis. Can relate to both, interesting psychological drama - one squeezed under too much attention of his father due to not being able to say no and as a result developing anger issues, the other suffering from lack of such attention due to not being able to express his emotions and adoration and as a result isolating himself. (Doesn't excuse him passing the lack of parental attention further) And Clemency and Magda are vivid as characters. (Side note, re-reading Taken at the Flood made me realise similarities between the Cloades and the Leonidis. Also, Magda is kind of Mrs. Otterbourne 2.0 and Clemency kind of Lydia Lee 2.0)

Gerry Wade and Ronny Devereux. I understand that's probably weird due to lack of screentime, but their story is so... something that can sadly happen to young people. And despite small amount if screentime I see them having distinct personalities based on what we know. I like Bundle and Bill quite much too, but they should be better listed under "detectives".

Some honourable mentions:

Everyone in And Then There Were None is well written and quite interesting to think about, but wouldn't call them specially personal favourite.

The young Boyntons - I like how they are written. Sarah King as well - a professional young woman, serious, honourable, protective and caring. I don't mind Nadine but she feels a bit like a Sarah copy in the same novel, so she's less interesting to me.

Amy Leatheran - another medical young woman but softer and gentler one, good narrator, open and curious person, good assistant to the investigation.

Angela Warren - despite her disability and the terrible tragedy of what happened to her sister, she grew up a successful and good person, a scholar to add. Also her special relationship with books.

Carrie-Louise Serrocold, I love the idea of her "naive wisdom".

Currently I am re-reading or planning to re-read Death Comes as the End, Sparkling Cyanide, The Hollow, Dead Man's Folly and probably Sleeping Murder, which may cause this list to grow.

#agatha christie

[isoldmysoultojonahclemence]

Clemence Father

JONAH’S ROUTE JUST CAME OUT ON IKEREV TW AND I’M ON PART 12 AND I RLLY WANNA CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO JONAH AND LUKA’S FATHER RN. I TALKED ABOUT HIM BEFORE ON LUKA’S EVER AFTER POST HERE BUT NOW IMMA TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN BC BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE’S AN EVEN BIGGER ASSHOLE IN JONAH’S ROUTE.

BUT ANYWAYS HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED.

SPOILERS FOR JONAH’S EVER AFTER UNDER THE CUT

(ps the screenshots all have that orange recording button bc i want to look at them without having to go through the entire route again. sorry if they’re kinda annoying!)

Aight, so Jonah proposed to MC (well, he kinda just announced that MC is his fiancee from now on but whatever), and he decided to bring her to the Clemence house for this party to meet the family. Luka was there as well, standing in a corner. MC kinda wanted to join him in the corner as well, but Jonah dragged her off to meet his relatives. But they all seemed to dislike MC because she’s not from a good background.

Then, this dude enters the scene:

[Translation:

A dignified-looking man walked over here, looking at me, who is standing by Jonah, in surprise.]

And then, when Jonah goes to introduce MC as his fiancee, his father cuts him off by saying that he never heard of Jonah having a fiancee before. Like, Jonah was in the middle of a super serious and sincere introduction and his father just interrupted like that in a super cold voice. I was already starting to dislike him at this point, but I didn’t wanna fight him just yet.

Also, here’s something that kinda surprised me:

[Translation:

(His looks seemed to be similar to Luka’s, but his disposition...

(It seemed to be 50 times scarier than Jonah when I first met him...)]

I found it kinda weird how Luka actually took after him in terms of looks more than Jonah did??? Like, my original headcanon was that Luka didn’t actually look very similar to his father, which could be part of why he was ignored so much, but I guess he was ignored even when he looks like his father. Ouch.

Also, whenever the Clemence father makes an appearance, the thing that MC talks about the most is how scary/stern his disposition is. He must be someone really ruthless to warrant that kind of description.

After that, his father goes on to guess that Jonah had made the decision to bring MC without consulting anyone in his family because he knew that his decision would be opposed. I suppose that Jonah’s father does know him quite well, but it actually unsettles me more, because he seems to have no regard for the effect he has on his sons. Like, Jonah literally had to fight to keep his head up under such pressure.

So Jonah goes on to explain why he chose not to tell anyone about it, but his father interrupts him AGAIN with this huge speech about how the Clemence bloodline cannot be mixed with a bloodline of unknown origins. They have kept his tradition for hundreds of years, and that every single heir has accepted this fact and chose to marry someone of high social standing. 

Jonah, naturally, was pretty angry, and told his father that he has gone too far. But guess what? This dude ignores him YET AGAIN and tries to convince MC to marry Levie instead of Jonah. Seriously. No wonder Jonah never listens to anyone else if this was the role model he had. I’m really starting to grit my teeth at this point.

Also, something concerning is how Jonah’s father knew that Levie is after MC, since that was classified information. Jonah confronts him about him, but he brushes it off by saying that he was the former Queen of Hearts and he has all the information sources he need. I wonder how powerful he was when he was Queen if he was still so influential in his retirement. And yeah, he totally strikes me as the sort of guy who would order Claudius to assassinate people...

But anyways, Jonah’s father tells him that he’ll pretend as if he heard nothing and walks off, even though Jonah tried to tell him that he wasn’t finished yet. What a guy.

Jonah leaves MC with Luka and goes after his father. Luka takes MC to his room and tells her something really sweet. He tells her that to trust “that guy” (Jonah) and to wait for him, which really showed his reliance on his older brother. Like, even though he rejects Jonah a lot and avoids him, deep down inside he still believes in Jonah. 

And after a few parts we get a flashback where Jonah recalls the conversation he had with his father after he goes after him, and this is where my blood starts boiling.

So the Clemence father reminds Jonah, in a pretty harsh way, that when he had rejected marriage alliances in the past, he has always said that he’ll find someone better. He then goes on to call MC “that kind of person” (as in, a person of low birth and social standing), and Jonah gets pretty mad at him for that:

[Translation:

Jonah: Even if you’re my father, I cannot allow you to call her “that kind of person”...!

Clemence Patriarch: Don’t change the topic!

Hearing his father’s roar of fury, Jonah wasn’t scared in the slightest, and instead glared fierily back at him.]

I find it kinda interesting how the game refers to Jonah and Luka’s father as “the Clemence Patriarch” instead of “Clemence Father” or something. That would probably make more sense, because the term “Patriarch” can refer to a grandfather, an uncle, a cousin, etc., not necessarily a father. But I guess this highlights how his identity as a patriarch is prioritized before his identity as a father.

And then this scene happens:

[Translation:

Clemence Patriarch: Whatever you say! There is nothing more to say, get out. 

Clemence Patriarch: In order to prevent the failure of the first, we still have a second.

Clemence Patriarch: I will disown you as my son, and make Luka the heir of the family, and then he’ll be the one to marry a high-born noble lady.]

DUDE WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT??????????? YOU CAN’T JUST DECIDE THAT YOUR SON IS A FAILURE WHEN HE DOES ONE (1) THING AGAINST YOUR WILL AND TOSS HIM OUT AND MAKE YOUR OTHER SON THE HEIR???????????????????

Honestly he makes Jonah and Luka sound so expendable, and that’s really not okay. They’re human beings, his own SONS, not an object to be thrown away when it served its use. Like, if I had any doubts about why Luka left his family before, this scene just explained everything. Who would want this guy as their parent????? 

And of course, as the best nii-sama in the world, Jonah caves.

[Translation:

Even though he wanted to follow through with his own ideals, he couldn’t let his important brother, Luka, be sacrificed.

Not only would Luka have to bear the burden as the heir, a burden that he has been bearing for many years, 

And he would marry some lady who he has never met before, this absolutely cannot happen!

Jonah: Just this one thing...please don’t do it.

Jonah could only bend to his father’s will.]

JONAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY POOR BBY LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ

He’s literally in an impossible position right now. If he wants to marry the love of his life, he would have a sacrifice his precious brother, and if he wants to protect his brother, he would have to sacrifice his fiancee. If he wants to keep them both safe, then the only real solution would be to leave the Clemence family.

Come on, Cybird. Y’all made him turn against the Red Army in his original route and now you’re making him turn against his family now??? When will the torture for Jonah and his stans ever end??????????

And here’s a few other lines from the Clemence Patriarch to disgust you:

[Translation:

Clemence Patriach: I am a generous and maganimous person.

Clemence Patriach: As long as the Clemence bloodline is protected, I don’t care if the heir is you or Luka.]

......I literally have nothing else to say.

Istg this dude is the worst parent in the Red Army, and the Red Army is already brimming with awful parenting skills. Lancelot’s father pretty much neglected him and Edgar’s uncle straight-up abused him, but you could still tell that they cared about their sons in their own little twisted ways. Lancelot’s father eqipped him with all the skills he would need to be King, and Claudius took all responsibility for the Bright family business in the end, protecting Edgar. And then we have the Clemence father who’s all like: i MaDE TwO kIDS foR a reASoN anD ThAt iS To HAVE ONE OF THEM REPLACE THE OTHER/USING ONE OF THEM TO THREATEN THE OTHER IF THEY MESS UP. ALSO NEITHER OF THEM MATTERS APPARENTLY BC THEY’RE BOTH JUST TOOLS FOR CARRYING ON THE BLOODLINE.

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE.

I get that this is only part 12 and he’s probably going to have a redemption scene or at least some whitewashing at the end, but STILL. I really, really, really, really, really don’t like Jonah and Luka’s father.

#ikemen revolution #ikerev #jonah clemence #luka clemence #clemence father #clemence patriarch #ikerev jonah #ikerev luka #i literally hate him so much #i thought claudius won the a+ parenting award #but nah #this guy obliterated him #best nominee no doubt #god i hate him so much

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Newell Holds Hope Of Cabinet Action,” Toronto Star. January 28, 1942. Page 33. ---- But Warns Mother To Be Ready for Disappointment --- ‘He is very discouraged,’ said Mrs. L. Newell after visiting her son, H.A.W. Newell, in Don jail yesterday afternoon. He is under sentence of death on conviction of a charge of murder of his wife at Centre Island.

Mrs. Newell, who is blind, was accompanied by her husband, and another son. They spent half an hour with Newell, during which time he is said to have told them not to hold their hopes too high that he will receive executive clemency.

‘When they say that my son’s trials lost them $37,000, exclusive of maintenance in the jail, they should remember that we have been supplying money to buy his food because he can’t eat the meals served at the jail,’ said Mrs. Newell. She was referring to figures released by the attorney-general on the cost of the three trials.

‘I have been taking $2 every week and denying ourselves many things at home,’ added Mrs. Newell. She said new evidence is being sought in the hope it would ‘clear’ Newell. ‘My boy is going to be hanged for something he did not do,’ Mrs. Newell declared.

#toronto #toronto jail #murder #appeal for clemency #death sentence #sentenced to be hanged #aircraftsman #appeal court #ontario court of appeals #prison food #family support of prisoners #toronto island #patriarchal violence #patriarchal authority #canada during world war 2 #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada

[goodqueenaly]

I love Good Queen Alysanne, I know she is a good Queen and love all of her children. Having 13 and keeping track of a lot of them is hard. But do you think she was a good mom or she had favorites?

As I've said before, it's hard to judge Westerosi parents as "good" insofar as they are operating in a system wildly different from our own. This is a system where highborn parents, including (and sometimes especially) mothers, are responsible for arranging suitable (meaning suitably aristocratic) marriages for their children (or alternate, equally suitable career paths, though those choices are inherently more limited for women in this world). This is also a world where the author has normalized marriage for preteen and teenage female children, such that it is unsurprising (if no less disturbing) to have highborn parents arranging for their daughters to be betrothed, or indeed married, at 12-16 (if not sometimes earlier). So I think it's important to take any question of parenting, including with respect to Alysanne, in that context. Understanding that the characters are operating within this particular universe doesn't mean that either the characters or the universe are above questioning or criticizing (anyone who reads me knows I do enough of both), only that expecting the characters to operate as modern real people is an unrealistic expectation.

Do I think Alysanne loved her children? Yes, and specifically I think that she loved all of them (which is more than I can say I believe about Jaehaerys). Alysanne deeply grieved her children who had died (or, as with Saera, were treated as dead), she believed firmly that Daenerys should be queen (a strong stance in a patriarchal world), she defended Daella's positive qualities to Jaehaerys when the latter expressed frustration at her, she continued to argue for clemency for and reconciliation with Saera even in the face of Jaehaerys' violent damnation of her, she clearly felt strong attachment to Gael (surprising in a vehemently ableist world). Do I think that Alysanne wanted all her children to be happy? Yes (which, again, is more than I can say I believe about Jaehaerys). Alysanne's intention for Daella was to "find a lord to cherish her", she argued that Alyssa should marry Baelon based on the love between the two (when Jaehaerys suggested Alyssa should marry Aemon), she brought the problem of Vaegon's non-interest in Daella to Jaehaerys' attention and correctly observed that Vaegon would not be happy with any girl, and she seems to have based the betrothal of Viserra and Theomore Manderly (and, relatedly, the non-betrothal of Viserra and Baelon) on a desire to have Viserra be happy as much as anything else.

However, do I think Alysanne made some questionable decisions as a mother which I'd criticize, even in the context of this universe? Yes. Alysanne never suggests that Daella could have been allowed not to marry (and not join the Faith, which Alysanne seems to have considered beyond Daella's abilities) and instead, say, live at court for life, despite the fact that Daella (prior to being given the option to marry Rodrik Arryn) seems to have been happiest around the mother she "worshipped" (at least so far as the extreme infantilization F&B insists on for her character allowed). I'm deeply disturbed by the way Alysanne (and the narrative) treat Rodrik Arryn's very creepy sexual interest in Daella as a point in his favor for him as a suitor to her. I wonder where Alysanne was as Saera was allegedly terrorizing her sisters and those "dozen septas and as many bedmaids before she turned thirteen", or when Saera at the age of 11 and 12, was regularly showing up to the sept drunk (sure, Gyldayn says she was "less gullible" than Jaehaerys when it came to Saera, but was Alysanne ever sitting down with her daughter and talking to her, or trying to figure out what was going on with her?). Even if Alysanne genuinely thought Theomore was "a good man … a wise man, with a kind heart and a good head on his shoulders", she still betrothed her 15-year-old daughter to a man who was at bare minimum four, if not more, decades older than she was, and for at best muddled political benefit. I'm totally unclear how Alysanne left Gael in the position to be seduced raped by a random traveling singer, especially in the aftermath of the Saera affair, and then apparently did nothing for Gael thereafter (did she try to pursue justice against the singer, did she talk to Jaehaerys about what they could do for Gael, did she comfort Gael once her child was stillborn, anything?).

So, it's a mixed bag. I think Alysanne loved her kids and wanted them to be happy, and I think some of her choices with respect to her kids are pretty questionable and worth criticizing. However, between her and Jaehaerys I know which one I'd give the Parent of the Year Mug (and spoilers, it's not Jaehaerys).

#asoiaf meta #fire and blood volume 1 #alysanne targaryen

[stripyhorse23]

Films of the Year 2020

1) A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood

I re-watched this to make sure I wasn’t overrating it, but found myself every bit as moved, almost overwhelmed, as the first time I saw it.  The confidence of Marielle Heller’s filmmaking is such that nothing ever feels forced, her themes never have to be underlined, nor does she ever have to draw attention to the quietly excellent below-the-line elements.  Tom Hanks exudes warmth and compassion as Mr. Rogers, matched step for step by Matthew Rhys as the guarded, cynical journalist who resists the possibility of goodness and comfort with every fibre of his being.  Some of the most masterfully filmed conversation scenes of the year - the diner sequence alone is extraordinary.

2) Parasite

Hugely good fun, wildly unexpected, handles its tonal shifts fantastically with an ensemble cast that’s totally in tune to one another, and slickly channels the capitalist satire of Bong Joon-ho’s earlier films.  It’s not that Parasite is saying anything that different or original necessarily, but it feels utterly of its moment and despite its anarchic energy is never glib or peevish.  I squealed several times, laughed even more, and the film left me with a weird, immovable sense of melancholy.  Deeply impressive.

3) Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

The range that Céline Sciamma has shown over just four films!  Deliberately paced without ever feeling slow, I loved how invested this was in portraiture as an art form and how that folded into Marianne’s burgeoning feelings for Héloïse.  Unlike a lot of other love stories, and by nature of its subject matter, Portrait is interested not just in how its two protagonists make one another feel but how they perceive one another.  The ghostly apparitions that Marianne witnesses feel at first like a false note only for that to pay off beautifully in the final act.  Héloïse’s final words are up there with The Lives of Others in terms of last lines that make you break out in goosebumps.

4) And Then We Danced

For a film that’s so concerned with the hard lines of its dance movements, it’s appropriate how tuned-in the screenplay is to when it needs to puncture its atmosphere of repressive masculinity with compassion and tenderness.  Each relationship in the story is replete with texture and feeling, not just Merab’s rambunctious, chaotic home life, but also his dance partner / best friend.  What really made the movie for me was how focused it was on Merab’s own journey, outside of and alongside his relationship with another male dancer.

5) A Hidden Life

Malick is back, baby!  Doesn't quite reach the giddy heights of his filmography up to and including The Tree of Life and the three-hour runtime is a little punishing, but Malick is clearly working with a renewed sense of focus and purpose. Tracking the life of Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector who was executed by the Nazis in 1943, I was unexpectedly and profoundly moved by A Hidden Life’s spiritual curiosity.  Franz's commitment to his faith might seem alien, but it becomes clear that it's the only thread he has to hold onto in order to see him through; even his relationship with his steadfast wife is defined by their shared religion.  The roving camera and Jörg Widmer's stunning depictions of bucolic life turned sour, as the small village community become spiteful and cruel, also feel like some sort of spiritual rebuke (and it's notable that we're kept closely within Franz's POV rather than venturing out into the atrocities that lie on the margins of the film).  I fully lost it when I realised that the title is taken from the monumental final paragraph of Middlemarch.

6) Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Eliza Hittman’s new film is definitely going where you think it’s going, but that hardly matters when the filmmaking and performances are this strong.  Whilst it’s concerned with the difficulties of obtaining an abortion for vulnerable young women, that’s not all that’s on its mind, and I was struck by how well it draws the patriarchal society these two teenagers have to manoeuvre through every day.  Hittman’s New York is a nightmare landscape, with Hélène Louvert’s cinematography expressively capturing the sense of oppressiveness and isolation that big cities can have on a person.  Like with Beach Rats, Hittman draws fine performances from her leads, ones that say a lot with very little dialogue, and of course the scene that gives the film its name is just fantastic.

7) Corpus Christi

Somehow manages to overcome its reliance on coincidences in the early going to become an exhilarating, deeply-felt film about the failures of organised religion and the limits of faith.  Bartosz Bielena could take me to church any day of the week, and he's truly electric as the ex-con who masquerades as the priest of a small town recently rocked by tragedy.  The plot could easily be that of a Hollywood rom-com, and it's to the film's credit that, aforementioned coincidences aside, it's always interested in digging deeper.  It's incredibly powerful as a testament to how difficult it is to confront the most difficult truths about ourselves and how grief is turned outwards.  The visceral, upsetting fight scene that closes the film is memorable, sure, but it’s the troubled character study at its centre that ensures Corpus Christi lingers.

8) Boys State

I suppose you might argue that finding a microcosm of American politics at an annual event where a group of 17-year-old boys are asked to form their own government is a little like shooting fish in a barrel, but directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine mine their subject matter for much more than simple prescience.  Impeccably cast and edited, it manages to be simultaneously hugely entertaining (with true heroes and villains) and also an insightful, terrifying window into the glibness with which white American men treat both real world issues and anyone on the other side of the argument.  There were other, perhaps more accomplished documentaries released in 2020, but Boys State was so irresistibly of its time and so gripping because of that it kept creeping up in my estimation as the year wore on.

9) The Forty-Year-Old Version

What a fun, smart screenplay this is.  Which isn't to say there isn't plenty of other things that impress about this debut feature focused on an almost-forty-year-old Black woman who, frustrated with the dead end her career as a playwright seems to be facing, turns to rap as an alternative means of expression.  It's incredibly astute on the ways in which Black artists are forced to compromise to appease white gatekeepers and perceived audiences, a topic that it handles with equal parts anger and wry humour.  The film isn't blind, either, to the ways in which Radha's frustrations impact her relationships (particularly with her loyal agent/best friend).  When the only complaint you have about a film is that it suffers from a surfeit of ideas, it’s indicative of what a special, unique voice it possesses.

10) Rocks

A huge step up from the stolid, dishwater-y Suffragette.  The film’s deceptive simplicity in its depiction of a teenage girl and her younger brother who suddenly find themselves having to navigate an adult world they’re not ready for allows for the performances and screenplay to fill in the bustling, often joyful elements of Rocks’ life.  Cast perfectly top to bottom, some of the film’s best scenes are where Rocks and her mates are just hanging out, shooting the shit with one another.  And whilst there’s a heart-breaking centre to this particular story, it never feels reliant on pulling your heart strings, or leaning too heavily into the more troubling aspects of Rocks’ life.

Ten performances that I loved this year: Cosmo Jarvis in Calm With Horses, Joe Keery in Spree, Radha Blank in The Forty-Year-Old Version, Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods, Bartosz Bielena in Corpus Christi, Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite, Hugh Jackman in Bad Education, Alfre Woodard in Clemency, Johnny Flynn in Emma and Haley Bennett in Swallow.

[melongumi]

@professorsparklepants​ pointed out earlier that Wei Wuxian gets not one, but two fridged sisters, so... here, have a deathswap.

It starts with a change in luck: Wen Qing is the one taken by the Jins, and it’s Wen Ning who escapes and seeks Wei Wuxian for help. 

Wen Ning saved his brother’s life, but unfortunately he arrives too late to return the favor: Wen Qing is brought back as a fierce corpse (side note, no gendered violence because My City My Rules) and Wei Wuxian retreats to Yiling with the Wen Remnants. 

Minor differences ensue until the day of Jin Ling’s one-month celebration. Wen Qing is Wei Wuxian’s best protection, but she is first and foremost a healer. A needle or a shield, but not a knife. The second confrontation in Qiongqi escalates differently, but it does still escalate: Jin Zixuan is injured, Wei Wuxian is incapacitated. Surrounded by enemies, Wen Qing is forced to run with Wei Wuxian rather than try to treat them both on-site. Anyway, her dexterity isn’t what it once was; she couldn’t stitch up Jin Zixuan even if she stayed. At least he’s alive, though.

The heir to LanlingJin is alive, but he has been attacked and his prognosis is uncertain. Wen Qing and Wen Ning still give themselves up in an attempt to buy clemency for the rest of the denizens of the Burial Mounds. 

This doesn’t work, and Wei Wuxian confronts the alliance of sects at the Nightless City... But Yanli is nursing her injured husband, and has been out of the loop. She has no idea that any of this is happening, and is safe in Koi Tower. Instead, Jiang Cheng is arguing with Wei Wuxian when a cultivator from a minor sect attempts to stab the Yiling Patriarch in the back.

He can’t get his sword around fast enough; without thinking, Jiang Cheng pushes his own body into the path of the attack.

T H I S   D E S T R O Y S   T H E   W W X . . .

Lan Wangji spirits him away from the Nightless City and tries to snap him out of his dissociative state. This mostly doesn’t work, but under the circumstances Wei Wuxian ends up letting slip that Jiang Cheng has (no, oh no, had,) his golden core. Put a pin in that. Lan Zhan confesses his love, Wei Ying tells him to get lost (everyone he loves dies because of him...), they’re found by Lan elders  and Lan Wangji fights them. He is taken back to Gusu and sentenced to 33 lashes. Wei Wuxian regains awareness sometime afterward and makes it back to the Wen Remnants.

Jin Zixuan dies in his recovery bed. A shame about that fever; He’d been healing so very well - it must have been that Ghost Witch, somehow. Must have been. Everyone was taking such good care of him, after all. What a shame.

Yanli is back in the loop, now, and is desperate to see and speak to her brother, who has suddenly become the only family she has left. To that end, hesitantly wielding Zidian with her late husband’s spiritual sword, she leads the Jiang contingent at the siege of the Burial Mounds.  

Some say she struck down her traitorous foster-brother herself. Others say it was his own cultivation, backfiring on him at last. Jiang Yanli herself won’t speak on the matter and goes ice-quiet if asked.

A few years later, after the death of her father-in-law and especially her mother-in-law, Yanli comes to an agreement with the new Jin sect leader Jin Guangyao. Her young son becomes Jiang Ling, and they both return to Yunmeng and Lotus Pier for good.

Unknown to most, the infamous Ghost Witch was imprisoned below Koi Tower and forced to put up with Xue Yang’s obnoxious personality for over a year. Eventually, he comes up with nails that suppress a fierce corpse’s will. Shortly thereafter, sect leader Jin Guangyao decides Xue Yang has become enough of a liability to outweigh his usefulness, and he is disposed of. The Ghost Witch is mostly forgotten.

They say that sect leader Jiang is always hunting down demonic cultivators-- no-one knows what happens to them afterwards, but it hasn’t hurt the reputation of the sect any. They’ve got a ton of outside disciples! They really have recovered since the war... wonder where all those recruits even came from?

Thirteen years after his death, a resurrected Wei Wuxian recognizes his brother’s sword in the hands of a young Jiang Clan cultivator...

#wwx and the epic flute solo of doom #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #jiang yanli #y'all i gotta go to BED... #ETA: FREE TO GOOD HOME BTW #i'm not gonna write this

[transhawks]

I have to point out that in their first fight all might tried to kill afo ( given from how all might put it ) and regardless of jins sympathetic backstory or how like able he is he is still a part of a terrorist group that will try to destroy society with many people dying ( who is loyal to his friends but those friends are mass murderers and serial killer ( so it is annoying when people complain about the hero arresting toga claiming he was being gleeful ( when he wasn’t) andignore she is 1/2

A serial killer its especially annoying when people who spout this are also people who get mad at people who like endeavor and claim its abuse apologist when liking a character does not equal glossing over their bad actions people liked him after his redemption arc began and liking his redemption arc and how well done it is. Is not abuse apologism. No one makes excuses. For his actions in the past we like him for his character development and him being given redemption isn’t abuseapologism 2/2

I’m the wrong blog to talk about this to.

Please read my BYF. I make my political views and ethics clear. I approach BNHA from the perspective of someone with at least some grounding in critical theory. 

What this means is I look at something and analyze it by applying knowledge of history and politics and focus on revealing and challenging the power structures within. It means I see BNHA as the product of the society it was made in, and thus it doesn’t exist in a void. I also apply that to in-textual analysis. My primary concern with ‘judgment’ over actions will be the sociopolitical forces and power structures that shaped it. 

Now, the League don’t espouse theory or have coherent ideologies beyond ‘not this’, but each one of them is reacting to a harmful society that has essentially been waging war even before the League existed. I do not believe violence is solely individual. I am always more concerned with societal and state violence than individual, and from that standpoint, the League, and the MLA, and the Hero System are all factions in a war.

The hero system, being the status quo, has been the center of power in the ideological vacuum that is BNHA. The fact that they are the law does not make them right; and we see that the MLA and the LoV have risen up as reactions to the Hero System. 

It means, unlike a great deal of others on this site, my judgments and analysis will always be concerned with power. It means I shall always critique the reasons why Horikoshi and the society that produced him felt the need to make a redemption arc for Endeavor, especially given a recent societal reckoning with men in power abusing it to enact sexual and gender-based violence. It means I shall always question impulses to defend abusers; especially in patriarchal societies. 

It means I will question why no one discusses the violence committed against Jin throughout his life and what it means that he was killed having basically killed in self-defense, ONLY, in a preventive assassination for a crime he did not commit, and no guarantee he would have. What it means for a trained soldier to lie to and manipulate a mentally ill man and offer him clemency in exchange for the likely arrest and execution of the only people who have ever showed him dignity and humanity (while the law has never given him that).

And if you don’t understand that I come from that perspective, please get the fuck off my page. 

#discourse #asks #im exhausted #how many times do I have to state I'm not a liberal

[maggiecreekrp]

CANON FAMILIES

An asterisk (*) denotes a family that someone has already shown interest in or created a character for. If you find yourself invested in any of the families, starred or otherwise, please feel free to send us a message here to discuss. Most of the families, save for the Montgomerys, have multiple slots available, so even if they are marked with an asterisk, there is still plenty of room. The Bradshaw and Buchanan families remain the largest/most focal, and will not be marked. 

BRADSHAW + ADJACENTS

The Bradshaw family have lived in Reckoning since the town’s founding in the early 1800s. Each generation has taken up the same line of work as the previous: ranchers and, eventually, rodeo. They have had their grips in Reckoning politics for ages, some of them serving on the town council, in law enforcement, in the courthouse and beyond. What they own the most of in the town, however, is land, and a pretty penny has gone into Bradshaw pockets from people looking to purchase parts of it for business and homes alike. This has given them the upper hand for decades, as they have refused to sell anything to a Buchanan (or anyone who sides with them) since the beginning of the feud in 1899. They tend to steer clear of the violence brought on by the Buchanan family as much as they can, but sometimes, it’s damn near impossible. 

The Montgomery* family is proudly aligned with the Bradshaw clan, the alliance formed when the youngest daughter of a Bradshaw line married the hired farmhand who had rolled into town from Montana. A small family of only two generations, they still hold quite a bit of power in Reckoning and Greene County given the patriarch holds the office of Sheriff and keeps his grip tight on the position. The Montgomerys are sly and smart about revenge and very picky about who they exact it on. A proud bunch who are loyal to the grave, one cannot mess with a Bradshaw and avoid catching the hands of the Sheriff. 

The Abernathys* have been sided with the Bradshaws by default ever since they married into the family in 1919. Mostly known for their amicable dispositions, their most notable mark on the town is Aunt Peachie’s, a small boutique run by Peachie Abernathy, selling a little bit of everything. They are fortunately so genial that they give even the meanest Buchanan pause whenever it comes to deliberate menacing and petty crimes. Famously, in 1948, a tractor crashed through the roof of Francine Abernathy’s house, and legend has it, she merely went on with her knitting. 

The Calhoun* family married into the Bradshaw alignment in 1938 and Roscoe Calhoun was the founding member of it. They are an intelligent bunch, typically holding political office outside of the first responder sector. Though the family never holds the office of Mayor – that’s too public for them – the City Administrator position has been typically held by a Calhoun to keep the Bradshaw family’s hold on power. After being more recently targeted during the feud, some of them can be seen in and out of the Sheriff’s office asking for special assistance.

The Hunnicutt* family were once framed for shooting Old Man Elder’s horse, though it was later proven that he’d shot the horse himself. Since then, they’ve gained a reputation for being loose cannons, known for their propensity towards bar fights and aggressively rolling down their truck windows just to flip an Elder off. In modern language, they’d be called a family of ‘trolls’, with shit-eating grins characteristic to their faces, like they always know what’s up – always a few steps ahead of the game. 

The Casarrubias* family are the latest installation of Bradshaw loyalists, hailing from Mexico. They found their place in Reckoning two generations ago. Like many other newcomers, they were made privy to the blood-feud that paints Reckoning’s sunsets and sunrises. They were desperate to remain indifferent, to keep their heads down and keep themselves out of the fray. A message Reckoning interpreted as: Loyal to no one. They remained steadfast in their indifference, determined to turn a blind eye until the unfortunate day they were caught in the crosshairs. They were picked off one by one because of a perceived familiarity with the Bradshaws, so their hatred of the Buchanan family has carved itself into every bone and every vein. They’ve ingratiated themselves to the community as a whole, most taking on roles as civil servants. Though, many can’t help but wonder if their positions are merely just another Bradshaw play for power.

BUCHANAN + ADJACENTS

The Buchanan family are unpredictable, wild and hotheaded. Each member of the family has been mad at a Bradshaw for as long as anyone can remember, for reasons as heavy as the land dispute, all the way to something as petty as a bad parking job at the dive bar, Juniper’s. Though they’ll swear up and down they were framed for the murder of Timothy Bradshaw in 1899, they know what’s on record – they just refuse to admit it. “Never admit to nothin’, because someone’ll hold it against ya,” is the Buchanan credo. They hold their ground and bare their teeth at their enemies, and those newcomers who refuse to choose their sides are bound to have a Buchanan-made molotov cocktail hurtled into their shrubs. 

The Jackson* family has been aligned with the Buchanan family as long as anybody can remember. The Jackson’s are all muscle and have been called the “Reckoning Mafia” on more than one occasion. They are at the beck and call of the Buchanan family for any physical solution to an issue. Since the death of Anthony Jackson and the lack of investigation by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson’s have taken up more violent actions without the consent of the Buchanan’s.

The Musselwhites* began their lives in Reckoning modestly, the weight and muscle behind the waves of Buchanan wrath. They became the peace keepers, generations of law-keepers and police officers that stretch back as far as anyone can recall. The most esteemed of the clan hold quite a few positions of power within the city, ranging from judge to deputy. Steadfast in their loyalty, they prize the silent influence they hold over town.

Notorious for their cruelty, the Pickens* clan isn’t one to trifle with. Their reputation is paved in bloody lips and wrong-doings. “Not too far from the tree,” they say, but their tree is rotten. No good comes out of the Pickens family. Born in Reckoning and to her soil they’ll all return. They’ve no aspirations to grow beyond their station. They’ve been called Buchanans’s lap dogs – but only behind the local’s hands, for fear of discovering how black their temper is. Those who are employed can be found in taverns and bars. Some pad their pockets by hunting and fishing. But near all are petty criminals.

The Elder* family will likely never live down the embarrassment of their great grandfather Larry Elder attempting to frame a Hunnicutt for the murder he commited to his own horse. Simple peach farmers, they attempt to keep themselves out of the chaos for the most part, though they are often targets for crimes such as burglary and vandalism. The biggest shock of the past ten years was when one of the current patriarch’s young daughters was kidnapped by a passer-through, prompting the famously Bradshaw-aligned sheriff’s office to help locate her. The Elders now lowkey consider themselves in debt to the Montgomerys, though they will never utter this to a Buchanan, and they are too scared to switch sides. 

UNALIGNED

The Brackish* family holds onto their indifference with white-knuckles. They’ve managed to keep themselves out of the dueling families crosshairs, but  not out of the fray. They fall in and out of favor, forever swinging the pendulum from usurpers to allies with the Buchanans and Bradshaws. The Brackish family has always kept their eye set on pastures new, reaching far beyond Reckoning. Their wealth and illicit connections make them the unseen powder keg, primed to blow beneath the floorboards. They’ll never bend, nor take a knee. Their loyalty is to their own.

The McCoys* have been serving the town of Reckoning as mayor-or-something-like-it since the town’s inception. They are old money, having had stocks in oil for decades. The McCoy family avoided being forced to pick sides as they were already holding the position of mayor at the time of the first mruder, and have kept themselves there, occasionally sliding money into the hands of a Bradshaw or a Buchanan to keep their shit to their own side of the road. 

Medical family Nash* runs the only doctor’s office in town, which is a family-oriented clinic of mostly general practitioners, though they have a few specialists such as a gynecologist, pulmonologist and a cardiologist. They are unfortunately not equipped with the means to perform surgeries or deliver babies, however, so they refer many patients to the larger hospital in Clemency, which is a 30-minute drive away. The Nash family have kept their irons out of the fire since they moved from Greeneville to Reckoning in the early 1930s, having convinced the people of the town that a doctor should always remain neutral. 

What keeps the Redwines* from being dragged into the chaos is the very fact that they are the town undertakers, and have been forever. Superstitions seem to abound on the Buchanan side that messing with a mortician will dredge up bad luck, while the Bradshaws merely understand the need for neutrality in such a position. They have seen more oddly murdered cadavers than they care for, but the Redwine family is the only one that can testify in court without the fear of coming home to a dead raccoon on their porch. They make a potent, blackberry cobbler flavored moonshine they call Embalming Fluid, that everyone is afraid to drink.

The Lawtons* are old money, much like the McCoys, though their wealth comes from the tourism that Reckoning sees. They own both Norma’s Nook Bed & Breakfast and Motel Reckoning, along with a few of the shops in the quaint town square. The entire town knows that a Lawton party is the ritziest kind of party one could possibly be invited to, and while the guest list is usually limited to those who they know aren’t going to roll a keg in and cause a ruckus, somehow that still manages to happen each time. 

The Turquiz* family has been in Reckoning for quite a long time now, joining the small town from Venezuela. They tend to hold small but important jobs in town, ranging from mechanic to city council, and everything in between. A few members of the family have been known to assist in shady deals with the Brackish family to ensure protection from the on-going feud.

#preview #maggiecreekrp #jcink roleplay #jcink rp #southern gothic rp

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 29 April – St Peter of Verona OP (1205–1252) also known as St Peter Martyr – Dominican Priest and Friar, a celebrated Preacher, miracle-worker, Marian devotee.   He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was killed by an assassin and was Canonised 11 months after his death, making his the fastest Canonisation in history. Patronages – inquisitors, midwives, Castelleone di Suasa, Italy, Verona, Italy, diocese of, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. St Peter is the the first Canonised martyr of the Dominican Order.

In the English-speaking part of the world especially, all too little is known about this illustrious Friar Preacher.   Possibly this is in part due to the well-known bias in England against the old-time inquisition, which spread thence into the colonies founded by that country, for Saint Peter was closely connected with that institution.   Indeed, by not a few he is considered as a man without a heart.   Yet he was most compassionate.   His character was rounded out by an admirable strength of will and a mind so judiciously balanced that he neither shrank from duty, whatever the sacrifice, or even danger, it involved, nor allowed his heart to control his judgement.

Father Thomas Agni of Leontino, another noted Dominican, archbishop of Cosenza and later patriarch of Jerusalem, was the first to write a life of the blessed martyr.   His testimony should he all the more reliable because he lived for many years with Saint Peter of Verona, had been his superior and was an eye-witness of the principal events in his life.   The work shows no signs of undue predilection.   Agni’s original manuscript was for long years at Saint Mark’s Convent, Florence. Another, with some additions by Father Ambrose Taegio, was preserved in the Convent of Nostra Donna delle Grazie, Milan.

Peter was born in Verona, Italy in 1205, of parents who had embraced the heresy of Cartharism but he did attend a Catholic school.   He was educated at the University of Bologna and was accepted into the Dominican Order by Dominic himself. 

Because the Dominicans were theologically trained preachers, the popes entrusted the Inquisition to them.   In 1234, Pope Innocent IV recognised Peter’s virtues (severity of life and doctrine, talent for preaching, and zeal for the orthodox Catholic faith) and appointed him Inquisitor in Lombardy.   He spent about six months in that office and it is unclear whether he was ever involved in any trials.   His one recorded act was a declaration of clemency for those confessing heresy or sympathy to heresy.   In 1251 his jurisdiction was extended to most of northern Italy. Although he attracted huge crowds with his preaching, as an inquisitor he also made enemies.

Marvellously filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, he laboured continually for the propagation and defence of the true faith, being zealous for its promotion among the people.   To this end he established the Association of the Faith and the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   He was a fervent of promoter of community and fraternal life and served the brethren wisely as a prior.   He was also greatly solicitous for the spiritual good of the sisters, lovingly assisting them with his advice and exhortations to their spiritual benefit.

In his sermons he denounced heresy and also those Catholics who professed the Faith by words but acted contrary to it in deeds.   Crowds came to meet him and followed him, conversions were numerous, including many Cathars who returned to orthodoxy.

Because of this, a group of Milanese Cathars conspired to kill him.   They hired an assassin, one Carino of Balsamo.   Carino’s accomplice was Manfredo Clitoro of Giussano. On 6 April 1252, when Peter was returning from Como to Milan, the two assassins followed Peter to a lonely spot near Barlassina and there killed him and mortally wounded his companion, a fellow friar named Domenico.

Carino struck Peter’s head with an axe and then attacked Domenico.   Peter rose to his knees and recited the first article of the Symbol of the Apostles (the Apostle’s Creed). Offering his blood as a sacrifice to God, according to legend, he dipped his fingers in it and wrote on the ground: “Credo in Deum” “I believe in God”, the first words of the Apostles’ Creed.   The blow that killed him cut off the top of his head but the testimony given at the inquest into his death confirms that he began reciting the Creed when he was attacked.   Domenico was carried to Meda, where he died five days afterwards.

The murderer Carino, renounced heresy, became a Dominican co-operator brother and died with a reputation for sanctity.  He is the subject of a local cult as Blessed Carino of Balsamo.

Wherever he went, the deaf, the dumb, the blind, the lame and people sick with every kind of ailment were brought to him.   Ordinarily all were benefited by his prayers.  They praised God for the power of healing which He had given His servant.

Peter of Verona and with reason, was considered a learned doctor.   Yet he ever continued to store his mind with new knowledge, whether through prayer, meditation, or reading the Sacred Writings.   The example which he set his religious brethren showed them by what means they could perfect themselves in their state of life and make themselves useful to the Church.   Never did his degree of Master in Sacred Theology cause him to neglect study.   Study never prevented him from being the first at all the regular exercises.   Well did he know how to combine the practices of the cloister with the labours of the apostolic life.

In private conversation, just as in his sermons, he stimulated the faithful with his personal sentiments of love for the Blessed Virgin.   Because of his influence in their favour the Servites (they were investigated to ensure their orthodoxy) have ever regarded Peter of Verona in the light of a second founder of their order.   After his Canonisation, they placed him on the list of their holy patrons and protectors.

The Bull of Canonisation was sent at once to all bishops and ecclesiastical superiors, with an order that the feast of Peter of Verona should he celebrated every year on 29 April. This day was chosen for the celebration because that of his martyrdom, 6 April often falls in Holy Week, or within the octave of Easter.   Alexander IV and several of his successors, prescribed that the feast should he of the same obligation as that of Saint Dominic. Finally, Clement X, by a papal decree, ordered that the feast of Saint Peter Martyr should have the rank of a duplex for the whole Church.   This was in 1670 and the practice is in use today, wherever the Roman breviary is recited.

However, veneration of Peter of Verona is especially noteworthy in the Order of Friars Preacher and in that of the Servites.   It is particularly the case in Italy, the land of his birth, the field of his labours and the place of his holy death.   There many are the churches, chapels and confraternities erected in his honour.

The body of the martyr is still preserved and venerated in a magnificent chapel of Saint Eustorgio, Milan.   Princes and noblemen of France, Germany, England and Italy (particularly the archbishops of Milan) imitated the king and queen of Cyprus with their rich gifts for the enshrinement of the saint’s relics.   At each time of their various translations (1253, 1340, 1651 and 1736) many miracles were wrought.   Suffice it to say that the Acta Sanctorum, in the third volume for April, where they treat of our martyr, give a long list of attested wonders worked by him.

Saint Thomas of Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, was an ardent admirer of Peter of Verona.  In 1263 he visited the martyr’s sepulchre.   While at Saint Eustorgio’s Convent, the great theologian and poet wrote the following verses in eulogy of the valiant athlete of the faith, which were afterwards engraved on a marble slab and placed near his tomb, where they may still he read:

Here silent is Christ’s Herald. Here quenched, the People’s Light. Here lies the martyred Champion Who fought Faith’s holy fight. The Voice the sheep heard gladly, The light they loved to see He fell beneath the weapons Of graceless Cathari.

The Saviour crowns His Soldier. His praise the people psalm. The Faith he kept adorns him With martyr’s fadeless palm.

His praise new marvels utter, New light he spreads abroad And now the whole wide city Knows well the path to God.

Saint of the Day – 29 April – St Peter of Verona OP (1205–1252) Saint of the Day - 29 April - St Peter of Verona OP (1205–1252) also known as St Peter Martyr - Dominican Priest and Friar, a celebrated Preacher, miracle-worker, Marian devotee.   

#stpeterofverona/stpetermartyr

[fedonciadale]

Hello! Thank you for your amazing blog!Now I wanna know what do you think d/ny should do that the GA would see her as a villian? I mean she burned the temple just like Cersei and everyone was OK with it then she roasted the Tarlys and everyone was like "yeah burn them all!". When pol!jon will become a common knowledge GA would be shitting on Jon and justify every single thing she will do i.e. fleeing the battle, burning KL etc. (1/2)

(2) GA always justify her actions no matter how terrible it is because she was one day an underdog. So what do you think? Sorry for my English:))) (2/2) 

Dear nonny,

thanks for the compliment! And no reason to apologize for your English. Many of us are non-native speakers, including myself.

There is a reason that Da€nerys stays so long in Essos. We’ve yet so see her through the eyes of one of the major players. It was just Quentyn and Barristan who interacted with her, and Barristan didn’t agree with everything Da€nerys did, and she was positively rude to Quentyn. But GRRM has set her against people we eye with suspicion - and the show has done this as well, and quite faithful to her book character, if you ask me. I think Da€nerys is the character that suffered the least from book to screen. Da€nerys starts as an underdog and people feel for her in  AGOT (and rightly so, Viserys selling her to the Dothraki really makes the reader feel for her). And even though we have a pretty cool antagonist in Mirri Maaz Duur, still people tend to side with Da€nerys because through her PoV we clearly get the feeling that she was wronged and tricked. And for many the first impression stick, so people rooting for Da€nerys have this girl in mind that managed to escape an abusive situation and gain agency via her dragons. And isn’t this a dream: To be able to roast your opponents by dragons that obey you is a very nice revenge fantasy..... It is only so very dangerous if revenge fantasies get a chance of becoming real.

So, if you want to, you can already see with MMD that Da€nerys’ clemency is not something that is born from thought and compassion. It is a bout of benevolence that makes Da€nerys feel good about herself. If she really would have wanted to prevent rape she could just have told Drogo that she doesn’t want the Iron Throne after all and that there is no reason to enslave the Lamb people. Anyway MMD is forgotten by most although she clearly shows how D is.

After she has gained her dragons, D is usually set against people we tend to dislike or hate: GRRM makes sure that we know every grizzly detail about the ‘education’ of the Unsullied, before he lets D trick the masters to get them for nothing by freeing them (conveniently after she has ordered them to kill the masters). Surely someone who acts against assholes like that must be a good person?

You know, Da€nerys is interesting, because she acts in a way, that falls into the pattern of a saviour (or even a white saviour): freeing slaves must be good, mustn’t it?

Of course freeing slaves is good... But freeing slaves is not her goal. She does some things right, but for the wrong reasons. She frees the Unsullied, because she has no money to buy them, she decides to stay in Mereen, not to bring peace but to “learn how to be a Queen.” In the show, she destroys the temple at Vaes Dothrak, not because she wants to finish a patriarchal society, but because she wants the Dothraki to follow her as the strongest (therefore confirming the Dothraki beliefs, not questioning them!). I always had the suspicion that we will see her true face once she arrives in Westeros. Da€nerys is a perfect example for the ethical problem of ‘means and ends’. Her freeing slaves is not her goal, it is a means to an end and her end is a selfish one: Her sitting on the Iron Throne. She was always an ‘accidental’ saviour, not a saviour, because she decided to fight against the injustice in the world. 

So, people who criticize D are usually shut down with the argument, that her actions are good, but are they if she did not intend to do good? An evil-intentioned act can have a good result, and vice versa. I would also argue that GRRM presents many crossroads for D, many little choices and each of her choices distances her from the girl who at least knew how to have compassion for suffering that went on before her eyes (even is she was responsible) and brings her closer to becoming a woman who wields fire and blood for her own ends and hardens herself against the suffering she causes.

In season 7, Da€nerys for the first time acts in Westeros and again she is set up against antagonists, we know to be evil or assholes. We know Cersei is evil (although she did a better job than D), we know Randyll Tarly is an asshole.  It is the same pattern all over again, but for the first time, Da€nerys is also set against people we know are good. She pesters Jon Snow to bend the knee and refuses to do the right thing during the whole season. The season ends with her apparently willing to fight the ‘good fight’, but will she though? Will she, if it will cost her the throne? And the answer is no. She will not change her goals in the last season, just like Jon did  not change his goal of saving the North from its enemies. At every crucial crossroad she chose the Targaryen legacy of fire and blood. We don’t have any reason to suspect that her choice will be different in season 8. Because of Jon’s dick? Will she still like it, if she has reason to suspect he kept his parentage from her? It probably will be a tough choice for her, but she will choose like she always chose, like she chose in AGOT, when Drogo raided and plundered the Lamb’s people.

I do not doubt that the die-hard fans of Da€nerys will see every action of her as justified. Imho, she’s done so much very questionable things already and yet if you point that out, your are called a misogynist. So, yes, when Political Jon comes out into the open, her fans will cry ‘treason’ in unison with D. They will rage against Jon, disown him who is now their prescious cinnamon roll (how a man who spied on the wildlings, killed his superior officer for the sake of going undercover and left his love is a cinnamon roll is beyond me, but there it is), claim that the books will be different, throw insults of misogyny at the writers (which in part is fair, but not for their treatment of D) and possible GRRM etc. etc. I think I will make a bingo for their meltdown.

As for the General audience though, I do not think that they will react that way. They are invested in a good story, like many characters, and I think they will buy DarkDany quite fine. They will look back at the seasons before and will shake their head and say “Could have seen that coming”. I think it only needs for D to attack a GA fav to sell DarkDany. If Da€nerys threatens Lyanna Mormont or Gendry or Davos for keeping Gendry’s father a secret, they will see her for “what she is.” They will see, that Jon is in danger and I think many will be ready to root for the Starks if it is D or the Starks. As for now, the GA thinks they can easily root for Starks and D against the White Walkers, but that would be easy!

So, yes, intense Da€nerys stans will never admit she did anything wrong, will come up with excuse after excuse, but the GA will be just fine about it, I think.

Thanks for the ask!

#anon ask #Anti-Daenerys #Anti Targ restoration #DarkDany #How will the GA react? #Anti some extreme stans #Accidental saviour

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Kevin Wozniak on Kevflix: Top 5 – Most Anticipated Movies of the 55th Chicago International Film Festival

The 55th Chicago International Film Festival kicks off this week and it is a festival I love attending.  Not only was this the first festival that I attended back in 2008, but it is a festival that highlights so many unique movies from all around the world and showcasing some of the best filmmakers working today.  This year’s festival is no different, with a slew of movies from all genres from dozens of different countries.  I plan on seeing over 20 films over the next ten days and here are the five that I am most excited for.

        BONUS:

HONEY BOY (Alma Har’el)

CLEMENCY (Chinonye Chukwu)

I’ve already seen both Honey Boy and Clemency at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was a big fan of both of them.  Both films are powerful and expertly made with some stellar acting.  Honey Boy, which was written by its star, Shia LeBeouf, looks at LeBeouf’s life growing up in the entertainment world with his abusive father. LeBeouf gives one of the very best performances of 2019 here.  In Clemency, the great Alfred Woodard stars as a prison warden who’s death row executions begin to take a toll on her.  Woodard could garner herself an Oscar nomination for this one, as should Aldis Hodge, who plays a death row inmate that gets close to the warden.  Both films are great and I am excited to see them again.

      5 – KNIVES AND SKIN (Jennifer Reeder)

Knives and Skin sounds kind of like if Pretty Little Liars went full Twin Peaks.  The film follows the disappearance of a local teenager in a small Illinois town and how it effects her friends, her parents, and the entire town.  But the film describes itself as “mystical” which only makes me think that this isn’t your typical missing-girl film and I’m excited to see where Reeder takes this film.  Shot locally in Illinois, Knives and Skin looks to be a fun, wild entry in the After Dark section of the festival.

    4 – FORD V. FERRARI (James Mangold)

James Mangold is a director who feels like he has been riding the cusp of greatness for almost two decades now.  With films like Girl, Interrupted, Identity, 3:10 to Yuma, and Logan, Mangold is a director who has worked with a wide array of actors in a wide array of genres.  Ford v Ferrari could be the film that puts Mangold over the edge and puts him on the awards trail.  Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari looks at American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Bale) as they battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.  The film looks gorgeous and promises strong performances and a great story.  This could be a big Oscar player at the end of the year.

    3 – PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (Céline Sciamma)

Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been a movie I have been anticipating seeing.  I have heard nothing but incredible things about this movie from some of my favorite critics, many of which have declared the film one of the very best of the year.  Set in the 18th century France a young painter, Marianne, is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse without her knowing, which brings the two closer as Héloïse’s big day approaches.  I have avoided the trailer, all full-length reviews, and anything that might spoil this movies greatness.  We might have the makings of a truly special film here.

    2 – KNIVES OUT (Rian Johnson)

Say what you will about The Last Jedi (I love it), but Rian Johnson is one hell of a filmmaker.  Rocking the independent world back in 2005 with Brick and flipping the time travel genre on its head in 2012 with Looper, Johnson knows how to make unique genre films with great visual flourishes.  Johnson’s latest is a classic whodunnit, as a detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.  Johnson got a stellar cast for this one, with Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, LaKeith Stanfield, and Christopher Plummer starring in what is arguably one of the best ensembles of the year.  I love whodunnit films, I love Rian Johnson as a director, and I love this cast.

    1 – THE IRISHMAN (Martin Scorsese)

Whenever Martin Scorsese has a movie coming out it’s almost guaranteed that film will be near or at the top of any “most anticipated” list.  At a spry 77-years-old, my favorite director of all-time is still putting out interesting films that keep the directors visceral style while adapting new technology and the ever changing cinematic landscape.  With The Irishman, Scorsese brings together an ensemble of cinematic icons, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel, to tell the story about hitman who tells his life story and his involvement in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa.  Thanks to Netflix’s gigantic budget ($140 million), the film is going hard on the de-aging technology, as De Niro, Pacino, and the rest of the legends are getting the treatment, as well as offering up a three-and-a-half-hour runtime, which sounds incredible.  Early word is that this is another Scorsese classic and I am ecstatic that I get to see this movie on the big screen.

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